Hunting Hope 20

>As Celestia appeared in the royal chambers, the energy in the room instantly troubled her.

>None of the respectful, excited, cheerful emotions she had become accustomed to in the years of meeting with the six elements of harmony welcomed her.

>Instead, of the group only Laughter was in a cheery mood, the rest upset or confused to varying degrees.

This certainly didn't bode well, Celestia thought, as the ponies turned around at the sound of apparition and stared at Celestia.

Rainbow Dash was first.

>"Celestia! Why didn't you tell us that satyrs have magical abilities?"

Thus, the flood gates were opened.

>"She's disappeared and even my tracking spell won't-"

>"The history of anon is entirely missing from the Royal Lib-"

>"She dahsn't seem lahk the kind of mohnster you'd sugges-"

>Celestia was frozen in shock, their shrill voices continuing around her but not heard.

She hadn't been accosted in such a way in centuries, and now these little ponies thought themselves able to tell her off?

>Her eyes glinted dangerously for only a second, but it was enough; around her, the room instantly fell silent.

>Twilight was the first to bow down, the others quickly following suit.

>Applejack had to tug Rainbow by the tail to bring her to the ground, but within moments all were crouched and quiet.

>Or, mostly quiet, as Rainbow asked out loud why they were bowing, Pinkie giggled softly, and the others shushed them aggressively.

>Celestia, meanwhile, regained her momentary loss of composure.

"Please stand, my little ponies." Celestia spoke evenly and calmly, as if brushing away the rage from only seconds ago, "I apologise for the inconvenience, but there has been much to do these past few months."

>The ponies looked up, but remained quiet, eyes showing confusion and the faintest hints of worry bordering on fear.

"To address your question, Rarity," Celestia continued regally, ignoring the other's questions, "your spell relies on a very faint trail of energy.

"If the creature cannot be located by such a spell, it is most likely it is hiding somewhere with large amounts of natural magic, such as the Everfree forest."

"As for your information, I feel that what I told you previously was all you needed to know. More details are irrelevant to your search."

"I expect you have a long way to go. Please take fresh supplies from the kitchens on the way out, and good luck!"

>Celestia's short speech ended abruptly, ending on a friendly and almost playful note, yet with a brusque finality that said 'this meeting is over'.

>With confusion and an unmistakable sense of let-down, the six ponies left the castle, heads down and thoughts running amok.

>While none of them said it, all six were troubled from the enigmatic meeting.

>Their most important questions unanswered, the ponies were left to wonder to themselves of the nature of the machinations which turned around them.

 

>Shining Armor stood nose to nose with a burly Earth pony, anger in their eyes and smoke billowing out his nostrils.

"I won't have weapons like these," Shining gestured at the row of carts filled to the brim with sharpened swords, spears, and assorted weapons, "wielded by the Royal Guard! Do you expect war? Or do you perhaps WANT one?"

>The other stallion stomped his hoof thunderously, deep lungs bellowing a retort and filling the air of the training grounds with his response so that all the trainees could hear.

>"You would have us unarmed? So that we can not defend our princess effectively? Or perhaps so that the griffons," he added, stressing the last word, "can attack us with our horseshoes off!"

"We are ponies, not uncivilized beasts, and as such we don't wield killing weapons like," Shining cast a disgusted eye at the glinting blades, "those. Our job is peaceful, our land gentle! Don't be so quick to try to change it."

>"What of the creatures that run amok within our borders?" The massive brown pony roared, as below their ramparts, training guardsponies gathered to watch, "the Satyr beast, the dragons that live within our borders, the rebellious bison who destroyed Appleoosa?"

>Shining's muzzle contorted with disgust.

"You believe that the Bison destroyed Appleoosa? Or that one small creature stealing bread justifies raising an army? We are ponies! And ponies. DO. NOT. KILL!"

>The brown pony stormed off with a spectacular scowl, clattering down the rampart stairs and down to his carts of weapons, but no farther.

>Cheers echoed below and behind him from his fellow guards, but a surprising number of them glared sulkily as if they had taken the newcomer's side.

>Shining sighed, heat of the argument falling from his shoulders as his head cleared.

It didn't feel like a victory.

What had happened to his peaceful Equestria? The stirrings of griffon rebellion, a princess acting more strangely each passing day, and now even the normally peaceful ponies beginning to fear and wish to fight?

Celestia save us all.

>However, the thought stuck in his mind halfway. Something about it bothered him, as if he had stumbled upon an ignored question in the back of his subconscious, but it eluded Shining's grasp.

>Not time to ponder it, though, as Shining spotted the angry pony now passing spears out to every animal that came near him.

>Shining Armor straightened his back and prepared to head down, fire in his eyes and horn shimmering at the pony's nerve, but he was stopped by a flash of energy behind him.

>Behind him, standing on the battlements of the castle's wall, was Celestia herself, regal, glowing brilliantly, and with a serious expression.

"Ah! I'm glad you've arrived, Celestia! A pony below is giving weapons to-"

>"Stand down, Shining Armor. I ordered him to personally."

"I--- what?"

>"You are to oversee training and equipping of the guard immediately. I trust this won't be a problem in future?" Celestia continued, ignoring the abject confusion and bristling hackles of the much younger pony.

"But, Celestia!"

>She disappeared in a flash of heat, leaving Shining Armor alone atop the castle walls.

What was going on?

 

 

Indeed, what is going on? I was going to write something about Celestia explaining things to the six, with a heaping spoonful of distrust for anything to do with humanity... somehow this happened.

I'll sort out the implications and how best to utilize this new twist, hopefully it'll make for an interesting tale! I know it's a bit out of character for Celestia normally, but I somewhat like the idea of madness and confusion throughout Equestria, all caused by some simple misunderstanding.

Although each chapter also makes the "simple misunderstanding" evolve inexorably towards "horrific failed coup".

In summary, I'm writing faster than I'm figuring out what I'm doing, and the longer it gets the more messed up and unwieldy the story gets.

So, feedback me. Is it acceptable for my story to be all over the place like this, picking up complexities and characters like one of those twisting endless non-sequitur-filled child's animu? Or do you want me to simplify, cut down, and take things a bit more seriously?

I do have fun with the silliness, but perhaps it is too much?