Sapphire looked down at the thestral filly, unconsciously mimicking her marefriend’s signature raised eyebrow. “Squeaky, your mother and I just talked with you about this.”
“I know but it’ll take so long to get everything out!” Squeaks protested, waving her front legs wide to emphasize just how long, “It might take days! We’ll need everybody to get everything out!”
“And so you need a sleepover to get everything done?” Sapphire asked. The pegasus was sure this had more to do with Midnight going camping without her than actually cleaning up the more than likely large mess they had left at the new home for the changelings.
Squeaks ducked her head. “It’ll help make moving stuff faster if we don’t have to be home?” she tried.
Before Sapphire could poke a good number of holes in the suggestion, the side door opened and Honey came in. “Hello,” she said, a note of tiredness in her voice, “just popping over for lunch.”
“Hello,” Squeaks and Sapphire chorused. “How are things going?” Sapphire asked as she returned to putting away the morning’s dishes.
“Fine so far,” the young changeling queen said as she stuck her head into the fridge, “Mostly just requests to try and apply at one business or another or asking if they can start a business of their own.”
“Ocelli wants to be a farmer,” Squeaks added.
“And they feel that they have to get the okay with me before they start anything,” Honey said, coming out of the fridge with various sandwich ingredients. “I will say that the girls have been very helpful with coming up with ideas for everyone to try out, even if that means more changelings asking for permission.”
Squeaks gave her a half smile, the kind a child gives when another adult brings up a topic a parent has just been reprimanding them about.
“Oh, don’t worry about it, Squeaky, it doesn’t bother me that much and everyone is looking forward to hearing more ideas the next time you and your friends come over.”
“About that,” Sapphire said as she got out the bread for Honey. “Midnight and I had a talk with Squeaky about how her and her friends are treating the embassy. They’ll be cleaning up whatever messes they’ve made and stop using your new home as a playhouse before it becomes a problem for the changelings living there.”
Squeaks wilted a bit and Honey just looked at her, the sandwich ingredients floating around her.
“I thought Midnight already told you?” Honey finally said. “She said she’d try and come back after the interview.”
Now it was Sapphire’s turn to stare. “Tell me what?”
“She and I talked for a bit this morning right before she interviewed those field nurse applicants. I was bringing two of my changelings to be interviewed as well, they want to train to be nurses, and she told me about your talk with Squeaky. I told her and I thought she tell you that it isn’t a problem at all.”
“You might be okay with it Honey, and that’s fine, but it is an embassy; it won’t look very well to political visitors if crayons and cut up cardboard are scattered all over the floor,” Sapphire said, her voice falling back into the practiced tone she had back when she was still working in the Canterlot Palace.
Honey looked over at Squeaks for a second, then put down her partially created lunch. “Sapphire, can I talk with you in the living room for a second?”
The pegasus nodded, following the changeling into the living room, where Honey looked back towards the kitchen to see if the filly was trying to listen. When she was sure she couldn’t see any ear tufts poking out from around the kitchen doorway, she began, “When the invasion happened, you remember it was the entire hive, not just the soldiers of the hive, right?” Sapphire nodded. “Well, how many foals did you see?”
The pony’s orange eyes looked up at the ceiling in thought for a moment. “I don’t remember seeing any, but why would there be any foals helping in the attack? I mean, I know things were desperate but surely they wouldn’t have had foals help?”
Honey shook her head. “It was desperate, so desperate a move that when I say the whole hive was involved, I mean the WHOLE hive. You didn’t see any foals during the invasion because there weren’t any foals left to take part.”
Sapphire’s eyes grew wide.
“There haven’t been any changeling foals for almost ten years now,” Honey continued, “and any that were born didn’t last long. Birthrates during a famine drop. Drastically. Not only is the general want to have children low, but it becomes hard for the mother to get pregnant if she wants to be. If she does, her own life in put in danger by her body needing to split the small amount of food she can get between her and the new baby.” Honey shook her head. “So many miscarriages… and even if both the mother and baby make it to birth, the stress might take one or both of them or the baby doesn’t even make it a year because they can’t feed another mouth. When I was expelled from the hive, I was one of the youngest changelings left.”
She looked past Sapphire and towards the kitchen again, this time as if looking directly at Squeaks through the wall than looking for her. “Yes, we have a new home with lots of love and food but there was still this dark mood among my changelings, something I couldn’t figure out how to dispel until Squeaks and her friends came over for the first time.” She smiled at Sapphire. “Nearly every single one of my changelings came to me afterwards and said that the sounds of foals playing in the hallways finally made them feel like everything would be alright again. Not the influx of love, not the abundance of food, but the sound of children playing. Since then they’ve been the center of attention every time they visit.”
Sapphire finally found her voice. “Honey, I’m so sorry, I had no idea…”
Honey waved the apology away. “How could you have known? I know how the girls can get sometimes, so I understand you were just trying to help. I think that restricting them to one closet is reasonable, though.” Unexpectedly, the changeling snickered. “You should have seen Maxilla’s face when she opened one of the closets! I didn’t think a worker’s eyes could shrink like that!”
The cartoon-like image of a changeling opening a closet door only to be buried in art supplies also made Sapphire start to snicker as well. “Alright, well, if that’s the case then I won’t stop Squeaky and her friends from going over,” the pegasus said once she’d stopped, “But I do insist they keep their messes contained and clean up after themselves.”
“Agreed,” Honey said with a nod.
“I wish Midnight had said something sooner,” Sapphire muttered, “you’d think with our talk last night, she’d want to let me know right away.”
There was a knock behind her and she and Honey looked to see Squeaks peering around the side of the wall with an animated Arina on her head holding up a scroll.
-----------------------------
“And why exactly did you decide to apply for this position?” Midnight asked the mare across from her. As luck (good or ill) would have it, today was the only day most of the applicants that had gotten back to her for the field medic position could make it to Ponyville for an interview, so she and Autumn were already late for the camping trip with AJ, Rainbow, and Rarity and their sisters. Autumn had, thankfully, occupied herself by building towers, pyramids, and the like with whatever she could get her hooves on, aided by the two changelings Honey had dropped off earlier. As things had recently proven to move quicker than the kirin liked, she’d decided to see the applicants and be a bit late to the trip than try and organize another day with the various sergeants and lieutenants that commanded the units they came from.
“I heard this outfit gets into a fair number of scrapes while my old one barely gets into any. Gets real boring sitting in an infirmary all day with no patients or just one malingerer; dulls the skills, too. I wanna do what I’m good at.”
“I see,” Midnight said, looking over her file once more and noting her cutie mark; a lump of what she could only assume was iron ore, her namesake, with a pale red cross behind it like so many other nurse ponies had. “I understand you come from a family of medical workers?”
Iron Ore nodded. “My mother was a nurse at our town’s hospital while my dad built the best prosthetics in Equestria.” She swelled a bit at this proclamation.
“I take it that’s where you got your leg from?” Midnight asked, motioning to Ore’s rear left leg, metal and starting just above where her knee would have been. It had been designed so well and her gate so normal that Midnight hadn’t realized she was wearing it until she went to slide into the booth and it became glaringly obvious.
Ore nodded. “This is his most recent model, with a little input and work by myself. Lost the leg to a timberwolf when I was a filly and once mom stopped crying and said I would make it, dad brought me into his forge and strapped my first peg on. The hardest thing to get used to was walking without a knee for a while until dad finally cobbled together one that had a functioning knee joint that could take the abuse.”
Midnight had noticed the many small scars in the mare’s pale yellow fur and her admission to playing and/or working rough meant that she’d be good in an all-hooves-on-deck situation, which suited Midnight just fine. “You mentioned you worked on your most recent prosthetic; does that mean you also know how to work a forge?”
“Oh yeah, spent a lot of time in my dad’s forge when I wasn’t helping mom after I got my cutie mark and learned a thing or two. Anyone here losses a limb, I can crank another out for them no problem.”
“Good to know,” Midnight said, “and with the dangers of being a guard out on the borders, I take it that’s why you enlisted?”
“Yep,” Ore said, “I would have hopped aboard during that first recruitment call but I wasn’t really sure about you guys at first. Then I heard about what happened up north and I knew I had to keep my ears open in case you asked for more hooves.”
Midnight smirked. The vibe she was getting from Ore was as if she was half Redheart, half Vinyl Scratch and was better than anything else she’d gotten from the other candidates. Most had a lazy attitude, worse than she’d seen with Spread Eagle and Dandelion and seemed to think most of their days would be spent much like Ore had described. The kirin was not going to have idle hooves in her guard. “Well, I suppose I only have a couple more questions for you, then. First, what would you do if, say, I’d been hurt and was flailing around and not letting you get close enough to work on me?”
Ore raised an eyebrow. “I’d have someone knock you out so I could save your dumb flank.”
Midnight had to cover up her snort of laughter at the blunt answer. The ones from the table next to the booth weren’t so quiet. “A-Alright then, my second question is: would you be okay with two aids who want to become nurses themselves one day?”
The kirin didn’t even have to motion for the peg-legged earth pony to look over at the two changelings. “As long as they do what I tell them and do it right, I won’t have a problem with it.”
There had been a quick little debate between her and Honey about if the two changelings would be held to the same trade system they’d come up with for the changeling guards. Midnight had finally just said that, as aids-in-training, they were excluded for now. She’d only apply the condition if they went on to become combat medics.
“Good. As you’re the last one I’ve interviewed for the position, I can safely say that you’re the best I’ve seen.” She made a few quick scribbles on her file. “Welcome to the bearer guard, medic. As we don’t have anyone else on the official medical roster, I’m going to allow you to retain the rank of lieutenant to help you throw some weight around just in case you need to; though I get the impression rank isn’t that big of worry for you.” They exchanged smiles. “Your two new assistants, Doppler and Cricket, can show you to the barracks where you can meet Lieutenant Hazelnut and give him your transfer papers. He’ll get you sorted and set up. If you have any reason to get a hold of me, see our Liaison Officer Sapphire Breeze.”
“Got it,” Ore said, taking the papers.
“Pinkie,” Midnight called back to the counter where the pink pony was stationed, “please let everyone else know a candidate has been selected and give them each a cupcake, my treat, for coming out today? Also, can I get two dozen doughnuts to go?”
“Five “Thanks for coming” cupcakes and two dozen doughnuts to go, got it!” Pinkie acknowledged, disappearing for a second before reappearing and hoping over the counter, a tray of pastries held in her mouth.
Getting out of the booth, Midnight stretched and patted Autumn with a wing. “Some sweets for the road and as an apology for being late, and we’re off to camp!”
-----------------------------
“Alright Pillow Knights, listen up!” Sir Squeaks said as she marched back and forth in front of her fellow knights. They were currently gathered in the great hall of the Lady Commander of the Watchers from the Shadows, preparing for their next epic quest. “We have been commanded by Lady Commander and Lady Sapphire to retrieve supplies left behind on previous quests. I have been told that leaving them where they are has begun attracting all sorts of dangerous bad guys and monsters who are terrorizing the fair people of this land. We must retrieve all the supplies and return them to the one safe fort left for them. Any we can’t fit there will have to be brought back to our own keeps. Any questions?”
“Yes,” Sir Pinchy said, raising a hoof, “Will we have to get to all the supplies tonight?”
“I was told that the sooner we get the supplies, the better,” Sir Squeaks told her.
“How dangerous are the bad guys and monsters?” Sir Sunny asked.
“Remember that we are in the Mountain Range of Infinity Possibilities,” Sir Squeaks told her, “They can be anyone or anything! We must keep our guard up at all times!” Reaching into her saddle bags, Sir Squeaks produced several colorful orbs. “If we run into something so hard that even we cannot handle it, these summoning orbs will allow us to call upon our most trusted allies!”
“What about the Watchers from the Shadows? Can’t they lend a hoof if we need it?” Sir Spike asked, looking back at the Lady Commander in her Great Seat and her second in command stationed next to her.
“They are the Watchers from the Shadows, Sir Spike! They do not help, only watch!” Sir Squeaks reminded him, “Though they can tell us things,” she amended.
“This is gon’ ta be a tough one, ain’t it?” Sir Pipsqueak whispered to Sir Spike as Sir Squeaks continued.
“As long as we don’t have to deal with anymore eight-headed, eighteen-legged, eight-web-spraying-tailed spider dragons again, I’ll be happy,” Sir Spike whispered back. They both looked down the row of Pillow Knights, Sir Pinchy in particular, with apprehension. “There is something wrong with these fillies,” he muttered.
“Not all of them, guv’,” Sir Pipsqueak said, quickly looking at and then away from Sir Dinky.
“You have to admit,” Sir Nocturne Bolt said from Sir Pipsqueak’s other side while stifling a yawn, “they’re never boring, at least.”
“If there are no more questions!” Sir Squeaks called out, scanning the line of knights. Sirs Spike, Pipsqueak, and Nocturne returned to attention. “Then, let’s move out Pillow Knights!”
-----------------------------
“Lady Commander” Honeycomb did her best to hold back a laugh as the troop of foals began marching out of her office. “You have to admit, she imitates Midnight very well,” she said to the “Watcher from the Shadows” standing next to her.
“Indeed, your highness,” Mandible said. The head of her guard rarely smiled, she’d come to find out, but the foals had a way of pulling a few out of him during their visits. She could see him trying to fight one down now. “If she keeps it up, she might even be a guard captain one day.”
Honey shook her head. “Squeaky may be good at imitating her mother, but that’s all it is. She’s too sweet for the job. I say a small business owner, maybe even a rival for Sweet Apple Acers eventually.” Both changelings snickered at the idea of an adult Squeaks with a mango cart starring down Applejack and an adult Applebloom and their apple cart in the middle of the town market. Speaking of food… “I think several large pizzas will do for dinner, the usual orders. Get them in about two hours or so; the loot the “monsters” and “bad guys” drop when they’re beaten should be enough to hold them over until then,” she told him, and this time his smile was obvious. It was at times like this, when she saw her changelings genuinely happy, that made the young queen forget all the tedium and stress of being a ruler for a little while.
“It shall be done, your highness,” Mandible said with a small bow. “It is nice to see their numbers grow as well,” he added as he pulled a pen and pad out of his saddle bag and began scribbling down the pizza order. He and another changeling, probably either Buzz, Trill, or Verpine, would fetch the food later.
Honey nodded. This had been a rare meet up of almost the entire Pillow Knights. The CMC couldn’t make it this time for obvious reasons, but all the others had. The CMC, Sunny Days, Peachy Pie, Pipsqueak, and Spike had joined them after last Nightmare Night while the four thestral foals had officially joined over the winter when nights were longer and they could be up earlier to play with the others.
If Honey had to point a hoof at any of them for the increase in material in her embassy’s closets, it had to be the CMC. Their numerous cutie mark-related antics naturally made for a lot of different supplies for various things that needed to be stored somewhere. She agreed with Sapphire and Midnight that she’d let the foals have a bit too much freedom in that respect but she also liked the way Squeaks had made a meeting of the Pillow Knights out of the necessary chore. The young thestral was learning a thing or two from her mother about problem solving, as well as how to lead. Speaking of the kirin…
“I hope Doppler and Cricket are doing okay on the campout with their new boss,” Honey said, sighing as she looked over the paperwork she still had to finish that day. If she had known how much paperwork was involved with being a leader, she’d have chucked the crown Princess Celestia gave her off the side of Canterlot Mountain and hid in the castle in the Everfree. How the princesses dealt with it all was a mystery to her.
“They’re not on the trip, your highness,” Mandible told her. “I saw them at the barracks with the new field medic a little after lunch.”
Honey flicked an ear in curiosity. “That’s strange; I would have thought Midnight would have wanted to bring the new medic along. Half the guard is on this campout.”
Mandible nodded. “True, but it is in Whitetail Wood; I would think that there’s very little chance of harm out that way.”
“Careful,” Honey said as she picked up her pen, “those are dangerous words, my little changeling.”
-----------------------------
“…and then, the Olden Pony asked, “Who’s got my rusty horseshoe?”” Rainbow said, trying to sound like a withered old mare. Around the fire, the CMC looked scared, AJ looked worried, and Rarity looked a bit off-put. Further away, at the closer tents and smaller campfires of the bearer guards’, those that had been listening barely batted eyelashes. These looks were emulated by their captain, who was roasting marshmallows and let out what she thought was a quiet snort.
“Aren’t you s-scared?” Autumn asked her older sister from the perceived safety of inside the kirin’s wing.
“YOU DO!” Rainbow shouted right behind Midnight, making all the fillies scream and the other two bearers jump. Midnight’s reaction was to inspect the cooking sweets.
“S’mores are ready,” she said as if nothing had happened.
“Oh, come on!” Rainbow huffed, “you can’t tell me that wasn’t scary!”
“That wasn’t scary.”
“It wasn’t?” Autumn asked in a small voice deep within the folds of her sister’s wing.
Midnight smiled down at the single eye she could see in the darkness. “Not one little bit. “Oh! I’m an old stooge who’s done lost something most ponies would have replaced by now! Where’re my cats!?”” she said, doing a bad impersonation of an old mare herself and making a dopy face. Everyone but Rainbow chuckled. “What, are we supposed to be scare of mom when she loses a hair clip next?” This made Autumn really begin to laugh.
“Alright then!” Rainbow shot up face to face with Midnight and poked her in the chest. “Why don’t YOU tell a scary story then?”
The fang-filled grin that spread across the kirin’s face was enough to make everyone in sight of it go quiet. “If you insist,” Midnight purred, further cementing in everyone’s mind that Rainbow had just made a big mistake. “Windrunner!” Midnight called and the pegasus in question flew over.
“Yes, captain?”
“Before I tell this story I just remembered that Mane and Umbra wanted to see Autumn; something about the building plans we have on the old castle. Can you bring Autumn over to them real quick?”
“Of course,” the pegasus said with a bow, then reached out her wing for Autumn.
“Are you going to wait for me?” Autumn asked.
“Of course!” Midnight assured her as she gently urged her towards Windrunner, “now hurry before it gets too late!”
Trusting her sister to wait until she got back and wanting to hear about building part of a castle, Autumn willingly hopped onto Windrunner’s back. Midnight watched them go, quietly admonishing herself that she’d just lied to Autumn but knew it was for the best. She had a feeling that scary stories would get told on this trip and had set things up with some of the others to get Autumn away in case they got too much for the filly. The Olden Pony was nothing in her opinion, but the few stories she had locked and loaded would probably give the adult’s nightmares. Should she have sent to CMC away as well for that reason? Possibly, but if the bearers weren’t going to stop a second story after their sisters were already spooked and on edge from the first, that was on them.
“Well now, our story begins-”
“Aren’t we waitin’ for Autumn ta get back?” AJ interrupted.
“-in a place not like this one and at a time of day not like now…” Midnight continued.
-----------------------------
“Good job… everyone…” Sir Squeaks said, flopping back onto the ground with a huff and a puff, “another… monster… defeated… by the glorious… Pillow Knights.”
“I am gonna scorch the CMC’s tails when they get back,” Sir Spike grumbled next to her.
“Seconded,” agreed Sir Ember, who was face down in the dirt with the largest load of supplies strapped to her back.
“I could go for a rest,” Sir Dinky said, raising a tired hoof.
“And some food,” Sir Pinchy seconded.
The team of Pillow Knights had just spent several hours hiking through the Mountain Range of Infinite Possibilities and had encountered many a brigand and monster both to and from the various stashes of supplies. This particular rest was after defeating a cragadile just after picking up the latest supplies, and they had already faced off against a bugbear and a quarray eel and another band of outlaws just getting to this cache! And they were only just over halfway done! Sure, they were getting a lot of loot from all the bad guys they were beating but it was still tiring work and they’d already used up most of their summoning orbs!
“While I don’t condone burnt tails, perhaps a stern talking to is in order?” Lady Commander of the Watchers from the Shadows said, stepping out from a shadow with one of her faithful watchers in tow.
Despite her tiredness, Sir Squeaks got to her hooves and saluted, wearily followed by the rest of the knights. “Lady Commander, I am pleased to announce that over half the supplies collected,” she frowned, “but not at the rate we had hoped for.”
“I am aware,” the Lady Commander said, “however, perhaps some rest and a feast will help you regain your strength? I have arranged for several platters of golden cheese pies to be at my hall waiting for your valiant return. Several of my watchers have found a monster and bandit-free route back there to aid in your journey.”
A chorus of cheers met this announcement. “To the hall!” Sir Star Glider proclaimed, standing up and flapping her webbed wings. The call was taken up by the rest and quicker than their earlier complaints would indicate, the Pillow Knights were on the march again, moving down the path the Lady Commander had indicated.
-----------------------------
“I think my changelings are getting a bit too overzealous with this quest,” Honey said aside to Mandible as the foals trooped down the hall and towards the stairwell. “Also, I think we underestimated just how much was in those closets.”
“Maxilla did almost get seriously hurt,” Mandible reminded her, “but I agree I had hoped it was not the norm. I also agree that the others should tone down the amount of “encounters” the foals are having; it’s making it longer for each closet to be emptied. Maybe we could empty a few ourselves?”
Honey shook her head, “No, the foals are determined to clean up their own mess, which should be applauded. I do have an idea, though: lessen the encounters and instead of dropping loot have the “defeated” bad guys offer to help the knights with their quest. We “watchers” stay just watching and the supplies get moved quicker.”
Mandible nodded. “I shall spread the word. I will admit to agreeing with Spike and Ember; the CMC should be here to help clean up. Most of this is their mess after all.”
“Oh, I’m sure the others will think of sufficient payback,” Honey told him with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “Let them be in ignorant bliss for now.”
-----------------------------
Apple Bloom would rather be anyplace else right then, doing anything else. Heck, she’d take a full chores list from Granny over sitting here around the campfire listen to Midnight weave a tale so scary she was sure she was going to have nightmares for weeks. The kirin had splashed some dirt onto the fire, reducing the flame and darkening the area to the point her black body was hard to see and only her eyes stood out, lit by what was left. Her tale was one of a group of teens entering a long abandoned structure to explore and even make fun of the evil that was supposed to be inside. One by one they had been picked off by the unseen entity they had roused and angered, until only one young mare was left, being chased down by the entity that was mimicking her friends’ voices as it went after her. She had just jumped through what she thought was the front doors to the place, only to find it sealed off into a dead end.
“Stay with us, Flora…” Midnight said in the darkness, distorting her voice into something that was both wet and creaky, “Be one with us… forever and ever…”
Apple Bloom took a quick look at the others. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked just as scared as she felt. Applejack and Rarity looked like they were trying, and failing, to hold it together while the look of indignation and superiority Rainbow had started off with was visibly cracking.
“‘No! Please!’ Flora begged as the bulging mass of what had once been her friends filled the doorway, blocking her only means of escape. ‘I… I just want to go home, please!’ ‘Forever and ever, Flora…’ the black mass said, now in all the voices it has consumed, ‘forever… and ever…’” Midnight closed her eyes, the mare now completely gone in the darkness. They all thought they heard the snap of leathery wings. “NOOOOO!!!”
*SPLAT*
There would be a running bet for the rest of the trip among the guards if the screams had been heard all the way back in Ponyville.
Midnight had landed right behind them, small bags of ketchup held in her hooves that exploded as she landed on them. The CMC were screaming their little lungs out, Rarity joining them, AJ was half screaming, half cussing at the hybrid, and Rainbow looked like her soul had just left her.
“DANG IT, MIDNIGHT!” AJ roared, “WHAT IN THE TARTARUS-?!” She was interrupted by the CMC when they all stopped screaming at once, then bolted to the bushes on the edge of camp they had marked as the latrine. The adults watched them go for a second, then AJ and Rarity crossed their own hind legs. They quickly followed, Rarity trying to look as dignified as possible while AJ continued to glare death at the kirin.
“So, Dash,” Midnight said as she breathed life back into the campfire, restoring the light to the area, “was that scary enough for you?”
“It… was alright,” the pegasus said, her dismissive attitude back. Midnight could see her legs shaking as she tried not to cross her own back legs, however.
Before the Wonderbolt hopeful could be called out, Windrunner returned with an unhappy-looking Autumn on her back. “You said you would wait!” she accused as Windrunner landed.
“I’m sorry, baby sister,” Midnight apologized, “but you were gone a while and I figured you were having more fun talking about the castle.”
“I still wanted to hear the story,” Autumn complained, “can you tell it again?”
“NO!!!” chorused the bushes.
“Alas, dear little sister, we are outvoted. Tell you what, though: mom sent along your favorite book for me to read to you if you wanted and I also brought the book I read to Squeaks at her bed time. How about I read your favorite book first and then you can pick out a story from the other book?”
Autumn looked form her sister to their tent and back, torn between wanting to hear the ghost story and her favorite all-time story. “Okay,” she finally said, “but can we hear the story again tomorrow night?”
Midnight looked back up to see the five marching out of the bushes, the two older ponies attempting murder through vision alone. Dash was going behind the bushes herself as discreetly as possible. “Maybe now that Dash has heard a proper ghost story, she can tell a better one tomorrow,” Midnight hedged.
----------------------------
Sir Spike groaned as he patted his extended belly. “I can’t eat another bite,” he moaned, putting a grease-covered bit of gem on his tongue and slurping it up.
Sir Squeaks made to admonish her fellow knight for eating too much, but a burp came out instead and she covered her mouth with a blush and quick “excuse me”. Darn that hay-way-an golden cheese pie and the way the pineapple and cheese blended together just so perfectly! “We have fed and watered, fellow knights!” Sir Squeaks finally proclaimed, “We must return to our quest!”
“A moment, Sir Squeaks,” Lady Commander said with a raised hoof. “You have done so much for us, I felt it would be best to reward you not just with a dinner but a show as well.” With a wave of her raised hoof, two more watchers entered the hall with various items.
“But we cannot let our quest go unfulfilled!” Sir Squeaks proclaimed. “It would besmith… besmooth…”
“Besmirch?” Lady Commander offered.
“Besmirch our good names as knights!” Sir Squeaks finished.
“Not to mention what those back at our keeps will do to us,” Sir Pinchy groused, poking at the crumbs on her plate.
“Well, this has been a special quest for you all,” Lady Commander said, “so I took the liberty of contacting your keeps about extending the time to complete your quest. As it is the season when the Academy is closed, they have all permitted an extension. You now have a full day more to gather everything up from around the Range. Be successful, and you will all be handsomely rewarded.”
A cheer went up in the hall. “If that is the case,” Sir Squeaks said when the cheer died down, “we will use this time to plan for tomorrow! The areas we head to tomorrow are the farthest and possibly most dangerous! To our quarters!”
One of the watchers began to juggle.
“After the show the Lady Commander has so nicely provided, of course.”
----------------------------
“Handsomely rewarded?” Mandible said after everything was cleaned up. “I would have though letting them stuff themselves silly on pizza would be reward enough.”
“I have a feeling that they’ll see making their own sundae, even just a single bowl, as just such a thing,” Honeycomb said as she flipped through another page. “Plus, there’s the other thing I’m coming up with.”
“Ah, yes, that game Spike spoke with you about.”
“Yes. Ogres and Oubliettes. Apparently it’s a lot like what our heroic Pillow Knights do, only more structured.”
“And more about rolling dice and writing things down, if I understand the young dragon correctly,” Mandible said, giving his queen a look that would be a raised eyebrow in a pony.
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“Ma’am, Princess Luna’s carriage is approaching,” Sergeant Star Claw reported, distracting Midnight from the final touches for the night’s campfire. They had hiked for the most part the second day, stopping every once in a while to observe some wild animal they stumbled across or a particular nice patch of flowers. At lunch AJ and Midnight had shown the fillies how to whittle (AJ with a knife and Midnight with her tail) and later that afternoon AJ and Rarity had shown them how to tie knots. Now they had just about finished setting up camp for the evening, showing the foals how to do certain jobs around camp. Tomorrow they’d reach Rainbow Falls, spend the day there, then make the return trip. The rest of the bearer guard had diligently kept up with them, a few “scouting” ahead to pick the next stop for the night and start camp early.
Midnight felt some worry well up as the blue-purple carriage came in to land, pulled and escorted by several thestral night guards. What in the world would make Princess Luna come out here directly?
Everyone bowed as the princess of the night stepped out. “Well met, all,” Luna said as they rose, “Fear not; there is no emergency,” she continued as Midnight stepped forward, worry just noticeable on her face. “However, there is an issue here I must address.”
“How can we help?” Midnight asked, standing more at attention and readying herself for action. To her surprise, Luna gave her a look that was a mix of tiredness, amusement, and disappointment.
The blue alicorn snorted. “I’m not sure if you are aware, Midnight Storm, but part of my duty as the princess of the night is to help ponies sleep peacefully, which at times means entering their dreams so as to calm nightmares.”
Midnight cocked an eyebrow. “No, I can’t say I knew about that.” She gave a quick look past the princess to the thestrals, who shrugged back. Apparently this wasn’t a widely known thing.
“Well, last night I encountered quite the series of nightmares, all from a particular group of ponies.” Luna’s gaze moved from Midnight to the bearers and their sisters and back again.
Midnight suddenly felt several intense gazes upon her and when slowly turned her head and looked at the bearers herself the death glares aimed directly at her were almost tangible. “Not my fault they can’t handle Trotting King,” she muttered as she looked back at Princess Luna. “And maybe if someone could tell a better ghost story than an old lady losing a horseshoe!” she called back to the unhappy group.
Luna shook her head in exasperation, a small smile playing on her muzzle. “Be that as it may, though your own brand of ghost stories might be on par with Mr. King’s I have to ask, officially, that you tell no more of them, at least with foals around. The nightmares they create are most… extraordinary on a normal night without help.” The smile turned into a frown and she shook her back right leg and flank involuntarily. “Also a literal pain to deal with.”
Midnight wondered how a nightmare could cause actual bodily harm but instead just sighed and nodded, deciding on the path of least resistance. “Understood, your highness.”
Luna nodded. “Thank you, Captain; that will more helpful than you can imagine. Now, I don’t mean to intrude on your campout any longer, but I must simply ask to try one of the S’mores I’ve heard so much about.”
As the blue alicorn made her way to the table they’d set up, something uncomfortable began forming in Midnight’s mind. “Princess!” she called out after the alicorn, quickly following after her, “a quick question, if I may.”
Luna turned back to her. “Yes, captain?”
“You just said that one of your duties is to guard ponies form their nightmares, correct?”
“More stop them before they get out of hoof, but yes,” Luna nodded. The small smile starting to spread on the kirin’s muzzle was not reaching her eyes.
“And your sister was supposed to take over your duties while you were… away, correct?”
Again, Luna nodded. “Yes, she was, however-” she was cut off by Midnight getting just a little too close.
“So, where was she when I was having my nightmares?” The tone was still sweet, but her fangs were extended.
“Uhh…” Luna said, starting to sweat.
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The great hall of the Lady Commander of the Watcher’s from the Shadows echoed with the sounds merriment and metal on metal as the Pillow Knights celebrated the end of their longest and most epic of quests to date. All the supplies from the various stockpiles had been retrieved and all the monsters and bandits they had encountered had been defeated. Oddly enough there were fewer of each on this second day and most had begged to be an extra hoof in carrying supplies instead of simply running away and dropping loot behind them, but no-one had really complained.
When they had returned with their final haul, the Lady Commander had told them that their reward was not yet ready, however she had something else for them until it was. “It is a simulation of sorts,” she had told them and when she had revealed what it was, Sir Spike had become very giddy. “This will help you plan adventures when you are all unable to go on them yourselves for one reason or another. I believe Sir Spike has heard of and even used this before, so I will leave it to him to explain.”
Sir Spike had taken to the simulator with a will, taking upon himself the role of “Dungeon Master” and explaining how to use this new tool until their reward finally arrived. All agreed that, after an adventure such as the one they just had, using the simulator for a while would be a welcome break.
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Honey smiled as the children continued to play with O&O as they ate their ice cream. Spike had come up to her while they were all making their sundaes and thanked her for introducing the others to the game as the only other ponies he’d ever played it with had been his adoptive big brother Shining Armor and, surprisingly, Big Mac. “I mean, I kinda wanted to ask the others when they invited us to be Pillow Knights and all,” he’d said as Honey helped crush some gems for his bowl, “but I guessed they’d be bored just sitting around rolling dice and writing things down. Now I can actually run the bigger games and use the stronger enemies I’ve been holding back on!”
Honey mulled over what she had read herself of the rules as she ate her own treat. While the game was meant for everyone, Honey had presented it to Squeaks as she was the leader and as a direct gift. She’d already come up with her own bard and druid characters to play with alongside Squeaks’ paladin and hoped they could convince Midnight, Sapphire, and Windrunner to play sometimes as well. Honey’s opinion on what they’d choose? Midnight would be a barbarian, Sapphire a cleric or a monk, and Windrunner a ranger or rogue.
As if summoned by her thoughts, Sapphire entered the office, saying hi to the children and coming up to the desk. “I just wanted to see how things were going,” she said, “I take it everything’s done?”
Honey nodded. “Everything is either in the closet next to here or is gone. No more near-death experiences due to overstuffed closets.” They both chuckled.
“Speaking of near-death experiences, take a look at this,” she pulled out a letter from under her wing and passed it to Honey, who saw it was in Midnight’s distinctive wing-claw-writing (she never used her mouth like pegasi or earth ponies). “She’s going to get into real trouble sooner or later.”
Reading through it, Honey barked out a laugh that made all the foals look at them. Honey waved them back to the game. “Oh, that’s funny,” she said, passing back the letter.
Sapphire shook her head as she took it. “Whenever she talks about those books I swear it’s like she wishes it was Nightmare Night all year ‘round. I get she likes horror novels, but King can just get… messed up some times.” She sighed, “And some would say she’s getting a little too comfortable with the princesses. I mean, I get she’s angry that no-one stepped in to help with her nightmares but snapping at the princess like that…”
“I get the feeling that they actually like having someone treat them like normal ponies, with anger or otherwise” Honey said, quickly glancing at the few other changelings in the room, “I know I certainly find it a relief.”
Sapphire gently shook her head and looked over at the foals. “What are they playing, by the way?”
“Ogres and Oubliettes. Spike loves the game and I figured it would be a nice way to keep up their adventures in case one of them got sick or too hurt to run around with the rest,” she picked up a sheet of paper, “or if an adult wanted to join in who didn’t want to run around with pillows strapped to themselves. By the way, do you think you’re more of a cleric or a monk?”
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They landed hard in the branches of a high tree, exhausted from the long flight during the night. The lightening of the eastern sky had been a welcome sight as it meant the four of them could finally rest their wings. The two thestrals laid on a branch together while the two other creatures, looking like a cross between a pony and an owl, roosted on separate ones. “Not that I’m not glad that we’ve made it so far south so soon,” the male pony-owl said with an exhausted huff, “but can we go a bit slower tonight, or take a few more breaks?”
The male thestral looked up and gave him a smug grin. “I thought owl harpies were strong? Ow!”
His companion had hit him in the ribs. “Back off, Shade! You know Orestes isn’t like the rest of his rookery.”
Shade rubbed his side. “I know, I know, Marina, but can you blame me after what happened?”
“I can if you take it out on friends,” she scolded. Her anger was fleeting and she sighed and rested her head and Shade’s whither. “And Snow Bank is the one who has a solution; try to remember that.” They both looked over at the other owl harpy of the group, white as driving snow with eyes as blue as the sky. Her mouth was also becoming as dark as mud with the chocolate she was already tearing in to.
“How much farther do you think it is? To Equestria?” Orestes asked her.
Snow Bank licked her lips and flapped her wings as she finished her candy and settled on her branch better. “It’ll be a few more days still, I think; we still got a ways to go before the great southern swamp and that will be another night of straight flying.” She dug into the bag at her hip and pulled out a candy cane which she promptly stuck in her mouth. “After that I’m not sure how big Equestria is.”
Shade sighed. “So, we’re just going south without any idea of exactly where we’re supposed to be going?”
Snow blinked at him owlishly then dug into her bag again, this time pulling out a scroll. “Patriarch Firestorm does. He said to start…” she consulted the scroll, “someplace called Manehattan and go from there.”
“And do we have any idea where Manehattan is?” Orestes asked as she put the scroll away.
“Nope!” Snow said cheerfully, “But I’m sure we’ll find it eventually.”
The other three groaned.
“And why is this Midnight Storm so important to the Patriarch again?” Marina asked. “I mean, with her name I guess she’s part of the clan but you said she wasn’t a wyvern.”
“No,” Snow said, her eyes shifting from playful to determined as she turned her head back towards the south, “not exactly.”