In the Principality of Equestria, most territories boasted their own local constabulary, run by some combination of city, county, noble house (if applicable; some had no house-bond and were legitimately free territory, only under general royal rule) or broad regional consideration. However, the whole of the land was also protected by an overarching force of constable with more training than most, a limb of the Royal Guard but not named as such. The members of the Nightwatch, who protected the land during the night hours. With the return of Princess Luna, they were, once more, under her command.
Among the many orders of The Nightwatch, none were held in as high regard, with so much acknowledgement of the difficulty of their duties, as The Everfree Nightwatch. Those ponies patrolled both the shallow and deep Everfree Forest all night long, keeping most dangerous animals in check and maintaining the peace of Everfree-bordered communities. Because of their great skill, and their constant nocturnal nature, they had been nicknamed The Monsters of Everfree; their motto was, “The monsters that guard against what goes bump in the night.”
Drupe Cluster was one of the Everfree Nightwatch, a peach-colored stallion with green mane and tail. He wore the standard Nightwatch bark-brown cloak and crescent moon badge at the throat. On his flank, seen under the cloak now and then, were a peach, an apricot and a cherry. During an evening patrol, as the sun was dropping and his shift starting, he saw an unfamiliar figure casually sitting on a log, staring up at the darkening sky. It was a caramel stallion, with shiny black mane and tail. His Cutie Mark was obscured by a bark-brown cloak, and he bore a crescent moon badge on his fancy black jacket, which was worn over a ruffled shirt and black waistcoat.
“Excuse me, but, just what do you think you’re doing?” Drupe asked.
The other stallion didn’t even look aside, just squinted his eyes as the sky darkened. “I am watching the stars come out. There’s no finer thing in the world than seeing the first dots of light piercing the dimming heavens. And if I’m lucky, these tree limbs won’t get in the way of the moon. There’s a special pleasure in seeing that,” The stallion answered, dreamily.
“I mean… what are you doing in that outfit? I don’t remember you being on the patrol schedule...” Drupe noted.
“Well, I don’t remember you at all, but you don’t see me making a big fuss over it. I can assure you, I belong in this neck of the woods. Unless I’m very much mistaken this is the Ponyville section of the Everfree forest, is it not? Shallow border territory, with the deep section encompassing the ruins of the old castle in desperate need of the Equestrian Bureau of Antiquities and Landmark Preservation? Along with one civilian, Zecora, a friendly, if reclusive, zebra who makes regular sorties into Ponyville for supplies,” the stallion rattled off, with a casual exactness.
Drupe Cluster was speechless for a moment, goggling in disbelief at the unknown stallion. He knew his stuff, that was for sure. And, despite being unfamiliar, certainly looked like he knew what he was doing. “Well… I guess I should at least introduce myself and take you to get checked in. My name’s Constable Drupe Cluster, Everfree Nightwatch for three months.”
The other pony hopped off of the log and trotted over to Drupe, nodding his head. “Pleasure to meet you, Constable. The name is Badam Pome. I should warn you, my experience in night watch work is limited at best and I’m shaky on the manual. I’ve always been a better doer than a book learner. Not that I’m lacking in sense or education. Just that things slip my mind. We can’t remember ALL the dotted ‘I’s and crossed ‘T’s now, can we?” Badam asked, with a smile.
The peach stallion shook his head slowly, watching the caramel one approach. His swagger wasn’t the usual stealthy slink of a Nightwatch member, especially of those in Everfree. And his attire, while appropriate in the required cloak, looked more like some kind of Dodge Junction dandy than a staid, professional constable. “No, no you can’t. But still, you remember most of it, right?” Drupe queried.
“Of course, of course. This isn’t my first cotillion. I know all about constable activities. Why, I’ve been all over the face of the Principality, and I’ve worked closely with any number of other constable services. I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve even been to Canterlot seeing the ins and outs of the royal guard service,” Badam said, winking as he passed Drupe, trotting in towards the deeper parts of Everfree.
“Oh. Well, we’re a little less… formal here in Everfree! I mean, we’re not quite as spit-and-polish as they can be in Canterlot. Or, at least, I hear it’s like that. I mean, I’ve never been there. But, you know, that’s ok. I was recruited out of the Fillydelphia Nightwatch. No need to go to Canterlot for a transfer,” Drupe rambled, following close behind, feeling like a new recruit in the wake of the easy confidence and apparent experience of the mysterious new arrival.
Not too much further into the forest from where the encounter had happened, Badam suddenly found himself faced with an encampment. It was composed mostly of tents, with a few small clapboard buildings arranged in a circle in a clearing. In the center was a large fire burning brightly, with a few ponies arranged around it. All eyes turned to regard the two arriving. Badam looked around and noticed the details, deriving what he could before speaking. “If only ponies knew what we all know. It’s not just a nickname. Sometimes it just strikes me when I see it. The Everfree Nightwatch aren’t just called monsters. They have them.”
Around the camp, there were, indeed, monsters. A trio of docile-seeming cockatrices wearing dark goggles were tended to by a brown mare with a brown mane and a pine tree on her flank. A very small, two-headed hydra lounged, nearly napping by the far edge of the camp. And there was what appeared to be a modestly-sized Diamond Dog, of the perk-eared breed, in both a brown cloak and brown trousers, standing beside a hunter green stallion with a bark brown mane and a large pentagonal-cut green gem on his flank. Filling out the rest of the population were a gray stallion with a black mane and a saddlebag on his flank; and a dark puce unicorn mare with a curly black mane and a plum beside a stem glass on her flank.
“Takes getting used to, that‘s for sure. I’ve been here for a while and it’s still not quite normal. We spend our lives thinking about running away from them. Now we work with them in here,” Drupe casually said, coming into the camp behind Badam. “But that’s just one of the things you have to get over in Everfree.”
“Constable Drupe, just who do we have here? I was not informed of any new arrivals coming tonight. Or, any night,” The puce mare asked, stepping towards Badam and Drupe, narrowing her eyes as she considered the caramel male.
“Oh, sorry, Chief! Forgot. I met him over at the edge of the forest. His name’s Constable Badam Pome. He’s some kind of professional law enforcement officer. He’s been all over getting experience with all the forces. He’s fresh from studying Royal Guard training in Canterlot and just came to do night watch work,” Drupe explained.
The mare slowly looked Badam over. “Royal Guard trainee? Feh. Sure, they take you through all the motions, but the chances that any Royal emergency will come up are slim to none, and Slim hoofed it. That Canterlot thing doesn’t impress me, much. You want any respect in the Forest, you earn it.” The mare said with a note of disdain, nodding her head firmly. “May as well introduce you around. I’m the Section Chief Brandy Punch; you can call me Slivovitz, or else.”
“Slivovitz? Sadly, I never had the pleasure of visiting Konik. But I have heard it is a lovely place. And I have had some sernik at a very well-stocked Percheron restaurant. Quite delicious,” Badam said, nodding to the chief and giving a bright smile.
“Very good, Constable Pome. I see you’ve got some brains in that head of yours. Just what I need in my constables. This fellow next to me,” Slivovitz indicated the gray stallion, “Is Constable Pocket Change. Used to do penny pinching work, but he wanted some advancement. And you don’t advance any faster than putting in your time here.” A motion of her head indicated the mare with the cockatrices. “That’s Tree Tender. She takes care of our trained cockatrices. Last, but not least… oh, I think I’ll let him do this one. Constable, come forward and tell this new recruit all about you.”
The green-and-brown stallion trotted forward, along with the Diamond Dog. On closer inspection nearer to the fire, it appeared to be a female Diamond Dog. There was a certain feminine cast to her figure, and her face was made up with a touch of makeup, enough to enhance her thin canine lips, soften the sallowness of her yellow eyes, flutter the sparse eyelashes and round the cheekbones with touches of light pink. “Hello there. My name is Constable Clear Facet. And this is my… associate. She’s a Diamond Dog mare named Emerald…”
Emerald spoke up, with a higher version of the normal, strained Diamond Dog voice. “What? Mare? Am not mare! Ponies have mares! Am Diamond Dog bi-”
“I told you! That’s a bad word in pony lands. It’s just easier to use mare. No offense intended. Just wanted to avoid problems,” Clear interjected, smiling with a touch of strain before continuing. “Emerald is a rookie member of the Nightwatch and constabulary in general. I’m her handler.”
“Yes! Handler! He handle me very well,” Emerald said, making a kissy-face towards Clear and winking at Badam.
“Ah! Ahem… well…. that’s not quite accurate. No! I mean, yes, I am her 'handler'. In the sense that I am her trainer. Oh! No, not like that. See, it takes a certain discipline to…. oh, well, not quite that. But, well, it’s complicated. But not complicated like….” Clear trailed off into nonsensical muttering while the rest just started at him.
Slivovitz chuckled lightly and shook her head. “You see why I wanted him to explain? It never gets old.” She cleared her throat and nodded sternly to Badam. “Right! We’re just starting patrol tonight. Since you’re a new transfer, and I’d rather not deal with paperwork this close to active patrol time, you go with Drupe. You’ll be doing one of the edge patrols. Shallow and deep on the jurisdictional edge. No need to get fancy or exploratory, just stick to the usual trails, they all lead out and I’m sure professionals can find something trying to sneak out. Rest of the assignments as posted. Okay, folks, let’s get to work. Another night, another bit.”
Tree Tender sat down on a log by the fire, followed by her cockatrices, while the others trotted off away from the camp. Badam followed behind Drupe, and was joined by Clear and Emerald. “Our patrol zone borders on yours. I figured we’d follow along for a while.”
“Glad to have your company, Constable. I hope you don’t mind me saying, I’ve seldom seen a Diamond Dog personally, to my detriment. The only experience I’ve had with them was my nieces, from two different brothers in two different circumstances,” Badam noted.
“They are rather rare, but getting more common after vassalhood. So, like zebras, griffons, buffalos and others, they have legal rights and responsibilities, and want to contribute to Equestria. That’s why she’s a Constable rookie. She just needs training,” Clear said.
“I see. Well, good to meet you, Emerald,” Badam said, affecting a look of delight and glancing over at the Diamond Dog.
“Is good to meet," Emerald said with a nod. "Still not very used to being with ponies. Not easy to remember all things must do and not do, like not eat sulfur and pretty spice gems.”
“Diamond Dogs can eat gems like dragons, but they don’t need to. It’s just a treat for them. Unfortunately, their body processes the gem components in occasionally-undesirable ways," Clear explained. "Consuming any kind of fluorite causes a Diamond Dog’s body to become mildly corrosive. They learned that the hard way. And they love it because it’s spicy to them. Consuming sulfur causes the element to leak out through the skin and mouth. It’s like concentrated garlic-body. Eating diamonds is difficult, but when done it integrates the lattice into them. It makes them stronger and stronger, but increasingly makes it harder for them to move. Regular carbon freshens her breath. Beryl varieties are pretty safe. In fact, emeralds enhance her eyes.”
“He tell me emeralds make me pretty,” Emerald barked, smiled broadly, showing off white, if snaggly, teeth.
“Err, ah, what I say is that the emeralds naturally compliment her features. And enhance the color of her eyes. And that the end product is an attractive feature. But I don’t mean that in a way that would get me, you know, brought up in front of Internal Affairs on an improper commentary charge,” Clear hedged, looking shiftily about.
“In that case, let’s just keep it light and work-focused. Two-headed hydra and a young one. How did it hurt its neck that badly so young?” Badam directed the question fairly evenly towards Drupe and Clear.
Drupe responded, looking back with a slight raise of his brows. “He was a barely-hatched whelp who got caught up in some entangling vines. From what they told me, they decapitated it because it was choking to death and severing the head was fastest. So, he got two heads early and imprinted on the Nightwatch here.” He looked forward again and hummed. “Not everyone knows that about hydras. I guess you really know your stuff.”
“Give me a little credit. And those cockatrices. Have deals with the local chicken farmers and other owners of roosters?” Badam asked.
“Every time a rooster lays an egg that isn’t destroyed outright, it is sent to the Nightwatch here in Everfree. We hatch it, and then raise the cockatrice with the goggles. It limits vision but prevents stoning. We eventually give them over to the Canterlot School of Advanced Thaumato-Biology for study. Though I hear they just let them wander around an enclosure.” Clear looked to the side and made a motion towards Emerald. “Our patrol route is through here. See you in the morning.”
“Be well, ponies. Have nice night. Maybe we have nice night, too,” Emerald called, giving a slightly-raspy laugh as she moved along behind Clear.
“Nice couple, no question. He seems a little uptight, thought.” Badam mildly commented to Drupe, trotting up beside him.
“Not really a couple. Emerald’s been an insufferable tease because she knows it riles Clear up something awful. And Clear is too afraid of being brought up on charges to say anything,” Drupe explained.
“Yea, I’m sure that’s exactly what it is…” Badam chuckled softly, and looked between two roads diverging in the barely-visible path they had been walking. “Time to split? Better to spread out to catch anything. We can yell for each other, maybe.”
“That’s how it works, yea. It’s not manual standard for partners, I know. But that’s how we do it here. It’s more important to just see the problem first, before it gets too far out. Let’s meet up here at midnight. If I’m not here, just go back on patrol and we’ll go back to the camp near dawn," Drupe suggested.
“Right. See you in a while,” Badam said, nodding to his new partner and then picking one of the two roads at random. He trotted confidently down it with a merry hum, even as he was swallowed up by the darkness of the forest.
The moon was bright and full again, providing a fair bit of light even through the tangle of trees. The path was intermittently illuminated, and the spillover light lit the scene in a hazy manner. But, with enough time away from the fire and a little concentration, it became sufficient to see some of the fine details.
The forest looked as it always did; another tangle of roots and climbing vines, gnarled trees in contrast to the straight trunks of orchard stock. The canopies were lost in shadow, and the leaves were struggling to keep a hold. With no running of the leaves they fell when they wished, and never at the same time. But that was good. It meant more light, such as there was of it. The blank moon, while less interesting than before, at least had a higher albedo.
“Is this it, then? Wandering the trails of Everfree with the moon as a light, maybe getting a lantern as it wanes? No wonder there are so few volunteers. And no wonder those that stay on are considered a hardy bunch. But, I am here for the long haul. No escaping what was taken with earnestness.” Badam spoke to himself as he checked the trees and kept his ears high, listening for any hint of movement that was not his own.
He became aware of a gentle whisper the further he went down the path. The direction was vague, only faintly ahead of himself. The voice was indistinct, both unintelligible and lacking in any detail. No accent, no gender, no mood. Only the mutter of words that were further scrubbed by any stray breath of wind. “Hello there… somepony? Pony? Some other being? Don’t mean to pry, but, mysterious whispers are par for the course.”
The slow approach brought a greater volume, the voice finally resolving into a plaintive whisper. “Release me… release me…”
“What? Release? I didn’t know we set out traps. Then again, it would make sense. Sorry about that. Coming to get you!” Badam called, running off towards the source of the voice, checking through the dim surroundings. “What kind of trap are we talking about here? Snare? Deadfall pin? Pit? Sticky stuff?”
“Release me… and I will reward you…” The voice wavered, sounding like it belonged to some kind of disembodied creature, barely speaking though actual air.
Badam stopped short, tilting his head a little, seeking the source of the sound, though no longer quite as eager to actually find it. “Reward, you say? What are we talking about here?”
The voice… seemed to smile, taking on a tone that suggested a change from elegiac to pleased. “Release me, and I will give you riches. All the coins you could wish, beyond your dreams. Gold and jewels and beautiful things to last the rest of your life. Free me and it will all be yours.”
“Hmm, tempting. That’s certainly very tempting..." Badam noted, a trifle wistfully. "I sure remember being pretty rich. We had everything. Nice clothes, carriages, a fancy house, parties, disgruntled servants and the insatiable need for more. I guess the more you have, the more you want. Thanks for the offer, but I have enough bits to cover myself. Sorry.”
“Release me and I will give you control…” The voice had grown flat, disappointed. “You will hold sway over the important ones, the well-placed ones. Any being that passes under your presence will become your pawn. Each one will do what you command if you but meet them.”
Badam tapped his chin, looking around the dark forest. “I see. I guess that would make things a lot easier. I could get anything I wanted done. I mean, I can anyway. But it takes effort. There’s no guarantee, but sometimes thinking on your hooves is a good thing. It takes a certain amount of panache to get it to work out right. And when others realize it, well isn’t that worth a laugh and a wink? Ah, nah. I’ll keep it the hard way. What’s life without a touch of a challenge and some reason to cheer when you win? Sorry, friend.”
“Well…” The voice was no longer pleading, nor was it cheerful. It grew dark and deep. “Release me. Free me from this imprisonment. Unleash me into the world and I will give you power. No need for control over others. None would oppose you with such power. Magical, martial, mental. All the powers in Equestria. I would provide you with force. The power and majesty that could never be stopped. Accept this power. And free me from my prison.”
Badam determined the direction of the voice. He was certain that he could find the speaker in the darkest parts of the area before him. He turned aside and began a new patrol route. “They put ponies in prison for a reason. I’d imagine they put you in one for a reason too. I’m shaky on how magical monsters work, but I do know that first time is tragic, twice is coincidence, and three times is a pattern. And that’s where you put an end to it. Good bye, strange voice. I’ll be sure to tell ponies about this; it’s not every day you meet a mysterious and unexplained thing.”
“Come here! Come here! Let me out! Let me out and let me stalk!” The voice grew fainter and fainter, but more filled with rage and venom.
“Not gonna happen, sparky.” Badam vanished into the dark of the woods, ignoring any of the cries that found him again.
- - -
No meeting happened at midnight. Badam never made his way back to the meeting point. He wandered back into camp at the crepuscular fringe. His attire was as perfect as it had been when he first wandered into the camp, a few dirty splotches at the sleeves notwithstanding. “Morning, everyone. Or, soon to be. Princess Celestia is punctual as ever.”
“So much for midnight. I didn’t think you’d be the one to miss it. What happened out there?” Drupe asked, looking at Badam with a mix of disbelief and concern.
“I got into my patrol. I knew that I wanted to reach as far as I could before I had to go back. Cover more ground, and potentially identify more threats. Plus, I had a weird encounter with one of the mysteries of Everfree,” Badam explained, taking a seat with a sigh.
“Oh? New transfer, and suddenly you find something weird. Sounds about right. What did you run across?” Slivovitz kicked dirt onto the fire, extinguishing the embers that remained from the blaze which Tree had maintained all night.
“Whispery kind of voice in the middle of nowhere. Lots of shadows, probably not strictly natural shadows. 'Release me, release me. Riches, mind control, power.' What I assume is the usual suite of junk that these mysterious voices promise for letting them out. Faked a good game of being humble, got mad and started being a jerk. So I left it,” Badam related, with a shrug and a hint of jollity in his voice.
Slivovitz stopped smothering the fire for a moment, considering what had been said. “That’s… not normal. That’s a bit beyond the usual habit of the forest. The monsters don’t tend to be that smart. At least, not smart enough to tempt and try to lie. Still, Pocket, make a note of it. Patrol location, general idea. It’s the kind of anomaly we need to be able to recall.”
“Right, chief,” Pocket said. The gray stallion took a pencil into his mouth and started scribbling notes on a piece of parchment.
“Nothing to be concerned about. Barely heard it when I got close, as mad as it got it never sent out tendrils or streamers or whatnot to get me. So it looks like the thing is really trapped in wherever it is. It’s just another angry little thing locked up some time in history and left to rot,” Badam noted, and walked over to one of the tents, which had a picture of various fruits and gains on it. He browsed about the table of rations and nibbled on a few of the nutritious bits. “Hope no one minds. I forgot to take rations.”
“Help yourself. Sometimes a little food in your stomach helps you sleep. You’ll have to share a tent with Drupe. We weren’t informed of another new constable so we’re one tent short,” Slivovitz said, apologetically. She levitated a few logs to the fire pit’s perimeter, looking over the dirt-covered ash pile and nodding lightly. “Get in your snacking, folks. The Princess isn’t gonna hold that sun for us. Another good night of patrols. Let’s sleep and do it again tonight.”
All around the camp, the other Nightwatch members started moving to the rations tent. Badam filled his belly and exited, brushing past others. “Oh, yes. For the record, what was the location in more particularity? I need exactness. Accountant habit,” Pocket queried, stopping Badam before taking out a pencil and parchment.
“Ahhh, right. Line-itemizers. I’ve known more than a few of you. Well, we were out in our patrol area, and we decided to split up at a pretty obvious crossroad. I just picked it at random. Frankly, I don’t remember much about it. Just another dark road. Sorry I can’t get it exactly on for you," Badam said with another shrug.
“No, no, it’s fine…” Pocket put away his tools and nodded. “It’s just for our records, after all. Not life and death. Sorry to keep out.”
“Not at all. Get some grub going," Badam said, with a nod of his head before trotting off, to look in at a tent. The inside looked comfortable enough, with a thick padding on the ground and a single sleeping blanket settled on the floor. The place was sealed against light, yet breathed very well. Though air circulated well within, it still smelled faintly of peaches and cherries. As if to drive home the identity of its owner, there was a picture on one of the walls, an orchard scene with three ponies standing in front of it, two stallions and a mare, the one younger stallion between the other two.
“Here. Brought you one of the extra emergency blankets. It might be a bit musty from being stored, but it should be good enough for a day of sleep...” Drupe tossed in a brown sleeping blanket onto the empty side. “I know you’ve done it all. How was the Nightwatch?”
“It was,” Badam shrugged and arranged the blanket out on the padded floor. “Nothing happened. So it was a walk in the woods looking up at the moon now and then.” He settled himself down on the blanket, looking over at the picture again. “An orchard. I certainly know all about that. I grew up working hard on one. Ungrateful toil. That’s why I’m where I am today.”
Drupe settled down on his own blanket and looked over at the picture. “Yea. It was… hard. I guess it was trouble. But that was never a problem. I like hard work. Our problem was bits. There were never many. It was hard going; we kept three crops to maximize the chances that we’d be able to get through a disaster with any one. It was brilliant. And it worked. In any normal situation, we’d have been good. But, we never had a good market. We were flooded with cheap apples from all over. Yeah, I get apples are easy. But… anyhow, the orchard is still there. My parents work it with my sister. But I had to take a job elsewhere. And this one paid best. I can send back some bits now and then to help out.”
“That’s very big of you. Not every stallion would do something like that,” Badam said with an appreciative nod.
“Well, I figured they didn’t deserve to just fail. They put in a lot of hard work. They’re okay now. But things could always be better,” Drupe sighed and shook his head. “Anyhow… Let’s get some shuteye. We’ve got another night of the same.”
“Right. Sleep well,” Badam mumbled, settling himself down on the blanket and closing his eyes. From outside the tent he heard the faint sound of the others moving around, and the zipping of four tents.
One wasn’t in.
Someone had an appetite.
- - -
That afternoon, the whole collection arose and shuffled out to find Badam already having a bit of food, and occasionally throwing tidbits to the cockatrices and the one hydra head that was paying attention to him. The other was acting catty and aloof. Tree looked reasonably impressed. “You’ve got a way with the critters, Constable Badam. They don’t usually get that friendly that quickly.”
“Food makes every critter agreeable. Well, most of them. I’m guessing you have a lot of trouble with that one over there,” Badam motioned over to the hydra head that kept looking at him while feigning being disinterested.
“Ahh yeah. He’s kind of a troublemaker. But never anything too dangerous. He’s been with us for a long time. They all have...” Tree trotted over and stroked two of her cockatrices. “And I’ve been tending to them. I like the critters we have out here. They actually listen if you’re kind to them. So much easier than ponies. I don’t need to worry about getting lied to.”
“Bit unusual for a pet. But what do I know? We were encouraged to keep trees as pets when I was growing up. How about you, Drupe? Any pet trees?” Badam asked to the other orchard-living pony.
“Lord Fuzzyleaf...” The other constables stared at Drupe, who blushed. “It was a peach tree! And I was a colt! Anyway, yeah, I know the pain of it. Other foals had puppies and kittens or rabbits or even pet insects. I had a tree. Gave good peaches, though.”
The rest of the constables settled down into the afternoon routine of eating their food and checking their equipment. Badam finally got himself a spare set of saddlebags and a surplus lantern, along with other things such as manacles sized for average creatures, bottles of oil and medical supplies. Kitted out like that, he was free to sit around the fire, which was built after the sun started dipping low, and to talk with the others.
“I’ve always been a forester; used to run a tree farm with my parents. We cultivated the fir trees for Hearths Warming celebrations. But, trees were never that good at bringing money. Plus… we had a lot of dishonest investors and partners. They tapped us like a maple and left us destitute. Good thing you don’t need bits when you live in the woods...” Tree Tender sighed softly, staring into the fire. “So I specialized in working with forest creatures. Eventually I got good enough for a scholarship to a Thaumato-Biology program at one of the smaller Government schools. I got a degree in Magical Creature tending, got my constable certification and now I’m here. It’s a good job, really. Pays well, good work environment. I can trust the others here.”
“What about you, Clear? You don’t seem like the constable type. No offense, but you’re kind of jumpy for this line of work,” Badam said, nibbling on a pressed oat bar and watching Clear try to ignore Emerald, who was doing her best to not touch him while sitting close.
“I started out as a gemologist. I studied Geology at Hoofington and then Stalliongrad, specializing in gem formations. I wrote a few papers on the faceting of gemstones in natural collections and the high polish of some inclusions. I assumed I’d be like my parents, gem cutters and mine investors. But I was doing my post-graduate work when the universities were starting to work with diplomats while they started making inroads with Diamond Dogs. There was a lot of crime in Diamond Dog areas, on both sides of the Pony/Diamond Dog fence. Even after citizenship granting and the official recognition of sentience, things were rough. Seeing their passion for gems was very heartening. They really did know a lot. So I chose to change my focus to being a constable. And from there, I was drawn here. There are extensive Diamond Dog colonial traces and an outlet in the Ponyville area,” Clear explained.
“Was educated in Pony School, to polish what learned in Diamond Dog colony. Knew plenty about beautiful gems. Was very strong and fast. Could have been low-level gemologist, maybe mine-courier and finishing digger. Very important. But constables said could join them and work in Everfree. So, came to Everfree and met Clear. Knows much about Diamond Dogs, is good to me,” Emerald smiled brightly over at Clear, who became, suddenly, extremely interested in the fire.
“But only so good, because he’s not the type to be brought up on charges, eh, Clear?” Drupe chuckled softly and poked a hoof toward Clear.
“N-never! I am an ideal constable and a perfect gentlecolt. It is not in my nature to do things that might be construed as offensive or inappropriate!” Clear nearly yelled.
“More’s the pity…” Badam said with a soft chuckle.
- - -
That night, the patrol routes were changed. Drupe and Badam were sent vaguely in the direction of the old Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters. This entailed passing several marked obstacles and recognized potential danger zones, including the territory of a manticore. However, the dangers had been cataloged and marked, and the manticore was little more than a large, friendly feline thanks to regular feeding and good socialization. Once more, the night promised to be little more than a walk in the woods.
Drupe opted to head more towards the castle itself. He reasoned that there may be lingering spirits of darkness there, of some variety. Nightmare Moon had been defeated there, and whatever force had been empowering her might still have left itself some small spark of power.
Badam was satisfied with this. He knew the area well enough to patrol without much effort. He even found time to walk along the shore of a modest river, which wound its way through Everfree. “Steven, you in there? Come on, it’ll be boring just wandering around not doing anything.”
“What’s that? Who’s there? Oh!” A large, purple river serpent, first cousin of the dragons of the southern lands, burst out of the river and looked down at Badam. He was most elegant-appearing, with a fine moustache and an oddly-purple goatee. “Who are you? How do you know my name?”
“Don’t get excited. Look at the outfit. Everfree Nightwatch. I’m a relative of a friend. She told me all about you. So, I figured I knew you at least a little bit. Seemed like a good reason to come out and talk, as long as I was in the area,” Badam explained with a friendly smile.
“Ooooh, the Nightwatch! I see you brave mares and stallions out here all the time. You know, I help out whenever I can. I tell Slivovitz all about the horrible beasts and creatures that swarm through here. I like to think I serve an important role, without actually having to pass any physical tests,” Steven said, his eyes going a little shiny when he said 'Slivovitz.'
“And the Nightwatch appreciates your efforts. Heard about any new happenings lately?” Badam asked, intentionally passing on commentary. His crush was his business.
“Well, now that you mention it… around noon I was resting in the river, you know, moisturizing and whatnot, when I heard this… thing. I didn’t know what it was. All I could hear was this whispering and growling. It snarled like that big manticore, except without any of the charm. And I thought I heard some hoofbeats. But I was so scared I didn’t even bother to look,” Steven related with a shiver. "I was hoping to tell Chief Slivovitz but she didn't come around."
“You? Scared? A big, strong serpent like you? I find that hard to believe. You didn’t happen to notice which direction it came from or where it was?” Badam asked, hiding a smile. The poor serpent had it bad.
“Yes, I was in another area of the forest. This river is big, you know, and it meanders a lot. Oh it’s just so much fun to wiggle and wriggle through all the little twists,” Steven noted, giving his great, scaled litheness and shimmy.
“Fascinating. But what part of the river? Was it the far northwestern border area, near the shallow/deep divide?” Badam asked sharply, to pull Steven back on point.
“Yes! That was it exactly. It was a surprise because normally the only ponies that go out there are constables like you. And even then they stay in the shallow area because there’s no point in getting lost in the forest,” Steven responded.
“Well now, well now… I think I’m getting into something here..." Badam mused. "Anyhow, thank you for the information. It was quite helpful. And good work on the facial hair. That is one killer moustache. The goatee is a bit unusual but I guess it’s a style.”
“Oh, this goatee is special. I got it from a simply lovely mare that passed though. Originally it replaced half of my moustache. But after that grew back, I convinced her to come back and put it on my chin. Now I look simply fabulous,” Steven said with a smile. "And please tell Chief Slivotitz about how I helped!"
“I sure will… and you really do look fabulous. She'll love it,” Badam cheekily stated, making Steven blush and submerge.
He started to make his way off when he saw a tremendous light burst in the sky over the forest, with a pillar of purplish radiance beneath, acting as a beacon. He could well guess what it meant.
He dashed through the twisting paths of the forest, cutting through every narrow but accessible path he could find in the place, trying to make the most direct route possible though the tangle of trees and other plants.
At the source of the light beacon, he found several of the other constables waiting. Slivovitz was providing the beacon, while Tree Tender and Pocket Change huddled around Clear Facet and Emerald. The Diamond Dog was on the ground, wincing, writhing and groaning in pain. Over the front of her body, several large slashes were in evidence, as though made by a creature with clawed fingers.
“What in Luna’s name happened here?” Badam was stunned into bluntness, his face a mask of pure shock.
“We still have no idea. The chief heard the scream, and found them like this. She summoned us from patrols the same way she got you. We were just nearer!” Tree Tender had tears in her eyes when she turned to speak to Badam, and then went back to looking down at Emerald.
“Emerald… Emerald please, hold still. I need to clean your wounds. Somepony help me!” Clear looked around desperately, sloppily wielding a bottle of carbolic soap mixed with water and several bandages. He slopped the water around, vaguely in her direction, succeeding in splashing the disinfectant mix in approximately the right place every few splashes.
“No! Leave me be, ponies! D-do not want you here!” Emerald snarled and snapped, throwing her limbs around when none was there to hold them. She was being barely restrained by the efforts of Clear, Tree, and some portion of Slivovitz’s magical power. Without even thinking, Badam added his own body to the others, restraining a hind limb with all his might.
“What are you saying? We’re trying to help you,” Clear noted. More of the carbolic water splashed onto the wounds, and a bandage was loosely applied, but could not be taped down before it slid off during a powerful thrash.
Emerald snarled, her voice heavy with hate. “Don’t want your help! Hate you! Hate you all!”