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Chapter 1: Night Watch3,480 words
Chapter 2: A Scar and a Scarf3,793 words
Chapter 3: Stories of the Past6,687 words
Chapter 4: A New Day5,778 words
Chapter 5: A Day at the Festival4,014 words
Chapter 6: Headfirst Dive5,222 words
Chapter 7: Earth Pony Ways6,638 words
Chapter 8: A Serious Business8,186 words
Chapter 9: A Fish Out of Water7,957 words
Chapter 10: Horsing Around7,644 words

Chapter 9: A Fish Out of Water

It was a normal, lazy afternoon for Private Lance Rest. He stood guard before the royal palace of Canterlot Castle, watching the bustling courtyard.

Clerks ran to and fro, horseshoes screeching on the pavement while the odd document or two fluttered in their wake. Tourists mingled in between, gawking at the marble towers and golden spires. A pair of elderly pegasi caught the private’s eye, the guard fighting the urge to chuckle at the sight of a bored colt dragged in their wake. What Lance Rest assumed to be the grandpa seemed to be in the middle of a lecture of how he saw Princess Celestia a few centuries ago. Then his teal orbs wandered over to a few high class mares strolling by and polluting the yard with heavy, off-sweet perfumes.

Private Lance Rest saw all of that, but the whole hussle remained a mere restless background to him. He had to stay stoic and unmoving, his eyes fixed on one of the twenty-three cobblestones in his view. During calmer moments of his shift, he tried to get better at assessing his surroundings. Catching a glance of the said twenty-three cobblestones and four specks of some green muck among them was his record for staring without his pupils moving the slightest bit.

However, now he had a problem. It wasn’t another angry superior scolding him about his staring passtime—last time he tried to break the record, one swift pickpocket managed to mug a few ponies in broad daylight. But Lance Rest’s current problem wasn’t even the filly booping his nose, nor the other little nuisance trying to pluck the hair out of his tail. No, it was the single drop of sweat that had gathered under his muzzle plate.

His golden armor itself radiated unbearable heat, but it was just a mere bother when compared to the droplet of sweat that snaked through his fur to the ground. It meandered over his coat, tickling.

And yet, he couldn’t do anything. If he were to break his orders and looked up to let the sweat slither somewhere else, he’d see, through the slight haze of smoke from the royal kitchens, the old astronomy tower and the newly added reflective gallery at its top.

And if he were able to look through the one way mirrors of the gallery, he’d be met with the sight of gallons of water, a few fish and the curious gaze of one white alicorn.

Celestia floated in her spa, wings spread wide, tendrils of her wet mane swirling around her. She spared an occasional glance through the transparent floor at the courtyard and at a particular guard whom seemed to be having his training tested. She shook her head, returning to gazing over the sprawling city of Canterlot and the tiny ponies and carriages milling around in the streets. And from time to time, her eyes flitted to the plains below and the dark stretch of a forest on the horizon. Her brow furrowed every time she did so, her heart beating faster.

She let out a sigh, turning back into the room. Her horn flared to life, the golden aura enveloping a few strawberries from a nearby bowl.

Celestia’s magic flung the fruits through the air, the alicorn catching them mid-flight into her waiting mouth.

The princess then dove back into the pool, letting the warm water caress her fur. She slowly rolled around and spread her wings, feeling each feather bending with the drag of water.

She descended deeper and deeper till the back of her skull connected with the glass floor. A shudder ran down her spine, her hooves twitching as a tingling sensation waltzed back and forth over her body.

The little fish were doing their job, cleaning her fur and feathers off the tiniest bits of grime that still clung to her coat.

She let out a giggle, rolling around in the water. Her face contorted into a perplexed mask when she spotted one fish digging out a half-eaten, soaked biscuit from her mane.

She tried to snatch the pastry from the fish with another giggle, but the creature was faster. Shaking her head with a smile plastered on her face, the princess propelled herself back to the surface.

As she stood up, one unfortunate fish slid from her forehead and ricocheted off her muzzle. It never hit water again, disappearing in a flash of bright red feathers, pierced by unforgiving talons.

Philomena circled the room, landing on a nearby perch. Shuffling around on the perch, the phoenix bent her head back and pumped her throat, gobbling up the poor animal.

Despite the gruesome act, Celestia smiled at the phoenix and the twitching tail sticking out the bird’s beak. Waiting for the fish to disappear completely, Celestia cleared her throat.

The phoenix didn’t pay the princess any mind. Philomena chirped and gurgled softly, too preoccupied with nibbling at her talons.

“Philomena? Any news?” The bird finally turned, acknowledging her mistress, head cocked to the side.

The alicorn responded with a plain questioning gaze. Philomena blinked, then tilted her head to the other side and blinked once more.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Celestia remarked, disappointment creeping into her voice. She plopped back down into the pool, splashing all around. She lowered her head, only her nostrils and the top half of her face poking out, resembling a gloomy white crocodile.

The phoenix gave her a tiny squawk and dashed from her perch, catching another fish that was thrown above the water surface. She then disappeared out an open window.

“Selfish bird,” Celestia muttered, the water bubbling around her submerged mouth. The princess floated over to the edge of the gallery again, looking at the Everfree in the distance. She caught herself raising her hoof to her teeth, ready to start biting it. It was not really the events of last night that made her nervous, after all, it all could have gone far worse. It was the lack of contact that troubled her mind. Her thoughts were awhirl with possibilities. Had something happened to them? Had they found nothing worthy of writing about? Did her last letter reach them in the first place?

She couldn’t remember the last time she was so impatient to receive any word from the field, not even during the war with Griffonstone.

She waited for a moment, hoping that a messenger would barge in, carrying news, any news.

But the door of the gallery stood unmoving, obscured by the mist rising from the hot spa. With another sigh, the princess proceeded to another fishless section of the pool and started to wash her mane.

Her desire for a visitor was sated a while later. A timid knock on the door, almost too timid for the expected messenger.

“Password?” Celestia called. No answer, she stepped out the pool. She quickly skimmed over the magical wards shielding her body, circles and spheres of floating runes flickering around her, only to fade to their invisible state a moment later.

Content with her protection, she raised her head to see the door cracking open slowly. “Password!” she repeated, a bit of desperation edging into her voice. Still no answer.

Stiffening, the princess lowered her body, charging her horn. Widening her stance, her back hoof slipped on a wet tile. Celestia face-planted on the floor, her concentration faltering. The spell building in her horn released, shooting at the door, where wide-eyed Raven stood.

The secretary dropped the papers she was carrying, her magic forming a vivid red shield before her. It materialized in the last second, deflecting the beam of golden energy. The runaway spell bounced off the golden roof of the gallery before landing in the pool. The water inside evaporated instantly.

The mares stared at each other through the foggy clouds and Raven’s misty glasses, documents of utmost importance slowly turning to wet muck on the floor all around them. A few fish that miraculously survived flapped desperately on the bottom of the pool.

“The new, already fifteenth password today is ‘My carriage is full of eels,’ if you so want to hear it.” Raven released a sigh, rubbing her glasses on her tie and proceeding to salvage what documents she could.

Celestia responded just by slowly standing up, her head hung low. She looked up in a split second, dashing to the unicorn mare and enveloped her in a tight embrace.

The smaller pony let out a surprised gasp, but didn’t fight against the vast expanse of feathers surrounding her.

“R-Raven, I-I am so sorry,” Celestia sobbed, clutching the secretary even tighter. “I could have… I do not know what had possessed me…”

Looking down at the suffocating pony in her grasp, the princess cleared her throat, awkwardly standing back up. “Let us not talk about this mishap again, shall we?” Celestia offered, the ruffled secretary simply nodding in agreement. An uncomfortable silence befell the room again, punctuated by an occasional flap of fish out of water.

Raven adjusted her glasses and tie. “Anyway, I meant to tell you, Your Highness, that the train from the Crystal Empire was delayed slightly, but it should be arriving soon. I already prepared everything for your meeting with the captain in the blue suite.”

“Thank you, Raven. Though I wish to meet Shining Armor on the training grounds.” The secretary just nodded, summoning a notepad and quickly jotted it down. Though a doubtful frown betrayed her neutral professional facade.

Spotting her assistant’s bemused expression, Celestia released a sigh. “You can see that I am quite out of shape in terms of duelling. Luna was even worse for wear in this regard. Why, even an ordinary unicorn can deflect my spell and then could proceed unhindered to me before I managed to collect my bearings. I need to train, should my life be put in danger as well.”

“In your—and my—defense, Your Highness, my magical prowess is quite far from an ordinary unicorn. After all, I oftentimes carry a whole cartful of documents in my magic,” Raven said, glancing at the white-gray mess in her telekinetic grip. Drops of dark ink dribbled from it to the floor.

“True,” Celestia stated, proceeding past her assistant to a vanity mirror in a corner of the room. “However, magic is not your special talent, should you be faced with one of my students, I think you would battle fiercely, but they would overpower you in the end,” the princess added, looking at her assistant’s reflection in the slightly misty mirror. She then picked up a brush, running it through her tangled, yet still waving mane nonchalantly.

The secretary just huffed, but decided not to push the matter further. “Anyway, I have found two stallions of the Lunar Guard that hadn’t reported for duty last night.”

“Is that so?” Celestia growled, ceasing to brush her mane.

“Yes, though it also seems they have an alibi… Apparently, they have spent the night in some, eh, cheap watering hole.”

The princess dropped the brush held in her magic, pressing a hoof to her forehead. “And do we know if it was really them?”

“The other patrons confirmed they have seen the two thestrals there. Apparently the two frequented the place.”

Celestia shook her head. “Then the other patrons may as well be covering them. Or they could have still mistaken them for somepony else—after all, telling thestrals apart requires a rather keen eye and sober mind... and I doubt these two were the only members of the guard who ever set hoof in that place. What about something more definitive, like the identification marks on their armor?”

“Well, about that…” Raven rubbed the back of her neck. “They said they can’t find the armor. Probably lost it on the way home.”

“That’s a peculiar situation,” Celestia commented, her raised eyebrow almost touching her horn. “Let them pay for new armor, as well as have their commanding officer serve them a punishment for abandoning their duty.”

Raven’s quill just danced over her notepad. “Should I also suspend them?”

Celestia scratched her chin, pacing around the bathing room. “No, they may be the only lead we have at the moment. Just keep a close eye on them.”

“Will do.” The secretary nodded, a contented smile flashing past her lips. “With those two running loose, should I add in some precautions to your training in the courtyard? An isolated tiltyard, a protective barrier and so on?” When Celestia nodded her assent, Raven continued, “Furthermore, there has been a report marked ‘Totally unimportant, but address as soon as possible’. Came from one lesser noble just as I was coming here.”

Celestia sighed, rubbing her temple. “What does it pertain to?”

“A dragon attack, apparently.”

“How many destroyed houses?” the princess muttered.

“Just one colt thrown into a pond it seems,” Raven said, adjusting her glasses. She looked up at the unicorn mare questioningly. “The dragon apparently wasn’t far more bigger than the unfortunate foal.”

“Totally unimportant. Deal with it as you see fit,” Celestia concluded, walking back to the window. She sighed. “Wasn’t there, by any chance, any news about our Forest Pony or her entourage coming through the regular mail?”

“Nothing, Your Highness.” The secretary shook her head, the princess returning to gazing out the window. Raven deemed the meeting over, slowly shuffling around and starting to trot out of the room.

“Raven?” The princess cleared her throat. The secretary stopped in her tracks. “When you have the time, please look up anything you can find on Miss Greenlock. Call me paranoid, but I have a hunch that somepony living so far from normal society may not necessarily be a good pony.”

“Alright, Your Highness.” The secretary quickly and quietly exited the room, leaving behind the sullen alicorn.

Celestia pressed her face against the glass as much as she could, her long horn preventing her from getting much closer.

A tear formed in the corner of her eye, slowly rolling down her cheek. A lone sob escaped her throat. “Oh Luna, what have I done?”

“Stop right there, criminal scum!”

Turning to face the approaching guard, Hedvika assumed a wider stance. She could feel Sev do the same on her back. She caught a glimpse of Luna shrinking slightly, trying and failing to sneak behind her. Volt-Ampere stood right next to the green mare, watching on with cheeky curiosity rather than fear. His trusty caliper floated by his ear, scratching it.

The large earth pony screeched to a halt a few lengths before them, a few strands falling from the blanched panache of his helmet. He adopted a proud stance, marching up to the group, his hooves beating the ground in steady rhythm.

“Good to see you in one piece. Heard some ruckus in here,” the guard pony said to the blue stallion, then shifted his attention to the two frazzled mares, stopping closer to Hedvika. Huffing at the bitter stench of sweat coming off of her, he glared at her, then Luna. “Who are these two mares, Volt-Ampere?”

Hedvika’s ear shifted, noting the audible gulp from the princess. Staring at the guard, her eyes narrowed, scanning every hair of his form. Her judging gaze stopped at the tendon of his left foreleg, creating a slight bulge beneath his skin. An aftermath of the tough routine, too tough for an aging pony, she concluded. An imperfection the glamour spell of the guard’s armour failed to hide.

Her lips parted slightly, her tongue creeping out to wet them. It would take just a pinch of magic. There would be almost no blood, but the guard wouldn’t be able to move his leg for a while, yet alone pursue them.

It would be easy, if she could pull it off in the first place. And if there wasn’t another guard. She squinted at the glint of another armour in the distance, a frown creasing her lips. Would she be able to incapacitate both of them?

She finally looked up to the guardpony’s face, ignoring his annoyed, impatient expression and immediately noticing the slight shimmer of magic where the glamour failed to adhere. A scar running over his muzzle.

“Savage,” she muttered to herself, banishing the dark thoughts from her mind.

“Did you say something, miss?” the stallion fumed. “I hope so for your own good, ‘cause if I were in your spot, I’d start talking. Presto.”

Luna stepped forward, a frown on her lips. “I really do not like what you impl—” A green hoof to her chest silenced her.

Hedvika pushed the alicorn back and strained her neck, trying to get herself to eye level with the guard.

“You were looking for criminal scum, right? Well, I have some pond scum, if you wish. Not sure if it’s criminal enough,” she said with a smirk, whipping up a small glass from her bag. Something green and slimy swirled inside. She took a few tiny steps back.

The guard blinked owlishly at the glass, then looked up at Hedvika, then to Volt-Ampere, disguised Luna and back to the green mare. He didn’t even try to hide his confusion. Confusion that quickly seemed to turn into anger. “I also may have an idea where lost fillies in the Everfree usually linger,” Hedvika added, barely keeping herself from pawing at the ground. A sliver of doubt started nibbling at her mind. Luna muttered something very unroyal. Sev rewarded the princess with a chuckle.

The guardspony seemed as clueless as before, his stance growing more tense, muscles bulging and veins pulsing. His eyes widened in realization only upon spotting Sev peeking from behind Hedvika’s neck, the dragon giving him a toothy grin and a wave of his talons.

“Oh, I see now…” Luna’s jaw fell upon the stallion’s hearty laugh. “The elusive pony of shadows dare set a hoof out of her forest, along with her dragon! I take back all I said ‘bout you, but in my defense, you look a little… frazzled.” Hedvika just nodded, a slight smile crossing her lips as she waved it off with a hoof. She mentally berated herself for almost bucking this stallion’s face.

“I didn’t know you two were acquainted, Volt-Ampere,” the guard continued, turning to the blue unicorn, an audible pop coming from his joints as he did so.

“Oh.” Volty laughed, wrapping his hoof around Hedvika’s neck, dragging the mare closer so they were almost cheek to cheek. “We rarely see her there nowadays, so it’s no surprise.” The mare just sighed, trying to wiggle free of his hug, her fur standing from static as she rubbed against him.

The guard just nodded, his features turning more firm once more. “However, what were you doing in the slums? And who is the third… eh, lady?” He looked Luna up and down, noting her greasy mane and threadbare coat with suspicious red stains. Not to speak about the bizarre straw hat.

“My friend from Baltimare, visited Entropy’s together,” Hedvika stated plainly.

“Poor stallion, would be nice to see him in a less dangerous place… maybe then he wouldn’t have to dabble in… whatever it is that he does. Used to be a good colt, if a little bit of an oddball.” The guard shook his head, looking to Volty. “I guess you were helping secure the shop or something again? Regardless, I’d like to use your skills as well, if you are okay with leaving the company of two such special mares.”

He bowed slightly, Hedvika returned the gesture with a simple nod, while Luna reluctantly trotted next to her, her complexion still a little paler than before and her ears pressed against her skull.

He looked at them and cracked a good-hearted smile. “And let me apologize once more for mistaking you for… less than decent mares before, my eyes are not as great as they used to be, even with this magical thing trying to fix that.” He tapped his helmet.

“Apology accepted,” Luna forced a smile to her lips, battling her stomach from turning after the receding adrenaline rush. “Anything else you wanted from us, officer …?”

“Crinet. Lieutenant Crinet. Mainly went to investigate what all the ruckus was about. Heard the slums roaring from the other side of town as I was patrolling with the newbie. Speaking of that one...” He turned around, yelling, “Move it, greenhorn! What are you waiting for, a formal invitation?”

“Coming!” the pony in the distance cried, awkwardly trotting to the group on his tangly legs. Horseshoes waggled on his hooves, eliciting sparks from the pavement. He had to stop multiple times to keep his hoofwear from falling off.

Sev, now sitting on Hedvika’s head, chuckled at the sight. “To be frank, that colt doesn’t seem like a good asset to your garrison.” He propped his elbow on the green mare’s horn, supporting his head as he watched the young stallion fight and lose against his uncooperative legs.

Crinet sighed, shoving his helmet back and rubbing his forehead. “He’ll learn with time. Has plenty of theoretical knowledge and is a stickler for the laws, but is terrible in the field… and not exactly a thinker either.”

Hedvika just hummed in response, watching the younger guard stagger, still pretty far away. She moved her weight from her injured leg. “Anyway… it was nice meeting you, but we have a long road home ahead of us. And I’m sure Volty will be more than happy to help you,” she said, glancing at the electrician by her side. His eyes were fixed on the ground now, lines of his magic spread out on the pavement in intricate patterns.

She cleared her throat and when he didn’t respond, she elbowed the blue stallion.

“Oh, of course.” Volt-Ampere sprang up, his shaggy yellow mane bobbing up and down. “I guess it’s the polygraph circuit you need help with, isn’t it? Again almost fried somepony when detecting a lie?”

“Sort of.” Crinet moved his head from side to side uncomfortably. “Anyway, I won’t hold you up any longer, ladies and dragon. Have a lovely day.”

Hedvika nodded again, walking past the stallion, with Luna uttering a few words of thanks.

“That was closer that I would like it to be,” the princess whispered after a few steps.

“It’s just an old stallion, I’m sure we could escape him,” Sev mused, standing on his hind legs and holding Hedvika by the ears.

A hint of indignation crept into Luna’s voice. “I am serious, we need to have a plan should this situation repeat itself.”

“Wait a minute!” Both mares froze in their tracks, slowly turning back to the source of the cry. Hedvika’s hoof made its way over to the sheath of her dagger, her weight moving on her bruised hoof. She bared her teeth a little. Sev stiffened slightly, his claws nearly piercing her ears.

The younger guard—a barely grown-up colt—stood next to Crinet and Volty, brows furrowed, his glare twitching between the mares and his superior.

He marched up to Hedvika on his lanky legs, yet his short neck still meant that the mare had to bend down slightly to look him in the eye. Luna downright towered above him.

It didn’t seem to bother the small stallion. He pushed his face close to Hedvika’s, her muzzle scrunching at the smell of strong cheap cologne and armor polish coming off of him.

“Sir,” he turned his head slightly, glancing at Crinet from the corner of his eye, “have you taken notice of the message from Ponyville’s garrison?”

“Was there anything important, Private?” The lieutenant rolled his eyes, huffing quietly.

“There was, sir. I’m very surprised you don’t know. We are obliged to read these as soon as they arrive by ordinance 734, section F.” The private stomped his hoof. “They are looking for somepony.”

Luna arched her back, the warm feeling of power flowing into her hooves pervading her whole body. She would have no problem dealing with this rat of a pony the hard—

A shiver ran down her spine, her ears falling back. Disgust filled her at even thinking of such a thing, the magic dissipating from her hooves.

The private acknowledged the disguised princess’s unease by a side glance, staring back above Hedvika’s head. “They are looking for a dragon!” he filtered through his gritted teeth. “And I think there are not many of these around!” He pointed an accusing hoof at Sev.

The drake let out a quiet growl, bristling his scales. His tongue flicked out for a split second.

“You are accusing an honorary member of the guard, Private,” Crinet stated sternly. “One that is higher in rank than both you and me, so shut it.”

Sev’s eyes shimmered and he jumped from Hedvika’s head, hovering before the young pony’s face. “Thank you, Lieutenant. As for you, Private”—the pony in question gulped, sweat collecting beneath his helm—“what exactly has happened? Report!”

The colt blanched, his white coat somehow turning even paler. He saluted. “The dragon caused civil unrest, assaulting two ponies. Then it flew away, knocking over one tree in the process and setting it on fire.”

“Does the report say anything of eyewitnesses beyond the alleged victims?” muttered Crinet, rubbing his neck.

“No, sir,” replied the private.

“Good to hear. However, there are a few things I would like to clarify,” Sev stated plainly. He hopped to the ground, marching back and forth before the guards. “My race doesn’t usually set things aflame just because we can. First, did an expert asses the damage? Truly determining the source of fire damage is a fine art one has to study for at least five years.” Sev paused, letting his words sink in. “Even I would have troubles telling apart a fire started by a dragon from that caused by a fire salamander or even fireflies! Both of the latter are far more common in this area than dragons.”

The private sheepishly shook his head. “I… seem to lack that information, sir. It was just reported by the garrison.”

The drake nodded. “So I thought. Second, as you can clearly see, I am far from physically capable of pushing over a tree or assaulting a pony, let alone two, but there are other dragon species much larger than myself that could do so.” Sev finished, his features as firm as if they were carved from stone, the corners of his mouth pulled back, baring his teeth. “Do you think a bunch of guards from a small town, whose biggest achievement was catching a bunch of thieves stealing apples, would be able to discern the culprit with clarity?”

“S-sir, n-no, sir.” The private saluted. “But… permission to speak up, sir?”

Sev regarded him with a curt not. “Granted.”

“I’d like to report Lieutenant Crinet for abandoning his duty three times this week in order to, I quote, ‘get some shut-eye,’ and furthermore for not taking proper care of important documents and spilling coffee on them. His last misconduct was violating the ordinance 734, sections F and G, respectively,” the colt finished, his chest heaving up and down furiously.

Sev’s scales bristled and he lowered himself to the ground. Then he slowly stood back up, shaking his head. “I see… though what reason do I have to believe you, Private?”

“But he did all of it! Against the law!” The colt screeched, his knees shaking as a cold shiver ran down his spine, despite the hot anger bubbling within him. His armor suddenly seemed heavier, hugging his scrawny frame tightly.

“If Crinet did wrong a proper inquiry will look into it. And you're clearly proving that you're attempting to assign guilt without tangible proof and all the facts,” Sev stated, spreading his wings majestically.

“Thank you, sir,” Crinet said, staring the thick hoarfrost coating his subordinate’s armor. “We should get moving, Private,” he growled and saluted.

“Have a nice rest of your shift.” Sev saluted as well, then turned around, making sure his tail swished a healthy helping of dust on the private’s polished shoes. He started marching away, Hedvika and Luna in his wake. “I sincerely apologize for the unexpected delay, my ladies. General Fluffy Cotton will hear about this colt’s impertinence, I can assure you!” He turned to both mares, bowing slightly and made sure his loud statement reached the right ears.

The two guards looked after the trio for a while, with Volty by their side picking his muzzle with a screwdriver and regarding the scene with just a modicum of interest. Crinet motioned both for him and the private to follow, the latter moving up to his superior’s flank in a perfectly paced trot, as if nothing ever happened.

The dragon and two mares rounded a corner, stepping into another alley, though this time in a far more tidy and welcoming neighborhood of brick houses and small gardens with slightly overgrown hedges.

“Sev,” Hedvika started, a smile playing on her lips, “I promise I’ll serve you breakfast in bed for a month if you can start a fire using only salamanders or fireflies.”

“Does setting them ablaze count?” The dragon grinned, immediately being met with a raised eyebrow and a shake of Hedvika’s head. “Not like you trying to prepare breakfast would be anything to look forward to,” he added, sticking his tongue out. He then sniffed the air, his tongue twitching rapidly. He stuck it back in, letting out a small moan. “Hmm, blackberries.” His claws groped for something in Hedvika’s bag. “Be back in a few!” He then spread his wings, shooting down the alley and from sight.

Hedvika just spared him a passing glance and a sigh, turning to Luna as the alicorn cleared her throat. “Please enlighten me, what reason did the lieutenant have to deviate from his protocol and protect you by lying? Not that it is a bad a thing… Assuming the honorary guard part was a lie and my judgement of ponies hasn’t waned entirely.”

“Well…” Hedvika chuckled, “some time ago, a little filly wandered into the Everfree and ran into a pack of Timberwolves with a fresh litter. They took her in as their own. I… sort of wanted to see what would become of her if we left her there, but in the end decided to give her over to the guard that came looking for her—that guard was the lieutenant. Though I have to say, taking her from the Timberwolves was quite costly.” She rubbed her fetlock, revealing a scar snaking through her fur.

Luna acknowledged it with a slight frown. Then she smiled. “Oh, and there I was afraid for a moment that you decided to keep the filly as your own.” The biologist stopped dead in her tracks, staring into the distance. A lone chuckle bubbled up her throat, soon followed by a barrage of laughter. The princess joined in soon after.

“And I was afraid you didn’t have a sense of humour.” The green mare chuckled, a playful spark in her eyes.

“Your bold words offend us, impudent peasant!” The alicorn huffed, a puckish smile gracing her lips. “Let us make it known that we were once the bearer of the Element of Laughter!” she added, breaking into another bout of giggles.

Hedvika gave her a curious glance, navigating across the street to a small park. Luckily nopony seemed to be around to debate the princess’ claims. “Never truly thought about that… not that most ponies of today even knew about your existence before your return anyway. What other Elements did you carry?” She hopped over the kerb into a vast expanse of bushes and lawns.

Once her hooves touched the grass and dirt, the unicorn relaxed visibly, rolling her shoulders. She let out a contented sigh, her ears pivoting to the chirping of grasshoppers and muffled steps of mice scurrying through the shrubbery.

Luna followed her, waltzing through the stalks and settled beside the green mare under a large oak. “Loyalty and Honesty were the ones that chose me,” she remarked, gazing wistfully into the distance.

“The better of bunch, I’d say,” Hedvika mused, hoof groping through her saddlebags. “It also means that your sister was so kind and generous to magic you away to the Moon and then render your whole existence into a mere myth, correct?”

“Very bluntly said, but it can be seen that way.” Luna sighed, laying her head between her hooves. The green blades tickled her jaw, the earthy scent of wet grass gracing her palate as she continued, “Unlike me, Celestia has always excelled in the art of diplomacy, assuring our alliances with her favours and gifts. Most who opposed her at one point didn’t even notice they had signed a peace treaty before it was too late to change their mind.”

“Well,” Hedvika grunted, twisting her body to get her grazed leg to her head, “wouldn’t expect her to be that shifty, but I assume that’s part of the trick.”

Luna’s ears shifted dangerously low for a moment, the alicorn raising her head. “She had no other option but to be slightly deceitful, especially after my… departure. The country was too weak with just one ruler at that time.”

“So she erased you from history to pretend there was no other princess ever present? Lovely.” Hedvika turned up her green rune-inscribed hoof in all its bruised glory. “Though,” she added hesitantly, “has it crossed your mind that maybe after a thousand years of ruling as a monarch, she might not take well having to share the power with somepony else?”

Luna huffed, her hoof grinding a pebble underneath. “You surely have a keen mind, but your assumptions are incorrect. My sister would never do that.”

“I’m simply familiar with fighting for survival every day and night. And it was just a hypothesis. Let’s sum it up by saying that Princess Celestia has her own secrets and reasons.” The unicorn lowered her head, fighting with the tweezers in her mouth to pull out the splinters from her leg.

Luna smirked, bending forward. “And she is not the only pony that keeps secrets.”

“And who might the other pony be, Princess?”

“Somepony that has a very slick tongue when she wants to and no respect for authorities. And according to her dragon is, despite her alleged talents, not in favour of any of the larger scientific communities, such as The Equestrian Society for the Preservation of Rare Creatures, and The Academy of Sciences.”

Hedvika released the tweezers, letting the tool stick out of her wound. “Oh, chickencoop,” she breathed, her hoof running through the grass. “What and why do you want to know?”

“If Sev is correct, these past events have left their mark on your psyche… they are a nightmare to you, if you wish. And I believe you can understand that is something I ought to deal with.” Luna raised her hoof and reluctantly lowered it onto Hedvika’s shoulder, the unicorn wincing. “I believe that you are a strong mare, but the fact that you felt the urge to mention how you were bullied the first night we have met leads me to the conclusion that you have plenty of inner demons to fight.”

“Not just inner…” Hedvika muttered under her breath. She rolled her shoulders, raising her head and continued out loud, “About the bullies, I didn’t know how to leave them out and simultaneously keep the story coherent. But I’m well past the stage of fretting about them.”

The alicorn raised an eyebrow. “So you are no longer afraid of falling and failing?”

“Wha— Yes, I mean, whatever.” Hedvika huffed. “What I wanted to say —excluding some small exceptions— is that my foalhood issues have not affected me that much, but maybe they should have.” She sighed, brushing off Luna’s hoof from her shoulder. “I ought to take them as a clear sign that I shouldn’t trust ponies, maybe then…” She shook her head. “I was desperate, the Academy didn’t want to allow me to lead the expedition and I trusted the wrong ponies.” She fidgeted, bending forward and nibbling at her wounded leg. “It cost me and my friends their job. And when we thought we could start over in Trottingham, the damned coal ran out!” she shrieked, a few birds darting out the treetop above her head.

The alicorn moved closer, forcing open her coat and slid out one of her wings, wrapping up Hedvika in it. The unicorn tensed up, but ultimately relaxed into the feathers. “Why didn’t they want the expedition to happen?” Luna whispered. “You discovered new intelligent species with unique magic, why would they throw away such an opportunity?”

“Because they no longer care about truth or knowledge, the stuck-up unicorns are only after their own image and prestige now. It doesn’t help that most of them have upper class ancestry. What was I to them?” Hedvika growled.

Luna looked at the mare, noticing how much older she suddenly seemed. Tendrils of the clammy mane hung down the unicorn’s face, a few silvery hairs shining through the purple and orange. Her chest heaved up and down, veins pulsing visibly underneath her matted fur. The princess’ gaze slowly scaled Hedvika’s horn, the horn that never channelled magic. It was only now that she noticed how uneven its surface was; peppered with dents and scratches. Its very tip seemed to be chipped off, the few greens hairs atop barely hiding it.

If I wasn't told that it would cause only more troubles, I'd have cut the horn off already, living like an ordinary, albeit weak, earth pony, Hedvika’s words echoed in the alicorn’s mind.

“I see.” The princess slowly withdrew her wing. The biologist bent back over, picked up the tweezers and dug into her hoof again. “And what about the Society for Preservation of Rare Creatures? Stuck-up unicorns there as well?”

Hedvika stopped, staring into the distance for a while. Then she chuckled. “Not really, mostly just a bunch of earth ponies. All strangely relaxed and… slow. Felt like talking to sloths... or any kind of office worker. Oh, and they just refused to acknowledge the fact that one of their members devastated a whole ecosystem by relocating a bunch of frogs.”

“Come on, not that old story again!” Both mares raised their heads up to the branches and the grinning dragon above.

“Hey, it happened just a year ago!” Hedvika protested, a traitorous smile creeping to her lips.

“Just a year ago?” Sev mocked and hopped from the branch, circling around the park. He touched down just before the two mares, readjusted his wings and removed a small brown paper bag from his back. “Something for you two, I think Hedvika would let you starve otherwise.” He nudged the bag closer to Luna and proceeded to Hedvika’s side, muttering under his breath.

The princess took it gently into her mouth, feeling the greasy fibers with her tongue. She slowly maneuvered the bag with the combined effort of her hooves and muzzle, almost managing to reach inside. Then her hoof slipped, tearing the paper down the side and causing one biscuit to roll out onto the grass.

She turned to Hedvika, pouting. The green mare turned her head to the side, shuffling forward to the annoyance of Sev trying to pull out the splinters from her leg. “It’s alright,” the unicorn said, picking up the fallen pastry with her mouth. “I believe there should be another one,” she said between bites, sending a few crumbs flying all around.

The princess just nodded glumly and dove headfirst into the crumpled paper, her teeth sinking into the dough and blackberries, and… paper?

The alicorn coughed, spitting out the rolled up newspaper. She nudged it with her hoof. It just tumbled over the grass. She grabbed at it again, only for the newspaper to slip out of her reach once more. Luna reared up, feeling the power course through her front hooves, only to stop before she could release it. She hung her head, dropped on all fours and admitted with a sigh, “I am afraid this is still out of my league. These delicate movements with hooves are far harder than they seem.”

“You tell me…” Hedvika stood up, flexing her leg that now sported nothing but another pale scar above her hoof. She walked next to the princess, resting the frog of her hoof on the roll of paper, the pages sliding neatly into the grooves carved within.

Luna grimaced, but still watched on with interest. “You know,” Sev crawled up on her shoulder, “you remind me a lot of the hatchlings I encountered in Kar—that’s the capital of the Dragon Margraviate, a lovely city in a geothermal valley.”

“How so?” Luna asked, rubbing his scales.

“I have been allowed to watch a flight lesson of the young ones, because, well”—he fidgeted, his scales bristling momentarily—“I wasn’t that much of a great flier at the time myself.”

“Growing up with a family of ground-bound ponies tends to have that effect,” Hedvika remarked. “Check this out, Princess.” She tapped one article in the newspaper thrown open on the ground.

Luna bent down, her eyes widening. “‘Grand Thundercloud Theft in the Cloudsdale Weather Factory. Five Employees Gone Missing. The great thunderstorm prepared specifically for an upcoming Wonderbolts’ show was stolen yesterday between—’” She massaged her temple. “They were prepared. It was a larger scheme than I thought,” the princess deadpanned, cautiously looking around and fighting to button her coat. “I do not think staying here much longer is a good idea.”

Hedvika nodded, following deeper into the park and towards the dark canopy of the Everfree looming over the edge of Trottingham. “You are not the only one. I feel like a fish out of water here nowadays,” she said, not bothering to turn back.

The princess started after her, waiting if she’d say something more. However, the sounds of the park seemed to be the biologist’s only concern, judging by her pivoting ears. “So, Sev, how does the story of yours continue?” Luna craned her neck, trying to look the dragon in the eye.

“Well,” he yawned, arching his back and sticking out his tongue, “pardon me. As I said, I was watching the hatchlings learn how to fly by a small pond. There was about a dozen of them, all various shades of blue and grey. Oh, and also quite fluffy as the older younglings tend to be.” He chuckled. “Anyway, the elder showed them what to do with their wings to achieve the smoothest lift off. Then she jumped up, made a few pirouettes in the air and flew over the pond into the treetop of a small pine growing in the middle of it. All she said was ‘Now get to me.’”

“And did they succeed?” The princess rolled her shoulders, forcing the dragon to move so he wouldn’t slide off her side.

“Of course they didn’t. Those few that managed to get airborne stayed so only for a few moments. All of them strained their wings, except one little drake. He just sat on the bank, looking up and down the tree in the middle of the pond and its roots reaching the water. He then dove in, swam to the other side and climbed up the tree. And he succeeded.”

“Because it was said they just had to get to the elder?”

“Exactly. There was no chance they could fly that distance on their first try and realizing that was the point of the lesson—the others forgot their legs for their wings, just like you have forgotten your hooves for magic.”

Luna nodded. “Lovely story and a very good point,” she said, a puckish grin on her lips. “Though tell me, were you the one lucky dragon?”

Sev laughed heartily, jumping from her back over to Hedvika’s. “No, I truly was just a watcher. Though I think the little one could have been a relative of mine, great brains run in the family.” He patted the unicorn’s neck. Luna could swear that she saw the green coat turn a few shades more vivid. She could only guess if it was due to the compliment or the familiar dark yet homely canopy that loomed over them once more.

“Hey, rookie, come here!” Lieutenant Crinet called, patting a stool next to him. Volt-Ampere stood beside it, picking his muzzle with his calipers.

The private saluted and marched forward, then plopped his rear onto the small chair.

“I suggest you take off your shoes, otherwise you might feel a little hotter than you’d probably like,” Volty said, trotting around him. The colt hesitated for a moment, glancing at his hooves and contemplating discarding a part of his uniform.

“That would be against the laws I have to abide as a guard on duty.”

“Well, just be prepared to meet with Ohm’s law then.” Four golden horseshoes clattered over the ground almost immediately. Volt-Ampere chuckled, pulling out the gem-infused straps of the polygraph over the private’s upper torso. “Ready?”

“Yes, sir,” the colt stated firmly. “What exactly is going to happen?” he added with a tilt of his head.

“Safety procedure,” answered Crinet, “if nothing happens to you, we can use it to detect lies once more. On the other hoof if it proves faulty… you have relatives in Manehattan, correct? Just so I know who to notify in case of some accident.”

The private flailed, hooves scrambling on the floor and teeth biting into the straps. “Get it off! Get it off!”

“Hmm, too late!” Volt-Ampere grinned and pulled down his goggles. Crinet just turned away as the electrician’s horn flared, a bolt of sickly yellow magic arching into the harness. The armoured colt twitched, but there was no pain, nothing. Just the occasional spark that fizzled on his coat.

The private opened his eyes, looking himself over. The straps of the harness hummed quietly. “Now,” Crinet put a hoof on his shoulder, “did it hurt?”

“Y-yes,” the colt stammered, his eyes drawn to the large gemstone on his chest in the next moment. It turned bright red from its opaque grey in the matter of seconds.

“Yup, looks like it works, good job!” Crinet patted Volt-Ampere’s shoulder. “Let’s meet back in the office and we will settle the bill.” The blue unicorn nodded and headed for the door, turning in the portal to wave at the duo.

“As for you, greenhorn,” the lieutenant turned his attention to the private, helping him out of the polygraph harness, “you should focus more on telling the truth.” He patted his shoulder as well. “Now, get working on those reports!”

The colt got up, mumbling under his breath as he walked into the broom closet-turned-office. He shuffled through the papers for a pen, accidentally knocking a small book off the desk. He picked it up, finding it to be an edition of code of law for dummies.

The private huffed, annoyed at such mockery of an official document. He turned away and to an unfinished report when his eyes drifted back to the book. The lieutenant’s disrespectful words flashed through his mind, along with images of Volt-Ampere… and those mares with that dragon.
He groaned, carefully moving the half-finished protocol out of the way and then slammed his hoof on the desk. Honorary dragon guard or not, evidence or not, that beast was still a suspect in his eyes … and so was his company. And as the dragon said, dragons weren’t common around here.

The colt hesitated, then pulled out the cleanest sheet of paper he could find, writing in the neatest script he could manage:

To the chief commander of Armed Forces of Equestria, I hereby report...

Author's Note:

Questions or comments?
Please report typos in the form of PM.
My earnest thanks go to the mighty MV for his editing services.

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