Maybe Love Bites Twice

by Fat1thatyoulove

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – Laying the cards out

The bright day's sun now shines to the three ponies eyes as they continue out of the cave. In front of them only about five or so hooves away is the drop off to the castle, Aerolight shifts his eyes towards the stone wall behind him as he speaks up, "We're on the north side of the castle, we have to go around."

His eyes continue to trail up the castle's length as he turns to the bright color lit sky above him.

Milky turns her own head up as she speaks up, "We need to get moving."

The comment brings Aerolight's head down as he nods and starts up his trot, the two Canterlot guard dressed ponies follow after the stallion's quick pace as he leads the way.

Despite the outskirts of the castle being undefined with the harsh drop off into the valley below the castle, the three ponies find themselves quickly coming to the front of the castle.

Aerolight moves himself against the wall of the castle as he peeks around the corner and towards the entrance of the drawbridge. The moat that sits under it runs with its murky water only a few hooves away from where he stands.

But his set gaze is quickly taken back to the two ponies behind him as he nods, "Okay nopony is at the bridge." He lifts his hoof to the end of the street that sits just out of hooves reach above them as he continues, "Can you teleport us up there quick."

The words bring Milky's horn up as her spell quickly takes hold over the three ponies, within the blink of an eye the rush of magic has teleported them to the hard stone ground of Canterlot's street.

As the magic continues to fall around the three ponies Aerolight rushes his eyes around the area as he looks to make sure no pony saw the three ponies that have just teleported on the street. With no pony in sight he brings his posture up, "Alright...Stay close."

Aerolight's trot starts up as he directs his eyes towards the castle's lowered drawbridge, but just as he sets his eyes to his goal something else takes his attention.

A familiar light gray armored pegasus, the sight of the pony brings Aerolight's ears up as he tries to shift his eyes from the pony, in hopes that it would make him invisible.

This however does not work as the stallion's voice comes up, "Oh hey Aerolight."

The small group slowly comes to a halt as the pegasus trots over to the dark cream stallion, all the while looking to the two ponies behind his friend, "I thought you were out for the day?"

Aerolight's trot only slows for a moment as he shakes his head, "No no, I just was coming in late."

Gust blinks to the stallion's continued trot as he speaks up, "Oh, well you should check in with StoneGem, he should be back in a few, Celestia has him reassuring everypony that the rainbow is nothing to worry about." Gust quickly shoots his right hoof up as he continues, "Can you believe that-..

"Ya thanks Gust, got to go."

The unusually short conversation stumps the pegasus for a moment as he just holds his eyes to the two other ponies that continue to trot close behind Aerolight.

However, the sight of the small group is lost as they drift more into the castle's courtyard.

The two ponies behind Aerolight hold their heads straight with almost no glance to the other ponies that trot past them, which allows them to more easily slip through the bustling courtyard that seems to be going through their shift changes.

Aerolight's trot starts to turn towards the adjacent one story building on the left, the white and gold stone matches with the castle's color scheme but the large emblem of the Canterlot guard proudly hangs over the doorway arch.

Again the two ponies follow after Aerolight, but this time they take a few steps back as they near the front door of the guard barracks.

It only takes a few moments for the small group to come into the bright polished stoned lobby of the guard barracks.

Around the lobby a few armored ponies stand, all engaging in some light hearted conversations; however, Aerolight's mind stays locked to the side hall he now trots down. Truthfully the dungeon is never off limits to guards, especially seeing as how everyponies personal lockers are located within the same down stairs area. But, seeing as how Aerolight has never kept anything in his locker the young stallion's mind starts to race with something he could say if somepony were to stop him.

Luckily though, no pony is in sight, and the trot down the short hall has come to its end as the small group stops to the large iron door that stands between them and the lower part of the dungeon.

Aerolight takes a deep breath as he sparks up the spell every pony with magic is given instead of a key.

With a low metal clanking sound he brings his hoof to the door as he pushes it open and starts down the stairs.

The underbelly of the guard barracks has lost the luster of the polished stone and bright open room feelings, instead the darker stoned walls bring a more dismal emotion to the young stallion's mind.

Their pace quickly brings them to the bottom of the stairs as Aerolight looks around the locker filled room. But, his gaze quickly turns to the last indent hall at the back of the room, his trot locks as he starts through the cleared out area.

However just as his confidence reaches its peak, it's lost as he now stares directly to the large armored unicorn that stands guard to the next closed slightly gold glowing iron door.

Aerolight may be a real guard for Canterlot, but this dark blonde maned and hard faced stallion is somepony he has never before seen.

The young stallion holds his head high as he trot into the simple entrance of the dungeon, but before he can even get his voice up the stallion at the door speaks up, "No pony is supposed to be down here for another ten minutes."

A flashy smile comes to Aerolight's face as he nods, "Ya ya I know, but uh...StoneGem wanted me to take your position earily.

Aerolight's smile squints the larger stallion's eyes as he speaks up, "No pony is allowed down here without Princess Celestia's-....."

Ffffhiizzzzz!!

A bright bolt of green magic quickly strikes against the larger stallion's armor, which sends him back and against the wall as he slumps down it in a groan.

Milky's deep stallion voice comes up as she turns to the pony next to her, "Find the key, Princess Celestia is sure to have given one to the guard."

The white coat of the stallion starts to glow a little green as his entire form gets a little large to match the downed pony he trots near.

Within moments the changling's magic has striped the burnt chest plate from the stallion as he now floats over the key that was hidden around the larger pony's neck.

Milky's horn sparks up to take hold of it as she nods, "Make sure no pony comes down here, we can not be certain no pony heard this."

The stallion nods as he moves to take up a position at the doorway of the hall.

Aerolight slowly follows after Milky as the mare moves the brass key to the iron door's lock, which sends a loud magical chime through the halls as the door's lock opens.

However Milky does not trot in as she takes a step aside for Aerolight, "Free Princess Luna." Her words end as the brass key floats to Aerolight.

He quickly takes hold of it with his own magic as he blinks to the stallion's comment, "Alright." Without another moment of hesitation he quickly trots into the room, his eyes lock to the gold glowing cell at the end as he starts up in a gallop.

Milky turns her head from the stallion now deeper in the hall as she nods to the other changeling next to her.

The sound of his hooves stirs a dark blue shape that leans a little to the simple stone walls, however as Aerolight nears the cell he turns his eyes to the tangled haired pony that sits inside, "Princess Luna, we're here to get you out."

The dark mare blinks to the words as she stands from the bed she sat on, "Y-you are down here without my sister! Y-you must tell-..."

Aerolight jams the key into the iron lock as he rushes his voice out, "We know about everything Luna, my mother is already going to the castle."

Luna's ear flicks as the sound of the magic that encases the cell comes undone, "Thank you! Our sister is not well...H-has anything happened?"

"You need to get to the castle."

The words quickly bring the mare's horn to spark up as she nods, "Of course." Within moments her powerful magic has ringed through the room as she teleports from the building.

Aerolight blinks to the absent mare for a moment as he starts to turn around, but just as he does this his legs become bound and he falls to the floor with a loud thud.

The key is dropped from his hold as the stallion Milky has taken the form of trots in.

"W-What are you doing?!"

Milky gives a little smile to the stallion as her magic forcefully drags him across the ground and into the cell, "Thank you for your help Aerolight."

The door quickly slams shut and the magic that was just broke from it now sparks back up again as Milky continues into the room.

Aerolight, now free from the stallion's magic jumps to his hooves as he rushes to the end of the cell, "Milky what is this?!"

The mare looks over the stallion for a moment as her coat starts to glow a bright green, however she says nothing as the young stallion behind the magical wall now bangs his hoof to it, "Milky don't do this."

The glow to her coat reaches its apex as it flashes.

Where the white stallion once stood now stands an exact replica of Aerolight, the flashy smile that is held to his face also holds as the changeling queen just stares to the young stallion, "Goodbye Aerolight.”

End of chapter 12