Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience

Your visit to your family's mansion took a lot less time than you thought it would, all things considered.

Well, you still wish you didn't have to come here at all. But you're already past that phase in your life. Nowadays you know what fights to pick, and what discomforts you would rather swallow than be stabbed by.

Still, not something you will be doing again anytime soon if you can avoid it.

And part of the reason for that is because even that little was enough to tire you out. You can feel your body heavy with the unpleasant weight of memories that the mansion invoked from the deeper parts of your mind. The large paintings on the walls, looking down at you disappointingly, the long corridors flanked by those tightly shut doors, the harsh words of your father, coupled with the knowledge that despite all the edge in them he was still being merely dismissive.

A memory of how your father is like when he is truly disappointed rears its ugly head from a corner of your mind, but you manage to smother it before the scene starts playing in your head.

You are back in your room less than two hours after you left, and the sun is still high up in the sky, but considering how worn out you are feeling it might as well be close to nightfall. You are somewhat pleased that you don't find Rarity, hoping that she took your unsubtle advice and went for a stroll around the capital. A carriage stroll, mind you. Because although you are sure that she would have picked up on your mood and helped you feel better, you honestly don't want her to. You brought her here, among many other things, so she can enjoy herself, not for her to see you sulk after a short visit to your estranged father.

So you decide to take it easy. You do a light check on your luggage and settle down for the rest of the afternoon. Nothing like a little time in your own company to help you forget about all that recent unpleasantness.

[Rarity's outing]

[Roll: 35 + ?? (Intrigue) = ??]

Rarity returns a lot later, not long before sunset in fact, and she is as giddy as you hoped she would be.

And for your own part you feel sufficiently refreshed, with no outward signs of your prior mood showing on your face or your demeanor. To the point where you can share in her terrific mood as she talks in depth about her first real impression of the capital, since she wasn't making a beeline from the train station to the Royal Castle this time.

You do notice, however, that from what Rarity is saying she most likely took the "scenic route" around the noble districts. And for all the excited conversation the two of you have, not even once does she mention actually leaving the chariot, so you can only picture her acting in the same excited-filly manner she was when you were on your way to the Royal Castle.

A bit of a shame, a corner of your mind thinks, that she didn't risk doing anything. But the part of you that just wants her to enjoy herself quickly quiets those thoughts down.

There will be time for that, you know, no need to rush it.

The two of you wake up in the following morning and a subtle tension settles over both you and Rarity, a silent anticipation that you share as you wonder what will come next. And that is because… well, how can you explain it?

The Royal Castle is an extremely large place, and it stands on the very center of a district-sized level that is unofficially known as the Royal District.

Unofficially because… actually, nopony really knows why Princess Celestia never officialized the name.

But that is besides the point. What matters is that although the Royal Castle IS hosting the core efforts of the search for Princess Luna, you and Rarity had no contact with said efforts so far, on your short stay here. The Royal Castle, after all, also houses the main garrison of the Royal Guard on its annexed barracks, a monumental library slash magical research complex, a royal court, and all other manners of places which are habitually populated by nobles and public servants going about their affairs. Said buildings are also, more often than not, connected to the Royal Castle itself by some underground passage, large corridors fitting for royalty which were carved out of the very mountain for convenience's sake.

And said passages make the subject of when the Royal Castle ends, and where the rest of the district begins, a complicated one. Some argue that the Royal Castle is in fact the entire complex of buildings, while others say it is only the main castle where the Princesses reside. You hear that such debates are a favorite classic among the higher nobility, in fact…

It strikes you as funny, you think, of how fitting all of this actually is. To the casual observer the Royal Castle, and the district around it, are a shinning beacon of organization and magnificence. However, for those in the know, it is a haphazard maze of underground corridors that "gets the job done", and a timeless source for dispute between opinions.

Which really makes it the ideal mirror of the heart of Equestria…

But the point is: none of you know what to expect because the castle is so unbelievably large that neither of you caught so much as a whiff about how the search efforts are being conducted.

"I know I'm asking you this more out of nervousness than anything else but… what do you think?" Rarity snaps you out of your musing, and you turn your perfectly schooled face to look at her.

Of course, you are maybe as nervous as she is, judging by her voice, but there is no reason for her to know that. It would only add to her own tension, after all.

"I think it looks wonderful," you answer honestly, "and not bringing out the big guns today, I see?"

Rarity is standing in front of a mirror, looking at herself with a tense expression for what must be the fifth time. She is impeccably dressed in a short black skirt and a modern looking white shirt with long sleeves, her mane bound in a ponytail.

In fact, you realize as you analyze her whole attire more carefully, the best way you could describe her would be as having a "secretary" look of sorts. Quite the opposite of what you expected, considering how she spent an entire night working on the dress you tricked her into making two days ago.

"Well, this will be our first impression, but I am here to help you out so…" she passes a hoof on her mane, "I thought it would be best to look the part, considering it will be paperwork from what you said."

You nod at that, pretending to ignore the fact that this is her way of saying she doesn't want to stand out.

Heavens, if Rarity doesn't want to stand out on her very first impression then she truly must be a pile of nerves. You make a mental note that you ought to keep an eye out for her.

"The both of us look ready enough then, shall we get going?" you gently ask her, while you slowly make your way towards the door.

Slowly enough to give her a final moment of hesitation, which she makes good use of before you finally hear a more determined answer from her.

"Yes, let's do this."

For all the size you know the Royal District to have, the two of you were indeed lodged in the castle itself, so it wasn't that long of a trek. Regal Effort, the armored mare of the Royal Guard who you can see will be accompanying you during your stay, quickly guided you to where the search for Princess Luna was being coordinated from.

You had your letter with you, of course, but the presence of the guard was more than enough to give you access to the deeper parts of the castle.

And you eventually arrive at a place that you think is normally used as a dining hall. Regal Effort opens a great set of double doors to reveal a grand hall, flanked by tall pillars and illuminated by windows of stained glass. On its very center stands a disproportionately long table, at least twice the size of the one you have on your own estate, and of far, far greater quality, you can see even from the distance you are at.

But you would only be able to surmise this place was once a dining hall from those things alone, in everything else it looks like what you would expect a barracks on war footing to be. The only exception being that there are more books and maps where you would have expected to see weapons.

The central table is covered in countless maps of Equestria, both of the continent as a whole and of its surrounding lands, as well as more detailed versions of specific regions. Several cabinets filled with scrolls and books can be seen almost everywhere, clearly indicating that entire sections of libraries were brought to this place, perhaps even at the slightest mention that a book or map on their collection could be of use.

And you see members of the Royal Guard, enough perhaps to fit an entire platoon… company, legion, whatever, you are not really savvy on their working. But you see a lot of them, armored or uniformed, most of them without their helmets and pouring over tomes and maps together with their peers.

"If the ladies will follow me, please," Regal Effort says without breaking stride, already used to the sight before her, it seems.

Her nonplussed reaction, of course, is the opposite of yours and Rarity's.

"By Celestia, it really looks like they are giving their all on this…" you hear Rarity whisper, as she follows behind you and the armored mare.

"By Celestia indeed…" you agree.

Much like in the Canterlot-region hub, the one where you met Captain Chalkhoof, the hierarchy of this place also makes itself clear as you take a better look around you. The older and larger cabinets seem to be closer to the central table, their contents clearly taken from more important libraries, with more ponies around them checking and cross-referencing maps.

And on the table itself, also, you see the great culmination of the search efforts. The maps over the table have various marks over them, ink and small banners indicating the location of search parties, supply lines and all things logistics. Around said maps, of course, are the ponies who seem to be in charge, the markings on their armor slightly more… larger than of those around them?

They look more important than the other guards, and you clearly need to brush up on your knowledge on the military of Equestria.

"Captain," Regal Effort salutes the pony on the edge of the table, confirming your suspicions, "Lady Velvet Covers and Lady Rarity are here, at the behest of your summons."

Of his summons? So, this was the guard that wrote you?

"Thank you Regal, I'll take it from here," he says, dismissing the mare and turning to the two of you.

You take a better look at this Captain, and you must say that… you don't really dislike what you see.

At the very end of the table, now walking towards you, is a large unicorn stallion. He must be almost as large as Comet Feet, and is dressed in an impeccable golden armor, his helmet forgotten back on the table in favor of letting his long cerulean mane flow freely. He is handsome, you must admit, and his chiseled expression is quick to express both his own confidence as well as the fact that he is clearly in charge of the whole place.

Not bad, you think. Not. Bad. At. All.

A slight look to your side reveals that Rarity is not gawking at the rather impressive specimen before you, much to your relief, but you can see that her eyes also have that small glint. A glint she is hiding well, but still a glint of…

Actually, what about you?! You mentally slap yourself out of it. Focus, Velvet, you are a respectable married mare!

"Thank you so much for answering my letter, I am Captain Shining Armor, and this is the place from where we are coordinating the search efforts on the kingdom as a whole," he says with a short bow.

"Charmed," you answer with a curtsy of your own, "you may just call me Velvet, if you don't mind, and this here is my friend Rarity," you introduce the two of you.

"I don't think I recall Chalkhoof mentioning your friend on his report," he says thoughtfully, "but anypony available to help is welcome, especially if that is a pony you think is good enough to bring with you. Follow me, let me show you how things are going."

The absolute unit of a stallion Captain Shining Armor turns around and bids the two of you to follow him to the central table, and you start making your way towards it, but not before…

Rarity lets out a muted yelp as you give her a subtle kick, snapping out of her own personal… "shock", and following after you as well.

"What about we get to work now," you whisper to her as she quickly trots towards you, "and leave the dreaming for later?"

"By Celestia," you hear her answer, as she discreetly nods an affirmation, "by all means but, lets… but talk about dreams, right?"

You allow yourself a slight not at that, but still put some effort into focusing yourself.

You make your own best to keep true to your words, and you slowly strangle the Grail!Velvet back to the dark corners of your mind, so that Winter!Velvet can get to the calm mindspace appropriate for the work to come.

Wait, when in the heavens did you start thinking like that…?

"So as the two of you can see," Shining Armor finally says, "the situation is rather… complicated."

It took him a good part of an hour to simply get the two of you up to speed about the whole situation.

At first this struck you as something strange. Yes, you did receive an invitation to help organize the national efforts of the search, but in all honesty you thought you would be tasked with a particular errand. After all, organizing logistical runs or filtering useful information from reports coming from several different search hubs already are, individually, daunting tasks on their own, even if you have a competent staff with you.

So you have to admit that you were somewhat taken aback when the Captain started putting you up to speed about everything.

The ponies who are with you around the table were his officers, and each of them seem to have an individual task that you personally would have given to a group of at least five ponies. It is no understatement to say that this is the very core of the search efforts, because from what you can surmise this is the place where everything…

Logistical supplies, distribution of idle volunteers, orders for search patterns, reports about dangerous sightings, filtering of useful information, relevant topographical updates, requests for specialized aid, emergency missives…

Where everything is concentrated, filtered, decided upon and then relayed back in the form of orders, decisions or support to the subsidiary hubs around Equestria.

Coupled with the fact that, this being Canterlot, this is also the greatest trove of up to date maps or other documents that could be of use.

So to put it simply, not only do they have a gigantic problem to tackle, they are also horribly understaffed.

It also doesn't help that, although you can see a small army of guards around you, there isn't a single poshly dressed pony in sight. There isn't a single civilian, noble or otherwise, lending their aid here.

And you think you can understand Shining Armor's words a little better. Of course any help is appreciated when you are working completely alone.

"Complicated doesn't even begin to describe it…" you say, trying your best to keep your voice level as you look at the maps laid out on the table, flanked by towers of reports, requests and other means of control and communication in the forms of scrolls and papers.

You look towards Rarity, sitting opposite to the Captain, and you see that she is having a bit more trouble in maintaining her calm. But you can't really blame her, in fact you feel like you should apologize to her for bringing her here at all. The mare is way out of her depth…

"Indeed…" the stallion looks at you, and then at Rarity, and you can see a glint of trepidation in his eyes, "but, well, any help at all is appreciated, even if it's just helping us think how to begin working around this whole situation."

You understand what Shining Armor means, he is asking you if there is a smarter way to do what they are doing. But what in the heavens does he expect you to do? What in the heavens did that blasted Chalkhoof wrote in his blasted letter to make Shining Armor think you have any hopes of helping here?

Sure, you can help, but as an individual mare. You can get a stack of reports and start turning it into information, you can organize the general efforts of a search party. But what you can't do is an amount of work that you would need ten ponies to get done!

You take a deep, long breath, trying to calm yourself down as you look towards the central map, the one detailing the current position of the search parties.

The one with a single marble statue, of a white alicorn, currently placed over the icy peaks of the Yaket Range.

She would have known what to do… of course she would, but Princess Celestia is not here, she can't afford to be here. You can surmise, if that statue truly represents her current position, that she has taken upon herself to search the farthest and most dangerous places, and that corroborates with the rumors you heard about the Princess not having been seen in Canterlot for weeks now.

You wonder if she actually weighted her options before making that decision, you wonder if she analyzed whether if she would be more useful organizing the search from her castle, or if she would be more useful out in the fields participating in the search herself.

Maybe she did, and came to the conclusion that her powers would be put to better use like this. Or maybe she didn't, and this is a demigoddess' equivalent of frantically trying to keep herself busy.

Well, she is not here right now. You are, and you will be damned if you return to Ponyville without saying you tried your best to do something, anything.

You take a deep breath, and close your eyes.

This problem, this whole operation, was already understaffed and overwhelmed before you arrived, so there is really no need to let it overwhelm you as well.

So you decide that you will…

[From Chaos, Order. Incremental +20 thresholds]

[Roll: 89 + 10 (Stewardship) + 5 (Rarity, out of her depth) = 104]

You will do this very… calmly.

"Rarity…" you say, massaging the sides of your head with your hoofs, "would you kindly ask somepony to call Ponpon here? I believe she was lodged in the Servant's Quarters… Tell her that I will be here for a while, she will know what it means…"

You take another deep breath, hearing the mare answer something before she trots away. You can tell that part of her was relieved for having something to do that she understands, that is within her reach of doing.

You have the impression that a lot of ponies here would feel like that too, if properly guided.

But this will not be as simple as organizing a small search camp, like you did with Chalkhoof.

No… this will take a lot more time…

The first problem you have to tackle is that of usefulness.

These ponies around you are Royal Guards, their cutie marks tell tales about skills involving combat, or about some intuitive desire to protect or to be there for somepony else. They are not suited for paperwork. The few of them suited for that are the ones already around the table, Shining Armor's officers, his lieutenants and the likes.

But even they are only… partly used to it, at best.

So you will have them do something they are actually good at.

"This map," you point at the great map where the search parties, all the search parties, are being tracked, small banners representing their next assigned area, around the small tents that represented their hubs, "I want three more of them."

That raises a few eyebrows, but you don't even bat an eye at that, and you see from the corner of your eye that somepony has already been signaled to bring you what you just asked for.

"Shining Armor, bring me your lead… sergeant? Your best pony, whatever you call it, of each species, bring them here. Pegasus, unicorn and earth pony. I want them each to draft me a map of where they think their own species is best suited for searching."

"But the search parties are already being segregated on each camp, what good would that be?"

"They are being segregated, yes, but they are still being used locally," you emphasize the last word, "if you look at the map, the search parties are basically focusing around their own camps and then expanding outwards. They are covering ground, but not in an efficient way."

You see the stallion eye the map, his face clearly trying to see what exactly you mean by that, or what exactly is wrong with that.

"There is also the fact that certain camps, like Cloudsdale for example, has a lot more pegasi than the others. And a pegasus, obviously, has better range on their search. So if we send out instructions on where each species is more useful, keeping the bigger picture in mind…" you prod him helpfully.

"You are thinking about having the camps cover each other's areas?" he says, eyeing the map more closely.

To which you simply nod, while you float a marker towards the map and start drawing up another grid over the already existing areas of the search camps.

"Almost. Earth ponies have more stamina, so we can leave the great outdoors and plains to them, mostly. Unicorn groups are better suited for whatever caves we find, or the forests we know aren't dangerous. Pegasi can get to places far beyond their camp's expectations. We need three maps, one for each species, and in the end we need to overlap their individual grids so they complement each other. No area left unsearched."

You see the Captain look at the map with a completely new expression. Good, he got the gist of it, then.

You can also see that he realizes that this will not be put into practice neither today, nor tomorrow. A plan will need to be hashed out, and then orders will have to be sent down the line. But this sort of thing is something his guards will know how to plan, and that is already a better use of their time than whatever else they might be trying to do right now.

He nods towards you, and goes in the direction from where the trio of maps you requested are being hauled from, and you hear him call for a few specific names as he goes about it.

You feel your eyes sting lightly as you read the report. What time is it again?

Irrelevant, Ponpon brought your tea the way you liked it, so you know you have a few more hours of fuel before your body starts feeling light and your leg starts to freeze up.

You let out a sigh, and you realize that your breath just now was cold enough to make your tea lose a bit of its heat… you should really try to learn how to control this.

"Ma'am, lieutenant Gale Speed is here," Ponpon shakes you out of your reading.

Oh, right, you called for the lieutenant, what was it about again…?

"Gale," you say curtly, "this report here. All of the reports, in fact, they are mostly filled with useless information."

You float the stack of papers towards him, and you can see by his expression that he actually agrees with you, but he also has the classic expression of a pony who has no idea of how to act upon said agreement.

"Progress on assigned areas. Number of volunteers, both arriving and leaving. Current stock of essential supplies. Those are the kinds of numbers that we need and…" you look at the stallion, his face visibly confused as he holds the piles of papers, "for heaven's sake, write what I'm saying down. Those are the kinds of numbers that we need. And if they want to give us small reports about topography or about how their maps are not up to date they can send us a new map annexed to the report, instead of their useless complaints. I'm sure there is one pony in every camp with a cutie mark for art or drawing, have your regional captains ask for their help."

The stallion nods as he desperately writes down what you are saying, being both relieved that this might just be the solution for the towers of reports that you receive… as well as being somewhat frightened at your tone of voice.

You see Ponpon put a few more sugar cubes in your tea, before offering it back to you, the mare for some reason wearing the quietly amused expression that she has whenever you are working on the late hours.

"Actually… Shining Armor," you turn around, facing the captain on the secondary table he had set next to your chair.

He looks up to you, his expression alert despite the bags under his eyes. The three other ponies around him, one of each species you note with satisfaction, still pouring over the trio of maps, several circles and paths already drawn on them in something approaching good order.

"Have somepony check if your regional captains are using the talents of the volunteers. I know it sounds obvious in hindsight, but I want to make sure we don't have a pony with a cutie mark about cooking stuck in regular search duty, when he could be helping to feed a whole camp. Things like that."

You see the Captain open his mouth, as if about to retort that such a thing is obviously not happening. But he quickly closes it right after, thinks a little, and nods towards you while getting up from his seat.

Goodness gracious. A pony's desire to help should not make them that blindsided, should it?

Well, but if you thought about it and Shining Armor agrees that it warrants a check, then…

You let out a sigh, a non-chilly sigh this time, and take a sip from your tea.

Pleasantly sweet, you think.

It's the… night of the… second day? You don't care anymore. What you do care is how utterly senseless some ponies around you can be.

"Send them a missive. Send everypony a missive!" the urge to bang the table does not come to you, but you can understand why some ponies resort to those sorts of crude expressions sometimes.

You look at the two trembling Royal Guard officers in front of you, as they dutifully take out their quills so as to write down anything you say.

"The search camps are of the royal and regular guard so I'm sure you will have no trouble with having your orders being followed," you groan, floating a gigantic pile of logistical requests to one of the less stacked book cabinets, and letting it un-float with a loud bang to make a point of how large it was. "Nopony else asks for anything anymore, they send us the number of volunteers they have, and they wait for supplies. Letters come up only if its an emergency, or else we will never read through the mountain of requests for materials, and get to the missives that are actually important."

Your tone of voice sends the two lieutenants running away, quills on their hoofs as they rush to see your orders fulfilled. You also notice that the chairs around you have been empty for a while, as well as the fact that very few ponies, Shining Armor, Ponpon and Rarity among them, have even approached you recently.

You brush away such petty concerns. The regular guards are still pouring over the maps, and the lieutenants are still keeping the flow of information (the much smaller flow of information, thank you very much) running.

You float your teacup towards you, only to realize it is empty.

"Ponpon?" you look around, searching for the familiar sight of your trusty maid.

Oh, wait, you dismissed her so she could sleep a while back…

No more tea for you then…

"Uh… Velvet Covers?" you hear Shining Armor's voice coming from behind you, and you turn to face him.

"What?" is all you can manage to answer him.

You glance over his table, noting with a satisfied nod that the maps are ready, several letters with instructions already being penned to be sent down to the search camps. As soon as those reach the ground floor, you know, the search will take up a much more efficient shape.

And you will finally be able to retire the boring old map you have on the central table, its progress as good as a crawl as each individual camp selfishly expands only on its own little assigned area.

Heavens, you think that the only pony who might have made good, efficient progress is Princess Celestia herself, the small statue that marks her presence jumping around all of Equestria by means that you can only guess is through some absurdly strong teleportation.

"Don't you think you should… you know…" the Captain hesitantly speaks, pointing towards you and then… towards the door?

Whatever he means by that?

"You want me to do… what?" you ask, wondering if there is something out of the room that can help organizing the search.

"Well, you've been here for a few… days now, so I thought…"

Heavens, the stallion can't even communicate? How did he even make it to Captain?

"I'll take it from here, Shining," you see Rarity coming towards you from her own stack of reports she had been helping you read through, "Velvet darling, come with me for a minute?"

Shining Armor, for some reason, looks relieved at that. In fact, you hear several ponies sigh in relief as they see Rarity push you away from the central desk.

"What are you doing Rarity?" you ask, trying to resist her push, "we have all sorts of everything to get done."

"Yes darling, but you need to sleep, and I won't take no for an answer."

"But the supplies! I need to check that letter before it goes down the chain, and we have another train leaving in a few hours to make its rounds and-!"

"And I'm sure our friends will be able to manage all of that for a few hours while we are away, don't you think?" she says calmly, effortlessly pushing against your meek attempts at resisting her, "you can face it as a form of training for them, even, to see how well they are taking to their updated duties."

That line of thought actually gives you pause as you think about it, and you only realize it was a trap when Rarity closes the doors to the hall behind you.

"Rarity, I'm serious! We have to…" you try to remember what you were about to say, but it simply escapes your mind… however, you insist on it regardless, "we have to!"

"Oh Velvet, please," she stops, holding you by the shoulders and looking into your eyes, "I understand how important this is, but you also have to rest, even if a little bit…"

And you see actual worry in her eyes, which really makes you pause for a few moments.

"Just a short nap? I'll wake you up in two or three hours at most… please?"

Two or three hours, you think, and she is worried about you… maybe you could go for it, after all…

"Alright… Promise you will wake me up?"

"Would I ever lie to you, darling?" she promises, with the most honest of smiles.

And you believe her.

Of course, after you hit your bed you only wake up way after midday, and only to receive a stern, but honestly worried, talking-to from Rarity.

It's a little past midnight of the fifth day, you take a last sip of your tea and float it back to the saucer next to you.

And this, the now empty teacup, is your signal that you are done for the day. Rarity went to your own room a few minutes ago, and you have already dismissed Ponpon as well, promising the two of them that you wouldn't take more than an hour to go to your own bed.

You sigh, thinking back to the… the entire week, now.

These last five days really did pass by in a flash.

And not in a good way, you think. There is still so much to do.

You optimized some processes, sure. The search parties are a lot more efficient now, the camps and hubs are now complementing each other's search sweeps, and the amount of paperwork involved was nearly cut down to a third of its original volume.

Honestly... this whole mess was borne from ponies having too many good intention, and not enough worry about planning on how to get things done. But ponies can be like that sometimes…

"Aren't you calling it a night as well? I hear there isn't really much to do during the night shift anymore," you hear a mare coming up behind you, the faint sound of metal against the floor betraying that she is using an armor. Probably a mare guard on duty, you think.

"Yes, I will… promised my friend I wouldn't do any more all-nighters and all, but" you float your writing quill and dip it in a little more ink, "I really want to get this letter done before I go."

You can hear her coming up from behind you, looking over your shoulder. You don't really care about it though, these last few days under the curious scrutiny of the guards has inured you against this sort of thing.

"A letter to the… cartographer's guild? Are you going to ask for more maps or the likes?" you hear her ask, curiously.

"Not really… going to ask for their help, sure, but they have already upended their archives for anything that could be of use to us. No… what I have in mind is asking their members for help."

You hear her let out an inquisitive "huh?", so you entertain her with an answer as you continue writing the letter.

"It's just that…"

But for some reason you feel lost for words. For some reason, you are suddenly feeling very tired.

"It's just that there is so much more we could be doing… Take the cartographer's guild for example, I'm writing them an open letter, inviting any of their members to join in the search to the most dangerous parts of Equestria, promising a full detail of guards for anypony who agrees to join. They are ponies with cutie marks for making maps, I am sure that one or two or ten of them will agree. This way they can get something out of it by mapping previously unexplored places, and we also gain something because we will have more specialists on the field, and…"

You let out a long, exasperated sigh, hoofs going to your temples as you realize just how exhausted you are. You would like to think that you are feeling something as simple as frustration, but it's not that. You are simply... too overwhelmed perhaps, the weight of this entire past week finally beginning to settle down on your body.

"I just feel like we could be doing so much more… we should be doing so much more…"

You hear the mare sit next to you, the telltale sign of a horn appearing in the border of your vision. A unicorn then, maybe one of Shining's officers?

"I… I honestly can respect how much dedication you are putting on this… Velvet Covers, wasn't it? But I honestly don't understand why… Why do you think like that?"

Her voice is pleasant, you think idly. Honest, understanding, you can feel something soothing radiating from the mare, to the point where she doesn't even need to say that she thinks that "you have done more than enough already". Something about her tone of voice, or perhaps her presence, already makes it implicit.

"It's because…" you think, trying to put it into words.

And for a moment you think you might not be able to explain her why you are feeling like this.

Until you realize how simple it actually is.

"I…" you start, although you are not sure why you are hesitating. "I have a daughter and a husband… and whenever I look at that map, and that alicorn piece. Whenever think about Princess Celestia, and how she has not returned to the castle ever since the search started…"

And the more you speak, the more easily the words come to you.

"Whenever I think about how I would be feeling if it was somepony of my family who was missing… Whenever I think of how it must be like, to be even as half as desperate as I think I would feel if that happened, well…"

You put your quill down, you don't think you will be able to finish the letter tonight anyways. Your mind is clear, for some reason, but you just feel too…

"I just don't think I have the right not to help. I just don't think it is the pony thing to do, to sit idly and do nothing… I don't mean to sound presumptuous, or superior to anypony else, but I can't help but think that anypony that is not helping is a pony who never in their lives felt…"

"Love?" the mare completes your phrase, saying the word as if she had just read your mind.

"Yes… love…" you sit back on your chair, looking at nowhere in particular, thinking about your family and about how long it will be until you are back home with them. "Love…" you say once again, almost as if talking to yourself.

And for some reason you feel a strange, yet welcome, warmth inside of you.

"Well, I can tell just by this you have a beautiful family, Velvet," the mare says, looking at you, "honestly, I hope one day I can have one like that," she says with a bashful smile.

"Oh, don't worry," you turn to face her with a smile of your own, "I'm sure that one day y- PRINCESS MI AMORE CADENZA?!"

You nearly fall back, your hindleg seizing up as you desperately try to stay on your chair, keep your balance, and bow down as low as you can all at the same time.

"My goodness Princess, I'm so terribly sorry for my manners" you stammer out, trying your best to reorient yourself while keeping your head towards the ground, "please, allow me to apologize an-!"

"Velvet, really, it's alright" she answers.

With a… smile? Is she laughing?

"And please, just call me Cadance. That full name always sounds a bit too much for me, as does the whole Princess title, if I can be honest."

You look up at her, seeing her honest expression as she keeps one hoof over her mouth, stifling a laugh.

You also see her wings, and her horn, and her regalia, and her everything. How the hell could you think that the elegant clopping of her golden horseshoes was something as dull as the sound of an armor?!

"I… am… Are you sure?" you tentatively get up, passing a hoof over your hindleg to make sure it won't embarrassingly cramp up at the worst possible moment.

"I am, don't worry. And I also came here just to… well, just to talk. Nothing official or anything," she says, looking around to the hall.

The totally empty hall, you realize, suddenly remembering that Shining Armor had changed the working hours of everypony so the night periods would be totally free.

You also realize she said she wanted to talk, not talk to you. Well, maybe she did come looking for you specifically, but you won't be as presumptuous as to assume you caught the attention of a Princess...

Right...?

Besides she… well, you have never met Princess Celestia before, and you have heard that she has a formidable presence to her. But Princess Cadance… well, Cadance seems extremely approachable, for some reason.

In fact, she looks downright normal, sans the whole horn-and-wings thing.

She just looks maybe like a tired mare, who just had a long day of work, and who is looking for something akin to a pleasant conversation.

Just like you.

And you do know that she has been holding court while Celestia is away, so heaven knows how tiring her day must have been…

"If that is the case…" you say, biting down another set of apologies, "you said you hope you will have a family one day? You?" you ask, trying your best not to sound too surprised at that, trying as much as you can to make it sound like some innocent mare gossip.

You think for a moment that maybe you shouldn't have asked that, a flash of horror coming to you as you chide yourself for even thinking that a Princess would do something as base as gossiping.

That is, until you see her expression turn into a soft smile at your question.

"Well yes. I mean, who doesn't?" she answers with another short laugh.

But wait, wait wait… you know that kind of laugh. You have seen it several times. Yes, you are sure of it!

That just now was most definitely the smile of a mare who is in-!

"Hang on a second," you say, studying her expression more carefully, "Princ-… Cadence," you bite down the title halfway through it, she did tell you not to call her that after all, "are you… do you have somepony you are interested in…?"

"What? Me? What makes you think that?!" she answers almost immediately.

But you see it, you know that expression too well. The way her eyes went wide open for a fraction of a second, the way she is smiling, almost stammering, as she answers.

She is.

And, you think as a knowing smile forms on your face, you have as long as she is willing to talk to figure out exactly who the lucky stallion, or the lucky mare, is.

Maybe Princess Cadence is still just a normal pony, underneath all of that alicorn part of her. Maybe, you think, she just might be somepony with whom you can be friends.

You have met Captain Shining Armor, and although he might not be the kind of stallion who can be quantified as an "Acquaintance", his allegiance already making his own intents clear beyond doubt, he is surely somepony who you will be able to approach freely from today on, your bond one forged in the fiery crucibles of... paperwork!

Your extensive efforts in helping to organize the search have given you great insight into the topography of Equestria, as well as knowledge of the places which have already been thoroughly combed. You will receive a +25 bonus for your personal search roll, to be accumulated with the second week's bonus. (Fifth Threshold search bonus)

Your dedication has attracted the attention of nopony less than Princess Mi Amore Cadenza herself. She is not the regular kind of pony who can be quantified as an "Acquaintance", but you can certainly say that you are on each other's contact list from today onwards. (Fifth Threshold contact bonus: Alicorn encounter. Princess Cadance now knows you, and that is something few ponies can boast)