Glimpses of Snow

by Erie

Chapter 1: Impressions

”Snow, snow, and more snow! You said you wanted to show me something special but that’s all I’m seeing right now!”

“Have patience my little jewel, there’s so much more to what’s out there than just snow, you just have to know where to look.

---

I galloped through the halls of the palace while frantically looking around for the briefing room. Of all the days I could’ve overslept why did I have to do it today. The last thing I needed was a bad first impression with whoever I was being assigned to work with and for, yet here I was nearly 20 minutes late for it.

Ignoring the growing pain in my right foreleg and the strange look a pair of patrolling guards gave me I continued galloping through the halls while glancing at the small silver nameplates by the gilded doors, mumbling their names while hoping to find the right room in the palace that still confounded me with all its twists and turns.

“Storage Room 4... General Purpose Briefing Room... Lunar Gua-" I scrambled to a stop as quickly as I could from my gallop and trotted back towards the room that I had passed. I stopped at the door before forcing myself to take some deep breaths to stop my panting. The least I could do was come in not looking like I had just run around the entirety of the Royal Training Grounds, twice. I re-fitted the badge denoting my rank attached to the crest of my chestplate to make sure it wasn't crooked and pushed the door open, readying myself to face the scathing looks I would be receiving for being so tardy.

What I got instead was a curious look from the only pony currently in the room, a thestral lunar guardsmare who was currently casually sitting down by the briefing table. The illusion enchantment and gemstone present in the armor of the Lunar Guard giving nothing away about who she actually was other than that she was a Lunar Adept as she gave me a cheery smile while I made sure to stare a bit above her.

"A Day Guard Recruit? I had thought it a myth that there were even any of you left in Canterlot that wasn't indisposed or worse currently. I do believe you are in the wrong place though as much as it is a wonder to see one of you."

I bristled slightly at her words but I didn't have time to get annoyed at her. I was obviously in the wrong place and right now I needed to get to the meeting as quickly as I could. Even if it did mean I'd have to be respectful to a thestral who was still up for whatever reason.

"My apologies adept, I seem to have gotten turned around at some point." I deftly pulled out the papers detailing the meeting from the saddlebags resting on my armor and took a second look at them. "Might you know where the General Purpose..." I stared at the letter for a moment before stepping back and looking back towards the nameplate by the door.

It read clear as day the same room the paper did.

The adept snorted in amusement. "So you are in the right place recruit. Early but in the right place."

I blinked in shock while my eyes scanned the paper. "Early? But I'm late!" I looked towards the clock in the room and saw that I was indeed late.

"You're looking at the wrong side of the paper. Only the Moon knows why they put the time of the first meeting on the front, but the date on the back, alongside other potential dates and times for the future. You'd think they were purposefully trying to make this annoying to read just because they could."

A bolt of both relief and trepidation shot through me at her words when I saw that she was indeed correct. My tail, which I hadn't realized had been swishing calmed down somewhat at it. Relief that I wasn't actually late and was simply early, more so than I originally planned but still early. And trepidation at the fact that unless she just happened to both know of the meeting and was here at random that I was going to be working with a thestral.

Carefully putting the paper back in my saddlebags I closed the door and entered the room proper before taking a seat at the table opposite of the Adept. If we were to be working together I might as well be courteous, though I avoided her eyes. "So, I suppose we are to be working together then?"

"Suppose? Hah! I'd be surprised if we weren't. Though I am even more curious than I was before on who exactly we're working for if the other mystery partners are going to be as surprising as you. Or if you’re going to be the only one." She smiled her fanged smile at me now as she sat up properly now and leaned a little bit closer towards me. "Not many of the Day Guard actually made it through the invasion, much less actual recruits. What's your story?"

I leaned back a little in turn, uncomfortable with her getting closer. "My story?"

"Yep, your story. Unless of course, you weren't actually here for the invasion."

Her words sparked memories that flew by me while I thought of what I had been doing during the invasion and I shuddered. "Of course I was here during it! I'd... I'd just rather not talk about my time during it. I had to do many things I don't think I was exactly ready for." I took a deep breath after I said it. I knew when I joined the guard that it might happen but... that day and week after was supposed to be a time of happiness for all of Equestria. Not... not that terrible invasion.

She gave me a solemn nod of understanding that surprised me, something I hadn't expected from the thestral. "Ah, I can respect that, must've been especially hard on you considering you're still a recruit. I won't go into details but I ended up leading a smaller squad as its acting captain for a long while, clearing out what we could before Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor managed to banish all the changelings in Canterlot on the final day. It was quite the inspiring sight seeing all those damn bugs get flung away after we'd been fighting them for nearly a week. Certainly wish they hadn't chosen then of all times to come and try their luck but if it came down to it I was going to protect my new home to the best of my ability. And that’s what I did.”

I stared around her while she told the small bit of her own story and realized that I had just shared with her something I hadn't meant to at all. I frowned at the realization. She had gotten that out of me so easily too, I was going to have to watch myself a little closer to make sure I didn't share anything else I didn't want to.

"You know, just because I have fangs doesn't mean I'm going to bite." She said suddenly frowning, catching me off guard.

"Huh?"

"I can clearly see how you're looking at me. J-"

Before she could finish what she was about to say the door opened without any warning, a unicorn stallion with the regal armor of a Solar Guard and the classic disguise for them marched in. The badge shining on his armor though clearly denoting his rank as some sort of specialist while he walked inside the room, closing the door behind him with a simple flicker of his magic. He gazed over at the adept first than me before scoffing and grumbling something very quietly to himself that I didn't catch before heading over to take a seat all the way at the other edge of the table.

The thestral though seemed to have heard what he said though, her ear twitching before her frown deepened speaking a moment after. "You know, the chances are pretty high we're all going to be working together soon enough. You might not think much of either of us but we've been picked to serve whoever we're going to be for a reason."

The unicorn shot a glare towards her. "Doesn't mean I have to think it's smart, bat. And a recruit too? Whoever it is must be desperate for anypony at all to serve if they’re taking the both of you."

My ears folded back a bit at his words while the thestral only glared back at him. "Aren't you going to be a joy to work with." She glared at him for another moment before shifting her leathery wings a bit, sighing while she turned back towards me and fixed me with a look I couldn't quite place nor want to. Not particularly wanting to stare into her slitted eyes I looked up towards the clock above her. Another half-hour until the meeting time. Stars, how had I ended up so much earlier than I'd intended, and with partners like these two.

She let out a sigh a moment after and looked like she was about to say something before glancing over at the specialist and stopping, her tail agitatedly flicking about before she simply put her head against the table.

It was a long and painful wait in near silence until the door opened again, this time gently pushed open by a slender pink hoof.