//------------------------------// // Prince Blueblood and Perseverance // Story: P.B. and J. // by TheAmazingMe //------------------------------// Aside from the guard ponies, I was pleased to be on my first solo trip out of Canterlot. Even if it was work-related, I felt a sense of pride in being able to take this trip on my own. Dr. Turner had set an itinerary, even organizing a meeting with the head librarian at the Crystal Library, but even he was back at Canterlot. There was a heady sense of freedom. To my relief and surprise, Div was one of the ponies on my security detail. His armor and that of his fellow guards had received a few improvements, especially in spell resistance. Hopefully such measures wouldn’t be necessary in the Crystal Empire of all places. As I stood in the observation lounge, Div stood at attention just inside the door. “It occurs to me that I never asked what Div was short for,” I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He gave me the briefest of glances, then looked ahead and answered, “Your Highness, full name Sogni DiVolare, sir.” “Sohn-yee?” He nodded at my pronunciation. I dredged up what little I knew of Bitalian. ”DiVolare. I assume you are familiar with the Bitalian translation.” It was less a question than statement. Div nodded and answered, “Yes, sir.” DiVolare. And he was an earth pony. There had to be a way for an earth pony to fly. Then I nearly slapped myself in the face. We were standing in a flying machine! “Have you taken to airship flight? Considering this is my Aunt’s own airship, you wouldn’t even necessarily need leave the PLHG to earn your wings.” I shrugged. “If you’re interested, that is.” Div considered this. “Sir, it would likely involve cross-training with Equestrian Air Navy.” I nodded. “That’s probably correct. Still, something to think about. If I can find a way to bring it up without impugning the honor of the Royal Air Navy, I’ll put in a good word for you.” After a moment, Div responded. “I appreciate the sentiment, but it would be improper of me to use a personal connection to achieve my own ends.” I turned away from the window and gave Div a wry grin. Leave it to my humble guard to refuse to play games to further his own career. I tapped a hoof to my chin idly, mostly for show but also because I could sense him squirming under the armor. “Fine. That’s admirable of you. I’ll be more vague. Say that somepony on my personal detail needs to earn their wings in case the pilot and crew are incapacitated. They’ll probably pull a list up of volunteers to seek training. I promise I won’t meddle in the selection. If you pass and are selected, it’ll be on your talent and skills. No favoritism.” Div nodded once. “Sounds fair.” I shook my head, not quite understanding the thought process. “Let it never be said that Luna’s guards lack the drive to succeed on their own merits. I definitely would’ve used connections to get what I wanted. But, I can respect a pony seeking to persevere and arrive at their goal on their own hooves.” Satisfied, I looked back out the window. I heard the door open and a guard entered to relieve Div. Before the blue earth pony left, he approached me. “I hope you never have to use it, but I persuaded my sargeant to issue one to you.” I turned around to see him holding out a black ring. A unicorn magic inhibitor ring. And from the hoofcuff-like hinge, it was meant to be slapped on around the horn instead of slipped down the tip. Wordlessly, I took the ring and slipped it into my pocket. We nodded to each other. Hopefully, I never had reason to use this. Not long later, we landed at the Crystal Palace air dock. To my surprise, Prince Shining Armor stood on the ground near the ramp to receive us. He wore a simple white military officer’s uniform, buttoned up and polished bright. Instead of a full service-style sword at his hip he had an ornately-handled dagger. I might have picked up my step slightly; the Prince-Captain of the Crystal Empire had to have a busy schedule. Especially in times like these. I bowed my head to Shining Armor as I stood on the exit ramp, flanked by Div and another PLHG. Shining nodded and spoke, “Welcome to the Crystal Empire, Your Highness Prince Blueblood, Master of the House of the Night.” I was actually impressed for a moment at his formality. Then he went and spoiled it. “That was the correct form of address, right?” I nodded, breaking into a smile in spite of myself. The Prince-Captain had been around the royal court enough times to know. This had to be his trademark humor. “Your Royal Highness, you are correct.” Shining held out his hoof. I took his in mine and stepped off of the ramp. “And should anypony ask, I will deny this emphatically,” I said just before stepping into a stallionly hug, one hoof still grasping his, the other reaching around to embrace him. Shining chuckled as he put his hoof around me in return. “Nopony would believe me anyway.” Stepping back, I sized him up. He looked to be in mostly fine condition. The tenseness hid in the corners of his eyes. “It is good to see you, sir.” Shining rolled his eyes. “Likewise, but go ahead and keep the sirs to yourself. Luna clued us into what you’re after. I hope your stay won’t be too brief.” His statement as a question made me wonder if Shining hadn’t already grown accustomed to the proper forms of speech. Something was very different and I wondered just who had been assigned to teach Shining to alter his speech patterns. “That depends on the amount of information to be parsed. It is my understanding that there are two major libraries in the city.” Shining nodded, then jerked his head to indicate walking. I fell in step with him just slightly leading me. “That’s right. The palace library, with our librarian Lexicon. Then there’s the city library with head librarian Amethyst Maresbury. I’ll have time to lead you to our library. Both Lex and Amethyst are waiting there.” As much as the times and setting called for protocol, I couldn’t resist satisfying my own curiosity. “How are you and Cadence holding up?” I asked as we rounded a corner. Shining slowed his pace almost imperceptibly. He allowed himself a small sigh. “I won’t lie; it hasn’t been easy.” I could sympathize. “I can only imagine. It is quite a lot to ask of a nation only now getting used to being in the modern day and age. That they should leave their homes and defend an ally’s civilians? Especially given how some were already separated.” Prince Armor looked at me sidelong. “I would much rather be asked than be the one asking. At least then I’d feel like I was being useful.” I noted his tone and shook my head. “Has she had to disabuse you of the notion of going off to performsome heroics?” I asked cheekily. He looked away, growing more serious than I liked. “Only once. She made it clear that I would be more hindrance than help. This isn’t a war for Equestria. This is a conflict on another continent. The big powers of the realm have no place trying to replace the military. Not to mention I, or the Princesses or the Element-Bearers would be technicolor targets.” This assessment was purely practical. One could make no promises in war, after all. Yet I could see it plainly bothering him. For one usually accused of selfishness, I prided myself on being aware of what motivates other ponies. And those words he just used did not sound like his own motivation. As we rounded a corner into a wider hall, I noted a distinct lack of other guards. I felt the weight of the object in my front pocket and had a terrible idea. “I hope Your Royal Highness will forgive me.” Before Shining could react, I slipped the ring out and telekinetically flung it at the base of his horn. As his hooves went up to the item now stuck on his horn, I kicked him in the gut and jumped over his back. I’d been incredibly lucky to get the drop on him up to this point, but the next part would be trickier. Sliding one hoof around his neck, I gripped his mane and pulled him close. As his hooves went from his horn to my forelimb, I slipped his dagger out of its sheath with my other hoof and held it against his neck. I applied just enough pressure to get his attention. For a moment, everything froze. He was now between me and the guards. My PLHG escorts stood down immediately, their weapons hitting the floor almost as soon as Prince Armor’s dagger cleared the sheath. The Crystal Guards were caught in a mental loop, their weapons out but oscillating between me and my guards. I could feel the muscles in his neck tense. His forehooves grabbed both of my forelimbs just above the hooves. He took a step back, pressing my back against the wall. If he decided to fight back, I really didn’t have the training to take the idea any further. Just as I could feel his reflexes kicking in, he fought against them and went still. Instead, Shining Armor growled. “Was this necessary?” I let go of his mane and handed him back his dagger. “If even I can get the drop on you and your guards, then yes. This war between the gryffons will undoubtedly involve the enemy using unlikely means to take out big targets.” Shining Armor looked to his guards and mine. “Stand down. Retrieve your kit. Only Blueblood would have this kind of hare-brained idea, I don’t blame the PLHG.” He looked back to me and pointed to his horn. “This is Equestria-made. The enemy won’t have these.” I shook my head as I reached up to unfasten the ring. “Unicorns have lived in the gryffon kingdoms, if even one of them ever had to be arrested, the gryffons will have come up with something like this. Or bought some from us before we were enemies. Never count on your enemy not having something.” “When did you get to know anything of war?” Shining asked. I decided not to bring up the attempted prince-napping. If he didn’t know of it already, I could approach the subject later without his guards overhearing. “You never had to learn Court politics from Civil List. The two subjects are not dissimilar; find your enemy’s weakness. You and the Princesses and even the Element-Bearers are used to over-looking a creature weaker than you who doesn’t appear to be a threat. And giving mercy to someone who would use that to get close and exploit it.” His eyes relaxed as he thought it out. “I could have disarmed you, you know. But I knew you wouldn’t hurt me.” His look of confidence annoyed me. He hadn’t learned anything. I looked into his eyes, my expression hardening. “The fact that you didn’t is exactly why you shouldn’t go to war.” One of the Crystal Guards sighed. Shining and I both looked at him. Clearing his throat, the guard spoke. “As much as I’d hate to agree with a pony who just had a knife to my captain’s throat, he’s right. For all any of us knew, he could have been a changeling imposter hired to kill the prince, or even possessed by a dark force.” Shining Armor opened his mouth, but then closed it as he thought it over. Looking at me again, I could tell the lesson was starting to sink in. “I would take my security more seriously out on the battlefield.” I shrugged. “You can’t count on your enemy to attack you only when your guard is up.” “I know that.” Shining turned away. “But I’ll make sure it’s up more often.” I turned to follow him again. “That’s all I ask.” We walked in silence for a bit, my guards and his guards closer to the two of us than was strictly polite. I really couldn’t blame them, though. I was more impressed that I wasn’t in shackles and on my way to the dungeons. “I can’t believe I’m getting a lesson in personal defense from the prince of pleasure,” Shining remarked as we approached a large set of double doors. I tilted my head one way and spoke. “Think of it just as a refresher. You already knew it, but the message wasn’t in your heart yet.” “Well, that’s the last time I’m ever lowering my guard around you, Blue. And, thank you. The talk with Cadence put a lot of these ideas in my head, but having my own dagger against my neck is another matter entirely.” Shining turned to face me directly as a Crystal guard went to open the doors. “I’ll see you around.” “Have fun,” I said, waving as I walked into the library. “Shh!” Two sharp hushes were emitted in unison. Oh good, I thought, I’m going to have all the fun for myself. Lexicon was a pastel orange earth crystal stallion with white slicked-back mane and tail. What struck me immediately was the almost comically enormous glasses he wore, thick as the bottom of a drinking glass. Amethyst Maresbury was a kindly looking earth crystal mare with a coat hue that matched her name. Her pinkish mane was mostly covered by a crystal blue hat. The hat had a purple headband and two ornamental crystals, one red one blue, that stuck out of the band in the same way feathers would in a fancy Canterlotian hat. Her gold rimmed pince-nez glasses perched on her nose, safely tethered to a beaded lanyard on both sides of the frame. In short, they both very much looked like librarians. I looked from one to the other and waited, but they merely looked back. “I am—“ “Prince Blueblood, we’ve been expecting you. Your aunt mentioned that you’d heard of our research into orders of merit and awards given by the House of the Night from the period prior to Sombra’s reign.” Lexicon waved a hoof to follow him and Amethyst fell in just a step behind. She piped up as we walked. “You’ll have to excuse him, he’s been very excited to show off his research abilities.” Before I could respond, we reached a door marked with several protective runes. “Prince Shinjng Armor designed the protective enchantments on this door. This is my private study.” He placed a hoof on the door and the runes glowed softly. The door opened on its own and Lexicon ushered us through. “He just likes showing off his fancy door,” Amethyst remarked. “It’s about the only special thing about the castle library. The more interesting volumes were preserved far away from this place.” Lexicon snorted as he closed the door behind us. “She’s just jealous that her security relies on trapdoors and bookshelves blocking doorways.” Amethyst arched her eyebrows primly. “When you seek to hide something from a pony well versed in magic, you turn to the mundane. The old king could have sniffed out your fancy magic door and dispelled it in a trice. My trapdoors and fake bookshelves did more to hide the most sensitive information.” As they bickered, I took a look around. The study was lined with bookshelves. Its floor was dominated by tables with scrolls, books and loose sheets of paper and parchment. Noting my disinterest, Lexicon made his way across to a table with several crystals on it with a recliner and sofa nearby. I followed, with Amethyst behind me. He stood on the other side of the table and gestured proudly. Before he could speak, I tilted my head. “I was more hoping for books or, maybe like a journal. These are pretty, though.” Lexicon’s eyes narrowed and his brow creased. “They’re not just pretty crystals,” he chided. “These are memory crystals.” “They improve your memory?” I’d heard about the supposed new age benefits of crystal massage therapy, but it was bordering on ridiculous to think these two academics helieved in such nonsense. “Not to be disrespectful, but I—“ “Oh for crystal’s sake! No, these crystals store memories!” Amethyst clarified. “It’s a process nearly lost to pony knowledge. We don’t know if any non-Crystal ponies alive could recreate them.” “At the very least, it would take a unicorn to even attempt it. But memory crystals here in the Empire can come from any of the three tribes,” Lexicon reverently picked up the brightest, clearest crystal. “This memory is from Princess Amore’s time in the years before the dark king’s reign.” “Where were these hidden?” I asked, eyeing the selection. They ranged in color, cut and clarity. There was one on the end that gave me chills. It was as black as obsidian. Lexicon turned to Amethyst, who answered proudly. “The resistance network in this very city hid them in magic-resistant boxes under floorboards, buried in gardens, and hidden in attics all across the Crystal City.” “Amazing,” I remarked. “What does this have to do with Princess Luna’s House and the honors and awards they issued before Luna’s banishment?” “We figured you would be more interested in seeing those honors issued as they were in time gone by. First hoof.” Amethyst took the crystal from Lexicon and offered it to me. I took it in my hooves. “How do I access the memory?” Lexicon spoke slowly. “Hold it in your magic. Clear your mind. Sense the emotions inside and draw them into you. You might want to take a seat.” Here he indicated the recliner. I took a seat and began to do as he said. Holding it in my magic was easy. Clearing my mind was more difficult, as I was equal parts nervous and excited. Finally I could start to feel something from the Crystal itself. It was warmth and light and suddenly—