Popped

Part VII - Burying The Hatchet

This is ridiculous!"

"Absolutely ludicrous!"

The hall was abuzz with the agitated voices of the crowd, their words creating a chaotic din as they echoed off the walls. The collective volume of their complaints, when combined with the poor acoustics of the hall, made for a very displeasing experience.

"This is an outright violation of our rights! Literally the day you become Princess Regent, we get droves of royal guards searching every nook and cranny of our private homes!"

Twilight winced, trying to resist putting her hooves over her ears. "Please, everypony calm down!" she yelled, struggling to be heard over the crowd. "I understand your grievances, but I'm afraid the current situation calls for drastic and immediate action. With the unanimous approval of the Royal Council, I have temporarily suspended the constitution to aid in the search effort-"

"You're corrupt!" A stallion near the back called out.

"We have to do everything within our power to find Pinkie Pie." Twilight called, raising her voice to dominate the crowd.

The crowd, however, did not concede. Rather, they grew even louder than before. Twilight would have tried again to reason with them, but at this point, she couldn't even hear the sound of her own voice.

One of the two guards standing at each side of Twilight's throne looked up, bowing respectfully before speaking. "Princess, I believe it would be for the best if you were to leave the premises until this situation is under control. You've more important things to attend to, after all."

Twilight looked once towards the crowd, then back at the guard before nodding in agreement. "Thank you, um..." Twilight looked quizzically at the guard, tapping her hooves together as she tried to remember his name. Judging from his decorations, he wasn't as high ranking as a commander, but he wasn't a regular grunt either. "...sir." she finally said, blushing slightly. She made a mental note to work on her nametag idea.

If the guard was offended by Twilight's lapse in memory, he didn't show it. He nodded once, and motioned to two lower-ranking guards before moving back to his spot.

Twilight actively avoided eye contact with the crowd as she got up from her seat and walked between the two guards. They led her a short distance across the floor to a set of golden double doors, which were opened by yet another pair of guards.

After passing through the threshold, the grandiose doors closed, shutting out the sounds of the crowd's unrest. The sudden change in volume was almost startling.

"Tough crowd, huh, Twily?" A familiar voice greeted.

Twilight cast her tired gaze toward her brother for a short moment before looking down again. "Ugh," she moaned. "This is a nightmare."

Shining Armor's mouth hung open as he tried to think of a reply. He wanted to tell Twilight not to worry, that she was just overthinking things again. On the other hand, he wasn't the type to lie easily. "...Yeah." was all he managed to say.

Like two foals on an awkward first date, the two siblings walked together in silence as if they barely knew each other. The only sounds to be heard were the resonant echoes of their hooves as they made their way across the marble floor.

"So, uh..." Twilight began, finally daring to break the silence. "Any news yet? About Pinkie, I mean." Her face was flushed with worry.

Shining Armor looked down and sighed. "Not yet, but If your tracking spell was correct, then she's at the most fifty miles from Canterlot. We've at least narrowed it down to that. With 60% of the Royal guard mobilized, I'm sure we'll find her in a matter of hours."