//------------------------------// // 39. Into Starlight Grotto // Story: Trials of a Royal Guard // by Anzel //------------------------------// Sunny and I arrived at my quarters well after work hours. It had been a busy day and it wasn’t going to get any easier. I unlocked the door and pushed it open. Dr. Kitty was settled on my couch, lying on her back and reading a magazine. She looked over when I walked in. “Hi, Silent Knight! Oh, and Sunny, too!” Crystal wandered out of the bedroom and looked at the two of us. “Well, there you are. I was starting to wonder.” “I’m sorry, work went a bit crazy and then I had something to discuss with Princess Luna. That ballooned into a conversation with both princesses, and now…” “Sunny is here,” Crystal finished for me. “Yup!” Sunny chimed before waving a hoof. “Hi, Dream Pop!” “Hi! Silent, it is super okay that you got too busy for our session,” Dr. Kitty replied. Our session. Oh! My hoof came to my face. “I am truly sorry. It slipped my mind. I guess we’ll have to start working on the flooring next time.” Dr. Kitty shook her head. “Oh, we don’t have to start! Just finish. Crystal was there and she gave me a hoof!” My brow arched. “Crystal helped you do the floors?” Crystal snorted. “Yes, Silent. I’m well aware of how to turn a screwhammer and use a seesaw.” The whole time Crystal was speaking, Dr. Kitty was shaking her head no. When Crystal’s eyes traveled that way, the no turned into an emphatic nod. I tried not to chuckle. “Oh… great. Well, yes, we’ll finish next time then. And do touch ups? I imagine some touch ups will be needed?” “Uh-huh!” Dr. Kitty replied. My wife trotted over to Sunny and me. “Okay, enough with the floors. You talked to the princesses, now Sunny is here. Don’t keep me in suspense. What’s going on, Silent?” “We’re secret agents now!” Sunny practically shouted. With a sideways glance at Sunny, I muttered, “It isn’t a secret if you tell everypony in the building. The princesses just need Sunny and I to go check out a nox pony town for some books. That’s all.” Before Crystal could speak, Dr. Kitty hopped up and cheered, “Adventure therapy! Count me in!” I shook my head. “No, I don’t think that is a go—“ “Yes, or I won’t support you going,” Crystal cut in. That was a shock. “I don’t understand?” Crystal set a hoof on my cheek. “This is how it all started. Now, I trust Sunny, but I also trust her to do the job first and worry about the ponies second. Dream Pop always puts you first. So she’s going to go and keep an eye on the two of you.” “Adventure therapy!” Dr. Kitty shouted. Sunny grinned. “Sounds good to me! She’ll be more fun than Silent. Anyway, I need to go home and get ready to tell Azu and Soarin. We’ll leave in the morning. See you two then!” While Sunny was heading out the door, I shook a hoof at her. “Do not show up with Azurite and Soarin tomorrow! This mission has enough ponies already.” “No promises!” she chirped before disappearing down the hall. Dr. Kitty bounced past Crystal and me. “I’m so excited! I’ve been wanting to try adventure therapy forever. I’ll go get some black cloaks, rope, a few torches, rations, and other dungeon-delving gear. I’ll also make us a great lunch.” “Why black cloaks?” “Because we’re secret agents, Silent! Come on, get with the program! See you tomorrow.” And just like that, she was gone. I looked over at Crystal. “Really?” The beautiful mare brought both forehooves up to smoosh my face. “Yes, really. Now, come on, you’re late. Let’s have some dinner and then you can get a good night’s rest before you head off on your newest secret mission.” “I don’t think it is a secret. Everypony within a mile knows all about it now. You don’t think Sunny is going to invite Azurite, do you?” Crystal shrugged. “Would that be so bad?” “Yes! The two of them would just flirt the whole time. It makes me uncomfortable.” My wife kissed my cheek. “Well, if they do, you and Dream Pop can just talk about building the house. Come on, I made some zucchini.” “Zucchini?” My brow raised. “What’s the occasion?” “When you missed your appointment, I assumed you had something serious happen at work. A serious day needs a serious meal. Is it serious?” “Have I mentioned you’re the best wife there ever was?” Crystal grinned. “Not today, but thank you.” “You’re very welcome and yes, it is serious. The work part, not the secret mission. You and I are going to be very busy in a month. Ironhoof is coming home and bringing everypony with him.” Crystal set a plate down in front of me with her magic before taking her spot at the table. “That is serious, but fantastic! You can count me in. We’ll discuss it when you get back, but I’ll start getting the right ponies together.” “Good plan. I know we can do this.” ☾ Preparing for any mission is all about understanding what you need to achieve, what challenges you know you’re likely to face, and what you can use to overcome them. It is also important to understand what your unknown factors are and try to mitigate them to the best of your ability. When it comes to selecting gear, you have to keep all of the mission parameters in mind while also realizing that you have a limited ability to carry things. I can haul more than the average pegasus, but my strength still doesn’t allow me to take something for every possible outcome. This particular mission was pretty straightforward: travel to Starlight Grotto, gain access, locate the conservatory, and retrieve any information from inside. Normally, I wouldn’t expect any trouble from such a task, but I’d never dealt with the problem of evil unicorns trying to get into my dreams. One aspect of this trip I had to plan for was the lack of flighted companions and my inability to fly long distances with a full kit. That meant we’d need to either trot or take a chariot. Neither option was ideal, so I came up with another plan. Dr. Kitty’s nose wiggled as we looked at the map together. “So, we’re just going to buy tickets to Tall Tale and hop off the train when we get close to the mountains?” “Yup. Tuck and roll.” She laughed and shrugged. “Alright. What do you think Sunny will say?” “She’s probably game. It largely depends on if she is bringing anypony else. Still, in reality, I’ll just have the conductor stop so we can get off. I am a Royal Guard officer, after all.” “I’m still going to jump off and roll just so I can say I did.” “Totally your choice.” “Hey, you two!” Sunny called as she trotted into the meeting room we’d commandeered. To my relief, Sunny arrived without any ponies in tow. She was armored, had her saddlebags packed, and seemed ready. “Good morning, Captain.” I kept my tone even. This was all business even if it wasn’t technically a Royal Guard mission. “Dr. Kitty and I were just discussing our travel arrangements. We’re going to take a train towards Tall Tale, hop off in the mountains, and walk the rest of the way.” Sunny’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the word captain. “I see. Very well, Major. Are we ready then?” “Almost! We have one more thing to do.” Dr. Kitty reached into her overflowing saddlebag and pulled out a thick, black garment. She gave it to Sunny before retrieving another one and tossing it over my face. “Suit up! If we’re going to be secret agents, we have to look the part.” “You’re absolutely right,” Sunny replied. From under my garment, I could hear her shifting about. I pulled mine from my face and sighed. She hadn’t been kidding about the cloaks. It was better not to argue, though, so I slipped mine on and drew the hood. “Okay, enough silliness. Let’s get moving.” “Yes, sir!” Dr. Kitty exclaimed from under her hood. The three of us then left the castle and headed to the train station. By trying to remain incognito, we attracted an abundance of attention. Ponies wandering around Canterlot in dark cloaks stood out. At least nopony would know who we were, and they all gave us a wide berth. Once we were onboard the train, I made my intentions known to the conductor. He’d gone along with it without me having to drop my name or make it an official request. After that, it was just a matter of sitting and waiting. “So… Dream Pop, seeing anypony special?” Sunny asked while I stared out the window. “Nope, not right now. I’m kind of busy with all of my patients and, you know, secret missions. Things like that. I’m sure I’ll bump into the right stallion sooner or later.” Sunny softly laughed. “I’m sure. Do you often go on secret missions?” “Nope, this is my first. Hopefully not my last, though! I’m so excited because I’m pretty sure this will be a total success. We have all of the right elements.” “How do you mean?” Dr. Kitty pointed a hoof at Sunny. “It’s just like the tales of old. A unicorn, a pegasus, and an earth pony come together to overcome any challenge by using their special talents and relying on each other. The only major difference is that Silent Knight isn’t a mare.” With a glance over my shoulder, I muttered, “Progressive.” Sunny snorted. “Oh, hush. It isn’t our fault mares are featured the most in stories. If you like, we could make you up like a mare to fit the narrative.” Dr. Kitty happily clapped her forehooves. “Yes! I have some makeup in my bag. We should totally do that as part of his disguise. Nopony would suspect the mild-mannered Silent Dame.” “No.” “Oh, come on, Silent Knight, try to enjoy this a little,” Sunny teased. “This doesn’t have to be super serious. We’re finally working together again. Doesn’t that make you less grumpy?” “I am happy about working with you, but this might be more serious than you two are making it out to be. Who knows. Besides, it isn’t just that. I’m thinking about all the things I have to do when we get back. I left a lot on the desks of my staff and I’m not there to make sure they execute. The minister is understanding but not that understanding.” “I don’t know about that. He seems like a pretty good pony to me,” Sunny replied. That was without question. The minister had brought at lot to his role. We were lucky to have him. That alone might be a good reason to stay on as his aide. It might all come down to, where I would do the most good? I’d also have to consider if refusing Shining Armor’s offer could ruin our friendship. Equestria zoomed by as I fell deeper into thought. Everything looked so peaceful. Hopefully it would stay that way for a long time. It felt weird going back on another mission even if it seemed relatively safe. The trip was bringing back a few feelings of the war. Thankfully, I was past most of the hard parts. At least, so it seemed to me. And, if things went off, I had my therapist right here. For now, I could just look out the window and admire the beautiful countryside and listen to the repetitive click clacking of the train. Dr. Kitty and Sunny chatted back and forth as we rolled on. I didn’t pay much attention to their conversation. It was an in-depth analyzation about whether marriage was right for Azurite, Soarin, and Sunny. That and how foals would work. Life was changing again. Sunny Day was turning domestic. Well… slightly more domestic than she had been in the past. She wasn’t the only one. The house Crystal and I had bought was rapidly coming together. It wouldn’t be much longer before we moved in. What happened after that? Foals? Would Crystal wait much longer? Was she waiting? We hadn’t really discussed it. There was also the fact that despite the war being over, the fight was far from done. My nightmares may have disappeared but that didn’t mean they were gone for good. There were a lot of ponies that still needed help and I aimed to be there for them. Were their issues simply trauma from the war, or was something sinister at hoof? I had to find out so I’d know how to properly help them. Hopefully High Marshal Moonglaive would have some answers. The sooner those answers were discovered, the better. As if to accent that urgency, the train slowed and then came to a stop. One of the conductors came into the car and nodded in our direction. “This is your stop, sir,” he said to me. “Thank you, sorry for the inconvenience.” “Anything for the Royal Guard!” We left the comfort of the car for the small area between it and the next. The sun was high in the sky, marking the midday and giving us plenty of light to work with. Sunny hopped down onto the grass before pulling her hood over her head. I followed suit but chose to fly down instead. Dr. Kitty leapt from the train, tucked her head, and rolled. She came up to her hooves, wobbled a bit, and said, “That would not be fun if we’d been going fast.” I chuckled and just shook my head. “Probably not. Come on, we should get moving. This is going to be a decently long march despite how close the train got us.” Sunny trotted along ahead. “I know how to march! I’ve been marching since before you ever even joined the Guard. Follow me.” “Alright, and where are we going exactly?” I asked with a grin. “Starlight Grotto!” “And you know how to get there?” The mare’s eyes narrowed. “No. Okay, you lead, Major.” “Thank you. Fall in, mares,” I chuckled before starting off in the right direction. To be fair, it wasn’t going to be easy for me either. The last time I’d been here I’d flown and that had been years ago. Things might have changed. Dr. Kitty asked, “Should we eat lunch first? If we’re going to march, we need energy! I have lots of snacks in my bag but I made a really nice lunch to share.” Sunny’s tail swished and she nodded. “Lunch seems like a good idea. Let’s eat.” “Can’t we eat on the trail?” I asked. “Nope! Come on, Silent, sit down and eat a quick meal. After all, Dream Pop brought it for us.” “Fine.” We sat down and had a quiet lunch. Dr. Kitty had put together some nice lettuce wraps. She’d filled them with onions, squash, zucchini, and some kind of tangy sauce. Without a doubt, they were better than the rations I’d brought. “I really appreciate you agreeing to let me come along, Silent. I know this feels like a military mission to you so I promise I won’t be a burden. I’ve done some boxing to keep fit. I can hold my own,” Dr. Kitty explained. Sunny’s ears flicked. “You box?” “I’m a pugilist, yup! Although I’ve never fought a pony. Just a heavy bag. Trust me, though, heavy bags everywhere are afraid of me. They call me Drop Dead Dream Pop. I pop them, they drop dead.” Her serious demeanor and flat explanation made me chuckle. “There we go. See, he can smile,” Dr. Kitty said, pointing at me. Sunny poked me with a hoof. “I know he can. He’s just so serious most of the time. I have no idea what Crystal Wishes sees in him.” “She has better taste than you,” I replied before sticking my tongue out. The golden mare gasped. “I’m so telling Azurite and Soarin when we get back.” “Sure, sure. Another lettuce wrap, please.” After about an hour of picnicking and light teasing, we were finally on our way. It didn’t take long before we’d cleared the grasslands and reached the lush forests that surrounded the mountain’s base. I couldn’t help but feel like something was off, but the other two didn’t feel the same. It didn’t stop me from continuously looking over my shoulder. Once we were inside the woods the canopy blocked much of the sunlight, shrouding us in ominous shadows. Dr. Kitty looked around and shuffled her hooves. “This is exactly how I imagined an adventure would be.” Sunny bumped up against me. “Me, too. Is this normal, Silent Knight? Since you’re the only adventurer here.” “I suppose so. There is usually some uncertainty and fri—“ The sound of a branch snapping caught my attention and I held a hoof up. Sunny and Dr. Kitty stopped. The three of us didn’t move, our ears perked as we listened. At first, there was only the sound of nature—and then we heard it again, branches snapping and other movement through the woods. “Any chance there just happens to be other ponies strolling here?” Sunny whispered. “Highly unlikely. You two keep walking. Stay close together and use cover to disguise the fact there isn’t three of us.” Dr. Kitty’s head tilted. “Where are you going to be?” “Setting an ambush.” The three of us continued on together until we went through a sufficiently large shrubbery. That is when I took the opportunity to slip off. After dropping my saddlebags, I flew up into the trees and perched on a wide branch of a mighty pine tree. My companions pushed along the path they were following, but Sunny kept making quick moves that caused the pair to either duck behind some bushes or drop down into a gully. That only proved that we were being followed as the sounds of pursuit picked up. Whoever was following us was either not a professional or was unconcerned with stealth. Were they confident in their ability to overwhelm us? It wasn’t long before motion caught my attention. A single pursuer was pushing through the underbrush, shrouded in a bulky black cloak. Did everypony get a black cloak for adventures? That was a business I needed to get into. It hadn’t been part of my plan, but I could see that Sunny was circling back. Dr. Kitty was tagging along behind her, doing a great job of being quiet. At least now I’d have backup. Not that I anticipated needing it. There was only one figure below but that, in itself, was meaningless. There could be others hidden nearby. This could be a trap to draw me out. I wasn’t seeing any evidence of that, though. To be sure, I let the figure blunder on through the woods, waiting for Sunny to get closer. When she was within charging distance, I dropped off the branch, threw my wings out, and glided silently towards my target. The attack I planned would be quite restrained as I wasn’t sure what was going on yet and I didn’t want to accidently wound a lost tourist. I landed softly just behind the figure and leapt forward, wrapping my forehooves around its neck and rearing up. With a squeal of shock and surprise, the figure tried to counter my move, flailing their forelegs back towards me. A few light blows against my armor wasn’t going to be enough to dislodge me, however, so I tightened the hold. Off to the right, I could hear others approaching quickly. Thankfully, it was Sunny and Dr. Kitty breaking through the woods. “You got her!” Sunny shouted. The figure kept struggling before their hoof came up to my foreleg and started tapping in the way we did in training. A royal guard? I loosened my grip. “Who are you? What are you doing following us?” “Lemme go, lemme go, boss!” came an all-too-familiar, squeaky voice. My hooves came free and the mare fell forwards onto all fours. She turned and pulled her cloak back, allowing a long black mane to fall free. “Were you trying to subdue me?” Miley Hooves squealed. “Yes, we didn’t know who you were in that cloak. Why are you following us?” I asked, confusion setting in. “Yeah! Why were you following us, Sergeant?” Sunny put in, stomping up. “Hi, Miley!” Dr. Kitty chimed. Miley wiggled her hooves. “I’m not supposed to say, but I’m going to anyway because I like you better. Lieutenant Snow was upset about being cut out so she told me to shadow you and find out what was going on.” The little mare then started gesturing towards Dr. Kitty. “So I hopped off the train before lunch since I didn’t know we were going to stop. Dream Pop had those great-looking lettuce wraps and I got tired of sneaking. I tried to catch up fast to tell you I was following you and get a lettuce wrap, but then you attacked me!” Sunny and I exchanged looks. Idly, I rubbed my temple. “Lieutenant Snow ordered you on a mission that wouldn’t be authorized and you went anyway? Why would you do something silly like that?” “Duh, yes! I wanted to be a part of this secret stuff, too. I’ve almost been around as long as you have, sir, and nopony ever tells me anything. I’m a good guard, you made sure of that! What happened to you looking after me? Plus, how are you going to lecture me, Silent Knight, when you did off-script missions all the time and are on one now?” “That’s Major Knight,” Sunny corrected. I held a hoof up. “Are you going to tell Lieutenant Snow what we’re up to?” Miley snorted. “No, sir. What is she going to do, reprimand me for her unsanctioned mission? I’ll just tell her you all went for a picnic. Which is true! Speaking of which, Dream Pop, do you have any of those lettuce wraps left?” “I do! Let me get you one,” Dr. Kitty said, reaching into her bag and pulling one out. Sunny trotted over to me and whispered, “She sure has a mouth on her now. What do we do?” “We trust her. It’s Miley. Besides, who cares if Snow finds out? She’ll just strain her relationship with Princess Luna.” “That makes sense… I suppose we’d be risking her safety sending her back alone, anyway. She’s not the most savvy with land navigation and I don’t think there is another train going by for a while.” I nodded in agreement and then look past Sunny to where Miley was stuffing her face with a lettuce wrap. “Alright, Sergeant Hooves, welcome to the mission.” “Really? Yay!” she cheered. “Yay!” Dr. Kitty cheered in unison. Sunny grinned but didn’t let the two of them see it. She put on a serious face and said, “Carry on, Major?” “Carry on, Captain. Move them out.” “Yes, sir!” Sunny replied crisply before corralling the other mares to fall in behind us. We made good time as we tromped through the forest. When the sun set, Sunny kept us going with her lit horn. Dr. Kitty had wanted to use the torches she’d brought but I’d decided against that. Forests and torches rarely got along. Just before the moon was at its highest point, we broke the cover of the trees and found the entrance to Starlight Grotto. It looked exactly as I remembered it: a large stone ring with several symbols on it surrounding a giant circular door. There was one major difference though. “The door is open…” I trailed. Sunny peered at me. “Is that bad?” “It has to be opened with a special type of amulet. There aren’t exactly a lot of them around. I only know about two specifically,” I explained. Miley Hooves peered ahead of us. “We’re going in a cave?” “No, it’s an oubliette! Just like from Ogres and Oubliettes. Isn’t that exciting, Miley?” Dr. Kitty squealed. The brown mare shook her head. “Nope! It looks like a tomb.” “You wanted to come along,” I said before setting a hoof on Miley’s back and pushing her forwards. “Alright, now, we need to be serious from here on out. This should have been shut tight. We need to assume somepony—“ “Or something!” Dr. Kity cut in. “…is inside, yes. Once we’re in, I’m going to shut the door behind us.” Sunny’s head tilted. “Why would you do something like that? We’d be trapped.” “No, we’d just be delayed in getting out. We would also likely ensure that if we are being followed, our pursuers can’t get in or, at the least, if they can, we’ll hear it. We’ll also delay anypony inside from getting out.” “You’re counting on us being stronger than them?” Sunny asked. I nodded. “Three professional guards and a pony with more degrees than I have miniatures. I’ll bet on us.” “Yeah!” Dr. Kitty said before pulling her hood over her head and trotting off towards the entrance. “Let’s do this! RAWR!” Miley Hooves stood up proudly, did likewise, and followed after her. Sunny hesitated a moment and looked over at me. “You brought a sword, right?” “Two, actually. And a dirk.” The mare patted me on the side of the helmet. “For once, I’m glad you’re a crazy, always assume-everything-is-dangerous pony.” “Yup,” I replied before we trotted off together. The four of us slipped through the main entrance and into the tunnel that waited behind it. We weren’t silent about it, as that would be pointless once I activated the door. “Here we go,” I said before pressing the amulet to the symbol within. The sound of mechanisms working filled the tunnel as the large stone door wheeled out and was slowly pushed into place, cutting us off from the outside, and removing the pale light of the moon. “Sunny has rear guard, I’ll take point, Miley behind me, Kitty behind her. Hold the tail of the pony in front of you.” I said quietly before pulling my own hood over my head. The black garments might give us an element of surprise in a place so dark. It was my hope that whoever was already here couldn’t see in the dark like I could. Once I felt Miley take hold of my tail, we started forwards. My party carefully crept through the absolute darkness, relying solely on the washed out, brownish-gray vision the enchantment on my breastplate provided me. Several times along the way, one of the mares behind me stumbled. It is tough walking in the dark and just trusting the tail in front of you. In time, we got into a rhythm and moved swiftly until we crossed the threshold into the city proper. I stopped. Miley bumped into my rump and then I felt two more bumps after that. “Gah,” somepony whispered behind me. “Don’t move,” I whispered, perking my ears up. The place felt exactly like it had before. Empty, dead, but also as if something was watching. The first time I was here, I’d just assumed the feeling came from Tranquil Dusk, but maybe that wasn’t it. Maybe there was something else. It still felt the same. A soft whisper of flapping went by. Miley tugged my tail. “Did you hear that?” “Shh!” Sunny hissed. I had heard it, but I couldn’t see anything. I looked up, trying to pin down where it was. It happened again, only quicker this time. “There it is again!” Miley gasped. My hoof slowly moved under my wing. “Get ready.” “Ready for what?” Kitty asked. This time the flapping was far louder. It was the sound of some flighted creature baring down right on us. I scanned the cave above but again couldn’t see it. “Ambush!” I called. Before I could draw my sword, I was hit. Not by physical force, but by energy. It slammed into my side like a crashing wave and knocked me clear off my hooves. The flying was just a distraction to take our attention off the magic user, and I’d fallen for it. I’d led my party right into a trap and that foolishness was about to be punished.