CoH : The Silence of the Elements

One of Twilight Sparkle's favorite things was the sound of a quill as its tip glided across a fresh piece of parchment. The soft scritch-scratch was soothing and satisfying, for each stroke of the levitating writing instrument sounded of the progress she gradually made on that day's “To Do” list. Tuesdays, much like Wednesdays and Sundays, promised only a few tasks and chores.

A small smile tugged at the young princess' lips as she glanced towards the staircase that lead up to the second floor. Spike was still asleep—not that his slumber was an issue. Twilight was always up and out of bed before her assistant. Although, that depended on whether or not she actually went to bed in the first place. She almost wished that she didn't have to sleep at all, given that she had help during all hours of the day.

Briefly, her eyes drifted to Owlowiscious. Her feathered friend sat atop his usual spot—a wooden perch that set right beside her desk. He hadn't moved, for he was obviously content to merely watch as she worked. For the past few minutes, however, Twilight couldn't help but notice that he was beginning to drift off. Chuckling, she quietly asked, “Time for bed already, my friend?”

The owl cooed softly as he turned his head towards the window. The princess followed his gaze. It didn't surprise her to see the sun as it began its ascent above the horizon. Without a clock, there was no better indicator of the coming day than a tiring owl. “Go ahead and get some sleep, Owlowiscious,” she said. She set down the quill, then she rolled up the list and walked away from her desk.

Her hooves clicked softly against the wooden floor as she headed upstairs. She had hoped to leave the small scroll next to Spike's bed, so that he could sleep in a little while longer without disturbance. However, as her front right hoof made contact with the top step, she immediately noticed that the tiny dragon was tossing and turning in his bed—grumbling incoherently. Frowning, Twilight walked up beside him. “Spike?” she whispered, gently nudging his shoulder. “Are you all right?”

With a groan, Spike lifted his head to look at her. His irritated countenance was enough to tell her that he was uncomfortable. Yet, before he could voice a complaint, he clutched a claw to his chest and belched up a green flame. Twilight recognized the enchantment, which soon took the form of a scroll. “A letter?” she whispered as she snatched it out of the air with her magic.

Her assistant gave a huff as he curled up underneath his blanket. “Why so early in the morning?” he mumbled. “Must be somethin' important.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow as she opened the letter and started reading. A minute or two passed, during which Spike came close to drifting off, when her stoic expression suddenly transformed into one that combined surprise and excitement. It wasn't hard for the dragon to miss, even in the dim, early morning light. “Well, what does Princess Celestia want?” he yawned.

“Nothing,” she replied simply, rolling up the parchment. Without warning, she levitated her assistant's blanket off his person. “I'm sorry, Spike, but we have to gather the others right away.”

Glaring, Spike sat up and reached for his blanket. Unfortunately, it floated far out of his reach. “Aw, seriously?” he groaned. He hoped that Twilight had a good explanation for her cryptic behavior. If there was no emergency—if there was nothing that the Sun Princess wanted from them—then what was the point of getting out of bed in the first place?

“Let's go, Spike.” It didn't much concentration for her to levitate Spike. In spite of his futile resistance, which involved digging his tiny claws into the sides of his bed, she dropped him onto her back. Defeated, he crossed his arms. “Ugh, fine,” he groaned, resting himself against the back of Twilight's neck. Fortunately, her mane was soft enough for a makeshift pillow. He probably would have fallen asleep right then and there, but the consistent bounce caused by Twilight's trotting and the loud clip-clop of her hooves kept him awake as they ventured out into the delicate warmth of the early-morning sun.

~*~*~

“You're bein' awfully secretive, Twilight.”

“C'mon, tell us what's going on!”

“It's the least you could do fer gettin' us up so early.”

“Uh, aren't you normally up at this time anyway, Applejack?”

Tipping her hat back, Applejack peered at Rainbow Dash, who flew beside her at a raised elevation. “That's not the point, Rainbow,” she retorted. She glanced over her shoulder at Fluttershy, who walked a bit behind them, then she shifted her attention to Twilight. The alicorn was a foot or two ahead, though her pace was shortly slowed due to a certain pink mare's antics. “Come on, come on, come on!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie, bouncing around Twilight like a frog that had consumed its weight in sugar.

Rarity kept her eye on Pinkie as she strolled alongside Twilight. “Do you have to be so quiet, darling?” she asked. “We're all here, so why not tell us what's going on?”

With the library in sight, Twilight simply smiled and said, “I'll make everyone tea first. Consider it my apology for the early awakening.”

“I hope that means I get some tea, too,” Spike replied under his breath.

Once they drew close to the front door, Twilight opened it for her friends. Everyone hurried inside and immediately gathered around the large table that set in the middle of the library. Spike joined them, content that he wasn't the one preparing the refreshments this time around. Although, it didn't take that long to ready the tea. Twilight was in the kitchen for no more than fifteen minutes, while her friends debated as to the nature of the news she had to share, before she emerged with the prepared cups. “All right,” she set, setting the cups on the table. “Now, we can talk.”

“About time,” snapped Rainbow Dash.

Levitating the cup to her mouth, Rarity scooted a few inches closer to Fluttershy. After a careful sip of her tea, she said, “Sit down, then,” and nodded at the empty spot.

Twilight graciously sat down beside her. “Thank you, Rarity,” she replied. In that moment, despite the calm demeanor she put forward before, the bubble of exhilaration that was restrained deep within her burst and she couldn't help but clap her hooves together enthusiastically. “Okay, okay!” she exclaimed. “You probably won't believe this, but Princess Luna sent me a letter not too long ago!”

Silent, everyone looked at each other in uncertainty and Fluttershy, remarkably, was the first one to break the ice. “Uh, really?” she asked.

Twilight nodded rapidly as she placed her front hooves up on the table. “Yes! Can you believe it? I've never gotten a letter from her before!” she proclaimed. “In all honesty, I thought that something terrible had happened when I saw that it was from her. I mean, why would the Princess of the Moon, of all ponies, take the time to get in contact with—"

“Whoa, there, sugar cube!” laughed Applejack. She held up her right hoof, which caused the princess to promptly close her mouth. “It's real nice to see you so excited and all, and Ah hate to interrupt, but could you please tell us what Princess Luna wanted?”

Blushing, Twilight cleared her throat and crossed her forelegs. “Uh, sorry,” she sheepishly mumbled. “Anyway, she wrote that the ruins of an ancient city were found in Reinvale's gemstone mines not too long ago. Princess Luna approved the excavation of the ruins and she wants me to supervise it!”

“That's wonderful, darling,” said Rarity. “I'm almost envious!”

Scratching at a scale on his cheek, Spike looked at Rarity in confusion. “Uh, what's so great about Reinvale?” he asked. It was the start of a short chain reaction; the other ponies glanced at each other, then directed their attention to Rarity. They noticeably wondered the exact same thing, since the seamstress made it clear that she knew something they did not.

A short, faint chortle escaped the snow-coated mare. “Well, I've only heard about it. And only recently, though I'm afraid I don't recollect the source of where I heard it,” she said. She lightly tapped the tip of her hoof against her chin as she looked up to momentarily behold the ceiling. Her friends were silent as they gave her the time to think. Although, smack-dab in the middle of her thoughts, she paused when she caught sight of a large cobweb that was woven into a far corner. It somewhat surprised her, considering how much Spike dedicated himself to keeping the place clean. With her friends on the edge of their seats, however, she chose to ignore the missed spot. Temporarily.

Finally, in an overly-dramatic motion, she held up her hoof and exclaimed, “Ah, now I recall! It's supposedly a popular retreat!” She had heard whispers of the town during their trip to Manehattan. Intrigue compelled her to listen in on the conversations that just so happened to take place wherever she wandered in that bustling city. If she remembered correctly, she first heard of Reinvale in front of the train station upon their arrival. There were very little details, though the ponies seemed to highly regard the town.

In a blur of pink, Pinkie Pie released a cheerful squeal and began to hop around the table. “It sounds absolutely-positively super! I like new places!” she shouted. Her voice was so loud that the others flinched. Before any of them could get a lock on her position, she was up on the table—towering above Twilight. “Can we go, too?” she asked as a large, almost unnerving, smile appeared on her face.

Swallowing, Twilight managed to smile, too. “Well, Pinkie, that was the plan all along,” she replied. A purple glow manifested around her horn, then around Pinkie as she was cautiously lowered to the floor. “Princess Luna mentioned in her letter that I was free to bring my friends. That's why I invited all of you here,” Twilight continued. “Would you all like to come with me? After all, it will be a long while before we will be able to spend time together again, since Rarity's leaving for Manehattan next week.”

“It's not a permanent change, dear,” insisted the fashionista.

“But, you're goin' to be away for a while, aren't 'cha?” asked Applejack, biting down on her bottom lip.

“Well... yes.”

“Then, Ah'll go along. If the rest of y'all are up for a little vacation, of course.”

There were no protests from Fluttershy, nor from Rainbow Dash or Rarity. The hilariously-large smile on Spike's face and the fact that Pinkie Pie appeared as though she would leap through the ceiling at any minutre was enough to convey their support. Standing, Twilight held her hoof in the air and said, “Then it's settled! Princess Luna wants us there as soon as possible, so pack lightly. She informed me that the Reinvale's mayor will happily accommodate us for our stay.”

She didn't have to tell them twice; they were out the door as soon as she concluded her sentence. Spike, on the other hoof, hurried upstairs to prepare their luggage. Twilight's eyes lingered on the door for a few seconds. The violet orbs then settled on the table. The mess before her made her sigh and shake her head. Only Fluttershy and Rarity  touched the still-warm brew, and Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie managed to knock over their cups as they left.

Twilight quickly cleaned up the puddles of tea with an old dusting rag that was within reach before she took the cups into the kitchen. Unfortunately, neither she or Spike had time to wash the dishes, so she merely left them in the sink. She trotted upstairs afterwards. She was pleased to see that Spike had already placed a few items into her saddlebags and had moved on to stuffing as much as possible into his pack. She took a look inside the bags. The baby dragon had kindly packed her essentials: her cloak and a few pieces of stationary.

“Did I miss anything?” asked Spike.

Lifting her saddlebags onto her back, she shook her head. “You didn't. Thank you Spike,” she replied. She raised an eyebrow as she inspected the dragon's over-stuffed luggage. “I take it that you have everything you need?”

Beaming with pride, Spike nodded and climbed onto her back. “You bet!” he retorted with a small, rough laugh.

Twilight needed nothing else to convince her of their readiness. It wasn't like they needed to take the whole library with them or anything, though she didn't have the heart to make Spike lighten his backpack. So, after bidding farewell to their feathered friend (who was more than capable of taking care of himself while they were away), Twilight and Spike stepped out into the hustle-and-bustle of the morning crowd.

~*~*~

None of them had any idea how far Reinvale was from home. They spent three hours on the train. Three, mostly due to the break they took when they reached Baltimare; unfortunately, that was where the railroad ended for them. Rainbow Dash, of course, couldn't bear to sit still any longer and practically demanded that they take a few minutes so that she could stretch her wings. At least, while the rainbow-maned pegasus bolted and zig-zagged around the tall buildings of the city, it gave the rest of them the opportunity to grab some lunch. Once their bellies were full, they gathered their belongings and ventured to the southern edge of the city to board the stagecoach that would take them to Reinvale.

“Ugh, why do have have to take a stagecoach?” whined Rainbow Dash as she climbed inside. “Why can't we just take the train?”

The stage driver, an earth stallion clad in a broad-rimmed hat and a heavy jacket, loudly cleared his throat to get their attention. “I guess that means you don't know that there's no railroad down there by Reinvale,” he said. “On this end of Equestria, the trains go only as south down the coast as Baltimare.”

Applejack poked her head out one of the side windows. “Why's that, Mister?” she asked.

“You lovely ladies know about the Hayseed Swamps? Well, the ground down around there is far too wet and soft for any sort of construction, especially of that magnitude. Can't drain the swamps, either, 'cause their ecosystem is so delicate. So, since Reinvale is so close to those swamps, the only way for you to get there is by stagecoach or by hoof.” Biting down on a stiff piece of wheat, the coach driver directed his attention to the four stallions responsible for pulling the transport. “All right,” he barked, and snapped the reins. “Let's go! We're burning sunlight.” Though the small crew glared ferociously at him, they didn't complain as they began to pull the stagecoach along its designated route.

Within the coach, the passengers made themselves as comfortable as possible. There wasn't much leg room, considering that there were six mares and a baby dragon that shared the same space. “I hope we get there soon,” said Spike. “Feels like we've been on the road for, like, ever.”

Nodding, Applejack commented, “Ah didn't know Reinvale was out this far. Here Ah thought the ride to the Crystal Empire was a long 'n.”

“Well, I had no idea that it was close to some filthy swamp,” exclaimed Rarity in dread. “Honestly, a swamp? I absolutely refuse to believe that any reputable vacation hot-spot would be located anywhere near such a dreadful place.”

“Oh, Rarity,” replied Twilight. “I'm sure it's not as bad as you think.”

“But, swamps are so gloomy and they're home to mosquitoes and other nasty little creatures. Plus, they're muddy and...” Rolling her eyes, Rarity twirled her hoof in the air as she mentally flipped through her mind's dictionary for another corresponding term. Yet, she ended up drawing a blank. “Nevermind,” she softly added. “I just don't like them. And I certainly don't want a repeat of what happened at Froggy Bottom Bog.” She, and Fluttershy, shivered at the reminiscence of the bloodthirsty hydra that, at one point in time, had hunted them like wild animals.

“Yeah, that was pretty bad!” giggled Pinkie Pie, who squirmed in her spot between Twilight and Fluttershy.

Diagonally seated across from her was Rainbow Dash, who wasn't as comfortable as the weight of Applejack, Rarity, and Spike constantly pressed her against the cold metal door with every creaking sway of the stagecoach. Pegasi weren't built for such small spaces. They were elegantly fashioned for the freedom of the wide, open skies. There were no such coaches in Cloudsdale, or any other sky-born settlement. In fact, Rainbow Dash had never even seen such a—in her case, bizarre—contraption before her move to Ponyville. Since then, her patience was tested time and time again with every new adventure that required them to take the train or some other form of transportation.

But, at least the train had plenty of wing room.

To take her mind off the confining space, Rainbow Dash rested her head against the cool window to watch the scenery they passed; the others fell into silence as they followed her lead. Over the course of an hour, judging by the position of the sun, they passed emerald fields of clover and a few small farms. Signs of civilization weakened from that point and onward as they neared the edge of an enormous forest.

As they neared the towering trees before them, their transportation suddenly slowed to a halt. Then, there came a knock as the coach driver tapped his hoof on the roof. “Excuse me, Princess Twilight?” he called.

Twilight's ears perked up. She pushed the door ajar, just enough to poke her head outside. “Is something wrong?” she inquired, making sure that the stallion could hear her.

“Not at all, your Highness. I just wanted to let your and your companions know that we're now entering the Whicker Woods, so the ride's about to get a little bumpy. Reinvale hasn't gotten around to properly paving the roads out this far yet. Sorry about that.”

“Oh, that's all right. We'll be fine in here.” Twilight closed the door and sat back in her seat as, again, the crack of the reins signaled the stallions up front to continue forward. So, these are the Whicker Woods, she thought. It was one of the many things that she read about in the past, but had never seen before. It was nothing like the Everfree, which was full of twisted and crooked trees, thorny bushes, and dangerous, fearsome creatures. The Whicker Woods were almost the exact opposite. It was, well, beautiful. Though the princess wasn't up to date on their land's native trees, she could tell that the woods were mostly coniferous. She identified the rough, mangled bark of cedars, the long, bluish needles of firs, the flat bushes that were junipers, and the sky-reaching hemlocks. Every now and again she spotted maples, oaks, dogwoods, and birch trees. There were countless others that she could not name.

Note to self: search the library for that copy of The Essential Identification Field Guide for Equestria's Native Trees and Plants when we get back to Ponyville.

Out of the blue, Twilight was spooked out of her thoughts when Pinkie Pie abruptly crawled onto her lap. “Oh! Oh!” the party pony squeaked, pressing her face against the window. “Lookie there!”

There was a break in the trees a few feet down the dirt road. It wasn't anything significant at first glance, until the group of friends saw the tops of buildings. The sight was the source of each individual's sigh that sounded off simultaneously. “It's about time,” said Applejack.

Rubbing her left wing, Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. “Yeah,” she added. “I thought we would never get here.”

Rarity shared their enthusiasm, though it was a tad diluted as thoughts of the nearby bog still lingered in the back of her mind. However, when more of Reinvale came into view, she was robbed of breath. At the heart of all the greenery, there stood a town of ivory walls, smooth arches, and narrow windows. It was peculiarly clean and tropical, given the nature of its location. “Incredible,” she said softly. Smiling, she turned her head towards Twilight. “Well, I take back everything I said. It's absolutely marvelous!”

Throwing his hands up in the air, Spike stood on his seat. “This is going to be awesome!” he laughed. Clouded by his excitement, he failed to notice that their transportation neared the edge of the cobblestone road that snaked into Reinvale. Once the front wheels were hoisted onto the stones, the stagecoach buckled—knocking the baby dragon off his feet. He would have hit the floor, if not for Twilight's reflexes. In the blink of an eye, the princess encased him in magic before he fell. He was suspended in the air for a brief moment, until she sat him back down on the worn leather of the seat. “Spike,” she scolded, “sit still.”

Spike obeyed, blushing in embarrassment. “Sorry about that,” he mumbled. Although, his chagrin was forgotten as they rolled into town. The metal wheels on which the coach set clanked and jangled in the act of scraping over each individual rock that rested within the road's cement. The sound, though obtrusive to Twilight and her friends, successfully attracted several of the townsponies as though it were a celebratory marching band.

Small parties of ponies gathered alongside the road to watch them on their way to the hotel. All but a few were decorated in some form of brightly-colored clothing or jewelry: saddles, bridles, stings of pearls or silver necklaces and bangles graced with gems, dresses trimmed in sequins, and some mares even wore veils.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Fluttershy shrank away from the window. “Why are they watching us?” she timidly questioned.

“Well, obviously, they were properly informed that the Princess of Friendship and the Elements of Harmony were on their way,” Spike replied haughtily.

His comment made Twilight's cheeks flush. “I'm sure that's not true,” she said. “They're probably really friendly, or really curious, is all.” Then again, there was probably some truth to the dragon's words. Out in the middle of nowhere, did they ever receive visits from royalty? It wasn't likely. Although, she didn't have time to dwell on the idea, for, at long last, they soon reached their hotel.

The coach driver hopped down from his seat and he opened the door for Twilight and her friends. “Welcome to the Clydesdale!” he professed with a smile.

In an orderly fashion, Twilight was followed by Spike and the others as she stepped out of the stagecoach. “Oh, wow,” she whispered, looking over the extensive building that stood tall before them. It was perhaps the largest building in Reinvale, though she had yet to see the rest of the town. The walls were smooth, off-white in color, and accented with precisely-placed stonework.

“Beautiful, isn't it?” hummed a male voice.

Twilight's eyes darted to the hotel's front doors, where an earth stallion now stood. He was a much older pony. His coat was stone-blue, and his cleanly-cut mane and tail were primarely gray with a cyan tint. As he approached her, she took notice of the glint that shimmered off the silver chain that dangled from the front pocket of his suit jacket. Probably a pocket watch, she mused.

She quickly redirected her attention to the owner of the trinket. “It's a lovely hotel,” she replied. “Are you the owner?”

“No, your Highness.” The stallion strolled up to her and he bowed low to the ground. “I am Mayor Upscale. Princess Luna wrote me to make sure that you and your associates are comfortable during your stay in our fair town.” He looked behind Twilight, puzzled as he watched her friends lower their luggage onto the sidewalk. He stood straight and said, “Oh, don't worry about your bags. That's what bellhops are for.”

“Why, that's mighty kind of you,” said Applejack in reply.

“It's no trouble at all.” Upscale slowly turned and he motioned for them to follow. “Now, please, allow me to show you to your rooms.”

They followed him into the building without question, and as soon as they passed through the doors they were almost mesmerized by the liveliness of the interior. The color scheme was bright and inviting. The walls of the lobby were painted a rich shade of blue and intricately detailed in glistening gold near the top and bottom edges. The floor was made out of gray marble, though there was an azure rug that stretched from the doors to a kiosk that set in the middle of the room. It appeared to serve as the front desk, judging by the line of ponies standing in front of it.

For a few seconds, Rarity stopped to admire the designs on the ornate runner. It was clearly imported from some foreign land. Its designs were woven in gold—an elegant match to the overall arrangement of the lobby—and depicted a stylized gryphon within each corner. In the rest of the layout dwelled lines and swirls that appeared almost arcane. It was a lovely piece that was rivaled only by the priceless matting that adorned the floors of Canterlot Castle.

“Rarity?” called Rainbow Dash.

She instantly turned her head towards her friends, who all looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Oh, so sorry!” she gasped. She trotted up to them, fearing that they would make snide comments about her brief admiration. Thankfully, the group merely continued to move as soon as she caught up.

Upscale lead them around the booth and took them up the spiral staircase to the top floor with haste. “I hope you won't mind the suites I reserved for you,” said the Mayor as he trotted down the corridor. “It was agreed among my peers and I that you have nothing but the best that we have to offer.”

“That's awfully nice of you,” said Twilight. “You didn't have to do that.”

When he reached the end of the hallway, he spun around and grinned. “But, of course!” he retorted. “It's our pleasure to serve you and your friends. Now, I suppose I should leave you to get settled, as your bags will be up shortly. These six rooms are for each of you, as I assumed that your... Uh.” He glanced down at Spike. “I hope it was safe to assume that your little friend would be sharing a room with you, your Highness.”

Spike simply shrugged, which caused Twilight to chuckle. “That's perfectly fine, Mayor,” she said. “Thank you very much. But, while we're on the topic of our visit, where should I go from here?”

Frowning, Upscale took the watch out of his pocket and he flipped it open to check the time. “Oh! How foolish of me, I almost forgot!” he grumbled. After he glanced over the small face of the device, he put it away and sighed contently. “You have plenty of time to settle down, your Highness, but an associate of mine will meet you at the library in about an hour. Her name is Antiquity and she will be your guide to the archaeological dig. I bid you all farewell.” After one final bow, the stallion turned on his hooves and left them to their own devices.

“Sounds like your goin' right into it, eh, Twilight?” asked Applejack as she pushed the door to her room open.

Rainbow Dash, who opted to take the room beside her, chuckled, “Too bad. In a place like this, who would want to spend the day looking at heaps of old buildings?”

Rarity rolled her eyes, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Oh, come now, Rainbow Dash. Leave her be,” she said. She walked up beside Twilight and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Relax, then go do your thing, darling.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh, yes, I'm sure that there will be plenty of time for all of us to enjoy this vacation together,” she added softly.

Twilight presented a thankful smile to both of them. “Thanks,” she whispered. As they entered their individual rooms, Twilight followed Spike into their own. She had to admit, the room was impressively fancy. It didn't follow the blue and gold theme of the lobby, but, instead, pursued a theme of soft reds and browns. Earth-colored paint coated the walls, while the wooden floor was dressed up with nothing more than a round, crimson rug that was as embellished as the one in the lobby. The bedsheets were rose-red, as were the curtains and ceiling. Furniture included two beds, nightstands, a small table in the corner, and a vanity mirror—all made of polished wood.

Spike jumped onto the bed that was closest to the door. “This is so nice!” he exclaimed. “They certainly know how to treat celebrities here, don't they?”

The alicorn princess sighed tiredly as she made her way to the window on the other side of the room. “I guess so, Spike,” she replied. Twilight wouldn't deny that Mayor Upscale's kindness was appreciated. At the same time, however, she wasn't entirely comfortable with the royal treatment. It's only a hotel room, she told herself, pulling the curtains back so that she could take a look outside. It's only a hotel room and it's only for a few days. Besides, your friends received the same treatment, remember?

That's true. Smiling, Twilight closed the curtains as a knock came from the door. Spike's first reaction was to answer it. It must have been the bellhop with their bags, for Twilight heard a short conversation between the dragon and an unfamiliar mare before the door shut. Sure enough, when she turned, she saw Spike place their luggage on the floor between their beds. Wordlessly, she helped him unpack. Their lack of personal belongings, and the abundancy of time to place them where they wished, Twilight felt a sense of urgency and dread as another thought crossed her mind.

She was given no directions to Reinvale's library.