> A Cultural Exchange
>  by Illiad_Easle
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> Prologue
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Do you want to make friends, Explore new lands, and Experience different cultures as well as show others the joys of your own hometown? Then participate in the first ever All Equis Cultural Exchange.
To participate all you need to do is write a letter about yourself including the following:
Your name, your race, and your age. Be sure to describe yourself, including a picture if possible. And finally be sure to include your location, ability to host a guest in return is a requirement for participation. All ages may participate, children must have their parents' permission to enter.
Once you have submitted a letter you will be paired with another of similar age who wishes to share their culture with you. You will have a few weeks’ time to interact via letter prior to the official exchange, then you and your pairing will each host the other for one week in your respective home towns.





Flyers bearing the mantra were distributed throughout the world, ending up in strange places, but always just in the place they were needed for those interested to find them.
> An Exchange of Letters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illiad Easle had lived in Deltrot for nearly three years and for the first time in his life he felt like he actually belonged in his community. He was sitting out on a sand dune a few hundred strides from the noise and light of town, giving him a great view of the stars above. As he began his trek back to town he came across a paper half buried in the sand. He retrieved it and began to read, a smile coming to his face. A cultural exchange? What a wonderful idea! He stowed the paper in the folds of his sand cloak and hurried back to town, eager to participate.

June 19th,

A few days later he received the response that he had been accepted and been paired with an Earth pony named Dax Blackwater, who's permanent address is near the base of the crystal mountains, but current residence was a bit unclear, similar to his age which simply said 'Adolescent'. Illiad found the name of Dax to be odd, but then again, so was his. The response said to write a letter of introduction, so he pondered what exactly to say before he began to write.

Good Evening Mr. Dax Blackwater,

My name is Illiad Easle and I was selected to be your pairing in the cultural exchange. To tell you a bit about myself, I am an adult unicorn living in Deltrot, Troy. I have a khaki coat and a shortish brown mane and tail. My mark is a triple cross of a ruler, quill, and paintbrush, symbolizing my talents in plotting, writing, and painting respectively. I mostly work as a designer of security measures such as watermarks and official seals. That sort of work doesn't come too often but frequent enough to pay my bills. Occasionally I will be commissioned for a piece of abstract art or to design an inlay for furniture. I also thoroughly enjoy writing short stories from time to time despite not being too good at it. I suppose I've talked enough about myself, how about you? I look forward to showing you around my hometown and I can't wait to hear back from you.

-Illiad Easle

With writing the letter taken care of he took it to the local post office where his good friend Swift Message assured him it would go out on the next mail run to Equestria. He then went back to his life, eagerly awaiting a response.

June 21st 

The response letter arrived about two days later, in a fancy envelope with [THE BLACKWATER QUARRY] stamped in silver foil on the back of it.

Dear Illiad Easel,

Hiya!  I was wondering when my response would arrive, and it was quite quick!  I'm pleased that we have been paired together, and I certainly hope that this works out to be both educational and fun for each of us!  I enjoyed reading about you, and I hope I can come up with enough nifty things to pique your own interest!

I'm an Earth Pony living at the foot of the Crystal Mountains.  My family has been living here for a very long time, and we have a manor that is built right into the side of the mountain!  My Father owns the Blackwater Quarry, where the miners dig for gems; specifically, they gather emeralds, but there has been a deposit of other valuable stones from time to time.

About me: I have a black coat with green stripey-patches; my Mother says we have a little bit of zebra in our family tree, but I'm not sure if that's pure baloney or not.  Anyway, my cutie mark is a chunk of granite with an emerald sticking out of it - I got it when I helped find the biggest deposit of emerald ore I had ever seen, and I have a bit of a knack for finding emeralds; it's sort of like a "sixth sense" to me!  I'm currently trying to study for college, but as it is I haven't actually had a job yet... not that I don't want one, mind you - but my Father seems intent on passing the family business to me.  I don't know if I want to go that route, but I'm still deciding what to do with my life, so time will tell, right?

It will be interesting to see how well the ponies here will take to you - but I can hardly wait to see what you think of the place!  My Father agreed to this ONLY because I've been doing well in my schoolwork (I'm almost 18 years old now!), and he DOES NOT usually agree to such things readily.  I hope this works out - he is quite "iffy" on letting me go anywhere, but he does understand that this is an exchange, after all.

Well, I suppose this is a decent job of an opening letter, so this is where I will end it... but I do have a question, if I may?  Would you tell me more about where you live?  I haven't been far from the Quarry, so I'm still trying to find out more about the world.

Sincerely - Dax B.

P.S.: If my calculations are correct, you should be able to see the Horsehead Nebula from where you are - just look to the western sky; it should be the large-ish clump of stars near the horizon.  OH!  I love constellations, too!

Illiad was surprised at the quality of the envelope, it certainly wasn't Equestrian standard. Then again, he didn't know much about the Crystal Mountains, and he certainly hadn't heard of Blackwater Quarry. That's what a life in Canterlot gets you I suppose. Upon reading the letter he was again surprised by the thought that was put into the letter, he could feel the enthusiasm Dax had. A smile came to his face as he thought about how to respond, Dax had certainly surpassed his expectations.

Evening Dax Blackwater,

You've certainly led an interesting life so far, it only seems fair that I tell you about my past too.

I am originally from Canterlot, Equestria. (I don't know where Blackwater Quarry is situated on a map so I don't know if you're inside Equestrian borders or not.) When I was about your age I worked in the Canterlot archives shelving books, and while I loved doing it I could tell it wasn't my destiny, despite it giving me the opportunity to pursue my passions. Shortly after my 18th birthday there was a bit of persecution around me. You see I too have a sixth sense, I can tell how others are feeling just by being near them and I can occasionally influence their emotions with my own. Mind you I don't do that, often, but when I do it is only to help others (I'm fairly certain I prevented a suicide once, that was a good day). However, there was some negative propaganda against ponies like me (collectively Empathics if you've heard of that term), and I eventually had to leave Canterlot to keep from being injured. I eventually left Equestria altogether and emigrated to the Trojan Empire.

On some maps it sits on the San Palomino desert, but others label the area as the Mild West. The Trojan Empire is a collection of now six cities that declared independence from Equestria way back when Princess Luna was banished (I happened to move here the night she returned, there was a big party). The Trojan Empire, sometimes referred to as simply Troy, is mostly a trade nation. We have a large population of artisans and craftspeople whose goods get sold to caravans traveling all across the world, even to Equestria despite the trade embargo (Celestia's still mad we left). The embargo has actually been really good for us as we get to sell our goods to them at a huge markup on their black market. I do hope she decides to remove the embargo someday, I hate to think that so many have never even heard of Troy or its wonderful culture.

Anyway, your home sounds interesting too, would you mind telling me a bit more about it? How long has your family been there?

-I. Easle

PS, I was never too big on constellations, I simply like to bask in the utter glory of Luna's night whenever I can get a break from my work, I don't often bring my telescope out on the dunes as the sand is a real pain to clean out but I'll keep that in mind, It certainly sounds interesting.

June 23rd

About two days later, another fancy envelope arrives, addressed to Mr. I. Easel.

Dear Illiad, 

Wow.  I am rather impressed by what you've told me of Troy - I asked my tutor about it, but he didn't seem to want to elaborate, much to my dismay.  So, I guess what you tell me will have to do, right?  It's fine - I am fairly certain getting a pony's first-hand view is better than a possibly watered-down version in a generic guidebook!

Empathics?  I can't say I've ever heard the term before, but then again I don't get out much, so that makes sense on my end.  It sounds like you have a lot of potential to do good in the world; how often would you think finding certain rocks would help anypony?  Still, I'm pleased that you seem happy to help others with their problems.  I wish th-

(The letter is smudged here, as if erased.  It picks up again one line down.)

I'm sorry that things aren't exactly on good terms between Troy and Equestria; who knows?  Maybe our exchange here will be a catalyst (is that the right word?) that might end up being a part of a solution for it!  As far as any kind of Black Market goes, I know I've heard Father speaking about such things... and he is not a fan, to put it mildly.  But still, I didn't mention anything about it to him - a good thing, as he isn't a very 'happy' type of pony.

Okay, so - the Blackwater Manor has been here since Earth Ponies started mining emeralds!  My great(x12) grandfather, Serious Black, started mining here shortly after Discord's reign over Equestria was over, and as the silt rose in the nearby river due to all the activity, it turned the water black - and years later, the name "Blackwater" was taken on for my family line.  The Blackwaters have been mining here ever since, and the Quarry is one of the biggest in Equestria; chances are, if you have an emerald, it came from our mines!

The manor started as a simple block house, but as the years went by and profits rose, it was added to and added to, over and over again, until it became the modern wonder it is today.  It sits above the Quarry itself, and half of it is actually INSIDE the mountain; a cleared-out mine was once there, and it was hollowed and chiseled so that it could be an addition to the already impressive manor house it was becoming.  I sort of feel like I'm bragging, but I'm really trying not to - that wouldn't be very nice to present to my new friend, would it?

They have a number of workers, and my Father is The Boss; what he says is LAW around here.  He had to wrestle the company from my grandfather, who wasn't exactly keeping things running well, from what I've gathered.  I can't find out much more about that, as there aren't any records I can get to, and Father NEVER speaks of it to anyone - even ME.

This is SO exciting!  I don't have (the word 'any' is barely visible here, erased and written over) a lot of friends, so I'm quite pleased to have somepony to talk to, even if it's only the words on paper doing the talking!  Hope you write back soon - I've been checking the mailbox every day since this started!

Your Friend, Dax B.

P.S.: I wish I could see the sky from the same vantage point Luna could while she was on the moon; I just hope I'd have a way back home afterwards!  What kind of telescope do you use?

Illiad was once again impressed by the quality of Dax’s writing, clearly his tutor(s) were teaching him well.

Evening Dax,

I suppose if you were to look up Troy in a history book you'd see that it was destroyed during Nightmare Moon's time. It wasn't mind you, but that is what Celestia said happened and similarly why most don't know it still exists. (You wouldn't believe the stories I've heard of adventurers looking for the ruins of Troy only to find a thriving city). I will be happy to answer any of your questions regarding Troy.

Well, being Empathic isn't always a good thing. The negative propaganda had some truth to it in that there are a few evil Empathics out there. And furthermore.... If you asked your tutor about Empathics they might give you factual information or they'll spew propaganda like how we turn ponies insane or do mind control or are secretly changelings draining everyone of their emotions. I do get to do some good in the world, but I am forever worried that I'll accidentally ruin something, so I always use these abilities sparingly. On that note, what are your thoughts on changelings? I was there visiting during the attack and to be honest they still tend to scare me. I'd be lying if I didn't suspect some of my friends of being changelings when I got back, but it was all sorted out and we're still friends.

I don't think this exchange will be what convinces Celestia to admit she changed history books to her own favor, the full reveal of Troy will not be good for your monarchy. However, I suppose this could be a good start, who knows? As to the black market, Troy only sells, we don't buy anything from Equestria directly, thus Equestrian goods have to go through another nation before a Trojan will touch it. We don't what Equestria to benefit from the embargo after all, then it would never be lifted. Your father is likely mad that the Trojan diamonds sell for such high prices through the black market, and that they are in such high demand. I wouldn't know for sure as I am no economist nor trader so that's just a guess from me.

I suppose I should tell you a bit about the history of Troy, I have a whole book you can borrow when you visit that goes into more detail, but here is the short version. Troy was founded by an Earth Pony named Trojan Horse, he's the same one that surveyed the Canterlot mines and recommended that a city be built there. Troy started out as a place for caravans to meet and exchange goods so the individual caravans did not have to go all the way to central Equestria. The city eventually grew surrounding a nearby oasis, it attracted artisans who wanted to sell their works directly to the caravans and thus they could sell to most of the countries in the world. As time went on the city expanded as more moved there permanently, creatures of many different species gathered which is why Troy is the most diverse nation in all of Equis. Eventually other cities were built around other oases throughout the area to house the ever increasing numbers of immigrants. A few years before Nightmare Moon there was a large influx of zebra immigrants who had recently been freed from slavery (There's something no Equestrian will admit, and this relates to why old earth pony families often have a fear of zebras). The Trojan Province was different from the rest of Equestria because it had a governing council instead of a government appointed governor, this was Princess Luna's idea and the reason why all of Troy is so enamored by her. Anyway, there were a bunch of conflicts between the democratically elected council and what Celestia wanted, so after Nightmare Moon Troy decided to leave Equestria and has been independent ever since.

Don't worry about bragging, I'm glad your family is something you can take pride in. The question is really, would you still be happy without it all? If so it is not really bragging I guess.

I won't be too quick to pass judgment on your father as I haven't met him, but you’re certainly painting an interesting picture of him, I really don't know what to expect when I meet him.

I too am excited, this is likely one of the best chains of letters I have ever experienced. I don't have too many friends either, but I suppose it is more that I prefer to have a few, close friends, than to have a whole bunch that are only a little bit better than acquaintances. 





(Instead of a signature the bottom of the page is stamped with an image of Illiad's mark)

PS, The problem with the moon is that the sky is forever dominated by Equis, you'd have to walk a full quarter of the surface away to have the planet not be in the way, but I guess you're right. It would be nice to see the stars without any atmosphere or light pollution. As to my telescope, I only have a basic one as it is easier to clean out. If I were to need a better one I head out to the Alphyns Academy observatory outpost and use their large telescope, it's really cool on a clear night.

PPS, I forgot to mention this earlier, has your quarry ever found any cloud diamonds? The ones that are magically malleable? I have started to accumulate a mass of them and have been on the lookout for more.

June 26th

This time, the letter arrives three days later.  Same envelope, same addressee.

My dear friend Illiad,

It really sounds as if Troy is a beautiful, diverse place to live!  I admit, I'm a bit jealous - there aren't many townships near the Crystal Mountains, except for Canterlot, of course.  I have been near Ponyville a time or two, but I've never been inside the town proper - call it "chronic shyness", if you like.  The Quarry is sort-of a little village, I suppose, but only during work hours; at night, it stands as quiet as a mute mouse.  It will be so much fun to see something other than rocks and trees, and I feel the excitement in my hooves to feel actual sand!  That might sound kind of strange, but it's the truth!

It makes me quite ashamed to hear of how Celestia has treated Troy - I would think that ALL ponies should live in harmony, not just the ones who follow her rule.  I wonder, what could be going on in her mind about this?  And it makes me wonder what Luna is thinking, as well... has anypony told her that things have gotten this way?  Maybe with all that has been happening, she was sidetracked?  Regardless, I hope it won't put any kind of damper on our friendship; I have nothing but respect for you and what you've told me of Troy.  I do wonder, though - if the Trojans knew I was from Equestria, would they hate me?

I have heard of Changelings, but the only ones I've heard of are the ones that attacked Canterlot - surely that cannot be what all of them are like, can it?  I would really rather find out for myself - though, admittedly, I am not exactly a pillar of courage; maybe if I found one who would talk to me, I might be able to expand my knowledge of them.  Maybe they aren't all bad, right?

I actually don't spend much of my time at the manor very often; to get away from the hustle and bustle of the quarry, I have a tent near the edge of the Everfree Forest that affords a beautiful view at night.  Don't worry, though - I plan to have us both staying at the manor while you're here; company should be treated with the best one has to offer, right?

My Father is a very serious stallion.  He keeps everything in line at the quarry; he still mines when the need calls for it - he's not the kind who stays behind a desk all day.  He doesn't care for parties, or jokes, or any kind of "frivolous activity", as he calls it - he's a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, to be honest.  But he does make sure we get whatever we need, and much of what we want.  He's not really a bad pony - he just has very little patience for needless things... or at least what HE sees as needless, anyway.

Friends have been difficult for me to make - what with the quarry not being exactly visitor-friendly, and my Father being himself, and other such problems.  But I am quite pleased to be making friends with you - I can hardly wait until I can show you all the interesting things to see here!  

Ever your friend, Dax B.

P.S. - When I visit, I beg you to take me to see the giant telescope!  That would be a wonderful way for me to show you how much I've learned about the sky and her jewels!  And no, no Cloud Diamonds... but we do come across the occasional bed of Fire Opals!

There is a bit of dry black silt in the bottom of the envelope.

Iliad was excited to read the new letter, and in the process the silt contained within fell to the floor. He simply stared at it with a sad sigh. "That is worse than confetti right there. At least it isn't in my coat."
As he read the letter a smile came to his face, growing bit by bit throughout.

Evening Dax,

Similarly, your description of your home sounds lovely, I haven't had much opportunity to be in the wilderness. It just came to me that you guys aren't nocturnal like we are, due to it being a desert here it gets quite hot during the day and cold at night, so we sleep through as much of the day as possible. Well, my flexible work hours will certainly allow me to get more used to being awake under the oppressive heat of the day star. Oh and believe me, you're going to get tired of sand fast.

I too find it sad that She has done this, and I often wonder why she would think it the best course of action. Remember that the vast majority of Equestrians are the three main pony races, with only a few griffons, deer, zebras, and others. It could be that she fears she wouldn't be needed if there wasn't some scary foreigners to protect her ponies from. If you think about it not too much has changed in Equestria in the last few centuries. I have actually met with Luna since her return, it relates to how I have so much cloud diamond, she is overjoyed that Troy has remained free in her absence and its very existence is proof that we don't need the princesses to tell us how to run a government (Troy's government was Luna's idea after all). I suppose that is why Celestia does not want Troy to succeed. I've also heard the Celestia has been slow to return power to Luna since her return, either by habit or fear of a repeat I don't know. Oh, don't worry about being an Equestrian, the locals know that Celestia holds all of the responsibility and thus no ill will is born towards Equestrians (Except unicorns, they have a bad history with them and only allowed us Empathics in because we suffered similar persecution). 

You would not believe how happy I am to see that you have such an open mind. I know a few changelings around here and no, they are nothing like the ones that attacked Canterlot. Changelings in general prefer peaceful coexistence and create unique identities in the community to consume the excess emotional energy (I am told that as an Empathic Introvert I am a particularly good source of energy), I also heard that the hive that attacked Canterlot had been starving for a few weeks before they struck. If you're interested I could have you meet some of the changelings I know from the local hive.

I similarly like to get away from the city at times, there's a nice dune not too far away where I sit on occasion, usually to watch the moon set. My house is not nearly as impressive as yours, space is a premium here as much of the land around the oasis is devoted to community agriculture. You'll see a bunch of thin, tall buildings here. My house is fairly small but it is big enough for me to work in and it is well ventilated to keep it a nice cool temperature throughout the day.

I suppose my own father was similar to yours in a few ways. He’s an architect in Canterlot. And he isn't afraid to work with the contractor crews to get a building done right. He worked long hours to keep my family happy, though he enjoyed frivolous things too. He was very fond of little models and would often build little replicas of his projects. But I'll be sure to give your father the utmost respect he deserves when I meet him. While I am a bit frivolous I can be serious too (Luna wants me to be a member of the grand council or even Consul, if only so there is someone she knows in charge). 

I can't say I've had much better luck making friends, I'm a bit awkward as I don't get out and interact with others outside of my work or town meetings. But I'm glad you consider me your friend, you seem like a cool colt too.

(Again the letter is stamped with Illiad's mark)

PS, I'll be sure to arrange it. I've heard that the observatory here is second only to Luna's personal observatory in Canterlot.

After delivering the letter to his mail-carrier Illiad retrieved a second sheet of paper, "If she's available this would certainly be quite the surprise for him."



July 2nd 

Almost an entire week passes before he received another letter, once more in a fancy envelope.

My Good Friend Illiad,

I apologize for my response being so late - my little brother got me in trouble again, so I was restricted from responding for a few days.  It is infuriating, but sometimes I wonder if my Father even realizes that I am no longer a foal.  I suppose now would be the time to warn you about Oglevy - my younger brother.  I have two of them, though my older brother has left home to pursue his own path - much to my Father's chagrin.  Perhaps that is the reason why he tends to be so firm with me - but it still stinks.

Oglevy is only about 8 years old, and already he has become one of the most irritating ponies I have ever known.  He tends to get away with a lot of mischief, mostly due to Mother's protection.  He is a Pegasus on top of this, so when he does irritate me, he simply flies away, sticking his tongue out and laughing at me.  Oh, I'm not certain that I made mention of that: my Mother is a Pegasus, and my Father is an Earth Pony.  My older brother Harcourt and I were born Earth Ponies - but Oglevy seems to have gotten the wings my Mother had hoped we would have, so he is Mother's favorite, of course.  He makes me so mad!

Anyway, enough about him - on to more entertaining things!

I can only imagine how hot it is where you live, but I hope I will be able to stand the heat long enough to get a good look at the village you speak so highly of!  Of course, there is always the possibility of seeing it at night - but I will admit, I may find myself too fascinated with the constellations there to be attentive enough!  The stars, you could say they almost hypnotize me; I might be somewhat useless for a few nights, or at least until I familiarize myself with the Trojan night sky!

I am glad to hear that I will not be shunned for being an Equestrian - and I am excited (and admittedly a bit scared) that you have offered for me to meet some of your local Changelings!  It simply felt wrong that they all might behave as the ones who besieged Canterlot did; hopefully, my courage (what little there is) will hold, and I will possibly be able to find out much more about them!  Thank you for your very generous offer!

Speaking of generosity, my Father (after much persuasion) has officially cleared for me to be able to give you three gifts, which have been cleared for you to take home with you!  I will spill the oats on one of them: I found you a Cloud Diamond!  Granted, it is a bit small - but it is a genuine Cloud Diamond for certain!  The other two will have to be a surprise for now, but I will also say that one of these gifts is actually for your village - it's a goodwill present from one of the workers here, which I have been telling about your letters!  She is a very gifted engineer, and a unicorn to boot - chances are, there will possibly be some magic involved!

You say that Luna wants you as a Consul?  WOW.  That must make you quite an important stallion; although, after our communications, it does not surprise me - you would be a very wise choice, as you are quite intelligent!  Would it be rude of me to ask what Princess Luna is like?  I have never had a chance to meet royalty, and I have admittedly…

(this part seems to have been erased and re-written a number of times, as if there was an indecisive moment or two about what would be written - but among the erased scratchings, Illiad can make out multiple erasings of the word 'crush') 

…had a great personal admiration for her, and I would like to know how she is, face to face.  If that isn't too much to ask, of course - I do not know if that sort of information would be considered confidential or not.

I can hardly wait to meet you - the exchange program stated that, as long as you approve, you might be able to come here as early as next week!  This is SO exciting!  I look forward to meeting you at the train station, and I hope you are able to come - I will be counting the days, my dear friend!

Yours Truly, Dax B.

P.S. - Thank you so very much for offering to make the arrangements for us to go to this telescope; my heart nearly jumped into my throat when you told me it could be arranged!  You are truly a good friend!

Illiad was initially surprised by the lateness of the response and feared for a moment that Dax had lost interest. When the letter arrived he was worried to open it fearing what it might contain, especially if it was more silt. He was glad then that his fears were in vain.

Evening Dax,

Worry not, I understand how much trouble siblings can be. I am the oldest of four in my family of mixed races and they do get away with a whole lot more than I ever did. I wonder what would happen to your brother if you decided to leave the quarry as well? I suppose I must have been my mother's favorite for being Empathic and for becoming an artist like her. While my brother used to annoy me on occasion I still love him dearly.

It does get quite hot out here, but it is significantly cooler within the cities. Out on the dunes the highest temperature recorded was 120 F, but that was when Celestia left the sun up a bit too long soon after Nightmare Moon's defeat. Within the city it is generally 68 to 77 F throughout the day but it can get close to freezing at night. It gets colder in the winter but not too much within the city. You should be fine so long as you stay out of the sunlight, your black coat will certainly get quite hot out of the shade. The city is most active at night given that it is significantly easier to conduct business in the cool night than in the warm day. Though I suppose seeing the city during the day would be best as the crowds are significantly smaller. I do agree though, the stars here are great as there is significantly less light pollution than central Equestria. I found myself in awe of their beauty when I first arrived.

As to the changelings, don't be too frightened. The ones that I want you to meet are good friends of mine and would never do anything to hurt you. They aren't proud of what Chrysalis did, and they are making efforts to undo it. I've heard the local queen has even met with the current Consul on a few occasions in an effort to be a bit more open about their presence so they can be better accepted here. They are happy to meet with you and answer whatever questions you may have.

I must admit I was so surprised when I read about the gifts that I dropped your letter, I am still amazed at how generous your father is being to give me a cloud diamond even if it is particularly small. They are not only quite rare but extremely valuable. It certainly isn't the kind of gift I could accept without reciprocating in some way. Let your father know that I would be more than happy to design him a security seal or watermark for free. You can pick up its printing plate when you come here. You ponies are quite generous, I wish I had more to offer in return but all I really have are my talents, and security is the least frivolous of them all.

I think Luna wants me simply because I am one of few that she trusts to a degree. I am not sure if running a country is what I'm meant to do, but if she believes in me I am willing to give it a try (Perhaps I could be an adviser first?). Luna is particularly kind and caring once she opens up, as I've met with her she has always seemed so caring about me and my work. And I in turn have had the opportunity to see some of her work, she is actually a fine artist, painting her sky on occasion or planning how meteors will fall to achieve the greatest effect. I hope you can get the chance to meet her yourself, I'm sure she'd be happy to see somepony with an enthusiasm for the stars like you.

Has it been that long already? I have cleared up my remaining contracts so I can visit you at the start of next week, we can likely each exchange one more letter before then. Just to be clear, which train station will you be waiting at? I've fallen a bit out of practice with the Equestrian rail system.

(Stamped again with Illiad's mark)

PS, I'm glad to see that you are so excited, I'm sure it will be a wondrous experience for you.

Illiad prepped the letter for delivery, and was surprised to receive a letter as he dropped of his own. It was a blue envelope sealed with the silver lunar seal.



July 4th  

The reply comes in the standard two days... but this time, it arrives in a very plain envelope.  More dry black silt at the bottom, but this time it doesn't fall out, Illiad was prepared this time.

Dear Illiad,

I wanted to be able to pick you up at Canterlot Station without my Father sending an escort to 'babysit' me, so I'm writing this letter from my tent!  I want to be able to greet you without Father's supervision; it might be one of the few times I get to do something without having to worry about his eyes on my back, so to speak.

I realize that, given time, Oglevy will eventually stop being a pain and begin to mature - and I will have to be the big brother.  Harcourt used to tease and bully me when I was little, but he did grow to like me; he couldn't stand Oglevy, though - it was the reason he left.  It is somewhat sad, but I don't believe those two will ever get along, but I may be incorrect.

I am actually looking forward to the warmth; the mountains are cool and breezy (when they aren't freezing and gusty), so a warmer climate might be able to shake the family chill from my bones!  And I am already re-re-RE-studying my star charts and textbooks, so that I can accurately pinpoint the most beautiful constellations when the night sky reigns.  I have been requesting access to a camera, but those are exceedingly rare and expensive - meaning it would be quite likely that I would have to fill out reams of forms for my parents to even consider it!

I thank you most graciously for your invitation to meet with your Changeling friends, and will be most pleased to take you up on it - as long as you accompany me, of course!  As I have said, I am aware of my limits, and I know I have yet to truly gather much courage; I will try my best with you beside me, though!

I am quite pleased that you are excited about the gifts - but I want to point out that, although Father was the one that cleared them through customs, I am the one who located and retrieved the Cloud Diamond; my Father simply got permission for it to leave Equestria for me!  As for the seal you have offered, I would actually be quite honored - and I believe my Father will like it most of all, as he is always on the lookout for anything that makes his job more efficient.  You won't get a smile from him - but you MIGHT ACTUALLY GET A THANK YOU!

As much as I would thoroughly enjoy meeting with the Moon Princess, I am well aware that I am only a single apple in the orchard (so to speak), and she has far more important tasks than such.  I had heard she was present on Nightmare Night in Ponyville, but I was kept at the manor, as an unwilling captive to the Nightmare Night celebration that Mother fairly well demanded that we have, more for Oglevy than myself.  By the time I had managed to slip away and travel the distance, she had already departed, and the celebration was over.  It was just not to be - but I still wish I had made it.  THAT was a long, long journey home - and not simply in paces, either.

As far as the entire Consul position goes, I do hope you get whatever ends up being the best for YOU - and that we can still write to each other, once you're so important!  Even if it only happens once a week, or a month - I'll still be just as eager to hear from you!  As it is, I can hardly wait to see you!  As I stated, Canterlot station is where we can meet - on the way to the Blackwater Quarry, we can talk about all sorts of things!

Always your friend, Dax B.

P.S. - I don't think you'll have any trouble spotting me; I'll be the one grinning from ear to ear!  Safe travels!

Illiad rushed to write his response if only to ensure that it would arrive before he did.

Evening Dax,

I'm surprised your father would send an escort with you to Canterlot of all places. I don't remember it being all that dangerous for normal ponies. None the less, when you're here he won’t be watching you, you'll be able to speak freely. I will be arriving at Canterlot station in three days from when I send this letter, I similarly can't wait to meet you face to face.

It is always sad when a family grows apart, but there is often little that can be done from the outside to fix it. If you end up getting closer to your younger brother you could be what brings your brothers back together. I don't speak from experience, not even second hoof. 

Now that you mention it I am looking forward to wind that is not full of sand and that won’t gouge your eyes out if you look directly into it. A cooler climate will be a nice break from the back and forth swing of desert temperatures. Now that you mention it, a camera would be nice, but similarly here they are expensive and the climate is no good for their inner workings.

I will of course be with you when we visit my changeling friends, don't worry. Their excited to meet you too as you are one of very few ponies that have expressed any interest in learning about them, from them.

I am amazed at your generosity, for you to give up something so valuable... It gives me hope for the future of Equestria if there are ponies like you in it. If only more shared your open-mindedness and generosity. I am surprised that your father actually managed to get Equestrian Customs to let them through. He must be one powerful pony to get the border guards to allow that. I'll be sure to talk with your father about the seal so I can make it when we come back to Troy. Do be sure to tell him about it before I arrive so he knows what to expect.

You'd be surprised how friendly Princess Luna can be, you may be a grain in the dune but if you wrote her a letter you'd stand out like a star in the sky to her. I've heard that there's one little colt in Ponyville that writes her letters every so often, it brings a smile to her face to read them.

If I do become Consul or an Advisor I will be sure to not forget about you. I may not have too many friends, but the ones I do have are forever.

(The letter is ended with Illiad's mark)

PS, I will be wearing a light colored cloak, it is much colder in Canterlot than it is here.

After sending the letter Illiad began to pack up a few of his belongings for the trip, he packed standard Trojan garb for the trip back in addition to his everyday supplies. He also packed his sketching materials so he could design a security seal for Mr. Blackwater. All packed, he finished up the last of his contracts with his remaining time. On the moonset of the second day he left for the train station dressed in a whitish cloak. He boarded and would arrive at Canterlot, after a transfer at Dodge JCT, in the early afternoon.
> An Exchange of Words
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day was crisp and cool when the train pulled into the station.  There were a number of ponies on board, and it took a good moment or two before enough of the others had cleared out for Illiad to exit the train.  

Upon reaching the platform he searched the crowds, looking for a black and green pony.  It took a moment before he found who he believed he was looking for... standing near the edge of the platform, flanked on either side by two very smartly-dressed ponies.  He looked quite sad, until he saw Illiad; the smile that began to light up his features, however, was cut short as one of the two escorts pointed at Illiad, and the other said something sidelong to the Blackwater pony.

Dax was... well, he seemed rather like a pony who is stuck in a cage & trying to keep from touching the sides; he looked like he was pulled into himself, his stance straight and narrow, his face somewhere between sorrow and subservience.  The only thing about him that didn't seem unduly subdued was the almost visible shine in his eyes - they followed Illiad like they were magnetized to him.

As one, the three made their way to where he was.  When they got close enough to speak without yelling, one of the two tuxedoed stallions spoke up.

"Good afternoon, Mr Illiad - that IS you, I presume?"  

He sounded as if he were trying to win a Snooty Contest... and was in the top running.

Illiad's horn glowed over so slightly as it always did, he could feel the superiority that the suited ponies felt towards him.

That pony is more stuck up than any Canterlot Noble I've ever had the displeasure of meeting, I think a bit more respect is in order.

As he approached to a more comfortable distance he felt about the crowd for excess awe and respect, drawing it in to himself, preparing to release it as he spoke so they would feel awe and respect as he drained away their smug superiority. 

He drew upon the Canterlot intellectual accent he had acquired from long hours in the archives. Smug with a touch of condescension. The small smile on his face showed the calm confidence one has when their plan is already working.

"Ah, You must be young Mr Blackwater's entourage. Indeed I am the very Illiad Easle you seek."

He came a bit closer to the group, close enough that two extended forelegs could touch but far enough to dodge a sudden tackle.

"It is hardly evening gentlecolts but it will be if we don't proceed with due speed. Is there anything you require before we make haste?"

He took the opportunity to push a bit of courage towards Dax, hoping it would at least brighten his spirits a bit.

The two ponies on either side of Dax looked at each other, raised an eyebrow as if they were reflections of each other, then looked back to Illiad.

"Indeed, we should make our way to the carriage awaiting us, sir.  I am Beck..."

"... and I am Call..." said the other one, never missing a beat.

"We are Mrs. Blackwater's personal assistants, and we have been sent with Master Daxter to retrieve you..."

"... and bring you to Blackwater Manor.  Right this way, please."

The two of them turned as one, and began to head for the front of the station.  Dax lingered a bit behind, and when Beck and Call had their backs turned, he gave Illiad a warm, slightly embarrassed smile.

"Father found out," he said in a subdued tone, shrugging.

"Come along, Master Daxter."  One of them shot over his flank.  Dax's eyes bugged for a second, and he fell into step.

As they came around the station, there were a few ponies stopped along the sidewalks, staring at a rather lavish silver carriage.  It was rather extravagant, studded with emeralds and topped with silver filigreed scrollwork - the whole thing was just a hair shy of ridiculous; one of the ponies began to attach the harness to his back, while the other opened the door.

"Gentlecolts, this way please."

Dax climbed inside and sat to the far side, leaving more than enough room for company and looking at Illiad as if he were the only thing that mattered in all of Equestria.

Clearly these two will take more effort than they're worth, ah well.

Illiad stepped carefully into the carriage, frankly astounded at the utter opulence of it all. For someone who dislikes frivolous pursuits this is certainly odd.

As he sat in the carriage Illiad realized that he was still wearing his standard Trojan garb beneath his cloak. It would be a bit awkward to remove at this point so I guess it stays on and this exchange now has nearly 20% more culture to it.

When he spoke again it was an amicable, yet still formal tone. One he would use with a formal client.
"So... Your full name is Daxter? How have you been?"

He refrained from speaking too much as he didn't particularly trust the bodyguards and the utter opulence of the carriage was slightly disconcerting. I almost hope we get robbed for how much wealth is being put on display here.

"I've... well, I'm just really glad you're here.  It's good to meet you, Illiad."

The other pony (maybe it was Call?) nodded once everypony was inside.  

"Very well; we shall be on our way shortly, Sir Easle."

He closed the carriage door, and headed for the front to pull the cart along with his twin (Beck, maybe?).  As soon as the other pony had left their view, Dax's eyes lit up like fireworks, and he smiled broadly and happily - MUCH better and livelier than he'd been a moment ago.

"I'm SO glad you're here!"  He reached out and hugged Illiad, tightly.  He was still smiling as he sat back once again.

Illiad was expecting Dax's change in attitude but he hadn't anticipated the magnitude. He really must not get many chances to unwind, unfortunate for one so close to becoming an adult.

"I'm real sorry about those two - they're okay, but they're usually the ones Mother sends to do whatever needs doing.  They're okay, really... they just have to have that kinda attitude about 'em; Mother wouldn't have hired 'em, otherwise."

The carriage gave a very slight lurch, then began forward at a decent, yet not expedient pace.

"You're really HERE!  I just... I'm sorry, I... I just can't believe it's REALLY happening!  I mean, I kinda had this fear that you wouldn't show, y'know?  Like it was all just a dream or something... but you came!  I'm just so glad!"

Was this really the exact same morose pony he'd first seen at the station?  It was almost as if somepony had suddenly stuffed Dax with cupcakes and lemonade; it was such a radical difference.

"Sorry... I'm just really excited; I hope you don't think I'm, y'know, crazy or coltish or anything like that..."

He rubbed at the back of his neck with a hoof, and gave Illiad another sheepish grin; THIS Dax was considerably livelier than the one he was in front of Beck and Call.

"Uhm, yeah - my full name's Daxter," the distaste on his face was evident when he spoke it, "but I go by Dax - Daxter sounds too... well, 'uppity' for my taste, y'know?  How was your trip?  Did it take long?  I like your outfit!"

This was going to certainly be an interesting week.

Illiad's tone was a simple, kind tone, like he would use with his friends. It carried a sort of sense of belonging to it.

"It's good to see you in person too, I don't particularly mind those two but if your house is populated by them it will be hard to restrain my passive aggressive, yet entirely witty, comments. Don't worry, I can understand your excitement, you really don't get out all that much do you?"

He sighed, trying to find a comfortable position in the carriage, for all its opulence it lacked comfort. Why did all the rich hate comfortable chairs?

"To answer your questions, My trip went well, the Equestrian train was significantly slower that the Trojan one, but it was much more comfortable so I guess it evens out, gave me a bit more time to get acclimated to a non-nocturnal sleep schedule again."

He smiled a bit as he looked down at his garb.

"Oh you noticed? Most Trojans wear this or something similar all the time, it was meant originally to keep the sand out of your coat and to keep warm at night. It isn't needed for those purposes inside the cities anymore but it has simply stuck as part of the culture. If I were Consul it would be lined with red."

He looked back over at Dax,

"I wasn't originally planning on wearing it, but I suppose I forgot to take it off on the train ride here. Besides, it makes me look a bit more formal. So, What do you have planned for us this week? Anything you consider particularly exciting?"

If Dax were dynamite, he would possibly explode twice.

"Oh, I've got a LOT of stuff for us to do!  I wanna show you the manor, and the quarry - oh, you've GOTTA meet some of the other workers there!  I've been telling Silver about you; she's the one who made the..."  Dax stopped himself (quite a feat), and smiled impishly.  "Well, THAT'S gonna be a surprise for when I go with you to Troy!"

As he spoke, the carriage began to make its way out of Canterlot and down a rocky path; the ride was surprisingly smooth for such a road.  Illiad could hear that Beck and Call were apparently speaking to each other, yet their voices were drowned out by their hooves, the rattle of the carriage, and of course, Dax.

Illiad began to take in as much of Dax's enthusiasm as he could hold. He had the feeling he would need a bunch in reserve to get through meeting his family. As a result Illiad began to become more thoroughly enthused. 

"I wanna show you my tent, too - but we'll have to do that when we can sneak out, 'cause Mother doesn't like it when I sleep there.  She tells me, 'Dax,'" he took on a whiny, sing-songy voice as he spoke her words, "'it's so cold and damp by that nasty river, why can't you just sleep in your own bed, where you're nice and warm and safe?'  I mean, YEESH - I'm big enough to know how to take care of myself for the most part... and I'm pretty good at hiding, when I can't."

Dax certainly seemed to have quite a lot to say; Illiad very much got the impression that he didn't have many good listeners among his few friends.  But, as excited as he was, how could anypony NOT want to see the young stallion this happy?

"I've got a picnic planned, and fishing - have you ever been fishing?  And at night, I can show you what constellations are in this seasonal sky; they'd be just a bit different than what you'd see in Troy, but just as beautiful!  Did you bring your telescope?  If not, that's okay - you can use mine, if you like!"

He looked so happy, he almost seemed about to cry, scream AND laugh, all at the same time. The enthusiasm rolling off Dax was extremely thick, as well as a broad ribbon of happiness, and a thin line of... worry? Well, it might just be first-meeting jitters, of course.  One thing was certain; Dax could be an extremely emotional pony - when he wasn't being watched over by his folks, of course.

"That sounds like a great time, I can't wait to find out what Silver has in store. Oh, I just remembered. I wanted to show you something."

Illiad reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out a diamond the size of a softball.

"This is how much cloud diamond I've been able to collect so far!"

His horn began to glow, converting the excess enthusiasm in the carriage into magical energy. The diamond in his hoof shifted in shape growing into a full length sword.

"Its pretty useful with a large amount of mass,"

The gem shifted again, this time becoming a key.

"But even little amounts can be quite useful. This is why cloud diamonds are so valuable."

Illiad began to offload some of the enthusiasm he'd been storing, as a result it began to glow slightly. He set it between them as it began to float upward of its own accord.

"It certainly makes things a bit easier when traveling. I can't wait to hear about how the constellations are different here, it will certainly a different perspective than I've gotten used to.”

Dax's eyes went as round as saucers as he watched the Cloud Diamond go through it's various metamorphoses.  The wonder and awe on his face was coming off him in emotional waves; obviously, Dax wasn't one to hide his feelings when he was like this, which showed an honesty in him that others probably didn't evidence often.

"Oh!  Oh yeah!  Here - this is for you..."

Dax reached back behind his neck and into his mane; there was a strand of yarn there, with a small pouch attached to it.  He opened the pouch and shook it into his hoof.  Out of the bag came a small, golf-ball sized Cloud Diamond.

"It's not exactly big, I know... but now that I see what you can do with it, I'm happy to hand it to you.  For my friend!"

With that, he gave the scintillating gem to Illiad, beaming from ear to ear as he did.

"So, what does- OOH!  You can see the quarry and manor from here, if you wanna take a look!  See?"

Dax pulled back the ostentatious velvet curtain, and the view was something to behold...

The mountains seemed to simply fall away under the edge of the window; Illiad had to glance down to be sure they weren't floating in the air (they weren't, though the cart was a bit close to the edge).  The high altitude left a beautiful scene below; Illiad could even make out Ponyville in the far distance.  In the closer distance, ahead of them, was a large stone wall about two stories tall, with large iron gates set into the front of it.  No foppishness there - it was ALL business, from what he could tell.

There was the crest of a large boulder peeking over one end of the wall, and a spattering of rooftops at the other end.  A small wisp of white smoke curled up into the air from what appeared to be the back of the lot, and he could already hear what sounded like an occasional sharp clang of steel.

Above the quarry lot, seated in the nestle of a mountain crag, was an exquisite piece of architecture.  It was a large manor house, classically structured with gabled peaks and what looked like silver ivy crawling up the side walls.  If the carriage was overstated grandeur, then Blackwater Manor was a dignified and beautiful diamond in the rough... or would it be an emerald?

"There's the manor - right where Father can keep an eye on everything that goes on in the quarry.  The quarry means so much to him; I'm pretty sure we mean more - my family, that is - but it's a close call, for sure.  NOTHING goes on there without his stamp of approval... OH!  I'm sure he'll wanna talk to you as soon as we get there, so be ready for it.  He doesn't use a lotta fancy talk, so you might be able to deal with him better than Mother - she's... kinda, well..."

Dax fidgeted with his tail for a second, then once again smiled at Illiad.

"So, yeah - we're almost there.  When we get there, and after Father talks with you - if he does - what do you wanna do first?  Food?  A bath?  Tour the quarry?  You're my guest - YOU pick!"

Illiad managed to pull his attention away from the truly stunning scenery to inspect the cloud diamond, amazed at its size. Cloud diamonds were generally found closer to the size of peas or small marbles, and even those were worth hundreds of bits. A piece the size Dax had found could be worth almost 10k. Illiad's face would reflect how stunned he was.

"Your house is quite nice, a wonderful view and actually architecture that wouldn't be out of place in Troy proper. It's just..."

He lifted the piece that Dax had found. "Do you know how much this is worth? You've singlehoofedly found more cloud diamond than any one pony ever. That quarry must be full of the dust and it must have been coalescing all this time, ever since the mine was opened."

He looked up towards Dax, "This piece you’ve found is worth nearly ten thousand bits, I doubt your father knows, are you sure you want to give this to me?"

Illiad's diamond had returned to its natural diamond shape with the point directed downward. When Illiad let go of Dax's piece it floated up and began to orbit around the point of Illiad's diamond, "How curious." He shook his head to clear away his pondering. "I think I'd like to tour the quarry first if that's alright. I think you may be sitting on the largest depository of cloud diamond in the world. Oh if only Carbon were here, he'd be able to tell in an instant."

"R-really?"  

Dax gave the gem a curious look, then gave that same look to Illiad in turn.

"It was in one of the lower tunnels, quite a bit down.  When I told Father it was for you, he eyeballed it pretty close... but he said it would be fine.  I mean, I d-d-didn't... wow.  Wowie-wow."

He continued the curious look for a moment more, then thoughtfulness replaced it.  A spark seemed to jump behind his eyes, and the roll of emotions told Illiad that Dax had an idea coming.

"If there's a lot of them there, maybe there could be some kinda thing worked out?  I could speak to Father at length about it, if you like... I'd do that for my friend, easy!"

As he beamed his beatific smile, Illiad felt the carriage come to a stop.

"Okay!  We can tour the quar-"

"Master Dax?  We have arrived."

Almost instantly, the flow of Dax's emotions shut off like a light switch.  His face went slack, and he sat back quickly, taking a properly cultured posture.  The door opened, and both the butler twins were there, side by side.

"If you would be so kind, Sir Easle-"

"The Master of the estate has requested your presence-"

"- in his study.  I shall take you there, Sir-"

"- while I take Master Dax to Madam Blackwater, as also requested."

In unison: "Shall we go?"

Dax looked at Illiad and, with a slight sheepish smile, left the carriage.  The butler to the left gave a polite bow, then turned and escorted the young Blackwater towards the large gates.  There was a creaking sound, and they swung open just far enough to allow the two entry.  Dax looked back at Illiad as they passed from view.

The remaining butler politely cleared his throat.  "Sir?"

> An Exchange of Business
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illiad retrieved the diamonds from their positions on the ceiling, stowing them again in the folds of his robe. He quickly composed himself, returning to the Canterlot Intellectual accent.

"Yes, let us be going. Perchance might we be passing by where I will be staying? It would be unfitting to meet my gracious hosts so burdened."

The butler nodded politely.  "Of course, Sir Easle - though I would be remiss if I didn't offer to take your parcels myself.  But, as you have no formal knowledge of myself, I would not find it rude if you wished to do so yourself; simply offering, as is only proper for a guest of the Blackwaters.  Right this way, if you please."

The lone twin began making his way toward the still-open gate.  Dignified, he didn't look back to see if Illiad was following; apparently, he was giving the Trojan stallion a bit more respect after all.

As they walked Illiad thought about what Dax had said. It's a wonder they haven't noticed the cloud diamond in those caves, it must be quite a low concentration, but the sheer volume of excavation combined with a likely methodical nature likely resulted in its slow formation over the many generations. If so there could be a decent amount of material throughout the mountain. That would certainly drive the value down if it was well known. Ah well. I'd have to see the quarry myself to tell. It could just be an isolated chunk, this is about how much I'd expect out of a mountain this size.

Illiad followed the butler through the doorway, and...

The quarry was there, in all it's strange splendor - it was the size of a small town!

There were a number of buildings that were simple (yet sturdy) brick and mortar, but others were wooden, steel or even stone.  The giant boulder Illiad had seen earlier had a pair of wrought iron doors set in the front of it, and it was surrounded by sheds.  The white smoke was coming from a large, walk-in lunch wagon near the back of the lot, and there was a LARGE and foreboding-looking tunnel at the far end - probably the mines proper.

The butler gave a small grin.  "Many of those who first view the Quarry wear a similar look of astonishment in their eyes; always pleasant to know it remains so impressive.  This way, please, Sir Illiad."

He led them both to a cobblestone pathway that wound around the side of one of the larger metal sheds.  As they passed, a red pony by the shed gave Illiad a bit of a suspicious look - and he could feel the emotion to go with it.

The butler, his eyes casually drifting from Illiad to the watchful pony and back, gave a bit of a sniff.

"Never mind that one," he said, "he's trouble.  This way, Sir."

Illiad walked with a careful pace, trying to see as much of it as he could without looking too eager, clearly he had failed in the latter. When he felt the red pony's suspicion he couldn't help but think that it would be trouble later.

Once they were around the shed, the butler spoke again, yet this time at a lower register.

"Between you and I, Sir, I must admit I have not seen Master Dax so... enthusiastic for long and long.  I, for one, am quite pleased to witness the young Master smiling.  For this, my brother and I thank you; the poor boy rarely gets an even break."

Such said, he continued up the path, which clearly seemed to lead to the manor proper - though the walk might take a moment yet.

"It is indeed an impressive establishment, and you're quite welcome. The young Mr. Blackwater is quite interesting to say the least. I am glad to have made a difference in his life." 

"Master Dax needs that difference."

The butler then gave a rather kind smile.  "And you are as different as they come for these climes, if I may be so bold, Sir Illiad."

The Blackwater Manor was even more stately once they passed the wrought iron gates.  Four stories of quietly elegant design sat solemnly back against the mountain, surrounded by well-manicured gardens and a stone-tile walkway.  Opulent, but respectably so.  It brought up the question of the difference between the almost tacky carriage and this stately manor.  Even the different layers of the place, as Dax had written about, were visible - yet were so tastefully blended that it was only Illiad's experience with his own father's work as an architect that allowed him to see the difference.

The butler pony trotted smartly up the path, then mounted the flagstone steps with a measured gait.  Reaching the subdued dark wood doors, he pulled them open and gestured.  "Right this way, Sir.  Master Luther will be-"

"- waiting for a moment longer.  Darling!  YOU must be Illiad Easle!  How charmed I am to finally meet you!"

Standing inside the large entrance foyer was a rather beautiful pegasus mare.  She had a green coat with almost golden stripes, and wore a number of rich, gaudy-looking baubles and bracelets.  Her black mane and tail were elegantly styled, with a single green stripe in each.  All of this topped off with a large yellow silk bow.

"My little Daxter has been saying so very much about you - and I can certainly see why!"

She moved forward like she was flowing across the floor, and offered a bent-wrist hoof as she reached him.

"Vylia Blackwater.  Charmed, dear."

Illiad hesitated for a moment before proceeding, partly due to the odd color combination, but also because he did not immediately recognize the gesture. I suppose this sort of culture difference would occur eventually. I think she might appreciate this difference.

"It is a pleasure to meet you too, I thought Daxter Had to be exaggerating your beauty but I am pleased to find that he did not." Illiad said as he approached Vylia.

Once close enough he did the standard Trojan bow (As opposed to the Equestrian 'two bent forelegs') by crossing his right foreleg in front of the left and bowing his head towards her outstretched hoof. Instead of kissing it he lightly tapped it with his horn, allowing his Empathic abilities to show her the respect he felt directly.

Though he had never been on the receiving end of this Empathic gesture himself he had done it before and had been told it was an interesting yet pleasurable experience. As he rose from the bow he looked her in the eye, hoping the action did not confuse her.

"Do forgive me if that was out of line, I realize now that our cultures may be more different than I had initially realized."

I know it is quite a bit of effort to get out of kissing her hoof, but I hope this doesn't lead to any negative consequences.

"Oh?  OH... oh, my!"

Vylia's green eyes (very much like Dax's) went wide as she witnessed his greeting, then felt the small empathic surge.  She took a few breaths before continuing, a slight blush on her carefully groomed muzzle. 

"Well, I must say that was a first - and so very polite, as well?  Well, I am certainly overjoyed to see that Daxter has finally found someone of regality and import to put his interest into; far better than those dreadful workers, believe me!"

She gestured at Illiad to follow her, and turned to face the butler pony, who stood stiff and emotionless-looking.

"I shall take you the rest of the way, darling; Call, take Mr. Easle's things to his quarters... NOW."

The slight peek of seething anger that he caught from Vylia was somewhat disconcerting in its sheer magnitude, and Illiad felt a lick of fear arc off of Call as he jumped to attention, then took hold of the light baggage and, piling it on his back quickly and expertly, he dashed off into a side hallway.  Turning back to face her guest, a large smile rolled across her features, none of the previous irritation anywhere in her being.

"So, I certainly hope the trip here wasn't too droll - I heard you were forced to travel by train?  Oh, most certainly that is a shame!  Next time you visit, I shall be most pleased to send Beck and Call to fetch you; no sense in travelling like a peasant, when my lovely carriage will more than suffice, hmm?  Did you enjoy your trip here?  I absolutely LOVE[/] my carriage, don't you know?  So regal, and yet such a smooth ride, yes?  Anytime you need it, simply tell Beck and Call; they'll take you anywhere you'd want to go, darling."

Either she doesn't realize that Deltrot is over 200 miles away or she really does not care for the wellbeing of her assistants.

She continued a constant roll of shmoozy rich-speak as they made their way up the grand staircase to the fourth floor.  Walking the hallways, Illiad saw rich tapestries and exquisite paintings all around, fine vases and hoof-crafted statuettes, and expensive-looking chairs and decorative tables.  It was obvious the Blackwaters weren't just rich - they were wealthy.

Eventually, they reached a pair of simple, yet sturdy, utilitarian doors.  Vylia stopped and motioned to them.

"Well, here we are!  Luther is right behind this door, in his study; do come back down to the foyer when you're done here, darling... I'll have Daxter waiting for you, as I have a fine tea-time planned on the balcony for us.  Ciao, love!"

She trotted away, and even with her self-important attitude, Illiad found it a bit difficult not to watch her shapely figure trot off down the hall.  Now, he stood before the doors of Luther's study, the stallion himself within.

Wow... I regret being so polite. Clearly it has inflated her ego.

The reason Illiad wanted to stop at his room first was that he wanted to leave his cloak there. He also wanted to retrieve his sketching supplies in case the seal was what Mr. Blackwater wanted him for. He thought a bit on Mrs. Blackwater and found that though she was certainly beautiful in her own way she certainly lacked the personality that he desired.

Another thought occurred to Illiad, he absolutely despised tea since it had been used many times as a weapon before he fled Canterlot.

I wonder how that will go over? Well I best get on to more pressing matters.

He surveyed the doors before him, and then his clothes. He quickly preformed a quick clean spell that removed most of the dust that had accumulated from the trip, then approached the door and knocked twice. He decided to wait for a response as he didn't know how Mr. Blackwater wanted things done, so politeness would be key.

I hope he isn't as much of a noblepony as his wife.

The single word came through the thick doors quite clearly.

"Enter."

Illiad opened the door and got a view of the office.  It was very subdued, compared to the rest of the manor.  Rows and rows of books in shelves along the wood-paneled walls, dark curtains over each window, sturdy chairs, what appeared to be a real plant which was potted in an ancient-looking stone pot in the corner.  The centerpiece was an elegant rosewood desk, lovely in its simplicity and design.

At the rear of the room, on the balcony, stood a tall stallion.  His dappled black and green coat was neat and sensible, his dark blue mane was trim and well-kept, and his matching tail was in a short fan, tied at the base with a black cord.  The stallion wore a vest, and had a durable, no-frills watch on his front left leg.  The spectacles he wore added just the right touch of class to him.

However, the look on his muzzle was stern and grim - and he was putting off the emotion to match.  He glanced over his flank, then turned and walked to his desk.

"Come in.  Sit down."

He motioned to one of the chairs in front of the rosewood desk.

"Illiad Easle, correct?  Good.  I am Luther Blackwater, and this is my home.  Welcome."

The words were short, crisp and to the point.  There was not a trace of foppishness or snide pride visible; he seemed to be the stark opposite of his wife.  Honest... but cold.

"From Troy, yes?  Very dry there."  His eyes slid up, then down, examining Easle's clothing.  "No nonsense.  Good; enough of that here, already."

He seemed to squint a bit as he looked deep into Illiad's eyes; it seemed like Luther was looking into the unicorn's very soul... and was judging him.  For what it was worth, there was no snarl, no hate, no anger - just close inspection.

"Daxter said you made seals.  Watermarks.  A useful skill.  Offered us one.  Appreciated."

He nodded, seemingly making a decision to himself.  That done, the squinting ended, and his cold demeanor lightened... but just a bit.  Just a bit.

"While you stay, no nonsense.  No trouble.  Your culture is welcome.  YOU are welcome... because of Daxter.  I allowed this because he has done well.  Encourage him to keep doing so.  Don't fill him with nonsense.  Do these; you and I will be fine."

There was a natural aura of intimidation... but he didn't seem to have any issues with Illiad.  Yet.

"Questions.  Ask them."

Well, this is almost worse. At least Mrs. Blackwater won't pay too much attention to what I say. Mr. Blackwater is going to judge me based on my next few words. I'll have to make them count. He's more abrupt than Consul War Horse.

Illiad took a moment to compose himself, He decided to keep the same Canterlot intellectual accent, this time with a bit of authority instead of smug or condescending.

"I appreciate your welcome. Your son Daxter is a fine colt and I am sure he will become a fine stallion like yourself one day. My only questions at this time are as follows: Will you or a representative assist me in designing a suitable security measure for you? In either case, when do you wish to proceed?"

Luther's look didn't change one bit.

"I will.  My company - my job."

Illiad sensed a tiny swell of pride at that, but it was buried quickly beneath the stone-cold veneer.

"Best to know all the details personally."

He went to the shelves and, after a moment or two perusing titles, he carefully selected three books and brought them each to the desk.  Illiad could read the titles of two of them; the third was titled in a language he had never seen before.

'Decryption And Encoding' was one of them.  'Protecting Your Work' was the second.  '<( #][ <>.#][ }={' was the closest approximation to what he saw on the cover of the third.

"Source materials.  I have read them all.  What will you need - no expense is too great."

Luther Blackwater didn't waste time, did he?

I can be quick too. He really is efficiency at its finest. Makes you wonder how he allows his wife's extravagance.

"Worry not about the cost, you son has suitably arranged with his generous gifts, this is my way of returning the favor. You can rest assured that the seal and watermarking plates will be absolutely unique. It would be nearly impossible for even I to make them again. The only thing I need from you is your input. And a sheet of paper if you can spare one."

Illiad approached the desk, ready to begin a facts version of his security speech.

"When it comes to seals the security is in the fine details, the pattern within the print. It is usually something recognizable, yet complex. Most use a version of their mark or a family crest. Seals come in two kinds, stamp and wax. A stamp gains security through special patterns in the solid areas visible close up but not at a glance. Wax gains its security through patterned impressions in the paper, dots that could be felt on the letter inside the envelope which would confirm if the contents had been disturbed."

"When it comes to watermarks the process is similar, using complex images that are still recognizable, in your case you would want something you could remember every detail of and notice if anything were wrong with it. The watermark would be invisible when not in direct sunlight, or moonlight if you prefer."

He turned to face Mr. Blackwater directly, the confidence of someone who knows what they're doing evident in his eyes but not by his smooth expression (It is said that Empathics are particularly good at controlling their facial expressions).

"As soon as I know what images you want I can get started. Do you have some in mind now or would you like to consider it?"

Luther frowned - which was a feat, considering he was already frowning... but there was no emotion to go with it except a slight tingle.

"Watermark.  Moonlight on one side, sunlight on the other - if that can be done.  Moonlight, if only one.  Cutie mark; mine, Vylia's, Dax's.  Open for suggestions on the rest."

Luther Blackwater's cutie mark (if ANYTHING can be considered 'cute' about him) was a pickaxe, crossed over with a red feathered quill pen.  The smart vest he wore was specially tailored to make certain that mark wasn't obstructed in the least.  He turned and opened a drawer, removed a high-quality scroll and a very familiar stack of envelopes, with the words [THE BLACKWATER QUARRY] stamped in silver foil on the back.

"Parchment for design; envelope for tests.  Beck and Call will fetch inks and quills on command."

With this, he shut the drawer.  Looking back up, he locked eyes once more with Illiad.

"You have the proper knowledge; good - no time for fools."

Luther nodded at him, and Illiad could feel cautious satisfaction eke out of his hardened demeanor.

"Anything more, speak now."

I suppose this proves the point where too little communication can be as bad as too much communication.

Illiad took the parchment and envelopes to look at them closer. Good thickness and durability, unlikely to puncture via wax seal and high visibility for patterned stamp.

"Just a few more questions, I gather you want the marks as seals correct, a seal per mark? Do you want them as wax, stamp, or both? A stamp can often be used in place if a signature, but wax can be used for little more than sealing envelopes and scrolls. It would be two layers of security if you used both."

Illiad held the parchment up to the light of the room. Low transparency, excellent.

"For the watermark I can do sun/moon, I could have your mark on one side and your wife's on the other if you like. Ultimately it is up to you what images I use as I do not know what images you know every detail of."

Illiad pulled a small amount of his diamond's mass from his robe in the shape of a quill.

"Also, I will need to trace the marks if I am to use them. Do you mind if I trace them directly?"

Luther's eyebrow raised when he saw the Cloud quill... but he said nothing on that matter.  Yet, anyway.

"Combine the marks; harder to forge.  One symbol, three images put together.  Stamp and wax... if that would be fine."

He frowned in thought again, then nodded to himself.  

"I know our marks.  Unmistakable to me."

Looking at the quill, he looked over his shoulder at his flank for a moment, regarding his cutie mark... then turned back to face Illiad.

"Fine; be quick about it."

There was a slight ribbon of discomfort, but it was pushed aside in a moment.  He gave the unicorn a sidelong glance, then sighed softly.

"Daxter is cleared for Troy, yes?  No issues?"

THERE it was!  Just a momentary opening into Luther's true emotions came, and in that moment Illiad felt a WORLD of concern for his son Dax; Luther was chock full of worry and care for the young stallion - his face gave away nothing, but his heart was as plain as day for a moment.

A slight smile came to Illiad's face as he came a bit closer to Mr. Blackwater. So there really is some love in this family.

"Worry not Mr. Blackwater, I ensured all his paperwork was in order before I left. We'll just have to pass through customs and so long as he doesn't possess any contraband like poisons or anti-magic there should be no problem getting him in."

Luther gave Illiad a strange look.

"No anti-magics.  No poison.  Daxter doesn't have those things."

Illiad floated the quill near Mr. Blackwater's flank. It caught some sunlight and began to refract it over the mark, scanning it from left to right, as it did an image grew from the feather of the quill, forming a 2D image of his mark. Mr. Blackwater would have felt his flank grow slightly warmer as it was scanned. Once the scan was complete Illiad floated the image back to himself, before showing it to Mr. Blackwater.

"I will repeat this process on your wife and son, if you still approve, then combine the images for your approval before I return to Troy to have the design made into a seal set of wax and stamp. Would you like the design made into watermarking plates as well or is the seal all you desire?"

Illiad allowed the diamond to retain the shape of Mr. Blackwater's mark, no note made it even harder to recreate, thus improved security.


Mr. Blackwater picked up the three books he had taken from the shelf that were unopened on his desk, and returned them to their niches in the bookcase.  Turning to face the Empathic from there, he nodded.

"Yes.  Plates will do.  I still agree.  Do what needs to be done."

Making his way back towards the balcony, he spoke just loud enough for Illiad to hear him.

"Most appreciated..."

As he paused, he glanced back over his flank, not quite making eye contact, but obviously his attention was on the unicorn.

"... thank you."

With that, Luther Blackwater stepped out onto the balcony once more.  Apparently, he was done.  For now, anyway.  He stood there, looking down over the railing at the quarry below, and in that moment, Illiad could clearly see that this was a stallion that lived only for his work... and his family.

Was that something to be proud for?  Or was it heartbreaking?

It is clear that he cares for little else than his family and work. It's sad that he doesn't seem to let up, but at least he cares enough to provide the best he possibly can.

Illiad simply nodded, saying anything at this point would be unnecessary. He turned and proceeded to leave the room.
> An Exchange of Pleasantries
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the other side of the door stood one of the butler ponies.  He gave only the barest hint of a grin, but went fully professional before it was seen... but his emotions showed that there was now a bit more respect for the Trojan in this pony.

"Ah, hello Sir Illiad; I have been instructed to escort you to Madam Blackwater's tea party; Master Daxter will be in attendance, as well as Master Oglevy."

There was a definite pulse of irritation at the mention of the youngest Blackwater's name, but not a sign of it on Beck's... Call's?... well, on the butler's face.  It was still impossible to tell them apart, but at least it was becoming obvious that there was more to these twins than snobbishness.

"I have been given allowance to take you to your quarters to change for the event; what is your wish, Sir Illiad?"

He waited politely for Illiad's decision.

Illiad thought for a moment. Going to the room first will be preferable as it delays my encounter with worst beverage. Plus I can do a more thorough cleaning of my robes. 

He returned to the Canterlot Intellectual accent he used before, the smug one, this time leaving out the condescension. 

"Let us go to my quarters first, if possible I would like to get my current robes cleaned. I have another set I can wear to the party in the meantime."

The butler pony bowed.  "Very good, sir."  With that, he began to lead the way.

"If you wish, Call and I will launder any clothing you wish to have cleaned.  Merely hand the offending articles over to myself, or leave them in the hamper; they will be returned clean and pressed, if sir wishes pressing."

Illiad began walking with the butler, the opulence of the place struck Illiad as they went through a number of halls, down a spiral staircase, and into a part of the manor that was notably cooler... and had no windows.  Apparently, Beck (from his admittance) was used to questions about the windowless area, because he spoke up.

"The living quarters are located in the rear half of the manor; be certain, you will be quite safe, and most comfortable.  Should you wish, the fireplace is available for your usage - firewood will be provided on request, sir."

Illiad nodded to indicate he heard, "Tell me, will tea be the only beverage served at Mrs. Blackwater's party? I must admit I lost my fondness for the stuff after a traumatic experience a few years back." 

At Illiad's question, Beck gave a thoughtful look, then grinned lightly.

"If sir would wish, I would be happy to provide a substitution; Madam will be..." A quick flash of fear.  "...unhappy about such, as she does enjoy differently flavored teas to be shared; if I may make a bold suggestion?  For a guest who might be allergic to tea leaves, she would be far more willing to make an exception."

Beck stopped in front of a scrimshaw-laden oak door.  He opened the door, and stepped back.

"I shall await for sir to approve of the quarters and provide laundry before I depart."

The room was quite large.  There was the aforementioned fireplace, red marble and iron with inlaid brick.  The deep maroon carpet was plush and soft on his hooves.  There was a four-post bed with soft pinkish drapes, with a matching chair, sofa and dresser, all in harmony with the rest of the room.  In the corner, there was a round, red cushion on the floor - big enough to be a table!

The most interesting part were the walls - they were stone, cut and polished and beautiful to behold.

"Is everything to your liking, Sir Illiad?"

It's a bit much... This carpet is softer than my bed back home. My own home preparations now seem woefully inadequate. Well, I suppose at the very least my house should be better than his tent. I guess that’s something.

Illiad fully entered the room, removing his cloak as he did so. "It is certainly much grander than I had expected, you really do treat your guests well here." He flashed his inner robes off of himself revealing his khaki coat. If one looked closely they would see some discolored patches with a bit of old scar tissue beneath.
He proceeded to his saddlebags to retrieve his other set as he untangled what he had removed, revealing it to be one continuous stretch of cloth. He folded it as he placed it with the cloak he had removed.

"You won't need to be careful about washing it, it is a very durable fabric and you'll get more dust out of it with cold water. But I trust you know what you're doing."

Without looking back Illiad began to wrap the new set around himself, one end had a strap which he tied around his barrel, the cloth extending between his forelegs. He wrapped the cloth around the right side and across his back, the cloth stretching from the base of his neck to the middle of his hind legs. His tail easily poking through a hole in the back. The cloth then wrapped around his midsection before wrapping around his left in a similar manner to the right, the remainder being tucked under the beginning. This robe was a shade or two whiter than the first one due to it being recently cleaned.

Illiad returned to Beck with the original garments in tow, passing them over to him. "Let us be off then, it would likely be worse to keep her waiting then for her to hear about why I so dislike tea. Allergies seems unlikely as she may desire to test that. Hopefully she can be understanding."

Beck accepted the laundry, quickly and securely placing the clothing on his back, and nodded. As Illiad spoke his piece about the tea, Beck began putting off low waves of fear; they didn't seem to be aimed at him, but he was beginning to get a bad feeling about what might come of this...

"The advice is appreciated - and if you wish sir?  I would be happy to wrap you next time, if it is requested; I never forget such things once I witness them."  A small skitter of honest pride drifted out from him.

Another hallway, another staircase (this time, up the spiral), and down another corridor.  This time when Beck stopped, he did so in front of a rather ritzy set of glass doors.  On the other side, Illiad could hear Vylia's voice, going on about something or other.  Beck pulled one open, and made a sweeping gesture.

"Madam and Masters are within, awaiting your-"

"NO, YOU IDIOT!  I TOLD YOU TO BRING THE BONE CHINA CUPS!  ARE YOU TRYING TO EMBARRASS ME!?"

Beck audibly gulped, then continued.

"... presence, sir."

The roil of anger was big enough for Illiad to feel it from here; it was frightening in its magnitude.  Beck, after closing the door, scooted quickly through the cute little sunroom and onto the balcony.

Arriving at the doorway, the scene was just so:

Vylia Blackwater, in a lovely sundress, standing tall with a FURIOUS look on her face, looming over Call, who looked as if he were about to soil himself.

Dax Blackwater, his wild mane slicked back and a frilly scarf on his neck, sitting quite uncomfortably in his seat, whose eyes lit up at the sight of Illiad.

And, sitting at the other side of the table, was a small blue pegasus colt wearing a baby blue sailor suit and a straw hat.  He was scowling when Illiad entered, but when he saw the unicorn his muzzle slowly twisted into a wicked little grin.

Upon entering, Vylia instantly whipped around to face Illiad, her stance going completely demure and her face snapping into a smile.

"Oh, WON-derful!  You've arrived!  Please, if you would sit on the divan provided for you, I'll be quite happy to pour for us all."

Her eyes slid sideways to regard Call, who was shaking like a leaf.

"Tea.  NOW."

Call took off like a shot, while Beck smoothly took his place behind Vylia.

I don't much like that mare, you can often tell the quality of a person by how they treat those under them. This must have been what it was like in Troy before the revolution, I can't say I blame them.

Illiad approached the table confidently despite his own feelings and sat in a similar manner to the rest he turned towards Beck, "I must thank you for your assistance, without your help I never would have found my way here."

When he thanked Beck, all around the table surprise popped up - especially from Beck himself.  Vylia's eyes scooted sidelong for a moment, then she gave a slight shrug.  Dax gave the tiniest of grins.  The blue colt did glance over at Beck... and his nasty smile grew.

Beck looked a bit non-plussed for a moment, then he gave a short, neat bow.  "One is glad to be of service, Sir Illiad."  However, the Empathic felt a wave of gratitude come off him, followed by a jolt of worry as he glanced toward where Call had gone.

Illiad looked over the other members of the table before focusing on Mrs. Blackwater. "If you don't mind my saying so, Mrs. Blackwater, might I have something other than tea? I lost my fondness for it after a traumatic accident a few years back."

Illiad was sure to keep his expression positive yet inquisitive, despite his growing fears of what... Oglybee? Whatever his name was, had planned.

He sincerely hoped that she would approve of his honesty and not be offended. But if he had to tell the story of being repeatedly doused by boiling tea while his former classmates held him down he most certainly would. 

Vylia's eyes widened as she heard the unicorn's beverage request.

"A 'traumatic experience'?  With tea?  Oh, you poor dear... Beck, go fetch Mr. Easle some of my personal stock of apple juice, and make it snappy; I refuse to eat any teacakes without my dear guest having his refreshments at hoof."

Beck nodded, and made his way to the sunroom - and as soon as he rounded the corner, Call came back around right after.  He had a delicate glass tea pitcher, dainty and blue, on a silver tray.  He brought it to the table, set it down and began pouring the honey-scented tea into Vylia's cup.

"None for Mr. Easle - Beck has gone to fetch him a suitable replacement."  Call's eyebrows shot up, but he said not a word as he filled the Blackwaters' teacups.  The aroma of the brew was thick, but fortunately the breeze outside was enough to waft most of it away.

"Now, dear - I'm SO glad you could join us.  Daxter you know, of course; this is my darling little Oglevy!  Say hello to the nice stallion, my little biscuit..."

The blue imp's smile grew a little wider.  "Hello, Mister Easel."  The emotion coming off of him was completely unguarded, as children's usually were... and it was cold, ruthless and highly unpleasant.  It was as if a little Sombra was sitting there, trapped in the body of a child.

"Oh, isn't he just adorable?  Oglevy here is in the advanced classes with his tutors; they say that if he keeps up the level of study he accomplishes, he might just be eligible for college before he's even reached his teenage years!  Isn't that right, my little muffin?"

"That's right, Mother."  Those eyes were like daggers of ice.

"Of course, do not make the mistake of discounting my dear, sweet Daxter either - did you know that he constructed his own telescope at the age of eight?  Oh yes, he has always been an exceedingly bright boy - as we Blackwaters ALL tend to excel in what we do, isn't that correct, Daxter?"

Dax looked mortified by the whole affair, and put off an aura of nervousness as he tried not to fidget with his excessively frilly scarf.  "Yes, Mother."

Illiad glanced over both of the children as they were mentioned. It's a shame I didn't drain any of that fear earlier. I sure Oglevy could use some. As a precaution Illiad began to weave minor protection spells into his robes. At least Mrs. Blackwater was understanding, I should thank her.

"Yes, yes - I am so very fortunate to have such wonderful children!  In the race to surpass the expectations others have of them, they make the other colts look like they're standing still.  As it should be; they ARE Blackwaters, after all."

She smiled, and it was dazzling in its splendor - as was she, in her sundress - but with the knowledge of who she was underneath, the smile felt counterfeit; the joviality forced.  It almost seemed like it was a routine, automatic.

"So, Mr. Easle - Daxter has told us a bit about you, but I would certainly have to say not FAR enough for my palette; please, won't you regale us with tales of your home?  I've never been to Troy, though Daxter tells me, from what you've written, that it's simply WON-derful!  Do tell us all about it, won't you?"

"Thank you for understanding. Well I must say I am impressed at the progress your children have made in their studies. While my past is not nearly as impressive I did spend many years working in the Canterlot Archives as I developed my talents, specialized studies if you will. And while my family is not as renowned as yours, my father did design many of the newer structures in Canterlot."

He took a deep breath preparing to tell the stories of Troy. "In regards to Troy, there is much to say about it. Is there any particular aspect you wish to know about? Or would you like an overview similar to what I put in my letters?"

Illiad glanced over at Oglevy, the protection spells nearly complete. His face would still be exposed but he hoped he could do a flash shield fast enough if it came to that.

"Oh, I'm certain there's a LOT to say about your homeland, dear - but I want to know about the FABULOUS things there!  Those at the top of the milkcan, so to speak; where the CREAM is, darling!"

Her laugh was bright and sunny, and she looked so very pleasant... maybe, like her husband, there's something hiding in there that's worthwhile - Luther had three children, and that didn't just happen by accident; she had to have some sort of redeeming feature, right?  Maybe it would reveal itself, given time...

"Tell me about the society there... I'm simply dying to know what those in charge have going for the- Daxter, love, stop messing with your cravat!  You'll soil it!"

Dax's hooves zipped away from his scarf (cravat?), and went into his lap.  He looked like he'd rather be anywhere else but here.  He looked over at Vylia.  "Yes, Mother.  Sorry, Mother."

She nodded, and took a sip of her tea.  As she did, Dax glanced over at Illiad, and he could feel the young stallion's boredom.  It was coming off him so thickly, it almost hurt.

"Anyway, tell me how the better half lives, dear - I may decide that we could use a winter cottage there, should it be so good!  I'm sure Daxter would like that idea, and Oglevy always has such a wonderful time making friends, don't you my little sugarbelly?"

That smile didn't waver as he slowly and deliberately took a sip of his tea before he answered.  "Yes, Mother... new friends are fun."  Illiad felt some sort of intent, vile and wicked, squirming around in Oglevy's mind; it was almost certainly aimed at the unicorn.

I have a bad feeling about that colt. I just wish he'd do something already just to get it over with.

"Of course they are, dearie.  Now please, Illiad darling - regale me!"

Between Vylia's foppishness, Dax's discomfort and Oglevy's unnerving attitude, the Empathic wasn't certain how much more of this he could reasonably take.

Illiad held his emotions in check so they didn't show on his face.

"Well, at its base Trojan society is arranged much differently than Equestrian. We don't have a princess to rule over us or decide who will be in charge of areas. Instead we have two levels of councils, one for each city and one that oversees the whole empire. Anyone can be on a council provided enough of the populous agrees that they should be on one. All of the races of the world are treated equally and all residents contribute to, and benefit from, the community agriculture projects."

"Troy as a city, which is the capital of Troy the nation, is very similar to Manehattan. Many tall buildings of glass and marble, two of the most common materials in the area. I can't say I really know what life is like in Troy itself as I live in Deltrot, but I assume the sense of community is still fairly strong there."

Illiad paused, a slightly perplexed look on his face.

"Forgive me, I seem to have hit a blank. Do you have a bit more specific question I could answer? I guess I must not really understand your question." 

Vylia looked thoughtful.  

"You're describing a communal society - well, how very progressive!  I'm not certain how Princess Celestia could ever approve of this, but I suppose she has her reasons, hmm?  How wonderful to know that she approves of such an endeav-"

"It was Princess Luna who did it, Mother."  Dax spoke up, and Illiad felt a touch of rebellion in that action.

"Luna?  Truly?  Well, that's... interesting.  And Celestia approved?"

"This was before Nightmare Moon, Mother." 

"I see... how very interesting.  And such a forward-thinking move for such a long time ago... I must say I am duly impressed!"

It was an honest statement; her emotions proved it to the Empathic pony.  Vylia took another sip of her tea, pondering for a moment as she seemed to be savoring the honey-sweet taste.

Dax looked over at Illiad, his smile a little bigger now.  "If you please, would you be willing to tell her about your job?"  He may have sounded like a little lordling, but it was so different from the Dax he'd heard talking earlier, it was kind of funny to hear him speak that way.

Vylia's eyes lit up.  "Oh, indeed?  Whatever do you do for a living, Mr. Easel?  It must be FA-scinating, dearie - please, share with us your profession, if it's alright?"

A bit of honest smile crept onto Illiad's face. I'm amazed Dax remembered all that. Though I suppose it is to be expected.

"Well, Troy isn't entirely communal, just the agriculture out of necessity. It’s a sort of social safety net for those who have fallen on hard times. The rest of the society is all about independence and freedom."

Illiad took a more engaged stance, leaning forward a bit, indicating that the topic interested him greatly. "I am a sort of security artist. For the most part I design security measures like watermarks and seals for important documents. In fact, I am designing a set of Mr. Blackwater at the moment. That reminds me, I need to sketch your and Daxter's marks, Mr. Blackwater requested them specifically. Outside of my work in security I occasionally design inlays for furniture or wall hangings, though I do on occasion make paintings and write short stories, I am much better at security. It pays decently and has loyal repeat customers as it is good practice to update securities every few years."

He leaned back a bit while glancing at his still empty cup. A slight bit of worry crossed his mind as he wondered what could be taking so long. He feared the worst yet hoped for the best.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know?" 

"Oh, I could simply listen to you go on for HOURS, Darling!  There's just so much we could learn from you, it would be like having a teacher right here at my home!  Oh, it's such-"

Call came trotting over to Illiad's side of the table, a decanter in his mouth, ready to pour.  At that same moment, only visible from the Trojan's side of the table, Oglevy's hoof slid directly into Call's way.  The grin widened as Call tripped over it.

The decanter went end over end in the air, then splashed down into Illiad's lap.  The smell of apples was everywhere, and there was an amber stain spreading across his clothing.  Beck gasped, Dax covered his face, and Oglevy simply laughed at the butler's misfortune.

Vyila looked angry.

"Beck... go assist Call... with the cleanup..."

Dax leapt up.  "I can take Mr. Easle to clean up and change, Mother."

Vyila waved them away, her eyes locked and focused on the two butler ponies, frantically cleaning up the mess.

"Terribly sorry, Sir Easle-"

"- it won't happen again."

Dax motioned to the door, his eyes atomic and his emotions at a fever pitch; Dax was planning this as their escape.  Oglevy, sitting perfectly in his seat, gave Illiad a wink as the two stepped into the sunroom, where Dax closed the door.

Well, juice is infinitely preferable to tea in this case. It's a good thing I wove those protection spells.

Once the door was closed Illiad turned to Dax, "I know your entire ploy was to get out of the room and I can't blame you. Your brother is quite insufferable."

He began to activate the protection spells, reversing the stain and removing the juice from the garment. "It's a shame, this looks like quality juice, Apple Family no doubt."

He drew the juice away into a small ball, which he simply held as he had no idea what to do with it. 

"Well, there's a bunch of time we don't have to waste actually cleaning and changing. I think there's a good 10-15 minutes before they'll suspect anything. Is there anything in particular you want or is simply avoiding your family enough?"

Dax unceremoniously yanked the scarf off of his neck and tossed it onto one of the chairs, then ran a hoof through his hair to set it more back to how it was.  Once he did this, he gave a huge sigh of relief.

"I wanted us to get outta there - Mother's about to give Beck and Call a good yelling; that'll keep her occupied for a while... but it won't be long before Oglevy asks to be excused - and he'll be looking for us."

Dax led Illiad out into the hall, down more stairs, and back toward the front foyer.  It was a fast trek, and Dax actually seemed to be grinning as the two of them made their way out like thieves in the night.

"C'mon - we'll go back down to the quarry, like you wanted to, remember?  I'll show you around, and we can swing by Silver's workshop while we're there!  Forget the tea - Mother won't even know we're gone."

Here was excited Dax again; his joy was near boundless as he led his new friend through Blackwater Manor, bound for the quarry proper.

"I'm really sorry about that; Mother kinda blindsided me, so I couldn't get away.  Sorry for Oglevy, too; I warned ya, didn't I?  Hope they weren't too bad... and I hope Father didn't lean on you too hard, either.  If it's okay to ask, what'd he want?  Did he mention the watermark?"

Illiad was a bit apprehensive as to where they were going.

"Now hold on a minute, I understand that your mother's tea party is the last thing you want to suffer through, but if we don't get through it now we may have to do it again to make up for it."

He sighed, "I need to make a good impression on your parents or they will never let you go with me back to Troy, now I am confident that your father has at least a bit of respect for me, as you said he was quite appreciative about my offer and has requested a watermark and stamp set. He wants me to design a symbol that combines his, yours, and your mother's marks. If I can make a good impression on your mother now we will likely have much more leniency throughout the rest of the week."

He sighed again as he came closer, "I know it isn't what you want, but I think we should finish your mother's tea party. I'm sure it won’t take too much longer." 

Dax's spirit fell through the floor.

"But it'll take forEVER... Mother doesn't-"

One look at Illiad's face told Dax that the unicorn would brook no argument.  He sighed, picked up the cravat (scarf?) and began tying it back into place around his neck.  His hooves were quite adept at it; apparently, he'd had plenty of practice.  His hair was still a mess, though.

Once tied on, he gave an exasperated look to his friend.

"If we gotta, we gotta.  I just wish I didn't have to..."

He did give Illiad a momentary look as he headed for the patio doorway once again.  "But after this, we're quarry bound, right?"

A slight smile came to Illiad's face. He was glad to see that Dax could agree with him.

"Of course, I can't wait to see what you have waiting for me at the quarry."

He noticed that he still had the ball of juice floating by him, it would be rude to return with it still in the air. He began a filtration spell to remove any fermentation or contaminates from it before taking a drink of it, he was pleasantly surprised at the taste of it. Good quality indeed, I'll have to ask about it when I can. Perhaps the Appaloosan trade deal isn't so bad after all.

As they made for the porch, Illiad could pick up the muffled speech behind the doors:

"... ever again, DO you understand!?"

"But Mommy-"

"You mean MOTHER, young colt!  I won't have you embarrassing Daxter in front of his guest!  The NERVE of it!"

"I'm sorry, Mom-... Mother."

"You had best believe it... now, NO more shenanigans, are we clear?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Good... now back in your seat; here they come.  And don't slouch."

As they started to pass through the doors, Dax's eyes flew open, and he quickly smoothed his mane back into place, right before he crossed the threshold onto the patio.  Vylia and Oglevy were seated at the table; Vylia lounging and smiling broadly like there wasn't a care in the world, while Oglevy was giving Dax a look that could curdle lava.  The twin butlers were done with their cleaning, and were standing on each side of Mrs. Blackwater, like bookends.  At this point, Illiad had again lost track of which was which.

"Oh, so wonderful to see that the cleaning staff still know how to do their jobs, hmmm?"  

She laughed like a tinkling bell at her own little joke, then turned her look on Dax.

"Now, your friend has quite a bit of culture here Daxter; you would do well to pay attention when he's speaking to you about his homeland..."

"Yes, Mother."

"... and always be certain you respect his wisdom - there are so many things you could learn from such a stallion as this!  Why, there's every possibility that you'd be smarter and stronger for having listened to his advice!"

"Yes, Mother."

"A whole world full of possibilities at your hooftips!"

"Yes, Mother."

"Yes, Mother."  Oglevy's voice was whiny and sing-songy as he copied Dax.

"I mean, with the possibilities he could present you with - why, you might make enough friends to help the quarry get by once you take it over, Daxter.  I'm certain you'll be amazing at it - it's in your blood, you know."

"Yes, Mother."

"Yes, Mother."  Dax shot his brother a look; Oglevy just smiled.

"Oh, I do hope you'll forgive my enthusiasm, Mr. Easel - I simply think this whole exchange idea is wonderful, and I'm excited that my little Daxter gets to be a part of it; it's for your own good, isn't it?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Yes, Mother."

"Stop it!"

"Stop it!"

"Will you cut it out?"

Oglevy started to continue the game, but before he could, his mother clonked the back of his chair with her hoof.  Both Oglevy and Daxter went stock still.

"Enough - sit and have your tea in peace and QUIET."

That final word came out with a very dangerous and low voice.  With the two silenced, Vylia looked to Illiad and sighed.

"Have you ever worked with children, Mr. Easle?"

Illiad kept his slight smile as if there was nothing wrong with the situation in front of him. He took his seat with some grace and was again surprised to see that there was fresh drink for him. He turned to face Mrs. Blackwater directly.

"I must admit that I have not had the pleasure. I have found that children have little need for security measures and by the time they have their marks they have outgrown much of their childishness. Speaking of which I still need to sketch yours and Daxter's marks for the design your husband is having me make. It won’t take long if you want to get it over with quickly."

Illiad took advantage of the question to daintily sample the drink in front of him. He found it tasted much better when not magically filtered.

"This is very nice apple juice, genuine Apple family isn't it?"

"But of course, dear - no other apples taste better!  We get at least five barrels of cider from them each year... and our own batch of Zap Apple Jam, when it's in season of course."

She sipped daintily at her tea.  For the next hour-and-a-half, Vylia smiled, laughed, chatted and carried on as if he were a full-fledged member of high society... and after a bit, he got the impression that her interest in Troy and its culture were genuine.  Plus, she was smart - VERY smart.

Through conversation, Illiad discovered that Vylia is, in fact, the Head Accountant for the Blackwater Quarry - and runs a tight ship.  She goes into facts and figures that show the unicorn that this mare not only knows her numbers, but lives by them when it comes to expenses.  She funds her OWN account, which she uses to buy all her extravagant luxuries - while the family savings steadily grows, untouched save for one or two major repairs to the property.

During this time, Illiad manages to get the tracings of the other two cutie marks - Dax is a little afraid of it, until he sees that it doesn't hurt; Vylia giggles and says it tickles, her melodious laughter eventually becoming girlish giggles.

Oglevy continues to sit in his seat, though he squirms and rolls his eyes the whole time.  Eventually, almost an hour into the proceedings, he asks his mother sweetly if he may be excused.  Vyila allows it, and with a naughty smirk at Illiad, he leaves the patio.

Poor Dax.  He sits calmly in his chair, only interjecting when called upon, and sips at his tea soundlessly.  His eyes keep wandering back to the Trojan, but he softly sighs when they find no sign of leaving, and looks away - only to have him look again ten minutes later.  Otherwise, he is the model of a perfect little gentlecolt.  His emotions, however, relay his boredom, frustration and personal solitude to Illiad easily.  Dax was miserable... but he complied with his mother's wishes, all the same.

Eventually though, Vylia admitted she had an appointment to keep, and as it was about the trade agreements with the Griffon Empire, she would not want to be late.

"Truly, darling Illiad, you simply MUST come to tea with me again!  It will be fun; I'll invite Luther... it would be good to see him outside of his office, for once."

She gave Illiad a quick hug, then looked over at her colt, in his limp cravat/scarf/whatever.

"Daxter can escort you to your room; I'm certain he has so much to tell you, and he was most well-behaved today."

RIGHT THERE.  At the moment she looked at Dax, though her face was only slightly smiling, Illiad felt an enormous wave of love pour out of Vylia's seemingly cold heart and wash over the young stallion; if it had been water, he'd have drowned instantly.  This mare had a love for her child that would not only move mountains... it would obliterate them.

"Go on, now - go and enjoy your fine company."  She gave a small, honest grin at the unicorn.  "We'll speak later, darling - ciao!"

She sauntered off... still quite a sight to see.

Dax groaned as soon as she was out of earshot.  "Why did you make me sit through all of that?"  He looked exasperated - but his emotions said he wasn't upset at Illiad for it; merely a little disappointed.

Why did I elect to sit through all that? As much as I appreciate all the secret love that's going around I am starting to get woozy from all these pulses. Honestly I would prefer a trip to Ponyville. If only I were a changeling and could consume all these positive emotions, I wouldn't have to eat for months.

As soon as Mrs. Blackwater was far enough away he transferred all his stored emotional energy into his diamond, it now glowed moderately bright. It could be seen glowing through his robes so he distributed it throughout to make the glow a bit more even.

He spoke a bit faster than usual and with a slight sound of distress.

"Because your parents love you enough to make a changeling fat when they let their guard down. And thus you should do what they want even when you don't want to. If you show them respect they will show you some too and all that."

Dax looked at Illiad like he had lobsters crawling out of his ears.

"Love me?  I mean, I know they do, yeah, but - I mean, Mother takes care of me, and Father sees to it that we get what we need, but... they never say it outright; are you sure?"

Illiad still felt a bit woozy despite shunting the love. If only I could find a shot of pure terror, that would certainly help. Even a splash of cold fear would do nicely, there is simply too much love here. Illiad began to make his way over to the door, stumbling a bit as he did so. He turned towards Dax.

"I need to burn a vast quantity of energy quickly, so we are going to teleport to my room okay?"

Without a confirmation Illiad grabbed Dax with his magic and teleported the two of them safely to his room. Illiad shook his head and looked about, his head was clear once again as he had distanced himself from the flood of love. He quickly moved to Dax.

"I am so sorry, under normal conditions I wouldn’t use magic on anyone without their express permission but if I didn't leave quickly enough I would have drowned from the sheer amount of love your mother has for you. It’s a major downside of being Empathic. If I didn't have this diamond I would have snapped a long time ago. I really do envy changelings at times like these, I'm sure they would love all this emotional energy."

He shook his head again to clear his thoughts. He quickly ensured that everything was physically fine with him.

"I am rambling aren't I? Sorry again for teleporting you here so suddenly."

Dax looked a bit confused.  Illiad could tell that the young stallion was completely caught off-guard by the information; it couldn't hide the fact that, even though he was surprised by this information, he was secretly happy to hear it. 

"That was actually pretty cool - I always wanted to try magic, but there's very little of it in my family; we've always been the workers and fliers... I don't think there are any unicorns on our family tree."

He grinned a bit, then looked to the Trojan in earnest.

"So... are we still gonna go to the quarry, or are you wanting a rest?"

Illiad looked at Dax sort of skeptically, "I think I know love when it hits me in the face, I'm very sure and I hope not to run into too much more of it without proper precautions. Now I think we should get to the quarry, it has been a long day already and I am unsure how many hours of daylight we have left. I'm sure what you have to show me will be quite impressive."

Dax's muzzle lit up.

"Right!  Okay, then - follow me!"

He led the way, nearly galloping, out of the manor and down the path that led to the busy quarry yard.
> An Exchange of Gifts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even close to sunset, the place was alive with activity.  Dax continued to motion to Illiad, skirting groups of workers and stationary equipment.   Strangely enough, there was a general feeling of unease, and even some hate, towards Dax... and there was no obvious reason why.

Illiad was sure to draw away as much hate as he could, managing to lower the level to at least discontent. Hate is a bad thing to leave sitting around, so he neutralized it with some of the love he had stored.

All the same, Dax was either oblivious to this, or didn't care - he kept going, turning back every now and again to motion Illiad to follow him.  Eventually, he came to one of the sheds that stood in rows in front of the gigantic half-sunken boulder with the double doors in it.  The sign on the shed read [SHED #7].

"In here!"  Dax nearly yelled.  "She's in here!"

Dax went to the door, and knocked in a humorous manner.

"Silver!  I brought him!  I brought him - come and see!"

After a moment, the door opened.  Standing there was a cute unicorn mare with twin braids, she had some soot on her muzzle, and a pair of goggles over her eyes.  She reached up and lifted them onto her forehead, and she smiled broadly.

"Well, hello there!  You must be Illiad, correct?  My name is Silver Studs; I'm overjoyed to meet you!  Well, not so much as OVER joyed, but more like extremely pleased to meet you!"

A unicorn that is cute And smart? Perhaps there is some hope for me getting married after all.

Illiad was initially at a loss for words, which was odd as he was usually quite well spoken. He did his best to organize a coherent statement. He left off the accent he used with the Blackwater parents as he wanted to sound a bit more genuine,

"If you don't mind my saying so, you are far more beautiful than Dax described. Yes, I am Illiad, and it is a great pleasure to meet you as well."

Smooth... Let's hope she approves.

Silver cocked her head a bit, lifting an eyebrow.

"Dax said I was cute?  Daxter," Silver smirked, "are you getting a crush on me?"

She laughed heartily at this, then turned to go back in.  

"Please - come inside."

Inside of the shed, there were technological gadgets and gizmos galore.  Clockwork gears here, roll of copper wire there, and spare parts neatly stored in bins all over the shed.  In the center of the shed was a large worktable, with what appeared to be no fewer than four separate projects in various stages of completion.  Otherwise, the floor and every available surface was as clean as a whistle.

Wow, Clockwork would certainly love this place.

Silver smiled sweetly at them both.

"Welcome to my parlor, said the unicorn to the stallions!  My hovel is your hovel... well, not so much as YOUR hovel, but more like you're quite welcome here.  I have finished that project, Dax - are we supposed to present it now?"

"OH!  Well, we can go ahead and give it to Illiad, but he won't get any use out of it until he gets home... and WHAT a use!"

Silver giggled, and walked over to one of the apparent projects on the table; it was a box, about the size of a bowling ball, with four gems on top, and a hole through the middle of it, top to bottom.

"Here we go - my little project for the ponies in Troy; go ahead, ask me what it does!"

Silver seemed quite proud of her work, and she was near bursting with it.

Not having much knowledge in the finer workings of tech like his good friend, Illiad did not have much to go off of in guessing the device's function. But that did not stop him from examining it up close, he withheld his magic as he didn't know if anything inside would be sensitive to magic.

"Is it... A magic powered space cooler?"

He was crouched so the device would be at eye level, he looked up and over at Silver, "Tell me, what does this thing do?"

Dax smiled, then looked over at Silver.  "Your presentation can begin!"  He then leaned against the wall and smiled.

Silver's smile broadened, and she actually whinny-giggled.  It was adorable.

"What you're looking at, my dear Trojan, is an Oasis-Maker!"

Her pride was near bursting.

"See, you take it out into the desert; when it begins detecting water, the gems will start to light up.  When all four gems are lit, it means you are directly over a source of water.  That's when you place a piece of pipe or tubing or something in the hole, and put the device on the ground - then press all four gemstones; the device will then push the pipe into the ground, and when water flows out of the pipe, it'll stop on its own!  Instant oasis!"

The implications of this... Wow. I don't even... I need to make a call.

She grinned, and tried to rein in her enthusiasm.

"It was made with my own designs and hoofdywork... but it was Dax's idea, in case he doesn't tell you." 

She grinned at Dax, while the young stallion blushed a bit and looked away.

"And so it goes to prove that I am a genius!  Well, okay, maybe not so much as a genius, but more like I'm intelligent and skilled enough to get the job done!  So, Mr. Illiad - what do you think?"

Both she and Dax were eager to hear his opinion.

Illiad stood frozen, his mouth hanging slightly open as his eyes looked back and forth between Silver and her machine.

"I don't even know what to say."

He rose back up from his crouched position, still staring at the device.

"It is... it’s just... "

"... Perfect."

Illiad looked over at Silver. "Have you heard anything about the Trojan United Science Trust? I think with inventions of this caliber you'd be accepted instantly. Which begs the question, what is a genius mare like you doing working here? This invention of yours could put your name in history books."

Silver stared, then blushed deeply, then turned away with a wave of her hoof.

"Oh, COME now!  Okay, the genius remark was a bit much on my part, sure, but... c-c-c'mon, now - don't tease me like that!"

There was confusion and a little bit of anxiety coming from Silver, but Dax was ecstatic!

"YEAH!  I KNEW you were great, Silver - this just confirms it!"

She looked around a bit, then shyly shrugged.

"Well, I... thank you, Mr. Illiad - that's kind of you to say.  I don't... it..."

Silver tapped her hooves together nervously, then gave a shrill giggle.

"Oh, I'm not one for... uhm, I... "  She closed her eyes, gave a hard sigh, then looked back up at Illiad with a firm, yet kind look in her eyes.  "I'm quite flattered by your compliments, but I have an obligation here, and I have a job to do.  I don't think I'll be leaving the quarry anytime soon; you're quite sweet to tell me I'm better than this, but the truth is I..."

She dropped the look, and after glancing over at Dax, she turned back with a smile on her face.

"I love working here, and I really enjoy my job.  Why would I want to change that?"

It was quite obvious that, emotionally, she wasn't telling the whole truth - but maybe there was a reason?

"I'm glad you like the gift - and be sure to tell the other Trojans that's it's a gift from the Blackwaters; that might open negotiations between them, right?  Would they be interested, maybe?"

"There's an embargo, Silver - I don't know if Princess Celestia would allow it... would she?"

Illiad's face fell a little bit at her response.

"I know there's more to this, but if you don't want to share I won't pry."

He retrieved a small card from his robes, and passed it over to her.

"Even if you don't want to leave that area, I'm sure the Trust would still love your work. You contact that address if you're interested and they'll supply you with whatever you need to keep inventing. Now as for negotiations, the last I heard your princess was still refusing all audiences with our envoys, and lately she's had the guard start enforcing the borders a bit more strongly. The border towns like Appaloosa and Dodge have been open to trade with Troy for a few months now, but I doubt that this will get your princess to change her mind. The best I can do is organize some trade between Troy and here, but you are so far northward that it will be difficult."

He looked back at the invention. "I'll tell the public it was a gift from the Blackwaters like you want, but I will make sure enough important people know that it was you. This will certainly change the whole dynamic of the nation, we can have more cities, better expansion practices... It's a whole new chapter in the history of Troy."

He turned back to Silver, "I wouldn't be surprised if they ask you to name a town or two."

Silver blushed fiercely.

"Oh, I don't know about... oh... oh, they don't have to do that, now!  And make sure they know it was Dax's idea - the 'making something to find water' part, that is.  I never would have thought of it on my own... I'm a little air-headed; not really that my head is full of air, but more like I tend to be a bit scatterbrained, at times."

She grinned, and after taking the card and putting it away, she turned back and chuckled.

"I keep things running here at the quarry - it's the reason we have lights, and plumbing, and... well, all sorts of stuff!  I keep everything running smoothly here; they wouldn't know what to do without me!"

"I'll be sure to mention his help as well. I understand why you would want to stay, but if you ever need to leave, the TrUST will assist you."

He turned to Dax at that point, "Now, is there anything else you'd like to show me tonight? Or should we resume in the morning?" 

"Well... we've still got a whole week, right?  Then yeah, I guess we could rest... Silver, it's good to see you - thanks for making the gift; I think it's safe to say he likes it!" 

Silver smiled, "Sure Dax - and you're welcome Mr. Easle!  Feel free to come by sometime - if I'm here, I'd be happy to chat with you!"

Dax waved to Silver, then made his way outside.  As the two of them made their way towards the manor, Illiad again saw the red pony who was staring at him earlier... and he was staring at him again.

I thought that was Oglevy before, but now I know it isn't. Who could that be? I have the strangest feeling that they're going to cause some trouble later on.

Dax was sort of wound down in energy, but he kept talking about the general day-to-day around the quarry, so he didn't seem to even take notice; he was enjoying having somepony to actually talk with him.

"Hey Dax, Who's that red pony over there?" 

Illiad sincerely hoped that nothing bad would come of it, he definitely didn't need two ponies after him.

"Hunh?"  Dax casually glanced over his flank, like he was trying to find something else to talk about.

"Him?  That's Redd - he's a forepony.  Not a nice one, either.  Still, he does his job and makes his bits... but, he's also a bit of a brownmuzzler, to be kinda honest." 

Dax at least had the civility to blush a bit.

"He's also a snitch for my Father sometimes, so keep that in mind if he says anything to you."

With that, Dax led the unicorn around the bend.  The last thing he saw was the red pony's wild yellow mane... and noticed a horn buried in it.

Eventually, they reached the manor house, and Dax grew quiet.  For a moment, Illiad could hear the howl of the wind, tearing through the jagged edges in the cliffsides around them both.  When the gusts blew a certain direction, he could feel them; they were crisp and chilly, but clean.

Which brought up the thought: if this is a mine, shouldn't there be smokestacks or some other sort of run off?

Upon reaching his guest room door, Dax turned and regarded Illiad with a smile.

"Okay.  Look, I'm..."

He paused, then simply hugged Illiad.  The stallion was happy to have a friend.  Stepping back, Dax beamed at him.

"I'm really glad you're here.  This is gonna be fun - for both of us, I hope."

With that, Dax started to walk off - then over his flank, he asked, "How do you like the hot tub?" with a sheepish grin.  He disappeared around the corner before Illiad could ask about it.

Sometimes I forget he's almost an adult. He acts so childish some times.

Illiad entered his room, noticing his other robes folded neatly on the bed and his cloak hung nearby. He quickly unfolded the robes and rolled them tightly so they wouldn't crease. He then removed his other set before rolling them in a similar manner. He didn't entirely know what Dax meant by hot tub, as he didn't remember there being one in his room, was he referring to Silver? He supposed he would never know. Illiad proceeded to try the bed, which he found to be far too soft. He then moved the blankets to the large cushion in the corner, which he found to be a bit more firm and much more comfortable to him.

He realized then how quiet it was, the walls blocked the little sound that existed outside the room and thus it was almost silent in the room. In Deltrot he had grown used to the soft blowing of wind that kept his house cool during the day, its absence was a bit unnerving to him.

He pulled out his diamond and fashioned it into a sort of fan, it would remain powered by the energy he had collected and it should last long enough. It generated a similar noise to what he was familiar with and within moments he was peacefully asleep.

Slowly, Illiad began to notice the cushion, which was soft and well-made, was beginning to sink - seemingly into the floor.

After a closer investigation, he discovered that there were hinges on one side.  Curious, he lifted the cushion... and beneath it, installed into the floor, was a pony-sized tub of cool, crisp water; it was big enough to bathe in!  On the side of the tub was a hoof-sized blue button, with a tube running down from it to somewhere beneath the water.  The cushion itself was seemingly removable from the hatch it was attached to; it wouldn't be difficult to do so, either. 

Seems that there was more than first meets the eye all around when it came to the Blackwaters.

Hmm, I certainly didn't expect that. Could this be what Dax meant? I suppose a bath would be a good way to start the day.

As the room lacked windows there was no easy way to tell how much time had passed, the diamond wasn't much dimmer so he assumed that it hadn't been long. He removed the cushion from the hatch and placed it next to the newly discovered bathtub. He once again set in to sleep, hoping that there would be no other surprises that night.  
> An Exchange of Breakfast
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illiad awoke after a very restful sleep; it turned out that the cushion was more firm than first thought - it slept nicely, and Illiad felt that it might have been even better than the bed!  There was the scent of freshly baked apples that was wafting through the air; breakfast, maybe?

After taking care of the typical morning necessities, Illiad opened the door to head into the hallway-

*SPLASH!*

He was suddenly and completely covered in what appeared to be tomato soup... cold tomato soup, at that.  The bucket that had been tied above his door fell onto his head with a hollow thump.  Somewhere down the hallway, there was the sound of a self-satisfied giggle.

My reflexes are simply awful these past two days. Well, I was going to take a bath anyway. It's a good thing I haven't gotten dressed yet.

Illiad simply stood partially out of the doorway for a moment as he sought out Oglevy's emotional signature. If I can hear him then I can feel him. Once he found him he briefly considered fusing the pot to his head, but decided the pot was more useful as evidence to his transgressions. Instead he once again wished he had a supply of fear with him, but the unease he picked up earlier would have to do. He pushed the unease into Oglevy, and had a small amount of pleasure as his signature quickly went nervous, hopefully contemplating the consequences of his actions.

Illiad then returned to his room, closing the door before removing the pot from his head. He removed as much of the soup as he could from his coat, placing it back in the pot, before he entered the cool water he had discovered the previous night. He sat mostly submerged in the water, just his eyes and nose above the surface, as he contemplated how he was going to proceed from here.

The soup will be a pain to remove from the carpets no doubt, thus they will sit as evidence for some time. I don't know how he thinks he can get away with this.

Illiad quickly cleaned himself before stepping out and drying his coat before wrapping it in his robes. He dried his mane and tail in a similar manner, leaving them a bit floofier than the day before, but they began to settle as he moved.

He reentered the hallway, this time making sure that there was no secondary trap, carrying the pot in his magic so it could not be stolen easily. As he looked either way down the hall he realized he had no idea where to proceed from here. So he decided to wait in his room until someone came for him.

He left the door open to signify that he was awake. He retrieved the three marks that the gem was holding, he began to experiment with different combinations as he waited patiently.

"Good morning, sir."

A butler pony (maybe it was Beck?) poked his head through the doorway, politely averting his eyes from where Illiad was.

"The Blackwaters are already at breakfast, but I was told to escort you to them as soon as you awoke.  I trust everything was in order last night?"  He grinned.  "I'll dare say Master Dax nearly talked my brother's ear off about it."

He eyeballed the carpet for a moment... then simply said, "Oglevy."  With a sigh, he seemed to make a mental note it, then turned to await Illiad's reply, standing straight and dignified.

"I suspected as much." Illiad said with a sideways glance towards the butler. He had managed to combine the symbols into a complex, yet understandable symbol. It took the key elements of each mark and intertwined them in a sort of braid pattern, with Dax's serving as a sort of background. He returned the design to his robe and merged the leftover with his diamond before approaching the butler with the soup pot in tow.

"I don't know how he expects to get away with this. Please, do take me to the others, I want to see what happens when I tell the parents about this morning's events." Illiad continued, somewhat mumbling.

Seemingly coming to himself, Illiad shook his head and turned to face the butler. "Sorry about that, I got a bit dramatic there. The room was quite comfortable if not a bit too quiet. Other than that I would like a towel or two brought in, I didn't notice any in there this morning and while magic can dry me fine it always leaves my mane a bit unmanageable. But enough of that, time is too short to worry about such trivialities, let's get this day underway."

The butler lifted an eyebrow at Illiad's words, then actually gave a smile when he saw the pot.  "Very good, sir.  I shall personally see that your requests are fulfilled."

With that, the butler (Call, it was Call... right?) led Illiad along through the halls.  The smell of apples hung thick in the air, and only got more so as they approached their destination.  Eventually, they came into the large, open kitchen.

It was, of course, expensive.  There were multiple grills, three iceboxes and, in the middle of it all, a large fire pit.  There was an extravagant table off to one side, which was where the Blackwaters were seated.

Luther was seated on a bench that was specifically designed for his frame; it looked quite comfortable.  He had a newspaper laid open in front of him, and was sipping at a cup of dark, aromatic coffee.  He looked up as Illiad entered, and nodded.

Vylia was seated at the other end of the table, and at her side was the other butler (was THAT Beck?), pouring thick red syrup over a small stack of pancakes in front of her.  She gave Illiad a smile.  "Oh, good morning Mr. Easle!  Won't you join us?"

Dax was sitting straight in his chair, though not primped and polished like he was yesterday.  After a quick glance at his folks, he gave the unicorn a small wave and a smile.  Dax looked (and felt) ready to go, even though his plate of fried apples and toast was yet to be touched.

Oglevy was sitting at the table with a stuffed dragon in his lap.  In front of him was a salad, a bowl of sliced apples and a tall glass of what appeared to be apple juice.  He was muttering to the dragon, lost in his own world, until he saw Illiad... and when he saw the pot, he frowned deeply, narrow eyes stabbing at the Trojan.

Finishing the pour, the butler next to Vylia set down the pitcher of syrup and promptly traded places with Illiad's escort.  "What would sir prefer for breakfast this morning?  Perhaps something as per a standard breakfast, or perhaps some Trojan fare, which I have looked into since sir's arrival?"

Illiad took an available seat. He almost spoke but remembered that he had an accent to uphold around the Blackwaters. He set in to the same accent he used at the tea party, just with less smugness so it would be similar enough to the accent he used with Mr. Blackwater.

"My you are quite accommodating aren't you? Well I wouldn't want your preparations to go to waste, I would like something simple, a bowl of dried oats with honey on the side if you please?" Indeed Trojan meals are usually simple, breakfasts are usually uncooked but later meals can be a bit more involved.

As soon as told, the butler bowed and headed to the pantry.  It was mere moments before a bowl of top-grade oats was sitting in front of him, a small pitcher of fresh honey laid next to it.  As proper, he waited next to Illiad to be told to pour.

With his meal taken care of he turned back to the table at large. He gained the impression that this was not the sort of family to talk much during a meal so he simply set the pot next to him on the table waiting to be spoken to first. As he waited he retrieved the current seal design from his robes to make a few minor adjustments as he saw fit.

When the pot was set onto the table, there were mixed reactions:

Dax's eyes widened a bit, then he instantly turned to look at his little brother.  Obviously, he was familiar with the significance.

Oglevy's eyes snapped to the pot, then to Illiad; there was revenge in those irises, and it wasn't a pretty sight... and, perhaps, a bit of worry from Illiad's earlier mental push.

Vylia, in the midst of her pancakes, gave it a look like she expected it to begin dancing lewdly at any moment.  The butler behind her moved to take it away...

Luther, however, stopped him with a raised hoof.  He then gave it a look, then turned to Illiad.  "Why is this here?"  Straight to the point, as always.

Here we go.

Illiad turned to face Mr. Blackwater, a very slight smile on his face. "I'm glad you noticed, an interesting thing happened to me this morning. As I opened the door to my chambers this morning I found that someone had balanced this precariously above my doorway, and my opening of the door caused it to fall on me. Cold Tomato soup is not an enjoyable substance to have poured over you in the morning as I discovered. So I brought the pot with me as evidence of the occurrence. I hope this does not become a regular event."

That said he turned towards the breakfast that had been set before him, he elected to pour the honey himself, grasping the end of the honey wand in his magic to apply it in a thin spiral layer to his oats before mixing it throughout the bowl. As he tried the first spoonful he found that while the oats were not as dry as Trojan oats, their soft texture mixed better with the honey, in all it was a bit better than back home.

All eyes turned toward Oglevy... except his were now turned to his dragon toy.  The words, however, decided to have a traffic jam...

"Tomato SOUP!?"
"I knew it!  Oglevy, you little rat!"
"DON'T call your brother a RAT, young colt!"
"Madam, the syrup!"
"Oh!  OH!  GAAAH!"
"Why does DAX get to have guests, but I DON'T?"
"You don't HAVE any friends!"
"STOP PATTING, YOU DOLT - IT'S STICKING!"
"Yeah, well YOUR friend's a NERD!"
"He is NOT!" 
"Maybe a wet towelette..."
"He is SO!"
"Well, GET SOMETHING!"
"I hate you!"
"I hate you!"
"ENOUGH."

The kitchen went dead quiet.

Luther set down his coffee and stood up.

"Oglevy - your work?"

"Father, I don't like it when-"

"YOUR WORK?"

Oglevy went silent, looked at the floor, and spoke softly.  "Yes, Father."

Luther stared holes into the colt's head, his gaze of disapproval searing the little pegasus with guilt.

"The empty room.  Two hours."

Oglevy's emotions went from angry and chastised to humiliated and chastised.  "No!  Father, I-"

One look at the elder Blackwater was all it took.

"... yes, sir."

"Apologize."

Oglevy scowled at Illiad for a moment.  "... I'm sorry..."

"Louder."

"I'm sorry - okay!?"  It was clear by his emotions said that this was a lie, through and through.

"Now go."

"But... breakfast..?"

"GO."

Oglevy stared for a moment more, then took to his wings and zipped out of the kitchen... as he went, he tried to knock the pitcher of honey off the table and onto Illiad, but the butler next to him was far too swift; not a drop spilled on the Trojan.

Luther sat back down, and calmly picked up his coffee.  Before returning to his paper, he turned to the unicorn.

"Apologies."

Vylia shoved the butler next to her; he collided with his twin, who steadied his brother and helped him regain his hooves.

"... I'll get it in the bath; Mr. Illiad?  Please excuse me - I'm a mess!"  She tossed a warm smile at him.  "Perhaps later, we can enjoy another tea time, hmmm?"  She rose from the table and left, both butlers following right behind her.

Dax looked grateful the fracas was over.  He was now stuck between focusing on his breakfast, and focusing on his friend.  He idly picked at his food; apparently, he'd picked his focus.  He gave Illiad one of his sheepish grins, and began eating.

Mr. Blackwater is quite scary when he gets mad, I'll wait to show him my design until I'm sure it is perfected.

Illiad was a bit pleased at how things had turned out, Oglevy hadn't tried to claim that Illiad was lying about the incident and his actions would be more suspicious in the future, making repeat attacks harder. Illiad returned his attention to his breakfast as well, he found himself enjoying the differences in texture from what he had grown used too.

He called me a nerd? Like it was something to be ashamed of? Clearly he doesn't understand how valuable knowledge is to Trojan culture.

Illiad left the pot where it was so the butlers could put it where it belonged later, it wasn't long before he finished his breakfast and was left wondering what he was to do with the leftover dishes. He decided he would wait to see what the other two did when they finished. 

Luther continued drinking his coffee, refilling it himself from the small pot next to him on the table.  He read his paper, the customary frown on his muzzle.

Dax stood up and, gathered his plates - and the pot as he passed it - and moved to one of the grand sinks at the sides.  Taking his time, he washed each dish carefully; the pot, he scrubbed, rinsed, and placed upside-down on the countertop.  Once that was done, he looked back toward Illiad, a questioning look on his face.

They wash their own dishes? Interesting, not at all what I expected.

Luther turned a page.

"Father?  Will you be needing me for anything today?"

Luther glanced up.

"Schooling?"

"Cleared with Mother; off for the next two weeks."

"Chores?"

"Done before I came to breakfast."

"Errands?"

"One delivery to Taps, but nothing else."

Luther thought a moment, passed a glance at Illiad, then refocused on his son.

"Fine."

Dax grinned, and Illiad felt a small wave of love from Luther.

"Thanks Father - have a good day.  Mr. Illiad?"

Illiad gathered his dishes as well, he watched how Dax washed so he could do the same. He then washed his own dishes after the same manner as Dax. That completed he turned to face Dax directly.

"Well, lead the way." 

"Okay, c'mon!"  The young stallion almost bounded out of the kitchen.  
> An Exchange of Secrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dax led Illiad out of the manor and back to the quarry itself.  The whole way there, he espoused the virtues of the day-to-day routine and how everyone kept things in order.  Through it all, Illiad noticed that many of the workers either outright ignored them, or a general feeling of unease settled in among them... and it wasn't aimed at Illiad, either.

I wonder what's going on with the workers, something can't be right with all this unease floating about.

"Now, this is the central yard.  I know there's a lot of places we could check out: the iron shop, the boulder, the processing shed, the library... any of those places sound good, or do you wanna see the mines themselves?  I could show you where I got that-..."

He noticed what he was about to say out loud, then stopped himself.  After a look around, he continued softly.

"... that... thing I got for you.  Yeah.  So, where do you wanna go first?"

Illiad liked all the options presented to him, and thus had no real preference. However, seeing the source of the cloud diamond had been on his mind the longest...

"Why don't you show me where you found it first, if my hunch is correct I'll be able to tell if you found all of it or if there is more."

Dax grinned.  "I kinda figured you'd want to see the mines first - and that's not a problem at all!  We'll have to check in with the Head Forepony, Chuck List, but he shouldn't give us any trouble - he's kind of... gruff, sometimes... but he's a good, honest worker.  You'll see - c'mon!"

The two of them made their way over to the gaping hole in the side of the mountain.  As miners passed them, they kept giving them the eye... and, after a moment's observation, Illiad figured out a part of it; they were eyeballing DAX.

Reaching the huge cavern, Illiad spotted a gray and rather grumpy-looking pony, but as Dax walked up the pony gave a half-grin.

"Aayyy... dere's da fella!  Howyadoin' t'day, Daxie?"

"I'm doing GREAT, Chuck!  This is my friend, Illiad Easle; he's visiting for the week."

"Dat so?"  Chuck walked a circle around the unicorn, his eye looking him over thoroughly.  Illiad felt no ill will from Chuck, but there was a touch of concern.  After a moment, he stepped back and gave Illiad a half-grin as well.

"Youse seem arrite ta me; an' any friend o' Dax's is a friend o' mine."

"Chuck, Illiad wants to see the mines - would it be okay?"

Chuck rolled his eyes.  "Y'know, if your Faddah finds you down dere, yer gonna get it."

"Well, yeah... that's why I don't come down here, right Chuck?"

The forepony gave a slight chuckle, shaking his head.

"Helmets, you two.  An' keep 'im safe!"

Illiad found that Chuck's last words were aimed at Dax, not himself. I can keep myself safe thank you, even with the diamond fragmented.

Gathering two green hardhats, Dax gave one to his friend and put one on himself.  These in place, he turned and motioned to a small side-tunnel.  "C'mon - it's not the lift, but it's more scenic!"

Dax started down into the tunnel, the small magical bulb on his hardhat glowing as he reached the darker spots.  Magical hardhat lights?  Perhaps they were Silver's hoofdywork as well?

Illiad followed Dax carefully through the mines as he did not want to get lost. He doubted that the caves would be any more scenic than the lift as they had likely already been stripped of anything worth looking at by now. But he kept his eyes peeled for any trace of cloud diamond in the walls. He brought out the diamond Dax had given him and shaped it into a sort of compass, but instead of a pointer, little blips would appear where cloud diamond was to be found, there was a large blip in the center where Illiad's diamond was.

"So... Is it a long walk down there? Not that I mind if it is to be sure, I would just like to know what to expect."

Dax kept trotting along.

"Well... it might take a minute or two to get there, but it'll be worth it - you'll see!  Anyway, the other reason I took the walkway is to show you what's left behind when all the gems get taken away.  I've seen huge caverns, spirals that seem like they go on forever, gigantic canyons... you name it!  There's a lot more down here than dirt, y'know?"

It was a bit of walking before Dax raised a hoof.  "Here... look at this..."  He motioned for Illiad to follow him around a corner, and when he did...

Around the corner, there was a severe and sudden drop (Dax pointed it out for him) that was only the border to a massive opening that seemed to stretch for miles straight down - but the beautiful part was that there was a waterfall that cascaded down the far walls, and beneath it's rushing surface were lots of small, glowing crystals that added a soft, blue/green glow to the entire sight.  It was surprising to find such a sight underground, but after only one day at the Blackwater Quarry, Illiad got the feeling that there was much, much more to this place than anypony would ever realize.

The compass diamond began to have some sort of issue; it seemed as if some sort of... cloud?... was starting to fade in at the edge of the compass face; it covered more and more of it as they went, and it was beginning to look like it might block out the entire view soon enough.

"Not much further."  Dax said.  "I'm pretty good at finding emeralds, so I can kinda use that ability down here to guide me places; wherever I don't feel them at, I just go there.  Better than having to use a map all the time, right?"

The young stallion grinned, and looked to Easle.  "We're pretty deep - this is where I like to go when I feel down during the day; nighttime has stars, so I can watch those then, but... well, in here it's cool and quiet.  REALLY quiet."

Dax really did seem like a pony who would grow up to be quite an individual.  Heck, every one of the Blackwaters were rather different in their own way - and though it wasn't obvious at first, there was a good deal of love here as well.  Maybe Illiad wasn't getting much actual 'culture', but he certainly was getting an interesting look into the lives of these ponies.

This is simply unbelievable.

Once Illiad was able to pull his eyes from the splendor of the caverns he noticed the changes in the map. 

Either there is something interfering with the natural magic or the Blackwaters are sitting on the largest deposit of Cloud Diamond in the world.

Judging by the small size of the dots forming the cloud the deposits were microscopic, but the sheer volume of them indicated a collection of approximately the same size as what Dax had already found, and the cloud was still growing.

"I suppose your detection of Emeralds works much in the same way as my Empathic abilities. In that I can sense the approximate locations of those around me. I get better accuracy them more time I've spent around them, so long as they are within a certain distance. I can also tell where they've been if their emotions are strong enough."

Still walking, Dax got a thoughtful look on his face.

"Was it... difficult, learning how to use your empathy?  I mean, you said there was persecution; would it be too much to ask if I was... y'know, curious about how they- HEY!  There's one!"

Dax made his way forward, and pointed into the dirt.  There, amidst the pebbles, was about a coin-sized sliver of Cloud Diamond.

"See?  I told you!  We're about where I was when I found it - look!"

Dax crouched low, looking at it closely.  He glanced sideways, and scooted over to another.  There were tiny little chunks spread here and there - lots of them, all minute little pieces that were all over the cavern floor.  Dax beamed at Illiad.

"When I brought that big chunk up, Father looked it over, then gave it back to me.  If it's as valuable as you say it is, then I can't figure out WHY he'd do that... unless... Illiad, does my Father already know about all this?"

Admittedly, the spreading of the little bits might be an indicator of such; it almost seemed as if there was once a larger amount of... something... here.

Something isn't right here.

"I doubt your father really knows its true value if he knows this deposit exists at all. Otherwise he'd have the whole..."

Illiad stopped, he started looking about the cavern, he knew the diamond was throughout the area, you could see faint glimmers of it in the walls. "I suppose he must know, he's just leaving it here to keep it safe, letting it sit and accumulate into larger chunks then mine it when needed, so long as it is in the mountain it can't be stolen." Illiad turned towards Dax, "We should probably ask your father directly before we extract anything, just in case." Illiad stowed the tracker he had built as he simply marveled at the immensity of the deposit.

Simply unbelievable.

"As to my Empathic abilities, the sensing was simply innate, I was born with it and didn't realize others couldn't feel the ponies around them. As to the actual manipulation... my mother taught me, she is Empathic too, though not quite as strong of one as I am. The rest I learned as I grew, it sort of came to me."

Illiad started to get a bit worried. "I’m getting a bad feeling about this, it is simply too good to be true, it shouldn't naturally occur in this high of density. This feels like a trap if anything..."

"A trap?  Why would it be a..."

Dax began to look around nervously, his eyes widening as the implications of what was said began to sink in.  He looked at Illiad.

"Okay... I never thought of that."

The young Blackwater was a bundle of nerves for a moment, then he let a thoughtful look fall across his muzzle.

"Waaaaaaait a minute - I've been here LOTS of times; doesn't seem any different to me.  Illiad, I think you're getting a little paranoid... but..."

He gulped.

"... how do I know for sure?"

That's the scariest part isn't it?

"The safest option would be to simply leave and talk to your father about it later, see what he knows about the situation."
Illiad turned to face the direction they came from. "We should get going, if this is a trap I don't want to get caught in it." 

"Me either."

Dax hurriedly made his way back up the cavern, making sure to keep Illiad in sight at all times.  As they reached the mouth of the cavern, a voice greeted them.  Though it sounded pleasant enough, Illiad could hear the snide undertones easily.

"Well, well, well... if it isn't little Daxter.  And he's brought a friend, too!  How nice."

It was the red pony from earlier.  He wore a smile that seemed to be even more false than Vylia's, and his emotions were somewhere between agitated and smug.  Floating within the locks of his wild yellow mane was a red horn.  He came up to Illiad with an even wider smile.

"Wonderful to meet you - the name is Redd Handid, and I'm one of the foreponies here at the Blackwater Quarry.  As a forepony, it just so happens to be my job to try to keep an eye on the things happening around here... such as, say - I don't know - a colt and a stranger making their way back up from the mines?  VERY interesting, that - would certainly also be interesting to certain parties, I'm sure."

Dax frowned and stood his ground, but the Trojan could feel the fear seeping from behind the young Blackwater's brave facade.

"Leave us alone, Redd... we didn't do anything wrong."

"Is THAT a fact?  And what about your Father's rule about you going into the mines?  Hmmmmm?"

Somehow I knew this would happen. But this fear will be useful now.

Illiad began draining the fear and smug agitation from the pair, switching the two emotions between the two.

I would say that I'm sure Mr. Blackwater would understand given our findings.

"Hold on," I turned to Dax, "Your father already knows you've been in the mines, he didn't say anything when you brought what you found to him earlier did he? Where else could you have gotten it except for in the mines. And because he already knows and did not express displeasure last time..."

I turn to face the forepony directly, hitting hit with one last burst of fear as I spoke.

"It would certainly be a waste of his valuable time to bring it up."

Illiad prepped a teleport spell with the assistance of his diamond.

Please cave in, I hate all this manipulation and I don't have plans to see Mr. Blackwater directly but I do believe I can get my findings to him first.

Redd started to protest, but then Illiad's switch took place... and it appeared that Redd wasn't exactly the bravest of stallions.

"He... already knew, you say?  Hmmmm... well, I suppose that may be the case, Daxter... but I still plan on adding it to my daily report, for your information.  I'm simply trying to make certain you're safe - and that nopony untoward gets their hooves in the mines.  I certainly hope you understand my position here..."

Redd spoke all this as he was inching back away from the two.  Once he trailed off, he sort of ambled away, shooting nervous glances over his flank.  Dax watched him walk off, then smiled.

I hope this trend does not continue, I'm playing right into the Empathic stereotype with all this actual manipulation.

"Yeah, you'd better be on your way, Redd... trying to get us in trouble... if I was just a little older..."

Dax shook his head, as if to clear out rogue thoughts... then grinned at Illiad again.

"Hey, I have something I gotta deliver to Taps - can we go ahead and get that out of the way?  Once that's done, I'll have everything that I have to do today done - and we can go fishing!  Whaddya say?  Or was there something else you wanted to do?"

Illiad turned to face Dax, "Even if you were older your father's rules would still apply, its his mine. Speaking of which, we should tell him about what we found, see if he knows already. If he doesn't it should be quite pleasing for him to know, if he does he'll hopefully appreciate that we didn't start extracting it. We should probably tell him before he receives the daily report."

Illiad sighed and shook his head a bit. "I really am a nerd, isn't that wonderful?”

Dax's next statement then registered with him, "Oh, you fish? I've heard of pegasi and griffons fishing but not an Earth Pony like you. I've never fished so I wouldn't know too much about it.”

Dax sort of looked down after being told he should listen to his Father, but there didn't seem to be any quenching his enthusiasm.

"Well... yeah, maybe we should let him know.  You're right.  He usually doesn't check his reports until around dusk - unless they come in urgent - so we have some time.  C'mon," he grinned, "I just have to deliver a scroll, then we should be clear!"

He made his way through the yard and back towards the wall surrounding the quarry... but the wall at the back of the property, instead of the way Illiad was brought in.  There was a bit of a surprise as there was not only a smaller single door back here, but there was also a carriage garage and a stone house.  There was a picture of an envelope and a package tied with twine on a wooden slat suspended from a pole next to it.

"Okay, I just gotta find Taps, and we can go..."

Dax began searching around the building, then the garage, then the area around the two, curiosity turning to frustration on his face.  Dax finally gave a hard huff, and went over to open the door.  Leaning in, he called out, "Taps?  Are you here?  Taaaaaaaps..?"

Completely out of nowhere, a small blue mare stepped out from behind Illiad, and put a hoof to her smiling lips in a shush gesture.  She had on a leather satchel, and wore a black and green hat.  The little silver plate on the front of the hat said [QUARRY POST], and written on the side of the satchel was the word 'Taps'.  She nonchalantly leaned against a nearby rail and watched the house, an amused grin on her muzzle, as Dax kept scrounging around inside.

She looked over at the unicorn, and tapped a hoof against the word written on her satchel, then gave him a small, smart salute and a smile.

Does Equestria have a monopoly on all the cute mares? I suppose the skewed gender ratio works in my favor here.

Illiad replied with a slight grin and raised eyebrows, he then turned to Dax, "If she's not here, where do you suppose she'd be? Also, is this a post office?" 

From inside, "Yeah - she's our resident delivery pony.  She's run a Pony Express branch here at the quarry for a while now - and hasn't missed a deadline yet!" 

Taps gave a haughty smile for a moment, and then put her hoof over her muzzle as she silently giggled.

"She's been here for a long time - I was still a colt when she came, and Father said he'd found her homeless and broke, outside of Los Pegasus."

Taps blushed, and scratched nervously at the back of her neck for a moment.

"But she's really a good pony - she's helped out in a lot of situations, plus she always seems to know about what's happening - even if it has nothing to do with her."

Taps shrugged coolly, then tossed a knowing wink at Illiad.

"Still... it's okay if she knows a lot, because she doesn't really speak.  At least, not that I've ever heard."

Taps nodded, then shrugged broadly.  At about this point, Dax came out of the office.

"Well, if she's not here the- HEY!"  Dax looked a bit chagrined, but Taps simply clapped her hooves together and trotted over to him.  Taps gave the young stallion a quick sidelong hug before stepping back and raising her eyebrows at him.

"Hunh?  OH!  Oh yeah!  Father wanted me to make sure this went straight into your hooves - said it was 'of utmost priority', so it must be important."

He reached back into his wild mane and pulled out a length of yarn, like he did earlier.  at the end of it was a small scroll, tied with the yarn.  Dax carefully removed it from his mane, and gave it to Taps.  She looked it over, scanned the address closely, then nodded and stuffed it into her satchel.

"Thanks - everything going alright today?"

The mare seemed to think about it for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

"Glad to hear.  This is Illiad Easle, from Troy - he's my friend who's staying here for the week."

Taps, with a tiny smug smile and lots of good humour in her manner, again saluted the unicorn smartly.

It's a shame she doesn't talk much, I'm sure she has a very pleasant voice.

Illiad didn't know exactly how to respond, he knew there were a few pony express offices in Troy, mostly as a go between to the Equestrian Postal Service. "I suppose it makes sense to have a pony express here rather than a branch of the Equestrian Postal service." He turned to face Taps directly, "And it is a pleasure to meet you." 

Taps gave a short, polite curtsy.  Her eyes were fascinating; the left was a cool purple, while the right was a light brown.  Her emotions were frosty; nothing readily discernible. 

"Well, I delivered the package - from here, we could leave the Quarry and head to my tent.  It's a bit of a walk, but... we can stay the night there, and I can show you my telescope.  That's where the fish are biting.  I have the equipment and stuff there already; we just have to show up."

Dax was excited, but he wasn't the firecracker/volcano he had been yesterday; he was settling down, which was a good thing.

If he's this excited here, then who knows how excited he will be when we go to Troy. I hope Carbon isn't busy next week, having him there should serve as a good dampener.

"Alright, just remember that we still need to talk to your father before he reads his daily reports. Other than that I guess we are free for the rest of the day."

Dax led Illiad back up to the manor house; at least the unicorn was getting his exercise!  The path came back around, and the front of the house had a number of random ponies in butler/maid outfits, all doing random caretaking.  A few looked up as they approached, and he could feel a little brightness touch each pony as Dax passed them - they certainly didn't have the same hesitancy as the miners seemed to.

Once inside, they made the trek up to Luther's study.  Once there, Dax knocked on his Father's door, three slow taps.  The echoes wandered down the hall, then returned like messengers with news.

"Enter."

Dax looked at Illiad and gave a weak smile.  Then, straightening his shoulders, he opened the door and went inside, holding it open for his friend.

I retrieved the scanner that I had made out of the diamond that Dax gave me as I entered, adjusting it to show the location of the diamonds in the mountain in relation to where we were. This made the cloud look smaller, but still noticeably large to those who know cloud diamonds. Once I was inside I again waited patiently to be spoken to as before.

I sincerely hope he takes this news well. The last thing I want is for this exchange to end early.

Luther was at his desk, and looked up as the two entered the office.  His eyes passed between them both, then settled on Dax.

"What?"

Dax straightened his posture and faced his father as he began to speak, all his courage mustered.

"Father, we have news for you - we have apparently discovered a very large deposit of Cloud Diamond, down in the deep mines.  Mr. Easle says that it's far more valuable than most might think, and he's worried about the value of that chunk you said I could give him.  He suggested that we-"

"Where?"

Dax was caught unawares, and he took a moment before he answered, "Uhm... just past marker 501, I think."

Luther looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Illiad is very interested in it, and he thinks it could be one of the biggest deposits ever."

The elder Blackwater lifted an eyebrow, his gaze focusing on Illiad.

"Explain."

Illiad straightened his posture, again slipping into the Canterlot Intellectual accent he used with Mr. Blackwater before.

"You see sir, Cloud Diamond is one of the rarest gemstones ever discovered." He pulled out his gem, or what wasn't being used to hold the seal design, "This is the total amount that Princess Luna has been able to find in Equestria since Discord was defeated the first time, for perspective, she estimates that the moon contains no more than three times this much, and I estimate that your mountain's deposit contains at least as much as this gem here. Which would be a value of over 23 million bits.”

Illiad was about to go on to explain its extraction difficulty but decided to let his information sink in.

Luther shot a sidelong glance at his son.  He steepled his hooves at the desk, then simply gave his son an order.

"Daxter, go outside."

Dax looked a bit crushed.  "Why?"

"I want to talk to Illiad."

"But..."

"Is this a cultural exchange?"

"I... I guess so, Father."  Dax's eyes seemed to try to find something to look at besides Luther.

"Then we are exchanging culture; this should not take long."

Dax, pouting a bit but still ready to go, he gave a hopefully reassuring look to Illiad.  He then turned and headed out of the study, apparently willing to wait in the hall.  He closed the door behind himself.

Luther, in the meantime, turned and leveled his frosty gaze on Illiad.

"Now... explain why you are interested."

Well, I can't exactly demonstrate with my gem fragmented like this... Oh! that's right, Dax's is not part of the nexus!

Illiad looked pensive as if unsure how to respond, then his face shifted back to confidence. He retrieved the scan as he pulled the design from his robes, he transferred the design to the other diamond before returning the original diamond to it's natural form. Once complete he returned the design to his robes as his completed gem began to float lazily in place without the support of his magic.

"There are a few reasons why I am interested Mr. Blackwater. The first is its adaptability and diverse usefulness. The second is a bit more complex. I have had many occasions to work with Princess Luna directly, which is part of the reason why I own most of her collection of cloud diamond, she is always interested in acquiring more and has asked me to notify her when some is found. The third reason is significantly more delicate. You've no doubt noticed that my diamond is currently floating of its own volition at the moment. Cloud diamonds are attuned to hold very special magics, thus they can be quite dangerous if they were to fall into the wrong hooves. I suspect this is part of the reason why Princess Luna is so keen on collecting all of it."

Illiad smiled a bit as he retrieved his gem from where it was floating, he returned it to the interior of his robes. "That is why I am interested, make of it what you will."

I have no idea how he will respond to this, I sincerely hope it is positive.

Luther's gaze never left Illiad as he gave his reasons and explanations.  It was a bit unnerving, especially coupled with the fact that the elder Blackwater was putting out nothing at all emotionally; he might as well have been a tree, for all Illiad was picking up.  Eventually, as Illiad finished talking, Luther stood up and walked around the desk to face the unicorn.  With less than a foot of space between them, Luther leaned in towards Illiad.

"I know about the Cloud Diamond; I found the deposit."  A small touch of concern eked out at that moment.  "Ten years ago."

He pulled himself to his full height, then made his way over to the balcony.  Standing stolidly, he ran his gaze over the quarry.

"The deposit was much bigger then.  It was... beautiful.  It was also protected by..."  Was that a touch of fear from Luther Blackwater?  "... something very nasty.  One of my staff, Knee Slapper, sealed it away into the deposit itself; I have not seen it since."

He closed his eyes and gave a sigh of weariness that seemed almost too big for him to bear.

"I still have a gathering of the deposit we did harvest, if you're interested - but the deposit still there is off limits; to you, to my son, to my workers.  Most likely Daxter removed the barricades; get him to put them back.  I do not want that... thing... coming back."

So that's what felt so wrong about the place. Truly something powerful once resided there. This is something Luna should know about immediately. 

Illiad's face went serious once he heard about the dangers. "I will ensure that the barricades are restored with all due speed. I will do what I can to strengthen them further if I can, we certainly don't want them accidentally removed again."

As he spoke Illiad began to plan what exactly he would say to Luna. "If you don't mind sir, I will be alerting Princess Luna to this creature's presence, no doubt she will be able to ensure that it will never be a threat to anyone here."

"NO!"

Luther's shout was loud and... fearful?

"You do NOT understand!  That thing... the more ponies that know about it, the more chance it will have to escape!  It..."

Luther sighed, and with that sigh his scowl simply melted into a face of concern and worry - it was the first time he'd ever seen anything but a scowl on the stallion's muzzle... but it was doubtful that this was an improvement.

"It was evil.  It... it took over one of my foreponies, and it caused three deaths before it was contained.  When it was sealed, Slapper said the spell would hold... but it was fragile.  Too much active magic around it, and it might break."

The scowl returned, this time with seriously intimidating reinforcements as Luther locked his most determined stare at the Trojan.   

"I DO NOT WANT IT BROKEN... AND NEITHER DO YOU; IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?"

The fear from Luther was palpable and quite real; what in the world had happened?  Still, this seemed to be the end of this conversation - Luther spoke again, and was far less aggressive now, emotionally packing the bad feelings away with impressive speed.

"If you want to speak about the deposit I have in storage, we can.  I am willing to sell some of it."  

The elder Blackwater gave a small, almost undetectable shudder.

"Questions about that thing, ask Slapper; he still works here."

It apparently bothered Luther considerably to talk about it... then again, from what Illiad could tell, the experience would have bothered ANYpony.

Clearly this thing should not remain unconstrained any longer. Luna will hear about this as soon as possible.

Illiad's face grew darker and a bit more serious, "Believe me Mr. Blackwater I have no intention on releasing whatever evil you have managed to contain. You must be aware that the seal could already be broken. I will speak to Slapper about his seal and see if anything can be done to strengthen it." Illiad sighed a bit as he drew a bit of Mr. Blackwater's fear away, placing it in his gem. "I will let Princess Luna know that you are willing to sell, she will be most pleased to hear I am sure."

Illiad prepared to leave the room. "Is that all you need Sir? I have almost finished the design if you would like to approve it while I'm here."  

Apparently satisfied with Illiad's response, Luther settled back into his seat at his desk.  

His gaze seemed almost to retract into him, and for a moment his age was visible; he had seen a LOT of years, and if what Illiad had heard was correct, those would have been years without much in the way of rest or sidetracking... not even a hobby, as far as had been seen yet.  On top of the business of the quarry, he had a family - and he did pay them attention, even loved them, and that meant he worried about them, as well.

He shook his well-groomed mane and gave a hard gust of a sigh; so refocused, he turned his attention back to the unicorn.

"The design.  Let's see it."

A slight smile appeared on Illiad's face, quickly replacing his uncharacteristically serious look. He retrieved the design from his robes, placing it on the table in front of Mr. Blackwater.  The design was shaped in a circle, the exterior made of the two necklaces of Mrs. Blackwater intertwined. Within the necklace circle was Dax's mark with Mr. Blackwater's in front of it. "What do you think? For the security pattern I'm thinking a sort of Zig-Zag design but I will take what suggestions you have."

Luther looked it over closely, adjusting his glasses as he did.  His eyes glided over the design, twitching back and forth over small details.  Eventually, he sat back and nodded.

"Approved.  Well constructed.  Zig-zag sounds fine."

He glanced towards the door, seemingly considering something out there for a moment.  Once whatever was on his mind was satisfied, he then turned back to look at Illiad.  

"Daxter enjoys your company.  You are enjoying his?" 

As typical of the elder Blackwater, he wasn't simply asking this to hear himself talk; he was genuinely curious.

Illiad's smile grew slightly larger at Mr. Blackwater's praise. "Thank you sir, I'll have the design constructed when I return to Troy and have it sent to you when it is complete. I have found this exchange quite satisfactory, I have learned much and am a better person for having experienced it. Daxter is kind and caring at heart, as well as unbiased and accepting of new ideas. Noble attributes that I see in far too few ponies these days." Illiad retrieved the design and placed it in his robes, glad he didn't have to worry about it any longer. "If that is all Sir, I should get back to him and get those barricades back up." 

Luther nodded.  "Yes.  Do that."

He was done talking; he wandered over to the edge of his balcony and simply stretched his view across the quarry... perhaps even just taking in the view.  Though his words and deeds may have been taken by other ponies as rude and haughty, it was simply that Luther Blackwater was a stallion that kept things simple; frills and pomposity were Vylia's thing.
> An Exchange of Emotion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a timid knock at the door, and without turning Luther said, "He's waiting... unless there's more?"

"He would know better than I." Illiad quickly moved over to the door and opened it to confirm that it was Dax who knocked.

Dax's head was pressed sideways against the door, so he stumbled into the room when it was opened.  After catching his balance, he gave one of his sheepish grins at being caught eavesdropping.  Luther looked at him, emotionless outside.

"Is there anything more you need to tell your father?" Illiad sincerely hoped not as he felt an urgent need to get those barricades back up and have Luna contacted about the situation.

"Uhm... no, I - wait.  Redd said he was going to report to you that we were down in the mines; I didn't want it to come as a surprise."

"Mmm.  Noted."

"Talked with Mr. Easle?"

"Yes."

"Anything bad - I heard you yell from the hall."

"Passing troubles; no issues."

"Am I in trouble for showing Illiad the Cloud deposit?"

Luther thought for a beat.  "No."

Dax visibly relaxed.  "Thank you, Father."

"Mhm."

Dax turned to his unicorn buddy.  "Okay, I guess we can go now - those fish aren't gonna catch themselves, y'know!"

As the pair left Luther's study, the elder Blackwater spared a glance at his son.  A little ribbon of love wound out from the stone visage, and his scowl looked... almost pleasant?  Then, he turned back to his paperwork, and the door shut.

As soon as they were around the corner, Dax turned to Illiad.  "What happened back there?  What did he say?  Why did he yell out 'NO' that one time?  Am I REALLY not in trouble?"

Yes, you've doomed us all.

Illiad was unsure how to breach the topic of returning to the mines. "Apparently there were supposed to be barricades to prevent us from getting where we did, and your father wants them back up immediately. We will apparently need Mr. Slapper's help to ensure that they are properly restored. Also, if I needed to write a letter, would I give it to Taps to deliver?" Illiad was again plotting the best wording to ensure that Luna would arrive quickly to assess the situation with whatever existed in the caverns.

Dax looked a bit surprised at this news.

"Slapper?  Knee Slapper?  What would we need him for?  He's one of the foreponies here - he's also an incurable practical jokester.  But, if Father said he was needed, then I suppose he's needed; he's a unicorn like you, and he's actually pretty nice - he never seems to get into arguments much, even after a prank, and everypony seems to like him well enough.  Guess it'd be okay to see if we can find him - he's around here somewhere, I'm sure."

He gave a start at mention of the barricades, then looked at the ground with a bit of shame.

"w... I moved the barricades so I could get to the deeper mines.  I know where they are; I can put those back... but I don't think Slapper would be needed for that... they're just wooden sawhorses with signs on 'em, y'know?"

Dax seemed a bit chastised for that, but he lightened up a bit when Illiad asked about the resident delivery mare.

"Yup - if you need a letter or scroll or package delivered, Taps is who you wanna see... but why?  Are you sending home a message about the Cloud Diamond?  If my Father gave you trouble about it, I could try to convince him otherwise, if you like?"

You'd think he'd put more effort into guarding against something he fears so much. Sawhorses? Really?

"Oh, no trouble. The opposite actually, he's willing to sell some of what he's already extracted. I just need to tell the one who's had me on the lookout for it so they can come down and buy some. If you have some paper and ink nearby I can write the letter on the way so we can hit both stops with one trip to the quarry and finally get to fishing."  

Dax nodded and made his way to one of the groups of miners, but before he could say a single word, they dispersed... all while giving him pointed stares.  Dax tried to get them to wait, or at least listen... but nopony would.  He hung his head for only a moment, then turned back to face his friend.

"I can go get some - why don't you meet me over at the Pony Express office; you know where it is, right?  I can also look around for Slapper while I'm at it.  Okay!  See you in a bit!"

Excitable as to what might be to come, Dax turned and galloped off before Illiad could say a word... and by the time he could, Dax was no longer in sight, and the general noise of the quarry would have drowned him out anyway.

Why do I get the feeling that this is a set up for some encounter? Also, why are the workers so odd around Dax?

Not about to ask any of the workers directly, Illiad did his best to navigate the quarry and eventually managed to find the Pony express station without too much trouble.

I sincerely hope this is something Luna can resolve quickly and easily. If it was restrained by a weak spell and wooden barricades it can't be all that dangerous right? 

Taps just happened to be outside the Post Office, tending to what looked like a break in one of the fences.  She was hunkered down, trying to nudge the bottom of the post just right, so it would fall back into the hole it had vacated.  Her tongue was sticking sideways out of her mouth as she concentrated solely on the task at hoof; her mismatched eyes locked on target.

She straightened up when she saw Illiad coming her direction.  The post suddenly dropped into place, and Taps jumped as it caught her off-guard.  Illiad received an embarrassed smile from her as she stood up.  The smile, however, turned into a look of concern as she seemed to read his features and sense his urgency.

She lifted an eyebrow in a questioning manner.

She is certainly cute, she reminds me of another mail mare I saw once.

Illiad decided to keep the exchange short for now as he still had to wait for Dax to return with the letter writing supplies. "How quickly can you get a letter to Canterlot Castle? And can you deliver directly to Princess Luna?"

Taps raised her other eyebrow, showing a bit of surprise at Illiad's request... but she nodded, all the same.

She reached down into her satchel and removed a blank scroll and a blue-feathered quill.  She prepared to take a letter, writing implement at the ready and both mismatched eyes on Illiad.

She made a 'go on' motion with her hoof.

Dictation? There goes my secrecy. I'll keep it brief and ambiguous so Taps won't know why I'm writing to Luna.

Illiad sighed, "Have it say this: Luna, a situation has developed at Blackwater Quarry that needs your immediate attention. Also, the proprietor has a collection of Cloud Diamond that he is willing to sell. ~Illiad." He paused so she would know he was done, "You got all that?" 

Taps' eyes bugged out a bit when she heard who it was for, but she instantly turned and wrote down the unicorn's words verbatim.  She was quite adept with the quill, and finished almost as soon as Illiad did.  Once finished, she answered his question with an affirmative nod and, with a quick salute, took off towards the gate at quite a surprising speed.

Now, Illiad only had to wait for Dax...

"Hey-o!  You there!"

A unicorn began making his way over to Illiad.  He had a purple coat with a blue mane and a few blue patches on his knees.  His cutie mark was a jester's cap, and the look in his eyes said he was feeling pretty good.  Strangely, Illiad couldn't pick up a single emotion coming off of him... how very strange.

"Look, friend - I don't think you're authorized to be around here, 'kay?  If you've got Blackwater business, then I'll take you to the manor... but you sure don't need to be walking around here by your lonesome, buddy."

He seemed amiable enough...

Of all the creatures I did not expect to meet a changeling, unless this pony is a complete sociopath. 

Illiad turned to face the oncoming pony head on. A slight smile on his face despite his worry. A sociopath is not the sort of creature an empathic want to meet alone. "I was told to wait here by one of the Blackwaters, Daxter to be specific. I am Illiad by the way, Illiad Easle."

The pony smiled at Illiad's amiability.  

"Wait - you're Dax's friend?  That one Silver's been telling me about?  Well, ain't that a kick in the wall?  Ha ha ha HAAAAA! How are ya then?  The name's Knee Slapper; I'm one of the foreponies here, so natch I had to come check on who you were when I saw ya.  Nice ta meetcha, Illiad!"

He grinned from ear to ear; still not even a whiff of emotion.  It was a tad disconcerting, to be certain.

"So, I guess I just caught ya POST-ed up here, right?  I was on my way here to see Taps... but if she's out, I suppose I'll just have to LETTER be, eh?  Makes me almost mad enough to STAMP my hoof!"

Slapper had a hearty laugh to go with that smile.  He seemed like quite a nice fellow, to be honest.

"So... for real, whatcha doin' here... and if you're Dax's buddy, where is the scamp?  His Mother get him in one of those 'Sunday Best' outfits again?  He's always embarrassed by 'em, but she must think he looks cute; she buys a new one each time she goes to Canterlot, you know what I mean?"

I am particularly uncomfortable here. His facial expressions seem genuine enough that being a changeling is a definite possibility, likely he prefers joy/laughter as his emotion of choice. High energy and easily obtainable. However, he seems just unhinged enough to be a real psychopath, and they're just plain dangerous.

Illiad's smile began to falter a bit as a bit of fear crept into his own emotions. I wish I hadn't used the gem to store fear.

"Yah, uh... You just missed Taps. She ran off with an express letter to Canterlot as far as I could tell. As for Dax... well... he went off to find some letter writing supplies and was going to look for you as well... I'm sure he'll be back here soon."

If I knew which he was I'd be a bit better, but this uncertainty is getting to me. If he's a changeling he'll notice my fear.

Slapper gave Illiad a look that spoke of some concern.

"Whoa, there... now calm down; there's no need to be upset.  Dax is looking for me?  Okay, okay... no problem; I'll just hang out here with you.  It's okay - I've been working here for a long time, and there's really no reason to worry about stuff like rockslides or rogue dynamite going off or anything!"

Illiad felt a bit more at ease... like something was soothing his jagged nerves...

"You'll be FINE, don't worry so much!"

Maybe he shouldn't worry so much... 

"Trust me; you're in the best hooves around the quarry.  It's all smooth sailing - no choppy waters here, pal."

Smooth sailing... calm waters... wait, what!? NO ONE messes with my head.

Illiad took a step back from Knee, the smile on his face replaced by a thin line. His eyes narrowed a bit with one eyebrow raised. "I'd stay out of my head if I were you. Answer me truthfully, are you or are you not a changeling? I don't mind if you are so long as there is no 'real' Knee Slapper somewhere else." Illiad pulled his diamond from his robes, anyone who could sense emotion could feel the energy inside. Illiad kept a cautious stance, ready to attack if things went violent. Rogue changelings generally didn't like having their cover blown, but there was no one nearby to hear that Illiad knew of. 

Slapper's eyes went WIDE.  As realization crept over his muzzle, the emotion finally came through - and it was a mix of fear, awe and... hope?

"Wait!  STOP a second!  You... you felt that?"

His voice changed a bit; it sounded like he'd either picked up an accent... or dropped one.  His eyes began dancing a jitterbug all around them both, making certain they were completely and totally alone.  Once confirmed, he turned back to face Illiad, looking somewhat frantic, yet quite serious.  His voice was barely above a whisper.

"You DID, didn't you?  You actually felt that!  That means... you're like me, aren't you?  You can control minds, right?  You felt that because-"

He suddenly stepped back, and his eyes narrowed.

"You're not a Hound... are you?"  He took a more defensive stance, yet made no move to fight nor flee.

Control minds? Stars, did I find a full on Telepath? That might explain why I couldn't feel his emotions until just now. 

Illiad relaxed his stance a bit, confident that the pony in front of him was not a psychopath and probably not a changeling. His tone returned to his normal voice. "You didn't answer my question but I now know in the very least you aren't a psychopath. I can't control minds, only influence emotion. I could tell because it felt wrong, you can't easily reverse fears based on experience. As to whether I am a Hound, Maybe? I have never heard the term before. If you are a changeling I would assume a hound seeks them out, in which case no, I am not."

Slapper, after hearing Illiad's words, relaxed a bit and stood down from his defensive stance.  He again glanced all around them, as if he expected them to be overheard at any given second.

"No, no - I'm not a Changeling, no worries there... I can dial back things like fear or anger, but I can't make people feel happiness or stuff like that.  You can influence emotion?  THAT has to come in handy, I'll bet!" 

Slapper walked a circle around Illiad, looking him over from top to bottom.

"I thought my mother and I were the only ones who could- ALL the rocks!  He wasn't even looking for gold, but there it was, plain as day..." The mid-sentence shift was alarming and abrupt, but was followed with, "Hey-o!  THERE'S the guy!"

From back in the yard, Dax was making his way toward them with a scroll in his mouth and a quill behind his ear.  Before he reached proper earshot, Slapper muttered to the Trojan from the corner of his mouth.

"We HAVE to talk later!"

He was all smiles when Dax finally got to them; he was breathing a bit heavy, and he held out the scroll for Illiad.

Illiad no longer needed the scroll but he didn't want to make Dax think he had worked so hard in vain. "Thank's Dax. It looks like I found Knee Slapper, which reminds me."

He turned to the utterly odd pony. "Mr. Blackwater says we need your help to replace some barricades down in the mines, you know which ones I'm talking about?" 

Slapper gave Dax a jokingly stern glare.

"Young stallion, have you been going down where you shouldn't be going again?"  He tipped Illiad a wink.  "Now, you know better than that... what would your father say?  Why I have half a mind to... to t-t-tell..." 

Slapper and Dax both suddenly burst out in uproarious laughter; apparently, this was some sort of joke they shared between them.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Daxie... I just couldn't keep it up!"

"It's fine!  It's fine!  I thought it was great!"

Obviously, Dax had more friends than he thought he did... though the absolute lack of emotion from Slapper was still a bit strange.  The two of them wound down, and Dax smiled at Illiad.  "Guess all we have to do is find Taps, and you should be able to send your message along as quick as possible; she's quick as a flash, so it won't take long."

Slapper looked at the two of them.  "So, you moved a couple of barricades; we'll get 'em back in place, easy.  Where were they?"

Since Dax didn't know it isn't my place to tell him what his father was keeping down there.

Illiad looked contemplative, as if trying to remember. "It would likely have been just before the deposit of cloud diamonds. I'm sure you realize why we need your help to restore the barricades." 

It was almost as if Knee Slapper had been a victim of Discord; the color just seemed to drain out of his face, and his irises contracted into tiny dots.  Not to mention the ripple of abject terror that momentarily rolled off of Slapper before he corralled it in again.

"The... Cloud... Diamonds?"  His voice was barely a squeak.

"Yeah," Dax seemed oblivious to Slapper's expression; he was looking around for Taps again, "there's a big deposit down in the deep mines.  Father told Illiad we need to put the barricades back up, to keep ponies out."

Slapper's expression said that he wasn't so worried about keeping things OUT...

"Geez, where is Taps?  Normally, she's pretty easy to find when she wants to be... maybe she just doesn't wanna be found right now?  I hope you're not too upset - we can keep looking, if it's that urgent?"

"Dax, uhm... look, why don't we go ahead and go back to the deep mines?  Would ya show me where these barricades are... so we can put 'em back?"

Dax waved a hoof at them both.  "Sure, sure... if Illiad's letter can wait.  Can it?"

The look on Slapper's muzzle said it probably could.

It can wait a negative number of minutes.

Illiad gave a slight smile and nod. "It can wait." Iliad quickly wrote a message on the paper using emotions as ink. Luna would be able to detect and read it just fine, but others would see a blank sheet of paper. Those that could detect emotions would see that it said, 'Find me, ~I'. Illiad affixed the note to a post where he knew Taps would see it before returning to Slapper and Dax. "We best get going."

The three of them made their way across the quarry and back to the mine entrance.  Dax talked a bit as usual for him, while Slapper seemed preoccupied... though Illiad was fairly certain he knew with what.

Reaching the cavernous tunnel entrance, they donned safety gear and once more headed down into the mines.  As they got closer and closer to their destination, Dax got quieter and Slapper got more worried.  Once they made their way to the side tunnel that led off to where Dax and Illiad found the Cloud Diamonds, Dax looked back at them both.

"The barricades are over there, behind that stalagmite.  I didn't wanna be seen dragging them out, so I just stashed them."

Slapper smiled w-i-d-e-l-y.  "Hey, Dax-a-lax, could I get you to maybe head topside and maybe fetch me some rope and glue?  It'd be in Shed #7; check the shelf next to the cot."

Dax gave Slapper a skeptical pout.  "Are you just trying to get rid of me?"

Slapper looked thoughtful, then simply sighed and put on a kind muzzle.  "Actually, yeah... there's stuff here I gotta do as a forepony that'll be boring as watching paint dry; it'll go faster with your buddy's help, but... well..."

Dax lifted a hoof in response.  "Hey, it's okay; you were honest with me, so I can be... uhm... 'magnanimous' with you.  I'll go get the stuff... and wander around a bit, on top of that.  As long as Illiad's okay with it, he can stay I guess."

He started heading back topside.  "Okay, I got ya... uhm, Illiad?  Be careful, okay?"  He trotted out.

"Alright, let's see what the damage is - not a moment to lose."  Again, Slapper had dropped into his other voice... and this one seemed to fit better, to be honest.

Slapper went behind the stalagmite, as Dax had indicated.  There was a moment of quiet, then:

"Aw, no... no no no no NO!"

He dragged what appeared to be a wooden barricade out from hiding and towards Illiad.  It was a simple wooden deal, but the sign on top was anything but.  In the center, it simply had the words "KEEP OUT"... but around those words were runes, cleverly arranged to look like artistic scrimshaw and fool anyone who knew nothing about magic; Illiad was no fool.  They were Glyphs of Sealing - powerful ones, but nothing rare and unusual.  There were a LOT of them, however.

"My friend, we have a BIG problem; these glyphs were attuned to the spot they were protecting, and thanks to Daxie, they'll need to be reinstated - hopefully, we aren't too late.  We'll have to check the deposit..." he visibly shivered, "and I'm not really looking forward to that."

He glanced down the tunnel and sighed tightly.

Utter perfection. Luna better get here quickly. 

Illiad sighed as well, not particularly out of dread but a bit of annoyance. He hadn't come here looking for a fight, but he could be prepared. He pulled his diamond from his robes and reshaped it, forming a sort of shield about as tall and a bit wider than he was, what little remained became a small spike on the front center of the shield. "Well, we best get moving. Whatever might be down there will certainly not take its time in escaping." He moved the shield in front of himself. "With any luck a friend of mine will arrive before anything too serious occurs."

Slapper nodded, stepping cautiously over to, then into the tunnel.

They crept down the path to the same spot as before, yet Slapper paused before they came around the last bend.

"Listen... this thing, it... slides into your mind like an eel; all slimy-feeling and squirmy.  Once it's in, you can fight it... but it won't be easy.  The last one-"

He stepped back and gave the Trojan an appraising once-over, then nodded.

"If you know what I'm pretty sure you know, then Luther told you about it.  He's a darn good stallion, that one; nonetheless, he and I were the only ones to walk away from that encounter with our lives.  A-are you certain you want to help with this?  If so, then I'll tell you what hap-... wait..."

Slapper moved forward, and his horn began to glow with a soft blue light.  His eyes rolled across the scene, tracing over edges and hiding spots with apparent ease.  After a moment, he got a dark look on his muzzle.

"That... can't be... good..."

He began to wander in further, lost in thought it seemed...

"To be perfectly honest, I'd say no one should be here. But if putting myself in danger makes life safer for everyone else, so be it."

Illiad moved in close behind Knee, keeping a close look at what little of his emotional state he could detect. He concentrated to extend his senses further, trying to see if he could feel what they were after. He turned the shield into something more practical as they were expecting a mental instead of a physical attack. The diamond reformed in front of him and began to glow blueish white illuminating an area about 8 feet in diameter. "You'd think your princess would have done something about this, you guys Did report this, right?"

Slapper continued to walk around, horn glowing and searching as he went further in.

"No.  Luther asked me to keep it quiet; he'd been fearful that the quarry might have been taken from him, had it been discovered just how much of the stuff was under there.  Myself?  Who was I to rat out my Boss, who had hidden me from a fate worse than death?"

His voice was low and solemn, lending a gravity to his words.

"Myself and Hard Looker were the ones who found the deposit, to be honest.  We were awed by the sight of it; it was an enormous column of Cloud Diamond, running from the floor to the ceiling.  Once Luther got word, he showed up with Hank O'Rope and Wheel Barrow - both of them foreponies.  The five of us worked for hours; Luther not only told us what it was, but he offered us a bonus for helping him get it out and keep it quiet.  When we'd gotten most of it... that's when Hank started twitching."

He stopped and looked back at Illiad, his face dead serious.

"Hank wasn't one to take ill very much, but he was shaking like he had an earthquake inside him... then he just...stopped.  He looked up at us, and his eyes just seemed to be full of... of hate.  It was horrifying; that horror doubled when he then levitated off the ground and began speaking in some sort of weird language... but when he..."

Slapper paused, and looked up.  "Okay, there IT is..."

The entire ceiling, now that it was pointed out, was strewn across with a heavy layer of raw Cloud Diamond.  It was magnificent.

Slapper, however, seemed to have something else on his mind as he was focused on staring at the ceiling.  Suddenly, his eyes nearly bugged out of his skull, and he turned to Illiad slowly, his voice wrought with fear:

"IT'S."

"NOT."

"HERE."
> An Exchange of Blows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One moment, she had been ready for a slice of delicious dark chocolate cake...

Suddenly, there was a small dark blue pegasus bowing in front of her, almost completely blocking the pantry in the Royal Kitchen.  It was as if she'd come out of nowhere!  Still, she appeared to be a loyal subject, and a mailmare, too.  

Taps stood up and saluted her heartily.  Then, dipping back into her satchel, she presented a scroll.  Her delivery made, she bowed once more, awaiting either a reply or further commands. 

Luna was more surprised that the strange mare had come directly to her than anything else. Few of the staff knew where she was at any given moment, but this mare managed to find her relatively quickly. She picked up the scroll and read it, a look of worry growing on her face, with a slight smirk at the end. But it quickly faded as she turned towards the mare. Her cake would have to wait. "You came from Blackwater Quarry correct? Lead me there as swiftly as you can." 

Taps looked up from her bow, determination in her eyes.

"By your command, Princess Luna."

She then stood up and, without a second wasted, took off like a shot, leading the way back to the quarry.

For some reason Luna thought it odd that the mare spoke, but she quickly moved on to follow the mare. Taps moved fast, but Luna was able to catch up to her without much difficulty. Illiad wouldn't alert me to a situation unless he felt he couldn't handle it himself. I hope I can make it in time.





Illiad did what he could to drain the fear from Knee, he didn't need his guide to be freaking out, but there wasn't much he could do.

"You need to calm down. I suppose you mean that whatever is supposed to be trapped down here is not, and I can agree that that is a bad thing. But you need to stay calm if we are going to have any chance of getting things back under control. I must say, it was very selfish of Mr. Blackwater to risk the lives of everyone here just because he might lose the deposit. You only sealed one end of the tunnel, it could connect to the greater system deeper down or accidentally get mined into."

Illiad felt out of his element here, he wasn't a stranger to dealing with evil, but this just seemed wrong.

Slapper looked back at Illiad as he drained off the fear.

"You're... I can feel that; you're pulling it away from me - like a magnet with iron filings, drawing them out... that's incredible..."

He turned back around, determination in his eyes as he continued searching for whatever it was that had escaped from the Cloud Diamond.

"And no, you don't understand... Luther wasn't afraid of losing the deposit; he was afraid of losing the entire property.  The manor, the quarry... all of it.  He believed that if word got out, there would be Royal Guards sent to close the mines, eager to get their hooves on all that substance; with no work to be had, the quarry would have closed, and they might still want to keep the property 'under close surveillance'.  Luther was a bit paranoid, but he had to wrestle this place away from his own father, who was embezzling from the company; his entire LIFE is The Blackwater Quarry, and everything in it... including his family.  He'd only owned the quarry for about five years at that point - he was still afraid of losing it."

Slapper began following a trail Illiad couldn't seem to make out... and the trail was leading to where this supposed column of Cloud Diamond had once stood.  All around were more slivers and chips of the stuff, and the chunk that was still there on the ceiling was quite large.

"Anyway, between Luther, Wheel and I we managed to knock Hank and the thing in him into the wall.  It used some sort of force to shove us all back from it, but the shove also brought down a slab of Diamond from above." Slapper looked down and winced with the memory.  "It flattened Hank; he wouldn't have felt a thing.  Poor guy."

"Looker had been trying to wrap his head around the whole thing, but he screamed when it made it's way into HIS mind.  Then HE started the whole floating-waves of force-strange voice thing.  I was trying to remember some of the spells I'd learned as a colt, and Luther was doing his best to protect me while I did.  Barrow was trying to talk to Looker - that was when I saw that it was working; Looker was fighting whatever it was, and he was winning... until..."

Slapper sighed.  

"The thing in Looker's head just made him... pop.  He exploded like a balloon full of tomato juice, except..."

He closed his eyes and groaned, trying not to let his gorge rise too far.  After a moment, he opened them again and continued his search.

"So yeah, Wheel suddenly turned to me and said, 'do it, Slapper - take me over'.  See, he'd been there when I first came, so he knew about what I could do.  I didn't want to do it, but Luther told me it was the only plan we had.  So I controlled Wheel Barrow... right as the thing got inside him.  I was in control, but it was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life to keep control.  It was like fighting a rabid squirrel!  Eventually, I managed to get him to hover up to the deposit on the ceiling, and I used my magic to mould it and seal it up around him.  Once that was done, I cast my most powerful glyphs to hold the thing in place.  That done, Luther and I left.  We came back about three years ago; checking up on it all.  We took out the already broken chunks, and I reinstated the glyphs here, as well as on the barricades."

He continued to search, looking almost as if he were following a trail Illiad couldn't see...

Is the quarry really worth that much more to him than the lives of his workers? Of his family? Above all it was just the risk of losing the quarry.

"I honestly can't say I agree with the decision not to tell your princess about it, especially with what you told me. This thing is dangerous and a very real threat to everyone here if it's gotten loose. From what you've described I can't think of a good way to stop this thing. I can't save you if it get's inside your head."

Illiad continued to follow Knee, but not too closely. He wanted a safe distance in case he got controlled by whatever it was that was down here. Luna you better hurry up and get over here before things get dangerous.

Slapper continued to roam the area, his horn lit with whatever magic he was using to look for the thing.  Frustration slowly pulled his muzzle into a grimace, and he gave an exasperated sigh.

"The spell works - I KNOW it works - but I haven't found it yet!  If I can't find it here, then there's a chance it may have gotten out of this tunnel... which would be really, REALLY unfortunate.  For all of Equestria."

He continued his scan.

Back in the cavern, shadows along the walls hid sights unseen to those who had been going in and out today; that was important - if he was seen, it would all be over.

At this point, it didn't matter that it would be glaringly obvious to anypony who saw what was going to happen whose fault it was; it was the sheer principle of the thing.  One either rolled over and let themselves get beaten, or one proved their superiority.  This was one of those instances.  

The weight of the loaded balloon was comforting; it was a promise of revenge, a ballistic missile of calamitous intent which would prove that this unicorn wasn't as high-and-mighty as he apparently thought he was.  And the balloon wasn't filled with water, either - Father might have a fit if he ever found out, but Oglevy could think of no better way to use three bottles of indigo ink than for letting the Trojan know of his disapproval.

The tea party had been fun terrorizing him, but breakfast?  No, that would NOT do!  Oglevy wasn't gonna let this stranger make a foal out of HIM.  He crept up closer to the tunnel they had taken, ready to sling the ink grenade at a moment's notice.





Taps came to a skidding halt outside of the Post Office, and leaned against the building as she gasped for air, sweat pouring out in runnels.  She blinked repeatedly, and though she was obviously winded, she managed to stay on her hooves.

Looking at her guest, she motioned to the surrounding area - they were at the quarry, that was certain.  While glancing about, the note Illiad had left behind flapped in the slight chilly breeze from the mountains above, making it stand out from the surroundings.

Taps would have checked it out, but she was engaged in trying to stop panting like a dog.

Luna felt the emotional writing on the note and was thus quick to retrieve and read it, taking hold of the sliver of cloud diamond that Illiad had used to secure it to the post. She was about to ask the mare for directions again but realized that this note was likely left after she had gone to make the delivery. She thanked Taps for her swiftness before utilizing the shard as a compass to direct her to the whole it came from. Without another word she took off in direction of the mine entrance. 





Exactly. Your greed and cowardice may have doomed us all.

Illiad was a bit on edge and thus more likely to strike if surprised. He was having trouble sensing through Knee and it only added to his uneasiness. His diamond seemed to shift in discomfort as they continued.

"Do you think your decision was worth it? If we manage to contain this thing again will you report it to your princess? Or do you agree that the danger is too high to ignore?"

Illiad sighed, but it failed to calm his nerves. "To be honest, if the danger weren't so pressing I'd have waited for a princess to deal with it. It occurs to me, we should have reinstated the barricades behind us before we kept going. We wouldn't want it to slip past us."

"...dneirf dlo ym ,reppalS olleH"

The voice was gravelly and creaked like old wood; it seemed to reflect off every surface in the cave.  Slapper nearly jumped out of his coat when he heard it.  His horn's glow redoubled itself, and he began darting his eyes all around, trying to find the source.

"That's it!  That's it!  It sounded just like that when it..."

There was a feral hissing sound, and a chunk of Cloud Diamond roughly the size of a softball whipped down from above, slamming into the floor mere inches from Illiad's hooves.  From above, movement betrayed the position of what was hiding up there...

The first thing Illiad saw clearly were strands of Cloud Diamond, formed into what appeared to be tentacles that it was using to keep itself suspended from the ceiling.  Slowly, a pony came into view; it looked like it was half-rotten, but any gory holes were covered with the same substance that was making the tentacle arms.  When the face came into view, its eyes were glowing with a bright red energy, and it's smile was so large, the face had deformed to display a grin that literally went from ear to ear.

"!seno hsiloof ,emit siht em gnippart on eb lliw erehT"

Its voice sounded like the aural equivalent of a cat's claws snagging nylon - a terrible sound that scratched across one's eardrums and made one believe that demons truly did exist.

"... Wheel Barrow?"  Slapper gawked at the creature above them both, then his resolve hardened.  "You still wear my friend, but you were NEVER good enough to be him!  I beat you before, and I'll-"

Before Slapper could finish his pledge of destruction, the creature slung three of it's tentacles at the wall; large rocks began raining down from above, slamming into the ground all around the two unicorns.  The thing above laughed with amusement.

Oglevy couldn't believe his young eyes.

He'd never been this far into the mines before; he'd been determined to give that Illiad Easle a piece of his mind, and that's what he'd focused on.  He was dead set against allowing Dax's friend to think it was okay to rat him out to his parents - he was a Blackwater, for crying out loud!  He should be able to get away with whatever he wanted to...

But seeing the thing near the ceiling, he'd forgotten all about revenge; he was simply stupefied.  From his hiding place behind some of the corner rubble, he had a perfect view of it all - and no chance of anypony seeing him either.  Still, he was ready to haul flank at a moment's notice, should this thing prove too much for the two stallions.

Strangely enough, he was actually cheering Illiad on inside; monsters should be dealt with, and he looked like he was more apt to do so than musty old Knee Slapper was.  Oglevy simply waited, watching things unfold and hoping for the best.





The sliver of Cloud Diamond led her right to the mine entrance, where a number of miners were either gawking at her, bowing to her, or some combination of the two.  Chuck List himself looked dumbfounded by her appearance, yet he still had enough presence of mind to say, "... uh... w-wear a hard hat down dere, Princess..."

Not a single pony stood in her way.

Luna for the most part ignored what was going on outside as she followed the pointer deeper into the depths of the mines. When she reached the beginning of the cloud diamond deposit she was stunned by the density of the deposit. She extracted pieces here and there as she continued cautiously deeper. What have you gotten me into Illiad?





Why is there so much cloud diamond here?! We'll need to adjust our estimate for the total mass of cloud diamond on the moon. And adjust its value accordingly.

Illiad was only stunned for a moment before he felt around him and smiled a bit. Horn glowing intensely his diamond moved up to the middle of the space, before expanding in a flat plane to the nearby walls, drawing cloud diamond mass from the deposit growing slowly more solid. The center glowed as brightly as Illiad's horn. "This won't keep him back but it will keep him from collapsing the tunnel on us." Luna I need that piece here now! 



The thing above laughed with a sickening grinding sound to it's voice, then it began making it's way lower.

"!ESIMED RUOY DLOHEB  !NERDLIHC ENIUQE ,LATROMMI NOPU LATROMMI MA I  ?llaw ynup a htiw em pots ot nalp uoY"

Illiad could feel pressure against his magic; as if he were having a tug-of-war with the Cloud Diamond under his control... it was strong, but Illiad could maintain control.  The thing's push was like claws scraping at his spine - but Illiad's years of experience paid off as he set his proverbial hooves to the ground and pushed back.

The thing roared in unpleasant surprise, and lashed out with its makeshift arms.  The shield held, but Illiad could tell it wouldn't last much longer if it did that too often.  It crawled sideways along the wall, a macabre spider moving into position before leaping onto its prey.

Slapper, in the meantime, had been firing bolts of energy at the thing.  The ones that struck made it howl in a ghastly manner, but Slapper's defenses were down; the Trojan could feel the sick twist of fear and a bright thorn of grief lashing it's way through his fellow unicorn, though he was fighting panic as best as he could.  

All this action is what Oglevy is watching intently from his hidey-hole... and what Luna walks into.

Oh goody she's arrived. I need that back now.

Without looking away Illiad retrieved the last shard of his diamond from Luna and it flew with great speed into the glowing center of the mass of cloud diamond he was collecting. The mass shifted as if alive before glowing a light blue just a bit unlike to color of Illiad's magic. The wall condensed into a series of tendrils connected to the cave walls, supporting them and gathering more mass as a shape began to form in the center, a small sphere with a bright light glowing in the midst of it slowly grew in size, reaching between bowling and beach ball in size. "This wasn't meant to stop you." A consciousness stirred within the mass that Illiad controlled, its mass would be especially resilient to being controlled by others.

Luna was understandably stunned by what was happening, it was clear that one of these ponies had been possessed by a creature similar to the Nightmare she had become so many years ago, but the elements and balance were too scattered to deal with this in any reasonable amount of time. She spread her wings as she cast a seal behind her, separating the foal she had noticed from the fight. She shifted the cloud diamond particles she had collected into a starry magic scythe as she lacked the material to make a full one. She noticed what Illiad was attempting and a bit of a skeptical look crossed her face. "Thou art trying to summon her now? Thy timing seems less than opportune."  

"!YTUD YM MORF EM POTS UOY TEL OT ESUFER I  !liaverp ton llahs uoY  !ON  ?nrocilA nA" 

"Oh, DO shut up!"

Slapper let fly a blast that sheared straight through one of its hind legs, but it barely seemed to notice; the thing's full attention was on the alicorn in their midst.  The hatred in its eyes was obvious and it gave a roar of anger as it sent its tendrils into the walls.  There was a rumble, and then Cloud Diamond tentacles began popping up out of the ground all around them!

They began to entwine and grapple with the threesome's hooves, trying to grasp them tightly.  It almost looked as if the floor were alive with beautiful snakes, writhing about looking for prey.  Add to this the fact that it was still trying to wrest control of the amassed substance... but that was a fight it was steadily losing now.  Illiad could feel his control solidifying as the thing pressed its physical advantage.

"!naelcnu eht yortseD"

The creature howled, and smaller tendrils burst from the corpse's ribs, waving around it protectively.  It eyeballed the scythe Luna held, then refashioned one of its arms into a poleaxe.  Holding it to bear with its smaller tentacles, it took a fighting stance.

"!MOOD rieht teem llahs erusaert s'gniK eht kees ohw llA"

It charged them, screeching like a griffon in agony.

Illiad was just surprised at the amount of power this creature wielded. To be able to continuously control such a mass was remarkable, better than Illiad has ever been able to accomplish on his own, which is why he had the help of someone who was far more experienced with this sort of thing. The sphere in the middle of his web stopped growing at just under beach ball size, it began to take shape, a curled body forming out of the sphere with the bright light in its head. As the sphere began to take shape the wall tendrils tapered off their extraction, remaining only where needed to support. Illiad's horn flashed as he teleported out of the was of the new floor tendrils and appeared atop the forming body. His horn glowed less brightly as he rested, taking advantage of the fact that he was no longer the center of attention.

Luna was surprised at this creature's willingness to fight her, but she was willing to meet it in battle. She altered her weapon so it wouldn't hurt physical matter, but magical entities like the creature possessing the pony. With any luck she could sever the connection and bind the creature, or destroy it if need be. She swung her scythe through the ground and up into the creature's chest. Trying to find the connection point would be tricky.

The consciousness within Illiad's gem stirred further, My, this is a new experience. It opened its newly formed eyes and for the first time in a very long time it saw the world first hand.
The world had not aged well since she last saw it.

The scream of the creature’s pain echoed off the walls as the scythe swooped through the corpse, leaving it untouched yet causing searing agony on the thing inside it.  It lashed out with some of the smaller tendrils on the front; a few managed to strike the Princess, but it was nothing she couldn't handle.  All the same, it was instantly wise to her weapon, and began lurching it's host from side to side, attempting to make it harder to strike.

Slapper had stopped pelting the thing, and was now chanting low and steady as he was drawing what appeared to be complex symbols on the floor of the cave with his glowing horn.  Left in the wake of his strokes across the dirt were lines of light, magical energy used as ink.  He worked diligently and precisely, the only emotion coming from him now was a cool and focused sense of purpose.

The tentacles from the floor began seeking farther, trying to find a target.  What they came across was Luna.  

Though many were within sight, there were a couple that sprang up behind her and tried to grasp at her scythe or her legs, whichever they could reach first.  While this was happening, the thing had started using the smaller arms to attempt to deflect Luna's swipes and counter with a few of its own.

The thing was still paying no attention to what Illiad had summoned; it was focused on the Moon Princess, for better or for worse.

OH, you'll regret ignoring me.

Illiad stood atop the web of cloud diamond pillars he had created. It was clear that whatever he was doing was exhausting. The sphere lowered itself to the ground. The body uncurled and four small hooves lightly touched the ground, the same glow extending through the cloud diamond that it touched, spreading in a small circle around it. It raised its head, its eyes glowing in a similar light. In all, it took the appearance of a miniaturized crystal pony. On its flank was a picture of a set of scales.

Luna cast a small pulse to knock the tendrils near her away before swinging her scythe again, this time through the creature's neck. "We won't allow thou to hurt anyone."

The gem pony smiled slightly "!AMRAK mA I rof degduj eb lliw uoy woN .erom truh ,ynam deredrum ,snis ynam dettimmoc evah uoY" She took a step towards the creature, the glow extending as she moved.

The thing stopped its attacks, totally taken in by the new arrival.

"?meht pleh uoy od yhw - feiht on era uoy teY  !seveiht eseht morf ti draug ot ytud nmelos ym si ti ...erusaert s'gniK eht kees yehT" 

The thing completely dropped its defenses, speaking earnestly to the entity in front of it.  The floor tentacles ceased their groping, and the long arms suspending the corpse became still.  It completely disregarded the others; this one spoke to it.

".ti mialc ot snruter flesmih gniK eht litnu ,retfa reverof dna ...efil ym htiw ti dnefed ot degrahc neeb evah I tub - tsehc eht evah lliw yeht taht sdnim rieht ni ti evah seveiht esehT"

It pointed a half-rotten hoof at Slapper, who was still making his glyph.

"?seitud ym gniod ylpmis ma I taht ees ton uoy naC  .seitud ym ot nruter ot em wolla ot hguone sdnob ym denesool dna emac rehtona tub ,roetem eht fo seceip eht gnitcelloc rof evas ,ecalp siht dediova yehT  !etiroetem eht nihtiw tsoh ym deppart eh dna - emit tsal eht tneserp saw eno sihT"

It used its host's face to give the entity a sad and exasperated look.

Illiad was starting to look strained, clearly he could not keep up this level of magical output for long.

Luna noticed that the creature had turned its attention away. She had the honor to not strike while it was distracted, so she added her own magic to Illiad's cause, lifting the strain on him significantly.

The gem pony moved another step closer as the glow continued to spread.
".dniM A ,ydoB A ,efiL .dlrow siht ni elbaulav tsom si tahw nelots evah uoy nehw seveiht meht llac uoY"

She took another step forward.

"?dne tahw ot dna ,snoitca ruoy yb truh seilimaf ,sdneirf ,spihsnoitaler elots uoY .meht htiw erew taht esoht fo ynam dna ynop siht fo efil eht elots uoY"

The glow began to extend up the walls.

".desuac ev'uoy niap eht leef ot eraperP .srehto ot enod evah uoy tahw uoy uoy od od ,amrak ruoy ecnalab ot ytud YM si tI"

"!TI EKAT OT HSIW YEHT - TI TCETORP OT EFIL YM EVAG I  !DEHSINIF TON SI KSAT YM  !ON" 

The creature's host body took a defensive stance, and backed itself against the wall.  If the host's face was any indicator, it had gone from enraged to afraid... with no discernible reason as to why, unless a pony could understand its language - such as the entity before it.

"!EM NO SDNEPED GNIK YM  !LIAF TON LLIW I"

It roared out a challenge, though it sounded more desperate than angry.  With this, it launched itself away from the wall, all its arms out and ready to snag the shining pony in its clutches.

The crystal pony seemed almost sad the the creature's attack. ".niaga srehto truh ot uoy wolla t'now I tuB .uoy thgif t'now I"

With a gesture of her hoof tendrils of her own blocked the creature's attack. She came close enough that she could touch it. ".desuac evah uoy niap eht tegrof reven lliw uoY .emit gnol a rof dna yldab ,truh lliw sihT"

With that she reached out and lightly touched the creature's forehead. He would feel all the pain he caused, the grief of those affected, all of it.

The sound that came out of it was unlike anything ever before experienced by pony ears.

It was an ululating wail of extreme agony and misery, of pain inflicted and redoubled.  It tore at the very soul, and left one wanting to beg for mercy for the creature that made it.  But, all in all, perhaps it was justice finally being done...

Though it seemed to go on forever, the sound (it couldn't be called a scream) ceased, and the host body and all the Cloud Diamond surrounding it simply fell to the ground.  The arms and protective patches shattered back into the slivers they once were, and the corpse gave a wet thud as it hit the ground, never to move of its own volition again.

It was at this moment that Slapper finished his glyph and pointed his horn at the body of his co-worker.  The symbol on the ground lit up brightly before vanishing... only to form again over the body on the ground, covering it like a full-body tattoo of light.  Once in place, the glow faded and the glyph was complete.  Whatever was in there was now sealed up tightly; not a trace of its presence could be either seen or felt.

With this, Knee Slapper turned to face Illiad and Luna.

"Well... that was fun... right?"

He spoke these words, then collapsed onto the floor.  In mere seconds, the sound of soft snores began to drift up from where he'd passed out; that glyph must have taken a lot out of him, and he looked to be middle-aged at best.  Still, he had done his part - just like before.

The almost complete silence was near-deafening.

Yah, let’s not do that again shall we?

With the threat dealt with Illiad relaxed his magic. As the adrenalin wore off he realized how dangerously low his magic reserved had gotten. He felt lightheaded and honestly sick, he lost his balance and fell to the cavern floor. "Ow." And with that he too passed out from exhaustion. 

Luna too stopped her flow of magic and went to gather the now unconscious ponies. She laid them gently on her back and administered a bit of magic to them so they wouldn't suffer too much from their exertion. There would be no brain or horn damage, but they would certainly feel drained for the next day of two while their reserves were replenished.

Without a source of energy the crystal pony began to lose cohesion, she looked down at her melting hoof and sighed. "Someday I'll get a body I can keep." She looked over at Luna with a slight smirk. "Don't forget me." She climbed onto Luna's back as excess mass continued to fall off, until all that remained was the diamond that Illiad started with, although slightly bigger now.

Luna returned to the seal that she placed and dispelled it, ready to leave these caves again. Leaving the cavern, Luna had a feeling of relief that this thing, whatever it was, had reached a conclusion - yet she couldn't shake the sensation that there was more here than first met the eye...

Regardless, it was done.  The creature vanquished, the heroes survived, the danger annulled.  The corpse on the floor was perhaps a bit disconcerting, but it would have to be dealt with later.  As it stood, it would be a safe bet that this section of the cave would be closed off after this incident, Cloud Diamond or no.
> An Exchange of Royalty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As she reached the main tunnel headed to the surface, she rounded a corner and came face to face with the Blackwater colt, Oglevy.  She'd seen into his dreams before; he really wasn't vicious... just young and self-involved, as any child usually is.  He regularly dreamt about adventure and daring heroism, mostly because he felt as if he were inferior to his two brothers, regardless of his mother's words to the contrary.  He would possibly grow up to become quite the adventurer, like his idol Daring Doo.

Right in front of her, he stood there.  His eyes were huge, and there was a water balloon filled with ink on the floor at his hooves.  He was simply staring at her, not speaking a word.  Luna may have wondered if he was traumatized by the events of what he had just witnessed, but he let her know exactly his state of mind when he spoke the first words to her...

"That... was... AWESOME!!!!!"

Apparently, he wasn't traumatized.

Luna sighed, that was not adventure, that was not what any should aspire to experience. It should be what one hopes they never encounter in their life. The fight against the evils of the world is often thankless, and few stand. Perhaps he could one day be noble? Righting the wrongs of the world like one she had once known? Perhaps.

Luna came close to him, "The battle was no doubt impressive, however it is not something thou shouldst seek to experience just yet. Come, let us leave this place."

Without waiting for a response she pressed forward, reaching the entrance to the cave quickly. She carefully lowered the two drained unicorns from her back to the ground where they could be taken care of by professionals. "I must speak to the owner of this quarry immediately."

"You want Father!  HE'S the one in charge here.  Are you really Princess Luna?  What was it like on the moon?  Why did you come here?  Who sent for you?  I really like your mane!  What's Princess Celestia like?  You're really tall!  Is the Royal Palace as big as I've heard it is?  What do YOU dream about?  Have you seen my dreams?  Do you know Princess Twilight?  Are you staying for dinner?  Are you okay?  What WAS that thing?  Are Slapper and Dax's friend going to be okay?  How long did it take to get here?"

... and so on, as the excited little colt led the way towards the manor house itself.

Behind her, a zebra showed up out of nowhere, along with a couple of other workers.  The miners took hold of the two and began to carry them where the zebra pointed; the shed with the big red cross on the side of it.  It seemed as though they would be fine; the zebra had medical saddlebags on.

At the manor, Dax was making his way out of the front doors - finally getting back to Illiad and Slapper.  From the balcony above, his mother poked her head over the railing and spotted him nearly at the bottom of the front steps.

"Daxter, darling - come here; I have need of you for a bit."

Dax groaned and rolled his eyes.  "Can it possibly wait, Mother?"

There was a momentary pause.

"GET YOUR FLANK UP HERE, DAXTER BLACKWATER.  NOW."

With a cringe and a sigh, Dax turned around and headed back up the steps and into the doors.  The moment those doors shut, Oglevy and Luna rounded the bend, the little colt's mouth still going a mile a minute.  He walked her up to the doors and let her inside.  As he had turned the other direction, they missed Dax by mere centimeters.

The place was big for a personal residence, and it felt as if there was some real history here.  There were fine tapestries, lovely vases and statuettes, and beautiful paintings placed for maximum effect in the most opportune places.  All in all, it was obvious that this was the home of a well-to-do subject.

Oglevy actually stopped talking when they rounded the corner into the hall that led to Luther's study.  Reaching the door, Oglevy looked at the Princess and gave her an honest smile.

"That was still pretty cool... I won't tell anyone about it, if you say not to.  I promise - cross my heart and hope to die; stick a cupcake in my eye!"

"We thank thee for thy assistance."

With neither a knock nor expressed permission, Luna entered the study. "Mr. Blackwater? There are many things we must discuss with thee." The tone of her voice left it quite certain that it was important.

When the doors opened, Luther stood from his desk as if he were ready to stomp on somepony's head... but as soon as he saw WHO had barged through his door, his eyes widened and he froze in place for a moment. "Princess Luna!" 

Then, of course, he bowed properly to her.

Standing once again, he moved around to the doors of his study and, with a look to Oglevy that sent him along with curious eyes, he carefully closed the doors.  Turning back to face her, he looked worried.

"We can discuss anything, Your Highness.  What is it?"

The look on his muzzle said that he may have a clue as to what it was about already...

Luna did not look too pleased, but she didn't look too cross either. "Primarily it is about the creature thou hast hidden in thy mines. How long didst thou know about it? And why did thou not report it to us sooner? We were down there not five minutes hence, it is contained once more. If we had not arrived when we did two of thy ponies and a dear friend of ours would surely have perished this day."

Luther's muzzle set into its familiar scowl, and he looked Luna in the eye as he spoke.

"It happened ten years ago.  We found the deposit, and I was afraid my quarry would be militarily occupied if word got out; I KNOW what Cloud Diamond is capable of, and I KNOW what the soldiers use it for.  I paid a handful of workers to help me extract it - that was when they found it.  It was sealed up again by my forepony, Knee Slapper, and runic barricades were put into place.  The barricades were moved, and THAT was not by my hoof... for that, I apologize."

Luther's face hardened.

"However, I made my choice to keep it under wraps - which nearly cost more lives.  This is MY fault, Princess; I'll see no blame passed onto anypony aside from myself.  I stand by my decision because I had felt, at the time, that it was for the better.  I was mistaken, to be certain... but I will not deny my actions."

He bowed his head, closing his eyes as he spoke.

"If there is a punishment to be had, then I shall have it.  No one else will be held responsible."

He opened his eyes, looking into her own as he spoke low and humbly.

"Please."

Luna looked a bit confused, "Soldiers? What... Tia how could you?" The confusion left her face as she refocused on Mr Blackwater. "Regardless, The only punishment will be the staging an LTF operative here to ensure the creature never escapes again, and that the deposit of cloud diamond it never misused. We don't take kindly to those utilizing our sacred mineral for evil."

Luther blinked a moment, the look on his face one of utter shock.  Then slowly, as he realized his beloved quarry was not about to be taken from him, he relaxed visibly.  He nodded at the Princess' stationing of one of her guards here; that would be a far better intervention than the takeover he had expected.

She sighed, she was never as good with words as her sister was. "If thou findest that acceptable then we can move on, thou hast mentioned that thou doth possess a measure of cloud diamond for sale? How great a measure?"

Luther’s brow furrowed as he began to consider such a request.

"I'll have to show you what we have.  Please follow me."

He left his study and began to lead her through the manor and back outside again.  As the doors closed behind Luna, Dax came walking through the front hall, a stack of pastel-colored outfits balanced on his back.  He groaned in boredom and frustration while he brought these outfits to his Mother... who would, undoubtedly, make him try on each and every one.

Luther led the way down the side path to the quarry once more; all around them, miners and other various workers bowed before their royal Princess of the night.  He took her through the inner yard, then brought her to the rows of sheds.  He continued to walk, heading directly for the huge boulder at the end of the rows - sticking halfway out of the ground and STILL a few stories tall, there were massive steel and iron doors set into the front of it.

Reaching the tall doorway, Luther looked back at the alicorn.

"This is the Blackwater Vault."

He reached into his vest and removed a key that looked spectral - Luna could see right through it, like it was made of smoky glass.  When he brought it around to the door, Luna saw there was no actual keyhole... yet, when he touched it to the place where a keyhole would be, it sank in as if it were an illusion.  He turned it, there was a >click< as it unlocked the doors, and then he put it back into his vest pocket and pushed them open.

The inside was pitch black, an enchanted rather than natural darkness that prevented one from seeing further than a pace ahead of them.  Luther stepped inside and motioned for her to follow.

Once in, Luther moved to the wall and flipped a switch; magic-filled lanterns in neat rows slowly lit up, their light fading on from the front of the massive chamber to the back.  It was HUGE inside, as there were no other floors, simply catwalks and stairs leading all about the walls of the open-area vault.  The entire inside of the boulder had been hollowed out, and was being used for storage.

Towards the back, there were display cases and curtains drawn over certain areas - that must be where the expensive gems were kept - but almost the entire front of this impromptu warehouse were shelves and shelves all lined with bundles of the same thing: sticks of DYNAMITE.

"In the back," Luther said as they began making their way inside.

The only thing that stood out as being extra remarkable was the column in the center of it all, supposedly holding the ceiling up.  It was a gigantic, solid column of emerald, shaped like a twisting helix.  It was magnificent; there was nothing like it that had ever been seen before - a column of emerald that stretched around three stories tall, and was as big around as a house!

Luther looked at the Princess.  "This way."

Luna was quite impressed with the artistic style of the vault, she knew someone who would probably do a remodel if they saw it. Despite the low light she could see the walls clearly. "We must say, this extensive architecture and security is impressive, might we ask who designed this? The emerald column is certainly an exquisite work."

Luther nodded.

"My ancestor's design and build.  Sturdy.  Been here since before the quarry came to be; made into a part of it.  Best place for the explosives... and my family's gem collection."

He pointed a hoof to the twisting column of emerald.

"That is the Blackwater Emerald - found by my son, Daxter."

He almost smiled.  Almost.

"This way, Princess."

He led her to a section of the floor that had multiple vault doors, and moved to one off to the far side.  Once there, he spun the wheel that opened the vault door, and hauled it back - it seemed quite heavy.  A good deterrent for thieves.

Down inside the surprisingly deep chamber was a large boulder of some sort, covered by a very plain looking tarp.  If THAT was Cloud Diamond, then it had to have been the size of half the Ponyville Schoolhouse!

"This is what we managed to pull out of the mine.  What would you say is a fair exchange for half of it?"

Luna was truly stunned by the immensity of the deposit, and at the strength of the walls for preventing additional accumulate from finding its way here. A quick scan of the chunk indicated a purity of 17.5% a vast quantity of cloud diamond to be sure, much more than she initially expected to exist.

"Given the size and purity of this we wouldst say... 174 billion bits for half, not including the value of the diamond accumulate but we are hardly interested in that." She waited a moment to let the true meaning of her words sink in.

"I suppose thou mayest be interested as to why we are buying all the cloud diamond we can find? To put it simply, we want it to remain scarce. We want its value to be too high for anypony to acquire in any dangerous quantity, the purity and size of thy deposit threatens all of our efforts were it to be discovered, which is why we must advise that thou refrain from the sale of any part of it to those not approved by ourself. We simply cannot risk it falling into the wrong hooves. In a way, we suppose it is opportune that thou didst not tell our sister about the creature."

She sighed as she examined the deposit further, "It has the power to do so much good, heal injuries of the body and mind, but it is so much easier to use it for evil."

She shook her head sadly. "We of course will not stop thou from selling to whomever thou chooseth even though we can. All We will do is offer a better price. If you find our offer acceptable, we will have the payment arranged by morning. We would even be willing to purify all of the cloud diamond that thou possesseth."

Luna turned to face Blackwater, she knew that he would never get a better price than what she was offering and thus did not fear him rejecting her offer. She was already plotting what she could do with 87.5 cubic feet of cloud diamond. Perhaps she would construct something similar to the helix she had seen.

For what it was worth, Luther's face didn't even twitch when she spoke of the amount of bits offered.  He stared hard for a moment at the tarp-covered rock in the vault, the cogs in his astute mind turning.  After a moment, he nodded and turned to face her.

"An alternate deal: 5 billion to my personal expense account, 5 billion to the quarry itself, and perpetual rights to the land my quarry stands on, never to be reversed or annulled.  As for the rest of what you are offering, it is too much - I cannot reconcile with the idea of accepting so much from royalty, especially in light of what has happened.  Half of the deposit is yours, Princess Luna.  The other half, I shall keep - as long as I breathe, it shall never pass into another's hooves." 

He awaited her verdict.

Luna sighed, "Perpetual rights are beyond our power to grant, our sister hath been... slow, to restore our powers to us since our return. There are two options that we can bestow. Due to your proximity to the border we can name this place an independent protectorate, thou would still be subject to Equestrian law so long as thou desirest our protection, open boarders, and free trade. However, thou and thy family wouldst be the rulers of this land as far as thy line extends. The other option is similar, this land would be thine for the rest of thy days, but the agreement would need to be renewed with each change of ownership, this protects thee from simply being re-annexed by our sister or losing protectorate status, but the agreement could be revoked should the owner break any laws."

She turned back towards the gem, "Some day we will have the power to grant perpetual ownership and if thou art still alive then we will grant it. Thou hast done me a great service by keeping this deposit secret, we hope thou wilt find my ability to return satisfactory."

"An... independent protectorate.  Yes."  A nod to himself, then a glance at the alicorn.  "Yes.  That will be fine.  I bow to your wisdom and generosity, Princess."

With that, he did bow in a most respectful manner - it was clearly obvious that somepony taught Luther his etiquette well.  He closed and resealed the vault door, the Cloud Diamond deposit safely ensconced within.  Turning, he began leading Luna out of the unique vault.

"I know what Cloud Diamond can be used for; that is why I kept it here.  When Daxter showed me the piece he wanted to give to Illiad Easle, I thought he had gotten it from somewhere else in the mines... now that I know the truth, I will schedule a blasting for that chamber, and seal it.  I hope there will be no more trouble.  YOU have done this entire quarry a great service; that means more to me than bits."

He walked her to the main yard, miners and other various staff gawking at the sight of their Boss and their Princess in the same place at the same time.

"When your official arrives, they will have their own shed - a few of my staff already do.  They will be provided for."

He faced the Princess, the scowl still firmly in place, yet his words were soft when he spoke them.

"Thank you, Princess Luna.  Is there anything else we Blackwaters might do for you?"

"We will ensure the proper paperwork goes through once we return to Canterlot. Thou wilt receive thy bits by the morrow and thy protectorate status in a week or thereabouts depending on our sister. We will leave to thee the arrangements to transport our half unless thou thou desirest that we purify it here."

She turned here gaze out to the quarry. "Do make sure those ponies that were with us make a full recovery, we would be most displeased if they suffered any long term effects from that creature." 

With that she turned and began walking towards the pony express station she started at.

Luther watched her leave.  His scowl lightened, and he gave a sigh of relief as she made her way out of eyesight.  Mind you, it wasn't that his relief came from any kind of guilt or moodiness; he was nervous around royalty since taking over here.  All it would take would be one wrong word to one powerful individual, and he could lose it all.

Still, he had to admit that she was just as beautiful as he had heard she was - even married stallions aren't blind - but she still didn't inspire the awe and childhood crush she had when he was a colt... because his crush had been on Nightmare Moon, not Luna.  Far be it for him to ever have admitted this fact - not even to his wife.

Still, he had been quite pleased that she had been the kind of polite and dignified that Equestria expected from those who ruled over the land.  Even in light of what had happened, she had been quite generous.  Knowing that he had already made a fortune from simply the mines alone, Luther had only asked for a fraction of its value because he wasn't truly greedy - ambitious and a bit paranoid perhaps, but not greedy.

He looked around at the other workers there, still staring either at him or after Luna, his scowl reset itself into its accustomed place on his muzzle, and he simply said, "Back to it."  The other workers all went straight back to work, no delay.

Luther began walking back to the manor, yet lifted an eyebrow as he saw Dax, wearing a ridiculously dandy outfit, charging down the path towards him, headed for the quarry.  As he passed, Luther said, "Doctor's Office," and continued on.

Dax's eyes flew open, and he double-timed it towards the sheds.
> An Exchange of Medicine
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile...

Illiad's gem morphed around his unconscious body, wrapping in a sort of ring around his horn and extending in threads along his body, tracing the magical conduits throughout. Faint pulses of light traveled through the threads at regular intervals. Over time, the cloud diamond on Illiad extended further, beginning to lightly trace his veins in addition to the magical pathways in his body. The thin rivulets of diamond growing slightly brighter as his condition improved. 

The zebra was spellbound.

She was standing next to the table Illiad was on, staring at the unicorn intently, watching every little change take place.  Her eyes kept slowly following each rivulet of Diamond as she saw what was happening on the surface.  She was completely transfixed on the sight; so much so that her mouth was slightly open and her eyes as big as saucers.

"Uhhhh, Doc?  What's going on with him?"

Her eyes remained locked on Illiad, but she shrugged.  "I have no idea... but it's quite a show!"

The miner looked at the others that had helped carry the two into the Doc's Office and passed the shrug along.  They looked at each other, some even shrugging themselves.  

"He gonna be okay?"

"What about Slapper - he gonna get like that too?"

"What IS that stuff?"

With that question, the zebra looked up suddenly, and then turned back to the miners.  "Okay, everypony out!  These two will need some peace and quiet, and I think it would be a good idea to give them some, don't you?  Thank you so much for helping out - I really appreciate it!"

As they ushered outside, she turned back to glance over at the sleeping forepony, smile as he snored softly, then returned her watchful gaze to Illiad's form.

"I wish I had brought some popcorn to eat - but this sight alone is a heckuva treat!"  She giggled at her own rhyme, and leaned in closer, watching intently...

Some time passed.

The zebra laid another rock on the edge of the scroll, holding it open for the ink to dry as she grabbed and opened another one.  She zipped back to her quill and went back to writing a mile a minute, taking intricate notes on what was happening to the Trojan as the Diamond ran across him.  The inkwell in front of her was already down to half; good thing she kept several.

The table next to her had several scrolls like the last, all held open by rocks of varying kinds and drying.  As she finished her notes on the current scroll, she went through the process again.  The entire time, she may have blinked once or twice, but otherwise her gaze was locked on Illiad Easle and the amazing thing happening to him.

There began to be a stirring within llliad, his breathing became more relaxed as his condition shifted from comatose to simply sleeping. He would need time to recoup his magical strength and a long rest to fully recover from the ordeal. With the healing well on its way the diamond reformed next to him, unconsciously he grasped it with his forehoof, drawing it towards himself as he slept.

The zebra couldn't tell why but she couldn't shake the feeling that the diamond was silently judging her. 

She leaned in closer and closer, trying to make sense of what she was seeing... and then that 'judging' feeling came over her.  She laid down the quill and scroll on a nearby cot and stood up, looking down at Illiad with curiosity and a little bit of wonder; she seemed almost like a big filly in a zebra's body.

No, not a zebra... not a FULL one.  The peppermint-colored pony was actually half-zebra, yet she retained a good deal of physical traits from the zebra side of her line.  The other side wasn't just average fare, either - the Doctor had wings, which were currently tucked neatly back as she kept her eyes glued to the fascinating things happening on her patient's physique.

She looked fit and long; she was taller than the miners that had brought the two into the clinic, and had almost been at eye level when she had been seated.  She hunkered down low enough to almost touch, yet far enough to zip out of reach if need be.  The light dancing in her eyes spoke of worlds of knowledge beyond her looks, but there was an authentic interest in what was happening; like a foal tasting Zap Apple Jam for the first time.  The Doctor was a kind mare, and absolutely loved to learn - and this was definitely something new!

"Hello?  Can you heeeeear meeeeee?" she whispered softly to the Diamond substance, more than halfway expecting an answer...

Upon closer inspection she could see the completed diamond in more detail. It was shaped in a way that it would appear circular from the top, and from the side it would look like a playing card diamond that had been truncated a little bit above the middle. In the middle of the gem she could see a faint blue light glowing within it.

The feeling of judging from the diamond shifted to a bit of surprise (In that the zebra somehow felt that the diamond was surprised) as if that wasn't enough of an answer to her question, the diamond shifted weakly in a motion similar to nodding.

The diamond considered simply speaking, but that would be quite the exertion of energy and it was low enough on energy already with Illiad unconscious. She hoped her slight movements would be enough to communicate with the curious one.

The medic went wide-eyed as she saw/felt its response, then she sat bolt upright and clapped her hooves together with a squee of delight.

"You CAN hear me, can't you?  Wooooooooowwwwwww!!!"

Initially diving for the quill and scroll, she paused as she considered if she wanted to be writing during this... or experiencing it up-close and personal.  After only a moment's thought, she decided the quill could wait and turned back to Illiad and the sentient Diamond.

"Oooh!  I wonder how I'm supposed to greet a Diamond?  I can't hug you, and you have no hoof to shake; maybe I should just introduce myself?  Yeah, that sounds good!"  She cleared her throat.  "Hello, uhm... uhh... Diamond!  I am pleased to meet you!  My name is Doc Zinger, but most ponies just call me 'Ziggy' - it's easier to remember, which is good because I have problems doing that sometimes.  It's okay, though - I could NEVER forget my medical training!"

She smiled brightly and broadly, a living glimmer of radiant sunshine.

"I work here at the quarry, tending to the workers that get hurt; it tends to be pretty safe here, but accidents will happen, right?  So I was hired here to take care of anypony who got injured.  Haven't lost a patient yet!"

Her look of grinning satisfaction melted away to one of curiosity as she leaned low once more, watching the Diamond closely.

"I guess, with what you're doing there, that you're kind of a doctor too, huh?"

The diamond picked up on Zinger's exuberance, it wished that Illiad were awake so she could communicate more effectively, but he really needed to rest and intruding on his dreams would not help that point. She wished she could collect energy like Illiad could, then she could use Zinger's enthusiasm to communicate. Alas, she would simply have to wait to have a more in depth conversation. Currently she was limited by her low energy to simple movements, healing Illiad had taken more out of her than she had anticipated.

The diamond shifted in a mix of nodding and shaking in an attempt to indicate a maybe and to convey the limits of its communicative abilities.

"You... want to... dance?"

She stood up and started a peppy little four-step jig, a smile spreading across her features.  Her wings extended, and began swaying like palm fronds as she kept doing her tippity-tapping moves.  The look on her face was somewhere between enjoying the moment and wondering if she was wrong.

It was that single, picturesque moment that Dax Blackwater shouldered the door open and stopped in his tracks just inside the threshold.  

He was wearing a bright purple suit coat with a lemon yellow border; it was hideously colored, but still very well-made and tailored.  On his head was an adorable little straw hat that had a regrettably matching hatband.  The entire outfit made him look like a 'Little Lord Fauntlecolt' character - very upper-crust and dainty.  This, combined with Dax's panting like a timberwolf after a long chase, made him look as ridiculous as Ziggy did.

They both froze in place, staring at each other in utter silence... aside from Dax's gasping for air, of course.

It was to that very scene that Illiad was awoken from his slumber by the door's abrupt opening. His face was one of shock and confusion, the kind one might find on one who can't quite tell whether they are actually awake. After a few moments of silence as he really drank the scene in, "I sincerely hope I can attribute at least some of what I'm seeing to magic depletion hallucinations."

His words were a bit slower and slightly slurred, it was clear that Illiad was still quite exhausted. His horn glowed weakly as he looked towards his diamond, he sighed as his horn stopped glowing. "That is certainly an interesting sensation, I hope that doesn't last."

He laid his head down on his foreleg in a way that he could still see the others whilst still laying down. He manually brought his gem closer to his face as he did so. "So, what did I miss?"

Both of them turned to look at Illiad.  

They both tried to start talking at once, then both stopped, then tried again, then stopped... finally, Dax looked at Ziggy and nodded, and she turned to the unicorn to speak, at last able to get her words out.

"Are you okay?  Do you feel pain?  Is that crystal alive, or am I insane?  That stuff that's on you is why you're awake - the healing you're feeling is NOT a fake!  The whole... uhm..."

Ziggy giggled a bit, then grinned at Illiad.  "Sorry; when I get worried or anxious, I rhyme.  It's a habit.  How do you feel?"

The look on Dax's muzzle was asking the same question, silently.

Illiad gave a slight yawn, amused by the situation before him. "Well... I'm tired, like really tired. I kind of feel sore, though not in any particular area. My magical abilities are reduced, though I expected as much."

He yawned again before continuing.

"This diamond? It's certainly intelligent and possesses healing properties, but that is unique to this one alone."

He peered around the room in search of a clock. "I suppose it must not have been very long since we left the caves if you are so impressed with my recovery, though I expect it will take longer for Knee to recover unassisted."

Illiad almost yawned again before looking over at his diamond with a look of surprise, before looking towards the Zebra. He shrugged a bit before laying his head back down on his legs. "Selena wanted me to let you know that she finds you interesting by the way, that's the diamond's name."

He turned to look over at Dax. "It's good to see you again, next time? Don't move things around in the caves." 

Zinger smiled, "I'm glad to see you're awake; you looked fairly out of it, but I didn't actually find any medical maladies that'll require surgery or anything... just a decent rest, maybe a day in bed?  That, and an old herbal remedy from my younger days, should put you right as rain."

She shuffled over to a small cabinet and fished out a pouch of some thickly blueberry-smelling stuff.  "It's a tea; you brew and drink it twice a day until it runs out.  Hope you like tea..." 

Dax winced with an embarrassed grin on his muzzle as she put the pouch into his hooves.  There was a decent amount of what appeared to be very light brown ground-up tea leaves, mixed with bits of twig and dried blueberry; it smelled pleasant - Illiad might not have been a fan of tea, but perhaps this would make good potpourri? 

Dax looked down at the floor.  "I... didn't know, but I still shouldn't have.  I had NO idea what could have happened... but I gather it was BAD.  I-..."  He glanced at Ziggy, then nodded to her and returned his focus to the unicorn.  "Yeah, no more messing around in off-limits areas - regardless of what I find.  I'm sorry I caused all this mess... but at least it's dealt with permanently now, right?"

Off to the side and writing a report, Ziggy was grinning to herself and occasionally mouthing the word 'Selena' in amusement.

The smell and sight of the tea sent an involuntary shudder through Illiad's body, the soreness concentrated briefly on certain parts of his back. "I appreciate the offer Miss..." Illiad cocked his head in a bit of confusion, "I don't believe you told me your name, but Selena says it is Zinger correct? Anyway, I am not too fond of tea after a particularly traumatic experience a few years back. I am sure it tastes as wonderful as it smells and Knee will no doubt appreciate it. I have a more direct way of restoring energy, so long as I can stay awake I can take advantage of the excess emotion you two are giving off, something I sense Knee is doing automatically. Your enthusiasm will no doubt speed both of our recoveries along."

He set the tea bag aside, hoping he caused no offence to the doctor. He turned back towards Dax. "It is dealt with as permanently as it possibly can from what I saw, but I think it best that no one goes there again, despite what else lays there."

Illiad yawned again.

"No doubt I will need to sleep again, but if you two can get enthused about something I may not need more than a good night's rest. You may even get Knee to recover faster too."

"OH!  Yeeeeeaaaah... sorry; my mind gets away from me sometimes.  My name is Doc Zinger, but most ponies here at the quarry just call me Ziggy - in fact, most ponies kind of call me Ziggy, regardless of whether I'm at the quarry or not.  Hmph."

She shrugged, then seemed to start spacing out again before she caught herself and smiled broadly at Illiad.

"The tea is mostly a suggestion; it won't hurt you NOT to take it, so it's okay - and you may have a point about Slapper using it instead.  I just... Selena the diamond is amazing in the scope and concept of what this could mean for Equestria as a whole - except I get the feeling that this is a phenomenon that I'm going to be asked to keep a secret.  I have to keep it a secret, don't I?"

She gave a mournful glance over her shoulder at the scrolls still drying on the table, and sighed.

Dax, in the meantime, had gotten a thinker's muzzle.  "Enthusiastic... well, I could always tell Ziggy about Troy - y'know, I'll be going there to visit soon?"  

Ziggy listened intently as the young Blackwater began regaling her with all he'd learned about Illiad's homeland, proving further that he was a diligent and well-educated pony; the more he spoke, the more that it seemed both of them got excited for Dax's upcoming trip.  The eagerness and excitement was coming off of them both at a decent clip - the Doc was apparently just as excitable as the Earth Pony was!

At this rate, a recharge wouldn't take much time at all...

Illiad's horn glowed slightly as he began to drain the excess enthusiasm, it would mean that their enthusiasm would be a bit less contagious, but the three of them were already individually enthused about the subject material. Illiad's yawns grew further apart and his words seemed less tired as time passed.

"Before you guys get too carried away, Yes, I'm afraid Princess Luna wants to keep Selena a secret for now. However, I'm sure she would love to read your observations on Selena's behavior."

That said Illiad returned to listening to Dax describing Troy, he was looking for an opportunity where he could join in the discussion, maybe answer a question or clarify a point. But he was content to wait for the opportunity. 

Dax went on for quite some time, allowing room for Illiad to add facts and Ziggy to make curiosity comments.  The three remained together chatting for a good bit, while Knee continued snoring in his corner cot.  Eventually, of course, it got late - especially evidenced when the quarry work whistle blew it's long, shrill note that signified the end of the workday.

Ziggy jumped when it blew, but Dax only grinned and stretched; he had long ago taken off the purple outfit, and it was folded neatly on a nearby table.  Illiad noticed that, unlike the other workers, Ziggy seemed to have a sturdy friendship with him; what was the difference?

Regardless, Dax looked over at the Trojan and grinned.  "So, feel up to going out to the tent... or should we wait on that one?"

"Either way, I have to lock up the shed here; Mr. Easle, if you want to stay in here overnight, then we can do that - but I'd have to lock both of us in.  It's against quarry policy to leave a patient here all alone.  It's okay if you want to stay, because I usually sleep here anyway!"

Dax turned to her.  "I think he'll be okay.  C'mon, Illiad - let's head back to the manor; Mother is probably having a fit wondering where her clotheshorse has gotten to."  He gathered the outfit from the table and waited for Illiad's response.

"We should wait on the tent, we still have five more days after all. I think I can make it back to the manor now, but I don't think I'll wake up early tomorrow."

Illiad got himself up and off of the cot he was on with only a little difficulty, though it was clear by the wobble of his legs that walking would not be so easy at first. "I suppose I'll get the hang of walking again in no time."

He took a few wobbly steps around the room, his pace quickly becoming more regular. "Yes I think that'll do."

He turned to face Ziggy as he placed his diamond back in his robes. "Thank you for taking care of me, don't forget about Knee, he certainly needs your help now more than I do." He turned back towards Dax as he began to make his way to the door. "Well? Let's get going." 

Ziggy waved as she saw them out, then closed the door and locked it, with herself and Knee Slapper safely ensconced within.  Dax walked back with Illiad, sticking by his side in case the weakness hit again.  The Trojan could feel the little ripples of concern coming from the young stallion.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't get back very quickly - Mother insisted I try on some outfits, so I didn't have much choice.  I'm guessing it wasn't a pretty sight, was it?  Again, I'm really sorry, and now that I know things aren't safe there, I'll stay away from it.  I'm sure Father will probably blast that particular cavern closed in a few days, anyway."

Dax walked with Illiad to his room and sighed.  "I'll try to get to my chores early, but I'll take my time so you can sleep in.  I'm... I'm glad you're okay.  I dunno what happened... but I'm still glad you're okay."  He hugged the unicorn before heading off towards his own bedroom.

Illiad stood in the doorway to his room, contemplating the day he had had and more recently Dax's actions. He was quite honestly touched by Dax's show of compassion, a true feeling of genuine concern, something that was far too absent in the world. A slight smile came to his face as he entered his room and closed the door, I suppose he is a true friend, and I am glad for it. I only hope he considers me a friend as well.

Illiad moved to the tub cover he had used as a bed the previous night, he didn't form the fan as he did the night before as he needed Selena in one piece. Once he was comfortable he quickly fell asleep.

He found himself in the plain white room that often manifested when Selena entered his dreams. He called forth a comfortable couch to rest in as he waited for Selena to fully emerge. She did so in similar form to the one she had taken in the mines, a mare of smallish proportions (Like Cocoa Pommel) "You shouldn't strain yourself so hard for me, we both know a full body wasn't really necessary."

"I know, but there was the quantity available and the power to sustain it for a bit, I proved it was possible. Now if we can find a good power source we can finally give you a permanent body of your own."

"I appreciate the gesture, I did enjoy the feeling of experiencing the world more directly. It looks like you are influencing me more than Mother supposed, the rate is slowing but if it continues much longer I will be as much you as I am her."

"Well, you were only half of her to begin with, the other half needed to be filled in by something. When we get back to Troy, I think you should introduce yourself to Dax more directly. I want to see what sort of reaction he would have to you."

A slight smile came to her face. "If only you had slept at the hospital, I could have had a better conversation with Ziggy."

"If only..." With that the room dissolved as Selena exited the dream, Illiad returned to a much needed sleep to recover from the ordeal of the caves.
> An Exchange of Partners
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illiad wasn't alone.

As he began to rouse from his sleep, he distinctly caught the emotional vibrations of both curiosity and a little bit of awe.  Of course, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to visualize Dax feeling this way towards the unicorn, and besides - it would mean that Dax had finished his chores and was waiting for Illiad to get up so they could-...

But it wasn't Dax; it was Oglevy, sitting on the edge of the expensive four-post bed and staring at Illiad.  When the colt saw the Trojan rousing, he sat up a little straighter and softly cleared his throat.

"Uhm... Mr. Easle?  Are you awake, sir?"

Well, THIS was new...

Illiad really didn't know what to do, he hadn't expected nor accounted for the fact that others could enter his room while he slept. He'd need to take precautions against that in the future. Call him paranoid but this had happened before, and the results were not pleasant.

He didn't feel any ill intent from Oglevy so he supposed he would be fine, for the moment. He lifted himself up to sit on his makeshift bed, still tired from yesterday's ordeal but feeling much better after the night's rest. A quick test of his magic on his diamond resulted in a moderate glow, he wasn't back to full strength but he had enough to go about his daily routine so long as he didn't push himself too hard. That managed he finally turned to address Oglevy.

"Yes I'm awake." He sighed, "What do you want? Another chance to reenact my greatest fear? You do seem to enjoy having things poured on me." Illiad wasn't particularly happy to see Oglevy, but he would at least be civil about it, he hadn't seen Oglevy since breakfast the prior day.

Oglevy fidgeted a bit, a little smidge of shame eking out of him as his eyes tried wandering around on the floor instead of looking at the unicorn.

"N-no, I'm not here to enact some master plan or anything - if I'd have wanted to do anything like that, I'd have done it by now."

The discomfort he was feeling was awkward to Oglevy; Illiad could tell that this was not at all easy for him to do... yet he took in a big breath and blew it out before he spoke again.

"I saw what you and Knee Slapper and Princess Luna were doing yesterday... in the deep mines... and I thought..."  He swallowed, trying to choose words carefully.  "... I thought what you did was really awesome, Mr. Illiad.  I've never seen anything like that before - I don't know if anypony has.  But I wanted you to know that I... I didn't know you were able to do stuff like that, or I..."

Illiad could feel the colt's difficulty at trying to say what he apparently was wanting to say, and there was a streak of frustration writ large over his entire emotional aura.  Regardless, however, he was still making an effort to communicate, and that was at least a start.

"I know I was mean yesterday - and I'm... I'm s-sorry.  I promise I won't tell anypony about what I saw, even though it was REALLY cool, and-..."  He looked up at the unicorn with wide eyes that spoke volumes about the mental library behind them.  "... and it's really, really cool that you know Princess Luna, too.  I just..."


Shrugging as his sentence petered off, Oglevy looked like he was somewhere between guilty, chastised and confusion over the other two feelings.  Apparently, apologizing earnestly was something the little Blackwater didn't do much of.  His eyes went back to the floor, and his small wings tried to cover his shoulders in embarrassment. 

Illiad didn't think the situation could get any more odd, he was honestly conflicted about the whole situation and unsure how to proceed. He could either forgive the colt or not. Though all the colt offered was his word in apology, it felt sincere.

"I forgive you."

The truth was he wasn't really angry at Oglevy's actions, he understood what could have motivated him. Illiad laid back down on the tub cover he was sitting on. "You should tell your father about what you saw, it's really up to him whether you can tell anyone else about it."

His forgiveness did not mean they were friends. He forgave, but only the future would tell if he could forget. 

Oglevy flinched a bit when the unicorn forgave him, then a pout clamped down on his face as he was told to tell Luther about the incident. 

"Father will just tell me not to say anything... he thinks I'm too delicate for anything like that; Mother, doubly so.  I guess you too."

With that, Oglevy took flight and zoomed out of the door, slamming it open and almost toppling the butler pony carrying a covered tray right outside.  He vanished down the hallway in an instant.  The butler (perhaps it was Call?) gawked after the colt for a moment, then poked his head inside and looked at Illiad with concern.

"Sir Easle, has there been another incident?  Shall I alert the Master or the Madam of the Young Master's trespass?  Are you hurt?  Are there soiled articles of clothing to clean?"

Apparently, they were used to Oglevy's shenanigans.

The butler entered the room and brought the covered tray with him.  He set it down onto a small table and removed the cover.  Instantly, the scent of rich dark chocolate reached his nostrils.  On the plate beneath the cover, still steaming, was a selection of different-grained toasts, a stack of aromatic hay bacon, two golden brown biscuits and a small bowl of what appeared to be apple butter... FRESH apple butter, at that.  There was also a small carafe of apple juice to go with it, and it was all topped off with a generous slice of chocolate cream pie - the source of the earlier aroma.

The butler looked at him.  "Is this to your liking, Sir Easle?"

Illiad gave a slight, yet tired smile as he approached his breakfast, They do like apples here don't they? I suppose it's easier for them to acquire. "No to your first four queries and yes to the last. Oglevy was actually here to apologize, and this breakfast looks wonderful." Illiad realized as he started at the food that he was behind on a few meals at this point. By his count he had had only breakfast for the past two days, he hoped that this would not make a third.

The butler's jaw dropped open as Illiad told him about Oglevy.

"Apologize?  Really?  Apologize?  But the Young Master NEVER... really?"  he seemed absolutely shell-shocked over the idea that the Blackwater colt would even be capable of considering the possibility of perhaps maybe being apologetic.

Seeing his lapse in butler-ish attitude, he cleared his throat and stood straight once more.  "Er, well... very good, sir.  I am pleased you liked the breakfast - Beck made certain you had a good spread of what the Blackwaters partook of this morning."  

Without waiting for any sort of signal from the present butler he began to butter and eat the many kinds of toast, moving from highest to lowest grain count, before using the rest of the butter and crumbling the hay bacon on the biscuits. He saved the pie for last but it too did not last long before the force of his hunger.

Call had watched, silent as a wall, as Illiad inhaled his food.  There was no disgust at this; in fact, there was a slight line of pride coming from Call. He began stacking the empty dishes into the plate's cover as the food upon them was devoured, leaving the table clean and clear.  

As Illiad reflected on his meal it crossed his mind that he had eaten at a rather uncouth pace and was lucky to not be in a formal setting. He couldn't remember how it tasted and likely wouldn't notice if it tasted awful, so long as it was full of much needed calories. With a bit of a sheepish expression he returned his focus to the present butler. "Thank you for bringing my meal to me, if I had remembered to taste it I'm sure it would have tasted even better then it smelled." He noticed that he still had the apple juice and was tempted to guzzle it down right then but he held off and settled for drinking it at a much more moderate pace as he allowed his inhaled meal to settle. "Do you know how long Daxter will remain busy with his chores?"

"One is glad to be of service, Sir Easle." Call grinned a bit as Illiad asked after Dax.  "Master Daxter has been sequestered by the Madam for one of her jaunts into Canterlot - she apparently believes he does not currently own enough formal clothing, hence he shall be away for a while.  However, he has informed me that Master Luther has approved of your presence here, and as such you are free to roam the manor and the quarry, so long as you refrain from disrupting the workers.  If you wish, I would be happy to inform you when he returns."

"Thank you Call, I would appreciate it if you alerted me to Daxter's return." I suppose this gives me more time to rest and recover. I should go back to Ziggy so she can check that my recovery is going smoothly, and to see if I can assist in Knee's.

Paying no heed to whether the butler still remained in the room, Illiad contemplated returning to sleep, but decided he ought to check back on Knee, perhaps he would check what Mr. Blackwater had decided about the darkness in the depths.

He wrapped himself a bit looser than yesterday, not that any not used to the toga would notice, and he proceeded to try and find his way back to the medical center.

Again, the sheer size of the quarry was a bit daunting, but Illiad seemed to get a minimum of notice as he made his way there.  On the grounds proper, there were a number of workers all hustling and bustling around, doing the things that workers here do.

The medical shed wasn't hard to find, due to the large red cross on the side of it.  Walking up to it, Illiad neither heard nor felt the emotional vibrations of Ziggy inside... nor Knee, for that matter.  There was a wooden panel next to the door with a large red button on it.  The sign above it said: [PRESS FOR THE DOCTOR].

Well, Illiad could either press the button or try to find Ziggy unassisted... or, of course, there were others he could speak to.  Maybe one of those lovely mares he'd seen would be available?  At any rate, the decision was his.

Illiad considered his options, dismissing 'kill' as a viable option fairly early. Given that he had felt Ziggy before, and would notice if the area were being emotionally shielded, he was pretty certain that neither of them were inside. But the button couldn't hurt to press, just in case it was a bit more sophisticated than a doorbell.

He pressed the button.

As he waited for a response he looked about the quarry and considered his other options, he'd probably visit Silver or Tops next.
I wish there were more cute mares back home, these ones don't seem to keen on moving away and I have no intention of moving back into Her kingdom. He sighed as he reflected on the life events that led him to this point, the key ones all resulting from him being Empathic. In a way he would have ended up in Troy regardless of many of his possible actions...

He shook those thoughts from his head, now was not the time to worry about what could have been.

At first, it didn't seem like anything had happened when he pushed the button.  There was no sound, or signal, or anything... then, coming in from a distance, came a sound:

"... gonna be there in just a sec hold on here I come!!!!!" 

She cam flying over the line of sheds.  It wasn't the fact that a candy-cane colored half-zebra pegasus was flying around that got Illiad's attention as much as the fact that she was flying in a zig-zag pattern, as if she were a slow lightning bolt.  It was curious to watch, yet she certainly had some skill at flight.  She landed without incident, folded her wings up carefully, as if putting them away in a knapsack or something, then turned and beamed at the unicorn.  She seemed quite happy to see him up and about.

"I'm quite happy to see you up and about," she said, "and I'll have you know that Slapper woke up this morning right as rain... well, okay - he had a liiiiiittle headache, but I gave him that tea from yesterday; he'll be just fine by tomorrow.  And how are you, Mr. Easle?  You feeling your oats this morning - well, afternoon?  And how's your diamond friend, uhm... uh... I'm sorry, I can't recall... her name..."  She put on a sheepish grin.  "But she was really nice!"

She was a sweet mare, but a little scatterbrained, it seemed.

All things considered Illiad felt decent today.

"I do feel much better now than I did yesterday, and I'm glad to hear that Knee has similarly recovered. Selena is doing fine as she always is, there isn't much that can affect her the way she is now. She finds you interesting yet odd. She would like to talk to you sometime if you'd be interested?"

Illiad hoped she was, not only to use up some more time, but also so Selena would have someone other than him to talk to for a bit. 

"Oh,that would be wonderful!  Wait-... will she be able to talk back to me?  What am I saying?  You wouldn't have said such if she couldn't!  What was I thinking?  Of course I'd like that!  I probably have a few questions myself, after all!"

Doc Zinger seemed like quite a kind and caring sort - she fussed over checking out Illiad as if he were her own brother, it seemed like.  She certainly had the mood to go with it - all sorts of bright, happy emotions ebbed and flowed from her, and she remained pleasant and sweet the entire time.  

It was almost surreal, how much there was going on here at the Blackwater Quarry; Illiad may have wondered why he hadn't ever heard of the place before.  If the past few days were any indicator, this place was almost as lively as Ponyville itself!

After the check that everything was healing well was done Illiad gave his farewells to Ziggy before moving on through the quarry. He noted how busy it was but was not surprised that he had never heard of it before, he did after all live in another country that didn't really trade with Equestria.

He decided he would visit Taps first, he needed to send another letter to Luna so he could learn about the aftermath of the caves. In addition, Taps would probably know where Silver was. His decision made he started to make his way over to the pony express station, taking care to stay out of the way of any workers in the process.

The pony express station wasn't too far from the Doc's Office, so it took no more than a minute or two before he was coming up the hill towards the house-turned-postal office.  The building was in fairly good shape, especially for being located on the grounds of a quarry; one would think it would be dirty and a bit run-down.  

The reason for this must have been Taps herself, as she was hovering near a second story window, wiping it clean with a blue towel.  She took notice of Illiad, and waved as he trotted up.  Tossing the towel across her whithers, she flapped her way down to the ground in front of him.

Smiling, she gave him a smart salute as she stood there.  Her mismatched eyes looked him over for a moment before she gained eye contact - then she lifted an eyebrow in question.

"Oh, hello there Taps. I just need to send another letter to Luna, don't worry, this one isn't important enough to be rushed."

Taps grinned at Illiad's request, and quickly dipped into her satchel and produced a quill and scroll.  She gave them over to the unicorn, and smiled as he thanked her for it.

Illiad looked around a bit. To be honest, without someone to guide him around he felt lost. He felt already that he was intruding on Taps time and wondered if he would be able to muster the courage to go anywhere else without being invited. He couldn't bear to make himself a burden on anyone.

"Also, do you by chance know where I could find Silver?"

Taps’ muzzle scrunched in thought for a moment (an absolutely adorable sight), then her eyes widened and she smiled broadly, nodding enthusiastically.  She looked past Illiad, and pointed a hoof directly at the enormous boulder at the end of the row of sheds.  She then made a hammering motion, making certain to look at Illiad's face to see if he could comprehend what she was trying to communicate to him.

Illiad had a slightly perplexed look on his face as he tried to parse Tap's charade. "She's... working in or on that boulder over there?" For some odd reason he could not remember what Silver's residence looked like despite having had been there not two days ago. It felt like it had been weeks. While he waited for Taps to confirm or deny his query, he quickly wrote down, in code, his message to Luna requesting to know what had happened after he fell unconscious. Once done he passed the quill and scroll back to Taps.

Taps nodded vigorously as Illiad made the right guess.  She smiled, and it brought out a sweetness in her that wasn't normally visible... and the emotion coming off of her was calm and kind, a soothing presence after the grandiose display of emotions that apparently much of the Blackwater Quarry had within it's walls.

Taps took the quill and scroll back, nodding as she stored it away in her satchel once more.  She started to turn and take flight... but she paused.  Looking back at Illiad, her eyes ran first down, then up his frame.  She turned and took a few steps closer, then reached out a careful hoof and touched the Trojan's outfit.

Feeling the material, her mismatched eyes widened in pleasant surprise.  She stroked the fabric once, then stepped back and took in the wrap as a whole.  Her eyes went back to Illiad's, and she gave a small grin, tapping gently on his sleeve.  Apparently, she approved of his taste in clothing.

With a smart salute, she turned back around, flexed her wings, and took off in the direction of Canterlot.

That was weird. I don't think that's happened to me before.

Illiad stared off in the direction that Taps had flown, wondering what prompted her to pet his robes, and what she found so appealing about the fabric. Once Taps was out of sight he sighed and turned his attention to the boulder that Taps had pointed out to him. He felt apprehensive about bothering her while she was working, but he started off towards it nonetheless.

> An Exchange of Silver
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Illiad reached the boulder it started to seem a bit more familiar to him, but he couldn't seem to muster the courage to knock. He simply could not bear to intrude on her time and space. He sighed as he partially turned away, considering his other options.

"Mr. Easel!  What a small world!  Well, not really so much as a small world, but more like one that seems to put the two of us together again!"

Silver was over beside one of the large steel and iron struts that helped hold the boulder in place.  Not that there was any threat of it moving... but apparently, safety was paramount.  She was wearing goggles, and there was a bit of a smudge of what looked like soot across her right cheek.  She also had on a toolbelt, and there were a number of tools hanging from it - a few of which looked highly technical.  Currently hanging from a length of twine around her neck was a small sackful of steel cords; behind her, there were a number of holes where these cords had been twist-tied together.

Silver smiled at the unicorn.

"So, what brings you all the way out here?  Nothing bad, I hope - We've only got two foreponies on the clock today, so we have to be vigilant for any trouble.  It's not trouble, is it?"

Illiad turned to face Silver directly, a slight smile on his face to hide his earlier insecurities. "Oh hello there Silver. It isn't trouble that's brought me here today, I'm just walking around as Dax is off in Canterlot with his mother for the day. Though trouble did take me to the doc yesterday if you aren't too busy... Are you about to blast that rock? It certainly looks like it."

Illiad noticed that he had begun to ramble and decided it would be best to stop talking for a bit as he got more acclimated to the situation.

Silver looked back at the rock, then turned to face Illiad again with a wide-eyed look.

"What?  NO!  No no no no no!  I'm not setting up for blasting; I've just put a polymer on this strut, and I'm using the ties to hold it firmly together while it dries.  No big thing... well, not really that it's no big thing, as it's HUGE, but more like it isn't really a hassle.  I've actually just finished up here - let me get my tools and we can talk a bit, if that's okay with you, of course."

With a sunny smile, she trotted back over to the massive beam jutting from the ground.  Now that she mentioned it, Illiad could indeed see a hairline fracture in part of it - but it was expertly sealed with what looked to be some kind of putty.  The ties were holding the crack tightly shut.  She deftly gathered her tools together, putting them in place in her toolbelt before nodding to herself and trotting back over.

"I've been playing catch-up this past week, but I think I've finally gotten everything under wraps.  It feels good to finally get everything done.  Oh, there will be more tomorrow... but for today, this mare is finished!"

She made a show of dashing her hooves together, as if clearing the dust from them.  Grinning, she gave the stallion a sweet grin.

"So, trouble yesterday?  It looks as if it wasn't fatal, which is good, but I certainly hope it hasn't soured your visit?"

Illiad's disposition improved as he learned that he was not intruding on Silver's time. "No it hasn't, if anything the experience has made this trip all the more memorable. Mr. Blackwater had me and Knee take care of a danger in one of the caves and it turned out to be a bit more than we expected, both of us were out cold from magical exhaustion for a few hours." 

Silver gave Illiad a look of concern.

"Magically drained?  Must've either been a REALLY big boulder, or a whole LOT of little spiders!"

She laughed, trying to cover her grin as she did.

"Oh, I'm not trying to belittle your effort!  On behalf of the Blackwaters, I thank you so very much for your assistance... especially because, well... you're probably not getting a thank you from them, but help should be thanked, so..."  she shrugged, then the grin returned, looking quite at home on her muzzle.

"Well... seeing as my work here is complete, it looks as though I have a free moment.  We could chat for a bit - I mean, if you aren't already busy, that is?  I mean, let me know if I'm bugging you... well, not so much as an actual insect mind you,but more like being annoying and such.  You'd tell me if I was bugging you, right?"

Her emotions were as honest as her smile.

Illiad actually gave a slight laugh at her comments, "Don't worry, I was actually worried if I would be bothering you by coming over. I'm actually not busy for the rest of the day or until Dax and Mrs. Blackwater return from Canterlot. So I'm free to talk with you for as long as you'd like. Is there any particular thing you want to talk about." He sincerely hoped so as he lacked topics of his own. 

"Well..."

She glanced about a bit.  From anyone else, it might have been a touch of paranoia, or perhaps a hint of skullduggery; with Silver, it was simply a rote gesture - she wasn't afraid of being overheard.

"I heard that a number of miners saw Princess Luna here yesterday; did you hear anything about it or-" she gasped, "did you get to see her?  Oh, I wish I'd gotten to see her... ANY of the princesses, for that matter!  I was raised in Canterlot, and I NEVER saw them - can you believe that?"

Illiad's eyes seemed to widen a bit as his smile grew slightly, these were topics he could work with. "I did hear that Princess Luna was about the mines, I even know an interesting story about why she was here, but I'd need Mr. Blackwater's permission to tell it. I've met Princess Luna before and she is quite nice despite what the history teachers would want you to believe."

He turned to face Silver a bit more directly as he got a bit more excited. "You were raised in Canterlot? So was I! What part did you live in? My family lived close to the archives and I worked there for a while before I moved out."

It was clear that the concept of their common past experience excited him.

Silver shook her head and gave a short tweet of a giggle; it was a weird sound, but not an unpleasant one.  Silver, however, covered her mouth with her hooves.  Looking at Illiad, she saw he had indeed heard her squeak, and she had the civility to blush a bit before clearing her throat and continuing on.

"I was also kind of... wondering about that Ministry you spoke of last time?  I mean, not that I've changed my mind about staying or anything; I'm just... curious, is all."

He could indeed feel little pulses of interest bubbling in her about the subject - a fine opportunity to speak on the matter.

He calmed down a bit as the focus shifted to the TrUST. "The ministry... did you mean the TrUST? Sure, I could answer your questions about it."

In all Illiad was just glad to have someone to talk to, and he was glad it was someone smart and passionate about what they did like Silver.

Silver considered her words carefully, seeming to chew her food for thought thoroughly before speaking.

"Well, I've never really looked into anything like that before... I mean, I've been certain they existed, of course, but I've never really had the time to check into things like that; the quarry's always calling.  It's not a bad thing, really - it feels good to be needed, and there are ponies here I'd really be lost without sometimes, but..."

She gathered a serious wool on her muzzle, her mind open and curious.

"... I've never really considered what I might be capable of.  I mean, my work is everywhere here - from the mine lights to the rotating cooker at the lunch trailer - and that's just out of what I have available here.  I can only dream of what I might do if I had the chance to work with REAL materials..."  the sunny smile came out from behind the woolen clouds, beaming at Illiad, "... as well as others who not only understood what I was doing, but could help me make it the best it could be!  Oh, wouldn't that be FUN?"

She swept herself in a circle, lost and semi-swooning for a moment at the prospect of working in such conditions, almost dancing... then, not as quickly, the slow realization set in of some form of reality weighing her formerly dancing hooves down.

"But... I sort of... owe Mr. Blackwater a bit of loyalty on my end.  He helped me... well, my parents... out of a bind, and I agreed to work here to pay it off.  He declined letting me work for nothing, so he simply offered me a job directly - which, of course I took.  He's never taken what he gave them out of my check, and he's never mentioned owing him anything.  That, at least, earns my respect... but still, maybe I could correspond with them by scroll?  Would that be feasible?"

Illiad pondered for a moment before responding. "Well... I of course have never worked with them directly, I'm not inventive enough for that sort of thing. From what I know in working as a recruiter, their mission is to aid the progress of science so as long as you continue doing science they should have no problem with supplying you aid in whatever way you need."

His face shifted to be a bit more curious, "If you don't mind me asking, what did Mr. Blackwater do for your parents? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Also, why do you think Mr. Blackwater won't let you repay him? It seems like the kind of thing he would accept if offered."

"Hmmmmm... well, I could try simple correspondence with them at first; if they would accept such, I'd be more than happy to drop them a line!  Well, not insomuch a drop them an actual line, but more like directly send them messages... but I'm sure you know what I mean, right?  I mean, you're a smart stallion - I'm sure of that - and it helps that you're cute also, because-..."

She stopped abruptly, and a slow blush crept across her muzzle as she realized what she'd just allowed to slip out.  She quickly recovered by clearing her throat and going on with her words... but the blush persisted.

"WELL, uhm, I... be... cause you can do those things, with... with other ponies... that could sort of... yeah, that's about right..."

Getting to answering Illiad's question, Silver gave a small smile before answering.

"Well, my parents were originally well-to-do socialites - charity work and such - and they actually had a charity organization for helping local businesses stay on their hooves.  They were so kind, they would help out anypony in need... even to the point of being blind to obvious ploys.  They hired on a stallion who promised them he'd be able to run the charity, so they let him... and he ran it, alright - right into the ground.  By the time my parents found out what was going on, he'd run off with most of the bits they'd had ready for charity.  It came at the worst possible moment, right before Hearthswarming Eve; there were a number of businesses that had come to depend on my folks' generosity during their hard times... and there was nothing to give them."

She sighed, then her mind turned to happier things, and the grin returned.

"Mrs. Blackwater had been shopping in Canterlot that day, and had heard about the troubles in passing; she got in touch with Mr. Blackwater, and he showed up at the corner office my folks owned.  He didn't argue or try to wheel-and-deal; he simply turned over about 5000 bits for the time being, and gave them an additional 20,000 to pad the accounts with.  My parents were in shock - they couldn't thank him enough... and neither could I.  Without him, a lot of those businesses would have gone under - not to mention my parent's reputations."

She looked into Illiad's eyes, the soul behind them untarnished by life's burdens and anxieties.

"I know a lot of the other equines here have harsh opinions of the Blackwaters... but I've seen the truth, and I know they are far better than most would give them credit for.  I'll bet you've seen a hint or two about them, haven't you?"

Her attitude was amicable, her smiles bright, and her emotions were light and happy.

Illiad blushed a bit too at the cute comment, though he wondered where exactly she was going with her revised statement. "I'm sure the TrUST would be more than happy to interact with you via letter. And if it helps any, I think you're smart and cute too."

Not even pausing he continued right on to his next comment despite the blush on his own face growing a bit brighter.

"Your parents are certainly generous ponies, it's a shame they got scammed. As to the Blackwaters, I've caught glimpses of the truly kind and caring ponies they can be, I just wonder why they would choose to hide their feelings, to act so cold towards others when they can boost productivity and overall happiness here by showing that same kindness and caring to their workers. But I suppose he would know better than I how to run his business."

Illiad decided he would Empathically prod at Silver's feelings to see how deep they ran, if there was any depth to them at all. If she noticed anything it would be a thought asking how much she liked him.

With a simple mental touch, the Trojan could almost see ribbons of affection coming from her; oh, she was interested, no doubt.  There were some colorations of hesitancy and curiosity... but the feelings were there, even if still in the foundling stages.  If there was any question, the 'cute and smart too' comment made her muzzle beet red, and the gush of attraction rippled in her emotional state.

"Oh, my... OH, you!"  She simply giggled a bit and shyly turned away... but her emotions couldn't lie to an Empathic.

Straightening her composure, she tried to keep her calm by responding.

"Well... I have no idea why they hide their hearts like they do.  I've thought about it a bit, yes - but it's never really occurred to me to actually INQUIRE of such.  Though, if I had to ask anypony, I might ask Slapper - he was one of the first employees Mr. Blackwater hired when he took over the mines, so he's been here longer than anyone I know...except maybe Chuck and Taps, that is.  Chuck was THE first new hire, and Taps... well, she's just sort of always been here; maybe even before the quarry changed hooves.  I'm not certain on that one, though.  Maybe they would know more about it than I do, but that's all I can think of.  Well, you could always just ask the Blackwaters directly, but... I have no idea how Mr. Blackwater would react."

She got a thoughtful look for a moment.  "Hunh... I have no idea why I never asked before..."  She shrugged, then simply shook her head and smiled again - she seemed to be quite comfortable with a smile on her face.

At her reaction Illiad's smile grew from its standard slight smile to one a bit larger, anyone who knew him would know he was quite happy at this point.

"I'll be sure to talk to Knee or Taps the next time I see them. Personally I wouldn't ask Mr. Blackwater directly as he scares me a bit with his cold demeanor and how well he hides his emotions and intentions.Llike a blank wall, his face betrays nothing other than that he has something he considers worth hiding."

He decided he would switch topics a bit to see if he could learn more about Silver, maybe she would even ask questions about him too. "So you decided to come work here after Mr. Blackwater helped your parents right? What did you do before you came here?"

"Who, me?  Oh, I was splitting my time between helping out my parents with the charity and working in my own workshop at home.  You should SEE it!  I've got all sorts of gizmoes and gadgets there, all things I've been working on since I was old enough to levitate a screwdriver!"

She giggled at what was apparently a happy memory.

"My mother always sort of found it silly, but she never discouraged me from doing what I enjoyed.  My father..."  a swell of pride rolled out of her heart, "HE'S the one who really taught me how to tinker!  He used to be an architect, and had a hoof in designing a few of the mechanized defenses used by the Yaks today.  Canterlot could have used many of his designs, but... well, the Princesses seem to prefer magic to mechanics, so that dream of my father's just sort of faded out... well, not so much as faded out, more like he couldn't get Canterlot approval for his devices, so he stopped trying to.  Broke his heart..."

There was a pang of bittersweet sadness over that thought, but it was quickly eclipsed by the happiness of her next thought.

"... until I came along, that is!  He always called me 'his little invention', and he sort of found a new sense of purpose through me.  Of course, my mom had to tell me that; he'd never think to say it himself - it just isn't like him to simply let it all out.  But he's my father... so it's okay."

Her heart was full of love for both her parents; she couldn't help herself but to feel the way she did.

"Well, what about your family, Illiad?  I mean, what were YOUR parents like?  Any brothers or sisters?"  A pause, a worried yet curious ripple in her emotional pool, and then, "A wife?"

Illiad raised an eyebrow at Silver's concluding comment, "Now it would be irresponsible for me to be talking to a cute mare like you if I were already spoken for now wouldn't it? That said, I am currently single, I don't even have a special one, such is the life of the introverted intellectual."

To be honest it was touching that she would ask such a question, it was a bit clearer that she was in fact interested in him romantically.

"My family's a decent sort, we haven't talked in a while since I moved to Troy but we still exchange letters on occasion. My father is an architect, he designed some of the newer structures in Canterlot, though much of his work nowadays is building inspections for maintenance and the like. He was always interested in electricity, but like you said it isn't all that popular in Canterlot, I'm sure he still messes with it from time to time as a hobby. My mother is an artist and is really good at management. She's retired now that all us children moved out, so she spends her time painting for local contests and small time commissions. I have three siblings, a unicorn, a pegasus, and an Earth pony. We all got along when we were together and we still talk on occasion, but I guess my moving has really isolated me from the rest of my family. Sometimes I miss them, but it wasn't safe for me to live in Canterlot anymore since..."

Illiad sighed, looking slightly sad, but he perked up a bit as he continued. "Despite that, I spent most of my childhood in the archives, reading and helping out the librarians, I worked there for a few years after I got my mark. I'm still good friends with the current curator."

Illiad was at a loss as to how to proceed, it was clear he was not used to such in depth conversations, or perhaps his proximity to Silver was making it hard to think? He blushed a bit at that thought.

Silver smile widened and her emotions deepened as he spoke of what was apparently mutual attraction; she was also genuinely flattered with his attentions, and relieved that the feelings ran both ways.

"Well then, Mr. Easle... hopefully we can talk a few more times before you leave, I hope?  Not that I'm done talking, mind you, but more like I'm just letting you know for... future reference."  Her attempt at a slightly sexy smile came off more like a goofy lovestruck grin; it was quite funny, and it wasn't long before she realized it and went instead with a shy half-grin.

"So your father's an architect too... next time you speak with him, ask him if he's ever heard of Squeaky Gears - that's my dad.  Who knows?  Maybe they know each other?"  A soft chuckle at this thought, then a sigh.  "Your family sounds nice... and if you don't mind my saying, quite diverse!  All three kinds of ponies from the same family?  That sort of makes your parents like collectors, right?  At least one of each make a full set!"  

It was a good-natured joke, and she laughed sweetly... but as she wound down, she grew concerned.

"It sounds like Canterlot was a bit rough on you; I sympathize with you for it, whatever it was.  If you want to share, I'll listen... but I won't poke a painful scar, okay?"

Her concern was quite genuine; there seemed to be not a scrap of lying in the mare.

Illiad sighed as he thought back on why he left, the scars on his back ached slightly for a moment. "I suppose I could tell you, just din't tell anyone else okay?"

He decided to keep going before he lost his resolve. If she was one of those that hated Empathics, then it was simply not meant to be between them. "In case you didn't already know, I am Empathic, That means I can feel the emotions of those around me and influence them to some extent. I can either pull an emotion that another is feeling to lesson it a bit, or I can push an emotion I'm currently experiencing or have pulled and stored to affect their emotional standing. Knee Slapper is an Empathic too, just not to the same extent as me."

Illiad sighed again as he prepared to revisit his past. "In Canterlot there was, and still is, a general hatred towards those that are not normal unicorns. I hid my abilities well, but one day I told someone I thought was a friend. It didn't end well. Later that week he and a group of my old classmates ambushed me, held me down and poured boiling tea on me." His faded scars ached again at the memory. "When a guard came around the corner they scattered, but he was in on it, he did nothing to help me and just kept going. It was then that I knew Canterlot wasn't safe for me. So I left, I filled out the immigration paperwork and left for Troy where they accept diversity far openly."

He looked over at Silver, hoping beyond hope that she was not one of those that hated Empathics, he didn't want to have put Knee in danger. "Anyway, that's my story. I suppose I can understand if you want me to leave you alone knowing that."

Silver stared at Illiad for a moment, then spoke in a small voice.

"There is never ANY reason why ANY pony should have to endure that sort of treatment; that's deplorable!  And to simply be left there to suffer like that?  OUTRAGEOUS!  No wonder you left Canterlot - your poor back!"

An outpouring of sympathy flowed from Silver's heart as she spoke, an almost motherly instinct to comfort him was in a gentle war with the respect she was wanting to make sure he received... but it was obvious to an Empathic that she wanted to give him a comforting hug to end all comforting hugs.

"Though, I will ask you not to tell me something like that, then offer to leave if I am offended.  Illiad, that almost makes me feel like you would assume I'm almost no different than those who hurt you; I hope you really didn't believe I'd send you away, did you?  Did you really?"

A slightly disapproving glance at that, but he could read her like a book - and she wasn't actually upset with him, though she did seem a bit stung by his assumptions.  Not hurt grievously, just stung.

"Besides, empathy is merely a different form of magic, in my honest opinion; there's no stigmata on Unicorns or Alicorns, so I see no reason for there to be any associated with Empathics. And you say Slapper can do this too?"  A quick ribbon of irritation.  "And he didn't tell me?  Well, I suppose I understand, given the nature of what happened to you - but he may have some explaining to do."

There was an almost sisterly irritation that came with those words - apparently, Silver and Slapper were good friends, because the very sibling-like irritation she was expressing had a jovial, almost sing-song edge to it.  

"But that explains why you live in Troy, now.  I cannot say that I blame you, frankly... but didn't your parents do anything? Or was this one of those things where the stallion has to prove he's big and strong by keeping it all to himself?"  She teased, then a look of shock at her own words leapt onto her muzzle.  "Of course, in all seriousness I'm certain they did all that they were capable of doing; I don't mean to sound accusatory."

She wanted to joke with him and make things lighter, yet at the same time she wanted to be eminently respectful and make certain not to actually offend him.  It was almost comical, especially with the gentle war of emotions taking place under the surface of Silver's personality.

Illiad was genuinely glad at how understanding Silver was, the smile returning to his face as she spoke. "In regards to offering to leave, I suppose I was being a bit paranoid, you having been raised in Canterlot I didn't know if you had been raised to hate Empathics like most others were, I thought if you had you would at least allow me to depart in peace. I sincerely hoped you wouldn't, but I prepared for the possibility."

Illiad briefly considered taking her up on her unspoken offer of a hug, he did enjoy hugs, but he decided he would wait to see if she actually offered it first. "Slapper is a special case, before I came along to tell him he didn't really know what he was capable of, he isn't as powerful an Empathic as me, but enough so that he could run into the same stigma if discovered. I think he thought he was unique and thus didn't tell anyone. You're right that my Empathic abilities are a different form of magic, others can replicate the push/pull effects and even the sensing to a small extent, but Empathics are naturals at it to the point where we can't stop seeing the world this way, that's why my horn is always glowing ever so slightly."

Illiad looked a bit surprised at Silver's words about his parents. "My dad wanted to beat those ponies into the ground, but my mother didn't want to risk being discovered as well. They helped me move to Troy and gave me enough bits to get started in my career. I've since paid back their starting funds. In all it turned out for the best, I have a good life now and I know so much more about the world than I would have if it had never happened, despite the fact that I can't stand tea anymore."

Illiad was particularly happy at how caring Silver was, it wasn't often that someone cared so deeply about him, that wasn't a changeling, though he appreciated his changeling friends too as they were also looking out for his emotional well being, if only so he would continue to be a very productive food source.

She gave him a teasingly stern look.  "Oh, but of course... don't you know it's mandatory to teach your children how to hate if you're a couple of philanthropist parents?"  She giggled a bit.  "Of course my parents would never teach me a thing like that, silly... but I can understand your hesitancy.  It's okay - I dig you... not as in, like, you're a garden or anything, but more like I understand and sympathize with your plight."

Her smile was sunshine; Celestia herself might have been jealous.

"I have to say, I am very much enjoying your company, Illiad - I mean, you're so astute - while some of the other ponies around here could lose a debate with the mining equipment, to be honest!"

Laughing, she reached over and readjusted the straps on her toolbelt, tightening them fully before she simply stopped where she was, a blank look spreading across her face like ink in water.

"Wait... waaaaaait, wasn't I supposed to have released the pressure valve on Hopper #6?  OMIGOSH!  Come on - if we don't hurry, there'll be more excitement than you can shake a stick at!  Well, not exactly shake a stick at, but more like-OH HAYBALES, just FOLLOW ME!"

She suddenly took off running for the big factory-like building with the smokeless smokestacks sticking up out of it.

A smile spread across his face at the compliment, he knew he was pretty smart from all the time he spent in the archives, but to hear it from someone he considered actually smart really brightened his day. He took off after Silver still with a slight smile on his face, his robes flapping against his body as he did so, the material he wore wasn't made for running as it was a stiffer fabric made for holding enchantments. It also had a bit of air resistance as it was wrapped looser than normal. That plus his mostly sedentary life made chasing after the more fit mare a bit of a challenge, but he loved every moment of it. 

Silver made a dash across the main yard, heading for the big factory-looking building with the smokeless smokestacks.  She didn't even slow down, but her horn gave a glow as she reached the doorway, and the double doors swung wide as she ran straight through them. 

Inside the place was a mechanic's dream!   Everywhere, there were gears and conveyor belts, pistons and levers, valves and gauges.  The belts had a line of crude-cut emeralds on one end, but on the other end they came out clean and ready for professional-grade cutting.  There were no other gems visible on the belts; only the emeralds seemed to be the only thing being handled here.

Silver booked her way through the factory floor, sliding over tables and under conveyors with practiced ease.  She displayed an agility that would normally be seen in an athlete, yet it was just a unicorn mare who was sprinting and passing hurdles like a champion.  She surged ahead, making her way to the front of the beltline.

At this end, there were several gigantic machines standing tall against the wall and stretching to the ceiling.  Each one had a large number on the front of it, and Silver was headed for number six... which was putting off a bit more steam than the others there, Illiad noticed.

Skidding to a stop, she gave a light kick to the left side of the hopper, and a panel on the front popped open.  Instantly, the front half of her body vanished into it... leaving Silver's shapely flank sticking up in the air as she worked.

"It's down here... oh, yes, yes, yes... hold on, I'm coming - don't you dare blow that pipe again, or so help me Celestia, I will cut your intake for a week, mister!"

Silver... was talking... to the machine.  Like a child.  It was fairly cute, all things considered.

Rather than attempt to follow Silver through the factory floor, no doubt it would prove disastrous if he tried. He watched her weave through and waited for her to stop. Having locked on to her emotional trail before he could find her within the factory. He moved far enough so that he could see where she was, then warped beside her in a safe spot. As machinery was not something he had much knowledge on he practiced the policies of 'Don't touch anything', and 'Keep quiet while I'm working.' Looking about as he waited for Silver to do what she rushed in to do, and keeping his eyes off her flank like any gentlecolt, he was rather impressed with the workings of the factory, somewhat surprised at the level of automation they managed to implement. He found it quite similar to the machinery that Carbon described in the Trojan mines. 

Clanking and tapping could be heard issuing from inside Hopper #6 as Silver did whatever it was that her mechanically-adept mind did.  As she worked, the amount of steam the hopper was giving out began to taper off little by little.

"Theeeeeere you go... there's a good boy... niiiiiiiice and easy..."

Silver almost sounded like she was cooing at a baby, the way she was carrying on under the hopper's lid.  Then again, chances are good that she was probably the only one who worked on them, so of course they'd be her foals.

"Easy... eeeeeeasy... eeeeeasy..."

There was a tiny, controlled hiss of steam from inside, and a cloud of it billowed out from the hole Silver was in.  There was a giggle from inside.

"Oh, YOU!  That's quite enough of that, thank you.  I'll see you tomorrow, number six - sorry about being late today!"

She pulled herself from the hole; her mane was dripping wet, her coat coated with little beads of moisture, and her goggles were beaded with water droplets.  Her muzzle, however, wore that ear-to-ear grin, and she levitated a few tools out of the hopper before closing the hatch back up.

"Well... that was exciting, eh?  We made it with a few minutes to spare; last time I didn't make it in time, the hopper blew a pipe through the roof - about twelve stories straight up!  That took a couple of weeks to fix, but the steam valve release is still a hassle.  It's not the equipment - that's up to par - but the aquifer that the equipment gets fed from.  It occasionally has... surges of pressure, let's say... and I haven't managed to come up with a decently reactive compensation unit for... uhm..."

She blushed a bit.  "Sorry - I get a little technical sometimes; I know it's just tinkerer-stuff, but I can't help but share.  It's in my blood... well, not so much IN my actual bloodstream, but more like it has always been something my entire family line has had experience with."

Illiad turned to face her as she emerged from the machine. "I don't mind, I think it's cute actually. I was wondering though, what makes this one different from the others that it needs this maintenance regularly while the others I would guess do not? Forgive me if that question is obvious to you, I just don't have much experience with this sort of complex machinery." His current worry was that he didn't feel as smart as Silver was, he hoped there was something in him she could appreciate as much as he appreciated her intelligence. It didn't hurt that she was cute too, and while he didn't consider himself too handsome it made him a bit self conscious. 

"Oh - OH!  Actually, it has more to do with the pipes initial installment... almost 200 years ago.  The pipe leading to Hopper Six breaches a part of the aquifer that tends to stay colder than the rest, due to its depth inside the mountain.  As the miners dig deeper and deeper, it causes vibrations that... well, they shake some of the ice loose, and the air trapped inside that ice builds up near the pipe.  When the Hoppers run their typical workdays, the pipe heats up a bit, causing excess steam from below to start coming through the pipe and backing up in the release valve.  The other hoppers are juuuuuuust far enough away from the coldest part to avoid such issues, or at least the excess steam isn't enough to cause any problems.  Hopper Six is just a special snowflake, is all."

She reached up and gave the machine a gentle pat on its side.

"Silvah!"

From the doorway, Chuck List called out to the mare.  The stern look on his muzzle was seemingly set in stone, yet his emotions were fine and dandy; apparently, it was just a common look for him.

"Oh!  Excuse me a moment, Illiad... yes, Chuck?"

"Dat fix you did on doze lights da udder day?  Doze morons onna morning shift tripped over it - an' it's busted again.  Dunnit figure?  Think you can get dat thing onna straight-an'-narrow b'fore Lunch?"

Silver rolled her eyes, but smiled in good humour.  "Well, working down in the dark like that, I'd have thought they all had plenty of time to let their eyes adjust!"  Silver gave a giggle, but Chuck simply gave an impatient sigh.  "Okay, okay... I can get to that, Chuck.  Shouldn't be much of an issue... unless somepony sat on it, of course."

She turned back to Illiad.  "Well, I suppose I have to get to work now... but I THOROUGHLY enjoyed your company!  I do hope we'll get to speak again soon; good conversation is hard to find.... and speaking of which, if you wanted to ask Chuck about those questions you had earlier, he might have some answers.  And don't let him fool you; Chuck's a good guy, he just has to act tough so the other miners will listen to him.  Well, I have work to do - until next time!"

Silver smiled sunnily as she waved to the Trojan, exiting the factory.  Chuck watched her go, then turned back to face Illiad.  The look in his eye was hard, but Illiad didn't have to rely on looks alone to figure him out; Chuck's emotions were a chunk of curiosity with a dash of genuine interest thrown in, both covering the surface of what felt like a mix of acceptance and determination.

"Yeah... whasamatta witchoo?  Y'see somethin' green?"

He looked annoyed, but he wasn't annoyed; maybe he just didn't have good social skills? This should certainly be interesting.
> An Exchange of Straw
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

What Illiad wanted to do was spend more time with Silver, but it seemed clear she wanted to focus on the work she had, perhaps they would meet up again later. In regards to Chuck, as much as Illiad wanted the answers to his questions, it wouldn't be proper to ask about one's employer when they had just met. He would likely have better luck with Knee Slapper when he next saw him. As nice a pony as Silver said Chuck actually was, Illiad wasn't quite in the mood to deal with one who acted and said the opposite of what they wanted as it showed they weren't truly interested. Illiad turned to face Chuck as he tried to walk the safest path through the factory.

With a sigh he decided he ought to at least give the stallion a chance as he really didn't have anything better to be doing today unless Silver was interested in talking to him again soon. He did his best to seem interested, but Chuck's tone and word choice were particularly off putting to him. He finally found a safe route that brought him to the entrance. "I'm not sure I entirely understand your statement. Would you mind clarifying?"

Chuck gave Iliad a bit of a curious look for a moment, then his eyebrows raised.

"... hunh, you honestly dunno.  Dat's a new one, but s'okay.  I simply t'ought dat you mighta been lookin' at me like you was 'cuz ya seen somethin' green in m'teeth or somethin' like dat."

The emotion was a ripple of surprise.  "Youze don' go ta deze kinda places much, m'iright?"  The Trojan may have expected scorn with the statement alone, but Chuck wasn't mocking him at all; he was apparently taken a bit aback that he knew something the unicorn didn't.

"Dat's arright - yer Dax's pen-pal buddy, ain'cha?  Yeah, I r'member youze from th' tunnel; toldja ta puddon a hard hat.  Ya did; good 'nuff fer me.  Dat kid really seems ta like ya, an' dat's okay wit' me.  So... yeah, yer arright."

Chuck reached back and clamped his mouth on a small wooden handle, pulling out a small clipboard connected to it with copper wiring.  It was an interesting little gadget that brought the clipboard into perfect view for the forepony.  As his eyes scanned its contents, Illiad was given a better opportunity to look Chuck over.

The stallion was an Earth Pony; no magic or flight for him.  But he didn't seem to mind, or even care - intently staring at that board and muttering to himself, Illiad could feel the low thrum of concentrated thinking coming off the simple gray workhorse.  He was a bit bigger than average, but nowhere NEAR as big as some of the others here.  From what could be seen, there were a number of old, shiny scars around his legs and back; scars that weren't just from falling off a scooter as a colt.  It was obvious that the forepony was good at his job, but there was an underlying look of one who actually EARNED their position, as opposed to those 'factory bureaucrats' who never saw a day of hard work in their lives; Chuck looked STURDY.  

And through it all, the stallion had simply read his notes, turning pages with a flick of his ear until he grunted some sort of affirmative, then after flicking the stick and sending all the turned pages back to their original folds, he put it away again in one of his belt pouches.  He looked back up at Illiad, then simply asked a question:

"Do da mares look bettah over dere, or what?  I mean, with loc'l-type outfits an' such - whadda doze ladies from Troy got dat's unique?  Izzit da clothes?  Izzit da jewl'ry?  Izzit dere accents?  I mean, I ain't no lech'r'nuthin'... but hey, a pretty mare's a t'inga byootee, m'iright?"

His accent sounded heavy Manehattan, perhaps?  All the same, his speech made sense; it was simply somewhat mingled together, but it wasn't indecipherable.  Besides, he had been correct - maybe a bit of a roguish feeling or two, but nothing lewd or lustful so much.  He was actually expressing an active interest, it seemed. 

Illiad contemplated Chuck's questions, he was certainly an odd sort, but he'd be right at home with the miners back in Troy. "I haven't been in this sort of factory before yes, it is certainly an impressive work of automation. And yes, I am Dax's exchange partner, Illiad Easle. As to the females back home, they come in all types and species, no accents or traits really unique to Troy, more like a mixture of everywhere else, creatures come to Troy from all parts of the world and they bring their cultures with them. I wouldn't consider Trojan fashion very special, it doesn't get much different from what I'm wearing now as the primary purpose is to keep the sand out of your coat, and fancy fabrics don't do that all that well. Jewelry is certainly something we do well, but that sort of thing doesn't matter to me. I care about what's inside, looks and accessories change and fade over time, but who someone is inside stays pretty constant, beauty does make the character all that more appealing though." Illiad was starting to warm up to Chuck, he seemed alright once he got past the accent.

Chuck gave a grin.  "Yeah, y'got dat right!  O'course, dat don't 'splain what Da Boss sees in Vylia, tho'.  Dat one's a piece o' work - byoo-tee-FULL... but fulla so much venom, makes 'er eyes green!"

Chuck laughed heartily, but sighed as he finished.

"Well... gotta admit dat sheeza lookah, but ain't NO mare worth dat level o' grief.  You seen 'er pitch a fit?  Heck, I been workin' da mines fer a long time an' seen all sortsa stuff - but dat mare scares me, an' dat ain't easy ta do!"

He looked over Illiad for a moment.  "Yeeaaaahh... you got dat lookaboutcha - you might not look like a scrappah, but I'll betcher pretty tough, alla same.  Ya got dat lookaboutcha, like I sed.  Ya don' LOOK all dat tuff... but like ya sed, looks ain't ev'rything, right?"

His emotional state was mellow and light, yet he still looked a bit gruff.  Chances are, it was just the way he was - he seemed comfortable in his own skin; not at all bothered, nervous or agitated.  

"As fer Daxy, s'a good thing yer doin' fer dat kid - he's had it ruff 'round here; heck, he's had it rough all ovah, y'ask me.  'Bout time he got himself a buddy.  Yer a good fella ferdat!" 

Well, that showed what he thought of the Blackwaters, though it surprised Illiad how open Chuck was being with someone he had just met. Illiad could have been a spy for the Blackwaters, but he wasn't. 

"I suppose beauty is relative, Mrs. Blackwater isn't really my type anyway. And I suppose I am pretty tough, my skill in magic compensates pretty well for my lack of body strength. I do hope I'm improving the lives of others with my presence, I'm glad to hear you think I'm doing something right."

He gave Illiad a clap on the back; it was strong, but not intended to hurt... not that it didn't hurt a bit, but there was no sense of painful intent from Chuck's emotions.

"Y'had lunch yet, huh?  Y'feel like grabbina munch?  Da Lunch Trailah's foodza lot bettah than ya t'ink.  Whaddya say?"

Illiad winced slightly when Chuck managed to strike a scar directly. He knew it wasn't intentional, but it hurt anyway. "Sure, I could use some food."

Chuck was moving a bit back towards off putting with his comments towards his boss' wife, such lack of respect was surprising to him. Still, he was excited at the prospect of more food. 

Chuck led Illiad over to the Lunch Trailer, where the aroma of freshly cooked straw dogs and corn fritters were thick in the air, but not unpleasantly so.  There were a few other ponies here already, and a few of them nodded or waved to Chuck, who returned their greetings in kind.

They stepped up to the little window in front; behind the counter was a gaunt, haggard-looking pony who took one look at Chuck, and instantly went to the grill, plopping two straw dogs onto the hot surface.

"Hey dere, Grill!  Gimme a dubble onnat ordah, wouldja?"

The grill pony sighed, and put two more on to cook.  Chuck leaned against the side of the trailer, after moving out of the way of the window, and gave Illiad a curious look.

"So... whatcha like on yer straw dawg?  Mustard?  Ketchup?  Relish?  What kinda stuff you put on your... heck, you even HAD one b'fore?"

Illiad was intrigued by the smells of the area, and a bit surprised at the use of straw in food. Hay was far more nutritious, though a bit more costly to produce than straw, which came attached to the other crops like cereals and wheat. Perhaps they weren't using actual straw and just called it that.

He turned towards Chuck with a bit of a curious look on his face. "No, I can't say I have. It smells interesting though, is it made with actual straw? Or is it hay instead?"

The forepony laughed.  

"Nah, dere hay, arrite - but back inna day, dey useta be straw; back when my Faddah was still a young buck, he hadda cart dat he useta pull to a lotta events around 'Questria.  Made 'em any kinda way youze can thinkit - all sortza erbs an' spices dat he could put tageddah t'make REALLY GOOD straw dawgs!  He was a bona-fidey GENIUS widdem; dat's why I gotta real appreciation for 'em."

He went to the window seemingly automatically; the grill pony put four 'straw' dogs in little paper bowls on the counter as if it was a well-rehearsed routine - chances are, it was.  Chuck got them on a battered and carved-on wooden tray, and brought them over to the side of the lunch trailer, where there was a cart full of bottles, shakers and jars.  

It was a bit messy, but the condiment cart wasn't nasty-looking; it seemed like somepony cleaned it each day, so the little drips and spills weren't so bad.  Chuck set the tray down, then turned and smiled over at Illiad.

"Hey, howzabout dis - you get two uvvum, but I get ta dress one up MY way for ya!  If ya don't like it, I'll getcha anuddah one.  Whaddya say?"

Chuck was grinning ear-to-ear, and the enthusiasm for these rolled and fried tubes in buns rolled off him in a steady but significant stream.  Apparently, if ANYPONY here was going to really introduce Illiad to food, then perhaps Chuck List could be the one to do it...

Illiad didn't see anything wrong with that arrangement. Given that he had no idea what would go good on a straw dog, he thought it best to let someone who knew what they were doing take care of it.

"Sure, that sounds like as good a place as any to start. I wouldn't know what one puts on a straw dog anyway."

Chuck grinned and his spirits climbed.  "See, DAT'S what I'm gonna show ya!  Arrite, look here -"

He made his way to one of the jars, where a small dipping ladle was.  From inside came a pungent, sweet smell, and Chuck pointed a hoof at it.  "Dat's RELISH; s'made outta diced pickles an' a bitta syrup - always get it as a base, 'cuz it can help hold it all tageddah..."  So said, he scooped the ladle and poured a fair-sized line of green, chunky and gooey-looking stuff along the length of the dog.

Next, he moved to a canister that had a sharp, onion-y scent.  "Dem's onions," Chuck said, "and dey go great widda relish, ya know.  Good veggie-tubble combo, if ya ask me."  With an available spoon, he put a neat line of chopped onions on the relish, giving the white chips a bed of green.

After this, he leaned over far enough to nudge a dented tin shaker closer, taking hold of it and shaking a light coat of what appeared to be a chunky white powder over the veggies already on it.  Once finished, he set down the shaker and stated, "Dat's Ground Goat Cheese - pretty popular 'round here when it comes ta dawgs."

He then moved over to a station on the cart with a seemingly heated container sitting on a metal plate; upon closer inspection, it had a very slight magical aura coming from it.  At any rate, it was putting off a bit of heat, and whatever was inside had a very hearty, delicious aroma that became evident when Chuck pulled the lid off of it.  He smirked back at the Trojan.  

"Dis is called CHILI; it's basically bean gravy wit some extra spices and such.  Always heated, 'cuz it just ain't the same widdout it!  Plus, it warms up the onions an' relish, and dat's a good thing!"  He laid a generous helping of chili along the dog, burying the relish and onions in a layer of bubbling bean goodness.

He then stepped over and pointed at a jar with what appeared to be shredded lettuce in it.  "Dat's Cold Slaw; s'magically treated ta stay cold while ya eat it, but it don't cool the chili off - it's Q-lynn-airee magic, I tell yaz!"  He spooned three large dollops onto the dog, eyeballing his own work.

With that, he turned and offered the prepared straw dog to Illiad.

"Arrite, dere ya go: one Chuck Supreme!  G'wan and try the uddah dawg first, the one widdout stuff onnit - get a feel for the taste of it b'fore you moddy-fie it!  Den, try dis one."

Illiad found the stack of condiments to be both an odd set of combinations and a bit overwhelming. At least there's no mushrooms, or it being dipped in tea. Illiad picked up the undecorated tube of grilled hay, "Ok, don't be offended if I don't like it."

Illiad then tried a bite of the hay in bread. It was a bit bland and dry on its own, likely it was meant to have condiments added to it. He could taste a hint of the spices within, they were common spices in Troy, so he was used to higher concentrations of them than were present. In all, it was decent, it was food after all and pleasantly different from what he was used to.

"It's different than what I expected, not bad though." Illiad idly wondered what the Blackwaters would think of him if they saw him here.

Chuck lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh-HO, 'zat so?  Arrite - you tried dat one... now," he smiled broadly, "try DIS one!"

He motioned to the decorated dog.  All in all, it looked like there would be a number of flavors in it - and who knew?  Perhaps they would be good, all mashed together this way.  Besides, it did seem to mean a lot to the forepony that Illiad would actually take an interest in something he had quite a bit of knowledge about.

"Here - I ain't gonna stare down yer t'roat while ya eat it; I'm gonna make mine up right while you try yer foist bite o' the perfect dawg!"

With that, as promised, Chuck began to cover his two the same way he had done for the unicorn; the EXACT same way, in fact.

Illiad set aside the rest of his plain dog, eyeing the decorated one with a bit of trepidation. He still considered the combination odd and wasn't too sure about the quantity. But he didn't want to be rude, so he carefully lifted it as to not spill the small pile of toppings and took a bite.

It was certainly an intense mix of flavors, the diversity of which made his tongue simply go 'huh,' and stop trying to process it. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant experience to be honest, just not the sort of thing he was used to or would honestly prefer. He continued to eat it as there was no point in letting it go to waste and his tongue was still on a temporary vacation from tasting things. Once finished he picked up the remainder of the plain dog and joined Chuck at the topping station.

"It was certainly an interesting combination, but I think it was a bit too intense for my tastes. No doubt if I had them more regularly I'd be able to appreciate it more." 

Chuck gave Illiad a bit of a sidelong glance... then simply chuckled and shook his head.

"Eh, I suppose dey ain't fer ev'rypony, are dey?  Too bad - t'ought I woulda found ya somethin' good dere."

He shrugged non-chalantly, but the Empath in him could feel the little ripple of disappointment roll through Chuck.  Still, it didn't show on his muzzle, and it seemed as if he wouldn't hold a grudge, as there was no ire or wrath coming off him.  He finished gathering the condiments for his own dogs, then sat down and fairly wolfed them down himself; it was somewhat impressive that he didn't even spill a drop, especially when the forepony's own straw dogs were more loaded than Illiad's had been.

"So," he asked between biting, chewing and swallowing, "Whaddaya learned from the kid so far, eh?  Anything yet?"

Illiad looked slightly surprised at Chuck's line of questioning. "Well, I'd say I've learned a bit about him and his family as well as how this quarry works. He's an interesting kid, so different from the rest of his family. This quarry is an impressive work, I'm amazed that the mountain still has minerals to be mined after all this time, especially with how efficient you seem to be with extraction." 

Chuck nodded at the unicorn's appraisal of Dax.  "He's a good kid.  Useta come down here alla time, even helped out inna mines - he's got a GREAT kick - but dat was b'fore The Boss found out."  He shook his head slowly.  "Sad stuff, dere."

Hearing about the mountain and extraction, however, brought a smile to the forepony's muzzle.  "Yeah, you'da t'ought dat it's gotta be t'rough by now... but it ain't.  Dis mountain was caused wenna meteorite struck da ground here, reeeeeeeeeally long time ago.  Da water built up unnerground releases inta da soil, an' dat shifts stuff around a lot ovah time... b'sides, we keep a decent rotation o' worksites an' blasting.  The blast loosens up da area around it, so's dere can be anuddah round of mining by da time we gat back to it."

Chuck stuffed about half of a straw dog into his mouth, chewed exactly three times, then swallowed as he pointed to the east.  "Always clockwise 'round da mountain - nevah countah; dat keeps ya away from da blasting."

Illiad knew enough about mountains to know that that was not how normal mountains worked, but was open minded enough to suppose that it could be true for this mountain, he had seen some pretty interesting things within it after all.

"Huh, that sure is an interesting situation you have with this mountain."

He decided not to ask about why Mr. Blackwater wouldn't want Dax helping in the mines, he was sure Mr. Blackwater would have a good reason for it.

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you think of Silver Studs?" 

"Silvah?"

Chuck gave Illiad a curious look for a moment, then a slow smile crawled across his muzzle.

"Oh-ho-ho, I see... well, she's a good kid.  Smart as all get-out, y'know?  Seen her workin' on her machines an' such; got a knack fer 'em, so she kinda keeps da whole place runnin' in tip-top shape.  I never saw anypone as nutzo 'bout gears an' stuff as she is.  Gotta admit, she's got ME beat in brains - and she's bettah-lookin', DAT'S fer sure!"

Chuck laughed a bit, then settled down.  Taking another whopping bite from his straw dog, the forepony gave the question a little more serious thought.

"She's a workah - no lazybones in her skelly-ton, I know dat.  An' honest, she ain't got a lie inner whole body... DAT, I like even more.  She ain't the dizzy kinda mare, either - she's got 'er head on straight, even if it is kinda inna clouds, sometimes."

Chuck shrugged, but it was obvious he thought the mare was sweet.

"Sounds ta me like youze gotta soitan lady on yer mind, eh?  You just chattin' her up right now, or you gots wedding bells in the fewtcha?"

Illiad almost blushed at Chuck's question, but still gave a slight smile at the thought. "She certainly is smart, she reminds me of my good friend Clockwork in a way. He's really good at inventing stuff too. It doesn't hurt that she's one of the cutest mares I've ever had the pleasure to meet. I really enjoy talking to her, but I'm not sure she'd be interested in marrying me, I've only just met her. No doubt some other pony's caught her eye by now."

Illiad sighed as he finished his un-decorated straw dog. "I suppose it's too early to really know at this point, but she is certainly the kind of mare I'd like to marry someday."

He turned his attention back towards Chuck. "Sorry if any of that seemed a bit odd, this is an odd situation for me."

Why do I get the feeling Silver would have just happened to overhear what I just said?

Chuck grinned.  "Eh, we're all kinda odd around heah - no harm, no foul."

Chuck expertly finished off his straw dogs, then took his tray to a bin nearby, where he simply dropped it in and left it.  He made his way back over to Illiad, a thoughtful look on his muzzle.

"Far's I knowuv, I can't t'ink of ANYpony who's shown much innerest in Silvah - 'cept Slappah, an' doze two're like bruddah an' sistah.  Maybe you gots yerself a chance dere, Romeo." 

Chuck gave the unicorn a playful nudge, chuckling slightly.  "Why don't we head ovah tada gates?  Dere's a bee-you-tee-full viewa Canterlot from-"

"Well now, Chuck... made a new friend, have we?"

Behind them both was Redd; he wore a big smile on his face and a look of solid curiosity in his eyes.  Emotionally, it felt as if he were mentally prodding at this situation to try to find an excuse to get them into trouble.

"And how do YOU do, Mr. Easle?  There's certainly some talk getting around about you, you know..."

Chuck rolled his eyes; Illiad didn't need to feel the disgust coming from the forepony to know he wasn't fooled by Redd's kind demeanor.

"Whadda YOU want?"

"I simply wanted to take the opportunity to remind you that this IS a business, Chuck - it wouldn't do to just take leisure time whenever you want, now would it?"

Chuck gave Redd a square look.  "Ah, blowwit outcher feedbag, Redd - dis's my break time, an' I'm takin' a break.  B'sides, I could take a whole day of doin' nuttin', an' I'd STILL have ta put in extra non-work ta catch upta YOUSE, ya twinkie."

The comment seemed to cause Redd's grin to grow... but OOH the hatred that bubbled up inside!

Illiad knew it wasn't his place to keep the two of them in line, so he wasn't going to try anything in regards to balancing their emotions. He liked Chuck more anyways and given the time Chuck had been here he no doubt had seniority in the situation.

Illiad was curious however to what might have been said about him. He feigned interest "Oh? And what might that talk about me be pray-tell? Would it happen to involve Knee Slapper?"

Redd lifted an eyebrow at the Trojan.  "Oh, I'm CERTAIN there's been some talk about the two of you, yes... and about whatever happened the other day.  I'm GOING to find out, Mr. Easle - and should it be untoward behavior, I shall-"

"Redd... c'mere a mo'."

The red unicorn gave the gray earth pony a highly skeptical look, then gingerly leaned in close to listen to Chuck.  The forepony looked around in a conspiratorial manner - which was when his emotions instantly reacted and started cycling up with... humor?  Whatever his reasons, his face showed NONE of it.

"Ya know what da real thing is about Illiad ovah heah?"  Chuck's eyes got a mystified look in them.  "Y'see - he's got dat psychic touch, ya know?  He knows what'cher thinkin', an' if he don't like it, he can make parts of yer brain just disappear!"

A sly wink from Chuck; a skeptical pout from Redd... and a bit of movement from behind Redd.  It took Illiad a moment, but when he finally saw Knee Slapper creeping up behind Redd, the intent became clear.

"You're full of manure, Chuck!  There's no such thing as a psychic pony - you're pulling my leg."

Chuck took on a mockingly sincere look.  "Oh, now would I do a t'ing like dat, ol' buddy ol' pal?"  Slapper was almost directly behind Redd now, and he raised his hooves over his head.

"B'sides... you ain't never SEEN a psychic pony, right?  Ain't no tellin' if Illiad here's gonna getcher goat or what... 'cause if ya make 'im reeeeeeal mad... he might... just... make... you..."

"EXPLODE!!!"  Slapper yelled out as he smacked Redd on both sides of his flank at once.  The peal of horror that came out of the rude unicorn's mouth sounded more like a mare's squeal than a stallion's yell.  Red came off the ground by about six inches, and his legs flailed wildly for the brief moment he was airborne.  Once landing, his wide round eyes slowly re-focused, and turned a hateful, spiteful glare on the two foreponies, who were currently laughing almost hard enough to make their cutie marks fall off.

"YOU TWO WILL RUE THE DAY YOU DID THIS!"  Redd yelled at them, his emotions a ball of anger and shame.  He turned to Illiad.  "AND YOU!  I'll be WATCHING you!  Best stay clear of these two troublemakers, or they'll-"

"Heeeeeey, it's all in harmless fun, Reddy!"

"DO.  NOT.  CALL.  ME.  THAT!"

"Awwww... shucks, Redd - c'mon... you know you'd have laughed if you would have seen it done to somepony else, right?"

Illiad felt a tweak of energy from Slapper; the forepony was using his own abilities to calm Redd down - and it was working.  Mostly.  His anger down to a dull roar, he shot an evil glance at the three of them, them walked off in a huff.

Chuck and Slapper resumed laughing as soon as Redd was out of sight.

As humorous as Illiad knew the situation was meant to be, it was far too close to the real stigma surrounding Empathics for him to get any real enjoyment out of it. He gave a slightly nervous smile, but did not laugh. It would be clear to Knee that he was quite uncomfortable.

Hoping to move on however, Illiad turned his attention towards Knee, "Glad to see you're doing well." 

Slapper wound his laughter down, and the grin on his muzzle was infectious.

"Yeah, good to see you're A-OK, too.  Dealing with a rockslide like that one... what a doozy, eh?" 

Chuck finally wound down as well, then gave a sigh.

"Arrite, ya mooks - I gotta get back in dere; no tellin' what doze idjits have knocked ovah since I been on break.  You can escort dis guy around fer a bit, 'cuz you two apparently got some hist'ry tageddah... at any rate, it was pretty okay chattin' witcha dere, Illiad; yer arrite."

Chuck gave the unicorns a nod and a grin, then set his 'work face' on and made his way back towards the mines.  Slapper watched him go, then spoke softly to Illiad in the other tone of voice he'd used earlier; Illiad might have gotten the impression that this voice sounded more natural to the purple unicorn.

"There goes a stallion who is worth his weight in emeralds... but don't let him know I said such; his ego is far more delicate than you'd expect; he doesn't need it inflated.  I am genuinely glad that you're okay - I was a bit worried, but Ziggy told me you seemed fine."

He glanced around a bit, then motioned to the Trojan to follow him as he started walking aimlessly.

"I expect that, if we want to talk, now would be the time.  Shall we?  I'd be more than happy to discuss what happened yesterday... if you're up for it?"

Illiad moved to follow Knee, a slightly serious expression on his face. "As much as I want to put the indecent out of my mind I won't feel entirely safe until I know it won't happen again. It could have caused quite a bit of harm had we not stopped it when we did and I don't want it to happen again." 

Illiad sighed as his expression softened a bit. "I'm feeling much better now, but I'd hate to think what would have happened had she not arrived to assist us."

"Yes... of all the ponies, Princess Luna, herself!  I imagine you must have quite a bit of pull to garner the attention of the Night Princess like that.  A good thing, too... you're quite right that we would have been mere casualties instead of victors."

Knee waved to a few other workers in passing, then continued to speak when they were out of earshot.

"As long as the barricades stay undisturbed, it should seal that thing inside it.  Of course, it'd be safer still to just blast the caves around it and seal it off for good; at least I'D feel safer, anyway.  Maybe that's what I'll have to tell Luther - it's time to just seal it off for good.  We didn't consider it at the time because of structural issues... but that was long before we got the supports like we have now.  Those tunnels could be sealed shut, and with the barricades doing their job, it'll put the final kibosh on this whole thing... once and for all."

He sighed at this, yet there was still a small look of doubt haunting his eyes.

"I don't know for sure... but I feel as though there was something... I was missing in all that.  The spirit-presence you unleashed spoke to the thing; they sounded almost like it was a conversation, did it not?  What were they talking about, I wonder?  Do you know?"

Illiad would have preferred a more definite solution, but agreed that blasting the caves would be the safest that could be managed at the moment. "Selena hasn't told me what was said in her discussion, nor am I inclined to ask. Given the judgement she passed down I would assume it was a typical condemnation speech with it either pleading or justifying its actions."

Illiad thought of what else he could say but couldn't seem to come up with the words for it. "Given that it wasn't destroyed I would believe she found some reasonable justification for its actions. But if the cave is being demolished we may never know, nor may it really matter."

Illiad looked a bit down. "It's a shame you'll lose so much cloud diamond in the process, it's not the purest but there is still a substantial quantity, it's likely attracted all the diamond in the mountain."

Knee shook his head emphatically.

"No way, Illiad - there's no amount of diamond - Cloud or otherwise - that would ever justify trying to keep those tunnels open for even another week.  Besides, I'm fairly certain Luther still has some of the original chunk stashed away somewhere, so it's not as big a loss as one would think.  But yes, having the tunnels sealed will be the end of it, I'm sure."

Illiad did not look to sure and still felt a bit of dis-ease at the danger it posed.
"I hope you're right about that."

Knee was quiet for a moment, then spoke up again once they were clear of any possible eavesdroppers.

"Selena, you say?  So that's the name of the entity you conjured up.  Would it be too much for me to ask how THAT came to be?  How you met her, I suppose?"

His disposition did improve at the question of Selena.

"The story of Selena is a complicated one, it is why I know Princess Luna so well. She has asked that I not go into detail as to her origins at the moment, it suffices me to say that Selena is as much Princess Luna as she is me. She is the current embodiment of Karma, and she and I share a link."

He looked over at Knee with a slightly sheepish grin.

"I know that that is not very informative, I met Selena the night after I, 'liberated', the cloud diamond she resides in from where Celestia put it after she took it from Princess Luna. Selena has the same dreamwalking ability that Luna has so we talked in a dream and I've kept her around ever since. Usually she will act through me to balance karma in others, but there was a good quantity of diamond available and Luna's help so I thought I'd try a full form."

Illiad looked back over at Knee.

"I hope at least some of that made sense to you, if not I could answer some questions about it."

Knee gave a mock-hurt look on his face.

"Oh, how you wound me - after all we've been through together?"  Slapper gave a hearty chuckle, "Trust me, I understand about having a little privacy with matters... remember, I've been keeping a low profile myself here for quite some NEVER had a chance!  We flattened that wall in no time flat... and HEY, look who it is!"

Knee Slapper, apparently having seen him coming, turned Illiad around to face towards the quarry - where Dax was making his way towards them both.   Knee tipped the Trojan a wink as the young stallion approached, and touseled Dax's mane when he got close.

"You been keeping outta trouble, young fella?"

Dax gave Knee a sidelong glance, but he was grinning all the same.  "Yeah, yeah... hiya, Illiad!  I had to go with Mother; did one of the Ons tell you?  I hope you weren't too bored around here, were you?"

Slapper grinned.  "Naaaaah, he's been keeping himself entertained."

"Oh, good - I was afraid you'd get bored here by yourself.  Thanks for keeping him company, Knee."

"Eh, you know me - hard for me to keep my big mouth from flappin', y'know." Knee started walking off. "So, I guess we'll yammer at each other later, Mr. Easel; you have yourself a good day!"
> An Exchange of Camp
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dax turned back to face Illiad.  "I hope Slapper didn't bore you too much with his stale jokes and juvenile pranks.  He didn't pull one on you, did he?"

Illiad smiled, "I actually had a rather pleasant day, no doubt though it would have been better had you been present. Knee got Redd pretty good, he probably would have gotten me at some point had you not arrived."

He moved a bit closer to Dax. "So how was Canterlot? If you don't mind me asking of course." 

Dax rolled his eyes melodramatically, but Illiad felt nothing but good spirits coming from the young stallion as he draped a hoof across his forehead.

"OH!  It was... SO... BOOOOOOOOOOORIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!"

He put a hoof on either side of his face, scrunching it up comically as he cast his voice at a higher register.

"OH, but MISS-us BLACK-wah-tah, we sway-ah we have the FIIIIIIINE-est mah-tee-ree-oolz in AWL of Equ-ES-tria!"

He then took his hooves down and placed them on his flanks, standing prissily on two hooves.  His voice was still high, but this voice had a LOT less snark in it.

"Now of COURSE it is, honeybee - I wouldn't shop here if it wasn't so, my little chipmunk!"

He scrunched his face again.  "Oh, why THAY-UNK YOH!"

Hooves on hips; "But of COURSE, my darling pumpernickel!"

Then he made a sound like a cross between a mare's giggle and a sharp whinny; when it was done, he took an exaggeratedly large breath, looked Illiad directly in the eye, and then... he exhaled very softly in a single puff of a sigh.

"All... morning... long."

The grin he put on next was more like what he was feeling.  "Besides that, though... I don't know if it was all that different than the last time I was there... but I did remember you saying that you grew up there, but you had to leave... so, because I thought you might miss it - and I'm not all that good at describing things - I brought you stuff that might do a better job of it; here!"

Dax reached back into his saddlebag and brought out three things in succession: A small sack, a small box, and a book.

Dax gave Illiad the book first.  "It's a picture book of Modern Canterlot - just printed earlier this year, according to the bookstore mare; she said it was the one with the most scenic and detailed pictures yet!"  The book was almost cover-to-cover photographs of Canterlot in all it's glory; scenic views, wide-angle lenses... even arial shots!  It was well-crafted, and full of all sorts of information as well; this wasn't a tourist's book - it was meant for true fans of the city.

Next, he gave him the box.  Inside was what appeared to be a folded cloth at first, but what Illiad discovered to be a very well-made cloak.  "The lady at The Boutique Fantastique assured me that this would keep the heat off, but would breathe like a cloud; the design is one-of-a-kind!"  On the seams, there was a very distinctly Canterlot-inspired pattern, and the material felt smooth, but not quite silky.

The aroma coming from the sack was sweet and enticing.  "And I don't know if he was around back when you were living there, but... I got you some doughnuts from Pony Joe's."

Dax smiled.  "I know it's not like going to Canterlot itself, but... maybe this is a good try, at least?"  He gave the unicorn another Dax-Patented sheepish grin.

Illiad was genuinely touched by the gesture. So much so that he had no words to describe it.

Setting the objects carefully aside he drew Dax into a surprise hug.

Dax's face was full of surprise as Illiad embraced him, but his heart nearly exploded with joy.  He returned the hug in kind, and even gave a slight happy chuckle at seeing how much it meant to his Trojan friend.

Illiad made sure to release him before it became awkward, looking over the items again with the largest smile he had had since arriving on the quarry. Illiad had always loved the city and its architecture, it was a shame that a few bad experiences spoiled his otherwise enjoyable life. He recognized some of the buildings from his father's designs.

He turned back towards Dax and considered hugging him again, there may even have been a very masculine tear on his smiling face. "I... wow. You really are a wonderful and caring colt, looking out for your friends."

"Well, aside from some of the staff here at the quarry... you're my only friend, Illiad; of course I was thinking of you!" 

Illiad was both happy to be considered a friend, and sad that he was the only one. He knew it wasn't likely to have been by choice, but rather a product of Dax’s parents isolating him.

Illiad sighed as he looked back towards the items. "I had always loved living in Canterlot, I loved the architecture and the scenery. It was the ponies that caused my departure, there were good ones to be sure, like Dewey the archives curator and Pony Joe, though he was a bit younger when I last saw him oh, I suppose it has been three years now. He did always have good doughnuts at his shop and he was a sympathetic ear to my troubles."

Illiad sighed again, wondering how he could ever repay such kindness, an idea came to him. "Do you like music Dax? A Capella singing more specifically?"

Dax was grinning ear to ear; the emotion coming out of him put the grin to shame.  He grew a curious look as Illiad spoke of music.

"Well, sure I do - instruments or not, singing can be beautiful... don't you think so?"

"It certainly can, have you heard of HexComb? The A Capella group that donates most of their concert funds to charity? I heard that they are headlining a concert in Troy next week, I may be able to get us in if you're interested."

Dax got a bit wide-eyed at the prospect of a concert.

"Really?  I mean, WOW, but... are you sure it's okay?  Oh, that would be awesome!  But, you know, I don't wanna cause you any trouble!  I mean, YEAH I wanna go!  I've never been to a concert before, though I've heard they're pretty neat..." He let out a laugh.  "I... I don't know what to say!  I mean, you don't HAVE to go to all that trouble, but... oh, WOW..."

It was kind of adorable, how Dax was both extremely elated at the prospect of attending a concert, and at the same time worried about being too much of a burden; the strange mix of emotions was rather comical.  He started walking back and forth, talking himself into a tizzy.

"Oh, that'll be SO COOL!  Plus, since it's for charity, maybe I could bring some bits to donate?  Do you think they'll like that?  OH, I just can hardly wai-"

Lost in his own world of excitement, Dax didn't notice the group of miners until he backed into them.  There was a rough bump, and Dax wobbled a bit as he almost literally bounced off the dirt-covered stallion in front.  Dax's eyes flew wide, and he turned to apologize.

"OH!  Oh, I'm so sorr-"

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, PINK-SLIP!"

With that single sentence, Illiad felt Dax's entire emotional state, excitement and all, fall straight through the floor and crash-land in Depressionville.

The miners glared at the young Blackwater as they walked past; Dax didn't even look up at them - he just stood there, staring at the ground.  His emotions were painful and sharp... and black as night.  The sudden switch was like a magic trick, except there was no 'alakazam'; just Dax, fighting tears.

Illiad was often told he looked quite scary when mad. It wasn't the sort of fiery vengeance that one would expect, full of fire and fury, but a cool burning, a cold hatred that made you know you would regret ever crossing him. In a way Illiad was glad that this had happened, terror goes stale fairly quickly when stored.

And he had quite the store of it from the day before.

Dax's sorrow hurt him physically to feel, Illiad had not seriously considered equicide before, and he didn't really consider it now, but the thought had crossed his mind. Eyes narrowed and horn slightly more aglow he laced his words with the terror to ensure that those workers would feel the full effect of his cool rage as he spoke. 

"Unless you'd like to receive one, I'd suggest you leave before Mr. Blackwater gets the idea that some of his workers should be watched a bit more closely. After all, anyone who thinks they can afford to disrespect their employer's family, can afford to have their employment suddenly terminated. No one hurts my friends."

Illiad thought his statement was powerful enough, Selena had assisted in planning it after all. He hoped that no further ill would come of it, perhaps the workers would be too scared to torment Dax further.

The worker started to say something else, yet when Illiad loosened the terror on them, they all paled and backed up rapidly from the two ponies.  Of the four, one took off immediately, two slunk backwards until they were around the corner, and the one that had spoken the painful words to Dax turned and began to trot off... but he tossed one more jibe over his flank at them.

"Way to go, Pink-Slip - looks like you found another creep to hang out with!"

The pony picked up the pace, and was gone in a flash... but the damage had already been done.

There was a thick wave of misery that rolled from the young stallion as he stood there, and this wave was surrounded on all sides by shame, embarrassment and even some self-loathing.  Dax simply stood there, head hung low.  He didn't look up when he spoke next.

"... I don't wanna be here right now... we can go to my tent..."

Without waiting for an answer, Dax began forlornly heading towards the large front gates.  Whatever it was about the nickname 'Pink-Slip', Dax seemed to be a miserable sot for having heard it. 

Illiad's cool rage was undeterred by the worker's parting shot, he committed the worker's description to memory as he would have to be dealt with later. There was no use dwelling on it further as no action could be taken at this time. He did not offer a parting shot of his own as he knew he stood higher, Dax was his priority now. He shunted his rage to the gem to be dealt with later, karma was particularly good at holding grudges and forgiveness would not come easily to that worker now.

Illiad quickly moved to catch up to Dax, walking beside him at an equal pace. He decided he would not bring up the issue at the moment, perhaps at a time when he was far removed from the situation and the temper was not running so high. Illiad did what he could to lighten Dax's mood, but he could already tell it would not be too effective. He was happy to help in whatever way he could, he was already planning an anonymous letter with the worker's description as to how they verbally harassed his son, no doubt swift action would come of it.

The gates opened for ANY Blackwater; Dax was no exception.  

The walk down the southern path was actually rather nice, if a tad windy.  There were a few patches of flowery plants here and there as they reached the bottom - it was close to an hour's travelling in all... and not one word from Dax.  He didn't stop Illiad from trying to lift his spirits - in fact, Illiad could feel the gratitude waaaaaaay beneath the sadness - but he truly just didn't seem to react much.

Obviously, his mind was elsewhere... but he wasn't taking it out on his friend.

When Dax suddenly stopped walking, there was no way to tell if he was going to burst out in tears or not... instead, without looking up, he simply said, "We're here."

It was quiet.  Not unnaturally so; more like soothingly quiet.  There were tall trees all around, towering above and putting a beautiful green canopy over the entire area, far above their heads - but in the center, there was a huge gap between the trees that gave not only light, but a beautiful view of the sky.  Illiad could almost bet the night view was breathtaking.

There was a river-... well, more like a creek that wound its way through the mountains above, runoff for the water coming down from above.  It came around the foothills and wound lazily through the forest here, coming to a short bend ending at a small patch of dirt, rocks and sand.  You could hear the flow and trickle of the water, adding to the calm stillness of the place.

This was where Dax's campsite was.

The tent was big, but not gaudy; it looked to be straight canvas, with a layer of blankets inside, from the look of it.  It was big enough for four adult stallions to sleep in, but there was just Dax.  It was well secured to deep-driven stakes, and expertly knotted.  There was a small board of wood sticking up out of the sand next to the tent flap, and there was a target painted on it; below, a hoof-made sign proclaimed: [Please knock before entering!].  Tied to the bottom of it was a rope that extended into the creek itself, with no indication as to why.  There was also a well-kept and maintained fire pit, a pockmarked wooden bench, a large log with the top half whittled down for use as a seat, and a large, half-rotten looking wooden chest poking out of the ground near the rocks.  

The whole place was quite serene; Dax finally looked up, glanced around the site and took a deep breath.  The exhale was a whoosh of air... and, from the state of his emotions, Dax's way of getting on with being himself again.  The cleansing breath done, he turned back to look at Illiad and gave a small, yet sweet grin.

"Thanks for putting up with me; I'm sorry about being a sourpuss all the way here."  He motioned around a bit, his mood lifting little by little.  "Well, my home is your home, Illiad... what do you think?" 

Illiad found the place to be quite serene, it was completely unlike any place he had ever been to have so much life around him, other than the Shimmerwood and Everfree forests of course, but the former had been at a distance and the latter was not an enjoyable experience in the slightest.

"It's a very nice place you have here, very calm and secluded. Don't worry about the trip here, I do enjoy quiet walks when I can get them, though here is much different than striding across the cool dunes at night back in Troy. It's a new experience having so much life around me, neither Deltrot nor Canterlot have this much plant and animal life."

Dax's grin grew at Illiad's comments.  "Here, take the bench; I usually sit on the log, anyway."  As if to prove his point, he did exactly that.  He sat back, looking actually comfortable and not over-exited for once.  Some of the ache was still present, but it was fading like soap bubbles in a tubful of old bath water.

He sighed softly, then stood up again and went to the trunk, opening it and poking his head inside.  As he looked, a fog of mist began to pour over the sides of the chest, spilling onto the ground before disappearing completely.  After a moment, he returned with a bottle in his mouth.  He g-e-n-t-l-y tipped it onto the fire pit, and WHOOF!, a soft blue fire began to burn from the slight splash Dax had poured into it.  Returning the bottle to the chest, he closed it and came back over to sit by the strange, yet warm blue fire.

"The flame potion was something my Father brought back when he went abroad when I was a colt.  He'd gone to negotiate deals; he prefers to look a customer in the eye when he makes a deal with them.  One of those customers was an exotic wares dealer - this old griffon - who gave Father the bottle, among other things.  I took it, as nopony ever claimed or used it.  A few drops will keep this fire going all night... as long as we feed the fire occasionally."

The crackling of the flames sounded... crisper... somehow, but other than that and the color, it functioned as a normal flame.

Illiad took a seat on the bench as indicated, intrigued by the natural magic of the fire. It wasn't uncommon for such nature magics to be sold around Troy, mostly from the Zebra caravans with their connection to nature magics, the griffon must have been a trader, potions are always popular among those with weaker magical ties.

"I picked this place the first time I ran away from home... it was perfect.  I spent those three nights right here, just myself, my tent and my telescope.  Ohhhhh... I can hardly wait for you to see the stars tonight; this section of the sky lights up beautifully this time of season.  That's why I mad a little bit more of a permanent place out here; it's away from anypony and anything that could ever bother me... and I can be free here."

Those words brought a flash of the earlier sadness back, but it drifted away once more as he kept himself in the moment.

"I've always liked the stars, but as more of a casual interest rather than a hobby or study. Still, it will be interesting to see how the stars are different here than they are in Troy or up on Canterlot Mountain." 

"It's even better here; none of the lights from anyplace reach this far, so we have a completely unobstructed view from here.  My telescope can- OH!"

Dax suddenly got up and, after unzipping the flap, disappeared into the tent.  When he returned, he was carefully managing a long wooden case, made of sturdy oak.  He set it down carefully, then opened the latches... but he looked back at Illiad before he did anything else.

"Here - my pride and joy!"

He opened the case and presented it to Illiad; inside was what appeared to be a very deftly-crafted telescope.  The craftsmanship was quite good, and it looked as though it was built by a personal craftsman instead of some factory-pressed model.  It was well cared for, and though it had seen much, MUCH use, Illiad could almost be certain that it was perfectly aligned, too.

"Whaddya think?  Do you like it?  You can pick it up, if you want to..."

Illiad was impressed by the quality of the telescope. He hadn't had much use for one in recent years as sand would wear them down pretty quickly, but he had had an amateur one back when he lived in Canterlot. He carefully lifted it with his magic to inspect it more closely, it was certainly worn, but well cared for, clearly professionally made.

"It is very impressive, the best personal telescope I've ever seen, though that isn't saying much." He passed it back to Dax. "It has been quite a long time since I've used one, you no doubt know how to set it up better than I do. You seem like you've had quite a bit of practice with it." 

Dax blushed as Illiad spoke of the telescope's construction.   

"Yeah, I actually built it myself.  Measured out the pieces, focused the lenses... all in all, not that impressive, but it works exactly like I want it to."  He looked at it lovingly.  "It's not the first one I built - Oglevy broke that one - but it IS the best one I ever put together.  When it gets close to dusk, I'll set it up for us; if it doesn't sound too dull to you, I'd love to show you all the constellations visible at this time of season."

Illiad was even more impressed to hear that Dax had constructed the telescope himself, It really was a professionally crafted piece.

Dax lovingly closed up the box and set it aside.  He then sat back on the log, getting comfortably settled in before simply staring into the fire for a moment.  The pain of earlier had retreated, and there was a mellow feeling trickling from Dax; he'd had a long, eventful day so far, and now he was winding down from it.  Illiad hadn't seen him this relaxed since... well, since he'd met the young stallion.

Dax turned and looked at the Trojan thoughtfullyfor a moment before speaking.

"I'm glad you came, Illiad.  The quarry is pretty much all I've really ever known; I was in regular school once, for a while... but that didn't last, so I ended up at the manor.  I actually spend a lot of my time out here, but I try to at least stop in to see Mother and Father a few times a week.  Part of the reason this whole thing was approved in the first place was because I agreed to stay at the manor the majority of your visit; Mother practically shoved Father into it, I'd think."

His small smile was kind and gracious.

"So yeah... thank you.  I really, really mean that, too."

"Well, I'm glad I came too. I don't really get all that much opportunity to get out of the city, this exchange was a nice break for me. I'd like to think I made a few friends here, maybe you'll make some friends in Troy too. But yes, Thank you too Dax, I've had a great time here, and I'm glad to consider you one of my friends." 

If emotions could be measured by the cupful, then the entire ocean might have been displaced by the sheer volume of affection and happiness that came rolling from Dax Blackwater, all aimed directly at Illiad Easle.

His feelings were like an open tome: he was absolutely ecstatic to have a friend in the first place , he was grateful that Illiad returned the sentiment, he was pleased that he seemed to be doing well as a host for his friend, and he was also still reeling from the idea that this was, in fact, not a dream...

Illiad winced at the sheer amount of emotion coming from Dax. It was painful yes, like having massive amounts of sugar poured directly into your mouth. Only more like directly to the brain. He wasn't at risk of a snap like with Mrs Blackwater, but it was uncomfortable. He sincerely hoped Dax’s emotional flood would die down quickly so he didn't have to throw a shield or leave.

Dax's verbal response was, "Thanks... oh, hey - are you thirsty?"

He got up and went to the signboard, grabbing up the rope in his mouth as he passed it.  He idly pulled it in as he walked to the shoreline; the rope was attached to a burlap sack which had been submerged in the water.  He stuck his head inside and came back with a smaller sack.  Setting the little sack down, he returned the bigger one to the water, and brought the other bag over.

Inside were two canteens; one had a picture of a lemon and a lime stitched into the cover, while the other had a picture of an apple scratched into the surface.  Accompanying them were four crisp, cold green apples.

Dax looked up at the unicorn.  "One's lemon-limeade, the other is Sweet Apple Cider - both should be good and cold by now.  Oh, and help yourself to an apple, if you like."  To demonstrate, Dax reached in and grabbed one himself; it was so crisp, it snapped when he bit into it.

Illiad took the lemon-limeade as he had had plenty of cider throughout the week as well as an apple. "You are indeed a gracious host." Illiad bit into the apple and sampled a small amount of the drink.

Grinning, Dax ate his apple and helped himself to some of the lemon-limeade as well.

"Well, now that we're here, we can go fishing... if you still wanna, that is?"

He got up and headed for the tent again.  After a moment out of view, he returned with two long wooden poles, each one with a number of brass rings set at intervals along its length, a spool of thin twine, and a makeshift crank.  The twine had been looped through the rings from the spool, leading all the way to the tip - where there was a small, pink blob of what looked like jelly.

"I was taught how to do this a long time ago, by my brother Harcourt... see, the pink stuff is magically sticky; it tends to stick to all sorts of stuff.  Harcourt used to make it; he used it for practical jokes all the time."  He grinned, a thought crossing his brain-pan.  "It's something I know would be a reeeeeally bad idea for Slapper to catch wind of this stuff; I like him, but I've been a target plenty of times - no fool am I."

"The blob has some kind of weird taste or something that fish like; they'll try to eat it, and you just pull 'em to shore.  Once you see how pretty they are and how big, you just pull the little blob out - comes right out, no fuss - then toss 'em back in the water.  It's actually pretty neat.  The spool there is attached to the twine; you cast it out over the water, then stick the pole down in the dirt.  Turn the crank-thing with your hoof to bring it in slowly, then just keep tossing it out there until you catch something."

He grinned softly, as if to a memory he was having.  "It might sound kinda dull, but trust me... it's better than you think."

Illiad thought the entire process odd and a bit boring. He could see the use for it in the sense of gathering fish for an aquarium as the process did not harm the fish, but other than that it seemed rather pointless. However he decided he might as well give it a try, maybe it would be more interesting than he supposed.

"I suppose I could give it a shot,"

Illiad gently took a rod from Dax and did his best to follow his instructions carefully.

Dax explained the basics of casting, and after a few tries (including one where the little blob got stuck on Illiad's ear), the line was in the water, and Dax soon followed suit.  Then there they were, sitting on the bank of the creek, waiting for a bite.

"Usually, I just lose myself in thoughts - I've never actually had company here with me before; it's weird... but not a badweird."

He smiled kindly before giving a contented sigh and sitting on the ground, stretching his legs a bit before he turned to face the Trojan.

"Well, we could certainly talk - seems like we haven't had a lot of time to do that, recently.  Apparently, this is the week the Quarry decided to be busy, I guess... but that's okay, because it gives you a chance to see what things are like here.  So, I guess I'll start with the questions, okay?"

Dax looked thoughtful for a moment before grinning.

"Okay, I got it!  Can I ask you how you met Princess Luna?  I mean, I know you wrote that you knew her, but... if it's not, y'know, hush-hush and everything, how did it happen?"

Illiad did find that fishing was actually somewhat relaxing, now that he knew what he was doing. 

"How did I meet Princess Luna? Hmm… About a year or two after I left for Troy… Let’s see, I left the day before she returned from the moon, so a year later was just before Discord and another year after that would have been Chrysalis' attack... It was a month or two before Chrysalis. Princess Luna wanted to meet me, so she had the archives write me a letter asking me to come visit. I was intrigued by the letter so I took a small trip, they had put in a new Empathic section at her request so I thought I'd check it out. Later that night she found me there. What we talked about there is a secret, but in the end that's where I got my cloud diamond."

Dax gave Illiad a sidelong look.

"Awwww... well, I guess SOME of a story's better than none, right?  And that's really cool, how being an Empathic got you to see her.  I mean, yeah it caused you trouble too... but having the chance to actually meet Princess Luna, among other things, should show that it was a GOOD thing you had those abilities!"

There was a muted excitement in the young Blackwater, as if he was having the thrill of his life just to have someone to talk to, but at the same time trying not to frighten them off.

"Okay, now it's your turn; ask me something.  Ask me anything!"

Illiad pondered for a moment what he could say or ask. He wasn't feeling too curious at the moment and he did not want to ruin the mood by asking about earlier.

"I suppose it was fortunate in a way, though I would have preferred leaving Canterlot on better terms. As for a question, I suppose I'll get your perspective. What do you think of Silver?"

It would be clear to Dax that this was more than a casual interest.

He grinned, "Silver is a real sweetheart.  When she first got here, she couldn't talk to anypony - she mostly stayed in her shed.  It was Knee Slapper who got her outside when he broke a sulfur jar in her workshop; the smell lasted for DAYS!"

The young stallion laughed at the thought.

"Anyway, I started talking to her because she wasn't talking to anyone but Slapper - and she started talking to the others more often.  Soon, everypony knew Silver - and she knew them."

He looked at Illiad, making sure his statement was understood.

"She's one of the smartest ponies I know, and she's as sweet as Zap Apple Jam.  Personally, I think she could do a lot better than working here... but she loves the machines and stuff the quarry has.  Plus, she still feels like she owes Father for what he did for her - do you know about that story?  Still, she's really amazing for all she does..."

His intent gaze slowly turned into a goofy smile.

"You like her, don't you?  Do you like her a lot?  Do you know if she likes you too?"

Despite Illiad knowing Dax's comment was coming, he still blushed slightly. "I guess I do like her, she's one of the smartest mares I've ever met and she's really cute too. As to if she returns it, she has called me cute before and I've felt her affection towards me but..." Illiad sighed. "For her to be so smart and cute and not having caught another's eye? I wouldn't want to get in the way if she already has another in mind. But to be honest, I hope she likes me as much as I like her."

Dax scrunched his features up in thought, then looked at his unicorn friend.

"I don't think I've ever known anypony who's had that kind of crush on her - she pretty much stays at the quarry, and she doesn't get any visitors from offsite... might have to talk to Slapper, though; he watches out for her like a big brother."

That thought brought some sadness, but not an ounce of it showed on Dax's muzzle.

Illiad took a bit of guilty pleasure in knowing that Silver had few if any other potential romantic relationships. But he did notice that Dax seemed slightly envious of Silver and Knee, perhaps he should ask about Harcourt next.

"I guess that makes it my turn again... hmmmmmm..."

He meandered mentally for a moment before a look of 'a-ha!' showed up.

"You've met a few ponies here... can you tell me about who I'm going to be meeting over in Troy?  Who are you gonna introduce me to?"

Illid’s smile grew slightly at the prospect of introducing his friends. "Well, you'll likely meet Steel Rose when I go to have the plates fashioned for your father, she's an earth pony who's a bit rough mannered, but she's kind at heart and one of the better metal casters in Deltrot. Swift Message is the mail carrier whose route includes my house, he's a nice Pegasus despite being a bit old, and he was my first friend after I moved to Deltrot. Then there's Carbon Copy, the unicorn cousin of Swift, I met him just a day or so before I met Luna, I'd like to think that we're pretty good friends by now. He works as an apprentice jeweler as he can easily work with gems, most especially diamonds. We may run into Midget Hooves at some point, he and I are going to be running together for Consul in the next election, he's timid in public but he is a powerful speaker in the council, I suppose passionate would be the best way to describe him. Then there's Glen, she moved in to Deltrot recently and works as a guide for the caravans when she's not exploring the desert in search of her father's remains." 

He pondered a bit more but no more names came to mind. "You'll probably end up meeting more than that but those are the most likely and the ones that I know best."

He was really enjoying this sort of Q/A, "So now it's my turn I guess, would you mind telling me about Harcourt? You don't have to if you don't want to."

Dax's smile faltered a bit, and his emotional state wavered... but he gave a distinct 'why not' sigh before he started.

"Harcourt's the oldest - he was around for a lot of my foalhood and most of my colthood as well.  When I was first born, he didn't like me much - Mother says he tried to have me shipped to the Yak Kingdom once; almost got away with it too!  He felt like I was sorta 'muscling in' on his life, y'know?  But in time, he started being nice to me.  I guess he got used to the idea of having me as a little brother; the teasing and name-calling got less and less as we got older, until we finally became friends."

He looked down, more to gather his thoughts than out of sorrow.

"When Mother got pregnant with Oglevy, Harcourt and Father had a really BIG argument; I think it was over what 'Cort's place would be with the new foal coming, I'm not sure... but it didn't end well: Harcourt stormed out of the manor, swearing he wasn't coming home until he had proven Father wrong - and Father just watched him go.  Didn't even try to stop him."

He glanced sideways at Illiad.

"None of the family has heard from him since that day, about a decade ago... I hope he's alright.  Mother misses him fiercely, and so do I; Father does too, I think, but he never talks about his feelings.  Oglevy?  He hates Harcourt; the feeling is mutual.  Maybe they'll work their differences out in time... if he ever comes home, that is."

The subject was a bittersweet one for Dax - he obviously loved his brother, yet misses him so very much.

"He was the smooth-talker, the sneaky one, the sly dog.  He was the one who taught me how to hide stuff in my mane with yarn, and he taught me how to tell a good gem from a bad one, and he taught me how to fish... kinda like I'm teaching you, huh?"

That thought gave the earth pony some comfort.

"So, yeah - that's my brother Harcourt.  He's a bit... egotistical sometimes... but he's really a good sort, I promise.  I wish you could meet him - I think he'd like you, Illiad."

The smile that grew on his muzzle was genuine, and he didn't seem any worse off for the subject.

"My turn again.  I wanna know what you think of my family - and none of this 'oh, they're okay' stuff, either!"  Dax's mood had lightened a tad.  "I know you've been around them a bit - tell me what you've learned and what you wanna learn.  And don't worry," he chuckled, "I won't say a word of anything that passes between us here."

Illiad was a bit sad to hear the tale of Harcourt. He had always had a good relationship with his siblings despite being the oldest. And though they had started to grow apart he still thought of them as friends.

"What I think of your family? Your parents are tying their best to raise you right, but they don't any way other than how their parents raised them. Personally I think they aren't showing you guys enough love, perhaps it is because they don't know how to express it. I can see in them, and what is developing in you, a dangerous emotional tendency to withdraw, bottling your emotions to come out in occasional bursts which is unhealthy for both them and those like me around them. That is why I had to blink out of the tea party with you, sudden surges of emotion like that are not healthy for me to sense."

Illiad sighed again, his expression more forlorn. "I can't blame your parents though, I can tell they're trying their best with what they know. You and Oglevy have the potential to become great individuals, you have more opportunities than most to experience the world, to grow."

He sighed yet again, looking a bit annoyed. "I don't really know where I was going with that, I'm not a psychologist, I just know how emotions work and I've gotten good at establishing causality with it. Your parent's aren't perfect, no one is. I really should stop before I get too deep into analyzing your family. I could go on if you want, I am seeing some interesting connections now that I think about it, but I can understand if you don't want me to continue."

Dax was rapt, watching his friend.

"No, no... I wanna hear more - it sounds like you've gotten a better insight into them than most do; of course, part of that is probably your Empathic abilities.  Which, actually, is pretty cool."

He pondered for a second, then spoke again.

"You're right about the fact that they care; our family is a little..." he thought for a moment, "... 'Dysfunctional', I guess you could say, but we care about each other.  Still, I actually DO wanna hear more.  Please?"

Illiad gave a slightly worried grin, "If you really want I will continue." Illiad moved into a more comfortable position for talking. "Keep in mind this will be mostly speculation on my part so it may not be entirely accurate."

"We'll start with your father, given that he had to take the mine from his father it is clear he did not have the best relationship with him, thus he decided he would not raise his children like his father did. Your grandfather was likely emotionally detached as well, leaving your father without the knowledge to share emotion well. When it came to raising his children he did not have a basis to build from, thus he tried a different tactic with each of you. He was likely quite strict and demanding with Harcourt, causing him to flee before even discovering his potential, he was a bit more detached with you, and he has shown the most detachment towards Oglevy."

"I don't know anything of your mother's background other than she is used to a rich and pampered lifestyle and a similarly detached parenting style where nannies and tutors raise the children in place of the parents. I know you have tutors, but I cannot gauge the level to which your parents were involved in your upbringing. But as your father grew more detached she grew more attached, likely due to Harcourt's departure she doesn't want to lose another. thus she was likely more involved with you than Harcourt, and has coddled Oglevy." 

"Harcourt was pushed hard to succeed by your father, he wanted a stallion like himself and when Harcourt was different he didn't know how to handle it. Leading to friction between the two of them ultimately resulting in Harcourt's departure. He hates his father for pushing him in a direction he did not want, or was simply not meant, to go."

"You are a good balance of your father and mother, not too strict nor too relaxed. You know how to care about others and do so with gusto, though the isolation of your parents' methods have left you with less developed social skills and a good bit of innocence. But, you have good potential to become a great individual. I have no doubt that if you chose to take over the quarry after your father you would run it quite well, perhaps even better than your father did."

"Oglevy is currently in a dangerous place, he is at the tipping point between a balanced life and becoming a spoiled, entitled individual who will never leave the quarry of his own will. If you guide him you can bring him to a productive and happy life. It may be hard at first, but all he wants is to be loved, something your parents won’t give easily, but something you can provide. Teach him how to be better, care about him and he will follow you."

Illiad sighed again. "That's all I have to say on that for now, as I learn more I may be able to have better insight to the situation.”

Dax sat there through the whole thing, watching Illiad with wonder as he spoke about the Blackwaters.  When he was done, the young stallion simply sat there for a moment, quietly thinking, before he answered.

"Wow... that's... actually probably not too far off the mark, honestly.  I mean, I haven't finished my psychology studies, but it sounds like you've already pegged a number of things I'd suspected for a bit.  Yeah, you might need a bit more time to observe, though - Father and I aren't as distant as you'd think - he just doesn't say much, so we keep it simple when we talk.  But you couldn't know that in only a few days, I guess."

Dax grinned.  "And no, I'm not offended; if nothing else, I'm actually kinda glad to see you're actually getting to know them, instead of just paying 'em lip-service.  That makes me feel better; I thought they'd drive you away with their antics, to be honest."

Illiad shrugged, “Why don't you ask me another question? Nothing comes to my mind at the moment."

He rolled his eyes when Illiad tried to back out of asking a question.  "Awwww, c'mon!  That's not how this game works!  You're suppose to-"

Illiad's pole suddenly bowed, and his line began to wiggle.

"OH!  OH OH OH!  YOU GOT A BITE!  HURRY, PUT YOUR HOOF ON THE CRANK AND BRING HIM IN!"

With a jolt of surprise Illiad's attention returned to the fishing. He had almost forgotten what hey were doing. With a careful motion he began to reel in the fish. He knew if he pulled to fast the blob might become unstuck and the fish would get away. So he did his best to reel in the fish quickly, but not too quickly. 

Dax leapt back and forth on the sandbar they stood on, cheering Illiad on.

"That's it!  THAT'S IT!  Now slow it down... yeah, like that... now, FAST!  HURRY HURRY HURRY!  Yeah!  Almost got- OOH!" 

The young stallion turned and bolted for the tent, scrambling back in record time with a net on a pole.

"Jusht reew him'min DISH schway!"  Dax yelled around a mouthful of handle as he tried to prepare his net for their catch.

Illiad was beginning to see the appeal of this sort of activity, long periods of calm followed by short bursts of rapid excitement. Certainly it was something he could enjoy.He continued to follow Dax's directions despite them being counter-intuitive and sometimes seemingly contradictory. It would have been easier for him to teleport the fist out of the water, but he didn't want to ruin the fun for Dax. 

"Hewe... HEEEEEWE!"  Dax held out the net, straining to try to net the fish when it was lifted from the water.  He stood on the tips of his hooves, s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g to reach that fish... almost... alllllmost...

>KER-SPLASH<

Dax Blackwater was sitting in the creek, sopping wet with a net in his mouth.  The fish, however, had ended up perched on his head.  The scene was still for all of a moment, then the fish suddenly jerked into a curl, and flipped off Dax's noggin, landing in the water with a splash and swimming off quite rapidly.

For a moment, Dax simply sat there.  Then...

"HAAAAA HA HA HA HA HA HAAA!  Did you see the SIZE of him!  That was GREAT for your first catch, Illiad!"

Not even the slightest trickle of disappointment came from him as he pulled himself from the water, shook off a bit, then headed for the tent.

"I've got a towel in here - I'll be just a moment.  Toss your line back out!"

Slipping through the flap, Illiad could now here the sounds of rummaging around in the tent. 

Illiad gave a small laugh at the scene before casting the line back out. It really was a fun activity and he was glad he had given it a chance even though it was unlikely he would have the opportunity to do it again as the oases did not have fish in them. It gave him the chance to think of what he could possibly ask next. He was content to learn of the Blackwaters through observation and he wasn't going to ask about the comment by the worker unless Dax brought it up.

He really was stumped as to what question he could ask. 

Dax's shuffling ended, and he came out of the tent with a fuzzy green towel around his shoulders.  His mane, which had been soaked, was now frizzed out in all directions - he looked as though he'd been hit with a bolt of lightning.

"Okay!  Dry enough, I guess.  Still, that was a doozy of a fish!  It actually took me four tries before I actually got one to shore, so you're already better than I am!"

He grinned... then his grin faltered a bit.

"Uhm... you said something earlier about how large chunks of emotion can actually... hurt you?  I hope I haven't been hurting you, but... knowing the way my emotions feel to me... well, can you maybe help me figure out how to... control it better?  I don't want to hurt you, Illiad - even unintentionally; can you show me a way to... well, help it?"

Illiad thought for a moment before responding. "Well, my Empathic abilities are like most other senses. It hurts in a similar way to if someone were to shine a bright light in your eyes or a loud noise in your ears. The excessive amount damages the sense if incurred long enough so in my case it damages my horn, which regulate my abilities. Too much damage and it would snap, then my abilities would be unregulated and my presence would drive those around me insane. But don't worry, I have ways of protecting against damage so it is unlikely to occur, the worst I've experienced here was a hornache from your mother." Illiad paused, "As to you, there is not much I can teach you. Emotional regulation is something one learns at a young age. If you were a unicorn I could teach you how I regulate, but you aren't so I can't. But I'll see if there is anything I can teach you."

Illiad shifted back into the comfortable position he had earlier. "Your parents’ emotions are like a faucet, either on or off, a healthy emotional flow is more like a river, a constant stream of feelings that ebbs and flows. If you try and focus on how you feel about situations it may help, but it may be too late at this point to change your emotional nature."

Dax sighed.

"Yeah... that figures.  Stuck as an Earth Pony kinda bites sometimes.  I can't do magic like you, and I can't fly like Mother and Oglevy can... sometimes that makes me feel useless, y'know?  I mean, I KNOW I'm not exactly useless, but still..."

He let his thought trail off, electing not to finish the sentence.  Dax remained quiet for a long moment, the look on his face and the emotion coming from him a serious one.  He seemed to be thinking about something rather heavy on the mind. 

"Iliad?"

He shifted a bit uncomfortably, nervousness almost seemed to vibrate from him.

"I wanted to ask you about... about..."

He swallowed, trying to muster up enough courage to speak aloud; whatever was on the young stallion's mind was eating him alive.

"... about mares."  

The look on his face was absolutely serious.

"Like, do you think I'll ever find... I mean, as a Blackwater it'll be difficult to find a... I mean, do you think a mare would find me... uhm, would one... what kind of qualities do I have that mares might... I mean..."

Dax's face had turned an interesting shade of Embarrassment Red.  Chances were, unless Illiad spoke up, Dax would be hemming and hawing all day... maybe even all night, too.  But the look on his face was so serious; it was hard not to grin at the sight.

Illiad gave a bit of a laugh before proceeding. "I suppose I wouldn't know too much about that sort of thing, given that I’m still single after all. Though that may just change with Silver. Personally? I think you'll find someone. It may not be soon, but you're kind and caring, determined to do the right thing. The best advice I can give is to be the kind of pony you want in your life. All you're lacking is good social skills, you aren't used to socializing so that might make it hard, but love finds a way as Princess Cadence is so fond of saying." He had a slight smile at that, "It doesn't hurt that you're a decent looking colt, and wealth attracts many mares. Your problem is not going to be finding a mare, but finding one worth keeping."

Dax was quiet for a moment; not a bad quiet, but more of a thoughtful one.  His emotional state was stable... but wherever he was within his own head, he was deep.

"Father wants me to take over the Quarry one day.  He's told me that he won't be around forever, and that he wants to see it go into good hooves.  That's... kinda strange - knowing that Father thinks I'll naturally do a good job.  Tough, too - I kinda feel pressured into doing it, though.  I mean, I have no idea what the rest of Equestria is really like, y'know?  Heck, I've never really gone to many places... except Manehattan and Ponyville, but only a few times."

He shifted a bit where he was sitting in the murky sand.  

"Downstream from here a good way, the silt from the mining runs into the river.  The silt turns the water black; it's where our family name comes from.  Lotsa ponies around here would say that was fitting... our name doesn't instill a lot of good feelings in others.  Father says it was my grandfather's fault for driving down our reputation... but I've heard others say that it's always been like that.  The Blackwaters are thought of as mean, cruel and underhooved... pretty much wherever pones have heard the name."

When he looked up at Illiad, he seemed both haunted and ashamed.

"... is that what I have to look forward to?"

The Empathic could feel Dax fighting the heartbreak he was feeling - the poor fella was trying to hold in his sadness so it wouldn't hurt his friend, and even though he wasn't being very successful, there was still a marked difference in output as Dax bit back his tears.

Illiad sighed, it seemed it would be harder than he thought. But a thought occurred to him. "Perhaps that is what you have ahead of you, but you can change the notion. A poor reputation may preceed you, but you have the power to change their minds, to show them the good that you can do. They may not see it initially, but if you keep at it you can change their minds for the better. As to your emotional stability, I think I’vefigured out what's wrong, why you're different than your parents. You can't hold your feelings in, they’ll just build up until you can’t hold them in anymore. If you let your emotions flow freely you won’t have the buildup/release cycle that your parents do. Don't hold back for my sake, I can handle quite a bit."

Dax grew quiet again.  He wasn't brooding or moody; he was simply thinking.

It was obvious that Illiad's words struck a chord in Dax somewhere.  The young stallion seemed to be taking the time to piece together the wisdom imparted to him, and when he concentrated, he did so with as much gusto and wholeheartedness as he did just about anything else.

His brow dropped, but he wasn't angry... at least, he wasn't putting off anger.  But he did seem to be taking just as serious a stance with this thought as he had with the one about mares.  After a moment, the soft chuckle of the creek accompanying him, Dax spoke.

"It wasn't too long ago that Father had been having some issues with some of the miners; nothing business-wise - all personal, as far as the workers were concerned.  So my Father told me I was not allowed to go down to the mines; I think he was afraid the wrong miners would try to hurt me.  He ORDERED me not to go there... but I did."

"I got down in the mines and the other workers started teasing me a bit for being the rich colt on the hill, but then I started kicking rocks with them... they saw that I could keep up pretty well, and it's where I found out about my special sense for emeralds.  With my sense and their help, we found the biggest emerald in Equestrian history right there, in the quarry mines."

"When Father found out, he was actually pretty proud of his workers - until Oglevy ratted me out to him.  Father was FURIOUS; he yelled at me, saying all sorts of stuff that I never thought I'd hear him say.  But it was how he punished me that stuck with me, and it's the reason the regular miners hate me."

Dax looked at Illiad, hurting... but, somewhere inside, there was a small bar of cold steel, too.

"The miners call me Pink-Slip because Father made me fire each and every miner who had ever called me 'friend', to teach me a lesson.  That's why they think I'm bad luck - because I cost almost 40 quarry workers their jobs that day."

He stopped there, a grim look on his muzzle as he sat there, staring into the water.

Illiad's expression dropped. A familiar cool rage like before, but not nearly as intense.

"That was wrong of your father to do. Simple as that. And given what I saw earlier it has permanently damaged your relations with the quarry. No worker who knows the story will respect you out of anything but fear. If you do take over they will have to go."

His expression softened.

"You are certainly in a poor set of circumstances, and I'm sorry because there is nothing I can do to help this. On the bright side? You made almost forty friends in that time. The true friends among them will recognize that your father is to blame. I think that's why you still have good relations with some of the more important ponies in the quarry. They know who is really responsible."

Illiad looked off into the water, sighing before pulling his gem from his robe. It floated point up in front of him, slowly spinning.

"I sometimes wish I could help everyone, that I could make sure everyone had a good life. But there's always those you can't help, an action you can't fix."

He sighed.

"Despite all my power, I can't fix this. But you have a choice, you can follow Harcourt's example and leave. Denounce your father for his actions and don't look back. Or, you can stay and endure. Strive to be a better stallion than your father was, than your father is."

The gem grew outward into a tree of branching paths that coalesced into a set of scales, balanced.

"There's a possibility for happiness whichever you choose, I can't objectively say that one is better than the other, but if you don't make a choice you will forever wonder what it might have been like. Choose, and be determined. Personally? I think you should stay. Family is important, even when they don't always make the best decisions." 

He sighed again. "I'm sorry, I know I don't know all there is to know about your situation. I wish I could be of more help to you." The scales returned to the diamond shape. Illiad stared into it with sad eyes as it continued to float despite him having released his magic.

Dax's face got somber.

"I know you can't fix this, Illiad; I didn't actually ask you to - but thanks for your concern.  I get the idea behind what Father did... I just don't understand why he was so adamant about not working in the mines.  I mean, HE worked in the mines when he was young - there's photographs to prove it - so why can't I?"

He stared at the creek, the water flowing past, the grass swaying near the sides... then at the unicorn.

"I think going to Troy will be really good for me; I've been thinking a lot about it, and this will be a chance to actually experience time completely out of... well, here.  My Mother... she likes me to be close.  Father doesn't dote on me like she does, but he keeps his eye on me.  This will really be my first time sans parentis, so to speak." 

He grinned ever so slightly.

"I hope it won't be the last, y'know?"

Dax looked up at the darkening sky through the hole in the canopy and stood up.

"My other buddies will be here soon; I should get ready.  You're welcome to help yourself to any of the foodstuffs in the trunk."

With that, he went over to the telescope case and brought it to the middle of the campsite, near the currently cold fire pit.  He began to set it up, taking his time and being exceedingly careful with it.  As he did, Illiad could feel his mood lightening - the stars were apparently just the thing the young Blackwater needed to lift his spirits.

Illiad sincerely hoped that 'other buddies' referred to some sentient creatures and not the stars. Even if it was just some local wildlife that he had befriended, that would be preferable to being literally his only friend.

To be honest, Illiad thought that time outside of his parent's supervision would be good for Dax. Even out here he was too close to actually feel free from their influence. How would he react once he knew his parents weren't watching?

Illiad had some more of the apple he had grabbed earlier while he waited for Dax to return.

After some fiddling with the dials, Dax stood at the eyepiece, looking through to get his view straight.  As he did, he stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth - concentrating like he was, he probably had no idea he even did that. 

"There... right where I want ya!"

He trotted back over to Illiad, a subdued smile decorating his face.

"Okay, I've got the scope pointed at the part of the sky you'll start seeing 'em through first - once it gets dark enough, you can pan your view to the right; as long as you keep it even with the lowest star you can see, you'll be fine."

He motioned his Trojan buddy over to the tripod, then looked up through the hole.

"Y'should be able to see 'em about now - I insist that you look first; you're the guest here, Illiad."

Illiad walked over to the tripod to look through the telescope. It looked like it worked similar to the hobbyist one he had used in his youth. "This really is a nice telescope you have here. Much easier to use than the one I had when I was a younger colt like you." 

The point where the telescope had been adjusted to was Dax's surprise; the first thing Illiad saw was the Horsehead Nebula.



"That's the Horsehead Nebula - I thought it'd be a good thing to start with!"

The picture through the telescope was not only exquisitely clear, but this far from any sort of lights made it certain that Illiad saw each and every star there was to see.  It was a beautiful view, to be certain - and the pride coming from Dax was evident.

"From there, if you pan right, you'll see more!"

There certainly were more...



"I'm so glad my buddies are here to meet my newest buddy!  This is SO awesome, isn't it?  OH!  Ooooooh, wait!"

Dax gently interrupted Illiad’s viewing.  "There's a phenomenon I've been watching for a few of weeks now - lemme find it, it's so COOL!"

He swiveled the view like an expert, scanned for only a moment before the Empathic could tell he'd found it; the swell of love for those stars was unmistakable.

"There!  Look at that!"

The next view was also rather impressive...



"I've been watching that one for quite a moment now; it began to spread not too long ago - it's just magnificent!"

Dax commenced about an hour long speech about the stars.  It was obvious that the friends Dax spoke of were indeed the stars; the way he spoke about each one, you'd think they were like family to him.  He continued on about names, positions during the seasons, old fables about what the constellations meant... in fact, Dax was presenting everything in a very professional and straight-forward manner.

After a while, Dax simply sat down and spoke.  Eventually, he just got quiet and looked at the night sky, a beautiful lake of light shimmering between the canopy's leafy shores.



"Stars never judge, y'know?  They shine down on you, no matter what kind of pony you are."

It became clear to Illiad that what he feared was true. It was even possible that Dax didn't consider anyone at the quarry his friend for fear that they would be punished for it. Perhaps then Illiad was the only pony Dax considered a friend. And that was quite sad to consider.

Mr. Blackwater's punishment had hurt Dax bad, it wasn't right for a colt like him to fear friendship with those he spent the majority of his time with. At least I could make a difference.

"This really is an impressive telescope, seeing these stars with such detail, it's almost as good as the Alphyns observatory. Though that is to be expected as their telescope is one of the best ever made." 

Illiad stepped back from the telescope to look at the sky unassisted. This far from civilization there was little to no light pollution, similar to being on the dunes outside of Deltrot. He pulled his gem over from where it had been floating. "Do you remember the stars that helped Luna escape? The four stars around the moon that disappeared when she returned? Those were some of the most judgmental stars I ever met. But I suppose the others need not be the same."

Dax was quiet for quite some time; though the general surroundings had a veritable symphony of sound, it seemed more like the Blackwater was lost in the desert between his ears than he was here in the woods near the creek.  All the same, he didn't look anywhere else but up.

"You've met stars..."

He actually did look down with that, a small smile on his face... but a deep sense of loneliness seemed to swirl inside him, and a spot of benign envy as well.  But an underpinning of weary acceptance cradled all of those feelings; Dax might have been sad and alone, true - but simply the fact that he was trying to do the right things showed that he had at least a good idea of what a friend was supposed to be.

"That's... amazing.  It sounds unbelievable, but I believe it."

He seemed to be content with his lot in life... which may have been the saddest thing of all.

Illiad was getting anxious, he was failing to keep Dax's spirits up. Since he had found his true calling he knew why bad things had to happen to good creatures, but that didn't mean he liked it. Knowing karma was on his side, he knew things would get better for Dax eventually.
> An Exchange of Dreams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illiad knew that there could be serious consequences to telling this story or allowing this encounter, but he was willing to risk it to make Dax feel special. 

"You know what's more amazing? A star wants to meet you." He held out his gem towards Dax, it was still glowing faintly. "I know she doesn't glow as bright as she did then, but she's still as alive as ever. Which do you want to do first, meet her? Or hear the story of how I met her?"

Dax blinked, looking at the gem.

"But... but how can..."

As realization set in, Dax's face went from sad curiosity to open wonder.

"Really?  I mean, I know I talk to 'em all the time... but you're saying a star actually wants to talk with me?"  Dax was taken completely by surprise.  "But YOU'RE the important one here, that's why they spoke to you... why would they ever..."

He looked at Illiad for a moment, then looked back at the gem.

"... there's a story?  I'd... like to hear that, if I may please?"

He stared raptly at the stone, as if he was waiting for it to reach out and boop his muzzle.

Illiad was glad he, or rather Selena, was able to instill such wonder. His face grew a little more serious, yet still kind.

"Alright, the story has some background to it so I'll start there and work forward. It all started long ago, back before Discord was defeated. You may have learned that Celestia and Luna were given the elements of harmony and defeated Discord, but that is not the whole story. The princesses found The Tree of Peace in the Everfree forest, and it gave them each a gift to help defeat Discord. To Celestia it gave the elements of harmony, and to Luna it gave the scales of balance. Together they defeated Discord and restored peace to the world.” 

“Each of their respective gifts were too great to be wielded by any individual, even an alicorn, so they divided their gifts and formed groups to share their burdens. Celestia formed the elements of harmony in a similar manner to the ones you know today, and Luna formed the Balance. The Scales Balance were composed of four distinct pairs, Good and Evil, Sickness and Health, Rain and Shine, and Wisdom and Strength. The first three were better known as the balance of Karma, Life, and Weather respectively. Each balance had their own special gem that assisted them in their tasks of balance, Karma had a cloud diamond as good and evil are nebulous concepts that can change based on the perspective, Life had a fire ruby as fire can save lives as well as end them, Weather had a storm sapphire which allowed them to create or dissipate weather even if they were not a pegasus. The last had a wisdom gem, the only known in existence, a light purple octahedron that would balance the holder's wisdom and strength, making them as smart as they were strong and vice versa, which ever was higher.”

“Anyway, As Celestia bore the element of magic, Luna bore the balance of karma. Balance is not as easy as harmony as balance must be kept in a constant state of motion, an ellipse that neither gets too close to the far edges, nor to the center as if it were to achieve a perfect balance, there would be no good nor evil in the world, all would be stagnant and unchanging. As our world tends towards good, Luna was then obligated to cause bad things to happen to prevent the balance from shifting too far towards good as if it were to hit perfect good of perfect bad it would be just as unfortunate as a perfect balance. Celestia however did not see it this way and couldn’t understand the plight Luna faced, and thus forbade Luna from doing what she had to do to keep the world in balance.”

“Eventually what was required to save the world was too much, she was too good a pony to do what had to be done, so she split her soul. She removed the good parts of herself and placed them in the diamond, intending to return it once her task had been completed. She became Nightmare Moon, threatening to end the world in order to save it. As harmony was not meant to counter balance, Celestia lost her connection by opposing Luna and banishing her. The remaining ponies Luna had entrusted the Balance to each removed a shard of their gems and sent what remained to the moon to rescue Luna, each gem contained a static copy of their souls and the enough charged magic to glow as brightly as any star. And so the Balance became stars, the four gems working to break the spell that bound Luna and return her to the world where she could be reunited with the other half of her soul.”

“When she returned however, the elements found her first, filling the hole she had made in her soul, and making it impossible to reunite with the part she had removed. The gems had been scattered by her return, they had to find new ponies to wield them so they went to where they could be discovered by the right individuals and reunited with the shards left behind. Celestia recovered the cloud diamond, believing it to be the source of her sister's corruption she locked it away. Until I, as the new balance of karma, was sent to recover it. The soul that Luna had left had grown conscious over the thousand years, a being of magic that named itself Selena."

The gem floated upward and towards Dax until it was fairly close to his face.

"In a way I am important, but my importance relies on the fact that no one knows I'm important. Thus I must ask that you not tell anyone what I told you."

Illiad looked back up at the sky. "She is not like the rest of the stars in the sky, those are not conscious, and technically Selena was never really a star, but astronomers named her such and so she is."

Looking back towards Dax. "She has the same dream-walking ability that Luna has, so you will meet her when you go to sleep tonight. I hope the story made sense to you, though I would be happy to clarify any points that weren't clear." 

Dax had listened intently, never losing interest or fidgeting like other teenagers might; he was effectively a prisoner of the tale's cell, and he wanted no key.  After Illiad finished speaking, Dax kept looking at the gem, the wonder in his eyes genuine and fresh - and he spoke to it, though the look on his face showed a bit of hesitancy.

"H-h-hello, Selena... it is nice to m-meet you."

He almost whispered the greeting to the gem, as if he expected it to fall apart at the slightest breath. 

He then stepped back reverently, and looked at the unicorn with a combination of awe and curiosity.  His emotional state was one of reverence, and his entire body language was that of someone who was afraid they would wake the world with a single sniffle.  His shining emerald eyes wide, he spoke quietly.

"I won't say a word.  Why would I?  This is definitely one of the coolest things I've ever known... but, there's something that makes me wonder, Illiad; what happened to the Wisdom Gem? Does Princess Celestia have it?  Does Princess Luna?  What happened to it?"

Illiad's expression fell slightly, he feared he might have made himself appear too distant.

"We don't know, both the shard and the piece that was sent to save Luna are still missing to us. The shard was expected as all the shards went missing over the thousand year absence, but the wholes were recovered fairly quickly after her return. We've been looking for it but no luck so far. I trust it will eventually find its way into the right hooves."

He gave a curious glance at Illiad, but returned his gaze to the gemstone soon enough.

"Pieces of stars... of Luna's soul... I don't know what to say, Illiad; I'm really honored and flattered that you shared this...her... with me.  I'm worried, though - if there are other ponies with abilities like yours, will they be able to see it in my mind?  Will I even have to worry about that?"

He returned to silence for a moment, still staring.  Then, "I hope she likes me."  

A small grin appeared, and eagerness and hope began flowing from the Earth Pony.  Seems like someone was going to be happy to get to sleep tonight.  Speaking of night, it was certainly dark out... dark and cold.

Illiad shivered slightly from the cold, he wove a warming enchantment into his robes, replacing the protection one from when he arrived.

"Empathics can't read your mind Dax, you don't need to worry about that. And as long as no one knows you know then you won’t have to worry about coercion either. I think Selena likes you just fine, remember how she was half of Luna's soul? Well, in my being the new balance of karma, part of me is in her too, though she is mostly Luna." Illiad looked around again. "It certainly gets cold here at night, much colder than in Troy." 

Dax blinked a few times rapidly, refocusing from the hypnosis the Cloud Diamond had him under.  He then gave a soft chuckle.

"Yeah, this far north?  It gets plenty cold in the winter; still kinda cold in the summer, too.  But you're living in Troy - here, stay right there."

Dax made his way into the tent, and after a bit of shuffling around from inside, he poked his head out. 

"Okay, c'mon - there's a blanket in here that I'm sure has your name on it!"

When he looked inside, Illiad saw what was what - the tent was somewhat big, but roughly half of the room in it was taken up with an 'Outdoor Study' of sorts; an actual desk with paper and quills and ink... a mirror and a washbasin... a small, worn yet comfy-looking stool... an actual filing cabinet... all of which was fairly tidy, if a tad cluttered.

In the other half of the tent, there were twin squares of layered blankets, complete with pillows.  In the center was a magic-powered lantern, turned high enough to see, but low enough to still get a fantastic view of the sky through the mesh windows.

Illiad looked around, impressed by the little room. "This is a nice little place you've got here. Cozy, it reminds me of my little work room back home." As Illiad had no idea as to where it would be acceptable to sit, and he didn't want to look like he didn't know what he was doing, he turned his attention back to the stars through the mesh windows. 

Dax motioned to the blankets.

"You can take either side - I'm not picky.  I don't think I snore, so you should sleep fine... if it's still cold, let me know and I can come up with another blanket."

He looked about as Illiad complimented the place.  "Yeah, I brought all this stuff little by little; this is where I like to stay, after all.  Might as well have myself a little home here, including some creature comforts."

He watched Illiad for a moment, simply enjoying the company of a real, honest-to-goodness friend.

"So, you uhm... are you tired, or do you wanna talk some more?  Either way, I'm fine with it."

He smiled kindly.

"I'm just happy I'm not by myself."

Illiad moved to sit on one of the blankets. "Well, I don't really have a strong preference one way or the other, I've gotten used to staying up all night from my time in Troy." The gem seemed to glow slightly differently for a short while. "As excited as Selena is to meet you more directly, she is content to wait if you want to stay up and talk."

Dax looked back and forth between the gem and Illiad.  "Oh... now I'm kinda torn; I don't wanna be rude and keep someone waiting on me... but I don't wanna just leave you here alone, either.  Aw, shucks."

He may have been lamenting the situation, but his emotional flow said he wasn't actually rattled - merely indecisive.  He stayed put for a bit, then he got a bit of a smile.

"Y'know... it's funny how things work out sometimes.  When I started writing letters to you, I was really in a bad place in my head.  I figured I'd give this a try, seeing as how I didn't really have anything to lose.  I didn't expect an answer from you - heck, I didn't expect an answer from ANYPONY, to be honest."

He turned his kindest smile on, facing the unicorn.  "But you did.  You wrote back, and you sounded so thrilled to write to me, that it gave me hope... hope for the future, y'know?  It made me feel like, hey, if I can make a friend through the mail, then face-to-face should be easy, right?  I mean, not here at the quarry - I know - but all over Equestria.  And every single one is a potential friend."

He finally laid back on one of the sets of quilts, crossing his forelegs over his chest as he gazed out at the stars.

"I was thinking... I don't know... maybe I will write a letter to Princess Luna, like you suggested.  I mean, you said yourself that she enjoys hearing from her subjects, right?  I... well, I..."

The blush on Dax's face was visible, even in the low light.

"... I really think she's the most beautiful mare I've ever seen.  I mean, I know I KNOW... there's no point in wanting to... to marry her... as I'm just a commoner; I'm no Prince or anything... but, she always looks so lonely in the photographs and paintings I've seen of her... and someone like her shouldn't be lonely.  I know what that's like, though nowhere NEAR the level she knows, I'm sure.  But..."

He glanced at Illiad.

"... but I'd make sure she never felt lonely again.  We could help each other; no more nights by ourselves anymore.  She wouldn't have to be trapped in royal solitude anymore, and she..."

Dax blinked, realizing he was rambling about something that was, to be honest, somewhat embarrassing... though, for what it was worth, there most certainly was a ribbon of affection coming from the young stallion.

"... well... I know it's a pipe dream, sure... but I've whiled away a lot of nights thinking of her.  I know I probably shouldn't, but I can't help myself.  And I... probably shouldn't have said all that, huh?"

He gave a sheepish grin that could beat the band.

"When you get lonely, the mind goes pretty darn deep, sometimes."

He put his hooves behind his head now, still looking out the window at his only other friends.

"You've actually MET her, too... and you're pretty special to her, I gather.  Is she really as pretty as they say?"

Illiad found Dax's ramblings to be somewhat cute, especially when he was talking about Luna. That is not to say he didn't take them seriously however. "Well, first of all I'm glad I was able to improve your life in some way. As to Luna, I know she'd appreciate having someone to exchange letters with. I would if I didn't already meet with her directly often enough. You sound like you really do care about her, you'd fit in well with Trojan culture in that regard. I think she's a decent looking mare, she's not exactly my type as she's a bit too authoritarian for my tastes, but she's kind and caring too. I would say many of the more recent depictions of her are fairly accurate to what she looks like, but it's never a good comparison to actually meeting her directly." A sly smile came to his face, "You know, she does visit Troy fairly often, maybe we'll run into her during your visit?" 

"I know MY luck; I'll have either just missed her, or she'll be there next week." 

His response was cynical... but the Empathic could feel a little, tiny flicker of hope kindle in Dax Blackwater.

"But, yeah... I kinda wish I was older, y'know?  I wouldn't care if I was royalty or not - I would try my best to charm her.  Treat her how she deserves to be treated.  I might not get taken seriously, but I would at least try; then I wouldn't spend my twilight years wondering if I'd have missed out on my chances.  Such as they'd be."

He smiled then, his eyelids half-closed as he settled back a bit more into the covers, pulling the top blanket halfway over himself.

"A ball would be nice, tho'... I could see it, Illiad; the music, the atmosphere, the dancing... I would be waitin' at the side, with a nice suit on - and not one o' those fancy numbers Mother tries to dress me in; I mean a really nice suit... and I would see her across the way, lookin' all alone an' sad... she'd be beautiful, too... an' I'd have the chestnuts to walk right over to her an' tell her, 'Madam, we may be among the stars here, but your light outshines them all... may this comet take a spin in your orbit with you?'..."  he gave a sleepy chuckle, and yawned before continuing.  

"She would smile, an' tell me I was quite a gentlecolt... an' she'd take my hoof... an' we'd dance... an' dance... an' dansirmuff..."

There was only the sound of crickets chirping their lullabye for a moment, then a soft, tiny little snore issued from the lump of quilt and pony next to Illiad Easle.

Illiad thought Dax’s talk of Luna was slightly endearing, he contemplated telling Luna before they met, but decided against it. It would not be well to have any preconceived notions at their meeting. Illiad set the gem so that it would be close enough to both of them to work its dream magic before settling in to sleep himself, there was no point in staying up later than his host after all.





Illiad was aware of the dream as he had grown accustomed when Selena wanted to talk, it appeared she wanted him to be there for the meeting with Dax. Illiad was surprised to see that the plain white room had been furnished slightly, in that there were chairs already there. He supposed that made sense given Dax would have no experience with this room when Selena pulled him into it. Speaking of which, Selena looked as radiant as she ever did, she seemed like she wanted to impress Dax. Her form was the familiar one of a young and thin crystal mare, her slightly bluer mane and tail were arranged in a cute, yet beautiful way. Illiad approached and gave her a slight hug, "I'm sure he'll like you just fine."

With a slight nod that betrayed her nervousness she went to the doors of the room, and prepared to summon Dax to the collective dream. She managed to snag him right at the beginning of what would no doubt be a wonderful dream if left unaltered, but Selena managed to pull him away.

Dax would become aware of the dream world and find himself in front of a set of closed doors in front and a lever behind him marked exit. 

There was a moment where nothing happened at first.  Before any worry could start, however, the doors were carefully pushed open, and the visitor outside stepped in... but it took a moment before either of them realized what was standing in front of them.  They had expected cute little Dax Blackwater, almost grown yet still so child-like that it was hard to take him seriously as an adult for many ponies...

The stallion that entered the room was a shocking difference, but also familiar.  He was as tall as Luther Blackwater himself, and had a similar build as well.  He looked strong and powerful, like he was the King of the Rock Miners.  He was also roguishly handsome; the emerald eyes, the black and green mane pulled back in a neat ponytail, the goatee well-trimmed and sharp all added to his personal allure - even the notch missing from his left ear added a sense of hidden danger to him.  He was wearing a very expensive, yet reserved, tuxedo with a crisp white rose in his lapel, and cuffs for each hoof, all decorated with emerald cufflinks.

Aside from that, though... there was the hesitant way he moved, those eyes scanning the room nervously, the careful steps that made barely a sound... he might look like a full-grown adult stallion, but the personality beneath could be nopony else but Dax.

When he caught sight of Illiad, he smiled... and when he saw Selena, he simply stared for a moment.  When he spoke, his voice was rich and deep, if perhaps a bit soft.

"I suppose the Ball can wait until another night."  His chuckle was resonant and hearty, but the smile that spread across his features was the kind of smile only Dax could have.  "This is incredible... and you, my dear, are exquisite to behold.  Greetings," he bowed low and respectfully, "I am Daxter Blackwater, heir to the Blackwater Quarry; it is a fine and rare pleasure to meet you at last, and your radiance shall shine within the halls of my mind forever - a portrait of the purest definition of the word 'beautiful' will hang there, showing you at this very moment in time.  I pray that you forgive my lack of proper vocabulary - as there are truly no words to do any description of you any form of justice."

Apparently. Dax was a bit more eloquent in his dreams.

Illiad was impressed by the change in Dax. While it did betray a difference in image to reality, IE Dax did not see himself in the same way he actually appeared or was perhaps uncomfortable with his physical appearance. It was likely a result of being unused to being pulled into a shared mental area. Illiad looked the same as he did in reality as he had long accepted his body and all of its flaws, right down to the scars on his back. He was wearing his typical robe but he would admit that he made this one whiter and more comfortable.

Selena gave a slight yet dainty laugh, "I suppose it will have to wait, your flattery knows no bounds. However, this is no place for facades, I want to know the real Dax, not the Daxter Dax wants to be someday. If that is alright with you that is, while I can I won't force you to change. Come, take a seat with me."

Selena somewhat walked but mostly floated over to the chairs she had made in the white room, they looked fairly comfortable, yet quite plain being the same color as the rest of the room but easily distinguishable from it. Selena's gait was like one who knew the concept of walking, yet lacked practical experience in that regard. Selena took a seat and gestured to another as Illiad took one as well. "Do come join us. As I am the host it is only fair that you get to ask the first question, if that’s what you want."

Dax stood there a moment, a puzzled look on his face before glancing down at himself.

"Oh.  Well, I suppose that could be a tad disconcerting... a moment, my lady."

Dax's form began to shrink and mould into what Illiad knew the young Blackwater to be.  As the reformation completed, Dax looked himself over and gave a bit of a sheepish grin.

"Sorry about that - I was... uhm... in a different dream; I'm sorry if I kept you waiting long."

Dax made his way over to the seat reserved for him.  He tried not to stare at Selena... but of course he did.  When he walked over, there was an interesting effect; behind Dax ran a softly glowing trail, the color of emeralds.  It flowed behind him as he moved, and slowly caught up to him after he sat down.  There was no telling what it was about - it simply seemed to be a part of Dax.

He kept watching Selena as he took his seat, fascinated with somepony so different than anything he had ever seen before.  Normally, he'd be extremely nervous... but for some reason, he seemed to have at least a passing grip on his skittishness.  Perhaps it was Illiad's presence that made the difference.

"It's a real honor to meet you; Illiad always seems fit to burst when he speaks about you, like he wants to tell me more, but..." he turned to the Trojan, "you were right; nothing like meeting somepony like her face to face."

He looked around a bit at the room, then returned his gaze to the lovely mare. "I do have questions... and I kinda hope you have some for me, too - though what you'd wanna know about ME, I have no idea..."

He cleared his throat, and squirmed a bit in the chair; he was trying to find a good place to start.

"Illiad told me the story of why you and the others... your siblings, I guess?... came to be.  I guess a good starting question would be to ask you what it's like to be a star?  I mean, a real star in the sky... how did it feel?  DID it feel?  How was the view?  Could you-..."

Dax checked his enthusiasm, taking a breath to clear his thoughts.  "Uhm, yeah... so how was it?"

Selena seemed puzzled by the green ghosting that Dax was doing, but didn't want to seem to comment on it at the moment, her expression brightened when he asked his question. "First off, I don't see the world like you two do, I don't have eyes. I can feel the world through a combination of vibrations and an ability similar to Illiad's in sensing the emotions around me, though it isn't as powerful. And in space there is not much of either so I couldn't see much outside of Luna herself. It was very quiet in space, peaceful even. My memories compare it to lying in a still pool with your eyes closed. It was also quite cold, though there was a lightness to me, it took significantly less effort to change shape there. I much prefer life here, the silence got very boring after a while and freeing Luna was a time consuming but not very challenging task." She paused her reminiscing and returned her focus to Dax. "I would ask about the trail you seem to leave as you move, but I would guess you don't know. So, what do you think of Equestria? I find the younger have the least biased opinions and Illiad is just a bit biased against it to answer honestly."  

"Trail?  There's a trail?"

Dax looked behind him - but of course, there was no trail while he was sitting down.  Shrugging, he turned back to face Selena.  He spared a moment to look over at Illiad and smile.

"But wow... to actually BE a star.  I've gotta admit - I'd love to see-... I mean, FEEL the sky like that."

He listened to Selena's question, and pondered it for a moment before answering.

"Well... Equestria is my home, of course.  I mean, well... I haven't really had a lot of chance to visit many places.  As far as what I HAVE seen, I've been to Manehattan - which was big and bold - and Ponyville, which looked wonderful from the Everfree... though I didn't actually go in there; I did see the ponies there having fun, though.  I wished I could join 'em..."

Dax got a wistful look in his eyes for a few seconds, then realized he was still among company, so he shook his head to refocus.

"Uhm, yeah - like I said, I haven't seen a lot of Equestria, but what I have seen has been really magnificent!  Beautiful mountains, somber valleys, fruitful forests and playful rivers and streams... I think everypony that lives here is lucky to have such a beautiful place to live in."

He smiled at that... but then he got quiet and thoughtful.

"I... I've heard a lot about Princess Celestia from Illiad, and I wanted to ask... why is she doing all these things that make no sense?  It bothers me - a lot, actually - that the Princess I've heard so much about seems to almost be petty and cold... why?  Is the mantle of royalty so heavy that she's suffering?  Does she not realize what her edicts are doing to the ponies of places like Troy?  Why would she be like that?"

Selena looked slightly surprised by Dax's new line of questioning, but gave a bit of a shrug. "Ultimately? She fears that you ponies won’t need her anymore. She has striven to make herself indispensable at the expense of your social and technological development. She has played off the other forms of government by making the other nations seem inferior for not being ruled by an eternal monarch. In her eyes, if you were to see that a society could live and thrive without her guidance then you might want that for yourselves and depose her. Ultimately, she fears being alone and unwanted, and accidentally caused those same feelings in one of the few that would walk through eternity with her. Even worse? She can't go back on her decisions, it would show the world that she was wrong, and if she can be wrong then, she can be wrong now. So she must live with the consequences of her actions, her fear guided ways, so that she can remain where she desperately desires to stay." Selena paused for a moment. "In a way, you are all like her children, but she can’t seem to let you grow up and move on, for she knows she cannot follow you further. I hope that makes sense. My turn then, tell me your fondest memory, if you don't mind sharing that is."

Dax listened to Selena's explanation of Celestia's issues... and seemed a bit sad when she finished.  However, it didn't last very long, as he paid attention to the next question.  He looked down, smiling at the floor, and spoke with a touch of great fondness.

"That's easy; the day I found the Blackwater Emerald."

He sat up straighter, and gestured with his hooves animatedly as he spoke.

"This was a while ago, back when I was still sneaking into the mines and working on the side... before my cutie mark.  Y'see, I had been helping out for a few weeks when we had gotten pretty far down into one of the tunnels.  I was down there for about two minutes when I started getting this... tingling, twitching feeling in my hooves - like ants crawling over 'em.  And it got stronger and stronger as I went down one of the side tunnels the crew had abandoned.  The miners figured there was nothing there, so they just left it to be sealed up by the blasting."

Dax got a light in his eyes as he spoke, completely enraptured in his own tale.

"Well, as I had been working hard with the others for a while now, the forepony knew my name and he trusted my judgement.  So, he followed me there, along with a small, hoofpicked crew of other workers.  We st to work, either kicking or hauling away.  It was rough, but my hooves kept spazzing... so I knew we had to be close."

"When we broke into the chamber, it was all dark at first.  Then, when one of the others shined a light inside, there was this ENORMOUS pillar of pure emerald, reaching from the floor of the cave and through the ceiling.  The other miners and I just stared at it.  Then... completely without warning... out of nowhere..."

He leaned forward, adding to the suspense.

"... they picked me up and carried me on their shoulders, like a hero.  They kept calling out compliments and kudos to me, and didn't even expect a response!  It was later carved and removed, and is still really pretty... but it stays locked up in the Vault.  To this very day, it holds the record for being the largest emerald in all of Equestria - and I was the one who found it!  That was also when my cutie mark appeared."

He turned politely to show the side of his flank, where a lump of gray rock was pictured... but sticking out of the rock was a chunk of a beautiful emerald; Dax's talent for finding emeralds AND his hidden self were both represented.

"I was so happy that I was so thoroughly accepted - it was wonderful."

He sighed, smiling, before his eyes simply regained contact with hers.

"My turn again."

His grin shone from the sun of his face as he spoke to Selena.

"What kind of music do you love?"

"Music? Well..." She sat pondering a few moments. "I like soft string music most, slow relaxing tunes are my favorite. I like songs with powerful harmony, especially when it has a mix of instruments, so a full orchestra would be my second favorite. Though high pitches can be painful for me to listen too. How about you? What music do you like?" 

Dax shyly chuckled, grinning humbly.

"Well... I've always been a fan of Rock music, but the older bands; the ones with feeling, y'know?  The Barn Doors, The Rolling Boulders, The Birds, The Monkeys, The Beetles... I like their music because it tells a story between the words, and it's really cool when you can see the images in your mind of what they're REALLY singing about." 

He looked a bit stumped for a moment... then shrugged.

"Well... uhm, tell me more about you, Miss Selena.  I've never seen anypony like you!"

There was a slight blush (and from the Empathic's standpoint, perhaps a slight crush) coming from the young stallion.

Selena felt, and was slightly surprised by, Dax's slight affection for her. Illiad was the first to respond though, aiming to give Selena some time to compose herself, and to feel less like the third wheel in this situation. "The Beetles huh? I like some of their music too, though mostly their earlier ones like 'Hard Day's Night' and 'Yesterday', their later music really started to get weird."

Selena managed to adjust to the new affection quickly enough, "It isn't often someone has feelings for me, but I suppose that is due to the secret nature of my existence. I am fairly unique I would say, the only others like me I've encountered are the other balance gems, but even they are not quite like me. I am a living construct of magic, a soul sustained outside of a living body. I learn and develop much like any other pony, I am just in here while all others are out there. Someday Luna and Illiad will find a way to give me a permanent body so I can interact with the world outside, currently there hasn't been enough raw material nor a source of energy sustainable enough to be effective at maintaining a body for long periods of time. Moonlight is looking like a pretty promising source but that falls back on insufficient material to store enough energy to last a full day." She waved a hoof dismissively, "I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually, and I'm in no hurry. The world will still be there when it happens." She seemed a bit unsure on how to proceed. "I suppose that's a general overview of myself, is there something more specific you'd like to know?"

Dax sort of fidgeted for a moment... then, he gave a small grin.

"Well, uhm... I was on my way to a ball - and I do like to dance..."

He smiled, stood up and made his way over to Selena.  Once there, he gave a low bow with his right hoof outstretched.

"Maybe we could... dance?  If you like?  I know there's no music or anything, but... I don't know if anypony's ever asked you to dance before, so...?"

He was blushing a bit, and his nervousness was obvious... but Dax was trying to not only be brave, but suave as well.  

At least one of those succeeded.

Neither Selena nor Illiad were expecting Dax's proposition. "I.... No, No one has ever asked me to dance before. I'd be happy to dance with you." With a slight smirk the room melted away, replaced by a polished marble ballroom floor. Pillars surrounded the large rectangular area with tall windows between them around the perimeter. Glowing crystal chandeliers were evenly spaced along the peak of the roof, evenly illuminating the large dance floor. From no known source soft string music began to play.

The chairs sank into the floor, leaving their occupants behind. Selena accepted Dax's outstretched hoof. "You may have this dance."

Illiad moved to the side of the floor, seemingly impressed by the mental construction, but content to watch for now.

Dax led her to the center of the dance floor.  His eyes wandered around the place, absolutely in awe with the ballroom... but kept his cool - inside and out.  He gently took her by the hoof and began to lead in a slow, yet graceful waltz.

It was actually rather impressive; Dax's movements were fluid and sure, and he was careful to allow Selena room and time to keep up, if she needed it.  As they swept about, he first gave her only a shy glance or two... yet as they danced, he eventually began to really look at her.  Then, eye contact was established.  The hue of his emerald eyes was bright and merry, and looked very much like the same gems that the mines that held his namesake produced.

"This would actually be Mother's doing; with all the high society skills she insisted I have lessons in, I found out I like to dance... and with the tutors I had, it didn't take long to get pretty good at it, either."

Illiad had an interesting view, as the trail that seemed to follow Dax earlier continued to do so now; it left a beautiful wall of motion behind them both as he twirled, turned and stepped with her across the dance floor.

"So... do you like dancing too?" he queried, grinning with a kind and happy smile while he continued waltzing with the radiant mare.

Selena had her eyes closed as she moved through the steps of the dance in Luna's memories. She simply felt the world around her as she danced, her form a bit more fluid than a normal pony. "Luna too was taught from a young age about all things etiquette and class, and thus she learned to dance as well. She saw dance as a way to train her body for combat. But I do enjoy this dance, I suppose that's how Illiad and the others influenced me. While he never learned to dance like you did, he still saw it as a thing of beauty, a connection between two people to move as one." She gave a contented sigh, opening her eyes to watch Dax. "For a first dance, I think I'm doing pretty well. Not to distract you or anything, but the trail is back. It seems to appear only when you move, like a ghosting image."

"You're a terrific dancer; I'm just trying to make sure I don't trip YOU up!"

Dax laughed out loud as he continued to go through the beautiful routine... then, an improvised step, and he swept the semi-etherial form of Selena around in a circle, standing on his rear hooves to do so.  The trail behind him seemed to grow as Dax enjoyed himself, in length and brightness.

When Selena pointed it out, he naturally looked behind himself to try to see it.  "Where... I don't see it.  Is it really there?"

He smoothly broke loose and, without missing a single step, began dancing in swooping circles, keeping to the beat.  He was apparently trying to catch a glimpse of the trail - however, it was obvious from both Selena and Illiad's point of view that it should be right in front of his muzzle.  He looked genuinely puzzled; he simply couldn't see it.  However, his dancing made fascinating rings behind him, further attesting to his fluidity as a dancer.

After a bit of this, he looked at her and shrugged, moving right back into step with his dancing partner and continuing the waltz... but with an extra twirl or two added in, adding a little surprise to the traditional fare.  He was having what seemed to be the time of his life.

At one point, he turned to look over at Illiad as they spun past.  

"Look at me - I'm dancing with a star!"

For Illiad, being an Empathic could sometimes be vastly rewarding; the emotions coming from the young stallion dancing with the beautiful entity were worth every moment of their waltzing together.

Illiad was only slightly jealous of the exchange, he wished he had thought to ask her to dance sooner. He reasoned it wouldn't be as magical an experience given they viewed each other in a more familial light, practically siblings at this point. "So you are, if only in your dreams." he said with a smirk.

Selena gave a light laugh at Illiad's statement. "I suppose you wish Silver were here so you could have someone to dance with too. Maybe you can figure out how to make that happen one of these nights. “

Dax never wanted it to end... but he knew he didn't have forever.  He brought the dance to its inevitable end, making certain to finish with a flourish, and dipping the shining mare as he did.  After a moment, he set her back upright and made a low, sweeping bow before her.

"You dance divinely - thank you so much for allowing me the chance to make you smile."

He stood back up... then paused a moment, the look on his face full of thought.  Such done, he turned back to look at Illiad.  "You said that Selena is a piece of Luna's soul, but she has her own existence now, right?"  He faced Selena, and the look on his muzzle was one of concern.

"Do you remember what it was like, when you first became self-aware?  I mean, I can't remember when I was born, but... do you?"

Illiad seemed to be doing something in the background

Selena had a contemplative look on her face. "Well, the timeline of my memories flows seamlessly from Luna to me, but there is a wide period between those two points where Luna was becoming me, and so I was neither her nor me. I suppose the moment I really became distinct from Luna was when part of Illiad's soul filled what was missing in my own. As to me being self aware, I suppose I noticed when I wasn't within Luna's body anymore if that's what you mean."

The music of the room changed as Illiad made his way over to Selena. Her eyes and smile widened as she heard the song. "May I have this dance?" Looking over at Dax, "You're not the only one that can dance."

Without another word they began to dance, shifting in pace and speed with the intensity of the music, starting with a slow sway and building into more complicated steps. Their forms becoming a bit more fluid for some of the motions. 

The young stallion watched in silent reverence as the two danced together, his eyes matching step for step, almost seeming like emerald-bedecked backup dancers.  They got misty and even dropped a tear or two, watching them both - yet a broad and happy smile accompanied the watery gaze, so amazing was what he was watching.

The song was over quickly and they separated with a hug before returning to Dax. "Now, you were saying?"

Dax took a bow before them both.  "Okay, I admit it - you two have me beat, hooves down.  That was magnificent... but I expected it to be."  He gave them both a kind grin... yet, even beneath all of that, there was the tiny, tinny ring of loneliness from the bell of his soul.  It didn't remain a mystery for long, however.

"You both seem so at ease with each other, like brother and sister... I kinda wish I had something like that."

There was no 'kinda' to it; he was lonely.  Normally, he took it well enough... however, he couldn't help but feel as though he was missing out whenever he saw any couple, be they friends, siblings or lovers, having a grand time.  Being Dax though, he wasn't about to let it spoil the moment here; he didn't want to do a single, solitary thing to cause Illiad Easle, the unicorn from Troy, nor his incredible companion any grief.

"You can travel in dreams, kinda like Luna does?  Uhm... would it be rude of me to ask if we could peek in on my family's dreams?  I mean, if that's too far, then I understand, but... I really just wanna see what they dream about.  Not for any nefarious purposes or whatever; I'd just like to see if their dreams are anything like mine... can relatives' dreams be related?"

As it was clear they were going to be talking again the chairs rose up again under and behind the occupants of the room. Selena had a slightly apologetic expression, "While I can dreamwalk like Luna I don't have nearly the amount of power that she does. My range is limited to a length or two in any direction, so we'd have to both be pretty close to do that. As to their dreams, a dream is made up of your experiences, fears, and desires. The more similar those are between ponies, the more similar their dreams will be. Relatives generally have similar experiences if not similar fears and desires, so out of anyone one's family would be the closest match in dreams." 

Dax chuckled ruefully.  "That's a really roundabout way of saying 'no'... but its okay.  I'd see if they would try it, but... yeah, I already know the answer to that; on both sides, even.  But it's okay."

He wasn't entirely sure how to proceed, from the look on his face.

"I don't even know what to say now; this is just so incredible... I've always thought there was more out there in the world than what my tutors knew, and your sheer existence proves it.  Oh, no worries - I won't tell a soul about this; it does feel good to know that I've been let in on this big secret, and I won't be the one to ruin it!"

There was no doubt; Dax would rather die than betray his only friend... make that, 'friends'.

"Okay, well... uhm, did you... have anything else to ask me?  Nopony ever really asks me anything; they're always trying to tell me what they think I don't know - so you asking me stuff is... well, it's fun, actually."

He gave Illiad and Selena one of his trademark sheepish grins.

Selena pondered for a moment, "Hmm, Of the activities that are planned for your trip to Troy, what are you most excited about?"

Illiad too decided to ask a question, "Also,is there something else that we're doing here that you're excited to show me?" He wasn't out to spoil a surprise, he just wanted to know what he could expect and if there was the chance that he could spend some more time with Silver before they left. 

Dax gave Selena a comical look of pain.  

"Ooooooh... I don't know!  I mean, one the one hoof, there's the observatory that Illiad spoke about - ohhh, the things I could see with one of those - it would be like a full-on view of paradise!  But on the other hoof, Illiad has said he has some changeling friends who might want to talk to me; I've always wondered if they were just misunderstood - and Illiad says they are!  And then on top of that, I have GOTTA see how Silver's Machine works!  So, I have a LOT to look forward to; I'm so excited, I could explode!"

He gave Illiad a bit of a curious look upon the second question.

"Uhm, well... admittedly, there's not a lot else to see, but... I mean, I could show you the vault, and the manor's inner courtyard and garden... maybe the Gem Refinery... but, I... don't tell me I'm starting to bore you - I'm REALLY trying not to..."

Dax gave Illiad a worried look.  "You don't already wanna leave, do you?"

Illiad looked at Dax with a bit of surprise, "Not at all, I've loved being here. Even if we aren't doing something super cool I have no intention of leaving early."

"Besides, staying here gives him the best chance at seeing Silver again." Selena butted in with a smirk. 

Illiad blushed before continuing, "Regardless, I'm glad to hear how excited you are to see where I live, I hope it lives up to your expectations."

Dax grinned broadly.

"I'm glad to hear it, my friend... and it feels so good to be able to call you my friend - and I hope you are too, Selena; I'm so glad I wrote that first letter!  It was a flyer that Mother brought home from Ponyville, last time she went - she saw the word 'cultural' and probably decided I could use it.  I'll never, ever regret deciding to write to you - thank you so much..."

Illiad smiled broadly, "I'm glad I wrote to you too, I was looking to bring a sort of adventure to my life to distract me from my then present woes. I'm glad we got paired together and that I was able to improve your life in even a small way."

The young stallion got up and made his way over to the Trojan, wrapping him in a huge hug when he got there.

"I've gotta be the luckiest stallion in the world - or at least it feels like it."

Stepping back from his friend, he gave him an appraising look.  "Y'know... I could talk to Silver and see what she thinks of YOU; it'd be great if you two became special someponies - then you'd come here more often, right?"

Illiad’s expression shifted to be a bit more conspiratorial. "In regards to Silver, if we were to become a bit more than friends I suppose I'd Have to visit again, maybe even on a regular basis."

Dax chuckled softly.  

"You've really got it bad for her, don'cha?  I mean, I thought you liked her a good bit, but you sound ready to whisk her away to the sands of Troy at the drop of a hat!  I'd be happy to play Cupid; I'll find out what I can from her, and pass things along to you - sound good?"

In a way that felt somewhat odd to the colt, Selena spoke directly to Dax without speaking, a sort of one way mental communication. You've helped Illiad much more than even he realizes. This exchange has already shifted many aspects of his future to more favorable probabilities and for that I am extremely grateful. She gave a slight, but thankful bow towards him as the room began to return to its plain white state.

He grinned, yet his eyes slid sidelong for only a moment as Selena spoke in his noggin; he managed to tip her a wink, unbeknownst to Illiad.

"I know that she loves machines... and she can make shoes; the miner's shoes here are ALL her creations... and she never lets a pony go hungry, as her folks run a charity, I think... and she- OH!  She LOVES tulips; she says her parents used to plant them all the time when she was smaller... she told me she can play the sousaphone... and she likes the taste of mushrooms... uhm, that's all I can remember at the moment, but I'm sure there's more!"

The young stallion wanted to help so much; again, even though he didn't have much to go on, Dax seemed to be right on the money when it came to being a friend.

"Maybe you could talk Selena into looking into Silver's dreams for you?"

Illiad blushed quite a bit at the initial comment. "I suppose I am particularly fond of her. In my defense she has only grown more attractive the more I've learned about her. Usually liking mushrooms is a deal-breaker for me, but I think I can overlook it for her. I think she's perfect otherwise at any rate. Yes, I would appreciate anything you can do for me."

Selena took that opportunity to speak up. "The same restrictions would apply to me seeing her dreams as it does to seeing your parent's dreams. I'd have to be close enough and it makes it significantly easier if they're aware and accepting of it. In the most basic terms I would need her permission to do so as I would have to be nearly next to her to see anything. Maybe if you invited her out here to join us one night?"

"I could do that - yeah, sure!  She's always been open-minded about stuff she and I talk about, so maybe if-..." suddenly, Dax's face looked as though he'd had a revelation.  "But that would mean revealing Selena to her too, wouldn't it?  Would it be safe for you to do that, Illiad?  Would it be safe for Selena, too?  I don't want anypony to get in trouble over all this... but, for what it's worth, I'm pretty sure Silver can keep a secret."

Illiad gave a nod with a smile. "It would indeed mean telling her, but if she is to spend any meaningful amount of time with me she'd need to know at some point anyway. I think she'd keep the secret well too, it isn't a hard one to keep."

Dax looked at them both, smiling from ear to ear.  His eyes came to rest on Selena as he spoke up.

"Oh, I don't wanna forget to ask anything - I don't know WHEN I'll ever see you again, after all!  Maybe I should ask about the moon?  Or perhaps I should ask about how you feel about Alicorns in general?  OOH!  Can you sing?"

"I don't even know WHAT to ask about!"  Dax seemed to be enjoying his current dilemma.


Illiad's expression suddenly shifted to perplexed. He felt the sadly familiar sensation of sadness and loss from without the dream world. "Something is outside, I'll go check it out. You two have fun okay?" Without waiting for a response Illiad ejected himself from the dream and into the conscious world. 

Selena didn't seem to mind Illiad's sudden departure from the room. "I could answer any of those questions, we have plenty of time, all you have to do is decide an order to ask them in." 

Dax gave Illiad a puzzled look, and blinked a bit when his friend vanished.

"I hope everything's okay..."

Yet, after a moment's thought, he turned back to Selena with a question in his eyes.

"Uhm... with Illiad not here, would it be okay if I asked you what I've changed about him?  You spoke in my head earlier, and I don't know how to talk back the same way - but I gathered it wasn't for him to know, or you would have said it out loud.  So... I'd like to ask about that, if it's all right?  Since he's not here to overhear it, I mean."

Selena looked conflicted for a moment, before she sighed. "Alright, I'll tell you. But you can't tell him I told you this." She shifted into a more comfortable position on her chair. "As you may have noticed, Illiad is a bit of a loner, and extremely introverted. After the incident that caused him to leave Canterlot he's had trouble making deep friendships. You are the first creature he has trusted enough to tell about me. Ever since you started writing him he's been more outgoing and involved with the few friends he still has. He has a chance now at finding someone to share his life with even if he doesn't end up with Silver. When he defended you against those workers it was the first time he felt so strongly about one of his friends. I didn't say so earlier because he didn't want to face that something was missing from his life."

The young stallion was floored by Selena's response.  "So... you're telling me he needs me as much as I need him?" This thought rolled through his mind for a moment, Dax taking his time with his response.

"That's wonderful... really, it is!  I've always felt like I was just here for the sake of being born a Blackwater, because I've never really felt needed, y'know?  But to know I'm actually necessary, THAT is a wonderful thing..."

Dax wiped his foreleg across his eyes to clear the tears misting there, though there was a look of gladness on the muzzle beneath it.

"It feels good knowing that; thank you very, very much."

Dax thought for a moment.

"Uhm... I don't wanna seem... rude or anything... especially since you're so sweet to me... but, can I ask you something about Princess Luna?  I mean, I know you said you were a part of her soul at one time, so I think you'd be better than anypony else to ask about... well..."

He looked rattled, but he took a deep breath to calm himself, then looked Selena in the eye.

"Do you think that - if she met me - would she like me?  And, if she did, would it be..."

It was Dax's turn to blush brightly.

"... honestly speaking, would I ever have any chance to... uhm... if I was older, I mean... could I..."

It was a fair bet that Selena could take a decent guess as to what Dax was saying: he wanted to know if Luna could ever love a stallion like him.  It was awkward... and adorable.



 

Illiad looked about to see if he could find the one that felt so sad.

There was a purple light coming from outside.

By the creek, there was movement and that eerie purple light that almost seemed to make things around it feel... colder, somehow.  Sitting on the bank of the river was what looked to be a colt... except that there were pulses of energy that formed various things around him; another set of legs, a long mane and two humongous pairs of wings kept fading in and out of existence around him.

The colt was crying, but it wasn't the bawling of a foal... it was the subdued, shuddering sobs of a stallion who has lost everything.  The voice making the sounds was resonant and deep, with an almost echoing effect to it - as if the sounds faded into existence before they were actually made.

Upon closer inspection, the colt was wearing a silk nightshirt, currently hanging open in the cool night air.  He seemed disheveled, as if woken from a deep sleep, with what appeared to be his true mane a mess and his true tail, as well.  Along with all this, the colt/creature/being was most certainly the source of the sorrow.

Illiad was oddly calm about the whole situation, and decided to push some of that calm towards the strange creature before him. Tentatively he emerged from the tent, "You are certainly something different, mind telling me what's got you so down?" 
> An Exchange of Nightmares
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The strange colt didn't react outwardly, but it spoke... sort of.  ".ydob siht ni ,ecalp siht ot ,ereh em del sah htap ym tey ...regnarts ,em nellafeb evah taht seow eht rats a nopu tnemal dluow I"

The colt stood, and then hovered into the air - without a single flap of his wings.  ".won erusaert ym tcetorp ot enola enim dna ytud ym si ti ;erom on si naidraug eht - erusaert tsetaerg ym nellafeb sah enutrofsim taht raef I"

The colt finally came close enough for Illiad to see clearly, and there were three things that were instantly evident:

The being's eyes were nothing but bright balls in the colt's head; no pupils visible whatsoever.

There was some sort of entity that had apparently manifested within this host.

The colt was Oglevy Blackwater.

"?regnarts ,uoy era ohW  .uoy swonk ...eno sihT"





Selena sighed, "It's been a long time since Luna and I were the same, her time on the moon and being hit by the elements has really changed her in relation to me so I could not say definitively whether she would like you. But I think she would given you appreciate her night's sky. As to what you could do if you were older, you'd have to be old in the realm of centuries and a lifespan into a millennia to compete for her heart. While Celestia fears solitude Luna fears loss, she doesn't want to lose those around her so she has trouble connecting with those she knows will die shortly. But she's getting better. Midnight Star once held her heart, and out of fear of losing him she gave him an extended lifespan of a few millennium. Maybe the same could happen to you, but I cannot say." 

Her face suddenly shifted to be a bit more serious. "Something is wrong out there. Sleep, we'll be back soon." The room dissolved into blackness as Dax was disconnected from the shared dream, whether he would wake up or continue sleeping was up to him.

Dax flinched when Selena told him about the issues between himself and Luna; the truth hurts, and it seemed as if this truth certainly did.  But before he could say anything, Selena went to assist Illiad.

Dax said nothing as the room blacked out - he was still trying to wrap his mind around her words when he was shunted out of the shared dream.

It was hardly ever a good idea to sleep with bad news on one's mind...





"This again? That's two backwards speakers in as many days. I'll be right back." he returned to the tent and nudged his gem, waiting for a confirmation that she had disconnected Dax before carrying her outside. He shifted the gem into a sort of headset, the gem sitting in his ears. "Okay, this should help me understand what you're trying to say. Could you say what you said again?"





By the time Illiad returned, the entity had stood up, and there was now a slowly darkening look on the colt's face.

"...yb esolc yrev si ecnaraeppasid s'yrtnes ym rof elbisnopser si revemohw taht em dlot evah sesnes ym dna ...edis rehto eht morf skaeps ohw rehtona fo kaeps uoY"

A purple energy radiated outward from his eyes, and the spectral wings flapped slowly as it rose from the ground.  The same energy began to glow from each forehoof, and the echo from speaking had deepened.

".ylkciuq kaepS  .regnarts ,erusaert sselecirp ym niager ot od dluow I tahw ot timil on si rerht ...uoy nraw llahs I  ?draug ym htiw desnepsid ohw eno eht uoy era - kaepS"

Illiad had an uncharacteristic smile on his face. "Ah yes I can understand you now, but if you can understand me is another question. Given that you responded decently to my speaking I would assume so. I am the balance of good and evil. I punish and aid those whom the scales direct. All will answer for their crimes. But let's talk civilly shall we? I will need you to release the colt first though, It doesn't put the argument in your favor to be holding him hostage as your guard did to another." 

The colt's face took on a haughty look, and he frowned.

".emas eht leef uoy epoh ylno nac I ...kcatta dluow draug ym erehw kaeps dluow I  .eb ot raeppa thgim I sa ekirts ot toh sa ton ma I tey ...em sregna sihT  ?em denekawa taht srebmahc lairub ym otni noisurtni 'sdnik ruoy si ti nehw ,em fo stseuqer ekam uoY"

The colt's look changed to one of business; it was both sobering and creepy, how much Oglevy looked like his father.

".uoy ot emirc eht timbus llahs I ,erofereht - egduJ a era uoy hguoht sa dnuos uoy ,kaeps uoy sdrow eht morf ;neht uoy ot siht tneserp llahs I"

".owt eht neewteb yradnuob eht gnissorc rof sucof a si enotS atayK eht dna ...efil fo mrof rehtona rof enalp siht dednecsnart evah eW  .srosivda dna sediug rieht emaceb dna ...eveileb dluow dnik ruoy sa ,'deid' ro ...ecnetsixe siht morf dessap ew litnu ,elpoep ym gnoma srelur neves fo eno saw I  .htneveS ehT etiryP sucrA ,fuuhnyvolK fO droL ehT ,ytsejaM siH ma I"

".esruoc fo ,meht gnoma flesym - wef a ot elbissecca ylno cigam sti dna ,dercas si ti ,dlrow ruo no tey ,'dnomaiD duolC' sa ti ot refer uoy eveileb I"

".nees erofeb reven dah ew hcihw cigam ;cigam dna seinop fo dnal siht ot ,ereh egaruotne ym dna flesym thguorb yenruoj yM  .enola tfel eb ot ecalp a rof gnikool ylpmis ,sgniht suoicerp tsom ruo dna seno devol ruo htiw emac ew dna ,enotS atayK erup fo edam erew slessev ruO  .tsixe ot eunitnoc ylpmis ot ecnahc a rof tuo sevlesruo gnidaerps ...srats eht ot derettacs ew ,gniyd saw tenalp ruo nehW"

".eb ot detnaw ylpmis I - sgnieb s'dlrow siht htiw tnemevlovni on detnaw I  .delur ytlayor s'dlrow ruoy erofeb - oga seirutnec ynam ,ynam enod lla saw sihT  .em htiw niamer ot dehsiw ohw esoht htiw gnola ,ereh niamer ot tnetnoc saw I  .nwo rieht erew seciohc rieht ...ton wonk I ,tnew yeht erehw ;tfel stcejbus ym fo emoS"

".drawrof tniop taht morf enola tfel eb dluow ew demussa ylbanosaer I ,saw tnedicni eht sa ydoolb sa ,dna derevocsid eb ot dnuob erew ew ,noitalosi ni gnol os retfa ;elbatpecca saw siht taht dediced dah I  .yleerf ti evig I tub ,hcum naem ton yam ygolopa ym ,siht rof - flesmih fo elcatceps a edam dna ,deregna saw eh ;ediba ton dluow draug ym ,sihT  .seceip ni ,lessev ym fo emos yawa ekat ot nageb seinop fo puorg a ,oga sraey ruoy fo rebmun A"

".scirtaeht sseldeen hcus rof llac on saw ereht tey - mih ssim llahs I  .reverof dedaf ecnetsixe sih ,enog si ecnesse sih - evitceffe etiuq erew owt rehto eht dna uoy tey ,lortnoc fo tuo tog sgniht taht dellappa saw I  .ssel on ,draug emas eht yb ...esu ni saw elbaliava enotS atayK fo tnuoma llams ylbarapmoc eht sa ,deripsnart tahw fo noitcarf a ylno dessentiw I  .niaga ecno rebmahc ym nihtiw ecnabrutsid a tlef I sa ,yltcerid dlrow siht otni denekawa ma I ,teY"

".elsaE daillI ,uoy rof dednetni dna ...kni htiw dellif ,noollab yot a :egnever fo tnemurtsni sih mialcer ot rebmahc ym sretne tloc gnuoy siht sa niaga nekawa I ,nehT"

He pondered this for a moment, then:

".won tsuj ,uoy rof nalp s'tloc eht fo thguoht eht litnu eman ruoy nrael ton did I  .thguoht lufituaeb a si ti ...no seog ti sa gnol sa etelpmocni llits si erutcip ruoy tey ,dlrow siht otnu tra fo krow esnemmi na era uoy taht setoned sihT  .gnitniap a fo savnac eht dloh ot esu dnik ruoy ecived eht dna ...yrots citamard ,gnol a fo skaeps eman ruoY"

".roolf eht nopu delip erew senob latrom ym dna - tfarc ym fo redniamer eht fo llaw eht fo tuo delesihc saw tsehc delaes ehT  .enog saw erusaert ym ;yrevocsid rehtona edam I ,ecneserp sih ot ekowa I nehw ,sseldrageR"

He frowned deeply.

".em morf ti nekat sah revemohw morf erusaert ym gnimialcer ni em tsissa ot ,esuoH htneveS eht fo eman eht ni ,uoy ksa I dna ...rettam siht no em htiw kaeps ot uoy ksa I ,neht dna - daillI egduJ ,selacs ruoy ecnalaB  .em rof dleh ecno ecalp siht ecaep fo esnes eht htiw gnola ,erusaert ym dna ,tfarc ym fo sretrauq-eerht ,drauG lanosreP A :sessol YM uoy evig I neht ,ecnalab fo selacs eht tneserper uoy fI"

"...dnuof si erusaert ym ecno uoy otnu ylefas mih nruter lliw I dna ,nwo ym sa eb llahs ydob sih ;mrah on mih naem I tey - won rof dnammoc ym rednu niamer lliw eh ,tloc eht rof sA"

He narrowed his glowing eyes, now slivers of light akin to crescent moons.

".renoos tnemom a ton dnA"

The colt/king lowered slowly to the ground, and the ghostly wings folded behind him.  From what could be discerned, the original body was NOT pony-shaped; the wing structure and deliberate movements belied a larger, thicker race with HUGE wings.

Once on all fours, Lord Arcus looked at the Empathic with a bit more respect... and worry.

"?od I NAC tahW  ?od I llahs tahw ...egduJ em lleT"

Illiad was impressed, it was quite the story he had told and it actually made quite a bit of sense. "I see clearer now what is going on here. By my account you have indeed been wronged and I will work to recompense you. Your guard was not dead when I left, his judgement returned what he had bestowed on others. If he died of his conscience then it is of no concern to the scales, but if one came to strike as he was weak then it matters all the more. The sense of peace is lost on both ends I'm afraid so you're balanced there, the craft is balanced against the lives lost collecting what they did collect, but if it's any consolation they have promised to seal the tunnel that leads to your craft. Soon it will be disturbed no more. It seems someone decided they wanted one last thing before the tunnel was closed. Your treasure you are owed, that much is certain. The one that took it owes you, and your use of that colt will balance the rest."

Illiad sat pondering how he could even discover who had taken the chest. "Do you know when it was taken? anything about the one that took it?"

Lord Arcus hung his head.

".ekowa I nehw tneserp eno ylno eht saw tloc sihT  .wonk ton od I ,oN"

He seemed not only perplexed, but disheartened as well.

".ssecca hcus evah dluow taht aera eht ni sgnieb rehto on era ereht ,'enim' eht ta srekrow eht fo eno eb tsum tirpluc eht taht em ot rucco dluow tI"

He turned to face Illiad once more, and old soul gazing out through young eyes.

".nac I revewoh tsissa llahs I  .ecalp siht ni ytirohtua eht era uoy sa ,noitagitsevni siht dael eht ekat ot evah lliw uoY"

Few recognized the power Illiad wielded as the balance as authority, Illiad shied away from showing his power and was instead quite humble about the role he played in the world. He nodded to the entity. "I will do what I can to ensure that your treasure is returned." He returned to the tent and attempted to rouse Dax. "Hey, we need to go on a treasure hunt to save your brother and the whole mine because this guy could totally kill all of you if he wanted to."

He exited the tent again. "The colt in the tent is the brother of the one you've controlled and the son of the owner of the mine. He'll know who, or who would know who, had access to the mine in the past hours. If you know when it was taken it would certainly make our search easier."

Dax came out of the tent blinking and bleary-eyed, rubbing his hooves against his puffy sockets as he yawned.

He looked at Oglevy for a moment, his poker-face betraying nothing.  Then, in a voice muzzy with sleep...

"Oglevy, go back tuh bed; id's too late tubby out."

With that, Dax turned and went right back inside the tent, headed back for his pile of blankets.  Perhaps the young stallion wasn't fully awake yet?

Unfazed, Lord Arcus raised an eyebrow.  ".lufpleh etiuq ton saw tahT"

Illiad had a nonplussed expression. "No it wasn't very helpful, I think partially due to the body you control. He recognizes it so he doesn't think much of it. I'm sure he'll be awake enough eventually to realize that some of the things he saw don't quite add up and he'll start freaking out, or I'll have to drag him out of the tent so we can start searching." 

Dax had seen the glowing eyes, the spectral wings and the aura of power and had thought 'trouble'... naturally, his sleep-addled mind went wandering around for something the word would connect with.  Eventually, it settled on 'Oglevy'.

He knew the colt would be trouble when Oggie was still a foal; the first day he was brought home, Dax had been fascinated by the sight of the little sky-blue creature wriggling in what used to be his old crib.  He had leaned in close to get a better view, and the foal had put his mouth on the end of Dax's snout... AND BIT DOWN.  HARD.

Dax had yelped, and Mother had shown up shortly thereafter to fuss at Dax for waking the baby (which he hadn't been sleeping, but at Dax's yell he began to bawl).  From that point on, Oglevy had been nothing but trouble for him; there seemed to be new ways each week to eithe get Dax in trouble, or to cause him grief.  When the testing tutors had declared him a genius, Dax had not been surprised - after the complex pranks the colt had pulled on him, he could have told them that.

Still, there were a few, scarce moments where the colt wasn't as bad as everyone thought.  There had been the camping trip, where he had been lost with Oglevy out in the woods; the colt had surprised him by willingly sharing his sack lunch with Dax, after Dax's own had been used to throw a timberwolf off their trail.  Then there was the time he had caught Dax sneaking into the kitchen pantry; he'd kept quiet for an onion sandwich, but it was still better than the usual blurting out of Dax's mistakes.  And, of course, there was the time after the 'Pink-Slip Incident', where the colt had just come into Dax's room while he was crying, and simply sat next to him on the bed and leaned against Dax while he sobbed.

If he would simply grow up, Dax got the feeling Oglevy would actually be a good brother.  Oglevy could be a brat, true - but ultimately, he would always have Oglevy for a brother... regardless of Oglevy's thoughts to the contrary.

Repeating Oglevy's name so often in his head, Dax found the colt's name to sound weird and alien.  As he began to settle himself into the pile of blankets, he took the name 'Oglevy' and his sleep-addled mind went wandering around for something the word would connect with.  Eventually, it settled on 'trouble'...

Moments later, Dax was standing at the flap to the tent again, staring at his possessed brother.

"What in the wide, wide world of Equestria is going on here!?!?"

Well, it was safe to assume he was awake now.

Illiad turned back towards Dax, a slight smile on his face. "Glad you decided to join us, this is Lord Arcus." he said gesturing towards the possessed Blackwater. "Someone stole his ancient treasure from the cloud diamond cave so he stole your brother until we can find his treasure. We need to go around to all the workers that knew the tunnel was being sealed. I think we should start with Knee Slapper, he at the very least would know who else knew about the tunnel."

Dax just stared at Oglevy/Arcus for a moment... then, slowly, he reached out with a hoof and gingerly touched the colt's shoulder.

"?ti si tahw ,sey ..."

Dax jumped back.  "What in the..?  Why Oglevy?  And treasure?  What treasure?"

Arcus tilted the colt's head, looking at Dax.  ".ynop kcalb ,uoy rof ylpeed serac dlihc eht ;eno siht ni mih rof noitaroda fo rioveser a etiuq si ereht ...dlihc siht ot nwonk si eno sihT  .ecneconni ruoy sevorp ti - ti fo gnihton wenk uoy taht setoned esirprus ruoy ;siht raeh ot em sesaelp tI"

Dax blinked at Arcus' words.  He turned to Illiad.  "I hope you can understand him, Illiad - I can't make out a single thing he's saying."

The colt turned back to face the unicorn.  "?esu laer yna fo eb ti lliw ...seenk fo gnippals sihT"

Dax looked lost; Arcus looked confused.  What a night.

Illiad looked nonplussed, this would certainly be a difficult task. "Yes I can understand him, with Selena's help. Knee Slapper is a name, not an action, and I think he will be invaluable to us." He turned to go back to the mines. "The treasure, at the very least, was or contained this Lord's coffin, and he'd like it back. Let's go wake up some people and hopefully get this resolved before the sun comes up."  

Dax gave Oglevy/Arcus a sidelong look... but he agreed with Illiad.

"Yeah... we should go wake a few ponies up - this isn't something that can or should wait."

Dax gathered himself, slung a slightly used satchel over a shoulder, and began the trek back to the Blackwater Quarry.  Looking back at Illiad, he gave a worried glance towards the colt.

"So, uhm... let's see... Knee would have been on schedule today, as would Redd - today was a week-ender, so everypony available would have been in today to make sure their hours were correct before receiving their pay.  Chuck's ALWAYS on.  Silver mostly keeps to her shed."

Dax rolled his eyes and groaned.  "This will take FOREVER..."

Arcus looked over at the young stallion.  ".pets elgnis a htiw snigeb syawla ,raf woh rettam on ,yenruoj yreve - eno gnuoy ,ecneitaP"

Dax looked at Illiad for answers to that one.

"Patience and journeys," he yawned, "Let's get Chuck first, since he was on all day he should know who was in and out, or at the very least who knew about the cave and was also in the mines today. Outside of the time he was with me this afternoon, so he can account for all but about an hour of the day today."

The trek back to the quarry was punctuated with Dax looking at Arcus again and again, but not much else.  Reaching the gates, Dax got them entry, then the three of them made their way towards the barracks.

The miners at the Blackwater Quarry have always known to be hard workers... and in order to capitalize on this fact, the baracks were constructed to give workers a place to sleep onsite so as not to disturb the flow of work.  Only miners stayed in the barracks; other family was expressly forbidden, by Luther's word.  It was two stories tall, and large enough to fit at least twenty ponies comfortably.  Next to it were four more, all exactly like the first.

Dax made his way up to the first one and opened the door gently.  Luckily, it didn't creak.

"I'll go get Chuck from his room; wait here."

With that, he slipped inside the building and out of their sight.  Within five minutes, Chuck was at the door - bleary-eyed and grumpy-looking, but he was there.  Dax stood behind him as he looked with nearly-closed eyes right at Illiad.

"Whadiyahwahnt?"  Chuck muttered almost unintelligibly.

Illiad flashed a smile that betrayed that he too was quite tired  "The mine has been robbed, angering a really old alien ghost who has decided to posses Oglevy until what was stolen is returned. You were on almost all day and would know who knew the cloud diamond shaft was being sealed. That's who we need to investigate to get the treasure back."

"Hah?  Awwww... gedowdahearwitdatstuff..."

Chuck yawned long and hard.

"Iztuerliinnamorninfrdis."

Dax stepped up to the bleary-eyed miner and looked him in the eye.

"Chuck... who... was on... the roster... for today?"

Chuck gave Dax an irritated glance at first, then looked thoughtful for a moment.

"... Slappah... Redd... Silvah... da Ons... an' Taps.  Izzafulcroo."

Arcus looked over at Illiad.  ".dnatsrednu ot tluciffid ma I mialc uoy dnA"

Dax nodded, and gave Chuck a pat on the shoulder.  "Go on back to bed, Chuck; we've got this in hoof."

Chuck gave Dax a sour look, which rolled across all three of them... though, by the lack of emotion other than a mild irritation, Illiad got the feeling that Chuck wouldn't even remember this conversation tomorrow.  His ire shared with the three of them, he turned and went back inside, closing the door with a rough thump.

Dax looked at Illiad.  "Okay, Slapper and Redd stay in barrack five... Silver stays in her shed... the Ons are in the manor...  and Taps stays at the Pony Express Station.  Where should we try first?"

Illiad sighed, "Well I'll certainly put a bit more effort into waking them up. Let's go to Slapper as he knows about this whole tunnel. I am suspicious of Redd though so we should go after him soon. Slapper also knew the tunnel was meant to be sealed so he might know who else knew about what the tunnel contained." 

Barrack five was a short walk away, so they began to head over to it.

"Okay, Knee will probably know what we need to know about who knows about this... wow.  That sounded difficult to keep straight in my head; I hope you got all of that."

They looked on towards the building, nearing its steps, when Illiad caught a flash of movement from behind the Gem Refinery.

A flash of movement... and a streak of red.

Dax got up to the door of the barracks, and looked back at his friend and his possessed brother.

"Right, this should be easy enough... I think..."

Dax hesitated, trying to gather the words he would use in his mind.

"Hold up Dax," Illiad drew some of the gem into a rectangular frame in front of him similar in size to a tower shield. "I just saw something Red moving behind the Refinery. I think I'll go check it out." He began to make his way towards the Refinery at a decent clip. "Watch the building in case it tries to go around the other side." 

Dax nodded, and Arcus' eyes narrowed.  As Illiad went around the side, Dax went around the other.  Slowly, as he came around the side, he heard a voice muttering to itself, punctuated by the sounds of something heavy being dragged...

"... RRGH... MMRGH... stupid carts have to be locked up at night... RRRGH..."

Rounding the corner slowly, Illiad saw what looked to be a stallion dragging a large sack across the back of the Refinery, headed towards the gates.  With the crimson coat and the yellow mane, it was completely obvious that Redd Handid had just been caught-... well, YOU know.

He didn't even notice Illiad as he hauled on the obviously heavy burlap sack.

"Evening Redd, lovely night for a stroll is it not?"

Redd jumped, [color=#f0000]"GAAAAH!"

Dropping the end of the sack he'd been dragging along, Redd wheeled around, seething.

"YOU!?  What are YOU doing here?"

"Now that I think of it, it's awfully odd for a day-walker like you to be moving about this late at night, someone might think you were... up to something. It's a good thing I found you, the mine's been robbed and we've been looking for all the foreponies that were on duty to see who had access to the tunnel that got robbed. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

Illiad was fairly certain that Redd was in fact the thief, but  he decided to act like he didn't.

Redd listened as Illiad spoke, his brow furrowing as each world tumbled out - and anger rising faster and faster.  The Trojan had barely finished talking when Redd spoke up.

"Oh, so it's like THAT is it?  Don't play dumb with ME, you sand-head!  I know sarcasm when I hear it - you suspect ME, I suppose?  Well, the joke is on YOU!  What I have here has NOTHING to do with the quarry's gems OR equipment, so technically speaking, as forepony, I can lie claim to whatever falls outside of the Blackwater Quarry's spectrum; hence, this goodie... which I am CERTAIN you are here to take away from me, no doubt."

Redd stepped back from the sack, motioning to it.  His emotions were unexpectedly slipping from anger into sorrow... how strange.

"FINE then!  You want it, I'm certain - well you can HAVE it!  I don't need it for anything IMPORTANT, now do I?  Noooooo, Redd is ALWAYS up to no good; take HIS find away from him, as he doesn't have a NEED for money or anything of the sort, now does he?  Oh, it shall be FINE - no need to see to any sort of compensation or such, and NOT that I'd get any in the first place!"

He stalked up to Illiad, a roiling cauldron of rage and pain, and screamed at him.

"TAKE THAT DREAM FROM ME!  GO ON!  TAKE IT!"

Redd began to storm off, back towards the barracks... his fury deflating almost as fast as his sadness rose.  

Illiad shook his head and sighed. "I didn't say the quarry had been robbed, the mine had. There was a reason that tunnel was being sealed, and because you stole this Ogelvy had his body stolen from him. And it is Your Fault. Your so called find was already claimed by the entity that caused the tunnel to be sealed anyway. You put everyone here at risk for your own greed, much like Mr. Blackwater did."

Illiad retrieved the bag and began walking towards where he left the others, Maybe Redd heard him, maybe not. He was unstable now and Illiad was too tired to care much. He kept his shield up in case Redd went violent, regardless of Redd's feelings on the matter the treasure had to be returned to Lord Arcus.

"Is this what you were looking for?" he asked as he passed the bag to the others. "I certainly hope so, it looks like I have a bunch of paperwork to do in the morning." 

The colt's eyes grew brighter as he saw the bag.

"...efas eb ,esaelp ...erusaert yM"

The colt pulled the bag down, revealing a very strange looking chest.  Arcus ran Oglevy's hoof over it, then bowed his head.

"...hcum os uoy knaht ...uoy knaht ...egduJ ,uoy knahT  .reh fo tfel evah I lla si ti ...ynapmoc em peek ot dniheb ydob reh tfel tey ,no devom ehs ;itsillaK ,rethguad ym fo ecalp gnitser lanif eht si ...sihT"

Tears began to roll out of Oglevy's eyes, and he hugged the chest tightly.

Dax, who had been watching from the shadows, stepped up next to Illiad and put on a confused face.

"Is he... hugging that box of treasure?" he asked quietly.

"You're quite welcome," Illiad said with a nod. "Let's get these things back where they belong now shall we?"

Illiad turned towards Dax, "He's hugging the memory, and all he has left, of someone he cared deeply for." Illiad took a few steps towards the mines before turning back towards the group. "I'll seal the tunnel tonight myself, so no one can bother you again before the mine seals the tunnel their own way. You won't be disturbed by us any longer." 

Arcus turned to face Illiad.  ".no evom ot emit si ti ;regnol yna ereh ecaep evah ton llahs I  .ereh sgniht dne ot eno eht eb llahs I dna ...llams YREV ...pihs llams a tfarc ot em rof enotS atayK hguone si ereht - thginot dne llahs sihT  .thginot gnivael eb llahs I ;deen on si ereht ...egduJ ,oN"

Arcus/Oglevy stepped back from the chest, and the glow in his eyes changed intensity.  The chest lifted from the ground without hesitation, and began to float along behind him as he walked toward the mines.

Dax watched this happening, and was somewhat impressed when the chest simply floated along behind his possessed brother.  He shrugged at Illiad and with a worried look on his muzzle, he began to follow along behind the colt and the chest.

Illiad nodded as he followed after Arcus, "I'm sorry that you will not have peace here anymore. Let me help you with your ship, it's the least I can do." Illiad pondered on what this new development would mean, With Arcus gone the tunnel will be safe to mine once more, meaning they can extract whatever cloud diamond Arcus doesn't use in the construction of his ship, and they don't have to worry about breaking in to the sealed tunnel later on. A great turn of events actually. 

Arcus sighed deeply.

".yrenecs fo egnahc a evah ot doog fo dlrow a od yam ti ;tnecalpmoc emoceb evah yam I ,gnol os rof ereh neeb evah I - em rof erutnevda gnitseretni na eb lliw siht spahreP  .oga gnol yrev os dnik rieht fo eno eb ot desaec I ...gnivil eht fo mlaer eht nihtiw si hcihw ,ssergorp si tI  .dah ecno ti ytiliuqnart eht wonk reve ot em rof ereh ytivitca hcum oot raf si ereht ...egduJ ,tseb eht rof si ti spahreP"

Entering the tunnels, they made their way down to the same open chamber that Illiad had seen before.  Arcus stepped into the center of the room, and extended his hooves upward.

".MIEHSALAG"

With this single uttered word, the remaining Cloud Diamond on the ceiling began to reform right before their eyes.  Slowly, what appeared to be a pointy eggplant formed from the Diamond deposit, and Arcus' chest hovered up and slid right into the side, as if it were intangible.  This done, he turned back to face Illiad and Dax.

"...emit eht eb dluow won ,os fI  ?yas ot erom gnihtyna eb ereht dluow ;noitasrevnoc tsal ruo eb llahs sihT"

Arcus/Oglevy stood there, awaiting a response.  Dax looked to Illiad and raised an eyebrow in question.

Illiad turned to Dax, "He's asking if you have any final questions before he leaves." Turning back to Lord Arcus, "So long as you return Oglevy to us I wish you nothing but the best of luck in your future endeavors." Illiad, though tempted to ask a question, knew it would likely be best to learn what he would in his own time, without the interference of the Extra-Equistrial. (Like Extra-terrestrial but Equis instead of Terra)

Dax looked at the being who was controlling his brother's body, and said, "I hope your journeys are safe, and your travels never end."

Arcus seemed a bit surprised by such, yet smiled in return.

"... thaaaaannnnnk... yooooouuuu..."

Arcus had to struggle to use Oglevy's voice, but he found the way to speak to Dax.  For the effort, Dax gave a small start... then grinned back.

This done, the ghostly lord turned his smile at Illiad, then turned back around to face his ship.  There was a quick flash of bright blue light, the Oglevy simply fell over with a groan.  The ship itself was silent, yet slowly rose off the ground, hovering in place for a moment before moving forward slowly.  As the two of them watched, the ship itself bent around corners and stretched and squashed as it carefully hovered out of the now Cloud-Diamond-barren cavern and towards the surface.

Once arriving there, it pointed itself skyward.  It began to glow the same color as Arcus' eyes, and Illiad felt a tingle in the back of his mind.


>The stars, they ever shine upon you; someday, you shall shine upon them, Judge Illiad.  Farewell.<


Suddenly, in a flash, the ship darted straight up... and was gone in only a few seconds.  A final flash of light appeared when it reached spaaaaaace... then, nothing but stars.

Dax looked after the ship for a moment, as if he could actually see it fly off... then he yawned, long and hard.  That done, he looked down at the sleeping form of Oglevy; the colt really did look adorable, now that he was sleeping.  Dax looked at Illiad.

"Okay, get him on my back, and we can go back to the manor; I'll put him in his bed, then I guess I'll go to mine - I dunno if I can make the walk back to the tent without falling asleep on my hooves..."

He grinned as he worked the colt onto his back with Illiad's assistance.  As they began walking, it was a touching sight: the older brother carrying his sleeping sibling home to bed.  In that moment, it looked as if there would be some hope at the sight of this - Dax loved his family, no matter how they acted or treated him.  And, in their own way, they loved him, too.

If Illiad had just been passing through the quarry, he would have never known this family was as deep or complex as it truly was... and he would have never met so many fascinating ponies, either.  This Cultural Exchange had turned out to be far, far more than expected.

They crept into the manor, quiet as mute mice, and made their way to the rooms.  At Oglevy's door (complete with a sign that read, 'Your presence here is forbidden!' in bold letters), Dax opened it softly and turned back to his friend.

"I've got it from here... go on to your room and get some sleep - we have a picnic to go to tomorrow.  Good night, Illiad."

With that, Dax crept into Oglevy's room and quietly shut the door.

Illiad didn't really know how to react to the whole situation, and he was far too tired at the moment to particularly care. Especially since he had quite a bit of writing to do in the morning about the whole indecent. He returned to his room and collapsed on the tub cover without disrobing, it having occurred to him then that he hadn't disrobed at the tent either. It wasn't long before he was asleep.
> An Exchange of Scenery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illiad awoke to the sound of careful knocking at his door.

The room was cool and still, apparently nopony had come inside while he was sleeping this time. Except for the knocking, he was alone.  The previous night's happenings almost felt like a dream... but only almost.  There were far too much strangenesses that happened to EVER believe they were real; so, naturally, they were.

From the other side of the door came another soft knock.

Illiad pulled his diamond from his head where it had been sitting as and earpiece since the previous night. He formed it back to a diamond and left it drift where it may as he moved to the door, painfully aware of his bedraggled and utterly disheveled appearance.

He opened the door enough to see who it could be as he wondered what time it was. "Who is it?" 

"Ah, good - THERE you are, Mr. Easel!"

It was Vylia Blackwater... unaccompanied by her two servants, for once.

"I was hoping I would catch you before you took off with Daxter today - excellent!"

She smiled broadly at him.

"I would absolutely adore for you to accompany me today, as I have a number of different errands to see to, and would very much appreciate some company; the conversation we had the first day was fabulous... but hardly enough for my tastes!  Come now, Mr. Easel - would you please be so kind as to accompany me?"

Illiad stared at her bleary eyed, not quite sure if she was serious. He slowly blinked as he thought about it, "Um... Sure, I guess… Just give me some time to get ready, I just woke up." He was already prepping a light cleansing spell, just in case she was insistent about his immediate departure and he didn't have time to change robes or bathe beforehoof. 

Both her smile and mood brightened.

"Well, abso-LUTE-ly!  In fact, while you freshen up, I'll even go and fetch you something to nibble and sip during the ride.  The taxi shall be waiting outside; not too much of a rush, but no more than two shakes of a filly's tail, Mr. Easle!"

With that, she turned and trotted back down the hallway.  Curious... an invitation to join her for errands?  Without her usual escort?  And HER offering to fetch food for him?

Was there a reason for all this?

Something is going on here. Illiad closed the door as the Blackwater left. He quickly shucked his robe and bathed as quickly as he could, emerging from the water a bit cleaner and more awake a few minutes later. He dried and wrapped himself in a fresh robe, he paused for a moment as he realized it had been one of the fastest times he had gone through his morning routine.

Illiad returned to the door, his diamond secured in his robe. He grabbed some paper and a pen on his way out, in case he had time to write out the events of the past day. These things secured he made his way outside to look for the taxi Mrs. Blackwater mentioned. 

Sure enough, outside was a taxi, the driver staring open-mouthed at Blackwater Manor as Vylia waved a hoof from the backseat.

"Over here, dearie - come come!"

She opened the door and presented him with the seat next to her.  In it, there was a small basket with sliced and toasted multi-grained bread, a jar of strawberry preserves, some battered and fried apple slices and a number of slices of hay bacon.  Next to the basket was a thermos; hopefully, it wasn't tea.

Vylia moved these things aside enough for Illiad to get in, and patted the seat.

"Now, I won't bite - sit, and let's be off, shall we?"

Illiad took the indicated seat next to Mrs. Blackwater. "So...." Illiad said as he sat down, "What exactly is this all about?"

He was curious to say the least, she hadn't seemed inclined earlier to interact with him on a 1 on 1 basis, so what had changed? He wondered if she knew anything about the events of the previous night and if this was involved in that, maybe this was her way of getting him out of the quarry so she could tell him to never come back without Dax knowing. That would certainly be a mischievous plan.

She smiled brightly... and indeed, a tad mischievously.  

"Why, I simply figured it would be a wonderful opportunity to have a chat without having to fuss over the children; we so rarely get company at the Manor, and what sort of hostess would I appear to be if I were simply giving my dear Daxter's fine friend a routine nod-and-grin during his visit?  No, dearie - that simply WON'T do for a guest of the Blackwater family!"

She leaned forward.  "Driver?  To the address I've given you, please?"

It took the cabbie a moment to realize his fare was ready; the Blackwater Manor was impressive, after all.  But he blinked rapidly after a beat, then blushed a bit as he replied, "Yes, ma'am," and began to move forward.

"There we are!  Now, I do have a few stops to make, but I believe the FIRST one shall be the most important one on this outing, and by far will take the longest, I'm sure."

She sat back comfortably in the seat... which, for once, was actually comfortable.

"Besides," her grin widened, "I'm fairly certain you'd want to spend as much time in Canterlot as possible, hmmmm?"

She watched him slyly to see how he'd react to this news.

Illiad was unsure what exactly Mrs. Blackwater was getting at. Sure there were many things in Canterlot that he could spend time at, the Archives and his family being two of them, but there was a reason he visited Canterlot on a semi-annual basis at most. First, he was continuously scared of being recognized, either by those who attacked him the first time or by others inclined to enact the same punishment again, and second because the attack had given him such bad memories of the place. If his parents didn't still live there, he never would have returned after he fled, despite the archives.

"I suppose that makes sense, being a good host is an important attribute after all. I suppose I'm glad you're willing to be so gracious to someone you only just met a few days ago. In regards to Canterlot, I'd rather spend as much time out of Canterlot as I can. Too many bad memories led me to leave the city, and Equestria, in the first place. If my family didn't still live there I'd avoid the place like a quarantine zone."

Vylia put on a look of concern.

"Oh, yes... that dreadful incident with the tea, wasn't it?  Well, I suppose some ponies simply don't have any common horse-sense - such a horrid thing to imagine; using tea for such a cruel, jealous and stupid reason.  An absolute shame, that."

She gave a small smirk.

"Oh... but you never told me the entire story, DID you?"

She turned her gaze out the cab window, but kept speaking.

"Of course, something like THAT doesn't go without notice SOMEwhere - from there, it's only a matter of finding the correct information and learning it.  Such as I've decided to do with YOU, Mr. Easle - you are fascinating, as I'm quite certain you're either aware of, or purposefully UNaware of.  And of course, since my Daxter has such an interest in you, then so do I..."

She turned to smile at Illiad, and he couldn't sense any malice in her emotions... but he got the distinct feeling that she was making sure he understood that he would have eyes on him, and that she was digging into his history - without directly saying so, of course.

"And of course, somepony truly should look into this terrible crime against you... after all, where is the justice in having you scared to death to set hoof in your hometown, dearie?  That's no justice, I assure you.  But... that comes later."

The enigma of her smile at that comment was perplexing.

Illiad was quite worried, it was clear that Mrs. Blackwater had powerful connections if she knew anything about the attack, and it scared him how she talked about justice. His scales had already been balanced for the incident, anything further would be vengeance, and petty at this point. He just didn't want there to be the chance that it would happen again. He wondered what Mrs' Blackwater had planned, and he really hoped it had noting to do with the attack.

"Anyway, I do have to say that Daxter has been talking SO MUCH about you; he was a bit petulant that I took his attention away for a bit, but he IS a good colt, and minds his Mother.  Tell me in all honesty, Illiad dearie..."

She leaned in a bit closer to the Trojan; he could smell her perfume clearly.

"What do YOU think of my Daxter, Mr. Easle... and why do you believe he thinks so very much of YOU?"

"To be frank? He's a good colt, a bit stunted in his emotional and social growth but his heart is in the right place. He has potential for great things. As to why he thinks so highly of me? I think it is due to me being one of the only ponies he's met that doesn't work at the quarry, and thus does not fear the recurrence of past incidents. Also, I am a stranger, a pony from a faraway land that he's never heard of. A whole new world that, through me, he gets to explore. It could also be because I care about him like I do my other friends, I have practice being actively compassionate and that has earned me some deep and lasting friendships in the past."

Illiad was severely tempted to be passive aggressive in his response, but he withheld it. She was the one in control here and he did have a slight bit of fear as to what she could do.

"A bit... stunted?... in his emotional AND social growth?"

Oooh, there was a quick flash of anger at that, but her face belied nothing.

"Well... I suppose that might seem true according to someone like YOU, perhaps - but my Daxter is far better off than you appear to think he is.  He has a fine home, a good family, and plenty of things to keep him happy.  He's been taught all the high-class functionary manners, and he is a well-balanced colt in all he says and does."

The smile her current grin grew into was a bit shark-like in its appearance.

"But we are each entitled to our own opinions, of course."

No matter how wrong they may be, was what Illiad read in her eyes.

"At any rate, dearie, I'm sure you'll get a much clearer idea of exactly the kind of equines the Blackwaters can be after today!"

The pleasant demeanor she put on was nowhere near the level of self-satisfaction she was putting off... obviously, Vylia had something up her proverbial sleeve, but there would be no telling what it could be until later.  Hopefully, it wouldn't be anything bad... but with all he'd seen from the Blackwater matron so far, it might not be a bad idea to keep an eye on her.

Especially today.

"Now, there are a few errands that I must take care of while we're in town, but those will have to wait until after our first stop - that's the important one, you see.  That can take as long as it needs to, but you need not worry your horned head; each thing in its' own time."

Illiad could already see the buildings and spires from the seat of royalty ahead of them.  The city was very much like he recalled from his last journey here - maybe one or two new buildings, but that was all.  It shone in the morning sun like a jewel in a crown.

"Ah, such a beautiful city!  You know, I tried to get Luther to move us here back when we first married, yet he absolutely refused to leave the quarry out of his sight.  I swear, that stallion sometimes seems more obsessed with that hole-in-the-ground than he is with his own family - though I KNOW that's not the case, I simply can't help myself.  Oh, I could only IMAGINE how far up the social ladder we might have come, had we been here in the heart of it all!"

She gave a wistful sigh, gazing at the city ahead of them.

"Well, I suppose there's no sense in crying over spilled cider - besides, being as close as we are to the quarry, I receive any changes to the accounts and the inventories almost immediately, and our presence there motivates the workers to do a better job, of course.  So, I suppose there IS a silver lining to it all... but a filly can dream, can't she?"

She gave her melodic, tinkling laugh and put a hoof on the Trojan's shoulder.

"Now, Illiad, dearest... since we will be in Canterlot proper, perhaps there might be someplace you would wish to stop in at, for old time's sake?  Perhaps Pony Joe's, later?  Daxter insisted on stopping there when we were here last, and it wasn't lost on me when he brought some of those delectable pastries back to the Manor - as I assume they were for you, along with the book and the cloak, of course... or am I mistaken?"

She raised an eyebrow, looking at the stallion as if she were waiting for him to play his turn in poker.

A social chess player she really is, but she plays so close to the nose she can't even see the flaws in her strategy. She finds it impossible that her children could have problems and no one close to her would dare to tell her the truth. I am in a unique position here as an outsider that she actually cares the opinion of.

All this in mind Illiad worried what she was getting at, she didn't ask meaningless questions unless she was intentionally trying to avoid a subject, like the emotional and social state of her son, so all these questions had a motive to them. He thought carefully as to how to answer them.

"It has been a while since I was last at the archives, just after Chrysalis' attack I believe, it would be nice to go back and talk with the curator again, we've been friends since I was a much younger colt." 

As much as he enjoyed meeting with his parents, he had just met with them a month or two prior and not much had happened since then to warrant another visit. Besides, he hadn't told them ahead of time, to show up unannounced would be quite un-courteous.

"As to those items, yes. Dax did give them to me soon after he found me yesterday." Which reminds me, I think they're all still in the tent. They should be fine but I should remember to go back for them before I leave.

Illiad sighed, he knew that Mrs. Blackwater probably knew about him being empathic given she knew of the attack, but he didn't want to bring it up as the reason why he was the most accurate gauge of her son's emotional growth. He decided he'd simply work on Dax directly to improve those areas.

"Oh, yes... the Curator, of course!  It would be nice of you to check up on your old boss, Illiad - so much time among the books and scrolls must have been wonderful fun for such a well-read young stallion as you were, hmmm?  Well, I don't see why we can't make a small stop there; it would be my pleasure to see this fine Curator, myself."

She turned and looked out at the city proper as they rolled into it.  It was a rather busy-looking day, as there was activity everywhere - but it wasn't any different than a typical Canterlot day.  Lots of ponies trotting down the walkways, smiling and greeting each other, and all seemed well.

"Such a wonderful city, Canterlot!  Oh, the shops, the ponies... the Palace itself!  Such extravagance is an absolute marvel, isn't it?  I, myself, have never been..."

There was a tiny, extremely well-hidden yet clear ribbon of sad disappointment at that statement; yet her features and poise showed none of it.  

"... but I have heard that it's fabulous within.  Of course, a palace MUST be!  It wouldn't do for it to be less that spectacular - after all, it's only one of the many, many ways we show them how much we love them, isn't it?  You DO love our princesses, don't you?  Oh, what am I saying - of COURSE you do!  Somepony who keeps in touch with Princess Luna in such a casual manner as to simply send a single messenger to summon her presence has GOT to care about our royalty!"

She gave Illiad a casual smile, but her point had been made; she knew about Luna having been at the quarry... AND knew who brought her.  Unless Taps had ratted him out, Vylia's information network was on top of their game.  He might have to find out if Taps was, indeed, a part of this network or not.

Illiad took a moment to ponder a response instead of answering immediately.

"I did very much enjoy working at the archives, I especially loved re-shelving week when there would be a few times that I would be the only one in the whole archives outside of the guards. The archives are very peaceful at night and one of the most secure buildings in the city. A great source of solace before my inevitable departure. I'm actually surprised that you have never been within the castle, you seen important enough to be invited to the Gala at the very least. My relationship to your princesses is complicated and not one that I will likely discuss here or anywhere."

Vylia leaned back in her seat, looking a bit self-satisfied as the taxicab moved on through the lovely streets of Canterlot, she lifted an eyebrow.

"Well, you certainly seem to have your wits about you this morning... and here I was, hoping to catch you off guard!"

The melodic titter again; it was almost scary when she was nice - it was akin to waiting for the other horseshoe to drop.

"As for whatever connections you have royally, it most certainly is NOT my business - though I wouldn't be as pushy about secrecy as all that... you should learn some tact, Illiad dearie; it would do you a world of good, I'm sure."

"Mr. Easle, I was wondering: since you'll be in charge of my Daxter while he's in Troy... oh, still so funny to think of Daxter being so far away... might I ask what you possibly have planned for the two of you?  Being a caring Mother like myself, I'm naturally curious to hear what my son will have in store for his visit.  Please, regale me."

She looked as if she were a sweet mare, asking a kind stranger for a smile... yet Illiad had the distinct impression that, depending on his answer, he was being judged as a guardian for the Blackwater's middle child; what he had to say might make the difference between Daxter seeing Troy... and Illiad being sent on his way home alone.

Clearly there was some agenda to her comments, though the questions about the Trojan Itinerary seemed disconnected from the others. A distraction perhaps? This barrage of questions makes answering them in order a tad difficult.

It was scary how much information she had been able to gather but he knew that the nature of his relationship to Luna was an utmost secret and for it to get out would be an item on the short list of treasonable offences. It was a risk telling Dax, but he was confident the colt would tell no one.

Illiad's expression brightened slightly as the subject of Troy came up, "On the itinerary for Troy: First I will be showing Dax around the capital city of Troy, if possible I will show him how our government functions as well. Second I will show him around my current city of residence Deltrot where he can meet the few friends I have made there, then we will be taking a trip to the Alphyns observatory, one of the largest observatories in the world, then there is a nice A Capella concert in town I plan to take him to, Hexcomb is performing. I've heard of them doing quite a few charity concerts throughout Equestria. And then we'll see what other things interest him as we go, there's an extra day or two if something I hadn't thought of intrigues him. We may get to go and test Silver's Oasis locator if TrUST and the Grand Council approves it in time." He had decidedly left out mention of the changelings in case she had not heard of those plans from Dax, or if she had read his letters.

She reached up with a hoof and adjusted her gold bow, then turned back to her travelling companion.

"I am pleased to hear you already have some nice things planned out for Daxter to attend!  Oh, he will ab-so-LUTE-ly love the observatory... as I'm sure you well know!  Oh, you'll have to write me about how he reacted; I'll be interested to hear what he'll have to say!  And a concert as well?  My, my... I hope this won't be too expensive on your end; if you forsee such an issue, mention it to me - I'll make certain that any expense will be covered.  I won't have you doing something so kind for my son, yet nearly bankrupt yourself for it."

She stretched a bit - a pretty sight - then huffed a sigh.

"About the Gala..."

She seemed a bit confused about where to begin, then simply shrugged to herself and turned to look the unicorn in the eye.

"Come now - if you're Daxter's friend, you simply CAN'T be that dense; you know of our reputation, no doubt - and so do many others.  As long as everyone thinks of us like so, then it's certain that the invitations will continue to get 'lost in the post', as it were."

Now there was a thread of anger, tinged with longing, which broke loose from her careful mental shroud.  It was hot and angry... yet blue and hungry, too.  Not what one would completely expect from the likes of her.

"Still... OH!  Listen to me, I DO go on, eh?  It looks as though we've already reached our destination - you see?"

The house was rather simple, one of many in a row with only minor things to differentiate it from the others. Most notably it looked brand new while the adjacent ones were a bit more weathered given the age of the district they found themselves in. The first floor had a face of polished white marble and the next two a smooth light grey brick. A balcony stood on the second floor with an empty easel sitting near the black iron railing. The door appeared to be a light birch with a mark artistically carved into it bearing a crossed paintbrush and ruler quite similar to the ones on Illiad's flank.

Illiad looked at the house in mild surprise, then turned back to Mrs. Blackwater with a questioning look. He thought hard about the correct way to respond to the situation. Clearly she knew this was his parent's house, whether this action was ben- or mal- evolent remained to be seen. "I'm not entirely sure how I ought to respond to this situation. Your hopes have indeed come to pass with this turn of events."

"Excellent!" She cried.  "I'm SO glad you were surprised!  I thought that, since your family was here, I might be generous and bring you by for a visit - it's just one of the nice things I do, that's all."

She primped her mane a bit, but even as well as she was hiding her emotions, Illiad could tell she was quite pleased with herself.

"Well, Mr. Easle?  Are we simply going to sit here, or shall we see if your family is home, shall we?"

She opened the door and deftly skipped out onto the sidewalk, then turned and came around to Illiad's side and opened the door for him.

"Right this way, come come..."

She gently hurried him from the cab to the front door, then motioned to the house with a hoof.  "Well..?"

Well, that makes this all seem much closer to benevolent. Illiad's surprise quickly returned to intrigue at the Blackwater's elation. She opened his door! He didn't think that was something that could happen. He emerged from the taxi with a nod, "Knowing you, at least one of them must be home or you wouldn't have brought me." Illiad had a slight smile on as he approached the door, though he knew that Mrs. Blackwater knew they were home, he did not know if he was expected there. With a slight bit of hesitation he knocked on the birch paneled door, his unshod hoof leaving no mark on the soft wood.
> An Exchange of Parents
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lyre Easel had just recently returned from painting on the balcony, and was thus close to the door when she heard the knock. King had wanted Illiad's visit to be a surprise for her and thus had not told her while ensuring she would be there to meet him if he weren't back when they arrived. She quickly went to and opened the door to see who it could be. She had a light cream coat and light blue eyes, her brown mane was pulled back with silver and blond streaks in it, and her mark was an easel with a paintbrush like the one on the door. She was quite surprised to see her oldest son when she opened the door, "Illiad? Back again so soon? You should have told me you were coming for a visit." She came out of the house to hug him.

"I would have told you if I had known I was coming." They both pulled back from the hug, "Mrs. Blackwater over there, the mother of the one I'm doing that cultural exchange I told you guys about with, decided to bring me here as a surprise."

Lyre stepped back in to the house, holding the door open as she did so, "Well come in you two, I suppose this is what your father meant when he said he had a surprise for me. He should be back here shortly, he just had to run out to the market to buy some more food, which makes a bit more sense now." 

Vylia put on her most charming demeanor.

"Oh, Mr. Easle!  You didn't inform me that we would be meeting your sister!"  Her melodic giggle made its appearance.  "Vylia Blackwater, my dear - an absolute and distinct pleasure to meet you."

Vylia gave a low and respectful bow, as any proper upper-class matron would.

"My Daxter has been absolutely taken with Illiad, here!  It does me such good to see my son making friends, I simply HAD to meet you, dearie."

She was unfathomable; not a whit of emotion was detectable in her - she was effectively emotionally invisible... perhaps further proof that she knew of Illiad's abilities - and proof that she most certainly knew how to deal with such, as well.

Lyre looked slightly uneasy and Illiad visibly shuddered as Mrs. Blackwater suddenly stopped giving off emotional energy. It was uncanny when someone did that, not to mention emotionally unhealthy to do over time.

Lyre shook off her discomfort and her motherly demeanor returned. "I appreciate the compliment but to be fair, you didn't tell him he was coming here now did you? Lyre Easel by the way, Illiad's mother. I am glad to hear you appreciate my son's efforts, he spoke highly of your son last time he visited, well written he told me. Anyway, if I had known you were coming I would have made better arrangements, but do come in." Lyre and Illiad entered the house, beckoning Mrs. Blackwater to follow.

The entryway had places to hang coats, hats, and scarves before opening into a hallway. To the right was a small living room with comfortable looking couches, the walls adorned with simplistic paintings of the surrounding area, forming a sort of panoramic from the perspective of above the house. Stairs to the second floor as well as an entrance to the kitchen were visible further down the hall.

Lyre led the group into the living room where they took their seats. "King should be home any minute now, do make yourselves comfortable."

"Thank you so kindly, dearie - might I say this is a fine home; I noticed the difference from the outside, by the way... new construction, or simply different materials?  It truly does stand out; of course, after meeting Illiad, it fails to surprise me!"

She stepped carefully when she walked, her movements fluid and smooth as she made her way into the room.

"Now I'm CERTAIN I'm in good company!  You and I should get together sometime, Ms. Easle - or would you simply prefer Lyre? - I don't wish to be rude."

As she spoke, her emotions were simply nonexistent; it was as if there was no one there, even though this bright and vivacious mare was right here in front of them.  She scanned the room politely, not a hint or touch of judgement on her muzzle - in fact, she seemed mildly impressed at the tasteful yet humble surroundings.

Lyre could not shake her disease at the emotionless mare in front of her, it certainly led quite a bit of credence to what she had heard. Despite their occasional acts of charity this Blackwater was as cold hearted as their mountain. Illiad too found it very disconcerting that Mrs. Blackwater gave off no emotional energy. Why would she stop when we arrived though and not earlier? Something isn't right about this situation.

Neither of them gave any outside indication that anything was wrong, their facial control thoroughly divorced from their actual feelings. "I'd prefer Mrs. Easel at this point if you don't mind Mrs. Blackwater. As for the exterior, king is just really good about keeping it in excellent condition, it is otherwise the same as any other house on this block."

There was the sound of the front door opening and a tall teal pegasus stepped into view, his dark brown mane was silvering in places to match the rectangular rims of his glasses, his mark an artist's compass and a ruler like on the door. "Ah, Mrs. Blackwater. I didn't expect you here so soon. I trust I haven't been keeping you guys long?"

King Truss was a well known architect and part time forepony on construction sites. He always treated his workers well, giving them what they needed to work at their best, sure he was taken advantage of in the beginning, but he gained respect quickly to the point where those that knew him saw him as a friend. His crew would reliably finish under budget and ahead of schedule without fail. He also did not approve of those that did not treat their workers as well as he did, and if the stories of the Blackwaters were to be believed then they too had gained his ire. However, they were powerful, and thus he would be cordial towards them.

"Oh, most certainly not; we've only just arrived.  Wonderful to see you again, Mr. Truss - I do believe we've rather surprised your son."

She smiled at him kindly, then looked back and forth between mother and son, seemingly pondering something amusing.  She let loose a giggle.  

"The three of you are just adorable; happy little family in a happy little home.  Well!  I suppose perhaps I shall just have to literally hold my tongue if I should ever wish to hear you speak - my apologies, I DO go on... please."

She swept her hoof in a gesture to them to continue... whatever it was she thought they were doing.  There was no telling.

The gathered family found the whole situation quite odd, they were all wary of Mrs. Blackwater's possible motives and only Illiad entertained positive ones, Maybe she just wants to see how I treat my family? Maybe she's trying to find a way to get me to design something for that rock pit? Maybe she's discovered my secret and plans to blackmail me for it? Lyre was always worried that someone had discovered her secret but so far it had remained undetected.

The family exchanged glances, unsure how to proceed, Illiad was the first to speak up, "Well, I didn't expect to see you guys again so soon, so there isn't much new in my life. The political journey is still going steady, very easy on my end though I have impossibly gained even more respect for how hard Midget works to push forward in this race, our victory will be almost assured when Luna endorses us so I'm not too worried about that, just the actual government obligations afterwards. Mostly it's been this cultural exchange in my life, a great appeal to the voters that I'm reaching out to other nations in an effort to understand them even if they don't try too hard to understand us, outside of you guys of course." Illiad found it possible that Mrs. Blackwater would have no idea what he was talking about, which would give him the perfect opportunity to talk about Trojan culture again.

King took a seat next to Lyre, wrapping a forehoof around her as he gave her an affectionate nuzzle. "That's good to hear, I'm sure you'll do fine when you win, we always knew you were destined for great things in life."

Vylia paid polite attention, a soft, pleasant little grin on her features as she listened and gave her attention to the proceedings.

At the mention of a 'race' and what sounded to be politics, Vylia raised an eyebrow... and incidentally, a tiny blip of interest that catches her only a little off-guard; she was back to not emoting quick enough - but any Empathic would have felt it.

Perhaps she did want to ask about it, but found it rude of herself to ask after just now staying quiet enough for them to speak.

Lyre gave a quiet sigh of relief at the small blip of emotion Mrs. Blackwater gave off. At least she's not a psychopath, still that she's holding all that in is still unsettling and not good for her emotional well being.

Illiad was tempted to say something about Mrs. Blackwater's emotional state but decided to hold off for now, it wasn't really his business.

Truss was the next to speak up. "I've managed to acquire a few more contracts since last we met. The changeling attack, though devastating, has given me many opportunities to aid in the rebuilding of Canterlot with much better designs and materials. Next time it will take much more effort to do the same amount of damage. The buildings will crush them instead of the other way around."

Lyre was a bit more comfortable now that the Blackwater had demonstrated some actual feelings, "I've managed to get a few jobs as a substitute art teacher in a few of the local schools, it feels good to be teaching art again, though I don't miss the stress of being a full time teacher. The politics there is just as bad as I remember it to be."

They all hoped that the Blackwater would do something to involve herself, it was quickly growing awkward to have her sit their silently and emotionally zeroed.

Vylia looked at them and sort of... blinked, as if she were a bit surprised.  The smile slowly returned, except this time, Illiad could see the corners creep up into what was, Luna help him, Dax Blackwater's sheepish smile.

"I... am sorry, but I simply can't help myself; what exactly is this 'race' that you're talking about?  A thousand pardons for interrupting, please... but, I fell a bit awkward simply sitting here, observing like this.  I'm simply DYING to ask about what you're speaking of; may I?"

The collective family gave a mental sigh of relief as Illiad turned to face the actually responsive Blackwater. "The race? Oh, in Troy the government is run by a council of elected officials from each city in the empire, and the council is led by a Consul elected by popular vote of all the cities. Midget Hooves, a good friend of mine, is running against the current Consul Iron Hoof to be the Consul of Troy. I am in the running as his adviser or Vice-Consul. If anything were to happen to Midget before the end of his term I would step in as Consul. Generally there is an election for Consul every two years, a fairly quick turnover rate, though most consuls will last two to four terms before another gets elected, Iron is running for his fourth term now, but I think we have a good chance of winning with our inclusion-ism policies while Iron is continuing with his strong border policies." 

Vylia listened politely, yet now there was a stirring of emotion - the Blackwater matron was thinking, though deep enough to keep from betraying any emotion on the matter.  Illiad had no idea what was on her somewhat devious mind, but chances were good that it had something to do with politics... which may or may not be a good sign.

All the same, her charming grin became a bit more devious (and less like an act) as the Trojan spoke.

"Fascinating; I do say you've just jumped up a number of places on my personal interest chart, Mr. Easle - it sounds as if you're certainly a great deal more complex than Daxter led me to believe.  Mayhaps I should ask more later, hmmmm?"

She shrugged dismissively; she'd address it later, Illiad could be fairly certain - but for now, it was Social Time.  She cast her gaze onto Illiad's parents.

"So, please - I've been simply DYING to ask what little Illiad was like as a colt; personally, I think that there are possibly a few things between he and my Daxter that must be similar; they certainly DO get along well enough!  Regale me, if it wouldn't be too much to ask, about the tender years you went through with your son - what was he like?  I'm curious..."

Illiad had been around long enough to notice she had compared Illiad to Dax - normally it would just be a statement, but from a mare like Vylia Blackwater, it was actually high praise; as high of an opinion as she had of her family, comparing ANYPONY to them would be saying volumes for her thoughts on the subject.  

Illiad's parents may have found Vylia to be a somewhat unnerving and unwelcome guest, but Illiad himself was beginning to gather evidence that the Blackwater matron might actually be doing her absolute best to be cordial and friendly... yet after years of intrigue and her family's general status as social pariahs, she simply may not have known HOW.

It was growing quite clear to Illiad that the Blackwaters seemed to only form relationships on utility, and were thus wholly unused to the possibility of friendship beyond what they could do for them. Illiad was not impressed that it was his political standing that made her feel more highly of him and not something about him that actually mattered.

Mrs. Blackwater wasn’t doing herself many favors in the eyes of his parents either, it was becoming quite clear to them that this Blackwater was not one to make social visits but rather was ever on the lookout for things that could benefit her. They began to plot as to how they could end this visit as quickly as they could.

Illiad decided he would speak up on the matter, looking slightly disappointed. "I'm sorry you find my political standing to be one of the more interesting things about me, I must seem very dull to you if that is the case."

Lyre decided she would still be civil despite not wanting to continue much further, "When he was younger he was quite wrapped up in his studies, spending most of his time either at school or at the archives, honestly we're surprised his mark wasn't more closely related to those things, though we are glad he had a talent similar to our own. He never had a whole lot of friends, but the few friends he did have were close, it was when he started to branch out a bit that the attack happened, his true friends have stayed with him, but many of the friends outside his closest circle abandoned and vilified him. I'm glad to hear that he's branching out again and I hope it doesn't lead to another social crash, especially with the election so close."

"The attack... yes, I'd gotten word about that.  An absolute shame that ponies put so much rotten intent toward things they don't understand, isn't it?"

Did Vylia just make a reference to Illiad's attack... or herself?  With the flat emotional register, there was no way to tell.

"Still, a true show of character is the difference between one who folds into themselves after suffering like that, and one who continues on in spite of such things... and character is key, of course."

The souring mood in the room was not lost on Vylia Blackwater; a look of carefully constructed disinterest began to settle onto her features, and it seemed as if she were mentally 'unplugging' from the situation.

"But I suppose I've taken up a fair bit of your time today - and I also suppose your family wishes to spend their own time with you, of course.  Far be it for me to keep a family separate; Mr. Easle?  You are more than welcome to visit as long as you like with them... I believe I have a few things to see to myself, at any rate.  Either come outside when you're ready, or signal to the driver for me to leave; I can send him back for you later, if you desire more palatable company."

She headed for the door, stopping just as she crossed the threshold.

"For what it's worth, you DO seem to have quite a nice little family, here.  Ta, dearies..."

And out she went, headed for the taxicab and climbing into the front bench seat.

Strangely enough, within moments there was a general feeling of surprise, then sadness, then blatant anger from outside, one after the other... and they seemed to be coming from the cab driver, who was now staring back at the house with a rather cross look on his muzzle.  Vylia, from her position in the cab, couldn't be seen.

Illiad ran his tongue across his teeth as he was want to do when frustrated and confused. The family collectively sighed from how awkward her parting comments were. "I should go after her, see what that was all about." He looked back towards Lyre, "This is the first time she was so emotionally nulled, I can understand how uncomfortable that must have been for you and I'm sorry."

Lyre waved him off, "It's not your fault, she surprised you as much as she did me. But yes, go see if you can't figure out what was going on with her."

Illiad moved to the door, flashing the toga off of himself and neatly rolling it with his diamond as a pole. "I'll see you guys in a few months, though expect a few letters before then, Bye!" He left the house and proceeded to the carriage. Ignoring for the moment the cross expression of the taxi driver. Rather than immediately address Mrs. Blackwater he chose to look at her with a confused yet intrigued expression. There were quite a few questions he had to ask her at some point, but he wanted to see if she would offer some sort of explanation first.

She sat rather stiffly in the front bench seat, and made a point to turn her head away when Illiad got close.

"Well, are we already leaving so soon?  Well, I suppose I can't say I didn't expect it - part of being a Blackwater, after all.  Well, if you're done here, then so am I - I am MORE than ready to leave, if it's all the same to you."

She shifted in her seat a bit.

"... after all, I have appointments and a schedule to keep - it wouldn't do to waste any more of my time here, I see that now.  If you're coming, then get in the cab - I'll be fine sitting up here for a bit by myself, thank you very much.  If you're done with me, that's fine too - I can send a cab for you later, and give you and your parents plenty of time together, without me here to muddle things up, as it were."

NOW there was an emotion slowly surfacing from the Blackwater matron...

Sorrow.

"Well?  Will you bother yourself with my presence some more, or have you had enough?"

The irritation in her words didn't quite match the hurt in her voice.

Illiad sighed as he climbed up into the carriage, this was a very delicate situation though it was clear to him that Mrs. Blackwater recognized that something wasn't right about the situation. "I'm going to be honest with you okay? And if you don't like what I have to say then I'll leave you alone. What you did in there, the full emotional withdrawal? It is a very uncomfortable thing for me to experience. Very few give off no emotional energy, the vast majority of them psychopaths or other potentially undesireable individuals and that utter lack of emotion was how you presented yourself. My family is built on emotional connection, so to have someone try to wholly remove themselves from their emotions is jarring to us."

He sighed, setting the rolled cloth next to him. "You may never understand what it's like to be like me, and I'm sure you had your reasons to withdraw yourself, but doing so made you seem like an outsider, makes you seem like someone who doesn't care about others. I'm sure that wasn't your intention, its just that my parents are very caring people, for someone to seem the opposite just doesn't feel right to them."

He was careful as he started to draw some of the sorrow away. "I'm sorry if I seem to be rambling, or if I or my family came off as judgmental towards you, it was not our intention. Can you forgive me?"

He hoped that the honesty in explaining their feelings on the matter as well as the apology for any misunderstandings would be enough, he didn't want her sorrow to turn to anger as she could make life very hard for his parents if she so desired.

Vylia's mood seemed to reveal itself little by little as she spoke, like someone unpacking a very thoroughly packed suitcase.  First, there was hurt...

"Oh, were they being judgmental?  I'd have never noticed, dearie - they seemed as if they were so VERY inviting to me; how could you say something like that?  After all, I invited YOU to t-... luncheon with Oglevy and I, didn't I?  But of course, after Daxter had told me about how your family actually lived there, it would be normally proper to return the favor... but I chose not to judge you in that manner, Mr. Easle."

... anger...

"I mean, after all - I'm a Blackwater!  That instantly gives credence to the idea that I am a sleazy, low-lifed individual who is always out for her own benefit, isn't that correct?  I am COMPLETELY aware of what is said about myself and my husband and children; after spending time in our company, I'm SURE you can see that all the rumours about us are completely and totally confirmed, aren't they?"

... shame...

"I mean, there's HARDLY a reason for me to actually make a pass at trying to be cordial when there's no point in it whatsoever - simply a waste of my time, that's all.  Nothing to cry over, I assure you... this is simply... a reaction to some of the flora around here, perhaps - I'll have to avoid this area in the future; good news for your family, no doubt."

... loneliness...

"I should stop fooling myself, anyhow - from what I had seen of the friendship between yourself and my Daxter, I had thought that perhaps... well, it may sound silly, but I thought I should try my hoof at it... and what better chance than the family of somepony who actually HAD become a friend of a Blackwater, hmmm?  Mayhaps I meant to... well... no.  Never mind; it was a passing fancy, nothing more.  Not a mistake I wish to make YET again."

... and more pain.

"Besides, who was I trying to kid?  Myself?"  The melodious laugh came again, but this time it had a sarcastic and almost mean sound to it.  "I simply should have known better, is all.  Well, lesson learned."

She gave a sharp sigh.

"I suppose I don't mind YOUR company so much, Mr. Easle; YOU are forgiven, though for what, I'm still not certain."

She sat there, forehooves crossed, looking out the window.  

The cabbie had been glaring at Illiad, but after the unicorn apologized, his mood lightened up.  Now he was dutifully staying out of the conversation; Illiad could feel the earth pony's unease at having heard what he had heard.

"Driver?  The next stop, please."

Without a word, the cabbie began moving, and they went along their way, Illiad's home behind them looking kind and inviting... yet perhaps not so for everypony, after all.

Illiad grimaced ever so slightly, this mare was a mess to be honest, but hopefully a mess he could help. He sighed as he thought of how to best phrase what he would say next.

"I'm going to be honest again. Whether you intended to or not, by withholding your emotions you made it seem as though you couldn't care less about how they felt. If you are going to make friends, to shake off the Blackwater stigma, you're going to have to care about others, to show that you care. I know how hard it can be to put yourself in a situation where you are vulnerable, but that's how you make connections with others."

Illiad sighed as he looked about the carriage awkwardly. "It's funny actually, Daxter talked to me about pretty much the same thing, asking whether he'd ever be more than just another Blackwater. I told him he could change the opinion with effort, he could rise above and show the world that he wasn't like the rest. I think you can do it too, be more than just a Blackwater, show the world that you are better than the old ones, care about creatures and show them that they're wrong for thinking you just another Blackwater. It will certainly be difficult, but I believe in you. If you open yourself up a bit, then others will see the caring pony I have seen, and they will believe in you too."

Illiad looked back towards his house as it shrank into the distance, "If you don't mind me asking, why did you withdraw yourself emotionally?"

It was quiet for a moment or two, only the general sounds of the city around them and the clippety-clop of the cabbie's hooves.  After unpacking her 'emotional baggage', she was emoting again... and it felt a lot like Dax's 'Pink-Slip' mood.

"Two reasons."

She spoke out of the blue, answering his question.

"First and foremost, I had gained information on Empathics and what was known about their abilities; I had assumed that showing any... eagerness on my part would make things worse.  So, I merely went into my 'socialite' state of mind - I had thought to open up as conversation progressed.  Your speaking of the political race caught my interest, so I made a remark upon it - merely making conversation, mind you - and I could almost feel the distaste coming from them.  I feel it from everypony, Mr. Easle; and this experience has shown me that even those who have nothing to do with society instantly think the worst of me."

"Don't think I didn't catch your mother's back-hoofed turn-of-phrase, either.  I hope it doesn't lead to another SOCIAL CRASH... no, nothing to worry about there; after today, I won't sully you with my presence again.  I'll simply step aside and allow you and Daxter to have a friendship... he does need it.  I, however, apparently should have no need to socialize - after all, I have my husband and my darling children."

She sniffled softly, once.

"Same as it ever was."

Then, her mood took an odd, sympathetic turn for a moment.

"The second reason was to see who would react to my lack of an emotional state the most - and your Mother won, hooves down.  SHE'S the one you got it from, hmm?  Well, no worries - I've no want to cause any more trouble for you OR her in that sense; her secret is safe with me, I assure you... of course, that WOULD mean having to trust me, wouldn't it?"

She finally turned to look at Illiad, and it was obvious she had been crying; her eyes were puffy, and the kerchief in her other hoof was noticeably moist.  She looked somewhere between frustrated and depressed, and her mood confirmed both.

"So you don't like me, I can deal with that... but you WILL have to trust me, won't you?"

"I must say I am quite impressed by your deductions, you are the first to have ever found out her secret on their own. On the other hoof, for as perceptive as you are you saw the whole thing from a filtered point of view. My mom is not subtle with her words, if she didn't like you she'd tell you, you just made her very uncomfortable with the lack of emotion. You assumed they wouldn't like you so that's how you interpreted what you saw, we were actually really hoping you would enter the conversation, but when you did we were disappointed that you engaged us with only your words and not your emotions, making your words empty and making it seem like you didn't really care about what you were talking about. Even now I can tell you for certain that they simply find you odd and the situation awkward, but they don't think ill of you, if you opened up to them they'd probably come to respect you in the same way I do, they may even be happy to call you their friend one day if you're willing to feel around them." 

He felt inclined to give a physical gesture of comfort but decided against it as it would likely not be appropriate. "I respect you Mrs. Blackwater, you are a good pony and you care deeply about your family. I trust you wholeheartedly at this point. Think about what I've said, you don't have to be just another Blackwater."

She was quiet for a long time.
> An Exchange of Errands
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The carriage rolled on, making its way through the streets of Canterlot as simply as a taxicab can.  The day was getting truly started, and there were a number of ponies out and about, talking or travelling, arguing or smiling, even a jogger.  The sunshine was warm and bright, and the pure beauty of the place came through.  It was a day to be outdoors, and to love being alive and happy.

And Vylia Blackwater was miserable.

She sat back against the seat, gazing out the window and lost in thought.  Illiad could feel her literally peeling back each layer of her mood and settling with it, though how couldn't be said, until she simply seemed sad.  However, as their trip progressed, she seemed to naturally begin adjusting her poise and posture to more befit somepony of a higher station.  Eventually, she was sitting as she was when he had first entered the carriage.

Her mood, however, had gone from black to simply dim, so it was a sort of improvement.  

The carriage stopped at a curbside cab stand, and the driver looked back.

"Ma'am?  This is where ya said ta go to."

Vylia blinked, then turned to Illiad.  "I shall only be a moment, then we have something to discuss, you and I.  Until then, feel free to order what you wish from the cart - my fare, my treat.  Please stay put until I return."

She didn't even look as though she'd been crying anymore; it was beginning to show that where others might have seen a cold and mean-spirited mare, Illiad could now see she was a lonely social outcast - ironically, much like her son Dax.

She stepped daintily from the cab, and made her way safely across the street and into a small cafe.

The driver made small-talk with the mare running the straw dog stand; he was flirting, she was teasingly shutting him down - the two of them were rather taken with each other, emotionally.  Illiad could feel the warmth of budding love there, even if they seemed like they were just messing with each other.

While Mrs. Blackwater’s change of mood wasn't quite the improvement Illiad was hoping for, it was a start. Hopefully a step in the right direction for her. He kept his hooves off the budding love, it was a complicated thing and he was no Cadence, there was a reason love was her talent.

After about twenty minutes, Vylia left the cafe, came back to the cab, and sat down once more.  She had a large tan envelope in a fine leather satchel that she had not had earlier when she left.

"Driver?"

The cabbie looked back, nodded, said his goodbyes to his sweetheart, which she rebuked (while her heart secretly fluttered).  He then turned and made his way back onto the road, heading east.  Vylia, in the meantime, looked at the envelope with something between curiosity and a sense of... dread?... that wasn't easily discernible.

"Now, Mr. Easle... a question for you: what are your feelings on the subject matter of those who scarred you?"

Though her sad mood was still present, something in her seemed to slide into a much... darker... shade.

Illiad was surprised at the new line of questioning when Mrs. Blackwater returned. "I suppose I've made my peace with the incident, I wish them nothing but the justice they deserve. I don't really like to think about it and would really rather forget if I could, in a way the scars hinder me in making friends in a way you might understand, it's a constant reminder that there are few I can really trust with a secret, and that bigotry can often overcome even the bonds of friendship." 

Vylia nodded, as if she had expected this answer.

"Of course, it's quite understandable that you've made peace with the incident; you'd have to, wouldn't you?  I mean, there's not much in the way of justice over things such as that, is there?"

She turned her full gaze on him.

"But, you've settled with it because there is no way of getting justice available to you, is there?  Well, there is for ME, Illiad Easle."

She gestured at the envelope.

"On a sheet of paper inside that envelope are the names, occupations and home addresses of three of those involved in that incident that scarred you.  I had this information collected the very day I heard of the incident, and here are the fruits of that labor.  I have not seen them, nor do I wish to..."

She looked seriously at Illiad.

"But, if you feel the need for justice, I can have these names searched for and every last little secret about them discovered - and then, released to whomever you wish; the proper authorities, rivals, newspapers... whatever you wish.  However, I also offer to take this envelope and destroy it completely, forever shutting the doors on this incident and any form of justice that might be had from it."

She looked back out of the window.

"I leave the decision in your hooves, Mr. Easle; I offer you this as my stunted, skewed version of a present to you - because I do NOT suffer those who harm my children... and I won't abide by those who harm my Daxter's friends, either.  But it's your call."

"I..." Illiad wasn't too surprised, in a way he had seen something of the sort coming, he was just glad that she hadn't done anything to them yet. "I'm honored that you would do this for me. Turn it over to the authorities, maybe something will come of it and maybe it won't. I don't really mind either way but it would be good to see them get the justice that’s been coming for them for so long." 

Vylia looked a bit surprised at Illiad's decision, but she nodded.

"Very well - it shall go directly to the Canterlot Police Station, as you have asked."

Without another word about it, she put the letter and satchel away under the seat.

"Now, I did have a few more stops in mind, but... well, with the incident involving your parents, I'm certain you'd rather be back with Daxter, wouldn't you?  I would understand, of course... but, well..."

She sort of looked over her shoulder at him; it was a saucy look, but there was no flirtatious intention whatsoever - though there was a longing there.

"... I... admittedly... don't truly get the chance to simply... talk... very often.  Especially not in company I actually think well of... and I DO think well of you, Mr. Easle - I decided to entrust you with my child when you made him return to the table instead of merely ditching Oglevy and I at luncheon."

She grinned a bit at that.  "A Mother's ears are sharper than a griffon's claws, you know."

"Which is why one should always act as if their mother could hear them, if you would like me to remain with you then I shall, I would love to help you in any way I can whether it be with actual errands or with situations similar to the one with my parents. It's a small thing on my part but I feel I must repay you for your generous hospitality thus far." Illiad was glad to see an improvement in Mrs' Blackwater's disposition, it would be slightly awkward to be a friend of Dax and his mom, but he supposed it wouldn't be too bad.

"Well... that's... that's quite gentlecoltly of you; I believe I shall take you up on your kind offer."

Physically, she straightened up in her seat a bit more and adjusted her gold-silk bow with a hoof - not much of a sign of anything.  Beneath the cool and careful demeanor, though, was a wave of relief, a hooful of gratitude... and a touch of happiness.  

"Now, there are a few shops on my list today; since you'll be assisting me, you shall have a new outfit for doing such and NO, I shall NOT take 'no' for an answer!  After which, we can stop at a small cafe I know of with outdoor tables - such a beautiful day, it makes me think of going on a picnic!" 

Didn't Dax say something about a picnic?

The thought of a picnic was familiar to him, perhaps Dax had suggested it but he couldn't clearly remember the circumstances. He was glad that her mood was continually improving, it was always good when he could brighten someone's day. "Alright then, I can accept a new outfit only if I have a say in how it looks when it's done. That said, where do you have on your list of places to be?" 

Vylia smirked.

"Very well - you aren't a child, so you are QUITE welcome to define our own tastes.  Besides - I am simply DYING to see what kind of fashion sense you have!"

Her mood was certainly on an uphill bend; there was another touch of Dax in her, as her excitement grew... yet she kept herself well-composed and calm, unlike her son.

"As far as where we shall be headed, I have a few things to accomplish.  We are currently headed to the Chanteuse Curio Shoppe, where I have an order waiting for me to pick up... then, on to Gilded Gables where I have a few outfits that need to also be picked up... after such, there's a bit of... business... that I have to attend to... after such, it shall be a quick stop at the Post Office and the Police Station.  From there, we shall have lunch, then return home.  I do hope that isn't TOO much for you to accompany me on?"

Though her body language said she didn't seem to care one way or the other, Illiad could feel her gathering up hope for him to agree.  It was beginning to seem like maybe NONE of the Blackwater family had any friends to speak of; if that was the case, then the Empathic may have to consider the possibility that he might end up befriending the entire lot of them if he wasn't careful!

Illiad found it somewhat saddening that he might be the only friend these ponies had, but if there was a bright side to this maybe then they'd take his advice and make more friends, though he found the thought of Mr. Blackwater taking the vice grip off his emotions unlikely, when he did the backflow would likely not be a pretty sight.

He nodded at Mrs Blackwater's comments, "That sounds like a reasonable amount of things to do before lunch. This shouldn't take too long at all actually and it is a wonderful day outside." 

An actual sweet smile crossed Vylia's face AND heart... and in that moment, Illiad could see how really pretty she could be; not in a sensually attractive manner, but in a more innocent vein - not showgirl beauty, but laughing child beauty.  Though she certainly did have both, in her own way... but now, she had a streak of joy running through her emotional signature, which was refreshing in it’s vigor... but not wild and free, like her son's.

"Thank you, Mr. E-... Illiad.  I appreciate that FAR more than you know."

The joy was refreshing, but the sudden use of his name informally was a surprise, it looked like he was going to have to remember and perhaps use her first name now too, though he thought it fairly awkward to do so now.

She then cleared her throat, and said, "Driver!  Onward to the Curio Shoppe, and I'll DOUBLE your pay if we arrive there tout-suite!"

The driver glance back over his flank at her with a confused look on his face.  "Toot-what?"

Vylia giggled pleasantly.  "Pick up the pace, good sir!"  The driver did a VERY quick calculation in his head about how much 'double' would mean... and then, they were off.

The Chanteuse Curio Shoppe was actually a fancy word for an antique store, but a rich-blooded one.  Though, glancing through the items for sale, there were a number of them that were impressively old and quite lovely.  The prices were high, but not unreasonably so, considering the value of some of the things sold there.  

That was where Vylia picked up a lovely carved rosewood Cuckoo Clock... with a HEFTY pricetag that Illiad saw in passing; if Vylia was buying things like this, how much wealth did she truly have access to?  She had it giftwrapped in silver paper, with a purple bow.  She slid it into the storage rack on top of the taxicab, and off they went yet again.

He wondered who the clock could be for for her to have had it wrapped, given the price and the fact that she seemed to otherwise have no friends there were very few it could be meant for. Did it happen to be Mr. Blackwater's birthday soon? That would certainly explain the situation.

The next stop was at the fine clothing shop, Gilded Gables.  Inside, three very nervous-looking tailors tended to Vylia Blackwater's every request with gusto; they took measurements of Illiad, and after a bit of choosing, they wrapped his new outfit up for him.  

The tailor was, in short, an uncomfortable experience for Illiad. He had forgotten since he was last measured in this way how invasive it was, the Trojan Toga needed only three measurements and none of them were particularly awkward to measure. (Illiad was secretly very ticklish, especially on his chest between his forelegs but he wasn't about to tell anyone that.) But in the end he had a very nice suit, one he could wear to formal occasions outside of the Trojan sands if the occasion ever occurred.

All the while, the Blackwater matron spoke about a number of things... yet inside, she was simply happy to have company who didn't judge her.  Her talking seemed to be her way of giving herself an air of comfort and even a sort of regality; yet even she gave Illiad time to speak, listening and asking fair and intelligent questions.

Illiad was glad that she had started to care about what he had to say in an informal sort rather than in an investigatory route, though he didn't doubt that there was a bit ulterior to her questions, some hidden secret she hoped he would spill. But he couldn't see anything yet.

The next place the cab stopped was outside of a small park, where Vylia promised "I'll just be two shakes, dearie," before walking off to a bench where she sat, seeming to be simply biding her time.  Almost instantly, another mare strolled up and took a seat, adjusting her headphones a bit and taking a rest from jogging, or so her outfit would lead one to assume... but Illiad, being from a place where heat meant sweat, saw not a drop on the jogger.

The two seemed to casually exchange words, then laughed together as the jogger stood up, waved, and went about her merry way... however, the envelope she'd left behind on the bench vanished into Vylia's hooves and under her wing in a flash.  She then stood herself, and came back to the cab.  The whole thing had taken about seven minutes.

After getting the driver moving again, she slid the envelope out from her wing and under her seat, with the rest of her things.  She smiled at Illiad; it didn't seem as if the envelope had a single thing to do with him.

The encounter at the park was quite odd to him, first of all because very few Canterlot nobles would dare to exercise in public, they would all have the public believe they were born with perfect forms and never had to worry about their figure while they exercised in exclusive secret gyms. In addition, this seemed quite staged, a clear passing of secrets to anyone looking closely but a casual meeting to anyone else. He wondered what was in the envelope that was so important it could not be mailed.

The post office is where they went next, and Vylia ended up having an envelope to send herself.  When she returned to the cab, she explained, "I DO understand that Taps is a very capable Pony Express mare... but she often seems to know more than she lets on - so my more delicate communications, I send directly; I want to know for sure if she's reading the mail before I even begin to accuse her of such."

Illiad thought it silly that Mrs. Blackwater trusted the Equestrian Mail service over a Pony Express employee, it seemed paranoid but perhaps it was somewhat justified.

The police station was next, and Vylia presented what she had to a somewhat bewildered detective stallion who stood there looking at it and scratching his head as Vylia and Illiad left.  Back in the cab once more, she turned to face Illiad.

"So, what sort of cuisine would you care to sample, hmmmm?  Name it, and we shall be there!"

Illiad thought for a moment what he could be hungry for, he didn't want to seem low class by requesting commoner fare but he also was not entirely fond of the high class cuisine so prevalent in Canterlot. "I would request typical Trojan dining but I know from experience that that can't be found her at any decent quality. A certain dish does come to mind though if you know a place that serves griffons, I've found the vegetation version of their Chicken Divine to be quite delicious. Though I understand if griffon cuisine would be an impossibility here."

She looked thoughtful, but after a moment, she smiled broadly.

"There... may... be hope yet.  I know a few griffons, and I'm certain I could have something arranged - it would mean a bit of work, but I do believe the results would be worth the trouble.  Very well, I shall do exactly that!  Driver?"

He cast a glance over his flank.  "Yes ma'am?"

"Driver, would you be so kind as to make a stop over at the Buck & Wing, please?"

"Sure thing, ma'am."

Vylia sat back and gave a sigh, while emotionally he could feel her dulling, dimming, then completely blanking her feelings again; apparently, this simply WAS how she dealt in public, though it was still somewhat creepy.

As they passed the Post Office again, Illiad caught sight of two guardstallions, escorting a very angry-looking pony to a paddy-wagon in chains.  Vylia looked out of the window at this, and laughed merrily.

"And so the rat falls into the trap!  I must admit, I didn't think I would actually SEE the fruits of my labour - but this is WONDERFUL!  Let this be a lesson to them; Vylia Blackwater isn't as foolish as they think, mmm?"

She laughed until the paddy-wagon was out of eyesight.

Illiad wondered what was going on with the angry pony, he wasn't sure if it was one of the ones from the attack or the result of some personal vendetta that Mrs. Blackwater had. But he wasn't about to ask about it even if he was curious. 

The Buck & Wing was actually a rather high-class restaurant, and had a reputation for being THE place to go for some of the finest dishes Canterlot had to offer to the non-elite masses.  Vylia had the driver pull up to the curb, then excused herself for a moment as she stepped out to speak to the doorpony.  After a bit of a conversation, she went inside.

For a few minutes, Illiad and the driver simply sat there.  The cabbie felt a bit uneasy, simply standing there, but he didn't complain.

After a moment, Vylia came back out of the restaurant... and the moment she got into the cab, the Trojan could feel her trying to hide what felt like shame; she simply smiled at Illiad and said, "Well, we will have to wait a bit, but it shall be inbound momentarily!  Driver, if you would be so kid as to bring us to the rear alleyway, please?"

He gave her a strange look, but he complied.

As they settled in behind the building, Vylia was feeling a bit of discomfort and still more shame, but she showed no outward sign of such.  She smiled at her guest.

"They're rather busy today, but I know a few ponies who owe me a favor or two - it'll only be a moment.  So, what shall we chat about?"

Illiad looked around the building before responding, "Nice place this, I don't think I've been here before."

He wasn't about to address her shame in a way that eavesdroppers would discover he was empathic.

"If I might ask, why the rear alleyway? If you're trying to keep me out of the public eye I appreciate it but am unsure as to whether it is really necessary."

Perhaps if he could discover the source of her shame he could help clear it up.

"Oh, this?  Well dearie, I did relate to them that we were in a bit of a hur-"

She stopped, looking at Illiad right in the eyes... then she sighed and looked down.

"No, no... that's a... that's a lie."  

She looked back up at him.

"I know a few of the cooks here, mostly because of our charity work, and they're always happy to bring me something, but... the owner has a presence here in Canterlot, and he... he does not want Blackwater business."

It was awkward, but she was obviously telling the truth.

"So instead, I requested what you asked for, and it shall be delivered forthwith.  Perhaps we can simply make a time of it, eating here as we roll on through town; the sights will be lovely, I'm sure!"

Though she sounded as if it didn't bother her much, her emotions told the Empathic she was expecting him to disapprove.

Illiad actually raised his eyebrows he was so surprised. "Given my previous interactions with nobles they don't really care where their money comes from, money from an enemy is especially desirable in their eyes as it is more for them and less for you as a sort of thing. He must dislike Blackwaters sincerely to refuse to take your money." Illiad gave a slight smile. "You're really going out of your comfort zone for me and I really appreciate it. If I had known what this would mean to you I wouldn't have asked for it. Hopefully I'll be able to show your son a good enough time in Troy to repay your exceeding hospitality. I will certainly do all I can."

He looked around the place, "So, are we going to have to worry about him catching us?"

He tried to convey that he felt nothing shameful about the current events, sure the chefs might be technically stealing from their boss but wrongs deserve rights and good deeds deserve others. It would all balance out in the end from his perspective.

"Yes... well..."  Vylia fidgeted for a moment; she was actually caught QUITE by surprise at Illiad's comments.  "... Blackwaters tend to be seen socially as... shall we say, 'undesirable company'?... and as such, there isn't much call for us to be seen with anypony; anypony who wishes to BE somepony in Canterlot, that is.  And mind you, THIS is how it was when I first married Luther; all this skulking around took years to perfect, you know... not exactly what I had WANTED to do when I first came to Canterlot, but..."

She shrugged prettily.

"Usually, I simply chalk it up to THEIR loss - those that have bothered to get to know us are very pleased to have done so, I've noticed.  Perhaps a bit intimidated, yes... but still pleased, all the same."

The rear door opened, and a mare dressed in a waitstaff outfit looked around suspiciously.

"Ah!  A moment, Illiad..."

Vylia left the cab and met with the mare.  They spoke for a moment, then the waitress smiled, followed by Vylia's tinkling laughter.  They parted ways, and when Vylia returned to the cab, there was a carefully folded sack that she placed gently next to him on the seat.

"There you are!  Do help yourself, Illiad - it's as fresh as you'll ever have it!"

Vylia didn't seem to have anything to eat herself; she seemed content that HE had something, and it seemed to be enough.

"Go ahead, dearie - you have GOT to tell me how it is.  You certainly made it sound rather tasty..."

Illiad was surprised to see it served in a sack, but he supposed it was the cost of doing business this way. He was happy to find it was on a plate with a fork and spoon, all disposable of course, when he opened it. He breathed in deeply as the slightly tangy aroma filled the carriage. It smelled slightly like thousand island dressing, cream cheese, and some other thing that defied description, in all it smelled heavenly, likely the cause of the name. It was a large pile of rice topped with a thick, lightish brown, sauce that still had some unmelted bits of cream cheese in it.

Illiad took a small bite, carefully mixing the sauce and the rice to a good consistency. And a wide smile came to his face. "This is almost as good as when my mother makes it, though I'm sure it would taste better with the chicken to one used to it." He quickly took another bite before gesturing to the spoon as he was using the fork. "Please, you can have some if you like, it would be rude of me to eat all this while you have nothing. It is thanks to you that I have it after all."

Vylia lifted an eyebrow, but a smile like the sun lit up her features as she took up the spoon.

"Thank you kindly... I was hoping, but... well, it wouldn't be proper to seem as if I were begging off of your plate, now would it?"

She let loose a giggle, then took a dainty spoonful and tried it.  Her eyes closed, and she simply allowed it to sit for a moment on her tongue, then began to chew slowly.  Eventually, her eyes opened, and she gave a grin.

"This is quite nice... I especially like the cream cheese; thank you, Illiad.  I shall have to make certain to seek out the recipe - Vegetarian Chicken Divine, you say?  Delicious, dearie!"

Inside, she was simply happy to have somepony offer to share their food with her... outside, it must have been the truest version of Vylia Blackwater he'd seen since he arrived.  Who she was inside really wasn't that bad, after all... maybe ponies DID have the wrong idea about the Blackwater family as a whole - not just poor Dax.

But then, why did Luther do what he did to his son?  What did he think such an act would accomplish, other than separate his own child from the world around him?  Luther may have been cold on the outside, but Illiad knew how much he cared for his son - he'd nearly been bowled over with it.  So why would the Blackwater patriarch put his child through that kind of trauma?

It didn't add up... but it didn't have to right now; he was with Vylia, and it would be rude to have his mind wandering too far off track.

She ate roughly a third of the meal, and then politely thanked him once more for allowing him to join her.  She hadn't hated it, but the Trojan got the impression that she enjoyed the company more than the food.  She sat back, carefully patting her lips with a dark green hankerchief before speaking again.

Illiad ate at the same time as Mrs. Blackwater, so he finished the dish not long after she was done eating.

"Tell me, please... about this political race you're involved in.  When I said I was surprised, it was because it hadn't come up at... luncheon the first day; I'd have thought you would have mentioned such.  Unless, of course, I was going on again - I DO have that tendency, I know.  But, truly; I would like to hear WHY you've gone into this - you, specifically.  What drew you?"

Illiad was surprised by and not entirely sure how to answer this line of questioning. In truth the reasons why he had agreed to run with Midget was because Luna recommended it in response to his visions of the future. Dark times were coming, and the best course of action was to have him and Midget there when it occurred. To say so would require him to then explain his position and relationship with Luna, and while he was beginning to trust Mrs. Blackwater he did not trust her quite that far.

"Well, for as much as Troy has done for me I always wanted to really give back to it. Midget has been my friend for as long as I have lived there, he being the one who approved my immigration in the first place, so when he asked me to run with him as his assistant it was the perfect opportunity for me to give back to the community. Also, I'm slightly afraid what Iron Hoof would do if elected to another term, he's talked about war with Equestria and he may not be afraid to start it if he has more time."

Vylia gave a start.  "WAR?  Is he serious?  What good would THAT accomplish, I ask you?  Is he trying to infuriate Royalty, or does he honestly believe he has a chance?  By Celestia, it sounds quite serious."

She pondered this point for a bit, then nodded to herself, seemingly making a decision.

"Well, I would like to hear what you plan to do about it - or at least what your compatriot Midget plans to do, at any rate.  Tell me, how have the two of you been campaigning against this Iron Hoof character?"

Illiad gave a sad sigh, "By my accounts, Troy does have a good chance of winning even if we don't strike first, but only if the griffon kingdom is on our side or stays out of it. As to why, Since Celestia has refused to recognize us as a country she similarly wont recognize our borders, leading to many confrontations on said border between the guards. Appaloosa was a prime example of this disrespect, not only to us but to the buffalo as well whose lands she allowed the settlers to steal. Iron has held on to that trespass for some time. War would enable us to solidify our borders and make it so Celestia cannot deny our existence any longer. I don't think it’s worth it but Iron and a small portion of the community agrees. As to what Midget and I are doing is playing the opposite, emphasizing how Celestia's actions against us have actually helped us at her expense. Our allies through shared distrust, the increased cost of trade leading to thousands of bits leaving their country for our goods. Overall the community doesn't want war so we continue with peace as our platform." 

Vylia looked (and felt) a bit alarmed by this news... but, after a moment, her muzzle took on a thoughtful look.

"Well, I'm not one to condone war... but, if the issue is the border disputes, then why not reinforce the borders?  After all, if the walls are strong enough, you won't need a Princess to tell the ponies of Equestria that Troy is its own nation - it'll be obvious for anyone to see."

She nodded to herself.

"I'm certain a nation like Troy has more than enough funds to be able to support such a project, don't they?"

Illiad shrugged. "While we have the funds, there are other reasons why a wall is not a practical solution. The first being that there is no way your princess would allow us to build a wall on what she has declared to be her land, even if it is within our borders. That makes it a dangerous environment for the wall builders as they would be no doubt harassed by Equestria's border patrols nonstop. Further, a wall would make it more difficult for us to continue our secret trade practices which would effectively reduce our national income. And I don't think your princess would appreciate having so many garrisons so close to her border. She may see it as an act of aggression on our part to justify her going to war with us. I just hope that the situation can be resolved peacefully. With Luna back your princess may finally get over her grudge and allow peaceful communication and trade between our nations." 

Vylia pondered his response for a bit, her mind racing even as she sat there looking calm and collected.

"Hmmmm... well, that certainly DOES offer a challenge, doesn't it?  But perhaps there are still means and ways... have you possibly considered simply building these garrisons where they cannot be seen?"

She giggled at her own thoughts.  "Of course!  My dear Illiad, could you not put them underground?"

"Being as Troy is a dry area, from what I've gathered, the prospect of digging tunnels in sand may seem a bit intimidating, but the idea does have merit, mind you.  If these garrisons were underground, even if only a few of them, they would not only provide response expedience, but they would maintain their cool temperatures - making them far more hospitable to the Trojan Guard.  Of course, all of this on top of the certain advantage of having the element of surprise in a skirmish... all things considered, it would be a brilliant strategy for both keeping the peace AND ensuring Troy is protected without jeopardizing your trade interests."

She looked at the stallion next to her.  "And don't try to tell me digging in sand is an impossible venture, dearie - the quarry itself has a method for doing so... and I am certain Luther would be more than willing to share that information with you.  After all, if there's ANYPONY who would understand all there is to know about digging..."  She trailed off, the rest of the statement being obvious.

She then gave Illiad a bit of a skeptical look.  "SPEAKING of 'anypony', I've taken note of something... perhaps you can enlighten me?  I notice you don't use the typical equine indentifiers... more precisely, you don't say things like 'anyPONY'.  I was wondering if there's any particular reason for that - or is it simply a vocal affectation?"

Illiad gave a slight smile as he waved his hoof. "Believe me, Troy is well defended, but the nature of that is not something I am at liberty to discuss with non-citizens I'm afraid. As to my general Identifiers, I guess it's something I picked up from life in Troy. To say anyone is far more inclusive and welcoming than to say anypony. Troy is the home of a vast array of creatures other than ponies so it would be exclusive to speak in such a manner. I heard that Celestia came up with those after the unification of the tribes to bring them together in a common Us/Them arrangement of Ponies/non-ponies." He seemed to shake himself from his ramblings. "I'd hardly wish to bore you with this, is there another place we have to go that I'm holding us back from?"

She shook her pretty head.  "No, no... we are on the way home as it is; it's already after lunch, and I'm sure Daxter is positively RABID to find out where you've gotten to.  I believe I've kept you far too long today... but I do thank you for your company.  I..."

She grinned a bit shyly, which was strange yet endearing in its' own way.

"... I don't typically get company that isn't nearby for a handout or such.  You're so kind - I do wish I could help your political situation more, but it sounds as if you don't need my help - and possibly wouldn't want it, either.  Such as it is, I suppose."

She shrugged lightly.

"I am used to that, dearie - I understand that the elusive upper-crust will always be out of reach for me.  And... it does hurt.  But I can either dwell on such a thing, or I can move along until I find somewhere I can put myself to use; I would rather stay busy than have time to cry, you know."

Already, the outskirts of Canterlot were falling behind them.  Vylia kept her gaze turned out the window, her emerald eyes casting their glance across the forests and rivers below.  There was a ribbon of melancholy in the mare, but it wasn't intense; merely sad, at something missed or left behind, it was difficult to say... but nothing that felt dramatically serious.  

"I suppose it's simply one of the things one must deal with when they're shunned, for whatever reasons... whether it's because of their reputation, such as myself, or because of something extra special about one, like yourself; the reasons hardly matter to the one suffering through them, eh?  Still - perhaps I'm better off left to my own devices; I have my husband and my children, and if they're the only ones who will tolerate my company, then... so be it."

She gave a slight nod to herself; the emotional ache was still there, but she was purposely ignoring it.

Looking sidelong at Illiad for a moment, she gave a bit of a half-grin.  "Well, with so many secrets and political aspirations, it seems as if you have quite a LOT of secrets; pray tell, is there anything you CAN speak of fully, or shall we simply ride home in companionable silence?"

Illiad was annoyed that she continued to beat down on herself for her social situation but she didn't show it. He was satisfied that he had made at least some positive difference in her life. 

As to the secrets, "Well, if I were free to share them they wouldn't really be secrets now would they? I'm fine to remain in silence but I would be happy to answer any more questions I can that you have."

The Blackwater mare gave Illiad a bit of a tired smile.

"No, it's fine - far be it for me to continue to pry where it's obvious there's simply too much for me to pick at; any further secrets you hold are safe from me."

After a moment's though, however, she spoke up again.

"Actually... I wanted to know the answer to a simple question... hopefully an answer that isn't classified as top secret." She gave a slight chuckle; a bit of snark showing, but nothing truly angry.

"Why did you do this thing - the exchange, I mean - when there is SO MUCH going on in your life right now?  For certain, Daxter is EXTREMELY grateful you have... but it doesn't add up for me.  I don't understand why you would participate in something like this,that has uprooted you from your busy and important life for a week AND will send you home with company for yet another week... with what I've heard, you are extremely busy.  WHY would you do this?"

Illiad thought for a moment. "Well, I guess it's because I'm so busy that I decided to go along with it. It horses me to take a break from my normal life and be myself for a bit before I have to really bite in to the role of a politician for the next couple of months. It also advances my goal of looking like someone who is both open to good relations with our neighbors as well as someone who can be a good face for our culture to the outside world. Important characteristics for the head of state. I also thought I could do some good by going through with it, to learn about another culture and share my own, a chance to really have an impact on the lives of individuals." 

She lifted an eyebrow skeptically, yet wasn't at all irked by the answer... more curious than anything.

"And so... it's certain you've shared your culture with us... but, do you believe YOU have picked up any culture from us?  Have you impacted us?  Have you learned anything from us at all, or has this endeavor been clearly one-sided?"

Illiad looked away slightly, thinking hard on his experience thus far to see if anything had really impacted him then he remembered something. "Actually, this exchange has changed me as well. I neglected to mention that when I decided to be part of this I was in a bit of a depression, the excitement had finally worn away from my new life and I found myself anxious and worried that I didn't belong, that I could never really belong. But in Daxter's responses, the clear excitement he wrote in, I felt like I was worth something. Like I could be successful and wanted by even those who had just met me. Every letter I received was a high-point of my night. And my time here has been even more fulfilling. The last time I felt so wanted was back with my own family. Your family has done more for me than I can ever hope to repay. All I hope is that I can help Daxter to feel the same way." He looked over at her with a slight smile. "I hope that satisfies your question."

A bit of surprise jumped in Vylia... and not an unpleasant one, either.  Then, came a soft warmth that Illiad hadn't quite felt from her before.  She smiled sweetly, and put a hoof on the Trojan's shoulder.

"From what I have seen, I think it's less that you're finding that you belong... and more that you're having a chance to discover you may be right where you belong, as well.  For what it's worth, I think you will make a fine representative for your constituents... and a good stallion, all around."

She smirked.  "All the better for Silver, eh?"  Her teasing giggle was all meant in good humour.

The walls of the quarry were now looming large over the taxi; the cabbie slowed down out of sheer reverence (and a dab of fear) at the enormous gates as they passed beneath them.  They took the side trail, and made their way up to the manor proper.  Waiting by the front doors, side by side, were Beck and Call.  The identical twins looked relieved to see their employer... and a bit puzzled to see her with Illiad.
> An Exchange of Courtship
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As she stepped out, the twins came right over and started gathering the packages together.  Vylia moved aside and watched them work for a moment - her face had gone to more of an annoyed pout... but Vylia's emotions were actually at a high point.  Casually, she spoke to one of them.

"Oh, that silver-wrapped box there is for the two of you; don't think I've forgotten your birthday coming up.  Since you've been dealing with more than your usual fare, I decided to pick up a little nic-nac I'd come across - just take it in with the rest and open it later.  There's work to be done, and I will want a bath running in no less than FIVE minutes... do NOT keep me waiting long."

Though she sounded angry, she tipped Illiad a sidelong wink; the stallion had seen the price tag on what was in that box; 'nic-nac' indeed!  However, it DID indicate that Vylia cared for her long-suffering attendants... in her own strange way, of course.  The two butler ponies both gave a slight bow, then began packing the parcels upon their backs, each one putting items onto the other - like a well-oiled team.  He could feel a bit of excitement from the two at the prospect of Vylia's gift, but they were professionals; the job came first.

While this was going on, Dax himself came out of the manor.  He looked... passingly interested in the proceedings, but his emotions betrayed him; there was a streak of disappointment, a little jealousy, and a sizable portion of loneliness.  However, not a bit of this was in his manner or speech as he spoke up.

"You two were gone for a good while - I was beginning to worry.  But it's good you're back... I was getting hungry waiting for you Illiad, but I held out!  I mean, it might seem kinda late for a picnic, but I was sure you wouldn't forget - so, I waited."

He gave the stallion a smile, but his traitor stomach gave Illiad a fierce growl.

"DAXTER!"  Vylia gasped.

"Sorry, Mother... we'll be eating soon..."  He looked at the Empathic with a worry in his eyes that was laced with worry and anxiety.

"... won't we?"

Illiad gave a firm nod with a big smile. He had forgotten that such a thing was planned but he was intent that Dax would never know of it. He hopped from the carriage and moved quickly to Dax's side. "Yes, we should get on that quickly. I'll bet I'm as hungry as you now."

He sighed as his smile waned to a bit apologetic, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, I must have got it in my head that it was a dinner picnic rather than a lunch picnic somehow."

He leaned in close and whispered conspiratorially. "If you move quickly enough your mother can't say otherwise can she? And Linner is my favorite meal, how did you know?"

The last thing he wanted was for Dax to be disappointed, so he hoped his own enthusiasm for the activity would raise Dax's spirits.

It was the conspiratorial air to the aside that did it.

Dax's grin, and his good mood, spread quickly.  "Yeah - I figure you've had MORE than enough of Mother by now.  C'mon - I have things set up!"

Now there was something new to add to the list of emotions Dax displayed - there was a slyness there that the Empathic wasn't sure how to pinpoint; did the Blackwater stallion have something in mind?

He led Illiad away from the manor and over to a different path; this one led up, further into the mountains.  It was only about a five minute walk, so it wasn't too long before they crossed over a rickety rope bridge spanning a mountain river to reach what looked to be a nice little glade, a natural clearing in the midst of the pines.  There, on the ground, was a spread-out blanket with two wicker baskets sitting on it.  Near the spread, a small black box with a single switch on it sat innocently in the grass.

"I thought you might get in kinda late, so... I was busy."  He smiled sheepishly, then made his way over to the box, and carefully flipped the switch.

There was a slight glow of magic from the box... and then, the darkness began to peel away from the little campsite; in a perfect circle around the campfire were wooden poles, and topping each one was a crystal that gave off a pale, soft blue light.  The gathered effect was a gentle light that made the night picnic seem like a meal at a moonlit rendezvous.  

"Get a good look, Illiad - I packed the baskets well!"

Illiad was impressed by the small glade, and surprised by how late it had become. Though he thought the crystal torches were a bit much. "This really is an impressive spot, perfect actually to take someone on a date. You should keep that in mind for when you actually start dating." 

After taking a moment to really take in the beauty of the area, "Well, I bet you're hungry, so am I. Lets get to it then unless you have something else in mind?"

He could feel the presence of someone else.

Since they had arrived here, there had been a strange 'doubling' of Dax's anticipation, and Illiad could tell they were NOT alone.  However, he wouldn't have to wait for long, as this was the point where the other individual spoke in response to his words.

"I'm certain there's a thing or two I have in mind."

He knew that voice... it was Silver!

She stood there, cleanly scrubbed and looking downright lovely in a cute blue sundress.  She had not a single smudge or stain anywhere on her, her mane was out of the typical braids and cascaded loosely over her shoulders; her smile soft, rich and a bit enticing.  She appeared very feminine; quite unlike the usual tomcolt-ish look she wore - and she was lovely.

"I was beginning to think you were going to stand up poor Dax - and me, by proxy!"  She lifted an eyebrow.  "But I'm glad we waited... although I have to admit, I'm nursing a pretty big appetite right now... well, not really insomuch as nursing it, but more like just trying to keep it from overwhelming me!"

Dax was nowhere to be seen; the sly little booger had SET THIS UP for the Trojan - probably based on some of the conversation they had the other night.  Apparently, the Blackwater stallion had done MORE than just listen to Illiad when he spoke about Silver... he had arranged this impromptu get-together for his two friends.

"So, uh... is it time to see what Dax packed yet?  I HAVE been waiting for my date for a bit, after all."  She grinned teasingly, yet there was not a single drop of malice in her words; no, there was an altogether DIFFERENT emotion on Silver's mind...

Illiad paused for a moment, really letting the turn of events sink in. I knew it… No I didn’t, but at least, this is not unexpected. It came to his attention that he was no longer wearing his robe as he had removed it to be less conspicuous in Canterlot. Which also reminded him of something.

He turned towards Silver with a slight smile. "This is certainly a very pleasant surprise, if I had known you were waiting for me I would have encouraged Mrs. Blackwater to expedite our return. I would also have arrayed myself in a manner more fitting for one such as yourself."

He held up a hoof, looking as if he were thinking intently on something. A bigger smile flashed to his face with his horn as a box appeared in his raised hoof containing the clothes he had been measured for in Canterlot. "If you would excuse me for just a moment, I'll try to come close to matching your elegance in that dress. Why don't you see what Dax has arrayed for us while you wait, I shan't take long."

Having said that he hurried out of sight before warping to his room to put the suit and white collared shirt as well as comb his mane down to some semblance of cultured style before warping back to where he warped out. He took a moment to compose himself before he walked back into the clearing. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." In truth he had only been gone a few moments but it felt to him to be a long time given his nerves. He hoped Silver would forgive him for running off so suddenly.

Silver had been looking through one of the two baskets when Illiad spoke.  She jumped a bit, then turned with a smile (and a slight blush) on her muzzle.

"Oh, you didn't kee-... uhh..."

Illiad felt it; a rush of desire from the mare as she looked over the smartly attired stallion... she felt it too, as her slight blush deepened to a darker crimson.

"... didn't... kee-keep me waiting all THAT long, n-no."

She attempted to give a simple smile, but faltered around a bit before settling on a sigh and a grin.  It was obvious she was HIGHLY attracted to the handsome stallion; Illiad got the emotional impression that such a level of affection was new to her - her emotions were roiling under the surface, where she was all nerves and worry to go with her desire.

"I got a look through the baskets, and OH!  There's a FEAST here!  He must've almost brought enough food here to feed an entire shift!  There's even a jar of Zap Apple Jam in there - do you have any idea how hard that is to come by off-season?  I don't think we have enough stomach between the two of us to finish it all!"

She let loose her adorable whinny-giggle, then put a hoof to her mouth in surprise and embarrassment when she caught herself.

"I... I'm n-n-not really used to dressing like this; Dax told me I should wear something nice, so..."  She gave a little twirl, showing off the simple, yet pretty sundress - yet there was a good bet it could have been a mass of rags, and Illiad STILL would have found her just as beautiful.  She looked at him again, and that got the lust shivering through her once more... outwardly, she just gave him another nervous smile, and scuffed at the ground with a hoof shyly.

"You can, umm... blame Dax for all this - e-e-except the light posts; that was MY doing, actually - but HE was the one who told me that you might have wanted to... well... sort of..."

She seemed so unlike her normal self... but this version of her was sweet, to be certain.

"... I-I-I mean, uh... maaaaaybe we should start eating; we won't finish 'til midnight at this rate."

She gave a little giggle, then began to bring out the food.  For the love of Luna, there was a LOT of it!  Fruits and veggies, all cut and cleaned; mashed potatoes; buttered corncobs; fried and flavored dough balls; a large pouch filled with pre-mixed salad... there seemed to be no end to the amount of food that came from the two innocent-looking baskets!

Being so close to her like this... it was hard for Illiad to really think straight. The only things holding Illiad back from hugging the cute mare before him were his uncertainties and self doubts. He decided that he would simply sit near her to see if she would be as physically receptive to the gesture as she was emotionally.

He sat almost on the same side of the baskets as her, about a right angle from her rather than directly across as he would typically do. "I'm glad I didn't keep you waiting long, I'd hate for you to think I'd ditched you. And I had a feeling that Dax would try something like this, though I'm surprised he went through with it so soon."

He leaned a bit closer, not too much though. "To be honest, I thought you were beautiful from the moment I first saw you, and that dress only enhances that same beauty."

"So, uh..." Silver started, trying nervously to make conversation, "... what... did... you do in Canterlot today?"

He leaned back to the same position as before, a slightly nervous smile on his face. It was clear that he was not used to this sort of situation. He seemed a bit relieved at the source of distractive conversation, as he started to move some portions of the food closer to himself "In Canterlot? Mrs. Blackwater had me come along on a few of her errands and now I owe her more than a few favors which she wants me to repay by ensuring that Dax has a good time in Troy with me. She took me to see my parents again too, which was awfully nice of her, but the way she carries herself emotionally is a bit disconcerting to Empathics like me. Nothing like you really,"

He leaned back as he tried to think up a way to continue the conversation, "So, these light posts... I must say I'm impressed. Did you invent these too?"

Silver's almost luminescent eyes widened as she searched for a response.

"Uhh... oh, well, I... you just... just... uh, it's..."

No, no response THAT way.

"... well, I... uh... I think... that YOU... uh... well..."

Nuh-uh - not that way EITHER.

"... well... the, uh, posts aren't... really... so much of, uh, an invention, as they are a different way to... use something... a-a-already in stock here.  The glow crystals are on order from Canterlot, and uh... uh, well... we have a surplus of 'em, so I just modified the relays to receive activation signals from the switch here - which I DID build - and set it up to pulse-feed the proper signal to each one.  I can even control the amount of light they generate - see?"

She carefully slid the switch up a bit; the lights dimmed.  Pulling it slightly back down gave the glow back its' previous brightness.  She was proud of figuring it out... but that wasn't REALLY anywhere near what was on her mind... more like 'whom'...

"It's a simple... s-s-simple enough thing to... uh, do..."

She was looking into Illiad's eyes, and was emotionally swooning over him.

"... with the... things... in... uh, what?  OH! "

She shook her head a bit to clear it, having the effect of sending her waterfall of pumpkin orange mane rolling back and forth over her shoulders.  She then looked up at Illiad, and the blush returned in force.

"I want you to know... nopony's ever done anything like this for me before, and never said any of those... sweet things... to me, either.  You really ARE a slick one, aren't you?  Not that I mean slick as in greasy, mind you - more slick as in suave, confident and... uh, all those things handsome stallions like you can be."

Both internally and externally, she was a bit relieved for having spoken up about how she felt... but now was the anticipation, anxiety and curiosity at what the Trojan's response to such would be - and a goofy, can't-help-myself love was beginning to stir in her brain-pan.

Illiad blushed as well. Though he was similarly scattered in his thoughts, he wasn't nearly so vocal. And that was something he liked about her, "That's.... wow."

He took a moment to look directly at her as well. "I don't think anyone has felt the same way about me as you seem to. You're one of the smartest ponies I've ever met and truly everything I've ever hoped for and more so."

He looked back to the poles, the blush still apparent on his face. "It's hard for me to really think straight between your and my emotional threads, but I love this feeling oh so much."

And Idea occurred to him as he pulled out his diamond. He closed his eyes and concentrated, drawing a little of the near infinite supply of their emotions and putting it in the diamond, causing it to glow with a soft pink light. He debated moving forward on the diamond subject but decided to wait and see if she broached the topic first.

Is this what it's like to be in love? I wouldn't really know, but my memories indicate that Luna had a similar experience with a pony by the name of Midnight Star, so probably. I guess that's as good a guess as mine.

She gave the back of her neck a bit of a nervous rub as she blushed even harder.

"Well... uh, I don't think... I mean, I KNOW I'm intelligent, but... I mean, FAR from being... I-I-I mean..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and spoke the next sentence in a rush of a blast.

"Ijusthappentothinkyou'resoincrediblyhandsomeandarticulatewithyourwordsandsoverysweetIsimplycan'tHELPbutfallinlo-..."

She slapped her hooves over hear mouth, lest her heart pour right out with her words.  Her eyes locked on Illiad's, and her emotional state was in a fevered pitch; it was near impossible to tell if she was about to burst out in tears, in panic... or in song.  Even with this high-run flood of emotion, ONE THING stood out:

There was LOVE there; shining, messy, confusing and wondrous love... Silver just wasn't sure how to express it.

Illiad could feel it, it made him feel woozy, but in a good way. It was wearing against his inhibitions quickly. "I... uh... um..." It was getting ever harder for him to decide what to say, he was so worried that he would say of do something wrong that it was hard to do anything at all. He sighed as he tried to decide on what to do.

In a swift motion he scooped Silver into a hug, the back of his mind pondering if it fer really a good idea at this point. He decided if she didn't return it quickly he would let go of her and give her spaaaaaace. "I think I'm falling in love with you too. It scares me, I've never felt like this towards anyone else before, but I'm also excited, because nobody's felt they way you do around me before. Please relax though, you'll only wear yourself out if you keep running yourself so hot."  

Silver stared, open-mouthed at Illiad for a moment, the rush of activity in her mind frozen at the moment the stallion embraced her.  She didn't fight or struggle - she didn't seem adverse to the hug - but she was sort of at a loss as to what came next.

"Illiad... I... it... we..."

Quick as a flash, she leaned forward and gave Illiad a quick peck... directly on his lips.  Parting from the tiny, yet sweet kiss, Silver's eyes were huge as she stared directly into the Trojan's, their souls gazing at each other.

"... I think so, too... I just n-n-never... never..."

She stared a moment more, then gently laid her head on Illiad's shoulder.

"... I don't even know what to DO... but... I know that I... I..."

She swallowed hard, then turned her eyes upward to look at the muzzle of the stallion she was holding so close.

"... I want to learn... with you..."

She buried her face into his chest, adorably shy yet oh so desperate to let him know she felt the same as he did.

Illiad blushed especially hard at the kiss, and smiled very widely at the returned embrace. He hugged her to him a bit more snugly, careful not to make her head position against his chest uncomfortable.

He was unsure how to respond, so he thought a moment or two of silence would be perfect here. With a gentle motion he rubbed her back with a forelimb and did his best to exude a calming influence on the intense emotions flowing between them. It was a tender moment really, one where Illiad truly felt content.

In a move that surprised himself he leaned down and kissed her forehead, just under the base of her horn being careful not to poke himself in the eye. "Together then, we'll see where this goes. I have as much to learn as you do, we'll teach each other along the way."

Though he was starting to get a bit hungry, and he knew Silver was hungry too, he didn't want to pull away from the embrace just yet.

Silver nestled against him; now, wrapped in an embrace she felt safe in, he began to feel her start unwinding her anxiety.  She simply wanted to exist against his chest, feeling the fine hairs of his coat as she reached up and nuzzled the underside of his neck affectionately.

"... this is nice..."

Her stomach seconded that thought, as a high-pitched growl of hunger rumbled from Silver's tummy - Illiad even felt it against his own.  Looking up at the stallion, she gave him an embarrassed smirk.

"... as much as I don't want to let go... and, BELIEVE ME, I don't... I think my stomach's about to rebel, jump out and grab something on its' own!"  She giggled a bit at that, then turned herself around in his embrace and leaned back against the warm, receptive stallion behind her.

"Maybe we don't have to let go... just yet."

She reached down and took one of the little pastries, then brought it up into Illiad's range, in front of his mouth. 

"If it's okay, I c-c-could... uh, I could... FEED you?"

Illiad was surprised at the suggestion, "I... uh, sure, I guess." He grabbed another of the same pastries with his magic and brought it close to her face so he wouldn't have to let go. A small but genuine smile came to his face, "But only if I get to return the favor."

It really was nice to just sit here like this, to feel her enjoy his embrace so much, to observe directly how much someone cared about him and enjoyed his presence. He hoped this feeling would last forever, which is why he stored away as much as the diamond could hold so he could feel it again in the future if ever he needed to. 

Silver gently fed Illiad, while he followed suit.  It was quiet between them for a moment, but it was the comfortable quiet of simply enjoying each other's company.  She was warm and soft against him, and she enjoyed feeding him - especially when she missed his mouth once or twice.

As night proper cloaked them both, again Illiad was struck by the sheer amount of stars.  The glow from the lamps had been turned down, bit by bit, until it was low enough to allow a full range of skyview for them both.  Regardless of what Illiad did or didn't know about those stars, there was still the occasional moment where a sight such as this, especially in present company, had the potential to strike even those who knew of them with childlike wonder and beauty.

The tiny pinpoints reflected in the gray mare's eyes danced as she mused over the sky herself.

"I don't know if... if this is too fast, or... or if it's just right, but... I guess I felt... felt warm and goofy after the first time we spoke - when Dax brought you to my shed?  I was trying to make a good impression, and I guess I didn't really think about it until after you two left; I just couldn't stop thinking about..."

She blushed hotly.  "Would you just listen to me?  I'm going on and on like a schoolgirl with a crush!  Well... actually, more like a..."

Glancing back over her shoulder at him, the fog of auburn hair obscured much of her muzzle - her eyes, almost like living gems set into the treasure of her stare, continued to sparkle as she gave him a slower, warmer kiss on the nape of his neck, where she could reach.  He felt the entire side of her face press against him as she did, and the twist of her form brought... interesting... sensations with it to the Trojan.

"... a mare who may have actually found her Special Somepony, in a place where we all work so hard to make beautiful things for all of Equestria... and beyond... to know that I'm... well, uh... that I'm not just needed for once... but wanted, in a way I never thought could happen for me.  I mean, I wasn't even EXPECTING it!  It all just... sort of... happened."

She gave a soft, quite amused little giggle, and snuggled back against Illiad even more; their body heat together was certainly a nice way to keep the chill from the stallion's bones.

"If you don't think it's fast, then it's just right for me, too... it FEELS good, I know that... so very good..."

She sighed and ran a forehoof gently back and forth across his chest - smiling with a dreamy countenance.

Illiad hugged her tighter for a moment before nuzzling her neck. "I was worried that you might think it was moving too fast, and while this is certainly moving faster that I had anticipated... I can't think of any reason why it would be a bad thing."

His smile too was cheery as he stared up at the stars, simply enjoying the weight and warmth of the mare in his forelimbs. "Perhaps we really were meant for each other, I wonder if Selena knew all this time, and wanted me to discover it for myself. But I'm glad I did, never before have I felt so loved, so desired outside of my own family."

He glanced over at the diamond, still floating where it had been earlier and now casting a light pink glow on the pair given the dimming of the other lights. "I can't quite recall how much I've told you about this cloud diamond of mine, it has a surprise for you later though if you're interested."

Illiad thought that a shared dream experience would be the perfect way to end the night, but not before Silver was ready for it. He was content to move forward at whatever pace was most comfortable for her. 

"A surprise?"  She giggled.  "With you, EVERYTHING is a surprise - and not bad ones, either."

"But I don't think you mentioned much about the... Cloud Diamond?  Isn't that exceedingly rare to come across?  Not to mention the amount you have there..."  She looked it over from the comfort of her position against the stallion.  "... and what exactly do you mean 'surprise'?  I know they have magical properties, but I'm more of a gear-head, I guess; I take it this Diamond is very special to you?"

Oh, her curiosity was piqued, all right.

Illiad gave a smirk he decided he'd let Selena explain this time. "Indeed, cloud diamond of this purity and mass is hard to come by, though since you work here it's no surprise that you'd know that. This one allows ponies to share dreams when they're close enough together, therein lies the surprise. If you're up to it that is" 

Illiad was worried that that might sound a bit too forward, but to backtrack now would likely be a mistake. Best to sound confident, even when he was a bundle of nerves clinging to this caring mare.

She looked back at the Diamond with reverence.  "Oh... oh, WOW... it can do THAT?  I simply figured it to be a... a magical conduit, or the like... I didn't know that it could... wooooooooowwwwwww..."

She moved to get a closer look, deliciously shifting against Illiad.

"I'd ask how it works, but magic... well, I'm better with machinery, let's just say.  But sharing dreams?  Does Princess Luna know about this?"

Illiad was glad that she seemed receptive to the idea. "To make a long story short and in an answer that would definitely not satisfy that beautiful mind of yours, yes. Princess Luna actually gave this to me, so I would assume she knows even better that I what it can do."

He pulled the diamond closer so that Silver could get a better look at it. "Currently I'm using it to store a small part of this feeling we're feeling, a moment that can be revisited."

He knew it was slightly mean and teasing to be giving her such a vague answer, but despite all these feelings Illiad was scared to reveal the secret again, worried she wouldn't like him quite as much if he did.

"Storing emotions?  It can do that, too?"  She gave the Cloud Diamond her full attention, her curiosity rolling from her like a child's wonder.  She stared for a bit, then turned back to look at Illiad.

"Luna GAVE this to you?  You know her that well?  Wow... I-I-I don't know what to say - I mean, you're quite dignified; I didn't know you were THAT important!  I just hope... well, with all this wonder around you, I just hope I can keep up!"

She turned back to the floating gem.  "Shared dreams?  You mean... we can dream together?  Oh..."  She blushed hotly. "... oh, that could be fun!  It might be fascinating to see this first-hoof!"

She smiled broadly; then she got a thoughtful look, and finished with a kind smile to the Trojan.

"You know... we really owe Dax a big thank you for this; he's talked about nothing but your visit for days, and now he's giving up time with you... so you can have time with me.  He's such a sweetheart, y'know?"

The sweet grin slowly began to turn into a lascivious smile.  "But I think... that maybe... we could try to look into getting in a bit of sleep tonight?  I mean, you're so... cozy..."

She snuggled up against him further, cuddling tightly into his chest.

Illiad raised his eyebrows, surprised how forward she was being. "I suppose that could be arranged. Though I must disagree, You are the cozy one around here."

To emphasize the point he moved and nuzzled her neck just under her muzzle. "Though we'll probably have to change, as nice as these clothes are I can already tell they are not the most comfortable."

Illiad sighed as he looked back up at the stars, things were going so well here, he was just waiting for the sudden twist where everything fell to pieces. Maybe Redd would come for his revenge tonight. Illiad smiled, if there was one thing he knew for certain, if anyone ruined his night they would pay dearly for it.

He looked around the area, he thought he remembered seeing a tent, but he wasn't too sure if he actually had.

Sure enough, roughly fifty yards from where they were set up was a tent; it was far smaller than Dax's was, yet still big enough for two full-grown Equines to share comfortably.  The picnic, the lights, the tent... this had been quite a little set-up; did Dax really go to all this trouble on the Trojan's behalf?  At any rate, inside the tent was a bundle of blankets - they would be nice and warm in those, doubtless.

Silver stretched a bit, wriggling against the stallion behind her, before slowly getting to her hooves and giving Illiad a soft smile.

"So, we... just change?  Well, I didn't bring any other clothes, but I could probably change at the shed... but then, I'd have to leave you here for a bit and... well, uh... I'm... not really wanting to DO that."

She looked down, poking a hoof at her sundress.  "Besides, this dress is sorta made to just... y'know, wear wherever - even to sleep, I'd guess.  I'm sure you could change in the tent... I-I-I'll wait here."

It almost sounded as if she were disappointed to wait there... and the Empathic felt a thread of anticipation from the mare.

"When you're done, we can curl back up again... unless y-you've had enough for one night?"

The pleading in her eyes begged him to differ.

Illiad gave a slight, but caring smile as he picked himself up off the ground. "I could never have too much of you, I could spend hours holding you and never grow tired of it." He turned for the tent, pulling the diamond along with him with his magic. "I'll change quickly and let you know when I'm done."

Once inside the tent he took a few deep breaths to calm himself. This had been the best date he had ever been on in his life, and more successful than the rest of them combined though that really wasn't saying much. And now he would be sleeping in the same room as her? When he thought about it the two of them were actually pretty old to still be single, mid-late twenties and no long term relationships? Well it seemed that was about to change.

With an exertion of magic he summoned the robe he had worn to Canterlot and the box the clothes came in from his room. He quickly, yet carefully, removed the fancy clothing and placed them neatly into the box before running his robe through a quick cleansing spell and wrapping it around himself, warping the box with the fancy clothes back to his room.

He went back to the door of the tent, now dressed in his robe and looked around for Silver. "I'm ready I guess, you can come in if you like."

Silver gently poked her head inside the tent.

"That was fast!  Truth be told, I... well... I've never been so excited to go to sleep!"

Giving a slight giggle, she made her way over to the stallion, looking up into his eyes as she did.

"Illiad... this is... it's REALLY happening, right?  Please tell me I'm not already asleep... because this... this is... ohhh, it's a dream come true..."

She made her way over to the pile of blankets and began to straighten them out, making a palette on the floor for them to lie on.  Once finished, she carefully laid herself down to one side, leaving plenty of room for the Trojan to join her.

"Okay... I'm... I'm ready - I think I am, anyway.  Now... c'mere... uh, please?"

He could feel the nervous energy and the sweet tang of anticipation coming from her; outwardly, she just smiled and waited for his warmth to join her once more.

Illiad gave another slight smile, this whole encounter was stretching his limited repertoire of emotes. His life before this did not have much need to show emotion so openly, but he liked it. "This has certainly been an exciting night for the both of us, hasn't it?"

He came over to the now organized blankets and laid to the other side of it from Silver. "You know, I haven't shared a bed with a mare as beautiful as you before. Actually I haven't shared a bed with a mare before, other than my mother when I was a much younger colt after a nightmare but you know what I mean."

He moved the diamond so that it would be close enough to them that Selena could pull them into a shared dream, it continued to cast the soft but pleasant pink light, providing just enough light that they could see each other clearly.

Silver shuffled her slight frame over toward Illiad as soon as he was laid down.  She shifted as close as she could, then nuzzled him lovingly.

"There was a point in time I had to share a bed with some of my cousins... but this is a long way from that, huh?  I hope I'm not... not crowding you.  TOO much.  Crowding you too much, I mean.  Oh, BLAH!"

She stuck out her tongue and waggled it back and forth, then shut her eyes and laughed at herself.  "Tongue-tied again... well, that's... I guess that's..."

She made an attempt at a sexy, smouldering look... it came off more like she may have possibly sat on something uncomfortable.  It was truly adorkable, to borrow the phrase.

"... Well, I guess that's what you do to me, you handsome stallion yoh my sweet Celestia, I did NOT just say that, did I?"

She giggled fillyishly behind her hooves, both embarrassed and thrilled by her clumsy yet cute pass at Illiad.

Illiad gave a slight laugh as he nuzzled Silver in return, "Don't worry, I like it when you call me handsome."

He shifted the pair of them around so that Silver's back was against his barrel and chest, a similar position to when they were hugging earlier, just laid horizontally on the blankets. "The sooner we fall asleep the sooner we can share a dream now. Oh, when the gem pulls you in you should find yourself in a small room with a switch or button on one side and a pair of doors on the other, if you go through the doors you will enter the shared dream zone. I'll meet you there once we're both asleep." 

Silver nestled back against the stallion curled behind her.

"All this is so... you really know what's going on with all of this, don't you?  I mean, you just... well, you act like this is something everyday for you - I can only imagine what you've seen if something like meeting others in their dreams like Princess Luna comes across as so very ordinary for you."

She reached back and covered one of his hooves with one of hers, dragging his foreleg around her middle and holding it in place.

"I'm a little intimidated by the prospect of such... but I'm also pretty excited, too!  Oh, this is SO nice..."

She sighed happily.  "How in the wide, wide world of Equestria did I ever get so very lucky?"

Illiad sighed as well, a tired smile on his face as he nuzzled the side of Silver's neck. "I was wondering the same thing. How could a mare as smart and beautiful as yourself not have already been the object of one's desires? How could I be the lucky one to catch your eye when so many other mares wanted little to do with me?"

He gave a slight chuckle as he snuggled closed, the bridge of his muzzle resting comfortably on her soft neck. "I'm glad I did though, this night has been one of the happiest in my entire life. All because I got to share it with you."

With a kiss he began to slowly drain off her excess energy, careful manipulation to lull her easily to sleep. He too was excited for the dream world, but they needed to sleep to get there. He felt himself too begin to drift off to sleep, Selena pulling the two of them in. They would arrive about the same time.
> An Exchange of Serenity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Selena was anxiously preparing the mental room to be comfortable for her guests. It was still a plain white room, but there were a few more comfortable chairs than when Dax had visited. The two sets of doors formed as the mental connection was established, Selena waited with a nervous excitement for them to enter. 

When Silver finally manifested in the dream world, she was even lovelier than she was in reality - which, considering what Illiad already thought of her, was quite a feat.  She almost had a sort of glow about her, like she had just completed a good workout jog.  Her eyes were bright, and her sense of wonder at everything around her was infectious and wild.

"Oh, wooooooooooooooooooooooow..."

Strangely enough, there was something a bit different about her: Silver had what looked to be the outlines of multiple gears faintly traced upon her coat.  They glowed with a soft, silvery light that was barely visible at some angles, and stood out starkly at others.  If Silver knew they were there, she gave no open indication - visually or mentally.

She was gazing around at... well, she wasn't sure, but it was unlike anything she could ever recall seeing before; naturally, she was so lost into looking about that she hadn't even noticed if she was alone or not...

She found herself in a small white room much like Illiad had described, with a large electrical switch on one side and a double door on the other.

Selena looked towards the mare a tad strangely. "What is it with these ponies and their strange outlines?" She could of course see her despite her being in the join room as it was part of her small domain.

Illiad was not far behind Silver in his arrival, his mane quite tidy here despite his usual appearance. When he exited his join room he was slightly surprised to see that Selena had not entered the room yet. He went over to her doors and decided to knock.

Silver jumped when Illiad knocked, and turned to face the doors as well, laying eyes on his DreamForm for the first time.

"OH!"  Then, a softer, more interested, "oh..."

She stepped over to him and was somewhat staring... but her own DreamForm turned what would have been an awkward gawk into more of a look filled with longing and desire; it seemed as if Silver was more collected and together here.

"Illiad, you look absolutely radiant!"  She placed a hoof on his shoulder, almost as if she were making certain he was 'real', so to speak.  Then, she noticed the doors, and gave a soft giggle.

"I guess I've just never really dreamed so... lucidly before.  I probably should've gone inside already, shouldn't I?"

Regardless of her current DreamForm looks, she was still sweetly scatterbrained, it seemed.

Illiad laughed a little back. "I'm sure our host appreciates how wonderful you find this whole experience. Speaking of which, you should meet her. Our host that is." Reaching in, he grasped one of silver's forelimbs in a gentlecoltly fashion, and carefully led her out into the main room.

Selena smiled as the two returned to the room she had prepared. "Hello Silver, it's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face, in a way of course. I'm sure you have many questions about this place and what's going on and I'd be happy to answer them." 

Silver's eyes widened at the sight of the exquisite mare in front of her.

"Oh... oh, my..."

She then bowed her head, and gave a slight curtsy.  "My name is Silver Studs; it is a fine pleasure to meet you."  She gave a hesitant smile, then leaned close to Illiad and spoke sotto voce.

"Is this... your Mother, Illiad?"

Illiad looked aghast, and for a moment was at a loss for words. Selena on the other hoof found the question in quite another fashion. She started to laugh, quite a bit in fact as she reverted her form to something a bit more casual, when finished she looked like a mare about the size of Cocoa Pommel with hair like Luna when she was freshly treated by the elements of harmony. "Oh no no no," she said with a face full of mirth. "It's nothing like that."

Illiad took a bit to regain his composure, "It's more the opposite actually, she's like a younger sister to me though technically my daughter."

Selena took the opportunity to come up and shake Silver's other forelimb, "I'm Selena, Selena Diamond. The sentient consciousness within this gem, the embodiment of karma, and a piece of Luna's soul fused with a piece of Illiad's. In that way I am his and Luna's daughter. And it is a pleasure to meet you too."

Illiad was happy to see Selena be so open around someone other than himself, even with Dax she had been a mite reserved, but here she was practically her true self for Silver. He smirked over at Silver, "I guess this might answer why Luna gave me the diamond, though I suppose it opens another gearbox of questions for you." He gestured over to the chairs. "Why don't we all take a seat and talk for a bit?"

Secretly both Selena and Illiad were worried that Silver wouldn't take the revelation well and accidentally eject herself from the dream.

Her face turned a fetching shade of crimson as she gave a sheepish grin that beat Dax's by a landslide.

"I am SO very sorry - I just thought that with the way Illiad was being so careful and secretive, it would have been something precious... but there's no WAY I could have forseen anything like the explanation you just gave me!"

She smiled merrily; no getting this one down, that was certain!

Silver followed them to the chairs, and took a seat.  "It's so strange - I KNOW I'm dreaming... yet it feels so real; I can't even begin to think of HOW my mind could interpret something like this!  Yet here I am... and with TWO others present!  OHH!  I could write a paper on this!  I could set the ideas forth of-... of..."

She closed her eyes, gave a rueful smile and shook her head gently.

"... of course, I can't talk about something like this, can I?  I mean, the assumptions alone would be..."

Looking back up, Silver sighed.  "No need to worry, Selena - mum's the word.  Well, not insomuch as the word is 'mum'; more along the lines of 'hush', to be honest."  She grinned, not a cloud in her personal sky.

"So, okay - the secrecy I understand, of course... but is there a scientific explanation for who - and respectfully what - you are?  I tend to think better in those kinds of terms; I DO like you, and I tend to think I'm a fair judge of character... I'm just having to do a bit of mental hoofwork to put it ALL together.  Maybe you already have a classification, or at the very least a scientific possibility or two that would help me piece the whole picture together?"

Illiad looked over at Selena, who nodded, before looking back towards Silver. "I guess the explanation would make the most sense if you knew the whole story. Unfortunately secrecy is indeed key, if you were to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you it would have dire consequences for all of Equis."

Illiad settled, getting comfortable in his chair before he spoke.

"It all started back at the end of Discord's reign, your princesses were searching for a way to liberate their kingdom and the world. They eventually found the tree of peace, which granted each of them powerful artifacts to defeat Discord. To Celestia it gave what you now know as the elements of harmony, and to Luna it gave the tenants of balance, four powerful gems that granted their wielder the ability to affect the four key balances. Namely: Good and Evil, Wisdom and Strength, Rain and Shine, and Sickness and Health. Together the princesses used their gifts to defeat Discord and seal him in stone, and they resumed ruling their now liberated kingdom.”

“They soon realized that the responsibility of the artifacts was not one that could be born alone, so they each formed groups to share in their burdens, Celestia as the element of magic and her elements of harmony, and Luna as the balance of Good and Evil as well as her order of balance. For a few years this went fine, there was much peace in the land, but good things can't last forever.”

“As the balance of Good and Evil, Luna had to ensure that bad things would periodically happen to keep the world in balance, but Celestia forbade her to fulfill her duties. Eventually the balance required a truly bad event to restore the world to balance, but Luna was too kind to do it, so she split her soul, placing the best parts of herself and her memories into her balance gem, this cloud diamond. She became Nightmare Moon, and was banished for doing what she had to to save the world from a state of perfect balance.”

“The remaining members of the order of balance went into hiding, but not before sending off their gems, each with a copy of their own consciousness inside, to the moon to save Luna. They each retained a single piece of their gems so they could continue to bring balance to the world, but over the generations these fragments were lost. The gems that had been sent slowly grew in energy, until they shone like stars in the night sky around the moon, eventually aiding in her escape.”

“When she returned her halved soul was restored by the new elements of harmony, and thus the soul that remained in the diamond could not be returned to Luna as she had originally intended. In addition, Celestia had found the gem first and locked it away, blaming it for her sister's deeds."

He paused and looked over at Silver, "I hope I'm not going too fast for you,"

He then resumed his speech,

"A year or two later, Luna selected me to be the next balance of good and evil. I liberated this gem from Celestia's captivity and was granted its power and responsibility. The parts of Luna's soul within the gem had formed a consciousness over the thousand years in space, but it was incomplete. As the new wielder, the soul within copied parts of my own soul to fill in the gaps, resulting in a full sentient consciousness that was not quite me nor quite Luna, but a fusion of the two that named herself Selena.”

“To answer your questions more specifically now that you know the background, Selena is a disembodied fusion soul bound to this gem, allowing it to store more energy than a cloud diamond of similar size, and be more magically responsive. The official classification would be a gem pony like the other three, though she is the only soul based one of the group, the rest are only conciousness, unable to operate unless magic is constantly provided them, Selena can live forever given the energy her soul and the gem produces for itself, but she cannot affect the outside world without additional energy added, thus a wielder is necessary."

Selena looked over at Silver, "Hopefully that answers some of your questions, but we would be willing to answer more if you'd like." 

Silver was astounded; it was obvious to anyone who looked at her that she was simply stunned by the revelation of Selena's true origins.

"... so that would mean... Celestia has been lying to us, all this time?  There were other elements - elements that could have saved Equestria just as much as the Elements of Harmony - and she forbade them?  Simply because she wouldn't allow Luna to maintain a balance?"

She looked confused... then sad.

"Then... everypony in Equestria has been living under the rule of a tyrant who exiled her sister because she wouldn't allow her to maintain her side of the equation?  And from what you've said, she is well aware of what's she's done... and feels justified in such?  Oh... oh, my..."

Silver's face fell like a star.  "I... I thought Celestia was supposed to be the kind and benevolent Princess we all assumed she was... but she's... she's..."

Tears began to track down her muzzle; Silver's emotions were wrought with sadness, confusion... and betrayal.

"... she's been LYING to us?  Why?  Why would she do that?"

Illiad was surprised, scared, and deeply saddened by the fact that he had made Silver cry. In a moment he had wrapped himself around her in a hug. "Please don't cry, I know it's quite a bit to take in but it isn't really quite so bad as you've said." Then he whispered. "I can't believe I'm about to defend Celestia"

He took a deep breath and began.

"From the very beginning of her reign Celestia saw all her subjects as her children. She loved their adoration and would do all she could to keep them safe and happy. In this way she spoiled them by not allowing them to experience many trials or hardships. She couldn't willingly allow bad things to happen to her ponies so she forbade Luna to act no matter the consequences. But the consequences ended up more dire than she thought. In addition, one of the plights of immortals is the fear of being alone, to be unwanted. Celestia can't bear the thought of being unnecessary, so she will do anything she can to keep herself relevant and important to her ponies, including taking sole control of the sun, and moon in Luna's absence. Being a staunch protector against any non-equestrians, hiding and ignoring the evils of the past so she would appear infallible, and disregarding any and all evidences that any form of government other than hers could work well, thus the hiding of Troy. In the end? Celestia is scared, scared of being left behind and forgotten, yet forced to continue living. She can't tell anyone without appearing fallible."

Illiad sighed, "I suppose that doesn't justify her actions, but perhaps you can understand now. To address your points more specifically, that balance and the elements are separate, each designed to handle different parts of peace and different situations. The balance would not have been nearly as effective as the elements against Discord, or Nightmare Moon as the elements were. Further, the balance isn't whole yet. We've only found two of the gems and wielders, we won't be at full strength until we have all four. I would still say Celestia is kind and benevolent, but kind and nice are different than good. She goes out of her way to prevent hardships among her ponies, and as a result she has hindered your technological and social development to protect you from the unknown or from deprecation. Can you imagine what it must be like to have a talent that is no longer useful? When what your good at has been replaced by something better? She's lied to you to keep you safe in her mind, safe from discovering bad things. From discovering that the world could go on just fine without her, that she herself is no longer necessary."

Illiad pulled back from the hug so he could look at Silver's face more clearly. "I can't say I find her actions entirely justified, but I do see why she did them. But in the end she is powerless to stop your progression, eventually she will fade into myth, like she caused her sister to, but she wants to delay it as long as she possibly can."

Silver clung to Illiad for a bit, crying softly against his chest; it was heartbreaking to imagine Silver weeping in reality - her DreamForm crying was an absolute tragedy.  After a few minutes, her quiet sobs ceased.  She remained against him for a moment more, then sat up and regained her composure, wiping her eyes and fussing with her mane for a moment before closing her eyes.  The look on her face was quite serious.

"I think... I do understand."

Her eyes opened, and they were locked onto the Trojan's.

"But no... it's a reason, but NOT an excuse.  The idea that she's doing... what she's doing... because she's afraid?  I... I can't accept that.  A good leader is HONEST with their followers... and a parent's greatest gift to their children is teaching them how to survive without them."

The look in her eyes went from one of acceptance to stony resolution.

"This... this changes so much, Illiad.  I used to have faith that Celestia and Luna were taking care of us all, always with the best of intentions at heart... but, Celestia..."

She looked as if she might start crying again, but instead she simply gave a great gust of a sigh.

"Then... what can we do?  What IS THERE to do?  Hearing this just makes me... makes me...  well, I don't want to say what it makes me; I don't want you to think any less of me, Illiad.  But really... what can we do against this?  How can this be made right?"

Illiad sighed, to be honest he didn't really know what to do. "A parent teaches their child to survive without them because they know they won't always be there, but Celestia will never die, so she wants her ponies to need her for as long as she possibly can. She has needs too you know, she needs to feel loved just like we do. Fear is a complex feeling, it can be unfounded and still prevent you from doing something. As to what we do about it? We simply wait. We keep on despite her, to spite her. Show her this isn't the way to earn love and respect."

He looked over at Selena, "We could start to praise Luna instead, show our appreciation for what she does. Maybe Celestia will get jealous and change her ways? Who knows?"

He looked back to Silver. "The best thing we can do is to live better than her, to be better than she was. In the end she'll still be here when we're long gone. But maybe we can help her to change for the better, give some future generation a better Celestia than ours." 

Illiad shrugged and looked down. "I guess I'm just ranting a bit. To be honest I have no idea what can be done. I was always resigned to the fact that Celestia simply was the way she was and there was nothing we could really do about that, so I left her behind."

He looked up and over at Silver. "Science! That's something she's been dampening, you can fight back by pushing the boundaries of science and not letting her stop you. Start a scientific revolution, an era of discovery, TrUST has the resources and you have the brains to really make a difference, you might even become the next Tesla Tower."

Her eyes widened.  "Tesla Tower?  Oh, I don't think I'm THAT good; I just make machinery... but..."

She stood up, a thoughtful look on her features.

"... but what if you're right?  What if the easiest way to turn things around is to simply start making innovations?  Maybe if she sees that we're all hungry for something better, something more - and that we have the means to do so - then maybe she'll see that it might be time to let us grow up?  Maybe she's just been waiting for PROOF that we can handle things on our own!"

Now Silver was excited, and the gear outlines on her flank began to glow brighter as she paced.

"Of COURSE!  Once she sees that we have what we need to make it on our own, there will be no reason for lying anymore!  We'll be able to handle the truth at last!  And if we do this right, there might STILL be a place in Equestria for her... yes!  THAT has to be the answer!"

She swiveled to meet Illiad and Selena's gaze.

"This is... well, it's LIFE-CHANGING!  This is something I would be willing to do, if it meant an end to the deceptions - and my parents would be SO proud of me!  OH!  This is INCREDIBLE!  I'd just have to-..."

She stopped mid-sentence, and her features began to fall again.

"... but what about Mr. Blackwater?  And the quarry?  I couldn't just leave them; they mean so much to me.  Besides, I don't know if there's anypony in all of Equus that would be able to fix anything that broke there - the plumbing system alone would take a team of well-trained ponies to properly maintain without the proper knowledge!  Don't you know it NEVER rains at the Blackwater Quarry?  How in the wide, wide world of Equestria would the quarry get its water?"

She looked at the two of them.  "How am I going to do this?"

Illiad smiled at her enthusiasm, though her concerns were valid they shouldn't be too hard to solve. 

"It sounds like the quarry would be in quite the predicament if anything ever happened to you that prevented you from doing your job. I think the first step is ensuring that the quarry has a means of moving forward if that ever happened to you. I'm sure Mr. Blackwater would understand the value of a backup system in regards to your very important position here. TrUST can provide you with the resources you need to work here, they may require that you take a few trips away now and again, but otherwise you would be free to invent from the comfort of the quarry until you feel ready to leave."

"Well, I still feel like I owe Mr. Blackwater for all he did for my parents; it wouldn't FEEL right to simply leave him high and dry like that... and I'd have to find somepony who's got the knack it takes to keep the quarry running..."

She frowned.  "That'll be the hard part; I don't know of many ponies who have the patience or the skillset to fix anything that might go wrong... and at a gem quarry, a LOT can go wrong, believe me!  But... maybe if I speak my concerns about a replacement to TrUST, they might be able to help me find somepony able to do so, couldn't they?"

She pondered the thought for a moment, before shaking her DreamForm head.

"Not yet - I'll send a scroll to TrUST, first thing tomorrow... but I think maybe I should get to know them before I go asking for any favors like that.  I wouldn't want to put them out, or seem rude by asking for something like that so soon.  Yes.  I'll see what I can do from the quarry, and then after the correspondence has gotten well underway, I'll pop the question... well, not insomuch as POP a question, as more like I'll send a scroll with the question ON it.  Still... if this scientific gathering is as astute as you say they are, then I'm sure I'll be happy with what comes from it."

She smiled at Illiad, radiant as a full moon.  "Oh, so much to THINK about!  Illiad, I think it's quite possible that THIS might be what I was destined for, you know?  Oh sure, it sounds silly, but... well, I've spent a good portion of my existence pondering my purpose - why am I so gifted with machinery, yet I never seem to be able to find ANYTHING to do with this talent, except for working here?  I used to think the quarry was my destiny, but..."

She looked down for a moment, then looked back at him.

"... well, it still felt like something wasn't... THERE.  Like I was missing something... now?  Illiad, just the IDEA of going into my workshop and constructing even the first few pages of my idea notebook has my heart racing!  I haven't felt this kind of excitement since I was a filly!  And... and I owe this opportunity to you, you know."

Silver stepped closer, and gave his left cheek a gentle nuzzle, leaving a lingering scent of jasmine and machine oil drifting across his nostrils.  She stayed close, and slightly leaned against him as she sighed softly.  Eventually, she leaned upwards and planted a soft, simple kiss directly on his jawline, then stepped back from him reluctantly.

"You have no idea how happy I am to have met you, Illiad Easle - and I have no idea how a stallion I met so recently has managed to take hold of my heart like you have.  My mother would say this was insane... but my father would laugh and tell me to 'take it to the limit', as he likes to say.  He'd like you, I'm sure of it."

Illiad smiled as he returned the nuzzle and kiss as well. Before today he had never really been fond of the idea of kissing, he much preferred hugs as they had a greater sense of closeness, but he was starting to like kisses now. "I'm glad I was able to help you find something so fulfilling for your life. I'd be happy to help you in any way that I can. Though this lack of rain here is quite odd."

Selena looked… odd, she spoke almost as if to herself. "What do you mean it never rains here? That shouldn't be possible, it even rains... well, precipitates, on the frozen poles, how could this area never get rain?" 

At Selena's question, Silver turned to face her.  

"Well... it hasn't rained ever since I started working there; that's part of the reason for so many bilge pumps and pipes at the quarry - if you actually look, they're everywhere.  I have to maintain the pumps and the filters that keep the water flowing to the Gem Refinery because there's no off-flow from rain; it NEVER rains at the Blackwater Quarry."

She shrugged.  "I used to question it myself, but none of the soil samples came up with anything out of the ordinary; neither did anything else I tried.  Maybe it's the angle of the mountains?  I thought the buffeting winds would have kept any storms away... at least, that's what I came to assume."

Selena pulled a sheet of glass from seemingly nowhere, this was a dream after all, which was covered with words and ever changing diagrams, like a projector movie of sorts. "I'll look into it, it seems that someone might be manipulating the weather here, it could be just a simple rain shadow effect of the mountains, but the wind and storms should be coming from the other direction. Nevertheless, if it hasn't rained in that long this place is due for one crazy storm in the near future."

Silver gave a slight nod.

"I even sent a letter to Cloudsdale about it - they never wrote back, so I simply assumed it had been dumped into an In Pile somewhere, or that there wasn't a problem in the first place.  The weather ponies take their jobs pretty seriously, so I just... sort of... thought it was okay..."

She seemed a bit embarrassed by this revelation.  "To be honest, it simply slipped my mind to look into it further - with so much to keep track of, the less-immediate issues get priority.  Sometimes, that means things... well, slip."  She shrugged a bit; the stallion could feel the slight shame she was experiencing.

"But now that it's come up, it actually might be a GOOD thing to find out what's causing this - after all, if the quarry would get annual rainfall, we could do away with roughly a THIRD of all the pipes!  Oh, with the maintenance I usually have to give those pipes cut out, why I might actually get time to breathe!"  She giggled at the statement, then looked back at the Trojan, a more serious look on her muzzle.

"If I undertake this thing with TrUST, we'll have to keep it quiet for now, won't we?  I mean, if Celestia really is suppressing technology, then I could be in serious trouble if I were caught doing this, wouldn't I?"

Illiad had a bit of a conspiratorial look to his face, "Actually, you should do the opposite. Be a public figure, make inventions and get them to the public so everyone knows who you are, and when Celestia offers to make you part of the research team at her school, you turn it down. That's how she sidelines unsuspecting researchers, she puts them in her school and keeps them busy on inconsequential research that she is the sole director of. You can of course keep the involvement of TrUST quiet, just don't let anyone keep your work quiet. If ponies know about you it will be much harder for Celestia to disappear you, and with TrUST you'll have a way out if she issues any ultimatums, which she might if you get too close to what she doesn't want. If you stay quiet you may get further, but you'll be very easy to disappear."

Selena slid the glass back into nothing with a shrug. "Odd's what it is, but Luna should be able to sort it out, if you have a good handle on it then we wont worry about it too much just yet."

Silver's eyes bugged nearly out of her head.  "GO PUBLIC!?  Illiad, how in the wide, wide world of Equestria am I supposed to DO that?  I mean, I'm pretty sure the things I can build just bumming around the quarry for parts, but... but you're talking about... about ME being in the..." she gulped, "... spotlight?"

Illiad could feel it rolling off her in small waves, held in check for now but turbulent nonetheless; Silver apparently had Stage Fright.

Illiad could understand that, he still dreaded when he would have to speak before the general citizenry of Troy. "You don't necessarily have to go full public, just get you name out there in a way that ponies would notice if you ever went missing. Through if you do fear being public, perhaps within Equestria isn't the best place to try to incite an industrial revolution. Start small and work with TrUST for a bit, when you feel ready to go on to bigger things then do so, I wouldn't want to make you do something you weren't ready for."

Silver blinked.  "Wait... an Industrial Revolution..?  Then we would need... an industry..."

She gasped (a rather fetching sight in her current form), then her eyes (and mood) brightened.

"We could ask Mr. Blackwater for help!  We could speak to him about trying to get the patents for some of my mining equipment done through the quarry as a company; that way, instead of trying to pass it through from pony to pony, word will get around about how efficient my machines are through Mr. Blackwater's business - and I might not be able to handle public pressure, but I don't think it would be any problem for him!"

She grinned.  "So we just need to convince him that investing some of his capital into my machinery would be a good idea, and I can get right to work!  Oh, it'll be perfect!"

Then, Silver paused... a slight feeling of hesitation and worry floated through her.  She gave Illiad a puppy-eyed look - which had double the effect in DreamForm.

"Would you be willing to help me speak to Mr. Blackwater about all this?  He's... well..."  She shivered a bit.  "...intimidating."

Illiad looked a bit unsure, "Well, when I said I'd do anything to help you... You see...." He hung his head, looking up sheepishly at Silver. "He intimidates me too."

He looked back up at Silver, "But for you? I'd be glad to help you talk to Mr. Blackwater. I think it's a great idea and he'll probably see it that way too." 

Silver's eyes widened at Illiad's confession... then a quick ripple of concern, and a bit of relief.

"Thank you so very, VERY much; there's NO WAY I could do this by myself...  well, not that I couldn't do it alone - more like I wouldn't want to...  he IS scary.  But, he helped my parents, so he's not a passionless stallion."

She turned to Selena.  "Maybe you've got some knowledge on how we could increase our chances - after all, if half of you was Luna, then you might know something about talking business with other ponies... or just... other things that pertain?"

Selena shook herself away from the slight smile she had been watching the pair with to be a bit more attentive. "Sorry, you two are just so cute together. As to Mr. Blackwater, from what I've seen the best way to talk to him would be to emphasize how your plan would be good for him and the quarry in a factual and clear way. He has a fondness for efficiency, thus when talking with him you should just state simply what your plan is and clearly how it will benefit him to support it. The hard part would then be to simply construct valid arguments as to why your plan is worthwhile. For instance if the quarry were to patent your machines then the quarry could produce additional revenue by selling the machines to other businesses." 

She nodded.  "Yes, of course... he's always so efficient; he doesn't even waste words!  If we talk to him about this, we just have to be direct and straight to the point - no beating around the bush.  If he likes what he hears from us, then he can arrange the capital where it needs to go... he has to be good with numbers, as the quarry's records are second-to-none - at least, that's what I've heard."

Actually, if Illiad thought about it, Luther may have been the head of the quarry... but it was someone else entirely different who controlled the bits that went through the company's coffers.  

And Illiad knew who that someone was, of course.

Illiad remembered that it was Mrs. Blackwater that managed the books, but they still had to talk to Mr. Blackwater first. It was his quarry after all, to go straight to his wife for the money might make it seem like they were going behind his back and could possibly cause a divide between the Blackwater parents.

Illiad nodded, "Well then, we'll talk to Mr. Blackwater in the morning then, I have a few things I need to tell him anyway about some of the happenings on the quarry. I guess now I no longer have a reason to put it off." 

Silver nodded.  "Then tomorrow, it is!  Plus, it gives me a reason to stick around YOU after we wake up."  Her smile was soft and sweet, and she moved up closer to the Trojan.

"Well... now that all of THAT business is out of the way..."

She couldn't help herself but to gaze into his eyes again.  "I kinda think we're being a wee bit rude to Selena; maybe we should try to come up with something the three of us could do together here?  I mean, if this is a Dreamscape, then what ELSE can we do?"

Her curiosity was piqued; it was somewhat refreshing that the previous issues didn't weigh on Ms. Studs enough to warrant their constant worry.  She looked lovely, and was quite happy to simply enjoy her time here with the two of them.

Illiad was happy because Silver was happy. He looked contemplative for a bit. "Well... This is a fully lucid dreamscape, we could really do anything we want to in here. Since this is your first time here we'll let you decide. I'm sure you can come up with something when the limit is your imagination."

Selena seemed excited by the idea of something new. "When Dax was here he wanted to go dancing, while it wasn't exactly unique it was a nice change of pace. Even this room can be changed to suit whatever we need it too. Besides, just watching you two is all I need to have a good time." 

Silver looked thoughtful for a minute, then her emotions and her muzzle both lit up like small suns.

"I know!  Selena, if you know the stars as well as Luna would, then I KNOW what I want to do!"

A sparkling smile poured out from her, eyes wide and shining.

"I want to go flying among the stars... with Illiad."  She blushed.  "... and you too, of course!", she added hastily.

Selena gave a slight smile as she nodded. "That is certainly a fun experience, when done correctly."

The room darkened until it was all pitch black, then the stars began to appear all around them, first in a sort of distant sphere surrounding them, then more appeared in the surrounding space. Selena too changed in appearance, becoming large like Luna, though her whole body seemed to be the same as Luna's starry mane. "Now real stars, other than me, are very far apart, hundreds of thousands of times further than most things you could conceive of. They look so small because they are actually really big at these far off distances, but that is hardly romantic, so I arranged this star-field to be a bit more dense with much smaller stars. I hope you like it."

The pair found themselves floating in a veritable sea of stars, hundreds of thousands of stars in every direction they looked. They were floating a bit, though it only took a thought to send themselves floating in any desired direction. Illiad wound a foreleg around one of Selena's so they wouldn't be separated.

A faint music began to play in the background:(<=Link right there)

"Ohhhhhh..."

Silver's eyes threatened to devour her face as she slowly turned in a small personal orbit, looking everywhere at once.

"... it's more beautiful than I ever imagined..."

She looked at Illiad, the gears on her coat shining clearly and brightly, as if she were her own star.

"... come on - let's FLY!"

With a lurch, they both began to move forward through the floating spaaaaaace around them, points of light in every direction; each one reflecting in Silver's irises.  She began to laugh, at first a soft sound... then slowly building to the laugh of a pony in sheer bliss, without a care in the galaxy.

The two of them drifted onward.  Silver turned to face the handsome stallion next to her, and slyly grinned.

She blurted out, "Akissifyoucatchme!", then she let go of his hoof and took off like a shot ahead of him, laughing like a filly at play.

Illiad looked intrigued by the offer, "A kiss you say? I may just have to catch you now." With a whinny he too shot off into the star-field, a bright smile on his face as he did so. If only due to his experience in this zone he was slowly gaining on her.

Selena laughed softly as she watched the two frolic in her stars. This was the kind of enjoyment Luna had always wanted to instill in the ponies of Equestria, and Selena had finally done it. It was a nice feeling to be so thoroughly appreciated for what she could do.

Illiad got his kiss.  

And countless numbers more.

They played among the stars like children, and played amongst each other like starstruck sweethearts.  It felt like an eternity passed, time having no true meaning in a dream, and they seemingly shared lifetimes doing nothing more than being in wonder with existence itself... and each other.

Eventually, having nearly mastered moving through space like this, Silver did a cute little pirouette into Illiad's embrace, wrapping her hooves tightly around him, nuzzling into his neck and giving his ear a gentle nibble.

"I could stay here forever, as long as you're here with me... I have NEVER had so much fun... or felt so very adored..."

She spoke breathy whispers into his ear, tendrils of honey-coated affection across his eardrums.

"... I love you..."

The kiss she gave him now was no mere peck, nor a lingering roll, but a long and passionate connection between her soul and his own; feeling her hungry desire with his Empathy made it twice as deep for the focus of Silver's affections.

In a dream that kiss could last forever, but as much as Illiad wanted it to he knew it would be time for them to get up soon. He was content to remain here with Silver for as long as he possibly could, but physical interaction was much preferred. In a dream things never felt quite the same as they did in real life and he was already beginning to miss how her fur felt against his own. Eventually he managed to pull himself away from the kiss to stare into Silver's eyes. "I would go almost anywhere to spend time with you, this night has been the best I've ever had, better even than the one I met Luna and Selena on. Silver, I love you too."  

Small tears sprang to her eyes, perching on her long lashes like dew on a leaf.

"I never thought... th-th-thought I would ever find a Special Somepony... but it's you... it HAS to be you..."

She hugged him fiercely, as if her entire being would shatter if she were to let go for even a moment.  The tears never fell; those drops of pure joy ended up rubbed into Illiad's robes as she nuzzled him again and again, her heart near bursting with joy at the prospect of something in her life other than the quarry and its machinery.

"I've really gotta thank you, Selena, for allowing me to come here, meet you, and find... well... and find love.  This is absolutely the most magical moment in my life - and I'm a unicorn!"

She smiled at Selena, wishing her the best.  This said, she turned back to face her love.

"And YOU should thank Dax; this would never have happened without him plotting it!  He came to me earlier in the day, and it was a bit of a whirlwind for us to arrange everything: digging up the light poles out of my storage shed, finding the right spot, getting the Ons to whip up some food... OH!  I should thank them, too!"

Silver was simply pouring her thoughts right out of her lips; she was so absolutely overcome with emotion that she seemed to have lost any sort of filter to her stream-of-consciousness chatter.

"Oh, I'm just... just..."

Her breath had gotten away from her, and she leaned on Illiad for support for a moment... then let out a soft, rueful chuckle.

"... I need to stop getting ahead of myself; we have plenty of time to get closer - it doesn't need to be all at once, right?"

She still couldn't help but steal another kiss.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but... I can hardly wait to wake up; I'll see you soon... oh, so soon..."

She settled against him, gave a large yet gentle sigh, and closed her eyes as she cradled her muzzle against his neck.

"... mmmmmm... just... like... this..."

Her smile was sweet and happy; her emotions followed suit.

Illiad decided the best move at this point would be to simply stroke her mane as she moved herself into his embrace.

"I was starting to think I'd never find someone who would want to share their life with me. It's a good thing Dax and I got paired together and stuck out this exchange long enough, otherwise we may never have met. Every moment I spend with you is one of the best moments of my life, the slower we take things the more moments like this I get, so let's not rush it too much."

Selena could hardly contain herself with how cute the other two were acting, but Silver was correct and it was just about time for them to wake up. Slowly the room dissolved, the stars fading slowly away as Selena disconnected the pair of ponies from her mental room.

Just as it had started, it ended with her sitting alone, with nothing but her memories, now a few more pleasant ones, to pass the time.
> An Exchange of Morning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sight that greeted Illiad as he opened the flap was breathtaking.

From the path they had entered this clearing, it had been hard to tell exactly how high up they had been.  The sun setting, the light poles and, of course, Silver, had been so distracting that the Trojan hadn't had much chance to look around much... but if Dax had been in charge of setting up the tent, then he had arranged to put it in the one spot where there would be an incredible view for whoever came out of it.

From the tent's position here, Illiad was looking out from this small clearing near a cliff side, where the scene opened up into an exquisite sight of the river far, far below flowing against the foot of the Crystal Mountains, where the last ribbons of sunlight were creeping inexorably down the mountainside, threatening to engulf their little tent and the whole clearing with warm sunshine.  He could see vast forests, rolling hills, bowl-like valleys and little townships dotting the landscape.  There were birds here and there, moving in lazy formation as they passed below his line of sight; a strange sensation indeed.

But perfectly framed by the mountains was a direct view of the turrets and spires of Canterlot in the distance.  The sun gleamed from stained-glass windows and shone from gabled rooftops - and having lived there, there were a number of the buildings visible which would look SO beautiful in the waxing sunshine... it was almost like being re-introduced to Canterlot, all over again.

This was the sight that greeted him, and with such a lovely backdrop, he heard Silver give a soft moan from behind him.

In her DreamForm state, her lines had been smooth and curved, her visual appearance more pleasing to the eye... and here was the real Silver Studs, mane bedraggled, bleary-eyed, string-o'-drool, dragon breath and all, it was as real as it could get.

To Illiad Easle, she was still just as beautiful as she was in his dreams, he thought it the perfect time to steal the first kiss of the day. Being careful not to breathe on her, as he knew his breath would smell no better than hers, he snagged a kiss right between her eyes just below her horn. "Morning Silver, I'd ask if you slept well but I know you did."

He retrieved the diamond from where it had been resting in the tent, its glow now greatly diminished. "What did you think of it? Was it a nice surprise? More importantly, would you be willing to do it again sometime?"

Illiad felt a bit more eager and awake than he usually did this early in the morning, his night had certainly been pretty restful. 

Silver turned her red-eyed gaze upon Illiad, and spoke.

"Frblitzrrr."

She gave a huge stretch, segueing into an ENORMOUS yawn that degenerated into smacking her lips and scratching absent-mindedly at her left flank.

"Hmmno ffurhfurr nyahmaaahnmn."  She pressed her hooves into her eye sockets, rubbing them in slow circles.  "Yurssssstvrr, Iryiudde."  Apparently, she was no early riser.

Note to self, Silver needs more induced REM sleep than most. Illiad was surprised that Silver was as tired as she was, he was used to coming out of the dream room reinvigorated, perhaps it was just that she was unused to the whole experience and it was more draining on her than him.

Silver smiled dimly, and leaned in to place a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Luffew."

She slowly got to her hooves and grumbled out a single, intelligible word:  

"Coffee."

With that revelation, she began to trudge her way out of the tent and towards the storage sheds, including her own.  She did have enough wakefulness to turn at look over her shoulder at the stallion.

"... hyoocommin?"

Illiad shrugged as he made his way after Silver, "Sure, I'll come along if you want. Though I don't drink coffee, still it's an opportunity to spend a bit more time with you."

Silver sleepily trudged over to her shed and went inside, leaving the door open for Illiad. Once inside, she zombie-walked to one of her contraptions in the far corner, pressed a button, and after a hiss and a gurgle, the aroma of fresh-ground coffee permeated the air around them both.  It was dark and rich, and stirred the senses appropriately.

There was a slight >ding!<, and a panel opened up in the machine's side; inside it, a little ceramic mug was almost overflowing with what looked to be some very dark coffee.  Silver then took it to one of her stools, sat down, and began to sip at her beverage, closing her eyes with each sip as if she was enjoying every drop of it.

About halfway through her cup, she finally began to take on a more familiar countenance.  She also took a bit of time to spot-check her mane and coat.  At the three quarter mark, she finally spoke up to Illiad in a voice that could be easily understood.

"Sorry about that - I am NOT a morning pony; I need coffee to get me going correctly, or I'm a wreck all day... well, not so much as a wreck, but more like I'll barely be of any use for anything."

She leaned over and gave her stallion a peck on the tip of his muzzle.  "Last night was... oh, it was incredible!"

Illiad had his usual slight smile as he returned her kiss again. "I'm glad you enjoyed it so much, and I'm sure Selena will appreciate your compliments too, she really did put a lot of effort into that star-field. I'm surprised you woke up so tired though, Selena has always ensured that I woke up fully rejuvenated, I guess she just doesn’t know how to properly rejuvenate you yet."

He looked around the shop with a slightly awkward expression. "So... are we going to talk to Mr. Blackwater first? Or are we going to find Dax to thank him for his efforts? I'm good either way though I would prefer to thank Dax first." 

"Ooh, I don't know... I mean, it's right to want to thank Dax, of course, and I DO want to... but, I'm just so nervous AND excited over the prospect of doing something so... so important! So WORTHY!  Oh, but I really should keep it together, shouldn't I?"

She paced a bit, trying to piece together her thoughts.  Then, she smiled broadly.

"Okay!  How about this; you go and thank Dax while I go through my notes and cherry-pick some of my better inventions to show to Mr. Blackwater - that way, you two can both meet me here afterwards, and all three of us can try together.  Maybe Dax would know what to say and how to say it?"

She clapped her hooves together excitedly, then began rushing around and poking though all sorts of stacks of notes and scrolls.

"Oh, don't worry - I'll have plenty of time to thank Dax on my own; I see him all the time!  YOU go and thank him; after all, you're here to visit with HIM, right?  I'm sure you two have spent a LOT of time together these past few days, haven't you?  The poor guy's probably been your shadow, hasn't he?  Well, actually no so much as your actual shadow; more like he's been stuck to you day and night, am I right?"

Considering EVERYTHING that's happened this week, HAD Illiad spent a lot of time with Dax?  

Or has his time been spread out between all the other members of his family, not to mention some of the workers.  And while those incidents were not really of any fault with either Illiad or Dax... the question remained; HAD he been spending enough time with the young and impressionable Blackwater stallion?

Illiad felt that his thoughts were trying to guilt him into doing something, but he firmly reminded himself that none of these other people would be around next week and he would be spending practically 24/7 with Dax in Troy.

Though perhaps I should try to spend a bit more time with him here…

Illiad nodded at Silver's comments. "That sounds like a plan, we'll meet you back here then when I'm done thanking him. I'm sure he'll want to know all about what we did."

He turned to leave the shed, then darted back for another quick kiss before rushing out the door with a big grin on his face.

After a few seconds of running he remembered that he had no idea where Dax would be, so he slowed his pace as he turned towards the house. He felt the need to change his robe anyway given he had spent the night in it, and Dax would probably be there at this hour. Also, breakfast was sounding like a good idea at the moment.

As he made his way towards the manor, there was a rather odd phenomenon happening... though at first, it wasn't easy to pinpoint the strangeness.  Then after a careful look about, one thing would be interesting to note: There was a thick blanket of dark clouds that were looming in the area, almost a full and complete carpet of black wool in the sky, rolling and looking quite ready to rain down at any given moment.

Except in an almost perfect circle around the Blackwater Quarry grounds - there, the sky was only a soft, pillowy white, and rather sparse as well.  It wasn't completely clear... but if one looked at it, you could see how the rest of the clouds around the quarry were just rolling on, but the ones over the quarry... weren't.

The sight was short-lived, however, as the entire mass of clouds began to gently dissipate and roll away to the far reaches of the visible sky.  It was quite a strange sight... but stranger still was the fact that nopony active in the quarry even seemed to notice it.

Come to think of it... it didn't really seem as important as finding Dax; that should be his first priority - he could worry about the other thing later.

Selena noticed the clear mental manipulation and immediately took the expenditure of energy to view the outside world to see what someone wanted everyone to forget. The weather phenomenon was both localized and completely out of the ordinary, a clear use of the storm sapphire if she ever did see one. She saved the memory for later so she could remind Illiad of the happening, being careful to remove the manipulation from it. 'This will make for quite the dream tonight, it both explains why there hasn't been any weather here as well as the lack of any real confusion about it. Something big is going on here.'

Making it up to the manor doors, Illiad saw that they were already open... and there were voices from inside, and their tone (and the emotions coming forth) said that it was an argument.

"... bound to be some kind of punishment, even after all this time!"

"Stop it!  You WORRY too much, Beck - I'm telling you that it will be FINE!"

"And I'm telling you that it WON'T be fine, Call!  It will be the END of us!  They'll put us away for GOOD this time!"

"Now listen - what did Madam Blackwater tell us?"

"That we were SAFE with her."

"Exactly - so we are.  Get a GRIP, brother dear!"

It was the twin butlers... and they were speaking of something very interesting, from the sound of it.

Illiad entered the doors with a concerned expression on his face, spreading the calm he had whilst approaching to the brothers to ease their tensions. "Whatever seems to be the matter? I could hear you arguing from outside and something tells me it is something important to you two. Might I be of assistance in this matter?"

He could feel Selena shifting under his robes, indicating that something wasn't right, so he put himself on his guard just in case.

The butler twins froze as if they'd been spotted by timberwolves... the look on their faces were of a mix between horror and surprise, but their emotions were different: The one on the left was putting off waves of fear and nervousness... and Illiad was fairly certain they weren't aimed at HIM.  The one on the right, however, was made of sterner stuff; there was a cool collectiveness that seemed to roll off him subtly.

They slowly glanced at each other, then the one on the left turned back and smiled a bit too broadly.

"Why... n-n-n-nothing, Sir Illiad!  We were simply speaking about... uh, tomorrow's breakfast!  Yes!  We are currently out of preserves, and Mistress Vylia will have our HEADS if we don't f-f-f-fix- I MEAN, find some!"

The other butler gave his brother a glance... but said nothing.  The distaste at his brother's lie was as obvious as the lie itself; the Trojan got the impression that he'd rather stay quiet than outright try to lie to the Blackwater's esteemed guest.

"... might we assist you, Sir Illiad?"  Asked the one on the right, eager to forget his brother's fib.

Illiad's expression hardened, it was clear on his face that he knew something was going on. He looked intently at both of the brothers as he retrieved his gem from his robes, holding it in his magic close to himself. "I know something isn't right here, I can't seem to remember why I feel so troubled and I fully intend to get to the bottom of it. You two make it quite clear that you know what's going on here, your intents to change the subject and apparent nervousness make it obvious."

I guess I'm going to my room to see what Selena has to say, perhaps it has something to do with what's making these brothers so nervous.

The butler on the right gave a surprised look, genuinely confused at Illiad's words; it was obvious that he had no idea what Illiad was speaking of, and wasn't sure how to even address such.

The one on the left, however, caved in like a paper hat in a rainstorm.

"... ohhhhhhhh NOOOO!  PLEASE, Mr. Illiad!  PLEASE don't tell Missus Blackwater!  She thinks he's taken care of!"

"Be quiet."  The other butler pony spoke softly to his brother.

"If she learns he's actually IN EQUESTRIA, she'll skin us ALIVE!"

"Be... quiet... NOW."  The other butler spoke through gritted teeth.

"But it won't be ANYTHING compared to what SLICK SHADOW would do to-"

The other butler had tried and failed, and now he lost his cool.  

"CALL, SHUT UP!"

Both went quiet.  After a moment, Beck walked over to Illiad and gave a hefty sigh.

"Mr. Easle, I thoroughly apologize for my brother's lack of common sense; we both sincerely apologize for deceiving you in such a manner, but I promise you - it was all for the better.  A better, I'm afraid, that has just become worse as of today."

Beck looked the Trojan right in the eyes.

"If you'll be so kind as to keep what my erstwhile brother has said to yourself, then I will be happy to answer whatever questions you may have - but I beseech you, please... please understand, we have a BIG problem, and we're mildly panicked as to what options we may have."

The emotion coming from Beck was genuine; he was scared, but there was no hint of a lie in Beck.  Call simply looked ashamed, and his emotions matched suit.

"Please, Mr. Easle," Beck asked, "we're not criminals anymore - and we haven't been for a while; can you forgive us this small white lie?"

Illiad, to his credit, took the whole thing in stride. He had a slightly pleasant, though no doubt serious, expression on his face as he entered more fully into the house. "It does sound like quite the dilemma you have here. Why don't we discuss it in a more private location, my quarters perhaps? I will forgive the lie IF you deign to tell me the truth."

Selena had a bad feeling about this, clearly something big was going on at the quarry, though perhaps the two events were not so closely linked as she had thought. 

"Thank you; we will accompany you at once - Madam is taking a nap, so we won't be missed yet."

Beck nodded, and Call simply followed along with them as the three made their way to Illiad's room.

Beck was exhibiting a flow of emotions that was quite unlike what the Trojan had previously seen; before, he had been simply a single butler that didn't seem to stray much from mimicking his brother's mental state... THIS Beck, however, had serious issues weighing on his mind, and had a bit of fear as well.

Call's emotions were a mishmash of fear, self-loathing and a bit of paranoia aimed haphazardly everywhere - even at Illiad, though only for a moment, as it wasn't his true feelings towards the unicorn.  Whatever it was they had been speaking about, it had the poor stallion shaking in his spats.

The two of them walked in the same positions behind Illiad as they did with Vylia, and Call (it WAS Call, he knew it now) opened the door to Illiad's quarters for him.  When he entered the room, the two followed suit, Beck closing the door behind them.

Sighing with resignation, Beck sat down on the four-post bed carefully.  Call simply began to pace nervously, measuring his breathing as best as he could to keep from hyperventilating.

"Mr. Easle, I give you my word that I will give you the absolute truth - but in return, I humbly ask that you keep whatever you hear from us to yourself.  Is this agreeable?"

Illiad nodded, "So far as nothing said would violate my station to keep secret, I do so promise not to repeat anything said here. Now then, tell me what it is that is causing you two such distress. It pains me to see you two in such a circumstance."

Illiad took his own seat on the cushion he had been using as a bed. 

The two of them exchanged a glance, then sighed in unison.  Beck began speaking.

"Many years ago, the two of us were part of a rather notorious mercenary company, called the Clovenhooves.  My brother and I never did more than simple breaking and entering, petty theft or scam jobs - we never actually did anything to HURT anypony; that wasn't our way.  The head of the Clovenhooves, a pony by the name of Slick Shadow, was wont to use us for small-time purposes, so he kept us around as personal assistants, much as Missus Blackwater does - except her errands, as annoying as they may be at times, are nowhere NEAR as dangerous as Slick's were."

Call continued.

"Our last job for Slick was to infiltrate the Blackwater Quarry and case the most valuable place on the entire property: The Vault.  The Clovenhooves have a number of hirelings, so papers and work records could be easily forged for us - we came in response to Vylia Blackwater's ad in the Canterlot Times for a personal servant.  The idea was to get in good with the family, then case and rob the safe of whatever we could get our hooves on."

Beck cleared his throat, taking the narrative again.

"But Madam Blackwater is... extremely astute, as I'm sure you may have gotten hint of; she allowed us to work for her for two whole weeks, keeping us too busy to case ANYTHING, before she told us that she knew what we were after.  She offered us a choice: Either we could be reported, arrested, prosecuted by the Blackwater lawyers and sent to prison..."

Call finished the sentence.

"... or we could agree to stay on as her personal assistants, and in exchange for our loyalty, she would use her own contacts to send false word of our deaths.  It was the only way that Slick and the Clovenhooves would have ever let us go; they don't look kindly on those who fail their missions - ESPECIALLY when that mission was given to you by the leader of the company."

Beck nodded and continued.

"We agreed to stay, and to this day we continue to serve her.  THAT is why, no matter how angry she gets, we put up with her - she saved our lives, and stuck her neck rather far out to do so.  I have since learned that she even had to burn a bridge or two to ensure our safety; not something Missus Blackwater does lightly, once she makes a contact."

This is where Call began breathing hard again, and as he spoke up next, his words were rapid and shaky.

"But now we've learned that members of the Clovenhooves have been spotted in Canterlot, and we fear for not only OUR lives..."

Beck finished with a grim look on his muzzle.

"... but those of anypony who would hide us.  We assured Madam Blackwater that the Clovenhooves would NEVER come here looking for us if they thought we were dead - but here they are.  If we tell Madam Blackwater, she might try to retaliate - which would only drag the entire family into the line of fire... but we have no one else to turn to."

Call's eyes and demeanor brightened a tic.

"Maybe you have an idea as to what we might do, Sir Illiad?"

They both looked at the Trojan; one with respectful curiosity, one with hope.  One thing was certain, though - after feeling their true emotional states, Illiad would NEVER mistake which brother was which again; their mystery was solved - or at least for Illiad Easle it was.

Selena sighed, glad actually that the two events were apparently completely unrelated, the storm sapphire could wait.

Illiad looked contemplative for a few moments, "I see, you two really do have quite the problem. Though, Canterlot is quite a ways away from here, and from your depiction an area they would have business in so it wouldn't be too surprising that they would be there. Hmm..."

He looked the pair over as an idea came to him. "You know they were in Canterlot because you recognized them right? Well, why don't we make it so they can't recognize you? Even a small difference in your appearances would make it believable that you aren't who they think you are, if you perhaps, died your manes and tails a different color or even your coat you would look like entirely different ponies. Your marks might be memorable, but they aren't exactly unique. It isn't unheard of for two or more ponies to share the same mark so if you were spotted with the different appearance it wouldn't be out of the question for them to dismiss you two as completely different ponies from the ones they're potentially looking for." 

Illiad sighed, "Though we could have a bigger problem, those are only the ones you recognized, there could easily be more members in other places that you may not recognize, ones that joined after you two left. Who's to say that they didn't try to do this job again? That there aren't more of them here in the quarry? Really all we can hope for is that you two haven't been discovered yet, and make it so you can't be discovered later."

The mental relief the twins felt at Illiad's advice was almost physical, it was so strong - they had truly hoped Illiad would be understanding, and they were not disappointed. 

"At this point," Beck said, "we're willing to give ANYTHING a try... I'll simply tell Madam Blackwater that we decided to... to..."

"... freshen up our look!"  Call added.  "Yes, she may accept that!"

The two seemed to be getting themselves in better spirits, yet there was still a ribbon of doubt coming from Call.

"But maybe they AREN'T here for us?  What if Sir Easle is correct - what if they're here to do the job we never did?  We have to find out if Slick is here with the group - then we have to find out what their plans are.  As long as they don't involve the quarry or the Blackwaters, we'll be OVERJOYED to stay at the manor until they leave town."

Beck considered the idea carefully.

"The job we were sent to do was almost two decades ago... but the Blackwater Vault is one of the most well-guarded collections of gems and bits in Equestria proper; it's a fantasy target for thieves everywhere.  They might be here for it, at that."

Illiad smiled, glad he could be of use to the situation. "I'm glad I could help you, even with the disguises it is a good idea to stay out of sight while the danger is present. I'm glad you were able to come up with that."

Though Call was still quite worried, Beck gratefully stepped forward, and bowed politely.

"Sir Illiad, you are very kind to do us this favor.  In exchange, I offer you access to our knowledge of the Blackwater Quarry.  We have been here for quite some time, and we know a lot of truths, rumours and history of this place.  Being mere servants, we have overheard, picked up and pieced together quite a bit during our time here - and we would be glad to tell you all we know about whatever we can."

Call nodded eagerly.

"Oh, yes - MORE than glad; we would feel pleased that we could help you in return!  So, should any questions come up during your time here, ask us ANYTHING!"

Selena thought for a moment, having access to the brothers' wealth of knowledge would certainly be a great benefit to their search for the storm sapphire. 

With this, they all stood and moved to the door, Selena having signaled to Illiad that whatever she had to say was not as important anymore. 

"Anything further, Sir Easle?" they asked in perfect unison, respect and genuine admiration for the Trojan coming from both.

Illiad nodded again, "I'm just happy to have been of service. Though, I do need to find Daxter. If either of you would have some idea of where he might be it would really help me."

Beck and Call looked at each other quizzically, then turned to look back at the unicorn, concern growing in both of them.

"But... but wasn't he supposed to be with you?  Master Dax came to us in order to arrange a picnic meal..."

"... which we did do, and then he thanked us and said he'd tell you we did such.  I suppose we merely assumed he was with you..."

"... since he wasn't in his bed this morning..."

"... NOR his tent in the woods."

The two of them separated emotions here; Call began a slow yet steady line of worry - for Dax's safety, the Empathic was certain - and it would build to a fevered pitch if the Blackwater wasn't found soon... Beck, on the other hoof, locked down his emotions into a determination that rivaled even dedicated warriors like Consul War Horse; Beck was GOING to FIND Dax - come Tartarus or high water.

Both seemed genuinely surprised that Illiad didn't know where Dax was... that couldn't be good.

Illiad too looked worried at the revelation. "Dax had the picnic arranged as a sort of surprise date for Silver and I, we didn't see him later and I had assumed he had come back to the house so we could enjoy the date in peace. I was actually going to find him to thank him for the opportunity. Did he show up to breakfast today?" 

Call spoke up.  

"No - we all simply assumed he was with you and Silver!"

Beck nodded.

"We had even made extra for a breakfast meal for the three of you; didn't you notice?"

Maybe THAT'S why there was so much food..?

The two butlers began to fret in earnest, but differently - Beck strode out into the hallway, headed in the direction of the front of the house, determined to find Dax... Call followed his brother along, checking outside every window they came across as they got to the opulent front hall, almost a motherly concern for the missing Blackwater.

Beck turned to look at his brother.  "You check outside; I'll check inside."  Then he looked at Illiad.

"Will you accompany one of us, or do you have an idea of your own?"

The two of them obviously no longer wished to keep up the high-cultured charade; they spoke and felt towards the Trojan Empathic like he was a friend - no longer simply a guest.

Illiad smiled at the added sense of camaraderie among them, though his expression grew more serious as his thoughts turned back to the matter at hoof. "I can search for him better outside, the thick stone walls of the manor affect my magical abilities. I'll help check outside."

Using the diamond as an aide Illiad extended his Empathic senses to a greater length, a good hundred meters or so. He had spent enough time around Dax that he would be able to distinguish his emotional source from the rest. If he were nearby Illiad would know pretty quickly.  
> An Exchange of Practice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It didn't take long to pinpoint the solitude and loneliness that seemed to be its' own little personal thunderstorm.  There was a pull from the far western side of the manor grounds; with the barest of examinations, Illiad's eye caught what looked to be an ivy-grown path leading from a rather discrete corner of the yard.  The path seemed to wind around the rocky outcropping at this end; no telling if it went further up or down.

Call ended up circling the manor once, checking the alcoves and hedges - just in case.  Finding nothing, he came back to the Trojan and huffed a sigh of frustration.

"Well, he isn't around the manor, and I couldn't see him in the quarry when I passed around the narrow side... I do hope he hasn't gone back into the mines; after the recent disturbances, I don't feel it would be safe until the workers say so."

He gazed back at the large iron doors of the quarry, visible from where they stood.

"Maybe he IS at his tent now; perhaps we missed him in passing this morning?"

Illiad turned to Call as he approached. "I am getting something from over there." He gestured towards the ivy covered path. "I think Dax may be that way, and it doesn't seem too good."

It's been what, a night since I last saw him? Then the rest of that day was taken up by Mrs. Blackwater, the night before was when he met Selena, so it's not like it’s been a long time since I last saw him. Why all the loneliness?

Call looked at where the Trojan was pointing... then he gave a slight sigh of relief.

"Oh... that DOES make sense.  He's at Blackwater Ridge; he does tend to go there when he's feeling bad.  What in the wide, wide world of Equestria could be bothering him NOW?  After all, he has you here, yes?  To hear him speak of it, one would have thought he'd be BLEEDING happiness from every limb!  But... he IS a unique one, Master Dax is..."

He stepped back towards the manor, looking (and feeling) far less stressed.

"Thank you - I'll tell Beck post-haste.  You can wait for us to escort you to him, but there should be no issue if you'd want to go to him yourself; mind the fence - it's rusty."

With that, Call hurried inside to ease his brother's worry, leaving Illiad to either wait... or go down the path himself.

Leaving loneliness to fester was hardly a good idea, so Illiad decided he'd make his way to Blackwater Ridge on his own to see what all the trouble was.

It seems Dax may be more socially damaged than I thought. I only hope that I can do something to improve his state before we step out of each other's lives again. If he has a hard time leaving me alone for a day then he definitely won't take the end of next week well. 

The path was a bit overgrown, but not troublesomely so; Illiad only had to step over a few clumps of ivy and a fallen branch before reaching a tall, rust-spotted metal gate. It looked as though it had been here for quite some time, wickedly sharp looking spines topped each rail, and a wrought-iron sign at the top of the gate proclaimed, in bold letters, "BLACKWATER RIDGE".

Through the gate, Illiad could see lines and rows of marble headstones, a few standing reliquaries, and a statue or three.  The area here was quiet and lonesome, though the view was serene as the open north end framed the mountains to the far north, affording an idyllic view that one wouldn't mind being buried at.

Blackwater Ridge was apparently the family cemetery.

At the far end, there was a dead tree standing next to a pony-sized statue of a stallion.  Dax was sitting at the statue's foot, looking for all the world like someone had just stolen his ice cream.  He sniffled, and wiped a hoof across his eyes.

Illiad adopted a concerned expression as he tentatively approached the crying colt. He held off on adjusting his emotions as this was the sort of point where one could do real damage to a pony's psyche. "Hey Dax," he spoke in a calm, even tone that was a bit uncharacteristic for him since he arrived. "You okay?" 

Dax jumped a bit when Illiad spoke, but he turned to look at the unicorn all the same.

"... no... I... I saw... you two were..."

He sniffled hard, then coughed once.

"... it's just... I'm being all... stupid..."

He wiped at his eyes again, the Empathic feeling Dax get a bit frustrated with his own tears.

"... you two looked so happy... just being... y'know... together... which I'm GLAD for that, but..."

He turned his view up to look at Illiad.

"... but I got jealous.  Not over Silver - she's like a sister to me - but... y'know... I saw you two having so much fun, and I just..."

He hung his head, now shame creeping into his emotional state as well.

"... just felt like... I dunno... like life's kind of... cheating me, I guess?  I mean, when I was still in Pony School, I tried to make friends, but... well, YOU know our reputation, Illiad.  I didn't have a... a snowball's chance in Tartarus.  But I feel like I don't have any room to complain, so... I didn't want to ruin the fun you two were having, so I went off by myself."

He sighed hard.

"... guess I got to thinking too much on it.  I'm so sorry."

Dax was lonely for a special somepony; the sight of Silver and Illiad together had made him jealous, and he had left so that his mood wouldn't spoil their fun.

Again, Dax proved that he was far more considerate than anypony would ever believe of a Blackwater.

Illiad sighed, he was entirely unsure about how he should proceed. Until he had met Silver he had never really thought about finding someone special to share his life with, he had been resigned to the fact that he might never find someone he would connect to on so many levels as he and Silver did.

He looked over at Dax, "Look, I can see why you feel the way you do. You do have the disadvantage where there aren't many creatures your age around here for you to interact with. I'd say that if ponies just got to know you then they'd see that you're so much better than the stereotypes, but I know that many ponies will not give you that chance."

A slight smile came to Illiad's face, "You know, I was talking to your mother about a similar issue yesterday, about working against the reputation to show the world that you aren't like your ancestors. I think that same message applies to you too. They may not see you for who you are at the start, but if you keep on being the kind and considerate pony I know you are they'll see it too. And remember, very few if any in Troy have ever heard of the Blackwaters. You won't have to worry about your reputation there, maybe you'll find someone there like I did here?"

Illiad came a bit closer, unsure yet if Dax was in a state where a hug would be acceptable. "I was actually trying to find you to thank you for the outing you prepared. You left so suddenly Silver and I thought you had set it up for us to be alone. I really appreciate the effort you put into it, thank you."

Dax looked up, and Illiad felt his mood lighten a bit.

"I thought... thought you'd be upset with me for... y'know... being upset?  But... thank you."

He wiped his eyes one more time, then stood up.  Behind him, the statue loomed over them both.  It was set on a high pedestal, about eye level, and it was more impressive up close - the face looked hard and a bit angry, but the eyes almost seemed to shine with a sense of boldness and optimism.  The brass plate on the front, pockmarked with corrosion spots, still read the name 'Serious Black' quite plainly.  The statue was of a caliber that belonged in a museum instead of a graveyard, to be honest - it was exquisite.

Dax gave a slight blush at Illiad's thanks.  

"I just saw that the two of you looked like you were having a moment... and I felt... yeah... so, I left you both to whatever you wanted to do - I don't wanna be a fifth wheel, so to speak.  But you're welcome; I was pretty happy to see my friend having such a good time."

Though the hurt was still there, it had been culled back enough for Dax's trademark enthusiasm to resurface.  He looked around the cemetery for a bit, then looked back to Illiad.

"So... this is Blackwater Ridge; it's where every Blackwater ancestor has been buried since the land was first purchased.  I come up here to be alone sometimes... but I'm glad YOU came, Illiad.  Thank you."

Illiad didn't have to wonder about the hug; Dax gave him one right then. He returned the hug, then sat. He wasn't entirely sure how to proceed and he never was very comfortable in graveyards.

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better, Silver and I were going to talk with your father about some things, including what you and I encountered the night before last. Would you like to join us?" 

Dax grinned.

"I could do that, I guess.  Father can be tricky to talk to, but I know how to put things to him.  I'd be happy to come."

Before he left however, Dax placed a hoof gently on the statue's pedestal.

"Thanks for letting me stay with you, Grandpa Serious - I think Illiad has it from here."

He gave a small, sad smile, then turned back to the Trojan.

"Okay, let's go - if we have to talk with Father, it may take a while, so the sooner, the better."

Illiad gave a slight smile, glad to see Dax in a better mood. He turned back the way he came, "We better get going then, the sooner we start the sooner we'll be done talking to him. Oh, we need to go by Silver's to get her first, she has a bunch of stuff to show Mr. Blackwater in an effort to get him to invest in her idea of spreading industrialization across Equestria." 

Dax stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... investments?"

He shook his head, then looked at his friend again.

"Illiad - if you want ANYTHING to do with my family and their bits, you're speaking to the WRONG pony; that's MOTHER'S realm of influence.  I mean, you could speak to Father first, certainly... but it's Mother who controls the books.  If you get HIS approval but not HERS, it won't happen; if you at least get HERS, she'll find a way to make it work - even if she has to fund it herself."

Dax smiled a knowing smile.

"Father IS the one who put her in charge of our finances, after all - he trusts her to make the decisions.  So, I'd advise to speak with Mother first, then Father."

Dax would know his family better than the Trojan OR the mare, one could reason...

Illiad gave a slight smirk, he did know what he was after. "It's not the bits we're after, TrUST can supply all the funding we need. It's the backing we need. Silver wants the quarry as a company to back her patents on her machinery and for the quarry to manage the logistics of allowing other companies to use her patents in exchange for royalties. If Mr. Blackwater is against the quarry as a company backing the patents, then we'll have to find another company to back them in Equestria."

Illiad sighed, patent law was a difficult nest of tape. "In short, we're after the company as a legal backing in case her patents are ever contested." 

Dax shrugged.

"Still sounds like Mother's kind of thing to me... but when it comes to law, I expect you'd know a bit more than me, so we'll go talk to Father.  Let's get Silver and head back to the manor; I'll ask if he's busy."

Illiad and his Blackwater shadow made their way across the manor grounds, through the quarry yard and over to Shed #7 - Silver's Shack.  As they got close however, Illiad began to pick up feelings of panic and worry coming from what was undoubtedly Silver herself, inside the workshed.  When they got closer yet, they could both hear what sounded like crying.

Dax picked up his pace, headed for the shack.  Upon arriving, Illiad and Dax came across the poor mare sitting on the floor, surrounded by notebooks, ledgers, binders and loose diagrams in piles that almost came close to the tabletop.  There were tears running down her muzzle, and she looked quite distressed.

"Oh, Illiad... Dax... I can't d-d-d-d-decide WHAT to YUUU-HUUUU-HUUUUUSE!"

She began bawling anew, looking so absolutely adorable in her misery.

Dax made a strange face, then turned away as he fought the grin he had... he felt bad for Silver, but he was also quite relieved that it wasn't anything more... dangerous.

He nudged Illiad, then said, "Silver, calm down... you're gonna be fine."

Illiad had a slight smirk as he surveyed the situation, and gave a small laugh as he came a bit closer to Silver, drawing her into a gentle hug as he carefully calmed her emotions. "I've certainly had that problem, not knowing what piece of work would have the best impact on a new client, partially wanting to draw up something new just for the occasion. You're smart Silver, I'm sure you'll figure it out, though if I may make a suggestion, why don't you keep it simple? The goal here is to get Mr. Blackwater to back your patents and aid in the logistics of the distribution of your machines to Equestria. He's already seen some of your machines in action and understands the value of them. You've already proven to him how capable you are, you don't need something new and impressive to prove it to him again, just yourself."

Wow, I'm really being the advice guru today. 

Illiad looked for a spot where her could stand nearby and still be out of Silver's way. "Here, why don't we do a practice run of talking to him before we actually meet with him? That should certainly ease your stress, Dax can even stand in for Mr. Blackwater since he was going to advise us on how to speak to him anyway."

Silver's mood lightened with Illiad's hug, and lightened more at his advice.

"You're right, you're right... of course you are.  I'm a filly for crying over this - Mister Blackwater knows I'm good; he'll back me, I'm sure he will!"

Dax grinned, and his own heart lightened when Silver's did.  When the stallion suggested the Blackwater stand-in for his Father in a dry-run, Dax actually pepped up a bit more.

"OH!  Yeah, I can do that!  I've practiced!"

Dax cleared his throat, then his entire face seemed to transform into one big scowl; it was actually quite eerie how, wearing that expression, he DID look a lot like his father... the resemblance was downright uncanny.

"Enter." 

His voice the perfect pitch and timbre to match Luther's own, and Illiad was familiar with the minimalist greeting by now.

Silver noticed as well - the look on her face showed how impressed she was.

"That's... wow, Dax.  That's SPOT ON!"

Dax let a small grin onto his features for just a second before regaining his Luther-Face.

"Studs.  Easle.  Why are you here?"

Downright uncanny.

Illiad nodded, giving a slight smirk before he too settled into his role. "Mr. Blackwater, among other things we are here because I have found Silver to be a suitable candidate for the Trojan United Science TrUST. As such she want's your company's backing against the patents she would like to draft on her inventions."

He felt like that was as good a place as any to switch off, so he looked over at Silver in an attempt to convey that it was her turn to speak. It was a good thing they were practicing this as he realized he had little to no idea how to best phrase all of this. 

Silver smiled broadly, then looked at Dax and cleared her throat, ready to be all business-like.

"Mister Blackwater, you've known the work that my machinery can do, and you know how much good it's done your quarry.  I'm going to endeavor to spread this technology to all of Equestria, and I think that it would be remiss of me not to invite you and the quarry to get in on the ground floor of this venture."

Dax's face remained dour and stern.  "Cost?"

"The cost will actually be minimal, as I expect a quick turnaround - so I was thinking no more than a five-digit figure to start with would make enough of a difference to get me started... after that, we can negotiate further expenses, and even focus on machines you yourself have a vested interest in seeing come to life."

Dax put a hoof to his chin.  "Rights?"

Silver lifted an eyebrow, but was prepared for the question.  "I plan to retain the rights to my patents, Mister Blackwater... but as an investor, you will have FIRST PICK of anything I create for this end, and I would be honored if Missus Blackwater would possibly be so kind as to assist me in figuring out my expenses."

Dax frowned deeper, getting the same look on his face as Luther did when he was giving Illiad the once-over in his study, back on the first day here.  He looked over to Illiad.

"And YOUR part in this?"

Illiad gave a slight smile, "I personally have no part in this, other that my joy in Silver's successes, rather I will represent TrUST in the regard that they will desire access to all her patents and future designs, in exchange they will provide all the funding and other resources that Silver requires to continue inventing, including an escort to safe locations should the need ever arise."

"In my mind you have much to gain and little to lose from allowing the quarry to back Silver's patents, the possible royalties the quarry could gain by allowing other companies to use Silver's designs would easily recoup your investment and even possibly improve your and the quarry's reputation in the social and business worlds."

Dax put on a semi-goofy 'thinking look' and began a slow, exaggerated pacing that Silver couldn't help but giggle at.

"Sounds good - perhaps worth looking into.  Studs works hard; earned my trust.  Solid worker."

He then turned and looked Silver in the eye, crossing his own as he spoke and making her giggle even harder.

"What guarantee will I have on this supposed profit?  And what will happen if you should happen to fail?"

At those words, Silver pulled herself together.  "Well, I can offer you the patents to the equipment I've build for your quarry, if your investments fail; that way, you'll at least have the rights to the things you KNOW already work.  It's the closest thing I CAN offer to a guarantee... but I promise, once Equestria sees what I have to offer, there is no possible WAY this could ever fail!"

Dax strolled toward the edge of the table and placed his forehooves on it, leaning over and looking so very much like Luther leaning over his desk.

"Why the interest NOW?"

Silver smirked, and looked at Illiad.

"THAT has to do with TrUST - Illiad thinks they would have a vested interest in making this kind of machinery available to everypony... and I think it would say a LOT about the Blackwaters if you were to show your support of this project, Mister Blackwater."

Dax nodded.  He stood back from the table, then walked to the doorway as if it were Luther's balcony, then made an exaggerated show of looking out majestically at the imaginary quarry.

"It will be considered... and my vest is full of grape jelly."

With that last line, delivered in Luther Blackwater's deadpan voice, Dax and Silver both burst out laughing merrily at his little jest.  

Illiad too laughed heartily at the non-sequitur transition. Whilst looking around to ensure that no one that disliked them or Mr. Blackwater had overheard. That would certainly not go over well if they did.

"You certainly sound just like your father, I think you'll do a fine job running this quarry some day if that's what you end up doing."

Dax half-grinned at Illiad's comment, but his mood fell just a bit at that... however, it wasn't low for long, as he turned and walked over to Silver and walked a slow, comically-strutting circle around her, his eyes exaggeratedly wide and staring.  She wore a smirk of her own, and was blushing a bit from the effort of trying NOT to laugh.

"You are willing to stake your reputation..."  he got eye to eye with her, their muzzles pressed together nostril-to-nostril.  "...ON OURS?????"

Silver burst out laughing, and hit the floor rolling with whinnygiggles and snorts of amusement.

Dax looked at Illiad with that dour face... and wiggled his eyebrows up and down rapidly.

Illiad too laughed a bit before calming down, he had never been one to laugh uproariously, unless he was tired of course, in the which case everything was absolutely hilarious and he would be laughing for minutes on end. Unfortunately this was not one of those times.

"So," he looked about the pair, "Are we ready to talk to Mr. Blackwater then?" To be frank Illiad was still a bit nervous about speaking to Mr. Blackwater, perhaps he had pulled too much of it from Silver. 

Silver collected herself while Dax got the last of his giggles out.  He then turned to them both and smiled.

"Okay, you've got an idea what he'll say... now, if we can-"

Dax's words were cut off by a small, humble voice that typically had no reason to sound meek and mild as it did.

"Dax."

He turned around, and it was Oglevy Blackwater, his stuffed dragon perched on his back, standing there looking at them all.  He looked far more subdued than usual, and Illiad could feel a low but steady thrum of regret, shame... and a dash of fear, as well.

Dax lifted an eyebrow, about to snark off at the little pest... when he realized Oglevy wasn't BEING a pest.

"Uhhhhhhmmmm... yeah?  What?"

The colt gave each one in turn a serious, almost apprehensive look... then he faced his big brother again.

"Mother wants to speak to you."

Dax's confusion at his younger sibling's behavior was evident as he gave Illiad and Silver a slightly worried look.  Turning back, he asked plainly, "What is it?"

Oglevy looked his brother right in the eyes.  "She knows about the pearls, Dax."

Dax's eyes went huge, while his pupils shrunk to pinpoints.

"Oh, manure."

NOW, worry, guilt and nervousness began to ripple from the older brother, while it seemed like Oglevy had already had to deal with whatever this was.  Dax looked at his friends again.

"Uhm... if Mother wants me for... f-f-for this, then I'd better go... uhm, yeah - it's... kinda bad."

Oglevy spoke up quickly.  "I stuck to our story!"

Dax looked at him... and gave him a soft smile.  "I knew you would, Oglevy - it's why it works!"

THERE; Illiad had sensed the world of love that Luther had for his son, and the ocean that had threatened to drown his from Vylia... and now, it was so with Oglevy Blackwater.

The young colt didn't seem to do anything more outwardly than give a small, shy smile.  Emotionally, just hearing that Dax had trusted him was like twin bombs of emotion in the tyke - first a megaton blast of admiration, then a secondary burst of affection.  Dax hadn't even noticed the effect it had on Oglevy; Illiad got the impression that it was okay that way, too.

The young stallion turned back to the Trojan and the mare.

"Uhm, I have to go do this... but, uhm... I gave you the rundown; stick to what we said, and you should be fine!"

He nodded to his younger brother, then went for the door... but he stopped there, and turned back one more time.

"I'll be okay - it was a long time ago... but, well... Mother found out."

He shrugged, then he and Oglevy (who also glanced back at the duo standing there) headed into the manor to face the apparently long-overdue music.

Illiad's eye was still twitching from the sudden burst of emotion. He couldn't warp out of the way this time, so he did the best he could to shield himself from the emotional onslaught. It worked to a limited extent, he wasn't about to be overwhelmed, but it still left him a bit frazzled. They really need to work on their emotional states before they seriously hurt someone, or themselves. This isn't a healthy way to express themselves.

Silver looked at Illiad, and words started tumbling nervously from her lips.  "Uhh... we should wait, right?  Right?  I think so... maybe, we should, don't you think?  I think maybe we could reschedule, it wouldn't be so bad - maybe the weather's not-... I mean, we shouldn't-... p-p-p-p-perhaps we can just... uhhhh..."

Silver was getting cold hooves, and her emotional state matched it.

Illiad shook his head in an effort to clear it and get his eye to stop twitching. He turned back to Silver with a bit of nervous determination on his face. "We have two options here, either we go or we don't. Either way TrUST will back your research and development, and they will ensure your patents in Troy and beyond. If we go then this dilemma will be done with, but if we don't then we'll have to make this choice again and again until we decide to go. You don't have to get your works patented in Equestria, but it is the only way you'll be able to successfully enact your plans of an Equestrian Industrial Revolution."

Given the recent emotional bomb he couldn't help her nerves directly, so he hoped his words would suffice. "Either way, I'll support you in your decision."

Silver gulped, then closed her eyes.

"Okay, okay, okay... I need to calm down and just... just... breathe..."

She took a number of forcibly slow and even breaths before she simply sighed.

"You're right... I'm being a foal.  Well, maybe not so much as a foal, but it's more like I'm acting rather childish.  I can DO this - especially with you here!  I'm just... y'know... scared."

She blushed a bit.

"Well, no time like... well, like the present.  Let's get this done before I turn into a block of ice from all the chills I've got!"

She held her head up confidently, and strolled her way towards Luther's office.

Her emotions still said she was as scared as she could be... but she was doing it, all the same.

It hurt Illiad that he was not in a state to assist her with her emotions, give her a boost of confidence. He'd have to recover from Oglevy's burst before he could risk any emotional manipulation on others. It was like trying to see after a recent blinding flash spell, he could still feel Silver because she was close both in proximity and emotional state, and he would feel Dax if he got close enough again, but he wouldn't be able to discern much else for some time.
> An Exchange of Proposals
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illiad kept pace with Silver, no words came to his mind so he didn't speak any, saving them solely for the upcoming talk with Mr. Blackwater himself. There's this patent thing, then there's the happening with Oglevy the night before last, and the torment by that worker before that, I think that's everything I need to talk to him about.

She made her way timidly up to the large wooden doors that led to the office of Luther Blackwater.  She gave Illiad a glance and a small smile, turned back to face the doors, took a deep breath and knocked softly with a hoof; it echoed through the hall loudly, making her wince.

"Enter."

The voice within spoke the familiar greeting, and Silver slowly opened the door and went inside, holding it for Illiad before shutting it once he was in.

The office was as subdued yet stately as ever.  The ancient pot in the corner still had its single flower... yet now that Illiad looked at it, he was certain he'd never seen a flower like that before.  Odd, but something to address later possibly... depending on how things went here.

Luther, seated behind the beautiful deak, looked up as the two of them came inside.

"Silver Studs... Mr. Easle.... why are you here?"

It was eerie, how accurate Dax's predicted words were to what Luther now said.  Absolutely UNCANNY.

Silver stepped forward, intent on telling Mr. Blackwater everything she'd told Dax.  Though her fear was at a fevered pitch, she took a deep breath...

... and let out a single, tinny squeak.  Silver's eyes went W-I-D-E... and her fear shot through the roof.  She was in the grip of stage fright in front of her Boss; maybe Illiad could start the conversation for her?

Illiad winced at Silver's panic, but there was nothing he could magically do about it at the moment. He took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Mr. Blackwater, there are a number of things which I must discuss with you, first of which is that I have found Silver to be a suitable candidate for the Trojan United Science TrUST. As such she would like your company's support and legal defense of the patents she will be drafting for her inventions such as the machines she has invented for the quarry."

Illiad hoped it would be enough to get Silver talking, or at least Mr. Blackwater interested.

Luther eyeballed them both VERY closely, then locked his focus on Illiad, deciding that Silver apparently wasn't going to speak up.  Silver's mood went from fear-filled to sunk; she saw the decision as Luther chose who to pay more attention to.

"Hmm.  So you say."

He stood up, tall and wide as a barn, and came around the desk.  With a slow and steady gait, he walked a gradual circle around the both of them, and Illiad once again got the distinct feeling his very soul was being judged.

He heard Silver audibly gulp next to him as Luther stalked them... then, he stopped, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, as if savoring the sensation... or as if he was preparing to deal with yet ANOTHER issue.

"Name the cost."

Again, Dax's guess at his father's words was almost spot-on.

Illiad gave a slight smile despite his own creeping nerves. "To my limited knowledge of Equestrian Patent Law, the initial cost would be in patent research and legal drafting for the official patent applications. The official cost then being whatever the patent layers in Equestria would charge, though I doubt it would be too substantial. TrUST would be willing to help cover the cost in exchange for the right to use the patented technologies." 

Luther didn't give any sign of anything having to do with Illiad's words.

"The rights?  Who gets them?"

Silver's emotional state shifted HARD; she was NOT going to let this conversation go on without TRYING.

 "I'm gonna... uhm, I plan to... k-k-keep the rights to my patents... SIR... but with your money in... I mean, when you give us... your INVESTMENT will be returned as... as, uhm... well, y-y-y-you'll get the first... uhm, f-f-f-first pick of a-a-a-anything I make... for this... this... thing?"

The shudder from her was audible; it was the vocal equivalent of a shiver, and it was rather loud as she took a deep breath, then let it out in a huff, all at once.  Luther looked coolly at her, then turned back to Illiad.

"If this is Silver's idea, why are YOU involved, Mr. Easle?"

Illiad would have to thank Dax when they got back together - so far, everything Dax had said in his father's voice was, with changes, more or less what Luther himself was saying.

This was not going as well as Dax had made it seem, but it wasn't too much of a matter if Mr. Blackwater didn't want to back the patents. There would be other companies.

"Me? I personally have no stake in this arrangement, other than my personal enjoyment of Silver's successes. In a representative capacity for TrUST however, the involvement would be similar to what I have already described. TrUST would like to support Silver as an inventor, providing her with whatever materials and funding she needs to succeed in exchange for the rights to use and analyze what she comes up with. It was Silver's idea to seek your backing in patenting her inventions in Equestria as TrUST is based back in Troy." 

Illiad sincerely hoped his explanation got the point across. 

Luther's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the floor for a moment, then he looked back at Silver.

"Mmhmm."

He strolled back over to his desk, and took his seat again, though his eyes were still drawing straight lines to Silver's own.  Miss Studs was as frightened as if Luther were a Manticore instead of a stallion.  She was shaking a bit, but she continued to stand right where she was - even though the emotions she was putting off said she SHOULD be halfway to Ponyville by now.

"Sounds acceptable - perhaps even worth looking into."

Silver's mood froze in place... then, ever-so-slowly, began to creep it's way hopefully up.  Luther turned his solid gaze to Illiad.

"Silver Studs has worked hard for the quarry.  VERY hard.  I only trust HARD workers."

Again, a bit of change-up, but pretty much what Dax predicted he'd say.

"And Silver is a SOLID worker."

He gave a soft sigh, then his gaze went from aggressive to curious.

"All right - I want to know what profits I would make from this..."

... aaaaand?...

"... and what will happen if you fail."

Silver licked her lips, took a deep breath, and tried again.

"Well, uhm... Mister Blackwater... if things g-g-go bad... I can offer you... the p-p-p-patents on what's already... uh, here... IF I fail, of course... since you know they all... uhm... they a-a-all work..."

Silver's fear was eating her alive - but her courage held her hooves in place like glue.  Illiad could feel the mental war she was having with herself... and she might actually be winning.  But the battle wasn't over yet.

Luther leaned forward, placing his hooves on his desk and looking FAR more intimidating than Dax did doing the same thing earlier.

"All this interest?  NOW?  Why?"

Silver started to speak... but all that came out was another squeak, and she blushed brightly again.

"If I may,"

Illiad was starting to feel a bit more confident now. "Silver had never heard of TrUST until I told her about it just the other day. The thought had never occurred to her to patent her ideas until I mentioned that TrUST would be interested in gaining access to them. It wasn't like her designs were at risk of being stolen way out here so I would think it didn't seem necessary to put in the effort to patent them." 

Illiad gave a slight smile, "As to potential profits, you could be entitled to royalties on the patents if you were to allow other quarries to use the same designs."

Listening to Illiad speak, Luther placed a hoof on his chin and pondered.  His thoughtful face was the exact same as almost ANY face he had... scowling.  All the same, the wheels were turning.

After a moment, his eyes snapped to Silver again.

"It shall be considered," he said simply.

Suddenly, Silver's mood spiked again; she was trying not to laugh!

When Dax had delivered the same line, he'd ended it with and my vest is full of grape jelly... which was apparently the exact line Silver was thinking of, and in her panicked state, she might just burst out laughing at any moment!

Illiad wasn't sure, but it was a fair bet that Luther Blackwater probably wouldn't appreciate somepony laughing at him.

Illiad hated to be the one to put a damper on good moods, so he decided he would change the subject to something more serious quickly.

"The next thing sir, is regarding the cave you had Knee and I secure a few days ago. A new development occurred the night before last that I think you should hear about."

He turned towards Silver with a look that tried to convey that this next matter was quite serious. "If there is anything else you need to say to Mr. Blackwater, now would be the time. Otherwise... I'm not sure he wants the story I'm about to talk about to be spread any further around the quarry than it absolutely needs to be." 

Silver froze stock still for a moment, then...

"... Mister Blackwater you've known me for a long time and you know what kind of work I am capable of Illiad believes that my inventions could revolutionize Equestria and I know what you're thinking you're thinking that I'll be leaving the quarry but I want to BASE myself from the quarry because I know that if anything happens you'll protect me because you're a GOOD family I don't care WHAT anypony else says please Mister Blackwater it would mean so much to me to have you on my side PLEASE..."

She slapped her hooves over her mouth, her eyes huge and close to tears.  The amount of embarrassment rolling off of her right now was thick enough that the Trojan could practically cut it with a blade... and there was another emotion here, but not coming from Silver; it took a moment, but Illiad began to not only recognize it, but he could pick out its' source...

Luther was a bit impressed with Silver.  Interesting.  The Blackwater patriarch regarded her coolly for a moment, then stood up once again, came around his desk, and came muzzle to muzzle with the little mare.

"You say such - I feel your honesty.  I warn you - Blackwaters are not seen ideally; you wish to be allied with our reputation?"

Silver looked Luther right in the eye back.

"I wouldn't want anypony else at my back, sir."

Luther stared for a moment more... then nodded once.

"Good."

He moved over to the balcony window, and deigned to gaze out of it as Silver quizzically glanced back and forth between him and Illiad.  After a moment, she realized he was waiting for her to go, so she turned and mouthed the words 'thank you' before she quietly made her way to the door and slipped outside, closing it with a soft click behind her.

Luther, still looking out the window at his quarry, gave a deep sigh.  "Now, speak."

Illiad gave a slight smile to Silver as she left, then turned back towards Mr. Blackwater. He took a deep breath before he spoke. "It has come to my attention that Oglevy was in the cavern with Luna, Knee, and I. And as a result, the night before last he was possessed by a different entity then the one we fought. We fought the knight, but Oglevy found the king. Dax and I worked to save Oglevy by returning to the king what was stolen from him. It turns out Redd went in to the cavern after we had left to steal the chest that the entity we fought was protecting. I recovered the chest from Redd and returned it to the king, who then took most if not all of the remaining cloud diamond in the cavern and left. Left this planet entirely. In short, the cavern no longer poses more of a danger than any other cave. I thought you should know this."

Illiad realized he should have told Mr. Blackwater earlier, he hoped he wouldn't be too upset that he hadn't.

Luther listened in silence, his dour poker face settled into his muzzle for the duration.  His emotional state strolled slowly back and forth from concern to anger, back and forth, like a pendulum.  When Illiad finished, the Blackwater turned and looked at him levelly.

"Questions."

Apparently, Luther had some.

"I want to know what you mean by 'possessed Oglevy'... I want to know if Redd gave you any trouble... and I want to know why this took a day to tell me."

The stallion was upset, but not wildly out-of-control.  He waited calmly for his answers, staring directly at the unicorn in his office.

Illiad nodded, they were fair questions to be sure. "By possessed I would say it was likely similar to what the other entity did in the cavern, where it controlled the body of another, this was done far more gently though, it is likely that Oglevy remembers little to nothing of the experience and he seemed unharmed when released. Redd did not give me much trouble, he returned the chest to me with only parting words of anger. As to why it took so long for me to get here, the morning after I was pressed into going to Canterlot by your wife since she came and woke me up, we returned rather late for me to go tell you that night, so I came to tell you now." 

"Oglevy..." A quick flash of concern and love, hidden just as fast.

"Doctor's visit, to be safe."

Nodding to himself at this, he continued.

"No trouble from Redd.  Good."

He gave another deep sigh, closed his eyes for a moment, then returned to watching the quarry activity in the yard below.

"She told me you accompanied her."  His eyes slid sideways to look at the unicorn.  "My condolences."

Was that... a joke?  His face spoke nothing of humor, and his emotions were deadpan.  There was no way to tell.

Luther's gaze focused outside once more.  "Noted.  Anything more?"

Illiad nodded, glad that he could be of help. "Just one last thing, earlier in the night on which Oglevy was possessed, Dax was verbally assaulted by a small group of your workers." He related the descriptions of the group, hopefully to a degree that they could be identified.

"And that is all I have to tell you today, though if you don't mind, I have yet to receive word back from Princess Luna as to what happened after I fell unconscious, could you relate to me what transpired if anything?" 

Luther's mouth edges quirked down a little farther than they already were.

"Her Highness got you and Knee Slapper to Zinger, then she spoke to me.  She purchased much of the remaining Cloud Diamond I possessed, and promised Independent Protectorate status for my quarry.  Good news for Silver and her patents."

He then closed his eyes, sighed, and turned to face Illiad.

"As for Daxter... I assume they called him 'Pink-Slip', yes?"

His eyes locked onto the Trojan's own, and his Empathic senses could feel Luther fortifying his emotions...

"A reminder from his punishment - a lesson he will not soon forget."

And a cold, cold anger along with a thin yet bright ribbon of sorrow evidenced only for a moment from the massively powerful stallion, but it didn't seem to be directed at Illiad... though it did seem as if Luther was waiting for the unicorn to say something.

Illiad was surprised at the offer of independent protectorate status, but he supposed Luna had her reasons. What he did not expect was the anger associated with Dax's punishment. 

He sighed, "Far be it from me to advise your parenting style... No, I won't go into that."

He turned to leave the office, hopefully he would be done here.  

"STOP."

Luther's voice was like a jolt of electricity, short and loud.  He turned from the window and walked over to Illiad, getting within reach of the unicorn and glaring him in the face.

"You speak so... and walk away?"

His frown hunkered down a bit further, apparently ready for a storm.

"Explain your words, Easle."

He didn't look (or feel) happy, but he wasn't going to simply let it go, either.

Illiad turned to face Mr. Blackwater directly, his expression too a bit colder and more serious. "To be absolutely frank Mr. Blackwater, you have damaged your child both socially and emotionally, maybe even beyond my own ability to repair. The isolation of this place alone is enough to cause damage given the lack of peers within his age group, but by eliminating all of the friends he was able to make despite the circumstances, you eliminated his best chance at living a socially healthy life. He fears to befriend any who live here, all those who he interacts with on a daily basis, because he cares too much to risk them being eliminated too. Furthermore, you and your wife's withholding emotion, not showing or sharing the love I know you feel for them, has lead to him also withholding emotion. As such he doesn't know how to healthily express his own emotions, which has lead to many painful experiences on my part."

He sighed, it wasn't usually like him to chastize one older than him. "Again, it isn't my place to advise your parenting style, I'm sure you're doing the best you know how to. All I want to know is why. Why did you think forcing him to fire all those he befriended would be beneficial? What lesson where you trying to teach?"

He sighed again, as his senses re-adjusted he worked to diffuse the sitiation, hopefully reducing the possible fallout if his words offended the Blackwater.  
Luther stared hard into Illiad's stare; there was almost visible electricity between them... then Luther spoke.

"It was more about the lesson I did NOT want him to learn."

Luther continued to stare down the unicorn, determined to get his point across.

"Daxter had been told NOT to associate with the MINERS - and he did anyway.  He may have done well - may have even found BOTH The Blackwater Emerald AND his cutie mark, but it DOES NOT JUSTIFY BEING AROUND THOSE MINERS. At the time, there was a pay dispute with some greedy ones - both Vylia AND I confirmed they were paid properly - and they THREATENED our lives!  I TOLD Daxter to stay AWAY from there..."

He turned from Illiad and stormed across the room, anger now radiating from him in a huge radius, and growing with each word.  THIS level of concentrated anger made Vylia Blackwater's temper seem like a kitten's mew.

"... and he REFUSED TO LISTEN, endangering his life because of some supposed thrill of disobedience!  He did NOT understand how close he had been to being killed!  They would have set upon him like JACKALS!  They would have beaten him to DEATH!"

Making his way to the far wall, he started to slam his hooves against it... but pulled up at the last moment, laying them carefully on the oak-paneled wall with a harsh sigh.

"And I did what I did to him to GUARANTEE that his life would no longer be in jeopardy; as embarrassed as he was, I have not seen him attempt to help any more miners.  Which is how it SHOULD be, Easle - Daxter belongs IN CHARGE of the quarry... not underground with THEM."

He spoke over his shoulder this time.

"THAT is why, Easle."

He moved from the wall, back over to the balcony doors, opening them, to the railing, and leaned out.  Illiad could feel a large range of emotions coming off the stallion:  Anger, fear, worry, loathing, regret, shame, vengeance... they were flowing from Luther like rivers, yet there was barely any hint of emotion on his muzzle.

Illiad sighed, he knew the situation would likely be more involved than it seemed.

He waited a bit before speaking again, his face adopting a curious, sad, yet non-judgmental look, curious sympathy if you would. "You were willing to turn over forty workers for simply befriending your son, but you weren't willing to fire the more greedy ones for threatening your lives? Also, why would you not just tell him what the stakes are? He's a very smart colt who trusts you frankly more than I think you deserve. I have every faith if he were told why a rule was in place he would follow it to the ends of time."

He sighed again, "And another thing, the workers who know the story will never respect him out of anything but fear, that may work for you, but he's not that sort. He cares about others, enough to distance himself from them. Most of the workers will have to be turned over if he takes charge here because of that."

He turned away as well, "Fear is the tool of a tyrant Mr. Blackwater. Is that the sort of leader you want to be? You probably don't care what I think at this point, but I'll tell you anyway. Daxter cares about you, just about as much as you care about him, if you took time to talk to him, explain to him the reasoning behind your actions, you'll find him significantly more likely to obey you when it really matters."

Luther continued to stare out over the quarry he obsessed over.  The emotions flowed harder for a moment... then, they simply petered out.  All that was left was a trickle of... grievous pain?

The stallion let out a mountain of a sigh, then spoke, soft and simple.

"The workers in question WERE fired.  I informed Daxter that the workers could NOT be trusted.  And if the miners must be replaced... so be it; it doesn't matter WHOM kicks the rocks down there - as long as the work is done.  They are paid for their work, and they leave when they have enough..."

The trickle of pain became a single pulse for a moment.

"... and hopefully, during that time, they do not try to kill you... or your family."

With that, Luther made a point of not looking in Illiad's direction.

"If I was not the 'tyrant' you claim me to be, then this quarry would have shuttered its' doors long ago - as a business is a BUSINESS, Easle... something I somewhat doubt you know enough about to properly run yourself."

There was apparently FAR more to this than Luther was saying... and Illiad was getting the distinct emotional impression that Luther may have been...

... crying?

Illiad sighed, "You're right. This isn't this situation that I am used to. I run myself well enough but I wouldn't know how to run a quarry like this. It's clear to me that you've had to make some hard decisions in your time, I'm not condemning you for them. What I am condemning is your claimed reasoning for your actions, I've heard of how caring a stallion you are, and felt how much you care about your family. Furthermore I know you don't consider all your workers disposable like you described. Would you think twice about firing Silver? Chuck? Knee? All of which I would consider friends of Daxter, yet they're still here. If you took the time to care about your workers, then maybe trust wouldn't be an issue. If the workers know you care then they won't fear, but respect you as a leader."

He sighed once again, "You gave a partial why, you said they couldn't be trusted, but he knew they could. He proved they could be trusted, and in the end you eliminated forty workers who could be trusted to keep you and your family safe from the workers who would wish your family ill."

He pulled out his diamond, "Look at the princesses, running a country is not so different from running a business, yet they care about those they rule. They work with their subjects to do what's best for the country, you too can work with your workers to do what's best for the quarry. I respect you because you have the strength to make the hard decisions, you can make the hard choice for what you see as the good of the quarry. I know how hard a decision can be, when all the options seem bad. It can be all too easy to divorce your emotions from the decision, to hide from the hurt. Facing the emotion is what makes you a caring king over a heartless tyrant."

There was nothing but silence from the earth pony on the balcony.  Facing away, Illiad couldn't see his muzzle, but he didn't have to... the misery and betrayal began to bubble up, like underground water finally reaching the surface.

"Daxter is almost exactly as I used to be.  Kind.  Cheerful.  Energetic.  I went into the mines regularly for years - thought I had made good friends."  

He huffed a hard sigh.

"I was wrong."

Luther paused here; the Empathic could FEEL him fighting his sorrow back.  After a moment, it seemed as if the conversation had ended at that.  But just as the unicorn thought to respond, he spoke again.

"I was framed for embezzlement by management, and the miners I had thought were my friends believed it.  They beat me until they thought I was dead... then left me."

It had to be the hardest emotional battle Illiad had ever seen in someone who was so still and stern; it had to have been some form of internal personal strength or training that kept his voice from breaking, or his strong shoulders from shaking with sobs.

"THAT is why, Illiad Easle; it was a preemptive strike.  They may not respect my son... but they will fear retribution if they harm a single hair on his head.  They know this now."

Luther had effectively told Illiad that he had been beaten by the workers he'd befriended in the mines, because management had framed him for stealing from the company... which, because it was called The BLACKWATER Quarry could only mean that he was framed by his own family.

"And Daxter will be kept from harm's way because they will never drag him in the way they did to me.  Never.  NEVER."

He grew quiet again; this time, he did seem to be waiting for a response.

Illiad's eyes widened as he heard the story, then his expression softened. He knew all too well what it was like to be turned on by friends. He didn't dare approach the stallion as it was quite clear that Mr. Blackwater was likely not one for physical displays of comfort.

He took a deep breath before proceeding, thinking carefully on his words and lacing them with as much comfort as he could muster. "That is certainly a harsh set of circumstances, one I can relate to to some degree, but thankfully not quite to the degree you faced. I have a secret that I carry with me, one you no doubt have some idea of, once I had a friend I thought I could trust with that secret, a few days later I was taken from my home while I slept, held down in a back ally and beaten, as well as having boiling tea poured on me until a guard came by." The scars ached again as he related the story. "My 'friends' scattered but the guard was in on it, and passed by without lifting a hoof in my aid. I wasn't at any risk of death like you were, but the attack scarred me both physically and emotionally, it has remained mostly impossible for me to share my secret with others, and I suffered an extreme difficulty with trusting others with friendship for many years. I see your experience has scarred you even deeper than my own has."

He sighed, "They say time heals this sort of thing, but we both know it will take more than time to fix us. It may take you longer than it has taken me to heal, but I have every faith that you may someday be able to trust your workers again. My recommendation? Tell Daxter this, this is the true reason why, tell him and he will understand. But in return? You'll need to trust him, he's practically an adult now and soon you'll have to trust him to follow your teachings to make his own decisions, to do what is best for him rather than what would be best for you."

He gave a slight smile, "All of this shows me the truly caring stallion that you really are. I'm sure you'll turn out to be a fine ruler, and perhaps even be remembered as a great father."

For a while, the large, powerful stallion was silent.  Illiad could hear the wind breezing by the balcony, could feel it's soft and surprisingly cool caress against his face, could hear the activity out in the quarry yard... and still, Luther Blackwater stood above it all; to have been just like Dax... and to turn out like this?  

The mental image of poor Dax going through something similar would have been a bit too much to bear - it couldn't be done - but to picture a young and happy Luther going through it was somehow even worse, perhaps for the living proof of what cruelty could do in the very existence of Luther.

When he spoke, it didn't sound angry... it sounded tired.  Oh, so tired.

"I do not want to rule.  I do not want to be 'great'.  I simply want to run my quarry and love my family."

Luther hung his head.

"Anything else is frivolous... and therefore, useless to me."

Illiad caught a single sniffle.

"... but your concern is noted."

There was a pause where Illiad could feel the miasma of emotional pain from the patriarch... then, it was almost as if a sponge had been set in the middle, and the Empathic felt the mental equivalent of someone burying that torrent of emotion slowly yet surely, like pouring sand on a grease fire.  The emotions were being bottled and smothered, but in a well-practiced way that made the feeling more eerie than painful to the Empathic's senses.

"Now go, Easle; I want to be alone."

Luther went quiet.

Illiad would have said more, mentioned how burying the pain didn't cure it, simply postpone it, but he knew Mr. Blackwater was done talking for now.

"As you wish sir."

With that Illiad turned and made his way out of the office. He idly wondered what would be waiting for him outside, if anything, and what he could possibly do for the rest of the day.
> An Exchange of Hijinx
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside the thick door, Dax Blackwater stood waiting.  As he came out of Luther's office, the young stallion got stars in his eyes, and his emotions radiated both eagerness and hope.

"Well... what did he have to say?  How did it go?  Did he agree?  Did he NOT agree?  Was it as easy as I said it would be?"

Dax's energy was ramped up, and he was chomping at the bit to hear what his friend had to say about how the meeting went.

It was hard to imagine Luther as such an energetic young powerhouse of happiness; it was just as difficult to imagine Dax becoming hard and cold like his father was.

Illiad's expresion brightened a bit at Dax's enthusiasm, but was still a bit more subdued than usual. "It happened pretty much exactly like you said it was, to the point where Silver and I half expected him to talk about jelly like you did. He seems inclined to the idea of backing Silver's patents."

He looked around to try and get an idea of the time. "It's about lunch time now isn't it? What do you think we should do for the rest of the day?" 

Dax smiled warmly; he was so full of life, it was hard to see him as anything but adorable.

"Oh, there's LOTS of stuff we can do today!  And lunch DOES sound good - hey, I've got an idea... have you ever had a straw dog?  The lunch trailer serves 'em all day long, and they are pretty tasty.  What do you say we go over there and get a few?"

Oh, boy...

Illiad gave a slight smirk, "I've had one before yes. That certainly sounds like a great idea, you know this place better than I do so you better lead the way."

He idly wondered if it would be a good idea to ask if they could invite Silver to join them, then decided against it. This time was for Dax, there would be more time for Silver later. 

Dax walked along the path that led to the quarry yard seeming as chipper as usual; his mood, as always, matched his actions.  There was something to be said about one whose emotions were so honest, unfettered by the usual restraints that life can put upon one.  It was refreshing to see such a thing.

As they made their way into the quarry proper, Illiad immediately got a feeling that something was... off.

There were workers around them, yet they seemed to be in different levels of preoccupation - one was playing with a length of rope like it was a snake, while two more were... ballroom dancing?  Another was sneaking around (though not very well), and yet another was skipping along while whistling a jaunty tune.  How very strange...

Dax, of course, was oblivious to the proceedings around him; he was busy talking to his best friend.

"... and we could go to the gardens, though they're nowhere near as impressive as they were when my ancestor, Lotus Black, kept her horticulture experiments there - out of ALL of them, there's only ONE of her original flowers left, and that's in Father's office; have you noticed that reeeeeally old pot near the window?  That's it!"

They reached the lunch trailer, and Dax made his way towards the window.

"Hiya, Grill Brick!  I was wondering if... you... might..."

Dax's patter slowed to a stop as he saw what was inside the trailer itself - standing at the grill was the dour cook from yesterday... yet he wasn't dour at all.  He had an ENORMOUS smile on his face, and a spatula in his mouth.  There was food on the grill, but it wasn't burnt - because the grill itself wasn't on.

"Uhm... mister Grill Brick?  Sir?  Yoo hoo..."

Dax waved his hooves at Grill, but no response came.  Dax turned back to face Illiad, worry writ large on his face and his emotions.

"... this can't be good."

Illiad had an expression to match, it was a situation completely unlike anything he had ever encountered before. He retrieved his diamond again and prepared it just in case something bad went down. "I think we should get out of here, this neither looks nor feels right." 

The two of them backed off from the trailer, warily looking as Grill Brick continue to stand there watching the food not-burn.

Now that Dax got to looking around, he began to feel confused... and a tad scared, as he had no idea what was happening.  He looked around at the other workers, all seemingly engaged in some of the strangest activities the two of them had ever seen the workers engage in:  skipping, singing, dancing, playing like children...

Over close to the gem refinery, Illiad caught a surge of panic... and a bit of secretive movement from behind the large water tower.  With all the weird activity going on in the open, the stealthy presence was certainly out-of-place here.

Illiad's eyes narrowed, it seemed he had found the source of all this weirdness. He would have to go after it, but first an Idea came to him.

He quickly drew out a thin line from his diamond and wrapped it once around Dax's head just above his eyes like a headband. "That should keep you protected from any magical and some chemical manipulation, if that is the cause of this I wouldn't want you getting caught up in it too."

That taken care of, he began to make his way over to where he had felt the panic. "Follow closely Dax, I think I may have found what is causing all of this."

Oh please let Silver be okay. 

When he made his way over to the movement, he discovered a white tail and a shapely mare's blue rump sticking out of a bush.  Slung over her flank was a ratty satchel, with a small hole in the corner of it.

Dax blinked a few times, then spoke up.  "Taps?"

Sure enough, it was Taps who whipped around from out of the bush faster than greased lightning.  The look on her face was deadly serious, and Illiad felt her emotional state go to high-tension-alert.  He could almost swear she was ready for a fight... then she realized who it was, and her mood shifted from alert to wary as her face lightened.

"Taps, what are you doing?  Do YOU have any idea what's going on?"

She lifted an eyebrow in question, but her mood didn't match her reaction - she may have questioned them visually, but her feelings weren't curious at all.  Not one bit.

She gave a weak smile, then shrugged.

The Trojan could feel Dax becoming a bit suspicious... but he showed absolutely no outward signs of it.  Clever Dax.

Illiad on the other hoof, went for the open approach, looking visibly suspicious. "I think you definitely know more than you're letting on Taps. Given Dax's reaction I would guess that this hasn't happened before. At least, he doesn't remember it having happened before. But you are the only other one we've found who's acting like they're in control, and even you are acting uncharacteristically secretive." 

He sighed as he shook his head, "Will the weirdness I encounter here never cease?"

Taps eyeballed Illiad as he spoke.  He could feel her emotions warring between fight and flight, but she kept an excellent poker face.  Looking at her, she was sleek and wiry; if she DID fight, she'd be terribly fast - Illiad would have to take her down quickly, or she could overwhelm him physically.

Her eyes slid over to look at Dax, and her emotions went soft - she apparently had a kind place in her mysterious heart for the Blackwater stallion, so nothing threatening there.  However, as for Illiad...

There was a measure of wary caution bubbling just under the surface, and then - as if remembering something important, her eyes widened as they firmly locked back on the Trojan... and her emotional state suddenly went almost completely blank, save for what felt like a miasma of nonchalance.

She knew.  

Illiad had no idea how... but she apparently KNEW the unicorn was an Empathic.

"Taps... what are you doing?"

Taps again gave a small, sheepish grin and shrugged... but now, she was beginning to step slowly backwards, towards the corner of the gem refinery.

Illiad's eyes narrowed, Tap's actions all but confirmed his thoughts. She knew what was going on here, and she didn't want to tell.

Well, she's certainly not getting away before I try to stop her.

In a somewhat fluid motion, Illiad's gem became a shining sword similar in length and shape to a broadsword. He held it in his magic with the point to the opposite side of him as Dax. Similar to if he were holding it in his mouth.

"Taps, you don't want to run from this one. I know you have some idea of what's going on here. Tell us."

Taps' eyes narrowed to slits as she stared back at the Trojan and his blade.  She took one step back, then spread her stance to adopt a fighting style.  The poker face she'd been wearing fell away to reveal a hard glare to rival Luther Blackwater's.

"Sorry - that's classified, Empathic."

Dax's mouth fell open and his eyes went saucer-sized.  "YOU CAN TALK!?"

Taps simply focused on the apparent enemy across from her, waiting for the first move to be made.

Illiad raised an eyebrow at Tap's speaking. "You say empathic with such intensity, like you hate the thought. Or perhaps you wanted to make the reveal of your knowledge more dramatic. It's so much harder to tell when you're smothering yourself."

Illiad moved slowly, putting himself between Taps and Dax. "All is not as it seems with you is it? I'll admit, I had my suspicions of you when Mrs. Blackwater said she didn't trust you with some of her letters. And the fact that you seem rather young to have been the pony express operator for so long that no one remembers anyone else. But what really stuck with me was Silver's letter, the fact that Cloudsdale never seemed to have gotten her letter. You are one of few, if not the only one that could have stopped that letter. The question then is why. Why would you want Cloudsdale to not hear about the weather situation here?"

He moved the sword so it went across the front of his body, the hilt by his right shoulder, and the tip in front of his left shoulder, but closer to Taps than the hilt. "That mystery can be solved later now that I know the Who of the situation. What matters now is what's going on with the workers. And I know you know the answer to that. The question then: Will you tell me? Or will I have to force it out of you?"

Taps may have been hiding her emotions, but the smirk that crept across her muzzle spoke worlds of confidence.

"Oh, I have nothing against Empathics... but I might have a slight issue with those who side AGAINST our Royal Highness - Her Majesty Princess Celestia, in case you've forgotten, Trojan."

She slowly brought out her wings, then flicked them back quickly with a snap.  There was a >SHING!< as blade tips appeared at the tips of her feathers, and her smile grew wider.

"Of course, it's easy to see you could forget - after all, I'm well aware of how Troy feels about her; it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say you'd willingly forget everything she has done for the ponies of Equestria.  Trojans have always been ungrateful to her - ever since the separation.  Not even so much as a 'thanks for everything up to this point'... just a slap in the muzzle, and a holier-than-Equestria attitude."

She leaned forward.  "One I will be SO happy to correct in you, Illiad Easle."

Illiad smirked back, "So it's going to be like that eh? We owe everything to Luna and Luna alone. She designed our form of government, She guided us when we started out, and She has illuminated our night with her moon these many long years. Celestia stands in opposition to our way of life. She tried to overthrow our government, She did everything she could to prevent is from succeeding, She caused the negative view of Empathics, Griffons, and all non-pony races. She banished our princess without trial, taking for herself sole ruler-ship of Equestria. We would not be ruled by a tyrant."

Illiad adopted a relaxed stance, one that could move to strike or defend easily. "Will you strike me Taps? I don't think you could even if you wanted to, though I'm sure you want to. You propaganda zealots always were the aggressive type."

Illiad really hoped Dax had the sense to move to a safe place. He had to know what was causing this and how to stop it. If he had to fight Taps to do it then so be it.

"I always wondered why I never heard back from Luna, I suppose I know now why. Was this all a setup then? Did you plan this so you could fight me?"

Taps didn't rise to the jibe; apparently, she was smarter than that.

"So you'd spite the one who gave up her own Sister to protect Equestria?  Or would you rather Nightmare Moon have run rampant, shrouding everything in eternal night?  Perhaps you don't even care to consider HER feelings on the matter?  Have you ever ASKED her, Easle?"

Now, a trickle of anger peeked out from the STILL nonchalant attitude - but it was like she wanted Illiad to see it - well controlled, indeed.

"I have.  She told me of how every cheer for her bravery, every gift she kindly rejected for saving a pony, every Summer Sun Celebration was a bitter reminder of what SHE had to give up to save ALL of us!  You call her cruel?  You claim her to be unfair in returning Princess Luna to full power?  You would presume to hand the pony who burned you a cup of hot tea without flinching?"

Though a braggart might have smiled at such a stab, Taps only grew more firm in her stance, more determined in her gaze.

"You call me a Propaganda Zealot, yet I'm not the one who started going on and on to Dax Blackwater about Her Majesty Princess Luna, am I?  No, I chose to allow Dax to find his OWN truth, should he have sought it - and as intelligent as he is, I have faith that he WOULD seek it for himself.  All YOU have done is browbeat the poor guy with how EVIL Her Highness Princess Celestia is; WHO is the one pushing propaganda here?"

"The Trojans are a group of ponies who were feeling slighted because they weren't asked if it was okay to save Equestria - perhaps this entire WORLD - from what would have been TRUE tyranny under Nightmare Moon's rule."

She pushed out her lower lip mockingly.  "Boo.  Hoo.  Hoo." 

"The Trojans were powerless to stop her threat, and believe that Her Highness Princess Celestia saved them all out of SPITE.  They feel that trying to force Her Majesty Princess Luna to resume her mantle so soon after so much has happened is the right thing to do, when it's nothing more than chomping at the bit for bragging rights to the front of the 'I-Told-You-So' line - unwarranted as it is."

"As for the reputations of other races - the thanks for THAT goes to all the false courtiers and officials who lie in their corrupt castles, sleeping soundly on bags of bits they pried from the hands of ne'er-do-wells with big ambitions and deep pockets.  You presume to know persecution because of Her Majesty Princess Celestia, yet SHE is the one who espoused the idea of friendship being magic in the first place - which the Trojans are ALWAYS loathe to admit."

She began to slowly circle to the left, trying to circle outside of strike range far enough to have to make the unicorn move to continue to face her... and her wings began to s-l-o-w-l-y tilt backwards, as if either folding them in... or preparing to strike.  Her emotional state was now like stone; she was completely unreadable, as if she wasn't even there.

"You actually happen to be someone I do NOT wish to cross, Easle; I know about the Cloud Diamond deposit, I know about Knee Slapper, I know about your rather short visit home with Madam Blackwater... and I know about YOU.  You do not scare me... but you have skill and talent, and a good heart - even if your head is up your flank."

She now gave a snarky half-grin, and her mismatched eyes sparkled.

"It would be a veritable shame to have to put you down, Trojan Dog."

Illiad shook his head slightly as he gave a slight laugh, still keeping his eyes on Taps he responded to each of her points in turn.

"If that is what you know to be true than your head is full of lies. I know the true story of Nightmare Moon, she told it to me herself. If Celestia weren't such the hog for attention she was than Nightmare moon would never have happened. If Celestia weren't afraid to let her little ponies grow up, experience hardship, live without her then the world would frankly be a better place. Celestia wouldn't let Luna do what she needed to do to keep the world in balance, so she had to resort to extreme measures to prevent the end of the world. Celestia nearly ruined everything because she was too coddling towards you, even now she lulls you into a false sense of security while tensions flare across the horizon. I care not what Celestia thought on the matter, for she cared naught about her own sister until it was too late."

"I speak the truth, I talk of how things actually happened from a perspective few will ever obtain. The fact is that Celestia has done many horrible things in the name of securing her place on the throne of Equestria, eliminating all threats to her power and rule. It's not propaganda if it’s true Taps."

"We left because Celestia tried to overthrow our government, abolish our democratic councils and replace them with her own appointed governors like the rest of her little ponies. She tried to take the power away from us and put it squarely in her corner, and we would not allow it." 

"Luna has been qualified to retain her rights to the throne from the moment the elements repaired the split she inflicted in her own soul, Celestia refusing her the powers of government is evidence that she does not consider her to be her equal."

"The only corrupt castle I’ve seen is the one that sits so high on its mountain, daring nature itself to tear it down. The other nations prosper yet you Equestrians are tought that they are wholly depraved and struggling to maintain even the barest sense of civility. We alone have far surpassed Equestria in science and technology as well as foreign relations to become the global trade power Equestria once was. Ever wonder why Equestria isn't exporting as much and the cost of imports is ever increasing? You claim she espouses friendship but she has done nothing but ruin her relations with the other nations of the world. Only her puppet state of the crystal empire would really come to her aid if she called."

Illiad moved as well, backwards but to the same direction around the center-point as Taps. The sword began to shift in shape until it somewhat resembled a crossbow, only without the bow that formed the cross, so it more accurately resembled a blunt stick, with the end pointed at her.

"You certainly know quite a bit about me, but hardly anyone knows much about you. Can they really be considered friends when you don't even speak to them? Though I suppose your right to have kept quiet, Wouldn't want it to get out how much of a hate spewing zealot you are. If you're all about friendship where is it now? Where is your kindness and honesty? You're certainly fast, and it was clear to me that you cared about the ponies here."

"I'd hate to have to clip your wings you air-headed Equestrian sheep."

It was hard to match her phrase to phrase, it seemed she had this ready in advance and he was second guessing his words. But no matter, he had yet to lose this sort of conflict.

Given the scientific advancement of Troy he had experience with some forms of weaponry that would put the Equestrian military to shame. The things you come up with when you battle giant stone crabs every week, and speedy sand scorpions every day on the dunes. Tap's would hardly know what hit her if it came down to it.

"STOP IT!  STOP, DARNIT, STOP!  ENOUGH!"

Dax charged right into the closing space between the two, his eyes full of tears but his jaw clenched in anger.

"What are you DOING!?  You're ARGUING over who's the better princess while THIS is happening!?!?"

He motioned to the quarry yard just below, where it was now filled with workers of all kinds doing strange and unusual things; one was even sitting peacefully on the high roof of the Gem Refinery - an Earth Pony, at that - with no visible way up available by hoof.  Two were bonking their heads together; one was walking stiffly on his hind legs and making 'choo-chooooo' sounds; one was trotting backwards without looking and knocking things over...

Then, out came sturdy, hard-working Chuck List.

"... merrily merrily merrily merrily down the road I goo-ooo, skipping to and froo-ooo, merrily merrily all the livelong day!"

He was skipping like a schoolfilly, singing a ridiculous song in a high falsetto voice with a big, toothy smile on his haggard face; it was almost a rictus of pain, it was so extreme.

Dax pointed directly at Chuck.

"Does he deserve that?  As hard as he works, as much as he's done, and with everypony who owes their livelihoods to his careful direction, does he DESERVE that lack of dignity!?  DOES HE!?"

The sight would have been highly comical, had it not been for Dax's purely incredulous mood and disposition towards it.

"Now, that is ENOUGH!  BOTH of you, act your age, not your horseshoe size!"

He huffed and puffed for a moment... and felt HORRIBLE for what he'd said to his friends... but he was more concerned for everypony else, so he was sucking it up and being brave... and scared to death he would lose them both for it.  

Taps watched as Dax spoke.  Slowly, she began to leak a little stream of shame and embarrassment, being somewhat humbled by the young Blackwater's words - though she kept herself focused on Illiad; she did step back, and took a looser, more defensive stance.  Her wingblades remained in sight, however.

She took a split second to shoot a glance at Dax... then she took a deep, cautious breath.

[color=#000ff]"He has a point; this is rather foolish of us both... fine.  I could use the help, anyway - but ONLY with the understanding that you keep your..."  The Trojan felt her emotional shield ripple for a second, then solidify again.  "... ideas... to yourself, and I will follow suit.  Is this agreed?"

Though still very alert and wary, Taps seemed genuine - the tense spring of her muscles slowly wound down as she looked at the unicorn in front of her.

The gem item swirled as he restored it to its usual shape, but he still kept the full diamond in front of him. He was slightly embarrassed for having been chastized by Dax of all ponies.

"You think I would just influence creatures all willy-nilly? I am not presently inclined to influence you one way or the other Taps, if that is what you're referring to. My initial statement still stands: You know what's going on here, tell us."

I should really have taken Luna up on that badge of office thing, that may have made this encounter much easier.

She gave him a glare, but gave a sigh and said, "Fine.  I'll keep it short."

"I am a... 'keeper', of sorts.  I am responsible for a gathering of magical artifacts, and my latest acquisition has slipped through an unfortunate hole my bag."  

She brought her satchel around, slowly... and showed them the hole Illiad had noticed earlier.

"Unfortunately, it happens to be a rather disconcerting artifact to have lost; The Jinx Stone."

She took on a grave look as she spoke.

"It's an artifact that takes a single, remotely distant quality in any individual it affects and amplifies it completely out of proportion, making it the sole dominating trait.  It can lead to the strangeness you see here... and far, far worse."

She looked past them at the quarry yard with a shade of regret evident in her voice.

"It was secure; my satchel wasn't - and I claim full responsibility for that mistake.  Now, I have to locate it to end its' effect on the quarry."

She leveled a glance at the unicorn.  "And yes, that IS the short version."

Dax also looked the Trojan's way.  

"That's... kinda scary.  It sounds like it's serious; we've gotta help Taps."

"C'mon, Illiad - she has always been nice to me, and it's not like this is happening on purpose.  She's owned up to it, and she's STILL asking for help, even WITH your differences... that should say something about her, regardless of who she really is."

Illiad looked skeptical, but shrugged. It was plausible enough. "Alright then, why weren't we affected then? All of us seem fine. Furthermore, how do you think we should go about finding it? You should certainly know about this sort of thing."

He turned towards Dax, still wary of Taps. "It is serious and I fully intend to help. It's working wonders already for the local state of the quarry, with this and the cave the quarry shouldn't be due for another bad event for a decade or so. I could say what I think of Taps now, but I won't as we have bigger problems for now." 

He turned back towards Taps, "I don't trust you explicitly, but I'll follow you here. Don't make me regret it."

She watched Illiad like a hawk as he spoke, but nodded when he was finished, and folded away the wingblades quietly.

"It looks like an amber teardrop with a multi-colored band of metal around it, but it's small enough to fit in a single hoof.  The reason you haven't been affected is simple enough - neither of you have touched it.  That's how it triggers its' spell."

She looked around the ground again and sighed.

"I was merely hoping that it had been stumbled across, but I fear it may have been picked up by someone here - and if they didn't drop it, and more workers are being affected, then it makes it all the more imperative to find it that much faster."

"As to why I am not affected, it's because I have certain... safeguards... in place to protect me from different effects.  Including emotional influence, in case you're interested, Easle."

She stepped over to the edge of the refinery, looking down into the quarry yard.

Illiad gave a sarcastic look when Taps mentioned emotional protection, "Oh really? I hadn't noticed."

"This is my fault - and I am determined to fix it.  But this is too dangerous for me to waste time looking for it alone."

Taps looked back over her flank at them both.

"I've already searched the rest of the quarry; the refinery was the last place on my list.  We'll have to search for a pony who is running around touching workers who then go all strange afterward."

Illiad quickly regained his more serious expression, "I guess then we'd just need to find a group that isn't affected and watch them, see where the gem hasn't been and wait for it to get there. We could also think of possible culprits, who would want to do this sort of thing. Oglevy comes to mind, though it is also the sort of thing Knee might do." He shook his head, "No wait, they'd have to touch the gem too, so the one who is spreading this would have to be the least likely one we would think to do this."

He turned to Dax, "You know anyone here like that? Redd maybe?" 

Dax tappad a hoof against his chin.

"It might BE Redd... but it could just as easily be ANY of the others, couldn't it?"

Taps nodded.

"As I stated, it takes a single trait in the subject's psyche and over-inflates it.  Now if, perhaps, there were someone here who had been affected in such a manner by the stone and had taken it upon themselves to cause this kind of issue, then it would be imperative to locate it before whomever it is manages to leave the quarry."

At that, here eyes flicked toward the front gates.

"Speaking of which, the quarry gates need to be locked down; unless another pegasus took hold of the Jinx Stone, the gates will provide an excellent deterrent to anyone who might want to leave; I can get the gates - the two of you keep an eye out while I set the locks."

With that, Taps flexed her powerful wings and took off, headed for the control tower above the front gates, where the mechanisms were housed.  Dax watched her leave.

"I can't believe it - she can TALK... and rather fluently, I might add."

He faced his friend.  "So, we're looking for this Jinx Stone, aren't we?"

Illiad maintianed his skeptical expression until Taps was well out of sight, then he sighed as he turned back to Dax. "Of course, hoping that it is the real cause of all this and that Taps didn't just give us the slip to leave us to solve her problem."

He rubbed his forehead before shaking his head again. "I'll bet she didn't even send my letter to Luna, that or she kept Luna's letter to me. I see now why your mother doesn't trust her."

He started walking, "Never mind that now, let''s get looking, and hopefully not touched by it. The sooner this is all cleared up the better." 

Dax gave Illiad a look.

"She really got your goat, didn't she?  Well, I don't think she means any harm - she's been here for years; if she wanted to do anything like that, she'd have done so already, wouldn't she?  I think you're just upset that she doesn't see your point of view... but..."

The Blackwater stallion looked toward the gates, where Taps had flown to 'lock them down', as she had stated.  He caught a glimpse of her zipping into an open window.

"... I gotta admit; THIS Taps is pretty serious.  But searching... I mean, if somepone is doing this on purpose, how are we gonna be able to find them?  Maybe they're just as much a victim as everyone else is?"

... maybe?

"She wouldn't exactly have the opportunity to do much here, I am likely the first non-equestrian to show up here in a long time. And while I fully support Luna, I think she only cares that I care little for Celestia. Mostly I'm upset to encounter another Equestrian who sees their princess as infallible and all other nations as woefully inferior in every way." 

He turned back towards Dax, "I did say earlier that perhaps the one least likely to spread it around would be the one to have found it, thus making them spread it around, which is why I asked if someone would seem very likely to not spread it around. Anyway, if this is being spread about on purpose, we should find those that haven't been touched and wait to see if someone tries to touch them with it."

Dax thought for a bit.

"Well... I don't know about the miners in general, but the ones I do know would be a place to start - naturally, we can rule Taps out, as well as Chuck.  That would leave Knee Slapper, Silver Studs, Doc Zinger and Redd Handid - not to mention the Ons, though I don't think they'd have had time to do this.  Nor inclination, honestly."

He looked back over at his best friend.

"As for groups we can watch, all I know is that when we left the manor, nopony there was affected... by... any... ILLIAD!  If the rest of the whole quarry's affected, THEY'LL BE GOING AFTER MY FAMILY!!!"

Dax turned and dashed back up the path, headed for the Blackwater family home at breakneck speed.

Illiad looked a bit confused at Dax's logic, after all those with the least inclination to do so would be the most likely to do so if they were touched by it.

Illiad rushed to keep up with Dax as he ran, but he was woefully out of practice with running. Maybe he should have taken Swift up on his offer to go running in the evenings?

Nevertheless, Dax was getting away from him. They both knew the way to the house, hopefully they would both arrive there safely. Illiad only hoped that his robe would offer at least some protection against being touched. 

Dax simply knocked the front doors open with his shoulder and charged into the manor.  Illiad was still cresting the hill when there was a BRIGHT flash of light from inside the manor's front hall.  That bright flash came with an accompanying set of sounds.  A yell from Dax... and a deep, rich laugh that sounded wicked and cruel.

Dashing inside, Illiad was greeted to quite a sight in the front hall.  

"... 58623.550388 divided by 38964224.0000006200000..."

Near the front doors themselves, Oglevy Blackwater was sitting on the marble floor with a length of chalk in his mouth, furiously scribbling all sorts of numbers, integers, calculations, and all sorts of other mathematics that, despite his schooling, Illiad couldn't comprehend; chances are, it may have been nonsense anyway.  

"La la la laaaa-laaaaa... la la la laaaa-laaaaaa..."

Vylia Blackwater was traipsing up and down the left hand side of the large staircase, skipping and prancing over the steps, ascending and descending again and again, dancing like a ballerina the entire time and humming a strangely familiar tune as she did. 

In the middle of the upper-loft balcony stood Luther Blackwater, looking as proud and regal as ever... yet when he saw Illiad, he reached down next to him and grabbed one of what looked like close to a hundred small sacks and tossed it over the railing; when it hit the ground, it burst open.  Bits flew in every direction.

"Easle!  You need things!  GO BUY THEM!"

And underneath Luther, in the middle of the hall was none other than Redd Handid, the forepony who had been easily suspect all along.  At his hooves on the floor was Daxter, lying down and facing away from the front doors; the Trojan couldn't see his friend's face - he couldn't SEE if he was alive, but he could feel the tangle of emotions coming off him: confusion, fear, concern, worry... and helplessness?

Meanwhile, there stood Redd... actually, he wasn't standing; he was hovering in place, the amber glow from his horn surrounding him.  The look on his muzzle was one of haughty victory, and on a loop of yarn around his neck was what could only have been The Jinx Stone.  

Taps' description had been cursory; the gem itself was both incredible AND hideous to behold.  The delicate strand of silver that encircled the jewel looked like it had been poured onto the stone itself, they were so smooth and polished - and the intricate filigree almost glistened with magical energy.  But the gem itself...

Illiad's mind could conceive of the idea that it WAS a gem, but that was where the ability to comprehend came to an end.  The 'facets' of the gem were so chaotic that they reached into other dimensions; it was like staring at sun, but it bypassed the eyes and went directly to the brain.  It HURT to look at it... yet it was so very beautiful in its terrible existence.

"Illiad Easle."

The look on Redd's face was one of the cruelest smiles the Trojan had ever seen on a pony; only Sombra himself held such a terrifying visage.  Strangely enough though, the emotion coming from the red unicorn was... panic?  Fear?  Regret and worry?  There was not a single drop of it on his muzzle... but the squirming panic beneath the surface told Illiad something.

Whatever Redd was doing was the effect of the gem; the poor pony was trapped inside his own mind, watching in horror as things unfolded in front of them both.  Worse yet, Illiad could now feel the writhing sensations of the other Blackwaters in their own shells, struggling against impossible bonds.  The gem had made their bodies into prisons - prisons they had no chance of escaping on their own.

"Yeeeeeeeesssssssss..."

THAT couldn't be good.

Illiad did not know initially how to react to this situation, he stood still just taking it all in for what must have been a few seconds before his training on surprise situations kicked in.

Self- His diamond became a light sort of bubble around himself that would prevent the gem from touching him.

Others- The other Blackwaters wouldn't pose much of a threat to him and didn't seem to be a threat to themselves. The circle of diamond was still on Dax, so it may be enough to counter the stone, but it would take time to tell for sure. Clearly Redd was the threat here, or rather the stone controlling Redd was the threat. 

That taken care of Illiad turned his attention to the one that deserved it, Redd. "Why am I not surprised that it turned out to be you who would end up with the stone? Not to say I called it or anything, but I totally called it. So, how's this going to go? It's clear you have quite a bit of power in your corner, not that my own is lacking."

Illiad was comfortable talking a bit more casually given the state of the Blackwaters. In truth he had no idea what this gem was capable of and Taps had neglected to tell him how to reverse its effects. It seemed his only hope was to not get touched, hopefully the shield would be enough.

The red unicorn's magical aura began to form tendrils that waved in the air as he hung there.

"Power, my DEAREST Illiad, is in the eye of the beholder.  Observe," he said as the magic beams shot out and connected with each Blackwater.  As it did so, their eyes turned from whatever shade they currently were to a deep crimson color, and with this change each one of the Blackwaters slowly made their way to Redd's side...

Then there was Dax.  When the beam struck him, he shuddered, then stood up.  However, Illiad saw it clear as day on Dax's face; the Blackwater stallion was unaffected!  He stood like the others, and began milling his way towards the unicorn, seeming for all the world like just another zombie.

"Dare you attempt to try any tricks upon me while I hold the Blackwaters as a meat shield?  Then perhaps I could command them to do each other in... perhaps THAT would be more fitting?"

At this, Luther and Vylia turned to face each other, and each began to reach for the others' throat, their emotions screaming in panic as if they were the same pony.  Dax, too, looked panicked at this development, but he was doing his utmost to stay 'in character'... which, strangely enough, seemed to be working.

"I want to watch you SUFFER for the humiliations I have had since you arrived!  You shall RUE the day you crossed me!"

It was at this point that one of the upper hall windows smashed inward, and what looked to be a jar of jelly came flying into the center of the hall, right where Redd was hovering.  When it connected with the wall next to him, it shattered - and instantly, a solid wall of fruit jam blinked into existence between himself and the others. 

With that, Taps darted in through the open window and looked over at Illiad.

"The wall won't hold him; I don't think we can handle this without some help - meet me at the Express station!"

With that, she darted right back out, headed for her own Pony Express outpost.

Illiad decided some very decisive action was in order before he followed Taps. With a flash, similar rings to the one on Dax's head were on the heads of the other Blackwaters, it wouldn't counteract the affects of the Jinx Stone, but it would keep Redd from manipulating them further. Then a second, much brighter flash, and the Blackwaters were teleported away from the room, Selena guided their warps to ensure their safe arrival at somewhat random destinations within the quarry.

Illiad's stance and shield faltered, warping the four Blackwaters had taken quite a bit of energy from him. Enough so that he couldn't simply teleport himself away. He dropped the shield to save what magical energy remained and ran.

> An Exchange of Confidence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Illiad fled from the Blackwater Manor, there was a great grinding sound from directly behind him, chunks of the ground around him began uprooting and floating in lazy spirals towards the house. The grinding itself was from where a SIZABLE amount of rock was unhinging itself from the mountain.

This combined with all the strangeness going on in the quarry yard left a very surreal edge to Illiad's surroundings.

At the Pony Express station, Taps stood in the doorway and motioned frantically for the unicorn.  Charging toward the post office, small bits of flaming rock began whizzing past the unicorn's ears and body, once or twice bouncing off his tunic, leaving small aches and tiny burnt spots.  When he got to the door, Taps moved as he barged inside, then slammed the door shut and turned the seven locks behind it into place.

After this, she stepped back and sighed.

"Wonderful.  Simply wonderful.  It would figure that Redd would be the one; makes perfect sense, with his psyche... AND his dilemma... The Jinx Stone would have chosen him.  I would have thought it had far better taste, but far be it for me to second-guess an artifact, I suppose."

She looked at Illiad.  "You even run like you're still on sand."

Illiad took a moment to catch his breath, glaring slightly at Taps, "Not all of us are as privileged with wings as you are. Besides, I forgot to have myself re-shod before I came here. Shoes aren't exactly necessary in Troy or even Canterlot for that matter, but not having them makes running here a tad difficult."

Rolling her eyes, Taps then made her way behind the counter calmly, as if nothing at all was happening right outside.

"There are protection spells and magical fortifications all over the place here; we'll be safe as long as every door and window remains shut.  Now, I need a moment to figure out what we'll need... and because locking down the gates is a bit more work than I was anticipating."

She sat down heavily on the stool behind the counter.  Her emotions were currently trying to decide if Illiad was trustworthy - and for what it was worth, the argument was about dead even from his reckoning.

"... and the Blackwaters?"  She asked him.

Illiad looked around the room for a place to sit down, Taps wasn't exactly open as a source of emotional energy, so it would take quite a bit longer for him to recharge than usual. "Selena scattered them around the quarry, she assures me they're safe. They are also protected from Redd's direct influence should he find them."

He looked towards Taps with a serious expression, one seldom seen on his face. "So, you have a plan? A counterspell? Regardless of whether or not we trust each other we'll have to work together if either of us is going to get through this one."

Taps nodded... then sighed.

"Well, then let us first... start over, if we may?"

She stepped around the counter and came up to him; Illiad may not have been too tall, but Taps was almost a toy pony in comparison.

"My name isn't Taps, as you may have guessed... it's Special Agent Steel Wheels."

She gave a short yet polite bow.  Then she headed toward the back area, and waved for him to follow.

"I belong to a top-secret organization that was hoof-picked by Her Majesty Princess Celestia herself; we deal with all sorts of paranormal activities here in Equestria - all over, in fact.  We're the reason the Bearers of the Elements aren't busier than they already are."

She couldn't hide the sly grin that peeked out for a moment, but she continued.

"There are three divisions, all under orders to operate in whatever capacity we choose, as long as we maintain peace; I belong to the division which happens to be the keepers of artifacts and cursed magical objects.  A number of years back, there was a mole, and we had to go underground, taking on new names and new lives in different places.  I was originally stationed in Los Pegasus, but..."

Tap-... Wheels blushed a bit, embarrassed by some unspoken-of folly, no doubt.

"... things went south.  I was left for dead on the side of the road when Luther Blackwater found me; he'd been returning from a business meeting with some 'King' or other, and brought me to the nearest hospital on his own back - a distance of sixteen miles, by hoof.  Not something one simply forgets."

She reached the broom closet, and shoved a few of the mop handles around.  There was a grinding sound, and a section of wall slid aside, revealing stone steps that descended into a spiral.

"As I had already... erm, worn out my welcome, let us say... in Los Pegs, I was certainly in the market for a new location to set up a storage facility.  Once I arrived here, and saw the post office, well... a few modifications later, and I begin the rather arduous task of transferring everything from there to here.  I've been doing such for a number of years, adding it to my postal route when the delivery was close by... and I'm nearly done."

She continued down the stairs, strange fungus on the walls providing an eerie, yet sufficient glow to see by.

"The Jinx Stone is one of the last few objects I need to bring; the cursed items are always the last things to go when artifacts are relocated.  This way, the other artifacts can already be in place, if they are needed to maintain safety.  It was my own fault for losing it, I own up to that - but it's more trouble than you realize yet..."

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned to face him, all seriousness.

"Illiad Easle, I need your help in this endeavor, but I need to trust you before we take one step further... what I am about to show you is meant for classified eyes only; I want your solemn word that you will reveal this repository's location or contents to NO ONE.  I know you're intelligent, despite my earlier jibes - this could not only mean my job, but more importantly, it could mean all sorts of trouble for the entire WORLD... especially if someone like Discord got word of its' existence."

She looked at him, waiting for whatever he might say, her mismatched eyes locked on his.

"Can I trust you?"

Illiad sighed, "Well, since you told me I guess I should return the favor."

He mustered a slightly less serious expression than before, "My real name is Illiad, no deceptions there, and I was chosen by Princess Luna soon after her return to take her place. Much like Twilight replaced Celestia as the element of magic, I am the current bearer of the balance of Good and Evil. It is my job to ensure that the world stays ever in a state of parabolic balance, with both good and bad times, while also ensuring things are never too good, too bad, or a perfect balance between the two."

He pulled out his cloud diamond again, "This is my badge of office, the cloud diamond Luna wielded a thousand years ago and one of the stars that aided in her escape. Luna gave this to me after she had me steal it back from Celestia's storage room in the tunnels between the archives and the castle." 

He put the diamond safely away, "Furthermore, as you may already be aware, I am one of the most powerful Empathics in the world, in part augmented by my role as Twilight's magic is enhanced by hers."

He did his best to look trustworthy, "By the power that has been entrusted to me by Luna I do so promise to not tell any of what you have and will tell and show me here, excepting of course Princess Luna, who is notified of all my dealings in the extraordinary. Hopefully you find that acceptable? We really don't have time to waste."

"Interesting... one or two things we didn't know, but all in all your profile is rather accurate."

She gave a cryptic smile, then turned back to the doorway.

"If you wish to inform Her Majesty Princess Luna of what is contained inside, then be my guest - but know that not a SINGLE, SOLITARY ITEM leaves this place without my permission... and I WILL fight to ensure that.  I make no idle threats, Easle - but I have very little choice in the matter here - very well."

She murmured to herself for a moment, then there was a flash of light from the doorway.  After such, Wheels opened it easily, ducked inside and closed it once again.

As Illiad was about to question if she had changed her mind, she opened it and motioned to him.

"All clear, and you're... expected.  Come on."

Stepping through, Illiad walked into a large antechamber filled with shelves and display cases, all neatly stacked and labeled with numbers and sigils - some of which looked like scribbles instead of writing.  The ceiling was far above, and was bedecked with what looked to be glowing boxes which shed light over the entire area.

Each shelf has a bizarre and fascinating collection of all sorts of things: A beach ball, a bit and bridle, a rusty portable grill, a number of books and scrolls, some clothing, an eggbeater, a number of bottles, beakers and canisters, a child's stuffed dragon, a statue of a small dog, a small mirror, a LARGE mirror, a bunch of mechanical-looking hardware and tools, some jewelry, three bolts of cloth, and a bowl of what looked to be oatmeal that had gone rotten years ago... yet had no smell.

Among all of these were small clipboards with all sorts of different things written on them, not a one that made the first lick of sense.

"This... is The Closet.  It's one of Equestria's best kept secrets, and has been for generations upon generations.  The Closet was concocted by BOTH Princesses, though Her Majesty Princess Luna chose not to pursue it... and Her Majesty Princess Celestia claimed she had not done so, either."

She began to stroll down the row of shelves, stopping at different ones and gazing at them for a bit before moving on.

"Yet this was originally never going to happen, it became imperative in Her Majesty's capacity to ensure that certain items were removed from circulation and stored away for ONLY the most dire of emergencies.  Hence, after Nightmare Moon's exile, she set up all three organizations to operate in secret; The Closet had a lot more members before the mole was outed... now, I fear I may be the only Caretaker left, as I have heard nothing from the others."

She gave a sigh at that, yet squared her shoulders and continued.

"And so, I have dedicated my life to protecting this vault... and, by proxy and debt, the Blackwaters as well.  The events you've seen going on here DO tend to happen on a regular basis - the quarry is one of the most active event spots in the entire Equestrian nation; much of that is due to The Closet's close proximity, but it also has to do with a number of strange magical energies that converge here.  I'm unsure how up-to-date on your magic studies you are, but what the Blackwater Quarry rests on is a Magical LeyLine; events are drawn here because of the energies that naturally occur in this exact spot.  You'll find LeyLines in Canterlot, the Everfree, Manehattan, Appleoosia... in fact, one of the STRONGEST runs right through the center of Ponyville - hence, all the activity."

She the turned and look directly at the Trojan.

"And there are those who simply draw the universe's attention... such as yourself, Illiad Easle."

She turned back to face the shelves again.

"Since your appearance, the weirdness here has doubled - though I think it has more to do with the planetary alignment coming soon, but that's a different story."

Waving her hoof negligently, she moved on.

"As far as it goes, I keep a number of artifacts active, to ensure safety.  One of the more powerful ones is the Drifter's Pillow."

She came to a locked display case, inside of which was a large, fluffy-looking velvet pillow.  It had silvery trim and looked soft and inviting... almost hypnotic; Illiad had no problems resisting, now that he was aware of it.

"As long as it remains active, most ponies who come here tend to forget about anything 'crazy' or 'amazing' that they see, so it keeps reporters or investigators from showing up; it's also why the workers don't panic as much after things are settled.  It simply makes the strange event the least important thing on your mind, and you forget about it.  Unless you concentrate - or have had enough exposure to it to be immune to its' effects, like myself - or have protections in place, also like myself."

Reaching the end of the row, she came to another door, this one with a combination lock set into the blast door itself.

"Now, there are a few things here I can provide as a TEMPORARY loan, to deal with... ah, yes.  Redd."

She sighed and sat down heavily.  "That's... a different story."

Illiad was hardly discrete when he pulled out another circlet from his diamond and placed it on his own head, he really didn't like the idea that he may have been magically manipulated during his visit here.

"It hardly seems safe keeping all these dangerous items in one place, and with only one protector too. Honestly I'd consider the Canterlot secret tunnels a bit more secure than this if only because it had guard patrols. Though no doubt you have other ways of protecting this place. I do know a thing or two about Ley lines, mostly that Equestria and Troy are mostly fed by the Central Ley line while Troy also has some access to the broken Ley Lands. Given the quarry's proximity to the main line it isn't surprising that you'd have a powerful fractal running through here."

He looked around the room to try and see exactly what was being stored here, "Speaking of magic, do you have some sort of object to restore magical energy? You're not exactly lending yourself as a source of emotional energy, and fighting Redd will be exhausting enough as it is. Having a way to quickly regen will certainly make this easier." 

Taps lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh-HO... so the secret tunnels would be more secure?  Yet here you are with the Cloud Diamond in hoof, and yet you've never even HEARD of The Closet... oh, yes, FAR more secure."

She rolled her eyes and stood up again, headed to a specific shelf.

"If you're going to attempt to insult my position and integrity, Easle, you should go back to royalty-bashing; trying to get at me through my sworn duty just makes me think you're grasping at straws.  Besides, here I thought we were being mature... of course, since we're tossing out metaphorical darts, then I could simply continue to lay into Troy-"

She reached a certain book, and opened it to the front, scanning over what appeared to be the table of contents.

"... far too easily, yes, but I could.  Now, if you're done trying to insult the validity of my hallowed position, then we can dialog further - just make sure to keep your petulance in check, and we'll be fine."

She began looking through the tome, her mismatched eyes zipping across the pages.  As she did, she muttered different lines in different languages.

Illiad looked non-plussed, "I hadn't heard of the secret tunnels either until Luna herself told me about them, and besides, my point was not to diminish your role or the security of this place, my point was that it seems unwise to have all these things in one place with only one protector, especially when said protector's cover requires them to leave the site fairly frequently. Frankly it seems irresponsible of Celestia to ever allow it to reach a situation where only one is guarding the items, especially given how dangerous you say they are." 

He shook his head, "But that's besides the point, the folly of this situation has already been manifested in Redd. And as much as I'd like to hear more about what you think you know of the world outside Equestria, now is neither the time nor the place. Though I would be more than happy to continue this discussion later."

"... daranae zelvu palakai... ezzit do trazzid forzzin... klaatu barada nicto... nottoc tuoba gnihtemos... owau no, he maia..."

Her muzzle lit up, and her eyes took on an almost static-like energy.

"THERE it is!  Excellent!"

She faced Illiad.

"THIS spell might be able to extract Redd from the Jinx Stone's control... I just need some casting potential to execute it.  Pardon ME..."

She made her way past Illiad to another shelf, where she deftly placed a small black bowler hat on her head.

"... aaaaand THAT should take care of that requirement."

She then slowly turned to look at Illiad, gauging him for a moment.

"Hmmmmmmm... as much as I could give you one of a hundred different sources for magical energy, I think perhaps it would be far better to simply pull it from the 'Taps', so to speak."  She gave a slight giggle, then grinned at the unicorn.  "Ready?"

The emotional wall she had up didn't come straight down; it felt like it came apart in sections.  First, Illiad felt frustration... then worry added to it... then irritation thrown in... curiosity... pride, closely followed by humility... wariness... a spot of lonely determination... loyalty... confidence... and a touch of hope at the end.  All in all, she'd let her defenses down slowly - and the emotional tide was high.

"Hopefully THAT will help - if not, then I suppose you'll just have to make do.  I've no great wish to see ANY unicorn take hold of any of the objects present that could supply them limitless magic; you'll pardon me from letting you indulge in that particular possibility, I hope."

She made her way back across the room, headed to another shelf where she promptly opened another book and began searching again, running her hoof across line after line.

"As for the LeyLines, it hardly surprises me that you know of them; I may find you to be a bit a bit abrasive, but I acknowledge that you have intelligence... it would be remiss of me to assume otherwise."

A small spike in her irritations, yet no readily discernible reason for such.

"Anyhow, Redd Handid will be a trick to defeat - or should I say, his villainous persona will be a hooffull, I'm sure.  It IS the entire reason he's here at the quarry in the first place, after all."

He was surprised when Taps opened herself up to him so willingly after she had been so reserved, he let a deep breath out through his nose as what remained of his cloud diamond swirled around him, drinking in the emotional energy Taps gave so freely. "That was certainly kind of you, if you were a unicorn I'd say there would be a good chance you would have been Empathic too."

The diamond expanded into a sort of ring floating lazily around Illiad like the rings of a distant planetoid, each fragment glowing with energy. "On the subject of Redd then, I would guess by the way you talk about him and his mark that he perhaps suffers from a split personality disorder? A good and evil half so to speak where one side was repressed by the other, and now the stone has brought the less desirable side into full view and control? I would guess then you would have the most experience and since you still won’t give me the counterspell Selena and I can run defense for you."

A thoughtful look came to Illiad's face, "I am curious though, knowing the effects of the stone, what trait it would bring out in me? I of course have no desire to test it out, but it still makes me wonder."

"I have done my studies into Empathics, and I have a basic knowledge of how to work with them; I'm no bigot when it comes to other abilities or races - no point in excluding someone for what they do... it would be like blaming fire for being hot and bright."

She nodded at something she located in the tome, then the bowler began to glow... and so did Wheels.  The glow was a soft blue, and faded slowly.  She then turned to face Illiad, concern coming from her in a fair roll.

"As for Mr. Handid, you're incorrect, but as expected, you did make a rather informed assessment.  He isn't suffering from a split persona... he's an ACTOR."

She smirked a bit, but there was no superiority or malice in it; the thought was humorous to her.

"It's rather fascinating; Redd was brought here by his brothers Empty and Heavy, a number of years ago.  He'd been born to play villain roles, he claimed... but his brothers insisted that he wasn't any good at it.  So, they worked out a deal with Luther to have him come onboard here as a forepony, and to do his utmost to be as much of a jerk as he could muster."

"The original idea was for him to only stay on for a few months... but his brothers abandoned him here.  His sister is the one he's doing this for, however - she's the other actress in the family, known by the stage name of Stirring Hope, the heroic mare who made her name playing Mare-Do-Well and other such heroes for audiences."

She gave a slight smile, apparently touched by the thought.

"Redd is doing his utmost best to gather enough bits to afford to go home and help her start her own movie studio.  She wants him to be her penultimate villain for her movies... and he wants to make his little sister happy.  Not what anyone would expect at all, but that's why nobody knows about it, other than Redd and Luther - and myself, of course.  And now, you."

Her muzzle grew dark.

"And I do believe that the VILLAIN in him is the part of him the Jinx Stone amplified, unfortunately; and with his physical possession of the stone, it will likely augment his powers as well, making him a 'proper villainous challenge'.  But nothing I cannot handle... and I'm certain you feel the same."

"Now, I have a few tricks that I can pull from my fetlocks, but some of them are ONLY ONCE; certain miracles get no repeats.  Otherwise, I have only a few possible items to spare from the Armoury... but I believe they can make quite a difference, if used correctly."

She looked at him honestly, earnestly seeking an opinion.

"Many of these artifacts should NEVER be used together... hence, what do YOU feel would be better to focus on: offense or defense?  I can gather things for one or the other; together could be disastrous, and I don't even trust MYSELF with anything that does both.  What would you advise, Easle?  You have my attention; let's hear it."

Illiad looked somewhat surprised at the revelation, "I must say I am impressed with his acting skills then to even have his emotions in line with the role of being a self-absorbed member of the fun police. But anyway, I actually prefer the versatile items, like my cloud diamond. things that are balanced in that regard come a bit more naturally to me, though if you insist on choosing one over the other, I would appreciate defensive items as you are the one with the counter to Redd, I need to keep you in good enough shape to use it. Things like one-way magic shields, and mana boosters come to mind, more cloud diamond would be most preferable as Selena and I already know how to use it effectively."

He sighed, "I sure hope you know what you're doing, I can in all likelihood keep you safe from anything he can throw at us both physically and magically. What do you need in order to break the spell?"

She listened closely, then considered things for a moment before nodding.

"To sum up: You should see his sister - defense works for me, as well - and no, there is no cloud diamond in The Closet."  She then looked back toward the locked door.  "Well, there are a FEW things, but those are ill-advised to go messing with."

She turned back to the unicorn, and gave the bowler she wore a firm push onto her noggin.

"At any rate, I do believe there are a few Ioun Stones floating around here..." she gave a light chuckle, then continued, "as well as some psych- AH HA!"

She went to a lower shelf and brought out a small leathery bag.  She poured its' contents into her hoof, then lightly tossed them at Illiad.  However, instead of bouncing off of him, they took flight and began to orbit his head.  As they did, Illiad could feel his personal power swell a bit; the stones were amplifying his abilities.

"Ioun Stones - a spellcaster's best friend."

She made her way to one of the other shelves, and spoke over her flank as she began to gather a few small nic-nacs together.

"And I wouldn't even begin to presume what would happen to you, were you affected by the Jinx Stone; the damned thing came into existence because of Discord - chances are, it wouldn't be pretty."

Illiad's eyes widened as the stones began to affect him, he swayed a bit as his senses increased in strength. Given Taps' lowered defenses it was like he was peering into the very depths of her emotions. Hopefully this was caused by her being the only one he could sense, and he wouldn't have this same feeling when there were more ponies around.

The stones seemed to act like focal points for his magic, refining the spells he would cast so they took less mana and would be more powerful, this would certainly be helpful.

Illiad shrugged, "I suppose it's for the best that we never find out, hopefully it stays that way. Now, if we're all ready, we really should stop Redd before he does something we can't undo, like accidently kill somebody." 

Illiad could certainly feel the depths of her emotions, all right.

At the very base of her soul was a fire, something that burned with a passion that permeated her every waking decision.  That fire felt noble and good, determined to see things right.  Layered over that was tempered experience, a stocky kind of confidence, and a good hearty dose of goodwill, even towards Illiad.

She wasn't holding back, and yet she wasn't overwhelming, either - she apparently DID know something about Empathics.

"Agreed, we should stop him before he does something irrevocable... though I wouldn't worry about death being in that category - there is a way around almost anything, Easle; when the norm simply won't do, have faith in the extraordinary."

She flashed a winning smile at him, then clicked her hooves together - front two first, then the back two.  From her horseshoes, there was a >CLICK<, and small wheels popped out of each one.  She stood on them expertly, and seemed to float over to another shelf, gracefully drifting as if she were a ballerina.

"Now, the spell I have to cast will take a good moment to finish - and I'll have to concentrate on it to make certain it takes effect.  The spell should give the affected pony a fighting chance of resisting the stone's effects... but they'll have to be talked through it.  The stone's critical moment is the actual physical connection; if you know to expect it, it CAN be fought - but it isn't easy."

She took hold of a necklace with a large ruby pendant, and slung it over her head.

"Now, we can go directly to Redd and cut this off at the pass... but I admittedly haven't actually USED this spell yet; I'm not even 100% certain it will work as I hope it will.  We could also go after the other Blackwaters, and try it on them to try refining the spell.  Going for Redd and ending this would be quicker... but you'd have to hold him off alone while I do.  Or, we can gather the Blackwaters and let me practice, AND possibly give yourself some help with keeping Redd busy."

She looked at him, her emotions telling the Empathic that this was a mare determined to set things right.

"What say you?"

Illiad sighed as he thought for a bit, "reversing death is seldom a good idea, I know at least one creature that would be particularly peeved if you did."

"As to our plan, it would be best to test on a Blackwater first, if it doesn't work than we won't have Redd on top of us. Dax is at his camp, or at least, that's where Selena put him." 

A bit of frustration and confusion at the mention of Selena's name, but Wheels showed nothing outwardly to that effect.

"Well then, I suppose Dax would be our first target, then... shall we?"

She motioned to the stairs again, and rolled her way to them.  Reaching them, she spread her wings - which looked strong and deft.  A single flap, and she was airborne; she made her way into the stairwell.

"Dax's camp won't be too far, and I expect we'll have a minimum of distraction, way out there."

Illiad got up to follow her, stepping with the tips of his hooves as he would in sand before he remembered Taps' chastisement for it and stepped with full hooves as he followed her.

"Unless Redd knows we're here and is just waiting for us to leave so he can get us. Is there perhaps a secret way out? Or should we prepare to be attacked the moment we open the door?"

She looked at Illiad like she was about to toss a snarky comment, then she stopped.  As she ruminated over the idea, Illiad could feel her methodically weighing options, then she nodded.

"Perhaps you're right.  There are actually MULTIPLE ways out of The Closet, but only THREE ways in - and only I know them all." She swooped back out of the stairwell, and closed and locked the door behind her.  "We can take the outer wall exit; that'll keep me from having to unlock the gates I just locked down.  This way."

She turned around one shelf after another; Illiad began to notice that the shelves seemed endless - far more of them than he had seen coming in.  Eventually, with the blue mare keeping just in sight, they reached a row of coathooks, from which hung a number of different cloaks, suits, jackets, coats and a few other bits of clothing.  She made her way up to a hook that bore only a battered-looking top hat.

"Bandy, we need to get outside."

The top hat twitched, once.  After waiting a moment, Wheels sighed and spoke again.  "Bandy, we don't have TIME for this..."

The hatband parted horizontally, revealing a pair of glowing green eyes, and the voice came from the hat itself.  "Och, ye say ye hanna th' tyme, lassie?  An' ye seem ta find time fer bringin' a pone down here fer smoochin', aye?"  Wheels' emotions hopped about for a moment, and she gave the slightest of blushes before responding.

"No, mothbait!  This is an EMERGENCY, Bandy - we need to get through to the outer wall; open the door, would you kindly?"

The hat shifted a bit on the hook, and the eyes drifted over Illiad's form.  "Well... at least ye gotten better taste since th' LAST 'un!  You, boyo... do ye ken what yer gettin' inta with this here lass?"

Wheels rolled her eyes, irritation growing inside her... as well as some embarrassment.

"Bandy I swear... to... CELESTIA!  If you don't open that door..."  The hat's eyes swiveled back to her.  "You'll WHAT, 'zactly?  Beggin' yer pardon, but I canna ken a single thing ye could do ta-"

"Maybe you'd like me to release Bert and Ernie?"

The hat's eyes went wide, and there was a grinding sound; a section of the wall next to the hat's coathook slid away, and the smell of earth and roots wafted through the opening.  Inside was a tunnel lit by more glowing algae, and Wheels began her way into it.

"Thank you, Bandy... go back to sleep."  The hat shuddered, then turned it's gaze on Illiad once more, and spoke low.

"'Ere, boyo - some advice?  That one's a loner-type; go find yerself a nice unicorn filly, an' leave THAT mess o' troubles be."

Illiad raised an eyebrow at the exchange between Taps and the hat, but followed her nonetheless. It wasn't the weirdest thing he had seen that day after all.

"Don't worry, I have no plans regarding her and I do actually know a nice unicorn mare, thanks for the tip though." 

They continued into the tunnel, and the door closed behind them to the sound of stones grinding and the hat laughing uproariously.  

The tunnel was large enough that a minotaur could walk in here without stooping, yet narrow enough to force single-file progression.  The floor here was preternaturally smooth, and Taps/Wheels seemed to simply drift along it using the wheels on her shoes.

"Honestly, it actually feels GOOD to speak after so many years of keeping to myself.  So many times I wanted to have conversations, or just to say hello, or even just adding a random comment into someone else's conversation in passing... of course, with my responsibilities as the keeper of The Closet, I really don't have much choice.  Once I start talking, there'll be even more questions, and those might lead to questions that involve my REAL profession... and I simply CANNOT have that information getting around."

There was a twinge of regret at the end of that statement, yet she continued on.

"I had been fully informed that a position like this would consume my old life in Equestria... but since I had no friends that would miss me, nor family that would worry, it seemed as though I was the proper candidate for the position.  And I AM.  I just..."

She gave a sharp gust of a sigh.

"... I just wish I knew where the other operatives were - even ONE - because I feel so alone, sometimes.  Since the mole, I haven't seen nor heard from nary a one.  I keep doing my job, because these artifacts would be just as deadly in certain hooves... but I truly wish I could contact just ONE of them."

Illiad followed after Taps, "Why don't you talk to Celestia? surely she could put you in touch with another of the remaining operatives."

She looked over her flank at Illiad.

"But I do go on; what I'm wondering is, why is a Trojan so far removed from their desert?  Now now," she held up a hoof, "I'm not bashing; but it's simply difficult to believe that a stallion whose position is so important for Troy's political future is busy gallivanting around with the Blackwater's middle child... and so close to Canterlot, as well."

"With Iron Hoof's propaganda, it would be frighteningly easy to convince the Council... neigh, the entire NATION... to go to war.  Which is what the 'hawks' want, of course.  Though I think the battle would be far more difficult than you think, Trojan, I believe the overall cost to BOTH sides would be unacceptable losses - and I have a sincere feeling that both nations wouldn't be strong enough to stand for long after a war of the magnitude each nation is FULLY capable of."

Illiad thought for a moment before responding, "As to why I'm here, it certainly strengthens my platform of cooperation for me to be actively participating in an exchange of culture. On the possibility and outcome of war, there is no doubt in my mind that it would be a bloody affair, but the question is how much of their nations' power will they be willing to bring forward? Both sides have the ability to wreak extreme destruction on the other, which is why Luna wants me in position should it ever come to that."

They reached a junction in the tunnels, and Taps only paused a single moment before turning to the right.

"But with negotiations unspoken, it leaves a lot of questions that NEED answers - yet no one is truly providing them.  Not to the masses, anyway... and BOTH ruling bodies have faults there; don't single out Her Majesty Princess Celestia's dirt without seeing the stains on your own wrap as well.  If there were no issues, you wouldn't be doing what you and your running mate Midget are currently doing."

"The issues that cause me to run are the poor relations with Equestria, or more precisely, I run to counter Iron Hoof and his reasons to continue. If Celestia opened the borders, ended the embargo and officially recognized Troy as an independent nation then Iron would have no platform to stand on."

"While I admittedly have a grudging respect for what Her Majesty Princess Luna has done with Troy, I still have severe issues with the almost petulant way Trojans speak of Equestria - yourself included.  All you seem to speak of is every fault you see in Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia; I rarely hear of anything else.  I had to discover their history, their economy, their society and their culture through books - because no Trojan I ever knew would could ever get over the past long enough to tell me what was so GOOD about it."

"As to our manner of speaking about Equestria... I must admit you do have a point, perhaps I do push my grievances against Celestia a bit too hard. But who else would dare to point out her flaws? To even think that She was anything less than perfect? There is no check on her power, on her rule. She refuses to be part of the global council because she won’t have anyone having oversight on her decisions. Which is partly why she is so slow to return Luna to power, perhaps she is simply unused to the idea of another having the power she wields, perhaps she doesn't want there to be someone who could countermand her orders. It is not my place to say, but my place to worry about the true motives behind her actions."

Illiad sighed ass he continued, "The facts of the matters are: Celestia has yet to recognize Troy as an independent nation. There is a trade embargo between Equestria and Troy. Luna has yet to be restored to the powers of her position. And Celestia has yet to join the global council. You have anything to add to that? I'm sorry if I seem to be rambling a bit."

Wheels gave a soft sigh.

"Since you're being open about such, I admit that I... can't fathom why there ARE no negotiations between our two countries; it would only make sense for two nations to work together to make each other better... and in all fairness, the Democratic model does seem to be working rather well."

She looked back at the unicorn.

"Yet I still tell myself that I MUST have faith in my Princess; the loyalty I feel isn't simply a blind faith, Easle - I have fought for this nation more times than you might believe, and what Her Majesty Princess Celestia stands for - at least openly - is what has carried me through some of the hardest points in my life.  I MUST believe better of my nation... or how can I believe better of myself?"

Her emotions showed an ache, possibly in connection to her thoughts on Celestia... yet she chose this moment to pay attention to what they should be doing. She reached a section of wall where Illiad could feel a small, chilly draft.  Taps began running her hoof along the side, seeking something. There was a soft >tick<, and a portion of the wall slid up into the rock.  Outside of the opening, Illiad could see the edge of the Everfree staring back at them.

> An Exchange of Plans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wheels turned and looked at Illiad.  "About a ten minute walk from here is Dax's camp; can you sense him from here?" 

Illiad squinted a bit as the new light shone in, "Not yet, we'll have to get closer. Hopefully he didn't leave the camp." 

"Right - the camp is west of here; the cliff-face is rather sheer... but still walkable.  Though it might be easier if I were to carry you down... which would you prefer?"

Illiad shrugged, "I think I can manage myself on the cliff, if not then Selena should be able to carry me easily enough."

There's a reason they're called cloud diamonds after all. 

Wheels shrugged, then unfurled her wings and took off, making a slow spiral downward as Illiad carefully made his own way down. She wasn't showing off; in fact, she was taking things very carefully, scouting the area before the Trojan arrived on the ground.

Once there, she landed gracefully and folded her wings in, using her wheeled horseshoes to roll along the beaten pathway to make short work of the distance.  Despite the fact that she was a pegasus, she seemed more at home on her hooves than in the air. Whenever it seemed Illiad was about to slip, a bit of the cloud diamond supported his hooves, making for an easy walk down.

It wasn't too long before they came upon Dax's campsite, and Dax was indeed there... and his mind was as clear as a bell.

"HEY!  Illiad!  Taps!  I'm here!"  He waved as they got close, his concern was overpowered by his relief at seeing the two ponies coming his way.

Wheels looked over her flank at Illiad.  "Not a word of The Closet to the Blackwaters - they have no need to know."

Dax came over to them and grinned broadly.

"I think the circlet you gave me helped a LOT - though I was really, really sad for a minute there..."

The thought of Daxter Blackwater's depressed side taking him completely over was horrifying from an Empathic's standpoint.

"... but then I think I heard S-... s-s-some voice or other, telling me I'd be fine."

Dax had stopped himself from spouting Selena's identity just in time - at least he was loyal.

"What happened to the rest of my family?  Are they okay?"

Illiad was frankly relieved to see that Dax was okay, though that meant they'd need to find another Blackwater to test the spell on. "Oh good, you're fine. I didn't think the enchantment would protect you that way, but I'm glad it did. Your family... is about as safe as anyone can be at the moment, we'll be rounding them up just as soon as we stop Redd, don't you worry about that."

Illiad turned to Taps, "Mrs. Blackwater is at the medic station, hopefully that's close to here."

Taps facehoofed.

"Actually, no... that's back at the quarry... which we just left... and have to now go BACK to... and I'll have to unlock AND open the gates..."

Dax's emotions gave a little spike of pride.  "Actually, I know another way in... we'll have to take a rocky path, but it leads to Blackwater Ridge; we can get in through there, straight to the manor's front yard."

Taps stared at Dax for a moment, then smiled and tousled his mane.

"Well, aren't you resourceful?"

She looked at Illiad.  "Okay, if we stay close to the wall, we should be able to creep into the quarry yard and work from there."

"Well we had to go back anyway. Let's hurry though, the less time Redd has to work with the better."

Illiad had no idea whether he would be able to defeat Redd without killing him, he had every confidence in his own ability to be sure, but he didn't want to risk Redd's life if it came down to it. 

A thought suddenly occurred to Illiad as he went over to Dax's tent to retrieve the items he had left there a few nights ago, namely the cloak and the book, before expertly teleporting them to his room. "Wouldn't want to forget those when I leave."

It took a bit of a walk to get to the path Dax mentioned... and in the meantime, some disturbing goings-on were ahoof at the quarry itself.  Behind the daunting iron walls, there were occasional sounds of laughter, singing, arguing and various strange sounds... including the sound of somepony crowing like a rooster.  How THAT was an aspect of ANYONE'S personality was up for debate.

Eventually, the threesome reached a small, scrub-lined dirt pathway.  It was strange; it looked specifically designed to be nearly invisible to anyone on the ground until you were directly upon it.  Dax nodded at it when it came into view.

"That's it - now up through here, through the graveyard, and into the manor's front yard.  If Redd's still inside, we'll have to be extra quiet sneaking by.  But if he's outside..."

Dax didn't finish his statement, not wanting to put the possibility into the ether.  The Trojan could feel the fear pulsing in the Blackwater's mind... but there was a sense of adventure evidencing itself, too.  He may have been scared out of his mind, but Dax was still all for the idea of being a hero.

The graveyard was silent and breezy as they made their way through it.  The various grave markers stood as silent sentinels, watching the three pass without fuss nor alarm.  It was peaceful here... in a somewhat morbid sense, anyhow.  When they passed through, Taps took the lead, and quietly rolled down the pathway on her wheels.  Stopping at the bottom of the brushy path, she turned back to them and spoke quietly.

"I don't see Redd outside the manor, so I believe we have a chance to make it to the quarry yard; from there, we can decide what to do next.  Easle, if you would be so kind as to flank Dax, then I'll take front.  Keep it quiet, take your time, and stay down."

Dax's eyes lit up, and he said, "Low and slow.  Father taught me that a long time ago; makes sense to follow it now."

Taps looked back at the unicorn.  "Shall we?"

Illiad paused as he surveyed the scene. "Hold up, Oglevy is in the cloud diamond cave if that's closer, it may not be the safest place to be in if Redd catches us, though any remaining cloud diamond there would be a boost to our own defenses. Otherwise, Mr. Blackwater is in the gem refinery that Silver took me to once. Hopefully one of those will be closer than the Medic station, the less time we spend in the open the better."

He looked a bit sheepish as he prepared to pre-empt any complaints by Taps, "Selena didn't tell me until now since she didn't want me to know if I were affected by Redd. But now that we know the circlet protects against that she could tell me without worry." 

He made a glance at Dax in an attempt to convey that he should feign ignorance at the subject of Selena.

Taps lifted an eyebrow, but Dax caught on rather quickly.

"Okay, then why don't we split up?  This way, we could each make our way to my other family members, then possibly convene somewhere where we can actually make some sort of plan - and I've got a feeling we're gonna NEED a plan to fix this trouble."

Dax grew a thoughtful look on his face, while Taps stood back and waited; she was somewhat impressed with Dax's attitude shift - so much so, that Illiad's mention of Selena went by without any further word on the matter.

Dax stopped and turned to meet his companion's gazes.

"All right, I've got it - I'll go to the Medical Station and get Mother... Illiad, you get Father, and Taps can retrieve Oglevy."

Taps/Wheels gave a bit of a look; she didn't care much for the spoiled colt, and her emotions matched suit with her disposition.

"And may I ask the reason for THIS split?  Must I be the one to fetch Oglevy?  I'd like to know why you divided us up like this."

Dax turned to Taps, and spoke quite confidently to the mailmare/secret agent.

"Sure - it's easy: Illiad's a unicorn, so he can levitate Father to where we meet if there's too much resistance... and Oglevy is a pegasus, so if he makes a break for it, you'd have a better chance to catch him than either of us would."

Taps blinked.  "That... is actually rather intelligent.  Of course, it doesn't surprise me - you always have been an intelligent one, no doubt of that... and you apparently think on your hooves rather well."

She nodded, and her words sent Dax's pride to soaring.

Illiad seemed unsure, but if the other two thought that it was good than who was he to second guess them. "Alright then, let's meet back here since we can reasonably assume that this place is still pretty safe, and we all know how to get to and from here. I think I can see the refinery from here, so it should be relatively easy for me to go back and forth."

He turned to Dax more specifically, "Be aware, the way your family is acting is not a reflection of their true selves, anything they say or do can be discarded as false and not intended by them. Their actions are not their own, so you cannot hold what they do against them. Remember that."

He turned back to look towards the quarry, "We ready now? I'm sure not, but I'm going in anyway." 

Dax nodded.  "Thanks; I'll keep that in mind.  Be careful - both of you, please."

With that, he turned and began to make his way towards Ziggy's Shack.  Taps turned to Illiad.

"Very well - as much as I dislike that spoiled foal, Dax is correct; should he attempt to fly off, I will have him, post-haste.  So, and I go."

She began to skate off, then did a full 180, skating backwards as she said, "Best of luck, Easle."

With that, she made her way toward the cavernous mine entrance, taking wing as she reached the equipment lift and began flying down the shaft.  It would certainly make it a fast entrance to the mines.

Hopefully, there wasn't anything STILL under there that might cause even more trouble.

Illiad took a steadying breath before he too made his way down to the quarry yard. With a spell refracted against his supply of cloud diamond it wasn't hard to make himself nearly invisible, one would have to know where to look in order to hope to see him, or if they could sense magic or emotions like he could, then he'd still stand out like a sore hoof.

Even with the limited invisibility, he still tried to keep to the shadows and back walkways as much as he could on the way to the refinery.

As he snuck along through the quarry yard, Illiad saw ponies acting in all sorts of strange and alarming manners.  A few were arguing, some were traipsing or skipping around, one or two were sitting in weird positions (like on their heads), and there were MORE than a few fighting each other - and one pony seemed to be fighting himself!

Then suddenly, there was a hissing, squealing sound that seemed to be coming from the Gem Refinery itself.  Out of the smokeless smokestacks, an alarming amount of steam was shooting up through one of them and making quite the cloud over the roof of the refinery.

The smokestack, like its brethren, was numbered... it was #6.

Well, that confirms a suspicion of mine.  The fact that the stack had not been repaired that day meant one of two things, either Silver had been affected, or she was otherwise incapable of doing it, for instance she could have locked herself up in her shed to keep herself safe from the spread.

Illiad stopped where he was, Silver taking a greater importance in his mind. Using the stones he extended his senses outward across the quarry, searching for the emotional trail of Silver's which he had grown so familiar with.

Please be okay.

It only took a moment, but he found her emotional signature - and it was furiously at work, waves of concentration pouring out from Shed #7, not far from the Gem Refinery.  It was close enough that he might-

A shriek of steam escaped from a section of the #6 smokestack as a large crack began slowly rolling its' way towards the upper lip, twisting and branching like a disaster-causing root, growing to the billowing clouds of vapor reaching out from the stack itself.  From inside, in a rich and deep baritone came an all-too-familiar voice whose bellow could even be heard rather clearly above the din around the Trojan.

"YOU!  You need bits!  CATCH!"

There was a crash, and a sack of bits flew through one of the windows, smashing it to pieces as it flew through about four steps from Illiad's position.  Luther Blackwater was still inside, all right.

And if that smokestack was any indicator, Hopper #6 was close to exploding - which might take the Blackwater patriarch with it!

Illiad gave a sigh of relief, it seemed Silver was fine for now. He made his way quickly to the window of the refinery that the bag of bits came through, hopefully it would be big enough to save Mr. Blackwater through.

He silently, and not so silently rued that he had not learned many more spells beyond teleportation, advanced telekinetics, and bound broadsword and tower shield. If he knew a freezing spell or a repair spell he could save the stack, he could even do it with telekinesis if he knew how to fix it. But alas he didn't, so all he could hope for was saving Mr. Blackwater and whoever else was within the refinery building. It would be much harder to resurrect them if they were in many tiny pieces or incinerated after all.

Through the window, Illiad could see a total of three ponies inside:

Near the front doors was one of the miners, who was busy walking small, tight circles around a single trash can on the floor; he seemed transfixed by what he was doing, and he didn't even seem to notice what was going on around him at all.

Over by the start of the conveyor belts stood yet another, who was counting the emeralds as they came out of Hopper #1; the cart meant to catch them was filled to overflowing, and gems rained down the sides unheeded as the worker simply counted off out loud: "242... 243... 244... 245... 246..."

And of course, on the railing directly above the creaking and groaning Hopper #6 was none other than Luther Blackwater himself, pacing back and forth and tossing bags of bits at the other two below.  Though he stood as regal and proud as ever, he had the same spaced-out look in his eyes that the others were exhibiting.

Illiad might yet have a chance to save them all... but he'd better hurry; #6 sounded as if it were a teakettle, whistling violently and about to boil over... and if Silver's story held any merit, it wouldn't boil over quietly OR safely.

Given his increased magical abilities by the stones and the enhanced precision offered by Selena's guidance. It would be no trouble to teleport all three of the ponies out of the refinery.

So he did just that.

In a very bright flash all three of the ponies were suddenly outside of the refinery, hopefully they would be safe enough there.

He immediately grabbed Mr. Blackwater with his magic and began running directly away from the refinery in the hopes that he could put enough distance between him and it before it blew. 

Luther looked quite surprised when he suddenly appeared outside of the refinery; it looked like a very out-of-place expression on his muzzle.  He followed along, stumbling a bit but staying on his hooves.

The other two ponies simply gawked at each other.


>FOOOOMP!<


It was like the sound a gigantic spitball would make if it was launched from the world's biggest straw; chunks of the ceiling shot out from the rooftop as smokestack #6 launched like a concrete javelin into the air, a rain of mortar and brick in its' wake.  Silver hadn't been exaggerating - the entire tube went about ten stories straight up before it came to a slow, momentary stop in mid-air.  

Gracefully, it then began it's descent, slowly at first, then picking up speed and tilting sideways before coming down squarely on top of the refinery with a >BANG!< so loud that it rattled Illiad's bones, even from the safe distance away.  Luckily, there was no other damage, and none of the flying detrius had hurt anypony in the quarry yard; they were still as they were - that is to say, still fully under the effects of the Jinx Stone.

"Easle?  What..."

In Luther's eyes, the clouds faded a bit; he was fighting the Stone's grip!

"... have some bits... wait... you need..."

His face scrunched up, and he began to sweat.

Once he was sure no others were hurt, he kept running with Mr. Blackwater in his magical grip to the place they agreed to return to. He looked Mr. Blackwater straight in the eyes as he ran and spoke with his most serious tone yet. "Remain calm, this isn't over yet and you'll be free soon. Just hold on."

He turned back to look where he was running, it wouldn't be good to trip now after all. 

The two of them arrived at the scene, and there was Taps, with Oglevy on the ground in front of her.

"This is... disconcerting; he didn't struggle in the least.  He's been calculating something... and he won't stop."

As if to emphasize, Oglevy spoke up for a moment.

"... nonononoNO, it's not 472994629.22759... it's 472994629.25759... with a margin error of 16.49665, then it converts the number to 4489366574997151784..."

As his voice dropped back to a bare whisper, Taps shrugged at the Trojan.  On the other side of the yard, he heard a door bang open against the steel siding of the Medical Shed.

"... and ONE two three four, TWO two three four, THREE two three four..."

Dax came strutting out of the tent, engaged in a full-on Tango with his mother, Vylia.  She seemed to be laughing, and followed his movements step for step as her clouded eyes seemed to look forward, yet see nothing.  He began leading her in their direction, a look of sheepish acceptance on his muzzle.

Taps gave a smirk.  "Well, that's ONE way, I suppose.  Clever, Dax."

Luther continued to fight the control... and Illiad could feel him winning.

"... more bits... I... hhhhhrnnngh..."

Illiad gave a short sigh, the high levels of power were starting to affect his nerves and weaken his usual level of control. He couldn’t seem to remove the slight smile from his face despite how serious things were around him.

"Alright, we've got them all together so now lets test that spell you've got and see if it's worth anything. The refinery's already pretty demolished and if we don't hurry I think more buildings will follow. I can't wait to see what brilliant plan you have to restoring the whole place, and how you're going to convince everyone they lost a full day or so without raising any questions." 

Taps smiled.  "Oh ye of little faith..."

She lowered her head and began to chant in a strange tongue, softly.  The bowler atop her head glowed brightly, then there was a flash of light.  It rippled outward, going visibly as far as eight feet before dissipating.  As it rolled across the affected Blackwaters, the dull gleam left their eye sockets at once, and they each started speaking.

"What?  What... happened?"  "What in the blue skies of Cloudsdale..?"  "Unhh... my head... what am I doing HERE?"  "What is the meaning of... Daxter?  Easle?  Taps?"  "I don't understa-... Illiad Easle?"  "...you?  What happened?  What's going on?"  "Yes, DO tell, dearie..."  "Yes.  GOOD question."

Taps smiled, and motioned wordlessly to Illiad.  Dax looked to the stallion as well, but Illiad felt his friend would back whatever he said.

Oh no, you're not leaving this all to me.

Illiad gave a bit of a crooked smile, his eyes ever-so-slightly out of focus. "Oh, someone lost an artifact of immense power that traps you within your own mind and forces you to act in a way completely different to the way you usually act. It takes the smallest characteristic you have and amplifies it to be the greatest characteristic. Now I'm stuck cleaning up the mess, which now includes your refinery, which blew up soon after I saved you from it. Which is why I now have all these cool power stones. Thankfully that same someone who lost the artifact also has a counterspell, which is why you guys are now free from its effects. You are all currently wearing diamond circlets on your heads which will protect you from falling to its affects again, as well as protecting you from any other influences, magical or otherwise for the time being. Don't take them off until I say so and you'll be fine."

He turned away from the Blackwaters and started to make his way down to the quarry yard, "Now, I need to go fight Redd, who's been infecting you guys, so someone can fix all this. Save all your questions for when I return as I will be hosting a Q&A session then."

He felt a little bit off, but he couldn't put his hoof on why. It felt strange to be able to wield so much power. Is this how the alicorns feel every day? Interesting...

THAT is when something happened that the Trojan might not have ever expected.

As his power was boosted so high, he felt the slow build behind him as the Blackwater family, as one, began to emote... and it kept growing, not at all hurting the Trojan... but EMPOWERING him even further.

"I'M not staying anywhere - except next to you, Illiad."

Dax's heart was near bursting with the emotion that was fueling Illiad like coal in a fire, and he poured it on thick.  He came forward, moving to the right and matching step-for-step with Illiad Easle.

"Not YOUR problem - OUR problem, Easle; that includes us ALL... you, too."

Luther Blackwater, stern-faced and determined, fell into step on Illiad's left; he also felt the emotion, tight and focused, coming off the stallion.  It was surreal, yet the surge was undeniable.

"Dearie, you expect us to simply allow you to go in there without lifting a hoof for you in return?  As much as you've done forALL of us, we simply are NOT about to let you go in alone.  Perish the thought, my unicorn friend!"

Vylia, overhead with her lovely wings stretched and flapping gracefully, moved into position above her son Dax.  The Empathic felt a broad, yet all-encompassing deal of the same emotion coming from the Blackwater matriarch; it was like a shot of adrenaline, straight to the heart.

"Besides, you're a hero... I've seen it for myself.  And I owe ya one, anyway.  Right?"

Oglevy drifted his way across the gap to take his place over his Father's head, the admiration for the stallion becoming clear - he apparently DID remember who saved his flank.

The sheer horse of emotion coming from the four Blackwaters was enormous, and it sang through Illiad Easle like a war-cry.

What he felt from each of the four ponies was LOYALTY; not a one of the Blackwaters here would hesitate to join him at his side.  They weren't foolhardy or incapable individuals who were about to stumble into battle - it was unmistakable now...

After all his different interactions with them, the Blackwater family had accepted Illiad Easle as one of their own... and were not taking 'no' for an answer.  

More than that, it was a taste of what Twilight Sparkle must have first felt when the Elements of Harmony all lent her their power for the first time... they all trusted him, without exception.  It was intoxicating; the Trojan almost felt as if he could take on ANYTHING with this sensation flowing through his veins!

Taps simply passed a gaze between them all... then cocked an eyebrow at the Trojan as she caught up, wheeling herself to where she could see his reaction clearly.

His grin somehow grew slightly more, bordering on almost manic as the influx of emotions, amplified by the stones, rushed into him, quickly surpassing his own reserve into dangerous territory. Were the stones and Selena not actively fortifying and draining his reserves he would have snapped right then from the pressure, then Redd would have been the least of their worries. But the stones prevented it, allowing him to experience something that no other empathic had ever survived.

He started to laugh a bit as he began to float, the cloud diamond bearing him up in an effort to burn off his new dangerous supply of magic. "So much POWER! Limitless potential, I can see why the alicorns like it so much. Ohhh,"

His grin set into a solid smiling line as he began to drift down to the quarry yard, "Oh Redd! Come out and Play!"

To be honest, Illiad was pretty sure things were quickly becoming very wrong with himself. His body and mind were never meant to wield such power and much more would surely be the end of him. He needed to end this quick before he caused himself permanent damage, but he couldn't manage to bring himself to care really, the power simply felt too good, he felt himself slipping just a little bit, the inhibitions moving aside as he probed the depths of his own capabilities. Who knew what would happen.

The doors of Blackwater Manor flew off their hinges, coming to land yards away from their point of origin rather noisily.  But from out of the doors didn't come Redd... but Beck and Call.

They walked forward with very stiff-legged motions, as if they were puppets who have yet to get used to their strings.  They walked clumsily forward at first, then moved into step and began marching forward, towards Illiad and the Blackwaters.  As they advanced, more workers began making their way out of various other places - including the quarry yard - and gathering outside the large picture window in the front foyer, making quite a barricade between the Trojan and the manor house.

Stepping into line (and from the look on his face, fighting every hoofprint) came Chuck List, who stood directly in the center of the grouping and faced Illiad, just like the rest.  Knee Slapper moved out from the crowd as well, moving in a slow hypnotic daze towards the rear of the group, yet still directly in the center of Illiad's vision.  Moving to the center of the group came a tall, candy-colored zebra, whose blank stare held nothing of Doc Zinger's usual charm.

With his levels of power, he could FEEL every last one of them, struggling to break free.

The picture window did NOT blast outward; instead, it slowly and deliberately pulled itself into floating pieces, as if it could easily be put back together again... if it would simply stop floating, that was.  Through the tidily-made new exit came a levitating, glowing-eyed Redd Handid; he was keeping himself WELL ensconced within the throngs, almost daring Illiad to fire the first shot.

"Well... well... well... isn't THIS absolutely wonderful?  I've been WAITING for you, Easle...  and I am NOT disappointed, I see."

He spread his hooves, motioning to the throng of sixty-five Blackwater Quarry miners and other various workers that surrounded him closely.  He grinned a wicked grin, staring daggers into the Trojan's eyes.

"By all means, if you can free them all... do so.  But I assure you, there will be a few snapped necks before you can even begin to react - and each death will make me THAT much more powerful!  More superior!  MORE!"

As Illiad watched, he saw... well, more like FELT a presence creeping along the sidewall towards the front door of the house; Taps was trying to flank Redd... and as Redd's attention seemed to be focused on Illiad, she might get away with it.

The Blackwaters themselves, as one, were already preparing for a scrap... but their hearts were as clear to the unicorn as could be - none of them wanted to hurt anypony... not even Oglevy.  But they were ready for whatever came.

"Your move, Easle..."
> An Exchange of Havoc
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"SPREAD NOW!"

Luther bellowed as chunks of rock, moving as if thrown by a giant, came zooming through the air, smashing into pebbles as they struck where the others once stood.

"How RUDE!"  "HEY!"  "Nyah nyah, ya missed us!"

The family kept their eyes on Redd, but began to circle protectively around Illiad's position.

Meanwhile, the unicorn himself could SEE it; it was like a number of strings, glowing with a headache-inducing shade of yellow, all coming from that one little stone around Redd's neck.  All the magic going on with the others seems to be connected to that one singl-

... please...

What was that?

... help me...

It sounded as though it was very distant, even WITH Illiad's boosted power levels - chances were, it was BECAUSE of those boosted levels that he heard it at all.

... please...

So much fear.

The combined emotions of all those gathered, still amplified by the stones, continued to boost his own power levels. Until something clicked inside himself.

The manic smile dissipated, in its place a hard horizontal line. Time seemed to slow, and with all the power at his disposal it may just have. He closed his eyes for a moment and felt around the quarry for something, anything that he could use to stop Redd.

He felt Taps' shed, and though he had the power to break her protective enchantments, he decided not to open those possibilities.

He felt the cloud diamond cave, though it lacked enough material to be of much use. Didn't Mr. Blackwater say they had already excavated some? Where did he put it?

In a moment of searching he found the vault, not as well protected magically as the cabinet, but still somewhat protected. He sighed as he drained the enchantment, he'd have to put that back up when this was all over.

The enchantment gone he could see the cloud diamond, the shear mass of it was staggering, but would it be enough? It had to be.

With a massive flash that actually put a dent in his total magical reserves, he warped the entire mass of diamond out of the vault and refined it, leaving the diamond collectorate behind in the vault. Leaving him with a chunk of cloud diamond the size of several ponies.

With a second flash the circlets he had placed with such success on the Blackwaters appeared on the heads of every member of the quarry, except Redd. It had protected the Blackwaters from his influence before, it should still be effective.

When he spoke it was like the world was muted so that all could hear him without fail. "If you kill, you'll have to kill them with your own hooves, your magic can't make them kill themselves now. If you kill, you will die. Not Redd of course, but the stone. I won't destroy you, no. That might not work, but a little anti-magic could go a long way towards eliminating any magical influence the stone has. Trapping whatever remains within it forever. Unless you want that I'd suggest you leave the others out of it and fight me by yourself. You can keep them as collateral to ensure I don't cheat, but what you want is me, and I'm here. Killing them won't help you, it will only ensure your own destruction."

Illiad had never wielded such power before, and he hoped he wouldn't have to do so again. It scared him what he was capable of, he could kill everyone if he wasn't careful, if he didn't keep a tight lid on his own emotions. It wouldn't do them any good if he drove them all insane in the process of saving them.

The quarry workers, one and all, each stopped whatever they were doing and LOOKED at Illiad Easle.

There wasn't any hate... or fear of him... or even skepticism.  There was AWE - LOTS of it.  None of the other workers here had ever seen such a sight, and they had no idea what would come of it.  But whatever it was, the Blackwaters were standing behind him - and as bad as their reputation was, the workers here knew the score for what it truly was; they might not be friendly, but they wouldn't stand behind just anybody.

Redd also seemed affected; he HATED it.  As he stared back, an aura of red energy surrounded the indisposed Mr. Handid... then he simply dropped like a rock out of mid-air, hitting the ground with a dull thud and lying there motionless.  What was left behind was... different...

The Jinx Stone itself began to unfold... and twist... and shape itself accordingly into the form of a scintillating, gem-like version of a draconequus - though this was NOT Discord... not in the least.

The form stood as tall as the water tower next to the refinery; it had two massive onyx wings that flapped menacingly behind it, and its tail was long and wickedly barbed.  The two arms it had were muscular, ending in two powerful-looking fists tipped with sharp claws, and these it flexed with a grinding sound.  Its head was long and angular, its eyes twin rubies set into its' skull and its mouth peeled back to reveal a row of jagged diamond teeth.  Steam curled from its nostrils, and it coiled itself around Redd's form, transferring some of its' red aura to the hapless and helpless pony.  Redd lifted from the ground and hovered directly in front of the gemstone draconequus.

"You words alone tell me EVERYTHING I need to know, unicorn - that you care so much for the other entities here says that even a single death will cause you SUFFERING... delicious, scrumptious suffering... and you may indeed destroy me, especially given your current power level... but my suffering will finally END with my death; yours will go on for the rest of your miserable existence!"

It grinned with a vile light in its eyes, and wrapped one of its taloned hands around Redd's skull, palming it deftly.

"Tell me... have you ever heard the sound of a pony's skull being crushed?  It's simply delightful, I promise you..."

Its grip tightened, and a soft moan escaped Redd's muzzle.

"... continue derailing my fun, and I shall show you first-hoof what it sounds like.  Your threats don't bother me - YOU OFFER ME RELEASE!  A release that I would HAPPILY kill every living thing in Equestria for... but I sure won't simply lie down and die, either!  Such is the nature of my ilk, that we simply MUST make our mark."

It regarded the pony in it's grip again, then looked back at Illiad once more.

"Perhaps I should make a mark on Redd Handid?"

Illiad simply shrugged, all the power, all the effort it took to not explode from the energy he contianed, it made it very hard to care. Though he held tight regardless, he had a purpose, a duty to the world.

"Why leave a mark on him... when you could leave a mark on me? A being as powerful as yourself must know how important I am to this world, how far your mark would change the course of the future of this world. I see many futures now, not all of them pleasant, though right now you have a say in how it all goes down."

He gave a smirk as his horn began to glow brightly, what remained of the mass of cloud diamond after all the circlets were made formed around himself, joining the sparse ring of the original diamond as majestic wings of diamond took shape. They seemed to channel the energy better, an array gathering the emotional energy and focusing it into a now gem-augmented horn.

"But if you're going to make a mark on me, you'll have to hit me first. If it's death you want, I can assure you it is something you'll NEVER receive if you harm any others. Instead I will take special measures to ensure that you are simply trapped by the anti-magic, forever trapped within your own mind, never to experience anything but your own thoughts, forever."

He took a battle pose, his left wing turned in front of his face like a shield while his right was extended back and to the right like a sword, all while standing on a cloud of the diamond to be at eye level with the Jinx Creature.

"Now let us do glorious battle for the fate of the world. Just you and me."

"Make your mark." 

The thing tilted its head, then gave a low chuckle.

"And what would be so bad about that, eh?  It would mean that I officially get away with everything I've done up until now; essentially sending me somewhere where I'll be forced to be alone with only my thoughts?  Paradise!"

It cracked open its maw, and from within came a rollicking, raucous and raving laughter that felt like it was scratching gouges in his eardrums.  The Jinx-Thing was insane; of that there could be little doubt.

"And I can mark your outer shell whenever I wish... but to mark your conscience with a death?  THAT will leave scars that EVERY ONE will notice - scars of your WEAKNESS, your FAILURE... and the life, the single life, that causes this scar will be one you don't even like - the irony is more than I could ever have hoped to plan."

The Jinx-Thing wrapped the end of its tail around Redd Handid, holding him like a constrictor-type snake about to feed, as he sunk down towards the ground.  As he did, Redd was brought to follow suit - he looked exhausted, yet each almost-yawn was stifled by a slap across the mug with that wickedly nasty tail.  Redd was simply lolling in the grip of a mad creature.

However, Illiad was powerful enough to sense that Taps was in position on a high-wall, just opposite of the Jinx-Thing... and she had a number of magical items on her - including one buried inside her very heart, it seemed; the bright pulse from inside her was easy to see for the ultra-powered Empathic Trojan unicorn.

And she had a spell prepared that would turn that horrific thing back into a bauble... if Illiad could keep its' attention.

"You truly believe I have ANY other goal than causing as much damage as possible?  Even my own freedom is forfeit, should it mean my work will cause utter chaos!"

The Jinx-Thing lowered its' voice until the bass rumble from it shook the ground and vibrated even within Illiad's chest.

"For I am HAVOC; and I now loosen the dogs of Tartarus!"

... and with that, he twisted his tail to the left quickly, and an audible > SNAP < filled the gap between the two combatants.

Havoc smiled at Illiad.

Illiad could still feel, thus it was only auditory. An illusion meant to distract him, to put him off kilter and attack haphazardly. It wouldn't work on him,

But it would on the others, those that couldn't still feel the little emotions he still gave, that would be quite the backlash that he has to prepare for lest it overwhelm him.

He looked at Havoc, head slightly to the side. "That's how it's going to be then? All right."

In a flash he sprung into motion, gripping Havoc's head with magic he spun it around as he slammed it to the ground swinging through its neck with a diamond wing to sever the head from the body before leaping back to his start position with the head in tow. "How do you like it? Not so pleasant is it?" 

The eyes in the severed head rolled to look at Illiad, and his grin widened.

"That depends on your definition of the word 'pleasant', doesn't it?"

The head suddenly swelled up and exploded, covering Illiad in a gout of purple flame.  The burns he felt weren't doing any physical damage; the pain was all magical in nature, and it felt as if his very essence was scorched from the explosion.  

But he was far too powerful for that to register... yet.

The draconequus' left hand reached into the hole where the head had been and simply pulled up a new one, as if he'd been a turtle hiding in his shell.  Havoc licked his lips with a jagged tongue and sneered.

"MY turn..."

He flexed his claws outward, and gestured.  From the very ground itself, a spined column of pure emerald shot up out of the ground beneath Illiad, slamming into him at high velocity and shattering like glass, shards slicing and cutting into the Trojan's skin until he looked as if he'd gone twelve rounds with a rosebush... and lost.

"... aaaaaaand..?"

At Havoc's enigmatic question, each of the cuts began to sizzle with a greenish mist.  THOSE were physical burns; some sort of poison or acid was searing at every single one of the multiple, tiny cuts.  Havoc chuckled haughtily. 

"And even the SMALLEST opportunity to do harm would be completely worth-"

A chunk of rock whizzed through the air, and slammed into the Jinx-Thing's left cheek, sending shards of its substance spiraling into the air.  Havoc gave a surprised yelp, and locked his eyes on his assailant.

Luther Blackwater had taken up a position near some of the rock-filled carts near the mine proper, and had turned and was bucking rocks at the foul creature.  With the mine owner's strength, those hard clots of earth were now ballistic missiles that could potentially kill a normal creature.  Of course, Havoc was far from normal.

"BEGONE!"  Luther bellowed as he sent another rocky shard flying at the gem draconequus.

This time, however, Havoc simply snapped his fingers in an all-too-familiar gesture, and the rock became a pillow that harmlessly fell to the ground, landing with a fluff of dust and feathers.

"Blackwater, I'll get to you next - like I got to your worker here."  He rolled a coil, and one of Redd's limp forelegs momentarily appeared, helping Havoc to make his point to the crowd gathered here.

The ripple of shock, sadness and hate at the idea of Redd having been killed began to settle in on the other workers... and their hate began to grow into a presence that almost felt like some sort of slimy, black presence in the Empathic's mind.  Illiad could feel that ball of hatred, almost sentient in its' raw power, filling his mind with the idea of vicious, cruel murder upon the gemstone draconeq-

"NO!"

The voice of Dax Blackwater rung out from below and behind the Trojan, and the enthusiasm began to shine like a small sun.

"It's a TRICK!  Redd's ALIVE!  Don't let that thing fool you!"

Even the workers who had called Dax by the nickname Pink-Slip earlier (Illiad could pick them out easily) had no doubt in their mind about the young stallion's honesty; the hatred began to abate, and turned into a sense of chagrin... then, as one they began to resist actively.  The cloud diamond that protected their minds was sending that sense of fight and victory directly to Illiad, do not pass GO, do not collect 200 bits - Illiad felt as if he could simply let Havoc wear himself out; Illiad could take anything the evil being could throw at him.

Havoc brooded, his ploy obviously foiled... but he brooded with a smile.

"And I STILL have him, don't I?  And your precious diamond can't get to him, either - so maybe I'll just do THIS..."

A snap, a puff of smoke, and Havoc was alone.  What's more, a sickly reddish-purple aura began to glow around the Jinx-Thing, and began to warp and twist reality around it; Illiad couldn't seem to trace where the draconequus had sent Redd Handid.

"... and then THIS!!!"

He suddenly sent a spiral of razor-sharp shards spinning at Illiad, looking to turn him into a pony pincushion!

Illiad's form shimmered, before disappearing just before the razor shards passed through the area, then he reappeared, along with six identical clones of himself as the remaining mass of cloud diamond disappeared.

None of the Illiads has wings, but they each had a small line of cloud diamond circling around them, just enough to make a small shield to deflect projectiles if necessary. They all also appeared unharmed.

They spoke in unison, each with the same slightly smug expression. "Now what will you do Hmm? Can you find the real one?"

The Illiads all disappeared, the reappeared evenly spaced around Havoc, just far enough away that they would have time to dodge attacks thrown at them. They each in turn leaped from their positions to strike at Havoc with their hooves, diamond edges cutting away from his mass in a series of brutal blows to the head, limbs, torso, and tail respectively.

Meanwhile the true Illiad watched from a safe distance, controlling each of the seven clones through a small plane of cloud diamond through which he could see the battle. The stones were orbiting his head, each representing one of the clones on the field. "This should certainly be interesting."

As the Illiad-clones tore and slashed at the Jinx-Thing in their midst, a voice spoke from behind the Trojan's left shoulder.

"Hmmmm, yes... very nice.  An expert attack, no doubt... too bad I'm not there to receive it."

Standing behind him was Havoc, though this was not the Jinx-Thing the others were fighting; it was somewhat ethereal, like looking at a ghost or such.  The ghost was far more like a draconequus than the gemstone creature: he looked oily and dark, black scales shining like smooth sludge, claws that looked both cruel and precise, and his long body looked as if it were slightly crooked as he stood there.

Illiad hardly reacted when Havoc's ethereal form appeared behind him, he was too concentrated, too focused on containing himself to care. He wasn't about to fail them.

Unlike Discord, Havoc's limbs all were matching pairs - though still from different creatures, it seemed.  To go with his dragon-like body, he had a large and leathery pair of batwings, his forearms were both paws of some large bird, like an ostrich, and both his legs were short and stumpy with no definable toes, like elephant's legs.  The tail still ended in a tuft of fur, but Havoc's was a bright red - just like the goateee and bushy eyebrows he had on his sinister-looking face.  His eyes, yellow orbs, had bright green pupils that seemed to track every twitch on Illiad's face.

"They may actually succeed in destroying that body, you know?  'Twould be a shame... because then my spirit would be FREE."

He leaned in close, whispering to Illiad from behind a claw.

"... and I'll bet I could cause SO much more damage if I found a host who was REALLY good with machinery... like a certain somepony who's currently locked away in her shed, hmmmm?"

With that, the ghost of Havoc snapped... and nothing seemed to happen.  The draconequus looked quite confused.

"Well that's... different..."

Illiad could feel the change; Taps had started her spell.

Havoc turned back to the Trojan again.  "No matter - I'll simply do this the old-fashioned way!"

He then vanished, and a roar issued from the center of the bladed whirlwind that was made of Illiad-clones.  The roar hit certain decebels, and the cloud diamond that was closest to the wicked creature shattered from the vibration - a few clones managed to pull back far enough to remain standing, but Illiad saw at least two of them shatter like so much glass.

Havoc stood there, his nasty aura now blazing around him.  He looked quite a sight; the Illiad-clones had done quite a number on his physical form.  He was dripping some kind of greenish ichor from numerous places, one of his arms had been reduced to a stump, chunks were missing from his midsection, and he looked as if he'd lost an eye as well.

Yet he was still smiling.

"Oh, that's GOOD!  Yes, bring unto me your worst - because I don't have time for your second-best antics!"

He slammed his tail into the ground, and pillars of rock formed beneath and flung the other Illiad-clones back at their master, moving at quite a high velocity.

Illiad dispersed the clones to make them easier to stop and reverse, flinging the now cloud of diamond back at Havoc, causing all the shards to embed themselves into his body, lashing themselves together into a straight-jacket of sorts as well as chains to bind him to the ground.

The diamond suit was designed to prevent him from escaping his body again, and to prevent him from leaving that spot while Taps completed her spell. Hopefully it would work. 

Havoc looked at his newly formed strait jacket and chains... and turned his smile on Illiad once more.

"Oh!  Whatever shall I do?  It seems as if I have been ensnared by BAUBLES!"

He let loose a ragged, bellowing laughter as the end of his eyebrow became a small hand and >SNAP!<...

Havoc stood there, the diamond restraints and chains transformed into necklaces, rings and piercings that almost seemed to make Havoc look like a wealthy punk rocker.  He chortled gleefully, and then pointed a single claw at Illiad.

"ENOUGH OF THIS."

With a single gesture, Havoc reached into the Empathic's mind and metaphorically tried to pinch the connections between Illiad and his abilities - and three things happened simultaneously:

Illiad felt something in his head twitch, and his Empathic abilities buckled; they didn't stop, but it was a NASTY knock.

A balloon filled with liquid struck the draconequus directly in the face, coating his entire upper torso and head with thick, dark blue ink.

A BRIGHT flash of light appeared around Havoc, and his eyes flew open WIDE.

"NO NO NO NO NOOOOO!  I REFUSE TO BE DEFEATED AGAIN!  NEVER AGAIN!  NO NO NOOOOO!  STUPID, WORTHLESS, TALENTLESS HORSES!  CRY HAVOC!  CRY HAAAAAAVOOOOOOOOOC!!!!!"


>poof<


There was a very unceremoniously small puff of smoke, and the Jinx Stone pendant fell to the ground, clinking against the rock as it landed.  

Almost immediately, a gloved blue hoof swooped down and grabbed it up.  Taps, with her satchel open, jammed it into a small, rune-covered bag in the front pocket, and shut the flap on it.  She then looked up at Illiad, grinned, and tipped the bowler hat to him.

"ILLIAD!  YOU DID IT!"

Dax came running towards his friend, his heart singing with happiness and relief.  The rest of the Blackwaters were right behind him, all coming his way...

Taps moved up next to the Trojan, and out of the corner of her mouth, she whispered, "Keep your eyes on the ground, Easle... trust me on this one."

All this happening around him, yet whatever Havoc had done to him, he felt... wounded.  

The attack on his abilities, had it succeeded, would have killed him instantly. As it was there was still a good chance of VERY bad things happening if he didn't fix it fast. Especially with all the others coming at him with their charged emotions.

He had to bug out of there fast.

His breathing grew ragged as his horn sputtered from the pinch on his abilities. Already the restricted magical pathway was being overloaded, He looked around, trying to find a place far enough away to keep the quarry safe if and when he blew, he spotted the vault, where he had removed the magical protections, if he put them back up with him inside... It just might contain what he was about to do.

With a bright flash he teleported away, his pained and fearful expression the last those nearby saw before he vanished. The remaining cloud diamond fell unceremoniously to the ground, already beginning to reform itself into larger chunks around where Illiad had just been.





Within the darkness of the vault Illiad quickly resealed the magic he had earlier removed earlier. He felt sick, the emotions he had built up before now trapped within himself. He took a stance, ready to force all of it out of himself. It would hurt, a lot, but it just might save his life. With a scream a beam of light shot out from his horn, impacting the ceiling and dispersing in an array of many different colors flowing like a hose of high pressure water. The beam was small at first, then grew larger as the pathway was stretched back to the way it was before. It kept going until all the energy he had stored up was depleted, the beam sputtering as it ended, before he collapsed to the ground, now painfully aware of the other wounds Havoc had inflicted.

As his vision started to fade the stones fell lightly to the ground around him, as well as his original diamond, which began to roll towards him slowly.

Sometimes victory comes at a cost, but if it saves those I care about, no cost is too great for me to pay.

He drifted into a dreamless sleep, surrounded by the darkness of the vault with nothing but his gem to protect him.
> An Exchange of Recovery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was quiet for all of a moment.  No pony spoke or stirred in the aftermath of Illiad's vanishing act.  Until...

"ILLIAD!"

Dax rushed over to where the Trojan had once stood, then skidded to a stop and began frantically looking everywhere, as if the Empathic had simply stepped aside - though there was absolutely nowhere to go.

"ILLIAD!  WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Luther, meanwhile, had already pointed to a number of the quarry workers.

"Search!  No stone unturned!  EVERY CORNER!"

He turned to the two who stepped up the fastest.

"Chuck!  The outer road!"

Chuck List nodded as he spun on his hooves and took off for the front gates.

I hope'ta C'lestya dat he's arrite; it'd KILL Daxie if he ain't... I swear, please PLEASE don'lemme find a corpsicle...

Yet Chuck stowed his own worries for now - he had somepony to find, and it it wasn't over 'til that funny little stallion was safe.

An' he don't even LIKE straw dogs; ain't dat somethin'?

"Slapper!  The quarry yard!"

Knee turned to the others.  "All right!  You, you, you and you - hit the walls and make a circle; work your way in from the outside!"  He gave them a mental push, making this the most urgent thing in their lives at this moment.  They all nodded and scattered, with Knee making his way to the ruined Gem Refinery.

Hold on, my friend; help is on the way.

With duties doled out, Luther himself headed to the mines, the usual stern look on his face tempered by a small twitch of worry around his mouth and eyes.  

The Blackwater patriarch was well aware that he didn't like other ponies - he hadn't ever since the incident where the miners he'd toiled with beat him nearly to death.  His sense of trust had been shattered, the shards of which had cut his soul clean to the bone.  Aside from Vylia, whom he loved dearly, and his children, all three of them, Luther had wanted no other kind of connection to anypony.  Over time, there had been Chuck... and Slapper... and even Silver, Taps and Ziggy had been acceptable; but he never really socialized with them.

Then, there had been Illiad.  Despite having every earmark of being a pony that would usually shoot a hard rod of distrust through Luther's barrel, he discovered something that he hadn't at all expected...

He liked Illiad.  

As anti-social as he was, that didn't happen often, and he was smart enough to recognize the fact.  Plus, as a complete surprise to Luther himself, he'd opened up to him about what had happened, all the way back then.  Vylia had pieced it together through her little information network... and he had a sneaking suspicion that Chuck knew the truth by word of mouth.  But he had told absolutely NOPONY what had happened that day.  Except Illiad Easle. 

Luther wouldn't rest until they found him.  Period.

Vylia stepped up next to Dax, placing a concerned hoof on his trembling shoulder.  He'd been so excited to have a friend like Illiad; Dax had been so much more there, so alive, these past few days.  

It had been her worry for her son that had influenced her to allow Dax to join the Cultural Exchange program in the first place.  Since Illiad Easle's arrival, it almost seemed as if her entire family, herself included, had found something in the Trojan that had awakened something in them... and whatever that something was, she was now absolutely CERTAIN it was Illiad's doing, as she had never seen such a reaction from her middle child since little Oglevy had broken Dax's first hoofmade telescope.

She also had to admit that she found him to be an astute and worthy individual.  She'd not expected his understanding, nor his own particular charm.  Romance-wise, he wasn't her type - but as a friend, he was quite a catch.  She had thought the little courtship between him and Silver Studs was adorable, and secretly hoped they would end up in each others embrace.

Now, she looked down at her worried and frantic son, the one whose heart was far too big for his body sometimes, and spoke gently to him in her best lullabye voice.

"Dearie, we'll find him... don't you worry.  After such a demonstration, I'm certain nopony here will stop until he's found-"

"But he's HURT!  What if he's hurt BADLY?"

Now that she got a good look at him, he was beyond frantic; Dax was beginning to panic, and Vylia knew she had to try to calm him down, if she could.

"He has GOT to be nearby; even Celestia herself couldn't teleport TOO far, and Illiad isn't an alicorn, the last I saw.  Though, WHAT he was a few moments ago might be debat-"

"Mother!  We have GOT to find him!"

It hurt her heart to see him in such pain... and the fact that she was worried about the Trojan as well wasn't helping matters.  Still, she put on a brave face and tried again.

"We're making every attempt to, dearie; simply stay with me, and we can search the manor together.  Now Daxter, come along with-"

"NO!  HE'S HERE SOMEWHERE!"

Dax took off from Vylia, running toward the sheds and calling his friend's name again and again.  Vylia, watching him go, sighed audibly.  Though she had to fight her motherly instinct to go to him and comfort him; Illiad had been right that Daxter needed some room to grow up.  Besides, she had Oglevy to watch over, too.

As if summoned by mere thought alone, Oglevy Blackwater poked his head out from behind her tail.

"Mother?  Is Illiad going to be okay?  He looked like he was in pain..."

That was another thing; her youngest son had always made it a point to truly give a hard time to the scant few guests that the family had entertained during his little life, resulting in many ponies refusing to visit them.  However, after a few shenanigans, Oglevy had seemed to just drop the brat act and had been following him, admiring him from afar like he was some sort of superhero, like Daring Do, his favorite storybook character.

It touched Vylia to see her little colt showing concern for somepony else... and it gave her hope for the future.  His future.  The Blackwaters' future.  She turned and put a gentle hoof on his shoulder.  

"He's made of sterner stuff than you'd think, my dear."


Oglevy smirked.  You have NO idea, Mother-Dear, he thought to himself, recalling the grand battle in the mines earlier that week.

The colt had started the week determined to get Dax's lousy, no-good pal to vamoose by day 3; instead, he had discovered the Trojan to be an awesome force of power, fighting evil and saving lives like the Power Ponies, having an aura of mystery and power like Mare-Do-Well, and being wily and clever like his all-time favorite, Daring Do.  He was the pony Oglevy wanted to be when he grew up... and now, he was missing and hurt.  Empathy wasn't as alien an emotion as others tended to think from him, and right now he was hoping with all his little heart that Illiad Easle would be okay.

As all of this went on, Taps took off the bowler and stuffed it carefully into her satchel.  She surveyed the scene below with equal parts relief and weariness.  Then, she turned her head to face the Pony Express office again, nodded to herself, and made her way there.

Once inside, she opened the door to The Closet once again, and made her way downstairs, passing the usual antiquities, until she reached an area where the candles were glowing with a bright red hue.  This was where the most dangerous and powerful relics ended up, and there was a massive shelf area with podiums flanking it.

Taps walked up to one of the podiums and, carefully and slowly, she removed the Jinx Stone from her satchel, and emptied the bag onto the column.  As soon as she did, a small magical glass bell materialized over it, sealing its' harmful magics away safely and disguising its' magical signature, preventing it from being found.

As she stepped back from it, she cast her glance to the side, where the largest central pillar stood.  Upon it was what Celestia had impressed upon a much younger and most impressionable Steel Wheels was the MOST important thing held here.  

It was a gem, but one whose beauty was unmatched among its' kin.  An exquisite sapphire, perfection in all its' glory, sat carefully placed on a silk pillow that was covered in magical runes that were laced into the fabric.  Within its' pure depths were dark, roiling stormclouds that moved, billowed and shifted within, an occasional arc of lightning jumping through. Acting as if it were a caged animal fighting to escape.  The sight of it was magnificent.

Wheels looked at it and sighed.

If only you knew exactly HOW MUCH I knew, Trojan... 

She turned away, heading back up the stairs and back into the other world.  Where she was simply a mailmare, nothing more important than such.  Simply mute, because silence was preferable to lies.  Simply Taps, because Steel Wheels loyally gave away her future to her princess.  

Over three hundred years ago.





Illiad was roused from his dreamless sleep by Selena, who had drawn him in to a dream room while she did what she could to heal him. She didn't say anything, just looked at him with a sad expression.

The room was dark, a clear indicator that she was low on energy to work with. "I'm afraid there's not much I can do to help you, I simply lack the resources. If someone doesn't find us soon... well, you should be fine. You're strong enough."

Illiad turned, the memories of the battle playing through his mind and thus playing on the wall of the dark room. "Even with all that power, I couldn't even hurt him. Even with all my plotting ability, he was always just ahead of me. I couldn't stop him, he pushed aside all my attacks like it was nothing."

He sat down, a tear or two running down his face, "Is this my lot in life? To clean up others' messes? To take the hits for those that caused the problems? When he attacked my abilities, he nearly killed me, he would have driven the whole quarry insane. Is that what I am? A time bomb just waiting to go off and destroy all that I care about?"

He turned to where Selena had been, but she was gone. The replay of the battle too had stopped, leaving him once again in a dark room. Is this how Luna felt back then? Powerless to change anything? Weak in the face of adversity? Perhaps...

His consciousness faded again as he drifted back into a dreamless state, waiting for someone to rescue him from where he lay on the tarp that once covered the massive Cloud Diamond.  

Illiad.

It was the softest of whispers, the merest breath upon the surface of the mind.  It felt as if the word had come from a grand distance, crossing light-years to reach him.

Illiad.

There it was again.  Strangely enough, this siren song was being uttered by a familiar mental voice...

Illiad.

Someone was trying to contact him, but with all that had happened to the Trojan, there was no way to know if Illiad could answer or not... and further still, Illiad may not have felt safe answering.

Illiad, where ARE you?

Then, among the emotional miasma surrounding him, Illiad COULD feel something... something close-by... it was worry, dread, fear... and a large chunk of hope.

Dax Blackwater was outside the Vault, looking for Illiad.  The amount of concern and hope coming from the young stallion was somewhat astonishing; the Trojan was left with little doubt that Dax cared about him... however, there were a fair number of other spikes of concern bubbling up from around him... 

He felt a hard, thick line of concern... a soft, careful worry... a child's fear and hope...

By Luna, it was the Blackwaters... the entire family!

There was no telling how it happened, but Illiad could feel concern, in various manners, coming from each one of the gathered family here.  It was unmistakable; Dax's especially.

He may have had to nearly kill himself for the sake of doing the right thing... but perhaps, if it had made him friends - not just one, but FOUR - like these, then perhaps it wasn't as much of a loss and waste that he first thought it would be?

Not only that, but MORE strings and ribbons of concern, aimed DIRECTLY at Illiad, were coming through as well... a chunky, yet stable worry from the direction of the front gates... a direct interest in locating the Trojan from roughly the same direction as the ruined Gem Refinery... two more from the manor, both almost a match for each other... another, moving haphazardly around the walls and the barracks, seeming to follow a zig-zag pattern... even a sleepy, dream-like sort of concern was manifesting from nearby...

It was simply stunning; ALL of these ponies were concerned about ILLIAD EASLE... and nothing else.

And anyone who has that many friends worried about him must not be as powerless and weak as he had originally surmised.

Illiad was woken by the emotions, the stones still amplifying his powers by laying near him. He rose, weakly, from the floor, still utterly drained emotionally, physically, and magically. It would take some time for him to recover.

He looked around the darkness of the vault, he couldn't even manage enough magic for a light spell, so he began to feel his way blindly around the room, trying to find his way out.

I almost killed them all, do I deserve them as friends?

The innumerable cuts and burns on his body ached as he moved, he could feel that his robe was in tatters from the fight.

HE almost killed them all, you were just the weapon he tried to use.

He could feel, as the tattered cloth shifted in his movements, places that had lost fur as well as a few new spots that would be scared.

If I had been stronger, smarter, I could have stopped him sooner.

A lance of pain shot through him as the cloth brushed an open wound, he nearly collapsed, but he found a wall to support him.

If SHE had done her job properly, this never would have been an issue for YOU to clean up.

He began to follow the wall, looking for an exit to the room.

Who, Taps or Celestia?

An exit revealed itself and he followed it, hopefully not deeper into the vault.

Either, Both, Does it matter? It's not the first time Celestia's apathy has caused you pain.

He kept moving, despite the pain. He had to make it out, to his friends. They had healing, food, and warmth. He tried to call out, but was too weak to make much noise, he couldn't make a beacon or warp himself out, Selena was restricting his magic to keep his wounds from worsening, she had grabbed the stones to help her. All he could manage was a quiet statement.

"I'm here."

Inside the darkness of the Vault, Illiad suddenly felt that he wasn't alone.  The presence hadn't been felt by the wounded Empathic, but the sound of soft hoofsteps echoed through the pitch black vault.

"Easle."

The voice came from his left.

"You're a mess."  A soft chuckle, then she spoke again.  "Well, if you'd wish to come with me, I can heal your body... however, I don't think I can do a lot else more for you; much of The Closet has harmful or powerful magics, yet there's still a few healing magics housed within.  Won't even send you a doctor's bill."

It was quiet for a single heartbeat.

"That is... IF you feel that you can trust me enough to lay your life in my hooves; can't say I would blame you if you simply told me to buzz off, to be frank.  And I will... if that's what you wish."

There was a muffled sound from outside, and Taps spoke again.

"Sounds like Dax has found you - doesn't surprise me.  That stallion thinks the world of you... I hope the feeling's mutual.  You could always go with him... but there's no telling HOW long it would take for Zinger to get you back on your hooves - and you have an Exchange to complete, don't you?  It would break Dax's heart if you had to return prematurely and alone to Troy to heal..."

She sighed.

"But I'm simply offering my help... since you so kindly gave me yours in finding and regaining control of the Jinx Stone.  Fair is fair."

Another sigh.

"Tell you what; come with me, and I'll explain whatever you want me to... clearance be damned.  Go with Dax, and I swear to you that as long as you keep my secret, I'll never bother you again.  Honest."

She waited in the darkness for his reply, bracing herself for the rejection, yet hoping for the unicorn's company; he'd be her first non-magical, non-artifact, non-alicorn, non-spiritual, non-work-related, REAL 'guest' in over two centuries...

IF he didn't hate her guts, that was.

Illiad paused, then sighed deeply. "Taps... your mistake has hurt me in ways you couldn't possibly understand. But as much as I want to I can't fault you for it."

He didn't look in her direction, but rather in the direction of the muffled sound. "If Dax thinks he's found me, then he better. It wouldn't be good for him for me to not be here when he gets here. My own well being can come second to that. And if I must be taken back to Troy for better healing, then Dax will just have to come with me won't he?"

He sighed again, clearly frustrated by the decision. "As much as there is I want explained by you, it'll have to wait. I get the feeling I'll be back here again, and when that day comes we'll have a lot to talk about. But until then I will tell no one of what you've shown me." 

He started moving again, in the direction the noise had come from. "To be honest, I don't fully trust you. But I don't hate you. We're both lonely in the burdens we carry, but perhaps we may eventually trust each other enough to offer support to each other. Until then I guess."

"... wait."

There was a shuffling sound, and a noise like liquid sloshing around in a cup.  Then a sigh.

"I'm not going to let you suffer like this for what was essentially my mistake... here."

The splash of water that dashed across Illiad's face felt unnaturally cold, yet a great deal of the itching, burning and aching stopped within seconds.  The sound of a cork being stoppered, then what sounded like a sad chuckle.

"Fitting that it would be Luna's Tears that would save your life.  They would have far more effect if you ingested them... but a splash will suffice to get you close enough to make it.  You might still need a day or two, but the Tears never fail."

With that, there was a sharp, tinny >clink!< from the floor, and the sound of small wheels rolling away from the unicorn.

"But I am a mare of my word; I'll keep my distance.  Fare thee well, Trojan."

After a slight scraping sound, all was silent again.  Then, more muffled sound from just in front of him - and Illiad laid his hoof on what felt like steel instead of rock.  He had found the door... now, how to exit the place?

It was a strange effect that the liquid had, a numbing sensation he supposed. He stood a little straighter from it as he thought about what he should do.

I wonder how much she'll make them forget. Can they even forget something this big? Forget that I saved their lives?

He turned his attention to the door before him and sighed, when you find a door, you knock. So he did just that.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

His hoof returned to the floor as he sat down, he would wait a bit to see if the door opened before he would examine the door further for another way out. 





I'm here.

Dax heard it, but not out loud... the voice had come from what felt like the front of his brain.  But that self-same voice was unmistakable; Dax would know it even if it were spoken underwater.

He turned instinctively for the Blackwater Vault, and he began to breathe harder.

"Illiad..?  The Vault!"

He made a mad dash towards the massive vault doors, intent on finding his best friend. 

Muffled sounds, frantic worry standing side-by-side with a tempered and patient concern, and then the doors began to glow, then opened inward.  Standing there were both Dax and Luther Blackwater, the latter with some sort of ethereal-looking key in his possession.  Dax ran to Illiad.

"Illiad, oh Illiad, you're ALIVE!"

About ten paces from the unicorn, a bolt of horror rolled through Dax... and then, he stopped.  He closed his eyes and caught his breath; the panic and worry that had been blasting from Dax's every pore slowly, yet noticeably, reined itself in to a more normal range.  He'd remembered that Illiad was an Empathic, and was calming himself before engaging his friend.  

As Dax did this, Luther strolled in, stowing the key away inside his vest as he looked at his son for a moment.  Turning to Illiad, he fixed his piercing gaze on him, examining his every wound, burn and tatter with the precision of a microscope.  Then, locking eyes with the Trojan, he nodded; with that nod, Luther's concern became satisfaction and planning - the elder Blackwater was already gauging the expense needed to ensure Illiad's full recovery.

Dax opened his emerald green eyes and sighed softly.  Then he turned to the Empathic and grew somewhat worried as he also took note of Illiad's wounds... in a manner that was eerily similar to his father's; Dax's eyes snapped to each little mark on his friend, and he seemed to be making mental notes.  Though, unlike usual, Dax kept himself calm - and not straining to do so, so that it was more natural and a LOT less grating on the Empathic's raw emotional nerves.

"Illiad... you look awful!  But you're standing and awake, so that's a good sign.  Here, let me help you out..."

Dax made his way over to his friend's side and gently put a hoof round his shoulders, standing straight and supporting his right side.  As soon as the two were up, however, Luther reached over and took up Illiad's right side; between the two of them, they were now carefully carrying him between them.

Dax and Luther exchanged a look, and it was the elder Blackwater who spoke to him.

"No complaints.  No demands to walk yourself.  Rest - we will carry you."

Luther and Dax both refused to put Illiad down.

As they made their way down the row of sheds, they passed #7 - Silver's shed - and Illiad could feel waves of exhaustion rolling off of the presence inside.  She had to have been asleep, but it was a troubled one - she was putting out a small ribbon of fear as well.  However, the two stallions carrying him didn't stop.

As they passed into the quarry yard proper, the entire gathering of ponies there simply stopped whatever they were doing and stared at the Trojan as he was carried among them.  The emotion Illiad was getting from them was not fear or disgust... it was awe, mixed in with some concern and a touch of admiration.  It was possibly the largest gathering of ponies that ever accepted him all in one place; the reserves that had been so forcibly emptied earlier were now being slowly refilled with some kind and wonderful emotions... and come to think of it, did those metaphysical tanks feel... bigger, somehow?  

Perhaps; he'd have to wait until he fully recovered to test the theory.  

Knee Slapper moved up next to the two of them and wordlessly stepped into place next to Dax.  From the gates came Chuck List, who fell into step with Luther, tipping Illiad a wink (and an inner sigh of relief at seeing the Trojan alive).  Vylia and Oglevy moved up and joined them; the blue colt flew right over Illiad's head, while Vylia moved in right behind Illiad himself and lifted his tail out of the dirt, carrying it along.  The Doc was zooming directly at them, but Luther called out to her first.  

"Go to the manor!  Prep the front foyer!  Get Beck and Call to help you!  HURRY!"

Doc Zinger stopped short, then saluted smartly and took off for the Blackwater Manor, flying in her odd, zig-zagging flight path.

Other ponies fell in step with the rest, all of them projecting thoughts of concern and goodwill upon the drained unicorn who had risked everything for them.  They weren't just alive - they were grateful.  And Illiad, who so long ago had been the victim of a personal attack and bore the scars of social rejection upon his back, was now feeling the warmth of social acceptance at last.  Every last worker here at the Blackwater Quarry knew who had saved their lives that day...

And not a single one was afraid to show it.

They made their way up the hill, a swarm of ponies all moving as a river of equine kindness.  Reaching the front doors, Beck and Call both were standing aside them, bowing and opening them before the Trojan as he and his bearers made their way inside, the rest remaining behind to give them room and privacy.  Their presence had to be the biggest 'Get Well Soon card' Illiad had ever gotten, each caring soul another signature to treasure.

As the Blackwaters brought Illiad inside, Doc Zinger was there with her kit, bottles and instruments and bandages and... lollipops?  Yes, as they laid him down upon a rich and soft blanket stretched on the floor, Ziggy reached over, grabbed a lollipop (a red one), and popped it right into Illiad's mouth!

"Your wounds look bad, but have no fear; the quarry's bestest doctor is here!  The damage looks extensive, although... on second thought, it's not quite so.  It seems as if there should be more, but the actual hurt is merely sore - it's good to know you aren't too bad; your rapid recovery shall make everypony... uhm... heh heh..."

Ziggy lifted a hoof and scratched at the back of her mane, blushing a bit.

"... glad to know you'll be okay, I mean to say.  Urk!"

Her blush darkened, and she covered her smiling mouth with both hooves - however, Illiad could see the truth; Ziggy was only being silly like this because she had seen that his wounds were MUCH less than they appeared to be... and they truly were.  Places where Illiad had been SURE he had gotten burnt, cut or otherwise bled from were all closed up; shiny scars left to immortalize the event, but that was all.

Luna's Tears, Taps had called the strange elixir he'd been splashed with; he might have to ask around about that.

"You hear that?  You're gonna be okay... thank Luna!"

Vylia smiled.  "Yes... thank Luna."

"Thank Luna."  Luther spoke deeply, yet softly; like a distant roll of faded thunder.

"Yeah, thank Luna!"  Oglevy chimed in.

At that moment, Illiad could even feel the reverence and care coming from Beck and Call as they fussed over the blanket he was settled on, and they kept bringing him pillows.  One of them (Beck, no mistake) brought Illiad a glass of cool, crisp ice water... complete with a straw for sipping.

"Compliments of the house, Sir Easle," he spoke smoothly as he carefully held the tray out to the Trojan while Call (it was natural to Illiad by now) continued to fluff his pillows.

They all cared so much for him - had HE fostered all this in them?  Had this TRULY been his doing?

Illiad just took a moment, then another, to really take it all in.

To put it simply, he felt tired. He was thoroughly exhausted magically, emotionally, and physically, to the point where he didn't think he would be moving again any time soon. Despite this, there was one, no two last things he needed to take care of. He carefully removed the candy from his mouth, grateful for it, so he could speak. "How's Redd? And while you're at it, someone ought to check up on Silver. Of the whole quarry I think she was the only one who wasn't directly affected by what just happened. Thanks for all this by the way."

He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular and to be honest he was hardly coherent at this point. The added emotional energy would certainly boost his recovery by giving Selena more to work with, though what she could fix was limited to magic as she didn't have much experience in repairing physical wounds. They had Zinger for that anyway.

Selena stretched out to trace his magical conduits as she had done the first time, encompassing his horn to ensure that his rest would not be disturbed by a buildup of emotional energy from those outside. His magic at least would be back to normal by the time he woke up again.

"Sorry about leaving so suddenly, I hope I didn't scare you guys too badly."

Dax smiled.

"Hey... just another day in the quarry, right?  We're just glad you're okay..."

He did a double-take when he realized Illiad asked about Redd.  

"Redd... we haven't found him yet.  We were kinda hoping you'd know where he was..."

The Blackwaters all got grave looks on their muzzles (Luther was already wearing one perpetually).  Vylia looked at each of the others gathered, then turned to Illiad.

"Dearie... you're saying you have no idea what has happened to poor Redd?  That cannot be a good sign..."

She turned to Beck and Call.  "You two, spread the word around the quarry; our search isn't over yet.  And one of you two check on Silver Studs... spit-spot, now!"

They both nodded, and took off out the door.  Ziggy looked doubly worried, but she continued to bandage up the Trojan.

"A little twist, a bandage here; no more worry, no more fear."

As she kept working, the other Blackwaters continued to wait, assist, and generally be around Illiad as he was healed.

"So... what happened?  I mean, we only saw a bunch of stuff happening, but we couldn't hear a lot of it - what did the nasty old draconequus do?  It WAS a draconequus, right?  I've only ever heard of Discord - are ALL draconequus' like that, or are they more like Discord?  You whipped his butt MOST satisfactorily!  Was it really hard, or did you just MAKE it look easy?  How did you mke all those duplicates?  Can you do it again?  WOULD you do it again?  Did it hurt when his head exploded?"

... and Oglevy was full of questions, just like he was for Luna... because BOTH were his heroes now.

Illiad sighed, but didn't attempt to move from his current position. "Hope for the best but prepare for the worst, Havoc sent him somewhere, but I was too focused on keeping Havoc here to track where he sent Redd. He's probably still in the Quarry, but not necessarily."

He shifted his position a bit to look over at Oglevy, "Havoc was the entity trapped within the artifact known as the Jinx stone, on contact it would amplify the smallest part of your personality until it was many times greater than your strongest trait. When I confronted Redd, Havoc broke free to fight me personally. I would think he was a draconequus as well, though I have no idea if there are any other draconequui let alone if they have a similar disposition. The battle was extremely taxing, definitely not something I would like to do again. I made all the duplicates with the cloud diamond that I, um, borrowed… from the vault. I'd be happy to help gather it back up when I can if necessary."

The last sentence was directed at Mr. Blackwater, he turned his attention back to Oglevy. "I could do the duplicates again, though likely not with the same level of success and definitely not until I've had a good deal of time to recover. And yes, it hurt when his head exploded, though the pain was mostly delayed until the fight was over."

He gave a long yawn, exhaustion deeply etched in his face, but he was determined to stay awake until he heard back on Silver's condition.

Luther nodded at Illiad's explanation, fully trusting that the unicorn would keep true to his word.

It was a few minutes, being cared for by Doc Zinger while Oglevy asked a million questions, before Call came back.

"Master... Madam?  We are spreading the word as we go - the quarry is on high alert for Redd Handid.  As for Miss Studs," he glanced over to Illiad, "I found her fast asleep in her shed... but..."

He gave a bit of a hesitant cough, then reached into his tail-coat pocket and pulled out some leaves of parchment.

"... well, she was absolutely SURROUNDED with papers.  Papers like these."

He presented the papers for Luther to see, yet held them low enough for Illiad to also observe... and what he saw was certainly NOT what he'd expected.

On the first piece of paper, there were designs for what looked like a high-pressure, portable water cannon.  On the second, there was a diagram of some sort of harness that not only had armored plating, but forked tines in front of it... and it did not look like farming equipment.  The last of the three papers had what appeared to be plans for some sort of large contraption, covered in spikes and blades.

These were diagrams for WAR MACHINES... and they had come from what appeared to be the deepest recesses of Silver's mind.  The more Illiad looked at them, the more dangerous and potentially destructive the devices seemed.  Apparently, the Jinx Stone had tapped into the mare's dark side... and what a doozy it was!

Call stuffed the papers back into his pocket.

"Miss Studs was asleep in the midst of an enormous PILE of similar papers.  Shall I wake her and inform her of current standings?"

Luther shook his head.  "No.  Let her sleep; leave a note giving Easle's location.  Continue searching."

Call bowed and left.  Luther looked over to Ziggy.  "Status?"

The pegazebra smiled as she worked.  "From it here it will not take so long, and if my findings are not wrong it shall be soon that he arises - and healing will be the best of... uhm..."

Ziggy shut her mouth with a snap.  "Doing well."  She muttered after a moment.

Dax stayed close to Illiad, his concern obvious on his muzzle.  "We were all really worried."

Illiad's face contorted into one of worry and slight dread at the discovery. I thought she would be safe, thought she was fine. I... failed her.

He managed to lift himself a bit, the seriousness of his expression plain to those gathered. "Silver... she might still be affected"

He quickly looked around the room and was slightly worried to see that the circlets had dispersed, but he shook his head to clear it. His horn sputtered before it lit as a new circlet was drawn from the diamond running along his body. It looked a bit different from the others he had made, a bit larger and it glowed a bit brighter. He held it up in the air, "Someone needs to put this on Silver's head, if she's still affected then it will cure her."

He turned a bit to look over at Dax, a slightly chagrined expression on his face, "I'm sorry to have worried you, I just really needed to get out of there quickly else when I blew it would have had many poor consequences for all y'all."

Dax looked at the circlet, then at Illiad; the debate went on for mere seconds before he decided that helping Illiad obtain peace of mind was more important than staying by his side.

"I'LL do it, Illiad - don't worry, she'll be okay.  I'm sure of it!"

He was sure of nothing of the sort, but he wasn't about to let his best friend worry any more than he had to.  Dax took the circlet gently, then turned on his hooves and left for Silver's shed.

When he left, Vylia looked at Oglevy and sighed.  "Young colt, you're a mess - you must go upstairs and wash, right now; you may return after you've cleaned up."

Though she fully expected a fight, the Blackwater colt simply said, "awwwww..." then stood up.

"I'll be right back - then you can tell me more about what it was like, okay?"

With that, he took off out the door like greased lightning; when he grows up, he'd to be racing-fast... of that much, Illiad was certain.

Vylia shook her pretty head.  

"Ah, the energy of youth - if only it could be bottled, hmmm?  There's more fortune to be made there than in emeralds, I'd wager!"  She graced Illiad's ears with her sparkling laughter for a moment.  "But now, I do believe that you would require some rest, dearie... you certainly have earned it, no doubt.  I shall take my leave now, and perhaps I can cut Oglevy off before he returns to tax your patience again."

With another airy giggle, she stood up and sauntered over to Luther.  Reaching him, she said, "Is he in YOUR hooves, love?"

Luther nodded once... then reached over and nuzzled Vylia, right there in front of Illiad and Ziggy.  She returned his affections warmly, and for a moment, the Trojan could swear Luther's mouth had gone into a straight line; the most he'd ever seen the dour stallion smile.  Vylia tossed a light, "Ciao, dearie," over her shapely flank as she left the foyer.

Now, it was only Ziggy, Luther and Illiad.  Ziggy was still disinfecting and wrapping, so she had her attention elsewhere.  Luther, on the other hoof, walked over and looked down at Illiad.

"Easle.  Glad you are well.  You saved my quarry.  I will NOT forget it."

Luther looked (and felt) like he had more to say... but he didn't.  He did, however, make his way over to Illiad and sat directly on the floor next to him.  It was somewhat disconcerting, but the elder Blackwater was giving his approval by his actions.

The circlet Illiad had built was larger and brighter because it contained the core of Illiad's diamond, and thus Selena. If Havoc was till in Silver's mind, he would have to deal with Selena directly. If not, then Silver would have someone to comfort her after her ordeal. Either way Illiad was out a companion for the night.

He laid his head back down, struggling to keep his eyes open until Dax returned with tales of success. He was willing to suffer for Silver's benefit if necessary.

He looked over at Mr. Blackwater, "You're welcome, and I appreciate the company. I couldn't exactly let my new friends come to harm now could I?"

He yawned again, Just a few more minutes... I need to know that Silver is cared for. 

Luther looked at Illiad for a long moment.

"Friends..."

It almost sounded like he was tasting the word for the first time in a long time... and it wasn't as distasteful as he remembered it to be.

"Yes.  That will be fine."

Luther sat up a little straighter, and the Empathic could feel the awkwardness in the stallion; he wasn't at all used to this kind of situation, but he did have a loyalty there that felt so much like Dax's that Illiad could tell they were certainly father and son.  He cleared his throat quietly, then spoke again.

"Vylia tells me you are a political pony in Troy, or you soon will be.  If you need anything we can give you, ask; it will be yours.  Gem Refinery will need work, but you saved our lives."

He looked away then, toward the front foyer doors, his mind lost in thought.

"You are always welcome in our home.  Illiad."

He nodded once, then settled into watching Ziggy finish up the bandaging process.

Illiad felt the ping that Selena was in position and he gave a sigh of relief. He could sleep peacefully now that he knew someone would be watching over her.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind Mr. Bl.... Luther, thank you again for the hospitality."

With that he settled in to another dreamless sleep to let his body and mind recover from their ordeals.

> An Exchange of Selena
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Selena could feel Silver's mind - and it was deathly afraid... but not of ancient draconequui, oh no.

Silver Studs was afraid of her OWN mind.

She was asleep on the floor of her usually tidy shed... except now, there were reams of paper everywhere, each and every one covered with diagrams and charts and blueprints and sketches and concepts and fabrications... and every last one of them shared one thing in common:

They were ALL machines of war.  Every last one.

When she'd been touched, Havoc/Redd had gotten her after she had left Dax's company upstairs, almost immediately after the meeting with Luther.  She had instantly been overpowered by an aspect of her constructive genius that she had never, ever dared to explore... and it wanted to express itself AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE.

She had frantically drawn and written and moved like she was possessed, the drawings nearly vomiting from her mind onto page after page after page... until the spell finally broke, and she passed out from extreme exertion.

Selena could read all of this in the mind and aura of the restlessly sleeping Silver Studs... but it was what was outside that was the worry.

Silver Studs, a sweet and peace-loving gearhead, was surrounded on all sides by plans for some of the most brutal war machines ever designed.  Most of them injured others quite badly, and more than a few actually killed opponents.  They weren't torturous devices - they were just deadly effective ones.  And each and every one had come from Silver's own mind.

Selena had a bad feeling that Silver might not take this very well...

Selena was now close enough that she could initiate another dreamshare, so she did so, pulling Silver from the dream she was in and taking her to the same white room she had been in when they first met, only this time the chairs were replaced with the typical psychiatrist's long couch. There would certainly be some talking here to help Silver get through what had happened.

Selena only hoped she would be up to the task.

What came through the door was NOT what Selena had expected.

The door to the small office SLAMMED open, and what strolled through was horrific to look at: four large, spiderlike, clockwork-driven legs extended out from a harness that was fastened around the waist of a gray mare.  The legs suspended the mare in the air, which added to the creepy vibe.  

Each hoof wore a horseshoe that was riddled with different fine tools, as if she had an entire toolkit on standby at any moment.  There was some sort of contraption on her back that looked like it was a fancy lightbulb with straps, only the light inside the bulb was a dark crimson, running jagged arcs across the inner surface.

Topping this off was the gas mask that covered her muzzle, long tubes reaching from the mask itself to the back behind her.  The eyes of the mask were a solid, glowing red and a loose, scraggly orange mane hung down around her, putting the finishing touch on this macabre steampunk nightmare.

Her cutie mark was a pony's skull, with tubes coming from it's sockets and winding behind it.

The spidery legs left small holes where they struck the floor, and she drifted her way over to the couch.  She lowered down onto it, then the mask tilted up to face Selena directly.  However, no matter the horrific sight before her, Selena could NOT mistake the voice from within - though it sounded somewhat warped and metallic, there was no doubt of who was in control of this terrible thing.

"I'm... I'm a m-m-monster..."

She simply sat there.

Well... THIS is certainly not what I was expecting.

Selena pondered for a moment what possible route she could take, she could try to get Silver to defend herself by confirming her feelings, she could try to one-up Silver and come up with something more despicable, or she could try to turn what Silver had done around.

The last option was the most difficult, but would yield the best results if done correctly. "Are you though? Designing weapons hardly makes you a monster, after all the guard aren't murderers for defending their towns from attackers now are they? Besides, what you've designed, with a bit of alteration, could easily bring quite a bit of good to the world. What really matters is why they were designed, not their purpose."

Selena settled in to a more comfortable position. "I after all plot catastrophes and how one would go about causing them. Do you know how easy it would be to topple a large portion of Canterlot off the mountain? Too easy. But does that make me a monster for knowing exactly where to place the bombs? No. Because I plot both to respond against these sorts of threats, and to keep the world in balance. So you've designed a rather disturbing quantity of weapons, the way I see it you're only a monster if you designed them because you wanted to use them to hurt, to kill. But I don't think that's why, is it?"

She materialized a notepad like any psychiatrist would have, this session would no doubt reveal some interesting things about her that Illiad would like to know. "Tell me Silver, do you remember why you designed what you did?"

The red glowing eyes turned to look up at Selena, filled with fear - fear of herself.

"I... I recall thinking of what I might invent - what we spoke of?"

She recalled Selena; one thing to note.

"And when Redd brushed by me, I... I was thinking about what was said about... about war..."

She looked down at her self, then gave a watery sigh.

"... and it was THERE... all right THERE THERE in my face THERE in my view THERE it was, I couldn't see a thing because it was THERE THERE THERE..."

With each utterance of the word 'THERE', one of the long, spidery legs stomped on the floor enough to leave more divots.  She was visibly shaking, and seemed simultaneously scary and sad.

"... this stuff was in my MIND, Selena!  I've never gone looking for it, but THERE t was the entire time... and now, everypony can see it!"

Selena made a placating gesture, though with a slightly stern expression, "Silver, Relax. You were affected by the Jinx curse, though in a different way than the others were. It was quite the epidemic before Illiad saved the day. The Jinx curse made it so the very smallest part of your personality was amplified many hundred times greater than the biggest portion. Revealing that, in truth, you are hardly a monster, but the furthest thing from it. What happened then was the manifestation, basically, of something the very opposite of yourself. You are not a monster."

She sighed as she noted down something on her pad, "So, we can conclude that you were in fact NOT designing what you did for any particular reason, but rather because it was all you could possibly think about. What you did, putting it down to get it out of your head, was really the best solution. The fact that you consider what you've designed to be horrific is proof in itself that you are not a monster. A monster doesn't feel remorse."

She sat and pondered a bit, "But I suppose we still have the problem of what you see yourself as, I'll let what I've said sink in first before we move into that." 

Silver took a moment of silence, wondering aloud in a soft, muffled voice.

"... I'm fairly certain Redd did something, at the time... but... but those things didn't just appear in my head out of nothing, did they?  They had to have come from my own head... and that... that..."

She looked up at Selena.

"You didn't SEE the worst of them... you don't KNOW what they were... w-w-were capable of.  Horrible things.  Gruesome things.  Things that would turn even Sombra's face pale.  I... I designed those things, whether I was under a spell or not makes little difference; they now exist, and they never would have if I hadn't imagined them."

Her head drooped... but Selena saw some of the tools on her shoes began to fade and vanish, little by little.

"... but I don't have to build them, do I?  Maybe I can find some solace in that - I do NOT have to put any energy toward such a terrifying concept.  I would never... WILL never do anything of the sort!"

The harness around her waist loosened its' tight grip, and the tubes leading into the gas mask began to retract back into the mask itself.

"And I can BURN what I have created... before anypony ever lays eyes on it.  Destroy it before it taints another pony's mind."

Before the harness completely fell apart, however... the entire process froze, as if someone had cast a time-stopping spell on Silver.

"Oh... oh Selena, Illiad can never, NEVER see what I've done here!  NOPONY can!  Please, help me to destroy my terrible blueprints - and don't tell him about this!  If he knew what I'd done here..."

The harness tightened, ever so slightly.

Selena gave a slight smile at the progress she had made, noting down that Illiad should likely never mention the designs. She nodded, "You can destroy what you've done, but I cannot help you. Not because it's the sort of thing you should do yourself for it to be a therapeutic purging of yourself, but because I have a very limited influence on the real world without Illiad's assistance. And since you don't want Illiad to know... I won't tell him about the designs, you can be sure of that."

She thought for a moment, "Though the thought comes to mind, some of the designs you made could be easily re-purposed for good. That water cannon for example could make firefighting efforts much more effective, and many of the others could be used to help explorers and caravans protect themselves in dangerous environments like the Everfree and the San Palomino desert."

She shrugged, "It's up to you, Change them, Destroy them, whatever you need to find peace with yourself, though my advice would be that changing evil into good might be the most therapeutic. You're a smart and kind mare, Illiad knows that for a fact which is why he loves you as much as he does, even if he knew of the designs he wouldn't love you any less. He sent me here to help you because he was worried about you after all." 

"Change them..?"

The thought rolled around in Silver's head for a moment, then she sat up.

"Some of them... yes, I COULD change them... well, certain ones, I'm sure... I could..."

As she spoke, the spider-like mechanical arms simply fell to the floor, vanishing as soon as they struck it, without even so much as a >clang< to accompany their departure.  The harness she wore seemed to simply melt into nothing, and when she wore nothing else but the now harmless-looking gas mask, she reached up and pulled it down, revealing her slightly teary-eyed but pretty face smiling.

"Yes, that would be wonderful!  Oh Selena, THANK you!  I don't know if I would hav-"

She vanished.  Simply vanished from the dream sequence.

Of course, there was a good reason for it...

Selena gave a wide smile as the changes occurred and Silver left the dreamscape, it really had gone much better than she had anticipated, given she was planning on getting Illiad to find a professional psychiatrist once she assessed the situation; but it seemed like that would not be necessary.

The room began to fade after Silver left, leaving Selena alone in the torus shaped edifice resting comfortably on Silver's head.

"Silver!  Silver, wake up!"

Dax shook at the mare who was sleeping in a pile of paperwork.  Silver gave a start, then sat bolt upright.

"... have done so without-... uhm..."

Silver looked around as if she had no clue where she was... then she turned to Dax.

"Dax..?  Where am-"

She remembered.

"OH SWEET CELESTIA!  DAX, GET OUT!  GET OUT!"

"Hunh?"

Silver got to her hooves, gave a frantic glance around at all the horrific machine-plans on the floor, then back at Dax.

"NO NO NO - OUTSIDE!  NOW!"

Silver shoved a bewildered Dax out the door, then slammed it shut and stood against it, as if she expected the Blackwater to kick it down.  But Dax only stood there staring at the door that had been so rapidly shut in his face.

"Uhm... okay... are you all right in there?"

From behind the door came the sounds of paper being hastily shoved around.

"YeahnothingtoworryabouteverythingisfinehereI'llbeoutinaminutejusthangon!!!!!"

Dax scratched his head.  "Huh... what'd I say?"

The influx of energy from the massive spectacle earlier had changed Illiad somewhat... he had suffered, yes - but from that suffering had not only come a larger reserve, but it had also netted him an entire family of friends... not to mention the gratitude of an entire quarry.

Of course, with Illiad's link to Selena... and with as much power as he had been manifesting... it was inevitable that lovely Selena would also receive a bit of a boost, so to speak.  Her own channels had been opened a bit wider, her reach just a bit farther, and her reception was clearer.

... hello?...

It was an echo, a distant ripple against the wind - but she heard it.  It was so faint, it wouldn't have ever been possible to have even caught the smallest call... and this call was indeed small - yet the desperation in the emotional signal was at a fevered pitch.

... is anypony there?...

She recognized the voice; it wasn't quite as she remembered it, however.  It felt soft.  Alone.  Afraid.  Yet hopeful.

... hello?...

It sounded a LOT like Redd Handid... but there was no snark, no anger, no vinegar in it; it was scared and meek.

... please, I need help...

And apparently, Selena could hear that voice.

Well, isn't that different.

Silver felt something shift atop her head as something ran down her head by her ear like water, before it shifted its course and wrapped around her ear, yet it didn't restrict its ability to move. Something seemed to enter her ear, dampening the sound she could hear in that ear, until she heard a familiar voice from that ear. "Silver, it's Selena again. So you've missed out on a bit since you were here in your shop, but Redd went missing soon after the battle. Anyway, I think I've found him, at least I heard him calling out. Since Illiad's asleep to recover from the fight and I just so happen to be perched on your head I'm going to need your help to find Redd okay? I'll just need you to walk around the quarry a bit so I can get a fix on his location okay? I know that means you'll have to leave the designs but I hope you can recognize how much more important this is at the moment."

She heard a sigh. "If you can't bring yourself to leave then just pass me off to another who can help me find him, Dax for example is nearby if you want." 

Silver gasped.  "No no... of COURSE Redd is more important!  Hang on..."

She finished shoving the pile she'd been working on underneath her cot, then turned and went for the door.  Stepping outside, she saw Dax looking over the Gem Refinery... and Silver saw the damage.

"Oh NO!  Number six!  It blew, didn't it?"  She sighed sadly, then shook her head.  "No no, REDD now, repairs later!"

She went over to the Blackwater and spoke to him directly.

"Dax, I'm hunting for Redd - and I have help.  Go let the others know that I'm on the case!"

Dax gave her a look... then his sharp eyes saw the slight twinkle of Cloud Diamond in her ear, and put two and two together quickly.

"Right!  Good luck, you two!"

With that, Dax headed off to the manor, while Silver started looking around.

"Alright, which way do I go?"

... oh Celestia, how did I get so far UP?...

That came from farther up, towards the manor itself.

Selena smiled, a map of where the signal was coming from forming over the map of the quarry from Illiad's memories.

Silver heard the voice speak again, "Thanks, I knew I could count on you. The signal seems to be coming from the manor itself, up high though, either atop the manor or up on the manor itself." 

Nodding, Silver made her way up the path, casting a sad look at the ruined Refinery in passing, and made her way uphill towards the manor.  Reaching the front lawn, she glanced around a bit.

"Where now?"

... please, I'm scared of heights!  Help me...

The feelings were coming from further along the mountain; in fact, it felt as if those vibes were based out of Blackwater Ridge.  Directed by Selena, Silver made her way through the overgrown pathway to the somber cemetery.

"Further up it seems, perhaps all the way up on the peak. That would explain at least why no one else has found him yet. Is there a path that leads up there?"

Selena silently hoped there was, this would be much more difficult if there wasn't. With the amount of material she had, she could only carry one safely if it came to that. 

Silver looked around the graveyard and shivered a bit.

"I... don't know; I've never been up here before - cemeteries worry me."

She looked around for a bit, stumbling across the path leading back down which Illiad, Dax and Taps had taken earlier, but eventually finding a scant trace of rusted and fallen iron fence that seemed to lead around the side of the mountain peak.

Silver took that path, hoping beyond hope that this was the right direction to go.

... wait, is somepony there?...

One thing was certain - it was closer.  This WAS the right direction after all!

The trek took about a good fifteen minutes, having to take her time along the thicker brush, and she eventually came to a small clearing where there was a blackened stump jutting out of the dirt, and nothing grew around that stump for roughly fifty feet in a radius.  It was HERE that Selena was feeling the biggest draw... and something else, as well...

"... please, who's there?  Somepony?  ANYpony?"

It took a moment before Selena realized that those last words weren't thoughts, but actual spoken words.  What's more, she was also getting a residual sensation of some Cloud Diamond nearby.  Directing Silver, they eventually came to the edge of the clearing - and almost fell right off the side of the mountain!

The cliff was sheer, and it was a loooooooooooooong way down... but amongst the crags and chunks sticking out of the wall, there was what appeared to be some sort of cage down below, made of diamond and containing none other than Redd Handid himself.

At least, he LOOKED like Redd... how he acted, however...

"Oh, sweet Celestia, PLEASE get me out of here!  I am HORRIFIED of heights!  Oh please oh please oh please..."

His emotional state was absolutely panicked, fear coming off him in waves... yet dulled to a very dim register by the Cloud Diamond's presence.  Apparently, Havoc had taken a bit of the Cloud Diamond for himself, and had fashioned a holding pen for Redd that utilized his biggest fear to keep him held.

Now, this acrophobic Earth Pony had been stuck here for at least an hour or two, staring down into the yawning chasm below him and FREAKING OUT.

Silver looked down the cliffside at Redd's position and gasped.

"WOW that's a long way down!  HANG ON, REDD; WE'RE COMING!!!"

She then stepped back, and addressed Selena directly.

"Uhm, I could possibly come up with a machine to retrieve him... but it would take DAYS to complete it; any ideas on how to get him back up here?"

Selena thought for a moment, "well, you could simply grab the cage with your magic, cloud diamond is magically malleable after all, and without an active supply of magic to resist you it should respond and mold like clay. Or, you could throw me to it and I could try to manipulate it myself. If there is an active source then that would have to be what we do. Other than that? We could get some pegasi up here."

Silver looked down at the small cage on the cliffside.

"Well... I've never really done ANYTHING with Cloud Diamond before.  I'm not sure I want to risk Redd's life trying... though we might be able to fetch Taps; she might be able to get down there and bring him to safety... but I don't think Redd would care to wait much longer."

Silver began to pace as she spoke, speaking to both Selena and herself simultaneously.

"So I don't find trying to mess with the cage itself feasible for me... and getting a pegasi or two would take far longer than I'd like..."

She stopped.

"I don't exactly feel safe throwing you down there... but I could levitate you down, for certain!  Maybe we could try that?"

Beneath them, Redd began gibbering and weeping, screaming for his would-be rescuers to hurry, hurry, PLEASE hurry.

Selena thought for a moment, humming slightly in Silver's ear. "That could work, the question is more whether I have enough magic to lift him on my own... Oh! I could tap your own magic, provided you have enough to say, lift Redd. You wouldn't even need enough telekinetic strength, just energy due to the nature of cloud diamond. Once you levitate me down, just keep me in your magical grasp, you'll feel a drain on your energy, but it shouldn't be too bad. Do let me know if you think you're running low though."

Silver grinned widely.

"That is a can-do from me, sister!  You take what you need - just get him up; the poor fellow sounds as if he's about to start crying... and I don't know if I could stand to hear that sound coming out of THAT stallion."

Ever-so-gently, an orange aura appeared around the portion of Cloud Diamond in her ear, and lightly began to lower it down the cliff.  She was careful, and never once bumped the side.  When she was low enough, it became obvious what had happened here.

The cage was really nothing more than bars crossed at intervals; there wasn't really even a floor... and it was set sideways into the mountainside.  It was exceedingly crude, but it was solid enough.  Redd, however...

"What's that?  What are you doing?  Will it help me?  PLEASE HELP ME!"

... wasn't exactly being a pillar of strength right now.

Once Selena was close enough she latched on to the cage, attaching it to her own network of mass. She evaluated how it was laid out before she started to draw on Silver's magic before she started the cage moving. One bar at a time would dislodge itself from the side of the cliff and grab back on higher up the mountain. Step by step raising the cage up to the edge of the cliff.

Redd gave a squeak as the cage began to climb itself up the cliffside, then went wide-eyed and silent as he saw he was being rescued.  There was no incident, and the cage-thing made its' way to the top, pulling itself onto the ledge.  Silver clapped her hooves, then made her way over to Redd.

"Redd!  Are you all right?"

The unicorn stallion looked as though he'd just been released from a seven year sentence at a haunted prison.  He slowly turned to look at her, and his voice was tiny and high-pitched.

"... no..."

He slowly laid himself on the ground, and began to kiss the dirt beneath him.

"Oh Silver, thank you thank you SO much!  Oh, I never want to go through that again, no way no how nuh-uh!  Oh, sweet SWEET ground!  Terra Firma!  Earth!  Dirt!  Solid walking substance!"

Silver blushed a bit at the spectacle Redd was making, but luckily there was only the two (three) of them - so there was no harm done.  Now there was a gathering of Cloud Diamond bars here, as well as a very grateful stallion and an embarrassed mare; what Selena did next would be her own call... but Silver didn't seem to be in any hurry to explain what she (or more accurately, Selena) had done to Redd Handid.

Given Selena was no longer in Silver's ear she couldn't make much noise, and she didn't want to use up more energy to move herself into position, so she simply allowed her diamond to form back into its glowing diamond shape and wait to be picked up, silently hoping that Silver would remember to bring her back down the mountain with her. 

Silver carefully reached down and scooped up the diamond, nonchalantly slipping it into a pouch on her toolbelt before tending to Redd, who looked quite shaken.

"Oh Silver!  Thank you thank you THANK YOU!"

Silver nodded and put on a worried smile; she had NEVER seen him act like THIS before!  Redd moved over towards the pathway, then stopped and looked back at the mare.  "Can we go back now, please?"

Silver walked over.  "Thank you..?  Please..?  You know, Redd - that doesn't sound much like the Redd that I know."

Redd sighed and closed his eyes.  "I know; it's for my sister.  ALWAYS for my sister."

Silver quirked an eyebrow.  "What exactly do you mean?"

Redd sighed.  

"My sister has always been a fine actress, and she relishes playing the heroes - and she's GOOD at it!  You should see her Spitfire impression!"  He grinned pleasantly (another strange activity for Redd Handid), then continued.  

"Anyhow, she wants to build her own studio and make her own plays and such.  However, she wants ME to be there with her onstage - she wants me to play the villain roles.  And because I love my lil' sis SO much, I couldn't tell her 'no'... so, I went looking for some sort of profession where I could practice being... well, being a villain, so to speak."

Silver stared for a moment.

"Wow, that is... you REALLY aren't mean, spiteful, hateful, asinine, or egotistical?  But those are hallmarks of who we know you to be!  Are you saying you've been pretending to be somepony else just to help learn how to be a meaner villain?"

Redd nodded.

"Well isn't that the bee's knees?  Actaully, not that bees actually HAVE knees, but more like their legs have appropriate hinges... so you're not a brat of a unicorn- I MEAN, uhm..."  Silver blushed a bit - she didn't mean to insult him, unlike previous times of having to deal with the stallion she'd thought of as trouble since she started here.  Now to learn he really wasn't mean, but simply acting?

Silver may have to have some words with Selena about this later; it was getting confusing.  The two (three) of them began to head back for the manor.

Arriving at Blackwater Manor, Silver and Redd (and Selena) made their way inside and into the foyer, where Illiad was sleeping while Ziggy, Beck and Call were waiting.

Silver gasped when she saw Illiad, and started to go to him - had Ziggy not raised a hoof.

"Your Trojan friend is resting well; he's been through much, I'm sure you can tell... but the wounds you see aren't truly bad; it only took some stuff I had - to fix him up as good as new, and to this end I have been true; your sweetheart here is gonna be fine... and don't worry for thanks - the pleasure was mine."

Silver blushed hotly at the doc's mention of Illiad being her 'sweetheart', but she didn't correct her, either.  Instead, she turned to Beck.

"Do you two think you could let the rest know that Redd has been found, and that he's okay?"

Beck and Call both bowed in unison, and spoke such as their reply.

"Most certainly, Miss Silver."

With that, and a final glance at Ziggy, the two of them walked off.  The pegazebra shook her head as the twins left.

"I've gotta tell you - I can never figure out which one of those two is which... do you have any idea?"

Silver smiled.  "As long as they don't mind, should we?"

Ziggy thought on that for a moment, then shrugged.  She then began to gather her unused supplies together.

"Well, I think any effective work I can do here, I have already done did."  She giggled at her little grammar joke.  "I'm sure I'm leaving Illiad here in good hooves.  I'm glad nopony got seriously hurt... REALLY glad.  Okay, you two - I'm headed back for the shed; if anything changes for the worse-"

"... you'll be the FIRST to know, Ziggy - thank you for all you've done here."

Ziggy grinned.  "Illiad's the one who needs thanking; he saved the entire quarry today."

With that, she trotted her way out the front doors.  Once they were alone, Silver moved up next to Illiad and laid down beside him, snuggling and nuzzling up against his chest before settling her head next to his and wrapping one of his hooves around her.

"Good night, Illiad..."  She smiled sweetly, kissed his cheek and closed her eyes.  "I love you."  Within minutes, she was asleep in his embrace.

Twenty minutes later, Oglevy was curled up at Illiad's back, sleeping peacefully as well.

Ten minutes after THAT, Dax was sleeping on a large pillow he'd brought from a couch in the hallway, close enough for Illiad to feel his breath.

Fifteen minutes later, Vylia came through and draped blankets over them all, then headed for bed where she felt in the mood to do a little snuggling as well.

The foyer was quiet as Illiad slept, surrounded by care and love.

Selena crept out of Silver's pocket and made her way back to the rest of her mass which was still regulating his magic. As she sat at the base of his neck she contemplated bringing everyone into a dream together, but decided it would be best if they all just had an undisturbed night's sleep.

She siphoned off some of the incoming energy to replenish her own stores before returning her efforts to ensuring Illiad healed at the fastest possible rate.

Meanwhile, Illiad's dreams were hardly as peaceful as they looked from the outside.

What started as a dreamless rest quickly fell into a nightmarish view of some possible future. Selena was usually there to protect against such visions, but she wasn't here today.

In the dream Illiad stood, the wind and the sand feeling just as real as in the last dream of this kind. He was garbed in the red outlined robes of Consul, and he could feel the office's helm resting on his head. The sun and moon moved erratically as the wind blew fitfully across the cratered landscape of the desert. Behind him stood the impressive walls of Troy, heavily damaged, but still standing strong.

In the wind he could faintly hear laughter, the laughter of a twisted and demented being.

In his magical grasp he held three items, to the left the sword of Troy, the blade shining with a sickly purplish glow, to the right a sword made of cloud diamond, a bight light glowing in the center of the hilt, and before him, a long staff made of obsidianwood and topped by a large mass of cloud diamond.

The laughter was growing closer, taunting him to make a move.

"Discord. The time has come to end this." He spoke without thinking it, as if seeing the events unfold from within himself though his actions were not his own.

The laughter only grew louder as over the shifting dunes an innumerable army of the spawn of Tartarus came into view.
> An Exchange of Tours
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illiad awoke to the sounds of soft snoring at his left, and gentle sleep-mumbling on his right... and something near his rear hooves.

Upon opening his eyes, he found those sounds and sensations belonged to Dax, Silver and Oglevy, respectively.  He was surrounded in a ball of warmth, which felt cozy in the chilled morning air.  There were soft, silky sheets covering the lot of them, carefully tucked around the two Blackwaters; Vylia's doing, he'd bet.

He wasn't as sore as he'd thought he would be... but he certainly was STIFF all over; his muscles, both physical AND mental, had gotten quite the workout the other day.  

Illiad stretched as he shook the sleep from his eyes. He had no idea what time it was but his body said it was far too early to be getting up.

He moved to get up anyway. His knees nearly giving out as he tried to stand, the stiff joints rebelling against his attempts to move them. Nonetheless, he managed it, hopefully without shaking those around him too much.

He gave a long yawn before looking himself over, his robe was in tatters, barely staying on his body and doing little to nothing to cover all of his new bald spots or even the discolored patch from before. He sighed, At least I have another one, and that cloak will also help until my coat grows back in. IF it grows back in.

He looked around the room, split between trying to go back to sleep or trying to remember the way to food. Looking around himself it would be a bit difficult to exit the circle of love without rousing those around him, and it would be a while before he had the magic built up to teleport again, what with Selena siphoning off as much as she could to heal him. 

Dax moaned, and blinked his eyes open into squinting positions.

"Illiad..?  Yer up?  Ohhhhh... kay."

He slowly got up, stretched languidly, then smacked his lips a few times.  Looking down at Silver sleeping nearby, he grinned.

"Well, I'm glad to see she took quite a shine to you; I kinda feel like I'm playing matchmaker-..."

His words dropped off as he noticed Oglevy.  He looked quite surprised... then simply grinned and, putting a hoof to his lips, motioned for Illiad to follow him into the kitchen, where the smell of coffee was warm and aromatic.

Illiad smiled at Dax's comments, and carefully stepped over the two remaining sleeping ponies to follow Dax towards the scent. While he wasn't inclined to drink coffee, where the coffee was there was likely to be other breakfast food items. 

Once they were far enough away from the sleepers he turned to Dax. "Well, umm glad she likes me too, though if she didn't it wouldn't be the first time my feelings weren't returned in that way. Enough of that though, I'm curious to see what happens today, we'll be leaving for Troy tomorrow after all." 

"Wow... it HAS been a whole week already, hasn't it?"

Dax stood there a moment, lost in thought.  Then he smiled and shook his head.

"I kinda hope I get to have as much fun in Troy as YOU seem to have had here!  You've been pretty busy... and I'm sorry if I caused any of that.  But you certainly gotta admit - the Blackwater Quarry sure isn't boring!"

As they entered the kitchen, they came upon Luther situated at the sink, washing his plate and mug.  Again, it was interesting that they had servants, yet washed their own dishware.  Something about that spoke of a distinct lack of foppishness among the family - regardless of Vylia's attitude at times.  Luther's face was drawn and neutral, not scowling for once.  He looked up from his work as Dax and Illiad entered, nodded to them both, and returned to his task.

Dax wandered over to one of the refrigeration coolers, and began to rummage through it.

"Usually, we eat together... but today, we just get our own.  There's some fruit in here, along with jellies and a few casseroles; what can I whip up for you today, Illiad?  I'd be happy to cook; my treat!"

Illiad gave a crooked smile at the offer to cook, "Well, I suppose it makes sense seeing as I'll be the one cooking for you next week." He sighed as he tried to come up with something to have for breakfast. He both didn't want to really impose on Dax's offer, but he also didn't want to make Dax think that he didn't think him up to the task of cooking breakfast.

"Hmm, you guys have hash browns and hay bacon? Cause those sound pretty good right now." If they had the ingredients then it wouldn't be hard to make at all, yet involved enough that cooking it made one feel like they had really contributed.

Dax gave Illiad a skeptical glance.

"Oh, c'mon!  I'm no stranger to a kitchen, and there's LOTS of stuff here I could make!  I could whip up some biscuits, or maybe a cheese and spinach casserole, or fry up some spiced apple dumplings... heck, I could make an entire cake if you wanted me to!"

Dax seemed quite happy to do any of these things... however, Luther spoke up as the voice of reason in this scenario.

"He wants hash browns and hay bacon; give him what he wants, Daxter - not what YOU want to give him."

Dax gave a short huff, but his emotions didn't budge - he was simply wanting to do more for his friend.  However, after only a slight pout, he began to gather the necessary ingredients and utensils.

"Okay, okay... I'll keep it simple."  He looked back at Illiad with a good-natured glare.  "This time, anyway.  You've gotta let me make something for you in Troy... maybe your friends would like to try some of my cooking too?"

As he worked, he hummed a little ditty and even tapped his hooves a bit.  He seemed quite happy in front of a stove, to be honest.  The casual good humour was refreshing to the emotionally sandblasted Empathic; not harsh or sour - just good, clean, happy fun.

Finishing up his wash, Luther turned and came over to the unicorn.  He stood close, speaking sotto voce to Illiad.

"Before you sleep tonight, come to my study.  Please."

With that, the Blackwater patriarch made his way out of the kitchen.  Dax didn't even seem to notice; he was currently tending to the hay bacon, and humming some catchy little tune as he did.  He was also waggling his flank slightly to the tune's beat, looking for all the world like a hip little fry cook.

Even when he wasn't trying, Dax Blackwater was quite amusing.

Illiad was a bit surprised at both Dax's professed skill in cooking, and at Luther's comment about meeting. It seemed important, no doubt it would have something to do with Dax in Troy.

He made his way a bit closer to Dax, trying to remember if he had heard the song before while he watched him work. "I must say I'm impressed, most ponies don't have too much skill outside of their marks, I for one am not the best cook, so if you feel so inclined I wouldn't mind if you cooked while we were in Troy." 

Dax grinned.  

"It's actually Father who insisted that we all cook for ourselves; the Ons do it occasionally - when Father lets Mother get away with it, that is - but for the most part, we make our own meals... even Oglevy knows how to make non-stove-related dishes!  Father keeps insisting that it keeps us humble, but I just like being able to season my own food to taste."

His eyes (and mood) took a little lift, and he turned to face the Trojan.

"Maybe I could cook a meal for you and your friends?  Would they even like something like that?  Oh, I REALLY hope I get along with the rest of your friends, Illiad; at least I'll know we all have YOU in common, so I guess it wouldn't be too hard to make conversation, right?"

He then turned back to the stove, back to his work, back to his humming.  And waggling his rump.

The tune Dax was humming was actually RATHER infectious

Dax simply bopped away, humming and having a grand time at the stove; he really seemed to enjoy cooking for his best friend.

Illiad smiled with a slight nod, he knew of too many Canterlot nobles who had no idea how to cook anything on their own due to their servants cooking everything for them. "It's good that you know how to cook for yourself, it'll keep you able to take care of yourself wherever life takes you. As to my friends, while they're a bunch of different races I'm sure you'll be able to find something to fit their palettes."

He thought for a moment, "Though now that I think of it, none of them are particularly picky, and honestly I think they'd love a free meal, and I'm sure they'll enjoy talking to you as much as I do."

He enjoyed the song, though wasn't exactly as inclined to move as Dax was.

Dax blushed a bit at Illiad's comment.

"Awwww... you've gotta be just saying that - but thanks, though."

He expertly manipulated the skillet, and literally flipped the hay bacon onto a plate.  Then, getting the browns together, he looked back at Illiad as he scanned the countertop for a bowl.

"Well, I don't really have anything planned for today... heck, everything else I planned either fell through, or actually happened, so... I guess I'm saying I don't really have anything special in mind for today.  So anything you wanna do is fine with me; I'm happy just to be around you, y'know!"

Spotting the bowl, he slid it over and poured the hash directly into it, golden brown and rather aromatic.  He gathered the dish and bowl on a tray, and brought it to Illiad as if he were one of the Ons, complete with the down-the-muzzle stare and half-lidded look of haughtiness.

"Your breakfast, sirrrrrr..."  He drew out the last word on purpose, and gave a slight chuckle at his own little funny.

They both looked good, and SMELLED divine.  He finished the set-up with a tall, cool glass of orange juice from a pitcher in the cooler.  A simple breakfast, yet fit for an Alicorn.

Dax then smiled and said, "Okay, eat up - I'm making MINE now."

With that, he was back in front of the stove shortly, still humming that earworm of a tune as he began to prepare his own meal.

Illiad gave a light laugh at Dax's impression and began eating with a smile, they were a bit more seasoned than he usually made for himself, given he didn't have many seasonings at home nor the wherewithal to use them as well as Dax clearly could. In all it was much better than he had really anticipated, a good test of the Blackwater's skills as a chef before he shared it with his friends.

"This is absolutely wonderful Dax," he said after the first bite, waiting for the Blackwater to join him before he continued. He realized he shouldn't have started before his host was ready, but it just smelled too good to wait, even if he had been told to start. "As to what we could do today, the only thing that crosses my mind as something I'd like to do is somehow manage to get you, me, and Silver sleeping in the same area so we can all share a dream together. At least I think that would be a good way to spend the last night here. All that's left is what we could do in anticipation. Oh! I would like to see the vault with the lights on this time if that's not too much trouble, it wasn't very impressive when I couldn't see anything but I'm sure if it's anything like the rest of this quarry it will be quite the thing to see, though I understand if that can't happen. I should probably help gather up the cloud diamond shards I borrowed yesterday too. Though anything you want to do is fine by me."

Dax paused a moment in his cooking.

"A SHARED dream between us?  Wow... I know I'D find it fun, and I'll bet Silver would just FLIP at the opportunity!  Selena's REALLY powerful, isn't she?  I mean, I don't even know if Luna herself could manage something like that... but I could be wrong."

He grinned sheepishly, then turned back to the stove and prepared his own breakfast, returning to his humming.  And his dancing.  Eventually, he finished making his meal and came to sit directly across from his best friend.  He'd prepared the same thing he'd made for Illiad, complete with OJ.

"As for the Cloud Diamond, I'm pretty certain Father's already seen to its' collection... but we can find out for ourselves, I guess."

He tore into his breakfast, eating politely but quickly, as if he'd been starving for days, but was STILL a Blackwater, and he was trying to keep up appearances.  It was kindly funny.

"I know how to get into the vault, and I don't think there would be any issue with my taking you there - I can ask one of the foreponies to let us in; the only one who has a key besides the three of them is Father, though there is a spare...SOMEwhere..."

He spoke as if he'd been snooping around to find that spare key for ages; probably since his colthood.

"Anyway, we can head there once we're finished here, if you want to - besides, I've GOT to show you the Blackwater Emerald!"

His excitement was rolling along nicely within him, and his chipper attitude was both genuine and unflappable.

Illiad's smile grew as he resumed eating to keep pace with Dax, pausing occasionally to respond, "As powerful as Selena is, Luna's at least twice as powerful when it comes to dreams, she just doesn't have many opportunities to do shared dreams since she's usually busy in the night patrolling the dreams. Anyway, dream sharing is actually pretty simple when distance is negligible. I would love to see the Blackwater Emerald, that's the one you found isn't it? I'm sure it's magnificent, your father might be willing to let us in, though it wouldn't hurt to meet with some of the foreponies again." 

Dax blasted through his meal, gathering both of their dishes to wash (and not taking no for an answer from Illiad) and finishing that in record time.  Once everything was as it should be, he turned to face the unicorn.

"There!  Spic and span!  Now, off to the vault!"

On the way they passed by Illiad’s room where he was able to chang out his tattered robe for his undamaged spare before they continued outside. As they walked, Dax chatted on.

"Actually, yeah - it IS the one I found... you remembered that I said that?"  Dax grinned.  "Hunh... I guess you're good at recalling details, too.  But yeah, it was the one I found when I-..."

A quick roll of sadness zipped through him, but he dispatched it out of his thoughts with haste.

"... yeah, so it's the BIGGEST emerald ever discovered.  The whole quarry actually claims the find; I don't mind - I don't need to be famous for finding a big, shiny rock.  In fact, I don't think I really wanna be famous at all - from what I've heard, most famous folk aren't very happy... and I'd MUCH rather be happy than well-known."

Reaching the quarry yard, Illiad found it very quiet; with the Gem Refinery in need of repair, the factory sounds that usually filled this end of the quarry were vacant.  Dax seemed to notice too, as he glanced around curiously.

"Wow... it's pretty quiet here.  Guess I just got used to the refinery chugging along - but folks always say that you never miss something until it isn't there anymore, so..."

He shrugged, then looked at the Trojan.

"Well... I kinda figure you don't want anything to do with Redd, so who're we going to see: Chuck or Slapper?"

Illiad gave a bit of a chagrined smile, "Yah, I don't think Redd and I will ever be on quite the best of terms, Oh! that reminds me, Slapper wanted to talk to me about something anyway. Might as well sling two targets with one stone and go talk to him first."

He gave a contented sigh at the quieter sounds of the quarry, "I'm surprised the refinery was responsible for so much of the quarry's ambiance, maybe when they fix it back up they'll make it quieter. Now's a great time to make upgrades after all."

Dax chuckled.

"Well, it'll certainly give Silver an excuse to overhaul the place; she's been wanting a chance to do that for a while, but never seemed to get the courage up to ask Father - now, she won't have to worry about him saying no, I guess."

He nodded and thought for a moment.

"Let's see... usually for this time of day, Slapper's watching over the slurry pit - should be easy to find him there.  C'mon!"

Dax galloped his way to the other side of the row of sheds; here, there was a large, lake-sized hole in the mountain, and it was here that minecarts were being brought to on rails, then the cart's contents were dumped into the pit.  What was being dumped looked like a sort of liquidy-concretey-type-stuff, and it smelled like evaporating rain and old, wet cardboard.

"When they mine, the miners get a lot of rock dust on the ground.  An operator with a tank and a hose comes by and wets the floor, making the dust easier to sweep up, and it gets put in a cart and dumped here.  The yucky gray watery junk that it turns into when the rock dust gets sprayed is called 'slurry', and it's useless for anything except drying and turning into a very brittle and weak concrete.  So, we dump it here.  It's not toxic, and it's pretty much all-natural, so it's not like we're polluting or anything."

Illiad looked confused for a moment, then shrugged it off, "I guess I don't really know much about mining, but it sounds like you do, though that's to be expected."

Towards the head of the line they were approaching was Knee Slapper, with a contraption on similar to Chuck's clipboard harness.  He would watch a cart come up, check it, make a note, then nod at the miner who would then tip the contents into the pit.  That done, the next one moved up and repeated the process.  The line wasn't long at all; two more carts, it seemed like.

Knee waved at Illiad and Dax as they came into view.

"Heeeeeeey, folks!  C'mon over for a minute, say hi and such!"

Illiad walked over to Slapper, taking care to stay away from the edge of the pit. "Hey there Slapper! Dax wanted to take me to see that giant emerald he found and I remembered you having said that you wanted to talk to me anyway, so I thought I'd go two for one and we decided to come find you." 

The forepony put on a sparkling ear-to-ear grin as they came in close.

"Hey, yeah!  I do wanna talk atcha for a minute, actually.  Alone, if I might - if, that is, Dax doesn't mind?"

The Blackwater stallion shrugged and looked at Illiad.  "As long as you two don't disappear into some grand adventure without me!"

Knee chuckled, touseled Dax's mane, and said, "I won't - look, keep an eye on the slurry pit, would'ja?  Two shakes, I swear."

He led Illiad off to where they were out of earshot of anypony else.

"Listen - I wanted to let you know that I'm a bit worried about you,"  he spoke in his other accent, the one that sounded more like the real Knee Slapper, "when I mentioned the Hounds, you didn't even recognize the name.  Well, listen and listen good: they're the reason I'm no longer able to go home."

He sighed, and began anew.

"Look, I'll make it short; the group calls themselves 'The Kennel', and they've been intent on finding and capturing me for quite a while.  Until recently, I thought they were only after ME; with the discovery that there are others who have special abilities too, it occurs to me that YOU might be a target of theirs.  After all - that's why they came after me all those years ago.  THAT'S what I'm doing here at the quarry: HIDING from the Hounds."

He gave Illiad a grave look.

"If they trace you back to Troy, you might be in serious danger.  Once a Hound gets a scent, they won't stop at anything to find it... so be EXTRA careful when you two head off.  Make CERTAIN you aren't followed.  And always keep your eyes peeled."

Illiad gave Slapper a sympathetic, yet confused look. "I'll be sure to keep a watchful eye out, but with Luna's protection I don't think there's much to worry about. No one's tried to attack me directly since before I left Canterlot, and since then only a select few know I'm any different. More than know about you that is, so unless one of them's a plant I think we'll be safe for now. How do you know so much about them anyway? Do you know why they're going after those like us?"

"As for the Hounds, I only know what little I know because of a messenger I... uh, 'intercepted' when they broke their leg on accident.  There were only three letters, but they spoke of the Kennel, and they had a LOT of rhetoric on the 'evils of the psychic', which I'd thought only meant me... but now that I know you're ALSO gifted, well...Illiad, there could be far more Empathics out there at risk.  Maybe when you arrive home, you should look into finding out what you can about this?  After all, I'm just a quarry worker; someone with your pull might be able to find out far more than I."

Illiad’s expression shifted to be even more serious, "I'll keep an eye out for those hounds though, they seem like the sort of zealots that Celestia would simply overlook, though I think Troy will still be safe, they don't really like intolerance after all." 

He sighed, then looked to the Trojan once more.

"That stuff that happened yesterday was weird - mind giving me a run-down of what was going on, because I've NEVER seen anything like THAT before."

Illiad sighed as he looked back towards the slurry pit, "As to what happened yesterday? Even I don't fully know what happened. To the best of my knowledge there was an ancient evil inhabiting a cursed item that got loose on the quarry. I'm just glad we were able to contain it as well as we did, and that no one died to my knowledge." 

Knee lifted an eyebrow.

"You don't remember yesterday's shenanigans?  The goofiness?  The mind control?  The honest-to-goodness draconequus?  NONE of that rings any bells with you?  I couldn't stop thinking about it for hours... and it's the talk of the quarry, Illiad!  EVERYPONY recalls it - why don't you?"

Strangely enough, Illiad could recall things - but wouldn't Taps' artifact have muddled those thoughts?  Why would it not have cleared these as well?  Was everything okay?  It raised a LOT of questions... and they weren't happy questions, either.

"It's strange, though... when the delivery wagon showed up this morning, not a single worker spoke about it; they talked about the recent Wonderbolts air show, and mentioned the cat burglar traipsing across the continent... butnothing at all about the hullabaloo here the other day."

He gave a slight grin.  "It's as if they know that mum's the word, and they just roll with it.  Fascinating stuff."  Knee looked around a bit more, then leaned in close and spoke softly.

Illiad returned a raised eyebrow with a smirk, though it quickly fell to a more conspiratorial look, "Oh no, I do remember what happened, I was pretty involved with it now wasn't I? Though as to everyone keeping it quiet... I've heard the Jinx stone isn't the only strange artifact affecting the quarry. There may just be something here that makes you forget things."

Slapper sighed, then shook his head.  "Strange times, indeed."

Illiad gave a slight laugh, "It's even stranger than we know, though perhaps that's for the best."

Slapper nodded sagely.

"Too true... wait a second,"  he suddenly gave Illiad a skeptical glance, "what do you mean, 'not the only artifact affecting the quarry'?  What, is there something going on here that I don't know about?  Is it Redd again?  Is it-... is it the Boss?  Does HE have something that's been working over the miners?  C'mon, you cannot just feed me a line like that and expec-"

"Hey, you two!  Getting all 'conspiratorial' over here, eh?"

Dax walked over to where they were standing, his mood and face both proving he'd heard none of their conversation.  Slapper grinned, though Illiad could tell Knee was a bit surprised at Dax's appearance; he hadn't heard him coming, which fed a tiny morsel to Knee Slapper's paranoia.  All the same, he sounded right as rain when he spoke.

"Naaaaaaaaah... just planning on robbing the Blackwater Vault, is all."  Slapper gave Illiad a nudge and a wink, and Dax gave them both a chuckle.

"Well, it doesn't surprise me; we were headed there just now - I'm gonna show Illiad the Blackwater Emerald!"

Knee's eyebrows raised, and he looked impressed.  "Whoa... that joke was a lil' too close to home, eh?  Ah, no matter - I figure after everything else that's happened this week, you certainly deserve a little R&R, am I right?  Well, okay then!  Guess I should let you two get back to it, huh?  Hopefully, we'll get a chance to chat again before you two go tomorrow.  Sound good?"

Dax nodded, then looked at the Trojan, waiting for approval.

Illiad was ever so slightly annoyed that their conversation was cut short for the second time, but he didn't let it show. "Well, we still need a key to get in the vault, but I guess you are busy, we'll try to get one of the other foreponies to let us into the vault. We really do need to talk again before I leave. How about you catch me tomorrow morning and we'll talk before Dax and I head out to the train station?"

He turned to Dax, "If that works then we better get going to the next available forepony. If we take too long than we won't get into the vault before nightfall." 

Knee smiled and nodded.  "Tomorrow morning, then - hope you rise early, 'cause I sure do!"

Dax grinned; he felt kindly towards the forepony, and there was a 'little brother' mentality coming back in return.  Knee started to say something else, then his head whipped sideways and he spoke up.

"Hey hey hey HEY HEYYY!  Watch what you're doin' there!  That's stuff's NASTY - and I sure ain't gonna be the one cleaning it up!"

He looked back at the two, tossed them a wink, then trotted back over to the slurry pit to continue to supervise.  Dax gave a swift sigh, then turned back to Illiad.

"Okay, c'mon... Chuck's probably up at the mine entrance, divvying out shifts."

They began making their way up toward the looming cavern that stood as the main entrance (one would think it was the ONLY entrance) to the Blackwater Mines.  As they walked, Dax turned to the unicorn.

"Y'know... yesterday was... well, it was intense, Illiad.  I don't know what to say about it... or even if I SHOULD talk about it.... but I'm glad everyone turned out okay in the end."

He gave a rueful chuckle.  "Even Redd."

Illiad gave a slight wave to Knee as they departed, before turning his attention back towards Dax. "It is indeed quite fortunate that things didn't go as badly as they could have, especially for Redd. Though the refinery's down for now, I don't know of anyone who died as a result. Though perhaps it would be best to put the whole thing behind us, unless of course there was something about it that bothered you, in the which case it should be discussed to ensure that there is no lasting trauma from the event." 

He gave a slight smile as he shook his head, "I sound so much like a psychiatrist some times."

Dax chuckled.  "Well, as long as you use your mighty head-shrinking powers for good, then we'll all be the better for it!"

The two of them finally reached the mines... but it seemed that today wasn't just a busy day for Knee Slapper.  There were a number of miners in groups, all seeming either heated or simply frustrated, and in the middle of the hullabaloo was none other than Chuck List himself.  He was a sailor pony nearly drowning in a sea of angry statements and questions:

"Hey, the route #6 rails're offline - what gives?"
"Chuck, with the refinery down, where in Tartarus are we gonna take these carts?"
"Sir?  There's a conflict with the schedule..."
"Yo, Chuck!  What gives, huh?"
"Chuck, aren't we supposed to be changing shifts right about now?"

Any normal pony in a situation like this would possibly be swamped with all the incoming information... but Chuck List wasn't just a pro; he was THE Head Forepony here at the Blackwater Quarry, and he was currently proving why - in spades.  He was directing the miners and carts as they came in, and was answering just as fast as they could speak, in that strange speech of his.

"Eh, hol-jer wattah!  Dere routin' rail numbah six to five an' two; you gotta problem widdit, ya can eat a rock... doze carts're headed back ta da depot unnaground, once dere full - we kin sorditowt laytah... FUGGETABOUDAT schedule, Rocky!  If you t'ink youse did yer time, den sign out - but we need more workahz out atda refinery, if yuz gotta minnit 'r' t'ree... numbah six hopper blew yestiddy, 'membah?  DAT'S what gives... one t'ing adda time, dere!  Gimme a mo'!"

Though it was decidely thick with ponies, Chuck seemed to be perfectly within his element.  Dax watched for a moment, waiting for a lull... and when one didn't come, he turned to his Trojan buddy and sighed.

"Somehow, I get the idea that we won't get much help here, either... but that means..."

He rolled his eyes.

"Great... we've gotta find Redd.  Perfect."

He didn't seem to be pleased with the prospect of meeting up with the maroon unicorn; of course, after yesterday's little incident, Illiad might have had a few... hesitations... as well.

Iliad gave a slight laugh when he saw Chuck's predicament, seems no one's getting a break today 

His expression fell a bit at the mention of Redd, Selena had related to him what she had done for Redd the previous night and what he had unknowingly revealed to her. "Well, if we can't avoid it, I guess we'll need to find Redd, though with our luck so far he'll be busy too or otherwise not willing to do us any favors. We might just have better luck getting your father to let us in."

He gave a long sigh, "Let's try Redd then, maybe we'll get lucky." 

Dax led the two of them along until the reached the equipment check-in station, right next to the machine lifts that took the heavy stuff down into the lower mines.  It was there that they came across Redd... though, if Illiad judged by Dax's emotional curiosity, he certainly wasn't in a typical mood.

The bright crimson forepony was seated at the counter, looking forlorn and sad.  He had his head in one hoof, while the other seemed to draw lazy, inattentive circles on the countertop.  There wasn't another soul anywhere nearby, so there was very, very little to keep him from being in his funk.

Dax looked at him, then turned to his buddy.  "I've never seen him NOT angry before; what should we do?"

Illiad actually looked nervous, not a good nervous like with Silver, but a bad nervous that almost bordered on panic. It seemed like he was actually at a complete loss as to what he should do. "I.... Um...." He shook his head in an attemt to clear it as he considered his options more thoroughly.

He knew what Selena and Silver had done for Redd, but he couldn't think of a way to bring that up to Redd without revealing Selena, or without implying that Silver had told him everything. Even if Redd hadn't explicitly told her not to tell anyone, there was still the reasonable expectation of privacy up there on the mountain.

He sighed again, "Well, maybe this will work."
> An Exchange of Vault
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illiad approached Redd with a calm, yet slightly caring expression. When he spoke it was in an even tone that exuded the same calm yet, similar to the expression, showed in a slight way that he did actually care. "Hey, glad to see you made it through yesterday's events without getting too hurt. I was worried when no one knew where you were after everything went down." He silently hoped that Redd would still remember what had happened yesterday enough that his comments would actually make sense to the forepony.

Redd eyed the two of them as they approached, but didn't budge otherwise.  He did give a sigh of resignation, then flicked his gaze to the Trojan.

"And I surmise you're both here to shame me for it.  Very well, then..."

He sat back on his stool and spread his hooves.

"... do so."

He had his eyes closed and a look of sad acceptance slid onto his features.  Surprisingly, for a single moment Dax actually considered cutting him down a peg or two... but his kinder nature outweighed his want for karmic satisfaction.  He tilted his head at Redd.

"... no, Redd.  We don't wanna do that; we're not like that."

Redd cracked a single eye open and looked back and forth between the two of them.

"You should be."

He loosened his stance as well as his defensiveness; he simply felt disgusted with everything that had happened, and was not at all looking forward to the backlash he was bound to get from yesterday's fiasco.  He focused his gaze on Illiad, but the Trojan got the distinct feeling that Redd wasn't angry with him... more like he was feeling sorry for himself.

"Especially you, Easle... I would figure you've more than earned the right to chastise me soundly."

A slight smirk crossed Illiad's features as he thought of many possible ways he could get back at Redd for the minor inconveniences, but he quickly shook them from his head, now was not the time to exact such petty karma.

"I think Havoc punished you enough from what I've heard, anything I could add would simply be gratuitous. Let's instead simply leave the past behind and start anew eh? Get off on a better hoof than we started with? I know you care more than you allow yourself to let on, and if you didn't try so hard to be the villain you could be friends with most if not all the other ponies here. It does beg the question, does the villain have to be disliked? Can the villain not be some dashing rouge that the audience secretly roots for while they confront the hero?"

He shook his head, "I don't know if any of that means anything to you, but anyway. We aren't here to judge you or rag on you for what you didn't really have much control over. We're just looking to get into the vault so Dax can show me the Blackwater Emerald he found and we were wondering if you knew how we could get it. You're welcome to join us if you want."

I really hope this works.

Redd eyeballed Illiad for a moment; outwardly, he was looking at the Trojan as if he was suspicious of his actions... but on the inside, Handid's emotions were worried and a bit frightened.

"The Vault?  Chuck has a key... and with as chummy as I've seen you being with Slapper, Mr. Easle, I'd have thought you'd have asked him by now."

Dax cleared his throat.  "Uhm... they're busy."

Redd rolled his eyes.  "Of course they are.  Very well," he sighed, "I suppose that your last choice will be the one to get things done here."

"Well, we didn't ask Father..."

Redd's mood sank a bit more, but he just gave a short snort and came out from behind the counter.  "Very well, very well - I suppose you're wanting to get my part in this over with fairly quickly, so let's be off."

He came up to the two of them, and now that he wasn't being insistent nor rude, Illiad had a better chance to get a look at him.  

Redd Handid was actually quite handsome for a stallion.  His mane was thick and blond with a tail to match, as he hadn't yet begun docking or braiding it for mine work, as he seemed to be the type to be far too proud of it.  He had some substance to him, yet he wasn't overweight in the least; he seemed fairly strong, just nowhere near the muscles the other miners had.  His movements, even in his current state of self-pity, were confident and sure - he wasn't physically moping in the least.

He began walking, and headed in the direction of the sheds.

"Well, I expect it'll take Silver at least a week to fix hopper #6, so there'll be a LOT of backlog to deal with by that time.  More work for everypony - how wonderful.  But I suppose such is as it is, of course... there's ALWAYS something to do here, anyway.  I suppose one task is the same as any other when it comes to this place.  Why the Vault?"

Dax grinned.  "I wanted to-"

They finished together, Redd with understandably less enthusiasm as the Blackwater.

"... show him the Blackwater Emerald."

Redd nodded.  "Yes, yes... has he told you how it was discovered yet, Easle?"

Illiad gave a slight, yet worried smile at the improvement in attitude, at least he wasn't being hostile towards them. "I think I've gotten the gist of the story, but not so much of the details around the actual discovery. More that he found it with the help of a bunch of miners he befriended who were later fired for it."

The Empathic felt Dax's mood sink at the mention of the incident, but Redd's mood jumped up a tad.

"Oh-ho-HO!  I was there, Easle - it was during my first week here, in fact."

Redd glanced at Dax and, upon seeing him upset, gave a slight grin... which was exceedingly strange, as Redd's emotions said that the forepony felt kind of bad for the young Blackwater stallion.  But the reaction was almost the polar opposite.

"Well, Luther had been dealing with a few of the miners who had felt that their severance pay was... unacceptable... after being fired for sneaking an occasional gem from the mines.  They threatened the quarry, and the Blackwaters in particular, with starting a cave-in while the workers were on duty, among other equally horrible things.  If the tunnel collapsed and hurt or possibly killed somepony, then the mine's reputation would have been ruined."

They crested the hill, then turned toward the line of sheds as he continued.

"Of course, this sent Luther almost into hysterics.  He couldn't shut the mine down because of the slump the thefts had left the quarry in, so he began personally patrolling the entire quarry, every single day, hoping to catch them before they did anything untoward.  Paced the entire length and breadth of this rock pit ON TOP OF his usual duties as owner.  As a precaution, he'd asked his family to please stay away from the miners, as he already had enough worry and fear for what could happen to his workers and his business - he didn't need to worry about those he loved more than this dirt hole, you see."

He shot Dax a pointed glance at this statement, and Dax caught it; it hurt.  But to his credit, he didn't sulk or pout; he merely let Redd continue on with his speech.

"Anyhow, when word reached Luther about the find, he was a nervous wreck... so it did help a bit to hear of such success, which is why he went to see it immediately.  From there... well, Dax could tell you more than I on that matter, but I suspect he rather won't.  Which, honestly, is fine by me; I'd rather NOT know exactly how bad it got."

Dax didn't respond; Redd didn't press.  The Vault was in plain view now, towering above the comparatively tiny shacks... and only HALF of the boulder was above ground; it had to have been enormous, once long ago.  To think that it was hollowed out and used as a vault..?

Illiad sighed and shook his head, "And this is why Luther really should have told you up front Dax, and not withheld the reasons why. If even Redd knows then it's hardly like he was keeping it a secret, so why didn't he tell you?" His expression fell into more of a scowl as he continued muttering for a bit.

"Well," his face making a radical shift to mischevious, "I'll just have to ensure he actually tells you himself his full reasons why. No need for you to be kept in the dark anymore Dax, because if he won't tell you, then I'll make sure you know. Anyway, it seems we're almost there now aren't we?"

As they reached the front doors, Redd fished around inside his safety vest and produced a very interesting-looking key.  It was ghostly; you could see through it as if it didn't exist, yet it looked quite solid in Redd's mouth.  The doors were massive, but there was no hole in the keyplate to fit into.  Nevertheless, the maroon pony touched it lightly to the large keyplate at the juncture of the two large vault doors... and it slid in as if it truly WAS incorporeal.  There was a hollow 'thunk' from inside as Redd turned it, then he simply removed it and returned it to his inner vest pocket.

He turned to the two and motioned inside the dark room, then leaned inside and turned a small lever at the doorway.  The response was a WHOOF of flame above them as torches sprang to life with magical blue fire, lighting the large chamber softly, yet brightly enough to work by.  There were rows and rows of shelving, with a catwalk-like walkway surrounding the walls, serving as floors.  It was very sturdily made, and Illiad could see that great care was taken in its' inner carving and construction.  Stairs and steadily rising spiral ramps lined the sides, offering easy access for loaded minecarts.  The entire rest of what Illiad could see was completely hollowed out, giving the whole vault the appearance of the inside of an enormous walnut shell.

The thing that truly and immediately drew the eye was dead center in the middle of the vault.

From the floor came a chiseled column of crystal-clear emerald, as big around as Sugarcube Corner, yet towering like a skyscraper all the way to the ceiling, where there was a very decorative bracket holding it in place.  If the open area that Illiad could see counted as twelve stories tall, the column itself must have been ten stories, alone!  And the pure clarity of the stone was flawless; Illiad could almost see right through it.  However, the most prominent feature was the design that this massive stone had been carved into...

Illiad was staring at the largest, most beautiful helix he had ever seen; it was so intricate, up-close viewing revealed smaller helixes carved into the larger one, and smaller helixes in those as well... it was mind-bogglingly beautiful, strangely synergetic with existence, yet seemingly apart from it.  It was no Jinx Stone, though - THAT had facets that existed in other dimensions; it was headache inducing... the Blackwater Emerald most certainly was nothing but a wonder to the eyes.

Redd smirked.  "It goes that far DOWN, as well."

Illiad was certainly surprised by the sheer size of the emerald, giving a low whistle as he looked it up and down. "Well, this place is certainly much more impressive with the lights on than when I was just sitting in the dark. The odds of an emerald that size forming naturally..."

He shook his head with a light laugh, "This quarry really does contain more than its fair share of oddities doesn't it? It seems I really do fit right in here."

He now really understood how desirable this place must be to those thieves Beck and Call used to be with,

Redd grinned, then stepped back towards the entrance.

"And I assume you would want me to leave you to it, then?  After all, I'm aware of how I'm viewed; not like it's a secret or anythi-"

"No.  No, stay with us."  Dax's voice echoed in the cavernous vault of solid rock.

Redd's expression (and emotions) registered a bit of surprise.  "Truly?  And why would you want me to accompany you and your friend on your little tour?"

Dax blinked once, then looked at Illiad, smiled, and turned back to face the maroon pony.  "Because reputations aren't all they're cracked up to be - at least, that's what I've heard."  Another knowing look at the Trojan.  "And if anyone knows what it's like to be ostracized for their reputation..?"  He let the sentence trail off meaningfully.

Redd was not just shocked... he was touched.  Yet outwardly, he rolled his eyes and gave a gust of a sigh.  "Very well."

Illiad was impressed by Dax's willingness to actually keep Redd around. Reputations were one thing, but actual actions were another. Still, it seemed the right sort of time to be giving him a second chance.

Dax's grin was doubled, and he turned and made his way into the vault proper.

"Okay, c'mon... this way first.  This is the section we keep some of the purest, brightest gems we unearth here..."

Dax led the two of them throughout the entire vault, showing them a number of different things aside from gemstones - though there were PLENTY of those - and explaining a bit behind some of the more interesting ones.

There were priceless-looking portraits of a lovely, yet dark and gothic mare standing next to what appeared to be an enormous plant with a large pod drooping down next to her, bigger than she was.  Dax explained that it was a portrait of his ancestor, Lotus Black, who was one of the most brilliant botanists of her time.  The giant-pod plant was her own creation.

There was a set of Royal Guard armor, cracked and dented, that hung from a clothes-horse.  It had belonged to the wife of a pegasus that Dax's great-great-great-great grandfather had fallen in love with, but had not been able to marry before battle took her from him.

There were small pouches that, when Dax opened them, were full of beautiful pearls covered with runic carvings.  Dax said these once belonged to one of his ancestors that had harbored refugee zebras from recapture from determined slavers.

A number of grand and fascinating artifacts followed.  Though Illiad had seen The Closet, this vault/museum seemed more impressive by far... at least, to hear Dax tell it, it certainly did.  There was a love for his family history in Dax that Illiad had only gotten wisps of before; listening to him telling the tale of how one of his ancestors had literally blown up half the mountainside in one go, trying to find more emerald, Dax's entire being seemed lit with animation and pure happiness.

Dax, for once, had a friend to tell all this to.  And he was more than happy to do so.

To his credit, Redd didn't pout too much.

Illiad made sure to pay close attention to all that Dax had to show him about the vault, clearly this was something he enjoyed sharing, so Illiad would do his best to enjoy listening. "Your family certainly has quite the impressive history. I wish my family history were so interesting, but I hail from just normal ponies. With all this behind you it’s a wonder that you have such the negative reputation."

There were a number of stories that Dax got into; the Blackwater history was far more rich and deep than he'd alluded to.

It gave pause for a thought: So much harsh judgement onto the Blackwater name, yet with such a story behind them, how could they ever have come to the point of being seen in such a dim light?  He'd met them each, spent a bit of time around them, and had had a chance to see them in a very personal light - something that other ponies undoubtedly never gave the family a chance with.  

In a way, it spoke volumes about Illiad, too - how he was willing to look beyond the outer shell, hear beyond the spoken words, and feel their true selves with his Empathic abilities.  In a way, it hurt to know that others would never truly know this family as he did, and therefore would never possibly appreciate them as he might... but it was also bolstering to know that, despite their issues and their flaws and even their dysfunctionality, they were so much more than they appeared to be - and it was, in a way, Illiad's own personal secret.

The Blackwaters, as they were, would never be as well known as the Royal Sisters... but they were a dynasty unto themselves.

And Illiad would be the only one who would ever truly know.

Meanwhile, even Redd seemed to be getting into Dax's storytelling; the Empathic could feel the interest and wonder that Handid was putting off, even beneath a veneer of lackadaisial interest and snide impatience.  Dax was actually pretty good at telling stories, to be honest - his enthusiasm almost seemed to pour from each word he spoke, every detail accompanied with movement and charm from the young stallion.

When they reached the enormous column of emerald in the center of the room, Dax put a tentative hoof on it.  He stared at it as if reliving the moment of finding it, and gave a slight grin as a feeling of nostalgia radiated from him for a bit.  Then he gave a short, happy sigh and turned to them both.

"Silver says we should make a museum out of all the stuff in here... but I don't know if Father and Mother would approve.  Still, what a story, hunh?  What do you think, Illiad?"

Illiad gave a genuine smile at Dax, "I'm more than impressed actually, both at your family's extensive history, and that you know so much about it. I would agree that much of the stuff in here would make some great museum pieces, though I doubt with your current reputation that they'd be very well received despite how impressive they are. It might acidentally come across as a bit arrogant." 

He looked about the room he was in again with a nod, it was indeed even more impressive than he had suspected earlier. He only hoped what he had to show Dax in Troy would be as awe inspiring as this was. Perhaps they should go to a museum while they were in Troy.

Redd looked around with a touch of awe in him, as well.  Though there had been an occasional snide-ish comment from time to time at first, he also ended up enraptured by Dax's spinning of his family's history.

"I know some of this might come across as bragging... but it's more like... well... I don't really get to DO stuff like this for anypony, Illiad; you'd be the first one I've ever brought into the Vault before, so I just wanted to share all the stuff I'd spent so much time learning about... and now?"

Dax teared up just a tad.  "Now, I can.  Thanks, Illiad - you too, Redd; thanks for sticking around."

The maroon unicorn lifted an eyebrow skeptically.  "You're TRULY glad for my company here?  Hunh."

The reaction seemed somewhat cold, but the Empathic could feel the emotional equivalent of 'awwwwwwww' coming from the suspiciously-staring pony; seemed as though Dax's application of Illiad's advice was already having an effect.

The three of them eventually made their way around to the front of the Vault once again, having taken the better part of two hours with Dax as their tour guide among the treasures of the Blackwater family, and they learned a few more things as they followed and listened, such as:

*The Blackwater family line stretches back to the earliest days of the Equestrian Nation; there were settlers with the Black family name that survived the Reign of Discord, and possibly beyond.

*The name change was the result of a stand taken against slavers, and also (allegedly) where zebras themselves entered the Blackwater family line.

* The Blackwater Mines are the oldest emerald mines in the Equestrian Nation, though not necessarily the oldest in all the lands.

*There was, at one time, twenty five ponies living in the Blackwater Manor at once - ALL Blackwater relatives.

*Most Blackwaters that left the homestead to find their own way in the world ended up changing their names; there may be Blackwater distant relatives living in every country that exists today.

... and other such things.  However, as the tour certainly couldn't last forever, it came to a close as they reached the doors.

"I'm so glad I finally got to ACTUALLY tell all that stuff to you two - heck, I'm glad I got to tell ANYONE!"  He gave an amused chuckle, then turned to Redd.  "You've been fairly quiet through most of this... what'cha think, Mister Handid?"

Redd actually mulled the question over with some serious thought.  Then, he actually smiled at Dax.

"I think you certainly have your family in your heart AND mind, Daxter - and I think you're a better stallion for it."

Dax blushed; he hadn't expected that from the usually cruel and antagonistic forepony.  He grinned right back at him, then turned his beaming smile at Illiad.  Dax was really happy at the moment; getting the chance to talk about something he was passionate about pleased him to no end, but he wasn't the type to rub it in anypony's face, either.

Illiad was glad to see a new relationship forming between Redd and Dax. Hopefully it would last and grow into a similar friendship he had with the other foreponies of the quarry. 

Redd simply gave an amused sigh, then simply said, "Well, where are we bound now?"

Dax looked at Illiad questioningly.

Illiad blinked in surprise as the attention was turned back towards him, "In all the excitement of the tour I forgot if we had anything else planned before tonight, let me think. I don't think we really had anything else in mind, other than that I need to see your father before I go to bed tonight. Until then I guess I'm up for anything you have in mind Dax." 

The Blackwater stood there for a moment, pondering the possibilities.  He gave the slight goatee on his chin a scratch, a somewhat curious glint in his eye and a half-grin settling into place.

"Well... I'm sure we could possibly swing by Silver's shed to say hi, of course."  He wiggled his eyebrows meaningfully.  "After that, what say we get some lunch?  We could head to the manor and have whatever we want from the kitchen - you're welcome to come too, Redd."

Redd gave a slight start.  "To... t-t-to the manor?  But I'm not-"

"You're with US; anypony says boo, they have to deal with THIS Blackwater... and our esteemed family friend."

The pride for Illiad swelled in Dax as he spoke, and with that he began to confidently stride towards the shed rows, taking the path leading near the currently silent refinery.  Interestingly and coincidentally, it happened to be the same place Illiad and Dax had first seen the maroon unicorn, eyeballing the two of them suspiciously as the Trojan had walked the path up to the manor house for the first time - seemingly ages ago, yet not quite even a week.

Apparently, the circumstance wasn't lost on Redd either.  "When I first saw you, Illiad, I had simply assumed you were another tutor.  Most tutors that come here tend to find the workers... beneath them.  Frankly, I simply don't care for them - their attitude is their own, as is mine.  But some of them have made a few... requests... in the past."

Dax audibly groaned.  "You're talking about Quick Wit, aren't you?"  He turned to Illiad, speaking as if he was unloading a heavy burden.

"She was the WORST!  She was so incredibly strict, she kept making all these outrageous demands of the staff - she ran the Ons ragged - and since she'd come by Mother's recommendation, nopony seemed brave enough to cross her.  She even had ME scared!"

Redd chimed in, regarding Illiad as they walked.  "Yes, and this mare even became so bold as to start tossing her weight around down HERE, on the quarry grounds.  Demanding we work quietly and without kicking up so much dust.  Indeed, she was quite full of herself."

Dax's emotions told Illiad that the Earth Pony thought Redd was closer to home on that than he noticed, but he kept civil and simply replied, "Yeah... of course, when Mother was around, she was all sugary-sweet to her.  Which Mother loves, I'm sure you've noticed.  So her place here was pretty secure - until she got fired."

Redd gave a thoughtful pause.  "Yes... I recall being glad to hear it, but I don't recall ever hearing why; care to enlighten us?"

Dax's smile broadened.  "Well, she'd been here two whole months, and had made life a living Tartarus for me and Oglevy; we had to team up just to get a few over on her.  She'd gotten VERY angry about our latest caper, and had been looking for some poor maid or even the Ons to unload on.  And she DID find somepony."

Dax's grin turned mischievous. "You see, Mother had attended all she usually did, and when she wasn't there, Quick Wit ruled the house.  But during that entire time, Wit hadn't EVER been here before breakfast... and she never stayed long enough to come to dinner, either.  So there was one pony she hadn't ever met during her entire time here..."

Redd lifted an eyebrow, then realization settled onto his muzzle.  "... oh dear... those are the usual hours-"

"... that Father works in his study, that's right!  So when he came downstairs to get another inkwell from storage, as he prefers to do things for himself, she saw him and assumed he was simply one of the hired help.  And she UNLOADED into him, screaming at the top of her lungs at him about how incompetent the help around here, was and how money apparently couldn't afford intelligence at this Celestia-forsaken dust bowl, and how she DEMANDED he bring her a Mint Cider before she had him fired so fast his head would spin."

"No less than three minutes later, she was running out of the front gates, and we haven't seen nor heard from her ever since - she never even came back for her final paycheck."

Redd stood there staring incredulously.  "That would explain it."

The two of them suddenly burst out laughing together, loud and unrestrained.  It sounded (and felt) genuinely happy - from both of them.

Iliad smirked before joining the two in their laughter for a bit, while he had never had tutors be had certainly had enough bad teachers in Canterlot to relate. 

Once they recovered he spoke up. "I certainly wouldn't mind stopping by Silver's for a bit, I'd have to see if she's inclined to the idea I had for tonight anyway, and lunch sounds pretty good now too."

As happy as he was for Dax's newfound friendship with Redd, he was starting to feel a bit like the spare wheel. Maybe this is how Dax felt earlier with Silver and I. I suppose I deserve it really.

Nonetheless he was happy to follow along to let this relationship flourish in whatever way it would. 
> An Exchange of Ideas
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The three of them made their way through the rows until they reached #7, and Illiad could already feel the little emotional eddies from Silver; she had apparently gotten in some rest and some coffee - her mood felt chipper and happy, as per usual.  

When they reached the door, Dax leaned in and knocked.  "Silver?"

"Door's oooooo-peeeeeennnnn!"  Came a sing-songy reply from within.  Dax looked back at the other two, shrugged, and opened the door, glancing inside before simply stepping in.

"Hey, Silver - we just wanted... to... wow."

Redd gave Illiad a curious glance, then moved to the doorway as well.  Reaching it, his eyebrows went up and he gave a low whistle.  Of course, when Illiad was close enough to see what all the fuss was about, he understood.

Silver was seated on a stool at her workbench; though it was usually ordered and neat, it was now COVERED with scrolls and sheets of paper, a multitude of designs and schematics on each one.  There were also a number of quills, chalk sticks and even a few nubs of well-used pencils all around her work area - further testament to her level of dedication once she got rolling.  When she finally DID look up, she smiled brightly.

"Illiad!  And Dax, too!  How are yo-"

She then spotted Redd, and both her expression and her mood dipped a bit.

"Redd?  What are YOU doing here?"

The maroon unicorn narrowed his eyes.  "Oh, simply being a pest, of course; isn't that how I'm USUALLY seen around here?"

Silver rolled her eyes, then her emotions tilted from sullen distaste to warm affection as she turned her attentions to the Trojan and the Blackwater.  "What's up, you two?"

Illiad gave a more genuine smile at the sight of Silver hard at work, it wasn't too much unlike the state of his own work room when a stroke of inspiration struck him on a project, just another thing they had in common. "Oh we're not up to much, just wandering about the quarry looking for ways to spend the last few hours we have before we take a train off to Troy tomorrow."

He sighed, really he was sad to be leaving so soon, especially knowing he wouldn't be able to come back until well after the election if they won. Though he supposed if the quarry reached its independent protectorate status it would provide the perfect opportunity to visit the 'new potential ally'.

This will be hard to explain with Redd around. "Oh! I just remembered, I was wondering if you'd be up for a repeat of what we did together the night before last, tonight, only this time with Dax as well so we could all do it together."

He really hoped the message got across because he didn't want to reveal Selena or dream sharing to anyone that didn't need to know, which meant Redd.

Silver's eyes lit up like small twin stars as she heard Illiad's question and realized what he meant.

"OH!  You mean-"  She stopped herself as she glanced at Redd, then smiled at Illiad.  "Together, you say?  Oh, that would be..."  Her emotions fluxed at a fevered pitch, but she kept her composure; obviously, she LOVED the idea.

"That would be an interesting idea; I look forward to it!"

Dax grinned as well; the idea was also running little frenzied circles in his young head, but he was using his tact and cool demeanor to keep from displaying such outwardly.

"Yeah... fun stuff!  So, what's all the paperwork for?"

Silver jumped a bit, as if she'd just remembered something.  "OH!  Oh, these?  Well, I got to thinking about what I might want to present to TrUST, but I didn't think anything here would be suitable enough - so, I sat myself down this morning and started considering what might be considered 'revolutionary' in Troy - so, I've been working up schematics and blueprints for all SORTS of devices that could make life in Troy a LOT less difficult!  Look at these..."

She shuffled some of the scrolls around, giving glimpses of all sorts of different, wondrous machines.

"See?  This is a Moisture Collector, which can pull water from thin air, given enough time... it can be installed on farmland, and can keep crops watered at a bare minimum, so there'll be no need to rush to water them on excessively hot days... and this is a Sand Blaster, which can be strong enough to blast holes in the ground, but it's ACTUALLY made to blow sand off your hooves, so it doesn't track into somepony's home... and THIS is what I call a 'FrostBox' - it can lower the temperature in a room to whatever level you feel most comfortable at, and all it needs is a thimbleful of water!"

She swept her hoof over the piled table.  "And I plan to present THESE to TrUST first - that way, with these bigger things dazzling them, I might be able to slip in one of my smaller works, too - oh, Illiad... I was so worried the other day, but you were right when you told me things would be fine!  I mean, LOOK at all this!  It's madness!"  She laughed.  "Well, maybe not madness, actually - more like a FLOOD of inspiration!"

Dax was impressed.  "Wow... you HAVE been busy!  ALL of this is just THIS morning?"

"Yup!"  Silver grinned ear to ear.  "Just today!"

The Blackwater stallion simply shook his head slowly in reverent disbelief.

To say Illiad was impressed would be an understatement, and he made that clear on his face. He knew Silver was a genius when it came to this sort of thing, but to actually have drafts of possible prototypes for this sort of thing already, it was almost unbelievable. "I must say this is almost more impressive than the tour Dax gave me of the vault. I'm sure you'll wow TrUST with these, even one of them would assure you funding. With all of these I don't think TrUST would have any problem with giving you anything you ask them for. All of those things would be quite useful in Troy, especially that super efficient cooling unit and the moisture collector, those paired with your oasis locator will make it especially easy for Troy to expand new settlements. If they weren't going to let you name new towns before, they certainly will now."

Redd, however, felt as if he most certainly wasn't welcome here - especially after Silver's reaction - so he began to inch his way toward the door as they spoke.  He would simply slip outside, leaving these three (who were OBVIOUSLY friends) to be as they were; apparently, more than happy without his presence.

Illiad noticed Redd starting to edge himself out of the room, he knew what it was like to be somewhere you didn't feel you belonged or didn't want to be, so he let him go without drawing attention to him. He wouldn't force him to stay somewhere he didn't want to be.

Silver's mood and grin brightened even further.  

"Oh, they'd-... oh, I don't... there's no need for them to do that!  I just..."

Silver took a moment to find her words as Redd quietly slipped out of the shed; he was far quieter than expected, and only Illiad's attention on him was responsible for the Trojan's witnessing of the maroon stallion's stealthy departure.  As he went, there was a sense of disappointment coming from Redd... but it was being sidelined by a sense of responsibility; Redd was headed back to the booth they'd found him in, no doubt.  But perhaps he'd been hoping for something more?  But no matter - his mind and mood were on other things before he left Illiad's passive range.

Illiad had a sly smile at Silver's half hearted protests against naming towns, though it stooped a bit as he felt Redd's disappointment.

Dax and Silver, meanwhile, had gotten into speaking about Troy, of all things.

"Dax?  I was wondering if you might be able to find out a few things for me in Troy?  Since you'll be headed there tomorrow, I was kind of hoping you might ask Illiad if you two could swing by wherever TrUST is based for me - as a sort of 'scouting party', as it were?  Not that I don't trust TrUST..."  She giggled a bit.  "... but it would ease my nerves a bit if you actually got there and took a look around; let me know what to prepare for, so to speak?"

Dax nodded.  "I get'cha... it'll make you feel better if I let you know what it's like there.  Well, if Illiad says it's okay, and if it's not against any rules or anything, we could try for you.  Maybe we could even... OOH!"

"What?"

"Why don't you send a few of your schematics along with us?  That way, we can show the folks at TrUST that Silver Studs has some skill; they'll be all the more excited to meet you when you DO go for a presentation!"

At those words, Silver's mood fluttered a bit - nerves left over from the meeting with Luther, no doubt.

"Well... it sounds good, but would they think I was being lazy if we did that?  I wouldn't want it to look like I'm having YOU do all the work for me, Daxie - it wouldn't be right.  I don't want to come across as LAZY!"

"Hey, hey - Illiad?"  Dax looked at his best friend.  "You know more about this than either one of us; would presenting a few of her plans to TrUST be seen as a BAD thing, or would it help things along?  What would they say... and would we be allowed to see them, or do we make an appointment, or what?"

At the question of TrUST Illiad looked a bit sheepish, "Well, I've mostly interacted with TrUST through the mail, I haven't been to their headquarters outside of the front lobby and an office. I think it would be best if you sent in the designs by certified mail, for security, in conjunction with a letter expressing your willingness to work with them. They may call you in for an interview though, in the which case I guess it would be good for you to know what their main office is like. Alright, I'll do what I can to have Dax and I take a look around so he can tell you all about it. We would need to make an appointment..."

He sighed, before setting into a more confident expression. "Honestly, I think the best course of action would be for you to go and take a tour for yourself. Neither of us would really know what you'd be looking for nor be able to ask the sort of questions that would get us the information you'd want. You could even just talk with them through the mail before you send in your designs, ask them your questions directly and see for yourself whether they are the sort of organization you want to be associated with."

Illiad sincerely hoped that Silver understood what he was trying to say, he thought to himself that he seemed to have been rambling a bit. 

It was Silver's turn to wear a sheepish grin.

"Well, I just... just wanted at least SOME idea of what I'd be getting into - and I trust you both implicitly.  Therefore, if you two tell me it's okay, then it's okay.  I'll trust your judgments.  I'm not really looking for specifics, so much... I just... well, y'know..."

Dax stepped in, "It'd feel good to know that someone you trust has already been there before - Oglevy was the same way with the sheds, until I went in and out of them for him.  Now?  I swear he has at least six different hiding places in Shed Row - most of them IN sheds!"

Silver sighed to Dax.  "Thanks for understanding; I'm gonna need all the confidence I can get, and this'll go MILES for me!"

She leaned in and gave Dax a quick sidehug, then did so to Illiad... though his hug lasted a few seconds longer than Dax's, the Trojan noticed.

Smiling, she stepped back and looked to them both.  "I'm gonna miss your face, Daxie - you'll be gone for a whole week.  Who am I going to tell about my latest inventions?"  She gave Dax a bigger hug this time, doting on him a bit.  However, Illiad easily caught the look she gave HIM as she hugged Dax; she'd miss Dax, but the thought of Illiad's leaving made her kind heart ache for him... and he could feel it.

Illiad felt a similar ache for Silver, if all went according to plan it could be several months before he could return to the quarry to see her again. He took a bit of solace in the fact that they could still exchange letters and there was the possibility that she could come and visit him in Troy.

He gave a slight smile, "If it really will make you feel that much better, then I'll look into getting to look around their offices so Dax can tell you all about it when he gets back here." 

"It really, really would... It would help me feel better about a trip like that, yes.  Thank you two - I mean that.  I know you won't want to take time out of your visit for-"

"Nonsense!"  Dax piped up.  "It might be kinda fun to see where all these inventors gather together; it's gotta be FILLED with nifty inventions, right?  Might make visiting it worthwhile, y'know?"

The stallion only seemed to have his friend's best intentions in mind.  

"Besides... if you can come up with a letter today, maybe we could simply hoof-deliver it for you?  That way, Illiad and I might see firsthoof what they think of your ideas!  We could do that for her, couldn't we?"

Silver's eyes widened.  "Oh, you don't have to go to all that trouble seriously?  You'd both do that for me?"

Her volume had shifted mid-sentence, so it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself that it might work.

Illiad nodded with a sly smile, "You know I'd do just about anything for you Silver, I'd be happy to ensure that your letter arrives at TrUST safely. Besides, I'm sure we'll have time at some point to look around what TrUST has to offer to an inventor like you even if you won't be spending much time there." 

Silver's entire being both relaxed and rejoiced.

"Thank you SO much Illiad, Dax... you two are GOLDEN!  Well, not so much as actually made of gold, per se... more like you're both more than worth your weight in it!"

She hugged them both fiercely; the affection she felt for them (and the little extra for Illiad) poured out of her as she did, and she let loose a whinnygiggle as she held them close.  After a moment, she let go of them both - Dax took a hungry breath - and stepped back over to the workbench.

Illiad returned Silver's hug with as much force as she did before taking a step back from the group when released, visibly enthused by the contact.

"Oh, and Illiad?  I've been working on something else, as well... but I'm not sure what you'd think... uhm..."

She directed him over to her table, where she grabbed one of the carefully separate scrolls and set it down, opening it reverently.  On the scroll were... well, they were... weird, as far as the Trojan could tell.  It looked like a pony... sort-of.  More like the mechanical shell of one... and merely the beginning sketches, at that.  It looked extremely complex, but Illiad could definitely make out a small chamber in the center, and so many gears...

Dax suddenly jumped as if he'd been bit by a snake.

"Holy Cow, Silver!  Is that some sort of mechanical armor?"

Silver smiled.  "No, Dax... it's a mechanoid.  A pony shell, but it can only be controlled by an alternate power source... like, say, a Cloud Diamond?"

Dax's eyes widened.  "You mean..?"

"That's right - it's a body for Selena!  I mean, well... it's not DONE yet, but... well, I planned it as a magical conduit of sorts, channeling energy produced by the Cloud Diamond - in this case, Selena's Cloud Diamond - into the proper wires to animate and ambulate the mechanoid as if it was a real pony - I'm even working on minute clockworks for facial expressions!  If it all works out... then Selena would be able to walk and talk with ANYPONY she wanted to!"

Silver's heart almost glowed at her sense of personal pride, mixed with her empathy towards dream-bound Selena and her excitement to see and hear Illiad's reaction to her strange, yet brilliant, invention... until a sheepish grin crossed her muzzle.

"Of course, it's still a long way from completion, but... well, I don't expect it'll take me TOO long to finish the design!  So...what do you think?"

Illiad’s enthusiasm dropped significantly as he saw the schematic, a visible shudder running though him as he attempted to look away without looking like he was looking away. "An... Automaton, really..." he couldn't manage to look away from the unfeeling eyes, even in a schematic they stared back at him from his very dreams. They were so much like the ones he saw before Selena started monitoring his visions. Colonel PANIC, So this is where you came from.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear the visions from his head, looking away from the schematics to look at Silver. "I'm sorry, it's just... You've managed to solve the wrong end of the problem. Selena has a body, it's the power source that we're lacking. Cloud diamonds store energy well enough, but they don't generate it in any useful quantities."

An idea came to him as he looked between the two, before ensuring that the door was closed. "I just realized that neither of you two were in the cave when Luna was here, so you didn't see." He pulled out his gem and grimaced, it would have to do. "This will be close, but not quite what we had then, but it will be easier for me to maintain than that was."

He sat down with the gem held in front of him, his eyes closed as he concentrated. The gem started to glow from the magic being poured into it, expanding into a miniature version of a pony, much smaller than the one they had in the cave. Then it expanded further, the interior mass being re-purposed to make a bigger shell, resulting in a hollow pony about the size of the typical filly. Short locks of a mane sat on her head (In a style similar to season 1 Luna) with a similarly short tail.

It yawned as it started to move, looking between Dax and Silver before smiling. In all she didn't look that much different from in the dream. "Hello again! I didn't expect to see you two until tonight, nor did I expect to be physical again so soon."

With the spell complete Illiad was able to open his eyes, his horn still glowing brightly. "You see? I can maintain this, but only for an hour or so at most. What we need is a way to generate magical energy so she can maintain her form without needing a magical tether. Luna thinks that a spell could allow her to generate energy from the magical emissions of the sun and moon, but so far there hasn't been much success."

Selena shrugged before jumping up to wrap Silver in a very real hug, she sighed contentedly as she nuzzled her neck. "You have no idea how much better this feels to me in reality instead of a dream." 

Silver gladly returned the hug, and Dax hugged her as soon as Silver let go.

"Selena!  Oh, it's so good to see you again!"  She gave a happy hoofclap.  "I've been working on... uh..."

She gave Illiad an unsure glance, but decided that perhaps her design might have needed more work.  Dax, however, caught the look on Illiad's face when he saw the 'automaton', as Illiad called it.  He said nothing... yet.  But the Empathic could tell that Dax's curiosity was up.  However, he showed no sign of the sort.

Silver pondered a moment.  "A spell to generate energy?  Well... I guess the sun and moon would have a great deal of magical runoff, but how to collect it HERE?  I mean, we can't just go traipsing off to the moon, can we?  We'd just as-..."

Silver froze in place, and Illiad felt the curious sensation of an idea blossoming its' way through the unicorn mare.

"Waaaaaaait... emissions, you say?  Well, the sun and moon hold power, yes... but then again, so does the very ground we walk on, yes?"  She stamped a hoof into the dirt as proof.  "Maybe... maybe we could simply gather residual magical energy from right here!  I mean, the Earth Ponies have ties to the land, yes?  That would assume there was also MAGIC there, too."

She began to pace, her muzzle in a pondering moue.

"Earth Ponies... residual magic... generate power... all of this COULD work... but..."

Silver sighed, then turned a sad face to Selena.  "Looks like it's back to the drawing board... but this time, I have a better idea of what you'd need, Selena; that'll help LOADS!"

She looked over the halfway-finished automaton schematic on her table, then simply brushed it aside into a nearby wastebasket with a sigh... but a look of determination in her eyes.

"Okay - POWER, then... got to find a way to generate POWER..."

As she paced, Dax turned to Illiad and Selena.  "Anyhting you'd like to show Selena while you have the chance, Illiad?  Introduce her to someone, show her some of the views around here... y'know, the GOOD stuff!"

Selena was just smiling at how adorable she found Silver and her talk and plans before she turned over towards Dax, "I'm a secret remember? Can't exactly have me traipsing about the quarry where someone might see me. Besides, I get a bunch of Illiad's memories whenever we see each other in a dream, so I guess you could say that I'm living vicariously through him anyway."

Illiad was beginning to look tired, though he didn't show any signs of stopping the enchantment before Selena was done if he could help it. "Selena's right there, as much as I would love to show her around she needs to be kept secret until Luna approves. I only told you two because I trust you both to keep her existence a secret."

He still eyed the schematics every now and again, almost wanting to destroy them so it could never be built, but he couldn't do that to Silver. Figured he'd show up where I couldn't stop him. I guess some visions can't be helped. He sighed as he realized that he'd likely have to tell them why he reacted so strangely to the drawings in the shared dream tonight.

Silver nodded, but seemed a bit crestfallen at the fact that Selena was, true to Illiad's word, a secret.  But Dax?  He had other thoughts on the matter...

"Well... she could wear a disguise!  That's what they're made for, right?  I mean, we could find her some proper clothes that could-"

Silver laughed, but not unkindly.  "Daxie, I won't have anything solid for at LEAST a few days!  But you do have a point, though - maybe I could fashion a device that could realign her visual frequency..."

At this point, Silver began babbling in techspeak... and sort of drifted over to her table once again.  However, before she could get wrapped up in anything, she looked back at Selena.

"It just... it breaks my heart that you can't just walk around like the rest of us.  It isn't fair.  So, I'll be busy putting together stuff for TrUST... but I'll also be working on your rather unique problem in the meantime.  It's the very least I could do for somepony so very kind."

Her eyes tilted at Illiad.  "... and somepony so very... uh..."  Her blush brightened her cheeks, and Illiad didn't HAVE to be an Empath to read what was on her mind at that moment.  "... well, YOU know!"

Dax turned to Selena.  "Don't worry - if ANYPONY can figure out how to do this for you, it's Silver Studs!"

Silver smiled at the vote of confidence, her 'younger brother' affection was strong for Dax - likely, they'd be friends forever.

Selena awwed at Silver's affection for Illiad before she nuzzled both Silver and Dax. With a wave of her hoof she dispelled herself, Illiad giving a sigh of relief as the glow of his horn dropped significantly.

"Well, we certainly appreciate the effort you're willing to put forth for her. I suppose we could leave you to it then, we'll see you later tonight in any case. It's about lunch time now isn't it?" 

Silver smiled as Selena faded from view, then turned back to her two friends.

"Ooooooh... I've got so many things to work out!  I've got to figure out the resonance frequencies involved, the power coupling setup, the efficiency tests, a system capable of housing such a battery..."

She strolled over near them both as she spoke.

"Wiring housings... what kind of alloy would work best for the casing... perhaps a harness for carrying it..."

She suddenly stopped and, without warning, planted a sweet peck of a kiss on Illiad's lips.  From there, she continued on as if nothing had happened... yet the blush that rose to her face almost glowed.  

"... maybe a bit of armor plating for it... perhaps magnetic locks... oh!  Got to remember to make a charging station..."

She meandered her way back to her table, and like a mare hypnotized, took up her pencil and began to draw on the scroll in front of her.  With that, Dax smiled and hooked a foreleg around Illiad's shoulders, pulling him to the door.

"Okay, okay... c'mon - let's hit the kitchen.  Silver looks like she's on the edge of a brainstorm, and I didn't bring an umbrella!"

He chuckled and waved to Silver as he led the Trojan outside.  Once outside and headed toward the manor, however, Dax's muzzle grew serious.

"Illiad... I saw the look in your eyes when Silver showed you that... uh, 'automaton'?  It wasn't happy - is something wrong?"

Illiad's face fell as the automaton was mentioned again, he sighed as he looked over at Dax, "It's... not something I'm comfortable discussing where anyone could overhear. If you really want to know, then ask me later tonight when it's just the four of us. As to whether anything's wrong, maybe. It's too early to tell at this point."

He shook his head, forcing a smile to his face, "Let's not worry about that now though, let's just enjoy the last few hours we have at the quarry okay?" He wasn't looking forward to telling them, but at least in the dream world he would be able to show them what he had seen directly rather than just telling them about it.

Dax looked skeptical, and his emotions told Illiad that he was still a bit worried... but he trusted Illiad to know what he was doing, so he carefully stowed the question away.  For now.

They made their way through the quarry yard once again.  This time, however, Illiad began to notice that there would be memories here for him, possibly forever, all made in a single week.

The Gem Refinery, still in a state of disrepair (but not for long, if the speed of the workers reconstructing it was any gauge), was also the site where Illiad got to see Silver go to work, not to mention where he first met Chuck List.

The mine itself, a gaping maw that led down underground to both peril and riches; it was where he'd encountered the... entity... he'd had to deal with, and thanks to Knee Slapper (and Luna, of course), he had survived.

The quarry yard proper - not only had it been the first sight he'd laid eyes on of the quarry itself, but it ultimately became a battleground when he'd had to bolster both his courage and his wits to do battle with Havoc.

The lunch trailer, where Chuck had tried to introduce the Trojan to his version of a straw dog... his very, uh, 'flavorful' version.

The amazing vault, which had not only been a museum, but a refuge for the nearly-drained Empathic after his difficult duel.

The row of sheds, where not only did they store equipment, but also Doc Zinger and, of course, Silver Studs.

The Pony Express station, where a great number of incredible magical artifacts were kept under lock and key, all under the watchful (if perhaps a bit butterhooved) eye of Taps, also known as Steel Wheels, who was quite an enigma herself.

And the Manor House itself, where the Blackwaters lived, frolicked, lunched, slept and generally existed.  

It was somewhat sad, realizing that Illiad would soon be leaving this seemingly quiet, yet altogether bustling and busy place... and there was no real way to know for certain when... or even if... he would ever be able to see this fascinating place again anytime soon.  Such a rich place for adventure was a rare find in life - Ponyville was a PRIME example, as was Canterlot, Cloudsdale... and, to this hallowed list, the Blackwater Quarry itself seemed to belong.

As they reached the top of the rise leading from the quarry to the manor, they caught sight of a stallion just exiting a taxicab.  He was wearing a police officer's uniform, and he looked somewhat concerned.  The cabbie inside nodded to him, sat back, and began to read an adventure novel with hydras on the cover.  He began to head for the door when he saw the two buddies coming up the path, and he turned to face them.

"Excuse me, but is there an 'Illiad Easle' here, by any chance?"
> An Exchange of Lunch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The new pony’s emotional state wasn't angry nor seemed to be hiding anything; if anything, he was sort-of bored... only 'sort-of' because he was admiring the manor's lovely design when he stepped out of the cab.

Despite the non threatening emotional state of the officer Illiad still had his doubts. He didn't exactly have the best experiences with Canterlot officials in the past after all.

"There might be, why do you ask?" He had a face that showed interest in the question, and a reasonable amount of reservation as one would expect one who responded as he did to have. 

The officer gave Illiad a bit of a look, then sighed.

"It's official business; I've got some paperwork for him to fill out regarding some investigations made on his behalf.  If you aren't him, then-"

"Officer, I can assure you that this is Illiad Easle of Troy; he's been here for a week, and anypony here would vouch for him."

The cop looked at Dax.  "And YOU are..?"

"Dax Blackwater - pleased to meet you, sir!"

The cop's expression and mood shifted; he felt like anypony with their name on a gem quarry was probably someone of high station... or at least someone who could get him in trouble if he messed up here.

"Sir," he nodded, then turned to Illiad.  "Mr. Easle, I've been sent here to present you with paperwork regarding an incident that occurred in Canterlot some years ago, regarding an assault upon you; we've captured one of the culprits, and with the evidence turned in, there's enough to make a case out of this.  I suppose the bottom line is that, if you want to pursue this case, you'll want to sign the paperwork.  Soon as that's done, we'll get right on it - unless you would rather we simply let him go, of course."

The cop waited.  "What would you have us do, sir?"

Illiad sighed, partially in relief that it wasn't anything bad but also in annoyance at the prospect of paperwork. He gestured towards himself, "Go ahead and and pass the paperwork here, I'll read through it and sign it so you can be on your way. Personally if you're talking about the one I think you are I'd want him prosecuted to the full extent possible." 

The officer shrugged, "Eh, I have no idea - not my case.  But here you go."

He passed a large envelope over to Illiad.  "When you're finished, simply mail it and we'll get things going.  Besides," he gave a slight grin, "we've got plenty of evidence to keep him on ice for a while.  Thanks, sir - have a good one."

With that, the cabbie got back to work as the officer stepped onboard and motioned for Canterlot.

As they left, Dax turned to his friend.  "You think this is Mother's doing?"

Illiad shrugged as he opened the folder for a glance at its contents, "Probobly, I haven't been in anything in Equestria since then that would warrant actual paperwork. Anyway this shouldn't take long at all and we'll be able to drop it off at the police station when we go to catch the train tomorrow."

Once he had a good idea of what the papers said he closed them and turned back to Dax with a smile on his face, "let's get back to it then shall we?" 

The papers were rather straightforward; they'd actually managed to get their hooves on one of the original culprits.  Imagine that.  All the same, from the looks of things, he wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.  The two of them headed inside the manor, eager for breakfast.

When they reached the kitchen, they found it quiet and clean, the slight leftover aroma of this morning's breakfast still slightly detectable.  Dax sauntered over to the pantry and poked his head in.

"Hunh... well, there's no shortage of food, that's certain.  Maybe we could make a-"

"Hi, mister Illiad!"

Oglevy shot into the room, flew some fast circles around Illiad's head, then dove onto his back.

"You two want lunch, right?"

Dax rolled his eyes as he glanced back at his brother.  "Oglevy, go away - we're trying to get things going here; maybe you could help by getting going, too.  Like, outside?"

Of course, the colt ignored his brother.  "Mother's having lunch... Father's having it in his study..."

"And we're having it BY OURSELVES... and get off Illiad's back!  He doesn't like that!"

Oglevy humphed at his brother's admonishment, then leaned over to look the Trojan in the face.

"Do you really mind, mister Illiad?  I..."  he caught a moment of humility, and actually looked (and felt) as if he was concerned about his actions.  "... I mean, if it's really a problem..."

Dax sighed loudly.  "YES, Oglevy - it's a PROBLEM."

The colt flew off Illiad's back, and drew to eye-level with him, hovering there.  His wings, now that he was getting a better look at them, were actually proportionally large for the colt - yet he seemed to have not the first issue flapping them.  When he grew up, they'd be magnificent; now, they just looked a bit goofy with a big wingspan for such a small colt.

Oglevy looked at Illiad.  "I wanna stay.  YOU tell me, mister Illiad... can I have lunch with you two, please?"

Please?  Wow, he must have REALLY wanted to eat with them.

Illiad gave a slightly irritated expression towards Dax for how insistent he was that Oglevy leave, and while he didn't appreciate Oglevy being on his back it wasn't really Dax's place to say so.

He sighed as he turned towards Oglevy, "How's this, you have lunch with us, but once lunch is over you leave us alone for the rest of the day alright?"

He really hoped that would be a good enough offer, both for Oglevy and for Dax.

"YESSSSSS!"

Oglevy did a full flip in midair, then turned towards Dax's flank sticking out of the pantry.

"And I promise - after lunch, no more bugging."

A mutter escaped the pantry; nothing more, though.  Oglevy then turned back to the unicorn.

"So, yeah - I wanted to ask you about all that stuff that went-..."  He glanced over at his brother, then turned his attention back to Illiad.  "... um, that went down with that ghost-king-thing that was in me - you remember that, I'm sure.  I could SEE you two, and I could HEAR you, but..."

He took to his hooves and sat at the kitchen table.  "... well, it was weird.  I heard everything you were talking about, but the spirit inside me was thinking in SO much more detail.  It was so alien!"

"YOU'RE an alien..." 

"I wanted to know... I saw some kind of glowing pony, back in the tunnels wi-"  He shifted his eyes to Dax again, then mouthed the words with Luna to Illiad and continued, "... when all that other stuff happened."

Dax's head came out of the pantry at that.  "Wait... when did YOU see anything?"

"I was there, dummy."

"Wait... YOU were there?"

Oglevy uncharacteristically started to blush.  "Yyyyyyeeeeeaaaaahhhhhh... I was kinda... coming for... revenge?"

Dax stared at him for a moment... then his face went to a look that said Dax was completely familiar with the situation. "Lemme guess... water balloon?"

"Yup."

"Paint?"

"Father's Onyx Ink."

Dax gave a low whistle.  "Bold - will he miss it?"

"Nope - he still has eighteen more."

Dax looked thoughtful for a moment.  "Is... is THAT what you threw in Havoc's face?"

Oglevy smiled and nodded.  Dax stared for a moment, then laughed.  "Good one."

The colt grinned.  "Better on that shard-slinging so-and-so than on you, Illia-..."  He blushed again.  "Sorry."

Illiad was glad to see that the brothers were actually starting to get along, it seemed they would become good friends at some point in the future if this kept up.

"As to what happened in the caves it is something your father would have to tell you about, given your recent possession I think he'd be a bit more inclined to tell you about it than before."

He turned towards Dax, "You look like you have something in mind for lunch, care to share your idea?" 

Dax started to speak, but Oglevy cut him off.  "Hey, what about Fruit Pizza?  You remember that, Dax?"

Dax's irritation at being cut off stopped dead in its tracks, and the young stallion began to smile.

"Hey, yeah... we haven't done that in a diamond dog's age!"  He turned to Illiad, "Yeah - Fruit Pizza!  Trust me, Illiad - it's worth the work!"  To his brother, he said, "Okay - JAM!"

The colt flapped into the air.  "JAM - GOT IT!"  He then flew into the higher shelve of the pantry, scouring them with his eyes as Dax made his way to the icebox, where he began to gather the things used to make dough; not some pre-prepared dough, but ingredients to MAKE dough.  As soon as he'd set them down, he began to mix things together in a bowl.

Oglevy zipped back to the counter and deposited a jar of Zap Apple Jam on it.  "JAM, CHECK!"

"Ho-kay!  Now, we'll need CHERRIES, STRAWBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES and some FIG PRESERVES - you on it?"

The colt saluted his older brother.  "YES, SIR!  CHERRIES!"  With that, he took off out of the kitchen, and Dax laughed to watch him go.  Still working, he turned to face Illiad.  

"Oggie and I used to do this whenever we could get away with it... but I really learned how to do this from Harcourt; don't tell Oglevy - he thinks it's just OUR thing, and I don't wanna ruin that for him."

He turned back to the mixing in front of him.  "Check the pantry; I know I saw some fig preserves in there a moment ago... would you bring a jar here?  Shouldn't need more than one."

It seemed Illiad was just about to get a crash course in baking, the most he had ever cooked before was a decent pot of spaghetti, though boiling water wasn't exactly difficult. The most complicated thing he had ever cooked had come out of a box, and that was why he only bought rather than baked bread.

Lack of cooking talent aside, it was hard for him not to get caught up in the excitement of the kitchen. He made his way over to the pantry that Dax had mentioned with a smile on his face, he opened it and began looking for anything that would seem to be the fig preserves that Dax wanted. "Alright then, let's see what I can find."

With what was in the pantry, an entire platoon could eat for a week solid.

It was crocked to the gills with all sorts of jarred and boxed and wrapped foodstuffs... yet each and every shelf was labeled and sorted in alphabetical order - it took all of five seconds to find the preserves; lowest shelf, far left side.  They looked like they might have been fresh only yesterday...

When Illiad brought the jar over, Dax grinned as he worked.

"Okay, first the dough for the crust... I usually like to add a little cinnamon here..." Dax shook a small tin over the mixing bowl, and the pungent smell of fresh cinnamon wafted out as the brown sprinkles dotted the dough mix; Dax returned to the mixing after that.

"Once we get this done, all we have to do is spread the preserves, arrange the fruit slices on it like we want, then bake it!  It's a little bit of work, but..."

Oglevy whipped around the corner and THUMP!  He dropped a fresh basket of cherries on the counter.  "CHERRIES - CHECK!"

Dax nodded.  "Okay, good - nice job!  Now, there's strawberries in the pantry... but I thiiiiiink we're out of blueberries - Oglevy?"

The colt saluted yet again, "AYE AYE, SIR!  BLUEBERRIES!"  And off he went again, faster than Illiad's eyes could follow.  Dax continued to mix the batter, and started humming that happy little tune again.  Dax's moods may have been strong and rapid at times, but the pure, simple happiness he was feeling right now was proof positive that the young stallion wasn't as depressed as he sometimes seemed to be.

He gave a casual glance over his shoulder at Illiad, gave a soft giggle, then turned quickly and smeared a small gob of dough onto the tip of his friend's snout.

"HA!"  

He giggled profusely.  Even though he was almost out of his teenaged years, Dax still seemed like he was very much colt-like... of course, whether that would be an asset or a hindrance in the future remained to be seen.

Illiad shuddered at the feeling of the dough on his nose, the scent of cinnamon rather overwhelming at that proximity. He quickly sat down as he tried to scrape the dough off of his nose, but it only seemed to get it me stuck in the short hairs.

He did manage to get a good bit of it off though, and with an evil look in his eye he managed to return it to Dax by sticking it right on the center of his forehead. "Take that!"

He laughed as well, though the little that remained of the dough on his own face still bugged him out of the corner of his eyes. 

Dax stared cross-eyed at where the doughdrop landed, then his eyes lined up to look at Illiad.

"Oh... reeeeeeeally???"  

Dax's grin grew.

"Well... I guess that means I'll justHAVETODOTHIS!"  He said, his words rushing together as he wheeled around and slung an entire hooful of dough at Illiad, aimed directly for his chest.  

As the doughball arced through the air, Dax laughed aloud as he turned to face the unicorn, an identical mischievous look on his muzzle to match Illiad's own.

Having seen the counter attack coming Illiad was able to skillfully dodge the blob as well as catch it with his magic when it passed by him, returning the ball on an arc that would land it back in the bowl.

"As fun as this is, I'd much rather be able to eat the dough than wear it." Despite the chiding words Illiad spoke with an expression that confirmed he was having a great time. 

Dax eyeballed him a moment more, then sighed exaggeratedly.  "Fine... spoilsport."  

But the sentiment was empty; Dax had enjoyed the moment as well.  He turned back to face the bowl, continuing with mixing ingredients.  It wasn't long before Oglevy returned with the blueberries, and Dax finished making the dough.  From there, it wasn't long before the three of them were seated at the table in the kitchen, waiting for the delicious-smelling concoction to finish baking in the brick oven.

Dax and Oglevy had a little fun, a little arguing, a little talk - they were very much siblings, and it was obvious they cared about one another; Illiad hadn't seen the two of them together much, but this showed that they had an immensely complex relationship with each other, that covered everything from noogies to brohooves...

Just like actual, real brothers.

After a bit, Oglevy turned to Dax and simply stared at him for a moment.  

"Dax... how'd you get a friend like him in the first place?"  Oglevy motioned to the Trojan.  "I mean, I know you sent letters back and forth, but... is that REALLY all it took?"

Dax gave Illiad a glance and grinned.  

"Well, it DID start out that way, yeah.  Illiad's letters were polite, straightforward and it seemed like his curiosity was piqued; he genuinely wanted to make a friend out of me, and I wanted one in him, so... it was just like that."

Oglevy's emotions were a little confused.  Turning to the Trojan, he asked, "So what made YOU want to come HERE?  I mean, did Dax really sound like somepony you'd have wanted to meet?"

Dax started to glare at his little brother, but Oglevy knew his brother well; he turned to him, "No, no - it's not a dig at you... I'm genuinely curious."

Dax thought it over for a moment, decided he was speaking in earnest, and sat back.  The colt turned back to the unicorn.

"... well?"

Illiad thought for a bit, "Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't start on this whole thing for political reasons, when I saw the flyer for the cultural exchange I thought it would be a great opportunity to show the voters my willingness to reach out to other nations. When I was paired with Dax and actually got talking with him I decided that I would do my best to get a friend out of it as well. In his letters Dax reminded me of my younger self, full of desire to learn about everything and to experience the world. So I kept on with it, answering his questions and asking my own. So in a way yes, Dax did make himself sound like someone worth meeting, and he really was. I'm glad I decided to come here, and I'll miss this place when I'm gone." 

Oglevy grew a thoughtful look, while Dax smiled from ear to ear; Illiad would have to remember that - Dax reacted VERY well to his friend's praise emotionally.  Perhaps it'd be a good way to pull him out of a funk in the future...

The colt stared at the oven some more, as if his gaze alone would make the pizza done.  Then, he turned to the unicorn.

"So, if you've set to prove how relations can be between nations, wouldn't it be of common interest to your constituents to actually have a chance to meet Dax as well?  It would generate more talk about your endeavors, and would possibly turn out to bring more of the general populace to your sway, as they could relate better to Dax - it would be tough to put the face of the enemy on him, don't you agree?"

Sometimes it was hard to forget that Oglevy was supposedly a genius; it was a rich vocabulary for a colt of his age, and he used it confidently.  Someday, he'd be a force to be reckoned with...

Dax, however, somewhat blushed at the idea.  "A-a-all those ponies?  They wouldn't want to meet me..."  

The young pegasus looked at Illiad.  "Would they?"

Illiad was taken aback by Oglevy's sudden use of rather scholarly words, "While that might be, that sort of thing is something that would have had to have been arranged prior and Dax is still a bit young to be put in such a spotlight. Perhaps at some point in the future that would be advisable, but for now Troy has a very poor view of Equestria and thus might take things a bit too far in an interview. We'll just keep on as we've been and let the citizens sort through the results afterwards."

He sighed as he turned towards the oven for a bit as well, "Also, just because you can use big words in a sentence, doesn't mean it will help get your point across." 

Oglevy gave a bit of a pout.

"Frankly, it's MY vocabulary; when I observe a personally intriguing opportunity to express myself more eloquently, I may indulge in such a significant manner at my own whim... and if I wanna talk simply, I'll do that, too."

"Plus," he added, "you don't have to be so snooty all the time, either..."

"Oggie!"

"DON'T... call me that!"  He pulled himself under control; he really didn't want to fight - he was simply being a kid; he knew it, yet he just couldn't help it.  Dax rolled his eyes.  

"He's always been like that.  He'll be a goofy little pain for a while..."  He gave his brother a playful shove, which the colt returned in kind.  "... but sometimes, he can be wicked-scary smart.  Really."  Oglevy, emotionally, was alive - Dax's praise made him so very happy, yet he simply did his best to just grin and say,

"Pizza's done."

Jumping up and going for the giant wooden spatula next to the oven, Dax carefully worked the pie from the oven to the table, still steaming and bubbling in some corners.  

It... smelled... WONDERFUL!  

The blend of sugars, slightly sweet spices and baked fruit had an aroma that was as close to the definition of the word 'ambrosia' as one could get without magic.  It looked as delicious as it smelled, and even Dax looked ready to tackle it himself... however, he calmly stepped back, and shook his head.

"No, not yet - it's gotta cool for a bit - THEN it'll be ready!"

It was certainly different from the pizzas he had had before, while they focused on spices and vegetables this one focused on the sweet aspect to pair with fruits. In a way it was the opposite of a pizza, yet very much the same.

At the very least it smelled better than anything else he had helped to make, probably due to the fact that he hadn't really helped make it. Which to be honest was probably the best course of action.

"Wow, this smells absolutely wonderful."

"Yeah - Daxie's a GREAT chef!  He learned how from the Ons - and they're top-level!"

Dax smiled at his brother's compliment, then he turned to Illiad.

"I... wanted you to have the first slice.  You've never had one before, so I figured it'd be a good gesture to let you try it first."

Though one would normally think that the colt would protest this, Oglevy actually smiled and bounced on his hooves a bit.

"Yeah!  Try it, Illiad!  Try it!"

The pizza, once Dax brought it over to the table, looked absolutely scrumptious - and it smelled even better.

Illiad looked a bit shy at being offered the first piece, but accepted, grabbing one of the slices with his magic which also served to cool it a bit to ensure it would be the proper temperature when he bit into it. His only hope as he took a first bite was that he would actually enjoy it, or at the very least he could make himself appear as if he had enjoyed it. He'd hate to disappoint Dax after all.

It was a slice of miracle.

At first, the only-slightly sweet dough was the first sensation to grace his palette; it was like homemade cinnamon toast, with just the right amount of butter - not dry, yet not greasy, either.  It spoke of fine, toasty kitchens like this one, and was a worthy crust for this masterpiece.

Then the baked fruits and berries reached him, and it was an odd, yet wholly pleasant and fascinating blend of warm nature at its best.  One wouldn't think such a harmony could be had, but it was uncanny the way the flavors complimented each other - not to mention the crust, as well.

But when the bubbly, almost ambrosia-like jam of the gooey filling coated his tongue, the entire melody came together as a pure symphony of delicious music for the tastebuds.  It was a simple dish, it seemed... but whatever Dax had in the way of kitchen magic, he may as well have been an Alicorn-level sorcerer.

Both the Blackwater brothers smiled as they watched the unicorn take his first bite... then Oglevy grabbed a slice and began to chow down.  Dax, however, was politely waiting for Illiad.  

"It's good, right?"

Illiad nodded emphatically, while he wanted to shove the whole thing in his mouth, along with a few other slices of the pie, he knew that would rather poor form. Thus he exercised all his will just to prevent himself from consuming the whole thing in two bites. Forcing himself to savor the fruit filled experience across three or maybe even four bites.

In the end though he probably ate it quite a bit faster than he should have, "Um, yes. It is very good. Much better than I've ever been able to make myself." He said so sheepishly due to his embarrassment at having eaten it so quickly.

Dax laughed at Illiad's expression, yet put another slice on a plate for him as he then served himself.  Out of eight pieces, Illiad got three, Dax took two, and Oglevy wolfed down the rest.  It was no surprise it went so fast; it was amazing.

Finishing up, Oglevy wiped his hoof across his sticky muzzle, then smiled at them both.  "Fruit pizza - it can't be beat-za!"

Dax grinned and lifted an eyebrow.  "Eeyup.  Now, I believe someone had made a promise to leave us alone after they had lunch with us, didn't they?"  He gave his little brother a mock-angry glare, but the colt was still disappointed.

"Awwwww... chestnuts."  Somewhat strong language from a colt, but Dax didn't even flinch; he was apparently used to such words coming from his sibling in these cases.  He flapped into the air, and facing Illiad, he gave a rather cordial bow.

"Thank you for having my company, good stallion.  I shall hopefully see thee on the morrow, afore thy chariot arrives!"

To Dax, he said, "Later, spinach-chin."

Dax replied, "Later, water-wings."

They exchanged a sibling's glare, then Oglevy smiled as he flew out of the room.  Dax watched him go, a light feeling in his heart, then turned back to Illiad.  "Okay, lunch is lunched; what now?  OOH!  I know - we should check on Taps; after the other day, we should make sure she's alright, right?"

Illiad rolled his eyes at Oglevy's exaggerated exit before bidding him farewell as well.

He gave a good natured, yet prolonged sigh at the idea to see Taps again. "Ughhhh... Fine... If we must..." He snorted at his own actions. "Seriously though, if that's where you want to go then I'll go with you." 

To be honest he wasn't looking forward to seeing Taps again so soon, but he supposed it really couldn't be avoided.

The two of them left the manor, headed into the quarry yard once more.  

The bustle of work at the Gem Refinery was winding down as sunset approached; soon, the late shift would come in and finish up whatever the day shift left behind, clean, then leave it all for the day shift to mess up again in the morning.

As they continued on, Illiad could see the vault looming over the silent sheds, all in twin neat rows from the boulder to the yard.  For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of maroon... but it was nothing.

Eventually, they reached the Pony Express office/cottage, and it looked just as unassuming as ever; knowing what he now knew about the depths of The Closet, it would be easy to wonder about any other Pony Express station that ever existed...

At any rate, Dax reached the front door, peeked in the window and smiled.  "Yeah - she's here!"

Through the pane, the unicorn saw the petite blue pegasus on the other side of the counter; she looked BORED... but Illiad could feel, carefully drifting, a fog of woe around the poor mare.  She wasn't even paying much attention, as she was staring at a calendar on the opposite wall, where it depicted a beautiful tropical paradise.

Dax looked at Illiad.  "Okay, now you behave; I'm sure she feels bad enough about losing the Jinx Stone, so don't exacerbate things... please?"

Illiad rolled his eyes again, "Even if I were inclined to cause trouble, I can tell she'll suffer enough without anything extra on my part."

Without further adieu Illiad knocked on the door before calling out to the mare within, "Hey Taps, it's Dax and I. We just decided to come by and make sure you're doing alright given yesterday." 

Taps instantly turned her head towards the door at the sound of Illiad's voice, and upon sight of Dax waving through the glass pane, she gave a small smile.  She trotted out from behind the counter, came to the door, and pulled it open.  

She looked at Dax and smiled; it was the grin of an older sister - full of kindness and concern.

She looked at Illiad... and rolled her eyes.  Yup, it looked like she still saw him as he saw her; but she did sigh, lock eyes with him, and nod accordingly.  She didn't HATE the Trojan... but they wouldn't be all cozied-up by the fire singing 'Kumbaya' anytime soon, that was certain.

Dax looked her over.  "I know Illiad took the brunt of what happened, but you were there working with him - so you might have... y'know... gotten hit with shrapnel or something..."

Taps gave Dax a tight-lipped smile, and touselled his mane playfully.  He smiled back at her, straightening his mane back as he did.  "I suppose that means you're okay, hunh?"

Taps nodded, then looked at the unicorn for a moment... then, she held up a hoof, and went back inside quickly - returning moments later with two scrolls.  She gave them both to Illiad, accompanied with a slightly skeptical look.

One of the scrolls was labelled 'Do not open until after you leave', the other 'For your eyes only'; they were both for the unicorn.  Passing these over, she then turned back to Dax.  

"So, I guess that means you're fine, and you'll just be here whenever we need you, won'cha?  Good ol' Taps!"

Though she grinned at Dax's comment, Illiad could feel the ache she experienced inside when he said it - it was obvious that Taps was longing for something other than her job... but she was loyal, he had to give her that much.  Dedicated.  There would be no rushing this mare out of her work anytime soon - and determination such as that is always something worthwhile.

Dax turned to Illiad.  "Well, it's YOUR last day here... anything else you'd like to see?"

As Dax spoke, Taps - feeling as though her pat here was through, turned to head back inside... but the look she gave Illiad before she left told him that she had wanted to say so much more... but the facade must stay intact; the show must go on.

Illiad looked at Taps with a concerned expression as he stowed the scrolls away for later viewing. "Well Taps, you probobly know how to reach me if you need me."

With that he turned his body towards the door as he looked towards Dax, "Well, we've seen the vault, ended up seeing Redd, Knee, Chuck, Silver and now Taps, hmm." Illiad thought for a moment on where else they could go. "Well, I guess all we need is something to last till dinner, is there anything else you'd like to show me before then?" 

Taps nodded once, then smiled at Dax before heading back inside... yet Illiad got the distinct impression that the blue mare wished they would stay.  However, she knew how she was seen by the Trojan; she wouldn't argue.  The door closed behind her, and she vanished from the little window.

Dax looked thoughtful at Illiad's question for a moment.  "Well, let's see... uhm, we could-... no, you saw that... you saw THAT... maybe we-... no, no..."

He looked up at Illiad with a bit of a surprised look on his muzzle.

"... I think you've seen about everything there is to see here!"

And then some.

"I mean, I could take you to the gardens... THE GARDENS!  YEAH!"

He suddenly began to trot his way back towards the manor house.  "C'mon!"  His enthusiasm was back, and as intense as ever.

Illiad paused at Taps' apparent longing for company and sighed before turning to follow Dax. If she had wanted to they could have talked, moved inside where no one would see them if she really cared that much. But by pretending even to those that knew better that everything was back to the way they were, it seemed a bit of a desperate attempt to put the events behind them rather than taking the time to really learn from them.

It wasn't his place to do that to her now though, he was here for Dax. With that in mind he quickly made his way after Dax, a smile growing on his face as he ran, he was excited to see what else the quarry had in store for him. 
> An Exchange of Gardens
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

They traveled back up the path from the yard to the manor, then crossed over to where the remnants of the black wrought iron fence lie.  From there, they cut the opposite direction as Blackwater Ridge was in, instead coming down the mountainside steeply for a few yards, until the crags around them formed a sort-of 'bowl', with a single, narrow little cleft in the rocks to squeeze in through.

And squeeze was the proper word to use in this case; it was a tight fit for Dax, and Illiad had a moment where he was almost stuck... but managed to pop through to the other side...

And it was a garden, but not in any traditional sense; it looked as though this had once been a place to entertain guests.  There were the ruins of a gazebo-style structure, as well as two exquisite statues of Celestia and Luna, both at opposite ends of the 'garden' entrance, looming over whomever came through.

And there were trees, but no two trees were alike here - each one was a different type of flora, though all existing within the same, small area... small being roughly the size of a grand ballroom, in this case.

And everything, EVERYTHING had some sort of moss, algae, vine or fungus growing on it; even the statues had a layer of algae and ivy on them that gave one the eerie impression of the princesses being held captive in stone.  It gave what would be a peaceful place a bit of a foreboding feel.

In the far corner, however, was a patch of dirt that was completely and absolutely barren - not even ivy reached out for it, growing away from the spot.  It was this exact spot that Dax came to a halt on top of as he turned and motioned with a hoof to the lush green surroundings.

"This is the garden; my ancestors used to host tea parties here... but not normal tea parties, because it was very exclusive to ever be invited.  Some family historians wrote records of possible secret cults and sects that met here, long ago.  But the part I know about best is the one that deals with Lotus Black."

He grinned.  "She had a green shoe, but she was kinda weird - she was a skilled botanist, and crossbred plants for scientific research.  She ended up creating a reflexive/defensive plant that had pods big enough to swallow ponies whole... but they derived all their nutrients from soil alone, so they were just defensive measures - they'd hold the intruder until Lotus came to release them.  She supposedly knew how to talk to them... and they would talk to her, in turn."

He walked along the ridge's edge, looking over the rows of jet black roses and eye-blastingly red zinnias.

"From what I've read from her diary, she spent all her time and effort tending to her plants, and spurned any romantic advances made toward her.  This infuriated one thestral so much, he had a spell conjured to turn her into one of her precious plants for a day - an attempt to gain her attention.  However, her uncle Weapon's journal says the spell backfired when she attempted to counter it with her magic - she exploded into a fine black mist, and was never seen nor heard from again."

He stepped next to the Trojan, and pointed to the bare patch of ground.  "THAT is where it happened; the plants won't grow there out of reverence for her.  It sounds nuts... but look how even the kudzu avoids it."

He shrugged.  "But almost all of her amazing pod plants died within a month of her end - but seeds remained.  Over the years, most of them got lost or misplaced.  Of them all, only ONE seed survived, and the single solitary living remains of my ancestor's work is that little plant in the Celadon urn, sitting in Father's study.  THAT is the last living Lotus Pod; did you notice it when you were in there?"

Illiad was saddened upon arrival that such a beautiful spot had been left to be reclaimed by the mountain. It seemed to him a waste that it had become so overgrown and less usable. He was especially saddened by the state of the statues. Oh that certainly won't do. He had immediately set to work in carefully removing what he could from the statue of Luna, transplanting moss and wrapping the vines and ivy in other places so that the statue could stand clear of it. Anything that would be killed by his attempts to move he left, he wasn't a botanist after all and he didn't want to hurt anything that lived here.

He was further saddened to hear about what had happened here, "That's... unfortunate. Though it surprises me that the garden was left alone in her absence. I would think a memorial of some sort would have been built rather than allowing her garden to outgrow any trace of her presence. I did notice that odd plant in the office, though I don't really know plants so I didn't pay much attention to it."

He looked around with a sad expression on his face. Perhaps it was a bit of his father within him, but he saw that this place had so much potential, had reached some extent of it, and them was abandoned, a shadow of its former glory. Whether it was grief or inability that led to it, the result was saddening to him. Worst of all was that he felt compelled to help, to make it better, but he knew he lacked the skills, resources, and ability to do so.

"I dunno... the place has kind of a sanctity to it, y'know?  Like a little secret grove where- HEY!"

He trotted up next to Illiad as he cleaned the vines from the statue of Luna.  "Hey, you're ruining the ambiance!  You can't just..."

Seeing that it was already done, he gave a slight sigh.  "Well... I suppose if you're gonna do THAT, then..."

He made his way over to Celestia's statue and grabbed a vine, pulling it hard to get it to let go of its' stony prey.

"Theef statufe whurr made bah wunno my anfefterf, too... Chifel Bwack..."  His mouth full of vine, it was difficult to make out what he was saying, but Illiad could probably catch the gist.  At any rate, the vine gave way, and a small blanket of moss came with it.

Letting go of the now defunct creeper, he continued.  "Chisel was one of the greatest sculptors who ever carved a stone - but she never believed in fame, and already had a fortune, so her work's pretty much exclusively here at the quarry; a lot of the statuary in Blackwater Ridge is her hoofwork.  My grandfather supposedly tried to sell some of it, but..."

A dark look and emotion crawled through Dax Blackwater like a sewer rat slithering into a slimy drainpipe; it was a strange thing to come from the usually chipper and kind stallion... it was a very controlled, distant sort of anger that was usually attributed to a long-ago betrayal or disgrace.

Whatever it was, Dax grew quiet and kept pulling floral detrius from Celestia's pedestal.

Illiad felt a small bit of pride at what he had been able to accomplish on the Luna statue despite being chided by Dax for his efforts. "Ambiance or not, it's pretty disrespectful to let such statues become overgrown. At least in Troy it's like an insult to the princess in effigy. Besides, it's bad for the statue if it wasn't designed to have plants on it as they contribute to erosion and other destructive factors on them. These seem to still be in decent shape though."

A thought occurred to him, he didn't know about Luna until he arrived in Troy, only Nightmare Moon, and this statue was not of Nightmare Moon, so either this statue was around a thousand years old, or they knew about Luna long after she had gone. "How old are these statues exactly? They seem in very good condition to be as old as I think they are, especially considering the effect of the overgrowth."

Dax considered the question for a moment.

"Well... Chisel Black lived here around... uhhhhhm... eight hundred years ago, give or take a decade.  So I'd gauge they're at least THAT old.  Been around here for a long time."

He placed a hoof on the statue of Celestia, looking up at them both.  "Chisel was a master sculptor; her work was lauded and praised by art critics and geniuses alike... but she refused to sell her art, preferring instead to simply give her work away as gifts.  That's why there are SO few of her works among ponykind today - in fact, it'd be safe to say that the Blackwater Quarry has the biggest and most exclusive collection of Chisel Black's work anywhere!"

His gaze kept going from one statue to the other, back and forth.  "Y'know... I don't even think either princess has ever seen these.  How would they?  Chisel kept mostly to herself and her students - didn't get out much."

He stepped away from the overgrown podium, and turned back to Illiad.  "Why'd you ask?"

Illiad managed to look away from the statue of Luna to look at Dax and the rest of the garden, "Oh, I asked because of the statue of Luna, I hadn't heard of her before I went to Troy, I'd only ever been told about Nightmare Moon. I had assumed then that the statue had been carved back when ponies would still know of Luna instead of Nightmare Moon, I just wanted to confirm. They are certainly in very good condition for being so old, especially after having been so overgrown. Statues in Troy generally don't last this long unless a special effort is expended to preserve and restore them on a regular basis, but that's more due to our climate and weather above anything else."

Another thought came to him, "Is the garden watered? It seems to be the only explanation as to how this place stays so green and alive if it doesn't rain here." 

Dax shook his head.  "Nope; runoff from the frosty Crystal Mountaintops flows underground through tunnels made by melting water flow for centuries... the garden sits directly above one of the thinnest parts of one of the bigger tunnels.  The plants here get their water from underground, not the sky."

Dax seemed puzzled for a moment, then gave Illiad a strange look.

"Y'know... it's never occurred to me before to even wonder WHY it doesn't rain here... I just don't know why I haven't thought about it before.  But I don't think I can ever-... wait."

Dax lifted his thoughtful brow.  "Well... actually, I DO remember it raining here, but it was when I was still a foal; I can tell you for a fact that it hasn't rained here for at least a decade.  Not that it matters to anypony - between the water tower, the family spring and Silver's pipes, we get all the water we need."

His brow furrowed once again.  "... so why in Tartarus does it never rain here?  And why haven't I asked this before?"

Illiad shrugged, it seemed a good enough explanation. "Silver actually asked the same question when I shared a dream with her, Selena's looking into it and we should have an answer to that shortly, though I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with Taps. If she has something like the Jinx stone she could very well have something that could be interfering with the weather here."

He gave a slight smile, "Until Selena comes up with something perhaps it would be best not to worry about it for now. We'll get our answers eventually."

He took a moment to look around the garden a bit closer now that he wasn't so busy clearing off the statue of Luna. "This is a very nice garden."

Dax nodded and stared at the devegetated statuary.  Then...

"Do you think the princesses would like to have these?  Y'know, for the Royal Gardens?  I mean, they're not doing anything but sitting here, so they're kinda going to waste... do you think, if I got permission from Father, that there would be some way to give these to them as gifts?"

The features, even with the age of years weighing on the statues, were crisp and sharp; each and every contour perfectly shaped and carved to match the subjects.  Celestia looked benevolent and proud; Luna, exotic and mysterious.  Even their eternally flowing manes were perfect, seemingly frozen in time - it was as if a cockatrice had gotten to the princesses themselves, they were so well-crafted.  Chisel Black had, indeed, been a master of the art form - they almost looked ready to spring to life.

"I mean... maybe they should be on display for everypony, instead of just me.  It would certainly be a..."

A twang of yearning and loneliness wobbled through Dax for a moment, then it passed as he gave a soft little sigh.

"... a nice gift for them, don'cha think?  Do you think they'd appreciate them... or do you think it's better to just leave 'em where they are?  I mean, they ARE a family heirloom, so to speak... but why keep something this pretty all to yourself?"

He grinned.  "That's why I brought YOU here, of course.  I'm glad you like it."

Illiad nodded his agreement, "That would certainly be a nice gift to them, provided your parents approved that is. I'm sure they would be able to appreciate such art as we have."

He gave another smile towards Dax, "I'm glad you were willing to bring me here, it is indeed a very nice place." 

Dax nodded and smiled, walking over to one of the weeping willows and running a hoof through its' foliage for a moment.  As he did, the Empathic felt his mood slide down a few notches... but no reason why on his face.  However, when he spoke it became a bit clearer.

"Illiad... I'm kinda scared."

He began a very thorough investigation of one of the willow's branches, focusing his eyes on the greenery while his words sought his friend's ear.

"I've never really been outside of the quarry much; heck, I was only in school for a year before Mother and Father pulled me from it and got me tutors.  I have my camp, yes - but it's not the same as simply trotting a while away; I'm not gonna be anywhere NEAR here.  I've spent almost my entire life behind the quarry's walls, and as you've no doubt seen, it's rarely dull here... but now, I have the opportunity to see more of the world, right?  I get to meet new ponies and travel to an exotic land and such..."

Now he looked at Illiad, and he did look a bit worried; his emotions were more excited than hesitant... but he couldn't seem but help being nervous.

"... but what if I accidentally embarrass myself?  Or YOU?  What if I say or do the wrong thing, and make someone angry?  What if they really DO hold a grudge against me, simply because of Celestia?  I mean, not that I can't handle rejection, but... Illiad, what will I do if they HATE me?"

Dax closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then released it slowly; it did wonders for his mood, though there was still a bit of worry and concern there.

"Well... if they do, then they do - there's no pleasing everypony.  I just hope that at least some of them like me."

Opeing his emerald peepers again, he looked to the unicorn.

"Maybe if you tell me a bit more about who you want to introduce me to, it'll help me feel better.  Uhm... would it be okay for me to ask about who you plan to have me meet?  I mean, like, REALLY tell me - like, how'd you MAKE these friends, or how long you've known them, or even what NOT to do in front of them... anything.  The more I know now, the less nervous I'll be while we're there."

He moved over to an algae-ridden rock and took a seat on it.  "Please... would you tell me more about your friends?"

Illiad adopted a concerned expression as he listened to Dax's worries, they were certainly legitimate and honestly some of the same concerns he had had when he first moved to Troy. He took a moment to think before responding, this was the sort of thing that would have to be done carefully if he wasn't going to scare Dax away.

His expression shifted to a more comforting look as he took a seat near Dax, "Those are all legitimate concerns to have, many of which I had myself when I came, though you have the benefit of someone who knows about the area to show you around. Embarrassment is temporary, and really you'd have to be trying to actually embarrass me. If you make someone angry I'll do what I can to protect you, and if they hate you for Celestia, then they'll have me to hate too, I'm not a full blooded Trojan after all, the fact that you're there should be evidence enough that you're different from the rest."

He took a deep breath as he prepared to talk about his friends, mentally deciding how much he would tell now, and what he would leave them to tell about themselves when they actually met. "As to my friends, I can tell you a bit about them, but there are some things they'd prefer to tell you themselves. So the first one we'll probably meet is Midget Hooves since I'll need to meet with him once we get to Troy. We met when I decided to run for office and Luna said that he would be a good pony to run with, so I guess I only met him a few months ago but he's really a great friend. He's pretty soft spoken in public but he can speak pretty powerfully when he feels strongly about something, which has given him quite the successful career in the councils so far."

"Then there's Glen the doe, she works as a guide for caravans traveling through the desert, usually she does the route to South Port, but occasionally she'll guide out to a buffalo tribe or to North Port, when she isn't guiding she's often exploring out in the deserts, she usually comes back with cool items she's found and she sells them from a little stall in the Trojan Market whenever she has enough. I met her about a year after I came to Troy, she's kind and rather exuberant when the mood strikes her. While she doesn't mind talk about her not being a pony, try not to make a big deal about it, it makes her feel awkward to be singled out and she might single you out as well if you do."

"Next is Swift Message, I met him the night after I moved in and he took it upon himself to show me around town and really made me feel involved in the community. I guess we've been friends since I first arrived then, so a total of about two and a half years. He carries the mail around Deltrot, so he's pretty busy in the evenings but still makes time to talk a bit when he drops off my mail in the morning."

"Finally there's Carbon Copy, I met him just before the changeling attack on Canterlot, he's pretty level headed, really focused on exactness when it comes to his work, though he does relax a bit around his friends, for him under no circumstances should you dis what he does, even in jest. He's very careful about his actions so any unnecessary jibe against them would make him mad at best, and locked up at worst. Oh! He works as an assistant jeweler as his talent is in diamonds, well carbon items more specifically as he can also do pretty cool things with coal and graphite. It goes well with his rather grey appearance."

Illiad thought for a moment to see if there was any he had forgotten, he seemed a bit disappointed that he only had four friends to tell Dax about. "There's also Steel Rose the griffon, she runs the local blacksmith shop and does the molds and castings of the printing plates I design, we'll actually see her on this trip when I go to get those stamps and watermarks made for your father. I wouldn't really consider us friends though, more friendly acquaintances since we work together on occasion. In the brief time we're with her, if you have anything to say about her talons, they'll have to be good things or you'll get a demonstration. I learned that one the hard way when someone else was a bit too xenophobic."

He looked over at Dax with a slight smile brought on by memories of his friends, "I hope that helps ease your worries, I'd be happy to answer some more questions about them if you have any."

Dax sat there, paying rapt attention to Illiad's descriptions of his friends.  The Trojan could feel the level of concentration coming from him; he was doing his utmost to memorize what he was being told, for later use.

When the unicorn finished, Dax sat there a moment, then smiled up at Illiad.

"They sound remarkable - it must be really great to know so many others like that.  They sound like they'd be pleased to meet me... at least, I hope they will be.  I'll be glad to meet them, I'm fairly sure."  He grinned sheepishly.  "I'd ask more, but like you said - we should leave 'em SOMEthing to talk about, right?"

He pondered a moment more, then spoke up again.  "Do they know I'm coming?  I mean, I blabbed about you to everyone I could here - what about you?  Did you talk about me to... well, anypony?  If you did, did they have anything to say about me?  About the exchange?  Or did you not want to share it with anypony else, because of concerns and such?"

Illiad seemed ever so slightly dissapointed that Dax didn't have any questions to ask, but he was also thankful that Dax still had other questions for him to answer. "I'd hope they know you're coming, I did tell them that you'd like to meet them after all. Glen and Swift are the most excited to meet you. I did keep the news of my departure on the down low as I didn't want there to be much talk about it until afterwards lest some of my less savory political opponents move to sabotage it. Thus only Midget and the friends I mentioned know about why I'm gone. I didn't tell them too much about you as you need something to tell them as well, but even with the little I shared they're excited."

He moved to ruffle Dax's mane, prepared to straighten it if he objected, "Don't worry so much Dax, everything is going to be fine for your trip." 

Dax smiled as he took the touseling in stride.  He gave a chuckle as he smoothed it back down with a hoof, then looked over at Illiad.

"I know, I know... still, it IS good to hear from somepony else, though.  Thanks, Illiad - all of this has meant so much to me, really; I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity... or a better outcome... or a better friend, I think!"

He gave the unicorn a quick but tight hug, the affection for the Trojan quite apparent in his mood and his muzzle.  After such he stepped back and regarded his friend.  Then, seemingly from nowhere...

"Uhm... okay, this might sound like a weird question, but... why is his name MIDGET Hooves?  Is... is he small?  OOH!  Is he from Shettish Isles?  I've heard ponies over there don't grow very tall at all - is he from Shetland?"

Non-stop, mile-a-minute thinking; that was certainly one of the young stallion's trademarks, and here was evidence to further that thought.  Apparently, there WERE some questions after all... 

Illiad gave a slight laugh at the response to Midget's name. "While he is a bit on the short side he isn't too much shorter than a normal pony. It's actually because his hooves are even smaller than normal. It doesn't help his appearance that he's generally meek in public, but again he speaks with real power when he gets involved and he is a pretty strong flyer too."

Illiad gave a good natured smile as he laughed again, "I'm glad you consider me such a worthwhile friend and this adventure worthwhile as well. I've had a wonderful time here and though our time is running out I don't really regret any of the time i've spent here."

Dax smiled in return, then made his way over to the statue of Luna, looking up at it with reverence.

"I'm glad you have.  It's weird, y'know... I grew up here, so I guess I never really realized what an outsider would see in this place.  The novelty of it wore off when I was still a foal; seeing you taking in so much from it all... well, it kinda makes me happy, just knowing you're enjoying being here."

"But really, none of the usual things around here seem all that strange to me... so I guess I've been kinda living vicariously through your first experiences here.  And I gotta say - you certainly seem like you'd fit in here just fine.  The staff likes you - even Redd, I think - and my parents adore you, from what I can tell.  You've really left a mark here, Illiad - Mother's smiling a lot this week, plus Oglevy's apparently given up on tormenting you.  Heck, you kinda ended up making more friends here than just me - I hope I can do half as well as you did here, when I get to Troy!"

He sighed happily... then:

"An assistant jeweler?  Hmmmmm... do you think they'd know about Blackwater Emeralds?  I mean, Father says that a Blackwater cut is always clean... still though, I wouldn't insult you friend's work; that's downright rude.  You think he'd have heard of us?"

Illiad simply smiled at Dax's praising words, "Carbon's pretty young still, and again mostly works with diamonds, and it's pretty unlikely any Blackwater Emeralds have made their way down to Troy being Equestrian, so it isn't too likely that he's heard of them, but who knows? Maybe if you brought him one he'd be able to do something with it. And given Carbon directly shapes his works with his magic it is usually a perfect cut." 

With those words, Dax's eyes lit up like stars, and his mood shot through the non-existent roof.

"Hey, yeah... in fact, why don't we take ALL your friends a present?  I could EASILY do that!"

He now began pacing, his excitement bubbling up from him like a Spring of Adrenaline as he continued to talk out his idea aloud.

"Sure!  I could bring Carbon Copy a REAL Blackwater Emerald, along with some uncut ones for... well, whatever!  Then, let's see... OOH!  I know!"  

He continued his path back and forth along the cracked cobblestones and mulchy dirt, but turned to look at the unicorn.

"You say Swift Message goes all over the place, right?  Maybe a REALLY sturdy, warm coat would make a good gift, right?  Something utilitarian!"

He was on a roll, now...

"And, and... and I could find one of the SlimFlasks the miners use for Glen - they hold a LOT of water, but they're streamlined and thin, for better travelling - and I'm pretty sure that Silver would let me have a set of her Enchanted Mining Horseshoes for Steel Rose; Silver makes them about as fast as miners wear them out, and YOU know the kind of work she does, Illiad!"

He smiled broadly; if his grin grew any wider, the corners of his mouth would meet at the back, and his fool head would fall off.

"Speaking of shoes... maybe we could get a set of shoes for Midget Hooves that might help... uhm, 'lessen' his hoof issues, or at least some that would fit him well, right?"

Dax seemed to enjoy giving gifts - which Illiad himself had seen firsthoof how generous Dax Blackwater could be.

"Oh, it'll be AWESOME!  I could have presents for them all - how's THAT sound, Illiad?"

Illiad gave a slight smirk at Dax's guesses for gifts to his friends, "I'm sure they'd appreciate whatever you give them, though it shows that you don't really know them with your suggestions. For Carbon and Glen you're spot on, I think they'd love those things. For Swift and Midget though, you're on the right track. Remember it's still pretty hot in the evening in Troy, which is when he does his mail route, he would probably appreciate the flask as well, especially if it could be made so he could drink from it in flight. As to Midget, while he's comfortable with his body it would be poor form to draw attention to him in that way, his dainty little hooves are hardly a hindrance to his life or work."

Illiad paused as he seemed perplexed as to what would actually make a good gift for Midget, then the idea struck him and his face brightened, "Oh! Midget loves pillows, the softer the better, really if you gave him a pillow he'd be your friend in an instant provided it's a good one."

His face shifted to be a little less humorous as he moved on, "As to Steel, I'm afraid a griffon wouldn't have much use for horseshoes, given she lacks hooves. If that same enchantment could be applied to an insulated forge gauntlet I'm sure she would be quite appreciative. Best would be to simply give her the enchantment so she could have a local unicorn apply it rather than trying to guess the dimensions of her talons."

Illiad smiled at Dax's kindness, his desire to give gifts to those he was about to meet, Illiad was a bit disappointed in himself that he hadn't thought to give his friends gifts himself, having always thought he didn't really have anything to give them, other than the changelings who insisted that his presence and openness for harvesting was the best gift they could ever receive. He resolved that he would try harder to be a better friend than he had been.

Dax listened to his suggestions, and started thinking further on the matter.

"Hmmmmmmmm... well, I'm sure Silver could give me a copy of her enchantment - it's a sort-of hardening spell, and it keeps the horseshoes from denting or cracking under the high-impact work they do... maybe she could use that on her anvil?  If... uhm, if she uses one; I don't know about armorcrafting, so..."

He shrugged, but his mind was still moving along rapidly.

"And I could probably get another SlimFlask for Swift... but I like giving unique things; it'll feel weird giving the same thing to two different folks.  Maybe... hmmmm... y'know, Taps would probably be able to point me to something a letter carrier could use, since she's always- OOH!"

His face lit up, as did his mood.

"I could get Swift a new satchel!  YEAH!  Taps' had a hole in hers - that's what made me think of it!  Sure!  A REALLY sturdy satchel, one that can put of with a lot of wear and tear; something that'll stand up to sand blasting away at it.  Yeah, that's perfect..."

He started pacing again; apparently, Dax was serious about his gift-giving... of course, Illiad had already seen, firsthoof, how Dax enjoyed gift-giving.  As well as how thoughtful he tried to be when he did so.

Speaking of which, whatever happened to those donuts from Pony Joe's that he'd gotten?

"A good pillow... a good pillow... a good-... y'know, I'll bet Mother would be happy to donate one of her silk pillows for this trip!  As extravagant as HER tastes are, I can guarantee that it'll be soft, smooth and oh-so-comfy - Mother NEVER sleeps on anything but top-quality sheets, blankets and pillows; she's got so many, I'm certain she'd let me have one if I asked."

He smiled at the Trojan, the very picture of kindness.  Among the statuary and foliage here, Dax may have been dwarfed... but his precious heart almost made him seem bigger than the entire quarry, at times.

Illiad was again impressed by the level of thought Dax put into his gift giving. Illiad hadn't seen any problem with giving some identical gifts provided each would get a similar level of enjoyment out of them, but he could agree that given the situation it would be a bit more special if they did all get unique gifts. "I'm sure Rose will be able to put the enchantment to good use, if she were to add it to the items she makes it would definitely help her business, in fact she might just make the plates for free in exchange, she never was one to accept gifts without swift repayment."

Illiad too was getting a bit swept up in the excitement, though the seclusion of the garden itself lent its own calming aura to the pair, allowing them to both be excited and think clearly about their decisions. "That does sound like a good pillow for Midget, he does like soft things after all. Though for Swift, the Trojan Postal Service is a bit stricter on what their carriers use than the Pony Express is, thus his mailbag is provided and maintained by the service, but I think we're on the right track with Taps, she would probably know of something that would be a big help to a mail-carrier."

The thought of the doughnuts made him realize just how hectic the whole week had been, that night had been the king, then the next morning right off to Canterlot, he didn't return to the camp where he had left them until Havoc, and had that been just yesterday? Well, those doughnuts were no doubt stale by now, but at least he'd still have the cloak and the book. A shame they didn't get the chance to enjoy those doughnuts though.

"Swift repayment?  For a gift?"  Dax chuckled a bit.  "Somehow, I don't think that's how gift-giving works... but if she's that keen on giving something back, maybe I could just ask to be her friend - heck, I plan to ask ALL of your friends that!"

He cocked his head to the side and lifted an eyebrow; a look of curiosity.  "Well, I guess we could check with Taps; she WOULD know better, and it's a fair bet that she could direct us to something more along that line.  But, Illiad..." He looked at his friend in earnest.  "... I kinda got the impression you didn't like her - you sure you'd be okay with going back to see her again?"

Illiad gave a slight chuckle at the comments on Steel's peculiar ways, "Yeah, Steel has yet to call us friends despite our efforts. She returns gift giving efforts swiftly because she doesn't like feeling like she's in anyone's debt. Don't be offended if she doesn't call you her friend while you're there, she won't have known you for all that long after all."

At the mention of his apparent feelings about Taps Illiad looked a bit chagrined, "Well, while she can be rather abrasive at times and we may not see eye to eye on most things, it's not like I hate her for having a different opinion and outlook on life and the world. We have a bit of an understanding. Besides, when we left I got the feeling she might have wanted us to spend a little more time with her."

Dax sighed softly, grinning as he came back over to Illiad.

"Uhm... speaking of which... I was wondering something.  You've spoken to Princess Luna kinda often from what I gather, and you have her ear, right?  Would it be possible for you to send her a letter, asking her if she and Celestia would be interested in Chisel's statues?  I figure you'd have a better chance at having your letter read than I might - she knows you - so it would get through much quicker than if I tried to, I think."

Illiad felt a slight tremble in Dax's mood; that crush on Luna again, no doubt.  But for what it was worth, he didn't speak a word of it... but as an Empathic, Illiad was well aware that Dax didn't NEED to say anything.

"So... would you be willing to be my, uhm... my... 'emissary' in this venture?"

Illiad's face grew a bit more serious, though still smiling and excited, at the talk of Luna, "While my own letters would likely reach her faster, there is no doubt in my mind that she would be excited to read a letter from you. Unlike Celestia she doesn't get much in the way of fan mail from Equestrians, and even most Trojans look up to her too highly to see her as anything other than a symbol really, instead of a potential friend. There are some though and she's mentioned how much she enjoys reading those letters. Nevertheless, if you want me to, and your father approves, I will let the princesses know about the statues and see if they would be interested in them."

At mention of Luna, the butterflies in Dax's stomach started doing their fluttering number again; Illiad could feel the hope and anxiousness of that deep-seated crush bubbling inside the young stallion again.  But outwardly, Dax only smiled.  

"Well... I might, at that.  I mean, what's the worst that could happen?  No reply, right?"  A quick ripple of worry across his emotional plains.  "But I think I'll wait until after I get home from Troy; that way, I'll have SO much to write to her!  I can even mention you, and how absolutely wonderful it's been being your buddy!"

His expression brightened in talking of Luna, "I'm sure she'd love to hear about anything you'd want to tell her. However, despite the fact that you know about Selena you should not convey any of that knowledge by any other means than dreams and private verbal conversation. If it were to be written than there's always the chance that others could get a hold of it and get suspicious."

Dax looked at Illiad.  "Don't worry - as far as I'm concerned, NOBODY is to know about Selena... except you, me and Silver, right?  Oh, and of course, Her Majesty."

But there was one more who might not have known much, but who HAD gotten a glimpse of her; Knee Slapper had been in the tunnels with Illiad when they were fighting the guard, and Selena DID show up there, so it was possible that there would have to be one more pony to swear to secrecy... that is, if Knee even REMEMBERED it had happened, that was.

Dax looked about the garden one more time, then turned to Illiad.  "Your call - where to next?"

Illiad sighed as he looked around the garden one last time, "I guess we should go back to Taps real quick before dinner, then we'll have plenty of time on our trip to Troy to ensure we can get whatever she thinks would make a good gift for Swift."

Hearing the suggestion to visit Taps again, Dax grinned.  "Yeah, the only time she ever gets company is when somepony has a letter to deliver - or me, of course.  Otherwise, she spends most of her free time in the Pony Express office; she must spend it upstairs, because she sure doesn't stay behind the desk when her job's done for the day."

Illiad had seen The Closet; as much as was there, it wouldn't be a bad guess to assume that she was probably tending to her charges.  The Trojan had seen rows upon rows upon rows of shelving down there, each filled with magical artifacts... chances were that poor Taps never really got a day off from her REAL job.

Dax took one last look around the garden, sighed happily, then turned to go.

"C'mon, Illiad - we can probably chat her up inside the office... y'know, so she can TALK to us this time?"

Apparently, Dax HADN'T forgotten the events of the other day; was Taps' artifact pillow on the fritz?  What did she call it again?

From his own understanding, the pillow only made events seem less important rather than forgotten, and with things involving Illiad being rather important in Dax's own life it presented a contradictory set where Dax would both think it less important and more important at the same time. In the long term it would be the first thing about this exchange that he would forget, but not as quickly as he would forget most other things.

He wasn't worried about swearing Knee to secrecy either as Knee wouldn't really have much to go off of and was sworn to secrecy about the events of the cave anyway.

Illiad gave a slight smile as he followed Dax out of the garden, "It will be nice to not have to interpret her charade again, as cute as it was when I first met her it quickly becomes annoying when you know she could just tell you directly if she wanted to. Nonetheless, let's get moving." 
> An Exchange of Taps
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illiad and Dax made their way back through the overgrown path, to the manor grounds, then down to the quarry yard from there.  Turning past the Refinery, they made their way past Shed Row to the humble Pony Express office once more.  Reaching the door, Dax looked in through the window.

"Yeah... yeah, she's there.  Boy, she looks like someone just took her cupcake away."

Through the window, Illiad could also see the minute mare; she did indeed look rather morose and dreary.  She was leaning on a hoof, seated at the counter, staring at the calendar across from her with longing... Illiad could FEEL the loneliness inside her, turning over and over like a gear in motion.

Dax looked back at Illiad.  "Well... show me that you really DON'T have an issue with Taps... after you."

He smiled as he made a sweeping gesture toward the door.

Being polite, Illiad was sure to knock on the door, and being cautious, he waited for the door to be opened before he would think of entering that trapped building. He decided in the wait that he'd try to convey a mental message of empathy, a soft push of emotion towards her that she would notice to show that, while they disagreed on certain things, he still hated to see her feeling such a way. Accompanied with it, he spoke. "Hey Taps, it's us again, originally we were going to ask you a question but given your loneliness I was wondering if you wouldn't want to spend some time with us. We could talk if you want, I know it certainly helped my loneliness to have someone I could confide my worries in."

He sighed, hoping that it would at least help if she weren't willing to talk to them.

Taps looked up from her morose daydreaming with surprise.  She stared at them as Dax followed Illiad inside.

"Yeah, Taps - what's up?"

She stared for a moment, then motioned to the door, making a shutting motion.  Dax nodded and closed the door behind him.  As soon as he did, she came wheeling out from behind the counter.  A rush of giddy happiness tried to make its way forward - but as she rounded the counter, something... diverted that excitement, until she had managed to wind herself down into a controlled and calm state.

All of this took less than a few seconds, but by the time she reached them, she looked as neutral as she possibly could.  But, for the Empathic, a small vibration of happiness wiggled in her secret heart, no matter how she tried to hide it.

"You two - you DO realize that if anypony out there KNEW I could actually speak... I would-..."

She stopped herself, closed her mismatched eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled before she spoke again.

"... no.  Never mind; if we DO speak, it will have to be behind closed doors, such as we are now."

She turned to go back behind the counter.  Dax lifted an eyebrow as she did, and said, "Gee, good to see you again, too."

Taps jumped as if she'd been stung, then wheeled around quickly.  "No no no... you misunderstand me; ponies ask questions, but when one cannot speak, the questions dwindle... and in my line of work, the fewer questions about me, the better.  It's to keep the WRONG questioners away... not-..."

Whatever it was she'd been about to say, she cut it off.  However, it was quite possible she had been about to make exceptions for the two with her now - but her duty came first.  Even if she didn't want it to.

She gave Illiad a look for a moment, then asked, "I take it the two of you are here for something, hmmm?  Perhaps a few questions of your own to ask?"

She stared at them both.

"Uhm... actually, we have an altogether different question if that's okay with you?"

Taps blinked; she hadn't expected this.  "Oh.  Well.  That's... that's okay, then."  

The feeling of trickling relief from her was almost tangible to the Trojan, yet he still got that distinct feeling she was much happier to see them than she let on.

"Very well, what may I do for you, Dax?  Illiad?"

Illiad looked a bit put off by Taps' attitude about her situation. "Maybe if you didn't act like you had something to hide no one would suspect you did. I talk all the time and have yet to spill any secrets entrusted to me to any who could not be trusted. I think there's a different reason why you don't talk, though perhaps you don't realize it yet. If you talked, acted like you wanted people to interact with you, you might make friends, and through friends, you might be inclined to actually tell them what bothers you instead of keeping it inside. I know what that's like, which is why Dax has learned more about a certain creature than you might ever know. The question then is why are you so against making friends, against connecting with people?"

He sighed and shook his head, "No, that's not really my place to prod, is it? I just don't like feeling how lonely you are, it's eating you up like it did Luna, and I don't want to see that happen. Anyway, what we originally came for was to see if you knew what a mail carrier would appreciate as a gift." 

Taps gave Illiad a bit of a sharp look, narrowing her eyes as he continued.  Once he finished, she gave a large sigh.

"Easle... you've seen my job.  My charges.  My responsibility."  She slowly stepped closer to him, until she was close enough to lick. "How much do YOU think I can afford to be social?"

The moment was tense, taut like a drawstring on a bow... then...

"Uhm... over mail?"

That broke the mood, and Taps blinked then stepped back, then actually giggled.  Illiad felt her building tension diffuse like a meditating monk's breath; slow, gentle, leaving no trace of ire.  She scratched at her chin, then nodded.

"Dax... Easle... my sincerest apologies for my manner.  I'm afraid I have to make a judgment call, here, and in order to PROPERLY do this, I'll have to take a moment or two of your time... please."

Dax's confusion grew.  "Hunh?"

She looked at Illiad squarely, no longer upset at him; there was a calm stillness that was almost flowing through her.  However, due to his skill, the Empathic could sense another little tingle there - not hidden, but kept quietly in reserve.

Hope.

"I believe it's time for me to show you something, Daxter.  Easle has seen it, but I already have his word," she glanced to him, no iron in her gaze now, "and that is good enough for me.  Which is why I would ask you, Illiad Easle if you would be so kind as to fill him in on what you know?"

"Illiad, what... w-w-what's she talking about?"

She gave a soft smile.  "Let's say... it's a test.  A test to see if you're ready for a bit of personal responsibility, as well as how much I can reveal to you.  Your Trojan friend has an introduction already, which is why I'd like to see how much he remembers... but the test is for YOU, young Blackwater.  Pass, and I'll even give you something befitting a mailpony like myself.  Fair enough?"

Dax looked at Taps, then back at the unicorn.  "What's she talking about?  Is..." he looked to his friend, "...is it safe?"

Illiad looked a bit surprised at Taps' shift to tell Dax about what she did, and more especially that she would like him to speak on it. "I think you could afford friendship Taps, casual conversation. You are more than capable of telling who's worth being friends with and who's not." He sighed, "Though now you've painted yourself into the same corner Celestia has, you're stuck in your ways because if you were to change you would attract the very questions and suspicions you adopted the mute act to avoid. Anyway, "

Taps gave Illiad a sour look, but her humor was still good.

"Can't you ever speak without being condescending first?  Or is that simply a trait you've cultivated for your own gratification?"

Illiad rolled his eyes at the question of his condescending speech but didn't otherwise respond.

He turned to Dax with a serious expression, "What I'm about to tell you is just as much a secret as Selena is, you repeat none of this to anyone not present in this room. Furthermore, if she tells you something, you don't tell me. Okay? Now, similar to my position in caring for Selena, Taps is the caretaker for a number of generally less sentient and generally more dangerous artifacts than Selena, like the jinx stone. She is to ensure that they never fall into the wrong hooves as I am to ensure that nothing impedes Selena's work."

He paused and thought for a moment, "That's the short of it at least, though much more detail wouldn't paint a clearer picture unless I missed something."

He turned back towards Taps with a curious eyebrow, "That what you were looking for?" 

She rolled here eyes, then turned to Dax.  "What he said is correct, though - The Jinx Stone is only one of MANY secrets I keep... and I've been keeping them for a long, long time."

Illiad felt a bit of pain from her at that, yet she did an excellent job of not showing it.

"But we'll see, won't we?  We'll take a look together, and depending on your reaction, I may just decide you're worthy of keeping this secret.  Fail, and you'll never know - it'll never trouble your thoughts, I give you my word on that."

Something about that gave her a moment of sadness too... but there was no obvious reason as to why.

She stepped towards the janitor's broom closet, and within moments, they were making their way down the spiral staircase.  Dax had given an initial 'whoa' when it appeared, but now he seemed to be trying to crane his neck in every direction at once to look around the stairwell...

And to think, they hadn't even gotten there yet.

Taps looked back at them both, traversing the steps without even looking.  "You need to keep ONE major thing in mind while you're here: T O U C H   N O T H I N G."

Dax nodded, then looked back at Illiad with curiosity and a smidge of fear tickling at his nerves.

"Okay, no really... is this safe?"

Illiad looked over at Dax with a serious expression, "So long as you don't touch anything you'll be fine. If you do touch things then there will be quite the problem for us to deal with and no it won't be safe."

His expression shifted back to a caring smile, "I trust you though, I know you can follow directions. So yes, this tour will be perfectly safe, you won't need to worry about forgetting all of this since you've managed to keep Selena a secret so well."

Dax took heart at Illiad's words, and began trotting along in earnest; it was surprising how much trust he put into the unicorn he'd barely known for a whole week.  Illiad might have to keep an eye on Dax - even Troy had its' share of manipulative ponies, and poor Dax was so very trusting...

Anyhoo, they eventually reached the doors, and after Taps got the open, the three of them were greeted by the rows and rows of shelves stored in this place.  A world of treasures, all hidden underneath an innocuous Pony Express office.

Dax kept looking around, mystified.  "Whooooooooooaaaaaaaaaa..."

Taps stepped forward and, with a sweeping gesture, addressed the young Blackwater.

"Welcome, Dax... to The Closet, one of Equestria's best kept secrets."

She strolled inside, taking on the air of a tour guide.  "Long ago, Her Majesty Princess Celestia came to the realization that there are a number of things that could cause grievous harm if misused or exploited, so it became the solemn duty of her Agents to seek, collect and safely store these trinkets away from public view.  The Closet is the only place in ALL of Equestria that can and does hold these varied, powerful, strange and unusual artifacts from many, many lands."

"The section lit by green candles holds a number of healing or beneficial artifacts; of course, because they're here, it means they're either cursed in some way or extremely unique and limited."  

"For example," she strolled over and pointed a hoof at a very old-looking vase with a cork stoppered in the top, "this is the reliquary that holds what are called 'Luna's Tears'; they were supposedly taken from Luna's own royal garments that she cast aside when she made her transformation into Nightmare Moon - these were her last tears as Celestia's sister, before her exile.  They hold the power to heal ANY wound, no matter how great or fatal... but they cannot restore life to one who has already passed."

She turned to a small, unassuming ball of yarn.  "And this is the Surgeon's String; it can sew up any pain or wound all by itself, and sterilizes and seals it, as well... however, the one treated by it suddenly and irrevocably gains an obsession with medicine.  There were several doctors in Appaloosa who weren't even trained properly before we got THIS little devil put away."

She pointed further down.  "The blue candles are for passive or less noticeable effects, like this innocent-looking cup."  She motioned to a very plain wooden cup, a single small chip missing from the rim.  "Drink anything you want to from it, but if you drink through THAT little divot," she pointed out the chip, "then you'll be a parasprite magnet for the next two days.  And trust me, they'll COME for you; they always do."

She waved a hoof towards the back.  "The black and white candles are for artifacts that can ONLY be activated by alicorns, or one meeting the requirements for such.  Her Majesty Princess Celestia HERSELF gathered the majority of these precious things, so they all have fierce wards on them."

She pointed at different sources as she described them.  "The yellow candles denote the area we keep the artifacts that subvert personalities... or, in layman's terms, take you over.  The orange ones are for clothing with magical properties, like cloaks of invisibility and such.  The purple ones represent the section we keep for magical weaponry of all kinds."

Dax looked at each example as she spoke, yet he glanced toward one side and lifted an eyebrow.  "What about those red candles?  What are they for?"

Taps' eyes darted to Illiad for a moment, then looked back at Dax.  "That's the REALLY dangerous stuff; why, care to say hi to your old friend Havoc?"

Dax shuddered.  "No thanks."

Taps grinned, then began to lead them both along a shelf lined with sealed jars of all sizes, from golf ball to gorilla sized.  She lightly tapped on a jar here and there, as if counting them by sections.

"I have been the guardian for this gathering of goodies for almost three hundred years now... I was hoof-picked for this position, and Her Majesty has personally told me that I have done an absolutely stellar job of such.  Perhaps I may have had a slip-up," she said, attempting to preempt Illiad's comment, "but that would make a grand total of ONE in the last century; I daresay I'd doubt anyone would have done a better job."

Dax was still looking around, fascinated.  "Well, this is... it's... wait."  He looked at Taps directly.

"If all this stuff has been HERE for all this time... why hasn't it ever been used to help save Equestria?  I mean, the element bearers have saved us again and again - wouldn't this make it easier on them if these things were used to help out?  I mean, not ALL of them, of course... but I'm sure SOME of these could be used to help safeguard Equestria, right?"

Taps sighed heavily, and Illiad could feel the disappointment rise in her - though it almost seemed as if she was EXPECTING this reaction.  "Perhaps your friend could explain it better to you... Mister Easle?  Can YOU explain why these things aren't safe?"

Illiad's eyes widened dramatically at one of Taps last comments. "Wait wait wait, Hold up. By the Technicolor Trenchcoat of Tartarus did you say you've been the guardian here for 300 YEARS? How in the starry night sky did you manage that?" He gave a slight laugh as he carefully started walking back and forth, "That certainly explains your stubbornness, your wealth of knowledge beyond your apparent years, and the crushing loneliness you've started to feel. Not only do you lack anyone you really feel you can confide in but you're starting to come to the full realization that you'll watch everyone you meet wither and die before you as time goes on. You don't keep silent because you're afraid of the questions, no. You keep silent because you're afraid of getting attached, well aware of the loss you'll feel in the future when they inevitably pass on."

He sighed as he sat down, taking extreme care to not disturb anything in the room by doing so. "The question then is why hasn't Clockwork noticed your strange longevity yet, I know already you're not secretly a queen because I can feel you." He shook his head.

He turned to Dax, "Despite that mess that appeared you still deserve an answer that I am hardly adequate to give as I too think these things could be very useful to Equestria. I think the biggest problem here is once again Celestia as she can't use anything from here without having to admit this place exists, and she can't admit this place exists without further revealing to the public that she keeps dangerous secrets, and we know how well the last two of those secrets went when they came out." He looked thoughtful for a moment, "Other than that, like Taps said the majority of the things here are dangerous or otherwise hard to use effectively by anyone who hasn't had years to study them. Even the healing items as Taps said are either cursed in some way or very limited in supply, thus not very useful outside of emergencies."

He turned towards Taps with a face of almost scientific awe, "Was that about right? Both my answer to Dax and what I said earlier as it seems you have a bit of explaining to do."

Taps stood there, poker-faced in both expression and mood, as Illiad spoke.  Once he finished, she stepped back a single pace, then made a point of looking Illiad directly in the eye.

"You cannot see why they have to be collected and kept out of the public eye?  REALLY?  And this AFTER the incident with The Jinx Stone... you still can't understand it?  Well, Her Majesty Princess Luna can't ALWAYS pick the brightest, I suppose... "

She sighed, then turned back to Dax.

"In the case of every single thing here, there were ponies involved who were either cruel, power-mad, bullies or simply innocents who didn't realize what they had... and our organization had to pry these artifacts from them BECAUSE they were being used for either evil or greedy personal benefit.  And there are a LOT of ponies out there who could make QUITE a mess with even ONE of these trinkets... imagine if they were ALL accessible?"

She paced as she spoke.  

"And also, it could certainly be said that there are a number of things here that could prove useful, yes... but once they're used for whatever purpose, it'll just be that much easier to use it again... and again... and again... until it becomes so commonplace, that ponies FORGET how to deal with the crisis on their own.  Oh yes, let's use the Censer of Sunlight to banish the evil shades!  Okay, why not again?  Sure, let's do it a third time!  What?  Someone STOLE it to sell it on the Black Market to some unknowable client with unknowable intentions?  Oh, well NOW what will we do?"

She stopped pacing, and made her way over to Dax, getting close enough that if the young stallion wanted to kiss her, he wouldn't have to move much at all.

"It's SO easy to assume that everypony out there will keep their intentions noble, pure and selfless when you're the child of a wealthy family, I'm sure... but those of us who live in the REAL world realize the danger inherent, not only in these artifacts, but the ponies who could get their hooves on them.  Do you understand that?"

Dax now looked a bit irked.  "So, just automatically assume that EVERYPONY is evil, and keep these things away from EVERYPONY?  These are WONDERS, Taps!  These are simply amazing, and the things they DO are amazing!  Do you realize what this could mean for Equestria if... heck if FIVE of these things were given to responsible individuals?  Training provided?  These could be used to better ALL of Ponykind!"

Taps sighed deeply, and the bottom dropped out of her mood.  She turned sadly, and made her way to one of the nearby shelves, stopping next to what looked like some sort of eggbeater-looking-thingy.

"Even if we only had access to a FRACTION of this place, I'm sure we could find SOMEthing we could use!"

Taps took up the contraption in hoof and brought it back over as Dax continued.

"You could even help, Taps!  I mean, you know ALL this stuff, right?  You could start with the healing items, then we could work our way down the list, matching up artifacts to potential users before allowing them to be brought outside of here... and we could always monitor them, as well.  After all, if we could just get-"

Taps pointed the thing at Dax and simply said, "Sorry, Daxie - you failed.  Again.  Better luck next time."

"Hunh?"

She turned the crank-looking-thing, and a purple glow surrounded both the device and Dax's head; his words stopped immediately, and his entire emotional makeup went dead silent.  He looked absolutely gone from his own body; Illiad picked up nothing from Dax's emotional matrix.  The stallion standing there right now was doing nothing but breathing,... it was eerie.

This done, Taps sadly went back over to the shelf and replaced the tool where she'd gotten it from.

"Well, I thought he'd be ready this time... but I suppose not."  She eyeballed Illiad.  "And YOU."

She walked over, looking unafraid into his eyes.

"You want answers?  Fine: Yes, 300 years.  Celestia allowed me to OWN an artifact, a very special one, which keeps me young and able - and I am VERY GRATEFUL for this opportunity, Trojan..."

Actually... her feelings told Illiad otherwise.

"... an opportunity you take EVERY instance to slap into the mud!  Would it make you happy if I came to YOUR home, criticized Her Majesty Princess Luna, and generally told everyone you introduced me to that you were 'stubborn', as well?  Because that's what YOU'VE been doing since we first met - so busy espousing how WONDERFUL Troy is while taking every chance you have to tear MY beliefs down.  Tell me something, Trojan... is THAT how your parents taught you to act in front of guests?  Friends?  Potential allies?  Walk into their homes and insult the heck out of them and their beliefs?"

He could feel her anger rising... and it wasn't pretty.

"You've not missed a single chance to SPIT on me, my job OR My Princess..."

Wait.  What was..?

"... and you're always so SNOTTY about it..."

That wasn't anger...

"... and I DON'T NEED YOU TO TELL ME I AM LONELY, MISTER HOLIER-THAN-THOU!  I KNOW I'M WORTHLESS; I DON'T NEED A REMINDER!  I KNOW I've been all but forgotten!  I KNOW nobody even really CARES what I do here, as long as things get done!  I KNOW that my family is LONG dead, and I KNOW I'm being USED!  I KNOW THAT!  DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT!?!"

Then, it happened.  

As Illiad looked at her, Taps' face first twitched, then melted as fat tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I have been trying for EIGHT YEARS to get Dax to accept what's down here!  EIGHT LONG YEARS, EASLE!  And EVERY TIME, he gets to this same point - share the magic, he says!  Due to the fact that he'd give away The Closet's secret, simply because he'd feel it was the RIGHT THING TO DO, I have to MindWipe him of the experience EVERY TIME... AND THIS MAKES ATTEMPT NUMBER...number..."

Taps, miserable, simply sat down on the floor.

"... I can't even remember anymore."

She buried her face in her hooves and bawled like a foal.

Illiad made a mental note to Selena to have a document written up to counter all Taps' points as now really wasn't the time to jab back. A pity though as he really would have wanted to had he not actually managed to break through that exterior of hers.

He gave a long sigh as he stood back up, his face serious as his horn glowed a bit brighter than usual, "Sometimes you have to break things down before they can be built back up. I guess Midnight's purpose is not as alien to mine as I had previously supposed in that regard." With a blink of light, Taps was exposed to Illiad's own emotional depths, seeing in such a way that there would be no denying the truth of what he said.

"You are not worthless, in fact, you are presently one of the most important and powerful ponies in the entire world. Even Celestia and Luna can be replaced in their duties but there is no one that can bear your burden. No one else can be trusted to keep this place and its contents safe like you can."

A tear came to his eye and the sadness was apparent, "I never meant to hurt you Taps, I only wanted to help you, leave you better off than when I first met you. The loneliness you feel... the sadness... the ache... you don't know what it's like to be an Empathic next to that. It hurts me to feel another hurting as you do, even worse when no matter what I tried it only seemed to push you away, put you further into depression. Despite your harsh words against me and the things I care about I still want to consider you a friend, but it seems clear to me now that I'm the last pony you'd want to call a friend, and I can hardly blame you at this point. I pushed you too hard, and for that I am sorry."

With that the tear fell and the connection was closed, he lifted Dax onto his back as he turned back towards the way he had come from. "If you want I'll leave you alone, never bother you again unless absolutely necessary. I'll even leave this place off of my report to Luna if you want."

He took a step, "Just think about this, will you? What if Dax is right? I see your side and can agree with most of your points, some things really should be simply disposed of or left unused. But with sufficient restrictions, other things could still be very useful."

"Easle."

The word dropped from her lips, and her tears continued to patter onto the floor.

"You have got to understand.  GOT to understand.  This... this..."

She sniffled, then wiped a hoof across her mismatched eyes. 

"... this isn't the first Closet.  It's not even the third; this is number five."

She began gathering herself, smoothing her mane back into place and trying to clear her tears from her cheeks... but her heart hung heavy as she spoke.

"Over three centuries, The Closet was discovered a grand total of four times.  The last one was in Los Pegasus, and that was during my time as a croupier... and where Luther Blackwater found me and brought me here.  Before that?  Vanhoover, underneath a library where I was the ONLY librarian.  Preceding that one?  Baltimare, where I served faithfully as a cropduster, hiding The Closet beneath the storage shed where the chemicals were kept."

She sighed deeply.  "You can see what's left of the first one if you search the ruins of the Royal Palace of the Sun and Moon, where Nightmare Moon was stopped by Twilight Sparkle and the other Element of Harmony Bearers.  By the time The Closet had come to exist, the palace had already fallen... but it was nowhere NEAR as bad as it is today when I was there."

Her mood wobbled, but nothing out of the ordinary; she was simply trying to gather her emotional bearings, as it were.

"In every instance except the first, the entire reason The Closet was discovered was because somepony I befriended or did a favor for took notice of me, and it led to discovery, which led to arson, robbery and almost meditated murder - and every time, I had to find a NEW place, a NEW life, and a NEW profession."

She shook for a moment, yet no sound came out... then she continued.

"Easle, I've been hoping to befriend Dax so that, should he inherit this place, he could not only help me keep this a secret... but so I'll have someone to talk to for a while - maybe even future generations.  In every place I ever stayed, I tried to reach out, tried to make an ally... and what I got in return was heartache, headache, and more work as I had to relocate the ENTIRE STOCK, every time."

She motioned to the massive warehouse full of seemingly endless rows of shelves.

"ALL of this... one piece at a time, so as not to risk multiple artifacts... by myself.  The first one - THAT was a pure accident and not MY fault.  The others..."  She winced, then lowered her head.  "The others were all because I'd reached out and dared to touch a life.  I reached outside of my boundaries and got played for a fool.  Each time, it resulted in something being stolen or misused - and meant I had to start over."

"With Daxter... well, I'd thought he would make a fine confidant, especially if I won him over early... but the first time I brought him down here, he tried to touch something even more dangerous than The Jinx Stone; it scared him senseless, so I had to MindWipe him to simply get him..." 

She looked at Illiad, then nodded to herself as she made a personal decision.

"... get him sane again.  Little Dax lost his mind - literally.  The artifact in question, The Banshee Gasp, drives whoever touches it completely insane; he wasn't very clear on the 'no touching' rule back then.  Again and again, over all these years, I've brought him down here at intervals, testing his mettle and mindset to see if he's ready to KNOW."

Now, she looked away, scanning the shelf across from her, but not really looking for anything.

"And he still has yet to pass... because I do NOT want to put him at risk simply to alleviate my loneliness, I can't allow him to leave here with that knowledge.  Because I already have experience with what that will bring."

Illiad stopped his progress towards the stairs and set Dax back down before turning back towards Taps. He looked drained, a lingering sadness to his features. "I had no idea you were so unlucky with friendships, I suppose it isn't too much unlike myself though you already know the story about how I was betrayed by my first and longest group of friends for daring tell them the truth since you used it in one of your jabs at me. I guess I can't blame you for being even more cautious about forming relationships, it's tragic really what's happened to you. All I can say is there are trustworthy ponies out there in the world, they just seem to be fewer and further between than we'd hope and you never really know for sure until it's too late to stop them."

He looked over at Dax, "He's never going to learn how to do it right if he forgets every time he does it wrong, he can't learn from his mistakes if he can't remember making them. Helping others is his first instinct, he needs to be taught that some things are too dangerous to be risked on innocents before he will actually see that, and he can't learn that anywhere else but from you, and he'll have to remember if he's going to do it any better."

"Easle... it's time I came clean about something, though I think you might not be as surprised as I once thought you'd be..."

She sat there for a moment.  Just as it seemed like she was done speaking, she spoke again... and a mixture of dread and determination rolled from her freely as she uttered five small words that would not only help her determine if Illiad himself would need a MindWipe... but would help her decide what she would do from here.

The words were simple, yet speaking them - to THIS unicorn, especially - could mean ANYTHING from him.  Here was where she would see what kind of stallion Illiad Easle could become when put on the spot... and whether Taps could make a friend, or Special Agent Steel Wheels would have to intervene.

"... the Storm Sapphire is here," she said softly.

Illiad's face shifted to one of mild surprise as Taps talked about the storm sapphire, "Well, isn't that something? Mind telling me how it ended up in your collection? The whole only returned a few years ago so it either landed here or was brought here, though the real question is whether you've put the shard back in the whole, I'd think so given it would explain why it hasn't rained here in so long, you likely had the shard long before you had the whole."

Illiad's face grew serious as his diamond ran like a river up his body into a sort of crown on his head with a small set of scales sitting on the front, his eyes seemed to have a slight glow to them. "As the balance of good and evil we need to see the sapphire to confirm our suspicions, would you kindly?" 

"Best you wait a moment before we take another single step."

Taps looked at Illiad, and her face set itself into a hard, serious look.

"You're more than even your records say you are, and that's quite a feat... but you'd also best understand that it's staying HERE, Easle.  That stone was sent to me directly by Celestia's magic, and even if it is what you seek, I won't give it up.  You may be all sorts of powerful, Trojan, but I'm the Mistress of this place - and from where I stand, in any direction, there will be a number of things that I can use to stop you easily... all before you can even blink."

She strode up to him, dwarfed by even Illiad's stature, yet bold and unafraid as she looked up into his eyes.

"Just so we're clear, it stays here.  Period."

Illiad gave a slight smile, "Oh when the sapphire wants to leave there's nothing either of us would be able to do to stop it. It helped defeat Discord way back before Luna used this diamond to become Nightmare Moon. It represents a force, or rather THE force of nature, though it seems you're already aware of some aspect of its power in the utter lack of rain on the quarry."

He sighed as he shook his head, "I won't get into asking why you would want that, it hardly matters at the moment but it does bring up an interesting idea despite your age and race."

She glanced over at Dax for a moment.  "As for poor Daxie, well... he'll mature.  In fact, this trip to Troy might actually prepare him for accepting this responsibility.  And it IS one, you know - keeping The Closet a secret.  With time and wisdom, he'll come around - then, I won't have to MindWipe him again.  Simple as that."

Dax still looked spaced-out, but Taps simply sighed.  "Well, let's get this over with before he snaps out of it."

She headed for the red-curtained section, then stopped at the threshold.

"After you, Easle; I'm RIGHT behind you."

On the other side of the curtain, the walls themselves were covered with protection runes, geas runes, barrier runes, curse runes, alarm runes, writs of sealing, and just about any sort of protection spell you might like.  It was COVERED in them, wall-to-wall protections.  Even the red candles that hung from the walls had runes carved into their waxy skins, tattoos of safety.

There were considerably fewer artifacts in here than in other areas of The Closet.  

What looked to be a total of twenty-five podiums stuck up from the ground, and each had a clear glass bell over it, covering whatever was contained within.  There were a number of artifacts here that Illiad himself had heard rumor of - not to mention the presence of The Jinx Stone under one bell.  It almost seemed to wink at him as his eyes wandered over it.

But there, in all its' thunderous glory, was the Storm Sapphire; there was no mistake that it was the real deal.

"Well, Easle?  Now what?"  Taps spoke from behind him.  "Proof enough?"

Illiad approached the glass bell, being careful not to touch it as he didn't know if doing so would set off alarms. "You see, Clockwork and I, he's the balance of sickness and health and the one I mentioned earlier that would be rather displeased if you resurrected someone without a good cause, we're both unicorns and just about the same age. Thus we had thought that the other balances would also be unicorns and about our age, but it seems this stone has other ideas."

He turned back to Taps, "One of the following will happen, either the stone will leave through some freak accident or coordinated theft where it is the only thing stolen similar to how I got the diamond, or you will find yourself carrying it with you. Should the latter occur you will either find yourself having given it away or you will encounter in full the entity that lies within. In any of these cases the new bearer of the balance of rain and shine, and by extension the balance of nature, will have been found and this search of ours will be over."

He walked back towards Taps, "Until one of those happens we are content to leave it in your care on the condition that you tell us if one of those outcomes does occur or if anything else happens to the Sapphire."

Illiad looked around the room, shuddering as both the crown retreated from his head, flowing back into his robes, and as he looked over the jinx stone. He looked back towards Taps, "Now unless you're also hiding an octahedral hunk of taaffeite that makes you as smart as you are strong and vice versa, I think we should exit the closet before Dax wakes up. Unless also you have some questions about my station you would like answered in private?"

Taps looked at the stone for a moment herself.

"... octahedral... n-no, no."

She actually seemed a bit rattled by the events of the last few moments, and it didn't sit well with her.  She gave a glance around the highly dangerous area, then looked to the Trojan again.

"Balance... there's mention of some duty to balance in your file, but..."

She sighed.

"... never mind; there's ALWAYS something more powerful.  ALWAYS something bigger.  ALWAYS something better."

She turned back to face Illiad.  

"Those letters I gave you... one is a token of appreciation for your help with the... 'incident' earlier.  The other..."

Taps turned from Illiad, making her way back to Dax.

"The other isn't important; burn it."

From the sharp knot of hurt she evidenced, it apparently was... though she certainly wasn't in the mood to explain why.  She made her way up to Dax, still standing like a zombie, and leaned close to his left ear.

"You came to the Pony Express office to ask Taps what to give as a present for a mail carrier; I gave you a cooler pack, and you said thanks, then you and your buddy headed back out - nothing else happened."

"... nothing... else... happened..."

She looked over at the unicorn.  "You say he'll never learn if he doesn't remember; I say that he needs to show evidence that he's ready to know BEFORE he knows.  This isn't some sort of placation measure to keep from hurting his feelings, Easle - if he's NOT of an attitude to keep it secret, then he's NOT leaving here with this knowledge."

She shot him a sidelong glance.  "YOUR secrets might be able to care for themselves; as I'm no massively powerful being, I don't GET that luxury... so I have to babysit them.  Forever."

She looked into Dax's eyes one more time, then nodded.

"Come on; let's get him upstairs before I have to do it again."  She gave his flank a gentle push, and he began to amble wordlessly toward the stairs.  Taps followed, yet stopped at the threshold.

"I do have a question, actually... if you hold so much power, then why waste your time letting things happen as they do?  Why not simply fix everything so it turns out all nice-and-shiny for everyone, hmmm?  Why can't you bring yourself to 'balance'things that way?"

She trotted back over to Illiad and looked him in the eye.  

"... let me guess: 'that's not how it works'?"

She turned back around, nudging Dax up the stairwell.

"In THAT way, you and Her Majesty Princess Celestia are almost TWINS..."

Illiad followed dutifully behind Taps as she nudged Dax up the stairs, he had planned to pretend Dax had taken a bad fall and fill in what he had forgotten, but he supposed this could work as well. "I'm hardly as powerful as you may think, though perhaps I underestimate my own abilities. My secrets don't care for themselves so much as they are the sorts of things many would hardly think to ask about. No one would guess that a disembodied soul is bound to this diamond or that I have a hoof in big world events. Similar I guess to yourself, before the Jinx incident I had no idea that you could be hiding something."

He sighed, "While I may have power at times, it is only when the diamond agrees to my course. It won't aid me if I try to go against what it needs for the world. Even then, the world needs bad things to happen every once in a while so that we don't grow too careless, too soft. I try when I can to ensure that things turn out alright in the end for those involved, to end on a good note, but that can't always be, it isn't balanced if everyone gets good and no one gets bad. In the end, it's more that I'm the pawn, the tool the diamond uses to enact karma and balance in the world rather than the one making the decisions."

He looked more serious, "But even if I could make things be all good for everyone, I wouldn't. We need hardships to learn and to grow. We can't have heroes without villains or calamities, we can't progress without trials. If there were no bad there could be no good, no right action because there could be no wrong action, thus without bad things all things are meaningless. Most can't see it that way because they've already experienced and been changed by hardship. Right from birth we've experienced pain to know comfort, had a bad so a good could exist. We already know bad so all we want is good, but the striving to change our own circumstances, to bring ourselves to the good, that's what makes the good worthwhile."

His face dropped a bit, "Celestia and I are not the same, she has a choice, I don't. She could have stopped Nightmare Moon from happening had she let Luna do her job as the previous balance of good and evil. But she didn't, leaving Luna without the choice to become anything but the nightmare."

Taps rolled her eyes.

"Very well - we'll take it by YOUR words, then.  By YOUR words, Her Majesty Princess Celestia is a coward, a liar, a traitor and nothing more than a selfish brat who has no one's interest at heart but her own.  She PURPOSELY led Her Majesty Princess Luna down the wrong path, then exiled her because she didn't like competition.  Since then, she has been forcing everypony to do her bidding, and has laughed and laughed and laughed at us every day since then."

She reached the top of the stairs and gave Dax a light shove out of the broom closet.

"Because she is EVIL, oh-so-evil, and if Troy doesn't lead the world in putting an end to her vicious tyranny, wherein everypony suffers forever, we shall have to rise up as one and strike down the wicked dictator, putting an end to herHORRIBLE, TERRIBLE reign over the poor, innocent, and blameless world around her.  Oh, and allow me to guess, Her Majesty will have to be KILLED of course, as there is CERTAINLY no other way this could turn out well for the WORLD unless Her Majesty Princess Celestia is PUNISHED for all the awful things she's done!"

She turned to Illiad, eyes tired and pained.

"Easle, I'm NOT stupid - I am WELL aware that a balance has to be maintained... but if your time at this quarry is any indicator, I'd say you're going to end up destroying the world.  You keep talking about balance, but your presence in this quarry has been the most IMbalancing thing I've EVER seen - and I've been alive for a VERY long time."  

The three of them back in the Pony Express office, Taps closed the broom closet door, then made her way toward the counter.

"You preach of balance, but what about when Vylia Blackwater met your parents?  How was THAT balanced?  The part where she made your Mother uncomfortable, or the part where Vylia left, embarrassed and hurt?  Where's the balance there?  What about utterly ending the existence of a guardian spirit - yet when it comes to their king, you simply let him go?  And The Jinx Stone - if you truly WERE about balance, then you might have considered the fact that Equestria has never been more peaceful... so it would have been far MORE of a balance to simply let Havoc run amok, allowing for a new turn in the wheel of events."

She ducked down beneath the front counter, rummaging for something while she continued.

"It appears to me as though YOU are the one who seems to decide what IS a 'balance', and what ISN'T.  YOU choose who's right and who's wrong.  YOU look at the grand tapestry of life, and YOU decide what strands look like they need snapping..."

She came up from beneath, slinging a strange vest-looking-thing onto the countertop.  It appeared to be made of gray/black fabric, and there were holes for wings in the back.  She shoved it forward, with it sliding to a stop about three inches from Dax, still standing as if he were completely spaced out.

"... tell me again, Easle, how that DOESN'T compare you to everything you've accused Her Majesty of?  Face it - you only talk about balance when it works for YOU, don't you?  Do you honestly believe that Her Majesty Princess Celestia WANTED to send her sister away?  Do you think she INTENDED for things to have gotten as bad as they did?  Her own sister, living in her shadow?"

She motioned to the vest.  "There - a Cooler Pack, something no MailPony should be without.  Tubes threaded through the vest, connected to a hidden waterskin, keep the wearer cool, a small access tube allows for drinks in mid-flight, and it's easily cleanable, yet sturdy enough to last through a few crash landings.  THERE is what Dax asked for, and now he has it."

She turned back to face Illiad.  

"Answer me this, Easle: If, someday, you had to sacrifice Dax here to maintain a balance... WOULD YOU?"

Illiad looked down and sighed, this was not a look of submission, however, it was one of calming, calculating. He looked up with a cool fire in his eyes, yet lacking in any emotional involvement. "And thus I will respond to each of your points in turn."

"Celestia is a coward, not because of her plight as an immortal as I cannot fault her for that, but because in her attempts to free herself from the inherent loneliness she has subjected others to that selfsame isolation that she fears, first the Black Knight, then her own sister, then Midnight Star, and now you as the latest case. Celestia is a liar, not for any malicious purpose, but for her own personal comfort. She tells her subjects that she is the only one who can lead them so that they will never leave her nor question her decisions. Great for peace, but horrible for independent thought or social progress. Celestia is a traitor as she considers herself only beholden to her subjects, but does only what she thinks is good for them when it is also good for herself when she ought to do what is best for her subjects regardless of how good it is for herself. Thus by her own attempts to care for her subjects she ultimately betrays them by her own fears. Celestia is selfish due to her plight as an immortal. The pain of isolation and uselessness is so great to her that she would understandably do anything to prevent it, but her preventative measures have nothing by which to be tempered by and thus have gone too far, putting her needs too far above those of her subjects. Celestia forced Luna down the wrong path because she couldn't allow any hardship to befall her subjects lest it shake their faith in her as a perfect leader. Then when Luna did what she had to do Celestia was too forced to banish her as again she must appear to be strong before her subjects."

"Secondly, Celestia is not evil. Despite her insecurities and overhooved ways of protecting against her plight she still acts in a direction of good, just not nearly what is best for her or the world. Troy has no interest in toppling Celestia as the social and economic crisis the world would face afterward would be catastrophic to the state of the world. No, when Celestia falls it will have been from within, a shift of internal ideology where the Equestrians themselves state that they don't need Celestia to guide them any longer, that they are ready to handle their own affairs in the world. Celestia will not be killed, nor would she need to be as murder is the furthest thing from her list of crimes. Nonetheless, the time will come when she will be made to pay for the pain she has caused, to feel the isolation she inflicted on others."

"Moving on, your talk of my exploits in balance show your limited understanding of my responsibilities. Karma is not something that is kept balanced at all times, it is a pervasive force throughout lives that ensures a balanced end result. So too do I. I ensure that there is a constant swing of the pendulum back and forth, good times interspaced with bad times. Ideally, we have the occasional very bad event followed by long periods of peaceful time. Presently the world is at the peak of a good shift, with another bad event coming up in the next few years, but that's on the macro side of things. In regards to the meeting with my parents, I am first of all deeply concerned with the level of information you have on my doings. Second, I, like Luna, am only really responsible for the macro side of things, while I can perceive individual levels of karma and assist in their balancing, it is not my place in the world to do so on such a small scale. The encounter in the cave I can assure you was balanced, the retribution spell always leaves its target at a state of zeroed karma. I was unaware that it had died as a result, though as it murdered I am not surprised. The King as well acted in balance, he was stolen from so he stole as well, when his property was returned so was Oglevy and he cannot be faulted for a difference in perceived value. As to the Jinx stone, you say Equestria has never been more peaceful? Yet in the last three years, you've had three major calamities when for the past half-dozen centuries there have been no notable events to date. And again, it is not yet time for the next major bad thing to happen, letting Havoc go free would have upset the rhythm of balance for centuries."

"By my count then I don't see any points where I really decided what was or was not balanced, but rather confirmed that things were in fact the way they were meant to be. Could you say in the case of the king and the knight that their outcome was not just? Would you still say that I should have let Havoc kill me then continue on into the rest of Equestria? I suppose then I may not be too far from Celestia but I'll state the points and see what you think."

"Am I a coward? I did flee my foalhood home after being attacked in the streets for being different. I also returned there to defend it against invasion when called despite it. I even helped you fight Havoc when I just as easily could have fled the quarry to let you deal with it. Am I a liar? While I haven't told everyone everything, I have no recollection of telling a mistruth maliciously. But I have also told the whole truth to those I know can handle it, such as yourself. Am I a traitor? To which the same thing as my response to coward also applies. I left my home but returned to defend it when it called, and I stayed to protect my friends rather than betray them for my own gain. Am I Selfish? I'll leave that one to you."

"Finally, I don't believe Celestia wanted to send Luna away, and of course did not intend for the outcome, but those were the consequences of her actions and she had been warned by Luna before it all went down. Everyone thinks it was jealousy that made Nightmare Moon, but it was a necessity of imbalance. As Celestia would not admit the balance existed, as then it would prove that Luna had been justified. She attributed her sister's actions to jealousy and left her name to be forgotten over a thousand years until barely any in Equestria knew the name Luna and only a few more knew Nightmare Moon as anything more than a legend."

Illiad sighed at the end of his speech, hoping it would carry some weight. "Thanks then for the cooler pack, I'll be sure Dax mentions to you how well it is received. And to answer your last question..."

He turned to look on Dax for a few moments before turning back towards Taps with a sad look in his eyes. "I'd do everything I could to make it so he wouldn't need to be sacrificed. I'd even offer myself in his place if it would help, I'd do that for all of my friends and I know some of them would do the same for me. But if it came down to it, then I would. I wouldn't really have much of a choice now would I? As good a friend as he is to me, I can't put him above the needs of the entire world. But rest assured I would look for every alternative before it would have to be done."

He sighed as he turned back towards Dax, "Now tell me this Taps. If Celestia were to order you to destroy all the artifacts in your possession, then eliminate all those who had been affected by them to prevent any word from getting out, which at this point means me especially, would you?"

Taps gave a frustrated groan.

"You ALWAYS have answers, don't you?"

She sat on her stool behind the counter and stared hard at Illiad.

"Even if I came up with anything remotely legitimate to put forth as a point, you'd use several others to shoot it down.  You're so busy debating YOUR side that you seem to refuse to acknowledge that you might be wrong... exactly as you accuse Her Majesty of.  I can believe that Princess Celestia has made some mistakes, yes - but you seem to espouse that Princess Luna is FLAWLESS... and I'll bet you blame that WHOLLY on Her Majesty too, of course.  Nothing at all about how she should have made her presence more known, that she could have addressed her subjects about such, how she could have simply taken steps to see that balance was maintained WITHOUT needing to even involve her sister..."

She leveled a stare at the Trojan.

"No, it's all Her Majesty's fault to you - because you're so busy bowing to the moon that you're willing to deny the sun, simply to bask in the lunar glory.  How pompous and arrogant of you; foregone conclusion that Her Majesty Princess Luna was blameless, so you continuously rank Princess Celestia out when you can and cause as much hate and angst toward her as possible... and don't try to tell me you haven't; I've had to push and push for you to simply admit she doesn't deserve to die - otherwise, it would simply keep getting worse and worse."

"And your rationale over Dax is flawed - I said, if you HAD to, not 'only if you can't save him'.  I'm not talking about a CHOICE, Easle - I'm talking about a SOLEMN DUTY to OTHERS, which Her Majesty Princess Celestia - REGARDLESS OF YOUR JIBES - is STILL sworn to.  She may have made mistakes about such, but NOPONY is perfect... not even Her Majesty Princess Luna, despite your propaganda to the contrary."

"If her sister was hurt, so was she - and YOU are a monster if you think otherwise.  Someday, Easle, you will HAVE TO LEARN about REAL life, and how it's hardly as cookie-cutter or cut-and-dry as you seem to believe it is.  With you, it's either wrong or right - regardless of why, as long as it 'balances' properly.  Someday, you'll be called upon to make a decision - one you'll hate because it won't BALANCE anything, but it'll have to be made all the same."

"When that day comes, I hope you take a moment to consider how Her Majesty has to feel EVERY DAY AND NIGHT.  She made her decisions, and she has to live with them; someday, you'll understand."

She looked over at Dax and shut her eyes.

"If the order came down to destroy it all, I would only need to activate three artifacts here; the entire quarry would be a smoldering crater, and nopony would be left alive in a two-mile radius.  Would I WANT to do it?  No, I wouldn't... but would I do it?"

Her eyes narrowed.  "What's one more body against the pillars, eh?  Be it you, me, Dax, or anypony else... would they be worth potentially sentencing hundreds more to death?  Thousands?  Where's your precious 'balance' now, eh?  What would balance out YOUR loss, if you had to do it?  Or is balance simply a concept meant for debate and doesn't apply to reality?"

She sat back on her stool, eyes locked on Illiad.  

"You say life is a balance, which would conclude that life is fair - if it isn't fair, it can never BE balanced... unless you'd like to explain how up is down, black is really white and being utterly filthy can make you clean?  Or... you could simply admit you MIGHT be wrong, of course - but I don't think Trojan pride has even the smallest iota of room for anything as far-fetched as 'humility', so I doubt you'll be able to even understand the concept of NOT being 'perfect'... since, of course, you're SO experienced, and wise, and aged..."

The sour look she gave him spoke volumes that her sarcasm couldn't reach without yelling.

Illiad looked nonplussed, "You say you don't want to debate, yet you continue, and thus so shall I. I guess it's that Canterlot snobbishness one gets from having lived the majority of their life there that compels me to continue. I try to always have answers, yes. I don't often do anything without a well-reasoned explanation for it." He thought of ways he could use that to attack Taps, but he withheld. He would stay civil even if Taps would keep attacking him.

"I continue as if I am correct as I have yet to be proven wrong, I have admitted on occasion, most especially in my last set, that Celestia has a very valid set of reasoning for her actions and I cannot guarantee that I would not do likewise were I in the same position. Nonetheless, the actions taken are still wrong. I'm of course not saying that Celestia hasn't done some good things, in fact, I'd say that she's done more good things than bad which are why I still consider her a good pony and a decent ruler. I may seem a bit overhoofed in my complaints against her but that is because many refuse to acknowledge those faults if I don't. I've also not said that Luna was flawless either, she too has her faults but Equestrians have no problem pointing those out. However, your attacks on what she ought to have done are frankly preposterous. Make her presence known? How could she do that whilst on the moon where she was when she was mostly forgotten? Before then she wasn't really jealous of Celestia, she simply didn't prefer the spotlight. The story of Luna's jealousy turning her into Nightmare Moon is little more than manufactured propaganda designed to hide the fact that the balance ever existed. But to say that Luna should have gone behind Celestia to cause disasters among their ponies? Are you honestly suggesting that Luna was wrong to get approval from her older sister and her partner in ruling Equestria? They were meant to rule together, supporting each other in their stations. If Luna were to go off without her sister's approval or after she had forbade the action it would have gone against the founding principles of the diarchy."

He snorted as he shook his head, "Hardly any pony is perfect, and Celestia and Luna are no exceptions. It's the tendency of you Equestrians to paint Celestia as flawless that compels me to point out her mistakes so fervently. In a way, it balances a bit their unwavering infatuation with Celestia for me to despise her in an equal amount. Despite that, I never suggested she deserved death, and I feel my accusations against her are justified."

He sighed, "As to Dax, I said I would sacrifice him if I had no other choice. You chose to look on my compassion, my desire to spare him in any way I could, as weakness. You think that because I dare care about the lives of others as more than a number towards balance that I would be so selfish as to save him over the salvation of countless others. It's the pain of that choice that confirms to me that I'm not dead inside. That the thought gives me pause proves that I still have emotions, that I care about those that must be effected in order to keep the world running smoothly on its course. In case you missed it again I'll say it one last time. I would sacrifice Dax if it was required to maintain balance."

Illiad's face grew a bit annoyed at Taps' attacks, "You think I haven't learned about real life? That I've made it this far by dumb luck and the coddling of those around me? I know everything is a mix of positive and negative effects, and I know also that there are decisions that balance nothing, but those decisions that are as equally good as bad no matter which way you choose are by definition worthless decisions as they have literally no value in the scheme of things. I don't sweat those decisions because I know they literally don't matter. Celestia may have made her decisions, but the way she keeps on with them when she has every opportunity to correct them? To apologize for her misdeeds? Make amends for the relationships she has ruined? As it stands a total of two nations would come to Equestria's aid if it called for it, one of them being the puppet state of the Crystal Empire. And that is because of the lies she has told her citizens about the state of other nations, it has reached the point where many other nations have cut contact. She has even refused to be part of the Global Council, do you have any idea why? Honestly, I'm asking because I can't think of a legitimate reason why she wouldn't want to be in communication with the other powerful nations of the world."

"You would go ahead and kill hundreds at just Celestia's word, and not even ask why? And simply kill them without even telling them that their own princess ordered their destruction? Perhaps it is worth killing them all to destroy the artifacts, but what if it isn't? I at least have the benefit of knowing exactly the consequence of my actions while you have to hope that Celestia is making the right call because you know there is no one that would question her orders. Where is my balance then you say? The living aren't the only ones who can be punished by Karma, in fact being dead makes it so much easier for Karma to exact your due. I know not for it is without my realm of responsibility. And the fact that my position even exists is proof enough that it has a place in reality as if it didn't I wouldn't be here."

The fire in his eyes grew hotter as he made his way into his next statement, "You think I don't know that life isn't fair? You think I have no concept of pain and anguish? Life isn't fair, but Karma is. You may not get your vengeance, but you can rest assured you'll get what you deserve in the end. I made my peace with those that attacked me even though I was nearly beaten to death for daring to have been born empathic. A sentiment made prolific by Celestia herself. And you don't think I have a reason to get on her case even though she's responsible for nearly driving the empathic race to extinction."

A tear came to his eye as he sat hard on the ground, "I'm hardly perfect, it's something I can never forget since this diamond will never let me forget that I'm less than perfect, that I can never be perfect. A point which you seem more than happy to also remind me of, drill it into me like my head is an ore vein."

More tears fell from his eyes as his visibly deflated, his head drooping downward. "Sometimes I'm more of a puppet than a pony, going about my responsibilities because I must. No matter how tired I get of this burden I am compelled to keep on with it."

He tore the diamond out from his cloak and tossed it out between him and Taps, his head still pointed towards the floor with his eyes closed. "Since you hate me so much for dissing on your princess, and since you're clearly so much smarter and wiser and better than me at everything.  Why don't you just kill me and take it? You be the balance of Good and Evil then. You could even make it so no one knows I'm gone, erase their memories so that I never even existed."

In a word Illiad looked and felt defeated, his mark blurring slightly as his sense of purpose was shaken. The tears continued to fall from his closed eyes though he made no sound.

Taps stood there for a moment, quietly regarding the unicorn, though she certainly did feel a bit of remorse at seeing this happen.  Then again, she'd cried herself earlier; she couldn't blame him, nor would she prod him about it.

"When Her Ma-..." 

She took a breath, then started over.

"When Celestia first brought me on board her Royal Guard, I had been both elated and scared for the future... but I stood with conviction.  I really BELIEVED in what I was doing.  Then, after my assignment to the Special Forces division, I felt utterly invincible.  I kept that conviction and invincibility through a number of years... but it didn't last forever."

She made her way around the desk to where Illiad was seated and sat across from him accordingly.

"I may not have involved myself in local affairs, but I wasn't wearing blinders, either - I could see each thing you've said here, long before it actually happened.  I even tried to head off a few things, as well... and I met with the level of success you would assume.  It frustrated me to no end... but I didn't question whether what I was doing was RIGHT; just the results."

"Then, a number of years back, I realized that I'd been effectively trapped here: I couldn't just leave it, nor could I hand it over to anypony else - could you imagine the problems from training alone? - but, worst of all, I'd left everything I had ever known far in my past, and had allowed what I could have been to be stolen by what I had become."

She shrugged, but there was a sympathy there... in fact, she felt a tad guilty.

"I guess... in my own, stubborn, angry way, I was simply trying to make sure you realized that it's okay to question oneself, and one's motives.  I keep hearing about how you're so adamant about Celestia, yet I don't know if you've ever considered questioning Luna's motives as well.  Those who don't give that some thought can easily end up as nothing but pawns - your own words - and I'd like to believe life is bigger... better than that for someone like you.  Trust me, it isn't worth simply being a blind tool for another's aims."  

"What's more, you still have options; Illiad, if this power, whatever it is, ever passes to another, you'll still have a chance at a life.  Something you can enjoy.  Me?"

She huffed a hard sigh, then looked at Illiad directly.

"If I ever gave up on this - ALL of it - I'd have nothing.  Nothing at all.  You see, when you've committed your life to something as long as I have, you don't KNOW anything else.  Worse, live long enough, and you'll come to realize it too.  If I renounced Celestia's ways now, I'd have nothing left to believe in... no purpose.  And likely STILL immortal, or at least as long as I can maintain, I suppose... I have no idea how long my service will last - but it's all I have, Illiad."

She closed her eyes.

"I... I am sorry for causing you such distress.  At times, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to withstand the pressure of your debate; you don't leave me much room to defend myself with."

She chuckled, then opened her mismatched eyes, focusing on the Trojan seated in front of her.

"Truth be told?  You've given me more food for thought than anypony has for decades; not easy to entertain someone who's seen as much as I have, but you make me feel inefficient.  Not bad."

She reached behind her, produced a hankerchief from her satchel, then held it out towards Illiad Easle.

"Here; what say we keep our political opinions to ourselves - darts and all - and we simply try to give each other a chance to learn about the PONY behind the politics?  For example, you're healthy, and you stick to healthy foods - that leads me to believe you have a lot of concern for personal care and, even if you don't like exercise, you'll do it.  There's a sense of responsibility in that too, as well as forethought - both hallmarks of intelligent folk."

"You're well-spoken, which only adds to the studious past you had, working at the library in Canterlot.  Also because of this, you have a sense of pride that you wear well, and you come across as serious about your duty as I am mine.  Proof of the RIGHT kind of stallion to be, in my opinion."

"You're handsome, it's no secret," she grinned, "even though you're FAR from my type, to be honest.  But Silver certainly seems to have taken quite the shine to you, and for THAT mare to notice anypony romantically is a miracle!  Plus, you have a charm that's innate; you just seem to be made for dealing with the public, a good bet that you'll be doing some of that when you and Mister Hooves take the election in Troy."

She stood up and offered Illiad a hoof... and an apologetic smile.

"But we're not supposed to be talking politics anymore, are we?"

"Heh," A slight smile came to Illiad's face as he accepted the offered hankerchief, which he then used to wipe the tears from his face. The diamond rolled back to him and he returned it to its place in his robes. "I was serious when I spoke earlier, you'd have to kill me to take over as the balance. Much like the elements of harmony, it's something I'll be carrying until I die unless I get disconnected like Luna and Celestia did. I don't really see that happening as I doubt I'd ever be immortal like them, so I never really thought what it'd be like if it passed off of me. I'd still be a designer I guess, living in Troy. This burden isn't my everything like yours is."

He looked up with a slightly bigger smile than before, yet a tad suppressed from the one he had been wearing around the quarry, "I suppose I could agree to call a truce to talks on the princesses and other politics. And to be honest, you're not so bad yourself. Few have been able to put me on such guard like you have, it seems it was quite the challenge for the both of us."

He took a deep breath as he stood up, "I guess I'm at the disadvantage in learning about you since you seem to have been keeping tabs on me, but you look pretty healthy too and you must be pretty well trained physically given your time in getting Luna here a few days ago. You're also much better with your words than I suppose anyone would expect given your disinclination to speak at all, plus you're nice to look at as well, though I'm biased in saying not quite as nice as Silver, but I suppose it's for the best that I was attracted to her given our differing ideologies. Despite that, I think we could still be friends so long as we are able to keep the politics out of it."

Taps returned Illiad's smile.  "Wholly agreed - I'd rather have an ally than an enemy, any day."

She made her way back behind her counter, almost dwarfed by it until she sat on the tall stool.

"By the way, after everything that had gone on yesterday, I felt you'd earned some applause for all you'd done... so I capped the Pillow last night; everyone remembers everything they would have normally - including Daxie, here.  I thought you'd appreciate some recognition."

She looked at Dax closely, then smiled.

"Okay, here he comes... oh, and one more thing?"  She smiled mischievously.  "You don't have to burn the second letter until AFTER you read it.  I don't think I mind, anymore."

"... mmmmrrrrrrrgggghhhh..."

Taps straightened up and tossed the unicorn a conspiratorial wink as Dax slowly roused from whatever magic had been used on him.  He blinked rapidly, then looked at them both.

"... did... um, did I miss something?"

> An Exchange of Preparation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illiad's expression looked relieved as he turned to Dax, the excuse he had prepped earlier ready to go. "Glad to see you're awake, you took a nasty spill but Selena was able to patch you up quick and assured us you'd be okay so we didn't go get Ziggy. As to whether you missed something, what's the last thing you remember?"  

Dax scratched his head a bit, his thoughts fuzzy and thick.

"We'd... come inside the Pony Express office to... to see Taps about... about..."

She took the moment to give the Cooler Pack a little push towards him.  The sight of it triggered the memory, and to the Empathic, it felt as if Dax's pilot light finally caught.

"OH!  Oh yeah!  We were here to ask if Taps had anything that would be a good gift for a mailpony, right?  Is this it?"

Dax looked over the pack for a moment before giving Illiad and Taps a glance.

"What is it?"

Illiad nodded with a smile, "Oh good you didn't miss much at all. This is, apparently, a cooler pack. By my understanding it's basically the opposite of a jacket, cooling rather than warming by using water that can also be drunk. Rather useful I would say." 

Though he seemed a bit confused, Dax shook his head to clear the cobwebs, then gave a smile, tentative at first, but growing as he spoke.

"Okay... yeah, hey!  This'll work PERFECTLY, won't it Illiad?  We'll take it!"  He reached for it... then stopped and looked at Taps.  "It IS okay to take it, isn't it?"

Taps waved it away.  "Yes, do - all yours, Dax."

He seemed quite happy to have found something unique... yet Taps herself seemed happier still; she'd found a friend, after all, it seemed... just in the most unlikely of places.  She grinned at the two of them.  "Thanks so much, Taps - you're great!"

The pegasus mare chuckled softly.  "No, no... I'm just me.  You're welcome, Daxter - make sure to send a postcard from Troy when you get there," she looked to Illiad, "and make it a scenic one - I might wish to imagine myself there, someday."

Illiad's smile quirked, "Well, Troy isn't all that scenic being a desert, but I think we'll be able to find something to pique your interest."

Dax nodded.  "And how!  C'mon, Illiad - I haven't even packed for the trip!  We could head down to the camp and-... say... you haven't even seen my room in the manor, have you?  You feel like helping me pack?"

As he spoke, he headed for the door, lost in his conversation with his best friend; he did give Taps a wave as he departed.  A wave she returned with a touch of disappointment and a dash of hope for the future... and a smile for Illiad Easle.

Illiad turned back towards Dax as they started moving, "I guess I haven't seen your room yet, I'd be happy to help you get started before dinner, though there'll be plenty of time to finish packing before we leave tomorrow, especially considering how many of the ponies here want to talk to me before we leave. Nonetheless, I'll follow where ever you want to go."

Dax grinned and headed for the manor.

It was certainly interesting to see how Dax seemingly shrugged off whatever it was that Taps/Steel Wheels had done to him; he just rolled on as if nothing had happened out of the ordinary.  It gave pause to wonder if Taps had ever used that on anypony else...

However, there seemed to be no ill effects, and one would assume that Taps knew a little something about her charges, so it was fairly safe to assume he wouldn't suffer any harm from it.

As they reached the manor, they arrived just in time for Vylia's opulent carriage to roll into view; she had apparently been out and was now home.  A number of packages were stacked and bound to the roof, looking as if they wouldn't budge on anything less than a hydra attack.  The twins were unhooking themselves from the contraption as Illiad and Dax walked up, and they both smiled at the pair.

"Greetings!" said Call, smiling broadly at the Trojan.

"Salutations!" said Beck, happy to see them both.

Illiad smiled and waved at the pair as he approached with Dax, "And a good day to you two, all is well in the outside world I presume?"

He took a moment to inspect the pile of boxes as he passed, perhaps it was a habit from his younger days when his parents would come home with boxes, but he was interested in where they boxes had come from. Way back when it would indicate if it was something cool or something mundane. 

Illiad got his response, but not from the butlers.

"As well as can be on a shopping trip!"

The mistress of the manor, Vylia Blackwater, leaped lightly out of the carriage and landed on her freshly-manicured hooves.  She sauntered up to the four of them, smiling coquettishly.

"I'm sure you're wondering what all this is about, hmmm?  Well, news has reached my lovely ears about QUITE a step up in the world, all thanks to my husband, a fair princess..." She leaned in on Illiad, nothing but sweetness and reined-in excitement in her emotional makeup.  "... and a certain Trojan hero."

The twins nodded; they'd obviously heard this already, yet there was some excitement in them as well.

"So, as a token of utter goodwill and to extend a hoof to those who may be in need, I have worked my way through a number of shops in Canterlot and brought ALL of these gifts as a gesture toward the ponies - and other residents - of Troy!  I simply INSIST that these things return with you when you head to Troy... BOTH of you..."

A roll of motherly concern rippled from the mare as she looked to her young son, so much a stallion like his father was, yet with even MORE potential than both of his parents combined, in her personal opinion.  She'd miss him fiercely, but she wasn't about to restrict him, either.

"Now, you won't have a thing to worry about - each and every single thing you see here is bought and paid for with my own bits, so there should be no worries about passing customs.  Especially since I know a few officials who can fast-track parcels through customs, as long as the paperwork is complete.  Which, of course, it is, dearie."

She gave that 'I-know-things-you-don't' smile, then stepped lightly over to her assistants.

"Beck, Call... get these on the buckboard wagon for tomorrow; I daresay they'll be unmolested 'til morning, eh?"

They nodded in unison, then turned and headed to the garage stall around the side.  Before they left sight, however, they both waved back at the unicorn and the earth pony.  Dax waved back, of course.

Turning back to Illiad, she lifted an eyebrow.  "Now, I know you'll simply try to wiggle out of this generosity, dearie - so I'll have you know that the postal processing fees are already paid, the correct paperwork in transit, and should be cleared by customs by the time you two head off."

She stepped up to come muzzle to muzzle with Illiad, a quirky yet serious look in her eyes.

"And I simply will NOT take a refusal of my gifts to the citizens of Troy; it would be rude, dearie."

It was her emotions that gave her away; she'd discovered about Luther's deal and was excited that the quarry would soon be, effectively, its own entity.  She was making the first gesture toward Troy - it was sort of jumping the gun, but a bold move all the same.

The boxes that were neatly stacked around were far more copious than originally estimated; there were a LOT more than he'd thought there were.  They were fine and fancy-looking, and they seemed to be clothing boxes for the most part; however, there were a few parcels that were bigger than the others - though it didn't seem like they were as glamorous as the other containers.

"These are... er, well..."

She seemed a bit embarrassed by what she was going to say; there was a LOT of Dax in that gesture.

"... they're towels."

Dax Blackwater gave his mother the oddest of looks.

"Stop that, Daxter; your face will freeze that way."

Dax stopped instantly; well-trained, to be sure.

Vylia turned back to face Illiad.  "Now, whatever you might think I'm implying, simply hear me out.  I could send any countless number of nic-nacks, decorations, and other pretty but useless things... OR, as I've chosen to do, I am sending them the most durable cloth in all of Canterlot, specifically woven to withstand nearly any rough treatment.  Rather well-proportioned and pre-measured rectangles of excellent cloth that a good Trojan seamstress could certainly get rather creative with, hmmm? The larger boxes," she pointed, "are bolts of that same material; I simply figured there should be enough for almost everypony to get at least one."

She looked at the pile of boxes, then grinned sheepishly - a perfect match for Dax's own.  There was no doubt this was the Blackwater stallion's mother; they were more alike than they might have known.

"This is simply the shipment I brought home; there will be a few more on the train itself, I promise you - these were, essentially, the samples."

Towels?

Illiad's expression at the news was rather strange. It seemed to be a mix of surprise and awe, as well as a good deal of confusion and the slightest bit of fear. "Um... I don't know what to say, thank you, though, I'm sure we'll be able to figure out a good way to get it distributed."

His face shifted to a confused pondering as he wondered what had possessed Vylia into thinking Canterlot had a better robe fabric than Troy did, but furthermore he wondered what had given her the idea that this sort of thing would be easy to gift to an entire nation. Well, I'll just pass it on to Midget, I'm sure he'll have a good idea on how to use this to our political advantage. The demonstration as physical evidence to my success in foreign affairs should be a great boon to our cause.

He gave a smile and a nod, content with that thought, "I'm sure the citizens of Troy will appreciate the gesture." 

"Certainly - of COURSE they will!"

She almost sounded as if she were trying to convince herself more than him, but she didn't falter; far be it for Vylia Blackwater to lose face with her generosity - however 'eccentric' her gestures were.

Dax shook his head.  "Mother... this is... it's a great idea.  I bet the Trojans could make some good robes or tents from it."

Robes might be a bit thick for towel material... but tents might be an idea; if they were as thick as she claimed, they'd keep out the chill at night, and the sand as well.  It wasn't a bad idea - just a strange one.  Though she had to have a few marks for making her gift utilitarian.

Of course, HOW utilitarian was still left to be seen.

Dax motioned towards the manor discretely, then gave his mother a grin.  "Illiad and I should go on inside; we don't want to be in the way."

She gave them both a motherly once-over, then smiled sweetly.

"Yes, yes - of course.  DO make sure to show for supper tonight; I would like to give you a proper send-off, Illiad.  It would only be proper for such an esteemed guest of the Blackwater family!"

Dax took the cue and began heading for the doors, as he did, he spoke sotto voce to his Trojan friend.

"I think we dodged a fireball on that one; she would've had us hauling boxes, too."

Illiad shrugged, "I'm not sure that would happen, though to be honest, I wouldn't mind too much to be asked to help out. Let's just get inside before she has the chance to change her mind, you won't want to feel rushed when you pack for this trip or you might just forget something important." 

They made their way into the elegant manor, taking the large grand staircase and making their way through the halls until finally stopping outside of what simply appeared to be another room in this rather regal estate.  The door was closed, but Dax gave a bit of a conspiratorial grin as he ran his hoof along the top of the doorframe, stretching up onto his back hooves to reach.

A key fell, but Dax deftly caught it before it hit the floor.  He unlocked the door, carefully returning the key to its' hiding place before entering the room.  As he crossed the threshold, he motioned with a hoof.

"Welcome to Chez Dax, Illiad!"

It was actually rather large; there was enough space in here that one of the quarry sheds could fit inside without even touching the walls!  It seemed as though his room had been specifically tailored to have FAR more space than normal.  There was a comfy-looking bed with a canopy, a rather nice dresser and wardrobe, even a couch with coffee table and chairs to entertain company.  At the far end of the room, Illiad could also see what appeared to be a small fountain, water chuckling away softly in the background, and the shelves lining the room were covered with books of all kinds.

However, when Illiad looked up, he was taken by surprise.

The ceiling was about the equivalent of two stories above their heads; it was lit up with stars and constellations.  LITERALLY lit up; Illiad could see them twinkle as he looked.  There were galaxies and nebulae, and... well, it was almost a perfect rendition of the Equestrian night sky.  It was the work of either a master of the constellation arts... or somepony determined enough to do this job well.  Dax stepped up next to him, also looking skyward.

"It's magic paint; not cheap, either.  I got Mother to help me, and I painted it all by hoof.  Each constellation is 100% accurate in spacing and positioning... at least, according to the midnight sky from the roof.  I kept adding to it as I grew up, but..."  He sighed.  "... well, I sorta moved to the woods, and I haven't slept in this room ever since.  Not that it's bad - it's a great room - but, well..."

He shrugged, but the unicorn got the feeling there was more to that statement.

"Anyway, I was just gonna grab a few things from here for the trip... but maybe I should ask you what kind of clothing would be best for Troy's climate?"

It took a few moments for Illiad to actually look away from the artwork of the ceiling, it was immersive to the point where he was moving his head back and forth to gauge the apparent depth of the painted sky.

"Oh? Oh!" he looked away from the ceiling and back towards Dax with a bit of an embarrassed expression, "Sorry, it's just your room is so much more amazing than I've ever had. It really is impressive and with the level of detail I'm surprised your mark isn't in astronomy or painting. Anyway..."

He spared another look at the ceiling before turning back towards Dax, "General Trojan climate would dictate a level of clothing similar to mine, it get's decently cold at night, not quite as cold as it gets here at night but it's quite the contrast from the heat of the day, especially during the summer. We'll be up and about during the night anyway, so we'll probably get you a Trojan robe to keep you warm and so you won't stand out so much when I'm showing you around."

A nostalgic smile came to his face, "Getting a robe was the first thing Swift had me do when he was showing me around after I first arrived, it really helped with the sense of community and belonging. You know, I wonder if he would want to give you the same tour he gave me?"

He shook his head to refocus himself, "Anyway, the basics of clothing then is something that covers that is also light and not too warm. That's to both keep the sand off of you and to keep you from overheating while out on the dunes. Oh, if you have shoes... well, I guess you won't be around long enough for that to really matter anyway so don't worry about that."

Dax rummaged around in his dresser and wardrobe, occasionally yanking out this robe or that shirt... but eventually, his pace slowed.  The emotion coming from him was one of introspection, and the look on his muzzle matched it as he looked around the wardrobe door at his best friend.

"Y'know... this will be the first time I've ever gone ANYWHERE, really... maybe I should just take a bunch of bits, and buy clothes there?  This way, I'd KNOW I'd have what I needed, right?  Still... it just feels weird to know I won't be here for a whole week; I don't think I've spent THAT much time away from my family in my entire life.  It's... kinda disconcerting."

The smile that followed was one of Dax's better ones.  "But that won't get me down - heck, I'm all sorts of excited for seeing Troy!  I mean, it'll be great to actually have room to think for myself; it's hard to do when you're me."

He chuckled, then looked back at the ceiling.

"Yeah, it was a project for a long time... but I did it because... well..."

The blush on his face gave it away; he did it for Luna, of course.  Not that she'd ever see it, but the stallion's mood was practically singing it - any Empathic could tell it was a labor of affection, and Illiad knew that Dax only had eyes for ONE mare.

Dax didn't say anything else about it - he was already digging around in a trunk, his flank in the air.

"I think I have a stash of bits here somewhere..."

Illiad's eye was drawn to a small table next to the canopy bed; on it, there was a multi-fold picture frame.  Three sides showed, and there were photographs in all three.  

The first was a picture of Luther and Vylia, only slightly younger, and locked in an embrace.  Both of their eyes were closed, and Luther was affectionately nuzzling his wife lovingly.  He almost appeared to be smiling...

The second was a small family portrait of Dax, Luther, Vylia and Oglevy, looking regal and calm - something that must have taken a miracle to achieve with the naughty colt in attendance.

The third was of a Dax Blackwater that looked about as old as Oglevy currently was... and a blue stallion standing next to him, a hoof around his shoulders.  The older stallion looked carefree, happy-go-lucky, and concerned for nothing more in the world than the little colt in the circle of his foreleg.

Illiad’s smile quirked at the thought of the love this family had within it, it reminded him of his own family really, even if this one was a bit less open with their emotions. 

Dax kept rummaging, oblivious to Illiad's gaze.

Illiad nodded as he sat down near the center of the room to get a good vantage of everything within it, "I suppose bringing bits to buy clothes would work well enough, that just leaves getting into Troy when we arrive and a simple cloak will cover that need well enough. The only things I can think of that you'd need to bring with you would be toiletries like your toothbrush and such, also something to do on the train in case we run out of things to talk about because the scenery for the majority of the trip will be just flat sandy wasteland, especially after we switch trains at Dodge."

Dax pulled himself from the wardrobe and shook off a few rogue bits of clothing before chuckling and gathering them together, placing them back where they belonged.

"Okay, toothbrush, comb, and deodorant... maybe soap?  Sure - soap, too.  Maybe I could bring a few books to pass the time... though I may decide to talk a mile a minute the whole way, too!"  He laughed about it, the young stallion in perfect harmony with himself at that moment.

"Since I'm just bringing bits, I guess we can skip this part..."

All the same, he took another moment to stare up at his hoofdiwork on the ceiling above.  "... I can hardly wait to see the stars in Troy; I'll bet they're just as beautiful as they are here."

Illiad looked back up at the stars, "They're certainly different, though some of the same constellations can still be seen."

They gazed on for a moment... then Dax gave a start and looked over at Illiad.

"Wait... who else WERE we supposed to see today?"

Illiad looked contemplative at the question of who they had left to see, "Well, we're expected at dinner, and then your father want's to see me before I go to sleep tonight. At which point we'll meet up with Silver to do that shared dream. Tomorrow morning both Oglevy and Slapper wanted to talk to me before we left. I think that's all the obligations we have left tonight then." 

"Wow."

That said, the young stallion grew quiet for a moment.  The emotion coming from him was a tad melancholy... but not actually sad.

"Illiad," he said, "you originally just came here for my benefit... but since you've been here, you've made a LOT of friends.  The foreponies like you - even Redd, I think - Silver adores you, and Ziggy..."  he laughed, "well, she likes EVERYPONY, so that's no surprise."

"But seriously, a lot of the folks here really like you... even my family, and we don't agree on very much when it comes to other folks, y'know?  Father doesn't like ANYPONY but us... and you.  That's actually more of an accomplishment than you know, Illiad."

He looked at the Trojan with a question in his eyes.

"How do you do it?  I mean, could you maybe give ME some pointers for when we go to Troy?  I mean, I don't wanna see you do so well here, then I go to your home and end up embarrassing you or anything like that... I just hope I do even half as well there as you've done here!"

He stood up and paced a bit while he spoke.

"I wanna make all sorts of new friends... and I wanna see the stars... and the desert... and the changelings... and the observatory... and the concert..."

He realized that he was simply listing off things he was looking forward to and that it didn't leave much room for conversation if he didn't stop talking for a moment.  He stopped and turned to face Illiad once again. 

"Wow... I guess I'm just excited, is all."

Another patented Dax-brand sheepish grin; adorable.

Illiad looked over at Dax with a smile, "You really are worried, aren't you? Well, like I said earlier, you don't need to be so worried about potentially embarrassing me. As to making friends, to be honest, I don't really know how I ended up so lucky as to actually befriend as many as I did. But I'll tell you what I do know about friend making as I guess we'll see if that works for you. In my case, most want to be around me because I make them feel good, I provide an emotional benefit in a relationship because I'm empathic and thus want to see those around me feeling positive. My insight allows me to know when it's good to talk or when it's better to just listen. As to you, you don't have that same insight nor are you able to provide that emotional benefit on the same level I am, despite that you've managed to make friends before and you've befriended me. My advice to you in Troy is to be just as curious and interested in what others have to say as you were with me and in the letters. At least my friends would greatly appreciate it if you seemed to genuinely care about them and what they have to say."

Illiad thought for a moment before he shrugged, "There isn't really a clear-cut formula to making a friend I guess. But I believe in you, don't worry so much and you'll do just fine. Your excitement will really work to your benefit really, so long as you don't get talking about it so much that you forget to listen as well." 

Dax gave a slight grin.

"Just be myself huh?  Heh, funny... that's exactly the kind of advice I'd expect from you.  Thanks, Illiad - I'm really glad to have met you."

He trotted close enough to give the unicorn a quick squeeze of a hug before stepping back and regarding the room again.

"Okay, I guess we're done here - and long before I thought we'd be.  So now, I guess the question would be as simple as 'what do we do 'til dinner?'  You have any ideas?"

It had been an entire week at this quarry - had they seen everything already?

Illiad looked around for some sign of the time, since lunch they'd been to Taps' toured the garden, then spent another long while at Taps', he thought, and felt, that it should be pretty close to dinner time anyway. "There isn't much time left before it is actually dinner time right? Perhaps we could set up wherever we want to do our thing tonight so it's all ready when we are? Just throwing out ideas here."

He couldn't think of anything at the quarry he still wanted to see, everything he had heard about he had seen to his heart's content. He supposed now was really the time to relax a bit before they entered the new crazy excitement that would be Dax's time in Troy. 

Dax grinned.  

"Yeah, we could do that... hey, where ARE we gonna have this big sleepover?  I mean, we'd need a place where the three of us could lie down safely, right?  Uhm..."  

He paced a moment, then his face lit up.

"Hey... why not right here?"  He motioned with a hoof to his own room.  "There's plenty of room, and I've got more than enough pillows and blankets for everypony.  Plus, we'd be safe in the manor, I'm SURE of that.  And, if we wanted to, we could even grab some snacks from the kitchen, eh?"

He seemed rather pleased with the idea; Illiad could feel the grin Dax's heart was currently giving off.

"Whaddya think?  We could have it in my room... unless... wait, what about using the Garden?  OH!"

His smile redoubled.

"The Garden WOULD be a nice place, too!  Quiet, pretty, secluded... and we'd be able to see SO many stars from there!  I could grab some of my spare camping gear, and we'd be able to say or do whatever we wanted there!"

Dax turned to his friend.  "Well?  Either of those sound good?  Got somewhere else in mind?"

Illiad looked contemplative, "While the garden would typically have been my pick, it's a bit overgrown to be the perfect spot. Were it well tended I would choose it in a heartbeat. However, I think right here would be the most comfortable option, it's warm as well as very close to where we need to be in the morning, and the easy access to food is a good plus."

He looked back up at the stars in the ceiling, "Besides, I really like these stars you've painted. I can see the night sky any night but I'll only really have tonight to enjoy your hard work up there."

Dax blushed and simply said, "Awww... it's just what I wanted to do", but internally his heart leaped at such praise from the Trojan.

The two of them set about preparing the room; Dax eventually insisted that they have a palette in the middle of the room, made of blankets and pillows, where they could just all lie together with enough space to stretch out and not accidentally bump each other in the night.

Of course, there was always the possibility that Silver wouldn't want to wander far from Illiad's side tonight... but that was for later.

When the single >DING< rang throughout the house, Dax smiled and looked up from the pillow-fort he was fashioning from spares.

"That would be dinner; shall we, my good stallion?"

He pulled himself to his full height, with a haughty expression on his muzzle to match, affecting a small, smug smile.  Eerily enough, Illiad could see both Luther and Vylia clearly reflected in the lad.  When he came into his own, he would be quite the stallion... and if he still had any of his current charms, he might not have as many issues finding a special somepony as he assumed he might have.

The form he had been wearing when he first met Selena was a ghost on his features that Illiad could see overlapping his young appearance.  He was physically older than he acted and thought, and that might be hard to cope with in the real world... but the potential was certainly there.

Dax let loose a goofy grin; with luck, he'd have that grin all the way into his twilight years... maybe beyond.

Illiad was curious at the sound of the ding, he didn't think he had heard it before. At Dax's move towards a more regal pose, Illiad too straightened himself out, quickly smoothing his robe wherever possible and doing a little to straighten his tousled mane, a casualty of all the moving blankets and pillows against his coat.

Illiad adopted the accent he had worn when he first arrived, and that he realized he had dropped soon after his first encounters with those he thought to use it on. "Well, lead the way, my complimentary compatriot."

Dinner went well enough.

Vylia greeted them both warmly, and Oglevy was well-mannered and actually did a fair job of adding to the light conversation.  The pegasus matriarch asked the Trojan much about his stay here, and Dax pitched in about a number of things Illiad had already mentioned.  

Though little Oglevy was a wee bit jealous, he was more fascinated with the stories of what they would be seeing - and he did have a secret little hope that his big brother would bring him back some sort of gift.  Illiad was fairly sure Dax would have presents for everyone; he was just that kind of pony.

Through all of this, Luther sat quietly at his end of the table, chewing and sipping at his own plateful of food reservedly.  At first, it almost seemed as if the elder Blackwater was being completely ignored... but then, without any word or motion across the table, Vylia stood up and, still gabbing away, gathered a small bowlful of soup and brought it to Luther, setting it next to him.

She returned to her seat without even looking in Luther's direction, and he simply pulled the soup to him and began eating... but the senses of an Empathic pick up far more than any normal pony ever would.  The love that radiated between them was like sitting between two warm pizza ovens in a cool kitchen; it was the hearth of their love that kept the home fires alive.

After a bit, Dax also pitched in and replaced his father's drink when it ran down to empty; he didn't even seem to mind - neither of them had.  It was simply... accepted.  He was very much a part of this family - Luther simply wasn't much for socializing.  His loved ones knew this about him, respected it, and still found ways to include him in their lives... even with his busy work schedule.

The Blackwaters had an exceedingly strange and complex relationship with each other... but after a week around these individuals, and seeing how they interacted with each other and their world, it was certain that it was just as strong as Illiad's with his own family - it was just a gemstone of a different color.

Seeing the Blackwaters together and happy, it felt like the brightest shade of lovely emerald green he'd ever experienced.

Once things finished up, Vylia and Oglevy cleared the table and Dax began handling washing the dishes.  Before Illiad could join them, however, Luther moved up next to the Trojan.

"My office.  Please."

With those three simple words spoken, he turned and headed for his study.  Dax glanced over his shoulder, took in what he saw, and nodded an understanding nod at his friend, then he turned back to washing dishes, humming that silly little song again.

Illiad made his way promptly, yet casually, to Luther's office just as soon as he had finished eating as well. He knew what Luther would have to say would be serious, given he actually said please at the end. That or he had actually gotten used to the idea of Illiad as a friend before even Illiad had.

Nonetheless, Illiad found himself at the doors to the blackwater office once again. And with a short, yet firm, knock, again taking care not to leave any mark on the doors in the process, he announced his presence.

He had a few ideas as to what Luther wanted to speak about, likely some last minute concerns about Dax in Troy, perhaps an offer to help cover expenses. He only hoped it would be something so positive while preparing for the possibility of bad news.

Instead of the usual greeting of 'enter', the door opened, and Luther himself was standing there.

"Come in," he said softly.

Once inside, he slowly and carefully closed the door, then turned to Illiad.

"Three things."

This said, he made his way to the balcony again... but stopped half way, looking back at the Trojan.  Carefully, he lifted his hoof and motioned for Illiad to accompany him.  He made his way out onto the marble-topped balcony floor.

The railing that surrounded it was simple; it had enough strength to withstand leaning on, yet it was minimalist to allow a fuller view of the quarry below... and oh, what a view.

Luna's shroud had set peacefully over the quarry yard and left it both moonlight-pristine and mysterious.  The way the sheds were arranged in neat rows, the central location of the Gem Refinery made it a focal point, the Pony Express office still as unassuming as ever, yet more picturesque from up here.

Prettier still was the fact that, from here, Illiad could see over the tall iron wall that surrounded the entire grounds - and beyond.  They were far enough up that the air was sweet and crisp, and the eye saw more detail and color.  The mountain path that spilled out from the front gates ran ever onward toward the distance, rising up and vanishing around the bend.

Where the road vanished, the proud spires of Canterlot stood tall into the night air - visible even from this distance, yet clear as a bell from Luther's balcony.  No wonder he liked to be here... he could see EVERYTHING from this perch, and the view of it all was fantastic.  Even the star-strewn sky seemed somehow closer, impossibly just a bit more within reach.

"First, I expect you to take care of my son.  I will not make threats, as that demeans us both.  Instead, I have an account prepared for Daxter's use; it will be placed in your capable hooves - but he is free to spend what he wants to.  Handle it as you see fit."

He took a moment to look out across the yard; Illiad could almost paint a picture of the dark and dour stallion here, the stars behind him, the depth of emotion in his eyes that betrayed the stone-cold expression on his face.  His eyes, though not the same color as Dax's, seemed just as expressive.

"Second, as my quarry will be a protectorate soon, I wish to foster goodwill with those who might want our emeralds; to this end, I am sending you with a small chest of Blackwater emeralds - at no cost - for you to use as you see fit.  This was...difficult... to clear with customs, but I have gotten permission for such.  Do with them what you will, as long as they make their way into Trojan pockets; if we end up opening trade with Troy, this will help get the demand started early."

It was a savvy business plan, to be sure.  Luther was taking a loss for simply giving away fine Blackwater emeralds... but it was also quite a mark of generosity on his part, too.

"Third, I have seen both my workers and my family benefit from your presence.  Including me.  So, I wish to let you benefit from ours.  I want to make a campaign contribution, but I wish to receive no attention for it; this is not for fame."

His mouth remained in a frown, but his eyebrows lifted softly, and all the severity flowed out of his features.  It was the kindest face he'd ever seen on the elder Blackwater.

"It is for YOU; I have seen what you have done within my family - I think Troy needs that for their populace if there is ever to be REAL peace.  YOU are my choice for the job - and I have faith that you CAN do it, and do it well."

He turned his navy blue eyes onto the Empathic, and it was easy to read him emotionally - there was no lying in Luther.

"I want to back that faith with bits - as much as you need.  I will gladly be a sponsor for you... and you will bring Troy the balance it needs, I am sure of it."

Illiad's face grew serious as he listened to what the Blackwater stallion had to say, "Your family has certainly done a great deal for me already, at this rate I may never be able to fully repay your kindness and generosity. I only hope I will be able to leave as good an impression on Dax as he has left on me."

He sighed, "I do have a question, though. This account for Dax, is it a bank account? It would be difficult to access in any timely manner from Troy so we would either need to take the money before we leave or use it to repay on his return. I won't bother in trying to say it isn't necessary, I do appreciate your willingness to help me cover my end of the exchange."

He looked out towards Canterlot, "I'll see what I can do to distribute your and your wife's gifts, I hope they are well received, and I have every confidence in Midget's ability to sort through political actions. And as to your contribution," he gave a slight smile, "The council will know who it came from and so will any of the populous who ask. It wouldn't be right to hide who donations come from, especially since one runner a century or two ago decided to abuse the anonymous donor system to finance his campaign with his own money while making it look like a number of citizens actually supported him, but I digress. The maximum I am allowed to receive per individual is $2500 Trojan dollars, or about... 3000 bits? It fluctuates a bit week to week, you could get around that limit by, no wait... As a foreign non-allied donor the limit is a bit higher, and by country so as to prevent a foreign country from effectively buying the election. As you'll be listed as a new protectorate in Troy despite you not actually being one yet your limit would be no more than a total of $100,000 Trojan dollars. How much of that limit you choose to donate by yourself I will leave to you. Again, I sincerely appreciate the gesture."

Luther blinked when presented with the fact of account accessibility, but it didn't stop him for long.

"Very well - a chest of bits should do; there will be enough for Daxter.  I will have it secured with your things on the train."

He listened to Illiad's words about the possible contribution, then nodded when all was said.

"Illiad, I do not wish the contribution information hidden - I simply do not wish it openly advertised.  My wife would want differently, but this is MY quarry, and I do not wish to be seen as politically ambitious.  If I can stay neutral, I shall... but please keep me informed, should things change for the worse."

He looked out into the quarry yard again, his eyes bright and thoughtful.

"I will make the fullest contribution I am able to make toward your campaign.  As I said, Troy needs balance - and you will bring that to them, I have no doubt.  I want to help, and this is a way to do that.  And Silver's inventions.  And the emeralds.  And the Cloud Diamond.  And... and..."

He closed his eyes and sighed, then spoke softly, which was quite unlike the rumble-voiced stallion.

"... what you have brought to my child's heart, I can never repay YOU for.  And you have shown me that there ARE others worth my trust - a VERY difficult thing to earn, especially after what I have experienced.  And you have managed to make my Vylia smile.  And my colt... it shocked me that he is no longer giving you trouble.  That is also amazing to me."

He opened his navy blue eyes and locked them on Illiad's own.

"If I had you as a friend when I was young, I would be a different stallion today - but Daxter will have the chance I did not.  He needs to grow up... but on his own timetable.  I tried too hard with my Harcourt, and he left us... my fault.  I know this.  Yet..."

He looked down and away, shame writ large on his muzzle.

"I love my children - all of them - and I have fought hard to give them all they could need.  But I cannot give them what they want - and they want their freedom.  Even Oglevy has shown signs of such.  And this is not a bad thing.  But Daxter... he is the only hope I have for passing my quarry onto.  Oglevy is very smart - too smart for his own good, and too rambunctious to settle for staying here.  Harcourt has left, and I have not seen him in a decade.  Daxter is the ONLY one who would be the best choice for leaving my quarry to... yet he has not reached the age where he understands this."

"Please, Illiad Easle... if my son shows even the slightest interest in this quarry, please help foster that.  I won't ask you to steer him to this - that is manipulation - but if you can, try to support anything he says about assuming responsibility for the Blackwater Quarry.  Keep in mind, it is all we have... and I would wish nothing better than for my son to have his own happy family here, one day."

Luther looked drained after all this talking - it was quite a lot for the usually short-spoken earth pony, and Illiad could feel the relief at Luther's simply speaking his mind to somepony.  He turned to face out into the yard again.

"I will never be able to repay you for what you have brought to my home... but I shall do my utmost to express my gratitude."

He grew quiet, yet he didn't shoe Illiad off, either... he simply stood there, staring majestically out over his quarry, his property, his home.  It would be a fitting way to remember the dour yet deep stallion who ran this amazing place.

Illiad kept his regular slight smile, "I'm glad I was able to make such an impact. Since neither of us feels we can repay the debt to the other I suppose we can consider each other even then, no need to any worry of indebtedness. I'll be sure you're donation is properly noted and only revealed to those that ask, as you wish, your quarry stands in a position to do quite a bit of good for Troy, hopefully when the time comes Troy will be able to do good for the quarry."

He sighed, "And, I'll be sure to see what I can do for Dax. I agree he is one of the best ponies to take over the quarry after you, and I have no doubt he'll accept the responsibility when the time comes, the question now is whether he'll be ready for the responsibility when it comes. Nonetheless, I'll say what I can."

He turned away from the balcony, excitement building for what was coming next, "If that is all?"

Though there was a tiny spark of lonely melancholy that struck within him, the sense of gratitude he felt toward the Trojan was far larger... and more pressing, as well.  Luther gave a slight nod, then looked back out over the quarry again.

"That is all.  Thank you, Illiad."

Though he looked alone in his vigil, he was used to such from life - all Illiad could truly do was try to ensure that Dax didn't end up as alone and hardened as Luther Blackwater had become due to life.

With that, Illiad quickly made his way out of the office and back to Dax's room. Hopefully, Dax would be waiting there for him, but if not he could always go looking for him. Then they could go collect Silver together and the last night shared dream could begin.

Illiad's smile grew as he walked through the house, though it faltered for a moment as he remembered he'd have to talk about IT as well. He shook his head, hopefully, what he had to say wouldn't detract from their enjoyment of the evening. 
> An Exchange of Slumber
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Indeed, Dax was in his room, alright... and he wasn't alone, either.

"Illiad!"

Silver made her way over to the Trojan and gave him a fierce, tight hug.

"Ohhhh, I can't WAIT to see what's in store for tonight!  Well, I mean I COULD wait, sure; but I reeeeeeeeally don't want to!"

She let loose a whinny-giggle, then pulled Illiad over to the center of the room, where the blankets and pillows had already been arranged for the night's activity.  She sat down, pulling him down alongside her and rewarding his being led with a quick peck on the cheek.  She blushed just a bit from such, but the smile she wore grew to match her enthusiasm.

Match that to the sense of adoration that was rolling off of her like fog for Illiad, and add in Dax's own excitement, and it was quite a happy mess that the Empathic was ensconced in... not that it was overwhelming or anything; more like it was two good friends who were happy, and unafraid to BE happy.

Illiad was surprised, and a bit disappointed to be honest, to find that Silver was already there. His plans for how he would romantically collect her from her shed were tossed out as he entered the room.

Dax sat down and pushed a small bowl full of cherries in front of the opposite couple.

"Here - I grabbed a few things before I left the kitchen, so we can go ahead and start talking and stuff... I figure we might need a bit before we actually get tired enough to sleep, right?"

Silver smiled sweetly.  "As long as I have you two handsome stallions with me, I don't care if we're in the belly of a whale eating seaweed - I'm happy with the company, so I'm happy all around!  Sleep'll come when it comes, right?"

Silver took a cherry and tossed it lightly in the air, catching it in her mouth and chewing with her eyes closed.  Dax tried to follow suit... but his cherry bounced off the end of his muzzle and landed right back in the bowl.  Silver and Dax both burst out laughing at this.

This felt good.  

Illiad’s smile grew as he took a seat on the blankets and with the sudden yet not unwanted kiss. He had never really been a fan of cherries so he left those to his friends, hopefully, another of the snacks in the night would be a bit more to his liking.

He idly wondered as he watched the other two get started what they could possibly talk about or otherwise do to pass the time before they got tired enough to entered a shared dream together. "So, now that we're all here, what do we want to do on this our last night together for some time?"

Silver looked over at Illiad with a sweet little smile on her muzzle.

"I really enjoyed playing tag with you last time... will we do something like that again?"

Dax gave a puzzled look, but with a grin in it.  "Hunh... here I thought we'd do more dancing, but... I dunno?  Maybe..."

"We could ask to see what the moon looks like... or perhaps we could ask about the past?  Would she remember enough?  Maybe we could see if she'll take us flying over-"

"What would Selena want?"

Silver had been going along merrily with her ideas, but Dax had simply stopped her cold.

"I mean, she's done all of this for you and I, Silver... not to mention what she's done for the entire quarry... and for you, Illiad.  It kinda seems like everypony else is always asking her to do things for them; what does SHE want?  Wouldn't that be fair - to ask her, for once?"

Silver blushed, embarrassed.  "Oh, Dax... you're right.  Now I feel all selfish.  Illiad, would it be fair to ask her what she wants?"

Dax grinned.  "Yeah, anything she ever wanted to try; I'm game!" 

Illiad looked a bit unsure as he pulled his diamond out from his robes, "Well if we are to do anything really with Selena it would have to be in the dream as I can't really manifest her as well as be a participant in anything that isn't solely or at least mostly verbal. I mean we could all just go to sleep now and do everything tonight with Selena, which is certainly an option. Otherwise, it's again what we can do until we're ready to go to sleep, though an idea comes to mind."

As his horn started to glow the diamond shifted into an object that looked just like the crystal radio he had gotten just a few weeks before the changeling attack on Canterlot, he still had it, even though it was a little big and out of date, as it made a really good side table and alarm clock. As he adjusted the dials on the radio a voice came into focus, " He.... Is this wor.... Hello Hello? Ah, that sounds better."

Illiad smiled, "As this form is inanimate, mostly, I can maintain it much longer than if it were a full manifestation and this way Selena can at least talk with us before we join her in the dream."

He turned back towards the radio which he placed to complete a sort of square from the participants, "So, they wanted to know what you would be interested in doing tonight, any thoughts?"

The voice was silent for a bit, "Well... Hmm, I'm not used to really being asked. Usually, Illiad and I just sit and talk, we could do that I guess, given there isn't much else I can do outside of the dream. Inside, though... OOOOh! We could have a building contest! A competition of imagination to design the coolest and funnest things! I always wanted to do that but with only Illiad as a participant, I could never really judge before! That can wait though until you guys are ready to join me, perhaps from what you guys design I can think of other things that would be fun for everyone to participate in. Until then, though, I'd really like to just talk to you guys, answer questions you have since I know you have some." 

They were both pleasantly surprised at the radio, yet quite happy to have Selena there with them.  Silver seemed thoughtful for a bit, but Dax was READY.

"Okay, so I wanted to ask about the whole 'Balance' thing, at least as far as Illiad's concerned... I know you kinda gave me the quick rundown, but you also said you could go into more detail.  Tell me about it - I mean, was Illiad hoof-picked and destined, or did it just sorta... happen?"

Silver smiled a kind smile at Illiad; she was also curious as to this question's answer, it seemed.

The radio, being inanimate, didn't move. "Well, The balance in regard to Illiad is different than it was in regard to Luna, given he has me and she did not. The way it is now is more that I am the balance and he is my designated wielder, a chosen champion if you will, upon which several but not all of the abilities and responsibilities of balance fall. For instance, Luna could cast the Retribution and Total Balance spells, while Illiad cannot except through me. As to how Illiad became my champion is a bit of both chance and destiny. He was born with the predisposition to become my wielder, though had Luna not shown him how to find me he would not have progressed. If it had become necessary I could have groomed one of those around me to align them to what I needed a wielder to be, but that can get messy so I'm glad I don't have to do that like the storm sapphire is." There was a low hum as Selena stopped speaking, "I think that answers your question, do you have another?" 

Silver leaned forward this time.

"Hi, Selena!  I do, actually... I wanted to ask about what you and Princess Luna mean to each other now?  I mean, what sort of relationship do you maintain with her... I just always felt like Luna never had many ponies that she could possibly keep a friendship with for long, but you?  The two of you are good friends, I hope... and I also hope it's not... ya know... awkward?"

Dax seemed impressed by the question Silver offered... but Illiad could tell he already had another one lined up.

"Luna and I? I suppose I'd say our relationship is quite similar to a mother/daughter relationship. She dote's on me when she's able and I think it is a key factor in the amount of effort she's putting forth to get me some form of real body to be in, so she can actually dote on me like a real daughter. Though on another level it's almost like the sibling-esque relationship that Illiad and I share, given I have most of her past memories and can really relate to her. We are, at the very least, close friends, and there is never an awkward moment between us even if we are slightly different from each other."

"Have you ever fallen in love, Selena?"

Silver gave a start and turned to look at Dax.  "Don't you think that's kind of rude, Dax?"

But the Blackwater stallion was unhindered.

"No... I mean, I don't think so.  I'm genuinely curious - with so much about you having to stay a secret, I was just wondering if you'd ever had the chance to experience love before?  I mean, like, ROMANCE love?  I'd kinda figure that, as special as you are, you've probably had a number of Special Someponies over the years - and I'm just curious to know what it was like for you..."

He blushed a bit as he realized the personal nature of his question; innocent and oblivious Dax.  "Uhm, if you have, that is?"

While the radio did not look the part, she certainly sounded surprised, "Me personally? You do remember I've only been on Equis for like four years right? And since then I've only been fully developed for the past year or so since Illiad found me? So no, I can't say I've ever really fallen in love, though it's likely due to a lack of contact. Luna on the other hoof..."

The dials on the radio dashed to the left, then the right, in an almost conspiratorial gesture before returning to their proper positions. "Well, before I was split off from Luna she met this very handsome and altogether charming stallion, Midnight Star. Oh, they were perfect for each other, he motivated her to try new things, to be more outgoing and adventurous, to step out from hiding in her sister's shadow and really be her own pony. He made her feel truly happy, more alive than she had felt in a long time. To thank him for what he did she gave him a gift of immortality so that he would never die of old age nor age physically beyond his prime, that combined with his earth pony constitution protecting against all but the most lethal of blows meant a near perfect immortality for him. Now Celestia didn't know that Luna and Midnight were interacting in this way, in fact, Luna was supposed to be doing battle with Midnight to stop him from ransacking the countryside in his quest to free the zebra slaves with the Black Knight."

She sighed wistfully, though it turned sad at the end. "Then it all came crashing down just days before I was split off. Celestia herself came down with Luna one fateful night to do battle with the Black Knight herself since she found that Luna was clearly not up to the task. In the end, the Black Knight surrendered to Celestia so that Midnight would be spared, thus he was sealed in stone and Midnight was made a slave and given to Luna. Luna, of course, had no real choice in the matter, but it put a real strain on their relationship anyway, to the point where Midnight told Luna that she was worse than all the slavers he had fought before fleeing into the night."

She paused as if shrugging, "And I don't know if they've even seen each other since then. Luna tells me she wishes she could have been stronger, given Midnight his freedom instead of forcing him to take it, forcing him to leave her behind. Luna had never felt love as pure as Midnight's before, and as far as I know she still aches for his forgiveness."

"Oh... that's... th-that's so sad..."

Silver teared up, eyes brimming with sympathy for Luna and Midnight... her kind heart was aching for them, as one would expect from such a sweetheart as Silver Studs.

"Why..?  I just don't understand why Celestia would even DO such a thing?  I mean, it's-"

"Not surprised."

Silver turned to look at Dax with shock.  "How can you say that?"

Dax sighed.

"A long time ago, zebras were slaves, too.  According to the records locked away in the vault, my ancestor Weapon Black was one of the ponies in Equestria who offered sanctuary when they ran from their owners.  He took in a zebra mare, and they fell in love with each other - but she was supposedly property, due to her name.  Weapon argued with the slavers over this technicality, then he proved that names meant nothing in the wake of freedom."

"That was when he changed his name from Weapon Black to Wyland Blackwater, completely denouncing the importance of names; he was the first of our line to carry the Blackwater name.  He apparently proved his point to the slavers, because they left the two alone, and Wyland married his zebra mare... whose name, by the way, was once Starke Whyte... but she changed it to Star Blackwater after they were officially a couple."

Silver had gone from sad to lovestruck again.  "Oh, Dax... that's such a sweet story.  And Weapon, or rather Wyland, sounds like he was quite the stand-up earth po-"

"He was a unicorn."

Silver blinked.  "Wait... are you telling me that you have earth ponies, pegasi, zebras AND unicorns in your family tree?"

Dax grinned.  "And a Crystal Pony."

Silver shook her head, then turned back to the radio.

"You say the lack of contact is why you haven't really had a chance to fall in love?  Well, I'd been kind of working on a solution to that, but... well..."

Dax's eyes narrowed a bit, then opened again as he looked to Illiad.

"Yeah, speaking of which... you said you'd explain about this 'Panic' thing; now's the time, Illiad - spill it."

Illiad looked distinctly uncomfortable to be pressed in such a way to talk about such a thing. "Were I even slightly inclined to speak on the subject, there is no way I could convey it well without showing you what I've seen, thus we'd have to do it in the dream. Furthermore, this is the sort of thing that I want very little information getting out on. I want to influence that outcome as little as possible lest I make it worse or ultimately cause it to happen."

The radio spoke up, "What you seek is also hardly a pleasant subject, though I suppose it couldn't put a bigger damper on this evening than my last story already did. So we can go forward, but like Illiad said only in the true privacy of the dream."

Illiad sighed, "I am, though, once again, impressed both by your ancestors and your knowledge of them. I'm surprised he was able to actually keep the slavers at bay with just words while Midnight and the Black Knight had to literally fight them off with weapons. Though perhaps the story was altered in the last few centuries to be a bit more positive, but who knows?"

Illiad lifted the radio into a more central position to the group, "If you guys really want to know, then I guess we can start the dream now. No point really in putting off another sad tale when we can get it out of the way and move on with our evening."

Dax's mood dropped.

"Great.  Now I've made everything all sad.  I don't want to be the one to be responsible for us all being lumped in with bad news... ESPECIALLY right before a dream."  He huffed a hard sigh.  "Maybe I should stay out of this one..."

Silver gave him a look.  "Dax - don't be that way.  We want you there!  I know I do, and I'm pretty sure Illiad does, too.  Plus, as little company as Selena gets, you should be happy for a chance to see her again; I'll bet she's always happy to see you."

Dax looked (and felt) like he was pent up with remorse for asking what he'd asked.

"... I'm s-sorry, Illiad - I won't ask any more questions.  I shouldn't ask so many personal things, anyway; not my business, right?  I mean, it's not like I'll have anything to do with all that, anyway... you don't need me asking stuff that I don't need answers to."

Silver rolled her eyes and sighed.  

Illiad's face drooped, it seemed even before it even existed PANIC was causing strife in his life. "There's no need to apologize Dax. You both really deserve to know why I reacted the way I did earlier, and perhaps in sharing it I'll be better able to deal with whatever is coming. Let's just wait until we have the extra privacy before we do, okay?"

"I really do enjoy your company Dax, and you ask good questions that I really do enjoy answering. I haven't had such a great opportunity to talk about my memories before and I know it will be some time before I really get to again. Besides, you have no idea what you will end up being a part of in your future. You could very easily change the course of the future by asking the right questions and knowing the right things, so please to ask away."

Illiad gave a slight smile as he looked towards Silver, "That goes for you too, really it feels great to talk without having to worry as much about what should remain secret. Liberating honestly." 

Dax, though not wholly convinced he hadn't ruined the evening yet, nodded gently.

"I just... really don't want there to be anything bad this last night; I wouldn't want to throw a wet blanket on your time here right before we leave.  I guess I'm just..."

He sighed, then looked up with a slight grin.

"... just being silly.  Look, let's forget about it and just have fun for this last night, huh?"

Silver gave him another look, but then she simply shrugged.

"I'm just excited I get to experience this - I frankly don't care WHAT we do together!  I'm with two of my favorite stallions in the whole world... and we're about to go meet one of the most incredible mares I've ever known!  How can we NOT have fun!  Oh, I could simply EXPLODE!!!!!"

She gave a slight giggle.  "Okay, okay... maybe I won't ACTUALLY explode; more like I'll just burst out with random gigglefits until it happens!"

Dax nodded; his mood was still low, but he was putting on a brave face and doing what he felt would make everyone else happy.

Illiad rolled his eyes with a good-natured smile, "Dax, you know I know when you aren't really into it. Don't worry about it so much, you'd have to be trying if you were going to ruin tonight, we may have some sad tales to tell, but so far it's seemed to bring us closer together. Now..."

His horn lost a bit of its glow as the radio turned back into its typical diamond shape. "Shall we go in then? It seems we're all ready at least." 

Silver's smile brightened.  "I am SOOOOOO ready!  Oh, this is going to be so coooooooooool!"

She hopped up and down on her hooves a bit, looking a lot like a school filly, then clapped them as she nearly squealed in anticipation.

Dax, though a bit less enthusiastic, all the same, settled himself in and awaited Illiad's word.

"Yeah... ready."

Illiad smiled a little wider, "Alright then."

Released from his magical grip the diamond floated slowly upward, spinning slightly as it did so until its point rested lightly on the starry ceiling, the light refracting from its faucets adding a new layer to the starfield as it continued to slowly turn.

One by one they settled in and were slowly lulled to sleep by the call of Selena's dream room until they each found themselves in their own small lever rooms just as they had the first time.

Selena was busy arranging the central room to be even better than the last, with the extra guest she would have a bit more strength to cause changes, so she could get a bit more elaborate than usual. In all the room was still white given colorizing was quite a bit of effort, but there was a comfortable chair or couch for everyone. She sat in the smallest of the chairs, given she saw herself as the smallest. She looked the same way she did when Dax first joined, a smallish mare with simple hair, rather than the larger form she had taken during Illiad and Silver's dance in the starfield. TO be honest she liked being small better because Illiad found the appearance rather cute and endearing.

Everything set up she sat to wait for the others to join in.

Illiad was the first to enter, being the most practiced, and he took his seat without a word, he looked slightly nervous about what he was going to tell them, but he had hope that in the sharing of the knowledge he would find support in his friends for the future.

There certainly wasn't any salt on Silver's tail, that was for sure.

She came bounding in, all smiles and sunshine.  Again, that strange clockwork gear pattern was written over her entire form, but faintly - yet still as interesting as it had ever been.  She made her way over to where the other two were sitting, and she hugged Selena as she approached.

"Oh, SO good to see you!  I missed you, Selena - I'm glad we got a chance to see each other again before Illiad left!"

And Dax?  

It was another minute before the doors opened again, and Dax crept inside.  He made his way over to where the others were, and after a look around he elected to take a seat on the floor.  He did give Selena a small grin and a wave... but otherwise, he was trying to stay as out-of-the-way as possible.  

He fidgeted as he sat there... it looked as if he was waiting for the other horseshoe to drop.

Selena sighed as she saw Dax trying to stay out of the way. She quickly ghosted over to be sitting beside him. "Look, we all know you're bothered, you're disappointed in yourself that you brought up something that makes Illiad uncomfortable, but in the end, it's made Illiad decide to actually talk about it for once instead of just letting it fester within himself. He hasn't even really discussed it with me, and that scares me. I'm glad you brought it up because I think it will help him overcome his issues."

Illiad kept looking over at Dax, a look of sadness on his face at what he could feel, yet a slight bit of disappointment that Dax could tell was directed inward, Illiad was disappointed that he had failed to cheer up his friend. He kept his distance, knowing that Dax would talk when he wanted to.

Selena's chair was replaced by a projector screen, after which she nodded over at Illiad who sighed. "Alright, I'd like to just get this out of the way before it looming over my head can get me to ruin this night for the rest of you. It's been bothering me since I saw the designs, but..."

He sighed and shook his head. "I don't want to burden you guys with it too if you don't want to. If there's one thing I'd hate it would be to be a burden on anyone else."

Silver gave a sympathetic grin.

"Illiad... if this is an issue, then you really should talk it out.  Trust me," she smiled at Selena, "letting things fester can be bad - and bad can ALWAYS be worse, right?"

Undoubtedly, she was thinking of the little talk she'd had with Selena after she'd seen her own war machine designs... she'd thought herself a monster then.

"It'll be so much better just to get it out, Illiad... besides, we're your friends; maybe we could help you come up with something against this?  You'll never know unless you tell us."

Dax gave a small sigh.

"Illiad... I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't concerned.  You looked like you'd seen a ghost.  And if it worries you, then it worries me, too.  I didn't mean to cause any problems... I'm just worried for you."

Illiad's mood seemed to improve at their words, "Alright then, I'll show you first then tell you what I know."

The projector screen lit up as Illiad closed his eyes, a picture came into focus as the sound of wind could be heard. The picture seemed to be the view out of someone's eyes. It was a rather impressive facility, or rather what once was an impressive facility. The sand around the facility was littered with craters that seemed to glow with a sickly purple color, the walls were damaged and completely collapsed in places allowing them to see into the small, dried out oasis at the center of the facility.

Suddenly a deep rumble was heard as the picture shook, or rather the image within the picture shook, more pieces of the facility fell inward as a large section of the floor of the dried out oasis fell down, revealing a structure that had been built beneath the oasis, the interior of which seemed coated with the same sickly purple glow as the craters. Out of the hole climbed a damaged mechanical pony, sparks flying off it as it moved. It didn't look very much like Silver's designs at all, except for the eyes.

The cold dark eyes that looked directly at the viewer, staring emotionlessly as bits of dried blood flaked off in the wind.

Then the scene suddenly changed, the picture depicted a view from atop a hill of dead grass near what seemed to be Ponyville after Discord had shuffled the locations, Canterlot Castle, for instance, was much closer than it used to be. The mechanical pony could be seen with wings, attacking a rag-tag outpost of ponies all while a low sound seemed to permeate everything.

Return Baseplate to Colonel PANIC or be Destroyed.

All the while the eyes continued staring, emotionlessly as they knocked a pegasus from the sky, smashed the horn of a unicorn and broke the leg of an earth pony.

Return Baseplate to Colonel PANIC or be Destroyed.

Any magical damage the ponies tried to inflict seemed to splash harmlessly off of it while physical damage didn't seem to last long before it was hardly noticeable.

Return Baseplate to Colonel PANIC or be Destroyed.

Eventually, they did enough damage and it left, but the ponies were too tired to pursue or do much more than prepare their defenses and hope that it wouldn't be back tomorrow.

Return Baseplate to Colonel PANIC or be Destroyed.

Then a second rumble was heard, only this one came from the sky. A large cloud city moved into view, pristine above the damaged landscape below. A glowing winged came down and did battle with the mechanical pony. The sound stopped as they fought until the winged one was the only one standing of the two.

With that the image and sound stopped, the screen went away to leave Illiad standing in front of everyone. "That was a vision I had not long after the changeling invasion. Both Luna and Celestia had similar dreams though when they tried to take action they just had a worse vision. When the visions began it was a coup led by one Colonel Panic, Celestia then removed all the guards with the last name of Panic from the guard. Then Luna had the vision of a griffon invasion by Colonel Panic, cities burned to the ground in his wake. After intense discussions with the griffon province he would have come from, her visions stopped, and mine began. From what I've gathered each time the vision is canceled it pushes the date further back as well as increase the casualties, thus I fear to try and stop this, lest it bring about the end of the world. Yet, this vision shows Colonel defeated, thus if I were to stop it I may prevent the only chance of a good ending from it."

He sat down and sighed, "It really is hard to know that such a bad thing is coming, but being unable to do anything about it for fear that it could make it all even worse." 

Silver and Dax both had very interesting reactions to this.

"Hmmmmm... well, even if you won't stop it because it's the most likely ending available for a mark in the 'win' column, it hardly means we get to sit idly by and do nothing to prepare for it, right?  I mean, since we know what's coming, perhaps I can act where YOU can't?  I won't stop him, per se... but I can minimize civilian casualties by preparing evacuation plans and hidey-holes for ponies to use during his attacks, right?"

Silver began to pace, and as she thought and spoke, those gear-like glowing designs on her began to visibly turn faster, adding a deeper visual expression of her own wheels turning.

"This way, I wouldn't be changing the future to stop his actions; I'd be lessening the aftermath of his choices.  Wouldn't that work, Illiad?  Selena?"

"But... why?"

Dax looked as though he was about to cry.

"Why did it come to that?  Did you see those eyes?  What sort of harrowing, horrific thing could he have seen or done to cause him to do such things?  Why would he do that?"

He looked between the three of them, each in turn, with a look of sympathy so great, it almost hurt Illiad.

"What could have caused such a magnificent machine such as him to feel a need to cause such destruction, Illiad?  Why?"

He actually felt genuinely bad for the construct - truly, sincerely sorry for him.

Illiad looked unsure, then sad, "That's the scariest part now, isn't it? We have no idea why it’s doing what it's doing. And at the same time, I don't want to know, because if I knew why I might try and stop it, and end up making it worse. For instance, I could try and ensure that this Baseplate was never taken from it, but would that help anything? Could that even be prevented? Maybe, maybe not."

A slight smile came to his face, "I'm glad, though, that I have you guys here to share in the burden. And I think your idea is a great one Silver, ways to keep the defenders safe when the attack comes. I think it would do quite a bit of good if implemented correctly."

He shrugged, "But enough about that now, there's nothing we can do about it here so there's no sense in worrying about it now. Let's do something fun okay?"

Silver nodded, plenty pleased to be changing the subject at hoof.  Dax also nodded, and even attempted a smile... but as an Empathic, Illiad could tell the thought was still gnawing at him.  He was willing to let it go, but Illiad got the impression that this conversation was only on pause for now.

"Oh, something fun, yes!  And we had wanted to do something YOU wanted to do, Selena!  You said something about building things or something like that?  Honestly, Dax was right - you really deserve to have somepony ask YOU what you'd like to do, at least once in a while!"

Dax, pulling himself into the situation, tried on a smile.  It wasn't a bad fit.

"Yeah.  It'd only be fair, after all.  You've done so much for us - it's the very least we could do for you in return.  Besides, that's one of the things friends do for each other - they concern themselves with making sure you're included."

Both of them smiling at Selena, waiting for her decision.

Selena and Illiad both smiled, "I did say something about a contest of imagination, didn't I? Well, I for one think that would be pretty fun, especially if you guys can come up with really fun things!" She nodded and a set of three doors appeared on the back wall, almost mirroring the ones they had all come in from. Through the doors, they could see a big empty room, but already they seemed to shift with their individual wonder. "Go on in! I've made it so it is easier to influence the rooms in their so it won't take nearly as much effort to make things in there as it would in here. Not to say that it's particularly difficult to change things in here, just that it is very easy to change things in there. I even made separate rooms so you guys wouldn't be distracted by each other and so you can save your wonderment for when we show off to each other."

She sat on her chair and tapped her hooves together in a giddy gesture, "Oooh! I can't wait to see what cool stuff you guys all come up with!"

With that Illiad entered the room closest to him and already it was changing around him, a desk and a chair appeared when he moved to sit and already designs and ideas were manifesting themselves before him.

Silver clapped her hooves and made her way promptly into her room as well.  As soon as she got there, she looked around and grew a thoughtful moue.

"Hmmmmm... I'll need to plan this out..."

She concentrated for a moment on what she wanted to see... what she wanted to feel... and sure enough, a dry erase board formed up out of the floor, along with a blue marker.  Levitating the marker into the air and removing its cap with her magic, she smiled broadly.

"THERE WE GO!  Now... let's get to work!"

Dax, meanwhile, was left alone with Selena for a minute, and he took that minute to look over at her and ask her a question.

"Selena?  Uhm, I wanna play this game and all, and I will, yeah... but... first, I gotta know something.  Illiad says that he's afraid to try to change anything else, or it might end up even worse than before, but... I can't help but feel like he's... well, just scared.  Do you think maybe there's another way that he just doesn't see yet... and do you think it might be up to someone else to help him see that?  Maybe THAT'S why we found each other?"

Dax was so concerned about Illiad that Selena didn't need to be Empathic to feel it.

Selena looked a little bit down, "Dax... In truth, I think Illiad's more afraid that it's something he won't be allowed to change, rather than won't be able to change. As the balance, he has to allow and sometimes cause bad things to happen just as Luna did. In a way, I suppose you could say he is scared, not about what it might do, but about what he might have to do to cause it. What I think he needs is someone he feels he can talk to, someone he can trust to be told about this sort of thing and not judge him for it. And I'd like to think he's found exactly that in you and Silver. However, he's too kind for his own good, if he sees that talking to you about this sort of thing troubles you, he'll stop to spare your feelings."

Dax looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Yeah.  I... I guess I get it.  Someone to vent to who won't hate him for what he might have to do.  Yeah."

She smiled caringly at Dax, " You've done a phenomenal job already getting him to open up about what troubles him, now you need to go out there and assure him that he can confide in you without it troubling you. So go and have fun, keep being the amazing friend you've been." 

Dax's mood lightened.

"I can do that, sure.  Everypony needs someone like that... and I'd be more than willing to do so.  I... might not be able to help feeling bad about some things, but that doesn't mean I want him to stop talking.  Okay, I'll..."

He smiled.  "I'll do my very best for him, Selena... thank you."

He turned and made for his own doorway... then paused, right outside of it.

"If it's all the same, though... I'm still gonna try to figure out how to help.  I might not come up with anything... but what kind of friend would I be if I didn't try, right?"

With that, he entered the room.  Looking around, he thought back to what Selena had said about these rooms...

Influence... with my imagination... changing things...

He closed his eyes, and the room responded.

Selena simply smiled at Dax's words before he left to start his own creation, then leaned back in her seat. She pulled a book out of the collective subconscious that supported the dream, reading for herself one of the books that either Dax or Silver had read that Illiad had not. It was a good way for her to pass the time and to keep her from peeking in on what they were building so it would be a surprise to her as well.

From a dreamworld perspective, Silver's room was pouring out energy.

The energy of creation and imagination almost seemed to want to burst through the door and yell surprise; the sheer output of creative horse that was blasting away in Silver's room was almost a horse unto itself.  There were sounds of hammers, drills, rivet guns, bangs, clangs and all sorts of other noise that was whooping up a pure racket.  Whatever Silver was creating in there, she was certainly going all-out in the construction phase!

It was as if the power of a small sun going nova was evidencing itself in there, and Silver was the one to raise and lower it - and it was apparently High Noon in Silvestria!  It was simply amazing, the amount of power she was putting into this project.

By way of comparison, Dax's door was oddly quiet... but if energy could be measured, the level of output that single room was giving off blew Silver's room away.

Illiad's room, by comparison, was quiet. The energy normal and altogether ordinary, he had quite a bit of practice in regulating his mental energy output so as to not burn himself out in the room as that led to quite a rough morning. He sat at the desk and drew, and as he drew his ideas slowly faded into existence, and out again as he revised, not making anything permanent until he was sure about it. A slight smile was on his face as he worked, This is going to be great.

Silver's mental collection of novels was actually not quite as large as Selena would have thought... but the novels contained within were an eclectic mix: a few short stories, some engineering manuals, a single epic science fiction novel, an etiquette book, three saucy romance books, and fifteen different schoolbooks.  The number of books she had ever read in her life didn't even reach triple digits.

However, there was a PLETHORA of blueprints and designs stored away - and there were some truly magnificent ideas there.  Things that could change history.  Things that defied explanation.  Things that could alter the course of Equinekind forever.  Yet, through these things, it became obvious that, as rapidly as these things passed through her brain, it would still be quite some time before any of the most powerful ones would even be realized... and some would never be built.  COULD never be built.  But there they were, all the same, up for Selena's perusal.

Dax?

The size of the mental library lurking within the mind of the middle Blackwater child was astounding; he'd voraciously read anything he could get his hooves on, from classic memoirs and history papers to magic tomes and scrolls, to science and fantasy and horror and drama and all SORTS of books filled the shelves of what seemed like an almost endless library.

Dax had spent so much time alone as a colt, he'd practically devoured any and everything readable he came across.  In a way, it was somewhat sad... but in another, it was quite impressive.

But the STARS...

There were diagrams, charts, navigational observations, missives, diary entries from famous astronomers, entire tomes by ponies no one had ever heard of, almanacs... everything on the subject of the stars that had ever passed even remotely close to Dax had been absorbed, his greedy little mind taking it all in as if it were water into a sponge.

Daxter Blackwater held as much knowledge of the stars as any pony had ever known; no wonder he'd been so accurate with the mural on his room's ceiling - he'd known by heart where every star went, every comet swooshed, and every galaxy called home.  It was astounding... especially seeing as he'd never even attended any outside institution of learning for all this knowledge.

Selena gave a low whistle, to anyone in the room with her it would seem she was doing nothing, however, she was quickly filing away copies of everything interesting she could find so she could sort through it later. The blueprints would certainly help in making bad things happen while also minimizing casualties, so she started there, carefully sorting them by brief inspection before placing them away in her own mental library, then she moved on to Dax. Most of the historical books she knew a bit better, so only a few were copied over, but many of the more recently published books intrigued her, she copied them over with a note to read them first. She, for the most part, ignored the star stuff given how much they changed and how much she knew as a first-hoof experience.

Once she had a few hundred books and charts in her read later list she stopped, this would last her a good few years if she were particularly bored. But with that, she decided to check up on their progress.

She noticed that something was drawing a large load on her capabilities, while she was purely magical, she was not immune to some illnesses that plagued the magic of unicorns. Thus she was a bit worried that perhaps she had contracted something during her stay at the quarry, some parting gift from Havoc? Nonetheless, it didn’t seem serious enough to call off the night just yet. If it got too low though without her finding the problem she’d have to end their night early.

She shook her head as her focus returned to the dream room, a low tone echoed in the three rooms similar to a bell, by an exertion of will motion was stopped in the rooms so they could hear her without distraction. "Alright guys, I'll give you a few more minutes to work, so finish up quick and come back out here so I know you're ready to show off what you've built."

Illiad looked up at the tone and shrugged as he looked back down at what he had drawn up, then over into what it had built and smiled. He rolled up the paper as the construct took on a more real texture, starting to take a few steps into it. He closed his eyes as he felt the wind start to blow cool and soft. "Yes, I think this will do nicely."

With that, he made his way back into the main room.

After a bit, Silver came out of hers, smiling sweetly and practically skipping.  "Oh, I can't WAIT for you to see what I did!  It's gonna be SO much fun!"

It was a few moments more, but before Selena could give another request to hurry up, his door opened.  Dax came out, shyly closed the door behind himself, and walked over to meet the others.

"Okay, uhm... I'm done."

Though he looked somewhat shy about everything, his emotions betrayed his excitement.

"Oh!  Illiad!  I want to see what YOU did first, okay?  Can we?"

Dax just smiled.

Illiad's smile grew, "Alright then, I can go first if you guys want."

He led the group over to his door and opened it whilst gesturing them all inside. Within they could see a simple sandstone and marble house. From the front, they could see that the foundation was made of large marble slabs that extended out the front to become a porch. Nine marble pillars extended from the foundation to support a second floor made of a thinner slab of marble that also extended past the front to cover the porch and provide a railed balcony accessible from a set of double glass doors on the second floor. The pillars sat four at the corners of the building, as well as four along the front of the porch. The walls of the structure were made of sandstone with two glass windows on either side of the front door.

"Tada! It's my house! I know it isn't really that creative, and I did make a creative thing to show you, but I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to show you guys what my house looks like both before Dax sees it himself and since it could be some time before Silver could see it. Selena can attest to the fact that I didn't embellish it for this demonstration."

She nodded, "While it is a bit cleaner than usual, likely to save on effort, it is a faithful recreation of his house. At least from what I can see out here."

He smiled some more as he made his way up the small step to the patio and up to the door he opened, "Come on! I want to show you the inside!"

Inside the house demonstrated the rather utilitarian use of the available space. The house was not very wide, to begin with, but despite that it still felt fairly roomy within. In the center of the house, the ninth pillar stood at the corner of two interior walls forming a room in the back left corner of the house. On the left wall headed towards the back was a set of cantilevered marble stairs leading to the second floor, as well as a couch against the interior wall, thus facing the left window, and a box in the same shape Selena had taken to talk to them before the dream. In the back right, was another door as well as a desk similar to the one Illiad had used to build this dream. In the front right corner was a simple kitchen with a cold box, stove, sink, and cupboards.

"So this front left corner is my sitting room where my friends and I hang out on occasion, the back left is storage and where I hang my paintings to dry, the back right is my work area, and is typically much busier, and the front right is my little kitchen."

With that he practically dragged the others up the stairs, at the top of the stairs were two doors, one in line with the stairs, and one to the right, he moved through the door on the right to reveal a bedroom, the bed sitting in the back right corner along with a side table that had a smaller version of the radio downstairs on it. In the back left corner was a small room with a closed door. On the front side of the room were the same double glass doors they saw from outside as well as a small closet area. This room was by far the biggest single room in the house.

"And this is my bedroom. So, what do you guys think of my house?"

Silver gasped in delight.  "Oh, neat!  It's such an efficient little place!  So cozy!"

She took her time, looking over details and enjoying the structure itself.  She kept looking all over, taking it all in as she did.

Dax was also quite fascinated.  He kept peeking around corners and checking out the layout.

"Illiad... your house is so... so... NIFTY!  Wow!  You put such good use to all this space, and not an inch of it wasted!  How cool is it that ALL of this is yours and ONLY yours!  Oh, this is so COOL!"

Dax ran back downstairs to gander over the rooms again; even though he lived in a huge manse, Dax seemed so excited for the fact that, even given the comparatively small amount of space presented, it all belonged to one pony.  It spoke a bit about how Dax wasn't spoiled or inclined to brag - he seemed just as proud of the small home as Illiad himself was.

Silver looked over the bedroom again.

"This is so very perfect for a single pony... or maybe, a couple?"  He smile went wide, and here eyelids lowered to a sultry level.  "TWO ponies here, well... they'd have to spend a LOT of time being rather close to each other, wouldn't they?"

To illustrate, she slid close to the stallion and nuzzled him gently, letting go a soft little sigh of contentment.  Her eyes turned up to look at him as she nestled in closely.

"Oh, Illiad... maybe one day, you and I could-"

"Is this what it looks like outside?"

Silver smiled, stood up once again and looked at Illiad.

"Should we go see what Dax found now?"

What Dax found, when they reached him, was a window.  He was staring out of it, looking at... something.

Given all but one of the windows of his house faced the front, and the front faced the door they had entered the room from, there was only one window that would see anything other than the whiteness surrounding the door. Illiad gave one last nuzzle with some whispered words, "Maybe some day."

He moved to where Dax would be standing, the small window on the back wall by his bed. "I would hardly get so see something so interesting as that from my window every evening, it's usually just a view of the back side of the row of houses behind mine. But if we proceed out the back door of this version of my house, I'll get to show you that other thing I've made up close."

What they could see from the window seemed to be a very abstract piece of architecture, something of a maze of stairs winding in and out of each other with no real regard for up as a direction. Upon which a number of slinkies seemed to be making their way around the sculpture.

As he led them up close there was, as it seemed, a way to enter the odd construction in the form of the stairs ending at the ground. "This... is something I came up with as an example of what can be accomplished here in the dream room. An item that is impossible in reality for a number of reasons, primarily being the lack of regard for safety as well as gravity, in addition to completely defying conventional laws of spacial relativity in that we could have two parallel lines meet up at even a perpendicular angle. It is a very weird place on those stairs which is why it is meant mostly as a thought experiment and that I have yet to get a slinky back from it and they tend to change color at some point."

Now that he mentioned it some of the slinkies were rather odd colors, and shapes.

The other two ponies viewing this impossibility both made observations.

"Well... perspectively speaking, it would seem to mean that, at some point, there's a place or part in your design that isn't as well-defined, so the random changes to slinkies you're seeing possibly stems from an abstract portion of this design that changes the structure in minute ways, so that-"

"Can we climb it?"

Dax looked raptly at the impossibility.  "I mean, is it safe to climb?  Is it even POSSIBLE to climb?"  He kept walking back and forth, looking at it from a number of different angles.

Silver gave a slight chuckle.  "That's Dax - show him something impossible, and he'll want to DO something impossible with it!"

Dax gave a sheepish grin at that, but his eyes remained on the fascinating structure and the various coils of metal falling repeatedly in every direction.

"Illiad, this is... well, it's certainly something I've never thought of before!  But seeing this DOES make me want to show you what I made even more!"

Still, regardless of her words, her eyes also stayed glued to the weirdness before her.

Illiad smiled, glad he was able to impress or at the very least amaze Silver with what he had created, "Well I can't wait to see what you two have come up with. Though Dax I would definitely advise against entering the thing until it can be confirmed safe. Wouldn't want you getting stuck in there after all."

Selena nodded, "While difficult, you can still injure yourself pretty badly here in the dream world, just the damage is mental rather than physical."

She turned towards Silver, "I for one would love to see what you've built now if you're ready to show it off."

Silver clapped her hooves and trotted toward the way out, eager to make her display... but Dax lingered a bit, still looking over the house as if he'd never seen one before.  It was as if he were committing it to memory, for when he was ACTUALLY going to be there - plus, it afforded another look at the fantastic sight in the back.

Satisfied, Dax made his way over as well.  He was smiling; a good sign.

Silver was almost hopping up and down as Illiad and Dax came over to her door.  She opened it and leapt inside, whinnygiggles abounding.  Dax chuckled a bit himself; it was so cute to see her this excited.

Inside the large, blank room was... well... it was...

It stood about seven stories tall, and had all sorts of tubes, pipes, coils, levers... but it was completely unidentifiable as anything Illiad had ever seen before.  Perhaps Dax had seen something like this, but-

"Uhm... what IS it?"

Okay, scratch that.

Silver gave another giggle, and stepped lightly over to an area covered by a tarp.  Her horn glowed, and the cover was whisked away to reveal... what looked like a large hamster ball.  It was made of smooth, flexible-looking metal, and it had what looked to be a soft, personally tailored cushion in the middle, suspended by hinges and wires.  

Beneath it was a steel platform, and next to that was a simple lever with a plastic daisy for a handle topper.  

"So... who wants to be FIRST!?"

Her smile went all the way across her muzzle; it looked both overjoyed and a tad manic.

"Come on, come on!  Who's first?"

Dax looked at Illiad, then turned to the unicorn mare.  "I... guess I... c-could?"

Silver laughed.  "Oh, you'll be perfectly fine, Daxie!  Just climb inside that ball there, and sit on the seat; don't worry about belts, it's perfectly secure!"

The Blackwater looked around himself dubiously as he wriggled his way into the sphere.  "Perfectly secure?  Well, what do I do no-"

"ENJOY!"

She slammed down the lever, and the platform underneath the ball SPRANG straight up, disappearing into a tube above it.  As Illiad watched, he began to see what was happening...

The ball shot through the tube, rolling down through it as Illiad heard Dax screaming in pure terror.  Little slotted windows in the tube allowed him to see where the ball was, and from what he could tell, Dax was still perfectly upright and contained.  At a bend, the side of the tube suddenly popped open, and the ball whooshed out of it!  

It flew across a part of the huge machine, only to be caught in a net which dropped the ball into another tube, this one a spiral.  As it twisted around and around, Illiad began to hear Dax's screams of fear beginning to turn to whoops of excitement.  Whirling out of the tube below, it then shuffled sideways into a steel trench, which carried it along rails that made the ball roll faster, even performing a loop-the-loop before simply flying off a ramp into the air.

Perfectly aligned with the rails on the other side of the gap, it then magnetically latched onto a panel that began to lift the ball up, up, up... until, close to eight stories up, it suddenly dropped again - but a pair of rails popped out of a side tube, caught the ball, and brought it back into the adjoining tunnel.

It was obvious now... Silver had made one heckuva roller coaster!

The sphere kept zipping, rolling, and flying around the entire contraption as the two watched.  Dax sounded as if he were having the time of his life inside.  Silver, meanwhile, turned to Illiad and leaned on him, giving him a nuzzle as she did.

"When I was a filly, my parents took me to a fair once... and I fell in absolute LOVE with the roller coaster there!  It was great to feel all that momentum, the wind in my mane, the thrill... oh, it was wonderful!  It was also one of the things that really got me interested in mechanical work.  So... this, Illiad, is my homage to roller coasters!  It's not an impossibility like your backyard display, but I DID dampen the physics inside the ball - so you don't get thrown all over the place."

The ball suddenly popped out of a hatch in the ground flew RIGHT past Illiad and Silver, and landed with a sharp >CLANG!< back on the platform it started from.  Dax sat there, his eyes huge and his pupils tiny.  He sat there for a moment, breathing hard.  Then he turned his eyes onto Silver Studs.

"That... was... AWESOME!!!!!"

Silver laughed as Dax climbed out and made his way over to them.  His mane was a tad wilder than usual, but he was otherwise unharmed.

"Illiad!  Oh my Luna it was SO AMAZING!  Once I realized I wasn't gonna fly out of that thing, it was SO much fun!  You've GOT to try it!  You've just gotta!"

Silver smiled at the Trojan.  "Well?  You're free to say no, but... well, I wanted to ride with you if you said yes."

The smile Silver was giving him took a bit of a saucy twist, and her eyes went half-lidded.

Illiad looked a bit unsure, having never really been one for thrills like what was posed to him. Still, this was no doubt a very impressive piece of engineering. He looked over at Silver with an intrigued, yet skeptical look. "Well... if you think it's safe enough for two... who would I be to deny you your moment?"

He sighed, steeling himself for what was coming, "Alright, let's do it."

Selena stifled a laugh as she watched the exchange, she knew Illiad wouldn't like the ride too much to start, but it would be funny to hear him traveling through it with Silver. No screams though as he just got quiet whenever things had gotten tense or exciting like this in the past. 

Silver's smile grew.  "Glad to hear it.  C'mon!"

She slid effortlessly into the sphere; Illiad... not so much.  But he did manage to get inside - and it was actually comfortable, as there was room enough on the cushion for two.  As long as they sat close.

Silver nestled in next to Illiad then glanced out at Dax.  

"Pull the lever, Dax!"

The young stallion smiled.  "Have FUN, Illiad!"  Then, he pulled it.

The initial takeoff was... fine.  Absolutely fine.  Illiad felt almost NO inertial drag at all - but the contraption was shooting them through the tube.  From the outside, there were only little windows to see the sphere's progression; INSIDE the tube, multi-colored lights zoomed past, giving the illusion of being whisked away through a field of colorful stars, streaking past the two of them.  The lights were interesting, but the different shunts through other parts of the machine were just as exciting.

However, Illiad only got to see part of this wonder...

As they reached the spiral, Silver suddenly wrapped her hooves around Illiad and kissed him DEEPLY.  She pulled him tightly to herself, hungry for affection, and continued to plant kisses all over his muzzle and neck, nuzzling and snuggling in between each one.

Apparently, Silver had not only made a grand roller coaster... but she'd also made a place where she and Illiad could have a moment alone... well, pseudo-alone, as far as Selena was concerned.  It wasn't until they were underground that she finally sat back and gave him a shy, sweet whinny giggle and a wink.  With that, the ball launched from the ground, and >CLANG!< back onto its' platform.

Dax walked over and looked inside.  "Didn't I tell ya it was fun!?"

Silver simply kept smiling... though, by now, her name might be better suited as 'Crimson', as the blush she wore almost seemed to reach her barrel.

It seemed the ride was a series of surprises for Illiad, first, the reduced feeling of the forces on the ball made the ride feel quite a bit more gentle than it had looked from the outside, altogether much more enjoyable than he had anticipated. Then there was Silver's display of affection, while not entirely unexpected, it was certainly a bit more forward than he had anticipated. That's not to say he didn't appreciate it, however, it was a fruitless endeavor to try and keep up with Silver's affections while inside the ball, so he did what he could and resolved to just enjoy it.

Once they reached the end he too had a pretty deep blush to match, but that didn't stop him from giving her one last kiss before exiting the ball. "Well, that was quite the experience."

Selena had a pretty smug expression on her face as she watched them disembark, having had a decent view of the whole thing, though her expression shifted to a bit more of an impressed smile as she caught llliad's attention with her waggling eyebrows. "Well this has certainly been a creative adventure, I guess that just leaves Dax left to show." She turned over to face him with a curious look, "If you're ready to show us that is?"

Dax gave a small, cryptic smile, yet turned and headed for the door.

"Okay... follow me."

He led them out of Silver's doorway and to his own, where he opened it and motioned to Illiad and Silver.

"After you."

They stepped inside.

The first thing they noticed was the absolute lack of a blank room.

What they saw was a beautiful shoreline of pure, white sand.  Palm trees framed the beachfront, fading into an entire forest of them stretching back behind it and into the distance.  From said forest, sounds of animal life peppered the background ambiance of the waves.

And the water...

The ocean before them was a beautiful, luminescent blue.  Its soft glow seemed to almost pulse with the tide, and it was cool, blue, and soothing.  The ocean seemed to stretch out for miles, far past the horizon line behind it.  The light of a single moon shone down, illuminating the entire area with the glow of precious moonlight.

Above, there were a number of stars... though they didn't fit any sort of pattern or constellation that had ever been seen, heard of, or existed.  They twinkled above, winking at the three entities standing on the beach.

Silver looked around with her mouth hanging open.  "Dax... where ARE we?"

Dax blushed.  "Planet Illiad."

Silver gave him a look of pure incomprehension.

"Well," he began, smiling sheepishly, "we were able to make anything our imaginations could come up with, right?  So, I just thought about all the stars and our world, and all the things I'd read about in my books, and... well, I made a planet."

"You... made... an entire... world?"

"Well... actually, I made a whole galaxy."

Silver just stared.

Dax pointed at the stars above them.  "See, each one of those stars up there is another planet - fully formed and even populated with little animals and such.  There's Planet Silver, Planet Slapper, Planet List, Planet Zinger, Planets Beck andCall - they're a binary star - and all sorts of stuff.  There's even a Blackwater Nebula, where my family's planets are... right there, see?"

He pointed to a visible swirl of purple and blue, five stars dotting the interior.

"How... how did you..."

"That part was actually kinda easy.  See, when I had lots of spare time as a colt, I used to imagine up my own worlds, where other ponies all liked me, and everything there was exactly how I wanted it, regardless of anyone else's ideas.  I could pretend I was on my own planet whenever I felt lonely, or afraid, or just miserable... and it usually made things feel better, afterwards.  So, with that in mind, I just adjusted my own designs for my own little world, duplicated them a LOT, then changed the makeup of each planet until not a single one was like another.  That... took some thinking... but I think I accomplished what I'd set out to do."

Silver was absolutely speechless.

Dax turned to Illiad.  "Is... is it good?"

Selena's reaction seemed a bit out of place, "So THIS  is what was draining so much of my energy!" She didn't look angry, though, in fact, she looked rather relieved, complete with a sigh. " I was worried I had contracted some sort of magical illness or something. I would never have thought you would be able to create such a draw all by yourself."

Illiad on the other hoof had quite a wide-eyed stare. "You... really did all this yourself? I mean you'd have to I guess but this... this is simply unbelieveable. I mean, it took a bit of doing for me to make the thing I did, but for you to have put forth even a rudimentary approximation of complex life from just your own mind and willpower is simply amazing."

Her form shuddered and seemed to lose focus for a bit before she drew herself back together. "That being said, though, you are understandably well over the sustainable resource limit, so if we want this dream to last longer than the next few minutes we're going to need to trim some stuff down okay? I already archived Illiad and Silver's things to memory, but we're really going to need to slim what you've done down."

She looked serious, though caring, with a slight bit of pain as well. "I really do like it, though, you've far outdone what the others have done at this point. I just can't hold it all here for long. I may be more mentally conscious than the rest of you but even I can't keep all of this in my head for too long." 

Dax looked (and felt) a bit hurt by Selena's request, but he nodded.

"I... kinda figured it might be too much.  Hold on."

He closed his eyes.  Almost instantly, the green glow that usually followed him in the dream world reached out from his form, and bathed the entire area in an emerald light.  As they watched, one by one, the stars in the sky winked out, until there was nothing above them but a blank black expanse.  It looked lonely and chilling, looking skyward and seeing nothing there.

Slowly, though, the black began to fade little by little until it was the familiar white of the blank room's walls once more... although considerably farther out.  Apparently, the planet was still whole, still there.  But even that began to shrink, bit by bit, until there was nothing more than the sandy beach they'd first stepped onto, surrounded by white.

It was surreal; the edges of the beach just sort of petered out, fading to white like an unfinished painting, the canvas showing at the edges.  It now appeared that they were standing on a small strip of sand... and there was a small sandcastle there now.  Nothing spectacular - a colt could have built it - but it certainly wasn't there before.

Otherwise, they were surrounded by the white room once more.  Dax's glow slowly sunk back into him, and he opened his eyes again.

"Sorry," Dax looked to Selena apologetically, "I didn't mean to put any strain on you, or anything like that.  I just wanted to... to... I'm just... I'm so sorry."

Though his emotions were a mixture of disappointment and shame, he still gave them a small, rather sheepish smile.

Selena sighed as the strain was lifted off of her, "Oh Dax, you're far cuter and more caring than you have any right to be."

She ghosted over to him to wrap him in a hug, "Now it's time for me to do something for you."

The white walls around them started to take color again, though instead of it being an inverse of what Dax had done, it was more like what they had seen earlier was being painted on the walls, the beach for all intents and purposes seemed to stretch out into the distance, the ocean seemingly endless, and the stars starting to dot the night sky again, each twinkling like they had before. She lifted Dax's head to see it as she gestured out at the expanse. "You see? Now it's like your room. Everything you thought up is still there, just presented in a way that it takes up very little active space. The other planets and stars simulated as much smaller, and much closer to keep the room small, and the rest mostly illusions rather than actual constructs. We can even move about your worlds by generating the constructs as we come into contact with them rather than keeping everything built all the time."

Illiad got over his awe enough to take a seat near where Selena had embraced Dax. "I do like that sandcastle, it's really a nice touch to the beach. I am curious, though, about more than one thing. First, what is it that makes this planet Planet Illiad? I suppose Silver too would want to see the planet you've made for her as well as what makes it really hers." 

Dax's blush almost outshone his black coat when Selena embraced him... but he did lean into it a bit.  Illiad felt a small explosion of emotion from this: confusion... surprise... a touch of shock... and maybe a bit of a shy crush, as well.

Silver was still boggled by what she'd seen.  "A whole galaxy?  Dax, I... I had no idea you had this kind of... I mean, you never seemed to... w-w-what I MEAN is..."

Dax gave a humble smile.  "Well... I did a LOT of thinking when I was a colt.  I'm serious when I said I didn't have any-..."

His mood dipped for a second, but he shook his head and smiled at Illiad.

"I call it Planet Illiad because it's what I put together based on you.  See?"  He pointed to the ground.  "Sand, to start with - of course - but it's more than that - the sand's actually made of tiny little pearls.  Look," he scooped up a hoofull and held it out for them to see.  Inside, on close examination, were hundreds of tiny little pearls, all rounded and smooth and VERY shiny.

"Each one is a pearl - that was me trying to actualize the fact of Illiad's being a secret treasure... 'cause, y'know, he's...special."

Silver gave the Trojan a sweet smile.  "He certainly is."

He continued, "But then there's the palm trees, which I read about in one of my natural biology textbooks - and further back, past the forest, there's a palace for him.  Though," he said, "it might be a bit too regal for your tastes.  Still, I wanted to try to put a bunch of nice things here for you.  Such aaaaaaaas..."

He pointed with a hoof, and they all saw a very curious sight: running down the beach at a breakneck pace, was what appeared to be a paintbrush with legs.  It was being chased by a square of canvas, which was flapping away behind it and keeping pace.

"The brush and scroll are friendly; they love to be picked up and doodled with - there's a bunch of 'em on Planet Illiad!  There's pencil-critters, too... and paint blossoms... and even wild paper rolls!  And they all really enjoy being used, so you'd never be out of art supplies here!"

Illiad seemed to be just stuck staring at all there was to see, watching Selena conjure things right from Dax's memory of the creation as they became relevant. With such a level of detail, it was no wonder it had reached the upper limit of Selena's mental faculties. It took a while before Illiad was able to compose his thoughts into actual words, wishing there was some way of this place Dax had created to be real, to be somewhere he could visit outside of a dream, though he had no doubt that he would be visiting this place again in another dream.

"I just... wow." Words could not express how much amazement sat within himself at such a mental feat, to carry this around inside himself. He wondered if any other creatures had such universes inside them.

He began to pace a bit as he spoke.

"The planet is roughly about 40% water, with land masses ranging from snowy mountains to bowl valleys.  It has a single moon, which I named 'Odyssey', an exotic word that means an adventure - like the one we're having now!  The majority of the planet is covered in either sand or palm trees, but there's a few surprises as well, like an active volcano and a waterfall where the water falls UPWARDS; that can be seen from the palace."

He smiled though at the mention of the moon's name, "Funny you should name the moon Odyssey, I'm actually familiar with the culture the term came from, though it also has a more personal aspect that you'll be more familiar with next week."

"There's a deep well, where you can draw buckets of whatever you'd want to drink - you can get soda, water, apple cider, orange juice... whatever you can imagine, just drop and then raise the bucket, and it's yours!  There's also-"

There was a rumbling sound that almost seemed to shake them all to the core, but the Blackwater simply smiled.

"... then there's HIM."

From above, what looked like the massive bulk of a dragon came whooshing out of the scant cloud cover and dove directly at them.  Once it was close enough, it slowed and flapped.  That was when Silver spoke up.

"Dax, is... is that a..."

The dragon landed... or, more like the dragon machine landed.

It was a clockwork dragon, complete with wings and tail, and what appeared to be small flames guttering in the back of it's steel throat.  It was all shiny silver and red chrome, with scales that reflected the faces of those around it, not to mention the scenery.  It had what looked to be twin Blackwater-Cut emeralds for eyes, which seemed to glow with an inner fire.

Once it reached the ground, it looked them all over before focusing on Illiad... and bowing low before him.

"OH MY GOSH, IT'S A CLOCKWORK DRAGON!  Dax, how did you..?"  She was all over it in a heartbeat, zipping from angle to angle, looking it over with hungry eyes.

For a brief moment panic struck Illiad at its mechanical nature, but it subsided as he saw the eyes, they weren't the unfeeling ones from his vision, though not very emotional they still made an attempt to convey something of emotion.

Dax just smiled his smile.

"It's not sentient... but it IS yours, Illiad.  After all, it's your planet... and everything here is under your command."

Illiad shook his head and chuckled at the whole thing, it spoke of both the sophistication of an adult and the childishness still within Dax.

Selena disappeared from Dax's side and reappeared atop the clockwork dragon with a smile on her face. "This is sooo cool!"

The Blackwater stallion smiled up at Selena.  "Isn't it, though?"

"Dax... that dragon... how do YOU know so much about clockworks?"

He blushed a bit.  "Well, from books... and you, Silver."

Her eyes widened.  "M-m-me?  But I've NEVER built anything like THIS!"  She made her way over to the dragon, and tentatively laid a hoof on its' side.  "I mean, it's beautiful... but you REALLY couldn't have come up with... with THIS... from MY work, could you?"

"Silver," he grinned, "your work is amazing.  I've seen you sketch out a number of things, seen you bring some of them to life, and I've watched you fix all sorts of stuff around the quarry - if I hadn't picked up SOMETHING, then I'd be pretty dense, don'cha think?"

Sighing, she smiled back.  "Dax... if I had even the smallest hoof in this, I'm flattered.  Really, I am."

He beamed at her, then turned back to Illiad.  "I'm really glad you like it; I was kinda wondering if it would be... well, if you wouldn't like it.  I just wanted to show you that... well..."  He motioned to their surroundings.  "... your friendship means the world to me; even if it's another world entirely."

"Awwwwww..."  Silver smiled sweetly.

He turned to Selena.  "I even have a planet for you... but, um... well, it's not like a... normal planet.  Because you're nowhere in the same room as 'normal', anyway - you'd need something REALLY unique!  And Silver," he turned to her, "yours is really cool, too.  I just..."

He looked at them all questioningly.  "I didn't want to take up all our dreamtime with just MY stuff... this is supposed to be for ALL of us, right?  Am... am I being selfish?"

Selena looked down at Dax from her perch atop the clockwork dragon, seemingly content to pretend it was flying around despite not really having the room to fly around on it without dragging the others along. "Are you foaling me? You create for us these amazing things, and wonder if you're being selfish by showing them off? I think hardly! You won't get another chance like this to show this off for a long time, I for one wouldn't mind spending the rest of tonight on a guided tour of your universe, or at least to what you made for Silver and I. Given what you made for Illiad here I know it will be something truly amazing!"

Illiad smiled too as he chimed in, "You thought up this amazing world and you've only known me really for a few weeks at best, you've known Silver for so much longer, thus I would think her world would be even more amazing in regards to things she would enjoy. This whole universe even... Honestly there isn't anything I'd rather do tonight than get to see it with the two of you."

If Dax's mood had sunk when he'd been told to shrink the world, it soared as he was asked to give them a tour.

"I'd love nothing more... really.  Thank you - all of you."

He smiled broadly as he turned and looked to Selena.

"Okay... Planet Silver next!"

Obligingly, the world around them shifted until they were standing in an open field of flowers.  

Steel flowers.

Each set of petals on every flower was a gear, which spun softly as the wind lightly blew past them.  Their stalks had little trails of green light that pulsed from flower to ground, and combined they made a green rippling effect across the surface, which was also steel.

There was a forest at the edges... but the trees?  They too were metal; it was as if they were Weeping Willows - but their flowing greenery was replaced with what looked like tinsel.  Each strand seemed to have a mirrory-shade to it, reflecting light softly, in a dazzling array of colors, like a prism.

Floating in and around these metal beauties were tiny little balls of light.  There were numerous colors, and they seemed to lazily drift along in the air, almost like bubbles.  One of these, a green one, landed gently on Silver's muzzle.  She crossed her eyes, then suddenly gasped.

"It's... it's a clockwork!  B-but I don't... what is it?"

Dax laughed.  "They're supposed to be like Breezies, which I learned about those from Mr. Stump, one of my old biology tutors.  I just took the design, made it metal instead of its' usual composition, then gave it a glow.  Cute, aren't they?"

At the outskirts of Illiad's vision, there was a flash of white light.

In the distance behind them, a large, dark stormcloud was rolling in.  It looked quite ominous, especially as a small jolt of lightning arced through said cloud, sending runnels of electricity rolling along the boiling, cottony surface.

"It's a storm?"

Dax smiled.  "Eeyup - a BRAINstorm!"

As if his joke conjured up reality, it suddenly began raining - and the rain looked more like cartoony thought bubbles, the kind you'd see in a comic strip when someone was thinking.  One of them landed right on Illiad's head, and he heard Silver's voice in his mind:

[... seven ounces of titanium dust, mixed with a gel-based polymer, soaked overnight in pure saltwater...]

And it was gone.  The thought hadn't been intrusive, nor blaring; it had simply sounded like he'd heard her muttering to herself in passing - but inside his mental ear instead of his physical ones.  It was... a bit strange.  But, in his own way, Dax had brought a pun to life; it was literally raining ideas.

"Now, above that cloud is YOUR palace, Silver!"

"A-a-above?"

As the cloud parted from the rest of its surroundings, a large gathering of tubes - like a pipe organ - resting atop a platform that seemed to float impossibly on top of the cloud itself.  It was a mobile castle!  It soared over their heads, the bubbles of the brainstorm popping lightly on the ground around them.

"Dax..." she said, but stopped there; she was smiling and speechless.

"The castle moves around all over the planet's surface, never taking exactly the same path twice.  Where the brainstorms go, it gives some of the mecha-critters below ideas, and they use their own mechanical skills, in turn, to build the forests and flowers you see here.  The entire planet is constantly replenishing itself, thanks to your castle and the brainstorms.  It's all one big machine, and every creature and plant is a cog..."

She turned to stare at him.  "Dax... this is... it's... wow..."

He smiled, and Illiad could feel the absolute joy and acceptance radiating from him as he took in the reaction and praise.

"And every bit of it responds to you."

As if on cue, a swarm of colored lights flew upward out of the flowers around her, surrounding her with a whirlwind of a display.  She laughed in surprise, and turned a few circles as they passed her, floating toward the forest's edge, ready to create once again.

Dax turned to Illiad.  "Planet Silver is roughly two-thirds the size of Planet Illiad.  It has mostly flatlands, but there are mesas and plateaus that dot the landscape as well, and there's a LOT of lakes, but no ocean - and the lakes are all freshwater, so as not to promote rust.  There are TWO moons here - named 'Not Really' and 'More Like'."

Silver gave a short bark of a laugh, then covered her muzzle and just blushed.

"And there's a Lake Easle... and it's heart-shaped."  He smiled sheepishly again.  "With pink water."

Illiad remained standing, even though the field was very pretty steel was not all the comfortable to sit on given all the angular edges of the flowers. He was, nonetheless, amazed at everything there was to see around him. "You really are much smarter than most give you credit for. Even though I get the idea that most of the clockwork is more an approximation where the dream takes it the rest of the way rather than you having the fundamental understanding of how to build everything here, otherwise you would actually build these things in the waking world and become rather famous for it, imagine a pony your age creating the first approximations of artificial life."

He shook his head slightly with a big smile, "Really, though, I must say I'm impressed."

Dax gave a soft grin.

"Yeah, the actual clockwork's kinda fudged... but the concepts are valid.  I've always been really imaginative - or so my tutors have told me - but I've..."

He teared up just a bit.

"... I've never really had anypony... actually, anyONE... to really share it with before.  Harcourt and Oglevy - they've seen some of it, but... you're the first friends I've really ever had the chance to do ANYTHING creative like this for.... that I WANTED to do this for... which makes me want to go all out for you - ALL of you."

Silver walked over and gave Dax a tight hug.  "Dax Blackwater, I am absolutely honored to call you a friend; I knew you were clever, but this?  This makes ME feel like I'm slacking!"

"Silver, I never would have even considered anything like this if it hadn't been for your tinkering... and your willingness to share and show.  Thank you for that, Silver - your kindness and skill went a long way for me."

He turned to Selena.  "And this dreamworld... this place of such amazing fantasy... I don't think words exist in the Equestrian language - in ANY language - to ever properly thank you for an opportunity like this.  To just... create... you're an amazing miracle of magic, Selena - and you're a wonderful friend."

Now he focused on Illiad.  "And you.  I..."

He suddenly dashed over and threw his forelegs around the Trojan, hugging him tightly and almost literally gushing the kind of affection that good friends often share.  

"Thank you; none of what I've experienced this week would have been even remotely possible if you hadn't sent that first letter.  You'll never really know what that meant to me... but I'm sure by now you could take an educated guess, I'll bet.  Thank you, Illiad Easle, for being my friend."

He sure was a huggy-type, wasn't he?

Illiad returned the hug as he ruffled the colt's mane, "And thank you Dax Blackwater, for being my friend. Thank you for showing me this wondrous world of a quarry and this unique universe of yours that you keep in your head."

Selena came over to join the hug too, "I suppose I am a miracle of magic, there may never be another like me, but I know there will never be another quite like you Dax, and I'm glad I got to be myself around you." She looked up and over at Silver, " You too, of course, I'm glad I got to spend time with both of you."

She stepped back from the hug as stared at a tiny sundial that appeared on her hoof, "It looks like we have enough time to visit another planet before we'll have to end the dream as Illiad and Dax have a pair of trains to catch."

Dax nodded.  "Okay then - next stop, Planet Selena!  But, let me tell you," he grinned, "it's certainly different."

The scenery shifted once more, and they were all standing on what appeared to be a large, square platform made entirely of diamond... CLOUD diamond, to be exact.

The platform was simply floating there, and surrounding it were all sorts of other platforms, all moving in different directions: up, down, sideways, diagonally... and their slow progression made it look almost like they were situated for leaping from one to the other.  They moved seemingly randomly, but after a moment's examination it appeared as though each platform had a predetermined pattern that it followed, keeping every one of them from accidentally striking each other.

"What in... Dax?  W-w-where's the planet?"

The Blackwater laughed.  "We're ON it!  Or rather, a section of it - take a look!"

He motioned to the edge, and Silver tentatively stepped to it... and gasped.

Beneath the platform were what appeared to be MILLIONS more, all moving and twisting in their random-yet-determined patterns below them; there was no actual planet surface there - it was all made of these platforms.  

Yet as one looked, the shifting squares took on momentary visages below; a strange, yet wonderful form of flowing, moving art as they arranged themselves, completely by design, into three-dimensional landscapes, portraits, still-life art... and a number of these were displayed at each simple movement - blink, and you'd miss a Manehattan gallery's worth. 

Silver didn't comment or react, other than the stare of a mind awed by the sight before it.  Dax turned to face Selena, and gave her a soft smile.

As they had traveled, Selena held on to the slightest bit of fear that what Dax made for her would be... underwhelming, it would be understandable, though, she was the one he knew least after all, thus how could she expect that he would create something that uniquely represented her?

She was pleasantly surprised to discover that not only was the planet very much like her, it surpassed her wildest dreams of what something so unlike her could represent her so well. She stared in wonder at all the things around her as Dax demonstrated, there was the freedom of her dream realm, the changeability of it all.

"It's more of an idea of living art than a planet, actually... but since we first met, I've seen you as a miraculous creation, beautiful and wondrous, that represented something that NO ONE has ever truly known before.  So I really had to think about this one abstractly, and find a way to make it the most incredible thing in the entire universe - literally."

"From every angle, with the right kind of eyes, you can see hundreds of pictures in less than a minute... and it's perfectly safe, too!  Watch!"

Dax stepped right off the platform... and fell UP.  The stars were visible in what would be an eternally night sky, but it was the moon.  And the one next to it.  And the one next to THAT one.  On top of this, there wasn't just the sight of multiple moons to view; they were all in a direct line across the sky, perfectly spaced and enchantingly luminescent - like a lunar belt. 

Outward from the 'planet' he went, panels seemingly pre-pre-programmed for his passage and moving aside.  He 'fell' until he cleared the entire area... then floated there for a moment.  His eyes closed, stepping confidently, a happy Dax simply started walking in air.  As he drifted back down, he began stepping on another platform - as smoothly as if he'd been there to begin with.

"All gravity here is relative; you can fall any direction you'd like.  In fact, if you think at it hard enough..."

He squeezed his eyes shut, making a rather determined little face, until the platforms all shifted mere fractions of inches - and there were multiple views of Illiad Easle, from the moment he stepped off the train to this very scene, and flashes of each and every moment in between he'd had with the Blackwater stallion.

"... you can make it display anything you could ever imagine or remember."

"Selena - this is all for you."  He grinned shyly, but the genius behind his eyes shone like an emerald in the moonlight.  "Thank you for being my friend."

Illiad looked over the edge of one of the platforms and shuddered from a familiar memory before moving squarely to the center of the platform and willing the one he was on to stop moving, Selena remembered that experience and didn't blame him for making himself feel a bit safer.

She turned towards Dax, a serene smile on her face, " I never thought you would be able to capture me so well after having known me for such a short time. I do appreciate your friendship too Dax. Thank you for being my friend."

A thought occurred to her and she willed it to life, a few of the nearby platforms shifted into motion, looking a bit like angular ponies and dancing about, floating in every direction in loose circles around the group. Nearby one particular angular stallion, who looked a bit more there than the others, was dancing with a much less angular mare who looked strikingly like Selena, though Selena was still sitting with the group. If anything the angular stallion looked a bit like the thing that attacked PANIC from before.

" Only in one particular dream had I danced before you came around, Dax. Illiad always was too close to me to do it without an audience. I really do appreciate it."

Illiad looked a bit chagrined by the comment, "Yeah, I guess I didn't want to look like I didn't care. I saw how much she enjoyed dancing with you, so I wanted to experience that enjoyment for myself as well."

After a few minutes of the dancing, Selena stopped it, letting the platforms return to their natural state and motions. "Well, it looks like our time is just about up. Illiad and Dax are going to need to head out for their train soon, wouldn't want to make you guys oversleep just for my enjoyment."

Dax chuckled.  "It's weird - having had a night like this, only to wake up to another adventure... but a weird I could get very used to."

Silver turned and locked Dax in a hug.  She gave his mane a friendly touseling, then stepped back and gave him a thorough looking-over.

"Dax Blackwater - this just tells me you're as smart as I always knew you were.  I hope you have a safe trip, and you'll no doubt come back with all sorts of stories!  You be careful out there, okay?"

He nodded at her, then she turned to Selena.

"This is all so amazing... I really mean it!  YOU'RE amazing!  I've never ever, ever, ever met anyone like you... and from what I've experienced?  Your friendship is its own kind of magic... thanks for being so very stellar!"  She gave a slight giggle. "Well, maybe not exactly a heavenly body in the sky, but more like you're out of this world!"

She walked over and gave Selena a hug, then turned to face Illiad.

"You."

She sauntered over to him, the look in her eyes being one of rather undisguised emotional hunger.

"You've done what no other stallion has ever managed to do - you got my attention romantically, Mr. Easle.  For years, I purposely AND accidentally stayed clueless as to the wiles of romance... and then you came along.  Illiad, you've shown me a type of love I'd been missing.  And you've shown me what sort of things I'm actually capable of.  And best of all?"

She leaned in and kissed him fully on the lips, lingering there long enough for the stuff of dreams and memories to record.

"... I do believe I LIKE it."

She nuzzled against him, warm, soft, and scented like machine oil and lavender.

"I love you," she whispered.

Dax looked over at them and smiled; it did his heart good to see two good friends finding something special in each other.  He then glanced over at Selena as Illiad and Silver had their moment.  Selena certainly was the most unique being he'd ever met.  She was so kind, so sweet, so very intelligent, so kind, so...

Stop it, Dax - I know what you're thinking... and there's no way someone like her would ever find someone like you to be...

Dax shook his head and looked over toward the pair.  "Illiad?  You wanna stay here, or should we get ready to leave now?" He chuckled.  "Or do you perhaps need an extraction?"

Illiad smiled as he kissed Silver back and returned the affectionate nuzzle. "I love you too." He whispered right back at her.

Selena was glad to see that Illiad had found someone who could care about him as much as he cared about everyone around him, there weren't too many of those in his life and most of them were changelings. Not to say that the changelings were bad, just that it was nice to have another non-changeling in the friend group. Besides, if this kept up she would have another guest on the regular.

She sighed as she thought about Dax, while he was so adorable and so much someone she could see herself falling in love with, she was already infatuated with another, in a vision she had, one she hadn't shared with Illiad, she saw who she would end up with, someone who completed her so perfectly, another being of magic. Nonetheless, she could still appreciate Dax as a friend, a very good friend.

Illiad sighed as he looked over towards Dax while still staying close to Silver, "I guess we should get ready to go then, wouldn't want to feel rushed in packing and then forget something after all."

Selena nodded as the contents of the room slowly faded, a sad look on her face as she realized she wouldn't be able to hold up such a wonderous place again without all three of her guests to help support it, it was just too complex for her to hold up on her own in any capacity beyond just looking at it.

They all found themselves back in the center room they started in, then that too started to fade from their vision, slowly being replaced by the darkness that was the back side of their eyelids.
> An Exchange of Farewells
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strangely enough, Silver didn't feel like her usual self when she woke up - she felt invigorated.  Awake.  Alive.  She hadn't woken up feeling this jaunty in a long time - particularly without coffee.  It had to have been the wonderful experience they'd had last night - and she was so glad she got to see it.

The stars were still there when Silver opened her eyes.

But, Selena said it was time to wake up... why are the stars out?

Then she glanced around and laughed; they were the painted-on stars of Dax's room.  They were still laying on the palette in the floor - according to the clock on the dresser, it was indeed morning.  She gave a languid stretch, a long yawn, then snuck a look over at Illiad.

He is SO handsome... and intelligent... and brave... and now?  Going home.  To HIS home.  Dax is so lucky, and he doesn't even know it.  Speaking of which...

She looked over to the other side of their makeshift bed, on the other side of the lantern.

Dax's eyes were open, but to different levels, with one at three-quarters open, and the other about a third.  The green glisten of his irises stood out even further from the veins of bright red, and he made a sound like a zombie freshly-risen from the grave.

"MmmmmMmMmmMMMrrRRGH..."

He sort-of blinked; it didn't help.

"Dax?  Are you... okay?"

Aparently, Selena's warning about overdoing things and Illiad's comment about being tired the next day were exactly as they'd said; there was indeed a downside to building an entire universe in a single night.  

"Poor Daxie," she grinned, "guess you overdid it a bit, huh?"

He gave her a red-eyed glare... then a small chuckle and smile.

"... guess so."

He slowly began to stretch as Silver leaned over and nuzzled lightly against Illiad's cheek.

"Good mooooorrrrrrniiiiiing..." she purred into his ear, her eyes on Dax to make sure he wasn't paying attention; she might have been bold in her dreams, but Silver was still quite shy in the waking hours.

Illiad gave a deep yawn as he rose from the blankets at Silver's words in his ear. He gave her a quick kiss before he too looked to the clock, "Good morning to you too. Well, it looks like we have just enough time to finish packing and such before we should get on the carriage and get going."

He stood fully up from the bed, a shiver running through him as he contacted the cooler air outside the blankets. He inspected his robe and grimaced, "Yeah, this is going to need to be washed when I get home, and speaking of which, Dax, it would be a good idea to wash up before we leave if you weren't planning to already, we'll be on the train for a few hours and it is definitely more comfortable the more recently you've been cleaned."

He started to make his way top the door before turning back to give Silver one last hug, "I'm really going to miss you, take care of yourself you hear? I fully intend to see you again even if it won't be very soon."

Silver gave a slight sniffle, but returned the hug, smiling sweetly as the Trojan bid his farewells.

"I'll be here, Illiad; not so much as right in this spot... but more like you'll know where to look for me."

Right here in the quarry... inventing, creating, building... and now, yearning.  Take care, love.

... she wished she could say, but she got the idea he felt that from her already, so she waved and smiled instead.

Dax murmured and gathered himself up like a bundle of dirty clothes, stumbling for his bathroom.  He bumped into the door, but only grunted - no harm, no foul.  The door shut, and he started getting the warm water ready.

And tried not to fall back to sleep.

With that, Illiad retrieved Selena’s diamond from where it had come to rest on the floor and made his way out the door and back to his room to pack himself up for the trip. He shed and rolled both of his robes, the one he had been wearing and the one that Havoc had damaged, and placed them in his luggage along with the book Dax have him and the fancy outfit Vylia provided. He set out the cloak Dax had got him as he quickly bathed himself, putting it on soon after drying and being pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it was.

He did one last check of the room to ensure he hadn't missed anything, packing up all of his belongings while straightening the things that weren't his. He pulled the police report and Taps’ letters out, placing them within his robes with the diamond so he would have them on the train.

The room cleared, he grabbed his bags and proceeded in search of one of the Ons do they could be put on the carriage.

In the grand entrance hall, Beck stood off to one side, stacking some light luggage by himself; through the windows, Illiad could see Call outside with the harness, rigging it up even as Vylia Blackwater herself, in a charming sun hat and matching dress, pointed and spoke, giving directions.

At the front walk that circled the steps, towards the side where the path began that led down to the yard, Luther stood there with Chuck, Redd, and Slapper, talking to them.  It looked serious; Luther ALWAYS looked serious, so it wasn't that big of a shock.  For what it was worth, the other three were all listening intently.

They were so very different, yet they had their own way of working together.  Chuck was good at keeping his head and did a lot of the thinking.  Knee was certainly a voice of conscience and had a few tricks up his sleeve.  Even Redd had a purpose and kept the workers in line in his own way.  Between them, they handled the quarry like a rather squeaky, yet efficient machine.

Knee glanced right at him, once, through the window.  He subtly winked, then went right back to the conversation.  

Luther finished, they all spoke, then the three foreponies of the Blackwater Quarry headed back into the yard proper; the visitor was leaving, the excitement over, back to business as usual.  

Though now, Illiad got the distinct impression that it wouldn't be long before the next adventure showed up - the place was too special to stay boring for long.  And that was its own magic.

Luther made his way back to the carriage.  He looked at its frilly frou-frou-ness... and his muzzle momentarily wrinkled in disgust.  Then, almost comically, his eyes darted over to Vylia - and seeing her involved in talking to Call, he relaxed.

Beck, seeing Illiad headed his way, smiled and stood straight.  "Sir Easle, might I help you with whatever bags you may have?"

Illiad nodded to Beck as he passed the bags magically over towards him. "It just occurred to me that transferring all of the Blackwater's gifts on our train transfer is going to be a bit difficult with just me and Dax to do it. Maybe they should just caravan the goods down, though it would take a bit longer and be less secure than the train." He shook his head and sighed, "I'll figure that out later, it shouldn't be too much trouble. And really once we get to Troy they'll be taken care of and I won't have to worry about them any longer."

He sighed as he looked over at Beck more directly, "Oh! I'm sorry I didn't address you directly, yes I would like some help with my bags if you're offering." He set them down so Beck could collect and arrange them in whatever way he saw fit. He made his way over to Luther, "Good morning."

He momentarily thought about adding a bit of small talk to the end of his greeting but decided he would let the stoic stallion decide whether a conversation was warranted at this time.

Luther looked at the Trojan with his usual scowl, but his eyes said he wasn't at all disappointed to see him.

"Illiad."

He stepped over to him, standing tall and thick next to Illiad's frame.

"Arrangements have been made - all luggage and deliveries have been secured and paid for, and the porters know this.  What we discussed will be onboard; it left here early this morning, and is already on the train."

He looked at the fellow stallion for a moment, then cleared his throat.

"I had doubts when Daxter originally came to me with news of your arrival.  I no longer do.  You have proven worthy of the trust he has put in you... and I thank you for that.  I will be able to rest knowing my child is safe with you."

Illiad was impressed once again at Luther's efficiency, though really he should have expected it by now. "I appreciate your confidence in me Luther, I hope I'll never give you any reason to think it misplaced."

At this point, Vylia turned and saw them.  "Illiad, dearie!  Glad to see you're ready to go... but where is Daxter?  It's very unlike him to be late for this - he's been going on about it for SO long, I would have almost thought he'd have been here before the TWINS!"

She sauntered over, and gave Luther a light nuzzle as she made her way next to him.

"You two boys... are you talking about me behind my flank?"  She smiled teasingly at her husband.

Luther, completely poker-faced, replied, "Always."

It was the right response.  She giggled and kissed Luther's cheek... and he almost smiled.  Almost.

Illiad turned to Vylia as she approached, "Last I saw him, Dax was getting himself prepped and finalizing his packing for the trip, I'm surprised though that he didn't beat me out here, we were up late last night, though, so he may have accidentally fallen back asleep, someone ought to go check on him if he isn't out here soon."

Oglevy's head poked out of the carriage.  "ILLIAD!"

Suddenly, there was a small blue cyclone swirling around him as the colt zipped out of his seat and flew rapid circles around the unicorn.  

"You can sit between Dax and I!  Have you seen the Canterlot Castle from the pathway?  Is the train from Troy?  Will it look different?  Will there be Trojans there waiting for you?  How long will the trip be?  Are you and Dax sitting together?  Are you homesick?  Why can't you stay another week?  Can I come too, next time?"

Illiad looked over at Oglevy and smiled, though a brief bit of surprise crossed his features at his words, he had assumed that it would only be him and Dax up to the train, with the farewell being here at the manor rather than at the train station, but he supposed this would work too. "I have seen the castle from the pathway yes, the train we'll be boarding in Canterlot is a standard Equestrian train and it will only be taking us as far as Dodge where we'll transfer to a Trojan train which does look quite different from the Equestrian ones. From what I've heard they look similar to the crystal engines, though made of metal, I expect at least one Trojan will be waiting for us when we arrive in Troy, the trip is about four hours from Canterlot to Dodge and another hour from there to Troy, after which it will be another hour to Deltrot. Yes, Dax and I will be sitting together on the train, I'm not homesick, and I can't stay another week because then I wouldn't have time to show Dax around Troy before my other obligations interfere with my schedule. Perhaps you could come visit at some point in the future, but we'll see."

Beck came out with the luggage, carrying it all on his back, save the valise he held in his mouth.  He trotted over to the carriage, and Call started helping him pack everything onboard.  

Vylia turned to tell one of them to go fetch her son when Dax came barreling out of the manor.  He had a small suitcase in his teeth and a light traveling coat on his back.  His mane was still a bit wet from his bath, but he looked otherwise ready to go - and wide awake, as well.

"Sorry sorry sorry!  I needed to wake up - but I'm okay now!  I'm ready!"

He made his way over to the rest of them and stood there panting.

"Okay... shall we?"

"Of course!"

"Lets."

"Come on!"

Beck and Call were loaded and strapped in; they were ready to go.

Illiad smiled at how quickly everything fell into place once they were all gathered. He gave a nod as he proceeded towards the carriage, boarding and taking a seat in the middle of one of the benches given those that wanted to sit next to him. He poked his head back out the window, "Let's get going then, shall we?" 

As the carriage left the Blackwater Quarry, there were a number of workers who waved and smiled at its' passing; they knew who was inside, and they all wished him a fond farewell.

As he got a last look at the gates, he saw Taps on top of the gate.  Satchel behind her, she gave them a salute as they passed below... then, her wings unfurled, and she returned to the quarry yard.

On the other side, the gates closed behind them with a solemn thud.  This trip, for Illiad, had come to a close... but his adventure with Dax was nowhere near complete.

Luther sat with Vylia on one side, Oglevy and Dax flanking Illiad on the other.  The matron gabbed, the patriarch sat there vigilant, the colt talked where his mother didn't... yet Dax was quiet.

He spent much of the trip just looking out across the view from up here in the mountains.  The Empathic could feel his excitement, nervousness, and melancholy at his possible future...

There's a lot ahead of me.  I have a vague idea of what I'll be seeing and doing, but... well, am I going to have the kind of adventures I keep reading about in books and scrolls?  Will I have the kind of adventures Illiad has experienced?  Will I see or do something completely unexpected?

He sighed softly as they traveled, not in sadness... but in thought.

But an entirely different world?  Sure, they're not so hard to imagine... but to actually experience one?

THAT would be something totally different.

Illiad interjected to the conversation whenever he could get a word in edgewise, occasionally a subtle verbal prod in Dax's direction to see if he wanted to join in, but otherwise he left him alone to his thoughts.

They arrived at a reasonable pace, and the train was still a good ten minutes before departure.  Stopping in front of the station, the gaudy carriage once again became the center of attention as the twins parked it at the curb.  Unhitching each other, they began offloading the luggage as everypony stepped out into the sunshine.

The station was not super-busy, but there were a number of others already there; the train wouldn't be packed, but Illiad and Dax would hardly be the only two on the train.

One they arrived Illiad carefully, yet quickly, extracted himself from the carriage. He took a deep breath of the Canterlot mountain air before turning back towards the assembled Blackwaters, "Well, I'll leave you all to your farewells while I find us a good seat on the train."

To be honest, the family dynamic in the carriage ride was starting to feel a bit awkward to him, in some absurd way he felt like he was getting too close to them. He wondered if perhaps they were trying to use him to fill the hole left by Harcourt, and thought it best to give them a little more distance to bid a more cheerful farewell to this Blackwater. He went and secured from the Ons Dax's travel documents, while they wouldn't be necessary until they boarded in Dodge, it would be a good idea to have them on hoof rather than packed away in the massive array of luggage. In turn, he passed off the signed police report so they could deliver it to the station on the way out. As much as he would love to see how long they would hold the culprit while they waited, he wanted justice to come swiftly.

That done he moved to survey the train cars for one that would be mostly empty, the Equestrian trains had always seemed to be a bit more comfort oriented given the typically longer rides while the Trojan trains had always been much more utilitarian, prioritizing a faster ride over a comfortable one.

As Illiad boarded the train, Dax turned to his family.

"Well... uhm, this is-"

Vylia suddenly leaped out and wrapped her forelegs around him, and started bawling.

"Ohhh, DAXTER!  Oh, I almost can't bear it - an entire week!  Oh, my little one... how are ou going to survive out there!?  So far from us... from me...oh, Daxter are you SURE about this?"

"Mother!"  He yelped, but he was still rather happy that his mother was going to miss him.  Besides, what Mother wouldn't?  "It's okay, Mother - I'm just going for a single week; I'll be home before you know it."

She nodded and stepped back from him, but the look on her face said that she might try to grab him again if he wasn't vigilant.  He then turned to Oglevy, who was standing there, trying to look aloof... but his eyes betrayed him, a world of concern in them as he locked sight with his older brother.

"Brat."  Dax said.

"Pansy." Oglevy said.

They both smiled at each other, entire worlds spoken between those two small words.

Dax then turned to Luther.

"Father, I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to provide a good example to the population of Troy; I'll show everyone the kind of ponies the Blackwaters are, and I promise I'll not embarrass us."

Luther looked down on his son.

"Daxter... be yourself.  Do that, and I know the rest will follow."

Dax stared at his father for a moment more, then leaned over and hugged him.  Luther didn't seem to budge... except for the single hoof he raised and put on his child's back.  They both closed their eyes, and stood there for just a moment.  Then, they parted.

Dax looked past his mother.  "Beck?  Call?  Hold the fort, you two!"  

They both smiled.  "But of course, sir." they answered in unison.

He smiled at them all, waved slightly, then boarded the train after a deep, supposedly-calming breath.

He'd been on a train before - Mother had made a few stops in Manehattan and Baltimare before - but this would be the longest he'd ever been away from the rest of his family.

And he could hardly wait.

He walked up and down the aisles, simply full of excitement for the oncoming journey... and what might await them when they reached Troy.  THAT, he was smiling about.  To actually have a chance to be elsewhere, to explore... 

Best of all?  NOBODY knows who the Blackwaters are there!  Without the social stigma of my family name, I've got the potential for making LOTS of friends!

He paused in his thoughts.

There could be danger, too.  I mean, I have no idea what I'm stepping into on Illiad's end.  He's politically involved, so there might be a chance that I could get swept up in it.  Maybe-

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

No - no involvement.  I can't afford to get Illiad in any kind of trouble... besides, he's probably already got plenty of stuff in mind to keep me out of the limelight.

Granted, as the young were wont to do, there'd been a slight hope at the back of his mind that he'd be able to help Illiad out somehow, to maybe make some kind of speech or some sort of show...

But he knew better; Illiad's world was HIS world.  Dax was only a passing ship in the night; when it was all over, it was pretty certain that this trip - though it would mean the world to Dax - wouldn't even rate a footnote in Troy's history.

Besides, who am I to make history?  I need to just relax, have myself a good time, and try to not make too many mistakes.

The thought, though meant to help bring him out of his doldrums, wasn't doing a very good job.

Illiad waved to Dax as the colt boarded the train so he would know where they were sitting, but he otherwise left Dax to his explorations.

He seems ready enough, am I? Was it really a good idea to try and host a guest at this time? Sure the elections still a few month's off, but no doubt this could cause problems if things go badly.

He sighed and shook his head, turning to look out the window,

No, I shouldn't think like that. This past week has been an amazing experience for the both of us, and I'm sure this next week, while not likely to be even better, could still be an amazing experience in its own right.

A slight smile came to his face as he thought of what he had planned,

So much that Dax will get to experience for the first time, will he be ready for it? Will I be ready to show him what it's like? It's too late to second guess this now, I'll just have to trust that my friends will be able to support me where I lack in showing Dax all the amazing things that Troy has to offer.

He turned back towards Dax, an idle thought crossing his mind.

I wonder if he'll sit down before the train starts moving.