My Little Teelo: Masquerade

Chapters

Final Preparations
By the Light of Burning Bridges
Walking Softly
Big Stick Politics
Brinksmanship
Balance Of Terror
Yesterday's Enemies
Plausible Deniability
Tour D'Horizon
Detente
Rapprochement
Retrograde Advance
Casus Belli
Damnatio Memoriae
Mettle
Diplomatic Gastronomy
Grave Situation
Repercussions
Reflections
Strengthening Relations
Diplomatic Usage
An Ever Shifting Landscape
Negotiations
Diplomacy By Other Means
Modest Strides
The Power Of Persuasion
Breakthrough
Impetus
Advancement
Linguistic Subtleties
Embuscade
Accommodation
Recursive Recompense
Reconcilliation
Duplicity
Coercive Diplomacy
Diplomacy Delayed
One Part Tradition Two Parts Expectation
The Worlds Like Jewels
Timeo Danaos Et Dona Ferentes
Belligerency
Diplomacy's End
Collateral Damage
Opening Diplomatic Relations
The Art Of Diplomacy
Crossing The Rubicon
Tomorrow's Allies
The Language of Diplomacy
The End of the Beginning

Final Preparations

In which we discover our heroine is not the only one who is preparing for her arrival in Equestria.

Earth, Friday afternoon, May 28, 2013 3:12 PM

“So, what do you have to pack?” Emma asked as the two girls walked into Teagan’s room. “You’re going to be gone all summer—I bet your suitcases are huge. How many are you taking?”

“None, actually. Oh, and I fibbed just a bit, I’m already packed. I just wanted to hang with you for a while since I won’t see you till September. Plus, I wanted to ask a favor.”

“Favor?” Emma asked, puzzled.

“Yeah,” Teagan paused, unsure of how to word it. “It’s—look, I know this whole secrecy thing really sucks for you, and you’ve been an absolute saint about not asking me questions and you have no idea how much I appreciate it. You’ve gone above and beyond what even a best friend should have to put up with.”

“Uh huh. This is not news, Teelo,” Emma said, grinning.

“Yeah. What I’m trying to say is that sometimes I’m afraid you think I don’t trust you. But I do, Emma. It’s just that this whole thing is bigger than me and you. If anyone found out the truth a lot of very good people could get in horrible trouble. If it wasn’t for them I would be dead right now, Emma. Dead. That’s not an exaggeration. I owe them my life, you understand? So I owe it to them to keep the secret.”

Emma blinked, taken aback by the look on Teagan’s face.

“Whoa, wait a minute. I know that freak show was crazy, but—he tried to kill you?”

Teagan nodded. “Twice—at least—and it wasn’t just me. Flu—that girl I talked about? You remember? There were others too. So it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, I honestly can’t.”

“Hey, you already told me this back in January,” Emma said, holding up her hands. “I know it’s a big deal and I’m okay with it.”

“Yeah, but I need to do something to prove I trust you.” She went to her closet and retrieved something from the top shelf, having to strain to reach it. She brought it back and laid it on the bed next to Emma.

“What is it?” Emma asked, staring at the cloth-wrapped bundle.

“My friends gave it to me as a keepsake,” Teagan said, resting her hand on the bundle. “I want you to keep it safe for me while I’m gone this summer. It’s the most precious thing I own, Emma. I trust you. I really, really trust you.”

“Wow.” Emma stared at the bundle, shocked. “Um, can I see it?”

“Well, duh,” Teagan laughed as she carefully unwrapped the bundle to reveal a narrow wooden box a little over a foot long and about three inches square.

“Oh, that’s so pretty!” Emma exclaimed. “All that carving, it’s amazing.”

“You have no idea,” Teagan said, running her hand along the lid. “They told me the artist made it especially for me. It look her nearly two weeks just to do the carvings. But that’s not the most amazing part. The box, the lid, and the hinges connecting them were carved from a single solid piece of wood—and it’s still one piece, even though it moves.”

“No way! That’s unbelievable.” Emma looked down at the box in awe. “No wonder it’s your most precious possession.”

“Oh, that’s not the half of it. Look inside, Emma.” Teagan was regarding the box with a warm smile.

“I’m afraid to touch it. What if I break it?” Emma said

Teagan laughed and unlatched the lid, showing her friend how the shining fasteners worked. “These are real gold, by the way.”

“You’re kidding.” Emma was beyond surprise now.

“I swear.”

“This thing must be worth a fortune, Teelo!”

“I guess it is. Go ahead. Open the lid.”

Trying to keep her hand from trembling Emma finally worked up the courage and gently lifted the lid. She didn’t let go until it was safely touching the back of the box. The inside of the box consisted of ten compartments, lined with padded while silk so brilliant it nearly glowed. Nestled carefully in each compartment was a miniature figurine.

Emma’s brow wrinkled in perplexity.

“Teelo, what are these?”

“Statuettes,” Teagan replied. “The body of each one is a different semi-precious stone. The eyes and other details are made with real gems. I’m told the artist didn’t use any glue either. I have no idea how she managed to make the different pieces stay together.”

Emma carefully picked up a bright purple statuette. “Is this a lizard? Why is it standing upright?”

“It’s a baby dragon.” Teagan couldn’t help snickering, thinking of how Spike would react to being called a lizard.

“Huh. All these little details are amazing. You almost need a magnifying glass to even see everything. I can’t imagine making something like this.”

She reverently returned the statuette to its compartment and leaned forward so she could see the rest of the figurines.

“Is that a horse?” She asked, pulling out a roan colored figurine. “Wearing an eye patch? What in the world? Is this a pirate horse or something?”

Teagan lost it, breaking into gales of laughter and falling back on the bed. She could imageSun Hammer as a pirate, bellowing: “Arr, me hardies! Avast and all that there bilge blether, so it be!”

“I’m glad I made you laugh, but seriously. What are these? I mean I can see horses, and unicorns and some of them have wings so I guess they’re pegasuses, but the two big ones I haven’t a clue. Winged unicorns? Pega-corns maybe? Uni-suses?”

Teagan snickered, but tried to control herself when Emma glared.

“Are you going to tell me, or just laugh at me?” The brown haired girl demanded.

“Okay, okay.” She carefully took Sun Hammer’s figurine from her friend.

“Emma, meet Sun Hammer, Keeper of the Armory, Hero of the Crown and Champion of the Sun. He’s a fierce pony with a Scottish accent and a take-no-prisoners attitude. Do not mess with him or those he loves.”

“Uh, what? Teelo, seriously, what?”

“He’s from Equestria,” Teagan explained.

“What’s Equestria?” Emma asked patiently.

“Seriously? You never heard of Equestria? My Little Pony?”

“My Lit—you mean that cartoon for little girls?” Emma asked in disbelief, raising her eyebrows.

“Yeah. But it’s not just for little girls anymore. Trust me.”

“So let me get this straight. Your friends, who are really powerful people in their government, gave you a custom made set of My Little Ponies that cost a fortune?” Emma asked in disbelief. “Seriously? What the hell, Teelo?”

“Like I said, it’s a keepsake to remember them by.” Teagan put the Sun Hammer figurine back, a fond smile on her face.

“Well unless they’re horses I can’t imagine why they’d choose this for a keepsake,” Emma retorted.

Teagan barked a short laugh.

“Um, let’s just say there was a good reason. I can’t say why without revealing a secret, so I’ll just say it made me cry when they gave me this. Keep it safe for me, okay?”

Emma studied her friend, who was no longer smiling. Emma wondered what she was thinking about. Sometimes Teelo seemed completely normal, but occasionally she’d grow quiet and watchful. Or say the most outrageous things as if they were utterly commonplace. Like right now.

But Emma trusted her friend.

“All right, Teelo. I promise I’ll keep it safe,” she answered firmly.

She left a little after nine o’clock, taking the keepsake with her.

ooOoo

“Are you ready, Sun Hammer?” Subtle Dancer asked, breathing deeply as he readied himself for the strenuous task ahead.

“Aye, ye great walkin’ spindle,” Sun Hammer grumbled. “Tis ower early, and that’s a fact. Twill be fower hours till Celestia opens her blessed eyes, much less stirs herself, so it be.”

“Three hours 19 minutes,” the unicorn corrected him absently.

“Oh, aye? Nou ye be a bletherin’ pocket watch an’ all?” The gigantic earth pony snorted. “Open the daft thing an’ let me gae fetch the lassie. Maybe catch forty winks while we’re waitin’ tae come back.”

“Somebody got up on the wrong side of the stall this morning,” Subtle Hammer retorted, using a deliberately vulgar expression.

Sun Hammer snorted in amusement.

“Aye, keep that up an’ we’ll hae ye speakin’ proper in nae time a tall! An jus’ so ye ken, Subtle Dancer, A should be in that stall yet!”

The unicorn shook his head, knowing the irascible earth pony would insist on having the last word.

“It’s time.” The black unicorn levitated a pair of large gems with his magic, bringing them together before laying his horn on the pair. A single flare of silver light caused them to glow with a soft pale blue radiance.

“All right, the timing stones are set.” He let one stone fall gently in front of his hooves while he levitated the other into Sun Hammer’s saddlebag. “Remember, I’ll open the bridge again in four hours. Five minutes before then the stone will chime and begin to flash brightly. Five minutes after that it will chime again and the light will go out. That’s when I’ll start opening the Bridge.”

“Aye. A do wish we’d o’ had these the last time,” Sun Hammer grunted.

Subtle Dancer didn’t bother answering; he was too busy summoning the immense surge of magic it took to activate the Bridge of Days. As the flare from his horn turned blinding a speck of light appeared in mid air and rapidly spread to become a rainbow bordered hole seven feet across. Light poured out and Sun Hammer could see three humans on the other side, waiting for him. He trotted nonchalantly through the hole in reality as if it had been nothing more than a footbridge over a stream.

With a gasp of relief the unicorn released his magic, watching the hole rapidly shrink to a bright dot and disappear with a pop.

ooOoo

In the trees the watcher narrowed its eyes, leaving them slits of pale azure blue. Soundlessly it withdrew, its midnight black body rendering it nearly invisible in the pre-dawn darkness. A short two minute walk brought it to its queen. Silently it bowed, waiting.

Well? The thought formed in its mind.

It is as you were informed, Your Majesty. The unicorn opened a hole in the air and the giant earth pony went through it. After the hole closed the unicorn seemed very tired. He will open it again in four hours.

Yes! Her thought rang with triumph. You have done well! You were not seen?

No, Majesty. The stupid ponies are standing behind their ring of torches. It blinded them to anything in the trees.

Good. The queen reared from sheer excitement and broadcast a message to her swarm.

When the unicorn opens the Bridge of Days in four hours time and has exhausted his magic we will strike. Be ready, my children! Vengeance begins today!

The forest was completely silent, but the wild cheering thoughts of her children made her heart swell.

ooOoo

Earth, Friday night, May 28, 2013 9:37 PM

Emma was lying on her stomach in her pajamas with Teagan’s keepsake open in front of her. She was staring at a white winged unicorn wearing a gold crown set with tiny gems.

“Who are you?” Emma asked the figurine whimsically. She’d been trying to figure out what the figurine represented. It was clearly royalty, but beyond that she hadn’t a clue.

She froze in shock when the stone figurine in her hands spread its wings and looked at her. Flapping its wings it rose slowly in the air until it was hovering in front of her face.

“Greetings. I am Princess Celestia, co-ruler of the magical land of Equestria. But you already knew that, didn’t you, Lady Teelo?” The very much alive diminutive winged unicorn chuckled. “Gotcha!” It settled back onto her hands, folded its wings, and turned back to stone.

“Holy crap!” She stared at the tiny stone statuette, unable to believe what had just happened. “That is not possible. It just—no. No, I did not just see a statue come to life. I didn’t.”

She was afraid to move, acutely aware the sculpture in her hands was probably worth more than her parent’s entire house, not to mention being Teelo’s most prized possession. But she didn’t want it touching her any more. Carefully she pulled her hands apart and let the figurine slip onto the covers. When she was sure it was safe she wriggled backward off the bed. Once on her feet she backed rapidly away, staring fixedly at the thing.

It lay there innocently, looking like nothing more than a tiny toy unicorn with wings, lying on its side. It didn’t move, it didn’t speak, and it didn’t break the laws of reality. Emma eyed it carefully for five minutes.

When nothing else happened she crept forward, ready to bolt if the statue so much as blinked. Carefully she sat on the edge of the bed. When the statuette still didn’t react she took a deep breath and asked another question.

“What are you?”

The statue came back to life, rolling onto its stomach and getting to its feet.

“It’s just a little spell, Lady Teelo. There’s only enough magic for a few tricks each day. Then it has to rest before the magic builds up again.” The statue stiffened back into stone.

Magic? There’s no such thing as magic! Who could make something like this? Oh God, that’s easy. NOBODY could make something like this! It’s not possible!

Taking another deep breath she addressed the statuette.

“Princess Celestia?”

The statue came to life. “Hello, Lady Teelo. I took the liberty of enchanting each of the figurines. Everyone was happy to model for the spells that animate these toys. We thought since you’d never see us again we should give you something to remember us by. Each figurine will respond to simple questions with short answers. Since each of your friends gave a little of themselves to the spell, their figurine will act like the real pony—or dragon, in Spike’s case. I hope you never forget us. Nach bhfuil dearmad Capaill, Lady Teagan Laoise, scion of clan O’Gara. Fare you well, col ceathrar.”

With that, the tiny winged unicorn paused, and said “The magic fades for today, Lady Teelo. It will return with the rising of the sun.” And the statuette become stone again.

“Princess Celestia?” Emma asked. The figurine remained stone.

Huh, guess the battery ran down. Emma thought, picking up the figurine and returning it to its box, thinking hard.

The figurine had kept calling her Lady Teelo, like a title or something. She knew for a fact Teagan’s family wasn’t descended from nobility, so it made no sense. And what was that about the statuettes acting like the real ponies? Emma stiffened.

Teelo laughed. She thought in shock. What was it? I said the box only made sense as a keepsake if they were—

“Horses. That’s when she laughed,” Emma said numbly. “And she said Sun Hammer was from Equestria, and that was from My Little Pony—a cartoon.”

“That’s it. I’m going nuts. This isn’t possible. Get a grip, Emma!”

She stared at the box again. Princess Celestia’s battery was dead, but there were nine other figurines. She started to reach for the blue winged unicorn, but changed her mind and picked up Sun Hammer’s figurine instead.

“Who are you?” She asked it.

She didn’t flinch when it came to life.

“A be Sun Hammer, daith o’ the Troll King, Keeper o’ the Armory, Hero o’ the Crown, an’ Champion o’ the Sun. Who be ye?”

The statuette looked at her suspiciously.

“I’m Emma, Teelo’s friend. I guess you’re a friend of hers too?”

“Aye. A be her faithful friend, lass. I miss her smile, that bampot O’Gara. If A kenned the way o’ it, A’d open the Brig and come visit that lassie, so A would.”

The figurine went inert.

Emma thought for a few minutes and then asked.

“Who is Teelo?”

The statuette tossed his head.

“Who be she? She be the Lady Teagan Laoise, o’ the clan O’Gara! The lass what picked up Crush and went out ta battle that nyaff Discord. She’s the lassie what charged naked across broken glass tae save her friend Fluttershy when Discord would hae done unspeakable things tae her afore lettin’ her die! She’s the one who saved Princess Celestia her own blessed self! And in the doin’ saved all o’ Equestria! She be Teelo, who named me friend when nary other pony would, savin’ the princesses. She be a hero, so she be.”

The statue paused. “Ah, lassie, A be gettin’ a muckle tired. Hae tae see ye tomorrow. Well met, Teelo’s friend.” It reverted to stone.

This pony hadn’t mistaken her for Teelo the way Celestia had. Emma wondered why.

But then she stiffened, remembering the name Teelo had started to say. Flu—could that be Fluttershy? She’d said the crazy man had been planning to torture the girl to death. Sun Hammer had said this Discord was planning unspeakable things before letting her die…

Emma swallowed. Crazy or not, impossible or not, the figurines were telling her the same story Teelo had. But Teelo had said girl, not pony.

Thinking back Emma started putting the pieces together. The first time, when she was abducted, that must have been Discord—whoever Discord was—another pony, maybe?

She needed more answers.

The next hour was spent asking the figurines questions, from the strangely formal Princess Luna to the crazy pink one. After she was done she carefully closed the box and wrapped it up, then stored it safely on her closet shelf, in the back where her kid brother wouldn’t find it.

Then she got dressed and very quietly let herself out of the house.

ooOoo

Earth, Friday night, May 28, 2013 11:00 PM

“Sun Hammer!” Teagan glomped the huge pony as soon as the Bridge closed. “I’m so happy to see you! And this time it’s all happy news!”

Sun Hammer nuzzled her hair affectionately.

“Aye, lassie. Even if it be too early by half,” the stallion grumbled.

“Poor baby,” Teelo crooned. “I forgot Equestria’s almost 5 hours ahead. It’s three in the morning for you, isn’t it? I’m sorry.”

“Nae, lassie. A be fine. Does a cuddy good tae bellyache a wee bit nou an’ again.”

“Hello, Sun Hammer,” Elaine said smiling at the picture the pair of them made.

“Well met, Lady O’Gara,” Sun Hammer returned. “Greetings, Lord O’Gara. A hope A find ye well?”

“Oh yes. It’s good to see you, Sun Hammer. How’s life been treating you?”

“As tae that, well better than A hae any right tae hope.” The pony smiled a somewhat goofy smile as his eyes lost focus.

Teagan gaped at him. She’d seen that look often enough at school.

“Sun Hammer, you found somebody?” Teagan asked in delight, beaming.

“Eh?” His focus snapped back to the girl. “What did ye say, lass?”

“I said—oh how do ponies say it—oh right. Did you find your special somepony?”

He took a startled step back.

“Nou, whoa there lassie! A ne’er said that, so A dinnae!” He blushed. “Dinnae wanna jinx it, so A don’t.”

“Who is it?” Teelo demanded, hopping up and down. “Tell me!”

“Maybe nae pony. She might jes’ be showin’ pity tae the poor outcast, so she might,” he warned her.

“Sun Hammer, tell me right now!” Teelo glared.

“Well, it be like this, lassie. Jus’ after ye left Faerie Mist, well she comes tae the armory on business fer the Princess, ye ken. It were late, an’ we both missed dinner, so we did. Well, she got tae talkin, as mares will, an afore I know it she was actin’ all shocked that A ne’er went tae the dinin’ hall, an’ made me own meals in me quarters instead o’ lettin’ the kitchens dae it.”

“I tried tellin’ her nopony wanted me around, so twere better for everypony, but she would nae hear o’ it.”

He paused, remembering, a smile growing on his muzzle. “An’ nothin’ would satisfy her till she traipsed down tae the kitchens and came back wi a cart full o’ all kinds o’ vittles.”

“Best meal I e’er ate, so it was. And she ate it wi me.” He sighed happily.

“Funny thing be, she’s taken supper wi me e’er night since. And we talk.” His eyes focused on the entranced girl.

“She’s a pretty little thing,” he said contemplatively. “And smart as a fox, she is. Princess Celestia’s first lady-in-waiting, ye ken. High above this cuddy, that’s fer certain sure. Still, there’s a fire in her, ye ken? Strong, so muckle strong. Would nae wanna cross her, A would nae.”

“I know her,” Teelo said, grinning. “I think you two would make a great couple.”

“Isn’t Faerie Mist the lavender pegasus with the floaty yellow mane?” Elaine asked. “The one who invited us to Equestria? I thought she was very nice. So refined.”

“You never saw her angry, Mom. I have,” Teelo said with a grin. “Sun Hammer’s right. You would not want to cross that mare. I’m so happy for you, Sun Hammer!”

“A’ll nae count me chickens,” Sun Hammer said, shaking his head. “But A’ll nae refuse her company neither, so A will nae.” He suddenly shook himself.

“Listen tae me! Gossipin’ like an old mare. Oh, an’ speakin’ o’ gossip, there’s news aplenty ye need tae know afore ye gae back, an’ that’s a fact.”

“If this is going to be a long story, then let’s all get comfortable,” Elaine said. “Sun Hammer, there’s a pillow for you if you want to sit down.”

“Thank ye kindly, Lady O’Gara.” Sun Hammer sat with surprising delicacy. He waited for the others to be seated before taking a deep breath.

“Tis been a busy few months in Equestria, lassie, an’ no mistake. First, the Crystal Empire reappeared, so it did! The crystal ponies whit were gone fer centuries, they’re back! An’ apparently, along with ‘em a villain by the name o’ King Sombra. Nasty piece o’ work that one. Undaid, he is. A shadow lurkin’ in the frozen north, wantin’ tae enslave the empire again, like he did afore. Twas his curse what made the Empire vanish, so it was. Even as he fell he took the Empire wi him.”

“Nasty,” Teelo commented, grimacing. “No more snow for this little girl. One overgrown ice cube with side order of mega-blizzard was more than enough, thank you! Mix in undead ghosties and I’m going home.”

Sun Hammer chuckled. “Aye. Still, Princess Cadence has the matter well in hoof, and Shining Armor wi her.”

“Princess Cadence? What’s she got to do with the Crystal Empire?” Teelo asked in confusion.

“Did ye nae see her cutie mark? Tis the Crystal Heart, so it be! Symbol o’ the Crystal Empire,” Sun Hammer said.

“Hang on, I saw her as a teenager! She was foal-sitting Twilight Sparkle, Sun Hammer. How can she be the ruler of an empire that vanished so many centuries ago?”

“Ye saw whit nou?” Sun Hammer asked, startled.

“I guess I never told you, did I?” Teagan said in realization. “What’s the best way to say this? Well, in this world there’s apparently somebody who can see what happens in Equestria, like they’re using a crystal ball or something. That person got together with a bunch of other people who make shows—I guess you’d call them plays. Anyway, these plays are about Equestria. In one of them I saw Princess Cadence when she was foal-sitting Twilight. Twilight looked about six maybe, and Cadence looked to be my age or younger.”

“By Discord’s twisted antler!” Sun Hammer swore. “I ne’er heard the laik! So ye be sayin’ ye seen all kinds o’ goin’s on in Equestria?”

“Yeah, pretty much. Most of the time it’s about Twilight and her friends, but I saw the Grand Galloping Gala, their fights with Discord, the royal wedding and a bunch of other stuff.”

“Did ye e’er see me then?” Sun Hammer asked.

Teagan shook her head. “No. I’ve never seen the Horns mentioned either, or Tišina or me for that matter. Maybe whoever’s watching concentrates on stuff they can use for their shows.”

Sun Hammer snorted. “Hah! I was there in the throne room when ye were fightin’ Discord, lass. Me heart was in me throat the whole time, so it was. Twas like watchin’ a legend come tae life. If anything was worth makin’ a play aboot, it woulda been that!”

“I sincerely hope not,” Elaine said in shock. “That’s the last thing Teagan needs! I couldn’t stand to see, my daughter naked on nationwide TV smacking some dragon with a club.” She shuddered.

“Beggin’ yer pardon, yer Ladyship,” Sun Hammer said, bobbing his head in apology. “But twere truly heroic, so it was. A will ne’er forget it till me dyin’ day.”

“Not helping!” Teagan hissed quietly at him.

“The Princess assured us there would be no danger this time, Sun Hammer. Did she lie?” Elaine asked quietly. Teagan winced.

This will not end well, she thought, cringing.

“Princess Celestia ne’er lies!” Sun Hammer shouted, coming to his feet and glaring. “She is all that is good and kind and honest, so she be! Dinnae insult her, Lady or ye’ll be answerin’ tae me!”

“Mother! Sun Hammer!” Teagan snarled, smacking the stallion on the neck and glaring at her mother. “I swear you two can’t have a simple conversation without starting a damn war! Now both of you apologize, and I don’t want to hear another cross word from either one of you! You’re acting like two alley cats just itching to fight!”

Sun Hammer’s expression could only be described as gobsmacked. His good eye was wide and his mouth half open, ears held straight up. He goggled at Teagan silently.

Elaine O’Gara was equally stunned, both from Teagan having struck the pony and her completely unexpected outburst. There was something in her daughter’s glare that made her profoundly uneasy. She knew Teagan would never hurt her, but…

John O’Gara was watching the byplay calmly, as if a thousand pounds of angry pony hadn’t been shouting at his wife a second before. But the man’s gaze was reserved for his daughter, and there was a thoughtful look on his face.

“Well?” Teagan snarled at Sun Hammer, who opened his mouth to answer but then looked past Teagan. His eye widened even further.

“Have I come at a bad time?” A female voice asked sardonically from the living room doorway.

By the Light of Burning Bridges

In which our heroine discovers the right choice can be easy to make but hard to live with, and that being Queen means dwelling in a web of such choices.

Emma stumbled to a stop about five feet behind Sun Hammer while the other two kept walking. Beyond them the black unicorn was sagging on its hooves but had opened its eyes. It blinked as it focused on Emma. Seeing the unicorn looking behind them Teagan turned.

“Emma?” Teagan’s face turned absolutely white. “Oh God, what are you doing here? Was there an accident? Did the Bridge screw up and suck you in? Did it get my parents too?” She whirled to confront the unicorn again.

“Subtle Dancer! Was there a problem with the Bridge? Did you feel anything go wrong?”

The black unicorn started walking tiredly toward them but Teagan was panicking. She started waving frantically at someone else.

“Thank God! Skrent! Flint! Get over here now!”

Emma turned her head to see who Teelo was shouting at. She gulped. Two slate-green monsters at least eight feet tall were jogging right at them. They were naked except for a loin cloth and a leather harness decorated with gleaming silver decorations. Both were extremely ugly, with arms that nearly reached the ground. Their legs were heavily muscled and their feet were bare.

Those must be trolls, Emma realized. God, they’re huge!

“Ja, Dronning?” The one on the left bobbed its head.

“This is Emma, my best friend. She’s not supposed to be here and she doesn’t know how to fight. Guard her!” Teagan snapped, face still pale.

“Som du bestiller, Dronning, skal det gjøres!” The troll on the left replied in a bass rumble that made James Earl Jones sound like a soprano. The troll on the right merely nodded and stepped next to Emma, turning to survey their surroundings.

“Well?” Teagan snapped as the unicorn joined them.

“I felt nothing amiss with the Bridge of Days, Lady Teagan,” the unicorn replied mildly. He turned to regard Emma. “She came over the Bridge the same way you did, it did not malfunction.”

“Um, Teelo?” Emma said hesitantly, wondering if her impulse had been such a good idea after all.

“What?” Teagan snapped, eyes darting everywhere.

“I followed you. I think your dad might have tried to stop me but the hole closed up before he could. Your parents are still in your living room, they’re fine.”

Teagan’s gaze snapped to her. Emma saw a momentary relief wash over her friend, but started to get a little scared by the look of absolute horror that took its place.

“I’m okay too!” She hastily assured the red head.

“No. You’re not. You’re really not,” Teagan said in a small hollow voice. “You’re about as far from okay as it’s possible to be, Emma. You idiot! After everything I told you about how dangerous this place is what in the world possessed you—oh, crap…”

Teagan stopped, as though she’d thought of something. She stared at Emma with unfocused eyes for a moment, not even breathing.

“Teelo? Come on, you’re scaring me, girlfriend,” Emma said uneasily. She’d never seen her friend like this before. Sure, Teagan could be a little jumpy sometimes, but right now she was freaking out. And Teagan never freaked out.

Teagan’s eyes focused and she turned to the unicorn.

“How soon before you can reopen the Bridge?” Teagan asked him.

“No sooner than four hours, Lady Teagan,” the unicorn said as he considered her question. “I’ve already opened it twice in four hours. I can probably open it again but only long enough for one to cross—and they would have to be quick.”

“Okay, okay, fine, that works,” Teagan muttered rapidly. “Here’s the plan. We stay here until you can open the Bridge again and send Emma home. Till then we sit tight and keep the defensive perimeter up. Where’s the wing commander? I need to talk to him.”

Subtle Dancer turned and walked away. Even Emma could see how he plodded tiredly, his head hanging low.

“Why be ye so fashed, Teelo?” Sun Hammer asked. “Tis nae like we be preparin’ fer a battle. The wee lassie might enjoy seein’ the sights afore we send her home.”

“Why are you trying to send me home, anyway?” Emma complained. “I can’t let you do this alone, Teelo. All summer here, by yourself? You need me!”

“No, I don’t. Because you have no freaking idea what you’ve gotten yourself into, Emma! I don’t want to have to explain to your parents why I’m bringing their daughter’s corpse back to them!” Teagan snapped at her, unaware in her panic that she was echoing her mother’s own rant almost word for word.

“Right now, we’re standing in the damned Everfree Forest! We’re at least fifteen minutes from the nearest help—and that’s flying. If we had to walk it’s a good forty-five minutes before we could reach safety!”

“Staying here for another four hours means we’re putting ourselves on the damn buffet table for whatever monsters decide to come to lunch! But that’s nothing compared to you staying with me all summer!”

“I can take care of myself, you know,” Emma retorted, feeling a bit hurt at her friend’s lack of faith. She turned to Sun Hammer. “Is she right? Is this place that dangerous?”

“Here in the Everfree ye mean?” Sun Hammer asked. He looked a bit uncomfortable. “Wee-eell, tis true the forest be chancy, so it be. Lots o’ beasties whit would love a bit o’ pony fer thair supper, an’ that’s nae lie. But most be wary o’ jumping the laiks o’ us, lass. The monsters whit can talk know better than tae attack Princess Celestia’s guards, so they dae. Would nae end well fer them, it would nae. The Princess hae a long memory, so she does—an’ they all ken it.”

“T’other beasties, the ones whit cannae speak, well they would nae want tae tangle wi’ such a large herd, seein’s how we hae fire an’ all.”

He paused.

“Still, A cannae say tis safe. Ye can ne’er ken whit be lurkin’ aboot—an’ sometimes folk whit come in here, well they dinnae always come oot again. Ye be a tasty morsel lassie, so A’d nae stray if A were ye, so A would nae.”

“Emma, listen to him! It’s not just the Everfree, either. Equestria itself can be a scary place. Oh, and you did know the trip to the troll mountains is going to be on foot, right?It’ll take us a week of walking to get to Hejm. Have you ever walked fifty miles across country before?”

“Have you?” Emma retorted. “I’ll be okay. I’m not helpless.”

Teelo snorted. “Wanna bet? Could you fight him?” Teelo pointed at Skrent. “Could you fight a dragon, Emma? Last time I was here I had a freaking Green Beret with a big ass rifle backing me up! And we barely survived! We had the full resources of a kingdom at our disposal too and the direct backup of two goddesses!”

“Look around you, Emma! There’s only twenty pegasi, two trolls, Sun Hammer, and me standing between you and some monster’s stomach. And that’s all.”

“Three trolls, Dronning,” Skrent corrected. Teagan paused, looking at him quizzically. He pointed. Emma blinked as she took in her surroundings for the first time.

They were standing in a forest clearing. Around the clearing huge trees grew thick and wild. It looked like a movie set, the underbrush was thick and vines covered many of the trees. There didn’t seem to be any paths that the brown-haired girl could see.

Inside the clearing itself was a ring of torches, their flames pale in the bright morning sun. Emma had no idea what they were for, it was a warm summer day and the sun was up. Between each pair of torches a white pony in gold armor stood rigidly, facing outward. Emma noticed small wings folded on top of the armor.

They must be pegasus ponies, Emma thought to herself.

Inside the ring of pegasi stood several honest to goodness chariots, three large ones and two small ones. Beside one of the large chariots stood another troll, this one about six and a half feet tall, and clearly female. She wore a loin cloth and halter of white shiny cloth and her leather harness was decorated with a dazzling array of jewels that glittered in the sunlight.

“Who’s that?” Teagan asked, puzzled.

“The Kongen’s kona, Dronning. How ponies say—wife?” Skrent replied, stumbling over the strange word. “Her name is Søyle. She has agreed to be your dame i vente.”

“My what?” Teagan asked blankly.

““I do not know word in pony, Dronning,” Skrent frowned and glanced at Flint, who shrugged. “Like purple and yellow pony that serve Princess Celestia?”

“You mean Faerie Mist?”

“Ja! Like her,” Skrent nodded in relief.

“Søyle’s my lady-in-waiting?” Teagan asked, surprised. She knew Princess Celestia had them, of course, but it never occurred to her that she would. Or that trolls even did that.

“Ja? Maybe?” Skrent said hopefully. “She help teach you troll ways, Dronning.”

“Ah. That will be helpful,” Teagan nodded. “Can she fight? Or is she another non-combatant I have to worry about?”

The King’s wife, Teagan groaned internally. She gets hurt and Fjell will go ballistic.

“She is troll, Dronning. All trolls can fight,” Skrent said, grinning. “She is fine match for Kongen. Good with her claws. Keep him nimble!” Skrent burst into a belly laugh. Even the normally silent Flint rumbled briefly in amusement. Teagan decided she didn’t want to know what was so funny.

“Still, let’s try to keep her safe, okay? The Kongen would not be amused if she got hurt,” Teagan said. Skrent snickered again, but nodded. “Would you please invite her to join us?”

The troll nodded and headed toward the female troll. Subtle Dancer led one of the white pegasi toward them, this one having two gold stars on his breastplate instead of a single blue one.

“Lady Teagan, it’s good to meet you again,” the wing commander greeted her with a respectful nod. Teagan instantly recognized his voice.

“Stormwind?” She asked, breaking into a smile. “So they promoted you? Last time you were a sergeant.”

“Yes, well everyone on that expedition got either a commendation or a promotion,” the wing commander said with a smile. “Percival’s a sergeant now. He pulled strings to get assigned to your escort, you know.”

“Did he? Well, I’m glad he got a promotion at least. But right now we’ve got a problem. We’ve got to stay here until Subtle Dancer’s rested enough to open the Bridge again.”

The wing commander’s face went carefully neutral.

“May I ask why, Your Majesty?”

His sudden tension and carefully formal tone wasn’t lost on her.

“Because she,” Teagan pointed at Emma, “has more loyalty than sense. She snuck across the Bridge with us.”

“Hey! I was trying to help!” Emma protested vigorously. Stormwind’s face stayed politely blank. He’d been in the guard long enough to know better than to comment.

“Do your parents even know you’re gone?” Teagan asked shrewdly.

“No,” Emma admitted reluctantly.

“What do you think they’re going to do when they find out you vanished?”

“Oops,” Emma said with a wince. “Probably freak.”

“You think? My parents called the police when it happened to me! And when your parents can’t find you, guess where they’re going to start looking? This puts my parents in a real bind, Emma!”

“Okay, I get it! I get it,” Emma said, holding up her hands in surrender. “I didn’t think this through. You’re right, I should go back. I don’t want to get your folks in trouble. I don’t want mine to worry, either.”

She brightened. “What about sending them a note when the hole opens instead?”

Teagan snorted. “Hi Mom and Dad, I’m in a land of magical ponies, risking life and limb. Having a blast, wish you were here. See you both in September! Your loving idiot, Adventure Girl.”

Emma glared. “Okay, so it was a stupid idea. I’m sorry, all right? I’ll go back and worry myself sick all summer, instead. Happy?”

Teagan pointed a finger at her friend. “No trying to guilt me, Emma. I’d be a hell of a lot more guilty if you die here. And you very well could.”

She turned to look at Stormwind.

“Give me a risk assessment, Stormwind. What are the chances of us being attacked here in the next four hours?”

Stormwind thought about it.

“It’s hard to say, Lady Teagan. We’re a fairly large group for most monsters to tackle, but this is the Everfree so anything’s possible. Dragons are always a threat, and some of the bigger predators might try to grab a quick snack, especially one of the carnivorous trees. They normally prefer carrion but it is high summer…” He paused, considering.

“Hmm, what else? Land sharks are a possibility. They love the taste of pony and always attack from underground. But they should lair nearer the mountains. Still, the Everfree is always coming up with new things to eat you.”

Skrent had returned with Søyle. He grunted.

“Dangerous dyrene,” the troll said, shaking his head. “Very hard to kill, and big! Taller than tall troll and twice as long. We find one of them, we run.” He looked at Teagan. “Dronning, Mountain Heart could kill bakkan hai but it come up from underneath you, swallow you before you know is there. No chance to strike, you see? Only warning is small earthquake.”

Teagan nodded. “Are you listening to this, Emma? See why I want you to go home?”

Emma swallowed nervously. “If this place is so dangerous, how can ponies live here? It doesn’t make any sense!”

“We’re very good at defending ourselves—Emma, was it?” Subtle Dancer answered. “Lady Teagan, the Sun Shield will do their best but wouldn’t it be tactically wiser to retreat to a safe place and return once we’re ready? That way we can—”

He was cut off by a series of loud bangs, like a five car pileup.

Spinning toward the noise they found all five chariots reduced to piles of scrap metal, green flames erupting from craters where the chariots had been.

Emma watched in stunned disbelief as the flames died down and something black and gangly emerged from each crater. They looked like some bizarre cross between a horse and an insect, with dragonfly wings and hard, shiny black bodies. A single thick curved horn emerged from their forehead. Their legs were filled with holes Emma could actually see through.

They were, in short, a nightmare version of a unicorn with dragonfly wings and saber-tooth fangs. But the worse part were the eyes, blue shiny almond shaped patches, with no iris or pupil. Those eyes turned toward Teagan’s group with malignant purpose.

“What the heck are they?” Emma asked, rooted in place with fear.

“Those are the personal guard of Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings,” Subtle Dancer said in a tightly controlled voice. “And if they’re here you can bet she’s not far behind. This is very, very bad.”

“How right you are, Subtle Dancer!” A mocking voice rang out from above. “Even now your doom is assured! None of you will survive my children’s vengeance!”

A flying unicorn hovered some forty feet up in the air, with the same black body, hole-filled legs, and dragonfly wings as the monsters that wrecked the chariots. Inexplicably, the speaker was wearing some kind of silky green saddle, it almost looked frilly. Blue green hair blew around the creature’s head, and its horn was impossibly gnarled, reminding the girl of wind-carved canyon walls.

Two more of the six foot tall insect unicorns flanked the creature who, Emma guessed, must be Chrysalis.

“Changelings!” Percival shouted. “Wing commander we’re completely surrounded!”

“By Celestia’s pearly horn!” Stormwind swore viciously. “Lady Teagan, the Sun Shield will fight to protect you to the last pony. But I fear all of us will be dining in the Elysium Fields tonight!”

“Don’t give up hope just yet, wing commander,” Subtle Dancer said grimly. “Have the Sun Shield fight the Queen’s guards here inside our circle. I’ll deal with the changeling army.”

“Isn’t your magic used up for now?” Teagan asked him in a low voice.

The unicorn grinned savagely. “I don’t have enough to open the Bridge, Lady Teagan. But then again I don’t need to open the Bridge of Days, now do I?” His horn glittered as a wave of light ran up and down it.

Teelo gave him an answering grin and drew Crush. “I’ll leave the changeling army to you then, Subtle Dancer. Good hunting.”

“The same to you, Your Majesty,” the unicorn said with a laugh that sent chills down Emma’s spine.

Teagan closed her eyes for a moment, apparently lost in thought. Crush burst into flame, a heatless red blaze that seemed to ebb and flow like a living thing. The red aura flared and swept down the club’s iron body to surround its wielder as well.

Emma gasped as Teagan opened her eyes and looked at her. Beneath a foot of crimson flame her eyes were now the same deep iron gray as her weapon and lacked a pupil. They looked cold and soulless. Emma trembled, actually scared of her friend for the first time in her life.

The two trolls unslung massively long, slender clubs from their backs, giving Emma an excuse to turn away from her friend’s hideous eyes. Her own eyes widened as she took in the trolls’ nearly seven foot long weapons. The first three feet was wooden handle but the last four feet was shod in iron, studded with hundreds of bumps along its length. The oddest thing was how slim they were, only about four inches across. She’d never seen anything like them.

“Lady Søyle, can you speak Equestrian?” Teagan asked, her voice hissing and crackling as it fought through the roiling flame around her.

“Yes, Dronning, I can,” the king’s wife responded, drinking in the sight of her queen’s strålende raseri, reveling in the irrefutable proof that here before her stood the Vilje Trollene, the Will of the Trolls.

“Good, then listen carefully. I want you to protect Emma. She doesn’t know how fight and she is precious to me. Skrent tells me you’re good with your claws?”

“I am indeed, Dronning,” Søyle chuckled, smiling at Emma. “Do not worry, child. I pledge my life before Mountain Heart and the true Dronning av Fjellet. I swear none will harm you while I yet draw breath, be it changeling, monster or even god. You will survive this battle.”

Emma stared up at the smiling troll, shocked to her core by the depth of feeling Søyle put into those words. She felt nauseous, terrified, and guilty all at once.

Søyle’s enjoying this! Emma realized in shock. She’s eager to fight. And Teelo, oh my God, Teelo, what’s happened to you? Are you even human anymore?

“Skrent, Flint, I want you to protect Emma and Søyle while I’m gone. If anything tries to hurt them, kill it.” Teagan’s voice was strangely distorted as it passed through that red glow.

The two trolls roared their approval loudly enough to echo off the trees and make the hive army actually flinch.

“Where are you going, Teelo?” Emma asked plaintively.

“Not far. I have to go swat an annoying bug. Be right back,” Teagan replied in a perfectly calm voice that hissed and sputtered through her cloak of bloody flame. Emma shivered. That calm voice didn’t match the death grip Teagan had on Crush, nor the snarl of rage that twisted her face.

Teagan turned her gaze on the giant earth pony. “I’m so sorry, Sun Hammer. Looks like I’m about to walk down the same road you did.”

“Aye, lassie, that ye be,” he said. “A hope ye think it’s worth the trip.”

Teagan glanced at Emma.

“Yeah. It’s worth it.”

She focused on Chrysalis and crouched, waiting.

“The time has come, my children! Take your vengeance! Kill them all!” Chrysalis screamed aloud so the ponies could hear the order for their execution. She gloated down at them, knowing this opening blow would strike a bitter wound in Celestia’s beloved country, the first of many. Once she had destroyed all of Equestria’s protectors her children would finally be able to feast to their heart’s content.

And so would she.

ooOoo

Earth, Saturday morning, May 28, 2013 3:01 AM

“Damn,” John swore mildly, staring at the corner of the room, visible now that the Bridge had closed. “That’s going to be a problem.”

“Really? You think? What was she thinking? After everything Teagan told her about Equestria! To do something so stupid! Argh!” Elaine grabbed her hair in both hands and yanked it. “Not to mention there’s no way we can explain this to Jacob and Olivia! What are we going to do?” There was more than a hint of fear in her voice.

“First thing we’re going to do, mo chroí, is not panic. Emma’s made a right hames of it, but we’ll think of something.”

“And what would you suggest? Emma’s gone, John! It could be months before they come back. Her parents will go insane. You know how we felt when Teagan vanished after just a few weeks! Can you imagine if it had been months?”

“I know. We should probably call Matt and Evelyn. They might have more experience with this sort of thing.”

“What, their daughters vanishing into a cartoon?” Elaine asked dryly.

Her husband shrugged. “Matt’s used to black ops, and Evelyn’s bound to be good at concocting cover stories. In the mean time we sit back and try to figure this out rationally. Emma’s with Teagan and Sun Hammer. From what Sun Hammer said Teagan’s troll bodyguards are waiting at the bridge along with a bunch of pegasus royal guards to escort her. We might even get lucky and Subtle Dancer will open the Bridge again as soon as he can. Emma might be back in what, four hours?”

“Till then, they’re perfectly safe,” John assured his wife.

ooOoo

The changelings swarmed toward them, flowing like an undulating carpet of hissing death. Subtle Dancer watched the insectile horned black ponies come with narrowed eyes. He waited until they were ten feet from the ring of torches before his horn flared to life. Part of him mourned as the magic took hold, but the rest of him was busy ruthlessly locking down all emotion. The spell took only an eye-blink and the changelings were less than a body length from the ring when the spell went off.

Suddenly, every torch flame expanded a hundred fold, its quiet crackling combining into a hissing roar so loud Emma had to clap her hands over her ears. A blast of flames sixty feet long and wide enough to overlap its neighbor suddenly covered the charging creatures. The blast lasted a full five seconds and when it ended the changelings within sixty feet were down, most nothing more than charred husks, not even recognizable as once living creatures.

The ones who had been at the very edge of the flames shrieked in agony, staggering in circles, their fragile wings burned off, and blinded as well.

“NO! My children! My precious children!” Chrysalis’ grief-stricken scream caught Emma’s shocked attention. That’s when she saw Teagan take several steps to the side and point her club at the traumatized queen. The red haired girl shot toward Chrysalis as if she were simply falling upward, covering the sixty feet between them in less than two seconds.

The queen was sobbing brokenly, too numb to react to the girl streaking toward her. But her guards did react, moving protectively in front of the queen, preparing to tear the girl apart when she reached them.

The remainder of the changeling army stood frozen, staring across the blackened clearing at the fight going on between the pegasi and the queen’s elite guards. They seemed as stunned as the queen, and didn’t take advantage of the opportunity.

“GUARDS, KILL THE UNICORN!” Chrysalis shrieked in grief and rage. “IGNORE THE REST OF THEM, KILL HIM!”

Teagan had counted on the queen’s escort to move exactly as they had. She sailed past the trio and safely out of reach. Below her the five monster changelings tried to break free of their opponents and obey their queen’s command.

When Teagan was a dozen feet above and beyond the queen she unexpectedly reversed direction, plunging straight toward the queen’s unguarded back.

With an earsplitting shout she brought Crush down with every bit of strength in her, and struck Chrysalis right between her blurring wings, the club striking lengthwise along her spine.

That was when the laws of physics, already whimpering, decided to take their ball and go home.

Teagan stopped dead in midair while Chrysalis suddenly vanished from sight, followed almost instantly by a loud crack and a boom as a large crater appeared directly beneath where she had just been.

The two guards flew at Teagan in screaming mindless rage, intent on bloody murder. But even as gravity suddenly remembered the girl hanging in midair she reacted with unthinking reflex and—using Crush’s full power—smashed the club though both guards, holding nothing back.

Teagan watched in disbelief as the two guards simply splattered, turning from black, angular killing machines into a gusher of chunky red salsa which splashed onto the scorched clearing below.

Meanwhile, the remaining changeling army suddenly collapsed, moaning and shrieking in agony as they writhed helplessly on the ground.

Subtle Dancer blinked, utterly baffled. His magic hadn’t touched them.

“They—they just exploded,” Emma said in a stunned voice, staring at the remains of the two changeling guards, now painting a large swath of the blackened clearing a dark brown color. Somehow she thought it should have been red…

Numbly she watched Teagan plummet out of the sky and strike the ground feet first, making a small crater of her own. The girl stepped out of the crater and sprinted toward them, jumping over the burned changeling husks in her path.

Loud angry shouts and several thuds quickly reminded Emma that the battle was still raging. She turned to look—only to scream and duck as two of the Queen’s guards came roaring down from the sky. Sun Hammer reared and struck one guard with razor edged hooves. Emma heard the sickening crack of chitin giving way under those hammer blows.

But the earth pony could only intercept one of the guards, not both. The second guard slammed into Subtle Dancer, who went down under the guard’s flailing hooves and flashing fangs. Both trolls sprang to the unicorn’s aid, their huge clubs coming down, resulting in more horrible crunching noises. The guard screamed, whether in rage or pain Emma couldn’t tell. It sprang after the trolls tormenting it. They separated smoothly to let it pass between them, and then brought their clubs around like baseball bats to smash its knees. The thing collapsed with another scream, and this time Emma had no doubt it was a scream of ragebecause it was screaming directly at her. She recoiled as it scrabbled with broken legs, still trying to reach her so it could chew her face off.

Suddenly Søyle was there, dodging the monster’s slashing horn as she struck downward with claws designed to dig through solid rock.

Unsurprisingly, chitin proved no challenge at all.

Søyle danced back and shouted in savage joy, raising scarlet claws that gleamed in the bright sunlight. The monster laid still and silent, a crimson pool spreading out from under it. Emma yelped and leaped back to keep it from soaking her shoes. She wanted to throw up but there was no time, she could barely keep out of the trolls’ way as it was.

Teagan went sailing overhead, shouting at someone to get out of her way. Sun Hammer bellowed a battle cry, which was followed by another of those horrid crunching noises and another guard stopped roaring.

The stench of the burned changelings was making Emma gag. She staggered, trying desperately not to vomit while at the same time keeping clear of the three huge trolls who were actively moving to keep between her and the rest of the battle.

A final stomach-turning splorch noise was followed by relative quiet as the last guard fell silent. Emma froze as she heard the unmistakable sound of a large amount of liquid hitting the ground. She refused to look toward the sound, afraid of what she might see.

For a moment the only sound was the pitiful screaming of the changelings who had survived the blast of magical fire.

Then Sun Hammer bellowed.

“Subtle Dancer be doon! We need a healer, nou.”

ooOoo

Earth, Saturday morning, May 28, 2013 3:58 AM

“Glad you could make it, Evelyn. Matt’s already here,” John said as he let her in. “Sorry for the early hour but we have a genuine emergency.”

She yawned. “So you said. Teelo’s best friend decided to have an adventure of her own, huh? So now you need me to help you brainstorm a way to tell her parents she’s off to play with ponies.” She shook her head. “I must be as crazy as they say I am.”

She followed John into the living room.

“Hey, Matt, Elaine,” she greeted them as she settled into a chair with a cup of steaming coffee in front of it. “Bless you! Nectar of the gods. Come to Mama!” She lifted the cup in both hands and inhaled deeply. “Ah! I can feel my brain cells starting to spark already. What time is it?”

“Almost four,” Elaine said, “We have about three maybe four hours before they realize she’s gone. But Matt still insisted we should wait for you.” She glared at the ex-soldier.

“Mmm,” Evelyn moaned as she shipped the coffee. Reluctantly she put down the cup. “Okay, that’s enough brain fuel for now. Time to get down to business.”

“Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. We could tell them the truth. Offhand, I’d say that would be a complete disaster. We don’t have any proof and you have to admit the whole “went to visit cartoon ponies” isn’t going to cut it.”

Elaine snorted.

“Exactly,” Evelyn nodded. “We could lie, but frankly I can’t think of anything plausible that wouldn’t get the police and the FBI involved—or us arrested for complicity. The first thing Emma would do is phone her parents as soon as she could to tell them where she went. Even worse her hosts would send her straight home to avoid exactly this kind of mess.”

“That leaves telling a half-truth. Anybody got one?”

“I don’t suppose Teelo left any proof lying around?” Matt asked hopefully. “Crush convinced me pretty damn quick.”

“Sun Hammer would be a pretty convincing argument too,” John said ruefully. “But unfortunately she took both of them back to Equestria with her. The first time I’m actually glad she took Crush with her.”

“Nasty thing.” Elaine shivered. “Teagan says it’s actually a demon. She said it possessed her and the only way to get rid of it is for her to die.”

“Wrapped around her soul, she said,” John said grimly. “And it’s a parasite; it feeds off her life force, whatever that means.”

“That would explain her increased appetite,” Evelyn said thoughtfully. “I saw her eat a salad big enough for a pony while we were in Equestria. But John, Crush isn’t a parasite, it’s actually a symbiote. It may feed off her but it also provides her with some serious firepower. Princess Celestia told me everything she knew about Crush. She said it had three miles of mountain compressed in it. Apparently Crush can change its definition of down whenever it wants to, and also change its mass. From some of the things Teelo said it sounds like it can magically transfer inertia, too.”

She looked at the Teagan’s parents. “I did the math. If you assume Crush is a cone of limestone two hundred feet at the base and three miles long…well, that means it weighs over 53 megatons.”

“Megatons? Like a nuclear bomb?” Elaine asked, startled.

Matt shook his head. “No. She means it weighs 53 million tons, Elaine.” He paused, considering the implications. “I pity the fool that attacks her—and that was before she picked up her new tricks.”

“Tricks?” John asked, eyeing the other man. “What kind of tricks?”
“Damn scary ones,” Matt said soberly. “Superhero stuff. Even when Crush isn’t in her hand she can enter mushin and her combat reflexes get almost as sharp as mine. That shouldn’t be possible for a P2.”

“But with Crush she can jump from one side of my dojo to the other and not touch the floor in between. She can fly too. Well, I say fly, but it’s more like falling sideways or upwards. And then there’s theglow.”

“The glow?” Evelyn asked in true geek fascination. Matt nodded.

“Yeah, apparently she and Crush can merge somehow. When they do her eyes turn dark grey and she loses her pupils. Crush starts glowing too—it almost looks like it’s on fire. Squirt tells me the first time Crush did that she was about to kill Discord. I think the glow is some side-effect of Crush increasing its mass. But the really creepy part is the more she practices, the bigger the glow gets. She started being able to fly once it completely surrounded her. I think Crush has been learning how to extend its gravity manipulation field around her as well as itself.

“Why didn’t you tell us this before?” Elaine asked sharply. Matt shrugged.

“There’s a lot about her training I don’t tell you, Elaine. She’s got enough on her plate without you trying to second guess her. Teelo is careful. If I thought she was taking unnecessary risks I’d stop her. But she’s being rigorous and disciplined when it comes to practicing her new tricks.”

“She’s our daughter, Matt!” Elaine snapped. “We need to know!”

Matt calmly considered her for a moment. “Elaine, with all due respect, you don’t want to know everything Teelo’s learning. Some of it’s ugly. Some of it you would object to. But all of it will keep her alive.”

The private investigator broke the uncomfortable silence that followed.

“Okay, so we can’t use Crush as proof. Is there anything else we could use?”

Elaine shot upright. “Oh my God! Yes there is! Emma has Teelo’s keepsake. Emma said the figurines come to life and answer questions. If that doesn’t convince them I don’t know what would.”

Matt frowned. “You mean those little gemstone pony statues? They can talk?”

“That’s what Emma said,” John replied, eyes lighting up with hope. “But didn’t she say they could only answer a couple of questions before their magic was exhausted?”

Elaine nodded. “She also said they got their magic back when the sun rose.”

“Things just got a whole lot easier,” Evelyn said with a happy grin. She toasted them with her coffee cup. “Now here’s what I suggest…”

Walking Softly

In which our heroine discovers the wisdom of learning from history—and then repeating it.

Princess Celestia sat at morning meal with her sister, levitating a bite of apple-cinnamon muffin.

“So, sister, Lady Teelo should have arrived in Ponyville by now. How did you handle the Snøskred’s last minute request?” The white alicorn asked with a smile.

“We managed to free another large chariot from storage to transport Kona Søyle to the Bridge,” her sister replied, swallowing a bite of her parsnip gratin gruyère. “Originally the Snøskred wanted her entire retinue to be present.”

“Thirty trolls?” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “By chariot? Really? The Snøskred knows very well that wouldn’t be possible, doesn’t he?”

“Of course. But in truth he is blameless. It was a last minute request by the Kongen, delivered mere hours before he asked us.”

“Ah. A diplomatic ploy, perhaps?” Celestia asked, not really believing it.

“I do not believe so, sister. The Kongen is a troll’s troll when it comes to the virtue of straightforward behavior. It might have been suggested to him by Alene Avgrunn, but we don’t believe it was. The Kongen is unfamiliar with Equestria, and may honestly have believed his request was reasonable. At any rate the Kona was there waiting at the Bridge for her queen. That should satisfy the trolls.”

“Hmm. And speaking of trolls, how is Ambassador Truth Speaker adapting to his new post?”

“Quite well. His reports were somewhat—circumspect in the beginning, but of late they have taken on almost a trollish directness. He reports that his staff finds their trollish counterparts to be conscientious and—given the nature of trolls—somewhat simpler to deal with than they had originally feared.”

“Trolls are easy to deal with—if you can avoid certain rigidities in their customs,” Celestia chuckled. “Do you find your dealings with them as onerous as you had feared sister?”

“Neigh,” Luna admitted. “Even without her being physically present, Lady Teelo’s odd relationship to both sides has been oil on troubled waters. Her declaring us part of her clan has had—unexpected—repercussions. We think both sides see little ground for insulting one another, since ponies and trolls are now kin,” she chuckled.

“We admit we find ourselves puzzled, sister. That we are clan with Lady Teelo is undeniable. Yet she is queen of the trolls, and thus by troll law all ponies are now a new clan within the trollish species. It is delightfully perplexing—even the Snøskred agrees.”

Celestia chuckled again. “I have now seen everything, sister. A troll agreeing with a pony? Will wonders never cease?

“One beneficial effect is that the trolls are far less prickly than they were. Furthermore, our ponies are just as cautious, given they owe their lives to Lady Teelo twice over,” Luna continued. “For if they insult the trolls they insult her and if the trolls insult us then they insult her. Was this your plan all along, sister?”

The white alicorn just smiled and said nothing, finishing her muffin.

“Ah,” Luna said, nodding.

ooOoo

Earth, Saturday morning, May 28, 2013 8:00 AM

John O’Gara knocked on the door as his wife and co-conspirators stood on the steps behind him. It was eight o’clock in the morning of a beautiful summer day. Emma had not reappeared, meaning they were here to try and keep her parents from going to the police when they found out.

The fact the Bridge hadn’t reopened argued some kind of disaster had occurred. Nothing Emma could have said would have kept Teagan from sending her home. Even if she had somehow managed the impossible, Teagan would certainly have sent word back. Since she hadn’t the evidence suggested she couldn’t.

The last hour had been spent trying to calm Elaine enough to carry out the plan. Teagan’s mother had alternated between rage and despair, only the combined efforts of the other three had let her regain control. Well—some control. They hoped it would be enough.

The door opened to reveal a boy about twelve, fully dressed with a backpack slung over his shoulder.

“Hi David, are your parents home?” John asked Emma’s younger brother.

“Hi Mr. O’Gara,” David said, looking uncertainly at the three adults behind him. “Yeah, they’re here.” He turned and yelled back in the house. “Mom, Teelo’s parents are here to see you!”

Despite the serious reason for their visit John found himself smiling at the boy’s lack of manners. He was clearly impatient, fidgeting in place until his mother appeared.”

“Hi John, what’s up?” She asked.

David slipped out the door. “Excuse me, I gotta go.”

“Be back by seven, young man,” Olivia Halstead ordered her son.

“I know, Mom!” David said casting his eyes toward heaven. “I’m gonna be late. Dan and Will are already waiting for me!”

“Have fun, dear,” she said, waving him off. He instantly took off running.

“Always in a hurry, that one.” She smiled at John. “Won’t you come in? Who are your friends?”

“This is Matt Sanders and Evelyn Lewis,” he replied as they filed inside. “Is Jacob home?”

“Jacob! John and Elaine are here! They want to see you!” She called out as she led them to the living room. “Matt, Evelyn, good to meet you.”

“Coming!” Her husband called. By the time they were seated he had joined them.

“Hey John, Elaine, nice to see you! Is Teagan off to that boarding school of hers?” He asked cheerfully. “Emma was already moping when she came home last night. Don’t know how she’ll make it through the summer.”

“Actually, that’s kind of why we’re here,” John said, turning serious.

“I don’t follow,” Jacob replied with a slight frown.

“Emma came back to see us last night around one AM,” John replied. “She let herself in the house while Teagan’s—escort—was there. She had a very long conversation with him, actually. In spite of the fact he would have preferred anonymity.”

“I’m so sorry!” Olivia exclaimed in embarrassment. “I’ll go right upstairs and bring her down to apologize!” She started to get up.

“Emma isn’t upstairs, Olivia,” Elaine said, just a hint of bitterness in her voice.

“What do you mean? Did she stay at your house last night? Where is she?” Olivia asked.

“That is a very long story…” John said with a sigh.

ooOoo

Sun Hammer stood over the fallen unicorn. One of the pegasi landed and started checking Subtle Dancer’s wounds.

“This is bad,” the pegasi said, pulling off his helmet. “See if any of the medical supplies survived. They’re in boxes marked with a red plus on a white background. Move!” He snapped at Sun Hammer who silently bolted toward the smashed chariots. Teagan came running up, Crush already sheathed across her back.

“I’ve been trained in emergency first aid,” she said, dropping to her knees. “I’ve never actually done it, but I’m not afraid of blood and my hands are probably a lot more dexterous than your hoof flanges, no offense.”

“None taken, Lady Teagan,” the corpspony said, bobbing his head. “I’ll take any hoof offered right now. I need you to put pressure right here,” he indicated a point just below a deep gash on Subtle Dancer’s neck. Teagan immediately complied and the sluggish flow of blood slowed significantly.

“Sun Hammer where are those supplies?” The corpspony bellowed.

“A’m lookin’ as fast as A can!” Sun Hammer shouted as metal bonged and clanged. His shout was followed by a furious string of brogue so fast Teagan couldn’t follow it.

The trolls moved toward Teagan’s voice and Emma was herded along by Søyle. She didn’t resist, still shocked by the savagery of the fight, not to mention the aborted attack against her. When she saw the black unicorn’s body laying on the ground with Teagan pushing down with both hands on its shoulder and the armored pegasus rapidly cataloging Subtle Dancer’s many injuries she gasped.

Teagan looked up. “Emma, get over here! I need your help!” There was something in the girl’s voice that acted like a slap in the face. Emma jerked out of her shock and staggered over to kneel beside Teagan.

“Another helping hand, doc!” Teagan said. “Where do you need more pressure?”

“Here and here,” the corpspony said, pointing at two more pressure points.

“Emma, put your hands right where mine are! Now push and don’t let up until I say you can.”

Teagan watched for a moment then nodded and put her own hands where the corpspony told her to. Emma shuddered, feeling the warm body under her hands. She could feel a fast but faint pulse. She wasn’t sure but she didn’t think that was a good sign. She tried not to look at the blood

“Here be the box ye wanted!” Sun Hammer said, galloping up and set the box down by the corpsman who immediately opened it with his teeth. Emma winced, that couldn’t be very sanitary.

“Thanks, now find the rest of them! Lady Teagan, listen to me. The three slashes are the biggest problems. Have you ever stitched a wound before?”

“No, but I did practice on a dummy arm,” she replied.

The corpspony nodded. “Normally we let unicorns do this, there’s too much chance of infection if an earth pony or pegasus does it, but we don’t have any more unicorns. Think you can do this?”

“He’s my friend. I can do it,” Teagan said. “You’ll need to talk me through it though.”

“No problem. Here, let me apply pressure. See if you can set a needle up, they’re already threaded.”

Emma watched as Teagan took a large curved needle with a trailing thread and what looked like a short pair of forceps with a bizarre circular end piece. Teagan looked at it for a moment then put her hand over the circle and squeezed. The forceps obediently pinched.

“Well, that’s not awkward,” she muttered, fitting the needle into the tips of the forceps and squeezed until there was a click. She let go and the forceps remained closed. Nodding, she carefully set the forceps so they rested on the flat circular back piece, the tips facing upward.

“All right, how do we clean the wound?” Teagan asked the corpspony. He nodded to a jar with a green lid.

“That’s antiseptic cream. Smooth a dollop along the wound. Don’t use too much,” he said.

“Doesn’t that risk infection?” Teagan asked uneasily. He looked at her.

“It’s antiseptic, Lady Teagan,” he said. “Let’s get on with this.”

Teagan opened the jar, noting the scalloped gear like edges, for easier gripping by a pony’s hoof flanges. She took a little of the cream and carefully smeared it along the edges of all three slashes.

“Okay, now go ahead and set the first stitch. Just take it slow He’s not going to feel it.” The corpspony’s voice was gentle, encouraging.

“Never did this through fur,” Teelo grimaced. “How far from the wound edge and how deep?”

“See the tip of the needle where it changes color?” He asked. She nodded. “That’s the distance. You want to get as near to the bottom of the wound as you can. Then up through the other side. Leave two inches of thread on each side of the stitch and then do the next one. On these cuts make them every half inch. Got it?”

“Yes. I sure wish Rarity was here! ” Teagan picked up the forceps and awkwardly set the first stitch.

It took nearly fifteen minutes to set the stitches and carefully draw them closed and knot the ends. Teagan was glad Subtle Dancer was unconscious, it would have been too nerve wracking to feel him flinching. Her hands were shaking so badly by the end Emma had to tie the last three stitches for her.

While she was setting the stitches the corpspony was checking the unicorn for other damage. The monster changeling had apparently done a lot of damage in the few seconds before the trolls had lured it off. The laundry list included a concussion, three broken ribs, a separated shoulder and three fang-slashes on his neck.

“The concussion worries me,” the corpspony said grimly. “He’s a unicorn. They don’t deal with concussions nearly as well as pegasi or earth ponies. That horn of theirs has a thick nerve connecting it directly to their forebrain and a concussion can put serious stress on it. He could lose his magic forever if he’s unlucky. Or dieif he’s really unlucky. We need to get him to a hospital as soon as possible.”

“Ponyville has a hospital,” Teagan said. “You guys have any kind of medical airlift? A stretcher to haul wounded?”

“Yeah, we call it a patient sling,” the corpspony responded. “We actually have some with us, they’re standard issue. Takes four pegasi to deploy, though. Right now we’re belly deep in hostile territory. No way will the wing commander authorize it.”

“You let me worry about that,” Teagan said grimly. “Subtle Dancer is a high level mage and he’s the director of the Horns. Besides, Celestia will kill me if anything happens to him.”

She stalked off to find Stormwind.

The corpspony looked after her with his mouth open.

“Heroes,” he finally said, shaking his head. Then he looked at Emma.

“You okay?” he asked gently.

“No,” she said with a quivering voice. “I didn’t think it would be like this! Blood and killing and war! That’s not how it is in the show! It’s supposed to be all songs and dances and nicey-nice tea parties!”

“Show? What show?” He asked in confusion. “Did something hit you in the head during the fight? Where did you get hit?”

Emma laughed bitterly. “No. I didn’t get hurt. Søyle killed that thing before it could touch me. But this is just too much.”

“Oh! You’re a civilian,” the corpspony was suddenly sympathetic. “I guess you’re not used to fighting, huh? You did do a pretty good job helping us with Subtle Dancer—for a civilian, I mean.”

“Thanks. Yeah, I’m not a soldier or a hero. I’m just scared out of my mind! How can you be so calm? We were nearly killed!”

He shrugged. “I knew the risks going in and I took an oath to protect Equestria. You get used to it.” He grinned at her. “What’s your name, anyway?”

“Emma. Emma Halstead. What’s yours?”

“Cloud Maker. But my friends call me Stitch. You know, ‘cause I’m a medic and all,” he gestured at Subtle Dancer and grinned at her, waggling his eyebrows.

She gave a burst of startled laughter. He smiled wider. “See? It’s not that bad. The battle’s over. Lady Teagan took down Chrysalis, Subtle Dancer handled the changeling army, and the Sun Shield dealt with those overgrown bugs that wrecked our chariots. The trolls pulled that monster off Subtle Dancer just in time too. I call that a win.”

Emma became aware of the horrible moans coming from the changelings in the distance and shivered. They weren’t as loud now, and it sounded like there were fewer of them.

“What happens to them?” She asked, waving toward the surrounding changelings. He shrugged.

“I have no idea. That’s the wing commander’s decision, or maybe Lady Teagan’s. My job is patching up the wounded. He glanced up.

“And speaking of, here’s the wing commander now.”

Teagan and the pegasus with two gold stars on his chest plate were arguing.

“I can’t split my forces in the middle of hostile territory, Lady Teagan! If anything happens to you Captain Strong Shield will have my head!”

“And if anything happens to Subtle Dancer Princess Celestia will have mine! Besides, I outrank you, Stormwind. Not to mention you owe me! I saved the world, remember? Twice. I’m a queen too. Last time I looked queen outranks wing commander!”

“The Sun Shield answer only to the Princess, Your Majesty, not to the queen of the trolls,” Stormwind answered a little stiffly.

“You’re supposed to obey my orders though, right?” She asked, turning to face him. Her face was flushed from frustrated anger.

Stormwind hesitated. She didn’t give him a chance to recover.

“I saved Princess Celestia from death on two separate occasions, Stormwind. Doesn’t that buy me a little slack? I’m not being unreasonable here. Subtle Dancer is no ordinary unicorn and you damn well know it! He’s more important to Equestria than I am, the Princess depends on him! All I’m asking is you get him to a hospital before it’s too late!”

“Four pegasi to transport him,” Stormwind protested. “Plus another six to protect them? That’s half the wing! We’re going to have to do a fighting retreat out of this forest—and you want me to split my wing in half?”

“Yes. Remember you also have three trolls along with me and Crush. That’s not to be sneezed at. Would you want to go up against a force like that if you were a monster?”

Stormwind glared at her. “At least go with them, Lady Teagan! That way I can withdraw without worrying about you.”

“No,” she shook her head. “I’m not abandoning anyone in this damned forest. My best friend is here, Stormwind. My trolls are here! And my clan is here.”

She looked at him.

“You’re family, Stormwind. Every stubborn four-footed one of you. Wings or horn or neither, you’re still family and I do not abandon my family. You got that?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Stormwind said resignedly. “Under protest, I yield. You will answer to the Princess for this, you know.”

“I know,” she said, tossing her head to get the hair out of her face. “But I’d rather look her in the eye and tell her I saved Subtle Dancer than tell her I got him killed. He’s family too, Stormwind. So is she.”

The pegasus sighed.

“Get him ready for transport, Stitch,” Stormwind said with ill grace. “You’re going with him.”

“Yes, sir,” Stitch saluted without expression.

“Any idea how we’re gonna survive their counter-attack?” Stormwind asked sourly, nodding at the changelings. “They’re not gonna stay down much longer, you know.”

“I killed their queen, Stormwind. The drones won’t survive. They’re certainly not going to be fighting us,” Teelo said, wincing as she spoke. Stormwind looked at her quizzically.

“What makes you think Chrysalis is dead?” He asked with raised eyebrows.

“What? That crack you heard when I hit her? That was her breaking the sound barrier just before she broke the ground. Nobody survives that.”

“She took out Princess Celestia one on one, remember?” Stormwind said. “Five bits says she’s still alive.”

Teagan hesitated. “No bet. Damn. Skrent, Flint! Guys, I need you to do me a favor…”

ooOoo

Earth, Saturday morning, May 28, 2013 8:10 AM

“Seriously, John. Where is Emma?” Olivia asked, losing her smile. “If she didn’t spend the night at your house and she’s not here, exactly where is she?”

“With Teagan,” John said. “The two of you need to listen to me very carefully, and not say anything until I’m finished. It’s very important you hear me out. Teagan gave Emma something last night, a keepsake from her—travels. Do you know where it is?”

“I remember she came home with something wrapped in a blue cloth. It was about a foot and a half long,” Jacob said. “When I asked her what it was Emma said it was something Teagan had wanted her to look after till she got back.”

“I think Teagan wanted to prove to Emma she trusted her,” John said. “But the people who gave her that keepsake never told her about the secret inside. Emma found the secret, that’s why she came back to our house last night.”

“What secret? Is that thing dangerous?” Jacob asked sharply.

“Not the way you mean,” Matt spoke up. “It won’t explode or anything. But now that Emma’s gone with Teelo we need to share the secret with you. So you won’t worry about Emma.”

Elaine snorted. “I know the secret, Matt. I still worry about both of them.”

“What are you talking about?” Olivia asked uneasily. “What do you mean she went with Teagan? How could you let her do that?”

“You won’t believe us if we tell you,” Evelyn spoke for the first time. “The keepsake is the only thing that will convince you we’re not crazy.”

“Who are you?” Jacob asked, starting to get angry.

“My name is Evelyn Lewis, Mr. Halstead. I’m the private investigator Teelo retained in January to help her recover a friend that had been kidnapped,” the PI said calmly. “If you want to know more we need the keepsake. It will answer all your questions.”

“Why won’t you tell me where our daughter is? Elaine, where is she?” Olivia demanded.

“With Teagan, Olivia. On their way to a city called Hejm,” Elaine said carefully.

“And where’s that, exactly?” Jacob asked. “Sounds European—wait, my daughter’s going to Europe?” He looked at the four in disbelief.

“No. We have to have that keepsake if you want your questions answered, Jacob. Would it be in Emma’s room?” John asked.

“It should be. I’ll go get it.” Olivia stood up abruptly.

“I’ll go with you,” Elaine said and the two women left the room.

“Your name is Matt, right? How do you know my daughter?” Jacob asked, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

“Matthew Sanders, Mr. Halstead. I met your daughter when Teelo brought her by my dojo. I’m Teelo’s Krav Maga instructor.”

“So why are you here with a private investigator?” The man was clearly worried, his eyes searching them for some clue what was going on.

“Evelyn and I were involved in Teelo’s second trip, Mr. Halstead. Where we went and what we did there—I can’t tell that you until we have the keepsake.”

“Damn it!” Jacob swore. “What secret? What the hell is going on? Where’s my daughter!” His voice was raised.

“Calm yourself, Mr. Halstead. There’s no reason to believe Teelo and Emma are in the slightest danger,” Evelyn said in a placating voice. “Just wait until your wife gets back and everything will be explained. You have my word.”

“You’d better be right. Or I’m calling the police,” he growled. The four waited for ten uncomfortable minutes until the two women returned. Olivia was carrying a bundle wrapped in a blue cloth.

“We should sit at the table for this,” Elaine said. Wordlessly Olivia led them into the dining room, and sat down at the table, placing the bundle in front of her.

“Now what is this about?” Jacob growled again.

“Unwrap it,” John instructed Olivia. She did, laying the cloth out once she had so they could all see it. It showed a deep blue star field with a border of ornate ferns and hearts. On the star field were two unicorns chasing each other in an eternal circle. One was white with pink mane and tail, the other dark blue with a silver mane and tail. Inside the circle was a stylized golden sun and a crescent moon on a blue globe.

“Looks like a yin and yang symbol,” Jacob said, studying it. “The never-ending cycle of day and night, right?”

“Yes,” John said, nodding. “The border is traditional Irish design with some Greek influence. The heart symbols are actually Roman, I think.”

“So this is really old?” Jacob asked, examining the box.

“No. She brought it back from her first trip. It’s only about eighteen months old,” John said. “Her friends commissioned it. The box is hand carved, but it’s the contents we’re interested in. Go ahead and open it, Olivia. The latches are on the front there.”

Fumbling for a moment, Olivia finally mastered the clever latches. She opened the box with far less reverence than Emma had.

“Little pony dolls?” She asked doubtfully.

“They’re the secret, Olivia,” John said. “Take out the white winged unicorn and set it on the table facing you.”

Clearly unhappy, the woman did.

“Now ask it who it is,” John said.

“What?” She asked, startled.

“Ask it who it is. Trust me,” John said.

“Wh—who are you?” Olivia played along, addressing the statue.

The statue yawned and stretched its wings. Then it started flapping, until it was hovering in front of the wide eyed woman’s face.

“Hello, I am Princess Celestia, ruler of the magical land of Equestria. I don’t recognize you, what is your name?”

“Olivia,” the woman answered, clearly shocked into automatic pilot mode.

“Greetings, Olivia,” she looked around until she saw Elaine. “Greetings, Lady Elaine. I’m happy to meet you again, in a manner of speaking.”

The statuette settled to the table, folded its wings, and became inert stone once more.

“What the hell?” Jacob swore, staring at the tiny winged unicorn. “That’s impossible! Nobody could build something like that! And it flew. How did it fly?”

The figurine came back to life and turned to him.

“Who are you?” It asked.

“Jacob Halstead,” he answered, wide eyed.

“I enchanted this toy so it could do a few tricks every day, Mr. Halstead. It can answer a few simple questions before the magic runs out for the day. The magic returns with the sun. Flying takes a lot of magic, so if you want the figurine to fly more than once a day make sure you play with it in the sunlight.” The figurine reverted again.

“Magic? There’s no such thing as magic,” Olivia said, stunned. “How is it talking? Answering questions? That takes some serious computer power doesn’t it? It’s not big enough! And the way it moves, it’s as though it were alive!”

“All right, John. Enough games. What is going on?” Jacob demanded. “Where is Emma?”

“Teelo and your daughter are now in Equestria, Mr. Halstead,” Matt said quietly. “I’ve been there myself, all four of us have. It’s a real place, but how exactly the Bridge of Days works I couldn’t tell you.”

“The what?” Jacob asked, still struggling to process what he’d just seen.

“The Bridge of Days,” Evelyn answered. “We don’t know exactly what it is or how it works. It’s like a doorway between Earth and Equestria. All I can give you is a handful of educated guesses and some speculation based on my trip there.”

“Start talking,” he said grimly.

“All right. Keep in mind I’ve got very little hard evidence aside from this keepsake. And frankly, their technology might as well be magic because it’s way beyond anything we’ve got. You ever heard of Clark’s Axiom?”

“Yeah,” he eyed the stone figurine. “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. So is this magic? Or some kind of weird super-science stuff?”

Evelyn shrugged. “I don’t know. How could we tell the difference? What I do know is that Equestria is filled with sentient non-humans. They seem to speak English, but their alphabet is nothing like ours. They seem to have a general technology level about equal to the late 19th century, with a few areas as advanced as early 20th. Except they also use ‘magic’, which means their tech level is so far beyond ours it’s like we’re still using stone axes.

“I went to Equestria on Christmas day and spent three weeks there. I’ve spent the last six months trying to make sense of it all. The only thing I can figure is the Equestrians had some kind of modifications done to them early in their history, maybe genetic engineering or nanotechnology—had to have been somethingalong those lines.

“I also know the current rulers of Equestria overthrew the original ruler. Maybe that’s why their tech is such a hodgepodge of old-school and Flash Gordon. They probably commandeered some advanced tech when they revolted. It would explain a lot of what I saw.”

“As for them speaking English, well, I don’t think they actually do. It makes no sense that they would. I’m betting it was some kind of universal translator, based on ‘magic’.” She made air quotes with her fingers.

“I also bet the translation wasn’t perfect. Some of the words they used might not literally mean what they say. For instance their names are just goofy.”

“Goofy how? Like nonsense words?” Olivia asked.

“No. The words are English; they’re just too—well weird. One of them is named Rarity. Another is named Pinkamena Diane Pie—but she goes by Pinkie. And yeah, she’s pink. See what I mean? The two rulers are named Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”

“The Equestrians look just like these figurines. The first time you see them your mind screams pony. Until you get a really good look. Then you’ll never mistake them for ordinary horses again.”

“What are you talking about?” Jacob demanded irritably. “We’re supposed to believe Emma went to visit talking horses?”

Evelyn pointed at the figurine. “Straight from the horse’s mouth, Mr. Halstead. Do you doubt your own ears?”

He looked like he wanted to protest, but subsided.

“What I mean is, at first glance they look like an ordinary pony or horse,” Evelyn said. “Equestrians are four legged. But their front hooves have this weird mutation, some kind of flange that unfolds from the frog of their hoof. They can use the flange the way we use fingers. It isn’t quite as good as fingers, so they use their mouths as hands a lot more than we do, their lips are very dexterous.”

“Their shoulder joints are really weird, too, much more complex than a horse’s with nearly the same range of motion as a human. Oh, and their eyes are huge, and face forward like a predator’s. They also have full color vision and depth perception.”

“Look,” she picked up the figurines of Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. “Notice there are three different kinds? They call them tribes, or at least that’s the word we hear. This is an earth pony, a unicorn, and a pegasus,” she tapped each figurine in turn.

“All three live together peacefully and can even interbreed, so clearly they’re the same species. But each tribe has their own special tricks.”

“The earth ponies have prehensile tails. Pegasi have wings, little stubby things that shouldn’t be able to lift them—but they can fly, and even hover. That’s why I’m thinking some kind of genetic engineering or nanotech. And the unicorns—” She shook her head.

“Well, they’re unicorns. Somehow the unicorns seem to be able to use ‘magic’ to lift and move objects and even teleport.”

“Teleport?” Jacob asked skeptically. “You’re kidding me! So what are they? Space ponies from Mars?”

“Not Mars,” Evelyn said, rolling her eyes. “Not part of our solar system at all. We call it Equestria, but that’s probably not its name. Their planet was terraformed, Mr. Halstead! It’s the result of engineering on a planetary level! Their star is some kind of dim white dwarf, but there’s an artificial sun and moon that orbit the planet. Somebody made those devices and put them in orbit as part of the terraforming. Somehow Princess Celestia got hold of the controls for the artificial sun. Princess Luna has the controls for the moon. They told me themselves the ponies didn’t create Equestria, so someone else must have. And that someone else has access to unbelievably advanced technology.”

“Unbelievable is the right word,” Jacob said sourly. “You really expect us to swallow this tripe? What did you do with our daughter?” He shouted the last word at her.

“Lady Teelo is going to Hejm for the summer,” the tiny voice of Princess Celestia answered Jacob unexpectedly. “The magic is fading, but I can speak with you again tomorrow.” The statue solidified.

“Do we have technology capable of making that?” Evelyn asked Emma’s father. “Can we fake that?” She picked up a blue winged unicorn and sat it down next to Celestia’s statue.

“Princess Luna, where is Emma?” She asked.

“Lady Teelo’s friend? She asked us several questions last night but we haven’t seen her since,” the blue figurine replied in cool formal tones.

“Who made you?” Jacob butted in.

“Jewel Shard, the artist, constructed the actual figurines,” Luna replied. “Our sister provided the enchantments and each of us posed for our own figurine to provide the anima.” Her figurine solidified again.

“Let’s say we believe you,” Olivia said in the awkward silence that followed. “When will Emma be coming home?”

“The first of August,” John said quietly.

The shocked stares of Emma’s parents said it all.

Big Stick Politics

In which we learn sometimes a carrot is not what you need.

“We have found her, Dronning!” Skrent announced, standing up. He and Flint were chest deep in the crater, having dug down nearly five feet.

“Is she alive?” Teagan asked from the crater’s edge. Emma, Stormwind, and Søyle stood with her.

“She looks—broken,” Skrent said doubtfully. “We pull her out and see.” He and his brother bent down in their hole. After a moment Flint pulled himself out and knelt at the crater edge while Skrent hoisted something black and blue out of the hole.

Teagan gasped and Emma turned away, holding her hands over her mouth.

“For her sake, I hope she’s dead,” Stormwind said in a somber voice. “Celestia preserve us! Lady Teagan, what did you do to her?”

“Hit her with Crush as hard as I could,” Teagan said quietly. “She can’t still be alive. Not even Tišina could survive that. Oh, God…”

Chrysalis was—wrecked. Mangled, like a rag doll, her legs broken in multiple places, her broken spine folding her body in a direction nature never intended. Her neck was clearly broken, her head twisted backward until her eyes pointed at her tail. Her ribcage was flattened on one side and her black chitin was cracked and crazed, with blood oozing from underneath almost everywhere.

Wordlessly Teagan knelt and took hold of the changeling queen’s head, wincing at the boneless ease of its movement. She straightened the head gently, moving it to an approximation of its correct placement.

“What are you doing, Teelo?” Emma asked in a thin voice that was on the edge of tears.

“I killed her, Emma. She may have deserved it for trying to kill us, but I can’t just leave her like this,” Teagan said as she straightened the queen’s neck. “There’s no dignity in death, did you know that? No glory, no victory. Matt told me that. Every death is nothing but another loss, a tragedy to be mourned. Enemy or not, the living mustn’t shame the dead. We’ll be joining them all too soon.”

They watched as Teagan continued tending the dead queen. It took several minutes, and when it was done she stood.

“Chrysalis, I’m sorry I had to kill you. But you chose your road, not me. If you hadn’t attacked us I’d have left you alone. Dear God, please let her finally know peace, let her soul know rest. And let her children pass without pain. Amen.”

Chrysalis twitched.

Teagan crouched while her hand went for Crush in case she needed to draw. Emma backed up several steps, her eyes going wide. The male trolls closed around Teagan and Søyle raised bloodstained claws as she moved between Emma and Chrysalis.

“I think you would have owed me five bits, Lady Teagan,” Stormwind said as the front half of Chrysalis jerked spastically.

“How can she still be alive?” Teagan wondered aloud. “Her bones felt like bags of marbles!”

“Shape-shifter,” Sun Hammer grunted. “Thair bones warp and bend e’er time thay use their power, lassie. Belike she’s immortal tae boot.”

“Okay, but even somebody like her isn’t going to just shake that off,” Teagan said. “We still have time to capture her. Stormwind, do we have the materials to make a travois?”

“Um, I suppose so. But pegasi don’t use such gear, Lady Teagan,” Stormwind sounded just a little uncomfortable.

“Dinnae fash yerself, cuddy,” Sun Hammer snorted. “Tis many a travois A hauled by ma lonesome, so A hae. We can use the chariot poles. Yon bug be nae load fer a strong earth pony such as masel. Ye can mak yerself useful by findin’ straps tae lash the poles, so ye can.”

Faster than Teagan had dared hope Sun Hammer had created a crude but serviceable travois and the healing Chrysalis was bound to the frame. None too soon either, as bursts of green magic began sparking over her every few minutes. Fresh, unbroken chitin was left in their wake. The new chitin was clear of blood as well.

Just as they were ready to move out Teagan raised a hand to stop them.

“Do you hear that?” She asked uneasily. Sun Hammer and Stormwind both nodded, as did the troll bodyguards.

“I don’t hear anything,” Emma said quietly.

“Exactly. The changelings have stopped moaning,” Teagan said grimly. “Which probably means they’re starting to recover. And we still have to break through their line. This is going to get tense. Søyle, keep close to Emma. Flint, Skrent, guard Sun Hammer’s flanks, I’m staying by Chrysalis so I can slug her if it looks like we’re getting overwhelmed.”

“Stormwind, do what you guys do best. Everyone ready? Good, let’s move. The sooner I have a roof over my head, the happier I’ll be.”

“My children will not let you take me,” a hoarse alto voice whispered next to Teagan.

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Your Majesty,” Teagan said. “If you want to stay living you’ll tell your children to let us pass.”

“And if I do not, ape?” Narrowed green eyes with slit pupils glared at her.

“That’s human, you overgrown cockroach,” Teagan said sweetly. “If you don’t make your children back off I will smash your skull in, and when your children fall screaming and helpless I and my trolls will finish each and every one of them. And then we’ll see if you can regenerate from being burned to ashes.”

“You pathetic child! You don’t have the stomach for it,” the queen scoffed. “Never make threats you can’t back up. It only makes you look weak and foolish. Everyone knows ponies do not kill.”

Teagan felt herself getting angry. Forcing herself to calm down she narrowed her eyes and tried to think. Suddenly a smile spread across her face.

“You know what, Your Majesty, you are absolutely right. Thank you for such sage advice. No, wait! Thanks would never be sufficient, would they? Not for such amazing advice.”

She continued to smile at the queen, her voice light and sweet. Shrugging out of her backpack she started to dig.

“No, for such valuable advice I think a reward is called for! A very, very special reward, for priceless wisdom so freely given! Now where is it? Aha!”

The trolls’ faces were carefully expressionless, but Emma and the ponies were exchanging nervous glances. The expression on Chrysalis’s face clearly showed she thought the human had taken leave of her senses.

“Here we are!” Teagan actually giggled. “Now, I know for a fact you’ve never met a human before, Your Majesty, because I’m the first one that ever set foot here. So you don’t know anything about us, do you? Oh, we can’t have that, oh no. Don’t they say music is the universal language? This little box,” she held up a little white box about the size of a pack of cards, “lets you listen to music. All kinds of music! But just for you, to let you learn about humans, I’ve got the perfect song! It will teach you everything you need to know about humans in only three minutes!”

She placed the ear buds in the changeling’s ears, careful not to push them too deep. They hadn’t been designed for a horse and Teagan wanted to make absolutely sure the queen heard every note.

“Ready? Here we go. I’ll set it so it isn’t too loud, we wouldn’t want you to get a headache, you poor thing.”

She pressed the button.

[A/N: If you want to hear the song, go to Youtube and type the search term “Fluttershy’s Monster PMV”. It shows a close-up of Fluttershy’s grinning face. The song is “I Feel Like A Monster”, by Skillet.]

Chrysalis jerked in surprise when the music started. But she relaxed almost instantly, not wanting to show weakness in front of her captors.

As the song continued however her irises suddenly contracted in that uniquely Equestrian display of fear. The longer it played the more she quivered, and the faster her breathing became.

When the song ended she slumped, staring at Teagan warily. Teagan tenderly removed the ear buds and replaced her MP3 player in her backpack.

“A musician wrote that, Your Majesty, to express the human condition,” she confided with a gentle smile. “By the way, did you know humans go to school until we’re 18 years old? Some of us until we’re 22! It’s to help us learn self-control, you see. It takes so long, and it’s so hard! But no matter how good we get—well, you heard the song? Yeah. It’s always there, Your Majesty. It never goes away,” she smiled at the helpless changeling.

“Now you know everything you need to know about humans.”

Teagan stroked the bound changeling’s neck tenderly and leaned over to whisper in the queen’s ear so no one else could hear.

“You want to know a secret, Your Majesty? That monster? The one inside every human? It is us, we are the monster. Most of us eventually learn to control it. We cage it and put on a mask so no one ever sees the monster again. Some people even fool themselves and completely forget it’s there. That must be so nice. I wish I could do that.

“But I can’t, you see. I’ve got a different problem. Because my monster isn’t alone there in the dark. There’s a demon in there too, one from your world. It’s wrapped around my soul, whispering to my monster every minute of every day, waking or sleeping. Can you imagine what that’s like? My monster is constantly being poked and prodded, and it makes my monster grumpy. And believe you me nobody wants their monster grumpy! On top of all that, I’m only sixteen, Your Majesty. I haven’t gotten all the training for self-discipline yet, so it’s even harder to control.

“On the other hand the demon isn’t all bad news. It gives me advice. Amazingly good advice! Because it’s thousands of years old, you see, and it’s gotten very, very good at doing what it does. And what it does, Your Majesty, is be a weapon.”

Teagan paused for a moment, to let that sink in.

“You want to know what it’s advising me to do right now? I’m sure a wise and ancient queen like you knows, don’t you? Clever Queen Chrysalis! Of course you know. So why don’t you stop tempting me to follow my demon’s advice, hmm?”

Teagan lightly kissed the changeling’s ear and stepped back.

“There’s something else you need to know about me,” she said aloud. “I am Dronning av Fjellet, the Queen of the Mountain, queen of all trolls. I don’t know if you knew this little fact about trolls, but they never lie. Ever. So as their queen, neither do I. Because trolls get really, really hostile when someone lies to them.”

“And now that you know everything you need to know about humans, and a very important fact about trolls, I’m going to ask you nicely. Won’t you please tell your children to go deep into the Everfree and leave us alone? It really would be best, don’t you think?”

She stood relaxed, smiling happily at Chrysalis, who stared back impassively.

ooOoo

“Good morning!” Fluttershy chirped as she sat at the table drinking her morning tea. “I was afraid you were going to oversleep. But you were sleeping so soundly I didn’t have the heart to wake you. You are coming with me to welcome Teelo back, aren’t you?”

She looked at him with puppy-dog eyes.

“Well, yes, about that…” Discord said, eyes shifting back and forth as he sat down. “We didn’t part on the best of terms, you know. She might still be a bit miffed at me.”

“Oh, you mean because you tried to torture me to death and stripped her naked in front of every pony in Equestria and she got so mad she ran across all those nasty broken bottles and cut up her feet so badly she had to stay in bed for two weeks to heal afterward but still managed to nearly murder you?” Fluttershy asked with a chipper smile.

Discord’s jaw fell open and he nodded slowly.

“Don’t be silly!” Fluttershy chuckled. “I’m certain she’s forgotten all about it by now! Well, almost certain. I mean, you were possessed at the time, and you’re reformed now so I’ll be sure to tell her not to attack you. I’m almost positive she’ll listen to me, we’re best friends you know,” Fluttershy nodded with confidence. “Besides, it’ll be—better—if I’m there when she finds out you were released.”

Ignoring the look of horror on his face she picked up the teapot.

“Would you like some tea?” She asked brightly, smiling in a way that always made Discord feel all fuzzy inside. As she poured his tea he couldn’t help noticing the fuzzy was missing this time.

ooOoo

Pinkie was running to the market when she stumbled.

“Drat! Oh no! My knee feels pinchy!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed in dismay. She looked around frantically, looking for whatever triggered her Pinkie Sense. A shadow passing overhead drew her attention.

“Wow, they’re certainly in a hurry! Oh! That’s a unicorn they’re carrying! He doesn’t look so good. Now that’s scary! I better tell Twilight!” She spun toward the library, only to freeze.

“Silly! Twilight doesn’t live here anymore. She’s in Canterlot doing all that princess-y stuff,” she mumbled to herself. The other ponies in the road placidly stepped around her, well accustomed to the sight of Pinkie mumbling to herself while staring off into space.

“I’ll tell Applejack! She’ll know what to do!” Pinkie blurred away, running flat out toward Sweet Apple Acres.

ooOoo

Twilight was in the middle of breakfast when she suddenly sneezed violently.

“Gesundheit!” Spike said, grinning. “You might want to lay off the pepper, Twilight. You forgot to stop sprinkling while reading that report, didn’t you?”

Twilight stared down at her eggs, now completely covered with dusty black flakes. “Spike, you should have told me! You sat there and watched me do it!”

“If I’m constantly telling you not to put too much pepper on your eggs then how are you ever going to learn not to do it?” Spike said, smirking.

“Ha ha,” she grumbled, floating the plate aside to have room for the blueberry crepe. Spike silently handed her his eggs, which she took gratefully. It wasn’t that the table was too small, she was using the same table Celestia and Luna did. But the table was piled high with piles of reports.

Spike eagerly took the pepper-coated eggs and began shoveling them into his mouth, smacking his lips in enjoyment.

“Besides, didn’t Princess Celestia warn you not to let work creep into mealtimes?” Spike continued, pointing his fork at her. “Something about an alicorn needing “me” time too?”

Twilight glanced guiltily at the paperwork surrounding her. “Yes, but with Teelo coming back during the day, Princess Luna asked me to handle the welcoming ceremony and making sure her retinue’s last minute details were taken care of. That puts me way behind schedule on all my other work!”

“Me time,” Spike said sternly. Twilight sighed and slumped in defeat. She set the report aside and picked up a fork with her magic, making sure to sprinkle just the right amount of pepper this time.

ooOoo

Earth, Saturday morning, May 28, 2013 8:47 AM

“August!” Olivia sputtered. “That’s not acceptable, Elaine! Call this Princess and tell her to send my daughter back right now!”

“I can’t, Olivia! Don’t you think I’d have already done it if I could? There’s no communication with Equestria! To talk to us they literally have to send someone over the Bridge.”

“And you let Teagan go to this Equestria place with no way to talk to her?” Jacob said in disbelief.

“I didn’t have much say in the matter,” Elaine retorted. “The first time she was kidnapped. The second time I yelled at Sun Hammer for an hour and Teagan still went. We couldn’t stop her. That’s why Evelyn and Matt went with her. This third trip was arranged before I knew anything about it. If I’d tried to stop it there would have been a war.”

“Well, a little yelling, maybe,” Olivia said, smiling. “Teenagers are like that, right?”

“No, Olivia. I mean a real war, with soldiers fighting each other,” Elaine wasn’t smiling.

“What?” Olivia asked, startled. “What do you mean? Who’d be fighting who?”

“The ponies call them trolls,” Elaine responded. “We actually met the troll king. He’s at least ten feet tall and must weigh a thousand pounds. Did Emma ever mention that Teagan has a club made out of dark gray iron?”

“I think she mentioned it,” Olivia said after a moment’s thought. “What was it, now? Something about Teagan never letting anyone touch it, I think.”

The private eye broke in. “That club is from Equestria, just like the keepsake. It’s some kind of ancient weapon made by the trolls. It’s magical—or super science—arghhh, whatever. Anyway, it’s a holy relic for the trolls. Whoever wields it is automatically their ruler.”

“Teelo calls the club Crush. Apparently Crush is controlled by an onboard AI program that—” Evelyn started to say before Jacob interrupted her.

“A what?” He asked.

“AI—Artificial Intelligence,” the PI said patiently. “Teelo calls it a demon, but it’s not evil exactly. I believe it’s just a control program that is focused entirely on being a weapon. Strategy, tactics, battle stratagems, and so on. Teelo says it can hold a conversation but it’s frighteningly single-minded, especially when it comes to dealing with threats.”

“Meaning?” Jacob asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Meaning Crush is a club and most of its advice centers on how to move into position and smash the problem,” Evelyn said dryly. It’s also bio-coded to the user, apparently for security reasons. Permanently. Long story short, it means Crush serves her and nobody else for the rest of her life.”

“Why would the trolls put all that technology into a simple club?” Olivia asked with a wrinkled brow. “It’s just an overgrown stick.”

“Uh, no,” Matt spoke up. “Calling Crush an overgrown stick is like calling an ICBM with a nuclear warhead a big rock. It’s conceptually accurate but doesn’t even hint at the nastiness. Crush has all kinds of weird abilities, most of them involving the manipulation of gravity.”

“Oh come on!” Jacob objected.

Matt held up one hand like he was swearing an oath.

“I’ve seen it for myself. She can wield the thing one handed—fast enough to parry stuff thrown at her. On the other hand I can’t even lift it using both hands. That’s why she won’t let anyone else touch it, they’d find out it’s no ordinary club.”

“That’s why we couldn’t stop her,” Elaine said. “She was determined to go and if we’d locked her in her room she’d have just smashed the door down. This third trip—well, as much as I hate it, she’s gotten herself mixed up in their politics. People could die if she didn’t go back. I couldn’t have that on my conscience.”

“You mean humans or Equestrians?” Jacob asked.

“Equestrians. Ponies and trolls and who knows how many other species,” John said somberly. “They’re people too, Jacob.”

“But how did Emma get involved?” Olivia demanded.

“She bolted through the Bridge just before it closed. I tried to stop her, but she was already through before I realized what she was doing,” John said. “I’m sorry, Olivia.”

“So why didn’t they open this bridge thing and send her back immediately?” Jacob asked the question he should have asked at the beginning of this surreal conversation.

“It takes a unicorn with a great deal of skill to open the Bridge,” Evelyn replied. “There aren’t that many who can do it. The only one I know who can, aside from Princess Celestia—and maybe Luna—is named Subtle Dancer. However they do it, it’s physically exhausting. He can only open the Bridge for about 30 seconds at a time, and no more often than every four hours.”

“So how long’s it been?” Jacob asked.

“Emma left at 3:00 AM,” Matt said. “We waited five hours before coming over.”

“Why didn’t this unicorn open the bridge thing then?” Olivia asked.

The four exchanged glances. Finally John spoke for all of them.

“I don’t know, Olivia. I wish to God I did.”

Brinksmanship

In which we learn the fine art of playing chicken.

Chrysalis held Teagan’s gaze for so long the girl was afraid she was going to have to kill the changeling—or at least attempt it. Not to mention the other changelings… She wondered if Skrent and Flint would obey her order—and if she was cold enough to give it.

Teagan never thought the Abyss would be found in an insect-unicorn’s eyes. But then Chrysalis blinked and broke eye contact without turning her head...

“Very well,” the changeling queen said. “You may have free passage—if you release me. My children will allow you to leave the forest unharmed.”

Teagan raised an eyebrow. “Do you really expect to dupe me so easily, Your Majesty?”

The changeling’s eyes narrowed. “Do you dare doubt my word? Go, before I change my mind!”

“It’s odd, really,” Teagan mused, tilting her head to the side as if she were considering a puzzle. “Be they ever so vicious, villains are reluctant to lie. They will equivocate yes, but it takes a particularly heartless monster to actually lie to their opponents.”

“I am not lying. You may leave the forest unharmed if you release me,” Chrysalis insisted.

“Oh, I don’t doubt we’d make it out of the forest,” Teagan said, nodding. “But as soon as we cleared the trees we’d lose our one advantage and your swarm would fall on us. Do not think me stupid, Your Majesty. That would be a fatal mistake.”

“I am a queen, child! I have ruled for thousands of years. You may be a queen to these barbaric creatures, but you are no match for me!”

“And yet it is you who lies bound and crippled,” Teagan noted. “Oh, and just so you know? Your back injury is permanent. It can’t be healed magically.”

“You’re lying,” Chrysalis sneered. “I will be healed within a day. What of your trolls then? Will they become hostile?” The queen’s laugh was scornful. “I wonder. Will they abandon you? Or simply tear you limb from limb like timber wolves would?”

“Gee, I don’t know, Your Majesty. Let’s find out!” Teagan said in a sing-song voice. “Søyle, am I lying?”

The troll shook her head. “No, Dronning. The wounds dealt by Mountain’s Heart cannot be healed by magic. Only by time—and the scars are terrible.”

Teagan nodded. “Terrible indeed. Chrysalis, the stallion who has so graciously offered to haul your sorry rump back to civilization is named Sun Hammer. He bears the scars of a fight with Crush’s previous wielder. So he knows first-hand exactly how terrible those scars are. It’s very likely you will neither walk nor fly ever again, immortal or not.”

“I am already healing!” Chrysalis said, tossing her head. “Your prattling annoys me. Cease it at once.”

“Those injuries weren’t caused by Crush,” Teelo said, shaking her head. “They happened when you hit the ground hard enough to bury yourself five feet below the floor of the crater. Crush, on the other hand, smashed three feet of your spine. Everything behind your forelegs is paralyzed for good. If you force me to smash your skull—” she shrugged.

“I still have my magic,” the queen growled, a green glow pulsing around her gnarled horn.

“And I still have Crush. Want to see if a crippled changeling is faster than an unwounded human? Oh, and let’s not forget the three trolls who would be very angry with you if you did something stupid. Sun Hammer’s rear hooves are uncomfortably close to your head as well, Your Majesty. He killed a troll with them. Your skull isn’t nearly as tough as a troll’s.”

Chrysalis hesitated for a heartbeat.

Got you! Teagan thought to herself.

“For the sake of argument let us assume you make it past my guards and my children,” Chrysalis said with a mocking tone. “What then? Will you take me to Ponyville? Am I to live my life trapped among bumpkins and shopkeepers? At least until my children rescue me and burn that wretched village to the ground!”

“I imagine Princess Celestia would have you moved to Canterlot. I understand her dungeons are quite secure. I doubt your children are in a hurry to go back there,” Teagan replied calmly.

“I have dealt with Celestia before,” the queen sneered. “I have beaten her in her own throne room!”

“Yeah, about that fight…” Teagan chuckled. “Did you ever stop to consider she was operating under a severe handicap? She couldn’t unleash her full power without killing everyone in the castle. I’ve seen what happens when she really cuts loose. She gouged a hundred foot deep crater out of solid rock with just one spell. So even if you did manage to crawl away she’d swat you like the bug you are. There wouldn’t even be a bad smell left.”

“How dare you, you insolent child!” Chrysalis snarled. “My guards will—will…” Her eyes widened. “What have you done?”

“Killed all seven of them,” Teagan said, her face softening. “After I took you down they went berserk. They wouldn’t stop fighting. We had no choice.”

“No,” Chrysalis said softly. “No, I don’t imagine you did,” the grief in her voice nearly broke Teagan. Only glancing at Emma let her steel her resolve.

“Are you proud of yourself?” The changeling glared at Teagan. “How many of my guards did youkill personally, monster?”

“There’s the pot calling the kettle black. But to answer your question—I killed three,” Teagan said quietly. “The two guarding you and the last one. The trolls took down the one who attacked Subtle Dancer, and Sun Hammer killed two. The pegasi killed the other one.”

“Ponies do not kill, child,” Chrysalis said it like a mantra against the dark. Her eyes were haunted. “Or rather they do not kill deliberately. Therefore I know you are lying. But while Shining Armor may not have done it deliberately, he still managed to murder half my children. And Subtle Dancer murdered yet more. Tell me, did I manage to kill him? Even now I can hear a dozen of my children whimpering from his fire—the same fire that blinded them and took their wings.”

“No,” Teagan said quietly. “He’s still alive. In the hospital, but he’ll recover.”

“Pity,” Chrysalis stared at her. “He deliberately chose to murder my children with that hellish fire spell. For him there will be no quarter. Of all ponykind, he is the only one who broke the vow about killing.”

“He were nae the only one, ye nasty piece o’ work,” Sun Hammer growled. “If ye had jus’ let us be, nane o’ this would hae come tae pass.”

“Equestria will fall for what Shining Armor and Subtle Dancer have done,” Chrysalis snarled. “Half my hive! They butchered my children!”

“And how, exactly, did Shining Armor do anything?” Teagan asked. “His spell is purely defensive. It’s a shield, not a weapon.”

“I felt them die,” Chrysalis hissed. “The shield expanded so quickly only the ones in open air survived. The ones inside buildings, or trapped by walls were crushed to death. Half my children died that day.”

Teagan winced at the raw pain in her voice. Suddenly she didn’t want to fight anymore. She just wanted it to be over.

“Two wrongs don’t make a right, Your Majesty. Your children died because you attacked Canterlot. They died today because you attacked us. I’m sorry I had to kill your guards. I’m sorry some of your children are blind and in pain right now because you attacked us. I wish you hadn’t done that. If you hadn’t then your children would still be alive. But there’s no going back, what’s done is done.”

She took a deep breath to regain control.

“And you know what? I’d do it again to protect those I’m responsible for. They didn’t ask to be part of this! I didn’t ask to be part of this!”

She drew Crush.

“So it ends here and now. Either you surrender or I kill you. What’s it going to be?”

Chrysalis studied her. “You would not hesitate, would you? Tell me, have you killed before?”

“I almost did,” Teagan said, staring her in the eye. “If Celestia hadn’t stopped me I’d have murdered a god, Your Majesty. Not to mention I already tried to kill you once today and the only reason you’re still alive is blind luck. Your luck just ran out. Surrender or die.”

“You realize if I die my children die with me?” The changeling queen asked with a steady gaze.

“I know,” Teagan said, raising the club. It began to glow.

“I yield,” the queen said, closing her eyes. “I choose to live. I surrender.”

Because her eyes were closed she didn’t see the way Teagan sagged for a moment in sheer relief.

“Send your children away,” Teagan ordered, sheathing the club. Around them the sound of wings rose and one by one, with many a backward look, the changelings flew away.

All but a dozen of them.

“I have done as you asked,” Chrysalis said tiredly. “But these cannot fly and they cannot see. If I send them away they will die. I do not want more of my children to die.”

“Fine,” Teagan agreed. “This small mercy I can grant.”

“Lady Teagan, no!” Stormwind protested. “It would be child’s play for one of the changelings to shape shift and appear wounded. For all we know those are actually more guards! Chrysalis cannot be trusted.”

“You want to kill her then?” Teagan asked, gesturing to the bound changeling. “In cold blood? She’s a prisoner, Stormwind. Civilized people don’t kill prisoners. She surrendered, she’s crippled, and she’s tied up. Those changelings are burned and blind and they don’t have their wings anymore.”

“What happens if one of them transforms into a guard?” Stormwind demanded. “Taken by surprise, one guard could kill most of us. Could kill her,” he pointed at Emma. “You saw how dangerous they were!”

Teagan sighed. “Stormwind, do you know what it means to be queen?”

The pegasus hesitated.

“It means I have to decide what to do when I haven’t got a cluewhat the right thing is. It means if I screw up somebody could die. It also means it won’t be me—and if you think that’s a good thing you’re not half the wing commander I know you are.

“Yes, there’s a risk. I know that. But sometimes that risk has to be taken. Because we aren’t the monsters, Stormwind. We do the right thing, even when it’s not the easy thing. Or the safe thing. Or even the sane thing!”

She stared at him, feeling a thousand years old.

“Answer me this. If I killed her at your urging, would you be proud of the pegasus that looked back from the mirror tomorrow morning?”

“No,” he finally answered. “I wouldn’t. Thank you, Lady Teagan,” he bowed to her.

“Let’s get out of here before something else goes wrong,” she said quietly, and then winced.

Murphy loves that phrase.

Growls came from the edge of the clearing and a dozen slinking forms came into the light.

“Oh, you’ve got to be freaking kidding me!” She yelled in fury, staring at the pack of timber wolves stalking the blind changelings.

“Chrysalis, tell your children to get over here, but tell them do not run,” Teagan said, watching the pack as it closed on its wounded prey. “Skrent, Flint, Søyle, on my command I want you to shout and charge the wolves. Make it sound like the world is falling on their heads. We don’t want to fight them. We just want to scare them off.”

“Sun Shield, guard the changelings! Make as much noise as you can! Beat on your armor! Do whatever you can to make noise!” Teagan shouted.

“Trolls, NOW!” She charged the wolves, screaming at the top of her lungs. The pegasi started shouting and slamming their hooves rhythmically against their armor, sounding like the world’s largest pile of collapsing trash cans.

Three heart-stopping roars came from behind her and suddenly a wall of slate green flesh steamrolled past as the trolls got up to speed. There was no way her shorter legs could keep up so she drew her club and flung herself into the air, sailing over the trolls as Crush’s magic caught her.

Startled, the wolves turned away from the changelings. Their green glowing eyes widened comically as they spotted the mountain of angry trolls headed straight at them.

Teagan came down about twenty feet in front of the wolves and slammed Crush into the ground, instinctively willing the impact force to move away from her and toward the wolves. She demanded Crush use its full weight.

That turned out to be a mistake.

She stopped instantly, feeling nothing, the entire force of her fall adding its miniscule energy to the massive earthquake Crush unleashed.

She’d asked for the club’s full weight and Crush happily complied. Neither she nor the demon had considered what would happen when fifty-three million tons of force traveling at a combined speed of nearly seventy miles per hour hit the soil of the clearing.

As she had desired the blast wave radiated away from her in a ninety-degree cone, directed downward. Magically directed, none of the blast backlashed toward Teagan’s group. The resulting tsunami of earth moved forward and upward, traveling at almost a hundred miles an hour as it scoured everything in front of it.

It covered nearly a half a mile before stopping.

The tsunami’s path was a red scar. The soil was simply gone, stripped off the underlying clay, which had been able to absorb Crush’s impact and direct it forward instead of down. The clay was smooth and polished from the blast. Dirt, trees, and anything else in the way was just—gone.

Unfortunately, Newton’s three laws work in Equestria just like they do on Earth (well, at least when free of magical interference). Freed from many megatons of pressure the ground in the clearing snapped three feet sideways, toward the edge of the blast cone, and sank nearly a foot. The clearing tilted in the process, knocking everyone (except the pegasi in the air) off their feet.

Teagan nearly fell into the blast cone, saved only by Crush’s quick reaction. She still ended up flat on her back, staring at the sky, her ears ringing from the roar of the angered earth.

Let’s not do that again, okay? She thought to Crush.

Understood, came the demon’s laconic reply.

Where are the wolves? Did we scare them off?

No, we buriedthem. Isn’t that what you wanted?

Teagan felt a tinge of remorse at more needless deaths before remembering the timber wolves weren’t really alive. No doubt they’d turn to smoke, seep out of the ground, and reform.

Might take them a while, she thought, struggling to her feet.

By the time she reached them the trolls had already gotten back to their feet and were shaking off the dirt.

“You guys okay?” Teagan asked.

“That was kjempeflott, min Dronning!” Søyle exclaimed. There was a broad grin plastered across her face. Her eyes were shining, it was clear she was excited and—well, giddy.

“Ja, Dronning!” Skrent agreed with a wide grin on his face, raising one fist and punching the sky. Even Flint had a little smile as he gazed over the destruction.

Teagan groaned. “We are not doing that again. Ever.”

She trudged to where the pegasi had landed, surrounding the wounded changelings. Two were still down, clearly in bad shape.

“Percival, hi. Sorry you came to the party?” Teagan asked the pegasi she’d actually ridden last year. She suppressed a shudder as she remembered him casually flying over Tišina’s seemingly bottomless pit during their scouting mission.

“Lady Teagan, it is an honor to meet you again,” the armor encumbered pegasus bowed to her, seemingly oblivious to the eighty pounds of enchanted barding he wore.

“Pity it had to be like this. How many medics do you have left?”

“None, unfortunately. Stitch was the only one attached to the wing,” Percival said ruefully. “The rest know some first aid, but this is beyond us.”

“Yeah, me too,” Teagan frowned in thought. “Any idea how bad their injuries are?”

Percival nodded to the ones standing. “It seems their chitin was able to protect them from the worst effects of the fire. It couldn’t save their wings or eyes, but they were the ones on the edge of the spell, they were able to bolt before being destroyed. The two on the ground—” He turned grim. “I suspect they have lung damage. Without a skilled unicorn healer they’ll be dead in less than two hours.”

“Damn it. All right, if we have to carry those two and lead the rest, how long will it take to reach Ponyville?”

“Longer than they have,” Percival said, pawing the ground unhappily.

“Horse apples. How many patient slings are left?”

“We had five. We used one for Subtle Dancer and managed to scavenge three. The last one was burned too badly.”

“Do not even think about it, Lady Teagan!” Stormwind said angrily as he trotted up to them. “I am not tying up the rest of my wing to save changelings. My orders were to escort you safely to Canterlot, and that’s what I’m going to do. We’ll make a stop in Ponyville to get the rest of the wing but then you and Emma are going to Canterlot even if I have to carry you there on my own back!”

Teagan felt her temper flare.

“You’ll follow my orders because Princess Celestia told you to!” she snapped. “And my orders are to sling those two and airlift them to Ponyville!”

“Eight pegasi to carry them,” he reminded her. “Leaving two to fly escort—and only if the wing completely abandons its mission! I won’t do that, Lady Teagan!”

“Then you’ll face charges of insubordination,” Teagan said quietly. “Your duty is to obey Celestia’s orders, and those orders were to obey me.”

“Those orders were to see you safe,” Stormwind countered with fiercely narrowed eyes. “We’re in the middle of the Sisters-forsaken Everfree Forest! With all the noise we’ve been making every large predator within ten miles is headed right for us! We leave now and maybe we’ll make it out.”

“You see that?” She stabbed a finger at the hill of dirt and debris and the blast cone in front of it. “You really think I’m going to die here? I have my trolls, and I have Sun Hammer and I have Crush. That’s all I need to get to Ponyville. And not even a dragon is going to stop me. You have your orders, Wing Commander. Follow them.” She glared and put one hand on Crush.

The stallion glared back and raised one rear hoof, half turning his body. Teagan’s arm tensed.

“You do not want to do that,” she said in a tightly controlled voice. “Take your pegasi and get to Ponyville, Stormwind. Save those two changelings because it’s the right thing to do. Please.”

“I would not want to be you when Princess Celestia gets my report,” he growled, lowering his hoof. “Percival, ready two of the slings. You and I will fly cover. May Celestia guard us because we’re not gonna be able to do it ourselves!”

Percival saluted and started shouting orders.

Teagan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to go.

“Lady Teagan,” Stormwind’s voice was still angry. When she turned back he raised his head.

“I better see you in Ponyville, Your Majesty. I still have a mission to complete.”

“We’ll be right behind you, Wing Commander,” Teagan bowed to the pegasus.

“See that you are. Watch yourself, Lady Teagan.”

She went back to Sun Hammer and Emma as the pegasi prepared to airlift the two rapidly failing changelings.

The trolls walked silently behind her, impassive faces revealing nothing.

Balance Of Terror

In which we learn why Equestrians prize harmony so highly.

“Why have you sent away the pegasi?” Chrysalis asked incredulously. “Foolish child, now we have no guards!”

“First, those two changelings have burns in their lungs,” Teagan snapped. “Without immediate medical attention they won’t make it. That is not acceptable, Your Majesty. Nobody else dies today. Nobody.”

The queen regarded her with an inscrutable gaze.

“And second?” She asked finally.

Teagan smiled grimly. “It gives Equestria plausible deniability concerning the pact between us. It’s better if Celestia has no official knowledge of it.”

“And why should I pact with you?” Chrysalis asked curiously. “What can you offer me? My life? That threat is growing old, child.”

“You heard Stormwind. Every predator in a ten mile radius is headed straight for us,” Teagan said, smiling. “I wouldn’t have to lift a finger. Just unhitch the travois and walk away. Think your children could get here in time?”

“More threats? Well at least you came up with a new one,” Chrysalis said, rolling her eyes. “A pact has two sides, child. You want something from me. What is it?”

“Your army,” Teagan said bluntly. “They guard us from a distance while we get the hell out of Dodge. It goes without saying if I think you’re double-crossing me then I kill you—something else I didn’t want the pegasi to see since it would just upset them. Ponies can be so squeamish sometimes. In exchange, you and these ten wounded changelings make it to Ponyville, get medical treatment, and I’ll intercede with Princess Celestia on your behalf.”

“Why should she listen to you?” Chrysalis asked suspiciously. “How can I trust you won’t kill me once we’re out of the forest and my changelings are no longer needed? You’ve made it very clear my life means nothing to you.”

“She’s a very good friend of mine,” Teagan replied serenely. “And no, I’m not lying. I’m queen of the trolls, remember? You can believe everything I say. I guarantee you’ll make it to Ponyville alive, that you and your changelings will get medical treatment, and I will speak to Celestia and urge leniency toward you. Of course, I’d be more inspired if I can tell her you willingly refrained from treachery. All you have to do is keep the pact.”

“You’ll ask her to let me go if I do?” Chrysalis asked with a gleam in her eye.

Teagan laughed. “Not likely. But let me put it this way. If I don’t intervene it’s very possible you’ll spend the rest of eternity as a statue decorating the Royal Gardens, just like the last two immortals that pissed her off.”

“It seems I have no choice then,” Chrysalis said with a sigh. “Very well. My children will guard us in exchange for medical treatment for myself and my wounded, and your intervention with Celestia on my behalf. Do we have an accord?”

“So long as you keep your end of the bargain I’ll keep mine,” Teagan said. “Now let’s get out of here.”

Teagan had thought the blind changelings would be next to impossible to lead, but the telepathic bond they shared with their queen allowed her to keep them roughly in position and moving in the right direction.

When they set out Skrent was leading, with Søyle and Emma behind him, and Sun Hammer behind them. Teagan walked beside the queen, Crush in hand and her head on a constant swivel. The wounded changelings were behind her, with Flint bringing up the rear.

The edge of the forest was normally a forty-five minute walk from the Bridge but the blind changelings cut their pace in half. Fortunately Skrent seemed to know the way as they slowly made their way toward safety.

It was a nerve-wracking trip. Although the changelings stayed mostly out of sight and well away from them, occasionally Teagan would catch glimpses of them flitting through the branches and she constantly heard the buzz of changeling wings just on the edge of hearing. She could see Skrent and Søyle watching the flitting changelings the same way she did, and she could see Sun Hammer’s ears pivot constantly.

The only one who didn’t seem all that tense was Emma. She trudged along silently, only occasionally glancing around, but never in response to a changeling getting closer than was comfortable. It was as if she were just walking in the woods, thinking about something.

Half an hour later, and still an hour from the forest’s edge at their reduced speed, Skrent held up his hand to halt the group. He knelt and put his ear to the ground.

He stayed still for nearly a minute before rising and coming back to her.

“Large group of ponies headed this way,” the troll rumbled in a quiet voice. “Two hands of fingers,” he held up his five fingered hands and folded them twice to illustrate. “Be here quick. Three minutes, might be less.”

At least twenty ponies. The Sun Shield, maybe? Teagan thought to herself, hope rising. She didn’t trust the changeling army and would be very happy indeed to have Stormwind and his troop back.

“Your Majesty, have your children fall back, but stay in range just in case they aren’t friendly. Sun Hammer, unhitch the travois so you can fight. Søyle, fall back, so you can guard both Emma and the queen. Flint, watch our back.”

“And if it is the pegasi returning? What of our pact then?” Chrysalis asked as Søyle helped unhitch the travois and lower it gently to the ground.

“Your children leave, we go to Ponyville and I keep my end of the bargain,” Teagan said, rolling her eyes. “Trolls don’t do treachery either, Your Majesty.”

She turned to her best friend.

“You okay?” She asked. Emma was looking pale.

“You were right. I should never have come,” Emma said in a shaky voice. “Is it always this bad?”

“No,” Teagan said. “Today’s been a busy day, even by my standards. Hang in there. This is probably the cavalry coming to the rescue.”

“What if it’s more monsters?” Emma asked. Her face was pinched in worry.

“Here’s something I learned on my first trip, Emma. Don’t borrow trouble. I doubt these are monsters headed our way, but if it is just duck and let Søyle protect you. That way I’ll be free to teach our visitors Monster Manners 101.”

She shrugged. “But like I said, it’s probably not bad guys.”

“I hope you’re right. Hey, what’s with the whole flying thing?” Emma asked to distract herself. “Since when is my best friend a superhero? And how did you make that earthquake?”

“I didn’t, Crush did. Turns out it’s a magical Swiss Army Club. Who knew?” Teagan said, smiling.

The conversation was interrupted by the rumble of fast approaching hooves. To Teagan’s infinite relief it was indeed the Sun Shield, along with a score of Ponyville residents, including Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. Most of the rest were stallions. It was the first time she’d seen stallions outnumber mares in a herd anywhere except the Sun Shield. Teagan didn’t recognize any of the stallions except for Big Mac.

Stormwind landed in front of her while Rainbow Dash hovered behind him, grinning.

“I see you managed to stay alive, Lady Teagan,” Stormwind said in a dry tone. “No doubt in spite of your best efforts.”

“I love you too, Stormwind,” she said, grinning. “I’ve never been so glad to see a herd of ponies in my life! Can we go back to Ponyville now?”

“What? Don’t you want to go dragon hunting?” Stormwind asked snidely. Teagan chuckled.

“Not particularly. I’ve got wounded to attend to. Let’s get back to Ponyville so I can do that and then you can give me a proper chewing out, hmm?”

“Lady Teagan, I am looking forward to it,” he turned away to give the Sun Shield orders. Rainbow Dash took the opportunity to land beside Teagan.

“Whoa, they said you’d captured Chrysalis but I couldn’t believe it!” Rainbow Dash said, staring at the changeling queen, who refused to acknowledge her existence.

“Not helping,” Teagan said tiredly. “Dash, it’s been one hell of a day so far. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very glad to see you, but don’t annoy her, all right? She’s difficult enough as it is.”

“Sorry,” the pegasus sniffed. She caught sight of Emma. “Hey cool, you brought another human! Is she a pegasister too?”

“No, it’s—complicated. Rainbow Dash, I’d like you to meet Emma, my best friend. Emma, this is Rainbow Dash, the fastest pegasus in all of Equestria.”

“You know it!” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Any friend of Teelo’s is a friend of mine. Put her there!” She lifted a hoof. To Teagan’s surprise Emma gently bumped her fist against the bottom of Rainbow’s hoof.

“Hello Rainbow Dash. I’m glad to be finally meeting the real you,” Emma said, trying to sound like she hadn’t spent the better part of the last two hours fearing for her life.

“The real me?” The pegasus cocked her head. “Whatcha mean?”

“I talked to your figurine,” Emma said. “You know, the keepsake you guys gave Teelo?”

“Oh, heh, I’d forgotten about that,” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “It was kind weird to see that thing moving around and talking like me, actually. After all, it might look like me but something that tiny just can’t hold a candle to my true awesomeness!”

Teagan chuckled. “Or your humility, either.”

“Heh, I’m showing off again, aren’t I?” Rainbow Dash laughed nervously. “Rarity says I gotta watch that, but it’s just so hard when you’re as amazing as I am.”

Emma couldn’t stifle a helpless giggle. Teagan felt a profound sense of relief. If she could still laugh then maybe she wasn’t going to be scarred for life.

“Speaking of Rarity, where is she? I would have expected to see her dashing to the rescue along with the rest of you.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “She would have, except the CMC started talking about getting their cutie marks for fighting monsters, and she had her hooves full corralling them. If she hadn’t you know they’d be sneaking off after us and getting in all kinds of trouble.”

Teagan chuckled and nodded. She’d seen Sweetie Belle and the others cause enough chaos on the cartoon.

“Howdy, Teelo! Looks like you done landed smack dab in a pickle!” Applejack came up and eyed Chrysalis. “Heard there was an almighty tussle, too. We got here as soon as we could, sugarcube.”

“Yeah, it’s been a rough day,” Teagan admitted. “Any word on Subtle Dancer?”

“He’s in poor shape, but is gonna pull though. Way I heard it the docs were swearin’ a blue streak at whoever did that ham-hoofed job o’ stitchin’ him up,” Applejack said. “They had ta take ‘em all out so’s they could clean the wounds afore a unicorn healed the cuts proper. Ah didn’t think doctors knew that kind o’ language, truth be told.”

Teagan winced. She was saved when Fluttershy and Pinkie joined the group and brought an end to that particular conversation.

The now much-larger herd set off, each changeling getting a pony to guide them so their pace improved dramatically. Teagan was a bit wary of the way the stallions were eyeing the changelings, but beggars can’t be choosers, so she didn’t say anything.

She introduced Emma to Pinkie, whereupon Pinkie promptly buried Emma in conversation, jokes, questions, and babble. Meanwhile, the other three listened as Teagan filled them in on what had been going on. She left out her repeated threats to kill the queen. Somehow she didn’t think her friends would take it well.

Chrysalis ignored them all, closing her eyes and apparently trying to fall asleep. It didn’t fool Teagan, however. She caught the occasional ear swivel as the queen listened to the story.

When they neared the edge of the forest Teagan excused herself and made her way to Stormwind.

“Okay, if the changelings are going to try jumping us it will be once we clear the trees,” she murmured to the wing commander. He nodded imperceptibly.

“That’s what I would do,” he murmured back. “The Sun Shield will be ready, Lady Teagan.”

“They might not attack,” Teagan said softly. “Chrysalis and I have a fragile understanding. She knows if they attack she’s my first target.”

“Hmm. Better alert your bodyguards,” Stormwind said laconically. She nodded and fell back to Skrent, motioning him to bend down so she could speak privately. The troll nodded after she’d finished.

“What passes, Dronning?” Søyle asked softly as Teagan fell back to walk with her.

“It’s possible the changelings will attack once we clear the trees. Or not, the queen might actually hold to the pact. If she keeps her word, we keep ours. In any case, please continue to guard Emma. I really appreciate this, Søyle.”

“It is my honor to serve you, Dronning,” Søyle said, smiling. “You are nothing like what I expected. I am pleasantly surprised.”

Teagan chuckled. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

She stopped walking and let the herd pass her by, finally falling into step beside Flint. She quickly filled him in.

He nodded without speaking, ever the silent one. She decided to keep him company, watching the woods to either side as the troll did the same, and kept a wary ear behind them too. She suddenly caught a flash of red and tawny brown off to one side. It vanished as soon as she saw it.

“Manticore,” she whispered to Flint, nodding in that direction.

“Ja, it been tracking us for some time,” Flint rumbled, surprising her by speaking. “Curious—not hungry. We in its territory. It watching.”

“How can you tell?” Teagan asked quietly. “Could it attack?”

Flint shook his head. “We too big mouthful.” There was grim amusement in his tone.

“Too big, or too many of us?” She asked. He thought for a moment.

“Yes,” he said, and then fell silent again.

A couple of minutes later they left the Everfree Forest and stepped into Equestria. Ordinarily, leaving the dark trees gave Teagan a sense of relief, as though she had escaped a trap. Today, Teagan felt safer in the forest, what with the changeling army possibly ready to pounce on them now that they were vulnerable to their fiery dive-bombing attacks.

The Sun Shield shot into the air, forming a protective canopy over the herd, and the pace quickened as much as the blind prisoners would allow.

“Ow!” Chrysalis exclaimed as one travois pole dropped into a depression with a bone-jarring thump. “Watch where you’re going you overgrown lout!”

“Oh, o’ course, Yer Majesty,” Sun Hammer said in mocking apology. “Begging yer pardon, I dinnae ken hou A could be so gye clumsy, ye great mirky besom! Now, shut yer gob an’ enjoy the ride! An’ would it kill ye tae show just a wee bit o’ courtesy?”

“I’m sure your Princess will make sure it does!” Chrysalis snapped nastily.

“Sun Hammer, just ignore her. She’s in a grumpy mood,” Teagan said hastily as the big stallion stopped dead in his tracks. He snorted several times with suppressed anger but started moving again. Teagan couldn’t help but notice his hoof prints were much deeper than just a moment before.

“Your Majesty, insulting the Princess in front of Sun Hammer is a stupid idea,” Teagan hissed in her ear as she leaned over the bound changeling. “Please don’t do that again.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie chimed in. “What’s got you so grouchy, Queen Crabby McCranky pants? Is it cause you’re all tied up and your back legs are caty-wumpus? I know what you need! I’ll sing you a song and cheer you up!” She took a deep preparatory breath.

“Pinky, you remember what the Princess said about you singin’ ta foreign dignitaries?” Applejack asked hastily.

“Thaaaaatttt—I should never do it again?” Pinkie asked brightly. Applejack nodded, smiling.

“That’s right. We don’t want another Appleloosa, now do we, Sugarcube?”

“Hmph. You start one teeny-tiny little war by singing a song and they never let you forget it,” Pinkie grumbled. Chrysalis stared after the pink pony as she marched off, muttering to herself.

“Just so you know, Your Majesty?” Teagan said quietly. “I’d never inflict Pinkie’s singing on any living thing. Even I have limits,” she shuddered. Chrysalis’s eyes widened and her head snapped back around to track Pinkie’s movements.

“Is she really that horrible a singer?” Emma asked. She wore the glazed look everyone got who unexpectedly met Pinkie for the first time.

“Well—not always. That’s the problem,” Teagan said carefully. “We’re almost home and dry, Emma. How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Emma admitted. “Pinkie Pie is—well—”

“Relentless?” Teagan asked, grinning.

“Yeah,” Emma smiled, still slightly stunned. “I don’t know how she did it but I’m feeling almost cheerful.”

“That’s what Pinkie does,” Fluttershy said in a quiet voice. “Hello, you’re Teelo’s friend, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’m Emma. You’re Fluttershy, right?”

“Oh—yes. How did you know?”

“I talked with your figurine,” Emma said, smiling. “I’m happy to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Fluttershy bobbed her head nervously.

“Fluttershy, Emma’s my best friend. Emma, Fluttershy’s my other best friend. She was the first pony I met here. I was lost in the Everfree and she found me and let me stay at her house the first night.”

“Thank you, Fluttershy,” Emma said earnestly. “I owe you one for taking care of Teelo like that. If you ever need anything you just let me know, okay?”

“Um, okay,” Fluttershy said. “But it really isn’t necessary. I always try to help those in trouble. It’s what I do, you see.”

“You rescue people lost in the woods?” Emma asked, surprised.

“Oh—no. I just happened to run out of medicinal herbs and had to restock my supply. I normally don’t go into the Everfree. It’s very dangerous you know.”

“Yeah, I found that out,” Emma said ruefully. “So what do you do?”

“I take care of animals that get hurt,” Fluttershy said. “And if a pony needs my help I always do my best to help them, just like I do my animals. So when I found Teelo, naturally I helped her too.”

“For which I’ll be eternally grateful,” Teagan said, smiling at the yellow pegasus. “You’re good people, Fluttershy.”

“Oh, my!” Fluttershy blushed, embarrassed by the compliment.

The final minutes passed with amiable conversation and, much to Teagan’s surprise, they arrived in the outskirts of Ponyville without being jumped by the changeling army.

Perhaps her luck was beginning to change.

Yesterday's Enemies

In which Teagan discovers time does not heal all wounds and the price of power is often quite high.

Their first stop was the Ponyville hospital.

The appearance of the changeling queen—clearly injured and obviously a prisoner, not to mention the ten blinded and burned changelings, set the normally placid staff into a frenzied rush.

Happily for Teagan the medical ponies showed none of the reluctance to help changelings that Stormwind or the Ponyville stallions had. Teagan explained the nature of the queen’s injuries, and warned the unicorn doctor magical healing of her spine would be useless because of Crush’s interfering magic. He frowned at her in clear disapproval but said nothing as a pair of nurses whisked the queen off for examination.

He was even unhappier with the condition of the changeling drones.

“What caused these injuries?” He asked coldly. “They look like they dived face-first into a bonfire.”

“The cause was a blast of magical fire,” Teagan said carefully. “I’m not at liberty to disclose the details. Please do what you can for them, Dr. Pressure.”

“Where should I send the bill?” The red unicorn asked bluntly. “These injuries will need specialist healers, and extended care. Regeneration spells are not cheap, Lady Teagan.”

“I will discuss the matter with Princess Celestia, doctor. If it turns out the Equestrian crown won’t cover the charges the World Below might. If they decline I’ll deal with it. You have my word.”

“Very good, Lady Teagan. I will contact Canterlot General immediately,” the doctor bobbed his head and moved off.

“They tried to kill us!” Emma protested. “Why should you have to foot their medical bills? Shouldn’t their queen be on the hook for it?”

“I made an agreement, Emma,” Teagan said tiredly. “Payment for services rendered. You really think changeling drones will have any bits squirreled away?”

“I agree with your friend, Lady Teagan. It isn’t your responsibility to pay for healing their injuries. They attacked the Royal Guard during a high-level diplomatic mission. That is a very serious crime,” Stormwind said.

“And how would you feel if the situation were reversed, Stormwind?” Teagan asked irritably. “If you were injured that badly and captured? How would you feel if your wings got burned off and your eyes were burned out of your head? How would you want to be treated?”

Teagan was angry. The pitiful way the drones stumbled around, their breath hissing in and out as they fought to not whimper tore at her in spite of the fact she’d have gladly killed them during the attack. She had killed the queen’s guards without a qualm (and that knowledge scared her down to her toes). But now that she had time to think it was Discord lying broken and helpless before her all over again.

She was angry at Chrysalis for attacking them. She was angry at Emma for being stupid and putting herself in danger. But mostly she was angry at herself for not having been able to stop any of it. She was a queen, damn it! She had a magical club that gave her all these wonderful powers! In Equestria, where nobody was supposed to die, and fights were bloodless affairs usually involving thrown food or minor fisticuffs!

But instead of custard pies she’d watched a single unicorn slaughter an army of changelings with magical fire, and she’d used that horrific event merely as a distraction so she could try and murder Chrysalis.

Her anger fed her guilt, which in turn made her even angrier. So she tried to assuage her guilt by making sure the surviving changelings at least got their eyes and wings back. That still left Chrysalis paralyzed for the rest of her immortal life—which was Teagan’s fault too. And somehow she didn’t think she’d ever be able to fix it, which made her even angrier.

To add to her problems, she was positively starving, and that fed her anger as well. The hunger was affecting her judgment and eroding her self-control. She knew if she didn’t eat soon she was going to do something stupid and probably violent, no doubt creating an international incident.

But certain things wouldn’t wait, raging hunger or no. Sighing she moved toward the nurse’s station.

ooOoo

He was conscious, but feeling no pain.

“Hi!” He said, chuckling happily. “My name is Subtle Dancer, what’s yours?”

She turned to the nurse in shock.

“Don’t worry,” the nurse said soothingly. “It’s just the sedatives talking. He won’t remember any of this after he wakes up. It’s kind of like sleep walking. That’s why I’m here making sure he doesn’t try to get out of bed and hurt himself.”

“How are you feeling, Subtle Dancer?” Teagan asked with forced cheerfulness.

“Great! Jus’ great…you like chocolate éclairs? Cause I’m a big éclair fan. Got a whole library full back at my house,” he nodded firmly. “They keep trying to alphabetize themselves backwards, but I put my hoof down,” His eyes rolled slowly. “Whee….gotta go bye-bye.”

His eyes closed and he started to snore.

“He’s out of danger, Lady Teagan,” Nurse Red Heart said kindly. “By tomorrow he should be coherent and awake, but unfortunately not mobile. Because of his shoulder separation, he’ll be out of commission for at least three weeks, even with magical healing.”

“That’s unfortunate. I’m due in Canterlot this afternoon, and I’m leaving for Hejm tomorrow,” Teagan fretted. “I wanted to talk to him before I left, to thank him. He saved us, you know. He’s a hero.”

“Really?” Nurse Red Heart’s eyes turned to her patient. “I’ll be sure and let him know you asked after him. I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear it.”

“I’d appreciate that. Do you know where the changelings’ rooms are?”

“Third floor,” Nurse Red Heart’s voice turned a little cool. “They’re being treated for their burns. You won’t be able to visit them until at least this afternoon.”

“Ah. What about Queen Chrysalis?” She asked.

“The doctor is with her now. He says you told him her spine can’t be magically healed. Is that true? How could you inflict such a permanent injury?” The nurse’s voice held condemnation. Teagan sighed.

“Because if I hadn’t the changelings would have murdered everyone in that clearing. I hate it, but I would have hated being dead even more.”

“Oh. How many of the changelings died?” The nurse asked with closed eyes.

“Too many,” Teagan said grimly. “Far too many. Thank God we didn’t lose anyone from our side.”

“Do you know why they attacked?” The nurse asked. Teagan shook her head.

“I think we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Chrysalis said something about revenge against Shining Armor but she called Subtle Dancer by name. It almost sounded personal.”

The nurse glanced at her patient. “I wonder why?” She asked quietly.

ooOoo

Teagan was finally sitting at an outside table at Horté’s Café impatiently waiting for her food, along with Emma, the trolls, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Stormwind. Fluttershy had left to go fetch a friend she wanted Teagan to meet, promising to be right back. Pinkie Pie had vanished after giving Emma a thorough sniffing.

“What was all that about?” Emma asked, staring after the fading pink blur vanishing down the street. Teagan laughed.

“That, my dear Emma, is the sound of the orchestra warming up for a grand Ponyville tradition. You are doomed. Doomed, I say!” She said in a sepulchral voice, a wide grin splitting her face. “Am I right, Rainbow Dash?”

The cyan pegasus started laughing. “Oh, yeah! You’re not getting away now that Pinkie’s got the bit in her teeth.”

“Watch yer language, Dashie,” Applejack warned, but there was a twinkle in her eye. “Knowin’ Pinkie Ah’d say it’ll start by sundown.”

“Unfortunately, we won’t be here at sundown,” Stormwind said rather stonily. “The plan was to take the afternoon train to Canterlot. As it is we barely have time for this—frivolity,” he sniffed.

“I’m not budging until I eat, Stormwind,” Teagan growled. “I’m so famished I could gnaw my own arm off. It’s left me way beyond cranky.”

“There are many stories about Mountain Heart, min Dronning,” Søyle unexpectedly spoke up in the uncomfortable silence that followed. “It is said that Mountain Heart feeds from its wielder. The greater the powers drawn forth the more it must feed. Only a handful of wielders ever dared call on the powers you used today. And none were ever able to leap into the sky as you did.”

“Really?” Teagan asked, suddenly wondering if Crush might be doing more than just making her hungry. It was made for trolls, after all, who were much larger and stronger than she was. “What happened to them, the ones who dared?”

“The need for such powers usually occurs in battle, min Dronning,” Søyle said soberly. “Sometimes even Mountain Heart is not enough to turn the tide. When a Kongen falls Mountain Heart lies there until the trolls can reclaim the territory and a new Kongen comes for it.”

“But not last time,” Teagan said soberly. “It let the ponies take it. Any idea why?”

Søyle shook her head. “Mountain Heart is a mystery even to the Alene, min Dronning. But, as always, a new linjal came for it, and brought it back to us. We are still grappling with the steinhellen.”

“The what?” Teagan asked, furrowing her brow.

“How do you say? In the cavern, when the ceiling collapses in a single piece?” Søyle asked.

“Fallout,” Emma said unexpectedly. “I don’t know what that fallen stone is called, but she’s saying they’re still dealing with the fallout, Teelo.”

“Ah,” Teagan said, face clearing. “Hey, wait a minute! Since when do you speak troll?”

“I don’t,” Emma stuck her tongue out at the other girl. “But it’s kind of obvious.”

“Not to me,” Rainbow Dash disagreed.

“Me neither,” Applejack chimed in. “O’ course Ah ain’t no troll. Never did hang out in caves, nor met any trolls afore the Snøskred.”

“I’m not a troll either,” Emma said. “But come on, that one was easy.”

“If you say so. Where’s the food?” Teagan moaned. “I’m starving. If it doesn’t get here soon I’m gonna start chewing on the table!”

“Is it really that bad?” Emma asked, frowning.

“You have no idea,” Teagan answered. “It feels like I haven’t eaten for a week. Aren’t restaurants supposed to send out bread or something to tide you over?”

“Teelo, darling!” A melodious voice interrupted her whining. “Are you all right?” Rarity was standing nearby, having approached without being noticed.

“Hey, Rarity,” Teelo smiled with pleasure. “I’m glad to see you! Yes, I’m fine—starving, but not a scratch on me.”

“I’m so relieved! When Princess Celestia’s guards brought poor Subtle Dancer to the hospital the grapevine went absolutely insane. Then the rest of the guards came back without you! Well, I must admit I feared the worst.”

“I sent them back,” Teagan explained. “Subtle Dancer needed immediate treatment and two of the changelings would have died if they hadn’t gotten to the hospital in time. But we eventually got back in one piece, thanks to the Sun Shield and Ponyville’s volunteers. I hear the CMC kept you busy.”

“Darling, I was at my wit’s end! Imagine Sweetie Belle and her friends off hunting monsters. They’d have been gobbled up by the first creature they came across! The Everfree is no place for little fillies like them.”

“You can say that again. It’s no place for troll queens either!” Teagan agreed fervently. “Why don’t you join us for lunch? It will settle your nerves.”

“Why, thank you. I believe I will,” Using her magic she plucked a pillow from an unoccupied table and crowded in with the rest of them.

It was about this time their food arrived. Teelo’s eyes lit up as a massive bowl of stew was placed in front of her. She dove in without waiting for the others. It was a pony-sized portion, meaning it was more than three helpings for a normal girl like Emma. The latter watched wide-eyed as Teagan single-mindedly worked her way rapidly to the bottom of the bowl.

“You’re going to make yourself sick,” Emma said, taking a spoonful of her own stew. “Hey, this is really good!”

“Don’t worry about me,” Teagan replied, grabbing a piece of bread and sopping out her bowl. She ate it in two bites. “Using Crush makes me ravenous. Last time I was here I ate like a horse—sorry, pony. Literally! Pony-sized portions nearly every meal and I was still losing weight.”

“I’m jealous,” Emma said with a laugh. “The way you work out it’s not surprising, though. You spend every day at Matt’s dojo and Lord knows what you do at home.”

“Matt made me go to the doctor when I got back,” Teagan told her audience, who had just watched her demolish five ears of corn with lots of butter smeared on each one. Even the trolls looked impressed.

“They did all kinds of tests, looking for everything from tape worms to cancer. Finally they just put it down to a, quote, “idiosyncratically high metabolism”, unquote,” she chuckled. “Bottom line, I have to eat a lot or I lose muscle mass. I’m averaging 6,000 calories a day now and that seems to keep me stable. It drives my mom nuts.”

“Wow!” Rainbow Dash commented. “Most I ever ate was 9,000 and that was when I was doing double training. And I weigh a lot more than you do, too!”

“What do you weigh?” Teagan asked. “Four hundred pounds or so?”

Rarity burst into an ineptly smothered fit of giggles at the look on Rainbow Dash’s face.

“No!” The pegasus denied indignantly. “Three sixty! What do I look like, an earth pony?”

“Actually, Sugarcube, Ah weigh around four forty,” Applejack broke in soothingly. “Come ta think on it, Ah think Pinkie’s around four twenty-five her own self. She always was a bit on the skinny side.”

“What about you, Rarity?” Teagan asked.

“Me?” The unicorn asked, surprised. “One should never ask a lady her weight, darling! But if you must know I am a svelte three hundred and eight six pounds. What about you, dear?”

“A hundred and twenty,” Teagan said immediately. “And it’s hard for me to keep it that high. I’m supposed to weigh about one thirty.”

“That’s right, rub it in,” Emma moaned. “I’m supposed to weigh a hundred and forty and I weigh a hundred and fifty two.”

“Why is it mares are compelled to compare their weights?” Stormwind sniffed. “Stallions never worry about things like that.”

“Well, a fine stallion such as yourself clearly leads a healthy lifestyle. I’m sure you get lots of fresh air and exercise, flying around in all that dreadfully heavy armor,” Rarity said smoothly. “Alas, most of us lack such a superb exercise program. To catch a stallion’s eye a mare must be constantly vigilant about her weight,” she artfully tossed her head, letting her mane shift and bounce as she batted her eyes at him.

Stormwind found himself watching her mane with keen interest before the Guard training reasserted itself and he donned a stoic mask. He was sure the unicorn had done it quite deliberately and knew exactly what reaction she’d provoked. But you’d never know it to look at her—she was the very picture of ladylike innocence.

ooOoo

The meal was winding down. Everyone else had finished their lunch and Teagan had gotten the massive piece of double-chocolate cake she’d ordered for desert. She was only half way through with it when Fluttershy came trotting up.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, girls! It took longer than I thought because he was being stubborn,” Fluttershy apologized. “But I finally managed to persuade him.”

“Persuade who?” Teagan asked, not seeing anyone behind the yellow pegasus.

“What? Oh, no!” She spun around. “Now where did he get off to? Come on out, it’s okay. She’s not going to hurt you, you’re just being silly!”

“Hurt him?” Teagan exchanged baffled looks with Emma. “Hurt who? Why would I hurt anybody?”

“See? There’s nothing to be afraid of! So come on out and be a good boy,” Fluttershy crooned. Teagan chuckled to herself, expecting to see Angel come stalking out to glare at her.

A creature came creeping out, all right. Only it wasn’t a small white rabbit. Teagan stared for a moment, her mind refusing to acknowledge the two legged serpentine form. She sat in bewilderment, trying to put a name to the bizarre mishmash of different creatures that stood no more than twenty feet away.

“Hello, little Teelo!” It said with a cheerful grin and a small wave. “Did you miss me?”

That voice.

That loathsome, hateful, unforgettable voice.

Teagan felt like someone had dumped ice water all over her. The frigid chill slammed through her, imploding until it reached her stomach. She felt the prickle of claws against her throat, heard that vile whisper in her ear, remembered the sick horror of not being able to move as terror slithered through her...

The girl dropped her fork and began to tremble as her eyes grew impossibly wide.

The racing chill slammed into her belly with unstoppable force, squeezing the horror harder and harder until she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see—and still the icy fear slammed inward, compressing more and more fear into that tiny ball, until suddenly the ball ignited in a catastrophic rage that blew her out of her body to another place.

Around her world darkened as black clouds covered the sky and the trees whipped in the howling winds of chaos. She stood naked in front of the madly cackling monster as lightning stabbed around them. She felt the glass rip through her bloody feet with every step she forced her agonized body to take. She raised her club…

The table went flying as Teagan rose and drew Crush, a bloody glow blasting outward from her body. Ponies cursed and scrambled madly out of her way as she started screaming and staggering toward the creature that had tormented her beyond sanity, the monster she simply couldn’t kill—the horror that would not die.

Swinging the club she brushed away the sturdy small fence separating the restaurant tables from the street as easily as she would have cobwebs, her glaring eyes fixed on her target. The wood and metal fence disintegrated, shrapnel flying outward with thuds and ringing tinkles.

He just watched her come, frozen to the spot, mismatched eyes wide with shock, his mouth open in a wordless rictus of fear.

She hurled herself at her nemesis, club coming around like a baseball bat, every ounce of strength devoted to smashing the abomination in front of her out of existence.

Plausible Deniability

In which we discover evidence of absence may in fact be absence of evidence.

Earth, Saturday morning, May 28, 2013 9:03 AM

“They will send her back, right?” Olivia asked nervously. “I mean, before August?”

“They should have already done it,” Elaine said tiredly. “It’s possible Subtle Dancer’s simply too tired and they’ll send her back tomorrow. The Bridge opens in the corner of our living room, so we’ll call you the instant she shows up.”

“There’s got to be something we can do,” Jacob said with an edge of desperation in his voice.

“Be patient,” Matt said. “I know that’s not what you want to hear, but sometimes that’s all you can do. I got to know the ponies pretty well while I was there, Mr. Halstead. They’re good people, and very family oriented. They’ll understand how important it is that Emma be sent back as soon as possible. Since we can’t contact them, we’ll just have to wait for them to open the Bridge again.”

“What do we tell Alex in the mean time?” Olivia asked. “He’s going to be back by seven tonight. I’ve got to tell him something.”

Evelyn frowned. “I’m a bit concerned she isn’t back already,” the private detective said, tapping the table in front of her absently. “It’s possible Subtle Dancer was too tired to open the gate, but that seems unlikely. It’s been six hours. If Emma had come back and found nobody there she’d have either called or high-tailed it back here, right?”

“Are you saying something happened to them?” Olivia asked sharply. “Something bad?”

“No,” Evelyn said, making a soothing gesture. “Teagan’s own troll bodyguards were there, along with Princess Celestia’s Royal Guard. I doubt even a dragon would want to mess with them, certainly nothing smaller would. Besides, trolls are eight feet tall and have claws that can dig through stone. As for the Royal Guards, they’ve fought dragons before—and won.”

“Then what are you talking about?” Jacob asked angrily.

“We don’t know anything about how the Bridge of Days works,” Evelyn responded. “Our science can’t even begin to explain something like that. Maybe there’s some kind of interference that crops up, you know some kind of dimensional storm or something. Maybe that’s blocking it.”

“We don’t know, but she might,” Matt said, pointing at Luna’s statuette. He addressed it.

“Your Highness, is there anything that would block the Bridge from being opened, some kind of magical storm perhaps?”

The figurine opened its wings, a thoughtful look on the tiny face.

“We cannot say, Matthew,” It finally said. “We have never studied the Bridge of Days. An ethereal storm is not utterly impossible. But please remember thou art speaking to a simulacrum, not the real Princess Luna. Our knowledge is quite limited.”

“Would Twilight’s figurine know?” He asked.

“Perhaps, but these toys took only the barest essence of our real selves. Thou mayest ask, but do not be disappointed if the simulacrum does not know. Our magic fades for today, we must rest.”

The blue figurine turned solid.

“Man, the batteries in these things suck,” Olivia said in disgust.

“Didn’t Princess Celestia say something about playing with them in the sunlight?” John asked speculatively. “Maybe they’re solar powered?”

“Worth a shot,” Matt replied. He scooped up the two alicorns and put them back in the box. “Do you have a table in the backyard, Mrs. Halstead?”

“There’s a picnic table,” she answered. “This way.”

She led them through the house and into a spacious back yard. They settled around the table and Matt pulled out Twilight’s figurine.

“Hello, Twilight. Can you answer a question about the Bridge of Days for me?” Matthew asked.

The little unicorn sat down on her haunches like a dog.

“Hey, Matt! Oh, the sunlight feels wonderful!” A big smile lit up her face. “I might be able to. Remember, I’m not the real Twilight though.”

“Do you know if the Bridge of Days could be blocked by some kind of magical storm? Emma went with Teelo and she wasn’t supposed to. We thought you guys would send her back but it’s been six hours now and we’re getting worried.”

“Emma was the girl who talked to me last night?” Twilight asked. “She was asking some pretty weird questions, like she didn’t know much about Equestria.”

“She doesn’t,” Matt replied. “That’s one of the reasons we’re kind of worried they haven’t sent her back.”

“Sounds like an emergency, then. Is this an emergency?” Twilight stood up and there was an eager expression on her face. She even quivered with excitement.

“Yes, it’s an emergency!” Jacob told the figurine. “We want our daughter back!”

“I can’t help you, but I bet the real Twilight can!” Twilight’s figurine bounced on its hooves. “Now I can test the Tairseach Urlabhra spell! Yay!”

“The what spell?” Evelyn asked uneasily. “What does it do?”

“Um, well, it lets you talk to the real Twilight—at least I think it will. We never got to test it between worlds, you see, but it should breach the dimensional barrier just like the Bridge of Days. Well, except nobody can cross over, just thoughts, but the Laws of Similarity and Contagion establish the mystical link and we know the ethereal boundary can be breached more easily by thought, Discord’s original trip proved that, so—”

“Whoa, whoa, hold up a minute,” Matt broke into Twilight’s accelerating technobabble. “Are you saying you can hold a conversation with the real Twilight in Equestria? Right now?”

“Of course. Well, assuming the spell works, but like I said, using Starswirl’s Third Approximation there’s a virtual 90% certainty it will work perfectly.”

“What happens if it doesn’t?” Evelyn asked warily. Her work with Subtle Dancer had given her some disturbing insights into exactly how unfortunate a miscast spell could be.

“Well, like I said there’s a near certainty it will work just fine. But if it doesn’t work because Twilight overlooked some factor, then nine times out of ten the spell just fizzles and nothing happens.”

“What about the one time in ten?” Evelyn pressed the tiny unicorn.

“Um, well, that depends,” Twilight looked away, not meeting Evelyn’s eyes. “Generally, it’s just a small magical backlash. Twilight might end up with a nasty headache.”

“And if we’re really unlucky?” Evelyn insisted.

“Well—there’s a one in ten thousand chance of ripping a hole in reality and letting something nasty into the world,” Twilight admitted. “But that’s extremely unlikely. The power needed for this spell is tiny, nothing like the power needed for the Bridge of Days. It doesn’t need much power because I’m Twilight’s simulacrum. That’s about as exact a match, magically speaking, as you’ll ever find. Even across the Veil the morphic resonances are perfectly synchronized, and the Law of Identity will allow Twilight to see what I see and hear what I hear.”

“Would this spell endanger her, perhaps trap her spirit in you?” Evelyn asked shrewdly.

“No!” The figurine shook her head. “The inelasticity of the ethereal boundary would never permit that, it’s why the Bridge of Days takes so much more power than Tairseach Urlabhra.

“So why didn’t you tell Teelo about this?” Evelyn asked.

“Well, it is untested,” the figurine admitted reluctantly. “It might not have worked. Twilight didn’t want Teelo to get her hopes up. That would just be cruel. So it’s for emergencies only. But you did say this was an emergency, right?”

“Yes, it is. So this Twilight can help us get Emma back?” Olivia asked hopefully. “Or at least tell us what’s going on?”

“Absolutely!” The figurine said airily. “She’s Princess Celestia’s personal student, and has access to the Royal Canterlot library as well. It has the most extensive archive of magical lore in all of Equestria!”

“I say we do it,” Jacob said, staring at John. “My daughter is who knows where, and didn’t come back when she should have. What would you do if it was Teagan, John?”

“Exactly the same,” John said, sighing. “Evelyn, you’re the closest thing we have to a magical expert. What do you think?”

“An experimental spell that’s never been tested?” Evelyn asked skeptically. “Isn’t it a little soon to make a Hail Mary pass, you guys? I saw images of what Tišina turned into when they destroyed her dragon body. Our toy unicorn here says it’s a long shot for something nasty to show up, but let me tell you, that thing was five hundred feet long, had more tentacles than a library of Japanese anime, and enough eyes to bankrupt an optometrist. Any chance of unleashing something like that on Earth is too big a chance.”

“Can’t say I fault your logic,” Matt said quietly. “That thing chased us for a thousand miles before Pinkie pulled her little magic trick and turned Tišina to stone. Let something like that loose in Kansas City—” He shook his head. “The casualties would be in the high six figures. That’s assuming it could be stopped at all.”

“Guys! Would you relax? We’re not talking kilothaums here!” The figurine exclaimed in a tiny voice. “A few dozen microthaums at most! That’s it! Bringing something like Tišina over would take several gigathaums. There’s no danger of something like that!”

“So what magical nasty are we talking about then?” Evelyn demanded. “There’s a lot of little creatures in Equestria I have no desire to see wandering Kansas City. Cockatrices, for instance.”

“Don’t worry! Nothing material can pass through. It’s the difference between hearing a voice and getting a letter. This spell just lets thoughts cross, not even light or sound,” the tiny figurine hastened to assure the private detective. “Besides, even if the absolute worst thing did happen it’s only a tiny rip, and something would have to be able to reach it in the few seconds it stayed open and be a spirit instead of flesh and blood. Any danger is purely theoretical.”

“And million-to-one odds happen nine times out of ten,” Evelyn replied sourly. “I vote no.”

“For now I agree with Evelyn,” Matt said. “Give Emma a little more time. If we haven’t heard anything by tomorrow we can try the spell.”

“No,” Jacob said stubbornly. “She’s my daughter. Do you have kids, Matt?”

The ex-soldier shook his head. “No, but I’ve seen enough families torn apart so I know exactly how you feel. I’m just saying give them a little more time. It won’t do Emma any good if something happens to one of us—or to the city.”

“Nothing will happen to the city!” The figurine said in exasperation. “Trust me! I’m Princess Celestia’s personal student! Well, a simulacrum of her, but the real Twilight was confident nothing bad would happen.”

“Then do it, right now!” Jacob snapped.

The figurine closed her eyes and her horn lit up like a purple LED.

ooOoo

“Just when I think you can’t sink any lower, Discord,” Teagan growled, “you prove me wrong. That was despicable, you—” She caught Celestia’s eye and chose a new word quickly, “—brute.”

“Perhaps I was a trifle harsh, Teagan, but then again you did meet my sister, right? Ask yourself if anyone who willingly allied themselves with her is worth your pity,” Discord said stiffly.

Teagan opened her mouth to retort, but had to close it again. As much as she hated to admit it he had a point.

“All right, but you still doomed her to an eternal punishment. Even for you that seems excessive,” Teagan said.

“Wait, so what exactly is the problem?” Emma asked, confused. “Because I’m not seeing it.”

“If she sees him she gets one of those crippling migraines,” Teagan retorted. “So if we turn her back we subject her and all the changelings to a day’s torture. Right now the changelings are in the Everfree. They wouldn’t survive.”

“Oh, and these aren’t ordinary migraines,” Discord said, caught up in the pride of his craftsmanship. “They’re ten times worse.”

“So? That’s only a problem if she sees him, right?” Emma asked, perplexed.

“He can’t change her back without touching her,” Celestia explained, “and looking into her eyes.”

“Yeah, so?” Emma asked impatiently.

“Which triggers the migraine, you goose! I wouldn’t do that, even to her,” Teagan said in exasperation. “Enough changelings have already died. We don’t want to finish the job!”

“It only triggers the migraine if she sees him,” Emma said, rolling her eyes. “Jeez, don’t you get it?”

The others stared at her, having no idea what she was talking about.

“What triggers the migraine?” She asked Discord with exaggerated patience.

“Seeing me,” he answered, intrigued by this human who seemed to have found a way around his ingenious trap. “But she can’t avoid seeing me if I’m staring her straight in the eye.”

“Think,” Emma said, losing patience. “Seeing you. Come on, Discord, Teelo said you were clever. Do I have to spell it out?”

Celestia was watching the girl, a thoughtful look on her face. Discord was deep in thought, trying to figure out what intricate scheme the girl had in mind. Teagan and the Mayor clearly had no idea what she was talking about.

Suddenly Celestia’s eyes widened. “Could it be that simple?” She asked, a smile blooming across her muzzle. She started to chuckle, much to Discord’s annoyance.

“Then why don’t you share, Your Highness?” He asked snidely.

“I think I’ll allow Emma the pleasure, Discord,” she replied, nodding to the girl. “Brilliant, Emma. I commend you.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Emma said, pleased.

“Okay, so tell us,” Teagan said impatiently.

“Have Discord shape change,” Emma said. “If Chrysalis doesn’t recognize him, it won’t trigger the migraine.”

Discord’s mouth fell open. “That—would work. It’s so beautifully ironic!” He laughed. “Even better, as a plan it’s so absolutely me, why didn’t I ever think of that?”

“Because you’re an egotistical jackass?” Teagan asked sarcastically. “You wanted her to suffer, so you never even tried to come up with a solution, did you?”

“Does being reformed mean I have to put up with constant insults, Celestia?” Discord complained.

“Lady Teelo may not have chosen the softest words, Discord, but the essence of her point is true, is it not?” The princess responded mildly.

“Yes, well of course it is but it’s rude to come right out and say it!” the draconequus retorted.

“That only leaves her broken back,” Teagan said, turning serious. “Crush did that and I don’t know of any way to fix it, short of the Elements of Harmony. Somehow I don’t think suggesting she allow herself to be blasted by the weapon that turned Discord to stone would go over well.”

“Oh, that’s simple enough,” Discord said airily. “I figured it out in my statuary prison. Since, you know, there wasn’t anything else to do,” he stared at Celestia. “You can only sleep so long, Celestia. Eventually you have to wake up, even from magical sleep.”

Celestia frowned. “I had thought you would stay asleep.”

“Well, I always did suffer from insomnia. So much to do, you know! Or at least there was,” he huffed.

“At any rate, the reason I couldn’t heal myself was because Crush’s magic was keeping mine from reaching outside myself and the repairs had to happen from outside. I won’t have any trouble healing Chrysalis. Assuming you actually want me to do that, little Teagan,” he smirked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Teagan retorted. “Changing her back wouldn’t be much use without healing her too!”

“I was talking about changing her back, actually. You’re clearly assuming the old Chrysalis was as nice as Celestia, and it was mean old Discord who turned her evil,” Discord said, stifling a chuckle. “Newsflash, my dear, sweet, Teagan. She wasn’t nice. If anything, I did you a favor all those years ago. When I transformed her she lost most of her magic. Changing her back means she gets her memories and her magic back, all at once. Her grudge against me pales in comparison to the grudge she bears Equestria. After all, I never killed any of her children.”

He grinned at her.

Teagan’s anger flared, making her waste precious moments controlling it. When she finally spoke her voice was level. “Discord, you may be on the road to reform, but taunting me about having to kill anyone is a huge step backward. I’m trying to make whatever amends I can for what I was forced to do. I suggest you do the same.”

“You have absolutely no sense of humor,” he sighed. “What is it with humans being so stiff necked all the time? You remind me of a certain captain…oh, well. What about it, Celestia? Want to do the right thing and risk a vastly more powerful Chrysalis taking her vengeance? Or do the sensible thing and forget it?”

He steepled his fingers and leaned forward. “I am simply agog to see which path you’ll choose, my exquisite princess.”

ooOoo

Twilight paused, quill hanging forgotten in mid-air as a wave of dizziness passed over her.

Hey, me! Are you there? This is your simulacrum! I can feel you, can you hear me? I’m using the Tairseach Urlabhra spell. There’s an emergency on this side!

Yes, I’m here. Twilight thought, channeling magic toward the presence she could feel hovering deep within her.

It worked! Yes! Ready for link-up?

Twilight increased the flow of magic, knowing the little figurine couldn’t maintain contact very long on its own, even in sunlight. She relaxed and pushed the magic toward the simulacrum.

Okay, here I come, link up in three, two, one…

Spike looked up as Twilight’s horn lit up the room, its bright glow slowly spreading over the sitting alicorn. Her head sank slowly to land on her desk. The quill she’d been using fell silently beside her, blotting the notes she’d been working on.

“Twilight?” He asked uncertainly. “What are you doing?” He approached the slumped alicorn warily, knowing better than to touch her while she was casting. “Twi?” He didn’t recognize the spell, and didn’t understand why she was casting anything at all, she’d just been working on her palace staff scheduling.

“Come on Twilight, you’re scaring me. Snap out of it!” He urged the oblivious alicorn. “This is bad. This is very, very bad! Twilight, come on!”

No response.

“Horse apples!” He cursed and then glanced around guiltily to see if anyone had heard him. “I gotta get help!”

He ran to the door and opened it. A unicorn guard on the other side turned to look at him.

“Steeplechase, quick! Get somebody! Twilight’s casting a spell and there was no reason for it! She’s all glow-y and stuff and she’s slumped over on her desk.”

“She is an alicorn, Spike,” the guard replied. “They do strange things all the time.” But he came in to take a look at her, slumped and glowing with pale lavender light, her horn blazing.

“You mean strange—like that?” Spike asked sarcastically.

“Hmm. Maybe we ought to alert one of the mages. Better safe than sorry. Princess Celestia’s out of the castle right now and Princess Luna is asleep…let me find someone.”

He turned and galloped out of the room. Spike settled down and watched the softly glowing alicorn with worried eyes.

ooOoo

The woman knocked impatiently, hope fading that anyone was actually home. She’d been there for five minutes already. Sighing she pulled a letter out of her purse, along with one of her business cards, and opened the screen door enough to let her slip it inside. Closing the door trapped the letter so it would fall out when the door was opened. Having done all she could do she made a cursory inspection of the house and yard, taking a few notes along the way.

“Good repair, no evidence of neglect, quiet neighborhood, well, looks like Millicent’s barking up the wrong tree this time,” the woman said to herself. She sighed and got back in her car. “I’ll talk to the parents and the girl, but right now it looks like a false alarm.”

She drove off, leaving the neighborhood drowsing quietly in the afternoon sun.

Tour D'Horizon

In which we discover communication is the life blood of harmonious relations.

Twilight opened her eyes and saw a strange giant staring at down at her. She yelped before remembering she was now seeing through the simulacrum’s eyes. Looking around she relaxed as she recognized Lord and Lady O’Gara, Matt, and Elaine. There was another female human she didn’t recognize as well.

“Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle—the real one,” she said with a smile. “My simulacrum said there was some kind of emergency?”

“Our daughter went with Teagan to Equestria and she hasn’t come back,” the man said. “The statue said you could help us find her. It’s been over six hours now.”

“What? Why did she do that?” Twilight asked, not really sure why it was a problem. “I didn’t know she was bringing a friend with her. But she’s certainly welcome. We would never turn away a friend of Teelo’s.”

“Twilight, Emma ran after Teagan just before the Bridge closed,” John explained. “She wasn’t supposed to go.”

“Oh. Well, Teagan’s due to arrive in Canterlot today, she may already have, in fact. Now that I know you want Emma to come back I’ll make sure Subtle Dancer sends her home,” Twilight said brightly. “Problem solved!”

Jacob blinked at the tiny statue. “Just like that?” He asked incredulously.

“Well, that is what you wanted, right?” Twilight’s smile slipped just a bit.

“Yeah, but this whole thing has been a bit crazy, you know? I mean I’ve been worried sick and now it’s fixed? It seems too good to be true.”

“I guess sometimes it really is that easy,” Twilight smiled, pleased that the man and his daughter would soon be reunited. “If there’s nothing else, I need to get back to work. I never realized a princess’s main job was primarily paperwork!”

“Wait, what?” Matt asked in surprise. “You’re a princess now? Congratulations!”

“Thanks. It took me by surprise, one day I’m a unicorn and the next day bam I’m an alicorn And now I’m ten times busier than I was. I’d love to stay and chat, but with the troll delegation here it throws my schedule completely off.”

“Is everything okay on that side?” Evelyn asked unexpectedly.

“Yes, why wouldn’t it be?” Twilight asked, wrinkling her brow in puzzlement. “I mean there was a big boom this morning and Discord landed in the garden unexpectedly, but Princess Celestia took him back to Ponyville so—”

“What?” Teagan’s mother shrieked, loudly enough to make Twilight wince. “That monster is loose? The one who tried to hurt my baby? Did Celestia kick his ass—this time for good?”

“Um, no, it was nothing like that,” Twilight said quickly. Then her eyes widened. “Oh, no! Didn’t Sun Hammer tell you?”

“Tell us what?” Matt asked calmly.

“Well, Celestia had us release Discord and then Fluttershy reformed him,” Twilight said. “I have to admit I doubted my mentor when she asked us to let him go, but it worked out in the end. But if Teelo didn’t know…”

“A boom you said?” Matt asked thoughtfully. “Canterlot’s about a half-hour by chariot from Ponyville, right? That’s what, maybe twenty-five miles or so?”

Twilight nodded. “I didn’t hear what they talked about but Spike said he heard from May Belle Discord plowed into the table where Celestia was sitting and smashed it to scrap metal. I wonder if Teelo really hit him that hard?”

“If he showed up without warning it’s entirely possible she’d smash first and not bother to ask questions later,” Matt said, stroking his chin. “Apparently, she’s learned more tricks than I realized.”

“I’ll ask her when I see her,” Twilight promised. “Now I really do need to get going. It was good to talk to you all again.”

“If we need to reach you again will we be able to?” Olivia asked. “I’m sorry to be such a worry wart but this whole thing has me frazzled.”

“Of course, just make sure the figurine is in sunlight, and it should be able to reach me. Thank goodness I don’t have to hold court yet, so I should be free to talk whenever you call, although it might not be as long as we’d like. A princess’s paperwork is never done!” She chuckled. “I’m glad I was able to help. Bye now!”

With that the figurine’s horn dimmed and it staggered to the side.

“I told you it would work,” the figurine said tiredly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, even with the sunlight I’m completely exhausted. Good-bye for now.”

The figurine turned solid, leaving behind six very relieved humans.

ooOoo

“It’s never easy, is it?” Teagan sighed and slumped on her stool. “Just out of curiosity, is there any other monster I’m likely to run into before reaching Hejm—or Canterlot? You know, one with plans to destroy Equestria?”

Discord chuckled. “Feeling the pressure, oh mighty Queen?”

Teagan gave him the fish eye.

“Rest assured, Lady Teelo, there aren’t,” Celestia said with a half smile. “Although I will admit you have good reason to be annoyed. You’ve certainly had a busy day.”

“Yeah, it’s been very interesting,” Teagan said sourly. “As in the ancient Chinese curse. Okay, so what are we going to do about Chrysalis? Assuming Discord is telling the truth, healing her and turning her back into a flutterpony sounds like a very bad idea.”

“I never lie!” Discord said, holding his eagle paw to his chest and assuming a noble stance. “Of course, should someone arrive at an erroneous conclusion I don’t always feel the need to correct them...”

“I suppose I should speak with her,” Celestia said with a frown.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Teagan said. “I promised her I’d intercede with you on her behalf. She did keep her end of the bargain as we escaped the Everfree—even if it was under duress.”

“Duly noted,” Celestia said drily. “Well, since this matter seems resolved I must go. Kona Søyle, Emma, it was a pleasure meeting you both. Mayor, now that Discord has repaired the damage I hope your town returns to its normal, peaceful self.”

“I hope so too, Your Highness,” the Mayor bowed low. Søyle nodded her head and Emma attempted a curtsey, somewhat unsuccessfully.

“Lady Teelo, I will see you in Canterlot for dinner, I hope?” The alicorn asked with arched eyebrow.

“I’d like that very much, Your Highness,” Teagan smiled. “With the chariots destroyed it looks like we’ll have to take the train. I’m told Stormwind has already made arrangements.”

“Then I will see you at dinner. Emma, Kona Søyle, you’re invited as well.”

And with that she politely dipped her horn and left, collecting her guards along the way, Discord strutting jauntily after her.

ooOoo

Twilight severed the magical connection feeling very pleased that everything was proceeding to plan. So when she opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by a herd of elder unicorns looking gravely concerned she reverted to old habits and panicked.

“What’s the matter? Is some pony in trouble? Where’s Princess Celestia? Is she in trouble? Is that the emergency? Answer me!” The words tripped off her tongue almost too fast to be understood.

The unicorn closest to her, an ancient chartreuse stallion with fuchsia mane and tail and an unexpectedly luxuriant white beard that fell almost to the ground, cleared his throat.

“In order, Your Highness: the unexplained magical working surrounding you, no, in Ponyville, almost certainly not, and... no,” he paused. “I believe that answers each of your questions.”

Twilight’s brain rebooted from the unexpected load and she slowly worked through the list of answers the old unicorn had given her.

“Oh, good,” she smiled sheepishly. “May I ask what you and the others are doing here then, Professor Nimbus?”

“Your guard indicated you were in the midst of an unexplained magical working, Your Highness. Given the fact you ascended only a few months ago I felt it would be prudent to gather my colleagues in case something was amiss. I am relieved to discover that was not the case,” he bowed.

“Ah,” she said, blushing. “I see. I received an unexpected contact from my simulacrum. As it doesn’t have a large magical reserve I didn’t have time to tell anyone I was going to cast a spell. Sorry for the fuss, Professor.”

“Your simulacrum, Highness?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “Would it be accurate then to say your spell projected your awareness into the simulacrum?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. It’s very similar to the way Princess Luna walks in the dreams of sleeping ponies. The major difference being this spell works only with my simulacrum.”

“And where is your simulacrum now, Highness?” He asked with a professional’s interest in a newly crafted spell.

“In Lady Teagan’s world,” Twilight answered innocently. She wasn’t prepared for the gasps of shock and horror the words provoked.

“You pierced the Veil?” Professor Nimbus nearly shouted. “You projected your awareness into another world? Do you have any idea how incredibly dangerous that was? You must never do it again!”

“Why?” Twilight asked, annoyed. “Now we can communicate between our world and Lady Teagan’s! That’s an amazing breakthrough, Professor!”

“The Veil is not easily pierced, Your Highness,” he said grimly. “Which is one reason ponykind have not perished from the face of the world. There are creatures that dwell beyond the Veil. Many mages have touched the Veil to study its mysteries. A foolish few, with more power than wisdom, pierced the Veil. Most paid the price of their folly with their sanity, or their lives! Just five years ago Ivory Abacus was forced to mend a rent in the Veil! To this day she cannot face a bowl of vanilla custard, or a jar of gooseberry jam! They send her into paroxysms of terror!”

About to retort angrily, Twilight paused. “Really? I mean yes, gooseberry jam would make any pony shudder—not even Pinkie can deal with it—but vanilla custard? What’s so bad about that?”

The old unicorn shuddered and many of his colleagues turned pale.

“It is not fit for Royal ears, Highness,” he said at last. “Suffice it to say tentaclular appendages were also involved and leave it at that.”

Twilight shivered, remembering Tišina. “Yes, well personally I’ve had enough tentacles to last me a lifetime, thank you very much! Ugh”

The assembled ponies stared at her, appalled. Several were blushing.

“What?” She asked, completely confused. “You don’t remember Cuddles? It chased us from Tišina’s Glacier all the way back to Cloudsdale. Not something I’ll be forgetting in a hurry!”

There were several sighs of relief from the crowd and Nimbus plastered a huge smile on his muzzle, nodding vigorously.

“Of course, Your Highness, that’s exactly what we meant! You can imagine the disaster if your spell went awry and rent the Veil here in Canterlot, surely.”

“But this spell uses energies in the microthaum range,” Twilight objected. “There’s no way it could do that. It’s at least seven orders of magnitude too weak to be dangerous. Besides, it’s a resonance effect, so the Veil isn’t really being pierced at all. It’s more like the spell is using it for a sounding board. Only a tiny amount of energy is involved.”

The old mage shook his head. “Our readings tell a different story, Princess. You were radiating kilothaums of power just now, not microthaums. That means your spell would only need to be two orders of magnitude stronger to rend the Veil. Should there be a magic flare, for example, it would be a very real possibility.”

“That’s impossible,” Twilight said uncertainly. “The spell is entirely mental, my simulacrum has enough power to contact me—and it might have 900 millithaums in its reserve. Even in full sunlight we’re talking maybe 1500 millithaums. That’s nothing.”

“As an alicorn, Highness, your own magical reserve is measured in gigithaums,” the old unicorn said patiently. “You are still only eleventh circle and thus your control is not very precise. I myself am in the forty-eighth circle, second only to the Sisters themselves in skill. So you can believe me when I tell you that you are invoking forces you do not yet have the skill to perceive clearly or control with certainty. As a Princess it is your duty to keep Equestria safe—even from yourself.”

Twilight slumped. “You’re right, of course. But this spell is too important to just set aside, Professor.”

“And so we shall not. But prudence is the mark of a great mage, Your Highness. Once you have advanced to the eighteenth circle you will be able to see the Veil and all its subtleties. However that will not be for some years, perhaps a decade. In the mean time if you submit a copy of the spell to the Royal Academy of Magic we can study it and find out why there’s an impedance mismatch between the spell’s power requirements and the amount of power you were pumping into it. The excess power must be going somewhere, and given the levels we recorded the fact we don’t know where is worrisome.”

Twilight shook her head. “There’s no time, Professor. My simulacrum will be contacting me again soon. Given the political situation we don’t have years. We have a day.”

“Absolutely out of the question!” The old unicorn said, completely aghast. “I forbid it!”

The room held its collective breath. Nimbus saw the shocked look on Twilight’s face and rapidly tried to salvage the situation.

“What I meant to say, Your Highness,” he bowed apologetically. “Is that it would be far too dangerous to the city, to its citizens, and to yourself. Not to mention Princesses Celestia and Luna as well. Should something happen Equestria itself could be in jeopardy. Surely you would not place the entire world at risk over mere politics?”

“Mere politics? Are you familiar with trolls, Professor?” Twilight asked, trying to soothe the tension that now filled the room. Her own frustration was making it difficult.

“Bipedal creatures that live to the north of us,” the professor responded, cocking his head. “Somewhat intellectually challenged, and therefore easily provoked. They live in caves, I believe.”

“Exactly, Professor Nimbus. Easily provoked. They are also capable of using their claws to rapidly dig through solid rock. They are eight feet tall and weight nearly a thousand pounds apiece. Did you also know we have been at the edge of war with them for ten years now?”

“Have we? Well, surely the Royal Guard can deal with a few renegade brutes, and if they cannot the Horns certainly can,” the unicorn sniffed disdainfully. “What does this have to do with casting such a dangerous spell, Your Highness?”

Twilight face-hoofed, much to the shock of the gathered mages. Professor Nimbus stiffened in outrage at the implied insult. He hadn’t been accused of stupidity since his foalhood.

“Do you know who Lady Teagan is, Professor?” Twilight asked with clearly forced patience.

“Of course, Princess Sparkle,” His voice cooled. “She saved Princess Celestia from Discord and led the effort that defeated Tišina. This spell is because of her?”

“You could say that,” Twilight’s tone was dry. “Lady Teagan has another title in Equestria, Professor. She is known as Dronning av Fjellet.”

“I am unfamiliar with the term, Highness,” Nimbus said after a moment.

Twilight was struggling to be fair. She knew the professor was the foremost mage in all of Equestria, second in skill only to Celestia and Luna themselves. She knew he headed the most revered institution of magic to be found anywhere in the world. She’d always looked up to him, and dreamed of one day becoming a member of the Equestrian Royal Academy of Magic. He had been one of her idols growing up.

But now that she was actually talking to the pony she found him to be a smug ivory-tower academic with a skewed world view and the same superiority-complex as the nobility.

It was simply infuriating.

“I’m not surprised, Professor. In Trollish it means Queen of the Mountain,” Twilight said in a tightly controlled tone. “In other words, Lady Teagan is the queen of the World Below, the queen of all trolls.”

He blinked. “All right. I still don’t see what that has to do with you piercing the Veil, Your Highness.”

Celestia, how do you deal with these ponies every day? Twilight moaned to herself.

“Lady Teagan spends most of her time in her own world, Professor. In fact this is only the third time she’s ever come to Equestria. While she is there she has no way to contact us. None. The only way she can come back is if someone on this side opens the Bridge of Days for her. You fail to see the problem with this?”

“I fear so, Highness. Please enlighten me,” While his words were respectful, his tone was not. Twilight felt her blood pressure creeping higher. Several of the Professor’s colleagues were beginning to throw worried glances in his direction.

“While Lady Teagan is in her own world and dependent on us to return, the trolls consider her under our protection. Should something happen to her in her world they will act as if we did something to her. And they will go to war against us,” Twilight said coldly. “This would be a bad thing, Professor. Ponies would die—a lot of ponies. And while they know enough not to harm Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, the rest of us might not be so fortunate if we lost the war.”

“Are you actually saying we could lose to a bunch of troglodytes?” The Professor scoffed. “I think you overestimate their abilities, Your Highness!”

Twilight’s temper finally snapped.

“And I think you are offering opinions outside your area of expertise, Professor Nimbus,” she said coldly. “Let me make this simple for you. As a Princess of Equestria I am ordering you to help me study this spell. Given Lady Teagan’s importance to Pony-Troll relations, it is imperative we have another way to communicate with her world without physically sending a pony across the Bridge of Days.”

“Your Highness!” The old unicorn protested. “As much as I would enjoy dedicated spell research I have too many other responsibilities to dedicate the time and energy needed to such a project!”

“Not anymore,” Twilight cut him off. “Professor Nimbus, you are hereby transferred to Project Tairseach, effective immediately. I expect a preliminary background research plan in my hooves by sundown. You are hereby relieved of all other duties and responsibilities and I expect you to delegate your responsibilities for the duration of the project.”

The Professor stood with slack jaw and wide eyes.

“My simulacrum could contact me again, perhaps as soon as tomorrow, Professor. We don’t have a lot of time. Now if you will excuse me I have other matters to attend to.”

“Your Highness!” The old stallion objected. “I must protest! Do you have any idea how much chaos your request is going to cause the Royal Academy of Magic?”

“Yes,” Twilight said with a level gaze. “My order will cause exactly the same level of chaos as your passing, Professor. Or the chaos the Academy would suffer from being placed on a war hoofing.”

“The question is: do you understand that your Princess has just given you an order, Professor?” Twilight’s eyes were narrowed and if she’d been standing she’d have pawed the ground.

“But Your Highness! Surely you understand I cannot simply abdicate my responsibilities!” He spoke as one would to an unreasonable filly, his annoyance seeping through. “Clearly, you have not yet gained a clear picture of the complexities of Equestrian governance—”

Twilight hadn’t been a princess for very long. She did not have Celestia’s patience, honed from centuries of dealing with politically powerful ponies, and she hadn’t yet learned how to hide her anger behind a pleasant façade.

Twilight surged to her hooves and spread her wings in an instinctive show of aggression, a snarl replacing her normally pleasant expression. The crowd shuffled backward, forcefully reminded that Twilight Sparkle was, in fact, no longer a unicorn.

The stallion found himself suddenly facing an enraged alicorn. Terrified, he reacted instinctively, dropping into a full bow.

“Forgive me, Princess! I did not mean to impugn your judgment! I’m simply saying I believe you lack all the necessary information to make such a sweeping decision,” he babbled, flinching.

Twilight glared down at him. “And I believe, Professor, you spoke without taking time to logically reason out the situation, so let me do it for you.”

“One, there will be another contact through the Veil—soon. Two, you have convinced me there might be some danger involved in that contact. Three, you pointed out yourself that you are the best qualified unicorn to find out why I’m radiating so much power on a spell that shouldn’t need it. Four, Lady Teagan can’t contact us without this spell—and given her importance to the stability of our relations with the World Below that is a disaster just waiting to happen.”

“Therefore, Professor, we need answers and we need them now. You and I are the best qualified ponies to get those answers so any temporary problems caused by your reassignment pale in comparison.”

“QED. Sundown, Professor. Dismissed.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the old stallion rose and fled, taking his colleagues with him, who seemed very glad to go.

“Honestly,” Twilight snarled under her breath.

“Twilight, I’m sorry,” Spike said. “I was the one who told Steeplechase to get help. I should have trusted you, but you just started glowing suddenly without any explanation, and you wouldn’t respond when I talked to you. It—it scared me.”

Twilight took a deep breath and shook her head vigorously, settling her mane.

“I’m not mad at you Spike. I’d probably have done the same thing in your place. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thanks, Twilight,” he said in relief. Perking up he said “Did you see the way he backed down when you got mad? That was awesome!”

“No, Spike, it wasn’t awesome,” Twilight said, sighing. “That was being a bully. Remember the whole Butterscotch Pie incident?”

“You mean when that pie seller wanted twenty bits for her pies?” Spike asked, grinning. “Rarity couldn’t stop talking about it. She said Teelo put her in her place.”

“That isn’t how Teelo saw it, Spike,” Twilight said seriously. “She said she was scaring the pie seller into doing what she wanted, instead of reasoning with her. She lost her temper, just like I did. I’m going to have to apologize to Professor Nimbus tonight when I see him.”

“Yeah, but he started it with that crack about you not knowing enough to be a princess,” Spike objected.

“He kind of had a point,” Twilight admitted reluctantly. “I don’t know everything like Celestia does. I doubt I ever will.”

“Yeah, but he was challenging your authority,” Spike pointed out. “He’d have never dared do that to Princess Celestia or Princess Luna. You’re a princess too!”

“True,” Twilight said with a grin. “Can you imagine Luna’s face if he did that?” Her face fell. “But he didn’t hesitate to do it to me, did he? And he’s not the only one either. The nobles are polite to my face, but I’ve heard them talk when they didn’t think I was around. She’s not a real princess,” Twilight said in a snooty tone. “Just because she grew a pair of wings she thinks she’s Royalty! The nerve of some ponies!”

“You shouldn’t listen to them,” Spike said dismissively. “You’ve saved Equestria more times than I can remember, Twilight! They just wander around all day and look important.”

Twilight chuckled reluctantly.

“The nobles have important jobs, Spike. They help make the laws and run the country. Not even Celestia could do it all by herself. There’s just too much.”

“Yah, yah,” Spike waved a dismissive paw. “Buncha stuck up snobs, if you ask me.”

“Who says they can’t be both?” Twilight said, smiling. “But I’ve still got to finish these schedules. Where did you put Sugar Song’s maternity leave request?”

“In the M pile?” Spike asked sarcastically.

“Oh, right. Hmm, who do we have that can fill in while she’s gone?” Twilight mumbled to herself, settling back into the careful planning that was her forte.

ooOoo

Unbeknownst to Twilight, far to the north cold eyes were narrowed in an entirely different (and far less benign) effort. Although these eyes, too, were those of a planner…

Detente

In which our heroine catches her breath, Royalty attempts reconciliation, and Murphy intervenes.

Teagan closed her eyes and let out a sigh of contented bliss as she sank into the oversized train seat. The seat was intended for ponies and so lower and wider than a human could comfortably sit in, but Teagan snuggled back, letting her legs sprawl where they would.

“Heaven,” she murmured. “For the next two hours all I have to do is relax and let somebody else be in charge.”

Emma giggled, imitating her friend’s posture—or lack of it. Given the seat was meant for two ponies the human girls had plenty of room.

“Such accommodations are not suited to trolls,” Søyle grunted as she tried to find a comfortable position. Being taller, broader, and longer legged than the two teenagers a similar posture was simply out of the question. She compromised by sitting cross-legged. The seat was barely roomy enough for her bulk.

Skrent and Flint didn’t even try to sit down, standing with bowed heads to fit their eight-foot height into the six foot interior. Teagan didn’t envy them standing that way for two hours.

“Guys, maybe you can sit in the aisle? I’m sure the conductor could bring you pillows,” she said. “Two hours like that and you’re going to have such a crick in your necks it won’t be funny.”

Skrent said something to Flint in Trollish that made Søyle huff in amusement. Flint wordlessly lowered himself into the aisle, carefully wedging himself between the seats. Grunting in annoyance he shifted, unslinging his long slender club and handing it to his brother. Skrent unslung his own club and placed the two flat, sliding them under three seats to be out of the way. Then he carefully stepped over his brother and turned to face him before basically collapsing on the floor with a thud.

Sun Hammer grinned at the two trolls from where he lay sideways, taking up an entire seat.

“Och, laddies, nou ye ken how A feel,” the pony chuckled. “Tis nae always handy bein’ big boned, nae it be.”

The six of them were alone in the car, the conductor having declared it having reached its weight limit.

“Dronning, before we meet the rest of the ætt I must relate the proper forms of greeting,” Søyle said. “Emma, it would be well for you to learn as well.”

“The what?” Teagan asked.

“The ætt,” Søyle repeated. “It means clan of purpose, instead of clan of blood. You see?”

“Not really,” Teagan shook her head. “I thought a clan was a family, like for humans and ponies.”

“Ja. That would be klanen av blodet,” Søyle nodded. “Clan of the blood, trolls who are related by having the same ancestors. Klanen av formålet, clan of purpose, trolls who agree to be clan-bound for a purpose. They are family, but not by blood, but still just as much family as the parents who gave you life. Much as ponies are to you.”

“Ponies are klanen av blodet, Søyle,” Teagan corrected her. “Emma is klanen av formålet.”

“That is not possible, Dronning,” Søyle said, clearly confused. “To be klanen av blodet ponies and humans would have to be related by having ancestors in common.”

“We do,” Teagan said smiling. Emma and Søyle looked at her with equally shocked expressions.

“I had heard that ponies were—flexible—in such matters, but to actually bear children? How is this possible, Dronning?” Søyle asked delicately.

“That isn’t what I mean,” Teagan waved her hand to dismiss the idea. “Long ago, ponies came to Equestria via the Bridge of Days, just like Emma and I did today.”

Teagan paused, blinking.

“God, has it only been one day? It feels like a week! Anyway, the first time there was no Bridge for them. So a capall, a magical horse,made a deal with other powerful magical creatures in my world to build the Bridge. The capall’s name was Epona. She and her kind lived with my clan a thousand years ago. But my clan was attacked by another group of humans called Melesians, and faced utter destruction. So a deal was struck and a terrible price was paid. You see the Bridge couldn’t carry my ancestors and the capall. But it could carry ponies. There was a race of small ponies on an island that lived lives filled with harsh cruelty, and it was those ponies that crossed over.”

“But the bargain was that when a capall and their human rider fell in battle, part of their spirits would merge with the pony, crossing over with it. So each pony in Equestria is actually a melding of pony, human, and capall. Ponies are quite literally one third human. I’m related to them because one third of every pony in Equestria is Clan O’Gara. My clan.”

Teagan’s statement left Emma and the trolls speechless. Even Flint looked pole-axed.

“Klanen av sjelen,” Søyle breathed in disbelief. “Clan of the soul. Min Dronning, I have never heard of such a thing!”

“Aye, lass. Tis true. A heard the tale o’ Clan O’Gara and the Bridge of Days from me own Nana when A was naught but a wee foal,” Sun Hammer said. “Tis why the Princess an’ Teelo be as close as they be.”

“Is that why Princess Celestia kept calling you cousin?” Emma asked. “I thought that was just some kind of queen to queen thing.”

“Actually, European royalty used to call each other cousin because they were cousins,” Teagan said, chuckling. “Europe’s kind of small, and they didn’t have a lot of royal families, so they kept marrying each other. Made a bit of a mess, really.”

“So Princess Celestia really is your cousin?” Emma asked incredulously.

“Well, actually she and Luna are my great-great-great, um yeah. You get the idea. Like fifteen generations away but they reallyare my cousins. Twilight tells me Celestia and Luna were carried across the Bridge in their mother’s womb. They were the first ponies actually born in Equestria, and legend says Epona and Daghda the clan leader, were the spirits that merged with Celestia and Luna.”

“Does Fjell know of this?” Søyle asked after digesting the astounding news.

“I really don’t know,” Teagan answered. “It’s not a secret, but Twilight says not a lot of ponies know the story anymore so I don’t imagine the trolls do either. I know I never mentioned it to him. We had a lot of other stuff to hash out so there wasn’t much time for storytelling. Why?”

Søyle looked at her with almost comical shock. “This changes everything, min Dronning!”

“Why?” Teagan asked again, patiently. “I’m still the same girl, Søyle. Ponies and trolls are both part of my clan. That all happened over a year ago. Nothing has changed since then.”

Søyle shook her head in frustration.

“Nei, min Dronning!” She said urgently. “Vi visste ikke! Hvis vi hadde kjent…”

“Hest språk, Kona Søyle,” Skrent rumbled.

“My apologies, Dronning,” Søyle shifted to English (Equestrian?). “Had we known about this we would not have insulted the ponies at every turn. I myself am ashamed for my actions,” Søyle slumped, watching Teagan with sagging features, the trollish equivalent of tears, although her queen was currently ignorant of that fact.

“What actions, Søyle? As far as I know you haven’t done anything wrong,” Teagan said, bewildered. “What did you do?”

“When Fjell praised you at every turn I was jealous, min Dronning,” Søyle met Teagan’s eyes. “Away from him I would complain of the attention he paid you—for I believed you unworthy of such praise, unworthy to bear Mountain Heart. In my heart of hearts I truly believed that the ponies had managed to enchant Mountain Heart such that it betrayed us and served you—and that you served them. I was wrong to do this, I fear I am forsworn.”

Flint growled and Søyle flinched.

Teagan panicked. Being forsworn was one of the worst crimes a troll could commit. It meant banishment, or worse. For the king’s wife to be thought forsworn…

“Flint, stop!” Teagan said forcefully. “Søyle, unless you did something you can’t be foresworn. You know that! Did you actually do anything?”

“She doubted you, Dronning,” Skrent growled, “After swearing to serve you. That is bad.”

“It seems to me,” Emma broke in, “that she got jealous and complained about her husband lavishing praise on another woman. That’s not bad, that’s normal,” she looked at the troll sitting in the aisle. “It looks like troll men are just as clueless as human ones when it comes to women,” she sniffed, making Skrent wrinkle his brow in puzzlement.

“When did you get so wise?” Teagan said, a chuckle forcing itself out of her at the look on Skrent’s face. “Skrent, relax. Søyle, Emma’s right. You didn’t know me, you had no idea what a human even was. Do you still think I’m not fit to be queen?”

“Aldri, min Dronning!” Søyle exclaimed fiercely. “I have seen the strålende raseri engulf you! I have seen your motet, I bear witness that you are the Dronning av Fjellet!”

And then she did something that shocked Sun Hammer and the two girls.

“Jeg påstår blø hvis du spør,” she drew one of her claws lightly across her chest. Her thick skin split and blood welled up from a three inch long gash. Skrent and Flint relaxed, and nodded in satisfaction.

“No!” Teagan yelled and dove for her backpack, frantically digging until she found the first aid kit. She tore it open, and grabbed the tape and gauze. She tore a strip of gauze long enough to cover Søyle’s self-inflicted wound and pressed it against the surprised troll’s chest.

“Emma! Hold this!” Teagan snapped. The other girl scrambled to obey, face pale but determined. Teagan ripped a piece of tape with her teeth and applied it to the gauze to hold it in place. Three more strips followed.

“Okay, you can let go now,” Teagan said, eyeing the gauze, which had bled through but seemed to be holding. Wordlessly she repacked her first-aid kit and replaced it in her pack. Then she turned back to the troll, who was eyeing the gauze on her chest curiously.

“Are you insane? Don’t you ever injure yourself like that again! Do you understand me?” Teagan’s voice was shaking with anger, which confused all three trolls, who were staring at her wide eyed.

“What is wrong, Dronning?” Skrent asked. “Søyle gave you her blood oath as an apology. Why are you angry with her?”

“What?” Teagan stared at her bodyguard. “What are you talking about? She cut herself!”

“Yes. How else could she draw blood?” The troll asked, tilting his head like the world’s ugliest puppy. “You need blood for a blood oath, Dronning.”

Teagan felt her world slip, the same way it had when she’d seen the army of rabbits at Fluttershy’s house, or when Fjell had announced he was going to marry her. She could almost hear the cosmic needle scratching across the universe.

“Okay, wait. Cutting is bad, Skrent. Blood should stay inside. Emma, back me up here.”

“Yeah, what she said,” Emma said, nodding vigorously. “I get that Søyle’s really sorry, but cutting yourself is going way too far.”

“You do not accept my oath, Dronning?” Søyle asked sadly.

“Is this some weird troll custom I’ve never heard of?” Teagan demanded, hoping somebody would start making sense soon.

“Blood oath is ancient magic, Dronning. Søyle is swearing her life to your service. Is the way to prove her loyalty to you. Also, apologize for her overtredelse.”

“Her what?” Teagan asked, completely lost by now.

“My offense, Dronning,” Søyle said. “You have never heard of blood oaths? Humans do not have them?”

“Well, yeah we do, but I don’t think they actually work,” Teagan said. “I mean we don’t have magic. Nobody actually swears using blood anymore, with all the diseases going around it would be too dangerous, it might even kill you!”

Søyle blinked in confusion. “How can drawing your own blood kill you? You never claw deeply, or near a major vein.”

“Well, the way humans do it is they each make a small cut on their hand, then when they shake hands the blood mixes,” Teagan said. “At least I think that’s how it was done. Like I said, nobody does it anymore, it’s too dangerous. You never know if the other person has some blood borne disease or something.”

“Humans are very strange,” Søyle said, shaking her head.

Humans are strange? Teagan thought incredulously. Søyle, trolls have no room to talk about strange!

But she didn’t say it aloud.

ooOoo

Celestia paused in front of the door to Chrysalis’s room, debating how she wanted this confrontation to go. She’d already had Discord remain in the lobby, and now she bade her escort to wait outside the door.

Drawing a calming breath she knocked on the door with her hoof.

There was no answer, so Celestia knocked again.

“Enter,” the familiar voice made her tense imperceptibly. She readied a combat spell, just in case, then opened the door and stepped inside.

Chrysalis was lying on her belly, facing the door. The covers were supported over her hindquarters with a framework so they didn’t touch her back.

“Well, well. Come to gloat, Celestia? I have to admit your pawn laid me low. So go ahead. Enjoy your victory, Princess,” the changeling queen sneered.

“I haven’t come to gloat, Chrysalis,” Celestia replied. “I have come to see if you represent any further danger to Equestria.”

“And what if I do, you pretentious horse?” Chrysalis mocked her. “Will I end up in your statuary garden like Tišina?”

“You know about Tišina?” Celestia asked mildly.

“Of course I know. My children go everywhere. They hear things. Besides, that ape told me about it—between her threats to kill me.”

“Lady Teagan threatened to kill you?” Celestia asked, eyes narrowing. “That really is not like her.”

“Oh, trust me, it is,” the queen said darkly. “She is a monster truly worthy of serving you. Where do you find such murderous yet loyal souls, Celestia? I would have thought Tartarus would have called them home long before now.”

“I see our time apart has done nothing to dull your tongue,” Celestia replied.

“Perhaps seeing my children murdered before my eyes has something to do with that,” the queen hissed. Celestia flinched. “Ah, so your black heart has a rotten soft spot after all!”

She spat on the floor, which Celestia carefully ignored.

“Subtle Dancer murdered hundreds of my children! Shining Armor did as well! And yet they are out there, free, and I am in here. Is this your vaunted justice, Celestia? Forgive me if I don’t rise to applaud!”

“You invaded Equestria, Chrysalis. You were the one who drained Shining Armor and made his spell fail. Your children’s lives are on your own head, not mine,” Celestia replied, outwardly calm but inwardly sad.

“I was attempting to save my children, Celestia. They starvewhile you and your furry pony folk grow fat! Where is the justice in that?”

“Were you also attempting to save your children when you attacked Subtle Dancer and Lady Teagan today?” Celestia asked with a hint of anger.

The changeling queen smiled, finally having scored a hit.

“No, Celestia. That was vengeance.”

“Against me?” Celestia asked coldly.

“Against you, and everything you love,” Chrysalis bared her long fangs. “It was a first strike—to rob you of one of your allies, Princess. With Subtle Dancer out of the picture it would be that much harder for you to defend against my next strike, and the one after that, and the one after that. Until Equestria lost all her major defenders and my children could finally eat in peace.”

“I see,” Celestia studied the changeling queen, who made no effort to hide her disdain for the alicorn. “Tell me, if you could feed without harming other creatures would you? Would you give up your vengeance?”

“You propose peaceful coexistence?” Chrysalis snickered. “Please. The only insult I will not give you is believing you are stupid. We both know your ponies would never let my children feed unless they were tricked into it. Even if Subtle Dancer and Shining Armor hadn’t murdered my children, we cannot coexist. Ponies would not allow it, nor would you.”

“Answer my question. If you could feed without harming others, would you give up your vengeance? It is not a hypothetical question.”

Chrysalis stared hard at Celestia, thinking furiously.

“What game are you playing, horse?” Chrysalis finally snarled.

“No game. It is within my power to grant you and your children safety and prosperity. The question is which do you want more? To see your children safe, happy, and prosperous? Or to punish me by destroying Equestria?”

“Your ponies may believe you are all sweetness and light, Celestia,” Chrysalis said after a long internal debate. “But we both know that’s not true. You would tell any lie, do any deed to protect your precious ponies.”

“Yes, I would,” the alicorn said serenely. “I would even forgive my enemy and strive to give her back that which she lost.”

“You can give me back my children?” Chrysalis laughed bitterly.

“That is beyond my power, alas. But I canheal your broken spine and give you back what was taken from you all those thousands of years ago.”

Chrysalis stared at the alicorn, trying to make sense of what she’d just said.

“What are you talking about?”

“You have not always been a changeling, have you?” Celestia said quietly. “I know what happened to you. I know what you lost, and I know how to give it back to you.”

“Liar! How could you possibly know that?” Chrysalis shouted. “You’re just an upstart, Celestia! I’ve been queen of the changelings for nearly six thousand years! I remember the coming of ponies to Equestria! If you think to taunt me with empty promises you can just go away.”

Green light flashed up and down her misshapen horn in a clear warning.

Celestia took one step backward and her horn lit up with soft golden light. In a voice that echoed from places that do not, in the strictest sense, actually exist, she spoke.

“I swear upon my magic and my rule, that I, Celestia, Princess of the land of Equestria, know what happened to Chrysalis the changeling queen, and I know how to undo it. Should she take a magical oath to forgo her vengeance then I pledge to see that long-ago injustice ended, and affirm I have the means to undo that which was wrought that day. So mote it be.”

Both rulers felt the implosion of magic that signaled the spell had taken hold.

“My oath is powerless without your own,” Celestia said with a tiny smile. “Will you take your vengeance or reclaim your birthright, Your Majesty? You cannot do both.”

“Fine,” Chrysalis grumbled. Her horn lit up with a blaze of green.

“I, Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings, upon my magic and my rule, do hereby vow to give up my vengeance against Celestia in return for her keeping her own vow. Happy?”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Celestia waggled her hoof. “Aren’t you forgetting somepony?”

Chrysalis growled. “And I pledge to cause no harm to Subtle Dancer or Shining Armor upon the completion of our vows,” she raised an eyebrow at Celestia, who nodded, smiling.

“So mote it be.”

The spell promptly imploded. Light exploded from the two rulers, swirling in bands of gold and green, the colors sinking into each.

“That itches,” Chrysalis complained.

“A small price to pay to end six thousand years of injustice,” Celestia said complacently.

“No, I mean it really itches,” Chrysalis said urgently. She started scratching frantically. Celestia watched for a moment, taken aback.

“Are you—oh my,” Celestia’s eyes widened. Her hide twitched in several places, as if she were dislodging a swarm of flies. “You didn’t—oh dear—mix—whinny—any other spell—ah!—into your oath did you?” Celestia turned her head and bit her shoulder where a particularly bothersome itch was making itself impossible to ignore.

“No!” Chrysalis retorted. “Why is this—horse apples—why is this happening? And how is my tail itching? I can’t even feel my hindquarters!”

“I think I may—oh!—know what’s going on,” Celestia said grimly. “I’ll be right back,” she teleported out, leaving Chrysalis alone.

The queen started squirming as best she could with the rear three-quarters of her body immobile. She let loose with a stream of curses in two dozen languages, learned over six thousand years.

The itching got worse.

ooOoo

Earth, Saturday morning, May 28, 2013 9:53 AM

Back on Earth Teagan’s parents along with Matt and Elaine stared at the letter and business card they’d found in their door upon their return.

Kansas Department for Children and Families

Dear Mr. and Mrs. O’Gara,

The DCF has received a report concerning the possible neglect of your daughter Teagan. In order to investigate this report in the most expedient manner possible a social worker has been assigned to your case (N754683-26). Please cooperate fully with your social worker so this matter may be resolved with the least inconvenience to everyone concerned.

Please be aware that failure to cooperate fully and completely with DCF personnel will prolong our investigation and result in needless stress and may result in further investigations and/or corrective action.

Sincerely,

Rachel Padgett
Director
Department of Children and Families.

The card listed the social worker’s name as Mia Gant.

“Is it time to panic now?” Elaine asked her husband sarcastically.

Rapprochement

In which our heroine dissembles, ancient powers stir, and a plot thickens.

Kongen Fjell stared in distaste at the thing standing before him. It was shaped like a pony, but it was dead, the fur and hide flayed from the body, the muscles clearly visible with bones peeking out here and there. It had swum out of the solid stone floor and confronted him in his private audience chamber.

“You dare, foul beast?” He growled angrily. “I will send you back into the Deep Dark from whence you came!” He leaped to the wall behind his seat and grabbed his great axe.

He spun to face the draugr, already swinging. The draugr stepped back far enough that the blades whistled harmlessly past.

“I come as emissary, Troll King,” the undead pony said calmly. “My Master sends his greetings.”

Fjell felt the horror of that voice crawling over him like a plague of spiders but halted his next stroke. The Law forbade harming an emissary, no matter how unwelcome they might be.

“Speak then,” he said reluctantly.

“He has heard of the misfortune visited upon you. He sends a gift to comfort you for your irreplaceable loss. It is his hope you are able to use it to bring justice for the wrong done you.”

The horrible thing twisted its head back and pulled something with its teeth from the tattered saddlebag it bore. It then laid a stone tablet upon the council table.

Fjell studied the tablet, instinctively recoiling from the dark stone upon which deeply graven runes glowed with the color of poisonous lichen, a sickly yellowish-green. The draugr stepped back three paces.

“Who is your master?” Fjell demanded.

“I am not permitted to say,” the draugr replied. “He feels knowing his name might influence your judgment, King of the Trolls, and that would be improper according to the Law. All he wishes is that you know the truth.”

“What price does he ask for this truth, monster?” The Kongen demanded.

“None, It is a gift, freely given,” the draugr replied. “My Master simply offers his condolences for your loss and offers you knowledge that may aid you in bringing the guilty to justice.”

It then turned and sank into the stone floor, swimming downward. It vanished as though it had never been, leaving behind only the faintest whiff of rotting flesh.

Kongen Fjell began to read the tablet. His eyes widened and his face broke into a silent snarl. He quickly scanned the entire text and then went back and read it slowly, weighing the words against what he already knew to be true.

When he was done he sank back into his chair, thinking deeply, the look on his face part grief and part rage.

After a couple of hours he hung his axe back on the wall. Carefully picking up the tablet he placed it under his chair and went to the door. He instructed one of the guards on what he wanted done. Then he returned to his chair and brooded.

ooOoo

By the time the train pulled into Canterlot Station the trolls had convinced their queen that the blood oath was less self-mutilation and more a seldom used but sacred ceremony. Teagan hadn’t approved, but let it go, knowing there was no way she would budge the trolls on the issue.

In addition she’d been given an overview of her entourage, their names and stations, how she should address them without giving offense, and a dozen other details.

The pomp and intricacy of a royal entourage was something she’d dreaded ever since she learned thirty trolls made up her personal train. But, of course, she’d been expecting a human entourage, with all the political intrigue that entailed.

Trolls, it turned out, were much more practical. Half her entourage consisted of a troupe of guards. They were part of the klanen av formålet, and thus family, but like Skrent and Flint were under her personal command. Their primary task was to protect the entourage as it made its way back to Hejm.

The klanen also contained three “runners”, troll messengers that could literally run for hours on end. Their job, as Søyle explained it, was to carry messages like some two legged pony express, and wasn’t that a surreal image? Like the guards they were military personnel.

Five more trolls were porters, each of which drew a large wagon loaded with supplies for the journey back. Being trolls whose profession was transport, each massively muscled porter could haul five tons of cargo in their enormous wagons. Given how much trolls ate when on the march twenty-five tons of cargo might not actually be enough, which is why the guards also doubled as foragers and hunters.

The porters weren’t military, Teagan was shocked to learn they had volunteered, rather than been assigned. Apparently, being part of her klanen was very prestigious, and being trolls, patriotic (to the queen, not the World Below). The thought made Teagan shiver, and put even more load on her shoulders.

The rest of the klanen were the ones that gave her pause. Alene Hule in particular made her worry. He was, apparently, second only to Alene Avgrunn in the ranks of the Alene. She supposed it made sense for him to be part of the klanen but she planned to keep a close eye on him until she knew where his ultimate loyalties lay. Unlike most trolls, the Alene could see shades of gray, and were exceptionally intelligent. Teagan had long ago promised herself she would never take an Alene lightly.

The remaining trolls were a mix of male and female, all in the prime of life but still high-ranking representatives of the major troll clans. Søyle made sure Teagan was aware of the influence those trolls wielded with the actual clan leaders, and thus in turn, with the Council.

Although Teagan was beginning to wonder just how much pull the Council actually had over the rest of troll society…

Stepping off the train she was immediately surrounded by a wall of trolls, who knelt on one knee and bowed their heads. Even kneeling, all the males were taller than she was and the females were at least as tall as she was while she was standing. Only the Alene, an elderly troll, didn’t kneel, but he did nod when meeting her eyes.

“Velkommen, Dronning,” the words rumbled around the assembled trolls like a minor earthquake. Knowing trolls never lied (any that did not truly welcome her would have remained silent) Teagan relaxed a bit, even though Søyle had said half the group viewed having a non-troll as their queen with misgivings.

“Takke dere alle, jeg er glad for å komme hjem,” Teagan said with a smile and more than a little genuine warmth.

Thank you all, I am happy to come home.

Søyle had coached her on that phrase for a good fifteen minutes. She’d stressed that Teagan needed to mean it when she said it. Strangely enough, Teagan did. She already counted Skrent and Flint as friends and had no trouble being clan with them, as well as Søyle, who had proven herself to Teagan by her unflinching protection of Emma during the ambush and that unnerving blood oath.

Home is where your family is, she thought, a warm feeling welling up.

Of course the whole clan situation was bizarre. She was soul bound clan to the ponies—there could be no doubt of that. They absolutely were clan O’Gara, one third human, at least their spirit was, no matter what their bodies might look like.

She was also queen of the trolls, there was no doubt about that either, not with Crush’s eyes lodged in her mind and its soul wrapped around her own. She was legally a troll—and thus clan O’Gara was also a troll clan, no matter that her body was human.

And these thirty trolls had willingly bound themselves to her as a new clan, a clan of purpose rather than blood, but a clan none the less.

Given the trollish mindset it meant she was safe with them, even Alene Hule, because they were family. And trolls took family bonds as seriously as they did oath breaking. Of course trolls tended to take everything seriously, but if there was a conflict of loyalties, family came first.

The only problem was she hadn’t had time to ask Søyle which family was more important, klanen av blodet or av formålet. Given what she knew about trolls she bet Søyle wouldn’t even make a distinction between the two. That made it her responsibility to see such conflicts of loyalty didn’t arise.

Joy, she thought, her mood dimming just a bit.

“Dronning, forventet vi deg til å komme flere timer siden,” A female said.

Teagan shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t speak Trollish yet.”

“Ynsiv, Hest språk,” Another female said chidingly.

“Jeg snakker ikke Hest,” the first female replied. She slumped slightly, her face turning slightly darker green.

“Ynsiv doesn’t speak pony, Dronning,” the second female said, giving the other troll an amused look. “The Langtpunkt have little exposure to the World Above. They are more comfortable vandre i den dype mørke.”

Ynsiv flinched before drawing herself up and staring at the other troll, lips parting to reveal the slightest gleam of very white teeth.

“Hjördís, bare vi gå dypt mørke. Du bør være snill mot fetteren din,” Alene Hule said to the second female, his tone mildly reproving.

“I can relate, Ynsiv,” Teagan replied, smiling at her. “You don’t know the World Above and I don’t know the World Below. That’s why I came, so I could learn.”

Ynsiv smiled, and gestured helplessly.

“Hun sa, Jeg kan forholde seg, Ynsiv. Jeg har ingen erfaring i Verden Nedenfor. Det er derfor jeg kom, så jeg kunne lære,” the Alene translated, and then nodded his head to Teagan.

Now that she knew her name it was easier for her to identify the troll woman. She wore a loincloth and halter like the others, but hers was plain gray cloth, clearly sturdy but nothing like the richly patterned and embroidered material the other females sported. Her harness leather was also plain and lacked the elaborate tooling the other trolls (even the males) wore. It clearly eschewed form for function, with abundant steel attachment points for gear but no ornamentation of any kind. Even the guards had ornamentation of copper and silver on their harnesses, unlike Ynsiv.

“Dronning, is this your sister?” A male asked in the slightly uncomfortable silence. He had the typical lanky troll build, but was slightly thicker in the body than either Skrent or Flint, and carried himself in a way that just screamed nobleman.

“No, she is my bestevenn, part of my klanen av formålet,” Teagan said, not mentioning Emma wasn’t supposed to be there.

“Hi, I’m Emma,” the girl said with a smile.

“I am Tor. Welcome, cousin,” Tor nodded politely.

Emma blinked. “Cousin?”

“Of course,” Tor tilted his head. “You are clan of the Dronning, as are we, therefore you are clan. Making you our cousin.”

Emma’s smile lit up the room.

Teagan sighed to herself, just now realizing anyone she claimed as clan (of purpose or blood) would automatically be part of this klanen av formålet. What kept ambushing her was just how simply the trolls viewed clan relationships. She had a mental image of a huge web connecting the trolls, ponies, her own family and now Emma, with her in the center. It made her dizzy, so she banished it and refocused on the group.

She found she was getting better at distinguishing individual trolls. Learning their names seemed to be enough to start picking out features that made them distinct from one another.

“How many of you speak English?” Emma asked, staring around the group with interest. Her wide-eyed enthusiasm and warm smile seemed to diffuse any rudeness the question might have engendered.

“English?” The second troll woman asked. “What is English?”

“Equestrian, Emma,” Teagan said quickly. “Twilight told me English and Equestrian are the same language.”

“Oh. okay, how many of you speak Equestrian then?” Emma asked, beaming around.

All but two of the clan representatives did, it turned out, one of the runners, and four of the guards (including Dag, the sergeant). After some discussion it turned out most of the guards spoke a little pidgin Equestrian, but two of the runners, all of the cargo haulers, and two of the clan representatives spoke none at all.

It turned out the second troll woman’s name was Hjördís of clan Midtenhule, while Tor was clan Veggvakt.

Søyle had said she herself belonged to clan Midtenhule, and Midtenhule was a close ally of the Fjell’s clan, the Herskere, which is why she had been on Fjell’s shortlist of suitable wives.

Teagan watched Emma as the girl happily chatted with the trolls. Matt’s training kicked in and she found herself analyzing the way the trolls reacted to Emma and each other. She began seeing the more obvious relationships and the hierarchy they formed.

Emma’s cheerful willingness to speak to any troll that could understand her and her obliviousness to their social hierarchy, made Teagan grin inside. Given that Teagan had claimed her as best friend and clan member, it gave Emma an unknown but clearly high social rank. While trolls were nowhere near as deferential by nature as humans, they liked knowing their place in the hierarchy and Emma’s unknown status made them cautious. Most ponies would have been astounded by how polite the klanen was to Emma.

Teagan suddenly found herself comparing Emma to Pinkie of all ponies. While the human girl was nowhere near as manic she had the same obliviousness to rank that Pinkie did, and an infectious smile that seemed to defeat the troll’s instinctive distrust of non-trolls.

She could be a big help this summer, Teagan’s mind suggested treacherously. Look how easily she’s fitting in with them. Bet she’d hear all the best gossip…

Teagan firmly clamped down on that line of thought. Hejm was a week’s journey on foot from the closest stop on the railroad line headed north from Canterlot. Emma wouldn’t be able to make such a trip, not to mention it would put her best friend in danger from all the threats lurking in the wilds of Equestria.

Look at her, her mind insisted. “She’s a natural. And Søyle would protect her against anything Crush and I miss.

She sighed. If she couldn’t even control her own thoughts how could she possibly be queen?

ooOoo

Celestia appeared in front of Discord and snorted angrily, glaring at him.

“What?” He asked, bewildered.

“What. Did. You. Do?” Celestia growled, hide twitching even as her eyes narrowed.

“What are you talkingabout?” He asked, taking a step backward. “I haven’t done anything. Well, except nearly get killed by that manic monkey!”

“You did something to Chrysalis. And me,” Unable to bear it she turned her head and bit at a particularly maddening itch. Snapping her head back she glared at him. “This isn’t funny, Discord. Fix it.”

“What am I, your handyman? Perhaps if you tell me what’s wrong I might be able to do something!” The draconequus complained.

“Both of us are itching,” she hissed, head lowered, lining up her horn as she took a step forward. A sliver of light ran up and down the ivory spear.

“Well, excuse me, Princess, but who knows where Chrysalis has been? I’m not surprised that mangy creature has fleas!”

“These aren’t fleas, Discord,” Celestia said, eye twitching. “This is a spell. It didn’t start until we exchanged magical oaths.”

Discord paused. “Wait—oaths? You didn’t swear to help her did you?”

“Yes!” She scrubbed her cutie mark against a convenient hallway corner. “In exchange—oh buck—for—grrr!—her oath to give up her—arg!—vengeance!” Celestia gasped, using the leading edge of her wing to scratch her shoulder. The doctor and nurse witnessing her distress began to back slowly away.

“Oh dear,” Discord said with a furrowed brow. “You really shouldn’t have done that.”

“Go ndéana an diabhal dréimire de cnámh do dhroma ag piocadh úll i ngairdín Ifrinn!” Celestia snarled with enough venom to make Discord blink in surprise and the two medical ponies bolt.

“Oh my! Celestia,I had no idea you knew such language!” He said, smiling. “That was top-notch swearing! I didn’t know you had it in you!”

“Discord, you have no idea what I’ll swear to do to you if you don’t fix this infernal itching right now,” Celestia said in a low dangerous voice. “I guarantee it will be something extremely—creative. Fix this. Now.”

“I’d love to help, Celestia, but I can’t do anything. You two were the ones who made a magical oath and triggered the spell’s failsafe. If I change Chrysalis back it will cure her itching, but not yours.”

She looked at him, appalled. He snickered. “Of course, once I undo the spell, there is a cure for you too—but I don’t think you’ll want to use it.”

“Why? What is it?”

“You have to roll yourself in a patch of poison joke, Celestia. For at least an hour. It takes a full day to completely cure the itching. Of course, then you’ll have to find a cure for poison joke...”

He grinned happily.

ooOoo

Rådgiver Sannheten was uneasy. The runner that had appeared to summon him to the Kongen’s presence said only your presence is required immediately. Normally when Fjell summoned him it was over some council matter and the runner would tell him the appointed time and the subject to be discussed, giving the councilor enough time to gather relevant material.

The Palace was a good ten minute walk from the Borgen. That gave Sannheten plenty of time to think. But by the time he passed through the palace doors he still hadn’t come up with a plausible explanation.

As he made his way along the bustling corridors his unease mounted. There was simply no reason for Fjell to do this. Upon reaching the throne room he was surprised to find his way barred by two members of the Tilbake, the Kongen’s personal guard.

“Rådgiver,” the one on the right spoke, nodding his head respectfully. “The Kongen awaits you in his private audience chamber. We are to escort you.”

One guard took the lead as the other fell behind. The councilor’s unease became active worry. Whatever was going on was clearly being kept quiet, which for the Kongen meant state-level secrets were involved.

Sannheten wondered if it had something to do with the Dronning. She was not due to arrive for a week yet, so it shouldn’t be that. Nor could it involve Tišina. The prophecy had long since run its course; it had been far longer than the single month the prophecy foretold since her death. The only other possibility involved the ponies, but surely Fjell would have given him time to prepare properly if it had been that.

The guards stopped outside the doors to Fjell’s audience chamber. One knocked, then opened the door and motioned Sannheten to enter. When he did so the guard closed the door and remained outside.

The Rådgiver paused, taken aback. Normally the chamber held a large circular table and enough chairs for the entire council. But now the chamber was bare, the light from lys-mose on the ceiling reflecting from the gleam of the polished floor. There was only one chair, occupied by the Kongen, who stared at Sannheten with a complete lack of expression. Resting point down in front of him was a spiked, double-bitted axe, the end of the haft well above the seated Kongen’s head.

“What is this, Kongen?” Sannheten asked, completely confused. The Kongen did not answer, simply watching him silently.

“Has there been an attack? Has something risen from the Deep Dark?” He asked uncertainly. “Kongen? Why do you not speak?”

“Words fail me, Rådgiver Sannheten of Clan Inngang,” the Kongen said in a flat voice, completely devoid of emotion. “The Lore and the Law have both failed me. Those I trusted have failed me. The past is treachery, the future foresworn. And here am I, alone in the moment.”

A chill swept over the old troll. The Kongen’s eyes held a coldness he had never encountered before. There was nothing there, a terrifying emptiness that whispered insane secrets and promised peaceful oblivion.

“Are you feeling well, Kongen?” The old troll couldn’t keep his apprehension from coloring his voice.

“No, Rådgiver,” he said. “I am not. I have stared into the Deepest Dark and discovered terrible secrets there. Secrets that should not be, secrets no troll should ever have to bear.”

“Surely Alene Avgrunn would be better able to help you, Kongen?” Sannheten asked carefully. “I know nothing of magic.”

“Magic cannot aid me,” Fjell said calmly. “There is no guide for the passage I tread now, Rådgiver.”

“Then how can I do so, Kongen?” The old troll asked, wondering if the guards had locked the door behind him.

“I know you, Rådgiver Sannheten of Clan Inngang. I know what you have done,” the Kongen’s voice was calm, measured.

“And what is it I have done, Kongen?” The old troll managed to maintain a calm demeanor in spite of the fear beginning to knot his belly.

“You took a child’s father from him,” the Kongen replied softly. “My father, Rådgiver. You were the cause of his demise. You played one clan against another for your own profit. And thus your hand carved the passage. If not for you he would still be alive. Please, deny your deed. Foreswear yourself. Give me that gift, Rådgiver Sannheten of Clan Inngang.”

The Kongen sat relaxed, his tone containing no hint of anger. Sannheten stood silent, knowing his death watched him with empty eyes.

“I will not deny it was my hand that loosed the avalanche, Kongen,” the Rådgiver said after a moment. He raised his head, proud and defiant. “I will not deny it killed your father. But I will deny with my final breath it was my intent he die. It was inconceivable a pony could kill the Kongen while Mountain Heart was in his hand. Nevertheless, I do not deny my responsibility. Strike if you will.”

The two trolls stayed silent, watching one another.

Retrograde Advance

In which painfully gained progress is swiftly undone.

Teagan settled on the couch and closed her eyes. Now that the Ghrian suite held a dozen trolls it seemed far smaller than it had with her and a half dozen ponies. Even Fjell’s visit hadn’t crowded the suite this much.

“This is unbelievable!” Emma exclaimed in awe. “Teagan, look at this place! It’s amazing! I’m actually afraid to sit down. What if I break something?”

Without opening her eyes Teagan reached up and grabbed Emma’s arm, yanking her down on the couch next to her.

“Problem solved,” she said, chuckling. “It’s designed to be lived in, you know. Just don’t eat anything messy in here and you’ll be fine.”

“Easy for you to say! I bet you stayed here last time, didn’t you?” Her friend asked.

“Both times, actually. The first time I didn’t get to enjoy it because I was confined to bed for two weeks while my feet healed up. The second time I was just too busy and too worried. Maybe this time I’ll get to enjoy myself.”

A loud knock came from the suite door.

“Or not,” Teagan sighed. She started to struggle to her feet to answer the door but before she could Søyle came hurrying out of her room and did it.

Teagan stood there blinking in surprise.

“Lady-in-waiting, remember?” Emma said, giggling.

“She’s the king’s wife!” Teagan hissed at the other girl. “She shouldn’t be doing little things like that.”

“Why not?” Emma asked. “Don’t you know what a lady-in-waiting does?”

“Not really,” Teagan admitted, watching as Søyle stood aside and let a young stallion walk into the room.

Colt, not stallion, she corrected herself as she saw how small the teal unicorn was. She admired his mane, a teal and dark blue combination that complemented his coat rather than contrasted with it. His cutie mark was a silver spool holding golden thread, one end snaking its way halfway down his leg. She’d never seen such a large cutie mark before.

“Dronning, a messenger has come,” Søyle said formally.

The colt moved forward and made a picture perfect bow. “Your Majesty, Princess Sparkle requests your presence as well as Lady Emma’s. I would be honored to show you the way.”

Teagan smiled. She’d never heard of Princess Sparkle but the colt’s solemn tone and serious demeanor made him devastatingly adorable. She fought the urge to gather him in for a cuddle. She doubted he’d appreciate it.

“How did she know about me?” Emma asked, standing.

“Good question,” Teagan responded. “Maybe Princess Celestia told her? Her chariot’s a lot faster than the train. She’d have beaten us back by an hour and a half.”

“Her Royal Highness has not yet returned, Your Majesty,” the page said, dipping his horn respectfully. “But I’m sure Princess Sparkle will be happy to answer your question.”

“What’s your name?” Teagan asked, realizing the colt hadn’t introduced himself.

“My most humble apologies, Your Majesty. My name is Glittering Bobbin. However, you may call me Bobbin if you prefer.”

“All right, Bobbin. Lead the way.”

When Skrent and Flint moved to guard her back she waved them off.

“You two relax. It’s been a rough day and you deserve a break. Besides, I doubt I’ll need you inside the castle itself,” Teagan and Emma followed the page as he left the suite.

ooOoo

“Your joke is in very poor taste,” Celestia said coldly.

“I’m not joking, Celestia,” Discord said, turning serious for a moment. “Those ghost fleas will continue to torment you until I turn Chrysalis back and you roll in a big patch of poison joke. And then you have to live with the effects a full day before trying to find a cure. Pardon me while I indulge myself in some well deserved schadenfreude.”

“Very well. Have your little prank,” she grimaced. “Change your shape so we can get on with this.”

“Hmm. What shape shall I wear? You ponies are such a diverse lot. It’s an embarrassment of riches, really. Maybe an earth pony? No, too plain. But pegasi are so noisy and violent. Oh, and of course unicorns are so stuffy. What to choose, what to choose…”

“Discord,” Celestia growled. “Pick one. It doesn’t matter. All three tribes have doctors!”

“Well I certainly won’t pick alicorn,” he sniffed. “You and your sister are just way too impatient, Celestia. I’ll never get this opportunity again! I want it to be just perfect. After all, it’s not every day I see my greatest rival brought low.”

Celestia closed her eyes and snapped her tail viciously against her shoulder. She winced and then relaxed. “You’re not doing yourself any favors you know. Fun is fun, but this is really uncomfortable.”

“You have no conception of what uncomfortable means, Princess,” Discord said, growing still. “Try standing rigid for a thousand years if you want to know what uncomfortable feels like. Or maybe having your leg broken—or your neck. I can testify from personal experience how uncomfortable each of those things is!”

His snarl melted into a big smile.

“Oh, but what am I saying? The longer you’re like this the longer I have to wait to watch your cure! How silly of me. I really plan to enjoy your cure.”

“Why?” Celestia asked, alarmed.

“Because while I have no idea exactly what will happen—poison joke is so unpredictable—I know the more magically powerful the victim is the more, um, extravagant the pranks become. I am simply agog when I consider what you might experience.”

“And what if one of the pranks is dropping the sun on Equestria?” Celestia asked, snapping her tail under her belly and wincing again.

“Why are you whipping yourself?” Discord asked, distracted.

“It makes the itch stay away longer,” Celestia answered. “Your turn. How do we know I won’t become a danger to everyone?”

“The only person poison joke can endanger is my sister. For anyone else—and that includes you—it’s limited to harmless, if annoying, pranks,” Discord said. “Of course you needn’t take my word for it. If you don’t trust me you don’t have to subject yourself to the poison joke. You might even grow to enjoy the itching.”

She glared at him.

“Well, stranger things have happened, you must admit,” Discord said. He snapped his fingers and morphed into a tall white unicorn with blue eyes and golden mane and tail. His cutie mark was two overlaid four-pointed stars, the front one gold and the rear one blue.

Celestia groaned, closing her eyes.

“Now, vere is mine patient?” Discord said with Germane accent and a sparkling smile.

ooOoo

Earth, Saturday morning, May 28, 2013 9:56 AM

“The way I see it,” Evelyn said as the quartet discussed this latest disaster, “you play outraged innocents. They already know we want Emma to come back, so tomorrow at sunrise we contact Twilight again and tell her we need Teelo back here for a day or so. Once she’s back you call the social worker, quietly express outrage and demonstrate there was no neglect. Quick, calm, effective. Meanwhile you hire me to investigate the school counselor. If she’s petty enough to sic the DCF on somebody for refusing to answer her questions, she’s probably left a trail of other indiscretions big enough to use as leverage.”

“Isn’t that extortion?” Elaine asked uneasily.

“It’s a gray area,” Evelyn said frankly. “But we aren’t asking her for money, only to leave us alone. Neither she nor we want this to come out publicly. There’s simply no benefit to either side. Right now she thinks she’s untouchable. If we show her she’s vulnerable and give her an out, she’ll take it.”

“That makes me very uncomfortable,” Elaine said shaking her head. “It’s like we’re the bad guys.”

“Do we even know it was her?” John asked with a worried frown.

“No, but she’s certainly at the top of the suspect list,” the PI replied. “I’ll be able to find out one way or the other. If she isn’t, we do nothing. Of course that would mean someone else did it, and from what I gathered nobody else has motive, right?”

“Not that I know of,” John admitted. “I don’t know we can afford to hire you, though. They don’t pay college professors that well,” His tone was apologetic.

Evelyn waved his objection away. “Just give me one of the gems from Equestria, a nice ruby, maybe. That way I really am working for you,” she grinned evilly. “I would do it for free but having me on retainer gives us a lot more flexibility.”

“Thank you,” he said with relief. “I never thought Teagan’s adventures could hit so close home. Speaking of which did you ever come up with a way to deal with the gold and gems?”

“I have a lawyer friend working on it,” Evelyn said. “He tells me it might be a little tricky, but there’s some legal mumbo-jumbo he can pull. You know lawyers,” she rolled her eyes. “It’s all legal, but you may not like the odor of it.”

“Why?” Elaine asked sharply.

“It basically involves setting up a blind trust,” Evelyn said. “There’s a lot more to it but the end result is that the trust is managed outside your control and you receive the income from it. That income is taxed as normal.”

“What about the original declaration?” John asked. “You know, establishing the trust?”

“That—is a bit of legalistic sophistry that’s beyond me,” Evelyn admitted. “But he assures me it’s all legal. It’s amazing what lawyers can get away with. Oh, Matt, I assume you want in on this?”

“Yeah. Those gems aren’t doing me any good sitting in the safety deposit box,” Matt said. “Even assuming I retired now and went to Equestria for good they aren’t worth nearly as much there as they are here, so it’s not like I can just horde them. Next time I go back I’m going to explore the possibility of doing some trading.”

“I don’t know how that could work,” John objected mildly. “The only ones who can open the bridge are Subtle Dancer and the princesses. I doubt they’d be willing to do it regularly.”

“That just means I have to bring over something small that’s valuable to them,” Matt grinned. “Surely our tech can come up with something useful to Equestria. Magic can’t solve everything.”

ooOoo

“Teelo!” Twilight exclaimed happily as Bobbin brought them to her chambers. “It’s great to see you!”

“Been too long, Twilight! But how come you’re in Canterlot? I thought you lived in Ponyville. And what’s this about being a princess?” Teagan hugged her. “Hi, Spike!”

“Hey Teelo,” Spike waved, grinning.

“Well, I had to move back once this happened, didn’t I?” Twilight half-spread her wings and refolded them.

Teagan’s jaw dropped. “Wi-wi-wings?” She stared at Twilight in shock, noting how Twilight’s horn was slightly but noticeably longer than it had been. “You’re an alicorn? When did that happen? How could that happen?”

“It’s a long story,” Twilight said. “Didn’t Sun Hammer tell you?”

“No, he didn’t,” Teagan said. “He didn’t tell me about Discord either.”

“Ah. Well, that explains why he ended up plowing into Celestia’s tea table,” Twilight giggled. “You smacked him with Crush, right?”

“Yeah. As hard as I could,” Teagan blushed. “I had a flashback.”

“Oh, that’s terrible. Are you okay?” Twilight asked in concern.

“I’m okay. As much as I hate to admit it, I think smashing him with Crush was catharsis for me. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s afraid of me now,” Teagan chuckled grimly. “But I did promise Princess Celestia as long as he doesn’t try to hurt me or mine I’ll leave him alone.”

“Well, that’s good. I admit I had my doubts when she first asked us to reform him, but it seems to have worked,” Twilight said. “I guess even Discord isn’t immune to Fluttershy’s kindness. Nobody can resist her for long.”

“You know, I can see it,” Teagan said slowly. “She’s a living lesson in not judging a book by its cover, isn’t she?”

“Oh, I like that,” Twilight said with a wide smile. “I have to remember that one!”

“You’ve never heard it before?” Emma broke into the conversation. “I thought you lived in a library?”

“I do—well did,” Twilight responded cheerfully. “You must be Emma. Welcome to Equestria.”

“Thanks, but how did you know my name?” Emma asked curiously. “I didn’t think Equestria had phones.”

“What’s a phone?” Twilight cocked her head, her thirst for knowledge suddenly prodded. “Is that a human thing? What does it do?”

“It lets you talk to someone far away,” Emma said. “But if you don’t know what a phone is I guess you don’t have them after all. So how did you know about me?”

“Oh, I talked to your parents about an hour ago,” Twilight said calmly. “They want you to come home as soon as possible.”

Both girls goggled at her, making her giggle.

“You look like Fluttershy’s frogs,” she teased them.

“You’re just full of surprises today,” Teagan said, recovering. “How in the world did you pull that one off?”

“The figurines we gave you,” Twilight replied. “Mine had an experimental spell in it called Tairseach Urlabhra. When Emma went missing your parents talked to my simulacrum and she cast the spell. It worked!” Twilight beamed at them.

“And this spell lets you use the figurine to talk to my parents?” Teagan asked. “By the way, how come nobody ever mentioned those statues could talk? It would have been nice to know before Emma stumbled across it accidentally!”

Twilight blinked. “Didn’t Princess Celestia tell you about the simulacra spells cast on them? I spent hours modeling for my simulacrum’s anima.”

“No, she didn’t,” Teagan said drily. “If she had I never would have given them to Emma to keep safe for me while I was here, and Emma would never have discovered the secret of Equestria and snuck over the bridge with us—and then nearly gotten herself killed when Chrysalis ambushed us.”

“WHAT?” Twilight screeched, loudly enough to bring two gray unicorn guards bursting through the door.

“Is everything all right, Princess Sparkle?” The one on the left demanded, eyeing the two humans.

“Yes, everything’s fine. I just got some surprising news. Sorry to worry you, Steeplechase, false alarm. Everything’s fine,” Twilight said, blushing slightly.

The guards saluted and returned to their posts.

“Gee, Twilight, overreaction much?” Spike sniggered, then sobered. “What’s this about Chrysalis ambushing you?”

“She had an army with her,” Teagan said, turning grim. “There was a huge fight. It—didn’t end well.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight’s pupils widened until her eyes were nearly all black.

Teagan looked at Twilight and then at Spike and meaningfully back to Twilight.

“Spike, maybe you should step out for a few minutes,” Twilight suggested.

“Oh no! No way are you getting rid of me!” Spike said firmly. “I may be a baby by dragon standards but not by pony ones! I’m almost an adult by pony reckoning. I’m tired of being treated like a baby, Twilight! Whatever it is I can handle it.”

“Funny, you should say that, Spike,” Emma said softly. The dragon looked at her curiously. “I said exactly the same thing before I snuck over the Bridge. I thought I could handle it. I thought I was grown up.”

She stared at him with a lack of expression that sent a shiver down the purple dragon’s spine.

“But you know what? I was wrong. I’d give anything to forget what I saw. Trust me—you do not want to know.”

“You’re going to tell Twilight,” he said resentfully. “She’s only five years older than I am.”

“Spike,” Teagan’s voice was gentle. She waited a moment until she was sure she had his attention. “I told the Mayor of Ponyville exactly the same thing I’m telling you. You do not want to hear this. It’s not because I think you can’t handle it. It’s not because I think you’re a coward. There are some secrets so horrible no one should ever have to keep them. As the Dronning av Fjellet, the Queen of the Mountain, I beg you, listen to me. You will be happier not knowing. Please don’t make me tell you.”

Spike’s eyes grew wide.

“Is it really that terrible?” Twilight asked softly.

“It is worse,” Teagan answered quietly, still watching the dragon. “Please, Spike. Don’t make me darken your life. Please.”

“I’m Twilight’s number one assistant,” Spike said, straightening. “If she has to bear a terrible secret, she won’t do it alone. Go ahead and tell me.”

Twilight’s eyes widened even further. “Spike, no, don’t do this,” she whispered.

“Sorry, Twilight. No can do,” he shook his head. “Tell me.”

“You’re sure?” Teagan asked sadly. “You must never tell anyone else, do you understand?”

“Yes,” the small dragon stared at her steadily.

“All right. When Chrysalis attacked us, and we were about to die, Subtle Dancer cast a spell,” Teagan paused.

“What kind of spell?” Twilight asked.

“You remember the ring of torches the guards always set up in the Bridge clearing?” Teagan asked. The alicorn nodded.

“His spell turned them into dragon fire,” Teagan said bleakly. “Every changeling within sixty feet was killed, burned to a husk. Hundreds of them.”

Twilight looked confused for a moment, and then her irises contracted to pinpoints as it finally sank in. She sat down with a thump, shocked speechless. Spike turned pale and swayed on his feet.

“Two of Chrysalis’s elite guards attacked Subtle Dancer,” Teagan continued. “They were bigger than Sun Hammer, probably as big as Princess Celestia. Sun Hammer managed to kill one, but the other savaged Subtle Dancer before Flint and Skrent managed to drive it off.”

“When Chrysalis finally hit the ground the rest of the changelings collapsed in pain. But her personal guards wouldn’t stop fighting. In the end we had to kill them too.”

“Kill…” Twilight shuddered. “So Chrysalis is dead?”

“I thought I’d killed her, but when we dug her up from the bottom of the impact crater we found out she was still alive.”

Twilight’s eyes were already as wide as they could go but her jaw dropped.

“Where is she now?”

“Ponyville Hospital,” Teagan replied, “Celestia’s probably already interrogated her. Along with ten changelings that managed to survive the fire spell. They were blinded and their wings burned off but I’m told regeneration spells can heal their wings and eyes.”

“He—he killed them? With dragon fire?” Spike asked, holding one paw over his stomach, a nauseated look on his face. “How could he do that? Ponies don’t kill their enemies!”

“Sometimes you don’t have a choice, Spike,” Teagan said gently. “If Subtle Dancer hadn’t used that spell I’d be dead right now. So would Emma, and Sun Hammer, and everyone else in that clearing.”

“But, wouldn’t they just have captured you?” Spike asked pleadingly.

“No, Spike. Chrysalis ordered them to kill us. I heard her say it. In fact, she shouted it. She wanted us to hear.”

A tear rolled down Spike’s cheek. Everyone pretended not to notice.

“You were right. I should have left when you asked,” he said miserably.

ooOoo

The two trolls watched each other silently for a good five minutes. Finally, Fjell stood slowly, pushing himself up with the axe as though he were exhausted. His eyes never left Sannheten’s.

“You will not die this day, Rådgiver,” Fjell rumbled. “Shall I tell you why?”

“I listen,” the old troll said, still wary.

“I have spoken with Alene Avgrunn concerning the death of my father in the past, asking why justice was never dealt for his murder. Oddly, he never mentioned you. And he refused to call the deed murder, for he claimed it was honorable combat, that both Sun Hammer and my father faced each other fairly.”

He grimaced. “I would have still slain Sun Hammer without a thought. Had I known about you earlier I would have killed you as well, for all that the Law does not condemn you. I would gladly have become forsworn so long as I could have your blood on my claws. I would have forsaken my kingdom to avenge my father. I tell you this so you may know what it costs me to spare your life.”

“Then why stay your hand now?” The Rådgiver asked. If the two had been human his question might have goaded Fjell into attacking. But they were trolls, thus Sannheten’s question was an honest one, and Fjell answered.

“You owe your life to the Dronning. She is clan with Sun Hammer, she is his friend, and yet she still mourned my father’s death even though she never met him. It was she that opened my eyes, showing me Sun Hammer lost nearly as much as my father on that day. For nothing.”

Fjell’s eyes narrowed with the first sign of emotion he’d shown so far in their confrontation. “My father died for nothing, Sannheten of clan Inngang. You killed him for nothing. Your debt is so great you could not repay it if you lived a hundred lifetimes.”

“Your life is now mine, Rådgiver. For however long you live, you will live your life as I direct. You will give me your unquestioned support in council; you will strive in all things to enact my will. Whatever goals you had those long years ago are no more. Clan Inngang will now ally itself to Herskere in all decisions. Swear this.”

“I swear to serve you faithfully, Kongen Fjell of clan Herskere,” the old troll said heavily. “I will vote as you direct. Clan Inngang will ally with Herskere. I will serve you with my whole strength. I, Sannheten, acknowledge my debt, and vow to do what I might to pay it. I have said what I shall do.”

Fjell nodded grimly, then turned and hung his axe back on the wall.

“Assemble the council,” he said, turning back. “The dead have risen to stalk the living once more. The Deepest Dark stirs. We must be ready to face it.”

Sannheten shuddered, then bowed and strode from the chamber.

ooOoo

“Now, meine fräulein, vat ist ze problem?” The tall white-coated unicorn smiled at Chrysalis as he made a show of examining her, complete with glowing horn. “Ach, meine güte, the spine is gebrochen, how you say, kaput! Nein, this will not do at all! Must fix, ja, schnell like bunny! So you can run and play, ja?”

Chrysalis stared at him in disbelief, and then turned to Celestia.

“This is going to heal my broken spine?” She asked incredulously. “He can’t even speak Equestrian!”

“Ja, meine Equestrian ist not so güte, from Germaney I come. Dr. Ludwig von Pferd at your service, hübsche Stute. Do not worry! I fix you up, blitzschnell. You vill see! Like so!” The unicorn’s horn blazed and there was a loud crack.

Chrysalis yelped and leaped off the bed without considering the fact her back legs didn’t work. Celestia was about to try and catch her when both of them realized the changeling queen was standing on four legs instead of sprawling on the floor, the sheet still half-draped over her hindquarters.

She blinked. “I stand corrected,” she said dryly. Dr. von Pferd broke into a braying whinny of laughter.

“Ist güte joke, fräulein! Now, valk around ze room, if you plis. See if spine ist fixed,” he grinned at her.

Obediently the changeling queen did as she was bid, carefully. She walked around the room, then irritably used her magic to dump the sheet back on the bed. With a smile she turned a tight circle, as though she were chasing her tail. Satisfied she nodded at the doctor.

“Dr. von Pferd, my apologies for doubting your skills.”

“Nein, do not fret,” the unicorn said dismissively. “It vas nix.”

Chrysalis suddenly stepped into the bathroom doorway and rubbed hard against the edge of the door. “Oh, this infernal itching is driving me mad! Celestia, how can you stand this?”

“I’m trying to ignore it,” Celestia responded with gritted teeth. “I’m sure the good doctor can do something, can’t you Dr. von Pferd?”

“Oh, ja! Easy-peasy. Is psychosomatisch, this itching. Kommen ze here.”

When Chrysalis did the doctor leaned forward and stared her in the eyes. She leaned backward with a look of distaste.

“Nein. Stare into meine eyes, fräulein. Stare deep. Do not look away,” the doctor’s voice turned stern. Reluctantly Chysalis complied.

“What now?” She asked. The unicorn leaned forward and kissed her, hard. There was a loud snap and suddenly the unicorn was gone, and Discord stood in his place.

Chysalis looked at him in growing horror. He grinned.

“Got you, Chryssy. Now be a good girl and turn back into a flutterpony for Uncle Discord.”

Her body began to glow, covered in a surging chaotic rainbow, the colors chasing themselves over her body without rhyme or reason. As the glow brightened Chrysalis collapsed.

And began to scream.

Casus Belli

In which the meek cry havoc, the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and the masquerade is threatened.

Teagan went to Spike and hugged him.

“I tried to warn you,” she said. The baby dragon took a deep breath. She felt him grow rigid and jumped back as he growled.

“Spike?” She asked uncertainly. He glanced at her and despite him being only three feet tall she felt her blood run cold.

“Why?” He hissed, and she could see little curls of flame escaping from between his teeth. The flames weren’t the green color he used to send messages, they were red and orange. His eyes narrowed to slits and his pupils expanded until his eyes were almost completely black. His tail tip whipped back and forth like an angry cat.

“Why would she order them to kill everyone?” His voice was raspy. The little licks of red flame were now mixed with a great deal more orange and some yellow.

“Spike, calm down!” Twilight said, alarmed. “Getting angry about it won’t change what happened!”

“But it will keep it from happening again,” Spike snarled. His voice was definitely deeper. The flames were yellow now, with little blue tips. His ridge was turning a darker green and his ear frills had turned almost black.

“What are you going to do, Spike?” Teagan demanded. “Kill her? How would that make you any better than she is? She’s been taken prisoner! Her spine is broken. She’s no threat now!”

“Good,” he hissed, his forked tongue tasting the air like a snake’s. His smile showed a lot of teeth. “I’ll just finish cleaning up the mess, then. I’m goodat cleaning up messes, right Twilight? It’s what I do.”

The last word reverberated in Teagan’s chest.

“Is he getting taller?” Emma asked uneasily, taking a step back.

“Oh no! It’s happening again!” Twilight moaned. “Spike, you have to stop! Last time you lost control like this you almost hurt Rarity!”

“Oh, crap, oh, crap, oh crap,” Teagan whispered, eyes widening as she realized what was happening. “Spike, listen. I know you want to go nuts on Chrysalis and I really can’t blame you. But it won’t help anything. She’s not right in the head! I think losing so many of her children drove her crazy. She’s insane, Spike!”

“I don’t care,” Spike was definitely growing—his voice was a bass rumble and his eyes were level with hers now. He was bulkier than he had been a minute before, the muscles in his arms and legs bulging like a bodybuilder’s.

“Please, Spike! Just calm down!” Twilight pleaded. The dragon ignored her, dropping to all fours. His light purple scales were getting darker, and his ridge was a deep forest green. He stretched his back and everyone heard the series of pops as the vertebrae realigned to match his now quadrupedal stance.

“I am very angry, Twilight,” Spike said, his body lengthening again. “Chrysalis needs to be stopped. She attacked Canterlot, remember? She tried to hurt my friends. She did hurt the Princess. Now she’s tried to kill Teelo! And worst of all? She tried to hurt Rarity. No more Mr. Nice Dragon. Time to take out the trash.”

Wings sprouted from his back. Now nearly ten feet long the dragon probably weighed a quarter of a ton and he was still growing. He stalked toward the tall windows, a pale black tinge edging his scales.

“Spike, I won’t let you do this!” Twilight stepped between the advancing dragon and the windows.

Spike lunged suddenly, massive jaws snapping together an inch from Twilight’s muzzle. She shrieked and dodged instinctively. Crouching Spike launched himself through the windows, black wings unfurling even as gravity yanked him earthward.

“SPIKE!” Twilight’s scream was counterpointed by the doors slamming open as both guards charged into the room, horns lit.

Unnoticed in the uproar, the skinned and bloody head of a pony rose through the floor. Its teeth seized a glowing black crystal before sinking back out of sight with its prize. No one paid any attention to the faint odor of rotting flesh it left behind.

They were too busy staring after the dark purple dragon rapidly disappearing toward Ponyville.

ooOoo

Sweetie Belle trotted happily along the path through the park on the edge of Ponyville, hurrying to meet the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders for yet another attempt at earning their cutie marks. The filly was singing a silly little song of her own creation, concerning ants and sugar gum drops when an earth pony stumbled into her path.

“Help me, please! My sister, she’s been hurt!”

Sweetie Belle came to an abrupt halt, startled by the bruised and bloody mare.

“What happened to you?” She asked as the mare hung her head, her sides heaving.

“Come quick, my sister’s not moving! Hurry!” The mare turned and stumbled away, nearly going down in her exhaustion.

“Hang on, shouldn’t we find an adult?” Sweetie Belle exclaimed as she instinctively followed the battered pony further away from town.

“There’ no time! I’ll show you where—” The mare stumbled again and landed on her knees with a pained whinny. She struggled to her feet.

“You need a doctor!” Sweetie Belle pleaded as the dogged mare plunged on.

“My sister’s hurt worse than me,” the mare gasped, starting to limp now. “A lot worse,” A sob forced its way out of her.

Sweetie Belle had no trouble keeping up with the silver mare with a lollipop cutie mark. The mare’s bright blue mane was filled with brambles and her tail was covered in cockleburs.

“What’s your name?” The filly asked, giving up on stopping the stubborn pony for now. She’d just have to run for help once she found out where the pony’s sister was.

“Ca-Candy Floss,” the mare panted, clearly on her last legs.

“I don’t think you’re going to be able to keep going much longer, Candy Floss,” Sweetie Belle said in concern. “Is it much further?”

“No, just a bit more—” The mare stopped and fell in a heap and started crying. “I—I can’t do this! Run! Run away little filly! Before they catch you! Save yourself!”

“What are you talking about? What about your sister?” Sweetie Belle asked, bewildered.

“Weak, stupid horse,” A voice snarled. “You betrayed us! Now you’ll be Doctor Rimor’s new plaything! Get that filly!”

“NO!” Suddenly Candy Floss was on her feet, all signs of exhaustion gone. “Run, you stupid filly! It’s too late for me, but I’ll take at least one of them to Tartarus with me!”

She screamed, a shriek of rage that bore no taint of fear, and pawed the ground, a deep furrow trailing her hoof. Shocked into motion Sweetie Belle spun, only to see a score of diamond dogs surrounding them. Several of them had nets.

Candy Floss screamed again and charged. The alpha stood frozen, staring in shock at the suddenly no-longer-feeble mare. She leaped at the last moment, slamming her front hooves into his face even as her weight crashed into him.

He went down with a yelp, four hundred pounds of maddened earth pony landing on top of him. She smashed all four hooves downward with enraged strength over and over again, legs blurring. Sweetie Belle cringed at the cracking noises. They sounded like sticks being snapped under hoof. The diamond dog lay silent and still under the savage trampling.

Silver furred legs now stained red, the mare screamed again and charged another dog Sweetie Belle bolted, aiming for the gap between two dogs that didn’t have nets. They were too shocked by the fall of their leader to react in time, grasping paws clutching nothing but air. The filly heard a thud behind her, then a strangled yelp followed a crack, and frantic cursing as the pack swarmed their attacker. The mare’s furious whinnying screams acted like the sting of a whip to spur the filly to even greater speed.

She galloped for a hundred yards before something slammed into her side, throwing her off her hooves and stunning her. She rolled to a stop, her side blazing in pain. Gasping for air, each breath squeezing tears from her eyes she looked up to see a huge looming figure striding toward her on two legs.

She scrambled to her hooves, the pain wrenching a squeal from between clenched teeth. She recognized her attacker as a troll, and knew the only chance she had was to run. But she didn’t know if she could the way her side was hurting. Worse, the troll was between her and home. With the troll in front and the diamond dogs behind she tried to think, still woozy from the tumble. Just as the troll reached for her she turned to the left and forced herself to run.

The pain was a white-hot blaze of agony. With each pounding step it nearly blinded her. She wheezed as she ran, terrified the troll was going to catch her before she could reach town. She groaned as she glanced off a tree trunk, sparing thanks to Celestia it hadn’t been her injured side.

She could feel her strength leaving her and she panicked as the troll crashed through the brush so terribly close behind her. That’s when her hoof caught on a root and sent her to the ground. She had just enough presence of mind to land on her uninjured side but the impact still knocked the wind out of her, and turned her legs to jelly. There’d be no more running, she couldn’t draw a full breath, much less summon the strength to rise. She turned her head to see the troll kneel beside her and didn’t even have the breath to scream. She could barely keep from blacking out.

The troll chuckled as it raised one massive fist. She closed her eyes and cowered, knowing she was going to die.

ooOoo

Chrysalis’s screams brought medical staff running. They crowded the doorway, not daring to enter when they saw both Celestia and Discord in the room. The latter gave Celestia a cheery wave and snapped his fingers, vanishing in a flash of light.

Immediately after Discord’s departure the screaming stopped and the colors stilled around the huddled pony on the floor.

Tentatively the multicolored pony opened her eyes, panting.

“That hurt,” she said, hesitantly gathering her hooves under her and shakily clambered upright.

“How do you feel?” Celestia asked gently, momentarily free of the maddening itches.

“Actually—good. Very good. In fact, better than I have in six thousand years,” the other pony spread her iridescent wings and shook herself. “And the itch is gone!”

The alicorn took in the sight of the transformed changeling queen. Hard black chitin had been replaced with soft black fur, the saddle she’d always worn replaced with one trimmed in gold and rubies. Her gnarled black horn was now a long slender shaft of gleaming spiraled ivory. The silly spiked crown was nowhere to be seen, but a pair of long delicate antennae sprouted from where the crown would have been. Her legs were now whole, with no holes in them.

The tattered dragonfly wings had been replaced with those of a rainbow-hued butterfly, similar to the ones Rarity had sported during the Young Flier’s Competition. But unlike those fragile constructs made of morning dew and magic, Chrysalis’s new wings were opaque, shimmering with powerful magic.

In fact the queen radiated power so intensely the resonance caused sparks to flash in Celestia’s mane and tail.

“You may want to cloak your power, Chrysalis,” the Princess noted quietly. “You feel like a unicorn foal in the midst of a flare.”

“Sorry,” the queen’s aura slowly dimmed to a slight shimmer.

“Much better,” Celestia nodded. “Did your hive transform as well?”

“No,” Chrysalis replied. “I must go to them, especially the ones here that were injured. And the proper term is kaleidoscope, Celestia. We are flutterponies, not changelings.”

“I will remember,” the alicorn promised, gracefully dipping her horn.

“Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me I must tend my children.”

Celestia winced and snapped her tail against her back to quell the sudden reminder of her own situation.

“I too have a task that will not wait. Good fortune, Your Majesty.” There was a flash and the alicorn was gone.

“She is such a showoff,” Chrysalis snorted in amusement. “Now, will someone kindly lead me to my injured children? I have a great deal of work to do.”

ooOoo

“Did you hear somethin’?” Apple Bloom asked suddenly raising her head.

“No. Where’s Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo asked in irritation. “She was supposed to be here half an hour ago. If she doesn’t hurry we won’t have time to look for our cutie marks!”

“Maybe Rarity made her do some chores?” Apple Bloom offered. “Still, I’m getting kinda bored waitin’. Why don’t we go see what’s keepin’ her? I mean it ain’t like her to blow us off or nothin’.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Scootaloo enthused. Let’s get moving!”

Trotting down the ramp of their clubhouse Scootaloo hopped on her scooter while Apple Bloom climbed into the wagon. They were soon buzzing along, taking the same path Sweetie Belle had used on her way to them before her ill-fated encounter—which had ended only minutes earlier.

Narrowed eyes, hidden deep in the trees, watched them pass. Once they had vanished around a bend in the path the dejected diamond dog retreated to rejoin what was left of his pack, who were waiting deeper in the woods.

He slunk through his pack mates toward the troll scowling in the middle of the pack. Next to the looming troll stood a brown unicorn with aqua mane and tail, a filly lying sprawled at her hooves. There was no sign of Candy Floss.

“The other two fillies just went past looking for that one,” the dog whined, nodding at the unmoving filly. “We need to go before Miss Rarity comes to punish us!”

“Quiet!” The troll snarled. “I say when we go, mongrel. You’re being well paid for this, and the prize is ours. What do I care if a sydame comes after us? It will be hours before the ponies can organize search parties, they have no idea the filly is even gone.”

“We needed her alive, Jern,” the unicorn said snidely. “Why did you hit her so hard?”

The troll snorted. “Because these mangel hjerner couldn’t even catch a youngling, Glitter. If I hadn’t stopped her she’d have gotten away.”

“And if I hadn’t intervened you’d be in Rimor’s clutches right now, Jern,” Glitter said sweetly. “You know he doesn’t tolerate failure. Or underlings that ruin his plans.”

The troll scowled but said nothing. She waited a moment before continuing.

“The dog is right. We need to get back to the caves before somepony stumbles on us. One dead pony is useful for sowing panic, but more would just trigger a response by the Royal Guard. In case you’ve forgotten we’re not ready for full on war. Not yet.”

“I’m not afraid of the Guard. I can carve them up like cave lice, that armor of theirs is worthless,” the troll boasted, flexing his claws.

“Thus revealing our organization to all of Equestria? You’d be screaming by morning,” Glitter said coldly. “Rimor chose you because you’re handy in a fight, and you know how to sneak around. That’s the only reason you’re in command. Besides, if you did manage to kill any guards we’d have the Horns swarming in here, or Celestia herself! And if thathappened Rimor would be the least of your worries.”

“Princess Shiny Flank can’t be bothered,” The troll sneered. “She’s too busy holding her nose in the air and stuffing herself with cake.”

The unicorn face-hoofed.

“You’re an idiot, Jern! Did swatting that filly make all the blood rush to your stomach?”

The troll snorted. “As if. Oh, and speaking of stomachs, leaving that mare is such a waste, Glitter. It’s been a long time since I tasted pony.”

“Ask me if I care, Jern,” the unicorn glared. “You can always have the filly when we’re done with her. Young meat’s supposed to be tenderer, isn’t it?”

“Now you’re an expert on meat?” The troll asked disdainfully. “Besides, once Rimor’s done with them they’re not very appetizing. I like my meat still on the bone. It makes it more fun to eat. He always leaves them in such small pieces that it completely ruins the texture—it’s like eating mush.”

Glitter looked annoyed.

“We’re wasting time. Pick up the filly and let’s go. And be careful with her!Your ham-hooved attack was hard enough to fix, don’t make me do it again. Healing magic gives me hives.”

“All right, all right! Come on, you lot,” the troll grumbled.

“We not going with you!” One of the dogs said with a snarl. “You pay us now. Stupid pony kill Rover and Butch. Four more besides! You say job be easy,” the other dogs started growling too. “Not so easy! Now you say maybe get Celestia chasing us? No!”

“You’ll do as you’re told, you stupid mongrel, or I’ll eat you!” Jern snarled, moving toward the complaining dog, apparently the new alpha.

“Diamond dogs not so stupid, troll! Count!” The dog grinned, flicking his ears.

“What?” Jern paused. “What do you mean, count? If you think there are enough of you to bring me down, think again you flea-bitten cur!”

“Stupid troll! Count us. How many you hire?”

Behind him Glitter did a rapid mental count. Then she did it again and her eyes widened.

“A score of you. So?” The troll shrugged.

“Mad pony kill six! How many left?”

“Jern! Two of the dogs are missing!” Glitter called out. The troll hissed in annoyance.

“What are you planning, stupid cur?”

“Not stupid! Smart. Troll stupid. Diamond dogs know about caves! You try kill us those two run, tell ponies where you are! Where filly is! Now, you pay and we leave, no tell ponies.”

“I’ll see you all dead first!” the troll bellowed.

“Jern!” Glitter snapped. “Are you trying to bring them down on our heads?”

The troll turned and snarled at her, infuriated. A green glitter ran up and down her horn as she glared back.

“Calm down and think,” she scolded. “We have the filly, that’s all that matters! Pay them and let’s get out of here! That roar is bound to bring ponies to investigate!”

The troll glared at her, then at the new alpha. Snarling he unslung his pack. Digging through it he tossed a large heavy sack at the dog’s feet. Bending down he scooped up the white filly.

“Tricky dog,” he snarled. “Don’t let me see your face again, or I’ll tear it off and shove it down your throat!”

The new alpha smirked, knowing he’d bested the troll.

“Make sure pay is real,” he directed a lieutenant. The other dog quickly ran his nose over it.

“Is good,” the dog assured his alpha. The alpha smiled and waved the troll and unicorn away. Snarling the troll broke into a run followed closely by the fleet-footed unicorn.

The alpha directed his remaining pack to divide the contents of the bag between them and then the diamond dogs scurried away, leaving the sack lying abandoned in the dirt.

ooOoo

By the time Teagan and Emma had calmed down the seriously freaked out Twilight and the latter had ordered a chariot and a wing of the Guard as escort (at Teagan’s insistence, she was still twitchy from the ambush) Spike had already reached Ponyville, being easily twice as fast as a chariot.

He’d stopped growing somewhere early in the flight and right now was twenty feet long, weighing about a ton. His scales were a deep purple color, almost black at the base and lightening toward the edge of each scale to a pale violet. The effect made a shimmering wave of color run down his body with each undulating stride.

The fact he was glaring made any pony in his path bolt in terror. He stalked up to the entrance to the Ponyville Hospital and pushed inside, barely clearing the lintel even on all fours.

“Where is she?” He hissed at the nurse behind the reception desk.

“W-wh-Who?” The terrified pony stammered.

“Chrysalis,” the word was rumbled calmly, but little licks of blue flame curled around his teeth.

“And why do you seek Chrysalis, dragon?” A large horned flutterpony suddenly appeared between the quivering nurse and the dragon.

“What are you supposed to be?” The dragon cocked his head in curiosity. “I’ve never seen a pony with butterfly wings before.”

“I am the Queen of the Flutterponies,” the black pony said calmly. “Why do you seek Chrysalis?”

“To put her out of Equestria’s misery,” the dragon replied. “Do you know where she is?”

“Who are you to seek her out?” The flutterpony asked, studying the dragon before her with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. “I am told she is quite powerful.”

“My name is Spykoranuvellitar. Chrysalis tried to kill a friend of mine. I’m going to return the favor,” the dragon’s rumble wasn’t particularly loud, but it reverberated like an earthquake. By now the reception area was empty except for the dragon and the flutterpony.

“I see,” the queen studied him for a moment. “Who was this friend Chrysalis tried to kill?”

“Lady Teagan of Clan O’Gara,” the dragon replied. “But that isn’t important right now. Do you know where she is or not?”

“I do know where she should be,” the flutterpony nodded. “But this Lady Teagan is the Queen of the Trolls, is she not? My understanding is that Lady Teagan killed Chrysalis in battle.”

“No. She didn’t,” Spike said flatly. “Chrysalis is still alive. An unfortunate state of affairs I plan to fix. Now tell me where she is. I am growing bored with this conversation,” the dragon’s jaws parted just a little, revealing the guttering flames in his mouth.

“I will do better than that, Spykoranuvellitar,” the flutterpony replied. “I will lead you to her. You won’t be able to find her without my help. She is a tricky one.”

“She is.” The dragon considered her for a moment. “Why do you choose to aid me, Your Majesty?”

“Let’s just say I’m curious to see how this plays out,” the flutterpony replied. “Come with me.”

She led the dragon out of the hospital and lifted into the air, arrowing away with astounding speed for a creature with butterfly wings. Spike launched after her, finding it difficult to keep her in sight.

She led him out of town toward a large field adjacent to the woods where the diamond dogs had ambushed Sweetie Belle, landing in the center. Spike came down close to her.

“There’s nothing here, Your Majesty,” Spike said with narrowed eyes. “Where is Chrysalis?”

Turning to face him the flutterpony bowed.

“Greetings, Spykoranuvellitar. My name is Chrysalis, formally Queen of the Changelings. I have reclaimed my rightful form and title as Queen of the Flutterponies this day.”

There was no warning, no hesitation. The dragon opened his jaws and loosed a torrent of clear blue flame straight at the flutterpony queen. It washed over her with the hissing roar of a gargantuan flame thrower.

Nothing made of flesh and bone could withstand such heat. It was well known that dragon fire is second only to the Wrath of the Sun in terms of deadly fury.

ooOoo

Celestia appeared in a flash at the edge of a tiny clearing in the Everfree Forest. She made her way to a squat tree that had colored bottles hanging from the branches and a stout wooden door. She knocked gracefully with her hoof.

After a moment the door opened to reveal a zebra wearing multiple gold rings around her neck and left leg. She blinked in surprise, bobbing her head, which made her Mohawk-like crest bounce.

“Your Highness, this is certainly a surprise! Though I dread what ill your visit implies.”

“Hello, Zecora,” Celestia’s smile turned into a grimace as she slapped the underside of her belly with her tail. “Oh, that feels better.”

The zebra cocked her head to one side. “Princess, please do not think me rude, but why is your tail in such an imperative mood?”

“The tale of my tail is long and involved, and if truth be told, needs your help to be solved,” Celestia winked.

Zecora chuckled. “A noble effort you put forth indeed, to honor this zebra, but there is no need. Still, tale telling is always a thirsty vocation. Perhaps some tea during our conversation?”

“Tea would be lovely. Twilight tells me your teas are always delicious.”

“Twilight Sparkle has always been kind, however such teas are easy to find,” Zecora said, waving away the compliment. “Please, step inside and be at peace, privacy I can promise you at least.”

Celestia accepted the invitation, stepping into Zecora’s hut, which consisted of one large room, a small bed tucked in an alcove, the rest of the hut dedicated to a myriad of bottles and flasks and bunches of herbs drying as they hung from the ceiling. More bottles and jars filled the shelves along the wall and there was a large black cauldron resting in a fire pit in the middle of the hut.

Zecora busied herself making tea as Celestia sat patiently, only occasionally biting at a particularly irksome itch. Once she had served her guest the zebra settled down and spoke.

“I have heard how busy it is under our proud monarchs’ roof, I fear what brings you to seek my helping hoof.”

“I need to ask a favor, Zecora,” the alicorn said. “While attempting to rid someone of a powerful curse I accidentally triggered a trap protecting the spell. The result is a magical itching, as though I were infested with phantom fleas.”

“Such a curse I fear I cannot tend, this magic is one I know not how to mend,” Zecora said, shaking her head. “I know no remedy nor potion nor balm that could rid you of this curse so wicked and strong.”

“Actually, I already know how to break the curse. All I have to do is roll in a patch of poison joke for about an hour and coat myself with the pollen.”

Zecora stiffened.

“Your Highness this cure I must surely protest! The blue flower’s dangers you have not addressed! The vile Tišina it did turn to stone, what makes you think it will leave you alone?”

“Discord assures me the plant is only deadly to Tišina,” Celestia said calmly. “Although I’m sure the side-effects will be—unpleasant—I can assure you these phantom fleas are even more so.”

Zecora sat in thought for a few minutes, clearly trying to find an alternative.

“You know your business best, I’m sure, but trusting Discord does not reassure! That being of chaos I most surely detest, it would be wiser I think not to trust that foul pest.”

“He’s reformed, you know,” Celestia chuckled, sipping her tea. “Although I do admit he was gloating over my misfortune very openly. Still, I trust him in this. He said something about getting more entertainment from my cure than my malady.”

“Aye, that twisted snake takes pleasure in the suffering of others, beware Princess when you willingly submit to his druthers!”

“I’m a big filly now, Zecora,” Celestia said with a chuckle. “This won’t be the first time I’ve suffered from one of Discord’s pranks. I only have to endure it for one day, how bad could it be?”

Zecora shuddered. “Never tempt fate, oh royal mare with the long white horn! When Discord is playing you may rue the day you were born. None the less I will lead you to a dreadful blue patch, to roll and to tumble till your fleas you do scratch. Though in kindness most free, will I grant you a boon, the cure for poison joke to take at full moon.”

“Would it be rude of me to ask you to hurry?” Celestia asked apologetically, squirming where she sat. “This itching really is terribly uncomfortable.”

“Not at all, dear Princess, my friend in great need, let us away to the blue flowers to do the kind deed. Here is your cure, I always keep plenty, for ponies so silly, who knows just how many?”

She donned a bag and put the cure inside, then led Celestia through the woods where no paths led and finally to the largest patch of flowers Celestia had ever seen, blue blooms stretching out of sight under the dimness of the trees.

“The wind is blowing away from us here, go deep in the patch and roll without fear. Not a single monster there is but that dreads the blue flower, I attest to you now all fear its fell power.”

Celestia strode into the patch of flowers without hesitation. She walked a hundred yards before turning and looking at the zebra, who nodded and waved at her.

Taking a deep breath Celestia lay down and began to roll and squirm, a faint blue haze rapidly surrounding her as she wallowed in the poison joke, crushing it under her weight.

ooOoo

Rarity was in her shop doing inventory when Apple Bloom and Scootaloo arrived.

“Hi Miss Rarity,” Apple Bloom said. “We was wonderin’ when Sweetie Belle was gonna be done with her chores.”

Rarity paused, confused. “Why, whatever do you mean, darling? Sweetie Belle left to join you over half an hour ago.”

“That’s weird,” Scootaloo said, scrunching up her face. “She’d never just dump us. I wonder where she is.”

Rarity frowned in concern.

“You’re right, Scootaloo. She said she was going straight to the clubhouse because I had kept her a little longer than I meant to. This silly inventory business is taking much too long, even with her help. It shouldn’t have taken her more than ten minutes to reach you.”

“You don’t think somethin’ coulda happened to her, do you?” Apple Bloom asked, her pupils contracting to pinpricks.

Rarity stiffened, thinking rapidly. Knowing her sister wouldn’t just wander off when the other Cutie Mark Crusaders were waiting for her made her heart race.

“You came straight here from the clubhouse, did you not?” Rarity asked casually. Eyes wide, the two fillies nodded. “And you saw no one on the way?”

“No ma’am,” Apple Bloom said. “If she was headed fer the clubhouse we’d a run into her.”

“I’ve been working on braking, okay?” Scootaloo muttered. Rarity ignored her, still thinking.

“Far be it for me to be a nervous Nellie,” she said in a carefully optimistic tone, “but perhaps we should see if any of the other mares have seen her. Scootaloo, I want you to find Rainbow Dash, and have her alert Fluttershy so we can have some eyes in the sky. Apple Bloom, I want you to go to Sugarcube Corner and tell Pinkie we’re looking for Sweetie Belle, then go home and tell Applejack. Tell them to meet me at the clubhouse.”

“We’re on it!” Scootaloo exclaimed as the two fillies spun and ran out the door. When they were gone Rarity’s face twisted in worry, and she picked up her saddlebags, headed out to see what she could find along Sweetie’s Belle’s most likely route. Reaching the door, she paused, and then went back. Hastily she gathered a bristling pin cushion, a handful of knitting needles and a quartet of hatpins. She slipped them into her saddlebag.

“A lady must always be prepared,” she murmured to herself and hurried out.

ooOoo

The blast of flames ceased, revealing Chrysalis standing in a circle of unburned grass. There was a faint emerald flicker in the air around her, forming a dome that enclosed her completely. Spike snarled and loosed another torrent of flame, concentrating until the jet narrowed and brightened, turning almost white. He let it burn against one spot of the dome, right in front of her face.

The flutterpony narrowed her eyes against the glare even as the dragon began walking forward, never letting the jet waver. The dome brightened where the flame impinged on it, the glow growing brighter as the dragon approached.

The rest of the dome faded to near invisibility as it fought off his flame. Spike’s eyes crinkled in amusement as he came within five feet of the dome. Without warning the flame cut off and Spike spun in place, his thick tail coming around to slam against the dome’s base, wrapping half way around as it cracked like a whip.

There was a loud chiming ring as the dome failed, vanishing with a flash. Chrysalis leaped frantically straight up, using wings and magic to gain height even as Spike used the impact to spin back to face her, lunging forward with jaws gaping. The snapping teeth missed her, his muzzle passing mere inches beneath her hooves as she clawed for altitude.

Coolly she cast a spell even as she rocketed away. Vines burst from the ground and bound the surprised dragon in place, growing thicker by the second. Spike roared in fury and reared upward, ripping half the vines out by the roots. He twisted his neck and deliberately breathed fire at the remaining vines, not caring when the flames played over his own scales in the process.

They wilted instantly under the dragon fire and he shrugged them off. Spreading his wings he lunged into the air, forcing Chrysalis to evade the plume of fire he spewed at her. With supernatural speed she pirouetted around the blazing column and dove under the climbing dragon, laughing at the ludicrous comparison of her graceful speed against his lumbering strength. She yelped in surprise as his tail unexpectedly lashed at her, forcing a wingover to avoid it that sent her straight toward the meadow grass. At the last moment she managed to twist so that she struck the ground hooves first, legs absorbing the massive blow. Without looking back she sprang forward into a gallop, ducking her head to avoid the flames that would have caught her had she chosen to fly instead of run.

A roar alerted her that she wasn’t clear yet as Spike slammed down, rear talons digging into the earth where she had been an instant before. The white flash told the dragon she had successfully teleported and he kicked off, using his remaining momentum and beating wings to regain height.

“You are very good, Spykoranuvellitar!” The queen said, laughing from a hundred yards away. “How did you know how to break my shield?” She leaped into the air, straight at him. He watched over his shoulder as she sped toward him, waiting until the distance closed and her horn started to glow. He spat another column of fire behind himself, banking almost vertically into a hard turn, his head staying on target the entire time.

The queen lazily performed a barrel roll around the roiling flames, spiraling toward him, adjusting her flight to match each attempt to hose her with his flame.

“I’m amazed a dragon as small as you has this much fire in him,” she remarked as she sped past. “You’re what, maybe sixty years old? So much magic in one so young!”

She was right. Spike didn’t feel tired—his flames were still burning inside him, unabated as was his bloodlust.

“Twilight Sparkle studied shield spells after your defeat, Chrysalis!” He bellowed at the rapidly retreating queen. “I’m her research assistant! We looked for ways to defeat every shield spell we could find! Over fifty of them! I know how to break them all!”

The flutterpony climbed straight up, no longer running. Spike started to climb after her, knowing he couldn’t catch her but still positioning himself to take advantage of her inevitable attack.

“Well then!” She called down as she leveled off. “I suppose I’ll just have to change my tactics!” Her horn started to glow and suddenly the sky clouded over with dark angry clouds.

“Behold the full power of the Flutterpony Queen!” She folded her wings and dove like a stooping eagle straight at him. His fighting instincts kicked in and he roared at her, ready to char broil the pony or slash her to ribbons, he really didn’t care which.

ooOoo

The chariot sped through the air with two humans and an alicorn onboard, pulled by a pair of pegasi. Around the chariot a score of grim armored guards flew escort, watching for anything that might harm their princess.

“I still can’t understand why he attacked me,” Twilight fretted. Emma looked sympathetic but said nothing as she clung to a hoof ring as far from the open end of the chariot as she could get. Teagan likewise kept a firm grip on her own ring but not with the same frantic strength. She was getting used to flying in the open vehicles.

“I’ve been thinking about that, Twilight. I don’t think he meant to hurt you because he missed. I’m sure it was on purpose too.”

“Not by much he didn’t!” The alicorn protested. “I’ve never seen him like that before! It was like he was a feral dragon. I thought he was really going to hurt me!”

“I think that was his plan,” Teagan noted. “He knows you. He knew you’d dodge him instead of blasting him with a spell. All he wanted to do was go after Chrysalis.”

“Yes, but you don’t understand, Teelo! When feral dragons become enraged they don’t care who they hurt. That’s one of the things that make them so dangerous. A feral dragon is unpredictable at the best of times, but if it goes berserk it stops thinking about the long term consequences of its actions. All it wants to do is rampage.”

“How’d he get bigger like that?” Emma asked suddenly. “He grew wings, too. Can all dragons do that?”

“Well, when they get old enough. They don’t normally grow that fast. But Spike doesn’t—didn’t—have wings because he’s just a baby. He wasn’t supposed to get wings for at least fifty years.”

“He didn’t have wings the last time,” Teagan said. “Why did he grow wings this time?”

“How did you—oh, that’s right. Those plays,” Twilight said tiredly. “I don’t know! His growth last time was magical, caused by dragon greed. A lot of the things that would happen naturally didn’t happen because of the speed of growth. It should have been the same way this time.”

“Wait, so greed makes a dragon grow?” Emma asked. “So does anger? Hasn’t he been mad before now?”

“Yes he has. But anger shouldn’t have triggered growth like that,” Twilight said. “Something must have been different this time.”

“Why did he get so dark?” Emma asked, more to distract herself that anything else. “Do dragons get darker when they age?”

“Some do,” Twilight nodded, happy for the distraction. She paused. “But not that much darker. I wonder…”

“What?” Teagan asked, feeling a chill run down her spine. “You think Spike had a little help?”

“What?” Twilight asked, surprised.

“You think something boosted his anger? To the point he started growing?” She clarified. Twilight’s eyes widened.

“A catalyst! Of course!”

“What’s a catalyst?” Emma asked.

“A substance that amplifies magical energies without being consumed by them,” Twilight said automatically. “But there aren’t any catalysts in my office. It would be way too dangerous! If the wrong catalyst were present it could cause all kinds of bad things to happen if you cast a spell.”

“But you didn’t cast a spell,” Teagan pointed out. “At least I don’t think you did.”

“Well, not right then,” Twilight admitted. “But earlier when my simulacrum contacted me—” Twilight’s pupils contracted violently and her jaw fell open.

“Uh, Twilight? Hello? You okay?” Teagan said after Twilight hadn’t spoken for a moment.

“What? Oh, yes, I’m fine. I just figured out what happened with the Tairseach Urlabhra spell I used to speak with your parents.”

“Huh?” Teagan said. “What’s that got to do with catalysts?”

“There must have been a catalyst in my office after all!” Twilight declared triumphantly. “When Spike’s anger started generating dragon magic, the catalyst amplified his anger until it grew to rage. Then the rage triggered his change.”

“Wouldn’t that take a lot of magic?” Emma asked uncertainly. “I mean he went from three feet high to ten feet long and grew wings.”

“Well, yes. But you see Tairseach Urlabhra normally only takes minute amounts of magical power—which is measured in a unit called thaums. But instead of microthaums I was pumping in kilothaums, an enormous amount of magic! The spell lasted for several minutes too. If the catalyst absorbed all that energy and then fed it back into Spike there’d be plenty of magic to power his transformation.”

“Okay, so now we know why it happened,” Teagan said, feeling an irrational relief from having learned something. “The next logical question is what the catalyst was and why it was in your office.”

Twilight’s ears drooped. “I have no idea. My office is considered a sensitive area so the Horns routinely check to make sure things like that can’t happen.”

“How often do they check?” Emma asked.

“Once a week,” Twilight responded. “The next check is in two days, so if a catalyst was in my office it had to show up in the last five days. As far as I know nothing new came in.”

“Call me paranoid,” Emma said, “but didn’t you say Chrysalis knew we were coming, Teelo? That somebody tipped her off?”

Teagan stiffened. “Yes. I thought it was Discord, but he denies having talked with her for several thousand years.”

Emma snorted. “And you trust him? Is this the same Discord that tried to torture Fluttershy to death?”

“No, he isn’t,” Twilight said firmly. “He was possessed when that happened. Fluttershy reformed him. I’m not saying he can’t lie, but I doubt he’d hold a big enough grudge to do something like that.”

“Hah. You weren’t there Twilight,” Emma said, shuddering. “It was horrible.”

“I know,” Twilight’s voice became gentle. “I’ve faced many enemies, Emma. It’s always horrible. But when you fight for your friends it’s always worth it.”

“What she said,” Teagan said softly. “Guys, we need to focus. Emma, are you saying that whoever tipped off Chrysalis might have planted the catalyst?”

“That’s what I’m thinking. Isn’t it just a little convenient that Chrysalis knew when we were coming and that this catalyst thingy is in Twilight’s office exactly when we show up and make Spike angry? Somebody is playing us. And that somebody seems awfully well informed.”

“Hmm,” Teagan said thoughtfully, “That makes a lot of sense. But it’s a scary to think our enemy knows that much about us.”

“Almost like they planned it?” Emma asked, raising an eyebrow. “Or have I been watching way too much TV?”

“You think there’s another evil villain threatening Equestria?” Twilight asked skeptically. “Discord’s reformed, Tišina’s turned to stone, and Chrysalis has been captured. Who’s left?”

“Twilight, this is Equestria,” Teagan said patiently. “You’ve got monsters, and demons all over the place and who knows how many ancient evil gods, most of whom are crazy. We know for a fact Discord and Tišina are elder gods from beyond the Veil and shaped this world. Discord brought Chrysalis here, who knows what else he brought? Not to mention the Princess herself had other enemies in the past. Is it really so hard to believe somebody we never heard of is back? Or even somebody brand new is trying their hand at world conquest?”

“I guess not,” Twilight admitted reluctantly.

They spent the rest of the flight trying to figure out what the catalyst could have been and who would be in a position to know everything the mystery villain seemed to know.

ooOoo

Rarity trotted along the path, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. When she arrived at the clubhouse without spotting anything she sat down heavily and hung her head. She tried telling herself that nothing was wrong, that Sweetie Belle had simply changed her mind and gone somewhere else—but she didn’t believe it.

“Sweetie, Where are you?” Rarity moaned, a treacherous certainty growing in her belly.

“Rarity!” The unicorn’s head snapped up as a pink blur stopped in front of her, revealing a badly limping Pinkie Pie, who was looking uncharacteristically alarmed.

“Darling, why are you limping?” Rarity asked, instantly assuming the worst.

“Oh, Rarity, it’s super-duper-nasty-bad! My knee is so pinchy I can barely walk! And it isn’t stopping,” Pinkie whimpered. “Something really scary is happening and it’s really, really bad. I’m scared, Rarity!”

Rarity felt a chill go through her. She had never seen Pinkie Pie genuinely terrified before.

“Pinkie, Sweetie Belle is missing,” the unicorn blurted.

Pinkie’s irises contracted and she began to tremble.

“Oh, no, no, no...Rarity my tail’s pinchy too!”

Rarity was momentarily taken aback. “Something’s going to fall?”

“Not twitchy! Pinchy! Like my knee!”

“What does that mean?”

“Some pony’s—hurt,” Pinkie whispered, quivering, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

“Sweetie Belle?” Rarity choked out. Pinkie nodded miserably.

“It’s getting worse, Rarity,” she whispered. “She’s gonna get hurt even worse.”

“We’ve got to find her!” Rarity yelled, panic making her throat constrict.

“Rarity!” Fluttershy landed next to them. “What’s going on? Rainbow Dash said Sweetie Belle is missing? She told me to come here to meet you. She said she’s going to make a quick search around town.”

“Oh, Fluttershy, it’s awful! Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense is telling her Sweetie Belle is hurt, and she’s going to be hurt worse!”

“Oh no! Pinkie, where is she?” Fluttershy asked frantically.

“I don’t know! My Pinkie Sense doesn’t work that way!” Pinkie started weeping, not in her typical theatrical waterfall, but small trickles that darkened the fur under her eyes and down her cheeks. Fluttershy took a step back, shocked. Pinkie’s mane and tail were slowly going limp, turning straight and flat.

The sound of pounding hooves alerted them as Applejack came thundering into the clearing, Winona close at her heels.

“We’ve got to find her!” Rarity said to Fluttershy. “Before it’s too late!”

“Hold on there, Rarity. What in tarnation is goin’ on?” Applejack demanded. “Apple Bloom said somethin’ about Sweetie Belle not showin’ up when she was supposed ta?”

“Sweetie Belle’s missing, and Pinkie says her twitches are saying she’s hurt!” Rarity was turning hysterical. “We’ve got to find my sister, Applejack!”

“We will, we will, jus’ settle down, Sugarcube. That’s why Ah brought Winona. Her nose can lead us straight to the little filly.”

“Fluttershy, tell her to find Sweetie Belle!” Rarity demanded fiercely.

The pegasus nodded lowered her head to speak to the dog.

“We’re really worried about Sweetie Belle, Winona. She’s hurt and lost. Can you take us to her? She disappeared somewhere between here and Rarity’s place.”

Winona barked and wagged her tail, then put her nose to the ground and took off at a trot, the ponies following anxiously.

When she came to the point where Sweetie Belle had met Candy Floss she started barking rapidly.

“Winona says Sweetie Belle met an earth pony mare here and followed her that way,” Fluttershy translated. “Off into the woods. She said—” Fluttershy swallowed. “The mare was hurt. She smells blood.”

“Oh dear Celestia! Then go after her!” Rarity said, stamping impatiently. Winona barked again and then headed into the woods, having to move slower now. When she reached the spot where Candy Floss had fallen she paused, barked and moved on.

“She says the mare fell here, and then got back up. Sweetie Belle was still following her.”

“Sweetie must have been trying to help her,” Rarity said. “But why would the mare go away from town?”

“That is a puzzler,” Applejack said as they followed the brown and white dog deeper into the woods. “Seems like Sweetie Belle shoulda tried ta go fer help.”

Just then Winona seemed to go berserk, snarling and growling. Her furious barks came faster than Fluttershy could translate.

“She says the mare fell down again and a lot of diamond dogs came. More than five, no, ten, no, more. Lots. Sorry girls, dogs can’t count past twelve…There was a fight, and blood…oh no!” Fluttershy sank to the ground, trembling.

Winona darted into the trees and started howling. The ponies looked at one another.

“What did she say, Fluttershy?” Rarity asked, dreading the answer.

“Death,” Fluttershy whispered, staring with wide shocked eyes. “She’s saying to come here, she found the mare.”

“What about poor Sweetie?” Rarity asked, gasping for air. She looked ready to keel over.

“She just keeps saying come here, come here,” Fluttershy forced herself to her hooves and stumbled toward the howling dog. The rest followed her.

“Oh no,” Pinkie sobbed, turned her head at the grisly scene. Rarity swayed, her eyes darting everywhere. Winona slunk back to Applejack, who was clenching her jaw, the rest of her face expressionless.

“Reckon its plain ta see what happened,” Applejack said in a neutral voice. “Them diamond dogs done jumped that poor mare and Sweetie Belle. Looks like she went plumb loco on ‘em. Took out six o’ the varmints afore the rest o’ the pack pulled her down. That one there looks like she done trampled him inta the ground.”

“We need help! They’re crazy,” Pinkie Pie shuddered.

“I don’t see her, Applejack! Where is she?” Rarity’s voice was desperate.

“She ain’t here, Rarity. They musta carried her off. Lest ways it means she’s still alive.”

“We don’t have time,” Rarity wheeled on the earth pony, her eyes white rimmed and wild. “They’ve got my sister! We can’t just stand here and wait for help!”

“What about your light spell, Rarity? The one you used at the Gala? Rainbow Dash is in the air, she could get here really fast,” Fluttershy said, causing Rarity to pause.

“Yes! They can’t be that far, Rainbow can find them!” Rarity pointed her horn straight upward and closed her eyes. Her horn glowed blue. The color deepened and flared, and then her horn emitted a stream of red spheres that sped upward. A series of rapid crimson flashes turned the already gruesome scene absolutely lurid.

Rarity repeated the spell over and over for at least two minutes before a rainbow arrowed down the clearing.

“I’m here! What—oh my gosh! Is she—are they? Oh my goshomygoshohmy—”

“Dashie! Keep it together! Looks like the diamond dogs carried off Sweetie Belle. We’re thinkin’ she’s hurt, so Ah need you ta get back ta town pronto and bring back as many ponies as ya can gather up right quick ta see ta this poor mare, and come after us as soon as may be. We’re goin’ on ta find the filly, an’ looks like we’re gonna need as much help as we can manage. Now, git.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Rainbow Dash snapped out of her shock and saluted. She shot upward in a cyan blur.

“Pinkie, you and me gotta stomp hard ta leave a trail fer the other’s ta follow. Fluttershy, Ah’m gonna need you up in the air ta be a lookout. Keep an eye out fer diamond dogs an’ if ya see any come down an’ tell us quick. Rarity, you know that there chop suey hoof-ta-hoof fancy fightin’, doncha?”

“Yes,” Rarity’s eyes narrowed. “But trust me, dear Applejack; they will never get that close,” her horn glowed and two hatpins came out of her saddlebag, hovering like angry wasps on either side of her head. “They have hurt my sister. Now, I will destroy them!”

She turned away from her friends and the two slender lengths of steel flickered and vanished, becoming glittering silver serpents six feet long. They danced and struck at the dead diamond dogs with supernatural speed, all the while making an evil hissing noise that rose and fell with the rhythm of their movements. The snakes hit so hard and so fast one of the smaller dogs was actually flipped over, much to the horror of the watching ponies.

Rarity raised her horn and the snakes suddenly leapt straight toward her. Fluttershy cried a warning as the deadly creatures reached the unicorn—only to turn back into a pair of two-foot long hatpins, hovering sedately to either side of her.

The first third of each needle no longer glittered in the sunlight…

“Sweet Celestia, girl! What was that? An’ what exactly are you fixin’ ta do?” Applejack was pale.

“Just a simple illusion to frighten opponents. But you’d be amazed at how much damage a simple hatpin is capable of—especially when they can’t see it coming,” Rarity said with a smile that made Applejack swallow.

“I know things is bad, Rarity, but yer startin’ ta act like Teelo did that time Discord hurt the Princess.”

“Am I?” Rarity asked sweetly. “How odd. I may be a lady, Applejack but even a lady has her limits. Those diamond dogs have forgotten who I am! How dare they ponynap my sister? I am going to get her back. Winona, be a dear and find Sweetie Belle for me, would you please?”

The dog kept a wary eye on the unicorn but did as she was bid. She sniffed around and then reversed course, headed back almost, but not quite, the way they had come.

“Looks like she got away,” Applejack said hopefully as she stomped and dragged her hooves to mark a trail. Winona’s snarling and barking killed that hope almost instantly.

Fluttershy was waiting for them with a seriously agitated Winona.

“Winona says Sweetie Belle got knocked off her hooves here,” Fluttershy said sadly. “She says something big hit her. Look, you can see where her hooves left the ground and where she landed.

Applejack whistled. “Good gravy! That was some hit! No wonder she got hurt. What hit her?”

Winona whined.

“She doesn’t know the smell,” Fluttershy replied. “She says it’s not a bear, she says it stinks but not like that. Sour and salty, she’s never smelled it before. But there’s something else too, another creature. She doesn’t recognize it either, but whatever it was used magic.”

“Magic has a smell?” Rarity asked, surprised. Winona barked several times.

“It smells like the air after a storm,” Fluttershy translated. “Of course Winona’s nose is much more sensitive than a pony’s.”

“Land sakes! We got somethin’ big what can knock a pony off its hooves and somethin’ else what can use magic, and they ain’t nothin’ Winona’s smelled afore? And they’s runnin’ wi’ diamond dogs? Ah’m thinkin’ we done bit off more than we can chew. Might oughta wait for reinforcements,” Applejack said doubtfully.

“It doesn’t matter,” Rarity said quietly. “They have Sweetie Belle. Nothing is going to stop me getting her back. I’ll go on alone if I have to.”

“Rarity, be sensible! We dunno how many of them varmints are waiting fer us! Ain’t gonna do Sweetie Belle no good if’n we end up like that poor mare back there. Help’s comin’, we just gotta wait.”

“And while we wait they’re hurting my sister, Applejack! Isn’t that right, Pinkie Pie?”

The pink mare nodded miserably.

“Dagnabit, girl we only got two good fighters here! Fluttershy, no offense, but this kinda fight ain’t one you can handle. Besides that, jus’ look at Pinkie Pie! She’s done got the gumption plumb kicked out o’ her! Just us two against a magic using whatsit and a big nasty thing, plus all them dogs? We’d be the snowball in their fryin’ pan!”

“Oh, of course Fluttershy can’t be in this fight,” Rarity said dismissively. She looked at Pinkie, who sat huddled, tears pouring down her face. “And clearly Pinkie can’t help us either,” she paused. “But I know somepony who can—somepony who fought Tišina in her very lair, in fact.”

Applejack’s eyes widened and she paled even further.

“No siree, Bob! Absolutely not! Not her. She’s asleep and we ain’t waking her up!” Applejack protested, taking an involuntary step back. “That there pony is seriously bad mojo, girl!”

“She’d be worth three of Celestia’s guard ponies in a fight. You know that,” Rarity said calmly, walking up to Pinkie.

“Yeah? And how do we know she won’t turn on us?” Applejack demanded. “She’s a demon Rarity!”

“To find my sister I’d take help from Nightmare Moon herself,” Rarity retorted, making Applejack’s jaw drop. “Pinkie, dear, we need to speak to your houseguest.”

Pinkie sniffled. “You sure? I didn’t think you liked her very much. Besides, she’s grumpy when she first wakes up.”

“She is crude and unrefined,” Rarity admitted. “Polite society is not her element. But I think she’ll find this party will fit her unique personality to a T. Perhaps you could use the opportunity to find Sweetie Belle as well? The way you found Garnet?”

Pinkie shook her head. “I jumped into Garnet’s head before she left the operating room. I don’t know where Sweetie Belle’s head is, Rarity. If I did I wouldn’t have to jump into it! Anyway, let me get her. This could take a minute.”

“We are in a rush, dear,” Rarity reminded her. Pinkie nodded and closed her eyes.

It seemed like a lot longer than a minute to the skittish Applejack and impatient unicorn when the pink pony finally opened her eyes again.

“Well, look who it is. I would chew you out for waking me up,” she said, yawning, “but Pinkie filled me in. Sweetie Belle’s been taken and Pinkie thinks she’s hurt pretty bad, right?”

Rarity nodded.

“By the way, love your new accessories, Rarity,” the pink pony flashed a grin, then got up and stretched. “AJ, I know you don’t trust me, but let me tell you something. I got a soft spot for fillies—and Pinkie. These plot holes hurt Sweetie Belle and made Pinkie cry. That pisses me off. When I find them—well I won’t be holding back, know what I mean? You got a problem with that, Rarity?”

“No,” Rarity said. “Once we have my sister back I’ll leave whatever’s left of the ruffians to your tender mercies, Cerise.”

Cerise raised an eyebrow. “My, my, my. And here I thought you ponies didn’t have it in you. Maybe you aren’t as pathetic as I thought. You up for a serious fight, AJ? These guys already killed one pony, this isn’t like Appleloosa. It won’t be thrown apple pies and silly songs this time.”

“Ah’ll do what Ah gotta do ta get Sweetie Belle back,” Applejack nodded. “But once we got her we’re leavin’. Just so’s we’re clear on that.”

“As crystal,” Cerise grinned. “You guys would just go and throw up everywhere once I get warmed up anyway.”

“Make sure Pinkie don’t see,” Applejack warned her. Cerise rolled her eyes.

“Yes,I know. Pinkie doesn’t deal at all well with my kind of party. I’ll make sure to take a bath and get far away before waking her up. So, how do you plan to find Sweetie Belle?”

“Winona can follow her scent,” Applejack said shortly. “Winona, go ahead.”

The dog watched Cerise warily, but quickly took up the chase again. She started barking before they’d gone another ten yards.

“She says the big thing and the magic user were carrying Sweetie Belle when they split up with the diamond dogs. Then they started running.”

“We must hurry! Before they get away!” Rarity exclaimed. Winona yipped and broke into a trot, her nose now held high. The three wingless ponies broke into a canter as Fluttershy soared overhead.

“They must know they’re being chased. They’d have no other reason to run,” Cerise noted. Rarity slipped her hatpins back in her saddle bags to conserve her energy. Her eyes narrowed.

“Fluttershy, ask Winona how long ago they passed here,” Rarity called up to the pegasus keeping pace with them. Obediently Fluttershy dove down and asked Winona a question, her soft voice not carrying over the pounding of hooves. A sharp bark was the response.

“About an hour,” Fluttershy reported, and then returned to fly above the trees.

“We’re moving too fast ta mark the trail,” Applejack fretted. “The others ain’t gonna be able ta find us.”

“We’ll have Fluttershy fly back and guide them,” Rarity said, finding it hard to talk and canter at the same time.

The ponies plunged onward.

ooOoo

The chariot landed in the midst of chaos. As the three piled out they found Rainbow Dash haranguing a crowd. Twilight hurried toward her friend, the wing of Royal Guards trailing behind her with Teelo and Emma bringing up the rear.

“Who’s with me?” The cyan pegasus bellowed, leaping into the air and lifting one hoof skyward. The answering shout was actually frightening, stallions pawing the ground and trumpeting their challenges as the mares reared and shouted.

“Rainbow! What’s going on?” Twilight yelled amidst the tumult.

“Twilight! Thank Celestia you’re here! Sweetie Belle’s been ponynapped by diamond dogs! Pinkie says she’s hurt pretty bad. She went off to help some mare and diamond dogs jumped them. The mare’s dead, Twi! I’m getting together as many ponies as I can to go back and help. Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy took Winona and are tracking the ponynappers now. We’ve gotta catch up and help them! These Royal Guards will be a big help!”

“What? Diamond dogs? Sweetie Belle’s hurt? A mare’s dead? Who was it?” Twilight asked in shock.

“I didn’t recognize her,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “She was an earth pony, silver with a lollipop cutie mark and bright blue mane. Whoever she was she was tough,” Rainbow’s face turned grim. “She killed a half dozen of them, Twilight. One wasn’t much more than a red smear on the ground.”

“Killed?” Twilight gasped. “Rainbow, ponies don’t kill!”

“This one did,” Rainbow said, shuddering. “She got six diamond dogs before they killed her so it must have been a huge pack. We gotta go, Twi! Sweetie Belle’s in real trouble!”

“All right,” Twilight said, forcing herself to block out the horror long enough to become a princess again. “Wing Commander, have your guards gather the strongest townsponies and go with Rainbow Dash.”

“We can’t leave you unguarded, Princess!” The pegasus stallion objected.

“She won’t be, Wing Commander,” Teelo spoke up. “Crush and I will be guarding her. Would you want to try attacking an alicorn guarded by me and Crush?”

“No, ma’am, I would not,” he said fervently. “The pair of you could probably deal with a full grown dragon.”

“It’s all right, Wing Commander,” Twilight said. “I’m coming with you. We’re going to find Sweetie Belle, and we’re going to get her back. Then we’re going to arrest those ponynappers and make sure they never hurt anypony else.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the guard snapped a salute, then turned and started bellowing orders.

“Do you want to stay here?” Teelo asked Emma as the guard rapidly organized the Ponyville citizens into an effective posse. “I think it might be safer since Søyle isn’t here to guard you.”

“I’m not letting you out of my sight,” Emma said. “Besides, I don’t know anybody here. I’d feel safer with you guys. It’s a large group so I should be safe enough, right? And doesn’t Twilight have some crazy-strong magic?”

“They killed somebody, Emma,” Teelo said. “These guys aren’t kidding around. When we find them I want you to find a shady spot. I’ll have the Wing Commander assign a guard to watch you.”

“I’m not helpless, you know,” she said indignantly.

“Yes, you are,” Teagan said somberly. “You don’t have a weapon, you don’t know how to fight, and these things murdered somebody. It may not be as bad as when Chrysalis ambushed us, but it’s still plenty bad, Emma.”

The other girl sighed. “Okay, okay, I’ll keep my head down. Happy?”

“Milady, you should take this,” A guard hoofed Emma a spear about six feet long. She grinned.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about! You were saying?” She asked, leaning on the spear. Teagan sighed.

“Have you ever even held a spear before?” She asked without much hope.

“No, but how hard can it be? You poke the bad guy with the sharp end, right?” Emma asked reasonably.

“Yeah,” Teagan said, deflating. “Hand me that for a second, will you? I want to make sure you know how to keep somebody from taking it away from you.”

Frowning, Emma gave her the spear. Teagan was by no means an expert but Matt had drilled her on most of the old time common weapons, including spears, so at least she could show Emma the basics.

She had Emma practice a few stabs, cautioned her not to overextend herself in a lunge, and to always use the spear in both hands.

“But above all, do not get in a situation where you have to stab somebody. Because it’s a lot harder to make yourself do it than you’d think,” she told her friend as they finally set out. “You won’t want to, and that will make you hesitate. The other guy won’t hesitate, he’ll just kill you. So don’t give him the chance. Stay out of the fight. Please.”

Emma nodded. She was quiet now and no longer smiling.

The group headed toward the CMC clubhouse, Rainbow Dash leading the way. Twilight marched along, mind boiling with contingency plans.

In her shock and concern for Sweetie Belle’s safety, Twilight had completely forgotten what brought her to Ponyville in the first place.

ooOoo

Spike launched a flame at the stooping Chrysalis, catching her full on. She exploded in a massive fireball, making the dragon roar in triumph—just before a hammer blow to the base of his left wing turned the triumph to enraged agony. He spun sideways in the air, the blow momentarily numbing his wing.

“Too slow, Spykoranuvellitar!” Her voice mocked him as the completely unharmed flutterpony curved upward, out of range. “You are powerful, but you lack perceptiveness! A filly should have seen through that illusion!”

“So you have to resort to tricks, Your Majesty?” Spike roared back. “Is that all you have, smoke and mirrors?”

“Mirrors, you say?” The Queen laughed at him. “What a marvelous idea! What do you think of this little trick?” The flutterpony plunged upward into the dark clouds above and suddenly a hundred flutterponies were diving at him, wings folded. Spike snorted in contempt and ceased his climb, letting them come to him. As soon as they were in range he spewed a cone of fire, catching most of the cluster of attackers as the cone swept sideways through the sky. Where the cone passed the ponies were simply gone.

“Too easy!” He shouted mockingly toward the clouds. “You didn’t even dare face me yourself, did you? Coward!”

“It’s called strategy, my dear Spykoranuvellitar. And I grow weary of your utter predictability,” her voice sounded right next to his head. He rolled one eye, finding her pacing him. Without pause his neck flexed, letting his head come around and his jaws snap shut with a loud snap—as his teeth plunged through yet another illusion.

With an ear-splitting bang a massive lightning bolt struck the dragon without warning. Spike screamed in agony as the electricity played over and through him. The paralyzed dragon fell from the sky, muscles locked in an excruciating rictus as he lost control of his body.

A second bolt struck an instant later, even as a tornado caught the now unconscious dragon and tossed him around like a rag doll. But it did slow his fall to the point where the bruising impact didn’t actually break any bones or pulp any internal organs.

Even as he skidded to a stop the tornado winds died down and Chrysalis appeared in a flash of light at his side.

“Now, my brave avenger let us see what you’re really made of,” her horn glowed green while an aura of black surrounded the unmoving dragon. “Oh, now this is interesting,” she murmured to herself. “So much magic, where did it all come from? And this isn’t dragon magic either, no it is not.”

Humming to herself the flutterpony cast another spell and studied the magic as it began boiling off the dragon like smoke from a fire. As the magical dissipation accelerated the unconscious dragon began to shrink and its color lightened.

By the time the smoke finally ceased she was left with a baby dragon no more than three feet long, colored bright purple and vivid green.

“I thought so,” A smile came to her face as her eyes narrowed in calculation. “Oh, this is too perfect for words! Princess Twilight Sparkle now owes me a huge favor! Celestia will just love that…”

A light hearted laugh filled the clearing as the flutterpony and baby dragon vanished in a flash of white light.

ooOoo

A piercing whistle caught Celestia’s attention. She looked over to see Zecora rearing and waving both front hooves over her head. When she saw Celestia watching her she dropped to all fours and waved the alicorn toward her.

“Finally!” Celestia murmured as she stood up and vigorously shook herself. A cloud of blue powder flew from her coat. Coughing, the alicorn made her way back to the zebra.

“That was unpleasant,” Celestia said as she stepped out of the patch. “Thank you for your help, Zecora, I would never have found this place without you.”

Zecora’s eyes were watering and her mouth twitched.

“Zecora? Is something wrong?” Celestia asked, raising her eyebrows.

“No…” the zebra wheezed, “…it is not so,” Zecora turned away but not before Celestia saw her clamp her mouth firmly shut.

“There is something amiss, isn’t there?” The alicorn sighed. “It’s all right. I won’t be angry. You did warn me, after all.”

The zebra’s head lowered and her shoulders started to shake. Alarmed now, Celestia stepped around to face the zebra, who refused to look at her as the shaking continued.

“Zecora, what’s wrong?” Celestia asked again.

The zebra opened her mouth to answer and shocked Celestia by emitting a bray of laughter. The zebra collapsed in a seated position, tears running from her eyes as she laughed helplessly.

“Oh dear. Is it really that bad?” Celestia asked apprehensively. Zecora nodded, tried to restrain herself, and then lost it again. She pointed a hoof at Celestia’s flank.

Celestia turned her head to see what Zecora was trying to tell her.

“That’s—different,” she said in a tone of mild interest, a thousand years of iron self-control the only thing keeping her from shrieking in absolute horror. But in the privacy of her own mind it was a different matter.

M-m-my cutie mark! It’s changed!

That’s when she noticed that other things had changed too…

ooOoo

After about an hour Winona led them to a bare rock outthrust from the cliff they found themselves atop. Winona approached the edge cautiously and whined.

“She says the scent ends here,” Fluttershy reported. “But a dragon was here too,” she shivered. “It was a full grown one.”

“What?” Rarity screeched in fury. “What is this, a conspiracy? First two strange creatures are in league with diamond dogs and now a dragon? What in Equestria is going on?”

“Winona says we only missed them by about fifteen minutes,” Fluttershy said, trying to be helpful. But that only infuriated the unicorn more.

“A mere fifteen minutes? If we had hurried just a bit more…” She suddenly collapsed and began to wail.

“And if we had caught them? What then?” Cerise asked, snorting. “I’m good but even I can’t handle a full grown dragon out in the open.”

“Ya didn’t seem ta have no trouble wi’ Tišina,” Applejack noted, hugging Rarity, who huddled miserably against her friend, sobbing.

“It wasn’t in the open like this. Her cave wasn’t nearly big enough to let her fly. Besides, those portals in her lair half-blinded her,” Cerise said casually. “She couldn’t use her breath on me either, because of the portals but I could use them for cover. By the time I actually faced her she was so panicked she couldn’t think clearly. It was a whole different ballgame.”

“Oh. Well ain’t you got a ton o’ weird hoodoo powers an’ such? Least ways sumthin’ what would tell us where they took her?”

“Hoodoo powers?” Cerise laughed scornfully. “Well, yeah, actually I do. Not to mention Pinkie’s got a bag of tricks you would not believe. But neither one of us can track a dragon through open sky. That’s a job for Subtle Dancer’s bunch.”

“The Horns?” Rarity lifted reddened eyes hopefully. “They could find her? How?”

Cerise rolled her eyes. “Remember those compasses we used to find Tišina’s lair? You don’t actually need blood to make one. Just something that came from her body. Hoof clippings, for instance.”

Rarity’s eyes lit up. “What about hair?”

“Sure,” Cerise shrugged. “Well, it looks like I don’t get to play with the bad guys after all, so if you don’t mind I’m gonna get back to my interrupted nap.”

“We maybe could run into them diamond dogs,” Applejack said thoughtfully. “Reckon they could tell us what the hay is goin’ on. ‘Course they might need a little persuadin’...”

“Why, Applejack! Are you actually asking for my help?” Cerise teased. “I’m proud of you!”

Applejack looked down and pawed the earth halfheartedly. “Well, I ain’t proud to admit it, but Sweetie Belle’s in mighty deep trouble, right enough. Thought maybe you could scare ‘em—a little. They ain’t the bravest varmints, so it shouldn’t take much. All you’d have to do is look at ‘em cross-eyed.”

“Hmm. You know what else is scary?” Cerise asked, a slow smile spreading across her face as she watched Applejack. “Pain. Pain is scary,” Applejack swallowed and couldn’t suppress a little shiver. Fluttershy eeeped and hid her face. Even Rarity looked uncertain.

“You mean, look at them like that?” Cerise asked innocently, tilting her head.

“Yeah,” Applejack let out her suddenly pent up breath. “Yeah, that’ll do it, sure as snow in the wintertime.”

“I’ll get you your answers, AJ,” Cerise grinned again. “I never met anybody who wouldn’t answer my questions—eventually. Shall we go?”

Regretting every step, the three ponies followed Pinkie’s “houseguest” back toward Ponyville. Winona made sure Applejack was between her and Cerise the entire time.

Since they were under the trees not one of them noticed the subtle change in the sunlight.

Damnatio Memoriae

In which we learn if one attempts to erase a villain from history it is best to insure they can’t take advantage of it.

Celestia blinked at the sight of her cutie mark. It was still a blazing sun—albeit one drawn by a five-year old. Although she was forced to admit there was something whimsically compelling about the smiley face, even if the eyes weren’t quite level, with a nose an elephant could be proud of. The mouth had been drawn as though the face were laughing.

The elegant double-curved sunrays had been replaced by short stubby triangles that were unevenly spaced around the edge of the rather oblate circle that represented the sun’s body.

The crudely drawn cutie mark nestled on a flank that was now a rich blue just a few shades darker than the sky. Her tail, once multi-colored and flowing in the ethereal solar wind was now bright white, and more closely resembled an ordinary pony’s, although still extraordinarily long and luxurious.

With some trepidation Celestia cast a mirror spell, half expecting it to fail. To her immense relief the magic responded and a reflective surface formed in mid-air.

She studied herself ruefully, spreading her wings just to make sure.

“Well, it could have been worse, I suppose,” she murmured quietly.

Her fur was now deep sky blue everywhere except her legs, which had four white socks that extended halfway from hoof to hock. Her mane was a golden yellow that, like her tail, no longer blew of its own accord—although it too would be the pride of any mare.

Her horn was still white, and a white blaze ran from her forehead to her muzzle. Her wings matched the blue of her coat but her eyes—she peered closer—her eyes now lacked an iris completely, leaving only an enlarged black pupil.

“Your Highness, while the color of your mane is golden, alas your voice does laughs embolden,” Zecora said, catching her breath. “For my mirth most unbecoming I beg your forgiveness, it was poison joke alone that inspired such business.”

“My voice still sounds normal to me, Zecora,” Celestia said, tilting her head and letting the mirror spell fade.

“Your old voice was a golden bell, your new one alas, a kazoo hell,” Zecora said, a snicker escaping her despite iron control.

Celestia sighed. “I’d best go then. Thank you, Zecora. I look forward to speaking with you again once I’ve taken the cure.”

The alicorn’s horn lit, lifting the bag from Zecora and settling it across her own neck and shoulder.

Zecora collapsed, wheezing with the effort of containing helpless laughter. Bowing gracefully the alicorn disappeared in a flash, leaving the zebra free to bray her laughter across the Everfree.

ooOoo

Celestia reappeared beside her chariot. She smiled at the two guards that turned toward her.

“Gentlecolts, it’s time we returned to Canterlot,” she stepped on board the chariot, not noticing the fierce scowls that suddenly appeared on the faces of the two pegasi.

“Halt! How dare you board the chariot of Princess Celestia! Dismount at once!” One of the pair barked, eyes narrowing. “Attempting to impersonate an alicorn is a criminal offense! You will be held until the Princess returns to deal with you!” The two pegasi launched themselves into the air, hovering aggressively over the stunned Celestia.

“Gold Feather! Sky Lancer! Don’t you recognize your own princess?” Celestia demanded with wide eyes.

“Of course we do. She’s white to start with, not blue!” Sky Lancer growled. “Not to mention her mane and tail are a rainbow that blow in the wind only she feels! Now stand down or we will use force!”

“Your father held your tenth birthday party in the palace garden, Sky Lancer!” Celestia retorted sharply. “He would never have asked me, so I had to ferret out your birthday wish from a chain of no less than four different staff members! And you, Gold Feather, I personally approved your post as my charioteer! The chocolate truffle cake you sent as a token of thanks was delicious!”

The two pegasi paused, but kept glaring at her.

“What’s the password for Princess Celestia’s private chariot loft passage?” Gold Feather asked suddenly.

“Pink raspberry cloud,” she replied promptly.

“And what’s the secret ingredient for pink raspberry cloud?” Sky Lancer asked.

“Pineapple,” Celestia replied with a smile, “which is why I can’t have it as often as I’d like. Compass Rose pouts when I ask for one of her mares to bring some from Cervidas.”

Gold Feather backed off, landing, and after a moment so did Sky Lancer.

“Forgive us, Your Highness,” Gold Feather said, bowing his head. “We didn’t recognize you. Your voice and coloration are so different. My apologies for—” He paused, searching for an acceptable term.

“Doing your duty?” Celestia asked sweetly. “While I admit my—temporary—appearance and altered voice made your confusion understandable, I was not aware Equestria had any laws about impersonating an alicorn. If a unicorn ever did manage to impersonate myself or Luna then that would be usurpation, not impersonation, would it not?”

“It was a ruling passed by the Council after Chrysalis replaced Princess Cadence, Your Highness,” Sky Lancer said, eye beginning to twitch.

“But surely a new alicorn no one recognizes—no, I must review that Council ruling. It would be—” She noticed Sky Lancer’s eyes beginning to glaze over.

“It’s the voice, isn’t it?” She asked sadly. Not daring to look at each other the guards nodded once, sharply and then pointedly looked past her, refusing to meet her eyes.

“Gentlecolts, I appreciate your chivalry. Your stoicism is truly remarkable. However, my current—condition—is the result of a magical mishap. In twenty four hours I will return to my normal appearance. In the meantime I would appreciate your discretion. The fewer who know about this the less awkward it will be for everypony.”

“Of course, Your Highness!” The two guards snapped a hoof across their breastplates in salute.

But they still couldn’t meet her eyes.

“Where are the rest of the Sun Shield?” She asked, looking around in belated realization.

“Princess Sparkle ordered them to join the hunt for the abducted filly, Your Highness. We stayed behind to guard the Royal Chariot and await your return. There is further news as well. An adolescent dragon forced its way into the hospital and demanded to know where the changeling queen was. Reports are confused, but it appears a butterfly winged alicorn intervened, and lead the dragon north, toward the White Tail woods.”

Celestia blinked, processing what she’d been told. Then she sighed.

“I hope you’re enjoying yourself Discord,” she muttered.

“Did I hear my name?” Discord asked, appearing behind the guards, who spun and spread their wings in threat display. “Oh, will you two relax? If dear Celly and I ever decided to have another serious fight there’s squat all the two of you could do about it,” Discord sneered. He returned his gaze to the alicorn.

“I must say, Celestia, blue is so your color. And that golden mane is simply to die for!” He studied the annoyed princess. “Although, I admit the white tail is a bit over the top. Rarity would not approve.”

“Enjoying the show?” She asked mildly, raising one eyebrow.

“Oh my, yes,” he smiled. “And your socks are simply too cute for words! But aren’t you a bit old for bobby-socks my dear Princess?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said coyly. “With this new look I could pass for 160, don’t you think?” She winked at him, making him curl his lip in disgust.

“Now that’s just creepy,” he muttered, snapping his fingers and vanishing.

Good riddance, she thought to herself, relaxing. She normally enjoyed her little spars with Discord, but there were more pressing matters.

“What’s this about a ponynapped filly?” She asked. “Who was it? What do we know?”

“The Bearer of Loyalty raced into town, declaring the Bearer of Generosity’s little sister had been taken by diamond dogs, Your Highness. She said the filly had been with an unknown mare when the two were attacked. She reported the mare is dead, along with six diamond dogs. She also reported the Bearer of Laughter said that the filly was severely injured, and would likely be injured further. It was then that Princess Sparkle landed with a wing of the Sun Shield, along with Lady Teagan and her friend from the other world.”

“Oh no, Sweetie Belle was abducted? Rarity will be devastated,” Celestia shook her head sadly. “Were any trolls with them?” She asked. Golden Feather shook his helmeted head.

“No, Your Highness. Princess Sparkle arrived in a single chariot.”

A crease appeared on Celestia’s brow as she considered the implications. A single chariot with a full wing of the Sun Shield implied both urgency and threat.

“Was Spike with Twilight?” She asked.

“No, Your Highness,” Sky Lancer answered after Golden Feather didn’t respond.

“Was Spike the dragon at the hospital?”

“No, the dragon at the hospital was an adolescent, at least twenty feet long. Reports say it was feral,” Golden Feather replied. “It was purple, but a very dark shade, with forest green fins. It might have been a relative of Spike’s, but it certainly wasn’t him.”

“Are you looking for this?” A calm voice asked.

A butterfly-winged alicorn walked toward them, a sleeping baby dragon sprawled over her back, wrapped in a dimly glowing green aura to keep it in place. “My, that poison joke really did a number on you, didn’t it?”

“Your Majesty.” Celestia nodded in greeting. “It did, and I am indeed looking for him. How did you come to be giving Spike a ride?”

“So he is Twilight’s assistant,” her smile was gentle and friendly—until you looked at her eyes. “He came looking for me at the hospital. He said his name was Spykoranuvellitar. He was a bit miffed at me, it seems.”

“Oh? What did he want?”

“To kill me,” she said, chuckling. Spike lifted from her back and floated through the air, settling gently in front of Celestia.

Celestia couldn’t help blinking in shock.

“Spike tried to kill you?” She looked at the tiny dragon as he curled up and started sucking his thumb.

“Oh yes. And truth be told, it wasn’t a bad effort, all things considered. Of course he was a bit larger at the time, I thought him to be about sixty years old or so,” Chrysalis continued. “I have to admit I was badly out of practice. He nearly had me once or twice before I started taking him seriously.”

“I see you did manage to defeat him without harming him. I thank you for that,” Celestia said quietly.

“You don’t blame the hammer for hitting your hoof, Celestia. I didn’t actually realize who he was at first,” Chrysalis said calmly. “It wasn’t until he told me he was Twilight’s research assistant that the curtain parted. She must have poured an enormous amount of power into his transformation. It was very impressive.”

“Twilight wouldn’t do that,” Celestia said with a frown.

“Really? It was alicorn magic, Celestia. Dark alicorn magic. Your precious little student learned her lessons well. Spike told me he wanted me dead because I tried to kill Lady Teagan—who is a good friend of Twilight Sparkle, is she not?”

“Twilight would never put Spike in harm’s way like that,” Celestia objected mildly. “Nor would she use dark magic as a weapon. But even if she were so broken as to seek your life with dark magic, she’d come after you herself. She’d never risk Spike’s life.”

“We both know how corrupting dark magic can be, Your Highness,” Chrysalis snarled. “Your own sister fell under its evil influence.”

“She was possessed by the demon Nightmare at the time,” Celestia said firmly, “I see Twilight every day. If she were possessed I would know it. There is no taint in her.”

“And I know dark alicorn magic when I see it, Celestia! Do you deny knowing how to use it? Do you deny teaching it to her?”

“No,” Celestia said calmly. “She needed it to help defeat Sombra. But she knows its dangers. And she did not use it on Spike, this I know, as surely as I know how to raise the Sun.”

“I boiled it off him, Celestia. I may be out of practice, but you never forget that stench! It was dark alicorn magic. Are you suggesting there’s yet another alicorn lurking in the wings? They do seem to be popping up like daises recently.”

“To my knowledge there are only four of us—five if we count you.”

Chrysalis laughed. “I’m not an alicorn, silly Princess. Just because I have wings and a horn doesn’t make me one of your Awakened ponies. We were never part of your Great Spell. But, for now I will accept your word that you know of no other alicorns.”

“Will you lend your aid to find a ponynapped filly?” Celestia asked. “She’s badly hurt, and could die.”

“Then you will know the pain of losing one of your children,” Chrysalis said coldly. “I have sworn not to seek revenge on you or Equestria but that doesn’t mean I will aid you or other ponies. I was already gracious enough to lead Spike away from the hospital before we dueled. That is as far as my generosity extends. Tell Twilight Sparkle she owes me a huge favor. And that one day I will collect.”

With that the flutterpony queen teleported away in a flash of light.

ooOoo

Members of the Sun Shield found the returning searchers by spotting Fluttershy flying above the trees. When she spotted the guard ponies she began frantically signaling them to come to her, and when they did she led them to Rarity and the others. The guards in turn led the small group back to the larger one.

“Twilight! Am Ah ever glad ta see you!” Applejack called out when she spotted her friend. “Hey, Teelo, mighty happy ta see you too! We might be needin’ that club o’ yours right quick ‘cause we done got us a major situation goin’ on. Them diamond dogs weren’t workin’ alone! Winona told Fluttershy there was some kinda big critter with ‘em, at least as big as a bear. It knocked Sweetie Belle plumb off her hooves an’ six feet through the air! She also said there was another critter what used magic but weren’t no unicorn. That ain’t the worst of it, neither! Winona tracked ‘em fer about an hour till we ended up on top of a cliff. Looks like they met up wi’ a dragon. It musta been in cahoots with ‘em, cause it carried ‘em off all off, along with Sweetie Belle. We just missed ‘em too. What ever’s goin’ on, it’s gotta be mighty big. I reckon Princess Celestia’s gonna wanna know about this as quick as may be.”

“Twilight, we must hurry!” Rarity started to cry. “There’s very little time. Pinkie says she’s badly hurt! And then Cerise told us the Horns could track my sister the same way they did Tišina.”

“Wait, Cerise told you?” Twilight asked, wings flaring in alarm. “When did she show up?”

“I love you too, Twilight,” the pink flat-haired pony spoke up. “Rarity had Pinkie invite me to the party, thank you very much! I was sound asleep until those plot holes made Pinkie cry. I may not be all nicey-nice like you ponies, but nobody gets away with making Pinkie cry. On top of which, it pisses me off when somebody messes with fillies. I stuck around just in case a diamond dog tried something stupid so I could get some answers. But it looks like the wretched things were smart enough to run off.”

“Hello, Cerise,” Twilight said with a sickly sweet and completely insincere smile pasted across her muzzle. “Any chance Pinkie will be coming back soon? We’ll need her if we have to use the Elements of Harmony.”

Cerise chuckled. “Translation, you want creepy little Cerise snuggled back under the covers of her warm comfy bed, snoring away,” she grinned at Twilight, who had the grace to blush.

“Don’t get your crown in a twist, Princess. Pinkie’s awake and listening, so I’m gonna go catch forty winks. But I’ll be sure to set my alarm clock because I want a piece of those plot holes. I’m gonna teach them not to mess with little fillies. Anyway, here’s Pinkie.”

“Hey, Twilight,” the pink mare said sadly after a subtle but unmistakable change in her appearance.

“Pinkie?” Twilight asked cautiously. The other pony nodded.

“Yeah, it’s me. We couldn’t find her, Twilight,” Tears started to slowly trail down Pinkie’s cheeks. “Winona found the spot, but we were too late. Poor Sweetie,” Pinkie closed her eyes and started to sob softly.

The sight unnerved Twilight, who’d never seen her friend look so utterly crushed. This wasn’t Pinkie’s normal over the top water-works. This was a pony that was truly heartsick. She gathered Pinkie in for a hug.

“We have to hurry, Twilight,” Pinkie whispered. “There isn’t much time. My Pinkie Sense is screaming.”

Twilight’s irises contracted sharply. Although she had long ago given up trying to explain Pinkie’s twitches she knew she dared not dismiss them—especially not when the relentlessly upbeat pony was reduced to this.

No one paid any attention to Winona as she prowled restlessly, hackles raised and sniffing uneasily. They were too busy concentrating on Pinkie and Twilight. Which is why Winona’s growling snarl made everyone jump, especially Emma and Teagan—at whom the dog was barking viciously.

“Winona! What in tarnation’s gotten inta you, girl?” Applejack hollered. “That’s just Teelo! You know her! Why are ya actin’ all crazy like that? Hush up!”

“She says they have the big creature’s smell on them,” Fluttershy said nervously. “She says it’s faint, but Teelo and Emma must have been around some of those creatures recently. Within the last half day.”

“But the only non-ponies we’ve been with were the—” Teagan started to say, but then stopped her eyes widening. “Oh no. Oh God no. It can’t be.”

“What?” Twilight asked, alarmed.

“That creature that attacked Sweetie Belle must have been a troll,” Teagan said numbly. Having seen what troll claws could do to a living creature, the thought of those claws ripping into Sweetie Belle made Teagan’s stomach rebel. She felt her belly muscles clench and tasted acid in the back of her throat. She fought it down.

Can’t lose control, I’m a queen, damn it! But oh God, why a troll? Everything was going so smoothly, this is going to—

“A troll? I knew you couldn’t trust them!” A stallion said, making Teagan’s head snap up to stare at him.

Yeah that, she thought, trying to remember all the advice Matt had given her about handling this kind of situation.

She stalked toward him exuding as much menace as she could generate—which, when she thought of Sweetie Belle, was quite a bit. The stallion watched her come toward him with some puzzlement.

“What’s your name?” She asked in a calm level tone, stopping just within arm’s length of him.

“Cherry Fizzy, Lady Teagan,” he said, dipping his head respectfully.

“So you know who I am?”

“Naturally! Everypony knows who you are!” The light tan pony seemed oblivious to the subtle signs of her anger. However, other ponies were picking up on it. They started easing away from Cherry Fizzy. He didn’t notice.

“So if I tell you something, you’d believe me?” She stared deeply into his bright green eyes. “Promise? Pinkie promse?”

“I promise,” he recited the oath and made the motions. “By the way, it’s an honor to speak with you!”

“I’m very happy to hear you say that,” she said, letting a faint smile touch her lips. Inside, she was raging at the stupid bigotry of this stallion, but somehow kept it from showing on her face.

“What I’m about to tell you is so incredibly important I need you to tell everypony you know about it. Would you do that for me?” She let her smile widen and turn warm. But the warmth never reached her eyes.

Cherry Fizzy swelled with pride. “Yes, absolutely! You can count on me!”

“That’s wonderful! Then here’s what I want you to tell everypony. My full name is Teagan Laoise, Scion of the Clan O’Gara. By the grace of Her Royal Highness, the Princess Celestia, I am known in Equestria as Lady Teagan. The Bridge of Days carried the spirits of my clan and their beloved capaill and fused them with ponies from my world. Which means everypony is literally a member of my family.”

She reached out and placed her hand under his mane, feeling his warm neck twitch under her fingers. “That means you are a member of my family, Cherry. So is Sweetie Belle. Do you believe me?”

Wide-eyed and awed the pony nodded, almost hypnotized as she kept her eyes locked to his.

“I have another name too. Do you know what it is?”

He shook his head slowly.

“I am Teagan, Dronning av Fjellet, the Queen of the Mountain. I am the queen of the trolls, Cherry Fizzy.”

He looked puzzled for a moment, then Teagan saw him stiffen and his irises shrink slowly as the true horror of what she’d just said seeped into every corner of his stunned and reeling mind.

“By troll law, I am a troll,” she said softly, her fingers tightening in his mane, “which means the trolls are also my family. That means trolls are part of your family too, Cherry Fizzy.”

She relaxed her grip on his mane, letting her hand drop to her side.

“You said you’d believe what I told you. So hear my oath to all of Equestria. Whoever this troll might be, male or female, clan or outcast, by their own hand they are foresworn this day. As the queen of the trolls I hereby cast them into the Deepest Dark, and swear to find them and make sure they can never harm anyone ever again.”

“Look at me,” she snapped suddenly. He jerked and his eyes focused from sheer reflex.

“You say trolls can’t be trusted?” She asked calmly. “Well, I am a troll, Cherry Fizzy. You said you trusted me. That’s what I want you to tell everypony. I am a troll and I can be trusted. I am the queen of the trolls. I will find this renegade and I will end him. You tell everypony that.”

She turned and walked back to where Twilight stood, the shocked silence broken only by wind in the treetops.

ooOoo

It took forty minutes for Twilight’s party to make its way back to Ponyville. By the time they arrived yet another wing of guards had landed, along with a half dozen chariots. Unicorns bearing the crest of Celestia’s Horns had set up a canopy and Celestia herself was in consultation with two of them. Others were pairing off with gray unicorn guards and large earth pony guards, clearly readying for an expedition of some kind.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight called, spotting her mentor’s unmistakable silhouette as she and her friends hurried toward the canopy. Then she got a good look at Celestia.

“Hello, Twilight,” the alicorn gave her former student a brief smile. “I’m aware that Sweetie Belle was ponynapped. I contacted Luna and had her send a forensic team and a platoon of shock troops.”

“What happened to you?” Twilight asked, flabbergasted by the alicorn’s bizarre appearance.

“It’s a long story, I’ll tell you over dinner. I’m sure you remember Dawn Spire?” The alicorn dipped her head at the pale pink unicorn with a mane and tail of bright gold. “And this is her colleague Fairy Shimmer,” A pale turquoise unicorn with a black and silver mane nodded in greeting.

“Pardon me, but I was told if you had some of Sweetie Belle’s hair you could make a compass like the ones that found Tišina,” Rarity said with some urgency.

“Hair would work…” Dawn Spire said slowly. “Blood would give us the strongest signal, but hair or hoof clippings will let us find her if she’s within a hundred miles or so. Any further than that would need blood.”

“How much hair do you need?” Rarity asked eagerly.

“Just a couple of strands,” Dawn Spire replied. “But bring as much as you can find because we’ll want to make more than one compass for that triangulation trick Matt showed us.”

“Twilight, would you be a dear and teleport us to the Boutique?” Rarity asked. “Time is of the essence!” Twilight nodded and the two of them vanished.

“Your Highness, we need to talk privately,” Teagan said. “There’s some news you need to hear.”

“Of course,” Celestia said. “I too have news.”

The two moved off far enough to speak without being overhead.

“What have you learned?” Celestia asked, keeping her voice low.

“Something freaking huge is going down,” Teagan said grimly. “Chrysalis’s attack was only part of it. The diamond dogs were working with a troll. Not only that, but also some kind of magic user that wasn’t a unicorn, at least according to Winona. Also, when we were in Twilight’s office, Spike went berserk, and started growing. When he jumped out the window he was already ten feet long and had wings. He was coming to Ponyville to kill Chrysalis. Twilight said that kind of transformation wasn’t natural. She said it took a lot of magic—and then mentioned that she had used a spell to talk to my parents on Earth. She said the spell should have taken, um, microthaums?” She said, stumbling over the unfamiliar word. Celestia nodded and she continued.

“But instead it took kilothaums, which I guess is a lot more. She said it must have been a magical catalyst of some kind.”

Celestia’s head jerked in surprise. “A catalyst? That would explain what Chrysalis told me. Spike challenged Chrysalis to a duel. When she defeated him she boiled off the transformation magic, making him revert to normal. She claimed it was dark alicorn magic. A catalyst could have transformed the energy from Twilight’s spell into the dark magic. That would explain Spike’s murderous rage.”

“Yeah, it makes sense. I’m betting this kidnapping wasn’t random, either,” Teagan said. “Too many resources went into it. They wanted Sweetie Belle in particular.”

“Why? She’s just a foal. Her magic hasn’t even manifested yet,” Celestia objected.

“True—but they didn’t want her for her magic. They wanted her as leverage. If Rarity doesn’t do what they say they’ll torture Sweetie Belle. Or kill her.”

Celestia shivered. “That sounds like something Matthew would think of.”

“It’s kind of a standard bad-guy tactic among humans,” Teagan said, shocking Celestia.

“Humans do that?” Celestia’s face was carefully neutral.

“Evil ones do, yes,” Teagan replied. “I’m guessing the goal here would be twofold. First, without Rarity the Elements of Harmony are useless. Given how vicious these guys are, if that’s all they wanted they could have gone after Fluttershy, since she’d be the most vulnerable. Since they didn’t, I’m thinking they wanted Rarity to spy for them too. After all she’s best friends with Princess Twilight Sparkle and has lots of contact with Canterlot high society.”

“Lady Teelo, I am very fond of you, and I owe you my life,” Celestia said carefully. “But it is truly disturbing how you can spin such vile plots so effortlessly.”

Teagan chuckled. “Humans have a saying, Your Highness. Use a thief to catch a thief. I’m thinking Subtle Dancer is no stranger to evil plotting. And neither are you.”

“Sometimes one must contemplate evil,” Celestia admitted reluctantly. “But I have always found it difficult.”

“Says the consumate chess master,” Teagan said, smiling at the alicorn. “You’re always ten moves ahead of everyone else, Princess. I barely manage one on a good day.”

“I simply try to create the best outcome for the largest number,” the alicorn said, smiling, “which seldom involves violence. It also doesn’t hurt that I’ve had a lot of practice.”

“True that. At any rate, I’m thinking we’re looking at a conspiracy here,” Teagan said. “Well organized and frighteningly well informed. Somebody tipped off Chrysalis. Somebody planted that catalyst in Twilight’s office. Somebody organized a very effective kidnapping team composed of at least three species, maybe more. That implies a good spy network, serious financial resources, and meticulous planning. I’m thinking a well-funded secret society. Worse, I’m betting they’ve got agents in more than one country—probably with high level government contacts as well.”

“Ponies would be ill-suited to such plotting,” Celestia said, frowning. “I could see a handful involved perhaps but you’re talking about a massive organization, Teelo.”

“You think I’m wrong?” Teagan asked.

Celestia thought about it, and then sighed.

“I cannot say it’s impossible. It would fit the facts as we know them. If this were the Gryphon Kingdoms it would not surprise me, griffins love intrigue and plotting. Even the minotaurs are quite adept. But not ponies.”

“So—what? Maybe another country is setting up Equestria for conquest? Chrysalis tried that, remember?” Teagan reminded her.

“Chrysalis swore a magical oath to forgo her vengeance. She has no love for us, but cannot attack us,” Celestia replied confidently. “Over the centuries there have been many who tried to conquer Equestria. But such attempts were always invasions, not this sneaky striking from the shadows. Of course Tišina did but she was always a solitary creature. This reeks of organized conspiracy.”

“Well, whoever it is overplayed their hand,” Teagan said. “I have a feeling they didn’t expect such a massive response to the kidnapping of one single filly from a small rural town. They couldn’t expect that you’d get personally involved, especially not this quickly.”

“I would like to think I would do the same for any foal, Lady Teelo,” Celestia sighed heavily and lowered her head. “But the truth is I simply have too much to do and not enough hours in the day to get it all done. But Sweetie Belle—well, it’s personal now, Harmony forgive me.”

“I can see that,” Teagan said, nodding. “By the way, you should know I’m planning to go with your soldiers to get Sweetie Belle back.”

“You can’t,” Celestia shook her head. “Just as I can’t. You have responsibilities waiting for you in Canterlot, and duties in Hejm. If something were to happen to you, it would mean war. I can’t risk that, certainly not with some nefarious conspiracy lurking in the darkness.”

Teagan paused, feeling her temper flare. She took a breath to calm herself.

“With all due respect, cousin,” she said carefully, “one of the kidnappers is a renegade troll. I’m still new to this whole queen business, but I know enough troll law to recognize I’m oath bound to deal with him. I gave my word.”

“Oh, dear,” Celestia said with a wince. “You really shouldn’t have done that.”

“Yes, well, I did it. In fact, I did it in front of a wing of the Sun Shield and half of Ponyville. To keep the anti-troll bigotry down to a dull roar I even made Cherry Fizzy swear a Pinkie Promise to tell everyone about it too.”

Celestia sighed. “What was that ancient human curse, Lady Teelo? May you live in interesting times?”

Teagan grimaced. “Yeah, well personally I could stand some boredom in my life for a change. I’m about all funned out.”

By unspoken agreement the two rulers started walking back to the canopy, where Rarity and Twilight had returned and were now deep in discussion with Dawn Spire and Fairy Shimmer.

First things first. They had a filly to rescue.

Author's Note

Some people seem to think I've killed Sweetie Belle. Have I? You'll have to wait and see...

Bwhahahahaha!

Mettle

In which proof is demanded, secrets are shared, messages are delivered, and tests are undertaken.

Celestia and Teagan joined the group under the canopy. A coolly professional Dawn Spire turned her attention to the newcomers.

“Your Highness, Rarity brought us enough of Sweetie Belle’s hair to make two compasses. Given our time constraints they’ll be crude, but we should have a target by the time Rolling Thunder is ready to go.”

“Rolling Thunder?” Teagan asked, raising an eyebrow. Celestia winced.

“Military ponies enjoy naming their units, Lady Teelo. Rolling Thunder is the name of this particular platoon. They tell me it’s from the sound they make while charging.”

“Let’s hope they’re more effective than the military operation on my world that bore that name,” Teagan replied. “Matt is forever drilling strategy and tactics into my head. You know—what works and what doesn’t. Our world’s Rolling Thunder was nothing but an object lesson showing why politicians shouldn’t command military operations.”

“I see,” Celestia said, a faint smile gracing her muzzle. “I trust you’ll keep that in mind when you accompany the platoon?”

Teagan nodded. “I have no illusions about commanding the mission, Your Highness. That’s not my forte. The only reason I’m going is to take care of a certain renegade troll. I’ll be more than happy to let the platoon commander call the shots. Getting Sweetie Belle back is the primary objective.”

“And if it comes down to a choice between fulfilling your oath and saving the foal?” Celestia asked gently.

Teagan snorted. “What do you think? Save Sweetie Belle, of course! But from what I know of trolls he won’t hesitate to attack us—and when he does…” She shrugged. “Problem solved.”

“You speak so lightly, Lady Teelo,” Celestia said seriously. “The last time this choice arose, you declined—eventually. Why is now any different?”

“I know what troll claws can do to living flesh, Princess,” Teagan said quietly. “That troll hit her hard enough to send her flying six feet before she hit the ground. He could have killed her. We still don’t know how badly she’s injured. Doing that to a filly? There is no excuse.”

“The only creature who can’t be redeemed is one who is already dead,” Celestia said, her face calm but her words holding just a hint of pleading. “I would not have you walk Sun Hammer’s road, Lady Teelo.”

“Too late for that,” Teagan said quietly. “I’m further down that road than Sun Hammer ever went.”

“I see,” Celestia closed her eyes for a moment. “I truly hope you find your way back, cousin. Otherwise I would have to mourn for you, as I would for any of my little ponies. I would hate that.”

Teagan felt a chill as Celestia’s control slipped for just a moment and allowed a sliver of pain to slip into her voice.

“I’ll do my best, cousin,” Teagan bowed deeply to Celestia. “You have my word.”

Celestia smiled. “The word of the Dronning av Fjellet is no small thing. And now, I must return to the Palace. Twilight, I would like to take Spike back to Canterlot with me to recover. I trust you will be able to manage here?”

“Of course, Princess,” Twilight said. “With both the Horns and the Hooves here I’m confident we’ll get Sweetie Belle back in no time. Oh! Would you relay a message to Professor Nimbus for me? Tell him I know why the Tairseach Urlabhra spell took so much power. There was a magical catalyst present. Now that we know that I won’t need him for research after all.”

Celestia nodded and turned to go.

“Your Highness? Could I impose on you to give Emma a ride back to Canterlot?” Teagan asked.

“Hey! I’m going with you! Not letting you out of my sight, remember?” Emma protested.

“You’d just be in the way,” Teagan said bluntly. “You could get Sweetie Belle killed. You want to risk that?”

“Of course not!” Emma denied hotly.

“I’d be delighted to have Emma ride with me, Lady Teelo,” Princess Celestia interjected smoothly. “I’ve been looking forward to speaking with her and this would be the perfect opportunity. Emma, I would consider it a personal favor if we could converse.”

Emma wilted under the gentle gaze of the Princess. “That’s completely unfair, you know,” she said to Teagan. “How can I say no when a princess asks me for a favor? Thank you, Your Highness. I’ll be happy,” she glared at Teagan, “to speak with you.”

“Oh, and Emma? Could you tell Søyle what’s going on?” Teagan asked. “Looks like I may be late for dinner.”

“I’ll tell her. You be careful, okay?” Emma hugged her friend, who returned it tightly.

“Yeah yeah, it’s just another day at the office,” Teagan said, breaking the hug. “I’ll see you as soon as I can.”

As Celestia and Emma boarded the chariot Teagan and Twilight walked toward the platoon commander. Rarity stayed behind to watch the compasses being made, but the other members of the Mane 6 accompanied them.

“You really made Wing Commander Stormwind quite angry with you,” Twilight said with a little giggle. “I could hear him swearing as he talked to the platoon commander—and they were on the other side of the town square.”

“Yeah, well I did come down pretty hard on him,” Teagan admitted. “I probably deserved every single name he called me, too. Wonder if he’s poisoned the platoon commander against me?”

“You’re about to find out,” Rainbow Dash snickered.

The platoon commander was nearly as large as Sun Hammer or Applejack’s brother, a massive earth pony that weighed well over a thousand pounds. Like the other guards he was white, with a gray-blue tail and short-cut mane. His helmet was sitting on the table in front of a mass of notes. A grey unicorn was speaking to him as they approached. He looked up and his face went that special kind of blank officers wore around brass they dared not offend.

Yep, probably cyanide, Teagan thought with a sigh. This was not going to be fun.

“Princess Sparkle, Lady Teagan,” the commander’s voice was cool and neutrally polite.

“Hello, Commander,” Twilight bobbed her head, smiling widely. “Teelo, may I introduce Heavy Hoof, platoon commander of Rolling Thunder.”

“Commander Hoof,” Teagan bowed. “I’ve come to offer my assistance in rescuing Sweetie Belle.”

“With all due respect, Lady Teagan, I’m not sure what assistance you could offer,” Heavy Hoof said carefully. “We’re an integrated heavy combat unit, trained to fight together. Every member of the platoon knows their role. An outsider, no disrespect intended, would be a distraction, and perhaps a danger to themselves and my ponies.”

“At the very least I can offer you information on the enemy,” Teagan said mildly. She knew the commander had a point, Matt had told her a lot of stories about the difficulties of introducing new elements to a trained team.

“You know what we’re up against?” Heavy Hoof asked with sudden interest.

“I know there is a full grown dragon involved,” she said. “I also know there is a troll, and a magic-user of unknown species. The kidnappers are part of a larger organization, one with considerable intelligence assets and funding. They may even be aware that you’re coming.”

“That complicates things,” he frowned, “Thank you. You may have saved many pony lives today, Lady Teagan. Now, if you’ll excuse me I’m extremely busy. This new information merits study and we don’t have a lot of time.”

“I’ll be going with you,” Teagan said, knowing it was exactly the wrong thing to say.

“Excuse me?” His blank stare held just a touch of chill.

“I said I’ll be going with you. That renegade troll is almost as big a threat to your platoon as the dragon. As queen of the trolls it falls to me to deal with him.”

“Ah. Well, Your Majesty, my platoon is more than capable of dealing with a single troll. Placing you at risk would not be in Equestria’s best interest, so I must respectfully decline your offer to accompany us.”

“I’m afraid you misunderstand, Commander. It wasn’t an offer. This is a matter of state between Equestria and the World Below. A renegade troll has attacked a filly. That is a matter of grave concern to the World Below. The ponies must see that the trolls will not tolerate such actions and will act aggressively and effectively to protect our allies from renegades.”

“Politics,” he said. The word dripped scorn and loathing. Teagan smiled.

“Yes Commander, politics. But in this case, I do have a personal stake. Ponies are family, part of my clan. So are the trolls. Which means this renegade hurt a member of my family. I won’t forgive that.”

She stared at him—letting him hear the depth of her anger, see the rage in her eyes. He studied her for a long moment.

“How do I know you’re not going to get yourself killed if you come along? Or worse, get one of my ponies killed trying to protect you? I saw you fight Discord. I can’t say I was impressed.”

Teagan relaxed. “A fair question, Commander. When I fought Discord I sucked. That victory was nothing but charity from the Goddess of Luck and I freely admit it. But I’ve spent the last year and a half learning how to fight. I’m much better now. Didn’t Stormwind tell you what happened when Chrysalis ambushed us?”

“Something about you growing wings, then slaughtering Chrysalis and her guards. He was too busy explaining how you blackmailed him into obeying you and how you were doing your best to get his wing killed to go into much detail about your fighting ability,” Heavy Hoof actually smiled at her.

“And they say Royal guards have no sense of humor,” Teagan chuckled, before growing serious. “I thought I killed Chrysalis, and I did kill three of her guards. Nasty things, they went six kinds of insane when she went down. I’ve never seen anything like it. Almost like army ants.”

“Army ants?” Heavy Hoof raised an eyebrow. “Never heard of them.”

“Consider yourself lucky. Once we get Sweetie Belle back I’ll tell you about army ants—if you really want to know,” Teagan shuddered.

“Well, that still leaves me wondering whether you’re as good as you think you are,” he said. “Would you be willing to spar with one of my troopers? A serious spar? No bone breaking of course, but no holding back either.”

“Uh, Teelo that maybe isn’t such a good idea,” Twilight spoke up suddenly. “The Hooves play pretty rough. You could get hurt even in a spar.”

Teagan shrugged. “They’re about the weight of a troll, Twilight. And nowhere near as dangerous. I’ll be fine.”

Heavy Hoof raised an eyebrow again. “Meteor Swarm, would you be kind enough to tell Stomper that Her Majesty would like to spar?”

“My pleasure,” the unicorn gave Teagan a grin that made her wonder if this was such a good idea after all...

ooOoo

As the chariot rumbled over the ground Emma looked for something to grab onto. Celestia’s chariot was basically a padded flat deck with curving upright back. There was a low wind break in front, with the sleeping Spike tucked under it, but Emma and Celestia sat exposed to the air.

Emma whimpered and closed her eyes, only to feel the wind suddenly stop. Surprised she opened her eyes to find a golden glow doming the open chariot that matched the glow around Celestia’s horn. The girl reached out experimentally and poked the field, which responded with a ringing noise.

“I won’t let you fall, Emma,” Celestia’s voice was warm and gentle. “While I love to feel the wind roaring past it does make it nearly impossible to hold a conversation.”

The alicorn giggled. “Not that I normally have anyone to speak to on these flights,” she winked. “So, tell me. How did you and Lady Teelo first meet?”

“Oh, we’ve known each other forever,” Emma said, smiling. “I think we met in kindergarten. Or was it preschool? Anyway, we’ve been like sisters ever since. Even if she did keep you guys a secret from me.”

“Would you have told her if your positions had been reversed?” Celestia asked, watching Emma mildly.

“Of course,” Emma said, and then paused. “Well, it might have taken a while to figure out how—you know, with the cartoon and all…” She paused again. “Um, you know about the cartoon, right?”

“Evelyn Lewis explained it to me. She said it was a kind of play, made of many drawings that when seen in quick succession give the illusion of movement,” Celestia said. “They show Twilight’s life in Ponyville for the last few years.”

Emma nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. Thing is, the cartoon is aimed at little girls, maybe 9 or 10 years old. Um, I guess you’d call them fillies if they were ponies.”

Celestia’s eyebrows rose. “But Evelyn Lewis is no filly! She was a full grown mare, yet called herself a pegasister. She said there were many stallion friends of Equestria in your world that call themselves bronies. Well, I suppose the proper terms would be women and men for humans.”

Emma snickered.

Celestia frowned. “Did I say something funny?”

Emma fought to keep a straight face. “Oh, bronies are everywhere these days, Your Highness. But—well, most people make fun of them.”

“Why?” Celestia asked, perplexed.

“Because they like a cartoon for little girls?” Emma asked, raising her eyebrows. “It’s kind of creepy.”

“Why?” Celestia asked again, trying to understand.

“Uh—well, you know. If they like something like that it means they’re still childish, they haven’t grown up.”

“I see,” Celestia said after a moment. “If a play about our world seems childish to humans, then I shudder to think how frightening your world must truly be. Matthew spoke of the weapons your race created and the terrible wars humans have waged. I do not think I would enjoy living in your world. How do you cope, Emma? Humans must be very brave indeed.”

“Uh—it’s not that bad, really,” Emma said. “I mean, some places, yeah, they’re really dangerous. But not where I live. I mean, it seems like this world is way more dangerous than mine. I’ve not been here a full day and I was in a battle for God’s sake! There were creatures actually trying to kill me! That never happened at home. Ever. Teelo warned me Equestria was dangerous. I guess I should have believed her.”

“Why didn’t you? I’ve always found her to be very honest,” Celestia said in surpise.

“Well, it’s a land filled with little brightly colored ponies that sing and dance,” Emma said. “That doesn’t exactly scream Danger, Will Robinson! You know?”

“Who is Will Robinson, and why was she in danger?” Celestia asked with a smile, making Emma giggle.

“Sorry, just a silly human expression. Anyway, what I mean is I guess I owe bronies an apology. And when I get home I’m gonna watch every single episode of My Little Pony just so I’ll understand what’s been going on.”

“Are you sorry you came?” Celestia asked lightly.

“Well, I could have done without the whole ambush thing,” Emma admitted ruefully. “But being here is simply amazing. I mean I’ve met unicorns! And pegasi! And ponies that can talk. Not to mention at least two gods.”

“Two?” Celestia asked, startled. “Who?”

“Well, Discord’s the god of chaos, right? From what Teelo told me he’s actually an Elder God, right out of some old-time creepy guy’s horror stories. And then there’s you, of course.”

“Emma, I’m no god,” Celestia said gently, shaking her head. “I’ve lived a very long time and I have a great deal of magic but I’m not a goddess.”

“Uh, really? Because from where I’m sitting you tick all the right boxes. Your ponies worship you, you raise and lower the sun, you’re immortal, and you’ve got enough magic to flatten a mountain. Teelo said you blew a hundred foot wide crater in solid rock when you fought Tišina.”

“Oh dear. I see how it might look when you put it that way. But you must understand, Emma,” Celestia said, apologetically. “While my sister and I have been alive since ponies first came to Equestria, we were carried over the Bridge of Days in our mother’s womb, and were the first ponies actually born here in Equestria. We were just normal ponies back then, no different from the others. We had a bit more magical affinity, but nothing to hint we were special.”

“As we grew up we found we had a natural link to the sun and moon. At first it was just a fascination, and magic that touched on the sun or the moon came easily to us. It wasn’t until I was in my twenties that my magical studies uncovered the Great Spell.”

“So casting that turned you into this?” Emma asked, waving her hand up and down at Celestia’s horn and wings. “Well, not the blue I mean,” she said quickly.

“No, I did the blue today,” Celestia said with a wink. “Do you like it? As I was saying Luna and I were the hub of the Great Spell, which turned the ponies that came over the Bridge into the Three Tribes you see today. My sister and I became alicorns, a side effect of being the hub of the spell.”

Celestia turned solemn.

“But neither Luna nor I are goddesses, Emma. Just very powerful, and very old. I don’t even claim to be immortal. It is true I raise and lower the sun, but a large enough group of powerful unicorns who knew the proper spells could do the same thing. After what happened with Tišina I’m seriously considering organizing such a group. As for my little ponies worshipping me—well frankly it makes me uncomfortable. I don’t forbid it because sometimes they need that little extra bit of comfort to make it through rough times and I can’t deny them that.”

“Wow,” Emma said quietly. “I’m going to guess it’s been a long time since you told this to anybody. Thank you, Princess.”

“You’re very welcome,” Celestia smiled warmly. “But let’s keep this conversation between just the two of us, all right? Call it my gift to you. A secret you can keep from Lady Teelo, the same way she kept Equestria a secret from you.”

“I promise,” Emma said solemnly. “I’ll never tell anyone what you just told me. In fact, what was that weird thing the mayor did? Something about sticking a cupcake in her eye? I promise like that.”

Celestia laughed. “It’s called a Pinkie Promise. Dear Pinkamena gets very—intense—if someone breaks a Pinkie Promise. It’s become quite famous, in fact. So much so that the citizens of Ponyville use it for their most solemn promises. Pinkie always seems to know when someone makes a Pinkie Promise, and she goes out of her way to make sure they keep it.”

“So how does it go again?” Emma asked. Celestia led her through the silly rhyme and the associated motions, which the teenager dutifully repeated.

When they were done she smiled at the alicorn.

“There. Your secret’s safe with me! Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Of course. I might even answer,” Celestia winked.

“Well, does royalty have some kind of secret language or something?”

“Secret language?” Celestia asked in genuine puzzlement. “No, there’s nothing like that. Why do you ask?”

“Well, it’s just when you and Teelo talk to each other it’s like there’s this whole other conversation going on underneath. I don’t know what you’re saying but I can feel it.”

“Go on,” Celestia said, paying close attention.

“Well, I notice you usually call her Lady Teelo,” Emma said. “But other times you call her cousin, or Lady Teagan or even Your Majesty. Teelo seems to understand you, because she does it to you too, so I know it isn’t random. But I can’t figure it out.”

Celestia’s smiled widely.

“I must congratulate you, Emma. That’s a very astute observation. And you’re right, it isn’t random. You see, everypony has more than one relationship to another pony—in fact they can have several. For example, Lady Teelo and I actually are cousins, for reasons that are too complex to explain easily.”

“Teagan already explained,” Emma said. “Ponies are one third human, descended from Clan O’Gara, right? Something about spirits merging or something like that.”

“Very good,” Celestia said approvingly. “You do understand. But she is not just my cousin. She is also a Hero of Equestria, the scion of Clan O’Gara, queen of the trolls, and my good friend. Thus she has many relationships with me.”

“Then why don’t you ever call her just plain Teelo? Why always Lady Teelo?” Emma asked.

“She saved my life, and the lives of every living thing in our world,” Celestia said, turning solemn. “I call her Lady Teelo as a reminder of everything I owe her.”

“So, when you call her something besides Lady Teelo, you’re talking to a different Teelo?” Emma asked hesitantly. “Like, when you say Your Majesty, you’re talking to the queen of the trolls, not your cousin?”

Celestia nodded.

“Okay, I get that. But why call her cousin?”

“Because when I say cousin I am speaking to a member of my family,” Celestia said. “And I can say things to a member of my family I would have no right to say to a Hero of Equestria or the queen of the trolls. You see?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Emma nodded. “That makes sense, thanks.”

“Now I have a question for you,” Celestia said with a smile. “Are you going to go with Lady Teelo to Hejm?”

“I can’t,” Emma shook her head. “My parents freaked out when I snuck across the Bridge—which was awesome, by the way! So now I have to go back tomorrow.”

Celestia’s face turned grave.

“Unfortunately, that won’t be possible,” she said quietly. “I’m terribly sorry.”

“What? Why?” Emma asked, alarmed.

“Opening the Bridge of Days is a very difficult spell,” Celestia explained. “Not only does it require a magician of great skill, they must also have a considerable amount of raw power. Right now I know of only three ponies capable of it. One is Subtle Dancer. He opened the bridge to bring you here. Alas he will be in the hospital for another three weeks.”

“Who are the others?” Emma asked.

“My sister and myself,” the alicorn replied. “But the Council would never agree for either of us to go to Bridge of Days now that the Everfree is in such an uproar—and rightly so. If something were to happen to one of us it could mean the end of the world. Not to mention the danger it would put you in.”

“Great. My parents are going to freak,” Emma said, slumping. “What about Twilight? She’s got a ton of magic doesn’t she?”

“Yes, she does,” Celestia nodded. “But she lacks the skill. My former student is only eleventh circle. To open the Bridge she would need to be at least eighteenth, possibly higher.”

“So I’m stuck until Subtle Dancer is out of the hospital,” Emma sighed. “Well, Twilight said she talked with my parents, so at least she’ll be able to explain what’s going on when she talks to them again.”

ooOoo

“Oooh, that is a really big pony,” Teagan whispered in surprise as an armored pony the size of a Clydesdale approached them. Meteor Swarm walked next to him, dwarfed by the newcomer.

“He’s as big as Princess Celestia!” Twilight said, taking a step back. “Teelo, you can’t fight him!”

“It’s just a spar, Twilight, not a fight to the death. And he’s got all that armor. He’ll be fine,” Teagan joked; trying to reassure her friend, although inside she was not feeling entirely confident.

Crush, wake up!

Gray eyes opened in her mind.

We’ve got a new sparring partner. This is a full on spar, but we really don’t want to hurt him, so keep your weight down to that of a normal club, okay? Teagan said inside her mind.

As you wish, Crush replied. I assume you want Bullet Time?

That would be helpful, Teagan thought, her tone wry. I doubt we’ll need the Glow, but keep it handy, just in case.

A pity you insist on silly names for such effective techniques, Crush actually sounded disdainful.

Hey, they were my ideas, so I get to name them! She mentally stuck her tongue out at her symbiote.

She could feel Crush’s disgruntled acquiescence as the earth pony came to a stop.

“You wanted to see me, Commander?” The huge pony asked calmly.

“Stomper, I’d like to introduce you to your newest sparring partner,” Heavy Hoof said with a ghostly smile. “She wants to accompany us on the search and rescue of the filly. I tried to explain to her that in a tightly integrated unit like ours an outsider might do more harm than good, but she insisted. I thought you might change her mind. May I introduce Lady Teagan Laoise, scion of Clan O’Gara and queen of the World Below.”

“Lady Teagan,” the stallion dipped his head in salute. “I saw you fight Discord. You sure you want to spar with me? You’re a little on the, um—tiny side. No disrespect intended.”

“Well, the Commander insisted on a spar to prove I won’t be a burden, Stomper,” Teagan said with a smile. “I’ll do my best not to hurt you.”

“I appreciate that,” the huge pony said after pausing for just a little too long, his face carefully blank. “I’ll do my best to return the favor.”

Teagan’s smile didn’t waver.

“While I appreciate the sentiment, Stomper, please don’t hold back on my account. That would defeat the purpose of sparring,” Teagan’s smile widened, but inside she was watching her opponent and the other members of the platoon she could see without turning her head. She had to balance bravado against overconfidence. Too far in either direction would lose their acceptance, even if she won the spar.

“All right, we don’t have a lot of time here so let’s get this done. Stomper, Lady Teagan, I want a full on spar. No broken bones or long-term injuries, but anything else is legal. I expect a low down dirty brawl, got it?”

“Understood, Commander,” Teagan said, never losing her smile.

“Yes, sir,” Stomper said. “Lady Teagan, are you positive you want to do this? I might really hurt you without meaning to.”

“You can’t hurt what you can’t hit, Stomper,” she chuckled. “But you have the word of the Dronning av Fjellet that I take full responsibility for any injuries I suffer in our spar. I hold you and the Commander blameless. This is my choice and I accept any consequences of it. Full on spar, and don’t you dare hold back.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Stomper said, bowing his head. “Good luck.”

“Thank you, Stomper. I look forward to seeing your best,” Teagan replied.

And I really hope my ego’s not writing a check my body can’t cash, Teagan said to Crush inside her head.

The demon remained silent.

ooOoo

“Welcome to Canterlot,” Celestia said as the chariot landed. As soon as they stopped the golden dome vanished.

“Thank you, Princess. But Teelo and I arrived on the train earlier with the trolls. Speaking of which, I need to tell Søyle what’s going on,” Emma said as she got down.

“Of course. Thistle, would you show Emma to the Ghrian suite, please?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” An unarmored pale gold pegasus with white mane and tail bowed to the alicorn. Emma thought she heard the pegasus snicker, but dismissed it as imagination. Spike floated in front of Celestia as the alicorn trotted away flanked by members of the Sun Shield.

“This way, please,” Thistle said pleasantly and led Emma through the castle for about ten minutes before stopping at a door flanked by a pair of gray armored unicorns. She knocked with her hoof.

After a moment the door was opened by a troll.

“Hi Skrent,” Emma greeted the troll, “Thistle, thank you for showing me the way.”

“Of course, Lady Emma,” Thistle bowed her head. “If you should need anything else just ask Pentas or Lantana,” she left and Emma went into the suite as Skrent closed the door behind her.

“Where is the Dronning?” Skrent asked.

“It’s a long story, Skrent. I need to talk to Søyle and let her know what’s going on. I guess you and Flint should listen in too.”

The troll nodded and left as Emma collapsed on the couch. The main room was currently empty and Emma took advantage of that to close her eyes and breathe deeply, stretching. The chariot hadn’t been meant for a human rider and she was painfully stiff. As the sheer ridiculousness of her situation struck her she snorted in laugher.

I’m in a land of talking ponies about to tell a troll king’s wife what her queen is currently up to. Could this get any weirder?

“Greetings, Emma. Did the Dronning not return with you?” Søyle asked. Emma opened her eyes to find the three trolls looming over her. She got up with a wince.

“Yeah, about that…we need to talk. Is there someplace private?”

“Of course,” Søyle lead them through a door into what looked like a conference room. A large table was surrounded by sturdy stools interspaced with pillows.

As Emma settled onto a stool with a groan Søyle and the two troll brothers settled on stools across the table.

“So what did Princess Sparkle want with the Dronning and you?” Søyle asked.

“Oh, that. She said she’d been in contact with our parents and my parents wanted me to come home right away. Then things went—” Emma paused, looking for the right word. “Um, well I guess completely insane might cover it. Spike turned into this monstrous dragon and flew out the window and the guards burst in and Twilight was losing it and we all rushed off to Ponyville after Spike so he wouldn’t eat Chrysalis.”

“When we got to Ponyville we found Rainbow Dash whipping the town into a frenzy because a filly was kidnapped and a mare killed. She said it must have been diamond dogs because they found half a dozen dead ones at the scene. The emergency made us forget about Spike and start looking for the filly. The guards helped organize the townsfolk into a militia. We set off after the first search party, and found them coming back.

“They told us that a dragon had picked up the kidnappers. And then we found out one of the kidnappers was a troll.”

“What?” Søyle asked, stunned. “How did you discover this?”

“Winona, Applejack’s dog, found the scent of trolls on Teelo and me and went nuts,” Emma said, eyeing the troll nervously. Søyle’s eyes had narrowed and her lip had curled, revealing some pretty impressive teeth.

“How did a dog say this?” Søyle demanded. “Dogs cannot speak!”

“Fluttershy can talk to animals. She translated what Winona was saying,” Emma responded.

“So a pony said that a dog said that a troll did this?” Søyle was clearly angry. “And you believed her?”

“Teelo did,” Emma said defensively. “When she introduced us she called Fluttershy her best friend in Equestria. Fluttershy was the one who found her when she got kidnapped the first time. She took her home and let her spend the night in her house.”

That seemed to make Søyle pause.

“Anyway, some loudmouth pony started spouting off that he knew trolls couldn’t be trusted, and that’s when Teelo did a real number on him.”

“She what?” Søyle asked, confused.

“She owned him,” Emma said, laughing. “She asked him his name and he told her, and told her it was a real honor to talk to her. Well, she said she had something really, really important to tell him, and she made him Pinkie Promise to tell everyone he knew.”

Emma was grinning as she remembered.

“He assured her that she could count on him and then,” Emma couldn’t help herself, she started giggling, “and then she told him her full name and said it meant all ponies were part of her family, even him.” She had to stop as she started laughing too hard to talk.

Søyle had calmed now, not quite sure where Emma’s story was headed. Skrent and Flint were frowning in confusion.

“Oh God, oh, I’m sorry but this is so funny! And then she told him she was the queen of the trolls!” Emma closed her eyes and howled with laughter.

“You should have seen the look on his face! He was absolutely panicked. She said trolls were part of his family too!” Emma leaned back and beamed at Søyle, who now had a smile on her own face. Skrent and Flint were still looking lost.

“I thought he was going to faint!” Emma said, slowly recovering. “It was classic.”

“A fitting punishment indeed,” Søyle said, chuckling. “The Dronning truly sees to the heart of things.”

Emma suddenly sobered. “Yeah. She does, doesn’t she? Søyle, she made an oath to all of Equestria as the queen of the trolls.”

Søyle grew still and her eyes widened. “What oath? Can you remember the exact words?”

Emma frowned. “No, not the exact words. But I remember her saying whoever this troll was she was going to find them and make sure they never harmed anyone again.”

She found three trolls staring intently at her. It was unnerving.

“Please, Emma. Can you remember the words?” Søyle asked in a quiet voice. “They are important.”

“Let me think,” Emma tried to remember. “I remember her saying the troll was foresworn, and something about casting them into the Deepest Dark.”

She’d never seen trolls go pale before.

“What does that mean?” Emma asked Søyle. “It’s something bad, isn’t it?”

“It is the ultimate curse,” Søyle said soberly. “Emma, you must remember. What else did she say?”

“Um, I’m trying. Uh, something about whether they were male or female?” She wrinkled her brow. “By their own hand? Oh wait! Male or female, clan or outcast, by their own hand they are foresworn this day. As the queen of the trolls I hereby cast them in the Deepest Dark. And then she swore to find them and make sure they could never hurt anybody again.”

“Død av sjelen,” Søyle whispered. The two brothers bowed their head and closed their eyes for a moment, features sagging.

“Søyle, what does that mean?” Emma asked, starting to get very afraid.

“Death of the soul,” Søyle said hollowly. “She has declared this creature is no longer a troll, no longer alive. It is a dead thing that yet walks and must be destroyed by whoever finds it. And she has declared she will hunt it down and destroy it herself.”

“Oh crap,” Emma said, paling. “She did say she would find him and end him. She made the pony swear to tell everyone he knew, too!”

“We hunt,” Skrent said, rising. Flint rose as well, but said nothing.

“It’s too late,” Emma told them. “They were going to use a spell or something to find Sweetie Belle. Teelo was going with them. She said the troll would attack them and she’d deal with it,” Emma shivered. “It took me a half hour to get back here. It’ll take you at least an hour to get back. By the time you reach them it will be all over.”

“Then we must wait,” Søyle said heavily, motioning the brothers to sit again.

“If it’s any consolation Celestia told Teelo she’d hate to mourn her, and Teelo promised she’d do her best to come back. I tried to go with her but Teelo pulled a fast one and made me come back with Celestia.”

“We must trust the Dronning,” Søyle said simply. “The settling dust will reveal all.”

ooOoo

“All right, listen up!” Heavy Hoof bellowed.

Teagan, Heavy Hoof, and Stomper were standing in the middle of the open area of the town square. Around the edge of the area the rest of the platoon and many of Ponyville’s citizens watched, including a nervous Twilight Sparkle and her friends.

“Lady Teagan has offered to come along with our platoon to recover the foalnapped filly. To make sure she’s up to the challenge, she’s going to have win a full contact spar against one of my ponies. Here are the rules!”

“It’s going to be a ten minute spar. In order to win Lady Teagan must avoid getting hit by her opponent. In addition she must land three blows that would take down her opponent if this were an actual battle! If either opponent is driven out of the sparing area marked by the chalk lines, they lose.”

“Since we have an urgent mission to complete and this spar is just a test, no blows that could break bones or cause other long term injuries are permitted. However, short of that, there are no rules!”

He looked at Teagan. “Lady Teagan, are you ready?”

She drew Crush. “Ready!” She called out.

“Stomper, are you ready?”

“Sir, yes sir!” The giant pony bellowed, pawing the ground in a display that drew ooohs and aaahs from many of the mares watching.

“Come on Teelo! You can take him!” Rainbow Dash yelled enthusiastically as she hovered in mid air.

“Fighters, move to your marks!” Heavy Hoof began to pace backward as they obeyed him. Teagan turned to face Stomper, who was about thirty feet away. The stallion was fully armored, and that armor looked especially thick and heavy to Teagan’s admittedly inexperienced eye. He also looked every inch the professional soldier ready to take care of business.

Time to get serious, Crush, Teagan thought. Bullet Time, now!

“FIGHT!” Heavy Hoof roared at the top of his lungs.

The world slowed down and unimportant details faded away. She saw Stomper begin to lunge into a gallop as she sprinted toward him. Every detail was bright and sharp, she could see the armor plates shifting over his form as she closed the distance between them, she could hear each hoof’s impact as it struck the ground.

Then she was in range. There was no time to vocalize words to Crush so it was all instinct and will, every motion, every intention plain to the other as she and Crush fused into a single creature.

Teelo leaped just as Stomper’s head began to lash downward in a vicious bite that in a real battle would have torn up her arm. Even as she soared into the air she twisted, bringing the club around in a downward arc that should have landed on top of the pony’s skull.

But impossibly Stomper seemed to anticipate the blow and sidestep, leaving her club to swing unopposed through open air. His unexpected dodge made her spin too far, landing off balance and barely able to keep her feet.

The massive pony pivoted away from her, both back legs lashing out. Teagan saw the hooves coming and just managed to interpose Crush, bracing for what she was sure would be a bruising impact.

Pony and girl were equally surprised when all that happened was a muted clack as the pony’s hooves struck Crunch and stopped dead. The fighters sprang apart to recover.

“Impressive,” Stomper said. “You have gotten better.”

“Thank you,” Teagan leaped forward, pretending to jump upward again, but Stomper wasn’t fooled. He lashed out with a fore hoof that would have thudded against her chest if she hadn’t leaned sideways, bringing Crush around to slam lightly against the armor over his right shoulder. A clang echoed around the square.

In spite of being impressively loud she hadn’t struck with any real force. Stomper sprang backward, showing no indication she’d even hit him.

The armor is enchanted. Crush informed her. I felt the force of the blow being redirected to the armor as a whole. It is a lesser form of one of my own defensive enchantments.

“One hit for Lady Teagan!” Heavy Hoof shouted from the sidelines.

“Well, now I know you’re good enough to spar with me,” Stomper said loudly. “Let’s see how good you really are!”

The stallion danced forward, shaking his head and screaming a battle challenge. It was pure intimidation and Teagan had to admit it sent a chill down her spine. Stomper reared and began to rain down blows with both hooves. He was lightning quick and struck with both force and precision.

Teagan ducked some, stepped back to avoid others and parried more than a few that came uncomfortably close. The blows came so rapidly it sounded like a tap dance as his hooves struck Crush. Teagan was glad Crush was absorbing the impacts or she might have been knocked sprawling from the force of even one parried blow.

The pony’s barrage kept her off balance and too busy to launch a counter attack. He drove her back until she was dangerously near the edge of the sparring area.

She dodged another hoof and dove past the gigantic pony into a shoulder roll, coming up with Crush already in motion, only to see Stomper had already jumped out of range.

“You’ll not catch me by surprise again!” He called mockingly.

How is he doingthat? She demanded silently.

He is a seasoned soldier, with many years of service behind him, was Crush’s calm reply. You cannot match his battle prowess therefore we must use deception or brute force to overcome him. By the rules of the spar even a single hit disqualifies you, which partially nullifies whatever advantages I can give you.

Teagan yelped as Stomper unexpectedly closed again, something in his movements telling her he was going to try and kick. She leaped sideways and upward in a move she called a Bunny Hop. It carried her ten feet in the air but more importantly twenty feet to the side. She watched Stomper smoothly change course even as she was in mid-air. He was clearly planning to be in position by the time she landed.

She grinned, seeing an opening. Just as she had with Chrysalis she changed direction in mid-air and swerved to let the pony pass under her. Reaching down she smacked his back, the clang again signaling a solid hit.

“Two hits for Lady Teagan!” The crowd was cheering wildly now, she could hear cheers both for herself and Stomper in equal measure. The even-handed cheering raised her spirits for some reason.

“Touché!” Stomper called to her. “I see I’m going to have to get serious.”

“Next hit decides the spar!” She called out with a grin. “You’re a bigger challenge than I thought you’d be!”

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you!” He gave a neighing laugh.

They closed for the final exchange of blows.

Diplomatic Gastronomy

In which evil is revealed, our heroine plays a prank, and Celestia wields the awesome power of pudding.

In a murky cavern a brooding presence lurked. It drifted, unfettered by physical form, a dark miasma invisible to the eye, inaudible to the ear, marked only by the unnatural chill it exuded.

That, and a sense of terrible, terrible patience, worn thin over centuries. Patience ready to fail…

The silence was disturbed by a wet slithering sound, like raw meat sliding off a shelf. The darkness stirred, focusing its attention on the deliberate clopping of hooves on stone. There was something wrong with the cadence of those hooves, a certain hesitation between steps that spoke to the deepest instincts of the listener, whispering flee before it finds you...

The still air bore a faint stench of rotting flesh that grew stronger as the hoof beats neared. The darkness coiled, a sense of eager anticipation oozing from it.

No living eyes could pierce the darkness of that stygian grotto, yet the presence within and the owner of the hooves had no trouble seeing one another. Wordlessly the flayed and bleeding pony turned its head and retrieved something from its tattered saddlebag, sightless eyes locked unerringly on the lurking presence as it displayed its prize.

Without hesitation the darkness reached out to take the offering—a single black crystal still glowing with the remnants of corrupted alicorn magic.

A deep booming victorious laugh spilled from the darkness. The sound was faint, as though coming from a great distance, yet the sound filled the cavern and dripped from the walls like aural putrescence.

ooOoo

As the distance closed Teagan watched Stomper closely, waiting for some tell-tale signal of his intended attack. It didn’t come until he was almost on top of her and she had started to sidestep and swing.

Stomper sproinked, leaping straight upward at full gallop. Crush passed harmlessly under his hooves. Teagan hadn’t known ponies could do that, the only animal she’d ever heard of that could was a saluki, a sight hound from the Middle East that Matt had once told her about.

As he passed her the pony’s rear hooves lashed out. If Crush hadn’t yanked her downward unexpectedly those hooves would have crashed into her shoulder, ending the spar. As it was, she felt the breeze as they passed overhead, and they actually touched the ends of her up-flung hair.

Crush’s save left her skidding on the ground, unprepared as Stomper landed and spun impossibly fast. He charged forward to trample her and Crush had to yank her sideways as Stomper hopped lightly so his trample attack wouldn’t be fatal.

He seemed surprised to find her rolling to her feet five feet from him. She didn’t give him time to recover, charging straight at him with Crush leveled in front of her like a spear. She saw him grin as he spun and reared in one fluid motion to meet her charge. His front hoof came sideways in a movement impossible for a real horse, knocking Crush sideways, his head coming down for a bite that would end the spar.

Teagan fell flat, and slid under him on her back, bringing Crush up as she passed between his rear legs. There was another, much more muted clang.

Crush pulled her clear as Stomper suddenly sat down.

“Ow,” he said quietly after a moment. Teagan came to her feet and relaxed, sheathing Crush.

The crowd was silent, unsure of what was going on. As the girl approached the sitting stallion, giving him a respectfully wide berth the whispers began.

“That was the most intense spar I’ve ever had,” Teagan said, bowing. “Thank you, Stomper. Are you all right?”

The stallion gave her a weak grin. “I will be. You fight dirty, Your Majesty. Congratulations on your victory,” he did a half bow from his seated position.

At Stomper’s words the crowd broke into uncertain cheers, led by a snickering Rainbow Dash. Several of the Hooves winced before starting the rhythmic stomping that Equestrians used as applause.

Heavy Hoof approached them. “It seems you’ll be joining us after all, Lady Teagan. Stomper, are you fit for duty?”

“Yes sir. Just give me a moment,” the pony said with a grimace. “I’d like to report discovering a small flaw in our armor, sir.”

Heavy Hoof chuckled. “I’m told there isn’t a lot to be done about that particular flaw, soldier. I am surprised Lady Teagan was able to exploit it, though.”

“You said you wanted a low down dirty brawl, Commander,” Teagan said mildly. “That’s exactly how I’ve been trained to fight. I do hope there are no lasting effects, Stomper. I deliberately pulled my blow.”

“Which I appreciate, believe me,” Stomper said, rising with a wince. “Ready for duty, Commander!” He gave the almost Roman salute, bringing his foreleg across his chest in another move anatomically impossible for horses.

The cheering and stomping was dying down and the three separated to get ready for the upcoming march.

“I can’t believe you did that!” Rainbow Dash said, laughing manically. “That was awesome.”

“Kinda a low blow, weren’t it?” Applejack asked disapprovingly.

“In a real fight anything goes, Applejack,” Teagan said easily. “That’s why I try to keep out of them.”

“Yes, well, Darling I wouldn’t dream of asking you to hold back when it comes to rescuing my precious sister,” Rarity said seriously. “I’m sure you know best how to go about it. Just be a dear and hurt them, would you?”

“I think that’s a given, Rarity,” Teagan said grimly.

“I still don’t know what you did,” Twilight complained. “You must have hit him again but I didn’t see it. Did you hit him in the back of the knees? Is that why he sat down? I know the armor doesn’t cover the legs but wasn’t that dangerous? You could have really hurt him.”

Rainbow Dash stared disbelievingly at her friend. “Twilight, are you serious?”

“What? I couldn’t see! The angle was wrong,” Twilight complained.

“She didn’t hit his legs, Twilight,” Fluttershy murmured, blushing just a bit.

Pinkie whispered something in Twilight’s ear and stood back, grinning.

“What?” The alicorn blushed, turning deep violet. “Teagan, how could you?”

Teagan shrugged. “Whatever it takes, Twilight. Besides, I didn’t hit him hard,” she grinned. “I didn’t need to. But I did need to win the spar. Rescuing Sweetie Belle is the only thing that matters here.”

Twilight shuddered. “I guess you’re right. Remind me never to make you angry.”

“Well, let’s go, Teelo,” Pinkie said cheerfully. “We’ll see you later, girls. Time to rescue Sweetie Belle!”

“Wait, Pinkie? You’re going with them?” Rainbow Dash asked in surprise.

“Yuppers! Cerise wants to be there. She says between the two of us we can probably sneak in and out with Sweetie Belle before those big ponies stomp the bad guys. We don’t want her getting hurt,” Pinkie’s face lost its smile, turning serious. “The Hooves play rough and she’s already hurting.”

Teagan winced, wondering if another argument with Commander Hoof was in her immediate future.

She and Pinkie joined Dawn Spire where she was speaking to the Commander and his unicorn subordinate. The group was concentrating on a map.

He looked up, frowning a moment at Pinkie Pie.

“What’s she doing here?” He asked with a neutral expression.

“She’s coming with us to extract Sweetie Belle before the attack,” Teagan said. Pinkie grinned at him and waved a hoof.

“I’m already making an exception for you, Lady Teagan,” he said, scowling. “But this mare is just a baker. She would compromise the mission!”

Before Pinkie could protest and cement his opinion of her, Teagan put her hand on the mare’s shoulder.

“This is Pinkamena Diane Pie, one of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony,” Teagan said quietly. “She faced Tišina in her lair, Commander, and in single combat cut off Tišina’s tentacles and brought them back. She also blew Tišina’s brains all over the glacier. It was her plan that finally turned Tišina to stone once and for all.”

She stared at him, daring him to say anything. To his credit his face turned thoughtful as he studied the whimsical pink mare.

“That was actually Cerise, Teelo,” Pinkie corrected the girl. “I was off looking for Garnet when Cerise had that argument with Tišina. And she shot Tišina with Berry Fudge Gumball. She was the one who told me about the poison joke too.”

“Cerise? You want to bring along yet another pony, Lady Teagan?”

“Pinkie, let’s keep Cerise our little secret, okay?” Teagan said hastily. “Commander, if we need her Cerise will be there. Otherwise, you’ll never see her,” Teagan shivered, making Heavy Hoof’s eyebrows rise. “And that’s a very good thing, believe me.”

“Besides, hopefully we won’t need her. Pinkie Pie’s got some weird magic that baffles even Princess Celestia,” Teagan continued. “Magic that lets her pop out of places she couldn’t possibly get into. Do things no other pony can. As assets go she’s a godsend. She can probably get Sweetie Belle out of the villains’ lair before we hit it. What’s that worth to you?”

“Can you get her out?” Heavy Hoof asked. Pinkie Pie nodded.

“Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!” Pinkie said brightly. “And if I can’t I bet Cerise can!”

Teagan winced. Heavy Hoof’s eyes narrowed.

“You vouch for her, Lady Teagan? And this Cerise too?”

“Yes, Commander. They saved the world. I think we can trust them to help us rescue a filly,” Teagan said.

“Very well. Don’t make me regret this,” Heavy Hoof said. “We have the filly’s location now so we’ll be moving out immediately.”

“Where is she?” Teagan asked.

“About an hour’s march south of here,” the Commander said. “Some place called Froggy Bottom Swamp. There’s a cliff with some caves on the northern side. She’s apparently in the caves. We’ll be able to pinpoint her location when we get closer.”

“But the trail led north,” Teagan said uncertainly. “They lost her after a dragon—”

“Flew them south,” Heavy Hoof said. “A very simple but brilliant strategy. Without the compasses we’d be looking in exactly the wrong direction,” he nodded his thanks to Dawn Spire, who smiled.

“Whoever they are they’re clever,” Dawn Spire said, turning serious. “Be careful, Commander. That magic user might be trouble.”

“Heh. The Fixers will take care of it,” Heavy Hoof snorted. “There’s an advantage in being an integrated unit, Dawn Spire. The Horns aren’t the only ones with tricks up their horns.”

“Yes, well check out this trick, Commander,” Fairy Shimmer spoke up, gesturing to a large globe glowing on her own table. They gathered around the globe, which was filled with the scene of a swamp. There was a cave in the background. Fairy Shimmer’s horn emitted a burst of turquoise light and the focus changed, showing the muddy ground in front of the cave, which was churned up from the passage of many creatures. The globe zoomed in on one clear imprint on the edge of the churned area. A three toed track, some six feet long according to the red measuring line that appeared in the globe. Next to it was a pair of hoof prints and, half-obscured from traffic, a print that could have been made by a troll.

“I’d say that’s pretty solid confirmation,” Teagan said softly. “How far can you get inside the cave?”

“Not far. The cliff is made of basalt. This portable unit doesn’t have any magical boosting behind it, just my own magic. I can’t punch a scrying point through more than a few inches of that stuff. Even if Dawn Spire helped boost the power we’d probably only double the penetration. The big unit back at headquarters could go deeper, but probably not through more than twenty feet of it.”

“How complicated is the spell that runs this thing?” Teagan asked, getting an idea.

“Fairly high,” the unicorn replied. “Eighth circle, why?”

“Would Twilight know it?” Teagan asked. Fairy Shimmer shook her head, dashing Teagan’s hopes.

“We could ask her, but I doubt it. It’s pretty specialized. And not a spell we teach just anyone. If she doesn’t already know the spell it would take her days to learn it.”

“You said something about boosting the power? How hard would that be? Twilight’s an alicorn. She’s got power to burn.”

“Oooh,” Fairy Shimmer grinned. “That might actually work. She did help Princess Luna raise the sun, so she must know Wind Spear’s Succor. The boosting spell is just a variant of that. If she doesn’t already know it I could teach it to her in a few minutes.”

“How much depth would that buy you?” Teagan asked.

The turquoise unicorn considered. “This little unit’s rated for a kilothaum I think,” she murmured thoughtfully. “Right now I’m feeding it about a tenth of that. Dawn Spire’s boost would equal mine, so if Twilight took Dawn Spire’s place…hmm. Maybe five feet?”

“So only five feet in?” Teagan asked, disappointed. “That’s not very far.”

“No, five feet of rock,” Fairy Shimmer corrected her. “It depends on how thick the cave wall is, how the cave is laid out, and which angle the signal has to take to reach us here. If we’re lucky we could probably move the sensor into a large open area and see most of it. It also depends on light sources because this unit can’t see in the dark.”

“What about wards?” Meteor Swarm asked suddenly. “Hate to trip something and let them know we’re coming.”

“It can’t see wards either,” Fairy Shimmer said apologetically.

Heavy Hoof sighed. “Why is it never simple? Swarm’s right. We don’t dare let them know we found their base. Right now they’re sitting fat, happy, and stupid. Even if they find out we’ve been deployed they don’t know we know where they are. If your scrying tripped a ward we’d lose the element of surprise. Shut it down, please. The last thing we need is for it to be picked up on a routine magic sweep.”

Obediently, the picture in the globe vanished.

“Time to move out. Hope you know how to run, Lady Teagan. We’re going to be moving at a trot, so keep up or go home,” Heavy Hoof said. “Sergeant Boulder! Move ‘em out!”

“Yes, sir!” A heavyset pony bellowed back. He had the platoon readied to move by the time his commander joined him.

Teagan found herself rapidly falling behind as the platoon trotted out of town. At a trot they could move almost as fast as she could run flat out. Pinkie stayed with her, offering encouragement. But five minutes after they’d left the platoon was gone, already out of sight.

“I’m sorry, Pinkie. I just can move that fast,” Teagan leaned over, breathing hard. The commander had said the bad guys were an hour away. There was no way she could run for an entire hour. Even if she could she’d be exhausted and useless by the time she got there.

“That stupid Heavy Hoof! He made me spar for nothing! What a jerk,” Slowly her breathing slowed down.

“So he played a prank on you?” Pinkie Pie asked, grinning widely. “Why don’t we play one on him?”

“I’m listening,” Teagan said, a slow smile starting to spread as Pinkie explained her idea.

ooOoo

“Snowy’s got something closing on our position, Commander,” Meteor Swarm said, breaking the silence fifteen minutes into the march. “Aerial, moving over three times the speed of a chariot. Hang on, now Moonstone’s got something closing on the ground as well. He’s reporting it moving nearly as fast as the one in the air!”

“Give me details, Swarm,” Heavy Hoof growled. “Boulder, get Fire Rain to deal with the air threat. I want the Hammerheads between the rest of the platoon and the ground threat.”

“Yes Sir!” The sergeant broke into a gallop to relay the instructions quietly.

“Aerial incoming, ten seconds!” Meteor Swarm warning the commander, his horn lighting up with a combat spell. Heavy Hoof spotted the target it streaked overhead, a flaming scarlet shape that rapidly dove at the ground a hundred yards ahead, hitting the ground hard enough the pony expected it to make a crater.

“Land bound contact in thirty!” The unicorn reported tensely. Sure enough a pink blur sped by them right on schedule, coming to stop beside the aerial.

Heavy Hoof gaped for a moment, and then angrily told his second to give the all clear. Stalking forward he confronted the two newcomers.

“Do you two have any idea how stupid that was?” He growled. Pinkie Pie grinned at him while Teagan smiled.

“Just catching up to you, Commander. You left us to our own devices back in town. That was a bit rude. I told you I had to be the one to deal with the troll. Now, since you’ve forced us to make our own travel arrangements we’ll see you when you get there. Don’t be late.”

Teagan and Pinkie turned to go.

“All right, it was a trick,” Heavy Hoof admitted. “I was trying to keep the two of you safe. Lady Teagan if anything happens to you while you’re in Equestria you know the trolls will blame us. Not to mention Celestia would have my commission if I allowed any harm to come to one of the Bearers. Sorry for trying to protect you.”

His voice was laced with sarcasm.

Teagan turned back but Pinkie beat her to the punch.

“Silly! You don’t have to protect us! We’re here to protect you,” Pinkie said, winking. “These Meanie McMeaniepants stole Rarity’s sister and that’s just not right! They hurt her, and if we don’t act quick they’re gonna hurt her really bad. That makes Cerise super-mad and she might not listen to me when we get there. Well, at least not once we get Sweetie Belle out, that is. Then they better look out!”

“What she said,” Teagan nodded. “There’s a dragon and a troll and who knows how many magic users and assorted nasties waiting for us. You’re going to need as many heavy hitters as you can get. She’s a walking artillery battery and I can literally collapse that damn cliff on their heads before they know what hit them. Really want to turn down that kind of firepower?”

Heavy Hoof studied the two of them. “Is it true a troll can’t tell a lie, Lady Teagan?”

“It’s more accurate to say they won’t tell a lie, Commander,” Teagan said. “That troll I’m after—well he really isn’t a troll anymore. Not after what he did to Sweetie Belle.”

“So what is he, Lady Teagan?” Heavy Hoof asked carefully.

“A walking corpse,” Teagan said flatly, feeling her temper flare and not caring. “A corpse I’m going to bury once and for all so he can’t hurt anyone else.”

Heavy Hoof stared at her, suddenly wondering if she was more dangerous than the dragon.

ooOoo

Emma and Søyle were shown into Celestia’s private dining room at six o’clock. The teen was surprised to find half a dozen ponies already seated at the large table, but no sign of the princess. A polite servant led them to their seats, which Emma saw were at the head of the table, next to the empty Royal cushions. She knew that meant they were being honored.

It made her determined to be on her best behavior since these ponies were almost certainly nobility, judging from the quality of their clothing and the jewelry several were sporting. In fact, they were the first ponies she’d seen wearing clothing at all since she’d arrived in Equestria.

Søyle’s place was on the right side of Celestia’s empty seat while to its left sat an unoccupied silver and blue cushion.

Søyle moved silently and gracefully to take her seat. Her place setting was raised a full two feet from the surface of the table to accommodate her large frame.

As Emma sat carefully she noted the table height was much lower than she was used to but still manageable. She had just settled when the mare next to her coughed delicately.

“Good evening. You must be a friend of Lady Teagan’s,” the fuchsia and chartreuse pony said. She was wearing a silver band set with pearls that circled her brow. Emma knew that marked her as some kind of noble. “I was given to understand Lady Teagan would be joining us tonight.”

“She had planned to,” Emma said carefully, “but an emergency came up. Hopefully she should return later tonight.”

“An emergency? How awful!” The pony raised a manicured hoof to her muzzle. “It didn’t have anything to do with that dreadful Tišina did it?”

“No, nothing like that,” the girl hastily reassured the pony, unsure of exactly how much she should say. “I’m Emma, by the way.”

“Charmed, Lady Emma,” the pony dipped her head regally. “I am Baroness Splendid Light and very happy to make your acquaintance. May I enquire who your companion might be?”

“I am Kona Søyle, consort of Kongen Fjell,” the troll replied with a nod.

“The King’s wife?” Splendid Light's smile widened slightly. “Should I address you as Your Majesty then?”

“No,” Søyle smiled, deliberately letting her incisors show for just a moment. “That honor falls to the Dronning av Fjellet, she you call Lady Teagan.”

Emma could feel the steel in that exchange although she had no idea why the two were at odds. She was surprised Søyle was being so low key about it, from what Teagan had told her about trolls she would have expected Søyle to snarl. She flashed back to Søyle raising scarlet claws that gleamed wetly in the sun…

“Would it be forward of me to ask what emergency detained Her Majesty?” Splendid Light asked with careful courtesy.

“A matter of state,” Søyle replied easily. “I believe it involved a consultation concerning a confrontation between a pony and a troll.”

Søyle, what are you doing? Emma wondered, quickly deciding she wanted no part of the cat fight brewing between Søyle and the baroness.

“Yes, well that’s no surprise, really. Ponies and trolls don’t mix well. Much like oil and water,” Splendid Light said quietly. “Our cultures are so very different after all.”

“It is the Dronning’s belief ponies and trolls can live together in peace,” Søyle said, watching the pony with a distinct lack of expression. “She has made this quite clear. It is her will.”

“Given how—excitable—trolls are, perhaps that peace could be best achieved by limiting contact?” Splendid Light suggested innocently.

“The Dronning feels otherwise,” Søyle said as if that settled the matter. “I see the Princess hasn’t arrived yet. Is she feeling well? She did not seem herself this afternoon.”

“She assured everyone it was only a minor magical mishap. Nothing to be concerned about,” Splendid Light replied. “Ah! In fact here she is now.”

Rising, the pony went into a full bow. Søyle rose to her feet and bowed her head. Emma quickly jumped up and attempted a curtsey, although her jeans and tee shirt rather dampened the effort. The other ponies were also bowing.

Princess Luna was walking closely beside her sister, and in truth Celestia seemed a bit off to the teen. She moved carefully, with just the slightest hesitation in her step.

“Please, everyone be seated,” Celestia said kindly. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. Marigold, would you tell the servers to begin dinner please?”

The dark gold pony bowed lightly and left the room.

Within seconds serving ponies were bringing in the first course, a colorful salad which they placed before everyone except the troll.

“Søyle, Emma, how nice to see you again,” Celestia smiled at them, her blue and white face and baby-duck voice clashing horribly with her regal bearing. It didn’t particularly bother Emma but she couldn’t help noticing the other ponies were subtly trying to avoid looking at their ruler, and flinched whenever she spoke.

“Your Highness, thank you for inviting us,” Søyle said in a smooth mellow bass. “I was just getting acquainted with Baroness Splendid Light. We were discussing some of our cultural differences.”

“Oh? It’s always intriguing to compare one’s own culture with that of another species,” Princess Celestia said, smiling widely. “For example, did you know in the Gryphon Kingdoms when a young griff becomes engaged it is customary for him to bring a deer he caught himself for the engagement feast?”

The Baroness dropped her fork which made a musical chime as it struck the crystal bowl.

“Oh, how clumsy of me,” she said, blushing. “Pardon me.”

Emma noticed the fork trembled slightly in the unicorn’s magical grip as she went back to eating her salad.

“I did not know that, Your Highness,” Søyle said, smiling. “A most sensible custom indeed. He thus proves himself able to provide for his family to be. Alas, I have met only a handful of griffins. The World Below is not to their taste. A proud race, and fierce, from what I have seen.”

“They are,” Celestia said, nodding. “And they love intrigue. Many treat it as an art form.”

“Indeed? Among trolls only the Snøskred and Alene enjoy such games. The average troll prefers a more straightforward negotiation,” she paused as a server laid a plate in front of her. “Ah, rock larvae! However did you obtain them, Your Highness?” Søyle asked, apparently delighted at a pair of what looked like elongated rocks on her sturdy plate. She picked one up and without apparent effort tore it open with a loud crack to reveal a pale golden color that reminded Emma of grilled shrimp. The girl blinked at the thickness of the shell, she’d have needed a hammer and chisel to break one open.

“One of your retinue mentioned rock larvae were your favorite so I had some flown in especially for you. I hope they’re to your taste.”

Søyle used what looked to Emma like a lobster pick to pull the meat from inside the shell. The troll took a big sliver and ate it with surprising delicacy for such a large creature.

“Superb, Your Highness,” Søyle said with obvious appreciation. “Your reputation as a matchless hostess is well deserved.”

“I’m so glad you’re enjoying them,” Celestia smiled and began to eat her own salad.

“Emma would you like some?” Søyle offered.

“Yes, please. Just a little piece, so I can taste it,” Emma said. The smell was wonderful, and the chunk Søyle passed her more than generous.

“Oh, that is good,” Emma said, after chewing and swallowing. She was suddenly aware that all the ponies except Celestia and Luna were watching her with a kind of blank horror. “It reminds me of Alaskan snow crab.”

“What is a snow crab?” Søyle asked with an interested expression.

“It’s a sea creature that has eight legs and a shell over its entire body. Big huge pincers too,” Emma said. “Snow crabs come from Alaska, that’s in the far north of my world, where ice and snow stick around most of the year.”

“You eat meat, then?” A strangled voice from across the table asked. The speaker was a tall white unicorn with golden mane and blue eyes that were now somewhat wide and glazed with dismay.

“Um, actually humans are omnivorous,” Emma said. “We eat meat and fish and fruit and vegetables and oh, grains and um, well just about anything really. But not hay. Or flowers. Or, uh…” She trailed off, seeing the unicorn shiver. “Are you all right?”

“Actually, I’m suddenly feeling a bit under the weather,” the unicorn said, sweating just a bit. “Aunt Celly, I’m dreadfully sorry, but I’m afraid I will have to withdraw. My sincerest apologies to you and your guests.”

“Oh, dear. Of course, Prince Blueblood, I hope you feel better tomorrow,” Princess Celestia said in a kindly voice.

“I’m certain I shall, Aunty. Good night and enjoy your meal,” the unicorn stood and beat a hasty retreat.

“I hope I didn’t upset him,” Emma said, feeling about two inches tall.

“Nonsense, child. We are certain our nephew is simply suffering from a delicate constitution,” Luna said in a voice that carried throughout the room.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Emma said nervously.

“Thee art welcome,” Luna said. “However, we have a question. If thy species is omnivorous why canst thou not eat hay?”

“It’s because we can’t digest cellulose, Your Highness,” Emma said. “It has something to do with which bacteria live in our gut. Horses—well, ponies, have the correct bacteria while humans don’t. I believe ponies have a longer digestive tract as well.”

“Fascinating. Art thou then a scientist in thy world?” Luna asked with obvious interest.

“Oh no, Your Highness. I’m still a student. We covered the digestive system last year in one of my classes.”

There was a sudden, unmistakable noise and a rainbow appeared from behind Celestia, who looked surprised. Every eye in the room followed the brilliant band of light as it twisted and spun near the ceiling, only to abruptly dive and streak through the window.

“Okay, that was different,” Emma spoke without thinking. Suddenly the room was filled with music, a tune that Emma instantly recognized. Except she’d never heard it played on kazoos before…

“What in the world?” She twisted around to look for the source of the music.

“Sister, we had thought them safely contained,” Luna said, a look of dread crossing her face.

“So did I,” Celestia said, her head drooping as she closed her eyes. Around the table ponies were discreetly craning their necks to find the musicians.

The door the Royal sisters had used to enter the room swung partway open, and the music suddenly swelled in volume. Through the door several diminutive figures marched, playing drums and kazoos.

“Oh, no,” Celestia groaned under her breath.

“Are those Smurfs?” Emma asked, jaw falling open. “You have Smurfs in Equestria?”

“Is that what those infuriating pests are called?” Luna asked, rising to her feet a glow beginning to surround her horn.

“Leave them, Luna,” Celestia spoke, raising her head. “It doesn’t do any good. I tried. Repeatedly.”

The six inch high blue humanoids wearing white pants and matching hats burst into song, much to Celestia’s visible dismay.

Da-da-dum-da-de-da-dum-dum

Um-pa-lum-pa-la-la

“Please don’t sing,” Celestia groaned.

They’re creepy and they’re kooky
Insidious and goopy
They’re altogether ooky
Intestinal Gases!

They smell like mausoleums
when nopony sees’em
Still makes the ponies scream
Intestinal Gases!

(Silent)
(Butt)
(Deadly)

So get that nosebag all on
Pine scent that you can spray on,
You’re gonna groan and crawl on
In—tes—tin—al Gas—es!

And with that, the musicians bowed to the assembled ponies and scampered back through the door they had come through, leaving it ajar.

The room was absolutely silent. Celestia raised her head, took a deep breath, and continued eating her salad as though nothing had happened. After a moment Princess Luna followed suit.

Taking their cue from the princesses the guests resumed eating, not actually daring to say anything.

The salad course was followed by a mushroom and tofu soup. It was quite good, but even though her hosts had thoughtfully given her filly-sized portions it was still a lot of food, and Emma wasn’t sure how many courses to expect.

The third course turned out to be the main course, and a huge surprise to the pony guests. It looked like meat, and smelled like meat—Emma thought it was some kind of chicken with barbeque sauce, of all things.

“Your Highness, has there been some kind of error in the kitchen?” An older stallion with a bright golden coat and copper red mane asked, staring at his plate. “I fully understand bringing in a non-pony chef for our esteemed guests, but was it communicated to him that ponies would be dining as well?”

“Why, whatever do you mean, Duke Shimmerling?” Celestia asked innocently. She cut a small piece of her meal and ate it with every indication of enjoyment, much to the shock of the ponies present.

Emma cut a small piece of her own meal and tried it. It was good—and she could have sworn it was chicken. No wonder the ponies were staring at their plates in growing horror. Teagan had told her about the whole “no meat” thing and why it was a big deal in Equestria.

So it couldn’t be meat. But it sure tasted like the best barbeque chicken she’d ever had.

“Um, excuse me, Your Highness?” Emma asked diffidently.

“Yes, Emma?” Celestia asked with a smile.

“What do you call this dish?” Emma tried to make her question casual.

“Don’t you recognize it?” Celestia asked, raising her eyebrows. “Matthew assured me it tasted exactly like one of his favorite dishes on your world.”

“Um, yes it does,” Emma said, watching Celestia’s eyes twinkle. Something was up. She glanced around the table, seeing ponies look at her and then at their plates, eyes widening and irises shrinking. “That’s why I’m asking. Because if this is what I think it is, you wouldn’t be eating it. So it can’t be what it tastes like.”

Curious, Søyle sampled her own food. “This is quite good! But…” She gave Celestia a startled look as she caught on.

“I can assure you, Your Grace, there was no mistake. This dish is quite good,” Celestia said to the Duke. “Won’t you try some? Luna, you aren’t eating. Is something the matter?”

The Duke looked down at his plate and back into the eyes of his princess. He seemed to be worried about something.

“Neigh, sister, we are simply curious what the dish might be called,” Luna said. Turning to Emma she enquired. “Thou seemest to recognize it Lady Emma. What is this dish called in your world?”

“With all due respect, Your Highness, I know this can’t be what I think it is,” Emma demurred. “So I’d rather not say if you don’t mind. It might make you—unhappy.”

“Oh?” She turned to Celestia. “Dost thee jest with us, dear sister?” Luna’s face was so composed that Emma suddenly realized the dark blue alicorn was in on the joke.

“I would never pull a prank on such distinguished guests, Luna,” Celestia said calmly eating another bite of her dinner. “However, as the subject of cultural differences seems to be on everypony’s mind lately I thought our main course would be a good time to introduce a human cultural difference to both ponies and trolls. I can assure you however this particular meal is delicious, nutritious, and in no way objectionable. So please, my little ponies, I ask that you indulge in some enjoyable cross-cultural exchange.”

Luna cut a tiny piece of the food on her plate and cautiously chewed it, swallowing. A thoughtful pause followed.

“Hmm. Slightly salty, yet the glaze is both sweet and tart. The taste is quite unusual. We do not believe we have encountered it before.

Emboldened by Luna’s description the other guests cautiously sampled their food. Several began to eat with every sign of enjoyment while others remained reluctant, clearly only finishing the course to avoid appearing to doubt their sovereign’s word.

Emma dug in with great enjoyment, managing to finish her portion without being totally stuffed. She suspected the last course would be desert and, given she was dining with royalty, was likely to be completely mind-blowing.

When everyone had finished the course, Princess Celestia cleared her throat.

“Now that everyone has had a chance to sample the main course I will tell you it is called gari barbakoa. It is made from wheat and spices in a secret process that the griffin chef Luma Atzapar has perfected. I’m sure many of you have enjoyed meals at the Griffonia, have you not?” She smiled around the table and her guests relaxed with relieved smiles.

“Now, Emma, why don’t you tell everyone what you thought it was?” Princess Celestia asked sweetly.

“Are you really sure you want me to do that?” Emma asked cautiously.

“Of course. We are all ponies of the world here, Emma. Don’t be concerned.”

“If you say so. I thought it was barbecue chicken,” Emma said, bracing herself.

It took a half beat. Ponies looked puzzled and then jaws dropped and betrayed glances turned toward Celestia.

“Calm yourselves, my little ponies. You ate wheat, not the remains of an animal. However, the taste and texture were apparently so perfect it fooled even Emma, who has eaten the original dish. No creatures were harmed in the making of this meal. So rejoice that you have gotten to share an experience from a culture vastly different from our own,” Celestia paused.

“I would also point out the more one learns of another’s culture and beliefs, the more perspective it grants on one’s own. Let us all keep this in mind in the days to come as we work to establish peaceful interaction with our newfound kin from the World Below.”

Princess Celestia used her magic to ring a small bell. When Marigold appeared the Princess nodded to her. Marigold bowed and left the room.

“Since the first two courses were undeniably pony cuisine, and the main course was a human dish, I thought it appropriate if dessert were troll fare. It’s called søt sopp fløte. It’s a type of pudding, in which you dip the mushroom sticks that come with it. The sticks are cut from a giant mushroom that grows in Hejm and then baked. I’ve been fortunate enough to have this dessert on a number of occasions and can tell you it is exquisite.”

And with that she took up a stick in her magic, dipping it into the pale blue pudding. She popped the stick in her mouth and chewed slowly, eyes closed and clearly savoring the treat. Seeing her delight the guests were far less wary than they had been of the gari and dug in with gusto.

Emma took a bite and froze as an explosion of flavor assaulted her. The mushroom stick was very spicy however the pudding was intensely sour while just sweet enough to keep it from being bitter. The only thing Emma could compare it to was a really intense key-lime pie—although the pudding certainly didn’t taste like lime. It didn’t taste like anything she’d ever had.

She finished it in spite of already being uncomfortably full, and regretted there wasn’t more.

“That was incredible!” She said to Søyle with a wide grin. “What was it?”

“Søt sopp fløte,” Søyle said.

“Yes, but what does that mean?” The girl asked.

“Sweet fungus pudding,” Søyle replied. “The makilak are made from a mushroom that grows as large as the trees of the World Above. It was quite good. I’m surprised ponies know how to make it properly.”

“I took the liberty of asking the Kongen for a skilled chef during your stay,” Celestia said with a smile.

“Your talents as a hostess are indeed without equal, Your Highness,” Søyle nodded her head in respect.

“The food was wonderful, Your Highness!” Emma said, pressing one hand against her too full belly. “Teelo’s going to kick herself for missing this.”

After a few more pleasantries the Princess took her leave and the remarkable dinner was over. Emma and Søyle were escorted back to their suite. Emma spent the walk thinking about everything that had happened. She was fairly sure a great deal of diplomacy had occurred at dinner, but for the life of her she couldn’t decide exactly what had been accomplished, other than a firm belief that the dinner had gone exactly as Celestia had planned.

Well, aside from the Smurfs that is…

Grave Situation

In which our heroine discovers that while diplomacy may be maddening the alternative is fraught with regrettable realities.

The commander refused to slow his unit from a trot, so Pinkie ended up offering Teagan a ride. She kept zooming ahead and waiting, grinning every time the unit trotted past. Then she’d do it again.

It turned the “hour’s march” into a half-hour trot.

“Thanks Pinkie, I owe you,” Teagan said as she slid off Pinkie’s back.

“No, problem, Teelo. You can’t help it if you can’t run as fast as a pony! I mean, not that it wasn’t fun having you on my back like that. I do it for Pound and Pumpkin all the time!”

Without warning Pinkie’s face went blank for a moment.

“Hang on. Be right back,” And then she vanished.

Teagan blinked at where Pinkie had been.

“Did she just teleport?” Heavy Hoof asked in disbelief as he and his unicorn subordinate approached. “How can an earth pony teleport?”

“I didn’t feel anything,” Meteor Swarm said with a frown. “Teleports always leave a residual trace of thaumic energy. There was nothing this time.”

“It’s Pinkie Pie, Commander,” Teagan said “We don’t ask anymore.”

“Where did she go?” The commander asked after they’d stood around for a couple of minutes.

Teagan shrugged. “If I had to guess? I’d say—”

“Guys! A little help here!” Pinkie said, an unconscious Sweetie Belle on her back. Pinkie’s mane and tail were flat and straight.

“How—never mind. MEDIC!” Heavy Hoof bellowed.

A unicorn mare hurried forward and floated Sweetie Belle off the pink pony’s back.

“She’s been manacled and yoked,” the unicorn said. “I need Silver Tale to get these off her before I can properly treat her.”

“Hey, Teagan. We need to talk,” Pinkie said in a tone that sent chills down Teagan’s spine. She knew that voice.

“Cerise?” Teagan asked cautiously. Heavy Hoof looked at the girl then focused on the pink pony.

“Yeah, it’s me. Listen, we have a problem. She wasn’t the only one in there,” Cerise’s voice was flat and emotionless. “And I’m thinking it’s a good thing the Commander was in a hurry.”

“Why?” Dread made Teagan’s belly clench. She really didn’t want to hear whatever Cerise was about to say.

“Because there were two ponies in line ahead of her,” Cerise watched the girl. Her voice was flat and calm, but the corner of her eye had developed a tic. “They were still alive. But they couldn’t scream any more so I—took away their pain.”

“Fillies?” Teagan asked, feeling sick as Cerise’s meaning settled over her like cold oily slime.

“No. A full grown mare and stallion,” Cerise replied. “Why? Does that make it any better?”

Teagan turned red as rage filled her. Acid tore at the back of her throat. She hadn’t felt like this since Nightmare Discord had tried to murder Fluttershy. Cerise watched her, only the tic belying the pony’s calm expression. Teagan turned to stare at the cave in the distance, feeling the fury build. She knew she wouldn’t be able to keep control much longer. A part of her was glad of that.

“Any more living prisoners?” Heavy Hoof asked gruffly.

“Six more,” Cerise said, turning her gaze toward the earth pony. “All mares, mostly unharmed. All manacled and yoked like Sweetie Belle.”

“What about guards? Defeneses?” Heavy Hoof asked. “How far in are the prisoners?”

“No idea,” Cerise said. “Pinkie’s little shortcuts avoid the scenic route, if you know what I mean.”

“What can you tell me?” He asked in a level tone.

“Nothing you want to hear if you feel like sleeping tonight,” Cerise said in an unemotional voice. The tic was still present. “When you go in, I’m going with you. If you want any of them to answer questions better make sure you get to them before I do—either that or have a really good necromancer handy.” She paused, considering. “One who isn’t afraid of a little needlework.”

“You’re not filling me with confidence here, Cerise. I decide who goes in, understand me?” Heavy Hoof growled.

“I go with you and you might actually get one or two prisoners,” Cerise said calmly. “I take Pinkie’s shortcut and you might not. Your call.”

Heavy Hoof turned to glower at Teagan who simply stared at the cave, ignoring him. He saw her trembling slightly. He frowned, knowing it wasn’t fear making her shake. He wished it had been.

“I hate politics,” he growled finally. “If you go in I make no guarantees you’ll come out again. I won’t risk any of my ponies to pull your flanks out of the fire. Are we clear?”

“Works for me,” Cerise said. Teagan just nodded, still struggling to keep control of her fury.

“That shortcut of yours,” Meteor Swarm asked suddenly. “Can you get those mares out?”

Cerise shook her head. “Sweetie Belle pushed the limit of what Pinkie can bring along. No way could she carry any of those mares. Not to mention the shortcut will only work a couple of times a day.”

“By Celestia’s golden hooves!” Heavy Hoof swore softly. “All right, if we can’t do it the easy way we’ll do it our way. Get Night Fortune and Perfect Sky up here. I want that cave’s layout mapped before we go in.”

ooOoo

Night Fortune was a black unicorn—coat, mane and tail, with a cutie mark that was simply a gray circular outline on his black flank. Perfect Sky was a charcoal gray unicorn with matching mane and tail, and gray eyes. His cutie mark was almost invisible against his flank, it was, he always said when asked, a fog bank.

Neither unicorn was wearing armor, nor were they anywhere near as large as the other ponies in the unit. In fact even the medic Graceful Star was half a head taller than either of them.

“Gentlecolts, you know what I want. Go get it,” Heavy Hoof said. To Teagan’s amazement the two unicorns slowly faded away and then were gone. The weirdness helped to cool her rage a little.

“Um, what just happened?” She asked Meteor Swarm, who grinned.

“Oh, you mean those two? They’re brothers,” he answered, eyes dancing. “That’s their special talent, why we call their squad the Ghosts. They can turn immaterial. Walk through walls unseen, unheard, and without leaving a scent. They could sneak past Cerberus himself! Blessed Celestia, I love being part of this unit,” he chuckled.

“They’ll do recon, Lady Teagan,” Heavy Hoof said quietly. “Drift in, poke around, drift out. When they do their thing not even Celestia’s own wards can sense them.”

“Good thing they’re on our side. With a talent like that they’d be unstoppable as thieves.”

The two ponies exchanged a glance.

“Funny you should say that,” Meteor Swarm said with a smirk. “They actually were thieves. Gave the Guard fits for two solid years. Nopony was safe. The nobility were their favorite target. The more valuable the object, the more likely it was to vanish. Nopony had a clue how they were doing it.

“So how’d they get caught?” Teagan asked, fascinated.

“Same way all thieves do,” Meteor Swarm shrugged. “They stole from the wrong pony.”

“Yeah, but I mean if they can do that disappearing trick who could possibly catch them? Or keep them jailed if they did?” Teagan asked, desperate for some diversion.

“Well, I guess that’s what they thought too. See, stealing from Prince Blueblood and the nobles got old after a while,” Meteor Swarm shook his head. “Not that stealing from that particular pony is terribly challenging—but anyway they set their sights higher. Listen to this—they stole Princess Luna’s favorite mane brush.”

Teagan barked an incredulous laugh. “You’re kidding me!”

“As Celestia is my witness,” Meteor Swarm said with a huge grin. “Oh, she was livid about that brush! From what I heard it wasn’t even that valuable, but the reason it was her favorite was because it had been a gift from a young colt who told her she was his favorite princess.”

“If castle gossip is to be believed her exact words were Prankest us with thy thievery, wilt thou? Thou knowest not whom thee messes with! IT. IS. ON!” Heavy Hoof added.

“Wait. So Princess Luna declared a prank war on those two?” Teagan asked, eyes widening. “And they’re still alive?”

“Oh yeah,” Meteor Swarm laughed. “They never stood a chance. See, she kept quiet about the brush. The next day she declared that a new treasure had been recovered from the depths of Canterlot Mountain, a crystal phoenix figurine of incalculable value and immense historical significance. She announced it would be protected by members of Celestia’s own Guard, the Sun Shield. She assured everyone it would be absolutely impossible for the Ghost to steal the figurine.”

“Thus guaranteeing they would try,” Teagan nodded.

“More than try, Lady Teagan. They stole it all right,” Meteor’s grin was pure evil. “Mind you, Luna didn’t exactly make it easy for them. As promised the Sun Shield was out in force, along with wards and traps and all manner of magical mayhem.”

“Let me guess. The figurine was booby trapped,” Teagan said.

Meteor Swarm nodded happily. “Ooooooh, yeah! When the brothers stole it the tracking beacon on it went silent, of course. That tipped her off. When the beacon came back on she cast a little spell that triggered a Want-It-Need-It spell on the statue. Then, while the brothers were entranced with the figurine she and Princess Celestia teleported in and slipped spell suppression rings on their horns!”

“Ouch,” Teagan winced. “No magic, no ghosting, right?”

“Yep,” Meteor Swarm nodded. “Those two nearly had a heart attack when Luna canceled the Want-It-Need-It spell. But happily for everyone concerned, Princess Celestia made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.”

“To join Rolling Thunder,” Teagan guessed.

“Where they get all the excitement and sneaky-time their scrawny undersized flanks can handle,” Heavy Hoof said. “The only reason they took up theft in the first place was for the thrill of it. So now their craving can be sated for the good of Equestria.”

“Princess Celestia never ceases to amaze me,” Teagan chuckled. “The governments on my world have done similar things before, but I’m betting those two are utterly loyal now, aren’t they? Fanatical even?”

“Well, when the Shepherd of the Sun offers you a job it tends to make an impression,” Meteor Swarm pointed out. “And yeah, they’re almost scary about it.”

ooOoo

Alas, the respite from the grim reality of their mission was all too brief. While Teagan had been listening to Meteor Swarm’s story Cerise had been watching the cave mouth, as patient as a cat at a mouse hole. After a few more minutes the brothers came back, phasing in so quietly no one noticed them until the gray one spoke.

“Commander, it’s done,” His voice was grim.

“What are we looking at?” Heavy Hoof asked.

“A slaughterhouse,” the black unicorn said bitterly. “The prisoners are in a large chamber, full of—stuff. Could have been a hospital surgery—except blood was splattered everywhere.”

“Not to mention the restraints on the operating tables,” His brother added grimly. “We found two ponies dead on those tables. Their skin had been torn off,” the gray unicorn shuddered, face turning blank. “Their throats had been slashed. From the freshness of the blood it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes ago. There were six more mares in the room, manacled and yoked. They’re alive but Celestia preserve them, I think they’ve all gone insane. They just stand there and stare at nothing. You can barely see them breathe.”

“What about defenses? Guards? Physical barriers?” Heavy Hoof asked, turning to practical concerns. Teagan couldn’t blame him. The report had made her rage return and it was beginning to turn cold. That scared her. She tried to ignore it but it was making her quiver with the need to smash something. She did her best to concentrate on the scouts’ report.

“Here’s the layout,” Night Fortune, the black unicorn, lifted a quill and started to draw on the blank parchment Meteor Swarm had laid out while they were waiting.

“There’s only one entrance, a tunnel about twenty feet long. The dragon is watching it, but he’s dozing. Big son of a lizard too, at least a hundred feet long, if not bigger. I doubt he’ll stay asleep very long once things get noisy. That’s when you’re gonna find out what a toasted marshmallow feels like.”

“What else?” Heavy Hoof asked curtly.

“One large chamber, with three tunnels branching off. The one off to the left goes to that freak show of a chamber with the prisoners. The one in the middle seems to be a storeroom for supplies. The tunnel on the right goes to a barracks, which was empty, and more living quarters. From the way the barracks were junked up I’m betting diamond dogs laired there but there was no sign of them now. But there were a pair of unicorns, one an older stallion and the other a young mare. They had a troll with them too, and a griffin. From the way they were acting I’m betting the unicorn stallion was the boss. Dark red with a black mane and tail, he had a hammer and chisel for a cutie mark. There were gray streaks in his mane and his muzzle was graying too. I’d say he’s late middle age, or slightly older.”

“Pity you can’t hear anything while ghosting,” Meteor Swarm lamented. “Knowing their plans would be really helpful.”

“Well, I guess I could have turned solid and listened,” Night Fortune said sarcastically. “But I kind of like my hide attached to my body, thanks.”

The mood turned even grimmer.

“Where’s the troll?” Teagan asked, careful to keep her voice from snarling. It wasn’t easy.

“With the unicorn stallion,” Perfect Sky answered her. “Looks like he might be the unicorn’s bodyguard.”

“He’s the one that hurt Sweetie Belle,” Teagan said, feeling her rage turn even colder. “He was in the kidnapping party. Any sign of other trolls?”

“No, ma’am,” Perfect Sky shook his head. “In fact, it bothers me there’s so few of them. There should be guards at least. But given the amount of supplies we saw I’d say this was an outpost for spying. Either they haven’t been here that long or they’re being resupplied regularly.”

“Long enough to ponynap eight ponies,” Heavy Hoof said. “And set up that lab.”

Meteor Swarm snarled. “I can’t believe ponies are involved in this. Running it! What kind of research requires skinning ponies alive anyway?”

“Creating undead,” Cerise spoke for the first time since the scouts had returned.

Teagan’s head snapped around to stare at the pink pony.

“Undead? Like zombies and vampires?” She asked. In her enraged state she didn’t particularly care. Crush would blast them apart, living or dead.

“No,” Cerise said heavily. “Worse. Much worse. The average zombie is easy to deal with. They don’t do much more than stagger around. As long as they don’t bite you it’s easy to destroy them. No, this sounds like draugr, and that’s a corpse of a different color altogether.”

Meteor Swarm cursed.

“Want to share with the rest of the class?” Teagan growled.

“I’ve heard of draugr. They can swim through stone, they’re ten times as strong as an earth pony and normal weapons just bounce off them,” Meteor Swarm said gloomily. “They’re magic resistant, too. If this unicorn is able to make draugr we’re going to need serious magical backup—the Horns at least, maybe even one of the princesses.”

“That bad?” Heavy Hoof rolled his eyes. “Really?”

“Yes, really. Trust me on this, Commander. Rolling Thunder might be able to deal with one draugr but we’d be looking at fifty percent casualties—if we’re lucky.”

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Heavy Hoof asked, eyes narrowing.

“Yes,” Meteor Swarm hissed. “Two draugrs would annihilate us. They wouldn’t even notice the Hammerheads.”

“Good thing you have me then, isn’t it?” Teagan said with a savage grin. “Crush isn’t a normal weapon, Meteor Swarm. You keep the small fry busy and I’ll deal with the draugr.”

“I thought you were only here for the troll, Lady Teagan?” Heavy Hoof asked.

“That was before we stumbled on this Saw reenactment, Commander,” Teagan growled. “If these undead creatures are anything like the undead I’ve read about then destroying them would be an act of mercy.”

“That just leaves the dragon,” Heavy Hoof said. “Got any ideas on dealing with it?”

“What are the odds it’s just a mercenary?” Teagan asked. Heavy Hoof snorted.

“What, you want to buy it off?” He asked incredulously.

“Maybe,” Teagan said. “Or have Meteor Swarm control its mind. Convince it to go for a little evening constitutional. There’s nothing more relaxing than a flight right before bedtime, hmm?”

“That actually wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Meteor Swarm admitted. “But there are two problems. One, I don’t know any spells that could do that without looking the target in the eye, and second, this dragon’s way too old to fall for a trick like that. If it were younger, say under a hundred, it might have been worth a shot.”

“So it’s too big to use magic against?” Teagan asked with a frown.

“Yeah. I mean, if Princess Celestia were casting the spell, sure, no problem. But I’m no alicorn. It wouldn’t even notice most of my spells.”

“What we need is an Alene,” Teagan said. “But the closest one I know of is in Canterlot, which might as well be the moon for all the good it does us.”

“What’s an Alene?” Heavy Hoof asked.

“A troll wizard. He could create a new passage straight through the cliff and we could sneak the mares out, and then wait for them to come out and pick them off at our leisure,” Teagan said. “Next time I invite myself along on a rescue mission I’m definitely bringing along an Alene. For that matter a half dozen trolls could probably do the same thing.”

“Yes, well, we don’t have them. What we do have, however, is Burning Obsidian and Meteor Swarm,” Heavy Hoof said while staring at his subordinate. “I seem to recall a certain transmutation spell you demonstrated a while back. Turning a wall of stone into mud?”

“Ha! Yeah, that might work. This stuff is basalt, not limestone, but the principle’s the same,” Meteor Swarm said happily. “Old Fire Face didn’t see much point since it didn’t make fire fall from the sky, but I convinced him to learn it anyway. None of the others have enough power to cast it. Myth even turned her nose up at it, called it crude. Hey Sky, let’s go do some magic. About how deep is the prisoner’s cave in the cliff did you say?”

He and the two brothers went off to have a look at the situation.

Teagan settled back and closed her eyes, making plans with Crush in the privacy of her own head.

Cerise just kept staring expressionlessly at the cave mouth

ooOoo

An hour later Meteor Swarm came back. He was chortling.

“Hey boss! I think we got it,” the unicorn was in high spirits. “The Ghosts are gonna go dust the bad guys’ supplies with Sleepy Time, just in case it turns into a siege situation. Red Rhyme’s gonna lay glue-mud in the main passage, while we’re steadily mining our way through the cliff face. Night Fortune managed to find a thin spot between the outside of the cliff and the prisoners. The Ghosts did another look-see, seems like the head cheese is turning in early. The unicorn mare and the griffin are settling in for a game of craps while the troll is guarding his boss’s door. The dragon’s settled in for a good snooze, it didn’t even twitch while Red Rhyme was laying the glue. We got ‘em.”

“Unless those draugr of yours show up,” Heavy Hoof said sourly. “Good job. Don’t suppose you could turn that mud back to stone could you? Seal off the prisoner’s cave?”

“Oooh, nasty,” Meteor Swarm chuckled. “But sorry, no can do. However, I can merge the door with the stone around it and then reinforce the wood until it’s as hard as iron. Won’t stand up to dragon fire or a troll’s claws, but it would slow them down a little.”

“I want that troll,” Teagan growled. “He’s mine.”

“Rescuing the mares is the primary objective, Lady Teagan. As far as I’m concerned it’s the only objective,” Heavy Hoof said firmly. “If I can do that without fighting a dragon in its own lair I’m all for it. Let them rot in there for all I care.”

“The mares come first,” Teagan agreed. “But once they’re clear I’m going to smash that cliff into rubble and squish them all like the cockroaches they are.”

“Are all humans as bloodthirsty as you, Lady Teagan?” Heavy Hoof asked irritably.

“Tell me you want to breathe the same air as a unicorn that skins ponies,” she challenged him. “Or let the troll that hurt Sweetie Belle get away with it? How is she, by the way?”

“Why don’t you go see? I’m sure she’d be happy to see a friendly face,” the Commander said, wanting some distance between him and the angry human queen. Her unconcealed rage was beginning to make him twitch.

“Good idea. The tent your ponies set up, right?” Teagan asked.

The pony nodded. “Graceful Star is watching her. I’ll send someone to fetch you when it’s time.”

“Try not to forget,” Teagan gave him a level stare.

“You have my word, Your Majesty,” Heavy Hoof replied.

Teagan went to visit Sweetie Belle, leaving Cerise behind. The pink pony was still fixated on the cave mouth and wasn’t showing any signs of boredom. When Teagan slipped in the tent she found the unit’s medic sitting beside a cot. In the cot, under a heavy blanket Sweetie Belle lay sleeping.

“How is she?” Teagan whispered.

“Well, once Silver Tale got her out of those horrid restraints I was able to get a good look,” the medic said in a low voice. “Somepony had already cast a healing spell on her. Good thing, too. She had four broken ribs, one of which nicked her bowel and caused some internal bleeding. Without a healing spell she might have died from it.”

“Damn. How is she now?” Teagan asked, trying to damp down the wrath that was clawing at her mind, begging her to find and smash the monsters that did this.

“Whoever healed her dealt with the bleeding and started knitting the breaks in the ribs,” the unicorn replied. “They must have wanted her alive. I cast another healing spell to finish patching up her ribs and a sleep spell to let her rest. When she wakes up in the morning she’s going to be really tender for the next few days, but she’ll be able to walk. Fillies are resilient so I’m not worried about the damage to her body.”

“But you are worried about damage to her mind?” Teagan asked, keeping her voice down.

“Yeah. She’s been unconscious since we found her. I’m hoping she’s been unconscious since the troll attacked her. But if she regained consciousness while she was in that torture chamber…” Graceful Star shuddered. “Well, I pray to Celestia she didn’t.”

Just then Sweetie Belle cried out in her sleep and her eyes popped open.

“No! Stop! Please!” She gasped for breath, before catching sight of the unicorn and Teagan watching her with worried expressions.

“Was it just a nightmare?” Sweetie Belle asked. She whimpered as she tried to sit up and fell back, panting. Her face lost its hopeful expression and turned fearful.

“Hi Sweetie Belle. No, it wasn’t a nightmare but we rescued you. You’re safe now,” Teagan knelt and took one of the filly’s hooves in both hands. “Just rest, okay? Everything’s going to be all right.”

“A troll chased me,” Tears started to well up in her eyes. “He caught me and I thought I was going to die! It hurt so bad, Teelo! I tried to run but—”

“Shh, its okay, it’s all over,” Teagan ran her hand over the filly’s mane. “You’re safe now. You’ll be going home soon, I promise. Till then Graceful Star will stay with you. She healed you but the best medicine right now is for you to sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Where are you going?” Sweetie Belle asked fearfully. “Stay with me, Teelo! I’m scared! What if the troll comes back?”

“That’s why I have to go, sweetheart. I’m going to make sure it won’t ever come back,” Teagan said, stroking the filly the way she would a dog. “That troll will never hurt you again. I Pinkie promise.”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened. “You didn’t make the signs, Teelo. You can’t Pinkie Promise unless you do it right!”

Teagan smiled. “Cross my heart,” she did so, “and hope to fly,” she flapped her arms, “stick a cupcake in my eye,” she placed one hand over her eye. “There. Better?”

“Yes,” Sweetie Belle nodded and settled back into her blankets. Graceful Star’s horn started to glow gently. “Night, Teelo,” Sweetie Belle yawned.

“Good night, Sweetie Belle. Sleep well,” Teagan kissed her on the forehead below her horn.

Just before she went under completely the filly murmured “Hi, Princess Lu—,” trailing off into a cute little snore.

A slender, lightly armored unicorn stepped into the tent.

“It’s time to go, Lady Teagan,” she said.

Teagan nodded, giving the peacefully sleeping filly one final look before leaving.

ooOoo

A black unicorn with a fiery red mane and tail stepped up to her and touched her with the red glow from his horn. His cutie mark was an erupting volcano.

“The silence spell only affects you and anything you’re actually touching, Lady Teagan,” the unicorn cautioned her. “But it’s very unstable. If you start moving too quickly the spell will fail. No running, no falling, no jumping. Understand?”

“Yes,” her voice came out muted, as though she were whispering.

Burning Obsidian chuckled. “Yeah, that’s another side-effect. Basically the spell keeps you sneaky until you attack. We use it on night operations.”

Teagan nodded. She was very glad to have the magical assistance. She thought Matt would certainly approve. Cerise shook her head when the unicorn approached her.

“No need,” she said. He nodded and moved on to cast the spell on the rest of the unit.

After the preparations were made the entire unit approached the cliff from the side where the cliff curved inward, giving them a natural hiding place. Meteor Swarm and Burning Obsidian were joined by seven other unicorns forming a long line. The two mages lit their horns and a large area of the cliff face turned even darker, almost black and immediately began to sag and flow. But even before it could touch the ground huge chunks of the dripping mud began to rapidly pass down the line of unicorns to land behind the last one with a soft and vaguely obscene splorch noise.

The digging went rapidly and soon the line of unicorns was advancing step by slow step into the cliff.

Ten minutes later they broke through into the prisoner’s chamber. Heavy Hoof held Teelo and Cerise back as Stomper and three other huge earth ponies (the smallest about Sun Hammer’s size) went into the chamber along with Meteor Swarm

They were only gone a couple of minutes before quietly coming out, each of the big ponies draped with a pair of still bound but conscious mares with disturbingly blank-eyed stares. Meteor Swarm was the last one out. He nodded grimly to Heavy Hoof, who quietly ordered a retreat.

Seeing Teagan’s glare he spoke with that muted spell voice.

“Don’t worry. You’ll get your chance at that troll, Your Majesty. We’re going to make a big flashy entrance to grab their attention. It should lure the dragon into the glue trap in the tunnel. Once he’s stuck you bust in through the back door. We’ll keep the dragon busy while you and Cerise deal with the others. But remember Cerise, you owe me at least one prisoner. I’d prefer the unicorn stallion.

“No promises,” Cerise said, eyes glittering. “You weren’t the one who had to be merciful today.”

Heavy Hoof winced. “Let me have the unicorn mare then. Here, take this,” he reached into a bag slung over his armor and pulled out a large heavy ring. “It’s a magic suppressor. Slip it over her horn as soon as you can. It locks automatically. She won’t be able to cast anything.”

Cerise took the ring.

“How will we know when to attack? I’d rather not have to deal with the dragon and the rest of them,” Teagan asked.

Heavy Hoof smiled. “Oh, you’ll know. Trust me. Once he gets stuck that dragon is going to be angry. Angry dragons tend to be very vocal.”

Cerise chuckled at his understated humor.

“Good luck. You do understand if either of you get yourselves killed it would be very inconvenient for Equestria, right?” The commander asked dryly.

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Cerise said, smiling a very chilling smile. “Don’t keep us waiting long, all right? It’s rude.”

“Well, we can’t have that, now can we?” Heavy Hoof replied. “Be ready. It won’t take long.”

He left, leaving them free to enter the chamber.

ooOoo

The two unicorn brothers hadn’t been lying. Teagan felt her gorge rise as she stepped into a chamber of horrors. A single glance took in the skinned corpses strapped to the bloody operating tables. If she hadn’t already known they were ponies she wouldn’t have been able to guess their species.

The ones who did this will pay, she silently promised the corpses. We’ll never stop hunting them, no matter how long it takes. Crush, get ready.

She felt its eyes open in her mind as she drew the club. Crush seemed to feed on her rage while echoing it back in a slowly building feedback loop. A dull red glow encased the entire club.

She could see where the prisoners had been kept. It almost looked like a bicycle rack, which would hold the bound ponies in a standing position—facing the operating tables. She shuddered, and Crush’s glow began to brighten. Cerise eyed the club with casual interest.

After about ten minutes an amplified voice filtered into the chamber. She couldn’t identify the speaker or what they were saying, but the rhythm and pacing were unmistakably a demand.

Cerise stalked to one side of the tunnel as Teagan raised Crush, waiting for the signal.

Suddenly the whole cavern seemed to vibrate with the loudest roar Teagan had ever heard. In the midst of her barely contained fury it was all she could do not to scream an answering challenge.

Then there came an all too familiar sound, one that sent chills down her spine.

The hissing roar of dragon’s fire.

She wondered if Rolling Thunder had underestimated the dragon’s strength. Before she could worry about it she heard a voice cursing loudly in Trollish in between the dragon’s infuriated bellows.

The chamber door’s door handle moved, and there was the sound of a body coming to an abrupt and unexpected stop on the other side.

Showtime, she thought to Crush. The club didn’t deign to reply, but the glow spread from the length of iron in her hands across her entire body.

Cerise grinned cheerily at her and waved, before crouching.

A smashing blow made the door shudder. There was a pause and then the door flexed a little from the sound of a massive impact, as if someone had thrown themselves bodily against it.

A troll’s roar came from behind the door, followed by a rapid series of blows that echoed around the chamber. The door began to splinter, and then give way, revealing a set of gleaming black claws breaking through the wood. After a few moments the hole was big enough to admit a second set of claws.

A snarl heralded the top part of the door being literally torn apart, revealing the fuming face of an angry troll.

Something snapped inside Teagan. Without thinking she sprang forward, smashing Crush into that hideous face. She struck with all her rage and fury, but (having learned what Crush was capable of) she managed to use only a tiny fraction of its insanely massive magical weight.

There was a loud smack and the troll went flying backward, vanishing from sight. Teagan promptly hit the remains of the door with enough force to make it explode. Shards of iron-hard wood screamed down the tunnel.

“Nice,” Cerise laughed and blurred into motion, disappearing after the troll in the blink of an eye. Teagan took off after the demon-possessed pony, running hard. In seconds she was confronted with the sight of a dragon’s rear end threshing in the exit tunnel while a dead griffin sprawled in a puddle of blood next to the tunnel she knew led to the barracks and living quarters. The troll was slumped against the wall, growling as he pulled a chunk of door out of his arm.

Teagan saw he was male, but beyond the fact he wore no harness and only a black loincloth she had no idea which of the many clans he had belonged to. Not that it mattered. By troll law an outlaw was clanless.

When he saw Teagan he snarled and rose to his feet.

“What is your name?” She asked coldly.

“Why should I tell you, reker?” He snorted.

“So I know what name to put on your tombstone,” Teagan said calmly. “I’m willing to give you that much, you walking corpse.”

That seemed to amuse the troll.

“I am Jern. And I shall need no tombstone, for your final resting place will be in my belly, strange creature. But come, I have told you my name, now tell me yours.”

“I am Teagan Laoise, scion of Clan O’Gara, Lady of Equestria, the Dronning av Fjellet. And this,” she lifted Crush, “is Mountain Heart. Come at me, Jern. It’s long past time you were laid to rest.”

“So those fools crowned a freak?” Jern laughed. “I am not afraid of you, or that overgrown stick. Come at me, little morsel. Once I chomp you for an appetizer I’ll eat that little filly alive for the main course!”

“So sorry to disappoint you, Jern,” Teagan smiled slightly, feeling her rage turn to ice. “She’s gone, along with the half dozen mares you had stashed in your playroom.”

“Not my playroom, Your Deliciousness,” the troll grinned. “That was Rimor’s toy chest you pilfered. Now that he’s gone I’m free to have a little fun. Since I can’t have the filly I’ll just eat a few of those guards outside after I snack on you.”

Roaring the troll charged her, clearly intending to use his weight and reach to simply smash her like a grape. Teagan certainly had no intention of fighting an opponent that weighed ten times what she did on his own terms. She leaped sideways, using Crush to pull her out of harm’s way.

The move actually saved her life as the troll unexpectedly leaped high in the air, lashing out with one taloned foot. The kick would have torn her face off if she hadn’t jumped.

Aware now the outlaw troll was far more dangerous than she’d expected Teagan forced herself to calm down and remember all the lessons Matt had pounded into her stubborn skull over the last year. She instantly shifted Crush into a defensive position, watching the troll warily.

“Surprised you, did I?” Jern laughed mockingly. “I won’t be so easy to lay to rest, Your Puny Majesty. Why don’t you make it easy on yourself and give up? I’ll make it quick.”

“You talk too much,” Teagan replied, scanning him for vulnerable places to strike. She cursed herself for not knowing a troll’s weak points. Oh well. Joints were still joints, even on a troll. She imagined a groin hit would at least distract him, just as it would a man (or woman, Matt’s voice whispered in her head).

Crush could deliver enough striking power to simply obliterate the troll the way she had Chrysalis’s guards. She suspected doing that would bring the cliff down on her head however, so that meant no one hit kills—although she could probably use enough of Crush’s weight to break even troll bones.

Do not let his claws touch you, Crush said in her mind. They are as dangerous to you as I am to him.

Got it. Parry, then counter-attack against his hands or arms. Disable him first, and then kill him.

Good, Crush agreed. Keep him from landing a blow. I will pull you away if you can’t do it yourself.

For all his bravado Jern was cautious as he circled her. She turned in place, carefully placing her feet to stay balanced. She started weaving Crush in a defensive figure-8 that could easily change direction and become an unexpected attack.

It seemed Jern was familiar with club fighting techniques because he widened his circle a half step to prevent a surprise attack.

“You want some help, Teelo?” A calm voice asked. “I could kill him for you, no problem.”

Teagan thought about it as Jern leaped back to evaluate this new threat.

“Sorry, Cerise,” she said regretfully. “I swore I’d be the one to kill him. But thanks. What happened to the unicorns?”

“The old guy vanished,” Cerise said, watching the troll. “He probably teleported out at the first sign of trouble—I dunno why I’m surprised. The head honcho never sticks around to let you squash him. As for the mare, I dropped her before she realized I was a real threat, and ringed her horn for good measure. She’s hogtied and sleeping the sleep of the wicked. Little tramp tried to fry me with a fireball, of all things. What is it with Equestrians and fire spells anyway?”

Jern chuckled again, a huge smirk on his face.

“My, my. Looks like I get desert too. You smell like a bakery, little pony. Oh, by the way, you’re wrong about Glitter. She’s no unicorn. Of course neither one of you will live long enough to discover what she really is.”

“Do tell,” Cerise yawned. “Splatter this chatterbox already, Teelo. I’m missing my beauty sleep.”

“Cliché villain much?” Teagan asked the troll, rolling her eyes.

“Look who’s talking about clichés,” he snorted, and then unexpectedly leaped at her. Playing a hunch Teelo sprang upward, only to see him grin and jump after her, claws slicing toward her foot. Taking advantage of Crush’s disdain of gravity she flipped head downward and smacked the back of his hand using as much of Crush’s weight as she dared. He howled as all the bones of his hand instantly became razor sharp fragments inside tender flesh. He landed awkwardly, cradling his hand and staring at it.

Unfortunately Teagan couldn’t follow through, she needed the time to change direction and flip herself back upright, landing a good twenty feet from him. By the time she recovered he was already in position, arm clamped against his side to hold the shattered hand as still as possible. His other arm was extended in front of him, elbow bent and claws spread.

“It’s over Jern. Give it up and I’ll make it quick,” Teagan said.

“Aldri tispe!” The troll snarled.

“He just called you a bad name,” Cerise said conversationally. “Hey troll! Bet that hand really hurts, doesn’t it?”

“I am going to enjoy filleting you,” he snarled at Cerise without taking his eyes off Teagan.

“Yeah, well I’m a lot more dangerous than she is, Sunny Jim,” Cerise scoffed. “Even if you manage to kill her you’re a thousand years too early to deal with me.”

Now it was Teagan circling a carefully pivoting Jern. Even with Bullet Time the girl had no illusions about Jern being less dangerous than he had been. The troll still had double her reach and only had to get lucky once.

She feinted, provoking Jern into leaping and striking with a kick. She saw the lethal foot headed for her stomach in time to interpose Crush. Jern’s foot hit Crush with the same flat clack that Stomper’s hooves had made. Jern just stopped in mid-air, then fell to the floor on his back as gravity claimed him.

Before he could recover Teagan pivoted sharply and snapped the club across his kneecap, doubling the weight she’d unleashed on his hand.

The troll howled with pain, his leg almost torn in half where Crush had struck. In spite of the agony he must have felt he was already slashing at her with his good hand, trying to slice her open. If Crush hadn’t pulled her away at the last second the troll would have gutted her.

Thanks, she said silently to Crush.

It’s not over. Keep circling him. Force him to keep moving. With any luck he’ll fall unconscious and then we can strike, Crush advised her.

Too busy to register the fact that making the troll keep moving was basically torture, Teagan took Crush’s advice. The troll scrabbled desperately with one good arm and one good leg, snarling in berserk fury, all the while fighting to keep facing her. Teagan abruptly reversed direction, a move the injured troll couldn’t counter. She darted forward and smashed Jern’s outstretched arm.

This time she heard the bone snap. Jern collapsed, giving her a brief opening. She took advantage of it and struck one final time.

It was as though she’d struck a watermelon filled with red and grey pulp. It sprayed everywhere, drenching her. Taking no chances she repeatedly slammed Crush into the troll’s sternum and stomach, using even more of Crush’s immense weight.

By the time she stepped back Jern’s body was little more than a mashed ruin from the waist up, his head more or less non-existent. The stench of his blood and smashed bowels was sickening. She stood with club raised, trying not to vomit on her foe’s corpse as she waited to see if the troll would regenerate like Tišina had.

Of course that’s when Stomper’s squad arrived…

Repercussions

In which our heroine discovers one’s own conscience often condemns actions the world solemnly accepts but secretly applauds.

Stomper took in the scene with a single glance, his face impassive. His companions weren’t quite as stoic. The mare in the group almost managed an equally blank expression, but her stance was stiff and her steps as she surveyed the room—and Jern’s corpse—were choppy and abrupt.

The two remaining stallions were wide-eyed, ears laid back and teeth exposed. One was looking at the blood and brain splattered Teagan, the other at the griffin’s corpse.

“Are there any prisoners?” Stomper asked the room after a moment, not focusing on either Teagan or the flat-maned mare.

“Just one,” Cerise replied easily. “After all I promised Heavy Hoof. The unicorn mare’s tied up and snoozing in the other room.”

“What about the stallion?” He asked, focusing on the pink pony. She wasn’t covered in blood, he was relieved to note, but there was something about her eyes that made him want to back away slowly.

“He teleported out,” she replied with a shrug. “I hate it when they do that. Celestia better keep an ear out or he’ll set up shop somewhere else and then this will happen all over again.”

“Her Highness,” Stomper emphasized the title, “won’t let this go. Whoever that stallion was, he’s going to find it impossible to hide from the Royal Sisters. Night or day, nothing can move without the sun or moon seeing it. And then,” the stallion said grimly, “we’ll deal with him.”

Teagan stepped back from the troll’s remains, instantly gaining the squad’s undivided attention. She let Crush’s tip sink to rest on the floor. The adrenalin from the fight began to leave her, making her shake. The reaction hit her harder than she’d expected it to.

I can help, Crush said inside her head. This is just your body slowing down from the demands you made of it. I can ease the symptoms.

No, Teagan thought back. I killed him. I’ll deal with the consequences myself.

That is foolish, Crush replied sternly. There may be more fighting soon. We don’t know what the dragon’s part in all this was. Unless I help now you will be useless for at least a day!

“Are you all right, Lady Teagan?” Stomper asked carefully.

“Give me a minute. Crush and I are having an argument,” Teagan snapped. She didn’t notice the squad exchange uneasy looks.

“Cut her some slack, ponies. This was her first time,” Cerise said with a smirk. “Bound to be a big deal, right?”

Stomper gave her a chilly look. Cerise beamed at him.

“Show us the prisoner, please,” he growled.

“Right this way,” Cerise lead them through the door into the barracks, leaving Teagan alone with Crush and the dead.

You are the queen, Crush argued. You have responsibilities. This renegade was banished for a reason. You should not feel guilty for killing him. You acted within the Law.

I know he was a monster, Teagan said tiredly. I know that. But I killed him, Crush! I murdered another sentient creature! And he’s not the first one, either!

You executed him, Crush retorted. His own actions doomed him. You may have sought him out to kill him but it was a fair fight. He nearly killed you—twice. He would have eaten you had he succeeded. And remember he wanted to eat the filly as well. Alive. The only way you could stop him was to kill him. You know that. We’ve already had this discussion once. Do not make a habit of this!

That stopped her growing angst. A flicker of rage reignited.

All right, Crush, you win. Teagan thought tiredly. Do it.

Almost instantly her shivering slowed and the cold was replaced by warmth that spread through her. The guilt and shame of what she had done faded but didn’t quite disappear. Although she wasn’t sure what Crush had done, she suspected it involved manipulating her neurochemistry.

This is not without cost, Crush warned her. You must have food very soon, or your body will begin to consume itself. Also, you will not be as fast, nor can you call upon my full weight. I can maintain this state in you for only a few hours. But without this you would not be able to fight at all.

Understood. Thank you, Crush, Teagan replied. Her mind at least was clear again, although she felt curiously detached from her emotions, as though they no longer had a part in her decision making. It wasn’t mushin, that calm state she and Crush could achieve in combat. It almost felt as though she weren’t directly involved, as though someone had asked her opinion on a civil war raging in another country.

Obviously, Jern’s death at her hands was bad, such things always were. But it engendered no particular emotion in her.

Even looking at Jern’s mangled corpse no longer bothered her. Of course, the fact it didn’t bother her should bother her, she supposed. But it didn’t. She wondered what would happen when Crush’s intervention wore off. No doubt there would be a price. There always was.

The squad came out of the barracks, one of the stallions carrying the unconscious unicorn mare across his back. Jern had called her Glitter, Teagan recalled. He had also said she wasn’t a unicorn, whatever that might mean. He could have been lying but she couldn’t see what his motive would have been.

That was a problem for later she decided as Cerise and Stomper came into the chamber. Stomper paused, letting the rest of the squad leave without him.

“Are you all right, Lady Teagan?” He asked, eyeing her up and down.

“I can function, Stomper,” the girl replied calmly. “I will need food right away, however. Crush is doing something to help me recover but if I don’t eat very soon I’ll literally begin to starve to death. Oh, and do any of your unicorns know a spell that can get this gunk off me? I can’t show up in Ponyville looking like this, much less Canterlot.”

He nodded. “Iridescent Myth knows one. She’s always been careful about keeping clean,” In spite of the grimness of the situation a tiny smile fleeted across his muzzle. “She gets no end of teasing about it.”

“Don’t worry, if she can get this stuff off me I promise I’ll never tease her about it,” Teagan replied. She followed Stomper out of the cave and he led her straight to a unicorn mare.

“Hey Myth, Lady Teagan requested you use your bath spell on her,” Stomper said, snickering.

The unicorn’s eyes widened when she saw what Teagan was covered in.

“Oh my,” the mare’s voice was a pleasant low contralto “What happened? You look like one of those griffin savages after a hunting feast!”

“Long story,” Teagan said. “Stomper tells me you can get this guck off me. If you can I’d really appreciate it. I can’t go back to Ponyville looking like this. They’d panic.”

“Of course, of course, come with me,” the mare led her behind some bushes where her horn lit up with an unusual multi-colored glow.

“It runs in my family,” Iridescent Myth said after seeing Teagan’s eyes focus on her horn. Almost immediately Teagan felt a tingling sensation all over her body and the mess floated away from her skin, briefly outlining her like a filthy cloud. With a disgusted look the unicorn gathered the goop into a single ball and flicked her head, making it sail so deep into the woods Teagan didn’t hear it hit the ground.

Checking herself Teagan noticed that not only the solid bits were gone, but so were the bloodstains from her clothes, along with the sweat raised by her fight and its accompanying odor. Her clothes were even dry.

“Thank you so much,” Teagan bowed to the unicorn.

“You’re very welcome. I hope it made you feel better. I know it always does me,” the unicorn replied.

“Yes, it does,” Teagan said, not technically lying. She felt clean and not as cold, which was better, but whatever Crush was doing prevented her from really enjoying her newly clean state. “Now I just have to get some food.”

“You’re hungry?” Myth’s eyebrows went up.

Teagan nodded. “Crush did something to help me recover my strength after the fight, but it said I need to eat right away to pay for the magic.”

“Oh! I’ve heard of spells like that. They’re pretty dangerous,” Myth warned her.

“If any draugr show up I need to be able to fight,” Teagan said as they rejoined the rest of the herd.

Myth shivered. “Yes, I heard about those things. Can’t say I’d want to fight one.”

“That makes two of us,” Teagan replied just as a fluffy maned pink pony came bouncing up to her.

“Hi Teelo! Cerise said you’d be pretty hungry!” The pony said cheerfully. “I brought you some cupcakes! They’ve got peanut-butter centers and lots of yummy cream-cheese icing!”

There was indeed a platter of cupcakes on the pink pony’s broad back.

“Pinkie?” Teagan asked cautiously.

“Yeppers! Sorry for the way Cerise just dumped me in the cellar like that! She said she was super sorry, though. I guess she wanted to get Sweetie Belle back so bad she just barged in and did it. Oh! She said Sweetie Belle’s back and we should go see her after you eat!”

“Sounds like a plan,” Teagan grabbed the plate. “Pardon my rudeness but I’ve got to fuel up, doctor’s orders,” She started to eat the pony-sized cupcakes (each the size of a large human muffin) in huge bites, not noticing what they tasted like, only that each one spurred her to grab and devour the next.

She demolished the entire dozen in a matter of minutes, raising her head to find Iridescent Myth and Pinkie Pie staring at her in amazement.

“That took the edge off,” Teagan said, feeling her hunger fade to the point she could ignore it for the moment.

“Wow, Teelo! That was fantastic!” Pinkie enthused. “You, and me, and Applejack have got to have an eating contest one of these days!”

“Once I get some time to myself,” Teagan nodded, “that sounds like fun. Maybe we can do it just before I go home.”

“Yay!” Pinkie enthused.

“Where did the cupcakes come from?” Myth asked, perplexed.

“I always carry an emergency supply of cupcakes in case there’s a cupcake emergency!” Pinkie said proudly. “You never know when a pony’s gonna need a little pick-me-up,” she smiled beatifically at the unicorn mare.

“Yes but—” Myth started to protest.

Teagan shook her head at the soldier. “We learned not to ask—it’s better that way, trust me.”

ooOoo

They couldn’t leave immediately because there were far too many loose ends to tie up. The largest, of course, being the dragon.

When Teagan joined Heavy Hoof and Meteor Swarm both stopped speaking and turned to her.

“I see you survived your fight with the troll,” Heavy Hoof said snidely. “Any thoughts on what we should do with our large scaly friend over there?”

The end of the dragon’s snout was just visible sticking out the cave entrance. The two ponies didn’t seem overly concerned so Teagan assumed they were out of the dragon’s firing arc.

“How long is he going to be stuck?” Teagan asked.

“Until the spells fail,” Meteor Swarm replied, “Knowing Red Rhyme, that’s at least twelve hours.”

“He seems quiet now,” Teagan observed. “Did you offer him a truce or something?”

Heavy Hoof snorted. “A truce with a dragon? Not likely. He knows we won’t kill him while he’s helpless, so he’s just biding his time and conserving his strength. Once he’s free we’ll be the ones in trouble.”

“So we either need to kill him now, make a deal with him, or run. That about sum it up?” Teagan asked, stifling a yawn.

“Pretty much,” Heavy Hoof agreed. “But running’s not an option. He’s really angry with us. We no doubt cost him a good bit of treasure, a lair and glued him to the ground. He’s gonna want some payback. Ponyville’s the obvious target. But I can’t let you kill him, either. That would have political,” he spat, “ramifications. Other dragons might get their scales in a twist and decide Equestria needs to be taught a lesson. We would win, but a lot of good ponies could die.”

“Which leaves making a deal,” Teagan said, “but that definitely rubs me the wrong way. He was working for that monster, and probably knew what was going on. As far as I’m concerned that makes him as guilty as the rest of them.”

“He’s a dragon, Lady Teagan,” Meteor Swarm retorted. “Dragons consider the rest of us to be lesser creatures. I doubt very much if he cares what ponies do to one another. Remember, dragons are solitary creatures, they aren’t noted for their empathy.”

“True,” Teagan admitted. “I don’t suppose we could arrest him?” she asked idly.

She just couldn’t seem to find the outrage she should be feeling. No doubt due to Crush’s intervention. Part of her felt mildly disappointed she was analyzing this so calmly.

Meteor Swarm chortled. “Arrest him? How, pray tell, would we do that? He’s a hundred feet long and weighs Celestia only knows how many tons. Besides, even if we could arrest him there’s the little matter of not having a jail cell big enough to hold him—not to mention feeding something that big!”

“Okay, so we offer him a deal. How do we talk to him without getting charbroiled?” Teagan asked the unicorn.

The unicorn looked toward the dragon and then looked Teagan up and down.

“Your species are primates, right?” He asked with a big toothy grin.

ooOoo

Meteor Swarm is so lucky I’m in a mellow mood, Teagan thought to herself as she stared at the dragon’s hindquarters. With only a soft sigh to mark her displeasure she leaped, using Crush to extend her jump, landing on the dragon’s back ten feet above the ground.

And this is with him plastered flat on the ground, she groused. If he were on all fours he’d be twice as tall.

The dragon jerked violently under her, making her stumble.

“Hey! Settle down, Godzilla!” She shouted. “I’m coming up to talk to you, so no funny business!”

“You dare, you puny insignificant worm?” The dragon’s snarling bellow answered her. Even with his head glued facing straight forward it was loud enough to make her clap her hands over her ears.

“Yeah, yeah. Bellow all you like. You’re still not going anywhere until we say so,” Teagan retorted, jogging up his spine. She saw his wings instinctively try to spread, slamming into the tunnel walls. It elicited another bellow, this time of outraged pain.

“See? Misbehave and you’re just going to hurt yourself.”

She stopped at his shoulders, not caring to risk the narrow neck lest the dragon try to shake her off and bite her in half. She sat down, straddling the relatively slender portion of the dragon’s neck where it was still thin enough for her to do so. The lower portion of his neck was a full yard across.

“All right, tall, blue, and gruesome, listen up. I’ve got a proposal for you,” Teagan announced.

“What makes you think I care?” The dragon said, one ear swiveling back to face her.

“Well, the way I see it there are two ways this can go,” Teagan said. “Either we let you go or we kill you. Now personally, I’d rather kill you. At least three ponies are dead because of that monster. Since you were working for him in my eyes you’re as guilty as he is. On the other hand, I’m told the other dragons might get in a snit if we do that. Since this is Princess Celestia’s country and she’s a friend of mine I really don’t want to cause her any more trouble than you already have.”

“The alternative is we let you go. You leave Equestria and never come back. We know what you look like and very soon we’ll know your name. You come back and it’s open season on a certain cerulean Draconis Occidentalis, politics be damned. Understand me?”

Her perch started shaking, as the dragon began to snicker. The snicker grew to a chuckle, then the chuckle became laughter, and the laughter soon turned into helpless gales of mirth.

Teagan waited patiently for the dragon to settle again.

“Oh my scales and talons! That was hilarious,” the dragon finally managed. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in two hundred years!”

“Glad I could make you laugh. Now what’s it going to be? Because I really don’t care if you live or die right now,” Teagan said calmly.

“Wait, you were serious?” The dragon asked incredulously. “As if a miniscule little pony could ever hurt me,” he started to chuckle again. “Not only can’t you hurt me, you’re a pony. You won’t even try! There’s not one predatory bone in your entire body and we both know it.”

“Really?” Teagan laughed gently for effect though she didn’t feel amused. “Care to bet your life on that? Because I’m not a pony.”

“So what are you then? A troll? Maybe a griffin?” He snorted. “Please! I’ve spent the last two months enduring the posturing of those two lame-brained rabbit eaters. If I were a hatchling you might be a credible threat, pinned down like this, but I’m a big dragon now, little missy. My scales can shrug off a troll’s claws, much less a griffin’s talons.”

“Funny you should mention that,” Even under Crush’s emotional muting Teagan felt stirrings of amusement. “I’m kin to both ponies and trolls, but biologically speaking I’m neither one.”

“Oh?” The dragon sounded curious. “I didn’t know a troll and a pony could produce offspring. Mind coming around where I can see you? I can’t even imagine what you must look like.”

Teagan laughed, genuine amusement seeping through Crush’s emotional buffer for the first time.

“Nice try, but I don’t feel like getting roasted. Besides, I’m not a pony/troll hybrid. I’m actually a human. But I am Queen of the trolls.”

“Is that supposed to impress me?” The dragon asked in a bored tone. “I don’t know what a human is but I doubt you’re any more dangerous than a troll. A queen of rabbit eaters is still just a rabbit eater.”

“Ever heard of Discord?” Teagan asked casually.

“Of course,” the dragon replied. “Are you claiming to be him now?”

“Oh no. But I did defeat him in a one-on-one fight,” Teagan said. “I helped defeat his sister Tišina too. She was a dragon—well, dragon shaped. She was actually a goddess.”

“Bravado is one thing,” the dragon said in a warning tone, “but lying isn’t even slightly amusing. No rabbit eater could defeat a dragon, much less a god.”

“I did. Two of them, although I did have some help. My name is Teagan Laoise O’Gara. Maybe you’ve heard of me? Perhaps as Lady Teagan or maybe the Dronning av Fjellet?”

“Sorry,” the dragon said, yawning. “I don’t pay much attention to the lesser races. They’re like mayflies. Most don’t live past a century. By the time you get to know one they’re already dead, so why bother?”

Teagan sighed.

“You’re going to make me get your attention then.” Teagan drew Crush and laid it across the dragon’s neck. She kept it balanced with both hands. “What should I call you, dragon?”

“My name is Caelum Tonitru Genuisset,” the dragon said with a sneer. “The lesser races know me as Thunder.”

“Well, Thunder, I have a question for you. How tough are dragon bones?” Teagan asked.

“Tougher than dragon scales,” he said. “Why?”

“Because I’d really hate to hurt you accidentally. Say uncle when you want me to stop,” Teagan said.

Start getting heavier, Crush. Start with five hundred pounds and slowly increase it.

She felt the club grow steadier, pressing more firmly against the dragon’s neck.

“Well?” The dragon asked after a couple of minutes. “Are you going to do something or not?”

“You asked for it,” Teagan replied.

Crush, what are you up to?

Eight hundred pounds, The club replied.

Take it up to two thousand, and speed up the weight gain a bit, Teagan thought back.

The dragon grunted.

“Is somebody else up there?” He asked suspiciously. “There is, isn’t there?”

“Just my little friend Crush,” Teagan replied easily. “Say hello, Crush.”

Go to three thousand, she thought.

The club sank just a fraction of an inch and the dragon drew in a breath.

“Ready to say uncle?” She asked. “After all, I’m not trying to hurt you, Thunder, just get your attention. You can ask me to stop whenever you like.”

“Dragons do not ask lesser races for anything,” he said with a sniff. “I don’t know what you’re doing but it’s not going to work.”

Four thousand, Crush.

The club was clearly laying in a dent on top of the dragon’s neck now. The dragon remained silent.

“Are you all right?” Teagan asked.

“Just fine,” the dragon said blandly. “Get on with whatever it is you plan to do. I’m getting bored. I may fall asleep here.”

“Oh we can’t have that,” Teagan said.

Five thousand

The dragon stiffened.

Six thousand

She could tell Thunder was beginning to struggle against the weight, three tons concentrated on a spot two inches wide and perhaps four inches long on his neck vertebra was something even a full grown dragon couldn’t ignore.

“I can keep this up all day, Thunder,” Teagan said calmly. “Do I have your attention?”

The dragon stubbornly refused to answer.

“You’re being stupid, you know,” Teagan said. “Much more weight and you’ll suffer an injury. Injuries that Crush inflicts can’t be healed. Do you really want to risk being paralyzed? Are dragons that idiotic?”

“Enough,” the dragon rumbled. “You’ve made your point and have my attention. But understand I will remember this for a very, very long time, queen of the trolls,” His tone was menacing.

Teagan ordered Crush to lessen its weight fairly quickly, but not all at once. She thought she felt Thunder relax as the weight came off.

“Now, let’s talk…” Teagan said calmly.

ooOoo

“He was a mercenary,” Teagan said to Heavy Hoof as the unit headed back to Ponyville at what was a sedate walking pace for the large ponies but a brisk walk for the girl. She didn’t know if she would be able to maintain the pace all the way back, but wasn’t in the mood to ask the Commander for favors.

“Someone stole his horde while he was out hunting. Without his gems he was forced to scrounge for more. While he was scrounging he came across a certain unicorn stallion—whose name is Dr. Rimor by the way—and like any mad scientist worth his salt, the good doctor immediately offered the dragon a job. Double his normal intake of gems and gold.”

“Double? For that dragon?” Heavy Hoof asked incredulously. “I know you said this organization was well funded but that’s ridiculous. Where would Rimor come up with that many gems?”

“I’m betting from the dragon’s own hoard,” Teagan said. “No way this wasn’t a setup.”

“What do you mean?” Meteor Swarm asked, confused.

“The monster wanted a dragon, right? But there’s no way a dragon would lower themselves to work for a member of a lesser species—unless that dragon was desperate.”

“So how did Rimor steal the dragon’s hoard?” Meteor Swarm asked skeptically. “Have you ever seen a dragon’s hoard? It weighs tons! More than the dragon even.”

“Rimor makes draugrs,” Teagan said. “Take one or two of those and have them turn the stone under the hoard into the same kind of rock they swim through, and the hoard steals itself.”

“Assuming draugr can do that,” Heavy Hoof added. “Still, nothing says Rimor himself couldn’t have snuck in and cast a spell. If so he’s one twisted unicorn—and brilliant too. That’s the last thing you want in an opponent.”

“You mean like flying Sweetie Belle south while we were looking north?” Teagan asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Point taken,” the stallion admitted. “Did the dragon know about Rimor’s experiments?”

“Yes. But like Meteor Swarm said he wasn’t concerned with the affairs of the lesser races. As long as he got gems for his hoard he didn’t care. Mayflies, he called us.”

“That’s why you didn’t kill him?” Heavy Hoof asked acerbically.

“That—and I didn’t want to cause any more trouble for Princess Celestia,” Teagan said easily. “It’s already been a busy day for me. And you know something else? Stormwind really did predict the future.”

“How so?” Meteor Swarm asked curiously.

“He kept saying I was going to go on a dragon hunt,” Teagan said with a faint smile.

ooOoo

By the time they reached Ponyville Teagan was nearing the end of her strength. When she crossed the bridge over the river she stumbled and would have fallen if Pinkie hadn’t caught her by suddenly turning in front of her.

“Whoa, Teelo, you okay?” Pinkie asked in concern.

“I’m exhausted, Pinkie. That march back nearly finished me,” Teagan said, leaning on the pink mare’s broad back. She straightened up.

“What you need is a pick-me-up!” Pinkie said confidently. “Come to Sugarcube Corner and I’ll whip us up a little supper, okay?”

“Sounds good to me,” Teagan said gratefully. “I’m starving again.”

Before they could split off from the main herd it seemed like most of the population of Ponyville was surrounding them.

“Did you find her?” Rarity asked desperately. “Is she safe? Is she all right?”

Heavy Hoof rescued Teagan by stepping up beside her.

“May I have everyone’s attention please?” He spoke in a loud commanding voice that stilled the chattering of the crowd.

“I am happy to announce our mission was a success. We retrieved the filly and our medic assures me that while she will be stiff and sore for a few days, she is otherwise in good health. Unfortunately, it appears the group responsible for foalnapping the filly also abducted eight other ponies, six of whom we were able to rescue. They, however, will be taken to the Ponyville hospital for further treatment as they sustained a number of injuries during their captivity.”

“You said eight ponies had been abducted,” Twilight interjected. “What about the other two?”

“Regrettably, the other two ponies were so badly injured they died shortly after we arrived, but before we were able to overcome the foalnappers,” Heavy Hoof said in a solemn tone that shocked the crowd into stillness.

“A description of the six mares we rescued has been created and will be posted in the town hall tomorrow. We would appreciate anypony knowing one of the rescued mares to tell Mayor Mare who they are so we can contact their families. Thank you.”

“What about the other two ponies?” Twilight insisted, stepping closer to the taller stallion in an unconscious dominance display.

“That information is restricted, Your Highness. I will happily brief you in private,” Heavy Hoof said in the neutral tone that warned listeners the subject was closed.

“What? Well, all right,” Twilight said uncertainly.

“Pinkie and I were going to have a light supper, Twilight. Why don’t you and Heavy Hoof accompany us?” Teagan said quietly. “That way we can fill you in on the details.”

Twilight hadn’t been a princess for very long, but she’d learned enough to take a hint.

“All right, what about the others?” Twilight asked.

“I suppose the Bearers should be present,” Heavy Hoof said after a moment. “But no others.”

“I have to see to my sister,” Rarity said. “I’ll find out the details tomorrow, darling.”

After a few more minutes the crowd split up, citizens remaining in the square to gossip and worry while the others went their own ways.

Once inside Sugarcube Corner Teagan promptly collapsed on the bench Pinkie had produced, seemingly out of nowhere, while the pink mare and Fluttershy headed for the kitchen to make everyone something to eat.

“All right, Commander,” Twilight said in a crisp no-nonsense tone. “What happened to those ponies? Why is the information restricted?”

“Because we couldn’t identify the remains,” Heavy Hoof said, scowling.

“What? Just tell us their color and cutie marks,” Rainbow Dash interjected, “same as the others!”

Heavy Hoof gave her a flat look. “I can’t do that,” he said glaring.

Taken aback the pegasus blurted, “Why not?”

“Because we couldn’t find their hides!” he snapped. “The monsters skinned them alive. Their hides weren’t in the cave. Maybe the Horns will be able to identify them.”

The shocked silence that followed was marked with shrunken irises in the three Bearers still at the table. Applejack recovered first.

“The low-down slimy varmints,” she snarled. “Tartarus is too good fer ‘em!”

“You probably shouldn’t tell Pinkie or Fluttershy,” Teagan cautioned them.

“But Pinkie was there,” Twilight objected. “She already knows, doesn’t she?”

“Cerise was there, Twilight,” Teagan responded. “I don’t think Pinkie knows the details about the two dead ponies. I’d rather spare her that. Especially considering what Cerise had to do.”

“What did she do?” Applejack asked in a voice filled with dread.

“They were still alive when she found them,” Teagan said quietly. “She gave them mercy.”

“I—I don’t understand,” Rainbow Dash said in a small voice. “If they were okay when she found them—”

“No, Rainbow,” Teagan said. “They were alive but they weren’t okay. There was no saving them and they were in unimaginable agony. She said they couldn’t even scream anymore. So she ended their pain.”

“Sweet Celestia,” Applejack moaned. “Are you sayin’—”

Heavy Hoof nodded. His face was completely blank. “Don’t blame Cerise. If it had been me strapped to that table I’d be thanking her from the Elysium Fields every single day for doing what she did.”

Tears started falling from Rainbow Dash’s eyes, but she remained otherwise silent and grim-faced. Applejack looked sick, and Twilight was obviously grief stricken.

“Those poor ponies,” she finally said. “What did you do with the foalnappers?” Twilight’s voice was high and tight, as though she were fighting back tears.

“The stallion in charge escaped,” Heavy Hoof reported. “He teleported out as soon as it was clear their defenses had been breached. Cerise killed the griffin in the group but managed to capture the unicorn mare alive. Lady Teagan killed the troll.” His voice was carefully neutral, revealing no emotion. “There was also a full grown dragon aiding the group, we were forced to banish him as there was no way to capture him. He called himself Thunder, but we have his full name and the Guard will be alerted to attack him on sight should he be found inside Equestria after this.”

“Did you discover anything about the stallion in charge?” Twilight asked.

“Just his name, Dr. Rimor, and his general appearance,” Heavy Hoof replied. “He’s late middle-age or slightly older. He’s dangerously intelligent, and he knows how to teleport.”

“Why were they abducting ponies and—skinning—them?” The alicorn asked, shuddering.

“Cerise said he was creating undead, something called draugrs. My second tells me draugrs are incredibly dangerous, that two draugrs could kill all of Rolling Thunder.”

Applejack whistled.

“Just two of them things could take ya’all out? Celestia have mercy! How many of them things are there now?”

“No idea,” Heavy Hoof said grimly. “Worst case, we could be looking at a small army of the things if Rimor’s been at this long enough.”

“Princess Celestia must be alerted at once!” Twilight exclaimed. Heavy Hoof nodded and hoofed her a scroll.

“This is my preliminary mission report. It contains everything Rolling Thunder knows about Rimor and draugrs, including speculation.”

“I’ll see she gets this as soon as we return to Canterlot,” Twilight said fervently. “We must leave at once!”

“No,” Teagan said, shaking her head. “Crush cast some kind of spell to help me recover. I have to eat now or Crush said my body will start to consume itself.”

The alicorn’s eyes widened. “Teelo, that kind of spell is incredibly dangerous! You have to stop using it!”

“I didn’t have much choice. For all we knew draugrs could have crashed the party,” Teagan said tiredly. “Don’t worry, as soon as I’ve eaten again Crush will end the spell. You’ll probably have to carry me to the chariot, though. I’m likely going to crash pretty hard.”

“I’d better go make sure Pinkie knows what to make for you. You need a special mix of nutrients after a spell like that.” Twilight jumped up and rushed to the kitchen.

“Always an egghead,” Rainbow said, shaking her head. “You okay, Teelo?”

“I am right now,” Teagan replied. “But I’m gonna need some serious downtime for the next day or so.”

“Yer welcome ta stay with us, Sugarcube,” Applejack offered. “We got plenty o’ room.”

“Thanks, but I need to let the trolls know what’s happened, especially Søyle,” Teagan said. “We’ll just delay leaving for a day or two. It’ll be fine.”

ooOoo

After dinner, including extra pony-sized helpings for Teagan, Crush ended the spell it had been using on her.

The effect was somewhat dramatic. Teagan started to shiver, stood up, and would have fallen on her face if Twilight’s magic hadn’t caught her.

“Man, she wasn’t kidding,” Rainbow Dash observed. “She crashes harder than me!”

The alicorn would have been frantic if she hadn’t already been familiar with the aftermath of similar spells. Bidding goodnight to her friends and the wing commander she carried Teagan outside and bundled her into the chariot. She ordered the two pegasi pulling it to keep the takeoff as smooth as possible.

Teagan spent the entire flight unconscious.

Reflections

In which our heroine slumbers while events proceed apace.

As the chariot came in to land Twilight lifted Teagan slightly so the jarring wouldn’t wake her. She needn’t have bothered since the only way she could tell when wheels met stone was a slight increase in the noise. She stepped clear as the chariot stopped, keeping the unconscious girl floating ahead of her.

When she arrived at the Ghrian suite the two unicorns flanking the suite entrance bowed to her and one of them rapped quietly on the door. It opened almost immediately to reveal Søyle looming behind it. The troll’s expression hardened when she saw Teagan floating unconscious in Twilight’s magic.

Before the troll could demand an explanation Twilight held a hoof in front of her mouth and made a shushing noise, then motioned the troll to step back. When Søyle warily did so Twilight moved past her.

“Which is Teelo’s room?” Twilight asked quietly. Wordlessly the troll pointed. Twilight opened the door to find the chamber lit only by the light spilling from the main chamber. She found Emma already asleep in the ridiculously large bed—which could have comfortably held a pair of trolls. Twilight turned down the covers with her magic and tucked the unconscious girl into bed then quietly retreated and closed the door behind her. Turning around she suddenly found a slate green wall in front of her and felt herself lifted by the scruff of the neck.

“Ow, ow, ow!” She yelped, spreading her wings instinctively to keep her balance.

“What did you do to my queen?” Søyle asked in a hissing growl that made Twilight’s irises shrink in terror. She was glaring at the alicorn.

“No-no-nothing!” Twilight protested.

“The Dronning was fine when she went to see you! You bring her back and she is senseless. What did you do?”

Twilight was standing on her rear hooves, the troll’s grip on the back of her neck bringing tears to her eyes. She tried to shift her weight and instinctively fluttered her wings to keep Søyle’s pull from ripping out a huge chunk of her mane

“Teelo fought the renegade troll!” Twilight blurted. “She killed it! Crush used a spell to help her recover from the fight because they were afraid she’d have to fight draugrs. But that kind of spell always exacts a toll later! When the spell ended, she collapsed. She’ll be fine, I promise! She’s already had a big meal, all she needs is sleep. She isn’t injured, she’s just exhausted!”

“You swear this?” Søyle growled, showing more teeth than Twilight had ever wanted to see that close to her muzzle. Her eyes crossed trying to focus on the gleaming white—and more importantly sharp—collection of mouth knives hovering over her. She’d never really noticed that trolls had fangs before…

“You have my word, as a Princess of Equestria,” Twilight said, summoning what little dignity she could while shivering. Søyle straightened, lowering the pony until her front hooves touched the floor.

“We shall see, Princess of Ponies,” Søyle’s expression had turned neutral. “It is fortunate I was the troll you encountered tonight. The others would have taken this—badly. Very badly. There would have been blood.”

“Blood?” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Are you saying they would have attacked me?”

“And then leveled the castle,” Søyle said seriously. “You were stupid to bring her here like that. I have learned restraint from my husband, Your Highness. None of the others understand pony ways nearly so well, save perhaps Alene Hule.”

“You do understand if I were hurt Princess Celestia would—take it badly, right?” Twilight said cautiously. “She couldn’t ignore something like that.”

“I understand this, Princess, and to honor the Dronning’s wishes I will not be the claw that brings war between us,” Søyle stared down at the alicorn. “But be aware the others are not so perceptive. For the sake of both our peoples, do not be so stupid again.”

“I don’t understand! How was I stupid? I was bringing her back so she could rest! I never hurt her!” Twilight objected, beginning to feel the first stirrings of indignation.

Søyle sighed.

“You must think simply, Your Highness. You must see the world as a troll would,” Søyle said. “All trolls are sworn to protect the Kongen and the Dronning. By summoning her you took personal responsibility for her safety. She was hale when she left, yet when you returned she was unconscious, helpless, and in your power. To most it would be obvious you had betrayed her and were flaunting it—that you had foresworn yourself. To trolls this is an evil beyond bearing. Seeing what I saw, and knowing their duty, they would not hesitate. Do you understand now?”

Twilight felt a chill sweep through her.

“How can trolls think that way?” She asked plaintively. “That’s not logical.”

“No, it is not logical,” Søyle agreed. “It is simple. If a troll sees an evil they kill it. That is the Law. It is proper. Evil must not be allowed to live, lest it destroy us all. The World Below is not a place that forgives those who hesitate.”

“But I wasn’t being evil!” Twilight protested, indignation turning to annoyance. “I was helping.”

“It did not appear so,” Søyle said. “We both know ponies and trolls see the world very differently. The Dronning wishes ponies and trolls to live in peace. For that to happen there is much about ponies trolls must learn. But it is also true ponies must learn more about trolls as well. Tonight it was your turn to learn. Be happy you survived the lesson. In the World Below those who fail such tests are seldom given a second chance.”

Twilight stared at the impassive troll, appalled.

ooOoo

Fjell stared at the trolls seated around the large table, outwardly untroubled.

“A pony draugr came into this very room not five hours past,” he rumbled, “swimming through the floor like a days-dead fish. The Deepest Dark has awakened.”

Among humans or ponies such an announcement would have provoked panic and instant bedlam. Had Truth Speaker, for example, been present at the meeting he would have been dumbfounded by the complete lack of reaction from the notoriously volatile trolls.

After considering the matter in silence for several minutes one gnarled ancient troll with skin faded to dull silver spoke.

“You are fortunate, Kongen. Why did the styggedom not slay you and ravage the caverns?”

“It was an emissary, Varig,” the Kongen’s disgust was plain in his twisted features, “although it would not name its master Had its message achieved the intended effect it would not have had to raise so much as one diseased hoof, for we would have done the deed ourselves. Fortunately, its master miscalculated.”

“And what was this message that would have caused us to destroy ourselves?” Varig asked.

“I will not repeat it,” the Kongen said calmly, “for the matter is now resolved. Let it lie forgotten and still, as corpses should. It is the draugr’s master we should concern ourselves with.”

“Who is this master?” Another troll asked, so old its massive muscles had vanished with time, leaving a thin wiry troll that would have given the CMC nightmares.

“I know not, Tynn,” Fjell shook his head. “Living or dead, troll, pony, or other, it lurks in the Deeper Dark. But we must prepare. I have alerted Alene Avgrunn to the peril. He assures me the Alene will look to Hejm’s wards. Whatever hole this abomination used to worm its way into the World Below the first time, it will not find a second visit quite so easy.”

“You all remember the tales of old, when last the Deepest Dark tested us,” Fjell continued. “Grim tales of magic and steel, the claws of every troll united against the hordes of the dead. If such times come again they will not find us wanting.”

“What of the ponies?” Sannheten asked, “Our new kinfolk.”

Several trolls chuckled in spite of the serious atmosphere of the council chamber.

“I have given a message to Truth Speaker to send to Princess Celestia, warning her of the danger,” Fjell said impassively. “For I doubt very much the Deepest Dark will spare them if the rest of us fall. Those ponies living in Hejm have as much stake in this as any at this table. Do not forget they are now a troll clan.”

“And the Dronning?” Sannheten pressed. “Where is she in this time of need? Mountain Heart should be here, Kongen Fjell.”

There were several growls of agreement around the table.

“That is what we must decide this night,” the Kongen said. “The Dronning has done remarkable things, and wields Mountain Heart with skill and daring. Yet she is not yet grown and has no familiarity with true battle, having fought only single opponents up till now, mighty though they were. We must weigh her inexperience against the need to have Mountain Heart here with us.”

As the debate began Fjell settled back in his chair to listen carefully. He made sure to get comfortable, for he knew the meeting would last for hours. He also knew it would grow heated as all sides hammered out a consensus.

There was a reason the council table was made of the toughest, most durable stone trolls knew of, magically reinforced by the Alene.

ooOoo

Celestia looked up as a knock sounded on her private office door.

“Come in,” she called, setting aside yet another of the endless stream of scrolls that crossed her desk.

When the door opened to reveal her favorite ex-student, Celestia smiled in genuine pleasure. That smile faded as the purple alicorn slunk into the room, head down. The Princess studied her fellow royal with growing concern. The look on Twilight’s face was one of confusion and sadness mixed with a trace of fear.

“What’s the matter?” Celestia asked gently. “Did something go wrong with the rescue effort? Was anypony hurt?”

“No, Princess,” Twilight’s voice sounded tired and uncertain. Celestia had often seen Twilight like this growing up. Whenever the young unicorn had made some kind of fundamental mistake it always seemed to rock the foundations of her world. Celestia had seldom had much trouble jollying her student out of her funk because the errors were never truly earthshaking.

But now that Twilight was a princess the implications of such a crisis of confidence were disquieting.

“You seem troubled,” Celestia said. “What’s the matter? You may no longer be my student Twilight, but you are still my friend. You can tell me. And remember, when we’re alone, it’s Tia, not Princess.”

Her light hearted quip was met with silence. Twilight sighed and visibly collected herself. Celestia could feel every muscle in Twilight’s body turn rigid with self-control as the purple alicorn lifted her head. It made the solar diarch wince inside to see it although millennium-long habit kept her expression one of friendly concern.

“Before I get into that, there’s something else that needs addressing, Princess Celestia,” Twilight said with careful formality. “I wish to report that Sweetie Belle is home safely. Rolling Thunder found the foalnappers lair, which is now under our control. We suffered no casualties, although the leader of the foalnappers escaped. The details are in Heavy Hoof’s report,” she floated the scroll over to Celestia’s desk where it landed silently.

“That’s wonderful news, Twilight!” Celestia said warmly. “Why don’t you give me the highlights now? I’ll study the report in detail later.”

Twilight’s stance tightened even more and she refused to meet her mentor’s eyes. “The foalnappers consisted of two unicorns, a griffin, a troll, and a dragon,” she said in a carefully controlled voice. “There were signs that a pack of diamond dogs had been there as well, but Rolling Thunder didn’t encounter any of them. Evidence suggests the group had been there for at least a month, probably longer. They,” Twilight winced, “had foalnapped eight other ponies besides Sweetie Belle.”

“Oh dear,” Celestia murmured. “Are those ponies all right?”

“No,” Twilight said in a heavy voice. “One mare and stallion are dead, the other six mares are nearly comatose, and have probably been driven insane by their ordeal,” Twilight swallowed as she paused.

“Princess, the two dead ponies had been skinned alive. They were still alive when Cerise found them but,” Twilight closed her eyes, “she said they co—couldn’t scream anymore. So she, she…oh Celestia, she killed them,” Twilight’s eyes opened, showing white all the way around. “Heavy Hoof, he said, he said…” Twilight sank to her knees and burst into sobs.

Celestia hurried to the wailing alicorn and gathered her in with her wings, her face showing tender concern. But even her legendary control couldn’t quite stop the spark of light that ran up and down her horn.

ooOoo

Emma woke with a start, her fuzzy mind trying to latch onto what had woken her. For a minute she couldn’t remember where she was. Then the sound came again, a low moan from behind her. Startled she turned over quickly, seeing another sleeper in the dim light of the chamber.

Everything came flooding back.

“Lights,” she commanded and the magic globes obediently lit up, revealing a sweat-drenched Teagan, lying on her back, sprawling bonelessly under the covers. The red-haired girl suddenly jerked upright, biting off a scream as her eyes flew open.

“Are you okay?” Emma asked anxiously.

Teagan’s head snapped around. Her glare made Emma gasp and draw back. Tears were flowing down Teagan’s face and her green eyes were wild and fierce. She raised an arm to strike even as her whole body shuddered with the force of the sobs she was fighting to keep silent.

After a moment she came back to herself and lowered her hand. Emma tried a little smile, only for Teagan to turn her back and curl up tightly.

“I’m not safe to be around, Emma,” Teagan said in a juddering voice. “I’m a killer, I’m dangerous.”

“No you’re not. You had to kill those bug-unicorns or we’d have died,” Emma said softly. “They were psychotic. It was self-defense.”

“I’m not talking about them,” came the muffled response. Teagan started rocking.

“I killed a troll tonight, Emma. One of the kidnappers. His name was Jern,” she squeezed herself into an even smaller ball. “He threatened to eat Sweetie Belle.”

“Oh, God!” Emma put her hands over her mouth, “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, she was pretty beat up, but she’ll be okay. Wish I could say the same about the others,” Teagan’s voice was bitter.

“They kidnapped more kids?” Emma asked, feeling sick.

“No. Full grown ponies. Two dead and six insane. Not to mention the one killed by diamond dogs,” she replied. “To top it all off the kidnappers’ boss got away,” she slammed a fist into the mattress. “Damn it! I couldn’t even do that right!”

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” Emma protested. “You were going in blind. You couldn’t know. Besides, you weren’t alone. There was a whole platoon with you and they couldn’t stop him either.”

“I’m a queen, Emma! I’m supposed to be on top of things so stuff like this doesn’t happen!” Teagan groaned. “What good does having a magic club do if you’re not there to smash the bad guys?”

“You can’t be everywhere, Teelo,” Emma retorted. “You’re not Superman.”

“No, I’m just a stupid tenth grader pretending to be a hero,” Teagan’s voice was almost unintelligible from the effort of suppressing her weeping. “If I was a real queen I’d have been there for Sweetie Belle. I’d have driven them off!”

“That’s crazy and you know it,” Emma said, sliding over and trying to hug her friend. Teagan refused to uncurl, forcing Emma to abandon the attempt.

“You’re not God,” the brown haired girl said more quietly. “This wasn’t your fault.”

“I want to believe that, I really do,” Teagan said. “Did you know I couldn’t keep up with the platoon? I had to use Crush to go part of the way, and ride Pinkie the rest. Some hero, huh? Without Crush I’m worthless.”

“Bull. Didn’t you say you managed to save Celestia before you got Crush?” Emma asked. “Isn’t she supposed to be the life of this world? You saved the world without Crush, Teelo! Without all that Krav Maga stuff, without being queen of the trolls. But you still did it! You aren’t worthless! You’ve saved this world twice, remember? Cut yourself some slack. You can’t do everything.”

“I didn’t do a damn thing when Tišina showed up,” Teelo muttered. “I was just sort of along for the ride. I didn’t fight her. I wasn’t the one who found her lair. I didn’t even come up with one single solitary idea that helped defeat her.”

“Søyle thinks differently,” Emma replied. “She believes in you. So do Flint and Skrent—and the troll king. Not to mention I do too.”

“No offense, Emma, but you’re hardly an expert on the subject,” Teelo sighed but uncurled.

“You know what you need?” Emma said, growing obnoxiously chipper. “Chocolate! Do they have chocolate here?”

“I am a little hungry,” Teelo admitted. “And yeah, they have chocolate. But it’s really late. What time is it?”

“Two AM,” said Emma, looking at the grandfather clock across the room.

“Are you nuts? We can’t wake up somebody in the middle of the night just so I can have some chocolate!” Teelo objected.

“You need it,” Emma said sternly, getting out of bed. She picked up her jeans and started struggling into them.

“Emma, stop,” Teelo said, sitting up. “This isn’t right. How would you like it if somebody woke you up in the middle of the night?”

“Did you forget Princess Luna stays up all night?” Emma asked, arching an eyebrow. “This castle works around the clock, day or night. Didn’t you know that? I thought you were an expert on Equestria!”

“Yeah, I guess I did know about Luna. How did you know?” Teelo asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. “You’ve only been here a few hours.”

“I asked,” Emma said. “Lantana is really nice. She answered a lot of my stupid questions after dinner. Søyle filled in the rest.”

“You know, I’m beginning to think you were right,” Teelo said, yawning widely enough to stress her jaw muscles.

“I’m always right,” Emma grinned at her. “But what was I right about this time?”

“About me being able to use your help this summer,” Teagan replied. “The way you get along with the ponies and the trolls is amazing. They don’t scare you at all. Pity your parents ordered you to come home, no ifs, ands, or buts.”

“Yeah, about that…” Emma said unhappily. “Princess Celestia said they can’t send me back tomorrow—probably not for three more weeks until Subtle Dancer gets out of the hospital.”

“What? Oh, crap,” Teagan said, the bad news snapping her out of her funk. “Your parents are gonna freak.”

“She said we stirred things up too much in the forest. The only ponies that can open the portal are Subtle Dancer, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna,” Emma explained. “She said the council wouldn’t permit her or her sister into the Everfree until things settled down. By that time Subtle Dancer will be out of the hospital anyway.”

“That’s just great,” Teagan fumed. “I can’t take you with me to Hejm and I really don’t want you here alone in Canterlot. By the way, it’s Bridge, Emma, not portal. This isn’t a video game.”

“Tomato, tomahto,” Emma waved Teagan’s objection away as she tied her shoes. “Now, let’s get you some chocolate.”

“Don’t you mean us?” Teagan gave her friend a half smile. “I can’t believe you’d pass up chocolate, you chocoholic. Especially the chocolate they have here in the castle. It’s so good it’s sinful.”

Emma shook her head. “Normally, I would but I ate way too much at dinner. Even with filly-sized portions I was waddling. Anymore and I’ll explode.”

She left the bedroom and opened the main suite door. One of the unicorns turned to her.

“Yes, Lady Emma?” The unicorn’s tone was polite but his expression was neutral.

“How do I get a pound of chocolate? Teelo’s crashing and she needs a serious chocolate fix to snap her out of it.”

“Crashing?” The unicorn asked, startled, suddenly giving her his full attention. “What do you mean? Does she need a doctor?”

“She needs chocolate,” Emma said patiently. “She’s had one hell of a day. She’s emotionally drained and border-line traumatized. Trust me on this, it’s a human thing. Chocolate. Where?”

“In your chamber there is a bell-pull,” the guard said. “If you use it the maid on duty will attend you. She can get whatever you require.”

“What does a bell pull look like?”

“It’s the velvet rope with a hoof ring on the end,” the unicorn explained, “hanging next to the headboard.”

“Thanks, uh…”

“Blazing Hammer,” the unicorn replied.

“Thanks, Blazing Hammer. You’re a real life saver!” Emma smiled at him and went back inside.

Once the door was closed the unicorn shook his head and resumed his post.

“Humans,” he muttered softly. His partner simply nodded silently.

ooOoo

Twilight finally stopped crying and spent a long moment just selfishly enjoying the comfort of her mentor’s wings before growing embarrassed and gently but firmly breaking free of Celestia’s embrace.

“Well, that was unprofessional,” she said, blushing. “Thank you, Princess. I’m sorry I lost control like that. It’s been a trying day. It won’t happen again, you have my word.”

“I don’t blame you, Twilight. No one should have to deal with such things. Nothing can really prepare you for the horror,” Celestia said gently. “Even princesses aren’t immune.”

“I just can’t understand how anypony could do something like that,” Twilight said, hanging her head. “It’s evil. Not even Sombra was that horrible!”

Celestia paused, trying to frame what she wanted to say in the gentlest manner she could.

“Nightmare Discord was,” she said at last. “Lady Teelo managed to stop him in time but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have done something just as hideous.”

“Heavy Hoof said that if he’d been—that stallion—he’d be thanking Cerise every day he was in the Elysium Fields. What really bothers me is I understand what he meant. But…”

Twilight shook her head.

“The dreadful algebra of necessity, Twilight,” Celestia said heavily. “We who are princesses are all that stand between our little ponies and the unthinkable. We face these things so they will not have to. Or even know of the battle we wage on their behalf.”

“That brings up the other problem,” Twilight said with a sigh. “When I brought Teelo back to the Ghrian Suite Søyle, well,” she paused, not wanting to say it.

“She what?” Celestia asked gently.

“I…don’t know,” Twilight said slowly. “I mean I know what she did, but I don’t really understand why, even though she tried to explain it. I mean there was a reason, but I can’t follow the logic.”

“I see,” Celestia said, settling down on the floor to get more comfortable. “Tell me, when you came back what condition was Lady Teelo in?”

“She was unconscious from the aftereffects of Fairy Song’s Endurance, or something very much like it,” Twilight said. “After she killed the troll they were afraid they might have to face draugrs, so Crush cast it on her. Then she walked all the way back from Froggy Bottom Swamp.”

“Oh, dear,” Celestia said with a wince. “Poor Lady Teelo must have been completely exhausted. Are you all right?”

“She didn’t hurt me,” Twilight said quickly, “but she lifted me up by my mane and snarled in my face, baring her fangs. I didn’t even know trolls had fangs. She demanded to know what I had done to Teelo. She didn’t let go until I swore Teelo wasn’t hurt. And then she said not to be so stupid again.”

“Ah,” Celestia relaxed minutely. “I thought that must be it.”

“I still don’t understand,” Twilight nearly wailed. “She said something about thinking simply, not logically! It sounds like trolls react without thinking! But that can’t be right, can it?”

“Trolls are not ponies, Twilight,” Celestia began. “The World Below has many dangers and few places to run. They have lived there for many thousands of years, far longer than ponies have been in this world, in fact. To survive they’ve had to develop certain—well I suppose you could call them reflexes. Their society, their laws, all of it has been shaped by the realities of their world, and they had to turn those reflexes into virtues. Just as we value Harmony, they value Law. The Law is how they keep the peace between themselves while allowing them to keep the reflexes they need to survive.”

Twilight considered that.

“I guess it makes sense when you put it like that,” she said slowly. “But if that’s true how will ponies and trolls ever manage to coexist peacefully?”

“Thanks to Lady Teelo ponies are trolls now,” Celestia said with a mischievous smile. “That makes trolls hesitate, and keeps their reflexes in check. It’s not a long hesitation, mind you, but long enough to let us live together. At least once ponies become used to trolls.”

“Søyle said if it had been anyone but her that answered the door they’d have tried to kill me,” Twilight said hesitantly, “and then destroyed the castle and everyone in it.”

Celestia considered that, staring mildly into the distance.

“She’s probably right,” Celestia conceded, not appearing overly concerned. “They’re very protective of their king and queen, because they are the only ones who can wield Crush, and Crush is to them what the Elements of Harmony are to us.”

“It doesn’t bother you she could have killed all of us?” Twilight asked incredulously.

“Of course it does,” Celestia replied serenely. “You narrowly averted a war.”

“Because of the trolls, Princess!” Twilight exclaimed, “Because they have such dangerous hair-triggers!”

Celestia shook her head.

“No, Twilight. If you must blame something, there were three agents involved, and all were equally guilty.”

“Three?” Twilight asked, confused.

“The trollish instinct to destroy evil, your own ignorance of that instinct, and the necessity of that instinct,” Celestia said quietly. “If you blame trollish instinct you must also blame your own, which is born from necessity as well.”

“My instinct—to help my friend?” Twilight asked incredulously.

Celestia nodded.

“Your instinct springs from our history, our very natures,” she explained. “Ponies have learned through bitter experience that to survive we must cooperate, no—more than that, we must be friends with as many ponies as we can, lest the ice come again.”

“Windigos,” Twilight said grimly.

“Exactly. On the other hand trolls need to react in certain ways without hesitation to survive the monsters and dangers of the World Below. Ponies run from danger, or face it only as a last resort. Trolls have nowhere to run, therefore…”

“They face it as the first resort!” Twilight said in an excited epiphany. “So when Søyle saw Teelo unconscious in my magic she saw a threat. And since trolls react to a threat without hesitation by attacking it…”

Celestia nodded.

“Luna and I learned many such lessons in our youth, Twilight,” the diarch said. “Cadence and Shining Armor are learning them now, as are you. You might want to consult with Luna on troll law to gain some insights into how they react to surprises.”

“I’ll start immediately, Princess!” Twilight sprang to her hooves, a determined expression on her face. “Thank you so much for explaining things!”

And then Celestia blinked as Twilight vanished with a flash of light.

“Ah, my former student, you have lost none of your enthusiasm, I see,” the alicorn murmured to herself as she returned to her desk and began to study Heavy Hoof’s report.

Strengthening Relations

In which our heroine must weigh conflicting loyalties and more actors join the dance.

Celestia was holding morning court. An earth pony and a unicorn stood before her, both with tucked tails and lowered heads.

“Let me see if I’ve fully understood the dispute.” Celestia said gently. “You, Opal Glow, are a landlord for several shops on Gold Pony Way, a street renowned for the sophistication and elegance of the shops to be found there. You decided to lease one of your shops to Antimony, who is a fender smith. Antimony then set up a smithy in the shop to create and sell decorative fenders. Antimony claims, and you have not disputed, that his fireplace fenders are among the finest to be had in Canterlot, and are in fact in great demand among the nobility. As such you jumped at the chance to lease your empty shop to him for a period of one year, at a price the two of you agreed was fair.”

“After Antimony had operated his smithy for three months you discovered his shop produced large amounts of soot from the chimney, and this soot is being carried by the wind and dirtying a great many other shops on the surrounding streets. Understandably annoyed, the affected ponies came to you and demanded that since your shop was the source of the soot that you either recompense them for the vastly increased costs of keeping their own shops clean, or provide a cleaning service to them at no cost to themselves.”

“Unwilling to bear this additional cost alone you approached Antimony and demanded larger payments to cover the cost of the cleaning service. Antimony responded by saying you should have been aware of the issue and made allowances for it when you leased the property to him. He refused to pay anything extra. I believe his exact words were ‘a deal is a deal’.”

“Finding yourselves at an impasse the two of you decided to bring the matter to me, your Princess,” she stressed the word delicately, “to resolve. It is, of course, your right to do so since you,” again the merest hint of emphasis, “could not find an amicable solution.”

She smiled at the two ponies, who were growing increasingly nervous under her benign gaze.

“As I see it, this dispute has two parts: the actual problem, and the proposed solution. In regards to the actual problem, neither of you are being unreasonable in your positions. In fact, I commend you on your agreement concerning the existence and nature of the problem and its urgency.”

“However, it is the proposed solution where I believe the difficulty lies. Both of you seem to be so fixated on the obvious solution that you neglected to explore other options. Had you done so, Opal Glow, I’m sure you would have run across the Institute for Practical Application Of Magical Arts. IPAMA’s charter is to create and foster an association of professional unicorns that use magic to solve an array of problems just like yours. In fact, the spell to turn smoke from a chimney into small solid chunks of charcoal is, if I recall, only seventh circle and thus quite common and inexpensive. A small gem-powered device attached to the chimney would be far less expensive than a cleaning service for several dozen shops, and the annual recharging fee would be fairly reasonable for a shop of this kind. Even better, Antimony could use the charcoal produced to augment his forge’s fuel supply, as the charcoal the spell creates produces a superior flame.”

Both ponies’ mouths hung open. The glance they turned toward each other was calculating, but not nearly as antagonistic as when they’d come before her.

“So this is what I propose. Antimony’s lease amount will not change. Opal Glow will make arrangements to obtain a gem-powered converter for the chimney at her own expense, while Antimony will supply the labor and hardware needed to install the converter. Further, Antimony will agree to extend his lease from one year to three years to help Opal Glow recover her expenses, the additional two years cost being renegotiated based on the results of the converter over the remainder of the first year. Does this sound fair to you?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The silvery-white earth pony bowed, his bright red mane nearly brushing the floor.

“Your Highness has shown her kindness and wisdom yet again,” the unicorn mare said, gracefully going into the full bow due her sovereign. “I gratefully accept your judgment, Princess.”

“I’m glad I was able to help. I do hope you learned that with a little thought you can often come up with less obvious but far superior solutions to your problem,” Celestia said with a warm genuine smile. “Case closed. Please stop by the clerk of courts on your way out.”

The two ponies bowed again and beat a hasty retreat.

Celestia allowed herself a small glow of satisfaction. It was rare she was able to resolve matters so neatly. As a bonus she doubted either pony would be in any hurry to appear before her again.

Win-win, I believe Matthew called it, she thought to herself.

Alas, her momentary self-congratulations were cut short when she noticed Faerie Mist approaching the throne with a carefully neutral expression.

“Visionary Law, was that the last case for today?” she leaned down to murmur to her bailiff.

“Yes, Your Highness,” The pale auburn unicorn replied, his green eyes reflecting his delight at the prospect. Celestia straightened on the throne as her first lady-in-waiting rose in the air to hover close to her.

“Yes?” the princess asked in a soft voice.

“We just received an urgent communiqué from Ambassador Truth Speaker, Your Highness,” the pegasus murmured. “Kongen Fjell informed him there was an incursion. An undead creature called a draugr penetrated into the very heart of his palace.”

Celestia stiffened.

“There’s more, Your Highness. Fjell said the draugr claimed to be an emissary, but would not name its master. And worst of all, the draugr was a pony.”

ooOoo

In a private residence a few minutes’ flight from Canterlot Castle, four griffins gathered casually in the dining room of the Ambassador from Gryphus, the largest and most influential of the scattered griffin eyries. The Ambassador’s name was Zilarrezko Atzapar, but in Equestria he went by the pony-friendly name of Silver Claw, since ponies often found Griff too harsh and difficult a language to master.

The conversation was being conducted in Griff to make the job of any magically eavesdropping ponies harder. To make it harder for other eavesdropping griffins the walls were soundproofed and routinely checked for hidey-holes, listening tubes, magical amulets and other ingenious spying techniques so beloved of the arrano lehoia.

“I understand the ponies have developed an unexpectedly close relationship with the trolls over the last few months.” The speaker was a resplendent example of a young griffin dandy, complete with gold inlaid claws and an iridescent crest. Jet-black feathers swept down either side of his head to merge with his natural red plumage and black fur. Wide flame-like patterns of brilliant yellow dye lent him a rather theatrical flourish.

Personally, Silver Claw thought he looked ridiculous, but kept that observation to himself. The young griff had quite a reputation in court circles and it was best not to make enemies needlessly.

“Indeed, Firewing.” The older griffin said calmly. “I believe that is the handiwork of the new troll queen. Rumor has it that she comes from the same bloodline as the Sun Princess herself—and Celestia has never denied it.”

“Some beings will believe anything,” snorted a fierce looking older griff with white feathers and tawny pelt. Grey hairs were liberally scattered through his fur, although his eyes were still bright and piercing. “The troll queen is a biped, Silver Claw. The top of her head barely reaches a normal troll’s belly! She’s got bright red fur on her head that reaches down her back and her bare skin is pale pink, not slate green. She’s no troll, much less a pony. More like a shaved monkey than anything else.”

“Yes, Iron Beak, I have seen her, although I’ve never had the pleasure of actually conversing with her,” the Ambassador said. He made a calming gesture with his paw. “My resources are not prone to telling wild stories more suited to chicks begging hero tales, you know.”

Iron Beak snorted once again but said nothing.

“So what do you know of this new queen then?” Firewing asked. “My sources tell me the World Below is preparing to receive her. The trolls are full of questions about their new queen but few seem to have any answers. Hejm is reportedly uneasy. Well, as uneasy as trolls ever become.” He chuckled.

“I am told she does not come from this world,” Silver Claw replied. “My friends tell me she always comes out of the Everfree Forest when she arrives, and always departs from there as well. None of them were able to find out where she goes inside the forest, and the Royal Guard are as tight-beaked as ever.”

“I may be able to shed some light on her most recent visit,” A soft female voice responded.

“Lady Silkwind?” Silver Claw asked, surprised. The fourth member of the group seldom broke her silence. Indeed, she was famous for it. A beautiful griffiness just past the bloom of youth, with golden pelt and natural patterned plumage of orange and red, she disdained the feather dyes and decoration sported by the younger griffins, relying on her fitness and grace rather than artifice.

“Yes, Silver Claw?” She smiled demurely. “Don’t act so surprised. I do have a voice. I just choose to use my ears more than my tongue. You would be surprised how often prey simply wanders into the claws of the silent.”

“We all hunt our own way, Lady.” Iron Beak grunted. “Some of us prefer the thrill of the chase to the boredom of the ambush.”

“True enough,” she admitted readily. “To each their own prey, my friend. But this tasty morsel does not in daylight play. Rather it comes to me from the lips of ponies completely unaware. I must admit to a most indelicate eavesdropping while secreted atop a wall, where I was enjoying a sunbath.”

Now that she had the attention of the three males she seemed content to lapse into silence again.

It was Firewing who finally broke first. “Well? What is this tasty morsel?”

“Dear Firewing, you are so impatient,” she purred in amusement. “It seems Discord dropped in to visit the Sun Princess while she was enjoying a quiet glass of wine.”

“And?” Iron Beak asked, brow furrowed. “That is hardly unusual these days. Thank the endless sky Celestia managed to rein that terror in.” He bristled, feathers fluffing to increase his bulk.

“I did not make myself clear, dear Beaky.” Silkwind was smiling now, one of genuine enjoyment. Firewing covered his laugh with a polite cough while Silver Claw carefully said nothing. Iron Beak’s gimlet stare focused on the griffiness, who simply let her beak open further.

“When I said ‘drop in’,” the griffiness continued, “I was being quite literal. Apparently Discord fell from the sky, crashing into the Sun Princess’s table hard enough to reduce it to scrap iron. I heard the poor darling was smoldering a bit as well.”

“Are you saying he did not intend to come crashing down? This is Discord, after all.” Silver Claw pointed out after a moment.

Silkwind nodded.

“I do indeed. It seems that he had run afoul of Lady Teagan a second time.” She allowed herself a decorous chuckle.

“I had heard Discord was defeated in single combat by the troll queen last year,” Firewing said, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “It seems ridiculous. How could someone so tiny defeat the Lord Of Chaos?”

“She wields Mendiko Bihotzean, do not forget.” Silver Claw interjected. “Discord lairs in Ponyville so that the Elements Of Harmony can contain his excesses, does he not? Thus it would seem Dronning Teagan has emerged from the Everfree once more.”

“Only this time one of my friends was nearby,” Silkwind said in genteel satisfaction. “The dear sweet thing managed to stay unobserved and watch as an army of changelings attacked a wing of the Royal Guard, who were escorting the troll queen at the time. The queen was also companioned by two of her bodyguards and Kona Søyle herself!”

“The troll king’s wife?” Firewing asked, eyes widening. “This does not bode well, Silkwind! Should we be sharpening our claws? Will we have rampaging trolls smashing through Canterlot by dinnertime?”

“Calm yourself, Firewing,” She said sedately. “If I did not trust my dear friend implicitly I could hardly credit what he told me. Shall I tell you a hero’s tale, my chicks? For it would thrill the most jaded cub’s heart to hear this bedtime saga.”

“A hero’s tale?” Iron Beak asked sharply. “Are you saying the troll queen survived?”

“Oh yes, Beaky. Not only survived, but triumphed. Twenty pegasi, one unicorn, one massive earth pony, three trolls and their queen against hundreds of changelings, led by Chrysalis herself, and she protected by her full personal guard. Such impossible odds! Yet our heroes vanquished their enemies, losing only one single unicorn in the process.”

The griffiness now had the three males’ complete attention; indeed they resembled nothing so much as three griffin cubs enraptured by a storyteller.

“Are you ready for the most heroic part? My friend swears that the troll queen flew into the air and slew Queen Chrysalis with a single blow! When the queen’s guards attacked her another single blow from her club splattered both of them messily across the battlefield below.”

“She flew?” Iron Beak scoffed. “She grew wings? Your friend must have been drunk!”

“Perhaps she leaped?” Silver Claw asked diplomatically. “I find it unlikely, but that is not as impossible as a monkey growing wings.”

Silkwind shook her head. “He was most insistent that he saw her change direction in mid-air, fully reversing her course to attack the Bug Queen from behind. She could not have done that by simply leaping.”

The males were silent as they digested this astounding news.

“I have heard something about this new queen as well,” Firewing said abruptly. “She has claimed not only Celestia as family, but all ponies. She insists they are part of her clan.”

“You do realize that makes them clan to trolls?” Silver Claw asked, frowning.

“The ponies and the trolls united as a single clan?” Iron Beak shuddered. “Skies above! This cannot be allowed to stand.

“We have always been ignored by the World Below.” Firewing protested. “Griffins have no desire to tread dark caverns, and trolls do not want the sky. There has never been cause for conflict between us.”

“Not with the trolls perhaps,” Lady Silkwind said delicately, “but pegasi, however…” She let her sentence trail off.

“Gryphus and Canterlot have no quarrel,” Silver Claw said quickly. “Whatever our disagreements with Cloudsdale were, they were settled long ago. There has not been fighting in living memory.”

“Not so, Silver Claw,” Iron Beak growled. “Celestia remembers. She was the point of the spear in our last battles against Cloudsdale. It was she herself who drove us back. Centuries to her are like years to us. She has not forgotten.”

“The Sun Princess may remember, but she is not the sort to nurse a grudge,” Silver Claw objected. “I’ve dealt with her for over a decade. I know her.”

“She has lived a thousand years and more,” Lady Silkwind murmured. “Who but a dragon could live long enough to truly know her? What are a hundred years to her? She is a master of her craft, Silver Claw. We are but clever chicks pitting our wiles against an elder. She lays plans within plans and has the patience of centuries to let them hatch.”

“You council surrender, Lady Silkwind?” Firewing asked, his bland words hiding a razor thin blade. Iron Beak winced, watching the griffiness.

“No, my dear peacock,” she said sweetly, “I council caution. One does not plunder a dragon’s horde by charging through the main entrance shouting a war cry. The Sun Princess is ancient and cunning and wise beyond all but the oldest dragons. If we are to pilfer any sweetmeats from under that snow-white muzzle we must be clever and quiet and take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves.”

“You speak of theft, Lady Silkwind? Have you forgotten we are griffins? We do not need to steal. We conquer our prey and feast!”

“I too was once young and proud, my dear peacock.” The griffiness studied him. “How many dragons have you feasted upon?”

The dandy frowned. She smiled at him.

“There is a time for pride, my young friend. Facing a dragon all alone is not that time. Make no mistake. The Sun Princess is a vast ancient dragon and we are merely chicks playing in her shadow. While it is true she shows a kind face to the world never forget her nation of soft little prey have survived and flourished for over a thousand years. There is a reason they have not become food and you would be well advised to contemplate that reason.”

“It cramps my gizzard to say it,” Iron Beak scowled, “but Silkwind has a point. Once the trolls and the ponies have learned to cooperate, the pegasi of Cloudsdale may begin to remember old grievances. We cannot let this alliance stand.”

“Agreed,” Silver Claw clacked his beak. “Now the question is what can we do about it without attracting Celestia’s attention?”

ooOoo

An apologetic Søyle roused her just before noon, and informed her that Princess Celestia had requested their presence for lunch. Emma had apparently already risen since there was no sign of her. Still bone-tired but feeling halfway human again, Teagan stole a few minutes to soak in the hot bath that Lantana had thoughtfully drawn for her.

The hot water eased the ache from her abused muscles but all too soon she forced herself out of the water, got dressed and went into the main room.

“Hey sleepyhead,” Emma greeted her friend. “Feeling any better?”

“Yeah,” Teagan yawned and stretched herself, feeling joints pop with an almost sensuous pleasure. “Good morning, Bobbin, are you our guide today?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The colt bowed with the same perfect courtesy he’d shown the previous night. Teagan was feeling mellow enough to merely smile at the serious young pony instead of wanting to cuddle him. “If you are ready I’ll be delighted to escort you to Her Highness’s presence.”

“Who’s been invited to lunch?” Teagan asked.

“Yourself, Kona Søyle, and Lady Emma,” Bobbin informed her. “Lunch is scheduled for half past noon in the Ivy Bower, a lovely out-of-the-way niche deep in the Royal gardens.”

“Ah, a quiet little lunch meeting,” Teagan noted ruefully. “What a perfect way to start the day.”

Flint and Skrent chose that moment to join them, and Teagan instantly noted the two trolls were armed with their long slender clubs.

“Hey guys, what’s with the arsenal?” she asked curiously. “You really think you’re going to need it here in the castle?”

“We escort you today, Dronning.” Skrent said in a stony voice. His scowl was positively chilling. Flint said nothing, but his stance spoke of implacable immobility.

“Wow, scary much?” Emma spoke up. “What’s with the war faces, guys?”

“This not war face,” Skrent said. “This disappointed face. We should have been with Dronning when she hunted kjører liket. Kongen will not be pleased we not there. No more.”

“That was my decision, Skrent. You weren’t to blame. Nobody could have predicted that. It started as pure insanity and just got weirder from there.” Teagan protested.

“We not there, Dronning. Will be next time. This I swear.”

“This is proper,” Søyle spoke up. “Mountain Heart is our heart, Dronning. You are bound with it, so your heart is Mountain Heart. Your heart is the heart of all trolls. By guarding you they guard us all. Do not leave them behind again. This is the Law.”

“I have to take them everywhere now?” Teagan asked incredulously. Søyle nodded.

“Save when you sleep, then they will guard your door, sleeping only when other clan members guard you.

“Can’t you just see those two lurking in algebra?” Emma said, snickering. Teagan’s eyes widened.

“Søyle, I can’t take them back to Earth with me!”

“Everywhere,” Søyle said with fierce emphasis.

“That won’t work, Søyle!” Teagan said. “There are no trolls on Earth, where would they stay? How could we keep them hidden? They’d blow my cover for sure!”

“What is cover?” Søyle asked, confused.

“Earth doesn’t know about Equestria! If two trolls show up they’d think they were aliens or something!” Teagan was beginning to panic. “The government would arrest them! No, no they absolutely cannot go to Earth!”

“Ponies did,” Søyle pointed out. “If ponies can then trolls can too.”

“Søyle, it was one pony, and he was only there for a few hours, and he didn’t leave the living room! Besides, it was pretty cramped for Sun Hammer! Can you imagine what two trolls would look like in my house? My house is built for humans, like me! I doubt either one of them,” she gestured at her bodyguards, “could stand up straight. You remember the train, right? That’s about how tall human ceilings are.”

“Teagan, calm down,” Emma said placatingly. “We’ve got all summer to figure out something. Right now Celestia’s waiting. Guys, I totally understand where you’re coming from with this but for now can you dial it back a little? Teelo, why don’t you let them do their job? Personally, I don’t have a problem with them coming because they’re awesome when it comes to fighting and stuff. I’d feel a lot safer having them with us, even in the castle.”

“Okay, fine. But you won’t be having much fun,” Teagan told the two trolls. “These kinds of meetings are either boring or infuriating, especially when you’re doing the whole bodyguard thing.”

“We do what is proper, Dronning.” Flint said with a huge smile that still didn’t bare his teeth, forcibly reminding Teagan that her bodyguard wasn’t human. Among trolls showing the teeth was not an amiable gesture.

“All right, Bobbin, lead the way.” Teagan said with a sigh of resignation. The colt bowed and five of them followed him out of the suite.

ooOoo

Twilight had joined Celestia in the Ivy Bower a good twenty minutes before Teagan’s group was due so Celestia could brief her on the calamitous goings on in the Everfree that Teagan’s arrival had precipitated.

“Oh, that’s a problem.” Twilight said fretfully after she’d heard.

“Why?” Celestia asked, surprised. “Emma should be safe enough here in the castle with us. It’s only three weeks.”

“But I told her parents she’d be home yesterday,” Twilight exclaimed. “I didn’t know about the ambush, or how badly Teelo upset the forces of the Everfree. I told them there was nothing wrong on this side! I feel like such a liar now.”

“You didn’t lie to them, Twilight,” Celestia said soothingly. “As far as you knew everything was fine.”

“Yes, but it isn’t, is it? Sweetie Belle was kidnapped and Teelo had to fight a troll to get her back and then kill it, she was ambushed by an army that tried to kill her and Emma, there’s a conspiracy creating an army of draugr for who knows what sinister reason—and now Emma’s stuck here and can’t go home for at least three more weeks!” Twilight growled, panting for breath.

Celestia blinked. She was used to Twilight’s panic attacks, having had to deal with them on a weekly basis as her brilliant but obsessive student grew up, but anger was something she wasn’t used to seeing from the volatile unicorn turned alicorn.

“Are you all right?” Celestia asked mildly. “Rest assured, we’ll get through this. We always do.”

“It’s just so frustrating,” Twilight groaned. “I thought Ponyville was crazy! I never expected being a princess in Canterlot would be even crazier! How can you stand it?”

“Practice, my dear Twilight,” Celestia chuckled. “I’ve survived much worse. Discord, and Chrysalis, for example. Not to mention the Great Sisters Pudding War not long after Luna’s return. Ah, now that was crazy.” The look in her eyes was wistful.

“Was that before or after the Ivory Abacus incident?” Twilight asked, momentarily distracted.

“How did you hear about that?” Celestia asked, appearing almost shocked.

“Professor Nimbus mentioned it,” Twilight said evasively, suddenly realizing she didn’t want to talk about her disastrous interlude with the good professor. Celestia studied her a moment.

“I see,” Celestia’s face turned placid again. “Oh, it was a few months before that. Luna and I enjoy pranking one another and on this particular occasion we went a little overboard, I’m sorry to say. The janitorial staff earned quite a bit of overtime that month. As a token of apology I made sure they all got a bonus for the extra trouble we put them to.” Her eyes twinkled. “I haven’t had that much fun in hundreds of years.”

“What happened with Chrysalis?” Twilight asked, trying to shake off the remnants of her aggravation. It seemed unusually persistent.

“Ah, that’s a very interesting story. One of the reasons for my blue fur, actually.” Celestia chuckled. “I promised to tell you about it over dinner didn’t I? Pity you didn’t make it back in time, it was quite memorable. The short version is Chrysalis and the changelings are actually flutterponies that Discord transformed as punishment for allying themselves with Tišina thousands of years ago. I persuaded Chrysalis to forgo her vengeance against Equestria in exchange for becoming a flutterpony again, along with the rest of her hive. Or I should say kaleidoscope, which is the correct term for flutterponies.”

“To guarantee her abiding by the agreement we exchanged magical oaths. That triggered a booby trap Discord put in the transformation spell.”

“A trap? Oh no! Are you all right?” Twilight asked, her irritation overwhelmed by her panic.

“I’m fine, Twilight,” Celestia said reassuringly. “Discord told me how to deal with the trap.”

“Is that why you’re blue and your voice is so squeaky?” Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Yes. I had to roll in a patch of poison joke for an hour, and I have to let the effects play out for twenty-four hours. Zecora already supplied me with the antidote. Rest assured I plan to have a nice long bath later tonight.”

“So now that Chrysalis is a flutterpony she’s not evil anymore?” Twilight asked, brightening up. “I suppose that’s one bright spot in all this.”

Celestia hesitated. “Well, I wouldn’t say Chrysalis was ever truly evil, Twilight. Misguided, certainly, and given the circumstances she and her children had to endure for so long, I suppose she may have become a bit unhinged, but she wasn’t evil.”

“She is better now, right?” Twilight asked hopefully.

“For a certain value of better, yes, I suppose you could say that.” Celestia admitted reluctantly. “When Spike attacked her she was careful not to injure him and managed to bleed off the excess magic that caused his transformation. The old Chrysalis might simply have killed him.”

“Doesn’t that prove she’s good then?” Twilight asked, confused.

“No.” Celestia shook her head. “She did it to put you in her debt, I think. Be careful when you pay that debt, Twilight. Do not allow her to place you in a compromised position, and please tell me whatever payment she asks of you. I should also tell you that even now Chrysalis does not have any love for Equestria—or me. When I asked her to help recover Sweetie Belle she refused.”

“How could she do that?” Twilight asked, aghast. “Not help a poor filly captured by those monsters?”

“She has sworn to give up her vengeance, but that does not mean she would not stand by and cheerfully watch Equestria be destroyed.” Celestia said sadly. “Perhaps in time she could be persuaded to ally herself with us, but it will take many generations I think.”

Twilight was considering that when Teagan’s party joined them.

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday morning, May 29, 2013 08:00 AM

The knock on the door wasn’t completely unexpected. John rose from the breakfast table and went to answer it. He discovered Jacob and Olivia Halstead on the porch, with the keepsake cradled in the woman’s arms.

“Is Emma back?” Jacob asked immediately.

“No, you know we’d call you the instant she got back,” John said sympathetically. “Won’t you come in?”

“That unicorn said she’d tell Emma to come right home,” Olivia said in a worried voice. “Why didn’t she come back?”

“Probably because Subtle Dancer had to rest,” John replied. “I saw him open the Bridge once. It looked like it exhausted him. Maybe he didn’t want to risk doing it three times in one day.”

“I want to call them again,” Jacob said. “I want Emma home, John.”

“I know exactly how you feel, Jacob. When Teagan disappeared—well I know how you feel. At least you know Emma’s safe. She’s in a castle with hundreds of guards. Nothing’s going to hurt her there.”

“I still want to find out what the holdup is,” Jacob said stubbornly. “Hello, Elaine.”

“Good morning.” Elaine eyed the box in Olivia’s arms. “I don’t have to guess why you’re here, do I? You guys want some coffee?”

“That would be wonderful, thank you.” Olivia sat down, placing the keepsake on the table.

“None for me. I’m already too keyed up,” Jacob demurred. “You have a table in the sun, right John?”

“Yes, but let me do the talking, all right? You’re so wound up you might offend Twilight. We wouldn’t want that,” John said.

“I guess not,” Jacob admitted reluctantly.

Emma’s father fidgeted impatiently while waiting for the other three to finish their coffee. Once they were done he charged out the kitchen door making a beeline for the patio table.

Once everyone was seated and Twilight’s figurine was in full sunlight John spoke up.

“Hello, Twilight. We need to talk to the real Twilight again, if you’d be so kind.”

“Not a problem!” The little figurine said cheerfully, horn lighting up.

ooOoo

Teagan finished another full pony-sized helping of stew and began eyeing the large chocolate cake on the side cart. She thought she’d be able to manage a good-sized piece, even if it was sized for ponies and not humans.

Her hunger was mostly sated and her weariness had faded. Princess Celestia, upon seeing her fall on her food had tactfully kept the conversation light and well away from more important matters until she had her fill.

“I can’t believe you ate all that,” Emma said. “One filly-sized bowl and I’m stuffed. How are you doing that?”

“Magic,” Teagan said with a chuckle, settling back. She didn’t feel uncomfortably full, even after three full helpings. “Crush is refueling. I think it’s turning the food to energy as fast as it hits my stomach. After all, I used Crush harder yesterday than I have ever had to before.” Her conscious prodded her but she refused to think about all the grief she’d been put through in the last twenty-four hours. The food had restored her and left her with a good mood she was not going to lose.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Twilight asked. “Fairy Song’s Endurance isn’t something you can just shrug off with a single night’s sleep.”

“Who’s song?” Teagan asked, confused.

“The spell Crush used on you last night,” Twilight explained. “I don’t know if it’s the same one or not but it’s certainly similar. You should have been asleep for two days.”

“No, I’m fine,” Teagan assured the alicorn. “I had a hot bath this morning and that soaked out the soreness. Lunch seems to have pepped me right up. I feel great.”

“In that case, would it be all right if we discussed Emma’s situation?” Princess Celestia asked gently. “Her parents have asked her to come home immediately but there are certain practical difficulties that make that impossible.”

“Emma mentioned it. The Everfree’s in an uproar, right?” Teagan responded. “So much so you or Luna can’t safely open the Bridge for us. Subtle Dancer’s out of commission for at least three weeks and the three of you are the only ones who can open the Bridge.”

“Exactly,” Celestia nodded. “As much as I wish it were otherwise, Emma can’t return to your world for some time. She is welcome to stay here at the castle while we wait for the Everfree to settle down again.”

Teagan frowned. “I really don’t want to leave her here by herself. Although I am grateful for the offer, believe me! But I can’t take her with me to Hejm either, because I won’t be back for three months and I don’t think the trolls would appreciate me delaying my trip for three weeks.”

“It would not be proper, Dronning,” Søyle said carefully. “Every day we tarry here is one less day you will spend in the World Below. Our people wish to meet their Dronning. They have waited far longer than is seemly. Some believe you favor ponies over trolls, it would be best if they see it is not so.”

“Sorry to be so much trouble,” Emma muttered, embarrassed.

“You could not know, child,” Søyle said firmly. “Trolls value loyalty, and you have shown that in full measure. No troll will think ill of you for that. Dronning, it would only be right for Emma to come to Hejm with us. She is already clan. The others think highly of her.”

“Her parents would have a cow,” Teagan said, shuddering. Celestia looked surprised and Twilight’s mouth fell open. “I mean, they’d get very angry and upset,” Teagan said hastily. “Sorry, human expression.”

“What does a cow have to do with being angry? The cows I’ve met have all been calm and sweet.” Twilight couldn’t resist asking.

“I—honestly don’t know,” Teagan answered, caught off guard. “Maybe because a cow is so big? You know, comparing the size of the reaction to the size of a cow? But that’s just a wild guess, I don’t really know.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Twilight said, nodding thoughtfully.

“I’m sure if I could talk to my parents I could convince them,” Emma said, “as long as nobody mentions the ambush. Or Sweetie Belle’s kidnapping. Or the whole fiasco with Spike.”

“Or my flashback with Discord,” Teagan chuckled.

“Oops,” Twilight said, wincing. “I kinda already did, Teelo. Sorry!”

“What did you say?” Teagan asked carefully.

“Um, that he landed in Canterlot yesterday and that Princess Celestia had asked us to release him and that Fluttershy reformed him. Sun Hammer never got around to telling you all that, I guess. Your mom was kind of upset until I explained. I’m sure it’s fine now,” Twilight smiled widely at Teagan, who face palmed.

“Well, I’ll deal with that when I get back.” Teagan said, straightening.

“Any way I could use that spell of yours to talk to my parents?” Emma asked hopefully.

“No, I’m afraid not,” Twilight said regretfully. “It transfers my awareness into my figurine, as though I were there. But it takes a simulacrum that already knows the spell. Not even Princess Celestia’s figurine knows it.”

“Darn.” Emma said, settling back on her stool. “It would have been nice.”

“What about dream walking, Twilight?” Celestia asked.

“That…could work!” Twilight exclaimed excitedly. “If you cast it while I was using the spell you could at least see and hear what I do, and I could hear your voices. They wouldn’t see or hear you but at least I could act as an interpreter.”

“Better than nothing,” Teagan noted. “Human teens do that sort of thing all the time when we talk on the phone.”

Twilight and Celestia lapsed into a rapid fire exchange of magic technobabble that left the human girls completely adrift. It lasted a good five minutes as they hammered out the details of what they wanted to do.

“Hold on—my simulacrum is calling. Princess, is the matrix stable? I’ve got to go. She can’t hold the connection alone.”

“Go ahead, Twilight,” Celestia replied. “It will take a few moments, but we’ll be there.”

Twilight closed her eyes and her horn began to sparkle lightly. She set her head on the table and began to breathe slowly and deeply.

“I’m about to cast the dream-walking spell,” Celestia announced. “We’ll be engulfed by darkness but that’s completely normal. Just stay seated, the darkness will fade. Once it does we’ll be able to see and hear what Twilight does, and she’ll be able to hear our voices. Are you ready?”

“Go for it,” Emma said with a cheerful smile.

Nodding the alicorn lit her horn, a soft golden glow surrounding it. The summer day around them faded in a matter of seconds to be replaced by the inky blackness of a cave. Before long the darkness lightened, revealing a metal plain with cobblestone-sized bulges underfoot. Teagan gripped her chair as the view swung around, revealing two giants with the faces of her parents, rapidly followed by two more giants who turned out to be Emma’s parents.

Teagan could still see the table and her lunch companions. Twilight, however, she couldn’t. She realized suddenly she was seeing the scene through Twilight’s eyes, which is why the scene swung back and forth unpredictably.

“Hello!” Twilight’s voice came out of nowhere. “It’s good to see you again. I’m actually glad you called.”

“We were wondering if there was some holdup,” John asked mildly. “Emma didn’t come home last night. Was Subtle Dancer too tired to open the Bridge again?”

“Um, actually there’s been a bit of a problem on this end,” Twilight’s voice was nervous. “But before I get to that I wanted you to know that Emma and Teelo are fine, in fact they’re having lunch with me, Søyle, and Princess Celestia at the moment. In fact, we’re trying something new. Princess, are you there?”

“Yes, Twilight, the dream walking spell is working,” Celestia responded. “We can see and hear what you do. Can you hear us?”

“Hi Twilight!” Emma called happily.

“Yes, I can hear you, it worked! Teelo, are you there?” Twilight asked in excitement.

“Yes, I’m here,” Teagan replied.

“Perfect! All right, Lord and Lady O’Gara, Mr. and Mrs. Halstead, we’re using a dream walking spell so they can see and hear what I do, and I can hear them. You won’t be able to hear them, but I can relay what they say to you.”

“Emma, baby, can you hear me?” Olivia called loudly.

“Ouch! Mrs. Halstead, no need to shout, they can hear you as easily as I can,” Twilight said urgently.

“Yes, Mom, I hear you,” Emma said

“Emma says she can hear you,” Twilight relayed.

“Sorry,” The woman said in a more normal voice, clearly embarrassed.

“So what’s the problem on your end?” Jacob Halstead asked suspiciously. “Why hasn’t Emma come back yet?”

“Um Princess,” Twilight asked nervously, “what’s the best way to explain it?”

“What should we tell them?” Celestia asked Emma. “They will find out sooner or later. I suggest it’s best if they find out now.”

“Crap. Can you at least try to leave out some of the gorier details?” Emma asked.

“Twilight, go ahead and tell them the truth. Remember what I taught you about delivering bad news.” Celestia said calmly.

“Right. Okay, well, Subtle Dancer can’t open the Bridge because he’s in the hospital.” Twilight said in a rush.

“Hospital? Why?” Elaine demanded suspiciously. “What’s been going on over there? Another war? Was it Discord’s doing?”

“No, Discord didn’t do anything,” Twilight said quickly. “Um, there was an attack in the Everfree, Subtle Dancer got hurt, but no one else did.”

“What kind of attack?” Olivia asked, alarmed.

“Some changelings.” Twilight replied. “Apparently Subtle Dancer had encountered them before and they were looking for some pay back. The Royal Guard drove them off, but not before Subtle Dancer was injured.”

“But Teelo and Emma are okay, right?” Olivia demanded.

“Yes, nobody but Subtle Dancer got hurt,” Twilight said confidently. Teagan silently applauded her performance. Every word Twilight had said was completely true—but the deceptiveness was absolutely breathtaking. She resolved to have Celestia teach her a few of those lessons about delivering bad news…

“I know it’s a lot to ask of Princess Celestia,” John said slowly, “but we need both Emma and Teagan back here for a day or two. The Department of Children and Families left us a letter. They said they’re investigating a report of neglect and a lady called Mia Gant wants to interview us. Looks like Teagan’s guidance counselor found a way to get back at Teagan for snubbing her in January.”

“That’s just great.” Teagan moaned, throwing her hands in the air. “It’s not like my plate isn’t already full!” She ran her hands through her hair.

“Oh dear,” Twilight said in dismay. “I’m sure Princess Celestia would be glad to help, but the fight stirred up the creatures of the Everfree. The Council won’t permit either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna to enter the forest until things have settled down. It’s too dangerous.”

“You mean my daughter is stuck there for who knows how long?” Jacob growled. “You said there wouldn’t be a problem!”

“I know, and I’m sorry! But when we talked yesterday I didn’t know about Subtle Dancer getting hurt, or how badly the forest was disturbed,” Twilight blurted.

“Calmly, Twilight,” Celestia’s voice was soothing. “A princess must stay serene to keep everypony else from panicking.”

There was the sound of a deep breath and when Twilight spoke again it was in a much steadier tone.

“Mr. Halstead, I really do apologize for this, and if it were one of my friends stuck in your world I’d feel the same way you do. But Subtle Dancer will be out of the hospital in three weeks time, and by then the Everfree will have settled down. In the meantime Emma will be our guest in the castle, safe and sound.”

“Could you open the Bridge?” John asked suddenly. “According to the show you’re extremely powerful.”

“I wish I could, Lord O’Gara,” Twilight said regretfully. “Unfortunately the spell to open the Bridge of Days requires a caster of at least the eighteenth circle, and I’m only eleventh. I have the power, but not the magical senses or control to cast it.”

“You mean to tell me in all of Equestria there’s nobody who can cast this spell but Subtle Dancer and the two Princesses?” Elaine asked in disbelief.

“You must understand, Lady Elaine,” Twilight said in a patient tone. “First of all, almost nopony knows about the Bridge of Days, so the spell itself is pretty obscure. It’s also extremely intricate and takes a long time to learn. On top of that, the caster has to be able to perceive the Bridge directly and then have the enormous reserves needed to actually cast the spell. I have the reserves but I don’t know the spell nor can I see the Bridge when it’s closed. Professor Nimbus has the magical senses but doesn’t know the spell and he doesn’t have the reserves to cast it. You have to have all three, which is why only Subtle Dancer or the princesses can open the Bridge. But even if someone could cast it and was willing to risk the Everfree, would you really want Teelo and Emma taking that chance?”

Jacob let out a frustrated huff. “When you put it that way, I guess not. But if Teagan’s not back when the DCF comes calling it will be a complete disaster for John and Elaine. They could get tied up in legal challenges for months, maybe even lose Teagan.”

“They would take her away from her parents?” Twilight squawked in disbelief.

“It’s a real concern,” John said, nodding.

“This will not stand,” Søyle growled suddenly. “This DCF threatens the Dronning’s clan? They will fall to our claws! To threaten the Dronning is to threaten all trolls!”

The troll’s outburst startled the other three, who had almost forgotten she was present.

“Søyle, it doesn’t work like that,” Teagan said, shaking her head. “I would dearly love to see the look on Miss Bainbridge’s face if she ever met you, but the trolls can’t go to war over this. The logistics alone are impossible. We’re having trouble getting two human girls over the Bridge, much less a troll army. Besides, I don’t want a war over this! The DCF is just doing its job. Believe it or not, they’re actually on my side, it’s just they don’t understand what’s going on and if I have anything to say about it they never will.”

“You have said this?” Søyle asked, clearly at a loss.

“I have said this,” Teagan said firmly, nodding. “Trust me, this is a human thing. It’s complicated.”

“You are Dronning.” Søyle said, relaxing. “If you say this I must trust you know the correct passage, even if I do not.”

“Thank you, Søyle.” Teagan placed her hand on the troll’s arm. “It means a lot to me for you to say that.”

The troll nodded but remained silent.

“Twilight?” John asked as the unicorn figurine’s silence became uncomfortably long.

“I’m still here,” Twilight replied. “We were just having a short discussion on this side.”

“Any ideas at all on getting them back here? It really is important,” John said seriously. “I understand the risks but…”

Teagan met Celestia’s eyes. The alicorn was watching her with sympathy.

“I wish there was a way to get you home, Lady Teelo.” Celestia said softly. “Is the peril to your parents truly grave?”

“Yes,” Teagan replied. A sudden thought struck her, and would not go away. An unwise thought, an audacious thought, completely irresponsible and utterly foolhardy.

A thought so crazy it just might work…

“I have an idea.” The smile on Teagan’s face was joyous, and completely insane. Celestia tilted her head.

“From the look on your face I would guess it’s something Matthew would approve of,” Celestia said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her muzzle.

“Oh yes. It was something Matt said when we were out of options and it looked like Tišina couldn’t be stopped,” Teagan replied. “He said a wise man once said ‘nothing’s impossible if you’re crazy enough’. We can’t win by following the rules, right?”

“So it would seem,” Celestia murmured thoughtfully.

Teagan’s smile got even wider and she felt a wild elation surge through her.

“Then it’s time to change the rules.”

Diplomatic Usage

In which a princess retires, authority is cynically manipulated, and diplomacy is exercised with extreme prejudice.

Celestia reappeared just behind her chair, not a single hair of her mane mussed by the quick trip.

“Where is Princess Sparkle?” Søyle asked curiously.

“I sent her with Lady Teelo to provide additional protection.” Celestia said with a smile. Søyle nodded.

“You had no difficulties then?” The troll asked.

“None, happily,” the Princess replied. “When it’s time to open the Bridge again I will arrange to be alone for a few minutes. I apologize for the delay in your return to Hejm, but I fear Lady Teelo had no choice in the matter. I will provide you the fastest train available to minimize your travel time. If it were in my power I would provide chariots, but alas Equestria does not have that many large ones, especially considering the three we lost to Chrysalis yesterday.”

“As always, you are a kind-hearted hostess. My thanks, Princess of Ponies,” Søyle bowed her head. “Now I must return to the others and explain what has happened. I fear Skrent and Flint will feel ill-used over this.”

“Such is a guard’s lot in life,” Celestia answered ruefully. “My own guards take an equally dim view whenever I manage to slip my leash. So give them my regards and thank you for giving your Queen the same license I indulge occasionally.”

Søyle rose then left silently, collecting the troll brothers along the way with a terse exchange in Trollish that Celestia could hear even through the screening bushes.

She rose to return to her own duties, still smiling from the prank she had played on both her guards and the nobles of Canterlot.

If only they knew just how big a prank it truly was, she thought as her bodyguards fell into position behind her, and how it will shape the future of us all.

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday morning, May 29, 2013 09:12 AM

“What are you doing here, Twilight?” Teagan squawked in shock. “You shouldn’t be here! You’re a Princess for God’s sake! They’re going to notice you’re gone!”

“Calm down,” Twilight said, still smiling. “Celestia suggested it might be useful for me to see this side of the Bridge and collect a few readings from this world. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. I thought she told you?”

“No,” Teelo said in a daze. “She didn’t. It’s becoming a habit.”

“If you’re here,” Emma spoke up, “then who’s going to tell Celestia when to open the Bridge?”

Twilight chuckled. “I haven’t been idle these last few months, you know. I knew if the Tairseach Urlabhra spell worked then theoretically,” Her horn lit up and a small amethyst gem floated out of her mane, held in place by a slender golden chain, “then so would this. I created it just in case.”

“A—necklace?” Teagan asked, confused. “Is it supposed to be inside your mane like that?”

“It’s not a necklace it’s a keep-me-safe,” Twilight corrected her. “Keep-me-safes are amulets you hide in your mane until you need them. The chain is just to keep it from falling out. Like the Bridge of Days, keep-me-safes have been forgotten by most ponies. Unicorns were the only ponies that could ever use them anyway.”

“What does it do?” Teagan asked, walking forward to look at it. Up close it looked like one half of a coin, made from carved amethyst. It was broken in the middle, leaving a zigzag edge.

“You remember the compasses we used to find Tišina?” Twilight asked. The red-haired girl nodded. “Those used the Law of Contagion to connect the blood on the compass needle with Tišina, since it was once part of her.”

“So I’m guessing the other half of this amulet is back in Equestria?” Teagan asked, peering at it.

“Right! I gave it to Princess Celestia, who’s wearing it in her mane just like I am. So now, all I have to do is cast a simple ventriloquism spell on the amulet, like so,” Her horn flared for a moment and the gem began to glow, “and now when I speak my voice should come out of the other amulet, just like it did in the lab! Princess Celestia, can you hear me?”

“I can,” Celestia’s voice came from the amulet. “Congratulations on yet another clever magical discovery, Twilight! I have to go now, I’m about to speak with Lady Silkwind. Don’t contact me again because others might hear you. I’ll contact you when I’m alone.” The gem’s glow faded.

“Magical walkie-talkies,” Emma said, laughing. “How cool is that?”

“That would have been really handy to have on the glacier,” Teagan noted. “How come we didn’t?”

“Um, because I only thought of it afterward?” Twilight suggested sarcastically. “I mean the individual spells involved are quite simple, but nobody ever thought to put them together like this before.”

“Are you telling me nobody ever said, hey, wouldn’t it be useful if I could talk to somebody far away? Doesn’t that seem, you know, world-shatteringly useful?” Teagan asked incredulously.

“Um—no?” Twilight responded uncertainly.

Teagan face-palmed.

“Are you serious? Twilight, think about it! You just spoke to Princess Celestia in another dimension! Just being able to call for help if you need to is absolutely huge.”

“I guess you’re right. Still, it’s pretty limited.” Twilight said after a moment’s thought.

“Limited how?” Teagan asked warily.

“Well, for starters only unicorns or alicorns can use it,” Twilight said, “and they can only talk to whoever has the other half of the amulet. And if the other pony wants to talk back then they have to be able to cast a ventriloquism spell too.”

“Yeah, that’s a pretty big limitation,” Teagan admitted. “Still, knowing we can call for help if we need to is comforting. I just wish the darn Bridge wasn’t located in the Everfree. Tramping to and from it all the time is a real pain. Especially now that we can’t really use it freely.” She sighed. “Oh well, at least this end is firmly planted in my house.”

Twilight gave her a strange look.

“Um, it’s not, you know.” Twilight said slowly. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you?”

“Tell me what? You guys really need to brush up on your communication skills.” Teagan felt her heart skip a beat. “So what is it now?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Twilight said as her eyes brightened in Lecture Mode.

“Uh-oh, you’ve done it now,” Emma murmured.

“It’s true the Equestrian end of the Bridge Of Days is anchored to that clearing in the Everfree,” Twilight began. “One of the reasons the Capaill and the O’Gara couldn’t cross the Bridge themselves was because when it was first created it was very unstable, there wasn’t enough magic to allow the Bridge to carry sentient creatures. Spirits could cross, or animals, but not fully sentient creatures. The Bridge wasn’t stable enough to support the magical load until hundreds of ponies had crossed over and then the Bridge was left to solidify the anchorage for a few hundred years.”

“Wait, you’re saying the Bridge can be opened from this side now?” Teagan asked eagerly, “Since it’s anchored in Equestria?”

“It would take a very capable caster,” Twilight said, “but yes, it could be done.”

“Wait a minute. The original ponies were Shetland ponies, right?” Emma asked in puzzlement. “Weren’t the O’Gara clan and the Capaill in Ireland? So wouldn’t that mean the Bridge should be wherever those ponies came from? What’s it doing in Teelo’s living room?”

“That’s just it,” Twilight said happily. “On this side the Bridge isn’t anchored to a place, it’s anchored to a person. The firstborn child of the eldest O’Gara bloodline, descended from Dagda’s firstborn son’s firstborn son, who at the time was only a newborn. The anchorage moves to a new host the first time the current anchor has a child.”

“So, if I have children…” Teelo said slowly. Twilight nodded.

“Yes, your firstborn will become the anchor—as long as they’re born in your world. If they were born in Equestria they’d still be the anchor but the Bridge would no longer connect to your world, it would connect two points in Equestria.”

“Yikes!” Teagan paled. “So what happens if I die before having any children?”

Twilight considered that. “I don’t know. It might move to the next eldest descendant. Of course you don’t have any siblings. That means…” Twilight’s eyes widened.

“Yes?” Teagan prompted her, not liking the look on Twilight’s face.

“The Bridge would vanish forever.” Twilight whispered.

ooOoo

“Søyle, where is the Dronning?” Skrent growled as they fell in behind her.

“Caverns have echoes,” Søyle said shortly. Skrent nodded and remained silent until they passed the guardian unicorns at the door of the Ghrian Suite. Once inside Søyle told the brothers to go to the conference room and wait for her. Silently they did so.

The troll woman then sought out Alene Hule, who she found in his room reading a large book of obviously pony manufacture.

“Cavern Walker, I have a need to speak with you. Is this time suitable?” Søyle asked in Trollish. The Alene set aside his open book and gave Søyle his full attention.

“How may I help you, Kona Søyle?”

“Come with me to the meeting hall,” she said. She turned and left, knowing the Alene would follow in his own time.

She barely had time to settle onto her seat before the small trollish wizard strode sedately into the room and shut the door behind him. Skrent and Flint were already seated at the table.

“What has happened?” The Alene asked calmly as he took a stool.

“The Dronning has returned to her world. There was a threat to her parents from something she called the Sedeef. I did not understand what this was. She claimed that the Sedeef was an ally, yet it still threatened her parents because it acted from ignorance, yet she also said this ignorance was needful. She said it was a human thing, and that it was hard to explain to me.”

“She left us behind when facing this Sedeef?” Skrent said in what for a troll was a plaintive voice. “Why did she go into danger without taking us?”

“Because she could not,” Søyle said firmly. “She traveled by magic, aided by the eldest Princess Of Ponies and the youngest one. Emma went with her. The Dronning, Emma, and the youngest Princess of Ponies are now in the Dronning’s world.”

“No doubt she must hide her intentions from her enemies,” Alene Hule said slowly. “Some answers are not to be had at the end of a club, Skrent. You have been with the Kongen long enough to know this is true.”

“It does not mean it fits me well, Walker.” Skrent growled.

“Still, I do not understand why the Dronning would allow a Princess of Ponies to go to her world. That is not something that could be kept from notice.” Alene Hule mused.

“There is further news. The Dronning has been called to Hejm with all possible speed. The Deepest Dark is stirring and Mountain Heart is needed.”

The two troll brothers instantly bared their fangs and snarled. The Alene raised his head but did not otherwise react.

“This is most troubling,” The wizard said flatly. “If the Deepest Dark is indeed rising they will need every Alene to look to Hejm’s wards. I must return at once.”

“The Dronning has sworn to return in two days time, and the eldest Princess of Ponies has said she will provide her fastest train to speed our journey,” Søyle said. “She is sending a bird-horse to Hejm to inform Fjell of the delay.”

“Are we sure Celestia’s word is good in this?” The Alene asked stoically.

“I was there when the spell was cast that let us speak to her parents, Walker.” Søyle said. “The Dronning acted of her own will in this. She swore to return in two days time. The threat was real. The ponies may be tricky, but Celestia has never foresworn herself. I believe her.”

“With the Dronning returned to her own world there is nothing we can do,” the Alene noted fatalistically. “But I say this. Among the many things you must teach her the first should be calling on her clan’s aid in times of need.”

“I hear your words, Cavern Walker,” Søyle nodded solemnly. “I have been striving to do so already. I do not understand why the Dronning tries to do everything herself. It makes little sense, but I testify by my blood she is in truth the Dronning. Alas, I fear she is also Fate Born.”

“So it would seem, Kona Søyle,” the old wizard agreed heavily. “So it would seem.”

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday morning, May 29, 2013 09:18 AM

“So that’s something else I have to be careful of,” Teagan groaned. “This is not what I signed up for! Now the whole Bridge depends on me not dying? If that’s true how the hell has it survived for over a thousand years?”

“By none of the anchors dying before having children?” Twilight suggested with a smile.

“Not helping, Twilight. Oh, jeez! My parents! They’re in the back yard and they’ll kill me if I don’t let them know we’re back. Emma! Close the blinds. The last thing we want is somebody seeing Twilight. Twilight, stay here, I’ll be right back.”

Teagan dashed out of the room to the kitchen. She opened the back door and spotted her parents sitting with the Halsteads.

Taking a deep breath she stepped out the back door. She was almost to the table before her father looked up and saw her.

“Pumpkin!” he almost shouted. “You’re back! Is Emma with you?”

“Yeah, but all of you need to come in the house right now,” Teagan said with quiet intensity. “Don’t ask any questions, just get up and follow me. It’s important.”

Picking up her keepsake she closed the box and wrapped it, even as she turned and started walking toward the house. Fortunately the adults actually listened to her and followed her inside. She closed the door and motioned them to follow her.

“Teagan, what’s going on?” Elaine asked worriedly.

“We have a guest, Mom,” Teagan replied. “Come meet her.”

“Her? Who—Twilight?” Elaine exclaimed in shock.

“Hello, Lord and Lady O’Gara, Mr. and Mrs. Halstead,” the alicorn replied with a big smile. “How are you?”

“Emma!” Olivia grabbed her daughter in a fierce hug, which was returned just as fiercely.

“It’s good to be back,” the brown-haired girl replied, “even if it is only for a couple of days.”

Teagan winced, half-relieved and half-horrified at Emma’s approach. If she kept this up there was no way she was going back…

“What do you mean a couple of days?” Olivia let go of her daughter and glared at her. “You’re grounded. You’re not going anywhere!”

“You know, I actually wish that were true,” Emma said sadly. “I really wouldn’t mind, because that would be normal. Two days ago my life stopped being normal, Mom. It will never be normal again.”

“What are you talking about? You’re home, Emma!” Olivia said uneasily. “Your little adventure is over. You’re safe now. We can just forget this whole thing ever happened.”

“Maybe you can,” she replied, shrugging. “You weren’t the one standing under an alien sky and watching the stars dance to a goddess’s whim. You never spent half an hour having a heart-to-heart with the goddess who raises the sun every morning as we flew through the air in her chariot. You never asked her for advice and had her tell you it was time for you to decide for yourself.”

“Emma, what’s gotten into you?” Olivia snapped.

“I don’t know,” Emma said. “But I’m not the same person I was two days ago, I know that. And I can’t stay here. I’m sorry.”

“Young lady you are staying here!” Jacob bristled, glaring at his daughter. “You’re grounded for a damn month, you hear me?”

“I wish I could stay,” Emma said softly. “Daddy, I want to stay. But I can’t.”

“Do you know what this is about?” He glared at Twilight. “Have you been putting dangerous ideas in my daughter’s head?”

“Hey, don’t look at me! I said she should stay here,” Twilight protested, raising a hoof in a gesture a horse could never have performed. “But the Princess did tell her it was her choice. Søyle outright asked her to stay. Blame them.”

“Who is Søyle?” John asked, trying to calm the tempest of emotion from Emma’s parents.

“She’s the Troll King’s wife,” Twilight replied. “She’s acting as Teelo’s lady-in-waiting and tutor on troll customs. She’s become Emma’s bodyguard as well.”

“Wait, bodyguard?” Olivia blurted. “Why did Emma need a bodyguard? Why would a king’s wife do that anyway? And if the king has a wife, how is Teelo the queen?”

Emma shot Twilight a hard look.

“Well, it’s complicated,” Twilight said carefully, “Trolls are all about clan you see. Since she bonded with Crush Teelo is the queen of the trolls by troll law. In fact, the trolls consider her to be a troll, not a human. Now trolls believe there are two ways for you to be part of a clan. The first is by birth or marriage, just like humans and ponies. But they have a second kind of clan, called a clan of purpose. If you’re clan of purpose, you’re also clan to everyone anypony the clan of purpose is clan to, just as if you were clan by birth.”

“Being the troll queen she’s actually considered part of the king’s clan too. However, the queen also has a clan of purpose, to help cement relationships between troll clans. Right now, Søyle is part of Teelo’s clan of purpose, along with about thirty other trolls from other troll clans.”

“When Teelo claimed Emma was part of her own clan of purpose and her best friend it meant Emma was part of the queen’s clan—because trolls take such things really seriously. As such, Emma is clan with Søyle, and when Subtle Dancer was attacked Teelo asked Søyle to keep Emma safe while she and the guards dealt with the changelings.”

“Trolls treat clan members the same way humans treat immediate family,” Teagan jumped into the explanation. “The trolls in my clan all think of Emma as family. She’s really hit it off with them too. They all like her a lot. If you’re part of a troll clan, you’re family. Which means Clan O’Gara is part of my troll clan too, and so are the Halsteads.”

“Wait, we’re part of a troll clan?” Olivia asked, momentarily startled into civility.

“Yes,” Teagan said nodding. “I know it’s pretty hard to get your head around, but when it comes to clan, it is scary how seriously the trolls take family—and Emma is family to my clan. Søyle is as serious about protecting Emma as you are—or I am.”

“If what you say is true you don’t want her there any more than we do,” Jacob said soberly. “It’s dangerous there! This Subtle Dancer guy, he got hurt by monsters, right?”

“Yes,” Teagan said neutrally. “To be honest I’m really torn. I want to keep Emma safe, but at the same time she’s already proven how useful she can be. But I promised Emma I wouldn’t try to persuade you to make her stay here. Even Princess Celestia seems to think she should make the choice herself.”

“Is Equestria dangerous?” Olivia demanded, looking between Twilight and Teagan.

“Some parts are,” Twilight said after a moment when it was obvious Teagan wasn’t going to speak, “and some parts are safe. Canterlot is pretty safe. Ponyville is pretty safe as long as you stay out of the Everfree. I don’t know much about Hejm, but I do know trolls are very law-abiding.”

“There are lots of monsters though?” Olivia pressed.

“Yes, there are,” Teagan took over the conversation. “Small ones and big ones, ones that have magical powers and others that are as smart as people and aren’t picky about who they eat.”

“We have our monsters too, Daddy.” Emma said quietly. “Rapists, serial killers, drug gangs, copperheads, cottonmouths, rattlesnakes. That’s just here in Kansas. If we were talking about Australia instead of Equestria would you be as worried? Knowing I’d be with trustworthy people who knew the land and how to avoid the dangers?”

“Yes, I would!” Jacob exclaimed. “You’re talking about the whole summer, Emma! Think about how we’d feel, worried about you off on another world, and not able to talk to you! Not even by letter! Not knowing if something had happened!”

“I’m not an idiot, Daddy,” Emma said calmly. “Yeah, the thing with Subtle Dancer was scary. But I had three trolls guarding me. Imagine an eight-foot tall wall of muscle, armed with a club seven feet long, with claws that can dig through stone. Three of those were guarding just me. That doesn’t count the twenty pegasi guards or little Miss Super-Hero over there with her magical club. They were between us and the changelings the whole time. Oh, and Sun Hammer was with us too!”

“Who in Hell is Sun Hammer?” Jacob nearly shouted in exasperation. “Jeez, I need a damn scorecard to keep track of all this!”

“He’s a friend of Teagan’s,” John said, “An earth pony that weighs about a thousand pounds and stands around five feet at the shoulder. He’s a soldier.”

“Ex-Royal Guard, actually,” Twilight, ever the pedant, spoke up. “He’s currently Keeper of the Armory, Hero of the Crown and Champion of the Sun. He’s also one very scary pony when he gets angry.” Twilight shivered, remembering how Sun Hammer had challenged Princess Luna herself, rearing and slashing at her with razor-edged hooves.

“That doesn’t explain why you have to go back.” Olivia said pointedly. “What can you do that Teelo can’t? She apparently knows how to fight. You don’t.”

“I don’t need to know how to fight,” Emma said quietly, “That’s Teelo’s job.”

Teagan was beginning to worry about just how calm Emma was being. It wasn’t like her friend at all. She wondered if the last two days had had a bigger impact on Emma than the brown-haired girl had let the world see.

“So why is it so important for you to go?” Jacob asked angrily.

“Did you ever wonder what it would be like to be the only human being in the entire world, Daddy?” Emma asked, meeting her father’s gaze with tranquil eyes. “I got a taste of what that must be like over the last couple of days. But Teelo, she knows. She has been the only human being in Equestria. Not knowing if she’d ever be able to go home again. Knowing if she couldn’t she’d never see another human face ever again. Can you imagine what that must have been like?

“As nice as ponies are, they’re not human, Daddy. Trolls are nice too—well, to clan at least, but they’re even stranger than ponies. She’s going back to live with the trolls for three whole months. Immersing herself in all things troll, she said. She’ll speak troll, eat troll food, be surrounded by trolls everywhere she goes. Oh, sure, there are a few ponies in Hejm’s Equestrian Embassy but she isn’t going to be seeing them very much.”

“So if I don’t go back she won’t see another human face for months, Daddy. Think about that. She won’t have anyone who understands her or knows what it’s like to be a human among trolls. She’ll have nobody to eat dinner with who doesn’t tower over her. No one to confide her fears to, except Søyle. Sure, Søyle is a wonderful person, but she’s still a troll. How could she understand human fears, human wants and needs?”

“Who else can gather gossip that a human being would think important? I’ve already made a lot of contacts in our clan among the nobles. Andthe guards. Andthe wagon drivers. Oh, and let’s not forget my contacts among the ponies. Nobody’s afraid to talk to me. I’m not the Queen. I’m just a friendly smile and a willing ear, always ready to lend a hand and have a little chat while I do.”

Twilight’s eyebrows were almost hiding in her mane.

“Emma?” She asked uncertainly, “are you saying you’re a spy?”

“Of course not,” Emma said, smiling happily at Twilight. “I’m just a friendly girl, Twilight. I like people, that’s all. Oh, and I’m also Teelo’s best friend. So if I hear something that she needs to know I’ll be sure she does.”

She winked at the alicorn, who sat down rather heavily, clearly stunned.

“That, Daddy, is why I have to go back. To let Teelo keep her humanity and still be the Troll Queen.”

Both of Emma’s parents were watching their daughter uncertainly. They were used to obedience, and the occasional tantrum, even a bit of drama now and again. They knew how to handle all of that. But this new calmness had clearly unnerved them.

“If it helps, think of it like me being an exchange student.” Emma said. “Hosted by a foreign family. Because that’s exactly what this is.”

“In another world,” Olivia said snidely. “That isn’t exactly like going to Europe, now is it? At least in Europe you could call home every night. Not only can’t you call home, you can’t even send any letters! What happens if you get sick or hurt? Do trolls or ponies have hospitals that can treat you?”

“Equestrian medicine is very advanced, Mrs. Halstead,” Twilight said, stung at the implied slight. “While our doctors have never had to treat a human before, we are familiar with many different sentient species and magic is quite versatile.”

“I know they can regenerate changeling limbs and eyes,” Teagan said reluctantly, still not entirely sure she should be helping Emma’s cause, “despite never having treated changelings before. They can cause bones to heal at three times the normal rate. They have vaccines and can treat infectious diseases. In a lot of ways their medical treatments are more advanced than ours.”

“But she’d be in a troll city, nota pony one. How’s their medical knowledge?” Jacob asked shrewdly.

“From what I understand,” Twilight replied, “trolls heal much faster than other creatures so their trauma skills tend to inferior to pony ones, but their knowledge of diseases is just as good, and we actually trade for some of their drugs. In the worst case there’s always a chariot stationed in Hejm, so it’s only three hours to Canterlot. In a real emergency I could fly to Hejm and teleport back.”

“Aren’t you a princess now?” John asked, surprised. “Why would a princess make an ambulance run?”

“I didsay in a real emergency, you know.” Twilight said with a smile. “Besides, Teelo is a really good friend, and Emma’s becoming one. I always help my friends.”

“If you were a real friend you’d be telling her to stay home,” Jacob said grumpily. “Now we’re the bad guys for trying to keep her safe. You are not going back, Emma. Full stop.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Halstead?” Twilight said diffidently, “Without meaning to challenge your parental authority, and acknowledging I think she should stay here myself I’m forced to bring your attention to a couple of points you may not be aware of.”

“Oh?” he asked warily. “Do you think they’ll change my mind?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight said, shaking her head, “but as a Princess of Equestria I feel it is my duty to present them. If I don’t, you won’t have all the information available to make an informed decision.”

“In other words, you have to present it?” Jacob asked. “You don't have a choice?”

“Yes,” Twilight admitted rather reluctantly.

“Well, I don’t want to be unreasonable, but it probably won’t change my mind,” he warned her.

“Understood, and thank you. First, Princess Celestia felt it should be Emma’s decision to make, no one else’s. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but the Princess has ruled Equestria for over a thousand years. Equestria has flourished under her rule and her wisdom is legendary in our world. I’m not saying she never makes mistakes, but she’s very good at judging character. She was my mentor growing up so I trust her. If she felt Emma should choose, then I urge you to consider her experience in such matters.”

Jacob looked mulish, but his wife suddenly seemed uncertain.

“And second?” Jacob asked, clearly not convinced.

“I feel compelled to ask what dangers you believe Emma could be exposed to in a city of trolls?” Twilight asked with a smile. “Trolls are extremely law-abiding, much more so than humans, or so Matt tells me.”

“Your Highness,” Jacob said in a level tone, “the entire problem is I don’t know all the ways my daughter could get killed in Hejm. Wild animals, maybe? Invaders? Criminals? Rebellion? Some crazy magic plague? Bloodthirsty beach balls? How the hell would I know what the dangers are in your world? I only learned it existed yesterday. At least here I know what the dangers are and how to avoid them.”

“So you won’t honor her choice?” Twilight asked regretfully.

“No,” Jacob snorted, “because she’s made a stupid choice. It’s a parent’s responsibility to protect their children from themselves.”

“A stupid choice?” Emma asked, tilting her head. “Because you think I don’t know the dangers involved? Because you think I’m too young to make a rational decision? Because you think those I’m with are equally clueless?”

Her words were delivered in that same strange calm tone.

“Yes!” Her father snapped.

“This,” Emma said pointing to the lavender alicorn, “is Twilight Sparkle. She’s immortal, Daddy. She’s saved their world more often than Teelo has. She earned those wings. She used to be a unicorn, but through her own efforts became an alicorn. Does that sound like a stupid clueless idiot to you?

“Princess Celestia is over a thousand years old, and she rules a country of ponies. Kind, non-aggressive, and really innocent ponies in a world filled with big predators. Is she stupid and clueless? Because she said I’m capable of making this choice.

“Kongen Fjell rules a kingdom of trolls, Daddy. Big, dangerous, aggressive trolls. Except they haven’t fought amongst themselves in thousands of years. Can any human civilization say that? And now I, no we, are part of Teelo’s troll clan, which means the trolls won’t hurt me. They’ll protect me. All of them. Eight foot walls of muscle, teeth, and claws. Is Kongen Fjell stupid, Daddy?

“Søyle swore to protect me against changelings, monsters, and even gods if it came to that. Teagan’s own bodyguards laughed when Teagan asked if Søyle could fight, and said she was a match for the king himself. Trolls never break their promises, Daddy. Ever. To them breaking a promise is one of the worst crimes they can commit. She told me I should stay. Is Søyle stupid and clueless?

“Then there’s Teelo. She knows the dangers of that world better than anybody here except Twilight. She’s faced them and beaten them. She’s my best friend, and she really, really wants to keep me safe. But even she admits I proved I can help. She doesn’t want me to go, but she’s agreed it’s my choice, and she promised to stay out of it. Is she stupid and clueless?

“After that changeling hurt Subtle Dancer I helped save his life, Daddy. Cloud Maker and Teelo told me what to do and I did it. His blood was all over my hands, so don’t tell me I don’t know how dangerous it can be there. I saw what happened to him with my own eyes, I saw that monster knock him down and try to slash his throat with its fangs. But Subtle Dancer is still alive because everyone, including me, worked together to save his life. When they needed me I didn’tscream and run away. Do you really think I’m stupid and don’t know the risks?

“I didn’t say you were stupid,” Jacob said, forced on the defensive.

“No, only that I make stupid choices.” Emma said quietly. “Ask Subtle Dancer how stupid my choices are.”

“I can’t, can I?” Jacob rallied. “He’s not here, is he? He’s in this crazy other world, where hebelongs. Yet he still nearly got himself killed! How did that happen, huh? She says the changelings were looking for payback. What happened to them, anyway? I haven’t heard a detailed account of that fight, and if you expect me to let you go back there that’s the least of whatI’m going to want to know!”

“Most of the changelings are dead, Mr. Halstead,” Teagan said quietly, hating how careful she was having to be. On the one hand she’d promised not to screw up Emma’s chances of convincing her parents, but on the other she was the troll queen, and couldn’t lie.

“A few were badly injured instead of killed. They got captured and sent to the hospital under guard. The survivors fled.”

“I see. And you fought these changelings, Teelo?” Jacob said, taken aback.

“Yes,” Teagan said, dreading his next question.

“Did you kill any of them?”

“Yes,” Teagan said softly. “Some of them were fanatics who wouldn’t stop fighting. I had no choice.”

“Wait, these weren’t just monsters? They were people?” Olivia asked, shocked.

“No,” Twilight spoke up. Teagan turned to her in surprise. “The changelings Teelo killed were different. Normal changelings are sentient creatures. But the ones that Teelo fought were specially bred drones that were almost mindless. Their queen traded their sentience for huge size and combat ability. They were no more than animals.”

Teagan sagged, a huge surge of relief washing through her.

“Twilight, are you sure of that?” John asked with quiet intensity.

“I’m sure,” Twilight nodded. “Wing Commander Stormwind’s report was very detailed. Most of the changelings killed were sentient, but not the ones inside the ring.”

Teagan closed her eyes and blew out her breath, feeling a ton of guilt flow out of her. She wasn’t completely innocent—Jern’s blood was still on her hands, but at least the three guards were off her conscience.

“Make sure Sun Hammer knows that, would you Twi?” Teagan asked softly.

“Of course,” Twilight nodded, face serious. “Mr. Halstead, what else do you want to know?”

Emma’s father seemed at a loss for words, staring at Teagan with wide eyes. Olivia’s mother took over.

“How common are such incidents?” She asked sharply.

“Not very,” Twilight answered quickly. “The reason this one happened is Subtle Dancer is the head of a government agency called Celestia’s Horn.”

“They’re sort of the pony version of NCIS,” Teagan added. “Magical investigators crossed with the Secret Service.”

“This incident had its roots in Subtle Dancer’s official activities,” Twilight continued. “It was a unique confluence of circumstances that can’t happen again.”

“So you’re saying it was just a freak occurrence?” Jacob asked sourly. “How many times have you had to save the world from freak occurrences, Princess?”

“Um, let me think,” Twilight said, tilting her head. “There was the incident with Nightmare Moon, and the first time Discord broke free. His second break out wasn’t nearly as bad, so I don’t count that. Oh, and the Nightmare Discord incident, although we were helping Teelo, really, so I can’t take full credit. I helped with Tišina, although Pinkie Pie was the one who really saved us that time. Of course Chrysalis attacking the Royal Wedding was about saving Equestria, not the whole world. And there was King Sombra, but that was just saving the Crystal Empire, not the whole world either. So—three times maybe? But I never did any of them all by myself,” she answered modestly.

“Three times?” Jacob asked incredulously. “And you don’t even count saving countries? What is wrong with your world? That’s insane.”

“Well,” Twilight admitted reluctantly, “it has been unusually busy the last few years. Honestly, if you don’t count the whole Sun Hammer incident there hasn’t been a real threat to the world in hundreds of years.”

“Sun Hammer? Isn’t that Teelo’s friend?” Jacob asked. “What happened?”

“Well, about eleven years ago Princess Celestia had to travel to the mountain under which Hejm lies. She was repairing the Veil, the magical boundary that separates Equestria from the Great Void. Because of complex issues involving troll politics that non-trolls stillaren’t quite clear on, the old Troll King was forced to attack Princess Celestia’s expedition in order to drive it off. Since he wasn’t able to drive them off, it became a matter of honor for the Troll King to kill Princess Celestia. She was unable to defend herself, too busy repairing the Veil before the creature on the other side managed to break through. If she had stopped to fight the Troll King the creature would have broken through and maybe destroyed everything. Sun Hammer happened to be near enough to intervene. He attacked the Troll King, and killed him during a really nasty fight.”

“The current king, Fjell, was the old Troll King’s son.” Teagan broke in. “It was a real mess all the way around and should never have happened. It left the ponies and the trolls on the edge of war for ten years. If Tišina hadn’t woken up things might still be messed up. Come to that, if Nightmare Discord hadn’t kidnapped me the war might actually have happened by now.”

“You see? Teagan is the reason the war didn’t happen, she’s actually the reason for the growing alliance between ponies and trolls,” Emma spoke up. “This summer’s visit is really important, Daddy. She needs my help, if only to keep her cool while under all that pressure.”

“Is that true?” Olivia asked, still not quite believing Teagan, of all people, was some kind of big wheel in another world.

Teagan grimaced. “I hate to admit it, but Emma’s been a big help already. I can’t believe how easily she made friends with the trolls. They’re normally really insular and suspicious of other species. But she just smiled and chatted away and suddenly they’re all friendly and welcoming. I’m not saying that to change your minds either, because I promised to stay out of this.”

“Would she be safe?” Jacob asked Teagan, who sighed.

“I’m trying to be neutral here,” She complained. “I know I just said I wanted to stay out of this! But, if you really want to know what I think, then yeah, realistically she probably would be. The city of Hejm is a fortress, deep underground. Tens of thousands of trolls live there, and they aren’t barbarian savages either. They have an ancient civilization, wizards who can control earth magic, art, culture, the whole nine yards. I’ve been told the city is warded against all kinds of magical intrusion, and attackers would have to get to the city before they’d be a threat, the approaches are all heavily guarded. By trolls. Who do not find intruders the least bit amusing.”

“So in the city itself, yeah, she’d probably be safe.” Teagan continued. “It’s getting to the city that might be a problem.”

“What do you mean?” Olivia asked curiously.

“Hejm is about a hundred and fifty miles from Canterlot as the crow flies. but on the ground it adds a lot of miles to the slog. We can take a train most of the way into the foothills, but the last fifty miles or so will be on foot. I don’t know if Emma’s got the stamina to walk fifty miles in mountains. Actually, I don’t know if I do either. But we’ll have wagons with us so if we exhaust ourselves we can ride part of the way. Not that that would do my image much good.” She chuckled ruefully.

“I’m sure Celestia will provide a wing of the Royal Guard as escort, and we’ll have thirty trolls with us. Believe me when I say nothing in its right mind is going to want to mess with us! But accidents can happen.” She shrugged. “Poisonous snakes, maybe, or cockatrices, or who knows what. While an accident isn’t any more likely to happen to us there than it would to wilderness hikers here, it could happen.”

“Having said that,” Teagan said forcefully, “I’m not going to sugar-coat this. We’ll be marching for a solid week through mountainous terrain, and living off the supplies we brought with us plus a little foraging. It’s going to be pretty rough on Emma.”

“Do you really think my daughter can do all that?” Jacob asked. “A fifty mile mountain hike? I doubt I could do that.”

Teagan paused, looking at a strangely calm Emma. It still made her nervous to see Emma like that.

“I think so.” She said finally said, reluctantly. “She has no idea how hard it will be, but she’s not a weakling, and she’s not a coward. If I could learn to fight after spending a month as Matt’s punching bag then she can learn to deal with a fifty-mile hike. If she goes she really won’t have a choice.”

“Wait, what?” Elaine exclaimed. “What do you mean you were Matt’s punching bag?”

Teagan gave her mother a mirthless smile. “Remember how bad my temper used to be?”

“Yes, but you said Matt taught you to control it.” Her mother said suspiciously.

“He did,” Teagan nodded. “But the way he did it was to deliberately bait me until I lost my temper—and then keep knocking me down until I couldn’t stand up again. He did that every day for the entire first month. I wasn’t ready to learn to fight until I finally stopped losing my temper. By which time I knew exactly how much I sucked at fighting. He made sure of that.”

“You never said anything, Teagan!” Her mother’s voice was horrified. “When you came home dragging every day I just thought you were exhausted. I didn’t know he was beating you! I’ll have that man arrested for what he’s done!”

“No, Mom, you won’t,” Teagan said calmly. “I asked him to teach me to fight for real. Not just self-defense. Combat, because that’s what I needed. It saved my life yesterday, and last night.”

“Last night?” John asked, staring at his daughter sharply. “Last night you were in Canterlot.”

Teagan shook her head. “Yesterday afternoon I was in Canterlot—for all of an hour. Last night I was with Pinkie Pie and the Rolling Thunder platoon rescuing Sweetie Belle from a psycho cult in some god-forsaken swamp. Emma, on the other hand, was having dinner with Princess Celestia in Canterlot at the time,” She gave Emma a lopsided grin. “She tells me it was delicious.”

“Why were you involved in a hostage rescue?” Elaine asked, appalled. “You said you wouldn’t go looking for trouble!”

“I didn’t. It came looking for me, same as always. It’s a long involved story that I’m not going to go into right now. The Cliff Notes version is: bad guys defeated, Sweetie Belle saved, Teagan’s reward a serious night’s sleep. The End.”

“And how, exactly, did Emma help you?” Jacob demanded. “She was having dinner while you were rescuing Sweetie Pie.”

“Sweetie Belle. She helped later that night. I was having one of my nightmares,” Teagan said, looking at her mother, who closed her eyes, face tightening in pain.

“I thought those had stopped,” John said, face creased in worry.

“Yeah, so did I. Full blown color, stereoscopic sound and all the trimmings,” Teagan said grimly. “It was one of the really bad ones, the kind that leave me zombiefied the next day. Emma woke me up, raided the kitchen, and force-fed me a pound of chocolate. It was exactly what I needed too. I went back to sleep and slept like a baby till almost noon. A quick soak in a tub of hot water and I felt human enough to go to lunch with the Princesses. You can thank Emma for putting me back together. Without her I wouldn’t have been in any condition to have that zany idea that got us back here today.” She paused. “You know, I think I’ve been spending way too much quality time with Pinkie.”

“You’re welcome,” Emma said. “You see? I know I’m just a sidekick to Teelo’s superhero but I’m a great sidekick. This is why she needs me with her in Hejm. Besides, I’ll be with relatives, Daddy. Relatives, I hasten to add, with big nasty clubs and a dim view of anything trying to hurt me.”

Jacob hesitated.

“Teelo’s mission is as important to Equestria as it is to the World Below, Mr. Halstead,” Twilight said carefully. “Emma is willing to help her friend. In Equestria, friendship is one of the most powerful things there is.”

“Friendship is magic?” John asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“Exactly!” Twilight nodded emphatically.

“Can you promise us she’ll come back safe and sound?” Jacob demanded, staring hard at Teagan.

“No,” Teagan said shaking her head. “Can you promise me you’ll come home from work tomorrow night safe and sound?”

“Of course I can! What kind of question is that?” Jacob said angrily.

“You can’t promise anyone that, Mr. Halstead. You could have a car accident, or get shot in a bank robbery, or a million other things. Granted, they aren’t likely, but they aren’t impossible, either. So I ask you again, can you promise me you’ll come home safe from work tomorrow?”

“All right, we get the point, Teagan,” Olivia said before Jacob could explode again. “The question is will our daughter likely come home safe?”

“Ha! Shoes on the other foot now, isn’t it?” Elaine pointed her finger at Teagan. “Didn’t I ask that very same question to Sun Hammer when he said they wanted you to help find Celestia?”

“You did,” Teagan acknowledged with a smile. “But we’re not asking Emma to fight, quite the opposite. The risk is the same she’d take on a normal hike, if she was with a very experienced group of hikers. If she does twist an ankle or something, well, four pegasi can carry a stretcher, and remember at worst we’re only three hours by air from Canterlot.”

“So, yes, Emma will likely be safe. The trip isn’t that dangerous, and once in Hejm she’ll be as safe as anyone inside a massive armed fortress can ever be.”

“For somebody who said they wanted to be neutral you’re selling this awfully hard,” Jacob grumbled. “All right, let’s say the trip is reasonably safe. We still won’t be able to talk to her for the entire summer. David is going to wonder where his sister is, and why he didn’t get to go.”

“Twilight, you have any ideas on that?” Teagan asked. “I know you can communicate with Celestia with that new gadget of yours across the Veil, and you can use your simulacrum to talk to the Halsteads, but is there anything you can think of to let them talk to Emma? Or write her? Or something?”

“Not at the moment, but that sure sounds like an interesting project!” Twilight said enthusiastically. “Once I’m back in Equestria I’ll start researching it immediately! It would be important for pony/troll relations, too.” The alicorn was beaming around the table. “If we could talk to Teelo whenever we needed to, or have a way for Fjell to do it, it would ease troll fears about Teelo while she’s here in her world!”

She turned to Jacob. “You see, Mr. Halstead? Emma is making wonderful contributions to the Equestria and her citizens even now!”

“This is too weird,” Jacob stood up. “Come on Olivia. We’re taking Emma home.”

“Will you let her choose?” Twilight asked carefully.

He blew air out through his nose.

“I’ll think about it,” he finally said. “But if I think it’s too dangerous she’s not going. And if you lie to us,” he glared at Emma, “or try to hold things back, we’re going to know it young lady. And then you’re going nowhere.”

“Agreed,” she said in that same calm voice that was giving Teagan the creeps. “See you later, Teelo.”

“Bye, Emma. Good luck.” Teagan said as her friend left with her parents.

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday afternoon, May 29, 2013 12:06 PM

“So, I should probably get started with my readings,” Twilight said brightly, trying to break the awkward silence. “I’d like to take readings in the two places Teelo was when the Bridge opened, then other rooms of the house and finally some outdoor readings.”

“Your Highness, while we’re certainly honored to have such a distinguished houseguest,” John said diplomatically, “there are definitely some things you should know.”

“Lord O’Gara, please call me Twilight,” the alicorn said. “You knew me before I was a princess. I’m still not comfortable with all the titles and bowing and wearing a crown.”

“I’ll make you a deal,” he said smiling. “I’ll call you Twilight if you call me John.”

“Done!” Twilight said happily holding up a hoof. John shook it without hesitation. “Now what is it I should know?”

“Well, for one thing very few people on Earth know that Equestria is real,” he said seriously. “If anyone else saw you it would raise awkward questions. If anyone heard you speak,” he shuddered, “you have no idea what kind of hell would descend on us. I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to leave the house during the day when someone might see you. If you absolutely have to get readings from the backyard it would probably be safe to do it after midnight, if you were careful. Anything else is far too dangerous, both to you and to us.”

“Dangerous?” Twilight’s eyebrows rose. “Why?”

“Because humans aren’t nice, Twilight,” Teagan explained. “When ponies see a human for the first time, they run, and maybe tell someone in authority. If a human saw you they’d either run or attack you. If they did run they’d call the police—or the army. And the army would capture you and at best you’d spend years being interrogated in some secret military base somewhere. At worst—well, they might shoot first and ask questions with a scalpel later. Since, you know, you probably wouldn’t be alive anymore.”

Twilight’s jaw fell open. “What? That’s crazy! Why would they do that?”

“Because humans can’t run very fast,” Teagan said grimly. “And most of us can’t fight. So we tend to hit things that scare us with the biggest rock we can find—and not bother seeing if it’s friendly first.”

Twilight’s pupils contracted and she began to shiver.

“As for us, well, we’d never see the light of day again,” Elaine said grimly. “The government would lock us away and ask endless questions—and they’d make sure we answered truthfully.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“Drugs, torture, they wouldn’t scruple about three nobodies like us.” Elaine said, staring hard at the alicorn.

“Elaine’s overstating the case,” John said as Twilight paled. “But we’d be arrested and isolated from the rest of the populace. After all, they can’t have us hobnobbing with aliens.” He chuckled grimly. “The government insists it has a monopoly on that sort of thing.”

“Your government has dealings with other species?” Twilight asked, recovering somewhat. “I thought you said humans were the only intelligent species on Earth.”

“We are. Dad’s talking about theoretical extraterrestrials, beings from another planet out in space,” Teagan replied. “Although I guess Equestrians would qualify as extra-terrestrials too, since you aren’t from this world.”

“Humans are xenophobic?” Twilight asked, horrified.

“Yep,” Teagan nodded. “Utterly and completely bug-nuts psychotic about it. Well, a lot of us are. The trolls would get killed before they could say anything, because they’re a walking billboard of everything that scares humans.”

She gave Twilight the once-over. “Of course you are simply adorable. Once they got to know you the average human would probably rather cuddle with you rather than shoot you. But the military would never give anybody that chance. So it’s vital nobody see you, and absolutely imperative nobody find out you can talk.”

“It wouldn’t be a problem,” John said, “if we didn’t have to call the social worker. She’s going to want to come here and see the house and then interview all three of us to make sure we aren’t abusing Teagan. If we’re very lucky we can get rid of her after that one interview. If we’re not lucky she’ll insist on weekly visits for who knows how long, and then we’d have to hire a lawyer to fight. And that would turn nasty very quickly.”

“But there’s no way Teagan could come back here every week,” Twilight said reasonably. “Even with a chariot it’s nearly four hours between Hejm and the Bridge. Not to mention that only Princess Celestia or maybe Princess Luna can open the Bridge for the next three weeks.”

“On top of which I can’t delay my trip to Hejm for three weeks,” Teagan grumbled. “Two days was pushing it. We should have already been in the foothills.”

“Hoofhills,” Twilight said, grinning. Teagan rolled her eyes.

“Hoofhills, then.” She waved a hand dismissively. “No way can I commute.”

“So, if I understand you correctly,” Twilight said slowly, “you have to convince this social worker that everything’s normal. That doesn’t seem hard.”

Teagan barked a laugh. “In case you haven’t noticed, Twilight, my life is about as normal as yours.”

“Point taken,” the alicorn nodded. “Well, what about casting a suggestion spell on her?”

John and Elaine stared at her, shocked.

“What? It won’t hurt her. I just cast a spell and she’ll never remember seeing me. In fact, she’ll be convinced everything is fine and go away and not think about you anymore.”

“That sounds risky,” Elaine said, looking away. “How do you know it will work on humans?”

“It works on everything,” Twilight said confidently, “even animals, if you do it right.”

“Yeah, but a spell like that,” Elaine shook her head, “will mess with her mind. Make any mistakes and it could leave her a mental vegetable—or kill her. And if that happened we’d be done for.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Twilight said. “The chance of something going wrong is vanishingly small.”

“But not zero,” John noted. “Let’s hold that option in reserve, all right? If we can persuade her we aren’t neglecting Teagan she’ll apologize for bothering us and go away. That’s the preferred outcome.”

“All right, if you say so,” Twilight said agreeably. “So when is this social worker coming over?”

“As soon as we find a good hiding spot for you,” John said, smiling.

ooOoo

“Thank you for seeing me, Your Highness,” the griffiness said, bowing low and sweeping her wings forward in a graceful and understated flourish. “May the sky bear you forevermore.”

“Lady Silkwind, always a pleasure. May the winds lift you upward.” Celestia nodded to her guest. “It’s been too long since we last spoke.”

“Good company is swift to part, alas,” the golden furred catbird said quietly. “I would hope our time together might be spent to the greater good of us all.”

“Oh? That’s always to be hoped. Would you care for some tea?” Celestia offered, lifting the teapot with her magic. “If I recall correctly you prefer a dollop of honey in it, do you not?”

“Yes. I am honored you remember, Your Highness.” The griffiness took her tea and let the steam waft to her beak. “Ah, wonderful! Canterlot White, such an exquisite bouquet.”

“You’re so fond of it,” Celestia said with a smile. “I like to make my guests comfortable.”

“Quite thoughtful, Your Highness.” The catbird sipped her tea and closed her eyes in pleasure. “Perfect, as always. I am somewhat surprised by your choice of a tea party to discuss matters. Although, far be it for me to disagree, the tea is delicious.”

“The teacakes are quite good as well,” Celestia said, nodding to the dish of golden disks. “Dried sultanas and cinnamon.”

“Ah, thank you. I’m very fond of cinnamon,” Lady Silkwind delicately picked one up and neatly snipped off a corner with her beak, letting it roll over her tongue with beak firmly shut as griffin etiquette demanded. Due to their unique physiology griffins could actually wrap their tongues around a morsel in their beak, giving them a far superior sense of taste.

“I was actually inspired by something Lady Emma said to Lady Teagan,” Celestia said with a chuckle. “Apparently there is some contact between their world and Equestria, probably in the form of dreams, which inspired a series of plays about Princess Sparkle and her friends.”

“Really?” The griffiness blinked. “That’s very odd, don’t you think?”

“Very odd indeed,” Celestia said with a laugh. “Apparently these plays are extremely popular on Lady Teagan’s world. I’m told the plays are aimed at human fillies, but they have garnered a following among adults as well. The aficionados call themselves bronies and pegasisters.”

“Bronies and pegasisters?” Lady Silkwind tilted her head in puzzlement. “Pegasister is clearly a world play on pegasus but what pray tell is a brony?”

“Brother pony,” Celestia supplied. “I’m not sure of the etymology but I believe it could also be rendered as brother of ponies, in the figurative rather than literal sense.”

“Ah, of course,” Silkwind nodded. “That would seem sensible. So pegasisters are then sisters of ponies. You said figuratively, so that would mean they feel a kinship to ponies?”

“Either kinship or great friendship,” Celestia said nodding. “During the recent unpleasantness with Tišina I actually met a pegasister. She was quite knowledgeable about Equestria. I found her intelligent, competent, and very friendly.”

“Have you met many humans then?” Lady Silkwind asked casually.

“Let me see,” Celestia said, considering. “Six of them, actually. Lady Teagan and her parents, Lady Emma, the pegasister Evelyn Lewis, and a soldier named Matthew Sanders.”

“I have not had the pleasure of meeting Lady Teagan. What can you tell me of humans?” Silkwind asked curiously.

Celestia paused, thinking. “It’s hard to say, really. In many ways they act like ponies, but in other ways they do not. Humans are omnivores, and Matthew tells me they are pack hunters. They don’t practice magic, but apparently have a good theoretical grasp of it, even though they don’t believe it is real.”

“How can that be if they don’t believe it’s real?” Silkwind asked in surprise.

“Evelyn told me humans like to play games where they pretend to be mages. Oddly they have legends of pegasi, unicorns, dragons—even griffins. Likewise their legends of magic are quite extensive. What I find fascinating is that their legends cover a vast array of different magical traditions, many that I have never heard of.”

“Do you think these legends are borne in dreams the way the plays were inspired? Perhaps from other worlds than Equis?”

“It’s very possible,” Celestia admitted. “Of course, since these are games, much of it may simply have come from somepony’s overactive imagination.”

“True,” Silkwind nodded. “Still, they sound very intriguing. I had heard that Lady Teagan has returned. Perhaps you could introduce us?”

Celestia looked apologetic, “I would be delighted to, Lady Silkwind, but unfortunately Lady Teagan’s duties as the Dronning av Fjellet have not left her much time for social gatherings. She is, after all, queen of the trolls,” Celestia delicately stressed the word. “They have differing views on the usefulness of such gatherings.”

“Ah, I understand,” Lady Silkwind said nodding. “Perhaps another time.”

“We will be holding a party the night before she returns to her world,” Celestia noted. “I will be sure to tell Faerie Mist to send you an invitation.”

“How very kind,” Silkwind smiled at the alicorn. “You mentioned that Lady Emma’s comment prompted your choice of tea for our meeting, Your Highness. May I ask what the comment was?”

“Oh!” Celestia laughed, eyes twinkling. “Forgive me! I had completely forgotten your question! For some reason most humans seem to think that Equestrians do nothing all day but have tea parties and play dress up. Lady Teagan and Lady Emma were actually surprised to find out it wasn’t so.”

“I’m sorry?” Lady Silkwind’s decorum slipped for a moment as her beak fell open in shock. “How would that even be possible? Surely humans realize clothing and tea services don’t grow on trees? That one must have an income to afford such luxuries?”

“One would think so,” Celestia agreed, giggling. “I really must find some way to watch those human plays about Equestria!”

The meeting continued for another few minutes before Lady Silkwind took her leave, expressing thanks to her hostess. A few moments after the griffin was safely away Faerie Mist approached her sovereign.

“Make sure Lady Silkwind is extended an invitation for Lady Teelo’s farewell party, would you?” Celestia murmured quietly. Her lady-in-waiting nodded.

“Of course. What did our esteemed stalker want? Anything I should know about?” Faerie Mist asked, taking a teacake and nibbling it.

“It would seem the griffins are beginning to take an interest in humans,” Celestia replied quietly, taking another teacake for herself. “She was unusually curious too. Well, at least somewhat more obvious about it.”

“Hmm. What did you give her?” Faerie Mist asked with furrowed brow as she contemplated the implications.

Celestia chuckled. “Oh, quite a lot, actually. Once she filters our conversation through griffin sensibilities I predict she’ll report that humans know magic but I want everypony to think they don’t, that humans are indeed dangerous in a way ponies are not, that humans can easily be manipulated, and that Equestria has an extremely close alliance with the human world. I suspect it was our alliance with the trolls that sparked this sudden interest in humans.”

Faerie Mist smiled slowly.

“Easily manipulated?” Her smile grew wider. “I would give a great deal to be there when Lady Silkwind meets Lady Teagan.”

“That’s easily arranged. After all, Lady Teagan will need someone to introduce them,” Celestia said thoughtfully, “and I am always so busy at those gatherings…”

Faerie Mist’s smile widened to a delighted grin, showing her teeth.

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday afternoon, May 29, 2013 2:39 PM

Mia Gant walked up to the O’Gara’s home and took a quick breath, before knocking. The door was opened almost immediately by a smiling man in his late thirties. He was dressed in dress slacks and a pullover sweater.

“Mr. O’Gara?” she asked.

“Yes, are you Mia Gant?” He asked pleasantly.

“Yes I am, here’s my card. I’m here to talk to Teagan.” She said, watching him. He took the card and glanced at it.

“Won’t you come in?” Standing aside he politely waved her in.

As she entered the house her eyes took in her surroundings. The man led her through a hallway and into a living room of a typical middle-class home. Everything was clean, although not overly so. It didn’t appear any special effort had been made to prepare for her visit.

She did note the furniture was oddly arranged. A trio of comfortable armchairs were placed along one wall and had been turned to face the couch, which had been pulled into the middle of the room, facing away from another archway that looked as though it led into the dining room.

“Won’t you have a seat?” the man said, indicating the couch. She sat down, placing her briefcase beside her. When she looked up she found the man had taken the chair to her left. A slender red haired teenager, Teagan she presumed, was in the middle chair while a woman in her mid-thirties with brown hair was sitting on the right. The woman was staring at her with clear hostility.

“Hello, I’m Mia. I’m a social worker for the Department of Children and Families.” She began pleasantly. “We received a report that Teagan could be suffering from neglect. By law the DCF is required to investigate all reports we receive. Let me reassure you this is only an investigation, no one is accusing you of anything. I’m simply here to make sure Teagan is safe, and to help you deal with any problems that you might be having.”

“Assuming the report is true, of course.” The woman next to Teagan growled.

“Of course,” Mia smiled back. “You’re Teagan’s mother?”

“Yes,” the woman said. The word was clipped and icy.

“And your name?” Mia asked, apparently unperturbed.

“Elaine.”

“Elaine, please understand. I’m not here to cause trouble, despite what you might think,” Mia said. “I only want to make sure Teagan isn’t having any problems. I’m sure that’s what you want too, so we’re really on the same side here.”

The teen raised her eyebrows. “I’m not having any problems, Miss Gant. I am happily living my life and don’t need any help. Whoever lodged this complaint was either mistaken or malicious. Frankly, I’m offended by this accusation and plan to find out who made it and why.”

“It’s not an accusation, Teagan; it’s a report of possible neglect. Please don’t be offended by someone trying to help you.” Mia said placatingly.

“I’m pretty sure whoever did this wasn’t trying to help me,” the girl said dryly. “My parents have never neglected me. Your presence here insults both of them, and that makes me angry, Miss Gant. I understand you don’t have a choice in this, that you’re just doing your job. I will even concede you genuinely want to help. So believe me when I say my anger is directed at the source of the complaint and not at you.”

“I understand, I really do,” Mia said in a soothing voice. “No one likes it when I show up. I’ve been doing this for ten years and seen everything from heartbreaking abuse to false alarms. I’m just here to see if you need help or not.”

She watched them glance at each other and come to a silent agreement. To her trained eye that glance was telling, and she relaxed slightly as the hostility in the room dropped significantly, especially the mother’s.

“Forgive me for being frank, Mia,” Teagan said pleasantly. “but I don’t want to waste your time. I don’t need help. I have never been neglected, physically or emotionally. What do you need to see to go away and never come back? My grade point average this year was 3.85 with an advanced curriculum. Physically, I’m extremely fit and strong, with a full ten hours of martial arts training every week. Emotionally, I’m neither depressed nor unstable, as you can see. I love my parents very much and they’ve taught me to be independent and to stay out of trouble. I admit to running away from home during the January before last, but that was because I was being silly. I came back on my own and won’t be doing that again. Now, what else do you want to know?”

“You study martial arts?” Mia asked, interested. “Which school? Karate? I’m a brown belt in Goju-ryu myself.”

“Impressive,” Teagan said, nodding. “I imagine that comes in handy in some of the rougher neighborhoods. I study Krav Maga, I’m currently a P2 working on my P3.”

“That’s a pretty brutal discipline isn’t it?” Mia asked, raising her eyebrows. “Israeli, right? Military?”

“Yes. My instructor is a retired Green Beret,” Teagan replied. “I’m doing survival training too, along with some tactical stuff like threat recognition, terrain reconnaissance, that kind of thing.”

“What got you into martial arts?” Mia asked enthusiastically, having finally found some common ground. “Do you plan to join the military when you graduate?”

“Oh no,” Teagan said chuckling. “I do it for the same reasons you do, I’d imagine. It’s always nice to know how to defend yourself, right? Plus it’s good exercise and a wonderful way to work off stress.”

“You have stress to work off?” Mia asked disingenuously.

“Not since I started Krav Maga!” Teagan laughed. Mia took the rebuke without comment, all grist for her mill.

“So as you can see I’m in no need of help. You’ve been sent on a wild goose chase, Mia.” Teagan said. “I imagine your plate’s already pretty full. No need to waste more time on us.”

“You seem awfully eager to be rid of me,” Mia noted. “Why is that?”

“I would think that would be obvious, Miss Gant,” Elaine spoke up. “Your being here is a slap in the face, both to us, and to Teagan. Your services aren’t needed here, so leave us in peace to finish raising our daughter as we see fit.”

“Elaine may be putting it less tactfully than I would like,” the man spoke up, standing. “But her point is still accurate. A complaint was filed and you did your due diligence. As you can see there is no problem here. Teagan is well fed, well guided, and well loved. We haven’t abused our daughter, nor neglected her. In fact I’m proud of how strong and beautiful a young lady she has become. Will you report this was a false alarm and we’ll not be seeing any more of your people?”

Mia sat, thinking about it. As far as she could see there wasn’t anything wrong. The family’s united front wasn’t consistent with neglect, and Teagan’s whole attitude reeked of self-assurance, which was rare in cases of abuse. Their anger at being the target of a DCF investigation was pretty normal as well.

Mia came to a decision and closed her briefcase. Standing, she extended her hand.

“Yes, Mr. O’Gara. I see no evidence of abuse or neglect in your home. I hope you’ll forgive the inconvenience, however you can understand we at the DCF have to take each report seriously, both by law and as a moral imperative.”

“I understand,” he nodded seriously. “You’ve done your duty, Miss Gant. Allow me to see you out.”

She nodded and glanced at Teagan, who nodded pleasantly. Even Elaine gave her a neutral faced nod of acknowledgement.

As she was driving away she couldn’t stop thinking about the girl’s expression as she’d left. Although her smile had been agreeable enough her eyes had been hard and glittering, an expression far too old to be on her young face.

Maybe I’ll have a quiet word with Millicent and find out what the history between them really is, the social worker thought as she swung on the highway to return home.

An Ever Shifting Landscape

In which shadows begin to spread and our heroine is forced to reflect on her queenly responsibilities while Twilight confronts her own personal Hell.

Lady Silkwind dismissed her attendants and settled herself comfortably on the full length couch. She relaxed with a full body purr, her eyes half-closed in contentment. Sunlight poured through the open windows, along with a delightful breeze and melodious birdsong.

In spite of the sunlight streaming into the room there were a number of shadows, one cast by the couch the griffiness sprawled on so decadently. Given that her eyes were closed and she was breathing slowly and deeply a hypothetical observer could have been forgiven for thinking she was asleep.

Greetings, Sunbird.

The silent voice didn’t seem to startle the griffiness in the least.

“Hello, dear sweet friend,” She murmured so quietly her words couldn’t have been made out more than a few feet away. “What news?”

Plans are proceeding, the voice said mildly. There have been a few minor setbacks. Ponies have always proven surprisingly resilient so it is only to be expected. The trolls are stubborn, of course. Still, it is a predictable recalcitrance that can be turned to our advantage. What of the griffins?

“My associates are amusing,” The griffiness chuckled, a soft liquid trill. “They are being typical males, confident in their boasting, thinking they manipulate the Sun Princess while she laughs behind her kindly smile. Only Iron Beak is truly canny enough to prove troublesome, but I have him well in claw. Silver Claw believes the Sun Princess to be his true ally, and as for dear Firewing, well,” she chuckled. “He is young and proud and thus easy to lead where we wish.”

Excellent, the silent voice said in satisfaction. What of the strange ones?

“The humans? Oh, Celestia was being clever with me,” Silkwind said carelessly. “She says they have an excellent theoretical knowledge of magic, yet do not believe it actually exists. This is pure drivel, of course. Either they have no knowledge of it whatsoever, or they are exceedingly good at it. Lady Teagan bested Discord and led the effort that defeatedTišina. She clearly did something to subvert Mountain Heart to her will, a feat of magic no one else has managed in thousands of years. No, these humans are magically adept. Frighteningly so, I should think.

“Celestia also told me they are omnivorous pack hunters, and thus unlike any other sentient species in Equestria. My first instinct is to compare them to timber wolves, but not having met any humans I cannot say for certain.”

Do you think they can be incorporated in our plans? Her friend asked mildly. Or are they more likely to be—obstacles?

Lady Silkwind paused, thinking.

“At this time I cannot say. But don’t be so gloomy. After all, an obstacle is often nothing more than an opportunity when correctly addressed,” The griffiness advised. “Much like the trolls.”

This is so, the voice replied, seemingly unperturbed. Would it be possible for you to meet a human? Their influence in Equestria and beyond seems to be growing.

“I have an invitation to meet Lady Teagan before she returns to her world at the end of summer,” The griffiness replied. “A farewell party will be held in her honor.”

If you can find no earlier opportunity, that will be acceptable. However, it would be very helpful if you could ingratiate yourself with her, perhaps accompany her to Hejm. We need as much knowledge of these humans as we can get, given their strangeness.

“My dear sweet friend!” Lady Silkwind actually opened her eyes, peering down at the floor in shock. “You expect a griffin to plunge into the bowels of the earth? Surely you jest! Is Hejm not more like your own realm than mine? Surely you would find it far more congenial than I?”

Hejm is warded against us, the voice said with just a hint of sulkiness. Yet friendship for you brings me to your realm, which is hostile and unforgiving to my kind. If I can do that, surely you can dare the darkness? After all, it will not actually harm you. Do you hold our plans in such low esteem you would not inconvenience yourself to see them accomplished?

The griffiness huffed in displeasure. “Sometimes you are too shrewd for comfort,” she informed the voice sourly. “Very well, I shall see what may be done. Trolls are notoriously suspicious of other species and Lady Teagan is too occupied with her duties as queen to be out and about. I am told they depart for Hejm soon, but I will do my best.”

Thank you. You may find better luck with the other human, the troll queen’s companion, the voice noted.

“Hmm,” The griffiness cocked her head. “Do you know I don’t even know her name? In all the gossip I’ve been hearing she’s never been mentioned. How odd…What did Celestia call her? Lady Emerald? Wait, no, not Emerald. Emma.”

So the Sun Princess spoke of her? The voice asked eagerly.

“Only in passing,” The griffiness replied. “All she said was that Lady Emma shared the troll queen’s initial belief that all Equestria was one unending tea party and was shocked to discover it was not so.”

Tea party? The voice sounded confused. I do not understand.

“Nor do I,” The griffiness said, shaking her head. “It may simply have been Celestia spewing more nonsense to confuse me. What she said was that humans knew of Equestria through dreams and created plays for their young based on those dreams. Of course she said that’s how humans knew about magic too, so you can understand my reservations.”

Ponies are strange creatures, the voice said. I cannot find any reason for such a bizarre fabrication. What did the Sun Princess hope to achieve?

“I am unsure,” Silkwind said in a thoughtful voice. “The odd thing about the Sun Princess is she seldom lies outright, the more important the matter the less likely she is to do so. Given the importance the troll queen has played in the alliance between trolls and ponies anything involving humans is crucially important—so she wouldn’t lie.

“However, her genius lies in misdirection. She blithely tells you the absolute truth—but somehow always does so in a way that makes you believe what she wishes you to. Thus you can only trust her to tell you what she wants you to hear.”

This is not unknown to us. Surprisingly, that admission sounded weary to the griffiness.

She felt a sudden stab of sympathy, given her acquaintances often provoked the same reaction in her.

“Enough work,” she said in a deliberately bright and chipper tone, “Time for refreshments, my dear sweet friend. Are you hungry?”

I am, the voice admitted. How kind of you to offer, very few in your realm show such consideration to me. I have been so active lately I fear I am rather famished.

“Oh, we can’t have that, now can we? On egin, nire lagun maitea gozoa.” She languidly dangled her front paw into the shadow, which seemed to surround her paw and crawl partway up her leg. She shivered in obvious pleasure, and sighed, slumping bonelessly on the couch, eyes half closed, purring with satisfaction as the shadow fed.

When the shadow released her several minutes later she was nearly unconscious.

“My, you were hungry, weren’t you?” She murmured contentedly.

My apologies, dear friend. Allow me to reciprocate. We just obtained a fresh supply. Unfortunately the production run was—interrupted. But, enjoy. There will be plenty more where this came from if our plans succeed. The voice sounded much more energetic than it normally did, almost giddy.

A small glass vial appeared in front of Silkwind’s beak, the contents emitting a golden glow that seemed to perk up the griffiness, who grinned happily and grabbed the vial, opening and downing the contents in a single greedy gulp.

She shuddered and reared up, her back arching as golden light shone from her eyes, a look of pure bliss on her face. The glow slowly spread over her entire body, forcing a groan of pure delight from the stiffened creature. As the glow slowly faded she relaxed, settling into the typical catlike repose griffins used when resting. Her coat and feathers gleamed with new health and vitality, her eyes were sharp and her energy clearly restored to that of a griffiness half her age.

“Oh, that will never grow stale,” she crooned. “You bring me the best gifts, my dear sweet friend. I do hope you enjoyed your repast.”

I did, the voice actually chuckled. And now I must go. My best wishes on your endeavors with the humans.

“Oh, must you go so soon?” Silkwind complained with winsome grace. “We never seem to find the time to do more than talk shop these days. I miss our long conversations. They were so intellectually stimulating!”

Alas, as our plans mature my free time grows scarce, the voice replied regretfully. I too enjoy our time together, but when we have accomplished our plans there will be nothing but free time.”

The shadows in the room somehow lightened, and the griffiness decided a little nap was in order now that her friend had left.

When she woke she would see about arranging an accidental encounter with Lady Emma…

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday afternoon, May 29, 2013 3:08 PM

As they heard the outside door close Teagan relaxed with a visible sagging of shoulders.

“That was too close,” she commented to her mother, who nodded.

“I want you to know I don’t blame you for how you handled that Bainbridge woman,” Elaine told her daughter, “not one bit. Twas not your fault she was a vindictive petty shrew, too cowardly to fight her own battles. I’d have probably done something a lot worse and landed us in a deeper mess. Having said that, my girl, just imagine the kind of enemies you could make as queen. Think on what they might do to you and yours.” She gave Teagan a hard look.

“You’re preaching to the choir, Mom,” Teagan said ruefully. “Being a queen is no fun, believe me. I’ve had to make a lot of decisions this week that could have ended in complete disaster. I know if I screw up other people could die, and that scares the hell out of me.”

“Other people like Emma?” Elaine asked mildly.

Teagan opened her mouth to answer, catching herself at the last moment.

“No fair, Mom. If I answer either yes or no I’ll be breaking my promise to Emma, and as troll queen I absolutely cannot do that. You have noidea how seriously trolls take promises! All I will say is the choices I made kept everyone alive. Subtle Dancer was hurt pretty bad, so they weren’t perfect choices, but none of my people died. In my book that’s a win.”

Elaine stared at her daughter, wondering sadly when her laughing little girl had been replaced with this grim and solemn young woman. For the first time she realized that Equestria had forced her daughter to grow up long before she should have, and neither Elaine nor her husband had been willing to admit it.

“I’m not blaming you, Teagan,” Elaine said softly. “I’m not saying you did anything wrong. That bastard Fate dealt you a bad hand, but you did what you had to do and you came home safe. And now you’re a queen, heaven help us. I hate it but I can’t deny it. It makes my heart ache that it had to be you, but there’s nothing I can do to keep you safe anymore. I can’t even give you any advice—except be careful.”

Teagan blinked, blindsided.

“Um, wow. Where did that come from?” she asked her mother.

Elaine sighed. “Every parent knows their child will grow up someday, Teagan. But I never expected it to be this soon. I mean, you haven’t even learned to drive yet! We should have had another two years at least.” The woman shook her head.

“Normal parents have to worry about their daughter getting pregnant,” she said, “We have to worry about ours getting killed! Normal parents have to worry about prom, and making ends meet, and underage drinking. We have to worry about dodgy legal trusts to deal with our sudden inexplicable wealth and mingling with royalty who aren’t even human. Normal parents watch their little girls grow up, graduate high school and move out to attend college. We had to walk into another world and watch our little girl grow up and be a hero.”

Elaine paused, feeling terribly tired. “I admit it. You’re an adult now, you’ve grown up. You’re making the hard choices and taking the responsibility for them. I just have one question left, Teagan, as one adult to another.”

She watched her daughter sadly.

“There will come a day when your luck runs out, and you make a choice that ends up with one of your own paying the price. Maybe it will be a troll, or perhaps a pony…or heaven forbid, Emma. On that day, what will you do?” Her mother’s voice was quiet, with no hint of anger.

Teagan stared at her, thinking. Her father came back into the room, stopping when he saw the serious expression on both their faces.

“On that day, Mother, I will ask Fjell how he deals with it. Then I’ll ask Celestia. I’ll listen to what they tell me and then I’ll decide what I’ll do. Trust me, I’m not deluded enough to think that day won’t come. It may even happen this summer. But I swear to you, upon my soul, that every single day I will do everything in my power to make sure it isn’t that day.”

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday afternoon, May 29, 2013 3:10 PM

Teagan found Twilight lurking in a corner of the basement, a unicorn figurine floating in her magic.

“Hey,” the girl said softly.

“Did everything go okay?” Twilight asked hopefully. Teagan nodded.

“Yeah, the social worker said it was a false alarm and apologized for bothering us.”

“Well, that’s good news, right?” Twilight said, carefully setting down the figurine and giving Teagan her full attention.

“It is.” Teagan sighed and collapsed into a chair.

“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked. “You don’t seem as excited as you should be.”

“My mom told me she realized I was an adult now,” Teagan said, watching the alicorn with slumped shoulders.

“That’s a good thing isn’t it?” Twilight asked cautiously.

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But my mom is kind of blunt. Being an adult means you make your own decisions, and bear the responsibility for them, right?”

“Yes,” Twilight nodded after a moment’s thought, “at least in Equestria. Isn’t it the same here in your world?”

“Well, no, not really. We use age to measure it. If you’re 18 you’re assumed to be old enough to be an adult, or maybe 21 for some things. There are a few ways to become adult sooner, but they all involve proving you’re financially self-sufficient to a judge so it doesn’t happen very often. But my mom pointed out even though she admits I’m an adult I’m not just an adult, I’m a queen. My decisions don’t just affect me, but all the trolls. In the forest I was responsible for the Royal Guards too, and I gave Stormwind orders. If anyone had gotten hurt it would have been because I screwed up. My mom asked me what I would do when my orders got somebody killed. Let’s face it, sooner or later that’s going to happen. Nobody’s lucky forever.”

Twilight’s irises shrank as Teagan’s words sank home.

“What did you say?” The alicorn asked in morbid curiosity.

“That I’d ask Fjell and Celestia for input and then make up my own mind.” Teagan said heavily.

After a moment, Twilight relaxed. “That’s a very good answer, Teelo.”

“Is it?” Teagan asked with an arched eyebrow. “Is it really a good answer, Twilight? What would you do?”

“I don’t know,” The alicorn answered honestly. “I’ve never been in that position before. I’ve been really lucky.”

“You’ve done lots of dangerous things, though, and your friends went with you. What if Fluttershy had been killed by that dragon? What if Rarity hadn’t managed to duck that swipe by the manticore, or if Rainbow Dash hadn’t caught her and the Wonder Bolts when her wings burned up in the sun?”

Twilight shuddered. “I can’t answer you, Teelo. I don’t know what I’d have done. Thank Celestia none of those things ever happened. It still shocks me that you know all those things about us. If you weren’t my friend it would be really creepy.”

“Sorry,” Teagan muttered. “You know I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. Forget I asked.”

“No,” Twilight managed a genuine smile. “I won’t forget it. You’re my friend, Teelo, and you need my help. I’ll do whatever I can to help you. It’s just I don’t know the answers. Once I’m back in Equestria I can consult my books. I’m sure a lot of ponies have had to find an answer to that question. Maybe my brother will know. I’m certain Princess Celestia does.”

“I’m sure she does,” Teagan said. “In fact I’ll bet she knows it so well I don’t dare ask her until I absolutely have to. Just because she’s a goddess doesn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt her to remember stuff like that.”

“She’s not a goddess,” Twilight objected, “just a really long lived and wise pony.”

“Come on, Twilight. She raises the sun, for goodness sake. She’s immortal and probably the most powerful mage on your world. Ponies worship her!”

“She never asked them to!” Twilight snapped back. “She was my mentor, Teelo, I grew up with her! She’s just a really old, really powerful pony. She’s lived such a very long time she can’t help but be experienced in just about everything. Everypony should respect her for all she’s done for them, but nopony should ever worship her. She’s not a goddess, just a very good and kind pony that works really hard to protect everypony.”

“Think what you like,” Teagan spread her hands. “I still won’t willingly cause her pain, goddess or pony, she doesn’t deserve that.”

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, and found herself unsure of what to say.

“Um, thank you?” She eventually managed, and chuckled.

It lifted the somber mood. Teagan waved her hand. “Hey, sorry to lay all that gloom and doom on you. What were you doing just now?”

“Just trying to stay quiet. I happened to notice some toys on this shelf and I was looking at them.”

“Oh, those,” Teagan said dismissively. “They aren’t really toys. They’re part of my dad’s collection.”

“Collection?” Twilight asked, eyes lighting up. “You mean like a little museum?”

Teagan laughed. “Sort of, he collects all kinds of mythological creatures. These are just the ones that look good on a shelf.”

“I can’t help but notice a lot of these unicorns are really strange looking,” Twilight noted. “This one has cloven hooves! And every single one of them is proportioned like Princess Celestia, but their horns are ridiculous. Take this one. If it was to scale the horn would be four feet long! It would be like wearing a broom handle on your head!”

“Well, according to most myths unicorns are actually goats, not horses,” Teagan said. “They’re about your size, but have a lion’s tail and their horns are about three feet long. They’re very slender and have all kinds of mystical powers. The touch of their horns is supposed to neutralize poison, and they’re so fast and elusive they can’t be caught. Well, unless you use a virgin, then they’ll come right up to her, lay their head in her lap and go to sleep.”

“Uh, what?” Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Really? That’s, um, kind of weird, don’t you think? Why would I ever do something like that?”

Teagan snickered. “Because magic, Twilight. It doesn’t have to make sense. I was talking about mythical unicorns, not ones from Equestria. Besides, aren’t you an alicorn now? ”

“Oh, right,” Twilight dipped her head in embarrassment. “I keep forgetting that.”

“Aren’t wings kind of hard to forget about?” Teagan asked with a laugh. “I know I wouldn’t!”

“That’s what I was afraid of at first,” the alicorn said with a chuckle. “But really, unless I need to fly or get startled or something, they pretty much just lay there.”

“Have you had a chance to take any readings?” Teagan asked to change the subject.

“No, I thought I should be as quiet as I could until your guest left. Can we do that now?” Twilight asked, perking up.

“Sure,” Teagan said smiling. “What do you want me to do?”

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday evening, May 29, 2013 8:03 PM

Famous last words, Teagan thought with a groan as Twilight jotted down more notes. It’s been five hours now and she’s still the Energizer Bunny! Where does all that energy come from?

“Twilight, how about a break?” Teagan asked hopefully. “It’s past dinner time, anyway.”

“Hmm, what?” Twilight raised her head, blinking, the pen in her telekinetic grip pausing. She had already filled half a notebook with diagrams, formulas, and indecipherable text. “Dinner? Already? But it’s only been a few minutes!”

“Try five hours, egghead,” Teagan said drily.

“Really? Wow, time really flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it?” Twilight replied enthusiastically. “This pen is a marvelous invention, you know. You don’t have to keep stopping to get more ink! How very clever. Do you think I could take one back with me? Please?” Twilight tried to use puppy dog eyes. Her utter failure was still so adorkable Teagan had to laugh.

“I’ll give you a whole pack, Twilight. They’re like ten for two dollars or something. In fact I’ll get you a pack of each color ink: blue, black, and red. How’s that?”

“They have different colors of ink?” Twilight’s expression was like a religious epiphany. “Do you know how useful that would be for creating my schedule? Yes, yes, yes! Please!”

Teagan decided right then she was going to buy the excited alicorn one of those pens with four different ink colors, and watch her brain melt. She grinned in anticipation.

“Okay, we should probably get ready for dinner. Oh, wait…” Teagan paused. “I just remembered. We aren’t vegans, Twilight. Is that going to gross you out?”

“Vegans? What’s that?” Twilight asked in confusion.

“It means we, uh, have meat as part of the meal.” Teagan said apologetically. “If that’s a problem you can eat in another room, I’ll be glad to bring you a purely vegetarian meal. I’m sure Mom knows about ponies being herbivores, I think she went to the store while we were taking your readings.”

“No, that’s okay. The meat is from non-sentient creatures, right?” Twilight said nervously.

“Absolutely!” Teagan assured her guest. “In the first place humans are the only sentient creatures on Earth—well except maybe for dolphins but nobody eats them. Humans aren’t cannibals, trust me.” She shuddered.

“Well, strictly speaking cannibals eat members of their own species…” Twilight said after a moment.

“Um, Twilight? Trust me. Eating anything sentient would be cannibalism no matter what species it was.” Teagan said forcefully, shuddering again. She sniffed suddenly, brightening.

“That smells promising.” She said. “I bet Mom is going with a Lenten meal plan. Smart.”

“Lenten?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Lent is a religious holiday, and way too complicated to explain, but one of the things you do during Lent is give up meat. It’s a sacrifice to help you remember how fortunate you are to be able to eat well the rest of the year and remind you of all your other blessings.”

“Fascinating,” Twilight started a new page in her notebook. “So humans have religious practices to promote inner harmony as well as harmony between humans?”

“Um, yeah, I suppose so,” Teagan considered the matter. “I think it’s because we’re kind of violent, we have a lot of little rituals and ceremonies to remind us to be better people whenever we can.”

“You keep saying humans are violent, Teelo, but I haven’t seen any evidence of it,” Twilight said. “Surely if humans were as bad as you say I’d have seen something by now?”

“Well, you’re a princess, after all. Everybody you’ve met has been on their best behavior,” Teagan said slowly. “Besides, not all humans are violent all the time. Most of us are nice unless something scares us or threatens us. Of course some people scare easier than others, and some react badly when their world-view is challenged. Humans are more like trolls than ponies, except we aren’t as honest.”

Twilight shivered just a bit, remembering her confrontation with Søyle.

“You need to be careful while you’re here, Twilight. Nobody can see you, okay?” Teagan said seriously. “It could end very, very badly for all of us if somebody does.”

“Okay, Teelo, I’m convinced.” Twilight held up a hoof. “Let’s go to dinner. I’m really excited to eat a real human meal! I can’t wait to record it in my journal!”

Teagan couldn’t help it, she broke out giggling. “Just don’t forget to enjoy the taste, Twilight!”

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday evening, May 29, 2013 8:45 PM

“Lady O’Gara, that was a wonderful meal,” Twilight said happily.

“Call me Elaine, Twilight,” Teagan’s mother requested. “Lady O’Gara is way too formal in my own house!”

“All right, Elaine,” Twilight nodded. “I’ve never had anything like that. What was it called again?”

“Spicy Thai curried lentils,” Elaine responded. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, Twilight. It’s not something I make regularly but I thought it would be a nice meal to celebrate your visit.”

“I’ve never read about lentils in any of my books, nor the spicy sauce they were served in. Was that curry?” Twilight asked with great interest.

“Yes, it’s a spice from India. The recipe calls for coconut milk as well. Do you have coconuts in Equestria?” Elaine asked.

“No, not that I’ve ever heard of,” Twilight said. “I’m surprised that such a wide range of ingredients are available in the center of a large land mass. Teagan tells me we’re in the middle of one of your continents here?”

“We are.” John joined the conversation. “But a lot of our food is flown in from different countries. We fly most of what we produce to other parts of the country and other countries around the world too. Everything is global trade, these days.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “You fly food around the world? That’s—just amazing! Wait, humans can fly?”

“In machines, Twilight,” Teagan said quickly. “We don’t have magic, or wings, or things like that. So we create machines to do all those kind of things. When it comes to technology, we’re pretty far along.”

“And these plays about Equestria are technology too?” Twilight asked.

“Why don’t you show her, Pumpkin?” John asked his daughter. “Might explain how we know so much about them.”

“Yes, please!” Twilight’s face lit up hopefully.

“You sure it won’t creep you out?” Teagan asked cautiously. “I mean you’ve never been very comfortable with the whole thing.”

“But this is for science!” Twilight protested, leaning forward eagerly.

“Um, okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Teagan replied, leading the eager alicorn to her room. She fired up her computer, which started its boot up sequence.

“What’s this?” Twilight asked curiously.

“It’s my computer. It’s like five years old, so it’s pretty slow,” Teagan apologized.

“What’s a computer? Is it a machine for calculating things?” Twilight asked, endlessly curious. “Like an abacus?”

“Well, they were at first, I guess,” Teagan replied. She typed in her password and Twilight peered at the screen, looking at the picture of her and Emma at the beach, waving wildly at the camera.

“That’s you and Emma!” Twilight said, surprised. “It can show pictures?”

“Oh yes, and movies too,” Teagan responded. “Just let me get on Youtube and you’ll see. If the Internet will cooperate, that is.”

“What’s the Internet?” Twilight asked plaintively.

“It’s um, the world’s biggest library, kind of. In fact it’s a library that is the whole world. The Internet connects computers all over the world. There’s books and pictures and music and movies. You can—”

“It’s a library so large it covers the entire planet?” Twilight shrieked, pupils suddenly filling her huge eyes.

“Um, yeah,” Teagan said carefully. “Are you okay?”

“As in—there are parts of this library scattered across the whole world—and this machine can talk to any part of the library whenever you want?” Twilight was trembling.

“Yes.” Teagan was belatedly remembering exactly who she was talking to and kicking herself for not preparing the alicorn better.

“If—if I wanted an answer from a part of the library that was on the other side of your world, how long would it take?”

Teagan shrugged. “It really depends on how good the connection was, but usually a few seconds at most if you wanted a book. You might have to wait a few minutes for a movie, but they try to build the Internet so delays like that are rare.”

“A. Few. Seconds. For an entire book?” Twilight was gibbering. “Does the book materialize on the desk or in your hands…no, that would be dangerous. Show me!” Twilight demanded.

“Okay, okay, calm down. The book doesn’t actually physically appear, it’s just a picture of each page on the screen as you read through it. Um, kind of like a very detailed illusion spell.” Teagan tried to calm the quivering alicorn.

“SHOW ME!” Twilight shouted.

“All right, jeez. What do you want to see?” Teagan asked, fingers poised over her keyboard.

“A book on astronomy!” Twilight said after a brief agonized internal debate.

“Okay, let’s see. If I just typed book about astronomy it would just give me a list of astronomy books and places to buy them,” Teagan mused. “How about astronomy?”

She entered the word and pressed the Enter key. Almost instantly a list of text appeared.

“Let’s see, Astronomy Magazine, news for astronomy, the Wikipedia article on astronomy…”

“Wikipedia?” Twilight asked, puzzled. Her eyes were feverishly bright and her movements were abrupt and jerky.

“It’s an online encyclopedia that anyone can contribute to,” Teagan said. Twilight’s expression went blank.

“Anyone?” She asked breathlessly. “Oh my goodness. That’s—that’s incredible! If this Internet is everywhere on your world then that means scholars from everywhere are able to get in touch with one another. You said anyone can contribute? Does that mean this machine can write to the Internet as well as read from it?”

“Of course,” Teagan said, seriously worried that Twilight was about to have a seizure or something. “Calm down, it’s not going anywhere.”

“Do you have any idea what an invaluable research tool this Internet thing is?” Twilight squeaked in rapturous joy. Her eyes were wide and brimming with tears, her smile beatific.

“Well, yeah. I mean we’ve had the Internet for over twenty years now,” Teagan said, trying to calm the hyperventilating alicorn before she exploded.

Suddenly the most horrified look appeared on Twilight’s face.

“What?” Teagan asked anxiously, honestly worried Twilight might have burst a blood vessel.

“Two days,” Twilight groaned. “I’ve only got two days!” The alicorn’s head sank slowly, her entire body slumping in dejection. “It’s not enough time! If this library is so big it covers your whole world then how can I possibly take advantage of it in only two days! I don’t even read your script, so I’d have to have help. It’s hopeless.”

Teagan was shocked to realize Twilight was crying.

“Hey, its okay, we’ll figure out something. Maybe there’s a way to tap into the Net from Equestria. You’ve got all kinds of really weird magic spells and stuff, right?”

Teagan stroked Twilight’s mane, trying to comfort her.

“I have no idea how to do that,” Twilight sniffled. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“Hey, you can talk to Celestia from this side, so I’m sure you’ll come up with something.” Teagan soothed. “Email would certainly solve a lot of problems!”

“What’s an E male?” Twilight asked, the puzzle distracting her from her personal hell. She’d just been shown a library vaster than any she could have possibly imagined, knowing she couldn’t read any of it…

“Electronic mail, you know, sending messages over the Internet,” Teagan said.

“This box can do that too? Like Spike sending messages to Princess Celestia?”

“Sure. The Internet is just the wires connecting all the computers in the world together,” Teagan said. “I mean, some computers are a lot bigger and faster than mine, of course, but if my computer can talk to it I can send messages to it, just like it sends messages to me.”

“The implications are staggering…” Twilight said breathlessly, her eyes unfocused. “That’s what you meant!”

“Huh?” Teagan blinked.

“When I was telling you about the keep-me-safe, you were shocked I didn’t understand the implications. But you—I mean humans—you’ve been living with this Internet thing for so long you expect to be able to talk to anyone, anywhere! You trade with other humans all around your world! You think it’s normal. Your whole society is built around it! Oh no, where’s my notebook, I’ve got to get this down, this explains so much!”

Teagan watched Twilight start to scribble furiously and sighed quietly, choosing an episode of My Little Pony to show Twilight when she ran out of steam.

Negotiations

In which Emma must prove herself and Mist Chaser finds duty surprisingly harsh.

Earth, Sunday afternoon, May 29, 2013 12:23 PM

“All right, young lady, it’s time you told us what really happened,” Jacob said sternly, staring hard at his daughter. “No more half truths or evasions! Start at the beginning and tell us everything.”

The three were sitting in the Halstead’s living room. Emma sat in an armchair while her parents shared the couch.

“You know about the keepsake, so I can skip over that, right?” Emma asked calmly. Her mother nodded.

“John and Elaine came over yesterday morning with Teelo’s martial arts instructor and a private investigator. They explained about Equestria and the ponies so we know the basics. Start from when you left the house and went to Teelo’s.” Olivia said.

“Okay. After I talked to all the figurines a lot of what Teelo had told me about what happened to her made perfect sense. She hadn’t actually lied to me at all—she just left out some critical details. I bet you think I’m doing the same thing, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Jacob snorted. “You don’t want us to know how bad Equestria really is because you know we’d never let you go back if we did.”

She met her father’s gaze calmly and said nothing. The silence stretched out uncomfortably.

“Well? We’re waiting,” Jacob growled.

“For what?” Emma asked.

“For you to tell us what happened,” Olivia interjected before her husband could snap at Emma.

“Why would I do that?” Emma asked mildly. “You have no intention of letting me go back so there’s no need to tell you anything. I’m home safe. My little adventure,” Emma made air quotes, “is over. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go grieve for my friend.”

“What? Sit down!” Her father nearly shouted. “We’re not done here!”

“Oh?” Emma said, cocking her head. “You won’t let me go back. Was there something else?”

“We haven’t decided whether you can go back or not, Emma,” Olivia said soothingly, giving her husband a warning glance.

“Is that true, Daddy?” Emma asked, watching her father.

“You tell us the truth and we’ll see,” he said after a pause. “No holding back.”

“I’ll make you a deal,” Emma said, leaning back in her chair. “I tell you everything, every single gory detail. But in return you listen to everything, both the danger I was in and the protection that kept me safe.”

“You’re in no position to negotiate,” Jacob told his daughter angrily. “You’re lucky we don’t lock you in your room for what you did.”

“I’m in the perfect position to negotiate,” Emma didn’t raise her voice. “You have something I need. I have something you want. I’m asking you to be fair. That’s not unreasonable.”

“Fine,” Jacob said grudgingly. “Now what happened?”

“So much that it’s going to take a while for me to tell it all,” Emma said quietly. “I know you’ll have questions, but it will be quicker if you wait to ask them until you hear everything. It’s been a very, very busy two days for me. I promise you I’ll tell you everything that happened but you need to promise to listen until I’m finished.”

“Okay, Emma,” Olivia said quickly. “But you have to tell us everything.”

“I will. So long as you listen,” Emma warned her. “I guess it began when I was looking at Princess Celestia’s figurine, trying to figure out what it was. I didn’t have a clue so I jokingly asked her who she was. When she actually answered me I freaked out. It took me forever to get my courage up and go back to talk to her.

“The funny thing was she thought I was Teelo, and kept calling me Lady Teelo. You know, like Teelo was nobility or something. None of the other figurines did that…oh.”

She paused, as though something had occurred to her.

“You know what? She knew I wasn’t Teelo,” Emma said with sudden certainty. “Now that I’ve seen the real Celestia in action, I’m certain of it. Her figurine must have been hiding its real abilities, pretending to be just a simple toy. She was testing me. Wow.”

“What do you mean?” Olivia asked, in spite of herself.

“Celestia never does anything without making sure she’s got at least six different options,” Emma answered automatically, eyes unfocused as she thought it through. “She’s always ten moves ahead of everyone else and keeps her options open so she can be as flexible as possible to take advantage of any situation. Then she nudges events in the direction she needs them to go.”

Emma’s eyes focused. “Mom, she was testing me from the first time I picked up her figurine. Those figurines are echoes of the real ponies, the essence of who they are. So Celestia’s figurine is the essence of her, and she’s been a queen in all but name for a thousand years. She’s a goddess.”

Her parents exchanged confused glances.

“Don’t you get it?” Emma demanded. “She knows more about people than anyone ever. Not just her own ponies, but all the other races she has to deal with. Griffons and trolls and cows and zebras and dragons and minotaurs and who knows what else. How they think. What they want. What they’re capable of. And she’s part human.”

“What!” Jacob exclaimed. “She’s a horse, Emma. Well, a unicorn with wings, but still a horse! She isn’t part human. That’s impossible.”

“Yes, she is. All ponies are, Daddy. When we were on the train going to Canterlot Teelo told us the story of the Bridge of Days. Sun Hammer backed her up. He said his grandmother told him the story when he was growing up. Teelo’s ancestors, the original clan O’Gara, settled in Ireland a long time ago. They lived with magical horses called kappas—no wait—capails? Capalls! Those horses could speak, and cast magic. There was an invasion and the humans and Capalls knew they’d be wiped out. So the leader of the Capalls made some kind of bargain and created the Bridge of Days. But when it was first created only animals or spirits could pass over. So when a Capall and its rider fell in battle their spirits merged with a Shetland pony and the pony was sent over the Bridge and became an Equestrian pony. One third pony, one third Capall, and one third human.”

“That sounds like a fairy tale, Emma,” Olivia said doubtfully.

“You did just talk to a winged unicorn not fifteen minutes ago,” Emma pointed out. “Magic is real, Mom, and it works on Earth just like in Equestria. I’ve felt it firsthand. Twilight let me ride her when we teleported from Canterlot to the Bridge.” The girl shuddered. “That was freaky. I literally tasted the rainbow and smelled music while we were in the weird place unicorns go while they teleport. It was beyond bizarre. Is it really so hard to believe ponies are part human? They can talk.”

“We’re getting off the subject,” Jacob said brusquely, not really wanting to deal with what his daughter had just told them.

“This is why I didn’t want you to ask questions until I was finished,” Emma said mildly. “Where was I? Oh yeah. I talked to all the figurines and then thought about all the things Teelo said had happened to her. Everything fell into place. All the things that hadn’t made sense before suddenly did. I never could help her because we never dared talk about the things she told me. And I knew keeping everything so secret was tearing her up inside. But now I could help her. So I did.

“I knew about the spare key to get in the house and I went inside quietly so they wouldn’t hear me. I heard Sun Hammer first. I knew it was him because he sounded just like his little statue.

“Anyway, when I got there Sun Hammer was telling Teelo about some pony named Princess Cadence, who ruled a Crystal Empire that vanished centuries ago. I didn’t really understand what they were talking about because Teelo said that Cadence had been Twilight’s babysitter or something which made absolutely no sense. Then she told him about the My Little Pony cartoon. And they started talking about Teelo’s fight with Discord. I remember he said it was like a legend come to life and would have made a great cartoon.

“Then her Mom and Sun Hammer got into an argument and Teelo got into it too so I decided I better let them know I was there.” She chuckled softly. “You should have seen the look on their faces. But it stopped the argument cold.

“Of course Teelo wanted to know why I was there so I told her about the figurines. Apparently Princess Celestia never told her the figurines could talk, so she was as shocked as you probably were when you found out.

“Anyway, I flat out told her since I’d talked to the figurines and seen Sun Hammer she might as well tell me everything. She didn’t really want to, and when she did the first thing she said was that Equestria was dangerous. I want to be very clear about that. She kept saying it right until the Bridge opened, so you can’t blame her for what I did, all right? She warned me. Repeatedly. With lots of shouting. So it isn’t her fault I followed them.

“Why in the name of God did you follow them?” Jacob demanded.

“Because I didn’t believe her. I’d seen the cartoon, Daddy. It’s about little colorful singing ponies. How dangerous could it be? Besides, she needed my help. You may not realize it but the last couple of years have been really hard on her. It turns out she has PTSD from the time Discord kidnapped her.”

“Wait, she was kidnapped?” Olivia asked, appalled. “I thought she ran away from home!”

Emma shook her head. “No, that’s just a story she made up. After all, would you have believed the truth?”

“No,” Jacob admitted. “I’m still having trouble believing it even after meeting that purple unicorn.”

“She was kidnapped by the god of chaos, named Discord.” Emma said. “In the end she fought him and if Celestia hadn’t intervened she’d have killed him. That magical club of hers is seriously bad news!”

Anyway, Twilight turned him into stone statue right after that. But it kind of messed up Teelo since she couldn’t talk about it. All she told me was a crazy man kidnapped her. He wanted to use her to get revenge. She swore me to secrecy. But ever since the kidnapping she’s been obsessed with that Krav Maga stuff and she’s always really jumpy and skittish.”

“I never realized,” Olivia said softly, “Poor Teelo.”

“So now you want a case of PTSD?” Her father demanded. “This place is sounding worse and worse.”

“Not the same,” Emma said. “You need to listen to the rest without interruption, because there’s a lot to get through. Okay?”

He grumpily waved his hand in acquiescence.

“Teelo spent the next two hours telling me about her second trip to Equestria. This time Matt and Evelyn went with her to find Princess Celestia. Discord’s sister, I think her name was Tishana or something, kidnapped Celestia and Sun Hammer came to get Teelo. But Celestia managed to escape on her own and they had several fights with Tishana before Pinkie Pie of all ponies, tricked her into breathing some magic powder that turned her to stone. That’s why Teelo was late coming back to school this year.

“Oh, and before she came back the Troll King tried to marry her,” Emma laughed, the first real laugh she’d had since returning from Equestria. “He thought he needed to in order to keep his throne, but his advisor and Princess Luna came up with some alternate plan instead. That’s why Søyle is the king’s wife, but Teelo’s the queen. It’s not about saving the world this time, Daddy. It’s political. This whole trip is about diplomacy. She’s supposed to bond with the trolls, learn their language, and that kind of stuff.”

“If that’s true then what was that fight you got caught in?” Her father demanded.

“Well, once we went through the Bridge and Teelo found out I followed them she kind of freaked out. She got her troll bodyguards to guard me while she made plans with the commander of Celestia’s guards to fortify the clearing until Subtle Dancer could open the Bridge again since he can only do it every four hours or so.

“We had just been introduced to Søyle when we heard really loud bangs and found these six foot tall insect-unicorn things had crash landed on top of the chariots and destroyed them. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention there was a big ring of torches surrounding us, with all the guards inside, along with the chariots. That meant those things were inside the torch ring too. It was just getting past dawn in Equestria--they’re like five hours ahead of us.

“At the same time we find out an army of changelings has surrounded us, and their queen, a big changeling named Chrysalis, started trash talking Subtle Dancer while she was hovering high up in the air.

“That’s when things went crazy. Subtle Dancer told the wing commander to deal with the big drones and that he’d deal with the army.

“What, all by himself?” Jacob asked, nonplussed.

Emma nodded. “Teelo started glowing red all over and her eyes turned dark grey. No pupils, just flat gray circles, like a dead thing. It scared me when she did that. She had this nasty snarl on her face too, but her voice was creepy calm.

“The trolls pulled out their own clubs, long slender iron things that were almost as tall as they were. Teelo asked Søyle to protect me and Søyle swore to keep me safe or die trying.”

She paused. “That was the danger, Daddy. This is what you were afraid of. That Equestria is too dangerous to even think of letting me go back. But before you make up your mind I want you to hear what happened next. Will you do that? Will you listen?”

“I said I would,” He replied gruffly.

Emma nodded. “I was terrified. I thought we were going to die. And then Chrysalis yelled to her army to kill us all.” She held up her hand as her father started to say something.

“Listen. The changelings charged us and were about to hit the torch ring when Subtle Dancer threw his spell. They were like five feet from the torches when the torches turned into freaking flamethrowers. Every single changeling within sixty feet was killed on the spot. I doubt they lived long enough to feel anything. All that was left of them were charred lumps of charcoal. A few on the far edge of the fire lived, but they got burned so badly they lost their wings and their eyes.”

Her parents were shocked into silence.

“Celestia said that when a pony is forced to kill someone a part of them dies too. So I can’t imagine what it cost Subtle Dancer to do what he did. He saved every one of us, Daddy. Without him I’d be dead right now. So yes, I know exactly how dangerous Equestria is, better than you do. But you’ll notice I’m not dead. He protected me. A single unicorn protected me from an army. He protected all of us.

“That attack killed at least half her army. Chrysalis was so angry she screamed for the big changelings inside the ring to ignore everyone else and kill Subtle Dancer. That’s when Teelo flew up in the air and smashed Chrysalis so hard she ended up buried five feet in the ground. Then she hit the two guards escorting Chrysalis and they just—splattered.”

“Don’t exaggerate,” Olivia reproved her, looking nauseous.

“I wish I was, Mom. The guards turned into red goo that splashed when it hit the ground. They looked like they’d come out of a blender. That club of hers is unbelievable. Anyway, Teelo fell about three stories and hit the ground—and then sprinted back into the fight. It was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. It was just like a superhero movie or something.

“By that time two of the big changelings had slipped past the pegasi. Sun Hammer killed one but the other landed right on top of Subtle Dancer. It tore him up pretty bad. Broke his shoulder and nearly cut his throat in three places. I think Stitch said he had some broken ribs too. The trolls got there in time to drive it off, but then it came after Søyle and me. Even when they broke its legs it was still trying to get at us. Søyle finally killed it with her claws. She almost tore its head off—and no, that’s not a figure of speech.”

“Oh my god,” Olivia covered her mouth in shock.

“How can you even consider going back after that?” Jacob said incredulously. “What makes you think we’d ever let you go back?”

“Because the protections worked,” Emma said quietly. “I wasn’t hurt. Even in the first real battle Equestria’s had in hundreds of years not one person on our side died. Subtle Dancer was badly hurt but he’ll recover. The changeling threat has been destroyed forever. The worst already happened, Daddy. It’s over.”

“So you’re saying you show up in Equestria and just happen to get caught up in the first battle they’ve fought in hundreds of years?” Jacob scoffed. “I wasn’t born yesterday, little girl.”

“Ask Twilight,” Emma said shrugging. “She’s a princess, Daddy. She’s privy to all the government secrets. She already told you it was a freak event and won’t happen again. If you won’t believe a princess then who will you believe?”

Jacob stirred unhappily on the couch, but settled back. “Let’s hear the rest of it, Emma.”

“You’ve already heard the worst of it,” Emma said sedately.

“I’ll be the judge of that. The rest of it. Now,” Jacob grunted.

“When Teelo took down Chrysalis the rest of the army just collapsed and started moaning, except for the big changelings, I have no idea why. They ended up having to kill all the big changelings because they went berserk,” Emma said.

“That’s when Sun Hammer yelled that Subtle Dancer was hurt and Stitch, Teelo, and I got busy saving his life. Stitch told me where to put pressure and I did that while he told Teelo how to put stitches in. I actually had to tie the last few knots for her because at the end Teelo’s hands were shaking so badly. I guess the adrenaline wore off or something. He finished examining Subtle Dancer while we were doing that.”

“It didn’t bother you?” Olivia asked with raised eyebrows. “Doing something like that?”

“Of course it bothered me, Mom. To be honest I think I was in shock. But when Teagan went off to arrange an airlift for Subtle Dancer I got to talking with Stitch. Well, his real name is Cloud Maker, but they call him Stitch because he’s a medic. He made jokes and gave me some advice. It made me feel better.”

“What advice?” Olivia asked, still at sea over all this.

“He said the battle was over, that nobody died—at least on our side, and he called that a win. When I asked him about the rest of the changelings he told me not to worry about it because it wasn’t our problem. Teelo and the wing commander would deal with it.

“Anyway, Teelo and Stormwind came back arguing about the airlift. He didn’t want to split up his troops, but Teelo got him to do it finally. She can be pretty persuasive when it’s important. Anyway, after that Stormwind said he bet Chrysalis wasn’t really dead. After all, she’d actually beaten Celestia in a fight once. So Teelo had the trolls dig up her body.”

Emma grimaced. “That was pretty gross, like something out of a horror movie. She was all smashed up and bleeding everywhere. It looked like every bone in her body was broken. Her chitin was just one big web of cracks.

“Then Teelo started straightening her body, you know, so she wouldn’t look so awful. I remember it took her a long time. When it was done Teelo said a short prayer and apologized for killing her. It sounds really stupid now, but standing there it just seemed like the right thing to do, you know?

“It turns out Chrysalis wasn’t actually dead. While we were watching her she started to twitch, and little bursts of green magic started repairing the damage to her body. So Teelo ordered Sun Hammer to make this Indian sled thingie and tie her to it.”

“Indian sled thingie?” Jacob asked, brow wrinkling. “You mean a travois?”

“Yeah, a travois,” Emma nodded. “Once he was finished everybody noticed the changelings had stopped moaning, which Teelo said meant they were probably recovering along with their queen. Anyway, Chrysalis wakes up and she and Teelo had a pretty intense argument. Teelo threatened to kill her if she didn’t order her army to back off. Chrysalis didn’t believe her until Teelo pulled a pretty nifty trick. Apparently she had brought her MP3 player along so she played a song for Chrysalis, I don’t know which one it was, but it must have been a really scary one because the queen did a lot less trash-talking after that.

Teelo kept talking about how long it takes humans to learn self-control, and that she hadn’t finished learning it yet. She was trying to psych Chrysalis out and it worked. Then the queen tried to trick us but Teelo wasn’t fooled, and after a few more threats on both sides Teelo actually pulled out Crush. Chrysalis surrendered and her changelings left.”

“What was the deal between Chrysalis and Subtle Dancer anyway?” Jacob asked.

“From what I gather, Chrysalis was angry with Celestia, but knew she couldn’t kill her without killing herself and her children in the process,” Emma replied. “Celestia raises the sun, so no Celestia, no sunlight. But killing Subtle Dancer would be like killing the head of the FBI or something, it would have been a pretty big deal. But the one she really hates is Twilight’s brother Shining Armor. Apparently she’d invaded Canterlot a few months ago and it was his shield spell that finally broke the invasion—but in the process a lot of changelings got crushed when the shield pushed them out of the city because they were inside buildings and stuff.”

Olivia shuddered.

“It wasn’t deliberate,” Emma said noticing her mother’s expression. “It was an accident. I don’t know all the details but she blames him for killing half her children. Apparently changelings are like bees and live in a hive or something, so she really is their mother.

“Chrysalis sent all but the wounded ones away, because she said the wounded ones were blind and would die if she did. Teelo agreed to let the wounded changelings stay. She had to override Stormwind, who thought it was a trick. See, changelings are called that because they can change their shape and appear to be anyone they like. Stormwind thought some more of the big changelings were pretending to be wounded. He was really fighting Teelo about it when she said the most awesome thing I’ve ever heard. She said she knew it was risky, but sometimes you have to take that risk. Because we aren’t the monsters, and we do the right thing, even when it isn’t easy, or safe, or particularly sane—because it is the right thing.”

Emma looked levelly at her father. “That’s why I’m going back, Daddy. It’s the right thing to do. Teelo needs my help. She needs another human being to be there for her while she’s in Hejm. I’m the only one who can do it. The trolls will protect me, and they are amazing fighters. The city is a fortress, and there are honest to God wizards there too! Getting to and from the city I’ll be traveling either by flying chariot or in a convoy of thirty trolls, along with twenty of Celestia’s finest guards.”

“The bottom line is, yes, I did something stupid and yes, it could have ended badly. But it didn’t. The reason it didn’t was because I had protectors. When I go back I’ll have even more. I can be very useful there and more importantly Teelo needs me there. I will come back, in one piece.”

Jacob’s reply was interrupted as the outer door slammed.

“Mom, I’m home!” A young boy’s voice shouted.

“In here, David!” Emma called, watching her parents with a slight smile.

ooOoo

“Are you the courier Mist Chaser?” A colt almost old enough to be called a stallion addressed the stallion as he lay bonelessly on a massage table. The masseuse stopped working on Mist Chaser’s left wing root.

“Ooohh, yeah, that’s me. What’s up kid?” Mist Chaser cracked open one eye, taking in the colt’s uniform. A chill of apprehension blew threw him. He just knew what the colt was going to say.

“Faerie Mist presents her compliments. By order of the Princess you are to report to her office immediately to fly a dispatch directly to Hejm.”

Horse apples. So much for my R&R, he thought grumpily. Oh well, Pillow Soft got the worst of the knots out of my wings. I just hope it’ll be enough.

“Tell Faerie Mist I’m on my way,” he said in a steady professional voice. There was no sign of the tantrum he was throwing inside his head.

The colt bowed and withdrew. Sighing, he worked his way off the table and settled the bill for his interrupted massage.

Just once I’d like to get an all-expenses-paid vacation and not have to fly a single body length for a whole week, he thought morosely as he retrieved his satchel and started trotting back to the castle. He avoided flying, putting it off to give his sore wings more time to recover.

He felt another twinge of unease when he was admitted directly into Faerie Mist’s office. She hoofed over a thick packet which he slipped into his courier pouch.

“The princess asked me to apologize for interrupting your recovery time,” Faerie Mist said brusquely. “She wants you to fly directly to Hejm, but you needn’t strain yourself. Chariot-pace is fine, but the packet is eyes-only, for Kongen Fjell. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Lady Mist. I will hoof-deliver it to none but the Kongen,” Mist Chaser said, coming to attention.

“Very good. Have a safe flight, Courier.” Faerie Mist reached for a document in her inbox, clearly dismissing him. Relieved at escaping the volatile mare’s office with his feathers intact the courier moved at a brisk walk toward the closest landing platform, fluttering his wings slightly to work out the last of the kinks.

By the time he reached the top of the messenger tower his wings had improved from screaming at him to merely lodging belligerent notes of protest. Sighing deeply he leaped into the air, a grunt the only sign of his discomfort as he settled into what pegasi in Royal service universally called chariot pace—the speed free-flyers used to escort chariot pullers.

Three hours at chariot pace wasn’t considered particularly grueling for members of the courier service, who often flew long unescorted missions to Equestrian embassies in other countries. Such flights could last in excess of ten hours. However Mist Chaser had just made the flight from Hejm to Canterlot at twice chariot pace. While not an outright sprint it was still faster than most pegasi could hold for any length of time.

In short, even at chariot pace he was going to be exhausted by the time he reached Hejm. With a deep sigh he started watching the scenery passing below to distract himself from the ordeal.

ooOoo

The last half hour was the worst, he decided. The troll mountains had been visible from the time he took off, but it was only a half-hour from his destination that he could make out the actual mountain Hejm lay beneath. His wings had been aching already and each minute in the air that passed made the ache worse as the small black opening in the mountain crept closer. Had he been rested it would have been boring. But the ache made his patience evaporate.

Come on, come on! He chanted to himself, each wing beat making him grimace from the soreness. He debated finishing the flight on foot, but knew from long experience a half hour in the air meant a two-hour trot on the ground. Not to mention it wouldn’t be a straight and level trot either, the mountains around him guaranteed that.

There were also beasts in these mountains he did not want to encounter on the ground, especially since he knew if he landed he wasn’t going to be able to get back up in the air quickly. So outwardly stoic and inwardly cursing like a sailor he toughed it out.

It was with a sense of relief he spotted the small building that served as the Trollish customs station in the gathering twilight gloom.

Gliding down tiredly a few hundred feet from the building as they demanded all fliers do he walked slowly toward it, stretching out his wings with a groan of relief before folding them gently.

I’m going to feel this in the morning, he thought to himself. Maybe I can get Lavender to give me a discount on a wing massage. Lord knows I need it. Pillow Soft did what she could but I’ve abused my poor wings until they’re ready to fall off.

Lost in the thoughts of how good a wing massage was going to feel he didn’t notice the customs station was far too quiet until he was about to step inside. A growl was the only warning he got before something massive charged toward him from the darkened interior.

Diplomacy By Other Means

In which diplomacy thwarted, finds alternative outlets to express itself.

Earth, Sunday afternoon, May 29, 2013 3:10 PM

“Hi Milly? Yeah, it’s me,” Mia Gant said as she guided her car onto the freeway. “Listen, how’d you like to get together for a little while? I’m about ten minutes away from you. I just finished my last call for the day and wouldn’t say no to some of that lemon pound cake you were bragging about Friday. Maybe with chai latte? I know you have some squirreled away.”

“Sure, come on. It’ll give us a chance to relax and reconnect after all the craziness of my end of year paperwork.” the voice on the other end said cheerfully. “Poor girl, you’re really working on a Sunday?”

Mia grimaced into the phone.

“Never miss an opportunity to interview a client, Milly. You might not get a second chance.”

“And that is why I’m not a social worker,” the other woman replied. “See you when you get here.”

“See you in a minute,” Mia said, hanging up.

Traffic was light so true to her word she pulled into Millicent’s driveway ten minutes later. The two women chatted as Milly led her guest to the kitchen for their snack. Settling in the breakfast nook they relaxed. Mia tasted her cake and shivered at the sharp flavor.

“Oh, you weren’t lying. This is good,” she enthused.

“I still can’t believe you had to work on Sunday,” Milly commiserated. “Sunday’s my decompress day. I won’t even do laundry on a Sunday.”

“Lucky girl, you have a whole day to do laundry?” Mia marvelled. “I have to drop off and pick up my dry cleaning in between interviews.”

“Not envying you,” Mia said, chuckling. “So, how many torture sessions did you have to endure today?”

“Just one,” Milly said, sipping her chai. “Thankfully a false alarm. By the way, thank you very much for sending me on a wild goose chase.”

“What?” Milly asked before her expression went carefully blank. “False alarm, huh? Are you sure?”

“Oh yes, I’ve been doing this a long time, Milly,” Mia replied, putting her cup down. “All three of them were livid. Not frightened, not embarrassed, angry. If I hadn’t defused the situation we’d be talking lawyers at thirty paces. There was no neglect there, all three of them were a single coordinated team in the face of a common enemy. If I were you I’d let this drop. What’s the story between you two anyway?”

“No story,” Milly said looking away. “She missed a week after Christmas break, and she’d run away from home last year for three weeks in January. There’s something going on. That girl isn’t normal. There’s something wrong with her, I can feel it.”

“Look, Milly, as your friend I’m telling you to drop it. From what I can see Teagan is just unusually focused for her age. Maybe it’s the Krav Maga or maybe that just reinforces her natural discipline.”

“You didn’t see it?” Milly demanded harshly, staring at her friend fiercely. “That girl is a bomb just waiting to go off!”

“She seemed pleasant enough,” Mia said, thinking. “Very composed, very polite. Although she did say they were going to find out who lodged the complaint. You need to be careful. Let it go.”

“See!” Milly said triumphantly. “That’s not normal. A normal girl would try to avoid confrontation, not escalate it.”

Mia didn’t say anything, her sense of forboding growing. She’d come here as a favor, off the record.

“You better tell me everything,” She said with a sigh, not liking how Milly was sucking her deeper into what sounded more and more like a personal vendetta.

ooOoo

The dark red unicorn trotted through the underbrush, his horn glowing slightly as he kept up an obscurement spell. It wouldn’t hold against close observation but it would keep him hidden from scrying or being seen by an airborne pegasus. He couldn’t use more powerful spells while on the move, and given that all of Equestria would soon be after him he judged it best to withdraw and reequip another laboratory elsewhere.

How did Jern make such a hash of a simple assignment? Dr. Rimor wondered as he moved around a large bush. It was a filly! First he almost kills her, and then manages to anger the diamond dogs so badly they abandon us. As for Candy Floss, such a pity she died. I had plans to make her and her sister a matched set. Such a waste. As if that weren’t bad enough a troop of elite Royal guards finds us. How was that even possible? Did somepony see Thunder flying south? That dragon swore he could fly unobserved! Treacherous wretch! When next we meet I must see about arranging to skin that monster. He will make a most excellent slave, once I’ve killed him.

Damn Celestia and her guards! They spoiled everything! It took me two solid weeks of work to prepare those two subjects for transformation! Another few hours and I would have added a pair of draugr to our little family. As it is now my patron will not be pleased, so much time lost, as well as a perfectly good base too. Ah well, too late to worry about it now. I’ll just have to make sure my next laboratory is harder to locate. Perhaps underground tunnels to ferry in the test subjects?

Next time I will definitely have to find more reliable servants. Trolls and dragons, bah! Although losing Glitter was a pity. She was such a useful tool, with absolutely no moral qualms whatsoever. I shall have to see if I can find another of her species gone rogue.

So much to do, so little time!

The dark red unicorn shook his head in irritation as he moved deeper into the wilderness.

ooOoo

Chrysalis let out a long slow breath, her head beginning to pound from the seemingly endless string of spells she’d been casting. A quarter of her hive were now reverted by this point. Instead of black chitin the new flutterponies were each brilliant works of living art, from their multicolored bodies to the patterns on their butterfly wings. The curved fang-like horn of the old changelings had become a graceful pair of slender antennae, far longer than a unicorn’s horn. Many of the flutterponies were testing their new magics, which swirled through the air as agile antennae and wings manipulated the delicate weaving, as much for the sake of art as any pragmatic effect.

She could feel the joy in her heart threaten to overpower her. This day was done, and her kaleidoscope was yet incomplete. But other days would follow. In less than a week every one of her children would regain their birthright. And then they would find a new place and rebuild what had been lost so many thousands of years ago.

Perhaps even in the badlands where their current hive was hidden. After all, restoring the badlands into a verdant and thriving forest would be an unmistakable declaration to the world that the flutterponies were not to be trifled with.

Chrysalis threw back her head and her cry rang through the Everfree.

“Beware, Equis! The flutterponies have returned to reclaim our kingdom! And no creature shall harm a flutterpony ever again!”

Her children, drones and flutterponies alike, raised their voices to echo her laughter.

ooOoo

As the shape charged him Mist Chaser’s pony instincts took over and the pegasus fled on foot. But endless hours of evasion training pounded into him by his instructors in the Courier Service made sure he fled sideways, rather than directly away from the half seen menace.

That training saved his life as the pegasus dodged out of the doorway and raced along the side of the building rather than directly back the way he’d come. It bought him a few precious seconds as the beast had to skid to a stop and turn to chase him.

The thing gave a hissing roar that rose and fell like a siren, assuming that siren had been crossed with the world’s largest bass drum. The deafening roar made the ground shake under the terrified pegasus’s hooves and his wings snapped open, driving him hard into the sky, heedless of the sharp burning pain in his chest and wing roots.

There was a tremendous crack just behind him and a wind blew past him, heavy with the stench of rotted flesh. It made him gag even as he desperately clawed for altitude. There was a heavy thud behind him and another of those warbling siren bellows. He risked a look back and found his attacker had no wings. It must have leaped after him and fallen to the ground. He curved around for a better look, making sure to stay well above it.

“What the hay is that thing?” He asked himself aloud, completely stumped. It was huge, at least twenty feet long and half again as tall as Princess Celestia. Its body was long and thick, narrowing to a sharp point at its snout, which looked almost like an armored beak that was its entire head. Tiny eyes glared at him from the beak head, and the thing appeared to have no nostrils at all, just a smooth rocklike expanse of head that flowed back over the top of its shoulders to end in a fin-like crest. Four thick legs supported the beast, ending in massive claws. A long tail whipped angrily back and forth as the thing tried to figure out how to get at him.

The greenish-gray beast opened its mouth to roar at him again, revealing a nightmare of needle-like teeth, which appeared to run all the way down its throat…

Oh, hay no! I am NOT dealing with anything with teeth like that!

Mist Chaser had seen enough, and starting to calm down he weighed his options. He was already feeling the strain of flying again so he doubted he’d be able to stay in the air for more than five minutes. The beast was now charging along underneath him, just waiting for the pegasus to come within reach.

“Go away!” he yelled down at it, waving his forelegs in a shooing motion. It ignored his shout, watching him hungrily with its beady eyes.

Can’t fly away from this thing, and I can’t outrun it on foot, he thought, eyes darting around for help. Where were the trolls? The custom station should have had a band of armed trolls guarding it. He wondered if they’d been driven off—or eaten. Perhaps there had been a group of these things and he’d been “lucky” enough to catch a straggler.

That’s when his eye fell on the dark tunnel entrance in the side of the mountain. The passage was, he remembered, a good twenty feet tall all the way to the first troll outpost, which was like the front of a castle built across the tunnel. The outpost was always well guarded. Ridiculously well guarded, he’d always thought…

He smiled evilly down at the beast below him. Lots and lots and lots of beautiful trolls—and they have axes and clubs and all manner of unfriendly attitude toward unwanted guests…

“Ha! Hey Beaky! Catch me if you can!” With that Mist Chaser deliberately curved away from the tunnel and led his pursuer back out into the mountains. The beast below him was relentless, showing no signs of strain as it raced along below him at twenty-five miles per hour.

When Mist Chaser judged he was far enough away from the tunnel to do what he planned he gave the beast a loud raspberry and snapped into a tight turn, groaning at the pulling in his wings, the world graying out just a bit before he ended the turn and sprinted with the last of his reserves straight at the tunnel entrance.

The thing below him skidded to a stop and spun around, charging after the rapidly retreating pegasus. The roar let him gauge roughly where his unpleasantly persistent hunter was, and his spirits rose as it fell rapidly behind.

Now let’s see how good you really are, Misty old boy, he though as he arrowed toward the suddenly very narrow tunnel at nearly a hundred miles per hour, twice normal chariot pace.

I must be completely insane! He thought as the tunnel swallowed him. Suddenly the evening gloom was replaced with the far dimmer magical tunnel lights provided by the trolls to show visitors the way.

But they weren’t intended to be bright enough to fly down the natural cave tunnel at a hundred miles an hour. The outpost was only half a mile from the entrance, so praying like he’d never prayed before he started braking ten seconds into the tunnel, the longest ten seconds of his life. The wall lights flashed by like a picket fence and suddenly he could see the outpost wall ahead of him, leaping toward him way too fast. In a panic he went into a four-hooves-forward flare, the adrenaline surge letting him fight through the agony of wings flapping so fast they blurred. He watched the wall coming toward him with the malicious intent of squishing him like a bug.

At the last moment he frantically swerved slightly upward. Three seconds later he slammed into the wall hard enough to knock the wind out of him but not quite hard enough to break his legs. He’d barely cleared the crenulations on top of the outpost so when he fell bonelessly onto the floor it was only a five foot drop.

“MONSTER COMING!” He yelled with his last lungful of air as startled trolls grabbed weapons all around him. A bellowing siren roar in the distance announced the presence of his pursuer, turning the troll weapons away from his nearly unconscious body and toward the new threat.

“Bakkan hai!” A troll yelled in warning. Before the echos had died away trolls were vaulting over the wall to land ten feet below and racing toward the onrushing monster.

“Oh, so that’s what it’s called,” Mist Chaser said with a dopey smile as he passed out.

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday afternoon, May 29, 2013 2:07 PM

“What’s going on?” David asked, staring at the standing Emma and seeing his father looking angry. “What’d you do now Emma?”

“Nothing much,” Emma responded calmly, “We were just talking about last minute details on a trip I need to take.”

“Huh? Where are you going?” Her brother demanded. “Are we going on vacation or something? Cause I vote for Disneyworld.”

“You always vote for Disneyworld,” Emma said dismissively. “Can’t you be a little more original?”

“We’ve never been to Disneyworld,” he protested. “That’s why I want to go!”

“Emma,” Her father growled warningly.

“We’re not going on vacation, honey,” Olivia told her son soothingly.

“Then how about lunch?” David asked hopefully. “I’m starved.”

His parents exchanged a look that said volumes without making a sound. Her father sighed and relaxed.

“Ok, what do you want for lunch then?” Olivia asked in a forced cheerful tone, getting to her feet.

“Hot dogs?” David asked as the two of them headed to the kitchen

“This discussion isn’t over,” her father cautioned her in a low voice. “We will hear the rest of it, or you go nowhere.”

“So you’ve said,” Emma replied quietly. “Just so long as you listen to everything, Daddy.”

With a huff the man followed his wife and son into the kitchen.

Well, Maybe not quite everything, Emma thought before following her family to eat, but as much as I can. After all, bad news needs to be delivered carefully, right?

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday night, May 29, 2013 9:13 PM

“There!” Twilight said with satisfaction, putting her notebook away.

“Are you done?” Teagan asked, raising an eyebrow.

“For now,” Twilight said, nodding. “But I’m sure there’ll be other things I want to take notes on.”

Teagan chuckled. “Are you ready to watch an episode of My Little Pony? You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I don’t want to creep you out.”

“No, it’s fine,” Twilight said firmly. “It’s just a play, right?”

“Well, a cartoon, but close enough,” Teagan replied.

Teagan started the episode. She’d decided to stay away from anything centered on Twilight, but she wanted something that wasn’t too slice-of-life, fearing seeing their everyday ho-hum existence would be more invasive than one of the more adventurous episodes. Yet she didn’t want anything that might bring up bad memories either, so she finally settled on Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000.

Of course she’d forgotten the very first scene was inside Fluttershy’s bedroom…

Oops.

“Wait, is that Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, confused. “Is that her house? Her bedroom?” Twilight was aghast. “You can see inside our houses?????”

Teagan wouldn’t have believed you could actually count the number of question marks in a question someone spoke.

Live and learn… she thought as she tried to come up with a diplomatic answer.

“Yes?” She answered tentatively. “But don’t worry so much. This is a show for little girls, Twilight. They’d never show anything inappropriate.”

Just then Rainbow Dash stripped the blanket from the sitting up Fluttershy, who immediately covered herself and blushed, smiling in embarrassment at the decidedly unimpressed Rainbow Dash.

Twilight pointed accusing at the screen and glared at the teenager.

“Nothing inappropriate! What do you call that?” Twilight demanded. Teagan hit pause and stared blankly at the alicorn.

“It would be for humans,” Teagan said slowly, “Or at least a bit risqué. Originally I thought that scene was just, you know, for the bronies. Little girls would probably just ignore it, or not understand it. But why would it mean anything to ponies?”

“What? But, but—wait a minute! Ok, this is clearly a cultural misunderstanding.” The alicorn said relaxing. “We’re both making assumptions based on our cultures that are completely wrong. All we have to do is explain to each other what we think this scene represents in our cultures. No need to get upset at all, right?” She beamed at Teagan, clearly ready to learn something new and interesting about humans.

Her horn lit up and her pen and notebook reappeared.

“So, what does this scene mean to humans?” Twilight asked brightly.

Teagan face palmed.

“Really, Twilight?” She asked wearily.

“Of course! Clearly there’s an issue here and I need to understand it if I’m going to know human customs better!”

Teagan shook her head, grinning in spite of herself. “Why would I ever expect anything else from Twilight Sparkle, scholar extraordinaire? Ok, you know about our nudity taboo, right?”

Twilight nodded.

“Well, in this scene humans are going to react to the sudden surprise as though Fluttershy were human, not pony. A human caught in the nude, even by a close friend of the same sex would be embarrassed, because the nudity taboo is very strong. So when she reacts like she’s embarrassed it makes perfect sense to us instinctively. But the second part of the joke, the one that makes it even funnier, is when our minds catch up and say, wait a minute! She’s a pony. That makes no sense! She’s always naked. So why is she embarrassed?”

“Wow.” Twilight scribbled for about half a page before looking up. “That’s not at all what I see in that scene!”

“So why is it inappropriate to ponies?” Teagan asked without thinking, and then mentally slapped herself for being stupid.

She’d just asked Twilight Sparkle a question.

Oh, dear.

Twilight beamed. “Well, you see the way Fluttershy is sitting? That exposes her chest and belly, which is not something a pony ordinarily shows to anyone except a spouse or lover. Scientists think it’s because it makes a pony extremely vulnerable, so you can only do it with someone you trust absolutely. Well, you’d show it to a doctor, obviously. And a young foal would to a parent, but that’s about it. For stallions it’s even worse, of course.”

Teagan blushed when she caught Twilight’s meaning.

“A lot of romance authors use this scene to indicate a romantic relationship is about to take place, especially if the protagonist had been hostile to the other party.” Twilight suddenly coughed. “Or so I’ve been told.”

Teagan let that go.

“You mean um, a physical romance?” Teagan asked carefully.

Twilight nodded. “Of course.”

“So, because they’re both mares, that’s what makes it funny for ponies?”

“What? It’s not funny at all,” Twilight protested. “That’s why it’s inappropriate. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash don’t have that kind of relationship, that’s why Fluttershy blushed. She reads that kind of novel, you see, so she’d be aware of the convention. But don’t tell her I said that, ok? It would embarrass her if anyone else knew. Rainbow is—well—Rainbow. Daring Do is about all she reads so she wouldn’t know. And please don’t tell her.” Twilight said severely.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it,” Teagan said quite sincerely. “Fluttershy’s my best friend, remember? I’d never try to embarrass her like that. Besides, on Earth there’s still a bit of stigma about that sort of thing. Another reason it’s kind of funny for us.”

“A stigma toward romance?” Twilight asked, her brow wrinkling in bewilderment. “What? How is that even possible?”

“No, I mean two girls together,” Teagan said, cursing herself for starting down this particular path.

“In Equestria, it’s very common,” Twilight said, jotting down some notes. “After all, given the imbalance between the sexes very few mares will be lucky enough to have a stallion of their own, like my parents or the Cakes. A lot of ponies don’t have the discipline needed for a polygamous situation, so if mares don’t pair with mares most ponies would end up alone their entire lives. And that would be terrible!”

“Ah,” Teagan said, taking the out. “Humans tend to be pretty evenly balanced. I think its 105 men to 100 women or something. Since men do the fighting in war, well mostly, it tends to even out.”

“Hmm. I think in Equestria it’s more like 1 stallion to 4 mares.” Twilight said.

“Huh. That is different. Ready to see the rest of the episode,” Teagan asked, “or do you want to stop?”

“Stop? Are you kidding? This is a treasure trove of new data on humans!” Twilight said with an enthusiastic grin.

“Ok, if you’re sure you’ll be ok.” Teagan said.

“I’ll be fine, I was just surprised,” Twilight assured her. “Please, go on. This is actually fascinating.”

Twilight watched without comment until the Flim-Flam brothers broke into song, with the rest of the ponies joining in. Teagan noticed that Twilight hadn’t actually been singing with the others.

“I remember that,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “I couldn’t understand why Flim and Flam cast a spell to make everyone start singing. I still don’t understand why I wasn’t affected by it.”

“Um, it wasn’t a spell. Equestrians just do that sort of thing all the time.” Teagan said in surprise. “You haven’t noticed? You’ve broken into song yourself.”

“Well, when Pinkie sings it’s sort of contagious,” Twilight confessed. “Her songs are always so catchy.”

“No, it isn’t just Pinkie,” Teagan said, shaking her head. “I’ve seen you do it too. In fact the only one of your friends I haven’t is Applejack. Wait, no, she did it during Winter Wrap-up.”

“Huh, that’s weird. Are you sure it isn’t just the playwrights adding stuff?” Twilight asked, frowning.

“Well, no, but you remember this song,” Teagan pointed out. “And you can see neither one of the brother’s horns is glowing. A unicorn’s horn glows when they cast magic, right?”

“Yes,” She scribbled more notes. “Oh well, something new for me to investigate when I get home! I never expected to learn about Equestria watching this! Amazing!”

Teagan started the episode again. This time they made it to the ending credits.

Twilight smiled. “I remember that friendship letter. Applejack was smug for three days after that. At the time I thought Princess Celestia would be annoyed by it, but she told me later it made her laugh.”

“She does have a quirky sense of humor,” Teagan agreed. She glanced at the clock. “Hey Twilight, I hate to break this up but it’s getting late. I know you sometimes study all night, but I’m bushed. It’s been a long two days for me and I’m all jet-lagged from hopping between Earth and Equestria. Why don’t we call it a night?”

“But there’s so much to study!” Twilight protested. “I couldn’t possibly sleep yet!”

“Well, how about I show you the guest room and you can review your notes and write Celestia a preliminary report?” Teagan asked hopefully. “That way you can do something productive till you’re tired and I can get some sleep. Remember there’s a time difference of almost 5 hours between Earth and Equestria, so while it’s ten o’clock here it’s almost two in the morning there.”

“Oh, well I was hoping to see more of your Internet library,” Twilight asked wistfully. “After all, I’m only going to be here for two days, Teelo. I could really use your help…”

She turned her adorkable puppy dog eyes on the girl.

“Oh, come on, that’s not fair!” Teelo complained. “I’d love to help you but Crush’s spell really did a number on my reserves, Twilight. I need to sleep.”

“Oh!” Twilight blushed. “I completely forgot about that! You’re right, I’m so sorry!”

“Let me show you the guest room,” Teagan said gratefully. “I promise we’ll hit the Internet after breakfast tomorrow. We’ll go back tomorrow afternoon, after I talk to Matt, ok? That should put us back in Equestria just after dark. That will probably be a good time for the Princess to slip away to the Bridge.”

“Do you think Emma will be going back with us?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know,” Teagan admitted after thinking about it. “Convincing her parents to let her go back is a pretty tall order. I’m really torn whether she should be going back. On the one hand my selfish side wants her to, but there’s this shadowy conspiracy to worry about, and it looks like they’re somehow mixed up with the undead too. That scares the crap out of me—and I can at least defend myself. Emma would be hopeless in a fight, especially against an enemy that doesn’t hesitate to kill.”

“Don’t underestimate your friends, Teelo,” Twilight admonished her. “Fluttershy is a lot like Emma and she’s more than capable of defending herself. Besides, the trolls will protect her.” Twilight shivered. “They’re pretty dangerous too!”

“I guess,” Teagan sighed. “Anyway, let’s get you settled. There’s even a desk for you there.”

“Great!” Twilight enthused. It didn’t take long to settle the alicorn, and Teagan gratefully got ready for bed.

She fell asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow.

ooOoo

Earth, Monday night, May 30, 2013 1:00 AM

“Twilight”, a voice said, bringing the unicorn out of her deep concentration. She’d been contemplating the best way to frame the enormous amount of information for the report to the Princess.

She looked around, slowly focusing.

“Twilight, are you there?” Princess Celestia said. It took her a moment to realize the voice was coming from her keep-me-safe. She quickly brought out the amulet and cast the ventriloquism spell on it.

“Yes, Princess, I’m here!” Twilight said, her mind still shifting gears.

“Hello, Twilight. I woke up a little early to make sure I had a chance to talk to you. Are you busy?”

“I was just beginning to write you a report,” Twilight said, smiling. “I’ve made the most amazing discoveries about humans! They explain so much! Did you know they have a library the size of their entire planet?”

“What?” Celestia asked, startled.

“It’s true! They call it the inter-net. And they have these magic boxes called computers that can store and retrieve information too! You can consult any book on the planet within seconds. Even see pictures and moving images—with sound! It’s the most astounding thing I’ve ever seen! It would revolutionize scholarship in Equestria if we were able to duplicate it! Teelo says there’s a possibility we might be able to use my cross-dimensional communication spell to hook into the human inter-net if we can manage to run one of their computers from our electrical systems. Oh, they aren’t really magic boxes, they’re breathtakingly advanced technology! If I can learn human script we will have access to their collected knowledge!”

“That’s—remarkable,” Celestia said slowly, her mind churning through the implications. “Twilight, when you return please treat anything you learn about humans as a state secret. Knowledge is a wonderful thing, but if certain knowledge were to fall into the wrong hooves—or claws—it could be extremely dangerous, especially now. If our shadowy enemy were to gain access to human technology…”

Twilight was outraged for a moment—before realizing her mentor was right.

“I understand Princess. I’ll let Teelo and Emma know as well,” she promised.

“Thank you.” Celestia said gratefully. “I have no doubt Teelo is keenly aware of the danger but Emma may not be. When the Bridge of Days only allowed limited access to human knowledge the risk was small. But if you succeed it could be a great boon to Equestria—and also a grave danger.”

“I can’t abandon the attempt!” Twilight said frantically, afraid that would be Celestia’s next order.

“I am not asking you to,” Celestia reassured her. “But we must move carefully, lest we open the gates of Tartarus unwittingly.”

“I didn’t think about the dangers,” Twilight said apologetically. “But this world is so amazing. Did you know the humans can communicate with each other anywhere in their world in moments? They also routinely fly food across the planet!”

“We can do that too,” Celestia reminded her fellow princess.

“Yes, but they do it by the thousands of tons,” Twilight replied.

There was a long silence.

“Are you still there?” Twilight asked, afraid the connection had been interrupted.

“Yes,” Celestia sounded surprised. “You said thousands of tons?”

“Yes. They ship even more by sea!” Twilight said. “Teelo lives in the middle of a huge landmass but restaurants here serve seafood and the food shops stock all kinds of tropical fruit! And it’s not even all that expensive! Teelo said the average family could easily afford any kind of fruit or vegetables they want, and—um,” Twilight hesitated only for a moment, “many different varieties of meat as well. All of it taken from non-sentient animals, of course!”

“Of course,” Celestia said soothingly. “No need to be so delicate, Twilight. I deal with griffons and trolls, who also eat meat, you know. Even pegasi are known to eat fish on occasion.”

“I know, it’s just the scale here is hard to believe,” Twilight replied. “Teelo’s father mentioned the population of their country is three hundred million humans.”

“Oh my!” Celestia said, shocked. “Do you happen to know how many humans are on Earth?”

“Seven billion and the population is still growing,” Twilight said grimly. “Frankly I don’t see how that’s even possible.”

“Equestria houses about six million ponies,” Celestia said in wonder, “with maybe another million citizens of various other species. I doubt there are even a billion sentient creatures on all of Equis. This is very troubling, Twilight.”

“It might explain why Teelo keeps saying humans are so violent,” Twilight said thoughtfully. “If you crowd too many ponies into one place tempers flare and more fighting goes on. Nothing on par with what Matthew told us, but crowding stress affects all species, right?”

“One would think so,” Celestia agreed. “Are there any other major discoveries you’ve made?”

“Too many to summarize verbally,” Twilight replied. “And I’ve only been here a few hours! Princess, you were right to send me here.”

“I merely suggested you might enjoy it, Twilight,” Princess Celestia said mildly. “You volunteered, remember?”

“Oh, right,” Twilight blushed, suddenly glad the connection was sound only. “Regardless, I’m not sorry I came. A whole new world, Celestia! I don’t even know where to begin. I feel like a filly in a candy shop! There’s just so much.”

“Then perhaps we should make gaining access to their world library a priority,” Celestia said thoughtfully, “as long as we can do so without alerting the rest of the humans to our existence. I certainly trust Lady Teelo and Emma, but Matthew stressed to me that humans in large groups react more like trolls than ponies. You of all ponies should realize what that means.”

“I do,” Twilight responded, thinking of how Søyle had lifted her by the scruff of the neck. “I’ll be very careful, Princess. Teelo and her parents keep telling me how bad it would be if I were discovered. I admit I may not have taken them as seriously as I should have.”

“I do trust your judgment, Twilight, or I would never have suggested you go,” Celestia said in a serious tone. “But Earth is a completely unknown world. We aren’t familiar with its dangers, so please listen to Teelo and her family and heed their warnings.”

“I will, Princess,” Twilight promised gravely.

“You are coming back today, correct?” Celestia asked.

“Yes, Teelo suggested we come back this afternoon, Earth time. I suggest we arrive just after sundown, Equestrian time, which should allow you the couple of minutes you need to open the Bridge and return without anyone realizing.” Twilight said.

“Tactically sound, as Matthew would say,” Celestia said with a chuckle. “You’ll find there are times it is diplomatically useful to know things your counterparts do not. I will contact you again when I’m in a position to slip away undetected. Oh, and Twilight? I am very, very proud of you.”

Twilight’s delighted smile lit up the guest room.

“Thank you, Celestia! We’ll be ready to return around sundown Equestria time.”

“Very good. Will Emma be returning as well?” The Princess asked innocently.

“We aren’t sure,” Twilight admitted reluctantly. “Her parents were really mad at her for going to Equestria without permission, especially when they heard about the changelings. Teelo’s ambivalent about it too; she said it was selfish of her to want Emma to come back. The fact undead are involved scares her to death.”

“No one wants to put their friends at risk,” Celestia said heavily. “Yet it must be Emma’s choice in the end. I believe Emma’s presence will be important for Teelo, but I won’t try to persuade her to come back. It has to be her decision.”

“If it was up to her I know she’ll come back with us,” Twilight said with certainty. “But apparently she’s still not old enough by Earth law to make that decision. It depends on whether she can persuade her parents. I simply don’t know if she can or not.”

“Then we must trust Emma to succeed,” Celestia said mildly, “for Teelo’s sake, if not our own. And now my friend, if I know you like I think I do I imagine you were going to work through the entire night, weren’t you?”

“What? No! I mean, I wanted to work on your report but it’s too big to finish in a single session,” Twilight said defensively. “Besides, if I get a couple of hours of sleep I’ll be fine.”

“Hmm,” Celestia said. “Why don’t I believe you?” There was laughter in her voice.

“I guess you do know me too well,” Twilight said with a rueful smile. “All right, I want to be as fresh as possible when Teelo gets up so I can tackle their world library. I’ll go to bed right after we’re finished. Satisfied?”

“I trust you’ll do exactly that. Goodnight, my friend,” Celestia said, laughing. Twilight shook her head.

“Good night, Princess,” The alicorn replied. It wasn’t until she was getting into the overly long human bed Twilight realized Celestia hadn’t said which action she trusted Twilight to do. Chuckling, the tired alicorn shut her eyes and forced her racing mind to still. It took her several minutes to get to sleep.

Modest Strides

In which the appearance of normalcy is gradually reestablished by the actors lest the audience see the play for what it is.

Earth, Sunday afternoon, May 29, 2013 3:18 PM

“Be home by seven, young man,” Olivia told her son as he headed out again to play with his friends.

“I know, Mom!” he said with a long suffering sigh. “See ya!”

Olivia’s fond smile slipped as she turned back to stare at her other offspring, who regarded her calmly. It was beginning to annoy Olivia just how casually Emma was treating all this. Listening to Emma speak so blandly about battles and monsters was making her temper fray. She couldn’t imagine why Jacob hadn’t completely lost it by now.

“All right, Emma. Start talking,” Jacob growled.

“Let’s see, where was I? Oh! Once we reached Ponyville things calmed down quite a bit,” Emma said after thinking a moment. “We went to the hospital to drop off Chrysalis and the wounded changelings then Teelo had to make some kind of financial arrangements for treating the changelings. I didn’t really understand it, something about who was going to pay for the specialists or something. Teelo said if Celestia or Fjell wouldn’t cover it she would, and that was good enough for the hospital because we left a bit after that.

“Wait, Teelo would cover their bills?” Olivia said, confused. “Why? And how? Her family isn’t exactly rich.”

“I dunno,” Emma said shrugging. “Maybe as the queen Teelo has some kind of allowance or something? When I asked her she said it was payment for services rendered. I think she meant it was her part of the deal with Chrysalis. Anyway, our next stop was some café because using Crush always makes Teelo really hungry—like actually starving to death hungry.

“Stormwind wanted to head to Canterlot on the first train but Teelo put her foot down. That’s when Søyle told us about Crush feeding off its wielder whenever they go all superhero with it. She said Teelo was doing things she didn’t know Crush could do, like the whole flying thing.

“She can fly?” Jacob said in disbelief.

“Yes, Daddy. Remember? Chrysalis and her guards were like forty feet in the air when she fought them.” Emma said patiently.

“Oh, right,” Jacob muttered.

“Anyway, Rarity shows up and joins us for lunch. They brought Teelo this huge bowl of stew—it must have been a full gallon. She ate it all, along with a loaf of bread, five ears of corn and a massive piece of chocolate cake for desert. She mentioned she’s eating six thousand calories a day just to keep her weight steady. That’s three times what I eat.”

“Skinny little Teelo?” Jacob scoffed. “That’s hard to believe.”

“I’ve watched her eat,” Emma said, shaking her head. “Double and triple portions every meal. That club really takes it out of her and she trains with it every day. Not to mention the workout she got while we were there.”

“Anyway, everything was going fine until Discord shows up. Teelo started screaming. She completely lost it, charging Discord and hitting him with Crush. There was this bright flash and a loud bang and he was gone. The boom made a mess too. It broke a lot of windows.”

“Wait, didn’t you say Discord was a villain? What was he doing there?” Olivia said sharply.

“Discord was the one who kidnapped her the first time,” Emma explained, “but Celestia had Fluttershy reform him. Pity nobody bothered telling Teelo that.”

“Did she kill him?” Jacob asked before he could help himself.

Emma shook her head. “Nope, he’s the god of chaos, Daddy. But she did hit him so hard he landed in Canterlot. Right in front of Celestia while she was having tea, in fact.”

The girl chuckled. “Twilight told me Discord had wisps of smoke coming off him.

“Fluttershy was kind of miffed that Teelo hit him though. Apparently she’d gotten friendly enough with Discord that he was boarding with her. The restaurant owner wasn’t very happy about the mess she made either. By the time we got all of that straightened out Princess Celestia showed up with Discord in tow. I was really nervous because I’d never met a princessbefore, but it turns out Celestia is really friendly,” Emma confided.

“I’d have been more worried about Discord,” Jacob commented dryly. “Didn’t you say he was a crazy ax-murderer?”

“Um, no, he really isn’t. It turns out he was being possessed by a demon when he tried to kill Fluttershy,” Emma said. “The demon’s dead now and he’s reformed, so I guess they figure all is forgiven.”

“Fluttershy must be crazy, letting him live in her house like that,” Olivia said with a shiver. “I’d shoot him before I let him in my door.”

“Yeah, well, Fluttershy’s kind of a saint like that,” Emma said slowly. “On the other hand, Teelo told me she wouldn’t cross Fluttershy on a bet. She’s sort of like Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Hit the right button and she turns into a raging monster.”

“Wait, this is the kindly one, right?” Jacob said, trying to make sense of it.

“Yeah, she’s the Element of Kindness. I mean she wields it. Like I said, she’s a living saint, friend of all creatures—until she isn’t. That’s when dragons run and hide.”

“These ponies are just weird,” Olivia complained. “A saint who turns into a monster? A scholarly princess who’s also a small-town librarian? They’re all crazy!”

“But really nice.” Emma said firmly. “If you don’t mess with them they’ll bend over backward to help you. It’s only when somebody tries to hurt them they hit back. Can you blame them for defending themselves?”

“No, of course not,” Olivia replied. “But they aren’t human, honey! We don’t know how they’ll react at all. You might do something without realizing that would make them hurt you. The trolls are even worse. At least ponies aren’t carnivores.”

“Ponies are one third human, Mom,” Emma said mildly. “And trolls aren’t that bad, really. Just don’t lie to them or try or take unfair advantage of them and they won’t hurt you.”

“So you say,” Jacob snorted. “How do you know? You’ve only dealt with them for two days.”

Emma smiled slightly. “I’ve known their queen for years, Daddy.”

“Teelo isn’t a troll, honey,” Olivia said. “I don’t understand why they would make her their queen but they’ll tolerate a lot more odd behavior from her than they would from you.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong,” Emma said confidently. “Everyone I’ve talked to, pony or troll, always told me the same thing. You treat a troll honestly and they’ll return the favor. You cheat one, or lie to one, and they’ll attack you. Besides, I’m clan. Trolls protect members of their clan.”

“Trolls aren’t human, Emma! How can we know what they’d do? They’re aliens! How can you tell what they consider cheating? Cultural differences can get people in trouble when they deal with other countries, much less other species,” Jacob exclaimed.

“Ask Twilight,” Emma suggested. “She’s been working with Princess Luna who’s an expert on trolls and their culture. She’ll tell you exactly what I have. In fact she already did, if you recall.”

“Twilight did say the trolls would protect clan, Jacob,” Olivia said reluctantly.

“Alright, so maybe they won’t turn on her for an innocent mistake,” Jacob admitted as though he were making a huge concession. “What happened after the Princess arrived?”

“Well, Teelo filled her in about Subtle Dancer and the changelings. That was when we found out Discord knows Chrysalis.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Jacob said sourly.

“Well, to be fair, both of them are thousands of years old,” Emma replied. “Discord swore he hadn’t talked to Chrysalis since she betrayed him and sided with his sister during the Sibling War. That was a long time before the ponies even came to the planet, according to both Discord and Celestia. As revenge Discord turned Chrysalis and her people into changelings. They were something called, um, flutterponies? Yeah, flutterponies, before that.

“Here’s a big surprise, Teelo really doesn’t like Discord, and she doesn’t trust him. Having talked to him I can’t say I blame her. He’s a real scumbag. Even reformed, he’s trouble. I can’t imagine what he would have been like when he was possessed.”

“And that’s another thing,” Jacob said angrily. “They have demons there! They possess people, Emma! They force them to do horrible things. What happens if you get possessed?”

“Um, these aren’t demons like in the Exorcist, Daddy,” Emma replied. “They don’t come from Hell. In fact I’m not really sure where they come from. The demon that possessed Discord was evil. But that demon’s dead now, Princess Celestia killed it. The one inside Pinkie is scary, but she’s almost always asleep. Besides, she’s on our side—I think. She went with Teelo to help rescue Sweetie Belle. An evil demon wouldn’t do that, would they? Remember, Crush is a demon too. Teelo says the only way she’ll ever be rid of Crush is when she dies.”

“Teelo’s possessed by a demon?” Olivia asked in a strangled voice.

“Kind of,” Emma hedged. “She told me Crush is a special case. He’s got to follow a lot of rules and stuff. But she said he’s wrapped around her soul, that’s why the two of them can do the things they do. They’re kind of fused together, like Siamese twins. Crush advises her but she’s always in control of her body.”

“Oh dear, that’s horrible,” Olivia said quietly.

“I wouldn’t say that, Mom. She gets superpowers because of it.” Emma pointed out. “Problem is, she’s also got super-responsibilities to go along with them. That’s why she needs my help.”

“What happens if Crush takes over?” Jacob asked seriously.

“Crush has all kinds of rules built into the spell that makes him part of her club,” Emma said patiently. “He can’t take over. Even if he could, she’s part of him. It’s in his best interest to protect her no matter which of them is in control. Which means I’d be safe too, Daddy. Because if she found out he didn’t protect me, or worse actually hurt me…” Emma smiled. “She’s part of him, he’s part of her. Hurting me would hurt her and thus him. See?”

“Uh-huh,” Jacob said sarcastically. “Let’s get back to the part where you can actually do something useful if you go.”

“Well, I was the one who helped Teelo recover after her nightmare so she wasn’t a zombie,” Emma pointed out. “I also managed to give Celestia and Discord the solution for turning Chrysalis and her changelings back into flutterponies—something Discord couldn’t figure out on his own. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.

“Also, she needs me to help keep her anchored. Not to mention everybody talks to me where they wouldn’t the queen, you know? So I can let her know what both the nobles and the normal folk are thinking.”

“You mean be a spy?” Jacob asked, raising his eyebrows.

“No, nothing like that,” Emma waved the possibility away. “But how many queens would have liked to know what their subjects were really thinking? I can give her that.”

“You don’t speak Trollish though.” Olivia objected.

“I will by summer’s end,” Emma said with a smile, “which is another perk for going. Besides, there are trolls that speak Equestrian—which is actually English. So I can talk to them, and they talk to other trolls who only speak Trollish. Even trolls gossip. Well, sort of.”

“I’d be careful with that idea, Emma,” Olivia warned. “You have the queen’s ear—which makes you a target for people trying to gain her favor.”

“Well, duh. Give me a little credit, Mom,” Emma said while making a face. “I’m not stupid. Most trolls are really straight forward. There are a few tricky ones, but from what I saw their politics aren’t anywhere near as complicated as the cliques at school. So far the only tricky ones I’ve heard of are the ambassadors and the wizards.

“Anyway, after our meeting we got on the train and went to Canterlot. It took us a couple of hours to get there, so Søyle used the time to teach us the basics of troll etiquette so we’d know how to be polite to the rest of the clan.”

Emma giggled suddenly.

“It was really funny to see Skrent and Flint try to settle down for the ride. The train wasn’t tall enough for them to stand, so they ended up wedged into the aisle between the seats. Søyle had to sit on a pony seat cross-legged.

“That trip is when Teelo told us the story about the Bridge of Days. Søyle went nuts when she figured out that Teelo and Celestia were related, it was a big huge deal. Clan of the soul, she called it. It’s complicated but as I understand it, it means that Teelo is clan to both trolls and ponies—and that means that ponies and trolls are also clan. It pretty much kicked Teelo’s diplomatic mission into warp drive as far as the trolls were concerned. I’m pretty sure it was one of those significant historic moments people always talk about—and I actually got to see it! The ponies and the trolls have been on the edge of war for ten years and now they’re clan, so war is impossible. That’s how important Teelo’s mission is, Daddy.

“What happened once you got to Camelot?” Her father asked.

“Canterlot, not Camelot,” Emma corrected her father. “The horse puns in Equestria are really too silly to be believed. But anyway, once we got to the station there were a good thirty trolls waiting to meet us. Even when they were kneeling they towered over both of us. After the greetings a troll named Tor asked if I was Teelo’s sister.

“Teelo said I was her best friend, and part of her clan. Oh I forgot to mention this; trolls have two kinds of clans. One is a clan of blood, just like humans, but the other is a clan of purpose. I’m in Teelo’s clan of purpose—but trolls treat the two kinds of clans exactly the same! Anyway, then Tor turns to me and says “Welcome cousin”. And just like that, I’m clan with trolls,” Emma smiled. “I asked how many of them spoke English, and only nine of them didn’t. Of course not everybody’s English was that good, but we could still say hello and such. All of them were really polite and friendly to me.”

“We are talking about trolls, right?” Jacob asked curiously. “Because aren’t trolls supposed to be really unfriendly to humans?”

“Well, Emma is the queen’s best friend, Jacob. That’s bound to make them friendlier,” Olivia pointed out.

“Yeah, it’s just I’m having trouble picturing eight-foot tall killing machines being friendly,” Jacob retorted.

“Daddy, trolls are civilized,” Emma said with exasperation. “They’ve had one civilization that’s thousands of years old! Can humans say that? Teelo said trolls get a bad rap because their ambassadors play the “dumb troll” card. It gives them a real edge when they’re negotiating, because everybody else thinks they’re stupid.”

“Ok, ok, so keep going. What happened after you met the trolls?” Jacob asked.

“Well, we went up to the castle and were escorted to our suite. You should have seen it! There was gold everywhere and deep carpets and fancy furniture. The suite was more like a separate mansion than just a set of rooms.

“We didn’t get to explore because a colt came to escort us to see Twilight, who said she’d talked to you and you wanted me to come home.”

“Ah, good. We’re finally catching up to you. You had a busy day didn’t you?” Jacob said sarcastically.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Emma said, relaxing inside. If she was lucky she wouldn’t have to talk about Spike turning dark or the flight to Ponyville or Teagan going on her rescue mission.

Or the whole secret conspiracy thing, Emma thought to herself. They would not approve.

“So you had dinner with Princess Celestia?” Olivia said, clearly trying to clear the air a bit.

“I sure did. I’m thinking it was a pretty important dinner party because there were half a dozen ponies there, all of them nobility. There was a duke, and a baroness and a prince, although he left kind of early. Both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia were there too.”

“I hope you were on your best behavior, young lady,” Olivia said sternly.

“Well, duh. When the Princess invited Teelo, Søyle and me to dinner I thought it was going to be just the four of us. Imagine my surprise when I’m seated next to a baroness! I was so afraid I was going to say something stupid. She was fishing for dirt on Teelo, but I managed to dodge her questions. Then she asked me to introduce Søyle.”

Emma shivered. “That was scary. The baroness and Søyle kept trading barbs. I thought for certain Søyle was going to go ballistic right there at the table. The baroness kept baiting her, but she kept her cool and gave as good as she got until the Princesses arrived.”

Emma grinned.

“Princess Celestia is simply amazing. I swear it’s like she planned for Søyle and the baroness to have that conversation in advance. The entire dinner was one long exercise in politics. She was the perfect hostess, but even the food was part of her strategy!

“Søyle started it by saying she and the baroness had been discussing the cultural differences between ponies and trolls. It had actually been more like a refined catfight than a discussion, but Celestia used it as the opening move in her own plans. See, the first two courses were from Equestria, but the main dish was human, and the desert was from the World Below.

The main dish was called, um, gari something. The important part was I thought it was barbecued chicken. It turns out it was some kind of wheat and spices, but it fooled me. You should have seen the look on the ponies’ faces when Celestia started eating what they thought was meat!” Emma laughed. “She invited them to try it, and when Princess Celestia invites you, well, there’s no way to refuse, now is there? Everybody tried it. Søyle thought it was meat too, which pretty much freaked out the ponies—but they went ahead and ate it, especially after Princess Luna announced it was delicious.”

She watched her parents as she prepared to give the punch line.

“It wasn’t until everyone was finished with the course that Celestia asked me what I thought it was. Well, what was I going to do? I told her what I thought it was.”

“Celestia kept quiet just long enough for the ponies to start to panic. Then she told them gari wasn’t actually meat, but made out of wheat instead. She gave a little speech about how fortunate they all were to be able to share a new experience from human culture, and how it could shine a new light on their own. And then we had dessert—oh my God! That dessert was heavenly!”

“Didn’t you say it was trollish?” Olivia asked.

Emma nodded. “Yep, I forget the trollish name, but it translated to sweet fungus pudding. It was this blue pudding that came with toasted sticks made from a large mushroom that grows in the World Below. Søyle said it grows as big as a tree. The sticks were spicy and the pudding was this really sour flavor, just sweet enough not to be bitter. It was totally and utterly yum!”

“Sounds like the dessert excited you more than being in a battle,” Olivia said shrewdly. “Why is that, honey?”

Emma paused, clearly not expecting the question.

“The battle was scary, Mom,” Emma finally replied. “It wasn’t fun, it was horrible. The dessert was fun, and exciting in a good way.”

“Yes, but you treat all the scary parts like they were boring.” Olivia pressed.

“Oh, they weren’t boring at all. But all I did during the battle was stay out of the way,” Emma said patiently. “I’m not a fighter, which is why my job will be helping Teelo keep from blowing a gasket. She needs a friendly shoulder to cry on—and frankly she won’t find it among the trolls or the ponies. That’s why I have to go back, because I’m the only one who can help her.”

“How do we know the trolls really want peace?” Jacob asked, slightly more calmly. “For all we know there’s a troll in the shadows plotting to overthrow the king.”

Emma barked a short laugh. “That wouldn’t work with trolls, Daddy. Trolls have very simple view of the world, but they aren’t stupid. Laws are sacred to them, and those laws aren’t like ours, they’re easy to understand and don’t need interpretation. The only troll that would do something like that would already be an outcast. And the other trolls would never follow an outcast.”

“Then what about the ponies?” he asked. “You said they’re one-third human, right? Humans can be ambitious, or evil, or just downright deluded. What’s to keep a pony from plotting to break up the ponies and the trolls and go back to fighting them?”

“Nothing,” Emma said, shrugging, “except the Princesses, of course, and Teelo, and Fjell, and me, and all the ponies and trolls that don’t want a war. The troll king doesn’t have absolute power, but their laws pretty much insure as long as he stays inside the law, the trolls will back him. And Teelo’s the queen, remember? With Teelo being clan to both of them it pretty much means the trolls won’t start anything, and Princess Celestia is on top of things too. Ponies worship her, Daddy. Imagine if God told you to do something to your face. Would you defy Him?”

“What about the other species then?” Jacob said stubbornly. “They might not be so happy seeing the ponies and the trolls teaming up. They might even plot to assassinate Teelo—and you’d just be an inconvenient witness.”

“You really are trying to keep me here, aren’t you?” Emma said, shaking her head. “Ok, maybe the griffins would be unhappy about it, but I doubt the minotaurs or the cattle would care. The diamond dogs are too disorganized politically to even have an embassy in Canterlot, and as for the dragons,” she shrugged, “Teelo tells me they think anybody that doesn’t live for hundreds of years isn’t worth the effort. That covers the majority of the intelligent species Equestria deals with.

“The bottom line is Teelo needs my help, and I’ll be useful there. I won’t be in danger because I’ll be guarded almost as well as Teelo herself is. I’ll be among family, Daddy. In a city that’s protected by stone walls that are miles thick, guarded with magic spells and lots of trolls. Going to and from the city I’ll have armed guards escorting me. I won’t say something couldn’t happen, but then again something could happen to me here, too. A drunk driver or a fire, or who knows what?”

She watched her parents calmly.

“So, are you going to let me go back or not?”

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday afternoon, May 29, 2013 3:36 PM

“And that’s it,” Millicent said, leaning back in her chair. “Basically, Teagan is a sociopathic personality. She’s mild as milk until something doesn’t go her way, then she’s hyper-aggressive. I had Lisa Marden tell me when she accidentally startled Teagan she thought the girl was going to hit her.”

“So why wasn’t the incident reported?” Mia asked in an interested tone.

“Because Lisa doesn’t like confrontation. She said Teagan was quick to apologize and was so contrite Lisa didn’t really have the heart to report it officially.

“You don’t suppose it was because startling a martial artist makes them react defensively?” Mia asked with a touch of sarcasm. “If somebody startled me I’d go into a defensive stance too. And I’m not a sociopath. Just exactly what did Teagan do?”

“Lisa didn’t say,” Millicent admitted reluctantly. “Just she thought for a moment Teagan was going to hit her.”

“Have there been other incidents?” Mia asked patiently.

“No,” Millicent said after a moment. “But my interview with her was pretty frightening.”

“So why wait six months to tell me about it?” Mia said. “Why didn’t you report it immediately to the principal?”

“Because it could have cost me my job,” Millicent snapped, “even if I was in the right! Principal Marshall is completely unreasonable when it comes to the possibility of lawsuits. Ever since that business with the cameras a few years ago he’s been absolutely phobic about getting sued.”

“Cameras?” Mia asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Yeah, he was the vice-principal about six years ago when we started letting the students rent school laptops. They were supposed to stay in school, but we had a problem with students taking them home. The insurance company was going to raise our rates because of it, so the principal approved installing this computer program that let them activate the laptop’s camera to see where they were. I thought it was a brilliant idea myself, but one of the students saw the little camera light come on and started poking around. When he found the software his parents went ballistic over invasion of privacy and sued the school. The judge found for the family and it cost the school board a couple of hundred thousand dollars. Then other parents jumped on the band wagon and the local prosecutor started making noises about potential child pornography charges in case little Suzy was changing her clothes when the camera was activated.

“The school board fired the principal who had okayed the idea, and that’s how Jeff Marshall ended up as principal. The surveillance program was scrapped.”

Millicent sniffed.

“All because one student was at fault for taking the laptop off school grounds in the first place! So now he’s so scared of lawsuits we have to let the kids run rampant.”

“I see,” Mia said, stomach dropping. “Milly, listen to me. I know all about in loco parentis, but that camera deal was beyond the pale. And you’re right; your little vendetta against Teagan could lose you your job, or worse, get you arrested. Just by listening to you I’m now complicit. So I’m telling you, drop this. Or I’ll have to report you myself. I’m putting my own job at risk by even warning you. Let it go.”

“You too, Mia?” Millicent asked, clearly disappointed. “I thought you’d understand. This girl is dangerous. She’s going to hurt someone!”

“Look, I can understand why you don’t like her. She challenged you and made you back down.” Mia said gently. “Nobody likes it when their authority is challenged. Hell, it happens to me all the time. But you have to pick your battles. Teagan didn’t threaten to hurt you physically she just threatened to sue you. That’s allowed, Millicent. And having met her and her parents I guarantee you if you pursue this they’ll do it too. You don’t need that kind of grief.”

“What happens when she breaks someone’s arm? Or kills them? Why won’t you listen to me?” Millicent demanded.

“Because, in my professional opinion, you don’t have enough evidence to act,” Mia said calmly. “Look, I’ve had clients threaten my life. I’ve had my tires slashed, hell I even had one father attack me when we came to take his daughter into foster care. Even with two police officers present I still needed to defend myself because he knocked them both down and came after me.

“Teagan isn’t anywhere near that violent. There’s a world of difference between suing someone and putting them in the hospital. If you stop now you may be ok. But if you don’t you’ll destroy your career. I’d hate to see that happen. Even if you’re right and Teagan is a sociopath you can’t do anything because you don’t have any evidence, just your gut instinct. Judges are not impressed with gut instincts, Milly.”

“I thought you were my friend, Mia,” Millicent said bitterly. “I thought you’d believe me. Nobody else has.”

Mia sighed.

“Look, I am your friend. That’s why I’m not going to report this. But you have to let this go. As your friend I’m giving you both my advice and my professional opinion. Teagan hasn’t done anything to warrant you hounding her. If and when she does become violent you can bring your evidence then. It isn’t enough by itself, but if she hurts someone it will cover your butt. Realistically, that’s all you can do.”

The mood had been soured so much that Mia only stayed a few more minutes. After she’d gone Millicent cleaned up the breakfast nook in silence.

She spent the rest of the day brooding.

ooOoo

Lady Silkwind was sitting at her favorite bistro, listening to the highborn ponies around her. Around her neck was a beautiful amethyst necklace that had cost far more than the jewels and craftsmanship alone would warrant. She idly touched the necklace with a talon tip as she glanced casually at a well dressed pony and her companion. Suddenly their conversation filled her ears, as though she were sitting at the same table. She returned to her tea and cake, appearing to take no interest in her surroundings.

“—they talk of nothing else,” the stallion said in a bored tone. “Lady Teagan this and troll queen that. Frankly, I find the whole thing rather tiresome. Humans aren’t that much different from any other species. Now that there are two of them you’d think the court would have had their fill of the novelty. Honestly.” The snort that followed was disdainful.

“Oh, but surely trolls in the Ghrian suite causes more outrage?” The mare’s voice was full of sympathy. “You are a saint, Pinstripe, an absolute saint! The way you deal with those ruffians and never lose your temper.”

“Please, Baroness, I am merely a professional,” Pinstripe said calmly. “I cannot claim virtues I do not possess. I am not the Bearer of Kindness. I simply perform the task her Royal Highness has entrusted to me and in that claim I rest content.”

“But Pinstripe! Surely, dealing with trolls must be a trial?” The baroness asked with surprise.

“Oh, of course it can be,” he acknowledged easily. “However, I find trolls at least are very straightforward in their demands. Unlike, say, the griffins, whose love of intrigue taxes even my professional demeanor. Only dragons are more cunning. No, if I had to choose I’d deal with trolls every single day rather than deal with griffins once per year.”

“I had no idea,” The baroness said, lowering her voice. “For example, Lady Silkwind there at the table across the way. She always struck me as extremely friendly and open. I cannot believe she is a plotter!”

Silkwind smiled to herself, vainly pleased her skills had not grown soft here in Equestria.

“Oh, beware that one, Baroness,” Pinstripe said with a quiet chuckle. “She is perhaps the most adept of them. While I enjoy her company immensely I never lower my guard for an instant around her. Nor do I engage in gossip with her, for she is capable of extracting the most astonishing amounts of intelligence from a single careless word.”

“Really?” the baroness asked thoughtfully. “How interesting. Should I avoid her? It would be a pity! She can always be counted on to liven up a dull party. Her charm is legendary among all the very best ponies.”

“No, no,” Pinstripe said hurriedly. “That would be ill-advised. The Princess counts her a valuable ally among the griffins. The price Equestria pays for the occasional diplomatic communiqué going astray is more than made up for by her charm and wit.”

“I don’t understand,” the baroness said.

“My dear Baroness,” Pinstripe chuckled. “Diplomacy is a business. It produces peace and prosperity for us all, while the cost of doing that business is accommodating those who seek to profit from us. Lady Silkwind’s cost to Equestria is far outweighed by the benefits we gain from her. The humans, who are quite adept at statecraft themselves, understand the value of occasional deliberate leaks of confidential information we want others to know without officially telling them. If the cost of that channel is that on occasion genuine confidential information may make its way into an opponent’s ears, well business has costs as well as profits my dear Baroness.”

“Why Pinstripe, you absolute rogue!” the baroness said with laughter in her voice. “Here I thought you were merely the head functionary in a rather boring if essential branch of government. I had no idea you were a master spy!”

“Shh!” Pinstripe said lightly, “Don’t let that get around. I have enough to do without being deluged by would be counter-spies!”

“I understand, my friend. Far be it for me to paint a target on your back,” she said teasingly.

The sound of hooves on stone signaled the end of the conversation.

“It’s been delightful to share a meal with you, as always, Baroness Splendid Light,” Pinstripe said pleasantly, “but my lunch hour is drawing to a close and I have to get back to my office.”

“Of course! Please don’t be late on my account,” the baroness said genially. “And thank you for the meal, Pinstripe. It was delicious.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, dear Baroness. Until our next meeting, then.”

Looking up Silkwind saw the dark gray earth pony stallion bow his head genteelly to the garishly patterned mare in a blindingly white dress.

Pretending the noise was the only thing that had attracted her attention she returned to her food, thoughtlessly tapping her necklace again to break the connection and end its magic.

So, I’m a useful tool, am I? She thought in amusement.

She wasn’t really surprised. Her access to the Princess had always seemed too good to be true, despite Celestia’s maddening ability to say nothing in the most fascinating way possible. Of course she genuinely enjoyed her visits and she suspected the Princess did as well.

Still, two can play at that game, Pinstripe Tock.

Smiling warmly she summoned her waiter with a gesture. The griffiness paid for her tea and cake, leaving a generous tip as was her custom. The waiter beamed at her.

After all, you never knew when a kind gesture might be reciprocated, she thought, continuing to her next destination.

ooOoo

Mist Chaser woke suddenly with a start. He was lying on his stomach, the bindings on his wings halting his instinctive spread of them. He winced at the sharp stabbing pains shooting through his wing roots.

“So, the mighty hero returns to the land of the living,” An acerbic voice noted from his bedside. Looking over he saw a familiar white unicorn mare rise to her hooves. He already knew her all too well and didn’t need the nurse’s hat to recognize her. He glanced around, noting he was in the embassy infirmary.

Again.

“Hello, Rare Soul. What’s the damage this time?” He asked with a roguish wink.

“Hello, Accident Prone,” She replied, unimpressed. “Severe muscle strain, hairline fracture of the left metacarpus, cracked third thoracic vertebrae, dislocated left wing, torn left acrocoracohumeral ligament requiring surgery to repair and supplemental magical healing to prevent further tearing. Be glad we have a soft-tissue specialist here at the embassy, or you might have lost the ability to fly! What the hay did you do to yourself this time? Something about being chased by a land shark? Did it catch you or what?”

“Oh, is that what a land shark looks like?” Mist Chaser wheezed in surprised pain as he started to get out of bed.

“Oh no! You stay in bed for the next week, Mr. I-Can’t-Go-A-Day-Without-Injuring-Myself,” The nurse scolded, surrounding him with levitation magic and bodily lifting him back into bed. “Doctor’s orders! Besides, you have a very important visitor.”

“It’s been three months since I had to come here!” Mist Chaser retorted grumpily.

“And you’ve only been back on duty for two months, one of those on restricted duty,” The nurse said dismissively. “You are way too careless. Who do you think you are, Daring Do?”

“All right, all right,” Mist Chaser said with an easy smile. “Not my fault a land shark mistook me for an evening snack is it? Who’s this visitor?”

“I’ll let him introduce himself,” the nurse said with sudden nervousness. “I suggest you try and keep a civil tongue in your head if your overgrown ego will permit it!”

The nurse left, speaking in a low respectful tone to someone in the hall. The growling bass rumble told him it was a troll.

Great, probably the checkpoint watch commander coming to yell at me for violating protocol, Mist Chaser thought grumpily. I was doing them a favor by warning them about that land shark too. Celestia give me strength!

Three trolls came into the room and Mist Chaser suddenly felt very, very small indeed.

“Hi,” he finally managed.

“I am Kongen Fjell,” The troll by his bedside spoke in reply. “You need not rise since I am told you are injured. I wish to thank you for warning the guards at the ytterste veggen about the bakkan hai. Alas, the guards at the custom house,” he bowed his head in sorrow, “were caught by surprise. They fought, but were overwhelmed by that fell beast. Had you not given warning the beast might have slain more of my people, perhaps even the queen’s reisefølge as well. You have done a hero’s work this day. I name you Kongensven, and pledge that the tale of your deed will be sung throughout the city, as befits a hero.”

Mist Chaser stared at him with his mouth open in shock.

“Th-thank you, Your Majesty,” Mist Chaser started to grin, only to have it fade. “I’m sorry about the custom station guards. But as great as all that hero stuff sounds, to tell you the truth I was just trying to save my own hide. I thought the outpost guards could drive that thing off. I was already exhausted and couldn’t have stayed in the air for much longer.”

Fjell studied him solemnly for a moment, and then smiled. “You are Mist Chaser, are you not?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” The pegasus bobbed this head, wincing as sore muscles protested.

“It is said that among the ponies the winged ones are often boasters,” the troll replied, “lying of their prowess to make themselves appear more than they are to those around them. Among trolls this is thought to be a bad thing. I did not expect such honesty from a fugl hest, and for that I apologize. In saving yourself you have also saved many other lives this day. Perhaps even the queen herself and her ætt, among them my own wife, whom I have come to love very much, as well as many high-ranking representatives among the clans. The clans will know of the service you have done us, Mist Chaser of Clan Hest. You do your clan great honor, with your cunning, your skill, and your honesty.”

And then Fjell raised one fist toward the ceiling, threw his head back and roared. His guards solemnly repeated the gesture, their own roars joining their king’s.

Ears folded flat in self-defense against the sheer intensity of the sound, Mist Chaser forced himself to sit up, the grin on his face threatening to split it wide open.

As though nothing had happened Fjell resumed his solemn expression.

“Because of your timely warning the guards were able to slay the bakkan hai with no losses to themselves. I bring you a gift to commemorate your actions this day.”

With grave ceremony he laid what looked like a curved dagger nearly a foot long at Mist Chaser’s hooves. It was dark gray, nearly black, and had no handle, a slender blade with a needle-sharp tip.

“A claw from the beast’s left front foot,” Fjell explained. “It should make a fine spear tip if you do not wish to mount it on your wall. And now, Mist Chaser of Clan Hest, tell me the tale of the bakkan hai and how you lured it to its doom.”

Mist Chaser smiled and stroked the claw with one of his hoof flanges.

“Well, Your Majesty, it was like this…”

ooOoo

Earth, Monday morning, May 30, 2013 3:04 AM

Emma woke with a strangled shriek, frozen in terror as the nightmare slowly faded. Her heart racing, she shuddered under the covers, remembering the jaws of the huge changeling closing over her head to bite off her face. She could still feel the sharp fangs crushing her skull…

It took her nearly ten minutes to relax enough to move at all, and she couldn’t stop shaking. She tried to settle down and go back to sleep, but was too tense.

After a half hour she rose quietly to get some milk. The cold drink cleared the fuzz from her head, but didn’t do a thing to help her sleep.

By four o’clock she gave up and turned on her bedside lamp. Grabbing a book from her nightstand she tried to get into the story but, compared to giant bug-unicorns, sparkling vampires suddenly seemed too silly for words. Sighing she turned her light off and tried settling down again. She did her best but by five-thirty she gave up completely and got dressed, getting out her school backpack and trying to figure out what she needed to take with her. Søyle had said the mountains were pleasantly warm this time of year, but Hejm was cool, so she packed shorts and a couple of pair of jeans, a couple of sweatshirts, and underwear.

Only to find out her backpack was too small to hold everything.

Damn it! How in the world am I going to convince them to let me go when I can’t even pack properly? Teagan says it’s going to be a fifty mile hike and I have to carry my luggage at least over the bridge, so suitcases aren’t going to cut it. But Søyle said they have wagons so surely the luggage could go in them?

I guess my sneakers will work, better take my old pair too in case something happens. Oh, that means I need socks too. And a toothbrush—and toothpaste. Gah!

Grimly she started over, ruthlessly pruning down the endless list of what she needed to just what she could carry. After all, Teagan was only taking a single backpack!

Wonder if Teagan would loan me some troll money to get what I need. Do trolls even use money?

In the predawn darkness Emma began to see how daunting this trip promised to be.

ooOoo

Earth, Monday morning, May 30, 2013 8:00 AM

Teagan growled in annoyance as a knock pulled her awake. She seriously debated ignoring it, but the second time it was accompanied by Twilight’s plaintive voice.

“Teagan, the sun’s been up for over two hours! Are you awake yet?”

“I am now,” the teen grumbled too quietly to let Twilight hear her. Groaning she dragged herself out of bed. “Hang on, hang on, I’m coming!”

Stumbling to the door she opened it and glared at the alicorn. “What?”

Startled, Twilight took a step back, staring at the apparition in front of her. Wild red hair exploded from the girl’s head, framing a pale face with bared teeth. Her normally pretty green eyes were narrowed in a glare that made Twilight swallow nervously.

“Sorry, it’s just you’ve been asleep for twelve hours so I thought you’d be awake by now,” Twilight said nervously. “And there’s so much I want to study about your world library because we’ll be leaving so—soon?”

She paused as Teagan face-palmed.

“Ok, sorry, not my best before breakfast.” The girl mumbled. “You better wait up here, because I will be having bacon, and it’s not going to be pretty.”

“Well, I’m kind of hungry myself. It won’t bother me.” Twilight said. “By the way, I heard your father leave about an hour ago.”

“It’s Monday so he had to go to work,” Teagan said with a huge yawn, inelegantly hidden behind a half-hearted attempt at waving her hand in front of her face. “You sure you’re ready for this? Because I’ll be too busy devouring food to even notice if you bolt half way through breakfast. Fair warning.”

“I’ll be fine just as long as you don’t expect me to eat any meat,” Twilight said with a confident smile.

“You can eat cooked eggs though, right?” Teagan asked as they made their way toward the kitchen. “What about milk?”

“I don’t eat eggs that much, but I wouldn’t mind them,” Twilight replied. “Adult ponies can drink milk but usually don’t, unless it’s a milkshake or ice cream or something like that. Water or juice will be fine.”

“Mom’s a good cook you’ll love her food,” Teagan said. “Hey Mom, are you here?”

Twilight’s ears folded down at the sudden volume.

“Good morning,” Elaine said, emerging from the living room. She glanced at her daughter and chuckled. “I’m thinking you’ll be wanting breakfast, little chick. Am I right?”

“Please,” Teagan said, stifling another yawn. “But it’s Twilight that’s Little-Miss-Early-Bird today. She got me out of a nice warm bed after only twelve hours. A heinous crime against nature!” Teagan threw back her head and placed the back her hand against her forehead. “Oh, woe is me! Whatever shall I do?”

Elaine snickered. “Don’t quit your day job, Teagan. Good morning, Twilight. Did you sleep well?”

“I did,” Twilight said, nodding with a smile. “I thought being in a strange world would make it difficult to sleep but the bed was so comfortable I nodded off pretty fast.”

“What, you actually went to bed at a decent hour?” Teagan asked. “I would have bet you stayed up all night.”

Twilight blushed. “I thought I’d work on my report for Princess Celestia but she called around one o’clock and reminded me to get some rest.”

“Hah! Thought so!” Teagan laughed as she sat down at the table. Twilight sat on the pillow put there for her last night.

“Mom, I want bacon this morning, a full eight slices! And half a dozen eggs, oh, and do we have any of those cinnamon bagels left?”

“Teagan! Where are your manners, little girl?” Elaine demanded, looking aghast between her daughter and Twilight. “Bacon? Really?”

“It’s all right, Mrs. O’Gara,” Twilight said hastily. “She warned me she would be eating meat this morning. It’ll be fine, honestly.”

“Are you sure?” Elaine asked cautiously.

“Yes, absolutely! I’m a princess now, and I’ll have to host state dinners with griffons and trolls eventually. Princess Celestia says they always demand meat as a diplomatic ploy. This will be excellent practice. If there’s a problem I’ll just take my breakfast to the living room. Don’t mind me.”

“Well, if you say so. Teagan, would you get the orange juice please? Would you like some, Twilight?”

“Juice would be great, thanks,” Twilight said smiling. She watched as Teagan went to a large metal cabinet in the corner that was taller than she was. Opening the door the girl pulled several things out and then closed the door behind her. Twilight’s ears pricked up when she felt a breath of cold air brush past her.

The girl poured two large glasses of juice and put the juice bottle back into the white cabinet. Another faint gust of cold tickled Twilight’s hooves.

“Does that cabinet keep things cold?” Twilight asked as Teagan sat the juice in front of her. Lifting it in a purple glow she took a sip, delighted at the icy chill of the beverage.

“Yeah, it’s called a refrigerator,” Teagan said casually, draining half her juice in a single gulp. “It runs off electricity, but I’m not sure how it works. Something about a compressor circulating fluid that moves the heat out or something.”

“But compressing things makes them hotter,” Twilight said, her brow wrinkling in puzzlement. “That’s the exact opposite of what you’d want.”

Teagan shrugged. “All I know is it works, Twi. You want the science of it we can look it up later. Oh, that reminds me. I need to go see Matt. It should only take a couple of hours. Sorry Twilight, but I have to do this. I need to talk to him big time.”

“But, but, the world library!” Twilight almost wailed. “I’ve got so little time! And I can’t read your script!”

“How about if I get Emma to help you while I’m gone?” Teagan asked, feeling guilty. “She knows the net just as well as I do.”

“Oh, that would be great!” Twilight said, brightening. Something started to sizzle and Twilight glanced over to where Elaine was putting pale strips of something into a skillet. She gulped and turned back to Teagan.

“So, I was doing the calculations last night. Since Equestria is three months, four hours and 48 minutes ahead of Earth, but the sunrise and sunset times are the same—adjusting for the seasonal differential that is—Celestia should be ready to open the gate at 7:53 PM Equestria time, which means we need to be ready by 3:05 PM this afternoon, probably no later than 2:55 PM to be safe. That gives us just under seven hours from now.”

Teagan raised her eyebrows. “How do you know Earth’s sun sets at exactly the same time of day Equestria’s does?”

“Oh, I memorized Equestria’s yearly sunrise and sunset times.” Twilight said breezily. “This morning I checked the time of your sunrise. They match!”

“How did you know what time it was?” Teagan asked, digesting the slightly disturbing fact Twilight had memorized an entire year’s worth of sunrise and sunset times.

“Magic,” Twilight said casually. “It’s a really handy spell called Stop Watch’s Precise Time Piece. You cast it once, and it automatically draws power from your reserve when it needs recharging. Just about any unicorn can learn it, but most don’t because they don’t want to tie up the thaumic energy. Fortunately, my reserves are large enough I don’t even notice it.”

The alicorn beamed at Teagan who just shook her head and laughed.

“Twilight, how do eggs and bagels with cream cheese sound?” Elaine said. “I’ve got cinnamon raisin, garlic, or blueberry.

“You have blueberry bagels?” Twilight said in disbelief. “Yes, please!”

“Would you like plain, chives, or garden vegetable cream cheese on your bagels?” Elaine asked cheerfully.

“Oh, my. You have different flavors of cream cheese?” Twilight’s irises swelled to fill her eyes, with enlarged pupils. “Could—could I try one of each?”

“Sure,” Elaine said. “How many bagels do you want?”

“Oh, I suppose it depends on how big they are,” Twilight said after a second, remembering that while Teagan could demolish second helpings of normal pony-sized portions, Emma always asked for the filly-sized portions, and sometimes couldn’t even finish those.

Elaine wordlessly held up a bagel.

“Oh, um, maybe six?” Twilight answered, eyeing the (to her) pint-sized breadstuff. Elaine raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and stuck the halves of the bagel in the toaster.

An odd smell started to fill the air, coming from the sizzling frying pan. It smelled salty, slightly greasy, and made Twilight distinctly uneasy, although she did her best to ignore it.

“Sooo…” Twilight desperately searched for a conversational topic to distract herself from the growing smell of frying meat, “where do you think I should start on your world library?”

“You’re asking me?” Teagan asked in surprise. “You’re the scholar, Twilight. I wouldn’t have a clue.”

“That’s the problem,” Twilight said mournfully. “There’s just so much. I can’t decide where to start. With so little time I don’t even have time to organize a proper search strategy!”

“Well, what are you interested in?” Teagan asked reasonably.

“Everything!” The alicorn said earnestly. “That’s why I’m so frustrated.”

“If you can work out that talking coin trick so humans could use it we’ll get you a computer and you’ll have all the time you need,” Teagan said, chuckling. “If we could email back and forth it would solve so many problems.”

“Yes, I know! It would be a good way for me to practice using your script too. With a bit of time we could create a small Equestrian to English alphabet chart and I could puzzle out reading, but writing would be another issue altogether. Not to mention punctuation and spelling issues.”

“Yeah, English isn’t the easiest language to learn to write,” Teagan nodded sympathetically. “It takes years for most people to be half-way passable, much less master.”

“Well,” Twilight said thoughtfully, “Princess Celestia used a self-renewing spell for the figurines that converts sunlight into magical energy. I’ll have to consult with her about it.” Twilight’s expression brightened. “Are computers very expensive, Teelo?”

“It depends on the computer,” Teagan answered. “My dad gave me his old one when the college bought him a new laptop. Since then the prices have kept coming down and it also depends on how fancy you want it. A cheap one would probably run around four hundred or so, I guess, once you bought the screen and everything.”

“Is that a lot?” Twilight asked, cocking her head. “Four hundred bits is a lot of money for most ponies. On my old stipend I’d have had to save for a year to put that much aside.”

“Two points, Your Highness,” Elaine said, placing a plate of bagel halves in front of the alicorn. “One, you’re a princess now, so I’m sure buying a computer would fall under state expenses, and two, remember one of your bits is about eight hundred dollars worth of gold. On the other hand, I would suggest using a plain gold ingot instead. We wouldn’t want to try and explain where a coin with a pony on it came from!”

“I remember Evelyn saying that,” Twilight admitted. “It’s hard to believe bits are so valuable here.”

“Gold is valuable here,” Teagan noted. “I’m not sure why. I mean it’s pretty and shiny and doesn’t corrode, but it’s worth like a thousand dollars an ounce or something! That’s just crazy.”

“People got it in their heads that gold is valuable, my chick,” Elaine said, putting the bacon in front of Teelo. Twilight became absorbed in her bagels as the crunching and chewing commenced on the other side of the table. “After that, well, people are easy to get set in their ways.”

The alicorn picked up a bagel in her magic and took a bite.

“Oh, this is wonderful!” she exclaimed happily. “It’s like a fruit salad on a bagel!”

“Glad you like it,” Elaine said pleasantly. Teagan was too busy stuffing her face to say anything. She could have given Pinkie Pie a run for her money the way the food was vanishing.

Happily for Twilight Teagan finished the bacon before the alicorn finished a single bagel half, so the remainder of the meal passed pleasantly.

ooOoo

Earth, Monday morning, May 30, 2013 6:12 AM

Emma’s parents woke to find their daughter dressed and waiting for them in the kitchen when they arrived.

Jacob grunted a hello while his wife started getting breakfast ready.

“You’re up early,” he noted with a yawn.

“I need an answer,” Emma said mildly. “There’s a lot to do if you say yes.”

Olivia turned to regard her daughter with a sigh.

“Your father and I have reluctantly decided to let you go, Emma. But there are some conditions. First, you are not to put yourself at risk, do you understand? Stay near your guards and if there’s trouble you hide.”

“Absolutely,” Emma said fervently. “I’m not a fighter.”

“Second, you’re to keep a journal for us to read on your return. Since you can’t write letters home a journal is better than nothing. Make sure you record everything, not just what you think is safe to tell us.”

Olivia’s face turned grim. “If the unthinkable happens, and you don’t—don’t come back, make Teagan promise to bring the journal back, all right?”

“Mom!” Emma said, truly shocked. “I’m not going to die! It’s a diplomatic mission for goodness sake!”

“Promise me,” Olivia said harshly.

“Ok, I promise. But I’ll be the one bringing it back, not Teelo. You know she gave me some advice I think you should think about. She said don’t borrow trouble. I will come back, I promise.”

“We’re trusting you, Emma,” Jacob said heavily. “This is the biggest thing you’ve ever done in your life. It’s going to be a lot harder than you think. Are you positive you can do this? Because if you’re wrong a lot of people could die, including you. Once you cross that bridge of yours there’s no turning back.”

“I’m not doing it alone, Daddy,” Emma said. “Remember, a lot of people want to see this mission succeed. My job is to keep Teelo from stressing out. And that’s something I’m really good at. She’s my best friend and I’m not going to let her down.”

Breakfast was strained, but her father left for work with only one more demand that she promise to stay safe. One bright spot was that her mother had been a girl scout and still had her camping gear. Her mother reluctantly took her shopping for some of the other things she’d need.

It wasn’t the sweeping victory Emma had been hoping for, but at least it wasn’t total defeat either.

ooOoo

Earth, Monday morning, May 30, 2013 8:46 AM

Teagan waited for someone to pick up the phone.

“Practical Krav Maga Dojo, this is Jerry,” the voice on the other end answered.

“Hi Jerry, it’s Teelo. I need to talk to Matt, is he around?”

“Hey Teelo, I thought you were off on your trip?”

“I got delayed a bit,” She said truthfully.

“Hang on. I think he’s finishing up with the early morning class. Let me check.”

Teagan waited as Twilight looked on, fascinated with the cell phone and what it represented.

“This is Matt, what’s up Teelo?” His voice was mild but she could tell he was actually giving her his full attention.

“Matt, there’s been an—incident,” Teagan said carefully, aware her mother might overhear. She didn’t lower her voice or change inflection. That, she knew, would automatically set off motherly radar.

“I see.” He said calmly. “Is it anything urgent?”

“Yes,” Teelo replied casually. “We’re only back for today, so I need to see you right away. I want to take you up on your offer to talk.”

“Well, I’m free till ten. What time are you going back?”

“Around three,” she said. “I’ll get Mom to give me a lift. I appreciate this, Matt.”

“No problem,” He said. “See you when you get here.”

Teagan hung up, and Twilight immediately spoke up.

“What do you need to talk to Matt about?”

“Something that happened during Sweetie Belle’s rescue,” Teagan said, keeping her voice casual. “It’s not something you can help with, Twilight, trust me. No pony can, it’s a human thing.”

“Oh,” Twilight said in a small voice. “It’s about the troll, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Teagan said heavily. “But I’ll take care of it. I just don’t want to let it fester all summer.”

She dialed the phone again.

“Hello?”

“Hi Emma, it’s Teelo,” The girl said much more cheerfully. “I have to talk to Matt and Twilight’s about to faint over not getting her internet fix. Can you come over and be her translator for a couple of hours?”

“Really wish I could,” Emma said regretfully. “But Mom’s taking me shopping for the trip!”

“You’re coming back with us?” Teagan felt herself smiling in spite of the knot in her stomach.

“Yes, but they aren’t happy about it,” Emma said ruefully. “We’re in the car so I gotta run, ok?”

“Ok, remember to be here no later than two,” Teagan said. “See you then.”

She hung up and let out a sigh.

“Well, Emma did it. She’s going back to Equestria with us.”

“You don’t look too happy about it,” Twilight said shrewdly.

“I don’t know what to think. On the one hand I’m thrilled she’ll be there but at the same time it could be dangerous.”

“Trust your friends, Teelo,” Twilight said with a smile. “After all, Emma doesn’t strike me as all that foolhardy.”

“I don’t know if she is or isn’t,” Teagan said, frowning. “She did sneak across the Bridge. That was pretty stupid if you ask me.”

“She was trying to help a friend. You hadn’t exactly been forthcoming up to now, you know,” Twilight noted gently. “At least this time she knows exactly what she’s getting into.”

“Maybe you’re right. It’s really too late to do anything about it now, anyway.” Teagan said heavily. “But this whole thing makes Nightmare Discord look like a walk in the park. We don’t even know who the latest bad guy is yet!”

“Let the Princess worry about that,” Twilight advised. “We have a prisoner now. She’s bound to let something useful slip. We also have a few more clues, like the name of that unicorn stallion. I’m sure the Horns will be able to chase down his associates.”

“I hope so.” Teagan stretched. “Oh well, I need to get moving. It’s about five minutes by car to the dojo. Will you be alright here by yourself until Mom gets back?”

“I’m a grown mare, Teelo,” Twilight said, laughing. “I’m sure I can find something to occupy myself for fifteen minutes or so.”

“Oh! That gives me an idea. You may not be able to read our language, but since you can understand it I’ll show you how to use the TV. That way you can get some information even if you can’t get on the internet.”

“TV?” Twilight asked curiously. “What’s that?”

“Television. You remember the cartoon? Well, television is like a one-way version of that, they schedule various shows one after another, what you see on the TV is whatever was scheduled to be shown at the time.”

“Like going to a play?” Twilight asked, trying to work it out.

“Sort of. We have cable, which has about a hundred channels. Each channel shows different things, so you’re bound to find something interesting to watch. You should be able to use the remote control with magic, there’s only like five different buttons you need to press. There’s two to change the channels, two to control the loudness, and one to turn the TV on and off.”

“That sounds easy enough,” Twilight said. “What kind of shows are there?”

“Oh, lots of different ones,” Teagan said waving her hand dismissively. There’s shows for entertainment, and animals, and history and even one for science stuff.”

“Really?” Twilight’s ears perked up. “Sounds fascinating. Maybe we can get this television the same way we do your internet?”

“I don’t think you need to bother,” Teagan said, shaking her head. “The internet has a lot of the same stuff on it as TV. In a lot of ways the internet is actually a big improvement on TV. See, TV came first.”

“Oh! So whatever shows they have on TV could be viewed on the internet?” Twilight asked excitedly.

“Exactly,” Teagan said nodding. “Even better, on the internet you can seek out specific shows that you want, and even skip through them to find the bits you need.”

“I can see why the internet would replace TV then,” Twilight replied thoughtfully. “But why do you still have TV?”

Teagan cocked her head. “Well, doing any of this stuff takes huge amounts of people and money, so I guess there’s a lot of momentum. A lot of people don’t understand computers all that well, so there’s a large chunk of people who still don’t use the internet.”

“They don’t use a planet-sized library?” Twilight said, aghast. “Why not?”

“How many ponies use your library?” Teagan asked in amusement. “Computers do take effort to learn, I guess. A lot of people just don’t want to bother.”

“But Teelo! The knowledge! How could they not want to know?” Twilight’s shock was comically obvious. “Besides, it’s so easy! It’s harder with my library, well, unless you ask me where something is. But using your internet is like asking me to answer the exact question you have! How could it be any simpler?”

“Look at Rainbow Dash,” Teagan said, grinning. “Her eyes glaze over when you start talking about stuff she’s not interested in, right? Same thing.”

“Oh. That’s true,” Twilight mused. “I’ve never understood why she’s like that.”

“Knowledge is your special ability,” Teagan said. “Not just magic. When it comes to pony special abilities I think you guys never really studied it. Take Rarity, for instance. Her talent is supposed to be fashion, right? But look at all the other abilities she has. She can multitask like nobody else, use her magic to lift and manipulate dozens of different objects at once, with amazing precision. She can find gems, and produce all sorts of light with her magic, she’s got the eye of an artist and she’s obsessed with beauty and form.”

Teagan smiled at the alicorn.

“But her talent is just fashion, hmm?”

Twilight’s pupils grew to fill her eyes before shrinking back to normal.

“That’s—brilliant, Teelo! Why didn’t I ever see that before?”

“We have a saying here. Fish don’t have a word for wet.” Teagan said, laughing. “You ponies are too close to the problem. Humans fall prey to this kind of thing all the time. It takes an outsider to point out things that are so obvious you never think to question them.”

“I don’t think I’ll need to see the TV now,” Twilight said, shaking her head dazedly. “This new insight will keep me busy for months.” She grinned at the girl. “Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome. Well, I have to go see Matt.”

And with that the girl left the oblivious alicorn to her thoughts as she went to beg a ride from her mother.

The Power Of Persuasion

In which a much disparaged art shows its true potential.

Earth, Monday morning, May 29, 2013 9:06 AM

Teagan settled into the worn swivel chair with a sigh, cupping the tea in her hands and feeling the soothing earthy fragrance surround her. She sipped carefully, still wary of Matt’s calming drink of choice even having drunk it before.

“Catnip tea,” She said with a wan smile. “I still can’t believe you drink this stuff. Are you part cat?”

“I could ask you the same question, Squirt. You’re as nervous as one,” Matt said, placing another cup of the odd beverage on his desk. “It’s very calming but won’t put you to sleep. So, what did you need to talk about?”

Teagan took a deep breath and let it out noisily. “I had to fight a troll, Matt.”

“Go on,” Matt said, leaning back.

“I—won. Permanently, you might say.” She closed her eyes and deliberately took another sip.

“When you say permanently, I take it this troll won’t be fighting anyone else?” Matt asked gently. She nodded.

“I killed him, Matt. Worse, I went into that fight intending to kill him.” She refused to meet his eyes. He didn’t say anything, waiting for her to continue. The silence yawned like a pit at her feet, forcing her to fill it even though she didn’t want to.

“He was an outcast, a rogue,” she said quickly. “He abducted Sweetie Belle, you know, Rarity’s little sister? He used his claws, Matt. Applejack said he knocked her off her hooves and six feet through the air.”

“Is she all right?” Matt asked when it was clear Teagan wasn’t going to say anything else.

“We found her just in time. Apparently they wanted her alive because somebody had cast a healing spell on her after the attack. She was unconscious all the time she was in that awful place. Thank God.”

Teagan raised her eyes. “Have you ever seen a person after they’ve been skinned, Matt?”

“Yes,” He said quietly. There was no anger on his face, only a somber stillness.

“Those monsters skinned two ponies,” She said woodenly, staring at the wall. “Cerise, well, they were barely alive when she found them. She—put them out of their misery. I don’t know if I could have made that decision. Thank God I didn’t have to. Heavy Hoof said if it had been him strapped to that table, he’d have thanked her.”

“The troll was responsible?” Matt asked quietly. Teagan shook her head.

“No, it was a unicorn named Rimor that did it—we think. He escaped before we finished breaking into their hideout. The troll was his bodyguard and enforcer. He boasted he was going to eat Sweetie Belle alive once he killed me.”

She forced herself to look at him.

“It was ugly, Matt. I had to use Crush to break his arms and legs to get in close enough to kill him. I was so angry. I’ve never felt cold like that before, like it didn’t matter that he was going to die. I didn’t hesitate at all. Is Crush starting to corrupt me?”

Matt thought for a moment.

“I don’t know, Teelo. But that icy fury, you’re not the only one who’s ever felt it.”

“It happened to you?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No. But I saw it happen to somebody else. Remember Bone?”

“Yes. You said I didn’t want to know how he got his name,” Teelo replied.

“Yeah, well you need to know. That village I mentioned? The one the Taliban hit? When we found that, Bone went all cold. He was totally calm, almost serene. He stayed that way right up until we found the ones that did it.”

“What happened?” Teelo asked.

“After the firefight we managed to capture three of them alive. Bone ordered everyone else to return to camp while he stayed behind with the prisoners. We’d gone maybe half a mile when the screams started. By the time we got back all three prisoners were dead. Bone had an axe in one hand and a jagged bloody thighbone in the other. The three didn’t have eyes anymore—or throats. One didn’t have a leg.”

Teelo was horrified, but the urge to throw up wasn’t there, for which she was grateful.

“What happened to Bone?” She asked in morbid fascination.

“Nothing,” Matt said, watching her calmly. “We buried those three in shallow graves so wolves would dig them up and scatter the bones. Then we finished our patrol. Bone never freaked out again during the rest of our tour.”

“You didn’t report him?” Teelo asked curiously.

“No,” Matt said. “And unless I miss my guess, you know exactly why we didn’t. If you’re looking for absolution, Teelo, I’m the wrong man to give it to you. What Bone did—well I would just have shot them instead. But I can say I would never ruin Bone’s life for the sake of those three. They got what they deserved and I hope they’re burning in Hell right now.”

“Is that why you retired?” She asked gently.

“Nope,” He gave her his crazy grin. “I can’t tell you that story, little girl. I have to leave some of your illusions about our glorious country intact. Let’s just say I’m good at horse trading and leave it at that.”

In the silence that followed Matt calmly sipped his tea.

“So am I a murderer, Matt?” She asked in a small voice. “Have I lost the right to call myself human?”

“No and no,” Matt said, turning serious. “You killed a monster, Teelo. You saved more than just one little girl, too. Sounds like that troll would have kept right on killing. I can’t offer you forgiveness, because my hands are bloodier than yours. You made a choice and you’ll have to live with it. But if it’s any consolation I’d have made exactly the same one.”

“So killing is okay then?” She asked, perversely clinging to her sense of guilt.

“Sometimes,” Matt finally replied. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Pinkie Pie. Sometimes, there’s simply no choice. But make damnsure killing isn’t your first choice. This troll and his gang sound like they needed killing. But then again I was a soldier for twenty years. I had to be ready to kill enemies every time I went out on patrol. Let me ask you this, did you enjoy killing that troll?”

“No!” Teagan recoiled. “It was horrible! But the things he was going to do—well, I swore I was going to kill him. I made an oath as the troll queen. I was angry, yes. But I didn’t get a thrill out of it.”

“Good,” Matt said, nodding. “Don’t ever forget the horror of it. It’ll keep you from being too quick to do it again. Thing is, you may have to do it again. Knowing the difference between having to and wanting to, well, that’s the difference between a man and a monster, Teelo.”

Teagan shook her head ruefully. “And here I thought talking to you would make me feel better.”

He stood up. “That’s the tea’s job. Mine is to make sure you know how to stay alive—body and soul.”

“Mission accomplished then,” she said, taking a gulp of the cooling tea and standing. “If you hadn’t trained me I wouldn’t have stood a chance against Jern. Thank you.”

She bowed to him.

“Don’t bow to me, Squirt. I teach Krav Maga, not that eastern crap.” He said, laughing.

ooOoo

“Your Highness, the prisoner demands to speak with you,” The unicorn mare said distastefully as she attended the alicorn in her study. The pale green unicorn’s aqua mane was tied back into a severe bun. “She refuses to cooperate with her interrogators.”

“That’s not unexpected, Wind Shimmer,” Celestia said mildly. “What is your assessment?”

“The severity of her crimes prompted us to petition you for revocation of her citizen rights, Your Highness—which you did, as you recall. As a result we were able to conduct a number of clandestine scans while she was in her cell without her knowledge or consent. She is, of course, wearing a magical suppression ring, but that did nothing to inhibit our scans.”

“And?” Celestia inquired patiently. Subtle Dancer’s second in command winced.

“Sorry, Your Highness, but it’s a sensitive issue,” Wind Shimmer said apologetically. “The sheer vileness of what the prisoner was involved in is simply unparalleled in Equestrian jurisprudence. I’m trying to make sure every possible precaution is being followed for all our sakes.”

“I understand, Wind Shimmer. It does you credit, believe me. Now, what were the results of your tests?”

“She’s not a unicorn, Princess Celestia.” Wind Shimmer said flatly. “If I had to guess I’d say she was a changeling, but there are several—anomalies that we can’t account for. She doesn’t display many of the characteristics of transformed drones. Changelings can’t duplicate the internal organs of their victim. Her internal organs are mostly pony, but her heart and lungs are changeling. Even stranger, there are a couple of organs we don’t recognize at all, they aren’t pony or changeling. Further, she has folding fangs equipped with venom sacks, just like a snake. But the venom is magical—extremely so, and likely deadly, although we can’t be absolutely sure without obtaining a sample to analyze.”

“Could she be the offspring of a pony and a changeling?” Celestia asked pensively.

Wind Shimmer shook her head.

“Drones can’t have children, Your Highness and male changelings are only fertile with their queen.”

“What about Chrysalis herself?” Celestia asked lightly.

Wind Shimmer shuddered even as she considered the idea.

“No, I don’t think so,” Wind Shimmer finally said. “Given she considers ponies simple prey I can’t imagine her doing that. There are also the physiological differences between our species. A magical intervention is always possible, but I can’t imagine any reason Chrysalis would want to do that.”

“Then perhaps I should ask the prisoner about her parents,” Celestia said with a smile. “After all, she would know.”

“No! What if she manages to bite you? What if her venom is strong enough to affect you like Tišina’s did?” Wind Shimmer blurted, forgetting who she was addressing. “Please! You mustn’t put yourself at risk!”

Celestia smiled down at her subject as the latter realized what she’d just said and to whom.

“Thank you for your concern, my little pony. I do truly appreciate it, and the spirit in which it was offered. But give your Princess a little credit.” Her smile faded. “I am not as stupid as my enemies would like to think.”

ooOoo

Glitter looked up at the sound of hoof beats. A cruel smirk covered her muzzle as she watched the white alicorn approach her cell, escorted by a full wing of armored pegasi as well as the Horn’s second in command.

“You wished to see me, Glitter?” Celestia asked gently, her voice even. Only her eyes betrayed the sadness she was feeling.

“Why Princess, how good of you to come,” Glitter said warmly. “I really didn’t expect to see you so quickly. Won’t you come in? I would open the door, but, well,” she gestured with a foreleg, the chain anchoring it to the wall chiming almost musically. “I’m sure one of your numerous and oh so muscular stallions will be a gentlecolt and open the door for you. But alas, I fear I have no tea to offer you.”

“You insufferable monster!” Wind Shimmer snarled. “How dare you show such disrespect? Her Highness, out of the boundless kindness of her heart, has actually deigned to waste her time on you, scum! The least you can do is not insult her with this disturbing display!”

“You must forgive Wind Shimmer,” Princess Celestia said, shaking her head sadly. “She’s very upset with you. If the allegations I’ve heard are true I can see why.”

“I don’t know what you’ve heard, but it’s probably all true,” Glitter said with a disarming smile. “I am a monster, you know, utterly steeped in darkness and evil. Why, I haven’t got a single drop of decency in my entire body. But of course that’s no reason to be rude, now is it? Come in, sit down and let’s have a civilized conversation. It’s not like you have anything to fear from me, your subjects have seen to that.” The brown unicorn lifted her leg again, shaking the chain to emphasize her point. “I can’t move and I can’t cast magic. I’m harmless now.”

“Don’t trust a word out of this lying abomination’s mouth, Your Highness!” Wind Shimmer protested. “I don’t know what she’s planning but let us deal with her. You know what she did!”

“What I did?” Glitter laughed. “Just what exactly did I do, hmm? But enough of this talking through bars! If you want to talk to me, Princess, you’ll need to do it face to face. Unless you’re afraid of me, of course. I can see how the most powerful being in the world would be afraid to be in the same cell with a unicorn chained to the wall by all four hooves and a magic inhibitor ring on her horn. For I am truly fearsome, am I not, Sheppard of the Sun?”

“She has a point,” Celestia said mildly, a small smile appearing on her muzzle for just a moment. “Quick Haze, open the cell if you would. Everyone, please wait out here.”

Silently one of the guards inserted the key held in his teeth and twisted his head. The click was quite loud in the shocked silence.

Glitter looked on and laughed happily.

“You are brave after all,” The unicorn noted as Celestia stepped into the cell. The door remained open.

“Just so you know?” Wind Shimmer said in a low dangerous voice from the door. “You try anything and I’ll make sure your stay here is a short one. Are we clear?”

“As a mirror, my sweet warden.” Glitter said. “Although why would I want to leave such a darling little cell? You clearly worked hard to get just the right ambiance. I particularly like the sheen on the bars. Very retro-chic, that rusty patina.”

“I’m glad you value the classics,” Celestia said, her smile reappearing. “There’s so little call for dungeons these days that we actually had to consult the archives to create it. I’m glad the effort was appreciated.”

“She jokes,” Glitter said, grinning. “You have no idea how refreshing it is to talk with someone with a sense of humor. My former associates were all such sticks-in-the-mud I just wanted to scream, sometimes.”

“Ah. About those associates, I don’t suppose you’d care to tell me why you foalnapped Sweetie Belle and those other mares?” Celestia asked with a calm expression.

“I might do that,” Glitter nodded. “Of course in return I’d appreciate a few minor comforts to, you know, complete my cell. Some tea, perhaps. Or a perhaps a pillow that doesn’t have rocks in it.”

Celestia blinked, and then turned to regard Wind Shimmer. “You put rocks in her pillow?” She asked in disbelief.

“Only a few small ones, Your Highness.” Wind Shimmer said dismissively. “And almost none of them had rough edges. Why, two of them were skinned, to make her feel right at home. Wait, I mean sanded down. Silly me. I don’t even know what I’m saying. It’s like I’m in a coma, or something.”

“I’m surprised at you, Wind Shimmer,” Celestia said with a disapproving frown. “Please bring her a new pillow immediately! Without any rocks in it, if you please. Oh, and bring us tea—and some cookies, as well.”

“At once, Your Highness.” Wind Shimmer bowed and motioned to one of the guards, who turned and trotted away.

Glitter looked at Wind Shimmer and then at Celestia, eyebrows raised in disbelief. “Really?”

“Why are you so surprised?” Celestia asked politely. “We aren’t the monsters, here, Glitter.”

“Ah. It’s just I never expected you to care,” Glitter replied, still trying to reconcile soft pillows and being chained to the wall by all four legs.

“You know, you don’t actually have to remain a monster if you don’t want to,” Celestia said casually. “There are spells that can reform you. They aren’t even unpleasant, and won’t harm you at all.”

“Except to make me another Miss Goody Four-Shoes, like the rest of your subjects?” Glitter asked with one raised eyebrow.

Celestia shrugged. “Of course, although I’m sure we could find you a career that would appeal to your—baser—instincts. The reform spell simply guides you to a more harmonious future, Glitter. It doesn’t actually remove anything.”

“You’d do that for a monster like me?” Glitter scoffed. “I was born at night, Princess, but it wasn’t last night.”

“The offer is genuine,” Celestia said. “You won’t be made to submit to it, of course, but if you don’t you’ll force us to keep you caged for the rest of your life. That serves no one’s interests.”

“Say I was willing to have this spell cast on me,” Glitter cocked her head. “What makes you think it would work?”

“The magic is well understood, my little pony,” Celestia said confidently. “It has an extremely high success rate.”

“And if it didn’t work?” Glitter asked. Her teeth were visible in what was almost a smile.

“Then, unfortunately, there’s nothing we could do. The alternative spells are—not as desirable.”

“Oh? Why?”

“They tend to carve off the less attractive parts of the personality instead of just molding them,” Celestia admitted reluctantly. “The problem being those parts are what give a pony their drive and ambition when correctly harnessed.”

“Meaning?” Glitter prodded.

“Meaning the pony subjected to those spells can never achieve their special talent,” Celestia said with a sigh. “In foals it means they’ll never gain their cutie mark. In adults the cutie mark might fade, or vanish entirely. Or they simply grow too lazy to function in society.”

“Sounds like loads of fun,” Glitter rolled her eyes. “I’ll definitely get back to you on that sometime.”

The guard returned with a pillow in his teeth and a tray balanced on his raised wings. Without a word he slung the pillow to land on her existing one, and then slid the tray onto the floor so smoothly the two cups of tea didn’t even tremble.

“Impressive,” Glitter said with a smile. “I’ve never understood how pegasi can do that. Magic is so much easier.”

“Not all ponies have horns, Glitter.” Celestia said mildly. “Each tribe possesses their own blessings as well as challenges. But now that we have our refreshments, perhaps we can return to the subject of your former associates?” She used a hoof to push the tray within Glitter’s limited reach.

“Sure, what do you want to know?” Glitter grinned.

“How many of you were there?” Celestia asked, sipping her tea. She noted how clumsily the unicorn held the cup, clearly unused to using her forelegs.

“Hmm? Oh, you mean at the lab? Let’s see, not counting those stupid diamond dogs there were four of us—well, five if you count the dragon but he was just a mercenary. Of course if you mean our organization, well, that’s a cast of thousands.”

The unicorn’s eyes glittered with malicious amusement.

“And what’s the name of your organization?” Celestia asked in curiosity.

“Duisternis,” Glitter replied easily. “If you want to be formal, it’s actually Onsterflike Einde Van Die Duisternis Ewige, but who has time to say that all the time? So everybody who isn’t completely pretentious calls it Duisternis.”

“I don’t recognize the language,” Celestia said, cocking her head in puzzlement.

“I’m not surprised,” Glitter replied. “I don’t think many of the original speakers are still with us. Ironic, really, considering.” She chuckled.

“And are you one of those original speakers?” Celestia asked, leaning forward.

“Who me? No. Do I look a million years old?” Glitter scoffed. “The original speakers predate Tišina’s arrival. The rumor is they were the ones who invited her here in the first place. Not the brightest thing they ever did, I must say.” Glitter laughed. “Of course there are always whispers that a few of them survived the end of the world.”

“What are you talking about? The world hasn’t ended,” Celestia said, confused. “Lady Teelo averted the prophecy. Tišina was defeated.”

Glitter glanced at their audience and lowered her voice conspiratorially. Celestia leaned closer to catch the quiet whisper.

“Well, yeah, this time. But unfortunately for the Precursors your bald pet monkey hadn’t been born yet. See, when she first got here, Tišina didn’t like how messy the place was. Too much life, you see, and very little of it sitting still. Tišina’s thing was all about stillness. All that frantic jumping around, well it just got on her very last nerve. So she moved the world somewhere else, blew out the sun, and brought the world back. Or so the Scroll of the End says.”

“What is the goal of your organization?” Celestia asked after absorbing the astounding news.

“Oh, you know. The whole conquer the world, live forever, blah-blah-blah,” Glitter said grinning. “It’s too bad for you that we don’t actually need the Sun to do that.”

She lunged unexpectedly, catching the alicorn by surprise, sinking her venomous fangs into Celestia’s carotid artery, emptying her poison sacks in an instant.

Celestia staggered back, shocked, lurching backward out of the cell as pandemonium erupted. The door clanged shut, accompanied by Glitter’s shrieks of mirth.

Celestia collapsed, hitting the floor with a thud that shook the hallway. Before the vibrations had faded Wind Shimmer’s horn lit up and the two of them vanished.

Breakthrough

In which mysteries begin to unravel and Hope puts forth a single fragile blossom.

A hoof moved the scrap of parchment across the desk while its owner smiled coldly. The room was utterly dark, but this didn’t seem to bother the occupant in the least. He studied another parchment and frowned slightly.

“So, they still resist. Annoying,” the unicorn growled. “Afkoel, attend me!”

A cold whirlwind formed beside the irate unicorn as faint blue light coalesced into a windigo. The emancipated beast bowed its head in silent submission.

“Notify Verlei its plans must be advanced quickly. One of those disobedient slaves managed to lure the land shark to its doom before the Queen’s party arrived. Oh, and find Rimor. This trumped up “Lady Teagan” managed to lead a group of rebellious slaves against his base and destroyed it. Bring him back here. We must have a little chat about his carelessness.”

“Yes, Master,” the windigo replied in its hideous chittering screech. Silently it faded and swirled away in a chill breeze.

The unicorn’s face became impassive as he began to implement a contingency plan. This was only a minor setback after all, a small glitch in the overall plan, which was otherwise proceeding smoothly. It was only a matter of time before victory was attained.

A small smile flitted across his muzzle. After all, he had time.

All of it, in fact.

ooOoo

Earth, Monday morning, May 29, 2013 9:32 AM

Teagan had time to think on the walk back to her house. Jern’s death still nagged at her, but not as sharply as it had. He had been a monster—a serial killer and a cannibal. The rational part of her mind knew Matt’s point of view was sound but there was another part that stubbornly insisted she had murdered the troll and that Crush was turning her into a monster.

Because she also knew the choice had been completely hers. She could have left the rescue up to Rolling Thunder—they weren’t helpless, after all. They could have brought Sweetie Belle out, along with those other mares without her there. In fact she could have stayed silent when Cherry Fizzy started raving about how trolls couldn’t be trusted. Then she wouldn’t have made her oath.

For that matter she could have stayed home instead of going back with Sun Hammer to rescue Princess Celestia—who rescued herself after all. Or she could have picked another magical weapon from the armory last year instead of Crush.

Of course, she admitted to herself, Crush was probably the only weapon that could have hurt Discord like that. If I’d chosen something else Discord might have won.

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda, she thought sarcastically. Matt was right, she’d made the choice and she’d just have to live with the consequences. Hindsight could only go so far. And she was forced to admit if the troll had lived he would certainly have killed more ponies, or took them back to face unimaginable torture at the hands of his employer, who would thenhave enslaved them for eternity.

“Being queen sucks,” She muttered to herself as she trudged on.

ooOoo

Wind Shimmer appeared along with the fallen alicorn in a large gray chamber. The alicorn was rapidly losing her color. The mane and tail had stopped moving completely, the rainbow colors almost completely faded to pale white. Even her gleaming ivory horn was turning dull as her head slumped lifelessly to the side in what would have been an agonizing angle had she been conscious.

“Do not ever make me do that again,” she said angrily to the pony just entering the room. “Watching you fall like that was too realistic. I almost killed that damn snake over it.”

“But you didn’t,” Princess Celestia replied, looking down on her corpse with a clinical expression. “I’m sure that Glitter seeing your reaction can only aid our cause. You did well, my little pony. And now you have your sample of her venom. Be extremely careful when you analyze it, it seems to disrupt magic, I was barely able to withdraw the simulacrum before losing control of it.”

The alicorn’s horn began to glow gently as the corpse on the floor melted, drawing back into a sphere the size of a basketball.

“Promise me I’ll never have to do that again,” the unicorn demanded angrily. “I couldn’t stand it!”

The princess turned her attention to the distraught unicorn, gently draping her head over the other mare’s withers.

“I’m sorry, Wind Shimmer, I truly am. But you chose to take up part of my burden when you became a Horn. I even asked you to reconsider the night before you took your oath, remember? Days like today are the reason I did that.”

She felt the unicorn shudder.

“I became a Horn to protect you, Princess,” Wind Shimmer said with closed eyes. “Not to watch you die. Even if it was only a simulacrum.”

“We see things in the dark so other ponies need not. We face the fearsome so others may live,” Celestia murmured.

Wind Shimmer took a deep breath and lifted her head. Celestia stepped back, watching the unicorn sympathetically.

“I remember, Princess Celestia. I’m sorry for breaking down like that.”

The alicorn slowly shook her head. “Don’t be. Even I have my moments, Wind Shimmer. Thank you for doing this. I am so very proud of you. Because of your actions today we now know more about our enemy than we did. If Glitter was telling the truth her pride may have finally given us the key to dealing with this threat.”

“I do hope so. Have you ever heard of this Duisternis secret society?” The unicorn asked frowning, “because I haven’t.”

“No,” Celestia said, frowning. “And that disturbs me. I don’t think she was making it up, the language wasn’t familiar to me, but it didn’t sound like a fake one. It’s not impossible that Equis was inhabited before Tišina ruined the original sun. I will have to consult with Discord. He may know something about this.”

Wind Shimmer made a face, “Forgive me if I have my doubts about that one, Princess. I still remember your vivid blue coat and the chocolate rain.”

Celestia chuckled. “Ah, but Discord has been reformed, Wind Shimmer. His chaos serves Equestria today instead of making a mess of things. But let us return to Glitter for a moment. Now that she thinks I’m dead and that Duisternis will triumph she may let something slip. Here in the dungeons she can’t see the outside, so we should let her believe her actions have doomed us. Perhaps a little artistic license over the days to come? Lowering the temperature in her cell slightly? The more confident she is that she has won, the more gloating she’s likely to do.”

“And a gloating prisoner is a talkative prisoner,” Wind Shimmer said, perking up.

“Exactly,” Celestia nodded.

ooOoo

The return to Equestria was anticlimactic and went off without a hitch. Less than a minute after the Bridge appeared Emma and Teagan gratefully dismounted from their hosts, still swaying a bit.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to teleportation,” Emma said, trying to steady herself by leaning on Celestia’s dresser. “The color purple isn’t supposed to smell like butterscotch!”

“Yeah, well I tasted sound this time,” Teagan retorted. “A bass cello kind of noise, it tasted like coffee.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked in confusion, “The space between is just a jumble of color and sound. I’ve never experienced anything like what you described. Spike never mentioned it either and he’s teleported with me before.”

“Maybe it’s just humans,” Teagan replied, shaking off the after effects. “That place really scrambled my senses. I think they call it synesthesia or something.”

“That’s fascinating,” Twilight said, brightening. “Maybe we can experiment more?”

“No!” Emma said quickly. “Twilight, no offense, but I think if I had to teleport much more I’d start throwing up. That stuff is for emergencies only.”

“Oh,” Twilight said, deflating. “Well, if you should change your mind...”

“Not going to happen,” Emma said firmly.

“Sorry,” Twilight dipped her head a bit.

“It’s ok, Twilight,” Teagan said yawning. “You didn’t mean any harm. You just get a little enthusiastic sometimes. At any rate we need to drop Emma’s stuff off at the suite and let the trolls know we’re back. Then I have got to catch up with Princess Luna tonight, I want to make sure she hears some of the songs I brought her to listen to before we head to Hejm tomorrow.”

“Songs?” Celestia asked curiously.

“You remember at the party, how Dad was talking about the songs bronies had created for her?” Teagan asked. “I brought some so she could hear them. There are a couple that might make her cry because they’re about her—fall. But even those are beautiful.”

“Perhaps I should hear these songs with her then,” Celestia said mildly. “It’s time for Evening Meal, why don’t the three of you join us?”

“Sounds good, I’m starving,” Teagan said, grinning.

“You’re always starving!” Emma needled her friend.

“Yes, well I’m eating for two aren’t I? Wait—that did not come out right!” Teagan said, blushing. “Crush takes a lot of fuel, that’s all I meant!”

Emma snickered while the two ponies tried to stifle their own amusement.

“Come then, I’ll walk with you to your suite. I understand that Flint and Skrent will be escorting you until you return home in the fall,” Celestia said, leading them into the corridor where a pair of pegasi fell in behind them.

Teagan sighed. “I really like those two, but it’s going to be awkward having them trail me everywhere.”

“You get used to it,” Celestia replied with a chuckle. “It’s expected that royalty have bodyguards, cousin. Isn’t that right, Gold Feather?” Celestia asked over her shoulder to one of the pegasi.

“Yes, Your Highness,” the guard said in a no-nonsense tone that oozed professionalism. “Guards make sure their charge remains safe and isn’t distracted by random ponies seeking to waste her valuable time.”

“I don’t think trolls have that issue,” Teagan said with an amused snort. “They’re very—hands on. Anybody that bothered Fjell wouldn’t do it again in a hurry.”

“Well at least Flint shouldn’t be too bad,” Emma commented. “He never says a word. Skrent’s barely more talkative. You’ll probably forget they’re there after a while.”

“I hope you’re right,” Teagan said with a sigh. “I’m still not used to this whole queen thing.”

Arriving at the suite Teagan opened the door, Emma and Celestia following her in while the Royal guards stayed in the corridor.

“Ah, God kveld, min Dronning,” Alene Hule said, looking up from his book. “I am happy to see you safely back from your trip. I trust matters have been attended to?”

He was seated in a comfortable oversized chair intended for a full-grown troll. He looked like a small child in the massive furniture.

“Yes, thank you,” Teagan responded. “We’ll be leaving for Hejm tomorrow as planned.”

“That is good news,” He said gravely. “I have been recalled to help reinforce the city’s wards. Her Highness has been kind enough to offer us the fastest train in Equestria to speed our homecoming.”

“I am happy to help, Alene Hule,” Celestia said with a smile. “I only wish we had enough chariots to spare you the hike through the mountains.”

The Alene smiled. “I am not so old yet that a little exercise will harm me, Your Highness. Besides, the trip will give everyone time to get to know one another better. It promises to be a most enjoyable outing.”

“Only a troll would call a fifty mile mountain hike an enjoyable outing,” Teagan noted with a chuckle.

“Let me just put this in my room” Emma said. “I’ll grab Flint and Skrent on the way.”

“Good idea, I’d better let Søyle know we’re back,” Teagan agreed.

It took remarkably little time before the three were headed back to the private dining room Celestia and her sister used to share meals in, Flint and Skrent silently joining the two pegasi that trailed them.

“Greetings, sister, Your Majesty, Lady Emma,” Luna said, gaining her hooves. “We had not expected thee back tonight.” Twilight looked up with a smile but didn’t say anything, too busy chewing.

“Got everything wrapped up quicker than I thought I would,” Teagan said while conscious of the MP3 player in her pocket. She decided a good meal was the current priority and cheerfully joined the three princesses. She found it amusing that the meal was breakfast, lunch and dinner depending on the diner’s point of view.

After putting away her usual pony-sized portion of food Teagan sat back happily and turned to Princess Luna.

“Do you remember when my father mentioned that the bronies had created music for you?” She asked with a smile.

“We do,” Luna said gravely, but her eyes softened. “We have often wished we could have heard that song.”

“Well, your wish is about to come true,” Teagan said triumphantly, setting the MP3 player and a miniature speaker on the table in front of her. “I was able to find four of the best ones and bring a recording of them. There were more but,” she shrugged apologetically, “you must understand most bronies are amateurs and their music isn’t, um, well, professional.”

“Are we to understand thee hast brought us the actual music that we mayest listen to it?” Princess Luna asked, her head coming up in surprise.

“Yep,” Teagan said, chuckling. “Princess Celestia said she’d like to listen with you. A couple of the songs are about, well, the night you fell, so she thought you might want some company while listening.”

“A kind thought, sister,” Princess Luna responded after a slightly awkward pause. “How dost this device work?”

“It’s based on electricity,” Teagan answered. “The songs are electrical patterns that the speaker converts to sounds. There’s a song list to let you choose the song you want, but it’s in English so I’ll have to work the player. Would you like to hear them now?”

“Very much,” Luna said nodding her head.

“If it becomes uncomfortable let me know and I’ll stop the music,” Teagan said gently.

“We have accepted our past, Lady Teelo,” Luna said, shaking her head. “It was a dark time, but we understand our mistakes and will never repeat them. Play the songs made for us—for me,” she corrected herself. “We—I—would hear what others think of me.”

“All right, the first one is called The Moon Rises by a brony named Ponyphonic.” Teagan said as she started the song.

She watched Luna carefully as the pony smiled at the beginning then watched her smile fade as the song turned darker. When it finished a single tear leaked from the corner of her eye.

“The singer gives me too much credit,” Luna murmured sadly. “That is indeed the lure Nightmare used to snare me in my foalishness. I felt wronged, it is true. Looking back I can see it was naught but wounded pride. But thanks to Twilight Sparkle and her friends I was rescued from my folly. They bested Nightmare where I could not. And now I will never fall prey to such poisoned words ever again.”

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?” Emma asked quietly.

“Indeed. Twas a most painful lesson I learned these last thousand years. I will not forget it,” Luna said, her face hardening.

“You were not alone in that lesson, sister.” Celestia said sadly. “I mourned every night when I raised the moon.”

“Speaking of which, I have a duet,” Teagan said quietly. “It’s called Lullaby for a Princess and Luna’s reply. I think Ponyphonic wrote Celestia’s half but I can’t find the author of Luna’s half. This version is from a pegasister named LadyPhenyx, but it seems to have been a group effort. The lyrics were by Polychromia and the vocals by Mslkarishipper.”

“Such unusual names these bronies have,” Princess Luna commented.

“They’re more pseudonyms like writers sometimes use,” Teelo replied.

When she began the duet she saw both sisters stiffen, then close their eyes. Not far into the song they started watching each other and the sadness between them was thick enough to cut with a knife.

By the time the song ended they had moved together, leaning into one another, heads draped over withers.

It took almost a minute before they stirred and turned to look at the humans. Teagan flinched from the raw emotion in the alicorns’ eyes.

“In the beginning of my banishment Nightmare seldom allowed me to come to myself,” Luna said in a low voice. “But eventually it weakened in our prison, and finally slept. That is when I finally had time to think—and regret. It was not until our freedom came that the demon reawakened. This song—how could humans know? It lays out my feelings more clearly than ever I could. How is this possible, cousin?”

“Indeed,” Celestia said with slightly lowered head. “I don’t understand how they could know. How they could feel what I did, how they could speak for me so well? Sister, my own apologies were never so lucid.”

“It is troubling,” Luna mused, staring at Teagan. “Our souls are but one third human, and that part of us is undoubtedly the darkest and most violent. How then can such darkness know a pony’s heart, and tell of regret so powerfully? To seek forgiveness? Do humans know regret, cousin? Do they seek absolution for their own mistakes?”

“You have no idea,” Teagan said quietly. “Humans and ponies aren’t so different when it comes to regret. I think even the trolls understand that pain. I wish I didn’t.”

“Are the rest of your songs ones of regret, cousin?” Luna asked quietly.

Teagan shook her head. “No, this one is a prayer. It’s from a brony called MandoPony, to you. It’s called Song of the Night.” Without further explanation she began the song.

After it ended Luna’s reaction was unusual. She shivered and looked apprehensive.

“Why wouldst he pray to us?” She asked in a bewildered voice. “We are certainly no goddess! Nor do we deserve such devotion for we are in no way worthy of it. The closest we could come to answering prayers is soothing a pony’s troubled dreams. But even then, we have never done so for any human, we never sensed one across the veil ere you appeared, Lady Teagan.”

“There are differing opinions about your divinity, Princess Luna,” Emma said unexpectedly. “But if you want my opinion I think he’s praying to you because he thinks you understand his situation better than Princess Celestia would—no offense, Your Highness,” she said looking at Celestia.

“None taken, Emma,” Celestia said. “That young stallion certainly sounded troubled.”

“We think we understand his plea,” Luna said thoughtfully. “If we could help him we would most assuredly do so, for his pain is clear enough. And we are familiar with such feelings, even before our banishment.”

She stared at nothing for a moment, before turning a polite smile at the red head. “So, cousin, let us hear the last song. We must admit utter amazement at how powerful these songs have been.”

“The last is an instrumental called Princess of the Night, by a brony named Shurrikane,” Teelo said. “He called you the guardian of the night, and dedicated this song to you because he said you deserved it.”

With a grin she turned on the song, watching Luna perk up as the epic song progressed.

When the song ended Luna had shed all traces of her earlier sadness.

“What a wonderful composition,” Luna said with sparkling eyes, “so full of hope, so much potential for the future! This stallion clearly understands the power of the night and its beauties. We are most pleased!”

Teagan grinned, she’d guessed right by playing this song last. The earlier songs were beautiful, but full of sorrow. This one was just plain epic.

“I’m glad I could share this with you,” Teagan said. “I meant to get with you the first night we were here but everything just went crazy. Hopefully things will slow down now.”

“Ah, Your Majesty,” Celestia said regretfully, “on that front I fear I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is we finally have a name for our shadowy adversaries.”

“Ok,” Teagan said eyeing Celestia who was looking expectant. “I’ll bite. Who are they and what do they want?”

Luna, Twilight, and Emma also listened eagerly.

“They are called Duisternis, and they seek nothing less than world conquest,” Celestia said solemnly.

“Of course,” Teagan sighed. “It’s always about conquering the world. Why couldn’t it be about cornering the market on cupcakes or something?”

“Don’t let Pinkie hear you say that,” Emma joked. “So if that’s the good news what’s the bad news?”

“The unicorn mare we captured, Glitter, is a member of Duisternis, and not actually a unicorn. We aren’t sure precisely what her species might be, but it could be that she’s a hybrid of pony and changeling.”

“That is bad news,” Teagan said thoughtfully. “How would that even work?”

“I have no idea,” Celestia replied. “Magic may have been involved but that’s not the bad news.”

“Ok, now I’m officially concerned,” Teagan said, giving Celestia her full attention. “What’s the actual bad news?”

“Duisternis apparently believes they can rule a world in which the Sun does not rise,” Celestia said calmly. “Even chained in her cell by all four hooves, Glitter tried to murder me with a venomous bite while I questioned her. Had I not had the foresight to use a simulacrum she very probably would have succeeded.”

The other three stared at her in horror.

Impetus

In which Murphy decides to enliven the play for friend and foe alike.

“Um, aren’t you immortal?” Teagan asked after her initial shock.

“I don’t know,” Celestia replied serenely. “I was born a mortal pony, and I suppose one day I shall die like anypony else. While it’s true I do not age, and alicorns heal much faster than normal, I am not invulnerable. You saw that for yourself during the Nightmare Discord incident.”

“Yeah, but this Glitter character is hardly on Discord’s level,” Emma objected. “I mean he’s a god. Lowercase ‘g’ or not, I doubt this sham unicorn can say the same.”

“Certainly in terms of raw magical ability you are correct, Emma,” Celestia answered calmly. “However, Glitter’s venom has anti-magical properties. It is as deadly to me as it would be to you.”

“Ok, the game just got a lot more dangerous,” Teagan said grimly. “There’s a dozen things I can think of we should be doing right now and none of them involve sitting around chatting.”

“Calm yourself, cousin,” Celestia said soothingly. “While the situation is serious it is nothing I haven’t dealt with before. Equestria has not always been as friendly as it is today. I assure you I am up to the challenge of protecting myself from assassins.”

“A threat to you is a threat to everyone on the planet, Princess,” Teagan said. “It affects the World Below as well. Not to mention you’re a close friend. It makes me angry to think someone is out to kill you.”

“Your Majesty, your concern is appreciated. I am very fond of you as well, but your own plate is overflowing right now. Besides, between the Horns, the Hooves, the Royal Guards, my sister and my own modest magic, I assure you my safety is in good hooves.”

“In other words, don’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs,” Teagan said with a sigh. “I know you’re the expert here, but I worry about you.”

Celestia’s expression turned warm. “I’ll be fine, cousin. Don’t worry so much. Those who wear a crown need never lack for concerns. No need to add to them when you don’t have to.”

Teagan chuckled. “Yeah, pity I’m still learning that.”

Celestia stood up.

“Well, it has been an eventful day and I still have ponies to speak with before I retire.”

“Good night, Princess,” Teagan replied as the alicorn took her leave. She turned to the others at the table.

“As for me, my internal clock’s completely fried with all this world-jumping,” Teagan said. “I’m not ready for bed yet. Think I’ll go into town and see what Canterlot’s night life has to offer. Emma, you wanna come with?”

“Going clubbing in Canterlot?” Emma grinned. “I’m in!”

“Enjoy your evening, Lady Teagan,” Luna rose and nodded to the girls. “Alas, we are bound for Night Court.” She grimaced slightly. “If thee doth seek advice on which venue would be the most pleasurable we believe Faerie Mist might be a useful resource. We lean more toward classical music and opera than—is it dub step? Wub? The styles change so rapidly! We simply cannot keep up.”

“Any idea where she might be tonight?” Teagan asked.

Luna gained the slightest smile. “We believe you might try the armory. She often spends her evenings dining with Sun Hammer.”

“Ah,” Teagan beamed. “Thank you, Your Highness. Come on, Emma. Maybe the two of them would like to come along with us.”

“Didn’t you say Sun Hammer keeps out of sight?” Emma asked curiously as Flint and Skrent silently fell in behind them. “Something about being shunned?”

“It’ll do him good to get out and mingle,” Teagan said dismissively. “Besides, I’ll bet dollars to donuts Faerie Mist will jump all over it.”

Emma followed Teagan’s lead as they walked through a tangle of corridors.

“This place is a maze,” Emma noted after a couple of minutes. “How in the world do you know where you’re going?”

“I asked Subtle Dancer about that,” Teagan replied. “Apparently, the Bridge of Days has something to do with it. He said there was a resonance, you know, like a tuning fork? Anime—no—animaic resonance, that’s it. It’s really complicated, but the basic idea is that Celestia and Luna are linked to the Bridge just like I am because they’re the only ones left who crossed over it originally.

“Since Celestia has spent the last thousand years here her anima permeates the entire castle, every room, every corridor. It lets her move around the castle completely on autopilot. She doesn’t even need to consciously think about it.”

“So—why does that let you do it?” Emma asked, puzzled.

“It’s like we’re halves of the same tuning fork, the Bridge makes me a little sensitive to her anima. Subtle Dancer said normally the effect is too small to notice, but here in the castle her anima is so concentrated I can pick up on it.”

“Meaning?” Emma asked, still lost.

“Meaning as long as I know the name of the place I need to go, like the armory or our suite, I can let my feet guide me. It’s kind of like when somebody reminds you of something you forgot. So I couldn’t tell you how many rooms the castle has, or about some oddball room that I never heard of. But the more Celestia uses a room, the easier it is for me to get there. Like the library for instance. Nobody ever told me there’s a library in the castle but I know exactly where it is. But ask me to find one particular broom closet? Not a clue.”

Emma laughed. “Can you imagine Celestia with a mop and bucket, in a maid’s uniform?”

“Oh, that’s evil, Emma! Now I can’t get that image out of my head!” Teagan began to snicker.

“You’re welcome,” Emma smirked.

The girls finally got to the armory, where a surprised Sun Hammer let them in.

“Good tae see ye lassie!” He said. “A hear ye been a mickle busy o’ late. Ye just caught us finishing up supper, so ya did. Flint, Skrent, good tae see ye lads. Emma, A see nae beastie has had ye fer its supper, yet!”

The brown-haired teen blushed as the huge pony guffawed.

“Yeah, Luna mentioned Faerie Mist would probably be with you,” Teagan answered easily. “I thought the two of you would like to join Emma and me to see what Canterlot’s night life is like. I’ve been hopping back and forth over the Bridge so much my body doesn’t know if it’s day or night anymore. I thought a trip into the city would tire me out so I could sleep.”

“Nou there’s a verra bad idea, lassie. Ye ken that nae pony can stand the sight o’ me,” Sun Hammer protested as he led them back into his personal quarters. “Tis kind o’ ye tae think o’ includin’ me in yer little jaunt, so it be. But A tell ye plain, ‘twould be a muckle byke an no mistake.”

“Do we have guests, Sun Hammer?” A female voice preceded the appearance of Faerie Mist. “Ah, Lady Teagan, Emma! How nice to see you again. I see you finally decided to have mercy on Skrent and Flint and let them do their jobs.”

The lavender pegasus was as relaxed as Teagan had ever seen her. The girl chuckled.

“Yeah, they finally wore me down,” she agreed casting a fond glance over her shoulder at the trolls.

“Now what’s this about a byke?” Faerie Mist asked Sun Hammer. “What is a byke, anyway?”

“Tis a nest fer wasps or hornets,” Sun Hammer said, a smile twitching the corner of his mouth. “Thon quine thought tae ask us oot wi’ her fer a nicht on the town. Twere kindly meant, but an awfu kerfuffle twould be, an no mistake.”

Faerie Mist’s eyes lit up.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea!” She said in excitement. “It’s about time you got out of the palace for a change!”

“Nou hold on there, Mist,” Sun Hammer said with wide eyes. “Ye know whit they call me! Insane Hammer be the least o’ it! Would nae be couthie fer any of us if’n A shoved me muzzle in some feedin’ trough fer nobs! An that’s afore A got shunned!”

“You listen to me Sun Hammer! It’s high time you were recognized for the hero you are,” The pegasus said firmly. “You’ve saved the whole world! Besides, you aren’t crazy! You’re sweet, and kind, and, and—noble. In the true sense of the word, not like those puffed up popinjays that strut through the palace!”

Everyone stared at the pegasus, who was now snorting and pawing the floor.

“Wow,” Teagan said, impressed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone go from mellow to fighting mad quite that fast. Why don’t you tell us what you really think, Faerie Mist?”

The pegasus’s expression smoothed out as though a switch had been flipped.

“I beg your pardon, Lady Teagan. I have never been able to stomach injustice,” the pegasus replied calmly. “The way Sunny is treated is beyond the pale.”

“Mebbe so,” Sun Hammer said with a sigh. “But think o’ yerself, Mist. Bein’ seen wi’ me in public would nae be good fer ye.”

The pegasus snorted again in a decidedly unladylike manner.

“Sun Hammer, you talk too much,” she accused him. “I would very much enjoy going to a night club with you! Now are you going to invite me or not?” Suddenly her expression morphed into puppy dog eyes, and Sun Hammer just wilted.

“Lass, ye dinnae ken how truly awfu this idea be, so ye dinnae,” Sun Hammer said, shaking his head. “But A’ll nae gainsay ye, if’n yer heart be set, daft though it be.”

“Thank you, Sunny! I know the perfect club! Shall we?”

“Lead the way,” Teagan said with a grin. Faerie Mist took the lead and Sun Hammer obediently followed the mare, but his ears were at half mast and his expression stoic.

“Sounds like those two are getting kind of friendly if you ask me,” Emma said in a low voice. “Poor stallion doesn’t have a clue.”

“Yeah,” Teagan said, equally quietly as they followed the Equestrians. “About time something good happened to him.”

The troll brothers kept their thoughts to themselves, as usual.

ooOoo

Faerie Mist led them through the surprisingly busy streets of Canterlot. As far as Teagan could tell it was about ten PM local time but the streets still teemed with ponies and a scattering of other species. Most of the ponies were clearly well-to-do or noble, many wearing fancy evening clothes, although a good portion wore nothing more than their fur or feathers.

“This is my favorite club,” Faerie Mist told Sun Hammer as the group came to a stop before a building squeezed in between its neighbors. The front was covered with the magical illusion of a tropical scene, dominated by a large pool surrounded by various species gathered at tables holding glasses up in a toast. It lit the street as well as a streetlight on Earth would have.

“The Watering Hole?” Sun Hammer asked in disbelief. “You come here, Mist? A nae woulda guessed.”

“It’s not very refined,” the pegasus admitted, “but a mare can let down her mane here without worrying too much about amorous stallions. The management keeps a tight rein on the rowdy element without getting in your face. It’s popular with other species, too.”

Sun Hammer was looking at her with a big grin on his face.

“A used tae come here a lot,” he reminisced. “A cannae believe tis yer favorite, it twere always mine too, so it was. The up-muzzles would ne’er be caught deid here, so they would nae.”

“Something else we have in common then! Come on, we’re burning moonlight.” Faerie Mist trotted to the end of the line, which was moving fairly quickly. Teagan noted most of the hopefuls were turned away by the pair of stallions acting as bouncers.

“Think we’ll get in?” Emma asked sotto voce, glancing casually at the rather intimidating pair.

“No idea,” Teagan said. “At least they shouldn’t care about our age. I doubt they have any way of judging that in humans.”

When the group reached the bouncers Faerie Mist smiled at the one on the left.

“Hi Bouncy! There’s six of us tonight,” she said in a chipper tone, quite unlike her normal voice.

Bouncy? Teagan thought incredulously, keeping her poker face with difficulty. His name is really Bouncy? What in the world were his parents thinking?

“You may enter, Lady Mist. Lady Teagan and her guest are also welcome, but not him,” Bouncy replied, staring coolly at Sun Hammer, who gazed back mildly, “The trolls will have to stay outside as well.”

“Told ye, lassie,” Sun Hammer said with a resigned sigh. He had, however, not reckoned with Faerie Mist’s sense of justice. Or the fact she’d been Celestia’s first lady-in-waiting for several years.

“That’s too bad, Bouncy,” she said with a frown. “I’m certainly not going in without my date, so I guess we’ll just have to go elsewhere. And here I thought the Hole was the most cosmopolitan club in Canterlot. I’ll just have to pass the word you guys have lost your edginess. Such a pity. Well, everypony, shall we go? I’m sorry this was such a disappointment, Sun Hammer. Please forgive me—they used to be such a wonderful club.” She turned to leave.

Bouncy was clearly caught in a bind.

“Um, if you and your party would care to wait here I’ll see what I can do, Lady Mist.” Bouncy said uncomfortably. “We certainly don’t want to disappoint guests of your caliber. The Watering Hole prides itself on providing the finest and safest venue in Canterlot after all. Excuse me a moment.”

Teagan could see the flash of satisfaction in the mare’s eyes as the bouncer hurried through the door. The other bouncer politely escorted them to a roped off area to one side of the door.

“A be a mickle uncomfortable aboot this, Mist,” Sun Hammer said with a lowered voice. “Tis clear A’m not wanted here, so it be. Cannae say they be in the wrong, ye ken.”

“Well I can,” Faerie Mist said firmly. “There comes a time, Sun Hammer, when one has to stand up and demand fair treatment. Sometimes you’re too noble for your own good. Now that I know this was your favorite club I’m not about to let them keep you out. Just stay calm and let me deal with it.”

She winked suddenly. “Call it a reward in recognition of all you’ve ever done for me.”

“Whit A done for ye?” He asked, confused. “An’ whit be it A done fer ye? Mind ye, A certainly would be willin’, just dinnae ken what ye mean.”

“You saved my life, Sunny,” Faerie Mist said, suddenly serious. “Then you let me see the real you. So let me do this for you. Please.”

Sun Hammer studied the mare for a moment, and then slowly nodded. “All right, lassie. A ken ye’ll dae this thing come Tartarus or high water, so A’ll nae stand in yer way. A just hope ye’ll nae regret it.”

Teagan and Emma were squee-ing inside as they watched the interaction. Teagan kept her poker face but Emma was grinning. The trolls looked on impassively.

Just then Bouncy came back through the door and bowed to Faerie Mist. “My apologies for keeping you waiting, Lady Mist. If you and your party will follow me, a table has been prepared.”

“For six?” She asked politely.

“Yes, my lady,” Bouncy replied. “Sorry for any inconvenience. The management would like you to know your party’s food and drinks tonight are on the house as an apology.”

“Very well,” Faerie Mist nodded. “I’m glad to see the Hole hasn’t become stuffy after all.”

ooOoo

Lady Silkwind was holding court in one corner of the club when a moving bubble of silence started to grow. Casually she glanced over to find the cause, her predatory instincts triggered by the feel in the air. What she saw was Celestia’s first lady-in-waiting walking next to a large rough-looking stallion with shaggy mane and an eye patch, scars running down his chest. His furless scarred foreleg bore silent testament to the battles he’d survived.

Even though she knew Sun Hammer by description she’d never actually seen him. But what held her attention was the crowd’s reaction to him. Mares stepped back warily while stallions’ eyes narrowed and their ears raked back not quite flat to their head, clearly preparing for trouble.

Like all griffins posted to Canterlot she was skilled at reading pony body language, and the crowd’s reaction to Sun Hammer screamed predator on the prowl. She cocked her head curiously, noting that Sun Hammer walked easily though his flickering ears indicated he was alert to everything around him. To her eyes he certainly didn’t appear to be a clear and present danger.

Sun Hammer had so thoroughly engaged her attention she almost ignored the other creatures trailing the ponies.

“Is that Lady Teagan?” A unicorn mare in her circle asked excitedly. Silkwind blinked, her gaze snapping to the pair of weird bipeds between the ponies and the trolls.

“I do believe it is,” the griffiness said in an interested tone. “Do you know her, Scented Flower?”

“I’ve seen her at court several times,” the mare replied, “but we’ve never been formally introduced. She’s the queen of the trolls, you know.”

“Indeed? How is it that they allowed a non-troll to become their queen?” Silkwind asked innocently, although she already knew.

“It’s an amazing story!” The deep blue unicorn said with an excited lilt in her voice. She tossed her head to clear away the fiery red mane from her eyes. “She’s actually Princess Celestia’s cousin, can you believe it? It’s an epic tale, Lady Silkwind, absolutely the stuff of legends! It goes all the way back to before ponies even came to Equis!”

“Fascinating, but what does that have to do with the trolls?” Silkwind enquired with clear interest.

“Well, Lady Teagan carries their sacred club, Smash, or is it Crunch? Anyway, see it there on her back?” Scented Flower was clearly enjoying being the center of attention. “Because the club is magical it can only be wielded by the king or queen of the trolls.”

“Huh, doesn’t look that heavy,” a minotaur snorted disdainfully. “Little stick, if you ask me.”

“Appearances may deceive, Strong Back,” Silkwind remarked. “Magic does not follow mundane rules, you know. Princess Sparkle is living proof of that.”

“Well, if it’s some all powerful weapon why does she have bodyguards then?” Strong Back protested. “She shouldn’t need them. Over Power doesn’t.”

“What the Minotaur King chooses to do is his business,” an earth pony stallion interjected. “Besides, Princess Celestia has bodyguards. Are you implying she’s weak?”

The minotaur snorted, but remained silent. The stallion smirked at the discomforted bull.

Continuing to chat amiably with her circle of sycophants, she kept a close eye on the queen’s party. She noted how the staff paid particular attention to Faerie Mist and the troll queen. The queen’s companion, Emma, also received extra consideration too. She noted the troll bodyguards were shown typical pony courtesy, but Sun Hammer was given only professional service, not the lavish attention paid to the females. It was so subtle no one could complain, but the contrast was obvious to her.

Most interesting, however, was the way Faerie Mist interacted with Sun Hammer. It was clear she didn’t disdain him, and unless Silkwind was very much mistaken he was actually her date for the evening.

Both the troll queen and her companion treated Sun Hammer as an equal, something that wasn’t lost on the crowd keeping surreptitious watch on the queen’s table. For his own part he appeared equally at ease with Faerie Mist, the human females, and even the trolls. Silkwind noted with curiosity that the queen interacted with the trolls less like subjects and more like friends, constantly drawing them into the group’s discussion, although the bodyguards never said much.

After a half hour or so the crowd had lost interest in the queen’s party and Silkwind gracefully disengaged from her acquaintances to move around and gather what gossip she might.

The Watering Hole didn’t cater to the upper crust of Canterlot society—Prince Blueblood would rather take a public mud bath than sully his hooves in such a plebian establishment. She chuckled silently as she tried to picture the fussy noble sitting with the queen’s party—and failing utterly.

No, this particular club served a slightly less rarified strata of the populace. Guards and their officers often came here, along with rebellious young minor nobles, just past foalhood but not yet fully adult. It was also popular with the more successful craft ponies and some merchants.

All in all it was a marvelous hunting ground for Silkwind, who was always amazed at how much information these second tier citizens had and how freely they gossiped about it. The club’s aggressive species blindness was also a boon to her since griffins were common visitors and went unremarked.

She watched the queen and her companion move to the dance floor as the DJ changed the music to what the ponies called “the wubs”. She took up a position on the edge of the dance floor, curious to see the bipeds dancing. She wondered if humans would dance like minotaurs, who tended toward intricate stomping rhythms and slow traveling circles. The only other bipedal species she was aware of, the diamond dogs, didn’t actually dance as other species understood the term. Their version of dancing involved the entire pack in a stylized hunt and chase, with acrobatic leaps and as much time spent on all fours as bipedal. Given the uncivilized nature of diamond dogs it was perhaps not surprising they didn’t participate in the club scene.

So it was with an intense gaze she watched the troll queen and her companion as they moved to the music. The first thing she noticed was they didn’t dance as a couple, each female danced without regard to the other, although they occasionally would dance briefly with a stallion, staying with any given partner less than a minute before moving on.

The second thing she noticed was how sinuous the humans were, constantly bending their bodies in ways a pony or griffon simply couldn’t. She found herself amazed that the two didn’t simply fall over with some of the weird contortions they went into, often only keeping one foot on the floor as the rest of their body seemed to float on the air in defiance of gravity and common sense. She had to admit that while both were graceful in their movements the queen was far more so, moving with the speed of a predator while her companion was slower and not as polished.

The third thing she noticed was how supple the humans’ limbs seemed to be. The range of their motion was greater than that of a pony or a griffin, even minotaurs didn’t have that same fluidity. It reminded Silkwind of the boneless grace of snakes.

When the dance ended the two humans returned to their table. They were laughing and panting just a bit. Silkwind observed almost everyone in the crowd had watched the two dance; obviously as curious about them as she was.

The griffiness was about to approach and see if she could introduce herself to the queen when she noticed Faerie Mist, hovering by the raised DJ booth. Intrigued she decided to stay where she was and watch.

Taking advantage of the clear air above the dancers Faerie Mist darted over to her table and urged a clearly reluctant Sun Hammer onto the floor. The crowd quickly backed away to give the two plenty of room, their unease spiking now that the rough stallion was moving.

A plucked string instrument of some sort began to play. The pegasus grinned at her partner as his head came up in shocked recognition. The slow plucking was joined by another strummed instrument Silkwind didn’t recognize, followed by an insanely fast set of violins.

A/N: The music is The Auld Pipe Reel – The Brolum by Silly Wizard if you want to listen on YouTube.

And then Faerie Mist’s hooves began to move, tapping against the wooden dance floor in a style reminiscent of minotaur stomp, except the taps were light, sharp, and so fast she seemed to lift slightly off the floor from the repeated impacts.

“Come on, Sun Hammer! I’ve been practicing this for days!” The pegasus called out happily. Sun Hammer grinned suddenly and his own hooves began to smack against the floor, the odd hoof shoes he wore only slightly muffling the impacts.

“Aye then, lass! Show me the fire in ye!” the stallion called over the thunder of eight hooves striking multiple times per second.

Impossibly, the music increased its pace and the two ponies matched it, their front and rear legs rapidly crossing on alternate taps in an impressive show of hoofwork. Silkwind’s beak fell open as they suddenly began to orbit their partner; hoof impacts still letting them float just a hairsbreadth above the floor.

Sun Hammer was grinning like a crazy pony as the pegasus kept up with up with him. She laughed and suddenly started revolving around her own middle even as she kept their mutual orbit.

“Ha! Ye’re a marvel, lass, so ye be!” Sun Hammer shouted to be heard as he matched her pivot, the two ponies moving in eerie synchronization. Their orbit ended, leaving them aligned front to back, offset by a leg’s length side to side, with Sun Hammer a body length in front, hooves still flying. As Silkwind watched the ponies moved until they were side by side, then pivoted and moved back to face each other. Sun Hammer bowed his head only to have Faerie Mist return the gesture; all the while both ponies’ flashing hooves kept them balanced a whisker’s width above the floor.

Before the song had ended the pair had executed a number of intricate maneuvers, including one where Faerie Mist pivoted in place while Sun Hammer orbited her, only to reverse the move and leave Sun Hammer in the middle, all without any spoken signals. How the lady-in-waiting had mastered the complex dance Silkwind couldn’t imagine. An accomplished dancer herself, the griffiness understood how difficult the ponies’ dance truly was.

The music ended, leaving both ponies blowing hard from the strenuous display. The room suddenly erupted with pony applause, hooves alternating against the hard wooden floor. Sun Hammer just grinned and waved a leg to the crowd, before he and his partner returned to their table.

“Did you see that?” Silkwind heard an earth pony mare ask her unicorn friend, still applauding. “What kind of dance was that?”

“I saw it and I still can’t believe it!” Her friend replied. “I didn’t know ponies could do that. It was amazing!”

“I know! Tonight’s one for the record books! Who would have believed that savage could actually dance? Or find a mare willing to go out with him? A pegasus no less. Talk about your polar opposites! And she’s beautiful too.”

“Iwant to know why any mare would date him, muchless a pegasus,” the unicorn responded. “Oh, sweet Celestia! They’re sitting with Lady Teagan! What in the world?”

“Did you see Lady Teagan and her friend dancing before that? They’re part pony too, you know.” The earth pony said conspiratorially. “But they eat meat!”

“Really? That can’t be right, surely? I heard she’s Princess Celestia’s cousin. My aunt is a maid in the castle, and she said another maid heard the Princess say it. To Lady Teagan’s face! But they look more like monkeys than ponies!”

“Well, that just proves it, right? If she’s the Princess’s cousin then she’s got to be part pony! How else could they be cousins? Even if she does look like a monkey.”

If you only knew the truth, Silkwind thought, laughing inside.

“Well, yes. But she’s also the troll queen. Speaking of which, what’s the deal with ponies being trolls?” The unicorn asked in confusion. “I mean that’s what everybody’s saying, isn’t it? But I don’t look anything like a troll, do I?”

“No, of course not,” the earth pony said dismissively. “It’s some kind of weird troll custom. You know how thick-headed they are. Anyway, Lady Teagan is their queen because she was able to pick up that magic club whatsit.”

“They call it Pound,” the other mare said confidently. “It’s supposed to be able to talk, and it’s thousands of years old! Some wizard made it or something.”

“Huh, wonder what the trolls did to get a unicorn to make something like that? You think it was Star Swirl the Bearded?”

“Must have been,” the unicorn agreed. “Everybody knows trolls aren’t smart enough to cast magic. Besides, they don’t have horns. You can’t cast magic without a horn, right?”

“I wouldn’t know,” the other mare laughed. “I’m an earth pony, in case you’d forgotten.”

“Trust me,” the unicorn said confidently. “No horn, no magic.”

Silkwind left the two ponies to expound on their deliciously amusing misconceptions. Her prey had given her ample ammunition to ingratiate herself and the gossip, as amusing as it was, had little substance.

No, it was time to curry favor with the troll queen. Her dear friend would most certainly be pleased the next time they met…

ooOoo

“Excuse me,” A pleasant voice broke into their conversation. Teagan turned to find a gigantic eagle staring at her from less than two feet away. She stiffened in instinctive alarm, her arm twitching as she almost reached for Crush. The eagle’s beak opened and the refined voice sounded apologetic.

“Please accept my apology for startling you. I normally wouldn’t have approached so closely but the noise in here,” a set of talons three inches long gestured over the club around them, “makes normal conversation difficult. My name is Silkwind. I believe you are Lady Teagan?”

“Um, yeah,” Teagan said, finally noticing the “eagle” actually had the body of a lion as well as the forepart of an eagle. “You’re a griffin, right?”

“That is correct,” the griffiness bobbed her head. “I’ve actually wanted to meet you for some time, ever since Princess Celestia spoke of you, in fact.”

“Oh, you know the Princess?” Teagan asked, relaxing just a bit.

She must be a diplomat or something, Teagan thought to herself. What did Celestia say about griffins? They love intrigue and political games? Oh boy, this is going to be fun. Not.

“I consider her a friend,” Silkwind agreed. “I noticed you and your friend dancing, and then I saw Sun Hammer and Faerie Mist’s absolutely stunning performance. I’m something of a dancer myself so I was fascinated to see such novel dances.”

“Hello, Lady Silkwind,” Faerie Mist joined the conversation. “I’m surprised such a high-ranking griffiness would come to a club like this. I’d think the Smoking Eyrie would be more to your taste.”

“Oh dear no,” the griffiness laughed. “I do go there, of course, but the Eyrie caters to male griffins. Which, while delightful, can be a bit…exhausting. Males are so very competitive, you see. Here I can relax, there are fewer expectations. Not to mention the mix of species is so interesting, don’t you think?” The griffiness beamed.

“Tis a lively place, so it be,” Sun Hammer commented, sipping a large mug of cider. “Ye know Faerie Mist, then?”

“Oh, yes,” Silkwind laughed. “We see each other on a weekly basis, don’t we, Lady Mist?”

“True,” Faerie Mist nodded with a slight smile. “Lady Silkwind often visits Princess Celestia for tea. As the shadow liaison for the Gryphus embassy she and I have gotten to know one another quite well over the last several months. She is an absolute paragon of the griffin ideal.”

“You flatter me,” the griffin said, lowering her eyes modestly and making a dismissive gesture with her taloned paw.

Teagan sat back and let Matt’s training kick in. Faerie Mist’s odd comment was a red flag, and certainly a subtle warning for her to be on her guard. Silkwind was a high-ranking diplomat, a shadow liaison, whatever that might be. Whatever it was, if she had tea with Princess Celestia, she was a mover and shaker.

If griffins love intrigue, and she’s a paragon, then she’s not to be treated lightly, Teagan thought with an inward sigh. She kept her face pleasantly neutral, but started paying close attention to the conversation.

“Hi, would you like to join us?” Emma asked suddenly. “I’m Emma.”

“I would be honored, Lady Emma,” Silkwind said, stepping forward and settling on cushion at the last open place at their table, which happened to be between Sun Hammer and Flint, placing her directly across from Emma.

“I’m something of an amateur speciologist, although its mere dabbling, you understand,” Silkwind said. “Given my duties, I naturally know the most about ponies, but I find all species fascinating. However, this is my first opportunity to meet humans. Princess Celestia mentioned you come from another world? I didn’t even know other worlds existed.”

“That’s right,” Teagan said pleasantly. “There’s a magical gateway called the Bridge of Days between Earth and Equestria. My first trip here was courtesy of Discord,” her voice chilled just a bit, “doing what Discord does. Before that I didn’t know Equestria actually existed.”

“Really? Actually existed? Whatever do you mean?” Silkwind asked in polite interest.

She’s sharp, careful Teagan! The girl thought to herself.

“Well, in our world there are sets of plays about Equestria,” Teagan explained. “They’re for little girls, really. But the last set was so well done and interesting adults started watching them too. I hadn’t paid too much attention to them, so you can imagine my surprise to find myself here.”

“That would explain the tea parties, then,” Silkwind murmured.

Teagan grinned. “Yeah, there have been several different sets of the plays, aimed at different age groups. The ones for really young girls gave Equestria the reputation it was just dressing up and having tea parties all the time. Since I hadn’t paid attention to the latest plays, those plays were the ones I knew the most about.”

“Ah, that explains it then,” Silkwind nodded. “I had wondered.”

“This is the first time I’ve met a griffin,” Teagan said, probing the waters. “You aren’t what I expected a griffin to be like at all.”

“Oh? In what way, Lady Teagan?” The griffiness enquired.

“Well, I’m a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I thought you’d be—fiercer. As a combination of two predatory species, I mean—aaaannnndddd I just committed a faux pas, didn’t I?” She apologized, blushing at the way Silkwind’s expression froze. “Sorry about that.”

She was glad the club’s dim lighting made it impossible for anyone to see how red her face was.

“A combination?” Silkwind asked with frigid courtesy. “I really don’t understand what you mean.”

“Well, you know, part lion and part eagle?” Teagan said helplessly.

“Oh. Oh, I see,” Silkwind said, relaxing with a chuckle. “Silly me, I had forgotten you were queen of the trolls. Such a straightforward species! They do call us catbirds, I believe. Thus your confusion is understandable. I do not take offense, although there are some griffins who would.”

“Thank you,” Teagan said, smiling in relief. “As you said, trolls aren’t the most subtle of species.”

“That is well known,” Silkwind said, nodding. “However, you are a human, aren’t you? Not a troll?”

“Dronning is troll,” Skrent spoke up, frowning. “She is Dronning.”

“It’s—complicated,” Teagan admitted. “Biologically speaking, I am human. Legally speaking I am a troll. Literally speaking, I am one third pony. Or rather, ponies are one third human. Which makes ponies trolls too—at least legally.”

“It is the Law,” Skrent intoned solemnly as his brother nodded.

Teagan gestured. “As Sun Hammer would say, so it be. Discord thinks the whole situation is absolutely hilarious.”

Silkwind shuddered at the mention of the draconequus. “Discord is a friend of yours?” She asked uneasily, wondering just how this news would upset her plans.

“Um, no,” Teagan shook her head emphatically. “We started off as deadly enemies—I’m sure you’ve heard about that particular fight, right? Thanks to Princess Celestia our relationship has graduated from homicidal mania to uneasy armed truce—but we’re definitely not friends.”

Silkwind breathed a silent sigh of relief. The troll queen being friends with the god of chaos was not a factor she wanted to have to deal with.

“I must admit being relieved to hear you say that,” Silkwind said, relaxing. “Historically, Discord’s rule was a disaster for griffins. It nearly wiped us from the skies of Equis. He is not well regarded among my species.”

“Color me surprised,” Teagan said drily. “Even as—reformed—as he is now, he’s still not to be trusted.”

“On this, we agree, Lady Teagan,” Silkwind said, snapping her beak in a uniquely griffin gesture of emphasis that was, none the less, unmistakable to every species seated around the table.

Emma yawned suddenly. Teagan frowned, then followed suit.

“Darn it Emma! You know that’s contagious,” she mock scolded her friend.

“Well it is getting late,” Emma pointed out. “Between the dancing and the food I’m ready for bed. We do have to get up early tomorrow to catch the train.”

“Yeah, so we do,” Teagan yawned again. “I think I’ll finally be able to sleep now. Faerie Mist, Sun Hammer, I guess we’ll see you at the end of summer. This was a lot of fun, thank you for bringing us.”

“Well then, lassie, we’ll be escortin’ ye back tae the castle, so we will,” Sun Hammer said with just a hint of resignation. Teagan shook her head firmly.

“No you won’t! Stay here and enjoy yourself, Sun Hammer. Between Skrent and Flint and the wing of the Sun Shield Princess Celestia insists on, we’ll be fine. Unless you want us to escort the two of you?” She grinned.

Sun Hammer snorted. “Off with ye, minx! A can see Mist an masel safe home, so A can. There be muckle few willin’ tae mess wi me, ye ken?”

“Aye,” Teagan said, grinning. “Lady Silkwind, it’s been a pleasure, but we have to go.”

“Are you returning to Hejm tomorrow by any chance?” Lady Silkwind asked politely.

“Yeah, I’ll be spending the summer there,” Teagan said.

“I wonder then if I might ask a boon of you, Your Majesty?” The griffiness asked, bowing her head. “I have business back in Gryphus, so I wonder if I might travel with you? Gryphus is only a day’s flight from Hejm’s mountain and I would feel safer traveling there in a large party rather than merely with a pair of bodyguards. The wilds have become somewhat—wilder, of late.”

Teagan paused, glancing at Faerie Mist, who looked surprised, and then at the troll brothers, who stayed impassive. Clearly, the decision was up to her.

“Um, I don’t think that will be a problem, Lady Silkwind. Of course we’ll be traveling on foot about a third of the way, it’s a fifty-mile hike to Hejm from the closest point the train reaches. Are griffins used to traveling on the ground like that?”

“While it’s true we normally fly such long distances, Your Majesty, griffins are quite capable of traveling on our paws,” Lady Silkwind assured the girl. “As a species we are quite tough.”

“Will you be bringing any guards with you?” Teagan asked. The griffiness nodded.

“Yes, two bodyguards. We still have to fly the rest of the way to Gryphus through the wild.”

“Well, that’s fine then,” Teagan said, extending her fist. She had no desire to shake Lady Silkwind’s taloned paw, but she suspected griffins were versed in pony etiquette. Sure enough the griffiness extended a loosely curled paw and gave Teagan’s fist a light bump.

“The train will be leaving at eight, you should probably get there about fifteen minutes beforehand so you can settle in,” Teagan said.

Silkwind nodded. “We will be there, Lady Teagan. Would it be all right if I accompanied you now? My dwelling lies between here and the castle.”

“Of course.” Teagan nodded.

ooOoo

The streets were definitely deserted on their walk back, the darkness barely relieved by the magical lights that were the pony equivalent of streetlights. Five minutes after leaving the club Emma shivered as a chill breeze swept by her.

“Is it just me or is Canterlot kind of creepy this late at night?” she asked quietly, her voice breaking the silence.

“No, I feel it too,” Teagan replied, eyes darting around. It didn’t help her peace of mind that the trolls were glaring around suspiciously. “Skrent, what’s up?”

“Something watching us, Dronning,” the troll growled. “Something hungry.”

“I can feel it too, Lady Teagan,” Silkwind said, her feathers fluffing in an instinctive attempt to appear larger. Her wings half spread as she glared around with narrowed eyes. “We are being stalked, although I cannot say by what.”

“Wonderful,” Teagan sighed. She drew Crush, the eyes in her mind opening.

Do you see anything? She asked Crush silently.

Yes, they are all around us, Crush replied. A dozen of them, keeping to the shadows of the buildings. If they attack do not let them bite you.

A dozen what? Teagan demanded irritably. What about the bite? Is it poisonous?

Skygge ulver—shadow wolves, Crush replied. Their bite inflicts a magical wasting disease which is always fatal within hours if left untreated. They are creatures of the Deep Dark and are not afraid to hunt prey larger than themselves. They rush in, bite, and retreat, waiting for their prey to die. Many trolls have fallen to their raids over the years.

How did they end up in Canterlot then? Teagan demanded angrily. We’re a hundred and fifty miles from Hejm!

I don’t know. You should warn the others.

“Listen, everyone! Crush says we’re surrounded by a dozen shadow wolves—um, trolls call them skygge ulver. Their bite inflicts a magical disease that can kill you in hours. They like hit and run attacks so watch out. Hey, Stormwind! They live underground so they may not be expecting attacks from above!

“You heard Lady Teagan! Alpha wing form an umbrella! Beta wing, perch yourselves on whatever high ground you can find, second or third stories! Be ready to pounce and bounce! Don’t give those things a chance to fight back!

“Lady Silkwind, you may want to sit this one out,” Teagan said to the fluffed up griffiness.

“I will pretend I did not just hear you insult my honor, Your Majesty,” Silkwind said in a mild tone as she spread her wings. “I will join the pegasi making attacks from above. These things will rue the day they dared attack a griffin!” She let out an ear-splitting combination of screech and roar that froze Teagan’s blood and launched into the air. The downdraft from her wings whipped the young queen’s hair around.

“Emma, get between me and the trolls. Skrent, Flint, help me form a circle around Emma! If one of those shadow wolves gets near us, kill it.

“Ja, Dronning,” Skrent roared.

“What is going on here?” A loud imperious voice demanded. “Who is making all that racket? Stop it at once.”

The voice belonged to a stallion who stalked down the street with an angry glare. It was too dark to see his coloration, but she could tell by the bulky silhouette he was dressed in the usual fashion of the nobility.

“Crap! Stormwind, get that idiot out of here!” Teagan yelled. Then she noticed a dark shape detach from the building behind the offended noble.

Crush, time to play Rail Gun! Teagan thought as she clawed at the pouch containing the bits that Celestia had given her months ago just before the infamous Butterscotch Pie incident. She laid a single coin on the club, where it clung as though magnetic. Lifting the club she faced the coin toward the slinking shadow, now perilously close to the oblivious stallion.

She tilted the club slightly back and then forward, less than three inches all told. Much as it had with Discord during her flashback Crush transferred its mass into the coin, multiplied by the speed of the gentle push.

Since the movement was far slower than Teagan had used hitting Discord and since Crush didn’t use anywhere near its full weight the amount of energy transferred to the coin was considerably less than Discord had received during his cataclysmic encounter with it.

However it was stillsufficient to live up to the name Teagan gave the trick.

The coin accelerated to nearly ten times the speed of sound. By the time it hit its target it was nothing more than an elongated needle of molten gold which passed through its target almost instantly, transferring only enough energy leave a six-inch exit wound before burrowing into the cobblestones below the now extremely dead shadow wolf.

The rest of the coin’s twenty tons of kinetic energy instantly converted to heat, becoming a pretty good landmine. Fortunately for the unwitting noble, the dead wolf absorbed the force of the blast and the fragments of cobblestone shrapnel that followed.

Of course Mother Nature does not approve of coins traveling that fast. She made her displeasure known with a massive thunder-clap as the superheated air in the path of the coin slammed back together.

A trail of fire momentarily lit the night as the dust in the coin’s flight path ignited from the heat. Nature’s last grumble—the shockwave of the coin passing three feet away—was enough to knock the noble off his hooves, to lay stunned and twitching on the cobbles.

Complete silence followed as friend and foe alike evaluated if they really wanted to be where they were. Silkwind held her position from sheer disbelief, staring at the rear half of the dead wolf that had been hurled into the illumination of a magical streetlamp.

As for the shadow wolves, the thunderous death of their pack mate seemed to give them pause.

Think they’ll still attack? Teagan asked Crush mentally.

Shadow wolf packs often lose members in the hunt, was Crush’s discouraging reply. It will take two or three more dying before they consider us too dangerous to hunt.

Great, she thought sourly.

“Heads up, this isn’t over!” The girl yelled to the pegasi swarming above. “Somebody pull that noble out of harm’s way now.”

To her relief Lady Silkwind came swooping down and wrapped all four legs around the pony’s body, lifting him up with clearly labored wing beats.

“Teelo, what the heck are those things doing here?” Emma asked fearfully. “We’re in the middle of a city. Aren’t wolves supposed to live in the forest?”

“These things live underground, remember?” Teagan answered, her eyes searching the shadows for another target. “No way is this random. We’re being targeted.”

“You think Dustiness sent them?” Emma ask

“Duisternis, and that’s a dumb question. Of course they did.” Teagan snapped, still looking for the enmey.

Crush, can we retreat?

No, they have surrounded us.

Too bad trolls can’t—fly… Teagan paused as her brain rebooted. She noted that only she, Emma, and the trolls were still on the ground. The rest of their party was either perched on second and third story balconies and roofs or actually flying.

Crush, any buildings clear of those things? She thought urgently to the eyes in her head.

The building you are now facing. You killed the wolf by it.

Perfect.

Teagan grinned savagely. “Hey, Stormwind! How good are your pegasi at catching falling ponies in mid-air?”

“You crazy human!” Stormwind’s annoyed voice came back. “What are you planning now?”

“How good are they?” She bellowed, watching shadows detach from three of the buildings. A quick look around showed the wolves were creeping forward on every side.

“We’ve trained for it in case of chariot accidents, Your Majesty,” Stormwind’s sarcastic voice came back. “But it’s not recommended!”

“Not a lot of choice here!” She called back. “Emma, do you trust me?”

“Uh…” the girl looked around at the closing wolves. “Is that a trick question?”

“Do you trust me?” Teagan demanded harshly, extending Crush.

“Yes,” Emma said, gulping. She grabbed Crush.

“INCOMING”, Teagan bellowed as she flipped the screaming girl into the sky, Crush transferring just enough of its momentum to accelerate the flailing teen so she would pass beside a hovering pegasus some fifty feet up, hopefully slowly enough to be caught.

Teagan didn’t have time to watch and see if Emma made it, she turned to Flint, extending the club.

“Move it, Flint, that’s an order,” Teagan snarled. “You two will end up on that roof. I’ll be right behind you. Now do it!”

Flint didn’t hesitate, and was sent hurtling toward the roof, Skrent following on his brother’s figurative heels.

Crush warned her just in time to turn and smash a wolf in mid leap. It went flying backward and smashed into another wolf. Before the rest of the pack could close to attack Crush’s glow surrounded her as she shot straight upward, narrowly missing a pegasus in her hasty retreat.

Did Emma make it? She asked Crush, frantically looking around.

Yes, she’s riding one of the guards. The girl sagged in relief, directing Crush so she plunged down toward the pair of trolls perched on the roof of a three story building. She made sure Crush reversed her fall and absorbed the impact so she didn’t damage the building. Her “little moment” with Discord had left her keenly aware that playing super-hero with the landscape could get expensive.

Besides, it would be rude to destroy someone’s business when she didn’t have to.

“You two ok?” Teagan asked.

“Ja, Dronning,” Skrent said while his brother just nodded. Satisfied she turned and waved at the pegasus carrying Emma to come to them.

“Wing Commander, form on me!” she called loudly.

The first to land on the roof was Silkwind, followed by a pair of pegasi lugging the still unconscious noble. Fortunately, the moon had risen high enough to cast pale light on the roof. It revealed a yellow-green stallion with a lighter lime-green mane and tail. He was dressed in a frock coat with a ruffled white shirt underneath and a scarlet cravat around his neck.

And I thought I’d already seen the height of garishness, Teagan thought to herself.

“Is he all right?” She asked one of the pegasi who had carried him.

“Got a nasty bump on the noggin from the cobbles, Lady Teagan,” the pegasus replied calmly. “We should get Stitch to take a look, but he should be fine, though I wouldn’t want his headache come morning.”

“Lady Silkwind, thank you for rescuing him,” Teagan said, bowing to the griffin. “Where is Stitch anyway?”

“Right here, Lady Teagan. I see you’ve gifted me with another patient, how thoughtful!” The medic said cheerfully as he landed.

“Always on the look-out for the perfect gift, Stitch,” She said with a chuckle. Just then Emma’s guard landed, with a clearly freaked out girl on his back.

“You ok, Emma?” Teagan asked in concern.

“Just peachy,” the brown-haired girl snapped. “Remind me not to book a flight on Crush Airlines anymore. It’s way too breezy. By the way, have I mentioned I’m afraid of heights?”

“Since when?” Teagan asked in surprise.

“Since about five minutes ago,” came the acerbic reply. “Are we getting back to the ground any time soon?”

“Not until those cute little puppies get tired and go home,” Teagan said, trying to keep her tone light.

Stormwind landed and stalked up to Teagan.

“Are you trying to get me a medical discharge by way of a heart attack?” he asked with deceptive calm. “I like being a guard, Lady Teagan. Well, I did. Before I met a certain flame-maned shaved monkey, with all the survival instincts of a falling egg!”

The trolls growled, making Teagan hold up her hand.

“Can’t say I blame him, guys,” she said mildly. “Between our adventures in the Everfree and tonight’s fiasco he’s got a point. Murphy is having way too much fun at my expense and I’m not going to begrudge this poor pony his rant. He’s earned it.”

The troll brothers relaxed.

“The question is what do we do about those wolves, Wing Commander?” Teagan asked, peering over the edge of the roof. “We can’t just let them wander loose or ponies are going to die. Somebody let them loose in this city, and I bet you they weren’t planning to round them up after they finished us off, either.”

“No bet,” Stormwind said sourly. “We need to alert Princess Luna. Charming Blade! You’re the fastest in the wing. Head to the Castle and alert the Night Captain, tell him we need unicorns with containment spells to defeat a lethal threat to the city.”

“Sir!” A guard saluted and vaulted into the sky, disappearing in the direction of the castle.

“Skrent, you ever fought these things?” Teagan asked her bodyguard.

“Not fought them, Dronning. But I know their vaner, how you say, what they do,” he answered steadily. “They think we trapped now, they wait us out. Very patient, skygge ulver, they let us starve till we come down.”

“Charming,” Stormwind growled, peering down at the shadows gathered around the front of the building. “So now all we have to do is hope no more idiots show up until the unicorn guards get here to deal with our fuzzy friends down there.”

“Are you not guards, Wing Commander?” Silkwind scoffed. “You outnumber them almost two to one! Why not dispose of them now before more innocent lives are put at risk?”

Stormwind frowned, but held his tongue, obviously trying to remain diplomatic. He finally came up with a response.

“We never take life needlessly, madam. Even these creatures, as dangerous as they are, deserve a chance to live,” he said finally. “I doubt they chose to come here. They’re victims too.”

“Lady Teagan killed one readily enough,” Silkwind said reasonably. “She clearly doesn’t share your point of view.”

“Actually, I do.” Teagan demurred. “The ones I killed were in self-defense. The first one was trying to kill that stallion noble, the second one was about to jump me. I was able to retreat without killing the rest, and I really would rather not kill them unless I have to.”

“An odd point of view for a meat eater,” Silkwind noted mildly.

“You’ll find humans are full of surprises,” Teagan said calmly. “Stormwind, any idea how long until the unicorns get here?”

“I wouldn’t expect them for another half-hour at least,” the wing commander replied. “It will take Charming Blade at least ten minutes to get to the Night Captain and explain the situation. Then the Guard has to be mobilized and actually get here.”

“That’s longer than I’d like, given an innocent pony could show up any minute,” Teagan fretted. “I’m surprised the night watch didn’t come to investigate all the noise.”

“What makes you think they didn’t?” Stormwind retorted. “They saw a full wing of the Sun Shield here and left, why would they intervene?”

“Um, they wouldn’t even stop to ask questions?” Teagan asked in surprise. “Why not?”

“We don’t interfere with each other,” Stormwind said carefully. “If the Lunar Guard saw a single watchpony attacked then naturally they would intervene, just as we would. But there are twenty Solar Guard ponies here, Lady Teagan. That implies this is a Sun Shield operation. Unless ordered by Princess Luna the Lunar Guard would steer clear.”

“Well isn’t that just ducky,” Teagan sighed. “Who thought up this little gem, Stormwind?”

“When Princess Luna was banished the Lunar Guard was disbanded.” Stormwind explained. “It was thought those loyal to the Night Princess might cause trouble in the ranks of the Solar Guard. Now that the Lunar Guard has been rebuilt both Day and Night Captains decided to operate independently, with Princess Celestia’s approval.”

“Politics,” Teagan sighed again. “Murphy strikes again.”

“Who is Murphy, Lady Teagan?” Silkwind asked in interest.

“A mythical character from my world, Lady Silkwind. He’s named after Murphy’s Law: if something can go wrong, it will. Thus if something goes wrong, it’s always Murphy’s fault,” Teagan said grinning wryly.

“So this Murphy is the spirit of mischance?” Lady Silkwind asked, trying to understand.

“Pretty much,” Teagan agreed. “We know it’s just bad luck, of course, but saying Murphy’s out to get someone makes it seem like there’s someone out there we might actually be able to find and pummel to make it stop. It makes us feel a little better about having a string of bad luck.”

“Ah, I see,” Lady Silkwind said, brightening. “It’s a way to vent your anger at the world.”

“Exactly,” Teagan said.

A bright flash from the ground interrupted their conversation.

“Cease and desist thy predations at once!” A deafening shout split the night. “Thou shalt terrify our ponies no more!”

“Princess Luna? What the hell is she doing here?” Teagan yelped as she peered over the edge. Sure enough, a lot of black wolf bodies were now piled haphazardly at the bottom of an enormous glowing purple sphere. Each time one tried to regain its feet it would be knocked down by one of its pack mates attempting the same. If they weren’t so dangerous it would have been funny.

“Lady Teagan, it is safe to descend!” Luna called, no longer using the earsplitting Royal Canterlot Voice.

“You heard Her Highness,” Stormwind shouted. “Descend and sweep for any wolves that evaded the Princess. Blazing Sky, carry Lady Emma to the ground once we’ve given the all clear. As for Her Majesty, I’m sure she’ll be able to find her own way down.”

“Love you too, Stormwind,” Teagan told the irate pegasus sweetly. “Skrent, how are the two of you going to get down?”

“We climb, Dronning. Not problem.” Skrent assured her with that big troll grin that didn’t bare the teeth.

It only took the guards a couple of minutes to sound the all clear. Teagan jumped, using Crush to absorb the impact of falling twenty-five feet. Emma slipped off the guard’s back when he landed with murmured thanks and promptly sank to the ground, trying to hug it.

“Oh, I will never leave you again!” She declared melodramatically.

Teagan ignored her friend’s antics to approach the alicorn who was juggling the giant wolf prison-sphere to relieve her boredom.

“Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, cousin, but attacking a pack of shadow wolves by yourself could be considered a little—imprudent, don’t you think? What will the Council say?” Teagan asked, grinning.

Luna grinned back at her and stuck out her tongue.

“We care not what those addle-pated grey-manes choose to babble, cousin. It is unseemly for a princess to cower in her castle when her subjects are under threat! Besides,” she winked, “we cannot have thee hogging all the fun. What manner of strange beasts be these?”

“The trolls call them skygge ulver, their bite causes a fatal disease that kills in a few hours. From what Crush tells me the Alene probably know a cure.”

“Indeed? And what are such fell monsters doing in the middle of our fair city?” Luna glared at the captive wolves. “We cannot believe they simply wandered here of their own accord.”

“I’m betting Duisternis,” Teagan said grimly. “This was probably a terrorist attack to assassinate me and then cause chaos afterward. You know, to make the inevitable troll response even harder to deal with.”

“We fear thee may have the right of it,” Luna concurred, her humor fading away. “It is not the first attempt to turn ponies and trolls against one another. Our sister must be informed of this at once.”

“I am going to have to make a speech once I reach Hejm,” Teagan said with a sigh. “This whole ‘start a war by killing the queen while she’s under pony protection’ routine is getting old. I’m going to put a stop to it.”

“We wish thee fortune in thy attempt,” Luna said with exquisitely delicate sarcasm. “Still, prudence would dictate thee hasten thy trot toward Hejm as best thee may.”

“I hear that. Having several miles of stone between me and the bad guys is starting to sound like a great idea,” Teagan said. “But back to the present problem, what are you planning to do with them?” She nodded at the giant sphere full of squirming black wolves. Luna frowned.

“We know not,” she admitted. “It is not right to slay the beasts for it was not they who chose to come here. Yet we cannot release them lest they prey upon our subjects. We shall consult with our dear sister to see what may be done. In the meanwhile we shall cast them into the dungeons.”

“Yeah, give Glitter some company,” Teagan said with an innocent smile. Luna stared at her, startled, before a laugh forced its way out of the blue alicorn.

“Thy joke was quite evil, cousin,” Luna said with a twinkle in her eye.

“Who’s joking?” The girl replied with straight face, before bursting into laughter.

Their little comedy skit was interrupted by the arrival of a number of armored gray unicorns who collectively relieved the princess of her nine-wolf burden. Three of the pack had died in the attack, one from Crush’s impromptu railgun, one directly struck by Crush, and the last killed by the impact of the wolf Teagan had hit with her club.

“Quit making out with the street, Emma, it’s time to go.” Teagan snickered as her friend jumped up, scandalized.

“Hey, just because you can fly doesn’t mean I can!” Emma retorted as the party moved toward the castle. “That was scary, Teelo!”

The argument faded into the distance, leaving the street empty, except for the chill breeze that sprang up and formed into a ghostly skeletal horse which leaped into the sky.

Master will be most pleased his ruse worked, the windigo thought as it retreated. Soon the trolls will no longer be an obstacle.

With a fearsome whinny of satisfaction the undead spirit sped back to deliver the welcome news.

Advancement

In which our heroine advances while her enemies smile.

Needless to say their return sparked fireworks among the Council when it was finally assembled to the grumbling of newly awakened ponies. Celestia appeared at the crescendo of the shouting, her measured pace silencing even those nearest to blind panic.

“Greetings, Luna, Dronning Teagan, members of the Equestrian High Council, and esteemed stipendiat klanen født. From the lateness of the hour and the volume of the discussion I see my slumber was not disturbed lightly. Your Majesty, if you would be so kind, would you inform me of the reason for this rather large and raucous assembly?”

“Emma and I were coming back to the castle after spending the evening with Faerie Mist and Sun Hammer at a club called the Watering Hole,” Teagan said in the silence. “We were attacked by a pack of shadow wolves—the trolls call them skygge ulver. They’re very dangerous creatures from the World Below. Someone clearly brought them here and let them loose.”

“To what purpose?” Celestia asked after a moment.

“To provoke a war,” Teagan said drily. “Consider: the death of the troll queen in the heart of Equestria, while under your protection.” Teagan shook her head. “Whoever is responsible knows exactly how to twist everything trolls think is good and right into a weapon of hideous wickedness. And as an added bonus, once the pack killed us they would have started killing ponies here in the very heart of Canterlot! Someone wants ponies and trolls at each other’s throats. We must not allow that to happen, Your Highness. I for one will not stand idly by while some evil villain tries to kill my family—two legged or four!”

“Well said, Your Majesty,” Princess Celestia responded, nodding her head. “I am with you in this. Equestria will stand with the World Below against our common foe. They seek to slay every clan—including the ponies of Clan Hest. We will root out every single one of them, this I promise.”

“Your Highness, do you intend to commit us to war? When we have no idea who attacked Lady Teagan?” Duke Shimmerling asked carefully.

“We know exactly who attacked her, Your Grace,” Celestia said grimly. “We know who and we know why. What we do not know is where to find them. I had hoped to gather more information about the threat before informing the Council, but it appears our enemies have forced my hoof. We now face an enemy unlike any that has come before.”

“Who is this enemy, Your Highness?” Duke Shimmerling asked angrily. “They shall feel the full weight of Equestrian hooves!”

“They call themselves Duisternis, Your Grace,” The Princess replied. “And Dronning Teagan is not the only ruler they sought to slay this night.”

“What? Who else then?” he said in puzzlement. “How could you learn about another ruler being attacked so quickly? The closest country is Gildedale, was Prince Curvehorn attacked?”

“No, Your Grace,” Celestia said calmly. “Prince Curvehorn has, to the best of my knowledge, not yet been targeted by Duisternis. Although I’m sure it is only a matter of time.”

“Then who, Your Highness?” he asked with furrowed brow.

“Me,” Celestia replied calmly. “Had I not taken extraordinary precautions I would be dead right now.”

ooOoo

The windigo solidified and respectfully bowed its head to the unicorn seated behind the desk.

“Well?” The pony asked in a growling hiss, eyes narrowing.

“Your gambit has encouraged the troll queen to scurry back to her hole, Master,” the windigo’s voice slithered around the room. “She will be gone by morning.”

The dark gray unicorn smiled, revealing oversized incisors. He chuckled.

“Excellent! Soon the trolls will retire from the board, no longer a factor in the game. Have you found Rimor yet?”

“Neigh, Master. But our spies tell us the Blinder has not captured him, although she has sent a warning all across Equestria to arrest him on sight. Glitter, however, still lies in her dungeons.”

“If Celestia has not arrested him he will undoubtedly be in touch sooner or later,” The black maned unicorn said with a dismissive wave of a hoof. “When he does I want him brought to me. Failure he may be but he’s still our only source of draugrs. As for Glitter, her capture was quite unfortunate. Duisternis expended considerable resources augmenting that half-breed so I would really rather not lose her, she is quite impressive. Perhaps Caramel can be spared in a few months to go fetch her…”

Glowing eyes narrowed in thought he studied the plans on the desk before him.

“Well, no matter. Trivial losses mean nothing. How goes Verlei’s scheme?”

“The griffin was with the troll queen’s party when the ulver attacked, Master,” the windigo reported. “It appears she has made contact at the very least. Verlei has great hopes she will actually manage to reach Hejm and gain the queen’s trust. Especially since our forces will be doing their best to kill the queen at every opportunity. It would only be natural for the queen to offer the griffin shelter from such an onslaught once they reach Hejm, would it not?”

The smile that split the fanged unicorn’s muzzle was chilling. He waved a dismissal at the undead spirit, who promptly vanished.

“Soon, Celestia, soon,” he promised the desk, slamming a hoof down in great satisfaction, allowing himself a brief indulgence, picturing the long slow fate of every single alicorn on Equis.

Shivering in pleasure he returned to considering the forces arrayed at his command and how best to play them in this grandiose game of empires.

ooOoo

Celestia’s calm announcement sent the Council ponies into either panic or rage, depending on their natures. The dozen trolls in the room remained quiet, taking their cue from their queen, who was watching the shouting ponies with a neutral expression.

Celestia, for her part let the bedlam continue for several minutes before emitting a brilliant flare from her horn that turned the room as bright as day for an instant. It reminded the humans watching of the world’s largest flashbulb.

“Now, if Equestria’s august council members will pause for a moment in sober reflection, I’m sure we can have a productive discussion,” Celestia said in the shocked silence.

“Forgive us, Your Highness, but I’m sure I speak for every pony here when I express amazement at your blasé disregard of this attempt on your life!” Duke Shimmerling said, clearly forcing himself to speak in a level tone. He blinked rapidly to dispel the flash’s afterimages.

“When you have lived as long as I have, Your Grace, the novelty of attempted assassination quickly wears off,” Celestia replied drily. “I was merely laying out my reasons to the Council for our military alliance with the World Below.”

“Your Highness!” Duke Shimmerling said, aghast. “Such things take a great deal of time to coordinate! One simply cannot wave a hoof and accomplish it in a single night!”

“Your Grace, I am perfectly aware of both the logistics and diplomacy required,” the princess replied mildly. “None the less, a respectable fraction of the physical might of both Equestria and the World Below now sits in this room. What say you Dronning Teagan? Will the World Below join Equestria in a military alliance against Duisternis?”

“Yes,” Teagan said firmly. “By attacking you they attacked not only Equestria but the entire world—including the World Below. As a famous human leader once said, united we stand, divided we fall. But if we fall, every living thing will join us in a frozen grave soon thereafter.”

Her grim words hit the ponies hard. The representatives from the troll clans nodded solemnly, accepting the pronouncement as self-evident truth.

“For the moment, I advise discretion, Your Majesty,” Celestia said, raising her head. “I will focus all of Equestria’s covert operatives on this mission, and assure they have the needed magical and military assets to capture and interrogate any Duisternis members we discover. Equestria will supply all recovered intelligence to the World Below.”

“So what do you need us to do?” Teagan asked.

“Stand ready to strike once we find their base of operations,” Celestia replied. “No doubt they will continue their efforts to divide us, perhaps even attacking the World Below to prevent your moving to assist us.”

“They will be sorely surprised, Your Highness,” Alene Hule spoke for the first time. “Surface dwellers cannot truly appreciate how difficult it is to keep trolls penned underground.”

“I expected no less, Alene Hule,” Celestia said, bobbing her head in respect. “Gentlecolts, frender, my sister and I must consult in private with the Dronning and her advisors. I leave it to you to solidify our alliance in the coming weeks.”

ooOoo

“Were such histrionics truly needful, sister?” Luna asked hours later after the two of them were finally alone. “We have seen thee at many such meetings in the early days of Equestria—but never didst thou act thus.”

“You mean act like my ponies always expect me to act when the world is threatened?” Celestia asked with a yawn. “And are always so disappointed when I don’t?”

Luna hesitated. “Meanest thou that thy actions were deliberate tonight? We had wondered why thy acting was so blatant. I was sure the Council would call thee on it. Thou art usually much more subtle than that.”

“Luna, you’ve known me since we were foals,” Celestia chuckled. “When have I ever been blatant?”

“Hmm,” Luna actually thought about that. “There have been a handful of times, we admit. Usually when thy opponent lacked subtlety them—ah. Thou wert playing to the trolls.”

“Exactly,” Celestia nodded. “Lady Teelo shoved them the way we needed them to go and I just played along.”

“And when the stone was well and truly rolling thee nudged it somewhat,” Luna commented, shrewdly eyeing her sister.

“The trolls are crucial to defeating Duisternis,” Celestia said, turning serious. “They will not hesitate where unicorns or earth ponies would. And hesitation against this enemy will cost far too many lives, Luna.”

Luna sighed. “We note thee dost not mention pegasi, sister. They would not hesitate.”

“No, they wouldn’t,” Celestia admitted. “And that is not a good thing in a pony. You know that as well as I do.”

“Neither of us would hesitate either,” Luna observed.

Celestia closed her eyes. “I know. But we’ve always born that burden, Luna, ever since the Great Spell. We two, and to my eternal shame the hoof-full of ponies that have volunteered to bear it with us. But better that a few bear it than everypony.”

“What of the trolls then?” Luna continued, playing Devil’s advocate.

“Trolls do not see it as a burden,” Celestia said softly. A hint of sadness crept into her voice. “Neither does Dronning Teagan. I wish this were not necessary, Luna. But it is and we both know it.”

“Would that it were otherwise, sister,” Luna bowed her head.

Celestia said nothing, bowing her own head in grief.

ooOoo

Teagan and Emma were drooping the next morning when they stumbled out of the castle. It was seven o’clock and Celestia would be raising the sun any minute. There was just enough light that the magical lamps around the city were going out.

They had been woken by Søyle less than fifteen minutes previously and hadn’t had anything to eat or drink. Teagan was actually thinking wistfully of Matt’s catnip tea—or coffee, which she normally avoided like rat poison. She’d been assured of an early (and large) breakfast once the train was underway. It was the only thing keeping her moving.

The large group of trolls set out at what to them was a leisurely stroll, the rumble of the porter’s wagon wheels loud in the stillness of the still sleeping city. The air around them was filled with silent pegasi wings as their escort kept an eagle eye from overhead. The two humans grumbled silently as they were forced into a brisk walk to keep up.

Twenty minutes later Teagan and Emma were finally alert from the forced exercise, both eager to board the train clearly visible at the station. They were escorted to what the earth pony conductor called the “Queen’s Coach” at the end of the train. The three trolls with them were rather pleased that the typical pony interior had been replaced with a more open plan, a pair of human sized padded chairs and a half dozen troll-sized reinforced stools, which gave Søyle and the troll brothers a far more comfortable ride.

“We’re expecting a trio of griffins,” Teagan told the conductor as he was ready to withdraw, “Lady Silkwind and her bodyguards. I suggested they arrive fifteen minutes before we departed. Would you make sure they’re settled comfortably?”

“Of course, Lady Teagan—I mean Your Majesty,” The conductor said smoothly. Bowing quickly he closed the door behind himself, leaving the five to themselves.

“I can’t believe we’re finally on our way to Hejm,” Teagan said, settling back into her chair with a contented sigh. “You wouldn’t think a simple trip to summer school would be this hard.”

“Tell me about it,” Emma stretched before settling back. “I mean this whole thing’s been like living in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie or something! Pretty intense for a cartoon, if you ask me.”

“Cartoon?” Søyle asked curiously. “What is a cartoon?”

“It’s a kind of play in my world,” Teagan said, feeling a flash of déjà-vu. “The ones about Equestria were aimed at younger girls. That’s why Emma and I were so surprised to find Equestria is a real place. And why she still can’t get over how dangerous it is here.”

“Dangerous?” Søyle asked in puzzlement. “Equestria is the least dangerous place I have ever been. Well, aside from the changelings and the forførere, of course. The Dyp Mørk is far more dangerous than anything in Equestria.”

“Oh, that’s encouraging,” Emma said sarcastically. “I thought Hejm was safe!”

“It is,” Søyle said with furrowed brow. “Nothing can come in or out of Hejm without troll permission. The Dyp Mørk is another matter.”

“Didn’t Hjördís say something about that to Ynsiv back when I first met the trolls?” Teagan asked, trying to remember. “It seemed to make Ynsiv pretty angry.”

“Hjördís said that Ynsiv’s clan was more comfortable walking in the Deep Dark than the World Above,” Søyle replied. “Clan Langtpunkt is often viewed as stupid, so stupid that they are oblivious to the dangers of the Deep Dark—or allied with them, since they are too stupid to survive the Deep Dark otherwise. I myself do not believe this.”

“Ouch,” Emma said. “No wonder Ynsiv got mad. Didn’t Alene Hule call Hjördís on it? I couldn’t understand what he said but his tone sounded like he might have scolded her.”

“He said only the Alene go into the Deep Dark, and that she should be kinder to her cousin,” Søyle replied. “While Hjördís may be of my clan she does not always take as much care in her words as she should.”

“So what, exactly, is the Deep Dark?” Emma asked curiously.

“It is any cavern deeper in the World Below than Hejm is. Trolls seldom visit them,” Søyle said. “Even large well-armed patrols do not venture there. Only the Alene have the hemmeligheter to pass through it safely. There are many dangers: falling rocks, thin stone floors over deep pits that will not bear your weight, narrow passages, bad air, sudden flooding, and many dangerous creatures that strike without warning.”

“Sounds like loads of fun,” Emma said derisively. “What’s the Deepest Dark then? You mentioned it the night Teagan went to rescue Sweetie Belle.”

“The Deepest Dark are the walking dead,” Søyle said somberly. “Those who have died but somehow yet move. They are those who do not rest: draugr and spøkelser and other such things. Every troll child is taught that these dead things must be destroyed on sight, lest they bring disaster to the world.”

“Do you think Duisternis is part of the Deepest Dark?” Teagan asked suddenly.

“I do not know, Dronning,” Søyle said, shaking her head. “If they are not then they are possibly in league with it.”

“Where do demons fit into all this?” Teagan asked. “I mean, they don’t have real bodies, they have to possess their victims,” One eye opened in her mind and gave her a look, “and they’re pretty amoral.”

“Demons are not the walking dead, Dronning,” Søyle shook her head. “They are not dead, nor yet alive. They are hunters that stalk the Dreaming World.”

“Ok, I’ve never heard of the Dreaming World. Do you mean the dreams you have when asleep?”

Søyle nodded. “It is another world, one you can only visit when asleep. This is where demons stalk their prey.”

“Hmm,” Teagan said thoughtfully. “I’ve dealt with demons before, Søyle. I was always awake when I did.”

“Did they dwell within flesh and blood hosts, Dronning?” Søyle asked.

“Um…yeah, as a matter of fact. Why?”

“Then they had already found their prey,” Søyle said confidently. “Demons without a body cannot interact in the Waking World, only the Dreaming World.”

“How do trolls know so much about demons?” Emma asked.

“Demons dwell in the Deep Dark, they cannot abide the sun,” Søyle explained. “A demon caught in the day must seek the shadows or perish within minutes. We have had to deal with them on many occasions.”

“So demons have possessed trolls before?” Teagan asked. “What happened to the trolls?”

“Many different things—it is never the same, Dronning,” Søyle replied, shaking her head. “Usually the demon merely sleeps. If the troll is old the demon’s presence will cause their health to fail and they may die before their time. A younger troll may live for many years. Such demon-ridden trolls tend to be shunned thus it is rare for them to marry. If married before being taken they never have children afterward, although it is rare for their mate to leave them.”

“But sometimes the demon will not sleep, driving its prey mad and causing them to strike out at every living thing with the strength of ten strong trolls. In such cases an Alene must be summoned and the troll driven to the surface and trapped. The troll is killed while the sun is in the sky. The Alene holds the escaping demon in the sunlight until it burns away.”

“That’s horrible,” Emma said, wincing.

“It is what must be done,” Søyle said stonily. “No single troll, no matter how strong, can face a demon-driven and live. Should the demon-driven somehow be killed at night or underground the demon can escape to possess another.”

“Are there defenses against demon possession?” Teagan asked quietly. In her mind Crush’s eyes both opened, watching her with a steady gaze.

“Hejm is warded against demons,” Søyle responded, “just like our other cities. Those who must journey through the caverns between wear talismans created by the Alene to keep demons at bay. Some passageways between major cities have been warded completely. Other passages have small warded caverns where travelers that lack the talismans may sleep safely.”

“So the trolls guard the World Below? That’s very noble.” Teagan said with a smile.

“We do it for the safety of the World Below, not from kindness, Dronning,” Søyle said without a smile. “For if a demon should drive someone even as weak as Emma mad she would become a dire threat, even to an armed patrol. Often the demon-driven are quite cunning in their attacks.”

Emma looked annoyed at being called weak, but knew she couldn’t really argue the point, at least not when compared to a troll.

“What does Duisternis mean, anyway?” Emma asked.

“I do not know,” Søyle replied, “it is not a trollish word.”

“Celestia didn’t know either,” Teagan commented. “I guess Equis is like Earth. Each species has their own language, even if some learn a second one like Equestrian. Which begs the question, what species named Duisternis?”

Demons did, Crush spoke up unexpectedly. Duisternis means darkness.

Wait, you know who Duisternis is? Teagan demanded silently, her eyes widening.

I have my suspicions, Crush replied. Onsterflike Einde Van Die Duisternis Ewige, the Immortal Order of Darkness Eternal.

Who are they? Teagan asked silently. Crush hissed—something Teagan had never heard it do before. The eyes in her mind became angry slits.

The Proud Ones. The Holders Of Knowledge Beyond the Veil. Crush’s tone was vicious, acid etching every word. Teagan felt her stomach clench in nausea as Crush’s mental volume made her head reel. The ones who caused our downfall.

Crush was almost screaming now.

They who murdered the world!

Linguistic Subtleties

Wherein we learn that each species places emphasis on different types of speech according to their nature, especially the non-verbal.

Rimor paused as he felt a chill breeze curl around him. Looking about he noted with relief he was still in the wilder, uninhabited parts of Equestria.

“All right, there’s nopony around,” the unicorn said. Instantly a half-dozen windigo surrounded the unicorn.

“About time,” he grumbled. “What took you so long? Celestia undoubtedly has orders out for my arrest so don’t dawdle!”

“The Master wishes to speak with you,” one of the windigo chittered. “He is not pleased with the loss of your research facility.”

“Neither was I,” Rimor retorted angrily, “Not to mention the two nearly completed subjects! Or Glitter, she was irreplaceable. As for the rest, bah, it doesn’t matter. Come; take me to him before we are spotted by that cursed alicorn’s forces.”

“As you say,” the windigo replied, pale vapor leaking from its mouth. Four windigos positioned themselves around Rimor as he cast a spell to keep himself warm against their supernatural chill.

Casting a second spell caused a shimmering sling of hardened telekinetic magic to lift him a few inches off the ground. The sling had four gossamer loops that extended several feet away from the unicorn on each side. Without hesitation four undead spirits slipped the loops over their heads and rose into the sky, the remaining two flying escort.

Rimor himself ignored his bearers, a small part of his concentration maintaining the sling and the warming spell while the majority focused on his plans for establishing a new base.

ooOoo

“Teelo, are you ok?” Emma asked in concern.

Teagan blinked, coming back to herself as Crush’s scream faded.

“Uh, give me a sec. Crush just dropped a bombshell. I need to get some details.

What are you talking about? Teagan demanded silently. The world didn’t end. Pinkie stopped Tišina.

Crush turned angry eyes on her.

It was Cerise that saved your world, Crush retorted, this world of ponies. We were not so fortunate. We had no one except Duisternis. And they betrayed us. The Slange did not survive Tišina’s coming. Our world died in ice.

“Dronning, what passes?” Søyle asked carefully. Her queen waved away the troll distractedly as she concentrated on her symbiote.

With occasional prodding Crush laid out the history of the world before Tišina’s coming. First in words, then in mental images, and then, unexpectedly, Teagan found herself sucked completely into her symbiote’s memories, becoming nothing but a passenger in an alien body as she experienced the horror that Crush had actually lived through.

Well, she couldn’t actually say lived through, now could she? The horror of what happened, even filtered through the healing lens of time’s passage, was unspeakable. Only the fact her mind was numbed by shock kept her from descending into complete catatonia.

Thankfully, Crush sensed her inability to cope with the madness and cut the experience short. Teagan came back to herself, only to find she was now curled on the floor with Emma shouting her name and the three trolls surrounding her. Skrent and Flint were snarling as they faced down several pegasi guards. Søyle crouched protectively over both girls, teeth bared and claws ready. She left no doubt she would kill anyone foolish enough to approach.

“Wh-what,” Teagan croaked, shuddering as she fought to banish the alien sensations that slithered and raged through every inch of her body, “Søyle, what are you doing?”

“Oh thank God! Teelo, are you ok? You fell off your chair and started screaming!” Emma blurted, trying to lift the other girl to a sitting position. “Søyle, help me!”

Teagan suddenly found herself plucked off the floor and dumped back in her seat with enough force to make her back teeth clack together.

She tried to concentrate on the chaos around her and ignore the impression her tail was missing and her legs didn’t belong on her body. Instinctively she rubbed the tops of her thighs to remind herself that yes, she really did have legs and no, she didn’t slither on her belly…

Now that she was back in her seat the troll brothers calmed down a bit and the pegasi began to back off.

“What is going on? Why are you guys at each others’ throats?” Teagan demanded woozily.

“We heard you scream, Lady Teagan,” Stormwind said. “When we arrived the trolls wouldn’t let us approach to render aid.”

“I see,” Teagan slumped in her chair, exhausted. “Look, Stormwind you know how protective trolls are. Bursting in like that wasn’t the brightest idea. Søyle, Skrent, Flint, I understand you were trying to do the right thing, but the pegasi are clan. Try to remember that next time. ”

“Why did you freak out, Teelo?” Emma asked in the uncomfortable silence that followed.

“Oh, Crush and I just had personal moment,” Teagan said, blinking. “Sorry if we got a little loud.”

Emma stared at her with mouth open, eyes wide and eyebrows disappearing behind her bangs.

“What?” Teagan demanded brusquely. “Stormwind, no offense but you need to leave. I’m about to discuss matters of state for the World Below. Guard the door and let no one enter, all right?”

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Stormwind said, motioning to his troops. Just before he closed the door, he turned with a smirk.

“By the way, Lady Teagan, you still aren’t my queen. I’d appreciate it if you kept that fact in mind.”

“Trust me, Wing Commander, it’s a fact I treasure daily,” Teagan said with a faint snort of laughter. When the door closed she turned back to her companions and her expression turned grim.

“All right, the reason I fainted is because Crush took me into his memories. That’s the first time he ever did that and I pray to God it’s the last.” Teagan shuddered. “Long story short, this world is much older than any of us ever knew—and a lot more complicated. Duisternis is unimaginably old. In fact it was ancient before they parted the Veil to let Tišina into the world. Worse, Duisternis is still run by the same individuals it was when Tišina first appeared. And, as far as I can tell, they’re completely insane.”

“How is this possible?” Søyle asked. “How many thousands of years has it been? Would they not be dust by now? Or are they the Deepest Dark?”

“Not thousands of years, Søyle, hundreds of thousands. But I’m not sure you can call Duisternis undead,” Teagan said with a shiver. “They never really died, none of them. They just—changed. Taken through the Veil, and then forced to live in the Dreaming World until it consumed their bodies and left—well, whatever it is they are now.”

“Dreaming World? Duisternis are demons?” Søyle asked.

“They are now,” Teagan answered, “but they didn’t start out that way. Their entire race was taken, Søyle. Every one of them, males, females, young, old, all of them. Tišina pulled the entire world through the Veil then kept it there while she did something to the original sun that turned it into the pale thing it is today. Meanwhile the world froze—except for the demons, of course. The place beyond the Veil fed on them, keeping them alive but devouring their bodies in the process. Until the only thing left is what they are now. Tišina didn’t bring the world back to this side of the Veil until everything was dead and the demons had fully transformed. A lot of them couldn’t take it, and either went mad or found a way to die. There’s just a handful of them left, maybe a few hundred.”

Emma looked sick. Søyle nodded slowly.

“Demons have never been common, Dronning,” she said in her gravelly voice. “But our first legends say they were encountered far more often than they are today.”

“Makes sense,” Teagan nodded. “The question is, now what? From what I could gather very few demons are part of Duisternis, it was some kind of elite magical group. They didn’t rule Crush’s people but they were widely respected. After the catastrophe the majority of demons like Crush and Cerise turned on them. Come to think of it I bet Nightmare was part of Duisternis.”

That is a reasonable assumption, Crush contributed silently.

“Crush just agreed about Nightmare,” Teagan told the others.

“That’s kind of creepy, Teagan. I keep forgetting Crush can talk to you like that,” Emma grimaced.

“Better get used to it, Crush is our ace in the hole,” Teagan warned her. “He knows more about what’s going on than anybody else on our side.”

“Can we trust him?” Emma asked before she could stop herself.

“Yes,” Teagan said without hesitation. “After what I saw in his memories, I can tell you Crush hates Duisternis. Wouldn’t you?”

“What about Cerise?” The other girl asked.

“I’m not so sure about Cerise,” Teagan admitted. “Cerise isn’t like Crush, she lives inside Pinkie Pie, remember? Demon sanity isn’t all that solid by human standards at the best of times and trust me I don’t blame them after what they went through. Crush has the advantage of those rules Klok put on him and living with trolls for thousands of years. It gave him a solid foundation to help him stay stable. Cerise—well, I’m not sure I’d call her sane. She’s a little too bloodthirsty for that.”

“I saw her when we were looking for Sweetie Belle, remember?” Emma said. “She kind of reminded me of an action hero from a movie.”

Teagan snorted. “Yeah, well I actually know her, Emma. Trust me, she’s mega creepy. She’s on our side but she plays by her own rules. Not somebody I’d care to depend on unless I didn’t have a choice. Better to let that sleeping dog lie.”

“So what do we do now?” Emma asked.

Teagan frowned.

“This information is too important, Celestia needs to know immediately. Stormwind isn’t going to be happy with me when I tell him one of his pegasi will have to play courier.”

“There are couriers in Hejm, Dronning,” Søyle said with a meaningful stare.

“Don’t worry, we’re still headed for Hejm,” Teagan reassured the troll. “I’m as eager to get there as you are but I’ve got a feeling Duisternis isn’t going to pass up the opportunity to strike at us while we’re in the middle of nowhere. There’s a chance we might not reach Hejm at all. How much time can we cut off the trip?”

“Perhaps a day, it depends on the dørvoktere—and Emma. I do not know if she would be able to keep up. But travelling quickly will make us vulnerable to bakholdsangrep. That would be very bad.”

“Is that some kind of monster?” Emma asked uneasily.

“No, bakholdsangrep is when one is attacked from hiding,” Skrent spoke suddenly. “Very bad, like skygge ulver last night.”

“Ok, gotcha. Very bad,” Emma agreed.

“This just keeps getting better and better,” Teagan growled. “Ok, we need reinforcements. I wonder if Rolling Thunder is still available? Those unicorns of theirs would be really handy if we got jumped. On the other hand, maybe another wing of pegasi would be a better choice. Ambushes are easier to spot from the air.”

“Do not discount your ætt, Dronning,” Søyle cautioned her. “There are many strong fighters who will account themselves quite well.”

“Can any of them fly?” Teagan asked drily.

“Clan Hest, Dronning,” Søyle answered calmly. “Those you call pegasi.”

Teagan paused, remembering how literally trolls regarded clan connections.

“Then more would be useful, right?” She asked finally. Søyle seemed to consider this.

“Perhaps,” The troll admitted. “Will the eldest Princess of Ponies be willing to send them?”

Teagan nodded. “I think so. Especially considering technically I’m still under Equestrian protection. When does that end, by the way? Where’s the border?”

“It lies at the mouth of the passage leading into the mountain, Dronning.” Søyle replied.

“You’re kidding, right?” Teagan asked incredulously. “The World Below doesn’t control any part of the surface?”

“No, even the customs house is not part of the World Below,” Søyle said. “The land it sits on, and the land in front of the cavern entrance, are considered neutral ground, useful for meetings with the World Above. Thus it was agreed.”

“So once we reach the customs house Equestria’s responsibility for protecting me ends, right?”

“Just so, Dronning.” Søyle nodded.

“So if Duisternis is going to strike it would have to be once we’ve left Equestria proper but before we reach Hejm. I’m betting they think the custom’s house is part of troll territory, but they’d probably still be happy to wipe us out there before we entered the mountain. You said Hejm is warded against demons, right? Meaning they can’t strike at us there, thank God.”

Teagan glanced at Emma, who was looking more than a little uneasy.

“Sorry you came?” She asked sympathetically.

“You need me,” Emma replied, shaking her head. “I don’t like this, but it doesn’t change anything.”

“Ok, time to beard the lion,” Teagan said, sighing. “Emma, would you go ask the pegasi to have Stormwind join us?”

“Think he’s gonna be mad?” Emma grinned in spite of the seriousness.

“Um, you have met him, right?” Teagan smiled back tiredly. “I just wish I didn’t have to do this on an empty stomach.”

“We could hold off till after breakfast,” Emma said seriously.

Teagan shook her head. “No, the longer we wait the further the courier will have to fly. Best do this now.”

As it turned out Stormwind was actually one of the pegasi guarding the door. He listened silently as Teagan laid out the situation to him. Once she was done he saluted her.

“I concur, Your Majesty,” the armored pegasus said in a serious voice. “Princess Celestia must be alerted to this information immediately. I will prepare a dispatch at once and have two of my fastest ponies deliver it directly to her. I will also request reinforcements, by preference Rolling Thunder rather than another wing of the Sun Shield. Your thoughts about having combat unicorns with us is a good one. I’ll have the couriers aloft within the hour.”

He nodded to her and went to see to it.

“That went better than I expected,” Teagan said when the door closed behind him. She stood and stretched. “Now, let’s go see about breakfast!”

ooOoo

Princess Celestia sighed and stretched surreptitiously as the noble bowed and withdrew. Morning Court still had two hours to run and she was already longing for the old days, when matters brought to her attention were important. The endless maneuvering by one noble against another, or one clique against another, while vital to Equestria’s functioning, grew very old after a thousand years of petitions like the one she’d just endured.

She was about to call for the next case when Faerie Mist caught her eye and rose in the air to approach her.

“What is it” the princess asked in a low voice.

“A pair of Sun Shield assigned to Lady Teagan have returned, Your Highness. Wing Commander Stormwind is requesting reinforcements, preferably the Rolling Thunder platoon. He submitted a full report justifying the request. It appears Crush gave Lady Teagan some intelligence that leads her to believe Duisternis will strike at them deep in the wilderness.”

“Oh dear, and Lady Teelo is not one to jump at shadows,” Celestia said, mind racing. “It would be an unmitigated disaster if Duisternis succeeded. Very well, authorize the deployment of Rolling Thunder to reinforce Stormwind’s wing, and allow them access to Heavy Lift Command resources. I want them in position by the time the train reaches Blue Sky station.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The pegasus bobbed her head as she withdrew.

Celestia made a note to read Stormwind’s report over lunch and signaled for the bailiff to bring the next case.

ooOoo

Chrysalis sighed with relief as the newest and last member of her kaleidoscope rose to join the others. She was exhausted from her casting, but the warm glow of knowing that never again would they know the helplessness of living on the edge of oblivion lifted the darkness from her heart. She felt at peace, for the first time in six thousand years.

“Bravo, Chryssy! I see all your little butterfly ponies are back in their frilly frippery. And here I thought Celestia’s ponies were garish.”

Chrysalis turned a weary eye toward the bane of her existence. She was too tired to do more than raise one eyebrow in lethargic inquiry. She had no energy left for outrage.

“What do you want?” she asked, sinking to rest her belly on the ground. She closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of not having to stand any longer.

“Well a simple thank you wouldn’t go amiss,” he said huffily. “After all, I did turn you back into a flutterpony so that’s the least you should do. But you always were an ungrateful insect, weren’t you? Honestly I don’t see why my sister didn’t turn the lot of you into ice sculptures.”

“Because unlike you, she appreciated allies who would stay away from her,” Chrysalis said sweetly. “As long as we kept to ourselves and didn’t try to expand our lands beyond the agreed upon boundaries she was perfectly content to leave us alone. Something I can’t say about you, Discord.”

“Well where’s the fun in that?” he asked disdainfully. “Tišina always was so tediously dull. If you ask me, getting herself turned into a statue was her crowning achievement. Now she really is the Watcher of the Stillness.”

“If I said thank you would you go pester Celestia?” Chrysalis asked without much hope.

“I might think about it,” Discord said with a friendly smile.

“Then thank you for turning me back into a flutterpony,” Chrysalis said with as much sincerity as she could scrape from the last dregs of her patience. She bowed her head to the draconequus. “I appreciate it, as do my children.”

“Why Chryssy!” Discord exclaimed with wide eyes. “I’m shocked. You, of all creatures, giving me a genuine thank you? I never expected that! Not in a million years!”

“Yes, well I’m feeling generous today,” Chrysalis said drily. Then her voice turned imperious. “Now be a good little lapdog and run back to your mistress, Discord. I’m sure she’ll be happy to scratch your belly and stroke your gigantic ego. If you’re especially good I bet she’ll give you a treat—if you beg hard enough.”

“Ah, now there’s the Chryssy we’ve all come to know and love.” Discord stuck out his tongue and wiggled it at her, with an appropriate cartoon sound effect.

With a snap of his tail hair “fingers” he was gone.

Too tired to even make a bed for herself she stretched out and fell asleep. Several of her children used their new magic to summon a blanket to cover her as they gathered around to share their warmth in the gathering darkness.

ooOoo

Teagan eyed the stack of half a dozen foot wide pancakes hungrily. She nearly emptied the small pitcher of syrup over the stack and dug in with knife and fork, much to Emma’s amusement. The girl actually moaned in delight at the first mouthful.

“That’s genuine maple syrup” Teagan explained in the face of Emma’s raised eyebrows. “It’s so good! You should try it.”

“I would if you hadn’t used it all,” Emma said with a chuckle. She tried to pour the tiny bit left over her single pancake. It proved insufficient, leaving only a sad little puddle in the midst of the vast expanse.

“Ask the waiter to bring you more,” Teagan said around a mouthful of food as she wolfed down her breakfast, refusing to feel guilty.

The three trolls were at other tables, their own pony-sized portions appearing almost doll-like compared to their stature.

Emma helped herself to some scrambled eggs, not wanting to try eating her pancake without syrup. “Hey, Teelo, how come there isn’t a railway stop closer to Hejm? Is this Blue Sky station the end of the line?”

Teelo was halfway through her portion by now, she paused and swallowed to answer Emma’s question.

“Um, no, I don’t think so. If I remember what Stormwind told me Blue Sky is still on the plains, at the base of the first real mountain in the Crystal Mountains chain. The railroad heads further north before it splits, one spur going to the Crystal Empire, the other ending at Pisa I think. There’s a small train depot around the split, I forgot what it’s called. But Blue Sky station is the closest one to Hejm, we head almost directly east from there while the line curves northwest. From what Silkwind told me Hejm is about a day’s flight southwest of Gryphus, which is the biggest city in the Griffin Kingdoms. Once we reach the customs station it’s about a five mile walk from the cave entrance to the city proper. From the entrance of the city to the palace is another mile and a half.

“That’s on top of the fifty mile hike?” Emma asked in dismay. Teagan nodded.

“Yup. So if I were you I’d eat as much breakfast as I could. You’re gonna be burning calories by the truckload,” Teagan said with a grin. “On the bright side you’ll definitely lose that extra ten pounds you’re constantly moaning about.”

“Ha, ha,” Emma said sourly. “My blisters are gonna have blisters! Oh well.”

Just then the waiter came back, carrying another huge load of food, including more syrup that Emma snagged before Teelo could claim it all. She also shook a generous number of blueberries on her pancake as well.

“Ooh, is that bacon?” Emma asked in disbelief as the waiter slid a platter on the table.

“Grilled tofu strips, madam,” the waiter corrected her. She took a couple of strips and nibbled one cautiously.

“Hey, these are good! Teelo you should—oh.” Emma paused as she noticed a dozen strips had already appeared on her friend’s plate.

“What?” Teelo asked innocently, stuffing a tofu strip in her mouth. “Calories, remember? If this trip is going to get as exciting as I think it is then I want all the reserves I can get.”

“You really think Dusty-itis is going to attack? Especially with a whole combat platoon escorting us?” Emma asked in a low voice, one eye on the waiter who was setting another helping in front of Flint.

“If I was them I would,” Teagan replied in an equally low voice. “I know you’re worried, but stay with Søyle and you should be fine. Hopefully this will all be over by the time we’re ready to go back. We’ll be flying in a chariot on the way back, so it should be a lot safer. Three hours to Canterlot, then another forty-five minutes to the Bridge. Piece of cake.”

“Yeah, once this is over,” Emma said with a sigh. “It’s getting to Hejm that worries me. I’d rather do it without another battle like the one we got caught in when we crossed the Bridge.”

“Can’t promise you that,” Teagan said in a serious tone, “but if anything does happen Duisternis is going to pay for attacking us. I’ll make sure they think long and hard before doing it again.”

“Yeah, but old Dusty likes tricking other people into doing their dirty work,” Emma pointed out. “Cuts down on their costs, right?”

“Well, yeah, that’s true. On the other hand you can bet now that Celestia knows who’s behind this she’s going to spread the word to all the other countries. It’s a lot harder to use a cat’s paw when they know that’s what you’re doing.” Teagan pointed out. “Pretty soon everybody’s going to know what’s happening. I imagine even Chrysalis won’t fall for it a second time. She’s the one with the biggest beef against Equestria anyway.”

Just then the door to the dining car opened and three griffins walked in. The two girls recognized Silkwind instantly.

“You do know she’s a spy, right?” Teagan said in a low voice. Emma nodded.

“I saw you get a lot more cautious when Faerie Mist said she was a shadow liaison,” Emma replied quietly, “whatever that is.”

“No idea, but all griffins love intrigue, so be careful.” Teagan murmured as the griffon’s eyes lit up as she made a beeline toward them.

“Your Majesty, how good to see you this morning!” The griffiness greeted the humans warmly. The other two griffins quietly took a table at the far end of the car, keeping a casual eye on Silkwind but otherwise ignoring the humans.

“I wanted to thank you again for allowing us to accompany your caravan,” the catbird continued. “A wing of Princess Celestia’s Royal Guard is certain to make the trip much less worrisome.”

“Happy to help you out,” Teagan said, smiling. “Since you proved yourself with the shadow wolves I took your tip on the conditions between here and Hejm very seriously. I trust if there’s trouble I can count on you again?”

“Of course,” Silkwind said with an easy smile. “But then again if anything is so foolish as to attack a troll caravan escorted by the Equestrian Royal Guard no less—well I can’t help feeling pity for them.”

Teagan nodded, letting a small smile hover around the corners of her mouth. “I can’t argue with you about that. Of course fools aren’t exactly rare on Earth, so I imagine they’re pretty common on this world as well.”

Silkwind chuckled. “Alas, all too true, Your Majesty. Might I ask if you are expecting any fools to succumb to temptation?”

“Hmm. Let’s just say there’s no need to make it too easy for Murphy.”

“Ah,” Silkwind nodded her head. “It was nice seeing you again, Your Majesty. Perhaps we’ll get an opportunity to chat on the way to Hejm.” She bowed her head respectfully and left.

“That was easy,” Emma noted quietly.

“It really was,” Teagan agreed in a mild tone. “But I’m sure it won’t be our last chat during the march.”

ooOoo

The rest of the trip was spent with Teagan dozing while Emma was off chatting with the retinue’s trolls and several of the pegasi. She even had a short chat with Garrasi, one of Lady Silkwind’s bodyguards. She found the griffin brusque but polite, in a military sort of way. The female griffin herself was nowhere to be found, a fact Emma found somewhat odd.

Lunch was served around noon and they finished with about fifteen minutes left before arriving at Blue Sky station.

Fully rested for the first time in days, Teagan smiled happily as she watched the caravan assemble. To her delight Rolling Thunder was waiting for them. It took remarkably little time before everything was disembarked and they were ready to go.

The trip from Blue Sky station started easily enough. The weather was just cool enough to make the walk enjoyable, and the first hour saw Emma chatting and laughing. She quieted during the second hour and during the third she was clearly growing tired.

Teagan herself wasn’t feeling tired yet, the trolls too just strode along silently, seemingly indifferent to the hike. The pegasi and the griffins were likewise fine.

By the fourth hour Emma was beginning to struggle, but stubbornly stayed silent. The route had started to climb into the foothills, making the walk even more challenging. She watched as Emma began to stagger occasionally, head down and panting.

“Ok, hold up!” Teagan finally yelled when Emma stumbled and nearly fell. The caravan ambled to a stop, several of the members looking around curiously for the reason they’d stopped.

“You need to ride for a while, Emma. Get on one of the wagons,” Teagan said as she stared concerned at her friend.

“I’m fine,” Emma panted. “Don’t worry about me.”

“You are not fine,” Søyle said in a disapproving voice. “Clearly you do not walk very much if such a short journey has left you unable to keep on. We have covered only seven miles. There are many more to go and we must travel quickly. Into the wagon with you, young one.”

“I can keep going,” Emma argued, even as she panted for breath.

“No doubt,” Søyle said nodding. “Perhaps for another five minutes. Ten if you are as persistent as you appear to be.”

She scooped up the protesting girl and slung her over her shoulder. Carrying her to the nearest wagon, Søyle handed the teen to the troll hauling the wagon. He promptly lifted her to the top of the wagon with a big grin.

Emma just sat there stunned as the caravan started up again

“You know, we could arrange to fly you to Hejm if you were willing to travel by sling,” Wing Commander Stormwind said with a smirk as he swooped next to her and hovered. “We could have you there in under an hour, guaranteed.”

“Very funny, Commander,” Emma growled. “I may be just a civilian and maybe I can’t walk all the way to Hejm,” she glared at the pegasus. “But I won’t abandon Teagan just because I get a little tired! And I won’t accept any special favors like I’m some kind of invalid from a smart-assed pegasus either!”

The pegasus only nodded, giving her a look of—approval?

“Good answer,” was all he said before curving away to rejoin his wing. Emma just stared after him, confused.

ooOoo

They traveled another three hours before stopping to make camp at the top of a hill. When asked, Stormwind told Teagan there was another two hours of daylight, but he wanted time to create a secure camp in case of attack. The girl wasn’t going to argue the point, especially since Søyle told her they’d covered three miles more than originally planned.

Emma was subdued, clearly embarrassed by her poor showing, so she made a point of trying to help with setting up camp. She was told politely but firmly by the ponies that while they appreciated the offer they didn’t need her help.

Teagan found her sitting off to one side, staring moodily down the hill, facing the way they’d come from.

“Hey,” Teagan said quietly, finding another rock to sit on.

Emma sighed. “That was embarrassing, you know. Søyle just picked me up like a sack of potatoes! Bet they never treated you like that.”

“Well, trolls are a little—direct—in how they handle things. Don’t let it get to you.”

“I just felt so useless sitting on top of that wagon. It didn’t help that Kusken makes Flint look like a blabbermouth either. And I know he speaks Equestrian! I bet they all think I’m helpless now.” Emma sighed again.

“Hey, believe me I know how you feel. During that whole Tišina thing I didn’t do squat,” Teagan commiserated. “Matt led the mission, Evelyn helped Subtle Dancer find Tišina, Cerise fought her and it was Pinkie that saved the day. Come to think of it Pinkie was up to her frizzy mane in just about everything that time. She was the real hero. Me? I turned down a marriage proposal!”

“Yeah, but I can’t even walk someplace,” Emma groused. “I notice you didn’t need to ride today.”

“True. But my feet are killing me,” Teagan said with a wince. “I’m thinking by tomorrow your perch is gonna look pretty tempting.”

“I’m going to walk tomorrow,” Emma swore. “Maybe not all day, but I’m going to try. If I walk longer each day I won’t humiliate myself by the time we get to Hejm, right? I’d hate not to be able to at least walk from the cave mouth to the city.”

“Søyle tells me we won’t be able to put as many miles behind us tomorrow,” Teagan warned her. “The path gets a lot steeper the further we go into the mountains. We’ll either be going up or down mountain sides for the rest of the trip.”

“Terrific,” Emma moaned. “Why aren’t we flying there by chariot again?”

“Because Equestria doesn’t have enough chariots big enough to haul all these trolls,” Teagan said with a chuckle. “Stormwind told me he offered to airlift you. Why’d you turn him down?”

“Yeah, wouldn’t that look nice? Little miss helpless can’t even walk!” Emma scoffed. “Besides, I’m here to help you, remember? Fat lot of good I’d do you if I was sitting in Hejm waiting for you.”

“I tried to tell you,” Teagan replied mildly. Emma waved her off.

“Yeah, yeah. I should have listened. But if I had who’d deal with your nightmares?”

“I don’t get them too often. I guess the whole Sweetie Belle thing triggered it,” Teagan said ruefully. “Thank you, by the way, if I didn’t say it then.”

“You’re welcome. I may not be up to this whole hero thing, but I can take care of you in ways ponies and trolls can’t. I’ll leave the dragon-slaying up to you and you leave the nightmares up to me.”

“Princess Luna might get jealous if she heard you say that,” Teagan said with a laugh. “Chasing away nightmares is her job.”

“Really?” Emma asked, surprised.

“Remember how Celestia used a dream-walking spell to let us listen in to Twilight talking to your parents? Luna can do that without a spell—for every pony in Equestria. It’s one of her powers. Princess of the Night, remember?”

“Huh. Guess it only works for ponies then.” Emma said. “Not to worry, you have me.”

“Speaking of which, it’s getting about time for bed. We’ll be breaking camp at dawn to take advantage of every minute of daylight for travel.”

The two girls made their way back to a good sized tent set up for them by the ponies. Apparently trolls rarely used them, save when it rained. They thought nothing of sleeping in a bedroll under the open sky.

As Emma settled she promised herself she’d do better tomorrow. Still feeling depressed she slipped into sleep.

Embuscade

Wherein our Heroine discovers quantity does indeed have a quality all its own and nasty surprises can arrive in packages both miniscule and gargantuan.

“You wished to see me, Your Highness?” A mild voice interrupted Celestia’s endless stream of paperwork. She looked up to find a pale mauve unicorn stallion with light gold mane and tail regarding her from behind a pair of thick rimmed black spectacles. Any person who encountered the stallion could be forgiven for thinking him nothing more than a lowly filing clerk or one of the other essential but instantly forgettable functionaries with which Canterlot was overrun.

“Ah, good morning, Under Hoof,” Celestia said pleasantly as her horn turned golden. Within the walls, floor, and ceiling hidden spell matrices lit up and instantly sealed the room from all outside contact, almost placing it in a pocket dimension.

The stallion ignored the suddenly stuffy feeling that pervaded the room.

“Good morning, Your Highness,” he replied in a pleasant voice that was neither loud enough, deep enough nor shrill enough to draw attention to itself.

“It appears we have a new player on the field my friend,” Celestia said, her horn bringing a pair of cups and a teapot from the sideboard. A simple glow of her horn caused the water in the teapot to come to a gentle simmer. Opening the lid she allowed a carefully measured amount of tea leaves to float from a container on the tea trolley tucked discreetly into a corner. Closing the lid she set the pot aside to steep, a small egg timer beside the pot setting itself.

“Or rather,” she corrected herself, “a very old player has just let their cloak slip aside in an unguarded moment.”

“Hmm,” the stallion settled on the cushion in front of her desk. “Is Pinstripe aware of this, Your Highness?”

“I may have mentioned it to him,” Celestia admitted with a tiny smile. “It appears the two of you will be consulting on this, as our player may be scattered near and far. Unfortunately, it appears they have actually had ample time to set the board to their own advantage.”

“Highness?” the stallion asked, cocking his head. “That would imply they are even older than you, if you will forgive this unicorn his tactlessness.”

“Oh, very much older indeed, Under Hoof,” Celestia said with a sigh. “Far older than anypony would credit, in fact. If you will forgive this elderly alicorn her hyperbole, I would in fact say our player is from the beginning of time.”

The unicorn considered his liege’s words with only a mildly interested expression on his face until the egg timer went off. Celestia poured both of them tea. The unicorn accepted his cup with a nod of thanks.

“With all due respect, I must protest your claim of being elderly, Highness. You are as young today as you ever were. As for this player, there are very few who could match your description. The only ones I can think of offhoof are Discord and Tišina, neither of which can be said to be new. And to my knowledge, neither are active players at this time.”

He blinked as he tasted his tea, apparently startled. He stared down at the tea with widened eyes. Watching his reaction, Celestia nodded slightly. The mild mannered clerk’s expression turned stoic as he sat the teacup down on her desk.

“So,” Under Hoof said. “You truly feel this new player merits that kind of attention, Princess Celestia?”

“I do,” the alicorn nodded firmly. “I ask you to forgive me, Under Hoof. I would not ask this of you unless I had no choice. You know that.”

“I will need all the information you currently have, of course.” There was a slight tinge of resignation in the stallion’s voice, although his stance remained calm and unworried. “I will inform you of our progress as appropriate—Sunny.”

“Agreed,” the alicorn said in a sad voice. “A word of warning, Hoofie, look closely at your own before you begin. Our new player enjoys keeping their enemy in a loving embrace, much as Chrysalis did. They may have begun compromising both the Eyes and the Ears from the day they were founded.”

“Then I will of course submit freely and completely, Sunny. Stroll through my mind until you are sure of me—my mind and my oath have ever been yours.” The stallion slipped from a seated position to lie on the floor, placing his head on his forelegs

Celestia stepped around her desk to settle on the floor next to the unicorn, putting a wing over his back and drawing him to her.

“I’m so sorry for this,” she whispered as she lowered a gently glowing horn to touch his. “No pony should ever be forced to this.”

“You are not forcing me,” he murmured just before the magic took hold and he slipped into unconsciousness. Closing her eyes the alicorn began her mind walk, delicately placing each hoof with exquisite care as she began to examine Under Hoof’s innermost thoughts and secrets, gently invading even his most private hopes and dreams.

She was tenderly ruthless, leaving no corner of his mind untouched, no secret unseen, but making absolutely sure her journey left not the slightest hint of her passage, the pathways completely unmarked by her mental hooves.

The hours passed as the mind walk continued, the ticking of the clock measuring the fall of Celestia’s tears.

ooOoo

“Dronning, it is time to get up,” Søyle’s voice cut through the silence in the dim light filling the tent.

Teagan groaned quietly as she grudgingly tried to get out of the bedroll. Her thigh muscles started protesting before she could even sit up. She winced and tried to stifle the yelp, but was unsuccessful.

“Whna—“, Emma snorted from the bedroll next to her. “Waagggnn?”

“Time to rise and shine,” Teagan grumbled, rubbing her aching legs. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

“Oh God, just another five minutes?” Emma begged piteously.

“Remember what Søyle and Kusken did yesterday?” Teagan hissed as another knot made itself known. “Ow, my legs are really sore.”

Emma reluctantly clawed her way out of the bedroll, only to grimace and clutch her own legs. “Jeez, it feels like my legs are on fire!” She yelped as she shifted. “And my poor feet! I can feel at least two blisters. This sucks.”

“Welcome to the wonderful world of mountain hiking. Only another six days to go,” Teagan began trying to slowly stretch her legs to work out some of the stiffness and soreness.

“Lady Teagan?” The light female voice which could only be a pony spoke from outside the tent. “It’s Graceful Star. May I enter?”

Teagan threw a blanket over her bare legs and Emma did likewise.

“Come in,” Teagan invited.

“I’m sorry to intrude, but I thought you might want this,” A large bottle was floating in Graceful Star’s magic. It settled next to the red-haired girl. “It’s liniment. I should have offered it to you last night but I forgot the two of you aren’t used to long marches. It won’t be as effective because of the delay, but it should still help quite a bit.”

“Got something for blisters?” Emma asked, suddenly realizing Graceful Star was a doctor.

“Sure. They hate to admit it but even big burly soldiers can lose the calluses on their frog occasionally. After that, well,” Graceful Star smiled, “it’s amazing how stallions turn back into foals when they get a blister on their frog. Mares are usually more sensible and don’t wait to get help.”

Feeling less body shy in front of a doctor than she would have otherwise, Emma pulled her feet from under the blanket. “I have a couple of blisters. Could you take a look?”

“Certainly,” the unicorn replied cheerfully. “You’re Emma, right?”

“That’s me,” Emma turned on her side to more easily present her foot for inspection.

“Is it both feet or just one?” Graceful Star’s tone turned professional as she focused on Emma’s foot.

“Both, but this one is the worst. There’s one on the back of the heel and another on the ball of my foot,” Emma said.

“Oh my, the one on your heel is fairly large,” The unicorn replied with a slight frown. “I’m going to have to drain it and cover it with blister pad. The one under your foot isn’t very big, we’ll just put a ring pad around it and it should heal in a couple of days. I’ll want you to stay off it today, though.”

“More riding?” Emma asked, dismayed. “That’s so embarrassing!”

“You’d rather risk more blisters? Or getting an infection?” Graceful Star asked dryly.

“Infection? Eep! I’ll ride. But will I be able to walk tomorrow?”

“We’ll see,” The unicorn replied. “If it’s any consolation, when a trooper has to have a frog blister drained they have to wear a special boot over their hoof and let somepony else carry their gear. The platoon has a long memory.” The unicorn chuckled. “Ok, this won’t hurt a bit. I’ll just prick the blister using magic and then drain it. It’ll only take a second.

Emma tensed but felt only the slightest pressure and a sense of relief.

“There, all done. Let me put a bandage on this and you’ll be good to go. Oh, don’t want to forget the other foot!” Emma obediently shifted to present her other foot.

“Do you get a lot of practice patching up non-ponies?” Teagan asked, watching with interest as the various items flew around and settled where they needed to be. It reminded her of Rarity’s sewing, but Graceful Star wasn’t handling nearly the number of objects that Rarity normally did.

“You’d be surprised,” Graceful Star said as she examined Emma’s other foot and placed a second ring pad on the small blister. “There’s not a lot of call for actual combat, thank goodness, so mostly our platoon deals with the aftermath of natural disasters and the like. Or monster rampages.” She laughed. “Most of the big ones know it’s time to run when we show up. But that means we travel all around Equestria. Since about 1 in 7 Equestrian citizens aren’t ponies, or even equinoids, I get a lot of practice with other species. Everything from minotaurs to young dragons, I even treated a pack of diamond dogs once.”

“So humans are just more of the same old same old?” Emma asked as Graceful Star finished up.

“Pretty much,” The unicorn agreed. “Don’t get me wrong, every species presents its own unique twists, but simple stuff like friction blisters are pretty universal. Still, I like the challenge, it keeps my job interesting. Lady Teagan, any blisters you need me to deal with?”

“No, just sore legs,” Teagan chuckled. “And this liniment seems to be doing the trick. Is there healing magic in this?”

“A little,” The unicorn agreed. “Some of the herbs in it absorb magic naturally, but there isn’t a lot. Certainly nothing compared to a unicorn healing spell. I’ve heard humans don’t use magic at all, is that right?”

“Yep,” Teelo nodded. “Before Discord kidnapped me I’d never seen real magic before—just fake magic like stage magicians use.”

“I can’t even imagine living in a world without magic,” Graceful Star said shaking her head. “It must be so strange.”

“Well,” Emma said, snagging the liniment bottle from Teagan and pouring some in her hand, “we’ve never had magic, so it doesn’t seem strange to us at all. To us magic is fantastic, like something in a dream. Your tele-whatsis, the thing you do with your horn to lift stuff, that’s so incredibly cool.” She grinned up at the unicorn.

“Still, your hands can do pretty much the same thing, but how do your doctors heal patients? Even Earth ponies have their flow magic. Without any how can doctors do anything?”

“We use advanced technology,” Teagan explained, getting dressed. “We have machines that can perform all sorts of analysis, like testing blood for traces of disease, or looking for cancer. We have lots of medicines for different diseases, and doctors train for years in college to learn all about the body and what makes it tick.”

“Amazing,” Graceful Star said. “Well, I have to go, but Emma I don’t want you walking too much. You can walk around camp a little, but ride today during the march. We’ll see how your feet are doing tomorrow, all right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Emma said with a sigh.

“Thank you so much,” Teagan said gratefully, handing the bottle back to the unicorn. “I’m feeling a hundred percent better.”

“Keep that,” Graceful Star chuckled. “You’ll need it tonight.”

Emma grabbed the bottle and spread another generous handful on her legs. Her eyes lit up. “Ok, now I know there has to be magic in this stuff. Five seconds and the soreness is starting to fade. Thanks, Graceful Star!”

“You’re welcome.” The unicorn left to attend to her own affairs.

“Ready for breakfast?” Teagan asked.

“Just give me a second to finish up here because I’m starved,” Emma said. “Is this how you feel all the time?”

“Pretty much, now hurry before the trolls eat it all.”

Emma rapidly finished rubbing the liniment in and pulled her jeans on. The two girls left the tent chatting amiably and headed for the smell of the breakfast fires.

ooOoo

“Kongen, medlemmer av rådet,” Alene Avgrunn spoke gravely. ”I bear troubling news. The Alene have carefully inspected Hejm’s wards and found an enormous number of openings that were not there when last we surveyed them a decade ago.”

The news was met with silence as the council waited to hear the rest.

“Over two hundred openings have been found so far,” the elderly troll said, “and another thousand runes are weakening as well. This is unprecedented in the history of magic. Ordinarily, without attention, we would expect to see one rune fail in a century. For so many to be failing after a mere decade tells me something is interfering with Hejm’s wards. Given that the Deepest Dark is stirring again I suspect it is no coincidence.”

“How soon until the openings are closed?” Varig asked sharply. “The wards are vital if we are to face the Deepest Dark again.”

“A fortnight,” Alene Avgrunn replied, “until the runes have been replaced and given a preliminary charge. But that is not the problem. Our vulnerability does not end when the runes are charged, Varig.”

“What then?” The silvery skinned troll demanded.

“Ward magic strengthens over time,” the Alene said calmly. “Even with the runes in place and charged they will not regain their full strength for five years. And this is not all, for I have not spoken of the weakening runes. They too will have to be dealt with. Some are almost ready to fail and create new openings. Demons may easily enter Hejm now, and that is not the worst of it.”

“What more ill tidings do you bear?” A skeletal looking troll asked in a growl.

“Until we manage to close the ward failures, draugr can enter at will.” The Alene’s voice was grim. “Indeed, any creature that can tunnel to the openings could pass without our knowledge, Tynn of Clan Elv. Although we may be fortunate that many openings would require wings to use as they are in the vault above our heads.”

“Is there any pattern to the failures?” Sannheten asked after the Alene’s words brought silence to the council chambers as the trolls considered them.

“None that we can note,” the Alene replied after a moment’s reflection. “The failed wards are scattered about the cavern, no more numerous in one area than another. Nor do they appear to favor secluded points over well traveled ones. If it were not impossible I would have said the failures are random, though clearly that cannot be.”

“Do you know what is causing the runes to fail?” Fjell asked after another silence.

“No, and that is the most troubling thing of all,” The wizard replied with a frown. “We know that any slight imperfection in the rune’s carving can hasten its failure, but even an imperfect rune should last for centuries. We are investigating, but Alene Hule is the most knowledgeable in these matters and he is attending Dronning Teagan at this time.”

“How soon until the Dronning returns?” Sannheten asked.

“Five days,” Fjell replied. “We received a message from the Pony Princess this morning indicating the Dronning left Canterlot two days ago.”

“Why was this message delayed?” A troll with a plain undecorated harness asked suspiciously. “Surely it should have been sent as soon as the Dronning left? The bevinget hester can cross the distance between us in three hours if they wish. Such a message should not have taken two days!”

“Peace, Vismeg,” Fjell said placatingly. “Our enemies struck Canterlot the night before the Dronning left. They attempted to slay the Princess of Ponies as well as the Dronning in two separate attacks.”

“Why have we not heard of this before now?” Vismeg demanded angrily.

“Because that information was in the same message we received this morning,” Fjell replied mildly. “And there is more. The Dronning has formed a military alliance with the Pony Princess. She vowed to stand with Clan Hest against our enemies. The Pony Princess in turn vowed to find where our enemies lair so that we may strike them down.”

“So the Pony Princess keeps Clan Hest safe while trolls bleed for her?” Vismeg sneered. “I think not.”

“Clan Hest is a troll clan, Vismeg of Clan Langtpunkt. Or had you forgotten this?” Sannheten said quietly.

“Ponies cannot be clan to trolls,” Vismeg said dismissively. “They walk on four legs and have fur, Sannheten. They run where a troll would fight and they lie easily. Such cannot be clan to trolls! They mock our very nature! How can you accept that?”

The room echoed with a loud boom as Fjell’s fist crashed upon the reinforced table, causing it to rock from the force of the blow.

“Take care, Vismeg,” Fjell said with a low dangerous growl. “For Dronning Teagan was not to the trolls born, yet she wields Mountain Heart. Dare you to doubt her? Dare you foreswear yourself by denying the Law? She is Dronning! She is troll. And she is klanen av sjelen with the ponies! So they are clan to trolls! It is the Law!”

Fjell’s roar was deafening. He rose out of his seat, glaring at the elderly troll who glared back instinctively.

“Klanen av sjelen?” Vismeg snarled. “How do you believe this, Kongen?”

“Because Kona Søyle sent a message saying that Dronning Teagan told her this without knowing what it meant.” Fjell sat back down and spoke calmly. “How then can I not believe it? And if Dronning Teagan has said this, do you doubt her?”

Vismeg hesitated, then settled back in his chair, thinking. The others kept their silence out of respect for tradition. Fjell had challenged Vismeg, and it was up to Vismeg to answer.

“What proof of this is there?” Vismeg answered. “I am a Plain Troll, Fjell. I must see this for myself. It is too important a matter for belief. The Dronning may be mistaken. And then what would the Law say about Clan Hest?”

The tension in the council chamber spiked sharply. Vismeg had answered in a way that was within his rights. He had not denied Fjell’s statement, or the Dronning’s, yet he had not accepted it either. It was now Fjell’s burden to offer proof.

“Vismeg has the right of it,” Tynn spoke slowly. “I myself believe the Dronning’s statement. I accept Clan Hest into the trolls. Yet Vismeg must be heard. It is the Law. He must be given proof.”

“Then we must wait for the Dronning to arrive,” Fjell said heavily. “Vismeg, you shall have your proof from her own lips. Until such time, we will honor what the Dronning has said and we will honor her commitments. What say you to this, Vismeg of Clan Langtpunkt?”

“I will abide until I have my proof, Kongen. Should the Dronning be able to provide it, then I will accept it. But if she should not, then we will need to reconsider Clan Hest.”

The other council members nodded somberly.

“So be it,” Fjell said with a curt nod.

ooOoo

Earth, Wednesday morning, May 31, 2013 11:32 AM

“Well?” Evelyn asked with a half smile.

“Where did you get this?” The other woman asked with a glint of cupidity in her eyes. “It’s possibly the finest ruby I’ve ever seen of any size, much less this large! Three and a quarter carets! There’s not one inclusion even under a 30x loupe! And the color is perfect.”

“It was payment for services rendered,” Evelyn said smugly. “From an Old Money family that didn’t want a large and oh so visible transfer of funds for their enemies to discover. I need you to convert it to cash for me, Rosalyn.”

“This stone is worth half my inventory, Evelyn,” The jeweler sighed regretfully. “Off the cuff I’d guess this stone is worth at least two hundred thousand. Maybe more if it caught the eye of the bigger traders. But God knows I want it. The doors this thing would open are worth ten times its cash price.”

“Well, I might be willing to be flexible on the payment terms,” Evelyn said, putting her chin on her folded hands. “Say, twenty percent down and a thousand a month until you sell it, then the balance due. Just for old time’s sake you can give me ninety percent of what you get for it.”

“That’s amazingly generous,” Rosalyn said suspiciously. Evelyn waved her off casually.

“I didn’t say the ruby was the only gem in that payment,” she said, winking. “It was just the best of the bunch. There’ll be others I’ll eventually want to sell too. I scratch your back you scratch mine.”

“This is a legal stone, right?” Rosalyn asked sharply, blue eyes narrowing. “I’m lusting after it, but not if it costs me my license. I know some of your cases lean toward the weird and questionable.”

“You have my word. Perfectly legal, it just needs a bit of discretion.”

The older lady’s eye fell on the ruby in front of her, lying on the dark cloth like a glittering drop of blood. She could feel it calling to her, begging her to sink into its lustrous depths and meditate on the matchless beauty of the stone.

“I swear if this turns out to be stolen or something I will personally lead the police right to your door.” She said finally.

“They already know where I live,” Evelyn said, grinning. “How long will it take to properly assess the stone?”

“Give me an hour,” Rosalyn replied.

Evelyn rose. “Great! I’m gonna grab some lunch. You want me to bring you back anything?”

“You trust me with this?” Rosalyn asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yup,” she winked. “You’ve never screwed me over, Rosalyn. Besides, we both know the stone’s worth more if you play it straight.”

ooOoo

Earth, Wednesday night, May 31, 2013 9:17 PM

It was well past sundown and the jeweler’s shop was dark, lit only by a peculiar lamp the Treasury Department had forced her to buy from them. Rosalyn Parker was staring at the ruby she’d purchased from Evelyn Lewis, lit by the pale but strangely pure silver light from the lamp.

“Damn it, Evelyn,” she whispered as she watched the ruby emit a beautiful—but impossible— rainbow of light. Even though the light from the lamp was steady, the rainbow pulsed like a heartbeat, fading in one place only to blaze up suddenly from another.

With a heavy heart she dug out her cell phone and dialed the number printed on the base of the lamp.

“FinCEN, jewels and precious metals division, Agent Merriweather speaking.” A deep male voice answered on the other end.

“Yes, my name is Rosalyn Parker, I own RP Jewel Trading in Kansas City Kansas. I just bought an exceptional three caret ruby and tested it with that special lamp you people made me buy.”

“One moment, ma’am,” he said, suddenly sounding alert and professional. She felt her stomach clench, knowing this was bad.

“All right, go ahead,” he said.

“The ruby is producing a rainbow,” Rosalyn said, nothing in her voice betraying the sick feeling in her stomach. “The rainbow isn’t steady. It pulses, and shoots out from different parts of the stone, then fades and appears somewhere else.”

“Can you time the pulses?” the agent asked.

“About once a second,” she replied.

“Miss Parker, I’m afraid I’m going to have to have you hold onto that stone until we can send an agent to take a look at it.”

“Are you going to confiscate it? I don’t think I could afford that,” she said, suddenly afraid.

“No ma’am,” the agent said firmly. “Should we actually need the stone you’ll be reimbursed for it, but at the moment all we want to do is have one of our agents examine it. You’ll probably be free to sell it within a couple of days but we will want a copy of all transactions, particularly who sold it to you and who you sell it to. The whole thing should only take a day and then most likely you’ll be free to sell it.”

“It’s not dangerous, is it? I’ve never seen a jewel react this way before,” Rosalyn asked worriedly.

“No ma’am, it’s not radioactive or anything if that’s what you’re worried about,” Agent Merriweather said reassuringly. “The ruby’s perfectly harmless. The light show is some kind of photonic quantum interference. At least that’s what the scientists tell me.” He chuckled. “I’m just an accountant, all that science double-speak is way over my head.”

“You’re sure?” She asked again, eyeing the dancing rainbow with misgivings.

“Absolutely,” he said firmly, “nothing to worry about at all. The ruby is reacting to the special wavelength of light the lamp creates. You are using it in the dark, right?”

“Yes, that’s what the instructions said to do,” Rosalyn said, relaxing. “Can I turn on the lights now?”

“Sure, go ahead,” he said cheerfully. “After you do I’ll need to get some basic information from you, like your address and phone number.”

“Ok, hang on a second,” She quickly rose and turned on the lights. She sighed in relief, still somewhat unnerved by that spooky rainbow.

Feeling the need for even more light she turned on the lighted magnifier on her desk and pointed it toward the gem, which was now behaving like a normal gem, simply glowing red with the light shining through it.

“I’m back,” she said into her cell phone, “That’s so much better. The rainbow’s gone.”

“See, nothing to worry about,” the man said cheerfully. “Now…”

He spent almost an hour gathering information before telling her a Treasury agent would arrive the next day and hanging up. With a groan she pocketed her phone and turned off the magnifier. That’s when she noticed the special lamp was still on, although its glow was almost invisible. She hastily turned it off, worried she might have shortened the lifetime of the bulb. She remembered the instructions had said not to let the light burn for more than five minutes at a time. The lamp hadn’t been cheap and most of the price was in the bulb she knew.

She picked up the ruby and slipped it in her pocket, planning to lock it in her office safe, but before she could even turn around there was a silent explosion of rainbow light that blinded her for a moment and made her lose her balance. She reached out for the desk to keep from falling. Her hand instead landed on something warm and furry.

“Oh, I say,” a cultured voice exclaimed in shock. “Kindly unhoof me at once! Guards! See to this ruffian immediately!”

Rosalyn still couldn’t see anything because the blast of light had made her eyes tear up. Her impromptu support moved away and she stumbled again, trying to keep her balance. She finally managed to blink away the tears and focus—only to stare dumbfounded around the huge room she found herself in. It almost looked like a museum. A museum with lots of ponies for patrons.

“Guards!” The angry cultured voice shouted. “Arrest this creature for assaulting my person!”

She looked at the source of the voice and her mouth fell open.

“A unicorn?” she gasped in shock. “Unicorns don’t exist!”

The white unicorn threw back its head and stared at her haughtily, clearly affronted.

“We canst assure thee unicorns are quite real,” a woman’s cool and very formal but loud voice came from Rosalyn’s right. Turning she found herself looking at another unicorn, this one dark blue and much larger than the first. It sat on a dais several feet above the room’s floor. Standing on either side of the dais were what looked like golden armored ponies with, she was shocked yet again, wings.

“Pegasi? What’s going on? Where am I?”

“Thou art in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, in the Night Court,” the unicorn answered her with that same booming voice. “We hight Luna, Royal Princess of Equestria. What is thy name?”

“I’m, uh, very confused.” The woman said, blinking. The sheer impossibility of what she was seeing stunned her.

“We canst see that. How came thee here? What is the purpose of thy visit?”

“I don’t know. I remember picking up the ruby and there was this horribly bright flash of rainbow-colored light, and then I was here.”

“What is thy name, madam?” Luna asked, lowering her voice to normal speaking tones.

“Um, Rosalyn Parker—it’s Your Highness, right?”

“Thee may address Us as Princess Luna,” the unicorn said kindly. “Art thou all right, Rosalyn Parker? Thee seemest to be in some distress.”

“I—how is this possible?” The woman waved an arm around, encompassing the room and its impossible occupants. “Unicorns? Pegasi? All of you are mythical creatures. How can you exist?”

“Quite happily, We assure thee,” Luna said dryly. “We take it thee did not come here of thine own free will?”

“No, not at all,” Rosalyn said. “I was in my shop—I’m a jewel trader by the way—and I picked up the ruby Evelyn sold me when bam suddenly I’m here talking to you. Do you know what happened?”

“Auntie, clearly this human,” the white unicorn snorted in disdain, “has taken leave of her senses. Let the guards deal with her.”

“Blueblood, thou art here to learn the trials and tribulations of Our subjects,” Luna said in an annoyed tone. “A prince must have deep compassion for the common pony—or any traveler cast adrift. Hold thy tongue and open thine ears so thee may learn!”

The white unicorn winced and glared at Rosalyn. Silently he took one step back and bowed his head toward the dais.

Satisfied, Luna returned her attention to the human woman.

“Rosalyn Parker, thou sayest Evelyn sold you a ruby. Wouldst this be Evelyn Lewis?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Rosalyn said, stiffening. “Do you know her?”

“We know her very well indeed,” Luna agreed. “She and her friends rendered Equestria a great service. We are in her debt. Is she a friend of thine or merely a business acquaintance?”

“Um, well, I hired her a couple of years ago to find out who was stealing from me. We kept in touch and became pretty good friends. She came in today and sold me a large ruby. She said it was all legal and aboveboard.”

“And so it was,” Luna replied firmly. “No doubt thy ruby comes from the cache of jewels We and our sister gave her in payment for her service to Us. She earned every jewel we could give her, Rosalyn Parker, and more.”

“Um, ok. Can I go home now please?” Rosalyn winced at how plaintive her voice sounded.

“Alas, it is not so simple,” Luna said in a regretful tone. “The Bridge of Days lies deep within the Everfree Forest and recent events have barred us from going there. Twill be two days shy of three weeks before it becomes safe to return.”

“Three weeks! Oh, no, no, no, no! There’s a Treasury agent coming tomorrow to examine the ruby! If I’m not there…” She shuddered. “It would be bad, Your Highness.”

“Agent of the Treasury? We do not understand. Why would thy rulers care about a single gemstone? We took care to choose only the finest stones, of course, but even so it is only a single ruby!”

“Only a ruby?” Rosalyn gaped at the unicorn. “Your Highness it is the finest ruby I have ever handled! It’s one of the finest I have ever heard of, it’s absolutely unique! It’s worth at least a quarter of a million dollars!”

“This is a large sum in your world?” The princess asked uncertainly.

Rosalyn stared at her, speechless. Luna returned her gaze with mild curiosity.

“Um, yes, Your Highness. That’s enough to buy a good sized home in my…wait…world? You’re saying I’m in a different world?”

“Didst thou not suspect?” Luna asked gently. “Didst thou not say unicorns and pegasi are but myths to thee? Indeed humans have been naught but legends to us. Before the coming of Lady Teagan the common pony would have scoffed at the mere mention of humans—if they even knew of humans at all. Thee and we dwell in different worlds, and the paths between them have been lost for a thousand years. Even so, we had thought the Bridge of Days the only way between our worlds. Thee must have treaded another path we knew not of, for all our ancient knowledge.”

Rosalyn’s legs gave out and she thumped down hard on the floor.

“What am I going to do?” She whispered hopelessly.

“It is not so bad,” Luna soothed her. “In three weeks time the way to the Bridge of Days will open and thee canst return home. Until then thee shall be our guest here in the castle. Do not despair for thee shall see thy home again. Thee hast Our word. Rest easy, the vow of a Princess of Equestria is surety indeed.”

“But by then it will be too late!” Rosalyn said in a panic. “I’ll be arrested! I’ll lose my license and my shop! They’ll put me in prison!”

“Truly? For what crime?” Luna asked in clear confusion.

“Money laundering! Obstruction of justice! I don’t know! I’m not a lawyer I’m just a gem trader. But you don’t mess with the Treasury! They’re worse than the IRS!”

“Surely if thee explains thy absense was not of thy doing? No, wait. They have no reason to believe in Equestria, tis true,” Luna said, mulling over the problem. “We sympathize, Rosalyn Parker, but we have no answer. Is thy government so cruel then that it would imprison thee for something that was not in thy control?”

“What? No, but there are laws, Your Highness. Gems are an easy way for bad people to hide the profits from their crimes, so the Treasury keeps a close eye on all gem trading, especially the really valuable ones. If I vanish along with the ruby it looks like I’m deliberately concealing something.”

“So that is money laundering?” Luna asked with a frown of concentration. “I have never heard of this practice before. Vested Interest, please summon Our sister. We have need of her council.”

“At once, Your Highness.” Another unicorn, this one periwinkle blue with a mulberry mane and tail containing a yellow stripe hurried away. Taking a moment to collect herself and stand up Rosalyn took a deep breath.

“My apologies, Your Highness, for my behavior. This has all been a huge shock to me. I’m still having trouble taking it all in.”

“Think nothing of it,” Luna said graciously. “No doubt the average pony would react much the same way if they found themselves thrust into thy world unexpectedly. Why, when Lady Teagan first appeared in our world she had some advance knowledge of us, yet still fainted for a full twenty-four hours from the shock. We judge thy own behavior better than hers and commend thee for dealing with this unforeseen circumstance as well as thee have. Once my sister has joined us we may yet arrive at some answer for your dilemma. May we examine this ruby that seems to be the heart of thy troubles?”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Rosalyn took the ruby from her pocket and started to walk toward the dais, extending the ruby in the palm of her hand toward Luna. Much to her shock the unicorn’s horn became surrounded by a bluish glow. A matching glow surrounded the ruby which immediately rose in the air and floated toward the unicorn.

“What…” the woman started to say, staring wide-eyed at the floating ruby.

“Tis only magic, Rosalyn Parker,” Luna said soothingly. “Do not fash thyself, it is harmless.”

She studied the ruby as it floated a few inches from her eyes.

“Most strange, We do not recognize the spell matrix within this stone. It appears to be natural rather than designed,” Luna mused. “We do not understand why it would have brought you to Us, unless this natural matrix is merely a universal receptor and an actual spell was deliberately placed within the stone. Such universal receptors are common, although they hold only raw magic, not a pre-formed spell. But why that particular spell was in the stone is beyond us.”

“Um, I was using a special lamp, Your Highness. The Treasury sold it to me to test stones for a certain reaction. The instructions said never use it for more than five minutes, but I accidentally left it on for an hour before I realized it. There was a bright light focused on the ruby too, and bright room lighting.

“This special lamp thou speakest of, did it shine with a particular color? Silver, perhaps?”

“Yes! Silver light, but it’s very dim, so dim you’re only supposed to use it in a completely dark room. It made the ruby produce this weird pulsing rainbow. It was really strange the way the lamp produced a steady light but the rainbow moved around.”

“Ah,” the Princess said in satisfaction. “Matters become clearer. Tell Us, did thee touch the stone while the silver light shone upon it?”

Rosalyn shook her head. “No, Your Highness, I turned off the magnifier and the silver lamp first. When I picked up the ruby there was this blindingly bright rainbow light all around me, and then I was here.”

“Hmm,” Luna said absently “Let Us see something…aha! Just as We suspected, there is indeed a spell matrix within the stone, hidden behind the stone’s own natural array. Sweet Aura, a sheet of parchment and quill, if thee please.”

A dark emerald unicorn with a bright blue mane and tail lit her horn and the requested items floated from the desk in front of her to the Princess who must have grabbed them with her own magic because the quill started to rapidly scribe the parchment. There was no sound in the throne room except the busy scratching of the quill which occasionally paused to dip itself in an inkwell that sat before the Princess. Rosalyn couldn’t stop herself from wondering why there was an inkwell in front of Luna, but no quills or paper.

“There!” Luna finally exclaimed in satisfaction. “Once Our sister joins Us, we shall examine the spell that brought thee here and discover if it might be reversed.”

ooOoo

The caravan made good time, with Emma perched moodily on the same wagon she’d been riding the day before. Teagan made a point of spending as much time next to her friend as she could, but many of the trolls asked to have private conversations with her, which inevitably devolved into exchanges of personal history. A way for them to bond to her, she guessed.

It was useful, she supposed, and important, but it meant Emma spent nearly six hours of the ten hour march in silent vigil atop her perch.

That was why Emma was in a particularly foul mood as she was lifted off the wagon when the caravan stopped to make camp in the early twilight.

So foul a mood in fact she decided to take a short walk to loosen the muscles that had stiffened up during the day. Nobody noticed her leaving camp, not even Teagan. Emma didn’t think there would be a problem because she had no intention of wandering far enough from camp to lose sight of it.

The area the trolls had stopped in was a valley and thus pleasantly warm. There was an odd smell in the air, almost like new mown grass, but earthier and muskier. It grew stronger as Emma walked toward the tree line that paralleled the trail.

The trees reminded her too much of the Everfree for her to want to enter, so she turned aside and walked along the edge of the trees instead of into them. As she walked she started hearing bird calls, high-pitched and somewhat unpleasant. She stopped and peered up into the trees, trying to spot the owner of the calls.

Emma was city born, and thus didn’t know how to spot birds, it was her mother that had been a girl scout, not her. So she wasn’t terribly surprised when she couldn’t see anything. Still, the bird calls had an eerie undertone that spooked her. She decided to cut her walk short and headed back to camp.

She couldn’t help but notice more and more of the trees started to fill with that singularly unpleasantly whistling. She broke into a jog and headed straight for the nearest troll.

ooOoo

By the time she reached camp she could still hear the bird calls, but distance had muted them to the point they didn’t sound quite so scary, so she shook off her uneasiness as simple nerves and decided to just casually mention it instead of raising an alarm.

“Hey, Teelo,” She said, settling on a stump near her friend as the latter helped Søyle pitch their tent, holding the pole while Søyle simply drove the stake into the ground with a single smash of her fist.

“Hey Emma, how are your feet?” Teelo asked. “Thanks, Søyle, nothing like a troll to drive tent stakes!”

“You are welcome, Dronning,” Søyle replied. “Well met, Emma.”

“Hey Søyle. Listen, how much do you know about the woods over there?” Emma asked, nodding toward the trees.

“A swamp lies not far beyond those trees,” Søyle rumbled. “Nasty place, easy for a troll to sink in the mud and never be seen again. There are many different ways for trolls to drown too. We stay well away. Why?”

“What about dangerous animals?” Emma asked, glancing at the trees again.

“Some,” Søyle nodded. “Venomous snakes, cragadiles, a hydra maybe.”

“Anything that sounds like a bird?” Emma asked, eyes drawn to the trees again.

“Birds?” Teagan asked, suddenly aware of just how many bird calls she was hearing. A chill ran down her spine. “Emma, is there something you aren’t telling us?”

“It’s probably just a city girl spooked by the great outdoors,” Emma said, blushing. “You can’t hear it from here, but when you get right up on the trees those bird sounds are creepy. There’s something nasty about them.”

“What? Like crows?” Teagan asked, studying the trees.

“No,” Emma said. “They’re not caws, they’re really high-pitched whistles. It sounds different close up, I swear.”

“I will ask others,” Søyle stood up suddenly.

“Søyle, it’s probably nothing,” Emma protested. “Just my mind playing tricks.”

“Trolls do not know the World Above, Emma, just as you do not. Trolls do not take chances with things we do not know.” Søyle said. “I will ask others who might know more than we do. Dronning, perhaps you should ask Stormwind. Maybe Clan Hest knows of these birds.”

“Not a bad idea,” Teagan nodded and stood up.

“Teelo, if it turns out they’re sparrows or something they’re gonna laugh at me,” Emma complained.

“Yeah, and if it’s not sparrows we could end up on the menu,” Teagan retorted as she made a beeline for the wing commander.

“Wing Commander, how familiar are you with the animals in this area?” She said without preamble as the pegasus turned to face her.

“Not terribly, Lady Teagan, why do you ask?” The pegasus asked curiously.

“Emma was down by the tree line and got spooked by unusual bird cries,” Teagan said. “It may be nothing, but with Duisternis already having attacked us once I’d feel better if we could get an ID on them.”

“Prudent,” the pegasus nodded. “Let’s go see these birds of yours.” He snapped out an order and three pegasi guards joined them as they headed down toward the trees.

Emma’s nervousness increased as she started hearing that unpleasant higher pitch to the whistles.

“You hear it now?” She asked. Teagan’s head came up and she peered closely at the trees.

“Yeah, I can hear it, barely. Sounds like some kind of bats.” She said. “Oooh, that’s not worrying at all.”

“I don’t hear anything unusual, Lady Teagan,” Stormwind said, ears turning to catch as much sound as possible. “They sound like normal birds to me. Although I don’t recognize the calls, they’re probably native only to this area.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of, Wing Commander,” Teagan said, still straining to hear the elusive shrill whistles. “I know teenage humans can hear higher pitches that adult humans, could the same be true of ponies?”

“Young foals do have better hearing,” he admitted. “I don’t know about higher pitches, but they can hear fainter sounds.”

“Ok, well we’ve got trolls, griffins, humans and three different kinds of ponies in the caravan. Let’s see if any of the younger ones can hear this. Why don’t you let the guards get in the air and see if they can spot any unusual birds flying around?”

“You three go take a look,” The wing commander ordered the guards. “You see anything unusual don’t let it get too close to you. And don’t get too close to those trees, either.”

“Sir,” the three guards saluted and vaulted into the air.

“I hope it’s just sparrows,” Emma muttered. “Stormwind, if this turns into a false alarm I apologize ahead of time.”

“I hope it is a false alarm, Lady Emma,” Stormwind said grimly. “But if it isn’t we need to know while there’s still enough light to fight. Lady Teagan is right about Duisternis, this would be a good place for another attack.”

There was a sudden yell over the trees and the three pegasi came thundering back toward camp.

“RUN!” One called down as a dark cloud poured after the fleeing guards.

“Move!” Stormwind snapped at the girls, who lost no time sprinting back toward camp. The three guards were bellowing an alarm even as they tried to outdistance the cloud trying to catch them.

Teagan could see the camp boiling with activity as Rolling Thunder deployed. The trolls were grabbing weapons and roaring. Søyle, Flint, and Skrent pounded down toward the oncoming pegasus and humans in grim silence.

Without a word Søyle grabbed Emma and reversed course toward the camp. This gave the girl a chance to stare up at the cloud of dark shapes winging overhead. All she could see were a bunch of blobs with long elongated beaks and what looked like too many wings. She couldn’t be sure because the cloud of attackers was blurred from their numbers and speed.

The one thing she could tell was they weren’t ordinary birds…

The birds were ignoring them for the moment in preference to the pegasi they were chasing and the camp itself. A large pink dome suddenly expanded over the camp, making the cloud of attacking birds swirl upward in surprise. Several didn’t pull up in time, slamming into and sliding down the dome.

By the time Søyle and Emma reached the dome a circular area just large enough to admit them appeared and the pegasus and three trolls wasted no time sprinting inside.

“Dronning, hurry!” Søyle bellowed, setting Emma down. The girl turned to see her friend standing just outside the opening, fumbling with what looked like a small bag. She placed it on Crush and swung upward as hard as she could.

The world turned white around Teagan and blazing pink filled the rest of the world. There was a huge ringing noise and Emma heard several ponies scream in agony.

The last thing Emma saw was Teagan and Crush come hurtling through the opening, skittering along the ground like a flung stone before something slammed her into the ground.

ooOoo

Rosalyn Parker turned as she heard the large doors of the throne room open. She’d thought she’d reached her culture shock limit but the huge white unicorn that walked into the throne room made her mouth fall open. The first thing she noticed was the pastel rainbow of light that made up the unicorn’s mane and tail, blowing gently in a wind the woman couldn’t feel. The second thing she noticed was the unicorn had wings, and as the white vision walked over to climb the dais the third thing she noticed was the large tattoo of a golden sun with long rays that took up almost the entirety of the unicorn’s rear thigh.

“Hello, sister,” the white winged unicorn said, covering an obvious yawn with a fore-hoof. Her eyes met Rosalyn’s wide-eyed stare with some surprise.

“Well, well, another human, and one I haven’t had the pleasure of being introduced to,” the unicorn said in a warm voice, giving the woman a smile. “I assume this is why you woke me, Luna?”

“Indeed. Sister, may I introduce Rosalyn Parker, a jewel trader and acquaintance of Evelyn Lewis. Rosalyn Parker, may I introduce my sister and co-ruler of all Equestria, her Royal Highness Celestia, Shepherd of the Sun.”

“Um, it is an honor, Your Highness,” Rosalyn said, hastily bowing.

“It’s always a pleasure to meet the friends of our friends,” Celestia said, nodding her head in acknowledgement. “But tell me, how is it you come to Equestria, Rosalyn?”

“Allow Us to summarize, sister,” Luna interjected smoothly. “It appears Rosalyn Parker is not here by her own will. Twas a spell placed into this ruby and accidentally charged by moonlight. Further, this particular ruby was among the cache given to Evelyn Lewis.”

“A spell?” Celestia’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “A spell that can breach the Veil, just like the Bridge of Days?”

“So it would appear,” Luna nodded. “However, unlike the Bridge of Days, which may carry any number across so long as it remains open, this spell appears to allow only a single being to cross. We have managed to record it on this parchment, and did await thy coming before studying it. Also, unlike the Bridge of Days this spell didst bring Rosalyn Parker directly here to the throne room.”

“Really? How fortunate that she didn’t appear in the Everfree,” Celestia commented mildly. “Right now that would have been extremely dangerous. Luna, why don’t we invite Rosalyn to a late night snack while the three of us discuss this? You and I can study the spell and Rosalyn can relax. I’m sure she’s had a very trying day.”

“Cake?” Luna asked, one eyebrow rising in amusement.

“Cake,” Celestia said, nodding firmly. “Rosalyn, would you kindly join us for some cake and milk? I can assure you the cake is delicious.”

“Um, of—of course your Highness,” Rosalyn said, still not quite comfortable with the whole situation. Cake, however, was cake, even down this rabbit hole…she hoped.

ooOoo

“Dronning, are you all right?” a rumbling voice asked in concern.

Teagan blinked, feeling rough ground under her cheek. She remembered setting off the Claymore attack using Crush and a bag of marbles, and she remembered the back blast swatting her through the shield’s opening.

But for the life of her she couldn’t remember hitting the ground…

“Uh—yeah. Give me a minute, Søyle,” she mumbled.

Crush, how much power did we use on that? She thought muzzily to the eyes in her mind.

One quarter of my full weight, the demon responded.

Too much, she thought back as she slowly levered herself from a supine position to a sitting one, suppressing a groan as the various scrapes and bruises made their presence known. Why don’t we set a maximum limit of one one-hundredth your weight? If we accidentally used more than that underground it would kill us.

It would kill you, you mean. Crush’s mental voice sounded amused. I suggest a limit of one one-thousandth of my weight. That is probably still not safe underground, even so.

Yeah, good, let’s do that then.

Teagan opened her eyes and looked around at what remained of the camp. Every tent was flattened, and most of the ponies were down on the ground. A couple of Rolling Thunder’s earth ponies were up, checking on their companions.

Emma was lying beside her, just beginning to stir. The trolls were up and moving about, apparently unhurt. She couldn’t see the griffins anywhere, but she assumed they were on the ground too, just like the pegasi.

“Where’s the shield?” She asked, blinking her eyes into focus.

“It collapsed from the blow you gave the sky, Dronning,” Søyle said a hint of admiration in her voice. “The ponies could not hold it, but before it collapsed it shielded us from the worst of your wrath.”

“And the birds?” Teagan asked.

“Gone,” Søyle said simply. “Your mighty blow smashed them all. None survived, very few of the corpses are even intact.”

“Any idea what they were?” Teagan asked, checking Emma for any obvious damage. The girl’s eyes were open and Teagan’s ministrations were causing her to bat at Teagan ineffectually. The redhead stopped, figuring the grumbling girl was probably all right.

“Blod drenering fugler. How you say, blood birds.” Søyle replied. “I had thought them only a tale told to children, Dronning. The last troll to tell of them lived thousands of years ago. But the tales never spoke of clouds that darkened the sun. I fear this was a blow struck by our enemies.”

“You think?” Teagan asked sourly. “Do we know how many casualties yet?” She winced at the cold flat way the question had come out.

“None died this day, Dronning,” Søyle said solemnly. “The trolls stood firm, but the bevingede hester were knocked flat by Mountain Heart. However they do not appear to have broken any bones. Many stir even now. The large wingless ones of Clan Hest withstood the blow without falling.”

Teagan thought she heard grudging respect in Søyle’s tone.

“The worst hurt were the four horned ones of Clan Hest, they that held the shield. It felled them, and they still do not stir. The slender horned healer tells me they will recover by morning, but will not be able to use any magic until we reach Hejm.”

“Heavy Hoof’s gonna love that,” Teagan said ruefully. “What about Lady Silkwind and her guards?”

“They too were flattened by Mountain Heart, Dronning. But they are made of sterner stuff and are already in the air, scouting to see if there are more blood birds about.”

Teagan felt a wave of relief wash over her. Nobody died! Those birds were the size of housecats and Teagan doubted very much the caravan would have survived the attack, magical shields or not. Her relief was short-lived, however, because the commander of Rolling Thunder came stomping up to her, glaring.

“Your Majesty, if I might have a word?” The huge pony growled, his voice icily polite, but his nostrils were flared as he snorted with barely restrained anger.

“Yes, Commander,” Teagan sighed and struggled to her feet, barely able to force her abused body to move. They walked away far enough to give themselves some privacy and Teagan braced herself to face the tirade she was sure was coming.

“What in Tartarus did you do?” Heavy Hoof demanded. “My four best unicorns are out for the rest of the trip. I’ve seen those four hold a shield after being body-slammed by a full grown dragon! Yet you gave them magical backlash with that damned club of yours! We’d have been safe from those things if you hadn’t done whatever you did!”

“For exactly how long, Commander?” Teagan asked, taking hold of her temper with both hands. “All night? A week? Forever? Those things came from Duisternis to kill us. They drain blood, just like ticks. How many of those things would it have taken to kill a pony? Five? Ten? A hundred maybe? Because there were thousands in that cloud! Do the math, Heavy Hoof. Could Rolling Thunder have kept us alive? I want an honest answer.”

“Probably,” He said after an uncomfortable moment. “It depends on whether or not we could have out-waited them. A swarm that big would have had to leave eventually. They’re predators. They have to eat, Your Majesty.”

“They were magically controlled predators, Heavy Hoof,” Teagan said, relaxing. “They would have starved to death before they let us go. How many hours could your unicorns have held the shield?”

“About six,” He said reluctantly. “But we could have dealt with them using fire spells. Just like Subtle Dancer did with the changelings.”

“There were a lot more blood birds than there were changelings, Commander. Can you honestly say you could have gotten them all without anyone dying?”

“No,” He said with a wince. “Combat doesn’t come with guarantees, Your Majesty.”

“I hurt four of your unicorns,” Teagan said heavily. “And I will apologize to each and every one of them for it. I’ll give them all medals—Hell I’ll proclaim them heroes of the World Below!

“I’ll do all that because I took a calculated risk. I gambled that they could hold that shield against the backlash. And because they did everyone gets to live. Yes, they got hurt and I am to blame. But they get to live. If we’d done it your way people could have died.”

“You didn’t know?” He snarled. “You hurt my ponies and you didn’t know? Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I do not like the way you gamble with the lives of others! Those are my ponies you hurt! Those are my ponies you’re staking on your little adventures! If Celestia hadn’t personally signed my orders for this mission I’d leave you flat and march right back to Canterlot! You want to risk yourself and your trolls? Fine! But leave me and my ponies out of your next adventure!”

“Ponies are trolls, Heavy Hoof. So my trolls will fight for your ponies just like they would for each other,” Teagan said quietly. “My trolls will fight for your ponies because they are family. And so will I. Speaking of your orders, Princess Celestia trusts me. Remember, I already saved your life. Twice. Not just you but every single one of your ponies. I saved your wife and your children. I even saved Celestia herself!”

“I’m not married,” Heavy Hoof said, looking away. Teagan barked a short laugh and kept going.

“What was that you said, Heavy Hoof? There are no guarantees in combat? I know that as well as you do. Maybe I was reckless—maybe. But you and I and everyone else in this caravan are alive to argue the merits of my tactics because this time I was right.”

“This time,” he agreed, giving the girl a cold stare. “What about next time? What happens when you’re wrong?”

“Somebody dies,” Teagan said heavily, staring him straight in the eye. “But that’s going to happen eventually. Duisternis wants the world plunged into eternal night, Heavy Hoof. For some reason they want me dead, probably to keep Crush out of action, maybe to keep the trolls sidelined. They even tried to kill Celestia two days ago. My bet is they want to sow terror and chaos in every country so we’ll be at each other’s throats instead of fighting them. So people are going to die.”

She laid a hand on his armored shoulder. “Because of them my best friend might get killed. My family is at risk. Every stubborn one of them, four legged or two! I need help Heavy Hoof! I need your experience in the field to tell me where the safest places to camp are. We’ve lost our shield—yes I know, thanks to me—so we’re going to have to be smarter so Crush and I aren’t needed. Rolling Thunder can’t do it alone. But maybe Rolling Thunder plus the Sun Shield plus the trolls can. The trolls are already willing to work with you. So is the Sun Shield. The question is, Commander, can I count on you to do what I obviously can’t?”

Heavy Hoof stared at her, clearly surprised.

“We shall have to see, Your Majesty,” he said after a long pause and a weary sigh.

Accommodation

In which we learn our Heroine is no stranger to the diplomatic shortcomings of historical figures and Duisternis practices the commendable art of recycling.

Rosalyn closed her eyes in bliss as the cake simply evaporated on her tongue, leaving behind the most delicate taste explosion it had ever been her good fortune to experience.

“I take it you approve?” Celestia asked with a smile.

“This cake almost makes up for everything, Your Highness,” Rosalyn said, eyes still closed. “Whoever made this—well you aren’t paying them enough. You can’t pay them enough. There isn’t that much money in the entire universe.”

Luna chuckled. “Sister, it appears you have discovered a kindred spirit to share your love of cake.”

“Indeed,” Celestia said and took a small bite, a hum of pleasure escaping her. “Butter Cream has outdone herself. Rest assured, Rosalyn, I take a deep and abiding interest in her continued wellbeing.”

Luna snickered, “Sister, if you can tear yourself away from your greatest temptation, we should attempt to unravel this spell so that Rosalyn Parker may return home, hopefully this night.”

“There is always time for cake, Luna. You haven’t even touched yours!” Celestia said with a meaningful look.

“Whilst We do enjoy maestro Butter Cream’s efforts, We fear Our appreciation of her art pales before the towering heights of thine own, dear sister. Still, if it will speed our task We will consume this slice of cake with all due respect to the good Dame Butter Cream.” She grasped the fork with her magic and proceeded to sample her slice.

Her eyes widened as she looked down at her plate. Celestia watched calmly, waiting for her sister to react.

“It—is quite good,” Luna said after a long contemplative moment. “Perhaps We should offer this work of art a few more minutes to truly honor its creator.”

Celestia just smiled and took another bite.

ooOoo

“Hello doctor,” the fanged unicorn said with a smile as the other was escorted into his office. “We need to have a little chat.”

“Spare me your ranting, Sombra,” Rimor snarled. “I am well aware of the magnitude of the loss we’ve suffered. Two nearly completed subjects! I was mere hours away from waking the draugr in them! That stupid dragon led Celestia’s forces right to my doorstep! Your half-breed was useless and as for your troll,” Rimor spat on the floor. “He was an utter imbecile!”

“Silence, fool!” Sombra roared in a white-hot rage. “Hoë Towenaar may have decreed you are untouchable for now, but you are still mortal, doctor! You would do well to remember that if you ever hope to join the ranks of the immortals! Once Duisternis triumphs only the immortals will remain, so if your failures continue you will perish along with all the other mayflies!”

“And you would do well to remember who gave you that flesh you’re now wearing, Sombra.” Rimor hissed. “Without it you would touch the world even less than one of the Slange. I gave it to you and I can take it away just as easily! Would you prefer to be a shadow lurking in darkness again, Your Majesty?”

“You forget your place, Rimor,” Sombra said, his red curved horn starting to glow threateningly.

“Oh be quiet,” Rimor snorted. “The Slange value my services far more than they do yours, Sombra. I am the key to building our forces, you are merely a glorified games pony and we both know it. Hoë Towenaar holds the final say on all your plans,” The red unicorn sneered, “if they can even be called that. You never understood subtlety, you tin plated martinet!”

“I conquered an empire, mortal!” Sombra growled.

“And lost it to a pair feather dusters,” Rimor snapped. “Horns or no Celestia and her sister are nothing but preening pegasi with delusions of godhood. Yet they defeated you and reduced you to nothing but a dark stain, hiding your shame deep underground. Hail the conquering hero!”

Sombra snapped and blasted the unicorn taunting him with a tidal wave of purple light—only to see the spell sucked harmlessly into the dark portal that appeared suddenly in front of Rimor.

There was a brief moment of stillness before the portal vomited forth a boiling cloud of darkness that exuded a horrible stench and mind-numbing cold.

I see I am just in time.

The cloud’s voice was even worse than a windigo’s, faint and distant yet filling the ears like cold slimy ooze. Rimor shuddered even as he reinforced his warmth spell against the cloud’s supernatural chill.

Dr. Rimor, you know how touchy King Sombra is about his unfortunate overthrow. And Sombra, what have I told you about your temper, young unicorn? But I must say your Augmented Agony spell is coming along very nicely, wonderful work! Just try not to use it on Rimor would you? We need him in peak physical and intellectual shape so he can swell the ranks of the draugr and thus earn his immortality. We can’t let petty differences distract us from our glorious future, hmm?

Sombra’s eyes narrowed to slits but he slowly straightened. “As you wish, Hoë Towenaar. Have you heard Rimor had a small setback? He lost his lab to Celestia’s forces.”

How unfortunate! We will, of course, give the good doctor every possible assistance to get his new laboratory up and running immediately. Our plans require as many draugr as he can provide for us.

On another front, I have wonderful news my friends! Observe!

A black crystal appeared from the depths of the cloud and landed gently on Sombra’s desk. It flickered with deep purple lights from time to time.

“Is that one of my crystals?” Sombra asked, eyes narrowing. “Why is it flickering like that?”

Why indeed? Yes, my dear Sombra, it is one of yours, or rather it was. Right now it may very well be the key to Equestria’s downfall. And as Equestria goes, so goes the rest of Equis.

“A single crystal?” Rimor asked in puzzlement. “How can one crystal be the key to victory?”

As you said, doctor, it is a key. As with any key the power lies in the door the key unlocks, is that not so?

“So what door does this key unlock?” Sombra asked, baring his fangs in anticipation.

The magic of an alicorn, my friend, the cloud said with a chuckle. Magic that in turn will gut Celestia at the critical moment. And without Celestia…

ooOoo

“We can’t stay here,” Heavy Hoof said addressing the small circle of beings huddled around him. “There’s no telling if Duisternis had a backup plan in case this attack failed, and if they did we don’t want to make it easy for them to find us.”

“What do you suggest, Commander?” Lady Silkwind asked curiously. “Certainly I agree we shouldn’t stay here but this is a large caravan, easily spotted from the air. Do you plan to march through the night? Even if we did, wouldn’t the wagons leave a trail a blind rabbit could follow?”

“Happily, Lady Silkwind, Rolling Thunder has the Fixers. Four of the most creatively sneaky generalist mages it has ever been my pleasure to command. They can hide our trail once we leave here. While they may not be able to cast shield spells like Meteor Swarm and his bunch they are superb in the more subtle magics. They can hide our trail while we’re moving and our camp when we stop. With Stormwind’s wing acting as an umbrella we should be able to get to Hejm without any more nasty surprises.”

“I notice you didn’t say without trouble, Commander,” Teagan said drily.

He snorted. “We all know that’s not happening, Your Majesty. But as long as we can see trouble coming from far enough away we can deal with it. Although without our shield mages I’d rather not get into any standing fights. What I wouldn’t give to have Shining Armor with us right now.”

“You and me both,” Teagan agreed ruefully. “Not to mention Cadence and Twilight too!”

The caravan broke camp in the rapidly darkening evening. They headed on toward Hejm at Søyle’s insistence. She had objected strongly to Heavy Hoof’s suggestion they backtrack to throw off any pursuers, insisting the delay was unacceptable. The commander had yielded the point, admitting it would have been a gamble at best.

Emma submitted to being put on top of Kusken’s wagon without complaint, especially since Teagan joined her immediately.

“Legs finally give out?” the brown-haired girl asked sourly. She was still shaken from the aftermath of the swarm’s attack and not feeling particularly sociable.

“We’re in a hurry,” Teagan said, scanning the hills and sky as she spoke. “The trolls and ponies can move faster if they don’t have to hobble themselves waiting on a pair of human turtles. Besides, up high like this I get a better view—just in case I have to use Crush again.”

“You think Dusty had a plan B?” Emma asked apprehensively.

“Wouldn’t surprise me if they did,” Teagan replied, shifting to a more comfortable position. “Then again, they are arrogant SOBs. Maybe they figured there was no way we’d survive getting mobbed by those things. They didn’t count on me having a claymore.”

“What’s a claymore?” Emma asked curiously.

“It’s a type of mine. The military uses it kind of like a ginormous shotgun. It shoots hundreds of steel balls at Mach 3. 30% chance of hitting a man-sized target inside a cone fifty yards wide.”

“Yikes!” Emma stared at her friend. “Where in the world did you get one of those? Did Matt give it to you?”

“What? No! I put a bag of marbles on Crush and threw them at the swarm. Crush’s magic accelerated them to some ridiculous speed, like maybe fifty miles per second or something. That many marbles traveling that fast through air generates a freaking massive shock wave. Forget the marbles; the shockwave does all the damage. Thank goodness Crush’s magic kept the backlash to a trickle or we’d have died too.”

“Jeez, Teelo! That was just a trickle?” Emma asked numbly. “It took down a force field! You’re carrying around a portable nuke—you get that, right? If you used that claymore thing in Hejm the cave-in would kill everybody.”

“Duh,” Teagan retorted. “You think I don’t know that? When I fought Jern I was super careful not to use too much of Crush’s weight. It would have collapsed the cliff on our heads.”

“Yeah,” Emma said with a faraway look. “You know, it’s finally starting to sink in.”

“What is?” Teagan asked uneasily.

“All this. You,” Emma said waving her hand in a circle. “I mean, the changelings, yeah, that was scary. And these blood bird things, that was scary too. But it wasn’t real, not even when you hit Discord. Now it is.”

“So what changed?” Teagan asked.

“You did,” Emma said soberly. “You’re not just plain Teelo anymore. You’re a queen. Like, for real. I’ve been watching you fight monsters, and pull all these crazy super-powers out of nowhere. All that training you did with Matt—it was for this, wasn’t it? I mean, you can fly, or set off a damn nuke whenever you want. You swat gods around like they’re softballs for God’s sake!

“On the other hand if you screw up we could die. Which sucks.”

“Sorry you came?” Teagan asked with a wan smile.

“Sorry? No. Having a serious ‘oh crap’ moment? Hell yes.” Emma took a deep breath and let it out. “Looks like I seriously underestimated how hard this was going to be. But you know what? I thought you needed me before, but now I know you do. So I’m going to help. I trust you, and whatever help you need, I’ll do my best to make sure you get it. I promise.”

Overcome by emotion Teagan hugged Emma.

“You have no idea how much that means to me, Emma. You’re the best friend I could ever have,” Teagan whispered. Emma didn’t say anything, just hugging Teagan back.

Kusken had overheard the entire conversation, troll hearing being quite acute, but he gave no outward sign of it, stoically keeping the quickened pace of the caravan.

Do not worry, Queen’s Friend, he thought silently, you are not alone in your oath.

ooOoo

Thunder grumpily circled like the world’s largest dog as he settled into his new cavern. The floor was unpolished and his hoard was pathetically depleted. Although he wasn’t quite in dire straits yet, he would have to begin gathering gems within a month or face (shudder) the loss of his magic. At least the manticore he’d swallowed whole two hours before had quieted his hunger pangs.

With a disgruntled growl he settled at last, crushing several small stones beneath him into powder. Although they caused him no pain, the grinding noise made him huff in annoyance.

I must think of a suitable way to repay the troll queen for her efforts, he grumbled inside his head, slowly relaxing. She dared take advantage of me while I was temporarily destitute. How dare she think she is a dragon’s equal?

His eyes narrowed as he contemplated a suitable revenge against her and the ponies that had helped her.

Celestia would unleash Tartarus against me if I slew enough ponies to repay their debt, he thought sourly. Although he didn’t precisely fear the consequences of angering the alicorn princess, he was old enough to let prudence triumph over smoldering rage. While his scales would protect him against whatever attacks the ponies might launch, facing the Sisters both together was another matter.

The pegasi are not to be dismissed either, he thought as sleep stole over him. They are tiny and nimble and attack your wing roots. One pegasus is a pest easily swatted—but a swarm of them, especially armed with those cursed wing-blades they favor, can be dangerous if you let them get close enough.

Then there was his depleted horde. The gems fueled his breath and his flight, without them he was far too vulnerable to risk the Sisters’ wrath.

He was about to drift off when a chill breeze that stank of corruption blew into his cave. Bristling he raised his head, mouth slightly agape as tiny flames played around his teeth.

My master offers his condolences for your loss, Caelum Tonitru Genuisset, a loathsome whisper crawled inside the dragon’s ears making him snarl in displeasure.

“Show yourself, foul creature, and let me send you on to the next world where you belong!” he bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Do you not wish—recompense—noble drake? Your horde restored to its full glory while seeing those who have wronged you bloody and lifeless at your feet? Will you refuse my master’s gift?

“Who is your master, windigo?” Thunder asked after mulling over the voice’s words.

He wishes to remain anonymous, great Thunder. But as a token of his good faith behold!

A slithering noise coming from his hoard snapped the dragon’s head around. His eyes widened as he saw a mountain of gems pour themselves out of thin air. Once the landslide of gems had stopped other items appeared—treasured items he recognized, ones dear to his heart that he thought lost forever.

Your hoard has been returned to you, Caelum Tonitru Genuisset. But this is only half of my master’s gift. The other half is a secret, perhaps more valuable than your hoard itself. Shall I reveal it?

“What secret?” The drake asked in a neutral tone, reeling from this unforeseen stroke of providence.

The location of those who have wronged you. The troll queen and the ponies that trapped you in your own lair. I can tell you where they are at this very moment.

“Tell me, undead spirit, what price would your master ask of me for this boon?”

None, it is a gift, great Thunder, freely given. My master simply wishes to see justice done.

“I will listen,” The blue dragon said, letting the flames in his mouth die. “Where is the troll queen?”

Recursive Recompense

In which we contemplate the age old conundrum of which came first, the chicken or the egg.

“We must say, sister, that We had forgotten just how skilled Dame Butter Cream has become,” Luna said, eyeing her empty plate in case she had somehow overlooked a single crumb. “We must consider some way to express Our delight to her.”

“Told you,” Celestia said complacently.

“Be that as it may, sister, it is time to turn our attention to aiding friend Rosalyn.” Luna visibly gathered her composure and their dishes were surrounded by a pale blue aura and set aside. A sheet of parchment settled in front of the two alicorns who sat side by side. Rosalyn peered at the intricate symbols that filled the page from across the table. They made no sense to her, especially since they were upside down from her point of view.

“This is a copy of the spell matrix embedded in Rosalyn Parker’s ruby, sister.” Luna said. “Clearly it is a translocation spell as you can see however there are several unique elements I do not recognize. This one, for example, should indicate the medium to serve as conduit, but it is not spás idir, which makes little sense.”

“No, that’s slat crochta, Luna,” Celestia said, studying the page.

“Ah! Yes, now I see,” Luna said nodding. “Since this spell is meant to pierce the Veil slat crochta would make sense. I was misled by thinking only in terms of standard teleportation.”

“What’s slat crotch-ta?” Rosalyn asked in curiosity.

“Slat crochta,” Celestia corrected gently. “Literally translated it means hanging rod, but that’s just a poetic rendering. Slat crochta is, well, you can think of it as a different kind of space. Just as tables and ponies must have space in which to exist the Veil must have a place to exist as well. When a unicorn teleports they do not cover the space between two points, they instead slip in a different direction that lies outside the space you can perceive. That direction, that non-place is called spás idir, literally space between. But in coming here you did not move spás idir, you moved slat crochta. Consider a compass. It is a flat circle that has north, south, and so on. Spás idir and slat crochta would be the equivalent of up and down.”

“Technically incorrect, of course, but an apt analogy for the lay pony,” Luna said, nodding. “Rosalyn Parker, translocation is one of the most advanced subjects in magic, as is anything touching upon the Veil. Even most unicorns never learn the magic and theory behind teleportation, and to Our knowledge, none has ever delved into magics that can safely pierce the Veil.”

“Save Epona, sister,” Celestia noted.

“Epona was a capaill, sister, not a pony,” Luna said with twinkle in her eye. “And even she required—” Luna’s eyes widened and she breathed a short sharp series of words that made Celestia raise her eyebrows.

“Luna?” The white alicorn asked, “what is it?”

“We have been stupid, my sister,” Luna said, her voice sharp with self-recrimination. “It has been right in front of us ever since Lady Teelo was brought here by Nightmare Discord! We have been blinded by our own knowledge!”

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked, confused.

“The Bridge of Days, sister! What does it do? Where does it go? What is it made of?” Luna’s words were forceful. “And from whom did Epona gain the knowledge to create it?”

Celestia’s eyes widened as she realized what Luna was driving at.

ooOoo

The new campsite was three hours away from the old one. Stormwind was unhappy they were a mere five miles from the old campsite, but navigating the narrow trail in the dark had slowed them lest a wagon careen off a cliff in a careless moment. The entire escape had been spent travelling up one single mountain and back down its other side.

Søyle was unhappy that the caravan was exposed on three sides. Their meager shelter was simply the base of a steep slope, but she had to admit further progress wasn’t feasible given the rough terrain and the cumbersome cargo wagons containing their vital supplies.

Emma was unhappy that the camp didn’t look like it was concealed at all despite Iridescent Myth’s assurances to the contrary. She couldn’t see even the slightest shimmer to mark the edges of the illusion. When she asked Teelo if she could see anything the queen’s less than reassuring answer had been a simple no. When she added that Crush couldn’t detect anything either Emma had shivered.

Teelo wasn’t happy simply because her imagination was working overtime. Given everything that Duisternis had thrown at them so far she was amazed no one had been badly injured or killed. She knew their luck would run out before they reached Hejm.

ooOoo

Given the possibility they’d have to run at a moment’s notice the ponies didn’t pitch any tents. or light any fires either, meaning the two girls had to depend on their bedrolls alone to keep warm. The night was surprisingly brisk, with a sharp wind to keep things extra chilly.

Heavy Hoof and Stormwind had arranged alternating short watches to keep their troops as rested as possible. Neither commander was happy with the situation, but they’d done the best they could with what they had. Both sent silent prayers to the Sisters that it would be enough.

Two hours later a massive silhouette swept silently over the camp. None of the sentries noticed it, and it vanished without changing course.

ooOoo

“So this Bridge of Days connects your world to mine?” Rosalyn asked to break the silence. “Who is Epona? Why is it so important who taught her to make the Bridge?”

“Forgive me, Rosalyn,” Celestia said as she shook her head to clear it. “Epona was a capaill, a magical horse from your world. It was she that opened the way from your world to ours. As for the last part of your question, it appears the creature or group that taught Epona how to create the Bridge of Days still exists.”

“Which means,” Luna said grimly, “the situation is far more complicated than we ever suspected. It appears there are more actors yet to take the stage, sister.”

“Agreed,” Celestia nodded, eyes narrowed as she studied the parchment. “Have you noticed the targeting runes, Luna?”

Luna studied the parchment. “I do not recognize them, sister, although the elements seem familiar. This one indicates the target is a creature, not a location. And this symbol group represents the beacon, it appears the creature radiates—” Luna’s head jerked up in recognition.

“Alicorn magic,” she breathed. “The target is an alicorn. And that particular thaumic frequency—it is Our own. This spell targets Us.”

“Indeed,” Celestia nodded, “which would have made this spell worse than useless for the last thousand years.”

“Since We were sealed in the moon,” Luna said, her eyes narrowing. “But now that We have returned it may once again be used freely. And since all that is needed to target another alicorn is the correct thaumic frequency…”

“I, Twilight Sparkle, and Cadence can all be targeted,” Celestia agreed. “That is very worrying, Luna—especially after Tišina.”

“Agreed,” Luna said grimly. “And let us not forget that vile hybrid detained in our dungeon. This ruby comes from Equestria, but there is no telling when the spell was implanted in the stone. It may have been a thousand years ago—or yesterday.”

“The stone was one of the ones we gave Evelyn Lewis,” Celestia noted.

“Indeed, sister. The only real question is when the spell was implanted in the gem—and whether it was done on Equis or Rosalyn’s world.”

ooOoo

Agent Merriweather finished entering his report into the database and clicked Save. Sitting back in his chair the man rubbed his temples wearily and turned back to the machine to initiate travel arrangements. It was already late at night, edging dangerously close to early in the morning. He groaned when he saw his flight was leaving in less than an hour, and would take two and a half hours to reach Kansas City.

“Just great, that means I’m not gonna get any sleep,” he grumbled as he shut down his computer and rushed out the door to catch his flight.

ooOoo

“Honey, your phone is ringing,” a woman’s sleepy voice prodded her husband awake, who then dutifully stumbled out of bed and grabbed the device, noting it was a priority alert. Quietly he slipped out of the room as his wife sank back into slumber. From experience he doubted she’d remember having been woken at all.

Once safely in his study the man opened the report and studied it, the contents driving all thoughts of sleep from his mind as adrenaline kicked in. He went to a wall safe and hurriedly pulled out a box, then dug a moment and lifted out the false bottom. He pulled a dull silvery crystal from underneath it and placed the crystal at a precise location on his phone. He dialed a number from memory.

The other end rang several times before an oddly androgynous voice answered with a single word.

“Yes?”

“We have a hit, a ruby. An agent is en route.” The man said briefly.

“Where?”

“Kansas City,” he read the address aloud.

“Thank you.” Then the line went dead.

Carefully returning the crystal to its hiding place and closing the safe, he hit a different number, one committed to speed dial.

“It’s one o’clock in the freaking morning,” the woman’s voice on the other end said with an edge of cold complaint. “This had better be worth it, whoever you are.”

“Morning to you too, Holly,” the man said with an involuntary grin. “It’s Boone. We got a hit on the Silverlight project. You get to brief Lion Jack. So rise and shine!”

“Oh for the love of…” she groaned. “Why the hell don’t these things happen during office hours?”

“That’s why they pay you the big bucks. The report’s been forwarded to your email, so have fun. I am going back to bed.”

“Oh no, that’s not happening. This is a full court press. Get your coonskin cap in the office, now,” the woman growled. “If I’ve got to wake up the Secretary of the Treasury and talk about fairy stories then you are going to be right there with me in the lion’s den. You realize this is going right to the top, right?”

“Yeah, but at least we lowly assistant secretaries will be safely out of the line of fire,” Boone replied cheerfully.

“Ugh. How can you be so cheerful in the middle of the night? Have you even gone to bed yet?” Holly sounded disgusted.

“Yep, you’d be amazed how much better than a cup of coffee that report is. This is the big one, Holly.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of, Boone,” she said soberly. “Get in as soon as you can. Oh, and stop for donuts. You know how much the lion needs his sugar this early in the morning.”

“Yeah, don’t need to remind me,” Boone said. “See you in twenty, thirty tops.”

ooOoo

It was the vibration that woke the slumbering man who had just finished an 18 hour day monitoring twelve different crises. For a moment he was confused, wondering what had awoken him. When the vibrations in his pajama top’s pocket came again he closed his eyes and gave a deep sigh, wondering why in the world he’d wanted this job.

To avoid waking his wife he slid clumsily out of bed and found his slippers in the dark after a few fumbling attempts. Now awake enough to make his way out of the bedroom he plucked his Blackberry from its nest and answered.

“Hello?” he asked stifling a yawn.

“Mr. President, we have an extraordinarily sensitive situation,” The voice of his chief of staff said in a tone that set President Bend’s pulse racing.

“Dennis, what do you mean by ‘extraordinarily’ sensitive?” He asked. “Did the Iranians threaten to nuke Israel again?”

“I said sensitive, Mr. President, not it’s Monday,” the other man replied drily, letting a bit of humor leak into his voice. “I wouldn’t have woken you if it weren’t—astoundingly unprecedented. Meet us in the Oval Office, not the Situation Room. Make sure to bring your game face because you’re gonna need it. I’ll bring the coffee.”

“You know what we call your coffee, Dennis,”

“Yes, yes, that joke wasn’t funny the first time I heard it,” the other man said easily. “But trust me you’ll definitely want to drink The Menace when you hear about this one.”

“Ok, let me get dressed. How big is the Mob going to be this time?”

“Just the two of us, Admiral Spears, Jack Leon, and one of his people named Holly Eire,” came the reply.

“Wait, why are the NSA and the Treasury waking me up? It’s not like a new terrorist funding source can’t wait a few hours.”

“Trust me, Zelig, this isn’t about terrorist funding sources,” his Chief of Staff assured him. “This is much, much, bigger.”

ooOoo

Did the windigo lie to me? Thunder wondered as he scanned the terrain below. He was well past the place the undead spirit had told him about. The dragon banked and glided back the way he had come, this time looking for caverns or other hidden places the ponies might have used.

He almost missed the faint whiff of pony that came from the base of a steep slope that looked no different from any other he’d seen tonight.

They are being clever, these ponies, he thought with a dark chuckle. They cast an illusion to hide their camp from sight. Probably a silence spell as well. But they forgot to mask their scent. That is a mistake that will cost them dearly.

The dragon already knew which way the ponies were headed, so he went looking for a good spot to land, content to let the ponies come to him.

They would be in for a most unpleasant surprise…

ooOoo

“Wait a minute”, Rosalyn interjected. “Why would someone want a spell that would bring them straight to you?”

“There are many possible reasons,” Luna answered. “We can envision circumstances where it would be very useful indeed—if We gave it to a trusted agent. However, finding this spell in the hooves of a stranger…”

Rosalyn paled as she realized the implications. “Your Highness, my coming here was a complete accident. I didn’t do it deliberately, I swear!”

“We know that, Rosalyn,” Celestia said soothingly to the panicked woman. “But right now there are those who plot against us and if this spell fell into the wrong hooves it could bring disaster to the world. I’m afraid we’re going to have to confiscate your ruby. Rest assured we’ll give you a new one of equal value before we send you home.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Rosalyn said, slumping in relief. “Without something to show the Treasury agent I’d be in serious trouble.”

“As for that,” Celestia nodded at the parchment in front of them, “I trust you’ll make sure it’s kept safe, Luna?”

“Of course,” The blue alicorn snorted, rolling the parchment into a tube and tucking it under her wing. “And the ruby as well, sister. Speaking of which, we should summon Onyx Treasure so we can send Rosalyn back to her home.”

“Agreed,” Celestia’s horn glowed golden for a moment. Seconds later a yellow earth pony with green mane and tail trotted into the room.

“Yes, Your Highnesses? Would you like more cake?” The pony asked with a smile.

“No thank you, Lemon Lime,” Celestia said with a smile. “But would you be kind enough to have Onyx Treasure meet with us here? Have him bring a selection of his best rubies, please.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” Lemon Lime bowed and left. Rosalyn couldn’t help but notice the pony’s flank had a colorful tattoo of yes, a lemon and a lime. Curiosity led her to blurt out a question before it occurred to her it might be rude.

“Um, what’s with all the tattoos on ponies’ hips?”

“They aren’t tattoos, they’re actually cutie marks,” Celestia replied with a smile. “When a pony discovers his or her special talent—I believe humans would say calling—their cutie mark magically appears.”

“So Lemon Lime’s special talent is…fruit?” Rosalyn asked in confusion.

Luna chuckled as Celestia shook her head with a warm smile.

“Cutie marks can be literal, but generally aren’t,” the white alicorn said gently. “In Lemon Lime’s case her specialty is creating beverages. My favorite is one she makes with sparkling water mixed with juices from limes and lemons. Creating that particular drink as a filly is what made her mark appear.”

“Oh, I see. That’s—actually kind of amazing. Are there ponies that never get a cutie mark?”

“It does happen,” Celestia admitted, “but it’s extremely rare. Ponies who never gain their mark are almost always generalists, somewhat skilled in many areas but seldom excelling at any one thing. Although there have been a few geniuses who lacked a mark who were skilled at everything.”

Celestia smiled in fond remembrance. “There was a famous earth pony from several hundred years ago that lacked a cutie mark. His name was Broad Curio. As I recall he was a master of many different crafts, everything from glassblowing to carpentry to baking. He overcame great adversity and by the time he passed on was one of the wealthiest and most respected ponies of his time.”

“Many of the blank flanks are less fortunate, sister.” Luna said in a serious tone.

“I’ve never cared for that term,” Celestia said with a frown. “It is so foalish and unwarranted. Too many ponies look down on those without their cutie marks and there is simply no reason for it.”

“Speaking of ponies looking down on others, who was that unicorn in the throne room when I showed up? He seemed really insulted to be in the same room with me. All I did was try to catch my balance. I just touched his back. Was he really a prince?”

“Ah, Blueblood,” Luna sighed. “We do apologize for our nephew, Rosalyn Parker. Alas, too many of the nobility have lost the graciousness that marks a true noble. He is a prime example of that unfortunate state of affairs.”

“But if he’s a prince and you two are princesses, doesn’t that mean he’s equal in rank to you?” The human asked in confusion. “What does he rule?”

“Equestrian governance works somewhat differently than other species,” Celestia said tactfully as Luna tried to suppress a snort of amusement. “You may have noticed that some ponies have a horn while others have wings, and many, like Lemon Lime, have neither.”

“And the two of you have both,” Rosalyn noted.

Celestia nodded. “Exactly. My sister and I are alicorns, meaning we embody the traits of all three tribes. There are only two other alicorns in all of Equestria, and they too are princesses. Prince Blueblood does not rule anything—”

“Thank the stars,” Luna muttered quietly. Celestia ignored the comment and continued.

“—his title descends from the days when the tribes still had separate rulers. While he sits on the council and has considerable political influence he doesn’t actually rule so much as help make laws.”

“So your council is more like our Congress and you two are like our president, I guess,” Rosalyn commented. “Are kingdoms common here?”

“Yes,” Celestia said, nodding, “almost every country on Equis is ruled by a prince, princess, king, or queen. The one exception that comes to mind are dragons. They are too fiercely individualistic to tolerate an absolute ruler. They have a council but it serves more as an advisory body than a ruling one. On the other hoof the diamond dog packs call their leaders boss instead of king, but it’s the same role.”

“Most countries on Earth are democracies these days,” Rosalyn volunteered. “A few are still ruled by royalty and some…” she hesitated. “Well, some are dictatorships. They tend to be the trouble makers.”

“What is a dictatorship?” Luna asked with interest. “How does it differ from a monarchy—or in Equestria’s case, a diarchy?”

“Triarchy, sister.” Celestia said with a smile. “Twilight is now an Equestrian ruler as well”

“We stand corrected, in sooth,” Luna said, nodding. “But Twilight Sparkle has only recently come into her power. Old habits die hard, my sister. Pardon our aside, Rosalyn. Pray continue.”

“Well, in practical terms there isn’t much difference between a king and a dictator,” Rosalyn said after a moment’s thought. “At least with an absolute monarchy, I mean. They both have absolute authority. I think the main difference is a dictator seizes power from whatever government already existed. A king or queen takes over from their own parents in an authorized transfer. Now that I think about it I guess a lot of kings are descended from dictators. So, I guess, dictators are the seed from which a monarchy grows?”

“Our subjects chose us to be their rulers,” Luna said with a slight frown, “at the founding of Equestria, more than a thousand years ago.”

Rosalyn blinked. “They chose you? As in, you personally?”

“Yes,” Luna nodded, wondering at the confusion on the human’s face.

“You’re a thousand years old?” She asked, blinking.

“Actually, we’re a little over twelve hundred,” Celestia said, understanding why Rosalyn was confused. “Alicorns don’t age, you see.”

“So you’re immortal?” Rosalyn asked, confusion turning to astonishment.

Celestia shrugged. “Who can say? I haven’t aged a day since I became an alicorn, nor has my sister. Whether or not we will eventually grow old and die like other ponies I simply don’t know.”

“Wow,” Rosalyn breathed. “And you’ve ruled Equestria for a thousand years?”

“Yes,” Celestia nodded. “We’ve ruled ever since the three tribes united to defend against the windigos and formed Equestria.”

“You have wendigos?” Rosalyn raised her eyebrows. “How?”

Celestia blinked. “I don’t understand your question. They’ve always existed.”

“Well, if I remember my mythology correctly, a wendigo is a human who survived starvation by eating another human, usually a family member. As punishment the spirits cursed them to become monsters, constantly ravenous for human flesh, yet forever starving, never able to satisfy their hunger no matter how much they eat. Horses don’t eat meat, so how could a horse suffer a curse for being cannibalistic?”

“These creatures exist on thy world?” Luna asked, appalled.

“Oh no, they’re only myths. Historians think the stories were created to reinforce the taboo against cannibalism.” Rosalyn said hastily. “That’s why I don’t understand how they could possibly exist here.”

“On Equis,” Celestia explained, “windigos are undead spirits. They do not consume flesh, but rather the emotions of anger and hate. The more conflict that exists, the more windigos are summoned. Each one is capable of creating great cold in a large area so you can imagine what would happen when a herd of these creatures appears.”

“Great ice storms arose and buried the pony lands in ice,” Luna said somberly. “I was there. I remember cliffs of ice a mile in height, crushing everything before them. Many perished, and more than a few of the slain rose again to join the ranks of the windigos. They were dark times. Ponykind nearly vanished from the face of Equis. Not even the reign of Discord was so terrible.”

“How could you fight something like that?” Rosalyn asked.

“In the end, the only ponies left were the ones who did not believe in the innate superiority of their own tribe, they fled south and abandoned their earlier settlements. The three rulers all had advisors, and those three formed a close friendship. After those three were attacked by windigos their friendship was absorbed, just as the windigos normally ate hate and anger. It turns out friendship is an emotion windigos crave, much as ponies crave sugar.

“But unfortunately for windigos friendship is highly toxic to them, and destroyed both their magic and their ethereal bodies.” Celestia said. “Once the three spread the word and other ponies cultivated their own friends the windigos were finished. Ever since that time ponies have cultivated Harmony, to fight the return of the ice and the windigos.”

“That isn’t just a myth? It actually happened?” Rosalyn asked.

Celestia nodded. “I understand that in your world magic is so rare that no one believes it exists. So I can sympathize with how hard it is for you to believe in it. But I assure you magic is quite real, and on Equis it can bring both great peril and equally great reward.”

Just then a knock sounded.

“Enter,” Luna said in a loud voice.

The door opened, revealing a black pony with a rich golden mane and tail. Rosalyn noted his cutie mark was a scattering of gemstones of various shapes and colors.

“You wished to see me, Your Highness?” He asked, bowing.

“A pleasure to see you, Onyx. My apologies for rousing you from your rest,” Celestia apologized. “Rosalyn Parker, may I introduce Onyx Treasure, the Royal Court Assessor. Onyx Treasure, may I introduce Rosalyn Parker, a jewel trader from Lady Teagan’s world.”

“Good evening, Rosalyn Parker,” the dark earth pony nodded his head. “I assume the reason the Princess had me bring our finest rubies was to arrange for a trade?”

“Not exactly, my little pony,” Celestia said smoothly. “Rosalyn brought us a ruby containing a dangerous spell matrix. For everyone’s safety we had to confiscate her gem, so we would like to give her another in exchange. I immediately thought of you. Your expertise in judging jewel quality is second to none.”

“Ah,” he made a pleased sound. “Of course, Your Highness. May I see the stone she brought so I know which rubies to suggest?”

Celestia shook her head regretfully. “I am afraid not, it’s far too dangerous. Why don’t you show us the stones you brought?”

Without further demur the earth pony unpacked his saddlebag and laid out a black velvet cloth on the table in front of Rosalyn, who was fascinated by the fact he could do it with hooves. She was even more astonished when he rapidly and precisely laid out a dozen large rubies. Her quick eyeball estimate said the rubies ranged from two carets all the way up to a 30 carat monster that Rosalyn bet compared favorably to the fabled Sunrise Ruby.

The earth pony hoofed her a large loupe which she accepted without tearing her eyes away from the treasure laid out before her. Reverently she bent over the first stone and began her meticulous inspection.

Fifteen minutes later, after a lovingly prolonged inspection of each and every stone, ending with the largest ruby, she straightened up and sat the loop down with silent gentleness. Taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly she turned to Onyx Treasure.

“Sir, may I say what a pleasure it was to see these stones? I—there are no words. It was a complete privilege to be able to view them, and in my professional opinion they are the finest collection I have ever encountered. You have my deepest respect.”

Onyx looked nonplussed for a moment, then turned solemn and bowed slightly to her.

“I am happy that you can truly appreciate the stones for their own sake, madam.” He said. “I had thought only earth ponies could listen to the stones when they sang.”

“You can feel them resonate in your soul, can’t you?” She asked, eyes returning to the flawless collection of pigeon blood stones. “I grieve for the ones who never will.”

“Truly, you do understand,” Onyx smiled and turned to contemplate the stones himself. Luna and Celestia exchanged a bemused glance.

Rosalyn shook herself. “As lovely as this has been we should return to business. The stone I need to replace is a flawless three and quarter caret pigeon blood. Which of your collection most closely matches that?”

“Hmm, this stone is three and a half carets. The rest are either smaller or more than a caret larger. I’m not sure what hue pigeon blood is, madam. We never use such terms in Equestria.” Onyx said stiffly.

“Oh, um, well this stone’s color seems rich enough and only a quarter caret difference won’t be an issue, I can always fudge my records. It will do nicely, sir. Thank you very much, for showing me this collection. It was truly a delight.”

“I’m happy to find someone who can honor the stones properly,” He said with a bow. “Your Highnesses, thank you for allowing me to meet Rosalyn, she has a rare gift.” He yawned. “But if you’ll excuse me, my bed is calling. I am not as young as I once was.”

“Of course, thank you Onyx. Sleep well my little pony,” Celestia said with a smile.

“I shall indeed. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, good night.” And with that he quickly but carefully gathered his collection and display cloth and disappeared out the door.

“Well, shall We see thee safely home, Rosalyn Parker?” Luna said brightly.

“I’d really appreciate that, Your Highness,” the human said with a genuine smile. “It’s been a very memorable night and I’ve got an early day tomorrow.”

“Oh, Rosalyn?” Celestia asked suddenly.

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“It would probably be best if you kept this visit our little secret,” the white alicorn said, turning serious. “Not many humans know that Equestria is a real place. I’ve been advised it’s probably better that way.”

“Not a problem, trust me! If I told anybody about you they’d think I was crazy. After all, nobody on Earth believes in magic.” Rosalyn grinned.

“Well, then, have a safe trip and enjoy your ruby,” Celestia replied.

“Art thou ready, Rosalyn Parker?” Luna asked, horn starting to glow softly.

“Yes, Your Highness.” She stood up and slipped the ruby into her pocket. “What do I need to do?”

“Simply stand still and close thy eyes,” Luna advised her. “There may be a slight jerk upon thy return, but thou shouldst not worry, it will not be strong enough to overset thee. Still, brace thyself.”

Rosalyn crouched slightly, trying to balance herself for a push in any direction. Suddenly there was a blue flash she could see through her closed eyelids and a burst of rainbow light. Something shoved her firmly, but thanks to her being braced all she needed to do was put one foot quickly behind her to recover her balance.

When she opened her eyes she was relieved to find herself back in her shop, exactly where she’d been standing just before her unexpected adventure.

ooOoo

Earth, Wednesday night, June 1, 2013 3:02 AM Eastern Standard Time

“Good morning, Mr. President,” Admiral Spears nodded. President Bend settled behind his desk with a grunt and cautiously accepted the cup of coffee his chief of staff passed him, along with a chocolate donut.

“Breakfast of champions”, the president noted wryly. Dennis Mitchell grinned and settled back with another cup of his infamous coffee. President Bend noted the others had wisely refused the offer.

“So, what’s this all about?” The president asked with a yawn. “What’s so important about a new terrorist funding source that we have to discuss it privately at three o’clock in the morning in the Oval Office?”

“Mr. President, I am invoking the powers of the Espionage Act of 1917 and wish to remind the people in this room that revelation of anything I’m about to say will be treated as treason. This information is classified as Core Secret, and normally only accessible to myself as director of the NSA and those who have a proven need to know. Today, I acknowledge that all individuals in this room have a legitimate need to know that has not hitherto existed and caution them that keeping this information is quite literally a matter of national survival, perhaps world survival. The only thing that has protected the United States to date is the fact this information is not available to the general public. I must stress this state of affairs must continue.”

“Ok, David, you have my attention,” The president said staring hard at the other man. “Just what the hell have you dropped us into this time?” His voice was low and his eyes narrowed but everyone in the room winced.

Unperturbed, Admiral Spears met the gaze of everyone else, leaving the president for last.

“There is no way to say this that won’t sound like it came from the National Enquirer,” he said gravely, “but I will do my best. As some of you already know, what I am about to reveal has been gathered over the last two hundred years from both our own efforts and—” he hesitated, “—the aid of certain non-hostiles who most emphatically cannot be considered allies as they are indifferent to our interests—or indeed our very existence.”

The President found his eyebrows creeping upward, but he held his tongue, intrigued. He could tell the other man was stalling, trying not to say whatever he needed to. And that wasn’t like the Admiral at all. President Bend had always found Admiral Spears to be unflinching.

“The NSA has incontrovertible evidence that Earth has been and currently still is host to sentient non-human life forms.”

The sentence just hung there as the admiral stared at the president. “This is not conjecture, Mr. President. I have personally spoken with one such—individual. The NSA has literal tons of paper and computer documentation compiled over our country’s entire history about these creatures. You can imagine my shock when I was briefed by my predecessor General Sanders on this issue.

“Further, these life forms have considerable expertise in and knowledge of exotic physics not yet discovered by humans. They can manipulate the laws of physics in ways our scientists swear is impossible but they consider trivial. Their technologies are so advanced they appear to be literal magic to us.”

“So you’re saying Earth has a colony of little green men?” President Bend said in disbelief.

“Mr. President, I wish it were little green men,” Admiral Spears said grimly. “Little green men wouldn’t be nearly as big a problem. Let me stress to you the magnitude of the situation. These are not aliens from a world circling another star that happened to come and settle on Earth. The truth is there are hundreds of different races of these beings, and they have existed alongside humans for our entire history. It’s only been in the last few hundred years that nearly all of them migrated away from Earth.”

“So what’s the problem?” President Bend asked in confusion. “If they were still here I’d be concerned, but if they left why worry? Are they coming back? Where did they go?”

“They aren’t coming back—at least en masse,” Admiral Spears demurred. “Individuals do come back for their own reasons but generally don’t stay very long. A few still live here, but as far as we can tell there are no more than a few hundred of them scattered across the world, many in areas where humans don’t live. As for where the rest of them are now, well, I suppose you could say they’re in other dimensions, although our scientists say that’s complete nonsense. I’m not a mathematician, but apparently there are alternate universes that these races can access. Different races went to different universes. The occasional traveler seems to use Earth as a kind of airport nexus between the various universes. Most of the time they’re only passing through.”

“Universes? Plural?” President Bend asked, blinking. “How many universes are we talking here?”

“We thought there were five,” Admiral Spears said calmly. “Six if you count Earth’s universe. Tonight we discovered evidence of a seventh.”

“Then why the sudden panic?” President Bend asked curiously. “As mind-bending as this is it’s not like any of its new.”

“The hundreds of other sentient races that moved on never interact with Earth. At all. There is no trade between them and humans, no communication, no visits, nothing. As far as we can tell the ones who do pass through only deal with the ones who stayed behind and never with humans themselves.”

“Even the very few individuals who have occasionally deigned to deal with us keep such contacts to a bare minimum, almost always limited to verbal interaction. Given the power and volatility of the creatures in question it has always been in our best interest to never push the issue.”

“Let sleeping dogs lie?” The president asked.

Admiral Spears nodded. “Exactly. I cannot stress how dangerous it would be should they decide to move against us. We would literally have no defense against them. Given the nature of a few of them we might not even know they had acted at all.”

“What do you mean?” President Bend asked in concern.

“We have some evidence that they have capabilities in memory manipulation, stealth, and remote influence of emotion.”

“Meaning what?” President Bend asked uneasily, having a sneaking hunch what the Admiral was hinting at.

“Meaning they could pretty much manipulate anyone in the government at will, to do anything they wanted them to.” Admiral Spears said flatly. “I don’t have to elaborate how terrifying that scenario is, do I?”

“No. My God,” The President grabbed his coffee and drained it. “Refill,” he growled to his Chief of Staff even as he felt the overload of caffeine hit him like a truck.

“You said the others never deal with humans, right?” President Bend asked as his brain lurched into high gear. “This new universe is different? They interact with humans?”

Admiral Spears nodded. “We got a message from one of the more benign individuals who stayed on Earth. He warned us about the new universe and gave us instructions on how to create a device that could detect materials from other universes. Apparently materials from another universe have certain properties that can be detected by the way they reflect a certain wavelength of light. He also gave us a sampling of objects from each of the universes we know about. I brought it with me. Jack brought one of the new devices.”

He nodded to the Secretary of the Treasury, who picked up what looked like an ordinary desk lamp and put it on the president’s desk.

“If you could plug that in, Mr. President?” he requested. Grunting the president leaned over and plugged the lamp into the concealed plug strip inside the desk. Secretary Leon then rose and dimmed the lights until the office was lit only by the French windows behind the president’s desk.

“Now turn on that lamp, if you would, sir,” Secretary Leon requested as he returned to his seat. When the President did Admiral Spears leaned over the desk and put five small objects on the desk.

“When our contact gave me these objects he emphasized they have no special abilities of any kind, they’re just bric-a-brac he collected on a whim as he traveled. The only thing that makes them extraordinary is that each one comes from one of the different known universes. Aside from that they’re little more than paperweights.”

The president stared at the objects in fascination. They looked like the contents of someone’s junk drawer. One was a statue of an ugly gnome-like creature the size of his thumb made from a dull green stone. Another was, as far as he could tell, just a smooth gray pebble, the third was a tarnished silver ring with some kind of Celtic knot-work engraved on it, the fourth a small box of dark wood that might have been big enough to hold a few pennies, while the last was a cheap looking letter opener made from bronze with a the face of a comical troll on the pommel.

As Admiral Spears had said, they were just trinkets. It looked like stuff you’d find at a Renaissance Fair.

However.

Each object seemed to have a colored shadow, one that slowly grew and faded over about a minute as he watched. The pebble’s shadow seemed to waver along the edges, a vaguely unsettling red, like a guttering fire, while the letter opener’s shadow was sharp-edged but faded blue. The ring was actually glowing with a pale yellow light instead of casting a shadow, the glow growing slightly brighter over the minute and then slowly fading away.

“The lamp produces a very specific wavelength of light that is the median value of moonlight,” The Admiral said quietly. “The more the object contains of the exotic power the other races harness, the faster the light pulses. The more abilities it’s been given the brighter the light and the further it stretches above the desk’s surface. As you can see these objects have next to nothing, the only reason they’re reacting to the lamp at all is because they are made of materials native to the universe they come from. Something about their makeup makes the light interact strangely with them.”

“What about this new universe? Do we have an object from it?” The President asked, still watching the fascinating light show the trinkets were putting out.

“Yes and no, Mr. President. The object in question is a three caret ruby, reportedly worth approximately two hundred thousand dollars. It was sold to a jewel trader in Kansas City by a private investigator, who said it was given to her in payment for services rendered. The trader tested the jewel under a lamp like this one, which we sold to every jewel trader in the United States on advice from our contact.”

“Who is this contact?” The President asked, finally raising his eyes to look at Admiral Spears, who shrugged.

“He calls himself Faust, no last name. In public he appears to be a very thin blond teenager, maybe sixteen years old, with green eyes and shoulder length golden yellow hair. The one time I met him face to face he dropped his glamour, as he called it, revealing what I assume is his true appearance, approximately six feet in height, with straight white hair down to his waist, red eyes with bright blue sclera, and ears that would turn Mr. Spock green with envy. His facial structure was much more triangular, with extremely exaggerated cheekbones and an excessively pointed chin. You’d never mistake him for a human being.”

“So these non-humans can disguise themselves as human?” The President frowned. “That’s not good. Can you imagine one of them as a terrorist?”

“Yes, yes I can,” Admiral Spears said grimly. “Which is why it is extremely important we honor the status quo. Not only do they have perfect stealth, individually they are also walking weapons of mass destruction, each and every one. Ever seen the Avengers movie, Mr. President?”

President Bend winced. “Point taken. At least tell me they can only appear at certain places on Earth,” he requested.

Admiral Spears shook his head. “I wish I could. The truth is we simply don’t know. Maybe they have to use specific locations or maybe they don’t. If I had to guess I’d bet some need fixed points and others don’t. It might depend on the universe involved, or the individual’s power, or maybe some arcane mumbo-jumbo involving the position of the stars and the time of year. There are lots of legends pointing to each of those. Take your pick.”

“I am not feeling all warm and fuzzy here, David,” the president growled.

“Welcome to my world,” Admiral Spears retorted. “The big worry about this new universe is they seem to be dealing with humans directly, unlike all the others. The one thing we do know about the non-humans on earth right now is they don’t seem to exist in official records. Faust, for example, has no birth certificate, educational history, no record of employment or domicile. The few people who do know him don’t seem to care enough to ask. It’s the same for the very few others that have even minimal contact with humans. As for most of them, they seem to live in the wilderness and people just don’t encounter them.”

“Mind control?” The president asked uneasily.

“Probably,” The Admiral shrugged. “Nothing too huge, just a little nudge anytime somebody gets too curious. That seems to fit in with what little we know about them. The ones who are still here don’t go out of their way to cause trouble. They seem content to be left alone. Given their mind altering abilities there’s simply no need for them to do anything more to defend themselves.

“Which brings me to the new universe. The reason we know this new universe is dealing with humans is we have a full history on the private investigator who sold the ruby. Birth records, educational history, work history, even her concealed carry permit. Not a damn thing missing or out of place. As far as we can tell she’s completely human. I’ve got a team trying to dig into her case histories, I should know more in a few days.”

“What about the jewel trader?” The president asked. Admiral Spears turned to the Secretary of the Treasury who in turn looked at the woman.

“I’m Holly Eire, Mr. President, Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis. According to the report filed by our field agent he was contacted around 10:30 PM Washington time by Rosalyn Parker, a jewel trader in Kansas City. Ms. Parker said she had tested a ruby just sold to her under the silver lamp and that the ruby had reacted.”

She paused.

“You saw how ordinary objects from another universe reacted—minute long pulses showing dim colored shadows. However, this ruby reacted very differently. It had a pulse rate of once per second, and there was no shadow, the ruby itself emitted little rainbows that faded from one spot only to erupt in another. Not a single colored shadow, but an actual rainbow erupting into the air from the stone itself.”

“Meaning the stone had some special ability?” The president guessed. Holly nodded.

“Not only a special ability, an exceptionally strong one. According to Faust’s documentation a reaction like that is only produced by legendary items that contain, and I quote, ‘levels of power humans should not mess with under any circumstances’, unquote. Even more unsettling is that a rainbow spectrum is not listed as one of the possible colors for the known universes.”

“Do you have any conjectures as to why it’s a rainbow of colors?” The President asked her.

She shook her head. “Nothing concrete, although one possibility might be the stone has components from multiple universes. Given we’re talking about a ruby instead of a manufactured object that seems unlikely. Best guess is either the stone was empowered in different known universes or we’re dealing with a new universe altogether. Given that Faust warned us about a new universe, that’s the most likely explanation.”

“How trustworthy is this Faust character?” The President asked Admiral Spears.

The Admiral shrugged again. “Everything he’s told us before panned out. You have to understand, Mr. President, I’ve only dealt with Faust on three occasions during my time running the NSA, a grand total of about an hour. He seems to have a whimsical personality, everything amuses him. Records indicate he seldom contacts us more than two or three times in a decade. Oh, and I guess I should mention he’s been dealing with the United States government for about a hundred and fifty years, give or take.”

“He’d be pretty old by now, don’t you think?” The President asked drily. “Or are we dealing with a group using the same disguise?”

“No way to tell given how minimal the contacts with Faust have been. A group isn’t unlikely, but legends say these non-humans don’t die of old age. He might really be that old—or older, for all we know.”

“You don’t seem to know very much about these aliens at all,” The president said with a sigh. “No slight to your abilities, Admiral.”

“None taken. Compared to what we have on these guys our information on Al-Queda looks like the Encyclopedia Britannica. And as I said we have tons of paper and computer records on them. All of it amounting to ‘reply hazy, try again’. Don’t laugh. We even tried magic 8 balls and Ouija boards out of sheer frustration. The really scary part is that’s exactly the response we get from them every single time. I wish I was kidding.”

The President absorbed that silently.

“So what do we know about the aliens of this new universe?” He finally asked.

“They deal with humans in the Kansas City area and pay in extremely high-quality gemstones,” Admiral Spears said promptly.

“And?” President Bend prodded after a moment.

The admiral shrugged. “Reply hazy, ask again later. Seriously, we’ve known about the ruby for less than a day. Give me a week and I’ll at least know who the PI’s clients are. I must stress the potential extreme lethality of these non-humans. We need to move exceptionally carefully. Piss one of them off and we may not like them when they’re angry, if you get my drift.”

“Any other good news you’d like to share, Admiral?” The President asked tiredly. “Werewolves in London? Vampires living in Transylvania, maybe?”

“Well, if the legends about these creatures can be trusted we at least have a collective name for them,” The Admiral said with a wry smile.

“And that would be?” The President asked, taking the bait.

“Fae.”

Reconcilliation

In which certain accounts are settled and a new balance sheet emerges.

Dear Diary it’s um, Thursday? Yeah, Thursday morning,

Sorry I missed a couple of days posting, so this will be catch up. It’s been a bit busy, and more exciting than I wanted it to be. Where do I start?

How about when we teleported from the Bridge of Days to Celestia’s bedroom in Canterlot Castle?

Oh, yeah I guess I should mention that teleportation SUCKS. Human brains go squirrelly when exposed to wherever it is unicorns go during a teleport. It doesn’t last very long—no that’s wrong. It takes no time at all. But when you reappear at the new location you’re dizzy and sick to your stomach. And that’s when you suddenly remember you were in this bizarro place that’s completely indescribable. A place where the senses are all scrambled up. Each time is different, this time the color purple smelled like butterscotch and I could see something that felt like velvet and could feel Twilight under me as blaring trumpets.

Yeah, it’s really like that. Sounds that you smell, colors you feel, touch you hear. Think of the most messed up stories you’ve ever heard about bad drug trips then put them all together in a blender. That’s what teleportation is like.

I’m not a fan, is what I’m saying.

Anyway, once we settled down we went to dinner with Twilight, Celestia, and Luna. Dinner was neat! All the food was on a side table and there was breakfast and supper both. See, Princess Luna stays up all night so for her it was breakfast time. The food at the castle is yummy too! Best I’ve ever tasted, which kind of makes sense, I guess, what with the Princesses being here and all.

Anyway, after dinner Teelo played some songs on her MP3 player that bronies made about Luna. The first couple were really sad, about how she got possessed a thousand years ago and stuff, but the last one was epic! It was an instrumental dedicated to Luna as guardian of the night. She looked really happy when Teelo told her the songwriter said he wrote it because he said she deserved it.

Ok, Mom, Dad, here is where you’re gonna say “I told you so”, and I really thought things were settling down, but turns out I was wrong. After the songs Celestia laid a bombshell on us.

Somebody tried to kill her.

Yeah, I know, I know! You’re gonna freak out on me when you read this, but at least I’m not trying to hide anything, just like I promised.

Apparently when Teelo helped rescue Sweetie Belle they captured one of the kidnappers, some kind of hybrid unicorn mare. She apparently tricked Celestia into her cell to talk to her privately, and then tried to bite her with fangs. How a unicorn has a snake’s fangs (with anti-magic venom no less) is beyond me, but that’s what happened.

Celestia seemed to take it in stride, though. I guess when you’re as old as she is even an assassination attempt is nothing new. Hey, fun random fact, did you know Queen Victoria survived no less than *seven* assassination attempts? So even on Earth things can get pretty hairy. Just saying…

I think Teelo was more pissed off about it than Celestia was!

After that Celestia went to bed and Luna had night court so Teelo asked if I wanted to go clubbing with her. We had jet-lag anyway from the time difference (it still felt like late afternoon) so I was in. I mean, clubbing on another planet???? Who can resist that?

Luna said Faerie Mist (the one who invited Teelo’s parents to Equestria) was up on the club scene and told us where to find her.

Seems like she’s got her eye set on Sun Hammer, and that’s where we found her, having dinner with him in the armory. He hides in there all the time because he’s an outcast in Equestria. I really don’t get it because he’s a hero. He saved Celestia’s life back in the day--and that means he saved the whole world! But to do it he killed the old Troll King and apparently they all treat him like he’s Hannibal Lector or something because of it.

Which I think is stupid, because he’s a really nice pony. Teelo’s very fond of him. He’s pretty rough around the edges but he’s true blue and never runs when things get tough. He and Faerie Mist make a mega-cute couple too!

When Teelo invited them to come clubbing with us he wanted nothing to do with it—until Faerie Mist made with the puppy dog eyes. He was putty in her hooves after that!

Faerie Mist took us to her favorite club—which used to be Sun Hammer’s as well! Is that fate, or what? Anyway, they didn’t want to let Sun Hammer or Teelo’s troll bodyguards in until Faerie Mist started channeling Celestia and broke out with the Emo-Blackmail-Fu. You should have seen it! It was awesome!

Once we got inside Teelo and I danced a little. Ponies have dub-step (they call it the wubs), which is kinda weird, and they dance on all fours, which is even weirder. There were lots of different species in the club, too. I saw griffins and minotaurs and even a few goats!

I got to dance with a few different stallions too, it was a blast! Just call me the Dancing Queen! (Yeah, I heard it on the radio before we left. Unlike you two I didn’t grow up with it! Pfft.)

All that dancing really did us in though, so Teelo and I went back to the table. That’s when Faerie Mist pulled one heck of a trick!

She had the DJ start playing this really fast old-fashioned tune. It sounded like Celtic folk music, if you can believe that. Then she got Sun Hammer to dance with her. And oh, my God! The two of them took over the dance floor and they absolutely owned that club! It reminded me of River Dance, you know that rapid tap-dancing stuff they do? Well, let me tell you when two ponies do it, it is absolutely spellbinding! Apparently they’re both really good at it too, like pro-level good! They were tapping their hooves so fast it was like they were floating, and they did all kinds of fancy spins and stuff. All on four hooves!

By the end of the dance every single pony applauded them! Oh, when ponies applaud they stomp the ground with alternating hooves. It was so loud it made my chest vibrate.

After their dance a griffin came over and introduced herself as Lady Silkwind. She’s some kind of bigwig diplomat, and regularly has tea with Princess Celestia. Faerie Mist knew her, so she wasn’t laying it on thick to impress us. Teelo tells me she’s some kind of spy, which for griffins is like a national pastime or something. But she’s very refined, and let me tell you, she’s impressive. She’s half lion and half eagle and is a little bigger than a normal pony, but still shorter than me, although I bet she weighs three hundred pounds or more. But so very lady-like, she could give Rarity lessons!

She’s actually travelling to Hejm with us, something about safety in numbers. Which brings me to another little adventure you’re not going to like…but don’t freak out.

Lady Silkwind asked if she could walk home with us because her house was on the way but Sun Hammer and Faerie Mist decided to stay at the club. Good thing they did!

Now keep in mind it wasn’t just Teelo, Silkwind, and me. We had Skrent and Flint with us (Teelo’s troll bodyguards) and twenty pegasus guards.

I also want to say that I’m perfectly safe and haven’t been hurt in any way, so while things got a little—exciting—I’m ok!

Anyway, on the way back to the castle we got jumped by a pack of shadow wolves. How they ended up in Canterlot I have no idea but Teelo pulled out some new super powers and blasted one of the wolves as it was about to attack a passer-by that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then things got—uh—busy.

By the way, I learned how to fly. Can’t say I’m going to make a habit of it. See, to get me to safety Teelo had me grab Crush and used its magic to throw me.

Straight up—fifty feet straight up. In the air. Yeah…did you know I was afraid of heights? Me neither. Two of the pegasi caught me and settled me on the back of a third. Turns out pegasi can hover—carrying a rider no less. The guards train to do it in case of chariot accidents. By the way, Teelo mentioned she rode a pegasus the second time she was here.

If I hadn’t been so petrified I’d have enjoyed it a whole lot more. Still, looking back it was kind of neat. The guard’s name was Blazing Sky, by the way. I really need to send him a thank you note when I get to Hejm…

Anyway, once everybody was sitting on the roof things calmed down quite a bit. Teelo and Stormwind were debating what to do about the wolves when lo and behold Princess Luna teleports in and surrounds the whole pack with this telekinetic bubble and starts juggling it. I am not kidding. I guess she got bored while the guards made sure she got the entire pack. Once they were sure it was safe Blazing Sky flew me down. I was never so happy to see cobblestones in my life! Laid right down in the street and kissed them!

Anyway, we went back to the castle and the Council was assembled. Yet another thing I am not a fan of. Guys, when it comes to political bickering humans have got nothing on ponies! They got going and it was a full on shouting match for a good fifteen minutes. They didn’t calm down until Celestia showed up.

Long story short, the good news is this little stunt brought a formal military alliance between Equestria and the trolls which gave Teelo’s mission a serious boost. So…Yay, I guess?

Oh, that reminds me. I guess I should talk about Dustiness--that’s not its name but I can’t remember the real one. They’re some kind of cult, the same ones that kidnapped Sweetie Belle. Everyone is pretty sure they sicced the wolves on us too.

Anyway, all that happened on Monday. We went to bed and caught the train early Tuesday morning.

We had breakfast on the train, which was fun. The pancakes came with real maple syrup too. The *good* stuff, best I ever tasted. Well, once I managed to get some, that is. I swear eating with Teelo is a lot like eating with a starving dog. I mean the pancakes were literally a foot across, and she ate six of them in one sitting, drowned in maple syrup too. Not to mention all those scrambled eggs and a dozen strips of tofu bacon!

I am not exaggerating, either. That’s really what she had for breakfast.

Nothing much happened during the train ride. I spent the rest of the trip chatting with the trolls and the ponies. I even met one of Lady Silkwind’s bodyguards, a griffin named Garrasi. He was very military. You know the type—polite but kind of tight lipped. Constant vigilance and all that stuff. Very regal. You could use him as a recruitment poster, he’s all noble gaze and stern expression, you know:

EQUESTRIA WANTS YOU!

One odd thing, I went through all the passenger cars but I never saw Lady Silkwind. Guess she was napping in one of the sleeper cars or something…weird.

After lunch we reached a place called Blue Sky station and added a second troupe of guards to the caravan, they called themselves Rolling Thunder. They’re a mix of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies. First time I’d seen a military unit mix the three tribes, they’re usually only one tribe to a unit.

Once the caravan set off I managed to walk about four hours—seven whole miles! But it exhausted me. I told them I could finish the day but Søyle picked me up like a sack of potatoes and sat me on one top of one of the wagons. It was embarrassing but just between us I was glad to ride. My legs felt like overcooked noodles at that point.

Then that smart-ass Stormwind flew by and told me they could have me in Hejm inside an hour if I wanted to fly there in a stretcher! I gave him a piece of my mind for thinking I’d run off and leave Teelo. I think it impressed him because he didn’t make any more snide remarks after that.

We traveled another three hours before setting up camp. It made me feel pretty useless when I offered to help and nobody wanted me to. After that we went to bed.

Which brings us to Wednesday morning. Sorry this is taking so long but I promise I won’t skip any more entries, I’ll even label them by day! See, trying to be helpful, I’m not skipping anything—even the parts that might make you worry.

Anyway, the next morning we both had sore legs and I had blisters. Fortunately Graceful Star (she’s Rolling Thunder’s medic) brought us a bottle of magic liniment—and when I say magic I’m not kidding, it had magical healing power in it!

You remember asking Teelo about pony medicine? Well Graceful Star has had a lot of practice working on non-ponies. The magic seems to work on all living creatures, which is useful. The liniment took the soreness away in like, five seconds!

Good stuff, I’m gonna see if I can bring a bottle back with me.

Anyway, I spent the whole day riding again (bummer) so when we made camp last night I took a short walk down the hill to work out the kinks.

And…here’s another little adventure. They do seem to be happening a lot more often than I thought they would. Don’t freak out, ok? I’m fine and we’re still headed toward Hejm.

Anyway, there were these bird things in the trees—a lot of them. Their calls were really eerie so I told the others about it. Søyle was like, we better check it out, and Stormwind agreed with her. Well, turns out it was a good thing we did because the bird things were actually a humongous swarm of something Søyle called blood birds. They’re actually birds but they act like a cross between a vampire bat and a mosquito.

One of the pegasus scouts must have disturbed them because they started chasing him back to camp, ignoring the rest of us. Some of the unicorns raised a force field over the camp and the rest of us ran flat out to hide under it. Søyle picked me up again and ran with me stuck under her arm like a football. Man, is she fast!

Anyway, we got inside the force field and Teelo does another of her super-hero tricks. Only this time the bang was so big it not only obliterated the entire swarm it also knocked down the force field! Kind of hurt the unicorns that had been making the field too, they had really nasty headaches and won’t be able to cast any magic for the rest of the trip.

We left that campsite as fast as we could in case there were more of the bird things and put a mountain between us and them. And that’s where we spent the rest of the night, hidden under an illusion one of the other unicorns cast. I couldn’t see anything but Myth told me it was definitely there. She’s the unicorn that cast it. Fun fact, her horn glows with rainbow colors when she casts a spell, all the other unicorn horns glow the same color as their fur.

Anyway, that catches up the journal; I swear I won’t forget again, we’re just about ready to set out, so I gotta go.

Love you!

Emma

ooOoo

Earth, Thursday morning, June 6, 2013 9:00 AM

Rosalyn was on her third cup of coffee, nervously waiting for the Treasury agent to arrive. She hadn’t gotten much sleep, too busy trying to plan for the meeting and frankly a bit freaked out by her trip to another world. Another universe? Another dimension?

Wherever it was, they had magnificent cake, she thought with a chuckle. Just then the door opened and a tired looking man wearing an open collared dress shirt and slacks shuffled in.

“You look as tired as I feel,” she greeted the potential customer with a smile.

“Jet lag,” he mumbled, then visibly gathered himself. “Rosalyn Parker?”

“Yes?” She said, realizing who this must be.

“Hi, I’m Treasury Agent John Merriweather. We spoke on the phone last night?” He covered a yawn. “Excuse me. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Me neither,” she replied ruefully.

He brought out a leather wallet and flipped it open, showing her his ID.

“Tell you what, if you can give me an hour we’ll wrap this up, then you can point me to a good place to have breakfast and I’ll be out of your hair.”

“Ok, let me close up shop. I’ll be just a second.”

He waved dismissively. “Don’t rush on my account.” He yawned again and blinked. Before he knew it she was leading him back to her workroom where she turned on the silver lamp and turned off the lights.

“Here we go,” she said, putting the ruby down under the light. Then she frowned. “It was a lot more energetic last night.”

The ruby was throbbing slowly, perhaps once every three seconds. The rainbows didn’t shoot out so much as ooze. But Agent Merriweather’s attention was riveted on the stone. He’d seen the same demonstration as given to the president, and he was aware the stone was showing a much stronger reaction than the trinkets did.

“When you say more energetic, what do you mean?” He asked, staring at the pulsing lights of the stone.

“Well, it was faster, for one thing,” Rosalyn replied immediately, “at least three times faster. Not only that, but the rainbows came out a lot faster, and then vanished, all at once. This time they’re just kind of pouring out. And they look more faded.”

“Hmm. How did you store the stone?” He asked, carefully not touching it as he leaned closer.

“Well, I put it in a gem bag and stored it in my safe,” she replied, holding up a small blue velvet drawstring bag.

“Anything unusual happen after that?” He asked casually.

“What do you mean?” Rosalyn asked, tilting her head.

“Electrical disturbances, static on a radio, hallucinations, strange sounds, catching things moving out of the corner of your eye, stuff like that,” the man said seriously.

“Um—no,” Rosalyn shook her head and couldn’t keep from chuckling. “Just—that,” she said nodding at the gem. “Only faster. So, is it safe?”

“Huh? Oh, the stone? Perfectly safe. It won’t make you turn green and grow an arm out of the middle of your back or anything weird. It’s not radioactive.”

“So can I sell it?” She asked. “A stone of this quality will gather a lot of interest. It’s completely flawless.”

He hesitated. “Let me check with my superiors. Mind if I take a video of it?”

“Be my guest,” she said, gesturing to the stone. Taking out his smart phone he took a two minute video of the stone and its reaction to the lamp.

“Ok, you can bring the lights back up,” he said. Wordlessly she did so, turning off the silver lamp and returning the stone to its bag.

Agent Merriweather excused himself and went into the front part of his shop to make a phone call. Rosalyn sat on tenterhooks until he returned and smiled at her.

“All right, everything’s taken care of. You can sell the stone but when you do I want you to contact me and provide detailed records of who, where, when, and how much. In the mean time I want you to check the stone every night before you go home and contact me the instant the stone reacts more strongly to the lamp, ok?”

“Ok,” she smiled in relief. “I was very afraid you were going to confiscate it. That would have put me in a very bad financial position.”

“The Treasury department isn’t in the habit of theft, Ms Parker,” the man said, frowning. “If we had to confiscate it you would be compensated for the price you paid for it. Didn’t you say it’s worth a couple of hundred thousand?”

“At least,” Rosalyn nodded. “I actually bought it on consignment. I’m more interested in the contacts I can make than the selling price.”

“I’m not an expert on gems but it’s a very pretty ruby,” he said smiling. “I hope you get a good price for it. Now, I’d say we’re done here, but I have one final question.”

“Yes?”

“Where’s the best place around here for breakfast?”

ooOoo

Emma put the journal in her bedroll and rolled it up. She stowed it in Kusken’s wagon with her other stuff as the ponies and trolls began to assemble to resume the march. Oddly, once everyone had assembled they just stood around and waited, so she wandered over to Kusken.

“Hey,” she greeted the hulking troll. He nodded to her.

“What’s going on? Why aren’t we moving?” she asked.

“Wait for scouts,” he grunted.

“Scouts?” she wondered aloud. He nodded.

“Ah,” she nodded wisely, “because of last night?”

He nodded, gazing down the trail they would be following.

“They’re making sure we won’t run into any more blood birds, right?”

He nodded again.

Rolling her eyes slightly Emma said, “Good talking to you, Kusken. I’m gonna try walking some today but I’ll probably end up back on top of your wagon. Sorry about that.”

He glanced at her and the ghost of a smile appeared.

“No need be sorry, you tiny. I not notice,” he said. There was the slightest lift at the corners of his mouth but Emma had the feeling he was laughing at her on the inside.

“Glad to know I’m not a burden,” she replied drily and went looking for Graceful Star.

She found the medic waiting patiently with the rest of Rolling Thunder.

“Hi,” she said, smiling. The unicorn returned her smile.

“Feeling better this morning?” the slender unicorn asked.

“Yeah, I am. Listen, would it be all right if I tried walking today?”

The unicorn pursed her lips, examining the girl.

“As long as you don’t push it,” she finally replied. “You should probably walk no more than a couple of hours. But if your feet start to hurt get on a wagon immediately, ok?”

“I promise,” Emma said, nodding. “Any idea how long before the scouts get back?”

“They left at dawn, so I’d imagine they’ll be back any time now,” the unicorn replied.

“Thanks, Graceful Star,” Emma replied, waving as she went to find Teelo.

Teelo was having a meeting with Søyle, Stormwind, Heavy Hoof, and Meteor Swarm when Emma arrived.

“Damn dragon,” Teelo muttered as Emma joined the group.

“Dragon?” Emma asked, perplexed. “What dragon?”

“Thunder,” Teagan replied. “He’s the one who worked for Sweetie Belle’s kidnappers. He’s blocking the trail about an hour’s march from here.”

“That’s not a coincidence, is it?” Emma asked with a sigh.

“Nope, the question is, what are we gonna do about it?” Teagan said with a frown. “He could barbeque the lot of us with a single breath and he’s sitting in a bottleneck so there’s no way around him. We’d have to backtrack all the way to Blue Sky Station and take a different route—one that takes two weeks to reach Hejm. And that’s on top of the two days we’ve already been moving and the two days it would take to get back there.”

“We cannot delay that long, Dronning,” Søyle rumbled. “We should already be in Hejm. I say we fight this dragon.”

“My shield unit is out of commission, Søyle,” Heavy Hoof said. “Not to mention they’re also our long range punch. Hoof-to-hoof combat against a dragon without our shields? It would be suicide. Even at full strength I’d rather not fight a full grown dragon.”

“Meteor Swarm, you and the other three can’t do any magic at all, right?”

“Just enough to lift our rations at meal time,” Meteor Swarm agreed, “and that only because telekinesis isn’t real spell casting. When you took down our shield, Your Majesty, the backlash was like being kicked in the head. It gave us minor concussions. Even small spells could cause complications, and a combat spell might be fatal.”

Teagan winced. “Yeah, sorry about that, you’re all going to get Purple Hearts once we reach Hejm, or whatever the troll equivalent is.”

“The bottom line is, fighting this dragon is not an option,” Heavy Hoof said firmly.

“Neither is retreat,” Teagan said, “so what does that leave?”

“Negotiation?” Emma suggested into the silence that followed.

The three stallions all snorted derisively and in unison.

“He’s pretty pissed off, Emma,” Teagan said, shaking her head. “He’s not happy with Rolling Thunder for gluing him to the ground during the rescue. And he’s really angry with me for forcing surrender from him while he was laying there helpless.”

“What did you do?” Emma asked curiously.

“Used Crush to convince him I really could kill him if I had to. Gotta remember we’re ants to him. He’s as proud as a cat too. Forced to surrender to ponies? If the other dragons found out he’d be a laughing stock.”

“Ouch,” Emma said, grimacing. “I see what you mean.”

“Yeah, anybody that got close enough to talk to him would be charcoal before they could blink.” Teagan agreed. “Negotiation isn’t an option.”

“Too bad we don’t have one of those amulet things Twilight used to talk to Princess Celestia,” Emma commented, frowning. “That way we could talk to him from here. After all, didn’t you say Dusty stole his horde? I wonder if he knows that?”

Teagan stared at Emma, mouth hanging open.

“What?” Emma asked.

“Emma, You’re a genius!” Teagan hugged the surprised girl hard enough to force the air from her.

“Hey, Heavy Hoof, didn’t you say the Fixers were general-purpose mages?” Teagan asked with a grin.

The big stallion nodded, eying her curiously.

“Well, I think I have a plan. As long as Perfect Sky and his brother are up to another mission this morning…”

ooOoo

He dialed the phone as he settled back in the driver’s seat. The car was hot, even with the windows open, but he bore it silently.

“FinCEN, Director Saxon-Kalb speaking,” A middle-aged woman’s voice said brusquely.

“Director, its Agent Merriweather. I got your text.” He said, blinking back tiredness. “I’m done here. I’ll be taking the first flight back.”

“Are you alone, Agent?” She asked. In the background he could hear the sound of a closing door.

“Yes,” he said, starting the car and turning on the air conditioning. He rolled up the windows.

“I saw the video of the ruby,” she said quietly. “Congratulations on being the first agent to succeed in Project Silverlight.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” he responded. “As per protocol I kept the interview light and non-confrontational. Ms Parker was extremely cooperative and will alert us to any change in the ruby’s status. She didn’t have a problem when I asked her to send us a copy of the transaction once she sells it. My hunch is her involvement is accidental.”

“Hmm, most likely. I’m more interested in who sold it to her,” the woman said. “I’m told Admiral Spears is leading the investigation on that, but I offered your expertise to their local resources. I want you to stay in Kansas City and await further instructions. I’m smelling dirty laundry, Agent Merriweather. And you know my nose is never wrong.”

“Understood, Director, I’ll email you when I know which hotel I’ll be staying at.”

“One more thing, Agent. Admiral Spears has stressed this investigation is to be handled with the upmost discretion. When I asked why he informed me there were diplomatic complications, although he refused to say which country was involved, just that it would be a disaster if we poked the wrong hornet’s nest. Be invisible, Agent.”

“Yes, well, accountants are good at being invisible,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ll leave the cloak and dagger work to the spooks. It’s safer that way.”

“Very good. Any final thoughts before you go?” the woman asked calmly.

He hesitated. “Ms Parker did note the ruby acted differently than it did last night,” he finally said. “She said it was pulsing much more slowly, the rainbow wasn’t nearly as energetic or colorful.”

“Any idea what that means?” the Director asked.

“According to the documentation it means the stone had less charge than it did last night, a lot less. But you saw the video, it still beat the stuffing out of the demos we were shown.”

“Any idea why? I’ll take hunches or wild speculation at this point.”

“No. Assuming the documentation is accurate the stone lost two-thirds of its charge overnight. It’s like it was used for something.”

“What do you mean?”

He paused, wondering what that itch at the back of his mind was telling him. “I’m not sure…but I doubt sitting in a safe overnight would pull that much charge out of it.”

“Are you saying the stone is some kind of battery?” she asked in surprise. “I know we call it charge but that’s just because no one knows what else to call it.”

“No, I don’t have any proof, just a feeling,” he replied. “I’m short of sleep so maybe my brain’s fuzzy.”

“Well, get some sleep and I’ll pass on your feeling to Admiral Spears. Since the NSA didn’t tell us jack about Project Silverlight feelings and hunches are about all we’ve got. Good-bye, Agent.”

“Good-bye, Director.”

Putting the phone away he put the car in gear and went hunting for a hotel.

ooOoo

Early in the dark morning hours the unicorn jerked awake from a nightmare. He saw several blurred shapes and in a panic instinctively tried to teleport across the room, only to be rewarded with a blinding migraine caused by magical feedback. Cradling his horn in both hooves he felt the heavy metal ring at its base.

“Adept Glory, you are under arrest for high treason,” he heard a voice say though the flashing lights, bright spots, and throbbing pain. “Guards, take him away. Princess Celestia will deal with him at her leisure.”

Bewildered and unable to react the unicorn suddenly convulsed, spewing last night’s wonderful (and wonderfully expensive) dinner all over his bed.

“And make sure you put a bucket in his cell,” the voice said in disgust.

All across Canterlot similar scenes were playing out.

ooOoo

Thunder stirred to alertness as he suddenly caught a whiff of pony, right under his nose. Lifting his head he peered down, seeing nothing but the glitter of a shiny stone in the sunlight. Peering closer he saw it was a rather nice sapphire, but badly cut, and thus nearly worthless. Some idiot had cleaved the jewel entirely in half!

The dragon shook his head, regarding the ruined stone. It offended him someone had destroyed such a beautiful (and delicious) gem. It wouldn’t even be worth eating now, all the mana completely thrown out of balance.

“Hello?”

The dragon’s ears flicked forward, unsure if he’d actually heard anything.

“Thunder? Can you hear me?”

The sound was coming from the stone. Intrigued he lowered his head to lay it beside the stone.

“Is this working? Thunder, I’m trying to talk to you. Can you hear me?”

The dragon’s upper lip curled, revealing a gleaming fang.

“I hear you, queen of the trolls. I see you are as cowardly as ever.” The dragon’s voice was cold and mocking, but didn’t convey the rage beginning to glitter in his eyes. He closed his eyes so he could concentrate on the tiny voice coming from the gem.

“The word is prudent,” the queen’s voice corrected calmly. “I have vital information to give you, Thunder, and I’m perfectly aware you’d roast me before I could even open my mouth if I simply walked up to you. I’m not so proud I’d willingly throw my life away to no purpose.”

In spite of himself the dragon chuckled.

“You are not wrong, queen of the trolls. Your offense against me was a mortal one. I will not forgive it. Come to me and let me send you to the next world with a clean soul.”

“Not going to happen, Thunder.” The queen said drily. “But perhaps I can ransom myself and my companions with the news I bring.” The queen’s voice was calm, something the dragon was sure it would not be if she were pinned bleeding under his claws.

“Ransom? You are most humble now that I hold the advantage,” The dragon said in amusement. “What could you possibly offer me that could persuade me to forgive you?”

“Because I know why you were working for Rimor, and I also know who was responsible for forcing you to do it.”

The dragon stiffened, and growled involuntarily.

“You have my attention,” he said ominously.

“I thought that would do it.” There was satisfaction in her voice. The dragon growled again at her impertinence.

“Food shouldn’t taunt the diner,” the dragon warned her.

“Are all dragons cannibals or is it just you?”

“You are rapidly trying my patience!” The dragon snapped loudly. “Not a wisest thing to do, troll queen.”

“All right, I’m sorry. The reason you were working for Rimor is because your horde was stolen,” she said in a serious tone. “Tell me I’m wrong, Thunder.”

The dragon was silent.

“Rimor was working for an organization called Duisternis,” the queen continued. “They are a secret society that has existed since the dawn of time. Their inner circle are the original founders of the order, founders who never actually died. They opened the veil for Tišina who then promptly destroyed the world, plunging it into eons of ice and death. Duisternis survived, transformed into demons by Tišina’s actions. And while not all demons are part of Duisternis, the driving force behind them, their inner circle, are.

“You remember Nightmare Moon, the demon that possessed Princess Luna? Nightmare was a member of Duisternis, and was attempting to bring back the darkness that Tišina created. The full name of their secret society, translated into Equestrian, is The Immortal Order of Darkness Eternal. They use undead as minions, and dupe the living to become their agents, who aren’t told what the end goal will be.”

Thunder stiffened.

“Duisternis stole your horde, Thunder, and hired you by paying you with your own gems. The reason we came to your cave in the first place was because they kidnapped a unicorn filly, the sister of one of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. They were trying to manipulate Rarity just like they manipulated you. By stealing the most precious thing you had.

“We have a common enemy, Thunder, one that’s trying to remake the world in their image, a world where the rest of us wouldn’t survive. No life at all. No dragons, no ponies, no trolls, no prey, just demons, undead—and corpses.

“So tell me, Thunder. Is that the world you want to bring about? Or are you willing to forgive me and help us save the world?”

Thunder was so enraged he could barely think. Even a dragon as old as he was reacted instinctively to certain threats: theft of horde, attack against mate or eggs, and most violently of all, risk to his own survival.

“Just stay out of my way,” he hissed. Then with a mighty thunderclap his wings snapped downward, hurling him into the air. His roar was so loud it caused a minor landslide, burying the gem under a foot of loose gravel and sand.

Back at the caravan Teagan blinked at the stone in her hand as it simply disintegrated from the overload.

“All is forgiven?” She asked Søyle, who shrugged.

Heavy Hoof turned away and bellowed orders to get the caravan moving.

Duplicity

In which a grand game of deception begins and alliances become fluid.

ooOoo

Dear Diary,

I’m writing this on Thursday afternoon because I’m bored out of my mind. Teelo’s been riding with me all day since the caravan’s trying to make up lost time and ponies and trolls can move a lot faster than humans can.

We had another adventure this morning, although this time the action was actually an hour away from where I was! Apparently Dustiness (the ones that kidnapped Sweetie Belle) are being a royal pain and still causing all kinds of mischief. They had a dragon mercenary with them during the rescue but he was way too big to arrest. Teelo couldn’t kill him because it would have made a big stink with the rest of the dragons and caused Celestia no end of grief. So in the end all they could do was banish him.

Apparently, he held a grudge and ol’ Dusty decided to tell him where we were.

Relax!

Heavy Hoof (Rolling Thunder’s commander) is no fool. See he’s got this pair of unicorns that can turn into ghosts, just like that Danny Phantom cartoon David likes so much. He sent them to scout the road ahead, and they found the dragon laying in ambush for us. But the dragon couldn’t see them and they came back and reported.

There was a big powwow between Teelo, Søyle and the two pony commanders. I listened in, and get this—it was me that gave Teelo the idea that saved the day!

I rock!

See Dusty stole the dragon’s horde while he was out hunting. Then, they tricked him into working for them by paying him using his own horde, though of course the dragon didn’t know that.

Teelo told Heavy Hoof about the gizmo Twilight created that let her speak to Princess Celestia while she was on Earth. Apparently it’s super-simple to create one, it’s just nobody ever thought about doing it before. Anyway, they cut this blue gem in half after casting some spells on it, and it acted just like a pair of walkie-talkies.

The ghost brothers dropped one half under the dragon’s nose so we could talk to him. Then Teelo told him what Dusty had done. Man, was he angry! I mean he’s really pissed at Teelo but he roared so loud about Dusty he actually made the gem overload and turn to powder! I don’t think I’d like to be Dusty right about now. That dragon is a hundred feet long and can breathe fire, just like in the movies. He’s still not on our side, but he’s definitely gonna put the hurt on Dusty for what they did to him!

So—the enemy of my enemy, I guess? Teelo says it’s a win, or at least not a loss, and the more grief we can bring down on Dusty’s collective head, the better. Can you tell we don’t like them? LOL

We’ve only traveled about 4 miles so far today, but Søyle says we should reach some kind of trading post by tonight. It’s not a town, more like one of those old time trading forts, you know: Daniel Boone, fur trading, and all that log cabin stuff. If we manage to make it before dark we might even be able to sleep in a real bed!

Oh, don’t get me wrong. That sleeping bag you gave me is warm enough, and the sleeping pad works really well when we have to sleep on the ground like we did last night, but nothing beats a real bed!

You know, in spite of all the little (ok, not so little) adventures on this trip I’m not hating it at all. The food is simple, but tasty and there’s a lot of it. I’m getting more exercise than I ever did at home, and in spite of everything I feel pretty safe.

You have no idea how comforting it is to be surrounded by your own clan of thirty trolls on a dark night, not to mention over fifty pony soldiers. I hate to admit it but you and Teelo were right. Equestria’s kind of rough and more dangerous than I believed it would be—but at the same time I have to say I’m enjoying myself.

I am making sure I stay in the middle of the caravan, by the way! I’m not stupid. A little excitement goes a long way, trust me!

Anyway, I’ll write more later, I think I’m gonna try and talk to Kusken. Maybe if Teelo helps I can get him to say more than five words an hour.

Your loving daughter, Adventure Girl

ooOoo

Dear Diary,

Hi, it’s me again. It’s Friday evening and we’ve made camp for the night. Last night we did reach the trading post, and Teelo and I managed to score a bed!

I’m trying to think of what I want to say here, actually. You know how you always tell me to look at the bright side? Well, the bed was, um, big! Yeah…and I can’t say it was uncomfortable exactly, even though the mattress was stuffed with straw, because it wasn’t. But…well, it turns out in the middle of the wilderness a trading post needs to be sparing with supplies for itself. Can’t have all those little luxuries like—for example—soap.

See, the herd that runs the trading post are minotaurs. You know—half-bull half-man? Or, woman and cow too, I guess. Anyway, I won’t say they had BO, because they didn’t exactly. Um, at least it didn’t smell like human BO. More like a cow barn. Well, without the poop part, naturally, the fort has outhouses. But the cow smell was everywhere, even in the guest rooms. Took some getting used to, you know?

Dinner was good, though! Minotaurs are omnivorous, like humans. So we had this stew with venison in it. Teelo says deer in Equestria aren’t intelligent, so that’s ok. Our caravan was way too big for the trading post to feed everyone, but Teelo, Søyle, and I got invited to dinner with the Head Bull (that’s what they call the herd leader). Anyway, apparently trolls and minotaurs get along really well. Lots of troll runners use the outpost as a rest stop, so when Turrus Steelhorn (he’s the Head Bull) heard that Teelo was the queen of the trolls and Søyle was the king’s wife he fell all over himself to extend us hospitality.

We got breakfast too, and it was kind of weird, but still made of stuff I recognized. They had these big sweet cornbread muffins. I only ate half of one because they were huge. Teelo ate three, plus the other half of mine! There were these flapjack things, but made from fried potatoes, and really spicy. Oh, and squirrel sausage. I didn’t find out what it was until after I ate it. It was kind of greasy, but not bad.

The mead was pretty tasty too.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Horrors! I’m too young to drink, bla-bla-bla. I didn’t know what it was at the time, ok? I swear! I only had one mug full, and that mug was the minotaur version of a kiddy cup, probably about eight ounces. Naturally, Søyle and the minotaurs were guzzling the stuff and it didn’t seem to affect them at all, but then again even female minotaurs probably weigh close to 800 pounds like Søyle, so maybe that’s why.

Teelo asked Turrus what it was and he called it melomel. He said it was made from honey and raspberries. Teelo got a funny look on her face and asked him if it was fermented. He said it was and then Teelo looked at me and said “Emma, this is mead. One mug full probably won’t hurt you but I wouldn’t refill it if I were you.”

I didn’t, and she didn’t either. I don’t think we got drunk off that one mug, neither one of us was staggering or slurring our speech. I did sleep pretty solidly, and I didn’t have a headache the next morning so I didn’t over indulge, right?

I promise I’ll be more careful about drinking what I’m given in the future, though!

All the minotaurs got a real laugh from that. Turns out minotaurs give their three year-olds mead, although they do water it down for the youngest ones.

Anyway, enough about that! Guess what? Teelo bought me a walking stick! It’s beautiful, about five feet long and made of this dark brown wood with the most amazing patterns in it—you know, wood grain? Plus it’s polished until it gleams. There are caps on each end made of iron, and Turrus said it’s magical, how cool is that??? I have a magic walking stick!!! Well, kind of, the magic just keeps the wood from rotting and the iron from rusting, but still!

I don’t even care that Turrus told me it was originally made for his oldest son—when he was like five years old…yeah. He kind of outgrew it. As in he’s-got-a-wife-and-kids-now outgrew it.

Don’t care! Magic walking stick, woo-hoo!

Magic. Freaking. Walking. Stick.

I am so stoked!

Kusken dug out some old harness straps from the supplies and made me a sling so I can carry it across my back, a lot like Teelo carries Crush. It already had a wrist strap so I don’t have to worry about losing it if I drop it or anything, which is cool. I’d be heartbroken if I lost it!

By the way, it makes walking a lot easier too. Oh, speaking of which, Søyle says we’re about half way to Hejm at this point and if we keep up this pace we’ll make the customs station by Monday afternoon. Yay! The trip’s not been bad so far but I’m looking forward to reaching the city.

Gotta say this adventure stuff is overrated.

Love,

Emma.

ooOoo

Earth, Friday evening, June 6, 2013 8:17 PM Eastern Standard Time

“Gentlemen,” The President nodded to the other two men in the Oval Office. “David, I assume since you called this meeting you have something for me?”

“Yes, sir,” Admiral Spears said with a nod. “We’ve managed to exfiltrate the private investigator’s case files and phone history. Analysis has turned up some interesting links, including a retired special forces operative.”

“I did not want to hear that,” President Bend said tiredly. “Please tell me it’s some innocuous chance relationship.”

“Unfortunately not,” Admiral Spears said, shaking his head. “There are multiple links between the PI and the Green Beret to other people in the PI’s case history. Otherwise independent links and that almost always indicates a hotspot.”

“So what do we know?”

“I’ve compiled a briefing, first the highlights. The private investigator’s name is Evelyn Rae Lewis, 28, Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from the University of Missouri, minored in Political Science. She’s had her PI license for seven years and is a member in good standing with the Kansas Association of Licensed Investigators. No criminal record, no known foreign contacts, no travel outside the United States, no passport. No unexplained large deposits in her bank account either.”

“Sounds clean enough,” President Bend noted. Admiral Spears nodded.

“Very clean Mr. President, almost suspiciously so for a private investigator. Her cases, however, tend toward the—unlikely.”

“Meaning what?” The President asked in confusion.

“Let’s see. Aside from the typical stuff, cheating spouses, divorces, child custody investigations, some insurance fraud, a couple of employee theft investigations—one for a certain Rosalyn Parker, by the way, which explains how she got involved.”

“Pretty tame stuff, David.”

“It is. But four years ago she started getting a reputation among the conspiracy nut jobs and the so called psychic community. Let’s see, here’s one about a haunted house, the client was, hmm, The Friends of The Afterlife Society. Here’s one to investigate a cult who supposedly performed Satanic ritual sacrifices, another cult investigation of, and I quote, The Rainbow of Kindness, unquote. Here’s one to track down a supposed werewolf running loose in rural Missouri, oh, and my personal favorite, the government cover up of a crashed UFO in downtown Topeka.”

“I’m sorry, did you say downtown Topeka?” Dennis Mitchell asked in disbelief.

Admiral Spears grinned. “Yep, supposedly happened in 1973. At midnight. On the grounds of a secret government office, no less.”

“This I gotta hear,” The Chief of Staff said, staring raptly at the admiral.

“There’s nothing to hear.” The other man shrugged. “The supposed office never existed. The crash didn’t happen and I’ll let Evelyn Lewis sum up. This investigation was a bust. Not that I expected anything else, but who can turn down a 10k retainer? I feel so guilty taking their money, but they did insist even after I warned them. Granted, if there had been anything to find originally, after nearly 40 years what did they expect?

“That sounds like certain congressmen I’ve had to deal with,” President Bend snarked.

“Sounds like certain congressmen I’ve had to testify in front of,” Admiral Spears replied with a wry smile. “Ok, that brings us to Christmas Day of last year, which is where things take a sharp left turn into the Twilight Zone. She took a case from one Teagan O’Gara. Conscientious PI that she is she recorded Ms. O’Gara’s address, phone number, and a number of other details including the type of case. But what’s really fascinating is how Ms. O’Gara apparently learned about her. ”

“You enjoy teasing me, don’t you David?” President Bend asked tiredly. “Ok, how?”

“The original call came from Detective John Nickels, KCPD. From the cell tower evidence he was in Teagan O’Gara’s home at the time of the call, along with his partner, Detective Sarah Long. Both of whom, it turns out, were off duty at the time. Furthermore, those two particular detectives were the senior investigators the prior January, when her parents reported their daughter Teagan’s disappearance. According to the police report she came back three weeks later, claiming she’d actually run away.”

“Interesting,” The President was now giving the Admiral his full attention.

“Very. The father then made another call, to one Lieutenant Matthew Adam Sanders, retired Green Beret. Who, as it turns out, owns the Krav Maga dojo where Teagan O’Gara takes classes. This is the same Lieutenant Sanders who was instrumental in Operation Pterodactyl.”

President Bend winced. Admiral Spears nodded grimly. “Yeah, that monumental fuster-cluck. The operation that uncovered Chinese operatives had compromised a three-star general and two US senators. The scandal would have brought down your administration, save for the heroic—but incredibly illegal—actions of Lieutenant Sanders. Who then leveraged the situation to obtain an early retirement and a comfortable financial remuneration—part of which he used to buy the dojo where Teagan O’Gara trains.

“But it gets better. John Donal O’Gara, Teagan’s father is also the Chieftain of Clan O’Gara; with roots that trace all the way back to the legends of the Tuatha De Danann. In, wait for it, Northern Ireland.”

“The IRA? Didn’t they disband?” Dennis Mitchell interjected.

“The IRA proper did, but two years ago the PIRA took up the mantel and began terrorist activities again,” Admiral Spears explained. “And now we have an Irish Clan Chief with potential connections in Northern Ireland tied to our jewel trading PI with possible Fae involvement.”

“According to cell tower data Evelyn Lewis came to see Teagan on Christmas. Curiously, so did Lieutenant Sanders, who was there while the two detectives were still there, meaning they must have at least seen each other. Lieutenant Sanders then left, along with the detectives before the PI arrived. However, he returned less than an hour later, according to cell tower information.

“And then things take a bizarre turn. Approximately six hours later both Lieutenant Sanders and Evelyn Lewis’s cell phones simply vanish.”

“They turned them off?” President Bend asked, frowning. Admiral Spears shrugged.

“That’s possible,” the Admiral admitted, “except for an odd note in Teagan’s school attendance records. It seems she was absent from school an entire week after classes resumed. Coincidentally, there is a complete lack of cell phone activity and credit card activity for both Lieutenant Sanders and Evelyn Lewis until Teagan’s reappearance at school.”

“You think the three of them were together?” President Bend asked.

“Yes, and I’m willing to bet I know where,” he said calmly.

“The new universe?” The President asked, eyes widening.

“Exactly,” The admiral said firmly. “Because the case Evelyn Lewis was working on was an abduction case. Her notes are extremely circumspect, but the victim was apparently a princess, and the victim’s sister was the actual client.”

“A princess? From this new universe?” President Bend asked incredulously. “Miss O’Gara is involved with the royalty in another universe?”

“Well, that explains the ruby,” Dennis Mitchell noted wryly. “I hear princesses pay pretty well.”

“It may explain a great deal more than that,” Admiral Spears noted. “Teagan’s first disappearance was in January of 2012. She was gone for about three weeks. This second disappearance was around the same time of year, for about the same amount of time. I would be willing to bet Teagan O’Gara stumbled across a gateway between our world and the seventh universe. There’s probably some kind of astronomical alignment that lets the gate open, which is consistent with some legends we have of the Fae and how gateways between worlds are supposed to work.

“There’s another interesting development. The Kansas Department of Children and Families received an anonymous tip that Teagan was being neglected. A case worker investigated and reported no evidence of neglect, and closed the case as a false alarm.

“Mind control?” President Bend asked grimly.

Admiral Spears nodded. “It’s certainly consistent with what we know of the Fae,” he said in agreement. “I wonder who filed the report, it’s likely someone in an official position, a teacher perhaps.

“Oh, and one final thing. We pulled the credit records of the O’Gara household expenditures. We established a baseline average for their spending. It showed a big spike about a week ago, as though they had some guests, and then fell, suggesting the guests had left. Now they’re spending only two thirds of their baseline, suggesting there are only two family members present instead of three.

“Meaning Teagan’s gone back to the new universe?” President Bend asked.

“Yes, but we found another family, the Halsteads. They have two children, David and Emma. Emma is in the same homeroom as Teagan, and they call each other. A lot. Just like the O’Gara’s the Halstead expenses suddenly increased, then decreased by a quarter. Interestingly, the Halstead household bought several items that suggest a camping trip. New shoes, some new clothes, bug repellent, travel sized toothpaste…well; you see where I’m going with this.”

“You think she took her best friend with her to the new universe?” President Bend asked skeptically. “Why would she do that?”

“No idea—yet.” The Admiral shrugged. “Give me another week and I might have some answers. It’s a lot harder when I have to rely on passive resources alone. Given everything we don’t know about the situation I don’t dare use more direct methods.”

“We don’t want to make anyone angry,” The President agreed. “Keep me posted.”

“Yes, Mr. President,” Admiral Spears nodded.

ooOoo

The windigo patrol intercepted the dragon a dozen miles from the mountain, high in the frigid air of the far north. They evaporated in a blaze of dragon fire before they could even speak. The blue scaled beast silently dove to avoid any more patrols, eyes burning red in fury as he advanced on the hidden lair.

ooOoo

Celestia nodded to both Pinstripe Tock and Under Hoof as they sat down. Her horn flashed as she activated the privacy arrays embedded in her study.

“Your Highness, it is, I believe, done,” Under Hoof said calmly. “Our new player has been very busy indeed. We had to arrest over two hundred ponies, from all walks of life. A dozen nobles alone were involved, as well as some of the Guard and several ponies in the Ears. What surprises me most was how quickly the house of cards fell apart once we began using heretofore unsanctioned methods. Mind-reading is, of course, normally unforgiveable but none the less astoundingly effective during interrogations.”

“I am not proud to have authorized it, Under Hoof,” Celestia said sadly, shaking her head. “But too many lives are at stake. I am glad that it’s over.”

“Ponies do not make good conspirators,” Pinstripe noted. “The merest nudge was sufficient to make them reveal all. In fact, the hard part was to winnow the wheat of truth from the chaff of irrelevance. Most of them had no idea they were working for an evil organization, most simply thought they were passing along worthless tidbits of gossip for a handful of extra bits a week—with the notable exception of the captured nobles. All of whom were conspiring to gain more wealth and power without regard to the damage they might have caused. I am appalled at how many of them entered the conspiracy with eyes wide open.”

“The only question remaining is what to do with them,” Under Hoof said quietly.

“Unfortunately, they will have to be held in the dungeons until Duisternis has been dealt with,” Celestia said. “As for those who willingly dealt with Duisternis, I’m afraid reformation spells will be necessary.”

“Understood, Your Highness,” Under Hoof nodded. “There is one final matter that is of grave concern. Adept Glory was one of the ponies arrested.”

Princess Celestia’s eyes clenched shut in momentary pain. “So Duisternis has compromised the Academy as well. He was the only one?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Scans indicate more than simple greed was at work in his case, however. We detected unusual levels of animaic corruption, as though he had engaged in extensive use of dark magic.”

“That is worrying,” Celestia murmured thoughtfully. “Dark magic seems to rearing its ugly head far too often lately. Is the corruption reversible?”

“Wind Shimmer isn’t sure,” Pinstripe Tock spoke up. “Certainly reformation spells will be useless unless the corruption is removed but she isn’t sure if can be. The Elements of Harmony could do so, but given Adept Glory’s age he might not survive the shock of it. Anything less powerful might not be effacious.”

“I will consult with my sister, her knowledge of animaic corruption is quite extensive,” Celestia said, allowing the irony of that statement to pass unremarked. “Gentleponies, you have my thanks for performing such a…necessary…but distasteful task with both speed and professionalism. Is there any other news I should know of?”

The two stallions exchanged a glance.

“None, Your Highness,” Pinstripe Tock replied.

ooOoo

Thunder lived up to his sobriquet, his fiery breath erasing a dozen concealed undead guards as he slammed into the mountain’s entrance with a roar that echoed down long seemingly deserted passageways.

It wasn’t subtle, but an enraged dragon seldom is. He stalked down the entrance passage like Death’s herald, freeing skeleton and zombie soldiers of their enslavement with extreme prejudice, allowing them to continue their long-interrupted journey to the afterlife.

ooOoo

“What is going on?” Sombra snarled as a windigo appeared.

“A dragon, Master. It has penetrated the lair and is destroying all that it encounters. It appears quite angry.”

“Rimor!” Sombra cursed. “His bumbling stupidity has brought this beast down on us and his useless toys cannot stop the rampaging creature!” His eyes narrowed. “How many of the Slange are present?”

“None, Master. Hoë Towenaar has left to consult with Verlei on the final push to drive the troll queen underground and infiltrate our agent with her. The other Slange are all executing their own missions.”

“How many draugr are here then?” Sombra asked, mentally reviewing resources. He cursed again, realizing the dragon had chosen the worst possible time to attack them. The lair was fully garrisoned by Rimor’s toy soldiers, but they were useless against a raging dragon, who could slay the lot of them with no fear of harm to itself.

“Two, Master. Gemmer and Suiker, held in reserve as you commanded.”

“Summon them. I will have to face this dragon myself, using them to distract him so I can land a killing blow.”

The windigo bowed and vanished.

“Rimor, I will see you dead for this!” Sombra snarled as he trotted to confront their unwanted guest.

Earth, Friday evening, June 6, 2013 10:06 PM Eastern Standard Time

Admiral Spears settled into the leather bound chair in his den at home with a deep sigh, lifting the glass of Hennessy to his chest and taking an appreciative sniff, letting the floral scent of the cognac relax his knotted shoulders.

The brandy was a rare indulgence, but he deemed the current circumstances strange enough for it. In the old tradition he then lifted the snifter higher, and took another deep sniff, letting the odor fill his world with subtle spices.

Completing the ritual he lifted the glass directly under his nose and breathed in with mouth parted to let the full taste and smell of the aged brandy fill his world.

Only then did he take the smallest sip, letting the warmth of the liquid send a wave of relaxation through him. A second, deeper sip was carefully savored, filling his mouth with delight.

He swallowed in contentment and set the glass back on the desk.

“I see you are a true connoisseur, Admiral,” an amused voice said from the couch. The man jerked his head toward the unexpected sound.

“Ah, Faust. I wondered if you might be paying a visit,” Admiral Spears said, relaxing—at least outwardly. “Can I offer you some cognac? Hennessy XO, 2007? It’s quite good.”

“A kind offer indeed, Admiral, truly. But it would be rude to share your most excellent cognac and then distress you with my counsel.”

The blond teenager was sprawled elegantly on the leather couch, his grin casual and eyes twinkling.

“It appears the apocalypse is nigh,” The Admiral said drily. “To what do I owe the honor of a straight answer from the Fae?”

“Well, I never said it would be a straight answer, now did I? Where’s the fun in that?” Faust chuckled. “Still, matters are not as light-hearted as I would wish and thus I shall keep things less cryptic than I normally enjoy.”

“For a given value of less, no doubt,” Admiral Spears said gravely, giving his full attention to his guest.

“You know me too well, Admiral,” Faust said, sitting up. He still slumped like a teenager, but at least he was somewhat more vertical than before.

“Did you know I can talk to birds, Admiral? And oh how they’re chirping! Little birdies talking all day long about the Queen. They say the hounds are sniffing around, sniffing here, and sniffing there, sniffing everywhere. And while the Queen is a kindly sort, and doesn’t want the poor little doggies hurt, she won’t hesitate to smack their noses if they stick them somewhere they shouldn’t.”

“Would this be Titania?” Admiral Spears asked carefully when it appeared Faust had had his say.

“A beautiful one, the Queen of the Summer Court she is,” Faust said, eyes momentarily turning wistful. “But nay, fair Titania is not of whom I speak. For she is ancient and wise and far from the reach of the hounds—and that is no bad thing, mark you.

“No, the Queen I speak of is an earthier sort, newly come to her power, a creature of ice and fire! Though her subjects dwell deep, she flies hither and yon, walking upon the rainbow when there is need. But take heed, my eager pup. She is neither ancient nor wise as such things are measured, yet her power is not to be scorned.”

“I take it I wouldn’t like her when she’s angry?” Admiral Spears asked in a serious tone. Uncharacteristically solemn, Faust nodded.

“Heed my words, mortal. She is a queen worthy of her subjects, and tries to be kind every day of her life. But she can be terrible in her rage, and destiny cannot gainsay her. She is moving and the worlds spin around her like jewels. And none can say where that spinning wheel will leave us when the game ends.”

Faust grinned suddenly. “But I spoke of hounds, did I not? There is a time, Admiral, when it is proper for the pack to run free under the moon, baying in their joy of the hunt. But even the Wild Hunt knows to be silent when the prey is beyond their strength.”

He gazed at the human with one corner of his mouth quirked.

“It is said one should never ask the Fae for advice, for they will say both yea and nay. But I offer you this counsel freely. Should you seek out the Queen do not waste her time with flunkies. Only a King may treat with a Queen, but this Queen already has her King, and is wary of yours. So if he goes to her it must be on her terms, not his.”

“Does this queen have a name?” The man asked his guest carefully.

“Names have power, Admiral. She would not thank me if I spoke her name. But I will tell you the title her subjects give her. Mark it well, for I will not say it twice, for even titles have power.”

“All right, what is it?” Admiral Spears leaned forward.

“Dronning av Fjellet,” Faust said, and promptly vanished.

Admiral Spears hastily wrote the nonsense words down, hoping that his people would be able to find some kind of meaning in them.

Then he picked up his brandy and repeated the time honored tradition. But this time it didn’t relax him, for some reason.

Coercive Diplomacy

In which we learn while deterrence is preferable and passive, sometimes more—active—measures are required.

There was no time to plan, no time for measured response. Human and symbiote fused into one creature moving with absolute clarity of purpose in a perfect ballet of coordinated motion.

She slammed into the ground club first, willing the force of the blow forward in a wide cone that would encompass both ends of the wall of death charging toward the encampment.

Instantly a wave of liquefying soil and rock blasted outward, faster than a crossbow quarrel, slapping away most of the charging skeletons in an eye blink. The roar of affronted landscape drowned out everything else as the wall of white was suddenly a wall of brown and gray headed in the opposite direction, straight toward the rise containing the observing ponies.

The gargantuan blow shook the mountains as the force passed and triggered a series of landslides in its wake. Teagan watched clinically as the strange ponies turned to run, only to find themselves swept away by the fury of thundering stone.

A few dozen skeletal soldiers had survived the wave of earth by the simple expedient of being outside the cone of destruction. They poured down the edges of the cut, joining their two streams into a single unified front as they closed the distance.

“Fall back!” Teagan screamed in a hissing bellow provided mostly by Crush. She glanced at the pair of sentries who lost no time obeying her. Assured of their safety she and her bodyguards turned and raced away from the oncoming undead soldiers.

But no human could outrun ponies already at full gallop, even mere skeletons, and so she found herself brought to bay halfway to the dubious safety of the camp. She spun with the nearly supernatural speed borne of her symbiosis and smashed three of the oncoming skeletons before they could ram and trample her under hoof.

Crush snapped back into guard position as the second wave overran her—only for the skeleton to run straight into Crush. With a muted click it stopped dead.

If it was possible for a skull to exhibit surprise then Teagan’s attacker did so—for about half a second. That’s when the skeletons charging behind it slammed straight into the suddenly stationary bones.

The dry stationary bones. The brittle dry stationary bones. It’s a seldom appreciated fact just how much protection muscle, flesh, and fur confer to a creature’s skeleton.

If it hadn’t been so horrific it would have been comedic gold. Once animate undead skeletons simply folded up and disintegrated into individual bones. The collision completely destroyed a dozen undead and left four more hobbling on three legs. More importantly it broke the momentum of the undead army’s charge, giving Skrent and Flint time to leap to either side of their queen and swing those deadly narrow clubs like scythes and reap an undead harvest with each mighty blow.

Suddenly there was an ear-splitting whinny from above as a pegasus came screaming out of the sky and started to literally gallop across the undead soldiers’ skulls with devastating effect, each hoof fall smashing the dry bone under it like a hammer, the headless skeleton then falling to pieces.

It was the sentry pony Teagan had ordered to fall back doing this unholy carnage. His troll partner came roaring into the fight soon after, with a large axe, clearing a six foot circle around himself with every swing.

Teagan recovered, stepping to the side of the rather sizeable pile of jumbled bones in front of her, and charged into the melee with malice aforethought, smashing pony skeletons to dust with each magically enhanced blow.

No thoughts crossed her mind as she engaged in the Danse Macabre, her endless training, burning rage, and symbiote’s cold emotionless precision melding into a fugue state where nothing mattered but the motion of iron through space, each movement flowing into the next, the undead targets merely points in space to be touched and brushed aside like spider webs.

She was vaguely aware of the noise behind her and around her increasing, but nothing mattered to her except continuing the dance until every moving bone was reduced to dust.

Afterward she couldn’t remember any details of the fight—including how long it lasted. She came to herself in the middle of a mass of staring ponies and trolls. They were dividing their attention between her and the field of bone fragments that surrounded her.

“Is it over?” She asked tiredly, propping herself up with Crush. “Did we lose anyone?”

“Nei, min Dronning,” Hjördís said, bowing to her queen, a look of awe on her face. “You saved us from the Deepest Dark this day. All of us. No one fell.”

“Thank God,” Teagan breathed, a bone deep weariness overtaking her. She felt like a gust of wind could knock her over.

Beware! Two draugrs approach! Crush warned her. Wearily she closed her eyes, silently bidding her symbiote to tell her where the threat was approaching from.

“Fall back to camp,” She ordered with as much urgency as her weariness would allow. “Two draugrs are coming!”

“I must stay, Dronning,” Alene Hule said mildly. “You are weary, and will need my aid. I am well versed in battling the Deepest Dark.”

“Glad to have you, Alene,” She replied. She raised her voice. “These things are immune to most weapons, so unless you have a magic blast that can punch through stone fall back. I’ll deal with them. Move it, people!”

“We will stay,” Skrent spoke up. “Our place is by your side, Dronning.” His tone was grim and implacable.

“Stubborn idiots, both of you,” She said, smiling in spite of herself. “Hjördís, tell Søyle to get everyone out of here. We’re going to be moving through the night. Can’t let another army catch us, we have to make the safety of Hejm tonight.”

The troll frowned in thought. “It will be difficult, min Dronning. But if it is your will it shall be done.”

“Get them moving,” She said, “And somebody get some food ready for me after this is over. The more sugar in it the better, and double points if there’s chocolate.”

The crowd of ponies and trolls left, leaving the four of them to face the now clearly advancing draugr. Teagan fought down the gnawing hunger, knowing there wouldn’t be time for her to eat.

Behind them one of the unicorns sent up another magical flare, letting them see the pair of oncoming undead in uncomfortable detail.

ooOoo

Sombra roared in triumph as the deadly crystal spears crashed into the oblivious dragon, who was thrown sideways into the wall from the force of the blow. Thrown and pinned.

“It’s all over, you pathetic worm!” Sombra shouted in glee--only to blink as the dragon growled and smashed the black crystals to bits with a massive kick and swipe of a forelimb.

“Pathetic, am I?” Thunder growled, opening his mouth and breathing a raging blast of roiling fire straight at the unicorn.

Sombra teleported behind the dragon and launched another wave of spearing crystals at the dragon’s hindquarters. This time there was an outraged basso screech as the crystals found something sensitive.

“Die!” Thunder screamed, smashing the crystals with one blow from his tail, then reversing course by curling back on himself like a serpent. This time his fiery breath came from jaws that were carried forward by sprinting legs. Sombra hastily erected a shield, desperately back peddling as he did so, all the while readying an offensive spell even as he looked for a teleport destination.

There was a mighty boom as the dragon rammed the shield at nearly twenty miles per hour. It held—which was actually very bad news for the former king. Thunder weighed many tons and the shield was rigidly held a set distance from the unicorn’s body.

The result was very much like Applejack had bucked a soccer ball with her full strength.

Sombra didn’t so much scream in fear, soaring down the long corridor like a child’s ball, as bellow in anger. His horn scraped the ceiling with an excruciating shriek of horn against stone, leaving a deep groove in the rock. The sound was reminiscent of fingernails on a chalkboard, the pain knifing directly into his brain. It almost caused him to lose the blind teleport he was casting, delaying it until he was only three feet from a stone wall. Had he struck not even his sorcerously reinforced body would have withstood the blow.

Enraged at the unforgivable insult to his person, Thunder charged out of the fortress, intent on finding and eviscerating the dark gray unicorn and then ripping his legs off before he could die. But in the process at least the dragon was successfully diverted from the library Sombra had been so desperate to defend.

One draugr looked at the other questioningly, who just shrugged. Then they both sank into the stone floor, mission accomplished.

ooOoo

Well now, that didn’t go as planned, Hoë Towenaarcommented mentally to his companion while still within the zompony shell, now crushed into a useless twisted mess. I had no idea the troll queen was so incredibly powerful. It would be helpful if we could recruit her, don’t you think?

That is not possible, Dark One, the other demon replied from within its own destroyed undead shell. I had considered the matter, but given King Fjell’s instinctive hatred of all undead his queen is beyond our grasp.

Ah well, such a pity. Still, seeing as how we were unable to kill her I believe driving her underground works nearly as well. I trust your fallback plans include a way to keep the pressure on them, so they stay safely bottled up? I would hate to have the trolls unexpectedly crashing our party on the brink of total victory.

I must admit the queen surprised me, Verlei said, oozing his way out of the zompony he’d been wearing like a suit. Hoë Towenaarsoon joined him, the two bodiless shadows unconcerned with the solid rock they were now drifting through as though on a leisurely stroll.

I kept a small reserve of skeletons out of an abundance of caution but they will be insufficient to present a credible threat. Even with guile they will not suffice. I will need more forces.

Fear not, my dear Verlei, Hoë Towenaar said airily. I will have another two battalions sent to you as soon as a portal can be opened. Skeletons are so simple to make it’s not like we’ll ever run out of them. Zomponies are scarcely more difficult. I would have wished for more time to allow the good doctor to create more draugr, but we seem to have run out of it. There was a mental chuckle from the head demon.

At least, for now, eh?

ooOoo

“My dear princess, how wonderful to see you,” Discord said with a smile. “You rang?”

Celestia was resting on the bed in her newly repaired chambers that Tišina had wrecked. Discord floated about the room, obviously studying each and every detail.

“I must say your ponies have a way with design, my dear.” Discord continued. “Although they do favor the baroque, don’t they?”

“Would you like some tea?” Celestia asked placidly. “Or would you prefer chocolate milk?”

“Well, I can’t allow myself to fall into predictable stereotypes, now can I? Tea would be lovely, if you please.”

Discord chose to settle on Celestia’s bed, curling around the alicorn, almost, but not quite touching her.

“My, isn’t this just so cozy?” He said, waggling his eyebrows. “But whatever will the servants think? You know how they gossip! Oh, I can’t wait to see what’s for breakfast! I hope there’s going to be Prench toast. I do so enjoy it after a leisurely, fun-filled night, don’t you?”

Celestia just smiled gently and floated the cup of tea and its saucer to settle in front of Discord, who delicately picked up the cup in his eagle’s talons, the smallest claw genteelly lifted into the air. With equal aplomb he silently sipped as Celestia lifted her own cup from the bedside table.

“We can exchange innuendo for as long as you like, Discord,” Celestia said quietly. “I actually do enjoy it, partially because I so seldom get to engage in it. But I did have a serious reason for asking you here tonight.”

“Oh, my! This is so sudden my dear Celestia!” Discord exclaimed, setting down his teacup and using both lion’s paw and eagle’s talons to squeeze his muzzle until it puckered up, his cheeks turning fiery red. As little flames danced over his nose he seemed to notice he was on fire and batted at his nose until they went out. Now blaze free the draconequus returned his attention to the alicorn only a foot from him. Smiling a beatific smile he replied

“Of course I’ll marry you my dear Celestia! When should we set the date, my precious kumquat?”

“You misunderstand me,” Celestia said with a chuckle. “I would never dream of stealing your bachelorhood away, dear Discord. After all can you imagine it? Spending our eternal days of bliss together, never changing? One day following another, one nonstop unbroken happy time, utterly without end! With our combined powers there would be absolutely nothing able to break the march of joyous days, into the timeless future!”

Discord shuddered, turning deep chartreuse, his features twisting in horror.

“That was completely uncalled for Celestia,” Discord said coldly. “I was just having a light bit of fun.”

“So was I. But I do need to talk to you—about your sister. Specifically how she came to be in this world.”

Discord’s eyes narrowed as he turned his full attention to her.

“I’m listening,” he said quietly.

ooOoo

Agent Merriweather settled into the conference room chair, looking around at the dozen spooks already there. What struck him hardest was how ordinary they looked. Half of them were clearly computer types, dressed in jeans and tee shirts, two women in business suits and the rest in casual attire.

“Welcome Agent Merriweather,” the unit chief said, nodding. The only thing that marked the middle-aged balding man as anything other than an accountant or manager were his eyes. They were constantly flickering from place to place.

Frankly, it gave Merriweather the creeps.

“Thank you, sir.” Merriweather responded.

“Agent, I must inform you that any activities you participate in with our group are covered by the Espionage Act of 1917. Unless specifically authorized by myself or my superiors in the NSA it is an act of treason to reveal anything you learn here to anyone not already part of this investigation. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes sir,” Merriweather responded, wincing inwardly. He hated spooks and the shadows they insisted on.

“Good. Just to confirm, you are aware of Project Silverlight and the circumstances surrounding it? In particular the group code-named Fae?”

“Yes, sir,” Merriweather nodded. “I am the first agent in the project to view an artifact of interest.”

“Good. Now Agent, I don’t know what you may or may not know about NSA activities. I suspect like most people your view of us comes from television and spy novels, flavored by media bias over the Snowden leak. Let me let you in on a little secret.”

The man leaned forward and glared at him.

“All that stuff is pure, unadulterated, Grade-A bullshit,” he growled, and then leaned back in his chair.

“Yes, we keep secrets. Yes, we get really serious when people betray those secrets. But we’re here to do a job, Agent Merriweather. That job is to keep the United States safe from her enemies and potential enemies. Our view is the less they know about us the safer we are. But all that James Bond, Swordfish, Jason Bourne stuff is pure fantasy. That’s not how we operate. There are no code names, no magic decoder rings. My name is Brian Davis, Agent Merriweather. I answer to Chief, or Mr. Davis, or just plain Brian once you get to know me better.”

He waved around the table.

“Torch is the only one here that insists on being called by his nickname.” A red-headed computer guy waved. “We humor him because it’s not worth fighting over. The rest of us don’t use our titles because that would make us stand out if a civilian overheard us. We do everything we can to blend in, Agent. So from now on, so do you. Be invisible, Agent Merriweather.”

“My name’s Keith,” Merriweather answered with a grin.

“Good. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get to work,” Chief Davis said in satisfaction.

Diplomacy Delayed

In which Teagan learns the quality of mercy is not strained—but sometimes extracts an excruciating price from those that give it.

Teagan watched the two draugrs approach at a sedate walk, the magical flare shedding enough light to see every gruesome detail. The flayed corpses would have been horrifying enough just laying still. It was all the girl could do not to run as she watched the living dead casually stroll toward her.

“We aren’t here to fight, Your Majesty,” one of the draugrs said in a voice that made Teagan grimace in disgust. It bubbled, as though the draugr was speaking through a throat full of blood. Which, she realized, it probably was.

“My name is Caramel. Candy Floss was my sister.”

“Candy Floss?” Teagan asked. “Who is that?”

“She was the pony my masters forced to lure the filly into Rimor’s clutches,” the draugr replied. “But she was also the one who saved her by attacking the diamond dogs. She gave her life for that filly. My little sister was always braver than I, to the very end. Thank Celestia she was spared my fate.”

“I’m Hayseed,” the second draugr spoke, its voice a wet bubbling whisper. “I’ve been trapped by that monster Rimor too. Please, Your Majesty, free us.”

Teagan stared at the draugr in shock.

“So you aren’t on their side?” She said, somewhat stupidly.

“No!” Caramel shook her head. “We are bound by a web of magical geasa. We must serve our masters by obeying their every command, and we may not end our unlife ourselves. I have tested the bounds of that geas whenever I could. But no matter what I do it always heals in seconds! I even managed to cut my head off once, but it just slithered back onto my neck.

“Please, it hurts, Your Majesty! It’s like I’m on fire! I haven’t slept at all for over two years and the pain just never stops! Please. Let us go. I want to be with my sister in the Elysian Fields tonight!”

Hayseed spoke again. “What you did just now gives us a chance. You separated us from our masters before they could give us any orders! We may not be able to free ourselves from this living Tartarus, but Mountain Heart can. I heard two of the demons talk about it. They said Mountain Heart inflicts damage that can’t be healed! Please, for the love of Celestia, they slaughtered my entire family! Let me see my wife and son tonight, free me from this awful pain!”

Then both draugr bowed to her, the way ponies did to Celestia and Luna.

Teagan started to raise Crush to attack, but froze.

Why are you hesitating? Kill them! Crush demanded. They are a danger to everyone you know. Where is your compassion now? They are in agony! Strike!

“Dronning,” Alene Hule spoke softly, “it is mercy. You cannot deny them. Why do you wait? Every moment you wait only adds to their anguish. Let them go.”

Teagan took a deep breath and nodded jerkily. She stepped forward and swung hard, bringing Crush down on top of Caramel’s skull. There was a blinding flash and a horrific crunch. The draugr dropped like a stone, landing with a wet squelching thud.

Hayseed screamed, surrounded by a web of lightning that caused him to collapse, convulsing in a tangle of flailing hooves.

“Do it! I can’t fight it much longer! The magic! It’s trying to make me—”

Teagan slammed the club down again, but missed the wildly threshing draugr that slowly started to sink into the earth.

“It shall not be!” Alene Hule bellowed, his claws suddenly surrounded by a fiery red glow. “Come forth! I forbid your departure!” With a grimace the old troll raised his arms as though lifting a massive weight. The draugr slowly stopped sinking and began to rise. The mage began to chant a rapid spell in a language Teagan didn’t recognize, but knew wasn’t Trollish.

“Quickly, min Dronning! I cannot hold this spell for long! The Deepest Dark is calling this one to it!”

“Just a little more, Alene! I have to crush the skull!” Teagan darted forward, club ready. Suddenly she was too busy parrying the now deadly accurate hooves to have a chance to attack. With a roar the mage thrust his arms overhead, causing the draugr to shoot into the sky. With a curse Teagan used Crush to leap after it, one final swing causing the draugr’s head to explode, spraying blood and brains through the air.

The corpse stopped threshing, the lightning vanishing. At the same time it shot upward at a pace Teagan couldn’t match, only to pause, and slowly begin to sink again. Teagan followed it down, wobbling a bit as Crush fought to control their slow descent.

When they reached the ground Hayseed’s corpse collapsed, laying still in true death.

Behind her Alene Hule dropped to his knees, drawing in huge gasps of air. His face was ashen green, and he clutched his chest.

Teagan stared at the two corpses a moment before rushing to the mage, who was being steadied by Flint and his brother.

Slowly the mage’s color returned and his breathing slowed.

“Are you all right?” Teagan asked in concern.

“I will be min Dronning.” The mage said, wheezing slightly. “The death magic tried to take me when you slew the second draugr. But my skill prevailed. If you had not hesitated after killing the first one their masters would not have had time to react.”

“You mean I almost got you killed? I’m so sorry, Alene! Everything happened so fast,” Teagan exclaimed in horror.

“Do not fret, Dronning. You are new to battle. Death magic is something you cannot fight and could not expect. But learn from this. In the future do not hesitate. Killing those stolen by the Deepest Dark is simple mercy. You heard the draugr’s own testimony. Next time you will be ready. I am glad you accepted my help this day, for if you had not you would have fallen.”

The mage rested a clawed hand on Teagan’s shoulder, looking at her solemnly.

“No troll stands alone, min Dronning. You try to take too much on your own shoulders. Remember, the clan is stronger because we stand together. You are mighty, min Dronning. But you are not a mage. Today it was magic that won the day. Just as it was might that saved us from the blod drenering fugler and the formen veksler before that. Each member of the clan has skills that serve us all. You give the clan much, but cannot give us everything.”

Teagan winced at the troll’s remarkably gentle scolding.

“I will remember, Alene Hule. But I can’t stand by and do nothing when my family is threatened.”

“No, you cannot,” The mage smiled. “But you do enough. Let others share the burden, and the glory, min Dronning. It is only fair, after all.”

“I will,” Teagan nodded. “You have my word.” She glanced over at the pair of headless corpses. “We need to bury those two. They were heroes in the end. We need to honor them.”

“Allow me,” The Alene spoke another spell and gestured downward. Teagan watched as the two corpses sank into the ground. Another guttural growling spell saw stones rise behind the graves and then shape themselves into a pair of ponies, a stallion and a mare. Both stood peacefully, staring serenely down the trail toward Hejm. Runes were carved at the base of each statue that Teagan couldn’t read.

“Rest in peace,” Teagan said, slumping in exhaustion, the adrenaline finally running out. “Caramel, say hi to your sister for me, Hayseed, the best to your wife and son. Enjoy your afterlives, guys, you really earned them.”

She felt herself being picked up. Since Skrent and Alene Hule were still in sight she assumed Flint was carrying her as the three trolls headed back to join the caravan.

Crush, remind me to apologize to Cerise, she thought muzzily just before drifting off to sleep.

ooOoo

Dear Diary,

Well, we finally made it to Hejm! But I’m sorry to say we had to travel all night because we got attacked by an army of skeletons…yeah, I know, ok? Old Dusty’s got an army of skeletons. Can’t say I saw that coming. Oh, I guess I should say had an army of skeletons. Teelo kind of went postal and smashed them all. Everybody’s fine, but it exhausted Teelo to the point she conked out. Flint had to carry her back to the caravan and then tuck her into the wagon. It was so cute! Especially if you know Flint... (laughing)

Then a couple of draugr showed up. I was back at the caravan but Skrent told me later they hated being draugr and asked Teelo to…umm…well… help them pass on, if you know what I mean. It seems that when they were, uh, turned into draugr their souls were trapped and couldn’t travel on to pony heaven. Skrent said one of them even…well, never mind. Brr. The thing was nothing could destroy their bodies because they just kept regenerating.

But they told her that they knew if Crush…I can’t bring myself to say it. Long story short, Teelo…helped them. So they’re in pony heaven now, which is—better. A lot better.

It was still dark when we got to the customs station, so I didn’t get to see much. Just a big hole in the side of a mountain, you know, like a normal cave. Sort of like when we went to Mark Twain Cave over in Hannibal?

Except this was a long tunnel, maybe half a mile or more, that ended at what looked like the front of a castle carved into the wall. There weren’t any stairs or anything, so Søyle actually had me hang on as she climbed the wall! The porters had to leave their wagons behind. When I asked Søyle what would happen to them she said they’d be unloaded and taken back to the customs station until needed again. Apparently the only time they use them is traveling above ground.

Flint had to hand Teelo up to Skrent because she was still asleep. Crush really takes it out of her, she either has to eat like a horse or sleep for half a day after using it too much.

The Sun Shield and Rolling Thunder didn’t follow us into the cave. Apparently they were only supposed to escort us to the customs station, where the trolls would take over. So they made camp there. I guess they’ll head back in the morning.

Anyway, I managed to walk the full five miles to the city proper, which is AMAZING. Mom, Dad I wish I had a camera with me because Hejm is just the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen. The main cavern’s about two hundred feet high at the far end, and maybe three miles long. The ceiling and walls glow this bright green color from what Søyle calls lis-mosay, a kind of moss or lichen I think. Anyway it lit the entire cavern about as bright as twilight just after the sun goes down, so it was fairly easy to see.

The trolls have built their city across the entire floor of the cavern, up its walls, and even across the back wall! And they use candles and magical lights of all different colors for their buildings too. It was like seeing a human city from the air at night, because the tunnel entrance to the city is half way up when you first arrive, it’s sort of like being on top of a hill and seeing the city spread out below you.

The decorations are just…wow. EVERY SINGLE BUILDING has intricate carvings all over it, and a lot have metal inlays and plaques on them. There are statues everywhere! And not crude ones either. Big ones, little ones, all completely realistic and amazingly life like. There are trolls and dragons and all manner of strange creatures.

Søyle says a lot of trolls love working in stone. Some engrave it, some are masons, and some are out and out sculptors. And they’ve been working on Hejm for thousands of years. They’ve been here so long they even remember when ponies first came to Equis!

Forget everything you’ve ever heard about trolls, Dad. Think Constantinople, or the Taj Mahal. If this city were on Earth today it would be one of the seven wonders of the world. I’m really looking forward to exploring Hejm over the summer!

Lady Silkwind is still with us. She asked Søyle if she and her bodyguards could shelter here until the situation in the mountains settled down. Søyle said they could enter Hejm but it would be up to Kongen Fjell or Teelo exactly how long they could stay.

I really don’t know what to think about Lady Silkwind. I mean from what I’ve heard griffins are schemers and intriguers, Machiavelli would be their patron saint if they knew who he was! On the other hand she’s as friendly as can be, and super smart. She can talk about anything and make it fascinating. Of course, given she’s a griffin, that’s a danger signal in and of itself. Not to mention she’s apparently a big wheel in Canterlot among the griffins, meaning she bears watching. Like, a lot.

We’ve been given an entire wing of the palace. Apparently as queen Teelo’s clan traditionally lives there. Normally the king and queen live together, of course, but since Søyle is Fjell’s wife that means Teelo has to have her own suite in her clan’s part of the palace instead.

Man, you should see this place! They’ve given me my own room in the queen’s suite, and it’s HUGE. And I do mean HUGE. The beds are like 10 feet long and five feet wide! The chairs make me look like a toddler. Søyle promised they’d get some smaller furniture for both of us, but until then it’s like I’m living in the Land of the Giants or something. Oh, and there’s gold everywhere. Søyle told me trolls like the yellow gleam so they use it a lot like humans used to use the color purple. But since gold is a lot more common here than on Earth it’s not a status thing for the trolls, they just like the look.

I’m headed to bed now, they may be huge but they’re also super comfy!

One Part Tradition Two Parts Expectation

In which we are granted a privileged glimpse behind the Royal Façade.

Teagan opened her eyes to darkness. The kind of complete and utter darkness only the blind normally experience. Bereft of vision she was forced to use her ears, straining to hear even the faintest whisper.

Only silence met her efforts.

Now gripped in a surge of adrenaline she became aware she was laying on something soft, with a warm blanket covering her. But strain as she might she couldn’t see or hear anything. Cautiously extending an arm from the warm cocoon she lay in she felt around, finding only the soft mattress no matter how far she reached—a soft, chilly mattress. She pulled her arm back under the warm covers and made another discovery.

She was naked.

Oh, that’s just perfect, she sighed. This is the second time I wake up naked in a strange place. Why is Equis trying to turn me into a nudist?

Turning her attention inward she was relieved to note Crush’s closed eyes were still in her mind.

Hey Crush, wake up!

The eyes opened and it seemed to Teagan they were a bit—bleary.

What is attacking? Crush growled.

Nothing’s attacking. But I’m in the dark in a strange place. What’s going on?

You are in your bed in your chambers. Now if you don’t mind I need sleep. That last battle drained you too much, especially fighting the draugr. I had to expend much of my own reserves to keep you active. Good night.

The eyes closed.

CRUSH, Teagan yelled mentally. Wake UP. I need your help!

The eyes opened again and this time Teagan had no trouble seeing the glare directed her way.

You’re in no danger. Go back to sleep. You need the rest as much as I do.

I can’t see anything, she pointed out. I need my clothes. I need light to see by. I don’t even know where you are.

Lying right beside you, Crush said with a sigh. Only you can move me, remember? When Søyle put you to bed she had to lay you in the middle, unbuckle my sheath’s carrying strap then move you over. Fortunately the bed is large enough for us both.

Teagan turned over and reached out until her fingers encountered cold metal. With a sigh of relief she picked Crush up and unsheathed it.

How about some glow? She asked.

I am tired. Crush objected. That takes a lot of energy you know. Why don’t I just let you use my eyes instead? I can see perfectly well right now.

You can do that? Teagan asked, blinking in the darkness.

Would I have offered if I could not? Crush retorted grumpily.

Ok, what do I do to see through your eyes?

You do nothing, Crush retorted.

The room suddenly lit up giving Teagan her first look at the chamber. She blinked several times, feeling as though her eyes wanted to water.

The chamber was huge, perhaps fifty feet on a side. The bed itself was at least ten feet by ten, the blanket and spread equally large. She took a moment to study the bedspread, amazed at the intricate black designs woven into the golden background. She fingered the material, feeling the softness of the pattern, almost like yarn and the slipperiness of the background, similar to silk or nylon. She bet it was expensive, it just screamed quality fit for a king.

Or Queen, she thought with a chuckle.

She was about four feet away from the nearest edge of the bed so she scooted over and slipped off the tall mattress to stand barefoot on the stone floor. She shivered as the cool air hit her bare skin.

“Man, its cold in here.” Teagan complained as she hugged herself. “Wonder what the temperature is?”

Hejm stays the same temperature year round, Crush informed her. Trolls seem to find it comfortable.

I’m a human, remember? Teagan thought crossly. I want my clothes. Do you know where they are?

Søyle took the clothes you brought with you. But before she left she laid out the queen’s traditional raiment and regalia on the desk.

“Well, it’s bound to be warmer than my birthday suit,” she said aloud. “Ah, there it is!”

She hurried over to the desk to find a pile of cloth, leather, and metal.

“Oh you have got to be kidding me!” She grimaced as she held up the first garment, a halter, just like every troll woman she’d ever met wore. She laid Crush on the desk to free up her other hand.

It’s harder to share my eyes if you aren’t holding me, Crush complained.

“Sorry, I need my hands to get dressed,” Teagan said aloud as she studied the halter.

It was more of the silky material like the bedspread, only a deep vibrant purple with fiery red lines forming intricate knotwork that looked Celtic to Teagan’s untrained eye. The inside of the garment was lined with more of the purple silky material.

The other cloth turned out to be a loincloth, also like the ones she’d seen troll women wearing. This one was also purple with red knotwork. This time she spotted a pair of dragon heads enmeshed in the lines of the knotwork. Tying the garment carefully she tried for maximum coverage, but there was only so much cloth to be had. With a grumble she finally decided nothing more could be done and picked up a set of gold and emerald encrusted straps with intricately carved rings clearly intended to hang equipment from.

Hey Crush, you know how this works? She asked, holding up the harness as she examined it.

Straps over the shoulders, belt around the waist, the demon replied laconically, all strap buckles in front. Hurry up. The quicker you’re dressed the faster I can get back to sleep.

Teagan sighed but struggled into the weird harness. After a couple of bad starts she finally got the thing on, buckling the belt around her waist, a second strap just below her shoulders and a third strap between the other two. With all the straps buckled it pulled the shoulder straps snuggly together, making the harness feel less like a collection of straps and more like a weird kind of jacket.

This left only the jewelry. The first piece was a headband made of gold, a massive heavy band that looked like it would fit her but weighed nearly five pounds. It was absolutely crawling with all kinds of intricate designs, with a single point that had to mark the front of the band. A pair of rubies set one above the other adorned the front of the point.

Sighing again she lifted it onto her head—and was shocked as the weight instantly disappeared. She could feel it circle her head and when she experimentally tilted her head almost sideways the headband didn’t slip off.

“Neat,” she commented, “must be magical.”

Lifting it up restored it to full weight and she rapidly pulled her hair away from her face, settling the headband back in place where the weight vanished again.

“At least it keeps the hair out of my eyes,” she muttered, looking down at the final two pieces, matching armbands at least two inches wide made of gold half an inch thick. They were carved with a series of trolls with fierce expressions baring both teeth and claws. Unlike the headband the armbands had a series of runes carved into the lower edge, near the feet of the trolls.

Each armband weighed almost a pound but proved weightless when donned. They also stayed effortlessly in place, not even offering to slide down.

“Hey Crush, what’s with the jewelry?” Teagan asked aloud. “It seems kind of weird to use magic just to make it not fall off.”

Your crown does far more than stay in place. For the first time since she’d woken up Crush seemed amused. Likewise your armbands are not mere ornaments.

“What do you mean?”

The crown is also a weapon, Crush explained. The old king used one like it against your friend Sun Hammer. In an emergency it can produce a short burst of very hot flames that reach five feet away. When the old King used it in their fight your friend was able to dodge the worst of it, but you saw the scars on his leg. Fjell still wears that crown. The one you wear now was created specifically for you.

Teagan frowned, not sure how to feel about wearing the kind of weapon that had hurt Sun Hammer. Feeling her ambivalence Crush sighed mentally.

If it comforts you, think of it as a weapon of last resort, the demon continued. It can only fire twice in a day before it must recharge itself. The recharging is done by absorbing ambient heat, so after the second shot you must quickly rid yourself of it before it inflicts severe frostbite.

“Frostbite on my head? Gulp. Gotcha. Anything else I should know?”

In an emergency place it in a fire. It cannot melt and will regain its charge in only a few hours rather than a full day. It can also absorb fire attacks aimed at you—but be warned if the flames are too hot or long-lived the crown will explode.

“Explode?” Teagan asked faintly. “I take it I probably wouldn’t survive that?”

No, Crush chuckled. You would not. However, unless you try to absorb a dragon’s breath or the Wrath of the Sun, the crown will grow unbearably hot when it nears its limit. If you throw it at least fifty feet away from you before it explodes you’ll be safe enough—although the same cannot be said of your target.

“So, what you’re saying,” Teagan said carefully, “is that I’m wearing a potential grenade on my head, right? It can either freeze me to death or blow my head off if it’s abused?”

Yes, Crush said calmly. Being quite literal, trolls understand they should never lose their head. It is a constant reminder to the king or queen how important prudent rulership is.

Teagan quietly absorbed that before shivering in the cold.

“Moving on,” She said firmly, “what about the arm bands? Will they explode too?”

No. If the crown may be thought of as a sword, then the armbands are your armor. Remember trolls consider their king or queen to be the heart of all trolls. It is only prudent that the Heart have a hide of iron, is it not? Thus the Alene bent their magic toward that end.

While I am a nearly impenetrable shield I must actively place myself in the path of a blow. Your armbands are intended to deflect blows I cannot intercept.

They are very limited, however. While they could deflect a single troll’s claws aimed at your back they could not stand up to a dragon’s talons or teeth. Nor would they fully deflect the kick of a draugr, though they can help. Finally, multiple attackers can simply overwhelm them.

“So I’m not Supergirl,” Teagan nodded. “Would these things stop an arrow or a bullet?”

Crush considered the matter. They would deflect a single arrow or spear, even if thrown by a troll, the demon allowed. I am unsure about firearms, it has never been tested. Given what I know about how the armbands work they are weakest against attacks from the front, slightly less so from the sides and strongest against attacks from behind.

I doubt they could stop a bullet from the front, not even from typical police-issued side arms. From the side they could probably ward off a single shot from most side-arms, and from the back small caliber rifles. But they cannot deflect shots from a hunting rifle or anything more powerful, especially at close range, even from the back.

“What about knives or axes?” Teagan asked, making a mental note to keep out of firefights.

Yes, even a troll’s axe could be deflected—if it was only one, the demon said seriously. I do not know if a second simultaneous blow could be. The armbands are an emergency measure. They do not make you invulnerable.

“What about falls?” She asked, picking up the club and going to retrieve Crush’s sheath.

They only deflect blows—they do nothing to absorb them. That is my function, the demon replied.

“So make sure I’m carrying you if I fall,” She said drily. “I don’t suppose there’s any lamps around here are there?”

While you see through my eyes I cannot control where you look, Crush said in a patient voice. Look around the room. Do you see any pillars that do not reach the ceiling?

“Several, now that you mention it,” Teagan replied, “like those two on either side of the dresser.”

They are glowstone pillars,” Crush noted. The top of the pillar has a hinged metal lid. If you open it the light inside will be revealed.

Teagan walked over to the pillar, which was at least nine tall and a foot in diameter. Like everything else in her chamber it was covered with intricate carvings, this time either obvious symbols of light and the sun (which was the first time she’d seen the sun in troll artwork) or an odd rune that looked like two tall narrow triangles with their points touching, sort of like an X with closed sides.

The pillar was made of stone and showed no switches or other ways to open the plates at the top.

“Ok, I give up,” Teagan said after a moment. “How do I turn it on?”

Open the plates at the top, Crush replied in an irritated tone.

“How?” She asked aloud. “I can’t even reach that high. I don’t think climbing would be a good idea do you?”

Drag a chair over, you infuriating ape, the demon snapped. I want to go to sleep!

“Ok, ok, hold your horses, Crush. Jeez.”

She spotted a chair she thought she could move, although like all troll furniture it was both huge and massively built. One protracted struggle later that left the girl panting with effort the several hundred pound chair was next to the lamp, a testament to both Teagan’s physical fitness and the floor’s smoothness.

The chair’s seat was three feet off the ground, making Teagan have to jump and then pull herself up awkwardly with her arms. The chair’s arm was another two feet above that, finally letting the girl peer at the pillar’s top. As promised there was a pair of ornate handles with another touching-triangles-rune under them. She pulled the handles and as the two plates smoothly parted a beam of bright light shot up.

Right into her eyes.

Startled she flinched, and stepped back off the chair arm. She cursed as she fell onto the chair’s seat, barely managing to keep her balance. There was muted bong as the plates swung back and smacked the top of the pillar.

Now you have light. Good night. Do not disturb me unless we’re under attack. Crush firmly closed his eyes. She caught the tail end of the demon’s grumble before it fell silent.

The world changed subtly as she regained the use of her own eyes. She blinked several times to adjust to the (relative) brightness that had replaced the absolute blackness she’d woken to.

Once her eyes had adjusted she carefully stepped up on the chair arm and from there stepped across the gap between the chair and the dresser top. A single stride let her reach the tall mirror on the back of the dresser, which stretched another ten feet to the ceiling.

“I look like an escapee from Conan The Barbarian,” she grumbled, staring at her reflection. She turned this way and that, making sure the loin cloth covered enough to keep her decent.

“More than a bikini, not as much as a skirt,” she judged. “I guess I can stand it. I just wish they’d turn up the heat. I’m freezing!”

And, she realized, starving. And in need of a bathroom as well.

Shades of Fluttershy’s house all over again. Well, at least this time I don’t have to use a towel as a dress—even if that would be warmer.

Feeling a bit more confident than she had the first time she woke up in a bed on Equis she went looking for the bathroom. Which is when she ran into another problem. She found some doors, but they were all closed.

Ok, now this is just pathetic. I’m Queen of the trolls and I don’t even know how to open one of their freaking doors? Where the heck is Søyle when I need her?

The door in question was at least twelve feet tall and four feet wide and made of stone, not wood. Like everything else it was decorated to within an inch of its life, and even had a frame with its own images, distinct from the door’s carvings. What it didn’t have was a handle. Or hinges, come to that.

She looked for a cleverly concealed handhold, figuring it might be near her eye level since that was around a male troll’s waist. But she couldn’t find one. She tried pushing on it, then sliding it, all without success.

Crush, do you know how to open troll doors? Teagan asked silently. But the eyes in her head remained stubbornly closed.

“All right, be that way. See if I care.” She muttered, going back to examining the enigmatic portal.

“Let’s see. These things have to open, they’re doors,” Teagan said, speaking to herself. “They don’t pull open, they don’t slide, and I can’t see a handle anywhere. What does that leave?”

“Trolls don’t have suction cups so if these things needed to be pulled open there would have to be a handle. The light pillar had handles so they do use them. That must mean the things should be pushed, but I already tried that.”

She studied the door some more. “All right, what do I know about trolls? They’re big and…strong. So that means they don’t mind heavy doors, so…”

Tentatively she threw herself against the door, only to bounce off, rubbing her shoulder.

“All right, that was stupid,” she muttered. “Maybe try the left side?”

Rather than throwing herself bodily at the door this time she put both hands near the left edge, crouched slightly and pushed with her entire strength.

Only to nearly fall on her face as the door swung open with alacrity and swatted her in the loin cloth, knocking her through the narrow opening to stagger into the room beyond.

That turned out to be a small (by troll standards) walk-in closet, empty except for a set of shelves with nothing on them. The room was dark, lit only by the light pillar in the other room. Teagan face-palmed and walked through the (wider) opening the door had revealed.

“They pivot?” she asked incredulously, looking at the now open door. It was clear the door pivoted about ¾ of the way to the left side, leaving a three foot wide opening on the right. She experimentally tugged on the door, finding it fairly easy to move, even though it probably weighed as much as she did. Closing it gently she found once it was almost closed it finished closing on its own. That explained why the doors stayed shut, she supposed.

Armed with her newfound knowledge (and the hand-cranked flashlight she retrieved from her backpack next to the bed) she carefully opened a couple of other doors. The first led to a sumptuous bathing chamber, with an absolutely huge sunken tub, almost a small pool by her standards, but no sign of her real target.

The second door led to a narrow (again, by troll standards) corridor that ended in another door. Opening that revealed a small room with a hole in one corner surrounded by a smooth stone basin that sloped into the hole. Next to that was a small fountain with a pool that was constantly refilled by the fountain, only to drain away through an opening in the wall. There was a troll-sized metal ladle that she estimated could hold a gallon when filled on a small platform next to the basin.

Fortunately she recognized the room from a funny but rather sophomoric story Matt had told her about his unit’s arrival in Afghanistan.

“Let us never speak of this again,” she murmured the story’s punch line as she reached for the tie on her hip.

ooOoo

Back in her bedchamber she clipped the flashlight’s lanyard to one of the rings on her harness and let the device dangle under her arm as she examined the last door, discovering this one had Flint and Skrent on the other side of it, clearly on guard. The room beyond was lit with several light pillars. It appeared to be a living room of some kind. There were several chairs and a couple of low small tables.

“Hey guys, am I glad to see you,” she grinned. “I just woke up and I’m famished. If you’d be so kind as to escort me to the food I’d be ever so grateful.”

“Ja, min Dronning, denne veien,” Flint replied and strode toward another door. The next room was actually a wide corridor, lit with lys-mose on the tall ceiling. Flint strode along confidently, his broad bare feet making almost no noise as he moved. Neither did his silent brother, keeping pace behind her.

“What time is it?” she asked, the brisk pace finally starting to warm her up.

“Det nærmer seg tid for kveldsmat , min Dronning.” Flint said in a professional tone.

“Uh, what? I don’t speak Trollish yet, Flint.” She said, perplexed.

“I said it is nearly time for kveldsmat, the last meal of the day.” Flint explained. “Søyle thought it would be better to speak only vårt språk so that you may learn it more quickly. Was she not right?”

“Well, that’s ok, but I will need a few lessons first,” Teagan said dryly. “So, to begin with, what do you call the meals of the day?”

“First is frokost,” Flint replied readily, “eaten just after one has risen from sleep. Next is lunsj, the mid-day meal. Then is middag, eaten between afternoon and evening. Last is kveldsmat, the meal eaten two hours before sleeping.”

“Lunch? You actually call it lunch?” Teagan asked, grinning.

“Nei, min Dronning.” Flint corrected her carefully. “We say lunsj, not lunch. You see?”

“Um, it sounds the same to me,” Teagan said doubtfully.

“Is maybe close,” Flint allowed. “But lunsj not so hard sounding. Softer, you see?”

“Not really, no. But maybe I need to hear it more often to catch on. Right now it sounds just the same to me.”

The rest of the short trip was spent in silence. On the way they passed a few trolls who nodded to her but didn’t speak. From their harnesses she guessed they were government functionaries, the metals looked like copper and bronze and there weren’t any gems to be seen.

Now that she was paying attention to it she noticed the troll brothers harnesses were fine tooled leather with intricate designs, the metal polished brass with a few uncut bloodstones at strategic points.

By that time they had come to a large pair of double doors which Skrent pulled open without hesitation. Moving through them she found herself in a huge room, filled with tables and benches, a long table stretching across the front of the hall on a raised stone platform. It reminded Teagan of a Viking hall she’d once seen modeled in a museum.

It was easy to spot Fjell and Søyle at the center of the long table, a smaller empty chair sitting conspicuously to Fjell’s left. The other tables were packed with male and female trolls who all rose to their feet as they noticed Teagan enter the room.

VI ØNSKER VÅR DRONNING!

The roar from the several hundred trolls was actually painful and Teagan winced, trying desperately to remember what her response should be. Unable to remember the trollish phrase Søyle had taught her, she raised one arm and waved it overhead, smiling warmly. It was only at the last minute she remembered to keep her mouth closed and not show her teeth. She strode confidently toward the platform as the trolls shouted again.

LENGE KAN HUN LEVE!

She was halfway to the platform now, ears ringing.

LA VÅRE FIENDER SKJELVE!

At the platform she leaped upward, landing in front of Søyle, and motioned her to lean forward, whispering in her ear. Søyle replied and Teagan turned to meet the assembled trolls as they roared one final line.

HØR VÅR HJERTE TORDEN!

Then the assembled trolls (both behind and facing her) raised one fist toward the ceiling, threw their heads back and roared her name three times. As the noise faded away they lowered their arms and stood quietly, staring at her.

The sudden silence was just as stunning as the painful wall of sound had been.

Teagan raised her voice and spoke with firm conviction, as Søyle had insisted she must do.

“Jeg er hjertet du er resten. Sammen er vi en!”

I am the heart you are the rest. Together we are one!

The assembled trolls nodded in satisfaction and resumed their seats, a low hum of conversation returning to the enormous chamber.

Ears ringing fiercely the girl made her way to the nearest end of the table and walked to her chair. In the relative silence she settled back and tried to quiet the butterflies in her stomach to keep them from reenacting the most famous scene from Alien.

Fjell leaned down to say quietly.

“That was well done, my queen. I am glad that you have recovered your strength so quickly. We did not expect you to awaken for another day. After the tales your ætt have spread concerning your journey here and your startling appearance at table this night no troll will ever doubt your seighet. You truly are one of us.”

“My seighet?” Teagan asked curiously.

“It means that which does not yield within you. It is the part of you that always overcomes, against which your enemies stand helpless.” Fjell explained.

“Ah.” Teagan looked around curiously. “I don’t see Emma. Did she decide to skip dinner? That’s definitely not like her.”

“No, my queen,” Fjell replied easily, “The catbird invited Emma and the pony Snøskred to dine with her. As we did not expect you to appear until tomorrow morning at the earliest, your friend decided to attend. She seems quite curious about the catbird. Speaking of which, Søyle tells me she granted the catbird temporary shelter in Hejm until you and I could discuss the matter. What are your thoughts on this?”

“Well,” Teagan frowned as she considered, “Lady Silkwind helped us during the shadow wolf attack and she was always ready to fight to help defend us, along with her two bodyguards. I’d say she’s earned a safe haven with us until this whole thing with Duisternis is handled. On the other hand she’s a griffin, and not just any griffin, she’s what they call a Shadow Liaison in Canterlot. Spying is a high art among griffins and unless I miss my guess she’s a master of it.”

“We have never had enmity with the catbirds,” Fjell said after a moment. “They do not like being underground any more than trolls enjoy treading the clouds. You say she is a spy, but for whom? And to what purpose?”

“For the fun of it,” Teagan said with a shrug. “As for whom it’s probably for herself first and the griffins second. Apparently the griffins and the pegasi have a history and the griffins aren’t happy that ponies are now a troll clan. Griffins are a trifle paranoid.”

“What is paranoid?” Fjell asked with a wrinkled brow. “I do not know this word.”

“Um, it means believing everyone is trying to hurt you. Believing everyone else is an enemy just waiting to attack you when your back is turned, especially when that belief is irrational.”

“In the World Below this is simple truth,” Fjell said, tilting his head. “Trolls are beset on all sides by things which wish to kill and eat us. The very world around us will kill the unwary without warning.”

Teagan chuckled. “Yes, well if everyone is out to get you, you aren’t being paranoid. Paranoia is when you believe it when nobody actually is trying to hurt you. At that point it’s often a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

“I understand this,” Fjell said, nodding. “For it is certain if they were not your enemy before you attacked them in error they certainly would be afterward.”

“Absolutely,” Teagan nodded. “So it behooves us to treat Lady Silkwind as an ally until we have reason to believe otherwise. Let her poke around if she likes, we have nothing to hide from the griffins. Besides, the griffins wouldn’t be happy if we sent her away and she ran into something with big sharp teeth. No need to ruffle their feathers needlessly.”

“Your counsel seems wise, my queen,” Fjell said nodding. “Very well, let the catbirds stay until peace is restored to the world.”

At that point several trolls entered the room pushing carts laden with all manner of food. From where Teagan was sitting she couldn’t see everything but she smelled some kind of meat and something else delectably spicy.

As the trolls brought food to the table she forgot about everything but her raging hunger. Food was placed along the table in long shallow serving plates sized to trolls. Because of the number of diners at the long table several groups of serving plates were provided so the need for passing platters was kept to sane levels.

Once it was clear that Teagan simply couldn’t handle the weight of the huge platters Fjell wordlessly began passing platters for her, piling food on the shallow rectangular plate in front of her and filling the bowl next to it with soup. A human-sized (but very large) flagon next to her plate was filled with a frothy brown liquid that smelled like bread and nuts.

The meal consisted of meat and tubers, a rich heavy soup and tough but delicious dark bread. Teagan dove in gleefully with a knife and two-tined skewer that seemed to be the troll version of a fork. At least the eating implements were correctly sized for her. She wouldn’t have been able to deal with the full sized versions used by the trolls. Their eating knife was the size of a wide-bladed butcher knife and the full sized fork-skewer was almost big enough to use on a barbeque grill!

By the time it was done Teagan had eaten three helpings, her stomach seeming bottomless. Her drink was some kind of ale, with a wonderful nutty taste. Not being used to alcohol Teagan declined to have Fjell refill her flagon when he offered. She suspected one flagon was actually more than she should have drunk but happily she didn’t feel the least bit tipsy.

Halfway through the meal Crush opened his eyes and sighed in pleasure before going back to sleep. She got the impression he was a lot less grumpy this time.

“It is true then,” Fjell said at the end of the meal. “Mountain Heart does make you ravenous. I have known trolls who could not eat half what you did this night, my queen.”

“I have no regrets,” Teagan declared, settling back in her chair. “That was good, better than I’ve had in a lot of Kansas City restaurants. My compliments to the chef.”

“I am sure Koken will be pleased to hear your praise, my queen,” Fjell said. “I noticed you particularly enjoyed the bakkan hai i smør.”

“Which one was that?” Teagan asked in interest.

“I believe you would name it Buttered Land Shark.” Fjell replied. “I too found it interesting. Especially considering the butter was made from cave lemming milk.”

“Wait, didn’t Alene Dalen say that no sane troll would ever consider eating a cave lemming? Something about them being unbearably rank?”

“This is so,” Fjell said with a nod as he rose. “But the milk of the cave lemming is delicious. It is another gift Alene Rolig gave to our people. Without him trolls would never have thought to try it because we had always driven away the lemmings, for they invaded our fungus farms. Now, cave lemming milk is a staple of our diet. We make butter, cheese, and skyr from it.”

“What’s skyr?” Teagan asked as she stretched, pleasantly sated from the meal.

“A kind of very soft cheese,” Fjell answered as he and Søyle motioned for Teagan to follow them. “It is often mixed with milk and spices and eaten for frokost. I myself enjoy it mixed with honey we import from the hester—excuse me, I should say ponies. My apologies, it is hard not to slip into trollish. I look forward to the day we may converse as trolls, my queen.”

“I will endeavor to hasten that day, my husband,” Søyle said with a trollish smile, keeping her teeth hidden.

“Where are we headed?” Teagan asked as her bodyguards joined the king’s behind them.

“To the council chambers, my queen. A serious challenge concerning Clan Hest has been raised that only you may answer.”

“Say what?” Teagan exclaimed with dismay. “I thought that was all settled. Ponies are clan, Fjell!”

“Be at peace, my queen. I understand this and do not accept Vismeg’s challenge concerning Clan Hest.”

“What’s this Vismeg’s beef with ponies anyway?” Teagan asked. “Is he just a racist or what?”

“What is a racist?” Søyle interjected.

“Um, somebody that thinks their race is superior to all others, that other races cannot be as good as their own. Among humans it causes no end of trouble. They fight wars over it sometimes.”

“I do not understand,” Fjell said with a puzzled tone. “What is a race? Do you mean species? Are not all humans a single species?”

“Well—hmm. How do I explain this? Ok, yes, humans are a single species but we’ve spread out all over the planet. Some parts of the planet get a lot more sunlight than others. Since humans lack fur like trolls do but we live above ground we’re exposed to the sun all the time. But while we do need a certain amount of sunlight too much is very bad for us. It can make our skin burn and we can even die from a disease where the damaged skin invades our internal organs and causes horrible growths that cause our insides to die.”

Søyle and Fjell turned to her with a shared look of shock on their faces.

“I had heard your world contained many horrors trolls cannot imagine, my queen,” Fjell said in a voice heavy with distress. “The Snøskred spoke of weapons that could wipe out entire cities in an instant, of fiery death that poisoned the land for years after. But to hear humans can die from the very thing that brings life to the world—” He shook his head. “I have no words.”

“Every world has dangers, Fjell,” Teagan said, waving her hands frantically. “My world only sounds more dangerous than yours because the dangers are different. Ones you don’t have. But you have a lot of things on Equis that my world would consider just as horrible. Dragons, for instance, or cockatrices.”

Both trolls winced.

“Anyway, because humans are exposed to different amounts of sunlight, they adapt. Our skin contains a dye called, um, melanin, I think. The stronger the sunlight the more dye our skin produces. Over generations the amount of dye gets kind of standardized. The more sunlight there is where the person’s ancestors lived the darker a person’s skin normally stays. The dye also affects eye color and hair color. People with darker skin have darker eyes and hair too.

“At any rate, that’s basically all race is, the least amount of dye your skin can have. There are humans that are almost literally black. Well, super dark brown, actually. I’m at the extreme other end. I have almost no dye in my skin. My ancestors come from an island where the sunlight is very weak. My red hair comes from that same lack of dye. So do my green eyes. The only people paler than me have a birth defect. They’re called albinos and have no dye at all. The most extreme cases have white hair and pink eyes and super-pale skin.”

Fjell and Søyle looked at each other.

“So you have two races then? And they fight? Just because they have different amounts of dye in their skin?” Søyle finally asked hesitantly.

“Well, there’s actually, um,” Teagan started counting on her fingers, “Five. I think. They call them white, black, yellow, red, and brown, with some argument about brown having multiple divisions, but yeah. Of course those colors aren’t really literal, like ponies would be. I’m called white, but you can see my skin’s a pale peach color really. Yellow and red are just light tan and a darker tan. Black is really a range of browns from light brown to nearly black.”

“What about your hair and eyes?” Fjell said, clearly lost. “How does that work? Is a dark brown person with green eyes yet another race? What if they had white hair?”

“Um, well, you see, most humans have brown eyes, no matter what their skin color is. Brown helps protect the eyes from strong light. Then there’s blue, that’s the next most common color. Generally only white people can have blue eyes. Or green, like mine. It’s the amount of dye again. But like the majority of humans most white people have brown eyes. Green and blue are a mutation, kind of like albinos but to a much smaller degree.”

“What about hair color then?” Søyle asked, still trying to grasp the differences. “Emma has brown hair and eyes. Is she a different race from you? She is tan. Does that make her, what was it, yellow? Or red?”

“No, Emma’s white too,” Teagan said, regretting bringing the subject up, wondering if the ale had impaired her judgment after all. “White people’s hair ranges from black through all shades of brown to gold or red. Red’s the rarest, especially my color. Most redheads are actually a reddish brown.”

“But you said light tan was called yellow,” Fjell said, frowning in fierce concentration. “If humans fight over something like this, surely they have to be able to tell the difference? From what you’ve said it seems the differences are tiny!”

“I didn’t say it made sense,” Teagan said defensively. “It’s also complicated by the fact that race isn’t the only factor. Sometimes its different countries that speak a different language, or have different religions or—”

“But it defies reason!” Søyle said in desperation. “Min Dronning I believe you speak the truth but how can humans fight over such simple things? Things neither side have any control over?”

“That, Søyle, is a question humans have asked for centuries. And nobody seems to have an answer that can stop the fighting.” Teagan said heavily. By now they had left the palace (at least Teagan assumed it was the palace) and were well along the road to a massive ornate building.

“I would not want to live in your world, my queen,” Fjell said shaking his head. “It is a wonder you have survived at all. I question if you go back whether you can stay alive long enough to return to us. At least in this world a troll may see the shape of the creature coming toward them to judge its threat. To know your enemy only by the shade of their skin? When, from what you say, the shades overlap? Worse still, that their skin may lighten or darken by how much time they spend in the sun?That is madness!”

“Whoa, hang on!” Teagan said. “Earth is a very big place, Fjell. I’m talking about an entire planet—nearly seven billion humans. There are huge swathes that have managed to stay peaceful for a long time. We’re getting better. Slowly, but we are. Where I live it’s really safe—boring even. Something could happen to me, that’s true. But the chances are really, really low. I promise.”

“You have said this?” Søyle demanded.

“I have said this. I swear to it.” Teagan said forcefully.

Both Søyle and Fjell visibly relaxed.

“If you have said this, my queen, then it must be so,” Fjell said. “But I am minded of our conversation when you spoke of the difference between evil and amorality. Only now do I see why you were able to thread such a narrow passage. It is a skill needful among your people if they are to survive at all. I do not envy you.”

Fjell led the way into the entrance of the large ornate building.

“Welcome to the Borgen, my queen.” Fjell said as they headed toward a set of stairs leading down. “Here is where you will spend much of your time. This is the place where decisions are made, where the Council meets, where the Law is preserved. Many trolls labor here to make sure the World Below continues to be.”

“I take it Vismeg is waiting for us?” Teagan asked cynically, “along with the assembled Council?”

“That is so,” Fjell nodded.

“Well, I guess I understand why the two of us are here. What’s Søyle’s role?” Teagan asked curiously.

“I will translate for you to those on the Council who cannot speak the pony language, min Dronning.” Søyle replied. “I am also to bear witness to the statements you made on the train about clan Hest being klanen av sjelen with you. Vismeg of Clan Langtpunkt has demanded proof of your words. You will give it and I will confirm it. As Kona my oath is no small thing.”

“So, all I have to do is say ponies are clan?” Teagan said with a raised eyebrow. “How will that solve anything? It’s just my word for something that sounds like a children’s story.”

“Exactly, my queen,” Fjell said with satisfaction. “Your word. The word of the Dronning, bearer of Mountain Heart. There is no greater surety.”

“That is so,” Søyle nodded. “My own affirmation carries far less weight—but only an Alene’s oath is surer than the word of the Kona.”

“Doesn’t Kona just mean wife?” Teagan asked in confusion.

“The word does, yes. But Kona is not just a thing I am. It is also my title, Dronning. As a rank Kona means I am the spouse of the ruler. And as such my oath is as strong as his. Or yours.”

“So…that means Vismeg will be satisfied to take my word for it?”

“Yes,” the troll woman replied with upmost confidence.

They continued in silence for another five minutes before Fjell opened doors flanked by a pair of guards that stepped aside for him. When Teagan followed him into the room she found a huge table with a dozen trolls—and a single pony.

“Dronning Teagan, behold the Troll Council,” Fjell said in ringing formal tones. “Members of the Council, behold Dronning Teagan, bearer of Mountain Heart, rightful ruler of the World Below. She comes to take her place among you.”

“La hjertet bli med tankene.” The phrase rumbled around the table, even the pony adding his voice.

Fjell gestured to a smaller chair placed on a stand to bring it level with the table. Teagan settled into it, for once able to look the trolls in the eye without having to stand up to do it. Fjell seated himself next to her and Søyle stood behind them. She found herself staring at the earth pony across the table from her. The pony nodded his head and spoke.

“Min Dronning, I am Truth Speaker, Equestria’s ambassador to Hejm. I am also the Council member for clan Hest.”

A large troll with a plain leather harness studded with steel rings that reminded her of the one worn by Ynsiv rumbled something in trollish to which the pony calmly replied, also in trollish. The troll huffed and settled back in his chair.

“My queen, this is Vismeg of Clan Langtpunkt. He is the one who brings challenge to Clan Hest.”

Søyle spoke in trollish, clearly translating what Fjell had said. Vismeg nodded and spoke at some length.

Søyle’s voice, this time speaking English (well, Equestrian), translated.

“I am a Plain Troll, my queen. It has been said ponies are now a new clan among the trolls. Yet they are very different from us, and hold to different Law than we. They lie easily, and this to trolls is not a thing to be born. I have heard they are clan of the soul to you, and thus to us. I do not understand how this thing might be so. I await your words that this thing may be shown to be so.”

Teagan turned in her seat to look back at Søyle.

“This is going to take a while. It’s probably best if I pause after every few sentences to let you translate, so you don’t have to remember the entire thing. Is that ok?”

“It is,” Søyle said, nodding her head.

Teagan turned back to Vismeg and with appropriate pauses began speaking directly to him.

“First, I apologize for not knowing Trollish yet. One of the things I will be doing in the next couple of months is learning how to speak it, so things are easier between us. But until then, I’ll have to speak in the language I know. Many on the Council know it too, so they can verify Søyle is translating my words correctly. Is this acceptable to you?”

Vismeg nodded solemnly.

Teagan nodded back, continuing.

“I was not born among the trolls, but the Law says because I wield Crush I am your queen and I am a troll. Is this correct?”

Vismeg nodded again, face impassive.

“As a troll I am clan to all trolls, my own clan of purpose containing representatives of every clan on this council. Is this so?”

Vismeg nodded again.

“On my first trip to Equis I was told a story by Twilight Sparkle, who is now a princess of Equestria. But when she told me this story she wasn’t a princess, she was a scholar, a student who had an insatiable hunger for knowledge. She was interested in knowing everything, no matter what the subject was. One of those interests was the history of the ponies. How they came to this world—from my world.”

She stared at Vismeg.

“There was a race of ponies on my world, ponies that could speak and had magic. They were not mere animals, as most creatures on my world are. These ponies lived with my clan and the story Twilight Sparkle told me is one I already knew because it was part of my own clan’s history. Thus I know it to be true. For our worlds had been separate since that day over a thousand years ago. There could have been no way for her to know it unless it were true.

“One day a great enemy came upon my clan, and defeated them in battle, conquering us and killing many of us. The queen of the ponies, Epona, had foreseen our defeat at the hands of the Melesians, and had cast a great spell to save some part of her ponies and my clan. She knew it was impossible to escape, so instead ponies and humans were joined magically to a third group of ponies, these mere animals that could not speak or think as you and I do.

“When a pony and their rider fell in battle the spell Epona cast joined the souls of the pony and human together with the spirit of the animal pony in the pony’s body and sent that pony over the Bridge of Days to Equis. The new pony could speak and think, for they had the souls of a Capall and a human joined within them.

“The ponies of Equestria are one third human, Vismeg. More, they are one third human of my bloodline. Are you answered?”

As Søyle’s voice died away Vismeg considered Teagan’s words in silence for several minutes.

“Jeg svarte. Denne saken er så.”

I am answered. This thing is so.

Teagan relaxed when she heard Søyle’s translation, breathing a sigh of relief.

The Worlds Like Jewels

In which we discover the efforts of others, well meaning or not, must be factored into one’s own considerations.

Dear Diary,

Hi, it’s late Sunday night and I’m a bit tired, so I’m gonna try and keep this short, ok?

It seems like I’m gonna have to be a lot more careful around Lady Silkwind. She’s absolutely fantastic at making you relax and enjoy yourself—and if I hadn’t been watching her like a hawk I’d have spilled more beans than that dog in the baked bean commercials!

She invited Truth Speaker and me to dinner and since Teelo was down for the count and I kind of wanted to get to know her anyway I decided to go. We met at the only restaurant in Hejm that serves outsiders (because Hejm doesn’t get a lot of tourists, go figure). It was run by a family of minotaurs, just like the trading post and the diners were a combination of all the ambassadors in Hejm.

There was even one Diamond Dog, although from what I could tell (he was sitting at a table on the other side of the restaurant) he seemed very different than most of his kind, much more refined and wearing a full set of clothes. I heard most Diamond Dogs are kind of crude. Trolls don’t like them much because they tend to be flexible when it comes to other people’s stuff, if you know what I mean.

Silkwind and her bodyguards were the only griffins in Hejm. Like Rainbow Dash, being in places they can’t fly makes them twitchy, but you wouldn’t have known it with Lady Silkwind. She’s all about the lady-like exterior and genteel refinement.

The food was great! They actually had meat and potatoes. Like the trading post the potatoes (kind of like au gratin but chunkier) were really spicy, I guess that’s a minotaur specialty or something. I had some kind of milk this time, too. They said it was cave lemming milk but it was really good, creamy and slightly sweet.

Lady Silkwind never actually asked many questions. Instead she kind of made polite observations and let us take the conversation wherever we wanted. The only times she asked questions they were oh so innocent…but I noticed they always spurred the speaker to give more details. LOTS more details…

The odd thing was she paid as much attention to Truth Speaker as to me. She got him talking about Canterlot’s nobles, and oh didn’t Truth Speaker have some funny stories! I have a feeling he shouldn’t have said as much as he did, but then again I’m not an ambassador so what do I know?

When it was my turn she got me talking about Earth…but nothing too secret, nothing about nukes or armies or stuff. Not that I know much about that kind of thing. No, she got me talking about school, which classes I liked, what I thought about boys, what the politicians debated that caught my interest (which wasn’t a lot, because boring!).

Now that I think about it, one of the things that fascinated both of them was my trip to the zoo last summer. They were a bit shocked at first, I think, and really had a hard time with humans being the only intelligent species on Earth. Truth Speaker kept making sure (although he was polite about it) that ponies on Earth weren’t earth ponies (the people kind).

Looking back on it I can see why he was kind of spooked about me talking about Earth’s ponies as animals. I guess it was kind of a Planet Of The Apes vibe for him. Silkwind seemed fascinated that we don’t have any dragons or griffins or pegasi, you know, no actual mythological beasts of any kind.

That led to a discussion of biology and evolution and how things on Earth kind of run themselves, you know the sun and moon and weather. I told them what I’d learned about how scientists were able to learn about the deep past, you know, the origins of the universe and all that astronomy stuff.

Both of them were absolutely floored when I told them that Earth had been around for like five billion years. Truth Speaker said that Equis wasn’t anything like that old and Silkwind said nobody really knew how old their world was, but surely it couldn’t be anywhere near as old as that! I didn’t argue with her, but unless we’re in a different universe or something it has to be, right?

Maybe I’ll ask Teelo when she wakes up.

Anyway, I had a really good time, but I don’t think I’ll make a habit of it. During the whole dinner I had to keep reminding myself she was a spy, and a really high ranking one to boot. I’m sure she was pumping both of us for as much info as she could get, but it didn’t feel that way, you know? Maybe James Bond types don’t really need guns to accomplish their missions. I always thought the whole “irresistible charm” part of his personality and all those women he seduced was just a male fantasy.

But after seeing Silkwind in action I’m not so sure the “charming spy tricks info out of victim” part of the Bond films is all that wrong.

Anyway, it’s late so I’m headed to bed.

Love, Emma

ooOoo

“Let me see if I understand you, young unicorn,” Hoë Towenaar said mildly, showing no sign of anger. “You are saying the dragon that Rimor recruited attacked us here? Leaving us with less than five percent of our standing forces, both skeletal and zompony? As well as the loss of a windigo patrol? Then it rampaged through the base destroying all of our research laboratories? Including my own?”

“Correct,” Sombra said levelly. “The dragon was full grown, and quite powerful. So powerful in fact it nearly destroyed my body when I attempted to kill it. Even with the aid of two draugrs all I managed to do was lure it away before it burned the library. It is currently scouring the mountains trying to find me.”

“Losing the library would have been an unmitigated disaster. I must commend you for saving it. However, I trust you appreciate the magnitude of this—event?” the demon cloud asked in a kindly tone.

The unicorn sighed. “I am aware, yes. It completely disrupts our plans. The loss of an entire windigo patrol is particularly galling.”

“Today has not been a good day for us,” the demon cloud said in a sad tone. “In addition to the unfortunate incident here the attack against the troll queen was quite disappointing. She managed to destroy the entire force arrayed against her including the zompony shells Verlei and I were using. Worse, somehow she managed to destroy the two draugr escorting us as well. I fear this may require us to abandon our ambitions for the time being in order to withdraw and regroup elsewhere.”

“That could take years,” Sombra said moodily.

“Centuries, I should think,” Hoë Towenaar replied glumly. “Still, we have the time to rebuild. We of all creatures need not worry about time’s relentless predations. However it is extremely vexing.”

“What of Rimor?” Sombra asked with an edge in his voice. “If anyone is to blame for this disaster it is him. If he hadn’t recruited that dragon we would not be having this conversation.”

“The young often seek someone to blame when fortune frowns on their endeavors,” The demon cloud said in mild reproof. “Rimor’s unique abilities are unlikely to appear again, especially not in a pony. He made a crucial error in judgment, it is true. However he is but an infant even compared to you, Sombra. Only he can create draugrs. Given enough time he will become a seasoned immortal, like you did. Besides, even I suffer the occasional misjudgment. There is no doubt I underestimated the troll queen. So you see, not even I can predict every possible misfortune that may upset our plans.”

“We were so close,” Sombra snarled.

“We were,” the demon agreed. “But we play the long game, my friend. I have existed for over a million years. And in that time I have come close to total victory on many occasions. It is vexing. But sooner or later we will win. After all, we only have to be lucky once. Our adversaries have to be lucky every single time.”

“We have lost the element of surprise,” Sombra said bitterly. “Celestia knows we exist now. She’ll be watching for us. She may even keep hunting for us as we rebuild.”

“True,” The cloud agreed. “But mortals have short memories. In time we will be forgotten by everyone save Celestia and her sister. In the mean time we will be studying our opponents, especially these new players, the humans. Perhaps we can insert agents into their world. Think of it as a learning opportunity, young unicorn.”

Sombra snorted. “I am no longer a student, Hoë Towenaar.”

“Now, now. The wise are always seeking knowledge,” the demon replied in a brighter tone. “After all, what use is immortality if you never learn anything new?”

ooOoo

“Oh, no, foul hell spawn,” Faust muttered as he gazed into a large crystal ball sitting on a ring of three rearing unicorns. “That will not do at all. The Slange will never taint the sweet air of this world. That I swear.”

The fae suddenly grinned.

“Perhaps a small gift of our own is in order, since Sombra seems so fond of giving them…”

He turned to contemplate a miniature chest of plain appearance.

“Yes, I think that would be exactly what I should do. She gets so few gifts in truth and that is certainly a shame. I’m sure she will treasure this one as she does all gifts given from the heart.”

He stroked the chest, and then paused as another idea occurred to him.

“Perchance it is time to loose the hounds as well,” he chuckled to himself. “We would not want our young queen to become complacent, now would we?”

ooOoo

Luna yawned as she approached her chambers, the early dawn light filling the corridor with a rosy glow. She nodded to the pair of pegasi in the blue and black armor of the Lunar Guard that flanked her doorway, lighting her horn to part the doors.

With another yawn she starting doffing her crown and peytral as she passed through the reception hall to her bedchamber. Absently mindedly placing the decorative regalia on the partial equiquin designed to hold her regalia she turned back the sheets with a lazy motion of her horn, only to tilt her head in curiosity as her action revealed an ornate scroll tube lying on the mattress.

There was an unexpected thump behind her. Startled she spun in time to see a thin humanoid figure vanish into thin air, leaving only a large crate sitting on the floor. The crate was ornate, carved with woodland scenes and stained a deep cherry red. It stood nearly as tall as she was.

“GUARDS! TO ME AT ONCE!” She bellowed in the Royal Canterlot voice. The doors to her chamber burst open and the two guards charged in, clearly ready for trouble, one on the ground and one in the air.

“Yes, Princess Luna?” The flying guard saluted her, his partner rapidly scanning the room for the problem.

“Evacuate the tower immediately,” Luna ordered grimly. “We have an intruder, one that dared to invade this very room! It was a biped, perhaps a human female, although it vanished before We could get a good look at the rogue. It brought that crate and apparently left a scroll in Our bed. Summon the entire Lunar Guard to cordon off this tower. Make sure they are fully armed and armored. Then summon Wind Shimmer, along with and as many of the Horns as she deems prudent for investigation and possible containment of a magical hazard. I go to alert my sister.”

Then Luna teleported out as her guards retreated, closing and locking the door behind them. One guard pulled a gem from within his armor and smashed it under his hoof as his partner flew off down the corridor.

Immediately a loud wailing alarm echoed from the smashed gem, echoing down the corridors like a shriek of pain.

Within seconds members of the Lunar Guard were converging on the alarm signal like a sea of blue and black armored steel.

As the guard relayed the orders given him by the princess his partner was saluting the Captain of the Night Watch.

ooOoo

Celestia was just settling into her throne to begin court when she heard the faint shrieking of the alarm in the distance. Before she could do more than swivel her ears Luna appeared in the throne next to her.

“Sister, there is an intruder!” Luna said urgently. “A biped appeared in my chamber and left a large ornate box and a scroll before teleporting away. I have had my guards seal off the Tower Of The Moon and begin searching for them.”

“A biped that can teleport?” Celestia asked worriedly. “Was it a Diamond Dog?”

“Neigh, sister. We believe it was a human female, although she disappeared too quickly to be completely sure. The only thing We can say of a surety is that she had a very long white mane. We do not believe We had seen her before. It was not Lady Teelo or her friend, nor Evelyn nor Rosalyn Parker. Whoever it was stood as tall as you, sister.”

“The ruby?” Celestia asked, eyes widening.

Luna shook her head. “We carry that cursed stone with Us constantly, sister. And We burned the parchment containing the spell it carries.”

“Then it seems another one was created,” Celestia said grimly. “Most likely more than one. It appears our enemies have decided to strike again. You’re in danger, Luna.”

“As are you, sister. Not to mention Twilight Sparkle and Cadence,” Luna said pointedly. “Alicorns are remarkably hard to injure it is true, but anyone who can pierce the veil is not to be taken lightly. Thee should don thy armor at once, dear sister. We certainly plan to do so immediately. Come with Us now.”

“Agreed,” Celestia nodded sharply, and then raised her voice. “Day Court is adjourned, my little ponies. Summon Captain Strong Shield to the armory,” she added in an aside to the guard stationed at the foot of the throne dais.

“At once, Your Highness,” the guard nodded sharply and started away.

The two alicorns teleported out, leaving dozens of stunned ponies chattering at each other in dismay.

ooOoo

Faust, once again gazing into his scrying ball shook his head. “Who knew alicorns were such nervous Nellies?

He giggled suddenly.

“Isn’t she going to feel silly when she finds out what it is? Now, about that other present…”

ooOoo

Earth, Monday morning, June 9, 2013 7:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

Admiral Spears came into his office and sat his briefcase down behind his desk. He frowned as he spotted a single sheet of paper on his desk with a bit of handwriting on it. Sitting down he picked it up and read the brief message.

So small to cause so much fuss, wouldn’t you agree? Yet a strange attractor none the less. Enjoy.

Turning it over revealed the message had been written on the back of an 8x10 photograph of a rather scantily clad woman. His eyes widened slightly when he recognized her.

Studying the picture more closely he could see she was standing in partial darkness, the light coming from her left, leaving the right side of her body cloaked in shadows. He squinted, trying to see what she was holding in her right hand. It looked like a knobby stick of some kind, held at a downward angle, away from her side, the end vanishing in the darkness by the time it passed her knee.

Her only garments were a halter and loincloth, both purple with intricate lines of bright red forming patterns, including one that might be a dragon’s head. A harness of leather straps circled her torso, doing absolutely nothing to aid her modesty. Looking closely he could see gold and green gems decorating the harness on the left side, the right shrouded in shadow.

Wide armbands adorned both her upper arms, the one in the right occluded but the left one gleaming golden in the light with some kind of decoration on it.

On her head was a heavy golden headband with a pair of red gems set in the front, one above the other. A chill ran through him when he realized it wasn’t just a headband.

Not taking his eyes off the picture, he reached for his intercom.

“Yes sir?” His secretary responded cheerfully.

“Arrange a meeting with the President at his very earliest convenience,” he growled, “concerning a breakthrough on Project Silverlight.”

He turned off the intercom before she could respond, staring hard at the teenage girl in the photograph.

“One mystery solved, Your Majesty,” he said wryly, “so many new ones to go…”

Timeo Danaos Et Dona Ferentes

In which we finally discover the inspiration behind John O’Gara’s Christmas toast.

Teagan yawned as she woke up, blinking in the bright light. She could hear the quiet padding of bare feet on the stone floor. She sat up to find Søyle opening all the light pillars one after another.

“God morgen, min Dronning,” Søyle said with a wide trollish smile. “Sov du godt?”

“Søyle, it’s too early in the morning for Trollish,” Teagan replied, stretching. “Thanks for turning on the lights though. What did you just say?”

“I asked if you slept well,” the troll replied in English. “I am not used to speaking Hest in the World Below. We only use it when speaking to those who do not know Trolsk. It would be best if you learned Trolsk quickly, min Dronning. Most of your subjects do not speak Hest.”

Teagan sighed. “Yeah, I get it. Oh, and speaking of getting it, where are my clothes?”

Søyle paused in confusion. “You are wearing them?” she finally ventured with a creased brow.

“No, I mean the clothes I brought with me. I know this is what troll women wear but troll queen or not, I’m still biologically a human and it’s cold in here. I’d rather not freeze all the time, you know?”

“You are cold?” Søyle repeated blankly. “Why? Hejm’s clime never changes, it is always perfect.”

“Humans are used to higher temperatures, Søyle,” Teagan explained patiently. “That’s why we wear so many clothes compared to ponies or trolls. It also protects our skin from the sun. Remember me talking about that last night?”

Søyle visibly winced. “But, min Dronning, here in the World Below you are in no danger from the sun. So you should not need to cover yourself. Besides, trolls must see that their Dronning is a troll like themselves. With your strange coloration and mane they already think you may be more pony than troll. It is best if they see it is not so.”

“Wouldn’t carrying Crush prove I’m a troll?” Teagan asked reasonably, donning said weapon as she got out of bed, shivering.

“Once they drew close enough to see you clearly,” Søyle replied after a moment. “But from a distance Mountain Heart cannot be seen. Do you plan to meet every one of your subjects to let them see for themselves? There are tens of thousands of trolls in Hejm alone, min Dronning. I fear you would be doing nothing else for the rest of your life.”

“But I’m cold, Søyle. Look at me, I’m shivering! Can’t I at least wear a cloak, or something? Trolls may be immune to the cold, but I’m not!”

“What is a cloak?” Søyle asked, cocking her head. “I do not know this word.”

Teagan stared at her, and then sighed. “Never mind, let me just freshen up and I’ll meet you in the living room, ok?”

“The living room?” Søyle asked blankly. “Where is that? How can a room live?”

“You know, the room through there,” Teagan said waving toward the door to the outer chamber of her quarters.

“Ah, we call this room the første rommet, Dronning. In Hest you would say first room, because it is always the first room in a troll’s home. A place to greet guests and a place to defend one’s home if need be.”

“Humans call it a living room,” Teagan said, clipping her flashlight’s lanyard to her harness. “We use it as the main room of the house. Anyway, I’ll meet you there in a minute, ok?”

“Ja, min Dronning,” Søyle replied, turning to go as Teagan headed deeper into her quarters.

When she emerged into the “first room” not only Søyle was waiting for her, so were Emma and Alene Hule, along with Skrent and Flint.

Emma took one look at Teagan and wolf-whistled. “Wow, you really have gone native, haven’t you? But aren’t you cold?”

“Freezing,” Teagan replied morosely. “Alene Hule, is there some kind of spell to keep a troll warm in icy weather? Like on the surface?”

“Trolls would never need such a spell, min Dronning,” Alene Hule replied apologetically. “We do not feel the cold as others do. However, if you like I will inquire at the Clan Hest embassy to see if they have something. Many ponies find Hejm too cool for their liking and trolls tend to frown on overly bulky coverings. They may have enchanted items to aid them. The unicorns of Clan Hest are quite clever when it comes to creating such things.”

“What do trolls have against clothing anyway, Alene?” Teagan asked, hugging herself and rubbing her arms to try and warm up. She watched the chance for a nice warm sweater wave bye-bye as it boarded a train for warmer climes. The fact Emma was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans just added insult to injury.

“Nothing as such,” he replied, shaking his head. “However bulky clothing tends to be dangerous in the World Below, it can catch in narrow passages and while it may offer slight protection against an attack it also impedes the defender. Trolls prefer to fight unencumbered and view bulky clothing as unnecessary and risky.”

“And trolls hate pointless risk”, Teagan reluctantly admitted. “If you could make that inquiry as soon as possible I’d appreciate it.”

He bowed to her. “Som du ber om, Min Dronning.”

“Which means?” Teagan raised an eyebrow.

“As you request,” the Alene obligingly translated. “Alas, there is a Council matter that will not wait, and I must see to Hejm’s wards. They have begun to fail.”

“What?” Teagan exclaimed. “Fail? How could they fail?”

“That is what we are endeavoring to discover, Min Dronning,” The Alene said gravely. “It has never happened before. I am considered the most skilled at rune warding therefore it falls to me to see what I may see.”

“Then don’t let me keep you from it,” Teagan said hastily. “The wards have the highest priority, no question.”

“As you say,” the Alene nodded to her and turned to go. “I will have another ask Clan Hest about a warming spell for you.”

“Thank you. I hope you find the problem quickly, Alene. Good luck.”

“Thank you,” the troll replied over his shoulder as he left.

“Emma, you should get out while the getting’s good,” Teagan said forcefully. “Without the wards the city is open to all kinds of creepy crawlies. This is so far beyond safe now you need the Hubble Telescope to see it.”

“Not leaving you,” Emma replied flatly. “I knew it was going to be dangerous. Nothing’s changed.”

“Søyle, tell her,” Teagan appealed to the troll woman.

“Clan belongs with clan in time of danger, Min Droning.” Søyle said, shaking her head. “It is true without the wards the danger increases. Thus she should wear a traveler’s amulet to guard her sleep, and stay close to you or me for safety, but she belongs with us. With our enemies favoring cowardly bakhold to open assault would she be any safer in the city of the Princess of Ponies?”

That brought Teagan up short. After all, they had tried to assassinate Celestia in her own palace. There was no telling who had been compromised. Even high ranking ponies were suspect. Her shoulders slumped as she was forced to admit defeat.

“I guess not,” she said reluctantly. “Is there any way she can be assigned bodyguards like I was?”

“She already has them, Min Dronning,” Søyle smiled. “I am sworn to her safety and she is guarded by the Dronning av Fjellet herself, armed with Mountain Heart. What finer guards could she have?”

“We can’t be with her 24/7, Søyle.” Teagan objected. “What about Council meetings? Would she even be allowed to attend? Don’t they discuss really secret stuff?”

“Why would she not? If she gave her word to never speak of such things outside the Council chamber it matters not, especially if you vouch for her.”

“And I could move in with you,” Emma spoke up. “My bed is like five feet wide. I bet yours is even bigger. We did it in Canterlot so it’s no biggie, right?”

“That’s not a terrible idea,” Teagan admitted. “My bed is twice the width of a king-sized bed. We wouldn’t be crowded at all.”

“Problem solved, then,” Emma said, grinning.

“Watch showing your teeth,” Teagan warned her. “Trolls don’t do that unless they mean to bite.”

“Good to know,” Emma said blinking. “How come?”

“Søyle, could you show her your teeth?” Teagan asked, smiling like a troll.

Leaning down toward Emma, Søyle bared her teeth in the approximation of a full human smile. The girl’s eyes widened as she took in the mouthful of ivory knives presented to her.

“Ooookkkkaaaaay then,” She drawled, blinking, “gotta say that’s pretty impressive. I never knew trolls had fangs that big. I thought trolls were omnivores like humans. Those look more like the teeth of a pure predator.”

“In days long ago trolls needed to eat whatever they could find,” Søyle said, straightening up. “We hunted the Deep Dark when we had no choice or the World Above when prey was scarce even there. When times were hard we turned to things like the Makilak, which taught us the value of growing our food for the lean times. Today we try to have meat with every meal, even though trade with the ponies has given us many more foods that are not meat. But the Council awaits us, Min Dronning.”

“So what’s this thing with the Council about?” Teagan asked as she and Emma followed Søyle out of her quarters.

“It is a matter best kept quiet, Min Dronning. You will know soon enough.” Søyle replied, leading them on.

ooOoo

Shadow Charm crept into Luna’s chambers, eyeing the big box warily. His horn’s glow was invisible in the brightly lit room as he listened for magical emanations in the chamber, his horn acting like a receiving antenna instead of a transmitter. He used only enough magic to sensitize his horn to othermagics. It was the core skill of the Horns, and one that very few unicorns could actually master.

Rapidly sorting through familiar magical signals in Luna’s chamber, especially the wards hidden in the walls, he intensified his concentration until the background magic faded away leaving only the box in front of him. As far as he could tell, it was magically silent, although he knew from experience the box itself might be shielding the contents.

Delicately he shifted his attention beyond it toward Luna’s bed, not moving a muscle as the entire exercise was instead an exquisitely precise manipulation of magic in his horn that varied the level by less than a single microthaum along its six inch length.

Sensing no magic there either, he cautiously approached the scroll tube and did another scan, taking fifteen minutes to perform every magical test he could think of. Sliding out a long pair of tongs, and making sure his magic gripped only the ends of the handles of the three foot long device he carefully grabbed the scroll tube and cautiously retreated, much like a lab tech handling a radioactive sample in the earliest days of nuclear research.

Once he was out in the hallway other Horns cleared away from a small gray chest into which Shadow Charm immediately lowered the scroll tube. The lid slammed shut with a dull thud so quickly the tips of the tongs barely had time to get clear. A fancy golden seal was immediately applied to the chest’s hasp, welding it shut with a bright flash.

When Shadow Charm dropped the tongs into a second long narrow chest it was also rapidly closed and sealed. Everyone in the corridor relaxed.

Two earth ponies worked their way into the carrying poles, grunting with effort as they struggled to lift the first chest. They slowly trudged off, surrounded by half a dozen Horns, watching the chest for any evidence of magical leakage.

The second chest appeared far lighter as two more Horns lifted it and trotted away, surrounded by three more Horns, also monitoring.

Shadow Charm cracked his neck, relieving the stress from his high-risk recovery mission. He approached a pale green unicorn mare with her mane done up in a severe aqua bun.

“Report,” the unicorn commanded in a crisp tone.

“No evidence of magical emanation from the chest, ma’am nor the scroll tube. Assuming the scroll tube tests negative once opened I think it would be safe to lift the chest onto a wheeled platform to remove it for further study.”

“How long will it be until we know if the scroll tube is safe to open?” Wind Shimmer asked.

“Once inside the isolation chamber it should only be a few minutes,” Shadow Charm answered confidently. That chamber can withstand a gigathaum blast, so it should be fairly safe, even if the scroll is booby trapped.”

“I’d rather not test that,” Wind Shimmer replied with a raised eyebrow. “It would be a shame to find out the blast was just a tiny bit stronger than the chamber, hmm? All deliberatespeed, but no faster.”

“No argument from me,” Shadow Charm assured her. “Should I get the platform?”

“Yes, let’s be ready to move it, but do nothing inside Luna’s chamber without my say so, got it?”

“Yes ma’am!” The other unicorn saluted sharply. “I like living, you know.”

“Don’t we all.” Wind Shimmer turned away to see a team of two unicorns carefully probing the mysterious chest with the most minute amounts of power they could manage, another Horn specialty. She noticed they were paying particular attention to the base of the chest, probably in preparation for moving it.

After a half-hour had passed another unicorn, a butter yellow mare with a sparkling red mane, came trotting up to her.

“They got the scroll tube open, ma’am. There was some background residual, but no active spells. They found a scroll inside, here’s a copy of the text on it.

Wind Shimmer took the scroll and started to read.

To the most beauteous Princess of the Night, Guardian of Dreams, Shepherd of Starlight, Luna, Royal Princess of Equestria, I bring greetings, salutations, and a precious gift given from deep within my heart.

First, I wish to convey my heartfelt appreciation of your efforts to combat the evil scourge known as Onsterflike Einde Van Die Duisternis Ewige. You have my upmost admiration for engaging such a hideous opponent for they seek no less than the ultimate darkness, to end all life and leave themselves the sole survivors, immortal in the mockery of life that is undeath.

It falls to you and your sister to see that this abomination shall not prevail. However, be warned! They are ancient and steeped in wicked guile and if given a choice would never stand and fight when their own existence hangs in the balance. They would far rather give up the fight, granting you victory for a few centuries while they bide their time and rebuild their strength, only to emerge once again after mortals have forgotten them.

The threat they pose cannot be tolerated, Your Highness. This dreadful evil, ancient beyond measure even to we immortals, must not rise again. To aid you in this I offer you a gift in full measure, freely given.

May it serve you well, may your victory be swift and utterly complete, and may good fortune smile on you, your sister, and your kingdom for the rest of time.

There was no signature.

Wind Shimmer rolled up the scroll and slipped it into her saddlebag.

“Shadow Charm, once you’ve determined it’s safe to move that chest I want it in the isolation chamber with all deliberate speed. Am I clear?”

“Yes, ma’am. Where are you going? Don’t you want to oversee the move yourself?”

“I have a message to deliver,” She replied and teleported away.

ooOoo

Earth, Monday evening, June 9, 2013 9:16 PM Eastern Standard Time

“So, what’s this breakthrough?” the president greeted Admiral Spears in the Oval Office.

“We’ve determined who the queen of the seventh universe is,” Admiral Spears replied as the three men settled into chairs.

“That was fast,” the Chief of Staff commented. “How’d you manage that trick?”

“An anonymous tip,” the Admiral said drily. “Pretty sure it was Faust, but I can’t prove it. Take a look.”

Opening his brief case he handed each man a large photo.

“Pretty,” President Bent said, eyeing the scantily clad woman, “but she looks more like an extra from a Conan movie than a queen.”

“Pretty young, too,” Dennis Mitchell added. “She looks about my daughter’s age. This is a troll?”

“No,” Admiral Spears replied with a slight smile. “That is Teagan O’Gara, who is, Faust tells me, newly come to her power—and an earthier sort of queen, if you recall.”

The President blinked as he caught the pun. “Earthier, as in from Earth? That’s a painfully bad pun, Admiral.”

“The Fae are fond of wordplay, according to legend. Faust certain is,” the other man replied. “Since they can’t lie—or rather won’t—they’ve developed wordplay into a high art.”

“Isn’t she sixteen?” the Chief of Staff asked, “seems kind of young to be a queen.”

Admiral Spears shook his head. “Age is irrelevant,” he replied. “There was an ancient Persian ruler who was crowned while still in the womb.”

“You’re kidding,” the Chief of Staff scoffed.

“Nope, and keep in mind that was a human king. Trolls are fae, so we haven’t got a clue about their customs.”

“Why make a human girl their queen?” President Bent asked, staring at the photo.

“Again, no clue, Mr. President,” the admiral replied. “Humans do inexplicable things all the time. How could we predict the actions of a non-human sapient race we’ve never encountered?”

“This just keeps getting better and better,” the President complained tiredly. “These Fae are some crazy mix of science fiction aliens and supernatural fantasy creatures. To make matters worse, we just walked into the movie an hour late.”

“More like we arrived just before the final climatic scene,” Admiral Spears retorted. “I just hope we aren’t the ones wearing red shirts.”

The Chief of Staff winced. “That would be bad”, he agreed.

“What?” The President asked, glancing between them with a puzzled expression.

“Star Trek reference. Red shirts are the security people who get eaten by the monster,” his Chief of Staff replied.

“Yes, well, the United States is not some bit player, gentlemen,” The President said sternly. “I will not sit idly by while a potential threat to our country roams free. No matter what color shirt I’m wearing.”

“I would advise caution, Mr. President,” Admiral Spears said hastily. “While we don’t know the full capabilities of the Fae what we do know is not encouraging. Need I remind you what something like the Hulk could do to the city of New York—or Washington DC? Think what a Superman could do if he decided to become an enemy. We do not want to antagonize the Fae. It would be suicidal to provoke an attack by a neutral party—especially when we know they have superior technology. Oh, and speaking of which, look at these.”

He handed each man a stack of photos.

President Bent examined the first. It appeared to be one of the girl’s arm bands, blown up to fill the picture. It was a bit blurry, but he could see the artwork, a series of bas-relief snarling creatures he assumed were trolls, with huge teeth and claws. Below the trolls was a series of what looked like runes, deeply etched into the armband.

The next photo showed a close-up of her crown, a remarkably barbaric headband that looked incredibly heavy. He could see blurred jagged lines surrounding the rubies and what might be a lot of tiny interlocking runes around the rest of the crown.

The third photograph showed an enlargement of the stick she held in her right hand. He squinted, trying to see the details of the thing, shrouded as it was in dark shadows.

“All right, so she’s wearing some jewelry and carrying a stick. What about it?” The President asked finally, putting the photos down on his desk.

“She isn’t wearing very much, is she?” The Admiral asked rhetorically. “Notice she’s barefoot? Also notice the intricacy of the cloth?”

“Which means?” The President asked with tired patience.

“First, whoever took this photo did not catch her in her underwear,” The Admiral replied dryly. “She’s fully dressed—so to speak. The fact she’s wearing that jewelry cinches it. The jewelry isn’t just jewelry, it’s her regalia. That’s her crown, and those armbands must be some kind of royal armillae—which is a military insignia, at least among humans. The decorations on the armbands also point to a military role. Her crown is extremely intricate; my analysts believe it would have taken a jeweler several weeks to create something like that. That means she was the queen before she took this latest trip. Those rubies in her crown are ten carets apiece, and worth at least three million dollars. Each.”

“Pretty conclusive,” The President said, nodding. “Nobody else would be wearing something like that. What’s the stick? Her scepter?”

“Most likely,” the Admiral agreed. “Unfortunately, we can’t see all of it, and the part we can see is pretty plain. Analysts seem to think it’s made of iron or covered with iron because of the way it reflects light, but the darkness makes it hard to be certain. It might also be a literal weapon, like a mace. Given what legends say about trolls, that wouldn’t surprise me.”

“Am I imagining things or would all that stuff be incredibly heavy?” Dennis Mitchell asked doubtfully. “I mean gold is really heavy, right? That jewelry is massive. And if that club is made of iron could she even lift it?”

“There’s every possibility those items are stuffed with Fae technology or hollow. But even if they’re solid our investigations say she’s been taking instruction in Krav Maga for a year and a half with Matt Sanders at his dojo.” Admiral Spears replied. “At least ten hours a week. That would make her pretty fit even if it were just self-defense classes”

“What do you mean even if?” President Bent asked sharply.

“She’s being trained by a Green Beret, Mr. President,” Admiral Spears pointed out. “We know she’s the queen of a species of gigantic aggressive non-humans. If it were me I’d want all the combat training I could get.”

“Hmm,” the President agreed, “always assuming they’re ill-tempered brutes. How likely is that?”

“No idea,” Admiral Spears admitted. “Legends say they lived in tribes so I would guess among themselves they’d be no more quarrelsome than we would be. The stories don’t mention trolls interacting with each other, only with humans. Those stories are from a human point of view, so no telling how much salt you need to take them with.”

“Well, this changes one thing at least,” President Bent said, staring down at the photo on his desk. “Now I actually can meet with her. She’s an American citizen, whatever else she may be.”

“Don’t assume she’ll recognize your authority over her, Mr. President,” the Admiral said quickly. “Given she’s a troll queen she’s not likely to be impressed. She probably deals with nobles every day she’s in the seventh universe. Troll nobles. Not to mention the fact she’s a teenager. With two teenage daughters yourself you know how they react to authority. Now imagine a teenage troll queen, Mr. President.”

“Point taken,” President Bent said ruefully. “All right, what do you suggest?”

“First, don’t make her angry,” Admiral Spears said flatly. “Don’t threaten her, or her family in any way. Don’t say anything that might be interpreted as trying to intimidate her. That could end badly I think. Remember, we know nothing about the seventh universe. They’ve ignored us for hundreds of years but do anything to their queen and they might decide to make sure we don’t do it a second time. Since we have no idea what they’re capable of or what allies they can call on we definitely don’t want to appear hostile.”

“Second, Faust said you’d have to go to her. Now that we know where to find her it shouldn’t be hard to arrange a meeting in a place where she’d be comfortable—but not at her house or her school. Maybe her dojo, since she’d be surrounded by allies. Whatever you can do to keep her from feeling threatened, Mr. President I urge you to do.”

“Third, you might want to keep the initial meeting as casual as you can. Nothing official, keep everything strictly under the table. That means no motorcade or hordes of Secret Service bodyguards. No diplomatic entourage either.”

“You know my shadows would never agree to that,” the President said distastefully. “Not even an Executive Order could keep them from underfoot. On the other hand I can be my own diplomat. I’m a politician, you know. It’s what we do. When the time comes we’ll come up with something.”

Belligerency

In which a different side of the Royal Sisters is revealed.

Teagan frowned as she settled into her own chair at the table. The council members wore uniformly grim expressions, all aimed toward the sole pony council member. His expression was somber, ears half-folded and mouth in a hard straight line.

This could be very bad, Teagan thought with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

One of the trolls rose and addressed her, fortunately in Equestrian.

“Min Dronning, my name is Sannheten of Clan Inngang. I bring a serious matter before the council. A troll of my clan has raised her claws against a member of clan Hest. We are gathered to hear what each may say and pass judgment on the matter. Given your well known views concerning Clan Hest I felt it best if the Council dealt with this quietly before knowledge of it spread.”

“When did this happen? How badly was the pony injured?” Teagan asked in a poker voice, her expression carefully blank.

“Last night. Her husband stopped her before death was dealt,” Sannheten replied in a flat tone. “The member of Clan Hest was taken to the pony infirmary where his injuries were tended to. He will be limping for some time but I am told he will not lose the use of his leg.”

“What prompted the attack?” Teagan asked calmly, even as her stomach was doing flip-flops.

“Theft,” Sannheten said quietly, “is her claim. The pony claims it was a misunderstanding.”

The absolute quiet around the table made Teagan uneasy. She quickly took in deepening frowns of the trolls at the word theft. Some were watching Sannheten, others the pony ambassador, but the one that unnerved her was Vismeg, he of the plain harness. He was staring at her in a disapproving manner.

Fjell saw Vismeg’s expression and spoke up.

“Har du noe å legge til, Vismeg av klanen Langtpunkt?”

The troll shifted his attention to the king.

“Ikke ennå, Kongen,” he answered. His voice was flat and unemotional. Teagan had to suppress a shiver. She thought she and the troll were good after she’d answered him during the last meeting. It didn’t help that Vismeg kept watching her.

“Fjell asked if Vismeg wanted to say anything. He said not yet,” Søyle murmured softly in Teagan’s ear.

Teagan nodded her thanks to the troll and addressed Sannheten.

“I am not familiar with Trollish trials. How is it done?”

Sannheten paused, clearly surprised.

“We bring both parties into the chamber and let their own clan heads question them as to what took place. Once each has spoken their piece each is then given a chance to dispute what the other has said and offer proof of their own words. After this they leave and the council decides.”

“What happens if half the Council believes one and half the Council believes the other?” Teagan asked.

“In the past the Kongen’s voice would be the final weight,” Sannheten replied. “Now that Clan Hest has joined us, your voice would be final.”

Teagan did a quick count. “There were ten clans, with Hest making eleven. What clan do I represent on the Council?”

“You speak for all, min Dronning,” Sannheten answered. “You are not a member of any one clan, as the Kongen is. Clan Hest is part of your clan, but your Clan O’Gara is a separate thing. Thus you have a clear weight that is not part of any other clan. So there will always be a way to decide when the Council is split. But such a split is a very rare thing. It has not happened since I joined the Council.”

“What about witnesses?” Teagan asked, trying to figure out any differences between Earth courts and troll ones.

“If there are witnesses each is questioned by their own clan head, after the two have had their say.”

“And if it’s a non-troll, like a minotaur?”

“Then their questioning would fall to you or the Kongen,” Sannheten replied.

“Thank you, Sannheten,” Teagan nodded her head.

“Værsågod, min Dronning,” Sannheten replied. He motioned to Truth Speaker, who rose to his hooves and accompanied the troll to the doors, which the troll opened.

“Let the parties come before the Council to be judged!” Sannheten bellowed. Soon a pair of trolls and a pony entered the chamber. Sannheten led the two trolls to the left of the council chamber while Truth Speaker led the badly limping pony to the right.

Teagan winced when she saw the bandage covered the top of the earth pony stallion’s thigh, to mid leg. It hid his cutie mark and straps ran over his rump to form a sling under the other leg. He was a deep gold color, with russet mane and tail. It was clear the injured leg wasn’t bearing very much weight, giving him an odd jumping gait that was reminiscent of a human on crutches.

“The Council has heard that you raised your claws to a member of Clan Hest,” Sannheten began abruptly, “after he stole from you. This is all we know of what you say. Tell us what happened.”

“I am Meisel of Clan Inngang,” The troll woman spoke loudly, staring her rulers straight in the eye. Søyle began speaking in Trolsk as she continued, clearly translating since Meisel was speaking Equestrian.

“I am well known as a maker of small statues. Some weeks ago Winter Gust of Clan Hest came to me to create a statue to be given as a gift to his kjæreste. He brought many pictures to let me see what she looked like so I could make a statue to capture her kvintessensen. It is my gift to do this thing. Upon making the statue I sent a message to him to finish our business. After many days I still had not heard from him.

“Last night he came to my shop and told me he did not have the money to give me for the statue. My kamerat heard him say this thing and can speak to the truth of my words. Winter Gust then said he wished to break his word to me and turned to leave.”

“Is this not the Law?” She demanded in a bellow. “Once a promise is made, it is a thing! Winter Gust of Clan Hest is foresworn! He is a thief, and thus I attacked him as the coward turned to run. I would have taken his life for the theft he committed, as the Law requires! But my kamerat held my arm, telling me Clan Hest was newly come to us and might not know the Law, that it would be better to let the Council deal with him.”

“Thus I come demanding justice. Let him pay for what he has done, either in gold or with his life, I care not.”

Then Meisel fell silent.

Emma’s jaw fell, her eyes wide as she stared at the troll who stood with crossed arms. Only Søyle’s hand on her shoulder kept her quiet. Teagan didn’t say anything either, keenly aware of just how ignorant she was in this situation. She didn’t know troll law but from the reaction of the other Council members Meisel hadn’t demanded anything out of the ordinary. That worried her.

Vismeg was still glowering at her too. She suspected the troll was just waiting for her to put a foot wrong so he could pounce. She had no idea why, but since trolls weren’t normally subtle the what was glaringly obvious.

“One side has spoken,” Sannheten said with slow heavy emphasis. “Let us hear the other.”

“I—my name is Winter Gust,” the earth pony said nervously, his ears flicking forward and back, a slight tremor in his injured leg. “I did ask Meisel to make a figurine and was going to pay for it, I swear. But my sister’s house burned down and she has two fillies and is raising them by herself. If I hadn’t sent her all my savings—including the money I owed Meisel they wouldn’t have had any place to stay. Our parents passed on several years ago and she can barely make ends meet as it is. I try to help her as much as I can but my salary doesn’t stretch very far, even here. That’s the truth. I guess that’s it.”

“I have one witness to the events, Einar, husband of Meisel. He was there during the thing and intervened,” Sannheten said. “Speak, Einar. Tell the council what occurred.”

“It is as Meisel and Winter Gust have said,” Einar said with no particular emotion. “I know the Law and it is true that Winter Gust foreswore himself. But I also have heard our Dronninghas brought Clan Hest into the Trolls, yet they are newly come, and still strange to us. The way of this thing is beyond my knowing and it was my thought perhaps all was not as it seemed. Therefore I stopped Meisel from killing Winter Gust, even though it seemed lawful to take his life.

“Yet the taking of life is no small thing, and I do not claim to be as wise as the Alene. Yet it seemed to me the threat was not urgent. Once he had been lamed Winter Gust could not run away. It was clear we had time to seek advice, and so I intervened.”

Teagan watched Einar with interest. This was the first time she had ever heard a troll practice restraint without prior orders.

Once it was clear Einar had finished speaking Truth Speaker stepped forward. “I bear witness that Winter Gust did indeed send a large sum of bits to his sister two weeks ago. The payment was shipped via the regular mail chariot, the proof of which I have collected and have made available to the Council during our deliberations.”

When the ambassador stepped back Sannheten spoke loudly.

“Both parties and witnesses have spoken. Let them leave the chamber that the Council may discuss this matter and come to its judgment.”

ooOoo

Once the doors had closed behind the aggrieved parties both Sannheten and Truth Speaker returned to the table and sat down.

Vismeg spoke up, saying something in Trollish, clearly addressing Teagan.

“Vismeg is curious to hear your voice on this matter,” Søyle translated. Teagan kept a neutral expression and spoke quietly.

“I’m the new kid in town, so I’d prefer to hear what everyone else thinks before I say anything. I’m not all that familiar with Troll law and will probably need to ask a lot of questions before I can decide anything.”

Vismeg nodded when Søyle translated and sat back in his chair.

First volley returned, Teagan thought sourly. What is his problem with me?

“The matter is simple,” Sannheten said. “Winter Gust is foresworn. Meisel was within her rights. The Law is clear.”

The non-Equestrian speakers waited patiently for Søyle to translate.

“I agree that Winter Gust owes Meisel the money, but he can’t pay her if he’s dead,” Truth Speaker said. “It profits no one to kill him. What of his sister and her fillies? Without his assistance they would be extremely hard pressed. It was an emergency. Does Troll law not recognize emergencies?”

“Then Winter Gust should have been prudent and not committed to such an extravagant gift,” Sannheten retorted. “Meisel extended a kindness in not requiring payment before completing her work. What of her? What of his promise to pay? What of the fact he is foresworn?”

“We’re talking about a thousand bits,” Truth Speaker protested. “Admittedly it’s a fair sum but hardly worth a pony’s life.”

“Sannheten,” Teagan interjected, “what exactly would satisfy Meisel? Didn’t she say she’d be satisfied with the gold?”

“She would be,” Sannheten replied, nodding to her. “But Winter Gust does not have it to give.”

“And what is the worth of his life?” she asked, tilting her head. “Truth Speaker is right; a pony’s life is surely worth more than a mere thousand bits. Wouldn’t Meisel be shortchanging Winter Gust by killing him?”

“He is foresworn, min Dronning!” Sannheten protested. “His life is worthless. Would you have us tolerate one we can never trust? That is forbidden!”

“Let’s say we let Meisel kill him,” Teagan said calmly, much to the shock of both Emma and Truth Speaker. “How does Meisel get her gold then? And what of the thing she made, what did you call it?”

“A dukke kvintessensen, min Dronning,” Sannheten replied. “You would say statue, although Meisel’s art is seldom larger than two hands across.”

“So what of the little statue? Will she keep it? Sell it to someone else? What?” Teagan asked.

“She must destroy it, min Dronning,” Sannheten replied. “To do otherwise would invite disaster. Such a thing would draw the Deepest Dark into itself. Blood debt, the vengeance of the foresworn would fall upon anyone who possessed it. ”

“So, Winter Gust dies, the statue is destroyed and Meisel doesn’t get her thousand bits? That sounds like a very bad deal for everyone.”

“This is so,” Sannheten agreed gravely. “Trolls do not take such things lightly, I have said this.”

“Let us say that Winter Gust pays Meisel what he owes,” Teagan said. “What then?”

“Then Meisel would have no claim on his life, the statue would be his,” Sannheten replied. “But he is still foresworn. He would be banished from the World Below. But this is only false speaking, min Dronning. He has said he does not have the gold.”

“Does Troll law require the gold to be his alone?” Teagan asked.

“I do not understand. How could it be otherwise? If he has it, it is his. If it is not his, it means he took it from someone else. He would be a thief twice over, and his victim would kill him.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Teagan said with a small smile. “Do trolls understand the concept of loans?”

“I do not know this word,” Sannheten said finally.

Teagan looked around the table. Truth Speaker was smiling broadly. The other trolls all looked puzzled, waiting for her to explain.

“That’s brilliant, Teelo!” Emma said, her momentary doubt in Teagan’s sanity vanishing.

Vismeg spoke up and Søyle dutifully translated.

“Is this a human thing, my Queen?”

“Human and, I’m guessing from the look on Truth Speaker’s face, a pony thing as well,” Teagan said in satisfaction. “Meisel would be paid; Winter Gust lives and gets the statue so there’s no blood debt. Everybody gets a much better deal.”

“And this loans is some kind of spell craft to make gold appear from nothing?” Sannheten asked, with a furrowed brow. Several other trolls were clearly leaning toward the same conclusion and didn’t look happy.

“No magic at all. A loan is a promise made with things. A lump sum is given by one person to another. The person getting the lump sum agrees to pay the first person back over time in several smaller payments, spanning anywhere from several weeks to several years, depending on the amount.”

“Winter Gust is foresworn, min Dronning! Who would trust him to keep to such an agreement?” Sannheten objected.

“Truth Speaker, would the Crown be willing to cover the loan? Act as the loan guarantor?” Teagan asked.

“Absolutely, Your Majesty!” Truth Speaker said happily. “I would have suggested it but as his Clan Head I could not do so without appearing to condone his actions. Although I can sympathize, Winter Gust’s actions were foolish.”

“What is a guarantor?” Fjell asked suddenly.

“The guarantor is the person who will absorb the loss should the loan recipient be unable to pay back the loan,” Teagan explained. “Princess Celestia would absorb the loss should Winter Gust not be able to. Will you accept her promise? As far as I know she’s never broken one.”

“The Pony Princess would risk Winter Gust’s treachery?” Fjell asked, astounded. “Why?”

“I’m thinking ponies have loans down to an exact science, am I right, Truth Speaker?” Teagan said, grinning at the pony.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Kongen Fjell I can assure you there will be no trouble in obtaining the loan or in Winter Gust’s paying it back. Meisel will be paid, you have my word.”

“What of Winter Gust being foresworn?” Sannheten asked. “That is not so easily dealt with.”

The entire council stared at her, waiting to hear what she would say. Teagan considered, behind her neutral mask.

“Well, clearly Winter Gust cannot continue as part of the Equestrian embassy,” she said at last. “While I don’t think he intended theft he is foresworn and can’t stay in the World Below. Truth Speaker, I’m sorry, he has to go, even after he pays Meisel.”

“Agreed,” Truth Speaker said briskly. “I understand completely, Your Majesty. His actions were extremely foolish and might have caused a rift between Hejm and Canterlot and that cannot be tolerated. Once his business with Meisel is complete he’ll be put on a chariot and sent back to Canterlot. No doubt Princess Celestia will want a word with him, and then a quick transfer out of the diplomatic corps to some less sensitive post seems in order.”

“Sannheten, I’m not familiar with Troll customs. Would this be acceptable to Meisel, to Clan Inngang, and to you?”

“I ask for an hour of the Council’s time to discuss this thing,” Sannheten said. “It is a new and strange idea, and we must look at it carefully. But if it should be decided this loan is not dangerous I believe the matter between Meisel and Winter Gust could be ended without death.”

The discussion that followed was in parts quiet and thoughtful and in others lively and loud. Every clan head wanted to make sure their concerns were heard and dealt with.

It didn’t take an hour—it took nearly three.

But in the end a consensus was reached. The Council agreed to allow Winter Gust to get a loan, but would wait and see how things went before any further loans were allowed. Further, Truth Speaker would have to have a meeting with all ponies living in Hejm and let them know exactly what Winter Gust had done and why no other pony would want to make the same mistake.

ooOoo

“Let the parties come before the Council to hear the Council’s judgment!” Sannheten bellowed after he opened the doors.

A clearly terrified Winter Gust quickly limped over to join Truth Speaker, who refused to say anything. Meisel and Einar joined Sannheten.

Fjell rose and began to speak.

“Meisel of Clan Inngang, Winter Gust of Clan Hest, the Council has considered this matter most carefully. We have threaded new caverns in search of a peaceful way to resolve this issue. Let it be known to all gathered here that more than a simple theft occurred this day!

“Meisel, for all that you acted within the Law and though none of the Council fault you for your actions, it must still be said that you endangered the peace of the World Below. You could not know this, and so we hold you blameless. However, as this day proves, Einar acted wisely in keeping your claws from Winter Gust’s throat.

“Winter Gust, you acted as Clan Hest has always acted, but in so doing you too endangered the peace of the World Below. Like Meisel, you acted in ignorance of the full consequences of your actions, and for that you bear no guilt.

“However, you have still broken the Law and must pay a price for doing so. Therefore hear the judgment of the Council against you, which comes in two parts.

“First, your debt to Meisel must be paid. Truth Speaker has said he will give you something called a loan that you may pay Meisel in full. Meisel, you will in turn give him the dukke he commissioned from you. That will mend your hurt, and end your part in this matter.

“Winter Gust, you are foresworn, of this there is no doubt, and there is no mending what you have torn asunder. Once you pay Meisel and she gives you the dukke you will be banished from the World Below for all time, never to return on pain of death. I am told you will be returned to Canterlot by way of the flying chariots, where you will discuss your actions with Princess Celestia. No doubt she will then remove you from the ranks of the Snøskred and find some other place for you so you may repay your debt to Clan Hest.

“This judgment has been said! Truth Speaker, take Winter Gust back to the embassy and guard him that he does not seek to escape. Meisel, tomorrow morning you will take the dukke to the dwelling place of Clan Hest where you will receive your due.”

Meisel nodded to the Council and she and her husband left. Truth Speaker led Winter Gust from the room and the doors were closed.

“I declare this session of the Council ended!” Fjell said, slamming his fist on the table with a loud bang. “It is time and past time to fill our bellies!”

There was a loud roar of agreement as the various Council members rose and went their separate ways.

Vismeg stared at Teagan impassively for a moment before leaving.

ooOoo

Celestia shrugged her shoulders to settle the heavy armor more comfortably. She had always hated her armor—the need of it, the purpose of it, what she did while she wore it. But there was no doubt today it was needed, however much she might loathe the necessity.

“Ah dinnae think Ah’d e’er see ye iron-clad, Princess,” Sun Hammer said, standing back and admiring the golden gleam of enchanted metal. “Tis a bonnie sight and no mistake! Yon nyaffs’ ha made their last mistake, so they have.”

“Perhaps,” Celestia allowed, “although I will count the hours until I can shed this overgrown tin can. You of all ponies know the weight I bear, Sun Hammer.”

“Aye, so Ah do,” the scarred pony said with a nod. “But Ah’ll be at yer back. Nae crabbit fowk will catch ye in fholach, Princess! Jus’ let me get me awn armor, twill nae take but two shakes o’ a lamb’s tail.”

“I will aid thee, Sun Hammer,” Princess Luna said, encased in her own dark blue steel. Unlike Nightmare Moon’s armor, which had been largely ceremonial—consisting only of helm, peytral, and greaves, the Sisters’ armor (which differed only in color) fully encased their bodies, unlike the lighter barding worn by the Royal Guard.

Razor-like blades, scaled up to fit, lined the leading edges of their wings. Razor edges adorned all four hooves as well. If the armor hadn’t been enchanted to increase flexibility and reduce its weight, and the alicorns themselves not ridiculously overpowered with enhanced earth pony strength, they couldn’t even have moved.

As it was, they could still fly (with effort) and retained most of their ground mobility and grace, although even their prodigious strength and stamina wouldn’t allow them to gallop for more than the distance of a typical charge.

And while the Sisters could wear the armor for hours if necessary neither was looking forward to it.

With Luna’s telekinetic help Sun Hammer was armored in a quarter of the time it would have taken him by himself.

Captain Strong Shield was waiting at the entrance to the armory when the three massive ponies emerged. He stared at the armored princesses with a look of shock, before remembering himself and bowing.

As the quartet made their rather loud and ringing way back to the throne room the princesses laid out what was happening and what they wanted him to do. Strong Shield split off to carry out his orders long before the rest of them reached their destination.

ooOoo

The princesses found Wind Shimmer waiting for them at the entrance of the throne room.

“Your Highness, we opened the scroll tube found in your bed,” Wind Shimmer said, bowing quickly, and then floated the rolled scroll to the dark blue alicorn, who scanned it quickly.

“It would seem, sister, another ally has joined our cause,” Luna said thoughtfully, weighing the scroll. She passed it to Celestia, who read the scroll more slowly.

“Hast thee opened the chest yet?” Luna asked the unicorn, who shook her head.

“It was being moved to the containment chamber when I came to deliver this, Your Highness. By now they should be performing the final preparations to do so. The scroll might be a trick.”

“Subtle Dancer has rubbed off on you, I see,” Celestia said with a chuckle. The fact her armor hid her expression, leaving only stern neutrality sculpted from metal made the chuckle ring hollow to the unicorn.

“It pays to be cautious,” Wind Shimmer replied mildly. “Especially when a mistake could be so horrifically expensive, Your Highness.”

“True enough,” Celestia replied calmly. “But it is also true that on occasion bold action must replace caution, my little pony. Come; let us see this gift our mysterious ally has bestowed on us.”

With a flash the four ponies vanished, leaving only two gray unicorn sentries to silently guard the massive doors.

Diplomacy's End

In which diplomacy thwarted, must show its other face.

“Leave us,” Celestia said calmly. “Clear the laboratory. Luna and I are the only ones equipped to deal with this.”

“Your Highness, I don’t—” Wind Shimmer started to protest.

“Now, Wind Shimmer,” Celestia said icily. “Everyone, clear this room at once!”

The second-in-command of the Horns shied away as though the alicorn had struck her. The lab techs, stung by the uncharacteristic venom in Celestia’s voice scurried away from their posts.

Wind Shimmer didn’t actually leave until Luna spread her razor-edged wings, steel gleaming under the harsh light. She stepped toward the unicorn aggressively.

“Obey us!” Luna hissed, lowering her head, her horn surrounded by a harsh aqua glow.

The unicorn bolted for the door, a single sob floating behind her as she fled.

Celestia winced inside her helm but didn’t protest her sister’s action. Instead she surrounded the massive reinforced door of the chamber with a golden glow and slammed it shut, spinning the circular locking wheel closed.

“You are wagering the safety of the world, sister,” Luna commented, folding her wings and letting the spell dissipate from her horn.

“Yes I am. Do you disagree?” Celestia asked heavily, studying the document from the chest.

“No,” Luna sighed. “A thousand years ago I would have urged you to do this, plunging joyfully into battle beside you, screaming in victory.”

“We were younger then, and so very foolish,” Celestia replied softly, lifting the small but incredibly heavy globe from the chest. “Matthew would no doubt be appalled, sister. This weapon is in some ways worse than anything the humans ever devised.”

“Indeed,” Luna said heavily. “To twist the very framework of reality and rip it asunder! Have we the right? No matter what our enemies plan to do is there no other way?”

“No. This must end,” Celestia said. “We’ve both examined the sphere, and traced the spell matrices within. Our mysterious allies have supplied us the means to save our world, Luna. They did not lie about this weapon’s purpose or effect, we both know that.”

“I concur, sister. They did not lie. Yet having said that, knowing we will use this horrid thing—I feel soiled,” Luna said somberly. “Even confirming its purpose leaves my soul drowning in sewage. I truly fear the minds that created this weapon.”

“I can do it alone, sister,” Celestia offered. “I love you too much to force this burden on you for all eternity.”

Luna paused, but shook her head.

“Neigh, sister, if we must blacken our souls let us do this thing together. I am no coward. I cannot let you bear the shame alone. I am wiser than I was, and will not shirk this. As Princess of Equestria I stand with you. If we are to unleash this abomination, I will take equal blame for the decision. Although I would that there were any other way.”

“As do I, Luna. But I will do anything to save my little ponies. Even this.”

“Together then?” Luna said heavily. Celestia nodded.

Their horns lit up and the globe responded by rising in the air, a series of intricate and disturbing runes lighting up on its surface.

“I have set the destination, sister. You need merely initiate the activation cascade,” Luna said softly.

Celestia took a deep breath, staring at the unimaginable horror she was about to set free.

“I am so very sorry,” she murmured to the universe at large. “Forgive us if you can, please spare my ponies if you can’t.”

Her horn pulsed once and without any further drama the sphere quietly vanished.

ooOoo

“Greetings, my brethren, and sistren of old, and greetings to the newest members of our host. Alas, I fear I bring sad tidings,” Hoë Towenaar addressed the assembled Slange, along with the handful of ponies that were either already undead or sought to be, like Sombra, Rimor and several Windigo herd leaders.

“Our latest attempt to take the world for ourselves has failed and we have suffered grievous losses this day. But do not despair! As we have done in the past we will withdraw into the secret places and patiently bide our time, rebuilding our strength until we are ready to strike yet again. Only this time there is a new factor that may be turned to our advantage!

“The ponies have discovered a new race of creature, one called humans. But these humans are not born of Aarde. Nay, they come from across the Veil! This should not surprise any whom Tišina brought into the Veil itself. That other worlds must exist on the other side of the Veil has always been known to Duisternis. For we, the Holders of Knowledge, understood the mathematical ludicrousness that Aarde could be the only world to nurture sentient life.

But now we have proof of a second such world’s existence! More, we know where the gateway to that world lies hidden, and we know the Key that will open that gateway. So let us—”

At that moment the sphere appeared in the library several levels below the assembly room. The glowing runes lifted gently away from the surface, floating a scant inch above.

Quietly, their glow ceased, like snuffing a candle.

And the world twisted.

ooOoo

In Canterlot the two sisters felt the universe cry out in pain, and shuddered, huddling together like frightened foals. Unicorns throughout Equestria screamed as something blazed in their heads for the briefest moment before sending them into blessed oblivion. Twilight Sparkle and Cadence both stumbled at the unexpected agony, but their alicorn minds were made of tougher stuff and they felt the agony quickly flare and die, leaving behind a ghostly ache, like the memory of the world’s most epic hangover.

In Ponyville Pinkie Pie was the only earth pony to feel the mind-searing pain, sending her into blackness like the many unicorns collapsing around her.

Professor Nimbus cried out and died, crashing against his lectern as around him doctorate students screamed and fell unconscious, some bleeding from their noses.

Pegasi and earth ponies rushed to aid the fallen, having no clue what had happened.

Discord felt the blast not as agony but rather a massive influx of chaos, unmatched since his sister had escaped the Veil and come to Equis an eon ago. Rather than rejoicing his eyes widened in fear, recognizing that the uncontrolled catastrophic force of nature was as lethal to him as a tsunami would be to a pony. He cowered in his pocket dimension, doing everything he could to stabilize and deflect the horrific after effects that threatened to rip him and his home apart. Grimly he fought tooth and nail simply to survive.

Deep in Hejm every Alene felt the hammer blow, but like the alicorns, withstood the onslaught. Their innate toughness allowed them to shrug off the lingering pain and nausea.

Chrysalis fell to her knees as the unimaginable agony slammed through her, worse than Discord’s enchanted migraines had ever been, her agony ripping through her kaleidoscope—each already experiencing their own hellish agonies.

For the flutter ponies it was infinitely worse as the pain ricocheted through their mental link, bouncing back and forth between each herd member and their queen, one in five receiving multiple incoming waves at once, amplifying the torture a hundredfold.

Those unfortunates did not suffer long, exploding in a fifty-foot circle of red and white. Shards of bone, flesh, and blood coated the entire kaleidoscope, wounding the unconscious survivors in a grotesque coloratura of death.

All over Equis those sentients who were sensitive to magic felt the agony explode in their heads. Fire and crushing pressure and feeling themselves ripped to shreds was the common theme. Tougher species like dragons were able to shrug off the blinding pain, eyes narrowing in anger as they contemplated revenge against whoever had inflicted the indignity.

Some of the more fragile magic using species fared worse. The antelope and the zebra were particularly hard hit, many falling into a coma and others dying from cerebral hemorrhaging. Ironically, their less magic-sensitive members fared better, some not even noticing the magic disruption that had felled their more gifted kin.

ooOoo

At the epicenter of the catastrophe, a mile wide sphere of utter annihilation, the victims felt nothing, having been torn apart far too quickly for the pain to register. The blast nullified the bonds between atoms, between electrons and protons, even the bonds between quarks. On the magical side the unimaginable forces tore apart thaums and destroyed the very fabric of space and time, ravaging everything until not even primordial chaos survived.

The ravaging energies formed an event horizon inside of which nothing existed, not energy, not space, not even time. Even the souls of the victims disassociated, as though they had never been. Pony or slange or windigo, it mattered not. Their souls simply evaporated along with their flesh.

Celestia and Luna felt the death of those pony’s souls as a diminishment of ponykind, and they wept bitter tears, knowing those failed lights were forever lost to the Fields of Elysium and would never rejoin their loved ones.

Nothing material survived in that unholy sphere of nil space, neither dimension nor time nor space. The million year-old knowledge of the Slange disappeared from existence, as though it had never been, along with the Slange themselves and their allies and slaves. The sphere quickly imploded from the pressure of the multi-dimensional reality surrounding it. The Veil and the other dimensions conspired to make it retreat from the universe, its nullity allowing it to disappear without trace, the event horizon nothing more than a soap bubble of non-existence, which shrank far below the diameter of a quark, until it disappeared in the unbridgeable gap between something and nothing.

ooOoo

Of course the effects on Equis were far more severe. The actual area of the blast was now a polished demi-sphere a mile across. The mountain that had housed the Slange lair was gone—gravity sent the top of the mountain crashing into the crater, leaving only a pile of rubble, the majority of its support vaporized in a heartbeat.

But that was only the physical aftermath. Around the planet millions of magically sensitive creatures had fallen unconscious, tens of thousands more who were physically weak due to age or their species physiological peculiarities had died outright from their brains being ripped apart by magical backlash.

Naturally, some who would otherwise have survived the direct affects died by misadventure, falling from high places or being found by predators while helpless. Nature is cruelly inventive, offering an endless variety of ways to die.

It was the worst disaster that had befallen Equis since the Sibling War six thousand years before. But this was scant comfort to the survivors since only Discord and Chrysalis still remembered it.

ooOoo

Naturally, the populace wanted answers as did the nobles. It took the combined political savvy and experience of a thousand years to keep a lid on the situation. Both Royal Sisters personally extracted magical oaths from those willing and cast memory-alteration spells on those who weren’t to keep the secret of what really happened from escaping.

The official explanation Celestia and Luna gave was that an unknown group of crazed cultists had somehow gotten their hands on an ancient artifact. Mere hours from capture by Equestrian forces, they had meddled with things best left alone and somehow triggered the artifact, causing the disaster. The resulting catastrophe had destroyed both them and the artifact, leaving no trace of exactly what happened.

Used to trusting Celestia, the ponies accepted the explanation.

ooOoo

Unlike Equestria, Hejm came through the disaster completely intact, Clan Hest having been dealt the worst of it. However, being comprised mostly of earth ponies and pegasi, with only a relative handful of unicorns living there (all stronger and more physically fit than most in Canterlot), there were no deaths or debilitating aftereffects, the majority of the unicorns who fell unconscious doing so within the pony compound. The handful of unicorns that had been outside the compound had been rushed back to Clan Hest by trolls, and swiftly treated.

It took Hejm only a single day to fully recover.

ooOoo

Canterlot, naturally, was among the hardest hit, given the majority of the population were unicorns. But between the Royal Guard and the non-unicorn population, even Canterlot managed to return to normality within a month.

During that month Celestia was moving largely on autopilot when she wasn’t concentrating on the recovery effort. Seeing the effects of what she and Luna had done was a sharp stick poking her conscious, constantly reminding her of the atrocity they had committed. Even with Luna’s constant attention to her dreams, more often than not they turned into nightmares, disturbing her sleep and slowly shredding the iron self-control she’d built up over centuries of rule.

Luna, a thousand years closer to their violent and tumultuous past and far more militant than her gentler sister, was dealing with the realities of the attack better than Celestia. True, she was careful not to become too introspective, but was more pragmatic about the realities of war. There was no doubt the cost of victory was high, but the cost of defeat made the price of victory pale in comparison.

But she still tried not to dwell on it.

ooOoo

It was now a month after the disaster.

Equis had largely recovered, and Equestria had begun sending aid to other species harder hit than the ponies. In Hejm the Council was in session, debating what more, if anything, Hejm should do to help other species.

“Clan Hest is handling the matter,” Sannheten repeated his point, “there is no reason for the rest of the clans to become involved beyond what they have already done.” He spoke Equestrian, out of respect for the queen.

Vismeg spoke up in Trolsk while nodding, apparently agreeing with Sannheten. Although Teagan had been immersed in Trolsk for a solid month she still couldn’t follow the troll’s rapid speech.

“He said the medicine Clan Langtpunkt sent Canterlot is enough, they need to consider the other clans before strangers,” Emma said quietly. Her skills at language far outstripped Teagan’s own, she was far from fluent, but could easily converse with any troll she met, whether in Trolsk or Equestrian.

“What say you Droning?” Varig asked. His deep rumble was still powerful despite his age and gnarled body.

“Clan Hest eyes and ears against Duisternis. Princess Celestia shield against creatures beyond Veil,” Teagan said slowly in Trolsk, picking her words carefully, straining to remember the correct word order, fighting a lifetime of knowing only English. She was excruciatingly aware she wasn’t up to even Emma’s modest skill, wincing at how idiotic she must sound.

“Clan Hest help troll, pony, griffin, cow, no favor one over other,” the young queen stubbornly keeping to her pitiful grasp of Trolsk. The other council members did not try to correct her pronunciation or grammar, respecting her efforts to speak the foreign language and forgiving her current lack of skill.

“We help others now maybe others help us after?” she finished hopefully. “Trust—a little? Maybe others deserve? Earn more trust later?”

“Trust is not a Makilak, Min Droning,” Vismeg objected. “It cannot grow from a little sprout! It is or it is not. Trolls cannot trust others. They foreswear themselves far too easily.”

“I cannot say in Trolsk, must speak Hest to say this thing,” Teagan said, giving up and switching to English. “Vismeg, humans are not entirely trustworthy. Some can be trusted and some can’t. And when it’s a stranger you can’t know if you can trust them or not. So we learned how to divide trusting others into small pieces, to protect ourselves from betrayal. We discovered a long time ago you can trust a person to do one thing without necessarily trusting them to do another.”

Søyle translated patiently as Vismeg listened, brow creased in concentration.

“How is this possible, min Dronning?” Vismeg asked, shaking his head. “How can you know they can be trusted at all, even to do a single thing?”

“Because it is to their advantage,” Teagan said patiently. “Humans talk to each other, Vismeg—all the time. We listen to those we trust who have done business with the stranger. We trust them because they’ve proven we can. If a lot of people I trust say the stranger can be trusted to do something, I am more confident I can trust them to do that thing. The more people who vouch for him the more trustworthy I know he is.

“On the other hand just because I know he will sell me something that is what he says it is, at a fair price that does not mean I can trust him in all things. So while I may do business with him I wouldn’t trust him to come to my home and watch my children while I’m not there. That is a different thing, and needs a different trust. You see?”

“I do not understand, Dronning,” Vismeg said after a long silence. “How can trust be chopped into small pieces? Even if it can be as you say, how could one possibly keep track of all the many trusts and not mistake one for another?”

“We do make mistakes, sometimes dangerous mistakes,” Teagan replied with a shrug. “So we have many people in government that do nothing else but watch different kinds of trust, to make sure someone can be trusted to do that one thing. That’s one reason our laws are so complicated.”

“Trolls cannot live so,” Vismeg said, sitting back. “We could not survive. Any trust we give only lasts until the first betrayal, and then we could never trust them again.”

Several of the council members nodded in agreement.

“Do you think all ponies act the same way? Or all minotaurs? Or even all trolls? I know this is not so, Vismeg. Consider Einar and Meisel. You would trust both of them, would you not?”

“I would,” Vismeg said firmly. “Neither has ever foresworn themselves.”

“And yet when Winter Gust broke his word Meisel would have killed him but Einar stopped her. They are both trustworthy trolls, Vismeg. But they acted very differently in the same situation.”

“That is not a matter of trust,” Vismeg protested.

“Isn’t it?” Teagan countered. “Winter Gust trusted trolls not to kill him or he would never have gone to Meisel’s shop. That trust was kept by Einar but not Meisel. Yet it is clear Meisel did not foreswear herself.”

Vismeg’s expression turned thoughtful as he considered her words.

“I know of a troll that foreswore himself. An outcast named Jern. Did you know him?”

Vismeg nodded. “I was on the council the day we banished Jern. He foreswore himself, forcing himself on a troll child who was not yet old enough to wed and did not desire him. But Jern was the first troll to foreswear himself in five hundred years.”

Teagan shrugged, switching to Trolsk for the moment. “He boasted he eat me alive, then eat pony filly alive. He stole her from her place to do that thing. I kill him, Vismeg. Yet trolls trust him before, yes?”

“Many did, including the child he forced,” Vismeg agreed reluctantly. “How does this explain chopping trust into small pieces, Dronning? Jern foreswore himself. Till then he was trusted. But not afterward, for anything. Trust is yes or no, that is all.”

“Trust is yes-or-no,” Teagan agreed, switching back to Equestrian. “But humans know trust can be allowed for one thing but not another thing, while still being yes-or-no.”

Vismeg shook his head.

“This is a new thing, min Dronning. I must think on this thing.”

“Fair enough,” Teagan said, nodding. She hadn’t expected to get even that much out of the stubborn troll so she took the small victory while she could.

ooOoo

Life progressed as it always does, and by the time Teagan and Emma were leaving to return to Earth Duisternis had been largely forgotten in the rush of life’s daily unremitting demands. Teagan’s grasp of Trolsk and the deceptively simplistic troll mindset increased to the point where while not entirely fluent she wasn’t regularly embarrassing herself either. She had also gotten a handle on the Alene and Snøskred as well, to the point she was much more comfortable around them than she’d been when she arrived.

Emma had actually mastered Trolsk, being nearly as fluent in it as she was English. Both girls had also managed to learn reading and writing Trolsk, which was actually easier than conversing in it, at least for Teagan.

Vismeg was still not completely ready to agree with Teagan’s human perspective on most matters when it came to Council business, but while remaining staunchly conservative he had unbent enough to at least listen to her opinions.

Teagan had finally adjusted to the loin cloth and halter Søyle insisted she wear after Truth Speaker had given her a necklace that kept her from freezing in Hejm’s cool clime. He assured her the spell would last at least six months before needing a recharge. Emma surprised her on the last day by appearing in her own halter and loin cloth, an identical warmth charm around her neck.

“Hey, you went native the day you got here,” Emma defended herself good naturedly when Teagan gaped at her outfit. “Besides, the necklace keeps me comfy, so why not? I’m Adventure Girl, after all! Why shouldn’t I look the part?”

She confidently slipped her staff over her shoulder, in imitation of how Teagan carried Crush and grinned at her friend.

Teagan laughed as the two of them, along with her bodyguards and Søyle headed for the surface and the chariots waiting to fly them to Canterlot.

Collateral Damage

In which we discover extreme solutions often have far reaching consequences.

Earth, Tuesday morning, June 11, 2013 8:03 AM Eastern Standard Time

President Bend stared at the stack of crises on his desk. Everett Brier’s catastrophic leak of NSA documentation sat on top.

Thank God the Fae weren’t part of what he grabbed, President Bend thought as he looked over the DOJ’s formal charges against the ex-analyst. A damn computer geek, he thought morosely. Of course it was. Rabidly apolitical, the lot of them, and this particular geek was young enough to be an idealist on top of it.

I am too old for this crap, he thought. But still stupid enough to fight tooth and nail to get this job for a second term. If I’d known then what I know now would I have stayed in the Senate?

A knock on the door distracted him.

“Come in,” he called.

His Chief of Staff opened the door.

“There’s something you need to see right now,” the man said, face pale. “We’ve got a mega disaster in the middle of Canada.”

“What happened?” President Bend asked sharply as the two men headed toward the conference room.

“You’ll have to see it to understand, Mr. President,” the other man said grimly, “but it’s bad—unbelievably bad.”

The two rushed into the room dominated by a large wall-mounted flat panel TV displaying a local news station. Everyone already in the room was so absorbed in what they were watching they didn’t even notice the President enter.

The anchorwoman looked a bit shaken, but struggled to convey professional detachment.

“As you can see behind me, the area that used to be Cosen’s Lake is just—gone. Helicopter over flights reveal a massive crater. Witnesses say it looks like God took an ice cream scoop to the lake and surrounding area. The death toll is unknown at this time but feared to be in the hundreds as the lake had a hotel and several lodges around the lake’s edge that catered to fishermen, hunters, and hikers.

“Canadian authorities are at a loss to explain this bizarre disaster. They hasten to assure the world the crater is not, I repeat, not radioactive, so this isn’t the result of a nuclear blast. Given the level of devastation no one WJLA reached for comment has any idea what happened. Most can’t even offer a guess what might have done this.

“WJLA has learned that Canadian authorities assembled an ad hoc team from whatever scientists or other experts were in the area. The crater is at least half a mile deep and has a creek now spilling into it. Authorities say the team, inserted by helicopter, has a few days to explore the crater before the bottom floods too badly to allow further investigation.

“The only thing we do know is the crater is the bottom half of a perfect sphere—a sphere almost exactly 1 mile in diameter. Dr. Jonathan Bridges, a geologist at the University of Wisconsin, has confirmed this is not simply a sinkhole or other natural event. Like everyone else we were able to contact he is completely unable to explain what it actually is.

“Authorities have ordered no one approach the crater edge as it is made of soft soil rather than rock and might easily collapse under a person’s weight, throwing them to their deaths. Authorities urge calm as they try to determine exactly what happened. Cosen’s Lake is in a remote area of Canada and major urban areas are not at risk. This appears to be a unique if inexplicable event in an isolated location. Authorities believe there is no cause for alarm.”

“For viewers who just joined us, at 6:43 AM Eastern Standard Time there was an enormous blast in the remote northern reaches of the Canadian state of Manitoba. The shockwave awakened residents several hundred miles away from the epicenter, which was located at Cosen’s Lake, a small shallow lake some 600 miles northwest of the city of Ottawa, the capital of Canada.

She then largely repeated what she’d said before. It was exactly like someone had scooped up Cosen’s Lake and a large chunk of the surrounding countryside and spirited it away. No one knew how it was done, what had caused it, or who (if anyone) was behind it.

“All right, people, it’s time to get to work,” President Bend said sharply, breaking the group’s fascination with the disaster. They settled in to discuss what needed to be done.

ooOoo

Earth, Tuesday evening, June 11, 2013 11:46 PM Eastern Standard Time

President Bend rubbed his eyes tiredly as he slumped in the Oval Office with total disregard for appearances. Admiral Spears and Dennis Mitchell were equally tired. All three of them had a cup of the Chief of Staff’s infamous coffee in front of them.

“Iran’s making noises about an American super-weapon,” Admiral Spears said wearily. “Half the UN seems ready to believe them. At least Prime Minister Vervelen doesn’t believe it. He’s sensible enough to know this is beyond us.”

“What about beyond the Fae?” President Bend asked sourly.

The NSA director shrugged. “No idea. But do you know any other super-powered races?”

“What about the seventh universe?” President Bend retorted. “Funny how everything’s fine for hundreds of years, then poof this new universe shows up and now a chunk of Canada goes missing.”

“Yes, well Faust did warn us about the queen swatting our noses if we stuck them somewhere she didn’t like,” Dennis Mitchell pointed out.

“Too convenient,” Admiral Spears growled. “If half the legends are true the Fae can’t be trusted. For all we know this is one of the other six universes making a power play and laying the blame on the new kid. Hell, I wouldn’t put this stunt past Faust.”

“What I don’t understand is why Canada?” The President mused. “Why some puddle in the middle of nowhere? Cosen’s Lake was six feet deep for God’s sake! The hole they left is bigger across than the entire lake!”

“Sending a message?” Admiral Spears theorized. “Something like, look what we did here. Imagine if we did it there?”

“Then why not something even more remote?” the Chief of Staff asked. “Middle of nowhere or not the death toll was still a couple of hundred people—maybe more.”

“To show us they don’t care about humans?” The NSA director offered. “Like the Mafia, mind your own business or sleep with the fishes?”

“Do the Fae really use such awful puns, or are you just punch-drunk?” President Bend asked grumpily.

“Faust does,” Admiral Spears shrugged. “From the legends it seems likely the other Fae are no better. This kind of humor appeals to them on multiple levels.”

“Speaking of our favorite elf, have you heard from Faust lately?” President Bend asked hopefully.

The NSA director shook his head.

“No, and I really don’t expect to. Despite the scale of Fae involvement in this mess he’s given us fair warning. That’s typical of every previous encounter. We may not see him again for years.”

“Wonderful. Just when we need our pet faerie he pulls a disappearing act,” President Bend groused.

“If I had to guess,” Admiral Spears said, slumping back in his chair, “now that the hornet’s nest is well and truly poked we’re on our own.”

ooOoo

Teagan let the wind of the chariot’s passage blow her cares away. Her necklace kept the chilly wind from bothering her. She’d been keeping track of the days on a pocket calendar. Back on Earth today was July 30th. Here in Equestria it was October 28th.

Emma stood beside her, her fear of heights pummeled into submission by three months of steep winding stairs carved into the cavern walls—stairs that, in many cases, lacked guardrails.

“I wouldn’t have missed this trip for anything,” Emma said, propping her elbows on the front rim of the chariot, “but I’m glad to be going home. It’s the little things I miss the most. Like my electric toothbrush.”

“Yeah, it’s stupid but I miss French fries. You know the ones from Mickey D’s?” Teagan answered, taking a deep breath. “I will miss this air though! I still can’t believe how fresh it is. ”

“That’s because we’re a thousand feet up and it’s autumn now,” Emma pointed out. “Back home we’d be on the ground with all that air pollution. Here it’s just trees for miles and miles and miles.”

“And I am so happy we’re flying over it and not trudging through it,” Teagan said, “especially dodging Duisternis and irate dragons.”

“Amen, sister!” Emma shivered from something other than cold. “Hey, what ever happened to old Dusty anyway? All the reports I saw said they messed with some magical gizmo they shouldn’t have. Sounds pretty sketchy to me.”

“Yeah, and Celestia’s letters weren’t any more forthcoming. I guess it’s possible but it seems awfully convenient.”

“So Celestia actually did something you think?” Emma asked. “I mean, she’s a goddess after all. You said she blasted Tishana so hard she cratered a mountain, right?”

“Tišina,” Teagan corrected absently with a small frown. “Yeah, I think maybe she did something, or maybe she and Luna together. On the other hand the photos I saw were pretty scary. Their lair was in a mountain—which isn’t there anymore. It’s like it got nuked or hit by an asteroid, or something. Whatever did it turned that mountain into a gravel filled crater.”

“Well, Luna’s the goddess of the night, right? Twilight mentioned they have shooting stars here. Wouldn’t be too unbelievable if they pulled a slightly larger one down, right?” Emma reasoned.

Teagan laughed ruefully.

“Yeah, it’s not like a flying mountain would strain a sun goddess if she wanted to lob it at somebody. I keep forgetting Celestia isn’t just another pony. I mean we’ve both eaten lunch with her for God’s sake! But she’s actually an immortal goddess who raises the freaking sun every single day. Then goes and has pancakes.”

“So what’s your point?” Emma teased. “Remember, you’re a queen and a superhero. That’s pretty cool too!”

“Well, you’ve got a magical staff—Adventure Girl,” Teagan noted, grinning. “Maybe we can get you your own comic book when we get back. That outfit belongs in a centerfold anyway.”

“Walking stick, thank you very much,” Emma sniffed, reaching back to stroke her treasure. “And look who’s taking! You’ve been wearing an outfit like this one since we got to Hejm. I just got mine today.”

“Yeah, well that was Søyle’s big idea, not mine. I froze my backside off until Truth Speaker gave me my necklace,” Teagan said with a snort. “At least you got to wear warm and comfy clothes.”

“And lose that extra twelve pounds I was hauling,” Emma said with a satisfied smirk. “I actually put on some muscle too. I can’t wait to hit the beach when we get home. Show the boys what they’re missing.”

Teagan gave her friend a startled glance. “Since when have you been an exhibitionist?

Emma shrugged.

“Since I realized how good I look?” she asked, cocking a hip. “Seriously, I think this trip burned out any shyness I had left. Think about it. I got within five feet of a hell-beast trying to chew my face off! My best friend is a superhero. I’ve been in multiple battles, lived with royalty and walked with gods. After all that what’s scary about showing off a little skin? Let them look, let them drool. Any of them worth my time will need to prove they deserve it.”

Teagan laughed, hugging her friend with one arm.

“We will still have a couple of weeks before school starts,” Teagan mused as she let go. “Personally, I wouldn’t mind lying on a beach and soaking up some sun after all this excitement. Maybe we can go to Longview Beach?”

“For what, 5 minutes?” Emma teased. “Much longer than that and we’ll have to start calling you Lobster Girl.”

“Hah! I am well versed in the wiles of the evil sun, I’ll have you know,” Teagan said portentously. “SPF 100 broad-spectrum protection is a must for this superhero—heroine?”

“No thanks, that stuff will kill ya,” Emma said, giggling. Teagan just rolled her eyes as the chariot flew on.

ooOoo

The chariots landed in Canterlot around 10:30 in the morning. Faerie Mist was waiting for them, along with Sun Hammer, his once shaggy mane now neatly trimmed. He no longer looked like a dangerous pirate but rather an equine James Bond, his black eye patch replaced with a gold one that sported a trio of small blue stones that sparkled in the sunlight.

“Very dashing there, Sun Hammer,” Teagan complimented just before glomping him. He blew gently into her hair as she hugged him hard. “Did Faerie Mist finally tempt you out of your lair?”

“Aye, so she did,” he said with a big grin. “She’s been tryin’ ta civilize this rough old cuddy. Ah keep tellin’ her chalk’s nae shears but she’ll hae nane o’ it.”

“So you’re cleaning him up?” Emma asked the pegasus mare with a grin.

“Of course,” Faerie Mist replied. “About time he stopped lurking in that dungeon he calls an armory. He cleans up rather nicely, don’t you think?”

Teagan let go of Sun Hammer and smiled at the lavender mare.

“I take it the two of you are getting along?” she asked, eyes twinkling.

“Most of the time,” the mare replied, prompting a chuckle from the massive stallion.

“Skrent, Flint, Ah see ya managed ta corral the wee lassie at last,” he spoke to the pair of trolls looming behind Teagan.

“Hero’s quest,” Skrent sighed, and then grinned, carefully not showing any teeth. Sun Hammer guffawed loudly. A ghost of a smile crept onto Flint’s face.

“Aye, Ah can believe that! Well met, Lady Søyle.”

“Wide passages, Sun Hammer. It is good to see you again, even if you do glitter more than you did.” Søyle’s deep voice was stately but there was a gleam lurking in her eye.

“Well, as to that ye can thank Mist here,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Mares always got een fer the sparklies, so thay dae. Cannae ken it masel.”

“Lady Teagan, Princess Celestia asked me to have you meet privately with her, if you would be so kind,” Faerie Mist said apologetically. “Sun Hammer, why don’t you escort Lady Søyle and Emma to the Ghrian Suite? I’ll escort Lady Teagan back when the meeting’s done.”

“Ah, a queen’s work is never done,” Teagan sighed theatrically, grinning at Emma, who snorted. But internally Teagan wasn’t feeling the least bit light hearted.

As the two of them moved off into the castle, Teagan spoke casually.

“Any idea what this meeting’s about?”

“The princess didn’t say,” Faerie Mist replied, her pace steady and sedate. “She probably just wanted a bit of time alone with you just to catch up.”

“It has been a frantic few months,” Teagan agreed mildly. They spent the rest of the trip in silence, each keeping a pleasantly neutral expression.

Celestia’s private office, Teagan noted mentally as Faerie Mist knocked.

“Come in,” called Celestia.

“I’ll see you later, Lady Teagan,” Faerie Mist gave a small bow.

“Looking forward to hearing how you finally snagged Sun Hammer,” Teagan said, a genuine smile flitting across her face.

With a slight smirk the pegasus turned and trotted away.

Teagan opened the door and walked inside.

ooOoo

Lady Silkwind distractedly waved away the waiter as he offered to refill her glass. Ever since the revelation about Duisternis being destroyed the griffin had been on tenterhooks, wondering if or when the Guard would pounce. She’d heard whispers of hundreds of conspirators being seized in the dark of night and vanishing.

While she very much doubted the pony police would be so ruthlessly pragmatic she had no such illusions about the Sun Princess. Everyone else might only see the smiling face and those kindly eyes, but Silkwind knew better.

So she counted each day she remained free and carefully considered all the ways she might be tied to the ancient cult. As the count grew she began to believe that her part in this might go undiscovered after all.

But the little worm of doubt kept her from sleeping well at night.

ooOoo

“Hello, cousin,” Celestia greeted Teagan from behind her desk, her horn glowing for a moment. Teagan gaped at the alicorn, seeing dark rings under her eyes that hadn’t been there the last time she’d seen her. Looking closer she could also see how tired the alicorn looked, her folded wings seeming to droop while her regal head was held noticeably lower. As she stepped closer she saw how bloodshot Celestia’s huge eyes were. A general pallor of sadness seemed to hover around the snow white pony like a dark cloud.

Even her rainbow mane was subdued, just barely waving.

“You look horrible! What’s wrong?” Teagan gasped without thinking.

“Thank you for your candor,” Celestia replied with the merest ghost of a smile flashing across her face before her misery returned. “I’m glad to see you again, Lady Teelo.”

“Cousin,” Teagan said forcefully, “what happened to you? You look like somebody ran over your puppy.”

“Do I? Well, someone did.”

“You had a puppy? I’m so sorry!” Teagan said, stepping around the desk and hugging the alicorn. A heavy head landed on her shoulder and she felt the princess shudder.

“Actually, it wasn’t a puppy and that someone was me,” the voice in her ear was soft. Another shudder ran through the pony. “I’ve done a terrible thing, cousin—an unforgivable thing. Something the world must never know about, for its own sake.”

“What happened?” Teagan asked softly, caressing the rainbow mane unconsciously.

“My sister received a gift. I used it to end Duisternis—forever.”

“Emma and I thought you’d done something. Did you drop an asteroid on them?” Teagan asked gently.

“I—hadn’t actually considered that,” Celestia said in a surprised voice, her body growing still against the girl. “I suppose Luna could have done that, but it wouldn’t have gotten all of them. The leadership were demons, without physical bodies and the draugr would have reconstituted themselves almost immediately. It might have crippled their plans though.”

“So what did you do instead?” Teagan asked, pulling back to watch the alicorn sympathetically.

“We were given a magical device, a heavy metallic sphere about a foot in diameter covered in runes. The document that came with it said it was a weapon. It explained in detail what the sphere would do and how to use it.”

Celestia stopped speaking and squeezed her eyes shut.

“It neglected to mention the aftereffects of using it, however.” Celestia’s voice broke.

“What did it do?” Teagan asked. Alene Hule had explained to her there had been a strong magical backlash, but it hadn’t seemed to affect the trolls at all. She thought the worst it had done was to knock all the unicorns in Hejm unconscious for a couple of hours.

“The first thing it did was teleport into the cavern complex Duisternis was using as a base,” Celestia said. “Once there it activated, forming a sphere a mile across. Everything inside that sphere was…” she hesitated, looking for the right words, “…obliterated, annihilated. All of existence broken into inconceivably small pieces, and then those infinitesimal pieces shredded until nothing was left. Absolutely nothing, can you understand? Not just rocks and air and flesh and bone vanished. Their souls, cousin, they were utterly destroyed. Magic, time, space, the Veil, everything inside ceased to exist in one horrible instant. And then the sphere was crushed by the weight of the universe around it until it disappeared into the abyss that exists between something and nothing.

“But that was nothing compared to what came after,” Celestia watched the girl with eyes so full of pain Teagan had to look away.

“The magical backlash was strong enough to kill magically sensitive individuals—especially the old and the frail.”

Teagan’s head snapped back as she stared aghast at Celestia.

“How many?” she asked in a hollow voice.

“We may never know,” Celestia said, and started to cry. “Tens of thousands, certainly, probably more.”

And then Celestia collapsed and started to sob. Teagan immediately went to her knees and gathered the alicorn’s head in a hug and held her as Celestia let the pain out in long, heart rending wails.

ooOoo

Teagan rode the storm out, not caring her shoulder was growing numb and large amounts of snot were dribbling down her back. It took nearly an hour before the alicorn’s sobbing started to abate.

Teagan started stroking Celestia’s mane and neck, making small soothing noises, wordless sounds that carried no meaning.

Eventually the alicorn quieted and made a determined effort to pull away.

“I’m sorry,” she said, not looking at Teagan, “I didn’t mean to break down like that. I haven’t lost control that badly since Luna’s banishment.”

“Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on occasionally,” Teagan said quietly, “even you. Maybe especially you.”

“How can you bear to look at me?” Celestia asked, eyeing the girl from the corner of her eye. “I’m a monster, cousin. Thousands died because of me. Who knows how many souls were lost to oblivion because of what I did? They’re dead forever, they’ll never see their loved ones in the Fields.”

“How many millions lived?” Teagan replied forcefully. “If Duisternis had won then the whole world would have died. Thanks to Crush I remember what it was like the last time the world died, cousin. It wasn’t pretty.”

“Did you know I’ve walked Sun Hammer’s road many times?” Celestia asked heavily. “Especially in the beginning, my sister and I had to kill to defend our lives, our families. And each life I took I swore would be the last. Then my sister and I became princesses and small fights to defend my family, my village, became large wars to defend all of Equestria. I cannot even count the lives I have taken. The last time was two hundred years ago, the war between Cloudsdale and the griffins. I broke them myself, cousin, slaying with lightning and fire and my razor shod hooves and wings. I was drenched in griffin blood and they fell broken from the sky, many dead before they hit the ground.

“I have not killed since that dreadful day,” she said, hanging her head. “I have not donned my armor—until Duisternis. Only this time I slew innocents.”

“Humans call it collateral damage,” Teagan said softly. “No matter how carefully you choose your targets, no matter how well you aim, innocents will still die in war. There’s no way to stop it, no magic bullet that only kills the ones who deserve to die and avoids everybody else.

“Besides, you didn’t know about the backlash beforehand. Whoever gave you that bomb didn’t tell you. Who did give it to you, anyway?”

“I don’t know which individual it was,” Celestia shook her head. “Luna caught a glimpse just before they disappeared, but she couldn’t even identity their species with certainty. However, I am nearly certain it was the same group that taught Epona how to make the Bridge of Days. I don’t even know the name of that group, it was never recorded.”

“Their gifts come with some nasty thorns,” Teagan said with a wince. “The Bridge was only made with the deaths of all those capaill and my ancestors. This bomb caused huge collateral damage. Might be a good idea to decline the next gift they offer even if you’ve already crossed the Godzilla Threshold.”

“The what?” Celestia asked, her horn starting to glow. Teagan relaxed as she felt herself dry off and the results of Celestia’s breakdown lifting gently away from her skin and clothes.

“Godzilla is a fictional monster that’s 300 feet tall. He causes massive destruction whenever he appears. The Godzilla Threshold is the point at which having Godzilla appear can’t make matters worse.”

Celestia blinked. “I see. As always you make your point with eye-watering impact, cousin. But I have a serious question.”

“Ok,” Teagan said warily. After Celestia’s last revelation she didn’t know if she could handle another.

“The device I used was in many ways worse than the nuclear weapons Matthew described,” Celestia said with a grimace. “But your country did use them in war. How did your leader deal with the consequences? How did he live with himself?”

“That is a question I can’t really answer,” Teagan said after a long pause. “The debate has raged ever since they were used and it’ll likely be still raging when I’m nothing but dust and bones. I suspect he never really thought about it before ordering the attack. The whole country was at war, everybody thought Japan opened the war with a sneak attack—even though they really hadn’t intended to. The war had been going on for years and the only other way they knew to end the war would have killed too many of our soldiers.”

“And afterward?” the alicorn asked intently.

“He killed a quarter of a million civilians,” Teagan said with a sigh. “Men, women, children, even pets. I don’t know if I could live with that, but back then it was a different time. He probably justified it in his own mind by saying he had no choice. They were the enemy, and they had attacked us first. It was a nasty war, cousin. The whole world was involved and everybody thought the other side were monsters.”

“Not so different from Equis, then,” Celestia said with a sigh.

“Why did you tell me all this?” Teagan asked, laying one hand gently on Celestia’s shoulder.

“I think it was because I had to tell someone, cousin, or go mad.” Celestia said in a small voice. “Luna and I are the only ones who know what happened. I thought perhaps you would understand, given your country’s history. And I trust you.”

“Secrets are heavy things,” Teagan noted with a sigh. “I promise I won’t tell anyone else. I just wish you didn’t have to do what you did. I’m not blaming you for doing it, but I can honestly say I’m selfishly glad I wasn’t the one who had to make that choice.”

“Knowing what I know now I’m not sure I would have made the same choice had I realized the price. It was clear enough some ponies would be utterly destroyed, denied an afterlife. Given a choice between oblivion and existing as draugr, perhaps they would have accepted it.

“But being responsible for the death of so many innocents, no, that is a burden I would have struggled with. Perhaps that is why the group who gave us the device were careful not to mention the horrible price Equis would pay. A price I don’t know I could have paid had I known.”

Her horn began to glow gently and as Teagan watched the effects of the crying jag began to fade, first her eyes cleared, then the bags under her eyes, and finally her fur became clean and shiny.

But when the glow ceased her wings still drooped and her head did not rise back to normal. Her mane remained nearly unmoving and her expression was still sad.

“I don’t think they cared about Equis,” Teagan said carefully as Celestia put her crown back on, adjusting it in her mirror. “I think they would have been willing to sacrifice all of Equis if it meant destroying Duisternis. I just wish I knew why they cared. Whoever they are they’re back on Earth. What happens on Equis has nothing to do with them.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Celestia said, becoming still. “After all, the Bridge of Days allows some movement between our world and yours.”

Teagan’s eyes widened as the implications sank in.

“You think Earth would have been next?”

“I suspect a demon’s hunger can never be sated for long,” Celestia said quietly. “If Duisternis were able to open the Bridge nothing would keep them from crossing it.”

“Oooh, and isn’t that a cheerful thought,” Teagan said with a shudder. “Humans don’t have magic. The only group that could stop them would be the mysterious Bridge builders. After seeing what they gave you, I wouldn’t trust them to keep any war clandestine. Are we sure you got all of Duisternis?”

“No,” Celestia shook her head, eyes narrowed in concentration. “We destroyed their base, which contained their archives. That alone would cripple any potential advantage they might have over us magically.

“According to the intelligence document that came with the sphere they had retreated to lick their wounds, so all of the inner circle would have been present but we can’t count on the entire organization being there. We can’t even be certain all of their elite units like the windigos and the draugr were there.”

“Could the second string put the organization back together?”

“I don’t believe so. Duisternis must rely on collaborators and unwitting agents. We have rooted out the collaborators and the demons’ shroud of secrecy is gone now. Every kingdom on Equis will be warned. Even if the remnants of the organization could rebuild it would take centuries and be nothing but a pale shadow of the Duisternis we fought.”

“Then I guess you’ll have to be eternally vigilant,” Teelo replied, “because I’m not going to last even a single century, mortal that I am.”

“Luna and I will keep watch. And Discord as well.”

“Yeah…look I know I’m biased, but Discord was pals with Nightmare and actively tried to sabotage the Mane 6 so they couldn’t wield the Elements of Harmony. You can’t really trust him. Fluttershy isn’t immortal either, and once she’s out of the picture what’s to keep him from going back to his old tricks?”

“Discord is a work in progress,” Celestia admitted. “But Fluttershy is only the first of many. In spite of himself he’s learning the power of friendship. By the time dear Fluttershy moves on to the Fields Discord will have many friends. That’s one of the long term goals Fluttershy is working toward, although I don’t believe she’s ever mentioned it to Discord.”

Celestia’s smile was tired but genuine, a flash of her normal good humor leaking through.

Teagan chuckled. “Of course, you are ever the chess master. Was this goal her idea or yours?”

“Yes,” Celestia’s smile widened slightly. Then it slipped away.

“Are we still friends, cousin?” Her tone was plaintive. “Are you scared of me now that you know what I did?”

Teagan grinned and reached up, ruffling Celestia’s ears unexpectedly.

“You know I asked Emma the very same question after she said I was scary the first time she saw Matt and I spar?”

“What did she say?” Celestia asked cautiously.

“That I was the second scariest person she had ever met but I was her best friend and she knew I’d never hurt her.”

“Ah. Who was the scariest?”

“Matt,” Teagan grinned. “Have to say I agree with her.”

“So where do I rate?” Celestia asked, tilting her head and batting her eyes.

Teagan snorted.

“You win, hands down. Let’s review, shall we? Remember when Discord told us he turned the flutter ponies into changelings? Oh yeah, angry sun goddess sitting right there. And before that when you blasted Tišina? That’s not even counting Duisternis. You are one scary pony, cousin. But I still trust you. I know you’d never hurt me. Or anyone else if you could possibly help it.”

“Tell that to all the ones who died from my actions in this war,” Celestia said, wincing.

“Nobody’s perfect,” Teagan said forcefully. “You may be a goddess but you aren’t God-with-the capital-G. You aren’t omniscient, omnipotent, or any other word starting with om. What happened was a tragedy. Yes, it was horrible, and yes you were the one who triggered that bomb, but remember the ones who gave it to you never mentioned the magical feedback. You made a command decision to end the war and as far as you knew only Duisternis and its slaves would perish.

“To tell the truth, if this had happened when I first came to Equestria I’d have called you a monster. But that was then. Now I know better.”

“What changed your mind?” Celestia asked curiously.

“Being a queen,” Teagan replied. “Don’t get me wrong, I know I’ll never be a hundredth the ruler you are, but I’ve lived your life, cousin. I’ve made life or death decisions. I’ve fought battles to protect my clan. I’ve even made mistakes that hurt those who trusted me to keep them safe. I’ve killed, cousin, and not just in battle. I’ve tasted power and I’ve drunk the bitter helplessness that comes with it.”

Teagan took a deep breath.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is I know, in a way others just can’t. With great power comes great responsibility, and the greater the power the greater the responsibility. Knowing how powerful you really are I’m awed and humbled when I think of what you do day after day. I hope one day I’ll have gathered the merest sliver of your wisdom.”

Celestia bowed to Teagan, as Luna had bowed to her father, head nearly touching the ground, wings wide spread.

“Thank you, cousin,” the alicorn said softly, standing again. “You might believe I’ve got a bag of tricks to handle every situation, but the truth is when some new terror comes stalking Equestria I always have to scramble like a mad pony to find some hare-brained scheme that relies on bluff and luck as much as skill. I depend on the ponies around me to do most of the work. And I am always required to wear the mask of unshakable confidence, lest my little ponies panic.”

She winked.

“I’m sure you understand, Dronning Teagan.”

“Been there, done that,” Teagan nodded.

“Shall we go meet Søyle and Emma?” Celestia’s horn glowed and Teagan felt her ears pop.

“What was that?” she asked curiously.

“I dismissed the privacy spell,” Celestia responded. “Why do you think we’ve not been interrupted in spite of all the wailing?”

“Huh,” Teagan replied, blinking as the door swung open. “Did not think of that.”

Opening Diplomatic Relations

In which we discover sometimes the end is actually the beginning.

Earth, Thursday morning, August 1, 2013 8:12 AM

Teagan and Emma stepped through the rainbow-edged circle that was the Bridge of Days, crossing over with only a couple of steps. They turned and waved at the now-recovered Subtle Dancer, just before the Bridge snapped closed.

Turning back, Emma was immediately engulfed in her mother’s desperate hug while her father crowded close.

“Welcome home, Teagan,” Elaine said warmly as her daughter gave her a far less constricting hug than Emma was getting.

“Good to finally be home,” Teagan replied, pulling back.

“Mom, I can’t breathe!” Emma protested as she tried to squirm away.

“What in the world are you two wearing?” Jacob Halsted demanded with wide eyes.

“It’s the latest in troll fashion, daddy,” Emma said, grinning. “You like it? I admit this outfit is a bit skimpy but it does let you move around easily. And once Juniper Rose gave me my warming necklace I didn’t notice the cold.”

She shrugged out of her backpack, and pulled out a slim leather bound book.

“Here,” she said, shoving it into her mother’s hands. “Told you I’d be bringing it back.”

“What is this?” The other woman asked in confusion.

“It’s my journal, Mom,” Emma said, “just like I promised. It’ll make a good bedtime story for the two of you tonight.”

“How was your trip, honey?” John asked Teagan, eyeing his daughter’s outfit with a neutral expression. “In spite of what you’re wearing I notice you two didn’t get much of a tan over the summer.”

“Yeah, not much sunlight than far underground,” Teagan retorted dryly. “To be honest it was a lot more exciting than I wanted it to be, but everything’s pretty much back to normal. I’m happy to say the threat of war between ponies and trolls is over. They’re starting to get used to one another now although I’m betting it’s going to be a long hard slog before they start singing Kumbaya.”

“Did you have to slay any dragons?” Jacob asked snarkily.

Teagan and Emma exchanged a meaningful glance.

As the adults eyes started to widen in alarm Emma snickered.

“Only one!” Teagan said hastily, “only I didn’t slay him, more like, um, forcefully negotiated with him. Let’s just say it could have gone better. He doesn’t like me very much now.”

“Two,” Emma corrected her. “Don’t forget Spike.”

“I don’t count him,” Teagan objected. “We barely said anything to him before he jumped out the window. Twilight was more upset than we were.”

“Speak for yourself. He scared me right down to my toes,” Emma said. “He was terrifying, Teelo!”

“He’s three feet tall, Emma,” Teelo said in exasperation. “Not exactly a nightmare made flesh. He bakes Twilight cookies, remember?”

“Not right then he wasn’t!” Emma objected. “He got really big and grew wings. I thought he was going to bite Twilight’s head off!”

“Wait, what?” Jacob asked, glaring at his daughter. “What are you talking about? When did this happen?”

“Oops,” Emma said, her face displaying her unease.

“Well?” Jacob demanded belligerently.

“Just before Sweetie Belle got kidnapped,” Teagan said quickly. “We weren’t in any danger from Spike, Mr. Halstead. There was some kind of magical catalyst in Twilight’s office nobody knew about that made Spike grow wings and get about 10 feet long. He wasn’t going to hurt us. he was completely focused on hunting down Chrysalis because she ambushed us.”

“You didn’t mention that little detail when you told us about your adventure, Emma,” Olivia said in a flat voice, eyes narrowing.

“Det må ha sløv meg,” Emma blurted, flinching.

“What?” Olivia blinked at her daughter. “What did you just say? Was that Trollish?”

“Um, yeah, it’s actually called Trolsk. I said it must have slipped my mind,” Emma said apologetically. “A lot happened in that couple of days.”

“A dragon attack slipped your mind?” her mother asked with a raised eyebrow. “Really, Emma?”

“Really,” Emma said earnestly. “There was just too much to keep track of it all.”

She shifted nervously, trying to think of something to distract her irate parents. A familiar tug across her chest came to her rescue.

Hey, check this out!” she said brightly, pulling the walking stick off her back and offering it to her mother.

“It’s a stick,” her mother said, refusing to be distracted.

“It’s a magical walking stick,” Emma retorted. “Real magic, mom, not that Pen and Teller stuff. Have you ever held real magic in your hands before?”

“Of course not, magic doesn’t exist,” her mother said dismissively, then paused as Emma grinned knowingly at her. She offered the stick again, and her mother took it gingerly.

“Um, it won’t shoot sparks or something, will it?” Jacob asked nervously, eyeing the staff in his wife’s hands warily.

“No, daddy,” Emma shook her head, chuckling. “All the magic does is keep the wood from rotting or the metal from rusting. But it really is magic.”

“It’s very pretty, but it doesn’t feel magical,” her mother said uncertainly, examining it more closely.

“My necklace is magical too,” Emma replied. “It doesn’t tingle or anything either. It just keeps me from getting cold. We flew home in an open chariot—over snow covered mountains with a stiff wind blowing the whole way. I didn’t shiver once and you see what I’m wearing.”

Jacob peered curiously at the necklace, a thick gold chain supporting a large sunstone. “Did the trolls make that?” he asked.

“No, the unicorns did,” Emma replied. “I don’t know which one did, but Juniper Rose told me the magic will only last six months. My walking stick, on the other hand, won’t ever lose its magic.”

“My daughter went on an adventure in another world and came home with magic items,” Jacob said, blinking. “Jesus, when did the world turn into a D&D game?”

“Welcome to the Twilight Zone,” John said ruefully. “We have cookies.”

“Speaking of, my chick, have you eaten?” Elaine asked Teagan.

“Yeah, we had lunch at Sweet Apple Acres. Oh my God! Let me tell you, Granny Smith’s apple fritters and cider was worth the whole trip.”

“Oh, that reminds me!” Emma said excitedly. “Applejack gave us each a bottle of their private stock as a going-away present. She said you guys deserved some of the finer things Equestria has to offer. I’d think she was boasting if I hadn’t tasted it.”

“She wasn’t boasting,” Teagan giggled, then tried to adopt Applejack’s accent. “Ah declare that there cider is the finest Sweet Apple Acres ever made, bottled with love and a hunnert years of magic and skill. Why, the Princess herself orders a case ever’ single year!”

Emma snickered.

“Don’t let Applejack hear you do that, Teelo,” she warned.

“Never would I ever,” Teagan swore solemnly, then giggled. The girls dug the bottles out of their packs and presented them to their parents.

Jacob eyed the bottle carefully.

“Is this hard cider?” he asked suspiciously.

“Yes, but it’s only like 3 proof or something, basically just enough alcohol to keep it from spoiling. I doubt you’d get a buzz if you chugged the whole bottle. Which would be sacrilege, by the way. That stuff is best drunk like you’d drink eggnog—in very small glasses to make the bottle last longer.” Teagan replied seriously. “Ponies get drunk from salt, not alcohol, so any alcohol they make is just an accident. This cider’s probably one of the strongest drinks they have.”

“Huh, that’s weird,” Jacob said, creasing his brow. “So nobody in Equestria makes beer or wine?”

Teagan hesitated. “Well, the ponies don’t, but I’ve heard griffins brew beer and I know minotaurs make melomel and probably other kinds of mead too.”

“What about trolls?” John asked interestedly.

“Ale,” Teagan said, nodding, “really good ale too, and they drink it by the flagon.”

“You drank ale?” Elaine asked sharply, “regularly?”

“Yes, mom, but only one flagon at dinner—and that was their version of a kiddy cup, probably about 12 ounces. After one flagon I always switched to cave lemming milk. Besides, I doubt alcohol would affect me very much because of Crush. You know, for the same reason I need to eat so much.”

“Ah,” Elaine said nodding, her parental instincts mollified.

“What about you?” Jacob asked his daughter suspiciously.

“I steered clear of the ale,” Emma promised, raising one hand. “After I accidentally drank a glass of mead at the trading post I was very careful after that. All I drank in Hejm was either water or cave lemming milk. I did have a small glass of cider at Applejack’s, but I made sure it was a very small glass.”

“Guess that’s no worse than near-beer,” Jacob grumbled. “Any scars we should know about? Broken bones? Any other minor stuff that slipped your mind?”

“No, daddy,” Emma said with a huff. “My journal has everything. I promised I wouldn’t hide anything and I didn’t.”

“Before you go nuclear,” Teagan said gently, “next summer will be much easier on everyone. Fjell and Celestia have agreed when I go back it will be by chariot. Skrent and Flint will be the only trolls to accompany me, so if Emma wants to go it’ll be a three hour flight there and back, escorted by a full wing of the Sun Shield. Not a week spent tromping through the mountains.”

“That does sound safer,” Elaine said thoughtfully.

“On top of which Twilight is looking into ways to get a computer, and spells that will allow her to access the internet from Equestria.”

“Is that even possible?” Olivia asked, surprised.

“Well, she was able to make a doohickey that let her talk to Celestia across the Veil,” Teagan pointed out. “And her figurine can actually act like a mini-body for her. I’m no mage but if you can pass sound it shouldn’t be that hard to pass an electrical signal. That’s all an Ethernet cable does after all.”

“I don’t think Verizon has inter-dimensional service, honey,” John smirked.

“She can piggy-back off our internet connection,” Teagan snorted. “It’s not like the cable needs to be all that long, a few inches on our side, a few inches on hers.”

“If she had internet then we could stay in touch with email,” Olivia said, brightening.

“As long as we were in Canterlot,” Teagan nodded. “Hmm, I wonder if she could put a switch next to her computer and another cable doohickey connection to Hejm? I could take a laptop with me and never be out of touch.

“I like the sound of that,” Elaine said, relaxing. “It was no fun being out of touch the whole summer, my chick.”

“How would you recharge the laptop’s battery?” John asked.

“Magic, probably, or maybe put a solar panel somewhere outside, like the customs house maybe. Take a few spare batteries and keep them and the charger there. Let a courier run the spent batteries out every couple of days and bring back charged ones. That’s always assuming magical recharging wouldn’t work.” Teagan said. “At any rate we have nine months to let Twilight figure it out. In the mean time we can keep in touch with her through her figurine.

“Bottom line, next time it’ll be a lot easier to keep in touch. So,” Teagan asked, rubbing her hands together, “did anything interesting happen here over the summer?”

ooOoo

Earth, Thursday morning, August 1, 2013 8:38 AM

All four adults exchanged glances.

“Actually we had our own Twilight Zone episode,” John said slowly. “On June 11 some lake in Canada vanished—leaving a perfectly hemispherical crater half a mile deep. They said it killed several hundred people.”

Teagan stiffened, frantically doing date calculations in her mind. “Oh, crap.”

“You know something?” Jacob asked in a voice sharp with suspicion.

“I can’t be certain,” Teagan said cautiously. “But I think that’s the day Celestia put Duisternis out of everyone’s misery.”

“Who’s Duisternis?” Olivia asked blankly.

“Doomsday cult,” Teagan replied tiredly. “They were the ones that kidnapped Sweetie Belle and sicced Chrysalis on us. Caused all kinds of trouble, they had some plot to destroy the whole world. Don’t know how close they were to success, but Celestia suggested Earth might be their next target.”

“What?” Jacob yelped.

“It’s ok, Duisternis went the way of the dodo,” Teagan said, holding up a placating hand. “There was some kind of bomb Luna got from the group that taught Epona to make the Bridge of Days. Celestia said it was some kind of super-nuke. It destroyed everything in a mile wide sphere, even time and space. I guess it destroyed dimensions too. That’s probably what happened to the lake.”

“Oh my God, so now Equestria’s wars are affecting Earth,” Jacob said hollowly. “All those people…”

“Yeah,” Teagan said, heartsick. “Listen, Mr. Halstead you can’t tell anyone about this. They’d never believe you.”

“But they died, Teagan!” he roared. “Hundreds of human beings. Murdered by that horse!”

“And tens of thousands of magically sensitive people on Equis died too,” Teagan said, closing her eyes. “But it wasn’t murder, Mr. Halstead. The group that gave Luna the bomb carefully neglected to mention the collateral damage it would cause.”

“Is that what you call it?” Jacob sneered, “collateral damage? Well, your precious god-like princess committed an act of war against Canada and probably the U.S. as well since we’re allies. Hell, maybe against the whole damn world!”

“And in the process she saved millions of lives on Equis—and billions on Earth. You never fought Duisternis, Mr. Halstead. I did. They wanted to extinguish the Sun. You do know what happens if the Sun goes away, right? After Equis it would have been Earth’s turn. Because of Crush sharing its memories with me I lived through the last time Equis lost its sun. Ask Emma what that little trip down memory lane did to me.”

“She was screaming, daddy,” Emma said, shivering. “She fell off her chair and started writhing on the ground. It was horrible.”

Teagan nodded angrily.

“I lived it, Mr. Halstead. So I know exactly what Duisternis would have done to Equis—and then Earth. Not a single living thing would have survived, the only thing moving after that would be demons and undead.”

Teagan’s rage had broken free. She stepped angrily into Jacob’s personal space and glared at him.

“Yes, that means every horror movie you’ve ever seen was right. Undead are real. I destroyed an army of animated pony skeletons! Not to mention putrid zombies that spewed rotting flesh everywhere when Crush hit them!

“Oh, and the freaking cherry on top? I had to kill two draugrs. A draugr is a soul damned to be trapped in their own dead body for all eternity. A body that had been skinned alive and then tortured until they died. Only they didn’t die—not completely. Their spirits were trapped in those bodies, leaving them in eternal agony. Imagine living every day of your life feeling like you’re on fire. Not only that, but any damage they take heals nearly instantly. So they cannot destroy themselves to escape.

“I used Crush’s magic to destroy two draugrs that managed to slip their leashes long enough to beg me for death!

“By the way, that bomb? It killed the rest of the draugrs, the demons leading Duisternis, and a lot of their undead soldiers, including some weird undead pony spirits called Windigos. Celestia saved two worlds when she used it.

“So, yes it was a tragedy that innocents died here on Earth. Humans should never have been involved at all. But if Celestia hadn’t ended Duisternis with that bomb they would eventually have killed every single human being in existence. And our world would be nothing but another frozen graveyard.

“You want to know what the worst part was? They never told Celestia about the bomb’s aftermath. Probably because they knew she’d never have used it if they had.”

Jacob just stared at her, face white as a sheet. The other three adults weren’t quite as horror struck, but then Teagan hadn’t been shouting in their face, her own red with rage.

“Whoever gave Luna that bomb does not care about anyone’s life except their own,” Teagan said bitterly as she stepped back. “Their gifts always come at too high a price, Mr. Halstead. Something I’m certain Celestia wishes she’d known before deciding to use it.”

ooOoo

Earth, Wednesday evening, August 14, 2013 9:26 PM Eastern Standard Time

“So, did Faust ever turn up?” President Bend asked the NSA head as they relaxed in the Oval Office.

“No, as I expected that gentleman left us to pick up the pieces by ourselves,” Admiral Spears said drily. “However, I am happy to report that both Teagan O’Gara and Emma Halstead attended school yesterday.”

“So they’re back,” President Bend settled back in his chair with a satisfied look. “Now, maybe I can get some answers. I just have to arrange a quiet little trip to Kansas City.”

“Very quiet,” the other man said mildly. “Remember Cosen’s Lake.”

“You think Miss O’Gara did that?” The president’s eyes sharpened. The other man shrugged.

“No idea, to be honest. Probably not, but she may know who did. Asking her might be a bad idea, though.”

“Spell it out for me,” the president invited the other man.

“Consider the alternatives. If she ordered it she’s hardly going to want to admit that. If she did admit to it I’d be extremely worried about why. And I’d be even more worried what that confession would mean in terms of her raw power and apparent willingness to use it. Given the number of deaths involved the implications are…alarming. Faust did warn me she has a temper.

“On the other hand if she didn’t do it but does know who did that might qualify as sticking your nose somewhere she didn’t want you to, inviting her to swat you with the Fae equivalent of a rolled up newspaper. I doubt it would kill you, but I’m equally doubtful you’d enjoy the experience.

“Lastly, if she neither ordered it nor knows who did, she might think you were accusing her, making her feel threatened. Given that we know nothing of her actual capabilities that’s something to be avoided at all costs—especially considering we’re ignorant of her allies and their capabilities.”

“I can’t let it go, Admiral,” the president said mildly. Every country on Earth is looking for answers. Half of them still think it was one of our weapon projects gone horribly wrong. They want assurances it won’t happen again in their backyard. We need to know.”

“Then, Mr. President,” Admiral Spears spoke carefully, “all I can suggest is you be exceedingly,” he hesitated, “circumspect. Always keep in mind the Fae don’t lie—but they play very dangerous word games.”

ooOoo

Earth, Thursday evening, August 22, 2013 7:18 PM

“Ok, Squirt, good job. Let’s take a five minute break and then I’ll let you do some parrying,” Matt told the panting girl. She gratefully stripped off her helmet and went to grab a bottle of water, slumping down next to Crush.

Matt grabbed another bottle and sat next to her.

“Keep this up and you’ll be ready for your P3 test in another month,” he said, rolling his shoulders as he leaned back against the wall.

“Sounds good to me,” Teagan grinned. “I’m gonna catch up to you before long, Matt.”

He snorted. “By the time you reach E3 I’ll be happily retired and spending my days watching multicolored ponies do their shopping, Squirt.”

“Ha! You just watch me,” Teagan boasted. “Bet I make G1 before I graduate.”

Matt considered that.

“Maybe,” he allowed. “Then again, having to spend 6 months in Equestria over the next two years will seriously cut into your training time. On top of that, the G grades progress a lot slower than the P ones. Besides which, from P3 on you really need to start sparring with as many opponents as you can. Sparring with nobody but me will leave holes in your technique. Not everybody fights like I do. New opponents will bring new surprises. P3 would be a good level to start broadening your experience. Maybe enter some competitions too. They tend to attract the really aggressive competitors. You need that.”

“You could be right,” Teagan answered, considering the idea. “On the other hand, in every serious fight I’ve been in I had to use Crush to survive. The only reason I leaned Krav Maga in the first place was to let me hold off an attacker long enough for Crush to get there.”

“Yeah, well, I think you need to round out your fighting skills, Squirt. Depending on a single magical club could leave you in a world of hurt if you ever had to fight without it. Remember the glacier?”

Teagan shuddered. “Don’t remind me. The problem is Krav Maga is designed to fight humans. I’ve only had one serious fight against anything even vaguely humanoid, much less against a human. Even then it’s been something so far outside my weight class it’s ridiculous. Think about it. First it was Discord—a freaking god, then Tišina—another god, then Chrysalis, who probably weighs 700 pounds or more, and her bug-unicorns that weighed more than she does.

“What else? Oh, yeah, a pack of shadow wolves, a homicidal troll, a hundred foot long, fire-breathing dragon for God’s sake, an enormous swarm of vampiric birds the size of cats, a skeleton army, and a pair of draugrs! No offense, Matt but not even you could hurt any one of those, E3 or not. A mere P2 like me? Pfft.”

“I see your point,” he said with a chuckle. “Still, if I were you I’d be thinking about getting a team around me. Skrent and Flint are a pretty good start. Maybe add a magic-user or two. Don’t forget a medic, either.

“Game or not, D&D players play in a group of mixed classes for a reason, Teelo. It’s just common sense. Not to mention you need a ranged weapon for backup. Given how technologically backward Equestria is I’d suggest a crossbow rather than a gun. Maybe enchant the bolts too, explosive arrow heads maybe, or ones that create a big fireball in the wound. Something like that would absolutely ruin the bad guy’s whole day.”

Teagan shuddered.

“Thank you so much for that mental image,” she groused. “Now I need a gallon of brain bleach. Still, you’ll get no arguments from me. I watched Rolling Thunder in the field and they were awesome.”

“You do understand that leading any kind of group requires leadership skills, Your Majesty, not just unarmed combat training? And while I can give you lots of pointers on leading a team there’s simply no substitute for hands on experience. You’re going to need political and diplomatic skills too since your “team” is actually a nation.”

Teagan sighed and stuck her tongue out at her mentor.

“In other words, delegate,” she said with a sigh.

“Yup,” Matt said with a grin. “Learn how to pick the best person for the job and trust them to get on with it—but at the same time don’t abdicate your responsibility, either. The buck really does stop with you.”

“And now that you’ve done your Debbie Downer routine, can we please get to the parrying?” Teagan asked, raising her eyebrows.

Matt was about to answer when his phone went off, sounding like a doorbell.

“Somebody’s come in,” he said with a small frown. “Jerry’s got the night off and nobody’s scheduled a practice session tonight. Must be a walk-in. Finish your water, this shouldn’t take long.”

Teagan saluted him with her water bottle as he headed for the front of the dojo.

He was actually gone long enough for her to finish her water, and then do some stretches to ease muscles that had tightened up during her break.

But when he returned he wasn’t alone—and from the wary tension in his gait Teagan recognized trouble on the way. She rose to her feet and assumed her Harmless Young Girl persona, keeping her face neutral and vaguely pleasant and her stance open. She casually shifted so that Crush was half-hidden behind her, its handle mere inches from her hand.

The man following Matt was an African-American in his early fifties, with a buzz cut and large ears that stuck out from the side of his head. He was a few inches taller than Matt and moved with the confident assurance of a leader, but without the fluid grace of a trained martial artist.

Lawyer or politician, Teagan thought as Matt’s training kicked in. She noted he was dressed in a tracksuit, but it looked brand new and while he acted comfortable in it something about him said he’d be more at home in an expensive business suit.

He also looked familiar for some reason. It wasn’t until he spoke she recognized him.

“Good evening, Miss O’Gara. My name is Zelig Bend.”

Her brain rebooted and her surprise must have shown on her face because he grinned that famous grin.

“I see you recognize me,” he said pleasantly.

Crush’s eyes opened in her mind and the world slowed down. Her brain kicked in its mental afterburner as she tried to figure out the impossibility of his presence and what to do about it. The implications were horrifying but she forced herself to remain calm and after a moment shrugged mentally and decided to take a page from Celestia’s book and try her hand at speaking nothing but the literal truth—with extreme prejudice.

“Good evening, Mr. Bend. Yes, I recognize you. I also know where you live and what you do for a living. I have to say your visit is an unexpected surprise. Since you obviously recognize me I’m going to assume you know where I live and what I do for a living too.”

“Good guess,” the man admitted, still smiling affably.

“Matt, could I trouble you for some catnip tea? I have a feeling we’re all going to need it before we’re done.” Teagan turned puppy dog eyes on her mentor.

“I’ll bring in a table and chairs too,” Matt said easily, some of the wariness leaving him. When he left the two studied each other with interest.

Teagan was watching the way he stood, the way he shifted his weight, looking for all the little tells she had been trained to find.

He didn’t show anything. Not one tell. Which instantly made her very wary. Either he was completely without guile or he had identified his tells and eliminated them. Given who he was, she was certain it was the latter, which made him a very dangerous adversary.

For his part Zelig Bend was seeing a rather relaxed and pleasant looking teenage girl. He was also looking for tells and didn’t find any. Like Teagan it made him even more cautious, given everything the NSA suspected about the short slender red-haired girl and her father. He forcefully reminded himself she no doubt wielded political power similar to his own and under no circumstances did he dare underestimate her.

Thus her very mild and harmless appearance did nothing but make him extra wary.

“So…you’re a long way from home,” Teagan said with a winsome smile. “What brings you to the middle of nowhere?”

“Hey now,” he protested. “My mom is from Kansas, you know. My grandparents grew up and got married not too far from here. Plus, the barbeque is to die for.”

“Returning to your roots?” Teagan asked with a chuckle.

“Doing some fund-raising for Joe Wilson,” he said, spreading his hands and smiling. “While I was in town I just had to stop at P40 and get a half-slab and slaw, you know? And, well, since I was here anyway, I thought I’d stop by and say hello just to be neighborly.”

“I see,” Teagan found herself honestly amused at the man’s “aw shucks” conviviality. And if he had been anyone else, she might even have believed him.

“Since both of us know what the other does for a living,” he winked, “it just makes sense to get to know one another, right? So we can be friendly neighbors?”

Just then Matt returned carrying three fold up chairs and a table. He quickly unfolded the table legs and the chairs, disappearing again for a moment before reappearing with a teapot, some small plates and a package of cookies. He vanished once more and returned with three teacups and spoons. Then, in a passable British accent he announced “Tea is served, my lady.”

Teagan rolled her eyes at him then stuck out her tongue, making sure their visitor saw it all.

“Mr. Bend, would you care to sit and have some tea and cookies?” Teagan asked.

“Of course,” he replied easily. Once the three of them were seated Matt poured each of them a cup and set aside a small squeeze bottle of honey after carefully squirting a little into his tea.

“What kind of tea did you say this was?” their visitor asked.

“Catnip,” Teagan replied, picking up the bottle of honey and adding some to her tea. “I know it sounds weird but it’s actually pretty good. It’s very relaxing, but won’t put you to sleep.”

Matt opened the package of cookies and put three on each plate, then placed the open package in the middle of the table. He handed their visitor the first plate.

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” he said in thanks, accepting the plate before sitting it next to his tea. He watched the other two take a sip before reaching for the honey and squirting a short squirt into his own tea.

He knows who Matt is, Teagan realized silently as she took a bite of the butter cookie, hoping she hadn’t reacted to their visitor’s slip of the tongue.

Wait a minute, that wasn’t a slip of the tongue, was it? He’s too good to screw up like that, Teagan thought to herself before wincing internally.

Of course he’s good, you idiot! You can’t get his job without being very good at the game.

For his part Matt just sat quietly, his tranquil gaze moving naturally between the other two as he enjoyed his tea.

“This is very good,” their visitor said with a smile. “I’ll have to see about getting some. I think Zaria would love it.”

“I find it to be an acquired taste,” Teagan admitted ruefully. “But now that I’m used to it I rather enjoy it.”

After they had finished the tea and cookies their visitor settled back in his chair and smiled at the girl.

“I have to say Zaria would be thrilled to know you’re so dedicated to physical fitness and athleticism, Miss O’Gara. I’m a fitness buff myself, but even if my job didn’t demand so much of my time I don’t think I could handle martial arts.”

“Call me Teagan,” the girl offered with a smile. “I will admit Matt’s a real slave driver, but I’ve never been a quitter. I’m actually pretty good at this stuff, and you’re right, it’s wonderful exercise.”

“Then call me Zelig, Teagan. No need to stand on formality, right?”

“Works for me,” Teagan replied with a rather more genuine smile.

“My job forces me to meet a lot of people who demand formality,” the man made a disgusted face that made Teagan laugh. “What about yours?”

“Hmm,” Teagan tilted her head, considering. “A few, but my—clients—prefer a simpler, more straightforward approach. You might say I’m on a first name basis with everyone I work with, who works for me, or I serve.”

“Wish I could say that,” Zelig made another face. “It took me a while to get used to having the people who work for me jump up every time I walk into the room.”

“I hear that,” Teagan said, nodding. “My pet peeve is they absolutely insist on using my title in every sentence. It gets really old. Oh, and the dress code, don’t even get me started on the dress code.”

“Tell me about it,” Zelig replied, shaking his head. “I think there are maybe 10 people total that use my first name—and three of them are my wife and daughters! Everyone else is always so careful to use the title instead. All I can do is smile and nod. My predecessor was a real stickler for the dress code too. First thing I did was institute business casual whenever I could get away with it.”

“Hear, hear!” Teagan said with feeling, a big grin on her face.

“I’m glad we’re getting along so well informally,” the visitor said with a smile. “I was wondering if we could perhaps let our jobs get along as well?”

And now the other shoe drops, Teagan thought with a sinking sensation. She whimsically channeled Fluttershy for a moment.

“Oh, dear. No, I’m afraid that would be a very bad idea,” Teagan said shaking her head. “Please understand, while I’m very happy that Zelig Bend came to have tea with Teagan O’Gara and I have no objection to doing it again if you’d like, our jobs mustn’t become involved—ever.”

“May I ask why?” their visitor asked, clearly puzzled.

“I think having the President of the United States of America officially meet the Queen of the World Below would be a disaster of absolutely biblical proportions,” Teagan said with slow deliberate emphasis. “You said you know what I do for a living. Do you know where I do it?”

Zelig studied her for a long moment, before slowly nodding.

“I believe it’s—elsewhere—isn’t it?” he asked in a suddenly serious voice.

Teagan nodded.

“That’s actually a very good way of putting it,” she admitted. “It’s—quite far away. You might even call it another world if you wanted to be poetic.”

Or literal, Teagan added silently.

“That’s what I’ve been told,” he said carefully.

“Have you ever heard the expression good fences make good neighbors?” Teagan asked, reaching for another cookie.

“I have,” Zelig nodded.

“There’s an exceptionallygood fence between here and there,” Teagan said, biting into her cookie and swallowing before continuing. “It makes the World Below a very, very good neighbor. Everyone likes good neighbors, right?”

“So, if I understand you, you’re saying having our jobs interact could tear down the fence?” the man asked carefully.

“I think that’s an accurate summation, yes,” Teagan put the unfinished half of her cookie down on her plate.

“What about you and I having tea?” Zelig asked, watching her carefully.

“Well, who are you and I in the big picture?” Teagan asked lightly. “I’m just a schoolgirl, and you’re just a manager. If either one of us disappeared the other’s world wouldn’t even notice. We’d certainly be replaced easily enough. One cog disappears and another, similar, cog is slapped in place. The machine continues on its merry way, no one the wiser.

“But if the President of the United States and the Queen of the World Below become aware of each other officially, why then if one should disappear the other will face profound disruptions as matters explode, flinging crises everywhere.

“So no, it’s—better—if the President and the Queen remain officially unaware of the other’s existence.” Teagan said gently. “You see?”

“I believe so. So—unofficially then—would it be fair to say you know the Queen? Do you think you could guess what she plans to do?”

“Oh, I think so,” Teagan said, smiling. “Keep in mind I am just a school girl. I can’t speak for the Queen, how could I? But I believe I do have a unique insight into her plans. What about you? Can you guess what the President plans to do?”

“Well, I obviously can’t speak for the President,” Zelig said, grinning, “but I think I have some insight too. Would you be offended if I asked you to share yours?”

“No, because that’s obvious,” Teagan said, smiling. “Since the Queen doesn’t know the President exists, she has no plans concerning him or the U.S. at all. I would imagine since the President doesn’t officially know the Queen exists either, he doesn’t have any plans concerning her or the World Below.”

Zelig paused, reaching for another cookie to buy some time. Teagan settled back in her chair, outwardly placid but inwardly tense as she waited to hear what he would say. Matt simply relaxed in his chair, an expression of polite interest on his face.

“Well, he’s been hearing rumors,” Zelig said reluctantly, wondering if this gamble would pay off or explode in his face. “Here and there, as one does. Like Canada, for instance…”

He watched Teagan’s face closely and caught her stiffening. He forced himself not to react.

“I heard about that,” she said sadly. “All those poor people killed. Did anyone ever figure out what happened?”

“Not that I heard,” he said carefully, watching her. “Has the Queen heard about anything like that over there?”

Now it was Teagan’s turn to sit and think. Too late she realized her very silence shouted the answer.

He’s very good at the game indeed, she thought glumly.

“She did hear about something like that before I came back,” she finally admitted.

Zelig suppressed the impulse to grab her and shake the answer out of her. After all, she wasn’t the first dignitary to provoke that reaction. He’d had plenty of practice.

“Remember that fence I mentioned?” Teagan asked.

Zelig nodded. “You said it was exceptionally good.”

“It is,” she nodded, “but it’s not perfect. Nothing is ever perfect. Or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“I suppose not,” he answered somberly. “So—whatever took a bite out of Canada was from over there?”

Teagan tilted her head. “No, I really don’t think so. Not originally, at least. I think it was brought there and then used. Whatever it was punched a hole in the fence, and Canada just happened to be standing on the other side.”

“So Canada was collateral damage?” he asked in a neutral voice.

“What a horribly bland phrase,” Teagan sighed. “Yes, Zelig, Canada was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And people died that shouldn’t have.”

“I see,” he replied, considering. A heavy silence hovered around the group. “Any idea where it came from, and if there are more?”

“The queen has her suspicions, I think,” Teagan said, tiptoeing carefully through this minefield, “but if what she suspects is true it’s unlikely more of the things will wander over there—and even less likely if one does it will get used. I can assure you she herself would never consider using one. Some sleeping dogs should never wake up.”

Zelig heard the forceful loathing in her voice and it made him feel a little better.

“It sounds like we’re in agreement on that point,” he said, watching her. “You can understand my concern about having it happen again.”

“Oh yes,” Teagan said a grimace. “And I share that concern. Still, things like that are well above our pay grade and not something we have to worry about. Let the President or the Queen have that grief, they’re welcome to it.”

“Still, it might be better if the two of them discussed it directly, don’t you think?” he pressed as lightly as he dared.

Teagan shook her head. “My insights concerning the Queen give me a certain advantage of perspective, Zelig. I’m sure your own insights give you a better perspective on things here, but mine are better there. Things there are—complicated. Besides, here and there are just part of a much larger everywhere, and it would be better if here stays out of the mess that is everywhere as much as possible. It’s—safer—when places are kept separate. Kind of like making sure nitric acid and glycerol are kept well away from each other.”

Zelig considered this, remembering Admiral Spears’ views on the subject, and especially how the different universes really did seem to make an effort to keep themselves isolated.

“Perhaps you’re right,” he agreed finally. “Although I must say it seems a pity. Diversity is a great driver of progress. New ideas, new perspectives, new ways of doing things, it’s really amazing.”

“Oh I agree completely,” Teagan nodded. “But history teaches us that not all diversity is created equal. Ideas are a lot like animals. Some are beneficial, some are not. Some animals are benign where they originated, but disastrous in other places. Kudzu vines in the southern States or rabbits in Australia, for example.”

“Can you imagine what might happen if animals from there were introduced here, for instance?”

Zelig stiffened a bit, imagining the resulting disaster was all too easy.

“Just like animals, certain harmless ideas could become invasive too. So any contact between here and there should be kept to an absolute minimum. After all, do you trust every single politician in the U.S. government and their aides and their interns, to be as discreet as the two of us? After all, ideas are kind of like viruses. It only takes one person to spread them.”

“You seem to have adapted to there, Teagan,” he said carefully. “Don’t you think others would be able to as well?”

Teagan shrugged. “Of course. Somepeople adapt easily, they could even thrive there. But would everyone, all at once? Imagine, for a moment, that little green men landed their starship on the Whitehouse lawn, in full view of the crowds of tourists. What would the President do then?”

Zelig couldn’t stop himself from wincing.

Teagan nodded.

“Exactly. It would be an absolute circus, no, a crisis. Every country on Earth would want to make sure they were included, wouldn’t they? Oh, and let’s not forget the religious fanatics of all faiths, and the paranoid and the conspiracy theorists and a hundred other fringe groups spreading rumors faster than the government could schedule news conferences to counter them. Oh! And what would happen if the little green men played favorites? For instance, if they declared that one religion was actively working against the tranquil harmony that mankind should be enjoying?”

“That—would be bad,” Zelig said after contemplating just how bad it could get.

“I’ll tell you a secret, Zelig, if you promise to keep it quiet,” Teagan said with a small smile. “Do you promise?”

He nodded, wondering if this was really a good idea.

“That everywhere I mentioned? There’s more to it than just here and there. And some of those places that make up everywhere aren’t very nice. They wouldn’t be good neighbors, no matter how perfect the fences were. Trust me on this.”

“When you say they aren’t very nice…” he trailed off invitingly.

“Think H.P. Lovecraft,” Teagan replied soberly. “Think of all the horror movies you’ve ever heard of that ended badly for the main characters. Zombie apocalypses, the Doom video game, basically any book or movie where everybody dies at the end—that degree of not nice. And there are a lot of those kinds of places making up everywhere.”

“I assume there are also places out there that are extremely nice as well?” he asked, “just to maintain the cosmic balance?”

Teagan smiled ruefully. “You’re assuming there’s such a thing as cosmic balance in the first place.”

“There isn’t?” he asked, suddenly alert.

Teagan shrugged.

“Honestly? I have no idea,” she admitted. “The World Below isn’t exactly a hell dimension, but it’s pretty dangerous. Think hundreds of years ago when civilization was surrounded by untamed wilderness. Thus my clients don’t exactly welcome strangers with open arms.

“Having said that, some of our allies are much closer to the human ideal of good guys than my clients, but even they aren’t all sunshine and rainbows, and when their survival is threatened, well, they don’t hold back.”

Zelig’s ears pricked up at the mention of allies.

“So there is more than just the World Below?” he asked casually.

Teagan grinned at him.

“I told you it was complicated. Yes, there is more than just the World Below, a whole gaggle of different peoples, different cultures, different aspirations, hopes and fears. None of them are human, almost none are bipeds, and a few aren’t even mammals. Also, I cannot stress enough that there isn’t even the tiniest fraction of everywhere.”

“So, basically there is a planet just like Earth?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“A planet yes, but not like Earth,” Teagan shook her head. “In fact, it’s completely different from Earth. I mean sure, politically the different intelligent species group together in their own territories, have their own forms of government, eat, sleep, and so on, but while there are lots of parallels with human cultures each species have biological differences that can create bizarre laws or customs. It would be like claiming you could predict the behavior of dolphins by knowing everything there is to know about cobras.”

“I see,” Zelig said thoughtfully. “Would you be willing to describe some of the species? Like your—clients—for example?”

“Curious?” Teagan asked, tilting her head.

“Fascinated,” Zelig corrected. “It’s a whole new world, with a wide array of intelligent species. Who wouldn’t be?”

“Fair enough,” she said. “But you need to be extremely careful with whatever I tell you about there. Also remember I’m just a high school sophomore and there is a very big place. Most of what I know is from personal experience. I’ve had very little time to study anything outside the World Below.”

“Understood,” Zelig replied, leaning forward in his chair, attention fixed on the girl.

“Well, my clients are one of the few bipedal species known,” she began, “and stand anywhere from 8 to 10 feet tall, with females averaging around 6 feet. Their arms are much longer than their legs—their hands can nearly brush the ground when standing upright. They’re slate green in color, fading to a silvery hue as they get older, sort of like human hair turning gray but my clients are hairless, making their species pretty unique in that respect. Most of the others have fur, those that don’t have scales.

“My clients are subterranean, in fact their entire civilization exists underground, which is why they call it the World Below, I guess. They have large claws that can dig through solid rock pretty rapidly and they enjoy creating all kinds of artwork from stone, everything from decorations on buildings or natural caverns, to making statues, ranging from tiny figurines all the way up to humongous things like Mount Rushmore.

“Their eyes are quite large and usually dark brown or black. They tend to be straight forward, honest, and completely intolerant of oath-breakers and liars. Their clothing is minimal, just a loin cloth and chest harness for males, with the females adding a halter top, although like their stone work they create cloth with intricate patterns, all extremely tough, high quality, and frankly beautiful.

“I assume it’s a kingdom since they have a queen?” Zelig asked innocently.

Teagan nodded.

“Kingdoms are the most common form of government,” she replied. “Even species that don’t call their leaders kings are just calling a rose by another name. The only exceptions I know of are the species that don’t form social groups, but even they tend to form advisory councils out of sheer necessity.”

“Does the planet have a name like Earth does?”

“Yes,” Teagan nodded.

“And that name would be…” he prompted her after it was clear she wasn’t going to continue.

“Names have power, Zelig,” she replied in a serious tone. “As much as I like you I’m not willing to give you that much power.”

Zelig felt a chill for the first time since he’d entered the dojo. Faust had used those exact words when Admiral Spears asked who the queen of the seventh universe was. Clearly this was something the Fae knew about that humans didn’t.

And if it’s something the Fae are wary of doing I better damn well pay attention, he thought.

“How could knowing the name of another planet possibly given me any power?” He asked, truly puzzled and fishing for a clue.

“You have the resources of one of the most powerful nations on Earth at your fingertips, Zelig,” Teagan said, smiling. “Why should I give you any names? Names have power for a reason.

“You’ve actually told me a lot about the planet. How is all that information less valuable than the planet’s name?”

“Information is power,” she agreed calmly. “But names are the equivalent of a Google search term. Knowing it allows you to narrow your search effortlessly. No name, no search term, no way to narrow the search.

“And that makes here and there easy to keep separated and safe,” she finished. “You don’t want creatures from there rampaging through New York or Los Angeles do you?”

“Of course not,” he replied, shaking his head.

“No more than I want human scientists or soldiers descending en masse on the World Below. My clients would react—badly—to something like that. There would be lots of casualties. Let’s keep the body count from spiraling out of control, shall we? It’s already far too high.”

“I certainly wouldn’t want more deaths, Teagan,” Zelig assured her with complete honesty.

“Good, we’re in agreement then. Let’s hope our insights accurately mirror what the President and Queen would decide if they were aware of each other.” Teagan said with a relaxed smile.

“You really aren’t going to let me open diplomatic relations with the World Below, are you?” Zelig asked after another long silence.

“No. As I said, it would be a disaster of biblical proportions if that happened,” Teagan said earnestly. “Trust me, Zelig. If I get my way I’ll spend the next few summers in the World Below, finish college and then move there permanently, giving you one less headache to worry about.”

“You aren’t the only one dealing with the World Below,” he said carefully. “We know there are others. Are they going to move away too?”

She studied him.

“I can say with absolute certainty I am the only human being dealing with the World Below,” Teagan replied calmly. “No one else can go there without my knowledge and consent. That’s how the fence works, Zelig. What makes you think otherwise?”

“The President has been hearing rumors of payments from there. If it isn’t the World Below, then who might it be?”

“Payments?” Teagan tilted her head. “What kind of payments?”

“Gemstones of exceptional quality,” he answered after a short internal debate. “I’m personally aware of a large ruby we know isn’t local being sold to a gem dealer here in Kansas City.”

“Ah. I’m aware of those gems, Zelig. They were payment for services rendered to our allies. Don’t worry, the gems are quite genuine and were earned honestly. I know everyone involved and can vouch they won’t cause any trouble. Unless circumstances change drastically regular contact between here and there will never happen. I give you my word, based on my insight of the Queen.”

“You personally guarantee there will be no more travelers moving between here and there?” Zelig asked, suddenly turning serious.

“Other than myself you mean? No, I won’t guarantee there won’t be any travelers. But anyone who does travel will do so only with my permission—which won’t be given lightly, you have my word.”

He studied her, his expression pleasantly neutral.

I’ve had to accept worse deals before, he thought. Given she’s Fae—or at least influenced by the Fae this is about the best I’ll be able to get. At least it’s actually not terrible.

“Ok, Teagan. I have to say I’m disappointed about never meeting you professionally, but frankly not having to worry about the World Below will be one less thing on the President’s plate. My insight tells me he won’t miss it.”

“Likewise I’m positive the Queen certainly won’t miss it either. She’s terribly busy these days. I’m sure you understand.”

“Oh yes,” he said with a genuinely honest smirk. “Well, I only have this job another two and a half years and then it’s not my problem anymore—unlike the Queen. I understand that job is a lifetime sentence?”

“Unfortunately,” Teagan grimaced. “And it’s nowhere near as fun as most people imagine.”

“I hear that,” he replied, rising to his feet. “Speaking of work, I should be going. No rest for the wicked. It was a pleasure having tea with you, Teagan. Maybe we can do it again some time.”

“That would be nice, Zelig,” Teagan said with a genuine smile. “Of course, with our work schedules that might be tricky.”

“True that,” he acknowledged. “Lieutenant, it was a pleasure meeting you again, Teagan, have a good night.”

Matt and Teagan walked their visitor back to the front lobby where a younger stocky man rose to his feet. Matt’s training let her spot the suspicious bulge under his jacket.

With a handshake their visitor and his “friend” vanished out the door.

ooOoo

Earth, Thursday evening, August 22, 2013 9:23 PM

“Since when do you know the freaking President of the United States?” Teagan demanded once the front door was locked and they were safely back in the dojo.

“That’s one of those stories I don’t tell you to preserve your faith in our government, Squirt,” he said calmly. “Did you catch the part about him being President for only another couple of years?”

“Yeah,” Teagan replied morosely. “I think he’s willing to let sleeping dogs lie but I’m not so sure about his successor. I’ve got another 6 years here at least before going back. Any idea if his successor is going to be as sensible about it as he was?”

“No,” Matt said flatly. “Zelig Bend’s been president for two terms now, which means it’s likely we’ll get a Republican next. They’re always a lot more gung-ho than the Democrats when it comes to military intervention.”

“Just great,” Teagan snarled. “So now I have to worry about the government trying to get to Equestria. Celestia would just love that.”

“And it’s not just them you have to worry about, Squirt. Somebody’s obviously been telling tales,” Matt pointed out. “Remember the cartoon? The fact it exists at all proves somebody has access to news out of Equestria. Somebody gave Luna a nuke so Celestia could terminate those demon terrorists of yours.”

“Celestia thinks it’s the same group that helped Epona make the Bridge,” Teagan said thoughtfully. “Maybe I was more right than I knew when I said Earth and Equis are just tiny fractions of what’s out there.

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Matt said, scratching his chin. “We know there are at least three realms out there: Earth, Equis, and wherever Tišina oozed out of. My physics professor in college always said that any number other than 0 will always be a much bigger than you expect. If there are 3 realms we know of there must be a lot more we don’t.”

“Not helping,” Teagan said grumpily. “I just wish I knew who was stirring the pot and why.”

ooOoo

Faust smiled in delight as he gazed into the large crystal sphere currently showing the troll queen as she spoke with her human mentor.

“Oh, Your Majesty,” he said softly, “do be cautious of what you wish, for often your wish may be granted.”

He began to laugh merrily as he let the scene in the crystal ball fade.

ooOoo FINI ooOoo

The Art Of Diplomacy

In which we discover the humble pen can shape the destiny of worlds.

Disclaimer: I do not own and did not create My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to the Hub cable TV network and Hasbro. My congratulations to Lauren Faust for taking what would have been nothing more than a blatant toy commercial and turning it into a truly epic series, one worth viewing by all ages.

I didn’t write this story for profit. It is merely intended to entertain any reader who stumbles upon it. I hope my poor attempt has some merit in the eyes of those who read it, and if not, well at least I tried.

Author’s Note: I’d like to thank GoldenGriffiness for being my beta-reader. As always, her input was critically important for improving the quality of the story. And of course, any remaining errors are, alas, mine and mine alone.

I took the liberty of incorporating places mentioned on a map of Equestria created by Hlissner over on Deviant Art. It really is an amazing piece of artwork. It’s hosted on Equestria Daily and is the first entry on Google for “Map of Equestria” if you’re curious.

Laoise is pronounced LEE-sha. Gotta love Gaelic…

Oh, I got Spike’s full name from Saphroneth’s excellent story A Unicorn At Hogwarts and make references to certain events that occur in Ghost Of Heraclitus’s magnificent Whom The Princesses Would Destroy…

I highly recommend both.

Any scene that takes place on Earth is marked as such while any unmarked scenes take place on Equis.

She sat on her throne, outwardly serene, the sounds of a contented hive murmuring around her. But in her private thoughts, carefully shielded from her children, she grieved for the ones who perished in the attempt to secure her hive’s future. It had been almost a year now but the pain still made her scream, deep inside her mind, where her children could not hear her.

So manylost, so many who would never join their thoughts to hers in glorious communion! Over half the hive lost! All for nothing.

It wasn’t like those ponies couldn’t spare it! They positively dripped with endless bounty, they wasted it! They didn’t appreciate what they had and cast it away without a second thought, every single day.

Why shouldn’t her children enjoy the bounty others simply threw away?

So she had deceived the ponies, so what? She had plotted and schemed to secure the true riches of Equestria for herself and her children. Of course she had! They deserved to live, didn’t they? How was it any different for them than for those ponies? How was it fair they starved while the ponies grew fat?

Ever since The Change she and her children had been reduced to living off scraps, furtively stealing a bare existence, always on the edge of oblivion, always just one day away from the final darkness.

Her mind automatically skittered away from thinking about The Change. It was too painful. Any attempt to remember brought a screaming migraine that incapacitated not only her, but all her children as well.

Which meant The Change was a mystery lost in time. She was the only survivor of that day, now thousands of years in the past, and it was dangerous to even try remembering it. So she didn’t—at the price of being denied the knowledge of why she and her children suffered. It was a high price, but one she had no choice but pay.

Her reverie was broken by an unexpected eddy in the flow of magic. She felt the disturbance cross a second ward, then a third, seemingly invisible to the hundreds of drones it slipped past. That could only mean one thing…

Intruder!

The calm hum of wings became a terrifying roar as her alarm call flashed outward. But even as the hive snapped into violent alertness the intruder’s pace never varied. It was as though it was oblivious to the massed rage seeking to find and destroy it.

Her elite guards, twice the height of a normal drone, clustered in front of her eagerly awaiting the enemy’s appearance. They were nearly mindless, driven only by animal instinct and her imposed will. But they were swift and deadly and utterly obedient. She drew comfort from their presence even as she readied her own magic to repel the interloper.

“It’s here,” she whispered abruptly, eyes narrowing. Eager eyes scanned the chamber, but found nothing amiss. Her guards’ agitation grew in lock-step with her own.

A chill wind sprang up from nowhere, whipping her scraggly mane about and whistling eerily through the openings in her legs. She shivered from the intimate icy caress.

“Enough! Show yourself cur! How dare you take such liberties with a queen?” Her incensed growl echoed around the chamber, easily overcoming the thunderous roar of her guards’ wings.

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

The faint whisper echoed unnaturally around the chamber, easily audible, even above the sound of enraged wings. The sound was that of claws on a chalkboard, so faint it should have been impossible to hear.

She truly wished it had been.

The chittering screech left her feeling unclean, as though something had crawled in her ear and died.

Pale blue mist began to gather in front of her throne. The swirling vortex quickly resolved itself in a faintly glowing horse, gaunt to the point of starvation, ribs clearly visible under its translucent flesh. The spectre had glowing eyes so flat and dead she had to avert her own.

She could see through the creature, which was nothing but glowing fog. In place of hooves there were jagged stumps that constantly oozed tattered mist. Its ragged breath puffed from flared nostrils, little puffs of blue steam. The temperature of the throne room began to fall precipitously.

Windigo.

Sick horror knotted her belly, but she allowed nothing to show on her face. This was her place. Here, her word was law. Here she was invincible. She would not give this foul undead thing the satisfaction of seeing the fear and loathing it inspired.

Her guards remained unaffected, nothing more than mindless killing machines. Her will was their only motivation; there was no room in them for fear. She forced herself to relax as she spoke to the abomination.

“Why are you here?” The ice in her tone matched the chill of her visitor’s empty blank stare.

“My Master sends his greetings, Great Queen.”

She fought a shudder as that horrible voice wormed its way into her soul. “He has heard of the misfortune visited upon you. He sends a gift to comfort you in your time of mourning. It is his hope you are able to use it to ease your pain.”

A scroll slid noiselessly from the windigo’s mouth, floating on a cloud of its breath toward her.

Warily she lit her misshapen horn and took the scroll before it could come near her, levitating it with her magic to keep it at a safe distance. She frowned at its odd appearance, lime green and strangely fuzzy, encrusted with ice.

Using her magic she forced the stiff and frozen thing to unroll. Her stomach roiled as she finally recognized exactly what the scroll had been made from.

Quickly she spun the open scroll in midair to confirm her suspicions. Bile rose in the back of her throat as she saw the colorful design on the back of the scroll, a drafting compass superimposed on what was clearly a map.

I hate them, every single gluttonous wastrel one of them, but I would never do this! Her stomach lurched again.

“Why?” She asked in a tight voice as she shook the scroll at the creature. “Why make a scroll from this?”

“The previous owner had no further use for it,” the windigo replied. “However the gift is not the scroll itself but rather what is written on it. You will find it intriguing.”

Reluctantly she spun the scroll back to face her and studied it. Flayed hide, raw and untreated met her horrified gaze. The writing shone with the sickly red glow of enchanted blood, still fresh. She could see where it had run in places.

Forcing her rebellious stomach to settle she started reading, hoping the message would make up for the horrible cost of the writing materials. She was so shaken it took her two attempts to make sense of the message.

But when she finally did her eyes widened and a genuine smile appeared on her face. It almost made her forget what the scroll in front of her represented.

“Your master guarantees the accuracy of this information?” She asked the windigo eagerly.

“He does, Your Majesty.”

“And what does your Master want in return?”

“Nothing,” the windigo answered. “It is a gift, freely given.”

“Who is your Master, undead spirit?” She asked, thoughts racing.

“I am not permitted to say,” the spirit replied. “He feels it would be discourteous to impose any further during your time of grief. Farewell, Great Queen. My Master offers his condolences for your loss.”

Bowing, the windigo promptly lost its shape, fading from view even as it flowed toward the exit. She watched as it left the hive, its presence invisible save for the disturbance it made as it crossed each ward. When it crossed the outermost one she finally relaxed, sending a soothing message to the rest of the swarm, which began to slowly settle back into the routine of a contented hive again.

She reread the grisly message a third time, then sat lost in thought. The scroll sank to the floor, landing with a wet plop. There was silence in the chamber for several minutes.

When she finally roused herself her eyes were dancing and a huge grin bared her fangs. Her laughter echoed from the walls as she summoned her advisors.

ooOoo

Earth, Friday, May 28, 2013 12:05 PM

“This sucks, Teelo,” Emma groused, pushing the peas around her plate without actually eating any. “It’s the last day of school, and I won’t get to see you all summer! You don’t even need summer school! Your grades are great, way better than mine! On top of all that, why does it have to be so far away?”

“It’s not that kind of school, Emma,” Teagan said patiently. “It’s a kind of advanced prep school thing. I can’t really tell you much about it, and if it wasn’t for being so far from home, and lasting all summer, I’d really be stoked about it.”

“This is because of January, isn’t it?” Emma asked in a low voice, glancing around.

“Sort of,” Teagan lowered her own voice, but it was clear she was amused. “That was—different. This is sort of because of that, but in a good way. You know I can’t say much.”

“I know,” Emma made a face at her peas. “Gah! It’s the start of summer. Why did I get peas? I don’t really like peas.”

“Into every life a few peas must fall,” Teagan said portentously, and then giggled. “They aren’t that bad. Besides, you could have picked the carrots instead.”

Emma made another face. “Hello? Have you seen the carrots here? They’re like mush. Ugly, nasty mush.”

She dropped her fork on the plate. “You mind if I come over to your house for a while?”

“Sure. You can help me pack,” Teagan said, smiling at her friend.

“That’s right, put me to work. Any chance I could sleep over?”

Teagan shook her head regretfully. “I wish. But I’ll be leaving at three in the morning, so there won’t be time. It’s best if you aren’t there, trust me.”

“I know. You’ve told me over and over. What I don’t know I can’t tell anyone,” she rolled her eyes. “It’s just so frustrating, you know?”

“I know,” Teagan said sympathetically. “If the stakes weren’t so high I’d tell you in a heartbeat. You know that. But I don’t want you involved when you don’t have to be. You’re too important to me.”

“Jeez, play the guilt card why don’t you? How am I supposed to argue with that?”

“You aren’t,” Teagan grinned. “You’re my best friend, Emma. I have to keep you safe. And the only way I can do that is make sure you’re nowhere near this stuff.”

“I just want to help. You’re important to me too, you know,” Emma blinked, on the edge of tears.

“Yeah, I know,” Teagan said seriously. “Don’t start crying or you’ll get me started too, you loon. So cheer up!”

“I will if you will—Squirt,” Emma said with a sudden impish grin.

Teagan just shook her head and started chuckling.

ooOoo

“We had thought this matter settled, Snøskred,” Princess Luna said, letting a precisely measured tinge of irritation creep into her voice. “We will gladly open the Bridge of Days for the Dronning, and provide a wing of the Sun Shield as escort. We also agreed to transport her personal guards so they could be present at her arrival. Thee knows firsthand the limitations of our chariots when it comes to thy species! It is a matter of weight, Snøskred. We have very few chariots that can transport a fully grown troll. Now thee wants to add her entire retinue to the Bridge opening? It is simply not possible!”

“Sun Hammer faces the same problem as a troll, does he not?” The Snøskred rumbled. In this private audience he discarded the normal trollish bristling. The two had enough of a history it no longer fooled the alicorn, and she was sharp enough he was glad to forgo the effort, needing his undivided attention for negotiations.

“Sun Hammer has his own chariot, it is his personal property,” Luna said patiently. “Thee know this full well, so stop thy prattle. It takes four pegasi to pull a troll in a chariot. Her retinue consists of thirty trolls, Snøskred! That is five additional wings of the Sun Shield! As dear as Lady Teagan is to Equestria there are limits to the aid we can provide in times of peace. The Sun Shield have many other duties they must attend. Not to mention we lack large chariots in such numbers.”

“What if the retinue took the train to Ponyville then? Trolls are well accustomed to long marches; it would be no hardship to walk from Ponyville to the Bridge, even through the Everfree Forest.”

“There is no time,” the princess snorted. “The train takes two hours to reach Ponyville and it is a further hour’s trot to the Bridge on foot. A chariot can make the entire journey in a mere forty minutes. Even if a train were ready to depart this moment the Bridge opening is only two hours hence. No trains are even bound for Ponyville today. If thee had truly wanted such a solution thou wouldst have proposed it long ago. So what prompts this complete waste of breath, Snøskred?”

The ambassador permitted himself a small smile.

“The Kongen thought of it three days ago, Your Highness. One of our fastest runners was dispatched with the message, but we only received it two hours ago. My apologies, but the circumstances were beyond my control.”

“Ah.” The dark blue alicorn pondered that. “We understand, and ask thy pardon, Snøskred. Truly, thou art blameless in this. Still, as much as we wish it were otherwise, we are unable to honor the Kongen’s wishes in this matter. But let us see what might be done.”

Her horn lit up to summon a page.

“The World Below thanks you for your efforts, Highness,” the troll said smoothly.

ooOoo

“Rådgiver Sannheten, you asked to be informed of any changes to the Dronning’s itinerary.” A troll stood respectfully at the entrance of the councilor’s office, a lavishly engraved cavern hewn from bedrock, part of the Borgen, the main administrative complex of Hejm. The troll’s silver and black harness gleamed with green highlights in the glow of the lys-mose which covered the ceiling.

“Yes, Side Vang?” The old troll looked up from a spread of scrolls on the polished stone of his desk.

“The Kongen dispatched a runner to Canterlot yesterday, requesting the Dronning’s entire retinue greet her at the Regnbuebroen upon her return. The runner should arrive tomorrow.”

“I see. I must commend you on the speed of your discovery, Side Vang. Alas, aside from you, my sources of information are not what they once were.”

The other troll bowed his head respectfully. “Berggrunnen har fast, Rådgiver.” He left, leaving the old troll staring into space, contemplating the news.

The bedrock holds fast? I do wonder. The old troll winced at the direction his thoughts were taking.

The Kongen rules without Mountain Heart, but with the blessing of the Dronning, who is not even a troll, yet is bound to Mountain Heart. The Kongen has taken a wife who is not the Dronning, and Alene Avgrunn has said this is both lawful and proper.

Yet the Dronning names the pony who slew the old Kongen as friend. And Kongen Fjell has forgiven him that murder and seeks vengeance no longer.

We are even to forgive the ponies their trespass and welcome them as friends, by the will of the Dronning! Because the ponies are part of her clan, for all they are not her species! And so they become part of the World Below by clan right, though they be not trolls.

The bedrock is falling away and I despair for the future of the World Below. Yet the bitter truth is it was I who triggered this landslide we find ourselves in. The world is moving far too quickly now. I cannot keep up—I will be buried.

The old troll closed his eyes and sighed, feeling the weight of the mountain above him. He was so tired. Certainty had fled a decade ago with the old Kongen’s death and he feared he would not live to see the end of the landslide he had set in motion.

What have I done? By all that is sacred, what have I done?

Crossing The Rubicon

In which we learn that loyalty and wisdom are oft uneasy bedfellows.

Rådgiver Sannheten grunted quietly as he adjusted his harness, the well tended leather creaking in counterpoint to his joints. He cracked his neck as he straightened, contemplating the pending arrival of the Dronning. According to the Kongen she would only be present for three months, returning to her own world before the first snow.

The purpose of her visit, also according to the Kongen, was to learn the language and customs of the trolls, and to form a bond with them, just as she had with the ponies. The councilor was not convinced such a thing was possible, yet the Kongen had made him swear an oath to do whatever it took to make it happen—a most daunting task, indeed. He smelled Alene Avgrunn’s subtle hand at work. The Kongen was far too straight-forward to think of it himself.

The Dronning was an enigma to the old troll. All he knew of her came from wild (and second hand) stories told by ponies and the reports given by Alene Dalen and Snøskred Mot Lyn. Oddly enough, Alene Avgrunn had made no report, and that made Sannheten uneasy. The Kongen, of course, was useless. He seemed utterly smitten with the Dronning, singing her praises at every opportunity—which did not please his new wife in the slightest.

Sannheten snorted. If the Kongen’s viewpoint was to be trusted then the Dronning was a troll in the ridiculously tiny body of a human, whatever that might be. From the physical description given by Alene Dalen she weighed less than half the Alene himself, and stood no taller. The Kongen had publicly said she looked like she were made of sugar crystal. Tiny and fragile, he’d called her.

Yet supposedly she had defeated Discord in single combat and engineered Tišina’s fall, thwarting an ancient prophecy in the bargain.

Sannheten shivered. There was no denying the Dronning was skjebne født—one of rare creatures not subject to the whims of fate. What it might mean for the World Below was impossible to say. The skjebne født could be either a blessing or a curse. More often than not they were both.

But above all else they were impossible to control.

Trolls found things they could not control unnerving at best. Too often in the World Below being out of control meant death soon followed. To know a creature was not even under the control of destiny itself was absolutely terrifying. They could do anything…

The Dronning had already made ponies into a new troll clan and that was something Sannheten would have sworn was impossible.

I must find a way to control her. Or the World Below is doomed, he thought grimly as he stalked toward the Borgen to begin his day.

ooOoo

Two hours before dawn Pinkie Pie’s eyes snapped open and a wide grin split her face. She sprang out of bed and landed on the floor without a sound, crouching as she looked left and right to see if anyone was watching her. Satisfied no one was, she slipped stealthily out of her room and snuck downstairs, slinking like a cat.

Making her way to the backroom she took a deep breath, and then crouched, shoulders low and rump high. Her tail whipped back and forth, like an annoyed cat, as she counted down silently to herself. When the countdown reached zero she exploded into motion, bouncing around the room like a demented rubber ball.

An observer would have been astounded by both the silence and the sudden appearance of tables, complete with colorful tablecloths, place settings and centerpieces. Streamers appeared as if by magic, and a number of banners followed. Had the hypothetical observer the ability to view reality in slow-motion they would have seen a ferocious scowl on Pinkie’s face, her eyes narrowed in intense concentration, her forelegs in constant motion as items appeared from nowhere in her hooves.

The walls started sprouting party games and the tables began to fill with food and drink. With a final somersault that carried her backward over the large central table she landed with silent grace on her rear hooves and set a brimming punch bowl down in the middle of the table.

Leaping away in a stylish pirouette she landed with forelegs held high, and clicked the stopwatch that had appeared in one hoof.

“Party-no-jutsu, Pinkie Pie style!” She announced happily.

She consulted the stopwatch.

“Darn it!” She groused. “Missed my record by a whole 7 seconds! I must be outta practice.” She trotted over, grabbing a vanilla and strawberry swirl cupcake. She took a bite, chewing contemplatively.

Then she nodded solemnly and stuffed the rest of the cupcake in her mouth, chewing with closed eyes and a blissful expression. She swallowed noisily.

“Oh well, I’ll just have to try again when Teelo leaves. I’ll practice every day and beat my record for sure!”

ooOoo

Fluttershy rose an hour before dawn, the same way she did every day, to tend to her animals. But today there was an even larger smile on her face. The sight of Angel curled up in his fluffy blanket on the couch made her silently creep past on her way to the kitchen. The sound of steady snoring from the upstairs guest bedroom was a comforting background noise to the yellow pegasus.

She soon had the morning meals laid out for her animals, who appeared as if by magic. All except Angel, of course. But she was feeling in such high spirits she decided to let him sleep in.

The morning feeding complete she started cleaning up the house. She sang to herself as she worked. The various animals keeping her company listened in relaxed poses on perches and furniture.

A few minutes past dawn found Angel grumpily hopping toward the kitchen. As he passed Fluttershy she called out to him.

“Teelo’s coming back to Ponyville today, Angel! I’m sure she’d really like to see you again. Are you sure you won’t come with me to meet her?”

The rabbit sniffed and waved one dismissive paw as he continued on toward the kitchen and his breakfast. Fluttershy sighed heavily, and returned to her cleaning.

She didn’t notice the snoring had stopped abruptly. Upstairs her boarder lay staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes, a single drop of sweat rolling between his mismatched antlers.

ooOoo

Earth, Saturday morning, May 28, 2013 12:53 AM

“Hey, Teelo. Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. O’Gara.” Emma strode forward. “Hello, Sun Hammer. My name’s Emma Halstead, I’m Teelo’s best friend.”

Teagan and her parents were gaping at Emma like she’d grown a second head.

“Pleased tae meet ye, Emma,” Sun Hammer nodded. “A take it Teelo talked aboot me then?”

“A little. But you told me more than she did.”

“Eh? Wit blether be this? A’d remember if we e’er met lass, so A would,” Sun Hammer responded in a confused voice. “Tis nae laik A ken so many humans A’d forget ain.”

“What are you doing here, Emma?” Teelo asked, face white.

“And how did you get in?” Elaine asked sharply. Emma glanced at her.

“The backdoor key under the flowerpot, Mrs. O’Gara. You showed it to me yourself, remember?” She turned back to Teelo. “After talking to all your little friends there was no way I was staying away.”

“Little friends? What are you talking about?” Teagan asked, staring at her friend in complete bewilderment.

“Your keepsake, Teelo! Princess Celestia enchanted the figurines. If you ask them a question they come to life and answer it. You did know that, right?”

“Enchanted? Wha—they talk?”

“Aye, lassie. Dinnae the Princess tell ye?” Sun Hammer asked in a surprised tone.

“No. She never did,” Teagan said numbly. “You talked to them, Emma?”

Her friend nodded. “All of them. Of course I could only ask each one a couple of questions before their magic ran dry. Princess Celestia said the magic recharges at sunrise so you’ll be able to see for yourself. Or you would, if you weren’t going back to Equestria.”

“You know about Equestria?” John asked Emma, studying her curiously.

She nodded. “Teelo told me. My Little Pony, the magical land of Equestria. The others mentioned it too. Although I have to say he sure doesn’t look like a cartoon,” she gestured at Sun Hammer then turned her attention back to Teelo.

“So now that the cat’s out of the bag you don’t have to keep anything secret anymore, Teelo. You know I won’t tell anybody. Who would believe me?”

“I can’t believe you did this,” Teagan was a bit upset with her friend, but a treacherous part of her was relieved. “Equestria isn’t always a nice place, okay? It’s dangerous.”

Emma snorted. “It’s full of little ponies, Teelo! How dangerous can it be?” She looked at Sun Hammer for a moment. “Although I must admit I’d never call your friend little. Are they all as big as him?”

“Nae, maist hae withers jus’ up tae me belly. A was blessed with big bones, so A was. O’ course Applejack tells me her brother’s near as big as me, so we’re nae as rare as all that,” Sun Hammer said with a smile. “Mind ye, Equestria can be a wee bit dicey in the mair interestin’ parts, an’ that’s nae lie.”

“Dicey, he says.” Teagan barked a short laugh. “That’s one way to put it. Emma, the place is crawling with monsters! Not to mention gods—who are often insane. Or demon-posssessed. Or both. And now Sun Hammer tells me there’s some kind of undead creature plotting to enslave an entire empire lurking around up north.”

“Oh right. Like they’d have stuff like that in a cartoon for little girls,” Emma scoffed.

“Equestria is not a cartoon!” Teagan nearly shouted. “There’s a cartoon about it, but it’s a real place, with real monsters. Who wouldn’t think twice about eating you!”

“Then why are you going back?” Emma asked. “You said it was for summer school. What kind of school is it? A magical school like Hogwarts, maybe? Can you cast spells?” Emma waved her arm like she was holding a magic wand.

John started laughing. Emma glared at him which caused Teagan to snicker.

“Well, how am I supposed to know? My best friend’s been keeping secrets and wouldn’t tell me squat. Speaking of which, how much of what you told me in January was actually true?” She wheeled on Teagan, who sobered.

“Every word, Emma. I swear. I’ve never actually lied to you. I may have stretched the truth here and there but everything I said was essentially true.”

“Diplomatic plane, Teelo?” Emma asked sarcastically. “That was a lie.”

“No.” Teagan shook her head. “That was misdirection. I never actually said I was on a diplomatic plane, only that they’re never searched. Which is true. Would you have believed me if I’d told you a crazy, demon-possessed god from another dimension kidnapped me to a magical land of ponies ruled by a princess who looks like a winged unicorn?”

Emma opened her mouth, and then closed it again. Teagan nodded.

“Exactly. You’d have been insulted that I was making up such a stupid story. I’d never lie to you, Emma. Do you know how hard it’s been not being able to tell you? And when I could, I had to be—creative. My friends are in the government. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna rule Equestria. They would be in trouble if the U.S. found out about Equestria—and so would I and so would my parents. Discord was crazy, and he did threaten to torture Fluttershy to death. He did hurt a lot of my friends by hitting them with lightning. I was on the edge of it, so it just stunned me. He tried to cut Celestia into pieces with animated barbed wire!”

“Did you really try to kill him?” Emma asked quietly. Teagan nodded.

“Princess Celestia knocked Crush aside at the very last second. I missed him by this much.” She held her fingers an inch apart. “He’d be dead right now if she hadn’t.”

“You said you broke something important,” Emma said.

“His neck,” Teagan responded, nodding again. “It paralyzed him.”

“So what happened to him in the end? You said he was in a coma?”

“Actually, they healed him and then put him in a deep sleep. And then they turned him to stone,” Teagan said. “Forever.”

“Harsh,” Emma said, blinking. “How long til you leave?”

“About two hours,” Teagan said after glancing at her watch.

“That gives you enough time to tell me the whole story then,” Emma said, settling onto the carpet. “You owe me that much.”

Teagan sighed.

“I guess I do.”

ooOoo

Earth, Saturday morning, May 28, 2013 2:49 AM

“And then we came home,” Teagan said, carefully not mentioning the backpacks full of gems Celestia had given them.

“You know, if Sun Hammer wasn’t sitting right next to you I’d be calling you a liar,” Emma said, shaking her head. “That’s the most unbelievable story I’ve ever heard. No wonder you’re obsessed with your Krav Maga stuff. So Matt went with you, huh? How’d he react?”

Teagan snorted.

“Like he was in Topeka instead of Equestria. I kid you not. Not a single freak out. Meeting Sun Hammer didn’t faze him. Crossing the Bridge of Days? Meh. Meeting with trolls? Like he grew up with them! It was extremely annoying.”

“Aye, Matthew be a calm cuddy, and that’s a fact,” Sun Hammer chuckled. “When Tišina ambled aff from a fall that shoulda left her flatter than a bunnet an’ the rest o’ us were gaping like foals, Matthew took that thunder stick o’ his an’ started shootin’ laik he were havin’ a bit o’ target practice. Ne’er did see him fashed.”

“Yeah. He was all been there, done that, what’s the big deal?” Teagan chuckled. “But boy were we lucky to have him on the glacier when the storm hit. He kept us all from panicking. I thought Rainbow Dash was gonna lose it in the snow cave. She’s big-time claustrophobic.”

“I can’t believe the Troll King wanted to marry you,” Emma said, grinning. “I wish I could have seen your face.”

“Twere a uncommon scary sight,” Sun Hammer chuckled. “A dinnae ken her face could be the same color as her hair, by Celestia’s rainbow mane. A thought sure the Kongen was a goner, so A did.”

“Well, to be fair, he didn’t want to marry me, he thought he had to, to keep the throne,” Teagan propped her back against Sun Hammer, wriggling a bit to get comfortable.

“And that’s another thing. You’re really a queen?” Emma asked excitedly.

Teagan nodded ruefully. “Yeah. That’s the reason I’m going back. So I can learn Trollish customs and language and all the thousand other things I have to know. Thank God Fjell rules the kingdom. If I actually had to rule the World Below heaven help the trolls.” She shuddered.

“So they call you Your Majesty and all that stuff?” Emma asked, grinning.

“Uh huh. It’s not as much fun as it sounds. Actually, they usually say Dronning instead of Your Majesty, but it’s basically the same thing.”

“Wow. You’re a hero and a queen, Teelo! That’s amazing.”

“I guess. I didn’t ask for any of it, you know. I was just trying to help my friends and stop Discord so I could go home. Crush didn’t mention the side order of kingdom was included at no extra charge.” Teagan grimaced.

“Why won’t you ever let anyone touch Crush?” Emma asked curiously.

“Because Crush won’t let anyone but me lift it,” Teagan replied. “Can you imagine the publicity if somebody found out? It would be proof thatmagic is real and unicorns actually do exist and your favorite fantasy creatures are alive and well the next universe over!” She shivered.

Just then a chime sounded from Sun Hammer’s saddlebag.

“Tis near time, lassie. Be ye ready?” Sun Hammer asked. He fished the stone out and dropped it gently on the carpet. It was flashing slowly. “We hae aboot five minutes nou.”

“I’m ready. Emma, I’ll see you in the fall. Would it be selfish to say I’m glad I was able to tell you everything?”

“Nope,” Emma grinned. “Even though it took magic to make it happen.”

“You be careful, Teagan,” Elaine said seriously. “Come home safely.”

“I’m not going to go hunting trouble, Mom,” Teagan assured her mother. “I want a boring summer. It’ll be a nice change of pace.”

“Bye Pumpkin.” John hugged his daughter. “Remember, you can’t afford to be late coming back.”

“Don’t I know it,” she said ruefully, picking up a good-sized backpack and slipping into it.

“That’s all you’re taking?” Emma asked, surprised. “For the whole summer?”

“Queen, remember?” Teagan grinned. “They’ll give me whatever I need.”

“Nice,” Emma nodded.

The conversation lapsed as everyone waited for the stone to finish counting down. When it did a chime sounded and the stone stopped glowing. Teagan picked it up and slipped it back into Sun Hammer’s saddlebag.

Emma was staring at the Bridge when it opened a few seconds later. A hole appeared in mid air and rapidly expanded until the rainbow-edged opening was seven feet across. On the other side Emma could see a clearing. Early morning light streamed through the portal. Thirty feet away she could see a black unicorn, about the size of a Shetland pony, with a mane and tail of sparkling silver. Its eyes were closed and a grimace of effort contorted its face. The slender black horn on its forehead was surrounded by a bright aura of silver light.

“Bye! See you in September!” Teagan called as she and the pony trotted toward the opening.

Without warning Emma lunged into a sprint toward the portal, passing through it just behind Teagan and Sun Hammer. John struggled to his feet and managed one step before the Bridge snapped shut with a pop.

“Damn,” John swore mildly, as he stared where the Bridge had just been.

Tomorrow's Allies

In which Teagan finds out why violating the laws of physics is a very bad idea, Celestia receives a surprise visitor, and a distasteful fact of statecraft is disclosed in confidence.

In Teagan’s blind rage her subconscious demanded Crush’s full weight be released, only this time targeting the eight-foot tall monster in front of her. The last tiny shred of her sanity focused the power upward so the town would be spared the worst of the horrific explosion to follow.

For his part, the terrified draconequus only had time to make one tiny change to reality before fifty million tons hit him at a hundred miles an hour. Crush’s magic instantly transferred its momentum to Discord, which translated into mind-numbing accelerations not even possible in Earth’s universe.

The world turned white and an earth-shattering crack-ka-boom made the town shudder on its foundations, knocking most of the residents off their hooves. Teagan herself was smashed into the ground, the shock of the impact snapping her out of her flashback and almost into unconsciousness.

Fortunately Crush’s magic also negated most of the backlash, directing it into Discord instead of the town. Unfortunately the trickle of residual power smashed windows and knocked over carts and merchant stalls.

Discord became a slave to the law of conservation of momentum, accelerating at over two million gravities. His passage through Equestria’s sky sent a sonic boom racing around the planet, absorbing some of his ludicrous inertia. In his terror he instinctively changed reality to seek out the one bastion of safety he knew in this suddenly far-too-chaotic world. That saved the countryside between Ponyville and Canterlot a blast of superheated air that would have burned everything in its path.

But not even Discord could change reality enough to avoid everything…

ooOoo

Celestia was enjoying a leisurely lunch. For once fate had smiled on her, giving her a particularly light workload. She was celebrating the beautiful summer day with a single glass of wine imported from Prance. Her first sip was heralded by a tremendous boom.

The stiff wind that accompanied the sound snapped her mane and tail around, covering her eyes. It shocked her, since only the magic of the solar wind normally affected them. Hastily she set her wineglass down and wrestled with her abruptly uncooperative snarl of hair.

Just as she tamed her errant tresses a tumbling mass came screaming down out of the sky. Literally screaming. Before she thought to catch it with her magic the long snake-like body slammed into the lawn at a shallow angle and then skipped like a stone—straight at her.

Frantically she spread her wings and leaped into the air as the massive snake slammed into the table where she’d just been sitting. The remains of her lunch sprayed everywhere. Through some quirk of fate her wineglass shot straight upward, allowing her to snag it with her magic before it spilled.

Discord groaned from within the tangled pile of twisted metal. A single plume of smoke curled lazily upward from his slightly scorched form. She allowed herself a tiny smile, enjoying the sight of her old enemy so woefully undone.

Settling lightly to the ground, she waved a negligent wing at the Sun Shield swarming toward her. She took another sip of wine, allowing Discord time to gather his scattered wits.

“I take it Lady Teelo wasn’t happy to see you?” She asked nonchalantly when Discord finally managed to focus on her.

“She tried to murder me. Again,” he complained. “All I did was say hello! That club of hers is a public menace!”

Celestia sighed and drained her wine in a single swallow. It appeared her lazy day had suddenly gotten very busy indeed…

ooOoo

Teagan came to her senses sprawled in the bright summer sunlight. She remembered Discord appearing, her terrified rage, and then swatting him like a fly just before the world exploded in her face. But now all she felt was vaguely numb.

“That was a flashback—I guess I really do have PTSD. Oh, joy,” she groaned. A pair of hideously ugly faces peered down at her in concern.

“Min Dronning?” A third, only slightly less ugly face appeared. The king’s wife knelt beside Teagan. “Are you injured?”

Teagan took a moment to consider the question before venturing to move an arm. When no stabbing agony followed she tried to sit up, only to have the world spin treacherously.

“Whoa, head rush,” she muttered as Søyle caught her. “No, I don’t think so. Just dizzy, that’s all. Give me a minute.”

“Teelo? Are you okay?” Emma’s anxious voice came from her other side. Not wanting to scare her friend any more than she already had, Teagan took a deep breath and fought the numbness away, leaving her with a slight headache. She blessed all those hours Matt had spent forcing her to learn self-control. It was a Godsend right now.

“Yeah. I think I just had a flashback. That was Discord, right? Please tell me I didn’t just splatter some innocent pony!”

“Is Discord an eight-foot tall snake with arms and legs?” Emma asked. “All different colors and mismatched horns?”

“Yeah, that’s him. He’s supposed to be a statue in the Royal Gardens. What the hell was he doing here? Oh, God! Fluttershy!” In a sudden panic she struggled to her feet. “Is she okay? Where is she?”

“I’m okay, but why did you hit Discord with your club, Teelo?” Fluttershy asked in a stern tone. Teagan was shocked to realize Fluttershy’s gaze was unsympathetic and disapproving.

“What do you mean, why? He tried to murder us, remember?” Teagan replied, bewildered. “He’s dangerous!”

“He’s not the same pony, Teelo,” she said, her gaze softening. “He’s reformed and living at my cottage, now. He’s my friend. I hope you didn’t hurt him.”

Crush fell from her nerveless fingers, landing with a thump. She stared at the yellow pegasus with her mouth open, unable to process what she’d just heard.

Discord reformed? That was like hearing the Pope declare Satan had repented and was now living in the Vatican.

“That’s impossible,” she whispered. Louder, she said “He’s evil, Fluttershy! You can’t trust him!”

“Um, actually...” Rainbow Dash said, joining the conversation. “Fluttershy’s kinda right. When the Princess asked us to reform Discord I thought she’d eaten one of Pinkie’s special mushrooms, but it turns out she knew what she was doing. Fluttershy managed to make him fly the straight and narrow. It took her a while, but she did it.”

“Discord?” Teagan asked flatly. “You expect me to believe he’s on the side of the angels now?”

“What’s an angel?” Rainbow Dash asked, tilting her head. “Never mind, the bottom line is Discord really has changed. Well, mostly. He still does weird stuff now and then but mostly he’s okay. On the other hand, I gotta say that was the single most awesome thing I’ve ever seen you do!” She threw her head back and laughed.

“My cabbages!” A despairing wail cut through the air. A green stallion with gray mane and tail was staring at his overturned cart, crying. He was the first pony Teagan had ever seen with a tuft of long gray hair underneath his chin.

“My restaurant, sacré bleu!” A cream colored pony with blue mane and tail, wearing a suit top was glaring around. “Who is responsible for dis?” To Teagan and Emma it sounded like the pony had a French accent. Rarity quickly intercepted the incensed pony and tried to calm him down.

Teagan sighed. It looked like her “little moment” was going to be expensive…

ooOoo

Discord and Celestia were sipping tea companionably, seated at their newly replaced table. She had listened to his version of what happened and (after mentally filtering his story of its more virulent adjectives) was prepared to admit he probably hadn’t done anything wrong. Apparently, Lady Teagan had screamed and charged as soon as she laid eyes on him.

Outwardly serene, her mind was running in overdrive, frantically chasing down all the implications of the attack. The fact the girl had knocked the draconequus twenty-five miles worried Celestia more than she cared to admit. While her grasp of physics was hindered by the fact Equestrian laws of nature were subservient to the whims of magic, she was fully aware Lady Teagan should not have been able to do what she had done.

That she had, in fact, done it meant Crush was far more powerful than anyone, herself included, had ever suspected. In all her studies of the lore surrounding Mountain Heart there had been no hint of such an astounding ability.

True, there were tales of troll kings causing massive avalanches, or slaying dragons, but those feats paled in comparison. Even Discord didn’t have this kind of raw power.

“I think we should pay Lady Teelo a visit,” the princess said, letting her cup settle gently onto its saucer.

“Oh no! I am not going back to Ponyville until that she-devil is gone!” Discord said in panic. “Third time’s the charm, you know. She’s tried to kill me twice now. There’s not going to be a third time if Ihave anything to say about it!”

“Calm yourself, Discord. I will protect you.” They both paused, contemplating the sheer improbability of that sentence.

“That’s what Fluttershy said just before dear little Teelo started swinging,” Discord replied, sniffing. “Oh, there’s nothing to be afraid of,” he mimicked Fluttershy’s voice perfectly. “She’s not going to hurt you.”

He snorted.

“Ten seconds later I’m sailing through the air and slamming into your oh-so-precious little table.”

Celestia absorbed that.

“Did you teleport?” She asked.

“There wasn’t time,” he said grumpily. “Wham, bam, thank you ma’am! Two seconds later I’m lying there looking up at your lovely flank.”

“Surely it look you longer than that? Its twenty five miles to Ponyville by air,” Celestia pointed out mildly.

“Two seconds, tops,” Discord insisted. “If I hadn’t cast a spell at the last minute they’d be pouring me into my casket! That girl is dangerous, Celestia. You should really do something about her before she kills us all.”

“I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for what happened,” Celestia said calmly. “Just as I’m sure Lady Teelo has no plans to kill anyone. Well, anyone else.”

Her smile positively gleamed in the summer sun.

“Yes, ha, ha. Very funny, Celestia,” Discord sniffed. “See how funny it is when she comes after you.”

“She won’t,” Celestia said with calm certainty. “I will insure she doesn’t come after you again either.”

“Oh? And how, exactly, are you going to manage that?” Discord demanded.

The princess smiled. “I’m going to use the magic word.”

She laughed as Discord quite deliberately slammed his face into the table.

ooOoo

Teagan was sitting with Mayor Mare, the three trolls, and Emma on stage in the town hall. A depressingly long line of ponies with equally long lists of property damage were stretched across the room and out the door.

It was now three o’clock in the afternoon, and Teagan’s belly was rumbling complaints at her. She wasn’t nearly as hungry as she’d been when she arrived, though. The huge queue was doing a good job of killing her appetite.

“Yes, Bon-bon, I am quite aware your windows were smashed,” the Mayor said tiredly. “Everyone’s windows were smashed. It was a very loud bang. My windows got smashed too.”

“It’s not just my windows!” Bon-bon said heatedly. “The glass got into my last batch of candy! I’m going to have to throw it all out! I don’t dare sell any of it, it could kill some pony! That’s going to be an enormous loss of income! Not to mention replacing my inventory and the time lost—I can’t afford that!”

“You won’t have to,” Teagan said, fighting back her headache—again. “I’ll make sure your losses are made good.”

“Oh,” Bon-bon blinked, seeming to focus on Teagan and the trolls for the first time. “Lady Teagan, I—thank you. It’s just I really can’t afford it, you see, and the rent is coming up…”

“Given the disaster I’ll be sure all landlords give their tenants an extension on the rent until we can work all this out,” the Mayor said firmly. “Now please, Bon-bon, others are waiting.”

“Okay,” Bon-bon bobbed her head. “Sorry,” she turned and fled.

Before a mint-green unicorn with a golden lyre for a cutie mark could present her list of damages the ponies in line were suddenly moving nosily, and then parting to either side, bowing deeply.

Princess Celestia walked through the doorway, a pair of the Sun Shield at her back. Teagan stiffened as Discord came into view, her hand reaching for Crush before she controlled herself.

“Oh my gosh, Teagan, that’s Princess Celestia. Quick, what do I do?” Emma whispered frantically, smiling a sickly panicked smile at the approaching alicorn. “I’ve never talked to a princess before!”

“Just follow my lead,” Teagan said quietly, rising to her feet. This is not going to be fun, she thought, her stomach knotting. Any remaining hunger was definitely gone now. When the alicorn came on stage and stopped in front of her Teagan bowed deeply.

Princess Celestia nodded her head in return, expression neutral. Discord was hiding behind the alicorn, nearly twisting his body into a pretzel to do it.

Oh boy, this is so not good, Teagan thought, wondering just how angry the Princess was.

“Welcome back to Equestria, cousin,” Celestia said quietly. “You always manage to bring so much excitement with you when you arrive.”

Teagan winced.

“Ponyville seems to have suffered a mishap,” the alicorn noted, glancing at the mass of ponies now standing and listening avidly. “It almost looks like a tornado came through town. Not to mention the unexpected guest that tornado sent me,” A tiny smile played across her mouth and was gone. “We expected you in Canterlot by now, actually. But I see you decided to help the Mayor handle the emergency. Very public spirited of you.”

Then Celestia frowned. “I would have expected to find Stormwind and Subtle Dancer with you, however. And Sun Hammer. Are they aiding in the recovery efforts?”

“Sun Hammer and Stormwind are,” Teagan said, wincing again. “But Subtle Dancer is in the hospital, Your Highness. He was pretty severely injured.”

“What happened?” Celestia asked, her eyes widening with surprise.

“One of Chrysalis’s personal guards jumped him during the ambush,” Teagan said. “I had the Sun Shield airlift him straight to Ponyville’s hospital. He’s out of danger now but the nurse told me he has a concussion and separated shoulder. He won’t be up and about for at least three weeks.”

“Ambush?” Celestia asked, startled. “By the changelings? Where?”

“At the Bridge,” Teagan answered. “Chrysalis was leading a changeling army. Five of her personal guards smashed the chariots before we knew they were there. Then two of them eluded the Sun Shield’s counter attack. Sun Hammer got one, but the other one nailed Subtle Dancer before the trolls could reach him.”

“And what of Chrysalis?” The Princess asked in a neutral tone that made Teagan quail inside. “Did she escape? What of her army?”

“Your Highness, any further discussion about this should be in private,” Teagan said, lowering her voice. “Trust me.”

Celestia studied the grim expression on the girl’s face.

“Very well,” she said, and then turned to address the room. “My little ponies! Please clear the hall. The Dronning and I must confer in private. Rest assured, now that I am aware of Ponyville’s problems help is on the way. Return to your homes for now and continue your cleanup efforts.”

It was amazing how quickly and quietly the hall cleared. Teagan wondered if she would ever have that kind of instant obedience from trolls. Somehow she doubted it.

Teagan kept Søyle and Emma with her although she sent Skrent and Flint join the pegasus guards at the door. Princess Celestia asked Mayor Mare to stay and she noted uneasily that Discord had remained in Celestia’s shadow as well. He was definitely nervous, and kept shooting little glances Teagan’s way when he thought she wasn’t looking.

Part of her was wary, but another part was grinning savagely at his discomfiture. A third part was shaking its head at the savage glee she felt.

Crush’s influence, no doubt, she thought to herself.

“All right, now that we’re alone tell me what’s been going on,” Celestia said in a business-like tone. It was a very unnerving side of her, one Teagan had never seen before.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” Teagan said, exhaling noisily.

“Start at the beginning. For example, who is your friend?” Celestia asked, looking over at Emma.

“Oh, right! Your Highness, may I introduce Emma Halstead, my best friend—who isn’t supposed to be here,” Teagan stared hard at her friend. Emma had the grace to blush. “She followed us across the Bridge in a Rainbow Dash-sized display of loyalty.”

“H-hello, Your Highness,” Emma stammered. “I talked to your figurine back home. I’m glad to finally meet you for real.”

“Ah, I see. It’s very rare to find such loyalty, cousin. You should treasure it,” A genuine smile lit her face as she turned to the other girl. “Hello, Emma. I take it the spells worked then? I wasn’t sure they would on the other side of the Bridge.”

Emma nodded nervously. “Yes, they did. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, especially the way your figurine could fly. Can you really fly like that?”

Emma’s hands flew up to her mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry! That was rude—”

“It’s all right, Emma. Yes, I can fly,” she spread her wings and winked. “To tell you the truth I don’t fly nearly as much as I’d like to. My poor guards get so nervous if they’re not pulling me in my chariot. You’d think they’d remember I’ve been flying for a very long time. I really am quite good at it.”

Teagan chuckled. “I missed you, Princess, especially your sense of humor.”

“The feeling is mutual, cousin. So, Emma followed you across the Bridge, and Chrysalis ambushed you there. I take it something momentous happened next?”

“You could say that,” Teagan nodded. “I originally thought we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but some of the things Chrysalis said made me think she has a grudge against Subtle Dancer. Her main target seems to be Shining Armor, but I suppose that’s natural enough. She says he killed half her children when he ejected the changelings from Canterlot.”

Celestia nodded sadly. “That is true. Any that were caught in an enclosed area were—crushed,” her voice was quiet. “I imagine Chrysalis’s hatred of me has grown as well.”

“Mmm. Here’s the funny thing though. I don’t think it was an attack of opportunity. She knew we would be there. She had an army of hundreds with her. Somebody tipped her off.”

“You think changelings have infiltrated Canterlot?” Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “We’ve been on guard against that, Lady Teelo. Ever since the wedding.”

Teagan shrugged. “It isn’t impossible, but there are ways that are a lot less risky.”

“For instance?” Celestia asked, intrigued.

“Bribing or blackmailing someone who knows the information,” Teagan said. “Canterlot’s lousy with diplomats of all species, and they gossip. Any one of them, or anyone they talked to, could be an intermediary for the changelings. If the intermediary arranged to meet someone outside Canterlot then the changelings wouldn’t risk detection. The intermediaries wouldn’t even need to know they were dealing with changelings.”

“That sounds like Matthew speaking,” Celestia said shrewdly.

“It is,” Teagan smiled. “Espionage is a high art form on Earth these days. Cat’s paws are one of those classics that never go out of style. But I think both Subtle Dancer and I were the targets.”

“Ah, of course. If you were to die while under Equestria’s protection…”

“Exactly. Søyle, what would Fjell do then?” Teagan asked.

“Declare war on the ponies,” Søyle said instantly. “There would be no doubt who was to blame for the Dronning’s death, since they failed to guard her properly. The people would demand justice and the council would not gainsay them. Fjell himself would not hesitate. He holds you in high regard, Dronning.”

“So in one fell swoop Chrysalis gets the trolls to do her dirty work,” Teagan said grimly. “Everyone knows it would be suicide to kill Celestia, because she raises the sun. But Chrysalis wouldn’t have to kill Celestia, now would she? I don’t think she’d want Celestia dead even if she could kill her. After all, she wants Celestia to suffer.”

“She’d only kill Celestia’s subjects instead,” Emma said suddenly, staring at the alicorn. “I heard you call them my little ponies, Your Highness. Do you think of them as your children?”

“In a way,” the Princess admitted. “I certainly understand why Chrysalis would think I do.”

“There’s a twisted logic to it that would appeal to her. Shining Armor killed half her children, so she gets the trolls to kill yours. The problem is Chrysalis isn’t particularly subtle,” Teagan said. “This doesn’t feel like something she’d come up with on her own.”

“Yes, dear Chryssy never was all that bright,” Discord chuckled, his first contribution to the conversation.

“You know Chrysalis?” Teagan asked, an alarm bell ringing in the back of her head. “You didn’t happen to have a little chat with her, did you?” Her voice was icy.

“Now, Teelo, is that an accusation?” He asked nervously. “I haven’t spoken to her in thousands of years. Not since that business with—” He paused, glancing sideways at Celestia. “Well, never mind, it’s old news. I’m reformed now. Rainbow Bash said it herself.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Teagan corrected in a monotone. “And why am I having trouble believing you?”

“I know you and I have a—history,” he said. “But I was possessed by Nightmare at the time, and I did my time in that horrible stone statue, and you did just knock me all the way to Canterlot, so can’t we let bygones be bygones, hmm?” He batted his eyes at her. She felt her stomach roil.

“Discord, the only reason I’m not bashing you into spaghetti sauce right now is because the Princess seems to tolerate you for some reason. I don’t like you, I don’t trust you, and I’m not buying this story about how you’ve been reformed,” Teagan said tightly. “On top of all that it turns out you know Chrysalis too. I am not happy, monster. At all.”

“I know you don’t trust him,” Celestia said, “but as a personal favor, could you not attack him again? Or refer to him as a monster? Please?”

When Celestia batted her eyes Teagan had no defense. She sighed in defeat.

“All right, as a favor to you, I’ll agree to peaceful co-existence with him. But the instant he attacks me or mine, I will end him.”

Celestia blinked, clearly not expecting the girl’s caveat.

“Fair enough,” the alicorn finally replied. “Perhaps in time you’ll come to accept that he actually has reformed himself.”

“That’s going to take a long time,” Teagan said, staring coolly at Discord. “Talk is cheap, Discord. Words are plentiful. Deeds are precious. You’ll have to show me you’ve reformed with your actions, not just pretty words.”

“Of course!” Discord beamed, straightening. “Tell me what you want me to do, little Teelo! Anything at all. You’ll see! I’m the new and improved Discord! Reformed and prepared to prove it!”

“Really?” She asked suspiciously.

“Really! Anything! Just name it,” he said with a big grin.

“Two things then. One, do not call me Teelo. My name is Teagan,” the girl said with a level stare. “And two, fix the town.”

Discord nodded happily. “Of course, I’ll just—what?” His eyes bugged out.

“Fix the town. Get all the glass out of Bon-bon’s candy. Put all the busted windows back together. Rebuild the buildings that were damaged. You know. Fix it,” Teagan smiled at the draconequus. “Make it like it was before it got broken. You can do that, right? Snap your fingers and change reality so the town is just like it was before?”

“That’s preposterous!” He exclaimed loudly.

“Oh, well if it’s beyond you, I understand,” Teagan said in a sympathetic tone. “I just thought, you know, hey, it’s Discord and now that he’s reformed it should be simple for him. But if I overestimated you, I do apologize.”

“Celestia!” He protested.

The alicorn regarded him mildly. “You did say anything, Discord.”

“Yes, I know, but—” He stared at the two rulers, one pony, one human, both regarding him with identical innocent expressions. “Oh, very well. One repaired town, coming right up.”

He paused for a moment, closing his eyes, and then snapped his fingers. There was a curious sound, like ringing wind chimes and the hall’s gaping windows were suddenly filled with glass. A wave of disorientation swept over the town, making the residents stagger. One unfortunate stallion was left dangling from a roof as his ladder collapsed. Quick thinking by a passing pegasus saw him safely on the ground and sighing in relief.

“There! I hope that proves I’ve reformed,” Discord was actually panting. “You do realize, Lady Teagan, you were the one that made the mess in the first place, right? I’m the victim here, yet you expected me to clean up after you. Well, I did it. Satisfied?”

“It’s a start,” Teagan admitted. “Keep in mind you’re the one who traumatized me in the first place. If it wasn’t for you kidnapping me, I wouldn’t have had a flashback and bashed you.”

“Yes, well I heard about my dear sister’s nap getting interrupted, you know,” Discord smirked. “It seems if I hadn’t kidnapped you then dear old Celestia here would be a frozen popsicle and her precious ponies would be nothing but bones by now.”

“And you’d still be a statue for all eternity,” she pointed out. “Instead you spent what, six months in jail and now you’re free.”

“I’ve been paroled, not freed,” Discord corrected her.

“Paroled is better than being a pigeon roost,” she pointed out.

“True,” he mused.

“Perhaps we should return to the topic at hand?” Celestia asked gently. “As amusing as this is, I really need to know what happened to Chrysalis and her army.”

“Yeah, about that,” Teagan shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Mayor Mare. “What I’m about to say must never be revealed to anyone, do you understand, Mayor? You’ll have to swear to take this knowledge to your grave. If you don’t want to do that I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

“Your Highness?” the Mayor asked with the barest quiver in her voice. “What should I do? Do you think I should leave?”

Celestia grew still.

“It might be for the best,” she said reluctantly. “I will not demand you leave, Mayor, but understand if you stay you may hear something you can never unhear. I would not burden you with such secrets. However, it is your decision.”

“Does it involve the safety of Ponyville?” the Mayor asked Teagan, visibly controlling herself.

Teagan hesitated. “It might. But I can absolutely guarantee you really don’t want to know.”

“Ponyville is my responsibility,” the Mayor said firmly. “If this secret could affect Ponyville my duty is clear. Very well, I swear to keep the secret and tell no one.”

“Are you certain about this?” Teagan asked, staring the Mayor in the eye. “Nobody would blame you for leaving, least of all me. There are some things ponies were not meant to know.”

“I give you my word.” The Mayor then smiled faintly. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” as she made the gestures. “Nobody breaks a Pinkie promise, Lady Teagan.”

“True enough. All right, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Teagan turned her attention back to Princess Celestia.

“After Chrysalis had her guards destroy the chariots she ordered her army to charge us while the five guards attacked from inside the ring. The torch ring,” she said with heavy emphasis on the word torch.

Celestia closed her eyes, a look of pain on her face.

“Yeah,” Teagan said grimly. “Subtle Dancer timed it perfectly. The flames caught the entire first wave of attackers, out to about sixty feet—at least a couple of hundred changelings.”

“What?” The mayor asked, confused.

“Subtle Dancer threw a spell, Mayor. It turned the torch flames into dragon fire,” Teagan explained. “You do know what happens to creatures caught in the middle of dragon fire, right?”

The tan pony’s pupils shrank suddenly and she put both hooves in front of her mouth. “No…” She started to tremble.

“It killed about a third of the changeling army,” Teagan said. “Burned them pretty much to husks. Chrysalis was completely devastated and her army thrown into disarray. I used her shock to leap into the air and smash her with Crush.”

“You actually hit her?” Celestia asked, leaning forward and staring intently. “Like you did Discord?”

“Not with as much force,” Teagan shook her head. “Chrysalis still hit the ground hard enough to leave a crater and bury herself below the crater floor.”

“You killed Chrysalis?” For the first time Teagan got to see a look of utter shock on the alicorn’s face. For some reason Discord looked shocked as well.

“That wasn’t the end of the story,” Teagan said, holding up her hand. “When she went down her bodyguards turned bug nuts crazy and attacked me. I hit them with Crush and this time I used Crush’s full weight, just like I did to Discord.”

“I didn’t hear a boom earlier today,” Celestia said slowly. “Surely we’d have heard it?”

“The guards weren’t as durable as Discord, Your Highness,” Teagan said after a moment. “They—splattered, like giant tomatoes. I think most of the force passed right though them without being transferred.”

Celestia shivered. The Mayor was in shock.

“And the other guards?” She finally asked.

“They wouldn’t stop fighting,” Teagan said quietly. “Of the seven guards she brought I killed three, Sun Hammer killed two, Søyle killed the one who attacked Subtle Dancer, and the Sun Shield killed the other one.”

“Killed? Ponies don’t kill!” The Mayor said. “We’re civilized, we never kill!”

“That is not entirely true, my little pony,” Celestia said gently after a moment. “Sometimes, to preserve everything they love, a pony must take a life. It is never done lightly, because a little bit of them dies too. The consequences—well, those ponies are never the same again.”

The Mayor stared at Celestia, the question she dared not ask written on her face.

Celestia chose to ignore the unspoken question and took the Mayor into a hug. The others kept silent out of respect until Celestia broke the hug.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” the Mayor’s eyes were haunted.

“I’m so sorry, Mayor,” Teagan said. “I didn’t want you to hear this.”

Teagan’s voice seemed to rouse the politician. She braced and took a deep breath.

“I chose to stay,” she said, blinking. “I wish to Celestia’s blessed self I had not, but I did. Oh! Begging your pardon, Your Highness,” she said, belatedly realizing what she’d said—and, more importantly, to whom she had said it. Small patches of red appeared under her tan furred cheeks.

“I am not offended, my little pony. Although I must admit I am baffled why ponies constantly say things like that,” Celestia said with a smile. “Still, if it offers you comfort, I will not object.”

“Thank you, Princess,” the Mayor said in clear relief.

“With Chrysalis dead, the changeling drones will not survive for long,” Celestia said with a tinge of sadness in her voice. “In spite of their attack on Canterlot I would not have wished this upon them. I also want you to know I don’t condemn your actions, Lady Teelo. You acted to save yourself and my little ponies, as you always have. Thank you.”

“I appreciate that, Your Highness, and I hope you feel the same way about Subtle Dancer. If he hadn’t used that spell the changelings would have swarmed us. No one would have survived. And then the trolls would have declared war on Equestria and it would have been a bloodbath.”

Celestia winced. “That is a gruesome image indeed, cousin. No, I don’t blame Subtle Dancer. I can only pray he doesn’t blame himself. Nor can I allow him to take the same path Sun Hammer did. He is too important to Equestria.”

“And Sun Hammer wasn’t?” Teagan’s voice held just a trace of an edge.

“Sun Hammer is a very stubborn stallion,” Celestia replied gently. “I offered to heal his eye and his legs, since the troll king inflicted those injuries without using Crush. He refused me, cousin. He was very gallant about it. He said he never wanted to forget what he had done. He also insisted on taking responsibility for killing the troll king, and making sure everypony knew.”

“Too honorable for his own good,” Teagan murmured. “I can so see him doing that. I apologize for my suspicions, Princess. I should have known better.”

“Friendship is a powerful thing, cousin,” Celestia said with a smile. “Sun Hammer has very few friends, and I am grateful for each one of them. I do not begrudge you your suspicion. But thank you for seeing it was unfounded.”

“Am I ever going to get this queen thing right?” Teagan asked with a half smile.

“As with all things, it takes practice,” Celestia said. “I have no doubt you will master it soon enough.”

“Well, there is one single ray of sunshine in this whole mess,” Teagan said. “But it really complicates things.”

“You mean they aren’t complicated enough?” Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Teagan snorted.

“You know me. When I complicate something I deliver only the very best. Chrysalis is actually still alive, Your Highness. As we speak she and a dozen of her drones are being treated at Ponyville’s hospital for their injuries—which were pretty horrible.”

“Hah! I knew Chryssy was too tough to let a little thing like that kill her,” Discord said, smirking. “She should thank me for—” He paused, noticing both Celestia and Teagan giving him interested looks. “Oops.”

“Spill it,” Teagan growled. “What did you do? You did tip her off, didn’t you?”

“No, I most certainly did not “tip her off”. What a vulgar expression,” Discord grimaced. “And for your information, little girl, I really haven’t seen her in thousands of years. Not since I defeated my darling sister for control of this lovely ball of mud, in fact.”

“So why did you say she should thank you?” Teagan asked pointedly.

“Because if I hadn’t punished her all those years ago she wouldn’t have survived your little love tap,” Discord retorted.

“You punished Chrysalis?” Celestia asked sharply. “Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious? She sided with my sister against me! After I went to all the trouble to provide her and her brood a lovely new home, too! Ungrateful insects.”

“What did you do to punish her, Discord?” Teagan asked, tensing.

“Oh, nothing major. I just made her outsides match her insides, her and her entire kingdom. I will admit to being just a teensy bit irked, but in my defense she had allied herself with my sister—who was trying to destroy me. So I took her memories too. Whenever she tries to remember her life before the curse she gets a splitting migraine, and transmits it to her children as well. The curse was just a bonus—to make sure nothing could kill her. I wanted her to have a very long time to enjoy the fruits of her treachery.”

“You really are an epic douche-bag, aren’t you?” Teagan said contemptuously.

“Such language! What do they teach teenagers these days? No respect for their elders! And the word is “was”, Teagan. I’m reformed now. I only use my magic for, blehg, good.”

“So reformed you can’t even say it without gagging,” Teagan noted. “At least you’re consistent.”

“But he is trying, cousin,” Celestia said mildly. “Trust me, if you knew him as well as I do you’d see how far he really has come.”

“Thank you, sweet Celestia! At least someone believes in me,” Discord said with wide shining eyes.

“Of course that isn’t to say he hasn’t got a long way to go,” Celestia noted calmly. Discord deflated with an audible hiss.

“That was cold,” he said. “Honestly, sometimes I wonder why I even bother.”

“So what did you do?” Teagan asked the draconequus, who had his nose stuck up in the air, sulking. “What did she look like before?”

“Oh, she was so cute it was nauseating,” Discord scoffed. “You’d have loved her, she was all soft and frilly and pretty—if you like butterflies, that is. Very brightly colored, I remember that. Flutterpony, I think they called themselves.”

Celestia’s intake of breath was sharp enough to attract everyone’s attention.

“Are you saying Chrysalis is the queen of the flutterponies? You turned the flutterponies into changelings?”

“Yes?” Discord offered, confused.

“Change them back,” Celestia said and her voice was abruptly that of a goddess, an angry goddess. Aware he’d somehow made a serious mistake Discord shrank away, looking like he was thinking about teleporting.

“What are flutterponies?” Teagan asked quickly. She’d never seen Celestia angry before. Even when the alicorn had fired on Tišina she hadn’t been angry. Teagan had no desire to be on the same planet as an angry Celestia. Her question was a desperate attempt to distract the alicorn.

It seemed to work. Celestia collected herself for a moment. When she spoke her tone was calm again, but her earlier words lingered like the memory of thunder.

“Flutterponies came to Equestria much earlier than the rest of us,” Celestia explained. “Many thousands of years earlier. Before today I never knew how they crossed over. Flutterponies were all powerful magicians, closely aligned with the land. Equestria shaped them as much as they shaped it. At the height of their power flutterponies looked like earth ponies with butterfly wings and antenna. The legends say one day they simply vanished. Now we know why,” she stared coldly at Discord. “So now Discord is going to change them back, isn’t he?” Lights chased each other up and down her horn.

Discord cringed.

“Now, Celestia, normally I’d be overjoyed to change them back for you as quick as a bunny since you asked so nicely. But there’s just one teensy-weensy little problem…”

The Language of Diplomacy

In which our heroine changes the rules and takes up the time-honored art of intrigue.

Mist Chaser’s hooves touched down on the messenger tower and he heaved a sigh of relief. Gratefully folding his aching wings he lowered his head and panted from the aftereffects of his headlong flight from Hejm.

Diplomats, he thought sourly, forcing himself into a trot toward the dispatch office. Urgent message for Princess Celestia my fluffy tail, he snorted as he passed another courier, who grinned at him. Mist Chaser ignored the greeting, responding only with a flicked wing that was both a dismissal and warning he was on urgent business.

Eyes only, he griped as he stopped in front of the Coordinator and fished out the authorization to bypass normal bureaucratic channels and personally deliver the contents of his diplomatic satchel.

The mare raised her eyebrows at the authorization level, but silently stamped the authorization with her approval. In the Civil Service it was often unwise to impede Ambassadorial communications that were given the highest urgency level. Even though it was common knowledge such authorizations seldom merited the importance they were given.

“Lady Faerie Mist can be found in her office,” The Coordinator informed Mist Chaser. “She will know where Princess Celestia is.”

Mist Chaser nodded and trotted out of the Courier Branch toward the Administration Section. He’d had dealings with Celestia’s short-tempered aide before, and didn’t look forward to doing so again. The mare was extremely protective of the Princess’s time, feeling there was no matter so urgent it deserved to intrude on the sovereign’s admittedly hectic schedule.

Faerie Mist chaser, he chuckled to himself grimly. That’s me. Why did I join the long-distance couriers again? Oh yeah, for the uniform. Mares always go for the stallion in uniform. Hah! As if. I haven’t had time for a date in the last three months! Stupid political shenanigans with the trolls have been keeping me in the air waaay too much. Trolls, of all things, the least diplomatic species ever to exist. Just because Lady Teagan is queen of the trolls Truth Speaker is going through all this fuss and bother for a simple homecoming. He must be trying to curry the Princess so she’ll move him to a more important embassy. And guess who has to carry the burden of ambassadorial ambition on his poor overworked wings? Me, that’s who!

He trotted on until he came to the Royal Services Department, which included the Princess’s ladies-in-waiting. Nodding professionally to the secretary he presented his security authorization and requested to see Faerie Mist immediately. Much to his surprise the receptionist nodded and led him directly to the mare’s office, making him wonder if his mission wasn’t more important than he’d been willing to believe.

The mare knocked on the door and stuck her head inside.

“Lady Mist, a courier from Hejm,” She said softly.

“Send him in,” Faerie Mist’s voice was brisk.

The mare nodded politely to Mist Chaser and opened the door for him before returning to her desk. Taking a deep breath the stallion entered the room and stood before the delicate lavender pegasus. He presented his authorization and waited as she read it carefully.

She’s really beautiful, he thought to himself. But also a living legend about how beauty is only skin deep. This mare’s bones are made of fire and she’s got a temper to match. Please Celestia please let her be in a good mood!

“The Princess is in the gardens having lunch with Lady Teagan,” Faerie Mist said, looking up and hoofing the authorization back to him. “If you’ll follow me I’ll take you to her.”

Mist Chaser nodded, but internally he was still apprehensive. While the mare’s instant assistance was welcome (he still winced when he remembered their last encounter) it was more than a little unsettling. It made him wonder if he wasn’t caught up in some high level state secrets or something, a thought that chilled him in a way the thin air he spent so much time in never did.

Faerie Mist trotted quickly, even though her body language was calm, and that made Mist Chaser even more uneasy. He could tell she was in a hurry, even though her highborn genteel façade projected nothing but bland routine.

Had it really been routine she would have been walking, not trotting.

The courier was grateful she had decided not to fly. His wings still ached and he was dreading the return flight. The urgency of the authorization had demanded his best pace, and while a normal flight between Hejm and Canterlot was only three hours by chariot, free-flying had cut that in half—at a cost.

His wings cried out for rest, and he was seriously considering a massage before the return flight, assuming the Princess didn’t send him out immediately. He quailed at that thought, his wings flexing unconsciously.

Faerie Mist led him into the gardens and straight to a sheltered nook where they found Princess Celestia and her guests apparently napping. But then he noticed Princess Celestia’s horn was glowing with a golden light that surrounded all the sleepers. Looking more closely he noticed Princess Sparkle seemed to be living up to her name, her horn twinkling with small purple specks of light even though she appeared deeply asleep.

He glanced at Faerie Mist for an explanation.

“I don’t know what they’re doing,” Faerie Mist replied to his wordless question, “but we don’t dare interrupt them. Let’s just wait until they finish.

She gracefully settled onto her haunches, freeing the courier to do the same. He settled with a sigh of relief, carefully spreading his wings to stretch the muscles and keep them from stiffening up.

“You look tired,” the mare noted.

“Yes, Lady Mist,” the courier replied carefully, feeling like he was treading on eggshells. “I flew straight here at my best speed.”

The mare looked thoughtful. “Did Truth Speaker say anything before sending you out?”

“No,” the courier shook his head, “just that the message was urgent. He did bring the satchel to me himself, but that’s not terribly unusual. Our Trollish Embassy is pretty small.”

“I see.” The mare sat with her eyes unfocused as she tended to her own thoughts. Grateful the exchange had ended peacefully Mist Chaser relaxed as the pair of pegasi kept silent vigil on the spell-casting alicorns.

ooOoo

“What do you have in mind?” Celestia asked mildly. Emma was looking warily at Teagan. Søyle was impassive.

“Teelo seems to have an idea, give us a moment,” Twilight said. The humans on the Earth side of the conversation glanced at each other. Olivia’s face showed guarded hope, while her husband looked suspicious. John and Elaine, knowing their daughter, braced for the worst.

“The reason we can’t go back to the Everfree, the reason the Council won’t let the Princess into the Everfree is because it’s too dangerous, right?” Teagan began.

Celestia nodded. “The Council is understandably wary of allowing me to be put in peril since the whole Tišina incident,” Celestia said, a twinkle in her eye. “Even the flight into the Everfree, much less remaining in the vicinity of the Bridge for any length of time is unacceptably dangerous. Or so the Council would say.”

Teagan chuckled. “It would be dangerous—if anyone knew you were there. Or rather, if any creature saw you go there.” Teagan’s smile never wavered. “So obviouslyyou couldn’t take a chariot and walking is out of the question. Which leaves flying but the Royal Guard would have a collective heart attack if you flew into the Everfree unescorted, yes?”

“This is true,” Celestia said in an intrigued tone of voice. “So logically it follows it’s impossible for me to go there.”

“Pity it’s too far for a unicorn to teleport, isn’t it?” Teagan mused. “So clearly, it would be impossible for you to take us back to the Bridge, open it, and get back here unobserved. After all, one alicorn would have to teleport two passengers all the way to the Bridge, and that’s not possible, even for you.”

Teagan was grinning so widely Emma could see her tongue.

“But just for the sake of argument, let’s pretend you could. How long do you think it would take you to go there, open the Bridge, and come back?”

“Hmm,” Celestia’s eyes were twinkling and she was smiling. “Oh, much too long, I’m afraid. Why, the journey to the Bridge would be at least thirty seconds! And then another thirty seconds to recover and prepare the spell to open the Bridge, and then what, maybe fifteen seconds for two sprinting humans to cross the Bridge, and oh, yes, another thirty seconds to ready myself to teleport back, and then at least a second or two for the actual teleport. Plus the time to compose myself and raise my cup of tea as if nothing had occurred. Much too long! No one could possibly fail to notice my absence for two whole minutes. That’s assuming the Council approved—which they wouldn’t, of course.” Celestia pondered.

“What do you think, Twilight?” The alicorn asked whimsically. “Isn’t Teagan’s plan completely impossible? After all, two upright paragons of virtue, such as ourselves, would never engage in anything against the will of the Council. It’s not like the two of us could ever play such a delicious prank on those august members of the nobility.”

“I’m in.” Twilight said in such a serious voice that Emma collapsed in a torrent of giggles. “Lord O’Gara, I think we might have a plan to get the girls back to Earth!”

“Really? What changed?” John asked, surprised.

“The rules changed,” Twilight replied with a hint of a giggle in her voice.

“Of course, officially this never happened,” Teagan said, looking at Søyle. “We need a couple of days on Earth to straighten out this mess, and then it’s off to Hejm, right? You have my word, Søyle. I can’t take any trolls with me. Celestia couldn’t teleport that much weight. But I promise, from the time we start toward Hejm, until I return home at the end of summer, I’ll keep Skrent and Flint as my constant companions. Deal?”

“You will return in two days?” Søyle demanded.

“Yes.” Teagan said firmly. “If I have to bash the damn Bridge open with Crush, I’ll be here.”

“Very well, what shall I tell the others?” Søyle asked.

“That Lady Teelo had to return home to attend to human legal matters for her family which would not wait, and that she will return in two days.” Celestia said serenely. “It is nothing less than the truth, after all.”

“We can delay our departure for two more days,” Søyle nodded. “Princess, I know you have winged couriers, could you send a message to Fjell informing him of our delay?”

“I would be happy to, Kona Søyle,” Celestia said, dipping her horn. “Thank you for your understanding.”

“So, are we ready to do this?” Teagan asked the alicorn.

“Do what, cousin?” Celestia winked at the girl.

Teagan grinned.

ooOoo

The glow faded from Celestia’s horn and the sleepers began to stir. Faerie Mist rose to her hooves and Mist Chaser followed suit.

“Hello, Faerie Mist,” a surprised Celestia greeted her lady-in-waiting. “What brings you here in the company of this handsome courier?” Her smile was warm.

“Your Highness, Truth Speaker has sent another communiqué, eyes only.” Faerie Mist replied, indicating the courier, who stepped forward. He turned his head and pulled the satchel from his back.

Her face showing polite interest Celestia lit her horn and took the satchel from the courier. Magically breaking the seal she pulled out the single page and read it.

“Thank you, you may both go. Gentlecolt, I imagine your long flight has left you fatigued, why don’t you take a day or so to recover? Then see Faerie Mist for my reply to Truth Speaker.” Celestia said with a smile.

Bowing, the two ponies withdrew. Celestia watched them go and then turned to Teagan and Søyle.

“The Troll Council has resolved their debate concerning a draugr incursion that happened yesterday,” Celestia said quietly, no longer smiling. “Fjell says the Council wishes the Dronning to journey to Hejm with all possible speed. They believe the presence of Mountain Heart will bolster their defenses. Fjell believes something called the Deepest Dark is beginning to awaken, and may soon attack the city. Truth Speaker says the Deepest Dark refers to the undead, creatures from beyond the grave.”

“Crap,” Teagan said in the shocked silence that followed. “That puts me in a real bind. But at least it makes one thing painfully clear. Emma, you’re going home. I am not risking having you trapped deep underground and getting caught up in a battle with undead.”

Emma wanted to protest, she really did. But that bug-unicorn’s attack was still painfully fresh in her mind. The thought of real troll zombies or vampire ponies made her belly clench in fear.

“I concur,” Princess Celestia nodded, seeing Emma’s reaction. “While Emma has shown herself to have many sterling qualities, she is by no means a warrior. If the dead do rise and attack Hejm there would be little she could do to help.

Emma didn’t say anything, too busy being ashamed of her cowardice.

“She is clan, Princess of Ponies,” Søyle said quietly. “It is true she cannot fight. Emma is small and has no claws, and this cannot be argued. But ponies are small and have no claws either, and yet ponies dwell in Hejm. I have seen Emma in the midst of battle, and saw her fear. But afterward she helped save your unicorn’s life in spite of it. She did not aid the Dronning during the hunt for the kjører liket, but she did bear word to us and in so doing prevented a misunderstanding.”

Søyle stared at Celestia, who nodded in acknowledgment of the words the troll had not said.

“Trolls value skill in battle. But we are not blind to the aid those who cannot fight may give, if only by freeing a troll to fight. There are many tales of children or the greatly aged doing such deeds. ”

“Søyle, do you honestly expect me to risk Emma like that?” Teagan asked carefully, aware this was one area where human and troll mores diverged drastically.

“She is clan, Dronning,” Søyle said quietly. “And she has not yet spoken. It is her choice as much as yours. I have called her child it is true, but I am reminded now that she is your own age. She must have her voice in this.”

“Emma, this is for real,” Teagan said. “People will die, no matter how good Hejm’s defenses are. You could die. What would your parents do if that happened? How could they explain you vanishing to the police? Think of how David would feel if you died.”

Emma sat, thinking hard. She looked at Søyle, who offered no reaction, merely waiting to hear what she would say. Teagan’s face was anguished, while Celestia merely watched with a neutral expression, much like Søyle’s.

“I think she should go home,” Twilight blurted. “If something attacks her she won’t be able to fight or run, and she can’t be guarded all the time. I’m not saying she’s a coward, but neither are the CMC. I wouldn’t ask them to do something like this! We almost lost Sweetie Belle!”

“The CMC are nine years old,” Celestia noted. “Emma is Lady Teelo’s age. Applejack wasn’t much older when she started running her family’s farm.”

“It’s not the same,” Twilight argued. “Nopony was trying to kill Applejack!”

“True. But Sweetie Belle is safe now,” Celestia noted, “thanks to the help of her friends and community, not to mention Lady Teelo, and Cerise.”

“What are you saying?” Twilight’s brow wrinkled. “You want Emma to go to Hejm?”

“It isn’t my decision to make,” Celestia noted calmly. “But I will say this. Emma chose to come to Equestria, to help her friend. In doing so she faced danger, but she also gained new friends and leaned valuable lessons. No road is completely without danger, Twilight, just as no road is completely without reward. As much as Lady Teelo wishes to keep her friend safe, there comes a time when Emma must decide for herself. I think that time has come.”

“I also remember a certain young lady,” Celestia continued, looking pointedly at Teagan, “who, when faced with one of the most terrible monsters Equestria has ever produced wasn’t able to fight or run either. Yet she still managed to save my life, using nothing but her wits.”

“Matching wits with you is a game nobody can win,” Teagan said sourly. “You’ve lived so much longer than the rest of us your experience is freaking vast. So why don’t you tell me? Yes, or no, cousin? Should she go or should she stay?”

Celestia shook her head. “I don’t know, cousin. Emma must decide for herself. She’s the one most directly affected, and she’s old enough to make her own choice.”

“So, just to make sure I understand the score,” Emma spoke up, gaining the others attention. “Celestia says it’s my decision, and refuses to offer any advice. Twilight and Teagan both say go home because it’s too dangerous. Søyle says it’s my decision but seems to think I wouldn’t be completely useless in Hejm, so she says stay. Everybody agree with that?”

She stared determinedly around the table. No one said anything.

“Teagan, I’m not an idiot. The thought that undead monsters are real here scares the crap out of me. But you still need my help and frankly Hejm’s an entire city of trolls. It’s bound to have all kinds of defenses, just like this castle. The trolls have wizards like Alene Hule, too. So I’m not exactly walking naked into a snake pit now am I?”

“You really think your parents are going to let you come back?” Teagan asked incredulously.

“They might if you don’t mention the ambush, or the whole undead thing,” Emma shot back.

“You want me to lie? Queen of the trolls, remember?” Teagan retorted.

“You don’t have to lie, just don’t volunteer information,” Emma said. “Look, I know it’s dangerous, okay? I almost had my face chewed off! That’s a pretty big hint this place isn’t all tea parties and fashion shows!”

I must find a way to watch this “cartoon” of Equestria, Celestia thought in amusement. All the humans seem to think all we do is drink tea and play dress up. I can’t imagine why.

“It’s too dangerous, Emma. I don’t want to lose you,” Teagan said, clenching her fists.

“I’m not an idiot, Teelo,” the other girl said, rolling her eyes. “If a monster comes after me I’m going to run, preferably toward a bunch of big nasty trolls who can tear it apart for me. But you said it yourself. You were wrong. You can use my help.”

“That was before I found out Hejm was under siege,” Teagan retorted sharply. “And did you forget we have to go back to Earth? It would make it so much easier if you just stayed behind when I came back.”

“My choice,” Emma said firmly, pointing at Celestia. “She said so. She’s over a thousand years old, Teelo! She’s bound to know what she’s talking about! Søyle thinks I could be useful if I stayed. Even you think that. I may not be able to kill monsters, but I won’t have to, will I? There’s lots of trolls who would be glad to do that for me! Meanwhile I’ll still be able to help. Now promise me you won’t screw up my chances of convincing my parents to come back!”

Teagan stared at her friend, frustrated, but half convinced Emma was right. She could use her help, but at the same time…

“You’re asking me to let you risk getting yourself killed. You know that, right?” Teagan asked quietly.

“I’m not an idiot,” Emma repeated. “Let me help you. I don’t plan on getting killed.”

“Nobody plans on it,” Teagan said heavily. “Søyle, you really think she should stay?”

“She is clan, Dronning.” Søyle said quietly. “Clan belongs with clan.”

“What happens if we’re stuck in Hejm past fall?” Teagan asked suddenly. “If Hejm’s under siege there’s no guarantee we’d be able to get out. It’s an underground city, Emma! It’s not like we could fly away. We’d be there for the duration.”

“Actually, Lady Teelo, I could teleport into the city if necessary,” Celestia said quietly. “Undead cannot withstand the Sun. I could get you out.”

“Leaving Hejm without Crush? The Troll Council would just love that!” Teagan snorted. “And if we didn’t come home I wouldn’t be the only one inviting the wrath of the DCF to fall on our parents’ heads now would I?”

“Besides, how would you get your own Council to agree to that? Our little prank is one thing, but landing in a war zone? To fight? They’d chain you to the throne, Princess or not, and you know it.”

Celestia shook her head.

“Cousin, I am the Solar Princess,” she said quietly. “If push comes to shove I can override the Council. I don’t like doing it, because it causes no end of trouble, but I can if I have to.”

“Fine,” Teagan said, throwing up her hands. “Emma, are you sure?”

“I want to stay. Promise me you won’t do anything to screw up my chances.” Emma said quietly.

“I promise. I just hope you know what you’re getting into,” Teagan grumbled. “We need to get back to Earth ASAP. Princess, are you ready to pull off the most secretive prank in the history of practical jokes?”

“I am,” The alicorn said with a chuckle. “Twilight, why don’t you offer Emma a ride? We need to move quickly. May I give you a lift, cousin?” The alicorn’s horn lit up and gently picked Teagan up and placed her on her back. “Twilight, this is where we’re going, can you see?”

The lavender unicorn’s eyes began to glow even as Emma awkwardly climbed on her back. Twilight was a lot shorter than Celestia, so Emma could get on without telekenetic assistance.

“I do see, Princess.” Twilight said, eyes clearing, an odd smile on her muzzle. “And that’s a wonderful idea.”

“Søyle, I will return in about two minutes,” Celestia said to the troll. “If ten minutes pass, go directly to Faerie Mist and tell her what happened. Make sure you say Celestia told me to tell you gooseberry jam. Remember, gooseberry jam. She will know what to do. But it won’t come to that, I’m sure. See you in a couple of minutes.”

“Ja, Deres Høyhet,” Søyle said. “Dronning, return swiftly. The World Below needs you.”

“Two days,” Teagan swore.

There was a double-flash and the Ivy Bower was empty except for the impassive troll.

ooOoo

The world exploded into colors that left odd tastes in Teagan’s mouth, and sounds that smelled like nothing she could describe. It seemed to go on a long time before the world slammed back into her senses with a force that nearly knocked her from her perch on Celestia’s back. Her scrambled senses took a moment to recover.

She blinked to clear her vision. They were now in the ruined clearing, inside the ring of burned-out stubs that were all that remained of the torches. She slipped off Celestia, holding herself steady by keeping one arm over the Princess’s back while she forced the world to stay still.

“Objective one completed,” she murmured to herself, her other hand ready to draw Crush. Twilight had materialized near Celestia and was taking in the clearing with wide shocked eyes. Emma swayed on her back, looking sick.

“Oh my God! Is that what a drug trip feels like?” She moaned as she clumsily dismounted from the purple alicorn. “I think I’m gonna hurl.”

“No time! Princess, open the Bridge!” Teagan snapped, grabbing Emma to steady her. “Time to run, Emma.”

“Run? I can’t even stand up straight,” Emma complained, holding her stomach with one hand, the other on her forehead.

There was a pause that stretched interminably to Teagan’s adrenaline-jazzed senses before golden light from behind them brightened the overcast clearing and the Bridge sprang open. She urged Emma into a lumbering run straight toward the rainbow-edged hole in reality. Ten seconds later they collapsed on Teelo’s living room carpet, only to hear a loud yelp as something soared over them to land on the couch with a thud. The Bridge snapped shut behind them, leaving Teagan gaping at the room’s third occupant.

“Hi!”

Twilight smiled happily at the dumbfounded girls as she clambered to her hooves.

The End of the Beginning

In which the ivory dice are rolled.

ooOoo

Dear Diary,

If you’ve seen one mountain, surrounded by mountains, in the middle of mountains, you’ve seen them all. It’s Saturday afternoon and I am sick to death of riding. Teelo estimates we’re doing about two miles an hour as the crow flies and about six miles an hour over the ground. A human being can do three miles an hour at a brisk walk (or so Teelo says, she’s a font of knowledge when it comes to exercise, blargh).

Which means I can’t even try to walk or I’ll hold us up. Can you say bored?

Kusken is his usual chatty self, I got him to say ten whole words this morning! Teelo and I are running out of things to talk about. It’s gotten so bad that Søyle suggested we start learning Trollish.

At this point I’m willing to try anything!

Love,

Emma.

ooOoo

Thunder was running out of enemies to obliterate, so he started on doors. Fortunately, the lair must have originally housed creatures of significant size, letting the dragon pass easily. Unfortunately for the defenders what barricades existed were no match for the battering ram of the dragon’s armored snout.

He didn’t even slow down for doors.

Finding himself in a large chamber filled with all manner of necromantic laboratory equipment he simply blasted the contents, closing his eyes as the room exploded with a terrific bang. He grinned, enjoying the feel of shrapnel bouncing off his face.

Pulling his head out of the inferno he started hunting for more rooms to explode.

It really was making him feel so much better.

ooOoo

Twilight Sparkle paused, suddenly feeling her foul mood lift away for no discernible reason. Shrugging she decided to take a break from the mounds of paperwork and go for a stroll in the castle gardens. It was completely unprofessional but Twilight’s soaring mood would not be denied.

Besides, I’ve been working for a week straight. What did Celestia call it? Oh yes, Me time. Nobody will care if I take an hour off—or two. Two hours tops. Oh, what the heck? Maybe all afternoon!

Nodding in satisfaction she made her way toward the gardens with a clear conscience, two Royal guards silently shadowing her.

ooOoo

By the time Sombra caught up with the dragon he had already torched several labs and was heading for the main library. The thought of all those irreplaceable ancient scrolls and books, many predating the ponies’ arrival in Equestria, made even the black-hearted unicorn blanch.

“Turn him from the library,” Sombra hissed. “Distract him, bait him! But keep him away from there!”

The two bloody corpses charged at the dragon’s side as he was crossing the corridor in front of them. Thunder couldn’t see them coming because his head was far up the corridor. He roared as the two undead ponies slammed rear hooves against his vulnerable ribs with supernatural force.

One draugr was staggered by a slashing rear foot, the talons ripping through undead flesh with a sickening tearing sound. But the undead pony recovered quickly, the long ragged tears in its flesh closing almost immediately. The other draugr dove into the floor before the dragon’s head looped back and snapped at the first draugr, who leaped twenty feet backward to avoid it.

Meanwhile Sombra had teleported into position and seeing his chance unleashed crystal hell upon the dragon. He screamed in triumph as the razor sharp crystals shot toward the unsuspecting Thunder.

ooOoo

Earth, Sunday evening, June 8, 2013 7:21 PM Eastern Standard Time

“Man, you look like death warmed over,” The president noted as Admiral Spears rubbed his unshaven face, the stubble clear against too pale skin, his eyes bloodshot and baggy.

“Yeah, well you try sixteen hour marathon sessions back to back,” The man growled at his commander in chief. “Where’s that infamous coffee of yours, Mitchell? I need a couple of barrels of it.”

Wordlessly the Chief of Staff handed the NSA head a tall steaming cup, which the man took an incautiously large mouthful of.

After the inevitable spit back, the Admiral looked at the president with a sullen glare.

“We are screwed,” he announced in a hard flat tone, “so much.”

“Why?” President Bend asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I got a visit from Faust when I got home Friday night,” the man replied, taking a more cautious sip of the hot coffee. He swallowed and grimaced, gamely taking another swig.

“Something big is going down among the Fae, I’d bet my next year’s appropriation on it. Faust actually gave me a straight answer. Well, as straight as any of them ever are. And you aren’t going to like it.”

“I haven’t liked anything you’ve ever told me about the Fae,” The President said sourly. “We have to pussyfoot around them like they’re damned nitroglycerin. Give me the Russians any day. Dorog may a turbo-charged psycho but at least we know him, we’ve got assets in place. Even the Chinese can’t hold a candle to these damned faerie tale characters!”

“Yeah, well, check this out. That royalty Teagan O’Gara is mixed up with? It isn’t just a princess. It’s a queen—of the whole bloody seventh universe, no less.”

“How did you find that out?” The President asked, stunned.

“Faust. He was spouting off about her being on the move, and worlds spinning around her like jewels.” He snorted. “Destiny cannot gainsay her, apparently. And not even Faust knows what’s going to happen when it’s all over.”

“That doesn’t sound promising,” the Chief of Staff noted quietly.

“No, it doesn’t. Apparently there’s been a succession or a revolt, or something. Faust said she’s newly crowned, so it sounds like the Fae are maneuvering to take advantage of it. He also warned us the Fae know we’re snooping.”

“Wonderful,” the President said with a face palm. “Did Faust happen to give any advice?”

“Basically, he told us we should butt out,” the Admiral said in disgust. “Told me the Queen isn’t necessarily hostile to us right now, but if we stick our noses somewhere she doesn’t like she’ll swat us. He told me she tries to be kind but has a terrible temper. And, to put the cherry on top there’s high confidence she’s actually here on Earth right now.”

The President’s head snapped up. “You’re kidding.”

“We can’t be certain, but things that Faust said make it highly likely. Oh, and Faust gave us her title. In Norwegian, of all things. Her title is Dronning av Fjellet, which translates to Queen of the Mountain. Given everything else he said here’s what we’ve been able to nail down.

“The queen can travel between the universes. He specifically mentioned rainbows, which pretty much confirms it’s the seventh universe. He also said her subjects ‘dwell deep’. When you look at Norse mythology for subterranean creatures the very first thing that pops up are trolls.”

“What, little men with weird hair?” The Chief of Staff said with a grin. “My daughter used to collect them. Hey, somebody’s got to lighten this up!”

“No,” Admiral Spears said wearily. “Not little. Legends vary, but early ones say trolls are giants. They’re ten feet tall and extremely dangerous. Many legends say they eat humans, others that trolls are actively hostile. Precious few talk about neutral or beneficial interactions. Usually humans end up having to trick the trolls to get away.”

“Nice,” the President grumbled. “So, Faust is telling us the queen of a hostile nation is here on Earth, although she’s not exactly hostile to us herself. Oh, and she’s so important to the Fae everything she does is causing seismic waves in their balance of power. Is that what you’re telling me?”

“Pretty much,” the Admiral said with a wry grimace. “Oh, and Faust didn’t shy away from saying we’re out of our depth, either. He called us a pack of hounds that should have sense enough to not bite off more than we can chew. He got pretty serious when he talked about how terrible she could be if she got mad.”

“You think he’s right?” President Bend asked.

“Damned if I know,” the Admiral admitted. “But he’s never steered us wrong in the past. My advice is to keep an eye on it but do notdo anything that could be interpreted as a threat. And there is one final thing. Faust gave me one bit of advice straight up. If we do find her she won’t deal with underlings, only our king, i.e. you. And you’ll have to meet her on her terms, not yours.”

“Not going to happen,” the President said firmly. “The President of the United States does not go hat in hand like some beggar to meet a foreign leader, no matter how powerful she might be.”

ooOoo

Teagan stretched as she prepared to clamber down the side of the wagon. The sun was just touching the horizon as the trolls and ponies started to make camp. Emma groaned as she stretched, yelping as Kusken lifted her down without warning.

“Hey!” She protested grumpily. “I could have climbed down, you know! I’m not helpless!”

Kusken shrugged, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly, as he turned to tend to the wagon.

“Give it up,” Teagan advised her friend. “Trolls focus on practicality. I don’t think they even have a word for pride.”

“Is stolthet, Droning,” Kusken grunted as he knelt to inspect a wheel.

“I stand corrected,” she said drily. “I’m headed over to talk to Stormwind and Heavy Hoof. Wanna come with?”

“Sure. Better than standing around being grinned at,” Emma grumbled. “I’m glad we’re only a couple of days from Hejm. All this riding is giving me calluses in places you aren’t supposed to have calluses!”

Teagan laughed as the two girls strolled over to the expedition commanders and their seconds, a silent Skrent and Flint trailing them.

“How many?” They overheard Heavy Hoof ask as he frowned.

“At least a dozen, all loners,” Stormwind replied with a blank face. “It looks like they’re scouting for us.”

“What’s up?” Teagan asked, turning serious.

“We spotted a dozen undead skeletons, all ponies,” Stormwind said, saluting her before turning back to the scroll on the table, held open with clearly purpose made stones. “They’re in a rough semi-circle in the mountains behind us, probably about ten hours back.”

“If they’re scouts, where is the main force?” She asked, focusing on the map.

“We don’t know, and that’s a problem,” Heavy Hoof said. “If their tactics are anything like ours, the main force will be about half a day behind the scouts, since I can’t imagine skeletons can fly.”

“But windigos can,” Stormwind interjected. “Something told Thunder where to find us, remember?”

Heavy Hoof grunted in acknowledgement. “Still, if they had enough fliers to scout they wouldn’t be using ground units, now would they?”

“Which makes me wonder,” Teagan mused, “how many heavy hitters they actually have. It’s not like they can completely ignore logistics. They may not have to supply undead troops but they do have to procure them in the first place. A skeleton is bound to be easier to get than a windigo and a lot easier than a draugr, right?”

“Sounds reasonable,” Heavy Hoof allowed.

“Which means the bulk of their troops are going to be lightweights, relatively speaking. What kinds of undead are there in Equestria? I’ve heard of skeletons, zombies, vampires, windigos and draugr. Anything else?”

“Ghosts,” Meteor Swarm volunteered. “Shadow ponies, and a lot of weird-flank things from Scoltland that Earthen Stone is always blathering on about. Like the fachan, supposed to have one back leg in the center and a single foreleg sticking out of its chest, with one eye in the middle of its head and a mane as hard and sharp as a bunch of wire.”

“Only one leg? That doesn’t make it sound very dangerous,” Emma commented.

Meteor Swarm grinned. “It doesn’t, does it? Of course that’s before it bucks you in the head hard enough to put its hoof though your skull. Oh, and once it kills you it chops off half your legs so you rise as a fachan yourself at the next new moon.”

“You might have mentioned that first,” Emma said, deadpan.

“Scoltish undead tend to be like that. The Scolts were pretty uncivilized before the founding of Equestria,” the unicorn said with a chuckle. “A lot of their undead were corpses with bits and pieces lopped off before some evil magic reformed them and gave them unlife.”

“Nice,” Teagan said. “So are we anywhere near Scoltland?”

“Not too far, actually,” Meteor Swarm replied, turning serious. “It’s almost directly north of us, probably about a hundred miles or so, just south of the Crystal Empire. Earthen Stone is from the Scoltland Skylands. Come to think of it, so is your friend Sun Hammer.”

“Any chance these fachan things are real?” Teagan asked.

“Real enough, according to Earthen Stone, who claims his great grandfather managed to kill one. Stone tells me he saw the thing’s skull once, but then again Stone likes his tall tales.” The unicorn chuckled.

“Back to the point at hand, Lady Teagan is most likely correct,” Heavy Hoof said in a no nonsense tone. “The most common form of undead in their armies are likely the weakest. Let’s hope they haven’t had the time to create a lot of draugrs. As for the rest, well, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

“What are the odds the main force is actually waiting ahead to ambush us?” Teagan asked.

Heavy Hoof and Stormwind both grimaced.

“You have a nasty suspicious mind, Your Majesty,” Heavy Hoof commented. “Fortunately, so do I. Stormwind split his wing to scout ahead, behind, and to either side. No trace of them.”

Teagan frowned as she studied the map.

“We used magic to sneak away from the blood bird attack, right? Any chance an undead army could do the same? Would it be easier if they weren’t maneuvering?”

“It would be easier,” Meteor Swarm said, nodding, “except for two things. One, our caravan is relatively small. An undead army would be a lot harder to hide, depending on their numbers. On top of that, many kinds of undead are prone to explosive sunburn.”

Teagan barked a short laugh.

“True enough. But part of my nasty suspicious mind reminds me that an undead army wouldn’t need the kind of space a living army would. What’s to keep them from burying themselves during the day? Or maybe they stack themselves into a big pile that doesn’t take up a lot of room?”

Emma winced and Percival looked distinctly nauseous.

“Well, zomponies would attract vultures,” Stormwind pointed out.

“Yeah, you’d be hard pressed to cast a spell that could hide a stench that strong,” Meteor Swarm agreed. “I think your idea of them burying themselves is more likely.”

“The forests around here would make that easier,” Heavy Hoof noted gloomily. “At least we’d have a bit of warning though. Even a minute or two will help.”

“Maybe that’s why we’ve only spotted skeletons so far?” Teagan asked. “Sunlight doesn’t bother them, right? And they don’t smell.”

“True,” Meteor Swarm agreed.

“What about those shadow wolf things?” Emma spoke up. “How did they end up in the middle of Canterlot? We’re a lot closer to Hejm now. I’m surprised they haven’t tried that trick again.”

“Lady Emma, that is an extremely unpleasant idea. Why didn’t I think of that?” Stormwind asked rhetorically. “Commander, she has a point. A pack of shadow wolves could rip us up pretty bad with relative impunity.”

“Trolls can see in the dark,” Teagan offered. “I think they should be part of the night watch too.”

“Some of them already set watches, Your Majesty.” Heavy Hoof said. “But it might be helpful to have them in the outer perimeter instead of just the inner. Of course that means your personal protection will be lessened. As the expedition commander I must ask you consider any such action carefully. We do have limited night vision capability in Rolling Thunder. There’s also the matter of chain of command.”

“I’m the queen, Heavy Hoof.” Teagan said in a serious tone. “If I ask I’m sure I can find some volunteers. Pair them with a pegasus floating on a cloud out of immediate reach of attackers to help watch their backs—yeah, I could totally sell that.”

“Will they follow my orders?” Heavy Hoof asked skeptically.

“Ponies and trolls are clan, Heavy Hoof. If I ask them they most certainly would. Just make sure the pegasi paired with them keep that in mind, hmm?”

“Understood. It will be full dark in half an hour, Your Majesty. We have no time to waste.” He pointed out.

“Come on, Emma. We’ve got a defense to rally.”

It was just after full dark when the trolls and their pegasi partners formed the outer rim of their encampment.

“This is a good thing, Dronning,” Søyle said solemnly as she surveyed the new defensive arrangements. “Nothing bonds clan like defense of the hjerte.”

“I just hope this is a dress rehearsal, Søyle, and not opening night,” Teagan said, peering into the dark.

Can you see anything, Crush? she asked her symbiote mentally.

There are no enemies about. Sleep and I will keep watch, the club replied.

Are you all right? Teagan asked impulsively. She got the mental equivalent of an amused eyebrow.

I am a demon. I am never “all right”. But I am fully capable of keeping watch while you sleep. You need to be rested if there is an attack during the night.

True enough. Goodnight, Crush.

The human girls slept without a tent or fire just in case the undead army managed to find them.

This turned out to be prudent, as both were ripped from sleep by a troll’s angry bellow, followed by a loud crunching noise.

Teelo was struggling out of her sleeping bag before her eyes were fully open, drawing Crush without conscious thought. Emma sat bolt upright, trying to peer past Søyle, who had sprung in front of the girl before the latter had started moving.

“Det var en hest skjelett, jeg ødela det!” A troll’s deep voice rang out through the night. Neither human had learned enough trollish to understand what the troll was saying.

“A pony skeleton, Dronning,” Søyle growled. “The guard destroyed it.”

“Emma, stay here,” Teagan commanded. “Søyle, guard her.”

Two looming shapes rose to follow the girl as she strode, Crush in hand, toward the shout.

“Where are you going?” A four footed shape demanded.

“To see what’s going on,” she replied without breaking stride. Stormwind cut in front of her, bringing her to a halt.

“Don’t be stupid, Lady Teagan,” He growled, glaring at her in the darkness. “The sentry line is no place for you! Wait for a report like you’re supposed to do!You’re much too high-value a target to go running headlong toward a fight, you idiotic human!”

“Is that your professional opinion, Wing Commander?” She said, smiling in spite of the harsh rebuke. “I suppose you’re right. But if that wasn’t just a scout you’re going to need me and Crush to sweep them away. And that’s queen idiot, remember?”

“Come with me, Your Majesty,” Stormwind said in a mocking tone. “We’ll go to the command tent and find out what’s going on.”

Just then another troll shout split the night, followed by a screamed equine battle challenge from the same direction.

“We’re under attack! Skeletons on the west side!” a pony shouted.

Suddenly a light leaped skyward, and exploded into brilliance, lighting everything within a hundred yards.

It revealed a sea of moving bones charging toward them, pony skulls bobbing like foam as they closed the distance in horrifying near silence, the only sound a slight clattering noise, far too quiet for the wall of dull ivory closing in on them.

In the distance Teagan spotted a group of ponies on a rise behind the skeletal army. There was something wrong with them but she didn’t have time to study them, too intent on flinging herself into the air, the red glow already surrounding her as Crush’s magic caught and flung her outward.

Her eyes narrowed as time slowed down, coldly calculating whether she would reach the edge of the sentry line before the undead wave overwhelmed it…