Twilight looks down at her map with annoyance on her features, looking up and to the left side her eyes stare at the barely visible dirt trail leading further into the forest of dead trees. Moving her gaze to the right, she sees another barely visible dirt trail leading further into the forest of dead trees. Her lips tighten as she silently blinks, looking back at her map and searching for the location for the tenth time.
“Fork in the road, fork in the road, fork in the road, fork in the road, oh come on it has to her here somewhe-AHA!” Twilight gives a wide grin. Bringing the map up to her face, she finally spots the semblance of a fork in the road on the map.
“LEFT!” She shouts as she quickly spins around and points her hoof down the left trail, quickly trotting down the trail. Bringing the map up once again, she looks for her next point of interest towards her target.
“Now then I have to walk... three miles...” Twilight stops in her tracks, closes her eyes while bite her lip. Slowly, she opens her eyes and looks at the map trail once again. Realizing she did in fact make the correct calculations for the distance between her position and the next point of interest, and throws her head up and lets out a groan.
` I understand the Lunar Captain is not from Equestria... but did you really need to put them all the way out here, Princess Celestia!? `
Twilight lets out a sigh as she tucks the map into her saddlebags. A frown growing on her face as her mind pops up more questions regarding this entire situation. Every time she replayed the talk she had with Celestia in her head, it just always felt…off. From the fact that she didn’t want Princess Luna to know about her own captain to the fact that Celestia had designed the solar guard to look like the night guard was the lunar guard.
Something was clearly off about the Lunar Captain… Twilight wished Celestia told the full truth. She wanted the truth so badly but… She knows Celestia always does everything for the best, so surely her holding back the full story had an important reason.
“Yeah… Princess Celestia always makes the best choices…” Twilight whispers underneath her breath as she walks down the trail.
“Augh!” Twilight cries out as she is thrown off from the trail from a swinging log trap.
“GAH! AH! UGH!” Twilight howls out in pain as she lands on a small hillside roughly and starts to roll down the hill into a ditch. She flails her limbs as she falls into the ditch and lands face-first into a small creek within it. Twilight lays there for a moment, enduring the pain running through her body. When the pain starts to die down, Twilight begins to raise her face from the creek water, shaking her head in an attempt to dry herself only to find it pointless.
She decides to make better use of her energy by getting back on her hooves. Mid-way through, she pauses as her eyes look down into the water, the moonlight shining down bright enough for her to see her own reflection in the creek water. Staring back at her is a lavender unicorn with scratches on her muzzle, her mane an absolute mess with bits of mud, twigs and leaves attached to it. A bit of blood leaking from her left nostril and an expression of anger on her face.
Twilight scowled at the reflection and stomped on it, flinching when the water splashed against her face. She raises her hoof once again, anger taking over her mind for a moment only for her to yield and just looks down and glare down at her hooves. She sighs and raises her head, steeling herself once again.
` I’m close! I know I’m close! I hope I’m close! … Please Princess Celestia let me be close! `
She nods to herself and slowly gets out of the creek, a strained smile on her face that spoke to others that “this was okay” when everything was in fact very not okay. Getting out of the ditch, she immediately starts to shake the water from her body, grumbling to herself while doing the act.
` First, the guard is purposely misunderstood! Second, I don’t think I got the full story! Third, I can’t even tell my friends and family OR Princess Luna about me chatting to HER captain! Fourth, there’s traps on the trail! Princess Celestia, please! PLEASE! Tell me we’re going to have a long chat after this meeting! All of this is so nonsensical and meaningless! `
Wiping her nose from any blood that stayed on after her water faceplant she looks around, checking if she strayed far from the trail. Looking from the Hollow Shade's tree line, she fell from to the small hill in front of her, out of the ditch. She halts when the sight of a house in the far distance enters her vision. She gawps at it for a minute, when her mind suddenly recognizes this as a sign of hope she quickly runs across the creek and climbs out of the ditch.
Exiting out of the ditch, she quickly pulls the somewhat wet map out; she points her hoof at the “X” mark and slowly moves her hoof over to the previous spot she was at before tripping off a trap.
“I was here... fell down and landed over here... walked up here...” Moving her hoof along her with her observation, she looks between her current location and the “X” and lets out a gasp.
“It’s there!” Twilight shouts out ecstatically and smiles. Without hesitation, she launches the map into her saddlebag and takes off towards the house. Adrenaline and ecstasy running through her body as she runs up the small hill towards the house.
“It’s there, it’s there, it’s there, It’s the—” She trips over a small hillside rock on her way and rolls down the small hills. She curses under her breath and gets up, walking towards the house more slowly now. Taking deep breaths to calm herself down, she focuses her eyes on the house, soaking in its strange design.
The house was an old styled country house with a wide front porch, made of gray rock walls and dark Hollow Shades of tree wood. She could see a chimney for a fireplace peeking out of the rooftop. The front porch had flame lanterns hung from the walls beside the front door and lit up the front porch in its warm orange glow. What mainly caught her eye was the left side of the house being connected with a gray painted metal barn that stood out too much. It looked like it was just added on after the house was made months later.
She stops and stands there, her anger subsiding as she stares at her destination and the surroundings. It was... comforting. She closes her eyes and exhales, taking the moment to enjoy the sounds of the wind blowing the grass and the distant wind chime song coming from the house. She let a smile grow on her face as she felt finally at ease, her troubles finally over. Slowly opening her eyes, she looks at the house and takes a step forward.
She tenses when her hoof makes contact with the porch floor, making a creek sing out from the old wooden boards. She steps onto the porch and looks over the objects on the porch, a chair sized for a Minotaur sat in the corner, potted flowers that looked like they came from the royal Canterlot garden... though they looked to be placed in cheap pots one would find from a yard sale. The thought of the captain being gifted flowers from Canterlot and putting them in cheap jars aggravated her.
` I hope Princess Celestia didn’t give the captain flowers just so he could put them in these… mess, dirty pots… `
Her ears twitch when the wind chime on the other end sings once again, drawing her attention towards the door. She trots over to the door and raises her hoof to knock on it. Hesitation and doubt fills her, in an effort to comfort her anxiety she pulls out the map once again, looking over the location and the instructions again. She grimaced when she saw additional instructions in getting in touch with the captain.
` Celestia! PLEASE! `
“When you’re there... approach the Lunar Hall and knock once, give a minute of silence before following it up with two knocks then give it two minutes of silence then finish it with a quick but weak knock.” Twilight reads the instructions quietly to herself in annoyance. She looks over to the next-door building, specifically the barn doors. She looks back to the front door and grumbles.
“.... Why not the front door?”
Rolling her eyes, she puts the map back in her saddlebag and heads over to the barn doors. Stopping in front of the pair of doors, she tilts her head when she notices the barn doors don’t have any handles on the outside… meaning she couldn’t enter from the outside. However, her ears perk when faint sounds of movement inside leak out from the building. Taking a step forward and putting her ear against the door confirms that the sounds were real and inside, the sounds of movement against wood and even some thuds here and there were evident.
She pulls back and prepares to knock when the wind blows and knocks a stick that was previously stuck in her mane onto her back. Looking back at the stick then poking her mane she realized her appearance was still messy. Not being patient enough to fix her mane, she simply does a quick teleport, removing the mud, leaves and twigs that were once stuck to her mane. Reappearing a few feet away she quickly walked back to the door after fixing her mane.
She takes a deep breath and knocks once against the barn door. All the sounds she heard behind the door suddenly ceased. Giving a minute of silence she knocks twice, and counting down the time in her head goes through the two-minute mark to give the necessary tap. The movement inside resumed, and she heard the sound of somepony trot over to the door. Straightening her posture Twilight puts on a smile as the door opens, the smile contorting as her eyes are exposed to sudden white light.
“Agh!” She hisses and turns her head away. She blinks multiple times, attempting to quickly let her eyes adjust to the sudden change in lighting.
“Heh, every time.” A feminine voice spoke up from the light. Twilight eyes slowly move to the voice and widen when she sees the owner of a voice. The creature Princess Celestia spoke of... a bat-pony. A mare of average height stood in front of Twilight with her hoof on the door, her coat was a moderate phthalo blue, moderate gamboge eyes with unusual slitted-pupils that made Twilight instinctively tense up. Her mane was light grayish azure and styled with her short wavy bangs going down over the corner of her left eye.
Twilight's eyes moved on their own to the parts that were... very different from the average pony or pegasus. Her ears were tufted and lanceolate. Her wings weren't made of feathers like a pegasus but instead it’s structured itself was different, instead of being like a bird it was very much like a bat with strong but elastic skin replacing feathers and to add on more compared to her coat the wings were a different color; a deep purple.
The last sign of her bat nature was the one that made Twilight’s neck tense up the most out of her body. Fangs. Very pointy, very sharp fangs that peeked out of her mouth. Twilight couldn’t help but be a little afraid of the mare, guilt seeped into her heart as she plays back the origin of their species in her head.
` They’re not dangerous Twilight! They’re not dangerous... they’re misunderstood... don’t mess it up. `
“Ah... You’re Twilight... Sparkle.” Twilight eyes moved back to the mare's face and observed the surprise on her features.
“I ah... um... Mmnn...“ The mare's eyes dart around and panic starts to hint on her features.
“...Greetings?” She slowly nods and looks at Twilight's face.
It takes Twilight a moment to realize that the bat-pony was trying to do a guard greeting. “Oh um... Hello miss...?”
“Faded Light.” Twilight barely prevented her face from scrunching up from hearing that name. Faded Light, the “captain” of the lunar guard her brother had told her of.
“Let’s go inside, so we can talk more, you look like you had a rough journey coming here.” Faded gives a slight smile as she looks over the unicorn. Twilight follows her gaze and sees her lavender coat covered in little scratches.
“Haha... Yeah...” Twilight sheepishly nods. Faded turns around and goes back inside the barn with Twilight following behind the mare, her eyes moving over to her flanks and observing her cutie mark; a white sun with a majority of it being shadowed over.
“Special guest coming in! Look presentable, you dolts!” Twilight snaps out of her stare when Faded Light shouts. Her jaw drops as she looks at the inside of the barn. While it was definitely the model of a barn on the outside... on the inside it was a training hall. The floors are made of smooth polished hardwood that she saw only once at Canterlot’s training hall when she visited her brother. Looking to her right and left, she saw stairs leading up to the smaller second later that she could judge from its existing reals were probably made for observation from above.
Between the floors were wooden beams that held up aerial training loops. Along the walls she saw the various banners of the Lunar side of the government, all being of different ages up to the modern age lunar banner.
“Wow...” Twilight had seen the illustrations of the lunar symbols in the past, but to see all of them in the flesh made her heart flutter a bit.
“Huh, an element of harmony in the flesh at night.” Twilight’s eyes move over to the source of this new voice.. Standing on a ringed out mat in the center of the hall was a white coated male bat-pony, coming up to his right side was another male and a female. Faded Light stops in front of the mat ring and turns around to Twilight, raising her hoof and points to the white bat-pony. “Private first class, Moonfall.”
“At your service.” He gives a salute.
Faded moves her hoof to the bluish male bat-pony beside him. “Corporal Fallen Shine.”
“Mn.” He bows.
Faded moves her hoof to the small female violet bat-pony at the end. Twilight narrowed her eyes as she noticed she had faint differences from the rest, no ear tuft or silted pupils, but fangs and bat wings were present on her. “Private second-class Dusk Blade.”
“Hey there!” She cheerfully says. Faded Light, Moonfall, and Fallen Shine glare at her together.
“Oh! I mean... Hello, Citizen.” She gives a stern look and salutes. Moonfall facehoofs while Faded Light rolls her eyes and looks back at Twilight.
“There are more of us, but they’re currently out right now. For the record, I am Lie-Captain Faded Light.” Twilight raises a brow at the mare. Faded Light kept a stoic face despite that small slip up.
` Even she is playing into the lie... `
Twilight slowly nods and puts up a smile. “I am Twilight Sparkle, student under Princess Celestia, and the element of magic... as well as the younger sister of Captain Shining Armor of the solar guard.” Twilight felt unsure on adding the last part but deemed it somewhat needed because they were also part of the guard. The bat-ponies, clearly unsurprised with the information, just nod with acknowledgement.
“So, what brings Shining Armor’s little sister here to the lunar guard base.” Faded Light asks, her wing stretching out and giving a signal to the guard behind her. The guard nods together and returns back to their sections of the hall.
Twilight closes her eyes for a moment and looks back at the bat pony with a determined look as she decides to probe the bat pony. “I came to speak with the Lunar Captain about something.”
Faded Light perks up in surprise at that for a moment before returning to her Stoic look. “Ah, well... Here I am. Is it something we need to discuss in private, or can we discuss it here?”
` She’s good… she really is keeping up with this façade… `
Twilight scowled, making the bat pony look at her puzzled. She gives the “captain” a deadpan stare. “I was told by Princess Celestia to meet with the captain. The “real” captain.”
Faded Light looks at her perplexed. “I...” She pauses when she finds Twilight continuing her glare. She lets out a defeated sigh but gives a small smile. “No use in playing my role this time… Okay, I understand. But you’ll have to wait a bit, the captain hasn’t woken up yet.”
Twilight blinks and tilts her head. “Woken... up?”
Faded Light nods. “He’s a late sleeper. Even after he wakes up, he usually takes approximately thirty minutes to clean himself, dress himself, feed himself, and quickly sign or read official documents before he comes out here.”
“Um... Okay, so when will he wake up exactly?” Twilight raises a brow.
“In...” Faded Light brings her hoof up to her chin and thinks for a moment before frowning. She turns around and looks at Moonfall who was against the left wall attempting to make a move that allowed him to quickly pull out his wooden pole and deliver a strike against a dummy.
“Moonfall! Time!”
Moonfall jumps slightly mid-swings and spins around in a circle but manages to catch himself. Let out a sigh of relief, he quickly turns around towards her and salutes. “Yes ma’am!”
He runs down the hall and opens the barn doors, Twilight watches, bemused, as the stallion sticks his tongue out towards the moon for an entire minute with his eyes closed before closing the doors and trotting back inside. “12:45. Ma’am.”
“Thank you, private.” Faded Light gives a nod and looks back to Twilight.
“He’ll wake up in about five minutes, plus his average thirty. So you will meet him in thirty-five minutes.”
Twilight lets out a whine. “Can’t you go in there and wake him up?”
Faded Light looks behind her and towards the backdoor of the hall only to shake her head. “Sorry, but no. No pony is allowed to enter his side of the base without his permission. The only one allowed currently is Princess Celestia.”
Twilight opens her mouth to ask “why” but closes it, giving up on asking. “Fine... Can I wait here and, maybe, ask you some things?”
“Sure, by the way, allow me to clear up something.” Faded Light gives a salute. “I’m first lieutenant Faded Light. I apologize for the deceit but because I delivered my captain’s letters to Canterlot and attended the guard meetings in his stead, I guess the solar guard thought I was the captain which made our princess believe I’m the captain too... afterward Princess Celestia told me to play along with the lie.”
Faded Light gives a defeated sigh at the end. Twilight smiles and puts a hoof on her shoulder, giving a nod that sympathizes with her being thrust into a role by Princess Celestia. She gives a small smile back.
“Let’s take a seat on the benches, I can’t have one of Dusk Blade making another mistake and somehow hitting you.” A passing Dusk Blade hissed at her. Twilight nods and the two head over to the right side of the wall and take a seat on the wooden benches… Twilight ignites her horn and pulls out a notepad and quill from her saddlebag.
“Mind if I write some of the information down?” Twilight asks.
“I don’t mind, as long as you don’t share this information with others.” Faded Light gives a stern look that makes Twilight tense up.
“Of course, this is only for me!” She drops her gaze and nods at her to start.
“Okay! So... um... Where do I begin?” Twilight prodded her lip with the quill as she started to think.
“Well, can I ask you something first?” Faded Light asks.
“Of course!”
“Okay… What do you need to talk to the captain about? The fact that Princess Celestia met with you and gave you permission to seek him clearly means it’s personal... If it was formal, she would’ve called for me or asked my princess to give her message to me.” Twilight stared blankly at the mare for a while, then she began to sweat.
` Oh... oh crud. What do I say...? What do I say!? I need to see the captain regarding something with the moon? No, I don’t even KNOW much about him or the lunar guard to make a convincing lie! But what can I say that would be convincing enough? Do I tell her it’s private? I could... but I will be coming here every now and then if this goes well... it’ll just look suspicious. `
Twilight frowns and looks down, her brain gears turning to find a way out of there... until her brain suddenly brings a line Princess Celestia has said before.
"You are only allowed to talk to me and the Lunar Guard about this task."
She smiles as relief courses through her body, she looks back up to the patient lieutenant. “I was tasked by Princess Celestia to help your captain make some friends!” She gives a genuine smile to her. However, the smile quickly vanished with what happened next.
“You want to make the captain get some friends!? Has Princess Celestia gone mad!?” Faded Light shouted, shock appeared on her features as looked at Twilight in disbelief. The shout had caused all movement in the room to cease and the rest of the guard turned their attention to the duo.
“The captain!? Friends!? Making them!?” Dusk Blade looked at Twilight, her eyes wide and jaw dropped. She spins around to Moonfall and rushes over to him, wrapping her hooves around his neck.
“Moonfall! Hit me! I think we’re under an illusion spell! Please! I promise I'll hit you when I wake up!” She says with panic on her features. Moonfall ignores his small comrade and stares at the duo before a laughter erupts from him.
“Our captain… making friends!? Ehahahahahaha! Oh! Oh Luna, that’s... Ehahahahhahaha!” Moonfall buckles over and continues to laugh as Dusk Blade shakes Moonfall, trying to get his attention.
Fallen Shine shakes his head, failing to hide the amusement on his face. “Heh. What a funny mission.”
Twilight quickly stood up with a scowl on her. Her anger slowly rises as she listens to these people laugh at her mission being ridiculed. “Hey! Everypony can make friends! And don’t you dare insult Princess Cel—”
The backdoor of the training hall suddenly opened up, making everypony stiffen up and shut up. Together all the ponies move their gaze towards the door. It was at that moment that Twilight had an epiphany, an epiphany of why all these lies were settled in regarding the identity of the Lunar Captain. Her breath was stolen from the moment she locked her eyes onto him, her eyes shrinking to the mere size of bits and her brain ceasing all function. Standing in the doorway of the backdoor was definitely a non-equestrian.
A bipedal creature stood there, dressed in baggy dark blue pants with white stars all over it, and a matching long shirt to match. Its face was mean looking... but tired, as if it just woke up. A deep but thin scar over the end of the right side of its lip combined with its shaved beard look and messy shoulder-length black hair with a bit of gray mixed. Its eyes were small, but the light shined bright enough for her to see its deep blue color and dark rings under its eyes.
With a look of annoyance on its face, it spoke up in a deep, masculine voice. “Get back to training. Just because I'm not out here doesn’t mean you have my blessing to slack off. If I don’t hear your efforts in two minutes, then today’s lesson will be trying to beat me, and I won’t hold back.” All the guards paled upon hearing that and quickly straightened up.
“Understood, Captain!” All the guards say together and give a salute to their captain, while he simply grunts and leaves, closing the door behind him. Silence fills the room as the guards focused their hearing on its slowly fading footsteps, all letting out a sigh once they believe the coast is cleared.
“Whew... that scared me, I swear I didn’t even hear his footsteps that time...” Moonfall says as he puts a hoof over his chest.
“Y-yeah same...” Dusk Blade gives a small chuckle before looking at Twilight. “Oh!”
Following Dusk Blade’s gaze, the guards look back at Twilight. Together they see the mare frozen with the look of pure shock on her face. Faded Light pokes the mare’s chest and finds it tensed so much that it would give the petrified Discord a run for his money.
“Yup, the usual first-time reaction.” Dusk Blade giggles as Faded Light sighs.