Fall of the Alicorns

by Rara

05- City Gates and Hot Dates

Disclaimer: CC Cover art and all written material within is intellectual property of user Persianjuliet, and may not be used without consent of the author.

My Little Pony and all related characters are property of Hasbro and Lauren Faust.

Song: Excuse My French by 2be3

We reached Canterlot just as the sun was beginning to set. In the mountain’s shadow, however, night had already fallen. We touched down at the city gates, and Low stepped forward to address the guards. I hung back, curious but intimidated by the daunting stallions that remained motionless on either side of the post. A third emerged from inside the guardhouse, carrying a clipboard instead of a spear.

The guards wore matching armor- simple metal plates hung across their bellies, backs, necks, and shoulders, covered partially with thick cloth in the Royal Colors- deep purple, gold, and black . They wore unadorned round helmets whose only decoration was the Royal Crest- a purple alicorn with a gold thread silhouette, rampant on a field of golden stars that stood out beautifully against a black background.

Their stalwart, uniform appearance was unlike anything I had experienced before. In Branbury, there were no guards, or anything approaching a military unit. There was old Moss Hoof, a retired guard from Canterlot, but his armor lay rusting in a corner of his house, and his bearing was easygoing, if gruff. He was nothing like these well-trained stallions.

It was daunting, to say the least, and I realized then just how unprepared I was for the city. If I was cowed at the very gates, what would the city proper, let alone the castle be like for a young, provincial pony like me? Low Tide had gotten lost on his first venture into the city, but he had ended up finding love. I wasn’t so sure that my luck was that good.

I watched Low conduct his business with the guard. The soldier was older, with streaks of gray in his nondescript brown mane and tail. His blue eyes showed no emotion as Low flashed an easy grin and chatted away.

“Is Hot Streak on duty? I remember promising him a poker game last time around.”

The older pony cocked an eyebrow. “Private Streak is confined to the barracks at the moment. Something about carousing, I believe.”

Low took this in stride, chuckling fondly. “That sounds exactly like him. That smooth-tongued devil would have been more suited to fleecing tourists with shady street games than to guard work.”

The guardpony cracked a small smile, and, to my astonishment, his whole visage changed. He winked at my irrepressible cousin. “I seem to remember you saying that in front of his fiancé last time you were in the city. How long did it take for that bruise to heal, by the way?”

Low groaned theatrically, rubbing his cheek. “Don’t remind me! For a soft-looking mare, she packs quite a wallop.”

The two stallions laughed, and the spear-wielding door guards snickered. I peeked out from behind Low, now more curious than afraid. How in the world had he put them at ease so quickly?

Standing quite close to me was a young guard whom I hadn’t been paying attention to. When a pony stands motionless and is so much a part of the scenery, your eyes begin to slide over them as they would a door or a decorative vase- albeit a vase that could throw you in prison, if it so chose.

The guard nodded at me. “Hey, filly. I haven’t seen you here before. Low always comes alone. You his little sister?”

His smile was warm, his eyes friendly. I smiled back at him, looking past the armor. As I did so, I realized how handsome this particular guard was. His coat was an unusual shade of pale green, complimented by a sand-colored mane and tail. His eyes, peering cheerfully at me from beneath his helmet, were the same shade of yellow-brown as his mane.

A blush heated my cheeks as I met his inquiring eyes. There weren’t many handsome and available colts my age back in Branbury. “No, I’m his cousin. Um… my name’s Wide Eyes.”

His own eyes seemed to sparkle as he shook my hoof. “Nice to meet you, Miss Wide Eyes. I’m Updraft. This your first time in Canterlot?”

My blush grew even worse. I could hardly meet his eyes. “I- is it obvious?”

He patted my shoulder comfortingly. “Hey, no worries. I’m from Cloudy Meadows myself.”

“Cloudy Meadows? But isn’t that a pegasus village?” I was intrigued, and a little of my bashfulness fell away.

“Yeah, mostly. But there are some alicorn families there. It’s a small community, so everypony gets along. Say, what are you-”

I was just feeling at ease with this handsome new friend of mine when a sharp bark from the right made us both jump. “Private Updraft! ‘At attention’ doesn’t mean ‘flirt with pretty mares’, you feather-headed greenhorn!”

The older stallion was glaring balefully at us. The door guards smirked, in a better-you-than-me sort of way. Low Tide, the oh-so-protective cousin, snorted with laughter at the expression on my now entirely red face. Updraft had snapped back to attention, but I heard him mutter out of the side of his mouth. “Meet me tonight?”

I had no time to respond before the narrow-eyed stallion advanced on him. “What was that, Private?”

Updraft stared straight ahead as he answered crisply and correctly. “Nothing, sir! I am at attention and will remain so until I get off duty at precisely seven o’ clock tonight, sir!”

Low Tide rolled his eyes knowingly. The clipboard-wielding guard pony, so angry only seconds ago, sighed, shook his head fondly, and turned back to my cousin. “I remember being that young and moronic. Those were the days, eh?”

Low shrugged. “I don’t know, Sarge. I wasn’t alive before ponies discovered fire.”

He dodged a cuff from the older pony, laughing. The pair ambled through the gates, still talking. Apparently we had been approved for entry into Canterlot. I hadn’t realized that the security was so relaxed, but on the other hoof, my cousin seemed on friendly terms with just about everypony, and apparently that extended to me as well.

Before I followed them, I turned to Updraft. He leaned toward me to whisper, and my heart fluttered idiotically. “Meet me inside this gate at seven. I’ll show you around town, okay?”

I could only nod dumbly. Low called for my over his shoulder, and I mumbled something resembling a goodbye before cantering away.

Comments

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Forget what I said earlier about angst. It's all good. It makes this part so much better.