Nopony's Land

Chapter 2--Briefing

When I awoke, for a few seconds I thought (rather hopefully) that everything had been some crazy dream. Then I realized that I was staring at the ceiling of Celestia’s throne room, and my hope was abruptly shattered.

I blinked and saw that I was surrounded by a golden aura. I then rolled onto my side, and there was the princess herself. The same glow enveloped her horn, and for a moment I was certain this was the beginning of whatever punishment I would receive for my actions. But then I took a moment to think, and realized that I was feeling better than I had all morning. The aching pain in my head and horn had completely receded, my stomach felt indescribably better, and the grogginess that had been making its home in my brain had cleared away.

“Hello again, Big Scoop,” Celestia said as the glow of her magic faded. “Feeling better now?”

“Princess, er, I . . .” I fished for words, but nothing particularly great came to mind, so I simply rose to my hooves and said “Yes, I am. Thank you.”

“That was a little healing spell I’ve been using for a long time. It was designed particularly for the kind of ailment you had this morning.”

My surprise must have shown on my face, for she continued: “Oh Scoop, surely you didn’t think you were the first pony I’ve seen in more than 1,000 years with a hangover. It actually happens more often than any of the nobility care to admit, though they are usually a little better at. . . containing it.” On that last bit, she gave a tiny giggle.

“I’m so sorry about that your majesty. I didn’t see the note on my door last night until after the damage was done and—“
“Think nothing of it, Scoop. I suppose it was really my fault more than anypony’s for giving you such short notice. I‘ve summoned you here under very . . . unusual circumstances. There is a great deal going on right now that must be handled with utmost care and secrecy. These are dangerous times for Equestria. Which brings me to the reason you’re here. Scoop, I must ask you to go on a mission for me.”
For a pony who writes for a living, I was finding myself without anything intelligent to say quite a bit that morning.
“Well, um, Princess Celestia,” I said, “I’m honored that you’ve chosen me but, with all due respect, are you sure you have the right pony? I’m just a reporter. I’m not sure what I could possibly do to—“

“Scoop, you are not just a reporter. You are an investigative reporter, and an incredible one. I’ve read your pieces digging into the dealings of the aristocracy. You discovered some things about ponies who work right under my nose that I never would have suspected. I made more than a few changes in my government after I verified your stories. You seem better suited than anypony I know of to cut right to the truth of a matter and report it honestly and unflinchingly. And that is exactly what I need you to do now.
This mission will not be without danger. In fact, it will take you to some of the most hazardous and inhospitable lands known to ponykind. I would not blame you for refusing it, and you would be able to return to your normal routine with no shame. But I really wish that you would not. I truly believe you are the best pony to handle this. I’m afraid I have much to attend to at the present, so I must leave you now. But my Captain of the Guard will brief you further, and once he does you will be able to choose your course of action. Think carefully Big Scoop. And if you should choose to accept, I wish you the best of luck.”
I gave a deep bow, and said: “Thank you for this honor your majesty. I’ll speak with your Captain, but I already know I can’t refuse, no matter what the mission might be. You’ve already made the story sound too good.” I said with a smile.
She favored me with that warm smile once more, and I felt my pride swell immensely in my chest.
“That is excellent news, Big Scoop,” she said. “Be careful. This mission will take a lot from you, but know that you will be doing a service to all of Equestria. You have my undying gratitude.”
With that her horn began to glow, and in a flash of gold she was gone.

For a moment, I could do nothing but stand there, processing everything that just happened. I was in awe. Celestia herself had selected me for something so important. . . Yet I still had no clue what exactly it was.

“Big Scoop?” asked a voice from behind me, breaking me out of my reverie.

I turned to face a large white Stallion decked out in exquisitely crafted purple armor bearing a star insignia on the chest plate. I knew instantly who he was: Shining Armor, captain of the Royal Guard. He was known for his gentle, easygoing manner, but he was also not a pony one wanted to get on the bad side of. Now, more than anything, he looked tired. Hard lines were etched into his face. Whatever was going on, it seemed to be taking its toll on him.

“That’s me,” I said. “I take it you’re here to brief me?”

“You guessed it. Follow me, and quickly. We don’t have much time, and there is a lot you need to know about this mission.”

With that we exited the throne room and made our way through the halls.
—OOoOO—

After a few minutes, we arrived at the room we were looking for. It had a sturdy wooden door with a sign above it that read “Briefing Room.”

“In here,” Shining armor said, opening the door with his magic. We filed inside and he shut the door behind us.

In the center of the room was a long wooden table, upon which lay a jumble of scrolls and maps. On one wall hung a large map of Equestria with several pins attached at various places of importance. On the opposite wall there was a rack holding several halberds and swords. Equestria was a land of peace, but it was not always so, and the Royal Guard was prepared for violence if necessary. On either side of the door hung the symbols of the sun and moon, and the wall across from that was bare.

“So, how much did the Princess tell you about our situation?” Shining asked.

“Not much, really, except that my mission would be dangerous, but that it was for the good of Equestria,” I replied.

“Well she wasn’t lying. In fact, if anything, I’d say she understated it. You see, about a week ago, a trade caravan bound for Zebra lands went missing in the region known as Nopony’s Land. Are you familiar with it?”

“I’ve heard about it. Pretty scary stuff. Lawless inhabitants, pony, zebra, and otherwise. From what I understand it lies between Equestria and the Zebras kingdom doesn’t fall under Equestrian or Zebra rule. How can that be?”

“That’s a long story all by itself, but the short version is that controlling that strip of land is more trouble than it’s worth. There’s almost nothing there, and any attempts to control it have been met with severe resistance from its inhabitants—pony, zebra, and other creatures. So eventually Celestia and the Zebra rulers decided to leave the place unclaimed. Since then, it’s attracted the worst elements from both sides. Any time we’ve had to send ponies through there, they’ve never been without armed escort. Still, there have been. . . incidents. But nothing like this.”

“What makes this different?”

“This was no ordinary trade caravan. They had some very special cargo: a Zebra prince.”

“What?! But. . . why was a Zebra prince travelling with caravaners?”

“ A few weeks back, Prince Adegoke, heir to his father Dube’s throne, decided he wanted to get to know a bit more about the ponies of Equestria. He insisted on travelling incognito to avoid any special attention. His father honored his wishes, but still sent word to us to make sure his son was looked-after. Last week, he set off on the trip back home, and we arranged for him to travel with a contingent of guards disguised as traders. They never made it to Zebra lands. Last we heard, they were on the edges of Equestria, about to enter Nopony’s land. We can’t imagine why they would even take such a foolish route, but I know they must have had good reason.
But regardless of what their reasons were, King Dube is infuriated. He’s sending his own agents into Nopony’s Land to find his son, but if they should fail, Dube will be holding all of Equestria responsible. We’re talking about war, Scoop. Equestria hasn’t faced anything like this in ages, and we honestly aren’t prepared for the kind of assault the Zebra army would be capable of, especially in light of. . . well, that’s not important right now.
Scoop, your mission is this: travel to Nopony’s Land, figure out what happened to that caravan, and find Prince Adegoke. You’ll need to be careful. Whatever you’ve heard about Nopony’s Land, I can assure you it’s much worse. But you won’t be going alone. I’m sending my most trusted lieutenant with you. I know only one other pony doesn’t seem like much, but right now we need as many guards as possible here in Canterlot. But I can tell you this: he is the best escort you could hope for. He can fight as well as ten ponies, and his loyalty is unquestionable. So tell me Scoop, are you in?”
I was nearly dumbfounded with the gravity of what I’d just been told. But of course, there was only one thing I could say.

“Yes. I’m absolutely in.”
With those words, it seemed a great deal of weight was lifted from Shining Armor’s shoulders.
“Great. I’ll escort you out of the castle. Once you’re out, I suggest you go home, pack what things you need, and get some rest. You’ll be leaving for Nopony’s Land first thing tomorrow morning. Oh, and don’t worry about your work. We’ll see to it that the Times know you’re away on official business for the Equestrian government.”
With that, we made our way through the winding halls and back out the main entrance. The crowd of ponies that had filled the courtyard earlier was now nowhere to be found; in fact, Shining Armor and I were the only ponies there as we walked to the gates. Once there, he stopped and said:
“Well I have to get back to my work now. There is still plenty that needs doing right here in the castle. . . Are you absolutely sure you want to do this, Scoop?”
“More sure than I’ve ever been of anything. This is the story of a lifetime.” I replied.
He grinned at that.
“Okay. My lieutenant will be at your house to pick you up at the crack of dawn, and the two of you will begin your journey. Pack light. It’s a long trip.”
“Will do.” I said.
“Oh and Scoop?” he said as I turned to walk away.

“Yes?”

“Good luck.”