Lily Glamerspear

---

Ordinarily, two spa days in a single week was a real luxury. But it didn't feel very luxurious to Lily Glamerspear, as she lay at the edge of Spa Dalecarlia's warm pool, dangling a forehoof down the side into the water and watching her heartbroken comrade float aimlessly on her back in the center, as still as a corpse.

Sparkshower had been quiet when she’d come upstairs earlier -- too quiet, heading straight to her room with barely a hello. Sulking in her room, Lily had had to get the story from Corporal Bound at lunchtime. Honour had agreed to allow the unicorn specialist to haul her comatose comrade out of bed and straight to the spa -- provided they both stuck around until two o'clock to see if Major General Hoofstrong would call a meeting that day. When the hour had come and no messenger had yet arrived, Lily gently barged into Sparkshower's room, spa membership card floating above her head, and ordered Artemis to accompany her.

She hadn't so much as uttered a peep in complaint.

Or, any peep at all, for that matter.

‘Is this even doing anything for her?’

Sparks didn’t want a massage or preening, she didn't want the hot tub, and she didn’t want the sauna. Apparently, she just wanted to... float.

...in the pool.

It was a bit concerning. If there was anypony else around, they might be worried, too. But it was a Friday, and the Gala was next weekend, and Celestia was still holding the weekend day court sessions that pulled in the masses from across Equestria. As a result, anypony who could get out of Canterlot had gotten out of Canterlot, and anypony still in the city probably had something better to do than to sit at the spa in the early afternoon.

Heck, on a day like this, even in the Canterlot Royal Guard, half the officers who didn't have weekend duty were already out the door. The other half would tell their sergeants after lunch to let everypony waiting on standby go for libo at four o'clock sharp, while they themselves promptly headed for the nearest family villa, private club, upscale saloon, or theater-slash-bawdy-stable well before then. So, no surprise they were alone and in private within the bath-halls of the public spa. Things were likely to pick up in an hour or two, though, when most ponies closed up their businesses for the evening -- or the weekend.

Suddenly, there was a tiny splash from the pool, and Lily saw Sparkshower lift one of her wings a few inches, before dropping it down again.

‘Well, it's a start.’

"How you doing over there, Sparks?"

There was no reply but a deep breath. That was a bit of a snub to her, but considering everything that's happened, Lily could hardly blame her.

First love and first break-up -- and what a break-up!

Previously incommunicado coltfriend makes sudden, unannounced arrival and challenges the Royal Engineer to a duel for Sparkshower's hoof! It'd almost be romantic if it wasn't so wrong-headed. And if, according to Honour, the colt hadn't seemed more intent on fighting than on winning back his marefriend's love.

Lily swished her forehoof around in the pool.

"... You wanna talk about what happened at all?"

Again, there was nothing but another deep breath in response.

It was maybe a little more of a sigh, though, so Lily lifted her head up a bit and carried on. "It can help to talk about it, if you want."

There was nothing from Artemis -- not even a pointed breath.

The unicorn shrugged and splashed her hoof around some more, like a fishing cat. "But if you don't wanna quite yet, that's fine, too. I'm just sayin' I'm here for you, Sparks -- ya know what I mean?"

There was a pause, but then she heard Artemis speak -- though the pegasus didn’t move a single other muscle. "I know. And I'm glad you're here for me, Lily. But I don't want to talk about it yet..."

Without making even the slightest ripple in the surface, she turned her head towards Glamerspear.

"... I'm still trying to come to terms with it myself."

Lily nodded. "Sure, of course..."

Sparkshower looked back up at the ceiling, again seeming to do so without disturbing the water at all.

Semi-unintentionally, Lily found herself thinking back to a long time ago. ...Well, it was actually just five years, but hey, that was almost a quarter of her life; she’d done a lot since then, and it sure felt like that was a long time ago. But this particular memory still stung on those occasions when it bubbled up to the surface.

With a sigh, Lily spoke up. "The first break-up always hurts the most, I can tell you that."

She hadn't been as deeply involved with her colt as Sparkshower had been with hers. Nor had her relationship gone on for nearly as long. But she didn't think those details really altered the pain very much. It was just the ending that hurt; the ending of something that could've lasted forever. The ending of innocence, maybe.

There was a tiny splash from the water as Sparkshower pushed one of her hind hooves out slightly.

‘Ah, so that's what she's doing.’

Looking up at the ceiling, Artemis was using the patterns in the mosaic tile to align herself in the pool, keeping station in the absolute dead center, regardless of the subtle flows of water from the recirculation pumps or from Lily’s aimless splashing. A kind of mind-clearing exercise, the unicorn supposed. Focusing on a simple task to forget about her troubles.

Despite that meditative focus, however, Artemis spoke up. "What was your first time like?"

‘Well, painful awkward memory or no, I asked for this.’

Thankfully, there wasn’t much to tell.

"It was a high school crush. He was a senior, I was a junior. We started seeing each other in the fall." She tried to force out a chuckle, but it didn’t sound particularly authentic. "...Heh. I was foalish, and I thought it meant more to him than just the kissing in-between classes, or the snuggles after school, or the trysts in Central Park -- at lunchtime, after supper, and almost every weekend."

Lily shrugged. "But it didn't -- or maybe it did, for a while, and he just changed his mind about it or about me. Either way, after a steamy fall and a tender winter, he chilled on me in the spring."

Swinging her free forehoof back and forth, Lily sent some more ripples Sparkshower's way, giving her something for her to think about other than just her own problems and her comrade’s foalish first romance.

"I thought it was just his nerves from prepping for the exams, and maybe it was a bit of that. But while he started increasingly cancelling our meet-ups, he also started hanging around the senior mares as well."

Sure enough, Lily’s minute, watery vibrations forced Sparkshower to pick one of her own wings up and then drop it down again to compensate.

"The exams came and went, but he got frostier than ever. Things finally came to a head when he told me a week before the senior prom that he'd be bringing somepony else."

Perhaps sensing that this was the really juicy bit, which it was, Artemis turned her head in Lily’s direction once more.

The unicorn swallowed and pulled her forehoof up. "...There was an ugly fight between us that night, and if I'm being honest, I did most of the fighting and most of the uglying."

Smiling awkwardly, she snorted. "He didn't wind up looking so good in his prom photos with that black eye that took two weeks to heal up... But I'm still the one who ran away in tears from him. And it took me the same two weeks to bring myself to show my muzzle around school and talk to just about anypony again."

And thus began her long and exciting descent into a career in the Royal Guard! All because she managed to win a dirty high-school mage-duel -- well, mage-brawl, really -- against a unicorn colt a year older than her.

Sparkshower was still looking in her direction. "Did your older brothers do anything?"

‘Of course she remembered my outburst yesterday morning.’

But, it was good to know the break-up hadn’t ruined Artemis’ powers of observation and memory.

Lily shook her head. "No. My ex had suffered enough at my horn; they knew he didn't need more punishment, and anyways they weren't really into fighting like that."

She thought back to how, before the breaking point, they'd kept pushing her to stay home and join in their stupid nerdy table games instead heading out to call on her love when he'd already told her he was busy and to stay away. It had seemed like obnoxious interference at the time, but in retrospect...

"... I think they saw the break-up coming, though. And they'd tried, in their own clumsy, ways, to make it so I'd get out easily."

Lily chuckled, and this time, it was genuine. "Heh. It didn't really work, though. I don't think they quite realized until then what a Tartarean fury their little sister could be." Nodding, she continued. "But they respected my need for some private time, and they helped me out -- in the small, tender ways that tell you when somepony really cares for you."

"What're those?"

‘Ooh, that's a loaded question.’

Lily probably shouldn't have started to talk so much about her own family. Sparkshower didn't have any immediate siblings to lean on as Lily did -- well, not outside of her brothers & sisters in the Equestrian Royal Guard, anyways. Hopefully those would do, though.

The unicorn shrugged. "You know, little things. Bringing water and food when it wasn't even asked for. Taking care of my laundry and cleaning up my room when I was out -- again, without asking. Even showing up at my school and getting homework and notes from my teachers."

Sighing, Lily started to think fondly about those three dorky brothers of hers. She did love those freakin' dweebs.

‘Oughtta take a trip back to Manehattan and visit them again soon…’

"...Just... making sure I didn't fall completely apart, ya know? Making it so I could deal with my heartache without losing my place in the world." Once again, Lily chortled to herself. "Heh, ya know... I know I'm not the most fastidious mare in Equestria at the best of times; I know my quarters aren't as neat as they could be, but mare, when I'm feeling down the dumps, you can really see it... and you can smell it a couple of days later, too!"

That actually got a little chuckle out of Sparkshower, too. It was good to hear her project a little emotion.

Glamerspear nodded in her direction. "Some ponies, I know, are the opposite, though. Something bad happens that they don't want to deal with, they get all fussy about the little details as a way of coping. I knew a mare who rearranged all the furniture in her room twelve times in almost as many hours when she was going through a breakup." Smirking, she dropped her forehoof back down into the pool and sent a splash Sparkshower's way. "...Some of 'em stare up at the mosaic ceiling in Spa Dalecarlia's warm pool and count the number of tiles that're up there, even."

Artemis didn’t miss a beat in replying. "I lost count at ten thousand one hundred and fifty-three, and I didn't even get out of the main spiral. I didn't feel like restarting."

‘Damn.’

‘No wonder this mare earned herself an early promotion.’

While everypony else was hollering about getting overrun by innumerable hordes of changelings, she probably managed to scout a whole swarm of them and report back with their exact number -- minus casualties inflicted, of course.

Lily smiled. "It's okay. So long as you don't ask to come back again every day until you can manage the exact count."

Artemis snorted, and Lily chuckled, but then the sauna door at the back of the room swung open with a creak. Three pegasus mares stepped in and looked like they were heading for the pools.

‘Darn, and just when I was starting to manage a connection.’

Oh, well; an interruption was bound to happen anyways.

As the winged ponies stepped over to the shower alcoves to wash the sauna-induced sweat out of their coats, Lily couldn’t help but notice one of them staring in her direction. She seemed to discreetly point the unicorn out to her companions.

‘Now what the buck is this?’

Friends of Lieutenant Kilfeather, on the lookout for her, maybe? Not that Valiant really had 'friends,' but he did have a crew. And that included a pack of mares who were every bit as awful as he was. Whoever they were, Lily resolved to ignore them for now. If they wanted to start something in the baths, well, three pegasi against one unicorn with a shell-shocked comrade in the water wasn't exactly fair odds. But with low ceilings and slippery floors, nopony was going to get the drop on her.

Still, the calm and friendly moment was ruined -- for Lily, at least. She tried to think of what to say to Sparkshower once the three gawkers finally got on with their own business. Would it be better to analyze the past, or focus on next steps first? Did she feel undesirable as a result of the breakup? Lily had sure felt that way five years ago, and it's partly what led her down the path of a saltine, but then, Artemis’ situation was different. Maybe she should take her out tomorrow night? See if Mailedhoof would help her get the pegasus into the Officer's Club as well, as a filly-friend?

...Eh... probably a bit too full of drunken officers. It could get uncomfortably hoofsy in there.

Should they go see a show? It wasn’t really Lily’s thing, but before the implications were explained to the pegasus -- and after it turned out there weren't actually any intended implications at all -- she’d said she'd had a good time with Anonymous at the Sardinia. A good comedy could help cheer her up. Ooh, or how about something a little more punchy and in-the-moment? Several music-halls and taverns did run little comedy revues in the evenings...

Or did she want to think about next weekend, the Gala? Lily barely had any time to shop for accessories with her! Artemis’ dress just needed a teeny-tiny bit more adjusting before it was ready, which she could easily finish that night and tomorrow morning, and then she could take Sparks out with it and find the last touches that would make her filly-friend a proper Gala mare? Even if she didn't want to shop, though, Lily really ought to finish her dress soon.

"Pardon me for interrupting, but would you be Specialist Artemis Sparkshower of the Royal Guard?"

‘Son of a three-headed Tartarean hound, it's those three pegasi from the sauna and the showers!’

They were all standing at the opposite edge of the pool; it was the oldest-looking one in the middle who had spoken, a mare in her mid-thirties, with a distinctly Canterlot accent.

Sparkshower turned towards the newcomers, still floating in solitude. "Yes?"

The speaker smiled pleasantly, while her companion on the left grinned and nodded, and the one on the right just stared at Sparkshower, looking her over like a butcher might look at a piece of meat.

"I do apologize, Miss Sparkshower, but when Captain Goldenfoil pointed you out to me, I felt compelled to come over and speak to you. Could you possibly spare me a moment of your time?"

‘Captain Goldenfoil?’

‘What are they, the ponice?’

Did Sparkshower's ex file charges of assault against her for how he'd been driven out at spear-point?

Lily rose to her hooves, indignant. "And just who are you supposed to be?"

The mare gave Lily a slight bow, pressing a forehoof to her chest. "Major Amberline Growler, Lady of House Growler, commander of the Royal Guard First Air Division's Third Armored Battalion, 'Valkyries.'" Rising up, she smiled down at Sparkshower, whose mouth had dropped open to match her wide eyes. "I believe we met earlier today, Miss Sparkshower."

This time, there was no little splash, but a full tidal wave as Lily’s floating comrade instantly flipped over and thrashed her way airborne out of the pool to render a mid-air hovering salute. "Major Growler, ma'am!"

‘Sweet Sun-raising Celestia, Sparkshower, the major's in civvies and this is a spa, not the Canterlot Palace parade grounds.’

You can take every pony out of the uniform, but some, you can't take the uniform out of...

Growler and her entourage politely returned Sparkshower's salute, but then the Major smiled. "Please, Specialist, there's no need for formalities here. We're all civilians at the moment."

Lowering her salute, Growler waved a hoof towards the loungers. "But, I would greatly appreciate it if you could grant me the privilege of a brief audience?"

‘She's reached levels of politeness that shouldn't even be possible.’

A Major -- and a noble one, at that; she did say Lady Amberline -- requesting the privilege of an audience with a lowly specialist? As Sparkshower flapped over to solid ground, Lily went and joined her.

Artemis seemed to be just as confused as Lily was by the situation, as the befuddled pegasus spoke up. "Uhm... Of course, Major. What can I do for you, ma'am?"

‘Well, she met the mare earlier, didn't she?’

‘In the Watchtower, presumably?’

‘Did something weird happen there?’

Lady Growler bowed her head again. "Miss Sparkshower, I have come to realize that this morning I did you a great disservice by accusing you of espionage. My plan was to send you an appropriate card expressing my regrets, but finding you here, I thought I might render my apology in person, if you'll permit it."

Lily blinked and did a double-take.

‘What kind of noblepony major apologizes to a specialist?’

Sparkshower actually glanced in Lily’s direction, but she didn't have any answers for her. "Oh... There's really no need to apologize, Lady Growler. I completed my mission to deliver a message, after all. And I'm sorry for having intruded on the Major General's briefing."

Growler frowned amiably. "Nonsense, Miss Sparkshower! A gentlemare always settles her debts. And, after I made some enquiries into your personnel file, I realized that I owe you rather considerably, as do my Valkyries."

‘Things just get weirder and weirder.’

Sparkshower screwed up her eyebrows. "Ma'am?"

The noble major continued with a smile. "Of course, I doubt you knew it at the time, but by defeating Lieutenant Kilfeather and his associates at Newstirrup Bridge, you all but guaranteed that my top squadron of Valkyries would be the shoo-in favorites to win this summer's MXP Games."

‘Ah, so that's what this is all about.’

It wasn’t an apology for a military mistake, but a noblepony's tribute to an ally. Those, at least, could cross social boundaries. Heck, it was the most common way for non-noble ponies to become officers in the Royal Guard, before the Royal Artillery School and, more significantly, the Royal Officer Academy was founded.

Growler looked in the unicorn’s direction. "May I take it that you, miss, are Specialist Lily Glamerspear?"

She nodded. "That's me, ma'am."

Sitting down, she extended her forehooves wide. “'Nemo nisi per Amicitiam cognoscitur', Centurion. Embrace me as your Tribune."

'No one learns except by Friendship,' the motto of the Order of the Ram. And this old-fashioned noblemare was a Tribune, the next rank up from Lily -- and one reserved for nobleponies, at that? Well, it was hardly a surprise that the commanding officer of the famed Valkyries would be a member. As required by the order's rules, Lily stepped forward and put her forelegs around her in a hug, retiring only when she released her.

"Ah, Centurion. By plucking Kilfeather's wings you have tilted the golden scales of justice in our favor. I salute you."

Lily knew that this was exactly how nobleponies behaved -- or were supposed to behave, at any rate. But it was still really, really, really weird to see it in person -- and in a public spa's pool-room, to boot.

"If you'll excuse my asking, Tribune... what are you doing in the Spa Dalecarlia?"

Growler cocked an eyebrow. "You mean, as opposed to one of Canterlot's more exclusive establishments?"

Exchanging knowing glances with her associates, she continued. "I'm afraid that as Equestria's grand capital city is run by the five-limbed variety of pony, facilities here often do not cater appropriately to those ponies with four or six."

It was true that unicorns, the ponies with 'five limbs,' basically ran Canterlot. But she surely couldn't be saying that a private club would refuse a 'six-limbed' pegasus, could she? Lily felt certain she'd have heard about it if it were true. She must have some other complaint.

"I have a membership with a private club in Cloudsdale, of course. And it provides me with associate access to its exclusive partner here in Canterlot. But the staff at these otherwise excellent establishments simply do not understand how to give proper massages to a pegasus, nor how to properly preen a client. Whereas here... Miss Sparkshower, I do hope you've engaged the services of the resident griffon masseuse, miss Pogranichovna?"

OK, now, her presence made a lot more sense. Elite ponies being picky about the quality of their servants? Everyday occurrence in Equestria. The Major probably similarly pooh-poohed most restaurants here as well.

Sparkshower nodded her head. "Yes, I had a massage from Nina on my first visit. She's very skilled."

The three pegasus mares nodded almost in unison as Growler carried on theatrically. "And that's why you've come back, isn't it? The griffonese masseuse? Goodness, but she knows how to wring every last drop of exhaustion out of you, doesn't she? Having one's wings attended to by her expert claws and beak is akin to being in the tender loving embrace of the Sun-Princess herself, I imagine."

The Major composed herself, putting on a stern face. "You know, Miss Sparkshower, since the Valkyries were first founded, one rule has been kept above all others: 'Everypony fights. No-one quits. Anypony who breaks formation to flee will be speared by the commander herself.' I say this to you only to make it clear that I, too, require her attentions. Why, I recommend the Spa Dalecarlia to all of my soldiers -- officers and enlisted alike." She gestured at the pony on her left with a wing. "Otherwise, Sergeant Major Treechopper wouldn't know about this place either, would you, Morgan?"

The indicated pegasus shook her head and answered in a heavy lower-class Cloudsdale accent. "Nae I wouldn't, Growler."

With her intonation, it sounded a little more like 'Growl-Ah' when she said the major's name.

Turning back to Sparkshower, Growler paused for a moment to look her over. It was strange -- Lily had never really seen Sparkshower in the company of several other pegasi without her armor on. The chow hall, literal zoo that it was, didn’t really count, because everypony was bustling around instead of standing still. Plus, they were mostly sitting down in there.

But standing inside before these three Valkyries, it became apparent once again just how tall Artemis was for a pegasus -- and how well-built she was, too. It'd been obvious when shopping for dresses, of course, but a mare being frustrated that sizes didn't fit right was hardly a novel experience. Sometimes it seemed like nopony made clothing that fit any mares at all. But seeing Sparkshower towering a full head over two of these pegasi, and half a head over the third, really put her dimensions in perspective. The Valkyries were, after all, some of the strongest pegasi in the Equestrian Royal Guard. A whole battalion of mares, all flying around in heavy bronze plate armor.

Growler lifted an eyebrow and nodded at Treechopper. "Well, Morgan, what do you think of Miss Sparkshower now that you've had a look at her? I trust in your discerning eyes."

Treechopper nodded, looking up at Lily’s big pegasus comrade. "Absolute unit, Growler. I'm in awe at the size o' this mare."

Sparkshower's cheeks turned a bit red, and she seemed to hunch down a bit to try to lower her height, but the noblepony didn’t seem to notice, and carried right on. "I wonder, miss Sparkshower. Why become a 19D Armored Scout, instead of a 19K Armored Infantry? And to have requested a posting in the Fourth Armored Regiment? We would have been pleased to have you swear the 'Immaculate Pledge' of the Valkyries, I should think."

Awkwardly scratching at one foreleg with the other forehoof, Sparkshower replied. "Er, well... I enjoyed photography, and I didn't really know how I felt about being in heavy combat... and I wanted to be stationed closer to home... and the signing bonus was a lot bigger for a 19D."

The major nodded approvingly. "Sensible, sensible... Of course, we have a few 19Ds in the Valkyries as well, but they're in such demand that we don't often get first crack at new recruits unless they specifically request to try for us."

Sighing, she collected herself. "The reason I ask, besides my interest in the betterment of my battalion, is to ensure I repay my debt to you properly. It's a matter of honor, you see."

Instantly, Sparkshower rolled her head and slumped her shoulders. "Not another matter of honor!"

Her outburst shocked the three Valkyries, and while Lily’s comrade nearly crumpled to the ground as the weight of this morning's events crashed down on her, her unicorn comrade stepped up to lend a hoof in pulling her back up.

"It's kinda a long story, Tribune. A personal thing came up this morning. Coltfriend problems, you understand?"

Once Sparkshower was back on her hooves, albeit looking much less collected than before, Growler spoke up again, frowning. "Well, I certainly don't wish to pry into your personal affairs, Miss Sparkshower. But I suspect I may know what may be ailing you. May I offer some words of advice, from a senior pony to a junior?"

Swallowing deeply and still a bit shaky, Artemis nodded, and Growler continued. “It is often said among nobles -- by colts, of course, but by many mares as well -- that only colts have 'honor.' That this abstract attribute is exclusively masculine, and that although mares may also serve in the Royal Guard, only colts may gain honor by valorous behavior on the field of battle and by proper behaviour in society, as they may lose it by cowardice and impropriety."

Sparkshower lifted her head a bit as the Major continued. "Mares, by contrast, are said to have only 'shame' instead, a property which is given to them at birth and may never be increased but only reduced, either by the machinations of lechers or by their own supposedly sinful impulses. And it is a property which must be defended at all costs by those colts who do not wish to lose 'honor,' whether they are linked to the mare by blood or merely by love."

Growler shook her head. "I suppose that perhaps your coltfriend subscribes to the same theorem, and this is why you recoiled at my mention of the word 'honor.' But, as the commander of one of the fiercest battalions in the Royal Guard, and as a member of the Cloudsdale noble House of Growler, I say that it is utter, utter nonsense."

Sneering, she looked around as if the targets of her scorn were present and heckling. "Those who believe and promulgate such beliefs are the same ponies who, if asked to name Equestria's greatest mage, would reply immediately with 'Starswirl the Bearded,' as if Her Majesty Princess Celestia, the immortal sovereign who has guided and watched over our great nation for over a thousand years, simply did not exist. It is sheer folly."

To be honest, Lily might've named Starswirl as well. Nothing against Princess Celestia, of course; and, upon reflection, her accomplishments were incredible. Nopony living in Equestria was as good a mage as she was. But it was hard to tell epic stories about somepony who was still alive.

Starswirl, by contrast, was dead, and maybe that's why he was such a big name.

Plus, the Princess wasn't just a great sorcerer -- she was also a great ruler! That made it hard to think of her as just a 'mage.' Though Lily could probably think of a few famous generals who might beat her out on a list of Equestria's greatest leaders, again from ancient history.

On her left, Sparkshower seemed to have regained her composure, and Growler looked her up and down. "Do not allow others -- be they colts or mares -- to use prevailing customs to define you, Specialist. Rise above and meet their challenge. You are an honorable mare who deserves to be treated as such. Do you understand?"

Sparkshower nodded hesitantly, and Growler smiled knowingly at Captain Goldenfoil on her right. "Well, now. This has been a pleasant conversation. Having rendered my apology and spoken with you for a while, I now think I have some idea of how to make the remainder of my amends. You are billeted in Canterlot Palace, are you not?"

Artemis licked her lips before replying. "Yes, Major Growler."

The noblepony officer nodded approvingly. "Capital, capital. May I ask if you have ever found a noblepony indebted to you on some prior occasion?"

Sparkshower shook her head, and Growler indicated Captain Goldenfoil with a wing. "No? Then, as you are not noble-born, I shall ask the good captain to explain some matters of etiquette to you, and take my leave. The three of us have prior appointments with Miss Pogranichovna, you see, and I should not wish to miss mine for all the clouds in the sky! Farewell, Miss Sparkshower and Miss Glamerspear."

Sparkshower snapped to attention like she was still in bucking 'shoe camp. "Major, ma'am!"

Lily supposed she owed Growler a salute as a Centurion of the Order as well. "Tribune."

The Major gave a polite curtsy and, followed closely by her senior NCO, exited the pool-room, leaving only Captain Goldenfoil behind. She immediately launched into a hasty brief.

"Specialist Sparkshower, Major Lady Growler has authorized me, as her chief of staff, to ensure that you receive a token of her appreciation. This gift will satisfy the debt of honor that Her Ladyship owes you. Such gifts are common among nobleponies when the deficit has been caused primarily by the receipt of a good deed rather than the giving of an offense, as with the present case. I will arrange for the Major's gift to be delivered to your quarters tonight."

The captain lifted an eyebrow. "You should know that this object was selected specifically for you, after I reviewed your file with the major. It is of some considerable value, perhaps even in excess of the debt owed, but it is being given in the hope that you will repay the kindness by favoring the major in the future. However, if you are discomfited by the magnitude of Her Ladyship's beneficence, it would be proper to return the gift to her, via my office, within a reasonable time frame -- on the order of a month or two, with your profoundest apologies and thanks. Beyond that point, you may return the gift only if you feel the major has given offense or if Her Ladyship's name brings shame upon your person; otherwise, you would cause offense yourself. These are the rules of correct behavior. Do you understand what I've just said, Specialist Sparkshower?"

Artemis nodded, but spoke up. "Yes, but may I ask a question, Captain?"

"Certainly."

"Why did the major have me arrested as a spy as soon as the briefing was over? I know I wasn't supposed to be in there, but it seemed to be a low-security meeting, with no guards at the doors, and I did have permission to be in the Watchtower."

Goldenfoil flexed her wings and flared her nostrils, but it seemed to be borne out of frustration rather than anger. "Because the Watchtower has been infiltrated, Specialist. We don't know who or how, but the reports of missing documents, suspicious personnel lurking in restricted areas, and unexplained noises and shadows are too numerous to be ignored. Somepony, or someponies, are sneaking in, and doing so with worrying regularity." Sneering, she shook her head. "That's why the Major sent me to contact the General's ADC as soon as the meeting was over. And why you were hauled in as soon as you exited the room; we had guards watching you inside as well. With the Gala coming up, and with the unspecified threats to it, we weren't taking any chances."

Sounded like somepony's playing pranks in the Watchtower to Lily. Maybe one of the all-unicorn 'corn-field' battalions stationed in the Watchtower decided to have some fun messing around with the First Air Division's pegasi. There were an awful lot of illusionists in Canterlot's anti-air gunnery brigades, and they were all mischief-making rascals, every last one of them.

What was that about a threat to the Gala, though?

Before Lily could think about it, Captain Goldenfoil turned to her. "Centurion Glamerspear, the Major also authorized me to provide you with a small token of her appreciation as well. I am the executive coach for our MXP Games team, so the job you did on Lieutenant Kilfeather puts you in my good book too, and I insisted upon a reward when we saw you here with Miss Sparkshower. However, we were at a loss to determine an appropriate recompense on such short notice. Her Ladyship the Major therefore requests that you consider her able to perform for you some small favor of your asking, at the time of your choosing. I have noted this in her records, and you may come to me directly if you believe that your request will not require her personal attention. Is that understood?"

‘Neat, a noblepony's get-out-of-trouble-free card.’

Lily had always wanted one of those.

Smiling, she saluted the captain. "Yes, Captain. Thank you."

Goldenfoil smiled. "No, thank you both. With 'Icepone' and 'Joker' out of the way, the Valkyries will sweep the skies at the MXP Games. I'll make sure you have tickets to the event -- on top of the gift and the favor, of course."

Returning her salute, the Captain turned to leave, but then paused and looked back at Glamerspear and Sparkshower. "...Oh, and Miss Sparkshower. Do take care with the major's gift. It can have a temper of its own. Under no circumstances should you experiment with it inside Her Majesty's palace, is that understood?"

"Yes, Captain!"

Lily turned to Sparkshower once the Captain left, her comrade's final answer echoing around the tiled room. "A temper of its own? And don't use it indoors? What the buck is she sending you, a barrel of gunpowder from the Watchtower's magazines?"

Artemis frowned. "I... I don't know. Unless..."

Suddenly, her face brightened up. "... Oh, clear skies and sunshine... I think I do know! Let's get back as soon as we can, I want to be there when it arrives!"

Next Chapter: Chapter 93 Estimated time remaining: 18 Hours, 24 Minutes