//------------------------------//
// Sneaking and Slinking 
// Story: Dark Matter 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 10: Sneaking and Slinking

Off to one corner of the grounds belonging to the Baron was a garage.  Normally it only housed Elderflower's personal carriage, which he used to travel to destinations around the city in comfort and style.  However, right now it held two other carriages; heavier, armored carriages that could be used to transport prisoners or soldiers.  They belonged to the Banehammer mercenaries currently employed by the Baron.  The garage was convenient for keeping the two carriages that had been visibly used in the attack on the Royal Palace out of sight.
From beneath one of the carriages slipped a silent shadow.  The dark-gray pegasus mare carefully crept along the floor of the garage until she could look out and see the grounds that were visible from her position.  She hadn't dared to attempt her infiltration the previous night and had instead spent her time observing the positions of the guards and marking their patrol paths.  The fact that the guards moved like clockwork might have appealed to the orderly sensibilities of Baron Elderflower, but it also served to make the patrol patterns predictable.  Shade Steel had only just peeked her head out and she could already see that the guards were walking exactly the same patrols they had the previous night.  She could tell where these ponies were with her eyes closed.
Not that it made the infiltration all that much easier.  The grounds were a collection of broad, flat lawns and low flowerbeds, nothing that could serve as effective cover when she made her approach to the manor.  Elderflower was distinctly more pragmatic in comparison to many of his peers, considering that many of them decorated their own grounds with tall hedges, large statues, and even small stands of trees that would have worked perfectly for hiding and skulking.  Sadly, none of that was to be found here.  Shade would have to be extremely careful on her approach.
The lamps added difficulty as well.  They were shorter than average so that their light washed out at a shallow angle.  Thus, in addition to providing light for the guards to see by, the lamps also threw ponies into stark relief as they walked along the grounds.  The long shadows cast were easily visible from all the way across the yard and it would be easy to spot a single shadow moving against the clockwork pattern used by the guards.
Shade moved her eyes around, examining the situation as carefully as she could.  She felt distinctly unprepared for this action.  She was completely unarmed.  The combat knife and the long, thin throwing blades she normally concealed in her feathers were absent.  If she'd had a little longer after receiving the assignment from Shining Armor to prepare, she was fairly certain the Captain would have allowed her to reequip herself in preparation for the mission.  But the Banehammers' attack on the Palace had proven to be too urgent an opportunity to pass up.  Shade had barely managed to slip by the strangely alert unicorn guarding the carriages and conceal herself beneath one before the raiding party made it back.
On the other hoof, a corpse or a guard going mysteriously missing would blow her cover as surely as being spotted would, if a little less suddenly.  So perhaps it was for the best if the option of violence was closed to her for the time being.
Technically, Shade didn't need to do anything more.  She had determined exactly who the Banehammers worked for.  She could have run back to Shining Armor at any time since the previous day to make her report and finish up.  Shining Armor would likely take care of  the rest.  However, Shade wasn't satisfied simply playing pointer for the Royal Guard.  If she was going to do this job, she would do it to the best of her abilities.  First, she needed to determine if Twilight Sparkle and the other mare foalnapped from Ponyville were being held here.  Once she did that, she needed to assess the situation so that she could help Shining Armor determine what sort of intervention was required.  If they went about it the wrong way, Elderflower could probably slip away with the Elements, his hostages, or both.  That was unacceptable.
Taking a few extra minutes, Shade continued her observations of the guard patrols to ensure that they weren't going to suddenly change up the pattern on her.  It was something she'd dealt with on previous missions for the SES.  Competent guards changed their routines and altered their schedules slightly to avoid being predictable.  However, Elderflower's mares at arms were not that competent.
Shade waited for the right time, the largest window she had to act with, the greatest period of time that nopony would be watching the ground between the garage and the mansion.  There was no cover to slip behind, so she would have to cross all that distance in one go, without casting a shadow that would catch somepony's eye.
I haven't used this move in a while, thought Shade as she slowly lowered herself down to the ground, Time to see if I can still pull it off.  Her legs bent and she sank down into a crouch, then sank down lower still, until her belly was less than an inch away from the garage's floor.  In addition to using her legs, she braced her wingtips and feathers against the ground.  Then, she waited just a little bit longer, until a pair of armored ponies strolled past her position.  This was her chance!  Shade set off.
Had anypony been looking on from above, she would have looked like a giant lizard or, worse, a giant cockroach as she skittered across the estate's lawn, using her legs and wings in tandem, all six limbs splayed out to hold her body as low as equinely possible, to carry herself forward as the grass below tickled her belly.  Down this low, Shade wasn't casting much of a shadow, even as she passed near one of the lamps.  Up ahead, her goal, a side entrance for servants, loomed closer and closer with each passing second.
Before she was even halfway across, Shade was already regretting that she hadn't worked more to keep in shape while she'd been acting as Princess Luna's maid.  Her legs and wings were burning from the exertion.  This was not a natural position or method of locomotion for a pony.  It had taken several months of training back when she'd first been initiated into the SES for Shade to actually get the technique down.  There'd been a time when she could've done it as naturally as walking, but that had been back before she had resigned from the Guard.
Nonetheless, she pressed onward.  She was committed now, for more reasons that one.  If she was spotted, then Elderflower would be alerted to the fact that somepony was onto him and would probably take actions to cover his tracks.  Whatever they might be, they promised to be unpleasant for the ponies in his custody.  Now that she was committed, she had to get in, do her job and get out with nopony the wiser.  For this to work, Elderflower and his cronies had to be left completely unaware that they'd been marked.
The burning sensation in Shade's muscles intensified and she felt as though she either needed to lay down or stand up, anything to put an end to the strain.  But she grit her teeth and pushed past through the sensation, urging herself onward.  There was the door!  Pausing, Shade allowed herself a second to look around and make absolutely sure that nopony had seen her yet.  The guards were still moving as they were before, with no changes in their posture or actions that indicated that they'd seen something.  However, it would only be another few seconds before another pair rounded the corner of the mansion, which would result in them looking right at her.  A tremor of fear ran through Shade's limbs.  If she was off by the slightest bit, if those guards were only a couple of steps ahead of her estimation, then it would be over for her.
But there was no time for hesitation on her part.  Shade quickly reached for the doorknob.  She'd already observed servants entering and leaving, noting that the door was left unlocked for their convenience.  Perhaps it was a mistake born of laziness.  Perhaps Elderflower just had that much faith in the alertness of his guards.  In either case, this was Shade's way in.  Her fetlock curled around the brass knob and turned it, another tremor of fear running through her-what if she was wrong?  Shade forced it down and twisted the knob.  It turned and the door opened.  Shade ducked inside and turned to pull the door shut behind her, careful to slow it down at the last second, turning the knob so that it swung shut without so much as a click before letting the knob return to its original position.
Once inside, Shade looked around to make sure she was alone.  This was the entrance primarily used by the groundskeepers.  It was also occasionally used as a convenient side entrance by servants making runs to a different part of the estate, which was apparently why it was kept unlocked, even at this time of night.  Looking around, Shade could see racks of tools; shears, hoes, rakes, and bags of fertilizer.  Nopony would be spending any time in this room at this time of night, save to pass through it going in or out.
Knowing that it might only be a matter of time before somepony had to enter or leave, Shade crossed through the room to the door on the other side.  Slowly, Shade opened it a crack so that she could look through.  As she did, she strained her ears for the sound of hoofsteps, thanking Celestia (and Luna) that the hallway floor outside was polished wood.  If it had been carpet, hearing somepony coming would have been much more difficult.  Moving across hard surfaces without making a sound with one's hooves was a skill that Shade had spent several years mastering.  She doubted anypony among Elderflower's servants would need such a skill.  She could only hope that he didn't have somepony less-savory and similarly-skilled to her walking about at night.
Once she was certain she didn't hear anypony coming, Shade opened the door wider and leaned her head out, looking up and down the hall to make sure that nopony was coming.  As late as it was, most of the servants had probably retired to bed, now that their master was unlikely to need them until the next day.  Shade resolved to move with caution anyway.  In a larger household, she might be able to steal a uniform and masquerade as a maid while she moved (heavens knew, she'd certainly gotten a lot of practice in acting like a maid lately).  But the Baron, a relatively low rank in the Noble Court, would have a smaller staff, where ponies likely recognized each other on sight.  A new face would be noticed instantly.  She'd just have to stay out of sight then.
Her hooves not making the slightest sound against the hardwood floor, Shade set off down the hallway, her eyes examining the door to every room she came across as she cross-checked it against the mental map of the mansion she was building as she went.
Nobles used a fairly predictable layout for their abodes, depending on the style of architecture.  The main entryway and the ballroom were usually on the first floor, bisecting the center of the building, with the grand dining room usually adjacent.  The hallways off to the sides on the first floor usually led to the parts of the mansion not meant to be seen by outsiders, places like kitchens, cleaning closets, and supply rooms.  The basement levels were generally used as barracks by the noble's on-duty mares at arms.
The second story was generally occupied by rooms that were still used by visitors and outsiders, but provided a more intimate setting; rooms like offices, maybe a conservatory, or a smaller dining room of some sort.  Above them on the third floor were usually the bedrooms used by the home's owner and any visitors (Or prisoners, Shade thought to herself darkly.) to the manor.  Above that, on the fourth floor, would be the servants' quarters.
If there was any substantial evidence of the Baron's crimes to be found, it would probably be on the second floor.  However, Twilight Sparkle and the other mare abducted from Ponyville would likely be on the third floor.  Nobles like Elderflower were notoriously fond of the "honored guest" routine for simultaneously confining and mocking their prisoners.  Shade decided to start with the second floor, then work her way up to the third, if she had a chance.
Still moving like a silent wraith down the halls, Shade made her way deeper into enemy territory.



Twilight Sparkle let out a breath she hadn’t even been aware she’d been holding as she slumped down onto the bed.  It felt as though she’d been holding it in all evening.  Surprisingly, making polite conversation with Baron Elderflower had been strangely…normal…compared to the discussion they’d had right before that.  He had chatted about a variety of topics, from fine wines to asking Twilight for some stories about her adventures and even showing a modicum of curiosity about the magical research she conducted.  The fact that the conversation was so normal only made it seem more eerily disturbing when juxtaposed with the overall context of her situation.
As she tried to relax, Twilight thought about how the situation had gotten much more complicated.  Now, not only did she have Coco to worry about, but the Elements of Harmony as well.  At the very least, Twilight had to work out a means of securing the Elements or, barring that, making absolutely sure that they couldn’t be used by Elderflower or his cronies (she was a bit more confident on the latter point, thinking she might not actually need to do anything at all).  Pursing her lips, Twilight worked on coming up with her plan of action.  She knew what Elderflower was up to now, so there was no need to delay much longer.
Her time spent planning was interrupted by a polite, timid knock on the door.  Looking up, Twilight smiled.  “Come in,” she called.
The door swung open and Coco Pommel came in.  “I-I came to see if you n-needed anything before b-bed tonight,” she said.
Fighting hard to stop a triumphant grin from spreading across her face, Twilight nodded.  This is perfect.  “Actually,” she said, “I could use your help.  I’d like to take a bath and brush my mane before bed, but…”  She sighed.  “I’m having a really hard time managing the brush without my magic.  Maybe you could help me.”
Coco brightened up a bit at the prospect of being able to do something.  Aside from bringing Twilight her meals, Coco’s role largely seemed to revolve around being comforted by the older mare while she sniffled and sniveled like a helpless foal.  Even if it was only brushing a mane, Coco was glad to be able to contribute something.
“Come on then,” said Twilight, heading into the bathroom with Coco a short distance behind her.
After Coco was through the door, Twilight shut it, cutting off any chance the observers most likely watching from behind the bedroom mirror had of seeing what she was about to do.  She’d already double-checked to make sure no such secret observation chambers were in the bathroom.  The only surveillance was a bevy of listening spells, once again anchored in the bathroom’s corners.  Having assessed their sensitivity, Twilight now knew what she could do to thwart them.
First, she went to the bath and turned the faucet, sending a stream of water cascading into the large tub with a loud gushing noise.  It was actually loud enough that Twilight and Coco would have to raise their voices to be heard over the water.  However, that was only if they were holding a normal conversation.
Turning to Coco, Twilight gave the younger mare an encouraging smile and held a hoof to her lips.  Coco’s eyes widened…and then widened even further as the golden band of Twilight’s arcanasteel ring appeared on her horn.  The silvery aura caused by Twilight’s magic as it was channeled through the ring wove through the air around them, forming a dome that warped their view of everything outside, as though they were looking out through a bubble.  The sound of water from the tub’s faucet became muted.
“M-Ms. Twilight!  What…?”  Coco gaped unashamedly as she looked at the magical construct.  She might not have been a unicorn, but even she could recognize the inhibitor ring on Twilight’s horn, resting just above the arcanasteel band.
“We don’t have a lot of time.  I need to make this quick,” said Twilight, looking around the room.
Her privacy spell would keep the sound of their voices from being picked up by the listening spells in the bathroom.  But the ponies on the other end of those spells would grow suspicious if they heard absolutely nothing from Twilight or Coco for an extended period of time.  Maybe, if she’d put more work into studying illusion and glamour magic, Twilight could have constructed an illusory conversation between herself and Coco for the listening spells to pick up instead of the conversation they were actually having.  But Twilight was no Trixie Lulamoon.  Even with her almost universal affinity to nearly every form of magic under the sun and moon, Twilight couldn’t simply cast a set of spells she’d never studied before.
That was assuming such a spell could even be cast under these circumstances.  The arcanasteel ring was a powerful tool and its capabilities had given Twilight the ability to turn her captors’ beliefs and expectations on their heads.  But it was far from a perfect substitute for her horn.  Working magic through the ring always felt one step removed to Twilight, like she was slightly disconnected from the spells she was weaving.  It had taken her three tries to be absolutely sure that the detoxification spell she’d cast for dinner earlier had been cast correctly.  A more complex spell, like a full auditory illusion, would have taken an impractically long time to cast under these circumstances.
“Listen carefully,” said Twilight, resting her hooves on Coco’s shoulders, “I meant it when I said that I was getting us out of here.  But there’s something else that I need to do.”
“What?” asked Coco, deciding not to waste time with pointless questions.  At this point, all she could really do was believe in Twilight.
“Elderflower sent his goons to attack the Royal Palace yesterday,” said Twilight, her statement eliciting a shocked gasp from Coco, “They’ve stolen the Elements of Harmony.”
Coco shivered slightly.  She’d never expected Baron Elderflower to do something so…drastic.
“Before we break out of here, I need to know where the Elements are,” said Twilight, “Do you think you could help me find them?”
Shivering, Coco hesitantly nodded.  Then she paused, remembering something she’d seen the previous day.  “I-I think I may know where they are.”
“Where?” asked Twilight, unconsciously tightening her hold on Coco’s shoulders.
“A-a while ago, G-Greenblight and his ponies c-came in through the front door,” said Coco, “Th-they were carrying some sort of large chest.  I th-think they took it down to the basement.”
“The basement…”  Twilight thought about it for the moment.  In most manors like this, the basement housed the barracks, but also the armory and supply rooms for the owner’s guards and security forces.  She supposed it was as good a place as any to hide extremely important stolen artifacts…if Elderflower didn’t have any place lower down.  Such a concern wouldn’t have been so troubling a year or two ago.  But, in the wake of the changeling invasion and the discovery of the Crystal Caverns beneath Canterlot, Twilight would not have been surprised that some of the Noble Court, like Elderflower, had suddenly developed a passion for spelunking and mining.  The caverns were a veritable maze beneath the city and through the mountain.  If Elderflower had hidden the Elements down there, finding them while still looking after Coco’s wellbeing would be a much more difficult job.
Still, it was better than nothing.  Looking back at the tub, Twilight saw that it was nearly full.  Their conversation time was up.  “All right,” she said, turning back to Coco and speaking quickly, “When I drop the spell, I need you to act as though nothing’s happened.  There are listening spells all over both rooms.  We’ll talk about regular things and act as though this never happened.  Can you do that?”
Shakily, Coco nodded.  “Um…about the Elements…maybe Perlin could help us.”
Taken aback by the suggestion, Twilight blinked in surprise.  “Perlin?”
Coco nodded.  "Yes...um...he could get down into the basement easier than I could.  Maybe if I asked..."
Twilight thought it over, noting that time was quickly running out.  If she didn't shut off the water soon, the tub would overflow.  "Not yet," said Twilight, "But we'll keep him in mind."  She could understand Coco's hopeful attitude.  Perhaps Coco really was helping Perlin grow into a better pony.  However, if Perlin's words the previous day were any indicator, then he was clearly still working for the Baron''s interests.  She remembered, all too well, Dawn and Rainbow's descriptions of Perlin, of a young mercenary who took on jobs primarily for amusement more than anything else.  Coco might have been getting through to him, but that didn't necessarily mean that Perlin was on their side just yet.
"O-okay..." said Coco.
"I'm dropping the spell now," said Twilight, "Remember, we have to talk like nothing happened."
"All right."
With a grunt, Twilight released the spell and her ring once again vanished from sight.  The sounds of the bathroom came rushing back in and Twilight rushed to turn off the tub.  "Oh!  That was close!  I got so carried away looking for the right shampoo I didn't even notice how full the tub was getting."
"I-it's okay," said Coco, the hitch in her voice prompting a wince from Twilight.  Fortunately, given Coco's typically timid mannerisms, particularly in the context of their larger situation, it was hardly noticeable.
As Twilight bathed, Coco went through the preparations to work on her mane.  The two of them chatted amicably about a variety of topics, from the work Coco had done for Rarity and Suri (in the process, nearly bringing Coco to tears once again) to what ideas Coco had for future designs.  Twilight was impressed by the younger mare's acting skills.  Coco kept the conversation going quite naturally.  She supposed that spending several months pretending not to be an unwilling agent of Baron Elderflower who'd been scared out of her mind half the time had probably contributed to those skills.
They wrapped up for the evening and Twilight watched Coco head out the door before settling onto the covers of her bed, wanting to sleep, but having difficulties, thanks to her worries about whether or not any of Elderflower's ponies suspected anything.  Still, Twilight managed to eventually drift off.



Shade moved swiftly and silently down the halls.  She'd found a servants' staircase to ascend to the second levels.  At one point, her travels brought her to a balcony that overlooked the Baron's ballroom, which stretched up into the second and third stories of the mansion.  The balcony ran around the ballroom's upper perimeter, with a staircase on either side dropping down, allowing easy movement from one level to the other.  Shade didn't dare follow the balcony around.  The ballroom was one gigantic open space and anypony on one side could easily spot her on the other.  There was a distinct lack of cover, save for the railings that ran around the balcony and the fact that the benches and seats on the second level were pressed up against the wall.  The chandelier hanging from the ceiling would cast her shadow down to the floor if she tried to fly across.  If anypony else came onto the balcony while Shade was making her way around or happened to glance up from the ground floor, the jig would be up.
Instead, she doubled back and took a hallway around.  Fortunately, this one worked its way around the space taken up by the ballroom and made its way over to the other side of the mansion.  As she moved, Shade carefully inspected each room she came across.  Most of them were small sitting rooms, offices, and other such spaces, nothing important.  As she came down the hallway on the other side of the ballroom, Shade noted a few doors that looked more ornate than the others.  These were probably ones that the Baron reserved for his personal use, particularly when he wanted to impress others in a more intimate setting than some grand gala.
The first one she came to opened up into a sunroom with an impressive view looking out off the side of the mountain.  She got the impression that the Baron liked this room very much, given the sparkling shine of the moon and stars glinting off the freshly cleaned table.  It was clear he used this room often and had it cleaned often because of that.
Moving on a little further down the hall, Shade paused as she twitched, her ears perking up and forward.  She picked up the faint drone of voices.  They were not moving, which meant that nopony was about to come down the hall towards her.  Instead, they were issuing from another door.  Shade carefully stole up to the threshold and lowered herself down, tilting her head so that she could press her ear flush against the crack at the bottom of the door.  Even as she did so, her other ear stuck almost straight up in the air, swiveling back and forth as she also listened up and down the hall for signs of anypony coming.  Dividing her attention in such a way was a skill she'd worked hard to master.
"-think Dame Sparkle will come around eventually," a smooth, yet masculine, voice was saying.  Shade surmised this was Elderflower.
"Eventually isn't good enough," declared the gruff voice of an unmistakably large pony, "Your little operation with the Elements has a limited window of opportunity.  Once the Royal Guard get back from their field trip, the unrest in the city will be quelled and all you'll be is an audacious thief."
Shade frowned.  She figured that this voice belonged to Greenblight, the large, scarred pegasus who led the Banehammers.  The SES files on him indicated that he was a dangerous individual.  But their overall assessment was that he depended largely on the backup of his subordinates to be effective.  If anything, the Banehammers' second-in-command was considered to be the more dangerous pony on an individual level, even if Greenblight was the one making all of the decisions.
"Dame Sparkle's cooperation is not essential," said Elderflower, "If, ultimately, we are truly pressed for time, then I can simply select her replacement from one of the available candidates and we can continue on from there.  Even if she will not use the Elements to further my goals, then I can still ultimately use her position as a close confidant of Princess Celestia later on."
"If you say so," said Greenblight dubiously.
"And what if none of your candidates can actually put the Elements to use?" inquired a younger voice.  Shade's ear twitched as she heard it.  She'd heard this voice before, in the hall at the Royal Palace, right before she'd slipped away to start her mission.  This was the young stallion who'd attacked Shining Armor, Perlin Bluestreak, if she remembered correctly.
"I am certain that will not be the case," said Elderflower, a note of irritation tinging his voice, "Our candidates were culled from the brightest minds produced by magical institutions around Equestria.  If anypony can unlock the secrets of the Elements and plumb their depths, it will be them."
"Still, it couldn't hurt to have some additional contingencies," suggested Perlin.
Elderflower's voice was an angry growl.  "That's not-"
"For once, I agree with the boy.  The outcome of your plan hinges on these artifacts you had us go to such lengths to acquire performing as expected."  Greenblight was sounding surprisingly conciliatory for a stallion known to have such a fierce temper.
"I can understand that ponies like you probably have little appreciation for the depths of magic.  However, I can assure you that you have nothing to be concerned about."  Elderflower's frustration with his employees' skepticism was getting more and more pronounced.
"Surely, if the Elements of Harmony were so easy to use, Twilight Sparkle and her friends would have used them more than twice," Perlin pointed out, "While my knowledge of their history is rather spotty at best, I think there would have been plenty of cause for them to turn to the Elements in other situations...something about some dark unicorn up in the Crystal Empire, I think..."
Elderflower's sigh of frustration was audible out in the hallway.  "That is because there is no way that Dame Sparkle and her...friends...could have used the Elements properly with only two unicorns amongst their number.  A superior understanding of the magical arts is required to properly mold the forces unleashed by such powerful artifacts."
"If you say so..."  Shade could practically hear Perlin shrug.
"Now then, do any of you have any other concerns you wish to bring up?" asked Elderflower.  When silence greeted his inquiry, he spoke again.  "Good.  Perlin, you are dismissed for the evening.  Master Greenblight, I wish to inspect our prize once again."
"Whatever you say, boss," said Greenblight.
"May I join you?" asked Perlin, "I would like to see for myself just what we've made so much of an effort to acquire."
"If that is what you wish," said Elderflower.
Shade heard the shuffling sound of hooves moving across carpet and she realized that they were heading for the door.  She had only seconds before it opened and she was exposed.  However, the hallway had nothing to hide behind, all the other doors were too far away for her to reach in time.  Casting her eyes about, Shade fixated on the only possible direction she could go...Up!
The door opened and Elderflower strode out into the hall, Greenblight following along behind him, accompanied by the usually silent Inkwell.  Behind them followed Perlin Bluestreak, his black cloak billowing slightly as he turned to follow the others down the hall.  None of them bothered to look up, which was just as well, as they would have spotted Shade Steel, who'd wedged herself up against the arched ceiling, bracing her legs and wings.
In the brief seconds prior to the emergence of the Baron and his mercenary employees, Shade had darted up to the ceiling and lodged herself there.  Then she'd slowed both her breathing and hear heartbeat, relaxing and erasing her presence completely.  She counted herself lucky that she'd managed to finish in time.  She was a bit out of practice after spending so many months working as a maid.
As she'd expected, Greenblight was indeed a menacing presence, his body seeming to overflow with power, only barely kept in check.  But Inkwell was the truly frightening one of the pair, her soulless, black gaze being something that Shade had first noted when she'd snuck under the carriages.  However, Perlin Bluestreak practically made Shade's senses buzz as he passed beneath her.
The young stallion couldn't have had as much experience as the two mercenaries in front of him, but something about Perlin struck Shade as genuinely threatening, causing her to mark him as the most dangerous of the three.  Even though he was in the heart of what should have been safe territory for him, the young stallion maintained an active awareness of his surroundings.  Shade counted herself lucky that he apparently couldn't sense the wind like Dawn could or he would have noticed her immediately.  As it was, she would have to exercise great caution following the group while he was around.
Shade waited until the group reached a corner and turned around it before dropping to the floor.   Moving swiftly and silently, she tailed behind them, always making sure to keep to something she could conceal herself behind should one of them happen to look back.  Even as she did, she made sure to keep aware of her surroundings.  It wouldn't do to hide herself from Elderflower and his allies if she was stumbled on by some random servant running an errand.
The group made their way down the hallways to one of the mansion's auxiliary stairways not unlike the one Shade had originally followed up to the second floor.  She was careful to remain at least one full flight behind and above the group.  They descended down past the first floor and into the basement.  Once there, Elderflower opened the door and stepped inside.
Stepping down onto the basement level behind the group, Shade barely managed to get a glimpse of the basement through the door as it swung shut.  She'd been rewarded by the sight of yet another hallway, this one lined by a large number of doors on both sides.  She'd also seen the shapes of other ponies moving up and down the passage.  This was the barracks, where Elderflower's guards and, apparently, his hired mercenaries currently resided.
Going any further would be extremely dangerous.  This level of the house was occupied by trained soldiers and experienced fighters.  If she made the slightest mistake, she'd be discovered and then everything she'd done would have been for naught.  By all rights, she should have turned back and gone to make her report to Shining.  She'd confirmed, via her eavesdropping on Elderflower's previous conversation, that both Twilight Sparkle and the Elements or Harmony were here in Elderflower's mansion.  Even now, she had a good idea of where both Twilight and the Elements were.  If she went any further, she risked throwing all that away.
Shade lifted a hoof and rested it against the door, taking a deep breath.  Now was the time to make the decision.  Her pride as a pony who'd once been an elite operative of the Royal Guard SES demanded that she follow through, that she discover every tidbit she could that might help Shining and preserve ponies' lives once he and the Royal Guard went into action.  However, a more rational part at her urged her to withdraw, that she had done enough, that she shouldn't jeopardize the mission simply to satisfy her pride.  She wasn't part of the SES anymore.  She was a criminal, performing a task in exchange for her freedom.
In the end, it all came down to who she was doing this for.  Shade closed her eyes and thought about Shining, his eyes full of barely concealed worry for his sister.  She thought about Dawn and how he'd forgiven her for her crimes, even going so far as to invite her to join him and those close to him for breakfast on Hearth's Warming.  She thought about Princess Luna, against whom she'd harbored a grudge for fabricated evils.  Also, her mind turned to the figure of a little unicorn back in Ponyville, a filly who Shade needed to speak to once everything was said and done.
Shade considered all this and more, taking one last deep breath before looking silently at the door...and backing slowly away.



"Something caught your eye?" asked Greenblight, noticing that Perlin had been glancing back at the door to the stairwell.
Perlin blinked at the stallion's words before turning back.  "No...nothing really.  I'm just a little distracted."
Greenblight chuckled darkly.  "You shouldn't let yourself get so easily distracted lad, or somepony might take that flighty head off yours off your shoulders."
"Perhaps," said Perlin, bushing off the implied threat with his usual lack of concern.
Greenblight snorted irritably at the failure of his barbs to sink in.  Instead, he continued following in the wake of Elderflower as the group walked to one of the armories that shared space with the guards' quarters in the basement.  Opening the door, Elderflower went inside and turned on the light.
The room normally housed spare weapons and pieces of armor.  Right now, it was completely bare, everything having been cleared out to make room for the single, large chest that rested in the center of it.  Using his magic, Elderflower flipped back the lid, allowing the light from above to illuminate the precious contents within.
There they were, the fabled six Elements of Harmony.  Five golden necklaces and one golden tiara.  Each one was inset with a gem of a particular shape and hue.  They were works of art, exquisitely crafted.  Just looking at them filled Elderflower with pride and satisfaction.  They were his and, soon, they would be carried by the unicorns that had sworn themselves to his cause.  With the Elements on his side, wielded by ponies who could tap the full depths of their power, Elderflower knew that it was impossible to lose.
And yet...there was something off...  As Elderflower examined the Elements in their chest, he was conscious of the fact that he couldn't sense any magic in them at all.  He'd dealt with magical artifacts in the past, though nothing very powerful, and even small pieces of enchanted jewelry.  Such items always had a faint buzz of residual magic around them, whether they were being used or not.  However, the Elements of Harmony had none of that.  They were completely inert to his senses, as though they were six pieces of completely ordinary jewelry.
"Very sparkly, to be sure," said Greenblight, eyeing them dubiously, "To think we had to fight so hard to get them."
Without a word, Perlin slowly stepped toward the chest for a closer look.  For some reason, his heartbeat quickened as he looked at the Elements.  They were physically beautiful.  That much was indisputable.  Yet...there was something...more.  Perlin lifted a hoof and held it out over each of the Elements in turn.  His hoof passed over the red lightning bolt without so much as a twitch, the same with the blue balloon and even the magenta starburst on the tiara.  The orange apple did nothing either.
However, as his hoof passed over the purple gem shaped like a diamond, Perlin felt a faint snap, like a discharge of static electricity.  The sensation wasn't painful or stinging, but almost tickling.  His hoof paused, but nothing else happened.  Perlin wondered if he'd imagined it.  Then his hoof moved to hover over the little pink butterfly.  It wasn't so much as a snap, but a faint tingling sensation now.  Perlin moved his hoof in closer.  Unbidden, his mind was flooded with images of Coco, of her smiling, of her crying, of her hoof against his cheek and brushing against his wing.
Little by little, the gem began feeling warmer and warmer beneath Perlin's hoof, threatening to become uncomfortably hot, even though he wasn't even touching it at the moment.  Looking at the gem, Perlin fancied that it might have begun to glow faintly.
"Please put your hoof down," instructed Elderflower, nothing in his tone of voice suggesting that he had noticed anything from the Elements themselves, "I would rather not risk you damaging such precious objects.  Even if I billed you for the remainder of your entire life, you wouldn't be able to properly compensate for damaging even one of them."
Perlin put his hoof back down.  The feeling was gone and he wondered if he had actually felt anything at all.  Maybe I imagined it, he thought, taking one last look at the butterfly-shaped gem sitting innocuously in the chest.
"If your curiosity is sated, then perhaps you should leave," said Elderflower, a note of irritation in his voice.  Beneath his calm visage, he was dealing with a simmering anger at the thought that a lowly pegasus like Perlin would dare to touch something so precious and powerful.  It had been bad enough that these Elements had been worn by earth ponies and pegasi.  Elderflower didn't dare allow anypony from the other tribes to touch them, lest the Elements were tarnished in some way.
"Yes, I think I've seen enough," said Perlin distractedly, stepping out of the room, leaving Elderflower to silently gloat over his spoils.



Shade was doubly careful as she made her way up through the manor, passing the ground floor, then the second floor.  At the third floor, she paused, wondering if she should take the chance to confirm Twilight Sparkle's location.  However, she figured it was probably best not to take any more risks.  The time had come to report in and let Shining Armor handle the rest.  Cautiously, she made her way up to the fourth floor, where the stairs came to an end.  These were the servants' quarters.
Shade cautiously looked around for any sign of any maids or butlers moving about.  But the doors to their rooms were all closed.  Hopefully there was a way to the roof or an upper-level window that she could fly out of.  The Baron would have been a fool not to have somepony watching the sky for intruders attempting to fly in, but she wondered if his spotters would be in a position to notice a pony leaving if she was already inside the perimeter.
Making her way down the hall, Shade kept an ear out for the signs of anypony approaching.  Soon, her ears perked as she picked up the sound of hoofsteps coming from down the hallway ahead.  Looking around, Shade tried to find someplace to hide.  However, this hall had even less cover than the ones below.  After all, Elderflower had no need to decorate his servants' quarters with expensive art or decorative plants.  The rooms were out of the question, given that she had no idea which ones were occupied or not and didn't have the time to check.  The ceiling was too low for Shade to pull the trick she'd used to evade Elderflower and his mercenaries earlier.  Her ears going back, Shade sank back away from the source of the sound.  If she was spotted, she would only have seconds to act.  If she killed the pony about to spot her, maybe she could hide the body and buy a little time.  However, if the approaching servant managed to alert the rest of the household to Shade's presence...
The servant ahead came into view, her eyes widening as she saw the dark-gray pegasus.  Shade's own eyes widened as she took in the maid's features, namely her cyan mane and matching eyes, as well as her off-white coat.  Shade realized she was looking at the other mare abducted from Ponyville, Coco Pommel, if she recalled the information from the file correctly.
In a flash, Shade crossed the distance between them, managing to reach Coco just as she was about to open her mouth.  Shade's hoof reached her first and covered Coco's mouth.  Moving fluidly, like liquid shadow, Shade swept around, moving up and over behind Coco, wrapping her other foreleg around Coco's neck and pulling her back while keeping one hoof clamped against the younger mare's lips.
"Make a single noise and I'll snap your neck," whispered Shade harshly, her blood boiling at the sight of Coco.  After all, from the look of things, Coco had been working for the Baron when Twilight was abducted.  If she was a maid now, then it was likely that she'd been in the Baron's employ the entire time, a plant.  The fact that she was moving around freely when Twilight Sparkle was obviously confined seemed to reinforce that fact.
"I'm going to ask you some questions and you are going to answer them," whispered Shade harshly, "Again, making any noise but answering me will get you killed."
She felt Coco's throat bob against her foreleg, a clear sign of a suppressed whimper.  From her angle, Shade could see the tears gathering at the corner of Coco's eyes.  She should have thought about that before she threw in with the Baron, Shade thought harshly.
"I have a better idea."  Shade felt a faint chill against her neck as the smooth, young, but undeniably masculine voice of Perlin Bluestreak interjected.  "You will let her go right now and I won't separate your head from your shoulders.  If you think you'd be able to snap her neck before I could do that, I welcome you to try."
Shade trembled as the powerful malice of the young stallion's killing intent cascaded over her like a waterfall.  It wasn't as intense as Arkenstone, who'd once made her hallucinate her own death, but it did speak of a pony far more able than she was, who was more than capable of following through on his threat.
"Now," said Perlin, each word seeming to sharpen his killing intent until it was not unlike the blade he currently held against her neck, "I will repeat myself once more and then your head will roll.  Let. Her. Go...Now."
Shade's forelegs fell away and Coco sagged to the floor, now whimpering audibly.
"Coco, come around behind me," said Perlin, his voice much gentler.
Moving stiffly, but quickly, Coco did as she was told.  As she walked past Shade, the former Guardsmare was certain that Perlin was about to kill her once Coco was behind him.  However, once Coco had walked past Perlin, he actually lowered the blade against Shade's throat and stepped back.
Moving slowly, aware that the killing blow could come at any second now, Shade slowly turned around, shocked by what she saw.  She'd seen Perlin's wings before, having taken the chance to sneak a peek at them while he and Shining Armor were fighting in the Palace.  However, this was the first time she was able to see his wing up close and observe the meticulous detail in its design as he held it up like a barrier between Shade and Coco.
"Now then, I think you shall be answering my questions," said Perlin, his hawklike eyes narrowing as he glared at Shade.