A few days passed, during which nothing remarkable happened. However, the two did see a slight increase of guards from their house. Obviously, the rumor had spread that something was loose, although it didn’t seem like they knew exactly what, or else there would probably be a manhunt on by this point.
The morning dawned like any other. Sleeping on the hard floor had not done wonders for Ricky’s mood, and coupled with the grouchiness that accompanies just waking up, Ricky was not in a good mood. Chrysalis’ naturally inflammatory behavior usually led to banter that immediately riled the anger-prone Scot up easily. Today, however, Chrys was dead quiet, simply motioning Ricky over, who complied, curious as to this sudden change of attitude.
"I got the signal from Discord. He wants us to head back up towards the castle." Ricky cocked his head in confusion, but simply nodded as Chrysalis hauled herself off of the ground.
"So, where are we supposed to go exactly?"
"Back up to the throne room, apparently. I have an idea." Chrysalis responded. Suddenly, she transformed into an exact replica of one of the royal guards of Celestia. Her horn flared with her sickly green magic, and some ropes levitated over to her. "You're not gonna like this part, but it's necessary," she said apologetically.
Ricky shrugged and put his arms behind his back, knowing her plan. Chrysalis' magic worked quickly, and soon Ricky was loosely but convincingly bound. Chrysalis shouldered his rifle, and they began the walk back up the hill, trying to stay to the alleys and backwater routes as their target inched closer and closer.
Eventually, they stood in front of the giant gate that marked the entrance to Canterlot Castle. Two guards stood watch, their vigil interrupted by the approach of the captor and her exotic prisoner.
“Halt!” They locked their spears, forming an X across the gate. “Who goes there, and what is your business inside the castle grounds?”
“Escorting a prisoner, one Princess Celestia would likely want to see.” Chrysalis replied smoothly.
“And you are?”
“Why does it matter? The Princess is already waiting for us.” Chrysalis began to slowly pace, the two guards alternating their gazes between her and Ricky, nervous of his foreboding presence. “Could you imagine what she’d do if she found out that, despite her explicit orders, I was held up by her own guards? What would she do?” She shifted her eyes to look at them, both looking certainly less confident.
After a few seconds of painful seconds of silence, one of the two straightened up, mustering the courage to speak. “Well, who exactly is this prisoner of yours? I had no knowledge of a criminal that warranted the attention of the Princesses running loose in Canterlot,” he challenged, his confidence seemingly growing with each word.
“Oh, let me think,” Chrysalis put her hoof to her chin in thought. “He’s the one that made the one guard come running back to the barracks after pissing himself,” she recounted the story that the Scot had retold to her, in turn.
Both guards paled, obviously wavering. ‘Guess I have to push them over the edge,’ he thought, before letting out a feral growl from his throat, pointing his gaze at the two guards.
Clattering of armor assaulted Ricky’s ears as the two guards moved to the sides and silently waved them past, trying to be as quiet and inconspicuous as possible.
Chrysalis smiled graciously. “Thank you.” And with that, the two were off again.
There were, surprisingly, no guards at the main doors. Ricky and Chrysalis slipped through the door, green magic closing it behind them.
The halls of the castle were lavishly decorated, tapestries and old oil paintings of any scene imaginable covering the walls like a collage. The Gothic-style windows let the light stream in, filling the castle with a warm glow.
Chrysalis turned to Ricky as the two strode down the hallway. Her horn glowed, and Ricky felt the tension on his wrists disappear completely. "If we see anyone, take them out non-lethally. Stealth is key." Ricky nodded curtly as they rounded a corner.
Several more corners later, Ricky abruptly halted, holding a hand up for Chrysalis, still disguised as the run-of-the-mill Royal Guard, to stop as well.
Around the corner came a set of hoofsteps, slowly getting closer. 'Mad stealth time!' Ricky thought as he and Chrysalis glued themselves to the wall, waiting.
Now the pony was clearly just feet away. 'Oh man. This is it. Do or die- actually, I won't die. I'll just go back to Tartarus.' Ricky's deep session of thought was interrupted by the pony they had been waiting for.
A simple earth pony, colored a light beige and wearing a maid's smock, was the pony that rounded the corner.
'Rifle don't fail me now,' Ricky thought as he attacked.
A thud was all anyone in the vicinity would have heard.
“Come on, we gotta hide this somewhere!” Ricky whispered urgently as he shouldered the limp body of the maid, while Chrysalis jerked her head towards a door, slanted open.
The dark supply closet was a perfect place for the body. Dumping the body onto the cold floor, Ricky went to close the door. Chrysalis, however, stopped him with a hoof on his shoulder.
“What?”
“Gimme a minute, I’ll tie her up. Watch the door,” Chrysalis commanded. Ricky, seeing the sense in this, went to stand over by the door.
Eventually, Chrysalis announced, "Done. Now, let's go, we gotta keep moving." He turned around to see the hogtied maid, nodding in satisfaction as he left.
'Oh god. If we get caught, there's no way we're getting out of here,' Ricky suddenly realized, his brisk pace faltering slightly. It was true. They were now in the very heart of the enemy, and if one unlucky turn met them face-to-face with any unicorn guard, they were found. From there, it would be child’s play to arrest or even kill the heavily outnumbered pair. Ricky muttered a quick prayer to anyone benevolent god that happened to be listening; at the same time, however, he was also praying to all the gods of war he could think of. “-And Ares, I swear, I shall sacrifice to you if I get through this.”
As he finished his muttering, yet another corner was rounded, and Ricky almost slammed his face into a pair of massive doors. ‘Deja vu,’ he grumbled sarcastically as he peeled his face off of the door frame.
Chrysalis chuckled quietly before inspecting the door, beholding it with a critical eye. “This is it. My signal is strongest right inside this room. Be careful.” And with that, she slammed the door open.
There was two guards at the door, one on either side. Chrysalis, on Ricky’s left, turned left and immediately shot a bolt of magic at the guard. It took him right in the chest, and all the golden armor in the world wouldn’t stop a bolt at that close of a range.
Ricky waited a second before pivoting right. However, by that time the guard on that side had already prepared.
“Shit!”
The spear’s tip flew just a hair above Ricky’s eyes. His quick reflexes had saved him, as leaning back had prevented his premature death.
“Screw you and your spear!” Using his leverage, Ricky reached up and grabbed the spear, ripping it out of the guard’s hooves. Throwing it to the ground, he turned his fury towards the guard.
One punch was all it took. The guard crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
“Architects, why you gotta make such a long hallway full of nothing?” Ricky whined as he realized that it would take about a minute of running to reach…
‘Aw, shit. Everyone’s here?!” The regal form of Princess Celestia and the six colorful cast members of Being an Asshole stood a ways down the hallway. However, their forced entry had somehow gone unnoticed. In fact, they seemed to already be preoccupied with something.
“Well, let’s go.” Jogging down the hallway, he drew closer and closer to what very well could be his death.
“Ah, Ricky.”
“Sometimes I hate you, Discord.”
“You!” Celestia cried, interrupting their banter.
“Once again, ah shit.”