Discovering the Hidden Past (Private, Pm for invite: ATTN Quilllheart)

[Shadowbolt0]

Under Canterlot Castle are the legendary gem caves, long forgotten until they were rediscovered by Twilight Sparkle. Now, adventurers and historians explore it, searching for any clues for their ancient ancestors.

However, these caves are unexplored, and sending civilians down into unexplored caves where any manners of creatures could be living is ignorant, and now only those with special permits are allowed in, along with a guard escort.

Standing at the entrance of the caves, a platoon of Solar guards stood to attention. But, among their ranks, a single lunar guard stood there.

Midnight Blossom was humming to herself, the blue batwinged mare was bored. Normally she'd be standing at the castle walls, but she'd been called because somepony had been issued with a permit to explore the caves and as orders, she was going to be the ponies escort.

She looked inside the caves, torches had been set up to light the area, but deeper inside it was dark as the night, so the mare was carrying a torch on her, now she had one thing to do, wait.

"Having fun waiting? I'm sure there is something we could do for fun while we wait" said the stallion next to her, getting almost death eyes from the mare. This wasn't the first time a Solar guard had hit on Midnight, she didn't want to get involved, just hoping they pony would show up and stop her humiliating the stallion

[Quillhart]

Quillhart trotted along the path towards the cave. He had been dying to have a look inside the gem caves ever since the word had reached him that its position had been discovered. He adjusted his yellow saddlebag and pushed his glasses tighter against his nose. The main reason why he had been allowed to explore the cave in the first place was his ability to take accurate notes of what he saw and the fact that he wasn't an expert in any subject made sure that his notes would be facts of everything he saw and not just scribbles about, for example, minerals; which one might expect from an expert in that area. Quillhart would be granted to keep a copy of his notes as a reward for his cooperation with the investigation, along with the honor of being one of the first to enter.

While the distance to the cave became shorter; Quillhart checked into his saddlebag to make sure that he had brought everything. Notebook, quills, ink, the paper of permission, and a knife in case he would get into a tight spot. Though he hoped that it wouldn't be required, he wasn't too used with any kind of combat weapons and this knife was certainly a combat weapon. Most of Quill's trust rested on the guard that he was supposed the have with him, it felt good to have somepony that at least somewhat knew how to defend themselves. It still was a bit awkward for the stallion since Quillhart was used to have a friend covering his flank as he leaped into the dangers before him, but he assumed that he simply had to accept that that wasn't the case.

A peculiar view hit him as he approached the cave. As expected; it was guarded by several guards from the REA but a night-blue armor beamed through the group of sun-shimmering, golden plates. Quillhart arrived just in time to hear a somewhat indecent suggestion from one of the stallions towards the mare who looked like she was from the lunar ranks. The familiar force of insecurity wanted to pull him from getting involved but a slightly stronger force of bad conscience wanted him to teach the stallion a thing or two about manners. Quillhart took a deep breath. 'It's alright, just act professional.' Was his final thought before he stepped in.

"Greetings, my gentlefolk." He said with the monotone voice of a professional analyzer. "Was that a tint of harassment I heard back there?" Quillhart asked and pulled out his notebook and quill as to write something before he arched an eyebrow towards the ponies. He hoped that the possibility of having the stallions name scribbled down on a list that would be presented to the princess would scare him off from further ribaldry. "I believe your authority won't take too lightly on that kind of behavior." Quill drew a smiley face on the paper to make it look like he made some important notes. "Anyways", Quillhart quickly shut his notebook and laid his full attention on the ponies before him, "I'm here for the investigation of the gem caves. I would assume that one of you are supposed to be my guide for this occasion, correct?" He focused his eyes on the lunar guard. "Would that be you, perhaps?"

[Shadowbolt0]

The Solar Guard looked flustered at Quill's arrival, while a huge smirk came on Midnight's face. He shook his head at him "Ummm, there is no need for that, i'm sorry.." he said hastily, taking a step back to try hide his annoyance at how he'd been completely humiliated.

As For Midnight, there was a huge grin on her face at his arrival. Mostly because that meant she could get out of the stallion's proximity because he tried another attempt to pick her up. The mare looked at Quillhart, he didn't look too impressive, then again, that wasn't her job to see if she thought he was capable, after all, it was her job to look after him.

"That would be me, Private Midnight Blossom of the Lunar Guard, i'm meant to be escorting a pony called 'Quillhart'. If that's you, then yes, i'm your escort. May i see your Permission? Just to ensure you are who you claim to be"

The mare held her hoof, expecting him to give her the papers. She wanted to just go, but it was her legal obligation to check it was him.

[Quillhart]

Quillhart smirked on the inside when he saw how the guard apologized for his behavior. He focused his attention on the lunar guard before him and took a good look at her. There weren't many lunar guards which he had been speaking with before, zero to be exact, and he was a bit intrigued by her appearance. She certainly looked a bit like a pony with a mix of bat which made for a fairly exotic style and Quillhart assumed that it could result in quite some attention from other stallions.

"Nice to meet you, Midnight, I am indeed Quillhart." He took the opportunity to shake her hoof while she had it reached out as he stuck his head into the saddlebag to grab the paper of permission with his mouth. Quillhart felt how a lot of questions began to bubble to the surface towards the bat-winged pony but he guessed it might be better to hold them in for the moment. "Here you go." He said, reached out the paper and placed it in her hoof. "I hope you're as good as I was told you would be." Quillhart glanced up with a smile and prepared his package for the journey inside the cave. He was eager to get started.

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight scanned over the paper in front of her eyes, it all seemed to be in order, correctly signed and everything. She placed the slip into her saddlebag, zipping it up tightly. She returned her eyes to Quillhart, clicking her tongue inside her mouth

"It depends on what you were told, i may only be a Private in rank, but i am more then capable of looking after myself and you in the caves, now lets go" She looked at him, then turned around without waiting much for a reply, and started walking into the cave. It was more she wanted just to leave the Solar Guard more then trying to be rude to Quillhart, but it probably came off as that.

She picked up a torch, slowly lightning up the area at the entrance, the crystals shining in the dim light. Midnight looked over the huge cavern, it was impressive at the sight of it and she nodded in approval

"Impressive isn't it? Forgotten for years until it was found during an invasion, of all things, used at a prison" She assumed that Quillhart was near her, and hadn't taken her innitial silence as rude, its just she wasn't too much of a fan of Stallions, the one being at the entrance being a prime example of why she didn't trust them.

[Quillhart]

Quillhart was a little surprised when Midnight ran off but he was soon to follow her lead with the assumption that she wanted to lay some distance between her and the stallion. Still, Quillhart felt a little offended, he had hoped to have an discussion with the mare. Perhaps she wasn't the social type, which would be a shame, and didn't enjoy talking that much. He whistled, impressed by the big volume and the many crystals which stabbed his eyes.

"I wouldn't mind being imprisoned here." Quillhart responded whilst he tried to take in every aspect of the cave with his limited retina. He grabbed his notebook and began to describe every detail he could.

"What else do we know about this cave?" The stallion asked in an attempt to gather as much information he could and perhaps limber up the mare in the act so that they could have a proper discussion.

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight glanced back at Quillhart, watching him get straight into the notes. Turning her eyes back to the cave, the mare couldn’t help but be impressed by its size alone. The cave was giant, and completely unforgotten to all of the pony world until recently.

At Quillhart’s question of what else she knew, she walked back to him. She couldn’t leave him alone, and the torch she held in her wing might help him get a clearer notes.

“What else? Just what the reports say, we don’t know that much. The cave has several traps and decommissioned mine carts, along with a structure that isn’t fully understood. We’ve barely gone into the caves, more out of fear of the dark, Solar guards claimed it was too ‘scary’ so that’s why Lunar Guards were called to scout the area out” She paused, sighing and quickly flapping one of her wings “We placed torches, but that’s as far as we went. Then you were called in for your expertise, and I got drafted here because my captain thinks…” Midnight stopped herself, she was going into more detail than Quillhart probably cared about. He probably only cared for the cave itself, and less about the life story of the guard looking after him.