Ava appeared, once more garbed in her usual corset and robe, back at the very spot she’d teleported home from. ‘I miss them already….’ Ava absorbed some of the blood that had burst from her nose that forcing entry through the barrier caused as she looked east upon the massive ruby wall with some trepidation.

{It’s rough Ava. I miss Bon Bon so much, so I can sympathize somewhat.} Lyra, thanks to the herd, was slowly adjusting to the idea of leaving her old life behind her. It didn’t change she missed her beloved Bonnie.

‘Thanks for just being here Lyra, Sharp isn’t the best company and with Lumi having moved on to her own pursuits I was worried I’d only have her around. I love the bitch...but she’s a bitch.’ Ava snickered as she started walking towards the 20 foot tall wall, nervously eyeing the sentries posted every 50 or so feet atop it. ‘Hot damn, this place is even more secure than Emerald City.’

{From what your memories of the geography tell me Ava, this city is on the east coast, which is on the same ocean as the one Griffonia and Bullgaria have access to.} Lyra brought up, getting Ava to hum at the sense of it as she found the road and began following it up to the ominous black gates, which contrasted so sharply with the ruby walls they seemed to suck the light out of the area around it.

“Halt! State your business!” One of the guards demanded, a burly black stallion who stood an easy head and shoulders over her. His deep booming voice rolled across the couple dozen feet away.

“I am Avarice, Merchant, and official investigator on behalf of Equestria into the enemy invasion that has subverted your entire country!” Ava boomed back, getting several perked ears from the two guards at the gate, as well as along the top of the wall to perk up in attention.

“Provide proof at once!” The stallion demanded further, and she snorted before pulling her passport out of a sleeve.

“Want me to throw it?!” She snarked. ‘Gog damn this stallion is a flankhole!’

{I can’t say anything about guards specifically, but as a pony, this buck is a-.}

“No, I shall approach, do not move!” The stallion ordered, jogging the distance, and despite his behavior, Ava couldn’t help but notice how his muscles rippled between the ruby plates of his full suit of armor, or that his skin tone matched hers, making it even more obvious as he neared. “I will view your passport.” He declared, even without shouting his voice was deep and resonant to a point it made Ava shudder, she could practically feel it thrumming through her.

‘Whoa, okay, if he turns out to be an okay guy, I am going to see about getting to know him better.’ Ava handed him her passport, and he nodded as he opened it, his eyes widening in surprise before closely inspecting her card, and then the Emerald Key.

{Won’t lie. I’m not one for casually sleeping around, and I’m a Filly Fooler anyway. But this colt? Woof.} Lyra giggled in their head, making Ava fight not to join her.

“Apologies Lady Avarice. I will bring you to the Admiral post-haste.” The stallion whispered urgently as he handed her passport back. She almost had a nosebleed when he about-faced and started striding forward briskly, his very tight and muscular rear, even armored, was clear to her thanks to his short-cropped tail.

‘Okay, yeah, I’m gonna try and tap that.’ Ava licked her lips as she followed eagerly, shamelessly ogling him everywhere that appealed, which was almost everywhere. ‘Gog, if becoming a mare wasn’t enough, ponies of every gender are just stupidly sexy.’ Ava mused as they neared the gate, which practically flew open despite it’s size when the stallion grabbed the giant handles and flung it open with a single pull, barely pausing his forward momentum. ‘Oh HELL YES I’m tapping that!’

{Awooo~ *pant, pant, pant*!} Lyra exuberantly agreed, which made Ava start to drool slightly at the thought of this huge, powerful stallion using that strength to bend her over and-.

“This way.” The stallion urged as they trotted through the walled city, which Ava had snapped out of her lecherous daydreams to notice was very authentically Coastal European in design. The buildings were shorter closer to the walls, and taller the further in they were, as well as being tightly constructed. Buildings side-by-side along streets had no alleys, only solid walls meeting together. This lent a very structured and solid street and building design.

‘Geez, if someone was trying to storm this place, it’d be a tactical nightmare! Almost everything here is made purely for militaristic defense.’ Ava thankfully kept close to the stallion, since the streets were crowded with happy citizens going about their lives. Ava had to dance around a couple of fillies chasing a colt with ribbons and flowers, clearly intending to play dress-up with him. “So...this is Ruby Ridge right? Where’s the Ridge?”

“You’ll see it in a moment.” The stallion declared as the buildings started getting shorter now that they seemed to have passed the city square, which perplexed Ava. It wasn’t all that big now that she reflected on it, how was a city this small a city? “Up here.” Her guide stated as they neared single-story buildings again, that were interrupted by twin enormous towers that even had a bridge built between them.

The reason for the bridge became apparent when Ava heard her hoofboots hit metal instead of cobblestone street, and she looked down with shock to see a ridiculously enormous iron portcullis with just barely large enough holes to be called such running along from where she stood to about halfway to the two towers, which had a gatehouse situated over it at the halfway mark.

“Mind your hoofing milady. The holes may be small, but last time somepony got a leg caught in the gate we had to have smiths widen the hole to get them out.” The stallion informed from his place on solid cobble off to the right of the horizontal sliding gate. “Best you come over here.” He said, and she gingerly avoided the holes on her way to him, since although her hoofboots were clearly too wide to fit through, she didn’t want to test it.

“This is really odd. Why is this here?” Ava asked as they continued on, her examination revealed it was clearly on a track of sorts, with gear indents which indicated how the gatehouse moved the monolithic plate of iron.

“It’s the only access between Ruby Ridge and the beach of the cove our city overlooks. A natural ramp that steeply runs down between two sheer cliffs. It is the reason Ruby Ridge is here. It is the only easy access the entire East Coast has from the sea. Making this a strategic and crucial location to hold against hostile naval forces wishing to invade.” The guard stallion informed, making Ava gape at the gate.

It was peculiar, but it’s worth was obvious. There was no way she could see getting past that from below with ponies throwing oil, boiling water or whatnot down on invaders. “That is...rather astounding.” Ava admitted as they neared the tower of the right side of the ramp. “Say, what is your name sir?”

“Jet.” The stallion stated simply, getting Ava to blink.

“But...isn’t jet pressurized plant carbon?” Ava asked, since jet wasn’t in the strictest of terms a geode, or gemstone in the traditional sense.

“Crystal comes in many forms. Your passport speaks true of your Equestrian origin, if you don’t know that.” Jet smirked superiorly down at her, making her pout up at him. “Regardless of semantics. I am here to guide you to the Admiral and return to my post, I doubt we will meet again.”

“And why would that be?” Ava petulantly demanded, Jet quirking an ear at her as he continued through the tower-how long had they been climbing stairs? Since when were they climbing stair-Ava stopped trying to Recall, it hurt. She seriously needed to get that shard of their souls back.

“Are you saying you would make time in your busy schedule to meet me again?” Jet asked doubtfully, and Ava simmered.

“Yes.” She affirmed. Business or not, she’d learned her lessons from Emerald City. Depriving herself was a quick way to weaken and hurt herself. She’d cling to the stallion if it meant having some sort of wall to lean on if the chips were down.

“Well then...perhaps I will see you again. We’re here.” Jet stated before a regally embossed black door. Seriously, where did these ponies get the hematite for these black doors? It was so pure it sucked the light out of everything around it. Then again, where did all the Ruby come from for the main architecture? Then again, what about the Emerald for Emerald City? Ava’s brain started hurting. Confound these Crystal Ponies, their architecture and magic may drive her to drink.

“So what should I expect of the Admiral?” Ava asked, since Jet made no move to enter or open the door for her, she assumed the fully armored stallion was leaving her to her business. ‘Hm, now I wonder, what color are his eyes? Since his body and tail are both jet black, I wonder what his eyes look like.’ Ava mused as she looked into the eyes of his helmet.

{Probably brown or hazel.} Lyra idly commented.

“Admiral Full Sail-.” Ava could not contain the unladylike guffaw that tore from her mouth at the Admiral’s unfortunate name. “Quite, keep that contained. As I was saying, Admiral Full Sail is a very weary and actionable stallion. He’ll see to it that your investigation is given full priority without doubt. Now then, I must return to my post.”

“Besides your post...where may I find you?” Ava asked with her winning lecherous grin, and a hand on her hip, cocked out to accentuate it further as she flicked her lustrous red mane. And the stallion, who was indeed a stallion, had a mental stall at her signals as she looked his helm in the eye holes. ‘Hook, line….’

“Y-you might find me at a tavern named the Wretched Wreck on the south side of the city just past sundown….” Jet managed to stumble out.

‘Sinker~!’ “See you there.” She husked out with a wink, and the stallion, once so imposing, literally staggered away and barely managed to begin a descent down the stairs at her wiles getting him primed. “Oh, he is going to be fun~....”

{Whoa~! Ava! That was amazing! I haven’t seen a mare make a stallion so...dumb, for lack of a better word, so fast!} Lyra gushed, and Ava grunted as she felt her body send pleasure signals everywhere. {That was so~ hot! You’re making me wanna-!}

‘L-Lyra! We can engage in self-cest later! Business now!’ Ava declared, panting slightly and trying to force herself to calm down from Lyra literally having started Shifter-style intercourse. ‘Later.’ She reaffirmed, getting a bashful sensation from Lyra as she knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Came a raspy and carrying voice that sounded almost like someone talking through a filter of burbling seafoam. Ava turned the latch and entered, closing the door behind her as she examined the stallion behind the desk. “Hmph, so you’re the anomaly I’ve been having my sentries keep an eye out for.” The pearly stallion was an unexpected specimen.

He was clearly middle-aged, had a grizzled and generally discontent air about him despite his station and finery. His pearl skin contrasted with his shocking blond mane and beard, which was made all the more obvious with his ruby-thread frock coat and hematite thread tricorn hat. HIs aqua blue eyes were also very captivating, telling tales of adventure and experience she couldn’t fathom. Also, despite his desk job and age, he was clearly quite fit if more wiry than buff. “Anomaly?”

“Yes. One of my plains watchers spotted you arriving initially in the fields by an unknown carriage of sorts literally falling out of the air by some measure. Then you buggered off in a similar way you came, so I’ve had my guards on alert. If Jet let you in and guided you to me, you must be on official business. Out with it. I’m a busy stallion.” Full Sail demanded as he set a quill he’d been writing with since she entered to sit in it’s inkpot.

“So nice to be blunt. Refreshing.” Ava sighed in relief, this was the sort of stallion she wished she could have spoken with in Emerald City. Nothing against Trabucco or Diamond Heart, but their bureaucracy was maddeningly inefficient. “I’m here to help weed out and rout a clandestine invasion of your country.” Ava stated simply as she held out her passport to him, the stallion leering at the idea of it before he took her passport.

One look, and he looked like he was about to explode in raw fury. “So it’s true...should’ve listened to my gut.” The grizzled stallion growled furiously. “I’ve been suspicious of that damned Relay, I’m supposing that’s the focus of this?” Sail asked rhetorically, to which she nodded.

“Yes. They’ve subverted the Crystal Heart by altering the barrier it projects. It causes all perception to fail upon entering and the victims unknowingly turn back around, compelled to really. It has effectively isolated the Empire from the whole world, and while it’s easy to leave, entering is nearly impossible.” Ava informed, and the pearl stallion slammed a fist into his desk.

“Damn those Griffonian wretches! I’ve lost 3 ships in the last MONTH! I thought they were attacked and lost, so maybe, hopefully they’re just incapable of returning. This also makes the disturbing silence I’ve had to endure from our allied ports in Equestria not answering letters, my messengers not returning either. I had thought the worst….” Sail hissed a seething sigh of mixed rage and relief. “I’m going to take this to the Mayor, the stallion is the one in charge of civilian matters, which the Relay is supposed to be.”

“Thank you. Where can I lend aid in rooting out the spies?” Ava asked, taking back her passport as the Admiral stood, and Ava had to crane her neck. His chair and desk made him look normal height, but the wiry stallion was easily as tall as Jet and most other crystal stallions.

“Nowhere. This is not your jurisdiction. Ally or not, despite Emerald City’s laid-back position on things, this is an Empire issue, not an Equestrian issue. I’d advise you bring this dire situation to the attentions of the other cities in the empire rather than waste your time here.” Sail declared as he rounded his desk to leave.

“B-but I can’t do that! This is bigger than just a few spies! By the time I was able to find my proof for Emerald City, they were beset by a siege from Yakslovia incited by Die Leucht spies!” That got the admiral to pause as he was reaching for the latch, and he turned back to face her.

“Is that so?” He asked somberly, and she nodded. “Right then...I have some things I need looked into. Things I can’t waste my force’s vigils on since our port is practically empty from our patrols being out in force, and I need every guardspony on alert. I’ve already got them running extra shifts, I can’t stretch them any further. Would you be willing to take contract work?”

“Are you kidding?” Ava asked in bemusement.

“No. You’re practically a civilian. I cannot ask you to do anything in any official capacity. I will pay you as a mercenary.” The admiral stated without hesitation, and Ava sighed.

“Yeah, sure. If it means I can help save your city and this country.” Ava huffed, irritated that, despite Sail’s forthright behavior, he still had to do annoying workarounds just to get things done.

“Good. Go to the cove, ask the fishers about disturbances in the water. It’s been getting more frequent, and I can’t spare anypony.” Sail ordered, and Ava nodded before he opened the door and strode quickly and purposefully out, the tails of his calf-length frock coat trailing behind him from his brisk pace.

‘Okay, this is either a foal’s errand, or something sinister lurks in the water.’ Ava thought as she closed the admiral’s door when she left his office, trailing down the stairs after him.

{Or maybe it’s seaponies!} Lyra excitedly considered, making Ava blink in confusion.

‘What?’ Ava asked in befuddlement. She hadn’t heard about seaponies before.

{You don’t know about seaponies?! Shoo-be-doo~ Shoo-shoo-be-doo~!} Lyra began musically chanting, making Ava giggle and try not to follow along.

‘Okay, stop that! There’s no way that’s a thing!’ She denied in amusement. The thought was ridiculous, but if anything it was-.

{It’s totally possible! If something as divergent as Centaurs and Minotaurs can happen, then who's to say Seaponies aren’t possible?} Lyra declared, and Ava huffed with a bit of a chuckle.

‘Okay, but if it is seaponies, that means I’ve got to play ambassador too.’ Ava bemoaned, hoping that things wouldn’t be that complicated.

{Aaaand now you’ve invoked Murphy.} Lyra deadpanned, making Ava groan.

[$]

“And of course...it’s all fish tales.” Ava grumbled at the edge of a pier, leering down at the water in annoyance. Every fisher she spoke to pointed in the direction of the water, claiming seeing beautiful mares in the water that seemed to vanish just as fast as they appeared. All the guards watching the cove say they haven’t seen anything, but were refusing to ignore the claims out of hand, they just couldn’t do anything about it since the whole city, now that she’d seen it from multiple angles, was indeed just as big as Emerald City in span and they could not leave their posts on hearsay.

In fact, the cove she was standing on the end of the main pier of, was a rather large wood shanty town reminiscent of countless classic small coastal towns, just built at the base of the utterly massive white stone cliffs that Ruby Ridge spanned the whole top of with walls also on this side to help defend against bombardment. Ava looked up at the lighthouses on the tips of the crescent shaped cliffs, easily several hundred feet above the sea, and she looked back at the natural ramp the Gate sealed off when nopony was passing through.

‘Holy shit this place is enormous. Even this wood shanty town is big enough for a few hundred ponies to call home.’ Ava mused in awe at the sheer scope of Ruby Ridge. This place was a tactical nightmare as she’d originally thought. Siege this place? Suicide. It must be.

{Odd they sealed the top of the ramp, and not down here.} Lyra commented at the open ramp, the portcullis at the top was currently open for evening traffic. It was normally closed aside from the early morning and evening because it also acted as a bridge for midday hoof traffic of the city above, which was decreed as unsafe if it wasn’t latched into a closed position, since to make it mobile it was literally on a track of wheels.

‘Well, that’s none of our business.’ Ava shrugged off any further musing, and took a calming breath. ‘Okay, I’ve managed to figure out how to go seapony, ready for a swim?’

{Am I ever! Shoo-be-doo~!} Lyra hammed, and Ava giggled before looking around, and seeing the coast clear, jumped in, her black clothes and body making her vanish instantly.

Author's Notes:

And here we go~!

Okay, lets see where this goes, because my original plan was too expected, I'm going to try and see where going off the rails gets me since it seems to get the juices flowing.