7: Deceit and Lies

‘Summer Sun’ walked through the streets of the Crystal Empire, ponies were going about their business, giving her friendly smiles as she walked. It was still early in the evening, and most ponies were just closing shop before heading home. Summer entered into a small bar, Tappers. Walking up to the bar she looked for Tap, he was cleaning some mugs, getting ready for the night's business.

“She here Tap?” Summer asked in a low voice.

“In the back, storage room on the left, might want to make it quick, poor things scared half to death.”

Summer wasted no time, she trotted back to the storage room, finding a crystal pony mare. She was a slate gray color, with charcoal mane and baby blue eyes. Her eyes darted around as she fidgeted in place, she was currently scared out of her wits it would seem.

“Crystal Dust?” Summer asked gently.

Crystal Dust’s eyes snapped to Summer, showing even more fear than before.

“Y-yes that's me, w-why did you want to see me, and why the secrecy?”

“Because I need your help, you know about a certain group of ponies I’m interested in.”

Crystal’s eyes almost jumped out of her head. “Y-you don’t mean them! Oh I know I shouldn’t have come!”

Crystal made to leave, but found her way blocked by a large yellow wing.

“Crystal, you're the only pony I’ve found who even agreed to meet, I’m sorry but I need your help.”

“N-no! You don’t understand, I’ll get in so much trouble! So will you if you don’t stop, whatever you're doing.”

Crystal tried to shove past Summer, only to have the door shut seemingly on its own.

“Why are you so afraid? If nothing else tell me, I need to know as much as I can about these ponies, anything will help.”

Crystal shuttered. “They have the backing of the crown…”

The room was deathly silent for a moment. “I’m sorry, what?”

“The ponies you're after, the ‘Masters of Mares’ they call themselves, they do what they do with the crown's permission.”

“How do you know that?”

“A-after…” Crystal screwed her eyes shut, unable to finish. “T-they g-give each of us a-a letter, it h-has the seal of the c-crown on it, telling us never to speak of what h-happened.”

Crystal fell to her haunches, nearly sobbing. Just telling Summer that much could see her thrown into the dungeons or worst. Wings and hooves wrapped themselves around her, she opened her eyes, not seeing the yellow pegasus, but a light pink alicorn.

“P-PRINCES?!?” Crystal tried to back away, but found herself held even tighter.

“Listen to me, those buckers are not, in any way, supported by the crown. You have nothing to fear from them, or me.”

“B-but the letters of silence, they have the imperial seal on them, their official!”

“I don’t know how they got them, but they're not. And they never will be, I’ll see them rot in the deepest darkness I can find for this.”

Crystal couldn’t hold it in anymore, she wept. Flurry held her close, letting the mare cry on her shoulder for as long as she needed. Flurry stroked her back helping to calm the frightened mare, opening her senses to her, Flurry found something else. A second point of emotions, inside Crystal.

“Crystal, do you know you're pregnant?”

Crystal went completely silent, a single hoof rubbing her belly.

“I-I’m pregnant?” Her voice a mix of worry and surprise.

“I can sense them,” She said pulling back to look Crystal in the eyes. “It must be recent, I can see the life inside you, but nothing more.”

“Oh sweet Heart’s love, what am I going to do? I-I can't stay here, they'll find me, they know where I live.”

“Will you trust me?” Flurry asked, she tone was serious.

“Princess?”

“I said, will you trust me?”

“Y-yes…”

“I will have you out of the Empire within the hour, I can send you someplace safe, somewhere nopony could get to you. You have to trust me on this, no matter what, go where I send you, do you understand?”

Crystal was silent for a moment, she looked into FLurry’s eyes, she could see the resolve she had, not only that, there was a kindness to them as well.

“Yes my princess, I will trust you.”

“I want you to stay here, Tap will keep an eye on you, I’m going to send my hoofmaiden,” Flurry changed onto Midnight Star. “She looks like this, Tap knows her as well. She will give you a train ticket and instructions on what to do when you get to where you're going. Leave with her only, nopony else, no matter what, understand?”

“Yes Princess.”

“Call me Flurry.”

~o0o~

Flurry was back in her room, she had locked the door and told the guards she intended to be studying, and not to be disturbed. Of course she wasn’t, writing out instructions for Crystal Dust, as well as a train ticket to Canterlot she had bought on the way back, Flurry sent for Midnight, saying it was important. Minutes later Midnight entered, once the door was closed Flurry became serious.

“I’ve got a name, ‘Masters of Mares’, that's what this group is called.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“Not very creative I know, but that can wait.” Flurry hoofed over the instructions and ticket. “Take this to Tappers, there's a mare sitting at the bar, names Crystal Dust, take her to the train station. Make sure she gets on alone, I made her a promise that she would be safe.”

Midnight took the items, turning to leave. “I take it she’s been ‘involved’ with them?”

“She’s pregnant Midnight.”

Midnight froze, her stomach turned to knots. “You're sure?”

“I could sense her foal, she didn’t even know until I told her.”

“I’ll take her too…” Midnight glanced at the ticket. “Canterlot myself if I need to.”

“Just make sure nopony follows her, she’ll be alright once she's off. I’d send you with her but I need you here, there is more going on, and we need to move on this.”

Midnight nodded, leaving the room with haste. She was on a mission for her princess and friend, and no pony was going to stop her.

Flurry returned to her desk, opening the hidden compartment underneath. She pulled out the few pieces of paper she had, it wasn't much, but with the addition of Crystal’s information, it was going to be more than enough to work with.

“Alright you sick mother buckers, let's play.”

~o0o~

Silver Quill was not a happy pony, having a cutie mark in accounting was supposed to be a simple thing. He was more than delighted to be employed by the crown, such a thing was the height of his career. He avoided the spotlight as well as the possible ire of the Empress, and that suited him just fine. What did not suit him was drawing the attention of the crowned princess, she had called for him early that morning, summoning him to her private study. So here he was standing outside the study of one Princess Flurry Heart, waiting to be admitted for what ever the princess needed. A guard stepped out, ushering him in. Silver entered, trying not to show how nervous he was.

“Your majesty, how can I serve you today?” He really hoped he got the greeting right.

“You are the Imperial accountant, correct?” Flurry asked from behind her desk, the study seemed to be set up like an office, with the desk and chair facing the door.

“One of a few, you can’t leave one pony responsible for everything.”

“Very true, and what do you oversee exactly?”

“I oversee the Crystal Spire itself, staff wages, supplies, that sort of thing.”

“Good, then you're just the pony I need to talk to.”

Silver didn’t like the sound of that.

“I know you are only one pony, you can’t see everything, but something has come up that I need you to look into.”

“Oh? What might that be?”

“It has reached my ear, that somepony, or ponies, might be using supplies here for their own benefit.”

“You believe ponies are taking things from our supplies for themselves? I haven't seen any drop in anything important, at least nothing that would indicate somepony is skimming.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t, you see the item in question is very mundane, almost not worth noticing in fact. But they have used it to great effect, even going as far as staining the reputation of the crown.”

Silver gasped. “What? How!” He demanded.

“I must have your full cooperation as well as trust on this, I do not know who is doing this and I do not know who I can trust.”

“Princess, I will do anything you ask of me in this matter. If somepony is stealing under my watch, and insulting the crown as well, that is something I can not stand.”

“Understandable, even so, I hope you can appreciate the need for discretion, as such I must be as vague as possible, even knowing that we might know about them might send these ponies into hiding, we can not have that.”

“Tell me what you can, you have my complete understanding in this matter.”

Flurry nodded. “Somepony is, or at least was, taking blank letters, or even parchment, with the Imperial seal on them. They have used these to forge Imperial orders, not only that said orders have caused, shall we say unrest with certain groups.”

Silver seemed as if he was about to explode with rage. “So you're telling me that under my watch, somepony forged Imperial orders with my supplies!?!”

“In a nutshell.”

“Princess I don’t know where you got your information, and frankly I do not care. This is unacceptable, I will begin an inventory right away. I know you said we can’t have these… low life's finding out. I’ll make sure there is a legitimate reason for doing a full inventory. Also if your source could get one of these papers, I could find out what storage room it was taken from via spell, it would make finding the culprit much easier.”

“I will inquire with my source, I believe it goes without saying that this conversation does not leave this room, you may not even inform the rest of the crown about this.”

“I will be discreet beyond measure.”

With that Silver left the room, forgetting for a moment who he was talking to, not even giving a good bye. The room was quiet for a moment, Midnight stepped out from behind a drape in the room.

“Think he’s being honest?”

“He is, I was known as the ‘walking lie detector’ in my hive. He knew nothing about the missing documents.”

“But you know who the ponies are, wouldn’t it have been easier to just tell him? We could arrest them today.”

“For theft of Imperial property, yes. No we need to gather evidence, I want enough rope to hang them with, not just tie them up, they might like that too much.”

Midnight just facehoofed at Flurry.

~o0o~

“I’ll say it again, this is a horrible idea!”

Flurry gave Midnight a serious look, she was disguised as a nondescript crystal pony, nothing about her stood out at all. They were standing across the street from the tavern where this had all started.

“Yes I know Midnight, and I will answer back, do you have a better idea?”

Midnight was quiet, she didn’t.

“Alright then, just stick to the plan and everything will be fine, and if things go south I’m still me under here.”

“I’m not sure if that's a good thing or not.”

Flurry just rolled her eyes. “Just be ready, I’m going to get this show on the road.”

Midnight gave Flurry a tight hug, she was worried for her friend, she was literally about to walk into the hydra's den.

Flurry sat at the bar, drinking a cider, this place might have been more ‘classy’ as some might put it, but she had to admit Tappers was far better, maybe it was something in the brew, or perhaps it was the atmosphere?

“Well hello there.”

Yep definitely the atmosphere.

Flurry turned to see the same stallion from before, well this should be easy.

“H-hi.” Flurry made her voice as timid as possible.

“Whats a nice mare like you doing alone?”

“J-just having a nice drink.”

“Well me and my friends can help make it a lot nicer.”

“R-really?” And here I thought this might be hard, guess not.

“Oh yes, we would very much like it if you came and joined us.”

Flurry accepted the offer, getting a refill on her cider before joining the others at their table. When she sat down she began eyeing each of them, five stallions same as last time, they had roped in two other mares. They were arranged so that two stallions sat in between each mare, the only exception was the ‘leader’, who sat in between Flurry and one of the other mares. They all chatted for a bit, the stallions not even trying to hide the fact that they were eyeing up the mares, Flurry looked at the other mares at the table. The one on her left seemed scared almost, like she knew what was going to happen, Flurry noticed the slight bruise under her eye, she felt rage building up inside of her. The mare on her right didn’t seem to know what they were in for, but she seemed to be starting to figure it out.

“Well colts, I think it time we began, don’t you?”

The others nodded, the first stallion pulled out a purple-black crystal shard, Flurry’s eyes went wide, it was a dark magic crystal. The crystal was set on the table, Flurry felt a pulse of magic, suddenly there was an after image of herself in the seat, as the stallions began to lead the three mares away, Flurry glanced back, seeing perfect images of all of them still at the table.

Guess we're adding use of dark magic to the list of crimes.

They were led to a passage in the back, it looked like they were going out the back door. They made a sudden turn, going into a side passage that seemed to dead end. They approached the end of the passage, and continued walking right through, on the other side of the barrier was a flight of stairs leading down.

I’m never going to hear the end of it from Midnight after this.

Flurry and Midnight had debated on what would happen after she got ‘picked up’, Flurry was sure they would be smart enough to take them someplace else, Midnight was adamant that the tavern was where they would use them, seems she was right. Coming to the bottom of the stairs they entered what looked like a basement of sorts, it was a large open area, with several cushions and other items, Flurry made a mental note to burn each of those item latter. A door at the entrance was shut and bolted, Flurry and the third mare looked back, seeing one of the stallions locking the door with another dark magic crystal.

Right, go for the door not the lock, also I’m taking these two with me, not part of the plan, then again ‘no plan survives contact’.

“Right then, you two are new so we’ll go over the formalities, Spring Leaf go to your spot.”

The mare in question slowly walked over to one of the cushions, laying down in a rather dejected manner.

“You two have the high honor of serving the Imperial Crown tonight.”

Keep digging your grave buddy, I’ll just be smiling when they bury you.

“As we all know Sombra was beyond evil, but he was smart. He knew that in order to build an empire, you needed ponies. The crown has decided to embrace this idea, and those of us that suffered under his hoof are to be rewarded.”

Why do I get the feeling you lot suffered a lot less than the others?

“We have been chosen to help rebuild our race, to restore our crystal bloodlines.”

Wow if I weren't being held prisoner, I might almost believe him, almost.

“How are you going to do that?” Furry asked, she just needed him to say…

“Why is it not obvious? Mass breeding.”

Yep, there is it.

“You can’t be serious!” The other mare protested. “Even if the crown did want to do something like that, you can’t force us!”

One other the stallions walked over to a cabinet, pulling out two pieces of parchment. He hoofed one to each of them, it was documentation parchment, with the Imperial seal on it. The same kind Silver’s inventory said they were missing. She read it over, it seemed very official, stating that the empire needed to bolster its numbers to prevent the extinction of their race. In a twisted way, it made sense.

“T-this can't…” the mare trailed off.

“It is, it's all legal and approved by the crown, you two don’t want to get in trouble with the crown now do you?”

“No…..”

“Very good, and what about you dear? Anything to add before we get started?”

“Just one thing,” Flurry said, tucking the parchment into her mane. “You're bucked.”

Before any of the stallions could respond, the room filled with intense light and sound, stunning all but Flurry. Summoning up her magic, Flurry created a single pillar of flat crystal underneath each stallion, punching each of them in the crotch for good measure. As the stallions lay stunned and in pain, Flurry grabbed the other two mares, casting a counter spell so they could see and hear once again.

“Come on we got to get out of here!”

“What have you done!” Spring Leaf gasped, taking in the room.

“I’m saving you, now come on!”

“You don’t understand, mares that don’t do as they say disappear! My friend Crystal Dust just vanished a few days ago!”

Flurry looked at Spring, not realizing that Crystal’s disappearance could have this effect. But she didn’t have time to worry about that right now, they were getting out of there.

“I know where Crystal Dust is, she's fine. Look I’ll explain everything once were outside.”

“I don’t think we can, the door’s locked with magic, and the crystals not working for me.”

Flurry looked over to see the last mare trying to work the magic lock with the crystal they had seen it locked with.

“No problem.”

Flurry walked over to the door, and bucked it for all she was worth. The lock remained, still embedded in the wall, the door, however was gone.

“Let's go!”

The three mares bolted from the room, the made it to the top of the stairs in record time, Flurry pushed the others towards the back door, telling them that the whole tavern was most likely in on the whole thing. Tumbling out the back, Flurry led the others down the alley and back around the front. Once in the open street, Flurry gave a sharp whistle, Midnight came running out of the alley heading right for them, joining them all four took off in a run.

“Yes you were right, no I don’t want to hear about it, I’ll pay you once this is all over, and yes you can make sure I never hear the end of it.”

Midnight just grinned as all four of them galloped towards the Crystal Spire.

Author's Note

'Silver Quill' is a tip of the hat to MLP Silver Quill, I in no way am trying to steal his OC.

So tell me, any of you see that coming?