“You’re going to die. You know that, right?”
“I don’t care if she dies, I just hope she doesn’t take any of us with her.”
“Well, the sooner she gets on with it, the better.”
Standing between the circling Rangers like a wounded seal surrounded by sharks, Fluttershy did her best not to whimper too loudly. She kept her eyes firmly on the floor of the barracks. Not for the first time in her life, she wished she had been born a unicorn so she could just turn invisible and disappear.
“You hear me?” said the mare with the turquoise stripes in her mane. There was a small clink of hoof on metal as she jabbed Fluttershy in the chest. “You’re not going to have your Auntie around to save your flank when we’re on a mission.” She prodded Fluttershy again, a little harder. “I asked you if you heard me!”
Fluttershy rocked back on her hooves, trembling. “Y-yes…”
The mare leaned in closer, baring her fangs. “And if you even think of endangering any of us for a political stunt…”
“Okay, okay. Calm down, Turk,” said the dark-hued stallion, resting a hoof on the mare’s shoulder. “The only way that will happen is if we mess up too. As long as we take care of business, we don’t have anything to worry about.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. We all saw what happened a few weeks ago during the sermon,” the second mare said before she bit down and pulled on one of her armor’s straps, her muzzle bearing noticeable scars around the nose. She was as lean and dangerous as the spear she carried. “And I asked around about her. Let’s just say you don’t want to be in the vicinity when she does screw up.”
The mare called Turk continued to glare at Fluttershy as she was reluctantly pulled away by the stallion. “You better make sure none of that happens, newbie. There are lots of accidents that can happen when we’re out in the field. I don’t care what clan you’re in. You mess up bad, and you won’t be coming back. That’s a promise.”
It was all Fluttershy could do to resist the urge to dive beneath the nearest bed. She’d been repeating General Nightshy’s final words in her mind since breakfast, searching for the confidence somewhere inside herself. Standing out in front of the barracks, she had felt good. She had felt so sure of herself. As she pushed open the doors and stepped inside, she had felt like she was ready to make something of herself and show the rest of the Legion that she wasn’t just a screw up but a strong, unique mare!
The first Ranger she’d met, Turk, had spat on the floor with a look of disgust the moment she saw Fluttershy and loudly asked her, “You know you’re a little failure who is going to get good ponies killed, right?”
It had gone downhill from there.
“Well, it’s good to see my Rangers are all getting along so well!” said a booming voice. The Rangers spun to face the door and snapped to attention. Fluttershy scrambled to emulate them.
The newcomer was a mare large enough to look a stallion in the eyes, and Fluttershy was sure that despite the eyepatch, one glance from her was enough to cow any pony. She gave each Ranger a probing stare as she marched across the barracks before finally falling upon Fluttershy. She frowned. “So our newest member is here on time. Frankly, I didn’t expect you to show up at all.”
With her best salute, Fluttershy puffed out her chest and, with as much determination as she could scrounge up, quickly said, “Sorry, Captain Vanguard.”
The Captain blinked. “Sorry?”
“I mean that, um, I’m s-sorry that I didn’t do like you expected. Wait! I’m not sorry that I’m on time, I’m just… oh, dear, um… I’m sorry that… I… that you were… wrong?”
There was a long pause. “You’re scared,” Vanguard said. It wasn’t a question.
Nightshy’s warning about confidence and first impressions repeated itself with desperation, but Fluttershy just wilted beneath that piercing gaze. “Y-yes,” she squeaked.
Behind her, one of the Rangers muttered something beneath their breath, earning a few chuckles.
“Good. That means you’re not an idiot,” said Captain Vanguard. She had to bend down to look Fluttershy in the eye. “You have been assigned to the Rangers without any training and placed in a squad set to leave on a long-range reconnaissance mission meant to actively seek out the Sun Tyrant’s soldiers in just four days. You should be terrified.”
Fluttershy’s legs began to wobble. She nodded.
“That means for the next four days your life is going to be a little slice of Tartarus. You are going to be going through the abridged version of Ranger training. If you work hard and pay attention, you might just learn enough to survive out there. Understood?”
“Y-yes, ma’am,” Fluttershy gasped.
“Good.” Straightening back up, Vanguard turned her attention to the rest of the Rangers. “That means that the three of you are going to be going through it all with her.” There was a chorus of groans and complaints. “I don’t want to hear any bellyaching from you lot. This is how it is. We are going to do everything we can to make sure our squad is in the best shape to complete the mission.” Vanguard narrowed her one-eyed gaze. “And if one of you gets a bright idea about trying to put Fluttershy onto the injured list before our mission, I will personally assign you to the next solo mission to Canterlot. Understood?”
The others saluted. “Yes, Captain.”
Vanguard pointed to the mare with the scars around her nose. “Silver Pike, take Fluttershy to the armory and get her some proper armor. I want her training in real-world conditions from now until we leave. Understood?”
Silver Pike saluted again. “Yes, Captain.”
“Dusk and Turquoise, you –”
“Just Turk, ma’am.”
“– head to the training grounds,” Vanguard continued without slowing, “and start getting things set up there. We’re going to start with the basics and work our way out from there. I want to make sure we have the best chance of getting everypony through this mission alive and intact.”
Dusk looked over at Fluttershy for a moment, sizing her up. “How basic do you want to go? Practice targets and training weapons?”
“We can skip that. Evidently she knows enough to manage to put three Legionaries into the infirmary with just her bare hooves.”
Silver Pike whistled. Fluttershy blushed furiously, too disconcerted to correct them.
“Really?” Dusk looked at Fluttershy again. “Okay Captain, will do. C’mon, Turk,” he said, elbowing the mare at his side, interrupting her almost constant glaring in Fluttershy’s direction. With a dismissive snort she turned to follow him.
Silver Pike tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder. “Let’s go,” she said. She didn’t wait for an answer and marched off, forcing Fluttershy to jog to catch up.
“Sorry for all the trouble,” Fluttershy said once they were out of earshot. “I didn’t want any of this.”
Silver Pike didn’t look at Fluttershy as she spoke. “Stop apologizing. The Captain’s right. You’re here now, so nothing else matters. The best thing is to give you all the training we can before we leave. You’ll learn quickly, or you’ll die. And to be honest, we don’t really care which, just as long as you don’t take us with you.”
The rest of the walk was done in silence.
*~*~*
As Fluttershy gingerly lowered herself down onto her cot, she groaned with relief. By the Moon, no bed in Equestria could ever be as comfortable as that one ratty cot. She’d barely had the strength to remove her armor, leaving it in a pile beside her bed. What had been fresh from the armory hours earlier was scuffed and scraped and dented from a full day of training.
“She wasn’t kidding about Tartarus,” she whispered, rubbing one of her aching legs as gingerly as possible. The bruises were going to be there for a while.
“You’ve still got enough energy to talk?” Captain Vanguard asked.
“Wha- owww!” Fluttershy shot up on reflex before moaning in pain as her back protested loudly. She tried to salute Vanguard, but her arm was jelly. “I m-mean, um, yes… ma’am?”
Vanguard pointed at the pile of darkened steel beside Fluttershy’s bed. “Then you have enough energy to put your armor away properly. Take care of your equipment, and it will save your life.” She leaned forward. “Or would you prefer to do some more laps around the training field?”
Fluttershy’s wings trembled in fear. “N-no ma’am! Right away, ma’am!” Easing out of bed as quickly as she could manage, Fluttershy scooped up her gear with aching limbs. She made sure that she fit each piece on the armor stand firmly. She didn’t need Captain Vanguard ordering her to do it all over again.
The rest of the Rangers busied themselves with their own duties. Only Turk bothered to even look in Fluttershy’s direction. Situated as she was on the cots between Dusk and Turk, Fluttershy couldn’t avoid the glare she felt burning through the back of her skull. Fluttershy kept her eyes down, focused on her task.
Captain Vanguard moved to the middle of the barracks and cleared her throat. “That was a good day, Rangers. You worked hard, and I’m proud of you. Tomorrow is going to be more of the same. You have two hours rest. Make the most of it.” The other Rangers groaned, but Vanguard silenced them with a glare. “Be thankful I don’t have you all on watch for the night instead.”
The room was plunged into darkness as the candles were blown out one by one. Fluttershy dropped onto the rough mattress with a smile. It felt like she was resting on a cloud. She wiggled like a little filly and pulled the musty sheets up to her nose. Yes, her body throbbed like it was just one giant bruise, but at that moment she was in heaven.
“So what are you really doing here, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy yelped and tugged the blanket over her head.
“Fluttershy?” Somepony prodded her. “Hey, I’m talking to you.”
Slowly, Fluttershy peeked out to find Dusk looking down at her with a befuddled expression. She blushed. “Y-yes?”
“You shouldn’t be here. You’re not Ranger material. You’re barely a Legionary.” He pointed. “I saw your best out there, and it’s just not good enough. The best ponies in the Legion want to join the Rangers and get turned down in droves. So you need to really reconsider whatever strings you pulled to get assigned here.”
Fluttershy’s lowered her eyes. “But I’m trying my best...”
“If that’s your best, then you shouldn’t have joined the Rangers.”
“I didn’t have a choice. I was assigned here. As punishment.”
Dusk cocked an eyebrow. “Punishment? What could a pony like you have done to get assigned to the Rangers as a punishment?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. If, um, that’s okay with you…”
“Whatever. You want my advice? You should do whatever you can to get out of this. Because once you’re out in the wilderness, with wild monsters on one side and enemy soldiers on the other, you’re going to wish you were in the brig.”
“Oh…” she replied. There wasn’t anything else she could say. She rolled over onto her good shoulder as Dusk returned to his cot – only to find Turk staring at her from her own bed, the Ranger’s sullen eyes piercing the darkness. Fluttershy returned to her previous position.
Clenching her eyes shut and ignoring Turk’s eyes on the back of her head, Fluttershy tried to focus on sleep. Her battered body cried out for rest, but her thoughts were a whirlwind of anxiety and dread. She’d spent a day getting her flank kicked, figuratively and literally. The thought of doing it again only heightened the tension, like trying to find sleep when haunted by a bad dream.
And above it all hung the promise of disappointment and shame at her inevitable failure.
Fluttershy scrunched up her muzzle. ‘No. You can do this. If you can save dozens of your animal friends, you can go without messing up once,’ she thought, wrapping her mind in as much confidence as she could scrounge up. ‘You’re not a failure, and you’re not gonna let the family down. Dusk is wrong. You’re not a bad soldier. You’re better than that. You’re… you’re an average soldier, and you’re gonna prove it to them!’
With that stirring affirmation reverberating in her thoughts, Fluttershy drifted off to sleep.
*~*~*
“That crafty gelding! He’s ruined everything!”
There was a crash as the cup Silhouette had been holding smashed into the wall in a shower of wine and glass. A servant darted out of the shadows with a rag at the ready, but she ignored him. She turned back to face her guest, her wrinkled face softening. “My apologies, Sky,” she said as another servant placed a new cup in her hoof. She downed the contents in a single gulp. “Please forgive my outburst. The cost of old age, I’m sorry to say.”
Sky Lance took a bite of his salad, watching Silhouette from across the lengthy dining table. “Don’t. I should be the one throwing a fit. It’s my son in the infirmary.”
“And you’re absolutely sure that she’s already with the Rangers?”
“I had someone go by Fluttershy’s room last night. It’s already empty.”
Silhouette swirled her mushroom wine around in her glass, savoring the piquant odor. “Do we know who her commanding officer is?”
“Captain Vanguard.”
“One of yours?”
Sky Lance gave a dry laugh. “Hardly. She’s a talented but unambitious career officer from a middling family. She’ll still be a Captain when they put her in her tomb.”
Glowering, Silhouette slugged back her wine. She held out an impatient hoof for a refill. “I’m not willing to give up just yet. We’ve never been closer to taking control of the Legion. It can’t be too hard to get one filly out of the picture.”
“I have good stallions who can make her… disappear.”
“Don’t be a fool,” she snapped. “You can’t kill the General’s heir and get away with it.”
He bristled. “I know my business. They could never trace any of it back to us.”
“They don’t have to trace anything. Suspicion would be enough to turn the Council against us.” Silhouette ran a hoof through her mane, her once pure black hair streaked with white. “Once they were through with us, we’d be lucky to ever see the outside of a cell again. And I don’t plan on spending the last years of my life behind bars.”
“Then what do you propose?” asked Sky Lance as he pushed his empty plate to the side. An unseen servant whisked it away as he smirked at Silhouette. “Get Fluttershy to abdicate in exchange for her own petting zoo?”
She choked on a reluctant laugh. “If only it were that easy. The mere idea of that emotional, insecure little filly being the heir to the Legion…” Silhouette shook her head. “The sooner we’re free of her, the better. You’ve heard the rumors, about the True Princess's return approaching. The portents are getting harder to ignore. And I don’t want to risk facing the Sun Tyrant while Fluttershy wields the General’s baton.”
“It’s true. Her family has grown weak. Their blood is thin.”
“So we have to keep looking. There must be someone else in the Rangers who could be called upon to arrange an accident out in the field.”
Sky Lance frowned. “I thought you said–”
She cut him off with a waved hoof as she finished her third – or was it her fourth? – glass of wine. “What I said was don’t be a fool. I don’t care how good your thugs are, you kill the heir inside the Citadel and your whole family is finished.” She pulled back her lips, revealing her fangs. “But when our brave little filly vanishes on a patrol, well, then she’s just another casualty in the Long War.”
“That still depends upon finding a pony to do the deed.”
“Just a week ago you were bragging about your connections within the Legion. Now it’s time to put them to use.”
“It will still be difficult,” Sky Lance said. “They leave on patrol in four days.”
Silhouette tutted disapprovingly, like a school teacher returning a paper buried in red ink. “Now now, stop that defeatist nonsense. Convincing ponies to do what you want is hardly difficult. It’s all a matter of leverage. It’s like we learned in training: with the right grip and enough pressure, you can snap even the strongest limb. Look into the rest of Fluttershy’s unit. Dig up everything you can on their friends and families.” Silhouette leaned forward, her voice dropping to a low growl.
“Find me my leverage.”
*~*~*
The straps of Fluttershy’s coal-blackened saddlebags dug into her raw shoulders, the fabric bulging with waterskins, food rations, a bedroll, replacement horseshoes, a saw blade, six flares, a telescope, and enough paper and ink to accurately describe every last soldier in the Sun Tyrant’s army. Atop it all were the neatly packed bundles of spare spears and armor being transported to their destination. Despite the burning welts and pains left over from four days of mind-numbingly exhausting training, Fluttershy stood firmly at attention, her spear held proudly upright as Captain Vanguard inspected the unit one by one.
The rest of the Rangers stood with her like martial sculptures as Captain Vanguard passed her discerning gaze over each of them in turn. Forcing herself to keep a neutral expression, Fluttershy couldn’t help but bask in the newfound confidence she felt standing beside the other Rangers. Internally, she exulted at her accomplishment.
I did it. I made through training, she exulted. I just might not die!
Whether it was the sleep deprivation or the deep physical fatigue that seemed to reach all the way to her very core until even walking required thorough concentration, Fluttershy found the thought reassuring. She couldn’t help but take some measure of pride in feeling like she just might not immediately get herself and her whole unit slain the moment they left the Citadel.
She ignored that snide voice pointing out that not dying was hardly an accomplishment. Fluttershy was going to continue to celebrate even the smallest of victories. She would save the introspective self-analysis for when her brain wasn’t doing its best to shut down out of sheer exhaustion.
Fluttershy focused what little willpower she had left on standing proudly at attention as Captain Vanguard stepped in front of her.
The rest of her unit hated her, she’d brought shame upon her family, and she was about to head out into the wilderness to spy upon the soldiers of the Sun Tyrant, but for the first time in her life Fluttershy felt like a proper soldier. If only Angel could see her now.
Captain Vanguard stood before Fluttershy for an eternity, her one eye silently judging the newest recruit. Her lip edged downward in a resigned frown. “Well, you’ll just have to learn the rest out in the field.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Fluttershy replied hoarsely.
Finishing her inspection, Captain Vanguard turned to address her squad. “Alright, you know the drill. Move fast, stay quiet, and hide your tracks. We can’t leave anything for the Sun Tyrant to track us back to the Citadel. Our destination is the old castle in the Everfree Forest. Turk, you’re on point. Fluttershy, you’re with me. Now move out.”
As far as speeches went it was decidedly brief and low-key, something that appealed to Fluttershy after so many years of unfortunately garrulous officers. Forming up as ordered, they set off at a quick pace, Captain Vanguard trotting at Fluttershy’s side.
Fluttershy was impressed with how quiet they were as group. The clanging, clanking Legionary armor she was used to would have made a deafening racket at such a pace, but the Ranger armor she wore moved with an oiled grace that even her tired and clumsy limbs couldn’t sabotage.
The caverns grew rougher and darker as they passed through successive gateways, and Fluttershy ignored the looks of respect and pity the Rangers received from each successive garrison. Fluttershy shivered as the last portcullis slammed down behind them. There was no turning back now.
But the surface was still a long march away. Instead of hewn walls and constructed pathways, the caverns they moved through were dark and damp, bearing no sign of occupation. The darkness strained even a bat pony’s eyes. Fluttershy edged closer to Captain Vanguard as they trotted through the caves, eying the yawning mouths of side tunnels as they passed them, fearing they might eat her whole. Long forgotten school lessons about the construction of the Citadel and its labyrinthine entrance resurfaced. One wrong turn and she’d never be seen again.
“This is your first time topside, isn’t it?” Captain Vanguard asked, the total silence turning her whisper into a shout.
Fluttershy would have nodded, if moving her head quickly didn’t blur her vision and make her skull feel like it was trapped in a vice. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Your first time is always special. You’ll never forget it. Just don’t go crazy on us. It can be frightening not having stone above your head.”
The fear and fatigue fell to the wayside as Fluttershy glanced over at Captain Vanguard. “Will… will we see the sun?”
“You’re not a sun-worshipping traitor, are you?”
Fluttershy gasped. “What? N-no! Of course not!”
“Relax. It was just a joke. Yes, you’ll get to see the sun. We should exit around sunset, giving us the whole night to travel.” She watched Fluttershy from the side of her eye. “I know you’re tired, but do your best. The first leg of our mission isn’t far. We have a cache hidden just inside the Everfree Forest. You’ll get a chance to rest up then.”
“I would like that a lot,” said Fluttershy with a smile.
“Just don’t expect us to go easy on you after that. It’s a long hike to the castle, and the Everfree Forest isn’t a friendly place to be after dark. You’ll have to pull your weight, first time or not.” As hard as she tried, Captain Vanguard couldn’t keep some of her concern from leaking into her voice.
Warmth settled over Fluttershy despite the tunnel’s sapping dampness. “Thank you, ma’am,” she whispered to Captain Vanguard’s back as the older mare moved ahead. Her thoughts drifted back to what she’d just said. “Sunset…” Despite her exhaustion, Fluttershy felt the urge to giggle like a filly. The sun! Who thought I’d ever have the chance to see it? I hope it’s as wonderful as my books described it. Echo will never believe me. When I get back…
Her thoughts were rudely interrupted when a distracted hoof caught on a stalagmite. She stumbled beneath the weight of her overloaded saddlebags, wings flapping wildly for balance. Leaning back, she began to regain control, hooves scrabbling for purchase on the stone – before she ran headlong into a low-hanging stalactite.
Her helmet struck the ancient stone like the tolling of a bell, the sound echoing down the side-tunnels and cross-caves, audible long after Fluttershy’s head had stopped ringing.
Skull throbbing, Fluttershy blinked away the tears as she struggled back to her hooves. She looked up to find the entire patrol glaring down at her. Blushing visibly even in the darkness, she tried to sink back down and hide inside her armor. “Uh… oops?”
*~*~*
Captain Vanguard hadn’t been lying. Sunset had truly been an experience Fluttershy would never forget – no matter how hard she tried.
It was accepted, even expected, that new Legionaries would be unnerved at their first glimpse of the sun’s staggering brightness when they first escaped the Citadel’s stony grasp. The anxiety, the momentary panic; it happened to them all on their first time.
Evidently that unspoken tolerance didn’t extend to collapsing onto the ground and sucking on your hoof like a foal.
Amidst a bout of heavy laughter, Fluttershy was levered up onto her hooves and driven forward, walking on automatic. By the time she had the presence of mind to even recognize the teasing for what it was, the sun had vanished beyond the horizon and they were embraced by the deep shadows of the Everfree Forest.
Fluttershy glanced above her as she marched onward, thankful that the trees masked the night. Blessed as it was, every glimpse of that open, endless void set her knees shaking until she was certain she couldn’t continue on. Only Captain Vanguard’s stern encouragement – and the desire to avoid giving the other Rangers any more ammunition to mock her – kept Fluttershy moving.
The castle turned out to be a mist-shrouded ruin in the heart of the forest. The surrounding trees looked intent on reclaiming the broken remains, hungry vines squeezing the life out of what was left. Only the stony chasm surrounding the castle kept the rest of the forest from joining in the feast, offering as it did some measure of protection for the ancient walls.
It also meant there was no easy access for the Rangers. Weighed down with gear and unable to fly across, they circled around the castle instead, searching for a rotten rope bridge that Turk whispered was never found in exactly the same position twice. Fluttershy went pale, and Turk’s mocking laughter was only cut off when Dusk cuffed her helmet.
The rest of the journey around the castle was conducted in silence. Each Ranger paid close attention to the sounds of the forest, alert for the sudden silence that could signal an imminent attack.
Still, Silver Pike happily detailed the history of the castle to Fluttershy whenever they stopped to rest or refill their canteens. From the looks the others gave one another it was a topic she’d covered before, but Fluttershy still found it an interesting diversion from her aching limbs and her anxiety about that endless abyss above.
As Silver Pike explained, it had been home to the two Princesses of Equestria long ago. The castle had been the beating heart of their kingdom, a monument to the artistry and skill of the ancient Equestrians. For ages the sisters ruled side by side, but slowly the Sun Tyrant had grown jealous of the True Princess’ beautiful nights. When she finally betrayed her sister, the resulting fight had sundered the land and left the castle a broken wreck.
The Sun Tyrant had abandoned the castle soon after her victory, allowing it to be consumed by the Everfree so as to hide her shame. Long forgotten by the traitors, it had found new purpose in serving the Legion. For centuries it had been a forward base of operation, its cellar stockpiled with weapons and armor, all carried there on the backs of Rangers like them.
When the True Princess returned, Silver Pike said with glee, it would be one of the launching points for their glorious reclamation of Equestria.
Still, it was clear they were not welcome there. The hairs on the back of Fluttershy’s neck stood on end as they crossed the rope bridge one by one. It was a deep, unsettling sensation, like static electricity that wouldn’t dissipate. Years of life in the darkness of the Citadel left every bat pony well in-tune with their other senses, and what Fluttershy’s told her was worrying.
They were being watched.
Only later, when they were wrapped safely in the thick stone walls of the castle, did Fluttershy voice her suspicions.
Captain Vanguard snorted derisively. “Of course we were being watched,” she said as she shrugged off her heavy saddlebags, dropping them beside a strange spherical statue in the middle of the room. Around it on six arms were six smaller spheres, each crafted from a pale white stone that shone in the light of the moon.
Fluttershy felt her eyes pulled to the statue, and one sphere in particular. A forgotten lullaby hummed by a familiar voice was carried in on the wind, barely audible yet warming her heart.
Captain Vanguard’s stern voice drew her back to the matter at hoof, and Fluttershy snapped to attention. “This is the Everfree. There’s always something watching you. We’re lucky it was just a pack of timberwolves. I’d hate to have your first night in the field spent fighting an angry hydra.”
Fluttershy’s face lit up. “Timberwolves? Really? Oh, can we go see them?”
Captain Vanguard gave her a flat look. “They’re predators, Fluttershy, not pets. They weren’t hungry enough to attack our squad, but they’d certainly try to make a meal out of any bat pony stupid enough to go out there alone.”
“Oh. It’s just that I’ve only read about them in books. I’ve never seen one alive before.”
“If you act around them like you did when you saw the sun, you still won’t see one alive,” Turk said from across the room, baring her teeth and making a gnawing motion. It earned a few chuckles from the other Rangers till Captain Vanguard gave a stern cough. The rest of the team returned to their work.
“There’s really not much to see. They look like a moving collection of twigs with two green eyes glued on.” Captain Vanguard pointed across the room they’d claimed as their own. “Now get back to work and finish unpacking your gear. The sooner you’re finished, the sooner you can get some sleep. Tomorrow’s hike is going to make this one seem like a short canter with your special somepony.”
Dropping off her own saddlebags, Fluttershy’s turned back to her captain. “Where are we going tomorrow?”
“There’s a town a few miles away. Not too large, but it’s in a strategic location along the major transportation arteries that lead to Canterlot. We’ll be observing the population, tracking any troop movements, counting ponies, that sort of thing.”
Fluttershy spread out her bedroll over the worn stones. “Well that doesn’t sound too bad.”
“They key is not getting spotted,” Silver Pike added as she stoked the flames of their small campfire. Shadows danced across the walls. She wasn’t preparing her bed, having been given the unenviable task of having first watch. “It’s not hard, but you have to stay alert all day. You never know when the traitors will send out a patrol. It’s a game of cat and mouse. We have to get as much information as we can without them knowing we were ever there.”
“Because if they catch you…” Turk stuck her tongue out and ran her hoof across her throat.
It was a pathetic taunt straight off the school playground. Fluttershy slipped beneath her bedding before Turk could see her shiver. “So, what’s the town called?”
Dusk gave a dry laugh. “Ponyville! There isn’t a place in Equestria with a blander, less interesting name. And trust me, I’ve checked.”
Fluttershy giggled softly as she pulled her blanket up to her chin. Her crescent moon pendant was a reassuring weight on her chest. “Heh, yeah.”
“You lucked out, newbie,” said Turk, sounding a little disappointed. “You couldn’t have asked for an easier first time. By the end of this rotation you’ll be bored out of your mind like the rest of us.
“Trust me, nothing exciting ever happens in Ponyville.”