Shield and Quill
Walking through the wide marble corridors of the castle, idly nodding her head as she listened to Starseeker regaling her with the tales of her latest adventure with the Night Guard, Snowdrop could feel the small smile that had seemed to have fixed itself upon her muzzle since meeting with her old friend slowly growing with every word the bat pony enthusiastically rambled.
Star’s normal enthusiasm was always somewhat contagious, but adding in her own enthusiasm due to the fact that she hadn’t seen the mare for months thanks to her new duties regarding regulating and supervising the production and distribution of guide-flakes during the winter in order to ensure the cold season happened without a problem, meant that she was fast growing to share the plum colored mare chipper mood.
Letting out a sharp snap with her tongue Snowdrop ‘watched’ as they passed another pair of unmoving guards stationed in the corridor, the arch they were stationed upon signaling they were already almost reaching the throne room.
Ears perking up, she listened intently as the sound of hooves clopping against the marble floor reached her, recognizing that particular stride. The sound extremely light but at the same time undeniably strong, as if whoever was walking was determined to reach their destination as soon as possible, stomping determinately forward despite possessing a naturally light stride.
Rushing forward despite her companion’s small shout of surprise Snowdrop turned around the next corridor, the sound of paper being shuffled around all but confirming the pony’s identity to her.
“Hey Silver, how have you been doing?” She cheerfully asked, stopping right behind the white furred unicorn with a silver mane that was intently studying a stack of papers while walking down the corridor
“Snowdrop?” Silver Quill exclaimed in surprise while turning around to see who had spoken, a smile appearing upon her features even as she floated the stack of papers she had been perusing into a saddle-bag, the motion revealing her cutie mark of a quill writing upon an unfurled scroll. “I thought you would only be able to arrive far later tonight!”
“I managed to escape a little earlier. They can handle what’s left with little problem even without my direct intervention.” Snowdrop cheerfully responded as she embraced the silver mare, before adding with a more uncertain tone upon remembering a few of her subordinates’ clumsiness, her ears dropping slightly. “Or at least I hope so…”
“So you ditched your job to get here earlier?” Starseeker asked in a cocky manner standing at the side of the two white mares. “Heh, I knew I was a good influence on you!”
Giving the bat pony a disapproving glare, that was returned with a beaming smile, before gazing to Snowdrop only to notice the Pegasus was giving her an extremely believable faux innocent look, Silver Quill took a deep breath before sighing in resignation.
“While I feel that I should lecture you about the importance of proper care in regards to the weather factory I know you already know all that far better than me probably, while little miss reckless over there simply wouldn’t listen anyway, so I won’t waste my breath.” The unicorn mare said with a shake of her head, while the bat pony at her side happily nodded her head.
“Nevertheless Princess Luna will be thrilled to know you arrived earlier, she has been truly looking forward to your visit.”Silver Quill firmly stated, giving the Pegasus a final nuzzle before stepping back, a small smile firm upon her face. “Come, I’ll escort you straight to the Princess.”
“Oh please there is no need for that, I wouldn’t want to impose.” Snowdrop immediately replied with a small shake of her head even as she followed Silver down the corridor. “There is no need to bypass others whom may really need to see Luna first and trouble the proceeding during the night court, I can wait in line like anypony else.”
“That… won’t be an issue...” Silver trailed off in a sad tone of voice, her ears dropping flat against her head.
Giving the unicorn an strange ‘look’ Snowdrop pondered what Silver Quill meant, an uneasy feeling slowly entering her being as she wondered why her friend suddenly looked so gloom, the fact that the normally ever boisterous and cheerful Starseeker had averted her gaze towards the nearest window upon Silver Quill’s words, her own ears also flat against her head in a clear sign of unhappiness, only compounding the issue even more.
“What do you mean b…” She started to question before a loud shout ringed through the silent corridor, effectively cutting her question short.
“Lieutenant Starseeker, what is the meaning of this?” A dark coated and armored earth pony stallion, his mane hidden beneath his helm, sternly questioned as he quickly approaching the three mares, his eyes narrowed as he glared at the bat pony.
“Hey, Nighty!” Star cheerfully replied while waving a hoof towards the angry looking stallion, an extremely innocent look on her face that fooled no one that knew the mare. “How are you doing, and meaning of what?”
“Lady Snowdrop, Silver Quill.” He politely greeted them as he passed before stopping inches away from the plum colored bat pony. “And its Captain Midnight Aegis lieutenant, you should be more than capable of remembering that by now.”
“But that’s such a mouthful boss! And besides, Nighty sounds better.” Starseeker replied with a solemn nod of her head before giving the two mares at her side a mischievous grin. “Besides, after all those years what is the problem of using a nickname between friends, you two agree with me, don’t you?”
“You mean besides the complete lack of professionalism and the fact we are on duty right now?” The stallion sternly asked as he took a step forward, his muzzle inches away from Star’s.
“What’s your point?” The bat pony asked pretending to be confused, tilting her head to the side as if bewildered by Aegis question.
Closing his eyes for a moment as he let out a long breath, Midnight visibly attempted to calm himself before refocusing upon the troublesome mare. “Lieutenant Starseeker, allow me to rephrase my question. Why aren't you wearing your armor?”
Looking downwards towards her body, as if the lack of said armor had just now dawned upon her, before looking back towards the black coated stallion with a sheepish grin, rising an hoof to rub the back of her head, she chuckled at the question.
“Ehh, you see, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for that! Earlier today while thinking about how to catch Snowdrop here off guard I suddenly had an idea.” The bat pony started to explain, the faces of her audience varying from bemused, to unamused. “Metal clinks! No matter how well oiled and treated our armors are, they are still made of metal, and so they clink!”
The way the plum colored mare said that simple fact, as if she had reached some profound epiphany , caused Silver and Snowdrop to trade bemused glances, while Midnight Aegis simply kept staring at his lieutenant.
“So I realized that, no matter how stealthy I was, or how little noise I made, my armor could be clinking slightly as I moved and that Snowdrop could be using that to pinpoint my location!” She happily continued, nodding her head as if to punctuate her discovery. “And so, when I saw Snowdrop touching down on the gardens and heading into the castle, I ditched my armor so that its noise wouldn’t compromise me so that I could finally catch her off guard!”
“Although, considering she still somehow found me anyway, I guess that plan is a scrap.” She continued, a wondering tone entering her voice as she rested her chin upon one hoof. “Heh, it was worth a shot anyway.”
Midnight Aegis, Captain of the Night Guard, stared at his lieutenant, a mare who had served alongside him for years, beaming face for a long moment, as if to make sure he had really just heard what he thought he had heard.
“So what you are telling me is that you took off your armor while on duty, and knowing you that most likely means you simply dumped it into a corridor before rushing off, in order to attempt to prank Lady Snowdrop. Is that about right?” He asked in a surprisingly calm tone of voice, eyes locked upon her own.
“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Starseeker confirmed after thinking about it for a moment, an small embarrassed grin on display as she spoke.
“Go. Put. Your. Armor. Back. Now.” He firmly stated, carefully enunciating every individual word, his voice being clearly kept forcibly calm and collected, his eyes burrowing at the mare’s skull.
“Right away boss, don’t worry about it! See you later Snow, you too Silver.” The bat pony cheerfully replied, an unrepentant smile firm upon her face, before taking flight and darting back through the corridor.
“Moon above, give me strength.” Aegis mumbled in a barely audible whisper, before turning towards the two other mares, a contrite expression appearing upon his usual stone like face. “I apologize for you having to see such an unsightly display.”
“Nonsense Captain, we are more than acquainted with Starseeker’s usual antics, think nothing of it.” Silver Quill calmly replied with a hint of a smile, Snowdrop nodding her agreement at her side. “I’m escorting Snowdrop to the throne room, would you like to accompany us?”
“It would be my pleasure.” The dark stallion readily agreed, turning around in order to head to the throne room, displaying his kite shield cutie mark as he started to walk alongside the two mares as they approached their destination.
“Announcing Lady Snowdrop of Cloudsdale.” One of the two guards standing by the doorway loudly proclaimed as Snowdrop entered into the large throne room, a sheepish smile on her face.
It had been years since Luna had granted her the title, for all intents and purposes turning her into minor nobility, and yet she still couldn’t really deal with ponies calling her that, or the small privileges the position granted, for to her eyes she was simply Snowdrop and would always be so, no more and no less.
Shaking such thoughts off her mind she entered the large room, quickly snapping her tongue in order to ‘see’ her surroundings, eager to met Luna after such a long time, but not wanting to bump into anypony else in her eagerness.
But the image the echoes caused by her small snapping sound brought back to her nearly made her stop mid stride in surprise and incredulity.
The throne room was a large circular area, with a high vaulted ceiling, dozens of large marble pillars scattered amidst it and surrounded by several magnificent stained glass windows, all leading to two thrones at the opposite side of the intricate large double doors, one pristine white and the other midnight black.
But it wasn’t the layout of the room that had surprised the mare, everything being exactly as she remembered from her previous visit to this very room, even if said visit had been over a year ago during the day court.
What had surprised her was not what was in the room, but rather what wasn’t.
Normally the throne room would be full to the brim with petitioners, commoners and nobles alike, clamoring for the attention of the princesses, demanding justice, requesting aid, or simply vying for the attention of the two diarchs.
But if what she had heard was to be trusted, then there was absolutely no one but the guards at the doors and Princess Luna herself at the throne inside the massive room.
‘This can’t be right.’ Snowdrop incredulously thought, letting out another sharp snap in order to confirm what the first had shown her even as she walked towards the throne, her primary feathers extended in order to catch any air currents ponies moving around would be causing.
But the truth remained the same, the echoing sound and the utter lack of any air movement proving to the blind Pegasus beyond a shadow of a doubt that, with the exception of the two night guards at the door and Luna herself, she was the only pony inside the throne room.
An uneasy feeling entering her body as she remembered Silver Quill's earlier words, she approached the two thrones and the alicorn sitting upon the dark obsidian one on her left, a heartfelt smile surfacing despite her unease as she took in Luna’s silently observing form.
“Princess Luna, thank you for receiving me.” Snowdrop formally said while bowing before the throne.
But even as she said the traditional greeting her mind was awhirl with what could possibly have caused the throne room to have been so unnaturally deserted, and what it could possibly mean for Luna.