Chapter 29: An Invitation

To celebrate Gearhead’s recent success, and a nice day in general, the others decided to invite him and Snowbelle on a picnic. It was a very pleasant day, and apart from the distance that remained between Fluttershy and Gearhead and the unexplained orb surrounding Canterlot in the distance, everything seemed to be perfect.

“So explain to me again what’s this new D.A. thing you’re suddenly working for,” Applejack said.

“The Defence Alliance? It is not, in itself, new, however because of the way the arrays I have designed would be deployed, the way the Alliance would defend Equestria would be fundamentally changed.

“The Alliance itself was founded in the days we know of through the Hearths Warming Eve story. Using the Verdant’s farming abilities they would keep the ponies fed well enough to survive the long winter. The Azure provided what weather control they could, although the snowstorms remained outside their control. Fortunately, security was easier for them, and they founded the elite unit that would become the Bolts From the Blue.”

“Never heard of them,” Dash said.

“What about ‘Skybolts?’”

“They’re only the Wonderbolts of Western Equestria!” Dash paused in her gushing. “Oh, you’re saying they’re the same.”

“True. ‘Bolts From the Blue’ is fairly unwieldy to say, and not really conducive to be shortened or being made into an acronym. It remains the unit’s official name, but in the sky and on the ground they earned their other name through the main feats of valour recorded in the Azure Library.”

“That’s pretty awesome, but they’re no Wonderbolts.”

“Naturally since the Azure’s Skybolts are the most active in serving Equestria as a military unit, they also train with Princess Celestia’s own units as well, in case a situation arises where they have to coordinate their efforts. This means training with City Guards, Royal Guards, and yes, even the Wonderbolts.”

“No way,”

“Yes way. Wing Commander Windwalker and Aunt Aerial were officers, and then instructors, with the Wonderbolts.”

“’Aunt?’” Rarity asked.

“That is what she asked me to call her, while I was studying the Azure’s magic.”

“You mean Pegasus magic?” Dash asked.

“Exactly. Anyway, both served with distinction, and then Uncle Windwalker returned to Las Pegasus to begin his first tour with the Skybolts. Aunt Aerial injured her right wing extremely badly. After she was brought to Hoofington to try to recover, the two of them married. They still sometimes serve as instructors, but Aunt Aerial cannot fly.”

“That’s awful!” Fluttershy said.

“Not being able to fly would drive me crazy,” Dash said.

“Couldn’t you heal her wing with your Alicorn Engine?” Twilight asked. “You did say that it healed a really bad injury for you.”

“I do not know for certain yet whether or not it would work, or be worth the risk. I hope it is, because I want to help her fly again. The Azure family was not able to help me gain much better control of my magic, but they did make me feel welcome. Prism and her Flight were my first friends, so I owe them a great deal.”

“Do I detect a hint of something more toward Prism?” Rarity asked. “The last time they were here, she was all over you, was she not?”

“Prism first approached me out of curiosity, and I cannot say for certain whether she ever had the time to get over that. I do not doubt, however, that I would not be any good for her, and not as a Black Sheep. I fear that my being around her would drive her to acts of daring more foolish than she would around even Contrail. If she ended up like her mother because of me, I would never be able to forgive myself, and neither would she.”

“Why would you think that?” Dash asked. “She’s plenty daring on her own.”

“Because she might believe that with my magic, I can grant her any sort of flying ability, and that I could heal any wound. Magic has very well-defined limits, if you, as a mage, are sticking to the rules. To Prism, limits are there to be broken.”

“You mean they’re not?” Pinkie asked.

“Not for a normal mage, or as normal a mage as I am,” Gearhead said. “But we have gone far off-topic.

“The Third Conclave of Flowing Shadows is the third and final House in the Alliance, and its successor, the Defence Alliance. With the specialties of Shadow and Ice Magic, skilled mages have been researching deeply into what they can and cannot permissibly do. The Conclave provides the princesses with key information and new spells, which they can then decide whether or not they should use.

“Until now the Alliance has been mostly responsible for keeping Western Equestria secure and peaceful, but now the D.A. will have a hoof in the deployment of entire batteries that will defend cities and towns entirely from dark threats. The particles may affect crops and water even with a focused shield, affecting the way the Verdant does things. With cities being defended, the Skybolts will be able to focus on other efforts. And since the arrays are primarily anti-Dark, the way the Conclave operates will likely change.”

“’Anti-Dark?’ Won’t that keep the Conclave and Luna out?” Twilight asked.

“There are exceptions to the rule, but I want to make it so the arrays could even tell the difference between Luna and Nightmare Moon.”

“Isn’t that gonna complicate things?” Dash asked. “I mean, you haven’t even met Nightmare Moon. How’re you gonna make your machines recognize her?”

“For now, extrapolation and other guesswork, because I know what Luna’s signature looks like, and I know what Dark Magic looks like. And if we ever see Nightmare Moon again, I can record her signature specifically.”

“It’s amazing that you’re in the middle of all of this,” Twilight said, “but when are you going to be able to present all of this to Princess Celestia?”

“The contract is nearly ready, but the array still needs work before it will be completed. And to do that, I have to finish testing my new prototype.”

“You’ve been working on that for ages,” Twilight said.

“Yeah,” Pinkie said, “except for when you turned into Dusty.”

“Except for when you snuck off to go work on it anyway,” Dash added.

“Really?” Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“It was hilarious: He thought I didn’t see him!”

“Well, you need not worry because I was more limited in what I could do. But now I am –“

Right then, Spike took on an expression of trying to swallow too much air. He belched out a letter, and Snowbelle jumped to catch it in her talons. She took off, flying it to Twilight’s waiting magical grip.

“What does it say?” Rarity asked while Twilight read through the letter once, and again.

“It seems there’s going to be a wedding in Canterlot, and we’re all invited.”

“A Canterlot wedding?” That news alone seemed to make Rarity stagger. Very discretely, Spike spat out another letter, and started looking it over.

“Princess Celestia wants Applejack to handle the catering,”

“It’d be an honour,”

“Fluttershy’s songbirds can provide a chorus during the ceremony,”

“Oh my,”

“Pinkie Pie would be in charge of the reception,”

“Yip, yip, yip, yippy!” Pinkie did a cartwheel, knocking one of the tea kettles over. Twilight used her magic to clean it up.

“Rainbow Dash, she’s asking you to perform a Sonic Rainboom as the bride and groom conclude their vows.”

Dash did a spit-take, which was fun to see. “Oh wow,” she said.

“Rarity, the Princess wants to ask you to design all the gowns for the bride and her bridesmaids?”

“Oh my...” Rarity swayed this way and that before swooning on the picnic blanket.

“Gearhead, she’s asking that you showcase your latest innovation,”

“Someday I will discover how she knows these things,”

“And I will be in charge of the planning, and making sure everything goes off smoothly.”

“It sounds like Princess Celestia has chosen the perfect honours for all of us,” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah, but what I don’t understand is whose wedding all this is for,” Twilight said, turning the paper over and over. Gearhead could only think of one couple that could be heading toward matrimonial bliss, but felt this was a bit too soon for them. Twilight was right: what was going on?

“Here you go,” Spike said, offering up the second letter. “I guess Princess Celestia sent the first one second by mistake.”

“That’s unusual,” Twilight said, and then she started to read. “’We cordially invite you to Canterlot Castle for the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and...’ my brother?!”

“There’s another Princess?” Applejack asked.

“You have a brother?” Rarity asked.

“Well yes, but neither ever came up in conversation before. I’m sorry if it seemed like I was hiding him from you. But who is this ‘Princess Mi Amore?’ And why would Shining Armour be marrying so suddenly, and to somepony I don’t even know?”

Gearhead was having trouble holding his laughter back. Most of his difficulty did not come from his considerable ability to keep a secret, but from the positive feedback loop he had with Snowbelle also trying to keep herself from laughing. Their psychic link was making it harder to hold back by the second, until Snowbelle fell to the ground from her perch beside Twilight, and started rolling even while she let loose her silvery laughter. The dam also broke for Gearhead, and before he could cover his mouth with both hooves, he was laughing from the belly.

The others stared at them both until they calmed down and recovered enough to explain. “You do not see it?” Gearhead asked, wiping away a tear.

Twilight shook her head, and returned to an impatient glare.

“’Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’ is not at all a familiar name?”

“I think I said as much before,”

“Not even ‘Cadenza?”

Twilight merely continued to stare at him.

“C-eh-dense-a?”

For a moment, Gearhead was afraid that Twilight would take his spoken emphasis as calling her ‘dense,’ but then she slapped a hoof to her face. “Cadence!”

“I beg your pardon, but who?” Rarity asked.

“Cadence was my old foalsitter, when I was growing up in Canterlot.”

“You had a princess for a foalsitter?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.

“When you put it that way...”

“Who in Princess Celestia’s name are you, Twilight Sparkle?” Dash asked.

“What do you mean? I’m me.”

“Now that I think about it, there’s a whole bunch of amazing stuff that happened to you even just until the time we met you,” Applejack said.

“What do you mean, apart from Cadence being my foalsitter? And yes, I already knew how amazing that was when it was happening.”

“There’s that, but also the fact that Princess Celestia chose you as her protégée,” Dash said.

“I wouldn’t have been chosen, without your help, Rainbow Dash. Even though you didn’t know you were helping me... and everypony else, for that matter.”

“And while all our Elements are necklaces, yours is a tiara,” Rarity said.

“Okay, I don’t know why my Element came out as a tiara.”

“Maybe Princess Celestia knows,” Gearhead said.

“And then again, maybe not,” Twilight said. “I mean, I may have had a royal foalsitter, gotten chosen as a princess’s protégée, and have a crown-shaped Element, but Princess Celestia also obviously sees my brother as being special, and he doesn’t have any of that!”

“Because he’s marrying your old foalsitter, the princess?” Pinkie asked.

“That, and because they don’t just let anypony become the captain of the Royal Guards.”

“Princess... Royal Guards... Captain...” Clearly overwhelmed, Rarity went directly to swooning this time. Twilight was practically ready, dragging a pillow over with her telekinesis to catch her falling friend. Snowbelle giggled at her idyllic expression.

“I gotta grant Rarity this much,” Applejack said, “this is a bigger honour than we’d originally thought.”

“Yeah well, apparently my Big Brother Best Friend Forever doesn’t feel I should be honoured enough to hear about this straight from the horse’s mouth, since I had to learn about it from an invitation!”

“I think that perhaps the good Captain had a lot on his mind?” Gearhead said.

“And you! You’re not getting off easy either, Mister. You knew about this?”

“Please calm down, Twilight. I met Cadence and Armour when I went to Canterlot to train with Princess Celestia and Luna. I even ended up training with them. In the time we spent together, I learned that they were courting, but I am as surprised by this as you are: it is very fast pacing. I thought they would wait longer, and that Armour would tell you first. I did not have any idea that this would happen now.”

“That does make sense,”

“Good,”

“But that doesn’t mean I’m not still furious at my brother for not telling me!”

“You are not about to keep this grudge going during the whole train ride into Canterlot, are you?”

“’The whole ride?’ Gearhead, you’ve got a lot to learn about mares, and especially mares who are angry with their siblings: we can hold grudges for years if we have to.”

“Oh brother,” Gearhead said under his breath. You are in for it now, S.A.

Gearhead guessed he really should not have been surprised that between Princess Celestia and Luna, the royal sisters already knew that the twin-core prototype was ready. One way they could have known was because the energy it generated was based on their own magical signatures. If they could detect signatures that were similar to their own in any way, they would have sensed the new prototype as he put it through its paces, even in the Laboratory. The other method was through Luna’s dreamwalking.

Gearhead had created a testing rig that allowed him a full range of motion while still keeping him and the prototype stable and static. It was basically a flexible adamantine web. During the test, Gearhead had discovered that the way the new Engine could deploy its particles was far more efficient and precise than what he had been able to do with the single-core, even with the stabilizer. This led him to redesign the harness apparatus completely.

Since the twin-core could deploy the particles to his whole body quickly, he no longer needed the hood and leggings to ensure he was properly protected from most impacts, as long as the Engine was running properly – and when it was not, he could turn to his magic for further protection, something about which he had not had any idea about back when he designed the first prototype.

With the harness itself, Gearhead kept the webbing flexible and durable as it ran throughout the vest, but he also made small scales out of the same gemstones as his condensers, for added storage. Even the condenser for the chest could be smaller, and woven underneath the surface fabric. Adding pockets made it harder to distinguish between the vest Gearhead normally wore and the harness. He reinforced the whole thing by lacing it with dragonfired adamantine lines to ensure the harness would not break apart under the stress from his manoeuvres.

The twin cores were half the size of the original single-core, but still made with seven rings of pure gemstones, each etched with just the right topological defects as to maximize particle production. Each cone sat on an actuator arm, so they could be turned, together or independently, to deploy particles to all sides of Gearhead, even up and down, past his body. When at rest, he could fold the cores to his back or sides, like a backpack or saddlebags.

Gearhead replaced his original goggles with a pair of tinted glasses. They had thick, dark blue frames that stuck close to his face, and a single, large lens shaped like two triangles facing outward that were joined by a rectangle. Much of the same filters and HUD technology was in this piece as Gearhead had put into his goggles. They had a strap that attached to the temples so he could hang them from his neck, but he could also prop them on his head when he was not using them.

The other new addition was also the first actual weapons to be included in the Alicorn Engine’s design: twin bladecasters that were also attached to a system of actuators so he could wield them at the same time in pony form, or rest them against his back or rear legs when he was not using them. He would not deny, however, that they would best be used while in Agile Form. The blades were flat, dull, and truncated so that without particles they could only be used as bludgeoning weapons at best. Emitters opened up near the guard on the flats of both sides. Based on a Unicorn’s horn, these would unleash compressed blasts of particle energy at an enemy. Naturally, Gearhead would also be carrying his daggers, but he no longer had to worry about transferring them over to another set of scabbards since he would not be wearing his old leggings with this Engine.

For the journey to Canterlot, Gearhead would only need to bring the Twin Engine and his formal longcoat. Jet black like the one he wore in Agile Form, this one had a lapel and a much more refined cut to it. The only marking was the Verdant crest, two trees rising in a ‘V’ from a field – in his case, rendered in a silver outline. This, too, was a mark of his being a Black Sheep, and he was to wear it to all formal occasions. The upside was that he never had to worry about what to wear the way the Elemental Six did. The downside was that everypony who was familiar with Herd history would know that he was the Black Sheep, and therefore the lowest of the low among the gentry. That alone did not bother Gearhead, but he would not want his stigma reflected onto others.

Mind you, that was the main reason he believed it would be a bad idea to date or marry, and therefore a big reason why he had agreed to let Fluttershy take her time evaluating whether she wanted to be in a relationship with him that ran deeper than friendship. That had been in consideration only of her and himself.

Now Gearhead had come to recognize that he should take Snowbelle’s needs into account as well. Seeing his younger siblings play with her, and seeing the love Mother, Big Sister Ivy, and Dawn showered onto her, Gearhead knew that Snowbelle needed that kind of affection from a female figure. On a consistent basis. Meaning he could not just fly her back to Verdant Fields every time she started to sulk. And besides, if he did that she would learn the wrong message. Father and Mother had never spoiled any of his siblings, and he was not about to start doing so with Snowbelle. It should be easier for him not to mess up with her, considering their psychic link. Despite that, he had messed up really badly when it came to Fluttershy, as far as Snowbelle was concerned. Gearhead still hoped that with time, Fluttershy would be able to approach them again, without fear of reprisal from Snowbelle.

Gearhead strapped the Twin Engine on, and packed his formal longcoat into one of his saddlebags. He made sure to take plenty of Ice Crystals for Snowbelle before he put a sign up informing customers of where he would be for a few days before locking up. Snowbelle hopped onto his shoulders to rest between the cores, and Gearhead went into an easy canter to meet up with the others at the station. Today they would be leaving all his other gadgets behind, because a wedding was surely about the bride, and not about sales!

While the others were very obviously focused on the joyous occasion ahead, from Twilight’s scowl it was clear to Gearhead that she had other things on her mind, all the way to Canterlot. While Gearhead was most interested in the distinctive purple shield that surrounded the city, he still kept half an eye on the others.

As the train approached the shield, the sensors embedded in Gearhead’s glasses beeped softly, so he tossed his head to knock them onto his snout. Normally it would take nearly a minute’s worth of contact to get a full sensory reading from a spell like this, but with the train passing directly through the shield, the sensors got everything right away – not to mention the fact that Gearhead had previously loaded all of the magical signatures he had encountered into the Engine system’s library for instant recognition.

“Well, this is interesting,” he murmured as he felt the tingle from the shield.

“Whoa, what’s with all the extra guards?” Dash asked. Gearhead looked out on the platform and realized she was right: there were guards with the City and Royal Garrisons stationed everywhere. The train pulled to a stop, and as soon as the doors opened, the friends made their way off.

“Royal weddings do bring out the strangest ponies,” Rarity said.

“Achoo!” Pinkie’s sneeze stopped her in mid-stride, but she immediately got moving again, as though confetti coming from her nose was normal.

Maybe for her it is, Gearhead thought. “How many royal weddings have you attended?” He asked instead.

“Well, there haven’t exactly been any for awhile.”

“It is perfectly fine to speak from the common experience rather than your own,” Gearhead said.

“Even if we did bring the ‘strangest’ pony with us,” Dash added. Pinkie snorted in laughter.

“In any case, I can’t wait to congratulate the lucky bride and groom,” Rarity said.

“Yeah, congratulate,” Twilight said, marching off. “I’m going to find my brother and give him a piece of my mind!” The guards recognized Twilight and let her pass, but their expressions at that last comment made it obvious they had some questions, or maybe they pitied their captain for what was coming.

“Lets... give them some space,” Applejack said.

“Agreed,” Rarity said. “Lets let the siblings work things out.”

Another guard approached. “If you would follow me, I will help you to get settled in,” he said.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Rarity said.

Since most of Twilight’s party had been to Canterlot at one time or another, Princess Celestia seemed to have arranged to put them up in rooms that they had used in the past. Gearhead and Twilight both got their old rooms back, and in Rarity’s case, her royal suite doubled as her workshop.

Once he was certain everypony was settled, Gearhead went to find Princess Celestia. With a little help from Kibitz, her personal secretary, Gearhead found her in the Sky Terrace.

“Greetings, Gearhead,”

“I have some questions, if you do not mind answering them, Princess Celestia.”

“Go ahead,”

“All of the guards and the shield – is this wedding that important?”

“I am afraid the additional security has very little to do with the wedding,” Princess Celestia said. “A threat had been made against Canterlot, and as vague as it is, my sister and I have decided that it would be best to stay at high alert until we can be certain the danger has passed.”

“Are you not concerned that remaining so for a long period may leave the Guard with its nerves frayed?”

“I have complete trust in the Canterlot Royal Guard,”

“Still, the load for maintaining the shield rests on one stallion.”

“Fortunately his wife-to-be can heal him of his fatigue, although I do hope the threat passes quickly.”

“What about the Caverns?” Canterlot in particular had an alliance with the Jackrabbits, Moles, and Goblin Ponies that resided in Canterlot Mountain. They traded, and on top of that the Jackrabbits, Moles, Goblins, and even a certain Arctic Dragon kept the caves clear of threats. Canterlot, in exchange, also kept threats from coming at these three tribes from the surface world. The alliance was something that Gearhead, Shining Armour, Cadence, and Spike had helped to broker, although Gearhead suspected that Princess Celestia had suspected someone was down there when she sent just the four of them to investigate the mountain.

“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza assures me that Shining Armour’s unit is keeping them secure. Nopony shall attack us from there.”

Attack us? This is not right, not at all. The more Princess Celestia said, the greater Gearhead’s feeling that something was ‘off’ became, not least of all because she was being far more aggressive yet formal than he remembered her ever being, even with Discord. “Thank you, Your Highness, for answering my rude inquiries. Pray, excuse me.” Gearhead bowed, and backed away toward the tower entrance. He kept backing up until he was completely out of the princess’s sight. Then he turned and beat a hasty retreat from the immediate vicinity.

Gearhead sent Snowbelle to look into things around the castle while he did a little reconnaissance of his own. Accordingly, he found the others already deep in preparation for the reception. Most of the others moving about the castle were palace staff or hired hooves here specifically for the wedding. Princess Celestia had cut down on those significantly, though, by having Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie handle the catering, garments, and reception respectively.

Gearhead was not quite so surprised not to spot any stallions fitting Gizmo, 8-bit, or Gaffer's descriptions at the palace yet, considering the wedding was still in its preparations phases. According to what Shining Armour had told Gearhead about his best friends, as well as about Buck Withers, they would probably want to stay out of the way, and arrive just before the rehearsal.

More surprising to Gearhead was the absence from his and Snowbelle’s sight of mares matching Lemony Gem’s and Diamond Rose’s descriptions: Gearhead figured they had to be at least Cadence’s bridesmaids – although he could not begin to guess who the Maid of Honour would be. If they were as close friends as Cadence and Armour had told Gearhead they were, how come they were not here, helping her with the preparations?

After a thorough look around, only using the Twin Engine when no pony else was paying him any attention, Gearhead decided he and Snowbelle had done enough independent investigation without telling anypony else what was up. He went to the cafe where the others were eating to report in.

“To be fair, he was singing off-key,” Fluttershy was saying as Gearhead approached the table, Snowbelle winging her way gently over. The cardinal in question squawked, making everypony grimace.

“What is going on?”

“Oh, Twi’s just complainin’ about how Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s been behavin’ even though she’s probably been busy with all the wedding prep before we got here,” Applejack said.

“Well there’s ‘stressed out,’ and then there’s ‘just plain rude,’ and throwing out AJ’s hors d’oeuvres and then insulting Pinkie is just being rude, if you ask me.”

“Maybe Lemony Gem or Diamond Rose could shed some light on Cadence’s current emotional situation?” Gearhead suggested.

“Wait, don’t tell me you’ve actually met them?” Twilight asked.

“Met who, Darling?” Rarity asked.

“Lemony Gem and Diamond Rose are Cadence’s best friends from Canterlot Academy, back when she was foalsitting for me. They helped her and my brother start dating – although if I’m remembering right, their plan wasn’t so hair-brained as the ones 8-bit and Gaffer came up with.”

“That sounds like an interesting story,” Rarity said.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll tell it to you another time, because I just had a thought: why did ‘Cadence’ choose Minuette, Lyra, and Twinkleshine as her bridesmaids instead of Lemony and Diamond?”

"Yeah," Spike said, taking a break from playing with the wedding cake figurines, "they're your old Canterlot friends."

"Really?" Rarity and Twilight said together.

"Guess I forgot," Twilight said.

“Anyway, you said it yourself,” Dash said, “it’s been a long time since you even saw Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. They could have just gone separate ways in the meantime.”

“In that case, I hope they’re alright with this,” Fluttershy said.

“I’m sure the Princess wouldn’t do anything to upset them, at least not on purpose,” Applejack said.

“I’m not so sure,” Twilight said.

“You sure you’re not just bein’ jealous, sugar cube?”

“Jealous? Me?! I’m just trying to make sure my brother doesn’t end up in an unhappy marriage – because I don’t know when she changed, but Cadence has changed in a big way!”

“Whether it is this threat or the marriage, I wonder if things will return to normal afterwards,” Gearhead said. “I spoke with Princess Celestia earlier and... she would not normally be worried about the Cavern’s colonies attacking Canterlot, would she?”

“You mean those guys you made the trade agreement with?” Applejack asked.

“Unlikely,” Dash said.

“I have a hard time believing Princess Celestia would do anything deceptive,” Twilight said.

Pinkie Pie, Dash, and Applejack each raised an eyebrow at her: they all knew about the princess’s hoofs-off teaching style, and how much she kept risking on the chance that Twilight and the others would find a solution. The princess often remained silent while they worked things out, rather than telling them how to resolve the issue of the day, which would have been simpler and safer.

“Well, when she’s not teaching,” Twilight allowed. “Anyway, there’s no way she’d be contemplating any sort of war with an ally, and that treaty Gearhead helped work out covers mutual defence as well. I’d like to know why we have two princesses who aren’t acting like their usual selves.”

“If you want, Snowbelle and I can look into it further,” Gearhead said. “I want to check the Caverns anyway.” Gearhead exchanged a glance and a few thoughts with his Dragon. “Snowbelle will discretely continue to look around the castle grounds. If anyone finds anything while I am gone, please try to find her and she can pass word to me.”

“What about Luna?” Pinkie asked.

“She is much too close to Princess Celestia to see if she is acting strangely,” Gearhead said, “otherwise she might have asked already.”

“Shining a light on it might not be a good idea anyway,” Twilight said. “I know he’s close to things, but I want to ask Shining Armour if he’s noticed anything.”

“Could you ask him about his last Cavern patrol as well?” Gearhead asked.

“Will do,”

“Hey guys, don’t ya think you’re maybe being just a teeny tiny bit paranoid?” Pinkie asked.

Spike raised an eyebrow. You could not magi-graph, says the mare who thought her friends didn’t want to be friends anymore, even when they were planning a surprise birthday party for her, any louder without saying it.

“This is a royal wedding in Canterlot we’re talking about,” Twilight said. “’Too careful’ doesn’t exist.” She got up and started to walk toward the palace.

“Alright, I’ll come with,” Spike said, leaving the figures from the top of the wedding cake beside Pinkie.

“Aww, I was having fun,” Pinkie said. Applejack rolled her eyes.

“I shall go too,” Gearhead said.

“Shouldn’t you wait for morning to get started?” Fluttershy asked.

“Underground, it is always dark,” Gearhead said, as Snowbelle used her magic to take on the aspect of a small bird before taking wing. Gearhead set his Engine to eject the minimum amount of particles necessary for flight, and closed the verniers’ shutters as much as they would go for Stealth Mode. When he leaped into lift off, there was barely a turquoise sparkle visible from just three meters away. It should be fairly difficult for unwanted ponies to spot him from a distance.

The one trouble point was Armour’s shield, and Gearhead was confident that even if it did not open to let him through like it did for Luna, he could simply pass through it, since he had done so wearing exactly the same equipment earlier.

As Gearhead flew toward the same entrance that he, Cadence, Armour, and Spike had used the first time they explored the caverns, he was startled when his glasses’ zoom function showed him that there was not even one creature around the cave. Forget the Mountain Lions from before, even his Gargoyle Golem was gone!

No, not gone, he realized as he came in for a close landing: there were stone fragments scattered all over the place matching the material he had used, and which Cadence had animated. With the use of a small magical gem as an amulet, the two of them had decided to leave the golem outside the cave to guard the cavern system. The way the fragments were scattered did not leave any doubt: whoever had destroyed it had used a magical blast to do so.

I have a really bad feeling about this, Gearhead thought as he entered the cave. Since he no longer needed to hide himself from pony eyes – indeed trying to be stealthy in an ally’s territory could be a hazardous mistake—Gearhead restored the Engine to its default setting before forging ahead.

Gearhead flew steadily along the passageways, the light from his particles illuminating his surroundings. Not that he particularly needed light, thanks to his glasses and their low-light filter. For that matter, none of the cave-dwelling tribes required light, having lived for some time in total, or near-total darkness. It was mostly a convenience they kept for their cities and towns, but the caverns themselves were completely dark.

Gearhead decided to check on the Jackrabbits of the Upper Corridors first, and was surprised when he did not hear anyone challenge his approach on the colony. Once again with that bad feeling in his gut, he wrapped his tail around his dagger and freed up the control for his bladecasters in case he needed them. Just in case, he closed that part of his mind responsible for preliminary reaction so Snowbelle would not be able to sense his reactions on reflex.

Gearhead was prepared for a fight, but when he rounded a corner inside the colony he was completely unprepared for the Jackrabbit corpse he found. Fetched solidly up against a wall, this once-living being had taken a solid hit with a magical blast to his chest. Gearhead checked to make sure, but did not find a pulse or breath.

Feeling queasy, he flew further into the colony, heading toward the Chief’s hall. It was a grand, sloping structure with the windows set high into the walls for defense, and like many of the other structures along the route between the wall and the center of the colony, it was littered with bodies – no, not littered: they had all been pulled to the side, if the killing blow had not landed them there already. Each of them had either been killed by a magic blast or by being impaled on a curved horn. Gearhead did not know of any creature that possessed such an implement.

Just as he had feared, Gearhead found the Chief and his entire household, including the visitors who happened to be there, just as dead as the Jackrabbits outside. Every single being of this colony seemed to have been killed, he saw, regardless of age or even if they had been trained to fight. Gearhead could not recall hearing any sign of a struggle back in the main corridors, and since the bodies were cold it must have happened some time ago. How far did they get? He asked himself, turning around and racing toward the Moles’ trap-chute.

There might have been faster ways to get around, but neither the Jackrabbits nor the Goblin Ponies had ever spoken of them to Gearhead. The Moles themselves did not speak to any of the Equestrians who came into the tunnels at all – and thinking of them, Gearhead could only hope they were safe. He triggered the trap himself, and flew down the long chimney at full speed, only pulling up once he had the next corridor’s entrance in sight. He had only to follow the same path as before to come to the Great Hall.

The doors had been blown off, and unlike in the Jackrabbit colony, Goblin corpses were everywhere. The only similarity in how they had been treated by their unknown enemy was that they were just as dead here in the Lower Corridors as the Jackrabbits in the Upper Corridors.

No, he soon saw: the attackers had been more savage here, tearing with fangs and stomping with hooves. There was nothing neat or systematic about this slaughter, not that the atrocity of the one higher up the mountain was any less of a tragedy. The difference was that whereas above, the attackers’ actions had seemed to be rigidly disciplined, here they had been allowed to go wild.

The sight and smell was overwhelming. Gearhead staggered a few steps, found a corner, and vomited.

“Who is that?” The voice boomed, just before being cut off in a fit of coughing. Gearhead looked around, trying to locate the source. After seeing all this carnage, he had not expected to find a survivor. “I said ‘who’s there?!”

“It is Gearhead,” he said, flying over to where the Goblin Pony King lay in a pile of rubble. Half of his greatsword was sticking up from the ground to his left, while he still held the half with the hilt tightly in one hand. He held his other hand over a deep wound in his chest, stubbornly trying to staunch it.

“Reinforcements?” The King coughed, then groaned. “Too late,” he spat angrily.

Gearhead flew up to the King, drawing his dagger. “Quattuor Magnae Spiritus invoco. Concede tuis benedictionibus super hoc militis pallidus. Cura.”

The King chuckled softly as the warm glow of Gearhead’s magic infused him, and his wound healed over. “To think I would live to see the ancient ways,” he said.

“You know of this casting method?”

“Ah, but it has been a long time.”

“Nevermind about that now. Who did this? From where did they come?”

“What does it matter? My kingdom is done, and I am alone.”

“What if I told you you could have a chance at vengeance?”

“Truly?”

“Word has it that someone has made a threat against Canterlot. You could help to protect her.”

“After the ‘help’ your kind sent?”

“I am sorry. We did not know about any of this,” Gearhead said.

After a moment, the King said quietly, “yes, I heard your reaction over there.” He paused, gathered his strength. “They were all black, except for their eyes. Horned. Winged like insects, yet they treated my people as though they were the insects!” The King’s anger was building. “They had total surprise, and came from all directions – north, south, east, west, above, and below – all at once, a coordinated assault. And although they slaughtered all my people, warriors, women, children, the tall one hardly moved. Except to leave me with a gaping hole in my chest.”

“Did you say ‘down?’”

“I did,” the King said, curious, as Gearhead ceased his healing spell. Enough was done so that his life was not in danger. Even more, he was recovering further with every second.

“The Dragon,” Gearhead breathed, then he turned and raced from the hall.

“Concern for that poor creature?” Gearhead hear the King ask as he left.

Gearhead felt as though somepony had dropped his gut from the heights of Las Pegasus: the great Ice Dragoness was pinned to the wall midway between the passages. The leather of her wings had been completely burned away, and her scales were a scorched blue, bruised purple in some places. A long, jagged hole punctured her chest, nearly straight through to the wall.

“Dragonfriend,” her whisper was so light, even Gearhead barely heard it. He flew up before her and started his incantation. “Please, do not strain yourself,” the dragoness breathed.

“But—“

“I was already ill, as you know. I wouldn’t survive, and if they found me again, not only would they simply kill me again, they would look for whoever healed me as well. They would know. So listen well, my friend.”

“I am listening,”

“Our enemy is the soldier caste of a Changeling hive,”

“Changelings?”

“They replace a loved one, to get strong on your love for them. Beware their queen the most.”

“How do we stop them?”

“Please, I haven’t the time! Let me... speak mind to mind with my Daughter.”

“Yes. Of course.” Gearhead opened the psychic link to Snowbelle, and reached out to the Dragoness the way Luna had taught him to do.

Knowledge and wisdom, regret and love. Gearhead felt much pass between the two Dragons. He felt his daughter’s sorrow, her anguish, and her anger and hate rise. Believing that she should not hold the last two so young, he used her True Name to take them into his own psyche.

“Thank you,” the Dragoness said, “choose well how you strike, Friend.” Her body took on an icy white glow, and began to flow away. When Gearhead’s tears cleared, all he saw where Snowbelle’s mother had once been was a set of three ice-clear crystals. If there was a way to strike back using these, he would take it! Next Chapter: 30A. Not In Hatred, But In Anger, Forged Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 39 Minutes