dosey doe

Well, it's now August. Any progress?

[FM] "Oh, how nice to see old friends after time apart. I'm just sight-seeing myself. I've heard that Princess Celestia spends more time in Ponyville than anywhere else other than Canterlot!" Force said, and crunched a saltine. "Dr yr knr irf shr hrs a vrsrt plrnnd anrtrm srrn?" [WS] "Oh, there it is!" Wish said after a minute. The home had a massive welcome mat out front with the words "MAKE A WISH!" embroidered on it in fancy pink script. The exclamation point was dotted with a heart. "Oh, um, right. Maybe I should've mentioned that."

"Nope! Make yourself comfy," said Force, and introduced herself - as Lightheart, of course. After introductions were done, she asked Starshine, "So, are you headed to Ponyville too?" She produced some snacks for them out of her saddlebags.

"Oh, from here you just take a right at the fountain and it's three blocks down. It's the yellow one with the flowers and the windows and the door," said Wish, narrowing it down to every house in the neighborhood.

"I just need to pick up a few things from home, if that's okay," said Wish. "Of course I'd be happy if you came along, Woody. It was nice meeting everypony. Are we going to meet up at the train station, then?"

[WS] "Aww, thanks so much!" said Wish as she stuck the flower in her mane. In return, she plucked an orchid from among the flowers growing around her hooves, and offered it to Woody. "Best friends!" [FM] By now, Force's train had arrived, and she was in the process of boarding. This being Canterlot, there were many ponies disembarking, and just a few getting on with her. She chose a seat about two thirds of the way to the front of her car, and sat by the window. The car was not too packed, so she set her bags on the empty seat next to her.

[WS] "Aww, don't worry Woody, you don't owe me anything, I just wanna make sure your friend is okay," said Wish, offering him a hug. "Flying sounds fun, but remember to take breaks when you need to, okay?" "Oh yeah, I need to get ready! We're going to need snacks for the trip!"

Wish Song timidly raised a hoof. "Um, if she's in the royal guard, maybe Princess Luna will know where she went? I think Techno's right, we should probably go to Canterlot first. If that's okay." She shuffled her hooves.

[WS] "Oh, um, thank you? It's a very nice cape, Techno," said Wish, checking it out over her shoulder. Once they arrived and did introductions, she said, "Wow, another dracona-thingy? I didn't realize there was more than one! Nice to meet you, I'm Wish Song." She shook his paw with her two front hooves.

[WS] "Hi there, Techno! I'm Wish Song. Hope you didn't mind our little joke. It was just a prank, bro~" said Wish as the three of them walked out together. "So, I hear you're looking for your friend, Maple? When did you see her last?" ==== [FM] After making her preparations, Force made her way to the train station to buy her ticket, and to await the next train to Ponyville. She travelled light: just a set of pink saddlebags. In reality, she could just conjure up whatever she might need, but a pony travelling by train with no luggage would be bound to draw attention. While she waited, she contacted Nova with her sending stone. "Since it will be a day and more before I arrive, Lord, please use this time to find out more about Ponyville from Maple, if you can. I should especially like to know if Celestia has ever been seen speaking with anypony in town on a regular basis. I shall make small talk with other passengers on the train and discover what I may."

Wish tip-toed up to the sleeping horse and whispered a short lullaby, causing little lilies and roses and tulips and snapdragons to grow all over him. Then she gave Will the universal wink that means "Go for it!"

Now Force was pacing. "I think that if Celestia visits this town that often, she clearly must care about something - or someone - there. We can use that. I also think that this is an opportunity to learn more about our enemy, and we would be fools to waste it." "True Polymorph." Force's coat, mane, and tail withered and fell out all at once, in a big green and salmon heap, which she magically disintegrated. Shortly after, new fur and hair grew in over just a few seconds - her new coat a light purple, her mane blonde. Her irises changed from golden to a dark blue. "While I am in this form, call me Lightheart. I will take the train to avoid suspicion - and a teleport at this distance would be dangerously inaccurate anyway. My Lord, take this." She floated over a small gemstone to Nova. "This a sending stone. My usual spell does not have enough range. If you wish to contact me, simply focus your magic on the stone for a few moments. I will hear your thoughts, and will be able to respond in kind. I have attuned it to you. No other may use it. Now then, I must gather my things and prepare a Circle of Recall in my quarters." She turned to leave, and made the door before looking back over her shoulder: "Oh, and as for being up to the task? It is not a matter of 'Can I succeed.' I will succeed." ==== @WiiGuy2014 "Wow, cool magic!" said Wish. "Sure, I'll come with you and your friend. Sounds like an adventure!"

"La, la la... Oh! Um, hello," said Wish. "No... I don't think so. Nice to meet you, mister! What's your name? I'm Wish Song!" "I'm sorry you lost your friend," she added, and picked a flower to give to Maple (Will). "Would you like help looking for her?"

"Ponyville?" Force asked reflexively as she rose from her bow. "I know a little, Lord. I brought a guide to Equestria with me, which I familiarized myself with during our journey here. It is just to the southwest of Canterlot, making it roughly a day and a half's trip by train from here, and there is a station in this city. It is a small town, mostly agricultural, a few craftsponies and artists. Largely unremarkable, although they are well-known for their apple-based pastries." After a pause, "I believe Maple mentioned that town before. She may know more than I."

The green horse appeared before him instantly, in a flash of magic light, along with some spooky blue vapor for dramatic affect. It was of course illusory, and would not cause coughing or irritation. She was already bowing. "Your will, Lord?"

Within her room, Force muttered an incantation. "I scry, with my little eyes..." She conjured several groups of invisible scrying sensors. "You lot, cover the doors. You, the windows. You, the roof. Rest of you, the perimeter. Sound no alarms. Maintain a log of every entry or exit event. I want full recordings. Search on heat, light, motion, sound, carbon dioxide, water vapor, air currents, magic auras. Monitor the physical, astral, and ethereal planes." Before letting them go, she enchanted them with true sight. On her room, she cast a dimensional lock (keyed to herself, such that no one would be able to teleport in, but she could still travel extra-dimensionally as she pleased), alarm (again attuned to her), non-detection, misdirection, false vision, detect scrying, and scry trap. On herself, mind blank. Then she unpacked. Finally, she sent a message spell to Nova. My quarters are secured. What are your commands?

"So, our allies will not tell us their plans?" Force asked rhetorically. "Well, whatever. If they betray you they will be destroyed. I shall go and inspect my quarters. As always, I will know instantly if you have need of me." Before leaving, she refreshed the enchantment that allowed her to teleport to Nova's side. She floated her luggage down the hall with her.

Wish trotted down Ponyville's main street, toward the fountain in the center of town, singing. "summer wrap up, summer wrap up!" Grass and flowers grew in her hoofsteps, amid magical sparkles. She greeted ponies as she enjoyed her morning trot. She was making her way to the market. ==== Force closely supervised the unloading of their belongings. "Careful with those, you foals, or it's your life!" When they were finished, she addressed Nova. "My Lord, my scrying shows nopony following, and I have detected no attempts to scry upon any of us. We stand ready. How shall we serve?"