Guarded Emotions

by Alabenson

Questions and Answers

“I really hate to admit this, but I’m about ready to give up with that stallion.” A dejected Twilight Sparkle buried her face in her hooves. “I’ve tried every remotely applicable friendship strategy in my portfolio and nothing has even come close to working. It just feels like every time it finally feels like Moonwhisper’s going to let me get to know him a little better he turns around and closes himself off even more.” Slumping back into her seat, Twilight looked around at the group of unicorn mares sitting around the doughnut shop table. Twilight’s increasing frustration with Moonwhisper had driven her to seek out a fresh perspective on the situation. Luckily for Twilight, her circle of Canterlot friends fit the bill nicely, although some of them seemed a touch distracted.

“So, that’s your new royal bodyguard?” Minuette said, practically salivating at a photo of Moonwhisper that Twilight had brought with her. “Do you know if he’s single?” The blue unicorn added before looking up at the disapproving glares of her friends “What?”

“I don’t think you’re his type, Minuette.” Twilight stated, heading off the impending argument. “To be honest, I’m not sure Moonwhisper even has a type.”

Somewhat disheartened by her friend’s assessment, Minuette set the photograph down and savagely bit into a jelly-filled donut. “It figures,” she grumbled, “the good looking stallions are always either taken or have some sort of issues. Or, they turn out to be changelings.”

Twilight started to open her mouth to question Minuette’s last assertion, but she changed her mind upon noticing the warning looks given to her by Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. “Trust me, Twilight, you do not want to ask too many questions about Minuette’s dating history.” Twinkleshine whispered as she leaned in closer to Twilight. “By the way, Twilight, where is Moonwhisper, anyway? And for that matter, where’s Spike? I thought you said they had come with you to Canterlot.”

“Moonwhisper went with Spike to the castle. Spike had some sort of royal business that he wanted to take care of, and I talked Moonwhisper into going with him. I didn’t really want him hanging around while I talked about him with you.” Twilight added a bit sheepishly.

Meanwhile, Moon Dancer had picked up the discarded photo of Moonwhisper and was examining it closely. “Hey, Twilight, do you happen to know where Moonwhisper was stationed before they assigned him to be your bodyguard?”

“I think I remember him mentioning once that he was stationed here in Canterlot before he came to Ponyville. Why do you want to know?”

“I thought he looked familiar.” Moon Dancer said with a note of triumph. Seeing her friends’ confused expressions, Moon Dancer continued. “I used to see him at the Canterlot Library all the time doing all sorts of research. I tried talking to him once or twice, but I could never get past the two guardsponies that were always with him.” When Moon Dancer noticed the quizzical look Twilight gave her at that last statement, she elaborated further. “Whenever I saw Moonwhisper, he always had a pair of guardsponies with him, a pegasi mare and a unicorn stallion. I think they were assistants or something, but I’m not really sure. To be honest, I’m not really all that familiar with the structure of the modern Equestrian guard.”

“Moon Dancer, do happen to remember what color those guards’ armor was?” Lemon Hearts asked.

“Actually, now that you mention it I do remember that they both had on light blue armor, which I thought was kind of unusual.”

Lemon Hearts allowed herself a self-satisfied smile at Moon Dancer’s answer. “I had a feeling that was the case. The light blue armor means that they were lieutenants, probably Moonwhisper’s direct subordinates.” Lemon Hearts’ face suddenly lit up as she turned to Twilight. “You know, Twilight, if you really want to figure out what makes Moonwhisper tick you should probably try tracking down those two.” Lemon Hearts turned back to Moon Dancer “I don’t suppose you remember their names, do you?”

Moon Dancer sadly shook her head. “Sorry, I never really paid attention to what their names were. I’d definitely recognize them if I saw them, though.” Moon Dancer added, her face brightening. “Especially the stallion; he only had one eye and there were a bunch of scars going down the side of his face. Not exactly the sort of face I’d be likely to forget.”

Moon Dancer’s description of the mystery lieutenant immediately grabbed Twilight’s attention. “Do you remember anything else about him? Like, did he speak with an accent, for example?”

“Now that you mention it, he did have a kind of, how should I put it, a kind of country accent. What I mean is, he sounded a lot like the ponies that come in for the Canterlot Rodeo. Almost exactly like them, now that I think about it.”

“I think I’ve met that guard before,” Twilight exclaimed, “he was one of the guards that escorted me to Canterlot Castle the day Princess Celestia told me I was being assigned a bodyguard. If I remember correctly, his name was-“

“Sharpshooter. Lieutenant Sharpshooter.” Lemon Hearts let out a sigh. “Which means that the pegasi mare was almost certainly Lieutenant Silverstreak.”

“Do you know them?” Twilight asked with surprise. Admittedly she didn’t know her Canterlot friends as well as she would have liked, but Lemon Hearts didn’t seem like the sort of pony who’d be include to socialize with the one-eyed lieutenant.

“Twilight, I’m an event planner for Canterlot Castle, remember? A big part of that involves working with the Royal Guard to make sure security runs smoothly, so I know a lot of the guards stationed in Canterlot.” Lemon Hearts furrowed her brow. “I mainly know Sharpshooter and Silverstreak by reputation though; they were part of a group of guards that were transferred to Canterlot after you defeated Tirek. From what I’ve heard, most of the guards who were brought in back then came from a really nasty posting up north.” Lemon Hearts paused to polish off the remains of her doughnut before continuing. “Most of those guards tend to hang out at a pub called the Saltworks that’s not too far from the barracks when they’re off duty. If you want to find those two lieutenants that’s would probably be the best place to start.”

“Well let’s go then!” Twilight yelled out, practically leaping out of her seat. “This might be the best chance I’ve had yet to finally figure out why Moonwhisper is so closed off.”

*********

The Saltworks was a far cry from the trendy cafes that lining Restaurant Row that most ponies associated with Canterlot. While the building was reasonably clean and well-maintained, it also clearly showed its age, particularly when one entered the building. The wooden furniture and floorboards had been worn smooth from years of heavy use, and it seemed like everything had a slight film of dirt on it. The décor itself was simple and functional, which certainly seemed to suit pub’s clientele just fine. Most of the pub’s patrons were pegasi and unicorn stallions, and even without their armor Twilight could easily tell that virtually all of them were guardsponies.

As Twilight and her friends entered the pub the laughing and chatter that filled the air slowly petered out. Patron after patron stopped eating, quieted mid-sentence and nudged their companions at the sight of the Princess of Friendship. Inwardly, Twilight cringed at the attention, fighting the urge to cover herself with her wings. This was the sort of attention, the sort that made her feel like an utter outsider, that Twilight loathed more than anything else. “Pardon me,” Twilight finally began after clearing her throat, “but can anypony tell us where we can find Lieutenant Silverstreak and Lieutenant Sharpshooter?” Several patrons wordlessly pointed Twilight and her friends towards the back of the pub. There, seated at a small table were the two guards that had escorted Twilight that rainy afternoon, easily recognizable even without their armor. As soon as the pair noticed Twilight heading towards them they both scrambled to their hooves, sending their stools clattering to the ground.

“Your highness,” Silverstreak yelped nervously as she snapped to attention, “what in Equestria are you doing in a place like this?”

“If y’ were payin’ attention, Silverstreak, th’ princess was pretty clear in sayin’ she wanted t’ talk t’ us.” Sharpshooter interjected before Twilight had a chance to respond. The one-eyed unicorn then turned towards Twilight and gave an exaggerated bow. “that bein’ said, as much as a pleasure it is t’ see y’ again, y’ highness, Ah do have t’ ask what it is y’ want t’ see th’ two of us about.”

Having already met Sharpshooter once before, Twilight took the stallion’s unique mannerisms in stride. “Actually, I was to talk to the two of you about a former commander of yours.”

Silverstreak looked somewhat uncomfortable, though not particularly surprised, upon hearing Twilight’s reason for seeking her and Sharpshooter out. For his part, Sharpshooter simply grunted in response as he righted his stool and plopped down. “Ah had a feelin’ y’ were gonna come by sooner or later ‘bout him. Ah’m guessin’ y’ weren’t expectin’ yer new bodyguard t’ be pricklier than a porcupine in a cactus patch.” There was something distinctly defensive about Sharpshooter’s tone, as though he were readying himself for an argument.

Before the situation had a chance to get out of hoof, however, Silverstreak quickly interjected. “I think what Lieutenant Sharpshooter means, you highness,” Silverstreak said, placing particular emphasis on her use of formal address while glaring at her companion, “is that we expected that you would seek us out eventually given the Captain’s…personality.” Twilight started to open her mouth to respond, but Silverstreak continued, cutting her off. “The thing is, your highness, the Captain might not be the most personable pony out there, but he’s also the reason Sharpshooter and I are here right now, in more ways than one, so you’ll have to excuse us if we’re a little protective of him.” With that, Silverstreak righted her stool and sat back down.

Twilight, who actually found the exchange to be encouraging given her purpose, quickly levitated several stools over to the table for herself and her friends. “I’m not sure why you think I’m here, but the truth is I’m trying to help Moonwhisper and I’d like your help. I’ve been trying to get him to open up to the idea of friendship, but I’ve gotten the feeling that there’s something in his past that’s keeping him closed off. I was hoping that the two of you might have some idea of what that might be.”

Silverstreak and Sharpshooter exchanged glances before turning back to Twilight, apparently mollified. “I am really glad to hear that’s why you wanted to talk to us. Sorry if we seemed a little hostile at first, but we used to get approached by a lot of Canterlot elites who wanted dirt on the Captain after he offended them somehow.”

“The Cap’n always did have a knack fer irritatin’ the more highfalutin types around here, on account of how wouldn’t treat ‘em as anythin’ special.” Sharpshooter added with a chuckle.

“In any event, if you’re really trying to help the Captain, we’ll help however we can.” Silverstreak gave a small sigh. “Though to be honest I’m not really sure how much help we’ll be. The Captain has never exactly been what I’d call particularly friendly. In fact, I don’t think anypony’s ever even seen him smile, not even Sharpshooter here and he’s known him longer than just about anypony.”

Sharpshooter shrugged at Silverstreak’s last assertion. “Ah’m not sure Ah’d go that far. True, Ah went through basic trainin’ with ‘im, but after that Ah didn’t see the Cap’n again ‘til the whole mess with th’ gargoyles. Shinin’ Armor met ‘im ‘round the same time Ah did, only he also went through th’ Officer’s Academy with ‘im, an’ they’ve been durn near the same rank ever since.”

Twilight blinked several times in surprise, as one bit of Sharpshooter’s reply in particular caught her attention. “Wait, did you just say you went through basic training with my brother?”

“Heh, that’s right, Shinin’ Armor’s y’ older brother, ain’t he? Yeah, we went through basic together, doubt he remembers me all that much though. Hay, Ah barely remembered ‘im mahself ‘til Ah heard he was gettin’ hitched to a princess.” Sharpshooter let out a chuckle as he leaned back in his seat. “T’ be fair, the Cap’n was the only one of us that really stood out, an’ a good bit of that was ‘is age. Back then, he was just some lanky colt who looked like he barely had ‘is cutie mark. The story at th’ time was that they weren’t gonna let ‘im in the guard at all at first on account of his age, but they change their tune when he kicked th’ tar outta two of the guard’s fightin’ instructors.” Both Sharpshooter and Silverstreak burst into laughter at that, as though the idea of an adolescent Moonwhisper thrashing a pair of full grown stallions was somehow hilarious. As their laughter subsided, however, Sharpshooter’s expression turned deathly serious. “’Course, it weren’t just ‘is age that made the Cap’n stand out. Y’ could see it in ‘is eyes, like he had already been dragged through Tartarus and nothin’ anypony could put ‘im through could’ve get to ‘im. Ah overheard our drill sergeant once say that the Cap’n was the only raw recruit he had ever seen that already had ‘is thousand-yard stare.” Sharpshooter paused and let out a deep sigh before continuing. “Ah’ll tell y’ one story that’ll tell y’ everythin’ y’ want t’ ‘bout what the Cap’n was like back them. Y’ see, every mornin’ after breakfast we were supposed t’ stand at attention in front of th’ mess hall ‘til our drill sergeant came t’ run us through our mornin’ drills. Well, this one day it was rainin’ like y’ wouldn’t believe, Ah mean cats an’ dogs, pourin’ buckets, y’ get the idea. Anyway, none of us were too keen on standin’ out in that, so we all stayed inside an’ figured th’ worst that’d happen is we’d get chewed out, which’d be better than gettin’ rained on. Well, all of us ‘cept the Cap’n that is, He waited out there in the rain for durn mean an hour ‘til the drill sergeant finally showed up an’ chewed all us out; everypony who stayed inside for not waitin’ in the rain an’ th’ Cap’n for not draggin’ us out there with ‘im.”

“They punished him for that?” Twilight interrupted, her tone a mix of surprise and disapproval. “That just doesn’t seem fair.”

Sharpshooter simply shrugged in response. “That’s basic trainin’ fer y’, an’ fer what it’s worth th’ Cap’n thought they were right. ‘Course, that ain’t the end of th’ story either. Day or two later, we’re runnin’ our usual drills an’ the Cap’n’s laggin’ behind everypony else, which was odd seein’ how he was usually at th’ head of the pack. Anyway, eventually th’ drill sergeant got up in his face ‘bout how he wasn’t keepin’ up, an’ halfway through getting’ chewed out th’ Cap’n keels over right there an’ passes out cold. Turns out he got sick from standin’ in th’ rain an’ had been runnin’ exercises all day with a nasty fever. Well, we took th’ Cap’n to medical, but soon as he woke up he tried t’ get right back t’ trainin’. Drill sergeant finally had t’ order him t’ stay in bed ‘til he recovered.”

After Sharpshooter finished recounting his tale the table fell uncomfortably silent. Finally, Twinkleshine turned to Silverstreak in an effort to break the silence. “So, how did you meet Moonwhisper?”

“Me? I didn’t actually meet the Captain until the gargoyle migration. I had heard a few rumors about him before that, but up until then I was part of the guard’s search and rescue division, so we didn’t really run in the same circles.”

“Wait, hold on a second,” Moon Dancer spoke up, her interest in the conversation piqued for the first time. “You said and Sharpshooter both mentioned something about gargoyles. From what I’ve read, gargoyles only live in remote areas well outside of Equestria, and their migration patterns don’t take them anywhere near the inhabited parts of Equestria.”

Silverstreak and Sharpshooter shared an uneasy glance before Silverstreak responded. “That’s…usually the case, but not always. Every so often you get a rogue who wanders into Equestria and…well, have any of you ever actually seen a gargoyle?”

As Twilight and her friends shook their heads, Moon Dancer spoke up. “I haven’t actually seen a gargoyle personally, but I’ve read-“

“That’s not the same thing!” Silverstreak angrily snapped, glaring furiously at Moon Dancer. However, Silverstreak’s expression quickly softened when she noticed the shocked expressions on the faces of Twilight and her friends. Taking a moment to compose herself, Silverstreak continued. “I’m sorry about that, it’s just…maybe I should start from the beginning. A few years ago an entire eyrie of gargoyles broke off from their normal migration route and took a path that would have cut through several populated areas.”

“And before any of y’all ask, that was a problem on account of th’ fact that gargoyles are some of th’ nastiest varmints in Equestria.” As Sharpshooter spoke, he rose from his seat and began theatrically pacing around the table. “Since none of y’all have ever seen a gargoyle first hoof, let me paint y’all a picture. Imagine if y’ will a cross between a dragon an’ a shaved gorilla, big as bison an’ meaner than a hydra with a migraine. A giant flyin’ set of teeth an’ claws that’d eat y’ just as soon as look at look at y’. Now, picture over a hundred of those things flyin’ towards Equestria, ready t’ devour anythin’ an’ anypony unlucky enough t’ be in their path.” His spiel completed, Sharpshooter returned to his seat with a satisfied expression.

Silverstreak, evidently accustomed to monologues like this from her friend, snorted as Sharpshooter seated himself. “Well, I’m glad you managed to get that out of your system.” Silverstreak said with a roll of her eyes before turning back to Twilight and her friends. “Cyclops’ compulsive need to put on a show aside, he was pretty much on point about the situation. There were easily a few hundred civilians in harm’s way, so the decision was made to send in the guard, first an advance force of about a hundred fifty or so to secure a base, with a much larger force to come in later to actually repel the things. Sharpshooter and I were part of the advance force; we were still privates back then.” Silverstreak allowed herself a nostalgic smile and turned to face Twilight. “Your older brother and Moonwhisper were part of the advance force as well. They were the first and second lieutenants under Captain Glory Hound.” Silverstreak’s smile slowly faded, replaced by a deadly serious expression. “The mission was a complete shi-pardon, a complete disaster right from the get go. We were supposed to set up camp inside a forest bordering a mountain pass the gargoyles were going to be heading through. The idea was that they would slow down and lose some cohesion when they went through the forest, so a sufficiently strong resistance would force them to divert away from any inhabited parts of Equestria.” As Silverstreak spoke she noticeably tensed up, her face darkening with rage. “And it might not have been a bad plan if recon hadn’t rutted the intelligence they gave us. The gargoyles came through the pass over a week ahead of when they were supposed to, when most of the advance force were out in small, vulnerable patrols and the main force was still days away. To top it off, our useless gelding of a captain Glory Hound abandoned the camp at the first sign of danger.” Shaking with barely contained fury, Silverstreak paused and took several deep breaths in an effort to calm herself. “If things had gone just a little bit differently, it would have turned into the worst massacre in the guard’s history. Virtually every member of the advance force would have been killed, along with Celestia knows how many hundreds of civilians.”

“Luckily fer everypony concerned, th’ lieutenants on hoof actually happened t’ know what they hay they were doin’.” Sharpshooter interjected, giving his friend a chance to calm down. “Y’ older brother put up a massive shield over th’ part of the forest our camp was in, an’ th’ Cap’n went out a made sure every last dang patrol made it back safely, carryin’ them on his back if he had to. Over th’ next three days, th’ Cap’n saved forty seven of us from bein’ killed outright. Didn’t eat, didn’t sleep, just kept chargin’ back an’ forth through th’ woods trackin’ us down an’ gettin’ us t’ safety.”

“I was number twenty eight,” Silverstreak stated solemnly, “I was leading a gargoyle away from another patrol and I got careless. A second gargoyle dropped right on top of me and hit my wing almost in half, practically pulled it out of the socket. When we hit the ground I tried to crawl away, but it stayed on me trying to get at my neck with its claws. I was certain that I was about to die, and then BAM! The gargoyle was gone, and I looked up and saw Captain Moonwhisper in that blue armor of his standing over me. He got me back to the field hospital back at base and that was pretty much it for me for the rest of the mission.”

After Silverstreak finished her story, Twilight and her friends spent several moments in stunned silence. Twilight in particular found herself affected by Silverstreak’s account, in no small part due to something she recalled her brother telling her. “Sharpshooter, you said Moonwhisper saved about forty seven guardsponies, was my brother…?” Twilight trailed off before she finished her question, unable to bring herself to finish the sentence.

“Shinin’ Armor was number forty seven, as a matter of fact.” Sharpshooter replied in a measured tone, noting Twilight’s obvious discomfort. “Ah had a front row seat t’ th’ whole mess since th’ Cap’n was carryin’ me on his back when it happened.” As Sharpshooter spoke, he unconsciously traced the scars on his face with his hoof.

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me what happened?” I didn’t even know that Shining Armor had almost…” Twilight screwed her eyes shut as she forced herself to say the words, “…that he had almost died until he mentioned it when I was told I needed to choose a bodyguard. I want to know exactly what happened to him.”

“T’ be honest, yer highness, there ain’t all that much t’ tell. Shinin’ Armor had been keepin’ his shield up fer three days, an’ eventually a gargoyle managed to smash itself through an’ crashed into him. Now, t’ his credit he blasted one hay of hole in th’ durn thing before it hit him, but that didn’t stop it from openin’ him up like a burst seed bag. Luckily fer him, th’ Cap’n was takin’ me t’ th’ field hospital, an’ he was able t’ patch Shinin’ Armor up an’ get him t’ the medics as well. ‘Course, at that point Shinin’ Armor weren’t in any shape t’ keep his shield up, an’ that meant our whole base was practically defenseless. T’ make matters worse, part of th’ reason Shinin’s shield was so good at keepin’ th’ gargoyles from gettin’ past our camp was that it focused their attention on us, what with it bein’ a big sparkly thing an’ all. Which meant with Shinin’ out of commission our camp, an’ the field hospital we had set up, were about t’ get hit hard. By th’ time th’ Cap’n turned Shinin’ an’ me over t’ the doctors ponies were already startin’ t’ panic. There was even talk of abandoning th’ camp an’ fallin’ back. Well, th’ Cap’n wasn’t havin’ none of that, so he orders everypony who can still walk front an’ center t’ th’ middle of camp, an’ he proceeded t’ give a gall-durned speech about how we were th’ last hope fer everpony about t’ get overrun by th’ gargoyles. Then, he told everypony he was goin’ out t’ hold back the gargoyles and that anypony ready t’ give everythin’ t’ uphold th’ oaths we took as guardsponies should follow him.” Sharpshooter paused for a moment with a faraway look in his eye. “An’ Ah’ll be durned, but after he was done everypony was so fired up he could’ve been leadin’ us into th’ gates of Tartarus itself and we’d have been right behind him. As it was, soon as th’ gargoyles started showin’ their scaly rumps we hit them as hard as we could, yellin’ and screamin’ like we were possessed. An’ Ah swear t’ Princess Celestia herself everywhere Ah looked Ah saw th’ Cap’n right in th’ thick of things. Ah couldn’t tell y’ how long it went on, somepony told me later it was ‘bout an hour or so but it felt a hay of a lot longer than that. Anyway, right about when it was startin’ t’ look like things were completely hopeless, th’ main force finally shaped up an’ saved our rumps. ‘Course, if it hadn’t been fer th’ Cap’n rallyin’ us, then by th’ time they showed up th’ gargoyles would’ve ripped everypony in th’ camp apart.” Sharpshooter let his final assessment sink in for a moment before suddenly chuckling. “Y’ wanna hear somethin’ kinda funny. Ah talked t’ th’ Cap’n ‘bout that speech he gave, an’ y’ know what he told me? Th’ whole thing was a complete pile of horse apples. Accordin’ t’ him, he was just spoutin’ whatever clichéd nonsense he could think of off th’ top of his head an’ th’ rest of us were just too tired an’ scared t’ realize it.”

As Sharpshooter finished his account of the disastrous mission, Twilight and her friends found themselves dumbstruck yet again. Equestria was largely peaceful, the occasional monster attack notwithstanding. Hearing the stories of ponies who had fought and nearly died in combat they hadn’t even heard of previously left them more than slightly shaken. After a minute or two of uncomfortable silence, Silverstreak finally spoke up. “As fun as it’s been reminiscing about the time Captain Moonwhisper saved us all from being eaten by gargoyles, I don’t think that it really helps answer your questions, does it your highness? The fact is, the Captain has pretty much been the same cheerful stallion he is today far as long as anypony’s known him. Odds are, whatever made him that way happened when he was growing up. Good luck getting any details out of the Captain himself, though. The Captain always gets really testy when it comes to his family, especially his father.”

“I have noticed that Moonwhisper does get a little tense whenever anypony brings up the subject of his family comes up.” Twilight said, recalling the way her bodyguard would cringe whenever the subject broached. “I guess I’ve always just assumed that he didn’t want to talk about it because he thought it was too personal.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if that was part of it, but there is some seriously bad blood between the Captain and his father. I remember the Captain used to have me sort his mail for him; I was to read any mail from Trotsylvania and bring it to him if it said his father was dead, dying, or had done something that he could be arrested for. Otherwise, I was to burn the letters without even letting him know they arrived.”

“At least is sounds like he was worried about his father’s wellbeing a little bit.” Twinkleshine suggested halfheartedly.

Sharpshooter let out a derisive snort at the suggestion. “Th’ only thing th’ Cap’n was worried about was that he might miss a chance t’ toss his pa in th’ deepest, darkest jail cell he could find an’ throw away th’ key.”

“Unfortunately Sharpshooter’s probably right on the money,” Silverstreak added. “Based on what I saw, the Captain truly hates his father and from what I’ve heard I’m not sure I can really blame him.”

“Wait, what?” Twilight exclaimed, somewhat alarmed by the direction the conversation was taking. “What do you mean by that?”

“Ah’m guessin’ she means that th’ Cap’n’s father is one of th’ nastiest pieces of work y’d ever be likely t’ meet.” Sharpshooter replied, a slight snarl in his voice. “If even half of th’ things Ah’ve heard about that low down snake in th’ grass as true, then…” Sharpshooter paused with a shudder before continuing. “Anyway, from what Ah’ve heard when it comes t’ th’ Cap’n an’ his pa, that apple didn’t just fall far from th’ tree, it rolled down a hill, fell into a river an’ floated out t’ sea.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure I understand,” Twilight interjected, “what’s so horrible about Moonwhisper’s father? Do you even know his name?”

“His name’s Penumbral Dusk, your highness.” Silverstreak stated. “I’ve never actually met him personally, but I’ve heard enough stories about him to paint a pretty unpleasant picture.”

Twilight had never heard of Penumbral Dusk, so this new revelation meant little to her. For Lemon Hearts, however, the name clearly held some significance as she noticeably blanched at the mention of the name. “Hold on a second, Moonwhisper’s father is Penumbral Dusk? As in Count Penumbral Dusk von Umbra?”

“Do you know him?” Twilight asked with surprise.

Lemon Heats shook her head. “I’ve never met him personally, but I do know of him. Mainly because he’s at the top of the list of ponies that have been blacklisted from attending any of the events at the castle. From what I understand it’s at least partially because he’s a really nasty unicorn supremacist.”

Silverstreak nodded in agreement. “That much I can pretty much confirm myself. Like I said before, I used to screen the Captain’s mail to keep him from seeing any letters that might be from his father. As a result I had the ‘pleasure’ of reading everything Penumbral Dusk wrote him, and he had a habit of referring to pegasi and earth ponies…well let’s just say I wouldn't repeat the terms he used in polite company. Hay, I remember the Captain once told me his father wouldn’t even celebrate Hearth’s Warming Eve because he didn’t approve of the message.”

Lemon Hearts nervously cleared her throat. “Um, do you know if any of the other rumors about Penumbral Dusk are true? Because I’ve heard-“

“Look, I’ve never actually met the guy, alright? I can vouch for the fact that he’s a tribalist scumbag based on the letters I read, and anypony who’s known the Captain long enough knows that he despises his father, but that’s about all I can confirm.” Silverstreak heaved a sigh. “Beyond that, I’d really just be repeating gossip.”

“That’s alright, Silverstreak, you’ve helped me enough already.” Twilight could sense the discomfort in the silver pegasi’s voice, and as curious as she was about the nature of the rumors surrounding Moonwhisper’s father she didn’t want to press the issue. Besides, she could always question Lemon Hearts about the rumors at a later date. For now, what Twilight was more interested in was the fact that the cause of Moonwhisper’s brooding nature was much deeper than what she had originally thought. It was obvious to Twilight that the answers she was looking for lay in Moonwhisper’s relationship with his father, but digging any deeper into Moonwhisper’s past would be a daunting challenge. That, however, would be a task for another day. “Thank you both for talking to us, but I think it’s time we left.” Twilight’s friends quickly nodded in agreement, having grown increasingly uneasy, especially following the revelations about Moonwhisper’s father. As the five mares filed out of the pub, however, Silverstreak rushed out the door after them.

“Your highness, could you wait up a second? There’s something I forgot to ask you about.” As Silverstreak caught up, she glanced about uncomfortably at Twilight’s friends, who had stopped as well. “Um, actually this is kind of a personal matter, so…”

Twilight’s first instinct normally would have been to question why exactly Silverstreak needed to talk to her alone. However, something about the tone of Silverstreak’s voice caught Twilight’s attention. “Alright then,” Twilight replied as she turned to her friends, “could the rest of you meet me back at Donut Joe’s? I’m sure this won’t take long.”

Silverstreak watched Twilight’s friends trot off until they rounded a corner and went out of sight. “The truth of the matter is there’s something else about Captain Moonwhisper that I think you should know.” Silverstreak let out an uncomfortable sight before continuing. “It’s just, even Sharpshooter doesn’t know what I’m about to tell you. Hay, the only reason I know it is because I read about it in one of the letters the Captain’s father wrote him.” Silverstreak looked Twilight directly in the eyes, her expression deadly serious. “Now, I need you to promise me that you won’t tell anypony what I’m about to tell you, and you especially can’t let the Captain find out who told you.”

Alright, I’ll promise you that I won’t tell anypony.” Twilight assured Silverstreak, burning with curiosity as to the nature of the secret.

Even having heard Twilight’s assurances, Silverstreak still seemed reluctant to actually divulge her information. “Well, the thing is, you’ve seen the Captain’s cutie mark, right?”

“Of course I have, what about it?” Truthfully, to Twilight Moonwhisper’s cutie mark was probably his least remarkable attribute. The mark itself, a brown and black shield with a jagged circle in the center, bore a strong resemblance to the cutie mark of other guardsponies she knew, particularly her older brother’s. “Isn’t a shield a fairly common cutie mark for a member of the Royal Guard?”

“The issue isn’t the shield itself, but the crest on the shield. You see, that’s the Captain’s family crest, but at one point it was the personal crest of one of the family’s more notorious members.” Silverstreak paused, as though continuing was physically painful for her. “And from what I’ve heard, you’ve…encountered the member in question once already.”

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re-“

“King Sombra. What I’m trying to say is Captain Moonwhisper is the direct descendant of King Sombra.”

Twilight stared at Silverstreak in complete shock. “What? How is that even possible?” This latest revelation left Twilight feeling completely overwhelmed. She wasn’t even sure how to being processing the idea that her bodyguard was related to arguably one of the most evil ponies to have ever lived.

For her part Silverstreak didn’t seem particularly surprised by Twilight’s reaction. “Yeah, kinda helps explain why family is such a touchy subject for him, doesn’t it? And believe me when I tell you that the Captain is especially touchy when it comes to that particular rotten branch of the family tree. I actually asked him about it once, when I first found out about it, and, well, that was the only time I’ve ever seen the Captain that upset.”

Twilight merely nodded in response, still digesting what he had just learned about her bodyguard. Truthfully, once the initial shock wore off, the knowledge of Moonwhisper’s ancestry didn’t seem all that important. Twilight had already seen and heard enough about Moonwhisper to conclude for herself that he was a good pony at heart, albeit not a particularly sociable one. In fact, as Twilight mulled over what she had learned, she found herself far more concerned by what she had learned about Moonwhisper’s father. Twilight found the notion that Moonwhisper had been raised by somepony loathsome enough for Princess Celestia to ban from Canterlot Castle to be far more worrisome than anypony he might be related to from a thousand years ago. Still, upsetting or not, Twilight at least now had a little more context for Moonwhisper’s demeanor. “Silverstreak, thank you for telling me this, all of it.” Twilight finally said. “I’m not one hundred percent sure how I’ll get through to Moonwhisper, but the more I can learn about him the better.”

*********

“Alright, seriously, what the hay is the deal with Moonwhisper anyway?” Rainbow Dash angrily asked her assembled friends. She and Twilight’s other Ponyville friends, including Starlight Glimmer, had gathered together at Sugarcube Corner for a light lunch. Much to Rainbow Dash’s irritation, however, the topic of conversation had quickly drifted to the recent wyvern incident.

However, Rainbow Dash’s continued suspicions of Moonwhisper weren’t necessarily shared by her friends. “Are y’all still goin’ on about that?” Applejack responded. “Ah’ll admit Moonwhisper ain’t exactly the friendliest of ponies, but Ah really don’t see any reason to be so suspicious of him.”

Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to start a yelling match with her friend. Applejack had become an increasing vocal defender of Moonwhisper ever since the wyvern attack. However, given that Moonwhisper had saved Apple Bloom’s life, Rainbow Dash could at least understand the sentiment. “Look,” she began in a measured tone, “I get that Moonwhisper saved Apple Bloom and you’re grateful and everything, but you can’t tell me there isn’t something weird about him.”

“An’ just because somepony ain’t cheerful is no reason to be suspicious of them,” Applejack retorted. “Personally, Ah think the real reason y’all are always harpin’ on about Moonwhisper is ‘cause y’all are jealous of him.”

“Jealous?” Rainbow Dash yelled back. “Why the hay would I be jealous of some grumpy jerk of a stallion?”

“Probably ‘cause that ‘grumpy jerk of a stallion’ has been just about the only thing anypony’s talked about since he saved mah little sister.” Applejack said with a smug grin.

Rainbow Dash squirmed at her friend’s accusation, which hit closer to the mark than she cared to admit. “Alright, maybe I am a little jealous, but I’m just so sick of hearing everypony talk about how awesome Moonwhisper is. I mean, he showed up at Wonderbolt HQ the other day and Spitfire was squeezing like some crazed fanfilly. Spitfire!” Rainbow Dash let out a disgusted snort at the memory.

“What was Moonwhisper doing all the way up there?” Pinkie Pie asked, looking up from what appeared to be some manner of cupcake sandwich.

“He was visiting the head of the guard’s recon division. The Wonderbolts coordinate with the guards on a lot of search and rescue operations, so the guard keeps a few offices at HQ for…y’know…administrative stuff. Anyway, from what I heard Moonwhisper chewed out the recon captain so badly about the whole wyvern thing that the poor guy wound up crying like a little foal.”

“Good.” Applejack snapped, much to the shock of her friends. “And before any of y’all say somethin’, Ah don’t really care if Ah sound mean. Mah little sister was almost eaten by that dang wyvern, so Ah think Ah can be excused fer bein’ a might testy on the subject.”

“I just can’t for the life of me figure out how Moonwhisper pulled that spell off.” Starlight Glimmer said absentmindedly, more to herself than anypony else, as she took a bite of her lunch.

Rainbow Dash sighed angrily. “Yeah, ok, the way he took out the wyvern was pretty cool, but it’s not like we’ve never seen a unicorn doing awesome magical stuff before.”

“I’m fairly sure you’ve never seen anypony use an armored augmentation spell before. To be honest I was under the impression that that spell was impossible to pull off, at least without crippling yourself in the process.” Starlight shuddered a little as she spoke.

“Now hold on just one apple-pickin’ minute, are y’all sayin’ y’all know how Moonwhisper managed to pull off that whole spectacle?”

“Well, I know of the spell he used, at any rate. It’s actually pretty infamous among students of combat magic.”

Rainbow Dash let out dismissive grunt in response. “Oh please, give Twilight ten minutes and she’d be able to pull that spell off no problem.”

“Knowing Twilight, I seriously doubt that she could even manage a regular augmentation spell without hurting herself; the armored version would probably outright kill her.” Starlight’s last pronouncement left the other mares in stunned silence.

“Kill her?” Applejack practically shouted, recovering quickly from the shock. “Now just hold on a durn minute here, what the hay kind of spell is this armored-thing anyway?”

“I do have to say that does sound like a rather extreme assessment.” Rarity added. “I’ve heard of spells that can put an awful strain on somepony who isn’t properly prepared, but a spell that could be potentially fatal…”

“It’s mostly because of the way augmentation spells work. The idea is that by running magic through your own body you can radically increase your physical abilities. In theory, a regular unicorn could make themselves as fast as you,” Starlight pointed a hoof towards Rainbow Dash, “or as strong as you,” she added, pointing a hoof towards Applejack.

“Pfft, yeah right. You’re saying this spell could turn an egghead like Twilight into a better athlete than me or Applejack?”

“Well, that’s where the ‘in theory’ part comes in. You see, even a basic physical augmentation spell puts a huge strain on your body. If a unicorn who isn’t already in peak physical condition tries using it they can end up hurting themselves pretty badly.”

“Now, when y’all say ‘pretty badly’, just how serious are y’all talkin’ about?”

“Muscle tears and bone fractures are the most common injuries, at least from what I’ve heard. I mean, practically every combat magic instructor has one or two horror stories about somepony who gave themselves a heart attack, but I’m pretty sure those are just old mare’s tales.”

“As interesting, through unpleasant, as that all sounds, the magic that Moonwhisper was using seemed quite a bit more powerful than the magic you’re describing.” Rarity said.

“That’s because Moonwhisper was using a much more powerful version of the spell called armored augmentation. That spell encases you in magical conjured armor that acts like an echo chamber for the augmentation magic, amplifying the effect. So instead of just becoming a bit stronger and faster-“

“Y’all wind up with somepony able to buck a wyvern out of the dang sky.” Applejack said finishing Starlight’s thought. “Now, how the hay do y’all know so much about this sort of thing anyway?”

“I actually spent some time studying combat magic before I…well, before I took up brainwashing villages. Anyway, the problem with the armored variant of augmentation magic is that it doesn’t just amplify the physical boost; it amplifies the physical strain on the body as well.” Starlight added quickly, eager to move the subject away from her past indiscretions. “Pretty much everypony who’s ever tried to make use of the spell…well it’s kind of unpleasant.”

“What do you mean ‘unpleasant’?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I mean, how bad could it possibly-“

“Their major muscle groups would be shredded to ribbons, their bones would shatter like glass and their hearts would pop like a water balloon.”

“Oh, wow, yeah, that sounds pretty unpleasant.” After thinking it over for a moment, however, Rainbow Dash’s face suddenly darkened. “Hey, wait a second, if this armor-spell thingy is so dangerous then how the hay did Moonwhisper pull it off?”

“Like I said, I don’t have a clue how he managed it. There have been stories circulating for years that the members of one of the older unicorn noble families had figured out the secret, but I always assumed that they were just stories.”

“Oh for Celestia’s sake, so now Moonwhisper’s supposed to be some kind of noble?” Rainbow Dash yelled. “Every time we turn around it’s something new with this guy, and somehow we still don’t really know anything about him.” Suddenly, Rainbow Dash stopped mid-tirade as an idea struck her. “So,” she began, a devious grin spread across her face, “why don’t we see if we can learn a little bit more about who Moonwhisper really is?”

“What exactly are y’all suggestin’?” Applejack asked suspiciously, not sure if she liked the expression on her friends face.

“Well, Moonwhisper is in Canterlot with Twilight, right? I say we sneak into the room he’s renting from Bulk Biceps and-“

“Oh no. No, no, no, count me out.” Starlight Glimmer stammered, “I don’t want any part of something like that.”

“Ah can’t really say Ah disagree with her.” Applejack added. “It’s not that Ah can’t see where y’all are comin’ from, Rainbow, but snoopin’ around in somepony else’s room behind their back ain’t the way to go about it.”

“Come on, AJ, what else are we supposed to do? Talking to Moonwhisper doesn’t work, Twilight’s been trying that since he got here and she still hasn’t gotten anywhere.” Desperate for some support, Rainbow Dash turned to Pinkie Pie. “Come on, you agree with me, right?”

“Actually, Applejack, I think Rainbow Dash might be right. I know snooping isn’t normally a nice thing to do, but I’m just completely out of ideas. Moonwhisper is definitely hiding something, and I think it’s really hurting him.”

“Well, I for one have no intention of invading Captain Moonwhisper’s privacy like that.” Rarity declared, much to Applejack’s pleasure.

“At least one of mah friends has a lick of sense in her.”

Before Applejack could continue admonishing her friends, however, Rarity continued. “I won’t invade his privacy, but I would be willing to keep Bulk Biceps occupied while the two of you invaded his privacy.”

While Applejack sputtered incoherently in response, Fluttershy spoke up as well. “Um, I don’t know about the snooping part, but I guess I could help Rarity distract Bulk Biceps.”

“Fluttershy,” Applejack said in an anguished tone, “not you too?”

“Come on, AJ,” Rainbow Dash said, grinning triumphantly, “you can’t tell me you aren’t just a little bit curious about what Moonwhisper might be hiding.” Rainbow Dash’s grin widened further as she watched Applejack’s conflicted expression. Applejack had always tended to wear her emotions on her metaphorical sleeve, and it was clear that Rainbow Dash’s last comment had been right on target. As strenuously as Applejack might have objected to Rainbow Dash’s plan, she was still as curious about Moonwhisper as the next of her friends.

“Ah suppose if Ah can’t talk y’all out of this Ah should at least come along to keep an eye on y’all.” Applejack said. “Just to make sure y’all don’t get carried away or nothin’, Ah mean,” she hurriedly added.

*********

With a consensus finally reached, it didn’t take the group of friends long to reach Bulk Biceps’ home. The only pony missing from the group was Starlight Glimmer, who had steadfastly refused to partake in the excursion. And, as the friends approached their destination, Applejack wondered if the reformed unicorn hadn’t had the right idea.

“Alright, Rainbow, this is yer rodeo, so how the hay do y’all propose we actually do this?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled at Applejack’s question. “What’s the matter, AJ, you don’t think we can pull this off? Anyway, Bulk Biceps is still a member of the Wonderbolts Reserves, so right now he should be at headquarters with the rest of the reserve members for refresher training. That means we should have plenty of time to sneak in and check out Moonwhisper’s room before Bulk Biceps gets back. Rarity, you and Fluttershy wait outside and keep watch. If Bulk Biceps gets back early, try to give us a signal and keep him distracted so we can sneak out the back. Once we’re finished we should all head back to my place so we can over what we find out.”

Applejack have her friend a suspicious look. “Y’all sure seem like y’know what yer doin’. Ah’m guessin’ this ain’t the first time y’all have done somethin’ like this.”

“Who, me?” Rainbow Dash replied with an exaggerated tone of surprise. Applejack, recalling Rainbow Dash’s uncontrolled pranking spree, decided not to press the issue any further.

Fortunately for the group of friends, Bulk Biceps lived in a relatively secluded part of Ponyville, likely to avoid upsetting ponies who failed to appreciate the sounds of his 4am morning workouts. As such, there was little danger of being spotted as they snuck up to the house. While Rarity and Fluttershy positioned themselves across from the entrance, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack crept up to the door. With one final series of glances to confirm that nopony was watching, Rainbow Dash opened the door and she and the others snuck inside.

Shutting the door behind her, Applejack took stock of the home’s interior. The décor, if you could call it that, was about what she had expected. There was relatively little in the way of furniture, with a dizzying array of workout machines and weightlifting gear in their place. That being said, Bulk Biceps’ softer side was on full display as well, with pictures of himself and what Applejack presumed were his family members covering the walls. The one aspect of the home that truly surprised Applejack, however, was the smell, or rather that lack thereof. Applejack had expected Bulk Biceps’ house to smell like the inside of a gym bag, but it actually smelled surprising clean, almost to the point of being aseptic.

“Yeah, I had almost forgotten that about Bulk.” Rainbow Dash said suddenly. “The whole smell thing, I mean. You looked like you thought the house was going to reek of sweat.” As she spoke, Rainbow Dash began wandering through the house. “The Wonderbolts Reserves members take turns cleaning out their locker rooms and barracks, and Bulk Biceps always took it really seriously. I mean, everything ended up smelling like pine trees and lemons seriously. I’m pretty sure it’s something he picked working at Ponyville Spa to be honest.” Rainbow Dash peered up the stairs leading up to the home’s second story before turning back to Applejack. “So, AJ, where exactly is Moonwhisper’s room, anyway?”

“What the hay makes y’all think Ah would know where it is? Applejack asked indignantly.

“Weren’t you and Rarity with him when he moved in here?”

“Rarity and Ah stayed outside while Moonwhisper and Bulk Biceps did the actual movin’. This is the first time Ah’ve ever even been inside this place.”

Before Rainbow Dash was able to respond, Pinkie Pie called out from the second story. “Hey girls, I think I found Moonwhisper’s room!”

The two mares quickly rushed upstairs, where they found their friend excitedly bouncing outside one of the doorways in the hall. “How’d you find it so quickly?” Rainbow Dash asked as she approached the bubbly earth pony.

“I just checked all of the rooms up here until I found it.” Pinkie Pie replied with a grin. “It’s just one little house, silly, so it’s not like it took very long.”

Wisely deciding not to pursue the subject any further, Rainbow Dash slipped past Pinkie Pie into the room, with Applejack following close behind. The bedroom itself was small, spartanly furnished and absolutely immaculate. The furniture consisted of a neatly made bed, a small writing desk, a few bookshelves and, to Applejack’s surprise, what appeared to be a dress form under a drab olive tarp. “Huh, I wonder what this thing is.” Rainbow Dash mused as she made a beeline for the tarp.

“Maybe Moonwhisper sews his own cloths in his spare time.” Applejack replied sarcastically. Truthfully, there was something about the room that seemed off to Applejack, but she couldn’t put her hoof on precisely what it was.

While Applejack pondered what exactly it was about the room that made her uncomfortable, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie investigated the tarp. Working together, they quickly pulled it off to reveal an armor stand sporting a pristine suit of purple and gold armor. “Aha!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed triumphantly as the armor was unveiled.

“What are y’all so excited about?” Applejack asked. “It’s just a suit of guard armor, which ain’t exactly surprising to find on account of Moonwhisper bein’ a guard captain and all.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not like ever wears it or anything…” Rainbow Dash replied, her excitement rapidly deflating.

As Rainbow Dash slunk away to investigate the bookshelves, Applejack took a closer look at the armor. She vaguely remembered Moonwhisper once mentioning that he didn’t wear his armor due to his ‘unique talents’, presumably referring to the spell he had used to fight the wyvern. That said, the armor was remarkably well-cared-for for something that was never used. Every inch of the armor’s metal surfaces had been polished to a mirror-like sheen, a fact which Pinkie Pie promptly took advantage of. Leaving Pinkie Pie to her funny faces, Applejack trotted to join Rainbow Dash at the bookcases. As Applejack trotted past Moonwhisper’s writing desk, however, she suddenly realized what it was about the room that felt off to her. The room was completely devoid of any real personal touches, not even so much as a photograph of Moonwhisper’s family. To Applejack, it was as though the room was a place where Moonwhisper simply existed in, rather than lived.

“Geez, if it weren’t for the whole wyvern-pounding magic armor thing I’d say Moonwhisper might be the most boring pony I’ve ever met.” Rainbow Dash’s commentary on Moonwhisper’s choices in reading material snapped Applejack back to the present. “I mean, most of these are just books on guard protocols, and the ones that aren’t-“ Rainbow Dash pointed towards a few choice examples, “The Art of Logistics by Clever Stratagem, A Complete Military History of Equestria by Methodical Narrative, Tactical Planning by, get this, Flanking Maneuver.” Rainbow Dash broke into a furious bout of snickering at the name of the final author.

“Well, Ah’ll admit it looks like Moonwhisper’s got a bit of a one track mind, but that still don’t tell us too much more about him.” Applejack glanced down at Rainbow Dash, who was still giggling uncontrollably. “Dagnabbit RD, grow up, it ain’t that funny.” Letting out a sigh, Applejack looked around the room. “Frankly, it’s startin’ to look to me like this whole thing was a complete waste of time. There just ain’t anythin’ in here that’s gonna tell us anythin’ about Moonwhisper that we don’t already know.”

“I don’t know, we haven’t checked in here yet.” Pinkie Pie piped up, standing next to the bedroom’s closet. Without waiting for either of her friends to respond, Pinkie Pie threw open the door with an exaggerated flourish. Unsurprisingly, however, the closet was nearly empty, save for a single outfit on a hanger. “Hey,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “this looks just like the outfit that Shining Armor had on when he got married!”

“That’s probably his fancy dress uniform, Pinkie.” Applejack said as she busied herself with replacing the tarp on the armor stand. “Again, that ain’t somethin’ all that surprisin’ to find in the closet of a guard captain.”

“What about this?” Pinkie Pie asked, sliding what appeared to be a battered cardboard box into the center of the room.

“Nice find, Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash said as she virtually pounced on the box. “What do you think is in here?”

Applejack snorted in frustration. “Oh who the hay knows, Dash, Maybe it’s armor polish, or copies of old reports, or-“

“Or maybe it’s full of all the medals Moonwhisper has earned.” Rainbow Dash replied in a concerned tone.

“Dash have y’all spit your bit or somethin’? There’s no way somepony like Moonwhisper would keep his medals in some old beat-up box stuffed in the back of his closet.

“Um, AJ, are you sure about that?” Rainbow Dash countered, pushing the box towards Applejack. Sure enough, as Applejack peered in she saw that the box contained a large number of medals and ribbons, all jumbled together as though they had been tossed in like trash. Before Applejack had a chance to ponder the meaning of this, however, she and her friends heard a loud commotion from outside.

“Consarnit, that’s Bulk Biceps! We need to get out of here right now!” As Applejack spoke she slapped the box’s top back on and slid it towards Pinkie Pie. “Ah just hope Rarity and Fluttershy can keep him distracted.”

*********

“Anyway, I’ll tell Moonwhisper you wanted to talk to him when he gets back.” Bulk Biceps said in his characteristic near-yell.

“Oh, that’s quite alright, darling; really I just wanted to ask his opinion on my idea for a military-chic line. It completely slipped my mind that he was accompanying Twilight on her visit to Canterlot today.” Rarity let out a brief laugh, silently hoping that Bulk Biceps’ volume would be sufficient to warn Rainbow Dash and the others. “Speaking of Moonwhisper, Bulk, may I call you Bulk? Anyway, how have you found having the good Captain as a tenant?”

“Eh, he’s a pretty cool guy. Keeps to himself mostly, quiet, tidy, but he still really knows how to get PUMPED!” Bulk Biceps paused to clear his throat. “I can really respect a stallion like that, y’know?”

“I completely understand,” Rarity said as she scoured the sky for any signs that her friends had made their getaway. Much to her relief, Rarity soon spotted Rainbow Dash flying away into the clouds. “Oh my, would you look at the time. It’s been a pleasure talking with you, but I really must be going.” Before Bulk Biceps had a chance to respond, Rarity grabbed Fluttershy and bolted away. “Thank Celestia,” Rarity said once she and Fluttershy had put some distance between themselves and Bulk Biceps, “I wasn’t sure how much longer I could have kept him distracted with small talk.”

“Um, Rarity,” Fluttershy asked as she wriggled loose from her friend, “where exactly are we going?”

“To Rainbow Dash’s home, naturally,” Rarity replied. “I have to admit I am curious to hear what she and the others were able to find out.”

*********

“We didn’t find out anything!” Rainbow Dash lamented as she fell back onto her couch. “It turns out Moonwhisper’s room is just as boring as he is.”

“Oh dear, you really didn’t find anything of interest at all?” Rarity asked. It hadn’t taken Rarity and Fluttershy long to reach Rainbow Dash’s home, where they found Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash already waiting for them.

“Well, Ah wouldn’t say we didn’t find anythin’, but Ah guess what gets me is more what we didn’t find.” Applejack had been particularly quiet since she and her friends had snuck out Bulk Biceps’ backdoor. “To tell the truth, Ah’m startin’ to think Rainbow Dash might be on to somethin’. Now, Ah’m not sayin’ Ah think Moonwhisper’s up to no good, but…well, what kind of pony doesn’t keep any pictures of their family around?”

“Probably somepony who doesn’t like their family very much.” The five friends froze as Twilight Sparkle trotted into the room, relaxing only when the realized that Moonwhisper wasn’t with her. “Anyway, how do you know that Moonwhisper doesn’t have any pictures of his family in his room?”

An awkward silence descended on the room for several moments as Twilight’s friends squirmed uncomfortably. “We may have kinda snuck into Bulk Biceps’ house and might have snooped around Moonwhisper’s room while you two were in Canterlot.” Rainbow Dash finally said.

“You WHAT?” Twilight exclaimed. “Why would you…if he finds out…Gah!” Twilight paused and took several deep breaths to calm herself down.

“We didn’t mean any harm by it, Twilight, honest.” Applejack assured her friend. “We were just tryin’ to get inside Moonwhisper’s head a little. Speakin’ of which, what exactly did y’all mean when y’all said Moonwhisper doesn’t like his family?”

“I managed to track down a pair of Moonwhisper’s former lieutenants today and from what they told me it sounds as though Moonwhisper has some issues with his father.” Twilight looked distinctly uncomfortable as she recalled some of the things Sharpshooter and Silverstreak had hinted about Penumbral Dusk. “They couldn’t tell me any specifics about why Moonwhisper is the way he is,” Twilight continued, “but according to them he’s always been the way he is.”

“So, basically you didn’t really find out anything new about him.” Rainbow Dash snarked as she leaned back into her seat. “We didn’t really find out anything either, except that Moonwhisper has the most boring taste in books ever. And that he keeps all his medals in an old box in the back of his closet.”

“Wait, Moonwhisper does what?” Twilight asked slightly alarmed. “That just doesn’t seem right.” Twilight paused for a moment as she put her thoughts in order. “Alright, I still don’t understand why Moonwhisper is the way he is, but the more I learn about him, the more certain I am that he needs our help. And I do mean ‘our’ help; whatever’s the matter with Moonwhisper, I’m going to need all of you to help me get through to him.” As her friends all murmured assurances of their support, Twilight inwardly celebrated. After all, with her friends help there was no challenge that she wouldn’t be able to overcome.

Comments

[Silver Inkwell]

Minuet-
Should be Minuette.

[Silver Inkwell]

“I don’t think you’re his type, Minuet.” Twilight stated, heading off the impending argument. “To be honest, I’m not sure Moonwhisper even has a type.”

Twilight, don't be ridiculous and silly, everyone, I mean, everypony, sorry, EVERY THING has a type.

[Silver Inkwell]

Would be much easier to read if you paragraphed like I did.