Mark of Baen

The day after the Nemean Lion incident, the Princesses were currently studying the large cat in the royal dungeons.  One of the cells in the far back had been converted into a mock kennel to hold the great beast, the bars having been all reinforced by strong enchantments.  Nearby many unicorn scientists and magicians examined the creature from a safe distance.  Outside, the moon bathed the kingdom in a soft calming glow.  Within the castle a lone night guard patrolled the upper wing near the library.  The bat pony had a long and scraggly looking dark indigo mane that parted at the front, his cutie mark was a misty sky and his coat was a light grey.  He shuffled his bat wings slightly as a chill ran up his spine.  He glanced back toward the libraries main doors and tilted his head.  He saw it then, a flash of magic light.  Narrowing his eyes, he approached the doors and wrenched them open and gazed around.

“Who goes there,” he glanced around before ordering, “Show yourself!”

He quickly kicked the door shut behind him to cut off the intruder’s possible escape.  Glancing around, he cautiously ventured forth into the maze of shelves.  He froze when he heard an airy titter.  The voice that followed was calm yet held a seductive edge.

“My my, what’s this?  A lone warrior coming to greet me, truly this must be a gift.”

The guard looked around to try and find the source of the voice but found nothing.  Then he tensed when a warm breath was felt near his ear.

“Behind you.”

The stallion leapt back and flared his wings in a threatening manner, but paused when he saw the pony in question.  The mare was currently garbed in a long hooded cloak, most likely to keep herself warm in the cold night.  Her hood was off to reveal her…striking and light smile.

“Ah, a thestral, a rare find indeed,” she approached.

“Halt!”

The mare did as she was told as the guard hissed for a moment, “Who are you and how did you get in here?”

The mare gently rolled her eyes and looked at the shelves, her velvet voice practically caressing the stallion’s ears, “Hmmm, well you see.  I seem to be lost.  I have awakened from a, long slumber and I can’t quite seem to place my surroundings or ascertain my location.  So, I few hours prior to our meeting,” she casually sauntered to a shelf and levitated a book in front of her and examined the cover, “I requested some assistance from the local….dogs in the mines.”

“The Diamond Dogs?”

“Yes, they were most helpful…,” she chuckled, “in more ways than one,” she placed the book back.

She turned as the moon shined through the open window and illuminated her more….the guard turned white.  The cloak she was wearing was one of dark grey fur, a flawless stitch job.

“What….what have you done?”

“I merely procured a garment of warmth from my liberators and left what remained to rot,” the way how she nonchalantly stated this fact unnerved the guard, “nothing more.”

The guard narrowed his eyes, “By order of the princesses, you are under arrest.”

“On what grounds might I ask?” She slowly sashayed towered him as he backed up a bit.

“C…conspiracy of murder of Diamond Dogs,” he hit the door, “and trespassing.”

The mare pouted, “Oh that’s a shame,” she was a foot from the stallion who was frozen, “I was ever so hoping a strapping young stallion such as yourself could,” she traced her hoof up the stallion’s breast plate, “assist me in my needs.”

The stallion shivered, “M…miss, I’m going to have to ask you to step back…,” though he said this, something within him wanted her to get closer, but why?

The mare gave a thin smile as she levitated his helmet off, “Oh come now.  Surely you don’t feel threatened by little old me?”

The stallion stared into her eyes…and his gaze became lidded.  Her eyes seemed to give off a soft glow; her face was illuminated like that of what lore called an Angel.  A small smile crept onto his face.  He shook his head as his mind became clouded, what magic was this?  Was this even magic?  Her horn wasn’t alight.

“Resist all you want my dear,” her hoof gently eased his head toward her, “but all stallions are slave to my charms.”

She pressed her lips to the guard and kissed him deeply, the guards eyes closing completely, the mare’s eyes narrowed as a sinister smiled creeped onto her muzzle.  The guard pulled away and panted slightly, around the outside of his irises, thin rings of emerald colouration appeared.  The guard shook his head as the mare had a warm smile on her face.

“So tell me my guard, what is your name?”

The guard smiled and nodded his head kindly, “Private Mulberry, my lady.”

“Mulberry, a delectable name,” the mare turned smoothly from the guard and looked around for a moment, “tell me Mulberry, where might I find books on the most ancient of arcane knowledge of this land?”

“If I may, my lady, this land is known as Equestria,” Mulberry gestured for her to follow, “as for the books you are looking for…there are no such books.”

The mare looked to the side in mild disappointment, “How unfortunate.”

The guard glanced around for a moment before piping up, “BUT!  The princesses have one book I believe that could help you in your search my lady.  It’s a book they themselves chronicle all their findings and knowledge in.  We of course are briefed on it and are assigned to keep the closest eye on the library at night,” he pointed to a fenced off area, “after all it is in the restricted section.”

The mare smiled warmly and trotted past him, her tail trailing under his chin as Mulberry blushed hard and fawned.

“Good my guard,” she stopped at the gate as Mulberry stood beside her, “Hm.  Such foal’s play of barrier spells,” she raised a fore hoof as green magic pooled upon it, “easily rectified.”

A loud crash was heard as the gate swung inward, its wards all but eliminated.  The mare crossed the threshold and stared at the scrolls and tomes littering the area.  She ideally glanced from shelf to shelf in boredom attempting to find the book in question.  Tapping her chin, she sighed and called in a melodious manner to her escort.

“Mulberry, would you be so kind as to obtain the book in question?”

Mulberry nodded, “Of course.”

He trotted past her and she followed.  Both ponies ventured the furthest any had ever been in the restricted section before coming to a halt.  A massive stone door blocked their path.  The mare titled her head and examined the door.  It was plain and bore no markings, to many, it could be mistaken it for a wall.  The mare tapped her horn against the door and stared up at it in concentration.

“My lady, if I may,” The mare glanced at Mulberry, “I have only once heard that the princesses can open it.”

The mare nodded, “I see.  Very well then,” her horn gave off a soft glow as she felt through the doors cracks and crevices, searching.

Eventually, she snapped her eyes open.

“Ah, there it is,” she placed both her front hooves on the door and they both gave off a glow.

Her magic bled into the rock as the mana found an echo of the princesses own mana, as faint as it was.  Taking the mana echo as a template, the mare’s own mana shifted and contorted until it matched the echo perfectly.  The door then rumbled open, and the mare stared at her prize.  Resting on a pedestal was a massively thick book that was bound in dark deep purple material, its pages frayed and yellowed with age.  On the center of the cover was a gold crest.

“Are you pleased my lady?”

The mare levitated the tome into her cloak and nodded with a serene expression, “I am indeed Mulberry.  You show much resourcefulness, come,” she walked from the chamber and Mulberry followed closely, but they both froze when a day guard pegasus stared on in shock.

“Private!  What in the name of Luna’s starry mane are you doing?!”

The mare sighed and shook her head.

Mulberry looked to her then the unicorn, “Sir Gale, I was merely showing Lady Vida what she requested.”

Sir Gale growled, “I don’t care if you were rutting in the closet!  You just committed a treasonous offence and rest assured you will be brought before both of the Princesses VERY soon.  And as for you ‘Lady Vida’, you don’t belong here!”

Vida rolled her eyes, “That’s what they keep telling me,” she glanced at Mulberry, “would you please make him silent?  His voice is irritating me.”

Sir Gale reeled back in offence, “How DARE YOU!  I am a high ranking official of the Solar Guard and you and your traitorous coltfriend will show me respect!  And further more.”

Sir Gale never got to finish.  Mulberry bull tackled him to the ground and pressed his hooves hard to the guard’s throat, his fanged mouth gritting in effort as Gale tried to fight back.  But his kicks eventually grew weak as a croaking escaped him.  Soon his eyes rolled back as he went limp.  Mulberry got off of him and spat on the breast plate.

“That was for making me fly all those laps,” his angered look softened when Vida nudged him with her flank against his, “Are you pleased my lady?”

“Yes my guard,” she kissed him on the cheek as he smiled stupidly, “Now let us away.  I have some studying to undergo.  And you may regale me with this….Equestria’s, workings.”

Mulberry blushed as he ditched his armor, “It would be my pleasure.”

Both ponies eventually disappeared into the night.