//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Rocinante and the Wedding at Canterlot // by Charliemane //------------------------------// The steam cloud had not even begun to dissipate when Rocinante leapt forward with a brash and hearty laugh onto the platform. It was a strange, if not humorous, ritual that Princess Luna had observed every time they took the train anywhere. With a smile on their faces, Luna and Sassaflash followed into the cloud and were met with the most unexpected sight. There, on the platform still covered in the hot, billowing steam from the engine, stood Rocinante, staring back at the guards who were glaring at him. There were guards everywhere, on the platform, above on the rooftops, and in the many streets and alleyways around them, and many already had their spears pointed at the lance-wielding knight-errant. Rocinante looked at his prospective opponents with a humored eye, as though he were prepared to fight them all, but Princess Luna immediately stepped up next to him, meeting the guards with a dignified, but clearly irritated air. Before she had even begun to speak, the guards were lowering their weapons and backing away with a bow. “What is the meaning of this?! Wherefore dost thou ready thy weapons at a servant of thy Princess?” After a moment of stunned silence, one of the lieutenants carefully stepped forward. While the officer carefully and nervously explained both his position and his troops increased presence to his Princess, Sassaflash carefully slid in behind Luna, next to her cousin. “What... What happened?” Rocinante, his chest still puffed out and his lance held high, smiled boldly as his eyes left the guards and went over to his trembling cousin. “A most curious thing indeed, my dear Sassa. It would appear that these gentlecolts, well meaning as they have been, have mistaken me for the accursed foe. No doubt, they were not expecting reinforcements so quickly and in their surprise they sought to accost me. But never fear, dear Sassa, for though I may possess a strong desire for an opportunity to demonstrate my gallantry before my lady, I of course, also possess the self-restraint to prevent any unfortunate incidence. It would not do for me to subdue our allies in a mistaken conflict before the true battle against the forces of evil even began.” Despite the strong aura of confidence radiating from the stallion next to her, Sassaflash's eyes took notice of the number of guards around them and fear quickly came back into her heart. But just as her knees began to knock, Princess Luna nodded towards the guard and then turned to her companions. “T'would appear that Princess Celestia has truly prepared the city for battle, but still, my heart will not rest until I have spoken to her myself. Come, let us go unto the castle and see where we may be of assistance.” Seeing the guards returning to their numerous posts, Sassaflash gulped and quickly slid next to her Princess. In stark contrast, her cousin, with what he considered to be a substantial moral victory over a squad of Royal Guards, placed his hoof to his chest in salute and half marched, half pranced, to Princess Luna's side. To Sassaflash's surprise, the walk to the castle was uneventful. Ponies that would typically be out and about in the streets or mobbing around the Princess stayed inside, either for fear of the potential attack or by order of the guard. Even the police, who would typically object to a lance-wielding earth pony walking down their streets, kept their distance as Princess Luna led them towards their destination. They had only just reached the courtyard of the castle when it suddenly dawned on Sassaflash how much things had changed. It felt like only yesterday that she, a regular and unassuming weather pony, was welcoming her cousin to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration and now here she was in Canterlot, a squire to the Knight of the Restored Moon, escorting the actual Princess of the Moon herself. It was a thought that made her paradoxically prideful and humble. How did they come so far, so fast? More importantly, where would they be in the future? Before she had only faced a runaway cumulonimbus cloud, now they had faced a horde of monsters, a sea serpent, a manticore, an alicorn, a charging army of buffalo, dragons, and even a draconequus. What would they face tomorrow? Just how much could two ponies, even if they were backed by a princess, truly take on? Her muse was stopped as the great doors to the castle creaked open, revealing the splendor of the great hall where Princess Celestia was waiting. “Little Sister! It's so good to see you again!” Both Rocinante and Sassaflash stayed back while the two Princesses smiled and met each other with a quick embrace. “T'is good to see thee as well Sister. We do hope thou hast been in good health?” Princess Celestia nodded as the two began walking down the plush carpet and past the stained glass windows. “Of course. And how about you? Have you been enjoying your time seeing the kingdom with your knight and squire?” Celestia's playful grin went unnoticed by Luna as she nodded, but swiftly turned to look her sister directly in the eyes. “Quite. Sister, about this threat...” Almost instantly the light, playful atmosphere vanished and a dark, businesslike air took its place. Princess Celestia sighed and looked to her sister and companions with, what appeared to Sassaflash as, a look of regret. “I have it already taken care of.” Of course, Luna wasn't satisfied with the answer, but Celestia expected nothing less from her sister. Opening the door to a side room, Celestia led her sister through another door and down a small spiraling staircase into a cold dark room below. An enormous table with a model of Canterlot set in its center, dominated the interior of the room. Looking around with wide eyes, Sassaflash had no idea what any of this was, but it carried an almost tangible feel of a dark purpose that was foreign, not only to her, but to most ponies of the modern day. Chairs could be heard scraping the cold stone floor as the two ponies who were waiting for them inside the war-room rose in the presence of the Princesses. Celestia nodded and motioned for everypony, including Sassaflash and her cousin, to sit at the table. Much to Sassaflash's chagrin, there were no introductions as Princess Celestia began explaining how the city was divided into sections and which guard unit was over which section. With a careful look beside her, Sassaflash could see that either she was the only pony who didn't know the two ponies sitting across from her, or her cousin was remarkable at acting as though he did. “The magic barrier is provided by none other than Captain Shining Armor.” The armored pony across from Sassaflash nodded and rose as he took his cue to begin explaining the various magical properties of the field surrounding the city, finishing with a triumphal grin and a puffed out chest. “With this combination of detection and repulsion, it is virtually impossible for anypony to get into Canterlot without us knowing about it.” Princess Luna nodded in agreement. She was rather impressed by the Captain's knowledge of magical barriers, but since he was related to Twilight Sparkle, she couldn't say she was too surprised. “Dost thou intend to keep all of the ponies of thy city inside of this quarantined sphere?” Shining Armor shook his head and sat back down. His chair screeching slightly on the stone floor. “No, Your Highness, we're able to check their identities as they come through the gates. It's a small concern, but we have enough guards on detail at the gates to minimize the risk from the one weak point in the defense.” Everypony, except Rocinante nodded. “Forgive me, kind sir, but your explanation has brought to mind a most peculiar legend that I had the privilege of reading not too long ago. Tell me, are you familiar with the tale of the 'Treasure of Whinniesor Castle'?” Princess Luna's eyes darted from side to side as she recalled the old story while everypony else simply shook their head. When she finally remembered the outcome of the story she nearly gasped in surprise, to which Rocinante smiled proudly. Luna looked to her knight, and then everypony else at the table. “In the legend of which Sir Rocinante doth speak, the Prince of Whinniesor Castle had received word that a master thief was coming to take all of his treasure. So he set about to seal his castle up, hiring guards from across the country, sealing off passages, and placing magical enchantments upon his home.” Rocinante beamed with pride as though he had taught the story to the Princess himself. “Indeed, Noble Grace, but his preparations were all in vain, were they not?” Luna nodded before looking her sister directly in the eye. “Indeed, Sir Knight, they were all in vain. For the very messenger that informed him of the evil bearing down upon him was none other than the master thief himself. The thief was able to learn all he needed about the castle's security because he had been inside of the defense from the very beginning.” Both Shining Armor and Princess Celestia seemed slightly surprised, but the remaining pony that Sassaflash couldn't identify, a pink alicorn, stood up with wide, almost panicked, eyes. “Th-That's preposterous! There's no way anypony could do something like that here! Isn't that right Dear?! Y-Your spell can tell if anypony is out of place?!” Shining Armor said nothing as he stared at the model of the city, his eyes closed and his brow furrowed in contemplation. Even Princess Celestia seemed to be at a loss for words as she mentally reevaluated their situation, but her confidence soon returned as she pointed towards the model's gates. “A single pony cannot overthrow the city. If there is an inside agent, then so long as we keep the entrances to to city secure, then they will not be able to let more agents in or get information out. Captain, would bolstering security at the gates ease your mind?” Shining Armor was startled by his Princess's sudden question, but he quickly looked over the map and saluted. “Yes, thank you, Your Highness. I'll double the guards at each entrance and increase the patrols.” The tired looking captain smiled as he breathed a sigh of relief and looked towards the pink alicorn smiling at his side. “Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing will ruin our big day.” The two embraced, but Princess Celestia gently knocked on the table, bringing the attention back to her. “I'm sorry, but there is one concern that my Sister's tale has given me about this situation. What if the goal of our enemy isn't the city, but Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?” The other alicorn, who Sassaflash surmised was Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, stuttered as she looked back and forth between the Captain and the Princess. “B-But why? Why would anypony target me? Surely Canterlot itself would be the bigger target.” Princess Celestia's face looked unusually distraught as she closed her eyes and nodded. “That's exactly why. Canterlot is a large city filled with guards, but you are only one pony, a powerful pony perhaps, but still vulnerable if caught alone. I want to have some my guards escort you as well.” Luna eyed the various gates and entrances to the city and shook her head. “Sister, while thy guards are plentiful in number, they are not infinite and their duties expand by the minute. Why pull trained guards from the side of the monarch or thy gates when I have a capable knight here who has already successfully escorted one princess across the land?” Princess Cadance's mouth fell agape as she looked to Shining Armor for help, but Shining Armor agreed with the Princesses that his beloved needed a guard, even though he clearly seemed to choke on the idea of that guard being Rocinante. “Just a single... knight? I can easily take a few guards off of the south gate-” Princess Luna waved him off and shook her head. Truthfully, even she suspected that any number of guards would be able to fight off more than her one knight. But the guards of Canterlot tended to be strong-headed, silent, and determined to tackle whatever was in front of them by themselves. While Luna knew Rocinante was also strong-headed and would certainly attack whatever threatened the Princess by himself, she also knew that Rocinante was anything but silent. Luna had no doubt that if somepony attacked the Princess, Rocinante would make such a display that all of the guards within the city would know what was happening before battle could even begin. “We sense thy hesitance, but remind thee, that this knight-errant hath successfully guarded thy Princess of the Night whilst we traveled the entirety of Equestria. Have no fear, for we assure thee that this knight is up to the task.” Shining Armor's mouth fell open to object, but Rocinante rose and saluted with a broad grin that stretched across his face. “Have no fear, Able Captain! I shall keep such an ever watchful eye over the Princess that no traitorous pony nor foul abomination of evil shall ever be able to draw near to Her Fair Highness without being confronted by the forces of justice, virtue, and valor!” Princess Cadance forced a smile as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her twitching face. “But surely guards aren't necessary! I-I'm an alicorn! I'll be fine! Don't worry!” “Are you alright Dear? You're looking pale” Everypony turned their eyes on the sweating alicorn as her eyes darted from pony to pony. “Y-Yes! I'm just a little... warm... that's all. I-I need some air.” As she stepped towards the door leading out of the cold war-room, Rocinante and his cousin immediately rose and followed after her. Giving a sigh, Princess Cadance gave her escorts a pleading look. “Please, I'm fine, I don't-” “Fear not Fair Highness! For I shall give unto you all of the space required for your comfort, while keeping an ever watchful eye for the cowardly forces of evil! And should they prove to be so foalish as to approach, then they shall feel the full brunt of my lance! Though the foe may try to flee, not even the depths of the crystal caverns beneath us shall be far enough for them to escape my wrath!” Cadance stopped in her tracks and looked back at her escort. Where there had once been distress and anger in her eyes, there was now a strange curiosity. “The what caverns?” Rocinante gave a courteous low bow. “The crystal caverns beneath Canterlot, Fair Highness. Carved out by the unicorns of old, ages ago, they remain forgotten by most. Even I only know of them through the old legends.” “Tell me more about these caverns. They sound.... fascinating.”