Genesis
The castle garden. A place of serenity and beauty. The bright moonlight only made it more magnificent to gaze on for any passerby, be it ground or air. The quiet serene fountain, the beautiful flowers at rest for the night, and the shaking bushes rustling about in the windless breeze.
"The coast is clear."
A figure popped it's head out of the bush, covered in a black mask in an effort to protect his identity. He proceeded to cautiously leave the bush, his black outfit hiding him with the shadows he followed while moving towards the castle itself. With no one in sight, he made it to his intended target, a window held open by another in the same outfit as his.
"Will you hurry and get in before someone sees us?" The one holding the window open rushed the other. He responded by quietly scampering in, making sure to not make any noise as he landed on the other side. His partner shut the window and began to look around the dimly lit hallways of the castle. "Alright. Let's get the goods and get out of here quickly." He said quietly.
The other man nodded, and followed quietly behind him. Constantly checking down the hallways for night guards, the duo began their ascent into the uppermost parts of the castle towards their goal. The guards were more vigilantly patrolling the corridors here than they were downstairs, with good reason as the two knew. Remaining as stealthy as they could, the men maneuvered through the halls, dodging the sight of the patrols that guarded there. Through their efforts, the duo managed to make it to their goal, the room they were looking for. A lone guard stationed outside the regal looking gateway kept watch for people exactly like them, preventing entry without permission. A large crescent decorated the door's peak, almost daring the two to enter.
"Are you ready?" the one that had been giving the instructions asked. The other nodded quickly and nervously. "Veil of silence broken, shattered sound echoes through the hollow winds and into the ears of the deceived." He pointed his finger towards the opposite end of the hallway, maintaining focus as the tip began to glow with an eerie, almost lightless light. "Ghost sound." The light vanished, though the effect was done correctly. On the other end, the sound of crashing porcelain lightly echoed down the hall, drawing the attention of the guard. A need to discover the source forced the guard from his post. He quickly moved towards the sound, exactly what the two waited for.
They quickly and quietly moved towards the doors, and quickly turned the knobs. Sighing in relief, the doors opened without a struggle. Checking back, the guard's back was turned, examining the area for the source of the noise. They shut the doors quietly behind them, relieved to have gotten away with their crime so far. Taking a glimpse around the room, they stared in awe at the beautifully decorated sleeping quarters of none other than Princess Luna. The curtains covering the windows shimmered in the pale moonlight like stars in the sky. All the furniture looked quiet old fashioned, yet highly elegant. Nothing less from what they would expect the grand bedroom to look like.
As much as they would like to admire the room, they had a task to complete. "All right. Keep watch while I search for em'," the leader whispered as he walked towards the large dresser. He opened up drawer after drawer, looking for the target. After a minute, he grinned, holding up the target successfully. In his hands were a pair of light blue panties. "I'll cast the float spell and we can..." He began to turn towards his partner, but was greeted by a different sight.
"You know, this was actually kinda fun." His partner was no longer there, replaced with a completely different man. Dressed in a nice black suit, he tilted up his matching fedora to show his cheeky grin, dark brown eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint in them. The hand moving his hat also contained a large glass sphere. This wasn't what the man was looking at, though. All he could really see was the wicked looking device in his hands. "Neat, huh? This is a rune gun. A grade A magic weapon capable of casting spells with the simple pull of a trigger. So...do you feel lucky, punk?" He started to back up slowly, unsure of how to react to the sudden situation at hand. The best logical conclusion was to give up, so he book it, turning and running towards the balcony. He opened the door, but was stopped at another figure in front of him.
"Escape isn't possible." The words from the figure cloaked by a grey hooded jacket were as cold as ice, leaving the man paralyzed with fear. His golden eyes continued to stare into the mans very being. The figure reached into the sheath attached to his jeans and slowly pulled out a knife, clearly designed for combat and shining with as much wickedness as the man's stare.
"Ya better just give up," the man from before said, walking towards the frightened invader. "My buddy here can be a little bit messy if he feels threatened." He began looking back and forth. On one side, a sneaky man who looked way more amused than he should be. The other side was the cold glare of death itself. He sighed in defeat, dropping the panties and raising his hands above his head slowly.
"What did you do with Twitch?" he asked nervously. The man holding the glass ball chuckled and threw it at the ground. The ball shattered and flashed, the other man from before laying down. He wasn't awake, but it was easy to see that he was at least still breathing.
"Pal's fine, but I hope you both know you're in big trouble. All right, Shiny, send in the guards. They're harmless," the suited man said, stepping out of the way. The bedroom door opened, and from the entrance three more men entered, all donned in dark armor with the exception of the man in the middle, whose armor was a bright golden color. He stepped up to the two intruders, and stared at the conscious one intently.
"My name is Captain Shining Armor." The man in the middle introduced himself to the one in trouble. "You are under arrest for breaking and entering, attempted theft, and intrusion into the private sleeping quarters of a royal princess."
"Right to remain silent, blah blah blah, can we go now? I gotta date to keep!" the man with the suit asked, putting his weapon away into his suit coat.
"It' s your own fault, Catacomb," the man on the balcony said, putting his knife away.
"I wanted to make sure they had ill intent, Ark. Can you really blame me?" the one named Catacomb asked, shrugging his shoulders. "It isn't like I am a mind reader."
"But I am." A voice rang through his head. "Tis thou's own fault. I informed you of those rapscallion's desire to raid Princess Luna's unmentionables."
"Your point?" Catacomb said out loud, sounding almost insane to the unsuspecting.
"The point is, and I quote, 'I wanted to know what color they were," the voice said again in an almost mocking tone.
"So? I am now twenty bits richer because of that. Suck it, Miss Communication!" Catacomb said, pumping the air in celebration. Ark sighed and shook his head. Lifting his jacket up to his shoulders, a pair of large grey wings spread out and started to flap, giving him lift.
"I'm going home now," he said, taking off into the sky.
Catacomb turned around, giving a pleading look towards Shining Armor. He ran his hands through his blue hair, and shook his head in defeat. "Awesome!" Catacomb said, running towards the window. "I'll tell Twily you said hi!" he yelled, jumping off the balcony himself.
The two night guards walked silently towards the confused criminal. One cuffed the one that was awake, while the other was thrown over the second guards shoulder. As they guided the men past Shining, they stopped and looked at him.
"Sir, are you okay? You look troubled," one of the guards asked the troubled looking Shining.
"Yeah, just another normal day. When you get back to the staff room, please tell Missy to stop making bets with Cata. That is all," Shining asked, chuckling lightly.
"Yes sir," the guard responded before leaving. Shining sighed and leaned against the wall, staring at the exit the other two used.
"This report is going to suck. Reader, am I crazy for dealing with them?" Shining asked.
"No more crazy than the usual T.E.S.T. commanders." a voice from behind the bedroom door spoke. "I would be far more concerned if one could remain sane in your position of command." The one behind the voice opened the door. Shining smiled at the blue robed man.
"Thanks, Reader. By the way, what was the bet?" Shining asked. Reader shook his head and turned towards the door.
"Nothing important. Come, I shall purchase you an ale for your stress," Reader said, avoiding the shameful subject.
"That actually sounds like a good idea." Shining nodded, walking out of the room with his bald friend, closing the door behind him. "I am just going to take care of the report before we get smashed."
"Take your time, Shining. I shall be awaiting you at our usual table." Reader patted his back before continuing down the hall. Shining turned the opposite direction towards the guard quarters.
"I am only here one day a week. Why can't people break the law on a Wednesday?" he grumbled to himself.
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Shining Armor approached the throne, bowing politely towards the woman sitting on it. Her dark blue dress barely touched the floor, shimmering like the night sky, large blue wings pressed against her back. Her hair seemed to blow on an invisible breeze. Those who looked at it could see the night sky in her locks, clear and majestic. Her blue eyes were strong and fierce, but compassionate as they gazed on the weary and annoyed captain.
"Good evening, Princess Luna." She smiled and nodded, signaling for him to rise. He did as commanded and waited for her to begin speaking.
"Good evening indeed, Shining Armor. We take it that there is no more cause for concern?" she asked, removing herself from the throne to walk around.
"The intruders were taken care of. Just some teenagers trying to win a very stupid bet." he groaned. "We already contacted their parents, and await your decision since they did try to steal from you."
"What was it they attempted to take?" Luna asked curiously. Shining blushed slightly, no desire to mention their target. Still, it was still his job and he would have to go through with it.
"Your...umm...your underwear." The room was filled with silence. No one dared breath, be it guards or the princess. She stared blankly at Shining for several long seconds before turning around and walking back to the throne. She took a seat and a deep breath.
"We take it Catacomb was charged with subduing the suspects?" Luna asked bluntly, staring at the floor.
"Yes." Shining said quietly. Luna sighed, shaking her head.
"If we were to go by the old style punishment, ten years in the dungeon. Alas, Celly says I can't keep doing that anymore. The days before used to be so simple. I am having a decent day. Let them off with a warning." Luna smiled slightly, trying to keep herself from making any rash decisions. Shining nodded slowly, still afraid to make a move. "Also give them a message from me."
"What message would that be?" Shining asked.
"IF THEY EVER ATTEMPT TO STEAL FROM US AGAIN, WE WILL PERSONALLY EXECUTE THEM!" Luna yelled out in a loud booming voice, shaking the entire room. "Ahh. We feel much better." She smiled innocently, ignoring the petrified looks of Shining and her guards.
"O-Of course, Princess!" Shining said quickly. Shining nodded and began walking towards the throne room's exit, before turning back around. "I have one more question."
"What would that be?" Luna asked, still smiling from before.
"I noticed that Princess Celestia was out all day. Do you know where she is?"
Luna grinned, knowing exactly where she was and what she was doing. "She is busy attending a monumental event."
"Really? What's going on, if you don't mind me asking?" Shining walked back towards Luna, curiosity beginning to consume him. Something grand, yet he was not informed about. It had to be interesting.
"Not at all. You are to find out soon enough, so there is no harm in telling you." Luna said with a quirky smile. "There is going to be a new Princess!" Luna said happily, bouncing about slightly. "Such an amazing event! Oh how I wish I could have been there."
"That is amazing!" Shining said happily, feeling her happiness rub off on him. "Who is it, if I may ask?"
"Don't worry, Shining," Luna began. "You will find out soon enough. I assure you."