//------------------------------// // Royal Threats // Story: Under the Moonlight // by Thunderblast //------------------------------// Thunderblast sat absolutely motionless. He struggled to keep his nerves from making him twitch as he stood perfectly still on duty. His ears stood up tall and hard as cement, like most of his body. It's likely that if anypony tried to move him, he'd remain in the exact spot, as if he was glued to the floor. The stallion kept his bad encounter with Light Assassin under wraps, as he was afraid he'd get in trouble. If he really did kill Royal Guards, he would most likely be on the 'Equestria's most wanted' list. Lucky for Thunder, nopony noticed he was a bit off, and that the cut on his hoof had healed much faster than he previously thought, which made him happy. Of course, he could have always said it was a simple accident while cooking, considering it occurs a lot to the infamous mess hall cook. He had been re-stationed to a hall in the castle, by a closed room along with another guard he met that day, and they were not allowed to talk, not even for a hair of a minute, unless they were looking to receive a hard hoof from the drill sarge, or perhaps two-hundred forced push or wing ups. Nothing could interrupt the calm air inside. "Sergeant Thunderblast? First Sarge Featherhoof?" Almost nothing... "Hmm?" The stallion looked around, studying the hall for the rough voice that called for him. After a moment, he found the source, a white earth pony guard trotting up to them. "What is it, Corporal?" The white pegasus eyed him, still standing in his guarding position. "Your presence is required with Captain Armor, and Princess Celestia." The stallion looked between the two. Feather and Thunder exchanged looks between the guard and each other. "What's going on?" Feather asked. "They have called a meeting about urgent security matters. We believe there may have been a breach last night." The guard looked at Featherhoof. Both of the pegasi's eyes widened as the last few words came out of the earth guard's mouth, but had nothing to say back. "Please, you two must report to the meeting center at once." The earth guard said. "Very well. Let's go." Thunderblast said, before the three fast-trotted down the winding halls, searching for the meeting center. In all of his time in Canterlot, Thunder still had yet to get to know the castle and all of it's rooms. That, and the castle had been expanded slightly over the late spring and summer, which of course made it harder to navigate. Somehow, the earth guard knew it better than Thunder, despite being one of the newer stallions in the Canterlot guard. Which for them, meant getting to the meeting faster, without having to stop and get directions, an embarrassing thing for a guard to ask another. Finally, the three stallions slowed down at the meeting center, where a short line of other guards stood waiting to enter. Most of the guards had the typical golden armor, white coats designated for pegasi and earth guards, grey coats for unicorns, while two guards wore silver armor, with red manes instead of blue or white. "Platoon sergeants." Thunder thought to himself, getting in line behind them all with the earth guard and Featherwing. "How could anypony breach the castle at NIGHT? Th-the Lunar guards are, I have to sadly admit, somewhat better and quicker than us!" One of the silver-armored stallions said to the other. Both were nervous, one's legs actually trembled. The stallions spoke loud enough that Thunder and Feather could hear, which didn't bring much comfort to them. After a two minute wait, everypony seated themselves in the upper rows. The meeting room was similar to ancient Romane architecture, and was built very much like an old gladiator fighting stadium, except the roof was closed off with a brilliant silver dome, with what looked like golden pillars stretching across with silver vines wrapping around them. The room could easily fit a couple thousand, definitely not like the gigantic stadium Thunder fought to his very job in nearly ten years ago. Down below stood a podium, all of the microphones sitting at different heights, one pony seating at each one. The microphone in the center stood in front of a fine white, tall alicorn mare with a blue, green, and pink mane which waved on it's own, Princess Celestia herself. The seat to her left sat a dark blue alicorn with a much more sparkly blue mane, which also waved on it's own, Princess of the night, Luna. To Celestia's right sat Shining Armor, in the exact suit he wore the day the changelings attacked. Seeing it again gave some guards a cold chill down their spine, including Thunderblast. Behind the remaining three microphones sat Captain Fallen Star of the Lunar Guard, as well as two other presumably new high ranks. A loud thud echoed through the room, a signal that the doors had been shut. "Good afternoon, everypony. I appreciate you all coming here today. We have pressing matters to discuss today." Princess Celestia begun, taking a bit of a breath to continue. "Yes, I am certain you have heard about the security breach last night. Everything is being done to check how the suspect entered the castle, and where guards were at the time. But, that is not all." She stopped again. Everypony in the room leaned forward slightly to listen closer, before the Princess of the sun spoke again. "We have reason to believe this suspect is kidnapping guards as well." Princess Celestia continued, shivering at her own words. A collective gasp filled the room, and some frightened guards looked at the others around them. "Please, everypony, calm yourselves." Shining Armor stood up, slamming his hoof on the table in front of him, causing the stallions in the room to settle down. "THANK YOU, CAPTAIN." Princess Luna yelled in the Royal Canterlot voice, nearly deafening everypony in the room, then received a bit of a glare from Princess Celestia, before turning her attention to the gold armored and dark-blue armored stallions around her. "Oh, my apologies. We've only known this to occur at night, which is fairly strange. So far, we can count at least five of my guards have been reported missing, and two of my sister's guards as well. We have yet to know who this pony is, or if they are working with a known enemy to do this. Sister?" She faced Celestia. "One of my mail couriers also read to me a very distinct threat to our fair country. We can't make out what it really means, but it is enough to take into consideration to increase security for the third time this year. I know two stallions in this room who reported a similar occurrence a few weeks back, which also triggered a larger guard presence in and around Canterlot. Until we can confirm it is safe, security WILL stay tight at all times, and I will see to it that security on trains will be increased as well, and full luggage scans will be performed at all Equestrian stations, mostly here in Canterlot, Manehattan, the Crystal Empire, and Los Pegasus."