Building"Hey Tsu," Giovenith sighed, but exchanging a look with Kale. "Not so great. Just a little personal drama is all."
Kale was honestly probably having an easier time at this than Giovenith, because she allowed herself to feel the scorn and indignation at Torii's beliefs. Giovenith didn't really have that luxury. It was almost her unspoken job here to remain somewhat unbiased in her interactions with the residents, mostly so they would actually be willing to listen to her advice.
"Unfortunately, yes," the godling admitted to Kale. "Believe me, she's actually
better than she used to be. Torii means well, she does, she doesn't hate anyone, but... she definitely grew up in a different world than some of us. To her credit, she does try to improve herself like you just saw, but we still have these instances from time to time."
Rache and WillowIf there was one piece of luck that the time travelers had had at all during their time, it was that ponies didn't often forget about those they didn't hate.
It didn't take at all long for a whoosh of air to signal the return of several pegasus soldiers, who had immediately flown after Rache during the ghouling's fall in order to guarantee his safety. Several gathered around the body, inspecting it this way and that to make certain it truly was dead, while several other ponies flocked to Rache to assist him. There was lots of chatter and marveling at what he had done and his survival, until one armored hoof reached out and gently pulled him to his feet.
"Brave stranger, you have done the impossible," said the pony, who was more prestigiously armored than her peers and given a space that emphasized her apparent high ranking. "Cynisca thanks you!"
Although the monster was now dead due to Rache's efforts, the remaining pegasi apparently wanted to make extra sure, as they had begun to fly away and return with small patches of clouds. They were intent on thoroughly roasting the thing with lightning, damn the smell, and then allowing the blizzard to cover the remains. It was a puzzle of what they would do about the inconvenience of such a large corpse near the edge of their city, but it was a minor problem compared to the astounding victory they had already experienced.
"Come, we will make sure you are taken care of," the high-ranking mare said, motioning for two other soldiers to flank Rache and help him fly back up the slope to the city while the thunder behind them began to boom. As they were flying, the daemon got a little exposition. "I am Lieutenant Star Catcher, a Cabinet Member here in Cynisca and current acting regent in our true leader Commander Hurricane's absence. The Privates who first alerted us about the ghouling told me what little they heard about you and your young companion's arrival here. We will find him for you..."
There was no need. As soon as Rache had been escorted back into the city's edge, frantic calls heralded the simultaneous return of Willow, Private Pansy, and the other young Private, who glided in from across the street intent on making it to their companion and leader respectively.
"Rache!" Willow rushed ahead in the air, stopping in front of the healing daemon and Lieutenant. "You killed the thing! I was running, and I had to save Pansy though, and then we got attacked by little versions of the monster, and then thus guy saved us, and, and, and..." The winded and frazzled pony struggled to eloquently explain.
"Is this true Private Pansy, Private Cloud Duster?" Star Catcher asked the adolescents.
"Yes ma'am," the young guard, Cloud Duster, answered a smile and salute. Pansy only looked down and folded her ears.
"Well, it seems we've all been out-doing ourselves today," the Lieutenant praised, nodding. "Good work. But the work is not done yet; come along, all of you, let's get out of the way as this is cleaned up."
With that, the group at long last left the battle area into a cleaner, more secure part of the city. They soon found themselves in a more official cloud building closer to the heart of the city, Rache escorted to a cozy cloud sofa despite his rapidly healing injuries and handed a small bowl of flavorless mush (for presumed eating). Willow was allowed to stand near him, though Pansy and Cloud Duster stood off to the side as they were probably trained to do when somepony like the Lieutenant addressed them.
Star Catcher removed her helmet, letting loose white hair with pink and blue streamers, and Willow gauged her to be about in her late 40s, though looking good for that.
"Obviously, the circumstances of your arrival has been quite strange," she said, speaking to the future individuals. "I've been in my position for some time, and I've never heard of pegasi who took such long absence from the city before. You don't look old enough to be done with the agoge yet." She directed the last bit at Willow.
Not having a real excuse, Willow shrugged and said, "It's, complicated?"
"I would imagine. Regardless though, it is good you arrived when you did, given the miracle your friend here performed with the ghouling. Even if you have missed out on training, it is certain he has not. What are your names?"
"Mine is Willow Streaks, and his is Rache, ma'am."
"Rache and Willow Streaks, Cynisca is in your debt," Star Catcher said with a head bow. "If there is anything at all we can do for you, only ask, and I shall make sure it is given."
Yuna and AegisBrief collab between Gio and Prim.Smart Cookie slowly raised her eye at Aegis. Given the situation, she didn't think he was in much of a position to be counter-interrogating her, however she decided to go along with it. She had nothing to hide and it was likely that it would make the two feel more comfortable with speaking to her.
"Fine," she said, nodding. "If that'll make ya feel good. What do ya mean yer not ponies? Are you spirits a some sort?"
“No we're not.” Aegis said flatly “We are fairly normal bipedal mammals who, and I am making an assumption here, suffered a magical catastrophe as a result of some Equestrian items a pony friend of ours possessed.”
“What is that discus that the chancellor had? I recognize it as one of the objects that transported us here.” Aegis retorted as he asked his own question.
Bipedal mammals. Smart Cookie narrowed her eyes in skepticism, but didn’t raise that concern. She had no idea (yet) what the term “Equestrian” referred to, but decided to charge on.
“It is the Fertility Disc,” she answered, eyes shifting back at the door the Chancellor had bounced out of. “It’s an old thing, passed from Chancellor to Chancellor for as long as we have elected a Chancellor. A piece of our history. When you hold it’s middle hole up to the sun, the gylphs tell us what degree the land around the disc is fertile and healthy enough. It tells us when the Earth is sick or in need of more urgent care, or if we are being successful in our work. With this blizzard, the readings have been getting worse and worse…”
Needing a slight moment to compose herself, Smart Cookie walked away from the two and settled a hoof on a window ledge, peering out at the falling snow piling high outside. She winced and folded her ears. “This blizzard, we’ve been watching it closely. We know the land better than any other creature, and many of us have determined that even if this winter eventually comes to an end, even if the snow melts away, the land itself will be so thoroughly damaged that it may never yield life again. This winter… it’s killing more than the products of the earth. It’s killing the earth itself.”
Perking up in attention, she turned again to the two. “Are you here to help us? Hurt us? Anything?”
Aegis was not usually a kind hearted or sympathetic person but Smart Cookies melancholy touched him slightly granting him a strange feeling which he was unaccustomed to feeling. He shivered a bit as the wind blew suddenly into the room and his more convention anatomy sent a signal to his brain which was equally foreign. Throught chattering teeth he explained. “We just want to get home. We know you’re kind from our friend and we would be loath to do anything we don’t absolutely have to. But we dreadfully miss our home. I have a feeling that your chancellors Disc may be part of that, and if you let us merely examine it we would help you in anyway we can.”
The pony narrowed her eyes once again, not out of hostility but analysis. Looking at her, it would be easy to predict that she wasn't fooled very often, despite growing up in a society with ponies who often easily were. Maybe it was part of her inherent talent, but Smart Cookie always had a knack for sensing the truth, even if that truth seemed ridiculous. Still...
"Awlright," she drawled. "We'll see. I'll let ya see the Disc, but only when nopony else is looking tonight. Also, Imma need you to play along for now, given what ponies have begun to think of you two."
“Deal” Aegis said with obvious relief that showed he had no interest revealing his secret to anyone he didn’t have to.
With that, Smart Cookie trotted over to open the door-
"Are you done yet?" Chancellor Puddinghead demanded, standing right in front of the door.
"AHH!" Smart Cookie doubled back, nearly having a heart attack at her boss' unexpected close up. "Chancellor, ya scared me!"
"Scare, shmare, something serious has happened! Come on! Right now!" And the leader ran away again.
Looking confused, the secretary beckoned Aegis and Yuna followed, and the four of them made their way through a now heavily howling winter storm all to the way to another small home some turns away from the Chancellor's cabin. They were quickly welcomed in to the tiny abode, and were brought to a room where a pony lay passed out in bed with another by her side. They were the same twins that had been trying to track down Razzalia, Chrys, and Brit, the "Puffy and Sassafrass" mentioned earlier by the mob.
"Chancellor, it's terrible," Puffy cried, eyes twinkling and hooves to mouth. "We tried to get the carrots back, we did, but the witch attacked us with one of 'er sorcery tricks. She threw Sassy hard, she did, and now won't'en wake up."
Sassafrass, the one Razzalia had wrapped around a tree, was clearly still breathing in her primitive little bed, but not looking good otherwise.
Brit and Chrys"Of course," Clover agreed. "I've got plenty of spare robes, I'm not much one for dress up either."
The three of them soon came upon two mighty doors that towered all the way to the ceiling, Clover opening them up and breathing in the crunchy smell of paper the glided out. "And I'm not one for parties either. If anything I should be thanking you two, you gave me an excuse to escape back here."
The library, like most of the unicorns' tastes, was magnificent. The giant room was circular, with the walls slightly curving inward but nonetheless managing to keep the books in the towering shelves that lined them in place. There were tables and furniture for the public who stopped in, but also closed off areas for seeming more professional work, and in the very middle of it all was a giant, golden astronomical tracking piece that dwarfed the ponies and rose all the way to the high ceiling. The ceiling itself was topped with a stained glass dome, the inscriptions of which seemed especially ornate and sacred.
Clover winked out and appeared at the table nearest the astronomical leviathan, gesturing over to her new companions. "Come, come! We'll begin here."