Midnight Storm had known deep down that the instant she did anything to get herself noticed by the population of Ponyville things would go downhill. It was impossible for a pony to travel Equestria from one end to the other as she had, to live in most of its biggest cities, and yet still not know the way ponies were deep down.
Even given all that, even with all her experience and all the places she had lived, Midnight Storm was a little impressed at how spectacularly pear-shaped things had really gone. Now here she was, caught without her cloak in broad daylight by members of the Royal Guard. This is what I get for listening to you, Zecora.
Outwardly she obeyed, tucking her tail under her body and holding as still as she could. Seeing a sharpened blade tended to give ponies the wrong idea, particularly when those ponies were guards used to the violent and unpredictable. She didn’t even turn around, just remained where she was, waiting for them to make the first move. They approached at a run, both sounding out-of-breath.
“What are you?” one of them asked, hurrying into view in front of her. A Solar Guard stallion, with suspicious eyes and a firm build.
The mare beside him cleared her throat. “What my companion means to ask is what are you doing out here?” she said, glaring sidelong at the other guard. The mare’s soft pink coat made her stand out from the green all around them.
“I live here,” she said, glaring right back at the staring guard stallion. “And I’m a kirin, thanks for asking. Ponies tend to react… well, like you’re reacting right now. So I try to stay out of the way. I was out to visit a friend.”
“A friend in the Everfree?” The stallion strode past his companion, eyes moving rapidly between her and the filly on her back. She cowered as he advanced. From the feel of the motion on her back, she was trying to hide behind Midnight’s mane. “You expect us to believe you aren’t a cultist, really? Looking like that?”
Midnight Storm had years of practice maintaining discipline, but even she had her limits. She inhaled sharply, her tail beginning to dart quickly back and forth behind her. “I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. “Do you see the pony I’m carrying? I found her lost and alone, and I’m going to take her to my friend Zecora. Unless you plan on arresting me, I’d appreciate it if you got out of my way.”
She straightened to full size and began to march forward, counting on her greater size and intimidating visage to keep the ponies quiet. That isn’t quite what happened, though.
The mare stepped forward into her path, forcing her to stop again. She still hadn’t raised the spear sheathed on her armor, but her expression was firm. “I’m afraid that isn’t possible, miss. My partner might be tactless, but we’re under orders from the princess. There was, a… an incident last night. It’s believed that many of the malcontents escaped, possibly into the Everfree. I’m afraid you’ll have to come back to camp with us. You and your, uh…” Her eyes widened. “Sweet Celestia, that’s an Alicorn! That’s a horn!”
Her partner muttered something crude, pointing his spear again. Not at her, though, but the filly.
Midnight reeled, spinning to put her head directly between the weapon and the child so fast both guards seemed taken aback. She lifted her tail slightly, just enough for them to see it. An instinctive, predatory message. “I am taking her to a doctor,” she said again. “Unless your ‘camp’ has a doctor, I’m going to Zecora.”
The stallion backed away a step, lowering the spear a little. But he didn’t run away—most ponies probably would have.
“There’s a medical tent going up,” the pink pegasus mare said. “We’ve already brought in some of Ponyville’s best doctors. Whoever that… child is… she’ll get the best care.” She lowered her voice a little, but there was no fear in her whisper. Only genuine curiosity. “Where did she come from?”
Midnight only answered with a grunt. She had already answered as much as she intended—it was their loss if they hadn’t been listening.
The Solar Guard didn’t actually threaten her, but they did make it clear that her cooperation wasn’t optional. Cooperation as she was dragged towards the castle, where over two dozen ponies from the Solar and Lunar Guard prowled over every inch. What in Celestia’s name could’ve happened in a deserted castle in the middle of the Everfree?
Midnight Storm tried not to look too interested, but there was no way to escape the stares of everypony she passed. Weapons that had been only nearby were suddenly brought to the ready, and guards leaned close to one another with incriminating whispers. They think I’m part of a cult. But what were they even talking about?
All the while, the nameless filly she had found clung closer to her back, visibly shuddering any time the guards got too close. When she had first been arrested, the guard had tried to take the pony away. But the filly hadn’t let them—however afraid of Midnight she was, she was apparently far more frightened of the guards. What happened to you, kid?
Eventually they came to a stop near the entrance of the castle, in the place Midnight took to be their field headquarters. The ponies moving about here looked snooty enough to be directing everything. At least Celestia or Luna isn’t here. That’s about the only way this could get worse.
The pony on her back moaned faintly as they came to a stop. “Excuse me,” Midnight said loudly, before the guards that had brought her could say anything on her behalf. “Before I was dragged in here, I was on my way to a doctor for this pony here. I don’t know if you can tell, but she’s had a really rough time, and I was promised there were doctors here. Whatever made up crime you want to blame me for, she had nothing to do with it.”
Had the filly on her back been of the ordinary sort, they probably would’ve done that already. But Midnight had been in Equestria long enough to know that being a little different was all it took to make ponies afraid. Fear had a way of overpowering kindness. One of the guards who had brought her started muttering an embarrassed apology to the officer, but couldn’t get it out before that pony stood up. A silvery unicorn with blue eyes that did not stare at her the way so many others seemed to.
“No need.” He looked to one side. “Lieutenant Wings, bring the Ponyville doctor. He must be done with Twilight by now.”
To her surprise, one of the ponies who had arrested her stepped aside, nodding once. “Right away, Commander.” She took off, fluttering away over the makeshift camp.
Twilight? That name was frighteningly familiar. “Twilight… Sparkle?” Midnight said inquisitively. Probably not the wisest, but once the name was out there was no way to get it back.
“Yes.” The stallion’s face hardened, and he took a few slow steps towards her. He was a large stallion, but still he had to look up at her. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about her, would you?” He flicked his tail towards the ruins of the castle behind them. Guards moved about inside it, speaking in hushed voices to each other. Midnight couldn’t hear what they were saying, and didn’t much care. “Something terrible happened here last night, miss…”
“Midnight Storm,” she finished for him.
“Pleasure to meet you,” he said, unconvincingly. “I am Commander Silver Shield, of the royal guard.” He looked to the other guard, the one who hadn’t flown off. “Soldier, did you see anything to suggest this, uh… mare, might be connected to what happened?”
The stallion looked reluctant to answer. “Well no, sir. Other than the obvious. She was walking straight past the castle, but it didn’t seem like she was trying to remain hidden.”
“Of course not.” Midnight couldn’t bite back what she was thinking any longer. “I found an injured filly and I was going to find her a doctor. I don’t know what happened that has all of you ponies freaked out, and I don’t really care.”
Even Silver Shield seemed a little taken aback by her boldness. Eventually he cleared his throat, meeting her eyes again. “Last night, a cult we’ve been hunting for months was tracked to the Castle of the Two Sisters after foalnapping a prominent citizen of Ponyville—Twilight Sparkle. For the sake of my investigation, I need you to explain how you knew she was missing. If you’re not connected with the cult, there must be a reason.”
Midnight Storm rolled her eyes. “Twilight and I had a meeting scheduled for yesterday. She never showed up, didn’t even send a note to tell me she wasn’t coming. Go ahead and ask her yourself! Or if she’s not around, ask Zecora, the zebra who lives south of here. She set up the meeting, so she can tell you all about it.”
Silver Shield nodded once to the guard at her side, who departed at a swift trot. “I’ll look into that. I’m afraid you will have to remain here until we can clear up those details…” A little hesitation. “But I wouldn’t worry. None of the cultists we have captured have been willing to give us the time of day. If walking right into us is your evil plan, it’s not a very clever one.”
Midnight had been halfway to a retort by the time he finished—she had to swallow it, and just nod instead. “Thank you. You didn’t capture any of this cult’s leaders? Couldn’t you just ask the ponies in charge what they were up to?”
Shield sighed. “Unfortunately not. Wish that it could’ve been so simple.”
At that moment, several medical ponies arrived. Not wearing guard uniforms at all, as she had first thought they would be. She could see the exact moment the white-furred nurse noticed something was different about the filly she carried, the way her eyes lingered on the wings, the horn. Maybe even her frightened, slitted eyes.
“This is the, uh… patient?” the nurse asked, looking down a moment. “She’s, uh…” She reached up, brushing away a little of her own mane near her forehead.
“Yes,” Midnight said, not waiting for her to finish. “It looks that way. No, I don’t have any idea where she came from. I found her hiding in some nasty thorns behind the castle. She hasn’t been able to tell me how she got there.”
The nurse approached, lowering her head to the filly’s eye level. Whatever confusion or distress she had initially felt, she did a remarkable job concealing it now. “Excuse me, little one. Would you mind coming with me? You’re hurt, but we can make you feel better.” As she spoke, the orderly pulling a medical wagon who had been behind her rolled to a stop not far away. “Hop on, we’ll take you to the medical tent. You’ll be feeling better in no time.”
In answer, the child only clung more tightly around Midnight’s neck. She wasn’t strong enough to hurt her, but she was stronger than she looked. Like a frightened earth pony. “I, uh… I don’t think she wants me to leave,” Midnight said.
“Not atypical for children who have experienced recent trauma…” the nurse muttered, maybe just for the guards’ benefit. “Silver Shield, I think she’ll have to come to the tent along with the filly. I can’t leave a child here with open wounds—if these aren’t treated, she could suffer a serious infection. Assuming… young Alicorns can even get infections. I have no idea.”
“Just do your best, Nurse Redheart.” Shield nodded to Midnight. “I need to get an update to the princesses, to tell them about… this pony. You aren’t a suspect, but please don’t leave unless you get permission from me. If you run off, we will hold you as a suspected cultist with the rest.”
“I won’t,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, before turning back to the nurse. “I think it’s probably best if I just carry her.”