~ The Fifth Night ~
Daily Times stood on the roof of the Minotaur's Arms Hotel, fighting off a shiver. The autumn breeze was getting colder as winter got closer, and being up here without a stitch of clothing was uncomfortable to say the least. But that was the price one had to pay for doing business, sometimes.
The letter he'd received had been very specific. No clothes, no camera, and no magic while he was up on the roof, or the meeting was off. He felt... well, naked. But that was probably the point.
From the darkness at the edge of the roof, he heard gentle hoofsteps. Daily looked towards them, and saw the silhouette of the Crusader appear in the shadows of the rooftop. She moved towards him with a predatory grace, stopping behind one of the building's signboards just shy of stepping into the moonlight. She was so poised that Daily couldn't help but feel a small bow was appropriate. He offered one, and she surprised him by offering an equal bow in return, though he was pretty sure her eyes never left him as she did.
Daily smiled his most charming smile. "Hello again, Miss Crusader. It's nice to see you again."
The mare in the cape didn't offer a greeting. She just stared at Daily from the shadows long enough to make Daily take a slow step backwards, worried that coming up here had been another serious mistake. When she finally spoke, her voice was little more than a whisper, just as it has been when she had been inches away from his ear. "When last we met, you offered me a bargain. An exchange, question for question. Does that offer still stand?"
So much for pleasantries, Daily thought. "Sure. But only if I get the first question. Seems only fair, after our previous chat."
The Crusader nodded. "Acceptable. In turn, will you swear to answer truthfully, to the best of your ability?"
"I never had any intention otherwise. Will you agree to do the same?"
"I do. We have an accord. Ask your first question."
The stallion grinned. "What's a defiler?"
The Crusader didn't seem to share his amusement, but she answered all the same. "The term 'defiler' is a shorthoof amongst those in my profession for ponies who seek to victimize others, or to bring harm to those who have done none themselves. It describes criminals of all types, but there are others to whom it sometimes applies as well. Now, my first question: what can you tell me about Stoneheart's gang?"
"Not very much you don't already know, I'd expect. Is there something specific you want to know about?"
"I would like to compare our notes. Anything you could add would be helpful."
Daily had been hoping to lure out a more specific question, but got a sense the the Crusader was wise to that. His grin faded a bit. "Stoneheart's gang is called the Quarry Hounds. From what my research turned up, that's a reference to a prison detail out of Manehattan City Penitentiary that used to work the granite quarries north of Manehattan. I'm pretty sure it has some personal significance to Stoneheart, given he's known to carry a quarry hammer around with him as a sort of weird fashion accessory. I have been trying to get my hooves on the prison's files, but it's not easy as a freelancer.
"The gang is mostly made up of young earth-pony stallions, thought there are a few notable exceptions. Most of them wear grey bandanas tied somewhere on their body to show allegiance to the gang. They serve as street enforcement for Stoneheart's criminal activities, and they get into a fair amount of mischief on their own steam. Given what I've been able to put together, he keeps his businesses very compartmentalized, so I don't think that most of the colts in the gang realize they're part of a much bigger syndicate. According to the Manehattan Sheriff's department, they estimate the number of members to be at least a hundred, and growing weekly as Stoneheart takes over and forces out the other small-time bosses. That's about it. Is that enough?"
"Is that all you know?"
"Yes."
"Then it is enough. Ask your next question."
"Who are you really?"
"I am a Crusader. Next question: what can you tell me about Stoneheart' himself?"
Daily frowned. "I thought we agreed to answer truthfully."
The Crusader levelled a cool stare at him. "I did. To the best of my ability, as stipulated. I have secrets to protect, Daily Times. You knew that full well when you asked the question. Do not patronize me, and your future questions will be more productive. Now, please answer my question."
Daily grimaced. "Fine. Stoneheart is a tough egg to crack, though. My contacts in the Sheriff's office haven't been able to tell me much, other than the fact that he's 'somepony they're keeping an eye on'. That gives me the feeling he might have a couple of deputies on the payroll already. My own impression was that his name is a good fit. He seems like the type to be equally content with shaking your hoof as he would be bucking you in the jaw. He's strong, and in more than just muscle. He has that kind of confidence you can only get by surviving hard times. He seems to like employing people of that same stripe, too. He sent a yellow pegasus around to collect me who seems like she could stare down a hydra. Truthfully, from what little I know of the both of you, I think one of the first things Stoneheart is going to do if he meets you is offer you a job. Probably followed by trying to knock your block off when you refuse, which I expect you will."
"You have met him personally, then?"
"We had a little chat a couple of nights ago. He wanted to offer me a lot of money to explain how I'd arranged my first meeting with you. I decided I wasn't interested."
The Crusader bowed her head. "I doubt that pleased him. Thank you for your discretion."
"Don't thank me yet. He gave me a week to come up with another article for him to scan for information, and that's part of the reason I'm here. I only care about reporting the truth, not in taking sides in your little turf war. My turn: why did you become a costumed vigilante?"
"It is my calling. I believe strongly in the need to uphold justice and oppose wickedness. Unfortunately, the Equestrian system of law allows many ponies to escape justice. There are not enough sheriffs and deputies to police such a large population, and their hooves are tied with the red ribbons of procedure and politics. Worse, as you have just pointed out there are those in positions of authority who stray from justice and become defilers themselves. More must be done. If that means it must be done by ponies like myself, then I accept the burden gladly. As to the costume, its only function is to protect my identity. In truth, I would rather not wear it. But as I said, I have secrets that need keeping, and my identity is one of them. Next question: where would I be most likely to find Stoneheart?"
That was too easy a question, and Daily knew it. Anyone could find a pony like that just by asking around the neighbourhoods she'd been sighted in for weeks now. Why would she waste a question on something like that? Was this some kind of trick, or was there something else at play here? Daily rolled the matter around in his head while he answered the question. "He owns a bar on the far side of midtown. It's called the Old Rock Farm. He holds court there a couple of nights a week. That's where we met. I don't know where he lives, or anywhere else he usually hangs out. Anyone I've asked has directed me there. Now, let me ask a related question: is there a reason you are picking on Stoneheart's gang in particular?"
She shook her head. "I would not say that I was. There is no... 'turf war', as you put it. The shadow of justice must fall upon the wicked, regardless of their allegiance. That I must cast that shadow on so many of Stoneheart's thugs speaks only to kind of ponies he gathers under his banner, not to any particular motivation on my part."
"I find that difficult to believe, considering all the questions you've just asked about him."
"It was you who told me of the bounty he had placed on my head. And, given your professional interest in this conflict, I expected your research on him would be no less exhaustive than your research on me. It makes sense that I would ask you what you know."
"But why ask at all, if you don't intend to go after him?"
"I would be very foolish not to prepare myself for our inevitable conflict."
"Inevitable is a strong word."
"Stoneheart is a defiler. I am a Crusader. There can be no other outcome."
Daily stared in consternation at the pony before him, and she gazed back with the same implacable certainty that Stoneheart had shown. Inevitable indeed. And bound to end badly for somepony. Maybe several someponies. Daily sighed, and shook his head. "Your turn."
She nodded. "How did you learn to use magic?"
Daily smirked. "I'm a unicorn. You're born with it. It comes from this horn on my head."
Again, the Crusader didn't seem amused. "That was not a rhetorical question. I know that some ponies can perform minor acts of magic naturally, but most require extensive training to bring out their full potential. You are capable of trans-location, which I understand is an extremely rare and difficult magical spell. I wish to know how you, an unemployed news reporter, came to command such a powerful ability."
Daily's smirk faded a little. "I prefer 'freelance', thank you very much. And that's an awfully big question. Answering it could take a while."
"I would appreciate it if you could summarize."
Daily sighed. "Whatever you say. Well, I started in magic kindergarten back when I was a foal..."
The Crusader hold up a hoof to stop him. He examined it - slightly pointed, no shoes, and rough underneath. Interesting. His eyes snapped back to her face when she began speaking. "Perhaps I am not being clear. I do not wish to hear about your schooling. I wish to hear about your training."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"Schooling gives one a list of goals they are expected to achieve - a standard to strive for. Training is the means by which you achieve those goals. The blood-sweat-and-tears part of learning to do something difficult. That is where my interest lies."
"You want to know how I learned to apperate?"
"With due respect, Daily Times, you do not strike me as the prodigal type, so I doubt you came by it naturally. I'm guessing it wasn't quick or easy, either."
Daily found himself chuckling. "Too true. Once I got my hooves on the spell I needed, which was an adventure unto itself I might add, it took me a long time to learn how to use it right."
"You were not instructed on how to use it?"
"I... didn't exactly come by it honestly. I snuck into the Canterlot Library's magical research section while my journalism class was on a tour there, and copied it out of a textbook."
"Would they not have given it to you, if you had asked?"
"I doubt it. I wasn't supposed to be in that part of the library and I don't have the accreditation, magically speaking. I've never been more than average at any area of magic. Apperation is pretty advanced. Besides, Canterlot scholars are kind of hesitant to give ponies spells they know perfectly well are going to be used for nefarious purposes."
"I can imagine. Then there are limitations to what unicorns are allowed to learn, magically speaking?"
"Well, more like guidelines. Nopony wants to see somepony hurt themselves because they tried to use a spell that was too advanced. In my case, apperating was way out of my league when I first got hold of the technique. It takes a lot of magical power, and you have to direct it all in a very controlled way in order to get the result you want. I'm not naturally gifted with a lot of power or control, but I do have the advantage of being incredibly stubborn. So I just worked it until I could do it."
"What do you mean you 'worked it'? Do you mean re-working the spell?"
"No, nothing like that. I'm not a magic theorist, and I don't want to end up with a spell that turns me inside out instead of moving me from place to place. I meant that I worked on each individual part of the spell over and over again until I could do it all, and then taught myself to do it all at once. It's... well, apperating is like holding your body-weight on your back while you're threading a needle with your teeth. To do the first part, you just have to build up the muscles in your legs until carrying that much weight isn't a big deal. You also have to spend some spare time threading needles, until you get good enough at it that doing it isn't a challenge anymore, and you can do it quickly. Once you can do both things, doing both at the same time is just a matter of practice."
"You make it sound like some kind of exercise program."
"There are similarities. A unicorn's magic is just like anything else in our body. If you use it for something all the time, that thing gets easier. I know a guy in the typesetting office at the Bulletin who can use his horn to grab thirty or forty letters at a time and place them all into the printing press at once, in order. I have a hard time moving more than three things at once, even if they're that small. But ask him to lift anything much bigger than his dictionary, and he'll break into a sweat. It's all relative."
"So you made yourself stronger and more nimble by virtue of constant practice?"
"Pretty much."
"Does that mean you can also use if reflexively?"
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Some things, with adequate practice, become a reflex rather than a conscious choice. I tend to walk very quietly, for example, whether I intend to or not. Does magic also work this way?"
Daily scratched his chin. "I don't know. I naturally tend to grab things with my magic rather then my hoof, and I don't really think about it. Does that count?"
The Crusader nodded thoughtfully. "Possibly. Given what you have told me, the development of magical talent seems to be as much about repetition and refinement as arcane study. I had thought there would be more to it than that."
Daily arched an eyebrow, curious. "You seem pleased to hear it."
"I suppose I am. This information will be very useful in solving a problem I've been having."
"How would any of this be useful to a pegasus? Are you trying to make yourself into an Alicorn or something?"
The Crusader frowned. "Do not blaspheme, Daily Times. It is uncouth, even in jest."
There it was - he'd finally provoked an unguarded comment, and it was a doozy. Worth spending a question on, even. Daily smiled. "Next question: why would you, a masked vigilante who operates outside the Laws of Equestria, be concerned about blasphemy against the Alicorns?"
He saw her grimace, and he felt the satisfaction of a bullseye. He could feel his cutie mark warm against his flank, telling him that there was a secret here - a truth that was being hidden. This was the first thing he'd asked tonight that had really touched a nerve. The only question was, would she answer it, or would she bolt?
Surprisingly, she raised her head proudly and answered. "Do not mistake my actions for a lack of respect. I hold the Princesses in higher regard than you will ever know."
"I respect the Princesses, too. But they are just ponies. I'm sure they can take a joke."
The Crusader shook her head sternly. "No. You are wrong. They are more than we are. They are paragons of noble ideals. They are a beacon of light, guiding us all in the darkness. And they deserve our respect."
"You sound more reverent than respectful. Like you worship them or something."
She glanced away. "Not worship. But reverence would be a fair description."
"Do you think Princess Celestia would be happy, knowing what you're doing?"
She stiffened. "Likely not. But I content myself with the knowing that others would be."
Daily's smile grew much wider. "I knew it! You're one of the Lunar Guard, aren't you? You work for Princess Luna!"
The Crusader, much to Daily's surprise, took a step back as if he'd physically pushed her. "It's not your turn to ask a question. It is mine. Question: what do you know about this Lunar Guard?"
Daily moved forward, eyes searching. If only he could get a look under the cape... "Almost nothing. No one does. But there are reports of sightings. Rumours that pegasi who have bat-wings instead of bird wings were seen pulling Princess Luna's sky-chariot in Ponyville. No one knows anything about them. But you're one of them, aren't you? I'm not crazy - your wings aren't normal wings. I saw them under your cape when you fell off that roof. You don't have any feathers."
She recovered herself, and stepped back towards him again. "What else do have you heard?"
Daily realized how close she was, and how intently she was staring at him, and decided backing away might be the better choice. "Why? What are you going to do, if you find out I know too much? Why are you keeping your actions a secret? What are the Luna Guards hiding from the rest of Equestria?"
She stepped forward as he retreated, closing the distance between them and bringing herself partly into the moonlight. "Answer the question! Who are they? Where did they come from? You must have heard something!"
Daily could see the colour of her eyes now - rich, shimmering copper. And full of a feeling he had not expected to see there - pain. She didn't look angry or vengeful, nor even guarded. She looked hurt - like someone who had found out they weren't invited to a party that all their friends were attending. (Daily knew that look all too well - being a gossip hound hadn't done wonders for his own social life.)
Being able to see her clearly for the first time forced Daily to re-evaluate his mental image of the Crusader. She was a little shorter than she had seemed while lurking in the shadows, and when she wasn't whispering her voice sounded much younger than he'd expected. He'd thought she was close to his age, but seeing her more clearly she looked young enough to still be in high school. And she obviously wasn't as invincible as everyone seemed to think she was. The look in her eyes was proof enough of that.
The effect was dumbfounding. He just stood there, and he heard himself say: "I'm sorry. That's all I know."
She stared at him for a moment longer, and then began to slowly retreat into the shadow.
Daily moved to follow, but stopped himself. He didn't want to risk chasing her off, just when things were really getting interesting. "Wait. Please, there's no point in hiding again. I just... I'm trying to understand what's going on."
Her reply was cold and stiff - the measured tone of someone keeping their emotions in check. "It is complicated, and I have no interest in explaining it. But let me make this clear: I am not a member of this Lunar Guard. What I am doing should not reflect badly Princess Luna or her fellow Princesses in any way. My Crusade was undertaken of my own free choice, and by my will alone. If you must print any part of this conversation, I demand that you include at least that."
Daily tried to process everything he was thinking, but in the end all he could do was sigh in irritation and shake his head. "I can't promise anything if I don't understand what's going on. None of what you're telling me makes any sense. It's not a story, it's just a bunch of strange ramblings."
The Crusader shrugged half-heartedly. "I would be lying if I said I was sorry to hear that. Perhaps now you will abandon this 'story' in favour of greener pastures. I think, being as we are even on questions, this may be the best time to conclude this meeting. Good night."
"Please. Just one more thing?"
"What?"
"Would you please show me your wings?"
The Crusader turned to go. "I think not. Turn your attention elsewhere, Daily Times. Forget this interest you have in my Crusade."
"Sorry, but I can't. And I won't."
She stopped at the edge of the roof and looked back. "Why not?"
Daily met her gaze evenly, secure in the rightness of his position. "Because you have too many secrets, and you operate outside of the law. Ponies have a right to know when someone is doing violence in their city, justified or not. And ponies have the right to know that you exist... whatever you are."
"And in so doing, turn yourself a profit at my expense?"
"If I wanted money, I could have sold you out to Stoneheart. What I want is the truth. I believe that ponies have the right to an informed opinion. As a reporter, it's my job to make sure they have the information they need to form one. Even if I can't print anything we've spoken of tonight, that doesn't mean I won't use what we talked about to continue my investigation. And I intend to do just that, until I can understand who you are and why you're doing what you do. So you may as well just show me now, because sooner or later I'm going to find out anyways."
The Crusader turned, moving back towards Daily and into the moonlight again. She stopped in front of him, staring up into his face. He stared back, not allowing himself to be intimidated by her intensity. In the end, she looked away first. Then, to his surprise, she rolled her shoulders and shrugged aside her cape. From beneath it she unfurled two great leathery bat-wings. They were wider than he had expected, for her size. She held them there for only a handful of seconds, fully out-stretched in the moonlight, before folding them along her flank, much as a pegasus would.
A dozen questions came to mind, but he decided the most obvious was the most important. Besides, it was the only one she was likely to answer. "What made you change your mind?"
Her eyes shifted slightly, and Daily guessed she was smirking under her cowl. "I believe you when you say that you are stubborn. I am prone to a similar way of thinking, so if you will not abandon your inquiry I must accept that sooner or later you will confirm your suspicions. Seen in that light, I decided that denying you seemed petty."
"That's surprisingly magnanimous of you."
"While your intentions will make you an enemy to my Crusade in the future, you are not a defiler. I would like to think that despite our differences we might be able to maintain a level of respect in our discourse. Consider this a gesture of goodwill, in hopes that if we cannot be allies, we can at least be civil."
Daily's grin returned. "I can live with that. Anything to keep you from putting me in any more choke holds."
A hint of amusement found its way into her voice. "I make no promises in that regard. There is such a thing as civilized combat."
"So where does that leave us, then?"
The Crusader considered that for a moment. "I suppose that it leaves you owing me one final question. So here it is: do you ever stare up at the night's sky when you are walking around the city?"
Daily thought about it for a moment. "Not in the city. I used to stargaze sometimes, back when I was in Colt Scouts. We'd go camping near the pine forests to the south, and out there the stars seem to go on forever. But here in the city... no. Not really."
The Crusader nodded. "Nor does anypony else. They are so busy worrying about what could be lurking in the shadows nearby that they spend all of their time looking to the cobblestones and the alley ways, and never think to look up. Every night the sky lights up with majestic wonders and sublime beauty, and almost nopony notices. But I notice. And I want to live in a world where everypony else notices too. A world where good ponies don't have to worry about the shadows, and are free to revel beneath the stars. Free to look up."
She looked up herself, pointing above their heads. "This hotel has one of the nicest views of the Rearing Archer in the whole city. It's one of the reasons I chose for us to meet here. Do you see it, just there?"
Daily looked towards where she was pointing, and found the constellation immediately. It was nostalgic, and after a moment he looked up to where the Great Wyrm stretched across the sky above them, remembering the night his scout leader had taught him how to find north and south by finding the head and the tail. He looked back towards where the Crusader was standing, intending to share the story.
But she was gone.