Prey and a Lamb

by Lambs Prey

39.3 Simple Exploits and Difficult Tasks

Things are never simple in life. That was the unadorned truth.

Some people might argue otherwise, or quote exceptional mitigating circumstances, or perhaps even agree. But nothing is ever simple, clear cut, or black and white.

Want to get revenge? In theory, simple. Go out and kill the guy.

But wait, the guy is already dead, died peacefully in his sleep actually. So it'll have to be his son instead.

Except you don't know where his son lives, you're not a fighter, he has a big, rich, powerful family, and he hasn't personally ever done anything to you. Revenge is never right. It doesn't help, it doesn't makes the hurting stop. But you want it because you can't see a future without revenge in it. But deep down, half of you doesn't even want revenge anymore.

Immediately, the matter is complicated.

But wait, it doesn't stop there. This son isn't a good husband. He provides, but he isn't faithful. He has a weakness for drink, but dotes on his foals. A lot of people don't like him, but he's still on the local committee, because he always chips in when it really matters. He gives to charity but also steals beer from the brewery on the sly.

Do you still seek revenge? Can you blame a son for the father that sired him? Can a child be guilty because of its parents?

Even more complications float up, weeds obscuring the pond. Because life is never so cut and dried as they make out in stories.

Wrong is always wrong, but right is not always right.

Case in point, the royal inspectors coming in to internally review the Night Guard.

It was adhering to all the rules, having been signed off and approved by all the correct people in charge, but was it right? The Night Guard had investigated the Royal Guard, so now that it'd been turned around and the shoe was on the other hoof, was it right?

Or was it just a retaliatory blow against the Night Guard to remind them to mind their own darn business? Wasn't it just petty revenge born out of spite? What did Captain Shining Armour and Nighthawk think? What did the individual Guardspony think? Who was right and who was wrong?

No one? Everyone?

As far as Prey was concerned, it was all a moot point and waste of time arguing over.

What was happening was happening, protesting now wouldn't change a thing. The strong acted, and the weak suffered the consequences. That was life, unfair in all things.

Apparently though, Nighthawk had been thinking about it quite deeply, because he summoned the three of them the next evening at the end of his shift, and halfway through theirs.

"Come in. Prey, Crimson, you too. Shut the door." Nighthawk rasped.

Prey hurried to get the door for Crimson, and once shut it left them all in the now familiar dim lighting of the Captain's office.

Gloom saluted and stood at attention, waiting.

Nighthawk frowned at the mess in Gloom's helmet plume, "What is that?" He demanded.

Gloom's eyes flicked upwards to where his helmet sat atop his head, even if he could see it, "This sir? Well...There was a little incident in the mess hall just before we came here. With the Royal Guard." He added when Nighthawk kept looking at him.

"Explain."

Gloom couldn't help but glance at Prey and Crimson, who were keeping their mouths shut. They'd been there of course, but Gloom was the Sargent, or now Sargent First Class, so it was up to him to do the talking on this one.

"Well-"

The three of them plodded into the mess hall, having not gotten enough sleep, and with just more overworking on paperwork and old reports to look forwards to. Prey just wanted to eat breakfast, get the meeting with Nighthawk later over with, and make a start. Sooner started, sooner finished.

Since as usual theirs was the most unbalanced day in the Night Guard, it was actually lunch time in the mess hall. First mistake. There were no other Night Guards around the mess hall during lunch, they were all either asleep, or the few unfortunates who'd pulled the day shift just too busy to attend lunch. Not unusual. The ISND themselves skipped their lunches most days too.

'-these timings are still throwing me for a loop-', Gloom thought, heading for the counter, '-oh please let it not be mash again-'

Second mistake, not evaluating the mood of the Royal Guards also in the line before joining.

Prey however, did, and he sent a silent warning look up to Crimson. Crimson caught it, but didn't seem to understand what Prey was trying to convey.

Unfriendly Royal Guard faces were all around them. Out of the all the Night Guard, the ISND was probably the most hated aside from the Captain and Lieutenants themselves. Although after the fight in the mess hall a week ago and resulting suspensions, none were willing to act out on their hate. And as a small mercy, this hate didn't seem to extend past Gloom and Crimson.

Prey was just a child who had no business being here, but that was hardly his fault now was it? It was Gloom's. All those insulting interviews Prey had conducted? Yeah, all orchestrated by Gloom, so those were all the Sargent's fault too.

Or perhaps Prey looked so inoffensive with his innocent face, blue eyes, fluffy wool, and droopy ears, (not to mention his prized ribbon), that he was completely overlooked.

Regardless, when Crimson looked about, he didn't see anything new or out of the ordinary. Just more Royal Guards who despised the ISND, but who'd been ordered not to make trouble.

Perhaps that's why Crimson turned back to Prey with a small wing shrug, as if saying; 'What's new?'

He missed the glob of mashed spuds as it was thrown from a magical aura at him. Or perhaps not, because somehow Crimson instinctively ducked.

Gloom was not so quick. Crimson dodged his projectile, but Gloom failed to dodge his own.

The second glob hit Gloom's helmet with a wet *Slap*, splashing all over the deep indigo plume. A smattering of laughs went up from the tables all around them.

Prey knew Gloom was by no means a stupid person. And he proved it once again as it took him less than a second to to figure out what had happened, why, and how to respond. The usual thestral approach would've been to stoically ignore the childish behaviour, but not this time. To these ponies, that would be a sign of weakness, not strength.

And you never show weakness.

"Who threw that?" Gloom loudly demanded. He looked stupid when there was no answer from the smirking Royal Guards, but it was better than the alternative.

To have remain silent and ignored the insult would've proved the ISND was silenced by guilt. Gloom loudly calling them out showed he was not ashamed or trying to hide anything.

"Well?" Gloom boldly demanded again.

All he got back was eye rolls of annoyance and disbelieving shakes of the head as the Royal Guards exchanged the, 'Can-you-believe-this-guy?' look. But his boldness did the trick, because no one else threw anything.

Gloom snorted, making sure everyone saw his tail swish of exasperation as he turned back to the counter. Since there was no clear culprit, Gloom was proving the Night Guard the bigger pony and letting this drop. Just this once.

The Royal Guards were left satisfied that they'd gotten one back on the ISND, but also weren't going to risk doing anything else. It was an impressively engineered outcome, Gloom had thought on his hooves there, Prey admitted.

Crimson, of course, missed all this subtext and was still braced for a fight until Prey whispered to him to, "Get back in line and pretend nothing happened, it's over. If you do anything now, they'll really kick off."

They made a show of sitting and eating their tasteless mash in an annoyed manner, like they were frustrated they hadn't been able to retaliate, but were in no way actually cowed. Never show weakness.

When they were finished eating, and only then, they arose and walked, not hurried, it was an important distinction, from the mess hall.

"The Royal Guards in the mess hall were satisfied with that, and luckily left it there, sir." Gloom summed up.

Nighthawk grunted. He hadn't asked any questions while Gloom was offering his brief report, and he didn't now. He didn't want to know if Gloom recognised the culprit. There'd be little point, since Nighthawk obviously didn't intend to do anything about it.

Strictly speaking, this was a military organisation, and a reprimand should've been issued against the responsible Royal Guards. That's exactly what the Royal Guards would've sought if it'd happened the other way around, but things are never straightforward.

Just like Gloom had, Nighthawk evaluated the matter, found it inadvisable to escalate, and so dismissed it. '-we won't sink to their level. We serve Luna's best interests, not our own-'

"Do nothing." Nighthawk ordered, in case it wasn't clear enough already.

"Of course sir." Gloom acknowledged.

"It is good timing though..." Nighthawk said, hoof absentmindedly beginning to tap out a rhythm on his desk, "In relation to what I called you all in here for at least."

They all waited expectantly.

Nighthawk gave a wave that encompassed the three of them, "You are a problem. The ISND's presence here is fuelling tensions. It will die off after these royal inspectors finally arrive, find nothing wrong, and get lost. But until then, seeing you just riles up their wings."

'Oh, and who's fault is that?' Prey thought. Nighthawk was the one who'd ordered them to carry out the interrogations, following up from all those salt dealer arrests and post lumber yard fire. The newspapers were still ragging that incident for all it was worth.

"Simply put, I do not want you here for these inspections. They will not approve of the ISND." Nighthawk looked at Prey, clearly showing which bit they would disapprove of, "Frankly, I don't care what they like or not. It's Princess Luna's decision. But the Night Guard has better things to be doing than placating whining foals."

"But sir, the inspectors will be visiting for at least two whole weeks. The only way to avoid them entirely would be to leave Canterlot." Gloom said. There was another, simpler option, just have the ISND declared on extended leave, but that would mean not working when they were perfectly capable of doing so.

"Correct," Night said, "You are getting out of Canterlot and staying gone until the inspections are over, and also the Gala while you're at it."

"Er, why the Galloping Gala in particular sir?" Gloom asked, confused.

'-I thought that was just a big feast and dance. Was I mistaken?-'

Nighthawk's muzzle wrinkled, "This Gala starts dredging up politicians and nobles out of the woodwork a week in advance. It's going to be a stewing cesspit. It's one of the biggest political money making events of the year." He said with contempt as he thought about the courts of Canterlot.

"The ISND needs to keep away. Somepony is going to try and involve Princess Luna and the Night Guard with something political. Backing, funding, blackmail, it doesn't matter which. It's an inevitability we're just going to have to deal with. I've been... 'Informed', that if the inspections go poorly, lots of ponies are going to leap on the opportunity to make trouble for Her Majesty at the Gala. So you three are not to be here."

What Nighthawk was essentially saying was; 'The Night Guard doesn't want to deal any such problem. Solution? Remove the cause.'

Prey didn't like Nighthawk, even if the Captain was predictably practical and thus understandable. Which wasn't saying much. Prey didn't like any of the Night Guards. Aside from Crimson, of course.

Nighthawk really was going into great depth with his explanation though.

'Which means he must really despise this Gala event, even if he's never attended one,' Prey thought, 'It must be serious.'

Prey wished Gloom would just hurry up and ask the important questions, like; 'Where will you be sending us instead?'

Prey was very keen to know that answer.

"I understand, sir." Gloom nodded.

"Good. You leave on the first train tomorrow morning."

"Yes sir-Pardon sir?" Gloom blinked.

"You leave tomorrow morning." Nighthawk repeated.

"Yes sir. Uh, where are we catching this train to exactly?"

Nighthawk finished up tapping on the desk with a miniature drum roll and stood.

"Right here." He said, striding over to the wall map studded with coloured pins.

All three of them stepped closer to get a better look, not bothering to question the suddenness of this new development. After everything which kept getting sprung on the ISND, the unexpected was basically the new expected.

Prey squinted up at the map, trying to make out the spidery writing of the area name Nighthawk was pointing at. It really got old being the only one without night vision, especially when working alongside those who did, and who thus never saw the need for proper lighting.

Nighthawk was pointing at a spot over the mountain range, on the west side of a sprawling forest.

Depending on which stretch you were looking at, the forest had many different names. Reason being; its trees sprawled for hundreds of miles, ranging up and down the length of the Ridgeback mountain range. It was all mostly unexplored and untamed.

But it wasn't the Deeper Green, which was further South, down where it was warmer and wetter. And that's all that really mattered to Prey.

Still, the bit of map Nighthawk was pointing at looked...

"Familiar." Crimson muttered.

Nighthawk nodded, "It should. Mayflower. It's the village where those fifteen villagers went missing three months ago. They did a follow up and found nothing. Taffy should've given you the inactive case file last week."

Prey felt he had to break his usual silence to ask, "Why are you sending us there in particular? Has something new suddenly come to light? Sir."

Nighthawk glanced down at him, "No. That's precisely why you're going out there to investigate, to stay gone for the full two weeks."

"For two full weeks?" Gloom asked, forgetting to address Nighthawk by his title in his shock.

'-I thought he just meant get out of Canterlot for this Gala thing-'

"Yes. Give the place a proper search. If you can find something even after three months, then all the better." Nighthawk said, walking back around his desk.

"Yes, of course sir. But travel and supplying at such short notice-"

"Take whatever you think you might need from the Night Guard storehouse. However many bits for the train journeys and lodgings. The logistics are up to you, Sargent." Nighthawk shrugged.

Prey felt he had to speak again. He had experience, and there was something that couldn't be ignored. "The villagers, they won't want us barging in on their land-"

Nighthawk's look made Prey go silent. 'Oh wait, that's right, you don't care. You just give the orders. Who cares if the locals don't want us there and will be hostile? Moon knows, I'd be hostile to us.' Prey thought, glaring at the floor.

"So we just...Go and investigate sir? Leave tomorrow, take whatever we need from the store, come back in two weeks?" Gloom asked, like he wasn't quite sure there wasn't something he was missing.

"And you'll be taking the two new ISND recruits with you." Nighthawk added.

All three of the only known ISND members were stunned.

"What?"
"What?"
"What?"

"Both of them will be waiting for you in C barracks in half an hour. Dismissed."

Captain Nighthawk, Prey decided, despite all appearances, did indeed have a sense of humour under his cold thestral hide. It was not a comforting realisation, nor was Prey laughing.

Ruin had thought it funny when he'd ordered a group of new recruits to patrol down the ravine with Quarry eels.

Torment had enjoyed tearing pegasi wings off.

It had amused Razor to trick Fleece away willingly into his clutches.

Perhaps Prey was overreacting. He despised Nighthawk, but nowhere near as much as he did Valour, (whose place on The List wasn't forgotten), or nearly as much as any of his previous commanders in the Resistance. Overall, Nighthawk's orders were usually within Prey's expectations, or at least his understanding.

So perhaps, while undoubtedly awful, this sudden addition to the ISND wouldn't get Prey accidentally killed.

'Nope,' Prey thought when they got down to C barracks, 'Absolutely none of the above.'

Gloom, Prey, and Crimson all stood just inside of the barracks doorway, while opposite, the two new recruits stood at attention at the foot of their neatly made bunks, amour brightly polished, and ready to start. Prey stared, his stomach knotting up.

A long minute passed in silence, then another as Gloom tried to find words for the situation which had been thrust upon them. The two recruits subtly tried to check their uniform for a mistake to explain their new Sargent's silence.

Prey spied a lucky sun charm some Guard had hung on a pin from the ceiling. It had chips of missing paint. It looked like it'd been up there for a long time. Somewhere outside, Prey could hear a Royal Guard doing punishment push ups, shouting their count out.

"...sixteen...seventeen...eighteen..."

The three of them were supposed to have gone to bed by now, it was the end of their day. Yet instead, here they were.

"...twenty-three...twenty-four..."

Both two recruits stared straight ahead, trying hard to not let any nerves show. Gloom was still finding this all hard to believe; '-somepony joined the Night Guard, and the ISND on top of that! What am I supposed to say?-'

The silence dragged on.

"...twenty-nine...thirty..."

Prey was trying very hard not to do anything to attract the attention of the unicorn mare who was almost glaring straight ahead, rigidly saluting. 'This is bad, this is very bad. Nighthawk assigned a unicorn to us. I've got to, to, to-'

Prey felt Crimson's yellow eyes on the back of his wool, and realised he needed to calm down. He took a deep breath. 'It's going to be fine. I have my runes, and we're on the same side. She won't touch me. And Crimson's here, he'll help me. He said he'd always save my life if he could, and if it comes down to a fight.'

He wasn't over reacting at all. That mare right there was a unicorn! That made her dangerous.

"...forty-eight.......forty...nine.............fifty!"

As if the punishment count outside coming to an end was the signal, Gloom finally cleared his throat.

"Scenic Paint. I did not expect to see you here." Gloom said, addressing the other pony. If that wasn't the understatement day, what was?

"Yes sir. I mean, no sir." The Earth pony answered, still staring straight ahead at attention.

"Last I knew, you were on suspension." Gloom commented. It perhaps wasn't the most tactful thing to say, but they were all tired. Plus, being a higher rank meant Gloom could say almost anything and go unchallenged.

Next to Scenic, the mares eyes widened, and she couldn't stop her self from glancing sharply to her companion. Obviously, this was news to her.

Scenic hid a wince, (badly), "Er, that was a misunderstanding sir. Captain Shining Armour dropped the suspension the very next day after the mess hall fight. He told me I should take a vacation and come back in a week's time. So here I am sir." He answered.

'-meaning Shining Armour was just trying to keep Paint Spot out of trouble and wasn't actually punishing him-', Gloom thought, nodding in understanding. That was very similar to Nighthawk's reasons for sending them out to Mayflower.

'-aaaaand now we've got to take these two milk teeth greenies with us too. Just perfect-', Gloom mentally added. He shook his head, the reasons didn't matter, orders were orders.

"Right, let's get this flight in the air. We're already on a tight enough schedule as it is. You're in the Night Guard now and part of the ISND. Congratulations. There's no confetti I'm afraid. Now, introductions please." Gloom ordered.

The mare immediately stepped forwards and saluted, "Sir! I am private Lilly Blossom. Permission to speak freely, sir?"

Gloom couldn't help but raise a questioning eyebrow, not quite looking to Prey and Crimson but still managing to convey his bemusement to both of them. "Alright, go ahead private Lilly Blossom."

"Sir, I can do anything anypony else can do. If you just give me a chance, I can prove to you that I am a hard worker and team player. I'll prove it, sir." She half shouted, still saluting.

Again, none of the the three of them exchanged any looks, but each could tell the others were thinking the same thing: 'Okay, that's worrying. Why does she feel it important to get that out there right at the beginning?'

"Alright, thank you Lilly Blossom. I'll...keep that in mind."

"Thank you sir." Lilly Blossom dropped the salute and stepping smartly back into line.

Gloom gestured to Scenic Paint, "You're up. We already know who you are, but for the benefit of Lilly Blossom here, please introduce yourself again."

"Yes sir, I'm Scenic Paint. I prefer to just be called Paint Spot. Um, that's it for me." The Earth pony said with a nervous smile.

'-oh please Celestia let this go better than the last time I worked with them-'

Gloom waited, but neither of their new recruits were volunteering anything more. "Okay, and why are you here?" He asked.

"Sir, this is where the Lieutenant told us to wait this morning, sir." Lilly Blossom immediately answered.

"No, why are you here?" Gloom emphasised, one bat wing pointing at each of them in turn, "Do you know that you two are the first new ponies to join since the Night Guard began? Nopony would've joined without a good reason. So, let's hear it."

Both Lilly Blossom and Scenic Paint looked a bit uncomfortable, obviously unwilling to share.

However if they were planning to out wait Gloom, Crimson, and Prey, they were unqualified for such an attempt. Gloom was a thestral, Crimson was basically a thestral, and Prey knew The Hunt. Even tired and annoyed, the three of them had the patience of snakes.

It was Scenic who cracked first.

"Um, well, you know how last time I was put with your unit sir? I was with Quick Draw, before he, before he quit. I, I mean we, we were there when we, er, you, found that, that...." Scenic licked his lips, looking slightly unwell, "...That house with the secret salt den. With, what was down there. I mean, I never even saw it, but-!"

"It's fine. We know what you mean. Go on." Gloom said, ignoring Lilly Blossom's ears perking in interest.

Grateful to skip over having to talk about the murder scene, even the indirect reference having made the stallion look queasy, Scenic hurried on, "Right. That. Anyway, after I came back from the enforced leave, I had a lot of time to think. And I talked it over with the therap-My doctor. I joined the Royal Guard to help, to make a difference, and on my very second day..."

Scenic Paint cleared his throat, ears lowering, "And I almost ended up quitting like Quick Draw did. This was what I knew might happen signing up, but- That's not important. But then I saw you guys, you were still here. You didn't quit, you kept going and did your job. And I want to be able do that too. So when Captain Shining Armour called me aside to speak with me, I, dunno'. It was a kind of a spur of the moment thing, but I asked if I could transfer to the Night Guard and work with you guys." Scenic finished, rubbing the back of his neck.

'Oh you poor, poor, poor soft deluded idiot.' Prey thought, feeling like laughing. Scenic Paint was an utter fool if he thought joining the ISND would somehow let him get over his trauma of the cellar.

Actually, what the hell? What trauma? Scenic hadn't seen anything. He hadn't even smelled the cellar. They'd stopped him before he could go inside. Counselling? Therapists? Mandatory leave? The Royal Guard insisted on it like it was their right. Did the Night Guard get any of those things? No.

Scenic Paint was pathetic, and an idiot for coming back a second time.

Gloom however nodded slowly, "I see. Thank you for telling us that. There is no bravery without fear." He said, looking Scenic in the eye. Which kind of backfired when Scenic was utterly unable to meet the thestral's eye for more than a second.

"And you, Lilly Blossom? What are your reasons?" Gloom prompted, switching ponies.

The mare set her jaw and squared her shoulder, "Sir, I joined the Guard to make a difference. I need to be where I can make the biggest impact. The ISND has made major impacts everywhere sir. That's what I heard when I asked, and that's why I'm here, sir." She answered, eyes fiercely defiant.

"Is that the only reason?" Gloom asked, as Prey and Crimson exchanged another loaded glance behind him at the mares overconfidence.

"Sir, I believe that is the only reason that matters sir. Results speak for themselves, and I'll prove it if you give me the chance, sir."

"Hmm, I see." Gloom opened his wing and flipped out both Lilly and Scenic's files from underneath. Lilly Blossom stiffened. "I thought I would give both of you the chance to put anything you wanted to out there in the open before I read these out."

Lilly Blossom hotly interjected, "Sir, I must protest. That is confidential-"

"Welcome to the ISND." Gloom easily cut her off.

"I don't know what you thought you were getting into before you joined, but the ISND is not the Royal Guard. It's not even like other Night Guard units. There are no set hours, no real clocking off, we're on call twenty-four seven. We work almost completely independently, and are responsible for ourselves. Everypony needs to know and get along with each other. That means no hiding stuff from the unit." Gloom said, wagging the folder reprovingly at Lilly Blossom.

"Sir, what about him sir? If you're going to let everypony read my file, he should have to share too." Lilly Blossom said, pointing at Crimson but dismissing Prey.

That was fair, but Gloom did not agree to her protest. "These two are special cases. They don't actually have folders."

Lily Bloom started in surprise, '-the filly is a Guard?! Impossible-'

That definitely proved that Lilly Blossom and Scenic had not talked before the three of them arrived, since the Earth pony had met Prey already.

"Sir, that's impossible sir. She can't be older than eight-"

"-Private Lilly Bloom, this is private Prey. He is fourteen years old and was hoof selected by Princess Luna. Can you claim the same?" Gloom asked calmly.

Well, it seemed Gloom wasn't overly keen on their two new recruits either. They were not part of the ISND, not where it mattered, and were likely just going to get in the way. Gloom didn't want them. However he was a Night Guard, and a Night Guard always did their duty.

But that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Sir, no sir." Lilly Blossom was forced to admit, glaring straight ahead.

"Then trust that Her Majesty has her reasons, and trust the Guards she has chosen to stand alongside you, even if you don't know why." Gloom told her.

For all Gloom's talk of hiding nothing, all three of them had secrets and that's exactly the way Gloom intended to keep it. Even Crimson, who hated lies, wasn't uncomfortable with this behaviour. Secrets could be dangerous, and the ones the ISND held were not trivial.

Gloom and Crimson had kept the secret about thestrals blood requirements from Prey because they were afraid of his reaction. Their expectations were proven wrong, but their caution was not. Prey knew for a fact that wasn't the only clan secret they hadn't told him.

Lilly Blossom and Scenic Paint did not come from the same background as any of them. They didn't deserve to know their secrets.

Before Gloom could open the file Lilly Bloom burst out, "Sir, everything in my file is just words. It doesn't reflect my real potential. I know I can do better than everypony else, sir. Just give me a chance and I'll prove it to you, that's all I'm asking sir."

"Is there something that you want to clear up for us?" Gloom said, still holding up her file.

Prey could hear Lilly Blossom's teeth grinding, and he shrunk down, hoping that if the unicorn did attack, she would only attack Gloom while he ran. He checked behind him, the door was still open.

Lilly Blossom glared straight ahead, '-this isn't fair. Why can't anypony ever just give me an honest chance!?-'

When she finally did speak, it was in a fast, hot voice.

"They wouldn't let me into the Royal Guard, they washed me out of boot camp three times. I beat every test, I passed every bar but they still thought I had the 'wrong attitude' or something. Which was total horseapples! The psych's just didn't like me and failed me on purpose. I can hack it, and I'm going to prove it to everypony. If they don't want me in the Royal Guard, fine! Their loss. I'll join the Night Guard and show all of 'em. Sir." She belatedly added on the end, internally wincing.

'-buck, I let fly again. I just need one chance to prove them all wrong-'

So what Lilly Blossom was essentially saying was; she didn't measure up to the Royal Guard's standards, so she went for second best with the Night Guard, who were so desperate for bodies they couldn't say no. Even when she asked to transfer straight into the rising ISND unit.

'Wonderful. Really. Just perfect.'

Against Lilly Blossom's rather obvious expectations, Gloom did not shout her down. He merely nodded and tossed Scenic and Lilly's folders to them, "There's no need for these then. Thank you for being honest, both of you. And Lilly?"

Lilly Blossom braced herself, '-here it comes, this bat brain isn't going to even give me one chance-'

"The Royal Guard might not have wanted you, but the Night Guard does. If you want to do what's right, you'll get the chance, don't you worry. As you'll soon learn, your past doesn't matter in the ISND, only your performance. So, both of you..." Gloom stepped back and smiled tiredly, "Welcome to the Night Guard."

Lilly Blossom and Scenic looked to each other, despite not having met each other before today, then both saluted, "Thank you sir!"

"Right, enough of that," Gloom stifled a yawn, "Alright. We need to get you two up to speed. You've kind of come at a bad time, but here we are. So. Explanations."

Gloom turned and waved to Prey, "You're up."

Prey froze, going wide eyed as the unicorn and Scenic looked to him, "What?" He squeaked.

"Lilly Blossom, this here is Prey. He's a member of the ISND, and very smart. He's going to try and fool you until he gets to know you, but don't you believe a word of it."

"What're you doing?" Prey hissed, pulse racing.

Gloom gave him a knowing look, '-I know what you're like Prey. You'll hide. So I'm going to force you to face this head on-'

What Gloom said out loud was; "You're the best at giving explanations Prey. So go on, speak up and let them get to know you."

Prey cursed Gloom. How dare he throw Prey in front of the unicorn like this? Unbidden, he looked to Crimson, as if the pegasus could somehow help him.

'Wait. I'm looking to Crimson to help me?' Prey thought in shock. Crimson had certainly saved his life, (twice), but this was quickly going to become a misguided dependence if Prey didn't rely on himself.

'Come on. I can do this. Pretend you're only speaking to Scenic.'

Yet when he looked up and saw Lilly Blossom looking down at him, his knees still went wobbly. Prey coughed, cleared his throat and tried not to squeak, "Okay, I'm Prey, hello. I joined the ISND because of reasons Princess Luna knows. This is Crimson here, he grew up with the thestral clans, which is why he's in the Night Guard." Prey half lied to cover for Crimson, pointing at the pegasus.

Crimson blinked slowly at the two new initiates, "Hello. And hello once again, Scenic Paint. Or Paint Spot." He greeted.

"Our assignment?" Gloom prompted Prey, not letting him divert the conversation.

Prey felt like screaming at Gloom.

Prey was not over reacting. Lilly Blossom was an aggressive hot head, a hot head with a horn. So instinctively, and forgetting about Gloom and Crimson, he put on a smile to say, 'See? I'm friendly, I'm not a threat.'

"Yes, the expedition. The ISND are shortly going to be going off on a trip across the Ridgeback mountain range. Captain Nighthawk has given us a case investigation. We leave on the first train tomorrow morning." Prey explained, smiling like this was great news that they were getting kicked out of Canterlot until the inspections were over.

Scenic and Lilly Blossom were visibly surprised at this news, but didn't speak.

"You can ask questions any time around here. You don't have to be at attention all the time." Gloom told them.

"Sir, we're going all the way across the mountains sir?" Lilly Blossom asked him.

Gloom raised and eyebrow and pointed to Prey, "Ask Prey."

Prey kept up the smile, "Yes, across the mountains. We've got to pack and leave. We'll be gone for two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Scenic Paint echoed in surprise, "A whole two weeks in the field? What could we be doing all the way out there for two weeks?"

"That's hardly even in Equestria." Lilly Blossom joined in, for some reason making it sound like an accusation against Prey.

'-how am I supposed to prove myself out there? There's nothing out there-'

Sweat was running down the side of Prey's head as he kept smiling disarmingly.

"That's where Captain Nighthawk is sending us. He's decided that's where we can best be utilized. Probably to get to know each other and learn to work as a team. He ordered us to leave in the morning." Prey explained, trying to shift any blame onto the captain.

"What?"
"What?"

"He told us to pack everything we need and leave tomorrow morning." Prey repeated.

Scenic sucked in air over his teeth, "So we have a day to prepare. I'm ready to start sir." He said.

'-unexpected, but this is what the ISND must do all the time, so I've got to step up if I want to work with them-', The Earth pony thought.

"Sir, we'll be leaving first thing tomorrow, right sir?" Lilly asked.

"Yes that's correct."

"Sir, in at case, will we be meeting at the train station in the morning, sir?" Lilly Blossom asked, thinking; '-this sucks, but whatever, I can deal-'

"Meet at the station?" Gloom asked, puzzled. "No, we'll be travelling to the station together at the end of our shift of course."

It was Lilly Blossom and Scenic Paint's turn to look confused.

"Did nopony tell you?" Crimson spoke up, sounding completely uninterested, "The morning is the end of our day. Right now we're about to retire to our bunks."

"The ISND works through the night. And so do you now." Gloom said, smirking as he realised what was going on here, "No more beautiful sunrises to start your day, only moonlight for you from now on. Didn't the name tip you off? I'll say it again, welcome to the Night Guard."

"What?"
"What?"

Explanations followed, yet Lilly Blossom and Scenic were still left very off balance about their sudden change in situation, station, and shortly to be place of habitation.

Gloom, Crimson, and Prey were tired, and not in the mood for giving detailed explanations or answering any unnecessary questions.

"Sleep first. More explanations tomorrow."

"Sir, permission to speak freely sir."

"Denied. You can ask all the questions you want when we wake up this afternoon."

"Uh, this is very, uh, unexpected. Sir, so how're our shifts going to work when we're out of Canterlot?"

"I welcomed you to the Night Guard. Now I welcome you to the ISND where we work whatever, wherever, and whenever. You'll get used to it."

"But sir-"
"Sir, but-"

"Sleep now. Questions later."

Was Prey happy about sleeping in the same bunk room as an angry unicorn and a relative new unknown?

Not in the slightest. They both had homes, why couldn't Gloom send them back there?

Did Prey get any fitful sleep that morning before they had to start their next working 'day'?

Less than two hours at most.

Was Prey still exhausted, angry, worried, drained, and not looking forward to their coming trip when Gloom's infernal alarm clock went off?

Absolutely.

Did the knowledge that they were going to be leaving Canterlot and getting away from it's two alicorn rulers help alleviate any of this?

Only possibly maybe. They were going beyond the Ridgeback, which wasn't exactly one hundred percent safe.

Did knowing Scenic and Lilly hadn't gotten any sleep either, (since to them their day had only just begun), help improve Prey's temperament?

Only sightly.

And did Prey plan to put as much distance between himself and Lilly Blossom at all times during the next two weeks, and let everyone else undertake any necessary interactions with the mare?

There had never been any doubt.

One very, very restless morning of sleep later, Prey was up again, and all he had to look forwards to was another full afternoon and then night of work, followed by multiple long train journeys the next day.

The knowledge that their waking day cycle would once again be thrown for a loop as they transitioned back from night to day life was just the icing on the cake. And then as the candles, they'd have to readjust all over again once they returned from the two weeks exile over the mountains.

Actually, that sounded like the only upside to all of this. The exiled from Canterlot bit, not the readjusting bit.

Except the time would be spent in the company of a unicorn. Prey longingly considered how many opportunities there would be to escape on this trip, and bitterly thought of how he wouldn't be able to take advantage of any of them. He petulantly swung his leg against the wall, the golden tracer *tink*ing against the marble.

It would be a hollow victory. A few days of freedom, then Luna would hunt him down.

The recently expanded ISND were all in the bunk room, bright, early afternoon light shining through the window. Collectively, all pony races were represented here. An Earth pony, a pegasus, a unicorn, and a thestral. And a sheep added on the side.

"Sir, ready to start sir." Lilly Blossom shouted, standing straight at attention at the foot of her regulation made bunk, saluting and very obviously impatient.

Everyone who wasn't Scenic Paint winced at the volume.

"Thank you Lilly, but there's no need to shout." Gloom said, finishing putting on his helmet, (hastily cleaned of mashed potato), and picking up his short spear.

"Scenic, Prey, Crimson, you got everything? After we walk out that door, we're not coming back here for two weeks." He reminded them, slinging a mostly empty saddle bag containing personal possessions over his back.

"What?"
"What?!"

The exclamations came from, (no surprise), the two new members. It was growing to be a very familiar exclamation.

"Is there a problem?" Gloom asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Wait wait, so, uh, we're not coming back at all sir?" Scenic asked.

"That's what I said. Crimson, Prey, you got everything?"

Crimson and Prey just looked at each other, then down at themselves, then back to Gloom.

Crimson already had on his armour and his wing blades. Prey had his ribbon, which was in its customary place behind his ear, (Lilly and Scenic's resulting comments about that this morning had been ignored). What more did they own that they could possibly take?

"Good to go sir." Crimson said simply, answering for the both of them.

"Good. Lilly, Scenic?"

"Um, well, no sir, sorry. I wasn't expecting- I thought I would be returning back home before we left, sir." Scenic grinned nervously.

'-but this means I won't even be able to say goodbye to Carton Juice. She's going to be so angry when I get back in two weeks time-', Scenic thought, thinking of his marefriend.

"Sir. Why can't we come back here before we leave on the train, sir?" Lilly Blossom asked, glaring straight ahead. Internally, she was fuming:

'-you didn't tell us this. Was this some test?-'

Gloom raised an eyebrow, "You think we'll have time to come back? Trust me, we won't."

Gloom really should've sent them home this morning while the ISND slept. However, he'd thought it more useful if Lilly and Scenic instead tried to catch a few hours of extra sleep, because they certainly weren't going to be getting any tonight.

"Alright. You have two minutes to pack whatever personal effects you might have on you that you want to take." Gloom relented.

While Lilly Blossom and Scenic scrambled, Prey privately asked Crimson, "What about your Blood Fern while we're gone?"

"I've...'watered' it enough. It can survive two weeks fine." Crimson blinked and tilted his head at Prey, "What about yours? Your pot plants, I mean. They're more delicate than my Blood Fern." He said, keeping his voice down on the name 'Blood fern' and nodding to the window sill where Prey's own purchases sat.

"I asked a maid to water them for me while I'm gone." Prey half lied.

"Really?" Crimson blinked, "Since this morning you've found time to ask somepony? And somepony who said yes?"

"In the corridor this morning," Prey answered, not happy about having to lie to Crimson, "It's been taken care of."

Or rather, it would be taken care of, at least once Lemon Pink came by and collected the pot plants. While she was at it, she'd also take Prey's blanket which he'd been building runic arrays on for safe keeping while they were gone. This was all detailed in the encrypted note he'd left for her.

Prey hid a wince and rubbed his eyes. He'd wanted to speak with Lemon Pink personally to relate the unexpected turn in his circumstances, but she was no longer working night shifts here in the Palace six days a week.

On his instructions, she'd been cutting down her hours masquerading as a maid. It was supposed to be in preparation for when Crimson and he moved into their own flats. Prey had important orders and instructions for her, but now he had no choice but to leave them in his note instead.

He'd ordered this change in her schedule because he didn't want anyone drawing a connection between the day he moved out of the Palace, and the same day a maid quit. A highly tenuous connection, since there were hundreds of servants coming and going in the Palace, but Prey hadn't wanted to take even that tiny risk.

Prey regretted his paranoia now, and he had no one to blame but himself. Lemon Pink would've been an enormous help, but now he had to rely on his message conveying everything to her.

"Right, time to go," Gloom announced, "Off to the supply depot to begin the real packing."

Scenic Paint and Lilly Blossom, who were already starting to develop the ISND look after less than half a day, (that is to say, harried around the edges), hurried out the door after Gloom.

Prey cleared his throat and quickly spoke, "Wait, Crimson, are you wearing that jade mane ring thing I got you?"

To a thestral stallion, Prey knew it was not an insulting thing to be asked. For a start, all thestrals wore the stud earring of their clan regardless of gender after all.

Crimson grunted, and his eyes slid off to the side, "It's in the locker."

"You haven't used it yet. Do you not like it?" Prey asked, strangely nervous over what Crimson's answer would be.

"It's fine. But it might get broken if I were to bring it." Crimson said evasively.

"Can you please bring it anyway?" Prey pressed.

Crimson looked towards the open door. They were falling behind, "We need to go."

"Can you please-, I mean, it's completely your choice. But I got it for you because it was practical. Just a small gift. It doesn't matter if it gets broken, so don't worry about that. But if you could take it...?" He trailed off.

"Crimson, Prey, keep up!" The call came back.

Prey was still waiting hopefully for Crimson's answer. The Pegasus made a wing flick of annoyance, "Fine, I'll bring it."

"Thank you."

Signs of the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala were clear throughout the Palace as they headed down towards the Guard entrance, and then out to the Guard Compound. Looking in on the different sections of the Palace as they passed allowed one a view of how the preparations were gearing up.

Silk banners, streamers, red rope brass cordons, rolls of more plush carpet, and so much more were all in the process of being transported about the Palace from one spot to another. It was the sheer quantity of these aforementioned items that was the most boggling. Lilly Blossom and Scenic Paint stared openly, heads on swivels to track the busy servants as they passed.

But even that wasn't what was really worthy of note. All these grand preparations? Nothing. Just more rich ponies wasting privileges. At this point, it no longer even shocked Prey when he saw room number plates spelled out with turquoise and emeralds.

No, only one thing worthy noting as they passed, and only Prey was privy to its nature.

They were just going through an intersection. The corridor on the left passed by floor to ceiling bay windows, in through which light poured. Prey happened to glance that way.

On the little stone balcony, secluded and out of the way, sitting in the exact same spot Prey had first seen her, was the mare Saffron Swirl.

Prey's head jerked round.

Had his eyes deceived him? No, it was the same magically crippled unicorn mare, in exactly the same place as before. The big difference between the chance encounter back then and now, was that the mare was wearing a serene smile as she gazed up at a sky.

Prey's question was; Why? Why was she still alive?

Prey had spoken to her and read her thoughts, which revealed she had decided to commit suicide that very night.

Yet here she was. Something must've changed her mind. Did she lose her nerve?

Then why had that brief glance Prey had caught of her face seemed so...happy? So free of the shame which should've been wracking her?

'How did she pull herself out of the dark hole?'

It shouldn't matter. She was just a random pony, not even really a unicorn since she couldn't use magic. She wasn't a threat or an asset, and thus wasn't important. Live, die, what did it matter to Prey?

Yet the glimpse of her serene smile as Saffron gazed up at the sky sat ill with Prey for a long time.

Scenic Paint stifled a sneeze, dust motes drifting in the air. "Pardon me." He muttered.

'-why's it have to be so dusty in here?-', He thought, '-and dark?-'

'Welcome to the Night Guard,' Prey thought sarcastically, 'Run by people who can see in the dark and who are oh-so considerate of those who can't.'

"Sir, what is our mission out in Mayflower exactly sir?" Lilly Blossom asked, standing at attention as they all stood in the Night Guard supply deport, surrounded by boxes, crates, and barrels all crammed into the small, dim, storehouse. They'd had to track down a reedy looking clerk from the Guard Compound, who'd eventually been able to grumpily unlock the door for them.

"To investigate the disappearance of fifteen ponies from three months ago. This will be a two week trip, and we have no idea what we might need to carry out our investigation on the other end. So anything we might need..." Gloom waved a wing at the room around them, "We've got to take with us."

"Sir, yes sir."

"Yes sir."

"Yes, sir."

"Yes."

Prey and Crimson got started on looking through the crates straight away, Crimson pulling a number of empty packs off the wall and wordlessly tossing the smaller one to Prey. He caught with a nod of thanks. Gloom joined in, taking a canvas saddle bag from Crimson for himself.

Lilly Blossom and Scenic looked lost.

"Sir, permission to ask what we're doing sir?" Lilly Blossom asked.

Gloom paused, ear cocked, "Weren't you listening earlier?" He responded, puzzled.

"Of course I was sir. I'm asking where are the travel packs, sir?" Lilly responded, immediately getting defensive.

'-does he think I'm an idiot?-'

Gloom pointed at the empty packs hanging on the wall, "There. Fill them up with whatever you need."

"Sir, are there no standard issue travel packs, sir?" Lilly Blossom asked, sounding outraged. Really, everything seemed to get the mare angry in some way, shape, or form.

"No private, there are not." Gloom said, tone letting Lilly Blossom she'd better calm down.

"Count this as your first learning experience in the ISND. Packing for a mission. You need something? Then make sure you bring it. It's down to you to pack for you." Gloom ordered, unhooking a canteen from a shelf and clipping it onto his saddle bags. Having wings, he and Crimson were using saddle bags instead of more normal backpacks.

Prey watched out of the corner of his eye as Lilly and Scenic uncertainly take down a pair of packs for themselves, and begin poking around the store room, wondering what they should take.

Lilly Blossom's uncertainty only lasted for a minute thought, before she decided; '-this'll be easy for me-'

She began confidently throwing items into her pack.

Lilly was going to have a bad time later, Prey could tell. Crimson and Gloom probably realised the same, but were letting the mare make and learn from her own mistakes. As Prey well knew by now, that was the thestral way.

'Good.' Prey thought. Not that it mattered if Lilly Blossom messed up. They were going to be staying in a village for two weeks, or camping just outside one at any rate. Any necessities she forgot could be obtained there. Or simply covered for with her magic, another example of why unicorns were far superior to everyone else. A strong enough mage could provide, transmute, or conjure up everything they might ever need.

Fire, shelter, water, food? All were possible if you had magic and knew the spells.

Prey focused on what he was packing instead of Lilly, and also on what Crimson was too, keeping close by to the pegasus. This was both to help Crimson if for some bizarre reason he needed any, and to keep away from said unicorn.

Just because they were going to a village didn't mean Prey wasn't going to prepare like they were entering the Deeper Green itself. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Besides, Mayflower bordered on its own untamed forest. You couldn't be too cautious.

Prey knew from sad experience what he needed to survive; what was essential what was useful, what was merely convenient to have, and what was just plain unnecessary.

Packing the essentials were easy. The fine balance came between 'useful' and 'convenient'. There were so many things it would be good to have just in case, but that would quickly overload him. And since Prey could carry the least out of everyone present, (perhaps only half of what Gloom or Crimson could manage even in their armour), he was going to have to be picky.

As such, he had to pack light and sparingly. As he did so, he once again regretted not being able to get in contact with Lemon Pink before they were set to depart. There were a few 'things' he would've liked her to pick up for him.

Prey saw Crimson taking a tinder pouch off a high shelf, and quickly asked, "Could you pass me one of those too, please? And some matches too." Matches were wonderful, until they got wet, so better to have both.

"Of course. Here."

"Thanks." Prey slid the pouch into a side pocket. He liked this back pack, it had adjustable padded straps which wouldn't rub, something very desirable in any pack. It was a dark green khaki that didn't stand out, and appeared to have been waterproofed in the past.

Nighthawk hadn't skimped and evidently knew what he was doing. It was even better than the packs the Border Guards used to have. People in the Resistance had killed for those. Frequently. And not just because of the much needed supplies they contained.

It was something of a surreal experience to have everything he needed around him, and getting to pick whatever he wanted.

'Fifty seven years too late.'

Prey packed away a square of tarpaulin in place of a tent, a thin coil of rope, (rope was always useful) and two of the smaller metal canteens. It was better to split your water between two canteens in case one broke or became contaminated.

Water was always the biggest problem when travelling, because it was the heaviest. You could only travel so far as your water stretched. He was also careful to choose the most scuffed but still sound canteens he could find to hide any metal reflection.

Next came food.

Dried fruit. That was all Prey packed, because it was light.

He picked through the ration boxes and discarded the rest, ignoring Gloom's annoyed look for; '-ruining the rest of the perfectly good ration packs-'

Following that, Prey packed not one, but three different knives away into various places in his pack. And that was him all packed for essentials.

Prey looked at his pack. It was only half full. Everything else Prey knew he could either improvise, provide himself, or go without. Even carrying this small amount would grow heavy mile after mile.

Yet he had so much variety here in the storeroom to pick from. Prey glanced at Crimson, who was still methodically picking over the shelves and barrels to make sure he was only taking the best quality available.

Prey hesitated. Crimson could definitely look after himself, he was a grown, well trained warrior, but Prey owed him. That meant he was supposed to look out for Crimson. He should pack stuff that could help Crimson too, right?

Checking to make sure he wasn't overheard, Prey sidled up to Crimson. He still kept out of hoofs reach, but close enough so only the Pegasus could hear.

"Crimson, you... need any help?" He offered, feeling strangely awkward.

"No. I mean, no thank you, I am fine."

"The trip is supposed to last two weeks. That's a long time to be gone." Prey gave Crimson a significant look.

"Yes?" Crimson said, not picking up Prey's hint.

"We've got to take everything we need with us."

"I know. What are you getting at?"

"What about blood. Do you have any packed?"

"Don't say things like that." Crimson whispered, immediately checking to see if Scenic or Lilly had overheard Prey's words.

"They're not close enough to hear us. Don't worry, I would never tell anyone." Prey assured him.

"We...that isn't something that is any of your business Prey. We know what we are doing."

"I'm just trying to help and make sure you haven't forgotten to pack any of that clan wine-"

"-Don't talk about it Prey." Crimson cut him off.

"Alright alright, sorry." Prey was quiet for a moment, "There are only two things things I won't do for you, remember? I'm just trying to help."

"I haven't forgotten Prey," Crimson said quickly, "But you don't owe me."

Crimson's mental walls were churning, and Prey realised he was somehow upsetting Crimson. Prey didn't want to upset Crimson. So he ducked his head and stayed quiet.

Crimson's jaw worked as he thought over his next words:

"Thank you Prey, but no thank you. About helping with this, I mean. Not about help with other things, just... Not on this. It is clan business. Please do not bring this up again. It is..." Crimson coughed, "...Not something to talk about. With you, I mean. And unpleasant too."

"Okay, I won't bring it up in the future." Prey quickly agreed.

"Good. And I do not need your help with everything. You keep asking me all the time, like if I want the pepper at breakfast, or if I need a new quill. I'm capable of doing things myself. Please stop."

'But I owe you. I'm just trying to help. That's what you're supposed to do, isn't it?' Prey thought, but he couldn't say it. Crimson didn't want his help. Well tough, Crimson was going to get his help anyway.

"We're a team, we're supposed to help one another." Prey said.

"Well yes, but not like-"

"I'm just trying to help. Is that so wrong?"

"Of course not, but I...Look, I am not saying I don't want your help, but not for every little thing."

Prey realised it was that Crimson didn't want to rely on someone else. That was perfectly understandable, Prey didn't trust anyone either. Prey didn't even trust Crimson, at least not implicitly, but Crimson could trust Prey. Or rather, he should trust Prey. Prey owed him, but Crimson didn't seem to understand that.

Well, Crimson was wrong and Prey was right, that's all there was to it.

Prey would remain keeping an eye out for Crimson even if the pegasus didn't know he was. Crimson's wishes for him to do otherwise were misguided, so Prey would ignore those wishes. He would do what he thought was best for Crimson, as long as it didn't infringe upon his two exceptions.

"Alright," Prey told Crimson, raising his hoof and backing off, "Alright."

However Prey didn't confirm he would stop.

With that in mind, Prey packed the one thing he could use better than anyone else here. Medical supplies.

Prey may not know what all the new pills and fancy medicines in the Palace hospital did, but the small first aid kits piled in a crate were incredibly simplistic. Bandages, some sutures, plasters, a few pills clearly labelled as 'Pain Relief', some scissors, a single scalpel, and that was about it.

Where was the dried yarrow? The ground fever root, Golden Red, Happy Hearththorn, willow baste, split paper vine, and Crella seeds? Those were the absolute basics of what any good medical kit should contain.

Nevertheless, Prey packed up three of the kits. Here's to hoping he wouldn't need any of it. His known zebrican cures and remedies weren't available, so he'd just have to do without.

'Another issue which could've been solved if I only had some way to contact Lemon Pink.' He thought bitterly.

"Done!" Lilly Blossom declared, levitating up and dropping a bulging back pack on top of the central bench with a clatter.

Prey eyed the bag dubiously. She'd just shoved stuff in there, not packing it down or in any order. The last thing you wanted was to need something which was at the bottom of your pack.

They were going into an unknown and unsecured area. First rule for setting camp, never have anything unpacked you weren't using, because who knows when you're going to have to grab your bag and run? Second rule, always have your bag and weapon within hoof's reach.

Gloom didn't comment or offer Lilly any advice however, merely nodding and adding his own saddle bags to the table. To his mind, Lilly Blossom didn't seem the type to learn from anything but painful experience.

'-she'd just dig in her hooves and silently resent my help-', Gloom thought helplessly, '-I do wonder how much of what she packed is completely useless-'

Scenic, having been smarter than just to pack everything that caught his eye, had been trying for the most part to copy whatever he'd seen Gloom or Crimson taking. It still looked like he'd over packed, but he was an Earth pony, so he could probably take the extra weight.

"Sir, when are we going to pick up our standard issue weaponry for the trip, sir?" Lilly Blossom asked.

"Do you know how to use a weapon?" Gloom replied.

"Sir, yes sir. Standard Guard training included proper spear care and maintenance. I was one of the best in drill practice-"

"Thank you private Blossom. But what I meant was, do you have real training in the combat use of a weapon." Gloom corrected.

Lilly Blossom's mouth tightened, but she couldn't answer anything but, "Sir, no sir."

"You?" Gloom asked Scenic Paint who, unlike Lilly, looked apprehensive rather than eager at the thought of being given a weapon. He really was the smarter of the two.

"No sir."

"In that case, the answer is you aren't. Prey hasn't got a weapon," Gloom added before anyone could protest, "And he's a member of the ISND too. The reason why? Because he can't use one."

Lilly Blossom was obviously biting down the protest, '-that's completely different. Prey's just a foal and I'm not-'

"What were you going to use a weapon for anyways?" Gloom asked raising an eyebrow.

"Sir, the Guard must be prepared for anything sir. At all times, at all places, in all things." Lilly immediately recited.

'And she believes every word of that.' Prey internally sneered. He may have been scared of her, but that didn't mean he couldn't mock her stupidity. The issue was, Stupid had been born with a horn unfairly attached to her forehead.

"In the unlikely even something does go wrong that can be solved with violence, you'll still have your magic." Gloom pointed out, buckling shut his saddlebags.

"We're going to be spending these two weeks mostly in and around the village. We're just going to frighten the locals if we're all unnecessarily armed. Crimson and I are only going armed because we know what we're doing."

Gloom refrained from adding the obvious implication, 'And you don't'.

But not to worry, Lilly Blossom leapt to that conclusion all by herself.

'-just you wait, I'll prove I'm the best and then everypony will know it-', She thought, stoking herself up.

"Right, everypony got everything they need?" Gloom asked, surveying the group. '-no, my group. This is now my group now. Luna, that's going to take some getting used to. Again.-'

"Sir, yes sir." Lilly saluted, beating the more normal; "Yes sir." of Scenic and Crimson.

Prey grimaced, fiddling with his ribbon. As usual he didn't want to say anything around Lilly Blossom that might get the unicorn to focus on him.

"Prey? What've you got to say?" Gloom asked in a moment of insight.

Well there was no point holding back now that he'd been called out. Prey cleared his throat, "I believe that there are some items we should obtain before our trip, if at all possible. Sir."

Gloom ignored whatever surprised looks Scenic or Lilly might be giving Prey in favour of hearing out Prey's suggestion. He wasn't about to dismiss Prey's words out of hoof ever again. If he'd listened the first time, then maybe the tragedies with Garrow might've been avoided.

"Go on Prey." Gloom prompted.

Prey only hesitated for a fraction of a second longer, before practicality trumped caution, "An emergency beacon crystal. If we'd had one at the Lumber Yard, then things would have gone down very differently."

"What really did happen at the Lumber Yard? I didn't believe what the newspapers wrote." Scenic Paint whisper-asked to Crimson. Crimson grunted and didn't answer.

Gloom couldn't help but nod at Prey's idea, "Yes. That would've been very useful indeed. Unfortunately, I don't think they have beacon crystals that can be used all the way across the mountains. I don't pretend to understand the magic, but it can only send a signal so far to the main crystal hub before it stops working entirely. Not to mention, it would still take anypony two days to reach us out there." Gloom said regretfully.

If experience had taught Gloom anything, it was that, '-no ISND mission ever turns out as simple as it's supposed to be, and being able to call back up would be really nice-'

Prey kept his eyes from flicking to Lilly Blossom, hoping this wouldn't pique her interest enough to have her come and actually undertake the dreaded activity of questioning him later about it.

"Well..." Prey reluctantly began, "I did read through a Royal Guard non-standard asset list that Lieutenants, or the Captain too I suppose, are permitted to commission from. There's a small store of these items specially set aside for exceptional circumstances. And the Night Guard technically has access to this store too because it was created as a pool asset."

"I take it there was something in particular on that list that you had in mind, right?" Gloom asked, interested.

"Yes. Message-in-a-bottle fire. Portable, although it's limited in the number of uses, but it can speedily send a letter between two points. If we take one with us, it would allow us to immediately send back a message in an emergency." Prey explained.

"That sounds perfect. Why doesn't every unit already have one?" Gloom asked.

Prey's brows drew together as he looked at Gloom. Wasn't it obvious? "Because it's a type of single use, stable spell fire, sir."

Gloom picked up on Prey's tone and Lilly's sharp intake of breath, "Ahhh. Let me guess, incredibly rare and hard to get hold of?" He asked, not bothering to wonder how Prey knew of it then.

"Very much so and more," Prey nodded seriously, "I don't know the specifics, just that it's something usually only very rich nobles use."

"So unless you're Triton Fell himself, going around willy-nilly using the stuff is damned expensive, am I right?" Gloom summed up.

"More or less, sir. The more well known method of magically teleporting letters from one enchanted receptacle to another is very different, although that still takes a lot of magic. The problem with that method is you're limited in sending from fixed point A to B. Neither point can be moved. It's not the same with message-in-a-bottle. The bottle can be carried and moved around on both ends, and doesn't take any spell to use." Prey explained.

"Right. Well I'll see about asking Captain Nighthawk to get us a bottle of this message fire before we go then."

Lilly Blossom appeared to be struggling to fight down a bad cough, obviously shocked by Gloom's casual decision to obtain a bottle.

"Something the matter?" Gloom asked her.

"Sir, no sir. It's just, those are like, really expensive. My father's in the courier business. He said they once had to transport a chest of message-in-a-bottle spells, and the insurance premiums almost gave him a heart attack. If one bottle had broken, it still would've cost his business nearly a thousand bits each."

Gloom shrugged, as if it were no big deal, "It's not like we'll need it unless there's an emergency. If nothing goes wrong, we'll just give it back when we return."

Leaving Lilly Blossom looking slightly stunned at the suggestion of simply using thousands of bits worth of magic so blasely, Gloom turned back to Crimson and Prey, "Any other suggestions?" He asked.

"A map, sir." Crimson said simply, which was exactly what Prey had been about suggest next.

"Good idea. Prey, I'm going to leave that to you. That's going to be your task before we go." Gloom said, delegating it.

Prey nodded, that was something he was happy to do. He may still have been tired, nervous, and grumpy about getting sent off into the middle of nowhere in the company of a clueless unicorn and Earth pony, but information was always worth scouting for.

Gloom clapped his hooves together sharply, "Right, that's it. We're done here. Grab your packs and let's go. We've still got plenty to show you two before we go anywhere to help get you into the swing of things." He said, gesturing Scenic and Lilly towards the door.

Lilly Blossom glanced longingly towards the crate of hammer hooves as Gloom shooed them out. Prey slung his pack onto his back, doing the strap up around his middle and rolling his shoulders to get used to the feel.

Gloom ducked his head back in from the door once Scenic Paint and Lilly Blossom were outside, so what he said next would stay between the three of them.

"Thoughts?" Gloom asked, jerking a wing claw back to indicate their two newest members outside.

Prey didn't hesitate and gave his brutally honest opinion.

"Lilly Blossom is a danger. She's hot headed, angry, and naive." He summed up. Prey hated unicorn's, and Lilly Blossom with her childish need to prove herself to everyone definitely wasn't the exception to the rule.

Gloom hid a grimace, '-yeah, and now I'm her Sargent. How do you think I feel?-'

For his part, Crimson didn't dispute Prey's statement either, although he did add something different. "But she does have magic, which we want. I mean, it would've been most useful in the past if the ISND had unicorn assistance."

"That's also true. And it goes without saying that we'll give everypony a chance. She did willingly sign up to the Night Guard, after all." Gloom said.

"Scenic Paint was amiable enough the first time we met him. That has not changed." Crimson added, speaking of their second new addition.

"He's unsure and unskilled." Prey said, as damning as ever.

Gloom however hadn't really expected Prey to say anything different, and took Prey's words with a grain of salt.

"He's green," Gloom agreed, nodding, "But so were we all once. We've got two weeks of enforced vacation to get to know one another and train them up. It'll be a good opportunity to develop our teamwork."

That sounded like a horrible idea to Prey.

So did riding three different trains for a total of over twenty-two uncomfortable hours, all the while sleep deprived. And that journey didn't even begin until the end of today. They still had a full twelve hours of shift left ahead to get through with both Scenic and Lilly just looking for an opportunity to mess up.

He thought of the village they were going to. Mayflower. The Guard had failed to help there the first time, and so had the follow up search expedition. And now the same Guard was going to waltz back into their village again claiming; 'We're here to help.'

That sounded very familiar to Prey.

Prey did not want to go. The ISND were not in the right, not usually something that would stop him, but this was different. This was... Too close to what had happened before to him.

The villagers wouldn't want to see their faces, and he especially didn't want to have to go there in the same group as a self righteous, bigoted, hotheaded unicorn. Scenic would probably follow orders fine, but Prey just knew the mare was going to do something rash.

His reticence had nothing to do with how, (if they didn't disembark at their stop in Alfalfa Dale), the train's journey would end in the border town of Straperdale. Sixty miles up from Straperdale lay the ruins of Rushweed. Home.

'Only sixty miles...' Prey thought quietly to himself. The train would carry him essentially almost all the way there, close enough to walk the rest in a day or three. But he knew he would never make that trip. Even if he was free from Luna, he could never return to his family's farm.

'No, not my farm. Gossamer's farm. Gossamer went back to the farm, just once. Prey never did. Because he couldn't face it, and neither can I.'

"Prey? You coming?" Crimson asked for the second time. Prey blinked, realising that Gloom had already exited and Crimson was looking back into the storeroom to see what was taking him so long. The pegasus was giving Prey a searching look.

Prey blinked a second time, and fixed his mask firmly back in place. He dropped his hoof, letting go from tugging at his ribbon.

'Sloppy, angsty, melancholy, ill-disciplined, unobservant crybaby.' Prey scorned himself for getting caught out like that.

'Forget it. That was Gossamer's life anyway, not yours. You'd just insult their memory going back anyway.'

"Yeah sorry, still tired, I didn't sleep well. I'm right behind you." He said, shouldering his pack and heading out after Crimson.

"No way. Fifteen ponies can't just disappear out there, even in a place like that. Maybe one lost to some Celestia damned monster they didn't drive off properly before settling, but fifteen ponies? Ha! No way. Wherever they went, they went willingly, I bet you." Lilly Blossom declared, banging her mug of water down onto the table top.

She'd taken the news that they were off duty at meal times and could speak their minds freely very well.

'-too well. She's close to overstepping her bounds regardless of off duty or not-', Gloom thought, taking another forkful of cold pasta as he regarded the two newest members in the Night Guard.

The five of them were, unsurprisingly, in the mess hall eating lunch, or what counted for every other Guards dinner. Even less surprisingly, they were late. Again. Meaning they were the only ones sitting in here. Scenic and Lilly would definitely have preferred having the normal Guards around to talk to.

'Too bad, how sad. Welcome to the ISND. Better get used to it.'

Prey, who was having trouble keeping his eyes open after only two hours of sleep, held no doubts that Gloom had delayed this late intentionally. By this point, Crimson and Prey both knew exactly how long seven files of old case work took, even stopping to explain to Scenic and Lilly every step of the way, and it did not take them until eight o'clock, (a full hour after dinner officially ended), unless it was on purpose.

Gloom was making the smart call, and avoiding meeting the Royal Guard again before the ISND disappeared across the mountains for two weeks.

'A perfectly understandable decision.' Prey thought, his lips stretching wide as he yawned against his will.

Prey had... distanced himself from his upset earlier. He was now back to not irrationally letting his mind distract him with past traumas. It was probably caused only because he'd been so tired in the first place.

Prey had successfully managed to avoid speaking to Scenic or Lilly for almost the entire day, always starting on something the second just before they asked him a question. Meaning they had to go ask Gloom or Crimson instead, their curiosity in Prey going unstated.

It couldn't last, Prey knew. They would be spending two weeks in close proximity, but for now it was preferable to interacting with either of them.

Lilly Blossom was still going on about this and that as she leaned forwards on her bench, slowly hyping herself up over nothing; "We can solve this, just watch me! I'm not afraid of hard work."

Scenic Paint seemed more amendable to the idea of this two week mission now too. Perhaps because he'd realised how much of the ISND's daily workload involved stacks and stacks of paperwork. In retrospect, the trip out to Mayflower was gradually sounding better.

"Pah! Two weeks. It'll be easy if I pull my weight. Really boring, but I bet you'll this'll be a walk in the park. There's no way it'll take two whole weeks." Lilly declared confidently.

"So what'll we be doing once we've found them, Gloom? Train? Defend the village? Teach them how to drive off monsters before we come back?" She asked Gloom boldly, her eagerness for glory clear.

"We're there to find the missing ponies first and foremost." Gloom calmly reminded her, taking another forkful of pasta and darkly thinking; '-and I hope to Luna it's not like the last four missing ponies-'

He ate the mouthful before finishing; "Then, and only then, I'll decide what we're doing next."

At his place at the table, Crimson was obviously put out by Lilly Blossom's readiness to call Gloom by his name rather than 'sir' at dinner, despite it being allowed and even encouraged by Gloom himself.

'Probably thought she gave in too easily.' Prey thought, resting his head on the table, using his ear as a makeshift pillow. Doable for about ten minutes, but after that his ear would start to kill.

Perhaps to distract himself from the brash mare, Crimson looked to Scenic and tried to force stilted conversation, "We spoke once here before. Briefly. Before the day with the dragon smoke and the cellar, I mean." He began.

Lilly's ears perked, "Cellar? What does that mean-?"

Her attempt to butt in went completely ignored by Crimson, "It was not a good opportunity to get to know each other. That should be rectified. Tell me about yourself Scenic Paint."

Scenic seemed surprised, "Oh, uh, sure. Well, there's not much to tell, I grew up in Canterlot, and I'm an only child. I went to primary school here too, I made two really good friends, Harpsichord and Trotter, and art class was always my favourite." He proceeded to go on, reciting boring details about his life growing up, none of which any of them could relate to.

Except Scenic Paint was hiding something from them, and very obviously too. Perhaps Crimson missed it, but Prey and Gloom certainly didn't. Every time the subject of his parents came up, or why he'd wanted to join the Royal Guard in the first place instead of going onto do a fine arts degree, his answers became evasive.

No doubt Scenic thought he was being very subtle about it, but really, his obvious time skips were as plain as day.

But again, it wasn't important. Whatever petty family squabbles Scenic Paint had, they had little bearing on his position within the ISND.

"-And that's, uh, more or less me." Scenic Paint finished, coming to an end of his frankly boring life's story, smiling nervously. The amount of privilege he'd unconsciously listed off disgusted Prey.

"I understand. Thank you for sharing. It was interesting." Crimson said with a slow blink.

Scenic nodded and smiled, obviously waiting for Crimson to reciprocate and tell them a little about himself. Except Crimson made no indication he intended to do so, and when Scenic opened his mouth to ask, he lost his nerve at the last moment under Crimson's yellow gaze, and so turned it into an awkward cough instead.

*Ehrrm.*

Considering how both the Earth pony and Lilly Blossom had both requested specifically to join the Night Guard, they really weren't doing well on getting used to being around thestrals, or a pesudo-thestral in Crimson's case.

Head on the table, Prey wanted to groan at this, at all of this. He'd been wanting to do that a lot in the last month and a half of his life. Everything just kept slowly getting that little bit more infuriating each and every day.

There was a motion at the mess hall door. Some blue pegasus or Earth pony stuck their muzzle in, (definitely not a unicorn though, because no horn), and checked around. A moment later they withdrew, and their was the faint sound of conversation outside.

Then the mess hall door opened and a group of five ponies strode in, talking loudly amongst themselves. Now Prey did groan, 'And it just keeps getting better.' He thought, forcing his eyes open to properly observe the newcomers, checking how much of a potential threat they posed.

Prey quickly started paying close attention when he realised they were not Guards, and not just because they were in civies and not uniform. They certainly looked like Guards, like the ideal pegasi of Royal Guard recruitment posters actually. Even across the mess hall and under the casual clothing, their coats gleamed with health. Lean muscles visibly shifted in their legs as they trotted for the kitchen, and their wings looked just as strong.

This group of five pegasi were even in better condition than the pegasi in the Solar Guard had been. Yet they were not Guards, Prey could tell that much from a glance.

They were too confident in a way Prey couldn't quite quantify. Guards were taught to follow orders from superiors, to stand in line, march in step, and guard a post motionless for hours on end. These ponies did not look like they could do that, they had too much energy. Plus, they were far too casual in their chatter with each other, not at all like you would be with a commanding officer.

Of course, it was always possible there was no officer present and that they were all off duty, but Prey could tell from the way they deferred to the two at their front that wasn't quite the case.

'And they're all wearing a hat, glasses, or hood of some kind that obscures their mane and faces...' Prey noted, narrowing his eyes and subtly shifting to put them better in his field of vision.

Gloom and Crimson had glanced around too at the group's entry, and although they frowned slightly, they didn't pass comment. These pegasi wouldn't have gotten into the Palace without coming past a check point, so obviously they were allowed to be here.

Lilly Blossom hardly paid the newcomers any mind, and Scenic, who'd jumped slightly when the door opened, merely checked to see what his Sargent was doing before copying him, leaving the newcomers be as they pushed open the door to the kitchen and disappeared inside.

"Hey! They just went into the kitchens. They're not allowed in there." Lilly Blossom protested, pointing at the closing door.

"And for all we know they do have permission. Leave them." Gloom told her, thinking back to the times the ISND had worked so late they'd also missed dinner and resorted to raiding Cookie's kitchen.

'-searching of something vaguely edible I bet-'

As if to confirm the thesrtal's thoughts, the five reemerged, carrying plates and tray's laden down with fruits, hay, and even half a pie.

Lilly Blossom stiffened in outrage at them somehow getting, '-better food than that grumpy old fart gave us-', referring to the cold pasta Cookie had dolled out to them before closing up the kitchen and giving them all, (minus Prey dearie of course), the stink eye.

Gloom paid little mind as the loud group snagged a table right in the middle of the room and started eating with gusto.

"They may not look it, but they're keeping a careful eye on us." Prey murmured to Gloom, not raising his head from the table.

"Are they now?" Gloom didn't turn his head, "Well it's not like it matters. I've never seen them before in my life. As soon as Scenic and Lilly finish eating, we're out of here anyways."

"Oh and by the way," Gloom added, "Captain Nighthawk okay'd the message-in-the-bottle. In fact he said take two of them, just in case."

That was even better, 'Nighthawk's being generous for once.' Prey thought. Or perhaps the Captain was just playing it safe, knowing how trouble had a habit of following the ISND.

"Ahoy yonder table!" A jovial voice rang out from the pegasi group rising above their chatter. The ISND all looked up.

A white stallion wearing a large brown flight jacket and hat waved a hoof languidly, "Flitterbat pony, come on over and join us for a bit." He called to Gloom, smile brilliantly white in a handsome face.

One of the stallion's companion's immediately punched him hard in the leg, "Thestral you doofus, it's thestral."

"Take it easy." The pegasus yelped, fending off his fellow.

Then to Gloom, "Sorry, my bad," He laughed, "I meant thestral pony. Forgive me, I haven't had the honour of meeting any of you ponies before. Say, come over here and join us for a bit."

This pony reminded Prey a lot of that Royal Guard pegasus, Nimbus Feather, with how both sounded like they were used to laughing alot and being liked. 'How wonderful for him.'

Gloom neutrally regarded the stallion and his buddies for a long second, "No thank you, I am quite comfortable here." He answered, speaking clearly.

The group of pegasi seemed surprised at Gloom's refusal, but not offended. In fact, a couple looked smugly pleased, something that immediately made Prey more suspicious. 'They were pleased about not being recognised.' Prey deduced.

White boy laughed again, "Really, I meant no offence. In fact we were surprised to see anypony else in here at this hour. We'd just like to talk with you for a few minutes Mr. thestral."

He got another punch from the pony next to him and more laughter, "Come over, I promise we don't bite." One called out with a pronounced lisp, so that "promise" was actually "promith".

The orange mare in the hooded jumper, who Prey had worked out was somehow in charge, seemed thoroughly bored with her group's antics, and turned her head away as they continued to joke around.

"If you want to speak, you are welcome to come over here." Gloom returned.

"OooOOhh, get told." The lisping mare from earlier mocked the handsome pegasus, punching him again, which got the same yelp as before while the others laughed again, evidently very pleased at still not being recognised. Lilly Blossom's brows were furrowing, as if she were trying to place something.

"Hey hey, quit it," The stallion hissed at his fellows, then back to the ISND:

"You sure I can't convince you to come over? We have pillaged food." He jokingly offered, waving a bowl of fruit invitingly, "We want to hear about the thestral's aerial performance history."

"I...Pardon?" Gloom asked, thrown. That was not the question Gloom had been expecting, Prey was sure.

"You've got like, a thousand years of thestral clan history, and you're all fliers. You must have developed some pretty impressive manoeuvres in a thousand years that we've probably never even heard of. Plus, you guys have had three different clans which means combined three thousand years of learning." White boy said, sounding genuinely enthusiastic.

"I am not sure we are talking about the same thing." Gloom said cautiously. The mention of the clans had piqued his own interest, but also his caution. Not many people understood the distinction between the three thestral clans. Crimson was now listening in closely too. And Prey had simply been listening closely from the start.

"You know, ariel moves like we've got. The double reverse corkscrew, Fabo's helix twister, the Double Roll, Thunder Bombing Run, Maxine's Maximum. What renowned ones have you guys got?"

"None." Gloom said honestly

"What, none? Why in Equestria didn't you do any of those? Aren't you any good at flying?"

"There was little time for developing tricks, nor were we in Equestria." Gloom answered coldly, picking up he tray and standing, "You four done? Good, let's get back to work."

"You mean to say your tribes did not have an elite air force?" The stallion, who wasn't taking the hint, called after them, "But what about-?"

Orange boss mare made an irritable sound, "Zip it Soarin." She snapped, voice gravely.

Lilly Blossom and Scenic Paint both gasped, "S-Soarin?", "S-Spitfire?"

The pegasus called Soarin ducked his head sheepishly at his commander's order, and the rest of their group groaned good naturally. "You gave us away again."

Soarin rubbed his neck, grinning, "Sorry guys-Youch! Hey, cut it out."

The fact that they were all blaming this Soarin instead of the Spitfire mare for revealing them was a bit strange. Both the ISND's newest members were both staring slack jawed at the other table, awe in their faces.

Crimson cocked an ear at Prey, "Do you know who these ponies are?" He asked.

"Yes. A flight exclusive squadron that goes by the name The Wonderbolts," Prey answered quietly, eyes narrowed as he studied the pegasi closely, "I thought they were supposed to be an elite military unit, but I guess I heard wrong."

These pegasi certainly looked the part, powerful, fast and strong, but somehow Prey doubted they were soldiers. Prey had seen soldiers. And these ponies in front of him didn't feel like soldiers. Not if they were supposed to be elites.

Why were they here? Extra security for the upcoming Gala at the end of the week?

"The Wonderbolts?" Crimson asked, looking straight at the group, "Never heard of them."

"Whhhaaat?" Lilly, Scenic, and all the Wonderbolt ponies chorused, the only exception being Spitfire who merely snorted in dismissal and turned away.

"The Wonderbolts? Fliers extraordinaire? Fastest ponies in Equestria? Air Force One? None of that ringing any bells?" Soarin protested, waving his hooves in the air.

Crimson sniffed at them, "No."

More consternation from the group of pegasi. Their leader, Spitfire, didn't appear to give two hoots about Crimson's opinion.

Prey took advantage of the distraction and walked out the mess hall doors and grumpily waited in the empty corridor for the others to join him. Preferably, 'others' would just mean Crimson, but no.

"Come on, we've got work to be doing." Gloom jerked his head at the door. "Paint Spot, Lilly Blossom, don't just sit there. Now means now." He rasped.

"But, but, sir! Those are the Wonderbolts-"

"Yes and I'm sure they don't appreciate you gawking. Now get after Prey and Crimson. Back to the office. We've plenty more to do before the train ride to Mayflower."