SoaRG: 8. Preparations

I stood at attention in Princess Luna’s office. Her assistant, Willowy Tempest, was at the princess’s side, holding the day planner. The day planner that I used to maintain. That detail wasn’t important at the moment, but it did sting the back of my mind.

“Silent Knight I have had my schedule cleared. We shall leave for the Badlands immediately to meet with the nox ponies,” she explained.

“No, Princess.”

The princess was already levitating some luggage. “I want to travel quickly and we’ll…” She turned to look at me in confusion. “Did you say no?”

“Yes, Princess, I did. We aren’t leaving immediately and we aren’t going alone.”

Princess Luna rose to her full height and commanded, “We will and we are!”

I shook my head. “No, Princess. I’m glad you have a bond with these ponies. Even I have a moderate level of trust for their matriarch. We don’t know that her word will hold everypony in bond, however. When we go we’re taking at least a squad with us. This is just like any other diplomatic trip.”

“You said yourself that they are afraid of us. You expect to march royal guards into their home? I will hear nothing more of this. We are leaving and we’re leaving now,” the princess said stubbornly.

“A single squad of ponies will be acceptable and I can have chariots ready by this Thursday. We’ll take their feelings into account but we have to protect you and I will not be enough.”

Princess Luna stormed over and dropped her head to look me in the eye. “If I fly out that window right now you’ll have to follow.”

The princess had a withering gaze, I’ll give her that, but she was being unreasonable. I stared back and shook my head. “No. I’ll send Torch Light there after you and go tattle to Princess Celestia myself.”

Torch Light, one of our newest guards, looked confused and slightly mortified by the conversation.

“You are a stubborn pony!” Princess Luna exclaimed in exasperation. “Fine, we leave first thing Thursday. You may bring six ponies in addition to yourself. Willow, make the schedule work.”

Willowy Tempest looked at me and then nodded. “Yes, Princess.”

I turned to go make the arrangements and then paused. “We’ll need amulets for everypony. Possibly for you, too, Princess, assuming you can’t see in the dark.”

“It will be done,” Princess Luna replied before settling grumpily at her desk.

☾

“You bring me into the know just to immediately box me out?” Radiant Orchid asked.

“Not at all. If we’re both with the princess who am I going to leave in command here?”

The mare practically shouted at me, “Iridescence! If she is ever going to take this job we have to let her do it at some point.”

It was a solid argument. “Works for me. Brief her when we’re done here.”

“Of course she can do it, we just… oh, alright. So I’m going?”

I nodded my head. “Yes, you are. Although, again, I didn’t ask. You volunteered. Now we’ll need two sky chariots. One small and one large. Be sure the large one is big enough for six ponies. For the small one let’s go with that little number Princess Luna had made for Nightmare Night. If that doesn’t scream Alicorn of the Night I don’t know what does."

"Yes, sir. Will do.”

“Instruct all the ponies that we are only to refer to Princess Luna as Luna the Student until I say otherwise. Princess Celestia is to be referred to as Celestia of the Six. They should not discuss history or anything about Equestria as we know it. In fact, they should, in general, keep their mouths shut. Clear?”

Orchid’s head tilted in confusion but she replied, “Yes, sir. Confusing but clear. Who are we taking?”

“You, Nova, Golden Touch, Lightning Flash, and Cloud Lance.”

“All pegasi but me? And that is only five ponies.”

I shrugged, “If things go bad, there isn’t any way for a non-pegasus to escape without help. I want to limit the ground bound to two.”

The mare snorted at the term. “That gives me so much comfort and fills me with joy for having volunteered myself…” she trailed and then blinked. “Wait, two?”

Our eyes met and I grinned.

Orchid groaned. “Great…”

“She might say no.”

“Not to you. She weirds me out, sir.”

“She saved my life and probably the lives of a lot of others. Our medics are good but they’re not on the same level as her,” I said plainly.

Orchid nodded and then sighed. “You’re going to stick us ground bound together, aren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am. Welcome to the inside. Now get to it. We’ve got to get this whole show together and ready before Thursday.”

“Yes, sir!” she said, stiffening to attention.

“Dismissed."

☾

Iridescence and I stood together on the balcony of one of the palace’s highest towers. It was the one we’d been on when the changelings had started their attack. I’d left my helmet inside.

“I apologize if I’ve been distant lately. It wasn’t meant to be directed at you personally. There has just been a whole lot going on.”

She shook her head. “It happens to everypony, Silent Knight. Things change.”

“They do, but I should have at least taken the time to discuss it with you. It is like when I made sergeant all over again.”

Iridescence chided, “No, it isn’t. You had a huge opportunity. You’d have been a fool to pass it up. To be honest I’d be more worried if you had. Look, it means a lot that you’d even take the time to explain yourself to me but you didn’t have to. I know the regulations just as well as you do.”

“Yeah. You know, life used to be less complicated when we lived in that little room together.”

She softly laughed and nodded. “Yup! Now look at us. You’re an officer, dating a famous author, and a big well-to-do at the palace.”

“And you’re a section sergeant, surrogate mother, and still the best-looking house guard.”

The mare gave me a soft shove. “I’ll tell Sunny Day you said that… but thank you. We’re going to be fine, Silent Knight. We know the difference between on-duty and off. We’ll just have to work a little harder to stay friends is all.”

I nodded. “You know I don’t mind when you and Dot come over to visit Winterspear. She doesn’t always have to go to your place.”

“I know, but you have to remember that Crystal Wishes gets a say, too. Do you think she really wants your ex hanging around?”

That was something I’d never considered. I didn’t think that way usually. “She’ll be fine. Besides, she likes Dot.”

“Who doesn’t?” Iridescence asked with a laugh.

“Yeah. Hey… can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

I idly drummed my hooves on the railing. “I don’t mean this in a rude way. I’ve noticed that Dot doesn’t look like you or your other sisters. Plus her name isn’t similar. Was she adopted?”

Iridescence shook her head and cleared her throat. “Don’t repeat this but she’s actually my half-sister.”

My ear flicked. “Half-sister?”

“My father gives most of his life to his work. He hasn’t ever been there for my mother or us. Sure, he provides extremely well but, you know, he was absent. So…”

“Your mother?” I asked in disbelief.

“Yup. Daddy knows but they both pretend like it isn’t true. Polite society and image, that sort of thing. I think that is partially why Luminescence and Opalescence are so mean to her. They think she isn’t good enough.”

I let that sink in and then just shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. She’s family.”

“Unfortunately, they don’t have the same outlook on life that you do.”

I shook my head again. “That isn’t what I meant. She’s our family.”

Iridescence smiled. “That is sweet but you don’t have to look out for her. She isn’t really your family.”

“She will be,” I replied.

Iridescence looked up at me and then just nodded. She leaned her weight against my side and said softly, “You’ll be a good uncle.”

We stood in silence and just enjoyed watching the clouds go by. Life can get complicated but it can never take away what is most important: family and friends.

☾

The flight over to the Unicorn Temple was far faster than I remembered. Of course the last times I’d visited I’d still been injured. Once I’d received my commission my trips had stopped so abruptly that it might have been considered rude. In truth there was no reason for the exemplar to agree to come with us.

I landed outside of the walls. Instinct alone seemed to keep me and other flyers from crossing the wall. It just seemed like a bad idea.

My knocking was not overly loud. In the past tried to make sure I’d be heard, but the strength or loudness of the knocks didn’t seem to matter. Somepony always answered.

It only took a few moments for the door to open. A familiar temple guard looked out at me. “Silent Knight. We have not seen you in a while. Have you come to enjoy the garden?”

“Too long I’d say. My new responsibilities have been keeping me busy. As much as I wish I could stay and smell the flowers, I’m actually here to see the exemplar, though I suspect if I wander the garden she’ll find me. She always does.”

The guard stepped back and opened the door further. “You’re probably right. She is in the barracks, though, so perhaps a more direct approach today?”

I’d never been inside any of the buildings within the temple grounds. This was new. “Very well, then. I’ll do that.”

“Follow the path as normal. When you cross through the inner wall it is the first walk on the left. Tennant Hall.”

“Thank you,” I replied before trotting down the path. At the heart of the grounds was the inner wall. Unlike the exterior wall it was not nearly as impressive. It was nothing more than field stones stacked together and they rose barely to shoulder height. I passed through what amounted for the gate and took the first left.

The Tennant Hall was an impressive but unassuming building. It, like every other structure I’d seen at a distance, was built into the landscape. The path actually sloped down into the earth to the face of a hewn stone entrance. Grassy knolls on each side rose to the height of the building and almost fully obscured it. The final touch to complete the odd architecture was windows on the roof to better let light in.

When I reached the door it seemed like I was visiting the warren of some burrowing animal even though the structure stood much like any other building. It was just deep within a depression and surrounded by earth.

I let myself in. The interior, like the exterior, was also hewn stone. It was immaculately clean and a plush rug ran along the short hall that expanded out before me. I walked along it to the first and only intersection. The hall ran far longer to the left and right, framing the building as a plus sign that had been squashed on the top and bottom.

A small placard on the wall listed the inhabitants and room numbers. It seemed that Exemplar Ferrel lived in suite 10 East so that is where I headed. Her door was wooden, blue, and simple. Some of the others had decorations but this one had nothing but her name. I knocked.

“Come in,” came her voice.

I pushed the door open and walked inside. Despite her position the exemplar did not have much more of a room than I’d had as an enlisted pony. It was a medium sized square with a bed, a desk, a chair, two sitting pillows, and a bookshelf. There was a door off to the left side so perhaps there was more beyond.

Exemplar Ferrel was sitting on one of the pillows looking down at a scroll. She also wasn’t in her armor.

“Oh, excuse me!” I said, stepping back.

The unicorn’s head tilted and she said, “It is me, Silent Knight. I assume you were looking for me?”

My head bobbed. “Yes, of course. I just didn’t know you’d be…”

“Yes?” she asked.

“Out of uniform?” I replied weakly.

The curious look returned before she briefly smiled. “I do not wear my armor in my room. Please, come in. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

I did so and settled on the opposite pillow. “Do you have to ask? You don’t already know?”

The exemplar eyed me a bit and then shook her head. “No. I have not had any Silent Knight-related visions lately.”

“I’ll take that as a good sign. Princess Luna and I are going on another diplomatic mission. I thought you might like to come.”

“Back to the gryphon kingdom?” she asked.

“No… To the Badlands and into the city of the exiled nox ponies.”

There was no recognition in the mare’s eyes. She stared blankly a moment and then asked, “What is a nox pony?”

“Ponies that were vassals of the House of the Night is probably the best answer I could give. They’re an ancient group that has been hiding. Princess Luna wants to start reunification talks.”

That explanation seemed to make more sense to the mare. “Of course. You view them as dangerous?”

“To be honest… not really. They didn’t have soldiers so much as enforcers. Still, I prefer to be safe and this is one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.”

She nodded. “Yes. I will go, providing the archon agrees. Leave that with me.”

“Thank you.” I stood and the glimmer of something on the exemplar’s bookshelf caught my eye.

When I looked there were numerous crystals strewn about the shelves. Most were similar in shape and size: cylindrical with two points. Some where large, some were small. Almost all of them were clear-white. A dozen or so were clear-grey and then there were three that were as black as obsidian.

“These are beautiful. What are they?” I asked innocently.

Exemplar Ferrel rose and replied, “Memories.”

I blinked and then pointed at the black ones. “And those?”

“Bad memories.” There was a chill in the words.

It seemed better not to inquire further. “Well… alright then. We leave Thursday. I hope to see you then,” I said as I started to let myself out.

The exemplar was staring off into space. Briefly her eyes focused back on me. “And so you shall, Silent Knight. Be well."

☾

Just before the lunch rush I headed over to the Hay Cafe and settled at a table outside. The server pony came by and set a glass of water in front of me. “Would you like to order or are you waiting for somepony?” he asked.

“I’m going to need a few minutes. Water is fine for now, thank you.”

He nodded and wandered off to help another guest.

Without warning I heard as clear as day, “Silent Knight, don’t look around.” It was as if a pony was right in front of me but clearly there wasn’t.

“I’m projecting my voice to you. There is little chance you’ll be able to spot me. Take a drink of water if you understand.”

I picked up the glass and drank from it.

“Excellent. As you may have surmised I’m responsible for that envelope under your door. Consider that an appetizer but if you want the main course we’re going to need to play by some rules. It is far too dangerous to drop information in your office where one of your subordinates or some cleaning pony might happen upon it. You may place trust in them but I don’t. From now on when I have information for you I’ll make a small chalk mark on the light post nearest your apartment. When you see that you’ll know there is a pick up.”

The speaker paused and I tried to figure out if I was dealing with a stallion or a mare. The voice was distorted. Likely on purpose.

“Our drop will be at the Phial and Filly. It is a place you’re known to go and no pony will be suspicious of you doing so. Runic Phial has recently purchased some new displays and I have made some modifications to one of them prior to delivery.”

This pony knew a lot about me. Too much really. It was somewhat off-putting but if this was the game she or he wanted to play I was going to comply. There was no denying the validity and detail of the information that had been passed to me. I’d finally been called in by the intelligence section where they passed me an identical but heavily delayed and redacted version.

“In the last aisle there is a table of bubble baths. The back left leg of that table has a catch facing the wall. Press it and a compartment will slide out from the left. Remember to replace the compartment when you have the package. Drink if you understand. Yawn if you want me to repeat it.”

I picked up my water and drank again.

“If for some reason you need to contact me open the curtains to your south-facing window and stack two books on the windowsill. When you see an x on the lamp post that means I agree. Come here for lunch and we’ll do this again.”

I grumbled quietly, “This is awfully one-sided. I can’t throw my voice.”

“Oh, I can hear you. I just didn’t want you drawing attention to yourself by talking to an empty chair like a crazy pony. One more rule. If you mention to any pony that you’re receiving information I’ll stop and disappear. No second chances. I’m risking a lot by even talking to you about this, let alone passing on unredacted, classified information. That is why you’re going to keep using official channels, too. We don’t want to be too obvious, do we?”

My head shook.

“Over time you can slow down the requests. They’ll think you either got over it or were too frustrated with the speed. If you do it too quickly your new friends might take notice and investigate. If our little arrangement is discovered they might start throwing around words like treason and incarceration. Now order lunch and then get back to work.”

I softly snorted and mumbled, “Alright, invisible pony… if that is who you’re going to be to me.”

There was a pause and then an audible sigh. “Against my better judgment I’m going to extend you a measure of trust. Do not make me regret it.” Another pause. A far longer one. "You may call me Maya. Happy hunting, Silent Knight.

The server wandered back over and asked, “Have you made a decision, sir?”

“Oh, yes, I certainly have.”

☾

I flew over to the Canterlot University Research Library early in the morning to do a little snooping. The palace archives were good but they were also curated. Sometimes academic ponies had other ideas.

The campus was still blanketed in winter’s chill. All of the trees and plants were still buried in snow and showing little sign of life. The students seem to be in an equal state. There weren’t many this time of day.

Once I was inside the library I found that there was little difference in placid atmosphere between the outdoors and indoors. The rows of books were largely undisturbed and the whole building seemed deserted save for one light green unicorn mare at an information desk.

When I approached she looked up, her green and blue mane tumbling down over her left eye. “Is there some sort of problem?” she asked point blank.

“No...” I replied before looking at her name tag. “...Miss Ley Lines. I need somepony to pull some information for a project I’m working on.”

Her horn erupted into light and unicorn magic encircled a clipboard. It levitated to her and she set a form on top of it. “Alright, what can we do for the guard?”

“We’re looking into a meeting that took place in the Crystal Empire over 1,000 years ago,” I said flatly.

Ley Lines looked at the form and then up at me. “Come again?”

“There was a meeting held by the rulers of Equestria in the Crystal Empire 1,000 years ago. We need some information on it. It may require some coordination with whatever libraries they have there. Can you do this?”

“It is one hay of a challenge but we’re not afraid of that. Who should I forward the information to?”

“Lieutenant Silent Knight, Princess Luna’s House Guard, Commanding.”

Ley Lines nodded. “Can do!”

☾

"Oh, come now, Silent Knight, they don’t care,” Crystal said.

Princess Luna chimed in, “Yes, Silent Knight, we don’t care. Kiss her so we can go.”

I politely glared at the princess and group of ponies sitting in the chariots waiting on me. They were all watching with their beady little eyes. Very quickly I leaned in and dotted a kiss on Crystal’s lips. “See you soon,” I said.

“Be careful,” she replied with a smile.

I backed away and then trotted over to slip into the back of the larger chariot with Orchid and Exemplar Ferrel. “Alright, let’s move out.”  

“Yes, sir!” Nova replied loudly. She and Cloud Lance started to gallop and our ride lurched forwards. Within a minute we were airborne.

Princess Luna was right behind us with Lightning Flash pulling the smaller vehicle.

Radiant Orchid leaned in to whisper to me so that none of the other ponies could hear, “Aren’t you two adorable?”

“Yes, sergeant, we are,” I replied dryly. “And I’m not above ordering you to pull the chariot.”

Orchid just grinned and said, “I’ve never flown before, so it would be totally worth it!”

“Uh-huh. We’ll see how you feel when you get air sick.”