//------------------------------// // Chapter I // Story: Peaceful Nights // by Gulheru //------------------------------// Moonwarden exited the High Council chamber with a firm trot and an expression that was a mosaic of grand irritation and pure anger. Fortunately, the polished staircase of white marble that was leading down to the main Conclave compound was empty. Aside from one of the reasons of the stallions irritation, who was, right now, following him with a friendly smile on her face. Fortunately for both of them, she couldn’t see his grimace. ‘So... what is your name?’ the mare, calling herself “Colgate” asked out of a sudden, breaking the monotonous rhythm of hoofsteps echoing around them. ‘Moonwarden,’ a perfectly calm voice of the caped unicorn was not in a way corresponding with his face, which still twisted with emotions. ‘Oh, that is a very nice name,’ the blue pony stated. ‘I am very excited to have a tutor. I know there is still a lot I need to learn,’ she added in a tone that sounded a bit naïve. ‘I have an unexplainable feeling you are more than correct, initiate,’ the stallion judged coldly, not even bothering to look back at his companion. ‘So, what do we do now?’ Colgate asked, trotting a bit faster, so that she was now going alongside Moonwarden, who managed to, in an instant, change his muzzle into a perfectly emotionless mask. ‘Well, you can start with...’ the stallion tried to say something, but the mare suddenly jumped down a couple of stairs, right in front of his path, making him stop in mid trot, avoiding a nearly inevitable collision. ‘Wait... “Moonwarden”?’ she asked. ‘That Moonwarden!?’ she supported herself on her back legs and brought her muzzle very close to the grey pony’s, making him raise his eyebrow. Weren’t you the one who saved the Royal Library?’ she put her front hooves on his chest to support her balance. This was an invasion deep within the area anypony would call “personal space”. The grey stallion’s expression underwent a twitch for a split second, but quickly returned to neutral. He backed away from Colgate, taking one step upwards, making her return to a normal stance. ‘By the Lady of Dreams!’ the grey stallion hissed in invisible irritation. He make a movement like he was swiping something unpleasant from his chest but then he seemed to have calmed down. ‘And here I thought that our little confraternity has more interesting things to gossip about...’ Moonwarden added, words being heavy with cynicism. ‘Are you kidding? Everyone was talking about it!’ Colgate said with excitement and it seemed like the other pony’s reactions to her recent social rules transgression completely escaped her attention. ‘They were saying how extremely dangerous that pony trying to burn the place down was and how you bested him without a problem! And how you put down the fire before the most important books were damaged! And how you did all of that by yourself!’ she sounded like a filly who just got given a kitty for a pet and was just explaining that she is going to kiss him and hug him and feed him and so forth. ‘Oh, I can’t believe you shall be my tutor!’ she said after finally taking a breath. Moonwarden looked like he was partially amazed and partially disturbed by this mare's enthusiasm. And partially glad, for it seemed that the overall knowledge about the incident this mare mentioned did not include the Council's discontent over those lost tomes. ‘I assure you, the pleasure...’ he began with irony abundantly oozing out of his sentence, but suddenly something changed in him. There was like a slight spark in his eyes after which his muzzle brandished a warm, understanding smile and his voice switched from sarcasm to sincerity. ‘... the pleasure shall be all mine, initiate.’ ‘I am ready for everything!’ the mare declared eagerly and her own smiled broadened. ‘That is good,’ a happy expression was now stuck on the stallion’s muzzle. ‘Let us, then, converse about our cooperation,’ he said and trotted a few steps to the nearest window. The delicate moonlight was pouring in through the crystal glass. The staircase they were taking was going down one of the highest towers in this part of the city. This spire was holding the main Conclave headquarters, with the High Council having their chambers and their official seat on the very top of the building. Below, the district of Canterlot known as the Archives was sprawling. It was this part of the city where various museums, libraries and galleries were situated. The Royal Gardens were to the east, along with the Princesses’ Castle that was firmly ruling over the cityscape. In the fallen night, every single building was shining with the pale light of the Moon. ‘Firstly, initiate,’ Moonwarden began, looking outside the crystal glass at the majestic night with a faint, happy smile, ‘I hope you do not mind working night shifts.’ ‘No, not at all,’ Colgate answered with non-faltering eagerness. ‘I am okay with that, if it is necessary,’ she said and approached the other unicorn, joining him by the window. ‘It comes to my... shall we say... personal preference,’ the stallion chuckled faintly and looked further upwards to see the lunar circle. ‘It also shall help our work to remain more discreet. Now, do tell me about your arcane proficiency.’ the grey pony looked at his apprentice briefly before again focusing his stare on the Moon. ‘Well,’ the mare took a moment answer, ‘I know the basics in telekinesis, energy manipulation and projection...’ she started naming the branches of magical arts. ‘We all know these, initiate,’ Moonwarden judged. ‘I am asking about your particular talent. I need to know how crucial your aid can be in our tasks.’ He rubbed his nostrils with his front hoof. ‘Time!’ Colgate exclaimed loudly and with hearable pride. ‘Oh?’ the grey stallion turned his head and stared at the other pony with sudden interest. ‘Chronomancy? How potent are your abilities?’ ‘It is nothing to spectacular, you know...’ the mare admitted, yet without reluctance. ‘But I can make ponies move faster, for example. I remember when we were once making cupcakes with Pinkie Pie!’, the mare smiled. ‘We managed to make 74 of them, instead of 60, in the same time it would take!’ she finished laughing. ‘... cupcakes? Ekhm, I mean’ the caped pony sounded bamboozled by the fact that cupcake-making was the greatest example of the initiate’s power, but he quickly restored his previous, friendly tone, ’did you say “Pinkie Pie”? As in the Element of Laughter? Do you know her?’ ‘Please, everyone in Ponyville knows Pinkie!’ Colgate’s gleaning smile was very broad. ‘So I heard, yes...’ Moonwarden stated in a somehow comical, irritated fashion. ‘I see... Time magic then. Rarely practiced extensively, potent if mastered,’ from the looks of it, he had an inside conversation. ‘Potential to quicken mental reactions... could I use it? Probably, yes, yes...’ for a while the mare could swear that the grey stallion completely forgot that there was another pony standing right near him. But, that lasted only a moment. ‘You are full of surprises, initiate.’ Moonwarden finally said to his new apprentice. ‘Thank you, agent,’ Colgate responded with a little bow of her head. ‘ “Tutor”, if you please, initiate,’ the stallion smiled faintly, yet with authority of his recently assigned position. ‘Ah, yes, of course, sorry, ag-I mean, tutor!’ the mare lowered her head even further now, like worried she might have offended the grey unicorn. ‘But, I still don’t know what are we supposed to do together...’ she said after she raised her head. ‘In short, initiate, we will be undertaking a series of interrogations,’ Moonwarden said firmly towards the mare and then looked outside once more, like in a deep thought. ‘I-interrogations?’ Colgate asked, her smile disappearing like a candle blown out by a sudden gust of wind. ‘Yes, initiate,’ the stallion was still gazing outside. ‘As it happens, my talents and education place me within the role of information acquirer within the organization. And the Council desires for you to learn from my work,’ he said and then looked at the mare who now appeared very much different from that excited, smiling initiate Moonwarden saw her as just a minute or two ago. ‘I... I don’t think I am a good pony for this...’ she looked down, visibly saddened by the knowledge she just gained. ‘I mean... I have never even thought of myself as a...’ her voice was filled with doubt and the word she found in her mind didn’t even go through her mouth. ‘Do you find this work of mine repulsing then, initiate?’ the stallion’s question resounded within the staircase, not being answered. ‘I was hoping to finally find someone who would appreciate the amount of benefits I am brining to the cause. Seems I am destined to be... misunderstood,’ there was something of a saddened tone at the end of Moonwarden’s sentence. And that made Colgate react almost immediately. ‘No, no! I...’ she was trying to find the right words. ‘I... I understand why it is sometimes necessary, but... I just... I don’t think I ever thought I would...’ she was keeping her head down while saying this. ‘Initiate, I know it might be a harsh lesson for you, but a necessary one,’ the stallion said slowly, moving slightly closer to Colgate. ‘But... it feels... wrong...’ she nearly whispered. ‘Initiate,’ Moonwarden reached with his hoof to the blue unicorn’s chin. ‘Colgate...’ he said with softness and raised her head, gently, to make her look at him. ‘I understand your hesitation, but what I do is necessary for the sake of Equestria. Besides,’ he smiled softly, ‘I have an unexplainable feeling that you might be somepony to finally understand me for who I am...’ Colgate appeared stunned at first. A bit because of the words. And a bit because of the gesture. Then her face brightened and something of a slight blush came up on her cheeks. She took a step back, abashed a little. ‘Thank you...’ she let out a confused whisper, like she wasn’t sure for what she is really thanking the stallion. ‘Do not mention it, initiate. I am just being honest,’ the caped pony admitted. ‘Now, I will want you to start by contacting the Royal Guard in the morning,’ the tone of his voice became authoritative, yet in a way expected from a teacher. ‘Tell the Captain that I wish to begin tomorrow, after sunset. Then,’ he smiled, ‘go home and rest. See me before the entrance to the Barracks in the evening.’ ‘Alright, will do, tutor,’ Colgate, with a gentle smile, acknowledged her instructions and proceeded down the stairs, to the Conclave’s compound. Moonwarden stayed behind, again with his gaze lost in the starry night. But while the mare, touching her cheek, blushed a little and a faint, dreamy expression lurked on her mouth, the unicorn, knowing again nopony could see his grimace, allowed himself to smile smugly. --- ‘So, when shall the Conclave begin the procedures?’ Shining Armor asked, after greeting Colgate in his office. The morning sun was pouring in through the windows, brightening up the Captain’s chamber. The sunlight was reflecting off the ceremonial breastplate that was positioned in the western side of the room, the one that was being worn on official military occasions. Right now, it was nearly projecting an aura of golden authority, like another source of light. ‘This evening,’ the mare said, after sitting down on the chair offered by the host. She couldn’t help but be nervous, speaking with the Captain of the Royal Guard. ‘I am glad that the Council decided to take immediate action,’ Shining Armor looked pleased to hear those news, but there was something in his expression that made Colgate think like he was expecting bad news to follow. ‘Who shall be conducting the questionings?’ ‘My tutor, Captain. I will be accompanying him,’ the blue unicorn answered and spotted that as soon as she finished that the other pony’s face hardened a great deal, as if she had really delivered those bad news. ‘Do you mean that you are Moonwarden’s apprentice?’ he asked and Colgate couldn’t help but notice the tension in his voice, not to mention distaste when he spoke the name of her teacher. ‘Yes, since yesterday,’ she answered according to the truth, trying to observe how the other unicorn shall react. ‘I’m assigned to him for this work,’ the blue pony clarified, her voice more firm than last night when she spoke of the “work” they were to conduct. ‘What do you think of him?’ the Captain gave his guest an inquisitive, if not straightforward intimidating, look. ‘Uhm...’ Colgate was caught by surprise by this question. ‘I... why do you ask, exactly?’ she felt the need to ask for the stallion’s reasoning. Shining Armor didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he got up and approached the fireplace, now extinguished. It was like he was trying to see a proper answer amongst the grey ashes, ashes that still remembered the events of last night. He finally let out a short sigh and responded to the mare, turning around. ‘I want to know an opinion from inside of the Conclave.’ Colgate expression was betraying that she wasn’t convinced about it being the real reason why he was asking about her teacher. ‘He appears a bit strict, but nice overall. Really friendly,’ the mare gave her sincere impressions. Shining Armor raised his eyebrow. He looked like he wasn’t sure if his guest understood his question, for she clearly did not have the same pony in mind that he did. Colgate wanted to continue her answer, but the door to the office opened suddenly and a member of the Guard appeared. He stood in attention, saluted and reported. ‘Sir, the platoon is ready for inspection, sir!’ ‘Thank you, Sergeant. Dismissed!’ Shining Armor responded. Then, once the soldier closed the door behind him, the Captain turned to the mare. ‘I need to get back to my duties. But, agent, let me ask for a favor,’ the white stallion’s voice became more quiet, like out of worry of being eavesdropped. ‘Oh?’ Colgate’s expression was a mixture of eagerness and slight confusion. ‘Yes, of course... But what kind of, Captain?’ she asked also quietly and with an inquiring stare. ‘Tell your new “teacher” that I will be carefully observing him...’ Shining Armor’s eyes were cold, like plates of steel forming a cuirass. ‘I will not tolerate any more of his vile art than necessary, even if it was me who asked for aid in those interrogations in the first place. Also, I do not take lightly to threats, especially towards ones I care for...’ Colgate’s eyes were getting wider and wider. ‘... so he better be careful. Or else, he can be sure of it, I will be coming for him.’