Nightingale

by East Coast

Chapter 8a: Bebop and Gallopy have words

"Gallopy! What the hell?!"

The tall, slender frame of my crazy boss strolled leisurely out of our little fortified bunker, surrounded by a flank of guys who've I'm come to gather are her bodyguards... I mean, they aren't in any uniform or anything but I haven’t seen them do anything but stick around her sooo...

"Bebop... Why did you bring her here?! Are you losing your mind?! I knew pairing you with Panic was going to be a problem! Whatever possessed you to kidnap the-!"

"I didn't kidnap her! She wanted to go! Gallopy, listen-"

"She wanted to go?"

"Listen it's a long-"

She sighed like she always does, laying her hoof on her temple, giving me a look from under her closed eyes as she shook her head slowly left and right... Kinda like a mom or teacher that just really is disappointed in your performance.

She was always disappointed in me.

"It's always a long story Bebop. I swear we've gotten to the point where sometimes I forget we're at war, and just think this is some story, events drafted in succession with every keystroke..."

"Gallopy I-"

"No. Bebop, just... No. I'm tired of being your editor here. No more long stories, no more secrets, no more 'there's no time to explain, just trust me'... If It's a long story, give me the sparkle notes. I want to know everything... Now."

She still hadn't opened her eyes fully. Mostly just squinting at me somewhat. I knew she was tired, she was always tired, and she gets grumpy when she's tired soooo you can see where the issues arise. I felt myself begin to pace, mostly because I wasn't entirely sure she'd believe me.

"It's... It's not that simp-"

"No! No, no ,no! I don't care if it 'isn't that simple'! I'm sick and tired of all your damned excuses!"

"No really! It isn't as simple as you think! I know I'm a fuck up sometimes but seriously... I... I'll tell you in private... Ok? In private, just the two of us."

She sighed again... You need to understand that sighing is 80% of her vocabulary. The other 20% is yelling.

"Fine... Fine, fine."

She looked to her battalion of bullies and nodded towards them, sending them on their way with the little pony princess dragged behind them.

See, I know that with my luck, that little she-devil is going to wake up with a nasty headache, and blame me for it.

The sexy she-devil who could peel my skin off like a banana...

Fun, fun...
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"So let me get this straight,"

Sanctum, the little lair we call H.Q, is situated under Apple Junction. It's mostly colored by rust and moldy copper pipes. The lighting is delivered (rather poorly) by Magetech (the only viable competitor to the Flimflam's Hextech) lanterns. Soft glows that produce a little hum that irritates you.

No sorry, I mean Irradiates you. Magetech isn't exactly the best stuff. Their products have a long life to them by recycling the magical drop off of the low light spell bound to the lantern. Magical drop off is the result of continued casting of a spell, bound to an object. It isn't healthy for ponies to be exposed to directly, but I figure nopony really cares because as far as I know, starting rebellions to overthrow totalitarian puppeteer dictators, who may or may not have killed a god or two, isn't very healthy either...

"You... Had a dream... And in that dream... A pony-Neigh! The long-lost, goddess of the night... Told you, that the princess, who has never wanted a day in her life... Wants to help us and that you should go get her?"

There was an entirely not, not awkward pause as I brushed the ground under me with my hoof.

"Y-"

"Oh! And bring Panic along too! Yes! That will help!"

She was raising her voice. That's always a good sign. Whenever she was yelling she got this eye thing going, and her eye thing either meant she was having a stroke, or actually thinking about something... She got the eye thing when she was thinking too, but I only notice it when she's yelling.

"I-"

"Don't start! Just... Don't. Start..."

She sighed deeply as I contemplated making a quip about how stress would add to her grey hairs but I thought better of it.. I'd save it for when I didn't need to prove I'm not crazy.

"So do y-"

"Yes. Yes, Bebop, yes... I believe you... Only because there isn't any possible way you could think of anything quite as imaginative as an apparently alive, but missing deity... I... Ok so even if we both agree that what you said happened... How do we know it isn't a trick, or a trap of some kind?"

"It isn't a-"

She threw her hooves on her desk, her typical stone cold, angry expression had melted, somewhere between the beginning of the lecture and now, into one of concern, weakness and... I think sympathy? No... Sadness? No...

Helpless pleading. It looks like she was helplessly pleading, what do you call that-Wait, nope, just got it.

Hopelessness, it was an expression of tired hopelessness...

Oh damn, wait a tick.

"Gallopy, listen I know... I know we haven't really been catching many breaks lately... But maybe... Maybe she's the good luck charm we need, secret weapon type stuff. Ya know?"

"An albatross..."

Gallopy's voice was a whisper and I barely caught what she said, but I did. I figured we reached an understanding and I made for the draping torn up sheet she used for a door.

"Gallopy... Aren't Albatrosses bad luck?"

"Only if you spurn them... Go. I want you to be with her until she gets up, then I want to talk to both of you about all this."

I gave a quick salute without really looking to her, more like i was saluting her flag-door-thing, but I she knew where it was meant to go. I took to a brisk trot, nodding to the guards outside her office as I made for our infirmary.

Author's Note:

Little bit of filler while i tryies to gets my creative juices flowing. I have so much of a world to show and I don't know where to eeeeeven begin... I've got an I dea now though, jsut typing these notes. :Eeyup: gots me an ideas.

Comments

[Maelstrom]

"Oh! And bring panic along too! Yes! That will help!"

Capitalize Panic's name here.

That was the only thing i noticed, I can thus say, I have seen much improvement in your quality from chapter one!

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No sorry, I mean Irradiates you. Magetech isn't exactly the best stuff. Their products have a long life to them by recycling the magical drop off of the low light spell bound to the lantern. Magical drop off is the result of continued casting of a spell, bound to an object. It isn't healthy for ponies to be exposed to directly, but I figure nopony really cares because as far as I know, starting rebellions to overthrow totalitarian puppeteer dictators, who may or may not have killed a god or two, isn't very healthy either...

when you're more likely to be killed for treason tomorrow than die from irradiation in ten years, you stop caring about the radiation.

I love this story.