The Secrets of Caduceus

As my companion and I enter the hotel lobby, I notice that there's a very large difference between this lobby and the restaurant lobby. While the restaurant lobby looks more modern and futuristic, the hotel seems to be designed in a more old-fashioned regal manner. Beautifully woven tapestries line the walls, and paintings that are just as beautiful fill in the gaps between tapestries. I can't make out what's woven into the tapestries, but it's clear that the paintings are portraits of old-looking ponies.

"Floor... Twenty four was it? Come on Thorns, let's go." I say, as I turn around to face my companion.

And once again, the mysterious blue earth pony has disappeared on me.

Then I recall what Strings had said earlier, "I'm going to have to split you two up."

That's right, she wanted Thorns to extract me and Aura when I'm done with my part of the plan. Now I just have to find a certain mister Billiards.

I trot towards the information desk, and ring the bell.

*ding*

After a moment of quiet, a black stallion greets me from behind the counter, "May I help you sir?" He asks.

"Yes sir, I'm looking for a Billiards..."

He closes his eyes, and then nods, "Ah, that's one of our employees. I shall fetch him for you, please wait a moment." He says in a sophisticated accent.

I wait for about a minute or so before he returns with a stallion matching the same description that Strings gave me.

"Are you Apollo Coronis?" Billiards asks.

I reply with a simple, "Yes."

He reaches into his coat, and then places a keycard on the desk in front of me. I take the card, and then we part ways.

Unlike the restaurant area, there is no elevator in this building. There are simply a set of elegantly large white marble spiral stairs that lead up to the next floors. I galloped slowly up the spiral staircase, and I soon come up to the third floor. Hard birch wood runs down the hallway and all along the walls. Doors with golden plates, that have number etched into them, also run down the hallway. My target is also somewhere down these halls, and I think I know where...

I'm going to guess that the suite that's being guarded by two (2) buff stallions is the same one I'm looking for. I swallow in fear, take a deep breath, and then slowly walk over to the two brown guards. And I'm not exaggerating when I say 'slowly'. The stallions both stare straight ahead, either they don't notice me or they're extremely dedicated to their job.

I inch closer and closer, and then catch a glimpse of the suite number plate.

"Twenty four?" I ask out loud without noticing.

Both guards snap their heads to me, "This suite is off limits. Please leave immediately." One of them sternly commands.

"I'm... Apollo Coronis. I--"

"Hey, it's him." One of the stallions interrupts me.

The other continues, "The one who sent that cheesy bouquet?"

"Yeah, what a joke." The first replies.

Thanks, I really appreciate it. In the end, it wasn't even me who sent them.

"So you think that sending the one and only Martha's niece a bunch of flowers gives you permission to enter her suite? Yeah right." He chuckles with a scoff.

The both start laughing, until a loud voice from behind the suite door begins yelling.

"LET HIM IN!" The mysterious voice shouts.

Both of the guards stiffen up, and then step to the side.

"If you have a key, then you're allowed to enter. Martha's orders." The stallion on the right says.

"Y-Yeah! So there's no chance of you getting in!" The second stallion says.

I smirk, and then pull out the key that I received earlier.

Both of their eyes dilate and widen in shock.

Trotting past them, I swipe the keycard into the small slit near the door handle. The door beeps, and then the handle turns on it's own.

I push in the door, and then mockingly smile at the guards before entering the room.

The room I've entered isn't as large as I would have imagined, but at the same time it's exactly small.

It's enough to hold an entire queen sized bed, a television set, and a cabinet. Not to mention the size of the bathroom near the door that I entered through. Everything that I just listed was inside the suite strangely enough.

Slowly I trot inside the suite, and I soon catch sight of the queen sized bed which sits in the middle of the left side wall. Then, I notice the filly lying down underneath the covers in the bed. Her horn sticks out from the comforter, and her crimson red mane flows messily down her cream coloured neck and onto her pillow.

Then, the filly begins to speak to me, "Hello, Apollo."

Then she turns from her side to face me, and I'm charmed by her cute face, "Uh, hello."

"Oh good, I got your name right. I'm not going to lie, your writing is rather unpleasant to read. But the roses were very much appreciated. I am Aura Borealis, but you must have already known that." She says, as she sits up from her bed.

I approach her slowly, as she pats the side of her bed, "May I sit?" I ask politely.

She nods, "Yes, I would appreciate the company."

I sit by her bedside and then she continues to speak, "My aunt never lets anypony near me. I know she loves me dearly, but placing armed guards by my door is rather eccentric. Don't you agree?" She asks, tilting her head?

"I suppose."

"I must say, I've never received a bouquet quite as beautiful as the one you sent. You must either be an eccentric romantic or a desperate fool to send a gesture such as this to somepony of my social standing." She begins speaking in her usual elegant soft voice, but towards the end of her sentence she starts to sound very stern and aggressive.

"I, uh... I'm.. Well..." I stutter, trying to explain myself.

She giggles, covering her mouth and closing her eyes, "Hee hee, did I frighten you? Don't be so scared, I'm only joking! Did you know that you're the only pony who has sucked it up, tried, and succeeded in gaining an audience with me?"

Am I really? With her looks, I would imagine ponies would be lining up to see her, "Perhaps your friends outside scare away most of the crowd?"

The filly fakes a gagging noise, "Those two? My friends? Hardly. I have no friends aside from Tailor. He's the only one who understands me and my style."

Poor girl, she doesn't know what's happened to him. Potentially, he could be dead. But perhaps Ace... Nah, he's definitely gone.

"You seem sick. I heard you were ill, and I guess that's why I thought sending you roses..."

She places her hoof on mine, "It's strange... We only just met. And to me, you're nothing but a fan who has sent me a bouquet of flowers... But why do I feel this connection with you? Have we... Met before?"

This is it. I can't delay the plan anymore. I won't fall for another filly, I need to do this right now!

"We have. But only in a dream."

I raise my hoof high. And with a great force, I bring it down on her left temple.

Before she can gasp, Aura Borealis is knocked unconscious.

"I would have liked getting to know you better, it's too bad the job had to get in the way."

I tap the communicator in my ear, "Everypony, the objective is secure. Thorns can you extract me now?"

Through the earpiece, a mare replies, "Roger. Be ready to jump off the balcony. Sync?"

I just want to get out of this place, and I don't care how, "Sync."

"Alright, on my mark... Mark!"

*THUD*

*THUD*

*CRASH*

Within seconds one of the guards, dressed in a tuxedo, flies into the room.

Screams of the other guard travel into the room, as I catch a glimpse of the blue blur repeatedly hacking at the other guard with one of her Roseblades. Fortunately, I'm unable to see anything upwards past the flank of the guard. I'd rather not witness the bloody gore that Thorns has bestowed upon the poor bodyguard. But for some odd reason, I don't feel a bit of remorse for that guy.

"Thorns! Quit messing around! Take Apollo and get to the balcony!" I hear Dove's voice through the ear communicator.

The blue mare suddenly stops, and the gallops into the room. She rushes past me and then tears open the large glass doors that lead to the balcony.

She pauses again, then turns to me, "I brought some friends behind me. Hurry up."

I don't think I have time to introduce myself so I follow her to the balcony, with the cream-colored filly flopping around on my back.

*BANG*

Gunshots begin to ring out behind us, and screams follow them. Suddenly, I feel something being pressed on the side of my back.

I turn around to see the butt of a gun, my gun, being pressed into the side of my body.

"Here." Thorns says, "Dove and I met up outside, and she gave me your Viper before flying off somewhere. Hurry up and attach it to your stomach, I'll shut the doors."

I carefully pull the filly from my back with my mouth, and sit her down near the thick marble railings that wrap around the balcony. After that, I crawl into the large ring that attaches to the arm that holsters my revolver. Now I'm fully equipped.

But before I can retrieve Aura, Thorns rushes in and bites down on the filly's cloak before jumping off the balcony.

*CRASH*

I turn to see a purple pegasus with darker purple stripes painted on various parts of his body. His striped mane alternates between dark purple and black, and his tail shares the same traits. Anklets, with black stones in the centre of each of them, line each of his legs. Wings are covered in armour, and his violet eyes pierce into mine.

As intimidating as he looks, the menacing pegasus seems to have gotten his head stuck between the balcony doors that Thorns had jammed with a... Metal like tube.

The pegasus screams and shouts as he stretches his neck to try and bite me. Then he begins to form actual sentences with his words, as he yells in a penetrating tone, "GIVE ME BACK MY SISTER!"

I had no idea Aura had a brother, but I still felt no remorse.

The handles on the door begin to break, and I take that as my cue to leave. But as I turn away to run for the end of the balcony, I notice that the metal tube that's holding the door has started to beep.

"Surely... No. Thorns wouldn't..."

Suddenly, I hear a voice call from below, "Apollo! Jump!"

But, it's not the voice of Ace. It doesn't belong to Dove, Strings, Thorns, or even Black Blizzard.

With no time to think, I gallop as hard as I can to the edge of the balcony and leap with the last pound of strength I have! Making over the railing, I begin to fall into the dark gardens below. I can't see what's below me, but I sure hope it's soft!

*RUSTLE*

My body has tensed up, and I'm flexing every spot in my body! Only to find that my landing was met with a soft... Leaf?

"Wait... What is--"

*KABOOM*

A loud explosion echoes from above, and I see the falling pieces of the balcony crashing down towards me!

"Whatever you are, whoever you are, just get me out of here!"

*GROOWL*

Well if that's not clear enough, I don't know what is.

Then, I notice that I'm getting farther and farther away from the burning hotel. I start bobbing up and down for no reason, but it feels very familiar to me. And what's this all around me? Twigs and branches? And this leaf I'm sitting on. Could it be..

"Sh-Shrubbery?"

Suddenly I stop moving, and whatever I'm on kicks me off it's back and onto the garden's brick path.

I stand up straight, turn around, and then realize that I'm standing face-to-face with a giant timberwolf.