Curving Bullets: A Dash of Fate

by Book_Wyrm

Rating: teen
Tags: King Sombra, Profanity, Adventure, Violence, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Soarin, Alternate Universe, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Romance
Length: 5851

Rainbow Dash, an agent with a special ability, is tasked with a very important mission. One that will change the future of Equestria and the Crystal Empire forever.

Rainbow Dash is an agent for the Solar Division of the EIRA, an elite force of the Equestrian government. Skilled at espionage, she takes pride in her ability to face any challenge. But now, Rainbow Dash faces a mission that even she is not sure she can complete. One that could change everything for both Equestria and its neighbor, the Crystal Empire.

Along with her partner, a Lunar Division fighter named Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash needs to complete her mission, at all costs. With her special ability, she usually prevails. But this time, she's not so sure. As politics in the Crystal Empire gets messier, and new dangers arise, she knows one thing for sure. She's going to need all the help she can get.

This story is a commission for my First Comment Gets a Story. This story is commisioned by Diokno44.

Published 2019-01-25 00:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-03-08 04:10:34 UTC

An Insane Mission

Chapter 1

“You want me to what...?!” Rainbow Dash yelled. Stupid mouth, she chided, before calming herself down. Speaking the first thought to come to mind in an extremely shocking situation was a bad habit she had spent years working on. Getting a grip, she went back to her rigid posture, back straight, head up, staring at the thrones, and the two mares on them.

“Yes, Agent Dash,” Princess Luna spoke, her regal voice echoing through the empty hall, “That is exactly what we are tasking you to do.” She looked down upon the cyan mare before her, taking in both her posture and her appearance. The rainbow mane cut short and done in a wild style. The cold magenta eyes and the formal blue and gold uniform of an agent for the Solar Division Equestrian Intelligence and Removal Agency. “This is quite possibly the most important assignment of your...” she looked at the file held in her magic, “rather impressive career.”

Princess Celestia nodded, her ever shifting mane moving in its strange fashion as she watched the pegasus below her. “Agent Dash, you are one of the most talented and reliable of all our agents. And with your special talents, we are sure you are capable of handling the job.”

Rainbow Dash gave a small bow, “Of course, Your Highnesses.” She looked up again, adding, “May I ask when I will get the details for this mission.” Outside, she was the model of a calm and collected EIRA agent, ready for duty. Inside, her mind was churning with doubts and even a little bit of fear. Sure, she’d done plenty before: getting rid of corrupt nobles, spying on Sombra’s elite and their plans in the Crystal Empire, tracking down dangerous fugitives and stealing classified info. But this was something different. Something that had never been attempted. Something so dangerous that she wasn’t sure that even she would be able to do it.

Rainbow Dash never bragged. Every thought, every word that came out of her mouth about her skill was completely true. Bragging about talent you didn’t have was of no use. Dash had seen ponies who had exaggerated. Many of them had died, taken out in the field because they were too overconfident. But Dash didn’t exaggerate. Everypony knew it, which was why she was assigned the most dangerous of missions. Including this one.

Princess Celestia spoke again. “Agent Dash, if you’ll follow, Princess Luna will debrief you about the mission in a private room.” At each word, the cyan pegasus’s eyes widened. Nothing about this mission, it seemed, would be normal. Or even the semblance of normal that qualified, as an EIRA agent.

Princess Luna stepped down from the dais,Rainbow Dash following her as she walked out of the Throne Hall. Two guards flanked the majestic wooden doors, their machine guns firmly in hoof. They saluted as the two mares walked past, dropping back into position at a nod of the blue alicorn’s head.

“As you know,” Luna said as they traveled the halls of Canterlot Castle, “This mission is highly crucial and very dangerous. You will be equipped with the best of modern technology, as well as enough bits to cover absolutely anything. You will not be taking this mission alone. Your partner is awaiting us in the meeting room.”

Rainbow Dash nodded along. Much of the speech was similar to that she had heard many times before. A few things, though, caught her attention. One was the budget. From what she could gather, the Equestrian government was giving unlimited funding. Also, Princess Luna mentioned the other mare on the mission in an interesting way. Rainbow could tell that whoever this partner was, they were probably both talented and dangerous. And mysterious.

Finally, after more steps and hallways then Dash could tell, the pair reached a set of black wooden doors. Princess Luna pushed them open. Inside was a meeting room, ten high backed wooden chairs around a rectangular table. A fire roared in a hearth at the back. Sitting in one of the chairs was a lavender unicorn in the jet-black suit of a Lunar Division EIRA agent.

“A Lunar?” Dash asked incredulously. “A Lunar agent on this mission? But aren’t they dedicated to fighting monsters and dark sorcerers and the like? Not, you know, court politics and assassinations and all the stuff the Solars do?”

“Yes,” Princess Luna said, “But Agent Sparkle is a highly talented unicorn, and considering this mission, her magical expertise is a much needed asset. There is no Solar agent who could tell you more about the danger that you’re facing, much less fight it.”

Agent Sparkle smiled, “Of course, Your Highness.” Rainbow felt the unicorn’s eyes on her as she sat at a chair facing the other agent, Princess Luna taking a seat at the head of the table.

“Agent Sparkle, will you begin,” the alicorn nodded to the unicorn.

“Well,” Agent Sparkle began, “You are Agent Rainbow Dash of the Solar Division, I presume. The one with the...interesting ability.” She paused a moment, rifling through a folder. “As you know, this job is an immense challenge. Even the infiltration process to get us inside the Crystal Empire is an proving rather hard. However, the real trouble begins once we are stationed inside the Crystal Castle.”

Rainbow Dash listened attentively as her new partner continued after pulling out a piece of paper, “Some of the challenges we are going to face definitely involve dark magic, but there are other concerns. Not only will we be facing the Crystal Court on a daily basis, but also the potential criminal acts, general sabotage, potential monsters, and actually getting close enough to our target to complete the goal.”

“You both will be given packets with your wallets in them.” Princess Luna told them, taking a turn to speak, “You will also be playing the part of two young minor crystal nobles, who are cousins. Many of the less important families have some Equestrian blood in them, so with some extra training for Agent Sparkle, we should be able to integrate you into a family who is on more friendly terms with us, having more to gain from your success than from turning you in. We will equip you both with the normal weapons: hand guns, knives, some basic poisons. Agents Sparkle, I believe, will deal with an arrangements necessary for your ‘visit’. You will also receive large checks, supposedly from your ‘family’. You will be outfitted for formal events in all the crystal fashions. The specific details of your parts are found in the packets here.” She handed each mare another folder. “Remember, it is imperative to complete this mission at all costs. You see a prisoner being mistreated, do not help them. You see anything you don’t approve of, refrain from acting if it might jeopardize the mission. Completing your goal must come even before each other. Above all else, you must remove your target. All the information about him is also in your debriefing packets.”

Promptly, the princess stood. Both Dash and Sparkle stood with her. She motioned for them to remain seated. “I’ll leave you to discuss.”

After she had left, Agent Sparkle turned to Rainbow Dash. “I feel we haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Twilight Sparkle. I’m a Lunar Agent who works in the Dark Magic unit. I mostly work on tracking down and removing those who use the...less pleasant magics.” She got a far away look in her eyes. The look of somepony who had seen things best left unasked and unremembered. “I grew up in Canterlot, attended the School for Gifted Unicorns, and have degrees in Magical Studies, Advanced Spellwork, and Dark Magic Studies.”

Dash stared right back at her. “I’m Rainbow Dash. Cloudsdale born and raised. One of the fastest pegasi ever. I work in the Exterior Duty unit. I do just about any form of espionage the orders say. I joined the Solar Guard, but they decided I had the right...talents for an agent's job.”

Twilight looked down at her folder. “Well, I hope your talents help us here. We’re going to need every advantage we can get.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her own collection of files. A face stared back up at her. A gray stallion, with magical smoke leaking from his eyes and a red curved horn. Her eyes were drawn to the malicious evil grin on his face, and the sharp fangs protruding from his face. “I can’t believe he really is our target. I knew they’d go after him sometime, but never thought I’d be the one.” Dash breathed out his name. “King Sombra.”

Author's Note

Here we go. My first try at a story like this. Cue the Dash Sparkle kick ass combo. :twilightsmile:

The Crystal Empire

Chapter 2

Dash really wished she had one of those devices the Canterlot mages claimed to be working on. The ‘mind binders’ that allowed ponies to speak into each other’s mind seemed pretty cool. However, considering that as of the moment, the binders could only be used by a unicorn, and also the unfortunate fact that they often went haywire, either teleporting one pony’s consciousness inside the other, or simply creating a serious amount of static in the wearer’s brain, they had not made it past prototype stage. She was stuck with a good old-fashioned earpiece, and one partner, who happened to be standing right beside her as they exited the train from the outer Empire into the capitol, Crystallia.

“You ready, Quartz Blossom?” she asked, looking at the mare next to her, using Twilight Sparkle’s fake identity. Quartz Blossom was a mare from the outer Empire, a unicorn born of a crystal mother and a half crystal father. Dash’s supposed identity, Prism, was the other way. According to their made up backgrounds, they were cousins, with ‘Prism’s’ mother and ‘Quartz Blossom’s’ father being siblings.

“Ready as ever, Prism,” came the reply. Twilight was watching everything around her, even as Dash was. Most would assume them sightseers, gawking at the wonders of the Crystal Empire. In truth, the duo were on the lookout. One suspicious pony, and they’d be out of the ridiculous dresses that were in style in the Empire. For that matter, Rainbow Dash adjusted her gown. She had always found courtly attire unnecessary, but she had been shoved into the unwieldy hunks of fabric more times than she could count.

“There’s the Crystal Palace, dead ahead,” Twilight pointed out. Her sparkling navy gown flowed elegantly from her body, seeming to naturally fit her. She walked as if born for a dress and heels.

Dash, however had elected for somewhat more practical sparkling boots. They complemented her dress, and her personality. To make things easier, their disguise’s personalities had been crafted to as closely match theirs as possible. Twilight was the nerdy daughter, while Dash was the athletic one. Both had been sent to the capitol to better acquaint them with court life, and to hopefully find a suitor or two. Dash realized that this meant having to endure flirting. It wasn’t optimal, but it was the easiest excuse to send two young mares into the royal court. Supposedly, they were both nineteen. Dash herself was twenty two, and Twilight was twenty four.

The marketplace seemed all quiet and calm. Then in the matter of moments, pandemonium broke loose. What Dash first heard was the sound of gunshots. Then, screams filled the air. In seconds, the square became a rioting mess, threatening to trample anypony in the way. Twilight and Dash tried to push themselves to the edge of the square. A shooter somewhere in the middle was firing randomly into the crowd. Ponies dropped, and with each one, the shouts of panic became louder and louder.

A bullet hit a mare right next to Dash, as she fell, the crystal pony’s blood splashed the cyan pegasus. Dash stared at it for a moment. The blood was ruby colored. It almost sparkled in and of itself. She gulped, watching the mare on the ground, before she was grabbed from behind and yanked away.

“We need to get to the castle,” Twilight told her, “Remember, the mission is everything.” Surrounded by the chaos, both were confident that they wouldn’t be heard. The shooter seemed to be moving.

“We need to sneak around the square,” Dash replied. She looked toward the buildings surrounding it. “Come on.” The pair galloped through the mess, making for the grand library towering over the square. Large and recognizable, it was the perfect target for if they got separated. They reached the library, but seeing no way out, climbed up to the base of one of the statues flanking the stairs of the building.

Dash turned. Her eyes widened. “Get behind me!” she screamed at Twilight. The purple unicorn, in shock, ducked behind her. Rainbow Dash watched, as if in slow motion, as the shooter, a stallion with a black mask, pulled the trigger, the gun aimed at her. The bullet shot through the air. Dash stared, watching it fly towards her, the aim perfect, the hit inevitable. Instinctively, she reached out with her mind. In mid-flight, within a few feet of her, the bullet’s trajectory began to bend.

The bullet flew, bending to Dash’s right. Time sped up again as the little piece of metal shot by, recurving and hitting the stone directly behind her. The shooter stood there for a minute. Then, recovering from his shock at seeing a bullet change its flight, pulled up his gun.

A shot rang out, and the shooter looked. Coming down the road were soldiers with rifles and armor, galloping towards the square. At that point it was near deserted, except for the two mares and the armed stallion. He watched them come, before taking aim, this time at the troops, and shot again.

Within a moment the shooter was on the ground, pierced by two bullets. The soldiers approached carefully. It seemed the stallion was alive, though barely. Two medics came and grabbed him, loading him into an ambulance cart, while around the square, other arrived and began to do likewise.

Two of the soldiers came up to Dash and Twilight, who were staring around the bloody square. One of them took in the blood on both their gowns. “Are you hurt, ladies?” he asked, looking them over.

“No,” Dash replied, looking at him, her eyes wide. “Its somepony else's.” her mind was coming out of its brief period of shock.

“You should come with us,” the soldiers helped the two mares down, They led them over to one of the armored carts, sitting them down.

“Can you tell us what happened?” the commander asked. “We understand if you’re too shocked to speak about it though.”

Dash decided to tell them. Her mind was still processing what had happened. Even for her, the attack had been horrifying and shocking. “W-we were just walking through the square,” she began, “We’re new in town, just got here a few hours ago. We were heading up to the castle, because that’s where we’re staying. As we were walking, suddenly there was shots and panic. We were trying to get out of the mob, so to not get swept up in it. T-there was this mare, right beside me. She got sh-shot. That's when I got blood on my gown. We ran towards the library to escape, and climbed the statue. Than the shooter...he shot at us, but the bullet missed. And then you showed up.”

The commander nodded, “Thank you.” Then her turned to Twilight. “Did you see anything else, Lady.” After Dash’s mention of the castle, any fool could piece together that they were nobility, and the commander was no fool.

“No. That’s all I saw either,” Twilight replied.

“Thank you again,” The commander said, “And what are your names, ladies?”

Dash answered. “ I’m Lady Prism, and this is my cousin, Lady Quartz Blossom.” She watched the commander as he once again thanked her, then excused himself to receive a report from his troops.

When they were alone, Twilight looked at Dash, awe and shock in her eyes. “I had heard about your ability. I never imagined I would see it in action. Its shocking, that power of yours. I can stop a bullet, if I have time to prepare a high quality shield, but no unicorn could bend them like that.”

The cyan pegasus nodded. “I was born with that. Nopony knows why. But after it was discovered...my future was pretty much decided.” She chose her words carefully. Even though the nearest guard was ten feet away, she was careful.

The commander came back. “Well, thank you, ladies. Now that we’ve collected your statements and are sure that you are unharmed, I’ll send some stallions to escort you to the castle. We have some investigation to do. And you my ladies, will be safest in the castle. This is the third such shooting this year. They’re obviously connected, and for the first time, we actually caught the culprit alive. Let’s just pray he stays that way.” He looked at them again. “But don’t worry too much. We will find out who’s behind this, and the Empire will sleep safe again.”

Author's Note

Chapter two. There are dark going-ons in the Crystal Empire, and Dash's complicated mission just got even more complicated.

'Till next time.

The Imperial Court

Chapter 3

Rainbow Dash lay in the armored wagon, nursing a headache. As her adrenaline had faded, the after-effect of the bullet curving hit her. While she had been panicking and running, the shock had to hit. Now, safe and being delivered to the Crystal Palace, her body was hitting her head on with a yak. At least, that’s how she felt.

The Crystal Palace loomed ahead of them as the armored cart rolled up the street. Rainbow Dash watched it approach. The towering crystal structure glinted in the sunlight. The various balconies and facades showed, all made of pure blue crystal. An envy of rulers everywhere and a wonder of the world. Some said that not even the Royal Palace of Canterlot could compare.

Dash took in the entire scene, not even blinking at the beauty. All she cared about was what lurked underneath. The beauty of the Crystal Empire hid the horrors underneath. A workforce of thousands, all of them slaves, supported the luxurious homes seen in the capitol. The experiments said to go on in the basements of the wonder before her would have made brave stallions want to throw up. Terror and corruption were rooted in every corner of the beautiful city. And all of it stemmed from one pony.

These thoughts allowed Dash to escape from her headache, but not for long. As the wagon pulled up to the palace, she forced herself to stand. Two maids were standing in front of the doors.

“What is this, Diamond Blade?” one of the maids asked. “Why are you here?”

The commander bowed slightly. “Mistress Silver Polish. We were responding to a new attack by the Amore Society. These two noblemares, on their way to the palace, were caught up in the situation. Since we were coming here to give His Majesty a report, I decided to escort the young ladies.”

Silver Polish ushered Dash and Twilight out of the cart and onto the steps. “Oh, you poor dears,” she said. “You must be so very shook up.” She turned behind her. “Feather, get over here!’

A young maid rushed over. “Yes Mistress Polish.”

“Take care of these two mares.” Silver Polish commanded. She looked at the two mares beside her. “Ladies Quartz Blossom and Prism Shine, I presume. You were expected to arrive today.” She turned back to the maid. “They just had quite a fright. Bring them to their rooms and arrange baths to be drawn up for them.”

The maid bowed. “Lady Blossom. Lady Shine. Right this way please.” She indicated the doors. Dash and Twilight followed her up the steps, leaving Mistress Silver Polish to discuss with the guards. They walked through the hallways of the palace.

The inside of the Crystal Palace was as beautiful as its exterior. The carpets were made of shimmering purple silk. Plants growing in crystal vases stood at intervals along the hallways. Floor to ceiling windows allowed the sun to illuminate the crystal structure. Everything glistened. The ornate tapestries were well kept, and there was not a speck of dust to be seen. The extravagance of it all disgusted Dash, but she looked about, pretending to be in awe.

As they walked, Twilight moved to walk beside the maid. “Ms. Feather, I heard that guard mention something called the Amore Society. Would you mind explaining to me who or what that is?”

“The Amore Society is a bunch of terrorists, demanding change.” The mare replied, keeping her head facing forwards. “But you ladies should not trouble yourselves about such things. You’ve had quite a shock and you should worry about getting cleaned up and getting ready to meet the court.” With this, she lead them to a carved door, along a long hallway. “This is your rooms. We decided to put you in a set of rooms connected by a parlor and living area.”

The maid opened the door. The room on the other side was a spacious living area with a fireplace, some fine sofas, and a dining table with four chairs. There was a piano in the corner. On either side of the room were two doors, presumably leading to bedrooms. The massive windows allowed a beautiful view of the shining city of Crystallia.

The maid pointed them to the bathroom before bowing and taking her leave. Dash opened the door and gaped. A pool of steaming hot water awaited them. She stepped inside. Then Twilight Sparkle entered. The unicorn lit her horn, working a spell. When she had finished she looked back at Dash.

“There’s a listening spell in the corner. I did a little piece of magic though. Now all it will hear is idle chatter. I decided that a room like this was best to do some more discussion, now that we’ve arrived.” Twilight slipped out of her gown and climbed into the pool. “Of course, there’s no reason not to soak while we talk.”

Dash undid her own bloodstained gown before entering the hit water. The water around her took a faint red tint as the blood on her coat washed away. She sighed, before looking back at Twilight. “This mission keeps getting harder and harder. First, we have to complete this impossible challenge. Now, there’s a bunch of terrorists involved. Whatever happens, I can guarantee this ‘Amore Society’ gets in our way.”

“I agree. However, first we must focus on our target. During our ride here, I did some additional research through the files on Sombra’s magical ability and such.” Twilight took on a look of concentration as she brought up information. “He is an umbrum, a creature of darkness from the Northern Wastes. It gives him many powers, and is the reason for his strange appearance. His unique form crystal magic stems from his heritage.”

Dash nodded along. Much of what Twilight was saying was known to her. She had read the file before the mission had begun. “And is there anything else?”

Twilight looked at her. “Yes actually,” she said. “Not only is Sombra a master at dark magic, allowing him to access many dangerous battle spells, but he has another talent. In fact, one of our prime initiatives is to remove his Phylactery, leaving him vulnerable.”

“His Filacte...what?” Dash asked. “What exactly do you mean by that. I’m not exactly some kind of magic theoretician” She pointed to herself. “I go in there, I blow something up. Subtly. But I have no idea what you mean when you start talking magic babble.”

“A Phylactery is the object a lich uses to capture their soul so that they can continuously return from the dead,” Twilight explained. “In other words, Sombra is an undead necromancer.”

“A necromancer?” Dash stared at the unicorn across from her. “He’s a necromancer? Why didn’t I know this already?”

“It seems to be highly classified information that we were only given because it is highly relevant to the mission,” Twilight said. “I don’t think the heads of the Lunar Division want it to be common knowledge. It's dangerous information. If everypony knew that her was a necromancer, do you think that some would not come to him, hoping to learn his dark arts?”

Dash looked at her incredulously. “Why would anypony want to do that?”

Twilight sighed. “There are always those who will embrace the darkest arts of magic. Power and fear are two of the greatest motivators out there, and they are the most common reasons why one becomes a practitioner of the darker magics.”

“I guess you would know.” Dash settled back in the pool, relaxing. She allowed herself to reflect. Sombra being a necromancer was believable. It was still nuts. She was beginning to truly understand why the heads of the EIRA had sent Twilight in with her. Dash might not be used to working with any kind of team, but she was starting to really be glad of it.

After a few more minutes soaking, Twilight stood up. As the mare moved to get out of the pool, Dash saw something attached to her hind leg. She focused on it. A band of purple fabric matching the mare’s fur color was tied around her leg. Stuck in it was a fairly small curved knife with a black hilt. The hilt was embossed with a small white crescent moon.

“What, you admiring the view?” Twilight joked, noticing Dash’s stare. Then she looked down. “Oh that. That’s standard Lunar gear.” She floated the knife out of the strap. “We aren’t as subtle as you are, usually. I mean, it's a lot of sneaking around and being smart to out think dark mages, and sometimes espionage is necessary, but it's not the same as what you Solars do. Anyway, I’m keeping that in there. Such things are useful, especially under a dress.” The unicorn stuck the knife back into the band.

“You know, it probably wasn’t best to say that standing in front of an open window,” Dash pointed out.

“I cast an illusion spell, so that anything that we say is masked by conversation that matches what the listening spell is picking up,” Twilight answered.

“Wow, you are good at magic,” Dash said. “I never realized these spells existed.”

“They don’t, outside the Lunar agency,” Twilight replied. “You’re one of the few who will ever know such spells are around. There’s a reason we Lunars are scanned so much when we are recruited. There’s a lot of magic you learn in training that you’ll not find elsewhere.”

Dash, rising out of the water, took that as a hint not to ask more. She was impressed she’d been allowed to know as much as she’d learned, and she wasn’t going to look for more. Much of what the Lunar agency actually did besides fighting monsters and dark magic was fairly unknown, as was its commander’s identity.

After leaving the bathroom, the two mares began to prepare themselves for a formal court introduction. They dressed themselves, Dash slipping a gun into her dress while Twilight zipped it up. After their clothing was on, however, they called in maids to help do their manes and tails into elaborate styles. As the maids chatted idly about all kinds of things, Dash ran through the proper court procedures with Twilight. A court introduction was an extremely formal event, and they both needed to perform their parts perfectly. The maids seemed used to such behavior. It was likely that many young noblemares did such run throughs before their introduction.

“There,” one of the maids said, stepping back to survey the work. “Now you’re ready to be presented to the court.”

The maid led the two mares out of the room. They wandered down more hallways, Dash memorizing every turn and staircase as she went. The pegasus also made a note of any interesting doors or hallways, to check out later. If caught, she could always claim she was lost.

Before long, they were approaching the throne room. The blue crystal doors were massive, shimmering and elegantly carved. A herald stood outside the door, along with two guards. The maid nodded to the herald and bowed politely to the mares before leaving.

The herald opened the doors. The room within was impressive as the entryway, and crowded with ponies dressed in glistening fabrics. Maids circulated around the rooms with drinks. An open path lay from the doors to the steps of the throne. Nopony even noticed the door opening as they talked.

Drawing up a cornet, the herald blew a loud fanfare. Conversation stopped and ever eye turned towards the door. Dash stood in the doorway, nervous. Even after so many missions, she was still scared that she was going to botch something. Her talents had always lain in action rather than politics.

“Welcoming to court the Lady Quartz Blossom and the Lady Prism.” The Herald announced, his voice filling the room. The crystal stallion gestured to the two mares. They entered slowly, walking the carpet stretching to the throne. About five steps away, they halted. Both bowed deeply.

“I am honored to welcome you to the Imperial Court, my ladies,” King Sombra said. His voice was fairly deep, but mellow. Dash was slightly surprised at how not sinister it was. She still felt a little odd though. Something about the king’s presence just felt wrong, unnatural and disturbing. She had never been so close to him before, and now that she was, she wanted just to get away.

“It is an honor to be here, Your Majesty,” Twilight replied, “My cousin and I thank you for your hospitality.”

“Any such ladies are welcome in my court always,” Sombra said, giving a fairly tradition response to the formalities. “You may rise, Lady Blossom, Lady Prism. I wish you well on any endeavors you make during your stay at the court.”

As she rose, Dash suppressed a grin. I really don’t think you mean that, Sombra, or at least you’ll wish you hadn’t. She looked up, getting her first up close sight of the King of Monsters. Sombra was a gray unicorn with a midnight black mane. His horn was curved and red, contrasting with his fur. His green eyes smoked purple fire. He wore an iron crown and a fine red cloak with trimming made with, of all things, what looked to be real animal fur. It made Dash want to shudder.

After taking their leave of the king, Dash and Twilight split up, mingling with the crowd. Many ponies came up to officially welcome them to court. Dash wandered off into the right side of the room, taking the offered welcomes and replying as best she could in a courtly fashion.

Dash stepped out of the crowd, popping into an alcove formed by a massive window. She took a gulp of air. A mare of open spaces, she hated the oppressing feel of a mass of ponies. Instead, she looked out the window. Pink and purple and green were everywhere. Tiny figures of ponies rushed here and there, going about their business. She could see the square where the terrorist attack had occurred, made obvious by the military vehicles parked there.
“Enjoying the city sights?” A male voice asked. Dash turned, facing the speaker. It was a pegasus stallion, about her age. He had light blue fur and a dark blue mane. His suit laid bare his cutie mark of a storm cloud and lightning bolt.

“I guess,” Dash replied. “I’m Prism.”

“I know,” he grinned at her. “I’m Lord Soarin’ Skies, but just call me Soarin. Everypony else here does. Except my father” He leaned on the wall. “Welcome to the Imperial Court, Lady Prism. By the way, why are you hanging out in the corner instead of throwing yourself in the middle of the fray, like your cousin over there.” Indeed, Twilight was already chatting with a group of mares.

“I suppose I’m just not used to the court yet.” Dash said, “It’s nothing like home.” It wasn’t even a lie, strictly speaking. The Imperial Court was nothing like Cloudsdale. If Cloudsdale could even be considered her home. She hadn’t been back in three years. Mostly, she stayed in the Canterlot Palace when she wasn’t out on a mission.

“No, it really isn’t.” Soarin commented. He was staring out the window. “It’s not at all like things were at home.”

Both stood, looking out the window. There they stayed for a few minutes, silent, before Twilight came over.

“Prism,” she called out, trotting to the window while floating two glasses of champagne. “Are you just going to stand there all day cousin, or are you going to come and join me?”

Dash looked to Soarin. “I think that's my cue.”

“See you around,” he said. “And trust me, we’ll be seeing each other around quite often. It's a small palace, after all.”

Twilight and Dash walked away, the unicorn giving the rainbow maned pegasus a glass. They wandered off into the crowd a little. “I see you’ve already made a friend,” Twilight said as they pushed their way through. “Not a bad looker, either.” The lavender unicorn elbowed her partner. Dash elbowed her back, a smile on her face.

“Lady Quartz Blossom, Lady Prism, it’s wonderful to meet you.” Rainbow Dash looked for the speaker. The words came from a white unicorn with a beautifully styled purple mane and well applied blue eye-shadow. She moved over to approach them, stopping in front of the two mares and grabbing a glass of champagne off a passing by tray. “It's a pleasure to see you here in the court, dears,” The unicorn said. “My name is Countess Rarity Belle, and I’d like to formally welcome you into this wonderful palace.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Countess Belle,” Twilight said. She bowed to the mare, and they shook hooves. “And my cousin is…” she looked around. Dash had managed to slip off again. “Excuse me, Countess, but I must go and find my cousin, Lady Prism.”

“Of course,” The Countess replied. “It was nice to make your acquaintance.” She turned away, allowing Twilight to slip between two ponies. Dash had returned to the window. When she arrived, Soarin had already moved away. She sighed, looking out the window. Why do I get the feeling life is about to get a lot more complicated.

Author's Note

Here we go. Its been a while, but I finally got the work done to finish this chapter. And its the longest chapter I think I may have ever written.