• Published 21st May 2012
  • 1,193 Views, 26 Comments

Outpost Everfree - Melancholy



Guard from the Everfree and remain hidden from Ponyville, Cloud Storm's squad have a long road to go

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Chapter 2

The train from Canterlot was a good six hour journey and the group destined for Outpost Everfree intended to make full use of the time. For the majority of the out of uniform guards ponies this meant lounging around the reserved carriage and going to sleep. A small group had taken a table and were playing a game of poker. Commander Cloud Storm had made his views on betting money very clear at the briefing that morning, something to do with undermining integrity and trust if things went south. Instead they did what was traditional amongst the Equestrian guard, they bet dares, chores and other little favours instead. All in all it kept them happy and the mission brass and their higher ups didn’t mind. In fact Cloud himself had played a hand earlier and won a whole month of desk polishing from Buck Boots, which had been a pleasant start to the journey for the command Pegasus.

Now the three ponies in charge of the expedition had sequestered themselves in a corner to more thoroughly discuss their sudden assignment. Cloud Storm was a Night Watch pony, traditionally out at night or performing sensitive assignments such as high value package delivery. On this assignment he was the overall commanding officer in charge of overseeing both wings of Night Watch and Solar Guard.

Sat to the left of the pegasus was Panzer Hoof, a Lieutenant in the Night Watch and directly overseeing the Night Watch contingent. He was a massive earth pony well known for being to shatter walls and shrug off blows which would crack boulders. He was also known for being surprisingly gentle and pretty good with a slingshot.

Perched opposite was Shelly Stone, Lieutenant in the Solar Guard and the unicorn charged with direct oversight of the day contingent of their task group. She was rightly feared for her unchallenged mastery of water based magic, her signature combat spell being a watery serpent. Her duties in the Solar Guard were pretty standard for the order. Protecting places and ponies of interest, policing during the daytime and playing enforcer at events.

The three were pouring over a small stack of files full of information about their mission, dossiers on particular ponies to places of interest.
“First thing I want to make clear to the two of you,” Cloud started, looking up to encompass both in his gaze, “While officially you both have distinct roles I expect you each to watch out for the other and for every pony on this mission, regardless of which order their from. There’s too few of us at the top and too many of them for us to get involved in jurisdictional issues on an assignment like this. Everypony should feel comfortable coming to any one of us, regardless of which Princess came first in their oath, especially those in the Solars.”
The two officers nodded,
“Got ya boss.” Panzer confirmed, “We don’t want the Watch getting a superiority complex because one of them is in charge, and neither do we want to Guard to feel uncomfortable for the same reason.”
“That makes good sense,” Shelly agreed, taking a look at the carriage of lazing ponies, “It also wouldn’t do to have any of them flaunting the authority of a superior because they’re from a different order too. That way would lead to total chaos and confusion in time.”
The group all winced at the thought, reminded of the last occasion the two orders had tried to work together shortly after the recreation of the Night Watch following the return of Princess Luna. To say it hadn’t gone well would be an understatement. Sections of the Canterlot Training ground were still being rebuilt over a year later.

“Good,” Cloud continued, “Now we’ve got that out the way, I want to say that I also want to hear your opinions on everything. The buck stops with me, and my word is final when it needs to be, but at the same time I want your input like we’re equals. I won’t be able to run this ship on my own for six months.”
This elicited small smiles from the other two, this hadn’t been the first time they’d worked together, although it was the first one of them had been in command of the others. They were fairly comfortable working together and knew each other fairly well. This had been an advantage on many occasion, like when Cloud and Shining had needed extra Mahjong players, or that one time Panzer had broken another pony's nose (and most of the rest of his face) for trying to get Shelly drunk.

Shelly pulled a pair of files to the top of the pile and flipped them open. The first detailed what was to become their accommodation and base of operations for the next six months. It was a thatched long house on the edge of the Everfree and the file stated it was in a fairly run down condition. Two floors consisting of a single undivided room each and a basement reached through an internal trap door.

“This is the place,” Shelly indicated the photo of the building, “Did Princess Luna have any instructions on how we need to use it?” Cloud shook his head.
“No, she left all details on how we used our resources up to us. She also left the details of our cover to us too, which is just grand. How are we going to explain the sudden arrival of twenty assorted ponies?”
“I thought of that, if I may?” The unicorn started. Cloud indicated for her to go on, “I thought we could set ourselves up as a logging community. There is permission for a limited amount of logging in the Everfree and we could get the Princess to send us a permit to keep up the illusion.”
Panzer nodded sagely, “That’s not a bad idea. Loggers use all kinds of ponies, and it’s not unusual for a group to set up a short term mission, bunk together and keep to themselves. It also gives us a brilliant reason to go in and out of the Everfree on a regular basis.”
“That’s what I thought,” the unicorn continued, “With that in mind I think we can turn the top floor into a barracks area, segregated into mares, stallions and officers,” She glanced over the table but Cloud gave no indication of disapproval at the idea. “We then keep the ground floor as a social and working area, and convert the basement for our operational needs.”
“Makes the most sense. Can I trust you to sort that out when we arrive?” Cloud asked her. The blue unicorn agreed and produced the second folder, this one detailing a startlingly pink mare which Cloud had met before. He shuddered at the memory, how could such a novice become a master of Mahjong so quickly?

“The other issue I wanted to raise was this,” She pointed at the photo, “Pinkamina 'Pinkie' Pie, a baker at the local confectioners in Ponyville. She’s well known for wanting to hold parties for new ponies in town. Over twenty new ponies may just send her apoplectic if the report is to be believed. An event like that might make it hard for us to maintain our cover.”
Cloud put a hoof to his chin and considered. Pinkie Pie was famous in the right circles for many reasons. One of the elements of harmony, an accomplished baker and party planner, instant Mahjong master and the total screwball who collapsed half of the great ballroom during the last Grand Galloping Gala and possessor of a 'sixth' sense which she could use to determine the future. If anypony was going to cause them problems with maintaining cover it would be her.

Panzer put one of his giant hooves in the air expectantly. Cloud turned and gave him a nod to continue.
“If I may make a suggestion sir, why not tackle her head on?” The other two looked at him as if he’d just vomited a parasprite. “Hear me out. If she’s prone to throwing a party anyway, why not ask her to hold one for us? That way we can arrange it so it’s on our own terms and that the whole squad is ready for it.”
Shelly and Cloud considered this for a moment, the idea growing on them the more they thought about it.
“We could set the date,” Shelly added cautiously, “So that we aren't surprised and have some time to settle in.”
Cloud was warming to the idea, “And we can set the limit on how long it goes on for and what will be there. No alcohol at a party like that. We don’t need any loose lips this early on.”

As the three of them started planning their own welcoming party, further up the train in the first class carriages Pinkie’s hooves began to make spontaneous rhythmic clops on the table in front of her, drawing stares from her friends around her.
“My Pinkie sense is telling me somepony is planning a party!” She exclaimed happily, “I hope I’m invited!