Hawk Eye leaned against the window, tapping against the glass, eyes vacant. He had his team, but he felt so alone.
“Somepony should talk to him,” Thunder Strike whispered to the others.
Once they were done ‘cleaning up’ the mess in Trottingham, the team had decided to meet with Luna personally to better plan their next mission. One might mention ‘the team’ deciding to do so, but it was the combined opinion of Lake Lily and Strong Recovery rather than Hawk Eye. Hawk Eye had been silent since they finished up burying what was left of the massacre. On the train, the gryphon seated himself far from the others, leaving them to murmur amongst themselves.
“But who?” Midnight Azalea asked. “Not Tron or you because, well, you’re not really the right ponies.”
“No tact.” Titanium nodded.
“Right,” Midnight said. “Lake Lily? How about you? You’re second in command, right?”
“Yeah, but I’m not good with emotions.” She shuffled in her seat. “If I went to talk to him, I’d probably make things worse. How about you, Strong? Aren’t you like our shrink, or something?”
“I thought I told you how much I dislike that term.” Strong Recovery sighed as Lake shot an expression that screamed ‘see!’. “Nevertheless, though it may be true that I’m trained to not only help your physical but mental condition, Hawk Eye has proven…difficult with professionals in the past. The best options would be either you or Red. And I think you would be preferable.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Most likely because you were in the house with him,” Red said. “So was Tron…but you saw what it took to faze him.”
There was a moment of deathly silence.
“Also because you’re a meat-eater,” Lake Lily said off-handedly. Midnight wasn’t the only one to flinch at the statement. “What? The fact is, omnivores have a slightly different thought process than herbivores. There’s nothing wrong with that. Only idiots believe that what you eat defines your character.”
Midnight rolled her eyes and made her way to Hawk Eye. Sitting down next to him, she eased into the subject.
“Are you okay?”
Hawk Eye huffed.
“They sent you here to talk to me, right?” He leaned against the window.
“What makes you think that?”
“You’re the best choice.” Another monosyllabic response.
“Just talk to us, Hawk Eye. I know you’re hurt from what we saw, we all are, but I can’t help but think there’s more to this.” Midnight puts a hoof on his shoulder. “Please…help me help you.”
The wagon was silent for some time, the rhythm of the tracks the only thing accompanying Midnight’s bated breath.
“Midnight, what do you think Gull’s wish was?”
Midnight was stunned at the question for a moment before shrugging.
“I’m not sure, Hawk. What do you think it was?”
“I don’t need to guess.” He pulled out a rumpled piece of paper. “I know.”
“Is that…?” Midnight moved a hoof forwards at the sight, trembling slightly at the memories.
Hawk did not answer, choosing instead to unwrap the paper and start reading.
“It mocks me at night,
When I close my eyes to dream,
It flies into the light.
I wake with a scream.
They left me alone,
They left me behind.
To them I am blind,
Anchored like a stone.
I am flawed,
Broken inside.
To the ground I am tied,
To the sky I’m a fraud.”
“Oh, starry skies…” Midnight gasped as the implications hit her.
“She wanted to fly, Midnight.” Hawk Eye’s gaze fell. “I can imagine that being an earth pony born of hippogriffs would be hard on her. But having a cutie mark in birds, having parents who loved flying, and yet being unable to fulfill that feeling…it tore her apart. And it makes me think…is what I’m doing the same? I’m a gryphon in the guard, and the only one who has ever gotten such a high rank in the Equestrian military. I’ve had to volunteer for missions that nopony wanted so that I could be promoted, dealing with belligerent subordinates and superiors all the while. If it weren’t for Shining’s recommendations, I wouldn’t even be here. But now, through all the missions, I’ve finally failed spectacularly. Not only did I let down those people under the hotel, I’ve let down all non-ponies in the guard.” Tears ran down his beak before he looked away, at the window. “The stiffs are going to use my failure as an example why only ponies should have positions in the guard, even going so far to say that I’m partly responsible because I wanted to fulfill my bloodlust. Fearmongering at its finest. I’ve…I’ve messed up. I shouldn’t be your C.O. ̶ ̶ ”
There was a resounding THUD as a hoof collided with the back of his skull.
“That’s for saying something stupid.” Midnight frowned and twisted Hawk around.“You being here, leading us, is proof that you’re worthy. You say you’ve gone through all of the worst missions offered just to keep up with your friend? You say that you’ve had to deal with waves of thick-skulled plotholes every day of every week? That shows you’ve got grit. Nothing will stop you. And if those stiff-lipped, haughty-aired morons think they can kick you out of the guard because you did everything you could, and more? Tartarus, you listened to all of our suggestions, even Tron’s! If they court-martial you, they’ll have to court-martial all of us! And that’s not even counting that we’ve got the backing of not one, but two Princesses! That’s more support than any Lieutenant has ever had in the past thousand years! And that’s not counting you being Shining Armor’s best friend, so the Captain’s looking out for you, and his girlfriend, another princess, is looking out for you. And I know for sure that everypony in this squad will personally walk up to whatever coddled noble tries to kick you out and punch that flankhole square in the muzzle!”
Midnight was huffing for breath, muzzle scrunched in anger.
“I’ve got dibs on punching first!” Lake Lily called out from her booth.
Hawk Eye looked over Midnight and the others. A sad smile grew until he chuckled.
“Thanks, guys. You’re the best squad a gryphon could ask for,” Hawk said.
“We’re the best squad anybody could ask for!” Thunder Strike huffed, causing everybody to laugh.
The rest of the train ride went swimmingly, but the smiles of the crew were weighed down by fear of what was to come and sadness of what had passed. Thankfully, at their arrival, they had a distraction waiting for them.
“Hawk Eye!” Shining Armor strolled towards the soldiers with a wide smile on his face. “You were right, Hawk! She accepted!” He lunged forwards and embraced his old friend.
“See! What did I say?” The gryphon beamed as he noogied Shining Armor’s head. “So where is your royal fiance?”
“Are you saying that he finally proposed to Mi Amore Cadenza?” Lake Lily snorted. “Took him long enough.”
Shining noticed the rest of the guard gathered nearby and smirked.
“And you guys! I haven’t seen much of any of you since Tron’s bar incident!”
A chorus of groans echoed around the Canterlot station, prompting several ponies to shoot looks towards the seemingly oblivious group. Of course, only Tron accepted the attention with gusto, as the others simply ignored the glares. Many small-time nobles would go home complaining about the uncouthness of gryphons, bat-ponies, and heavy-set unicorns with ridiculous beards. Then they would whine about how they weren’t invited to the upcoming royal wedding. Such is life in aristocratic Canterlot.
“I still don’t understand how everybody but us knows what happened to us,” Thunder Strike grumbled as they made their way to the castle.
“There’s only Hawk and I who remember, and oh Celestia, do I wish I could forget it.” Shining shuddered.
“The past never happened!” Tron yelled as he shoved some incriminating photos in a trash bin and set it aflame. “I’m in control of my life!”
“Enough about that night, guys,” Hawk said, desperately trying to ignore the burning pictures Lake had taken of him and Midnight in a drunken stupor. “Let’s talk more about the upcoming wedding.” The gryphon smiled coyly and nudged Shining in the ribs.
“As much as I’d like you to be my best gryphon, I’ve been told you won’t be able to attend.” Shining and Hawk’s smiles faded a bit.
“Well, you know, duty calls and all that. I could pass the speech I’ve prepared to my replacement.”
“How about no?” Shining chortled. “Anything you’ve written; I don’t want my little brother to read it.”
“Of course you’d only be able to replace the mighty Hawk Eye with a dragon.” The guards opened the palace doors for the group to enter. “How is Spike doing, anyways? As far as I know, you’ve been pulling my feathers about your siblings. One is a Bearer and student to Princess Celestia herself, and the other is a dragon.”
“Don’t give me those horseapples, Hawk,” Shining said, a twinkle in his eye. “I know very well about the time I was sick and you ‘secretly’ volunteered to guard the Princess’ student in my place. Twilight told me how you tried to bribe Spike with gems.”
“What do you mean tried?” Hawk said. “The little guy loved me after that. And Twilight was only trying to save her own skin; I treated her to Doughnut Joe’s.”
The team watched the back and forth between the two friends, relieved that Hawk was starting to lighten up.
“So did you send your sister an invite to your wedding?” Hawk asked.
“As much as I wanted to, Cadance sent one. She may be my sister, but she’s Cadance’s mare of honor.”
“If you say so.” Hawk Eye shrugged as they entered the throne room. Contrary to usual, both princesses were present, and the room was lacking in guards.
“Shining, as much as we’d like to have you hear this, you’ve got enough on your plate for now.” Luna said. “It’d be best if th-- you left the room.”
Shining rose an eyebrow but turned around and left, but not before shooting an encouraging smile at Hawk. The heavy doors shut, and silence weighed heavily on all those in the room.
“My sister and have only the barest idea of what happened in Trottingham,” Celestia said without her usual motherly smile. This was serious. “You’ve insisted we talk in-depth about this…massacre…personally.” Celestia clenched her teeth at the thought of such a thing occurring not just to her own citizens, but deep within Equestria.
“I’m sorry Princess Luna, Princess Celestia.” Hawk Eye bowed his head. “I’ve failed you.”
Celestia and Luna’s upright postures fell somewhat. Here was the gryphon that always held his head high, who had weathered the harshest a member of the Guard could, who had always made a point to speak to them amicably when he could, laid low. Broken. Midnight stepped forwards before Hawk could relapse further into sadness.
“As much as Hawk would like to take the fall for all of us, I’ll have to stop him. When we arrived in Trottingham, we weren’t sure what exactly we were looking for. Hawk Eye listened to all of our suggestions and kept us together even as we began to get restless. It was generally agreed upon that stealth would trump force against an unknown foe. But we weren’t aware of the possibility that our foes would be bending po-- people to their will, forcing them to merge into some twisted cult. By the time we figured it out, it was too late. In fact, Hawk Eye was the one who figured out where to find them. But when we arrived, we were a day too late…”
Midnight looked down as Strong Recovery stepped forwards.
“From my analysis, they had been dead for less than twelve hours. With the help of the others, I was able to construct a massive Forsee-Heartrate diagnosis spell which brought the full story to light. It seems that five members of a tripedal insectoid species called ‘Kitchil’ had mentally manipulated a large amount of people to obey them unconditionally. I’ve seen a bit of the home of one of those afflicted, and I can say that their magic tore and twisted the psyche of their victims like a Badlands minotaur would wash fine silk. By feeding on ‘Equestrian magic’, they were able to perform feats of magic rivaling the guard’s finest battlemages. It was quite stressful to watch.”
Luna and Celestia looked at one another stoically before returning their attentions to the soldiers.
“Not to mention the fact that they were nothing more than pawns to bigger players,” Lake Lily said. “From what I could tell, one of these big guys took care of the Kitchil personally. It wasn’t pretty. Apparently it can turn invisible and float around like some sort of spirit. But unlike spirits that I know of, it pushed away ambient magic instead of absorbing it. And it’s crafty, too. It almost tricked the Kitchil into leaving after impersonating one of them, and it may have convinced the cult to go crazy.”
“May have?!” Thunder Strike bounded into the air and landed in front of Lake. “It definitely did! Did you see how it tore apart those guys? It moved faster than my eyes could follow. You’d have to anticipate all of the attacks of the freeform thing. It probably took part in that bloodbath.”
Red stepped forwards and pushed his ruby mane back. “I don’t think so, Thunder. It tried to negotiate peacefully at first, even though it was through deception. It seems the only advantage we have against it is magic, which seems to be resistant to its overwhelming power. It was meticulous too, making sure to burn the bodies of its victims to be absolutely sure. What troubles me is how hard it was to detect it even with Strong Recovery’s spell. How do we know it’s not watching us now?”
Silence fell once more in the throne room as everybody save Celestia began darting their eyes around, some more frantically than others. The silence was broken by the one known to break it the least.
“We don’t. It could hide its magical void by hiding behind those lamps ̶ ̶ " Titanium nodded in the direction of the crystal lamps hanging on the walls “ ̶ ̶ or by flattening itself against the walls or other magically null objects in this room. It is a shapeshifter. We should concentrate on The Snake.”
“The Snake?” Luna asked, first to get over one of Titanium’s more vocal moments.
“Yeah.” Hawk nodded. “The Snake seems to be the patron of the Kitchil. They said it was the one to bring them. So for now, no matter the methods, it seems that the shapeshifter and our goals remain the same.”
“For now.” Celestia’s word echoed through the room. “What we are lacking is information. We know very little of Lucid, and less still of the shapeshifter and The Snake. But they are all connected. What we know for sure is that Lucid has been around for quite some time, and is part of an as-of-yet undiscovered sapient species, much like the Kitchil. So it is likely he is either a pawn, just like them, or the survivor of an incursion. We also know that some incursions, the more stable ones, are orchestrated, most likely by The Snake.”
The group looked down in thought. Thunder shuffled nervously as Strong Recovery tapped his chin. Lake Lily was walking in circles, Tron was following her, and Midnight ran her hooves across her braids. Celestia and Titanium stared into space, deep in thought, whereas Luna ruffled her wings and Red stared at his reflection in the window. Hawk Eye scratched his head as he stared sullenly at the ground.
“We don’t know nearly enough to do anything,” Hawk Eye said.
The others nodded in agreement.
“So we must learn more,” said Luna. “Sister--” she turned to Celestia but kept her eyes on Hawk “--considering what we know--and more importantly, what we don’t know--I suggest that one of us go investigate with the team. Starting at Froggy Bottom Bog should give us a hoof-hold.” Luna stood up and flew down the steps from her throne to land in front of Hawk. “We can meet our…contact in Ponyville.”
“Feeling cooped up, Luna?” Celestia smirked.
Luna puffed out her cheeks and turned away.
“I trust you’ll be able to deal with the potential ‘situation’ here?” Luna said.
“Don’t worry, Lulu.” Celestia’s smile shrunk. “Be careful, please. I don’t want to lose you again.” Celestia trotted down the stairs. The two sisters leaned in for an embrace. “Figure this out for us, Luna. Please don’t let any more of my dear Equestrians get hurt.” Celestia shot a glance to the guards. “That goes for you, too. You have my blessing.”
Luna led them out of the throne room before donning an illusionary disguise in a flash of her horn. She shrunk down and her coat darkened somewhat, but her mane and tail still blew in an ethereal breeze.
“Oops. I’m somewhat rusty.”
Another flash of her horn, and her wings disappeared as her mane adopted a substantially less regal appearance, becoming light blue in color. Her cutie mark changed to a sparkling crystal moon.
“In this form, you will call me Crystal Nights, and I will be Hawk Eye’s subordinate. Do not worry about my condition should we ever encounter trouble; I can take care of myself. Is there anything we need to do before we head to Ponyville?”
“As a matter a fact…” Hawk Eye held up a necklace with two feathers attached to it. “Yes. I have a pair of hippogriffs I need to talk to.”
<><><>
The team separated to do various errands, whereas ‘Crystal Nights’, Hawk Eye, and Midnight Azalea made their way towards Canterlot’s Dark District.
One might think, from the way the capital shone like a jewel atop a mountain, that it was a city of opulence and riches. Of course, the way Canterlot was built made it so that a portion of it would always be in the shadow, having been dug into Mount Canterhorn. Nobles being nobles and real estate agents being real estate agents, the shadowy part of Canterlot became far more affordable. And despite its foreboding name, the crime rate was just as non-existent as the rest of the capital. But the upper class didn’t know that. So while the Dark District was generally avoided by aristocrats and snobs alike, it was a veritable melting pot of Equestria. It was here that all trade goods would eventually be sorted and resold. It was here dwelt the greatest diversity of species: minotaurs, bat-ponies, gryphons, and even some smaller drakes met and lived in harmony.
It was here dwelt Jacqueline and Feather Counter. Gull’s parents.
“How did you know where to find them?” Crystal asked.
“We were looking through her mail to try and find out where she may be. This address showed up the most frequently.” Hawk Eye tapped a talon against the door in front of them.
The door opened up to reveal a tired white hippogriff, a pair of spectacles on his beak.
“You must be Feather Counter,” Hawk said. “We have news about your daughter, Gull.”
His eyes widened and he stepped aside.
They sat on the couch. The news was difficult to give. Hawk Eye had had to tell families of members of the Royal Guard who had lost their lives, but this was different. Gull wasn’t a soldier. Gull wasn’t even in a dangerous town. Gull was a victim. A victim of the first foreign attack on Equestrian soil in six centuries.
Tears were shed. Denials rang out. Two hippogriffs held each other in an embrace, once more exceptions to the natural order. Oddities at birth, oddities in parenthood. Parents who had outlived their only child.
For Midnight, it all passed in a blur. It was all too real, yet at the same time, as if she was watching from far away. She observed silently as Hawk Eye explained the circumstances. She could only watch as Feather Counter grew angry and Jacqueline tried to deny reality. When the two of them finally accepted the truth, they embraced each other in a hug and allowed their tears to flow freely. Hawk Eye gave them enough space, and when they let go, he grabbed their claws and placed Gull’s necklace in their palms, closing their talons over it. Jacqueline sobbed once more and hugged Hawk. Feather nodded solemnly and shook the gryphon’s claw.
The feeling of distance lifted when the trio left the house and began making their way back to the train station.
“You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” Crystal asked.
“This was my third time, but my first time with civilians. It’s…always difficult. It never gets any easier on me, and the second time was pretty bad.” The gryphon sighed. “I pity Shining, he had to do it five times. That was a grueling mission.”
“I can’t imagine what it must be like,” Midnight said. “Raising a foal, loving them, caring for them…only for you to bury them.” Crystal hung her head.
“I-It’s difficult. You would do anything for your child,” Crystal spoke softly, the two guards seeing a bit of her true self shine through. “You raise him from a foal, you feel pride in his accomplishments, his growth. Every smile on his muzzle is reflected on yours. Every laugh sparks elation in your heart, and one day…no more. Nothing but silence. A hopeful echo through the ages, what used to be sparks now mark burnt scars on your psyche.”
“I-I’m sorry, your Majesty.” Midnight gulped. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“It’s fine.” Crystal shook her head. “It was so long ago, I’ve learned to accept it and live for myself, as Jacqueline and Feather Count will.”
The three walked in silence until they reached the train station, where the rest of the group was waiting. Thunder Strike was wearing an impatient expression, having been waiting for the others the longest, and having been with Tron the longest. Red was smiling, a paper bag from his favorite store on his back, and Lake Lily was simply rolling her eyes. Strong Recovery was looking over his refurbished satchel, counting over all of his potions and elixirs.
“Oh, good.” Lake said. “Now all we have to do is wait for Titanium.”
“No need, I’ve placed a tracker spell on the colt. He’s a block away, and getting closer,” Strong said without looking up from his medkit. “In fact, I’ve placed trackers on all of you, to be sure you are who you say you are.”
Heads turned slowly in his direction.
“What?” Ground out Thunder Strike. “What do you mean by that?! You’ve been spying on us because of some paranoid delusion?”
“Explain, please.” Midnight was on the verge of an outburst.
“Because we don’t know,” Strong explained calmly, the barest hint of a frown on his face as he continued cataloguing his medicines. “We know basically nothing about that invisible being, aside from the fact that it draws power from something other than our magic. So I thought it was best if I assumed it could do anything. Like impersonate one of us as it tried to do to the Kitchil. The only advantage we have is magic, and even then, it would have gotten away with what it had done if he hadn’t done something so unprecedented.”
The glares lost their sparks, and the ponies settled down.
“I know why you did this, but it would be best if you warned your superiors first, Strong,” Hawk Eye said.
Strong Recovery bowed his head.
Just then, Titanium rounded the corner, a cyan mare by his side. A cyan mare even taller than he was. A few paces away from the station, the two turned to one another and nuzzled each other’s necks. They stared into each other’s eyes and separated without a word. The mare walked back into the crowd, visibly towering over all the other ponies on the street.
“So, Titanium.” Midnight approached him slowly. “I didn’t know you had a special somepony.”
“Wife.” The colossal pony nodded.
“Your wife is nearly as tall as Princess Celestia!” Thunder Strike said. “Where the hay did you find her?”
Titanium frowned ever so slightly, prompting Thunder to apologize and back up quickly.
“Helps repair trains. Stronger than I am. Afraid of hurting others. Very gentle, very kind, very shy. Don’t insult her, or else.” To the untrained eye, Titanium’s glare was about as cold as an ice cube on a hot summer day, but it may as well have been absolute zero coming from the gray pony.
Thunder meeped and hid behind Lake Lily. Hawk Eye shook his head and smiled before turning to Tron.
“Tron, go reserve a luxury car on a train headed to Ponyville.” Tron saluted and headed over to the booth.
“Hawk Eye, don’t you think that’s a bit much?” Crystal Nights asked. “I understand the need for privacy, but no need to rent out all of first class.”
“We are escorting a VIP, Crystal,” Hawk said as he headed towards the platform. Crystal sighed but let Tron go.
“Just-Take all my money!” Tron threw a bunch of bits at the disgruntled boothmare. “Oh, not this soon, NOT THIS SOON!” The bearded unicorn heaved and spat out a torrent of bits on the booth table, yelling all the while. The mare rolled her eyes dispassionately, having seen far stranger things in the service industry.
After the mare cleaned the bits with a simple spell and handed Tron the tickets, he made his way to the first-class car where the others waited for him. They settled down finally and began talking about various far-fetched theories about The Snake and the shapeshifter, and which one was responsible for what. It was only when the train began to move that Crystal Nights came upon a question.
“Its name. We keep calling it ‘the shapeshifter’ but that seems to be only one of its abilities. The Snake is a title, but the formless mass never gave anything to identify itself.” She rubbed the back of her head in thought.
“Are you sure that would be wise? Giving it a name would make us empathetic towards it,” Strong Recovery said.
“It actually tried the peaceful solution before laying the beatdown on those guys—”
“If it didn’t slaughter those cultists,” Thunder muttered quietly.
“Which is more than can be said about all the other enemies we’ve faced,” Lake Lily said. “I think we should give it the benefit of the doubt.”
“So what, we call it something like ‘Deceiver’?” Midnight asked.
“Makes it sound like a real jerk.” Lake Lily shrugged. “And a bit too, I dunno, Discordian?”
“Shadow?” Titanium offered.
“Neigh, shadows are visible in the light,” Crystal Night said. “I suggest we call it something more…adequate. Describing just how alien it is.”
“Dr. Frankengust!” Tron exclaimed.
“Hmm…alien, yes. Noble, not what we had in mind,” Strong Recovery said. “Nice try, though.”
Hawk Eye snapped his talons.
“How about…Traveler.”
<><><>
The train pulled into the station a few hours late; there seemed to be some sort of train track maintenance on Mount Canterhorn. Hawk Eye was the first one out of the train, as per procedure, when he caught the eye of a particular mare. The gryphon stood by the train and rose an eyebrow at the sight of a hornless Cadance approaching with a big smile. The rest of the group got off the train and stood alongside the train.
“Isn’t there a wedding you should be attending soon?” Hawk smirked.
The disguised alicorn giggled and swung her head in the direction of the three mares at her sides. “Hawk, this is Minuette, Twinkleshine, and Lyra. Bridesmaids for the upcoming wedding.”
Twinkleshine shied away from the gryphon, whereas Minuette and Lyra jumped forwards.
“Hello! My name’s Minuette, but ponies have taken to calling me ‘Colgate’. Your beak is so shiny! How do you maintain it? Do you wax it or—”
“Heya! I’m Lyra, and you’re the first gryphon I’ve been able to talk to! Do you have any gryphon songs or stories you could share? And you look like you’re in the Guard, so I bet you’ve traveled a lot! Maybe you could tell me—”
Both mares’ questions drowned each other’s out, causing poor Hawk Eye’s head to spin.
“Okay girls, please don’t pressure the best gryphon,” said Cadance, causing Hawk Eye to flinch slightly. “He’s probably got enough on his plate as is.”
“Not used to so much female attention, eh, Hawk Eye?” Midnight said, accompanied by Lake, Tron, and Thunder’s guffaws.
“Actually, I’m on a mission.” Hawk Eye sighed as his head fell. “I won’t be able to attend the wedding.”
“Aww, that’s too bad,” Lyra said. “Maybe you should see my best friend, Bon-Bon. She’s supposed to meet some friends soon for a confectioner’s convention. I just wish she could have come with me to the wedding.”
“I didn’t know candy-makers had conventions.” Minuette scrunched her muzzle. “That’s really bad for the teeth. Definitely makes them not white or shiny. Just thinking about unclean teeth...” She shuddered.
“I hope you’ll finish in time for the after-party, Hawk Eye.” Cadance smiled.
“So do I.” They were lying to themselves, knowing full well that most missions took at least a week to finish. But Hawk Eye suspected that under these circumstances, it might even take a few months.
“I was hoping that Shining had sent someone to escort her to the wedding, but I guess she can handle herself,” Cadance said before getting on the train herself. “Come on girls, we’ve got a wedding to get to!”
The three mares cheered and got on board just before the doors closed and the train was on its way around Ponyville and back to Canterlot.
“Why do I feel as if I’m forgetting something very important?” Hawk rubbed his temples before facepalming. “Pellets! Shining thinks that Twilight is being brought by Cadance, and Cadance thinks she’s being brought by Shining! Those two got so taken up in their wedding they forgot about Twilight!”
“Worry not, Hawk Eye.” Crystal Nights spawned a quill and paper in a flash of magic. “I’ll tell my sister to rectify this mistake. We’ll simply tell Cadance, Shining, and Twilight that it was a matter of…erm…discretion.” When she was done with the letter, it disappeared in a flash of blue.
“Why discretion?” Hawk rose an eyebrow. “I thought this would be a very public wedding.”
“It is public. I saw quite a few newspapers detailing the wedding in Canterlot,” Red said.
“Not to mention that it was on everyone’s lips there.” Lake Lily added. “So this isn’t just about discretion. This has more to do than just hiding from our enemies. What’s going on?”
Crystal fidgeted nervously under the questioning stares before nodding her head.
“So be it. I will tell you… once we have a private base of operations. I know from my last visit that there is no inn, so we may have to rent a building on the outskirts for a while.”
As the group walked through Ponyville and into the market, a few errant stares latched onto Midnight Azalea and Hawk Eye. He approached a nearby stall, and the mare recoiled slightly. Hawk put on a winning smile and pointed out a bouquet of candied roses.
“Hey, we’re new here, and we need to know if there’s a place for us to rent while we conduct research in the Everfree,” Hawk said as he passed the red-maned mare her bits. She gave him the bouquet and beamed at Hawk’s expression as he gobbled up a rose. “Thank you, miss…?”
“Roseluck. I’m not sure about places to rent, but the Apple family has finished applebucking season, so their barn is going to be empty for the next half-year. Since it’s so close to the Everfree, you might be able to convince AJ or Big Mac to rent to barn for a while.” She scrutinized Hawk further. “I have to say, you’re a lot nicer than the other gryphon who came in town. I think her name was Gilded?”
“Gilda.” Hawk Eye groaned. “Unfortunately, I’m her cousin. She’s a real pain in the flank; I’m sorry you had to deal with her.”
“Oh, it’s no problem.” Rose giggled. “I’m just glad I’m not related to her. Family get-togethers must be messy, huh?”
“Last I heard, she left Equestria again. I know she’s, well, a massive jerk, but I can’t help but worry for her. She used to be such a nice little cub.”
“That means you’re a good po-- erm, gryphon. If you’re going to stay for a while, don’t hesitate to drop on by; candied roses just don’t sell well this time of year.”
Hawk nodded and made his way back to the others, roses in claw.
“So who wants roses? They’re pretty tasty.” He held up the bouquet. A few of them reached for some roses, but a blue glow tore a massive amount of roses out of the bunch and shoved them in Tron and Jacques’ waiting maws. “Seriously, Tron? Ever tried being frugal?”
“NOT. EVEN. ONCFE,” Tron replied, petals flying out of his mouth.
“Whatever.” Hawk shook his head. “The Apple farm should have a barn close to the Everfree we could rent. It beats camping in the woods, anyways. Let’s head on over there and form our base of operations.”
Once they arrived to the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, a small filly in a bow ran into them, quite literally, knocking her down on her rump.
“Oh, Ah’m sorry, mister! Mah brother was teachin’ me the farming techniques handed down the Apple family fer generations, and he finally let me go play.” The filly looked at each of the adults for a moment. “Say…y’all aren’t from around here, are ya?”
“That’s right, little one,” Thunder said softly, to the surprise of everyone. “We’re actually here to do a little research on that forest over there. We’re wondering if there’s anypony we could talk to so we can rent out your barn for a little bit.”
“Oh sure!” The filly hopped up to her hooves. “Y’all can talk to mah brother, Big Mac. He’s in the fields over there.” Applebloom pointed towards the field, where a large red stallion was staring at…another larger, gray stallion. The group looked about, realizing Titanium, for his impressive size, had made his way to Big Mac without any of them noticing. The two stared at one another for a few moments before they began flexing. Whereas Titanium was definitely larger, Big Mac’s muscles were more defined and rippled visibly under his coat, even from a distance. All at once, the two stallions stopped and shook hooves. “Looks like they became friends through their muscles,” said Applebloom. “Ah’m going to go see if I can join my sis and her friends on their picnic!”
With that, the little filly scurried off.
“Whew.” Lake Lily whistled. “Titanium pulls through for us again!”
“Aye…and gave us a good show, as well.” Crystal smirked. Blushing faces turned in her direction. “What?”
Crystal was spared from her perceived lewdness when Titanium waved them over.
“We got the barn,” he said.
“Eeyup. Y’all be careful now.” Macintosh nodded and went back to his chores.
Everybody shuffled into the barn and quickly set down cots as Luna dispelled her illusion, only to set up a few protective wards. Tron shook his mane, dumping Jacques onto a small pile of hay, where it quickly began making a nest. Once ‘camp’ was set up, the team quickly turned towards Luna. She laughed nervously and backed up.
“I hope this isn’t about the comment on Macintosh and Titanium’s spectacular physiques.”
“No, this is about the wedding,” Hawk Eye said as he sat down. “You promised to tell us what’s going on.”
“Oh, you’re not going to like this.” Luna took a deep breath. “A few weeks ago, there was a letter warning of a potential threat. After some investigation, Celestia and I decided that some security measures would be taken.”
“A potential threat? On what?” Hawk asked.
“The letter was charred, a bit questionably, but enough for us to know that there is some threat on the royal wedding.” Luna rose a hoof to stop the group from interrupting. “We couldn’t find the one who delivered the letter, and the sender’s name was burned off the page. We’ve contacted all of our agents, but none seemed to know anything save one.”
“Who? And what?”
“Midnight Azalea and Hawk Eye worked with her for a while. Agent Sweetie Drops.”
“I thought she retired,” Midnight said. “She was good, but not quite my level when it came to poison.”
“She is retired,” Luna replied. “But she agreed to keep an ear to the ground for us. And she found something. Hawk Eye, you’re with me.” Luna turned into Crystal Nights once more. “We’ll be talking to her to get a better glimpse into both the wedding and the incursion that happened at Froggy Bottom Bog. The rest of you…Prepare to investigate an area far more dangerous than some old mine. Tomorrow.”
Crystal left the barn with Hawk Eye at her side as the others began to categorize what they needed. As they made their way back to Ponyville, Crystal flinched slightly and looked to Mount Canterhorn. Hawk Eye followed her gaze and nearly gasped. A giant bubble had encapsulated Canterlot.
“Is that…?”
“Yes, that is Shining Armor’s magic. Most likely a test before the wedding. Or, if Celestia deems it necessary, she will supplement his magic with her own, and it will last from now until the wedding is over.” Luna swung her head towards a small candy shop. “Come, we’ve yet to meet Sweetie Drops.”
“Hold on…there’s that filly again.” Hawk pointed towards a filly trotting about with her two friends. He made his way to the three, a gentle smile on his beak. “Hey, little Apple! I thought you were going to meet your sister?”
“Hey, mister gryphon!” Applebloom beamed. “We wanted to, but it seemed like Applejack and her friends got a letter, and they rushed off to do something.”
Hawk’s eyes widened at the name of one of the Bearers, and he quickly put the pieces together. Mentally reminding himself to congratulate Celestia on her quick actions despite all that was going on, he nodded.
“Okay, I was just wondering. And since you live so close to the Everfree, do you know anybody that might know a lot about it?”
“For research? We know somepony!” Applebloom said.
“Yeah!” said Scootaloo. “They know everything about the Everfree!”
Hawk Eye’s interest piqued.
“Who?”
“Zecora!” Sweetie Belle said. “She lives there, and she makes a bunch of potions for ponies here!”
“Even the memory wipe potion when Twilight couldn’t make it!” Applebloom said.
“Memory wipe potion?” Sweetie turned to her friends quizzically.
“Never mind,” The other two answered in unison.
The gears in Hawk Eye’s mind turned. A zebra shaman capable of class-three potions would be a spectacular guide in the Everfree, and even Froggy Bottom Bog. Although he’d probably have to ask her about the memory wipe potion incident, which opened a whole can of worms of slimy precedents and tangled-up laws. Hawk nodded and went back to Crystal, who was waiting by the door of the candy shop.
“I think I’ve got an idea on who we can use as a guide.”
“Hopefully not me,” a voice said from the door.
Crystal and Hawk Eye stared at the open door of the candy shop. A familiar face stared back, set with what might as well have been her trademarked disgruntled expression.
“Sweetie Dr—”
“Bon-Bon,” she interrupted. “My name is Bon-Bon. Come on in.”
Once they came inside, Bon-Bon shut the door, closed the drapes, and flipped the ‘open’ sign over. Hawk Eye had worked with her a few times before, years ago. An expert in close combat and a fantastic alchemist, her skills were fine-tuned and her demeanor, professional. Last he heard, she had quit because she had finally had enough. She had only worked for the crown because of the desires of her nepotistic aunt. In a way, she was like Gull: she had a destiny that she wasn’t able to reach. But where Gull had been pulled into the ministrations of bigger players, Bon-Bon had broken free and cut ties with the more politically affluent part of her family. And if the rumors were to be believed, not before breaking the muzzle of a particular family member.
The amazing thing about the Guard was that top-secret information was kept secret…even with all the gossip flying around.
“So how has the civilian life been treating you?” Hawk Eye asked. “Find yourself a stallion yet?”
“It’s been good.” One of Bon-Bon’s rare smiles graced her lips. “Very relaxing, and a lot of ponies like my candies. Nice to see my products bringing smiles rather than, you know, sleep or death in monsters. The little monsters I deal with nowadays are waaaaay more approachable. Anyways, I’ve got your intel.”
Hawk Eye almost laughed at how typical Bon-Bon was. She might have been acting a bit grim, but the lilt in her voice and the light in her eyes said a different story. It was the first time he’d ever seen her so happy. Not to mention, she had avoided his second question and moved onto the mission. Hawk decided not to pry.
“Celestia asked me to brief you two on the situation. As ‘Crystal’ has hopefully told you, a letter was received informing her of the threat that might occur during the royal wedding. Give my congrats to Shining, by the way. Considering this is the most legitimate threat Equestria has faced since Nightmare Moon’s return, no offence—”
“It’s fine,” Crystal said.
“—and the first large-scale threat in several centuries, it was deemed necessary to put our ears to the ground to try and dig up more intel. Nothing popped up, so even retirees were asked to help out. I was the only one who found anything. My source lives in the Rambling Rock forest, near the edge of the Everfree. He reported ‘a lot of buzzing’, which is strange, considering there are no buzzing creatures in the Everfree. That, and the massive, unusual magical radiation from Froggy Bottom Bog brought attention. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to investigate Froggy Bottom Bog and to possibly stop the threat before the delayed wedding.”
Hawk nodded and started to leave before Bon-Bon grabbed his tail.
“Hold up there, Lieutenant. This is just a personal question, because Celestia told me everything except the stuff I care about. How safe are the bridesmaids? My best friend is one, and I would hate if she got hurt.” She scowled.
“The bridesmaids will be in the same room as Cadenza and her guards at all times,” Crystal stepped in to answer. “They might as well be princesses themselves.”
Bon-Bon’s frame relaxed.
“Thank you. If you want my advice about exploring the bog, Zecora is a good choice for a guide. She lives in the Everfree, a zebra shaman. The other good choice would be my source. He’s a bit…iffy. Pretty smart and oddly wise, but a bit strange anyways. He gave me some good advice on…stuff.” The mare looked away and rubbed her foreleg. “His name’s Windell. He knows the Everfree about as well as Zecora, and is lot less hot-headed than the average pegasus. Teal fur, open book and quill cutie mark.”
“Much appreciated, Bon-Bon.” Hawk Eye saluted.
Bon-Bon simply nodded and flipped the ‘open’ sign back around.
“Just don’t cause a mess. I actually like living here.”
<><><>
“I think I’ve made a huge mistake.”
It was the next morning. The team turned to stare at Luna, who had shed her glamour the evening prior after she and Hawk Eye came back to the barn.
“What do you mean?” Lake Lily asked.
Luna bit her lip.
“Lucid may know more than we think because I let a few things slip. I was a bit restless, and worried about the wedding, so when he allowed me to see him in the dreamscape, I may have been a bit too… pushy.”
Lake Lily stifled a groan, but Hawk stepped forwards.
“Did you get anything, at least? A clue, some insight?”
“I don’t know. He was as composed as ever, and although I may have gained substantial insight into his psyche, I don’t have the cultural reference necessary to understand him. But if I were to return to Canterlot and gather a few researchers, we could discern what is going on in his head.” Luna sighed and hung her head.
“But we can’t do that now, can we?” Thunder Strike asked.
“Correct.” Luna groaned. “This mission holds precedence over an individual.”
“Don’t worry Luna. We’ll get him,” Midnight Azalea said.
“But in the meantime, it would be best if we set our sights on enlisting the help of this ‘Windell’ character Miss Bon-Bon has told you about,” Red said. “As for why he would even live secluded in Rambling Rock Forest…why anyone would abandon civilization is beyond me.”
Hawk Eye nodded and they left the barn. However, when they opened the doors, a few of them felt as if they were being watched. They stiffened at first and began to leisurely walk down the road. All of them were quite experienced; they knew when they had to trust their gut. And right now, they knew something was watching them. Titanium and Midnight discreetly stood by Hawk Eye’s sides, while Red and Tron took the now-disguised Crystal’s sides and Strong Recovery walked in the middle with Thunder Strike and Lake Lily at his sides. Midnight and Titanium casually looked about, their ears swiveling about.
“Two, three presences,” Titanium noted silently enough for only Hawk and Midnight to hear. “All experienced.”
“They feel dangerous. Coming from the forest. One is particularly…intrusive,” Midnight added.
The two were particularly skilled at following their instincts. After all, their subconscious extrasensory ranges far outclassed the majority of the Guard, not to mention civilians. While they might not know consciously, they learned to pick up on subtle cues and identify where threats could be located and what said threats were doing. So even if they couldn’t consciously hear breaths being taken or see the eyes that gazed upon them, they could be prepared for action and prepare a counter-attack.
“Fading. Gone,” Titanium muttered.
Midnight nodded.
Hawk flicked his tail downwards, a signal to continue walking in that position. The team walked on towards the edge of the farm and paused for a moment before entering the cool shade of Rambling Rock Forest. Compared to the last two places they’d been, there was no looming sense of foreboding. The canopy might have blocked most of the light, but motes of light shone down onto barely-tread path. The background noise shifted easily from the far-off hustle of early-morning Ponyville to the muted sounds of birds chirping and the clicking of beetles. They stopped for a moment when a bush beside them rustled, but it was nothing more than a curious fox popping his head out of the underbrush. Eventually, they came upon a clearing. The grass that rose up to tickle their undercarriages had been cut down to a more acceptable level, an idyllic little cabin in the center. Each stone had been carefully placed, a supporting log interspersed equally along the walls. Three meters from the shed was an extinguished campfire, complete with logs surrounding it as booths. Not far from the hut lay a shed, which seemed much more hastily put-together. Its shoddy door provided stark contrast to the hut’s oddly proud and notably solid door. And near the edge of the clearing was a strangely large outhouse. At the sight of the crescent moon on the door, Crystal muttered something about being surprised her investments were still around.
The door to the hut opened, and a teal pegasus came out. His eyebrows rose at the sight of the guards in the clearing. Not as high as theirs did when a massive wolf followed him out.
“Oh, hello!” The pegasus waved and trotted over. “Who might all of you be? I would offer you breakfast, but I have yet to go out foraging with Steel Fang here. How can I help you?”
Crystal shook herself from the sight of the direwolf first and stood forwards.
“Are you Windell? We may require your services.”
There was a small pause as he rose an eyebrow.
“I am Windell,” he replied. “As for services? I don’t know how I could help you but—HEY!” Windell walked around Crystal and pushed the surprised Hawk Eye aside to head towards a burlap sack with three birds perched atop it. Steel bounded over to him and growled at the birds. “What do you think you’re doing?!” Windell yelled at the birds. “Those are my potatoes! I leave them for ten minutes and you scavengers are already on it? Get out!”
The birds hastily pecked at the potatoes in the sack before flying off as Windell stomped over to them. They took flight and began to take to the skies, mouths full of Windell’s hard-earned potatoes. Instead of flying into the open skies after them like any other pegasus, he picked up an errant stone and flung it towards one of the birds. His aim was true, and he managed to hit one of the birds at the apex of the stone’s throw. Not enough to bring it down, but enough for it to spit out the food it had stolen. The bird clumsily flapped away, its two brothers cawing in laughter.
“And don’t come back! Maudit corbeaux. I’m sorry.” Windell sighed and turned to face the befuddled guards. “You shouldn’t have had to witness that. They’re smart birds, so they should learn from this not to steal my food. Let’s start over.” He bowed his head. “Nice to meet you. My name is Windell. So you say you need my help?”
His smile reached his eyes and he stood back up and offered a hoof to Hawk Eye.