Fallout Equestria: The Ashlands Timeline

POV: Mercury Shine
Date: Earlier Thursday 11/3/2287

They’d traveled so far hoping to find Tranquil when they got here. Sure, the others had other goals, but for Mercury, this trip had been mostly about finding Tranquil. That’s why Mercury wasn’t ready to accept that she was dead. Not yet.

Which is why after Twilight left, Mercury went to Kyo to ask. Twilight only thought changelings changed back if they died, but said she hadn’t seen it to know, and they knew very little about them in Twilight’s time.

Kyo had seemed vacant, and Mercury felt bad about asking her anything, but told Mercury that while they’d normally shift back, they might not if low on energy and killed suddenly. Now, Mercury was certain that the one killed had been Peaceful, not Tranquil. Or at least fairly certain. Okay, she was only rationalizing.

Tranquil told Peaceful she feared Crimson, so either of them might try to avoid the group. But she figured Peaceful wouldn’t fear returning to the wasteland. She was used to living in this world and even managed to escape Midnight, so probably had a good chance of surviving outside. Tranquil on the other hoof, would fear leaving the city once finally in relative safety. That would explain why there was no record of the twin leaving after they escaped.

Of course, they could have sneaked out as somepony else, or during the evacuation, but Mercury ignored the logic as she continued to rationalize. If there was a tiny chance, she had to look into it.

But where would she search? She didn’t know her way around town. Bottle Cap wouldn’t be any help if he didn’t even know what Cola was doing. Solar and Maud were too busy testing the stealth suit to get it to work as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Kamikaze was having random issues with her wings trying to kill ponies and waiting for Solar to examine them again when she could. As for Starlight, she wasn’t going to care about solving problems that wouldn’t result in more power for her.

Kyo couldn’t spare her guards, since on top of increasing patrols in case Tenwhinney tried something else, many were sweeping the silo for ferals while those that could dismantled warheads. Kyo told her guards to keep an eye out for Tranquil or Peaceful, and Mercury wouldn’t ask more when Kyo had also just lost her brother.

But Cola mentioned that Tranquil hurt her wing when leaving, and on top of that, they roughed them both up while ‘testing’ the detection gel. If so, there was a good chance she’d finally resort to the hospital for treatment since few in Holder would help a pegasus if it wasn’t their job.

To that end, Mercury volunteered to help at the hospital. They were dealing with more patients than usual, even if it was minor injuries sustained during the panic.

Every time the bell rang for a new patient, Mercury finished what she was doing and checked who it was. After a few hours of helping, she almost gave up, but finally found what she hoped for.

The new entry wore a fedora and large black coat as if trying to hide, but Mercury could see the green wings sticking through the coat and a bit of her gold and white hair. As she came closer, she realized that the pony was wearing Tranquil's Stable 27 barding, pink trim signifying her position as an entertainer within the stable.

“Tranquil!” Mercury galloped up to her as soon as she recognized who it was.

“Oh, thank stripes you're here,” said the zebra mare that rang the bell for a new patient. “You can take care of this thing.”

While it annoyed Mercury that the doctor didn’t want to help a pegasus, she was concentrating on Tranquil. Tranquil gave her a nervous smile.

“Oh, hello… you,” Tranquil said. After a few moments of deep thought, she added. “Mercury! Mercury Shine! Yep… that’s you…”

Tranquil blurted out the name as if Mercury was the answer to a trivia question. The poor mare was out of sorts from her experience.

“It’s really you Tranquil?” Mercury smiled and helped Tranquil over to the nearest empty bed. She helped Tranquil get her saddlebags off without touching her wing too much, then carefully pulled off the long coat. “Is your wing hurt? I’ll see to it.”

“Yes,” said Tranquil. “Yes. It is in fact me. M-me as me can be.”

Tranquil settled onto a bed on her belly, sighing as she removed her hat with her good wing and folded her legs beneath her in a bread loaf position, spreading her injured wing. It wasn’t as bad as Mercury feared, mostly swollen from how long Tranquil delayed in getting help. There were some other bruises and cuts that Mercury needed to tend on her body though, indicating she’d been treated as roughly as feared.

“We were so worried,” said Mercury in relief. “But I’m so sorry for what happened to your friend. The ch… I mean your twin sister.”

“Yeah,” Tranquil looked down at the bed in front of her. “As if losing Delusion wasn’t enough. Except this time, it's my fault.” She took a deep breath. “Um, Figment. That was the name of my… twin.”

“So Delusion was the one you lost at Everfree?” Mercury tilted her head. “I’m sorry… but why would it be your fault? Um, and this might sting.”

Mercury grasped Tranquil’s wing with her magic, holding the bones carefully. They weren’t broken, just popped out of joint, so she yanked the bones back until they snapped back into position.

“Nnngh,” Tranquil twitched, but was a good enough patient. “But it is my fault. It was my idea to be twins; I should have known it would make us suspicious if we had exact cutie marks. Cola suspected us when he asked us questions about our foalhood together and we didn’t answer them well enough, and then apparently some zebra riled him up with what a changeling might be doing here. If we pretended to be different ponies that met in the Ashlands, it wouldn't have been as suspicious.”

“You didn’t know what bigots were out there,” Mercury shook her head, applying ointment and wrapping Tranquil’s wing.

“But I did know,” sighed Tranquil. “I’m such a… foal.”

“Come on,” Mercury tried to cheer her up. “Once I’m done treating you, we can go see our friends.”

“Um, Mercury,” Tranquil took a deep breath. “I saw um…” She paused as if searching her mind for the name, flinching as if it hurt to process thoughts. “Crimson. I don’t want to return to her.”

“I know,” sighed Mercury. “Look, I get that you’re afraid of her, but things aren’t the same. She’s really changing, and even if not, she’s not in control. She’s around a lot of other ponies that keep her in check.”

“That’s naïve,” Tranquil said, a bit blunt for her, but she’d been through a lot as Mercury had. “I don’t want to see her okay? Please. If you help smuggle me out after treating me, I could make it to another safe settlement.”

“I’m sorry,” Mercury shook her head. “But I can’t. I’ve already lost my friend once and… I really think it will work out. Come on Tranquil. Please. Crimson blames herself for you running away, I swear she does. She’ll be so happy to see you.”

“She’ll just think I’m a changeling and kill me anyway,” Tranquil cautiously folded her wing as Mercury finished. “She may even kill me if she doesn’t think that.”

“Maybe not,” said Mercury. “Besides, there’s somepony that could verify that you aren’t one. Come with me to them?”

“Which somepony?” Tranquil tilted her head and seemed cautious.

“There are good changelings in the city,” Mercury whispered. “They don’t work for Trinity or Midnight. I’m sure they can check if you are one.”

“There are?” Tranquil asked but nodded. “But I haven’t… I mean it’s not like I can sneak out without help, anyway, and admit I don’t really know where to go when I do. I suppose I’m curious if they’ll identify me as one, too. If they’re really not Trinity’s then I can... let’s go now, get it over with.”

Mercury smiled. Until that point she hadn’t been certain herself if it was Tranquil. She was acting odd, but a changeling wouldn’t agree to a check so easily. Even without that, a changeling should have noticed that their wing was out-of-joint and not broken, then shifted it back into place themselves. And they certainly wouldn't have needed to wear a traditional disguise.

Not that Mercury would have changed her demeanor if she was the changeling. Even if this wasn’t Tranquil, it’d be someone Tranquil trusted enough to allow them to take her form. Mercury wouldn’t want that creature walking into danger either, so it’d still be best if Olivia checked them and took them in.

Kyo wasn’t at the PUB, but it was open for business. There were a lot of stressed ponies after the near-disaster. Olivia herself was operating the front desk, probably keeping a close eye on their hive after the events of the day.

“Hello there,” Mercury said as she came in with Tranquil behind her.

“Oh hello,” Olivia said. “You are welcome here… oh.”

“Hillos,” Tranquil waved a hoof awkwardly. “You are um…” She strained as if trying to remember Olivia, then stopped when she seemed satisfied that she shouldn’t know.

Olivia had paused when she saw Tranquil behind Mercury. She recognized her from the description they gave her for Tranquil and seemed to understand.

“Follow me to my office,” Olivia smiled, though it looked forced. “I’ll call someone else to work the front desk.”

Since it wasn’t a secret from Mercury, Olivia didn’t pretend to go get someone. She headed into a hallway, no doubt calling for someone else over her hive link. Mercury followed, eager to verify things and looking forward to how happy Crimson would be. And it would be a good happy, not an ‘I ended somepony’s life and it was hilarious’ happy.

The office was merely a spare room with a desk and filing cabinets. Mercury supposed that the real records were harder to get to, and these probably had fake profiles for their employees. A sign above the desk read ‘You don’t have to be crazy to work here. We’ll train you!’

“So,” Olivia turned and looked grim. “I guess that Peaceful was the one murdered… don’t get me wrong, though! I would be sad if Tranquil were dead, but changelings have a special place in my heart.”

“It is, and it’s okay,” Mercury smiled. “You can already tell though? Crimson will want to be sure.”

“I think I can, but I will be certain,” Olivia turned and walked to Tranquil. “Stand still, dear.”

“Right…” Tranquil nodded.

Tranquil stood still, though she flinched when Olivia reached out her paw to lay it atop her head. She must have been worried about what the magic would do aside from detection because she sweated profusely. It was how a pony might look if they were having knives thrown at them for a magic trick by a pony with a butchering cutie mark. Olivia’s paw and eyes glowed for a moment before she pulled it away.

“She is not a changeling,” Olivia nodded. “I am 100% certain.” She looked back to Tranquil. “Do you… know how your friend avoided our detection though? We should have known if any other changelings were in the city.”

“R-really?” Tranquil arched an eyebrow as if in surprise, but added. “I mean… you can tell so fast? And no… I’m not sure.”

“Indeed,” said Olivia, then turned to Mercury. “While the city-wide system might have missed one or be shielded against, I’m certain this spell would not. From what I am detecting, I could not even connect you to the hive artificially, as you lack the facilities.” She widened her eyes and added. “Not that I am saying you are unintelligent!”

“It’s fine,” Tranquil said, but looked depressed. “I guess I’m defective. I got… never mind.”

“No, no, no,” Olivia petted Tranquil’s head in apology, which was no doubt meant as a comforting gesture but seemed to make Tranquil more nervous. “The properties a brain needs for an artificial connection to work are associated with senses, not intelligence.”

“Does that mean she won’t be able to connect to our PCB either?” asked Mercury.

“Your… PCB?” asked Tranquil.

“Psionic canter banter, through our pipbucks,” Mercury raised her own pipbuck.

“Oh those,” Tranquil widened her eyes. “I didn’t realize they could do that. I... but... my pipbuck is acting up so I'll leave it off for now. Besides, it makes me feel caged.”

“We'll have Solar check it,” Mercury hugged Tranquil and smiled. “I’ll let Crimson know over our PCB though. I see you're wearing your Stable 27 barding, so she'll like that. Let’s go wait for her in the lobby.”

“Um well,” Olivia said. “Crimson is not… welcome here.”

“Oh don’t worry about her,” said Mercury. “She’s not as dangerous as she seems.”

“Goodness, filly,” sighed Tranquil. “If you were any more naïve, we could sell tickets to it.”

“She may stay,” Olivia said. It was a sudden change of heart, but she added. “Kyo informed me she is on her way here with Starlight, who wishes to hold a meeting here. She will allow Crimson and Maud entry for the duration of the meeting only.”

Mercury smiled as Crimson burst in and headed for Tranquil. Though it seemed like Olivia’s spell took a lot out of Tranquil, since she looked confused again for a moment.

“Oh, hey,” Tranquil greeted. “… you… Crimson Prose! My dear husb-... waifu... Um, wife! I meant wife.”

Crimson skidded to a halt in front of Tranquil. She leaned forward, peering with one eye. Tranquil’s confusion obviously made her suspicious, but Mercury was sure she’d be fine once Tranquil settled back in with her.

“If you’re uncertain, Crimson,” smiled Mercury. “Why not ask her a few questions that she wouldn’t have told anypony else?”

“What was the name of that foal we murdered before we left Stable 27?” asked Crimson.

“What?” Olivia stared.

“Not that kind of question, Crimson,” sighed Mercury, placing one hoof on her own forehead.

“Oh um,” Tranquil paused for a good twenty seconds, initially looking a little ill, then clenching her face as if figuring out a math problem. Once again, she responded as if answering trivia. “Silk Strand! I’m really sorry, they really messed with my head at Midnight Castle.”

“Excuse me?” Olivia asked again. “What did you say before about murdering a foal?”

“Calm your tits, woof-woof, it's not like that,” Crimson lied. “Murder is slang for fantastic sex in my stable.” It was perhaps a well-chosen lie. Another terrible meaning made it more believable.

“Ah well,” Olivia nodded, though her face hardened. “That’s… Please keep in mind that there is a minimum age of consent in Holder. In fact, there is a chart in the PUB’s entryway that shows the age of maturity for various species. Holder and Ramble take pride in being more civilized than many other settlements.”

“Okay, I only got the last part of that conversation,” said Starlight as she entered. “But I’ll ask you to cease and not tell me what it was about.”

Starlight came in with the Maud and Solar behind her. Kamikaze slammed into the wall beside the door a few times before buzzing her way inside next.

“When are we gonna put the razor edge on my new wings?” Kamikaze was asking. “And the heating function to make it slice through pony-parts like butter!”

“Later!” Solar chuckled. “Not the best idea until we're sure they won't try to kill anypony on their own. And honestly… might have to wait to see if we can get Dinky back to have her look at them. She studied cybernetics a lot more than I have. I can attach parts but improvements might be harder.”

“Aww, but wanting to kill stuff is the coolest part about them!” chuckled Kamikaze. “But fine, I’d be a little down if I cut off a friend’s head.”

Mercury smiled a bit, being glad that Kamikaze was clearly no longer depressed, and that, unlike some other ponies, her caring was stronger than her bloodthirst, if only slightly.

Kyo entered last. She looked like she’d been crying, her face still and emotionless. She walked into the office without saying a word. Mercury wouldn’t say Dyo didn’t deserve to die, even if not in the way it likely happened, but still felt terrible for Kyo.

“I’m sorry if I sound blunt during this discussion,” said Kyo as soon as they were all inside. “But I am not feeling well.”

“They’re only here for our business, I’m sure you understand,” Starlight nodded to Kyo. “And I am… very sorry about what happened.”

It had taken Mercury longer than it should have to realize the reason Kyo didn’t want them here. Maybe Tranquil had been right about her naivety.

“Why don’t you take the desk chair and rest,” Starlight continued. “The rest of us can stand or sit on the floor.”

Starlight’s words sounded kind on the surface, but Kyo looked at Starlight as if she were making fun of her. She took a deep breath and sat as suggested though, leaning on the desk in front of her. She looked up, but after her eyes moved first to Crimson and then to Maud, she looked back down at the desk.

Kyo’s hooves shivered as if straining to hold back emotion. They rattled against the desk as she tried to hold them still. Crimson had claimed Kyo didn’t blame her and Maud ‘that much’, but apparently she had been mistaken.

“Mind if I lead the discussion?” asked Starlight. “I don’t want you to stress out too much.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t want that, Empress,” Kyo said sternly. “But continue. You’re in control regardless of my wishes.”

Olivia moved to stand next to Kyo, placing one paw on her shoulder in comfort. Though she stood more as if guarding her, keeping a watchful eye on Starlight that she had not previously.

It was a credit to Kyo that she was still willing to help them, even with many of the townsfolk treating Starlight and Maud like deities. But they were working to save their captured friends, and surely Kyo blamed nothing on her at least. Mercury was glad she cooperated because even Mercury realized Starlight required Limestone to keep her in check, and it sounded like Solar could use Dinky’s help with Kamikaze too.

“Thank you,” Starlight kept her ‘nice face’ on as if pretending not to realize all this, but Mercury was sure she wasn’t so unperceptive. She turned to Solar and Maud. “What’s the status on the pulse barding?”

“I’ll have it working by Sunday,” Solar said, her mind too focused on her task to note most of the social tension. “It was unfinished, but really amazing! I’ve never seen stealth barding! I mean it’s not working yet, but it’ll work soon, so I’ll see it then! Or not see it, I guess.”

“Kyo,” said Starlight. “You said there was one more ally that might help but you couldn’t contact?”

“Yes,” Kyo nodded but didn’t look up. “Gilda, the griffon ghoul that leads Railway, a colony of docile ghouls in the subway tunnels nearby. The problem is that we can’t walk in and see them as the tunnels on the way are full of ferals; their way of defending their settlement since they won’t attack dociles. We meet at regular intervals outside, but there’s no way to contact her otherwise. She won’t chance having a transmitter down there that Tenwhinney and others could triangulate. I’m sure she just wants to be left alone, but may still help if it’s against Tenwhinney.”

“So she would make a good ally?” asked Starlight.

“She knows the subways,” said Kyo. “She may know a path to the station beneath Tenwhinney. If Maud got inside with the armor and unlocked it from inside, an incursion could be made from beneath.”

“For now, I am concentrating on saving my sister,” asked Maud, eyes narrowed. “But when I am finished, I will demand to know why these ferals guarding their base were not put to rest.”

Maud wasn’t wrong, but Mercury doubted Kyo or Gilda realized how aware ferals were. They’d surely understand once it was explained.

“A griffon named Gilda?” Starlight mused. “Is this General Gilda from early in the War? She commanded the new Wonderbolts after the pegasi rebelled. I figured she died during the Fall of Canterlot... and I guess she did.”

“She said she led the griffon forces in the final defense of Canterlot,” Kyo confirmed. “That’s another reason I was thinking she may be willing to help you. She mentioned that she coordinated with the Pie Sisters a few times, and she already hates Tenwhinney more than Holder does. Or did before this whole thing.”

“I didn’t work with her directly,” mused Starlight. “Maud?”

“I remember her,” Maud said. “She was insufferable on a personal level, but no more than other cat-butts. She was a loyal and skilled fighter, and that's all that mattered to me.”

“Don’t tell her I’m with you until you’ve gotten her to agree to help,” Kamikaze chuckled. “I’ve run out of legs to lose, so she might try to take something more vital this time, like my pussy she was always after.”

Mercury expected genital jokes from Kamikaze, but was disturbed that she might be speaking literally about getting sliced up. She was now aware that there were creatures that actually would do that, not to mention griffons were carnivores even in pre-apocalyptic times.

“Good enough,” said Starlight. “Waiting wouldn’t be a problem, except that we don’t have until your next meeting before it’s too late for Limestone. We need their help; just Maud getting into the shield might not be enough.”

“That’s where the stealth armor comes in!” said Solar. “It’s an advanced prototype, I think I can even get the expanded stealth field to work! Once I do, it’ll make not just the wearer invisible, but anypony within a few hoofsteps of them too!”

“Is that so?” Maud asked. “I do not remember them finishing that upgrade. They got stuck making the regular stealth work with the bypass enchantment.”

“They weren’t me,” grinned Solar.

“If you could do that,” said Kamikaze. “You could waltz into anywhere with a small team!”

“Um,” Mercury raised a hoof. “But would they react well to that? Appearing out of nowhere...”

“I’ll go with you,” said Kyo. “She’ll trust me. Besides, I don’t want you talking to her without me there.”

“Sounds like a plan,” nodded Starlight. “We’ll spend another night in the Pie commander quarters and head out within a few days.” She turned to Solar. “Assuming you are as bright as you claim.”

“I’m super bright!” Solar nodded, spreading her brightly colored wings as if that proved something.

“You could help, Starlight?” Mercury suggested. “You’d know all about magitech.”

“Indeed,” Starlight sighed, seeming uncomfortable when asked to help, though she should have been able to. “I’ll peek, but I’m a little rusty in that area.”

“You can watch and learn if nothing else!” Solar sounded excited. And Mercury knew she was; working on a nigh unsolvable technical issue all night would be like an all-night orgy for Solar. Mercury just hoped she didn’t wear herself out.

“I’ll go too,” said Mercury. “If that’s okay. I want to help. Besides, Crimson and Tranquil will want to be alone with each other.”

Mercury turned to see what the happy wives were doing. Tranquil leaned back in a corner, eyes wide while Crimson sat next to her. Crimson was grinning and whispering to her, Tranquil nodding every few moments as if afraid to disagree with whatever the conversation was. That was strange, but Mercury figured Tranquil would warm back up to Crimson once she realized Crimson wouldn’t treat her like before.

Things would turn around soon, right? Once they had their other friends back, everything would be fine. Mercury was starting to get back a bit of her faith.

“Sounds like we have a plan, or at least the start of one,” nodded Starlight. She turned to Crimson and Tranquil. “Can you two come with me after the meeting? I’d like to meet Tranquil.”

“Does that mean you want to buck her?” Crimson said. “I wanted to get my munch on with her alone before any three-or-more-somes.”

“No, it does not mean that,” Starlight grunted in annoyance. “Meet means meet, not mate.”

“I should come as well?” asked Maud.

“Solar could use your help, Maud,” Starlight smiled at Maud. “Since you’ll be wearing the armor.”

“Oh um, one more thing before you leave,” Mercury said. “Tranquil, you said your pipbuck wasn't working good? Solar can take a look.”

“Hm?” asked Solar. “If it's something fast, I'd rather be working on the pulse barding!”

“Y-you could just reset it right quick?” Tranquil suggested, tugging it out of her bag. “That could clear it up.”

“Well okay,” said Solar, pulling up her own new pipbuck to connect the two. “A factory reset will delete all the settings though, it'll treat you like a new wearer.”

“It's okay,” Tranquil smiled. “Like you said, you’re short on time.”

“No…” Kyo spoke again out of nowhere, standing angrily at her desk. Olivia’s expression grew firm as well. “Which of you took it?”

“Pardon?” Starlight asked.

“The device we use to nullify magic when needed in the spa,” Olivia explained. “We’ve just been informed it is missing over our hive connection.”

“But Miss,” Mercury pointed out. “We’d have no way of knowing that you had one of those.”

“Well, the ones there when we found out about the hive would know,” Solar tilted her head. “I mean, I’d like to know how it works, but I’d never steal it!”

“It uses a piece of an ancient throne that Chrysalis once used,” said Kyo. “It was locked in a room behind a coded door, that only a few would know the code to.” Her eyes went to Starlight and Maud. “Dyo, who you questioned alone, may have known it. He’s acquired the code more than once so he could sneak in there and look at private customer files in an effort to know how to flirt with them.”

“I’m sorry that your device was stolen,” Starlight shook her head. “But you can’t possibly expect that I took it when I didn’t know it existed. I didn’t even get the hive fully explained to me until after that questioning, and he certainly wouldn’t have volunteered that when questioned about unrelated crimes.”

“Crimson would have known,” said Olivia. “She was in the room earlier when we were forced to use it and also questioned and then helped murder Dyo.”

“How did you remove it, even?” Kyo asked. “It’s… not difficult to move but you can’t exactly stuff it into a saddlebag.”

“You act like he didn’t deserve it,” Crimson scoffed. “He wouldn’t even have gotten a trial if he weren’t a Pie. And where do you think I put this thing I supposedly stole? Just rammed it up my cunt and walked out with it?”

“Please,” Mercury tried to calm things down. “We shouldn’t make accusations when we don’t know. I’m sure everyone here would be happy to help search for your device.”

“I’m sorry,” Starlight said, “But again, we have no reason to weaken the position of those we wish an alliance with. If it makes you feel better, you have full authority to have us searched as thoroughly as you wish. As you said, such an object would not be easy to hide, and we have no place to hide such things other than the quarters and storage you gave us.”

“You will all submit to a search before you leave here,” growled Kyo, then looked at Crimson “A full cavity search, Miss ‘I wouldn’t put it there’, as well as a magical search in case it has been shrunken or is in pieces.”

“Me first!” Solar raised a hoof the moment she heard ‘cavity search’. “Um, cause I need to hurry and get started on stuff.”

On the other hoof, Mercury squeaked, her tail instinctively flapping down tightly at the mention of the search. Starlight did much the same.

“We’ll gladly submit to the search,” Starlight said. “As long as this is handled very… medically.”

“Believe me,” Kyo said. “We have no desire to get any more than that with you.”

“And as long as females do the cavity searching,” said Crimson in her most serious tone. “Like, real females.”

POV: Tranquil Melody

Ignore the pain. Ignore the dizziness. Don’t let on. It wasn’t easy as Starlight led Tranquil and Crimson out of the PUB. Even the meager rays of the distant Sun stung her eyes. She wouldn’t have been able to pretend, but she’d dealt with the agony in her head since Everfree. Midnight just had to dig around in her head, as if she wasn’t bucked up enough.

It was a pity Tranquil didn’t have medical training. Had she realized her wing was out of joint and not broken, she’d have popped it back in and flew off during the panic. She thought getting treatment at the busy hospital, where she’d probably be helped quickly and dismissed, would be the next best thing, but she should have guessed Mercury might be there.

The situation she’d found herself in was more complicated than she’d expected. She felt the tension between Kyo and some of Starlight’s group, and between Crimson and everypony else. And now they expected her to wear a pipbuck. At least Solar reset it and cleared the data before anypony saw things they wouldn’t want to see.

Starlight claimed she wanted to meet Tranquil, but it had to be more. She could have done that at or outside the PUB. She didn’t even take them to the barracks where they stayed. Instead, Starlight led them towards the edge of town. No, she wanted to speak to them alone where she was sure no one would overhear.

She didn’t even try to hide this from the two. Once far enough, Starlight looked around to see if anyone was spying on them, then activated her horn. A magical dome spread over them, blocking out all sound and light from the outside. As Starlight’s horn grew brighter to shed light on the inside, Tranquil realized that the dome was rock-shaped as if it were some kind of camouflage.

This didn’t feel right. Tranquil didn't want to be alone with this unicorn and might have gone into full panic had Crimson not been there. Crimson would do what she could to protect her even if for the wrong reasons.

“I’ll be brief,” Starlight said. Her demanding demeanor was a stark contrast to what it’d been during the meeting. It was as abrupt as taking off a mask. “First, Crimson, can I assume your wife will be okay with anything you are okay with?”

“I don’t see why not,” Crimson said with complete confidence. “She’d murder her own parents for me. In fact she did.”

Starlight seemed both satisfied and unsatisfied with that answer, pausing a moment to give both Crimson and Tranquil a disdainful look. Tranquil hoped Crimson didn’t go into detail about things that Tranquil didn’t want to remember.

“I don’t need morbid details, Crimson,” Starlight growled. “I find your talents useful, but that doesn’t mean I like them.”

Tranquil wished that she could make a strategic exit from this conversation, but she seemed trapped. That was the story of her life. She wished Starlight wasn’t trusting her so soon.

“My apologies, your Empress-ness,” Crimson smirked.

“The note you found when you and Maud retrieved the device,” Starlight got to the point. “Have you had time to scrye it?”

“Oh yes,” Crimson nodded. “But keep in mind there were limits. I think she only jotted that one thing down during that meeting, so I got a pretty small window of it around the time she wrote that.”

“And?” asked Starlight.

“The meeting was with Gloomy and Watcher,” said Crimson. “About forming some kind of alliance with Statera, access to information Statera has about Trinity and other factions in exchange for giving Statera the method they use to remove changelings from Trinity’s hive.”

“But she mentioned me,” Starlight said. “What exactly was she saying when she wrote that?”

“After they were done with that,” said Crimson. “Kyo wanted to discuss how to ‘deal with Starlight’. Gloomy seemed evasive and Watcher didn’t seem to care, so instead of jotting down a list, Kyo asked for another meeting when they were ready to talk about it.”

Tranquil herself wasn’t sure what that meant. Dealing with somepony could mean anything from killing them to what kind of sandwich to make them.

“I knew it,” Starlight growled, drawing the worst possible conclusion. “She’s plotting with other factions to have me killed so I can’t control the Pies. We have to take action before she manages to convince Statera or someone else.”

“That is… a huge jump,” chuckled Crimson. “Look, I’m an expert on how it feels to consider murder. You know it picks up some of their emotion during this process, and here it felt more like embarrassment than aggression, like it’s just awkward dealing with a historical figure that happens to be a clone of Trinity. I don’t think she wanted you dead at the time she wrote this.”

“Crimson,” Starlight’s voice took a somehow unnervingly sincere tone. “I need your cooperation with these things. I was wrong to think the Pies would follow orders without question and I’ve made mistakes that put my position in jeopardy because of it. You, however, have less issues following commands, so long as you get something in return.”

“Are you trying to get in my head?” grunted Crimson. “Because it feels like you’re digging around in there; am I really worth that much effort?”

“The bottom line is that Kyo will be a problem,” Starlight said. “If not now, then later. It’d be better if we neutralized her before then. Up until now, she hasn’t done enough that Maud would be okay with a kill order, with her being a Pie, but with your word after scrying that message, she might.”

“Are you sure you don’t just want to be in charge of Holder?” Crimson asked.

“No, actually, I don’t,” said Starlight. “I would put her daughter Custard in charge, being her regent until her 13th birthday. There’d be almost a year to influence her with her heroes to rule in an appropriate manner, then I could be an advisor.”

“So you want me to get Maud to want to kill Kyo?” Crimson nodded. “And then I get to buck Custard.”

“You will not touch Custard until she is consenting legal age,” Starlight growled, but then paused “Or if Maud is into it, I suppose, to keep her happy. For some inexplicable reason, Maud trusts you. Besides, think about it. It’s almost certain that she intends to enlist Gilda’s help to take care of me after what she said to Statera. They wouldn’t bite, so she wants to see if GIlda will.”

“Gilda was an Equestrian general,” Crimson said. “The same rank as Limestone, and you think she’ll betray you? You’re really scraping the bottom of the paranoia barrel here.”

“A general that still might turn on us if Kyo were to tell her we’ve joined forces with Midnight and Kamikaze,” pointed out Starlight. “Once you tell her, Maud might even demand I take action.”

“Yeah, I mean I can do that, I guess,” Crimson said. “Even if I don’t get to do it. And it probably won’t be agonizing or slow. And, you know, with me not thinking she’s up to anything.”

“Yes, and?” Starlight tilted her head. “Didn’t you try to kill three slaves on the way here? You definitely didn’t think they were up to something.”

“Those were stallions,” Crimson shrugged.

Crimson’s reluctance surprised Tranquil. Crimson should have been fine with getting a pony killed if it meant she’d get what she wanted later on. If they didn’t deserve it, that should make it more fun for her. Instead, Crimson gave carefully worded excuses as if not wanting to do it, but also not wanting Starlight to think she’d gone soft, like a tsundere serial killer. Maybe Crimson didn’t even realize she was doing it herself.

But Starlight concerned her too. She knew that this couldn’t be the original Starlight, since she knew that was Trinity. So exactly how alike were they?

“Crimson Prose,” Starlight’s voice became deadly. “You are guilty of enough crimes that nopony would question your execution. Or the execution of your pet wife. I advise you to remain useful.”

Crimson did a good job not showing how seriously she took the threat, but she certainly did. Tranquil felt Crimson’s magic grip her protectively on instinct when Starlight threatened her. Since Crimson didn’t make a snide ‘You better not kill her before I can’ remark, Tranquil wondered if Mercury had been more than naive to think Crimson was changing. Or maybe Tranquil just didn’t have a clear memory of who Crimson was?

“Oh, stop it,” Crimson rolled her eyes, playing off her nervousness. “You should just order Maud to threaten me; she’s way hotter when she does it. But sure, I’ll take care of it.”

Tranquil felt odd about how quickly Crimson agreed once she was threatened. Did she actually mean something to her?

“Better,” Starlight nodded, then turned to Tranquil. “Your pet is quiet, though. I assume you agree?”

“I-It’s fine!” Tranquil blurted out, probably sounding too enthusiastic. “We did plenty at Stable…” Damn it, what number was it? She had to process for a bit. “2? 27!”

“Good,” Starlight nodded.

Starlight’s horn lit again, and in a flash she teleported away from them, not wanting to chance being seen with them more than necessary. As soon as she did, the camouflage melted away from around them. Once again they were in the open.

Tranquil expected Crimson to drag her off immediately. Crimson should be eager to talk to Maud or at least get it over with. But instead, Crimson just stood there for a few long moments, staring into space.

“Crimson?” Tranquil peeped up after a minute of Crimson staring.

“I’m sorry,” Crimson said out of nowhere.

“E-excuse me?” Tranquil blinked.

“You fled Canterlot because I scared you,” Crimson said, face devoid of emotions. “I’m sorry. But if you tell anyone I said that, I’ll donkey-punch you so hard that your eyes pop out, then have happy-fun-time with the empty sockets.”

“I-it’s okay,” Tranquil wasn’t sure what else to say. “This is unlike you, though.” She hoped it was, at least, otherwise that statement might seem more suspicious than she already was to Crimson.

“How about that,” Crimson smirked, then turned to walk back into the heart of the town. “Come on, this could be just what I need after all. Let’s try to get some anger sex out of Maud.”