The Crown of Sands

It was a cold, cloudless night. Luna's moon stole slowly up the ebony canvas of the sky, a bold shot of light amidst the twinkling stars. Despite the heat that broiled the cream colored dunes not two hours before, a chill stole through the camp, and the armor-clad pegasus seated at the edge of the raised stone platform rustled his wings with a shiver. Behind him, the other guards slept soundly in a series of neat, well-deployed tents.

The platform was cracked and buffeted by centuries of wind and sand, but the pillars all around its edge remained erect, refusing to buckle to the elements. At the center of the platform, a staircase descended down, ringed on three sides by low stone walls with intricate decorative carvings along them. At the bottom of the stairs, an iron door large enough for ten ponies to walk through side by side and tall enough for a dragon to pass loomed from a drift of sand.

The pegasus shuddered again. I hope there's not a dragon in there. All the Royal Guard knew about this was that Princess Celestia had some urgent business to attend to below, in what she called the Catacombs. She needed the Guard to protect the ruins. Not that anything's going to happen, Lightning Arc decided, sweeping his clear blue eyes back up over the vast night sky. The hardest part about this assignment had been flying all the way here through the sweltering heat in their armor, carrying saddlebags of supplies.

Arc scanned the horizon again, but still nothing caught his eye. In the pale light of the moon, he could see nothing for miles. He stifled a yawn of boredom. Arc wasn't tired. He simply wouldn't let himself be until somepony woke and relieved him. That didn't mean he wasn't dreadfully bored, however. Once camp was set up and everypony else went to sleep, absolutely nothing had happened. All that changed was the smooth, easy arc of Luna's moon above and the growing darkness all around.

“It's a beautiful night.” The soft, light voice sent Arc to his feet with a start, and he spun about to face the speaker. An off-green unicorn mare with a silver mane stifled a laugh at Arc's wide eyes, leaning back against one of the pillars. “Don't panic, soldier, I'm unarmed!”

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Arc questioned, suspicious. He started to move away from the edge until he was facing the stranger directly.

“Just somepony passing through, thought I'd stop off and wish our boys in gold the best.” The mare pushed herself away from the pillar and turned to the edge. She had a set of saddlebags on, which bulged from the contents.

“Thanks.” Arc was taken aback for a moment by the nonchalant answer. “Now, you should leave. This is a serious operation, and nopony should be here.”

“Then why are you here?” The unicorn's question was tinged with false innocence as she grinned sardonically. She sat herself down on the edge of the cold stone platform, reclining back on her front hooves and letting her back hooves hang over the edge.

“You know that's not what I meant,” Arc hissed, suddenly very conscious of his comrades sleeping meters away. How much trouble could I get into if I'm caught with some stranger wandering around the camp? “Look, I'm thankful that you came to show your support and all, but you should really get going.”

“Nonsense, the night is still young.” The unicorn patted a spot on the edge next to her, slipping off her saddlebags and placing them on her other side. Her pale pink eyes glinted as she grinned deviously.

“What's in the bag?” Arc asked cautiously. He was curious about this clover colored stranger despite himself. A nervous glance over his shoulder didn't reveal any of the other guards stirring. In answer, the mare flipped open one of the bags and pulled a hard-covered book free with a pink-tinged spell.

“Just a book I'd like you to read,” the unicorn beamed with forced civility, floating the tome to the nervous-looking pegasus. Carefully, Arc lifted a hoof and took the blue book from the pink aura.

The cover had a square illustration of a white viaduct, a long stone bridge supported by dozens of arches on a background of inky blackness. A single small pegasus was atop the viaduct, an abstract gray silhouette. The title was emblazoned above the illustration in bold white letters; Descending.

“What is this?” Arc asked, one eyebrow raised as he looked up. There was nothing but the twinkling night sky and the rolling sand dunes into the distance. The unicorn mare was gone.

~ ~ ~

Against his better judgment, Lightning Arc read as much of the book as he could by the moon's clear, pale light. It seemed like a pretty good story. From what he gathered in the low light, it was about a pegasus adventurer delving into the Catacombs themselves. The author insisted in the forward that it was based on a true story, but the tale quickly got bizarre.

“Glowing gems illuminated vast cavernous spaces, crossed by innumerable marble staircases and viaducts.” That seemed believable enough. “Despite the intense heat above, it was absolutely bone-chilling below.” Arc shuddered again as another cold breeze sent a flurry of silt dancing over the dunes. That makes sense, he contended, turning his attention back to re-reading the text.

“As our hero descended along the sloping viaduct, a trio of shadows scuffled up after him. First one, and then another and the last, threw themselves prostrate at his hooves. Bipedal creatures, covered in mangy fur with slit-thin yellow eyes glinting in the shadows; these were diamond dogs.” Arc stifled a chuckle at the thought of three bumbling, furry miners stumbling over themselves to bow to a pegasus. Nothing those dogs do ever makes sense. Maybe they were squatting here however long ago, maybe not.

“'Hail, champion! May you continue on to the glory you seek!' The three beasts spoke in unison, their commonly grating, confused voices lost to calm, even tones. The sound echoed around the vast space, finding itself again in our hero's ears as they flatten against his head.” Now that makes no sense at all, Arc scoffed, Who ever heard of a diamond dog with enough sense to speak properly?

“'What do you mean, foolish dogs? I seek no glory, only to serve my Princess with honor,' our hero rebuked the dogs disbelievingly. Commonly, he would have marveled at their civil tongues, but now he was set for his goal. He began to trot past the prone forms, scarcely pausing to glance downward.” At least this 'hero' has a noble goal, Lightning Arc mused, glancing over his shoulder at the rows of tan colored tents.

“'We mean not to impede you, champion. We mean only to tell you of your fate,' the dogs whimpered humbly, pressing their faces to the smooth marble. ‘You are meant to be grander than you know.’ At their words, our hero stopped mid-stride and tensed. This wasn't the first time somepony had spoken so admiringly of his destiny.” I've been there, Arc noted sympathetically. Nothing caught the attention more than somepony talking like your fate wasn't plastered on your flank. Granted, it had been his grandmother. Whose grandmother didn't think they were meant for something more?

“'What is it that you want from me?' Our hero's voice was practically a growl. In his experience, no dog fed you compliments unless it wanted something.” A shuffle caught Arc's attention. A strong hoof caught him by the shoulder and shook him.

“Wake up! Your shift's over, lazy flank.” The white pegasus guard pushed Arc aside. Arc snapped the book closed and crossed over to his tent. Reading isn't any more attentive than sleeping, he reminded himself, holding his tongue as he pushed through the flaps and tossed the book into one of the corners. Careful not to make too much noise, he pulled off his armor and set it in a neat pile by the end of the tent. Finally, he turned to settle into the plain cloth sleeping bag.

A hoof, pale green in the moonlight beaming through the flaps of the tent, reached quickly from the shadows and covered Lightning Arc's dark gray muzzle. Another followed the first and grasped his hoof as it moved to strike the one over his mouth. The grip was as solid as iron. A form wrapped suddenly around Arc's, back legs tightening around his stomach and holding his wings in place. The hoof holding his released, the form pressing against him pinning his front legs to his chest.

“Quit struggling,” the unicorn mare hissed into Arc's ear. She released his hoof and carefully freed her legs. “Quiet down, it's just me.”

“Are you insane!?” The edge in Arc's sharp whisper was hard to miss. “Do you seriously want to be locked up?”

“Not really,” The mare shuffled away into the shadows, still visible but fainter. “How are you liking that book?” Her voice was teasing and light, but her eyes picked out the book on the other side of the tent and locked onto it.

“It's ridiculous, take it back!” The pegasus gave an indignant flap of his wings, careful not to make a sound against the thin cloth walls. The feathers had been messed out of place by the mare's grab.

“Nah, keep it. It'll grow on you,” The mare purred, a mischievous grin splitting her clover green muzzle at Arc's harsh answer. “Besides, who knows. It might come in handy.”

“Maybe if I need to start a fire,” Arc mumbled. “Now, you really need to get lost before somepony catches you in here.” He pointed a hoof out the flaps and gestured with his head, as if one would be misconstrued without the other.

“Fine, whatever. I'll catch you later,” The mare crossed to the flaps, pausing to peak out before exiting. “I'll be back when that book starts really getting interesting.” With that, she disappeared into the night. Listening close, Arc couldn't hear her hooves moving away. Whoever she was, she was good.

~ ~ ~

The next morning started as the red sun began to crest the creamy dunes along the horizon, casting orange light across the rows of neat tents and snapping the guard seated at the edge of the platform back to consciousness. The armored mare cursed under her breath and trotted between the rows, finding the tent she was looking for near the center. Inside, the occupant was already stirring.

A yellow stallion, short for his age and thin, pushed through the flaps of his tent and pulled a brass horn to his lips. The mare scarcely had time to cover her ears before a sharp, loud retort sounded from the horn. It was met by a chorus of snorts as the sleeping guards across the platform were dragged away from their dreams. Quickly, they gathered their equipment and mustered in the space opposite the tents, a few stifling yawns as they lined up and snapped to attention.

Lightning Arc considered the navy blue volume for only a moment before slipping it under his chest plate and joining the others. If it's going to get interesting, I may as well keep it if I need to kill a moment or two. He stepped into the second row, third column spot he had been trained to assume, and stood at attention.

They hadn't been there ten seconds before their commanding officer joined them. Stone Thick was a strong, capable leader, but a bit harsh. He stood taller than most stallions, with a not-unimpressive wingspan of five feet, and he was built like a solid wall. His coat shared the color of his namesake, a cool light gray his short white mane seemed to fade into at the ends.

“Who in Celestia's name was on watch when her majesty's sun rose!?” Stone barked, eyes glowering below thick white brows. The guard in question sheepishly raised a hoof. “A hundred and fifty laps around the perimeter, full speed!” The mare slipped out of the ranks and took flight, armor clinking and jangling awkwardly as she flew.

“The Princess herself is expected to arrive soon,” Stone continued, his voice a deep baritone rumble. “I want camp broken by the time she gets here, and everypony ready to descend the instant she gives the word. Trot to it!” The ranks broke and the guards dispersed, each hastily pulling down and folding their tent as Stone circled them critically.

One of the rookies tore a hole in his sleeping bag just as Stone passed by him, joining the mare above before he could mumble an apology. Stone expertly finished packing the rookie's gear, tucking it away well before the young pegasus finished his first lap. For a moment, the rookie thought he was getting off easily enough. Then, Stone added several heavy rocks to the saddlebags and had the rookie put them on.

Lightning Arc found it an easy task to pull down his tent, and the folding passed quickly enough. He was among the first to muster again opposite the former campsite on the wide platform, saddlebags slung over his armor. The sun pulled higher into the sky, its orange-tinged light quickly turning white. Quietly, Arc let his mind wander.

Who was that mare? Arc pondered, the clover green stranger appearing again in his mind. He had forgotten her cutie mark, but her spiky silver mane and tail would be hard to forget. Where did she go? Well, the answer to that had been easy enough until she left again. Clearly when she disappeared, she simply slipped away and hid in the first unoccupied tent she found. From there, who knew?

Finally, the other guards gathered and Stone called the sweating fliers back down to the platform, admonishing the rookie for not completing his laps. The rookie grumbled quietly as he took his place, careful not to let Stone hear him. The icy glare the officer shot after the young pegasus told him he failed.

They only had to wait for a few minutes before a chariot came into view above. A quartet of strong guard stallions pulled it after them as they flew, harnesses fit carefully into grooves in their armor. As their hooves hit the stone platform, the guards in formation bowed their heads as Stone did the same.

“Captain Stone, please rise.” Princess Celestia stepped clear of the chariot as Stone complied and stepped forward, standing at attention. “I need everypony ready to enter the Catacombs.”

“We're ready, your Highness,” Stone said humbly, gesturing for his guards to rise. Lightning Arc stole a look at the stallions harnessed to the chariot.

They just stared straight ahead, patiently waiting for the Princess to need their services again. They were members of Celestia's personal Solar Guard, Arc realized. The Solar Guards were renowned for stoic loyalty to their Princess, never changing their neutral expressions no matter what.

Arc remembered his uncle. He was retired back then, but even years after his service he could still put on the neutral face and not take it off without wanting to. Arc used to spend hours trying to get his uncle to crack a smile during their games, but he could never manage it. Uncle made a killing at poker. Arc suppressed a chuckle at the thought of Uncle's poker buddies grumbling as they pushed stacks of bits across the old oak kitchen table.

“Everypony, fall in!” Stone called, and Lightning Arc stepped in line with the others. They advanced toward the staircase, Princess Celestia leading them. The first row descended a step, and then another, and then Arc could see over the plumes on the tops of their helmets. The Princess' stark white frame easily stood head and shoulders above the others, making even Captain Stone seem short as he stepped down alongside her.

The massive iron doors were intricately carved with the image of a draconequus curling around a forest, its talon and paw the handles. As they descended, Arc marveled for a moment at the skill that went into it. A gleam of light fell upon the handles, matching the aura around the Princess' horn. Slowly, heavily, the great iron doors squealed in their hinges as they opened inward. Through them, Lightning Arc could only see inky shadow. A strong gust sent the low drift of sand tumbling into the darkness.

Who knows, maybe we'll find some dogs down there, Arc mused as the Princess stepped through the massive doors, followed close behind by Captain Stone and the first row. Finally, Arc himself stepped through. Twenty five Royal Guards, four Solar Guards, and the Princess of the Sun herself? I think we can take them.