//------------------------------//
// Day 5— 
// Story: Her Eyes Reflect The Stars 
// by Lynwood 
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Day 5—

I think things are getting worse faster than anypony in the village knows.

I'm writing this just before I pack. It's afternoonish, and I'm very worried. It feels like the whole town's coming apart at the seams, and it hasn't even been a week since we saw the first guards pass through Sleepy Cove.

On the bright side, Symphony was elated to meet real guards. She's lived here all her life and she's never seen them all bundled up in their glittery armor outside of her picture books. She flagged one down the second she got the chance and began bombarding him with her usual deluge of questions. The way her eyes went wide when he actually answered them is a picture I'll hold in my heart forever. I've never seen her so full of wonder. I thanked the guard for being so patient with our filly while Bass distracted her, and luckily, he was very gracious.

Most of the guards that come through aren't so forthcoming. They all have these stoic looks on their faces all the time, and they never stop to speak. Nopony even told us what was going on until today, and I'm lucky I heard it from that kind guard, Silver Shield, and I was able to break the news to Steady and mother early. 

We haven't heard much from the south since it happened— just rumors. Aside from the one mare, a rather large family came up the other day pulling a cart full of their stuff, and they didn't stop to speak to anypony. I didn't see them myself, I just heard this from the neighbors, but they said the group just pushed on right through town, heading north. It concerned me then, but after hearing what the guard said, well, I don't know what to think, really.

Silver Shield said that some sort of monster had come out of the ocean. A sea-beast, I think it must be. He said it had badly damaged Shoreside, and that the little hamlet's residents fled. Then the mystery thing had begun heading north, directly towards us. We'd have to evacuate.

He reassured me that the Royal Guard was handling it, but they were having some trouble, so some reserve guards had been called in from neighboring towns. He was apparently one of those ponies and lived a little ways away in Hayflower, and he didn't expect us to be gone for more than a few weeks, a month tops, just to "make sure everything is safe."

I thought it was silly that the Guard couldn't get rid of an ocean beast (on land, even,) in just a few days, but I didn't argue, we went right home and I told mom and Steady. An hour later an official crier announced the same thing in the town square. Now everypony in the town is packing, getting ready to leave. I think we're going to head for the big city. Steady can find us a place to stay, given his history with it.

I just saw a big group leave town. I didn't think anypony was heading out today. We're packing and getting a good night's rest, mostly for Symphony's sake, as we're going to be walking the whole way, but those ponies were really making a beeline. Some of them didn't even have saddlebags. Should we be leaving tonight? I don't know.

I'll keep you updated, journal.
—Silk Stream