8: Discoveries

Shining Armor considered himself a level headed pony, you had to be to become captain of the Royal Guard, as well as ruler of the Crystal Empire. He also thought of himself as a very understanding pony, helping new recruits reach their full potential, listening to parishioners in court, it all took a very solid sort of pony. So when a guard had, as politely as he could, interrupted his down time with his wife, claiming that a group of ponies had to speak with the crown right away, Shining had taken it in stride. Figuring it was nothing to get worked up over, Shining had told Cadence to stay in their room and rest, that he would take care of things. Out in the hall, Shing gave the guard a slightly disapproving look.

“I thought I had standing orders that neither of us are to be interrupted this late at night, I’m sure these ponies can wait until morning.”

“Sir, they claim that three of them were being held hostage, by ponies using false orders of the crown.”

Shining was silent for a moment, this was not something to be taken lightly it seemed.

“Where are they?”

“In the throne room sir.”

“I’ll see them at once.”

~o0o~

When Shining entered the throne room, there was far more than four ponies. There were four mares, one he recognized as Midnight Star, a stallion from the Spires staff, Silver Quill. Two other staff members Shining couldn’t place, as well as a made looking rather scared, and a small contingent of Imperial Guard.”

“Somepony tell me what's going on, right this second.”

One of the mares turned and approached Shining before he could even question who she was, a ripple of golden magic passed over her, revealing Flurry.

“FLURRY?! What is the meaning of this?”

“Emporer Shining Armor,” Flurry’s voice was full of purpose and authority. “I come to you not as your daughter but as a citizen of the Crystal Empire, I have gathered evidence as to the existence of a… well I’ll be blunt, a rapist cult.”

“Explain.” Shining was glaring, but not at Flurry.

“I will give you the short story, as we need to apprehend the cutest before they realize something is wrong. A group has been stealing blank document with the Imperial seal on it,” She produced the parchment she had gotten. “And have been making false Imperial orders to frighten mares into silence. They claim to be going the Crowns bidding in, and I quote ‘restore our crystal bloodlines’. I think you can imagine how they intended to do that.”

Shining looked like he was about ready to strangle somepony. “And you have evidence?”

“Besides this false order, I recorded them stating everything on this gem.” Flurry pointed to a gem held in a harness over her barrel. “I also have several witnesses, three of them are here, one is not currently in the empire, for the safety of her and her unborn foal.”

You could hear a pin drop in the throne room, the guards that had assembled were visibly shaking with anger, as well as Shining.

“Where are they?”

~o0o~

Flurry watched as Shining Armor led a full company of Imperial Guard into town at full war gallop, Flurry had wanted to be there to see the looks on the ponies faces, but Shining had told her to stay behind. He instructed her to organize her evidence and witnesses, they were going to make this a full tribunal. Flurry was in her study along with Silver, Midnight, Spring, the third mare from the tavern Winterfall, and the made from the Spire that had come forward Pattern Gem. Flurry and Silver were going over records of the Spire, matching names and cutie marks of those she had seen involved, as well as getting statements from the others gathered. Of the three mares Winterfall was taking the experience the best, Pattern and Spring were wrecks.

“Even if you arrest the entire tavern, there will still be others not there. They will find us.” Spring gestured to bother her and Gem.

“Even if we stay in the Spire, were not safe here, they got in once before they will do it again.”

Flurry was quiet a moment, they were right they weren't safe in the Empire.

“Crystal Dust was afraid of the same thing, I’ve sent her out of the Empire for her safety.”

“And what's to keep them from just following us? From following her?”

“She’s in the one place I have complete faith in to keep her safe, if you both don’t feel safe here, I can arrange for you both to join her.”

The two mares glanced at each other, not sure if they should take the offer or not.

“I’ll let you think things over until then I’ll have you two stay close to me, I will personally guarantee your safety.”

Both mares were shocked, Flurry was royalty, and yet she was concerned with them, two nopony mares. Flurry could not only see the shock but taste it as well, there was also an underlying bit of hope as well. Flurry turned to Midnight, about to have her get something to eat for the two when the doors to her study burst open.

“Flurry! What in the name of Celestia is going on? The entire staff is in an uproar and Shining is out with a Guard company.”

Flurry sat calmly looking at Cadence. “In short, Shining Armor is out arresting a rape cult operating in the city.”

Cadence looked like she had just been pole-axed. “W-what?”

“Some stallions,” The word stallion dripped with sarcasm and venom. “Have been stealing Imperial documents, forging them into Imperial orders, using them to rape mares in the city and scaring them into silence. These three are just some of their victims.”

Cadence looked over the three mares, two of them looking worse than the other. Any further thought or discussion on the matter was halted, the sound of pounding hooves echoed through the crystal halls. Shining Armor came charging into the room.

“Flurry this is a lot bigger than we thought, the basement room also had files on everypony in the cult, including victims. There are a lot of them, it looks like they were also tracking some younger stallions into going along as well.”

“Using the same forged orders? Making them think they were doing the right thing?”

“In essence yes, I’m currently rallying the entire Guard. We need to move on this.”

“Leave the documents with Silver,” She turned to the stallion in question. “Make copies of ALL of these, I want copies sent to Canterlot as well.”

“Yes, ma'am!” Silver wasted no time, taking the documents and immediately transcribing them.

“Midnight, take these three, get them some food, and hold up in my chambers, you are to allow nopony but me near them.”

“Yes, Princess.” Midnight led the three, now even more shocked and confused mares out of the study.

“Shining Armor, how can I help?”

At the moment Shining wasn’t seeing his daughter, but the heir to the Crystal Throne. “I’ll be taking every ready Guard pony we have, we have a lot of ground to cover, keep watch over the Spire.”

“Now wait for just one bucking second! How is Flurry involved in this, and why are you even having her help like this?”

Flurry glared at Cadence. “I’m involved because I’m the one who discovered this whole thing in the first place, and why am I helping? Well, you said it yourself, didn’t you? I’m a princess, and a princess must protect her ponies.”

Cadence tried to make some sort of rebuke, Flurry just strode past her ignoring any attempt she made.

“Go round these ponies up, I’ll keep watch.”

Without a word, Shining galloped back out of the Spire, determined to bring an end to these vile ponies.

~o0o~

The search had been on for nearly an hour, and already things were looking crazy. The cult members were running and hiding, keeping the Guard busy checking and rechecking places. Despite the full Guard being deployed, paroles were spread thin, ponies were panicking, and overall chaos was ensuing. Flurry wasn’t going to let this happen, she had grabbed a messenger pegasus and ordered him to call up the reserve Guard. Ten minutes latter three full platoons of Guard recruits and reservists were assembled beneath the Spire, their crystal armor sparkled even in the dim night. Exiting one of the Spire’s pillars every Guard saw an armored figure, they couldn’t help but stare as they got closer. Flurry was wearing a full set of Guard armor, the bulk seemingly nothing to her as she strode to stand in front of the assembled Guard. The armor was the standard set, not an officer's armor, or even a custom set, to the Guard it said I am one of you.

“Guards and Recruits of the Imperial Guard! Aten Hut!”

Every Guard stood straight, ready for orders.

“I know some of you are just recruits, others are less than a year out of training. Well, tonight you forget that load of ponyfeathers, right now you are ponies of the Imperial Guard!”

Not a single pony moved, but Flurry could feel the pride rolling off of them.

“The Guard regulars are overwhelmed right now, they are tracking down cultist who have been operating using false Imperial orders, you have been called up to help clear them out. I will not sugar coat this, they are a Sombra rapist cult who have been seen using dark magic.” Flurry could feel rising hate and anger, good they were motivated. “They are fanatical and extremely dangerous, we don’t currently know how many of them have access to dark magic, for safely assume they all do and act accordingly.”

Flurry felt something else in the assembled Guard, guilt. Shining had said the cult was tricking other stallions into going along with them, were some here?

“We will deploy in standard patrol patterns, the cultists are sneaking behind our current patrols, forcing them to double back. This end here, form up into your units and move out!”

As the Guards broke up into their units, Flurry began moving among them. She could feel guilt from somewhere, she was close… there. Flurry’s senses picked out a crystal pony stallion, he seemed just a little less sure than the others.

“You stallion,” She called out. “Come with me.”

“Y-yes Ma’ma!”

As the guard moved with her, Flurry could feel two other ‘points’ of guilt somewhere in the Guards. She sniffed them out quickly, a second crystal pony and a crystal pegasus. With all three in tow Flurry trotted to the Crystal Heart, she just stood looking at it for a moment as the Guard moved out.

“I’ll let you three in on a secret,” She began not even looking at the three. “I can tell when somepony is lying, even if they haven’t said anything.”

Fear. All three of them were rank with it now, she turned to face them.

“All three of you have been involved with the cult, haven't you.”

It wasn’t a question. The three shared glances, a silent agreement between them. The center of the three stepped forward.

“Permission to speak Ma’ma.”

“Granted.”

“Princess, they came to us, saying how the crown wanted to ‘thank us’ for our service. How we were being ‘given a great honor’, we knew it didn’t feel right, even if they did have Imperial orders. They showed us the orders, they said no matter what we were sworn to secrecy under punishment of discharge.”

“I saw the ‘orders’ they were using on the mares, threats of imprisonment if they didn’t go along. They were fooling everypony.”

“That doesn't excuse what we did, all we had to do was not say anything. We didn’t have to… go along.”

All three Guard’s heads fell in shame.

“No, no you didn’t. And I should toss all three of you in the dungeons right now, you're just as guilty as they are.” The three stallions gave no argument. “You knew it was wrong, yet instead of walking away, or reporting this, you went along.”

“Yes we did, and we deserve whatever judgment you lay down.”

Flurry was quiet for a moment. “Tell me what each of you did afterward, and I might show you some mercy.”

“I left and never went back there, I even avoided those ponies.”

“Same, I never felt so dirty, or scared in my life.”

The pegasus was a little hesitant in his reply. “I-I started seeing the mare I was with.”

That caught Flurry off guard. “You started seeing her? As in special someponies?”

“Yes ma’ma, we tried to leave, but they threatened us into staying, I only went back to that place to try and make sure she was safe, but then they started keeping her at that place, even keeping me away.” He said in a sad tone.

Flurry was even angrier now, this filth needed to be cleaned out, NOW. These three were good ponies at heart, even if they were still guilty. She decided to keep an eye on these three, but for now…

“Show me where she is, now….

The Guards took Flurry to one of the higher end homes in the Empire, they told her there was a back room where the mares were being held. Stationing them on the home perimeter, Flurry rushed into the house. She found two stallions arguing about what to do, she knocked them out before they even knew she was on them. In the back room of the home, she found four mares bridled, each tied to a post in a corner. Flurry’s pure rage powered her magic, incinerating the bridles in an instant, leading them out Flurry found a group of Guard regulars outside questioning her Guards. All conversation ended when Flurry dropped two stallions in front of the regulars.

“Take them away, charges of being cultists and illegal imprisonment.”

The regulars saluted before dragging them off.

“Ma’ma, we can escort these mares, but if we come across any others…”

“I have a sad feeling we will be finding others… we need someplace to rally.”

“If I may, it should be someplace you know is secure.”

Flurry looked back at the mares, three were huddling close to each other, while the fourth was standing under the wing of the crystal pegasus. Flurry didn’t need her changeling senses to tell they were afraid of her too, she was the crown to them after all.

“I don’t think taken them to the Spire right now is a good idea, there is one place in the city… he’s not going to be happy.”

Flurry and her guards formed a loose box around the four mares, she led them into one of the city's inner areas. Guards passed them, but none stopped them, too busy tracking down the elusive cultists. Flurry stepped up to the front of Tappers, she knew she would have to reveal her disguise to Tap, and she knew he was not going to be a happy pony. The bar was empty save for Tap himself, ponies had begun rushing home once the cutest hunt had begun, Tap looked like he was about to lock up.

“Now why are four Guards here? Shouldn’t you be out looking for some cultists?”

“Charming as ever Tap.” Flurry said lifting off her helmet.

“P-princess, I apologize I didn’t recognize you in armor.”

“I need to speak with you, it's urgent.” Flurry turned to her guards. “No pony is to enter until I return.”

All three saluted. Flurry walked into the back Tap following close behind, once they were out of sight Flurry turned to face Tap.

“I know this is asking a lot Tap, but I need to commandeer your bar until this is over.”

“Anything you need princess, I’m sure your Guards need-”

Flurry held up a hoof. “Tap it's me, two rounds hard cider, me and Midnight always giving Snow a hard time.”

Barrel Tap’s eyes went wide. “S-summer Sun!”

“Not so loud Tap, look I’ll give you the short of it. I’m afraid that as this search goes on there are going to be a lot of frightened mares by the time this is done, and right now they're scared of the crown, I need someplace to bring them until they calm down and we have that filth locked up. Tap this is the one place in the city I know is safe, I’m asking not as a princess but as a friend, help me?”

Tap got a hard look on his face. “Flurry Heart, you bring every mare in the Empire here if you need to.”

“Thank you Tap, give them what you can, nothing hard, some are probably pregnant, even if they don’t know it.”

Tap looked ready to strangle a pony. “I’ll make sure they're taken care of if you start to bring a lot here…”

“I’m leaving the three Guards I came here with, two out front one in the back. Just worry about anypony I bring in.”

Tap nodded, both returned to the main area, Tap going behind the bar, Flurry motioned for the Guards to follow her outside.

“You three remain here, you are to defend this place at all cost, do not let anypony enter without me, even other Guards. I’m putting a lot of trust in you three right now, consider this your first test, if I hear that you so much as eyed a mare's flank, you’ll beg me to send you to Tartarus just to make the pain stop, understood?”

“Yes Ma'am.” All three replied without hesitation.

Flurry nodded, leaving her guards to protect Tappers and all inside. As Flurry hurried off into the night once again, she spotted a pony moving through the shadows, Flurry hurried off in pursuit, it was going to be a long night.

Author's Note

Sorry about the delay, life has been getting rather busy right now. I will upload as often as I can, but it might be a bit hit and miss for a bit.

Edit: Now with edits!