Rays of sunlight slipped through the needles of the tall pines, scattering as it hit white snow piled beneath the trees. The only sounds to be heard were Applejack’s hoofsteps and the rolling wheels of her cart.
She did not often get to travel to this corner of Equestria. Most travelers headed northward went straight to the Crystal Empire: there were rarely even train stations in between. But by taking the road, one could find all sorts of wonders along the way, hidden in nooks and crannies.
Whinnypeg was a perfect example. Tucked away just off the beaten path, surrounded by thick pine forest and steep cliffs. The small, nature-surrounded village never got much traffic. If you weren’t fond of busy cities such as Ponyville or Canterlot, it might be the perfect place. That is, if you could bear the bone-aching cold.
The perfect place for somepony looking for somewhere to hide, AJ thought. She had been this way only once before, one year ago, at the request of a rather shady pegasus, Crow Feathers. He was fairly nice though, and paid well for her family’s produce.
AJ’s daydreaming was cut short as she came upon a rope bridge spanning a rocky chasm. The bridge’s shoddy carpentry, apparent from a distance, became even clearer once AJ reached the cliffside; about half the planks had fallen into the chasm below, and the rest looked ready to follow suit at any minute. The beams at either side couldn’t support the weight of a small filly, it appeared. There was no way anypony could make it across, let alone pull a wagon full of fruit. This was no problem. She just had to look around…
“There!”
She spied the trunk of a withered tree, teetering over the edge. Just wide enough to support the wheels of her cart. It swayed back and forth at her push. With a mighty buck, the tree fell across the chasm with a crash. It bounced up off the rocky ledge, and rolled away from the cliff, and into the waters below. “Dang it!”
Once more she scanned the area. A short distance upriver was a second conveniently placed tree nearly identical to the first, ready to be kicked into a makeshift bridge. “Here goes,” AJ sighed. This time, the tree fell across the chasm and stayed put. She gave it a few pushes to be sure it wouldn’t give, then carefully stepped on. The trunk creaked in protest under the wagon’s weight, but it held strong.
She stopped, hearing the rapid sound of hooves approaching the chasm from the road. A snow-white pony was charging down the road, from the direction she’d come. As he drew close, he veered away from the road. With a mighty leap the stranger cleared the chasm and landed on his hooves, finally slowing down.
“Huh,” AJ thought, ah reckon ah coulda done that. If it weren’t for this ‘ere wagon.”
He looked back over to AJ, who was now halfway across the fallen tree. Their eyes locked, but he did not stop walking away. It was not a cold or judgemental stare: his eyes were full of concern, as if he was afraid she would fall. Should he offer to help, or just keep moving. She seemed to have everything under control, and besides, what could he do?
WHAM!
The white pony walked headfirst into a hanging wooden sign. The sign swayed back and forth as he staggered back: ‘Welcome to Whinnypeg’. The stranger’s light face turned a bright shade of red, and he hurried off. AJ failed to suppress her laughter. This goof was just what she needed to lighten the mood after a long day of travel.
But her laughter would be cut short. She hadn’t realized the wheel of her wagon had begun sliding off the tree’s round body. Her harness tightened, slowly lifting her off her hooves, before it snapped off and dropped her back onto the log with a thud. She couldn’t look after the wagon overflowing with her family’s quality product as it plummeted into the shallow waters below. She could only stare forward as dread filled her heart and spread through her entire body.
Slowly, she took shaky steps toward the other side of the chasm, refusing to look down at whatever wreckage remained of her wagon. “This ain’t a problem,” she muttered to herself; a weak attempt to remain calm. “Ah mean, it ain’t like ah’ve never had this happen before.” Applejack didn’t hear the creaking and cracking of the dried wood beneath her hooves, until…
The tree snapped in two. The log beneath her hooves lurched downward, catching on the other. AJ yelped, falling with her legs sprawled out on either side of the log. She barely had time to get herself together before the two pieces moved again. Below her she could see broken planks drifting downstream, along with the bright red fruits she once carried. It was nearly a ten, no, twenty meter drop. AJ was still dizzy, so she couldn’t be sure. All she knew was she had to get to safety before–
CRACK! The split halves of the log finally broke apart. The lower half of the tree swung around and crashed against the cliff wall, barely supported by its withered roots. The other plummeted to the bottom, falling parallel to the first tree.
The tree’s base half swung back and forth slowly, barely held by a few dried up roots. Applejack’s legs wrapped the log tightly, lest she follow her cart into the chasm. There was nothing to climb up on. Anything else was long since eroded. But luckily AJ was prepared: she pulled a rope out of her mane and tossed it up to the cliff’s edge, where it looped around the freed roots of the tree. She gave it a few tugs to be sure the rope wouldn’t come loose, but she had little faith that the roots would actually hold strong. She wished there was something more solid she could lasso, but this was the best she had. Now she had to act fast before…
The log jolted downward. AJ lost her grip and fell several paces back before catching herself. All but a few roots had been freed from the earth. A shower of rock and dirt rained down and bounced off her hat. She climbed faster and faster. Now, her movements were beginning to shake the tree loose, but she didn’t care. She only had seconds to act.
Her hoof finally crested the roots of the falling tree. The roots holding her rope in place snapped. She grasped for the. AJ’s heart shot into her throat as gravity took its hold. There was nothing more she could do.
But then she saw a rope fly over the cliff’s edge, right above her. AJ wasted no time grasping it as it reached her. It must have been that stranger she saw earlier. She never saw him jump over the chasm again, but was grateful he did. She held tightly to the rope, ready to start climbing up. But it kept falling, and so did she. “Whoa! No no no no—”
The rope snagged on the few remaining roots, and came to a stop. The white pony rushed over and began to pull the rope back up. At last, Applejack pulled herself back out of the ravine. She finally breathed a sigh of relief, letting the crisp, cold air fill her lungs. The stranger stood before her, a snow-white stallion with an unkempt jet-black mane. His fur was noticeably longer and thicker than normal: perhaps an adaptation to the cold climate. Emblazoned on his flank was the symbol of a coniferous tree.
“That sure was a close one,” AJ said, after catching her breath. “Honestly, ah’m not sure what I’d done if ya didn’t show up.”
She expected him to stand proud for the successful rescue, or maybe concern for her safety. But instead he hung his head in shame. “I’m sorry.”
“Huh?”
“When I threw you that rope, I didn’t mean to let go of the entire rope.”
“Oh,” she replied, before bursting into laughter. The white pony followed suit awkwardly.
“I see you’ve met my grandson.”
The strange Crow Feathers hadn’t changed one bit since AJ's first visit here. His silver dreads hung loosely from his wide-brimmed leather hat, decorated with feathers and small animal bones. The black, feather-like fur on his scarred body bearing likeness to his namesake animal. From atop his raised wooden porch, he stared down with dull emerald eyes at Applejack and the white pony, who had introduced himself as Dark Wind.
Crow Feathers owned the largest house in Whinnypeg. At the northern edge of town stood the two-story wooden manor, before a backdrop orchard of maple trees. Though Whinnypeg was a relatively new village, all the buildings were dilapidated and falling apart. But Crow’s mansion was by far the worst, almost like it was abandoned for decades. There were rumors that the town was cursed, causing buildings to decay at a much faster rate, but few actually believed that superstition.
“Never thought that boy would take a likin’ to anypony. ‘Specially a stranger.” The old stallion adjusted his hat. “I notice there’s no wagon with ya. Didn’t I order a few crates o’ apples.”
“Well ya see, that’s just it,” AJ said. “Ah had a-uh… mishap at the ravine, and, well, my whole cart got turned into applesauce.” She turned to Dark Wind. “If it weren’t for your grandson, I’d be the same.”
“I see. I can tell you ain’t lyin’, you bein’ the honest one. You wouldn’t try to cheat me…” he glared at the house across the street and shouted: “unlike some ponies I hired to fix m’ roof!” There was no response. “I won’t mention your name, Maple!”
Crow adjusted his hat again. “Well now, after a close one like that, I’m sure you’d like to come inside an’ relax by the fire. I’ll put on some tea. Or maybe some cocoa? Eh, why not both?”
As creepy as Crow’s mansion was on the outside, the inside was even more so. Though he kept the interior tidy, it was still broken down and decayed. But what was most unsettling about it were the bones. Greeting them was a complete bear skeleton, posed as if it was lunging to attack. Every wall was lined with tables and shelves housing smaller specimens: skulls, ribs, fragments, and the rare full body of a small animal. Every inch of space was filled with displays. It was as if his house was a museum, only with far less free space.
Crow led them past his exhibits, zig-zagging all around the hall and into the lounge, where they wove through even more displays to reach a seating area. Before an unlit brick fireplace were a pair of well-used gray couches on opposite sides of a coffee table, upon which stood the bones of a bird, likely a raptor.
“Dark Wind my boy, mind puttin’ on a pot o’ tea? And uhh, some cocoa too.”
“Aw, I wish you’d told me before we got here!” He whined, already snaking his way through the maze of bones.
“Ah didn’t know ya had grandkids,” said AJ, taking a seat on the couch.
“Just the boy. He’s the only son o’ my only daughter. He mostly just runs about in the woods doin’ Celestia knows what. Glad he ran into ya at the right time. I had a feelin’ you’d run into some major troubles on the way. I found a spine in my backyard, is why.”
Applejack shuddered, remembering her conversations with Crow Feathers last year. He had a hobby of walking into the forest and collecting stray bones off the ground. To him, finding a skull was a sign of good luck. But nothing good would come if a spine was found. Even as old as he was, the fact that he’d amassed such a collection was more unnerving than impressive. She thought about her friend Fluttershy, unsure if the animal-loving pegasus would find this place horrifying or fascinating.
“It is a shame about your wagon,” Crow continued. He reached under his wing and pulled out a small, jingling pouch. “I can’t rest easy knowin’ ya came all this way for nothin’.”
“That’s mighty kind o’ ya,” AJ said, “but ah can’t accept this. Ah got no apples for ya!”
“I insist. Besides, I think I’ll head down there tomorrow and fish out a few fruits to replant here. I’m sure they won’t all die this time around. Plus, the best bones walk along the river.”
AJ nodded, and tucked the pouch under her hat. Crow was always persuasive, and it was hard to turn down money. Her family business had hit a few bumps lately, and this would be very helpful. “Ya know, all the houses here look worse than an apple orchard after a cyclone. And ah don’t think it’s normal to find so many bones. Ya think it has somethin’ to do with that curse ah’ve heard about?”
“Oh, don’t ya worry about the houses. They look that way cause o’ GOOD-FOR-NOTHING CARPENTERS WHO CAN’T FIX A ROOF! Carpentry is literally stamped on your flanks!” he shouted out the one window in the room. Crow adjusted his hat and cleared his throat. “Ahem. Don’t worry about us, ya hear? If this town needs ya to come in and save us from angry bones or somethin’, I’m sure that magic map o’ yours will send ya on a ‘friendship quest’.”
“Okay, ah guess.”
The door creaked open, and Dark Wind entered, carefully balancing a tray with some tea sets on his back. He slowly wove through the entire room once more. It was hard to believe this was the same clumsy pony she'd met at the ravine.
“At last!” Crow set aside a teacup, then scooped up all three teapots and poured them into his cup all at once. The brown fluids of varying shade and opacity swirled together, as he lifted the steaming cup to his lips. “It gets pretty cold up here. If ya need a warm place to stay, ya can have the boy’s room.”
“Y’all’ve already done too much for me, ah couldn’t take your grandson’s room.”
“Don’t worry, he only sleeps there in the winter. Right now he lives in this tree stand just outside o’ town. Never really connectin’ with anypony in town. Been like that since, err… never mind.” He stopped, seeing his grandson stand up to leave at that topic.
Crow stood up. “Applejack,” he said, “I’d like to ask a favor o’ ya. When you leave this village, I ask that ya take Dark Wind with you!”
“Huh?”
“What?!”
“My boy, you’ve spent far too long running among the trees, distancing yourself from everypony. In order to grow, ya gotta leave our town. Make a new start in Ponyville. Make some friends.”
“Grandpa, I… no!” Dark Wind shuffled nervously. His thick tail brushed a few stray bones off a table. “I mean, I don’t know! Whinnypeg’s always been my home! I can’t just leave! I—“
“Relax, boy, ya know ya aren’t attached to this town or the ponies here. I know you’re afraid, but once ya go to Ponyville and make some new friends, you’ll be thankful. And I’ll always be here, just a letter away.”
Dark Wind backed into a table and knocked a small rodent skeleton onto the ground, where it’s pieces scattered. He dashed through the maze of displays, carelessly knocking over a couple on his way out.
“Aww, there he goes,” Crow groaned.
“Ya know, that was a pretty big bag o’ apples to drop on us right now,” said Applejack. “Ya coulda at least talked to him first. Or me! Ah cannot take care of Dark Wind!”
“I don’t expect you to take care o’ the boy. All I ask is ya lead him to Ponyville and show him in the right way. He’ll find his way out from there.”
“That sounds an awful lot like takin’ care o’ him. Say, was this your plan the whole time?”
“Er… not originally,”
AJ reclined. “Look. Even if ah just take him to Ponyville, but ah’m not sure about it. Ponyville ain’t in such a good state right now…”
“Don’t you worry about that. My boy is capable of handling himself. Even has quite a few bits from a few odd jobs. It’s just… he needs to reconnect with other ponies.” Mr. Crow’s face turned to one of sorrow. “His mother and father have been gone for almost ten years now. He’s been dissociatin’ from other ponies ever since. This place has too many memories. If he’s gonna make some friends, it can’t be here.”
AJ silently nodded. She remembered the pain she felt with her own parents gone. Dark Wind must have gone through a lot of grief as well. And it seemed, was still going through it.
“Yeah, ah understand. Ah planned for this to be a day trip, but ah can take him along if we meet up before tomorrow mornin’.”
The rising sun of a new day banished the chill of the Whinnypeg night. The seven thick blankets piled on Dark Wind’s bed barely kept the cold at bay. It was still an unbelievably cozy bed, and the walls maintained much integrity, compared to the rest of the house. To Applejack’s relief, there were no bones on display here. She found herself sleeping much later into the morning than she intended. But with the departure of the night, so too must Applejack depart Whinnypeg. Her stay was brief in this odd little town, tucked away off the beaten path and surrounded by pine forests. With her saddlebags loaded with supplies generously donated by Crow Feathers, she set out on the long road ahead. She hadn’t seen Dark Wind since their conversation yesterday. Maybe he’d decided to stay after all.
The ravine lining the town border came into her view. It was only yesterday when she’d nearly fallen to her doom, but it felt like ages ago; she didn’t feel any fear as she approached. She remembered Dark Wind clearing the gap in a single leap. It was impossible for her to do with a wagon, but with the light load she had now, maybe…
“Heading out of town, eh?”
A brown stallion wearing a green beanie lay across the length of a ramshackle wooden bench. He stared at her with kind, yet vacant eyes. “It won’t be easy to cross, ya know. Bridge is out.”
“Yeah, ah know,” AJ replied, allowing some scorn to seep into her voice.
There was a pause, then the brown pony spoke again. “There’s a dead tree just a few minutes walk upriver. I bet it could fall across the ravine if you bucked it hard enough, like a makeshift bridge.”
AJ sighed in exasperation.
It was not long before the last building vanished from view. The long journey home had begun. But as tranquil as the journey may be, the lonely road was, in fact, quite lonely. Until she heard the sound of hooves fast approaching; this put a smile on her face.
“Ah was wonderin’ if you’d show up.”
“I’m sorry,” said Dark Wind sheepishly, “I just had to uh, pack my things, and…”
“Ya needed time to say goodbye.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but AJ continued. “Ah know it must be hard, leavin’ your home behind like this. Now ah did agree to take ya to Ponyville, but ah don’t want ‘cha to feel pressured into leavin’ if ya don’t want to.”
“Oh don’t worry.” DW smiled. “I had another talk with grandpa, and I’m certain now it’s best for me to leave. Besides, I’ve always wanted to see Ponyville!”
Standing out above the golden thatch roofs, the purple crystalline structure towered over Ponyville. Twilight’s Castle; a shining beacon of friendship. But to the unicorn approaching its gates, it was as well, intimidating.
To receive an invitation from the princess of friendship was no small deal; a huge step up from the odd bounty in rural villages, whose residents never paid well. Countless ideas rushed through his head as to the reason for his summons, filling him with both excitement and dread. But it was time to put all fears aside, and bring out his charisma. With a deep breath, he tossed back his crimson cloak and straightened his matching hat. He raised a silver hoof and gave the great door a knock.
The air fell silent. Each passing minute felt longer than the last. Until finally, the mighty doors slid open, and a small, purple dragon stepped into view. “Can I… help you?”
The pony put a hoof to his chest. “Actually, little one, I am here to help you. Is her highness the princess available?”
“No thanks. Whatever you’re selling, we don’t want it.”
“Wait!” the pony cried as the dragon went to close the door. “Surely you have been expecting my arrival.” He struck a heroic pose, throwing back his cloak and letting the sun catch the gleam of his sword.
“Uh, nope. No idea who you are.” Seeing that the visitor was armed, Spike seemed even more wary.
“I see.” He sighed. “I am Silver Hilt. I came by invitation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.” He procured his letter, bearing the princess’s signature.
“Oh right, why didn’t you say so?” The dragon pushed the door further open. “Right this way. Twilight’s in um… the library.” Spike led him through the doors, then stopped, eyeing him with unease. Silver followed his gaze to the gleaming hilt of his weapon, mostly concealed by his cloak. He nodded, and set the blade against the wall, before Spike led him forward.
On the inside, the castle was even more beautiful. From the crystalline pillars rising above their heads to intricate stained glass windows: it was hard to believe this entire structure was grown naturally from the Tree of Harmony, and not skillfully crafted by master architects. Silver nearly took several wrong turns, absorbed by the interior design. He hardly noticed they were at the library.
“Twilight, we’ve got a visitor. He says you invited him.”
At the highest shelf atop a ladder, the purple alicorn looked down from the rows of dusty books. “Oh hi,” she said, “you’re a bit earlier than expected.” She glanced over to a clock on the opposite wall. “…twelve hours early.”
Silver Hilt chuckled. “As they say, early is on-time, and on-time is late,” he said. Inside, he cursed himself, remembering the huge argument his team had over the meeting time: whether it read 7am or 7pm. He wasn’t even sure what side he picked, but couldn’t bring himself to check the letter right now; not in front of the princess.
“Right…”Twilight descended to see her visitor up close. Beneath a wide-brimmed crimson hat decorated with a large blue feather. Across his left eye was a big scar, which he kept turned away, watching her with only his right eye.
“So,” she continued, “are your friends with you?”
“Not here with me, no. My pegasus friend needed to rest; she is without her wings, you see. I suppose the two of us are alike in that regard: not one spark of magic for this pony!” He gave his horn a knock. Silver Hilt’s words put a weight on Twilight’s heart; she remembered Scootaloo, who lived with a similar disability to the pegasus.
“Wow. I can imagine how hard that must’ve been for both of you.”
“True. But we’ve learned to live with a few hardships here and there.” Silver Hilt strode over and sat down on a stack of books beside a table. “Tragic backstories aside, shall we get down to business? Pray tell, dear princess, for what reason have we been summoned? How may I be of service to you?”
“Well… you know Flash Sentry? He needs help protecting somepony. I’m pretty sure I wrote that down in the letter.”
“Right, and I assume Flash is not here right now.” Again he cursed himself, remembering the discussion with his friends.Come to think of it, he was the one arguing they should meet the princess in the morning. At least he wasn’t the one who insisted he visit Twilight’s Castle instead of the location in the letter.
“That would be correct,” said Twilight. “How about you meet us at Sugarcube Corner in about twelve hours, and we can discuss this er… this job.”
“Right. As you wish my lady, we will meet then and there. I will see myself out now.”
“Actually, I can escort you to the front door. I insist.”
They reached the entry hall, and Silver Hilt swiped his sword from the curious dragon and tucked it under his cloak. “Careful with that. That weapon is an authentic replica of a family heirloom!” With the late morning sun pouring through the doors, Silver Hilt gave Twilight a final tip of his hat. “Until we meet again, dear princess.”
Twilight and Spike watched him trot away into town before closing the door. “Do you think Flash is right about this guy?” Spike asked.
Twilight let out a sigh. “I sure hope so…”
“We’ve made it!”
The city of Ponyville had finally come into view for Dark Wind and Applejack. A glimmering pink castle towered over the golden thatch roofs in the center of the shape. The golden color turned to the gray slate roofs that made up the outer city. Further in the distance, orchards and farmland stretched as far as the eye could see.
“Wow,” Dark Wind exclaimed, taken aback by the scale of the town. “It’s a lot bigger than I expected. I always thought Ponyville was just a small village.”
“It has been for ages,” Applejack replied. “But more and more ponies moved over here, an’ the town grew like a weed after the first spring rain. Ah don’t get why they didn’t stick with the same building style.”
This was certainly not the Ponyville Dark Wind was expecting. The small, rural town his family and neighbors told of had become a huge city; brick and stone buildings hugged the street and towered above his head, and a sea of ponies pushed past them. This was a stark contrast to his tiny hometown. He wondered why the scale of Ponyville had never come up on the journey here.
He was starting to feel small. The space, the movement, the noise: it was all overwhelming. A pegasus pushing a cart stepped into his path. “Good morning! A handsome stallion like you could use some equally handsome headwear, wouldn’t you agree?” He sidestepped the salespony, politely declining, but was stopped by another. “I’ve got potions to cure any ailment! And I assure you they’re much better than what those zebras are selling. Care for a free sample?”
Dark Wind felt relief wash over him at what caught his eye: a dark, empty alleyway off to the side. He made a sharp right and freed himself from the crowd. His hooves slowed to a gradual halt, and he slowly inhaled through his nostrils. The space alone to breathe his own air was relieving enough to almost forget all the noise just a few paces behind, and the stench of old liquor bottles up against the wall.
“There ya are! Ah thought ah lost ya for a sec.” Applejack emerged from the sea of ponies. “We should get back on Main Street now.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just… this is a lot. It was so peaceful back home, but here I can’t even hear my own thoughts.” He continued forward, down the emptier street ahead.
“Ah get it. Ah ain’t too fond of the city neither,” she said, lowering her voice. “But ah promise it’ll be much better once we get to the old town.”
“Right.” He continued forward. “We can make it on this street, right? It’s much quieter here.”
He was determined to distance himself from the noisy Main Street. AJ quickened her pace to catch up to him. “Dark Wind, we shouldn’t be here. This place ain’t nothin’ but trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ah’m sayin’ there’s some dangerous spots here in Ponyville!” she stated, almost shouting: this made him stop in his tracks. “Lots of troublemakers like to hang out around these parts: robbin’ folks, and sometimes worse. We really shouldn’t–“
She was interrupted as the doors of a building on their right burst open. A small beige pony was tossed onto the raised wooden porch of the tavern, and rolled down the stairs onto the cobblestone below. One patron leaning against the connected deck railing carelessly turned his attention to the scene. The mare lay there unmoving; Dark Wind, concerned, took a step forward to help her, but as he did a huge stallion was thrown from the doors as well, landing square on top of her with a thud and rolling aside. Dark Wind winced.
The pegasus sprung to her hooves and glared up at the ponies who had thrown her out. “Fiddler Green you scumbag!” she shouted, her voice filled with hate. “I know damn well you cheated. Gimme back my money!”
A pony stepped out of the front door: a dull brown pegasus wearing a smug grin on his face, below a checkered cap. “Hey, if you don’t catch ‘em in the act, anything goes.”
The large, gray stallion walked up, gently pulling the pegasus away from the tavern, while whispering something in her ear. She started to go with him, but suddenly snapped around and threw his leg away from her. “How about a new game? I’m going to wipe that smirk right off your ugly face! If you can block my attacks, they won’t count!” And with that she threw herself at the doorway and the whole tavern quickly erupted into brawling and chaos.
Dark Wind found himself being dragged away by Applejack, just as a flying barstool burst apart on the ground next to them. “Time to hightail it outta here!” They dashed down the street, quickly turning into side alleys and onto other streets until Applejack came to a stop; Dark Wind nearly crashed into her.
The brick and stone buildings had changed to a yellow tudor and thatch style, with houses bearing pink accents: this was the old town: the original Ponyville, before its recent growth. The new brick roads continued with them; even the historic part of town could not escape change. These streets were wider, and less crowded. They saw a market stall stocked with brightly colored carrots, where the seller and another pony were having a friendly conversation about something completely off topic. A bulky stallion pulling a wagon passed by, and gave them a smile. This area had a much friendlier atmosphere.
Now much more visible was the structure towering above the city: Twilight’s Castle. Far more magnificent up close, its gold and purple towers embraced by the crystalline tree shining in the sunlight, almost blinding. It was hard to believe he would be staying there.
The great doors opened, and a unicorn appeared: white pelt, and a fabulous purple mane. She carefully descended the stairs and walked right up to them.
“Applejack, what a pleasant surprise! I didn’t expect to see you back so soon!” The unicorn leaned in and gave AJ a hug. “I was just bringing Twilight a dress for her meeting with General War Horn tomorrow. She insisted she didn’t need a formal dress for this, but I couldn’t just leave her without one. But enough about me, what brought you back so soon, and who’s your new friend?” She stepped forward, but curled her nose and recoiled from his odor.
“This here’s Dark Wind, Rarity. I picked him up in Whinnypeg, but I can tell ya about that later. We gotta go talk to Twilight about letting him stay in the castle for a bit.”
Rarity cringed. “Yes… right. Don’t take this the wrong way, but… *ahem* you can’t meet the princess like that.”
“Like what?” Dark Wind asked.
A blue light rarity’s horn. With her magic, she grasped a twig that was sticking out of Dark Wind’s mane, almost like a mock unicorn horn. She tugged at it, but the stick refused to come loose. “Well darling, it’s apparent you’ve had a long, exhausting journey.”
It took quite some time, but eventually the dirt had been scrubbed from his now snow-white fur, and his mane was free of any stubborn twigs; Rarity gave him her approval to meet Princess Twilight Sparkle, although Applejack insisted this was all unnecessary. It was time to meet the princess.
As they approached the castle, which shimmered in the afternoon sun, They saw a purple pony on the front doorstep. Her wings and horn indicated that she was the alicorn princess they were looking for. A broom wreathed in a magical aura swept the stairs.
Rarity insisted that her business with the princess could wait: Dark Wind and Applejack should talk to her first. As they made their way up the stairs, Twilight noticed and called out to her friends. “Applejack, I didn’t know you were back already! Did something go wrong?”
“Well, ya could say that. But It all worked out just fine.” she turned to the pony beside her. “This is that client Crow Feathers’ grandson, Dark Wind.” He bowed, and AJ continued. “Crow asked me to help him move to Ponyville and make some new friends. Ya mind if he crashes here for a spell?”
Twilight smiled. Here was a stranger who had come to Ponyville with a mission: a fresh start and some new friends. It was for this reason that she had come to Ponyville in the first place. She had learned so much about friendship in the many years since, and was excited to teach some of it to this newcomer. However, her joy turned to uncertainty as she remembered she had other guests set to arrive this afternoon: guests of much higher standing. Not to mention the adventuring party.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dark Wind. But I’m not sure now is a good time to stay at the castle. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have you. But I’m expecting a visit from some high-standing ponies, and I—“
“Don’t want him to get in our way?”
A company of six ponies were ascending the stairs towards Twilight and the others, followed by a nervous-looking Rarity: it was apparent she tried to stall them as long as she could. Four wore the armor of Canterlot royal guards, who surrounded a pair of well-groomed unicorns. The one in the lead was a tall white stallion. His graying chestnut mane was cut short and clean, as was his square beard. A pair of piercing scarlet eyes gave him a commanding presence. The symbol of a crown and crossed swords on his flank identified him as General War Horn , an eminent member of Princess Celestia’s royal court. He was joined by another unicorn, jet black in fur, with red and white color in his mane.
“It seems you have gone to great lengths to welcome us,” the general continued. “My apologies, princess, but our train arrived a few hours before schedule. I do hope this is not a problem.”
“N-no, not at all,” said Twilight. “I just—”
“I take it you do not host nobility often, Princess Twilight Sparkle? You need not worry about other guests spoiling our visit.” He strode past her, and came face to face with Dark Wind. “I am certain we will get along quite well.”
Dark Wind had seen General War Horn in pictures posted in the newspapers that made it out to Whinnypeg, and in passing since he arrived in Ponyville. But standing here before him was different: he could almost feel the pony’s overpowering presence in his bones. Something about this was familiar, somehow. “Have we met before?”
War Horn paused, then he replied. “I’m afraid I do not recognize you. Perhaps we met at the Grand Galloping Gala in a past year? I meet many new faces at those events.”
“I don’t think so. Have you ever been to Whinnypeg?”
Once more, War Horn took a pause, this time much longer. He looked down upon Dark Wind as he thought, his face devoid of expression. “No, you are mistaken,” he said calmly. “Perhaps you are remembering my picture in a newspaper.” With that, he turned and made his way toward the castle.
At nightfall, the city quieted down. Barely anypony walked the lamplit streets at this hour; fewer witnesses to your business dealings.
That is, if there was business to be had. Flash had been seated at the table for over an hour, alone. The only other ponies around were a couple mares in the far corner, and Mrs. Cake coming through every now and then. The basket of baked goods had grown cold, and Sugarcube Corner would close soon, but they would be allowed to stay later. But that might change if Twilight never showed. He never knew her to be late, unless something had happened.
The doorbell rang. “So sorry I’m late! I had an unexpected visitor today. Not to mention an expected visitor at an unexpected time. Applejack made a new friend, and we had to prepare a room for him. I know I should have prepared for that possibility, but I wasn’t prepared at all!”
Flash shook his head. “I’m sorry, you just missed them,” he explained. “I’m kidding!” he continued, seeing panic wash over her face. “They haven’t even shown up yet.” He breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
“I was sure they’d show up early,” said Twilight. One of them showed up at the castle this morning. Now they’re almost an hour late!”
“You wrote to meet us here, at Sugarcube Corner?”
“Yes. Look Flash, I’m not so sure about these ponies. Silver Hilt at least, well… do you trust them?”
Flash looked Twilight in the eyes. “I would trust these ponies with my life. We met back when I was stationed in The Crystal Empire. I don’t remember what the job was; probably something risky, yet unrewarding. You know, the stuff we usually pass on to mercenaries and adventurers…” he trailed off, as they heard loud voices outside the bakery.
“Sugarcube Corner is right here! I told you a hundred times!” a gruff voice shouted.
“This can’t be the meetup spot!” A higher, scratchy voice replied. “There’s gotta be a secret meetup spot nearby. Or maybe ‘Sugarcube Corner’ is code for some other place?”
“What else could it possibly mean?! There is one Sugarcube Corner in all of Equestria! Silver got it right from the princess herself. Let’s just walk in and see if the princess is there.”
“I agree,” said a voice familiar to Twilight. “But in all fairness, it may not be wise to just waltz in: the enemy may have caught wind of our plan and set up an ambush. We should prepare ourselves for combat.”
The gruff voice heaved a heavy sigh. “What enemy? Why does this have to be so difficult? Why do you two do this to me?” Heavy hooves stomped up the front stairs, and the door exploded open with a ring of the doorbell. A mountain of an ashen stallion stood in the doorway; the lamplight . His eyes locked with Twilight’s, before he turned back to his companions. “The princess is here! I told you so!”
“In Scrappy’s defense, it is pretty odd to meet adventurers at a bakery,” said Silver Hilt, stepping past the giant pony. “Inns or taverns are the standard.” Before his associate could protest, he approached Twilight and removed his hat. “We meet again, your highness.”
“Yes, erm... nice to see you again, and thanks for coming.” She thought back on the reason she chose this location: she wanted a place she knew and trusted, that was also fairly low-profile. The local taverns she did not trust, and she didn’t want to bring strange mercenaries to the castle, in case War Horn’s company arrived early.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Silver said, taking a seat at the table. “Did I say this before? I am truly honored to be at your service. As are my company, Scrappy and Iron Buster.” He gestured to a small, beige pegasus and the towering earth pony.
“Hi... I’m Twilight Sparkle. Silver Hilt told me so much about you.” She worried about losing her composure: she was unsure about this group ever since Silver Hilt’s surprise early arrival, but Flash seemed to trust them. She tried to prepare for this meeting mentally after her earlier encounter, but meeting all three of them together, they were rather overwhelming. Surely most mercenary groups were not this chaotic.
Scrappy had not spoken since the party entered. The tiny pegasus didn’t look like a fighter, but the fire in her eyes was more intimidating than the presence of the other two combined: she looked ready to attack at a moment’s notice. Iron Buster towered over everypony at the table: a mountain of muscle. Silver Hilt leaned against the table, wearing a smug grin on his face. “Anypony want a muffin?” Twilight held out the cold bakery basket to each of them in turn.
“Eh, fruit don’t belong on muffins,” Scrappy grumbled. “Those ones ‘re only good for throwing at dumb ponies. I like to fly way up high and drop them on idiot pony’s head.” She looked at Silver and chuckled.
“Well that’s not very nice– wait, you can fly?”
“What? Of course I can fly, I’m a pegasus!” Scrappy spread out one wing, but stopped and slowly turned to the side. Twilight didn’t know a pony’s face could look so calm and peaceful, yet so filled with hatred. If looks could kill, Silver would have dropped right then and there. Without a word, Scrappy lifted a hoof and boxed him right in the face. He stumbled backward off his seat and clutched his snout.
“Ya told her I can’t fly, huh? You think that’s funny? The doctor said I’ll be flying again in a few weeks!”
“Okay, okay! I’m sorry.”
Twilight looked to Flash, who gave her a reassuring look. Apparently this was normal behavior for them. Still, she couldn’t understand how this group could be at all reliable, let alone earn Flash’s trust: they seemed like a walking amalgamation of friendship problems. The guard could see she was uncomfortable, so he took over. “Let’s talk about why you’re here.” The adventurers quieted down, and gathered around the table once more. “To keep things simple, there’s a pony who was a witness to a crime. Somepony wants to keep this individual quiet, which is where you come in. The city guard is um... stretched a little thin.”
“It would be my pleasure, serving the princess of friendship,” said Silver. “I will do everything I can to protect this friend of yours.”
“Oh, it’s not my friend,” Twilight replied. “And it isn’t really me you’re serving: this whole endeavor is Flash’s idea. I’m just helping out with the finances.” She levitated a hefty sack of coins onto the table. “How about 300 bits? I can give you 150 now, and 150 after you’re finished.” She didn’t feel comfortable paying half up front, but this is what she planned for. And if Flash trusted them, she would at least try. Maybe if things worked out, she and her friends might be able to work through some of their friendship problems.
“You are too generous–”
“400.” Iron Buster interrupted Silver. “I know a thing or two about the criminal organizations in your city, princess: they’re dangerous. Plus, you didn’t say when the job will be ‘done’. When the gang after this fool faces justice? I’m not going down like that. Not with empty pockets, that is.”
“Listen to me,” said Silver, “Do you not understand how great this opportunity is? We can win the favor of princess Twilight Sparkle! That is more valuable than money.”
“You have to agree, 300 is pitiful for this job.”
“Buster, would you mind taking a walk with me?”
The two of them stood up and calmly walked out the front door in silence. “I-is everything alright?” Twilight called after them, but got no response. Scrappy’s grin only fed her anxiety. Suddenly, she heard the sound of hooves stomping and scuffling on the cobblestones outside. Twilight rushed to the doorway to see Iron Buster towering even higher on his rear legs. Silver Hilt nimbly feinted as the mighty earth pony brought his hooves down with a thunderous crash that lifted the stone from the pavement. Silver countered with a kick, but his opponent barely moved at the impact.
“Stop it! What are you doing?!” With a bright flash of magic, a purple light enveloped both combatants, and they were lifted into the air and pulled away from each other.
“What?” Silver Hilt replied. “We’re just settling a little disagreement.”
“We are stallions,” Buster added, “and we are brothers. Not actual brothers, but you know…”
Twilight let out a heavy sigh, and released the two of them. “Look. If you want 400 bits for this job, I can do that. Just please, stop fighting.”
“I win again, Silver.” The earth pony proclaimed with a grin.
Twilight shook her head. “Flash Sentry will tell you what to do. You’ll get the rest of the 400 bits once the witness is safe.” She started back toward her castle, then stopped to look back. “And I’ve got too much on my plate to solve your friendship problems, by the way.”
After a meeting that lasted minutes, the princess was already exhausted. The amount of chaos that followed this trio was like nothing she was prepared to handle. She really wanted to trust Flash; to believe that she made the right decision investing in this. But after this experience, she didn’t know what to think. Worst case, they might run off with her money, leaving her short of 150 bits.
Flash Sentry led the adventurers down the lamplit streets of the new residential district. Other than the faint flickering of the lamp flames, there was an eerie stillness to the night. Silver Hilt was almost expecting a bat pony to swoop down from a rooftop and snatch Scrappy, or the glowing eyes of a timberwolf to appear in the darkness between the tall buildings: in fact, it might be a welcome change of pace.
“It’s just up ahead,” said Flash, quickening his pace. “I’ll admit, it took quite a bit of persuading to let the witness use this safehouse.” He turned a corner into a dark alley, and walked up to a door, from which light was shining from a small window. After giving the door a few rhythmic knocks, he called out: “Winternight! It’s me, Flash Sentry. I brought the security, as promised.”
He was met with silence.
“Winternight, are you there?” he knocked again, this time louder.
“Are you sure you should be calling out his name?” Silver asked. “If an enemy hears us-”
He was interrupted by a quick jab from Scrappy. “Obviously they aren’t using their real name, stupid.”
The two of them were grabbed by Buster and dragged aside. “You should be concerned that Winternight, or whatever his name is, isn’t answering the door. What is wrong with you? Pull yourselves together!”
Flash nodded in agreement. “We could be too late. Prepare yourselves; it may be a trap.” Once again, he called into the door. “I’m coming in!”
The front door swung open into a large room. The four ponies piled into the doorway to see inside. To their right appeared to be a simple kitchen area, with an oven, some cupboards and countertops. On the left was a living area, decorated with a cheap sofa, a coffee table, and an abstract painting on the wall. At the back were two doorways, with their doors slightly ajar. Through one, they could barely see a sink and mirror. But in the other room, they could see nothing: only absolute darkness.
Flash crept toward the darkened door, readying a club in his teeth. The others followed in a semicircle formation, keeping a few paces between them. He stopped at the door, breathing slowly, listening for anything to be heard.
Nothing.
He kicked the door wide open. Beyond the doorway was nothing but an inky darkness. Scrappy lit a lantern and held it up, but its light did naught to reveal the room beyond. He beckoned the others over, and in that instant Flash was knocked onto his back and dragged into the darkness.
“Flash!” Silver cried out. “What the hay just happened?!”
“He got pulled in,” Buster said. “I didn’t see anything. Hooves, claws, magic, nothing.”
Scrappy shrugged, and cast her light aside. “I guess we’re fighting ghosts.” She walked boldly towards the darkness. Whatever was beyond that doorway had their friend, and was no doubt lying in wait for them. Not knowing what that force was, or what they could do against it, the three adventurers readied themselves for battle.
Author's Note
Wow, I can't believe this chapter has been in writer's block hell for over a year. Actually, on second thought, yes, I can believe that.