~ The Sixth Night ~
Cold Star made it to the Paddleton Bridge just after midnight. She carried a small paper sack full of freshly fried zucchini sticks from an all-night diner a few blocks from the bridge. She had rescued the owners from a holdup one night, and they had made a great fuss about repaying her somehow. She was uncomfortable accepting any kind of payment for doing her duty, but that didn't keep her from arranging to collect an order of fried zucchini once a week from a drop-box in the alley behind the diner. Even a Crusader needed to eat, after all.
She usually ate under the bridge, since it was a well hidden place where she could actually rest for a few minutes between patrols. It was dark and damp, and it gently echoed the waves below and the hoofsteps passing overhead. In short, it reminded her of home. It was also nicely secluded; other than the rare drunken pegasus who wound up there by accident and lingered for only a few moments before proceeding on their way, she had never encountered anyone down there. So it came as quite a shock when a burst of light suddenly lit up the darkness and a loud snap echoed through the bridge's undercarriage.
Instinct took over - Cold Star dropped the bag of food and dived behind concrete support, trying to blink away the blind spot the flash of light had seared in her vision. She focused on her hearing, picking up the scrape of bone against steel, and then the sound of somepony stepping into free-fall. She heard the snap of pinfeathers - a pegasus, or a small griffin. Were they getting away, or circling around for an attack while she was blinded?
Not willing to risk the latter, Cold Star circled around the pillar herself and then leapt up into the rafters above. She hooked her hooves around one of the girders, hanging down from the overhead beam. She tensed her every muscle, ready to launch herself from the deepest shadows at her would-be predator as soon as they came into view. The vibrations of the metal around her announced the return of her ambusher, but the sound that accompanied their arrival gave her pause: the crinkle of a paper take-away bag, and a familiar voice.
"Um... hello? Are there any other Crusaders under this bridge?"
Cold Star scowled. "Only one, young colt. And she is quite displeased with you."
"I kind of figured you might be, yeah. Could you please come out where I can see you?"
Cold Star let go of her roost and dropped back down to the supports below. Summer Squall stood nearby, a paper bag held in one hoof and a small camera hanging around his neck.
He held out the bag, head bowed in remorse. "I caught it before it hit the water. I'm sorry I made you drop it."
Cold Star snatched the bag from him, the adrenalin and a wild mix of emotions all rushing up and threatening to burst out in a flurry of anger and betrayal. She focused on the darkness in herself, and let the feelings fall away into it before she allowed herself to speak. "Explain yourself."
Squall frowned, reaching back into his saddlebag and producing a newspaper. He thrust it out in front of himself with the front page facing her. It was the Bulletin. In the dim moonlight she could make out the headline: "A Shadow Over Manehattan - An Exclusive Interview with the Mysterious Masked Crusader." There was a small byline photo of Daily Times underneath it.
"You did another interview."
Cold Star picked up the paper and glanced through the article. It was surprisingly thin. No mention of her questions about magic, and no mention of having seen her wings. She suspected that to be a calculated gambit - he was saving that revelation for when he could back it up with a photo. Cold Star looked back at Squall. "This is not an explanation."
Squall looked away. "When I saw the first article they printed, I got worried. I couldn't help thinking that if somepony like him could catch you unaware, then other ponies could too. So I went and asked Zelest about it. She told me a bunch of weird, confusing things, but the one that stuck with me was that I needed a plan where I could be the one to take action. And then this got published, and I started worrying all over again. This was the only plan I could come up with to do anything about it."
Cold Star put the food down next to her and stared at Squall. He looked utterly crestfallen. The anger in her chest was still throbbing, but there were hints of sympathy flickering at the edges now. "And what was this action intended to accomplish?"
"I... guess I just wanted to know if I was worrying for nothing. So I thought, why not go ahead and do it. Set a trap. See if you fell into it. If you didn't, I'd know I was getting all worked up for nothing. And if you did... well, at least it was me, not somepony who wanted to hurt you. Or sell you up the river, like this Daily Times jerk."
Cold Star sighed, the anger seeping out of her and being replaced with a cool numbness. "And now that your fears have been confirmed?"
Squall sat back himself, pulling his wings around himself. "I don't know. I honestly thought you were going to catch me in the act. That's all I've been thinking about for the last couple of hours while I was sitting out here. I kept expecting you to sneak up behind me and tap me on the shoulder or something. Or maybe just knock me on my plot. Not like I don't deserve it."
Cold Star shook her head sadly. "I am glad that I did not. You are right - I let my guard down. This place is one of the few comfortable places I have known here in Manehattan. It was becoming a sort of sanctuary for me, away from the bustle of the streets. Clearly, thinking of it that way has made me complacent. I should have recognized that public places, no matter how infrequently travelled, are not safe. I should be more vigilant, and more wary of my surroundings."
Squall's ears drooped even more. "I'm sorry. You like it under here, and I'm ruining it."
That was true, Cold Star supposed. She would never again be able to think of this as her cozy resting place. But telling him that would have been unkind, so instead she forced a smile onto her face. "Do not be sorry. You have done an admirable job of displaying a weakness I have allowed myself to develop. Rather, I should thank you, one Crusader to another, for helping me to become stronger."
She bowed her head respectfully, and Squall bowed formally in return. It was not the first bow she'd seen him display and she couldn't help but notice how graceful and practised he seemed. She was constantly surprised by Squall's hidden depths.
Squall managed to offer a thin smile in return as he seated himself across from her. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I have a bottle of hot soup. My mother's corn and potato chowder. Guaranteed to warm you up on a cool autumn night. I thought you might like a warm meal, if I did happen to run into you." He glanced at the paper bag. "That is, unless you would rather eat whatever you've got there in the bag."
Cold Star glanced at the large, insulated bottle. "As gracious as that offer is, I think you ought to be getting home. I cannot imagine your mother would be comfortable with you being out this late. She must be worried."
Squall shrugged. "Nah. Someone called in sick at the weather station, so she's doing an overnight double. Overtime gets paid a big bonus, so she won't come home until they kick her out in the morning. I figured I'd wait here until just before three, and head back then if I hadn't seen you. Even then, I'll get home way before she will. She'll never know I was out here."
"That does little to make me think she would approve of you being out so late."
Squall shifted a little, his jaw set stubbornly. "She gets scheduled to work all night at least once every other week. Usually more, since she's first in line to cover for anypony who calls in sick. So I get stuck at home alone. I don't see why I can't go out too, once in a while. Especially when someone else I know is going to be up all night anyway."
"Do you not have school in the morning?"
"I caught a nap between seven and ten, and I'll catch another one when I get home. I'll be fine."
It was the same unassailable logic she had employed when she was younger to justify various foolishness, and she recognized that argument would be futile. She could demand he leave, but that would only hurt his feelings further. So instead she took the insulated bottle and placed her bag of fried food down on the beam between them. "Then I thank you for the soup. In return, I offer zucchini sticks. I am told they are the best in town, but since they are the only ones I have ever eaten that may be an exaggeration."
Squall snuffled at the bag, his eyes going wide. "They smell delicious. Where did you get them?"
"From an acquaintance. We have a standing arrangement."
"That sounds like an interesting story. I'd love to hear about it."
Cold Star pulled off her hat and cowl and opened the lid of the soup bottle, which turned out to be useful as a makeshift bowl. She poured some out, and as they ate she told him the story of her encounter at the diner, and her subsequent arrangement with the owners. Squall listened with rapt attention, and as the story progressed he seemed to shrug off some of his melancholy. He even started grazing on a few of the zucchini sticks in between excited questions. Cold Star indulged him until they were done eating, but as soon as they finished she fixed him with another hard look.
"Now, I think you should probably be getting home."
Squall's sullen look returned instantly. "Aw. But... I mean, it's not like it's a rush. Why don't I tag along for a while? I can watch your back."
Cold Star shook her head. "I don't think that is a good idea, just yet. There is still quite a bit more to learn before I can bring any of you out patrolling. Besides, you have school in the morning."
Squall frowned and scratched his hoof against the metal beam he sat on. "C'mon. Just as far as the Dragon's Gate Bridge, then I'll head home. I promise I'll keep up."
"Squall, this is not a negotiation."
He sighed, obviously frustrated. "I know. It's just..." He looked down at the newspaper sitting on the girder between them. "Every time you run into that stupid reporter, you end up having this big talk. He gets to ask you all kinds of personal questions, and get to know you better. How come we can't ever do that? I'm starting to feel like he knows you better than we do."
There was some truth to that, and it stung Cold Star in a way she realized Squall must also be feeling. "I am sorry if it seems that way."
"I'm not trying to make you feel sorry. Honest, I'm not. I just don't understand why you keep talking to that creep, when every time you do he ends up printing it on the front page. Why not just dump him in a trash bin and leave him there?"
Cold Star smirked slightly. "He does not deserve it, much as he can be vexing at times. And to be fair, this time I invited him to talk. He had information I needed, and direct conversation was the only sure way to get it."
"About what? This thing with Stoneheart he keeps writing about?"
"For one. Also, I required to ask a unicorn some questions. He was quite useful, in that regard."
"Why not just ask Misty?"
"Because my questions were about Misty. About understanding the problem she is having with her training, and understanding how I can be a better teacher for her."
"You still could have asked her."
"Like you asked me about my patrolling, when you were worried?"
Squall winced, and lowered his head. "Yeah, well. Two wrongs don't make it right."
That won a slight smile from Cold Star. "True. Then let us make the most of our mistakes. Tell me, how did you manage to catch me tonight?"
Squall tapped the support next to him. "You told us that our scavenger hunt followed one of your patrol routes, so I guessed you crossed the river around here. I thought that you flying all the way across the river would be pretty risky, since your wings would be exposed the whole time, so I figured you must be using the bridge. Walking over the top of the bridge would be pretty risky too, so I checked to see if there was a way to walk under it. Once I found out there was, I just had to find a place I could hide with my camera where you couldn't see me before I could see you, and be as quiet as I could. I hid up there, behind that pillar."
Cold Star nodded as he spoke her eyes following his hoof as he pointed. "This was a sound ambush. If you were a unicorn with a net, I would have been in a dire situation. I can already see a solution though - you situated yourself based on the direction you expected I would be travelling. If I had come from the other direction you would have been spotted easily if I were paying attention, even at a distance."
Squall nodded. "Yeah. I'd have been a sitting duck. And really, this is probably the only place on your route that I could guarantee you would come past. The rest of the route is mostly wide-open rooftops, where there are dozens of ways to get from place to place. There is only one easy path under here. That's why I chose this place to set my trap."
"So if I were to cross only at larger bridges, where the supports are more spread out, that would also reduce my risk of ambush. I think perhaps I will avoid using this bridge in he future, and I will also make a point of running my routes in reverse on a regular basis. That will also make certain I am patrolling different neighbourhoods at different hours. That will keep patterns from forming in my being certain places at certain times." She looked at Squall. "Again, I must thank you. This will make my patrols much safer."
Squall smiled. "I hope so. And, maybe instead of using this bridge for patrolling, you can just come here for fun, instead. That way you can still enjoy it."
Cold Star chuckled. "I'm afraid I don't have much time for sitting under bridges these days."
"Well, maybe you could make time. I mean, like I said, my mom works over-nights every week or so. Maybe we could meet up sometimes. Eat dinner together, like we did tonight."
Cold Star's first instinct was to refuse, but looking at her student's hopeful face made her reconsider. Maybe he was right about her being too distant. She thought back to her own time as a fledgling Crusader, when she had spent most of her waking hours with her Master. She had craved his guidance and his approval constantly. Would Squall be any different? Would any of the Crusaders?
Perhaps that was the reason Misty was still so distant, and why Babs was so impatient. One night a week was a tiny fraction of the guidance she had needed, when she was starting out. Squall's plan was not perfect, but it could be made to work. Didn't she have a duty to meet him half-way?
She smiled uncertainly. "Well, I suppose that might be possible."
Hearing that made Squall the most happy she had ever seen him. To his credit, he seemed to be holding in the desire to jump around or raise his voice in celebration. Again, she marvelled at his wherewithal - it would have been easy to forget they were hiding down here to avoid drawing attention, and Squall's quiet joy did nothing to give them away. "That's awesome. She's scheduled overnight again in four days. What time should we meet?"
"I would say midnight was fine. As long as it doesn't ruin you for school tomorrow, that is."
Squall flapped his wings excitedly. "Don't worry. I stay up too late reading all the time. I'll be totally fine."
Cold Star could only shake her head in amusement. She felt a bit bad for Squall's mother, knowing that she was leading her son into disobedience, but she could not help but be reminded of herself at his age. She checked the position of the moon in the sky, and told Squall that she needed to get back to her patrol.
Squall nodded sheepishly. "Oh, yeah. Of course. I guess I'll see you on the weekend?"
"Of course." She paused for a moment, reminded that in two nights, the four of them were set to meet again. She needed to speak to Misty before then. "Squall. Do you think you could do me a favour?"
Squall smiled eagerly, just as she would have if her Master had asked the same. "Absolutely."
"I would like you to deliver a message to Misty for me. I want her to meet me at the park where you run your laps tomorrow night at sunset. There is a stand of trees in the hollow by the south gate where she and I can talk without being seen."
Squall's face fell. "Um... yeah. I can try. But she still seems kind of mad at you."
"I understand. That is why we absolutely must speak tomorrow. Do you think you can convince her to meet with me?"
Squall's face scrunched up, but he nodded. "Yeah. I'll make it happen. I promise."
"Thank you. Now, we should head out. I need to finish my patrol, and you need to get home to bed."
Squall grinned. "You go ahead. I'll make sure no one else sees you."
Cold Star nodded, and left without saying anything more.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The waves smashing against the bridges supports far below drowned out the sound of a 'click' as Squall turned off his flash and leapt off the bridge, swinging around at a wide, low angle. Still grinning, he snapped a couple of more shots of Cold Star, silhouetted against the moon as she made her way to the end of the bridge. If she noticed him, she gave no indication.
Then, true to his word, he did another pass over the bridge before banking towards home, his heart racing. He'd made a promise with Cold Star, and after tonight making sure he kept that promise was the most important thing in the world to him.
A plan began to form in his mind. He smiled, and hurried for home. He had a letter to write.