Horn And Wings

by Nameless Narrator

The Darkness Inside: In Case Of Trouble

It was a beautiful afternoon considering it being the middle of winter. The sky was steel grey, the snow formed a thin layer on the ground but it wasn't snowing or drizzling right now making it ideal to go play outside, if one had the time.

"A thestral in Ponyville?" Icy Gaze wondered, watching the unusual pony's slow progress through the library square.

It wasn't just the race of the black mare but most of all the two things on her back, correction - the lack of two things on her back, that caught Icy's attention. It had to be her according to the statement of the Canterlot guards which meant that if there ever was a chance to find his target it would be through her.

Now, the stranger who had given him the letter with his mission had warned Icy that there might be some danger involved in tracking the black batpony but he believed his experience should be more than enough to ensure his safety and the quick apprehension of his target. There was no reason to risk though and since he had enough time he decided to just observe for now.

The newspaper he was using to cover his presence at some uninteresting corner cafe said something about a growing unrest in Canterlot but he ignored it and kept his eyes on the mare. For past few days he'd managed to get a good feel for the layout of Ponyville and right now it seemed that she was on the way from local mental institution.

Choking turned around, blew the large pegasus watching her in secret a kiss and snickered when he hid behind his paper again. Nopony in the vicinity would be able to notice her scowl when she turned back and began whistling as she walked in just slightly different direction than before. After the evening few days ago she'd begun to like the effect that braided tail had on ponies and with every step she bounced her behind to keep the pegasus' attention and distract him from whatever the real deal was.

He probably had no idea but she had noticed him walking around Ponyville several times before. After all, somepony of his majestic looks couldn't escape her attention and this seemed like the first time he noticed her but the way he looked at her didn't seem... usual. Stallions normally reacted to her with a mixture of embarrassment and desire which sort of skyrocketed after her tail experiment but this guy was completely different.

She didn't even twitch when her sensitive ears picked the sound of a chair being pulled on the ground and then the distinct rhytm of hoofsteps crunching on the snow. So he was following her which meant he either wanted something or...

...no, he was keeping his distance. He wasn't a guard though otherwise he'd have known the habits of that profession, the mistrust to every fellow pony and the unconscious ability to sniff out every little detail that was out of place. He was sneaky, that she had to give him. Well, not sneaky as such because anypony of his size would have hard time keeping his presence hidden but he was good at being inconspicuous, just a part of the normal street hubbub. Too bad for him he had no clue about batpony senses.

Icy Gaze kept following the unaware mare who switched between whistling and humming. The guards at the castle had presented her as an air-headed bimbo and everything he'd seen supported that image but something was off. Everything felt too much, too real, too gossip-like. Icy knew to trust his instincts despite his age, they had saved him enough times to at least give them the benefit of the doubt. That meant she either was really just a dumb club mare or she was leading him on but since the cafe mistake she hadn't even turned around or did anything slightly suspicious.

In the meantime, Choking decided it would be a good idea to go and do some shopping today.

"Why? Why would she be testing beds and sofas?" grumbled Icy Gaze after yet another hour of following his mark.

All that would be worth it if the money he'd gotten was just the first half of the payment. All worth watching the batpony chatter on and on about nonsense at the bakery. All worth following her into the spa and spending a horrible half hour being stomped on by one of the masseuses while the dumb bat was curious about apparently EVERYTHING in this one pony town. Right now, though, he was beginning to doubt it as he was freezing his hooves off in the snow while she had apparently dozed off on one of the presented beds.

At last, this walk through purgatory was over and she had to wake up after incessant jabbing of hoof belonging to the store owner.

SHE DECIDED TO BUY THE DAMN THING?!

Okay, another ten minutes watching her go through the bonus equipment available for purchase. Icy swore that if the store owner showed her one more diagram of localized heating he'd come back with a torch and show him some general overheating later.

Amused by his imagination presenting him with screaming store owner as all his beds melted Icy managed to not begin banging on the window.

At last, it was over and he could follow the batdumbass again. The last building she entered was a two-story house that looked slightly out of date and Icy could hear two voices from inside one of which belonged to a stallion. Very carefully he slipped towards the window of a room that looked inhabited and peeked through.

He saw a bronze unicorn reading a book. That was all he needed.

---

"I'm hooooome," a cheery singsong voice rings through the entry hall.

"How was your day?" I look up from the book I'm reading. To be honest, I was only half-reading it as after starting I quickly realized that it was a history book and got bored rather fast.

"Much the same as every other - get up, have breakfast, go to work, save miss Pearl from the wines in the asylum garden, smile at the visitors, get stalked on the way home, smile at ya."

"Ummmm, say again?"

"Yea... I think we have a problem."

"Maybe you should elaborate a bit? I'm afraid I still don't consider stalking you a death threat, more like I can see why somepony would do it. Especially with the tail thing, ehm."

She turns around, wraps her thin tail around my neck and shoves my face where I really want to and don't want to be at the same time.

"Blaze like?"

"Blaze like very much," I mumble with my muzzle making only partially intelligible noises.

Her bottom lets my face go and I can finally breathe again.

"Back to business, darling. What's wrong? If there was somepony following you we can just tell the guards around," I stumble out when I stop blushing furiously.

"That guy was from Canterlot, I'm sure of it, but not from high society. His saddlebags, horseshoes and the lance he was hiding pretty well were all well-kept and high-grade equipment."

"A Royal Guard?"

"He wasn't wearing a badge or anything but even without it I don't think so. Royal Guards usually know batponies well enough to be able to track one without being noticed. This guy was some sort of a soldier but he didn't have the experience of moving through a city which every guard gets with served time."

"So, where did you leave him?"

"He followed me here."

"What?"

"I wasn't able to shake him off without alerting him and he kept following me through half of the town. Sorry for coming home late by the way."

"Yea, a reeeeeally big problem in comparison to, let's say, a soldier tracking you."

"Exactly."

I would love to add something useful but I can't do anything to help. I can't fight a soldier and he knows where we live. I am completely dependent on her.

Buck this.

Buck this.

I am useless. All that nonsense about finding my way in the world would be fine but I don't know anything, anypony...

Buck...

"Calm down, Blaze," she shakes me by my shoulders.

"Huh?"

"I know that expression, stop it. I won't let them take ya."

"But I want to be good for something, to help."

"You will, trust me. This time I'll just have to find out how so calm down and just be ready to listen to me."

Taking a deep breath, I bite down on my hoof.

"Just tell me what to do."

"That's the spirit," she ruffles my mane, "Now go to the kitchen and make me a sandwich."

5 4 3 2 1... gonna blow. She can't be seriously thinking about eating at the time like this.

A surge of power cascades through me from my horn down making my bones creak.

All right, all right, I'm going.

"Lettuce or daisy?" I roll my eyes.

"Whatever is fine. I just need something to occupy me while I think of what to do."

"Whatever you wish, my lady and mistress," I grumble and leave.

I know I have to trust her but she could at least try to look like she's being serious about things.

To make you freak out even more?

True. Even if we might have to hide again for a while it will definitely be easier with full stomach so I pick up a knife and begin buttering bread. Trust trust trust, it's all about trust in critical situation. I have to do what little I can even if I think I'd be able to do more, precision is the key.

With a plate resembling the artwork of a culinary master I return back to the living room, wearing a calm, collected and completely fake expression.

"Any ideas?"

"Yep. I don't really care," she shrugs, "but it would eat ya inside to know somepony else might get caught in the cross between us and Luna. With that in mind we need to find Doomie a safe place. If we have to leave then I don't want her starving again and I didn't have enough time to find her a job."

Neither did I. I completely forgot about her actually having some future but with the way Chokey told me she found her I should have done something.

"There is the expression again," Chokey knocks on my head, "It. Is. Not. Your. Fault."

"But I was just lying here, reading some stupid book instead of helping."

"Calm down. Ya can't let it burn ya when ya are powerless. Just wait, do what ya can and work to better yourself. I had to go through all that when ya were protecting me from Valiant, Sombra, everypony who even looked at me funny. Trust me and just roll with it."

"You know, you are pretty wise when you want to."

"I like to make a wrong impression just to make foals of ponies. To be honest though, most of it is your fault. Well, you know what I mean."

Yeah, I think I'm getting used to my dual nature. I just have to understand that I need somepony to hold my hoof until I'm strong enough.

"So, should we leave her some money and move out?"

"Nah, she doesn't really understand the value much and it would be temporary at best anyway. I think we're gonna need help with this. Let me slip out for a while and go talk to Doom Star."

I just nod and walk upstairs.

The younger batpony twitches when I open her closet.

"Doomie," I say softly.

"Hrmhm- AH!"

My magic envelops her before she falls down after hanging head down.

"Are you alright?"

"Mhm," she nods and tilts her head questioningly.

"I hate to break it to you but you might have to leave."

"Why?" she shows her regrown fangs a little. Apparently drinking blood gives her pretty decent regeneration ability.

"We might have to leave the house because some nasty guys are looking for me and Chokey. We don't want you to get hurt if they come."

"Bite them," she frowns.

"You have more courage than me, girl. That won't work though because they will be well-trained and will probably try to kill you if you show up."

"Hide in closet."

"And then what? Do you want to stay here and go back to starving?"

"Stay here with you. Enough food."

I have no clue what to say so I offer the only thing I'm apparently good for.

"Do you want dinner?" I tilt my head to show her the usual feeding spot.

When she slips into my lap and begins sucking on my neck I don't bother limiting her and just breathe slowly with my back resting against the back of the closet.

"Polite coughing, Blaze."

"Uh what?" I snap out of my daze and realize Chokey is talking to me and she's not alone.

"I'm not sure I'm going to agree after seeing this," says a different voice I can identify as Bright Eye.

"Whass goin' on?"

"Well, ya see... I asked the Cakes if they could help but they have too much to do with their own foals so after thinking a bit more I found a perfect pony to ask to take care of our friend here. Ya will never find somepony more kind, warm-hearted, giving and-"

"Attempts like these make me regret employing you, Darky," Bright Eye cools her off and measures Doomie up and down, "I'm not sure I can afford passing out every day."

"Wu- what? Not a problem." I wave my hoof, "She doesn't need to drink that much blood, I just wanted to make her more pliable, right?"

"Bite you," Doomie playfully chomps my neck again but doesn't even draw blood. Then she returns Bright's examining look, "Stay with him?"

"It would be a good idea to go now," Chokey says in all seriousness and turns to Bright Eye, "Bright, I'm gonna give ya the deeds to this house. If anything happens ya can keep this place, sell it or anything. It should cover some costs of taking care of the runt."

"Not runt. Old like you."

"Heh yeah, she looks like she is just around two-three years younger than me. So?"

Bright sighs and looks at me and Chokey repeatedly.

"Fine. I seem to be pretty good at attracting stray batponies. What do you want me to do?"

"Take her home with ya for a week or so. As I told you I was followed today so whoever wants us knows where we live. If things clear up somehow then ya'll be the first to know."

"Doomie?" I hug the silent batpony.

"New juicebox got closet?"

"I think we'll work something out," Bright pats her head and she follows him to the door.

"New juicebox tasty?"

"Stop it."

Doomie turns to us and grins.

"I think you've been spending too much time with her," I nudge Chokey when they leave the bedroom.

"I'm the best example ever."

"Do you think they'll be safe?"

"If they get home tonight then yeah."

My blood freezes.

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you think I sent them out together in the darkness... unicorn and a batpony."

"Heavens, you can't be serious?!"

"I'm a cheating liar, ya know? I don't have to play nice."

Comments

[Anonymous Critic]

She does realize Doomie has wings... right?

[JazzyWaffles]

Now, the stranger who had given him the letter with his mission had warned Icy that there might be some danger involved in tracking the black batpony but he believed his experience should be more than enough to ensure his safety and the quick apprehension of his target. There was no reason to risk though and since he had enough time he decided to just observe for now.

Should... I read Diplomatic Relations now?