//------------------------------//
// Chapter 41 
// Story: The Human Pet 
// by RushyFiction 
//------------------------------//

The Grounded Gang, the Night Guard called them. 

A thousand years ago when the rebellion of Nightmare Moon was cut short, Princess Celestia found herself struggling to cope with the countless fanatical thestrals still devoted to their absent mistress. Moon had promised them an eternal darkness. Such a generous deity would not be easily replaced. As part of her many efforts at mollifying the feral ponies in the shadows, Celestia retained the traditional Night Guard of Canterlot (including all rights and privileges that were granted to the station). What none of the loyalists expected, however, was that she also used this decision to her advantage. 

Soon enough, the ranks of the Night Guard became filled with amiable, kind-hearted thestrals in awe of the princess of daybreak. They were not incompetent by any means, but hardly the sort of steely-eyed beasts of valour that Luna had preferred. In essence, they were the bat equivalent of Celestia's own guard: pretty, puffy and pally. It became quickly apparent that kind and fulsome personalities were rewarded in Canterlot, and those who insisted on living up to their ruthless and bloodthirsty ancestors would be left without power and office, save for the few important figures of the Shadow Party (an organization set up deliberately as a valve by which the discontented bats could vent their frustrations). 

The Night Guard's vetting was not an absolute system either. There would always be a few troublemakers who slipped through for one reason or another. To avoid calling any undue attention towards Celestia's policies, these aggressive ponies were not dismissed. Instead, it became the Princess's unofficial tradition to assign them all into one squad. 

The Grounded Gang. Named so for her cunning decision to keep them close at hoof. 

This was yet another method by which she enforced the ideal of a charming, benevolent guard onto the thestrals: if you had become an officer, but showed signs of defiance and hardness, you could not expect an assignment beyond the city walls. The current generation of the Gang was led by Corporal Crimson Star. The son of a rich political agitator, Crimson did not inherit any of his mother's fierce tendencies, but was nonetheless kept under close observation for his questionable family ties. There were six other members, all holding the rank of private. One of them, a scarred female bat named Lighthouse, had grown up amongst a clan of thieves in the Smokey Mountains. Although frightened into submission by Celestia's might, Lighthouse's assimilation into high society proved... rocky, at best. She frequently skirted on the border between law and criminality, relying on her fearsome appearance and high rank to intimidate the ponies she disliked. It was precisely because of this continued feistiness and independence that the rest of the Gang trusted her implicitly, and by extent Corporal Star himself, who in her absence might have failed to gain their respect. But Lighthouse liked Crimson. And who Lighthouse liked, the Gang liked. 



If anyone had seen her flying, they wouldn't have called it flying. But rather, an artist practicing a form of art as yet undefined. For a born criminal such as Lighthouse, mastery of the wings was a must. There would always be a need to hide, a need to fight and most importantly, a need to hunt. When the weather ponies of Canterlot brought out the scheduled rainclouds, she decided to play a little game to relieve her boredom. Lighthouse concealed herself directly under the cloud, so that when the drizzle began, she fell from the sky underneath the droplets of moisture, snatched a bird, performed a somersault and then floated back towards the castle upside down without the rain coming close to touching her. It would've made the Wonderbolts proud, had she been interested in joining. After discarding the husk of the dead warbler over Fancy Pants' mansion, Lighthouse came to a landing right outside the city walls, near a large boulder covered in moss and other sprawling plantlife. There were not many ponies alive who knew that underneath all the growth, the innocuous-seeming rock was covered in ancient runes and other markings signifying a powerful spell from the dawn of time. A spell that predated even the Princesses themselves. 

Lighthouse approached the Tradestone and touched her two front hooves against it. A faint blue light began to shine from within the carved etchings as the dormant spell recognised her and activated, enveloping the thestral in its power. In half a second, she found herself where she wanted to be: deep underground below Canterlot Castle, in a cavern that served as the headquarters and private habitat of the Royal Night Guard. Resembling a small town, the HQ was composed of several barracks, a gymnasium, two stores, a hospital and even a large cafeteria (complete with chilled blood packs of varying type alongside regular dishes). Lighthouse took her hooves off the equivalent Tradestone, which was set in the center of the entire town. Another bat pony had just been teleported out to replace her guard of  the city walls. Poor soul. Lighthouse, though, was free to enjoy the dawn within the comfortable darkness of the cavern before settling in.

The town, fondly nicknamed Ichorsville by its inhabitants, would've been pitch black to any daytime pony. There were only a dozen or so torches scattered around the place, casting the dimmest glow. It was enough, however, for a thestral eye to register. Their echolocating - and for the veterans, their muscle memory - did the rest. The darkness served a threefold function. It was useful for training, it helped to protect the military establishment from prying eyes and it allowed the bats to retain a semblance of home. Thestrals' unique abilities were a matter of personal dignity, and any oppurtunity to exercise them was taken. For example, Lighthouse only had to let loose a faint wail to form a mental map of her immediate surroundings, detailed right down to the crud on the floor. But it could also be used to detect veins of blood, find cover and disorient a foe. Such skills, alongside their natural sharp teeth and speedy wings, made the bats natural soldiers, and the most powerful military force in Equestria. They took a great of deal pride in their superiority over the daytimers. Arguably a little too much pride.

Lighthouse made her way to the town bar, seeking out her best friend and direct superior, Corporal Star. She found a party in full swing, a celebration of somepony's birthday. Projectors lit the room in multicoloured glow, and crazened bats danced through the air to the sound of Vinyl Scratch's greatest hits. Lighthouse frowned. Oh, she loved a good party, particularly as there had never been any in the Mountains where she came from. But she could plainly see that Crimson wasn't here. Meaning that he had once again snuck away from the crowd in favor of reading a boring book in a boring bed. 
"Well, we'll see about that." Lighthouse hissed under her breath, and stormed out. The feral bat had made Crimson Star's social life something of a personal challenge, much to the latter's amusement. 
When she returned to their shared barracks, however, she did not find him sipping tea and sifting through the latest edition of Fallout: Equestria as per usual, but rather stuffing his saddlebags for a trip. 

"Sir? With all due respect, what the hay are you doing?" She asked. 
Crimson's face turned redder than his name. "Well, I'm, I, uh... I have leave to go home for the weekend?"
"It's Tuesday." Lighthouse deadpanned.
"Um... well, according to my religion, Tuesday is part of the week... end?"
Lighthouse raised an eyebrow. "And what religion might that be?"
Her superior gulped. "The, um, the... the... the Sacred and-and Long... Lasting... Sun... of the Long Weekend?" He smiled desperately. "Which I just joined last week, which is why I haven't gone on Tuesdays before." 
"Riiiiiight."
Not wanting to squeeze her own boss, Lighthouse came up with an alternative tactic for finding answers. "You up for a spar?"
Crimson's eyes darted from his packing to the door. "What, now?"
"Unless you're in a rush. I was going to have a spar and then go swimming, but if you can't, I could always personally escort you to the train station..."
"No! No-no-no, that won't be necessary! We can have a spar!" Crimson said desperately, clearly eager to be rid of her. 
Lighthouse smirked.

A thestral spar wasn't what an ordinary pony might call a training exercise. See, the Night Guard never used newbie-friendly equipment. A fight was a fight. Theatrics - and strict rules, for that matter - were left for daytimers. Of course, nobody was allowed to actually die. Boot camp spars were under observation by veterans, and trained guards were considered skilled enough not to kill their opponent. Exceptions would find themselves in a comfortable lifelong retirement in the Canterlot dungeons. 

Crimson and Lighthouse chose their weapons. The bat corporal favoured razor-sharp wingblades (wings being the most nimble of pony limbs). Lighthouse picked a spiked helmet, which made her resemble a unicorn. Speed was her friend, and she preferred not to let anything weigh down her wings. The faster she was, the easier she could skewer an enemy like the vicious furry hornet that she was.
"You look nervous, Corporal. I'm flattered." Lighthouse teased. 
"I am concentrating. You're distracted. That's not a good quality in a fighter." 
"I'm relaxed, you're tense." 
The corporal struck first. He galloped towards Lighthouse and slashed with both of his wings at once. Lighthouse easily deflected the strikes with her helmet, and shoved Crimson away. She frowned. Crimson never struck first. He was a patient pony. But something was eating away at his nerves, and Lighthouse was determined to find out what. She took to the air, forcing Crimson to do the same. He made several more attempts to slash at Lighthouse, which the latter deftly avoided. 

Lighthouse was an aggressive fighter by nature. She loved the thrill of it. But today, she chose restraint to lower his guard. Rather than try to overwhelm his attack, she went on the defensive, gliding out from between every swish of the blades like a slippery fish. 
"I thought you wanted a fight." Crimson complained. "If you're looking for a dance partner, my lady, you've come to the wrong place." 
Lighthouse bit down on a growl. The two of them circled each other in the air, waiting to see what move the other intended to make. Then Crimson landed on the floor, and sat down. He had caught on to Lighthouse's intentions. The latter dropped next to Crimson, assuming the battle was over. But there was a reason why only one of them was a corporal. 
Crimson gave a mighty kick with his hindhooves, knocking Lighthouse onto her back!
She barely recovered fast enough to deflect the 'killing' blow of his blades. Roaring in fury, Lighthouse chased Crimson around the gymnasium like a bull who'd seen red. Crimson pulled off a backwards somersault, using the weight of his wingblades to his advantage. In the process, he latched the blades onto Lighthouse's helmet, pulling it off of her head. 

Lighthouse scowled as Crimson landed on his hooves and casually tossed her helmet to the side. "You assumed that I let my concerns get in the way of my fighting." Crimson said.
"You changed tactics!"
"A prolonged feint. Which you fell for. If you hadn't changed yours to embarrass me, you might have won."
She approached Crimson, as if to gracefully accept her defeat, only to kick her own discarded helmet towards him, forcing Crimson to deflect it with his wingblades and giving Lighthouse the time to grab a spear from the weapons rack. She brandished it aggressively, trying to use the elongated wooden handle to hit Crimson's hooves and unbalance him. 
"Cheater." Crimson said. "On the field, you might not get a second weapon."
"I guess I'll just tell the enemy I ran out of luck!" Lighthouse tried to hit his hooves again, only for Crimson to duck and sink his blades into the wood. He pulled the spear from Lighthouse's grasp and flicked his wings to the right, causing the spear to fly off into the wall. 
Lighthouse ran to the rack again. 
"Let it go!" Crimson ordered. She faltered. All her instincts told her to grab another weapon, to fight until she won. That was her style. But the batmare forced herself to remember that she was here for a different reason. She relaxed. 
"What concerns?" She asked. 
Crimson blinked. "What?"
"You said you didn't let concerns get in the way of fighting. What concerns?"
The corporal groaned, annoyed at his own slip-up. He pulled his wingblades off and delayed answering by carefully placing them back, as well as collecting the other weapons they'd used. But finally he answered: "I'm not sure I should say. It's strictly off the record, and I don't want to implicate you in anything."
"Implicate me?" The batmare laughed. "I was a professional thief not so long ago. What's the worst Sunny will throw at me? Some pompous unicorn judge? A few years in Canterlot's coziest cell? Spit it out... sir."

Crimson took her back to the quarters they shared with the rest of their squad. The others were on assignment - he had intentionally put them all on post in the hopes of slipping away - so they were alone. His saddlebags were still lying on the bed, almost packed. Crimson pulled a letter out from the bag and gave it Lighthouse to read. 

"Dearest Crimson, 

Celestia is about to celebrate a thousand years of thestral slavery under her burning eye. Now the tables will turn. The Nightmare has spoken to me in my dreams. It was just as you once described. She has told me that her powers have been returning, and that on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration she will bring back to us the eternal night. I've prepared the Shadow Party for her arrival. Our agents are ready in Canterlot, Cloudsdale, Manetropolis and all the rest. 

But you have a destiny beyond even us. You and you alone are expected to serve her in Ponyville. Why she has chosen that place to return, I do not know. But it is your destiny to go there! Do not fail your true mistress! Be proud of the role she has given you and accept her every command without question!

Your mother, 
Crystal Star"

Lighthouse stared at Crimson in disbelief. "Is she mad or something? Tell me you're not taking this seriously."
The bat corporal shrugged, and sat down on his bed, looking very much like a confused foal. "I did dream of Nightmare Moon when I was younger. They were the most vivid dreams I ever had. She told me... she told me to go to the Night Guard. I wanted to be an astronomer. I'd almost forgotten about that. But she said that if I went to the Guard, I could become whatever kind of pony I wanted to be. And I could find her. She wanted me to find her."
"But... but..." Lighthouse stuttered. "But it's crazy! She's been gone for a thousand years! Princess Celestia would... would..." her voice haltered. 
"What is it?" Crimson asked. 
Lighthouse's jaw dropped. "She sent her student to Ponyville!"
"The... what's-her-name, Sparkle?"
"Yeah, her! I saw her go! Ohhh..." The batmare gulped. "This is really happening. What the hay have I gotten myself into?!"
Crimson tried to pacify her. "You don't have to be involved, Light-"
"Oh, shut up... sir! You really think I'm gonna let you face THE Nightmare alone? They say one look from her could make a pony's mane fall out!"
For a while, the two friends sat together in silence, brooding over tomorrow. 

Then, Lighthouse spoke again, and more softly. "Crimson?" It was the first time she ever used his name.
"Yeah?"
"If the Nightmare is coming... what will happen to the Princess?"
Crimson sighed wearily. "She'll fight, I suppose." 
"Yeah, but should we help her?" Lighthouse asked. "She's been good to us. I mean, I know she's a bit of a ninny sometimes, but I don't want to see her... dead... or anything."
"We're thestrals. That means the Nightmare is our Mother. So she's got to be good. She was good in my dreams! Maybe this is for the best. We know the night is more powerful anyway..." Crimson knew even as he spoke that these words were not his own, but a recitation of his mother's thinkings, but they were the only way he could justify betraying Celestia. The truth was that they did not really know who was in the right. A lifetime of servitude to the Sun Princess had taught the bats that she was a benevolent, wise ruler. But Nightmare Moon was akin to a personal deity. A difficult decision laid ahead. 



"Nightmare Moon!" Twilight Sparkle squeaked in fear and shock, staring up at the balcony in Ponyville's town hall. For there she stood, proud and tall, resplendent in her battle armor of old. 
The Nightmare smiled cruelly. "Oh, my beloved subjects! It's been so long since I've seen your precious little sun-loving faces." 
"What did you do with our princess?!" A pegasus barked bravely. She tried to fly up and strike the Nightmare, only held back from certain death by a friend's set of teeth latching onto her tail at the last minute. 
The Nightmare laughed. "Why, am I not royal enough for you?" Her tone hardened. "Don't you know who I am?" 
She matched gazes with Crimson Star, and the latter shivered involuntarily. Could she truly see the thestral underneath the glamour spell? Of course she could. A common potion from a common criminal might fool the common citizen, but not a special mare like the Princess of the Night. Lighthouse stepped closer to Crimson Star, their sides brushing together. It was a subtle sign of solidarity that Crimson appreciated. 
"Remember this day, little ponies." The Nightmare said. "For it was your last. From this moment forth, the Night will last FOREVER!" She laughed maniacally, frightening the crowd with magical thunder before disappearing.

Crimson and Lighthouse ran out of the town hall, hyperventilating. They didn't stop until they'd reached a deserted park. The glamour spell melted away, revealing their true selves. "To hay with this." Lighthouse hissed. "We should get out of town, head for the mountains."
"Abandon everypony?"
"Buck everypony! Crimson, this is serious! This is real! There will be a civil war before the daytimers bow down to Nightmare Moon. All praise to her for the eternal night, but we shouldn't get involved. This will put targets on our flanks for the rest of our life!" 
Crimson shook his head. "So will desertion, especially now."
"Do you really want to be the Nightmare's right hoof? Come with me, Crimson." She pleaded. "Forget them. There's a better life in the mountains. Hard, yeah, but we'd be our own masters..." 

A dark blue cloud enveloped the pair, and then formed into the shape of Nightmare Moon in front of them. The bat guards gulped, and bowed. There would be no running now.
The Nightmare glared at Lighthouse. "Who is this callow foal that thinks herself a master? You live under my shadow, thestral, or I'll be rid of you in the light."
She turned away and placed her hoof underneath Crimson's jaw, forcing him to look up at her. Crimson found her eyes intensely hypnotic. They were slitted like a dragon's, and ten times as intelligent. They held the icy hardness of a killer, and the wicked pleasure of somepony who thrived on corruption. It was an almost painfully beautiful sight. Nightmare Moon could have asked anything of Crimson at that moment, and he would have done it. 
"You remember me." She said. It was not a question. 
"Yes."
"And you're wondering why I chose you."
Crimson nodded weakly.
The Nightmare flicked her head towards Lighthouse disparagingly. "I can sense you prize this mare. A trueborn fighter. You think she'd be the better choice, don't you? She frightens ponies, speaks her mind, never regrets a made choice. But she's a coward. Like most, she would rather fight for my sister and bask in her sun. What use is she to me? Or perhaps your mother, the fanatic who's lived and breathed my cause since before your time? No. She wouldn't raise a hoof to save me, because she wouldn't understand I need saving. I choose you, because you're mine. Not a brave upstart or an idealist. You're all mine, and I only love the ponies who are. Stand up."
He obeyed. 
"Twilight Sparkle thinks she can destroy me, and she's right. There is a way. You are going to kill her before she can get to it. What do you say?"
"Y-yes, mistress."
The Nightmare smiled. "That's what I like to hear. I know you have it in you. I sense it. You're stronger than you can possibly imagine."



Lighthouse's eyes grew watery, as she and Crimson waited on the edge of the Everfree Forest for Twilight to appear. "Do you truly think you can do it? Murder an innocent pony?" 
"She's the enemy of our Princess." 
"Can you do it?"
Crimson wondered that himself. Isn't this what he'd spent his whole life preparing for? From the crib, his parents had taught him to love the night. In Canterlot, he'd learned to fight and obey. He was chosen! The chosen one! Crimson felt something in his heart that had never been there before. Something that the Nightmare had just planted. A swelling of ego.
"I... don't know." He said tentatively. "Before Celestia, thestrals drank the blood of other ponies all the time. Perhaps it's right. Perhaps the world is just a harsher place than we thought. Why are you so against it, anyway? You used to be a ruffian."
"I used to be a thief." Lighthouse was offended. "Not Joe the Knacker."
"But if it's what the Princess of the Night bids us, then it must be right... right?"
Lighthouse didn't have an answer for him. She had as much awe for the Nightmare as any other bat. The Nightmare was the mother of them all, their protector and ultimate champion. They belonged to her. Lighthouse felt guilty and ashamed just for thinking of defiance. But it was in her nature to question, and so she did. Everything was so much simpler with Celestia in charge. The ponies were heroes, and the bats were the scary heroes. She liked being the scary hero. Being part of a bloody revolution was just a pain in the flank. 

Concealing themselves in the underbrush of the Everfree, Crimson and Lighthouse watched as Twilight Sparkle galloped towards the edge of the forest, unexpectedly accompanied by five other ponies. Five witnesses.
"Look, I appreciate the offer..." Twilight told them solemnly. "But I'd really rather do this on my own."
"No can do, sugahcube!" One of them replied. An Apple farmer by the looks of her. "We sure ain't letting any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone!" 
The bats shared a meaningful look. They did nothing as the six friends bravely trotted into the woods. 
"Well, now what?" Lighthouse asked once they were out of sight. "Do you want to kill all six of them? Maybe their families too?"
Crimson gritted his teeth. "I have to do something!" 
"You'd better decide what that is and fast."
The thestral corporal stared into the depths of the Everfree for a few moments, and then slumped in defeat. "I've decided. I want you to go away, Lighthouse."
"What?!"
"You wanted to go the mountains. Go. You have my permission- oh buck that, I order you! Go and get away from this place. I'll make sure you're safe from the Nightmare." 
Lighthouse was astonished. She hadn't a clue what Crimson Star intended to do, but the sincerity and conviction of his words convinced her. And of course, she was a survivalist. The batmare hugged him close. 



Lost in a rare moment of melancholy, Nightmare Moon took in her surroundings. The Castle of the Two Sisters was no more than a decrepit ruin. She was touched by the many scribblings left behind by pilgrims in her honor, but more than anything, she felt a sense of betrayal and fury that Celestia didn't even have the decency to claim the sacred place. She'd abandoned their ancestral home like it was foul milk. She would pay for that... and more. 

The Nightmare was shaken from her thoughts by the flapping of wings behind her. She whirled around. To her surprise, she faced Crimson Star. "That was fast. But I don't smell Twilight Sparkle's blood on your teeth."
Crimson stepped forward, and bowed. "Forgive me, my lady. But I believe there's a better way to bring back the glory of the night." He said. "If you call for a truce with Celestia, then I know she will honor it and share the throne. You could rebuild it all in peace."
Nightmare Moon scowled. "What do I care about your beliefs? You live to serve at my pleasure. Kill Sparkle now or serve at my displeasure."
"The war between night and day will tear Equestria asunder." Crimson argued. "And it's a war you're not guaranteed to win. If you insist on this path, then the only place you'll be safe at is the moon. You will return there."
The Nightmare raised her head pridefully. "I will, will I? You presume to give orders to me?!" Her horn began to glow as she summoned a devastating spell. 
Crimson shrugged. "I am a Night Guard. If that's what it takes to guard you, then yes. I will not succeed, but fighting to shield you from what you will unleash is a worthier death than any I could hope for by cowardice, treachery or participation in this useless vendetta. Show me your steel, Nightmare Moon... unless you're scared of me." He revealed his shining wingblades.

Impressed by his daring, the Nightmare dispersed her spell. She couldn't help but respect his desire for an honorable way out. And it had been eons since she'd last fought someone without tapping into her immense powers... why not? With a bright flash, the Nightmare's horn became sheathed in metal. Crimson realised that she intended to use it as a sword. 
"I fear no challenger." The Nightmare grinned viciously, pawing against the ground. 
Being the challenger, Crimson struck first, his wingblades slicing through the air, only to be deflected by the Nightmare's mighty swing. Crimson fell on the floor. She smiled down at him, and thrust to kill. 
Crimson managed to deflect her powerful attacks, just about. He quickly came to realise that his usual tactic of tiring or tricking his opponents would not save him. The Nightmare was no two-bit brigand, but a true warrior. Magic or no magic, her strength and experience far outclassed his. Running, ducking, blocking, rolling, Crimson kept himself alive. That fact alone surprised him, and he suspected the alicorn was perhaps not using her full abilities. It didn't matter. He wasn't there to win. Merely to hold her attention. 

A powerful kick from the Nightmare's hoof knocked the wind out of him, and the bat crashed onto a stone chair. 
"I believe that's my seat." Nightmare Moon said. 
Crimson Star coughed up some blood. "I didn't see your name on it." He jumped off as the alicorn jabbed down at him, cracking the chair. "Oh dear. Looks like I got to sit on it longer than you did." 
Nightmare Moon frowned. "Your puerile attempts to arouse my anger will not succeed. Defend yourself, thestral! I grow tired of this."
"Alright, my lady." He raised his wingblades. "Since you'll never die, I wanna ask... any message you want to send to the afterlife?"
"Yes. Tell them I'll keep up the supply." She prepared to attack again, but froze. A terrible realisation came over the alicorn's dark face, twisting its beauty into an ugly animal snarl. She turned to the bat. "Sparkle! She's already here! You tricked me!"

Screeching furiously, the Nightmare lashed out with her horn, shattering Crimson's wingblades... as well as his wingbones. Her focus was already on Celestia's apprentice, however, and she flew off, content to kill the errant guard later if he hadn't succumbed already. Crimson howled in pain, and curled up to die as expected. As the pain overtook everything, the bat chastised himself for forgetting to write to his sisters. 





But Crimson Star had lived. 

Lighthouse (like the proverbial bad bit that she was) had been unable to keep away. As soon as she'd seen the Nightmare leave the Castle, she had returned and fled with her corporal on her back. A cover story was agreed upon. Crimson had been on holiday, and was accidentally thrown onto a tree by Pinkie Pie's megaphone. Absurd, but routine by Ponyville standards.

The lie served to protect Crimson's reputation among his devout Nightmare Moon-worshipping family, as well as any daytime ponies who might question the presence of thestrals in the town.




"Prin... cess...?" Crimson mumbled, coming out from under sedation. 
The white-furred earth pony tittered under her hoof. "No, silly. I'm Nurse Redheart. You're in Ponyville hospital. Don't worry, we'll take good care of you." 
"Tha'ss nice..." 
"Isn't it just?" Redheart smiled politely, and took a gander at the thestral's file. It was quite an exciting day of work, as the hospital hadn't treated a bat patient in 263 years. And that one had eaten three doctors before his earache was cured. Fortunately, these were more civilized times... she hoped, eyeing the fluffy pony with mild caution. "So how'd you end up in a fight with Nightmare Moon?"

Crimson blinked. Even in this exhausted state, some part of his brain realised that a common nurse should not be aware of this. "I don't know what you're talking about." He lied. "Only a fool would fight an alicorn."
"Then you're a very lucky fool." Red said. "According to the guard who brought you in, you crashed into a tree. But your injuries are not consistent with blunt trauma. A powerful weapon, yes, but not blunt. The wound is too finely cut. Which leads me to wonder what giant you were fighting while Nightmare Moon was on the loose. An overgrown diamond dog with a pickaxe? Fluttershy's bunny with a chainsaw, perhaps?" 
"No one can know." Crimson insisted. "Please." 
Redheart shrugged. "Well, I suppose we could file it under doctor-patient confidentiality..."
"Thank you."
"Of course, I'm not a doctor." She smiled deviously, tapping at her nurse's cap. "So it'll just have to cost you."
"I'm a guard. I could arrest you for blackmail." Crimson countered, tapping on the helmet sitting on his nightstand.
"I'd sue you for slander... mister grizzly-face."
"I'd wax your floors, miss wingless."
"I'd replace all your chocolate cookies with raisins!"
"I'd hover above you and sing country out of key!"
Redheart was horrified. "You wouldn't dare!"
"Twenty. Four. Seven." Crimson whispered playfully, enjoying the repartee. "But anyway, what do you want?"
She put the file away and sat down on a stool next to the bat's bed. "Information. I've always been so curious about your type of pony. I read my childhood copy of  The Thestral Factor  to shreds! Used to imagine myself wandering in those dark caverns, all teeth and curls, fearless and dramatic! But books are just books. I wanna know what it's like to live that way."
"Well now..." Crimson started, greatly flattered, only to feel Red's hoof closing his mouth.
"Nuh-uh! Not now, mister! When you heal! All I want now is for you to get a good rest. Absolutely no leaving this bed without my permission! When you have properly healed, though... maybe we could talk?" She batted her eyelashes. Crimson batted his in confusion. 
"Um, sure?" The bat mumbled. He'd gotten so excited that he'd forgotten he just survived an alicorn duel.





"The Grounded Gang?" Redheart let the name slowly roll through her mouth. 
Lighthouse smirked. "Thieves, killers, mercenaries, psychopaths... and Crimson. It's quite a team. I'm sure they'll like you." 
The nurse gulped. 

Upon the group's arrival to Canterlot, Applejack and Anon immediately left the train station for the Castle. Redheart was set to follow them, but Lighthouse stood in her way. "We don't report to Sunny." She said patronisingly. "The Night Guard lives underground in Ichorsville. There's no daytimers there, so if you wanna turn back, feel free."
Redheart bit her lip in thought. The bats could see that she was tempted to leave. Only Crimson could see that she was more tempted to stay. "Are you going to show the way or what?" The nurse said bravely. 
"By all means." Without further ado, Lighthouse took to flight and picked Redheart up, flying above and beyond the castle walls with the squealing pony in her grasp. They landed in the forest underneath, next to a large stone covered in engravings. Redheart shook herself free of Lighthouse's hooves. 
"What the hay??!" The nurse shouted.
"I thought you might wanna skip the hike."
"Lighthouse, when they say that you should think before you act, they mean that you should also ASK!" 
"Nopony's told me to think before I act. Usually because I act before they think." 
"How about I give you a bucking enema and see if you can do either?" 

The batmare raised her hooves in defeat. "Don't get your knickers in a twist." She tapped her hoof against the old rock, and flied off grinning. 
Redheart groaned. "What a hinny. Why'd she put me down here anyw-WHOA!" Magic from the boulder enveloped the nurse, plunging the world around her to darkness. 
For a moment, she thought she'd gone blind and panicked. Then she remembered the thestrals' advanced eyesight. Only the slightest light was needed for them to see as clear as day. And the light was indeed so slight that Redheart's eyes were useless to her. 
"Buzz off!" Crimson shouted behind her. Almost immediately, Red heard loud fluttering sounds all around. 
"Crimson?" She asked tentatively, and heard his wheelchair squeak closer. 
"Here. Sorry, I forgot you'd be blind."
"Who else was here?"
"I don't know, but it looked as if they were going to have fun at your expense."
Red heard Lighthouse sigh next to her. "A shame." The batmare said. "I like entertainment before dinner. Welcome to Ichorsville, Red!"





They went to the Grounded Gang's usual barracks, expecting nothing more than to be reunited with their teammates. To their surprise, however, the team wasn't alone. They were playing cards with a fifth pony. A large blue alicorn, whose flowing mane was speckled with stars. Her presence lit the room up so that even Redheart could see. 
"Princess Luna!" All three exclaimed, and bowed. 

Luna only had eyes for one. "Crimson Star!" She stood up, abandoning the game. "It pleases us greatly to behold thy return!"
"I didn't expect to see you here, Princess." He said. "I was going to check with the thestral doctors here before-"
"It matters not. Anon is with our sister now, and we wished to address the matter of your next assignment immediately, with the entire Grounded Gang."
"Next assignment?!" Redheart hissed the words as if spitting out venom. She and Lighthouse stepped in front of Crimson. 
"You can't just send him out on a mission again!" Lighthouse shouted, for once agreeing with the white nurse. "He's been through hay and high water!"
"As a medic, I cannot allow it." Red insisted. Lighthouse growled fiercely, baring her teeth. 

Luna chuckled, amused. "Thy friends are very loyal, Crimson. But they need not fear. I would not ask if it were not important, and what I ask will not be beyond my corporal's powers." Her horn lit up, and Crimson found himself encased in the Princess's magic. The stiffness in his hooves disappeared, and old aches in his wings ceased to be. He stood up from his chair, totally cured. 
"I can move." Crimson said in awe. "I CAN MOVE!" 
He flew and danced around the room, much to the delight of those in it, and finally landed in front of his princess, tall and proud and happy to serve. "Tell me, Princess! What's in the cards?" 
"I had a full house, but I guess that's not happening now." One of the Gang grumbled behind her at the poker table.
Luna smiled sheepishly. "Well, Crimson, about your new mission: a few days ago, a letter arrived from your mother..."

Crimson Star facehoofed. "Oh no!"