//------------------------------//
// The Night Guard 
// Story: Mooncrest's Road 
// by Jon Hoof 
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Mooncrest’s Road
Chapter 1 - The Night Guard
“Is that somepony down there?” asked Teal Shield for the tenth time in five minutes.
“No. A thousand times, no.” Mooncrest was growing annoyed with his partner’s jabbering. Miss a few parasprites one time and you’d never hear the end of it. Not in the Fillydelphia guard.
“Just checking. You are the one with the night vision here.”
“Yeah, yeah. Be quiet Teal, we’re supposed to be patrolling, not reminding me of my mistakes.” One bucking time. He’d learned his lesson. Scan the ground and skies constantly, don’t stop to think about regular life until the morning. Mooncrest relaxed his wings and glided. His partner noticed and did the same. A few moments passed.
“Hear anything?” Teal whispered.
“Just that storm coming from the north. Wonder why the weather team let it get so big.”
“Hope that nopony on the ground spotted us.”
“I’m dark blue and you’re dark green. I doubt anypony will spot us from the ground on a moonless night. Now shut up.” Mooncrest listened once more. Nothing.
“What if they had night vision like yours?”
“They would hear you jabbering.”
“And be unable to talk above a whisper?” Teal announced loudly, making Mooncrest wince.
“Shut up.” Mooncrest’s sensitivity was well known to the others on the guard. It made him an asset on guard duty, but he could hardly step outside during the day without getting a migraine. “Dawn’s coming.”
“Rain too. Hey, why do we even need a town guard?” Mooncrest just looked at him. “Oh yeah, parasprites.”
“Let’s head on home.”
“Fine by me, I’m starving.” A flap of his powerful wings and Mooncrest was leading the way back towards Fort Mareflin.
Half an hour later, Mooncrest was in his cottage nearby. “Why’d they have to make it a lightning storm?” he growled out loud. “Lightning and thunder hurt.” He briefly remembered his younger brothers, Thunderlane and Rumble. The two were constantly making noise while he tried to study history. Loud noise. He’d not heard from them in awhile though.
CRACK!
“Horseapples!” he yelled, dropping the book on Discordian tactics which he’d been reading. “Bucking lightning storms.” In spite of the hammering rain outside, Mooncrest heard steps in the corridor. Then a knock came at the door to his room. “Probably the doc bringing something for the migraine I’ll get any second now,” he muttered as he trotted to the door.
Outside stood a blonde mare with crossed eyes. “Letter for you, sent express from Ponyville.”
Mooncrest cocked an eyebrow and accepted the letter, recognizing Rumble’s handwriting. “Thank you, miss.”
“It’s what I do.” She smiled. Nodding slightly, Mooncrest opened the letter.
“Wonder why he had Rumble address it?” muttered Mooncrest before stopping cold. “Thunderlane is sick? Feather flu? Hospitalized?!” His eyes widened. “When was this sent?”
“Two days ago. I flew fast, but I ran into a few things on the way.” She grinned sheepishly.
“I need to talk to Commander Steel.” He slipped a pair of sunglasses on to keep a headache from flaring up then took off toward Fort Mareflin. The mare watched him go, then locked the door to his house and flew after.
“Sir!” he yelled as he burst into Forged Steel’s office.
“Cool it,” came the immediate order. Steel sat at his desk, going over reports. Mooncrest stood silent a moment, waiting. “Good. What do you need, Mooncrest?”
“Immediate leave, sir. Thunderlane is sick with the feather flu and our brother Rumble isn’t old enough to care for himself.” Steel shuffled a few papers, then stood and opened a filing cabinet behind him, flicking through folders, horn glowing.
“You’re due for two weeks leave in a couple months.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If I move your leave up, we may be short somepony.” The unicorn frowned. “One week. Make arrangements and come back swiftly. Or you’ll be out of the service.”
“Kicked out? But sir, this is all I’ve ever done!”
“Then you’d better be quick. Next week.” Mooncrest galloped outside then flew to his home to pack. The skies darkened and the wind picked up as the storm prepared for a second onslaught.
“I’ll be there soon, Rumble,” he muttered, not noticing a blonde-maned pegasus following him.