Cheerilee’s hooves clip-clopped against the pavement as she walked the path through Hoofington’s city park, her green eyes taking in the scenery around her. In the middle of the city the park was like an island of nature. Electric lamps were spaced evenly along the path and lit the way, illuminating the mare’s magenta coat and two tone pink and white mane with the aid of a pale glow from the full moon.
With not much need for sleep, the nights provided Cheerilee with an excellent chance to get out of her house and unwind after a long day of teaching her math course for Hoofington U. She was thankful for being in the classroom again. Too often she was given administrative jobs, as they made it easier to leave and do work for Luna. For the past four years however, she had gotten to enjoy not only teaching again, but in a new and (as she felt) exciting university setting. The job of professor was certainly a big change from teaching foals. True, she didn't technically have a degree to get the position of professor, but with all the years she had to study Cheerilee found herself more knowledgeable in many subjects than the ponies that could tout offical education. The opportunity to gift some of that knowledge to the ponies in her class was a welcome one to the vampiric teacher.
An unfortunate side effect of this new role however was the absolute mountain of work she found herself swamped with on a weekly basis. Lecturing to over two hundred students four days a week was a draining experience on its own. Add on top of that the homework that needed to be graded and the lesson plans to make, and Cheerilee ended up a very busy mare. True, not having to sleep much left her with more time to get the work done than she would otherwise, but grading papers for so long could give even an immortal a headache. ‘Thank Luna for teacher’s aids’ she thought with a shot of mirth. Her job at the University had become much more bearable once a couple graduate students had been assigned to her to help with the more mundane aspects of her job. Even so, the occasional walk did wonders to relieve stress and give the mare a chance to think.
Cheerilee let a smile grow on her face as she listened to the nighttime noises of the park over the gentle lull of her self-maintained heartbeat and breath. Her ear twitched to the sound of a rabbit skittering under a log at her approach, crickets playing their music all through the park, and the sound of a stallion’s careful breathing and muffled hoof steps a distance behind her. Cheerilee’s smile vanished as she noticed the tail. She had been aware of the stallion following her since shortly after she left home. She had deviated her trip to the park nearby to see if the stallion was indeed following her or if it was a simple coincidence. Considering his persistence, it would seem her paranoia was correct. Although, since he actually was out to get her, then it wasn’t paranoia at all.
Turning down a dirt side path, Cheerilee walked calmly until a small hill blocked her from the stallion’s line of sight, then darted behind a bush on the side of the path. Letting her heart and breathing come to a stop, she waited in the concealing darkness of the shrubbery for her tail to make his appearance. Before too long, a white unicorn stallion in a black hoodie rounded the corner at a brisk pace. He came to a stop not far from the bush Cheerilee was currently in, his blond tail twitching in irritation.
“Where the buck...” the stallion muttered in a raspy voice as he turned his head back and forth looking for any sign of his lost quarry.
Cheerilee considered pouncing on him right there. The two of them were fairly isolated so it wouldn't be hard to beat some answers out of him or kill him without alerting anypony. She held back, however. It would be worth turning the tables on her would-be follower if she could track him to where he came from, or even better, the pony who had sent him. After another moment of indecision the stallion turned and started back the way he came, ignorant to the mare now stalking him in complete silence.
It was about thirty minutes before the stallion reached the front door of the apartment building across the street from Cheerilee’s current residence. She watched as the stallion stealthily slipped in the door to the lobby after a last look back and forth down the dark street. Cheerilee looked across the road to her own residence. If the stallion had chosen to set up in the building facing her home then it was a safe bet that he was staying in one of the rooms with a window overlooking her house. Now confident that she was being observed for more than just tonight’s walk, she made her way inside the apartment building.
It wasn't difficult for Cheerilee to follow the stallion up to the second floor by the smell of the park he trailed with him. Once in the correct hallway, she began quietly pausing by each door on the side of the building facing her home to listen for sounds of her stalker. She was five doors down when she caught the sound of a familiar scratchy voice.
“I was following the target through the park when I lost sight of her due to a hill. I decided It safer to return rather than blindly look for the target in the park. I can see when she returns from here.”
Hearing all that she needed to, Cheerilee easily bucked down the cheap wood door and bounded into the room. The stallion, now bereft of his black hoodie, spun to face her with a yelp, knocking a small glass object to the floor where it shattered. Cheerilee pounced forward, pinning the stallion on the table behind him that he had previously been facing. Shoving a hoof against the terrified stallion’s throat hard enough to silence him, her green eyes stared directly into his fearful ice-blue ones.
“When I take the pressure off your throat, you are going to tell me why you were watching me, and for how long. If anything else comes out of your mouth I will crush your windpipe, do you understand?”
Unable to nod with the schoolmare’s hoof on his neck, the stallion simply let out a small whimper in acknowledgement of her threat.
However, before Cheerilee could release the stallion there was a bright flash from behind her accompanied by the sound of hooves striking carpet. Throwing the stallion bodily away, Cheerilee spun to face the arrival, ready to fight.
“That is quite enough Miss. Cheerilee,” spoke the calm and authoritative voice of Princess Luna. She stood in front of the smashed in door to the apartment, wings spread and a forceful look in her deep blue eyes as her horn glowed with magic. Looking on in shock ,Cheerilee watched as Luna’s magic guided the stalker onto the ground from where her magic had caught him in Cheerilee's toss.
Luna stepped up to Cheerilee, looking down on the magenta coated vampire with a very serious expression on her muzzle as the white unicorn stallion followed at her side. “If you are done marehandling Mr. Midas, then we have much to talk about.”
Cheerilee was silent for a moment as she took in all that had just happened. “Yes... I suppose we do, Princess.”
Sitting down and using her wing to motion for Midas and Cheerilee to do the same, Luna looked Cheerilee in the eye. “I suppose it is a little late for a proper introduction, however this stallion here,” The white unicorn gave Cheerilee a sheepish smile with a half hearted wave, “is Mr. Midas. He is technically one of my sister’s guards. However, he has a gift that makes him useful to me.”
“Nice to meet you” Cheerilee said flatly, giving Midas a hesitant look. Turning back to Luna, Cheerilee raised an eyebrow at the Night Princess. “You still aren’t telling me what’s going on.”
Luna’s lips tightened into a straight line as she appeared to gather her thoughts before letting out a sigh and closing her eyes. “Over the past year, ponies in Equestria have been going missing. Ponies with... situations like your own.”
“You mean ponies working for you? Why didn’t you tell me?” Cheerilee found herself a little upset that such information would be hidden from her.
Luna was quick however to correct the teacher. “No, not my agents. The ponies that were disappearing were merely those with conditions like yours. Vampires, lycans, and other such beings. As for why you didn’t know, well, I do have other agents to assign to such things.”
Cheerilee once again looked to Midas, who seemed to have taken a great interest in his hooves at the moment, then back to Luna. “Alright, but that still does not explain why you have a solar guard stalking me.”
Cheerilee spoke with more than a little bite in her voice. The Princess had always shown herself to be trustworthy in the past and Cheerilee had complete faith in her, but it was very disconcerting to know she was being watched by the ponies she worked with. In fact... “And speaking of having me watched, how long has Midas been here?”
Cheerilee was fairly confident it hadn’t been long as she had not noticed him until that night, but she still wanted to know. Before Luna could answer Cheerilee’s question, Midas responded, “Actually I’ve been keeping watch over you for the last two months.”
The stallion’s raspy voice sounded like he had swallowed a piece of sandpaper, this was only exacerbated by his attempt to practically whisper his response to the mare. Cheerilee gaped at the stallion for just a moment before getting her look of shock under control. She would need to re-evaluate her opinion of his ability to remain undetected if he had gone unnoticed for so long.
Luna continued her explanation before there could be another interruption. “I assigned Midas to watch you after these disappearances affected one of my other agents. The agent was a normal pegasus, however considering her affiliation with me and some of my more unofficial work, combined with the disappearances of supernaturals I felt it prudent to have somepony looking out for you who could call me if needed.”
“But why not tell me so I could keep an eye out myself?” Cheerilee asked.
The princess let out another sigh and looked slightly to the side, avoiding eye contact with Cheerilee. “The truth is that the reason I kept you in the dark was so that you would behave normally. It was my hope that if there was indeed somepony out to get my agents that they would not be dissuaded from trying with you. I know you can take care of yourself, so the plan was that if you were attacked, Midas could alert me and I would be able to step in and apprehend the pony or ponies responsible. You noticed that I arrived quickly tonight when Midas’ message cut off.”
Cheerilee did not look happy at this news at all, it was only through years of practice that she did not bear her fangs in anger. “You were using me as bait?!”
Both Luna and Midas flinched at the mare’s shout. Luna was quick to respond in an effort to calm her. “It is true I was placing you in a position to seem like a good target. However! I did so knowing you are one of my most capable agents who is no stranger to combat, and even then only did I choose to leave you in the dark so long as there was somepony watching to let me know the moment you were in danger!”
Cheerilee closed her eyes and, taking a deep breath to calm herself, thought about what the Princess had told her. ‘The Princess did get here the moment something seemed wrong, and if this Midas was able to keep an eye on me for so long than he is obviously capable...’
Cheerilee looked up into the Princess’ eyes, noting a slight hint of sadness in them. “I understand why you did what you did Princess, but that doesn't mean I like it.” Luna gave a nod before Cheerilee held up a hoof so she could continue. “Seeing as I know everything now, I would like to be put on this case. It seems it concerns me anyway.”
Luna was silent for a moment as she looked at Cheerilee, then taking a look at Midas sitting at her side Luna smiled. She turned to Cheerilee “Very well, I suppose it would only be fair. I do have a condition though.” Luna used her wing to push Midas a step toward Cheerilee. “You are to take Midas with you as your partner in your investigation.”
Cheerilee looked surprised while Midas looked downright flabbergasted. The stallion began to attempt to speak to the Princess only to be interrupted by the royal addressing Cheerilee. “As you have seen from his ability to hide from you so long, Midas is more than capable in espionage. Furthermore, the gift of his that I spoke of earlier, is that he is clairsentient.”
Cheerilee looked at Midas curiously “That means you can...?”
“It means I can learn about the history of an object by touching it. Like who owned it or what it was used for.” The stallion seemed uncomfortable speaking about his ability but continued to explain. “The longer it was in a pony’s possession, or the more important it was to them the stronger of a mark that will be left on the item for me to read.”
Luna stood up “As you can imagine Midas’ abilities would make him valuable in your investigation. Truth be told, I would have placed him on the investigation before if I hadn’t felt he was the best choice for keeping an eye on you. Now that you will be joining the investigation yourself, there is no reason to keep him away.”
Cheerilee looked between the stallion and the lunar monarch before giving a definitive nod to the princess. “Alright, I’ll work with him, Princess.”
Luna took several steps back from the two ponies. “Very good, I’d best be back to the castle now. I imagine my sister is wondering why I left in the middle of dinner so suddenly. I shall have the details for the assignment to you by the morrow as well as a reason for you to take a leave of absence from your work.” And with a flash of blue light, the Princess was gone.
There was a moment of silence between the two before Midas stepped up to Cheerilee and awkwardly offered her his hoof. “Well um...I look forward to working with you, Miss Cheerilee.”
Cheerilee looked at his hoof for a moment before letting a slight smile grace her features, and taking the stallions offered hoof (slightly harder than needed) said ,“Likewise, just no more watching me, hmm?”
Midas winced as Cheerilee let go. She walked over the door lying on the ground and out of the apartment, saying over her shoulder “I’ll see you tomorrow then, be up early.”
As Cheerilee walked toward the stairs she heard the sound of magic and the scraping of wood, along with the sarcastic grumblings of a certain white unicorn. “Oh sure, don’t worry about the door you kicked in. Not a problem.”
Letting out a quiet chuckle as she stepped into the stairway Cheerilee thought to herself ‘That’s what you get for stalking a mare.’