“And this is the Guard training compound,” Sunset said as she led the group along the pathway from the Wraparound to one of the bigger structures, “The barracks are right next door, but most Guards live with their families, at least some of the time.”
“Are most Thestrals?” Celestia asked, walking next to her.
I hung back, walking next to Luna, letting Sunny handle this part of the guided tour, she was the one with by far most experience with it after all.
“About three quarters,” Sunset explained, “The rest are mostly what used to be Page’s personal guard. It’s not the same third that is his personal guard now however, we had to mix things up. We’re keeping the personal guard all female, but the rest of the Nocturnis Guard is mixed. We don’t have enough ponies that want to join to be overly picky, it’s still a mostly mare force, but we have a dozen or so stallions.”
Celestia nodded as we walked out onto the training platform.
Everypony of the guard not currently on other duties were standing reading for inspection, their dark green armor, specially coated not to shine seemingly absorbing the lights floating around us from Sparks horn, the torches around the training grounds flickering adding to the scene.
The style of armor was similar to pegasus armor, but not as covering, making it easier to move in. A necessity in the jungle. Designed by Midnight and Sunset together.
Most present were Thestrals, but there were a dozen other ponies as well, fairly even split between earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi. Two of the unicorns were even stallions.
“Impressive,” Celestia said softly, “Very impressive.”
What was really impressive was the way she said it. Softly like it was meant just for our ears, but it still carried clear across the field.
“They are the shield and sword of Nocturnis,” I said as I walked out next to them, “They keep everypony in Nocturnis safe from the dangers of day and night. From the things that stalk the woods. And the things beyond it.”
I might have imagined it, but it seemed like they were standing a bit straighter.
“There are plenty of dangers in these jungles, because it’s dark and full of terror,” I continued and looked up at Celestia, “These are the ponies that make it possible for us to live here, even in the trees. Without these brave ponies… there would be no Nocturnis.”
She nodded seriously, “There is a reason nopony has settled this far south into the jungles in the past.”
“It’s not ju-” I started to answer before a horn sounded far in the distance.
Everypony froze as the sound seemingly drifted through the leaves around the area, slithering along the branches, the ethereal tone climbing along our spines. It started to sound again.
I looked to Sunset, giving her a nod before I turned to look towards Midnight and Sparks, only to see the tail end of their teleport spells as they flashed out of existence.
“You all heard it!” Sunset shouted, “To your stations!” before she wrapped herself into a teleport field of her own and was gone.
Everypony rushed into action, unicorns starting to quench torches. Behind us, lights across the village started to die, leaving us in nothing but the light of the moon above.
“Page?” Luna asked quietly as she moved up next to her sister, “What’s happening?”
“That,” I answered quietly, “Is the Rexosaurus alert. One of them has been spotted heading in the direction of the village.”
Celestia looked around, “But… we’re high in the trees. To avoid those is why you built here.”
“Yes… and no…” I said quietly, “While nopony has ever seen one use them, they do have wings. This is not to keep out of their range, this is to not be in easy biting and spotting distance. And there are other things on the forest floor that do not have wings that are almost as dangerous.”
“What happens at the alarm?” Luna whispered, moving up next to me, her wing brushing against my side.
I glanced up at her, “No lights. Everypony keeps still and quiet. The guards mare the ballistas and their positions. Sparks and Midnight get ready to launch bolts of their own.
It had only been a couple of minutes, but the village was dark and quiet.
“Sir?” Amber said quietly from the side in a whisper, “We should return to the palace.”
I shook my head, “We’re staying here, nopony else here can fly at night,” I said and looked to Cadance and Shining Armor, “Everypony might as well settle down, this will last a couple of hours. And put a bubble of silence around Flurry, she’s not trained like the foals of the village.”
Shining nodded firmly and whispered something in Cadances ear before they and Sunburst quietly moved in from the edge of the platform and the trail to the compound before settling down on the wood, huddled up around Flurry as the little filly asked what was going on only to be hushed by Cadance. Shinings horn lit up for a second and a bubble surrounded the trio and Flurry before shimmering out of visible light.
“We might as well get comfortable,” I whispered to Luna and Celestia as I watched the trio and Flurry for a moment, “It will likely take a couple of hours for it to pass through the area, it’s usually gone in a hour or three,” before I moved to lay down on the wood of the platform, close to the middle.
Luna laid down next to me, glancing around in the darkness. Celestia settled down by my other side and I lit my horn for a second, casting a bubble of silence around us,
“There,” I said and sighed, “We can still hear, but nopony outside can hear us. We can talk now. Sadly, these things don't move or we could risk going back to the palace.”
“How much danger are we really in?” Celestia asked, her voice still kept low as she looked out into the darkness of the platform.
“Well,” I said and shifted my wings a bit, “As I said, nopony knows if they can actually fly, nopony really feel a pressing need to be the one to find out, so might be none. And ballista are set up so they can cover most of the village. Midnight and Sparks are in quick support as they can throw the bolts manually hard enough to hurt a Rexosaurus and teleport into place quickly if necessary. So even if one finds the village and decides to try to eat us and can get up here, the damage it could do would be limited before it was taken down. But nopony wants to take the risk.”
“How many times has this happened?” Luna asked, resting her head against the top of mine.
“This is the seventh time since we moved into the village,” I said and leaned against her, “So far, either they haven’t spotted us or can’t get to us. We’ll know when it has moved on by another blow of the horn.”
“And if it attacks?” Celestia asked as she glanced around.
“Three sharp blows,” I said and sighed, “All we can do now is wait.”
“I would have thought you would be joining the defense?” Celestia asked as she turned to look at me. It’s amazing, even in moonlight she was very visible with her pure white coat. It almost seemed to shine in fact. Alicorn of the Sun indeed.
“I did the first time,” I said and sighed, “After which both Sunny, Sparks and my guard commander yelled at me as Amber glared in disapproval. Sparks and Sunset for putting myself in unnecessary danger and Moon Glow for distracting the guards that had to try keeping up with me. So it was decided that it was better for everypony that I stayed somewhere safe until or if I was actually needed.”
I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it at all. But I couldn’t throw ballista bolts as hard as Sparks and Midnight could, not enough to hurt a Rexosaurus. Well, at least not reliably enough to be worth getting in the way and my teleporting wasn’t anywhere near as good either.
Better for everypony involved that I stayed out of their way.
Luna looked out into the darkness, wings half raised.
“I know what that is like,” Celestia said softly, her pose almost mirroring her sisters, “Everytime I send my guard.. or Twilight and her friends into danger…”
She shifted a bit closer and then looked out into the darkness the other way. I shifted position in turn, resting my head against Luna's neck as her wing settled across my back.
And there was no more talking. Just waiting and listening.