The Journey (private rp with annosrules)

[waaaaaaah]

The earth pony was taken aback. "Never heard...he's one of the rulers of the Equestrian Empire! How can you not know of him!?"

His gaze narrowed. "Who are you really?"

[annosrules]

"Private Match Stick of her Majesties Royal Guard," He replies proudly, cocking his head as he introduces himself.

[waaaaaaah]

"A-And I'm Star Diver," the cyan unicorn added. "I'm with Match...k-kinda."

The earth pony stared at them both for a moment. Then he laughed.

"Oh, I see!" he chuckled. "You had me worried for a moment there."

He siddled over to Star and whispered conspiratorially, "He must be a handful, eh Doctor?"

Star's mind went blank at that. "I-I'm sorry...?"

"No worries here, friend," the earth pony continued in a sympathetic tone, "your superiors won't hear anything from Green Hoof. Come, I'll guide you and your charge to a back exit, and you can make your way to the Institute from there."

[annosrules]

"You dare to insult a guardspony in uniform so openly!? I will have you know that as Princess Celestia's hoof in her kingdom, an insult of us is an insult of her," Match declares wrathfully, his patience having been wained by everything that has happened thus far. His body ripples with spectral flames as his emotion is made manifest by the immense magical energies at his disposal. These fires even make his armor shine all the greater in the bunker-like structure that they are now in, and his azure cape begins to take of as if caught in a breeze.

[waaaaaaah]

"Mmmhmm. Sure," Green snorted, then started walking down the left corridor.

"M-Maybe we should just play along for now, M-Mister Match," Star tugged frantically at the  guardspony. "At least until w-we can find out more with what we're d-dealing with."

[annosrules]

"Hmmph, I will not degrade myself to act as some kind of lunatic in order to satisfy the ignorance​ of some distant barbarians," Match states with hushed tone to Star.

[waaaaaaah]

"J-Just for now?" Star pleaded. "Until we get out of here?"

[annosrules]

"No," Match says with finality, refusing to continue the conversation further.

[waaaaaaah]

Star looked at Match for a long moment, then turned his head away. Biting his lip, he turned towards the direction that Green had gone, and followed, leaving the guard behind.

[annosrules]

Match silently follows Star and Green, keeping a stern look about him.

[waaaaaaah]

"So, Doc," Green said conversationally when Star caught up to him. "I hear that the Institute have their hooves busy, what the recent arrests made and all. Who'd they round up this time?"

"S-Sorry, I can't tell you that," Star said easily, ears pricking up at what sounded like Match's hoofbeats.

"Of course you can't," the earth pony chuckled.

[annosrules]

Match grumbles, but keeps pace.

[waaaaaaah]

Green led them for a while, passing through many claustrophobic corridors of pipes; he had lapsed into silence after Star kept giving the earth pony evasive answers to his questions. After what seemed like an eternity had passed, the trio arrived at a solid metal door being guarded by two ponies (races unknown) brandishing maces in what looked like plate armor.

"Hoof, what are these...two doing here?" the left one asked Green warningly in a grating voice.

"The good doctor here had a mishap with one of his patients," Green answered smoothly. "I'm just showing them the way out." The armored pony considered this, then nodded.

"Very well." The guard opened a panel next to the door, and pressed a button. With a sharp hiss of air, the door lifted, revealing a grey stairway beyond.

"Well, here we are, the back door," Green said matter-of-factly. "It leads into an run-down warehouse in the Drifter's District. Keep a sharp eye on yourself and your friend, and you shouldn't have a problem making it back in one piece. For the record, this meeting never happened."

"Y-Yes," Star answered nervously, jumping a bit at the sound of steam being released from a nearby pipe.

[annosrules]

Match stays observant if these strange ponies, their technology, and their practices. He follows silently behind Star, resisting dropping his jaw at the massive steam powered door.

[waaaaaaah]

The moment the pair cleared the doorway, the door slammed shut with a loud CLANG, leaving them in total darkness. Light crept through a small crack at the top of the steps, outlining what looked like a hatch to the outside world.

Star gulped nervously. "I-I guess we're really in for it n-now," he half-whispered.

[annosrules]

Match's horn ignights with magical fire, providing a bright illumination similar to a torch.

"Do not fear, my little pony, for you are in the company of a Royal Guard."

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[waaaaaaah]

"A-Alright then," Star replied in the same tone. He moved aside, so that Match could take the lead.

[annosrules]

Match leads the two of them onwards through the blackened hall of stone. He occasionally sends off a flare of fire into the darkness, which goes a way before expanding into a small inferno of heat and light.

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[waaaaaaah]

After a while, the two arrived at the end; dim light shone through the hinges of the hatch above them. Aside from the clatter of their hooves, and the whooshes of Match's spell, no sound could be heard.

"W-Well, I guess this is it," Star said, lighting his horn and craning his head to look at the hatch. "C-Can you help me move this?"

[annosrules]

"Indeed," Match says as his horn's flame grew brighter and more intense and orange light surrounded the hatch door, blasting it upward and outward.

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