They say the night is always darkest just before the dawn, but how true is that?
Steel Forge is living a double life. He's the son of a well-to-do family, and heir to the family trade of weapon smithing. What his parents, more specifically his father, don't know is that Steel doesn't exactly hold true to the family virtues of being loyal to Celestia, and instead chooses to pay homage to the long-banished Luna, a practice that has been met with scorn, and even violence. Every day is a dangerous game of life and death, and every piece on the board is vying for position.
Things had gone from bad to worse faster than anyone could have anticipated. It started off quietly, with questioning, lurking informants, and anonymous tip offs. Now it had begun in full, and the Guard had begun rounding up known followers of the Lady Night, forcing those who paid homage to her to gather in secret around Equestria in order to keep from suffering a similar fate. Tales had begun spreading of persecution in prisons. Stories of Guards torturing captured 'cultists' for information regarding the locations, times, and dates of meetings so they could quell the 'uprising' as the propaganda had described it. It had forced those ponies who still followed the teachings of Luna to take even greater steps to avoid being taken away. Meetings were never discussed in public, or hardly anywhere else for that matter, save for at the chosen location. It had become common practice for those who stood firm in their religion to leave subtle signs for one another in various locations. The Children of the Night had gone completely underground.
At least that's what Steel Forge had thought, maybe a little cynically as a low hanging branch cut his cheek, and his hooves pounded the ground. Somepony had tipped off the Guard and the location of the meeting had been compromised. Everypony there was sure they hadn't been followed, going as far as doubling back three or four times just to make sure. Steel was in a full on panic, his heart beating so hard he thought he might just pass out. His entire body was tingly from adrenaline, but he knew better than to slow down. The thought was reinforced whenever he heard branches snap in the not-so-far-off distance, coupled with gruff voices and the clank of the Guards' armor. Ducking his head, Steel broke through the treeline into a clearing, Canterlot visible just on the other side.
The guards broke through the treeline, no more than a few minutes behind him and gaining fast. He made a beeline for a small farm at the edge of the clearing, pleading with his body to carry him just a little farther, promising it that it wouldn't appreciate the terrors of torture and the hooves of the Guards. The motivation seemed to kick in almost instantly and he shoved the discomfort to the back of his mind and kept barreling towards the farm, praying that he was far enough ahead of his pursuers to lose them.
He reached the farm with barely any time to spare. Cornering the barn, Steel looked back and saw the guards cresting the hill adjacent to the farm complex. Breathing heavily, but trying to wrangle it, Steel opened the side door of the barn as quietly as his shaking hooves could manage and slipped inside, closing it behind him and began looking for a decent place to hide. Suitable locations were everywhere in the darkened room, but none of them would've stood up to a lit inspection from unicorn light magic. The galloping hooves grew ever closer and Steel started to panic again as he frantically searched. He head muffled voices outside the barn and the door flew open with a thunderous sound as a guard kicked it in, moonlight streaming in with him.
Steel was about to try to sneak past them when when a leg was pressed sharply over his mouth. A falling sensation followed by rustling and a lot of itching overcame him as he was yanked back into a pile of un-baled hay. His savior, or potential captor held him down firmly, despite Steel’s struggling.
“Stay quiet and don't move if you want to stay free.”
Steel didn't dare nod in acknowledgment to the mare's voice, fearing that even the slightest rustle of hay would be the end of both of them hiding there. He heard the guards turning the place inside out, looking for the two stowaways. The sounds grew louder and closer until he heard hoof steps so close he wanted to groan in fear.
A gruff voice spoke out and pierced the sudden quiet that had descended over the barn. “Sergeant, post outside said they just saw somepony running down the road towards Canterlot!”
“After them, and be quick about it! That little cultist moon-lover won't see the light of the moon again for a long, long time!”
Steel almost let out a sigh of relief, but caught himself as the guards left the barn and galloped away from the farm. The hoof removed itself from his mouth and planted on his back, pushing him out of the stack of hay rather abruptly. Steel tried to maintain his bearing, but his overtaxed body failed him and left him laying spread eagle on the floor. He cocked his head to the side as the hay rustled again, a mare a little older than him stepped out.
“Just when I thought I'd given them the slip, here you come and almost get us both pinched. You're lucky I was here to save your flank, pretty boy.” She said, a little harshly.
“My undying gratitude.” Steel replied, still mostly trying to get his breathing under control.
The mare stepped into the moonlight streaming from the still open door. Her coat was dark crimson and her mane was a brilliant yellow-white color from what he could tell by the pair of locks poking out from under a black cap. She wore saddlebags and what looked to be a small dagger as well, nothing he'd seen anypony at the meeting carrying and certainly didn't recognize her from anywhere.
“You weren’t at the meeting, so why were you running from the guards?” Steel asked
“I'm a merchant.” She replied, a little enigmatically.
“You don't look the part, honestly.”
“I deal in more...illicitly obtained items.”
“So you're a thief then.”
“I prefer to call it 'alternative acquisition’, but for now the only thing you need to be concerned with is your debt.”
“Debt? Elaborate.” Steel said dryly.
“Well you're not rotting in a prison right now are you? The way I see it, you owe me. Don't worry about it pretty boy, I'll get my favor when I find use for you.”
With that the mare walked over to the door and peeked outside before exiting and disappearing into the night, leaving Steel on the floor. His body was sore and exhausted, but he had to get home. Struggling to get up, he eventually managed to get to his hooves and shake them out. It felt a little better, but better than 'death warmed over' wasn't hard to achieve at the moment. Walking over to the door he too peeked outside and listened for the sound of hooves and gruff voices before exiting and making for the road, taking care not to stumble on his already precarious balance.
The walk home was uneventful, which suited Steel just fine. He'd had enough excitement for one night and he was ready to get home and crawl into bed. He figured he looked like a complete mess; covered in hay and blood. Steel walked up the steps to his family’s extravagant home, much like many of the others gracing this part of Canterlot. Each step was an agonizing process and he felt like he'd just climbed a mountain with each one. When he finally reached the top and opened the door, the house was dark and quiet, leaving him to think he'd been able to get off clean with the night's adventures.
“And where have you been Steel?”
Steel's heart dropped. Mother. Of all the ponies to catch him coming in at this hour, it had to be his mother. Steel sighed and cringed as the light in the hallway was turned on, flooding his night-adjusted eyes. The sensation felt like having needles stuck into his retinas and he quickly shut his eyes tight to ward off the unpleasant experience.
“Went for a run, mother.” He lied, hoping to avoid too many questions.
“You're filthy! Hay in your mane, and is that a cut? What happened?”
“Just tripped and fell. I'm alright, honest.”
“Alright well get your flank bathed and to bed. Early day tomorrow.” She said before shutting the light off and walking away.
Well that went over well. Steel chided himself while walking down the hall and upstairs to his room. He grabbed a quick shower in the adjoining bathroom and fell into his soft bed directly afterward, cringing every time he moved a part of his body. The warm shower had helped soothe his aching body a little, but not much. He was just about to fall asleep when he rolled onto his side and noticed a faint movement on his desk. Moving his head to the side a little he was surprised to find a note on a string flapping in the night breeze. What surprised him more was that it was secured to his desk with a stiletto knife. He got up and walked over to the desk and pulled the note off and opened it for reading.
Nice place. I helped myself to some of your mother's trinkets. I doubt she'll miss them. We'll be in touch. -N.O.
Coughing in shock, he threw the letter down as if it were about to combust. How had that thief been able to find his home? He groaned at the thought of owing somepony a favor who could literally turn his life upside down if he didn't pay up. fear welled up inside him, worse than it had when he'd first seen a guard's blade that night. Steel took the note and knife and stashed them in a drawer before walking clumsily back, and falling into the warm depths of his bed. He had barely closed his eye before his higher functions went into a biological standby mode, sending him off to a much needed sleep.
***
Steel woke early the next morning to the smell of breakfast being cooked downstairs. Looking at the clock he was surprised to see it read just half past eight o'clock, which meant he'd actually gotten a decent night's sleep, despite the events of the previous night. Thinking back on it made Steel worry about the rest of his friends that had gathered in the forest to practice the teachings of Luna under the starlit canopy. He'd hoped that they were all safe and back to their day to day routines, not locked away in some cold and wet cell. The thought gave Steel one more thing to shudder about.
Rolling out of bed, he looked himself over in the mirror and found that the scratch he'd gotten last night was actually a bit worse than it had felt. The cut went from just past the ear under the jawline, to about an inch and a half away from the corner of his mouth. Steel reasoned that the adrenaline had kept him from really feeling it at the time, but it was now tender to the touch and puffy with the beginning stages of infection. Fortunately for him, his family had a personal medical assistant, provided by the very generous amounts of gold his father made, that could take care of the cut before it got worse. Even more fortunately for him, she was also a Child of the Night, which meant that no awkward questions would come of it.
Steel stared at himself for another moment before making his bed in the fashion that his father had taught him; crisp folds and a seemingly pointless triangle on either side. Finishing that, he placed a book over the mark left in the desk from the stiletto knife left by the thief that had saved his hide the night prior. Steel took another look around the room and made some small adjustments around the area to bring it back into his much loved nice and tidy state before walking downstairs, taking in the aroma of eggs, haybacon and toast.
Rounding the corner into the kitchen, Steel saw his father, Gauntlet Strike, reading the morning edition of Canterlot Times with a look of satisfaction. Something good must've happened for his father to be smiling this early in the morning. Steel went about making his plate, filling it with small portions to save some for the rest of the family.
“Good morning Steel. Have a good run last night?”
Steel almost asked 'what run?' but caught himself and nodded, remembering what he'd told his mother last night. Looking up from his breakfast, Steel found his father looking at him with the same critical gaze that a Lieutenant in the Royal Guard gave to his subordinates. Steel almost felt sick under the stare.
Gauntlet Strike had been an officer in the Guard for some time before being wounded in a battle with the Griffin Empire. He'd since taken up his original trade of blacksmithing, and was now the primary arms producer for the Guard. Steel was likewise studying at the University for metalworking, a trade his father had insisted upon instead of letting Steel take on his own path on the study of astrology. Gauntlet had told Steel once 'why not learn the trade of a real stallion instead of keeping your eyes on the stars?'
“It was alright. Took a fall and got a little cut up.” Steel replied evenly.
“I see that. Be sure to give Tender Leaf a visit to get it cleaned up.”
“Yes, father.” Steel said, again evenly between bites of his food.
“Did you read the good news?” Gauntlet asked.
“New orders?”
“Better than that! The Guard got a tip off last night, and raided a meeting of those moon-loving fools. Caught them all by surprise. Says here that four of them resisted arrest and were cut down on the spot for high treason.” Gauntlet said, looking accomplished.
“That's...great news father. I'm sure they deserved it for being sacrilegious.” Steel commented, his heart falling.
No longer hungry for the mash of eggs in his mouth, Steel forced himself to keep chewing slowly. His friends were dead, at the blades his own father had forged. It took every ounce of self control, that his father had quite literally on several occasions beaten into him while he was growing up, to not let it slip that his friends were peaceful and wouldn't have fought back. The leader of their chapter had made it clear that fighting back would only provoke those in power to take more drastic measures again the Children, whom were neither armed nor trained to handle such actions.
“You don't sound excited Steel. Is something wrong?”
Forcefully swallowing the food, Steel fought back the urge to vomit and answered. “No father. I'm just a little tired. I have to get going. Class in an hour.”
He didn't even bother finishing his breakfast, and cleared the uneaten bits into the garbage. He left the room feeling sick to his stomach and headed to the office of the family nurse. Relief tempered his sorrow upon seeing the seven pointed star subtly etched into the door frame, marking it as a safe place for Children to come, should they need medical assistance. Knocking on the door, Steel opened it and walked in, seeing Tender Leaf sitting at her desk looking worse for wear. She must've heard the news as well.
“Steel! I'm so glad to see you're alright! Did you hear?” She was nearly in tears as Steel shut the door behind him.
“I did...” Steel replied, equal sadness in his voice.
“Mist Weaver, Starry Skies, and the Quillnote brothers. All cut down. Valor Call is in anguish and Stone Drift is calling for blood. It took three stallions to hold Stone down long enough for him to settle down.” Tender Leaf said, tears rolling down her face.
The news was devastating enough without the names, but hearing that Mist had been killed was a blow to Steel. The two had started becoming rather close over the last few months. The Quillnote bothers being killed seemed to be an impossibility. They were perhaps the best at causing chaos of the good kind. Starry Skies was Stone Drift's little sister, so it was no wonder he was irate enough to want to charge into Canterlot single-hoofidly and fight the first guard he saw. He'd always been hot tempered and often clashed with Valor Call over the peaceful ways the Children demonstrated, arguing that no progress would ever be made by being sheep in a wolf's den.
Steel shook his head, still trying to take in the news. Mist had become a close friend, a very close friend. He knew her better than anypony in both a physical and mental capacity. He felt guilty, reasoning that her death was his fault for convincing her to come to the meeting last night and stay the night with him afterwards.
“Steel, I know what you're thinking and it's not true, okay sweetie? She knew the risks. We all did. It's not your fault.”
“I asked her to go. How is it not my fault?” Steel asked through a tightly clenched jaw, staring at the floor.
Tender Leaf sighed and stood up from her desk, walking around it to embrace Steel. His father had taught him that crying was for mares and colts, so Steel did not cry. His ragged breathing was enough for Tender Leaf to know he was in a great deal of pain.
“Just don't do anything rash Steel. Remember what Valor always says. 'Violence begets violence.' We don't need it getting worse than it already is.”
Steel breathed heavy for a moment, getting himself back together, nodding in response and wincing a little as he felt Tender Leaf touch his cheek where he'd been cut. He'd forgotten all about it momentarily, and now felt that it was a small price to pay for living, rather than being slain at the blade and sharing a similar fate with those who'd perished in the night.
“It looks like it's starting to get infected, Steel. I'll whip up a salve for it in just a moment.”
Tender Leaf released Steel and went over to a cabinet filled with different herbs and bottles of liquids with names he couldn't pronounce and pulled several off the shelves along with a small wooden bowl and a grinding stone. Tender Leaf, being an earth pony like Steel, couldn't use magic. However her knowledge of healing remedies could match even the best trained unicorn doctors, albeit with slower results.
Steel waited for a few minutes while Tender Leaf mixed up a concoction that she stowed into a small clear tube. She pushed a small amount of the slightly luminescent golden paste out into her hoof and rubbed it on his cheek. He winced again as the medicine stung for a moment before settling into a halfway itchy and numb feeling, almost like having sat cross legged for too long and having a hoof fall asleep.
“Apply that once every six hours and it'll heal up in a day or two.” Tender Leaf said, giving the tube to Steel.
“Yes ma'am, thank you. Pass my condolences onto Stone if you see him before I do.”
“I will, don't you worry. Valor is calling for an emergency meeting tonight at eleven. It's going to be at the base of the waterfall. There's a small cave there that Stone has been busy mining out with the help of a few others. It's secluded and not on any maps. So long as nopony follows, it should be completely safe.
“I'll be there. I'll just say I've got to stay late at campus to study or something.”
“That's right, now get your flank out of my office and to class.”
Steel nodded and gave Tender Leaf a quick hug before departing. He headed upstairs and grabbed his saddlebags, and was surprised to see the book he'd placed over the hole in the desk moved and yet another stiletto buried into the woodwork. There was no note this time, but it served it's purpose just fine. She knew where he lived, where he slept and could get in at anytime of the day. Steel frowned, concerned that, if given the proper motivation, the thief could be a useful ally, and an even more troublesome enemy. He pulled the knife from the desk and put it in a drawer with the other and replaced the book to cover the hole again before turning about and nearly yelped in surprise. Sitting on the headboard of his bed, casually playing with yet another stiletto, was the mare he'd actually hoped not to see again.
“How in the hell did you?” he stammered, voice raising to match his surprise.
“Shh! Come now, don't want to attract any attention do we?” she asked, a smile being shown through her eyes rather than her mouth, which was covered by a cloth of some sort.
“Right...how in the HELL did you get in here in broad daylight?” Steel asked again, in a voice just above a whisper.
“A good magician never reveals her secrets, Steel.”
“Great, so you know my name now. Fantastic.”
“I know a great deal more than just your name. I also know that you're having a meeting tonight in a secure location.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Me? Oh I'd never do that. I'm just reminding you about that favor you owe me.” She said, tossing the knife into the air towards Steel.
Steel's eyes left her to track the blade as it spun through the air, and by the time he caught it and looked back she was gone, seemingly vanished into thin air. He felt drained all of the sudden and sighed, tossing the knife onto his bed and leaving it lay there while he left the room. He felt a little paranoid walking past the kitchen where his father was still sitting, sipping on a morning coffee and still reading the paper again with that grin of satisfaction on his face. Steel wanted to go over and knock his teeth in, but immediately suppressed the thought, knowing that Gauntlet could quite potentially kill him with a single well aimed kick.
Outside, the morning glow of the sun held warmth, but no comfort. Four of his friends were no longer alive to see it, no longer living to follow the teachings of the night. He kept a careful, if not slightly paranoid watch on his back to make sure he wasn't being followed while at the same time trying not to look suspicious to the passerby. With his luck, somepony would alert a guard who had just so happened to have seen him close enough last night to recognize him now, and he didn't want any part of that. He kept trotting down the streets of Canterlot towards the University, throwing everything into the back of his mind. The time would come where the Children would pay respects their the departed, but now is was time to play the part of a member of a well respected family that held Celestia in the highest regards.
Steel Forge was trying and failing to focus during class. Too many things were going through his mind about the events of the last twenty-four hours despite his attempts to push them to the back of his mind. The paper on his desk sat blank, save for dots of ink that had fallen from his quill while he struggled to bring his attention to the paper he was supposed to be writing about the history of metallurgy. Moments stretched on while his quill sat with still more dry ink covering the gilded tip. He figured that it would have been easier than it had proved to be to keep his mind focused on the task at hoof. Each time he drew close to getting an idea formed, it was replaced with flashbacks to the previous night. Between coming to terms with his fillyfriend being slain, and contemplating the notes being left by the thief mare, he had considered simply giving up on the paper for the time being. Doing so wouldn't put him in any sort of trouble since the essay wasn't due for at least another week and a half.
With an exasperate, almost defeated sigh, Steel gathered up his belongings that had been strewn across the workspace and put them carefully into their designated spots in his saddlebags. Suddenly it became very apparent how long he'd sat stagnant, if the stiffness in his limbs were any indication. He remedied the stiff sensation with a couple seconds of stretching before he stood up and left the classroom to the glances of his fellow students, but not so much as a passing glance from Professor Bellows. As he reached and opened the classroom's door, Steel grunted in discomfort from the sunlight streaming through the window across the hall. A bright beam of light hit him smack in the face, causing Steel to wince and shut his eyes while he turned to walk down the hall, cursing the high windows of the University's build.
As he walked the halls, Steel had to keep himself in check as talk of the raid last night filled the halls of the campus. He received a few looks from ponies that knew he had been dating Mist Weaver, but nopony approached him about it, nor did he want them to. In fact, he was likely to lose his normally calm and collected demeanor, and force feed his hoof to the first son of a bitch to bring it up. Taking a breath, Steel reminded himself that this wasn't foal’s school anymore, and that personal lives were actually respected. For the most part he assumed they figured he didn't even have a clue about her affiliation with the Children, and while it pained him to have to disassociate himself with the group, he knew it was something that had to be done in order to protect himself and the others. Renouncing in public and praising in private wouldn't dishonor the fallen, but would rather honor them by making sure he could go on remembering them.
Steel felt a slight breeze on either side of him as a pair of Guard Cadets walked past, glaring at him out of the corner of their eye. Stiffening, Steel suddenly became very aware of just how empty the rest of that hallway was, the tense demeanor of the two cadets, and their all-too-close proximity despite the several feet in either direction that would've been sufficient space for them to pass. Red flags were flying up faster than cannon powder burned. He almost had enough time to stop and proceed around them when things took a turn for the definite worse.
The bigger of the pair turned and grabbed him by his saddlebags as the other threw open the door to an empty room. Steel struggled against them, but was dragged into the room and thrown against the wall just on the inside of the doorway, and pinned there while the doorpony closed and locked the door behind them. Steel's immediate reaction was to fight, but he immediately sedated the thought in preference of self preservation while the second cadet went and yanked Steel's saddlebags off and started rifling through them.
Within the span of a couple moments, the carefully placed contents of his bags were now strewn haphazardly across the floor while Steel was held helpless against the wall. The smaller cadet turned to face him with a notebook levitating in a field of light green magic, pages flipping every so often as she went through the pages of class notes and homework. After a few minutes of searching the mare was growing noticeably more frustrated until she finally broke and sent the notebook whipping across the room, then turned his attention to Steel himself.
“I suppose you think you're terribly clever?”
“I don't know what your damn problem is.”
“You do damn well know what my problem is. Where are the others? That lunar bitch you dated. The news is out Steel, and everypony is looking at you.”
“I had no idea what she got up to when we weren't together.”
The mare turned away from Steel, chuckling as she pulled a knife from her own saddlebags and held it in Steel’s face.
“Don’t...toy with me Steel. We know you know something, and you're not leaving here until you spill the information, or I'll spill your blood all over the floor.”
“Make all the threats you wish. I have nothing to say.” Steel growled.
“Is that so?”
The mare gave a small smile of satisfaction and brought the blade across Steel’s cheek, applying enough pressure to open a small, stinging wound. Steel winced slightly as the cut started weeping blood, pouring slowly down his face.
“Still going to hold back Steel? Or do I have to get creative?”
“Get bucked.”
The mare’s face changed from a confident, if not slightly gloating expression, to one of anger. She huffed in annoyance and brought the blade across Steel’s throat. The resultant laceration opened a long, but shallow gash that started bleeding instantly, and caused Steel to cry out in pain.
“Don’t make me cut deeper Steel! You’re no good to us dead.”
“You might as well kill me then, bitch. Dead ponies tell no tales.”
The cadet took a step back, glaring at Steel. “Put him down Cross.”
Steel was suddenly aware of his hooves touching the ground again as Cross deposited him without ceremony. He brushed himself off and looked dishearteningly at his belongings that were now spread across the floor.
“What the hell was that all about?”
“Nevermind that. Call it a security measure. We had to make sure you weren't going to break if they took you in for questioning. I'm Beat Hoof and this is Cross, and we're with the Thieves Guild.” Beat explained, while her horn lit up and mended the wounds on Steel’s face and neck. After a second’s consideration she also cleaned the blood from his coat.
“So obviously the best way to get that across was to halfways foalnap me, throw me into a wall, trash my bags, and threaten to fillet me?”
“It had to be convincing.”
“How do I know this isn't some sort of trick? Nopony in this game makes it far on trust, especially when it comes to outsiders.”
“Night Owl sent us to find you. Said something about not wanting you to get schwacked before you could repay her a favor for saving your ass last night when the Guard crashed your party. Don't worry about that either. The Guild is no ally of the Guard.”
“I really should've known she had something to do with this. I haven't had a moments peace since she dropped into my life. It also helps explain the cadet uniforms.”
“Well look on the bright side, there are worse ponies to owe debts to. We'll be around.”
“Don't patronize me.”
With that Beat used her magic to reorder Steel's bags and left them sitting on a desk for him to collect when he felt necessary. Cross and Beat both left the room, leaving Steel to fume over what had transpired. He briefly considered his options, but quickly realized he had very few at the moment. With Mist being outed as a Child, he was certain to be looked at with some scrutiny. Fortunately his parents still had no idea that he was involved with the group and he intended to keep it that way.
Steel collected his bags after the two guild ponies had been gone from the room for a couple minutes. He walked over to the door and left as casually as possible, which turned out to be a meaningless attempt at acting natural since the hallway was, once again, empty as could be. As he walked he checked the time via a clock tower in the main courtyard, which could be seen from all corners of the campus. There were several hours yet before the emergency meeting, and he was halfways dreading it because he knew that it would most likely turn into Valor Call and Stone Drift butting heads over the way things were going, while Tender Leaf was forced to play mediator. In the end Valor was the leader of their group, and Stone respected that much, but Steel figured it wasn't much longer now before Stone really made a push to start fighting back, and that might very well get ugly.
The day meandered on with an almost painful slowness while Steel waited, and waited, and waited some more. A popular saying that he'd heard the guard use was 'hurry up and wait,' and he didn't really quit understand it until this very moment as he sat watching the second needle tick around the clock in a calculated, but mindless manner. Steel stopped and thought for a moment about that second hoof and how much it had in common with society today. It had no idea why it went around in a circle, it just accepted that that's what it was supposed to do. Go with the flow. Like so many ponies these days, mindlessly wandering forward through life, being blind to the events around them unless they were directly affected.
Steel's attention was snapped back to the moment when he spotted a familiar figure standing beside a tree outside the window he'd found himself staring out. He went rigid and his body filled with the icy feeling of fear as he saw Mist Weaver, dressed in the same saddlebags she had been wearing the night before. Only now there was a large gash in her chest that bled profusely. Steel stood up and rushed to the window a few feet away, hoof on the glass as he saw her sorrowed and pained expression, leg raised and a hoof reaching out for him. Choking back tears, he pushed the window open to go to her, but felt a falling sensation instead as he hit the floor hard, having been pulled back from the window ledge by a pair of fellow students.
“Are you insane? We're on the third floor!” One of them asked.
Steel shrugged and stood back up, running out of the classroom as fast as he could. He paid the stairs no mind, skipping several steps at a time while he sprinted down to the first floor and out into the yard, staring at the spot where Mist had been just a few minutes before. Now, there was nothing at all, save for a lingering mist. He frantically looked around the area for her as he walked over to the tree she'd been near. There was nothing there, no hoof prints or blood, nothing to indicate that a pony had been standing there at all. He looked up again, depression settling in his chest as he continued to look around the area. A familiar colored tail disappeared around the corner of a nearby building, and he took off after it, not caring about the looks he was getting for running around like a madpony. He rounded the corner calling out loudly for her to wait up, but stopped in his tracks as he realized that, while it was indeed a mare, it wasn't Mist.
“Sorry...thought you were someone else.” Steel muttered in apology, once again disheartened.
He started walking back to his building, downtrodden and looking worse for wear. A few ponies who'd watched the whole event transpire stopped and asked if he was alright, to which he simply nodded, but didn't confirm or deny that he was alright, which he certainly wasn't. His mind was playing tricks on him, he was convinced of it. Or rather he would've been if just before reaching his building he spotted her, standing quite still and smiling at him from across the way. Not taking his eyes off of her this time, Steel trotted across the lawn, his heart growing heavy again at the sight of the grievous injury she had, and wondered why in the nine hells she hadn't gone to a hospital instead of coming here to find him.
“Mist? Mist sweetie are you alright? Why haven't you gone to Tender Leaf?”
Mist didn't respond, looking down and away as Steel came to a halt in front of her. He reached out to her, but his hoof felt only a chill as it passed through her shoulder, leaving him shocked and extremely unsettled. Steel drew his hoof back, a pit having formed in his stomach.
“It doesn't matter anymore Steel...I'm just glad you got away safely. I'm with the others now, and we're free to praise the Moon as we wish here. I just wanted to say goodbye, Steel, my love. Stay strong for me please.”
The mellow longing of her voice made it incredibly hard for Steel not to break down right there and start sobbing, a battle that he lost as Mist leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, making it grow cold. She smiled at him once again and slowly faded away, leaving him there alone.
“I will Mist...I will.” Steel whispered after he gained control of himself again.
He walked back up to the classroom, under the scrutiny of several students who saw the ordeal, minus the apparition of Mist Weaver. Steel retrieved his items and left the room again, and shortly after, the campus.
The shock of seeing Mist like that, and knowing deep in his heart that she was dead, helped keep Steel from worrying about the present. While walking home he was slightly less concerned about being detained, and entertained wishes, each more morbid than the next, of the guards arresting him and putting him to death. There, at least, he could see Mist again. He shook the thought from his head and berated himself for even considering that to be a relieving thought. There were only a few hours of daylight remaining and he still had some work to do for class, so Steel hurried home and bade his family a good evening, presenting his workload as a viable excuse to not be seen the rest of the evening while he was out.
The bedroom was exactly the way he'd left it, down to the bit of dust on the top of the desk. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that no new notes had been left for him in his absence. Steel set his bags down and sat on the pillow in front of his desk and hauled out the textbook on metallurgy and finished his report for Professor Bellows, having worked on it through lunch to make up for the blockage he'd experienced during the class time. During the course of his writing he steadily ignored the tingling on the back of his neck and the feeling that a second set of eyes were drilling into his skull, even though he knew nopony else could have possibly entered his room without his knowing, unless they'd been able to open his door silently, or unlock his window from the outside. Still, he got the feeling that he wasn't alone in the room and finally gave into his curiosity and turned around to find an empty room.
“Think I'm going mad...or just getting really paranoid.”
No voice came to answer his thought out loud, which he was extremely glad for considering he'd have probably died of a heart attack if one had. Steel turned his attention back to the report and made a few minor corrections to the parchment, neatening it up and removing a few large ink spots where he'd let his quill linger just a second or two too long to process thought.
With the report done and still a long while before he needed to head out, Steel opened his drawer and pulled out one of the stiletto knives that Night Owl had taken such a liking to leaving for him. The design was stunningly intricate for a weapon that the thief had just been throwing away. There was something interesting about the way the blade was notched near the crossguard, making it resemble a key of some nature. He also discovered that the pommel unscrewed to reveal a hollow opening in the handle, which currently held a vial of amber liquid. Steel didn't dare remove the vial, fearing it to be a poison of some sort. Again, his curiosity needed to be sated and found that the other two knives had similar notching, and that both of them held a vial of liquid as well, one of them being the same amber color as the first, and the other being a silvery-blue color. Steel decided for his better judgment, to wait and ask Night Owl about these vials before experimenting with them.
Over the next hour he discovered a few more interesting bits of information about the blades, in that the blade itself was made of a metal he'd never seen before, making him wonder exactly where they came from, and that the balance was so perfect that he could stand one upright on the tip of the blade on a flat surface. He also discovered that by applying pressure near the bottom of the handle, that a small syringe looking piece of metal ejected from the pommel, solidifying his theory about the liquid in the vials to be a poison of some sort.
Steel's ears perked up when he heard Tender Leaf bidding his folks a good night, stating that she needed to run to Manehatten to restock a few medical supplies that had to be bought from a very specific pharmacy that only operated in that city. Taking that as his cue to get his flank in motion, he stowed two of the knives in the drawer, and put one of them into a slot on the inside of his saddlebags, which his father had insisted he have sewn in, just in case. He also took a moment to arrange his bedding so that it looked as though he were sound asleep if someone came to check on him while he was out.
Unlocking the window, he exited the room and stepped out onto the flat roof just outside it and shut the window again, manipulating the lock to the secured position with magic and carefully scanning the area for any sign of unwanted attention. The only pony moving around this late at night was Tender Leaf, having just left the front walkway and rounding the hedgerow that marked the end of the Forge family's front lawn. Through the process of trial and error, and several beatings from his father for doing so, Steel had come to know the way off the roof that made the least possible amount of noise, a bit of knowledge that had become quite useful over the last few years, when he'd taken to exploring the city at night.
As soon as his hooves hit the ground, Steel wasted no time in making himself scarce from the property, and trotted casually as could be while he caught up to Tender Leaf, who gave him a smile that he returned. Neither of them initiated a conversation as they walked out of the neighborhood, making their way to a the cover of a hidden storm drain system. It had been built to accommodate the large amounts of water that filled it in the spring when the snow melted off the mountain, as well as serving the dual purpose of allowing maintenance crews to make repairs where needed. During the summer though, the drain pipe was quite dry, and was often used by the less desirable citizens of Canterlot's underbelly to facilitate their means of making a living.
It hadn't be long before the Children had also adopted it as a way of moving around after dark without attracting the attention of the more nosey of ponies. Steel had been one of the only unicorns in the group at the time the drains started being used, and had been charged with the task of mapping out the tunnels. The network was extensive, but well designed, and had taken almost a straight week to complete in the few hours they had to spare between nightfall and getting back to their residence to sleep for the next day. At the end of it all, small, barely noticeable markings had been carefully etched into the intersections where the drains met each other, essentially turning the drains into an underground roadway. Again, Steel and the several other unicorns had been called on to enchant the markings to glow faintly when the right spell had been cast, which made a unicorn guide almost required to move through them without getting lost, unless you spent enough time navigating to know the pace counts for the direction you needed to go.
The two ponies entered the main drain via a maintenance hatch used by the city's contracted workers without any trouble. At some point, somepony had come and placed a spell on the door to make it open silently whenever the sunlight had left it's surface. Steel had asked around the group, and it was unanimously agreed upon that the Thieves Guild had something to do with it, and they silently thanked the band of criminals for doing so.
With the entrance closed, it still wasn't quite safe to start a conversation. Noise traveled a long way down the pipes, and one could never be quite sure who was listening at the wrong time. Even walking through the tunnels had drawn complaints from the group when it first came into use to enter and exit the city without passing through the front gate in the early hours of the morning. Many said it was much too loud to be a viable option until the Quillnote Brothers had presented a spell to muffle hoofsteps, which they used quite often to terrorize the group with their harmless pranks. Every unicorn had been instructed on the use of the spell, and spent the next few weeks perfecting their casting of it. While it did nothing for the sound of stepping in puddles, or kicking rocks, it did cut the sound of a hoof fall by a considerable amount which further compounded the need for a unicorn guide.
Steel cast the spell, a halfways transparent pulse of black erupting from his horn and illuminating the nearest set of markings, which all told a story. Some of them marked safe passageways, while other warned of dangers such as a steep drop off that should be avoided. After the marks faded, he waited a few moments and cast the hoof muffling spell on himself and Tender Leaf, leaving them free to start moving again. Every few minutes Steel would again cast the illumination spell while they navigated their way through the tunnels to their ending destination outside the walls of Canterlot.
In all, the journey took about half an hour to complete, and they soon found themselves standing before another door, emblazoned with a familiar seven pointed star that marked the end of the line. The danger here was greater than anywhere else during the migration. You never knew if you were opening the door to safety or a spear pointed at your face. Gritting his teeth, Steel depressed a lever on the door and slowly pushed it open. This door was not one that had been silenced, and creaked and groaned on its rusted hinges the entire time. Poking his head outside the door, Steel looked around and stepped outside and gave the all clear. Tender Leaf followed him out of the doorway and he shut it again, leaving no evidence that anypony had been through it since the last maintenance crew.
“I think we're alright to talk now Steel. We're well out of earshot.”
“You're right, but considering recent events, I honestly don't want to jeopardize it.
“I agree...are you alright Steel? I know that's a loaded question, but you seem more off this afternoon than you did this morning.”
“It was...a day.”
“Are you going to elaborate or leave me to guessing?”
Steel sighed.
“I think my head's playing games with me. I saw and talked to Mist today on campus.”
“You mean...she's alive?”
“I wish that were the case more badly than you can imagine. I don't know what it was, but she was there in front of me.”
“I think you're having a hard time coming to terms with it Steel...but do let me know if you see anymore...erm, ghosts?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I'll do that.”
With that, the conversation died as if it had been a bird struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. The two ponies continued their trek down the the bottom of the mountain, meeting up with a few others and forming a larger party on the way, talking only in low voices just above a whisper to each other, while Steel remained silent.
The reached the bottom of the mountain in due time, having worked their path to come out near the lake at the bottom of the waterfall. The mighty roar of the water made it possible for the low conversation to be brought up to a normal tone. Unfortunately for them, none of the group quite knew where Stone Drift had chosen to work on digging out a cavern, a question that was soon answered by the tan earth pony emerging from the mist of the falls like a specter.
“All of you follow me. The others are waiting inside.”
Nodding, Steel and the rest of the group followed single file behind Stone, who lead them on a path of barely submerged rocks that made a crude walkway. To somepony who didn't know about the rocks, it would have looked as though they were walking on the surface of the lake. The path took them behind the waterfall, the unicorns of the group banding together to do a little creative spellweaving to keep the mist from soaking the group while they crossed.
As soon as they had gathered under a natural overhang, Stone walked to a doorway that had been carved out of the same rock of the mountain. Steel appreciate the genius that went into the door's design when he noticed it was carved out to look almost like a pyramid with a large portion of the tip cut off. Stone ushered the group inside and closed the door behind them, latching it with a large wooden beam. Should anypony have followed them, the shape of the door would prevent them from pushing it open, and the beam would make it incredibly hard for it to be pulled open.
On the other side of the cavern, which had been cleared out to make an impressively large hollow, Valor Call stood talking with a few of the elder members of the Children. The discussion seemed to be rather political in nature, and while it didn't warrant any raised voices, there was still a certain amount of tension in the air. It was bound to get thicker once the meeting actually started. Hopefully they wouldn't have to prevent Stone and Valor from coming to blows, as had almost happened last night, as well as during previous meetings.
Steel looked around and noted that a lot of effort had be put into making this not only a meeting place, but a bolt hole. Should they need to, the Children could live here in relative comfort, or at least that was the idea behind having what appeared to be separate chambers around the main one they found themselves in.
As the other ponies integrated and started sitting down in a half circle, leaving Valor Call at the top of the open side, Steel went to join them. Valor looked around the gathered ponies solemnly while the remaining stragglers took a seat.
“Words aren't needed to express the grief we all share tonight. We are four fewer in number than we were. We must not let that influence our actions. Grieve for them yes, but avenge them? No, that is the wrong path to take. Bloodshed needn't beget bloodshed. We have discussed this previously at great length Stone, our argument grows old.” Valor Call started, looking directly at Stone Drift, who seemed to have a slightly softer demeanor than normal.
“It grows old yes, but it is still a valid point. The guard are like wolves, and we? We're the sheep. They won’t be satisfied with taking...taking our loved ones. They will kill us all if we don't take up arms and fight!”
“They will kill us anyway, Stone. We're not soldiers, we don't have the training to fight back against them, and you know that! We've been o'er this time and time again until our throats were raw from it.”
“You will have us slaughtered without a fight Valor. Your name betrays your nature, coward!”
Tender Leaf stood up as Stone threw the first insult out and cleared her throat, drawing silence from Valor, who was about to rebuke the statement against his honor.
“Calm yourselves and behave like gentlecolts before I decide to slip something into your next meal that will have you using the little foals’ room for the next week!”
“You have a way of being very convincing Tender,” commented one of the stallions sitting beside her and Steel.
“As I was going to say, before being interrupted and threatened with excessive bowel movement, that it is not cowardice that draws me to a pacifist mindset, Stone, but the will to survive. If we follow what plan of action you intend to take, the guard will be given authorization to pull out all the stops, and then we shall all surely perish. Our story would be burned and our name muddied because history is written by the victors. We've worked too hard over the last decade to let that happen. You've read the surviving accounts of those ponies who followed our Lady Night before the Fall. They spoke of a great purge. A night where the streets ran thick with blood not just in Canterlot, but across Equestria. Now, even almost a thousand years later, we are still hunted like animals because they fear that which we love. Tell me Stone, will you see us survive, or be slaughtered?”
Stone looked solemn, processing the entirety of what Valor had said, and nodded before sitting down, having been defeated by Valor's valid argument.
“I won't let my little sister's death be in vain, Valor. I refuse to let that happen. If surviving is a bigger slap in the face to those bastard guards, then I submit. Make no mistake that I still thirst for the blood of the one who took her from me. I'm sure Steel feels the same way.”
Steel looked up and nodded.
“It took a great deal of self control this morning while my father read the news article. Knowing that he produced the weapons that killed Mist was enough to make my stomach churn. The way he talked about it as if it were a damned accomplishment made my blood boil.”
“As well it should have Steel, and I'm proud of you for controlling yourself in this time of sorrow,” Valor said before speaking to the rest of the group. “We must continue to stay strong my friends. Every day we live brings us closer to the day we can live in peace again. Thanks to the hard efforts that Stone put in, we finally have a place that we can call a home. Over the next few months it will continue to be worked on until it is ready for the end goal, which is to relocate. It's a hardship, but we've faced down many of those over the last long while to let one more be a stumbling block.”
The meeting continued for several hours, discussing new security protocols and passing knowledge of an informant within the guard that relayed messages to the Thieves Guild through a series of flags across the city. Valor spoke on this and enlightened those gathered to the situation, which was immediately met with opposition by many of the ponies in the cavern, fearing potential betrayal.
“The system was initially established by the Thieves Guild to warn of trouble, as well as to note when particularly valuable items were ripe for the taking. Over time it became increasingly intricate. Supposing they had a hoof in these texts being placed among my personal effects, which I highly suspect to be the case, they have extended a small portion of help to us. They're no friend of the guard, and we know that to be fact. It will take some time to fully understand how to 'read the winds' as it was described as in the note left by somepony referring to themselves only as N.O. While I do believe a certain amount of caution is needed here, it presents us with an opportunity to increase our ability to survive, even if it does require the assistance of the less lawful inhabitants of Canterlot.”
While not immediately accepted, it was agreed upon to wait until more proof had surfaced that the informant was indeed an ally, and not a ploy created by the guard to corral them into an ambush. The the system would be adopted, but treated extremely cautiously. Discussion also flowed through the meeting about the lack of defensive training that most of the Children had, and that it was something to be rectified in the future, despite Valor's pacifist beliefs, he did consent to Stone's call to better teach the Children how to defend themselves if the need arose.
With the meeting drawing to an end, everypony was thinking about what had been said, but most importantly what hadn't been said. Discussion of their fallen friends had been a carefully avoided subject through most of the night. Valor Call bade everypony to observe a moment of silence in memorial. There wasn't much else could be done, and it felt like a paltry offering to those they had come to love so much, but the cold reality of it all was that they were still alive and they had a legacy to forge anew. The fallen Children would be immortalized one day, and that is what gave many the motivation to keep going. Upon the conclusion of the memorial period, they exited the cavern and walked to a nearby hilltop, where four white lilies were planted under the moonlight to serve as a standing memorial to their fallen friends. Everypony hoped that these four would be the only ones planted, but each knew that it wouldn’t be so.
Ponies began leaving, heading back to their homes and their live. The moon had hit its apex in the night sky, and many of them had work in the morning, Steel included. The journey back to the drain entrance was merry with hushed talk of their fallen friends and the good memories they had made with them. It did little to ease the pain of their passing, but it was commonly accepted that they wouldn't have wanted those still alive to wrap themselves in sorrow. So they remembered.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It was nigh on one in the morning by the time Steel made his way up the pathway to his home. He tread carefully, attempting again not to make an excess of noise as he unlocked and opened the front door. He silently cursed himself for not taking the time to master the teleportation spell, as that would make his night outings much easier, and put it on his list of things to take care of in the immediate future. Steel stepped inside and was greeted by silence. Not the kind of silence you would expect from a home whose inhabitants were sleeping, but an eerie, foreboding silence. The kind that made Steel's coat crawl with anticipation. He made his way up to his room and quietly opened the door. Stepping inside he dropped his saddlebags on the floor near his desk before turning around to shut his door.
He felt a splitting pain in the back of his head that made his eyes water, and yelp in pain, turning around and rubbing his head with a hoof. Beat Hoof and Cross stood in the middle of his room, Beat Hoof holding what looked to be a blunt object of some sort. Even in the low light Steel could tell that her face had turned a brilliant shade of red from embarrassment.
“See? Now look what you did Beat. You didn't knock him out properly!”
“Sorry Cross! I thought I hit him hard enough!”
“Shut up both of you. Steel, over here.”
Steel looked up through his still slightly blurry vision and saw Night Owl sitting on the window ledge, a facial expression giving away slight amusement at the situation.
Steel Forge looked at Night Owl incredulously. It hadn't even been a week yet since she started lording the favor he owed her over him, which he suspected she had rather enjoyed doing to an extent. Now here she was with her two semi-competent cohorts whom he'd suspected had been conned into the guild at some point or another. Cross seemed to be the better of the pair, but Beat seemed like a general buck-up. The scene in the empty room at the university came to mind. Beat had mentioned something about them testing him to see if he would 'break' under scrutiny. He realized he'd given himself up as someone who knew more than he would let on rather early and made a note not to let it happen again in the future.
“You're serious?” Steel asked cautiously. “Last time I checked you took every chance you got to hold that over my head the last couple days, and now you're calling it in?”
“Anticlimactic I know, but some...unexpected developments came up. As much as I enjoyed having you on your hooves and at my beck and call, it seems this relationship will come to a close shortly.” Night Owl said nonchalantly flicked a piece of dust from her hoof.
“What a shame,” Steel replied, dry as desert air.
“Indeed. You two wait outside and keep quiet. Act like you're in love or something,” ordered Night Owl, referring to the two peons.
Beat Hoof and Cross both nodded and stalked out of the room with what seemed like a very meticulously practiced silence while Night Owl slank across the windowsill and took a seat on the bed. Wrinkles radiated out from where she sat, causing Steel to wince.
“So I assume you're going to fill me on details?”
“Only what you need to know.”
“Judging by past experience with you, even that won't help much.”
“How's this then. In one month's time a rather upscale museum will be reopening in Vanhoover, after some renovations are finished. Ponies will be coming from all over to see a showcase item that has yet to be revealed.”
“So you want that item?” Steel interrupted.
“No, if you'd let me finish, I was getting to that. The museum security will be well on the look out for anything out of place, anything suspicious regarding that particular item. However, entire wings will be left to the hooves of only a few security patrols, which leave some pretty trinkets ripe for the taking. So, you'll be getting an invitation to this party as the son of a noble, and myself? Well I will be your date for the night. So you need to learn to dance, some social niceties that I'm sure you're already familiar with. The posh nonsense.”
“I'm assuming you have at least have a particular target in mind?”
“Just one thing in particular, but that's not important to you for now.”
“Fine, we'll play it your way, but I’m none too happy about it.”
“You have been from the beginning.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“In time, Steel. Certain details can wait until later. What you need to know for the moment, is what I've told you already. I am acutely aware of your recent loss as well, and how it would appear to those who know if we were seen together so soon, which is why you'll cover with myself being an old friend visiting from out of town.” Night Owl paused to shift and seat herself a little more comfortably.
Steel thought for a moment on what Night Owl had said, or more pointedly what she hadn't said. She was being very careful in her words, keeping the conversation as one sided as it could be. The way she had said some things had also set him on edge.
“I may owe you, Night Owl, but when this is all said and done I want answers, because I know you're holding something back from me, and I’m none too happy about the way you’ve gone about things, or this dance and rob escapade you’ve damn near blackmailed me into going on with you.”
“As I said, in time.”
Night Owl stood up from the bed and made her way to the window, leaving Steel still contemplating some parts of their conversation. He looked up and met her eyes, which glinted in the darkness with something he hadn't seen before. Pity? Regret? He wasn't sure. It may have been nothing at all, or maybe he was wanting it to be there.
“If it means anything, I know what's heavy on your heart Steel, and I am sorry.”
“Sorry doesn't bring her back. Y'know I've been seeing her, almost as if someone was playing a cruel joke in hanging her death over my head? Is that what this is to you? A joke?"
Night Owl cut him off with a stern gaze before he could say anything else.
"Wars are never fought without casualties Steel, surely you of all ponies should know that. Make no mistake, this is indeed a war, albeit one without siege towers and massive armies."
"It's a concept I've become familiar with yes, after spending the last few years watching friends disappear."
"It will continue to happen for the time being as well, so you might as well get used to it. That sounds cold, but the faster you harden your heart the better off you'll be."
"I'm sure you're pretty knowledgeable about the subject, considering you just love using ponies to meet your own ends."
"I've been playing this dangerous game for a long time Steel, longer than you'd believe. Trust me when I say that."
"Oh I have no problem believing that."
A sharp rapping on the door made Steel jump. From the other side of it came a gruff, but muffled voice of a clearly still tired and annoyed Iron Gauntlet muttering about being woken up. The knob rattled for a second before the door opened and Steel was greeted with the face of a pony who managed to still look intimidating despite his somewhat disheveled appearance.
"Who in the hell are you talking to at this hour?"
Steel took his attention from his father to look back to where Night Owl had been standing, to find that once again she had pulled a disappearing act. He began to suspect magic in some form or another was at play.
"Just talking to myself, father."
"Evidently. Keep it down Steel, some of us are trying to sleep."
With that, Iron turned and left, shutting the door in his wake while Steel went to the window to look outside, muttering to himself as he crossed the room.
"Yeah yeah, I could say the same thing when you and mom decide it's a great time to ru---you're kidding right?"
"Have you known me to joke around?" Night Owl replied from her perch just outside the window. "He really seems like such an affable character."
"Try living with him."
"I'll pass on that."
"Smart move. Are you coming back in or are you going to continue sitting there like a stray cat?"
"I'm surprised that mouth of yours hasn't gotten you killed yet."
"So am I. You didn't answer the question."
"You know they say patience is a virtue, right?"
"Yeah. You still didn't answer the question."
"You really are just the most fun to chat with sometimes. Before you ask again, as much as I would just love to come back inside, I just don't think I'd be able to control myself. There's just so much nice stuff in here that would be missed."
"Really took that in a different direction."
"I'm a professional Steel. Never show your cards before it's time."
"I'll keep that in mind then."
"Oh good, so you can learn. I was beginning to doubt it myself..."
"Would you look at that, this window looks like it's about to close itself." Steel reached for the frame, holding his hooves on it and glaring at the mare hanging from the sil.
"Fine, fine. I can see I've overstayed my welcome. I'll be in touch. Stay safe for now Steel. I would just hate to have to find another pony to accompany me on this grand adventure."
"Yeah whatever, like you'd really have a hard time finding someone else to blackmail into helping on your 'grand adventure.'"
"Mm, you'd be surprised how much work has gone into this in the last twelve hours."
With that last comment, Night Owl descended from her perch outside Steel's window and landed on the grass with a feline grace that he has suspected came from years of practice. Just like that she was out of sight, presumably collecting her cohorts from somewhere down the street.
Steel closed the window softly and locked it, which brought him what he knew was a false sense of security since Night Owl seemed to have a complete disregard for locks in the first place. It was a little unnerving knowing that at any moment he could cease to be of use to her, and through her, the Thieves Guild, and be bumped off in the night without so much as a sound.
Flopping on his bed, Steel found himself staring at the ceiling, again recounting the last couple days and trying to come up with different solutions to the problems he'd been presented with that wouldn't have put him in the tight spot he was at the moment. While it didn't seem all that bad, being on the leash of a mare he barely knew, who worked for an organization noted for it's shadowy operations and questionable 'business partners.'
He finally concluded that it was at the very least the lesser of two evils and that it sure beat the hell out of rotting in some Solar Guard prison waiting for the next gauntlet of torture, being disowned from his family, and basically left for dead.
Somewhere in all this contemplation, he slipped from consciousness and fell into a dreamland, full of the possibilities and parallel realities that could have been, but by some twist of fate, hadn't. He drifted through web upon web of trains of thought, each fleeting and forgotten almost as fast as they happened before he passed into a void of darkness.
* * * * *
Moonlight filtered through the window of a small compound built from brick and mortar that stood on a hill overwatching the surrounding area just outside the walls of Canterlot, one of many abandoned buildings that littered the countryside, left over from periods predating the current occupants by several decades. The walls were bare and the furnishing was sparse, the only light coming from the silvery orb that hung gracefully in the sky.
A solitary figure sat before the window, gazing out at the nightscape, her brilliant light blue and silver mane framed by moon that gave her smokey-white coat a somewhat shimmering brilliance. A single tear rolled down her cheek that she slowly reached up and wiped away as a knock came on her door.
"It's open." She replied quietly, not taking her gaze off the nightscape before her.
The door opened and Night Owl stepped inside, and crossed the room to the mare's right side.
"As much as I adore your taste in colts, that particular one is a bullheaded as a mule and twice as mouthy."
"Is he coping well?"
"Well enough, all things considered. He's grudgingly on board with the heist, and after that...well there's really going to be no choice for him but to forsake everything and come to the Guild."
"That's...good, I suppose. I hate putting him through this though, even if it's necessary for both of our endgames. What's to do now?"
"This entire progression is a very delicate game of chess. Every move must be calculated with as much insight as possible to the enemy's movements. The last pieces are almost in place, and it won't be long before we can make our move to ensure a checkmate."
"As long as the game concludes in our favor...this conflict has to come to an end before more bloodshed occurs. I feel guilty for being the one that survived when the other three..."
"Sacrifices had to be made in order to secure a powerful piece, Mist. Sometimes the pawns have to be taken. They played their part, and are resting peacefully knowing that they did what they could, and you are carrying on their work. You played your part as well, or at least your doppelganger did. The important part now is that Steel continues thinking that you're dead, otherwise this could implode rather quickly, and I've put too much work into this to let that happen."
The two fell silent for a few moments before Night Owl turned away from the window and walked out of the room, leaving Mist to her own thoughts. She hadn't taken her eyes away from the window during the conversation, and she wouldn't for several hours until the sun started to rise in the East, bringing forth a new day of plots and moving pieces.
