Bump in the Night

Luna opened the door to the shop without knocking. "Rarity, are you here?"

"I certainly am," sang out Rarity, approaching with a big smile. "Come, your timing is impeccable. See what I've brought into the world."

Luna and Sweetie shared an arched brow as they came inside to find what Rarity was waving at. Rarity was in her non-vampiric mode, no wings or fangs displayed and her natural eye color displayed in their glitter.

Her target was Bright, examining himself in the mirror. He was dressed entirely with a flowing overcoat over a sharp jacket with a little red tie going down the front, buried in that jacket. He turned for a better angle and spotted the newcomers.

"Luna, Bonnie!" He turned fully towards them. "I'm feeling sharp as heck!"

Sweetie Drops considered him a moment. "I feel like something is missing."

"I felt the same." Rariy brought over a cane and pushed it against one of Bright's paws. "Try this, dear."

Bright grabbed the cane and twirled it in place before thunking it into the ground, leaning against it as he swayed left and right. "Oh man, this is kinda great." Counterpointing where he swayed at the front, his jeweled tailtip danced behind him. "I love it!"

Luna smiled indulgently at the dapper lapine gentleman happily preening before appreciative eyes. Even prim Secret Agent Sweetie Drops' mouth quirked subtly seeing their fluffy teammate looking so debonair.

"Thy raiment suits thee splendidly Sir Bright!" Luna inclined her horn his direction. "Verily Rarity's talents manifest magnifying inner light outward."

Her smile faded slightly into pensiveness. "Yet garb may guard but one flank - Other things may attack from the other." Luna studied their worry-free expressions soberly. "Beware lest bravado blind thee to--" She shook her head, rephrasing the words she had. "Blind you to a changing battlefield. Adapt or fall."

She shook off solemnity, recovering regal poise with an apologetic tilt towards puzzled Rarity and Sweetie. "Forgive my abrupt gravity, dear friends. Your refreshing rapport brought back to mind certain...counsels lately come to Our attention ..."

Sweetie shook her head. "I like it. It's... respectable. It's good to see you at least pretending the idea."

"Hey." Bright stuck out his tongue at Sweetie. "That's mean."

"So it using my civilian name." She huffed gently. "Kindly cut that right out."

"Okay okay..." He turned to point the metal tip of the walking stick at Rarity. "Rares! You did a bang up job on this suit. I am so loving it."

Rarity grabbed her familiar in a warm hug. "And I'm loving the way you're looking right now, so we all win, don't we? You are a true gentlecreature."

Luna coughed into a hoof. "Now, if I may have your attention." She drew out the box of earrings. "You must each select one and put it on. This is how we'll keep in contact in the future. If you look, you can see I'm already wearing one."

Rarity's eyes lit up seeing the elegant accessories as she eagerly peered into the opened box. "Oh my! Such glamorous gadgets - however do they work?"

She delicately lifted a jewel-encrusted crescent moon piece with her magic. "Some variety of transmitting enchantment interfacing with ambient aether I presume?"

Sweetie Drops gestured at the ring she already had in place. "Amazing craftsmanship regardless of the precise magic circuitry involved. I look forward to increased coordination capability."

She glanced over as Bright eagerly modelled several pieces with his dapper suit before deciding on a gold hoop befitting refined style. "So what's the effective communication range on these, Highness?" Sweetie asked Luna. "Are we limited to Ponyville or can we call Canterlot? Manehatten?"

Luna allowed each her agents to select their accessory and get it in place before continuing. "The range should cover most of Equestria. If you leave the nation, it will likely fail." She smiled at the collection before her. "Twilight crafted these herself. A boon from that brilliant mare."

She put a hoof to her own earring. "To use it, you need only supply a little magic, as you would to many a detection spell, focusing that desire to communicate on the intended target. A polite request is all that should be required."

Rarity and Bright shared a grin. "So if I wished to whisper sweet nothings into your ear over a moonlit meal..." Rarity trailed off, a hoof moving to cover her mouth. "That is... good to know the range they have, in case of an emergency."

Luna cleared her throat, having caught the implication. "Quite..."

Sweetie arched a brow. "What about those of us without magic?" She turned a hoof at herself, then at Bright hesitantly. "Do you have magic? You are a familiar, and a vampire... That may count?"

Bright tapped his chin. "Huh, never really thought about it." He twirled on Rarity. "I never did any awesome magic, but you'd know, right?"

"Right..." Rarity laughed nervously. "Darling... I must confessed, you are the first familiar I created. My 'mentor' was quite... lacking. I don't know, truth told." She picked one of the last rings left, a simple silver stud she slipped into her ear, almost hidden. "Try calling me?"

Bright scrunched his fuzzy face, concentrating intensely. After a long moment one of his ears gave a faint sparkle but no magical voice sounded for Rarity.

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as Luna smiled in gentle reassurance. "Worry not, Sir Bright. Magic oft awakens gradually even for talented unicorns born so gifted."

Her horn flashed, enveloping Bright in soft cerulean flames that tickled pleasantly. "All living beings house inner reservoirs for weaving wonder - some merely tap deeper than others. Or differently."

The mystical fire dissipated leaving only a subtle starry shimmer clinging to Bright's fur. Luna gestured encouragingly. "There - a bit of alicorn enhancement stirring ambient ether through thy unique essence. Try focusing once more, visualizing speaking unto Rarity's heart."

Eager to aid her familiar, Rarity added her own sparking spellstream, wreathing the scrunched lapine in scintillating ruby radiance. "Go on darling! Reach out through our bond - my magic sings here to help span any divide!"

She held Bright's paws encouragingly as he refocused on mentally projecting to her through their link. After a few false starts, suddenly Rarity gasped in delight!

"Oh wonderful!" She laughed, magic pressing the button, then pulling blushing Bright into a fierce hug. "Our very first mind-to-mind chat success! We'll make a proper wizard's familiar out of you yet, my lovely!"

Behind her Sweetie Drops leaned subtly towards bemused Luna observing the celebratory snuggles. "Something tells me most mentor-disciple pairs don't get quite so...cuddly, Highness. Is this really typical for vamponies?"

Luna could only shrug helplessly. "I've observed stranger things between ponies. But let them have their moment." She watched the pair a moment longer before turning to leave. "I should check in on dear Applejack. She may need a listening ear after Pinkie."

Sweetie Drops watched Luna leave, then sighed. "I've trained in many body and mind techniques. This shouldn't be too different. You two whisper silently at each other. I'll focus on Luna." She frowned, thoughts locked on their leader. "Come in, Princess Luna. Princess Luna... come on..."

Bright hummed. "I didn't have to say her name..."

"You have your way, I have mine," Sweetie barked. "Now, as I was, Luna, hear me... Come on. Oh, it rang. That's good, right?"

"Hello?" came Luna's voice after a click. "Who is this?"

"Secret Agent Sweetie Drops." She saluted despite their being no line of sight between them. "Reporting success. The communication system is operational."

"I'm gladdened to hear that. Call me if anything changes. I'll be checking in with Applejack." With a click, that call ended.

Sweetie Drops nodded towards Bright and Rarity. "This is miraculous. If Twilight could make... a lot of these, this could change society as we know it. Even a hoof-ful of these." She glanced at Rarity's, then Bright's. "I suppose that's happening right now."

Rarity's eyes shone envisioning utopian vistas enabled by Twilight's gadget spreading serendipitous connection coast-to-coast.

"Imagine posh ponies planning parties from miles distant, no need relying only on cumbersome correspondence!" She clasped her hooves in delight as Bright nodded along. "Oooh, all my clients calling at once to relay simply scandalous stories heard through the grapevine about who did what to whom!"

Sweetie Drops smiled wryly. "As much as I enjoy imagining wave after wave of Canterlot gossip crashing over us all, I suspect Princess Luna intends these devices supporting more productive priorities than fueling equine intrigue mills."

She tapped her device thoughtfully. "Though I concede increased coordination capacity could benefit Ponyville operations as well... I may have underestimated the tactical potential."

Sweetie's stern focus suddenly gave way to anxiety realizing Luna had mentioned visiting a certain farm pony next. She hastily called the princess, nearly forgetting how the magic device worked in her haste.

"Ah, Your Highness? Apologies if I interrupted, but might I strongly advise against mentioning anything regarding, ahem, shadowy business to apple farmers at present?" Sweetie's mind raced with possibilities of exactly how awkwardly that could unfold given...mutual friends.

"Oh pff, as if Applejack wants to hear about our nocturnal adventures!" Rarity fanned dramatically. "Though I must visit her farm soon regardless and see if she found where Apple Bloom misplaced my jeweled brooch during last week's Crusader campout..."

Luna huffed gently on the line. "I had no intention. Now, she's looking at me oddly." There was a click of her hanging up.

Sweetie colored. "And I'm the first one to mess up using them, figures." She sighed gently. "Let's use them when we need them." She glanced between Rarity and Bright. "You two can call each other all you want. I doubt either of you will be upset to hear the other."

"Never!" Bright waved a fist towards the sky, daring the universe. "I'll always be happy to hear Rarity. Oh, do they have busy signals?" Both ponies looked at him oddly. "What happens if two ponies are talking and someone tries calling one of them?"

Rarity arched a brow at that. "I would not have thought of that, but that is a valid concern. Only one way to be sure." She pointed at Sweetie. "Attempt to call me."

"Hm? Are..." She looked at Rarity, then Bright. There was no outward sign of them being in communication. "Right... Okay! Calling. Rarity, come in... Rarity..."

Rarity's ear twitched. "That's interesting. I just heard that another pony is trying to reach me. And if I press the button now." She did so with her magic. "What happens?"

"I start hearing you," finishes Sweetie with a nod. "Are you still talking to Bright?"

Bright shook his head. "You hung up when you anwered Sweetie, but cool. So being in a call doesn't cut us off from everyone else."

Rarity clapped with building joy. "Twilight really thought of everything! She's a little frizzy, but such a genius. We really must get her a gift for these."

Rarity hummed thoughtfully considering appropriate appreciation tokens for pony prodigy Twilight. "Perhaps an exquisite yet unobtrusive choker? Oh! With subtle matching earrings and horn adornments augmenting sensory reception!"

She waved a hoof airily noticing Sweetie's skeptical expression. "Oh pish posh it's perfectly tasteful dear, you'll see! Why, with the slightest magical infusion, think how signals from these remarkable relays might interlace enhancing natural abilities! And fashion besides!" Rarity continued eagerly elaborating potential ensembles but paused as a shrill sound pierced the elegant boutique's refined tranquility.

All four, including the distant Luna, winced reflexively at the painfully shrill signal blaring directly into their minds via the very devices so recently praised! Sweetie reacted quickest, traced the alert beacon trajectory before others could move.

"Nearby magical disturbance pattern Crimson class threat level!" She shoved open the shop door, tense gaze sweeping the cheerful Ponyville scene until training spotted the signs - hurried shuttering of shops, nervous glances skyward...

The harsh psychic sound cut off, leaving an ominous vacuum dread swiftly seeped in filling like swirling fogbanks. All eyes turned towards the Everfree looming at town's edge, heartbeats counting seconds...until the unnatural cloud crested distant trees heralding the promised peril emerging behind.

"Positions everypony!" Luna swiftly assumed command, landing beside Sweetie Drops as the ominous form coalesced.