TMPDA: Last One In The Nest

by Myriad of Failure

The Night Stalking and Assault Became Legal

"Hey, Nocturne? I've been looking all over for you!"

I span around quickly. My skin was still crawling after my chat with Crater, and I was half expecting him to slink out from behind one of the pillars, that scowl twisting around his fangs.

Instead, green eyes met mine as Spike waddled over, gravel still sticking to his front claws having travelled on all-fours. His stubby tail flicked from side to side to keep balance.

"Hey, Spike." Frowning a little, I asked, "Has something happened? You need me for something, right?"

"Er... well - nothing urgent like that, it's just..." His mouth twisted in indecision as his eyebrows curled across his forehead. "Look - you ran off so quickly... so..."

"You can just tell me, you know," I trotted over, "I won't be offended." Probably - unless you've come to tease me about... those creatures.

"It's Fluttershy that's offended." A claw slapped across his mouth. "Sorry, that was blunt."

"Why should she be?" I frowned. That mare really needed to get a grip of herself, I thought - she must have been about my age, while being as shy as a school-filly. How anypony could function in adult life - as timid as that - was beyond me. Unless her occupation was as a recluse, or a hermit...

"She thinks she upset you..." Spike shrugged, "you did run off pretty quick."

"I'm not upset - I just - needed to, you know - go and be..."

"Diplomatic?" Spike laughed, his fangs glinting in the fading sunlight. "I knew it! I tried to tell her, but she wouldn't believe me."

"You knew what?" He didn't reply. Grinning smugly, he began to lope away, dropping down onto his front legs as he sauntered off. "Come on, you little green ball of scales! You can't just - not tell me - especially after saying something like that!" I jumped in front of him, facing him as we walked. "Tell me!"

His mouth scrunched into a twisted line as he raised an eyebrow. "...That you're terrified of... butterflies!" He snorted loudly, laughing from the heart of his stomach.

"I, well - that's - you can't just - you - ah - the - argh!" I continued to mumble, thrusting a hoof at his chest and gesturing wildly. He just flicked it away with a well-aimed claw and kept chortling to himself. Eventually, I gave up and fell into pace beside him, hanging my head. There went my well-kept secret.

When his giggling fit had subsided, he asked, "...Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Come on - I swear it helps. This one time, Twilight needed to-"

"I said no, Spike. I'm not talking." I shook my head. "Look - this isn't even a conversation any more. We have another subject; it's called silent contemplation."

"You'll never get over it if you don't open up!"

Stopping in my tracks, I regarded the young dragon. "Listen here, my persistent little drake - ponies more qualified, determined, and threatening than you have tried to get me to talk about this. They have used bribery, blackmail, and interrogation techniques previously unknown to ponykind. All of them have failed." Holding out my wings, I shrugged freely. "I am never going to tell you."

"I'm bigger than you."

"Huh?"

"I'm not 'little' - I'm easily taller than you are."

"Ah, but, my young pup, you are little in years and lack the knowledge and wisdom which I have earned through - you know - time and stuff..."

An awkward pause followed.

"That sounded so much better in my head."

"Right..."

---

Returning to camp, I promised Spike I'd apologise to his pegasus friend, but ducked into my tent instead. Well, she did scare me - mainly because there was only one explanation I could think of for a demonic mark like that; summoning a brightly coloured army in order to destroy your foes... They say phobias often make ponies behave and think irrationally, and looking back on it, it was a fairly irrational thought. Nevertheless, at the time it seemed sensible to avoid this winged warlord with cautionary good sense.

Anyway, avoiding the confrontation suited us both - I knew she didn't like bat ponies either; she was just too nice to say it to my face.

Everypony, having completed the trek out here, decided that they were going to bed just as the night was getting started. Wanting to seem equally unsociable, I agreed, and curled back up inside my tent. The two guards were sharing, as well as Fluttershy and Twilight - Spike, apparently being too big, too scaly, and a criminally loud snorer, made it impossible to share a tent with him. Naturally, Perfect Eloquence and Dust Trail had set up their tent nearby, and had also turned in for the night.

However, by this hour, with the Sun finally having sunk below the horizon, I was too awake to settle. At first it was too hot, then I couldn't fold my wings properly - so I removed the icy mittens they'd been encased in. For a while I dozed, until I remembered that my wings were still in pain; due to muscle strain alone now that the ice packs had dealt with the burns. In addition to this, every gash seemed to rub and felt inflamed, and half of the bandages were peeling off. So I lay in the dark, humming soothingly to myself as I picked at the loose end of a plaster.

Back in the Night Guard, there had been five of us in our little friendship group, and on team exercises we'd all had our own little role. It had never been my job to play medic; that was Fang's business. So while I had completed the basic training, I'd been dissuaded from applying my knowledge. It had often been commented that my tourniquets would take a limb off, my compresses would fall off, and that I couldn't tell the difference between an ice pack and one of the drips filled with painkillers. In my defence, it had been a very cold day, and the drip had started to freeze.

At about midnight, I gave up and rolled out of my tent. I'd be exhausted by midday, however I'd grown accustomed to unusual hours. The stakeouts and late night interrogations had a lot to do with that...

By night, the air grew crisp and cool. I could hear mutterings in the tent next to mine - it sounded like the two guards were still awake. A few prone forms could be seen under the moonlight, causing lazy puffs of smoke to rise in plumes. I could roam surrounded by souls, while being in a deserted plain. Smiling, I started a brisk trot. Best. Night. Ever.

I considered what the ponies back in Canterlot were doing. Orion would surely have been on guard duty, or maybe he was shouting at some new recruits, or in a meeting with his superiors - maybe he'd got the night off, and was playing cards with Ghoul. Lullaby would be sleeping, and hopefully Fantasia would be too (along with her coltfriend, but I was trying not to imagine that). My mother would be too, unless she'd had a concert to conduct tonight. It was possible; there was always a lot of work to do around Hearth's Warming. Conundrum, now Conundrum would have been... hm, I wasn't too sure, actually. I saw him when we were working; researching cases, interviewing witnesses, typing reports (it was me that got sent out on stakeouts - alone). Nevertheless, I'd never seen him relaxing. According to what I knew, he didn't drink, he didn't have a family, he didn't go out, and he certainly didn't have any kinds of creative hobbies.

Although, I'd never seen any more of the house (other than the ground floor), so it was possible that the other two levels were devoted to fresco paintings, glass sculptures and carpets made of jigsaw puzzles. Possibly.

Flapping my wings a little, I let the breeze cool them. Deep breaths of fresh air, a glance at the stars - which glowed more brightly away from the city lights - what more could a mare want? Don't answer that - I was already going over the other possibilities in my head.

Twitching, my ears detected a scuffle. Lazily, I looked over, expecting to see the sleeping mass of a dragon.

Nothing.

Frowning, I continued. Must be imagining things, or hearing some nocturnal mouse or something. Looking at my surroundings, I found I'd strayed near the nests again. There could have been all sorts of little noises from there, especially if one had recently hatched.

Another shuffle. A shadow flitted in the moonlight.

Aware that there was definitely something going on, I halted in the midst of towering stone stacks. Peering between the rocks, I called out, "Anypony there? Are you following me again, Spike?" I smiled and looked around easily, despite my heart rate quickening. I'd suddenly thought it could be Crater again. Stars above, he made my skin crawl.

"Helloooo...?" I cooed, beginning to stalk between the pillars, "I know you're there."

All of a sudden, a flurry of feathers leapt out. It careered into me, knocking me forwards. I lay on my front, face pressed into the cold rock by the weight on my back. Reaching around, I tried to grab my attacker - tried to flip them over. They wriggled, knocking away my grasping hoof. A couple of wing beats later and they lifted off my back. Freed, I sprang up - only to be slapped across the face, blinding me. Stunned and blinking back tears, I stumbled back, unable to fly away.

I heard them move - that sudden swoosh. I just couldn't avoid it.

The buck hit my chest. I skidded across the ground, wings grazing. I gasped out in protest. More tears blinded me. Squinting desperately, I saw the streak across my vision.

Gulping down air, I forced myself up. Where were they?

Dull flapping - they were flying! Squinting to the sky, a silhouette could be seen retreating towards the waning moon. With the bright glow around them, I could barely make out a feature - except those blasted wings.

"Hey! Oi!" Flapping desperately, I managed to get a few meters off the ground. Nevertheless, with cramping wings and empty lungs, I fell to the earth cursing.

They were a fast flyer, I had to admit that. Even by now, they were already too far away to catch up with. All I could do was hope that they hadn't caused any trouble while they were here...

---

As it turned out, they had caused trouble. A lot of it.

Aching and winded, I gave up on my midnight stroll and went to bed, only to be woken up at the break of dawn by an unnatural howling.

"ARGH! NOOOOoooo"

Sitting up suddenly, I whacked my head off of a tent pole. Rubbing my face, I yelped hopelessly. Not only was my head throbbing; my eye had swelled up too, engorging the side of my face. Considering the ambush I had experienced, I checked my chest - two large hoof-shaped bruises sat squarely beneath my fur. Luckily, having dark navy fur covered the worst of it. Picking myself up reluctantly, I wandered outside to where my pony companions where already assembling.

"AAAAHHhhhwaaaaaa..." The wail echoed through the plain, making the rocks reverberate. Fluttershy was covering her ears and staring around frantically. I growled, folding down my own ears. If that buttery pegasus thought it was loud, she should have tried it again with my sensitive hearing. Ouch. I often swore that I could still hear the ringing to this day.

"What's happening?" This was the Princess of Friendship herself speaking - or maybe that should have been shouting - at one of the nearby dragons.

The dragon shrugged, remembering to tell us to stay here while he went to investigate. Considering that I was now an honorary member of the horde, I followed him surreptitiously. Dust Trail, noticing me slinking off, decided that she also wanted to come exploring.

Our path led back to where I had been in the night, just beside the nests. A young female dragon had emerged from the fissure of rock and was now howling to the rising Sun. Beside her a few of the other mothers had gathered, their wings draped comfortingly over their fellow sister. Evidently, they didn't mind the noise as much as the rest of us did.

Carefully, I held out a hoof to stop Dusty going any further, allowing us to hover at the edge of the scene. If we had gone further we might have been trampled by the multitude of talons and swishing tails, all gathering in curiosity.

"Speak of matter." The booming voice rumbled though the crater. Quivering at the new sound, dragons bowed and shuffled to let their king pass. The sobbing mother remained where she was, with her entourage remaining by her side supportively.

"Shame, great shame!" The cry split the air as the weeping dragon bowed her electric blue head.

"What are they saying?" Dust Trail hissed beside me.

"She's about to say why she's upset," I replied, rubbing my mane nervously, "it's really bad; like she's been dishonoured or abused or something."

"Speak." Magma commanded.

"I... Egg of mine... gone!" Whispers and hisses rose from the watching crowds. Much of a female dragon's status stemmed from her ability to rear strong children, and her physical strength. To lose a baby... well... it was one of the greatest fears any mother could face - let alone the fact that, for a dragon, it was more than just losing her egg.

She broke down into fresh sobs, resting her curling snout onto her claws. Another female stroked her cream horns as she shook with emotion.

"Lost?" Magma strode forwards, faster that you would have thought an old dragon could travel. Stopping just before the female, he growled deeply, "... Taken?"

"What's happening?" The pegasus complained. "You can't just translate the beginning and stop!"

"She's lost her egg," I whispered back, watching the dragon slowly nodding to her king, "she thinks it's been stolen." Dust Trail didn't reply. Having stolen various artefacts in her youth for a dodgy art trade, she would have known the severity of the crime (and possibly the price, too). She would also have understood the implications to the ponies acting as hosts.

Because, as much as I didn't like it, as a detective, my suspicions naturally turned to the group of unfamiliar ponies.

Nevertheless, I could at least assume that the blame lay with the winged beast that had jumped me the previous night. Not that I was ruling any possibilities out. Not me. I would never do something like that.

Despite this, unless it was Fluttershy or Dusty, I doubted it could have been anypony in our party. Wait - Cloud Drift and Twilight both had wings too, and Spike. Okay, so maybe quite a few of us could fly. I could rule out Spike, seeing as his wings weren't feathery, but that was it.

"Come on," I hissed, dragging my sand-coloured companion away, "we'd be better off not hanging around here too long." After quick glance back, she obliged and slunk away with me.

We didn't get very far.

"Speak of meaning."

The voice leapt out of nowhere. I jumped in fright, expecting something to attack me. Crashing heavily into Dust - who I suspected was made of granite, seeing as she remained stoically where she was, lowering into a defensive stance. Taking a second to look around, I saw Crater's yellow eyes blinking from the shadows.

"No meaning," I replied, steeling myself. It wouldn't have done to stand there quivering. "I, inquisitive."

Slinking closer to us, he raised a dark brown eyebrow. "Hear of matter?"

"Yes."

A cruel smile curled. "Guard, Thestral - eyes see."

He moved up to my face, staring down at me as his tail swished at my side. I held his gaze for as long as possible, not backing away from the challenge. He glared easily, his pupils thin slits against a golden iris. Looking directly into them, the world around the edge darkened, loosing focus. It was already starting to brighten up, and my eyes were feeling the strain. Yet it was the rest of me that quailed - feeling my skin crawling under his inspection as my folded wings began to sweat nervously. It was almost impossible not to itch - to swish my tail, stomp my hooves, shift my wings, brush my mane out of my face. I resisted, remaining statuesque. Only when my eyes were starting to falter did I turn away, flicking my tail behind me dismissively.

"Day to Drake." I disregarded him, not glancing back as I strutted past. Dust followed me knowingly, walking with her head held just as high.

Once we were sufficiently out of ear shot, Dust pulled me into an alcove in the rocks, hiding the pair of us from sight.

"What was all that about?" She demanded, keeping a wing across my chest to stop me from tumbling out.

"Just a bit of strutting," I shrugged, despite my legs feeling like jelly, "I faced him in my initiation - I think he's taken against me."

"I'm not stupid, batty," Dust roughly pressed me further into the rock, "you're planning a rematch! Dragons don't just pretend to be strong; they prove it!"

"It's not that," I said, pushing her wing away from my throat, "he wanted to know what we were doing - why we were here. Look, Dust, I don't know about the other dragons, but that one certainly thinks it was one of us ponies who took that egg. He told me to be on my guard - said that there are already rumours - suspicions - that it was us. Eyes see - it literally translates as 'suspect the obvious'."

"But we didn't do it. No pony would be that stupid." Dust released me and continued the trot back to camp. Gasping, I ran after her. "We'll be fine, batty - there's no proof."

"That means nothing!" I exclaimed. "One of their eggs was stolen! They aren't going to carefully check our tents, or interview us! They'll demand it back and if we don't provide... Well, the negotiations are over either way - but to have actually taken it would be... it would be like - like dishonouring them - the ultimate insult! We'd be lucky if they didn't declare war!"

We came into the clearing of our camp. There the ponies stood silently, staring as Dust and I entered. They had heard every word - and so had the dragons guarding them.

"Not that I'm suggesting a war would be the best solution..." I murmured, slowing to a halt. "Do you... know what happened?"

"I translated everything I could hear... which was most of it." Perfect Eloquence replied; her special talent was being able to fluently speak the languages of several different species. I, naturally, was very, very jealous.

"It won't come to war," Twilight spoke up, rather optimistically if you ask me, "we simply offer to have our belongings searched, admit where we were last night, and be completely honest. Most of us shared a tent, so we have somepony to speak for us."

"And if they still don't trust us, you could offer to find the thief, couldn't you, Nocturne?" Perfect suggested, smiling confidently. "You managed to clear me of murder - I'm sure you could catch an egg thief."

"That was entirely different!" I complained jabbing a hoof at Perfect. When all she did was raise an eyebrow, I gasped, infuriated. "Look, it'd be like the difference between tracking a dragon and tracking a hydra! They're not the same thing!"

"But both are very easy to track," Dust spoke up, "so what's the problem, batty?"

"I, well... the differences..." I sighed and sat down, whining, "....but it's my week off..."

"Wait - you're a detective? Awesome!" Spike grinned excitedly; no one else followed suit.

"A private detective," I elaborated, "anyway, the dragons won't want me snooping into their business. They wouldn't want me to be working." Because even dragons understood the importance of a holiday.

"I'll just talk to them," Twilight said, her face turning hard-set with determination, "these negotiations are about working together for the good of both species - this is a brilliant way to build trust and understanding." With that she turned and cantered away, passing our dragon guards who watched on, dumbfounded. The royal bodyguards followed their princess' lead once they remembered what they were here to do. Running towards an enraged dragon king could be very dangerous, and a pony princess as powerful as Twilight couldn't possibly look after herself...

"Theft isn't a team building exercise!" I called after her retreating form. No use - she was a stubborn mare at times. Sighing for the second time, I stood up again and looked at Spike, "We'd better follow them, little drake - as inter-species ambassadors, it is our duty to maintain the peace." With that I turned and sloped along, dragging my hooves dejectedly. I didn't bother to make sure Spike was following.

Nothing was ever going to go to plan, was it?

Comments

[reader238]

come on nocturn nothing ever goes to plan