14. Favors
Following the death of my father and my long trip to Haven, the Royal Guard insisted that I take a week of leave to relax. That was the last thing I ended up doing, as having nothing official to do led to me being stir crazy.
They didn’t understand that idleness was not right for me. What were Crimson Dawn and Tranquil Dusk doing? How about my guards? Was the princess okay in Sunny Day’s hooves? Even with a trip to the Phial and Filly that resulted in more clandestine information, I couldn’t keep my mind focused on anything for too long.
Instead of relaxing, I had just sat and worried and obsessed. Mercifully, that was all over now, as I’d be able to return to duty after lunch. The idea of spending even one more hour in my quarters was too much to bear, so I went out to fly through the city.
That resulted in a very positive discovery: Canterlot had finally gotten a proper game store, the Crystal Delicacy. It lacked the nerdy charm of the Ponyville store, since it had to present itself as higher class to match the aesthetic expectations of a Canterlot clientele.
The Crystal Delicacy was a combination game and figurine shop. The proprietor had a thriving business in carving likenesses of famous ponies out of crystal. He’d then branched out into other miniatures. That, in turn, had led to board and war games.
I wasn’t big on the crystal figurine side of things, but I was glad that I no longer had to brave toy stores or go to Ponyville to find a suitable selection of games. The former had earned me too many uncomfortable glances and the latter just took too much time.
As I wandered along the shelves, I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. Nothing in particular stood out to me. This was just something to do. A distraction before I could get back to my regular life and out of a sour mood.
“May I help you, sir?” came a voice from behind me.
I turned and found a ruby-colored earth pony mare looking at me. She flicked her tail when our eyes met and smiled, inclining her head slightly to the side.
My head shook. “No, thank you. I’m just browsing.”
She pursed her lips, then nodded in response. “If you change your mind, my name is Ruby. Anything you need at all, just let me know. I’ll be up at the counter.”
“Alright,” I replied before going back to the rows of games.
I looked over the various titles. Most of the war games depicted ponies in resplendent armor, charging off into glorious battles. I guess the ponies that made the covers didn’t imagine a situation where you would come home alive from a war and die in an accident by stubbornly flying off without a guide.
“Stupid,” I spat, stomping my hoof.
“Sir? Are you okay?” Ruby called from up front.
I hadn’t realized it but my jaw was clenched. It took a moment to relax it. “Yes.”
“Okay…” she responded with uncertainty.
I put some distance between myself and the war games. The family game shelf had far happier covers. One in particular caught my eye. The cover showed several different colored wires hanging from a tower. The goal was to get rid of all of your pieces before the tower fell. It was more about hoof skills than mental ones, but a change of pace wasn’t bad.
With my selection made, I took it to the counter. “This one please.”
Ruby nodded, her short green mane bobbing. “Anything else today?” She leaned in across the counter towards me.
“Not today, but I’m sure I’ll be back.”
She rang me up and replied, “I look forwards to seeing you again, then. We always appreciate the business.”
My purchase went into my saddlebag and I flew off towards the palace. Flying was something I’d occasionally taken for granted before talking with my mother. Most of my time was spent in my office or in the palace.
A quick shift in course took me away from the city and up into the clouds. The air was cool as it rushed through my feathers and coat. For some reason, it was always easier to think in the clouds. The world and its problems just seemed so much smaller.
Smaller was better. It helped me get a handle on what needed to be done. There were a lot of balls in the air right then, and it was time to put some of them to rest.
I loitered in the clouds for a while before finally swooping down and into one of the towers at the top of the castle. That wasn’t an official entrance, but the guards didn’t mind when they knew who was coming in.
From there, it was a winding trip down staircases and through long hallways to reach my office. There was a pile of paperwork waiting on my desk. Just because I was on leave didn’t mean my position stopped.
That wasn’t a problem, though. Throwing myself back into the work would keep my mind occupied and my hooves busy. That is exactly what I needed. Something to dis—
“Knock knock!” Velvet Step chimed as she and Crystal wandered into my office.
A pleasant distraction it would be, then.
“Hello there. How are you today?” Crystal asked. She’d stopped specifically prodding about my feelings, but she still checked how I was very consistently.
I stood from my chair and came around the desk. “Fit and happy to see Canterlot’s finest fillies. What is the occasion?”
Velvet was practically shaking with excited energy. She looked at Crystal with pleading eyes.
The mare sighed but couldn’t help but brighten up. “I know this is poorly timed and I didn’t want to… horn in, but…” She looked at Velvet and said, “Okay.”
With a squeal of delight, Velvet tossed confetti everywhere and cheered, “Crystal is graduating from the Academy next week and you’re invited!”
“Oh, that’s right! Congratulations!” I replied.
Crystal beamed. “Thank you! I’m so happy to finally be finished. So… if you don’t mind, I would really appreciate it if you came.”
My head bobbed. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Great!” Velvet cheered.
“Alright, well, here is an invitation,” Crystal said, handing me a crisp white envelope. “I invited Luna, too, but for the sake of not turning the whole thing into a circus, she isn’t going to attend. She did, however, offer to host a little reception-slash-game night here. So that all sounds like fun to me!”
That would be entertaining. Another pleasant distraction. “That sounds great. Count me in.”
Crystal leaned in, pushed my helmet up, and kissed my cheek. “Good. Have a great day, dear!”
The pair left my office and me alone. With confetti everywhere.
There was a light knock on my door before Lieutenant Sunny Day came in. She stopped to look around at the mess, then grinned. “Had a party in here?”
I shook my head no. “Clown exploded.”
“Ah… spontaneous clownbustion. See it all the time. Would you like some help cleaning up this mess?”
My brow arched. “I would… but are you doing it because we’re friends, or because you need something?”
“Can’t it be both?”
Lightly, I rubbed my temples. “I’ll get the brooms. Stay here.”
Sunny Day had been a good friend to me in general. She was an excitable pony with an overly positive attitude. In some cases, she was quite lax as a royal guard, but her job always got done and her ponies were safe.
When it came to cleaning confetti out of a carpet, she turned out to be the right pony for me. While I swept, she used her magic to pick up the pieces and dump them into the dust pan. I couldn’t be too appreciative, though, because I knew she wanted something.
After the last sparkle went into the dustpan, Sunny turned to me and grinned. “So, Silent Knight…”
Here we go. I emptied the pan into the trash. “Yes?”
“I know you’ve got a lot going on, but I need a favor.”
I gave her a blank look. “What can Princess Luna’s House Guard do for you?”
She shook her head. “Not the Guard, just you.”
Great. “Alright, what can I do for you?”
Sunny grinned brightly. It was unnerving. “Before you got this job, did you ever imagine yourself in Princess Celestia’s House Guard?”
My ears flicked and I groaned, “I’m going to say yes, but I’m also going to regret it.”
The golden-coated mare lifted her forehooves and wiggled them. “Ta-dah! You’re the new commander!”
My brow raised. “You’re resigning?”
Sunny kept doing ‘jazz hooves’ and shook her head. “Ta-dah! You’re the new temporary commander!”
“What about Lieutenant Rook?”
She shrugged. “He’s there if you need him but when it comes to the direct command of the unit, I want it to be you.”
“Why?”
Sunny’s head tilted. “You’re the pony I trust the most.”
“Well sold, Lieutenant. Where are you going?”
The forehooves came up again to wiggle. “Vacation!”
My ears cocked forwards. “Vacation? Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously! I haven’t had a vacation since I took command. Plus Azurite is getting cranky, so I’m going to take her to the beach and get her wet.”
I held up a hoof. “Please stop talking. I’ll do it if you stop.” I sighed. “When do you leave?”
“Next week! I’ll send Storm Rider over to make sure the transition is smooth.” She turned to leave.
“Wait! When are you coming back?”
Sunny winked over her shoulder. “Who says I am?”
“Sunny…” I held a firm tone and stared at her.
“I might not!”
“I might change my mind,” I growled.
She pouted. “Oh, you’re no fun. We’ll be gone for two wonderful weeks. Then you can go back to doing whatever it is you do.”
“We do the same job,” I said, pointing out the obvious.
“Says you!”
“We do!”
The mare shook her head. “No, we don’t! I’ve got my eye on you,” she chimed melodiously.
“Lieutenant, I’m going to find so much paperwork for Azurite to do that you won’t be able to go.”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t!”
“Go before I change my mind.”
Sunny winked and said, “Thank you, Silent Knight; you’re a peach. Oh, and… I’m sorry about your father.”
“Thanks,” I replied flatly. That was a reminder I didn’t need.
“You know if you want to talk ab…” She trailed, evidently catching whatever expression I had on my face. “Anyway, you know where my office is.”
“Have a nice vacation. Be sure you bring Azurite back, though. She is far better than the last pony resources warrant officer.”
“We’ll see!” she chirped before ducking out of the office in a hurry.
I waited for her to be gone before I got up and left my office. What was she keeping an eye on me for, anyway? Sure, the missions for Princess Luna had been a little off the beaten path for a house guard. And sure, I was on my way to an intelligence briefing that house guards didn’t normally attend. But it wasn’t like I was doing anything wrong.
With any luck, this next meeting would provide some insight, although I doubted it. With my new source of information, most of what I received at these was old news.
Old news or not, I still needed to attend. If I’d suddenly lost interest, that would strike Officer Guise as odd. He might start asking questions. That would upset Maya, and the whole thing would fall apart.
As usual, I arrived on time and as usual I was admitted and given a heavily redacted report. A report that had been waiting for me from Maya when I returned from Haven. Hers was far more informative.
“We should pass this information on to King Ranald immediately,” Guise said to the few ponies in the room. Most of them I didn’t know, nor had they been introduced. Old information passed immediately? What an odd idea.
“I’m not certain of that, sir,” Sergeant Major Granite replied. “Yes, we know that his real name isn’t Alastair. Yes, we know he is related to someone important. There is no evidence here that he acted on orders, however.”
Guise asked, “What do you suggest then?”
“Extricate,” I put in, turning every head in the room.
“You’re crazy!” Guise exclaimed.
My head shook. “Not in this case. His alias is wanted in the Northern Kingdom. If we don’t share the information about his identity, King Ranald has complete deniability. We capture Alastair and work him for the connection. Then we take that to the king.”
Granite said, “He has a good point, sir.”
“I see. I’ll consider it. For now, I think we’ve shared enough. You’re dismissed, Lieutenant.”
“Yes, sir,” I replied before heading out.
Garrard Kronson, grandson of King Victor Kronson of the Southern Kingdom. That was who Captain Alastair really was. There was almost no possibility he’d acted without orders. The grandson of a king has little need for money.
This was far deeper than I imagined and I wanted more answers. When I got home in the evening, I would leave the signal for Maya. It was time that she and I had another chat.
That would have to wait, however, as I had yet another matter to take care of. With my week of leave, I’d neglected my responsibility to our guests. To make up for that, I’d promised them a full tour of the palace.
When I returned from my intelligence briefing, I found the pair waiting outside of my door. “Forgive me for being late. My duties rarely respect my schedule,” I said as I approached.
Crimson Dawn shook his head. “That is alright. We understand.”
Tranquil idly rubbed a forehoof against my door. “We still have time for the tour, though, right?”
“Of course. I’ve blocked out the rest of my day just for that. If you two would follow me, we’ll start at the courtyard and work our way through the various areas of the palace,” I explained as I led them back out.
Over the next few hours, I showed them every nook and cranny of the palace complex. I shared all of the trivia I knew, which seemed to delight them both. We were almost done, but there was one more thing left for them to see.
“I’ve saved the best for last,” I explained as I walked backwards towards two massive doors. Palace guards were stationed on each side and, as I approached, they encircled the handles with their magic and tugged the doors open.
“The throne room and seat of Equestrian power. It is also famous for its stained-glass windows,” I said as I led the pair in.
I had barely finished speaking when Crimson pointedly asked, “Why is there only one throne?”
Seriously? That was the first thing he noticed? These two were far more observant than most ponies. Many were so awestruck that details like a single throne never crossed their minds.
“There is a remodel being planned to fix that situation. There was also some discussion that Princess Luna would have her own palace, but that was scrapped.”
Tranquil Dusk’s head tilted as she asked, “Why?”
“The princesses don’t want to be divided again. They’ve agreed that there shall be one castle, one throne room, and two thrones.”
“I see. It is a lovely castle.” Tranquil Dusk paused, and her wings started to tremble with excitement. “May we see the city now?”
“And I would like to see the Royal Guard Academy,” Crimson Dawn put in.
So much for the splendor of the throne room. I turned back to the door. “Yes, of course. I suppose it is about time you went beyond these walls. I think there is a place you’ll like.”
“I’m certain we’ll like anywhere you take us,” Tranquil said.
“I hope so. Let’s go, it won’t take long if we fly,” I said, leading them back out to the courtyard and leaping into the air. It would be faster, but it would also draw less attention. Ponies rarely paid attention to pegasi when they looked up.
The Royal Guard Academy was as busy as ever with ponies galloping about and training hard. Nostalgia filled me with a strange, bittersweet longing for the simpler days.
“If you are set on becoming a royal guard, this is where you’ll process through,” I explained as we landed. “Most ponies in central Equestria come here. It is the toughest program, but it also yields the best results.”
Many of the recruits were looking our way, and that earned a lot of angry yelling from their instructors.
Crimson looked around and said with absent wonder, “There are so many soldiers.”
“Guards, not soldiers. But, yes, there are a lot of them. For now. A lot of ponies try, but less than half make it. The Royal Guard is highly selective at all levels. There are more ponies that want to be a guard than there are positions.”
His expression turned serious. “Then that means I may try and fail.”
“Yes, I’m afraid so. There is no shame in failing, though. I’d rather have a pony at my side that gave it their all and came up short than one that was too afraid to even start.”
He turned to me. “Some ponies have an advantage, though, don’t they?”
I wasn’t sure exactly how he’d meant that but I nodded. My own narrative would work. “Yes. My father was in the Equestrian Army and then the Royal Guard. He trained me my entire life for this career. That was certainly an advantage and I had little difficulty when I was here.”
“Then you owe him much,” Crimson said.
Despite Stratus Knight’s methods, he had prepared Winterspear and me for the rigors of the Guard. It was hard to deny that we’d both excelled in our careers.
“Yes.” It was all I could say before shifting away from the grounds. “Come along. I want to show you someplace fun.”
We left the academy and flew above the city. Ponies are nosy by nature and we’d attracted enough attention at the RGA. Now it was time for something else, so we crossed town together and landed outside the happiest place I knew: Sunridge Sweets. I pushed the door open, jingling the little bells, and motioned the siblings inside.
“Welcome to Sunridge Sweets! I’ll be right with you,” Pepper Ridge called, his head in the front display as he gathered cookies.
The place got quiet as all the patrons stopped what they were doing to stare at Crimson. Tranquil got her share of looks, too, but he was far more out of place.
Pepper Ridge looked up in confusion until he saw me. “Oh, hi, Silent Knight, long ti—” His eyes found the nox ponies and he just stopped talking.
“Yes, sir,” I responded loudly and clearly. “I was off visiting some distant relatives of mine. They decided to come home with me. This is Crimson Dawn and Tranquil Dusk.”
He blinked several times before stammering, “H-How do you do? Any friend of Silent Knight’s is a friend of mine. What can I get you?”
Tranquil Dusk looked at all of the sweets, wide-eyed. She turned back to me, seemingly oblivious to the awkward scene. “What may I get?”
Crimson was busy eyeing everypony else, a bit of challenge in his gaze. I set a hoof onto his shoulder and angled him towards the displays before responding, “Anything you want. Both of you. My treat.”
The stallion took my hint and stepped up closer to the counter to start looking over all of the confections. “We don’t have anything like this back home,” he said plainly.
“They all look so pretty! What’s good?” Tranquil asked.
Pepper Ridge grinned brightly. “Well, I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I think everything is good, little miss. They taste as wonderful as they look.”
“Oh, I see!” Tranquil replied excitedly. Her hoof pointed in three different places. “I’ll have one of those, one of those, and one of those.”
“Coming right up! And for the stallion?”
Crimson looked around and then pointed at one of the tables where three fillies were sitting and drinking milkshakes. “I don’t see those behind the counter. May I get one of those?”
“Yes, you may. One milkshake coming up. Wait right here while I get it all together,” Pepper Ridge said cheerfully.
The patrons were still staring, but most had started to get back to their sweets. It helped to have a royal guard present.
Behind me the door opened, jingling the little bells once more. “Dad, I’m here! I’ll get started on the—” Velvet squealed in surprise. “Sweet Celestia! Vampony!”
“What?” Crimson asked, turning around to face her.
I stepped forwards and set a hoof on his shoulder again. “Crimson, this is my dear, sweet, understanding, and polite friend, Velvet Step. She would never be rude. She just has a wacky sense of humor. Velvet, this is Crimson Dawn and his sister, Tranquil Dusk. They’re visiting Canterlot. I thought they’d like to check out the local treats.”
Velvet stared at me in horror while she slowly side-stepped her way around us to get behind the counter. “Oh, how lovely. Welcome, both of you. Try the pink cupcakes, they’re delicious. If you’ll excuse me, I just need to go into the back and get some stakes—I mean plates!” She then disappeared into the back.
I softly groaned and motioned to an empty table. “You two go have a seat. I’m going to pay and then I’ll join you.”
Tranquil and Crimson nodded, headed over to the table, and settled down. I set bits on the counter and whispered to Pepper Ridge, “She knows there is no such thing as vamponies, right?”
The stallion simply shrugged and rang up the order. “Silent Knight, giant chickens attacked this town recently. Are you positive she is wrong?”
“Point taken. In either event, he isn’t a vampony. We flew here during the day.”
“I’ll be sure to tell Velvet that. By the sounds of it, she might be trying to sharpen one of the rolling pins, so if you could just keep a general eye on the front of the store, I’ll go make certain she doesn’t weaponize the bakery.”
“Deal,” I replied before picking the order up and carrying it over to the table. “Here we are: treats. Enjoy.”
The pair peered at the different items before tentatively tasting each of them. Tentative lasted about half a minute. They devoured the rest in a matter of seconds.
Crimson looked over at me and asked, “What is a vampony?”
“Oh, it’s make-believe, there is no such thing. Velvet was just being silly. What would you like to do next?”
Tranquil thought for a moment as she licked frosting off an empty wrapper. “What do you do when you’re not being a guard?”
“Mostly I spend time with my friends. Usually we play board games,” I explained.
“You play games? Like foals?” Crimson asked.
I chuckled and shook my head. “No, foals wouldn’t be able to play the games we play. They all require skill, strategy, and critical thinking.”
“Hmm, I see,” he mused.
Tranquil shifted in her chair. “May I visit the archives?”
“I don’t see why not. I should be able to get you a pass for that.”
She smiled cheerfully. “Thank you, Silent Knight.”
Crimson looked up from his milkshake and asked rather suddenly, “Your father, he is a great warrior?”
My body went rigid at the question. “He is… Well, he was.” I looked out the window to try to find a sense of calm before I returned my attention to them. “When I had to take leave, I told you it was for family matters.” I took a measured breath. Stay calm, Silent. You’re a grown stallion. “My father died while I was in Haven.”
The stallion blinked. “Oh.”
Tranquil’s ears folded back. “Forgive my brother’s lack of tact, he means no disrespect.”
“It’s alright. He didn’t know,” I said, burying my frustration deep down where it belonged. “I’m sure nopony thought to tell the two of you.”
Crimson nodded in agreement with his sister. “Truly, I did not. I only ask because you mentioned he prepared you for this role.”
I shook my head. “Not for this role, no. My career as a royal guard and a soldier for sure, but not an officer. That has been a learning experience on my own.”
“Would you be willing to teach me?” Crimson asked. “I don’t want to go to the academy unprepared, and if you show me what it is like, I will be able to make a better decision about it.”
Would I be willing to? Of course. Should I be, though? I was his guardian. It was difficult trying to weigh his rights against Moonlit Star’s wishes.
Finally, I replied, “I can’t help but worry the matriarch wouldn’t approve.”
Crimson did his best to keep his expression even, but a twinge of annoyance was clear. “Agreed, but you said yourself that it would be my choice. I am an adult here.”
It seemed like I was already doing a poor job of being a guardian. At the same time, the matriarch sent these two with me for a reason. Even if I said no, he might go about it on his own. Perhaps under my guidance, he could make better choices.
I nodded. “Alright, I’ll do it.”
“You will?” he asked, seeming surprised.
“Yes, but there will be rules and I won’t tolerate disobedience. If you can’t agree to that, you’ll never make it in the academy. I’m not sure what you imagine it will be like, but I need to warn you that your expectations will likely not be met. Do you understand?”
Crimson nodded. “I understand. It will make it clear whether or not the academy is right for me.”
“Yes, it will,” I said plainly before looking to Tranquil. She was sitting silently looking down at the table. “Is something wrong?”
She shook her head. “No, it will just be odd if he goes. We’ve never been apart for long.”
“We won’t be,” he replied.
“Silent Knight left his family to go with Luna the Student. Think how long he was gone and what happened while he was. We may be apart for a long time.”
The stallion scowled and crossed his hooves.
I glanced between them as the mood soured so much I could practically see it in the air around us. “Alright, for now, let’s just assume he isn’t going yet. He wants to make an informed decision is all. Why don’t we go back to the palace and relax? You two can discuss this when and if the time comes.”
“Very well,” Tranquil replied.
Crimson Dawn nodded. “That seems fair. I would also like to know more about these vamponies. Your friend was quite frightened of them. Perhaps we should learn to defend ourselves.”
As the three of us stood and made our way out, I explained, “Alright, well, first of all, they’re not real. But if they were, the first thing you have to know is to never invite them into your house…”
And thanks to Velvet Step, I now had to explain vamponies to the two ponies in Canterlot that looked the most like them.
☾
I could feel my eyes glazing over as I sat behind my desk listening to another speech about paperwork. Azurite was wedged next to me pointing out several things and explaining others. None of it interested me in the slightest.
“Sign here. And here. Initial there. Sign here. Not there, sir, here!” Azurite prattled on.
“What am I signing?” I asked.
The pixie-like unicorn replied, “The first three are vacation approval forms. The next group is just the annual benefits packages. Your ponies do them with us and you just sign them. Complete formality. You can’t not approve them.”
“What do you mean annual packages? We’re not even halfway through the year,” I foolishly pointed out.
Azurite shook her head in exasperation. “These are the ones everypony filled out at the beginning of the year to set up everything for the current calendar year.”
“Didn’t I sign these before?”
The little unicorn tilted her head and stared at me. “Sir, do you want me to be here longer and understand this completely, or do you want me to be shorter and accept that this is what I do for a living?”
Could she be any shorter? I started signing where she indicated and stopped asking questions. “Yes, Warrant Officer.”
There was a knock on my office door. I looked up to spot Miley Hooves, who was supposed to be off duty. She wasn’t wearing her armor, so perhaps she was.
A somewhat familiar grey unicorn mare was lingering behind her. She also didn’t have armor, but I knew her from somewhere. I waved them in with one hoof while signing with the other.
“Sorry to interrupt, sir…” Miley trailed, eyeing Azurite with interest. The little mare just stared for a moment. Miley had always been small, but Azurite took the prize for the littlest adult I knew. Finally, Miley shook her head and pressed on, “Val and I were going to take a few days off. If that’s alright?”
“Val?” I asked curiously, my focus shifting. Azurite grabbed my hoof and started moving it on pages to sign. How did I know Val? Was I giving her a few days off, too? No, she wasn’t one of mine. Was she one of Sunny’s?
That didn’t make sense. Azurite was currently in my office, so Sunny hadn’t left for her vacation yet. It was going to drive me nuts until—it finally clicked. “Oh, right, Val! You’re the friend of Miley’s that I met at Runic’s party.”
Val nodded and smiled. “Exactly. If it is okay with you, I want to steal Miley for a few days. We’re going to be heading to Las Pegasus for a long mares’ weekend.”
“That sounds dangerous. Am I going to get her back?” I asked as my hoof continued to move under the control of a crazed little mare.
Miley squeaked, “Of course! I’d never give up my position.”
“I believe that,” I said as Azurite’s small hooves moved my big one wildly around. “I’ll approve it, but you need to be sure to talk to Sergeants Orchid and Iridescence for coverage. You probably have plenty of leave days.” I looked over at Azurite. “Does she have plenty of leave?”
“Sergeant Hooves, tons of days, sign here!” Azurite exclaimed, exasperated.
“That means yes. Approved, Sergeant,” I said.
Miley cheered, “Thank you, boss!”
I signed the last form and tried to hide a grin. Over time, I had come to find Azurite immensely entertaining most days. I also had a huge amount of respect for her, too. She was the best at what she did. Plus, she was easy to tease. Which I didn’t do often; I mostly just watched Sunny Day do that.
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Azurite said, closing all of the files and taking them up in her lavender magic.
“Alright, everypony is dismissed. Give me my office back. It was nice to see you again, Val. Keep an eye on Miley for me.”
“Of course! She’s my friend, and I want to keep her in one piece,” she replied.
All of the mares turned and started out the door. Once they were out in the hall, Miley looked down at Azurite and said, “I’m bigger than you.”
Azurite just sputtered and said something about being a warrant officer. I cracked a smile and couldn’t help but laugh.
I looked up at the clock; it was about time to go, and I was hoping to have a meeting after hours. I stood up, walked around the desk, and towards the door. Before I could get out, however, Russet Rook stopped me.
“Sir?”
“Silent Knight, I’m glad I caught you,” he said. I took a few steps back to let him come in. He shut the door. “I wanted to give you a head’s up on something.”
“Yes, sir?”
“I’m going to be leaving soon for captain’s training. I’m sure that is no surprise. At the same time, though, I’m going to push straight on to advanced leadership school. You and Sunny don’t need me, and Major Measure can more than handle keeping an eye on you two. I think the timing would be good.”
Captain’s training. I hadn’t even thought about that for a minute. There wasn’t much to it: two weeks or so of classes to prepare lieutenants for larger units. ALS, however, was serious business. Without completing it, an officer’s career ended at the rank of major. Russet was trying to get a huge leg up.
“That is some major forwards thinking, Russet. Pardon the pun. The boss is on board?”
He nodded. “She is. I think she’s already shopping vice colonel. You know as well as I do that this whole Unified House Guard didn’t really work out how leadership planned. It looks great on the resume, but Major Measure and I don’t do anything. The princesses always bypass us and go directly to you.
“Plus, I think I might want a company of my own. You know, one that I’d command. Once I get that, finding time for ALS is going to be hard.”
I shook my head. “No, you’re right. You got railroaded once. If you have the chance to move up fast, you should go for it.”
“I figured you’d understand. I just didn’t want it to be a surprise.”
“When do you leave?” I asked.
“Next week.”
I blinked. “Come again?”
Russet’s head tilted. “Next week, why?”
“Sunny’s on vacation for two weeks.”
He rolled his eyes and snorted. “She beat me here?”
“The early bird gets the worm, sir.”
Russet smiled at me. “Well, in this case, both birds get the worm. Besides, Silent Knight, I’m sure running the whole UHG for a while will look great on your resume, too. Have a good evening.” He turned and opened my door.
“Thank you for breaking it to me easy, Russet,” I said, not hiding my sour feelings from my voice one bit.
“Kindness is just one of my traits!” he replied before escaping out into the hall.
Great. Just great. I sighed and shook my head as I locked up my office to head home.
So, I was going to be left in charge of the UHG and two overly curious nox ponies who could no longer be contained by the castle walls. I gave silent thanks to whoever was looking out for me that, normally, not much happened to either house guard.
The trot up one of the tower’s spiral staircase was a great warm-up for when I arrived at the topmost balcony. Leaping off and taking flight was a breeze. The air felt great as it brushed underneath my armor to cool my coat.
Home wasn’t far when flying. In no time at all, I spiraled down to land just outside the building, stopping to check the lamppost.
There was a chalk X on it. At least somepony was cooperating with me today.
“Lieutenant! Lieutenant!” a voice called from behind me, growing closer.
I quickly wiped the X off and turned, putting on a grumpy face. Somepony had followed me home from the palace and I was in no mood for it… until I saw who it was. Coming down the street in a hurry was Ley Lines from the Canterlot University Research Library.
When she got to me, she was huffing and puffing. “Tried to catch you at palace—” She panted more. “Saw you fly.” With a wheeze, she offered me a folder. “Found it.”
“You chased me all the way here to give me research?” I asked as I accepted the packet.
She nodded, finally catching her breath. “It was fascinating research. I just returned from the Crystal Empire and had to get it to you. There is a wealth of information up until that meeting and then it flat out disappears.”
I opened the folder to start skimming. “That doesn’t surprise me. Any high-level points I should know?”
“Yes, sir.” She beamed with excitement. “The rulers of Equestria all went to meet there, but there is no information on what the meeting was about and what the outcome was. It was arranged by the Unicorn Temple and held on their grounds there. Only one ruler declined to attend: the old unicorn king, Sombra. The rest, apparently, were there.”
My ears shot up. “I’m sorry, did you say the Unicorn Temple arranged and hosted the meeting?”
Ley Lines nodded. “Yes, sir, is that important?”
I closed the folder and tried not to frown. “Oh, yes. That is very, very important.”
If you are enjoying this story, please consider taking a look at Crystal and my's website QuillnBlade.com for extra content such as mini stories, Q&B AU wiki, and special rewards for the awesome folks who support our Patreon. We have monthly art give aways, a Q&B Discord RPG, a several other fun gifts for patrons.
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Well this was brilliant just finish Crystal Wishes' latest chapter and this was here.
The plot is thickening, and we can't blame the lard.
Quite a few ponies just might find a nice mountain of paperwork with their names on it when they get back.
Nice chapter. I like how Slient is dealing with two Nox ponies now and has the whole unit to run. This is going to be a funny juggling act.
Looks like Silent is going to be having an interesting meeting with Ferrel.
Woop!
Silent was fucked over... he ends up the sole commander, this is going to take its price from his health
being
Nice chapter to lighten the mood from the last one. Looks like we're back to
the best ponyFerrel(andpossiblymost likely the scroll) and that makes me happy. This whole thing looks like a buildup to a big revelation on history and current affairs. And Tranquil Dusk got access to Archives.media.giphy.com/media/qhURwEDavrGQE/giphy.gif
When I saw Velvet, I knew something silly was going to happen, but I totally did not see this coming
6129956 Eeyup, the thick plottens.
Phooey. SK is going to have a oh-so very fun time, isn't he?
Silent Knight: Chainsaw juggler. Watch this rookie juggle home, two units, and several side projects, some of which are cloak and dagger!
Careful Anzel, or the curse of Gearbutt (or Swordbutt in this case) might hit you for being such an evil donkey to your OC.
This was an awesome chapter... Also, adorable Azurite is adorable and Miley is awesome.
As for the Unicorn Temple arranging that Princess Meeting? Oh, this is just so juicy. I can't wait to get to it. But then, there are so many side things weaving in and out (naturally) that I'm just excited for the update every time! EEEEEEE! Oh well, I guess I'm stuck waiting for the next chapter.
And on a last note, I hope Silent gets his revenge on Sunny and Rook.
6130123
Wrong. That is referring to the info that the Intel Wennie is currently giving him. So the 'was' is correct and the 'been' is the problem... in that it should be 'being'.
This sharing is going on as he is thinking this making it present tense.
I now keep imagining Silent Knight having a meltdown much like Mr. Steve Martin in the role of Sgt. Bilko:
Woot!
6130187 That... makes sense. Guess I shouldn't try correcting grammar when english is my second language.
Corrected my original post.
6129956 This is true! It is indeed. I'm fitting in a whole lot lately. It has taken a bit of spreadsheeting to be sure I'm on track!
6129968 Exactly! Especially with Azurite gone.
6130027 That is precisely what I was going for ^_^
6130036 Agreed!
6130056
6130065 It is certainly going to keep him extra insanely busy.
6130123 Yeah, I like the idea of Miley, the smallest pony, finding and even smaller pony. I've been trying to get those two in the same scene for a while now. Plus Azurite being Azurite! <3 Azurite.
6130145 What, a ton of sudden responsibility isn't fun?
6130159 Yes indeed. There is some explaining to do somewhere!
6130218 Certainly possible at some point ;D
6130262
6130392
Well, I'm not worried. I'm sure he's already got a paln for it. Probably something with a puppy.
Damn.. Silent got fucked hard core.. poor stallion. Anyway At least this chapter had some comedy in it. That last part was a bit of a mind blower, and raises a lot of questions. Did the Unicorn temple have something to do with the death of the Alicorns? Or did King Sombra have something to do with it instead, he did decline to attend the meeting no one had information on, so that raises more questions. Anyway cant wait till the next chapter.
6130392
I dunno'...
Miley's adorable and silly, and Azurite is even more so. Additionally, when you put the shortest two characters in one room you exponentially increase the ambient Cute Factor.
However, Velvet still holds the position of most entertaining character for me. Sharpening a rolling pin...
EDIT: P.S.
I think you meant "resignedly." Resolutely means a positive attitude in the face of difficulty, whereas he seems to be finding out that it's going to be much harder than he ever expected.
6130392
Explanations.... they must be had.... because somewhere, somewhen, somehow, somepony dun goofed. I'm looking forward to it!
Haha, poor Silent Knight, he get a lot on his plate at the same time.
Poor Azurite, even Miley is teasing her xD
Ooooo, Silent keeps moving on up. Temporary command of a unit isn't just taking over for a friend, it's also a test.
Oh crap, now that's an after-the-facts escalation of what actually happened. The kidnapping for money plan always seemed a little too low-aiming when the target in question raises the moon.
This won't end well. /broken-record
That remodel needs to be expedited.
Idle thought, with how sneaky Tranquil is I wonder how long before she discovers Silent's little covert side-job.
Azurite!
Hahahaha!
Good planning on Rook's part. And hey, maybe Silent will be so busy he won't have any time for questionable side activities.
Well now, that's interesting. Doubly so given the Sombra bit and the Unicorn Temple bit.
6130998
I dunno, seemed to me it was more like little Miley having a moment of shock that she found somepony that she's taller than.
6130414 Planning... well, we'll see! He might!
6130502 It was a fairly big reveal for sure. I've got a few fun things planned!
6130545 They are all pretty fun to write for sure. I really enjoy writing Velvet. As far as word choice you actually summed up what I was going for. It doesn't shake him at all. He is merely acknowledging and accepting that he may fail.
6130617 Certainly in time all will be revealed!
6130998 He does indeed. Silent Knight can take it though. He has broad shoulders. We hope.
6131104 I'm actually shocked that less people are talking about the gryphon reveal. There is so much in that! Glad you noticed. A chapter full of plot points! And vamponies.
6131238 That is actually a big part of it. Of course considering she finally found somepony smaller she went bully ;D
6131730
In time.... I don't like waiting.... -____- Oh well, if I must wait for this awesomeness, then I must wait for this awesomeness. Keep on keepin' on, man, and I'll tolerate waiting.
Either the Temple did the dirty deed to the rulers or they failed to prevent it and, as a consequence, they no longer feel worthy of ever being able to speak to an alicorn again. And I get the sense that it was the latter. It feels like an old, old shame, something that they don't talk about but haven't forgotten. Confronted, I think Ferrel would be honest, she seems to respect Silent.
So Allister wasn't that dreaded griffon's real name? That is most wicked.
6131730
Well, in that case, you may still want to change the word. To me, "resolute" makes it sound like he's specifically bucking up in the face of adversity - like he actually means that the challenge is welcome and he's specifically determined to conquer it. If you want him to be rather casual about the possibility of failure you might go for something like "indifferent." Or, if you want to be truly clear, expand it to something like:
“So I may try and fail,” he said, apparently indifferent to the possibility.
Awkward is a vast understatement when it comes to that meeting with Crimson and Tranquil and Velvet. Good Lord Velvet could have handled that better. And what is going on between Val and Miley eh? Why do I have a bad feeling about something. I could be wrong so I will withhold any assumptions or preemptive judgments, but I will remember this little detail if anything comes up...Then with that new information that was given to SK, you sir are building all this up for one heck of a climax.
Oh this is gonna be good!
All that i can say at this point with all the things Silent is juggling Murphy's Law will come to bite him back in the ass n one way or another
Ow! This plot is thick, dayuum!
I also sence that Miley could get her sidestory. I wouldn't be supriced if she actually did.
Oh ho ho ho!
Oooooooh!
Oh ho ho ho ho!
I bet I'm either sounding like Santa or Eggman right now!
I bet Silent's gonna have a few words with Ferrell.
*Dramatic Music*
6132167
I’ll address your question in full, but the short answer is this: Of course I will but this is more of a novel than an episode of MLP where everything is resolved in 30 minutes. If you’re looking for instant gratification this isn’t the story for you.
You’ve essentially created a laundry list to make it look like there are a ton of things when really you’re just talking about the same sub-plots repeatedly, mentioning story elements that don’t “resolve,” or made a few things up. It seems disingenuous to me.
As a few examples:
Crimson and Tranquil were added to the cast. They’ll show up like any other character. There is no resolution to them.
Crystal’s graduation literally just came up.
The unicorn temple, Sombra, and all of those similar items you listed are all part of the alicorn sub-plot and have further advanced it. They’re not individual items waiting to be closed. They’re parts of a whole we’re moving to.
Does it all have to happen at once? Yes, yes it does. As I said, I’m not writing 30 minute episodes and this is slice of life. Life doesn’t happen with one thing at a time. It is also how I choose to present the story. If that isn’t the sort of thing you like to read I completely respect that but I’m not going to apologize for it. Either enjoy it the way it is meant to be taken or go find something more suited to your tastes.
6133004 I imagine he is going to have a lot of questions for her for sure!
6132650 If I do another guard side story it will likely be Miley.
6132364 Yes indeed, he does have a ton of balls up in the air. Something will certainly have to give sooner or later.
6131988 Velvet is just afraid of vamponies! She can't help it ;) And yes, I'm really building towards something. A few somethings!
6131822 To me, "resolute" makes it sound like he's specifically bucking up in the face of adversity - like he actually means that the challenge is welcome and he's specifically determined to conquer it Yes, that is exactly what I was trying to convey.
6131801 It was not! It was just an alias.
6131769 Yes, they should certainly know something about it.
6131765 Well... unfortunately waiting is part of the game here! It should be worthwhile though.
6133405 And thus Murphy's Law will bite him in the ass because what might go wrong will go wrong especially in the intel field i believe, because they are wrong half the time anyways
6133405 knew it.
6133391
Consider me chastised. (Teach me to post late at night when in a bad mood).
6133537
Well, I hope not too much. I understand what you're saying but believe in staying the course. Hopefully the payoff is going to be worth it for everyone!
6133549
How many Griffon kingdoms are there and how would descripe them ?
6133861 There are four gryphon kingdoms: Northern, Southern, Eastern, and the Islands.
The Northern kingdom is heavily focused on seafaring trade. They're united under a stable monarchy and have been for several hundred years.
The Southern Kingdom's economy is based heavily on natural resources. Wood, iron, copper, stone, and precious stones. They take what they need from the land and sell it off. They are also united under a very strong monarchy that leaves little room for reform.
The Eastern Kingdom is agrarian and provides most of the food for the entire continent. It has a very weak central monarchy that changes claws every so often. Its various regions are led by powerful nobles.
The Island Kingdom isn't actually a kingdom. It is a collection of islands off the eastern coast that all share a historic familial relation. Each island is ruled by a noble and they all generally align with each other for mutual protection. Their primary economy is based on fishing and ocean related products.
6134033
Bad blood between them ?
6134063 Between the gryphons? Always.
Maya almost certainly heard Silent's conversation with the professor. Finding out more details of what Silent was researching should also be trivial for an intelligence agent of her caliber. What she'll do with that knowledge is another mattter.
Learning that historically there weren't two but six alicorns and four of them were murdered could rattle anypony. Its a case over a 1000 years cold and many would consider it buried. But, as noted in the comments before spies tend to be paranoid and leap to the worst case scenario by nature. But, since we have so little info about Maya's nature its impossible to guess what her "worst case scenario," will be.
Betcha 10 ponies that Maya is Ferrel. :3
Good lord Anzel you are a brilliant writer.
6137019 We'll find out for sure eventually and thank you! It is also nice to see you. It's been a little while!
6135746 Well, that is assuming Maya is watching Silent Knight all the time. We'll have to see if that is the case ;)
6138672
Haha yeah, I've been super busy with life, sorry!
6139878 No worries! I know how that goes ;D
I knew the unicorn temple was going to have a hoof in all this. I'm just surprised Exemplar Ferrel didn't have secret instructions to destroy the Haven archives or something.
Though, I admit, I'm seeing the theory that they failed to prevent the assassination in the comments, and there's a very compelling side to it. It would explain their almost penitent attitude.
6143095 Yeah if I got someones entire family killed I wouldn't be able to look them in the eye either.
6146238 "In our defense, it was a very nice wooden horse."
6143095 It could certainly be either way. For some reason or another though they are certainly not allowed to interact with the alicorns directly.
6146238 Harsh but fair (if true)!
6147559 Huzzah a fellow comic reader.