Some days later, it was time for the Summer Sun Celebration. Nightmare Moon had recruited more ponies for the job of making sure that no ill befell Celestia.
The first pony was a dull red dragon pony named Malestrom. He was a tough nut and took no crap from any pony and was one for breaking a few legs. He was known for having a cool temper, unless you said something to piss him off.
Pony number two was a pegasus named Cloud Chaser. The Pale Persian Blue pegasus who was a Wonderbolts trainee and a bit of a weapons expert. Her knowledge made her a dangerous ally but she knew how to have fun.
The third new pony was an Earth Pony named Rose Luck. A very pale yellow coat with rose cutie mark, and a dull magenta mane only panicked as a disguise.
As for the others, they were still being looked over by Nightmare Moon, so I won't introduce them just yet, but just so you, the reader know, we will have a forty pony strong team. However, a forty strong pony team sounds good for what we were doing.
I was assigned to work with Skyla and act as Celestia's body guards. The others were to hide out in the shadows, making sure no criminals came a calling. However, I felt that things would go wrong before the actual celebration even started.
Skyla, sensing my worry, walked alongside me.
“It'll be fine,” she said. “We'll face whatever problem comes our way head on. No side streets or back alleys.”
“I know, but my concern is that something, and I can't place it in this puzzle, is going to go wrong at the start, but what?” I stated, simply.
Skyla had to admit, it was a point. However, we were soon sent off, by Nightmare Moon to stand surveillance until Celestia arrived. Being Alicorns, she suggested that the use of clouds would be a good cover, until I realized that Rainbow Dash would be clearing clouds away for the celebration. However, Skyla said we'd take it up. Heading out and flying towards Ponyville, we said nothing.
Upon arrival, Skyla found Dash and explained the situation, in layman's terms, while keeping all other facts about the guard force classified. Once we had our clouds, we positioned them in a strategic way and hid. I was watching the front doors while making notes of all all the ponies who came to the door and the ponies working the door.
Alicorns, one tall, one short. The tall one was a dark red, similar in shade to that of the LMS's Crimson lake while the other one was a bright, almost kiddie coloring book bright red. Both wore trenchcoats and were admitting ponies one at a time, after frisking them.
“Hmmmm,” I muttered. “I'm not sure that's a completely foolproof plan.”
disappearing into my cloud, I grabbed a clipboard and note paper and started making all sorts of notes of my observations. These would help me later, maybe when I have the time to fix the police force here, but for right now, they were my findings. At least they would be helpful in the future, if we ever got that far.
I returned to playing “Fence Post Spy” when I saw Rainbow Dash make her way to the dark red Alicorn. I cocked an ear and listened in as best I could without revealing myself.
“There's two ponies, wearing Nightmare Armor, saying something about there being trouble,” she said. “If you can make something of that, use it.”
I suddenly felt the cloud get slightly heavier. Turning around, I came face two face with...gulp...the bright red Alicorn.
“Alright,” he said. “Just who are you?”
“A concerned member of a guard force,” I said. “The details are classified as are my orders and who I work for. Now, get back to that door.”
He thought he'd say something, then decided against it and went back to his post. Ten minutes elapsed, then fifteen, then twenty, before Celestia's chariot arrived. The four pegasi guards pulling the chariot looked very unenthusiastic and two even looked ready to go off for a beer.
“Slackers,” I muttered again. “Two of me and two of Skyla and there'd be no problem. But we have to wait and see what happens.”
Again, more notes were made and Celestia went inside. It seemed to be no time at all before the rest of the guard force showed up and concealed themselves where they could see the ponies, but not be seen themselves. As for Nightmare Moon, she had stayed behind at HQ to tend to papers.
I looked down and saw something that piqued my interest. Several ponies, all wearing what appeared to be police uniforms marched straight into the town hall. In minutes, there were noises and one of the “police” demanding all prized possessions. I took that as cue to go in as did my colleagues.
I burst through the door, tackled one of the fake cops sticking up several fairly to do ponies and pinned him down.
“So, you think your going to do some robbing?” I asked.
“Yep,” he hissed. “and don't worry, I have plenty of mates to go round.”
“And I have twice as many guards who aren't afraid to break a few legs,” I chuckled. “And I'll even save Celestia the trouble of dealing with you.”
At that moment, Nightmare Moon entered. I gave her a verbatim report, while pinning dumber than a sack of tin cans down. I watched her mouth curl into a pleased smile.
“Most excellent. Now, take them away, where we can ask them questions,” she said. “Let not the celebration go on being interrupted.”
With that, we left, dragging the robbers behind us. As for the guards, they were too busy looking like they were occupied with the grass to even notice the nearly disastrous Summer Sun Celebration. Idiots.
Back at base, we dragged the scum to the cells in what was at one point, the dungeon. Once they were safely locked away, Nightmare Moon lined us up and told us point blank that we would be expected to perform at a much higher level.
“Yes, Ma'am,” we said and saluted.
Skyla was ordered behind, the others were ordered to go and rest and I was ordered to go and stay with Celestia until the celebration was over. A simple task, for a special forces pony. Making my way back to the town hall, I found Celestia and stayed behind some curtains so no pony could see me, but I could see them.
I kept the clipboard and papers in my aura and made notes. I owe Skyla so damn much for teaching me this basic magic. I would ask why I can't do magic as well as other Alicorns, but it's of no concern. Watching the scenario, I noted how every pony interacted with each other and even how Celestia talked with them.
Knowing my orders, I stayed well hidden, but had a clear sight-line and a clear path to Celestia should it be needed. Five minutes later, I was joined by Skyla.
“Nightmare Moon has given us new orders,” she said.
“Which is what?” I asked.
“You and I are to take part in the Celebration,” she said. “Nightmare Moon wanted us to have some time to ourselves. The others are taking care of the culprits.”
I was curious as to why she allowed me and Skyla to take a break from our guard duties. Deciding not to question her motives, we took the time to mingle among the ponies. My company consisted of several ponies. Skyla was talking to the guards and working on a cake.
I preferred to wait and not spoil my appetite for dinner with sweets. After the ponies I had been conversing with left, a certain purple unicorn appeared.
“I've never seen you around here, where are you from?” she asked.
“Maresbury,” I said. “My sister was born there too, but moves to Maredy to take up working in the coal mines. We got back together here at long last.”
I was lying through my armor and I knew it. Maresbury and Maredy didn't exist. The Unicorn nodded as to say she understood what I was saying and she continued to talk to me, making small talk. As we talked, Skyla came over to me.
“Twilight, mind if I borrow my brother real quick?” she asked.
“Sure, why?” she asked.
“I want to talk to him about doing some magic stunts here for the entertainment,” she said. “I'm sure you'll enjoy these.”
Twilight left and we talked. After thirty minutes, I was in, on the stage in the townhall and practicing behind closed doors. After making sure I had my routines down, Skyla invited the ponies and helped get them seated. After they were all seated, I walked out.
“Now, magic spells and magic that raises the sun and the moon are all well and good, but what of magic that isn't in spell books or even taught in a classroom? Well your about to see some,” I said.
Walking over, a candlestick in aura, I looked at the audience.
“Watch as I proceed to eat some of this flame,” I said sliding my hoof in front of it.
They gasped as it was lit on fire and some passed out when I placed it in my mouth and dragon's smoke popped out my nostrils. I smiled and even performed it five more times, each time getting more and more complicated. After finishing and preparing my next trick, I turned around again.
“This time, instead of eating fire or even doing anything crazy, I'm actually going to come down and show you a trick I learned many years ago,” I said, jumping down.
The crowd watched. I pulled three coins out and laid them on the table. Afterwards, I took off my Nightmare Armor and stood there.
“I'm going to strip down to my bare essentials so you can't accuse me of cheating at this, as this is a three coin trick,” I said.
I levitated the third coin.
“This goes behind my ear. It's out of sight, out of mind,” I said. “Now focus on these two coins and watch as I place them in this bag. Now, how many coins went in the bag?”
“Two,” the crowd said.
“Right, but this is the three coin trick,” I said, dumping all three coins out of the bag.
I did it again and again, this time, the audience got to inspect that and even inspected the bag. I still kept doing the same stunt over and over again. Some even accused my of putting the coin in the back through other means of magic. I proved them wrong by having a magic nullifying ring placed on it.
“How do you keep doing that?” one earth pony colt asked.
“A magician never reveals his secrets,” I said.
After that one, I pulled out a deck of playing cards. Turning, I faced a marshmallow white unicorn.
“Pick a card, any card,” I said. “After you have your card you may show it to the audience and then put it back in the deck. After it's been shuffled, I will pick your card out using only a hoof to handle the cards. No Alicorn magic whatsoever.”
I watched as the rest of the Nightmare Corp came up and as the mare put the card in the deck. I let One of the Trench coat Alicorns shuffle it to where the cards were completely randomized. He gave them back to me and I looked at her and flipped up the 3 of diamonds.
“Your card, madam,” I said.
Her expression and general freakout about that made me chuckle.
“Are you thinking I read your mind?” I asked.
“Yes,” she squeaked.
“I didn't. I observed your face as I noticed that you zeroed in on a particular card,” I said.
The others were impressed. I continued with barscam magic, impressing them more and more. Every time they asked, I would only answer, “It's a magician's secret and I am taking that to the grave.”
“Cheeky,” the others said.
I merely smiled and looked around.
“Now, do you see this salt shaker?” I said, holding it up.
They nodded. I laid a cloth over it and slammed my hoof down on it, and the cloth went flat. They stared in awe.
“Inspect the surroundings here, there's nothing fishy here.” I said.
They did. I smiled again as the sun danced behind me. Parlor tricks can be fun and keep them guessing. At the end of the day, back at HQ, Nightmare Moon looked at all of the forty ponies in the Nightmare Corp.
“On Monday, we will run training exercises through to the end of the month,” she said. “Get plenty of rest and no parlor tricks, or you can expect to be on the finest details I can find.”
We agreed.