//------------------------------// // Progressing // Story: Antecedent // by Anonymous Pegasus //------------------------------// “So...” “So?” Asked Sentinel, as he dipped his hoof in the now thoroughly ruined cake and happily swallowed down the mix of icing and moist cake. “Well? The pony who stabbed me,” Raindrop stated with a faint huff. “Princess Luna denies that she has any knowledge of the guard at all, so it’s a stalemate. Personally, I think that Celestia is being rightfully cautious in not trusting her sisters every word, and Luna understands what he sister must do...though that might be a clever ruse to try and keep Celestia pliable and off-balance,” Sentinel said with a wave of an icing-covered hoof. “But s’far as we known, the guard just...vanished. Melted into thin air.” “Ponies don’t melt into thin air. Somepony must have seen him trying to escape,” Raindrop said with a frown. “I mean, he killed two guards.” Sentinel gave a sad nod, and went silent for a moment, looking down at his hooves. Raindrop paused awkwardly, contemplating lifting a hoof to rest on his shoulder, her hoof hovering half-off the ground uncertainly. “But the road between here and Ponyville is pretty empty. If he was lucky, he wouldn’t get seen. I’m rather more bothered by why he chose to target you of all ponies.” Sentinel paused at that, and looked her up and down, before adding, “Your stunning personality notwithstanding.” Raindrop rolled her eyes. “Well apparently everypony knows I’m chasing the Elements of Harmony...” “News travels fast,” Sentinel said with a wave of a hoof. “So...why aren’t you...you know, at the graveyard?” Raindrop asked quietly. “I injured myself fighting off that dark guard,” Sentinel admitted ruefully, rubbing a hoof against his chin. “Injured?” Raindrop asked, frowning. “He didn’t get you with the dagger, did he?” “Oh no...It was uhm...kinda stupid,” Sentinel said with a nervous laugh. “You chipped a hoof?” Raindrop asked flatly. “No, but I did pull a muscle in my inner thigh. Nothing too serious, but it makes walking a bitch.” “...A muscle in your inner thigh. Don’t you do training so that sort of thing doesn’t happen?” Raindrop asked, head canting to the side. “Sure. But I just woke up. I didn’t do my morning exercises. Hadn’t even had my coffee yet,” he said with a wrinkled nose. Raindrop shook her head and then waved a hoof. “A dagger wielding maniac and you manage to pull a muscle.” “Hey!” Sentinel said defensively, giving Raindrop a pout, “I still beat him up for you!” “Indeed you did,” Raindrop stated, looking thoughtful for a moment. “And well...thanks. I’m kinda happy to be...you know, not dead.” “It was nothing,” Sentinel said with a dismissive wave of his hoof. Raindrop stared at him for a moment, shaking her head, before she said softly, “No...it wasn’t. He had me down...repeatedly. It was like a game to him. He could have killed me at the start if he was in a hurry, and you wouldn’t have even known until morning.” Sentinel nodded, and then lifted a hoof to rest on Raindrop’s shoulder soothingly. “I got there in time, Raindrop. I’ll always get there in time. I promise.” The pegasus snorted a moment, and then nodded slowly, lifting a hoof to rest on Sentinel’s own. “That’s...far more reassuring than it should ever be, coming from you.” “Thank Celestia, I thought you were going to get sappy on me,” Sentinel said, withdrawing his hoof and then waving it, “So...when are you going hunting for the next element?” “I was thinking when I’m allowed to fly again, because walking. I don’t like walking,” she stated with a shake of her head. “We have guards out searching for the elements of Laughter and Honesty. The Element of Kindness isn’t active at the moment, so the seeker stone is dead, useless. Maybe you should give one of the teams your seeker stone? If you’re just going to be lying around,” Sentinel suggested, trying to sound reasonable. “I’m going to go get it!” Raindrop protested with a huff. “I’m just not allowed to fly.” “And until then? You’re just going to lug it around? That’s very impractical,” Sentinel pointed out. Raindrop snorted faintly. “Impractical. But it’s my seeker stone for now. I’m going to find the element.” “You don’t trust the guard to find them?” Sentinel inquired, raising a brow. Raindrop paused a moment, giving the guard a long stare. “I have met two guards so far. One of them stabbed me, and the other one is...you.” “Touché,” Sentinel said with a bow of his head. “Well, now you’ve eaten the cake laced with slow-acting poison, I’m going to go find an inn to rest in,” Raindrop said with a wave of a hoof. “You came all the way over here just to apologize?” Sentinel didn’t seem to be very convinced. Raindrop peered down at her forehooves for a moment, mincing them back and forth uncomfortably. “You kinda saved my life...and then I went and insulted your fallen coworkers or comrades or whatever you call them...” Sentinel frowned deeply, and then pressed in close, laying his cheek against her chest. Raindrop stared down at him for a moment, brows slowly raising. “...What are you doing?” “I’m making sure you’re not developing a heart! Celestia knows what having one of those would do to you!” He tapped his hoof against her chest once, and then pulled back, smiling. “Nope, no heart. Situation normal.” Raindrop rolled her eyes at him and then turned about, heading towards the front of the palace. “I trust you’ll turn up and torment me sometime in the near future?” “Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Sentinel called after her. Raindrop groaned faintly and shifted, stirring fitfully. There was the sensation of warm hooves around her, and she snuggled herself back into the embrace with a happy sigh. It was several long, long seconds before she realised that she wasn’t at home with Shine. The pegasi’s eyes widened, and she squirmed out from the embrace and spilled clumsily onto the floor, before sitting up and whirling around, her jaw dropping. “..Sentinel?!” The guard gave a faint, groggy sound, opening an eye and peering at her for a long moment, before closing it and going back to sleep. “Wake up!” Raindrop insisted, pushing him with a hoof. “What are you doing in my bed?!” “You don’t remember anything, do you?” Sentinel asked tiredly, sitting up and rubbing at his temple with a hoof, shaking his head to try and wake up a little bit. “No, I’m asking because I’m stupid! Now what are you doing in my bed?!” Raindrop almost squealed. “You told me to,” Sentinel stated with a wave of a hoof, rolling over. “I did no such thing!” Raindrop retorted heatedly. Sentinel gave a low groan, and then rolled over to face her again, eyes narrowing a little bit. “You apparently have bad reactions to sedatives and certain types of medications.” “How does that result in you being in my bed?!” “You don’t remember a thing, do you? Not even a scrap of anything that happened last night?” Sentinel queried, raising a brow. “Of course not! Now tell me.” Raindrop hissed, lifting a hoof threateningly. “Okay, okay, fine! You took some pills, downed some cider, got really loopy, and I rescued you from your misguided attempts to seduce a colt, and dragged you upstairs to your room. And then you seduced me and nature took its course, and here we are.” Sentinel said, waving a hoof matter-of-factly. Raindrop stared at the guard for a long, long moment, her head canting to the side slowly, her mouth slightly open. She choked out, “Y-you’re joking...” “Of course I’m joking,” Sentinel said with a chuckle and a shake of his head. Raindrop hit him, rather hard, in the shoulder. Sentinel rolled his eyes, rubbing a hoof against the shoulder she hit as though injured. “But in all honesty, you did take pills and they did unbalance you. I found you holding up a unicorn in the bar demanding that he give you a banana and a roll of yarn for insulting your family.” Raindrop blinked once. “...That...sounds decidedly odd.” “Oh, it was. And of course, you insisted I stay up here in your room,” Sentinel added. “This is where the story becomes a bit less believable,” Raindrop stated. “No, seriously,” Sentinel insisted, “You erm...well. You wanted me up here because you were a little...hesitant to sleep alone?” “...What? I always sleep alone,” Raindrop pointed out, shaking her head. “You’re not making sense.” “Well fine! If you want the truth, I managed to wheedle it out of you that you were afraid of the dark guard coming back to finish you off,” Sentinel admitted, frowning. Raindrop paused, and then nodded gently. “But...I...made you sleep in my bed?” “Indeed,” Sentinel stated with a snicker. “You were delirious. Barely coherent; said it was my duty to protect you and that I was lucky you weren’t going to make me stand inside the door all night, and I should be thanking you for your grace in allowing me to lay down and rest.” “That sounds more like me,” Raindrop said with a smug smile. “But I still find this whole story hard to swallow. I...Don’t remember anything after leaving the palace.” “We kissed,” Sentinel said with a short nod. “Liar. I see no signs of where I threw up afterwards,” Raindrop said with a wave of a hoof. “You’ll never know, will you?” Sentinel asked with a sly grin. Raindrop snorted. “I have naught but your word that any of this is true in the first place!” “Inside of your left foreleg,” Sentinel said, pointing with a hoof. Blinking once in confusion, Raindrop tilted her head and lifted her hoof, eyes widening at the neat length of writing down the inside of her foreleg. You asked him. Sentinel smells. Unicorn with blue mane owes you a banana and roll of yarn. “Believe me now?” Sentinel asked, raising a brow. “Why didn’t you tell me about this in the first place?!” Raindrop demanded. “And miss Raindrop’s meltdown adventure?” Sentinel asked with a soft laugh. “I hate you,” Raindrop said, deadpan. Sentinel gave a wry grin. “Not what you were saying last night, under the influence of drugs and alcohol.” Raindrop snorted and then shook her mane, rolling her eyes. “That’s about what it would take for me to say anything about you that is in any way positive.” The guard nodded with a grin, rolling out of bed and beginning to pull on his armour. “So, last night, you were talking about catching the train back to Ponyville. The stone is pointing out towards the Everfree Forest or beyond.” “Sentinel,” Raindrop started, mincing her hooves slightly. “Hmm?” the guard asked, as he neatly slid his helmet into place. “...Thank you,” Raindrop said quietly. The guard raised a brow under his helmet. “No...really. Thank you for...staying here with me when I was out of my mind on drugs,” Raindrop said hesitantly. “I’m sure you’ll go back to hating me in a little while,” Sentinel said with a warm smile, saluting her with a hoof. “I already am,” Raindrop stated, and then lifted a hoof. “Now get out of my room!” A wry smile crossed the guards face as he turned and headed for the door, pulling it open and then peering at her over his shoulder. “Train leaves at midday.” “More than enough time for breakfast, now shoo,” Raindrop said, making a motion with her forehooves.