To be Awakened

Chapters

Chapter 1: A Letter to the Unknown
Chapter 2: Under the Influence
Chapter 3: In Pleasant Company
Chapter 4: Confrontation
Chapter 5: making friends
Chapter 6 Operation: Stolen Gnome.
Chapter 7: protocol and attitude

Chapter 1: A Letter to the Unknown

Dear Daring Do,

You have been invited to Canterlot Castle to participate in an exciting expedition. Together with a partner, you will work with representatives from multiple races to excavate and catalogue the ruins recently discovered in the forbidden zone, now referred to as the " city of dust" or "First Kingdom."

As all of the kingdoms are currently at peace, the ban on the forbidden zone that I imposed on the ponies is being lifted. We are now allowing a large-scale expedition force to enter the area and study the lost race known as "humans" and their many artifacts that have been lost to history. This coalition will be known as "Project: Awakening."

Daring Do looks at the letter with excitement. She can't believe it; after coming out of retirement, she’s going on her biggest adventure yet; to explore a race so unknown that it probably predated even the princesses, if the stories and research Twilight Sparkle had gathered were to be believed. Daring Do can't remember a time when she had ever felt so excited.

Well, maybe when she was first starting off her career as an archaeologist…

She holds the letter close to her chest, like a schoolfilly who had just received a letter from their first crush. She gallops down the Canterlot streets, taking a path through the noble district to reach her meeting point. As she runs, though, she's not paying attention and bumps into somepony, causing them both to collapse onto each other.

Daring Do quickly recovers, bouncing up and apologizing to the stallion. But then, as she looks at him, she realizes who it is and takes up a fighting stance. "Dr. Caballeron," she says, her voice filled with contempt.

It takes the other pony a minute, but he takes up a similar combative stance. "Daring Do," he sneers, his tone filled with disdain.

As they circle around each other, other ponies start to gather around, thinking that this is some kind of reenactment from Daring Do and the Forbidden City of Clouds.

"It's been a while, Caballeron. I guess you've finally crawled your way out of your depression from always losing to me," Daring Do says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Caballeron laughs confidently. "Not even your petty words can ruin my day today. I have been personally chosen for greatness," he boasts, his chest puffed up with pride.

Daring Do rolls her eyes. "Your arrogance is the reason you'll never find a mare."

Dr. Caballeron shudders slightly but quickly retorts disdainfully, "I never see any stallions lining up for you. Maybe if you acted like a proper lady and not a brute, this mare would be less annoying to me."

The crowd around them seems to grow, enjoying popcorn and commentating with phrases like "Oh my Celestia!" and "Oh no, he didn't!" Some of the Royal Guards are even enjoying the spectacle.

As a clock chimes, both of the ponies quickly look up to see the time. A look of horror plasters their faces.

"I'm going to be late!" they shout in unison and rush off towards the castle, running down any ponies that stand in their way.

As both Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron rush to Canterlot Castle to keep their meeting with the princesses, two guards at the gate look curiously at the smoke clouds that are coming towards them. They hold tight to their spears, but stay right where they are, each with a stone-like visage as the two ponies come to a hoof-grinding stop in front of them.

"I'm here for my meeting!" both ponies say at the same time before turning towards each other and speaking again. "What meeting? I'm here to meet the princesses!" Both ponies give each other an angry look. "Stop copying me!!"

Before the two come to blows, the guard quickly uses his magic to look at the paper and check his list. "It seems like you're both on the list to speak to the princesses," he says calmly. "One of the guards will come to escort you both to the gardens."

Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron look at each other in shock, their anger dissipating as they realize that they were both invited to the same meeting. They exchange uneasy glances before following the guard to the gardens, still unsure of what to expect from this sudden meeting with the princesses. They reluctantly accept that, for now, they have to be on their best behavior in front of the princesses. "You better not ruin this for me," they both say at the same time, still glaring at each other.

As they walk into the garden, they both take in the beauty of the area; all kinds of animals, plants and beautiful statues surround them as the royal guard leads them to their destination. Daring Do looks at all of the different flora and sees some plants she thought were extinct, thriving in the beautiful garden. She smiles.

Dr. Caballeron seems unimpressed, but is thinking of ways he can smuggle some of these out for a quick profit. "Some of these things must cost a fortune."

Daring Do responds with an angry scowl. "You never change. Always worried about how you can make a profit instead of doing an archaeologist's duties to discover the truth, archive and preserve."

Dr. Caballeron scoffs at that. "You bought into our old professor's lectures too much. The old fool went on and on about her pipe dreams, but couldn't keep a budget on track to save her life. All I see are old things that other ponies will pay out the ears, mouth and nose for. Who cares what ponies, or now humans, did a hundred, a thousand, a million years ago? Take what's useful and forget the rest," he dismisses.

Daring Do is about to say something, but it comes out as only a small hiss. "That's not what you used to say," she whispers.

Dr. Caballeron looks at her before letting out the same hiss. Both ponies walk in silence until they come to a picnic blanket and see the radiant and beautiful Princess Celestia. With her motherly smile, she looks at both of them, along with the newly-crowned Princess Twilight and Spike.

They both stop their conversation as they see the guard leading the two guests approaching them. "My little ponies," Celestia greets them warmly.

Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron both bow low to the princesses. "It is good to see you again, Celestia," Daring Do smiles.

Dr. Caballeron looks surprised that the two are acquainted at all. He quickly spits out his own greeting, as well. "It is good to meet you as well, Princesses."

Twilight raises an eyebrow at Dr. Caballeron. "Do you not remember me?" she asks.

He looks at her for a moment before realizing where he recognizes her from. "Of course I remember you. You were there when Daring Do and I had our… disagreement," he says, his face turning red with embarrassment.

Celestia lets out a small giggle as Twilight corners the doctor. "Twilight, you know it's not very princess-like to make your guests nervous like that," she says, trying to hold back her own laughter.

As the doctor looks confused, he sees Daring Do trying to hold back her laughter as well. Before he realizes what’s happening, he lets out a cough and stands up straight, putting on a more professional-looking face. "Yes, I do remember you and your friends. You guys were a pain to–... I mean, a joy to be around. My colleague and I had different opinions when it came to treasures and artifacts."

Daring Do rolls her eyes. "He means, he apologizes for being a jerk because you now hold a high position," she says sarcastically.

Caballeron angrily glares at Daring Do. "What my colleague meant to say is that I regret my former transgressions against the now-princess and ruler of our country," he says, putting on a big smile and nervously sweating.

Celestia can't help but let out a second giggle as Twilight raises her eyebrows. "Don’t worry, I’m not here to judge your activities. Although, if the stories I have read are true, I probably should. You have committed a multitude of crimes that I could have, and perhaps should have, charged you with. But, given that the statute of limitations has most likely run out on many of them, I’ll let them slide this time."

The doctor rubs his forehead, letting out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding. "Good, good," he says, relieved.

Celestia takes a sip of tea before placing her cup down. "We did not bring you here to grill you on your allegedly illicit activities. We brought you here to request your help on the expedition," she says, redirecting the conversation to the point of the meeting.

Daring Do moves towards the picnic blanket and takes a seat. She looks around for a few seconds.

"Are you looking for someone?" Twilight asks her.

"Yes," Daring Do responds, "I thought the other princesses were supposed to join us?"

Twilight lets out a breath of exasperation. "They're running late. Cadance is pretty much attached to Flurry Heart and rarely ever wants to leave her side. Luna is probably on her third pot of coffee by now, trying to wake up."

The two seem slightly confused, but brush it off.

"But they've already gone through what we're going to be talking about, so they won't be needed for this particular conversation," Celestia interrupts. She levitates three folders onto the picnic blanket, each labeled "Top Secret." "These are classified documents on the forbidden zone and reports of research done in the human city. We've found out a lot since the last time Twilight or I have entered the borders."

As Daring Do and Caballeron begin to read the classified documents, a cold shock shivers up Twilight's back. Daring Do looks over the files with a mix of curiosity and concern, quickly scanning through them before starting to read in earnest. She then glances over at the stallion, giving him a glare before moving closer to read the files alongside him. Both ponies huddle together as they read, their eyes widening as they take in the information.

Caballeron looks up at the princesses, a note of disbelief in his voice. "Princess Celestia, I know you have a thousand years of experience, but what I'm reading in this report cannot be true. If it is, you're telling me that a group of non-magic users found a way to do all of this without magic. What I'm reading sounds more like a science fiction novel than reality."

Daring Do raises an eyebrow in agreement, finding it hard to believe the information in the report. "I hate to say it, but I have to agree with him."

The two look at each other, both still in disbelief. "Some of this stuff sounds impossible," Daring Do continues, "and I've explored almost every ruin in Equestria, the Griffin Kingdom, the Dragon Lands, and beyond. I've never seen any signs of what's described in these reports."

Caballeron nods in agreement, "I have seen some incredible things in my time, but this is something else entirely."

Celestia looks at them both with a patient expression, but Twilight looks indignant. "Do you think we would lie about a historic event like this?!" she asks, clearly upset.

Daring Do raises her hooves in apology. "No, of course not! It's just hard to believe what we are reading here. This isn’t an early April Fool's prank, right? We don't believe you would, but Celestia has a history of playing very elaborate pranks on ponies."

Twilight quickly looks at Celestia, who is nonchalantly whistling a jolly tune, before turning back to the group. "Indeed she does, but this is quite real," she insists.

Just then, Luna appears from behind the two guests and takes a seat, nuzzling her sister before speaking up. "My sister might be known to be a prankster, but even she knows when to stop. This is too grim to be joked about. I've been to the outskirts of the city, but the negative aura coming from the place has always made me hesitant to enter."

Caballeron and Daring Do give small nods of respect to Luna before turning back to the documents.

Celestia looks at Luna, concerned.

"Do not worry, dear sister,” Luna assures. “I am over it now. But at this moment, we have more important matters to discuss."

As soon as Luna finishes speaking, the sound of wingbeats are heard, and Cadance soon lands in the garden. Beautiful and divine as ever, Cadance walks over to the group of ponies, giving them all a smile before lowering herself onto the blanket. "It looks like we're all here. I'm not too late, am I? Flurry took forever to go to bed," she says, causing all three princesses to laugh.

Twilight smiles at Cadance and the two of them perform their traditional dance. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

The two archaeologists look confused for a moment as they watch the odd ritual to completion. Caballeron speaks up. "I guess we have no choice but to believe you, if all the princesses confirm the legitimacy of these reports."

As he reads the papers, he thinks of how much he could make by selling one of these priceless treasures on the black market for artifacts and magical items, which would pay him a king's ransom. On the other hoof, Daring Do is having the total opposite thought process, imagining the breakthroughs they could have with this technology and the knowledge they could reclaim.

The two are called out of their daydreams by a cough from Celestia. "Yes, we understand how unbelievable this might sound, but everything written in those reports is true. And now that Equestria is in a time of peace and the world has moved towards friendship, we thought it would be a good time to discover our past," she explains.

Both ponies look excited and ready to ask questions, but Luna holds up her hoof. "But we will be doing it responsibly and under strict guidance." Luna glares at Caballeron. "There will be no removal of any artifacts found in the forbidden zone under any circumstances."

Caballeron looks crestfallen as soon as he hears that.

"But the amount of funds we'll be paying you for this project will make up for any funds lost on this adventure," she finishes.

Caballeron quickly cheers up before giving the princess a large smile. "How much are we talking?"

The princess pulls out a contract and the stallion quickly grabs it. His jaw hits the floor upon seeing the amount. "You have to be kidding me. There's enough funds here to start up a small country!"

He quickly agrees to the venture, excited about the prospect of discovering the secrets of the humans with the help of other races like the yaks, dragons, and gryphons. The project would be a unified effort from all over the world.

Cadance seems to stare at the two ponies, looking at them oddly before whispering to Celestia. Both ponies smile, making Daring Do raise an eyebrow at their little discussion. Caballeron seems too busy drooling over the amount of funds he’s going to make to pay attention to them.

"What about these restrictions?" As Daring Do takes a closer look at the contract, she notices that there are many limitations placed on them. Her face becomes downcast as she reads through some of them.

Celestia and Luna catch this change in attitude and ask, "Is there something wrong with the contract?"

Daring Do quickly puts on her professional face and turns to both princesses. "Yes. This contract is too restrictive. It's as if we're being treated like first-year archaeologists. From what I've read, we're not even allowed to go off on our own to explore the city. We're only allowed to spend up to three to six hours in the zone, and our base camp must be outside of the affected area. Also, we're not allowed to be there at night."

Celestia looks slightly disappointed at Daring Do's assessment of the contract. "With the danger that place presents to ponies or creatures in general, those restrictions are reasonable. There are old skeletons there, as well as restless things that we're not entirely sure most ponies will be able to handle. Remember, not every archaeologist is a Daring Do."

Daring Do lowers her eyes. "I understand, but how are we going to do any real work with these kinds of restrictions?"

Twilight immediately speaks up. "For the first couple of months, at least, you'll be hitting up the libraries."

Spike quickly brings out a bunch of papers and places them on the blanket before Twilight uses her magic to teleport a whiteboard with very complicated-looking magic equations in front of them.

"From my first go-around in the forbidden zone, I've been trying to find a way to understand the old language. It seems to be a mix of every language in Equestria. With this information, I can only assume that all languages came from this one, or at least most of them. The original appraisers of the world..."

As Twilight lets out a bunch of nonsensical equations and excited whinnies of information, the two ponies look lost, magic not being either of their specialties. Luna lets out a small cough and Twilight stops her lecture.

The two ponies look totally lost, displaying the same face that Rainbow Dash gives her when she starts explaining things. Twilight pauses for a second before saying it again in laypony's terms. "This spell will translate their writings into Equestrian."

Both ponies quickly perk up. "Are you serious? If we have something like that, it would cut our research time in half!"

Cadance lets out a small giggle as she sees both of them respond at the same time, "You two are such a cute couple."

Caballeron gags and retches, looking disgusted at the suggestion. "Her, as my special somepony? Never!"

Daring kicks his hoof. "What’s that supposed to mean?! You would be lucky to have somepony as amazing as me as a special somepony!"

He sneers back at her "Ha! I’ve seen more grace from my underlings than you! Plus, I prefer a gentle, kind, soft-spoken mare."

Daring Do starts steaming after that comment. "Well, I would prefer a nice, strong, kind-hearted stallion, not a grease ball, money-hungry jerk like you!"

They both start arguing as Cadance lets out a small giggle. Both stop after hearing the Princess of Love laugh.

"What are you laughing at?!" They both shout at the same time.

Cadence only giggles again before they both realize who they’re talking to and immediately bow low to her.

"I'm sorry about that, Princess,” sighs Daring, “but sometimes this stallion makes me so mad, I forget myself."

"I hate to agree with her, but we have always…” Caballeron trails off when he sees Cadence’s face.

Wearing a false concerned attitude, Cadance turns towards Celestia. Celestia gives her a knowing smile, understanding her ploy. The two other ponies, however, bow even lower, panic running through their hearts.

"I understand your concern, but I'm pretty sure my niece, they could easily come together for a project this big," Celestia says.

Both ponies raise their heads and shake them fiercely in disagreement.

"Maybe we should have them spend some personal time together so they can work out their differences?" Cadence suggests with a nod and a smile.

Twilight perks up at the suggestion of a friendship task. "Of course! The best way to make new friends is to spend time with them!" she beams. The princesses stare at Twilight for a few seconds, making the new princess nervous and causing her to slowly back away from the conversation.

"Of course, we would do anything to prove that we are responsible ponies and can work together," Daring says. As she speaks, she grabs Caballeron by the neck and pulls him close, putting them face-to-face. It's clear that, while appearing to just be hugging him, she is actually trying to choke the stallion while hiding it behind a fake smile.

The princesses take a few minutes to think about it as Caballeron slowly starts to lose the fight, struggling to free himself.

"How about this?” proposes Cadance. “You two go out to dinner together."

Daring Do, being shocked at what the princess says, releases the stallion as he quickly takes long gulps of air he had let out. "What?!"

"Yes, go out together like friends, hang out, and learn new things about each other," Cadence explains. "From your background checks, we found that the two of you used to work under the same teacher."

Both of them look surprised that the princesses had done the kind of digging required to uncover that information. "But, but, but..." they stammer in response.

Cadence puts one hoof over both their muzzles. "No buts. I'm making it mandatory now. It was supposed to be compulsory, but you two need the extra help. You two will go out with each other to increase your friendship."

Luna continues to enjoy her tea, Celestia lets out a giggle, and Twilight looks confused. The archaeologists both angrily stare at each other. After hearing their orders, they both sigh.

"If I have to," Daring Do grumbles. "I’d do anything for the success of this project."

Luna finishes her tea and coughs. "We came here to discuss business. We should return to the task at hoof."

The Princess of Love smoothly glides back into her spot before Twilight starts to speak. "Yes, yes, back to business. There are three big problems from my and Celestia's notes. First is the atmosphere. There seems to be some kind of toxin or chemical spread over the area. Anyone who doesn't wear protection or has a spell cast over them will eventually succumb to this mysterious sickness. We have not been able to identify it yet, but it seems like dragons have a much higher tolerance for it. Spike is suffering very diminished effects. The spell Celestia and I used seems to keep out the effects of the mysterious energy. It took awhile, but we have been able to create a spell that can be cast on somepony that'll give them six continuous hours of use.

“The second problem seems to be the many dangerous artifacts in the area that still may be active. Not only did Spike and I encounter some kind of golem, we also encountered a machine that created a barrier without any sources of magic. There seems to also be dangerous weapons of unknown origins or abilities, that if ponies or creatures are not aware of or not careful with, can easily end their lives."

Spike and Twilight feel a shiver run up their spines when they remember the next part.

"There seems to be some kind of magic or effect that allows the spirits of the past to communicate with ponies or creatures. Some seem passive, but others seem more malicious or mad. At night, there seems to be some kind of reenactment of the war, before the forbidden zone’s final destruction." Twilight takes a long gulp. "There also seems to be some kind of specter that looks a lot like the reaper pony."

Daring Do and Caballeron's eyes go wide. "I'm sorry, you must have misspoken. Did you say the reaper pony?" asks Daring.

Twilight slowly nods her head.

"You have to be kidding,” sneers Caballeron, though the shakiness in her voice betrays his true feelings. “We have a specter of death guarding the city?!"

Luna chimes in. "We do not know if it is truly the specter of death or some kind of illusion or effect of the area. From Twilight's description, it looks like a human version of the reaper pony. Reports of ponies who have seen the specter are dubious at best."

"To be completely honest, even if it is the specter of death, it is not the most dangerous thing there. The race known as humans seemed to be experimenting with very unstable elements or unknown sciences." Celestia struggled to wrap her tongue around the words. "For that reason, any underground tunnels or bunkers are strictly off-limits to the exploration team. Those locations will have to be secured by a group of armed soldiers or Royal guards. I will personally go down to scout the area before any exploring or examination is done."

Celestia nods to Spike, who goes rushing off, and pulls out a piece of paper showing a drawing of a creature that seems to be twisted, a mix of metal and flesh; a monster that even a mother would have a hard time loving. "These are only one of the dangers I was able to discover."

The team looks at the picture. "Yes, I think it would be a good idea to allow the professionals to do their job," Caballeron says, staring intently and taking in every detail.

"It doesn't look that tough," Daring Do scoffs.

Celestia raises an eyebrow. "Daring Do, I know you have taken on monsters of all shapes and forms, but I would not suggest you take anything in that city lightly. Even I had trouble dealing with whatever this creature was."

Both archaeologists go quiet. Neither expected, after reading her report, that Celestia, even in self-defense, would be able to take such a stance. All of the history books are filled with her in countless battles and even her judging and sentencing ponies. But in a thousand years, she has never had to take a life.

"I'm sorry, Princess," says Daring Do, folding her ears in sadness. She can feel the weight of the statement and understand the gravity of the situation. If the creatures are so dangerous that even Princess Celestia, known for her merciful nature and reluctance to take lives, feels it necessary to take action, then the situation must be dire.

Spike comes back, carrying what looks to be some kind of scroll. Not so much a rolled-up sheet of paper, but one that’s sealed in a metal case. A handle on one side allows the paper to be unfurled, but a latch of some description holds it in place.

“The magical seal on this scroll can only be opened by Chrysalis,” Twilight explains. “Even with Discord's chaos magic, he couldn't force it open. The material used in the anti-magic throne Chrysalis once had has been refined into several pieces of the metal encasing the scroll, and the scroll itself is protected by high-level magic. There is an odd keyhole in the shape of a slot next to the pull, and we think that opens it.”

Spike struggles to carry the heavy scroll before dropping it near Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron.

Twilight smugly continues, "We think Chrysalis, or perhaps the changelings as a whole, have some connection to the ancient city. We suspect that Chrysalis found her throne in the ruins, and that's why we've forbidden the changelings and ponies from going there until now. But this is just an assumption. We don't know what else lies in the city, but we do know there are dangerous and powerful artefacts scattered all throughout the place."

Cadance speaks up. "Are you kidding me?! That power-hungry bug would have sacrificed countless changelings to obtain that kind of power! The only likely reason she didn't is because she probably didn't trust her subjects not to use what they found against her!"

As Luna sees the argument starting, she puts her hoof down, calling all eyes to her. "It doesn't matter what her reasoning was. She's been imprisoned and is keeping her secrets to herself."

"Luna, is there any way you can enter her dreams and find out what she knows about the ruins?" Celestia suggests.

Luna shakes her head. "No. After being turned to stone, the magic we used shut off her higher mental functions. She’s either completely thoughtless, or slowly going insane.”

Princess Celestia seizes the opportunity to steer the conversation in a more positive direction.

"There are many different groups joining us on this expedition, each bringing their own unique skills and abilities," she explains. "The diamond dogs will lend their expertise in tunnel digging and their strong sense of smell. The dragons will provide protection and perform scouting with their high resistance to the poisonous atmosphere. The griffins will send both soldiers and scholars to assist with archaeological efforts and fly in supplies with the help of the pegasi. The changelings, who also have a natural resistance to the poisonous atmosphere, will map out their former home in the badlands and provide valuable knowledge of the area's dangers. The zebras will join us as well, bringing their knowledge of herbalism and the ability to connect with spirits to calm the city's residents.”

Twilight's face lights up as she hears the news that all the races are coming together for a common cause. "The yaks and hippogriffs have also agreed to join us," Princess Cadance adds.

"I've also received word from Klugetown in the former Storm King's territory; the cats, the parrots, and several other groups will be joining the expedition as well. This is a huge step forward for friendship and unity among all creatures," Twilight says excitedly.

Princess Luna speaks up, her tone serious. "Or the spirits might try to banish them all back to where they came from."

All the ponies look shocked at Luna's words.

Dr. Caballeron finally speaks up, having been drawn back into the conversation by Princess Luna's outburst. "Ha! I bet they're just after the regular reports and think they can benefit by gathering information before the ponies do. Every kingdom except the yaks will send a spy or two to try and take advantage of lifting the ban to steal technology or lost information," he snarks skeptically. He cannot believe how naïve the young princess is, but decides to keep that to himself.

"The only ones with a real claim to the badlands are the changelings, and even then, I doubt it's only them,” he continued. “If they were smart, they would send out scouts, collect the information, and sell it to all the various countries. This would make them a huge profit and give them control over the technology going in and out of the old ruins."

Dr. Caballeron's analysis of the badlands catches Princess Luna off-guard. She was surprised by his analytical mind, having assumed he was not that bright, an opinion based on Daring Do's books.

"This is why you couldn't keep a mare in college," Daring Do smiles deviously.

"I'm being a realist,” he snaps back, “not a gullible fool who wears their heart on their sleeve. How many times did you fall for someone's tricks before you created this far-fetched character, A.K. Yearling?"

Daring Do scowls at him. "Don't you even try it." The mare reaches for the stallion’s collar, lifting it in her hoof, ready to strike, before she realizes her surroundings. She quickly hugs him awkwardly and smiles at the princesses.

Twilight scowls at Dr. Caballeron's faithless remark. "Don't you trust our allies? Or should I say, our friends, to honor the agreement we've made?"

The stallion raises an eyebrow. "Nothing's keeping us together except our word and the threat of war breaking out over the land."

“What’s holding us together is our shared curiosity,” scowls Twilight. “And if that’s not good enough, let me make it very clear: none of us can do this alone. The diamond dogs are not at all familiar with the written texts that can be found in there, so even if the answers were written on the wall in front of them, they couldn’t figure it out. The gryphons and dragons would probably try to hoard something dangerous that could potentially lay waste to their homes, and without the aid of the zebras, the warnings of the spirits will fall on deaf ears! If you go in there alone, the only outcome would be your death.”

“So feel free to go wandering in,” snorts Daring under her breath.

Luna looks at the group with a stern gaze. "I cannot be the only one thinking this: these spirits are not natural. And we do not know what they can do to ponies, as Twilight's reports have shown. They were able to enter her mind and show her the tragedies of the past. Who knows if they can do more than that?"

"I did not feel any malicious intent when they showed me the visions,” Twilight states plainly. “I just felt their pain. I think they just wanted someone to know what had happened to them."

Luna narrows her eyes. "Yes, I can see that the spirits you encountered were not malicious. But not every spirit tells the truth. They might sell you a sob story, telling you things you want to hear, so they can gain your trust. And then..."

Luna hadn't realized it until now, but she was leaning in close to Twilight's face, ending up eye-to-eye with the smaller mare. She quickly moves back, noticing the surrounding ponies looking at her with slight concern.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. “I let my emotions cloud my judgement.”

Celestia quickly snuggled up to Luna, trying to comfort her. "This is another reason why we don't want you to spend too much time in the city. On top of that, we'll be conducting tests for corruption, so a determined interval between examinations will be set.”

“I’ll be the one conducting those tests for you two,” smirks Cadance.

Spike chuckles, but that soon stops when he belches up a scroll. The green flames and smoke disappear as he catches it. "It's for you, Twilight," he says.

Twilight grabs it and opens it with her horn, reading it for a minute before setting it aside. "It looks like a dignitary needs to talk to me. Most likely, they want to discuss the project and how much it's going to cost in bits."

Celestia lets out a small giggle, relieved not to be burdened with the responsibility anymore. "We can adjourn the meeting now. The main points have been discussed. Any additional details can be found in the files. All we need is for you to sign the papers and you may take the files with you."

Daring Do doesn't waste any time signing her name and stamping it with her hoof. Caballeron takes a little more time to read over the contract before signing it and stamping it with his hoof. They both rise and bow to the princesses, turning to leave.

“Great,” smiles Cadance. “We’re leaving pretty early in the morning. Do you both have a place to stay tonight?”

The two look at each other. “I was going to grab a hotel room,” shrugs Caballeron.

“That’s certainly an option,” nods Cadance “Daring?”

“I’ll just book it to Cloudsdale. I’ll be back before you leave.”

Cadance shakes her head. “By the time you reach Cloudsdale, it’ll already be late, and you might not be able to find a place to stay. We have plenty of rooms here at the castle, and it'll be easier for you to leave in the morning if you stay close by," she suggests.

The two ponies take a moment to consider the offer. Daring Do shrugs, having stayed in the castle several times before, while Caballeron is thrilled at the new opportunity.

"If you insist, I'll take you up on that offer," smiles Caballeron.

Daring Do smiles at the princess, as well. “You are most generous, Princess.”

"Of course," replies Cadance with a devious smile. The two ponies are so focused on their own thoughts that they don't notice. "Give me a moment. Guard?"

A pegasus flies down and approaches the princess, who whispers something into his ear. The guard listens intently before smiling and walking over to the two ponies. "I'll be taking you to your room. Follow me," he says as the two ponies start to follow.

Cadance rubs her hooves together giddily as soon as they’re out of earshot. “Can’t you smell it?” she asks, taking a deep breath through her nose. “Love is in the air.”

“You have to be joking,” scoffs Twilight. “Those two? They hate each other!”

Cadance waves her hoof dismissively. “Maybe on the surface, but deep beneath that pile of manure, there are spectacular, beautiful flowers that just don’t know how to work their way to the surface. You just need to dig away at it and spread it around, and a beautiful flower garden will bloom in its place.”

Twilight grimaces at the metaphor. “Are you sure there are seeds of passion down there, Cadance? It just looks like a pile of crap to me.”

Celestia can’t help but laugh at Twilight’s rebuttal.

Luna furrows her brow. “Twilight, Tia, please… We are princesses. We should be a bit more refined than to chortle at such crude remarks.”

Cadance shakes her head. “Think about it, Twilight. They have spent most of their adult lives chasing after each other. They share a lot of interests, they have a lot of history together and they both like to travel to the same places. In fact, they both have a great respect for their teacher. If that information was all you saw, wouldn’t you think they were compatible?”

Twilight takes a deep breath. “If that was all I knew, then yeah. But I know more than that. They’re going to tear each other to shreds!”

Cadance shakes her head. “I know they can do this, Twilight. Deep down, there’s something that they both care for deeply. They’re only going to end up hurting themselves and others unless they can find it. Luckily, they both like to explore.”

Twilight puts her hooves over Spike’s ears. “Not when there are baby dragons present!” she shushes.

“It was a double meaning,” assures Cadance. “He probably didn’t think of the dirty iteration until you pointed it out.”

Spike chuckles, now catching the second interpretation.

Twilight brings her hooves back down. “Are you sure about this, Cadance?”

Cadance nods. “As sure as always. Like I said, I can smell it in the air. These two are destined to fall in love. They just need a little help, is all…”

Spike looks confused by her observation. "They seem like normal rivals to me."

Celestia reaches over and pets Spike. "Yes, but sometimes rivalries can lead to the best friendships. Perhaps more, if Cadance’s nose is right."

Twilight is shocked. She’d never before thought that those two could be a thing. "Wow. Wow! If you're right, Rainbow is going to lose her mind!"

Cadance smiles deviously. "Indeed. But I have a lot of work to do if I want these two to see each other in a new light." Cadance lights up her horn and disappears, leaving the three other princesses to their own devices.

"I also have to go, or I'm never going to hear the end of it from that griffin dignitary. Hopefully, Blueblood is distracting him."

Twilight disappears with Spike, leaving only Luna and Celestia. Celestia picks up her cup of tea and takes a sip. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Luna turns towards Celestia, looking at her for a few seconds before letting out a breath. "Not now, sister. I had nearly forgotten Nightmare Moon, and that place only serves to remind me of her.”

Celestia puts her hoof up on Luna’s shoulder. "Don’t rush into it. You'll only hurt the pony I care about the most. When you're ready to talk, I'll be right here waiting for you."

As Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron walk down the hallways of Canterlot Castle, they marvel at the beautiful stained-glass windows. Despite seeing them hundreds of times, Daring Do still looks at them in amazement, and even Dr. Caballeron is impressed with the view. He stops to admire in particular the image of Trixie’s release from the power of the Alicorn amulet. It sends a chill down his spine at how such a small object can have such far-reaching consequences.

After a moment of silence, Dr. Caballeron speaks up. "Do you believe those reports?"

"Of course I believe the reports," Daring Do replies. "Moreover, I believe the princesses. They have no reason to lie to us."

Caballeron thinks for a moment. "Then you have to believe there was a society that not only mastered this planet, but they also did so without magic. Then they somehow destroyed themselves. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?"

Daring Do raises an eyebrow. "What are you hinting at?"

"Don't play stupid. You know what I'm talking about," Caballeron growls. "A civilization that advanced, that ancient, and they didn't have a way out of their own downfall?"

Daring Do takes a moment to think. "There could be many variables as to what happened. Maybe they survived the initial devastation, but weren't able to recover fast enough. Or there could have been outside circumstances."

"Believe in the improbable, plan for the unexpected, and hope for the best." Dr. Caballeron mumbles to himself.

Shock washes across Daring’s face. "You remember that?!”

“It's what the professor used to say to us," Caballeron sighs without looking at her. "It doesn't matter what you think of me. I could never forget that old bag of bones. She was the only one who gave me a chance."

Daring Do stops in her tracks.

"She still wants to see you," the stallion says, hiding his face. "I don't."

At that moment, the guard interrupts, curious as to why they have stopped. "Your room is right over here," he says, gesturing down the hall. “These suites are usually reserved for dignitaries, but you two have been granted special exception by Princess Cadance.”

The two of them begin walking, with Daring Do trying to catch up. "Whose room did you say this was?" she asks.

The guard looks confused. "I was told you both would be sharing a single room."

Daring Do's face goes red, first in shock, then embarrassment, and finally disgust. "Why do we have to share a room?!" she growls.

The guard seems to panic slightly. "Because…" Sweating, he looks down the hallway behind them. Around one of the corners, he can see a shadow looming against a wall; a shadow he knows very well.

With a hard swallow, he turns back to Daring Do. “By order of Princess Cadance, I was asked to give the two of you a room. Specifically, a nice room. This is the only room we have available that meets all of the exact details she called for, and as it’s big enough for two, it was thought that there would be little problem.”

“Well, you thought wrong,” growls Daring. “I’m not sharing a room with him. You can tell the princesses that I will be at a local hotel.”

“I’ll take the room,” smirks Caballeron, pushing open the door and walking in. “A bubble bath? Sweet!”

The guard rushes over and puts a hoof on Daring’s shoulder. “I’ve been instructed to make sure you stay at the castle. I don’t know what the issue is between you and your coltfriend, but–”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!!” interrupts Daring, putting her hoof over his mouth. “He’s not my coltfriend!”

The guard pushes her hoof down. “Regardless, I have my orders. I have to make sure you stay in that suite until morning. Please understand that this is my job, and that I wouldn’t be doing this if I had a choice in the matter.”

Daring scowls. “I’m not sleeping with him.”

“You don’t have to. There are two beds. I can even have a maid bring in a privacy curtain.” He holds out his hoof toward the door. “Just one night?”

Daring takes a deep breath and sighs. “One night. Tomorrow, I want a different room. Are we clear?”

The guard nods. “I’ll do my best.”

As Daring slams the door behind her, the guard lets out a big sigh of tension.

Cadance comes out from behind the corner. “You handled that well,” she smiles, circling around him and brushing her tail against his chest. “Such a brave young stallion.”

“Th-thank you, Princess,” he blushes. “Can I go back to my post, now?”

“One second.” Cadance wraps her hooves around his shoulders and kisses his cheek. “You may go, stud.”

On unsteady hooves and trying to hide his elation, he stumbles off down the hall, stricken by both joy and dread at the same time

Chapter 2: Under the Influence

As the young guard walked away with a goofy smile, Princess Cadance felt a thrill of excitement at the prospect of using her talents once again. It had been a while since she had been able to delve into matters of the heart in such a direct way. With her responsibilities as a mother and as the Princess of the Crystal Empire, finding time for her passion had become increasingly difficult. However, the joy it brought her made it all worth it.

She quickly made her way into the room next to Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron, which she had made sure to keep empty. With a flick of her horn, she opened the door quietly and slipped inside, closing it behind her. She approached the wall and cast her spell, making it see-through from her side and allowing her to observe the goings-on in the room next door.

Through the translucent wall, she saw that the room was grand and opulent, with a high, shallow-arched ceiling sitting atop carved stone corbels and tall, arched windows that let in streams of golden sunlight. The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries depicting scenes of heroic conquests, and the floor was covered in plush, red carpeting. In one corner of the room, where the carpet gave way to tile, there was a large tub filled with bubbling water, surrounded by fragrant candles and fluffy towels. The beds were made of soft, white clouds that had been enchanted so that anypony could sleep on them, regardless of race. They looked as though they would be comfortable enough to sleep on for days.

Inside the room, Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron were engaged in a heated discussion about a recent archaeological discovery, their voices hushed in the quiet of the castle. Cadance smiled to herself, curious to see where the night would take them.

She watched as her spell took effect, feeling a sense of satisfaction as she saw the mist envelop the room and the two ponies. She could sense the tension between them dissipating, replaced by a warm and cozy feeling that would encourage them to open up to each other. She could see their eyes meet, and she knew that they were starting to connect on a deeper level.

Cadance's mind wandered back to that first time she cast the spell, and how it had filled her with a sense of purpose and fulfillment. She had always known that she was destined for great things, but it wasn't until that moment that she truly understood what her calling was. From then on, she had dedicated herself to honing her craft, learning everything she could about love magic and using it to help ponies find happiness.

As she watched Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron in the other room, Cadance felt a sense of excitement building within her. She knew that she had the power to bring them together, to help them overcome their differences and find the love that they both deserved. All she had to do was wait and watch, and let the magic of the spell work its wonders.

However, as she observed the couple, she realized that there was more she could do to facilitate their connection. She closed her eyes and focused her magic, channeling it towards the two ponies in the next room. A gentle breeze filled the room, carrying the scent of blooming flowers and the soft sound of a distant waterfall. Cadance opened her eyes and saw that Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron had paused in their conversation, their expressions softening as they breathed in the soothing atmosphere.

Encouraged, Cadance continued to weave her magic, sending gentle sparks of light around the room. The sparks floated around the couple, illuminating their faces and casting a warm glow in the room. The tension between them dissipated further, and they started to speak more openly and honestly to each other.

"It seems like we're going to be at least three miles from the affected area. A little unnecessary, but I guess the princesses don't want to take any chances," Dr. Caballeron thought aloud to himself. It had been a long time since he sat down with his old classmate, Daring Do. As he thought back, they had been way closer when they were under their teacher. He suddenly felt a feeling of familiarity and comfort that he hadn't felt since they were both virgin apprentices with idealistic and hopeful outlooks. Or at least, when he had that mindset.

"Yes, I still think the princesses are playing too safe," Daring Do agreed, breaking the silence. "We're not just going to have royal guards, but also dragon escorts, the griffin battalion, the changelings’ infiltration squad, and probably some of the best Magi in Equus. That’s not to mention any other groups that may tag along. Even though I read the reports, this seems like overkill. If I didn't know better, it would seem like we're invading a territory. We'll have open supply lines, medical assistance, and the best magic Equestria has to offer."

Dr. Caballeron couldn't help but snarkily reply, "Well, I'm sure you'd prefer to take your chances, Daring. But some of us would rather have a fighting chance against whatever we may encounter."

Daring Do rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I can handle myself just fine. I've taken on worse things than what we'll face on this mission."

Dr. Caballeron smirked. "Is that so? Well, I guess we'll just have to see who comes out on top."

As Daring Do began to respond, Dr. Caballeron interjected, "But I do have to admit, Celestia's experience is frightening. And not even talking about that horror show she described in her report. Those poor creatures died hungry, alone, and scared in that underground bunker, surrounded by a monster of their own design. Hopefully, we won't run into something like that, but with our only job being to raid the library, I doubt we'll be in any real danger. I feel like we're just going in there to become Twilight Sparkle's personal errand runners."

Daring Do let out a small chuckle. "Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint the princess, now would I? But don't worry, Caballeron, I'll make sure you come out of this with all your limbs intact."

Dr. Caballeron grinned. "Oh, I'm not worried about that. I just hope you can keep up."

Daring Do raised an eyebrow. "Keep up? Please, I'm the one who sets the pace."

Dr. Caballeron leaned forward slightly, a twinkle in his eye. "Is that so? Well, maybe you can show me later just how fast you can go."

Daring Do's cheeks flushed slightly. "I think you're forgetting that we have a mission to complete, Caballeron."

Dr. Caballeron leaned back, a smug look on his face. "Oh, I haven't forgotten. But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun along the way."

Daring Do rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but feel a flutter in her stomach. This mission might just turn out to be more interesting than she thought.

"We both know your version of fun is filling up your pockets with as many bits as you can carry."

As they sat in the cozy room, Dr. Caballeron couldn't resist teasing Daring Do about her love for danger. "It's better than your idea of fun," he jested, "Crawling through death traps, dodging claws, spikes, and boulders. Ever since I took you to Somnambula, you've been a complete danger junkie."

Before he could go on, a pillow flew towards his face, courtesy of Daring Do. She gave him a stern look. "We do not talk about that. Or would you prefer I start talking about Las Pegasus?"

Dr. Caballeron's face turned panicked, and he started making hissing sounds as he looked around the room, worried that somepony might be listening in. "You know we made a pact never to talk about that, either. Or would you prefer me to talk about the time you were bit by that snake in the Everfree and I had to suck out–"

Daring Do was quick to act, placing her hoof over his muzzle and forcing him onto the bed. She landed on top of him, and with a stern voice, warned him, "And I remember telling you if you ever told anypony about that, I would break all four of your hooves and leave you in the Everfree!"

After what felt like several minutes of staring at each other, Daring Do removed her hoof from Dr. Caballeron's muzzle and scolded him. "This is what I mean about you being too aggressive, and you can keep your hooves to yourself." She flew off of him and returned to her seat, cheeks still red from the embarrassment of the situation.

Dr. Caballeron, unfazed by the ordeal, continued to tease her. "I don't know why that story is even embarrassing to you anymore. Your adventures as Daring Do are quite unflattering in themselves, even with your selective editing."

Daring Do took a seat and turned back to him with a curious look in her eyes. "It seems like everypony's a critic. What do you have a problem with in my stories?"

"Other than not being paid for the use of my likeness?”

Daring Do rolled her eyes.

“'How about, every time somepony walks up to me and asks, “Can I take a picture with you? Your cosplay is spot on,” or “That's not what he would wear,” or “His cutie mark doesn't look like that.” Unlike you, I don't pretend to be someone else. I am Dr. Caballeron…”

Daring Do snorted in response. “Ha! Since when do you not like attention?”

Dr. Caballeron scowled at Daring Do. “When I make deals with clients or give ponies items. I was in Manehattan, and my clients did not believe that I was who I said I was because of your little books. They almost locked me up in the dungeon! I escaped before they could look up anything, but they could have arrested me, and all because of your books.”

Daring Do raised an eyebrow. “And just what were you doing that ended in you being arrested?”

The stallion started to mumble something, then stopped.

“Sorry? I couldn't hear you.”

The stallion mumbles again, louder this time, but still inaudible.

“One more time…”

Dr. Caballeron angrily and loudly sighs. “I had a partner who was supposed to be transporting some items for me, and he ended up selling one; a powerful amulet that I was unable to activate. I was going to sell it to a collector, but he beat me to it, and it went to some mare. The great and powerful something-or-other. I don’t remember what her name was, and that sucks because I couldn’t collect even a single bit for that. The vendor disappeared a few weeks later."

"So you're saying I make it harder for you to commit crimes," Daring Do retorted with a smirk. “If it didn’t go to her, it would have just gone to some other maniac with bits.”

Dr. Caballeron looked visibly annoyed. "I have a license to sell magical items in Equestria. It's not my problem what ponies decide to do with them."

Before Daring Do can respond, a knock interrupts their conversation. They both turn to the door, puzzled as to who could be knocking.

"I guess one of the princesses must still have something to say," Daring Do speculated as she stood up from the bed and walked to the door. Upon opening it, she was met with a unicorn mare, mane red as wine over a yellow coat, holding a tray of small food items; two bowls of grapes and an assortment of chocolate-covered strawberries.

"Is this the room of Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron?" she asks.

"Yes."

The red-haired pony wasted no time. She used her magic to levitate the tray to Daring Do. "Compliments of Cadence," she said before trying to peek into the room.

Daring Do thanked her and started to close the door, but the pony quickly spoke up again.

"I'm sorry, and this is slightly inappropriate, but can I have an autograph?"

Daring Do took the tray from the unicorn's magic and smiled. "Of course. Just give me a minute." She closed the door and walked over to a nearby table, placing the tray down and grabbing a pen from her shirt pocket.

Dr. Caballeron lay lazily on the bed, glancing towards Daring Do as she entered the room. "Who was that at the door?" he asked.

Daring Do smirked in response. "A fan," she answered. Caballeron grumbled, but didn't say anything else.

Daring Do walked over to the door and opened it, revealing the pony still waiting outside with a copy of one of her books grasped in her magic. The red-maned mare eagerly presented the book to Daring Do, who smiled in response.

"Daring Do in the Forbidden City of Clouds," she smirked. "That's my favorite one to read, too." Daring Do quickly signed the copy and handed it back.

"Thank you!" the mare said excitedly.

Daring Do was about to close the door when the mare spoke up again, sounding slightly more nervous. "Can I also... can I..." she trailed off, trying to find the words. Daring Do waited patiently for her to continue. "Can I have Dr. Caballeron's autograph, too?"

Daring Do kept a smile on her face, but inside she was slightly irritated. She turned back to the stallion and saw him lazily lying on the bed. "Give me one second," she said before closing the door and bringing the book with her. Walking over to Dr. Caballeron, she threw the book onto the bed next to him. "It looks like you do have fans," she said, annoyed.

Dr. Caballeron stared at the book for a moment before scoffing and rolling over it to look at the cover. "I hate this volume the most," he grumbled.

Daring Do sighed in frustration. "Just sign it, please," she said, holding the book out to him.

Dr. Caballeron sat up lazily and took the book from her. He opened it to the front cover and scribbled his name with a flourish before tossing it back to Daring Do. "Happy now?" he asked with a smirk.

Daring Do rolled her eyes but didn't respond. She walked back to the door and opened it, revealing the waiting mare. "Here you go," she said, handing the book back to her with both signatures inside.

The mare’s eyes widened in excitement as she took the book in her magic. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed before turning to leave.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Daring Do turned back to Dr. Caballeron. "Why do you have to be so difficult all the time?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Me? Difficult?" Dr. Caballeron replied with a chuckle. "I'm just a simple stallion who doesn't like signing books."

Daring Do shook her head. "No, you're an ass that has the manners and greed of a griffin."

"Ha! What would your fans think if they heard you using casual racism like that?"

Another knock at the door interrupted Daring Do's thoughts. "Are you going to answer that?" Dr. Caballeron asked from where he lay on the bed.

With a sigh, Daring Do made her way to the door and opened it, revealing the same red-haired unicorn from before. This time, she looked embarrassed.

"Sorry, I forgot to give you this as well," she said, holding up a bottle of Applejack's hard cider, named for the daughter of the two who had made both. Daring Do was surprised to see the drink; it had been discontinued after the creators died in some kind of accident.

"Wow! I haven't seen that since my college years," Daring Do exclaimed, quickly grabbing the bottle with her wings and cradling it like a baby. "Are you sure you want to give this to me? From what I've heard, there are only a few bottles left."

The unicorn gave Daring Do a smile. "This is from the Princess. She personally gave you the bottle," she said, giving a bow before walking away.

As the unicorn walked down the hall, Daring Do called out to her. "What’s your name?"

"My friends call me Red," the pony replied, skipping away with a smile on her face. Daring Do closed the door and walked back over to the bed, where Dr. Caballeron was now sitting up and looking at the bottle with interest.

"What's so special about that cider?" he asked, eyeing the bottle.

Daring Do smiled. "It's just a really rare vintage," she said, sitting down next to him. "I can't believe she gave it to me."

"Looks like you have a new fan," Dr. Caballeron smirked, nodding towards the door.

Daring Do rolled her eyes. "I doubt it," she said, unscrewing the cap of the bottle and taking a sip. "But I do owe her a thank you."

Dr. Caballeron realized what the bottle actually was and smiled. " Wow! When's the last time we saw Applejack’s hard cider? I think it was that time we ended up wasted after graduating, wasn't it?"

Daring Do finishes her swig and passes the bottle to him. "Yes, it was. And I believe it was you who was wasted. I was only a little tipsy."

“A little tipsy?” chuckled Caballeron. “The way I remember it, you very nearly pulled down the chandelier!”

“And who was it that was wearing a lampshade on their head the next morning?”

“Two lampshades, thank you. I refuse to mitigate how drunk I was, and neither should you.”

“Easy enough for you to say. I have a public image that I have to maintain.”

Caballeron chuckled. “Suit yourself,” he said, tilting back the bottle. “I’ll just sit back and enjoy this gift while you worry about your precious public image.”

Daring made a grab for the bottle, but Caballeron swiped it away. “Give me that!”

“No, no, you wouldn’t want to end up being “a little tipsy.” Your dignity is far more important than a priceless bottle of cider.”

“Quit being an arse. We’re obviously supposed to share it. I shared with you, you share with me. Or are you too good to share?”

With a laugh, Caballeron pushed the bottle forward, then pulled it away as she reached for it. “First, I want to hear the truth. Be honest, how drunk were you?”

“Just a little tipsy. Enough to make it irresponsible to go back to my apartment, and no more.”

“I don’t think that’s the truth.” He turned the label so that Applejack’s face was visible. “I want you to look her right in the eyes and tell her, the very element of honesty herself, exactly how drunk you were the night we graduated.”

Daring looked at the sticker and sighed. “Drunk enough to swing upside down from the chandelier…”

With a smile, Caballeron took one final draught from the bottle and gave it back. “Was that so terrible?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’m leaving you the rest of the bottle. I’m going to take a bath. You wanna join me?”

Daring looked up from the label. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. It’s probably already turning cold.”

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

That wasn’t good. Cadence took a deep breath. They had been doing so well with the bottle of cider. Sure, they’d been a bit crude with each other, but they were talking. Now, as Caballeron climbed into the water, which had admittedly turned a bit chilly, they were back to silence and looking away from each other.

She gave it a minute to see if they would start back up on their own, but no such luck. She’d have to interfere again. But where to start? Perhaps some positioning would make this easier?

Caballeron was overcome with a sudden discomfort. He’d found a good spot to sit in the water, but now it was doing something to his back. What was even stranger was that he had a sudden rouge thought that the problem would be solved if he just moved to a different spot in the tub, and one in particular stood out to him.

Daring, meanwhile, had just sat down on the corner of the bed. Despite how soft and warm it had been earlier, now she just couldn’t seem to find a comfortable spot. She took a swig and turned a few times until she found a place that was much more plush.

They both looked up, and found that they were face-to-face.

“See something you like?” chuckled Caballeron.

“No,” insisted Daring. “It just turns out that this is the most comfortable spot on the bed. What about you? Trying to sneak a peek while my back is turned?”

“Don’t fool yourself. This just happens to be the best place in the tub to sit.”

“Oh, that’s a laugh. You can’t even see the window from there.”

“And here, the sunset’s not in my eyes.”

Daring shook her head and took another swig from the bottle. “You gonna be done anytime soon? I want a bath, too, ya know.”

“Plenty of space for two.”

“And marinade in your stank? I don’t think so.”

“You make me sound filthy and greasy.”

“You are.”

“Then I suppose I should just keep hogging the bath, then.”

“Would you just come out and drain the water, already?”

Caballeron turned his head to the side, then laughed. “Good luck refilling this thing. Faucet’s all the way across the room.”

Daring looked around the edges of the tub. The faucet wasn’t across the room, but it wasn’t by the tub, either. The way the tub had been filled was by taking a bucket back and forth, or so she could assume. If she wanted the tub refilled, she’d have to fill up the bucket with hot water, carry it over, and dump it in before going back for more. That was assuming there was still enough hot water remaining.

“Fine,” she sighed. “Scoot over.”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s the best seat in the tub, you said so yourself. Scoot over.”

“No, I don’t think I will. You snooze, you lose.”

“Come on, make some room.”

“I gave you most of the cider; the expensive, rare cider. That means it’s only fair that I keep the best seat in the tub.”

“Just scootch over a little.”

Cadence was pleased that it was going this way. Sure, it wasn’t ideal, but from not wanting anything to do with each other to being able to share a bathtub was a huge boost. The problem right now was with Daring. She just needed a gentle push in the right direction, and that was something Cadance could provide.

Suddenly, something occurred to Daring; something she hadn’t thought about before. “Well, then, we’ll just have to share the spot.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Daring climbed into the tub and sat down on top of Caballeron’s legs. “If you won’t leave the spot, I’ll just have to sit here.”

Caballeron chuckled. “You know this is an empty threat. Why should I care?”

“Then it’s not a bother to you?”

“Not remotely.”

“Then you can just sit there until I’m done.”

With a smirk, Caballeron reached up and ran his hoof across his mane, gathering up a small smattering of oil. It wasn’t a big reach from there to smear it onto Daring’s shoulder.

“You’re disgusting,” sneered Daring. “And petty.”

“I’m the petty one? You just sat down on top of me because you couldn’t have your way. There’s plenty of other places to sit, and you chose right there.”

“I’m not moving.”

“Fine. Sit there.”

“I will.”

“Good.”

There was a brief moment of silence. Just as Cadance was thinking about giving them another push, Daring suddenly jumped up and skittered to the other side of the tub. “You unbelievable pervert!”

Caballeron was wearing a lecherous smile. “I can’t be in full control of that. It’s used to doing that when pretty mares are sitting in my lap, and it can’t see your face through the bubbles.”

“But you can. What, you think I’m hot?”

“Most mares would see that as a compliment. I don’t know why you’re not.”

“Because you’re disgusting!”

“Admit it, you’re soaking wet right now.”

“No, I’m not!”

“Ha! Prove it!”

Daring stood up and turned around, but before she could move her tail, Caballeron pulled it back in the way. “Okay, let’s take that bottle back. I can’t believe you were actually about to do that.”

As Caballeron reached for the bottle, Daring kept moving it out of his reach. “Nope, you said the rest of this was mine.”

“And it is, but you’ve had one draught too many.”

“You’ve had one too many,” she teased. “You’re not taking this away from me!”

“Just for the night. You can have it back in the morning.”

“No, I’m not falling for that!”

“Come on, there’s not even a chandelier in here. What are you going to swing from, a sconce?”

“You’d like that, wou–”

Daring was cut off in the middle of her sentence. Nopony, not even Cadance, could say what had happened. While they were wrestling over the bottle, one of them had slipped. Whether it was Daring that had lost her grip and kicked Caballeron’s legs out from underneath him, or Caballeron that had lost his footing and fell on top of her, who could say?

Either way, the outcome was the same. They knocked out the plug that was holding the water in the tub, and it drained very quickly. That was a good thing, too, as both of them were only submerged for a few seconds before the water disappeared, leaving just the two of them lying in a pool of soap suds, their bodies pressed together, staring deeply into each others’ eyes.

Cadence’s heart was pounding. This was it. They were firmly pressed against each other. Daring was feeling bold, Caballeron had told her she was attractive, and their lips were mere centimetres apart. They were going to kiss, she could just feel it. Any second now…

“Now look at what you did!” shouted Daring. “You drained the tub! I wasn’t done with my bath!”

“Me? You drained it! I’d only just barely started!”

Daring groaned. “Look, this thing isn’t going to refill itself.” She grabbed the bucket and pushed it into his hooves. “Let me know when it’s full again.”

“Why should I do that? In fact, why should I fill it?”

“Because it’s your fault it’s empty!”

Caballeron shook his head. “You know what? No. I’m going to bed. You want a bath?” He dropped the bucket in front of her. “You fill it.”

“I’m not filling it!”

“My mistake, you’re too drunk.”

“I didn’t even finish the bottle!”

Caballeron snatched it. “And you’re not going to tonight. You can have this back in the morning. I’m going to bed.”

“You know I can just grab it out of your luggage, right?”

“Not going’ in my luggage.” As he flopped down onto the bed, he brought the bottle with him, pressing it against his chest as he pulled the covers up over his shoulders. “You can have it back at breakfast.”

Daring huffed and closed the blinds. They were very powerful blackout curtains, blocking out the sunset with ease. All that was left was a few slivers of light as she slumped down onto the bed, sitting and waiting for Caballeron to fall asleep.

Cadence knew that there was nothing else for her to do here tonight. She’d almost had them falling in love again on day one. It was kind of disappointing, really, knowing that she’d lost some of her touch. Still, there was time before they shipped out tomorrow. With any luck, they’d hook up on the train on their way in. Goodness knew they wouldn’t want to hook up after they arrived. That made her window of opportunity very small, but at least she had come close. It was something, at any rate.

She erased the spell that allowed her to see into the room. There was little point in staying here anymore. It was unlikely that either one would make a move tonight; not without her helping them along. She might as well hit the hay, herself. Or at least, find some guard to roll in it with her.

Chapter 3: In Pleasant Company

38971139 is abruptly awakened by blaring red alarms. Feeling disoriented and bewildered, she promptly sits up, attempting to evaluate the situation.

As she looks around the room, she sees her sister burst in, her face filled with worry and urgency. "We have to leave, Chrysalis! Now!" she declares, her voice quavering with apprehension.

Chrysalis is clearly taken aback as she gazes at her sister. "2773829, what happened? How did you escape? Where's Father?" Her voice trembles with a mix of concern and urgency.

"That's not my name," Red corrects herself, a surge of worry coursing through her. She realizes the gravity of the situation unfolding before them. "I'm sorry, but we need to leave."

Chrysalis continues to stare at her sister, a flicker of recognition and determination in her eyes. "Red..."

Knock, knock, knock, knock!

The sound jolts Daring Do out of her slumber. She rubs her bleary eyes, trying to orient herself until she realizes that she’s sleeping on top of Dr. Caballeron. Quickly, she scrambles off of him, waking him up in the process.

He glares at her with annoyance, and she turns away, trying to hide her blushing cheeks. "What the hell? Why did you wake me up like that?" he grumbles.

As he mutters under his breath, there’s another knock on the door. "Who's at the door this early?" he groans, his eyes darting towards the window where the sun had barely started to rise.

Daring takes a deep breath and composes herself before making her way towards the door. She opens it to find a royal guard standing there, adorned in his gleaming golden armor. He speaks in a formal tone. "You have been requested to join the princesses for breakfast," he announces, his gaze fixed on her.

Daring turns towards the open window, squinting in the early morning light. "You're joking, right?" she mutters under her breath.

The stoic stallion remains unmoved, his expression unchanging. "Due to Luna and Celestia's sleep schedule, this is the time when Celestia has her breakfast and Luna has her dinner," he explains, his tone serious.

Daring pauses for a moment, considering the invitation. Could she manage to behave properly at this early hour? She glances back at Caballeron, who had already retreated back under the covers. With a small smile, she turns back to the royal guard. "I'll be right there," she replies, nodding her assent.

Just as Daring is about to close the door, the royal guard speaks up again. "Before you come to breakfast, you might want to take a shower; you smell of booze," he warns.

Daring bristles at the comment, but before she can respond, the stallion turns and leaves to announce the arrival of two archaeologists who would also be joining them for breakfast.

Daring grumbles to herself as she closes the door. Walking back to the bed, she sees that Caballeron had rolled over and gone back to sleep. She smiles mischievously and flies out the window, grabbing a cloud and bringing it back into the room. With a quick stomp, she causes a small shower of water to fall on the unsuspecting stallion.

Caballeron jumps out of bed and assumes a combative stance. "Fuck!" he exclaims, looking around for the source of the disturbance. He spots Daring, who is now lying on top of a rain cloud and grinning from ear to ear. "What was that for, you horse?" he demands, his irritation evident.

Daring merely smiles and places a hoof over her mouth. "Oh my, what would the princesses think if they knew you used that kind of language in the presence of a lady like me?" she teases.

"Haha, very funny," Caballeron sneers, holding the forgotten bottle of Applejack's hard cider in his hooves. He turns back to Daring with an evil smile on his face. "I hope that prank was worth it," he taunts as he takes the last swigs of the drink. Daring looks outraged and is about to strike him, but before she can, Caballeron lets out a burp and a satisfied sigh. "Ah, that burned just right," he smirks, giving her the same smug smile that she had given him earlier. "Not so funny now, is it?"

Daring grumbles, quickly forfeiting the petty revenge game. "We don't have time for this. We have to meet the princesses for breakfast," she reminds him.

Caballeron looks outside the window and sees that the sun is barely peeking over the horizon. "You're kidding, right? Who eats breakfast at this time of day?" he grumbles.

"The princesses do. I was told this is their normal time because of Luna's sleep schedule," Daring explains.

Caballeron grumbles for a few more seconds before giving in. "Okay, but I'm going to need coffee. Let's hurry up. You've already brought a cloud in here, so we might as well use it," he sighs, heading towards the tub. He grabs a few toiletries and a bar of soap, while Daring does the same.

Caballeron looks at Daring as she grabs only a bar of soap. "Where is everything else?” he questions. “No conditioner, no shampoo, no moisturizer? No wonder you always look like you just flew through a lightning storm."

Daring rolls her eyes. "Don’t act like you’re such a prince. You know we’re going to be in a concrete jungle filled with sand for months, if not years, right? There's not going to be too many places where you can go pretty yourself up for the gala."

Caballeron blows a raspberry. "Not that you’d know, but looking good is a twenty-four-hour job. You never know who you could meet and impress. This is one of the reasons you were a virgin all the way up to our senior year. Without me helping you out with your fashion, you’d have been hopeless."

Daring jabs her elbow into his ribs. "It's not my fault that I couldn’t catch a break in college. We mares outnumber you stallions ten to one. And you’re one to talk, shaking your flank for that professor just so she’d give you the credits you needed to pass."

Caballeron chuckled. "You weren't complaining when I was sharing the answers to her test with you."

Daring finishes drying off and dressing herself before waiting impatiently by the door for Caballeron to finish. He takes slightly longer to do up his hair, causing her to urge him to hurry up. "Come on, we don't have all day!"

"Stop crying, I'm almost finished," he retorts as he puts the final touches on his slicked-back mane. "Canterlot wasn't built in a day."

As they step outside, they’re greeted by the sight of a beautiful palace, with intricate architecture and mirrors adorning the walls. The royal guard is waiting for them on the other side of the door. "Are you ready to leave?" he asks, to which both Daring and Caballeron nod. With a nod, the guard turns and leads them down the hall.

As Daring and Caballeron walk down the halls of Canterlot Castle towards the dining room, they pass by numerous mirrors that adorn the walls. Each one reflects the grandeur of the palace, with intricate designs and decorations adorning the ceilings and walls. The floors are made of marble, polished to a shine that reflects the light of the chandeliers hanging above.

The walls are adorned with tapestries, depicting various scenes of ancient battles and mythical creatures. They’re lined with golden thread, adding to the opulence of the palace. The ceilings are high, supported by marble columns with intricate carvings of mythical creatures and other designs.

As they pass by the windows, they can see the sprawling gardens of the palace, filled with colorful flowers and exotic plants. In the distance, they can see the city of Canterlot, with its many buildings and bustling streets. The palace is truly a sight to behold, a testament to the power and wealth of the ponies who ruled the land.

"I can grow used to a view like this," Caballeron smiles as he looks over the view.

Daring shook her head. "It's a nice view, but I’ve seen better, and you have too."

Caballeron chuckles and continues ahead. As the Royal guard stops around the corner, Daring quickly speeds up, catching up with the guard and Caballeron. As they walk up to the dining room, the royal guard opens the door.

The two enter the dining hall to find that the princesses are already at the table. Luna and Cadance are already eating, while Celestia is sitting in front of a clean, untouched plate. At the other end of the admittedly short table, a few empty place settings are waiting for them, with name cards and cutlery already there.

“Good morning, crew!” smiles Celestia. “Did you sleep well?”

“Just great,” smiles Daring.

“It was better than I was expecting, yeah,” agrees Caballeron.

Luna takes a deep breath and looks up from her spiced carrot waffle. “Lies are unbecoming, even if your intent was not to make my sister worry. It is a kind thing you did, and she may appreciate it, but know that I can see into your dreams. I’m disappointed.”

Daring and Caballeron glance at each other, and then to Luna. In truth, Daring had encountered a fair bit of difficulty falling asleep, and hadn’t rested well as a result, and Caballeron had experienced a nightmare that was admittedly unrelated to the task they had been assigned.

“Oh, let them be, Luna,” scoffs Celestia. “They probably just don’t want to make it seem like they’re nervous. They need to put on a brave face today. Let them try to believe that they slept well, at least.”

Luna smirks and slices open her fried eggs, letting the yolk drip down onto her hash brown potatoes. After taking a bite, she reaches for the pepper and sprinkles it over the top.

“You know, I have a sure-fire method of making sure your dreams are pleasant,” smiles Cadance, nudging Shining Armor with her shoulder.

“You go to bed happy,” grunts Luna. “There’s a lot of steps that can help with that.”

Cadance smiles and picks up a peach, bringing the crease up to her lips and taking a big whiff. “Oh, that smells divine.”

“It’d better,” adds Celestia. “We have to ship those in from down south because they’re not in season here.”

After running her tongue along the crease, Cadance bites into it, its juice dribbling down her chin.

Shining, who had been sitting off to the side, partially hidden by a high-backed chair, reaches forward and dabs at her mouth with a napkin. “I swear, you and your peaches,” he chuckles. “Can you eat a bit cleaner, please?”

“Oh, fine,” grumbles Cadance, grabbing the napkin from his horn.

Shining smiles and grabs a banana from the bowl of fruit in front of them, and after peeling it, Daring could swear that he swallowed the whole thing in a single gulp, not even taking the time to chew or bite. Caballeron doesn’t notice it disappearing, but he does note that, at the exact same moment, one of the guards that had been looking in Shining’s direction suddenly feels the need to blush at the display, as if he were in on some sort of joke he wasn’t allowed to tell.

Twilight rushes in with Spike. “I’m so sorry!” she gasps. “Have you all been waiting long?”

Celestia holds up her hoof. “Calm down, Twilight. We’ve only just begun. The chef should be back any minute, so do think about what you want.”

“Oh, was that him coming up the other side of the hall with the cart?”

As if on cue, the chef walks in with his mobile cooktop, his cast-iron skillet and griddle already heated and ingredients prepped and ready. He wheels it right up next to Celestia and, with a flick of his wrist, begins to cook some crepes right in front of her.

Spike climbs up next to Twilight and sits down. “Those do look pretty tasty,” he comments.

Luna grunts and swallows her mouthful of potato. “Personally, I prefer my crepes to be Normande, rather than Suzette. Better taste.”

“I like mine with fresh strawberries and kiwifruit,” interjects Cadance. “Much healthier.”

“You’re missing the point,” argues Celestia. “It’s all about presentation.”

In the next moment, the chef pours in the orange liqueur, and the skillet erupts in orange flames. As soon as they die down, the chef plates the crepes and pours the syrup over the top, finalizing the garnish with a spritz of whipped cream before placing the plate in front of her and pushing the cart away.

“Eh, I see flames erupting in front of me every day,” shrugs Spike.

Daring and Caballeron don’t know what to make of this. While Daring had been invited to dine with Celestia before, that had been an event, in which everypony had been given the same meal. This wasn’t a restaurant where she could just flag down a waiter, nor had there been a menu placed in front of them. They would just have to wait and see how Twilight went about selecting what she would have.

It isn’t long before the chef returns, first taking a moment to listen to Twilight and Spike. “Just our regular standing order is fine,” smiles Twilight. “We’re not looking to take up any extra time, today.”

“Extra rubies?” interjects Spike. It’s a simple enough addition.

“And for you two?” asks the chef, turning to Daring and Caballeron.

Daring raises her hoof. “What would you recommend?”

The chef smiles. “I have for you a lovely spinach and clover omelet with white cheeses, served with grilled parsnips.”

“Sounds lovely,” smiles Daring.

“Biscuits and gravy,” nods Caballeron without waiting for the chef to turn to him. “Extra gravy.”

“Right away, sir.”

“Now that’s we’re all here,” says Luna, scooping the last bit of potato into her mouth, mopping up the egg yolk with a bit of toast, “we should go over the final details. Clerical work, and such.”

Celestia dabs at her muzzle with a napkin. “First and foremost, there’s going to be a princess on site at all times. Twilight, Cadance, Luna and I will rotate between working on the site and keeping Equestria running.”

The other princesses give each other knowing looks.

"There will also be leaders from various countries taking inspections of the camp and any items we are able to recover," Celestia continues.

Daring raises an eyebrow. "We’ve barely discovered anything, and we're already going to have tourists," she barks.

Caballeron smirks. "It looks like they're making the smart move by keeping an eye on their investment. They would be foolish not to do at least this much."

Twilight and Celestia seem to let out a breath, while Daring just rolls her eyes.

Luna gives the stallion a slight smirk. "You seem to have a very opportunist mindset."

Caballeron shrugs. "It's not opportunistic; it's common sense. They're investing in the success of the venture by giving us resources, and from the amount of money I saw on that paper, they’re probably expecting a very good payoff."

The room falls quiet as the chef returns with a cart. Twilight is served first, a short stack of pancakes with some dandelion jelly. Very simple, very plain, just the way Twilight likes it. Spike is next, also having pancakes, but rather than the classic ones, his are blueberry and ruby. As soon as the chef places the remaining two plates in front of Caballeron and Daring, he bows and leaves the room, letting them continue.

"Anyway," announces Shining, "the best of the royal guards and the night guards will be responsible for security, including dealing with the personal security of the princesses. We will also be protecting the scientists, and even Daring Do will have guards."

Daring looks as if she’s about to speak up, but she decides to hold her tongue, giving the stallion a dirty look. Celestia notices her reaction, but chooses not to escalate the situation.

"We will also have ponies from the magic colleges setting up a barrier around the city. There have been reported sightings of creatures moving around the city, and we have also received strange reports from the diamond dogs. However, coordinating with them is difficult due to their lack of organization." Shining sighs, before realizing that he’s still in front of the princesses. "Oh, and we will also be coordinating with the security of the delegates. Other than that, I have nothing else to report."

Twilight continues to enjoy her food as the report comes to a conclusion. "Everything sounds good to me. Does anyone have any questions or concerns?" She looks around, and everyone appears to be confident about their respective roles. “Okay, then. This meeting is adjourned.” Twilight looks over to Daring and Caballeron. “You two don’t have to leave right away, at least not before you eat your meal..."

Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron walk towards Canterlot Station, followed by the same guard who had been manning their door the previous night.

"I guess he's one of our guards,” sighs Daring. “He could at least walk in front of us or beside us."

Caballeron rolls his eyes. "Are you still mad about the royal guards? One stallion dumped you for the job, and you've held a grudge almost forever."

"That's not the reason I dislike the royal guards,” she growls. “They're not effective. When was the last time they stopped a disaster? They're good for everyday issues, sure, but as soon as something big goes down, they're as useful as wet toilet paper."

Caballeron looks to his side and sees that the guard is still following them. "Trust me, they have their uses."

Daring jumps into the air, slowly flapping her wings, and quickly turns to see Cadance. "Where’d you come from?" she gasps, having not seen her there a moment ago.

Cadance lets out a small giggle before Daring realizes that Shining is there too. "There are plenty of things that happen that the public doesn't know about that the royal guard has dealt with," she says. "I'm sure there are even cases where someone may have taken something as small as a candy bar."

Shining frowns, but wisely says nothing, causing Daring to let out the tiniest snort of laughter.

"Don't mind my colleague,” sighs Caballeron. “She's just upset that she didn't have a chance to finish her bottle of cider last night."

Cadance lets out a small knowing giggle. "Ah, so you did open it. It's a rare vintage. Sweet Apple Acres hasn't made a bottle of that stuff in years now, but I was able to grab a couple before they were discontinued."

Daring gives Cadance a grateful smile. Even she can't keep the smile off her face. "Thank you, Princess, for the generous gift."

Caballeron turns to the princess. "Yes, thank you for the bottle. We haven't had that vintage since we were in college."

“Like I said, it was no problem." Cadance can't help but smile as she observes the growing fondness between Daring and Caballeron. Even if she can't make their romantic love blossom, she knows she can help forge a stronger friendship between them. "Now I see why Twilight enjoys these connections so much," she remarks. "I would love to hear what made you two such good friends back in the day."

Caballeron is the first to respond. "We were never friends. Every time we worked together, it was either because of circumstance or our professor's influence. I hate to admit it, but Daring was the only pony who could keep up with me during our college years."

Daring pauses for a second, pleasantly surprised to hear the compliments. "Yes, that’s actually true. Caballeron might be a rival, but he was actually quite good in school. He was the only pony who could challenge me. That's why the professor took us under her wing."

As the four ponies and their guards walk down the streets of Canterlot towards the train station, they pass by a row of elegant shops, their windows adorned with colorful displays of fashion and accessories. The sound of hooves echoes against the cobblestone streets, accompanied by snippets of conversations from passing ponies.

Amidst the chatter, Shining turns towards the two archaeologists. "You two keep on talking about this teacher, but I've never heard of her," he remarks. “Was she a good teacher?”

Both Daring and Caballeron's faces grow somber. "Yes, she was a wonderful mentor,” replies Daring. “She taught us so much. However, towards the end of our tenured years with her, she mysteriously vanished. After two years of being declared missing, she was eventually declared dead. Now, she has a beautiful memorial in the Canterlot graveyard." Her voice is tinged with sadness.

Caballeron looks visibly saddened upon hearing the news, still unaware of the true fate of his old professor. Shining, on the other hoof, dons a look of surprise. He knew that only ponies who had performed great deeds were buried there, among the heroes. Even if their bodies were not interred in one of the cataloged graves, they were permanently immortalized in that hallowed ground. It was considered one of the greatest honors to be selected for burial there.

He gathers himself and offers his condolences. "I am sorry for your loss. She must have been an incredible mare," he says sincerely.

Daring glances at Caballeron, her gaze filled with a mixture of longing and resentment. Caballeron returns her stare with a hint of hostility. Rumors and speculations about what truly happened to their professor swirled, but the truth had remained elusive. One thing was certain, though; Caballeron had not attended the funeral, adding an air of mystery to the situation.

Both Cadance and Shining observe the exchange, their expressions reflecting confusion. Sensing that this is a sensitive topic, Cadance decides to shift the conversation. "Oh look, it seems we’ve arrived at the train station," she interjects, diverting their attention.

The two ponies find themselves back in the present, setting aside their old grudge for now as the train appears in front of them. Daring steps onto the train, confidently striding into one of its cars, with Caballeron following closely behind. As they approach their designated compartment, they notice the guard that had awoken them, holding the door open for them silently.

Cadance and Shining enter a different room on the same carriage, likely attending to royal matters that require privacy. "Don't worry about us,” smiles Cadance. “We'll be in a separate compartment. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to knock on our door." The two step into their room and slide the door closed, locking it behind them

Daring and Caballeron enter their own compartment, their eyes widening at the sight of its decadent furnishings, stocked with various liquors and fancy desserts. Furthermore, the space seems larger than expected, capable of accommodating at least ten more ponies. They both assume that some kind of magic is at play here.

Daring takes a seat while Caballeron wastes no time, immediately reaching for a glass and a bottle of liquor before settling into a seat close to Daring.

The train thunders down the tracks with a surprisingly soothing and steady rhythm. It had been so long since Daring had ridden in a proper passenger car that she had forgotten what it was like to be comforted. Her eyes fix onto the passing terrain outside as Caballeron peruses the niceties of the packet, finding himself quite pleased with the amenities.

“I certainly wish we could travel with a royal entourage more often. The vintage of these drinks is phenomenal.” He speaks with a cocky sort of victory as he pours a pair of drinks for himself and his compatriot, who does not return the sentiment with the same energy.

“You’ve barely gone three hours without a drink and you’re already making another. Do you ever stop?” She sighs, throwing her scolding glance to the learned stallion holding a squat, ice-laden glass for her. Despite her tone and the heavy feeling in her pounding head, Daring takes the drink and subtly sniffs the fine liquor within.

“If I did, I might never start again. You know how it is.” He brings forth his own share and holds it up for a toast, offering some comradery for the trials ahead. “It’s the reason we come together, you and I. Same reason we don’t come together. We just can’t stop when we see something we want.”

Darling flicks her tail as she reclines against the fine cushion of the train, rocking slightly and sipping the powerful brew. It’s certainly a far cry from the coffee she and the good doctor had downed before climbing aboard, the royal breakfast brew mixing in interesting ways with the fine and dark liquor. Caballeron climbs onto the same seat as the pegasus, filling her with a sudden warmth and need.

“You read that in a book somewhere?” she snickers as the cool fire burns in her stomach, the keen grin of her companion striking certain nerves in the mare. Despite his attitude and propensity for landing her in bad ways, he was undeniably a handsome creature. Chiseled, strong and knowledgeable, willing to do what it took to find the truth buried so deep in the past. He knew how to use his looks, charming the abundant mares in his life one after the other to have his way. “Seems a little too elegant for a stallion like you.”

“A long time ago, so I might’ve confused it somewhat. But it’s served me well. Certainly in university.”

Daring rolls her eyes at the memories of their younger days, though she often focused those recollections to his tight flank and broad chest. A charmer always had his cards on the table, leading her to stare at his assets for many years before this.

Perhaps aware of this admiration (Or lust, depending on how one wanted to describe it) Caballeron scoots that little bit closer to Daring, filling up her field of view with his impressive and well-formed shape. “You take everything so seriously, Daring. When will it ever occur to you that life is not a race, but a game? Come, relax and play it with me,” he says with a foul and shifty smirk, one that makes Daring clench in alarm for a moment before she mindfully relaxes.

“With you? Relax? You’d steal the clothes off my back!”

“Oh, but they’d have to be worth something for me to do that,” he snickers.

In response, she butts her rear hoof against him, making him double over and topple onto her reclined figure. Immediately, she’s inundated with the familiar warmth of a heavy and sleepy stallion, a sensation that makes her fit and agile body relax. He might’ve been a dastardly schemer and a kleptomaniac, but he’s still a stallion. Still a handsome and familiar stallion of similar passion.

“Admit it… you can’t keep away from me,” he grunts with a contemptible arrogance in his voice; an arrogance that had lingered far longer than it was welcomed.

“I can’t keep you away,” she retorts as a strange and indescribable sensation comes over her. Rather than finding disgust in the face of a stallion that had thwarted her efforts, sold off irreplaceable pieces of history and attempted to kill her, she had found an allure. A bugging and buzzing allure that made her want to be closer to him, to look into his eyes and see what nonsense was going on in his head. A fog falls over them as the same aggravating feelings overtake the normally mouthy and boisterous stallion straddling her body, his contempt and disrespect dissipating like meaningless dust in the wind. “Something just… keeps bringing you back. Like a bad itch.”

“Or jungle rot,” he answers knowingly, for they ultimately had the same net experience. Anticipation for glory, for discovery and for danger. Somewhere behind these scoundrel eyes there was a good archeologist. There was a knowledgeable and capable stallion she once respected as an equal. He was still there, but hidden away at that moment. Something about the moment just brought him that little bit closer so she could stomach his proximity without the aid of alcohol.

“Or malaria…” She mumbles her words as their muzzles seem to gravitate closer and closer, drawing them in until a static shock pops between their snouts and disrupts their tempo. Both pull back with wide eyes at the realization of what they were just about to do, for neither had been thinking very clearly when the idea struck them.

Daring suddenly feels very vulnerable under a stallion who was known to abuse such a position, though he too seems as lost and confused as she.

“You know… this is going to be our most dangerous job,” he adds with a sideways glance to avoid staring into her prying, pinkish eyes. Daring swallows the lump in her throat and adjusts herself beneath him until his weight spreads comfortably over her figure. “There’s a good chance we might not come back.”

“A good chance you might come back in cuffs, if you don’t control yourself,” she adds out of habit more than intention, bringing a genuine grin to the stallion’s face.

“You know what I mean. It could very well be that we don’t have another chance to talk like this; reconcile our differences.”

Daring rolls her eyes and thanks goodness that her fur covered the blush erupting across her cheeks. “You’ve had your chance to do that. You’re afraid now?”

He doesn’t answer immediately and loses a good portion of his smile’s strength, perhaps answering without having to speak. Daring immediately regrets being hostile in the moment, for this wasn’t the approach of a suave and deceitful stallion. Were he speaking truthfully (and that possibility did seem very slight to Daring) Cabarellon might have touched on something quite important.

“Just like you… so focused on the goal you can’t see the track. I always admired your drive, Daring,” he says with a hushed voice and a softened expression, one tenderized by the gravity of their task.

In truth, Daring could agree with his sentiment. This was by far her most dangerous adventure. Temples and ruins were one thing, but a lost civilization that held sway over the world without the aid of magic? That was simply beyond her expertise. It would be learning her entire trade over again; one small mistake could mean death. So why not live a little before that? It couldn’t hurt. And Cabarellon was quite handsome in the right light.

Her heart flutters and gives up its resistance as they shift about and tangle with one another, their newly acquired tolerance for one another manifesting as Daring pushing him away and taunting him with the view of her reclined and relaxed form; something so close yet far away he would need to struggle and fight to obtain. She became the artifact, the object of obsession worth risking life and limb for.

“Are you going soft on me? Pfft… we’re surely gonna die then.”

The Doctor recovers his drive and his stance as she talks down to him in such a manner, bringing a wry and sharp grin to his face. He had always taken rejection as an invitation to simply try again. Today would be no different. “Defeatism doesn’t suit you, Daring. If you want to live up to that name, you need to loosen up,” Cabballeron snickers. He fights to his hooves before retaking his position by her side, their eyes shining a hushed and warm energy between them in their spark of connection.

“Mh… something’s given way,” Cadance hums to herself in the adjacent car as it rides along the smooth ribbon of steel.

“What’s that, dear?” Shining answers from his writing desk, the maps of their journey and the estimated charts of their destination laid out for him to speculate on. Whilst his mind is attempting to focus on channeling his troops into their proper posts and planning the safest possible route through unknown and incredibly dangerous territory, his wife is plying her trade and not letting other concerns disrupt her.

The courtesy is not reciprocated, as she often spoke out loud to keep Shining unfocused and tempted to join her. “My little project’s finally made some progress. I think we might have a wonderful show soon.”

Rolling his brilliant azure eyes, Shining sets his quill down in submission. It was best not to force his work, lest it suffer because of his negligence. Cadance beckons, and thus, he is obligated to see to her needs as a good husband. If she had been looking out a window or through a peephole into the other room, then he could better participate in this game she loved to play with her unsuspecting subjects. But given that she was staring at the wall, hoofing about a thermos filled with soothing and expensive tea, there was little he could do.

“Hm… still playing with ponies’ emotions, huh?” he asks with exasperation in his voice.

“You always say it in such a sour way, honey!” giggles his wife as she pats the seat next to her with not-so-subtle invitation. “You think the Princess of Love would ever put fake passion into her work?”

Her look of mock offense and pouting lips brings a smile to his own as Shining sits beside her, the sensation of relief radiating off his wife with beautiful strength. It was just like Cadance to remind him why they were married in the first place. How could any soldier deny such a calming and inviting presence?

Immediately, he’s sucked into her gravity, her head resting against his shoulder and her wing wrapping about his frame with a possessive and tight squeeze. “Well, no. I just didn’t see an ounce of love between those two,” he shrugs. “In my unprofessional opinion? I thought they hated each other.”

The pink princess of amour scoffs and rolls her eyes at her husband, the magic concentrated on tracking her subjects’ emotions keeping her in a rather loose and soft state. “”Unprofessional” is exactly the word, dear. I know a thing or two about bickering couples who are meant to be. In fact, I find it all the more endearing when they finally do give up their game and give in to their emotions.”

She speaks eloquently as ever when she speaks of her passion, the very dedication to sincere affection and commitment that had made her a divine being in the first place. That passion manifests in many ways, of course, and Cadance’s reputation as the princess of true, life-long love did not preclude her from those other forms of love so often expressed in Equestria.

As such, Shining can see where she’s heading. She might not necessarily want to be indulged in her more lewd pursuits at this time, but it’s always quite entertaining to suddenly “amuse” her whilst she’s working. “Well, then… I’d like to see what your expertise can do.”

He suddenly hops down from their shared perch, instead lining himself up with her head-on and halting any further affection.

Cadance’s wings flutter and grip for something broad and alabaster to latch onto, instead finding nothing but the rapidly warming air surrounding the two. Her brilliant azure eyes shoot down to meet him, her legs spread by his own bluish magic.

“W-wait, wait! I was going to– MMMPH~!”

Her hooves are forced to clamp over her mouth to preserve the moment going on in the other train car; one so close to the ultimate goal that she dared not inject her own feminine moan.

Shining had done just as he trained his soldiers to do, daringly pressing forward when his adversary was most vulnerable and striking with precision. Cadance could so easily lose herself in her work that she would expose herself without realizing, just as her spread thighs of such soft fur and wide build did at this time. Shining could easily press the width of his broad snout into her groin and kiss his wife’s gorgeous flower without restriction, even when she snapped her legs about his skull and cut off every last particle of oxygen he had.

“Sh-Shining! I’m trying to focus– Nnm~!”

Suddenly, the naughty princess is caught between two scenes of passion, though one’s now far more impactful and impossible to ignore. Cadance hushes herself however much she can, clamping her hooves over her mouth whilst her naughty husband’s tongue plunges into and laps at her delicate lips. Immediately, he receives his desired reaction: a sudden tension in every muscle of her body and a flood of stifled motion in her limbs.

Cadance’s mind, torn between two areas, is made to dance back and forth between them in a jittery and unprofessional manner. One moment, she might be able to slip back to Daring and Cabbelleron to cultivate their feelings, to feed the slight love blossoming between them so it might have the strength to grow. But in the very next instance, she’s ripped away and back to her own body as it rushes and trembles with the energy fed into her by her ravenous husband.

Shining licks gently and slowly at first, dragging the width of his tongue from bottom to top in the most concentrated devastation he can bring. However many soldiers insisted that all mares love a good, deep and rough loving, Shining knew better from his experience. A mare is most pleased by a mixture of the subtle and the brash, especially when she’s being toyed with as his wife is now.

She wiggles and tries to force him out with her legs, something even alicorn strength could never hope to accomplish. Instead, his powerful, military-trained body holds its ground and sucks down breaths whenever he can.

Spreading her lips, pressing at her sweet opening and savoring her delicious, lemony flavor is more than enough to totally deconstruct any ability she has to focus. A petty revenge for the many times he had been focusing on a speech or royal documents and she put her mouth to work against him.

“What’s the matter, darling?” he gasps between deep licks, his own jaw struggling to move when squeezed on either side by her flanks.

Cadance quickly pops out of her influencing magic for a moment to cast a rapid spell on their train car, one to seal in her noises and help vent some of her frustration. “Naaugh~! You devious little dog!” she barks with a wet and lurid moan tinging her voice, the magic soon resuming so she could feebly attempt to guide her subjects. By this point, it was thinning substantially, allowing Daring and Cabballeron to think more and more clearly and take their eyes off one another.

Shining stares into his wife’s panicking and simpering eyes as he devours her, tilting his head and pressing all the harder to feel her silky soft insides.

“Y-you did that on purpose! Ah~! Now my moment’s totally ruined!” she belts with a mixture of genuine frustration and sexual pressure building in her heart, the combination working together to flood her form with heated anticipation. She squirms under his work, kicking and wrapping her legs about his head as her husband’s experienced tongue does its work. Cadance melts helplessly for him, slinking down the seat until she’s a panting and deeply pleased pile of fur and feathers with a relentless stallion savoring her backside.

Shining pulls away before the stars in his vision overtake his entire field of view. Delicious and addictive as his wife could be, his need for air still outpaced his willingness to be smothered by her. “Can’t multitask, dear? Am I doing that good of a job?”

Cadance huffs and giggles as her husband clamors up onto the seat with her, bearing down on her feminine and submissive form with a turgid length that presses against her flanks suggestively. “You know just what you’re doing~! You can’t let a mare have fun, can you?”

She accepts the kiss he delivers, driving out any notion that this was out of malice. When dedicated to one another in true love, as Cadance so dearly wished the lovers-to-be in the other compartment might one day become, nothing was a hostile incursion. Shining was only toying with her, playing into her game and indulging in his own natural needs. If he was called to witness his wife’s work, he might as well enjoy some of it before they arrived in this new and utterly hostile world, where such luxuries might not come so often.

“Here we are, on a luxury train together. No Flurry, no paperwork, no guards… and you say I’m not letting you have fun?” He snickers and kisses her neck with the most adoring peck, one that sets Cadance’s soul aflame with the pure affection behind it.

“Is it so wrong that I just want to spread love? Shining, you know I just can’t help but to- OOH~!”

The pink princess is made to suck in air and squirm in shock as her stallion’s turgid and thick length presses to her opening, spreading her muscular depths just that much so her entire mind can only focus on that pressure.

“Haaahn~... j-just go quick, okay?” the princess whines in submission, subtly pressing her hips back against the heat of a ready and willing male knocking at her door.

Shining holds his smile as the needy divinity devolves back into a mare; a female with needs and desires that he was duty-bound to satisfy. “Is that what you tell every stallion you court? You won’t even let your own husband thoroughly enjoy his wife?”

The baritone of his voice hitches for but a moment as he is clamped in her sky-blue magic, a guiding pull sinking him into her hot and satin depths. She’s such a gripper, a tight but skillful canal naturally attuned to a stallion’s rhythm.

“When she’s so busy– ah~! she needs time to focus, darling~! NNF! So just stick it in, please! I can’t wait another second!” She forces him inside of her, a suction of powerful, wet flesh guiding his fertile and powerful girth inside the crushing, warm canal of his beloved mare.

Shining huffs and eagerly follows the motion, sinking right up to his medial ring in a smooth push of forward motion that fires great bolts of lightning up his spine. “Rrrgh~! Rrrmph! I can certainly– haah~! do that!”

With the barrier surrounding them, secluding their noisy intercourse from the world, he feels no need to halt his tongue or restrain his pleasure. Just as they had done in the old days; their honeymoon days of unrelenting pleasure and exploration of one another, Shining would let his voice be guided in both volume and intensity by the motion of her body. He would let Cadance know just how grand the pleasure was, how she made him feel with her love, her wet and dripping sex.

The tremendous heat of her love, the wrapping warmth of a mare so mature and experienced always struck him as the most lovely part of Cadance’s sex. The squish, the slide of her canal opening about him and suckling him inside was simply the carnal and intense portion of their intercourse, as if the body heat she pumped into his being was fuel for the raging fire in his belly.

Shining huffs and exercises his powerful, trained muscles on her divine body, plowing in smooth and practiced motions aimed and directed expertly at her most delicate parts. His wife mewls and moans for him, consumed by her own dirty thoughts long before this rush of penetration.

“Haahn~! Shining, baby, you feel so good~! I missed this so much!” she hums. She feels her legs quiver under the might of her handsome and sexy soldier. Despite being a powerful princess, one with great knowledge of the arcane and the heart alike, she’s still a mare of flesh and blood. A mare that loves a good dicking, no matter the time, the place or the occasion.

Cadance rolls her neck and gyrates her wide flank from side to side for her stallion, loving how his angled cock would slither against one wall and then the next in a repeated dance of affection and wet noises. Her spread lips make a sensual “O” about his cock, following his girth as it pistons in and out of her sopping wet and steaming canal.

“Cadance~ Mmph, you’re such a gorgeous wife~. I’m so lucky to have you for my own~,” he hisses into her ear as he gives a particularly deep thrust into her pink, bubble-gum snatch. Her body quivers and nearly gives out when his wide and masculine head flares inside her belly, knocking at her cervix with a familiar and maddening plea to be allowed inside.

“The troops are so in love with this rump of yours~. I swear you could keep an entire army of soldiers in the fight with this tight pussy~!” Her stalwart and disciplined husband’s voice loses some of its tenor and consistency, clearly falling behind in his ability to think rationally when buried so deep inside a deliciously wet and warm cunt. He adored sliding in and out of her, talking dirty to her and claiming his beloved Cadance time and time again. Nothing was more fulfilling than to watch her back tense, the muscles pulled taut by his words sinking into her mind and forcing yet more filthy, lurid thoughts free.

“They WISH they could have this flank to themselves! You know how jealous they can be of their Captain~.” She smiles wide and lets her eyes roll about in her skull. However much she loved to tempt the guards, to bed a needy stallion and clear his mind of any distractions for the rest of the day with naught but an hour of her time, she loved to be a wife even more. To be exclusive yet free, adored by so many and lusted after night and day made her feel not only beautiful, but simply divine. Her goddess blood was made all the hotter, all the stronger when her husband and all his cohorts had equal opportunity to feel love for her, even if it was perhaps the most perverted and animalistic love a stallion could feel.

“Oh yes~! Shiny, take me! Rut me! Rut this flank! Make me scream~!!!” she calls out with something already quite close to a scream. His medial ring pops back and forth out of her tight tunnel with a filthy, slurping noise on each jerk. She’s rapidly falling over her peak, squirting and oozing and messing the floor with her sugary and highly-prized fluids.

Some scholars speculated that her orgasm was perhaps the strongest love potion possible in all alchemy, but the devious princess would never confirm such a theory. Instead, she was more than happy to invite loyal stallions of the guard to sample it themselves and see how deeply in love they might become with her taste of monkfruit and lime.

Driven to his edge by the silky-soft grip of his wife’s greedy snatch and already heaving with anticipation of a mighty orgasm, Shining jerks his hips back and forth with powerful and stiff plunges into her lips. His dark-colored cock reaches deep inside her, bopping her cervix with aggressive jabs again and again as her insides warp and wrap tightly about his sensitive shaft. The soldier snaps his eyes shut and grits his teeth, every muscle in his athletic and broad body quivering as he pushes into her, sinking to his root and letting his seed sow her fertile garden once again. “Unngh~! RRRRPH!!!” he snorts in stallion dominance to show his masculinity; his alpha-status among the absent herd gathered around.

Cadance was so deeply in love with that rush of hot breath from his nostrils, how it beat down on the back of her neck and ears like a tidal wave of domination. Just another reminder of his affection, his love for her and how devoted he was to her mind and soul. Healthy and girthy testes unload pump after pump of surging alabaster inside her body, flooding it with a weighty warmth that nearly shatters her joints and sends her falling to the floor. She had never been good with creampies; always so enraptured by their heat and their feeling that her mind often left the room and went soaring into the heavens instead.

Distracted as she is, the skilled alicorn lets her guard down just enough for her suppression field to fall. She slips and suddenly the noise of their coitus bursts from the room, breaking through the rattle of the wheels and the roar of the wind against the windows.

“Ooooh gods~! Cum inside me, Shining~! Fill me up! Fill my pussy up, you handsome stud!” she demands with a quivering and breathy call that frightens Daring into a stiff and sudden posture. She jerks up from her sleepy state and falls onto the floor in a wiggle of motion, simultaneously spurring Cabbaleron into motion so that he spills his drink.

“Gah! You clumsy goof!” he barks as the icy liquid splashes on his shirt, staining the light khaki with a dark brown. “That glass cost more than my ticket to Canterlot!”

His pegasus cohort rises back to her hooves and shakes off the influence of Cadance’s little love game. Her feelings do not wither away entirely, but suddenly she recalls all the reasons this stallion drives her to the brink of insanity. “Wahn, wahn, wahn! Like a good explorer needs perfectly clean clothes,” she shoots back.

Her ears perk to the next car over as the sudden noise of lovemaking fills her ears. Both the explorers stare at the closed door in utter confusion before the sound disappears again. Perhaps Cadance’s mind had come back when Shining pulled his softening member from her cunt and his gobs of white had hit the floor.

As Daring and Caballeron step off the train, they exchange a glance filled with a mix of anticipation and nerves. Moments later, Cadance emerges, wearing a warm smile, followed by Shining, whose beaming face is impossible to miss.

Cadance addresses them, trying to suppress a giggle. "How was the train ride for both of you?” she asks. “We apologize for not being able to catch up earlier, but royal matters kept us occupied." Her eyes twinkle with a hint of mischief.

Daring carefully observes their impeccable appearance, but a subtle scent lingers in the air, catching her attention. With a playful tone, she remarks, "Ah, it seems like you both had quite a productive time during our journey."

While Cadance maintains her diplomatic composure, a faint blush colors Shining's face, and he clears his throat. "Yes, we were deeply engrossed in important matters."

Even though Cadance loved to see her husband squirm, especially after he had distracted her from her duties, she decides to show mercy and intervene in this playful teasing. "Ah, yes, royal business can be tough. But I couldn't help but notice the strong cologne lingering on you," Cadance remarks with a knowing smile at Daring.

Daring's eyes widen as the realization washes over her. She quickly sniffs herself, realizing that Caballeron's cologne had transferred onto her during their intimate moments together. Her cheeks flush, turning a bright shade of red.

Caballeron can't help but release a small chuckle at Daring's embarrassment. "Oh yes, Ms. Do wanted to try my cologne after years of claiming how fantastic it smelled," he chimes in, offering a lazy excuse to cover for her.

Before anything else can be said, a guard comes running towards the quartet, his face laden with urgency. "Princess Cadance, Prince Armor, we have an emergency!" he exclaims with concern.

The atmosphere immediately grows tense, and all eyes turn toward the guard. Caballeron's eyes gleam with excitement, sensing the unfolding drama, while Daring appears slightly confused, but ever-vigilant. The unexpected arrival of the guard, accompanied by a group of five pegasi and two unicorns, had created an air of anticipation.

Reacting swiftly, Daring instinctively assumes a combat stance, ready to defend herself and her companions from any potential threat. The guard who had woken them up this morning materialized from seemingly nowhere, positioning himself as a protective barrier between the two archaeologists.

Shining recognizes the need to take control and assert his authority, and steps forward. With a commanding tone, he demands, "Report. What's going on?"

The pegasi guard wasted no time in delivering the information. "Yes, sir. Scribe Quick Strike, scout, and we have a building situation. There appears to be a group of unknown diamond dogs approaching our camp," he explains, his voice steady despite the urgency of the situation. "When asked about their purpose, they simply said they are protesting and want to speak to our leaders."

Cadance and Shining exchange puzzled glances, trying to make sense of the unexpected development. Then, suddenly, Cadance's eyes widen as a realization dawns upon her. "It must be the diamond dogs the reports were talking about," she concludes, connecting the dots with a mix of concern and curiosity.

After hearing his wife mention the information they had received on the outcast diamond dogs, Shining decides not to leave anything to chance. "I want the camp on high alert, and I want the platoon to escort us to the diamond dogs," he commands.

"Dear, I don't think we should come out with the Iron Hoof,” Cadance interjects. “This is a mission of peace, and we don't want to give the diamond dogs the wrong impression. A small escort should be enough."

Shining looks at his wife for a moment, contemplating her words, before exhaling. "You are correct, honey, but I still want the camp on high alert. I just don't want to be surprised." Turning his attention to Quick Strike, he issues his orders. "I want a small escort: two unicorns, two pegasi, and one earth pony. Alert the first lieutenant that I want the camp on lockdown until we come back. If the dragons are here, have them fly around the area to intimidate anyone who would be stupid enough to attack the camp. Alert the rest of the military assets as well. We paid for those mercenaries; now it's time for them to earn those bits."

Taking another breath, Shining looks towards the direction of the diamond dog encampment. "Cadance, are you ready to go?"

Cadance responds with a confident smile. "Of course. Don't look so nervous. You're a prince, now," she reassures him, followed by a small giggle.

"You say that, but I’ve been a prince for years now. I don't think I'm ever going to grow accustomed to it."

As Shining, Cadance, Daring, Caballeron and their small escort venture further into the badlands, they notice the diamond dogs' encampment coming into view. The diamond dogs had taken precautions and were seemingly in perfect camouflage for the desert environment. Their fur blends seamlessly with the sandy terrain, making them difficult to spot at first glance.

Only one diamond dog has his hood down, revealing himself as the leader. He stands tall with a device around his neck, silver in color, with a mysterious red light glowing in the center. He possesses an air of coldness and calculation, his eyes piercing and unyielding. It’s clear that he holds the authority over his pack, and his presence demands attention.

As the group approaches, the diamond dogs form a defensive perimeter, maintaining a wary distance but allowing the visitors to approach their leader.

Shining and Cadance exchange curious glances, their instincts on high alert. They can sense the tension in the air, aware that this encounter could hold significant consequences. Daring and Caballeron observe the leader with intrigue, captivated by the enigma surrounding his demeanor and the mysterious device he wore.

With a nod of acknowledgment, the diamond dog leader motions for the group to approach. They close the remaining distance cautiously, mindful of the potential risks. The leader's eyes remain fixed on them, his expression unreadable. Shining takes the lead, his authoritative presence radiating confidence as he prepares to engage in conversation.

Shining and Cadance approach the diamond dog, leaving their small escorts as the diamond dog does the same, meeting them in the middle of the two groups. Shining eyes up the diamond dog and sees how odd he really is. Not only does it look like he's wearing a strange sand-colored uniform that matches the surroundings, but he’s also fitted with two black sticks with small metal prongs at the end, one hanging from either side of his waist. .

Usually, diamond dogs fought with either spears or their claws. They were also known to use shields, clubs and other blunt weapons, something he’d learned from his experience dealing with a diamond dog party that had tried to kidnap several crystal ponies on multiple occasions. It was odd to see one with such small weapons, especially one who seemed to be leading the others.

But the oddest thing about him is his longer face with narrow eyes and sharp teeth. It reminds Shining more of a wolf than a diamond dog, but he can see that his posture is very straight, making him seem much larger, even though this diamond dog seems to be slightly slimmer and evened out.

Cadance is able to make her own observations about the diamond dog leader. First of all is the smell. Not to be rude to the diamond dog diplomats, but they always have the smell of wet dog on them. This one has no scent from what she can tell, and he seems to be more clean. His eyes seem to be sharper, surprising both of them.

The diamond dog leader is the first to speak. "Hello, princess and consort."

The royals are both surprised. After hearing the voice, they can’t describe what it sounds like, but their best guess would be like a golem, but also similar to a pony who talked with no tone or motion. This oddity makes them pause long enough for an awkward silence to start.

Both of them, realizing their mistake, quickly reorganize themselves to respond. "Oh, yes, hello!" Shining replies.

A few seconds later, Cadance finds her voice. "Hello, it’s nice to meet you."

The words hang in the air.

The diamond dog stares at them until the red light on his collar turns green, and then they hear that voice again. "You may call me Alpha, for now."

"Alpha," both ponies acknowledge, realizing that it’s likely not his real name, but choosing to set aside their suspicions for the moment in order to gather more information.

Cadance speaks up, her voice tinged with curiosity. "How can we help you, Alpha?"

The response comes, devoid of emotion. "You can leave." The coldness with which Alpha speaks sends a shiver down Cadance's spine.

Shining, feeling a surge of annoyance and anger at the diamond dog's directness, can't hold back his reaction. "Watch your tongue!"

Alpha's icy gaze shifts from Cadance to Shining, the air thickening with tension as the two lock eyes. Each of them stares at the other defiantly, neither willing to back down.

Just as the confrontation seems on the brink of escalating, Cadance intervenes, placing a calming wing on her husband's back. Shining tears his gaze away from Alpha, turning to face Cadance. The calm and regal expression on her face signals to him that he needs to regain composure.

"Prince," Cadance addresses him, using the title that signals a reminder of his royal duties or when he makes a misstep.

Shining understands the message; he had indeed erred in his approach. He holds Cadance's gaze for a few more moments, then adopts the diplomatic mask he had been taught.

Cadance looks at him for a moment longer before turning her attention back to Alpha. "Yes, while we may not possess the same authority in the badlands as we do in Equestria, this is about respect, not authority."

A slight grin tugs at Alpha's lips before he responds, his tone still carrying a touch of arrogance. "You are correct. Although you may not be my Master, I can still show you respect. However, we must still ask you to leave."

Cadance, perplexed by Alpha's mention of a master, seeks clarification. "We have permission from the Diamond Dog King to be here. In fact, we have obtained permission from multiple kingdoms."

Alpha scoffs in irritation. "None of those kingdoms have a legitimate claim over this land. It amuses me that they have given you permission. The closest entity with a rightful claim hasn't been seen for years now."

A sinking feeling settles in Cadance's gut. "Then who holds the claim that allows us to be in this land?" she inquires.

Alpha raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "The first is the Master, and the second is someone we believe you used to be quite familiar with. I believe she goes by Queen Chrysalis now."

The revelation strikes the group, leaving them stunned. The shock is evident on the faces of everypony present. Some of the guards tense, gripping their weapons tighter with magical energy, poised to attack at a moment's notice.

Alpha detects the change in the atmosphere, prompting Cadance, still wearing her diplomatic façade, to maintain control of the situation.

"Queen Chrysalis is currently indisposed," Cadance states, her voice steady.

Alpha's eyes narrow in response. "You mean she is a statue in your gardens."

"Yes, she committed heinous crimes against our country, and she was imprisoned as a result. The new king, Thorax, has also granted us permission," Shining replies, his expression unmoving.

Alpha almost laughs at this revelation. "Him, a king? He has even less claim than you do! You should pray that the Creator's chosen one, Red, does not return soon. Besides, they don't even reside in the Badlands anymore. They now dwell on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. I'm not sure if they're brave or simply foolish. Even we, the Diamond Wolves, do not venture into that territory, unless..." Alpha catches himself before saying too much. "Apologies for my rambling, but my main point remains: We would like you to leave."

Cadance is left reeling from the influx of new information. The sudden revelations about the existence of Diamond Wolves, as well as the shifting power dynamics in the Badlands, overwhelm her. "I'm sorry, but what exactly are Diamond Wolves?" she inquires, her curiosity driving her to pry.

Alpha's cold, calculating gaze fixes upon them both as he provides an answer. "We are a different breed of Diamond Dogs. You could say we are cousins." Alpha pulls out a silver device from his arm before putting it back.

Cadance notices it as she observes him. "Alpha, it will be night soon," she says, pointing to the setting sun.

"I know," Alpha replies coldly. "We gave you a warning. Do not blame us for what may happen."

Shining, growing increasingly frustrated by Alpha's demeanor, readies himself to cast a spell, but Cadance manages to compose herself and take charge. "Can we speak to your master?" she asks calmly.

Alpha chuckles in response. "Of course not. If he wishes to see what children like you are up to, he'll come out himself. Playing with things you don't understand is a good way to end up dead."

As Alpha gazes toward the north, where a faint city could be seen, Cadance realizes what he’s looking at. "Then can you return?” she asks. “We have questions that need answers, and we could use your help. We also don't want to disturb the local ecosystem." She attempts to employ her diplomatic skills and love magic to sway the enigmatic figure, but to her surprise, none of her charm spells seem to have any effect. Alpha remains unchanged.

"If Master allows it, he will send a representative. But I advise against trying to charm them, at least not with magic. It won't work."

Cadance is taken aback. Not only does he resist her charms, but he can also sense her attempts.

"We appreciate the warning” she concedes. “We may not be fully prepared for what lies ahead, but we hope to navigate it successfully."

Alpha lets out a howl and swiftly disappears into the ground, leaving the royals and archaeologists with numerous unanswered questions as they make their way back to camp. As they approach, however, they hear commotion and the clashing of metal, indicating a battle had broken out. Cadance, looking in that direction, whispers a single word.

"Buck…"

Chapter 4: Confrontation

Chapter 4: Confrontation.

Cling!
Cling!
Thud!

The sharp sound of metal striking against metal, wood and stone filled Cadance's ears as she made her way back toward the camp, urging her to move with greater speed. She resisted the urge to take flight, bound by protocol.

Flying at her maximum speed would have swiftly transported her there, almost instantly. Yet, doing so might have meant leaving her husband and making herself vulnerable. Even her fastest pace outstripped the guards' abilities, even those with wings.

Teleportation wasn't an option either; Luna had recounted enough cautionary tales about teleporting in the midst of battle. Aside from the split second of disorientation, it was essentially a declaration to enemies that one was present and ready to face whatever weapons they may employ.

Casting a glance backward, Cadance noted her husband keeping up commendably, though the guards were slightly trailing. Daring, and especially Caballeron, were quite a ways back, but she also didn’t expect them to be instrumental in stopping the fight. Her attention shifted back to her husband, observing him as he seemingly formulated a plan to address the unfolding situation. She couldn't help but wonder, was this the sensation Twilight experienced when she was caught off-guard?

Just as she contemplated further, her focus was redirected to a gathering of creatures ahead, their attention locked onto something captivating. A slight wave of relief washed over the princess's heart as she realized the camp wasn't under attack, but rather embroiled in some form of localized combat. The resonating clang of metal blades meeting was an all too familiar sound for Cadance, having spent centuries around soldiers and her husband. The sound had become almost second nature to her.

Yet, as she attempted to peer over the crowd of creatures, they loomed above her in an unusual configuration, given that she was one of the tallest ponies in the realm. Even though she shared their line of sight, attempting to see what they were witnessing was an odd experience for her. The amalgamation of diamond dogs, yaks, a few abyssinians, and other creatures created an obstruction that rendered it nearly impossible for her to discern the actual events unfolding.

"Move out of the way!" A commanding voice pierced the din from Cadance's side, startling her. Her husband had taken charge, ordering the scattering crowd to part, and surprisingly, they complied. Some of the creatures shot him angry glances, but ultimately heeded his command. He looked back at them with a demeanor as stern as a sergeant addressing new recruits.

This momentary opening allowed Cadance, her husband, and the accompanying guards to position themselves within a protective formation. With the pathway cleared, they began to navigate their way through the crowd, pushing forward to unveil the mystery that'd captured everyone's attention. The group broke through the crowd, revealing the unfolding scene. If the situation were less serious, the sight within Cadance's line of sight might have prompted a chuckle from her.

With a bemused expression, she surveyed the assemblage: a zebra, a unicorn, a diamond dog, a representative from Saddle Arabia, and a griffin. Her mind raced, and behind her signature armor, she contemplated what was missing—Abyssinians and seaquestrians. However, she knew that the seaquestrians were yet to arrive, traversing the distant waters to join the others. As for the remaining Abyssinians, they were likely aiding the other creatures on their arid journey here, perhaps pocketing a few bits for themselves along the way.

The humor of the situation was dampened, however, by the brutal combat underway. Five creatures, their faces contorted with readiness to inflict harm, clashed in a deadly dance. Their weapons struck out like venomous snakes, each blow aimed at landing a killing strike, as they awaited the perfect opening to deliver the fatal blow.

The zebra wielded his twisted wooden spear with a fluid grace, skillfully utilizing gravity, hooves, and even his mouth to maneuver it. He performed spins and flips, lunging at the unicorn.

Meanwhile, the unicorn wielded a rapier embossed with magic, deftly parrying and dodging the zebra's spear strikes while launching precise counterattacks. Their battle unfolded in a flurry of skillful moves.

In the midst of the clash, a wide swing from a diamond dog's stone club, seeming to be a broken-off piece of stalactite, forced the combatants to separate, creating a spray of sand between them. "Almost had those foolish ponies, and that zebra!" the diamond dog growled.

The equines delivered a pair of well-placed kicks from the side, catching the diamond dog off-guard. Despite stumbling, the diamond dog quickly regained his footing, using his massive arm to block the next kick.

The Saddle Arabian glared at the diamond dog, her patience worn thin. "You brute! How dare you tangle with a lady's hair!" She swiftly draws her shamshir, ready to defend herself.

A nearby griffin threw three daggers at her, but she adeptly deflected them using her weapon. She then raised her scimitar, prepared to face the challenge.

"Sorry, Missy, but laying your hands on my boss isn't happening," the griffin remarked, her annoyance evident as she looked upon the ongoing fight that her boss had embroiled her in.

As tension hung in the air, the assembled adversaries exchanged glances, each calculating their next move. With a synchronized sense of timing, they all sprang into action, reigniting the battle with a surge of energy and determination.

As Shining Armor and Princess Cadance observed the ongoing battle, their attention wasn't solely focused on the clash between the combatants. Their gaze swept across the crowd that had gathered, a raucous assembly cheering on the fight with an almost feverish enthusiasm. Bets were being placed, wagers were made, and spectators engaged in a lively exchange over which participant would meet their end first.

“So much for all the races coming together in harmony for the dig,” panted Caballeron, finally catching up. “We’ve been here less than a day, and already, they’re at each other’s throats.”

“Sounds like it’s your time to shine,” elbowed Daring back. “Don’t you regularly settle this kind of conflict with your little band of mercenaries?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed. “When mercenaries deal in shares, fewer bodies means bigger cuts for the survivors. Plus, we don’t have conflicts this early, because there’s still too much work to do.”

“Fix it anyway.”

“An excellent suggestion. I’ll divide your pay five ways as an incentive to not kill each other!”

Shining Armor found himself growing increasingly disheartened by the scene before him. The idea of betting on creatures fighting to the death, especially ponies, left a sour taste in his mouth. He viewed it as a pointless and dishonorable act, one devoid of any semblance of integrity. He couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment towards those who reveled in such a barbaric display.

Cadance, on the other hoof, brought a broader perspective to the situation. With her experiences beyond Equestria, she recognized that such behavior wasn't uncommon in many warrior-driven cultures. Gladiator-style fights and colosseum battles were almost the norm among certain races, particularly in places like the Griffin Empire and the Zebra Alliance.

As the two slowly made their way closer to the fray, she observed that the intensity of the battle only seemed to escalate, with each participant fighting with heightened ferocity. Amidst the clashing of weapons and the roars of the crowd, a stark contrast emerged between Shining Armor's moral qualms and Cadance's understanding of the wider world. As the battle raged on, it was clear that this arena held a mirror to the diverse perspectives and beliefs that populated their world. Cadance could not help but to think.

As the griffin moved to parry the zebras' spear thrust with her main-gauche, the zebra displayed his agility, deftly dodging a swing from the diamond dog.

The unicorn was preparing to cast a spell, but his focus was broken by the griffin, throwing another dagger at him. Swiftly, the dagger was blocked by the Saddle Arabian's blade.

In a matter of moments, a silent agreement seemed to pass between the pony and the Saddle Arabian, an unspoken understanding forged amidst the chaos.

Though the zebra appeared to stand alone, there was a noticeable absence of concern on his face. The griffin stood in defense of her boss, the diamond dog, and the unicorn had just formed a battlefield bond with the Saddle Arabian. They were all collaborating, a unity that could have posed a threat. Yet, the zebra's smile hinted at a hidden confidence.

With the spear in hoof, he swung at the diamond dog. The hound attempted to catch the spear, a move that turned out to be a grave error. The zebra's well-timed maneuver exploited the pliability of his polearm, allowing him to flip over the diamond dog and deliver a swift flatstrike, knocking him onto his back. The griffin, taken aback by the sudden action, quickly retreated to protect her boss.

Meanwhile, the unicorn charged forward to attack the momentarily defenseless zebra. The zebra countered by kicking up sand, blinding the unicorn and seizing the opportunity. In a swift motion, he lunged forward with his spear, aiming for a quick strike against the unicorn that was tossed aside by the Saddle Arabian’s scimitar, missing his shoulder by a hair’s breadth.

The diamond dog managed to recover, leaping back into the fray, swinging his club down with the full force of his weight, and the griffin revealed her grit, launching another throwing knife that only just grazed the zebra, shaving off some of the hair on his chest.

The unicorn regained his composure, readying a spell, and the Saddle Arabian swung her formidable blade. Each participant was primed for a potentially lethal strike against the others, a tense tableau of imminent conflict.

"I command you to stop!!!"

The booming voice cut through the air, silencing the chaotic scene in an instant. Cadance's horn blazed with radiant light as her magic intervened, causing the combatants' strikes to narrowly miss each other by a hair's breadth. All movement ceased, hooves and claws instinctively rising to cover ears against the overpowering sound. The desert seemed to hold its breath, the grains of sand suspended in eerie stillness.

Most of the spectators scattered, leaving behind a hushed quiet that settled over the desert landscape. Only the faint rustle of sand carried by the wind disrupted the serenity. Cadance's aura crackled with authority and anger, her steps resolute as she advanced toward the epicenter of turmoil. The tense expressions on the combatants' faces shifted, their defiance giving way to rapt attention as they registered the presence of the angered alicorn.

With each deliberate step, Cadance approached the group of instigators, her movements resonating with power and purpose. Before a single word left her lips, she drew in a deep breath, gathering her resolve. As she exhaled, her words flowed, a blend of frustration and concern threading her inquiry.

"Can any of you explain why five individuals were on the precipice of bloodshed? And more crucially, why shouldn't I have you all imprisoned for your actions?"

Her question hung in the desert air, her unwavering gaze penetrating their resistance.

Soon, Shining Armor stood at her side, his presence carrying a mix of determination and simmering anger, mirroring the tumultuous atmosphere of the desert scene.

The zebra clicked his tongue, his distinct accent coloring his words. "Pony's notion, they control with moves; reckon they rule the world, with sun and moon to prove," he remarked, a touch of disdain lacing his tone. His gaze shifted toward the princess and the prince, a glint of intrigue sparking in his eyes. "I've wondered 'bout your kind, how you tower over all… Seems like your subjects learn it, from leaders who stand tall," he added, his distaste for their perceived authority evident in his words.

Cadance, ever composed in her diplomatic role, maintained her mask even as Shining Armor remained unfazed by his provocation. However, her guards displayed less restraint, their reactions more palpable.

Cadance wasn't naïve, though. A mere glance at the zebra was enough to realize he was no ordinary member of his kind. His tattoos told a story, marking his place in the hierarchy, and she understood exactly what he was.

Cadance clicked her tongue, mirroring his gesture with a smile. "Alleengroper, it's a pleasure to greet you. From the plains of Farasi, visitors are rare and few. Yet you speak within couplets, an odd choice, it’s true; Warrior, not alchemist, 'tis the caste you pursue."

Cadance knew the rhyming thing was a popular practice among zebras, often used to confound foreigners and those unfamiliar with their culture. It allowed them to manipulate situations more freely. But her two-year stay in the zebra capital of Zebrat during her earlier days as a princess had familiarized her with their tactics.

More importantly, she had called him correctly by his title. She had not called him a guard, or even a knight. Even the general term “warrior” had not come from her lips. She had said “alleengroper,” which meant she knew his status as an elite knight, under the direct order of the king, himself.

Cadance’s attention switched rapidly to the diamond dog. She had some questions for him, but he was more focused on the Saddle Arabian, leering at her decorative garb.

“What do you want now, dog?” she huffed, her grip tightening around the hilt of her blade. “I’m not in any mood to commune with brutish savages right now.”

The hound’s expression changed, a low growl preceding his shift to more imposing tones. "I don't recall asking the camp's carriage for their thoughts! If I wanted your lips to part, I'd cast some jewels your way!"

Before the situation could escalate any further, Shining Armor intervened, his command sharp. "Quiet!" He glared at the diamond dog.

Cadance discerned the futility of the exchange, realizing it would be a dead-end if the bickering continued. "Aside from engaging in passive aggression, care to voice your grievance?"

The zebra took a moment to assess the pink princess before replying, "Your soldier endeavored to impose authority on me. For that, he was liable to forfeit his life."

The unicorn snorted, remarking, "Thought Canterlot's ponies were dramatic."

The zebra narrowed his eyes at the unicorn.

Princess Cadance raised a hoof to interrupt, her uncertainty about the position of this particular pony evident. "I apologize for one of my…" She paused, not fully aware of the specific role this particular pony held. "Advanced Scout Leader, reinstated Solar Guard, and First Knight," Cadance offered, wincing internally.

This position was typically reserved for the royal guard's elite, a segment of the military fiercely loyal to Celestia and often dismissive of other princesses.

"I doubt we need to spill blood over a mere misunderstanding," Cadance suggested, hoping to defuse the tension.

The zebra grit his teeth, seemingly on the verge of speaking before being interrupted by the sound of another angry zebra.

"Abrafo! Less than ten minutes gone, and you're in a brawl, oh what a con!" Zecora reproached, her tone a mix of frustration and dismay.

Her bodyguard, another zebra, looked sheepish and undone. "Elite warrior? My flank," she remarked, her annoyance on full display.

Abrafo let out a breath as he turned towards Zecora and raised a hoof to his chest. "Mungoma, it is nice to see you. I thought you were on the other side of the camp."

There was a word Cadance hadn’t heard in a long time. Again, studying with the zebras had granted her time to learn about their culture, and while it was lost on most of the surrounding crowd, Cadance knew that there was little difference between a mungoma and an apothecary.

"You dare, like a fool, to break my rules?! It was peace that I sought, but you act like the mules!"

Cadance, Shining Armor, and Daring Do stood in surprise as the zebra voiced her displeasure, but Caballeron was still enjoying the spectacle, leaning against a nearby boulder. Zecora angrily stomped towards the zebra until they were face-to-face.

The diamond dog started to snicker, turning toward his griffin companion. "Hahaha, stripey’s in trouble with other stripey pony!"

Zecora swiftly turned toward the diamond dog, her gaze piercing and cold, setting him straight with just one look, his demeanor controlled.

Abrafo kept a stoic face as he responded to Zecora, "I am a bodyguard, not a servant. I do not have to follow your orders. This is about protection. And I assume you figured out what was happening because of your... apprentice…" He said the last word with a hint of disgust.

Zecora frowned at Abrafo, her patience wearing thin. "Fine then," she exhales, "instead of fighting, let the protection begin. Embarrass not our tribe; that's not our way within. Do your job, shield me well, avoid a needless end, and in doing so, shield yourself when darkness here descends."

The zebra seemed offended by that statement, but raised his hoof and saluted, placing it close to his heart. "Yes, ma'am.”

Cadance chose not to interfere in the two's conversation but couldn't help but sense the emotional state of the stallions and the mare. Surprisingly, she could feel the love emanating from the stallion's heart.

A small giggle escaped her lips, and Zecora abruptly turned her gaze towards the alicorn. However, she quickly stopped upon realizing who Cadance was. A look of shock came over Zecora's face as she recognized the princess's presence amidst her rage. "Princess, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were here. Pardon us this societal smear."

Cadance maintained her royal façade and smiled down at the zebra. "No problem, but it looks like you'd’ve handled things well. Twilight mentioned you were in Farasi. If we had known beforehoof, we would have sent our letter earlier inviting you here."

Taking a moment to survey her surroundings, Cadance recalled the importance of having a private conversation. She glanced at her guards and then turned to them. "Let's find a more secure location," she said. The guards promptly formed a square formation and began to leave, returning to their tents. Cadance paused, looking at the other creatures present. "I would like all of you to come with me, as well.”

The diamond dog and griffin exchanged uncertain glances, but everyone else reluctantly followed her lead. Daring Do and Caballeron simply observed quietly as they moved along.

Zecora and her guard followed on their left flank, the guard moving between the princess and zebra. It took a minute for Zecora to understand the princess's intent, but then she chuckled softly. "I see, Princess, your aim is now quite clear. You've called me for my skills in alchemy, I fear."

Princess Cadance couldn't help but smile at the irony. "Yes, that's right, though it seems like you've ended up here anyway."

Shining Armor followed along, keeping a watchful eye on the guards and the other creatures in the camp. He listened intently to the conversation between his wife and Zecora.

Cadance stole a few glances at Shining Armor, noting his stoic demeanor. "Zecora, I've heard rumors lately that you've taken on a student. Is that true?" She shifted her gaze from the guard to Zecora, awaiting her response.

"Yes, two disciples I've chosen with care, to pass on secrets, knowledge we'll share. Summoned to teach from my own tribe's fold, yet they allowed an outsider, I was told." Zecora huffed with a trace of frustration, as if the imposed limitations caused irritation. "As if they could dictate my lessons' reach, but with the elders’ approval, I did agree to teach. New techniques and wisdom, a precious find for my people's sake, to enrich and bind. Ingredients from the Everfree I've brought; a treasure trove of knowledge, as I sought."

"Your decision to teach both kinds," Abrafo remarked, sarcasm clearly dripping from his words, "was quite commendable."

Zecora simply ignored the remark from Abrafo and continued, "So, yes, I think you know one of them; Apple Bloom. My oldest student, close to initiation, I assume. And Zeb, a young zebra, a fast learner indeed, close to his initiation, for knowledge, they both feed." She felt a swell of pride; she had nurtured her students well. Their commitment to learning had flourished, a source of deep satisfaction within her.

Cadance giggled, sensing the love emanating from Zecora. "Hopefully, one day, I'll finally experience the joy of training my own student. I wonder if Flurry Heart's current focus on the blade is just a phase, or just more captivating for her than love or politics."

Shining Armor attempted to conceal his grin but failed, prompting Cadance to playfully bump him with her wing. As the guards faced forward, keeping a vigilant watch, the other tagalongs casually tuned in to the conversation. Some were slightly curious about the zebra's connections to a princess, while others found the dialogue uninteresting but not too prolonged.

They reached their destination—a colossal tent positioned close to the center of everything. The guards halted, transitioning into a wider formation, as two guards entered the tent. The original guide turned to the two royals. "Princess, Captain, this is your tent," he announced.

Shining Armor was the first to respond, letting his wife conclude the conversation. "Have the proper enchantments been added to the area?" he inquired.

The guard pony swiftly addressed the question. "Yes, sir. If you want me to bring the Magi to confirm the princess's blueprints, I will."

Shining Armor took a moment to examine it. His horn slightly glowed before his magic was immediately pinged away. Surprise flashed for only a second before he smiled.

"Twiley really outdid herself this time. The blueprints will be unnecessary. Everything seems to be properly set up."

The guide saluted Shining Armor and the princess before returning to his position. Once the guard was back in place, Cadance concluded the conversation, casting a seemingly normal look at the oversized tent. With the same smile, she walked in.

The others prepared to follow, but Shining Armor stopped them. "You might want to hold on a minute."

The diamond dog and the griffin appeared confused, while the others seemed uninterested or had an inkling of what was going on. Before anyone could speak, Shining Armor took the lead.

"Who formally gave you permission to enter?" A shimmer of magic dissipated from around the tent.

Daring Do was the first to spot tiny runes artistically crafted into the material. "This must have cost a pretty bit…"

The Saddle Arabian took an even closer look. "Impressive. Multiple runes layered on top of each other in the material, plus the magic output. If I didn't know better, I would assume an alicorn made this."

The diamond dog blew a raspberry. "More horn-y magic. What's new?" he said with diminishing interest.

The Saddle Arabian chose not to respond to the crude remark. However, Shining Armor caught on to what she said. "How do you know it's not made by an alicorn?" he questioned.

The mare gave him a smile before simply stating, "It's not perfect."

Shining Armor waited for a further explanation that never came, and the Saddle Arabian walked into the tent. Slightly dumbfounded, he grumbled and scrutinized the tent once more.

Zecora giggled slightly but walked in, Daring Do following her with an annoyed grimace. The diamond dog and the griffin seemed equally confused, but entered, regardless. Caballeron appeared indifferent, but followed everyone else.

Abrafo, at the back of the line, stopped and looked at the captain. "Do you want me to tell you?" he asked.

Shining Armor paused for a minute, then finally grumbled, "No, I'll figure it out…"

The zebra shrugged his shoulders and entered the tent. A few minutes later, Shining Armor walked in as well, wearing a slightly irritated look. Two guards inside immediately saluted him.

The first noticeable difference inside of the tent was the slight coolness within as compared to the outside heat. He no longer felt the oppressive climate bearing down on him. It dawned on him that there was likely an enchantment regulating the temperature. He breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to escape the hot desert sun.

As he turned towards the guards, they maintained their salute. "Where can I find my wife and the guests?"

"I think they went to the main meeting room, sir."

Shining Armor turned and walked toward the opposite end of the tent. Upon opening the entrance, a lavish yurt unfolded before him—an organized and fancy space. He took a few moments to marvel at the room before spotting his wife and their guests seated around a table. Cadance was serving tea with an odd-looking elephant-shaped tea kettle. Crafted with jewels and emanating a peculiar tranquil magic, three large gemstones rested on the sides, and one sat on top, where Cadance was pouring water into it.

"Can we move this along? We’re very busy," Shining Armor sighed, turning towards the hound with a look of irritation. He wasn’t any more angry with this one than the other fighters, but some of his ire from dealing with Alpha was still clinging to him.

"If you're going to discipline us, do it already,” the diamond dog snorted back. “I will take my five lashings and leave."

Shining Armor was taken aback, having not been aware that the diamond dogs' discipline was that harsh.

Cadance, however, remained impassive as she poured herself a cup of tea. "What kind of tea do you like to drink, Mr. …?" she inquired, waiting to learn the diamond dog's name.

The diamond dog glanced up at her, bemused, but grumbled out "Max," with some impatience.

Cadence used her magic to float over a cup towards the diamond dog, the pink glow dissipating after reaching him. "Mr. Max, what kind of tea do you drink?"

“Tea?” Max looked into Cadance’s cup, and saw the light brown fluid sitting in it. “Is that what you call it? We, the diamond dogs, have our own word for dirty water: Mud.”

Cadance could not help the chuckle, knowing that the diamond dogs did not live as civilly as most of the other races. She decided to keep her opinions to herself. "It’s tea, and it's quite delicious for mud water."

Max seemed to relent. "I do not drink this “tea,” but if you have whiskey…?"

Cadance raised an eyebrow. "This early?"

Max just let out the grumble.

Cadence looked at the pot and used her magic to seemingly rub on one of the jewels. It lit up a different color, and Cadance grabbed the cup again with her magic, floating it towards the teapot and pouring. "Stable whiskey. I hope you like it. It's a little sweeter than most of the others the Griffins make, but it's still as delicious."

The griffin let out a small chirp. "Sorry, Princess, if you think that piss water has anything on a smooth glass of griffin whiskey, you've been living a little too long in your candy-coated castle."

Before Cadance could say anything, Shining Armor responded. "Do not talk to her like that, griffin!"

The griffin raised an eyebrow before giving Shining Armor a beaky smile. "Gilda."

Shining Armor looked at his wife, who gave him a smile, visibly calming him down. "I would appreciate it if you did not speak to my wife like that."

Gilda relented, but not before eyeing up the stallion. Max then let out a chuckle, and the Saddle Arabian scoffed. "Savages…"

Cadance coughed to redirect the conversation. That seemed enough to halt the next round of petty insults and meaningless sniping at each other.

"Before we talk about what happened and before I ask any questions, does anybody else want anything to drink?"

Zecora, snapped out of her staring at the teapot, realizing it was some kind of magical apparatus, decided to request a drink. "If tea is what you offer, I’d like an herbal grey. Something robust to soothe away the stress I’ve found today.”

“I’ll second that,” added Daring, raising her hoof. “While I wasn’t just embarrassed in front of the whole camp, something herbal sounds really nice.”

“I’ll take some of that whiskey,” chimed Caballeron.

“You would,” scoffed Daring. “You’ve gone, what, two hours without a brandy in your hoof?”

“You’re one to talk,” he smirked back. “Or perhaps you forget that we were riding in the same compartment?”

“Don’t remind me…”

Cadance chuckled and poured drinks for all three of them, again from the same pot, but it was pretty clear that the amber liquid in Caballeron’s teacup was not the same as the dark brew Zecora and Daring had.

“Something plain,” said Abrafo. “I’m not big on tea.”

“Finally, some sense from you,” sneered the unicorn. “Perhaps a green tea, or just some water.”

As Cadance poured him something off-white and slightly murky, she looked up at him. “I’m sorry, I don’t recall your name.”

“That’s because I didn’t give it,” he answered back.

“Would you care to, now?”

“Yeah,” chuckled Abrafo. “Give us your name. I’d like to see what we can do with it.”

“It’s not a toy to be played with. You may refer to me as sir, master, or master-knight.”

Shining grabbed him hard by the shoulder. “Let me remind you, sir, that you were personally selected by Celestia herself to be in attendance. If you cause such issues here as to be a nuisance, I can always send back a report to her with a recommendation for your dismissal. Let me ask my wife’s question once more so you can remember it: Would you care to tell us something as inconsequential as your name, or would you like to be sent back to Canterlot to tell Celestia why you were removed from service?”

The unicorn sighed. “Solar guard, knight Flash Bang.”

“Sounds like somepony can’t last in bed,” snorted Abrafo. “What’s the matter, no ga–”

He yelped as Zecora grabbed him by the ear unexpectedly. “You shame your kin with your poisoned words! Such loathsome speech is for the birds!”

“I’ll pick up where he left off, then,” said Gilda, flapping her wings for effect. “Or is it because when a mare sees what you’re packing, she bails in a flash?”

“Such vulgarity,” gagged the Saddle Arabian. “You may call me Amira. I am referred to by my kind as Amira the Blade-Dancer, if you wish to call me that, instead.”

“Amira,” nodded Cadance. “How do you like your tea?”

“Something fruity and spiced, if you should have it. If not, I am amenable to whatever you have that has no alcohol. I must insist that I abstain from alcohol.”

“Of course,” smiled Cadance, pouring a brown liquid. It settled out to being light brown at the top and dark at the bottom. She then turned and poured the same drink for Abrafo as she had for Flash Bang. Finally, she poured a very thick white liquid for her husband, almost creamy, and sent it over to him with her magic. “Now, we are all sitting comfortably. Or in the case of my darling husband, standing? We all have our tea? We’re ready to talk about what happened out there today?”

Daring suddenly stopped mid-sip. She wasn’t sure what she could add to the discussion, as she hadn’t been involved in the fight. She glanced at Caballeron, who was aerating his whiskey so he could smell the aroma. He didn’t seem remotely worried about being caught in this meeting he had nothing to do with.

“Good,” smiled Cadance. “Now. What on Equis possessed you all to think that drawing your weapons in camp was a good idea? Hm?”

Chapter 5: making friends

"Let her go!" Red demanded, lifting her head to see her sister restrained by two of her father's minions. “Let her go, now! I will kill you; let her go!!”

"Sir, they have been secured. Two miles from the base," reported one of the minions.

Chrysalis, struggling to focus, saw doubles of the armored creature holding down her sister. "One of them seems to have entered," mentioned the creature. He was wearing body armor, or rather, tactical gear, as their father had informed them.

The thought began to slip away as if a whip had struck her brain, interrupting her concentration. "Yes, 38971139 has received multiple injuries from an unknown source—one of the new abominations from this place," the creature continued. Chrysalis struggled to grasp the name of this mysterious creature, feeling its existence slip into secrecy.

"We have administered the drugs," she heard, still able to witness her sister's restrained struggle. Handcuffs and leg cuffs secured her, along with a device on her horn preventing the use of magic—a universal energy disperser, as their father had described.

Father... maybe... Chrysalis closed her eyes, only to wake up moments later, greeted by dark hazel eyes and a smile. "Father," she uttered, turning towards the light illuminating the cave they had fallen into. A significant pond and a large tree surrounded them. Red, her sister, seemed more composed.

"I'm sorry, but we'll have to leave you here for a while. You've sustained too much damage, but you'll be asleep, and your wounds will heal," a soft voice assured her, accompanied by a gentle touch.

Her sister, Red, seemed hesitant to speak, and Chrysalis whispered, "I... I... Lo..."

BANG!!!

"I love you!"

Daring Do leapt from her chair, soaring high, almost reaching the tent's peak before assuming a combat stance.

As the adrenaline rush subsided, she realized she was in the middle of a tent, having dozed off during the two-hour heated debate amidst knights, merchants, and princesses. All eyes turned to her—expressions ranging from irritation and confusion to concern, except for the griffin, who continued to drink, undisturbed.

Lowering herself back to the ground, Daring Do rubbed her head awkwardly.

"It's about time you admitted the truth,” interjected Caballeron. “I always knew you loved me."

His remark left her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but she quickly regained her composure, her ears flicking back. "Not the time for jokes," she retorted, using her hoof to push the chair away from under Caballeron. He deftly dodged it, offering her a warm smile.

"You don't have to be nervous. I know exactly why you've fallen for me—my beauty, charisma, and my sizeable–"

"Arrogance," the unicorn interrupted.

A moment of quiet followed, lasting until Princess Cadance unleashed an unprincess-like laugh, which soon infected Shining Armor, Zecora, and most of the other guests, breaking the tension over the incident.

Abrafo maintained his stoic expression, observing everyone before returning to his seat.

Cadence took a few moments, allowing the room to settle before exhaling. "You're right; it's already pretty late, and I don't think this discussion will be resolved tonight." A hint of steel entered her voice as she continued, "But what I said stands. You shall be sharing tents together—all of you. That part is non-negotiable. If that arrangement doesn't work for you, I'll personally send you packing."

She surveyed the room, her gaze daring anyone to question her orders. It appeared to be a bluff, or even if she did follow through, she would likely receive angry letters from their respective leaders or diplomats. However, no one dared to challenge her command, perhaps deeming it a minor punishment compared to potential repercussions.

"The meeting is now adjourned," Cadence declared.

Shining Armor smiled at his wife's assertiveness, savoring the moment before adopting his customary military demeanor. "Soldier," he addressed a guard.

The guard promptly responded with a crisp "Yes, sir?"

"Set up a tent for these new roomies," Shining Armor ordered.

The Saddle Arabian chortled. "No need; my tent should be enough for all of us. I even have space for separate rooms." At Shining’s puzzled reaction, she added, "Do you think you're the only one with a tent made by an alicorn? My father granted me one of his treasures bestowed upon our family by one such alicorn."

The venom in her words was audible to Shining Armor, but Cadence sensed an underlying tone, perhaps not love, but at least respect.

"Celestia and Luna?" Shining Armor couldn't help but ask.

Amira chuckled in response. "Neither. If the story is correct, it was a male alicorn before the Silent Era and the Exodus; long before for you ponies even thought about coming together as one tribe.”

Shining Armor had a grasp of basic Equestrian history, but hadn't delved into the more scholarly research of his homeland's past, knowing just enough to pass his history classes.

"I see. It seems like Celestia is not the only one keeping great records,” Cadance scoffed. “The Saddle Arabians have been keeping an eye on the alicorns, as well."

The princess giggled, "Yes, when a whole race of creatures disappears, it tends to raise eyebrows. But don't tell anyone—secret knowledge."

“Worry not, tall pony,” grinned Max, rubbing his paws together. “Information is safe with us.”

“Indeed so,” grinned Caballeron, likewise rubbing his hooves. “You have my word that this information will not fall into the wrong hooves for a fair price.”

Amira nonchalantly shrugged, acknowledging the rarity of the information, yet hinting that even the most minor research would unveil this simple truth.

“This conversation is interesting, princess, but I should probably see my guests to their rooms. If you should ever find yourself with some free time, I can make you some of my homeland’s special spiced tea and we might even enjoy a bottle of my spiced wine, as well.” Amira gave Cadance a curtsy before making her way out of the tent. The other creatures forced to bunk together followed, a myriad of grunts and moans seeming to follow them.

Out of the corner of Cadence's eye, she noticed Dr. Caballeron grabbing Daring Do by the shoulder, and they moved away from the group to one side of the tent. Unable to resist, Cadence moved closer, but opted to look busy, so she could overhear their conversation.

"What's going on?" Daring questioned as she shrugged Caballeron off. "What are you talking about?"

Caballeron stared her down. "You know what I'm talking about. This is the second time you've been talking about Chrysalis or whatever number you called her."

Daring looked confused, wondering how he knew about her dream about Chrysalis. "How do you–?"

Caballeron's eyebrows rose. "You were talking in your sleep. You've done it since college."

Daring scowled defiantly. "I do not talk in my sleep."

Caballeron gave her a blank look. "Yes, you do. How do you think I passed Calculus without studying? You were reciting the answers. Now, stop trying to change the subject. What's going on? You only talk in your sleep when you're concerned or worried about something."

Daring grumbled out a few choice curses. "I don't know. I've been having dreams, visions, whatever, about Chrysalis and other odd things."

Caballeron raised an eyebrow, then scoffed. "That’s convenient. I didn't realize you’d become a seer. How long did we spend with that tribe? A week at most?"

Daring put on a smile, reminiscing about one of her first spiritual adventures where she witnessed things most ponies never did. "Be serious. We smoked a pound of whatever that green stuff was. We were most likely hallucinating." She sighed. "But whatever this is, it seems too real to be a dream, and the creatures I see... I tried to tell myself it's just some crazy dream, but I feel like I'm seeing something I'm not supposed to."

Caballeron traced her face silently for a moment. He knew she wasn’t lying; not about this. "Why don't we tell Luna? She would be able to—"

“No!” interrupted Daring in a shout-whisper before clearing her throat. "No, the princesses would pull me off this project if they knew I was having visions. You know how valuable seers are!"

"Don’t be so dramatic. We haven't had a conscription since Starswirl the Bearded. Plus, Oracles live comfortable lives on the princesses' dime."

Daring Do scoffed at Caballeron. "Yes, and they also have mandatory guards or S.M.I.L.E.s watching over them,"

Caballeron hurriedly shoved his hoof over her mouth. "Don't talk about S.M.I.L.E!” he shout-whispered. “Ponies aren't supposed to even know about that!"

Daring looked even more surprised as Caballeron removed his hoof. "How do you know about it?"

Caballeron appeared mildly outraged. "You don't deal with magical items and shady creatures without learning about some of the government's dirty little secrets. Most people think ponies being spies is a myth or a joke, but they're quite good at their job. Annoyingly good."

Daring rolled her eyes. "You couldn't be any more scummy if you tried, could you?"

Caballeron threw up his hoof. "Stop trying to pull us off track. You need to tell someone."

Daring smiled, patting Caballeron on the back. "I told you. Job done."

Caballeron glared at her, annoyed. "You didn’t tell me jack shit. I had to drag it out of you. And while I might know a lot about magical items and some lost history, I don't know enough to help you if something goes wrong with this."

Daring scoffed. "What could go wrong? I randomly see glimpses into the future or past. I sometimes receive visions. I occasionally have a headache. It just so happens that all of those things are happening right now, and I’m looking into fixing that once this inane conversation is over."

Caballeron looked at her as if she were being naive and sighed. "You're not the average pony. You've picked up a history book. You know better than anypony that this particular field of magic has been severely under-researched. Bad things have happened to seers who didn’t go through the proper training. You could go into a coma. You could wake up one of these days and just walk in some random direction until you disappear forever. You could have some unknown power outside of seeing the future. You could go crazy!” He rubbed his face, frustrated. “All the stories we've read on the subject… You of all ponies shou– You did your college thesis on this! You know the risks! The only known Oracle that's still alive is Celestia, as far as we know!"

Daring knew of two other oracles, but was sworn to secrecy. Even if she wasn’t, she was not the type of pony to disclose that information and endanger them.

"So yes, all that's true. Yes, I did my paper on it, so I’m aware of the risks. And yes, I'm a member of that organization, so trust me when I say I can handle this."

Caballeron was about to retort, but thought better of it. "All right,” he sighed. “I can take a hint. But I am not going to pull your flank out of the fire if this goes belly up."

Daring smiled. "Ha! Like I'm not the one pulling you out of the fire most of the time…"

“I wish I hadn’t heard that,” muttered Caballeron under his breath as he followed a few lengths behind Daring as they raced to catch up with the others, now well ahead of them.

Cadence's horn stopped its glow, and Shining Armor joined at her side. "Is there something wrong?"

Cadence groaned, walking to her desk and immediately grabbing a piece of paper and a pen. "No, it's a good day, sweetie. All in all, I’m happy with the way most things worked out. I’m just upset that we might lose a good archaeologist."

Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. "Caballeron? I knew he was a fishy one, but–"

Cadence let out a breath. "No, no, darling, Daring Do. She may be a seer."

Shining Armor turned towards the door, ready to issue a command, but he was stopped by pink magic covering his whole body, plugging his mouth and throat with a long, slender tube of invisible force that bulged out his throat a bit. "Shiny, I'm going to ask you to do me a favor and not tell anypony."

Shining's eyes widened as he was released from his wife's magic. "Dear, I–"

"I'm going to tell Celestia,” she interrupted. “I’m not a fool. If we try to force this, Ms. Do will fight us. For now, I think the best way to handle this is a watch-from-afar approach."

Shining Armor wanted to say something, but after a moment of thought, he remembered that Daring seemed resistant to the few restrictions she already had. He assumed she would not be very happy about the heavy-hoofed response all oracles were forced to deal with.

He let out his breath. “Okay, dear… But I’m telling her bodyguard. Sergeant Shadow needs to know.”

Cadence walked over to him, leaving a small kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Shiny.”

He nuzzled her back. “Hopefully this doesn't blow up in our face…”

"I'm not sharing a room with you again. You drool and snore," declared Gilda. These were the first words Daring Do and Caballeron overheard as they caught up with the group.

"Like I want to share a tent with you,” snorted Max. “Last time, you nearly tore me to ribbons with your wild sleep movements. I had to put a shield in front of you or end up a stain on the dirt!"

Amira rolled her eyes. "Look, I only have three bedrooms, and that’s after converting my study and billiards room into bedrooms. Now, Cadance ordered tha–"

“Princess Cadance,” snapped Flash Bang.

“She ordered us to cohabitate, and she’s the one who picked who was sleeping where. I offered my tent only because the rooms are big enough to keep you separated.”

"As long as I’m a good twenty feet away from the griffin when she sleeps, I'll be fine. Last time, you threw one of your knives at me."

Gilda let out a small squawk. "It happened one time, and it was dark!"

Max blew a raspberry. "Don't play that card; Griffins have some of the best night vision of any race. Even we diamond dogs don't have better eyesight than you."

Gilda rolled her eyes. "You diamond dogs couldn't see in front of you if you had one of Celestia's golden apples in your face."

"No, but we can smell you chickens from a mile away.”

Flash Bang and Abrafo scouted out the rest of the encampment as they walked. Both were keeping separate watches, but keeping their heads on a swivel, ready to deal with any unseen enemies, just as soon as they made themselves seen. Abrafo was staying on the left side of the group, while Flash Bang seemed to be staying on the right.

"Do you guys ever turn off that attitude?" Daring asked as they caught up with the group, with Caballeron right behind.

"No," Abrafo answered immediately.

"Not in these parts," Flash Bang replied, not as fast but just as direct. They kept their eyes on everything and everyone, emitting an intense aura that deterred creatures from coming too close. "Are we almost there?"

"Yes, the dignitary setup was closer to the inside of the camp, so we're not too far," explained Amira as they walked past more tents, most of them seemingly extravagant and larger than necessary, adorned with enchanted charms.

Flash Bang looked at these tents with a slight amount of disdain. "Opulence for no reason," he snorted.

Abrafo grunted, for once in agreement with him.

Amira rebuffed the two. "True, they’re posturing, but for a good reason. Showing off your country's wealth and skill is a good way to earn connections. Just look at where the scientists sleep. They’re pretty well-off, themselves. Or that magic infuser I saw on my way in."

"As long as the jewels flow, it doesn't matter how opulent the ponies, zebras, or the other creatures want to be,” sneered Max. “We diamond dogs are here to dig holes and be paid a good bit for it."

Gilda rolled her eyes. "You're a merchant. Don't pretend like you're actually going to be digging…"

"I'll be supplying my people with what they need and making a quick buck on the side if I can. Isn't that right, Caballeron?" Max turned and smirked at Caballeron, who’d only been halfway paying attention as he glanced at the tents around him and their opulent designs. Surely, they wouldn’t be shocked if a few gemstones were to… fall off?

As the question was posed at him, he chuckled, redirecting his gaze to the group. "You know it."

Daring Do glared at Caballeron with an exasperated sigh. "You really want to end up in the Canterlot dungeon, don’t you?"

Max, in an effort to take some eyes off of himself, couldn't help but push the limits. "Oh, I see you finally found a mare to put a collar around you. I thought you'd die alone, buried in your treasure."

Caballeron, taking the bait, couldn't help but let out a dramatic sigh. "Yes, you’ve found my weakness. My sweet love. She has finally captured my heart," Caballeron declared, wrapping a hoof around her shoulder and pulling her close, rubbing his cheek against hers. “Oh, the many horrid nights we spent apart cannot be undone, but now that we’re going to be sleeping in the same bed–”

“Same room,” clarified Amira. “Separate beds.”

“Finally, we can make up for the lost ages. Kiss me, my dear!”

Daring pulled out of his grasp and slapped him hard across the cheek. Despite the fact that she was making a face like she wanted to vomit at the notion, there was a very tiny blush on her face that lasted only a moment. "Don't make me sick. I'd sooner have this greaseball be my special somepony," she retorted, pointing at Flash Bang.

“Gee, thanks,” he sneered. “Glad to know I’m only slightly preferable to vomiting.”

“Always good to know your worth,” snarked Abrafo.

Amira couldn't help but chuckle. "I've read your books before. I think you two would make a cute couple," she teased.

Gilda let out a squawk and punted a pail across the path into one of the tents, knocking over one of the supports. "Oh, gods-squawking damn it! I owe Dash twenty bits. She told me you were a real pony, and I didn't believe her. She even said you went on some big adventure with her."

“Seriously?” scoffed Daring. “She was on the cover of “Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny.” She was in the book. I gave her a signed copy. And I’ve long since dropped the charade.”

"I could have sworn you guys were together. Your descriptions were so detailed," Gilda remarked.

Amira stopped in front of a tent. "Well, I guess this is going to be your home for now."

All the ponies gazed at a seemingly ordinary tent with a few designs on the top and a picture of Amira's family crest – a scimitar stabbed into the ground in the middle of a field or desert area. The diamond dog, rejoining the group, burst into laughter, Gilda rolled her eyes, more annoyed than amused, Flash and Abrafo stayed quiet, while Daring Do seemed surprised and Caballeron was stunned into silence.

"This thing’s going to house all of us?" Gilda inquired, observing the tent.

"Are you crazy?" Max agreed. “This thing’s tiny!”

Daring turned to the Diamond Dog, giving him a look of disbelief. "Have you learned nothing? We just came from Princess Cadance’s yurt, which was six times as big on the inside as it was on the outside. Clearly, we have been working on saving space," Daring explained. “Although, even if we were to expand this to seven times its size, I wonder if it would still be too cozy for our liking…”

Amira chuckled. "It's a replica of an ancient artifact. The original is on my family's estate," she clarified as she walked into the small tent. "Oh, you all can come in."

Everyone walked in and their eyes went wide. The grand entrance unfolded into an opulent foyer adorned with intricate mosaic tiles that depicted scenes from Amira's family history. Elaborate archways led to various wings of the mansion, each decorated with filigree patterns and carved wooden panels, showcasing the mastery of various artisans. Plush Persian rugs adorned the marble floors, contributing a touch of luxury to the surroundings.

The main sitting area, just off the foyer, featured plush cushions and intricately carved wooden furniture with jewel-studded upholstery. Silk curtains billowed gently, revealing glimpses of the enchanting courtyard garden beyond. Portraits of ancestors, along with Amira’s family crest, adorned the walls, echoing the regality and wisdom passed down through generations.

The main hallway within the mansion held six ornately carved doors, each leading to a different area of the estate, where devoted spectral servants moved gracefully in the magical space, attending to their duties. Adorned with more family crests, portraits, and chambers filled with artifacts, carvings, and cherished relics, the mansion stood as a living testament to the fusion of cultures, the richness of heritage, and the magic weaving through generations in an intricate tapestry of life and legacy.

Amira was already comfortably seated in one of her plush chairs, leaning over to observe the others. "I have already arranged your rooms according to Princess Cadance’s orders." A servant approached, placing a strange-looking drink in front of her. It was yellow on top and red on the bottom, with two skewered cherries and a sliced blood orange sitting on the rim. "There aren't many rules. All I ask is that you do not go into the room with the star over the door. Other than that, feel free to take as much food as you want, drink as much as you want, and enjoy yourself."

Daring found herself having to eat her words. She’d heard that the Saddle Arabians were working on spatial relations, but this was leaps and bounds ahead of what Equestria had come up with.

Gilda smiled before swiftly running up the stairs to claim her room. “Multiple floors!”

Max eyed Amira with suspicion. "What's the catch? You wouldn't offer us free rein like that if there wasn't something you wanted."

Amira laughed, "We've already discussed it with the princess. She wanted everypony to stay together, and I agreed to let you stay here. I might as well be courteous." Amira gestured to one of the servants. "But you might be a little curious about why I would offer something so generous."

"They're constructs,” Abrafo interrupted, looking over the staff members. “They're not real creatures"

"This is similar to the princess's tent but on a larger scale," Flash Bang added.

Amira couldn't help but chuckle. "I see you guys are the astute ones," she said as she took a sip of her tequila sunset.

Daring eyed up the decorations. "This can’t be a recent development. Some of this moulding structure has to be more than two to three thousand years old. Definitely before the lost era."

Amira let out a chuckle. "Yes, the original is probably that old, but like I said, this is a copy."

Caballeron scanned his eyes around the artistry. "Yeah, I remember you saying something about that earlier, but do you mean to tell me that this is a replica?"

Abrafo walked around and took a seat in a bean bag-like chair, slightly more relaxed but still wary. Flash Bang sat across from him, finally taking off his helmet. It had been issued with a common illusion to make all of the guards look alike, but now that it was off, it revealed him to be a white pony with a blonde mane. He also had complete heterochromia; his left eye was red, but his right was green. It was a far cry from how he had looked before, with both eyes being turquoise. He placed his helmet on the table nearby.

Amira carefully looked at both of them before responding to the question. "I'm surprised a stallion in your business has not heard."

Caballeron let out a small scoff before taking his own seat, close to a portrait of a stallion carrying a large, bent sword. "I've been busy. When I received the princesses' letter, I cut off a job already in progress to immediately make my way back to Equestria. It's hard to keep your ear to the ground when destiny calls."

The remaining few that had stayed in the sitting room, all but Gilda and Max, chuckled before taking seats on either side of him.

"Or the chance to be pardoned." Flash Bang raised his eyebrows, thinking only a couple of hours ago that these two ponies were only made-up characters.

"Yes, yes, this project has kept us all busy,” calmed Amira. “But my second sister has finally cracked the code to replicate several ancient artifacts. They're not as powerful as the original, but with her process, she can now take an extremely powerful magic item and make a lesser magical item with roughly the same effect. Even with that, she's still the second princess." Amira seemed to let out an annoying chuckle.

Caballeron's eyes widened. "That must be the reason..." The stallion let out a small, upset grumble.

Daring called over one of the spectral servants and ordered a salad with a glass of red wine. "That's going to be a pain; there'll probably be a slew of amateurs attempting to find artifacts now." She turned around. "A problem with more competition."

"No colt or filly has the skills to outdo me,” scoffed Caballeron. “But you're laughing. That means more creatures to deal with in your precious moral rule set. How many magic items are you hoarding now?"

Daring flipped him the bird using her wings, but she realized he was correct. There would now be more either foolhardy ponies or creatures, or hopeless fools, looking for a quick bit.

"Yes, there will probably be an uptake in adventurers looking for valuable artifacts,” admitted Amira. “On top of that, my family is in talks to marry off my sister to somepony in the royal family. Good luck with that one.” She shook her head. “Whoever they choose for her better have a strong will. My sister is a mad mare."

Flash Bang cut back into the conversation. "With that, I assume you are going to attempt to hustle in on Equestria's magic monopoly?" The stallion slowly leaned against the side of the chair.

“I doubt that both of our kingdoms have very good trading relations with each other,” sneered Abrafo. “If Celestia was smart, she would just work with the prince and build a stronger relationship, as you ponies love to do. Twilight has already pushed pussy goodwill all across Equestria. She is close to becoming the most beloved princess.”

Flash Bang scoffed. “She is a very talented and accomplished princess, but I will admit that she hasn't really faced anything that would push her to her edge.”

Abrafo nods his head in slight respect. “A pony saying something wise… Never thought I’d see that.”

Before anyone else had a chance to say anything, the diamond dog walked back in with a large plate of food, with different kinds of meats, cheeses and other random items he seemed to scrounge from the kitchen. “Little pony princess is good at making friends; convincing people of working together, but never dealt with the dirty end of the stick. Sun princess babies her.” Max took a seat on a larger chair, dropping his plate of food on the mini table right next to it.

“Princess Twilight is young and has plenty of time to learn. She has also proven herself to be capable in an emergency.” Gilda came stomping down with a big smile on her beaky face. "Overheard your conversation. Those losers can handle themselves. Plus, Twilight has five other ponies and a shrimpy dragon that all have her back. One is my best friend."

Daring pondered which one of the elements could be this griffin's friend. Only one possibility popped up in her head. Admittedly, she wasn’t intimately familiar with most of Twilight’s friend group, but if she had to guess, it would be the one she had mentioned owing money to not even twenty minutes ago. "Rainbow Dash. Surprising that you two are friends."

Gilda's sharp eyes turned to the pony. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Daring shrugged. "You two seem to have completely different personalities. She’s very loyal, dependable, hard-working. And you…” She shrugged again. “But as I think about it, maybe you two would settle up better than I initially thought."

Gilda couldn't help but let out a laugh. "If I was younger, that probably would have earned you a black eye and a fat lip. But I was toughened up by the power of friendship. So now I'm a nicer chick." Gilda immediately jumped on top of her seat, spotting an ottoman and placing her claws on it, being careful enough not to tear it apart.

Max chuckled. "Ha! I can't imagine you much worse than how you are now. If you weren't so skilled, I would have probably tried to sell you off."

Gilda quickly slid a knife out of her side pocket and tossed it to the diamond dog, hitting the side of the wall. Max simply grabbed the knife off the floor and used it as a toothpick before tossing it back.

"You wouldn't even live to regret it," Max continued, sticking out his tongue. "That means I'm probably going to live a very long time, because I wouldn't have regretted it."

Caballeron was handed his glass of whiskey by one of the servants and raised it up. "You can say that again. This guy tried to sell me off because I took a larger cut."

Max growled at him, letting food fly out of his mouth.

Amira rolled her eyes and looked disgusted. "It seems like the diamond dogs' practices are still just as disgusting as ever." She then turned to Gilda. “And please don’t throw knives in my tent.”

The diamond dog pointed a finger towards the two. "You were not trying to take a small amount; you were trying to steal the whole thing! And I don't want to hear about slavery from a race who treat their poor worse than we treat our slaves! How are those large-scale ghettos working out for you? Last time I heard, you were putting down another rebellion."

Amira raised her nose up at him. “We were not putting down the rebellion. A small amount of citizens were unsatisfied with the sultan. Right after a quick investigation, it was quickly dealt with.”

Daring remembered hearing that a large-scale fire broke out, killing the sultan and the royal family. They had to intervene, spreading out his family's riches to the lower class to stop the rebellion. There were also plenty of unfounded reports about it being an inside job.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the large-scale weapons for this were a misunderstanding,” Amira said, raising an eyebrow. “How did you know there were weapons found?”

Max bore a devious smile, showing off his white teeth and fangs. “Where did you think the weapons came from?”

Amira's eye started to twitch as she reached for her blade. “Calm your tits, dog! I might have heard of the delivery, but I had nothing to do with it! Plus, arms are not what I deal in. If there was a magic item there, you probably could try to blame me, but I have plenty of witnesses saying I was far, far away.” Amira took a deep breath, seemingly letting the subject drop for now.

Daring quickly tried to change the subject before this ended up in another fight. “Abrafo… You know Zecora?”

The zebra slowly turned towards Daring and let out a puff of annoyance. “Yes, I do…”

They all waited a few minutes for him to continue the conversation, but when it was obvious he was not, Daring tried again. “So, how long have you guys known each other? I’ve been able to meet her a couple of times and ask her questions.”

The zebra continued to act like a stony gate, but after a minute of silence, he answered. “Yes, I know.“

Gilda could not help but to respond with a nervous silence.

“Wow! You must be great at parties!” Flash Bang let out a small chuckle.

Abrafo only continued to frown. “At least one of you understands my humor.” He slowly leaned forward. “This is because I have to live with you now. It does not mean I need to like any of you. I prefer keeping my personal life personal and treat this like business. I personally don't like dealing with creatures who are on the watch list for our border control. Unlike Equestria, we take trespassing seriously.”

Both Max and Caballeron pulled out their scarves and wrapped them around their necks. “Your border control is slightly better than the ponies. The only thing you guys are good at when dealing with the border is keeping the hyenas out of the rest of the world.”

Abrafo, for a second, looked enraged. It was only for probably a fraction of a second, but Flash Bang caught it and decided to ignore it for now. Abrafo simply stared at the two. "Maybe if you ponies wouldn't break into our land and steal our artifacts," he said as he looked at Daring and Caballeron.

Daring had the decency to look slightly embarrassed, but Caballeron remained nonchalant.

"And if your wise princesses would actually act like allies and help us deal with the hyenas once and for all, we could ask them to do something about the border."

Flash Bang was swift to respond. "Celestia will not have us being part of eliminating another sentient species."

Abrafo let out a small, mirthless laugh. "Ha. Even if those animals were sentient, they would be the lowest level of it. And I think you would be singing a different tune if they were in your borders, rather than ours. I know that Equestria has been at peace for over a thousand years, but other creatures don't have the power of two god-like beings to protect them, and things like war, famine, and bloodshed are another part of life."

Flash Bang could understand that, but he could see the hate in the zebra's heart. "Yes, those are true, but they also teach us forgiveness and giving creatures another chance. Your kind have become the eternal jailers of the hyenas, making sure you'll always be enemies."

Gilda, who seemed to be paying little attention, turned to Amira. "So, in your experience, which creature has the biggest cock around here?"

Max spat out some of his food in laughter. "That's why I like you, griffin! Always straight to the point! Simple, like a diamond dog!"

Gilda rolled her eyes. "I don't know if that was a compliment or an insult…"

Caballeron was likewise surprised by the question, almost spitting out his expensive whiskey. Daring's face turned red, and Abrafo and Flash Bang turned towards the griffin with looks of confusion and slight surprise.

Amira turned to the griffin after a few seconds before starting to giggle. "What would make you think that I would know that?" she said in a playful way.

Gilda smiled back. "I might have only been here for a couple of weeks, but the rumors about you are quite explicit. I heard you have the guards waggling their tails for you."

Flash Bang remembered some of his fellow soldiers talking about a certain mare. "A lady never kisses and tells."

Gilda rolled her eyes and let out a sound that sounded like a squawk and an annoyed moan. "But hypothetically, there is a certain white soldier who has a certain pair of crossed green diamonds on his rear that knows how to hit the right spots." Gilda let out a small chuckle. "I prefer chicks, but I can always go for a stallion with a talent."

Amira laughed. "Who said it wasn't one?" Gilda smiled at that.

"Her brother is better," Flash Bang responded.

Both Amira and Gilda stared at Flash Bang, dumbfounded.

Max finished eating his food. "Diamond dogs are the best lovers."

Caballeron had to recover from his laughing fit before he could speak. "You guys are way too rough. Plus, you leave too many scratch marks and drool."

Daring raised an eyebrow.

"Experimentation." The diamond dog smiled. "No bits. Don't know why you didn't marry one of the princesses' daughters; you would have been set for life."

Daring Do threw up her hoof. "Of course! What would you not do for a... knot?"

Caballeron looked at both of them with an annoyed face. "Like I had a choice. It was either be with that beast, or spend a year of my life in the mine."

The diamond dog let out a chuckle. "I told you, you couldn't steal the jewel."

Caballeron let out a humorless chuckle. "No, what you said was that the jewel had very low protection. I don't call a teleport spell “low protection.””

“You know, she might even come here, so you might be able to reacquaint yourself," Max mused.

Caballeron drank the rest of his scotch in one go. "Let's hope not; that walking disaster is the last thing this camp needs."

The room fell silent once more, and Daring was practically itching to hear the story. She hadn’t ever heard Caballeron talk about the night he’d spent with a futa diamond dog princess.

Amira simply whinnied. "Daring Do, let's not pretend like you don’t have some interesting rumors around you as to who you keep in your bed," she said in a devious voice. "Other than the rumors about you and Caballeron, there is a pretty spicy rumor that you have been close to a dragon. It even gave you a magic gift. Did it also give you something else?"

Daring rolled her eyes. "I don't know why everyone assumes that about me and Knickerbocker. Plus, he has a mate and a couple of hatchlings."

Amira leaned to her side and put a hoof on her chin, looking like a model from a Playcolt. "What a shame. I have tasted plenty of fruits from foreign lands, but I have never tasted a dragon's."

Max put down his third plate and used a bone to pick his teeth. "And I thought diamond dog bitches were insatiable."

Abrafo, growing bored of the conversation, stood up and started walking up the stairs. "I’m booby trapping my room, so if you don't want to be paralyzed for the night, either knock or disarm the trap."

As the zebra walked up the stairs, Flash Bang joined with a yawn. "It's pretty late," he breathed as he went up the stairs himself.

Gilda waited until they were both gone. "Who wants to bet they're going to end up–"

"I'll put twenty bits on three weeks," Amira interrupted, smiling.

Max grinned. "Four rubies, four days."

Gilda smiled at both of them. "Big spender. I’ll match that bet. I'll give it two weeks."

Caballeron stood up from his seat. "On that note, I'm going to bed, as well. The real work is going to start tom–"

Caballeron stopped in the middle of his sentence, distracted by a buzzing sound. Max started to twitch, as well. They both moved their heads towards the west of the tent, quickly running outside to see what it was. Daring, Amira and Gilda looked at each other, confused, but quickly followed after them.

Leaving the tent, they saw what had caught the other two's attention. As soon as they walked outside, they found multiple creatures looking up into the sky with either confusion, amazement, or fear. Even the guards seemed stunned as there appeared to be a large, on-fire machine in the sky, apparently made from some kind of metal, crashing and lighting up the skyline with its yellow-red glow. As it sailed past the camp, Gilda simply threw her claws up in the air.

"I'm going to bed…"

Chapter 6 Operation: Stolen Gnome.

Chapter 6 Operation: Stolen Gnome

Perched high in Canterlot Castle, the view stretched majestically over the city, revealing a vibrant panorama of architectural wonders. Canterlot, the regal capital of Equestria, boasted a harmonious blend of classical and magical structures.

The towering spires of the castle dominated the skyline, adorned with delicate filigree and crystalline accents that reflected the sunlight. Cascading waterfalls adorned the cliffs, adding a soothing melody to the visual symphony below. The city itself sprawled gracefully across the mountainside, with cobblestone streets winding through neighborhoods adorned with charming pastel-colored buildings.

Ponies of all kinds; unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies, traversed the city's thoroughfares, their daily lives intertwined with the magic that permeated Canterlot. Vendors offered treats in the bustling markets, and enchanting boutiques displayed glittering wares. The vibrant energy of daily life harmonized seamlessly with the magic that enveloped the city.

Staring at one of the few towers allowed to rise higher than the castle, a lone mare looked at the time, contemplating her choices and path before shifting her eyes to the garden below. There, three statues stood, immortalizing Equestria's most infamous villains.

She couldn't help but scoff at the idea; to her, they were more like villains of the month. If she had led the group, they would have conquered the entire province without anyone knowing. But she couldn't solely blame the three, especially that one. Memories of her remained vivid—the transition from before the tree to what she became afterward.

Red slowly moved her eyes away from the statue, staring at the sky, reflecting on more pleasant memories when the world was simple; when her sister smiled before the magic had poisoned her heart, mind, and body. A creature of pride and hunger had emerged, but still she smiled.

"At least she had the spine," Red muttered, shaking off the thoughts but remembering the past. "No use lingering too long…" She returned her gaze to the statue. "Looks like you need me to save you again. Such a pain, but what are big sisters for?"

Red smirked discreetly. Today was her last day as the character she’d been playing this whole time. Hopefully, she’d done enough pre-planning so that the powers that be wouldn't ask so many questions after this. She was contemplating a return with a new façade someday, and it would not do to raise suspicion. Her tenure working for the princesses had started around the time Twilight first left for Ponyville. How many years had it been?

Red, as one of her more laid-back characters, enjoyed having plenty of friends in the castle, trusted by everypony to do things normal ponies couldn't. With an airheaded demeanor, her occasional mistakes appeared more like quirks than malfeasance, whether she was snooping around or exploring the castle.

"Slacking on the job, I see," a disapproving earth pony commented, radiating a strict and elegant aura. It was likely her thousandth time admonishing Red for hanging out in this room.

Red responded with a small smirk, letting out a breath of exasperation. "Come on, C.O., it's my last day! I just want to enjoy my favorite lunch spot with its incredible view. I'm surprised the princess herself doesn't come up here once in a while."

Mrs. Clean and Orderly moved out of the door frame and into the break room, unfazed by Red's attempt to charm her, and looked outside at the view. "Just because it's your last day doesn't mean you should frequently break the rules. We have them for a reason." Despite the stern words, Red heard a softness in her voice.

While others might have thought of Mrs. Clean and Orderly as a slave driver, Red had found her to be fair to everypony who had ever worked there. She had faced twice the scrutiny, being an earth pony, with mini-nobles and maids attempting to undermine her. Red, having been around long enough, played along and usually put them in their place.

It was always a treat when Mrs. Clean and Orderly put a pony in their place on rare occasions. If Red remembered correctly, there were maids who had tried to take her position. Although she didn't personally witness the aftermath, the last time she saw the two, they were loyal little lap dogs of the earth pony, following her words like puppies—Feather Duster and Lacey Frills.

"I deserve a break every once in a while. Plus, I'm still working off that cake you guys had made for me at my going-away party." Red leaned back against the chair before stretching out her body in a very unladylike pose.

Mrs. Clean and Orderly let out a huff as she sat down across from Red. "I could never understand you. I've been here for a very long time, and you? You're the only oddity I could never figure out. You hardly seem less skilled than most others, but you always play second fiddle to everyone."

Red offered a small smile, but her look of false interest shifted into a sharp, analyzing gaze. She was about to say something, but Mrs. Clean and Orderly spoke first.

"No matter what task I gave you, you succeeded—difficult or easy. On top of that, no matter who I paired you with, you always made them shine. Whether it was the hardest worker or the laziest slacker, you made sure it was done."

Red knew this game well. They had been playing it for years, where Mrs. Clean and Orderly tried to figure her out—an enigma, seemingly a jack-of-all-trades who never showed she was angry, no matter what happened, and could seemingly handle almost every situation. Moreover, she had a cutie mark that seemed unrelated to her service-oriented nature; a line with a circle on one end and an arrow on the other, detailing the size of several fruits. At the top, a watermelon, then an eggplant, then a tomato, a habañero, a strawberry, and finally a pomegranate seed at the bottom.

Remembering that Mrs. Clean and Orderly was quite traditional, a believer in destiny and a follower of the Sundial—a religion quasi-banned by Celestia—Red wondered how it would feel to be ignored by a goddess. Her devil was quite alive, and he paid attention to all of his children. Red couldn't help but giggle.

"You keep tiptoeing around what you really want to say. This might be the last time we see each other, so you might as well tell me if you've fallen in love with me..." Red, feeling bold, whatever the consequences, wanted to see the surprise on the older mare's face. To her shock, she let out a chuckle. She probably wasn't expecting that. The character Red had portrayed had never made a joke like that, but she felt like letting loose.

The older maid's face flushed red before she composed herself. "That is inappropriate. You should not be making jokes like that with your superior. Not to mention, I could still clock you with sexual harassment. Didn't your parents ever teach you some respect for older mares like me?"

Red managed to suppress her giggles as she smiled. "Who said I was joking?"

As she leaned closer, her body pressing against the other mare's, a devious smile playing on her lips, the gray-haired mare scowled. "It seems like you're really showing your true colors, now that you're on the way out. But you're right. I should say what I have to say. Are you a changeling?"

No fanfare, no hesitation, the head maid just came straight out and said it. That's what Red loved about this one. The thought to lie crossed her mind for a second before she smiled. "That's a complicated question. The simple answer is “Yes.” The complicated answer is complicated. But tell me, what brought you to that assumption?"

The older mare scrutinized Red, trying to discern any telltale signs of deception or changeling traits, but like Princess Celestia, she kept her cards close to her chest. "I was there when you slipped that letter to Princess Celestia. I saw you place it in her pile of papers. You were the one who foiled Chrysalis's plan to invade Canterlot."

Red shifted uneasily, recalling the day she had managed to slip her message into Celestia's important documents. She found it personally amusing that she could outmaneuver Celestia but had been caught by a simple maid.

"I must be growing sloppy. Maybe it's because of the relaxing job here. Oh well," Red remarked, leaning back slightly and resting both hooves on her chin, feeling the fur against her skin. "So tell me, what do you want for figuring it out? I'm a changeling. I'm on my way out, and even if you do tell anyone I was a changeling the whole time, we're now widely accepted by the general populace."

The head maid seemed to grapple with the weight of her next words. "Why did you help us? During the invasion, you tricked us into the lower levels of the castle, protecting all the staff from having their love drained or being kidnapped. Even after the invasion, you didn't take credit for your deed. You worked as a normal maid. Even when the changelings were finally accepted into Equestrian society, you still didn't reveal yourself.”

Red nodded along.

“And now you're leaving, and I don't buy your excuse that your sister landed herself in prison and you're going to Las Pegasus to help support her. So why? You could stay here. You could tell Celestia that it was you. I'm pretty sure she would reward you, and ponies wouldn’t care if you were a changeling; you would be considered a hero."

Red took a moment to savor the word "hero," letting it roll off her tongue. "I've been playing a character for a while, and I don't think I need to anymore. At least, not right now."

Mrs. Clean and Orderly appeared puzzled by the statement as Red twirled her forehoof in a nonchalant motion.

"Being a hero is too much work. Plus, can you imagine me saving the day?"

Mrs. Clean and Orderly leaned back in her chair. "To be honest, I can't imagine you at all, especially if I never knew you."

Red erupted into laughter. "Ha! Any proper spy, infiltrator, or liar will tell you the same: Lies are actually the truth wearing a different hat. Most of the time, I acted the same way I would normally act if I wasn't pretending to be someone else. But I guess I should answer your question."

She slid a white card with a design of a red dagger encircled by an aurora-like motif across the table. An odd star adorned the background.

"Take this card to Las Pegasus, find the Lucky Horseshoe Casino, look for a bar with two zebras on the sign, and then ask for Golden Eye if you're truly curious. Oh, yes, and don't forget to bring a book. Rarer is better, or extremely new."

The head maid reached for the card, and Red's smile widened as it exchanged hooves.

"Oh, and to be clear, I didn't fully lie. I am leaving to help my sister, who is in prison. But for now, something is about to happen. You should take off early tonight. Go home, take a bubble bath, and try to rest well for tomorrow."

Observing the time, the head maid noted there were only thirty minutes left until the end of her shift. Mrs. Clean and Orderly began to say something, but the look in Red's eyes gave her pause. Red's irises narrowed into slits, revealing a hint of something sinister and malevolent that the head maid had never seen before.

Red closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, her usual warm, pony-like eyes greeted Mrs. Clean and Orderly, accompanied by a kind smile. The head maid hesitated, then stammered, "Y-yes, I think I will take an early night…"

Red giggled softly as the mare stood up and exited the room, closing the door behind her.

"Red, even though I no longer have eyes on her, I can still take the shot."

Red rolled her eyes. "Are you really going to bet against me? When have I ever been wrong about a target?"

Silence lingered for a good five minutes. Red took a moment to gaze out at the view before the voice returned.

"I guess today is not that day. She's exiting the castle. I thought you were going to make this job difficult again."

Red leaned slightly out the window, releasing a breath of irritation. "I am the best operative in the entirety of Lab One."

A second voice came over the line. "And that's why you're defying orders to free your sister?"

The younger voice irked Red slightly. She disliked cocky newcomers. "You can stuff it, rookie. Doc will understand. Plus, the Council is up in arms about the lower life forms digging where they're not supposed to be. Their attention won’t be on little old me…"

A third voice chimed in, this one female with a softer pitch. "Please don't remind me about those dinosaurs whining about how the lower life forms are meddling with the great technology of a long-dead civilization."

Red blew a raspberry. "Not as dead as they said it would be."

The first voice responded with a heavy, gruff tone. "Quiet that chatter. The operation is about to begin. If there are any consequences, we'll deal with them when we return to base."

Red reached towards her watch and pressed a button, activating the timer. She could see she had twenty-five minutes. "Operation: Stolen Gnome is a go," she announced over the radio before immediately leaping out of the window.

As she fell, her yellow fur began to burn away, revealing a large, black, chitinous series of plates that covered her body like armor. It was a sleek, black material that seemed to shift and move around her form, with sturdy slats covering her chest and forming a coif-like structure around her head.

Her short red hair flowed behind her as she descended, seemingly relaxed despite the rapid approach of the ground. With a controlled landing, she slammed into the gardens below, leaving four small craters in the earth as she strode forward amidst the debris.

"That's never pleasant," she muttered as she surveyed the garden. "Really? This is where you imprison your enemies? Talk about lax security. What’s the point of even having a gate to Tartarus if you don’t employ it?"

Red used her magic to open her small backpack with a red cross on it, retrieving a device and placing it on the ground before proceeding further. It was a small black cylinder, just as tall as it was round, only five centmetres in any dimension. With precise steps, she planted more of these small devices along her path until she reached her destination: a statue depicting three creatures frozen in various poses. One appeared to be carrying something, another wore a look of shock and surprise, and the third radiated pure rage and anger.

Red couldn't help but chuckle. "Wow, sis, you’ve never been photogenic, have you?"

She wasted no time, pulling out three smaller backpacks from the one on her shoulder and securing them onto each of the statues, clicking on the straps around their front and back hooves.

"Red Queen, we have winged chickens moving to check out the noise you made," came a report.

Red finished the final clip on the pegasus statue before turning to see armored pegasi flying towards her.

"Clip their wings when they're closer to the ground; don’t injure them too badly."

As two guards approached to investigate the disturbance, they were swiftly incapacitated by something that impacted their armor and seemingly electrocuted them, forcing them to drop from the sky and land on the ground.

"Two targets have been subdued, but I think we have woken up the roost," her earpiece crackled. "Multiple ground pounders are moving into your positions and spreading out throughout the castle; they're locking down the front door. Also, it looks like horn heads are casting spells, and the flying chickens are doing their best to scout. You have four to five minutes before they realize."

Red turned around to see three unicorns teleport to the gardens and look at the downed guards.

"Guess I was wrong, Red Queen. You certainly started to make some noise," she heard over the comms.

Red donned a devious smile. "You've been waiting for that, Griffin Eye," she replied.

Even though she couldn't see it, she knew the sniper was smiling. "Approved. Time to make some noise."

The unicorns were screaming at Red to surrender, and the pegasi, seemingly alerted by the noise, rerouted themselves to her location. Two of the unicorns went down before the third raised a barrier, not seeing how his fellows fell but knowing the electric dance they did was very clear something had hit them.

"That's not going to work," Red remarked as a third shot rang out, breaking a small hole through the magical barrier and dropping the unicorn.

"Red Queen, we are coming from the south," came the call over the comms. “Are we going to need to come in hot?”

“I’ll keep the glue factory ready. We don't know if the big horses are going to be coming in, but if they do, we'll need to be ready, Big Bird…”

Red swiftly set up the battlefield, placing circular devices in the corners of the gardens. Several more shots rang out, irritating her.

"Griffin Eye, you're going to give away your position if you keep using the ponies as target practice," she scolded.

The heavy gruff voice chuckled in response. "It's not my fault that the horn heads are trying to be snipers; it's kind of cute. Oh yeah, the flying chickens are moving to surround you. Let Gearhead play."

Red simply let out a breath. "Gearhead, you have been authorized to release the swarm. And try not to kill anyone. I hope you can handle that, Rookie," she relayed over the radio.

"Don't worry. Unlike the old man, I didn't equip my boys with stingers. And play some good tunes this time," came the response. “In The Flesh? That's what's going to be played.”

“Oh, come on, that song again? Never mind. Targets have been identified. Engaging now,” Red remarked, easily hearing the buzzing of the droids. Those things always brought her smiles. The rookie might have been new, but he was one of the most skilled techies in the group, and his synchronicity with his tech was almost perfect.

“Whisper, start the distraction as well. You know what to do,” Red announced, pulling out the box-like device before flipping through it and hitting play on her playlist. “They're out of the way, starting in five, four, three, two, one.”

Red couldn't see it, but she heard it—the east side gate going up in flames in one big explosion as many smoke bombs went off all throughout the city, a mix of heavy, colorful smoke coalescing in large pockets of the city: green, red, and pink. Red wondered if they received the message.

Griffin Eye came alive on Red's speaker. “They are now splitting their forces to go check on those explosions, and there seems to be a giant hole in the gate,” he reported.

Red looked to be enjoying the chaos from the view of the gardens. “Do you have eyes on the sun and the moon?”

“Not yet. I've started so many fires, but surprisingly, they haven't rebuilt themselves. They might be smarter than we thought,” Griffin Eye responded.

Red let out a loud, vicious laugh. “Too bad we’ve already won…”

~*v*v*~

"So, we cannot enter the skies; something keeps knocking us out, and the smoke leaves very little visibility," the pegasus officer grunted. "We need to clear the smoke and then stay in close proximity to each other. If one of us goes down, we can immediately identify what's hitting us. On top of that, the smoke works both ways; they can’t see us, either. Now, no more complaining. Every pegasus, rush to the sky, clear the smoke. Whatever's doing this is on the ground or in one of the towers. If we arrest them, we will overwhelm them. If we rule the skies, we will rule the battle. Now, move out!"

In threes, the pegasus royal guards took off into the air, the magical enchantments in their helmets allowing them to coordinate with each other.

As Captain High Fly gained a greater look at the battlefield, he saw that the gate was destroyed and odd-colored smoke was emanating from the castle in random parts of the city. He could already see the ponies in the distance panicking, but he could not spot any enemies.

As he moved to do a flyby around the castle, he saw an odd creature in peculiar armor before hearing buzzing. Immediately, one of his men reported through the enchantment.

"Sir, there seems to be a large swarm of something unidentified coming in from the south. They’re buzzing for some reason..."

At that moment, music blared through Canterlot louder than anything the Captain had ever heard, almost enough to deafen him, even with the helmet on. It was as if Celestia or Luna did not hold back on the Royal Canterlot Voice. Even still, it wasn’t enough to drown out the words of his men over the radio.

"We're being attacked!!"

As he saw one of his men hit by something, it immediately forced the pegasus to drop, but the oddest thing was he did not make any effort to soften his landing. He immediately turned into a big ball of white foamy substance before slamming against one of the walls and sticking there.

It only took him a second before the Captain saw what hit him—a black device that seemed to have some kind of propellers being held up by a seamless, odd, clear mechanism, with any aspect that indicated it was made using magic hidden from view.

He immediately gave the order. "Engage with whatever those things are!"

After that, the skies became a battleground.

~*v*v*~

Red simply watched the chaos unfold, a smile playing on her lips as she observed the mayhem. She began to sing the song. "Tell me, is something eluding you, Sunshine? Is this not what you expected to see? If you want to find out what's behind these cold eyes, you'll just have to claw your way through this disguise!"

As the battle raged on in the sky in the background, Red danced gracefully, her movements fluid and deliberate. Slowly, she reached into her bag and retrieved a trio of vials, hurling them against the statue. They splattered against the stone, the compound burning through the spell.

Continuing her dance, Red realized that the other two did not have headsets. Using her magic, she put two more on them, pulling them out of her bag. "Wake up, my little creatures! This is a jailbreak!"

The first one to break free was Chrysalis, who stumbled as she emerged, faceplanting into the ground. The pink one let out a scream, drowned out by the music, while the third shivered, the only one to catch a clear glimpse of Red. She smiled at all three of them before responding over her radio.

"The gnome has been cracked, and the chickens are loose. Time for these birds to fly."

Big Bird responded promptly. "We are on schedule. I should be there in ten."

Red looked down at Chrysalis, who glared up at her with anger. She gave her little sister a devious smile. “Looks like I had to save you again. How will the great and powerful Queen repay my service?”

Chrysalis began to speak, but the music drowned out her words. Red glanced at the other two, who looked confused, likely wondering who the strange creature was.

She activated their headsets. “Sorry for interrupting your nap, but I came to pick up my sister and her friends. We need to be quick about the pickup; unless, that is, you would rather continue to be lawn ornaments?”

Chrysalis continued to curse under her breath, drowned out by the drums and electric guitar.

“Chryssie, I know it's been a while, but you should remember how these work. If you want me to hear you, hit the button.”

Chrysalis growled before using her magic to press the button. “Why are you here?!” she demanded.

“Well, that's a long story, dear love bug, but we can discuss it on our way home,” Red replied.

Chrysalis's eyes widened, and she took a combative stance. “No! I'm never going back there! You and that thing[i/i] can die!!”

Red chuckled. “Don't be silly. Father will be happy to see you. He always talks about how you never visit, never talk, never call.” Red glanced around. “Plus, you're putting on a front. You don't have enough love to fight me, even though the spell was broken in an unnatural way. You're still weak from it; I can see your body shaking.”

After Cozy Glow finished screaming, she finally realized what was happening. “Wait, Chrysalis, you have a sister?”

“No,” Chrysalis responded. “I have a group of little shits who call themselves family, but they're nothing more than snakes and monsters!”

Red let out a small laugh before turning towards the other side of the gardens. “We can talk later, but right now, it seems like we have guests.”

The others turned to see the princesses with a small contingent of guards. The first one to step forward was Celestia, wearing an aura of restraint not seen since their fight in Neighpon. Her aura wasn't as intense as it was then, but Red could tell that the princess was holding back. She noticed the metal plates around Celestia's hooves, an extended version of her standard regalia, slightly curved and more spread out to protect her head.

Luna stood next to her, adorned with odd spaulders layered on the base of her wings. If Red had to guess, they likely contained hidden blades, complemented by thin layers of magical protection. Luna's horseshoes were also different, spread out more around her hooves, both upper and lower.

But the most surprising sight was Princess Twilight, wearing heavier armor than either of the other two princesses. It wasn't full plate, but a lamellar scalemail, with her six-pointed star emblem prominently displayed on her chest. She also wore a galea helmet with a horn blade attached.

Red sympathetically raised her hoof to turn down the music, which still played loudly in the background but not enough to be deafening. “Wow, I didn't realize I deserved such a welcoming party! You even decided to don your finest attire to see me, and three out of five princesses, as well!” she quipped, letting out a laugh.

Cozy Glow looked scared, having never seen the princesses in battle armor, while Tirek appeared concerned, not having seen them don their armor in a very long time. Chrysalis looked ready to fight, only held back by the numerical advantage, but Red seemed all smiles.

“So, how can I help you on this lovely night in the garden? Would you care for a spot of tea?” Red enjoyed playing games, but from the looks of the princesses, they were not so appreciative. “Sorry, would you prefer something other than tea? I've heard that's your favorite thing to do—drink tea.”

Luna spoke up. “Surrender now, and you will only be imprisoned.”

Red looked at the princess, but smiled and turned her back, walking towards the ledge and pointing towards the aerial battle that was going on. “I'm sorry to tell you this; it looks like my forces are winning, so surrendering now would end the fun early,” she taunted, unable to suppress her grin.

Celestia stepped in before her sister could utter the curses she had for the insolent bug. “I don't know what you have planned or who you are, bu–”

“Red,” she interrupted with a grin. “Nice to meet you again. I’m a mercenary, an explorer, the world’s best infiltrator… and single,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows at Celestia.

Luna and Twilight were caught off-guard by the display, but Celestia managed to maintain her stoic demeanor. “Red, if that is indeed your name, what evil are you planning?”

“Sorry to disappoint you, princess, but I'm not here to commit some great evil,” shrugged Red. “I'm just here to pick up my kid sister. After that, who knows? I try not to mess with Equestria. Too much work, not enough profit. Plus, unlike my little sister, I don't have grandiose dreams of taking over the world or feeding endlessly on love,” she explained.

Chrysalis hissed at Red, but even Celestia couldn't help but be surprised at the news. “Wait, you two are sisters?”

“No,” Chrysalis responded venomously. “This failure is only an imitation of what changeling greatness should be!”

Red rolled her eyes and let out a small chuckle. “Look at this; my little sis is so ungrateful. I come to pick her up from a bad spot, and she only scowls and barks at me like a yappy pomeranian. Would you care to trade, Celestia? You can have Grumpy Pants, and I’ll take little Full Moon. At least she learned her lesson on rebelling against her bigger sister. I guess a thousand years on the moon will make anyone compliant,” she joked.

Luna pulled out her crescent axe, ready to strike at the irreverent bug, but Celestia used her magic to hold her back. Twilight seemed confused by the new information about Chrysalis's sister, bringing up many questions. One in particular burned in Twilight's mind, forcing her to ask.

“Why didn't you help Chrysalis earlier?”

The question silenced everyone as Red took a minute to think about it. With a smirk, she answered. “It’s very simple. Our dad wanted to teach Chrysalis a lesson, which seemed to fail. Instead of coming home to lick her wounds, she decided to play survivalist in the woods for months. And then Discord, that arrogant irritation of a creature, played her like a fiddle, and forced her to become the instrument of your success story, little Twilight. My sister, the monster, the terrible trio, all just stepping stones for the great Princess Twilight Sparkle to prove herself as a worthy leader. I find the spirit of disharmony especially sickening, but I have to applaud his tactful skills to manipulate three willful villains and turn them into stepping stones for you. If I didn't know better, I would think Discord wanted into your figurative pants. Or would that be “behind your tail?””

“Quiet, you uncultured bug! How dare you talk to the princesses like that?!”

Red looked around to see who said that, spotting a unicorn guard. “Pony beings in a mob… What's a mob to a princess? What's a princess before an alicorn? What power has an alicorn in the eyes of a nonbeliever who doesn't believe in anything?”

Everypony looked around in confusion at what she said.

“Not at all surprising. We came to Canterlot and didn’t find a single music store with a rap album. Basically, what gives me the right is that I don't give a shit. But I'll give you the courtesy that you did not give us. Each of your three little princesses can ask a question, and I'll answer honestly.”

Red lit up her horn, putting the other ponies on the defensive before she tapped twice the button on her headset, which caused the speakers to switch to the next song. The ponies seemed to hear the same words she was saying over the song, but it had an odd beat, and some of the guards even started bobbing their heads.

“So, let's start with you, Moon Butt, and then we'll go to Sun Butt, and then we'll go to the nerd,” she continued, referring to Luna, Celestia, and Twilight respectively.

All three of them glared at the changeling. They couldn't miss an opportunity like this. Even if it was all lies, they could always interrogate her later after she was caught.

Luna had enough time to compose herself before stepping closer to the bug. “What were your true goals? You did not come here and start attacking our city only to release three criminals from their just punishment,” Luna demanded.

Red couldn't help but laugh. “Just punishment? Oh, that was a good one! But being honest, that's all I really came here to do. Nothing more, nothing less.

Luna looked indignant that her righteous cause was being laughed off. “Why, you arrogant—”

Red lifted a hoof. “Before you go on your self-righteous speech about all the bad things my sister did, I would like to include that the only reason my sister and her cohorts' plan even worked was because of Discord. And for some odd reason, even though he is technically the mastermind of the original problem, he's not in this garden, turned to stone. So, I’m not going to question your law system, but I'm also not going to call it a fair and equal law system, either.”

Luna grit her teeth and let Celestia ask her question, without taking her magic off her blade.

Celestia scrutinized Red. “How did you slip past security? Better yet, who were you impersonating, and is the pony still alive?”

Red tapped her hooves against her chin. “That's technically three questions, but since they all have roughly the same answer, I'll give it to you. There was no pony I was impersonating. I have been working here for years. You probably remember me; I was responsible for bringing your food, cleaning your room, and tending to the rooms of dignitaries and guests. If I remember correctly, I even served Twilight and her friends a couple of times.” A quick burst of magic reverted her the form she had been wearing ten minutes prior. “You knew me then as Red, and I have just introduced myself to you again as Red. I'm also the one who snuck the letter about the changeling attack onto your desk, and after Twilight’s little outburst at the wedding rehearsal, I took on the role of Cadance, placing her close to where Chryssi put the real one so that they would find each other. Granted, I also drugged your tea, but to be fair, I put a lot more effort into stopping her than helping her…” She returned to her proper form.

Chrysalis growled at her sister and attempted to swipe at her, but being locked in stone for that amount of time and having no recovery time made her sluggish and lethargic, making it easy for Red to dodge.

“Come on, little Chryssi, I'm rescuing you now. It's not a good time to let the help see us fight,” Red taunted.

Chrysalis looked up at her and gritted her teeth. “I'll deal with you when we're out of here...”

Celestia, Luna, and Twilight were all surprised; they couldn't figure out why this changeling seemed to help them and hinder them at the same time.

Red smiled, dodging Chrysalis a couple more times before turning to Twilight. “I guess it's your turn, little bookworm. What's your question?”

“Sixty seconds until we're in range,” Red's earpiece beeped.

“Set up for the escape plan,” she ordered, glancing at the princesses.

Twilight smiled, thinking of a question that would challenge Red's smugness. “Where are you going with the three of them?”

Red looked surprised before pondering and then smiling back. “Objection, argumentative question. You’re assuming that we’re leaving, rather than launching an assault, you assume that I’m taking them all to the same place, and that I’m going with them. But I’ve allowed the other two to use tricky language, so I’ll let you do it, too. We're going to the City of Dust, of course, where you set up your little encampment. Father will be quite happy for our family reunion,” Red replied casually.

Twilight looked surprised, then opened her mouth to ask her next question. Before she could, though, Red’s magic closed her jaw.

“I'm sorry, little one, but I gave each of you just one question, and you each tried to cheat more information out of me. Plus, you've been to our home. You even had the nerve to take something that belongs there. You probably thought he didn't need it anymore. So, this is goodbye for now,” Red declared, turning her attention back to the princesses.

“What makes you think you are going anywhere?” Luna growled.

“That’s another question, but sure, why not? My ride is here, and we don't want to be late to dinner.”

Luna's horn lit up brightly as she used her powerful, booming voice.

Suddenly, there was a heavy buzzing in the air, and everyone turned towards the east to see a large metal contraption coming in close to the mountain. Red smiled at the sight. “Fire.”

Immediately, Luna was hit hard in the chest with something. The blast echoed throughout the city, and Celestia saw Griffin Eye standing on top of the clock tower.

Magic barriers went up to protect the princesses, distracting Twilight and bringing Celestia back towards her sister. As she turned to check on her, she saw a big ball of fluff where Luna had been.

Celestia attempted to use her magic to remove it, but for some reason, her spells seemed to bounce off the substance.

Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis were grabbed by Red's magic and immediately tossed off the edge of the gardens. Cozy Glow, forgetting that she was a pegasus, and Tirek screamed for their lives, while Chrysalis, more composed, pressed a button on her bag and was immediately grabbed and pulled towards the flying plane hovering over the city.

Griffin Eye seemed to leap from the tower, connected by the same magnet lock, and was forced towards the plane as if flying. Red observed this with a smile.

“Self-destructs will activate now,” the rookie smugly announced before the mini drones started exploding. Big arcs of either electricity or foam caught the pegasi off guard, causing a fracas. Many were hit by small electric charges or had their wings caught up in the sticky foam.

Unnoticed in the chaos, Seesaw activated her suit and flew into the air, laughing to herself. She turned around to see Celestia with a serious expression. “What's wrong, my little pony?”

Celestia's hair blazed red with anger, barely containing her fury.

“It looks like you might make a rash decision, so I'll give you another problem to deal with.” Red pointed a hoof towards the side of a mountain.

Reluctantly, Celestia glanced in that direction, knowing Luna would hold her gaze. She saw several blinking lights on the mountainside as the sun began to set. She turned back to Red, shocked.

“You probably know what that is—the support column for the mountain. You could attempt to battle me and let those go off, seeing your city fall into the valley, or you can use your magic to quickly dispose of it and let me escape.”

Celestia hesitated, then rushed towards the lights. Red smiled and walked off the edge of the gardens, falling for only a few seconds before her suit locked onto the plane and she was dragged inside the open hangar door, taking a final look at the chaos of the city from the recon Olympus.

Celestia quickly rushed to inspect the mountain more closely, finding devices of unknown origin. She glanced back for a moment to see Red being carried by some force towards the quickly departing plane, moving faster than any machine she had ever seen. She also saw Luna chasing after it as fast as her wings could carry her, which just wasn’t fast enough, and Twilight struggling to fly in her massive armour.

Knowing she didn't have time to worry about Red, Celestia relinquished her focus on the escaped prisoners, immediately using her magic to grab the beeping red devices and scanning the entire mountain. She instructed her telekinesis to gather all of them, pulling them towards herself as she searched for a safe area to dispose of them.

As she removed the devices, she heard them beeping faster. Unable to throw them or teleport them due to the risk of their explosive power, Celestia pointed herself upward and flew at her top speed, creating a sonic boom as she moved further and further from the ground.

A streak of red-hot fire made a straight line above Equestria, catching the attention of anyone distracted by other events.

Chrysalis walked over to Red to peer outside of the hangar and smiled. “What are you waiting for?”

Red glanced sideways at Chrysalis. “I assure you, Chryssi, I have no idea what you mean.”

Chrysalis scoffed. “I heard the whole conversation! Collapse the mountain and send those fuckers all to the bottom of the mountain! Bury them in rubble!”

Red chuckled smartly. “Oh, don’t tell me you believed that bluff? Those weren't explosives. It would be almost impossible to sneak that onto the side of the mountain!”

Chrysalis grumbled. “Then what were they?”

Red raised her hoof, pressing a button on a small, hoofheld remote.

A pressurised pink mist burst from the capsules, spreading all over, resembling a massive pink cloud with sunny sparkling lights.

Celestia was immediately knocked out of the sky, spreading her wings wide as she fell to disperse the mist in multiple directions before landing heavily back in the garden, coughing and smoking lightly.

Twilight rushed to her side, her armour discarded and looking utterly shocked by what she saw. “Are you alright?”

Celestia, now perfectly pink, coughed and replied, “Yes, Twilight. It seems it was quite a trap. All that was inside was coloring dye.”

“But if that’s the case,” Twilight looked up as a defeated Princess Luna glided back toward them, unable to pursue the plane any further. “Maybe she was lying about everything else?”

Celestia shook her head. “I don’t know…”

Red laughed at seeing the explosion go off. But her laughter didn't last long after she heard one of the engines cough and sputter and saw how strong Luna’s blast of magic had been.

Big Bird immediately came online. “Whatever that alicorn did, it shocked one of the engines. We're going to have to slow down.”

Red pressed a hoof to her head. “Keep the same speed. Even if we have to come in hot, we are not going to let those amateurs catch up to us.”

Red immediately moved towards a seat on the side of the plane and laid down. Cozy Glow and Tirek, having somehow figured out how to activate their radio after being tossed over the edge of the cliff, looked at her, and then at Chrysalis, who followed right after her. She stared at her sister for a few minutes, seemingly about to say something, before angrily grumbling and walking towards the other two and taking a seat.

“What was all of that?” asked Cozy. “And where are we going?”

Tirek just observed the bug, who seemed to be relaxing.

“My family,” sighed Chrysalis. “And I'm going home…”

Chapter 7: protocol and attitude

Daring Do woke up, staring at the ceiling above her. The fact that she woke up on her own, rather than being awoken by a strange vision, kept her in bed, savoring the unexpected respite. Turning towards the gauze privacy curtain, she saw that Dr. Caballeron was already up, his early-riser habits unsurprising.

She rose slowly, her aging body protesting with the crackling of her joints, a reminder of her many daring exploits. "Celestia, I'm too young to be worrying about joint problems. My grandma lived into her two-hundreds," she muttered, catching a chuckle from behind the curtain. Dr. Caballeron, always suave, was combing back his hair. Daring Do, still in bed, watched him quietly, wondering how long he'd been at it. Probably an hour, she guessed.

As she yawned, Dr. Caballeron rose from his cushion and headed toward the door. "You should hurry up. Breakfast is ready. Seems like everyone either woke up before you or is still asleep. Let's go find out about our assignments," Dr. Caballeron said, gesturing towards the door.

Daring Do grabbed her supplies with her wings—a basket full of soaps, towels, a toothbrush, and other cleaning necessities. "Try not to be arrested by the time I arrive," she teased.

"Try not to activate every booby trap in the place," he retorted, disappearing down the hallway.

Daring Do stepped into the next room, where a large tub and several lifelike servants awaited her. Dressed in traditional Saddle Arabian robes, their attire hinted at belonging to a royal house. Bowing humbly, their faces were obscured. She reached out to touch one, surprised by its lifelike feel.

To her astonishment, the servant she touched met her gaze. "Mistress, do you need assistance washing your wings?" Despite its lifelike appearance, something was off. Its eyes lacked the spark of life.

"No, not today. I'm pressed for time," Daring replied. The servant nodded, resuming its position.

After cleaning herself and preening her wings, Daring descended the stairs to a large table adorned with food. She scanned the table, finding only Dr. Caballeron, Amira, and a handful of servants serving food and drinks. Settling into her seat, she asked, "Where is everyone else?"

Amira set down her cup of coffee. "The dog and the chick are probably still asleep. The two soldiers left earlier this morning. It's just us for breakfast."

Surprised, Daring raised an eyebrow. "I would have thought our punishment would have us eating together."

Amira chuckled. "We all have different schedules, especially in the early morning. But if we keep avoiding each other, the princess is bound to intervene. Rumors about the Princess of Love border on obsessive stalking. But are those rumors true?" She glanced at Daring and Caballeron.

Caballeron shrugged, taking another bite of his bagel. "I wouldn't know. I don't spend much time in Equestria unless it's for business or pleasure, and I don't put much stock in idle gossip."

Daring helped herself to an apple drizzled with caramel. With a small smile, she replied, "Cadence does have a habit of meddling in personal matters, but it would be odd if the Princess of Love didn't settle lovers' disputes. I heard she used to be a judge in divorce cases."

Amira raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Really? One would expect her to be a counselor or guru, not a divorce judge.”

"You'd be surprised. She saved many marriages in the Domestic Relations Division. She holds a lifetime membership as a judge, but stepped down when she became a princess," Daring remarked, taking another bite of her caramel apple.

"Cadence can overrule divorces and marriages in her kingdom—a rare policy in Equestria. It’s tradition to seek blessings from the royal court or Cadence before marriage," Caballeron added, stuffing the next bite of bagel into his maw. "You can also be approved by the Crystal Heart, which even overrules Cadence's say," he continued, surprising Daring with his knowledge. "I was once offered a job to steal it, but it was too risky, even with the astronomical payout. It has other properties beyond love, but those are more military."

"You wouldn't know state secrets, and you'd be the only one who'd consider stealing the heart," Daring retorted.

Caballeron looked back at her. "I'm not heartless. If I had stolen it, the Crystal Empire would freeze in hours."

Amira seemed confused. "If living in the Crystal Empire is that dangerous, why didn't they move to a safer part of the Arctic? From what I've seen on maps, the Crystal Empire is right in the middle of the frozen land."

Daring and Caballeron shrugged their shoulders. "You'd have to ask the rulers that question. What we know about the Crystal Empire is only information we've researched or acquired from an unsavory source," Daring replied, finishing up her meal.

"We should go find our assignments and listen to orientation."

Daring Do couldn't help but let out a sigh of excitement. When was the last time she was able to go to one and listen to her peers? This would be her first large-scale project in a long time.

"Come on, I don't know why you're so excited,” Caballeron remarked with a chuckle. “We've run into temples, burial grounds, and sky shrines before"

Daring scoffed. "HA! When's the last time you dirtied your hooves? Most of the heavy lifting I saw coming from you was telling your goons what to do," she retorted, smirking at him.

"I'm sorry I can't be a ground pounder like you. At least when I leave a temple, it's still standing, unlike some other beast that runs around sacred temples like a Minotaur in a china shop," Caballeron retorted, puffing up his chest.

"Who are you calling a ground pounder, you hoof licker?"

Caballeron growled angrily at Daring. Their death stares were only interrupted by a giggle from Amira.

"Oh, I see… You two are so cute," she teased.

Both of them shot daggers at Amira before she raised her hooves in mock surrender.

"Oh, come on. You have to admit it, at least a little bit…"

Caballeron let out a scoff before simply walking towards the entrance of the tent. Daring glanced at him, only realizing at the end that she had been watching his flanks. She felt herself turn slightly red as she heard Amira giggle again before following him to the exit.

Outside the tent, Caballeron and Daring were greeted by Flashbang, who had been waiting for them. "Hello, sir and ma'am," he greeted.

The two ponies blinked at him before Caballeron asked, "Have you been waiting here the whole time?"

Flashbang maintained the same stoic expression. "No, sir. I woke up early, did some training, grabbed breakfast, and then came back here. I was told that I am now assigned to be your new bodyguard. Consider me a quiet observer."

Not wanting her good mood to be ruined by another tail on her, Daring simply started walking towards her destination. "You know, you don't have to talk to us like we're some nobles from Canterlot," she remarked.

Flashbang smirked. "I know, but it takes time to remove twenty-five years of training and procedure from your mind."

Caballeron chuckled and began to walk alongside Daring, with Flashbang following behind. They walked into the tent for the archaeologist assembly, where many creatures were sitting, standing, and talking. Most of them stopped what they were doing when they saw her, whispering to each other. Daring Do knew she was a polarizing figure in the archaeologist community, but she didn't expect this much attention.

When Caballeron walked in, all the attention shifted to him. If Daring was a polarizing figure, Caballeron was an astronomical catastrophe; the mercenary of the archaeology world who would do anything and give anyone any magic item, tool, or weapon for the right price. When he entered the room, the looks of disapproval, hatred, and anger skyrocketed, but he seemed to ignore the stares and angry whispers, taking a seat right next to Daring.

"What did you do to inspire this much hate?" Daring whispered angrily at him.

"I didn't do anything. Most of these so-called archaeologists couldn't tell a fake from a genuine article, and I might have sold a duplicate of a certain masterpiece," Caballeron chuckled, "to some of the esteemed archaeologists here."

“Selling a fake artifact sounds like the exact opposite of doing nothing…” Daring facehoofed. "We haven't even started, and you're already causing trouble."

She sighed, but before she could say something else, Flashbang and a smiling pony walked onto the stage. If Daring remembered correctly, this was one of Celestia's personal assistants.

She looked nervous, holding two cards in her hoof, while Flashbang seemingly kept his stony demeanor. "Hello, every creature. My name is Raven Inkwell, and I will be one of the Excavation Directors. I will be splitting this responsibility with two other creatures, but I will be personally responsible for this group, which we have named Group A. For convenience, Groups B and C will be headed up by Bold Archaeologist and Dr. Gideon the Third, respectively.

“We separated into these three groups to spread out and search the city more efficiently. We will group you into teams of nine; four will be security, and the remaining five will be archaeologists, scientists and other creatures in different fields. There will also be one medic for each group; either a doctor among the scientists, a field medic among the security, or an additional dedicated medic. Each member of this group will spend no longer than six to seven hours in the city at any time, unless special permission is given, and no creature is allowed to stay after dark. No matter what the circumstances are, we will be pulling out all teams three hours before Princess Celestia lowers the sun and Princess Luna raises the moon. Does anyone have any questions?"

The first creature to raise its hand was a Minotaur. "Where are all the artifacts going to go, if we even discover any?"

"Initially, we will not be looking for artifacts, nor collecting any,” Raven immediately answered in a confident voice. “If, under odd circumstances, you find any, they will immediately go to the research center. But for now, we're only looking for written works. Using Princess Twilight's new translation spell should make it easier to find out more information, especially on the artifacts and their uses. We will be doing this for the first month; collecting information and very rarely securing artifacts."

The Minotaur looked angry, but otherwise satisfied with the answer. The next to raise their claw was a small-looking griffin. "From what reports we're able to read, there seem to be some form of golems protecting the city. Are those going to be a threat?"

Raven pulled out a notebook and flipped through it. "That’s unlikely. It seems like whatever these golems are, they have very specific routes they patrol. The routes we have chosen for all of the groups are well out of their way. If, for any reason, they do become hostile, you are to retreat and report in immediately."

The griffin seemed to consider that for a second. Another creature raised its hoof, and Raven immediately pointed to them. "From the reports penned by Princess Twilight Sparkle, there was seemingly a military base with highly sophisticated technology and military assets. Who will be collecting that?"

The room broke into murmurs, and Raven's eyes glided over her notes before Flashbang responded. "No one. All the major groups who signed up for this project agreed that any weapons found during the initial periods of research are off-limits and will not be disturbed. They will be marked for later research, and any information will be shared equally with every group and studied by a group of special scientists from each nation. The only time a weapon or perceived weapon can be removed from the city is with special permission, noted earli–”

Flashbang was interrupted by a breezie. “Let me guess, not without one of the Equestrian princesses’ approval?” Even though the creature was small, the challenging attitude was clear. Flashbang did not take the bait.

“No, the princesses do not decide, either. It will be a majority vote by the representatives of every group. Only in an emergency, or if every representative is unable to make a decision, will a weapon be brought into the camp. As soon as the weapon is brought into camp, a lockdown and quarantine of the creatures who brought it in, as well as the actual weapon, will be enforced. There are many representatives here; the princesses will not be the only ones making decisions.”

The breezie seemed satisfied and continued floating. The other archaeologists and scientists mumbled among themselves.

“The only exceptions to this rule are special groups that have been designated by each and every one of your leaders. These groups will have special freedoms to act if ordered to. Anything they bring back will still be shared with the group, but these creatures will have slightly different orders from the main groups and will have permission to explore deeper or strategic locations.” Flashbang looked over the crowd, waiting for another question, but no one raised any appendages. He then looked back at Raven, nodding for her to continue.

“The next thing we will talk about is safety precautions, safety gear, and what happens if you end up stuck, stranded, or injured. This will be handled by Knight Flashbang.”

Raven Inkwell moved away from the podium to the side as Flashbang walked up, mere seconds after having walked away from it. “I'm going to keep this simple and brief. You can ask questions after I'm done talking,” Flashbang said in a hard military voice, brooking no argument. Most of the crowd mumbled, but kept their opinions primarily to themselves.

“There seems to be some kind of field of unknown origin around the city and even a couple of klicks surrounding it. Anything that's not a dragon or magically protected will succumb to it and eventually die. We are not sure what it is, but we know that it's toxic to most living creatures. However, due to finding a means of counteracting it through magic, we have been able to allow creatures to enter the city without suffering the effects. At least, without suffering most of the effects.

“You'll each be given three vials of a potion made by an alchemist named Zecora. Each dose lasts for about three hours. You will also be given special pouches that have been enchanted to ensure the vials cannot break as long as they're inside the bag. This potion will supply you with the protection required.

“Other than your normal tools, you will also be given amulets that help us track you. Connected to it will be a small crystal that will also allow us to record events that happen throughout the day, and will be wiped at the end of each day. This is in case we find you dead, so we can figure out what happened, but you can also consider it a credibility booster. If you find something that you’re not familiar with, you can show it to one of our experts.”

Nervous murmurs could be heard throughout the crowd of archaeologists. Flashbang just ignored it and continued speaking, lowering the amulet he was holding to demonstrate the last point and holding up a small gem cluster, instead.

“You will also be given emergency flares in the form of these crystals. Slamming one on the ground will shoot a light into the sky, allowing us to locate you. Each of these crystals comes in three colors. Green means lost or disoriented, yellow means injured or trapped, and red means imminent threat or being attacked. If you’re not sure which one to use, send up all of them as a general purpose emergency. Just be aware that if you send this up, either you’re already in trouble, or there’s going to be trouble.

“Last but not least, no clothes other than what is given to you or what has been approved will be allowed in the city. If you require any additional equipment not listed in this presentation, you are required to inform your superior, who will need to send it up the chain until it reaches someone with the authority to approve the change in gear. Otherwise, you will each be required to carry the gear presented here.”

Flashbang stopped and looked at the group, even though they mumbled at the last part. “Any questions?”

As Flashbang finished his initial briefing, a stout yak with long, shaggy fur raised a hoof. "What if yak needs more vials of potion? Three hours not long enough if yak find something important!"

Flashbang addressed the concern with a steady tone. “Each member will receive three vials, totaling nine hours of protection. If you anticipate needing more time, you must return to the base camp for resupply. Under no circumstances should you extend your stay beyond the protection period without proper replenishment.”

The yak grumbled but nodded, understanding the precaution.

A sleek and agile hippogriff with a curious glint in her eye flapped her wings lightly. “You mentioned the amulets for tracking and recording. How secure are these? Can they be tampered with or destroyed easily?”

“The amulets are magically reinforced to resist tampering and damage,” Flashbang answered. “They also have self-repairing spells to some extent, but like any equipment, they are not indestructible. Handle them with care and report any issues immediately.”

The hippogriff seemed satisfied, though her keen eyes continued to scan the room thoughtfully.

Next, a dark-furred thestral with piercing yellow eyes spoke up, his voice carrying a hint of skepticism. “These emergency crystals—what if we're in a situation where we can't use them? Are there any backup plans?”

Flashbang’s expression remained stoic. “The crystals are designed to be used even under duress. They require minimal effort to activate—just a firm throw to the ground. In the event that you are incapacitated and cannot use them, your amulet’s tracking capabilities and the regular check-ins will help us locate and assist you.”

The thestral nodded, though his eyes still held a hint of doubt.

A small but fierce-looking kirin, with her mane gently crackling with a hint of flame, raised a hoof. “You mentioned a toxic field around the city. What kind of symptoms should we be on the lookout for, in case our protection fails?”

“Symptoms of exposure include dizziness, shortness of breath, and severe headaches. In advanced cases, there may be hallucinations and loss of consciousness. If you or anyone in your group exhibits these symptoms, use your yellow emergency crystal and seek immediate evacuation.”

The kirin’s flames flickered nervously, but she nodded in understanding.

An imposing Abyssinian with sleek, dark fur and a thoughtful expression raised a paw. “About the special groups with different orders—how will we know if we encounter one? Is there a protocol for interaction?”

“Special groups will be clearly identified, and they will have unique insignias on their gear. If you encounter one, follow standard protocols for interaction and defer to their designated leader if operating in a shared area. They have specific tasks and responsibilities, so cooperation is crucial.”

“What do these unique insignias look like?” asked the abyssinian.

Flashbang shook his head. “You’ll know it when you see it.”

The abyssinian’s eyes narrowed in contemplation as he processed this information.

Finally, a pegasus with a bright blue coat and a confident demeanor spoke up. “You mentioned no unapproved clothing. What about the personal protective gear we’re used to? Can we submit it for approval? And if so, through whom?”

Flashbang nodded. “Yes, any personal gear you wish to use must be submitted for inspection and approval by our safety officers. This is to ensure it meets the necessary protection standards and doesn’t interfere with the magical protections in place.”

The pegasus smiled, seemingly reassured by the opportunity to use familiar gear.

Flashbang scanned the room one last time. “Any more questions?” he asked, his gaze steady and unyielding.

A unicorn raised his hoof nervously. Flashbang could tell he was a rookie in the archaeology group. This surprised him. Everyone in this camp was picked for a reason, for their talents or skills, but this baby-faced archaeologist seemed right out of Hooterville. "Yes sir, when I read through the package it said large amounts of magic should not be used other than levitation and some minor magics. Is there a reason why we cannot use more sophisticated spells?"

Flashbang hoped he would not have to explain this. "Yes, there is a reason that you should not be using major spells and we are taking the research material out of the city before casting spells anywhere near it."

The unicorn waited for the reply. "And that reason would be…?"

Flashbang looked the crowd over before putting on a more serious face than before. "It's because doing so seems to attract the locals."

The room went dead quiet as every archaeologist in the tent was now staring at Flashbang as if he had suddenly turned into Discord.

The young unicorn let out a chuckle. "That's a joke, right? From what the packet said, no one has lived there for probably millions, if not billions of years."

Flashbang looked the young pony dead in his eyes and smiled with a devious look. It was time for him to have some fun. "Yes, nothing living has lived there for a very long time. However, the locals are not alive."

As the other archaeologists started to laugh, there were only three ponies with concerned, serious, or non-interested faces. Daring Do looked interested, Dr. Caballeron looked uninterested, while the new unicorn looked like he was going to pee himself.

After Flashbang was done having his fun, he looked away towards the others, putting his serious face back on. Coughing to allow the others to calm down and to show he was ready, he continued, "That was not a joke."

The room immediately went dead quiet again.

"There are what we can assume to be ghosts in the city, which are distinct from the patrolling golems mentioned earlier, and it seems like high levels of magic attract them, or high emotions. From our initial studies of them, they are harmless... kind of. They can make you hallucinate, but we have yet to note any physical harm."

A griffin immediately stood up. "What are our defenses against these ghosts?!"

Flashbang could hear the irritation in the griffin's voice, but he responded with his same calm demeanor. "The policy we have adopted is to simply avoid them and not attract their attention. The same thing as the golems."

The griffin looked shocked. "Can you not use magic to blast them away, or something?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Flashbang shook his head. "Those measures were discussed, but immediately denied. We have had expert summoners and zebras guarantee us that most of the ghosts are benign."

The griffin threw his claws in the air. "Of course! More zebra voodoo!" He sat back down on his chair in a huff, growling something presumably offensive under his breath.

An angry-sounding zebra stood up a few chairs over. "Just because zebra magic is less conventional does not mean it is not effective!"

The griffin stood up again, clearly about to shout something, but Raven Inkwell immediately interrupted. "I think this would be a fine time to take a break..."

The two creatures glared at each other for several seconds before looking away.

"I agree. Take a twenty-minute recess so you can digest what we have told you, and then we can explain how to use some of this gear we're going to give you." As Flashbang spoke, he never took his eyes off of the two priests. For a moment, he was certain that he’d have to break them up.

Across the encampment, Abrafo stood in front of Zecora’s tent, his eyes slowly scanning the area while his brain analyzed the information. He was trained to multitask, so keeping watch and making sure she wasn’t disturbed was little issue.

Other thoughts ran through his head that he had to process, like the reason behind this whole misguided expedition. He would never criticize his king, but in this one instance, he thought his sovereign was mistaken. The king was letting his friendship with Celestia, and seemingly Luna, blind him. Friendship; the words ponies liked to use… Especially that new princess.

Yes, the new princess. He could not put his hoof on that one. He had only seen her a hoofful of times and heard her speak once. Every time, she left him confused. Every one of the princesses was, in essence, a pony first, but they all had the firmness of a leader. Each in turn was just a different flavor of that.

As Abrafo switched his spear from the left to the right side, he immediately stopped, realized what he was doing, and kept it on the right. He focused on his task, taking three deep breaths before letting them out and using the method he’d been taught to increase his focus.

Celestia was the loveliest of the princesses; playing politics, stacking the deck, and at first glance, everything seemed fair. But if you paid attention to the dealer, you'd quickly figure out that ponies always came out on top.

Luna was more direct. When she was reintroduced back into the royal court, she was clumsy and heavy-hoofed, probably burning more bridges than she built. But she was no less sharp than her sister. The only difference was that she was willing to put the blade to your throat. A memory of Luna actually putting a blade to a yak dignitary after he challenged her to a duel was the quietest Abrafo had ever seen one of them. He couldn't help but raise a small smile before quickly suppressing it.

Abrafo slid a step to the left as a griffon flew slightly too low, almost bumping into the tent. Immediately after, two Abyssinians walked past towards the right. Abrafo had always hated how quietly they walked. His eyes slowly turned forward as they padded away, and resumed his ruminations.

Cadance, the more moderate princess, came to mind. Abrafo remembered seeing her a lot when she was a diplomat. For some reason, she always made him the most uncomfortable. It was the way she looked at everyone; not predatory, per se, but with something else in her eyes… almost lustful. But unlike the other two, her poker face was lacking. She could pull off the strong leader when she needed to, but her mettle had not been fully tested on her own. She was always with that Shining Armor, and together they had defended that small frozen wasteland with the intensity of an ursa major defending her cub.

But Twilight was the real enigma. Unlike the other princesses, Twilight considered every creature to be a member of her tribe. She made truly fair deals, even though she could manage better ones with her position. She spoke earnestly about her beliefs as an equal. When Abrafo first heard her speak, he thought that, like the other princesses, she was selling a barrel full of shrubs. But he came to learn that she was a fool who meant everything she said. Unlike the other princesses, she had every creature believing her.

Abrafo was ripped from his musings by a flash of red. His spear bolted like lightning, poised to strike down the intruder, but it halted just before reaching Apple Bloom's throat.

He exhaled slowly. "One day, child, I am actually going to pierce you with this blade." With deliberate care, he withdrew his spear from Apple Bloom's neck.

She glanced back at him, less fearful and more amused. "Aw, shucks! This is the closest I've ever been to ya without yer noticin’," she whispered with a small giggle.

"How brazen this pony has become,” Abrafo thought to himself. “The first time I nearly struck down this filly, she almost wet herself. Now she's bold enough to tempt my spear."

Abrafo turned his eyes towards Zeb, who was right behind Apple Bloom. It took only an instant before he stopped to scan both of them. Surprisingly, the earth pony was able to come that close to him even with all that gear on her back, seemingly less than what Zeb had on his. Abrafo wanted to show his irritation, but his demeanor remained stoic. What truly annoyed him was not the silly filly playing with her life or the fact that his brother continued to disappoint him, but that one of them had taught an outsider their breathing technique.

"Child, shouldn't you be attending to your duties?”

"Wow! You have a hot date or something? You're never that quick to wrap things up," Apple Bloom teased.

Abrafo spared her a glance, briefly contemplating the consequences of actually striking her down, but the thought quickly dissipated. This wasn't the first time she’d provoked him, and like every other time, he wouldn't take the bait.

“If you're done wasting time, you may enter,” Abrafo pouted, not only dismissing her banter but also granting them entry into the tent unusually quickly. Normally, he'd make Apple Bloom and Zeb inventory everything before allowing them inside.

“Aren’t you supposed to check what’s in our bags?” asked Zeb, slinging his shoulder up to emphasise the load.

“I can tell you already have everything: a pound of wild herbs, bloodroot, three jars of poison joke petals, three bottles of ink, various tools, pestles, and other alchemical equipment, and the treasure chest filled with Zekora's mystery plants,” he grumbled.

“How did you...” Apple Bloom started, then shook her head.

“Through the parlor breathing techniques taught by either Zeb or your teacher,” he stated, glancing towards Zeb. “And your attempted distractions are no match for professionals.”

Using his spear, Abrafo pushed the tent flap wide open. “Your teacher awaits.”

Apple Bloom grumbled slightly before entering the tent, while Zeb, still looking down, slowly followed suit. Abrafo watched Zeb like a hawk as he entered, whispering softly, “Do not forget to take your medicine.”

Zeb stopped, a slight surprise on his face, before a small smile crossed his lips. “Asante kaka.”

Abrafo let the tent flap fall closed and resumed his watch.

For several hours, nothing much happened. There were a few incidentals, but it took awhile before something of interest caught his attention. Two ponies, one earth pony and one unicorn, seemed to be talking about something intriguing. He focused his senses to listen in.

"Did you hear what's going on back home? It's all over the papers," the earth pony gushed.

The unicorn released a yawn before turning to his colleague. "No, I haven’t. Me and the other researchers have been pulling all-nighters to try and decode Twilight's spell. What’s easy for her is basically a twelve-page spellbinding for us. What happened?"

The earth pony let out a chuckle. "If you can believe it, Canterlot was attacked."

The unicorn stopped to look at him. "Really? Who did it? I thought we were at peace with everybody."

The Earth pony couldn't help but smile. "We don't know, but from the article, they have advanced magic; of unknown origin and nature. It allowed them to summon what seemed to be the equivalent of a changeling swarm. On top of that, an unknown beast flew over the city. The papers say it looked like a mountain with a mix of unknown creatures running about inside of it."

The unicorn looked at his friend like he had grown a second head. "Are you sure it wasn't the changelings?"

The earth pony shook his head, then rubbed his hooves together giddily. "From what the princesses said in their press conference, it wasn't them. But the big news is even better than that. Whatever did all of this took… them..."

The unicorn, about to continue walking, stopped in his tracks. "Do you mean the Legion of Doom?"

The earth pony resumed his walk, and after a few seconds, the unicorn followed along. "Yep. Don't know why any creature would try to free them, but you can bet it's not any good... Hopefully, it's not Discord again."

Abrafo was about to listen in some more before he heard the tent flap move, turning his attention to it immediately. What he saw was Apple Bloom looking at him.

"What do you want, child?"

Apple Bloom grumbled, "Zecora wants to speak to you. And you don’t have to call me 'kid.' I'm a grown mare." She let out a huff before turning around and walking back into the tent.

Abrafo took a last look at his surroundings, casting his gaze finally to the west where he could see the outline of the city they were here for. He quickly turned around and walked inside.

The first thing he noticed was that it was way cooler in here than it was outside. Such was to be expected with the shade. The walls were adorned with traditional masks and the tent was filled with the smell of herbs and alchemy. As he walked deeper into the tent, he saw a big pot in the middle with Zeb working with some kind of mortar, grinding down plants with his pestle. Apple Bloom seemed to be working on a green concoction that she was pouring into an odd beaker device that curved as it dripped down.

Zecora was stirring something in the pot but stopped when she saw Abrafo. She smiled at him before stepping down from her station. The cauldron seemed to move on its own, likely enchanted, Abrafo thought.

“How can I help, Mungoma?” Abrafo put one of his hooves to the right side, allowing the spear to lean against his left.

"You don't have to stick so heavily to code; You can relax sometimes, and lighten your load," Zecora said, rolling her eyes at her old friend's strict demeanor. She remembered times when he was more relaxed and not so rigid. "Why don't you take a minute for a break? Step out of the boiling sun, for your health’s sake."

Abrafo only stared at Zecora like a statue. Seeing that he was unmoved, she shrugged and walked over to a small desk, grabbing a black envelope and a newspaper.

"If all you wish is to work, that is fine, but do not come to me when you collapse in line. You have another assignment from the king, and something in the newspaper might make your heart sing."

Zecora passed him a document with the king's seal on it, along with an Equestrian Times newspaper. Abrafo wanted to read the newspaper, but his new orders were more important. He put the newspaper to his side before opening up the envelope.

Apple Bloom and Zeb pretended to do their work but positioned themselves in such a way to look over his shoulder, trying to catch even a word from the letter. Zecora turned around and cleared her throat, which prompted the two to immediately return to their work.

As soon as they were back to their tasks, Zecora turned back. Abrafo's look was not angry. Maybe frustrated, but his poker face was still too good. It only took him a second to put his mask back on. Zecora was about to say something, but Abrafo threw the paper up in the air and, almost like lightning, sliced it into seven triangular pieces before using the force from his spear to blow them towards the open flame, which devoured the shreds of paper. The room was silent for only a few seconds before the sound of hooves clapping was heard.

Zecora turned to see it was Apple Bloom and Zeb. As both the zebras looked at her, Apple Bloom spoke up. “What? It was impressive.”

Abrafo lowered his spear back to his side before turning to the newspaper and raising an eyebrow at its contents. “Equestria was attacked again…” he said out loud. “ At least we're not going to war with anyone. It seems to be an unknown assailant, with speculations on the changelings, griffins or some other race.”

He had serious doubts about it being any of them. After starting this long-term project, it would not benefit any of the groups involved to attack another. At least, not from a leadership perspective. In any case, Zecora’s assumption was correct. Confirming the news that Equestria was indeed under attack put him in a good mood.

Apple Bloom, already reading the newspaper, continued with her work but took a moment to chime in. “By an unknown. Looks like we're not going to war, at least.”

Zecora threw her hooves up before returning to her pot, speaking in her rhythmic manner. "You have such a one-track mind, So distant, like a warrior blind. You're not even one-tracked by fun, like most males of our kind." She hopped up the stairs and continued to add ingredients into the pot. "You should seek a hobby, some joy to find, Other than the blade, to ease your mind."

Abrafo simply turned the page, reading more of the article and curious about the odd devices and new magic mentioned. “You would think the ponies would attempt to improve their security after all these close calls… But I suppose when you're the luckiest creatures on the planet, it makes no difference. Maybe this might wake them up to take their defense seriously.”

Apple Bloom threw an angry look at Abrafo. “Equestria has gone on fine without a huge military. We have the Elements of Harmony, the princesses, and our friends. Maybe the zebras should take a page from us and try friendship rather than m-m... military..."

Zeb stopped what he was doing to finish her sentence. "Military supremacy."

Abrafo finished reading the paper. “Child, it's good to see that you are at least wise enough to know you have no true military. You rely too heavily on Harmony's Grace, and even that will run out one day.” As he started to walk back towards the tent flap, he added, “I will make arrangements for someone to guard you when I'm not here.”

Apple Bloom was struck by the statement. But Zecora, while stirring the pot, gave her reply. “Ponies might have luck by their side, but it’s not just fortune where they reside. With friends and allies lighting their way, they keep the darkness at bay each day.
Even the strongest blade in our land means little without a friend’s hand, for in this world, to truly defend, one must have the heart of a friend.”

Abrafo paused and turned towards Zecora. “I guess I have to be even stronger than friendship, then,” he said before stepping out, disappearing through the tent flaps.

Apple Bloom pulled herself together enough to angrily growl. “What’s wrong with that jerk? An' Ah ain’t no kid, Ah’m a grown mare! Ah’ve half a mind to show him just how much of a mare Ah really am.” She snorted. “Ya know what? Next time Ah see ‘im, Ah’m gonna buck ‘im so hard, his descendants will be tellin’ stories about it!”

As she threw a hoof, she accidentally knocked over a potion stand nearby, before immediately jumping to catch them.

Zeb raised an eyebrow. “I guess fornicating with him would be a pretty good way to show your dominance, but you should probably gain more experience before trying that. Unless you are more experienced than I thought, I was'm pretty sure I thought you were…”

Zeb was interrupted by a clay pestle being tossed at him. He was able to dodge, but Apple Bloom was as red as a tomato. “That is NOT what buck means!!”

Zeb looked confused. “Isn't “buck” a term that means “to have relations pertaining to intercourse?””

Apple Bloom continued to turn more red than any one of her family's apples. “It has lots a’ meanin’s! It could also mean “ta strike excepshunally hard with yer back hooves,” which is exactly what Ah intended!”

A look of realization came over Zeb’s face. “A good thing to know. Now I understand what you were saying to me.”

Applebloom raised her own eyebrow.

“Your pony euphemisms are so weird. But, with that clarified, I think you have a better chance of sleeping with him than you would have of actually landing a hit on him. So I would go with the former...”

Zecora could not help but to laugh after hearing the last part of her students’ conversation. Both the zebra and pony turned red after realizing that their teacher was still there. They had spent so much time alone together that they sometimes forgot that other creatures were sometimes in the tent.

"It brings me pride that both my students are so bold, no longer at each other's throat. With pride and will, you may forge a bridge for both our folk, to cross with hope. And for creatures often left in the dark, a path awaits, in shadows stark." Zecora looked towards the tent exit, a smile gracing her face, before turning to her two students. "But back to work, my dear pupils, you must go. A hundred vials yet to fill, or all night you'll toil, even so."

Apple Bloom and Zeb both smiled at Zecora.