Snow smiled in the other room, "It's called the 'telephone', and it's in its final stages of development. After this one, Mark Co and I will only have a few more products to develop before we begin our most ambitious project yet...The founding of the world's first "modern city", as a model of how all new cities and towns from now on should be built. And then we will convert Ponyville into a modern town to show how to modernize an existing city with no modernization at all." Snow said proudly, "Mark my words Nightshade, we are at the beginning of a new era! The one that leaves the superstitions and bad magic of the past, along with the "immortal, divine rulers" and instead, a new Equestria will be born! A secular Equestria, a progressive Equestria, a modern Equestria, and an Equestria where everypony has a say!"
Nightshade was taken aback by Snow's declaration. While she was, herself, fond of technology, she knew that many ponies were not. She spoke softly, trying not to sound rude or discouraging "You have a difficult journey ahead of you. The citizens of Ponyville are not exactly know for embracing change... and most are fiercely loyal to the princesses. The traditions of this land are ingrained into every aspect of their lives. Many will be loathe to give that up."
Snow nodded in response even if Nightsjade couldn't see it, "That's exactly why I chose Ponyville. Once I show the world that even Ponyville has modernized, they'll be clambering for Mark Co to come in and industrialize them!" Snow said before placing the bells back on the T, ending the call and trotted out into the living room, "So, whatcha think?"
"It is very impressive. The military applications alone..." She shook her head, annoyed that her mind had jumped right to THAT. "Dear Goddess, I'm turning into my father!" She grinned sheepishly, and set the bells back into place. "Sorry. Old habits, you know. If I may ask, how does the pony at the other end know when to answer? Will there be a bell or buzzer of some kind?"
"It's a bell." Snow explained, "Our main problems as been coming up with an identification system so that one pony has one combination and that's how they get contacted.,,,Well, more the little kinks of working out that system...
"Perhaps a numbered switchboard, in some kind of central office? You would need somepony to operate it, and connect the calls, but it might..." Nightshade blushed. "I'm sorry. I really need to learn to let the smarter ponies do the thinking." For the umpteenth time that night, she had managed to make a fool of herself. "Why can't you learn to shut up?! Now she thinks you're some kind of idiot!"
Snow laughed a bit, "We've actually been thinking about that! But we would prefer it if it automatically connected. Like, just put in a number on the telephone and then you get automatically directed to the pony you wanted!" Snow explained as she took Nightshade's telephone and disappeared for a bit as she put them back, then she came back saying, "Everypony called me mad when I said I would make Equestria an industrialized nation, where more ponies work in the city than on farms, and we would live lives of greater luxury. But let me tell you something Nightshade, it's happening already. Factories across the country are switching to my steam engines, production is at an all time high, and the first trickle of the flood from the farm to the city has already started. Two more decades, that's it, and I will be willing to bet half my fortune that Equestria will have fulfilled what I have seen!"
Saul reappered in the middle of a dark street, with a hard headache. He hated teleportation, when he managed to cast it. He looked around him, his headache blinding him slightly. A few houses, a dirt road, and a faraway light. He narrowed his eyelids, and could distinguish where it came from. A window. So, there was someone out there. He wasn't lost. Just far, far away from the restaurant. He thought about the teleportation spell he just did. ''I was focusing on the restaurant, on the memory of being there with... The music and all... Musician.'' He looked at the window, and the light coming from it. Waiting for something to move behind it, or something. Then, he saw the mailbox next to him. He jumped a little, before inspecting it. He jumped again. He was right. Next to the street number, a word engraved in the wood in a fashionny way. 'Fireheart'. He looked at the window, and swallowed nervously. Wait- nevously? Why was he nervous? He walked up the alley, looking at the light. Almost ironic.
"You paint an interesting picture, Snow. One that I would would be very interested to see come to reality. I cannot help but wonder, though..." Nightshade looked at the floor, deep in thought. "...What will become of the ponies that wish to stick to the old ways? There will always be those who resist progress."
"Well..." snow paused for a few moments, "Then I guess they will just be left behind if they refuse to move forward..." Snow said slowly before walking back over to the couch and sitting down next to Nightshade, "So, enough about me! How about you tell me about you?"
Nightshade hesitated. There was much about her past that she preferred remain buried. "I... I suppose that's fair. I was born in Hollow Shades, but I grew up in Canterlot. My mother is a snowflake carver up in Cloudsdale, and my father is the Captain of the Night Guards. A few years ago, I was accepted into the Equestrian Military Academy." She sighed heavily. "I worked my flank off. I broke half of the Academy records in my first month. After a couple of training missions, my instructors recommended me for special Night Guard training. I had never seen my father look so happy as when I told him." Staring at the floor, she continued. "Night Guard training was two of the hardest years of my life. Because of who my father is, I was held to much higher standard than anypony else. I had no room for error. It drove me to work harder, to prove that I was just as good as him. In the end, I graduated at the top of my class. After graduation, I joined the Night Guards at the rank of Sergeant. After a few flawless missions, I was promoted. A few more, and I was promoted again. It wasn't long before I reached Second Lieutenant, with another promotion in the works. I was poised to become the second-in-command of the most elite special forces group in Equestria." She looked at Snow, suddenly angry. "That's when those buckers at the Canterlot Tattletale decided to write a story about me. They claimed that I was dangerously inexperienced. They said that my father was taking advantage of his position, and playing favorites. Basically, I became the laughingstock of Canterlot." Forcing a smile, she laughed bitterly. "All I could do was to take my lemons and make lemonade. I moved to Ponyville, and opened my dojo. At least all my training was good for SOMETHING."
Snow pursed her lips, acting is of this wasnt the first time she's heard about the Canterlot Tattletale, "I'm really sorry to hear that Nightshade...Sadly, you're not the only "Tattletale" victim. I got throw under the bus by them publishing a story saying I was too young to run Mark Co efficiently and that I...killed my parents on purpose to more quickly get ahold of the company. Let's just say I found out before they published it and sued them. Got them to burn the story and pay me 100,000 bits, pretty all of which has gone into funding my inventions." Snow told Night, "But that tabloid is still an evil piece of literature, and the world would be so much better off." Snow paused for a bit and looked down into her tea, before continuing, "I think my sister told me about you before...." Snow said, "Always talking about that "promising, young mare in the Night Guard" and that maybe one day you would take over being the Capitol Region's Master Protector after she retired...She was very proud..."
Nightshade smiled sadly. "What might have been..." What she did not tell Snow was what had happened to the Pegasus reporter whose lies had ruined her career. It didn't matter, anyhow. Idle Gossip's death had been ruled an accident. There was no way to prove that his wings had been broken BEFORE he fell off that cloud...
Snow nodded slowly and was just about to say something when there was a knocking on the door. Snow narrowed her eyes in confusion as she got up and walked to the front door. Opening it, a familiar dark grey, almost black pegasus with a maroon and blue mane with bright orange eyes was revealed, "Darky!" Snow suddenly exclaimed, "I didn't know you were on leave!" "Well, let's just say I wanted it to be a surprise this time around, sis!" Dark responded with a small wink at Snow and as she walked in, she noticed a very familiar pony, "Leuitenant Nightshade?" She said in confusion, "What are you doing here?"
Nightshade stood up straighter and saluted. "Ma'am! I invited Miss Mark out for dinner and drinks earlier. Afterwards, she invited me here for tea." The response was short and directly to the point, exactly the kind of response she would have given during a mission briefing.
Dark gave Snow a questioning look before laughing, "At ease, Nightshade, we are in my sister's house, not in the middle of drills!" She said in a happy tone, completely unlike her strict, emotionless self that she acted while on duty. She then turned to Snow, "Got invited out to dinner? Now there's a new mare in the house? Sis, if I didn't know any better, I would be inclined to say you two are dating!" Snow looked to the ground embarrassed, "Well...Night asked me if I wanted to go to dinner to try to cheer me up after a breakdown....But she did..." She simply stopped, promoting Dark to look to Nightshade questioning, seeing if she would complete what Snow was saying, "Also, a cup of tea? Is that implying what I'm think it's implying? Has the virgin Snow finally been soiled by a mare no less?" She said in a joking tone
Nightshade was unsure whether to be amused or offended. "I would hardly say that my company is soiling! Besides, we have done none of what you seem to be implying. Sure, I asked her out, but..." She blushed a brilliant shade of crimson, and looked at the floor. "Soooo... how are things in Canterlot?"
Dark raised an eyebrow at the 'asked her out' part then took a breath when asked how things were in Canterlot, "Well, ever since the Changeling incident, I've had to massively increase patrols and entry screenings. And I'm having to deal with the beacruacy that is the government to found a new elite corps of the Royal Guard calle simply the Elite Guard. Plan to have them as the new, most elite units in Equestria, only this one...trained in offensive oriented training..." Dark said, "Celestia's also ordered a crackdown on "seditious materials", mainly tabloids, mostly, if you ask me, because of an article about her supposed addiction to cake. I personally shut down the Canterlot Tattletale just the other day."
"I'd have just set the damned placed on fire," Nightshade muttered under her breath. "I won't be sorry to see it go. It was nothing but a bunch of lies printed on cheap paper." She laughed. "A new special group to take the spotlight off of the Night Guards. This explains why Dad's last letter was so short. He must be furious. He can't stand it when other ponies steal his battles."
Dark waved it off, "Well, I guess he doesn't understand he'll be the main comma-" she suddenly stopped, "Whoops! Don't want you to go on and ruin the surprise for your dad!" Dark explained quickly, "Well, anyway, are either of you hungry? Because I am FAMISHED! Flying from Canterlot to Ponyville ain't exactly the best thing to do on just a daisy sandwich ya know!"
