The Cutie Mark Crusaders and Noblesse Oblige entered the Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse to discuss what to do today now that wagon racing was out of the question.

“And I though it was nice from the outside,” Commented Noblesse Oblige, “Did you three really build it this place?”

“Nope,” Responded Scootaloo, “Just Apple Bloom.”

Sweetie Belle nodded affirmatively before speaking, “When we got it from Applejack, it was falling apart. Apple Bloom just needed one night to fix this place up, and we've been adding to it ever since.”

Apple Bloom was blushing, not used to being praised by Ponies other than her family, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, “Oh, it wasn't that much. Mah sister built it from the ground up. It just needed some tender love and care, just like the barn.”

A sparkle went through Dinky's eyes as she saw the chance fate had given her, and she took it, “I wonder what kind of tender love you'd give to Noblesse if you were alone with him?”

Four of the foals started to snicker as an identical blush colored Apple Bloom and Noblesse's faces a deep scarlet. While Apple Bloom paused not sure how to respond at that moment, Noblesse was doing his best to not fall over laughing. He would have succeeded if Scootaloo hadn't pushed him over, “Gaah!”

“Ha ha ha! You remind me of my cousin,” Noblesse said addressing Dinky Doo. He was still on his back wiping a tear from his eye, his blush not fading, “She says it's hilarious when my dull full is suddenly given bright happy colors.”

“She's right!” Exclaimed Sweetie Belle while giggling.

Apple Bloom couldn't suppress the giggles anymore at this point, “Some times, Ah hate ya'll.”

“But then you remember all of the stupid stuff we do together!” Pointed out Ruby Pinch excitedly.

“Yep. That's exactly right.” Quipped Apple Bloom.

Everypony started laughing for at least ten minutes. If Pinkie Pie was near by, she would lecture that holding back giggles only makes you giggle harder, then most likely succumb to laughter herself.

“Welp!” Said Apple Bloom clapping her hooves to get everyone's attention, “Now that a whole week's worth of planning is down the drain, what do ya'll want to do?”

“I have a suggestion,” Said Ruby Pinch, “Why don't we check out the construction sites, maybe we can get a sneak peak at all of the new shops and homes being built.”

“That's a great idea! Any objections or other suggestions?” Asked Apple Bloom.

“Going once,” Started Sweetie Belle.

“Going twice!” Said Scootaloo excitedly.

“Sold!” Finished Apple Bloom, “It's decided, and Ah've been curious 'bout them new buildings mahself.”

“Cover your ears,” Said Ruby hastily.

Noblesse didn't know why he would want to, but he obeyed. He managed to cover his ears just in time for the founding Crusaders' yell, “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: CONSTRUCTION OVERSEERS! YAY!!!”

Noblesse was to disoriented to tell them that there were using the word 'overseer' incorrectly. Each one of the founding Crusaders grabbed one of their friends before racing out of the Clubhouse so quickly that they actually left scorch marks in the wood floor.

“Aj, yah dunce,” Was all Granny Smith said with a deadpanned look on her face. She thought that her granddaughter would have had a better reason to be paranoid. Granny Smith had though of logical explanations for every event behind Applejack's worries.

Applejack simply could not understand how her grandmother could not see things from her perspective, “How could yah say that Granny? Everythang fits together too well!”

“First off Aj,” Started Granny Smith, actually annoyed by how stubborn Applejack was being, “Yer judging that colt by his appearance. Yah go on and on 'bout how strange he acts, but if he grew up in an underground fortress city under what might as well be a military dictatorship, of course he's gonna act differently than yer average Pony. Speaking of his origins, yah talk about how he was about to blast yah, but you could've easily scared him by galloping right behind him like that, and if he stopped himself when he thought he was in danger, don't that prove he ain't gonna lose control of his own magic? Ah will admit that it's bad that he laughed immediately after he almost hurt yah, but he also saved Apple Bloom and her friends from serious harm. It's unfortunate that you almost got hurt, and really unfortunate that stallion got hurt, but yah can't go holdin' things outside of Ponies' control against them.”

Applejack couldn't refute any part of her grandmother's analysis of her own views on Noblesse Oblige. It's a shame that he was born with dangerous magic, but it's not his fault. Yet at the same time, she couldn't help but worry about what would happen if he went through a mental break like Twilight did during the 'Lesson Zero' incident. She understood why Apple Bloom was specifiably chosen for this task, she had defend Zecora when the rest of Ponyville, including Twilight, had turned against her.

Applejack didn't say anything as she fought a ferocious mental battle against herself. There was just so much that could go wrong with the Diarchs' plans, not matter how unlikely it was. Applejack didn't see her grandmother advance and hug her tightly.

“Yer worried 'bout yer sister,” Started the elderly mare, “Yer afraid of what could happen to her and yah want to protect her, but we could all be in danger if this plan doesn't work. Ah don't like it mahself, but Ah've never met the colt. And Aj, Ah'm not asking yah to stop worrying or to even stop keeping an eye on the foals, but yer worrying too much.”

Applejack returned the embrace, but didn't say anything. “Yer way too wound up to be workin' today,” Said Granny Smith, “Yah need to take some time to relax. And if Apple Bloom is gonna be spending a lot of time with this colt, yah should at least try to get to know him before yah drive yerself insane over what he might do.”

Applejack nodded silently and headed back to the house. Apples fell from their trees in a large area around Granny Smith as she watched her granddaughter walk back to their house. It had been years since she had seen her little Aj like this. It took Sugar Cookie dying and Apple Skin excessive drink to get her this badly last time. Granny Smith didn't mind working again, she had spent the last decade or so sitting in her rocking chair not doing much. As she slowly made her way to the next section of the orchard, she turned her head in the direction of Ponyville. She had a bad feeling about what was about to happen and it wasn't because she afraid of Noblesse Oblige. She couldn't say why, but she was afraid for Noblesse Oblige.

Time Turner was at his desk in the Ponyville Guard Station seeing to what paper work there was to be done. Ponyville had a low crime rate and a small population. The most exciting thing that ever happened was that somepony with a carriage would be caught using the wrong lane on the road or maybe Ponies arguing in the market district about the price of something.

Time Turner was still proud of the work he did, but sometimes it just seemed pointless. Unlike his coworkers and his superior, he was excited about all of the trouble that would follow Ponyville's exploding business and population if only so there would be something other than paper work to do. He didn't even care that that there would be more paper work to do.

“Lieutenant! Lieutenant!” Time Turner turned his head in the direction of the Pony calling for him. It was one of the new guardponies, still too unfamiliar to know the exact location of the administrative staff.

“Over here Sergeant!” Called Time Turner. Time Turner was a little jealous of this particular guardpony. New guardponies were hired when the Town Council agreed to let Noblesse Oblige establish his Provincial Capital in Ponyville in an effort to meet the expected increase in crime rate that would inevitably come with a larger town, maybe a proper city even.

Street Light was a Pegasus Pony from Whinnyapolis, the city in all of Equestria with the highest crime rate, and had distinguished herself multiple times in her two year career. Though Time Turner loved how quiet the town was, he just wished that he was given the chance in his seven year career to do something other than sit at his desk.

When Street Light flew over to Time Turner's desk she saluted, “I have something to report from my patrol, sir.”

Time Turner got up from his desk, “What is it?” He did his best to hide his excitement, though it must have shown given the strange look his subordinate gave him before speaking again.

“Five Ponies got off the train from Canterlot and have been moving in a military formation ever sense entering the town,” Explained the deep orange mare, “They have also been asking around town about the whereabouts of a colt, the description they gave matches Lord Noblesse Oblige exactly.”

“Oh? That is odd,” Time Turner thought about what this could mean, “Do we know anything about them?”

Street Light nodded, “Yes sir! They are members of the Canterlot Palace Guard, Captain Brass Shield forwarded their descriptions when they did not report for their usual patrol routes and found their names in the Canterlot Passenger Train Registry. They were not given instructions to deliver anything to the lord, and they are not in military formals or armor.”

Time Turner was putting the pieces together in his head, “So we have a squad of Royal Guard who have gone AWOL, who seem to be hiding the fact they are Royal Guard, they're looking for the lord,” Time Turner thought for a few moments longer before a light went off in his head.

“Sergeant! Round up what spare squadrons that are available, send out a APB on the AWOL guards, and inform all units that these Ponies are unarmed and extremely dangerous. We have reason to believe that these Ponies are either assassins or vigilantes, do you understand?”

“Sir!” Street Light flew out an open window so she could get to the top floor faster. Everypony in the room had heard Time Turner and Street Light and knew what to do. As everypony was donning their guard armor, they could hear a siren ringing out from the roof.

Pegasus Mailponies reserved by the town guard to act as messengers flew out looking for patrol units as six squads worth of guardponies flooded out of the guard station.

Thunderlane and Rumble were working with some other Weatherponies when a loud siren from Ponyville sounded.

“Gah! What is that?” Asked Derpy Hooves.

“That's the guard station's Emergency Siren,” Said Thunderlane wondering what could have possibly happened in the five hours of work he's missed today.

The Emergency Siren was a distress call reserved for only drastic circumstances. So drastic in fact, that even the Ursa Minor attack several months ago wasn't enough to sound it. It would take something a member of the nobility being attacked- Or a member of the Royalty! Thought Thunderlane, remembering that Noblesse Oblige was not just Nobility, but Princess Luna's closest grandfoal.

“Guys I need to leave to see what that is!” Yelled out Thunderlane as he raced towards the guard station.

Rainbow Dash flew to the small group of Weatherponies and Rumble when she saw black and blue streak of Thunderlane racing off through the skies.

“What's going on?” Asked Rumble, concerned that his brother might get hurt.

“Nothing serious I'm sure,” Said Rainbow Dash. I hope is more like it thought the mare darkly.

“Damn! We've been discovered,” Said one of the Earth Ponies.

“No matter,” Said the Unicorn dismissively, “Because I see the monstrosity over there,” He pointed a lime green hoof at the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Oh of course, the beast surrounded himself with fillies,” Said one of the Pegasi, itching to kill “Goes to show how depraved that thing is."

“He won't be anything for long,” The Unicorn started to channel magic into his horn.

He and his siblings at arms had been waiting for when their mistress gave the order to attack the House Platinum Housing-Tower. But the damn thing hid behind his great aunt. It sickened him that this mutant was descended from one of their benevolent Diarchs. It was only made worst by the fact that Noblesse Oblige was born a Unicorn, one that looked really different, but a Unicorn none the less. This thing wasn't a Pony anymore, not after what he did to himself.

The Unicorn lowered his horn at the group of foals as he channeled more magic into his horn, “For the Twin Thrones and for Equestria,” He fired a massive bolt of arcane energy at the group.

The Unicorn's underlings realized that not just their quarry, but the entire group of foals would be wiped out of existence. All the four could do was watch in horror as several young and innocent lives would be taken, their 'superior' would not see another day after this.

“They're building these structures pretty high, what do ya'll think they're puttin' here?” Apple Bloom turned around to see that all eyes were not on the buildings they came here to examine, but on Noblesse Oblige as his horn was coated in a thick black.

Before anypony could ask what he was doing, he sent out a magical shock wave. The shock wave did more than send the Cutie Mark Crusader several Pony lengths away, it also knocked back the guard Unicorn's arcane bolt back at him.

The Unicorn used his telekinesis on himself to launch upwards as one of the Pegasi flew up as well. His other three subordinates all went to topple their superior to ground to make it easier to kill him, so they didn't see his arcane bolt racing right back at them at a slightly different angle and were on top of each other.

The explosion not only vaporized the Pony Pile, but also did significant damage to the skeletons of the buildings around them.

The remaining Unicorn and Pegasus both looked on in horror at the colt. Not only had he somehow divined their location despite the silent casting and their more than discrete distance, he had just killed the majority of their squad with their own magic.

Noblesse Oblige adopted a battle stance with his muzzle close to the ground and faced the two assassins, all with the same unnatural motion. His horn still blazed like an ebon torch as balls of magic separated themselves from the aura around his horn. The balls of magic then fired themselves like ballista bolts at the pair, even more spawned for the noblepony's horn as he willed them to destroy.

The two did their best to dodge the black bullets as they raced past and came back around again and again like boomerangs. The didn't realize it until it was too late, but they found themselves being trapped in a sphere of black magic with several small holes letting in light. They both knew what was coming at this point, but that didn't make it any less horrible. The balls of magic sucked themselves inward into the center of the sphere, becoming a tennis ball blacker than the void that held the stars. When Noblesse Oblige dispelled the hostile magic, all that fell from the ball was ashes.

Noblesse Oblige stood back up on all four hooves. He looked around to see his friends unconscious, both down the road and in the skeletons of what would be alleyways. He let out a sigh of relief, he had never had to link multiple non-hostile spells together like that before and he was glad he succeeded. It would be hard to make friends with Ponies who had just seen you kill five Ponies at least twice your age, and they would most likely tell other foals or their families, making it harder to make friends period.

Two squads of Pegasus Ponies in Ponyville Town Guard armor landed close by. One squad separated to check on the foals their lord had knocked unconscious, while the other surveyed the scene and looked at the colt with terrified looks. They all knew that the assassins were trained members of the Royal Guard, even if they were just grunts, they were still the most highly trained guardponies in all of Equestria. And they all watched as a school age colt obliterated a whole squad's worth of Royal Guardponies.

The had seen the explosion from the arcane bolt that Noblesse Oblige sent back at the Unicorn and they had watch as Noblesse Oblige swarmed the two survivors with his magic like gnats, and subsequently reduced them to dust. Nopony was going to enjoy writing the reports for this incident.

Noblesse Oblige turned himself into a large cloud of black smoke and whisked himself to his palace.

Noblesse tunneled his way through the ventilation shafts of his home and into his throne room. His guards dropped their stances and saluted when their lord reformed himself in his throne.

Noblesse raised a bell from the table with his hoof and rang it. The bell was enchanted so that the sound went through walls as though they didn't exist and could only be heard by whoever the person ringing it wanted to summon.

A few minutes later, a blindfolded Bat-Pony with his metal helm in his hoofs, “You called M'lord?”

“Aye,” Said the noblepony, “I have instructions for you and five squads of guards. I want you all to go to Ponyville General Practice Hospital, and wait for the families of five patients to leave. Do not stop them when try to enter, wait for them to enter and leave. Make sure that they come here as soon as they leave the hospital. The patients are named Apple Bloom, Dinky Doo, Ruby Pinch, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, are there any questions Lieutenant Echo?”

“Nay my lord,” Responded the Bat-Pony, “I shall do exactly as you ask,” Lieutenant Echo put his helmet on and left the room.

Noblesse Oblige used his magic to summon and ink well and a piece of paper from his room. Noblesse quickly wrote a letter to his great aunt and grandmother explaining what happened and used his magic to send to the Diarchs similar to how Spike does.

Celestia was holding her royal court a half an hour later. She was listening to her subjects, both peasant and noble alike. Some came for grants for research, construction, even suggestions for new trade routes.

Celestia had enforced an extreme isolationist policy immediately after her sister's banishment. Without Luna, Equestria was down one Alicorn guardian and the people were demoralized. With Equestria's abundance of natural resources and unusually active leylines, Equestria would have been a perfect target for any ambitious neighbors. Celestia was primarily concerned with Maretonia and the Byzitame Empire at the time. But now that Luna was back in her proper state of mind, Celestia was faced with pressure from all three houses of the Equestrian Parliament as well as her own sister to reestablish foreign relations.

Celestia had to keep herself from rolling her eyes at the current audience however. Gilded Chalice: Margrave of Trottingham and Manehattan Crescent, and at least a dozen other titles that Celestia didn't care for in the least. Celestia particularly loathed this grandfoal of hers. Though his ancestors were honorable advisers to her court and kind overseers of their holdings, Gilded Chalice was certainly the least favorite member of her family.

Gilded Chalice did increase his family's holdings all over Equestria, though he used the one shortcut through the stacks of bureaucracy that Celestia wrote even before she established the First National Parliament of Equestria. He claimed his 'earnings' as reparations for duels he more than likely incited.

If two nobleponies, no matter their rank, come to a serious disagreement they could duel and the winner would be able to claim a prize from his or her opponent. It could be the losing family's coffers, their holdings and titles, the winner could even claim a family member of the losing family, before Celestia convinced Parliament to change the laws.

Unfortunately with the pride of today's nobleponies swelling like a balloon, duels between nobleponies were more common than in the past. In centuries past, it would take serious circumstances for a noblepony to call for a duel. Today though, it could be anything from a petty insult to not wiping your hooves before entering one's home. Parliament changed the law so that reparations could only be claimed if the noblepony being challenged won, of course if somepony was as rude as possible at all times it didn't really matter.

Gilded Chalice was petitioning the 'Radiant Court of the Blazing Sky' for the Sun Princess to pressure Parliament to ratify laws restricting the rights of non-Equine species. This would be illegal if the Equestrian Code of Law didn't specify Ponies when referring to people. Celestia doubted that Parliament would pass such laws even if both herself and her sister were encouraging these speciest ideals, not that either of them would so much as entertain the possibility.

If Gilded Chalice didn't think any amount of labor that didn't involve striking down another Pony was so beneath him, his holdings would give him nearly unmatched power over the House of Lords. Only her socially awkward metal colored nephew would be able to match his-

Celestia's thoughts were interrupted as her horn was covered by an alien black aura. With a large popping noise not dissimilar from a lightning strike, the black aura materialized into a letter baring an ornate golden seal depicting a horseshoe, the seal of the royal family.

Celestia was concentrating so hard on ignoring Golden Chalice that this event caused her to lose her composure for a moment as she spoke, “Speaking of Discord.”

Celestia wrapped the letter in her magic and opened it. The first thing she saw in the envelope was a playing card, the Ace of Hearts. Playing cards were left in envelopes by members of the royal family and the Royal Order of Knights to signify importance. The lowest ranking card in this alert system was the Ten of Clubs, the Ace of Hearts was the highest ranked card and was reserved for a select few circumstances.

“I'm sorry my little ponies, I must close court for the day. I will see to it that your petitions are redirected to the Serene Court of the Starry Skies,” Celestia spoke with full authority as she flashed the Ace of Hearts to all Ponies present.

Not even Gilded Chalice, a Pony famous for his sense of self worth and blatant hubris, so much as sighed in annoyance or disappointment as he took three hasty steps back before rushing out of the room.

Celestia retrieved the letter from it's envelope and began reading it.

To my dearest Aunt,

Earlier today, I was attacked by a group of Ponies. They were using guard formations and the only Unicorn of the assailants used the 'Expanding Flame Sphere' spell, which as you know is a Pyromancy spell only the Royal Guard are trained to use. Captain Thunderlane of the Ponyville Peacekeeper Corps will be sending a detailed report directly to you as soon as he can find Lord Spike. I fear this assassination attempt was preformed by the fundamentalist groups that have been harassing you about myself and other Under-City Ponies. If this is the case, I would to petition your court for siege equipment and permanent ROoK agents to be placed in Everfree Province in the event that these fundamentalists wage a 'Crusade' into Everfree Province. Some bystanders were hurt in the assassination attempt, there were no fatalities, but one filly was severely hurt. I would like to petition your court to also write off the medical expenses of all five bystanders that were injured in the event. If you are unable too, I can expend my own funds to pay for their injuries.

Lord Noblesse Oblige: heir to the Counties of Vanhoover and Everfree Province and Prince of Canterlot

Time of Sending: 14:26