Herald of the Night
Chapter Eleven: Captain of the Royal Guard
Twilight and Zecora proceeded down the corridor, flanked by two white pegasi clad in gold armor. To say that Twilight was nervous - despite the guard's reassurances - she couldn't help it. She was, in a way, in the proverbial "Lion's Den". Except this 'lion' was an immortal alicorn with the power of the sun and with each guard passed, the white marble walls seemed to creep inward until Twilight was almost subconsciously ducking as she went through each doorway, even though the top of the arches came to an elegant curve a fair distance above her head.
And if that had been the extent of the reasons for her paranoia, she'd have been blessed. A couple guards gave her strange looks, which evolved into fearful glances as she passed, but she had no idea why. She hunched her shoulders and tried to become less noticeable.
Thankfully, they reached their destination before Twilight began sucking in her stomach so as not to get squeezed by the smooth walls on either side (By Luna, were they always that close?). Ahead was a simple wooden door. A far change from the ornate decor from the earlier apertures from the entrance. From this, Twilight gathered that while she'd been distracted, they had left the greater part of the palace and moved into the Royal Barracks. Or at least what would be a relative comparison to one, if most castles were the same and if the guards milling about in the room to the left were any indication. (Though, Twilight only had experience with a castle and a half. One on Luminus and in what was left of the Everfree palace.)
An officious rapping on the door - leaving a few small dents among the ones that already adorned the door, left by many metal horseshoes over the years - prompted a muffled "Come in," from within.
The door creaked open and Twilight nervously entered, followed by Zecora and the guard that had retrieved them from the train station, the other guard staying outside. The room was well-lit and lined with bookshelves, but to Twilight's disappointment, they were filled with military records and protocols. Sure, they were books, but the military rules had never really appealed to her interests. On the far side, past a large oaken desk, silhouetted against the window and the rich blue sky beyond, was a unicorn stallion.
The guard strode up next to them, wing flashing out to the side to indicate they wait, before coughing to attract his superior's attention. "Captain Armor?"
The unicorn turned, his horn flashing a rich pink and shutting the curtains behind him as he swung his gaze across the newcomers. Now clearly visible, Twilight took in this stallion's appearance. He had a pure white coat and a dark blue mane, which was split by an electric blue streak. His piercing blue eyes stared into Twilight's, giving her the feeling of being laid bare before that steely gaze. A gaze that, after giving her the once-over, skipped entirely over Zecora and was directed at the guard. "This is her, Lieutenant?"
The guard saluted briefly, "Yes, sir."
The Captain looked back at Twilight again, eyes narrowing slightly, as if in thought and concentration before, "Leave us. I would speak with them alone."
The guard nodded, saluted and backed out of the room, closing the door, which flared and glowed with a pink aura before fading.
"I'm Shining Armor. Captain of the Royal Guard. You mares have put me in quite the awkward position, you know." came the stallion's calm, measured voice. He trotted over and sank down onto his haunches behind the desk.
"How?" Twilight asked, blinking in surprise. This was a Royal Guard matter? She suddenly felt like she should start planning an escape. The stallion shook off the question and his horn lit up, levitating a quill into an inkwell before he brought it to a piece of parchment before him.
"Name."
"This is Aluva, my companion, and I'm Midnight Glimmer," the mare responded promptly, using the names they'd agreed on during the train ride.
"Cute. Real name?"
Twilight glanced nervously at Zecora. This seemed less like a courtesy questioning and more like an interrogation by the moment. The only thing missing was the other interrogator. Or was this captain going to be both the good guard and the bad guard? "Twilight Sparkle."
The stallion's figure tensed and his eyes narrowed even more than they had previously done. "Don't make me ask a third time."
"I just told you, it's Twilight Sparkle," the mare said, beginning to sweat.
"How DARE you!" he bellowed, driving Twilight back half a step, ears flat, at the force of his rage. Captain Armor took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He turned his eyes back to the parchment. "Business in Canterlot?"
"Research," Twilight quickly lied, "You see, I'm writing a book and I hear that the Canterlot Library has quite the wealth of information on Post-Discordian--"
Shining Armor held up a hoof to stop Twilight, "Not really interested." he said, the levitated quill jotting down notes as they went along. "Special talent and/or meaning of cutie mark?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Twilight asked, tilting her head.
"Well, for one, you became my problem because of that," he said, pointing a hoof at Twilight's cutie mark.
Twilight was taken aback for a moment before double checking where he was pointing "What? It's just my cutie mark."
"Where have you been for the past decade? Hiding under a rock?" the Captain said, beginning to sound overtly perturbed.
"Umm... traveling? Research, like I said," Twilight responded half-heartedly, really beginning to dislike the turn these questions had taken.
"I can see you're not ready to answer my questions honestly," Shining Armor said, rising to his hooves, walking around the desk and looming over the two mares. He opened the door with his magic. "Lieutenant, take these two to the holding cells. Separate ones. Maybe we'll see if this... 'Twilight Sparkle'," he spat out the name, "has anything to say in the morning."
The guard winced at the name, giving the unicorn and zebra an odd look before nodding and flanking them as a unicorn guard took up position on the other side.
"Prison?! I'm too young to go to prison!" Twilight said, her hooves beating a nervous staccato as they were ushered down the hallway. "I'm too pretty to go to prison, they'll eat me alive!"
Her wails continued, echoing down the hallways until Zecora decided to spare the guards by shoving a hoof in the unicorn mare's mouth.
Shining Armor's sneer faded into a grimace as the two newcomers were taken around the corner at the end of the corridor, the zebra being very helpful in quieting the lavender unicorn's ramblings. With a sigh, he shut his door firmly with a push of telekinesis as he turned his head towards a gap in one of the bookcases. There, placed in an alcove between the tomes and textbooks of military management and strategy, was a small frame, an unlit magical, slow-burning candle next to it. A slight glow enveloped the frame, levitating it towards him until it floated before his eyes.
"Everywhere I look, I see you... and my failure to protect you..." he said woefully, gazing at the picture. "But one day, I'll find the monster that took you away from us..."
He closed his eyes, exhaling and floating the picture back up into its position, sparking the candle with his magic and setting it aflame before turning and leaving his office, intent on distracting himself with inspecting the troops. Anything to take his mind away from the images assailing his mind.
Lit by the flickering illumination of the lone candle, was a faded picture of a much younger Shining Armor, smiling while cradling a small foal, a lavender-coated filly, in his hooves.