The Equestrian Event

Jay squeezed the brake lever as hard as he could, forcing a bike to skid across the rail ties. It created a miniature storm of dust and rock as the wheels locked, bringing the bike to a stop in front of the Canterlot train station.

The human turned his head back the way he had come to see the horizon preparing to receive the setting sun. He scowled at this and dismounted from his bike. Holding it by both handlebars, Jay hefted the vehicle over the metal tracks and up onto the uninhabited waiting platform.

“No time to get through the city on foot,” Jay thought, quickly jumping back onto the bike. “Let’s just hope that the streets are clear.”

He pinned the throttle, causing the rear wheel spin in place for a moment. It generated a cloud of smoke before the bike shot off in the direction of the castle.

Luckily, most of the streets were sparsely populated, just as they had been the night before. Any passersby that did happen to see Jay quickly stepped out of the way, gawking at the strange contraption that roared past them.

“Less than twenty-four hours and here I am again,” Jay thought as he made a turn at a narrow intersection. “This déjà vu shit is really starting to get on my nerves.”

“Add it to the list,” he mumbled to himself.

The sound of the Sidewinder’s engine bounced from wall to wall as it sped down the shadowy roads. The incline of the terrain was steadily beginning to slope upwards, an indication that Jay was nearing the palace.

“I really wish I could’ve had a chance to change,” Jay thought, taking a quick glance at the sleeves of his wrinkly, blood stained shirt. “Not very presentable when you look it.”

The gate of the castle was now visible as Jay emerged from the maze of buildings that the city was comprised of. As soon as he reached it, Jay wasted no time in coming to a screeching halt and killing the engine of the bike. He knocked the kickstand loose with his foot and swung himself off of the bike.

The guards who were stationed at the gate stood frozen in shock, unsure of what to do. They watched as Jay hefted the two saddlebags off of the bike and sling them over his shoulder.

Jay turned to the guards and withdrew the medallion he had been carrying around with him.

“I’m here on royal business of a critical nature,” Jay said, flashing the medallion at the guards as he walked between them. “I request that you to inform your captain that I’ve I arrived. Oh, and don’t touch my bike.”

He didn’t wait for a response as he briskly strolled through the open gate and toward the main entrance. On his way there, Jay noticed the multiple rows of shrubbery that he was passing. Their leaves rose roughly to the height of his waist and were quite dense. Checking that there was no one around to see him, Jay quickly stowed the saddlebags in the bushes and continued on his way.

“You can never be too careful,” he thought.

******

Luna galloped through the corridors that led the dining hall as fast as her legs could carry her, the sound of her hooves echoing of the white marble walls. As she did this, a sudden flash of realization became quite clear to her. She abruptly skidded to a halt, almost tripping over her own legs as she did.

“What in Equestria am I doing?” Luna asked herself, stamping her hoof in frustration.

Her horn began to crackle with energy as she prepared to cast the teleportation spell. She cursed herself for not thinking to use it sooner. Luna closed her eyes as her body was engulfed in a brilliant wave of light. When she opened them, she found herself standing in the middle of the dining hall.

The room was utterly silent, Luna being the only pony present. She let out a disgruntled snort at this discovery and turned to leave. She then noticed the letter that was sitting idle on her sister’s plate. Curiously, Luna walked over to the note and lifted it up for examination. Her eyes narrowed as she read the contents of the message.

“Jay!” Luna called out, unsure of whether or not he could hear her. “Jay, are you there?”

She held her breath in anticipation of a response.

“Yeah, I’m here,” Jay’s voice replied. “What’s up? Did you find Celestia?”

“No,” Luna said, letting out a sigh of relief when she heard the human’s voice. “Although, I believe I know where she’s going. I found a letter from Cloud Quill. He asks Celestia to meet with him privately in the eastern observation tower.”

“Now that doesn’t sound suspicious at all!” Jay laughed.

“Are you alright?” Luna asked. Though she could tell that the he was being sarcastic, she found his tone to be off-putting, to say the least.

“Oh, I’m just swell,” Jay huffed. It sounded as if he was running. “Pardon my shortness. I went through some shit not too long ago. Remind me to add context later.”

“Where are you now?” Luna asked as she walked out into the hall.

“Hell if I know,” Jay replied. “Near the council room, if I had to guess.”

“Then we’re fairly close to each other,” Luna said. “When you reach the council room door, head down the narrow corridor that’s nearby. You’ll find two sets of stairs at the end. Take the one on the left. That should bring you to me.”

“Got it,” Jay said. “I’ll see you soon.”

The call ended as Luna ran across the marble floor to meet Jay. All the while, she dreaded the implications of what the human had said. As for what he hadn’t, even more so.

******

Celestia continued her leisurely gait across the golden bridge that connected the observation tower to the rest of the palace. She enjoyed the cool breeze that rolled over her. It served as a momentary distraction from the chaotic nature of the past few days. A semblance of calm and relaxation.

The princess gazed off at her sun, reminding herself to complete the process of laying it to rest once the meeting was over. She began to ponder the nature of Cloud Quill’s request. He was not one to take an sort of affirmative action.

“This entire ordeal is becoming more vexing by the minute,” Celestia thought, arriving at the base of the eastern tower. She opened the door and began the climb to the top.

******

“Finally!” Jay exclaimed once he had found Luna waiting for him at the top of the staircase.

“Every freaking hall looks the same in this place. You guys should really invest in some directional signs. Or at least some maps.”

“It is good to see you as well,” Luna replied. “Now, hold still. I’m going to teleport us to the observatory.”

“Woah, wait a minute now,” Jay huffed, still catching his breath. “As much as I love the thought of atomizing myself from one place to another, that may not be the best idea right now.”

“What are you talking about?” Luna asked, anxious to get underway.

“We’ve got no clue what we’ll be walking into. Well, zapping into, I suppose. Or whatever the appropriate term is.” Jay shrugged his shoulders dismissively. “The point is, we need to be careful. We don’t want to get transported right into the path of a rogue arrow or some shit. I know that I sure as hell don’t. At the very least, put us outside of the tower.”

“You should know that vulgarity is quite an unbecoming trait,” Luna said, furrowing her brow. “But, your query is noted. Now, I suggest you brace yourself.”

Jay watched as streams of energy from Luna’s horn wove around the pair, closing his eyes when it became too bright to look at. He clenched his fists in anticipation for whatever feeling he was about to experience.

“Is it too late to-” Jay began to say before a wave of light swallowed him whole.

******

The observatory had seen little use in the recent weeks. The tower’s supports had been scheduled for maintenance and access to the upper floors was, for the most part limited. Celestia noted the dust that had gathered on some of the various tables and instruments as she entered the room near the top of the stairs.

In the other end of the room, gazing out over the city from behind a large window was a cloaked figure. They didn’t appear to be aware of Celestia’s presence. This made the princess somewhat weary. She looked around the room, looking for anything that seemed out of place. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she decided to speak.

“Counselor, is that you?” she asked.

The figure didn’t respond.

“Counselor?” Celestia asked once more, louder this time.

The figure jumped, falling backwards. The sudden burst of movement startled Ceslestia.

“Oh, Princess!” Cloud Quill exclaimed, shakily lifting himself from the ground. “Forgive me, I was lost in thought. You gave me quite a fright,” he said, removing his hood.

Celestia lowered her guard, annoyed with herself for being so skittish.

“It’s quite alright, Counselor,” she sighed. “Though, this is quite a strange place to meet, don’t you think?”

“Er- I suppose it is,” Cloud Quill said, observing the features of the dimly lit room. He then looked up at Celestia, remaining silent.

“Well?” Celestia prompted, staring at the counselor expectantly.

“Well… what?” Cloud Quill asked, appearing confused.

Celestia rolled her eyes at the counselor’s reply.

“What is it that you wanted to discuss?” Celestia asked.

“I’m sorry, Princess, but I’m not quite sure what you are referring to,” the counselor replied.

Celestia let out a huff, becoming increasingly irritated. She was beginning to wonder if this was just a waste of time.

“Iris Scroll delivered your letter to me himself. It asked me to meet you here,” Celestia explained. “You said you had information about the investigation and that we needed to talk in private.”

“Really?” Cloud Quill asked, becoming more perplexed. “Well, that is rather odd.”

“What do mean?” Celestia asked, now considering whether or not she should just leave.

“You say that Scroll delivered the letter?” Cloud Quill asked.

“Yes,” Celestia replied. She had grown tired of this banter and was about to make her way toward the door.

“Well, it’s just that Counselor Scroll told me that you wanted to discuss some of the policies that I had proposed,” Cloud Quill explained.

Celestia froze at the sound of the counselor’s words.

“Are you sure?” she asked, turning to face Cloud Quill.

“I’m quite positive,” Cloud Quill said.

He suddenly scrunched his nose, covering it with one of his hooves.

“Oh my, what is that awful smell?” he asked, fanning the air around him.

Celestia’s eyes began to tear up as the mysterious aroma wafted over her as well. It smelled pungent and bitter, like sulfur. It was only then that Celestia heard the hissing noise that came from beneath her feet.

“Oh no,” she whispered as the floor began to tremble.

******

The sensation Jay felt was a peculiar one. It was if he was standing still while the entire world moved under his feet. When he opened his eyes, he found himself on the western end of the golden bridge that led to the observatory. Patting himself down, he made sure that everything was in the correct place.

“Well, that wasn’t so bad!” Jay laughed.

He then proceeded to vomit over the side of the bridge.

“The first few trips may prove to be a bit... strenuous for some,” Luna said, looking down at the human.

“Duly noted,” Jay coughed. “I’m beginning to think that magic and I don’t mix.”

“Wait, do you hear that?” Luna asked walking toward the center of the bridge.

Jay stopped talking for a moment in an attempt to better make out the sound that Luna had mentioned.

“Yeah, I do,” Jay said, tilting his head back to examine the tower in front of them. “It sounds like… like a hissing.”

Then, he saw it.

Jutting out from the side of the tower that faced the city was a series of metallic pipes that had been installed by the construction crews the day before. At the ends of the pipes, small bursts of flame and black smoke sputtered out. The hissing noise was steadily becoming a high pitched whine.

“That’s not good,” Jay muttered, his eyes widening.

“Did you say something?” Luna asked.

“Get down!” Jay shouted, tackling the princess to the ground.

“Oof,” Luna grunted as the human landed on top of her. “Just what do you think you’re-”

The rest of her sentence was drowned out as the pair was sent rolling across the bridge by the roar of explosions that erupted from the tower.