New Arrangements, Old Laws
"Thanks for helping me send all those letters, Spike." Thorax told him, as they both approached the castle, while Spike was munching on a ruby.
"No problem, Thorax. I imagine it was easier than mailing them the normal way." Spike said as he finished with his snack. "Plus, for how crazy everything has gone recently, I imagine that it's best to contact all those noble changelings as soon as possible."
Thorax nodded as they reached the door. "I just hope we can still pull off the plan. All of them really want to have a chance at being nobles again." He mentioned with some worry. "Some even told me that they found their cutie marks while pretending to be nobles..."
"Wow, that serious?"
Thorax nods again as they entered the castle. "That serious, so I'm hoping with the help of Blueblood this could be their big chance. I hate to think that all of this be for nothing in the end."
"Don't worry, I'm sure everything will work out just fine." Spike said as he opened the door, but before they could enter someone called their attention from behind.
"Ah excuse me…?"
Looking behind them, Spike and Thorax turned and saw two slender and tall unicorn mares now in front of them. The one of the left, who had called them with a smile, had a short spike of two tones of red in her mane and tail that made it look like they were made of fire. Her fur was a light yellow colour, and she was wearing a golden necklace with a sun insignia on it, and her cutie mark had a lance inside a sun. Her companion, on the contrary, remained stoic as she looked at them. Her mane and tail were both long and dark purple with a celestial stream going through both, her fur being dark blue. She was also wearing a silver necklace with a moon insignia on it, and had some makeup on her face, her cutie mark showing a sword with a galaxy inside of it. Both mares looked particularly attractive, and at first glance, one could think they came from a model agency.
"Is this Princess Twilight's castle?" The yellow pony asked them, looking at the building.
"Well yeah, why? Do you need to talk to her?" Spike asked with a raised eye ridge.
"Not exactly..." The yellow unicorn told them. "We are here under the instructions of Princess Celestia." She explained to them, before looking to the side noticing the big golden chariot Celestia usually traveled with. "And that is clearly her chariot, so do you mind if we come in? If not, can you please tell her that Amber Lance and Stellar Cut, have arrived? Please?" Amber said, putting her hooves together and looking at them with puppy eyes.
Thorax and Spike can only blink a couple of times before looking at one another. "Ah well, why don't you come in and wait on the hallway while I go tell the princess'?" Spike suggested to them, making Amber smile and clap her hooves in happiness. "That would be great, thank you!" She mentioned as they both followed the two inside, Stellar remaining as stoic as ever the entire time.
Once they reached the dining room, both mares waited patiently at the entrance while the dragon and changeling went inside. There, they saw everyone sharing stories and laughing while enjoying of some tea on the table in the middle of the room. Particularly Blueblood, who was happily chatting with his cousin, and Twilight while she was hard at work writing everything he was telling on a parchment.
The scene was enough to make the dragon chuckle as they approached the group. "Looks like the intervention went better than I thought."
"Oh hi Spike, hi Thorax." Pinkie mentioned as she walked toward them. "Did you manage to do that secret business you told us about?" Pinkie asked with some intrigue, making the king chuckle.
"There was nothing secret about it Pinkie. I needed to send some letters to some of my subjects pretty quick, and Spike helped me out." He explained.
"Wait, wouldn't that have sent them to Princess Celestia instead?" She asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Normally yeah, but I have been training my flames for the last couple of months." Spike mentioned with pride, "So now if I eat some gems and know the address, I can send the letter anywhere without a problem!" He mentioned before looking around. "By the way, have you seen Princess Celestia?"
"Oh yeah, she's over there talking with Starlight." She said, pointing to one of the chairs where Celestia, Luna and Starlight were talking.
"Thanks." Spike told her before approaching the princess.
"Princess Celestia?"
"Oh Spike, glad to see you again." She said looking back at him with a smile. "How did everything go?"
"Without any problem princess, the letter was sent." He said before looking at the entrance. "But something happened on our back here." He explained.
"Really?" She asked with a raised eyebrow "And what was it?"
"Well, two mares ask if they could come in, saying that you ask for them. I told them to wait in the hallway. They say that their names are Amber Lance and Stellar Cut, do you know them?" Spike mentioned.
Celestia clapped her hooves together in happiness. "Oh wonderful! They are here, yes Spike, I know them both, but please, bring them here."
"Understood." Spike nodded and went to fetch both mares.
Luna in the meanwhile look at her sister with a raised eyebrow "You asked for those two? Aren't you going a bit overboard dear sister?"
"Oh nonsense Luna. Amber and Stellar can use some vacation from their regular jobs. The fact that they are more than capable of taking care of Blueblood is just a very nice bonus." She said with a smile "Plus, they are the only two recruits available right now that fit…" She sighs in exasperation with a roll of her eyes "…that law"
"Ah..." Luna nodded in understanding. "Now I understand."
Soon the mares entered the room and bowed to the princesses, before Celestia started the introductions. "Everypony, I would like you all to meet Amber Lance, and Stellar Cut. They are two of our best soldiers in the royal guard." The princess mentioned with pride. "And starting today Blueblood's personal bodyguards."
"It's an honor to protect the crown." Amber said, as she and Stellar bowed to the prince.
"Wait, what?!" Blueblood exclaimed in surprise as he approached his aunt.
"You thought I was joking when I said that I would place extra security on you?" She asked with a smug smile.
"Oh my Celestia! Is this for real?!" Shining Armor exclaimed, getting excited as he approached the two guards. "You…you really are Amber, the sun, and Stellar, the moon?!" He said, having a fangasm meltdown.
Amber just chuckled and looked away with a blush, much to the surprise and then annoyance of Shining's wife. "Oh boy, it has being a while since somepony called us that." She said in embarrassment.
"Ah, you know them, Big Bro?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Are you kidding Twilight?! Those two are legends among the royal guards." He exclaimed before pointing at them. "I have never been able to meet them in person, but their reputation speaks volumes. They form part of one of the greatest units of all of Canterlot! One that made me want to enlist in the guard in the first place!"
"The celestial centurions." Amber said with pride. "The best special force the crown ever had." She told with a wink at Shining Armor. That act make Cadence's wings stiff and ruffled a little in a slightly primitive and threatening manner. "Would you like an autograph captain?" She mentions, finally breaking the stoic expression of Stellar who looked back at her companion in worry.
"Would I?" He then starts to think for a second. "Stay there for just a second I will be right back!" He said before teleporting away, Stellar then poking Amber in irritation, much to her annoyance.
"Oh just let it go Stellar, the guy is a fan, would it kill you to give him one autograph?" She starts to think before pointing at the prince.
"He is in the princess of friendship's castle, surrounded by four alicorns, plus the elements of harmony, the student of Princess Twilight, the king of the changelings and a dragon, please tell me, who could be so stupid as to attack him now?"
Stellar just sighed in defeat and decided to simply cross her hoofs.
"Wel…ok" Twilight looked at the display confused before approaching Stellar. "So, if I may ask, what exactly does a Celestial Centurion do?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow, yet Stellar remained quiet. "Ah, hello?
"Oh don't mind Stellar, she is a mare of action rather than words." Amber told Twilight. "And to answer your question, we are a unit dedicated to ensuring peace on Equestria and are in charge of solving delicate problems that involve other nations."
Ah so they are like the equivalent of the secret service…or the CIA?
Blueblood pondered as he looked at them.
"Basically, missions that are too dangerous or require a lot of tact to avoid a war between nations is our specialty."
"Hey wait a minute!" Rainbow Dash said as she flew toward them. "If you deal with international missions, where were you during the Tirek attack? Or the changeling attack? Or King Storm's Attack?" She said pointing an accusing hoof at them.
"In that order, we were dealing with Tirek but we didn't have the means to stop him, and it was too risky for him to absorb our magic, plus Discord just kept popping him here and there so we couldn't react fast enough. Chrysalis had already infiltrated, and sent orders to keep us away during the wedding, making herself pass as Princess Mia Amore."
"Ah just Princess Cadence, please." Cadence said, lifting her hoof with some annoyance.
"My apologies, Princess Cadence." Amber said, giving her a small bow. "And while the Storm King was attacking Canterlot, we had to deal with his special monsters that he had launched at us. Golems made of crystal that turned even alicorns into stone. Do you remember those crystal balls? They produced it in their stomachs and then spit them out. So just imagine that kind of beast rampaging throughout Equestria without control. Their nature involves turning their preys into rocks before eating them." Amber answered back. "See Rainbow Dash? Perhaps you have had awesome adventures, but the world is just too big for you to have ALLof them, we just do the same you do, but on a more global scale." Amber finished.
"Fascinating..." Twilight mentioned. "And other nations are ok with that?"
Amber laughed at that. "Other nations have their own version of our unit, princess."
"What?" The elements surround the mares as they all had questions, while Blueblood took the opportunity to approach his aunts. "Ah, Aunt Celly?"
"Yes Blueblood?"
"Is not that I don't appreciate the gesture and all but, if they are so incredible, why are you ordering them to protect me?" He asked in confusion.
"I believed that protecting a prince is perfectly fine with their job description." Celestia said, "Plus they fit another…" She looked away in irritation "…condition that is required by law."
"Huh?" The prince turned his head in confusion, making both princesses sigh.
"Royal decree #47, any member attached by bloodline to the royal family must be protected and escorted by a minimum of two guards…of the opposite sex." Luna said, facehoofing at the end.
"…who's qualities included; being in top physical health and beauty and at the time not being in any kind of romantic relationship." Celestia finished, mirroring Luna's gesture.
"That has to be some of the most stupidest conditions I have ever heard. Who wrote that? A horny teenager?"
"Exactly." Luna nods before pointing at the prince. "YOUR horny past self, to be precise."
"Oh please tell me, I didn't?!" Blueblood mentioned, holding his head with both hoofs.
"I'm sorry, nephew." Luna tells placing her hoof on his shoulder. "It was your first time weaseling a law into reality." Luna said, glaring at Celestia. "And of course your aunt Celestia was too gullible at the time to see it until it was already too late."
"He was still pretty innocent! And I thought it was a joke. I really thought the paper he gave me was a fake one..." Celestia defend herself.
"And is there no way to remove that stupid condition?" The prince asked, hopeful but to his dismay the princesses just shook their heads. "It's a royal decree, it escapes even our power. The only way to abolish it, is with a unanimous vote from us, the Canterlot royal court and…" Luna eyes widened in realization as a smile slowly appeared on her face. "…you."
"Wait, so all I need to do is go and vote 'no' and we can change this weird law?"
"Yeah, we can do that Celestia." Luna said with a smile, her sister soon copying her expression.
"Perhaps Luna, Blueblood, so far, was the biggest reason that law was still in effect. We will have to change it as soon as we return to Canterlot."
"Why not now?" The prince asked with a raised eyebrow.
"The waiting period for a law to be erased or modified is three months, and during that time it can't be implemented."
"All the more reason we should do it now, don't you think? The longer we put it off, the longer we will have to wait!"
Princess Celestia just get closer to his face with a sly grin. "Nice try."
"Huh…." The prince just sighed in defeat and looked down.
Soon Shining Armor returned, this time carrying with him in no particular order; posters, comics, a sword with their cutie marks on it, as well as an ink bottle and a feather, all as he looked at the mares with hopeful smile. Amber grew a sly smile and pushed Stellar forward, before giving her the lead. Stellar just glared at her friend before shaking her head, proceeding to sigh all of the papers Shining keep given her. His wife put herself next to him, keeping an eye on both while unconsciously placing one of her wings on her husband back.
"It will only be until you recover nephew, and it could be good for them as well." Celestia mentioned. "Those two are kind of workaholics, and no matter how much I insist, they refuse to take some time off. So I believed that guarding you in a small town near Canterlot could help them relax for a change." She mentioned with a small smile.
"So you're telling me that you are also using my situation as an excuse for those two to get away from their regular jobs?"
Celestia nodded and look at him. "Two cakes in one bite. So do you think you could do that for me? Please?" She asked using her own puppy eyes on him.
The prince nodded. "Ok Auntie, for you."
"I knew I can count on you." She told with a big smile as she hugs him with one of her wings.
"Ah excuse me..." Thorax called for their attention. "Not that I like to interrupt this moment or anything but we still need to finish our plan."
"Oh right." Blueblood said, ending the hug and approaching the king. "I already sent the letters, and soon we'll get a reply. Do you still want us to address the meeting in Manehattan?"
The prince nodded. "We would need witnesses to collaborate my injuries." He said, looking at his hooves and then thinks. "Maybe some makeup for some small burn marks here and there..."
"What do you have in store nephew?" Luna asked in wonder, and the prince is about to answer when he paused, seeming worried about Amber and Stellar listening in. Luna noticed and smiles at him. "There is no need for you to worry, nephew. You can trust them. They already know about your condition."
That helps him relax and he nodded. "Ok, in that case, here is the plan. The first thing we need to do is…" Blueblood stops as he looks at Celestia, who looks at him with a playful smile.
"Ah, Aunty I don't know if you…"
"Please Blueblood, give us a chance. I can do this, and contrary to what others think…Luna" She says, glaring daggers at her sister. "Performing on a stage is far different than giving a public speech, something I have more than enough experience in."
Luna just sighed and shook her head. "Might as well let her try, nephew. She is telling the truth. Plus I have seen her take some extra classes, so I believe she has earned the right to try, at the very least."
"Well, ok then." Blueblood nodded and started again. "Then here is what I have in mind. During the meeting, a very bad accident will occur, and from it, a hero emerges..." He told them with a smile. "Here's how it'll play out..."
Later that day
After exchanging goodbyes and promising another visit in the future, all of the Royals went to the golden and big chariot headed to Canterlot, while the prince waved goodbye to all of them. Stellar and Amber were now on either side of him doing the same.
The moment he was out of the view, all of the Royals looked at their destination with serious expressions. "Starting an investigation will not be an easy task..." Luna comments.
"Indeed, just filling a report would force us to expose Blueblood's condition." Shining Armor mentioned before sighing. "If we wish to catch the killer, there is no choice but to place this investigation as top secret."
"We can't just stop there Shiny." Cadence mentioned in worry. "Whoever did this was a professional and planned for everything so as not to leave a trace. If they were aiming to just kill Blueblood, that leaves almost half of Canterlot as suspects. If the goal was the royal family, any of us could be next."
"Remain calm everypony." Celestia said with determination. "Panic would not help us. For now, we need to stay focused and act like everything is ok." She then looks at Shining Armor. "Captain Armor, can I trust you to search for clues in our nephew's room?"
"You can count on me, your highness," He replied with a salute.
"Thank you." She then looked at Cadence. "While that happens, we would have to subtly interview all of Blueblood's inner circles, and that is a long list. I can plan meetings with them but we will have to split the efforts between all of us."
"You can count on me aunty." Cadence said, her bringing her hoof to her chest.
"I have soldiers already spying on them, so it would just be a matter to change the order." Luna mentioned. "We will keep an eye on those shady nobles..."
"Thank you, Luna." Celestia then looked at Thorax. "King Thorax, I really appreciated all that you have been doing for us so far, but I'm afraid that there is yet another favor we need to ask of you."
"Say no more princess." Thorax said, lifting his hoof. "We are talking about a case of regicide here, and that is something really serious. Just say the word and I will dispatch some of my soldiers to impersonate any of you while this mess is solved. It's the last thing we can do for all your help on our hive." He told them with a smile.
"Thank you King Thorax, I give you my word that we will not forget this kindness." Celestia told him with a grateful smile.