Tourmaline sat with an expression of horror on his face as the Night Guard ended her story. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
First off was what Semper had done. It was unbelievable. Even the Night Guard had a hard time believing the words coming from her mouth, but she had actually read the reports which were no longer a secret and were publically available. In fact, Tourmaline had read about it in Equestria Daily, the most renowned newspaper of the Kingdom, but despite what seemed to be honest reporting, many who read it claimed it was a shameless attempt at propaganda and trying to get more ponies into the Guard. The fact was the claims were too fantastic to be believed. Some even took it as a work of fiction. This was compounded with the lack of other sources and no corroboration from others within Equestria. The simple fact that a lone Guard had beaten a dragon was too much for most.
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise for the Guard. There was speculation that the Border Guard brass were afraid of Semper and had promoted him for the sole purpose of giving him assignments that kept him away from Equestria. That explained the sudden spike in Semper’s rank, which was also downplayed so much that Tourmaline had only heard of the promotion when he was recruited for this investigation. Even then, Semper’s involvement was somewhat of a shock considering.
Still, even if the stories behind Semper were disbelieved, the tale of the ‘Watu’ was not. For years the horror stories of slavers and their masked bodyguards terrified Equestria, especially those that lived near the border. Over the years it had caused many to flee, only to be replaced by the reckless and curious. It had always been the struggle, but the Border Guard kept their vigil as best they could. Suddenly, almost overnight, the fear of the slavers was gone. Perhaps the skeptical nature of the populace was a good thing. It helped slow large migrations to the borders that were still undergoing treaties and trade agreements between Equestria and the newly created centralized government for the Zebrican tribes. Despite previous shaky relations, Zebrica was surprisingly open and a lot of misunderstandings had been cleared. Old prejudices, however, die hard and both races seemed to be content with the speed in which the nations were developing.
The ex-annexed regions that were controlled by the evil slavers and their ilk was now a new protectorate whose authority obeyed only the Princess despite a Border Guard having been the one freeing that area. That had been something that the new ambassador of the region had not only wanted, but demanded, which had irked some powerful figures in the Council. The entire political demographic and physical maps had changed.
But despite all the news, believable or not, the Guard and the higher-ups made absolutely sure one thing did not reach the papers. The Elites. While it was impossible to keep the entire group a secret, intense pressure made sure that this information was kept quiet, hidden, and as invisible as possible. There were the witnesses, indeed, but even among them the existence of the Elites was somewhat of a fable. Those that had met an Elite rarely lived to talk about it. Others that had managed to return to Equestria had their stories altered to preclude the Elites and count them as part of the regular Watu. Countless reports had been confiscated, altered, or destroyed to circumvent this from becoming common knowledge.
All to hide any trace of knowledge of the deadly poison that flowed through their veins.
Internally, there were strictly confidential reports kept by the Guard that painstakingly tried to puzzle out every nuance of this substance. What were once normal ponies had been turned into prolific killers and assassins because of their addiction. The narcotic was used to positively inforce murder; a narcotic that did not even have a name. The Elites simply had many names for it, but due to its deep red hue, what it did, and its inherent nature, the codename given was Blood’s Bane.
“Then,” Tourmaline began in the silence that persisted, “they purposely injected her with a sample of the original version of the narcotic and let her slip into a coma so they could harvest her blood?”
“Not ‘they’. You mean ‘her’.”
“Her? Wait. You mean… her mother?”
Again, silence was enough of an answer.
“Where are you going?” Tower asked as Tourmaline pushed past him and started to walk away.
“I don’t know! To get some answers,” Tourmaline growled as he lifted up his shield and placed it on his back. “I need answers. Why couldn’t they use these so-called Elites for their poison? Wouldn’t they be willing?”
“Too saturated. If they harvested the blood of addicts for the narcotic it would either be too poisonous or not potent enough to treat their own symptoms. We’ve tried. It’s lethal to others unless they have the near exact same level of the narcotic in their blood. The chances of that are… remote. A medical team at Canterlot Hospital had used dying Elites as test subjects, but none lived for more than a few days after. A couple had to be... put out of their misery.” The Night Guard mare looked down at the filly. “So, so, so many have died because of this stuff. How could we allow it to happen, and for so long?”
“But this filly... can her blood really save them?”
“For now. If she survives then over time her body will change and so will the drug. It alters everything inside them. Their bodies, their minds. It won’t be long until the narcotic inside her will become like poison to others. That is why they are extracting her blood so aggressively. That is why the Solar, Night, Border and Day Guards are all working together. To end this once and for all.”
Tourmaline stuck out his jaw. The entire Royal Guard along with the Border Guard had joined together, yet he had never felt more powerless. He had to do something. Anything. What was the point of becoming a Guard when you couldn’t protect one so young? What was his training for if he couldn’t save those most vulnerable?
“End this?” Tower asked. “How?”
“If we don’t help the Elites, they’ll each go berserk. The narcotic will kill them, but slowly and painfully. That usually drives them insane. Remember I mentioned those experiments where a couple Elites had to be… put down? They weren’t killed because of mercy. They went insane and nearly killed other Guards in the process. One Guard was so badly hurt that she will probably never be able to walk again. And we’re talking about ponies that have been stripped of all weapons. This was hoof to hoof fighting. Just imagine if one of them actually got their hooves on a weapon? Granted, we were trying to ‘help’ by calming and sedating them, but still, to overpower a Guard like that? The adrenaline in their blood gives them unbelievable strength.”
“Sweet Celestia,” Tower muttered under his breath. “It’s hard to imagine them as… us. They seem more like monsters.”
The mare shrugged. “So a simple plan was made. Give the remnants of the narcotic to the Elites. They would be the best ones to guard it from anypony else. It is the best way to avoid any more addicts. That is why not a single drop can leave here. Not a single vial. Nothing. The Elites won’t allow that. They need every drop for their addiction. It’s temporary measure that we’re using to our advantage.”
With a grunt of frustration, Tourmaline stomped the floor. “So we’re just using them?”
“They aren’t ponies anymore,” the mare stressed. “Don’t think of them like that. If you do, they’ll tear you apart.”
Tourmaline stuck out his lower jaw. “In the end, the Elites are our problem and our fault. We left them out there with nopony to protect them.”
Tower and the Night Guard mare looked at each other. What Tourmaline said was true, and it was something that none of them wanted to contemplate.
Tourmaline charged into the tunnel that Semper and the others had disappeared down. He needed to think about something else and come back to this riddle with a fresh angle. He couldn’t understand it. The filly was barely alive, keeping on through some untold inner strength and sheer will. The medical devices that had been removed from her body had signified that they had given up on her, but the filly still clung to life.
Still, Tourmaline did not know how her own mother allowed. Her own flesh and blood. It struck a chord deep within him.
Diamond Dogs. That was the first thought in Tourmaline’s head when he saw the depth of and size of the cavern in front of him. He noticed that the area beneath the mansion had been dug out and the cavernous expanse could have only been achieved with the ‘expertise’ of the canines. Whether they actually dug it afresh, or if these were old caves recent discovered, Tourmaline did not care.
The dogs had tunneled deep. The first corridor had been blocked off by another large iron door, which now lay on the ground pounded into the dirt by the heavily armored ponies that had marched over it. Beyond was something akin to a mine. His gut told him that the area was under the front yard with multiple passages leading off in almost every direction. Where had they taken the dirt? Was there already a cave beneath the mansion and they were taking advantage of it? Or maybe they just shoved it into the various rooms of the mansion itself, filling it up from the inside to hide what was going on beneath.
But that would mean they had planned it. That would mean they were intentionally going to inject that substance into someone. That would mean it was all premeditated.
Guards were moving in pairs down each corridor. He looked and spotted the Watu. They were attacking the middle chamber as one unit, well organised, and trained. There was another large group trying their hardest to defend it, but were cornered and made for easy crossbow prey as ponies located along the edge and pegasi hovering above rained death on them.
Tourmaline looked and noted that they seemed to be fighting over what looked to be a bottling plant. Off to one side, two masked Elites were holding a destroyed manna generator towards the far side of the closed-off area from where he watched.
Then the line opposing them broke and fled towards the perimeter. Hired mercenaries, perhaps. They stood no chance against the well-honed skills of the Guard and, so it seemed, the Watu as well. After a few moments, Tourmaline noticed that the masked ponies began to stack the crates onto carts and started wheeling them off down one of the many tunnels.
It was only then that Tourmaline felt the presence of the two Solar Guards next to him and gazing towards the Watu with a look of disgust. Tourmaline made to go towards the crates to sate his curiosity, but a voice halted him right in his tracks.
“I wouldn’t, if I were you,” the first Solar Guard stated when Tourmaline took a step towards the fray. “They’ll kill you without a second thought.”
“Aren’t you going to stop them?” Tourmaline asked. “That narcotic can still be used as a weapon.”
“You’re assuming that they’d share. The Elites here would rather die. You see how well they’re working together? Well, what happens when all the enemy is defeated? Then what?”
Tourmaline didn’t know.
“They’ll rip each other apart. Only the strong will remain. This exercise is to clear out all of our past mistakes in one fell swoop. Dealing with that many Elites is a problem. Dealing with a few is not.”
“You’re going to let them kill each other?” Tourmaline asked, astonished by the stone cold nature of Celestia’s chosen.
“Yes.”
The second Solar Guard smiled a gentle smile that was completely contradictory to the hard nature of the first’s. “Think not ill of us. The rest of the Watu are being indoctrinated into the Royal Guard and Rangers, they will serve Her Highness in the only way they know how, but even you have to admit that these Elites are already dead. It is a shame, and you do not approve of this plan as I can see in your face, but there is no other option. It is for the best.”
“Let them have it all. Let them cull their own,” the first muttered.
The silence lingered before the Solar Guards turned towards a particular tunnel and charged down it. Tourmaline followed out of instinct. With nothing to do but watch as the mercenaries get torn apart by the Elites, the sudden departure of the Solar Guards drew him along. He had already seen what the Elites were capable of and he did not relish in the thought of watching any more bloodshed.
Even at his fastest, Tourmaline found he could barely keep up with the speed of the Solar Guards. Using their horn-lights, they guided themselves with seeming ease as the sped down towards the lower levels at a furious pace. The sounds of the battle in the large chamber started to grow distant and faint despite the emptiness of the tunnels. They galloped further and further down, and Tourmaline started to notice he was being left behind. How they knew where they going, or why they were going that way, Tourmaline didn’t know. However, judging by their speed and purpose, they were definitely not scouting. They were going somewhere and they meant business.
Then, just as suddenly as they took off, they came to a sudden halt.
The Solar Guards instantly extinguished their glowing lights and signed for Tourmaline to do the same when he eventually caught up. They seemed to be annoyed that he had not turned off his magic sooner, but how else was he supposed to see? The instant he cut out his spell, he found himself swallowed in a deep darkness that seemed to consume everything. Slowly, bit by bit as his eyes adjusted to the gloom, a dim glow emerged from ahead. Tourmaline recognized the faint outline of a sharp right bend in the tunnel ahead of them, the light slowly fading away. Squinting, he realized that it was a T-junction, the tunnel they were in ended perpendicular to a narrower one. The light source was coming from the tunnel off to the right, and whomever was walking with the light was walking away.
The two Solars kept themselves quiet and crept slowly to the edge of the hall and each stole a quick peek and a silent nod passed between the two of them. Tourmaline couldn’t resist, and he too poked his head out, but the shock made him freeze. In the dim light of a solitary torch stood Semper, who stared right at Tourmaline. But that wasn’t what shocked him. What was shoking was Semper’s poise, as his spear was drawn and his shield up and ready.
Tourmaline was about to say something when the two Solars pushed past him and stood abreast covering as much ground between the two and blocking the way they came.
“So, you were expecting us. You’re not as naive as I thought.” The Solar Guard who spoke drew his sword and readied himself.
“I am loyal to Her Highness and Equestria,” Semper stated bluntly.
“So you say. How do we know that? How do we know that you aren’t trying to arrange a coup d’etat? You bring your minions over the border, attempting to assimilate them into our ranks. A bunch of murderers and killers? Perhaps the Border Guard allows filth like that, but not the Royal Guard. Her Highness’ judgement and kind-heartedness for filth like that is misguided.”
“Their loyalty is unshakable,” Semper replied. “They will serve Equestria well.”
“And you expect us to trust your opinion? Certainly you’re not implying that the Watu are loyal to the Princess. They are loyal to you and you alone. If you were to command them, they would fight. They would turn on us at your whim. We’ve been keeping an eye on you and even the Captains have said that you’re a danger and a liability.”
“So you came for my head.”
It wasn’t a question.
Tourmaline gulped. What had he walked into? What was going on? Were they seriously going to fight? As if the tension were a wall pushing him back, Tourmaline took a single step away from the Guards standing in front of him. He kept himself silent and as invisible as possible.
“Do you blame us?”
“Until this mission is over, you are under my command and you will follow orders. Doing otherwise is an act of insubordination. I will act accordingly.” Semper’s eyes seemed to harden, impossible as it may seem. “Even if you are part of the Solar Guard.”
“Oh? And what can one Border Guard do against two of Her Highness’ chosen?”
Semper said nothing in response.
“You can’t expect us to believe that rot in the report. You? Beat a dragon? On your own?” The Solar Guard laughed dryly. “It takes a full squad of Solar Guards to bring down a dragon with a proper plan. And you have the audacity to claim you did it alone on a ship, outnumbered, spontaneously?”
Again, there was silence. The air suddenly grew heavier and Tourmaline felt the unmistakable feeling of magic growing around him. The two unicorns were charging their horns without allowing them to glow, a talent that takes time to master, and these guys were doing it to an extent he knew he could never hope to achieve. He was acutely aware that he was in imminent danger by being there.
An explosion of bright light blinded Tourmaline making him duck backwards. He heard the two Solar Guards roar as they charged forwards with their shields and swords at the ready. It was no wonder that they were Solar Guards. Their power was on a completely different level from his own. He felt like he was drowning, and every cell in his body screamed for him to get out of there. Quick.
Turning, he ran back up the passage and ducked into the corridor they had come. Struggling to see, he had to feel for the empty space for the hallway he had come from. He fell into the gap and rolled expertly before turning and standing up in one fluid motion. Just as his sight began to normalize, he noticed that the shadows around him were growing shorter and shorter. Tourmaline eyes widened as a wall of fire roar past tapering into the ether mere seconds afterwards. The heat made him take a step back.
Then silence and the deep blackness.
He stayed where he was, straining to hear in the enveloping darkness around him. Nothing. Not a sound, save for a distant groaning that seemed new and out of place. Daring it, Tourmaline let his horn glow gently and promptly let out a scream that sounded it should have come from a filly. In front of him were two piercing eyes as hard as the stone walls around them, and those eyes stared directly into his.
“S-S-S-S-Semper, sir?” Tourmaline asked once he managed to find his voice.
The blue stallion narrowed his eyes slightly, but said nothing.
“Do you think you can get away with this?” Came a sudden shout from the darkness beyond. “Do you think you can just walk away from me?”
Semper’s body seemed to melt out of the darkness as Tourmaline’s eyes adjusted. A faint beam of light encroached from the hall behind them where the Solars had gone. Tourmaline studied Semper, but he could not make any specifics. He was without his shield and parts of his armor look strange. He seemed to have no weapons, save for the spear, the razor sharp tip still gleamed with a savage promise.
“Come back here!” Came the shout again.
Tourmaline stepped away as Semper walked towards him. Out of reflex, Tourmaline saluted him.
“Ten minutes.”
“Sir?”
“Ten minutes. Then untie them.”
“Untie… untie them? But… what? How did…?”
But Semper had already started moving away, his body close to the ground. Tourmaline stared at his quickly receding form and noted something. His hooves made no sound whatsoever. None. How had he done that?
Ten minutes later, and not a second sooner, Tourmaline’s horn-glow bathed the passage in a soft but bright light. The dim light from before was overpowered by his, but he still couldn’t see. Just how long was this tunnel? And where were the Solar Guards? He gritted his teeth and summoned more power to his horn allowing the light to increase a little more. He looked around confused for a moment. There was nothing there.
“Up here.”
Again, Tourmaline let out a high-pitched scream. It was a short burst, not like the longer one he had delivered into Semper’s face ten minutes before, but equally as humiliating.
“Well, at least we know that there isn’t a ‘filly’ trapped down here,” another voice stated in the darkness.
Tourmaline tried hard to fight the warmth growing through his cheeks and he used his horn to light the ceiling. At once he spotted a hole that rose upwards, perhaps to a higher passage. In that narrow opening hung a large bulb-like thing that slowly swayed from side to side. His horn illuminated the object and another gasp escaped his lips. The two Solar Guards were hanging upside-down within a rope-net commonly used to lift heavy cargo. It was apparent that they were in some sort of vertical shaft leading upwards.
Not-so clearly visible, but certainly noticeable to those who knew what to look for, were the Dampener rings placed tightly at the base of their horns. One of the Solar Guards was glaring at Tourmaline, his face a blanket of rage, anger, and frustration rolled up into one. The other had more of an expression of bemusement and seemed quite calm.
“A trap?” Tourmaline asked.
“A trap?” Came a mocking response. “Of course it was a trap, you nitwit! Get me down from here.”
The first Solar Guard struggled little to emphasize his intense desire to be free of the netting that held him.
“He was waiting for us. He knew we were coming for him. I don’t know why, but I am grateful that we did not come to blows,” the second, nicer, Solar replied.
The first stuck out his lower jaw. “Grateful? Grateful! We were careless. It won’t happen again.”
“He could have slit our throats instead of putting these dampener rings on our horns, Valor.”
“I... realize that.” Valor stopped struggling, obviously not realizing it.
“Good. Now, have you cooled off?” the former asked.
A long, resigned sigh escaped Valor’s lips. “Yes.”
“I think he clearly demonstrated that he should actually be granted the benefit of the doubt, wouldn’t you agree?” The second asked.
There was a pregnant pause before Valor replied. “Yes.”
“I don’t think he’d have spared us if he were a traitor. That was the perfect and only moment he could do that. He must know that. He had us right where he wanted, and didn’t do anything but shove these on our horns and trap us.”
“Yes. I know.”
“He could have blamed the mercenaries, or Watu for killing us and none would be the wiser.”
“Yes. I know. But... I still can’t be completely sure! Are you willing to take that risk?” Valor asked.
“Yes.” Tourmaline put his hoof to his mouth. He had not meant to say that out loud.
The two Solar Guards looked at him.
“So, you would vouch for this Semper?” The calm one asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ve read your file. Tourmaline, right? You were with Semper at the Circus.”
“Circus?” Tourmaline tilted his head slightly. Then he understood. “Oh! Yes, sir. I trained with Semper. Didn’t know what you were asking, sir.”
“Before we continue any more talking, cut me down. I’m getting dizzy,” the second Solar Guard stated.
Tourmaline looked around and saw where the rope was tied off and rushed towards it. He quickly cut it and the two ponies slammed into the soft ground with a heavy thud.
Valor shot a filthy look at him. “Thank you, private.”
“Sorry, sir?” Tourmaline replied, saluting and bowing his head a little at the same time in reverence to the Solar Guard and in shame for dropping them the way he did.
“As I was saying, do you trust Semper, Tourmaline?” The second Solar Guard asked as he dusted off his armor and removed the Dampener ring from his horn. He took it, looked at it, then pocketed it behind his armor. The way he removed the ring and placed it away might have seemed a simple gesture to a laypony, but what concentration and willpower he must have possessed to have taken it off so casually impressed Tourmaline. He knew that if the situation were reversed, he would never have been able to remove the ring at all and never as nonchalantly as that. “So, do you?”
Tourmaline snapped out of his reverie. “Sir, yes, sir.”
The second Solar Guard smiled and replied with a nod. “It takes a lot for a Border Guard to trust another as readily as that.”
“Sir?” Tourmaline asked.
“He’s too fresh to know what you’re talking about,” Valor put in.
“Sir, if I may,” Tourmaline began.
The Solars looked at one another, then back at the unicorn before Valor nodded for him to continue.
“According to the reports, the majority of the Watu are under the command of the Royal Guard now. Only a few were integrated into the Border Guard and mostly within larger garrisons. The Watu that happened to be banished Guards are being integrated into the Rangers. As far as I know, that’s what he suggested. The Elites were the only exception.”
“That’s the problem,” Valor replied. “Why the Royal Guard? I know that the branches of the Guard are supposed to work in unison, but that rarely happens. Our duties, even within our respective branches, are so different that working together as a single unit is nearly impossible.”
“But… we’re working fine… I mean, sorry, sir.”
Again, the second Solar Guard smiled. Valor, on the other hoof, seemed to have his mood darken.
“But, sir, if I may, what do you mean by ‘he’s too fresh to know what—”
“You don’t know?” The second Solar Guard asked. “I thought you read the report.”
“Some of it was omitted.” Valor looked at his fellow Guard. “We’re not supposed to talk about this with them.”
“A secret? But…” The second Solar Guard shook his head at the stern look he received from Valor. “Valor, you sometimes you have to trust other pony’s instincts. He must know.”
“He has no reason to know.”
“No reason? He has every reason. Perhaps more than we do.”
Tourmaline frowned. He had no idea what they were talking about.
“No,” Valor stated stomping his hoof to emphasize the finality of it.
“Very well then,” the second Solar Guard sighed. “Come. Let’s go.”
All three turned and headed back the way they came, towards the cellar where the filly was being held. The sounds of battle had long since receded into silence. Every so often they’d hear a shout followed by silence, but mostly it was eerily quiet. In the main hall not a single Elite could be seen. Tourmaline paused and looked around, but saw nothing that hinted as to where they had all gone. The Solar Guards both seemed to oblivious to this fact, or simply did not care, and strode on.
Upon arriving in the cellar, all three noted that Semper was standing in the corner in silence. The two Night Guards, a Day Guard, Tower, and the mare medic, were still tending to the filly and showed no concern towards the newcomers. At least at first. With Valor still fuming over what had happened, he brought attention to himself, and by the way he glared at Semper brought a new tense feeling in the room.
The second Solar Guard calmly placed his hoof on Valor’s shoulder, and gave him a look. This managed to calm Valor down slightly and he made a noise and plopped himself on a small stone and looked away from Semper’s direction. He looked calm, but a trained eye could tell that his body was still a tense spring ready to be released at any moment.
The mare coughed. “Sirs, I was just filling the others in. I’m sorry I started without you.”
“That’s fine,” the second Solar Guard replied. “We were… a little tied up.”
A ghost of a smile fluttered across Tourmaline’s face, which was extinguished by the fire he felt from Valor’s eyes boring into the back of his skull. He gulped and wisely kept his eyes forward.
Misty looked a little confused, but continued. “As I was saying, this version of the narcotic won’t replicate like the original we’ve extracted from the blood samples of the Elite. The sample from the filly is different.”
Valor narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“As you know, this narcotic has a strange effect of actually getting stronger the longer it is left in the body. By taking a new dose, the previous version of the ingested narcotic is, for lack of a better term, ‘killed’. The new narcotic content then replaces it in the bloodstream, thus ‘resetting’ the poison back to trace amounts. That is why the Elites die from what we have mistakenly thought were withdrawals. It isn’t. Well, it is, but it isn’t. The narcotic inside them just keeps on increasing until their bodies can no longer sustain due to the massive strain on their bodies. Most cases they die from cardiac arrest, some their brain functions cease, and use of suicide as a means of relief is a common occurrence. But if they take a new dose, it starts again. They are able to prolong their lives, but each time the narcotic in their blood gets lethal faster until they have to take a dose every hour or so, or so we believe. There are no surviving Elites with that level of dependency alive.”
“How is that different from what we already know?” The Day Guard asked removing a pair of gloves and throwing them on the floor.
Tourmaline noted that both were medically trained as evidenced by the small medical symbol on the corners of their peytrals.
Misty shrugged. “I’ve been involved with this for some time now but this is… nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
“Well? What is it?” Valor asked.
“This version isn’t only blood. It’s… brewed. There’s something else inside it.”
The Solar Guard leaned back and shook his head. “You’re telling me that they can make this now? That another pony has learned to manufacturing the original version?”
“Maybe. We don’t know for sure. The other option is that they’ve managed to distill it so that the blood they require would be minimal to get the same length of time. Pure blood will not only diminish quickly; it would kill those with incompatible blood types.”
All eyes fell on Semper in the corner of the room. He was looking down at a mare trussed up in what looked to be a duffel bag, her head poking out the top with a dark maroon veil covering her lower part of her face to her neck. It took a moment for Tourmaline to realize that it was actually white lace that had been soaking in blood that had dried up. She was making a face glaring up at Semper with eyes seething with unparalleled hatred.
“You think your friends in the annexed region could make this?” Valor asked Semper.
Semper met Valor’s gaze, but his body and poise remained turned towards the mare. “No.”
“And why is that?”
“That’s classified.”
“Well, I’m ordering you to tell me.”
Semper waited a moment, then seemed to resign himself. He placed a hoof on the mare’s neck and turned his body so that he now faced the Solar Guard. It took Tourmaline and the others a moment to realize that he was standing at attention. Perhaps, for now, Semper had forgone his mission ‘rank’ and acknowledged the Solar as his superior officer – which he was. This visibly alleviated some of the anger that Valor had held moments before.
“Night Guard Floral Mist, Medical Officer, First Class,” Semper shouted.
Misty, a little stunned, stood up at once and saluted. “Yes, sir!”
“Be brief.”
There was a pregnant pause, but she nodded and saluted again. “Yes, sir. It’s because a key ingredient that we know of cannot be found anywhere else, at least nowhere else we are aware of, except in Equestria.”
The second, nicer, Solar Guard put a hoof on Valor’s shoulder making him step back. “This is the first I’ve heard of this.”
“That is because a special taskforce was assigned to deconstruct the ingredients.”
The nice Solar Guard nodded. “I know of that. That a taskforce was created, and that the narcotic was deconstructed to make a remedy for the Elites. I wasn’t aware that the Border Guard were involved so intimately in the research, let alone the Night Guard. I hear that it failed.”
Misty masked her feelings well. What did the Solar mean by ‘let alone the Night Guard’? She made a mental note of it. “Well… yes and no.”
The two Solars exchanged a look. “What do you mean?”
“A key component wasn’t identified because we kept searching for something magical in its construction. A fresh recruit unicorn from the Royal Guard successfully identified it as a plant extract from a very specific plant found only in one place.”
“And why wasn’t this included in the report?” another Day Guard asked. Tourmaline knew this Royal Guard. They were from the same unicorn class in Canterlot. His name was Viscous, and he had a strong affinity to water.
“You’re assuming that a fresh recruit knows more than our core mages. In the magic field, like in the science field, ego and seniority matter.”
“So, she was ignored?” Tourmaline asked incredulously.
“Pretty much.”
Tourmaline made a face. “Then… what’s stopping this from–”
“Despite the symptoms persisting, and stories collaborating, the likelihood of finding the exact mixture to reproduce what’s in this narcotic is slim. That aside, although we know of the plant, we don’t know more than that.”
“Then how was it made in the first place?”
“Zebricans.”
Everyone turned to Semper.
“Well, yes. That’s actually where the story leads to. That there is a Zebrican potion that was used on a certain unicorn that had contracted a specific illness. The combination of these things culminated into the first instance of the narcotic. After that, we believe that the narcotic was actually distilled from this single pony’s blood. We’ll never know,” Misty stated.
“Are we talking about the original source?” The second Solar Guard asked.
“It would’ve also ensured that a specific pony would be immune to any death threats from his beloved Elites, wouldn’t it?” Valor said, more to himself than to the others. He looked to both Semper and his fellow Guard. “A convenient reason, I think. But speculation without evidence is nothing more than grabbing at straws in a hayfield. Pointless and uneventful. We have no evidence, nor does he. Even if you did know how to make that stuff, you wouldn’t tell us. Would you?”
“No,” Semper replied.
“You’re not instilling very much confidence in your loyalty to this kingdom, Border Guard,” Valor stated staring right back at Semper.
Again, that suffocating feeling washed over Tourmaline and he felt his life in grave danger as the two stallions seemed to be sizing one another up once again. Were they actually going to fight again? If they were, what would he do? These were Solar Guards, not just regular Day Guards. They were officers in Her Highness’ most elite corp. They basically represented her. Did Tourmaline have to obey them? But, according to his current orders, he was under Semper’s command, and so were these guys. Wouldn’t That mean he’d have to back Semper?
“Okay, that’s enough, Valor,” the second Solar Guard stated, again placing a hoof on his comrade’s shoulder. “We’re here to observe, remember? Observe and assist, not interfere.”
Tourmaline felt a sigh of relief in his mouth. Since one of the Solar Guards stated it, that meant that at least he could relax a bit.
Valor growled a little, then turned his head away with a snort.
“It is because of my loyalty to Equestria that it would remain a secret,” Semper countered. “Letting others know would be too dangerous. Even if it is the Solar Guard.”
Valor’s eyes widened at those words and he turned on Semper, a glow growing throughout his body. “Watch your mouth, Border Guard, or are you actually insinuating that the Solar Guard has a shred of disloyalty to Her Highness?” Valor asked, his eyes burning with renewed fury. “Because if you are, then I cannot let that–”
“Enough!” ‘Nice Guy’ barked and slammed his hoof on the ground, cracks pushing out from the impact’s center, a bright blue-white light briefly flashing out before fading away.
Valor clenched his jaw and was quiet. In that moment it was clear who was really in charge between the two of them. They might have been of the same rank, but in this case it was evident who was the superior.
Semper continued without flinching. “I do not know the recipe. Neither does anypony else.”
That seemed to slightly placate Valor, who still made a face, but said nothing. “I don’t believe you.”
“But why her?” Tourmaline interrupted in an attempt to divert some of the uncomfortable tension between Valor and Semper. “I mean, why the daughter? It doesn’t make any sense.”
The question suddenly changed Valor. He looked down and, although his anger did not dissipate, it wasn’t directed at Semper any longer. Instead it was focused on the mare on the floor with the blood-stained veil. “We didn’t know she would choose her own daughter. And that’s the reason why.”
“What? What do you mean?” Tourmaline asked.
Valor looked at him, this time it was pain in those eyes. “Isn’t that obvious? To throw us off her trail. And it worked.”
“Rosey!” A voice called from the hallway.
“Iris. What are you doing all the way here?” Rose looked at her friend and waited for her to catch her breath. She looked like she had run clear across the palace grounds.
“Sorry… just… had… to congrat… tulate you… for… getting into Princess Celestia’s… special… class.” The young mare took a deep breath and calmed herself. “Sorry. I ran all the way here to just tell you that.”
Rose blushed slightly at the praise. “Thank you, Iris. That is very kind.”
It was Iris’ turn to flush. “I wanted to! You’re my best friend, right? Anyway, have you thought of what you want to do? What are you going to specialize in?”
“I think that I would like to teach magic to young children. What do you think?”
Iris smiled and nodded. “Oh, I think you’d make a wonderful teacher, Rosey. I’d love to be one of your students, if I could.”
The two laughed.
“You’re very kind, Iris.”
“I… thanks, Rosey.”
“Speaking of teaching, did you know that the students from the Royal Elementary School of Canterlot are coming today to see the palace?”
“Oh? It’s already that time of year?”
Rose nodded. “I remembered my first time visiting the palace, I was so excited. I am eager to meet with them and see my little sister, whom I haven’t talked to in quite some time. What about you?”
Iris shook her head. “Me? My elementary schooling was done back home. Never got to see the palace until I came here for my higher-ed.”
“I know that, Iris. I meant about the new students coming to visit. Are you excited about meeting them?”
That made Iris smack her forehead. Of course that was what Rose meant. “Sorry,” she giggled. “Thought you were talking about something else. Well, I guess I’m a little excited. Actually, I’m more interested in seeing that new student from Celestia’s special group. Apparently she’s quite powerful, and the things she can do at such a young age. She’s a prodigy.”
“Ah yes. I have heard some making comments about her. I forget her name. Twilight?”
“I don’t know. I think that’s right. Makes me sometimes wish that I was a pure unicorn. I’m half earth pony—”
“I know, Iris. I know it very well.”
“Yeah,” Iris looked down. She was the victim of some strange form of bullying. They weren’t necessarily rough with her, but rather they chose to avoid her. As a result, Iris had a hard time making new friends. And all to do with the fact that she wasn’t a pure unicorn. But Iris didn’t care because she had Rose, her best friend. The main reason was that both her parents were earth ponies, which made for some slanderous and hurtful rumors about her mother and her loyalty to her father. It hurt, but she learned to move on from such immaturity.
Rose saw her friend’s expression and lifted her chin up so that she looked into Iris’ eyes. “Remember, it’s very rare for two earth ponies to have a unicorn. You must be really special.”
Once again, Iris felt her cheeks grow hot. “You’re just saying that. I don’t have the strength in magic like other unicorns.”
“Everyone has their own strengths, Iris. You just haven’t yet found yours.”
That brought a mirthless laugh to Iris’ lips. “I wish more of our classmates thought a little like that. They’re not rude to me to my face, but I know what they say behind my back. I can put up with the name-calling because I know I am special. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”
Deep in her heart, Rose knew who those particular pupils were. “Never mind them. They are just jealous because they had to come here at somepony else’s merit, not their own, like you. Even I had to come to this school on my family’s name. I would have never met the standards otherwise. All relatives of Her Highness, no matter how distant, have the luxury of coming here to study. You don’t and you made it here yourself. Saying you’re special is an understatement. We’re all very proud of you. Including the Princess.”
Again Iris blushed. “I have to catch my next class. Will I see you later? I hear the choir is having a recital on the Pavilion.”
“Maybe. I don’t know my schedule. I may have an appointment with my mother this evening,” Rosie replied with a long sigh. She stared off into the distance for a long moment before speaking. “Iris, tell me, is it natural to fear your mother?”
“N-n-no,” Iris replied a little taken aback. “Why? You scared of your mother?”
Rose looked a little uncomfortable when asked that. “S-sometimes.”
Iris, terrified at the notion of spoiling her relationship with Rosey who also happened to be one of the most popular ponies in school, immediately regretted asking that. “N-n-not unless you’ve done something bad, like stealing, or not cleaning your room for two weeks, or… you know… something like that! A-apart from that, no, not really.”
“Yes. I thought as much,” Rosie replied absently.
“I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
“No, no. Thank you. I sometimes feel like you’re the only one who actually listens to me. You’re a good friend. But,” Rosie sighed, “I have social obligations to my social rank and class. It is such a bore, and I wish that I did not have any. I can’t concentrate on my studies because of this burden. My mother leaves everything to me.”
“Burden? You’re practically a princess!”
“Burden of duty and society is tremendous. Look what it has done to my mother. Before father passed on, she was so kindhearted and gentle. Then, one day, she decided to go off and see the world. I do not know what she encountered there, but she was never the same. It was not long before father passed. Under… strange circumstances.” Rose looked at Iris, but the country unicorn missed the implication and Rose let it drop. There was no need to bring her into her family’s dirty laundry. “More than that, I fear that my sister may get drawn into my mother’s drama. Whatever it is my mother is involved in, I want to keep Lisi as far away from it as possible.”
“Wow. You make it seem like your mother’s evil… no offense, I mean. Just from the way you describe her. She’s like one of those secretive villain-types in those books. You know, the ones that work in the shadows and stuff.”
Rose did not really know what Iris was talking about. All her reading revolved around educational material, but this sparked her curiosity for it fit somewhat with how she felt. “No, I don’t know. Sounds… interesting. Can you… can you help me find these books? They do sound so intriguing.”
“Sure! When do you want to go to the library?”
“Now.”
“Now? Weren’t you going to see your sister and her class?”
“I will. This won’t take long, will it?”
“Um… no, I guess not. I just so happen to like books like that, so I can show you a few you can read.”
“Then let us not waste any time. Come along.”
“But… class—”
“This is important. Please.”
Iris sighed and nodded. “Okay, Rosey. Anything for you.”
Despite the strangeness of it, Iris did not push any further. She was just happy to be able to hang out with her role-model for just a little while longer. Iris really looked up to Rose and her elegant ways and demeanor. Rose never insisted like this, the fact that she was meant it was really important to her. Besides, Iris also would love to rub in the fact that Rose decided to hang out with her and not those snobbish wannabes and for that, Iris loved Rose as much as any friend could.