//------------------------------// // 2. Missions // Story: Secrets of a Royal Guard // by Anzel //------------------------------// I tried my best to focus on Crystal Wishes as several fillies galloped by, bumping into my wings… for the tenth time. Where were their parents? Didn’t foals have parents? “I’m so sorry, Silent Knight,” Crystal said from across the table. She raised a shaky hoof to push back her mane behind her ear, but a pink highlight slipped free of the blonde locks. “Quite okay.” I could just arrest them for disturbing the peace. I was disturbed from the peace of enjoying how pretty my marefriend-to-be was. Crystal was clearly flustered. A cute blush showed through her creamy white coat. “This was not what I had in mind at all!” I shrugged. It could have been worse. We were at Sunridge Sweets, which was nice. It was our first date… a date that was one year and one coma in the making. So that was great, too. Really great, actually. It was amazing at how long the unicorn mare had put up with me completely missing her signals. Still, this probably wasn’t what she had in mind for such a momentous occasion. It was evidently some sort of school holiday and the only seats available in the cafe were at one of the tiny tables normally reserved for colts and fillies. The chairs simply weren’t made for pegasus warriors, but I did my best to keep the one I occupied under me while I drank tea. Then I carefully set the cup back on the minuscule table. “I just thought this would be fun,” Crystal continued in an anxious voice. “A trip down memory lane, so to speak. You may not know it, but one time during our academy years, I saw you here after your big game. Your hoofball team had just won some sort of tournament an—” She stopped as a clumsy pegasus filly bumped into her horn mid-flight. “I have no idea where all of these ponies came from.” As I crouched on my tiny chair, I replied, “Oh yeah… senior year. We were unstoppable back then. In fact, I just saw a teammate this afternoon. Anyway, this is fine. Any date with you is fine. I’m glad you have a good memory here. Now you’ll have a silly one to tell your friends about.” Crystal laughed a little and seemed to perk up. “Would you like to go?” “I would.” “Then let’s get out of here,” she replied as she stood. I stood, too, doing my best not to knock the chair and table over. This is what it must have felt like to be one of the big monsters from that one board game we frequently played with Princess Luna: Princess of Manehattan. “Where to?” Crystal asked. “Well, Dot is having a sleepover at my place, so I don’t want to interrupt that. We could go look at the constellations at the observatory? I hear that is nice.” “That sounds lovely.” She paused, then blinked. “Wait, why is the sleepover at your place?” “Iridescence is on duty for the evening shift, so Winterspear is playing den mother. When I stopped in, I found our condo in total chaos.” I gave her my most pained look. “I can’t go back there, Crystal, not after what I’ve seen. I wasn’t aware four fillies could wreak such havoc.” Crystal laughed her sweet little laugh once again. It was something I always enjoyed hearing. “That is probably wise, especially since you have duty tomorrow.” She looped a hoof around my foreleg and we trotted out into the cool evening air. That was true, even if my duty was kind of slow right now. Wait… she saw me after a hoofball game? “We went to secondary school together?” “Yes! And it’s the academy. In Canterlot, we call it the academy.” “In Canterlot, they call everything something fancier than it needs to be,” I playfully put in. Crystal giggled and shook her head. “Oh, you. Anyway, yes, we did go to ‘secondary school’ together. Although you were a senior and always on some team doing something. You were in my theater club, though.” “I was never ‘in’ theater club. I just built sets for the club.” I tilted my head as I tried to think back a few years. I never knew I had gone to Canterlot Academy with her. Of course, back then I just went from team to team. Anything to stay fit and work on my group dynamics to prepare for guard life. I certainly wasn’t looking at the mares around me. That part of life wasn’t important to me while I was in school. “Yes, I remember you building sets when…” Crystal trailed off. We’d reached the observatory and, to her clear dismay, it was closed. She pouted. “I hope this isn’t an omen. This has been a lousy first date.” My ears wiggled. “I wouldn’t say spending time with you is lousy. I thought dates were supposed to be about the company.” Crystal pressed close against me and my heart jumped in my chest. She whispered, “I trained you a little too well.” That was true. Crystal Wishes was a prim and proper Canterlot lady. While I had been training to become an officer, she’d educated me in the art of being a gentlepony. Still, any date was probably like a battle or match. I couldn’t just let her win. “We didn’t have a class on being polite. That is all me.” I gently tugged on her hoof. “Come, Ms. Wishes, I’ll walk you home.” The petite unicorn flushed and nodded. “Thank you, Lieutenant.” It wasn't that far of a walk to her building. We went through the front door together and up to her condo. I stopped outside the door. “Won’t you come in? I have adult-sized seats,” she giggled. “I am confident there has never been a more tempting offer from a mare to a stallion in all recorded history,” I chuckled. “Oh, I can think of a few more tempting ones,” she teased before pushing the door open and motioning me inside. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. Crossing the threshold, though, I felt weird. Today was different. I was a stallion in her cute little condo not as a friend or student, but as a date. Sure, it was the same living room it had been before. Sure, it was the same pair of bedrooms and shared bathroom as before, too! It was even the same kitchen. Now we were courting, and everything was different somehow. At least a little bit. I walked into the living room and selected a stallion-appropriate pillow and settled onto it. While I worked over my new role and what that meant for me, Crystal had been busy making tea. She floated the cups over in her magic, settled one in my hooves, and then filled it from the kettle. It was easy to accept. She made far better tea than they did at Sunridge Sweets. It was a bit late for tea, but I wasn’t going to refuse it. “Thank you.” Crystal nodded and settled across from me. I looked around to see if Velvet Step happened to be hiding somewhere. When she was home, there was no pressure. She wasn’t, though, so we were alone. “You’re being quiet,” Crystal finally said. She noticed! What should I do? Think of something smooth to say. What would a smooth stallion say? “Things feel different now.” Okay, not a bad start. “Every time I was here before, I was just a friend or a student. Now I’m not.” Sip the tea. Stall for time! I sipped my tea. Crystal waved a dismissive hoof. “Sometimes things change for the better. Now I don’t have to subtly hint that I’m interested you and feel embarrassed when you don’t notice.” That made me chuckle. She laughed, too. It brought back fond memories from my last day or so in the hospital, when Crystal had explained some of the insane schemes she and Velvet had put together to entice me. They’d been awfully busy mares. With every plot, it just made them seem more and more like a couple. The clock on the wall started to jingle softly, alerting us to the fact it was late. “I should probably get back. Duty tomorrow. I’ve got this whole new command thing going on. Perhaps things will go smoother on our second date? A ride through the country, perhaps?” Crystal rose to her hooves and smiled. “Yes, please. Although, it is already pretty late, and you’ve said yourself that your place is full of fillies. Why don’t you just stay here?” My brow arched. “Why Miss Wishes, what will the neighbors say?” “Probably something along the lines of ‘What is that fillyfooler doing with a stallion?’ That is what I’d say if I were them… though in far more polite terms.” We both laughed again. I tried to sound playful as I continued, “And you’re not concerned about having a big, single, masculine stallion here?” “You’ve been a perfect gentlepony thus far. Is there something I don’t know about you, Lieutenant Knight?” I stood and took my tea cup to the kitchen to wash it. If I was going to stay and be a guest, I’d be a good one. “Evidently, I snore,” I called. “You do. You’ll recall that I sat vigil beside your bed in the hospital for quite some time. We’ll just have to make do. Now come along, I’ll make up the couch for you and deal with the dishes tomorrow.” That sounded fine to me. I was pretty tired, and a snooze on the couch would be great. Any couch away from my quarters would be good. Poor Winterspear. But better her than me! ☾ The following morning had been less thrilling than the evening before. Crystal was still asleep in her room when I woke, and I certainly wasn’t going in there uninvited. I wrote her a thank you note and hurried off for home. Canterlot was quiet at that hour. Most ponies were asleep after what they considered to be a hard day of attending galas and other high society events. I snorted at that thought. I shouldn’t be so disparaging since my almost-marefriend was part of that world, but she was different. She was kind and selfless. It was a nice flight over the empty streets, with just a hint of sunlight beyond the horizon. I always liked standing guard for the night shifts. My princess’s time was quiet and peaceful. The starry sky was also the prettiest, in my opinion. When I reached my condo, I opened the door as quietly as I could. The living room was littered with four fillies in sleeping bags. They were still asleep, and it was in my best interest to make sure they stayed that way. Waking them up would be my sister’s job whenever she got up. Thankfully, I reached my room without incident and started to put my armor on. It was a painfully slow process, as metal tends to make noise and I wanted to avoid that. “Well, well, well,” Winterspear said softly from my doorway. “A first date and you don’t come home. How scandalous.” I tugged at a buckle to tighten my chestplate before shaking my head. “It isn’t like that. I just slept over so I wouldn’t disturb our guests. How did that go, by the way?” Winterspear came over to help me dress. She nuzzled my cheek. “If you want to move fast, you can move fast. Crystal is really into you. I just don’t want you hurt again.” She went about fixing my armor. “And it was fine. Loud, but fine. It is nice to see Dot making friends finally. They seem like sweet fillies.” “It really wasn’t like that,” I repeated honestly and then nodded a ‘thank you’ as she finished helping me. “I’m a big stallion. Besides, aren’t you the one who said it is easier after the first?” “I did.” She replied and then shook a hoof at me. “Then don’t you hurt her. She is sweet.” “You’re a pest.” I quipped before nuzzling back and putting my helmet on. “Have a fun day.” “You, too.” As quietly as I could, I flew over the living room and sleeping fillies to land softly at the door. Winterspear and I made eye contact and she smiled a loving, sibling smile as I stepped outside. I returned it with the same followed by an evil grin. Her eyes went big and I slammed the door as loudly as possible. Then it was off to the palace! The whole flight over left me occasionally chuckling. It had been a mean thing to do, but wasn’t that what being a sibling was about? I thought so. I landed out by the palace gate, checked in and strolled up to my office. It was neat, orderly, and still pretty barren. That might be another thing that needed to change. There was some paperwork work to go through and files to catch up on. It wasn’t glorious work, but it would ease me into my role. “Good morning, sir,” Iridescence chimed as she knocked on my door and grabbed my attention. “Quiet night here. The princess would like a word with you once you’re settled. How was your date?” I could feel a slight scowl crease my face. With a small sigh, she closed my door and took her helmet off. “How was your date?” she repeated. Well, that was at least more professional. Not that I was sure I wanted to discuss it with her in either capacity. We stared at each other a moment. She was waiting, and I guessed it wasn’t a secret. “It was fine. I guess every other pony in Canterlot had a date, too. All of the places we went were either packed or closed, so we ended up back at her place. We’ll try again soon, though.” Iridescence nodded and kept a neutral tone as she asked, “And how was Dot? Not too much trouble I hope.” “Winterspear said it went fine, so I doubt she was.” “Winterspear said, huh? It is sounding like you didn’t come home,” she pressed. “Not that it is any of your business, but I didn’t. Crystal rescued me from a house full of fillies and nosy sisters.” Iridescence smiled and put her helmet back on. “Well, good for you… sir. If that will be all?” I nodded. “You are relieved. Go get some rest and make certain my quarters don’t burn to the ground.” “Yes, sir!” After she left, I finished going over the paperwork I had been on before taking a break to go see what the princess needed. I didn’t make it very far before I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of Miley Hooves with a mane so long that it was spilling out from under her helmet and dragging along the floor. I tilted my head. “Experimenting with Runic again?” “I’d really prefer not to discuss it, sir," the little earth pony said, “but if I need to disappear a pony, can I count on you as an accomplice?” That was something I had to ponder a bit. “He is my cousin… but it sounds like he’s brought it on himself. I’ll look the other way for your sake if he goes missing.” I allowed a chuckle before returning to my even expression. “Just get it back into regulation before Major Measure sees it.” “Yes, sir. Thank you, boss!” she chirped and went on her way. I barely made it halfway down the hall before I heard a squeak and a thump of body and armor against the floor. She’d be okay, but I was a little worried for Runic. Did it still count as looking the other way if I sent him a note by courier to warn him that he was in trouble? When I arrived, Night Frost stiffened to attention beside the door. I nodded to him and knocked. “Come in,” Princess Luna called. I walked inside to find her pacing back and forth. “You’re up early, Princess… or are you still up?” “I am still up!” she said louder than she probably meant to. My brow arched under my helmet. “Sorry,” she added hastily with frustration in her voice. “Anything I can help with?” I asked. She shook her head. “No, Silent Knight. Thank you for offering. It is a disagreement between Celestia and I. Family matters. She can be… She is such a…” “...pest?” I offered. Of course, generally speaking, you shouldn’t call the ruler of your kingdom a pest. Princess Luna wouldn’t sell me out, though, and I really had the impression that Princess Celestia wouldn’t care. Princess Luna stopped mid-pace and turned to look at me. Her lip curled up as she started to laugh whiling shaking her head. “Verily!” “Big sisters just try to look out for younger siblings. They want what is best for us. At the same time, as we get older, they may not know what is the best for us better than we do.” Her head tilted and her smile became soft. “When did you become so wise?” “You caught me early in the morning. I can assure you it’s all downhill from here,” I replied and the princess laughed again. Princess Luna settled on a pillow and patted the one next to her, an offer I was happy to accept. With alicorn magic, she levitated my helmet off so that she could comb my mane. It was something she’d taken to doing since my stay in the hospital and it seemed to give her peace. In all honesty, it gave me peace as well. I had always been a strong pony, but there was something about that gryphon getting the better of me and then escaping that made me feel small and weak. The pampering helped reduce that stress. “She is keeping things from me still. I can tell. Even after we had our talk, I don’t think she feels that I’m ready to truly rule at her side. But she has had to bear these burdens by herself for so long. Longer than anypony ever has. I worry that it will start to be too much for her. But when I try to help, she just pushes me away!” The princess punctuated that point with a brush stroke that tugged my head straight back. I grunted in surprise. “Sorry!” she gasped. “Quite alright, Princess. I’ve had worse,” I replied before falling silent. There wasn’t a lot of advice I had in this situation. The rulers were equal, but there was also a family dynamic. There was also the issue that Princess Luna had been banished for a thousand years or so. Princess Luna went back to the gentle combing and asked, “How was your date last night?” Ponies are evidently just nosy by nature. “It was fun. Nothing went right, but Crystal is an easygoing mare. She had elaborate plans that fell through, so we just spent time together. I enjoyed it, but the feeling was different from before.” “Dating will do that. It was about time you two found each other,” Princess Luna said. She sounded credible, too, which is weird. Part of me suspected she had had a hoof in putting us together. “Do you feel good about it?” “I’m not very good at that sort of thing…” I hedged. Princess Luna’s ears twitched. “You know a feeling.” I sighed and tried to put my feelings into words for the princess’s sake. “I feel comfortable with her, like we’re right for each other. I admire her kindness and generosity. She is selfless to a fault… But it isn’t like how it’s portrayed in books or plays. “When she agreed to see me, I didn’t hear singing or see her with a glowing aura. My knees didn’t go weak. I just wanted to be near her and I think she wants to be near me, too.” “That sounds perfect to me,” Princess Luna said as she finished with my mane. It wasn’t how I’d style it, but I had long since given up on that. She dropped my helmet back into place. “We’ve only had one date, though. That seems too soon to base any decisions on.” I frowned. “There isn’t enough intel.” “Sometimes, Silent Knight, the heart wants what the heart wants.” Princess Luna rose and headed back to her bedroom. “Thank you. I am calm enough to sleep. Please see that I’m not disturbed and be sure to return this evening. We have business to attend to.” “Of course, Princess,” I replied after bowing. I turned to walk in the opposite direction, somehow feeling less stressed but more confused than when I came in. “The heart wants what the heart wants,” I repeated quietly to myself. “Sir?” Night Frost replied. I blinked at him and quickly schooled my expression and tone. “Don’t let anypony in. The princess is going to bed. We’ll come and check on her later today.” “Yes, sir.” That was one appointment down. There was another one on my agenda, one that I’d eagerly been waiting for. It was early, but that would just afford me some time to snoop about. I left the palace with a brisk pace. Nervous energy filled my chest as I approached the Royal Guard Central Command. The walk wasn’t nearly long enough to burn off the extra energy, but I did at least enjoy the fresh air along the way. When I passed through the main door of the unassuming building, the receptionist nodded in recognition. “Lieutenant.” “Sergeant,” I replied, glancing around. There wasn’t much to see in the lobby, just the receptionist and his desk as well as some plants, a Royal Guard poster, and two chairs. Nothing of interest to my mission. The receptionist stared at me. “A little early aren’t you, sir?” “Punctuality is usually considered a plus.” His brow raised before he smiled. “It is, sir. In the case of this particular meeting, however, early isn’t going to work for them. Head down to B3. I’m sure the guards will be happy to let you stare at them.” So much for snooping. “Thanks,” I replied before taking the stairs down to the third basement level to find a small waiting room that was even emptier than the lobby. Two royal guards flanked a heavy steel door and stiffened to attention. As I approached them, the guard on the left lifted her hoof. “I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but this is a restricted area.” “I have an appointment,” I replied. “If you do, sir, somepony will be along to collect you shortly. Please make yourself comfortable.” It wasn’t like I had any other choice. I took a few steps back and stood at ease, staring at the two of them. They merely stared ahead. A lot of guards had withered under my gaze in the past, but these two weren’t remotely fazed. Minutes dragged on as we had our staring contest. Eventually, the door opened with a grating sound, and Sergeant Major Granite looked out. He had the same stern expression from when I badgered my way into finding him at the Spearhead Tavern not long ago. From that point on, we’d built a working relationship, and he’d introduced me around. That, plus a push from some senior officers, had gotten me on the list. This was my way to find peace with the Nordanver ambush: to be involved in tracking down the gryphon behind it. “Lieutenant Knight, if you’ll come with me please,” the sergeant major said when we made eye contact. “Thank you, Sergeant Major,” I replied before following along behind him. The Royal Guard Intelligence offices were nondescript. The carpet was a dull grey, the walls were simple stacked stone, and even the unicorn lanterns were mundane. Sergeant Major Granite opened one a door and motioned into a conference room. There was a familiar pony waiting inside: Intelligence Officer Guise. Our relationship hadn’t started on a good note. He’d taken exception to me being included, and I’d taken exception to his attitude. The door closed behind me, and the sergeant major settled some documents on the table. “Lieutenant, if you’d like to look these over…” he trailed before looking over at Officer Guise. I started reading files as thoroughly as I could. Although some of it had been redacted, what they contained in clear was surprising. “How good is this data?” “The best we’ve seen so far,” replied Sergeant Major Granite. “There was a lot of research involved, but we’re very confident that this is legitimate. It came from one of our field operatives.” Guise jumped in with a condescending tone, “It was credible enough that I felt it was worthwhile to send an operative in for more details. We estimate we’ll hear back soon.” It seemed our relationship would continue to be adversarial. When it came to data, he was very territorial and seemed to delight in keeping it dangling just out of my reach. I could respect he took his job seriously, even if I didn’t like him personally. This was all slightly out of regulation, after all. This was just the latest example of his little power plays. The report was old enough to have been received and orders sent back. “Why wasn’t I brought in sooner?” I asked. “This is a courtesy, Lieutenant,” Guise snapped. “You are not part of this unit nor should you even be here. I’m not insensitive to your feelings, but this is my command. I’ll feed you information when I deem it safe, or you’ll get nothing. Your choice.” I felt the hairs on my neck rise but I kept my cool. “Yes, sir. I apologize. Thank you for bringing me in.” “You seem to have found yourself the right friends.” He looked over at Sergeant Major Granite, who simply shrugged. “I would be very interested in knowing the outcome,” I put in. Guise snorted. “I’m sure. I’ll release it when and if I deem it appropriate. I can’t have you running off and doing something foolish.” I shook my head. “No, sir. That won’t happen.” “I’ll see that it doesn’t. Dismissed.”