//------------------------------//
// Blow the Doors off the Sucker! 
// Story: Rebirth of Magic: In the Mists 
// by JimmyHook19 
//------------------------------//

I looked to the supplies Opaline had given me, and got to work. She had given me lockpicking gear, a stealth suit, and night vision goggles to enable me to navigate in the dark. I snuck into an alleyway as a truck passed by. Wait, Zephyr Heights has powered road vehicles? They never showed us that bit in the show.

Certain nopony had seen me, I slipped the suit on as best I could, popped the goggles into place, and mounted the lockpick to my left front hoof. This would prove to be quite handy. I'm naturally left hoofed, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem to negotiate.

I moved off from the corridor, sticking to the shadows and doing my best to hide. This stealth thing was a bit easier in the dark, but the lack of light was making it harder to see. I dropped the goggles into position and moved off towards the elevator, my vision having been greatly improved by the goggles illuminating the way.

I stopped in another alleyway to let security pass by. Something wasn't right. If this was the main access route to the palace, I would have expected far heavier security than this. I slipped forward after the guards had trotted past, and I slipped into the elevator.

I shut the door and clicked the button to take me to the top. A message flashed up on the screen. Keycard or code required in order to proceed.

"Horseapples," I said under my breath. How was I supposed to get the code? Unless...

I exited the elevator as a guard walked past, talking to her fellow as they went along. As I looked outwards, I spotted something hanging out of the armour. It was a keycard! That might do the trick!

I snuck out of the elevator and towards them. When one stopped to take a look around, I slipped in behind them, removed the keycard, and then vanished before they could respond.

"Huh?" she said. "Where'd my keycard go?"

"You left it here," said the other, handing her one. "You really need to be more careful. That thing would allow anypony to access the palace."

I waited for them to go, then ran the keycard through the reader.

Keycard accepted. Private Dawn. Floor access unlocked. Enter destination to proceed.

I punched the top floor, assuming that was where the castle was. The elevator began to rise into the air, showing me the city. It looked very different at night. Although many of the big screens were still running, running big programs or advertising products, they were still pretty quiet. Most businesses appeared to be shut, and the streets were pretty quiet. Apart from the light from the big screens and from the odd street lamp, there was virtually no light at all. I shivered. Being this high up meant the nights were bitterly cold. Maybe pegasi naturally have more fur than other pony species? I could put that theory to the test later.

The elevator stopped at the top floor, and I removed the keycard from the reader and left the elevator. I sprinted across the courtyard towards the castle, which was still partially lit up. Lights still burned in some of the corridors, suggesting somepony was still up. Probably the night patrol, though why the lights would be left on I have no idea.

I stopped partway across as a helicopter flew overhead, blades whirring. The helicopter was fitted with a searchlight which was looking for something. I assumed this was part of the normal patrol patterns. I hid behind a pillar and waited for it to go, and then continued on my way. Security was still a lot lighter than I expected, which was odd. Based on what I knew of royal families back in the human world palaces were normally crawling with security. Why was there only a skeleton crew on duty today?

I made my way across the rest of the courtyard and entered into the next room, which was through the front door. I saw the next door was locked, and activated the lockpick. I then noticed the door was not a conventional door at all. It used some sort of biometric system to allow entry.

I then glanced to my kit of supplies. Amongst the items was a hoof cover of some sort. Perhaps it was meant for this? I slipped it on and placed it against the reader.

The device whirred for a second, and then glowed green. Hoofprint identified. Corporal Breeze. Access granted.

The doors then slid open and remained in the open position, perfect for me to slide through and find my way through the the next stage of the building. This was easier than I thought. Too easy, you could almost say.

The doors closed behind me as I made my way in. This attracted the attention of two guards, who sprinted over.

"Who's there?" asked one, who began scanning the corridor with an armour mounted flashlight. It scanned up and down and all around, checking each and every part of the corridor for life.

But he found nothing. "Probably just the wind," said his compatriot. "Back to our patrol pattern."

As the pair set off, I slipped out of the suit of armour I'd been hiding in and moved onwards through the structure. So far my luck was holding. I just needed to figure out where the Queen's bedroom was and I would have this in the bag.

The only problem is the TV show never gave us any real idea of the building's layout. The structure was a confusing jumble of corridors and paths, and the lack of light wasn't helping anything. The only illumination was from the moon, and the white pale of light wasn't helping me to see anything. The corridors, so warm and cheerful in the day with their white plaster and metal embellishments, were now cold and uninviting.

It was then I had an idea. The movie showed that the cable room was positioned right above the throne room. If that was where the Royal Family got ready for state events, they probably lived up there!

I eventually found my way into the throne room and across to the thrones, finding the winch operations room nearby. There was an array of colored buttons, none of which were immediately obvious as to their function. I then spotted a lever marked RAISE at one end and LOWER at the other. This presumably raised and lowered the wires. I moved the cable into the LOWER position, and attached myself to the cable before moving the lever into UP.

This lifted me up to the next level of the building. The winding gear stopped automatically when it was in the up position, and I took the opportunity to disconnect myself when I swung myself over to flat ground. I made my way through the corridors at the top before finding another set of rooms which had several guards outside. This must be the Royal Suite. Bingo!

I needed to create a distraction. I grabbed a noisemaker from my bag of goodies and lobbed it down the corridor. It activated when it stopped, and it caused the two guards at the front to investigate. I snuck in through the doors and stopped with three sets of doors in front of me.

I knew Queen Haven had a bit of an ego, so I figured the most opulent door would be the entrance to her chambers. I slipped through them and stopped, spotting the bed on the side. Next to it was a bedside table. And on the bedside table was the crown.

This is almost too easy, I thought to myself. I went to pick it up- only for the Queen to seemingly stir. I ducked into a closet and watched for my moment.

"The sun went swimming in the sky," my target murmured to herself. It seemed she was talking in her sleep.

I moved out again and picked up the crown, sweeping it into a bag and preparing to leave. I had to duck back into the closet when it seemed she was waking up.

"Is that you, Charles?" she asked. Half of what she was saying made no sense, so she must have been having a really odd dream. I made my way to leave again when suddenly her words made me stop.

"Come on, everypony, smile, smile, smile!"

I stopped. Queen Haven presumably has no idea who Pinkie Pie is, or was. And yet she had just quoted the Smile Song from Friendship is Magic. How in Equestria would she know that?

I slipped away and went towards the next set of doors to continue my way out of the complex, finding the next set of doors very easily. If the security was anything like it had been earlier, this would be another cakewalk.

Unfortunately, it was here I made a critical mistake. But one that would go on to have massive consequences in the future.