//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 - The Two Observers // Story: The Red Dusk // by Barony //------------------------------// Two forms danced in the sky, silhouettes against the bright, yet not entirely full, lime light that was the Moon. To the ground, one would just see these silhouettes simply as small black flashes against the creme-like white of the crescent Moon. If one looked from the mountain face, they could see both the sky plus Moon, Canterlot, the Palace, and quite a ways west. To that, two smaller forms flap their way onto a small jutting out platform that barely stuck out of the rocky mountain face. Both of them wore helmets and armor of the nightguard, one pair of eyes a glowing, golden amber and the other a brilliant green. "Velvet, you do know that we're supposed to be on patrol, right?" a male voice from one of them is heard, a feminine scoff responding. "Pssh, you worry too much, Winston. This is how I do my thing." 'Velvet' says, laying herself down on the small platform. However, her partner still hovered by her, which brings her attention. "Comeon, Winston." Winston rolls his eyes as he reluctantly lays his haunches on the platform, the tips of his metal clad hooves over the edge. Velvet takes off her helmet, laying back to enjoy the night and cool breeze. "I've always wondered why you're called a Griffon's name." "My sort-of-reluctant-stepfather was a Griffon and by the time he and my mother got married, my mother was pregnant from her ex-boyfriend." Velvet nods, a hoof going out to pat Winston on the underside of his barrel with the topside of her hoof. He puts both of his forehooves there, that being a vulnerable place and his reflex's acting out on instinct. "Not the best story for somepony I guess, was your stepfather nice?" Her leathery wings fluttered on her back, one of them jutting out from behind her to reach in a small bag to take out a chrome flask with liquid swishing inside. "No, not exactly. Sometimes he was, but he was just a dick many times. He began beating my mother by the time I was ten after he lost his job in the factory." he finally takes off his helmet, looking out to the side which Velvet took the time to take a small sip of what was inside the flask, her favorite drink, whiskey. "He drank quite a bit, but my mom knew what to do a year later. We left, and when I turned fourteen, I left the house and enlisted. Im eighteen now." He sighs, looking for a second back to Velvet, thinking for a minute before looking back and tapping her in the shoulder. She rounds her head over, to see him and then smile. "Ofcourse, I'll spare you a sip, Winston." Velvet chirped charmingly. Quite ironic, her partner was just talking about an alcoholic father and she herself is a bit of an alcoholic with an iron liver. But Velvet could say there is being a bad alcoholic and a good alcoholic, and she leans good...ish. Winston gingerly took the flask, tilting it up slightly to let some whiskey in. His head dips as the liquid flowed down his throat and the alcohol made him feel warm inside. "I always wonder why you keep such a powerful drink in your bag while you patrol. Why not something light?" Velvet looks at him with a raised eyebrow, Winston registering her answer a few seconds later and silently turning his head back to look infront of him. Velvet just snorts. Her answer was 'Seriously? You know me, Winston.'. Velvet Eclipse is a 22 year old First Sergeant who made up part of the Air Patrol route that combed the mountain of Canterlot, with Corporal Winston by her side to be her wingpony. But since it was a route that was not known to have many strange or bad things happening along it, Velvet and Winston, Velvet mostly, relax as they do it. Generally, both were almost opposite in personality. Winston is somewhat calm, neurotic, and organized, plus he was not an alcoholic, while Velvet is relaxed, somewhat disorganized, a 'semi' alcoholic, experienced, and a First Sergeant. Velvet looks up into the sky, yawning before seeing the specks flying about, one in particular large and noticeable. The smaller one seemed to come to a hover, before continuing on its way. The bigger one's flying was decent, but it was obvious something was wrong with him. They seemed to always pitch up to late before they went through a cloud and ends up getting wet, and considering alicorns have pegasi magic within them, might have a slight pain on their faces as they crash through something which to them, is somewhat solid. "The bigger one is flying around like a drunk." Winston says as he gives Velvet back her silver flask, which with a wing, goes back into the bag. "Its Red Dusk. His eye is out of action for a week or so. That may be Princess Luna." Velvet points at the smaller one, who slowly follows the bigger one onto a cloud. "How do you know?" Winston looks at her, slightly turning his head but relying on his own eyes to look over at her. "I saw him at the Dark Quarter and both were talking about what to do as 'friends'. To be completely honest, they act more like two strangers. Anyway, Luna said they should start flying together in the night." Velvet comments, blankly staring out with her hooves now on her belly. She shivered, only to get up and get out a small blanket from her bag, standard issue. "I see." Winston ruffles up his light green mane, thinking of what to say. "He's pretty awkward..." "I woke up at like, three fourty five and at about six thirty, I saw Rose going down the stairs of the apartment building. She said she needed some bread and another liter of milk, she uses a small refrigerator, and she also described Red with me." "He went over to her apartment?" "Yeah, uninvited too. But she said Red was... Fine, sort of. She said he was awfully quiet and preferred not to speak. Although he really liked the Matawi 6200, she said. She said he looked more like a child on Hearths Warming day." Velvet moved about her hooves as she described to Winston, the rather lean Thestral nodding as she talked. He gives a peek over to the two dancers in the sky, but they were not flying. "He drank alot of milk too, apparently." he nodded, glad Velvet was not looking straight at him. He looked around for them, before seeing one--- no, two, forms on another cloud, separated by a meter or so by his estimate. One seemed to be partially rolled up like a cat into a sleeping position, evident by how the cloud there sloped up and his or her body was on such slope. The other was obviously awake, sitting on his or her haunches, watching over the other one with intentness. It could be Luna, watching over her subject as he sleeps after a long day, he thinks. Winston did not even notice that Velvet stopped talking, looking at what he was looking at. "She's watching him sleep." Winston says, and Velvet only nods, patting him after a few seconds. She stuffs her blanket back into her pack after a quick, dirty fold. He looks back at her as she puts on her helmet, he doing likewise as both quickly jump off the slope, keeping a level trajectory that was angled upwards. Both of them had armor on, and predictably, their armor rattled, their wing roots pushing and turning the plates about, until they come to a stop on a cloud. Both land softly on the rather large cloud, with convenient cover to look from about fifty meters away, somewhat out of earshot and yet still within a range where details can be made out. The two guards' curiosity were responsible for their action, both of them crawling on the cloud to the cover to look at the two alicorns. Red was sleeping, and Luna was on her haunches, looking at Red with a straight face. They continue to observe, to which they lay witness to Luna picking herself up and walking to the sleeping alicorn. How long did it take for the two to talk for him to take a nap? Did time go fast? Noone knew. The fact of the matter is is that Luna stood over the alicorn, taking off one of her hoofguards and floating it near her with her magic, before reaching out with her leg and stroking the body of Red. Red stirred slightly. Luna continued to stroke him, before looking side to side. Velvet tilts her head, while Winston makes a quiet grunt, looking at Velvet. She shrugs, only for both to look back just in time to see Luna kiss Red on the cheek. Velvet puts a hoof up to her mouth, blushing hotly, noticing Red stir with a slight smile appearing on his face. He muttered, rolling slightly as Luna gingerly continues to rubs, before pulling back her hoof. Winston only watches with wide eyes. She puts her hoof guard back on, looking side to side, the guards dashing back down as she almost sees them. She tilts her head at the noise, but shakes her head, looking back at Red. She only smiles, before unfolding her wings and jumping off the cloud, a feather all that is left from where she was and the sound of her wings flapping passively. Both guards pop back out from cover to get back to their good observation points - yes, they sort of saw Luna through thinner parts of the cloud. Red was still fast asleep, snoring. Both mare and stallion look at eachother with raised eyebrows, before Velvet snickers and Winston frowns. "Do you think...?" "Velvet, no." "Do you think she might love him?" "Ofcourse she does, he's a subject." "No..." "Love him."