Idol Hooves and the Mysterious Unicorn

“Stand behind me Cersus.” I told the curious nymph, well curious ling given her growth in the last two years.

Standing nearly the height of a common foal entering the final stages of their education cycle, Cersus was more content to wear her tomato colors more than her natural carapace; her mannerisms were more ponylike than ever and begrudgingly have come to accept her hooves are firmly planted in Canterlot, the heart of pony society. Topaz knew of this trend years ago, and patiently waited for me to cross that line, but I can’t help to wonder if this was the natural occurrence of exiles, or fruits of her many ‘familial activities’.

“It's just some stone and dirt. It's not like you’re going to cause the tunnel to collapse..you’re not going right?”

“Harmony only knows, but Order will guide my actions today. The expertise learned in the hive isn’t something I can discard completely, now watch little one.” Without waiting, my left forehoof already made contact with the crumbling stone and compact dirt behind it.

The loose stone gave way and fell to the dirt below, but the dirt having settled and hardened over the many centuries proved more of a struggle, but one I was prepared to deal with. Another few volleys with my alternating forehooves eventually loosen the wall enough for entire hoof sizes chunks to flake off with each hit. With this rhythm in place, I transitioned my attention nearer the bottom before working my way up to chip away at the remaining stone to better shape the entrance.

Without requiring my guidance, Cersus had been chipping away at the larger dirt clods I was knocking free to allow for speedier tunneling, instead of allowing them to pile behind me. It was an excavator drone technique that I could not recall teaching her, but I thanked her afterwards all the same.

“Under normal excavations you would start higher and gradually expand the opening until you can properly prop it with supporting beams, yet the dirt is strong enough to bear the weight.”

“So we just stomp it into the floor then, or just kick it into the tunnel?”

“Never. We don’t..wait… ah, there we go.” I just about dug out a small cubby hole deep enough to hide the length of my forehoof, and tall enough for Cersus hide in laying down on her stomach. Looking back I noticed the mixture of flatten mounds of dirt all around us with some of the recent dirt clods already behind the grown nymph. I frowned, and she had the sense to appear shameful of the display.

“I’ll fix that.” To her credit, she began trying to scoot the dirt back into her allotted space, but I put a stop to it.

“It’s already done, just be mindful going forward. Even if the skeletal workforce might appreciate the additional work, it’s only proper manners that we don't leave a mess. Now, let's flatten this dirt into a level floor before letting you give it an honest attempt.”

Our progress only encompassed the side away from the makeshift burrow’s entrance when the distinctive clanking mass of old bones began echoing down the sewer and put a hold on our work. I’ve only encountered a few of the resurrected workforce since the entire complex is large enough to space them out to avoid having them compete for their right to work. Thankfully the only that has ever been seen in this area was one we know well enough to tell by its limp- Mr. Rattles.

Poking our heads out of the hole in the stone wall proved the assumption correct as the walking skeleton limped this way the best his bust rear left hoof would allow without tripping. Cersus waved, and I became more guarded when its head slowly angled itself in clear detection of the waving nymph. Its skull remained fixated on the nymph longer than I felt was normal before readjusting his empty gaze toward myself, only to stop in front of the collected dirt clots from earlier. Before I could even address the mess, Mr. Rattles turned at an angle to display its hip bones to show off a pristine envelope taped to its side.

Mr. Rattles stood motionless as Cersus and I were unsure what it meant or who could have taped it to his hip bone, yet seeing no other recourse stepped forward to grab the offered letter. No sooner had the tape peeled off did Mr. Rattles began moving once more, startling myself with its wide movement to about step to only begin the trek down the tunnel it had appeared from…

“What does it say?” Cerus was already trying to grab the letter from my hooves with little luck.

“Step back, and I’ll open it. Light your horn will you?” A little changeling horn appeared from under the green mop of a mane, and did as she was instructed. I started by running a hoof over the sealed envelope until I felt confident it only held a folded letter and nothing more.

Unpleasant scenarios were all I could think about as I carefully separated the flap from the seal. Tierk’s rampage had only exacerbated an unexpected shortcoming of Equestria’s ability to project its power effectively without thinning the already overworked guard. Meaning the current state of affairs allowed for anything to happen.

Under Harmony’s watchful veil the envelope was opened and the letter was removed without incident. Using Cersus’ glowing horn illuminating the page, I began reading the letter aloud so once I was certain it wasn’t sensitive material. It was a Royal Summons.

“Like the ones in Daring Do?” I shook my head.

“An official ‘come here’ for adults. Replace the Princesses with Topaz telling you to come home. Topaz was the only pony to know our whereabouts, but this letter was sent from the Canterlot Department of Utilities.”

“So it's a bill? I thought you didn’t pay them because you are a guard?”

“Indeed. I can only assume they sought me out and Topaz told them our location. Kick the dirt back into the hole for now and we’ll resume at the earliest opportunity.”

It was a full hour later by the time I reached the main Canterlot Plaza where most of the Guards had assembled with our pegasus wings hovering just above the rooftops in a loose formation of three distinct detachments. The rest of the guard were standing in the loose formation we practice monthly primarily saved for ceremonies or the rare dignitary- all guards.

“Including the Nightwatch?”

“I couldn’t believe it either!” The young private next me exclaimed as we began looking for our appropriate formations. “It really meant all the guards.”

With my current role of unofficial second-in-command of the Canterlot Guard, I’ve become privy to all levels of sensitive material, this somehow also included me acting as the Duty Officer from the Castle Rotation List.

The stallion had only finished his basic training when Tirek attacked, yet somehow managed to avoid the worst of it to begin a parietal evacuation by himself. Needless to say once his actions were known he was quickly transferred to Canterlot making him currently the youngest Royal Guard in service.

“I can’t recall any event that would require this level of display, but rest assured the Princesses wouldn’t issue the command without reason. Hurry along and get yourself in formation. We’re already drawing too many eyes our way.”

“Sir!” He almost saluted me, but caught himself before trotting hurriedly ahead looking for his unit in this sea of gold to our right, with the left an ocean of darkness.

While it could be seen as unprofessional, I kept the same pace toward the front of the formation where acting Captain Mockingbird stood in his finest cloth uniform composed of dapper blues and silver trim doing his best to keep his larger ears from nervously twitching. The Princesses were standing to his left looking equally nervous, and I could tell even if I couldn't feel their emotions based on their stances, and scanning eyes.

To the uninformed it would appear they were being vigilant, but to the few like myself, it was their alicorn way to keep moving because they were unable to remain still. For a moment they both turned to watch me approaching before Princess Luna standing next to Mockingbird leaned down to whisper something before once mirroring Celestia’s movements.

“Captain.”

“Cut it Hooves.” He stopped me before I could properly address him, and motioned to the spot on this right. “Stand here. I’ll fill you in.”

I can’t remember all of the conversation, but what I do recall was a general sense of fear, and attempt to impress. Back then the Lieutenant Mockingbird was still a junior officer that wouldn't receive his promotion until the following year with this entire circumstance being leveraged as the primary source of experience. The entire affair was truly a generational event that wouldn’t be seen until the formal transfer of power to the now reigning Twilight Sparkle.

What I do recall is a lot of waiting and silence until a pegasus from the front gate came flying overhead in a very unprofessional manner shouting about they’re here, and then proceeded to bank left to repeat this revelation to the rest of the city. The Princesses were quick to call the entire assembled guard to attention while issuing further orders to the pegasi above to begin flying patrol. Only one helm was knocked off a cloud, and thankfully the owner was quick enough to swoop down and catch the issued equipment mid flight.

“I’ll have him talked to later.” Muttered Mockingbird as the four of us kept our eyes glued to the one entrance where the road span the length from the gated walls all the way to the castle gates.

We were all on edge with myself being more receptive to the feeling with everypony more anxious than usual. So we waited standing at attention for the mysterious group to appear when a sharp gasp rose from behind the guard line by the plaza entrance; the commotion drew more ponies to appear from their balconies and the business to see the reason why the plaza had to be closed down, and their reactions were one of equal shock. The guards in front of them while holding formation weren’t immune to shock as I sampled the rising shock, awe, love, and even fear from that particular group.

“This is it.”

The voice sounded like Celestia’s, but I dared not draw attention to it, and thank Order I did for in that moment two leg limbed creatures turned the corner. My sight became blurry from the overstock of emotion, but was able to quickly sort the incoming emotion to regain my sight just as the most beautiful unicorn I’ve ever seen came following behind them. The entire plaza was silent as we all forgot to draw breath.

I could assume the unicorn was a mare based off the face and muzzle, making her as tall as the Princesses. My blasphemous thoughts were already trying to comprehend where she would have hailed from to require two Deer escorts, and if somehow Fancy’s wife and the Princesses were a part of some old bloodline. Celestia and Luna’s very power allowed their manes and tails to catch an invisible breeze while this one’s luxurious mane moved perfectly in sync with each step she took to project a perfect image of her absolute best. Where Celetia’s coat was snowfall, the unicorn’s was the color itself with nothing able to compare to his purity.

Her deer escorts eventually ceased their trotting to gracefully leap in four bounds only to stop directly in front of the Princesses, and by association Mockingbird and myself only and parted wide enough for the unicorn to pass through whenever she arrived. This graceful pony took her time.

It was the longest breath we all held until she finally passed between her escorts to stop directly in front of the Princesses who were now visibly taken back by the unicorn. They were nervous. The guards were nervous. I was nervous. The silence lingered another heartbeat before the unicorn spoke in the softest voice I’d ever heard, and to this day can’t properly describe it. The closest I could come to even presenting an idea of its grandeur would at best be a disservice, but if you were hear the Element of Kindness speak while enjoying a warm pie you will be on the right path.

“Hello Celestia. Hello Luna.”

“Hello, mother.”
“Greetings, mother.”

The silence ended when several of the bystanders and one guard fainted.