To be Human: An Equestria Girls reimagining

The sound of hooves and clanking armor echoed throughout the dark marble halls. A lone guard galloped as hard as he could towards the castle's royal throne room without any intentions of delaying, either to inform his night guard compatriots or to even recover his breath. Guided by nothing but his memory, he made his way through the labyrinth that was the Canterlot Castle until he was merely a few meters away from his aim with only the golden doors of the chamber as his final blockade.

"Your Highness!" He shouted with a forceful alarm that almost collapsed his already exhausted lungs after opening the throne room's double doors.

"What is it Captain?" Princess Luna hailed as she stood from her throne, her brows furrowing to the peculiar situation before her.

Sweat dripped from the captain’s muzzle he in tried to regain his composure, taking in as much breath as he could. He bowed when he was done. “Princess Luna, I bring disturbing news. Something from the Royal Vault has been stolen.”

“That’s impossible Captain!" She shouted with surprise. "We have increased our security ever since my dear sister and I returned from the Crystal Empire. You yourself should know how just how defended the whole castle is. The magic barrier to the vault was doubled and so were the guards around it! We have even shifted around the schedules of ponies who work in the castle! Tell me how can anyone steal from the vault if the vault itself and the perimeter around it are nay impenetrable?” She stomped with a force that caused the whole court to shake,  small cracks forming around  the impact.

The guard captain couldn't help but swallow hard and shiver as he kept his bow. He could feel the gaze of one of his diarchs on him, a gaze that was nothing like the gentle looks that he and his co-workers would always receive a few months ago.

"I... I do not know your Highness. N-no guard has ever reported on anything strange during their shift. And the barrier did not show any signs of being tampered with. I regret to say that I really do not know."

Luna could only stare at the visibly shaking guardspony in front of her. She knew she was edgy, but she didn’t think it was this bad.

For weeks now, the princesses and the elements of harmony have been keeping a tight lid on the fact that the element of magic has been stolen. With Equestria’s newest princess missing to retrieve it, it only makes the job much more complicated. Rumors have been circulating; some good, some bad, some just downright embarrassing. Thankfully, they have found an ally in the most unlikeliest of beings.

She closed her eyes and sighed. “At ease captain.”

She sat back on her throne, a hoof to her chin.

"You say there has been no report of anything odd since we heightened security. And if the barrier hasn’t been disturbed, then it must be true, ” she thought out loud. “Captain, do you think it’s possible that the robbery took place before we got back from the Crystal Empire?”

“I think it’s very likely, yes.” The captain answered; his tone more relaxed and proper for his designation.

Again, Luna placed her hoof on her chin, tapping it continuously as she began to place the pieces together. “You haven’t told me what was stolen, haven’t you? What was it?"

The captain visibly swallowed, a lone sweat bead running down his furred cheek. “It was the Alicorn Amulet, Highness.”

“Oh my, this is dire.” Luna exclaimed. Then her face adapted a troubled look. “But… wait. If it was stolen months ago, then wouldn’t that mean we should’ve heard news about it by now? Surely such a powerful artifact can’t stay missing for so long.”

For a few moments Luna gathered all the variables and played all the scenarios that she could think of in her head. At the end of it, all she learned was that she needed more.

“Tell me captain, when do you think a robbery like this would be the most easiest to execute?” She asked, an analytic tone taking her voice.

His face scrunching up as he tried his hardest to think. "I would imagine the day you and Princess Celestia left for the Crystal Empire, just a day before the both of you ordered the increase in security."

She played with the variables again. This time however, it didn’t take long for her to hear a click in her head as all of it lined up perfectly. Instead of a smile of accomplishment, a look of stark terror took her as the implications of what she had theorized completely dawned upon her. A word escaped her Luna’s lips as she stayed frozen. A word that made the rest of the ponies in the court – counting the captain – raise an eyebrow or two due to the utter alienage of the word.

“... Cazzo.”