EPISODE 7: MARE OF DISGUISE

Princess Luna's presence spread a wave of quietude over whichever room she entered. From what Quirky could tell, the headmare didn't mind in the least. With her head held high and expression unwavering, the princess appeared quite accustomed to such a response as all eyes and ears paid a significant fraction of their attention upon her graceful entries.

In places such as the main hall foyer – where Quirky found herself safely trailing after Princess Luna then – such instances were especially evident. Not only those on the same floor as the alicorn partially paused, but those on floors above did as well; a number that strolled between classrooms, the library, and even the observatory on the top floor took a moment to behold the mare's presence as she glided her way from place to place.

Quirky thought it a funny phenomenon. At the same time, however, the actress understood most had not been noting the princess's activity throughout the past few days, if at all. Though not much had occurred besides patrolling and random encounters Quirky felt deep inside that something important was on the verge of happening.

This sensation was different than her twitches that warned of danger, the latter of which were said to run in the family. Quirky only accepted the helpful intuition as a result of her theatrical endeavors. They saved her from embarrassment – and in this case, being spotted – countless times.

It was impossible to try and read the princess given her body language; it said about as much as a blank piece of paper. Not a dot of informality or inconsistency surfaced during the hours Quirky watched the alicorn. The actress credited the proper behavior and purposeful movements to her high status and calm demeanor, both of which were things anypony could have figured out.

Princess Luna's eyes, on the other hoof, held many signs. They were always narrow in observation with the teal-colored irises half-hidden, though Quirky liked to think of them more as ‘half-seeable’. They wandered throughout the chambers in which she roamed, examining only things of importance. At times her eyes seemed to wander without aim, and it was in those times that Quirky watched most fixedly.

Earlier in the day Quirky had seen the headmare's eyes moving more actively than in previous days. The shadow magic class had let out a few minutes early in the morning, and as the first one out she caught a glimpse of Princess Luna's eyes before she could hide them away. Quirky could picture how wide open they looked, as well as their intense color and focus.

It was a split-second sight, for soon enough the rush of students brought the headmare back to her usual consciousness. But Quirky had stored a mental picture in her brain. Its memory throughout the afternoon pressed her to follow the princess more earnestly than ever before.

To hide her face and body Quirky had briefly thrown on sunglasses, a straw hat, her bags, and a pair of overalls to hide her cutie mark. Though initially she received strange looks, none said anything nor confronted her. Things, on the most part, were going according to plan.

This costume isn’t drawing too much attention, is it..?

“Quirky? Is that you..?” inquired Starlight from a few measures away, his volume and pace decreasing as the mare stood completely still.

The stallion’s happy expression shifted into unease, but just before he could turn and walk away Quirky rushed toward him and covered his mouth before he could panic.

“Keep your voice down!” she hissed. “Ugh, I knew this disguise was bad. Stand still for a moment, would you?”

With a quick shift of her pink eyes back and forth, Quirky removed a blanket from one of her bags and draped it over the stallion like a cloth over a mannequin. Concealing herself behind the makeshift curtain, the mare swiftly dug through her things and threw together a disguise quite unlike that of before. She whipped out her mirror for a moment and then, in the blink of an eye, repacked everything into her packs, including the blanket she had thrown over Starlight.

Quirky settled her saddlebags on her back and stared at a wall nearby as though nothing had happened. Meanwhile, her friend's face started turning different shades of red.

“What is it, Starlight?” Quirky whispered, ruffled.

“Well, I- uh, I was going to ask what you were doing, but-”

“It's a theatre thing, you wouldn’t understand,” Quirky stated sharply. “And for the record, none of this ever happened, understand? Now, haven't I told you not to call me by name when I'm in ‘stealth mode’?”

“How am I supposed to know-?” Starlight started, but stopped. He looked over the mare, who now wore a moustache with a cowboy hat and shining star badge. “Actually, forget it. What am I supposed to call you if not by your name?”

Quirky suddenly felt her back hoofs twitching.

“Starlight, something's ahoof!” she gasped as she looked down to confirm that the quivers in her hind legs were, in fact, real.

“‘Something's Ahoof’? That's a bit of a weird name-”

“No no no, I mean my Quirky senses are tingling,” the mare explained. “Back hoofs shaking... that means-” She quickly scanned the foyer and spotted Princess Luna descending the spiral staircase. “Quick, turn around!”

She swung around and faced the corner of the chamber, which Starlight immediately imitated. Quirky collected her breaths as she imagined herself standing on set right as the curtains were rising. A crowd of stone statues faced her, but the mare did not mind the sight of them. Starlight, however, was holding his breath as his eyes expressed the shock toward the Princess Luna statue he had never before noticed.

Quirky tried to get his attention as she furrowed her eyebrows and wrinkled her nose, a clear message to hold himself back from exploding into panic. In the middle of her non-verbal message, though, Quirky's nuzzle started to fidget.

The mare gasped, “Quick, Starlight, I need you act natural!”

The stallion's head shook with unsureness. “What? Natural? We're facing a corner-”

“Just pretend like we're talking,” Quirky ordered.

“But we are talking-”

“Perfect, then just keep it up.”

Starlight stuttered. “But, but- for how long?” He stopped, but Quirky motioned for him to keep going. “I mean, uh, I-I guess I could tell a story. Okay, so, this one time when Twilight and I were going to check the observatory together-”

He paused. His face turned deep sanguine.

Quirky snarled, “What are you doing, keep talking!”

“On second thought, I-I don't want to do this anymore,” he uttered, still blushing. “How about you tell a story instead?”

All of a sudden Quirky felt her nose cease its twitching. “Oh! I think we're safe now.”

Upon hearing this, Starlight let an deep breath escape. “What... What's going on here, Quir- I mean, uh, 'stranger'? Or am I not supposed to ask that either?”

“You may. Currently, I'm following my target,” Quirky stated.

“Princess Lu-?”

Quirky shoved a hoof in Starlight's face. “Shush shush shush! Yes, her. I've spotted some strange signs in those eyes of hers. She's up to something, I know it.”

“So, you're stalking her?”

“'Stalking' is not the appropriate word, Starlight,” Quirky scoffed. “I'd rather you use the word 'tracking'.”

“I'm not sure that sounds any better.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Quirky cut in as she spotted the last bit of the princess's glowing blue tail disappear through the towering doors leading outside. “Follow me, Starlight, I may need your help real quick.”

Quirky dashed toward the door as Starlight scurried behind, confused yet compliant. As the two drew near it a wave of cool air from outside slowed them down to a trot, then a walk, until the both stood at the edge of the doorway.

“We need to keep up with her. Otherwise, we risk missing a cue that could better hint at what’s going on in Princess Luna’s mind,” Quirky whispered as she peeked outside. She immediately spotted the princess heading east toward the dormitory building. “And it looks like the only way to get closer is by sneaking through the bushes.”

The mare scanned their intended passage. Layers of snow covered the pines and brush, with large piles of the frozen precipitation sitting directly below the edges of the main hall roof. For the most part Quirky knew covering their tracks would be impossible. The only way to stay mostly out of sight was to sneak between the foliage next to the path and the buildings.

“We need to keep our distance,” Quirky said softly. “And be sure to keep as quiet as possible!”

Starlight could only gather himself enough to nod. Quirky, satisfied, felt the gravity of the situation help lower her body to the ground as she snuck her way out through the bushes along the path.

Every few steps she popped her head up enough to spot where the princess stood. Each time she checked, though, she also ended up staring back at Starlight, whose noisy steps in the crunchy snow constantly brought the leader to a stop. Quirky faces of frustration grew more intense each instance, which in reality was not far from the degree of annoyance that burned inside.

Halfway to where the princess then stood, though, Quirky's muzzle started to wiggle.

The mare turned and shoved Starlight's face into the snow, then quietly dropped to the ground herself. She knew Princess Luna was scanning the perimeter, and so halted their progress a minute. When her nose stopped twitching she peeked over the bushes and caught a glimpse of Princess Luna, who then stood at the edge of the central park facing the empty bay.

After a prolonged stare eastward, the princess cast her eyes up, then let them back down, and shortly after proceeded into the dormitory.

After the doors to the edifice closed with a solid thud, Quirky snorted in frustration. She gave Starlight a swift jab in the side, and the stallion's head wrenched from out of the snow as a yelp jumped out of his lungs.

“Ow! What was that for!?” Starlight whimpered.

“You were supposed to be quiet!” Quirky hissed back. “Haven't you ever tried treading lightly before?”

Starlight's eyes rolled upward in thought.

“Never mind,” Quirky said, calming herself. “In any case, I don't think we were seen. Ugh, this is just awful; I haven't made much progress in understanding the headmare's expressions.”

“What expressions?” Starlight asked, dumbfounded. “She always looks the same to me.”

“I’m beginning to think that's what she wants everypony to think. In reality there's a complex voice inside of her head, one that constantly tells her to conceal whatever it is she's feeling. I just know it.”

Starlight sighed. “Have you ever wondered if you're just imagining things? I'm pretty sure I've heard of this tendency to over-analyze-”

“On the contrary, dear Starlight,” Quirky interrupted with a smirk, “I call this strange situation 'hidden dialogue'. You should really take some theatre courses if you can. You as well, Colgate.”

Starlight's eyes twitched. “Wha-? Colgate?”

“SHOOT!” boomed the voice of the named mare from behind, sending Starlight launching into the air in surprise.

The stallion landed in a pile of snow on his back. When his eyes opened they could only wander in circles across the cotton-clouded sky above. The two mares wandered over to his twitching body and giggled.

“Looks like I least got one of you,” Colgate stated with pride. “How'd you know I was right there, Q?”

“Your deep breaths gave you away,” Quirky said with a grin. “Specifically, I've noticed that you inhale more deeply when outdoors than any other pony I know.”

“What can I say? Outdoors are the best,” Colgate said as she inhaled a lung full of the fresh, cool air.

“Now, what is it that gave us away, Colgate?” Quirky asked.

“I saw you two ever-so-slowly make your way out of the main hall,” Colgate laughed. “I watched you two sneak around for a bit from the door after the headmare, too. It was entertaining enough to keep me watching, especially Starlight; he really needs to learn to keep his rump closer to the ground.”

“I see,” Quirky grumbled. “It seems I may be in need of a new companion as Starlight is not quite... up to snuff. Maybe I should find some other pony to help me.”

Colgate puffed out her chest and announced, “Well, Quirky, I'm happy to inform you that I know just the pony for the job. Sneaky, smart, the whole package.”

“Do you-? Ah! Ahaha, I see what you're getting at,” Quirky said as Colgate smiled as she closed her eyes and smiled proudly. “The question, then, is how best to get Twilight to comply.”

Colgate's sense of uplifting crashed head-first into a cliff. “Twilight? Really?”

“Oh! Silly me. Cut, take two,” Quirky giggled as she snapped her hoofs together. “Lyra said it would be best not to involve that busybody in all of this.” The lavender mare glanced over at Colgate, who was still staring with an unimpressed frown. “I’m kidding, Colgate. Would you care to help? You like your little adventures and whatnot after all even after what happened last time...”

“Would I!?” Colgate exclaimed, but suddenly feigned uncertainty. “Well, I mean, I dunno. I'm pretty busy and everything.” She pretended to think through her schedule as she patted her head pensively. “Okay, I'll help.”

“Splendid!” Quirky blurted out. “You’ll play the part well enough. For now, I think I'll see where the princess is headed. Dinner's in a few hours, so I guess that would be the best time to meet again, don't you think, Colgate?”

“Yeah, sure, this evening,” Colgate muttered as she trailed behind her prancing friend. “‘Play the part well enough’... psh.”

---

Carrot soup was always a special on some day of the week, and it typically was served the supper before each restful weekend. Quirky knew its scent the second she walked in, but the actress did not care to head for the buffet right away. Instead she set out to find the others and fill them in on what she all had witnessed.

She found her friends at their usual table in the middle of the hall, though some had not yet arrived. Each of their faces were filled with the typical delight that emerged at least three times a day. The conversation of those present – Colgate, Lyra, and Pokey Pierce – was minimal. Their mouths were full almost every second; when they were vacant, each pony was too busy licking their lips in anticipation of the next taste.

A majority of the tables surrounding them acted in a similar manner, leaving the dining area far less noisy than during any other meal at the academy. Quirky was prepared to inject some vigor into to the hushed atmosphere.

“Good evening, everypony,” Quirky said with a smile as she sat herself down.

The three nodded in acknowledgement of her presence and continued. Quirky felt her smile fade, but quickly gave the greeting game another try.

“How has everything been going today? Anything interesting in particular?”

The three halted for a moment again, this time for more than a split second. Lyra lifted her head to swallow the mouthful of soup she had stored in her cheeks like a chipmunk and let a drawn-out breath ease out to demonstrate the bliss from that which she ate.

“Nah.”

And with that she went back to eating. The others nodded at the reply and continued as well. Quirky rolled her eyes as she fished for another idea.

“I see, nothing interesting,” Quirky said. “Well then, what if I told you that I had something interesting to share? Not to mention, it concerns our dear Princess Luna?”

The others kept eating, but Quirky could see their eyes beginning to shift in her general direction. When Starlight arrived bearing his own tray, his eyes fell on the group whose ears were all pointed to the actress. The lavender mare let a grin slip from her otherwise serious facade as she knew everypony present was at least listening.

“I just so happened to observe the princess acting differently today,” Quirky stated, “and I must admit: something strange is ahoof.”

The others began eating slower and slower as the magic holds on their spoons started to fade. Quirky could spot eyes growing wider.

The mare continued on, only then with her typical story-telling voice, “It was not a half hour ago when classes let out. Princess Luna had an extremely lost expression on her face, one I've never seen her show before. As session ended this morning she returned to her usual emotionless facade, but I saw hints of that strange look when Starlight and I followed her outside.” She paused as the image of Princess Luna's face flashed into her memory. “It was almost as though she were contemplating a most serious matter, something that she wouldn't tell another soul in the world.”

“Really?” Starlight questioned, but Lyra interjected.

“Shh! Go on,” Lyra instructed, absorbed by the tale at that point.

Quirky nodded graciously. “If I had to guess, I would think that Princess Luna is planning something. Just what, though, I'm not sure.”

“Wait a minute,” Pokey remarked, “what's Princess Luna doing while we're in session in the morning staring at stuff?”

“I, I don't think the ‘morning’ part of that is very significant,” Quirky answered. “What I think is important is that she's hiding something. Trust me, Pokey, I know odd behavior when I see it; after all, I've had to act it out many times before.”

“I didn't think Princess Luna looked that strange when we followed her,” Starlight stated, though below his breath.

But Quirky heard and replied, “That's because you were too busy making a ruckus.”

The stallion rested his head on a hoof and grabbed his spoon dejectedly. “It's not my fault you dragged me into it.”

“Well you did approach me-” Quirky stopped. Her eyes shot open, a sight the others did not often see outside of her acting. “Wait! Princess Luna hasn't arrived late for supper yet. But, she's never late to anything, she's driven by clockwork. That must mean-”

All eyes watched as Quirky stood.

“There's no time to waste!” the mare proclaimed. “Colgate, we need to find her right away!”

But the blue mare, whose bowl of soup wasn't even half-finished, shot a nasty glare as she hovered over her meal.

“Not until I finish this,” Colgate growled.

“No! Now!” the actress ordered with a stomp. After a second passed without Colgate moving – except for the spoon closer to her mouth – Quirky grabbed her friend by the tail and dragged her away from the table.

Colgate flailed her hoofs about as her carrot soup slowly slipped from her reach.

“Nooooo! Carrot soup, Quirky! CARROT SOUP!”

“Don’t worry, Colgate! There will be another time for you to enjoy your soup,” Quirky stated as her friend whimpered. “On the other hoof, we only have one shot at this opportunity.”

Quirky continued to drag Colgate out into the foyer, right where the coolness of the giant chamber fell upon the faded golden light of the dining hall. The blue mare, cross, rose after her friend let go of her tail.

“Are going to join me or what?” asked Quirky.

Colgate rolled her eyes and growled, “Fine, but you owe me.”

“What? You volunteered!” Quirky exclaimed. “Don't act like this is so random – trust me, I know. Now, if I recall correctly, Princess Luna is only late if she has last-minute meetings with professors. She meets students only after mealtime unless they're in trouble. In either case, she typically holds her meetings in one of two places: her own chamber, if time permits, or-”

“Outside along the walkway?”

Quirky paused. “How'd you know?”

“Because I see them outside along the walkway.”

Quirky darted over to the nearby window where, surely enough, she could spot two figures – one a majestic alicorn's silhouette, the other one a unicorn like so many at the school – pacing along the path. The moonlight, partially hidden by dark patches of clouds, only permitted Quirky and her companion to make out the outlines of the two characters.

Quirky squinted. “Who is that accompanying the headmare?”

“Probably an instructor,” Colgate proposed.

“Why don't we listen in and find out, hmm?”

Colgate smirked. “Yeah, like it's that easy. Wait, did you drag me along so I could be your decoy?”

“Nonsense!” Quirky replied. “I have better, safer plans.”

The mare lit her horn a light lavender color, and in a flash a large black cone was hovering before them.

“What the hay is that?” Colgate asked, holding back a laugh. “You plan on capturing sound waves or something with that dinky thing?”

“Actually, yes, with the help of my 'Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun' spell. We use it in theatrical performances to talk to each other backstage when we're on opposite sides of the scene. It's actually quite useful, especially when you want hear somepony whispering without them knowing.” A devilish grain slipped across Quirky's face, to which Colgate shied away. “What I need you to do, Colgate, is to hold open one of those doors so they don't get in the way.”

Colgate, speechless, nudged open one of the main hall doors until Quirky motioned for her to stop. Safe within the confines of the foyer – though not out of reach of the freezing temperatures outside – the two listened as two voices spouted from out of the actress's creation.

“Hast thou news of progress, then?” came the voice of Princess Luna. “Thou hast indicated that word has come from Canterlot.”

The voice of Madame Lonsdaleite followed, “Yes, I do have some things to say. After having spoken with the others, we have come to a general consensus, which we have written here. It shouldn't involve any more... disasters.”

“Magnificent,” the headmare said with a short laugh as the unfurling of a scroll followed after. “I only hope that things shall begin to take a turn in our favor. Our plans hath been delayed for far too long.”

“Y-Yes, Princess Luna, what you say is most true,” Lonsdaleite confessed with a stammer. “I believe we have a better idea now of what needs to be done and what kind of time we need. I do wonder, though, if this strict secrecy has really been for the better-”

“Nothing more needs to be said, Lonsdaleite. Or dost thou wish to question my commands?”

“N-No, Princess Luna,” Lonsdaleite replied apologetically. “I meant nothing of the sort. Do forgive me, my mind is not as it should with all this thinking and planning.”

“In time, Lonsdaleite, and this burden of which you speak shall pass.”

Quirky felt her insides back-flip; her inner alarm was going off like a siren warning of an oncoming tornado. She could even sense the warning signs going off in Colgate's head as the two locked eyes.

“It seems favorable to me that we return to the dining hall promptly,” Princess Luna stated. “It is uncharacteristic for us to be late and may arouse suspicion amongst the students.”

“I wouldn’t worry if I were you, Princess Luna,” Professor Lonsdaleite laughed nervously. “I'm sure the students haven't noticed a thing.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 26 (Episode 7): Improvisation Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 3 Minutes