//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Chasing Stars // Story: The Crusaders: A Shadow Over Manehattan // by Starhunter //------------------------------// "Greetings, Twilight Crusaders, Three weeks past, a pact was made between four ponies united in common spirit. As the days grow shorter, I now stand ready to make good on my promises. These letters shall serve as guideposts to a secret place I have discovered for our use. Know that the path is long, but that the distance is not without purpose. I look forward to seeing you all tonight, if you choose to make this journey with me. Now, to work. In the moment before the daylight descends, gather you three at the site of our first encounter. The sunset in Equestria has always been mercifully swift, but that makes its twilight fleeting. Given the nature of your Crusade, it is vital to strike out on your journey just as the last rays of the sun fall behind the distant mountains. Once the Blessed Moon stands fully in the sky, your time will have passed, and the chance for an auspicious beginning will be lost. So tarry not, for time is of the essence." Seek you first the mighty Dragon I spoke of in our last encounter. Chase the Dragon's tail unto the fifth crossroads, then seek its smaller cousin. Let her guide you to the Path of Golden Lights. The path is brief, but it will lead you towards deep reflections. From here, be guided by the bonds of friendship, old then new." === === === === === The alley certainly seemed less intimidating under the light of day, Babs though. The last time she'd stood where she was now, she had been just this side of terrified. But she'd stayed true to the lessons her friends in Ponyville had taught her about standing up for ponies, and she'd been rewarded with the chance to meet a real Crusader. Her parents didn't really go in for the whole destiny thing (which was understandable, coming from two successful self-made ponies) but tonight, standing here at the place where it all began... it felt special. Like she was supposed to be here. She looked over at her fellow crusaders, and she could tell right away that the feeling wasn't universal. Misty was being suspicious of everything, as if she expected something (or somepony) to jump out from the shadows at any moment. Squall looked about as wound-up as Babs felt, but his energy seemed to be more a manifestation of his nerves than his excitement. They'd spent the afternoon together looking at maps and trying to get an idea of where the instructions Cold Star had left them were leading, but too many of the clues had seemed like they were based on visual cues rather than riddles. If they wanted to see where this path was going to take them, they would just have to walk it down. Babs turned towards the mountains in the distance, watching through squinted eyes as the sun slowly began to fall, just as Misty had predicted. Misty, having attended school in Canterlot for years before moving here, knew all about the calculations the Princesses used to plan the time of sunset each day throughout the fall, allowing winter to arrive in due course. Babs wondered if Cold Star had guessed Misty would know, or if she'd simply expected them to be able to figure it out on their own. Maybe that sort of thing was common knowledge where she was from. It went on the list of things she was eager to ask Cold Star about. Babs looked back and forth between her compatriots. "Aw'right everypony. The sun's movin'. If Misty's right, that gives us about two hours before the Moon rises all the way. Are we ready to do this?" Misty still looked wary, and Squall still looked nervous, but they both stepped forward without a second thought. Babs remembered the last time they'd stood in this place, when they followed her in to face the gang of colts. That choice had put them all in danger. Seeing them willing to do it all again anyways warmed her heart in a way she couldn't describe. Moved by the moment, Babs grabbed both of her friends and dragged them into an impromptu group hug. Misty giggled in spite of herself. "Crusaders stick together, right?" Squall sighed. "Does that have to mean literally?" Babs let them go, smiling at the blush that Squall's white fur did almost nothing to hide. "Aw, come off it, Squall. In a few years you'll be beggin' for hugs from cute fillies. Enjoy 'em while they last." Squall grunted back. "Whatever. Girls are weird. And we're wasting time. The sun is already most of the way down. We have to be ready to move when the twilight starts. How does the first part go again?" Babs reached into her saddlebag and pulled out her message. "We have to 'seek the mighty Dragon'. That's probably the constellation of the Great Wyrm. Accordin' to the star charts we looked at, it's probably gonna be right over our heads, someplace. Everypony look for it." All three of them looked up, watching as the darkness spread across the sky and the first stars flickered into view. The city lights made seeing all of the fainter stars difficult, but Cold Star had chosen one of the largest and clearest constellations to begin their journey. Misty pointed up. "Look! There are the three stars that form the Dragon's head. Which means the tail is... there!" Babs grinned. "Chase the tail. Those stars are to the north, down 18th street. Five intersections will put us about half way to midtown. Let's go!" And with that, they were off. * * * * * From the rooftops far above, Cold Star watched her students reach their first destination at the corner of 18th and Pebblebrook. She was pleased to see that they spent little time deliberating over the second clue; they noticed the sign for the Rattlesnake Roadhouse three blocks down, and hurried off to seek the golden lights. She leapt from rooftop to rooftop, staying far enough behind them that she could watch them with only a minimal chance of being seen by the cape-wearing ponies below. Observation, her Master has taught her, was one of the key elements to overcoming any challenge. One needed to understand a problem in great detail in order to find the best possible solution. She normally applied this kind of thinking to develop infiltration strategies or when facing dangerous opponents in combat, but it had occurred to her that it was equally valid as a teaching tool. Her Master had encouraged her to study the traditional ways set out by their ancestors, but his own lessons always began with him drawing attention to a strength or weakness she held within herself. Now, without many of those traditions to fall back on, all she could do was to try and emulate his wisdom. After only a few blocks of watching them, Cold Star was already making useful observations. The first matter that would need addressing was the disparity in their levels of fitness. It didn't come as much surprise to find that Babs Seed was the most fit; being an Earth Pony the craving for physical activity would be naturally strong in her. She was also tall for her age, and the combination of those two factors meant she had to control her pace to keep from leaving her companions behind. Misty Morning, despite being only slightly shorter (and also somewhat leaner than the heavyset Babs, if Cold Star was being fair and honest), seemed to be having a terrible time keeping up. They had travelled barely twelve blocks in all so far but Misty was already gasping and asking Babs to slow down. Was this the standard level of an Equestrian student's physical education? Her Master would have wept for the students here. Squall wasn't faring much better. It was obvious that being the shortest and smallest of build that he was likely to have a hard time keeping up with a runner like Babs, so he'd abandoned running not long after they'd departed, opting to fly just above the pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk instead. But even there he struggled a bit to keep pace with her, and he seemed to give an unnecessarily wide berth to any kind of obstacle nearby, from shop canopies to lamp posts. To Cold Star's eyes, he seemed tentative in his flying and skittish towards obstacles. He would need to work on that. He also needed to do something about the unruliness of his shaggy brown hair - his bangs were too long, and he kept having to shake them out of his face any time he looked down to check on the others. It cost him momentum every time he did it, and made his flying technique look even more awkward than it already did. Cold Star was forced to briefly abandon her observations as her keen hearing picked up a nearby cry for help. She crossed the rooftops quickly, seeking out the origin of the distressed shouts. In a nearby side-street she saw a filly lying on the pavement with a bloodied nose and tears in her eyes, calling out after another mare fleeing on hoof with a wallet in her teeth. A purse-snatching, and with the defiler still in sight. The Sacred Night called out for justice, and Cold Star answered. A few streets ahead, the cowardly thief ducked into an alley to examine her ill-gotten gains only to find Cold Star waiting. Moments later her distraught victim arrived on the scene with a Deputy in tow, only to find the stolen purse sitting neatly atop a nearby dumpster which had been latched closed, with the half-hearted echoes of a slightly worse-for-wear purse-snatcher echoing from inside. Cold Star noted with some amusement that the Deputy opted to read the thief her rights before letting her out of the smelly refuse container. The Crusader returned to the rooftop where she had last seen the Twilight Crusaders, but the youngsters had already moved out of view. This wasn't too great a problem - she would be able catch up with them at the bridge, if she took a short-cut. That would prove easier than trying to get across all the crowded streets below without being seen, at any rate. Finding another abandoned alley, Cold Star glided down to the pavement. With a deft flick of her hooves she pried up the manhole cover there and a moment later she was gone, down into the welcoming darkness of the city's underground. * * * * * Finding the Path of Golden Lights had been much easier than Misty had expected. The Rattlesnake Roadhouse stood on the corner across from the Spotlight Theatre. Misty had been down here a bunch of times "taking in the culture" with her parents, so she quickly led her companions down the block towards the heart of entertainment in Manehattan. The Bridleway Theatre lit up after dark, and all the way down the street beyond it the smaller theatres and art houses did their best to imitate its grandeur with billboards glowing a brilliant golden yellow, each advertising a different play or musical act. Misty took a few moments as they passed to take note of what was playing where - her parents would inevitably drag her out here to hob-nob with the local artists again, so she took every chance to suggest shows that she might actually want to see. Anything to avoid having to sit through another three-hour performance of "the Barber of Ponyville". Nearby, Babs and Squall were pouring over the first letter while looking for the next clue. Misty had already guessed that their path would take them towards the river; talking about 'deep reflections' was much too cheesy for a sensible pony like Cold Star to mean it anything but literally. But she didn't offer her solution to Babs or Squall. She still wasn't sure this was a good idea, and the delay gave her time to catch her breath and think about what to do next. She had spent the past few weeks going through her father's magical texts looking for information about Bat Ponies. There wasn't much, since no one had really seen one for almost a millennium. So instead she had started learning spells that might be useful if Cold Star was up to something. She had learned a light-bringer spell since Cold Star probably preferred the dark, and a charm for retracing your path, in case they needed to find their way back from somewhere dangerous Cold Star had taken them. She had wanted to learn a freezing spell, or a force-field, but both of those had tired her out and left her sweating with the effort. It seemed her magic wasn't ready for that kind of difficult spell yet. Babs called her over. "Hey, we think the next clue is about the river. What do you think?" Misty nodded. "Deep reflections... makes sense to me. Let's go." The River-walk was a popular place for couples to meet in the evening, and the Crusaders passed a number of young couples lounging on benches and staring out over the water. The warm light of the street-lamps made the place very inviting. Babs pulled out her letter again. "It says 'from here, be guided by the bonds of friendship, old then new'. There seems to be a lot of friendly ponies around. Do you think she means that we should talk to somepony?" Squall didn't look convinced. "If she wanted this to stay a secret, she wouldn't tell more ponies than she had to. It's probably a landmark. Maybe a place that ponies like to visit with friends or something?" Misty sighed. This clue was a bit obscure, and both Babs and Squall seemed to be focused on finding a thing rather than reading carefully. If she kept quiet, maybe they might eventually give up when they didn't find the right thing. That might be best for everyone. For a moment she seriously considered it, but she felt guilty right away. She'd said it herself: being a Crusader meant sticking together. That meant helping them get to Cold Star, even if deep down she didn't really want to go herself. Misty pulled out her own letter. "I don't think it's a place. I think she's telling us which letters to look at next. Mine, then Squall's." Babs frowned. "How do you figure?" "The bonds of friendship she's talking about is us. The phrase 'old then new' is talking about the order we met. You and I became friends first, and then we made friends with Squall later. She's telling us the order we're supposed to use the letters, so that if someone else read them they won't know whose to use next. Like Squall said, she's making it so only we can understand what to do." Babs and Squall looked at each other, both grinning excitedly. Misty smiled back, wishing she could share their fun in all this. She held up her note so that they could all read it. It had much the same introduction as Babs', but the instructions were different. ===== ===== ===== ===== Stand before the red tower, then ford the river there. Beyond it, a royal welcome should await you. Cross six roads in this stately pace, and then take a moment's rest before you continue. This path we will travel together is long, and for the one who bears this letter it is sure to carry you farther and farther from your ancestral home. But we must keep true to the path, for only then will the sweetest delights appear before us. Do not succumb to its temptation, however. Steer your eyes away, and follow the path of rightness. It will carry you where you need to go. I hope to see you all soon. ===== ===== ===== ===== Misty pointed towards the bridge nearby. "The red tower is the lighthouse at the edge of the bridge. I guess she wants us to cross here, and then look for this 'royal welcome' on the other side." "Then what're we waitin' for?" said Babs, smiling broadly. "We don't wanna miss our welcome, right?" And just like that they were off again. Misty bit back a complaint about sweating not being lady-like, and gamely ran along after them. * * * * * The river that cut through the middle of Manehattan was wide and deep, so building the bridges necessary to connect the two shores of the metropolis had been no small undertaking. With each of them reflecting a massive investment of time, bits and effort, their engineers had made certain they were built to last. They boasted an extensive support structure made up of huge concrete pillars and iron beams crisscrossing beneath the roadways that saw ten of thousands of ponies cross by carriage, trolley, train and hoof at every hour of the day and night without any hint of difficulty. Cold Star had always been partial to the Paddleton Bridge. Named for the small, one-pony operated ferry-boat that had crossed earth-bound ponies here every day for fifty years back in the city's infancy, Paddleton Bridge was the only bridge in Manehattan that was exclusively for hoof-traffic. Cold Star often used the steel undercarriage of the bridge to get from one side of the river to the other during the early hours of the night when most ponies were still awake. Unlike the other bridges the street noise from above was minimal, allowing her sharp hearing to pick up snatches of conversation going on above. When she'd first come to Manehattan, she had spent several evenings out near the middle of the bridge where the oppressive blare of city noises was distant and the ponies above seemed almost like they were just walking by, instead of passing ten paces above her head. It had been a very lonely time for her; so lonely that she could still recite the local tour guide's speech about the bridge's history and its view of the Statue of Harmony from memory. She'd followed that tour along under the bridge many more times than she would have cared to admit, pretending she was a part of the tour instead of lurking, hidden from sight in the bridge's metal underbelly. Above, her long ears picked out several familiar hoof-beats as they hurried across the bridge. Cold Star kept pace; an amusing inversion of her first meeting with the Twilight Crusaders. She tugged her hat off with one wing to free up her ears, and paused long enough to pick up their voices above. "So, what do you think Cold Star is going to teach us first?" Squall sounded excited, and she could hear his wings beating unevenly as he circled his friends from above. "Dunno. I hope it's somethin' excitin' though. She seemed kinda surprised that we didn't know how to fight, so maybe she'll start with that." Babs sounded as eager as she had last time she'd suggested learning those particular skills. Misty, on the other hoof, did not. "Oh, joy. Just what a Unicorn needs. Lessons on how to combat ruffians in the least efficient way possible." "Hey, not all of us have a magic goon-stoppin' horn on our face. Some of us have to do it the old fashion way." "Yeah. I mean, I'd be happy just learning that last trick, where she held that big colt up against the wall with one wing. I bet that guy is never going to mess with her again." Misty groaned. "Oh, I'm sure we will. And we'll all get to practice with each other, no doubt. Just think what a delight it will be to have an expert like her clobbering us all the time. I, for one, can hardly wait." "Better her than Prancewell or Skyler." There was a long moment of tense silence up on the bridge before Babs spoke up again. "Hey, Squall. Those guys... they aren't still botherin' you, are they?" "Don't worry about it, Babs." "Aw, what in the hills, Squall? I told you if those colts hassled you again, you should come find me." "Why? So you can get sent home from school again, because of me? No thanks. I'll handle it." "Squall, darling. Babs is right. If they've started bullying you again, we want to help." "Can we please drop it?" Squall gave an irritated sigh. "Listen, we all get picked on for being blank-flanks, right? It's not a big deal. Seriously. I'm fine. I just want to make sure if anypony tries to shove me in a locker again, I get the better end of the deal, that's all. Now let's worry less about me and more about not missing our meeting. What do you think she means by a royal welcome?" There was another pause before Misty spoke. "I'm not sure. But I doubt she's sending us a welcoming committee, so I suspect it's probably another reference." "Makes sense. So, maybe somethin' you'd expect to see at a royal reception. Misty, you ever been to one of those?" "Of course. Living in Canterlot, not a month goes by that the Princess doesn't attend some big social event. It usually starts off with a bunch of guards showing up and getting into formation, and then the royal chariot arrives, and then everyone starts cheering. It's all a lot of fanfare." "Wait, did you say fanfare?" Squall sounded interested. "Like, a bunch of horns, right?" "Well, yes. There's usually an actual fanfare when a Princess arrives. It's traditional." "And Cold Star would know that, since Princess Luna used to visit... her tribe... right?" "Oh, I get it. Squall, that's great thinkin'! We get across the bridge, and head northwest six blocks." "Could someone explain what I'm missing, please?" "The Trumpet. It's one of the constellations Cold Star showed us last time. Weren't you payin' attention?" Misty huffed. "Hey, I got the last three. It's only fair that it be someone else's turn. And can we please keep in mind she said to do this part at a stately pace." The only reply was firnedly laughter from her comrades. Cold Star fell back a little as they reached the far side of the bridge, and the Crusaders quickly moved out of earshot. She took a few moments to reflect on what she had heard. It had been instructive, certainly, but also a bit troubling. Why had Babs been sent home from school? What would she do about Misty's preference for magical combat over hoof-to-hoof techniques? Who were Prancewell and Skyler, and why did Squall bristle so much when he spoke of them? All these questions and more dogged Cold Star as she found her way to a familiar water runoff pipe. She ducked inside, hooking her wingtips into her cape to keep it from dragging in the muddy pipe-water. She would rinse her hooves at the spillway just ahead, and if all went well, she would be back up on the rooftops before the Crusaders reached the park. * * * * * Squall's legs were exhausted as Misty's letter guided them through the business district towards Thornhill Park. He'd been able to keep up by winging along so far, but was relieved when they paused near the public water fountain to re-hydrate and munch on some of the honey-and-nut loaf Babs had brought. Squall chewed on his thoughtfully, watching the moon rise slowly over the buildings nearby. It would be fully up within the hour, and he had no intention of arriving late. Misty steered them eastward and slightly north, putting her "ancestral home" in Canterlot at their backs as they made their way through the park's small forest. They worried about how far to follow the route until they arrived at the top of a hill where the treeline ended and Squall called a halt. "Look, the Big Apple is right in front of us in the sky. That must be the sweetest delight she was talking about. What's next?" Misty held up her note. "It says to follow the path of rightness. Shouldn't that be righteousness? They gathered around the page Misty was holding, and after a few moments Babs groaned. "Down there. Just outside the park. Bighorn's Saloon. Then back towards the river again." Squall frowned. "How do you know?" "It's a pun. 'Steer you eyes'. Steer. Bull. Bighorns. And 'path of rightness' just literally means to go right instead of left." Misty looked thoughtful. "That's a lot less clever than I'd expected." Babs shrugged. "It's probably pretty hard to come up with this many tricky hints. There's bound to be a couple of duds, here or there. That kicked off Babs and Misty bickering about how difficult writing these clues must have been, but Squall ignored them. Instead, he focused on reviewing his own letter, since Misty's letter seemed to have exhausted it's clues. He didn't bother to take the letter out of his bag - he'd already committed all three letters to memory in case they got lost or damaged somehow. He wondered if Misty had done the same, since they both shared a bit of an egghead streak. But where Misty was good at solving puzzles, Squall was just good at memorizing things. ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== Stand before the red tower, then place the river at your back. Make your way forward undaunted, even as an obstacle rises up to stand in your way. Only one who walks the paths I favour can lead you forward now, and they will face a mighty foe. A wise pony would do well to keep his friends from harm's way. Once you have your bearings, make your way ahead four blocks, where you shall be confronted once again. Face your foe, and press him from the flank. Seek the darkness that lies between the eye and the stars, and watch for a signal that will serve as proof the path you follow is true. ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== They'd come far enough north that Squall could see another bridge coming up ahead; the Dragon's Gate Bridge, the biggest in the city. He scanned the shore, and the nearest lighthouse was on the far bank. Squall couldn't help but smile to himself at Cold Star's cleverness. He'd wondered why both his letter and Misty's had started with the exact same instructions, but now it was clear. The red towers were one of the only obvious clues, and anypony reading the letters could figure out Cold Star was talking about the beacon towers, placed along the river to make sure ships coming down the river knew where the bridges were. The letter to Babs got them to the correct starting lighthouse, and then told them which letter to use to get to the next one. Without that information, anypony else would have to guess where to start, and then in what order to continue. On the far side of the bridge they made their way up the hill, bringing them right to the front doors of the Minotaur's Arms Hotel. Squall watched the massive statue that served as the hotel's mascot drew closer, it's fearsome horns and looming, muscular frame lit by the streetlights below it. The long shadow it cast on the building beyond made a chill run up his spine, and he found himself on the ground next to Babs and Misty before he even realized he'd changed direction. Babs asked for his letter, and they looked at it together. "Well, the hotel is a pretty big obstacle. It goes about a block each direction, so we obviously need to turn here somewhere. I guess the Minotaur is the mighty foe, but what does 'one who walks the paths I favour' mean?" Misty shook her head. "I haven't a clue. Perhaps an alley nearby that you can see the minotaur from?" Babs shrugged. "Could be. Or someplace dark, maybe?" Squall looked back at the giant shadow on the hotel, and then up at the sky above. "Actually, I think you're half right, Babs. I've got a hunch. You two wait here a minute. I'll be right back." Squall leapt back into the air, his tired wings straining as he forced them into a steep climb. But a few moments later he stood on the shadowy rooftop of the hotel. It was the tallest building this side of mid-town, and above him the starlit sky filled his vision. As he looked, he found exactly the constellation he had guessed he would in the sky to the east, which had been blocked from view by the hotel: the Rearing Archer, bow in hoof. "He looks like a mighty foe, all right," muttered Squall to himself. To keep out of harm's way, they'd go the oppose way from where the arrow would fly - north again. Four blocks, then east again, to 'confront' the Archer. Their final destination would be somewhere on that street. His mother being who she was, Squall had been forced to memorize a map of the city at a very early age, before he was allowed any kind of freedom to go out flying by himself. He matched his expected directions to the map in his head, and guessed that their final destination was somewhere on Vanner Street right near the edge of the Mosaic. The Mosaic was one of the less well-to-do parts of Manehattan. It was as far from both Midtown and the river as you could be and still be considered 'downtown', so the property there was a lot cheaper. Because it was cheaper to live there a lot of folks who were just moving to the big city from other towns or countries often chose to live there, which was why is was called the Mosaic - ponies, griffins, bovines and minotaurs all living together within the same dozen square blocks. Of all the places in town one could walk around in a cape and not get a second look, the Mosaic was at the top of the list, so it made sense that Cold Star might have her secret hide-out there. Mind you, it was still a poorer neighbourhood, with the slightly higher rate of crime that came with it. His mother would have a heart attack if she knew her son was heading there to meet with a Bat Pony well after dark. Squall swallowed heavily, and hoped fervently that she wouldn't ask for specifics later. Having figured out their next direction, Squall took advantage of the view to look back over the path they'd already taken. He laid it out on the map in his head, and was puzzled. It was basically a giant crescent. They could have hopped on the trolly in front of Babs' place and been dropped off no more than a ten minute canter from wherever they were likely to end up on Vanner Street. Why then did Cold Star have them cross the bridge only to turn around and come back? In the spy novels Squall sometimes read, special agents did that sort of thing to identify anypony who was following them. He mentally kicked himself for not having thought to check if they were being followed - if he led some Sherrif right to Cold Star, he'd never live it down. Fortunately, other than Babs and Misty, Squall didn't see anypony else hanging around in the street below. He ran through the letters again in his head, wondering if there was anything else like that he had missed. He thought about her words to Babs, that the path would be long, but not without purpose. He looked at his mental map again, plotting the course step by step, and thinking about where they had stopped at each point. Looking down at his friends, he suddenly had that warm satisfied feeling one got when they figured out something clever. Still grinning like a fool, he stepped off the rooftop and floated down into the courtyard below, ready to lead his friends to their final destination. * * * * * It would figure, Babs thought, that Cold Star's journey would both begin and end in an alley. This particular alley stood just as Squall's letter directed, between the eye and the stars. In this case, the stars referred to the sign for "All-Stars Wagon Repair and Sales" on one side, and "The All-Seeing Eye" on the other, an establishment whose front sign offered "readings for cards or hooves, and all manner of charms for good-fortune". All three of them agreed that it seemed like a good bet, but Misty had thought perhaps they should stay out on the street where the lamp light made it easier to see. Squall made his way into the alley instead. "Come on. I'm one hundred percent sure this is the place, but we have to be standing here in the alley before we'll be able to see the signal." Misty frowned slightly. "I don't see how you can be so thoroughly convinced." Squall grinned. "Look up. This is going to be awesome." Misty and Babs both looked up, and realized that the Moon was just now reaching it's full height, which made it shine directly down the mouth of the alley from just above the rooftop at the other end from where they had entered. Babs glanced over at Squall. "You mean the moon?" "Wait for it..." Babs looked back up just in time to see a caped figure appear on the rooftop, standing silhouetted in the moonlight. It was a mare with fur the colour of storm clouds, wearing a hat and cowl that masked her every feature save the coppery hue of her eyes. It was unmistakably Cold Star. Without undue ceremony she stepped off of the roof, allowing her leathery wings to stretch out and glide her silently into the alley to stand beside her three fellow Crusaders. "Told you," said Squall. "Totally awesome." Babs nodded. Misty caught herself before she rolled her eyes, instead keeping her gaze fixed firmly on the Bat Pony before her. Cold Star seemed amused as she bowed slightly. "Hail, Twilight Crusaders. I'm gratified that you would permit me such an overly dramatic entrance. It is good to see you all once more." Babs saw Misty bowing slightly in return, and did her best to copy the movement. Squall just stood there grinning, obviously a bit oblivious to anything other than their teacher's arrival. Cold Star looked toward him. "Summer Squall, I notice you anticipated my arrival. Good work." Squall's grin got even wider, but he just pawed at the ground, and blushed a bit in response. "I guessed when I was up on the hotel. We stopped in a lot of open spaces with tall buildings nearby. Were you following us the whole time?" "Something like that. Your route tonight followed one of the patrol paths I normally use, so in a way you were being made to precede my arrival at places I was already going. As I said, the path was not without purpose. While I will honour my agreement with you, I still have my Oaths to uphold, and patrolling every night without fail is an important part of that, even on night we're training together." Babs stepped forward. "So, did we do aw'right? And did we make it in time?" She nodded approvingly. "Yes. Your diligence is a credit to your future duty, all of you. Be proud, for this first task was not an easy one." She paused for a moment to glance up at the moon. "Indeed, you have arrived with time to spare. Which is good, since that will allow us a bit more time together this evening. There is much to discuss, and a few formalities that must be observed before we can begin anything in earnest." She turned, leading the Crusaders further into the alley. "Please come with me. There is someone that I would like for you all to meet." In various states of curiosity and excitement, the three Crusaders hurried to follow.