Let's talk (Patreon)

As Corporal Trotter plans for the future A plan takes form, and Gold Scryer tries to unravel a mystery from over a 1,000 years ago Whispers from the past. Another pony is conducting her own search in the origin of the mysterious wards that were used to break into Celestia's office. 

       Night Flower looked up from the scroll she'd been working on in my Equestria dreamscape. She wasn't certain but she swore she'd heard something unusual for just a moment. However only the sound in the windowless, dimly lit room was that of the clock ticking on the wall. Besides if there had been anything truly amiss Iron Kick would've sounded the alarm. 

  She returned her attention to the scroll in front of her. If this document was going to pass for being legit she needed to get the verification spell correct. A contested inheritance hinged on her ability to create a plausible document that could pass muster in court.  

 
  The mare's attention was once again interrupted by the muffled sound from the other side of the locked and bolted door. It almost sounded like a spell going off. Quickly glancing over at the statue on her desk of a rearing griffin her heart stopped. One of its usually bright red eyes had gone black.  

 
  Frantically she yanked the top right drawer of the desk with her magic and grabbed the pair of warded hoof blades that rested in there. She never got a chance to put them on.  

 
  There was a blinding flash of teleportation magic and before eyesight her had returned she felt a hoof slammed into her face sending her flying from her chair. Hitting the floor face first she felt the weight of her assailant crash down on her pinning her to the wooden floor which creaked and moaned. A fraction of second she felt the shock of an inhibitor ring locking around her horn.  

 
  With a violent yank she was flipped onto her back. When the world had stopped spinning she found herself looking into the leering face out of a nightmare. It was a unicorn mare wearing goggles with lens of swirling iridescent glass. Numerous bloody wounds crisscrossed her face and what she could see of her body. In a voice that made Night Flower's blood run cold the mare spoke. 

  "My, my Night Flower. You are one tricky mare to track down. Why you'd think you didn't want ponies finding you. Well I did. Let's talk. I have several questions for you and it will be very much in your best interest to answer them!" 

  "Where's my bodyguard? How did get past the wards? You couldn't have teleported from the outside. The wards I've erected to prevent that?!" Exclaimed Night Flower. 

  Her assailant smiled. "Your bodyguard if he's woken up yet. Which I doubt. Is going to be busy for awhile finding all of his missing teeth on the floor! And you can teleport once you get past the inner ward." 

  "Who are you?!" Night Flower shouted in indignation. "How dare you come into my place of business and assault me and my employee like this! I run a respectable..." 

  "Spare me the story!" Growled Night Flower's assailant. "I've learned how you've become the source for fake documents and counterfeit papers in this town. I am quite familiar with the number of ponies you've got off the hook in court or wrongly sent to prison because your so-called respectable business. I know of at least a half dozen ponies serving sentences of hard labor because of bogus evidence you created, and the dozens business you've destroyed with your fake contracts you've doctored or fabricated from whole cloth." 

  The mare swallowed and desperation began to seep into the forger's voice.  

 
  "Look, who are you working for? One of the families? A disgruntled businessman or wife who hired you as some justice seeking vigilante? You're not with the police you don't have the right vibe. Are you another criminal who's good at.."

 
  Suddenly I thought flashed through Night Flower's head. "How did you get pass the phantom blades? I saw the ward go off which means you didn't disable it. You should've been cut to ribb..." 

  Night Flower suddenly realized that as she looked at the mare's face she could see cuts closing and healing before her eyes. Phoenix lowered her head until her muzzle touched Night Flower's. 

  "I was." Hissed Phoenix. "But I survived. I'm following a lead and looking for answers, and you're the next link in the chain." 

  Phoenix levitated a long, curved, double-ended sinister looking blade out it's scabbard on her web gear. Slowly she began twirling it above Night Flower's head. 

  
  "Now." Purred Phoenix. "I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going answer them. If you don't I'll show you just like I showed the link before you just how much of a pony can be removed and still be alive. Understood?" 

  
  Night Flower frantically nodded her head. 

 To be continued.