//------------------------------// // Chapter 11: Stick around // Story: The Tales Of A Night Stalker // by Don Pedro von Poltergeis //------------------------------// Spooks woke in a strange room that she did not recognize. In one corner of the room was a bed made of stone with Night Heart sleeping with her glasses still on. In another corner of the dark, stone, room was A.T sleeping on a bedroll with a look of content on her face, but that wasn't the strangest thing that she has woken up too. Through a set of open bars was a few of Celestia's Royal Guards clad in their golden armor. With them was a deer talking to the young Empress about something that she missed while she was asleep. Though, there was a leech nibbling her special spot that she enjoyed immensely in the mornings. It was one of the few perks of being used as a body pillow: You wake up with free nibbles and warm cuddles. 'Windy cuddles are best cuddles.' "Did I miss something?" Spooks asked herself as she stood up lazily, causing her Lunar leech to frown as her body pillow was on the run. "Yeah, you guys missed a lot," A.T replied. Spooks jumped like a cat at the sudden volume coming from out of nowhere and landing on Night Heart beside her. "I knew that you were light but not so much that you need more food in your life," Night said with a raised brow as Spooks slid off of her body with a sheepish smile. "And how does my daughter like such a skinny mare?" "She is easy to pin to the bed," Windy yawned as A.T helped her up from her bedroll. "And use her as a body pillow." "Don't ask," A.T chimed in. "I wasn't going too," Night joined as the pair of them left the cell and joined the others to get a rundown of what they missed while they were asleep. "We missed something while we were asleep, we should join them too," Windy said as she planted a loving kiss on Spooks' cheek. Spooks gave a quick nod as her tongue flicked out as she smiled from the warmth of her heat-bag, and joined the others in the center of the room. “So, what did we miss?” Spooks asked and then gestured towards the royal guards, “Also what’s up with the mungos over here?” "A revelation about how our two guests, Redbeard, and Stephen showed up. How Nova got her blade and the story behind how she joined the Shadow Guard. How Ahuizotl is held up in a ballista battery with his goons, preventing all of us from getting to the main temple, and how the Royal Guard and we are in a temporary truce at the moment. Ya' know? Just the usual crap of the day," Winter drawled through a yawn. "And as for the guards? You are going to have to wait for Flash Sentry to show up." “Huh, reminds me of how I once destroyed the moon,” Spooks muttered quietly, ”And who exactly is this guy?” "Who is who?" spoke a new voice that came into the room. Spooks and company turned around and watched an orange stallion with a two-toned blue mane and steel blue eyes with a stern but curious—If slightly dumb—Look on his face. His armor clattered with each step he took towards the group, making him sound more intimidating than his boyish posture would like most to believe. Spooks tail twitched uncomfortably, and she had the sneaking suspicion that she wasn't going to like him. Greatly.  And just by only looking around her she could say that she wasn’t the only one. "Sir!" Evelyn and the three other guards saluted as they lined up in front of the stallion that walked in. He saluted back and pointed at all of the ponies ready to pulled out their recently reacquired weapons. "What are they doing out?" he asked with slight venom in his tone. Spooks tail twitched again from the new ire in the air while watching Winters dragon claws activate for a gun fight. "Sir," Evelyn answered, "The bars were inadequate in size to hold the Black Queen in her cell. Once out, she freed her friends, who threw Silver Spear and Bronze Sword and me in an empty cell, Captain." "How was that possible? And how are you out now?" he inquired. "They wish to help us gain entrance to the temple, and they know how to use the key." 'So that's what they were up to,' Spooks thought as she felt the rage from the new pony dissipate by a small notch. "That does not give you the authority to make such a decision, Sergent. So care to tell me if they can be trusted. Especially her," he seethed towards the glaring Empress. "Because she could have killed us all within a second of her regaining consciousness," Evelyn gulped as the glare from her Captain was starting to overwhelm her. "That, and these prisons are only meant for ponies that can't fly." "I see," he stifled a growl at the premonition that his life was on the line since Winter woke up from her nap. Though, from the smoke that was billowing out of his ears, from what Spooks could tell. He was contemplating an agreement that went through from behind his back. 'But what did Winter and Evelyn talk about?' Spooks bit her lip with that thought. "Tsk, fine. We will work together to get into the Temple, but once we are done here. You are all going back to Canterlot in chains. Agreed?" "Agreed," Winter replied for everyone as she sheathed her claws. "So what do we call you, Captain?" "I'm Flash Sentry, of the Crystal Empire Imperial Guard." "Kay' just don't get in our way." Winter walked down the dark halls of a fort that was utterly haunting. She felt uneasy was an understatement as she passed things that looked brand new. The metal bars that were made to protect and prevent anyone and anything from entering and escaping the fort. The air was pure as the aquifer that sat in the center of the fort. Not a spec of dust could be found, not even in areas where it would be impossible to clean. To Winter, the fort was immaculate. Dark and creepy, but perfect for its maintenance. At her right was Spooks, the Night Stalker that placed her on this adventure. To her left was Daring, her grandmother that was recently freed from Celestia's grasp. Both of them confused her to a degree. Daring, however, was almost an exact copy of Spitfire to the point that it was almost scary. Spooks just freaked her out for being a seventy-year-old fart in a mare's body that lets her mare-friend forcefully place piercings on her body. Not even she would let Summer do that! Five earrings on her ear were enough for her. Though, to her Winter, was an enigma. Spooks knew that she was far older than what her body suggests. The amount of intelligence she has was as baffling as her skills with a weapon, but that could be just her cutie mark doing that talking. However, Spooks knew that she was tired, and she understood where it was coming from, and she hid it quite well. She didn't show her faults. She didn't show an inch of weakness. Even as she walked up the stairs towards the Roman-style courtyard, she forced herself to have this air of perfect leadership, even though it was weighing her spirit down and turning it to dust. 'But why would she place herself so high? Doesn't she know that people will hate her for being a Mary Sue?' Spooks thought as the warmth of the sun touched her scales. 'From what I learned of Celestia, she was the same in the beginning, but she doesn't want that. So what is she planning?'   Spooks had to put the thought aside as they walked past a majestic fountain with a mare scantily clad with water flowing down her body in place of her mane into the white marble basin as Flash Sentry barked a few orders to his platoon concerning the mission that they were being forced to do. "Alright—" *Boom!* Went the sound of a gun powdered canon off in the distance as a small airship flew over the courtyard. Then, within a few seconds after the initial sound of the canon, the port side of the airship exploded into a million pieces of wood, metal and body parts. "Get down!" shouted one of the guards that were stationed on the western wall of the fort, but before anyone could react. The airship collided into the wall like a paper ball to a mountain. The ship smashed, flattened out, and slid down the wall in almost a comic fashion. The guards on the wall popped out their heads while a few Pegasi began to extinguish the fire from the remains of the ship. "Damn it! That was our last Speeder! Sergent, take out those mercenaries before we lose our last ship, and I don't plan on swimming," shouted Flash Sentry as he flew up into the air to help the other Pegasi. "Yes, Sir!" shouted Evelyn as Flash flew over the protection of the wall, just as Spooks heard the loud "Twang," of a very large box. Flash Sentry turned around to frown at the Doe for still staring at him and, just as he was about to bark some more orders, he disappeared for a moment. Only to reappear on the east wall with a small tree replacing his chest and half of his face. "Captain!" Evelyn shouted as a few more ballista bolts rained into the courtyard, destroying everything in sight wherever they land. Spooks ducked with Winter against the wall where the bolts were coming from while narrowly avoiding a few that impaled a few of the guards as she ran. "Damn it!" Evelyn shouted again as another barrage fell from above. Spooks saw the statue in the center of the courtyard. "Where the hell did they get the ballistas!" "We don't know, but if we don't take them out soon. Our mission here will be for naught!" shouted one of the guards from the other side. Winter frowned at this motion as the only ship that was still usable in Evelyn hooves was being kept in the dock at the other side of the fort, and all of the three-meter bolts were starting to get too close to the airship. Winter turned to her right while pulling her guitar off of her back. The sound of cracking stone and the twangs of distant bows being fired was the only indication that it was safe to move. "Spooks, Windy, Night, and A.T, you guys move down the right and flank them from the bridge down bellow. Winter, Nova, Redbeard, Stephen and I will take the head on, and...What's with the guitar?" Evelyn asked as Winter set her guitar on, "MEGADEATH AFTER PARTY," that was indicated by all of the nobs on the body. "You'll find out," Winter replied with a dark smile. "So any words for the fallen?" "Stick around," Spooks said in a horrific Scandinavian accent, causing a slight chuckle out of the group.