Twilight Daylight

by thedarktome

Chapter 34 - Events at Eventa Pt. 2

The only sound that proved to anypony that there were in fact more ponies inside the incredibly massive stadium were the sounds of hooves stomping along marble and chatter amongst Equestria's Royalty and Psera's Royalty.

The group trotted slowly along the marble flooring, gazing at all the gold, pictures, and screens that lined the hallways. Sunset was wondering how in Equestria, er... Psera they had this. She was going to ask Twilight about it but she had a feeling that even she didn't know. So she just rolled with it. But there was a lot of gold in here.

Along the way, Arcadia, King Madun, and the Princesses were making deep conversation about politics, economics, and what else besides the wedding. Arcadia said that she's been helping Madun with Psera's budget by paying more attention to trends and graphs. "We focus more," Arcadia explained. "Well I focus more on education and the sciences. Madun focuses more on the military with our Secretary of Defense, which is very important. And of course we both focus on laws and important situations, investigations and more. Primarily regulations and adjustments for fairness."

"Sounds great," Cadance praised. "What type of sciences do you look into?"

Arcadia laughed and responded honestly, "All of them. Any one you can think of I'm sure I've been into it. Are we almost there, Lieutenant?"

"Right around the corner, ma'am," Lieutenant Sword responded.

"KING BU—oh wait..." Arcadia looked up like everyone else at the exclamation and spotted Merry soaring overhead. Much slower because she was inside a historical landmark. Or a city with important items.

She flapped her wings and slowed to a stop. Then dropped onto the glossy walkway below. She turned back and trotted eagerly to the group. She bowed in front of Arcadia and greeted, "Your highness." Then did the same to Madun. "King Butt—I mean...King Madun."

Arcadia giggled and nudged Madun's shoulder. He instead rolled his eyes and sighed, "Hello, Merry. When'd you get here?"

Merry rose back up and walked with the group as they continued. Ignoring the odd glances from the Equestrians. "Maybe three minutes before your Escort. I saw you going over nine-hundred seventy. And in a formidable defense. Great job, Lieutenant Sword."

"Thank you, ma'am," Lieutenant Sword responded.

Arcadia turned around towards the crowd and decided to introduce her. "Everypony, this is Merry Fire. My future sister-in-law, and Princess of Psera."

"Yes, I believe we met during Hearth's Warming," Cadance responded. "Although under more tense situations."

"Yep! Arcadia was ma-ha-had," Merry agreed. "It's great to see her as her usual perky, upbeat self and not yelling at someone. Because yesterday? Made me shiver a little... And honestly laugh."

"Merry, you're here for something," Madun reminded her. They stopped in front of a pair of very wide doors protected by a bunch of guards working to open them.

"Ah, right! I just came to tell Arcadia something." Merry leaned in to Arcadia's ear and whispered that specfic something that had her flying overhead. Arcadia nodded and said "uh huh" a few times as they spoke. When Merry pulled away the two mares stared at each other like they were frozen in time. Everypony was silent, including the guards who were waiting for the cue to open the doors. Rainbow Dash hovered above, waiting for—

Arcadia suddenly snorted and then burst into a fit of giggles while Merry laughed. Calming down a bit, Arcadia took a breather and asked in delight, "Is that all you came to tell me?"

"Well that, and that the contestants are waiting for everypony's presence in the cafeteria hall. Which was a great idea by the way. You should've seen the tension everyone was in outside! Imagine them actually in the works in the same room competing. So eating together surprisingly calmed everything down."

"Great!" Arcadia cheered. While they chatted, Madun looked towards the door and nodded. The guards there briefly saluted then began to push them open. They groaned in weight as they moved, splitting in the middle and letting in even more light. As Arcadia and Merry had their conversation, The Equestrians were anxiously watching the doors open. Letting in the noise and a lot of conversation.

Lieutenant Sword raised her Communication Block to her mouth and spoke some commands. "All Guards in Events at Eventa, please be advised. We are now entering the Public Sections. Stay sharp and tense." She lowered her hoof once the doors were opened entirely, displaying a very spacious hall that was much wider than the one they were on. Actually, hallway was a very, very, VERY extreme understatement. It was a world.

They were on a street. As in "concrete with sidewalks and street lights" street that were connected to even more. There were what seemed to be buildings with stories as well, and the ceiling was really, really, REALLY high up. Anything underneath was bathed in light by what seemed to be a giant artificial gem, hanging only by large chains connected to a large steel ring. Somehow, it was supplying enough light for the whole area. But they couldn't see where it ended.

"Welcome to Eventa's Section One!" Merry cheered. Then turned back to the Equestrians' awe filled face. The Princesses were trying to take in all the sights at once while Rainbow Dash flew up and observed their location. All she could see were buildings, the "sky", and a lot of Pserateps. Flying around, running, walking, dancing at what seemed to be a party, and navigating in those strange vehicles that didn't require another pony pulling it.

"Dash!" She looked down at Fluttershy who was waving for her to get down. Rainbow pulled in her wings and zipped back down in front of Celestia, who was speaking to a guard.

Lieutenant Sword approached Rainbow Dash and requested in a stern voice, "Please refrain from taking to the air without notifying the Guard, ma'am. You are risking the safety of Psera's peaceful atmosphere, King Madun, Lady Arcadia, and Princess Merry."

"Oh, sorry," Rainbow replied meekly. Slightly satisfied, Lieutenant Sword stepped back and motioned to her guards to form a defensive position around the group once someone had spotted them. A large gathering had since stopped what they were doing earlier and were now creating a crowd around the three pony royals. Actually six if counting the Equestrians. Arcadia, Madun, and Merry waved to the crowd. Although Merry wasn't grinning like they were. More like a casual smile.

Lieutenant Sword lifted her Communication Block to her mouth while keeping a firm eye out. "Escort to Transportation, where are you?"

"Transportation currently in route," someone replied. "We have eight secure pods."

"Understood. Let me know when you're coming through." She lowered her hoof and turned back to the ponies. "Transportation is on its way, everyone. Just relax for now."

Arcadia nodded and then walked towards the mass of ponies with Madun to greet them. While they smiled, shook hooves and took a few pictures, Celestia tapped Merry's shoulder in curiosity, getting her attention. "Yes?" Merry asked.

"So...I've noticed the security presence of Psera is quite extensive," she stated. "Why is that?"

"Ah, the Guard," Merry assumed. Then sighed and said, "Let me give you a little history lesson while we wait." She sat down and cleared her throat. "Even though Psera is really beautiful, advanced, and amazing, there is still ugliness and greed. A long time ago, our mother was in charge of Psera. The role now passed on to my brother. Mother was like Arcadia. She wanted our borders open to visits, exchanges, trade... Basically, be social with other nations years after we stopped the patrolling of our oceans. Well some ponies didn't agree to it. That also occured with some laws that didn't satisfy their needs. Well eventually, enough was enough and a petition was started to take her out. Impeachment. Well that didn't succeed since no illegal law was broken. So they decided that since the government wasn't going to do anything, they would.

"A secret society was started to take down my mother. Then an attempted assassination."

"Really?!" Cadance asked in disbelief.

Merry nodded. "Yep. My brother and I weren't born yet, but she showed us newspaper clippings. Somepony had thrown gas onto the stage of a crowd she was speaking at and tried to take her out that way. And since Pserateps are really fast, you can imagine what it's like when it's close combat, which has happened... Sorry, that's classified information. Well either way, in the end, a group of ponies created a terrorist organization that prides in making their own way in Psera. And target royalty exclusively. Why? I think it's because they want Psera to be perfect. Completely perfect. And kept for themselves."

Rarity looked out amongst the crowd and stammered, "So..."

"So the reason mom became a target is because she tried to open Psera's borders, taxes, and... Something else that's Top-Secret. Now Arcadia, or Twilight has done so much for Psera that it's unbelievable it hasn't been a year yet. And she's gained Royal status before even dating King Madun. A Secretary of Royalty. She does what is asked of Royalty, even volunteering. She's perfect, she's exactly what this group wants in Psera. Perfection. But sadly, she's already gained a frowny-face in their eyes. And may have become a target."

That raised a lot of alarm bells in the visitors minds. The Princesses leaned in and Luna asked the main question. "Why?"

Merry lifted her hoof and placed it softly on Luna's head, right between her eyes. "Because. Of. You. Even though my mother stopped her attempts at opening our borders, Arcadia did and actually made contact. Successfully. Even by just mere contact with you. She and the rest of Psera Royalty and Government have actually went to your land, made a deal, and agreed to help you through a trade. Which in this organization's eyes means even more trades. Forming a permanent relationship. Which is a big no-no. A huge no-go. So even though Arcadia has done so much for Psera, and ninety-eight percent actually support her, there is still the two percent who are prepared to kick her out in the same way they tried to do to my mother."

They stopped their conversation and looked up at the sound of a strange siren. There was a motorcade of eight vehicles working through the crowd, escorting a much longer one in the middle that stopped in front of King Madun and Lady Arcadia. There were also what had to be twenty more guards walking around and slowly flying over the crowd, looking down on them as they all began walking through a path towards the vehicle.

While they moved, Merry continued. "These ponies are invisible to Psera. Even though Arcadia is powerful, she can't see what isn't there. Until it happens. So, many years ago, the Guard went under intense protection training and has created intense rules and laws whenever a Royal decides to move around. Even in the castle, our home. Which means the second Arcadia steps outside into the garden, right in front of the door of the suite, she has guards right there beside her."

The vehicle that would hold Madun and Arcadia was—in Sunset's eyes—like a long jeep limo. It was colored matte gray and had the crest of Psera on the sides. The door for the vehicle was opened sideways in the back, allowing Arcadia to walk in and drag in her wings, followed by Madun and Gardeen. The others were taken to other vehicles. Merry had to wrap this up.

"The ponies in the organization could be anyone. Your brother, sister, best friends. They will look just like me, act like me, you can't even tell. Until they rush out of a crowd and tackle a pony to the ground, plunging a knife into their target's chest. Screaming a chant. There are no signs. At all. The reason your friend was nearly yelled at is because somepony in that group has indubitably heard of Arcadia bringing foreigners here to help judge. All of Psera has, it's been broadcasted through the news by King Madun and Lady Arcadia herself. They just couldn't see Arcadia in here. Until you flew up. They could have spotted you, or the colorful tattoo on your butt, pinpointed our location, and be right in this crowd. Cheering her name." Merry got into the back of a vehicle with the Princesses and Shining, who were still listening. "So now, security has been slightly stepped up."

"What if it's a Guard?" Cadance whispered.

"We kill them," Merry responded. That was so shocking Shining stopped breathing. "No words, no conversation. If a guard even attempts, their life is gone. Arcadia already knows about these guys. She practically knows every single thing about Psera by this point. Except for the fact that she may have become a target. A primary target. But it'd be really REALLY stupid to try it. This pony knows magic and can stop stuff from hitting her in mid air. Creating shields, transfiguring things to other things, creating water, grass, even...." Merry cleared her throat before she could slip up. "Anyway, Arcadia could stop an entire army if she wanted to at the wave of her horn. She's insanely powerful. The only weakness that the Guard, Police, and military know about is when she's really happy. Hanging with friends, dinner, family. Dating. Which is why the security presence has been bumped up on a day that is fast approaching when she is at her most vulnerable point ever in her whole life."

"Her wedding," Shining guessed. He jolted a little when the vehicle began to move along. He, Merry, and the other Princesses looked towards the Royal Vehicle that Arcadia and Madun were currently sharing. They were nuzzling, laughing, and sharing tiny pecks that Cadance was fawning over.

Merry nodded and added, "Yep. The happiest day of her life. The day she lowers her guard entirely and lets the Guard handle it. On that day, the military, the Elite, and all of the Guard will be inside this entire compound, keeping a hard and firm eye on every single pony that enters. The security will be at its maximum, drills will be played out before hoof, and exercises will take place. So what happened earlier is absolutely necessary. If she were to do that on Arcadia's wedding day without a Guard, that pony would've been cut to pieces. The Pseratep security takes it all seriously. Very. Seriously. Now you know."

Author's Note:

I'm sorey if something's off. I'm tired.

UPDATE: Sept. 2nd 0352 PM.
Everything's been fixed!

Comments

[kaiser0kolovos]

Fair enough, a guard or any other member of the military trying to overthrow the King or Queen because they don't like a change in foreign policy is committing high treason.