Work, Rest and Work

"What do you think about the Cupcake Case?"

"Well, young Nocturne, if you are content to write 'accidental food poisoning', I will not stop you." Conundrum turned to face me judgementally. "However, if it is later revealed that the old mare was attempting to poison her friend with peanuts and pony feathers, it will be you alone writing the apology letter while I gloat."

"So I'll be safe there then..." I muttered, starting to type out a report to our client. Due to the amount of work we now received, we had been able to afford two clunky typewriters. It was also rather fortunate for our clients, because I was fairly certain that they couldn't read my hoof-writing. I couldn't read my hoof-writing.

"Did you find Miss Day's heirloom?"

"It's on my desk," I waved a hoof in the general direction of the silver pendant, "I hope you appreciate the number of charity shops I had to traipse through before I found it. What kind of pony gives away a priceless heirloom to a charity shop, anyway? The rest of us just send old sweaters and tatty books."

"The same kind that leave priceless heirlooms lying around on desks?" Conny levitated the necklace from beneath the papers on my desk and slipped it into a small box, wrapping it up in brown paper. "You can take this when you finish." The parcel deposited itself beside my fore-hoof, on top of a growing number of letters and other small packages.

"There aren't any other cases to finish, are there?" I asked hopefully. Ever since we had solved the high profile murder of Gently Articulate, we had been almost inundated with work. The last time we hadn't had an ongoing case was six months ago, so the push to finish all the work before the winter holidays was an enormous effort. Drained didn't describe the half of it.

"No, and I have put up signs to say that we shall be closed for the holiday." The pale green unicorn leant back from his desk beside me, resting his hooves behind his head. "A full week without any work..." He let out an indulgent sigh.

I wrapped up the letter, took it out of the typewriter and rolled it into the scroll. The only things standing between me and my holiday were the deliveries. After each case we delivered a written report and our fee - it was quickly discovered that we were more likely to be paid if you took the report in person. So that inevitably became my job, because I was the young sprightly mare, and Conundrum was the ageing and decrepit stallion - apparently. Conny was a middle-aged unicorn with some middle-aged spread, while I was twenty-six and accident-prone.

I was also a bat pony, which can scare some ponies when you appear on their doorstep. Actually, it scared most ponies - but at least that persuaded them to pay up quickly.

Gathering all of the brown paper envelopes and parcels, I dumped them into my saddle bags - a new pair of purple bags with a black eye on the clasps. Conny had a matching set with a magnifying glass instead of the eye. Not that his cutie mark was a magnifying glass - it was a crossword puzzle. However, that didn't seem to represent the detective-y theme we were trying hard to create.

Along with these, I grabbed my scarf, hat, and sunglasses - though I tucked the sunglasses into the bags now that it was dark enough to see. Winter was definitely the best time of year; it wasn't scorching hot, the Sun was out less than the Moon, and everypony was too cold to care that your eyes were slits and you had leathery wings on your back. Well, some of them were too cold...

"I'll be back with the money in about an hour," I called, leaving the room in my wintry getup.

The snow wasn't very deep yet, but it hadn't been swept off the streets here. Conundrum's house (in which our so-called 'office' was located) sat on a backstreet in a less affluent area of Canterlot. By my estimate, that still made it too expensive for me to afford a house there. Even with steady work, I habitually lacked funds; throwing away too much of it on spoiling my niece and paying an extortionate amount in rent money.

I took to the air, soaring above the snow coated Canterlot and watching the twinkling lights that had been hung in the streets below; it was Hearth's Warming Eve tomorrow, and the ponies were starting to get excited. They were also feeling more generous, so I could be looking forward to a sizeable tip for completing the commissions early.

It took a while to get around all of the houses, especially when I got lost on the way to a couple of them. Eventually, my bags were empty of letters, and full of tinkling bits. Not that I would get all of them; Conundrum paid me a set fee, and occasionally gave me a bonus for good work. He also had a set fee - so that made it fair. Any extra got spent on improving our office and advertising, not that we needed a higher profile - we had gotten that in the newspapers when I solved the Gently Articulate Case.

As I was coming back down over Conny's house it began to snow.

Opening the door and shaking the first few flakes out of my mane, I came into the hall. We had managed to hire a cleaner for the ground floor of the house, where we accepted new clients. The previous litter of papers and discarded apple cores were doing nothing for our professional image. Nevertheless, that didn't include whatever disaster lurked upstairs. I thanked the stars that I never had to go up there.

Bringing the full purse to Conny, I waited for him to dole out my wages. I couldn't resist peeking to see whether he added some extra - he did, but very few. What can I say? At least he was careful with the money.

It was then that we heard the knock at the door.

"If that's a new client, tell them we're shut for a week!" Conundrum called after me as I went to answer it. "Unless it's something big - you do not turn those down!"

"Sure..." I replied, although it came out sounding like a non-committal grunt. I was of the mindset that even if it was something 'big', I would still turn it away and lie to Conny. It had been too long since I had slept in untill midnight and then pestered Orion while he was on sentry duty.

Through the frosted glass I could make out the silhouette of a unicorn.

"Sorry, sir," I explained as I opened the door, feeling a rush of cold wind around my hooves, "we're not taking any more commissions until next week."

"I am not here to commission your private detective agency." He droned in a bored monotone. "You are Miss Nocturne, are you not?"

"Yes, that's me..."

"You have been summoned to attend the Night Court this evening for urgent discussions concerning diplomatic negotiations," the unicorn told me in the least urgent manner possible, "you will be expected to arrive promptly at seven o'clock."

"Do I get to know what sort of negotiations these are?"

"No."

"Will I be speaking with Princess Luna?" My voice rose slightly. To speak with the Goddess of the Stars and the Moon was an enviable privilege. The last time it had happened I managed to only grovel a little bit.

"That is highly unlikely."

"Oh..." I sighed and pretended to look interested, "sure, I'll be there at whatever time it was you said."

"Seven o'clock."

"Yeah, then." I shrugged and shut the door on his face. It wasn't like he was going to tell me anything else. Now, don't get me wrong; I did want to know why I was wanted at the Night Court. Despite my inquisitive nature, however, all I could expect from them was either more detective work or a plea for me to rejoin the Night Guard - which also constituted more work. Little to say, I wasn't thrilled by my prospects.

"What did he want?" Conundrum shouted from the office. He needn't have shouted - the front door was only about two meters from the door to the office.

"I have a meeting at the Castle tonight." I trudged back into the small room, finding a purse hovering in front of my face in sparkling unicorn magic. I took it in my mouth.

"You're not being arrested again, are you Nocturne?" Conundrum asked with a disappointed sigh.

"Huh - nugh!" I spat out the money bag. "Of course not!" I glared at my boss. "Anyway, I've only been arrested once - you make it sound like it happens every week!" Actually, I'd been arrested a few more times than that - but they were all in foreign lands while I was in the Night Guard. I liked to think that there was a difference.

"You seem to be forgetting those other two times - during the Jam Doughnut Case and the Merry Weather Case."

"I'm not being arrested, okay?" At least I hoped not. I huffed, gathering up my bits and pieces again. "And they were accidents."

Conundrum shrugged and turned to face me. "Well, I suppose I'll see you in a week then, young Nocturne. Have a good holiday."

"Thanks, sir," I returned a small smile filled with fangs, "happy holidays to you too."

I set a course towards my apartment, sailing through the air. The snow was still falling lightly, and there was no breeze to speak of, so I was able to enjoy the flight.

Well, I enjoyed it until the snowflakes got in my eyes and my wings started to lose feeling. Then I wanted to curl up in some blankets with a large mug of steaming cocoa. I wondered if I still had some marshmallows - those things were like eating fluffy little clouds. Clouds coated in chocolate...

Not paying attention to where I was flying, I promptly crashed into the side of a tower.

Stars flew around my head as I dropped through the air. Half-heartedly, I flapped my wings, trying to fight gravity. Realising that my plan wasn't going to work, I let myself go limp and hit the ground.

It had been a long week.

Thankfully, I came to a graceless halt in a snow drift. A very comfortable snow drift that I could relax quite happily in.

"Are you alright there?" A voice interrupted my chill-out (pun intended).

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine..." I drawled, closing my eyes and settling into my snow nest. The spinning stars followed me into the darkness.

"You just crashed into the Castle!" I felt a couple of hooves grab me under my forelegs and pull me out of the white powder. I opened an eye experimentally as I was set on the ground. A Royal Guard stood in front of me, his face creased with concern. That concern quickly changed to surprise and then fear.

"They should make it more obvious - it's a hazard!" I blinked and looked up, seeing the tower reaching up into the sky. The only way you could have possibly make it more obvious would have been to paint it luminous orange.

"A-are you lost, miss?" The pegasus guard hesitated. If he had done his training properly, he should have been going through the standard first-aid checks. Clearly, he hadn't paid enough attention.

"No, I am not lost." I pronounced clearly, making sure that he caught every word. I rubbed a hoof over my eyes in an attempt to clear them - it came away with blood on. "I was briefly distracted."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" I held a hoof over my snout. "Do you have a tissue or something?"

"Do you... need one?" The guard took a nervous step back. "I thought you would - you know..." he leaned down and hissed, "drink it." He needn't have made it sound like such a secret - nopony else was around in the frozen twilight.

"That's disgusting," I told him bluntly. Drink my own nosebleed? Eugh... I hadn't drank any blood since I'd left the Night Guard, and even then it was never my own. Bat ponies hold a taboo against drinking pony blood, for good reasons. "Do you have a tissue or not?" I shook my head in frustration as he stared back blankly. "Never mind, I'm sure I'll have something..." Reaching into my saddlebags I found nothing, and resorted to using my scarf. It was just a plain black scarf, so I didn't mind too much.

"Ah oo jus' gonna stan' dur?" I murmured after some time, still holding the fabric to my face.

"Oh, sorry, are you talking to me?" This seemed to rouse the guard, who had been standing there awkwardly for nearly ten minutes.

"Nah - em tawkin' tu de gernt pernk ahlicern." His expression remained blank. I gave up and removed my bloodstained scarf experimentally. "Yes, I'm talking to you!"

"Okay..." the pegasus ruffled his wings and glanced back sheepishly, "what did you say again?"

"It doesn't matter now..." I tried to breathe deeply and not punch the soldier. "Look, you might as well be useful. Do you know what time it is?"

"Nearly seven o'clock - I'm off-duty then, you see." He raised an eyebrow. "Is that important? You look a bit worried..."

I was a bit worried. Not about being slightly late (though for the Night Court I was at least trying to be on time), but because there was no time to fly home and back. My plans had never involved arriving dressed up and preened, but they certainly hadn't involved trotting in with blood on my face while wearing my work bags.

"Can you show me where I can get into the Castle?" I reluctantly asked. Today was not the day for my usual trick of flying in through a window.

"Why do you need to be in the Castle?" The stallion was finally showing a small amount of threatening hostility. Only a little bit, mind - nevertheless, he was slightly less pathetic now.

"I have a meeting with the Night Court," I declared, "of a most urgent nature." He just raised the other eyebrow and remained at his post. "I'll find it myself then..." Getting up, I trudged off to find the gates. After walking around the towers a bit, I realised that I was already inside the gates, having landed there after my crash.

With all of the other guards leaving to change posts with the Night Guard, the grounds were almost deserted. So like any good, neglected guest, I let myself in.

Through the front doors, obviously; sneaking in through a window would probably get me arrested. Not that there was anypony around to arrest me. Somepony in the Royal Guard should have been alerted to this security problem - any random maniac could get in! Unfortunately, I was too busy to file a complaint. I also didn't care. The princesses were powerful enough; I didn't understand why they had even bothered to create the Royal Guard in the first place.

I had been inside the Castle a few times - to swear my oath to the princesses, to do sentry duty, to scrub out the dungeons with a toothbrush after another 'incident'... However, today was the first time I felt like an intruder. Most of the staff were on holiday, the noble ponies had disappeared to their villas, and the bustle of court was yet to begin. The entire place felt incredibly empty.

Grinning with forbidden glee, I flew up through the expansive white hall, slaloming the pillars and columns. Taking advantage of the acoustics, I let out shrill notes so that they reverberated up to the vaulted ceiling and spread throughout the entrance. Almost as soon as I was enjoying myself, I began nearing the end of the hall. Two unicorn guards stood ahead of me on either side of a large wooden door.

Carefully, I landed on the purple carpet that ran the length of the entrance and trotted up to them. They didn't look impressed.

As often happened, these stallions were dressed in the garb of the Night Guard while not being bat ponies. I'd been told that a thousand years ago, before Princess Luna's banishment, the Night Guard had been comprised entirely of bat ponies. Due to her banishment, however, they retired back to their colonies. It was only eight years after her return, and the Guard was still slightly short of bat ponies - so those ponies who had served under Princess Celestia had needed to stay and fill in roles around the Castle at night. Not that that stopped them from looking ridiculous in the dark blue armour.

These stallions didn't seem too pleased to be up tonight, and they certainly weren't pleased to see me. The white one raised a hoof as I approached, frowning aggressively.

"State your name and business."

"Nocturne - I'm here on urgent business to attend the Night Court."

"What is the nature of the business?"

"Um - I wasn't told..." I rubbed the back of my mane and hoped there wasn't any blood on my face. "Maybe it's a secret?"

"If it was a secret, you would not have been -"

"It's alright, Cold Snap," the second guard butted in, "she's on the list." I never found out what the 'list' was, because I was quickly ushered through the doors and into a waiting room.

The room was relatively small compared to the rest of the Castle. It's ceiling was the height of any normal room you might find in your house, and the walls were lined with plush purple cushions. Unlike much of the Castle, the walls were painted navy rather than white, and the curtains were drawn back from the arched windows, showing off the dark, snow-covered gardens. A crackling fire lit the room, keeping the ponies from shivering at the sight of the snowstorm outside.

There were already a few others in the waiting room. Fire-lit faces all turned to me as I trotted in - either they were very close knit and didn't like intruders, or they were extremely bored and needed a distraction. I guessed that I would find out soon enough.

It didn't take long to discover that they were desperately bored. Several kept yawning, nopony was being called into the Night Court, and a couple had started a game of I-Spy. Feeling rather annoyed having been told that this meeting was urgent, and had rushed over here to oblige them, I looked for a distraction; studying my fellow companions. The two ponies playing I-Spy had star constellations for cutie marks and the kind of squint you only get from staring down telescopes for a living, so I guessed that they were astronomers. A few ageing unicorns also sat together, papers stuffed in their saddlebags and ink stains on their hooves - the scribes.

Everypony else was sat alone, glancing nervously at the clock and fidgeting. I couldn't decide why they would want to petition to the Night Court, unless they had missed the Day Court and needed somepony to moan at. Nevertheless, one mare caught my eye. No, not because I found her attractive or anything - she was another bat pony. She had also been studying me, her eyes watching me earnestly. Like my mother's and sister's eyes, her pupils were a shocking shade of pink, as well as her fur. Along with a silver and white mane, she was possibly the brightest bat pony I had ever seen (second only to my niece).

Realising that I had seen her looking, the mare got up and sat beside me. A large, friendly smile spread across her lips.

"You're a bat pony!" She exclaimed, her voice a little louder than it needed to be.

"And so are you," I returned the smile, but with less force. "Seeing as this is the Night Court, you'd expect to see a few more of us."

She laughed, her eyes sparkling brightly, "Hardly - I attend rather often, and rarely see another bat pony." She had a thick Canterlot accent and pronounced everything with great articulation. Despite this, even as she spoke, you could hardly see her small fangs.

"I guess most of us should be working right now."

"Oh - I am working." She laughed again. It was starting to become annoying. "I am a researcher and documenter of bat pony society and history. Meeting you here is a real stroke of luck - I seem to be having a lot of those lately!"

"Documenter and researcher? That must be a straight forward sort of job." I didn't bother to ask about her other strokes of luck. I didn't think that I wanted to know what might have happened to them. Instead, I raised an eyebrow. "Can't you just visit the colonies and write about it?"

"No, it's not that easy." She corrected me like a stern school teacher. "Every colony I investigate almost never records its history, and, if they do, it's in one of several dialects of the Cave Tongue - it makes my work very difficult."

"Don't you speak the Cave Tongue?" I frowned - even when my family moved to Canterlot, my mother had very insistently refused to let us forget the language. Unless... I glanced up - small fangs, bright colours, and eyes that were going dull from the exposure to sunlight - not to mention the strong accent. "You've never lived in a colony?"

"No." She replied tersely, pursing her lips. It was more of a passing anger than being directly aimed at me. "My family has lived in Canterlot for three or four generations. I started as a researcher and documenter of bat pony society and history because I believed that the ponies of Equestria should be enlightened to the lives of their bat pony cousins." I smirked slightly at the job title, but put on an agreeable face when she looked at me.

"A very noble cause."

"Yes, it is." She continued, not detecting my sarcasm. "Which is why it is such a pleasure to meet you - I would love it if you could answer some questions for me."

"Oookaaay..." I reluctantly agreed. It wasn't like I had anything else to do. So much for my urgent meeting...

"When did you arrive in Canterlot?" A notepad and pencil appeared in her wing-tips.

"Oh, a while back - must be just over sixteen years ago now."

"Which colony did you come from?"

"The one in Canterlot Mountain, they call it the Lonely Colony."

"Who did -"

"Miss Nocturne, the Night Court request your presence now." A stallion announced to the room. I grinned at my escape and stood up. A collective groan rose from the other assembled ponies. It was never fair when the last pony in gets summoned first - unless you were that pony.

"We'll have to continue our little chat later," I excused myself politely, lying seamlessly. There was something about that mare that was a bit too eager, and too deeply naive. Her job also seemed a little pointless, especially when she couldn't speak the Cave Tongue. Surely, if you were a researcher, you'd try to learn it? Stupid mare...

The stallion ushered me into the Night Court headquarters. It was similar to the throne room, although much shorter and carrying the same décor as the waiting room. I padded down the purple carpet, glancing at the stained glass windows. Unusually, they depicted scenes of... well - the villains wining. The reign of Discord, the Crystal Empire under King Sombra's rule, and even the rise of Nightmare Moon. There were even a few events that I couldn't identify; one had the beasts of Tartarus surrounded by a lot of fire, and another contained the changelings swarming Canterlot.

Ponies were waiting for me at the end of the room. The raised throne behind them was currently unoccupied, and all of the councillors had to sit on the floor before it. There weren't many ponies - a mare sat defiantly in the middle, four guards - two either side of the throne, two by the walls - and some more scribes. It was the mare who addressed me.

"Good evening." She said in a low, feminine voice. She observed the scroll hanging in her dark blue aura. "Miss Nocturne, we have important business to discuss with you."

"Okay." I replied slowly. The whole atmosphere made me feel like I had stumbled into a meeting of the occult; complete with flickering candles, a now raging storm, and a mysterious indigo mare whose eyes seemed to absorb light.

"I am the Personal Advisor to Princess Luna, Midnight Rain." She looked up at me under heavy-lidded eyes. "I will be presiding over this Night Court in the absence of the Princess." She glanced back at her floating papers. "I am to inform you of the role the princesses have requested that you play."

"Is this a commission for detective work?" I asked quickly, wishing that she would hurry up and tell me. "Because I'm afraid we aren't taking on any more work over the holiday. Any time after that would be fine, but -"

Midnight Rain held up a hoof to silence me, as if she commanded the same power as the Princess. I shut up, but crinkled my snout and raised my eye brows in reply. I didn't take well to false authority.

"If you would allow me to finish -" a quick glance to the sheet, "- Miss Nocturne, I will explain it to you." She waited before continuing, knowing that she carried the power through this conversation. I was getting ready to decline whatever she suggested. Call me fussy, but I didn't want to be bossed around by a mare who couldn't even remember my name. It wasn't even a very long name - we bat ponies only ever have the one. "Princess Luna has specifically requested that you be chosen for this job," her voice slipped from the official monotone as she added, "however, I cannot see why such an impulsive mare should be given the honour."

"And I can't see why the Goddess of the Moon chose you as her personal advisor." I didn't regret my outburst - her brows knitted together and her lips curled into a restrained snarl - like she'd mistaken a lemon for her teatime treat. The guard closest to me did take a threatening step forwards, so I caught his eye and winked in an attempt to unsettle him. It worked.

"The request," Midnight Rain coughed to draw my attention, "is that you attend the Badland Summit - the first of its kind between ponies and dragons."

Excitement bubbled in the pit of my stomach. I did my best to retain a neutral expression and gave Midnight an even look. "Why would I be needed at a summit between ponies and dragons? Surely you have enough nobles and princesses to oversee negotiations...?"

"It has been agreed that an independent source is required. You will act as neutral ground between our representatives and the dragons." The unicorn gave me another dirty look while trying to remain dignified. "As bat ponies have historical links with the dragons, and you have Equestrian citizenship, it was believed that you will be sufficient." She brushed a wisp of lilac hair from her eyes. "Personally, I would prefer to send one of the members of Princess Luna's Royal Guard..."

"But that would be biased," I corrected her, neglecting to mention my own five years of service, "a guard would obviously favour the land of their princesses." The personal advisor sniffed snootily. I had a feeling somepony had already told her that. Possibly the Princess herself.

I tapped a hoof on my chin, as if contemplating the deal. Meeting the dragons, travelling to the Badlands, and being away from the detective work for a while... it sounded like a brilliant plan. I wasn't going to turn it down - no matter how much I wanted to refuse this mare. At least she didn't want me to go, so I could still disappoint her there...

In addition to this, it was Princess Luna that had personally asked for me! There was no doubt that I had left a good impression after the last time I saw her. Not as a Royal Guard - this was when I had seen the Ruler of the Night while solving the Gently Articulate Case. The Princess was possibly the reason for why I had even managed to solve it at all.

Deciding that I had considered my options for the longest, most unreasonable amount of time, I smiled. "Sure, I'll come along."

"Good..." Midnight Rain sighed, checking her list again. "The Treasury will pay the travel fees, so all you have to do is arrive at Canterlot Station at seven o'clock in the evening, on Hearth's Warming Day. Will you be able to manage that?" She couldn't resist the snide comment at the end.

"No problem," I waved a hoof, but did a double take, "wait - Hearth's Warming Day? That's only two nights from now!"

"How very observant of you," the mare curled her lip at the taste of sarcasm, "you were informed as to the urgency of this meeting, were you not? You have given your word now - I do hope you will not need to break your promise..."

"Of course I can make it - bat ponies don't really celebrate anyway."

Well - that interrupted my long awaited holiday...

Family Bonding

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"Your turn Auntie!"

"Thanks, Lulu." I took the die from my niece and rolled it clumsily. By now, I was certain that unicorns had invented board games just to annoy the other pony races. Dice were not designed for hooves.

I glared as the die came up with only one dot.

"Better luck next time, Sissy," Fantasia smiled, nudging my miniature top hat one square forwards. She picked up the die and rolled a four, letting her silver satchel reach the finish line first. I was only two squares behind her.

"Well that was fun, wasn't it, ladies?" Our newest addition to the family smiled around at us naively. He required an education into the competitive nature of family games, as well as the long-standing grudges and bitterness that ensued.

"But she won again!" I whined. Lulu patted my hoof while my sister grinned devilishly.

"It's not my fault that you can't win, Sissy - Snakes and Ladders is clearly too complicated for you..." We shared a dark glower. She would never have won if this had been charades... As it currently stood, my sister had won five games, my niece had won two, and my sister's coltfriend had won one. I, rather disappointingly, was yet to win.

"Have my little pups finished playing?" A shrill voice trilled from the kitchen, "Because I think it's time for little fillies to be tucked up in bed!" My mother came through into the dark living room, her pink eyes glowing from beneath her sharply styled mane. They squinted at the four forms sprawled out in relative brightness. To allow the stallion a fair chance, we'd had to light a candle so that he could see.

"But, Grandma!" Lullaby protested, only to be scooped up in one of my mother's wings. "I'm old enough to stay up tonight!"

"You'll be old enough when I say so, little filly," said the mare, far more kindly than she had ever spoken to her own children. Although, we had managed to coax a small glass of mulled wine into her, so maybe it was that calming her down. Sonata was a mare to be reckoned with - small, fluffy and ferocious. The kind you didn't want to meet alone in a dark alley - especially if you knew what she could do with a conductor's baton and a tuba. I've been told that the results are pretty messy.

She left with Lullaby, who waved at me, blew a kiss to her mother, and smiled shyly at her... well - stepfather? Thinking about it, I supposed that's what he was now - not that marriage had been discussed. Lullaby's real father was some unknown stallion Fantasia had met after a gig at some fancy hotel. She remembered that he was a unicorn with a white coat - though you could tell that from looking at Lulu, considering that none of our family could ever be that colourful. Except for those details she was too drunk to recall any more.

Their departure forced me to face my gloating sister.

"Now, ladies," Sun Dial interjected, finally noticing the simmering tension, "Hearth's Warming Eve is all about the harmony of friends and settling disputes - do the two of you really want to be fighting tonight?"

"I don't think you get much say in the matter, Sunny." I quipped back. I knew he didn't like the nickname (mainly because it was a private thing between him and Fantasia; he called her 'Mooney'). I also knew that he didn't like me very much either - he was just too polite to say anything. After I had exposed my sister's scandalous nature to him, he seemed to take it as some sort of personal offence and took my sister's side. I maintained the argument that I was doing it out of good intentions - I mean, who wouldn't want to know that the mare they were dating was a sorry, good-for-nothing horse who didn't know how to keep her eyes to herself?

For some unknown reason, they'd managed to continue dating for the past five months... I had a feeling that was Fantasia's personal record for a long-term relationship.

"Now, Sissy," Fantasia cuddled up to her coltfriend more closely, "Sun Dial has a good point - we should have a heart-to-heart. So why don't you tell your big sister what's bothering you?"

"You keep winning."

"Ah - but that's just the superficial problem. For this to work, you're going to have to tell me your deepest resentments and desires." She closed her candy-floss coloured eyes and smiled serenely. A pair of fuzzy ears twitched in my direction. "You can trust me, Sissy - just let everything out. Take a deep breath in... and out... Now feel the tension leaving your muscles. Reach for your true feelings..."

"I never win!"

"I won't help you if you're refusing to do this properly!" She snapped, breaking the calm atmosphere.

"What's my little pup refusing to do?" Our mother stalked into the room, carrying a stocking in one wing. She hung it on a peg over the fireplace with the four others that were already there. Mine was the best - it had spiders on and didn't even have any holes in it yet. Fantasia's had a large tear were an owl once sat.

"She won't tell me what's wrong!"

"She wants me to tell her all my secrets!"

Our mother ignored both of us and turned to face Sun Dial. "I do hope you're having a good evening, sunshine. I'm sorry it has to be with these two whiners."

"Oh, don't apologise, Mrs Sonata. I'm having a wonderful time." The stallion tapped his chin with a golden hoof. "It is fascinating to see how you spend Hearth's Warming Eve - everypony's family has it's own special routine, do they not?"

"Well - we never celebrated till we moved to Canterlot." My mother said, waving a hoof dismissively, "It isn't something that caught on in the caves. You see, while the three pony tribes were so quick to celebrate their unity, they completely missed out the bat ponies in their festivities!"

"Technically," I interrupted, "seeing as the bat ponies had already colonised the 'new land', we should have welcomed the three tribes to Equestria. The problem was that our ancestors were bad hosts and chose not to show up." A hoof thwacked against my ear for my wise insight, leaving a persistent ringing.

"Maybe we would have done - if the ponies hadn't brought the windigoes with them! Your ancestors were probably freezing in their caves!" She patted Sun Dial fondly. "Not that we blame you, sunshine." The unicorn nodded awkwardly; his emerald green corkscrews bounced mesmerizingly when he did so. I couldn't help wondering if he took longer than Fantasia to get ready - a mane like that was high maintenance, and must have required a strict conditioning routine. Probably. I wouldn't know - my own manestyle was achieved with as little effort as possible.

"Maybe we should play another game?" I suggested tactfully. "We can't exactly sing carols while Lulu's in bed." Lullaby was only six years old, and had to sleep through the night so that she could be on time for school. She did have two weeks of holiday, but my mother believed in maintaining routines - holiday or not.

"I thought you were tired of games, little sister?"

"I'm tired of you winning the games -"

"Maybe you should try to do better."

"How? It's a game of chance!"

"Maybe the dice don't like you..."

"Maybe you fixed them!"

Our mother coughed, stepping between us onto the board. We fell silent immediately. "I'll send the pair of you to bed if you don't behave. Don't think you're too old." She offered a sickly-sweet smile to Sun Dial. "Don't worry, sunshine - I won't be telling you what to do." The unicorn was about to reply in that horribly gracious way, but Sonata held up her hoof. "Unless I have to."

With that she stalked off, moving out into the hall.

"Why don't we check your horoscopes, little pups?" Her voice called back, as if we were foals tumbling around the cave floors again.

After living in Canterlot for over half my life, I had stopped bothering to check my horoscope. It would be called heresy back in the caves - a slight to my culture, a disregard for the stars we lived under.

But, seriously? You want me to believe that the stars can tell my future?

Well, apart from the stars that released our glorious Moon Goddess from her imprisonment, and the idea that we all have destinies, and the so-called ascension of Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the fact that cutie marks sometimes predict your ultimate fate...

So apart from those things, there's nothing to believe in at all.

The truth was that I didn't get the time to check, and the articles in the Equestrian magazines didn't do it properly. Luckily, my mother had been plotting the movements of the night's sky for years, after converting the attic into our own private observatory. While this might have seemed a little drastic, it was infinitely more comfortable than lying out in the snow for half a night.

I assumed my favourite beanbag in the corner, reclining enough to see through the skylight. The snow had stopped for now, leaving a clear, cloudless sky. A myriad of stars stretched out above me, a canopy against whatever lay beyond the sky. Perhaps there would be planets that you could see, or the vast expanse of the moon. A world full of glistening lights.

"So, sunshine - as our guest, you can go first. What's your star sign?"

"Um, well, my birthday is in February... so, I think it's Pisces..."

"Okay." She said swiftly, judging the poor stallion for not knowing - Fantasia ought to have warned him. Her nose raised over the charts tersely, tracing the lines she had drawn earlier. Taking out the silver ornaments from one of the many wooden boxes, she laid them out across the route. Occasionally, she would backtrack, making sure that everything linked, joined, and converged at the right points. Eventually, after a glance at tonight's sky, she lifted up a strange contraption in her wing, holding it above the entire map. To anypony else, it would look like a foal's mobile.

"So, Pisces, the Sun is nicely out of the way, and Neptune is actually just leaving this system -" she indicated with one of her hooves to a space on the charts, "- and the Moon is particularly full and radiant tonight." She shifted the jangling mobile. "But... Jupiter is finally coming into line here, with Venus -" Fantasia squealed with delight, hugging Sun Dial tightly around the neck, "- giving you a very nice outlook for the next year." Even my mother cracked a rare grin, raising an eyebrow knowingly to Fantasia.

"That sounds... good?" The unicorn glanced at his mare-friend quickly, wanting to know what was going on. "Especially the bit with, uh - Venus?" He reached a hoof to where my sister was throttling him. "Could you maybe loosen your grip a little?"

"Yes it is, Sunny! It is very good." Fantasia ignored his pleas for more air and nuzzled his cheek instead. I pretended to be sick.

"So, who's next?" The small bat pony gathered the things from her charts and looked at me. "How about you try and read your sister's, little pup?"

"Oh, I thought, y'know, maybe Fantasia should do yours now?" I couldn't do the reading - I'd forgotten how the charts worked! Fantasia had been the one to do it for the last three years, seeing as my mother refused to let anypony read their own fortune. Apparently it brought bad luck or something.

"No, no - Asia seems rather settled there. I'm sure even you could manage this."

"Sure..." I slumped out of the beanbag, dragging myself over to the low table the papers rested on. Each of the paths and sectors had been marked neatly in Cave Tongue, but the ink was fading after all these years, and I could hardly distinguish one planet from another. Hiding my doubt, I scooped up the silver figures in a wing and tried to find where I was starting from.

"Right, so - Libra..." I hovered over the segment on the board, tracing a line across to where Venus had landed in an opposite corner. I dropped a silver heart on the spot. Following that line, I ran over Saturn, Mercury and Uranus, leaving a shiny pebble, moon and star over the crossing lines. Nervously, I held the mobile over the map, trying to remember what it was needed for.

"I think..." I started cautiously, "that Saturn is in retrograde, the Sun is far too big in your segment, and... Pluto has... been crushed by a giant silver heart."

"Do it properly, Nocturne!" Fantasia whined, peering over my shoulder. "You've done it all wrong!"

"No, I haven't - see - that follows there, and jumps to there -"

"Pluto is over in your bit, not mine!" She nudged me over. "And it's Uranus that's in retrograde!"

"Uranus is in retrograde..." I muttered back, letting myself be pushed away from the table.

"Here, I'll do yours." Fantasia gathered up the silver for the third time and pulled the mobile from my grasp. She pinpointed the sign for Aries and moved quickly from there, laying out the objects with certainty and confidence. A twirl of the mobile later, and she was gesturing to the path she had made. "Don't you see, Sissy? We go along here, and you mark this, this, and this -" she stabbed each spot with a hoof, "- giving you a year's forecast." After taking a second to squint at the lines she laughed. "So you've ended up with Pluto moving into the system, Mars remaining constant over the Moon, and Neptune entering your path from Pisces."

"Sex, death and self-delusion? That's not fair!" I moved her over with a shove. "You must be reading it wrong!" I tried to take the mobile, but she wouldn't let go.

"You can't read your own!"

"I can if you've done it wrong!" I put a hoof down on the table, leaning over the charts. Fantasia grabbed my mane in her teeth, trying to pull me back. Struggling, I knocked a couple of the silver ornaments onto the floor. "Let go! You're pulling!"

"Ah will wh'n 'ou move!" She growled back, keeping her teeth firmly around my hair.

"Let me have a look first!"

"ENOUGH!"

We fell back from the table together, the mobile making its own course to the ground, shattering as it hit the wooden floor. Clearly it was only made of fancy glass, not silver. Above us, a small bat pony mare loomed, her pink eyes burning with a previously disguised fury. Dark grey wings blocked out any of the light from the night's sky, leaving us with only those glowing eyes. Fangs shone as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I hope you know what you've done," she pronounced every word carefully, as if trying to throttle the life out of each syllable, "because - stars above - you will be regretting it for a long time."

I liked the cold. It made you feel alive. It stopped other ponies from coming out to ruin the peaceful night. It reduced the swelling on freshly earned bruises.

Sadly, it hadn't started snowing again, so there weren't any cool flakes to land on my throbbing flank, but an icy breeze was making up for it. I glanced back as I flew. There was going to be a massive bruise over my cutie mark by the morning. Already, the silver eye was beginning to swell and bulge. Consoling myself, I considered the fact that Fantasia's would be more noticeable - her coat was a lighter shade of navy than mine. Nevertheless, she would still get to sleep in one of mother's nice feather beds. Once we moved to Canterlot, my mother decided that the best thing about Equestrian culture was sleeping on the floor, on mattresses. Ever since then she had always bought the best beds - no matter whether we were lacking more essential things, like a cooker or a working shower...

I cartwheeled in the air, letting the wind rush around me as I span. Pulling my wings around, I fell into a dive before looping back up. By now I was slaloming the tall, snow-capped towers that dominated Canterlot, dipping in and out, brushing stone with my wing-tips and ducking beneath low roofs. Soaring low, I passed above the walls around the Castle grounds, careful to avoid the guards.

Scanning the towers, I found what I was looking for.

Gently, I climbed in altitude, moving up beside the shaded stone and guiding myself around gaping windows. Eventually, I flew high enough to come to a stop beneath a balcony that circled the tower like a dog collar. Above me, I could hear the regular tap of hooves as a pony made their patrols. Timing my jump, I waited until the guard passed over head, moving to the other side of the wall.

With that I sprang, making enough noise to easily be heard by a bored guard.

"Halt! Who goes there?" They called out from the opposite side of the balcony. By the voice, I confirmed that this was the stallion I was looking for.

"I go there." I replied, moving around to see him. He was putting his spear down as I came into view, tucking it underneath a wing like a good regulation soldier.

"Oh? Long time no see, Turny. I was starting to think you'd been murdered by one of your clients." My old friend smiled lazily, exhibiting rows of sharp fangs. A pair of yellow eyes glittered below his silver helm.

"Could say the same for you too, Officer Orion." I hit his shoulder playfully, regretting it when my hoof came into contact with the fashioned metal armour. "You were the one off in the Crystal Empire playing soldiers."

"That was a month ago - just after I was promoted to lieutenant, remember?" He explained slowly, "It's you that hasn't come since - too busy puzzling over schemes with that mad boss of yours." He glanced at my attire; a hastily adorned scarf with no boots or bags. "Has he finally let you out? I thought you were working daytimes."

"Oh, no," I admitted, "I was thrown out of the family Hearth's Warming Eve celebrations - but I do have a week off."

"Finally," Orion humphed, ignoring my allusions to the family holiday. Orion never celebrated, like most bat ponies, and continued refusing to even when he moved to Canterlot. He came from a very traditional family, who shunned all Equestrian festivals - and, unlike me, he didn't argue with them. However, with nine other siblings, keeping the peace was of utmost importance. "So, are we going to get back to our old training again? Ghoul said he might join in if he gets some free time."

"I'm afraid not." I sighed. I hadn't seen Ghoul for ages - we'd done our Night Guard training together, along with Orion and a couple of others, but had hardly seen each other since I'd left. Last thing I'd heard was that he was getting married to a mare I'd never met. By now it was just Orion I was still in touch with, and I'd only left three years ago. Maybe it was about time to plan a reunion... "I may have - accidentally - agreed to a diplomatic meeting with the dragons."

"Oh...?" Orion raised an eyebrow. "I think I heard about that - you leave next evening, right?"

"Yeah, but I was only told that after I agreed."

"I bet they couldn't find anypony else stupid enough to go." Orion side-stepped me before I could hit him. Moving to the balcony's rail, he looked out over at the castle grounds. "You know what you're going to have to do?" He glanced back at me, smirking slightly.

"Of course - just make sure everypony's happy and stop any fights."

Orion laughed.

"What's so funny?"

He kept laughing, shaking his head in exasperation. "You've been in Canterlot for too long, Turny." He turned around again, reaching his free wing out to draw me over to the balcony. I was pulled under his leathery appendage and against his cold armour, looking out over the fountains, lawns, and heroic statues that decorated the Castle Gardens. Sneakily, I edged my flank against his plating, feeling the cool metal wash over the swelling. "How much do you know about bat pony and dragon relations?"

"They're thousands of years old - ever since the bat ponies have lived in caves they've made pacts with the dragons to protect them in exchange for the precious stones and food they'd find." I shrugged my wings. "I have met dragons before, Orion - I know what I'm doing."

"Really?" He looked down at me with a mocking grin. "Did you know then, that -" he leant down to whisper in my ear, tickling the multitude of hairs that lined it.

"What? No!" He held me still as he explained further. Finally, after every gory detail had been covered, he drew back. A smile so smug it would have made cats jealous met my eyes. "You're lying."

"I'm not."

"But that's not fair - dragons are bigger than me!"

"They match up the ages."

"It would still be bigger than me! And stronger!" I laid my chin on the low wall, getting snow on my nose.

"At least if you died the ponies would get to make all of their demands." He tried to reassure me. I glared back, informing him that it had not been reassuring. "... I have a book on it if it makes you feel any better?"

"Thanks."

Orion shifted his hold on me slightly, though left his wing to drape over my back like a blanket. Gazing out over the shadow coated night, he sighed happily. It was alright for him - he wasn't going to be eaten by a dragon in a day's time. Even if he was, it wouldn't worry him. Orion had a way of zoning out most problems, as if he saw the world at a slower pace than the rest of us.

I also looked out - turning my attention to the sky. The clouds had remained where the pegasi had left them, hovering at the edge of Canterlot to be moved into place for tomorrow morning. The little foals would be delighted to see a fresh sheet of snow falling just as they woke up, ready for presents and more singing and more festivities. I, on the other hoof, would be crawling into bed, hoping that I could do all of my packing when I woke up.

"Do you want to talk about something else?" Orion asked, breaking the silence, "It's not like I'm going to get back to duty right now."

"Why not?" I snorted. "So long as it has nothing to do with work, family, or horoscopes." He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Don't ask."

"Well then..." he poked stray wisps of navy hair back under his helmet, "what would you say if I told you that I have a mare-friend?"

"Really?" I pushed myself up to get a better look, trying to tell if he was playing with me or not. His cheeks held an unfamiliar red flush that I could only assume was genuine. It wasn't like him to embarrass easily. "It's not one of the recruits you're training, is it?"

"No. Why would you think that?" He shook his head in bewilderment. "She isn't part of the Royal Guard at all - she's some sort of academic. We met at the Winter Solstice Dance, I think she's one of the sisters of a lieutenant I know."

"You'd better be careful there then."

"It'll be fine - I think he was happy to be rid of her for a bit."

"Then you'll still have to be careful," I snorted, "it just means you have to worry about her and not the lieutenant." Laughing, Orion thumped my shoulder playfully. I could only laugh along, all the while hoping that she would be good enough for him. I'd known Orion for about eight years, and had had him coming to me seeking approval for every mare-friends during that time. Nevertheless, there was always that niggling thought - that slight flutter. Several of our friends were in relationships, settling down, and even having foals... so maybe it just scared me a little. What if she was the one? What if in a year's time it was her that he married?

Was I being left behind?

"What's her name?" I asked, masking my anxiety. They were only silly little nerves. "If I see her around town I'd like to know who she is."

"Secret - that's her name." He focused on a point in the distance, frowning slightly. "She looks... um... purple. I think that's it - purple bat pony, with a... white - no - blue mane?"

"You don't know what she looks like."

"I would recognise her if I saw her - I just can't remember the details." Orion shrugged nonchalantly. "They don't really matter, do they?"

"As long as she never asks you to buy jewellery to match her eyes." I shook my head, praying to the stars that I would never have to rely on Orion to describe a suspect. My astonishment was soon interrupted by a wide yawn, leaving me with streaming eyes and a heavy head. Taking advantage of the situation, I let my head rest on my friend's shoulder - it was warmer than the balcony, and I had less of a chance of freezing my cheek to it.

"Is it time for little pups to go to sleep?" Orion nudged me gently. I let out a sleepy moan; I'd had to wake up early this afternoon to be at my mother's house, and was going to have to be ready for the trip to the Badlands tomorrow. "How about we go get that book, and then you can wrap yourself up in bed and get your beauty sleep?"

"Okay..." I murmured, "wait. What about your watch?"

"Ah, I'm sure nopony'll be trying to break in tonight."

"If you say so."

A Bad Landing

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"Oi! Watch where you're going!"

"Mind my bags!"

"What d'you think you're doin'?"

I ran through the train station, flashing an apologetic smile as I crashed into various ponies. Several of them screamed when they saw me - some things can't be helped. I would have flown over them, but the strap on my saddlebags had broken, leaving me trying to hold them up under my wings. Because of this, I'd also had to gallop through the festive streets of Canterlot rather than flying to the station, as well as stopping by Conundrum's house to drop off a note - the poor stallion would be confused if I didn't turn up in a week. He'd probably open an abduction case...

I knew without looking at the clocks that I was already ten minutes late.

Bursting out onto the platform, I immediately noticed the large, multicoloured train in front of me. All of the carriage door were shut except for one, which was being held open by an armoured royal guardspony. Beside him stood another guard and a very angry conductor, whose exaggerated gesticulations made me fear for the safety of our eyes.

"- a royal decree to prove-"

"I don't want your decrees, sonny! I want this train out of here before the next one runs into her -"

"Train to the Badlands?" I asked, stepping up to the small congregation. "Sorry I'm late - the traffic was awf-"

"On, on, ON!" I found my rump being pushed forcefully through the doors, followed by the two guardsponies. Who knew train conductors were so strong. The door snapped shut as a shrill whistle pierced the evening air. The wheels beneath us began their laboured roll out of the station, giving a tired chug with each rotation.

Picking myself up from the floor, I glanced at my companions. I could only assume that they were coming to the Badlands with me, seeing as they had been kind enough to hold up the train for me. One unicorn and one pegasus, both in the golden armour of the Day Guard. It was the grey unicorn who had been arguing with the conductor. Reaching a hoof down, I offered to help him up. A pair of amber eyes locked onto mine.

"We are on a diplomatic mission." He snapped, getting to his hooves unassisted. "We are representing the whole of Equestria and the Princesses." He jabbed a hoof at my chest. "And you dare to turn up late!"

"Like I said," I pushed his leg away, "the traffic tonight is awful, I woke up late, and my saddlebags broke. Nopony could have been on time in those circumstances." I glanced at his face, which was silently fuming a few inches from mine. Day Guards were almost impossible to tell apart, however, that angry whine was... distinctive. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"I would never associate myself with such an undisciplined civilian." Professionally, he stood to attention, despite his reluctance. "Junior Captain Iron Discipline, at your service. We will be protecting the ponies attending the summit, so I unwillingly accept responsibility for your welfare." Spinning away from me, he stalked into the carriage proper, his gleaming sword cutie mark catching the overhead lights.

"Ah - I've got it!" I drew his attention back, causing him to glare angrily at me. "We left you on one of the guard towers! Remember - early summer evening? I always wondered if you managed to get down." I grinned, only for it to turn sour once I realised what I'd said. "... Sorry... about that, by the way."

Iron Discipline, to his credit, managed to keep his temper. Just. His cheeks flushed crimson, his eyes narrowed threateningly, his mouth curled into a shape I didn't think possible - but he only let out a low growl before storming to the back of the cart, which was empty except for the three of us. Shrugging, I figured it could have gone much worse.

"He takes a bit of getting used to," the second guard spoke up, the pegasus, ready to reassert his existence, "you might want to go easy on him - he can be a bit neurotic." He saluted me with a white wing. "Junior Captain Cloud Drift, pleased to make your acquaintance. You would be -?"

"Nocturne," I flashed him a friendly, fang-filled smile, saluting in turn, "hopefully you'll be able to take a joke?"

He gave me a stiff smile, hiding his discomfort. I put it down to the fangs. "Shall we?" He gestured a hoof to the empty benches, letting me lead the way down the aisle. "So... you didn't really leave him on a roof? It was just a joke?"

"Oh, what? No - no, we did. Yeah, me and a friend may have left him up there once." I took a seat halfway down, Cloud Drift settling in front of me. "In our defence, we'd had a little to drink, and he called us fat."

"Are you sure he did that?"

"Maybe, maybe not - I don't remember it too well." I scratched my head. "He called us whales - or was it buffaloes?" Shaking my head, I put my bags down, taking out the book that Orion had leant to me. Unlike most Equestrian books, it was bound in a black leather case, with a pair of dragon wings outlined in dark scarlet on the cover. It was old enough for the red dye to have become unidentifiable and cracked. All the better - I had a nasty suspicion that it might have been blood. Most of the writing bat ponies traditionally did used either berry juices or blood for ink; seeing as ink's pretty hard to get a hold of on a mountain side. In a way, it was lucky that bat ponies rarely bothered to write things down. It would have been very awkward for pony scholars, otherwise.

"That's not like Iron," Junior Captain Drift glanced over at his sulking partner, "there's always a reason for what he does - like you being late set him off." He shot me a strange look - disappointed, protective, and inquisitive all in one. "You must have annoyed him."

"It's not my fault he gets annoyed so easily." I argued, wondering why I was defending myself to this guard. "It was just a joke, for the sake of the Moon Goddess!" He stared at me incredulously. "Look, I have a lot of reading to do, and you probably want to sleep. So how about we leave it at this, and pretend nothing happened?" Shaking my head, I opened the bound leather, supporting the book with my wings. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cloud Drift move over to another set of benches and lay down. Nevermind - I wouldn't be needing the guards anyway, so I guessed it didn't matter that they weren't fond of me.

Begrudgingly, I began reading the old, spiked script. If anything could tell me how to survive the initiation, it was this book.

O sweet Moon and stars, I was going to be eaten by a dragon!

I had just woken up, my muzzle in the crisp, flaking pages. Looking down, I noticed that I had only gotten halfway through, and could remember even less. The movement of the train had stopped, but outside the landscape was still a glorious mass of shadows. Empty grey wastes, sparse shrubs and dust that stirred with the lazy wind. No more snow or harsh northern winds; the Badlands were not the preferred roosts of the bat ponies.

"Are you ready there?" Iron Discipline snapped, his pack already strapped over his armour. "We have another couple of hours hiking before we even get to the meeting, and we're expected there at dawn."

I groaned, standing up reluctantly. Tucking the book into my bags, I noticed that somepony had fixed the strap. Testing it, I found that it was as sturdy as it had ever been. At least that was one thing I wouldn't be worrying about it.

We left the train, none of the conductors bothering to see us off. We had been dropped off in the middle of a desert, beside a ramshackle town - whose sign declared that this little hovel was Dodge Junction. The train ploughed on as soon as they saw us departing. Only its uniform rumbling filled the bleak expanse, filling the early morning air with steam and whistles. Once we put it behind us, the world became a silent place.

Iron Discipline led our small band, Cloud Drift at the rear. They made sure I was in the middle, either to protect me, or to stop me from running off. I didn't bother asking which it was. Trying to break the monotony, I flew for sections of the march, disliking the scrape of sand beneath my hooves. It always found its way into every crack and crevice, and each time the wind stirred itself sharp grains battered my face. What I would have given for snow and rocks...

It was about an hour before dawn when they came into view.

Shaded blue by distance, a pinnacle of rock jutted out from the flat expanse. From our position it looked several hundred feet high, with no apparent path to be seen amongst the jagged edges. Even the summit of the mountain looked spiked and craggy. Hopefully there was a plateau at the top, otherwise we'd be camping on a cruel network of serrated edges.

Above all of this the dark silhouettes of dragons soared.

I froze in mid-air. Cloud Drift walked into my legs, nervously looking up at me and rubbing his head. Iron Discipline, to his credit, managed to walk another few feet before turning back to complain at me.

"We only have an hour to get there!" He stormed over, trying to puff out his chest beneath me. "We do not have time for sightseeing!"

"I don't know... Surely we can admire it for a second...?" And delay my fiery death a few minutes longer.

He squinted ahead of our party, the gloom clouding his hopeless vision, before grabbing my bags in his telekinesis and hauling me after him. "If you seem to think for a second that I don't know what you're doing, you are very much mistaken! Trying to delay us, slow us down, possibly even preventing us from getting to the summit at all! We hadn't even left Canterlot and you were already sabotaging our mission... You must be working for the dragons!"

"I'm working for everypony - that's the reason I'm here!" I complained, not try to fly out of his grip. If he wanted to believe such ridiculous manure he could, but he would have to drag me the whole way to the summit before I agreed with him.

"Oh, really?" He turned back to glare at me. "I don't remember you informing us of your purpose - for all I know you could be making sure that no deal is ever made!"

"Princess Luna would never hire somepony like that..."

"You can never be too careful! She became Nightmare Moon - I'm sure she could easily betray ponykind to the dragons!"

Iron Discipline didn't get to say any more than that. It just so happened that as he uttered those words, I decided to relieve myself of my saddlebags and dive at a certain Junior Captain. After rolling across the gritty, shard-strewn dirt, while his helmet abandoned him (along with a little of his dignity), Iron Discipline wasn't as willing to impart his ground-breaking wisdom. Mainly because I was trying to use his face as a shovel - but little details like that seemed somewhat insignificant.

"Oh, come on, Iron," I growled, hissing into his ear, "I'm sure that's not what you meant to say." I pressed his nose deeper into the sand, spreading my own weight to prevent him from moving. A weak groan drifted up. "Now, now, Iron - we need something better than that." His breathing was getting quite weak, so I pulled his head up. Nevertheless, I kept the rest of him pinned to the ground.

He gasped, coughing sand and grit out as his lungs rattled. Patiently, I waited until he was able to speak again.

However, as his mouth opened weakly, it was instead his horn that lit up in reply. Improvising, I smacked a hoof against it. The sparkles vanished with a dissatisfying pop as the guard squealed like a filly. His muzzle hit the ground again through no encouragement of mine. Angry yet responsible, I rested an ear to his chest, searching for a steady heart beat.

Clang!

Dazed, I raised my head. A large white feathery mass was pinning me down. I had been forced onto my side with the minuscule grains exfoliating my right cheek. One wing was folded painfully, and the other was between me and the rocks I'd landed against.

"You're insane!" A guard shouted. I couldn't work out who had said this; my ears were ringing.

"You okay over there, Discipline?"

"Sweet Celestia!" I tried to shift my weight, only to find an armoured hoof grinding down into my hip. "She's insane!"

Hoof steps rattled the earth, sending vibrations into my skull. A pony spat. The metallic scent of blood filled the air. It wasn't mine.

Through my hazy vision, I made out a grey shape lumbering towards us.

"You should sit down."

"We should feed her to the dragons!"

"Drgerns dern eet pernehs..." I murmured while checking my teeth. None of them felt broken, but you could never be sure. A white hoof smacked my forehead. Bright lights flashed and danced in my eyelids.

"Absolute psycho..." And eyelid was lifted open. Sparks coated the view. Squinting amber pupils loomed into mine. "They should banish you to the Moon with your princess - two lunatics together."

"Don't antagonise her, Iron - she's already squirming like a pig!"

"I'll do what I like, Drift." He let my eyelid snap shut again. "She's not going anywhere." The hooves stomped around me, stopping just behind my head. "Bat ponies are such an unstable race; no self-control, can't be disciplined, and practically worship Luna... It's a miracle there aren't more attacks. Obviously, it's Princess Celestia that keeps everypony under control."

"Iron..."

"No - I'm going to say it!" Hooves scuffed the earth. "Make peace with the dragons? We can't keep all of the pony races under control, and dragons are worse! Leave them to their own lands and we'll keep ours, thank you very much!"

Beginning to get my bearings back, I considered a way out from beneath the pegasus. Iron Discipline was still spewing his ridiculous manure, so Cloud Drift was a little distracted. One of his white wings was hanging next to my face, his left hoof pinned both my back legs, and the right hoof was crumpling my wing, both forelegs were securing mine. I smiled inwardly - I still had something.

"- so we take her back, tell the princess she's unstable, and leave it at that -"

I bit down on the wing.

Wrenching my head, I managed to pull Cloud Drift over. A sharp buck to his ribs and he was shoved a few feet away. This gave me the room to roll over - out of Cloud's grasp and Iron's lashing hoof. Stretching my wings, I attempted to fly. The creases and pulls hadn't left, but I managed to get off of the floor the right way up.

"I don't know why you're calling me insane," I complained, flying backwards as the unicorn galloped after me, "you're the one with crazy prejudices!" I stopped moving, letting him tackle me. We tumbled across the dry mud; I ended up on top. "You need me for this mission, and I apparently need you - so give up! We're stuck here now, so we might as well hurry over to the mountain and hope that the other ponies arrive soon to put some space between us. Alright?"

He didn't reply, grinding his teeth instead. I didn't want to make peace with him - not really. Nevertheless, we needed to get to the summit, and I hated to disappoint the Goddess of the Night. This way I'd just have to accept that someponies can't be persuaded to love their Moon Princess - and he would have to accept that someponies weren't going away any time soon.

Taking his silence as a positive answer, I got up and stalked off to find my saddle bags, purposefully turning my back to tempt him. I wouldn't hold back if he still wanted to fight, especially as I now had the moral high-ground by offering the truce. Unfortunately, he behaved, and we returned to the monotony of marching. Only now I kept getting dirty looks from both of the guards; I had bruised Cloud Drift's ribs and torn out a clump of his feathers.

Having been afraid of meeting the dragons since Orion had explained everything, I was unexpectedly looking forward to it. Possibly because I'd prefer the company of potentially dangerous, fire-breathing monsters than these two royal guards. Especially when Iron Discipline made us take the winding path up the craggy rock face, rather than letting us fly up. I did offer to carry him, but I don't think he liked the idea. Somehow, the strange inkling that I might drop him put him off.

As we ascended we could hear the roars and rumbling tones of the already present guests. Above us their rippling shapes flew, letting out shrill shrieks at our arrival. I was the first to make it over the lip of the plateau, just as the Sun broke the horizon beneath. It was a vast, flat expanse - like much of the Badlands - where the dragons had made it their home. Gem hordes lined the lip of the hill, with dragons nesting, feasting, and circling their piles. Early rays of light caught each gem, causing them to flicker with a fiery light. Rock formations - towering pyramids and balancing slabs - littered the ground like a foal's discarded toys, all the while towering three times higher than the tallest stallion.

At the centre of all of this, bathing the ground with a stifling heat, a bubbling, spitting pool lay. It writhed in reds and yellows and oranges - bursting and sloshing angrily. This wasn't just a plateau. It was a caldera; a volcano.

Hesitantly, I placed a hoof onto the rock, fearing it would crumble under my hooves. This was ridiculous, of course - if it would crumble under my weight, then there would have been no chance for the dragons surrounding us, watching us. But dragons can survive immersed in magma... the voice in my brain whispered, and you can't.

I ignored the voice and kept walking, keeping my head up and my wings furled out. Slitted eyes watched us from every angle as we trotted through, silent and brooding. We were not welcome here, yet. Ridding my mind of the two guards behind me, I focused on what I was here to do, what I was moving towards.

The leader of the pack. The lord of the horde. The alpha dragon.

His white eyes watched me, peering out from the lava pool. I could only see his head, which was a blood red with curling black horns. He had no fronds or frills on his squared jaw - instead it was decorated with deep lines and scars.

Coming as close as I dared, I stopped a good ten metres from the edge of the pool and bowed, keeping my wings and back legs straight, and my nose to the floor. Raising my eyes slightly, I watched the great dragon emerge. First his hooked wings gripped the edge of the pool, which must have had a twenty foot diameter. Even so, his wings were bent as they lifted him out, revealing the tattered crimson leather. His legs were short and gnarled, with claws gripping the rock he levered himself onto. Down his back he carried cruel black spines which continued to the tip of his tail, which dragged limply behind him, still partially submerged beneath the molten rock.

"Day to Thestral." The beast rumbled, with a voice like a landslide. He used the Cave Tongue, although I suspected that his Equestrian was just as fluent.

"Day to Drake." I replied, keeping my head lowered. I knew that my own Cave Tongue was a little rusty, and I couldn't quite get the guttural choking sound right, but I managed to cover it with an awkward cough. My mother would have been ashamed if she thought I'd forgotten - she was even making sure that Lullaby was able to make conversation in this strange language, despite the filly never having stepped into a cave in her life.

"I, Magma." He surveyed his tribe around the crater. "King of Ruby Horde."

"I, Nocturne." My own name had no translation to the Cave Tongue - I'm afraid to admit that my mother learned the word and decided it was the perfect name for her daughter, similarly to Fantasia. Leaving me to pronounce it with a slightly mangled growl. I quickly tried to remember my colony's title. "Born of Lonely Colony, live of Equus."

Magma moved his head slowly - it took me a second to realise that the old dragon was nodding. Broken fangs protruded from his mouth in a twisted smile. "You will suffice." He declared, reverting to Equestrian. Shame - I was just getting used to the clunkiness of the Cave Tongue again.

Flicking the clawed finger of a wing, the king waited as another dragon sloped up beside him. This one was younger - not fully grown, just emerging from puberty with resplendent wings the colour of caramel. Red spines covered the entirety of his whip-like tail, and red whiskers fanned away from his angular face. Sulky yellow eyes glared back at me.

"I, Crater." The young male announced, his gravelly voice trying to crush each word.

"You shall face Crater, my grandson," Magma inclined his head slightly, "evade him for ten minutes, remaining airborne. You succeed, you will become an ally to the Ruby Horde."

I nodded, rising from my enforced crouch. My legs and wings ached from the uncomfortable position and the previous brawl, but it could have been worse - I might have been told to fight this dragon.

"Wait! What in the name of Celestia are you doing!" Iron Discipline grabbed my tail and pulled my back. "You can't fight a dragon!"

"I'm not going to fight a dragon - it's just an initiation." I shook him off and glanced at the great dragon. "Apologies, Crater, Magma - King of Ruby Horde." His deep red face nodded slowly, his grandson, on the other hoof, failed to hide his impatience.

"Initiation? I thought you were a representative!"

"It's to prove that they can trust me," thinking about it, I added quickly, "look - it's a tradition. And on the bright side, if I die, you're allowed to make any demands you want!" I tried to keep my false smile in place. "If I do lose, you will need to find another bat pony. In that case, I suggest you find a mare called Sonata - she's a conductor in her mid fifties, but I've never met anypony as terrifying, ferocious or violent."

"But -"

I ignored his protests, turning to face Magma and stretching my wings out. Crater loped over, spreading his own magnificent wings.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed away from the ground.

Piling on the speed, I raced upwards, face raised to the dawn sky. I could hear the even beats of Crater's wings. Currently slower than mine, but far more powerful - enough to soon be picking up speed. Spinning, I soared away. The only advantage I had was that I was more manoeuvrable and agile. I could turn a corner faster. He could fly faster, further, and could also breathe fire - all of which was perfectly allowed. We were matched in relative age, but that was about it.

He mimicked my turn. Relying on my ears, I shut my eyes. The early morning Sun was a blinding distraction; I would do better not seeing. Flying upwards again, I waited for him to get closer, trying not to waste energy. Beyond the rushing wind, I could hear his steady, even breathing. Just what I needed - a fit dragon. The sound changed; he had opened his mouth. Hot breath on my hind legs. The gasp of air.

Flipping, I plummeted past the dragon, nose down. I tucked in every possible inch - pointed my wings. Sweet Moon and stars - I loved free-fall. It would take the dragon longer - wind resistance and all that, hopefully. That wasn't the worry. I couldn't open my eyes without them streaming. I couldn't see the ground.

I could open my mouth, sounding off regular clicks.

Close now - getting closer.

Three. Two. One!

Wings snapped open. Body twisted. Only sky above me now. Sky and a waiting dragon. Blistering Moon craters - I had expected him to follow, not wait for me to crash. I kept my eyes open in panic, watching him rush towards my side. Curving, I tried to move out of the way. Too late.

An outstretched claw caught my leg. I tumbled over his back, buffeted by the lashing tail. Rolling and tumbling, I fell, disorientated.

He was coming back. Blue flashes were interrupted by bursts of brown as I flipped. Unfurling my wings, I righted myself. He was above me when I regained control - my back to the ground and stomach facing his jaws. I evaded the teeth, as the blast of heat caught me. Flames barely missed my tail as the updraught hit me, boosting me upwards. The extra space gave me time to get away.

We danced like this for some time. He would eventually catch up to me, I would twist away. If I was lucky he wouldn't try to spew bright yellow flames across my tender fur. Every muscle ached, and though I couldn't see, I knew that gashes lined my legs. How much longer did I have?

Jaws snapped at my tail. I pulled away, doing a back-flip so that I rested on the dragon's neck. I was already running down his tail, jumping off into the clear air when he flicked back at me. Spines caught my hooves; I hardly felt it. Adrenaline pumped, and I wasn't using my legs too much anyway.

"Thirty seconds." The great voice boomed beneath. Not long now! Gasping a lungful of air, I tucked up and turned. Every breath burnt my lungs.

Unrolling, I sped in one direction, listening for the movement of my opponent. He came from beneath, cutting across my trajectory. Head-first, I changed direction, opposite to the previous one. Flapping my wings as hard as I could, I tried to get out of the way. Between gritted teeth, I hissed in another breath.

Sounds changed, a roar rumbled towards me. I opened eyes I'd forgotten were closed. White flashing fangs. Blinding light. Blinding fire!

Unable to stop, I balled up. Wings surrounding me, I sailed onwards, tumbling down.

Was it enough? Was it enough?

Heat enveloped me. Hotter and hotter - yet -

Blistering agony found my brain.

Screaming, I fell and fell, crashing and plummeting.

Was it enough?

The heat receded, leaving the white pain to stab my wings. I dared to open my wings, eyes still shut, spinning and flipping and spinning...

"Five."

Wings fully extended, slowing my descent. I was on my back, facing the sky.

"Four."

I didn't breathe. I opened my eyes. A dragon was in pursuit of its prey.

"Three."

Unable to fly, wings screaming, mind protesting.

"Two."

Sweet Princesses. Oh, Moon - oh, stars!

"One."

My eyes screwed tightly. Attempted to flap. Facing down now.

I hated impact.

Meeting the Neighbours

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I breathed. And again. Delicious air, sweeter than sugar. Well, not quite - it was a little sulphurous.

Peering between frightened lids, the purple dawn greeted me. I moaned. Nopony came over. I had expected a few onlookers to at least saunter over - just to check that I was alive. They wouldn't even have needed to come over - they could have just shouted from afar to ask if I was alright.

"What's going on?" There we go! "This is a meeting to establish trust and friendship, not fight!" The angry female voice continued, clearly not directed at me.

"She said it was a tradition!" Cloud Drift blurted out. I smiled and rolled onto my hooves. Surprisingly, nothing felt broken. My wings were burnt, so I left them unfurled to drag across ground. However, apart from this and a few cuts and bruises, I seemed pretty unharmed.

I trotted over to the trio of ponies - the two guards fixed rigidly in place, and the pony that the new voice belonged to. She was taller than an average mare, with a mane a lighter purple than my own, and an even paler coat. Gold glittered in her hair.

Princess Twilight Sparkle.

"That doesn't mean that it was a good idea." She pointed out. Dragons stared at her incredulously, and even my mouth hung a little open; she had offended our culture! Well, it was a stupidly dangerous one - nevertheless, it was my opinion that you had to try it before you could criticize.

"Princess Sparkle," I knelt as I came over, drawing her attention, "I'm sorry if the initiation... startled you - it's a necessary process I needed to clear out of the way before the treaty could start."

She didn't reply. I glanced up, expecting a disapproving glare - instead, I was faced with a look of curiosity and awkward embarrassment.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked, standing up again. Every limb protested, though I did my best to hide it. Weakness in front of dragons was not the done thing.

"No - no!" She trotted over, her violet eyes as large as saucers. "It's wonderful to meet you - it's Nocturne, isn't it?"

"Yes, I -"

"Princess Luna told me all about you." She shook my hoof, though stopped when she noticed my grimace. "I hope I didn't ruin anything by catching you? Do you feel alright? You fainted afterwards, but you seem... better now?"

"Um, I'm fine, thanks -" She circled around me. Checking my wings, her magic flashed and a pair of what could only be described as mittens appeared over them. What they lacked in style, they made up for in cooling relief. "Ooo - that's nice!"

"I hope they fit," she came back around, "I learnt the spell for pegasi wings, but they should be adequate for yours."

"Thanks, yes - they're..." I suddenly remembered that we were actually surrounded by dragons. Towering over us was Magma, his old face patient. We fell silent.

"Finished, Nocturne, born of Lonely Colony?" He rumbled. I nodded quickly. "From strength and courage, Ruby Horde welcome Thestral friend." With a flick of his tail, an elegant female dragon walked over, balanced on her hind legs carrying a small white bowl. Inside sloshed a dark crimson liquid.

"I welcome Drake friend, to serve and honour." I replied, being handed the bowl. I was forced to sit and take it between my fore-hooves, my wings too sore to move. I knocked back the fluid, barely tasting it. It wouldn't do for the other ponies to know what I'd just swallowed.

"Wow..." the princess whispered. I didn't think that she could understand us; not that a small issue like that should stop her getting excited. Ancient dragon and bat pony rituals should inspire awe.

Cloud Drift nudged me, "Was that what I think it wa-"

"Grape juice." I snapped, wiping my lips to remove the evidence. Hmm... coppery after-taste.

"So, Princess of Ponies, you are also welcomed." The wrinkled neck bowed respectfully, his eyes closing slightly in trust.

"It's an honour, Lord Magma." She curtsied. Rising, she held out a wing behind her. "Allow me to introduce my friends; Fluttershy and Spike."

I followed to where she was pointing. A young dragon stepped forwards, still balancing on his hind legs, despite being about the same height as Princess Luna. Cowering in his shadow, a pink mane was doing its best to conceal a pony. Reaching a clawed hand out, the one I assumed to be Spike pulled the pony into view. I admit, I could have been mistaken - Fluttershy might be a perfect name for a dragon, however unlikely.

The pink ball squealed, turning into a bundle of butterscotch and cotton-candy. Teal eyes peered out, only to elicit another squeak.

"She's happy to be here, honest." Spike the dragon waddled over, making sure that the pony followed him. At a second glance, you realised that she was actually a pegasus. A memory twigged; she was one of the Elements of Harmony - well, one of the bearers. Not that they were used any more - instead of being protected by flashy jewellery, we were all relying on a magical rainbow... Sweet stars, even having lived in Equestria for over sixteen years, pony magic still confused me.

"Is this our whole party?" I hissed to Cloud Drift. I had at least expected the rest of Princess Twilight's entourage.

"No, we're waiting for a few academics - nopony else."

I raised an eyebrow, but neglected to comment. I wasn't sure if the dragon horde would be insulted if only a few ponies turned up, or if they preferred a small group. Personally, if I'd just flown across the sea from the Dragon Islands, I would at least expect three princesses to turn up. One new, relatively inexperienced alicorn didn't do them justice.

"We have prepared your... quarters," Magma said, indicating with a great wing, "I hope you will settle in before we start negotiations."

"Thank you very much!" Princess Twilight stood and led our party. I sighed and followed. Sleeping sounded like the best plan, especially now that the Sun was making its presence felt. "Oh, well, I'm sure we can make this very agreeable." Looking up, I noticed that our 'quarters' were just a flat section of rocks, out of the way of the other dragons, with some animal skins spread across the floor. Considering them, I decided that some sheep were the ones to make our stay the most comfortable.

"Interesting rugs..." Cloud Drift wandered over first, observing the fur warily.

"How about we put up some tents?" I offered, before our Junior Captain could work out what they really were; the dragons would be insulted if the ponies stared being squeamish. Checking the reptilian species, most of them had lost interest in us for the time being - so at least we might have managed a cover up if somepony did protest.

We had four tents between us, which were efficiently erected - primarily due to the versatility of unicorn magic. Back in the Night Guard, it used to take a good twenty minutes to set up the tents, just because everything was more fiddly with hooves - and, unlike pegasi and earth ponies, we always had to be careful not to rip the tarpaulin with our fangs or hooked wings. We were designed for mountains and caves, not fancy material bedding.

Luckily, this gave me the chance to move the furs around a bit, either hiding them or using the ones that looked adequately woolly. It was warm enough down here not to need them anyway.

When I turned around from my work, I noticed that our resident dragon was watching me.

"You worked out what they were then?" He was tall and skinny, standing up like that. Young pale green wings had sprouted on his back, and the spikes that lined his spine from head to tail were becoming more pointed. An adolescent dragon.

"Yeah - I didn't think the others would be too happy knowing what they were."

His emerald eyes narrowed. "Twilight said you were a bat pony, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Not a vampire pony?"

I laughed. Having been asked it so often before, you either had to laugh or strangle the pony who said it. "No, not a vampire pony! Though we are what the legends are based on."

"Y'know, Fluttershy became a bat pony once."

I left my hidden cargo and faced the teenager face on. "You cannot just become a bat pony. If we could all swap our races like that, I would be a unicorn." Everypony would be a unicorn, I thought, unicorns have all of the fun... Heck - what was I saying? Everypony would be an alicorn - with bat wings! A bat-alicorn! A baticorn! Or would it be an Alibat...?

"No - no - really!" He grinned. "A spell went wrong, right, and her brain swapped with a vampire fruit bat!"

"Is she normal again now?" It would have explained the face covering and general nervousness.

"Yeah, she's been fine for years now." He shrugged. "You just reminded me of it, is all."

"Good, well..." We stood awkwardly at the side of our camp, rocks to one side, tents to the other. "If you don't mind, I might sleep for a bit now that our 'quarters' are set up, so..."

"Sure thing," he turned, letting me past, "good night, or is it good morning?"

I smiled, "In the Cave Tongue, we say -" I made a clicking sound followed by a slow hiss, "- which translates as delicious slumber."

"Then, um... cluc - ckliz - cluss?"

"Brilliant - we'll have you conversing fluently by the end of the week!" I smiled and turned into the nearest tent. There were four spread out, so I figured that nopony would mind me claiming the one on the end - it had my saddle bags in it already. Taking a minute to bandage the worst of my cuts, I decided that this was going to be a fairly relaxing trip. With the initiation was out of the way, I was planning to stay out of the way while the Princess of Friendship worked out the details. With her around, I would hardly need to settle any disputes at all - as well as there being a dragon who could also act as middle ground. My time here was looking decidedly easy.

Curling up of the sheep skin I had procured for myself, I settled down for a well earned nap.

All good things had to come to an end, I found out. It was the third time I'd woken up to the sound of gossiping ponies, so I finally gave up and went to see what they were talking about.

Outside, the Sun was now high in the sky, far hotter than it had been in Canterlot. A sinking feeling grabbed hold of my stomach and pulled it towards the ground as I realised that I'd left my sunglasses in Canterlot. I'd forgotten that I'd be needing them.

On the floor, the princess had a book spread out in front of her while she chatted to her nervous friend and her dragon. The two guards stood a little way off, talking between each other. Funnily enough, when she was with the princess, Fluttershy seemed much more willing to talk. Crowds must have frightened her.

"Isn't this fascinating? Dragons have been migrating to Equestria regularly for centuries, but this is the first diplomatic mission to set up a lasting bond between the species. You'd think somepony would have tried this before."

"We've had relations with them," I butted in, sitting on the ground so that I was next to Spike. The pegasus managed not to squeal, and gave me a polite smile while looking determinedly in the opposite direction.

"Of course," the princess smiled, "that's why Princess Luna suggested you."

"Only after the dragons insisted that an impartial bat pony was present," the purple dragon butted-in, "three days before the summit!"

"It was all rather disorganised..." Princess Twilight admitted. "We barely made it down from the Crystal Empire in time!"

"It would have been nice to stay for a bit longer..." Fluttershy said, her voice unnaturally quiet - not that this was a problem for my oversized ears. "We don't get to see Cadence or your brother very often."

"No, or my niece..." The alicorn flushed with pride. "She really liked you, Spike."

"I know..." he huffed, stretching out his claws from where he lay on the floor.

"You used to be just like that..." she reminisced, causing the dragon's scales to flash scarlet. We laughed at him, the only way mares can when a stallion is outnumbered. Talking about outnumbered...

"So, Princess, where are the rest of your... friends?" I asked, thinking it might be rude to call them her groupies.

"Oh, they couldn't make it; it was very short notice." She said. "And you don't have to call me 'princess' - Twilight is fine."

"You would never have pulled AJ away from her family reunion - even if this had been planned for months." Spike pointed out.

"It was unfortunate that Rarity got such a big commission... well - not unfortunate - I mean, she loves the work, but, well-" Fluttershy mumbled, trailing off as she went.

"It's just a shame she didn't hear about it until a week before the dresses were needed." Twilight finished, nodding in agreement.

"A shame? I think it's a shame we're missing Pinkie's New Year party!" Spike protested. "And Dash's big performance with the Wonderbolts!"

"The Wonderbolts?" I asked, amazed. "Your friend's in the Wonderbolts?"

"Yeah - she's awesome!" Spike exclaimed, "Haven't you seen the posters?"

"I've been a little out of the loop lately," I confessed, brushing my mane back, "you know, I had a friend once who always swore he was too good for the Wonderbolts..." I sighed - that shouldn't have been past tense - we were still friends; although I hadn't seen him for a couple of years. "I think he was just jealous."

"Ponies?" A large orange dragon had sauntered over while we were talking, and now stood uncomfortably at the edge of our group. "More ponies have arrived."

We stood up and followed him, coming back to the narrow stairway. Despite the blinding Sun, and the disorientating heat, I found that I recognised these two ponies. A unicorn and a pegasus - the first tall, elegant and very blue; the second was shorter and the colour of sand-grazed rocks. The unicorn's silver mane had been cut back since the last time I'd seen her, and now wore a grey bandanna, similar to her partner's neckerchief.

"Perfect Eloquence! Dust Trail!" I hopped over, getting a hug from Perfect and a hoof bump from Dusty. I'd forgotten that they were tracking dragons.

"Fancy seeing you here!" Perfect smiled, her eyes lighting up like I'd never seen them do before. She hugged me again. If anything, the travelling had made her put on a little weight.

"You still a detective, batty?" Dust pulled Perfect under her wing. She had always been protective over her mare-friend.

"Well, I haven't been fired yet, so..." I snorted, "anyway - I want to know where you've been! Tracking dragons?"

"My goodness, Nocturne," Perfect grinned, "we have so much to tell you!"

To clarify, Perfect Eloquence and Dust Trail were both involved in the Gently Articulate case. Having managed to clear Perfect's name and get her brother arrested instead, Perfect Eloquence had finally come out and gone travelling with her filly-friend. Clearly, having done this, she'd become a lot happier. The fact that all of her immediate family were either dead or in prison also had something to do with it.

"So how is the family?" I asked, having exhausted the talk of foreign adventures. This had taken all morning to get through, so we were tucking into an oaty lunch when I asked.

"Oh, same old, same old," the unicorn flicked her hoof dismissively, "Mother detests me, Enterprise is refusing to talk - but my dear brother has been in regular correspondence; the letters we've been sending have helped a lot." She levitated a laden spoon to her mouth, licking her lips.

"Don't forget your nephew," Dust butted in, her own mouth still full, "we write to him too."

"Actually, do you mind me saying?" Perfect glanced at her filly-friend, who gave a wing shrug and nodded. Looking back at the group (Twilight, Fluttershy and Spike had all joined in to listen as well), she gulped. "We were thinking of adopting my nephew. With Pink Diamond still struggling with my brother's debts, and having gotten little in the divorce, we thought we should take in the colt."

"Good idea." I laid on my stomach, eating straight from my bowl, just managing to pull my head up to speak. I knew the nephew, Quartz Crystal, and he was a lovely colt - it was just a shame about his parents.

"Thought he might want to see some dragons too," said Dust, "y'know - before he has to be in school all the time."

"Isn't that a bit... dangerous?" Fluttershy asked, somehow eating gracefully despite having no unicorn magic.

"Nah - it'd be great!" Dust pushed her bowl away. "When I was his age I was always running off and exploring."

"Sounds like some fillies we know..." Twilight shared a knowing glance with her friends, a mischievous curl making itself known on her lips.

"Loads of foals do, like - I bet you were always doing stupid things, batty."

"Why me?" I protested.

"You're the only pony I've known to fall off a roof because of a butterfly!" She laughed, her nasally snort distinctive. "I mean - really? A butterfly!"

"Butterflies are evil, it's a well known fact." I folded my hooves defensively, trying to cover my racing heart beat. Just the thought of those multicoloured, flapping bas-

Then I noticed the angry teal eyes staring at me.

"Butterflies are wonderful creatures," Fluttershy spoke up, her look earnest, "without them I'd never have gotten my cutie mark. And they're -" I zoned out from what she was saying, taking a second to glance at her flank.

Oh, smother me in strawberries and feed me to the fruit bats.

A cold sweat started under my wings, even though they were still encased in veritable ice-packs. A shaky grin plastered itself to my face.

"- and they even help to pollinate flowers." The most evil pony in existence looked at me, her eyes softening. "Why would you think they were evil?"

My mouth opened, but no sound came out. Swallowing, I forced myself to squeak, "no reason..." and jumped up. "I'm-going-to-meet-some-dragons-and-be-diplomatic-and-stuff. Anyponywanttocome-no?"

I span and tried to fly away, only to end up with a lolloping gallop. My bandaged wings flapped awkwardly at my sides.

As soon as I was out of view, I slowed to a trot, letting my wings drag. Breathing deeply, I tried to slow my manic heart. Hyperventilating while crouched behind a rock, alone, would not have been a good idea. Picking at a bandage, I took my mind off the... things.

When I was ready, I stood and trotted further into the dragons' camp. Having been accepted as a friend to the horde, I had free roam, so held my head up and looked around freely. Cowering and jumping between rocks would only have enticed suspicion.

The entire plateau was surrounded by a rocky ridge, like the safety rail around a foal's crib. At some points there were overhangs which cast great shadows under the midday Sun, however, other than this, there were no other things, like caves, in which to hide from the cruel glare. So I stumbled across the bare earth, squinting blindly. At intervals gems glinted, encased in rock, or piled into high towers where the slightest disturbance would cause a few emeralds or sapphires to tumble down. Between these, the dragons roamed.

In the stifling heat, some were sunbathing, their scales glistening like the precious stones they lounged upon. Others walked between the pillars, sliding like snakes, slinking their way towards unknown goals. Several sat in groups, speaking in the Cave Tongue - these were not native Equestrian dragons, who regularly migrated. The Ruby Horde were considered to be the greatest of the hordes in the Dragon Isles - they did not need to migrate for food, or territory, or warmth. They occupied the largest of the islands - where ponies say lava spills across the ground and the earth shudders with eruptions.

I knew that along with the violent volcanic activity, it was also abundant with wild flora and fauna. Not something you expected when you contemplated the vast dragon hordes - but that's what you get with volcanoes; lovely fertile soil. Amusing, considering that the greenery was something dragons struggled with. They'd much prefer rocks and mines and gems.

Apparently, it was this harsh environment which had caused them to become the greatest of warriors. That, and the frequent wars with the griffons.

So, as I glanced around, now part of the pack, I felt very insignificant. I also thought that the pony reception was poor. I mean - greatest of dragon tribes, only getting one princess. And we arrived late. Even if the meeting was only arranged the day before, you should still have gotten Princess Cadence down - she had her husband to keep an eye on things while she was gone! And Twilight and her followers managed to get a train down from the Crystal Empire - she could have just boarded with them.

When I properly looked where I was going, I found I'd stumbled onto the edge of the nests.

Concealed between two great slabs of rock, the dragon eggs were being guarded. They rested on beds of trees, ripped out of the sparse ground and forced into curling, twisting nests. Mother dragons stalked between them. A dragon did not sit on her egg, as a chicken might. Instead she would protect it closely, keeping it warm with her own fire until it was ready to hatch. It is supposed that the magic in dragon fire is what causes the egg to eventually open, otherwise the shell would remain shut forever.

Obviously, this enticement had led to other magics being used to force open the eggs. Having seen Spike, I could guess that he'd been hatched by pony magic rather than from more natural means - there was something about him which seemed softer and more delicate. Most dragons of that age would still have shown hatching burns, and once they'd faded, a dragon would have scars from various scraps and fights, as well as having a stronger pair of wings. Our resident dragon had been given a very comfortable life.

There were others, like him, born away from the nests. From foundlings and abandoned eggs to other less... honest means. Apparently, there had been cases of griffon raids taking dragon eggs. From there they could be traded through the black-market into the Griffon Empire, free from regulation. Not that this kind of life would lead to hatching - the dormant shells would then be displayed as trophies rather than being reared as family members. I had read about this during a long night without a case to work on, passing the time before Conundrum sent me away. Thankfully, I'd never been faced with one - stepping into the feud between the dragons and the griffons was dangerous enough, even without the life of an egg on the line.

Understandably, the mother dragons were giving me wary looks as I loitered at the edge of their nests. While I had been accepted, they couldn't be forced to like me, or even trust me. I was still an outsider; an outsider who could still do some serious harm.

Hissing to each other, they shot glares at me. Extending my wings and bowing, I turned away from them. I had no business there.

After wandering aimlessly for a little longer, I realised that I was being watched.

The yellow eyes had been on me for a little while, slinking between the stacked pillars, always sticking to any shadows he could find. With the Sun's gaze only just beginning to drop, I was still squinting through the landscape, and could barely make out the floor from the rocks that rose from it. I had walked into a few already.

Having trotted my way into a relatively secluded part of camp, I knew I would have to face this stalker. Waiting for him to jump me didn't appeal very much.

"Nice day, hm?" I said very loudly to nothing in particular, sitting down on the warm stone. "Though a little colder than you're used to, I guess."

Movement in the shadows, and a figure slunk out from the lip of the crater. His caramel scales blended into the rock, but those yellow eyes had given him away. They narrowed as he approached, his pointed muzzle curled in a snarl.

"It's Crater, isn't it?" I asked, assuming he knew Equestrian.

"Yes." He agreed, understanding my speech while being too difficult to comply with it.

"Day to Crater, born of Ruby Horde," I greeted properly. The position of king was not hereditary, so it was unlikely that Crater would ever be King of the Horde, leaving him to accept the lowly title despite being the direct descendent of the current king.

"Day to Thestral."

"I, of service?" Rubbing a leg, I waited awkwardly for the young dragon to reply. He had begun circling me, observing every possible inch.

"No."

"I... uh... apologies," I stood up, facing him head on. "You, desire?" Or in other words; what, in the name of Equestria, do you want?

"No." A lip curled. Smoke puffed from his nostrils. We remained as statues, locked in contemplation.

"You... strong, Drake." I offered the compliment with an incline of my head, attempting to fill the awkward silence. It was true - he had certainly kept up with me.

"You, also, Thestral." After another silent few seconds, he twisted around, stalking back off into off into the camp. His flicking tail was the last thing to disappear around the corner.

Weird.

The Night Stalking and Assault Became Legal

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"Hey, Nocturne? I've been looking all over for you!"

I span around quickly. My skin was still crawling after my chat with Crater, and I was half expecting him to slink out from behind one of the pillars, that scowl twisting around his fangs.

Instead, green eyes met mine as Spike waddled over, gravel still sticking to his front claws having travelled on all-fours. His stubby tail flicked from side to side to keep balance.

"Hey, Spike." Frowning a little, I asked, "Has something happened? You need me for something, right?"

"Er... well - nothing urgent like that, it's just..." His mouth twisted in indecision as his eyebrows curled across his forehead. "Look - you ran off so quickly... so..."

"You can just tell me, you know," I trotted over, "I won't be offended." Probably - unless you've come to tease me about... those creatures.

"It's Fluttershy that's offended." A claw slapped across his mouth. "Sorry, that was blunt."

"Why should she be?" I frowned. That mare really needed to get a grip of herself, I thought - she must have been about my age, while being as shy as a school-filly. How anypony could function in adult life - as timid as that - was beyond me. Unless her occupation was as a recluse, or a hermit...

"She thinks she upset you..." Spike shrugged, "you did run off pretty quick."

"I'm not upset - I just - needed to, you know - go and be..."

"Diplomatic?" Spike laughed, his fangs glinting in the fading sunlight. "I knew it! I tried to tell her, but she wouldn't believe me."

"You knew what?" He didn't reply. Grinning smugly, he began to lope away, dropping down onto his front legs as he sauntered off. "Come on, you little green ball of scales! You can't just - not tell me - especially after saying something like that!" I jumped in front of him, facing him as we walked. "Tell me!"

His mouth scrunched into a twisted line as he raised an eyebrow. "...That you're terrified of... butterflies!" He snorted loudly, laughing from the heart of his stomach.

"I, well - that's - you can't just - you - ah - the - argh!" I continued to mumble, thrusting a hoof at his chest and gesturing wildly. He just flicked it away with a well-aimed claw and kept chortling to himself. Eventually, I gave up and fell into pace beside him, hanging my head. There went my well-kept secret.

When his giggling fit had subsided, he asked, "...Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Come on - I swear it helps. This one time, Twilight needed to-"

"I said no, Spike. I'm not talking." I shook my head. "Look - this isn't even a conversation any more. We have another subject; it's called silent contemplation."

"You'll never get over it if you don't open up!"

Stopping in my tracks, I regarded the young dragon. "Listen here, my persistent little drake - ponies more qualified, determined, and threatening than you have tried to get me to talk about this. They have used bribery, blackmail, and interrogation techniques previously unknown to ponykind. All of them have failed." Holding out my wings, I shrugged freely. "I am never going to tell you."

"I'm bigger than you."

"Huh?"

"I'm not 'little' - I'm easily taller than you are."

"Ah, but, my young pup, you are little in years and lack the knowledge and wisdom which I have earned through - you know - time and stuff..."

An awkward pause followed.

"That sounded so much better in my head."

"Right..."

Returning to camp, I promised Spike I'd apologise to his pegasus friend, but ducked into my tent instead. Well, she did scare me - mainly because there was only one explanation I could think of for a demonic mark like that; summoning a brightly coloured army in order to destroy your foes... They say phobias often make ponies behave and think irrationally, and looking back on it, it was a fairly irrational thought. Nevertheless, at the time it seemed sensible to avoid this winged warlord with cautionary good sense.

Anyway, avoiding the confrontation suited us both - I knew she didn't like bat ponies either; she was just too nice to say it to my face.

Everypony, having completed the trek out here, decided that they were going to bed just as the night was getting started. Wanting to seem equally unsociable, I agreed, and curled back up inside my tent. The two guards were sharing, as well as Fluttershy and Twilight - Spike, apparently being too big, too scaly, and a criminally loud snorer, made it impossible to share a tent with him. Naturally, Perfect Eloquence and Dust Trail had set up their tent nearby, and had also turned in for the night.

However, by this hour, with the Sun finally having sunk below the horizon, I was too awake to settle. At first it was too hot, then I couldn't fold my wings properly - so I removed the icy mittens they'd been encased in. For a while I dozed, until I remembered that my wings were still in pain; due to muscle strain alone now that the ice packs had dealt with the burns. In addition to this, every gash seemed to rub and felt inflamed, and half of the bandages were peeling off. So I lay in the dark, humming soothingly to myself as I picked at the loose end of a plaster.

Back in the Night Guard, there had been five of us in our little friendship group, and on team exercises we'd all had our own little role. It had never been my job to play medic; that was Fang's business. So while I had completed the basic training, I'd been dissuaded from applying my knowledge. It had often been commented that my tourniquets would take a limb off, my compresses would fall off, and that I couldn't tell the difference between an ice pack and one of the drips filled with painkillers. In my defence, it had been a very cold day, and the drip had started to freeze.

At about midnight, I gave up and rolled out of my tent. I'd be exhausted by midday, however I'd grown accustomed to unusual hours. The stakeouts and late night interrogations had a lot to do with that...

By night, the air grew crisp and cool. I could hear mutterings in the tent next to mine - it sounded like the two guards were still awake. A few prone forms could be seen under the moonlight, causing lazy puffs of smoke to rise in plumes. I could roam surrounded by souls, while being in a deserted plain. Smiling, I started a brisk trot. Best. Night. Ever.

I considered what the ponies back in Canterlot were doing. Orion would surely have been on guard duty, or maybe he was shouting at some new recruits, or in a meeting with his superiors - maybe he'd got the night off, and was playing cards with Ghoul. Lullaby would be sleeping, and hopefully Fantasia would be too (along with her coltfriend, but I was trying not to imagine that). My mother would be too, unless she'd had a concert to conduct tonight. It was possible; there was always a lot of work to do around Hearth's Warming. Conundrum, now Conundrum would have been... hm, I wasn't too sure, actually. I saw him when we were working; researching cases, interviewing witnesses, typing reports (it was me that got sent out on stakeouts - alone). Nevertheless, I'd never seen him relaxing. According to what I knew, he didn't drink, he didn't have a family, he didn't go out, and he certainly didn't have any kinds of creative hobbies.

Although, I'd never seen any more of the house (other than the ground floor), so it was possible that the other two levels were devoted to fresco paintings, glass sculptures and carpets made of jigsaw puzzles. Possibly.

Flapping my wings a little, I let the breeze cool them. Deep breaths of fresh air, a glance at the stars - which glowed more brightly away from the city lights - what more could a mare want? Don't answer that - I was already going over the other possibilities in my head.

Twitching, my ears detected a scuffle. Lazily, I looked over, expecting to see the sleeping mass of a dragon.

Nothing.

Frowning, I continued. Must be imagining things, or hearing some nocturnal mouse or something. Looking at my surroundings, I found I'd strayed near the nests again. There could have been all sorts of little noises from there, especially if one had recently hatched.

Another shuffle. A shadow flitted in the moonlight.

Aware that there was definitely something going on, I halted in the midst of towering stone stacks. Peering between the rocks, I called out, "Anypony there? Are you following me again, Spike?" I smiled and looked around easily, despite my heart rate quickening. I'd suddenly thought it could be Crater again. Stars above, he made my skin crawl.

"Helloooo...?" I cooed, beginning to stalk between the pillars, "I know you're there."

All of a sudden, a flurry of feathers leapt out. It careered into me, knocking me forwards. I lay on my front, face pressed into the cold rock by the weight on my back. Reaching around, I tried to grab my attacker - tried to flip them over. They wriggled, knocking away my grasping hoof. A couple of wing beats later and they lifted off my back. Freed, I sprang up - only to be slapped across the face, blinding me. Stunned and blinking back tears, I stumbled back, unable to fly away.

I heard them move - that sudden swoosh. I just couldn't avoid it.

The buck hit my chest. I skidded across the ground, wings grazing. I gasped out in protest. More tears blinded me. Squinting desperately, I saw the streak across my vision.

Gulping down air, I forced myself up. Where were they?

Dull flapping - they were flying! Squinting to the sky, a silhouette could be seen retreating towards the waning moon. With the bright glow around them, I could barely make out a feature - except those blasted wings.

"Hey! Oi!" Flapping desperately, I managed to get a few meters off the ground. Nevertheless, with cramping wings and empty lungs, I fell to the earth cursing.

They were a fast flyer, I had to admit that. Even by now, they were already too far away to catch up with. All I could do was hope that they hadn't caused any trouble while they were here...

As it turned out, they had caused trouble. A lot of it.

Aching and winded, I gave up on my midnight stroll and went to bed, only to be woken up at the break of dawn by an unnatural howling.

"ARGH! NOOOOoooo"

Sitting up suddenly, I whacked my head off of a tent pole. Rubbing my face, I yelped hopelessly. Not only was my head throbbing; my eye had swelled up too, engorging the side of my face. Considering the ambush I had experienced, I checked my chest - two large hoof-shaped bruises sat squarely beneath my fur. Luckily, having dark navy fur covered the worst of it. Picking myself up reluctantly, I wandered outside to where my pony companions where already assembling.

"AAAAHHhhhwaaaaaa..." The wail echoed through the plain, making the rocks reverberate. Fluttershy was covering her ears and staring around frantically. I growled, folding down my own ears. If that buttery pegasus thought it was loud, she should have tried it again with my sensitive hearing. Ouch. I often swore that I could still hear the ringing to this day.

"What's happening?" This was the Princess of Friendship herself speaking - or maybe that should have been shouting - at one of the nearby dragons.

The dragon shrugged, remembering to tell us to stay here while he went to investigate. Considering that I was now an honorary member of the horde, I followed him surreptitiously. Dust Trail, noticing me slinking off, decided that she also wanted to come exploring.

Our path led back to where I had been in the night, just beside the nests. A young female dragon had emerged from the fissure of rock and was now howling to the rising Sun. Beside her a few of the other mothers had gathered, their wings draped comfortingly over their fellow sister. Evidently, they didn't mind the noise as much as the rest of us did.

Carefully, I held out a hoof to stop Dusty going any further, allowing us to hover at the edge of the scene. If we had gone further we might have been trampled by the multitude of talons and swishing tails, all gathering in curiosity.

"Speak of matter." The booming voice rumbled though the crater. Quivering at the new sound, dragons bowed and shuffled to let their king pass. The sobbing mother remained where she was, with her entourage remaining by her side supportively.

"Shame, great shame!" The cry split the air as the weeping dragon bowed her electric blue head.

"What are they saying?" Dust Trail hissed beside me.

"She's about to say why she's upset," I replied, rubbing my mane nervously, "it's really bad; like she's been dishonoured or abused or something."

"Speak." Magma commanded.

"I... Egg of mine... gone!" Whispers and hisses rose from the watching crowds. Much of a female dragon's status stemmed from her ability to rear strong children, and her physical strength. To lose a baby... well... it was one of the greatest fears any mother could face - let alone the fact that, for a dragon, it was more than just losing her egg.

She broke down into fresh sobs, resting her curling snout onto her claws. Another female stroked her cream horns as she shook with emotion.

"Lost?" Magma strode forwards, faster that you would have thought an old dragon could travel. Stopping just before the female, he growled deeply, "... Taken?"

"What's happening?" The pegasus complained. "You can't just translate the beginning and stop!"

"She's lost her egg," I whispered back, watching the dragon slowly nodding to her king, "she thinks it's been stolen." Dust Trail didn't reply. Having stolen various artefacts in her youth for a dodgy art trade, she would have known the severity of the crime (and possibly the price, too). She would also have understood the implications to the ponies acting as hosts.

Because, as much as I didn't like it, as a detective, my suspicions naturally turned to the group of unfamiliar ponies.

Nevertheless, I could at least assume that the blame lay with the winged beast that had jumped me the previous night. Not that I was ruling any possibilities out. Not me. I would never do something like that.

Despite this, unless it was Fluttershy or Dusty, I doubted it could have been anypony in our party. Wait - Cloud Drift and Twilight both had wings too, and Spike. Okay, so maybe quite a few of us could fly. I could rule out Spike, seeing as his wings weren't feathery, but that was it.

"Come on," I hissed, dragging my sand-coloured companion away, "we'd be better off not hanging around here too long." After quick glance back, she obliged and slunk away with me.

We didn't get very far.

"Speak of meaning."

The voice leapt out of nowhere. I jumped in fright, expecting something to attack me. Crashing heavily into Dust - who I suspected was made of granite, seeing as she remained stoically where she was, lowering into a defensive stance. Taking a second to look around, I saw Crater's yellow eyes blinking from the shadows.

"No meaning," I replied, steeling myself. It wouldn't have done to stand there quivering. "I, inquisitive."

Slinking closer to us, he raised a dark brown eyebrow. "Hear of matter?"

"Yes."

A cruel smile curled. "Guard, Thestral - eyes see."

He moved up to my face, staring down at me as his tail swished at my side. I held his gaze for as long as possible, not backing away from the challenge. He glared easily, his pupils thin slits against a golden iris. Looking directly into them, the world around the edge darkened, loosing focus. It was already starting to brighten up, and my eyes were feeling the strain. Yet it was the rest of me that quailed - feeling my skin crawling under his inspection as my folded wings began to sweat nervously. It was almost impossible not to itch - to swish my tail, stomp my hooves, shift my wings, brush my mane out of my face. I resisted, remaining statuesque. Only when my eyes were starting to falter did I turn away, flicking my tail behind me dismissively.

"Day to Drake." I disregarded him, not glancing back as I strutted past. Dust followed me knowingly, walking with her head held just as high.

Once we were sufficiently out of ear shot, Dust pulled me into an alcove in the rocks, hiding the pair of us from sight.

"What was all that about?" She demanded, keeping a wing across my chest to stop me from tumbling out.

"Just a bit of strutting," I shrugged, despite my legs feeling like jelly, "I faced him in my initiation - I think he's taken against me."

"I'm not stupid, batty," Dust roughly pressed me further into the rock, "you're planning a rematch! Dragons don't just pretend to be strong; they prove it!"

"It's not that," I said, pushing her wing away from my throat, "he wanted to know what we were doing - why we were here. Look, Dust, I don't know about the other dragons, but that one certainly thinks it was one of us ponies who took that egg. He told me to be on my guard - said that there are already rumours - suspicions - that it was us. Eyes see - it literally translates as 'suspect the obvious'."

"But we didn't do it. No pony would be that stupid." Dust released me and continued the trot back to camp. Gasping, I ran after her. "We'll be fine, batty - there's no proof."

"That means nothing!" I exclaimed. "One of their eggs was stolen! They aren't going to carefully check our tents, or interview us! They'll demand it back and if we don't provide... Well, the negotiations are over either way - but to have actually taken it would be... it would be like - like dishonouring them - the ultimate insult! We'd be lucky if they didn't declare war!"

We came into the clearing of our camp. There the ponies stood silently, staring as Dust and I entered. They had heard every word - and so had the dragons guarding them.

"Not that I'm suggesting a war would be the best solution..." I murmured, slowing to a halt. "Do you... know what happened?"

"I translated everything I could hear... which was most of it." Perfect Eloquence replied; her special talent was being able to fluently speak the languages of several different species. I, naturally, was very, very jealous.

"It won't come to war," Twilight spoke up, rather optimistically if you ask me, "we simply offer to have our belongings searched, admit where we were last night, and be completely honest. Most of us shared a tent, so we have somepony to speak for us."

"And if they still don't trust us, you could offer to find the thief, couldn't you, Nocturne?" Perfect suggested, smiling confidently. "You managed to clear me of murder - I'm sure you could catch an egg thief."

"That was entirely different!" I complained jabbing a hoof at Perfect. When all she did was raise an eyebrow, I gasped, infuriated. "Look, it'd be like the difference between tracking a dragon and tracking a hydra! They're not the same thing!"

"But both are very easy to track," Dust spoke up, "so what's the problem, batty?"

"I, well... the differences..." I sighed and sat down, whining, "....but it's my week off..."

"Wait - you're a detective? Awesome!" Spike grinned excitedly; no one else followed suit.

"A private detective," I elaborated, "anyway, the dragons won't want me snooping into their business. They wouldn't want me to be working." Because even dragons understood the importance of a holiday.

"I'll just talk to them," Twilight said, her face turning hard-set with determination, "these negotiations are about working together for the good of both species - this is a brilliant way to build trust and understanding." With that she turned and cantered away, passing our dragon guards who watched on, dumbfounded. The royal bodyguards followed their princess' lead once they remembered what they were here to do. Running towards an enraged dragon king could be very dangerous, and a pony princess as powerful as Twilight couldn't possibly look after herself...

"Theft isn't a team building exercise!" I called after her retreating form. No use - she was a stubborn mare at times. Sighing for the second time, I stood up again and looked at Spike, "We'd better follow them, little drake - as inter-species ambassadors, it is our duty to maintain the peace." With that I turned and sloped along, dragging my hooves dejectedly. I didn't bother to make sure Spike was following.

Nothing was ever going to go to plan, was it?

Sneaking Suspicions

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"Excuse me, Princess of Ponies; I have an urgent matter which must be seen to."

Magma, when out of his boiling pool, was a large dragon. Really, I should have used the word massive or enormous - however, they would have made him sound fat, which he certainly wasn't. Inevitably, at that scale, he lumbered rather than walked, and the ground shook when he moved and spoke - but he still wasn't fat. It wasn't exactly muscle that made him so big either... so I settled on the theory that dragons were made great by power rather than food.

What I'm trying to explain is that this dragon king was imposing.

Despite this, Princess Twilight Sparkle decided to fly up to his eye-level as he was turning away.

Obediently, though obviously shaking, Cloud Drift followed her upwards - leaving Iron Discipline to remain on the floor, shuffling nervously. He was probably hoping that he wouldn't be trodden on.

"Please, Lord Magma," Twilight petitioned, "I think that we may be able to help you!"

"This is a matter for dragons." Magma replied, remaining polite while hiding the strain in his voice. "Your... cooperation will be required; nevertheless, we have this under control."

"I understand what has happened," she continued, either not taking the hints or ignoring them, "and I know that we must be your suspects - but we want to help. The bat pony, Nocturne, is a trained detective - she could really help you!"

"Now... I wouldn't exactly say I was a trained detective..." I spoke up as Spike and I drew close.

The great king regarded the princess before turning his gaze downwards. Slowly, his white eyes blinked. He hadn't gotten this far by ignoring opportunities.

"Search of Equus." He commanded; two nearby dragons flew off. I just hoped that the other ponies didn't protest.

Spike raised an eyebrow while Junior Captain Discipline demanded to know what had been said.

"He's asked them to search our things," I muttered quietly, keeping an eye on Magma, "hopefully, when they see we don't have it they'll believe us."

Before waiting for his minions to return, Magma turned to the Princess again, asking, "Last night, where was the Princess of Ponies?"

"I was in my tent, sleeping." She replied evenly. "I was sharing with my friend Fluttershy. Neither of us got up during the night, though we were kept awake by the sound of Spike snoring - so I'm certain he didn't get up either." Spike blushed next to me, keeping quiet. It was at least an alibi - however flimsy.

"And, pony guard, where where you?" He addressed Cloud Drift, keeping his face neutral.

"I was sharing a tent with my fellow guard; Iron Discipline. We played cards until midnight before both going to sleep."

Now the great drake looked at me. "You know what I am asking of you, Thestral."

"I..." I paused - the truth made me sound guilty, while lying to them would be worse! "I... er - I was walking around the plateau alone at about midnight. I heard the two guards in their tent - but I doubt they heard me. Um... I went to bed sometime later - after being attacked on my walk."

Understandably, Magma glowered at me. "Truth, Thestral?"

I nodded weakly.

"Eyes do not see." He warned. "Eyes see shame."

How, in the name of the glorified Moon Goddess, could I prove this? I was the detective, for stars' sake - I wasn't trained to defend my own innocence! Not that a situation like this hadn't happened before - it was just that I could easily find the flaws in being accused of murder. Nevertheless, now - now I'd had every opportunity! I would have been seen near the nests the day before, I was a friend of the horde - so having overestimated their trust, I was out at night wandering around suspiciously, stealing eggs and assuming I'd get away with it.

My brain sparked. "Eyes do not see." I pointed a hoof to my squinting eye, then down to the hoof marks on my chest. "Not of dragon; pains of Equus."

Magma considered this before lowering himself, his broad neck lying parallel to the stone as he observed me carefully. The alicorn and her pegasus meat-shield lowered themselves to the ground as well. Anxiously, I awaited a verdict.

"I am satisfied, Thestral-friend." He raised himself back onto his hind-legs. I released a shaky breath. "Now, tell me of the attack."

"Well," I started, rubbing a hoof through my mane, "I was walking around - I couldn't sleep, you see - and I came to the rock pillars near the nests when I heard this scuffling noise..." I hesitated - I didn't really want to admit to how badly I'd been beaten up. "I called out, thinking that somepony was there - and then they jumped on me. After a quick brawl they knocked me back and flew away!" I resisted adding the word 'coward'.

"You suspect that this is the thief?" I nodded. "Then all we know is that the intruder had wings..."

"I know that they were feathery wings," I added, "if that helps...?" When Iron Discipline gave me an incredulous look I hissed, "They make a different sound." And, yes, I did say this to confuse him. Feathery wings technically do make a different sound - very slightly - then again, why rely on that when you could see the outline or feel the feathers?

"That still leaves many possibilities..." Magma growled into a clawed fist.

"King of Ruby Horde," an approaching dragon announced, "Equus be true - eyes do not see." The orange dragon landed, her stumpy knuckles scraping across the rocks. Her partner landed beside her. Magma glanced down for a second, as if distracted. The ponies around me heaved visible sighs of relief, but I felt my stomach clench a little tighter. A stupid thief would hide the egg where they were staying - not finding it meant very little. On the other hoof, not finding it could mean an awful lot. While the summit was in a pretty deserted corner of wasteland, that didn't make it hidden. A travelling horde of dragons could easily be seen, and an eager pony might see it as their chance to make a few more bits. It didn't even have to be a pony - griffons lived in Equestria too.

No - not a griffon. I raised a hoof to my chest - those bruised were caused by hooves, not paws. If they were, there would have been hefty gashes instead of discoloured swelling.

"Speak of mind, Thestral," Magma commanded, "Speak of matter."

"Well... um..." I scuffed the ground, feeling the eyes settle on me. "Cannot be known, King of Ruby Horde." I explained, reverting back to Equestrian for the benefit of our audience, "We don't know enough - seeing the nest would help, but everything is still down to guesswork, really."

He grunted, "What of treaty?" Unlike me, he clearly wanted this to remain a discussion within the horde. Understandably; he might have decided to end diplomacy, or declare that the ponies can't be trusted, or take us hostage until the egg was returned...

I hoped that the last option was an unlikely outcome. Although, at least I would have gotten a longer vacation...

Shaking my head to clear it of craziness, I took in the reality of the situation. A dragon king had asked me for advice - diplomatic advice. This was why I had been sent here, however much I wanted it to be a holiday. Nopony else would do this - nopony else could.

Warily, I said, "Treaty continues - Equus of service now; tomorrow sees not." Then, so the Equestrians knew I was doing my job properly (and so Magma couldn't back out of my proposal) I added, "We came together to form an alliance; of trust, reliance, and unity; and I think I speak for the ponies here by saying that we want to help you - not out of pity, but as an act of friendship." Finishing, I controlled my gag reflex and considered how much like Twilight I was sounding. If this worked, I needed apologise to her as well, for dismissing her team building exercises. However, she would go up in the list of suspects; Princess Celestia's protégé could easily plan something so overly complicated and risky. Maybe Princess Celestia encouraged her to...

Thankfully, Magma was only able to frown in mild disappointment as the ponies listened in. I knew he wouldn't like what I'd said, particularly as I'd said it in Equestrian, but at least he couldn't have me thrown into the lava pool and covered it up with some poor excuse, like 'insulting behaviour' or 'being a disrespectful bat pony'.

Knowing he couldn't avoid the offer, the great dragon frowned and considered for a second. Around him the dragons hissed to each other. It would be weakness to accept, but a disgrace to refuse. He observed us, and growled to silence his subjects. Raising a claw, he prepared to speak.

"I, Magma, King of the Ruby Horde, accept your offer of service, Nocturne," he glared at me slowly before turning to the nervously waiting alicorn, "however, this treaty must continue - so I ask that the ponies you command focus upon this duty, Princess of Ponies." Twilight smiled and agreed, perhaps realising that this king had managed to do both options at once. Refuse politely while accepting help. It was up to the individual to decide whether this meant he had dishonoured us and disgraced himself, or had gracefully and tactfully avoided the problem completely.

What I did know was that I now had to start working again...

"So this is where it went missing from?" I asked, staring down at the pile of burn twigs, rocks and gems. The cleft in the rock appeared narrow from the outside, despite being cosily shaped into a flattened oval in the centre, with most of the nests clumped in the middle. Mother dragons were able to patrol around the edges while the selected ones would warm the eggs regularly. Dragons do not sit on their eggs - for a start they would crush them, and they would never open even if dragons did weigh less. Eggs are opened by the magic in a dragon's fire, not by simple heating.

My guide had been explaining this as we walked, but as I could see - this mother was not part of the central group, and the patrols didn't reach this far.

"Yes, pony," my guide hissed. He was a young dragon; though you could hardly tell, due to his long, gangly physique and curling horns. However, fully-grown males would never be allowed into the nests - even males in general were rarely permitted in - so the only explanation I could think of was that he mustn't have come of age yet.

"Why isn't this one with the others?" I glanced back at his pale blue eyes. They were shooting back a look that was both confused and condescending.

"Because she is - argh - how would you say? - Lower - lesser than them." He blinked and gestured to the young female. "Sister of ground." Despite nodding, I was carefully trying to remember what this meant. It wasn't a phrase bat ponies normally used. Suddenly it came to me - dragons have their social ranking; based on their age, strength, partner, and - in the case of females - their young drakes. To be of ground made you the lowest of the low. The highest ranks were... of mountain - or of sky in the case of the king.

So as a young, delicate lady-dragon (which was pretty tough, I must say, having seen her), she didn't get the protection of the higher-up matriarchs. She would have to ascend the ranks and prove herself before she would be accepted.

I also now knew why my guide was allowed in here - he was the brother to this mother.

"Where was she when it was taken?" I asked, knowing that she wouldn't speak to me. Even if we were talking in the Cave Tongue, she would never have replied; she glared angrily at me instead, as if it was my fault the egg had been taken. It was clear I wasn't wanted here - even the other mothers were staring at me, and would have eagerly burnt me to a crisp if they'd thought there was good reason to.

"She told me that she was asleep - just over there -" he indicated to the rocky overhang the mother was glaring from, "- and didn't awake until dawn when she saw it was gone." I jotted this down in the notepad I'd borrowed from Perfect, hoping that I'd be able to read the writing later. I'd learnt to write holding a pencil in my wing, or in my mouth during rare and unavoidable situations (like now) - however, both made my writing spidery, inconsistent, and - more often than not - illegible. It also didn't help that my swelling eye was making it hard to see.

"Did someone see anything unusual or out of place?"

"No one has come forward," the brother shook his head, "we sleep at night, Thestral, and our eyes do not see as much as yours - it is unlikely that even if awake my sister would have seen something." I noted this, agreeing sociably. At night, between these rocks, it would have been incredibly dark. Even now, in the mid-morning Sun, it was bathed in cool shade. At least it was a pleasant spot to investigate; I wasn't being blinded half the time. Not that it was helping me find any clues; the thief had been careful - their biggest fault was probably running into me.

"What did the egg look like?"

"About this large -" He indicated a space about half a foot long. "- and black with blue spots - sort of speckled rather than with large dots."

I drew an outline, which looked more like a strawberry than an egg, and tucked my pencil behind my ear. Frowning, I glanced around one last time; there was little disturbance to the actual nest - knowing the thief had wings meant that they had probably just scooped up their prize while flying past. Maybe it was while they were stuffing it in a bag that I caught them - manoeuvring a saddlebag mid-flight was a tricky thing to do; so, under the cover of darkness, they must have thought it safe to stop, secure their parcel, and then take off.

The fissure was narrower here - with two dragons and I, it was a tight fit. My guide stood on one side of the nest, I was at the other, and his sister was perched higher up on the ledge. Knowing I would have to try it for the sake of the investigation, I tucked away the notepad and stretched my wings out. To fly towards this nest from the outer plateau, you would have to swoop down and make it back out; probably flying a little further in, doing a U-turn, and going out the way you came. Flying upwards would risk being seen by the dragons who slept on the higher ledges.

Grimacing, I told my guide I was just testing something, and backed out of the rock cleft. Knowing I'd never make it into the air from standing, I took a quick run up, gritting my teeth as I forced my wings to beat. I managed to get a few meters into the air, gliding towards the jagged gap in the rock.

I didn't make it into the crack. The edges of my wings caught on the rock and I tumbled to the floor, moaning.

My guide asked if I was alright. Shrugging him off, I took to the air, checked that I was aiming for the widest point in the rocks, and tried again.

Seeing I wouldn't make it, I tried to shift position - coming towards it sideways so my wings would fit. Scraping through, I tucked in my limbs, but couldn't save the fur and skin from being sanded away. Once in, I was also unable to flap, and collided messily with the ground.

The blue-eyed drake pulled me out of the twigs and branches, setting me back on my hooves.

"Have you finished... ah - 'testing'?" He asked, raising a feathered brow.

"Not quite," I ignored his protest and trotted back out, hiding the grazes on my knees. The very floor of the crevice was possibly the narrowest - a pony was able to walk through, although possibly not a muscular stallion, and your wings would certainly scratch the rocks on either side. If I was prone to such nervousness, I would definitely have felt claustrophobic.

But for a pegasus to have walked this, they would lose a couple of feathers at least - none of which I could see.

I didn't want to start thinking about the possibilities of an accomplice.

Emerging into the now blinding light, I groaned and turned back to the meagre opening, preparing to try again - knowing exactly what would happen. Perhaps, if I hadn't already been so knackered, I would have been able to do this...

"Hello, Nocturne!" The voice startled me. Glancing about and squinting, I saw the form of our pegasus guard approaching. Perfect. "Everypony's arrived now - Princess Twilight thought you ought to meet them."

"Sure," I nodded my goodbye to my new dragon friend and turned back to Cloud Drift, not trying to follow him. "Hey, Cloud - theoretically, could you fly through there?"

He looked at me as if I was mad, then at the fissure. He flew up a little, taking a better look, only to land again quickly. Possibly because the dragons inside were glaring at him.

"No - maybe a smaller pegasus could - that mare - Dust Trail - might manage. I couldn't."

"Not even if you turned sideways rather than flying straight?"

He considered, and then shook his head, saying, "Still no - that kind of manoeuvring is best left to the Wonderbolts." Cloud regarded me, laughing when an idea came to him. "Have you been trying? You're cut all over, but I can't tell if that's from today or yesterday."

"Yes, I have." I said, matter-of-factly.

"But, sweet Celestia, Nocturne - your wings are as wide as mine!" He held his out to compare. If anything, mine were slightly longer.

"For the sake of the investigation, I had to try."

"You're determined, I'll give you that." He held out a hoof and we started walking towards the pony side of the camp. At first, we walked in silence, until Cloud started whistling carols. I joined in with the descant line, surprised to find that I could still whistle.

"I think we've started out on the wrong hoof, Nocturne," he said once we finished our unique rendition of The Fire of Friendship. When I didn't reply, he was forced to explain. "At first you seemed to be an insensitive, brash, she-devil of sorts - but underneath you're quite the devoted, conscientious mare."

"I think I found the first description to be more flattering."

He laughed. He was the type to laugh easily; making it louder and fuller than was strictly necessary.

"You just like to have fun, but when it matters -" he faced me with a coy smile and soft eyes the colour of the sky, "- you really throw everything into it. I don't think I know any other mare whose brave enough to out-fly a dragon for the sake of a treaty."

"Oh, please!" I shrugged, feeling myself blush involuntarily. "In the Royal Guard I'm sure you meet plenty of bold, reckless mares. I certainly knew a few when I was there!"

"You were in the Guard?"

"A few years - back when the Night Guard was re-established. Don't tell the dragons - I'm supposed to be impartial."

He raised his eyebrows, nodding appreciatively. "That explains your devotion to Princess Luna."

"Again - hardly anything new. I know several ponies who would have acted the same way in my position. Actually - most of the bat pony population would have tackled your friend if they'd heard what he said."

"Princess Luna's important to the bat ponies?"

"Very," I opened my wings out as if to capture the scale of our devotion, "'important' doesn't come close to describing it! Ignoring the whole worshipping thing - Princess Luna was the one to establish a bond between bat ponies and the rest of Equestria; got us equal rights, gave us jobs, respected us and our traditions; welcomed us and protected us. Losing her to the Nightmare... it broke that bond and the bat ponies were driven out in fear and derision. Obviously, some of the more cynical of us blame her for leaving - but more would willingly die for their princess than not."

"I'd never looked at it like that," Cloud admitted, and I suspected there were a lot of things he'd never considered before. Nevertheless, he seemed to be a decent stallion - and had an open mind, which was more than could be said about most of them. "I'm afraid that you'd never sway Iron with that, though. He was a fresh faced guard, straight out of recruits' training when Nightmare Moon returned. I don't think it left him with a good impression."

"When I qualified, Discord was released!" I laughed, shaking my head. "I like to think that I have a begrudging fondness for him." Cloud only frowned.

"But that must have been terrifying!" He said. "I'd just been made an officer - I had to take responsibility and keep the recruits calm!"

"I'm afraid we Night Guards lay outside drinking chocolate rain waiting for you to sort out the mess."

"Still... Discord? He's, like, the Prince of Chaos! And you have a 'begrudging fondness' for him?"

"Anypony capable of conjuring chocolate from the sky has my appreciation." I shrugged. "He's just misunderstood."

"He got the princesses kidnapped!"

I froze. Carefully, I glared at Cloud. "Are you just slandering him? This can't be true - I'd have heard." When he started chortling to himself, realisation dawned on me. The Summer Sun Celebration - Discord got Princess Luna kidnapped (and Celestia, less importantly)! We'd never been told when they returned - I guess we were just so happy that they were going to sort the crazy sky out. There were too many strange monsters in Equestria; I must have assumed it was one of them.

Discord.

In that instant, a certain chaotic draconequus dropped several places in my estimations.

Finally, we came onto the pony camp just as Cloud was managing to stop giggling like a school-filly. Immediately, I wished I was back at the nests, trying to fly through stone.

"Miss Nocturne!" The screech was as unwelcome as it was embarrassing, and I was forced to wave back kindly, trying to remember when I'd given her my name.

The pink bat pony trotted over from the group, her silver mane bouncing in the sunlight. She didn't even seem to notice the Sun's glare any more. She caught me in a wing-hug, which I broke from quickly. Talk about inappropriate - there was no way that we were acquainted well enough for a hug! I wouldn't even have allowed my own sister to hug me, let alone a mare I viewed as a stranger (or an unhelpful limpet, at best).

"I'm afraid you never told me your name," I stated tersely.

"Oh, it's Secret." She held out a hoof for me to shake. I froze, barely managing to perform the basic motor function. Secret... Orion's new mare-friend. Desperately, I calculated the odds of there being more than one bat pony in Canterlot called Secret - as well as there being another one of them in academic research.

The results didn't look good.

I knew I had to be sure. I would never find the egg if I was too busy worrying about this mare and Orion's honour.

"Sorry, excuse the intrusion, but -" I gulped, letting go of her hoof, "- you wouldn't happen to know a stallion called Orion, would you?"

My panicking heartbeat filled the milliseconds of silence.

"Orion? Yes, yes I do! When I said I was leaving he told me he had an old friend going as well." She smiled while my heart tried to throttle itself with its own arteries.

"Small world..." I muttered, plastering a fake smile to my jaws. Of all the ponies! I had at least thought he'd got higher standards...

"Certainly!" She continued grinning maniacally.

"So... what brings you here - I didn't think your research covered dragons?"

"It doesn't," she said, "but when I heard that the traditions of the dragons and the bat ponies were being observed, I just had to come along. I might have opted out if I'd known about the hike up here!"

"I'm afraid we've already done the initiation," I pretended to look sheepish, "I'm not sure how much you can still get."

"Nonsense - there's still plenty to learn. I can ask you for a start!" With that she pulled her notepad from her bulging saddlebags and began interrogating me. Despite my silent pleading, Cloud Drift smirked and left me to my dull, uninspiring fate.

"I am never doing that again!" I declared as I slumped down in the shade of our tents. Not wanting to miss a thing, Secret had sworn that she was going to find and question Crater. I neglected to mention that he would either only speak in Cave Tongue, or would rip off her scrawny wings and use them to make a fetching parasol.

"Anypony would think you didn't like her..." Spike was stirring a pot of... well - something - in preparation for lunch. Everypony else was with Magma and his selected minions to begin negotiations, desperate to start before relations turned even more sour. Spike and I would be called if any disputes arose. I wasn't even needed to translate in difficult cases - Perfect Eloquence could easily do that instead.

Rolling onto my back, I regarded the dragon. I sighed. "What would you do, Spike, if your... view - of a friend was called into question by their judgement?" He raised a scaly eyebrow at me. "It's just you seem to be full of this friendship and wisdom stuff."

"If you want that, you should talk to Twilight."

"But you know it just as well as she does - she's been feeding you it as long as you've been around her. Celestia should make you a princess too."

Spike guffawed at this. He stopped when he realised I was being serious. "You'd seriously rather hear from me than Twilight?"

"Yeah - I find it easier to talk to you. I always feel thick next to our pretty purple princess."

"But I'm an idiot - so it's alright?" He made it sound like a joke, even though I felt like I'd caught a nerve.

"Clearly not if I'm asking for your advice."

He considered. Finally he pulled out a pair of tortoise-shell glasses and put them on, patting the ground for me to sit on. "Alright - so what's the problem with your friend's judgement?"

"His choice in mare-friends."

"Let me guess - you were just talking to her?"

"Precisely!" I ground my teeth. "He's tall and good-looking (by bat pony standards, at least), and a lieutenant in the Night Guard. He could do so much better than her!"

"Do those things matter if they really like each other?"

"Well, no - but I'm certain they don't. He couldn't even remember what she looked like when I asked him!"

"Okay..." He readjusted his spectacles, then took them off and folded them away, muttering, "I can't see a thing anyway..." After a quick stir of what I could now see was broth, he settled his gaze on me. "I suggest... that you admit your undying love, and see what happens after that."

"What? I don't love him! I just fear for his sanity!"

"It really sounds like you're jealous..."

"Why would I be jealous?" I crossed my hooves and glared at him. "I asked you for friendship advice, not how to ask somepony on a date!"

"Maybe you're just ignoring your feelings?" He offered, holding up his ladle defensively, "You seem to find him attractive, is all."

"So? You must have an attractive friend you aren't in love with!"

"Well..."

"Nevermind," I humphed, waving off his discomfort. "What I'm basically saying is; do I find him a replacement so he changes his mind naturally, or do I persuade him to dump the current one?"

Spike shot me a sceptical frown. "In the name of friendship - you should trust him to come to a decision without your meddling. If you respect him as a friend, you should respect his decisions."

I snorted. It just didn't solve it. Orion clearly couldn't see what he was getting himself into! What if he continued on this tirade of ignorance? Before he realised, he might be about to marry this mare! I could never visit him, because I'd run into her. Any pups they had would be pink and yellow abominations - which simply doesn't work for bat ponies. And she'd never manage the family visits - all of Orion's family still lived in a cave, and their Equestrian was terrible!

"Nocturne? Nocturne - I think you need to breathe." Spike was prodding me with the ladle. I had been sat, staring blankly into the distance, hyperventilating slightly. "Come on, Nocturne! Deep breaths now; in - one, two, three, four - hold, and out - one, two, three, four, five. Feeling better?"

"Sort of." I repeated the exercise. "Thanks, Spike. Just got ahead of myself there." He grinned, and turned back to stirring. I could hear him scraping the burnt layer off the bottom of the pot.

He took a sip from the ladle, wrinkled his nose, and added something that smelled suspiciously of cinnamon.

"Hey - I mean, maybe you're not jealous of her, but them - I'm guessing you don't have a special-somepony?" The sour look I shot him was enough to make a lemon cringe. "... I'll just stop talking, shall I?" He nodded in reply to himself and pretended to be busy with his cooking.

I gave up on sitting and rolled onto my back, shielding my eyes with a hoof. I had meant to add a few plasters to the fresh cuts, but they'd stopped bleeding while I had been talking to Secret, and now I couldn't be bothered to get up. Yawning, I wondered how long I'd be able to nap before they stopped for lunch.

"So... the great dragon negotiations... I'd thought we'd be doing a bit more, you know?" Clearly, Spike didn't do silence.

"I never wanted to do more - this amount of negotiation is plenty for me."

"Yeah, but you had to fight a dragon, and talk to Lord Magma, and now you're looking for the egg! All I've done is set up camp, cook, and ask for translations..."

"Cooking is a vital task of utmost importance-"

"But anypony could do it!

"I don't know about that - I'd forget."

"Then anypony but you!" He humphed. "I just don't see why I need to be here."

"In case things go wrong."

"Things have gone wrong - you dealt with them!"

"And you say I'm the one that's jealous..." I rolled my eyes and looked up at the lanky green dragon; he wouldn't meet my gaze, and stared sullenly into the bubbling pot. "Look, do you want to know something? I haven't dealt with it yet - my only clue is that is was a small pegasus who stole the egg, and even that might be wrong. I'm not used to being in charge of an investigation, even if it is usually me doing the actual investigating. It's only been a morning, and I seem to have run out of leads. If a problem does start, it'll all fall back to the egg - and if I can't find it this whole thing'll go up. My nerves were in tatters before I left Canterlot, and I thought I was going to die yesterday." I put my hoof on his elbow (I had been reaching for his shoulder, but it was just too far away). "What I could really use is somepony to help me. Or possibly somedragon..."

I smiled hopefully, flashing fangs that hadn't seen the Sun for months. "Despite what I've just told you, being a detective is really fun!"

"You can be persuasive when you want to be, can't you?"

"I certainly try."

"Oh, so that's what you were doing - it sounded like moaning to me. If that's how you interrogate your suspects, you'll definitely need some... expert help..." He twisted his lips in a half smile. "So where do we start?"

Another One Joins the Fray

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"So, where abouts have you come from?" I asked, smiling at the colt beside me. He didn't want to be there - I'd snook in before Secret could see me, so I was now squished between two other new additions.

"I, well - I've actually been in the Crystal Empire lately. Unfortunately, budget cuts make travelling a little difficult at the moment, so I've been spending a lot of time there." He gave a nervous smile, asking politely, "Have you ever been?"

"Unfortunately not." He had been an easy-going stallion (until I sat down), the type that could sit back and expected everything to sort itself out. Although, as a historian, I supposed that kind of attitude kept you sane. "I have friends who've been."

"In a way, it was quite pleasant being stranded there for half a year," he mused, "it's a beautiful place - loads of history and mysteries hidden in those lands."

"That does tend to happen if a place is forgotten for over a thousand years."

"Well, yes - I expect you're right." He nodded to himself, then turned back to his bowl of broth. He was an old stallion; his mane was dark grey as well as some of the hairs in his lilac coat, his eyes were lined, his voice rasping. He was probably the reason they'd turned up late. That, and Secret's whining.

"Do you usually work with these ponies?" I asked. Beside me sat a younger colt whose name I'd forgotten, and another mare sat a little removed from the group eating quietly, and, of course, Secret was chatting loudly with Dust Trail to see if she'd met any bat ponies on her youthful adventures. Together, they made an odd bunch, nevertheless, they were all academics of some kind - the young colt studied politics, Secret obsessed over bats, the stallion I was talking to, Chronology, documented historical encounters. The most interesting of all of them was the silent mare - she was actually a dragon researcher. She was probably the only one in Equestria.

"I've often worked with Sombre, here -" I smiled at the colt as he turned at the sound of his name, recalling that he was Sombre Muse, "- and I have had the pleasure of meeting Miss Secret on the occasion."

"So you wouldn't know that mare?" I glanced over in her direction.

"Miss Heat Haze? No, I'm afraid we only met on the train." He sighed, shrugging. "From what I have heard, she keeps to herself, and spends a lot of time travelling. She briefly mentioned a family in Canterlot, but mentioned is all she did."

"Do you have a family in the Crystal Empire?" I asked it to be polite. Having told Spike that we needed more information on what was going on in camp, I suggested talking to everypony to see if they had anything to say. Only we had to be subtle and look out for anything suspicious. Spike didn't do subtle too well, though having now been caught by Secret, I wan't too worried about him giving away our tactics.

It had occurred to me that any small pegasus could have stolen the egg; possibly having been blackmailed into it, tipped off as to what was happening here, or hired to do somepony else's work. If so, somepony in our party would know something, and I was determined to find out who - even if nopony here actually committed the crime.

"Goodness, no. Nieces and nephews are all the family I have, and they all live in Vanhoover. Yourself?"

"Mother and sister live in Canterlot - I'm not sure about the rest of the clan. Last thing I heard was that my cousins were living in Filly Delphia, but that was years ago. My mother would know."

We smiled and fell into an awkward silence. Covering up my lack of speech, I stuffed the rest of the broth into my mouth (which, to give Spike credit, was one of the best I'd ever tasted). With that gone, I got up to leave the bowl with the other dirty washing, and trotted over to Heat Haze.

She jumped as I sat down, settling quickly once she saw who was there. She was a bright mare - a pegasus with feathery crimson wings and a tangle of lime green hair that was too thin to make anything out of. Instead, she cut it close to her jaw and tied back the front strands with fraying string.

"So... researching dragons..." I looked at her, hoping for some kind of reply, "sounds like an interesting job."

"It is."

"Have you been to the Dragon Islands?"

"Yes."

I was beginning to get the impression that she didn't want to talk to me. "Speak of Isles - I desire truth" If she spent so much time travelling and living with dragons, I reasoned that it would be easier if we weren't speaking Equestrian.

"Speak of little - dead lands, scorched - even Great Depth burns." She shrugged and turned back to look at the camp. Her broth lay untouched beside her.

"Much like here, then?" I snorted. "I'll leave you to your musing..." Turning, I settled back into the main circle. A frown plastered my face. Her Cave Tongue was infallible, spoken with the accent the dragons themselves used. I knew I mustn't have misunderstood - I couldn't have forgotten that much. So why was it wrong? And if so, why would she lie?

"That's a grumpy face."

I shot Cloud Drift a glare, giving up when he twisted his appearance into an even more hideous abomination.

"It's my thinking face."

"I like it better when it's laughing."

"Yeah, well..." Rubbing a hoof through my mane, I tried to avoid his gaze. Was he flirting or just being friendly? "Can't be laughing all the time, can we?" I shook my head. "Anyway - how did the first meeting go?"

"Alright," Cloud glanced around at the party, "I'm not sure how many of us understand the politics of what's going on, so it's mainly the Princess doing the talking. The scribes write things down, those two make notes," he nodded towards Perfect and Dust Trail, "and we all try to avoid that other bat pony. Once you get into a conversation, you never get out."

"And you stand there looking pretty?" I raised an eyebrow, accompanying it with the old half smile. Two could play at this game.

"Please - a Royal Guard is dignified and imposing - we leave pretty to the princesses."

"Not among dragons, you don't." He batted at me for that, but I leapt out of the way, tumbling into somepony.

"Urgh - sorry!" I spat out a lavender tail, only to see a pair forest green eyes staring back at me. They didn't quite look angry - it was more a cold grimace. "It's - er - Sombre Muse, isn't it?"

"Yes." He got up so that I could right myself, not offering a hoof to help me. "And you are Nocturne, the intermediate. And the detective." As if defying the laws of emotional ability, his face grew colder. "If this is how you treat diplomacy, I fear we have little hope of leaving here with our lives."

I froze, blank-faced with astonishment. "Why do you say that?"

"If you cannot take this seriously, and cannot find the egg, we will surely be killed by the dragons for this breach in trust and honour." His eyes flicked towards the rest of our party, who had fallen silent after our outburst. "I hope that you realise what exactly is at stake here; although I doubt your ability to do even that, if you are incapable of behaving sensibly."

I do not cry. I get angry, I moan and complain and argue. But it felt so hard, just then, to think of that quick remark - that witty comeback - that easy shrug. Because what he said was true? Possibly.

"At least I... I'm trying - it's just...!" I bit my lip. His gaze held steady, his lips pinned in a line, his jaw set. He could have been a statue. At least if he had been a statue, he wouldn't have been talking, and I could have shattered him in one quick buck. "A little optimism would be appreciated!" I muttered, feeling the blood rush to my face.

"Optimism isn't going to find the egg."

"Neither will pessimism."

"I am not being pessimistic, Miss Nocturne. I am simply stating the facts."

"Why don't you state them to somepony else who cares!"

"Please - Nocturne, Sombre Muse - stop arguing!" Princess Twilight waded in with all of the powers of friendship behind her. Even to this day, I'm not sure how much power that actually was. "I'm certain Nocturne is doing her very best to find the thief, while we will continue with our own tasks. What hope is there if we start fighting amongst ourselves?"

"As an intermediate, the bat pony should not be included in the collective 'ourselves'."

"Technically, yes," Twilight waved a hoof, "but that isn't going to help the situation right now."

"It doesn't matter," I turned away from the group, stalking off into the rock fields, "Sombre Muse is right - I'm not up to the job." I had considered shouting 'we're all going to die' - but I didn't want to leave the princess trying to calm several hysterical ponies. However, this way... this way the thief, or their informant, would think they were invincible - incapable of being caught. And when ponies to get too confident, they start to make mistakes...

I managed to avoid the majority of the party for the rest of the afternoon - it wasn't hard. The plateau was large, filled with jagged rocks and large, lumbering dragons, whom they were busy talking to. It didn't take long for me to find a nice dark corner to nap in. My late night excursion and early start had started to make my eyes sag.

I wasn't just napping. There was still the case to consider; the point of the bluff is to do the opposite, not actually give up and wait for clues to walk past. What I needed to know was whether anypony had a decent motive or opportunity - which could have been everyone, seeing as somepony could have been hired to do the deed, while the pony themselves were still trekking across the Badlands.

Taking a clean sheet of note paper, having napped for a solid hour, I scrawled out everypony's name (including Spike - even though he was helping me, it didn't make him innocent. For all I knew, Twilight could have told him to investigate me). Next to each name, I put down a possible motive. First things first - Princess Twilight... she could have been collecting eggs for her beloved Princess Celestia, or she researching them - the world had heard of the mistakes made in our fledgling princess' experiments, so it wouldn't have surprised me if she wanted to look at a new egg now that she had more power. However, she was the Princess of Friendship... Would she really ruin the treaty for the sake of science?

Next, Fluttershy, the most evil pony known to Equestria... She kept animals - I'd heard Spike say that she'd left one of her friends keeping an eye on them. Would she want to take in a dragon? Heck - maybe one of her animals ate dragon eggs! But... well, she was the Element of Kindness (or had been - whatever happened to those sparkly necklaces?), would taking an egg from its nest be kind? No, probably not.

Spike... In my head, I imagined that Spike would do whatever Twilight told him to do, or, if the emotion spurred him, he would recklessly take matters into his own claws. Taking an egg... could he have been related to it? Would he know? It didn't sound like he'd ever lived away from Twilight, so it was unlikely he'd remember mama dragon - and he looked nothing like the pair of dragons I'd seen. And he would've had to hire somepony to get it for him - because I certainly wasn't attacked by Spike last night. No, he was just as unlikely as Fluttershy.

So... who else... the two guards? They should both have been devoted to the will of their princesses; so they would want these negotiations to go smoothly. Unless they bore our crowned rulers some bitter grudge... Iron Discipline didn't seem to like Princess Luna very much, but she wasn't the main princess organising this, and it would affect Celestia too. Or... or all of the princesses could be together on stealing eggs, have sent guards to cover their tracks, and one of their own to sweet-talk the dragons into trusting us, while they hired a stealthy underling to nick it in the night... Nevertheless, even if that was true, did I want to go against three (or four, depending on whether the pink princess was joining in) alicorns? I didn't think so.

Who next? Perfect Eloquence and Dust Trail. They understood the language, and had done their research - however they were considering settling down to look after Perfect's nephew... would that have constituted stealing a dragon? Perfect had money, so she didn't need to sell an egg, and both of them had seen dragon hordes before - it would have been easier to take an egg there, where they could leave immediately, rather than hanging around the crime scene... but they did have protection from the princess here, and a little anonymity in the group - and Dust was entirely capable of doing it. A small pegasus - strong, quick, and able to do tight aerial manoeuvres - as well as being worryingly fast (I would know; she'd crashed into me once), I could see she was small, and from her time pilfering priceless art, to take an egg from the very edge of a nest... it wouldn't have taken much.

I drew a question mark next to their names; not that I really wanted to follow that up either. I had at least on one occasion accused both of them of murder - I didn't want to make it look like I had some kind of prejudice against them. Although, if it meant finding the egg, I would have accused them of theft quite happily. I preferred to ruin a short friendship than be roasted alive by an angry dragon.

Then there were just the scholars... the problem was that I didn't know them well enough. Chronology didn't look like he could pinch a cookie from an unattended jar, let alone take a dragon egg. Despite that, looks could be deceiving. Sombre Muse... he definitely appeared to have something against the investigation, although, I suspected it was a bias towards my unprofessional approach, rather than finding the culprit. Nonetheless, if his bullying persuaded me to actually give up... it would have helped him stay undetected - except for the fact that everypony had seen us arguing, making him a little suspicious...

So, the final two. Secret didn't seem capable. Full stop, the end - next pony. I shook my head, tapping my pencil on her name. Coming to a summit with dragons was a little bit weird if her area was bat ponies, even if there was a bat pony going - and I had been called up at short notice. Despite this, it was possible that she'd heard about it when I came to the Castle, begged to come along, and had left in as much of a hurry as I had. Even then, circumstances didn't really give her a motive for nicking a dragon egg - if it was to become her own personal translator, a hatchling wouldn't know the Cave Tongue any better than she would. Spike was evidence for that.

Heat Haze... she'd studied dragons for... a few years at least, she lived in Canterlot when she wasn't travelling, and she didn't know what the Dragon Islands looked like... strange, but not necessarily a motive. There just wasn't much information - like the other scholars, all of whom had been invited by the princesses - so they must have been trusted. Similarly to how I got a reference from the Glorious Moon Goddess. Heat Haze would be trusted by somepony, and, working with dragons (though possibly not in the Dragon Islands), she must have felt some affinity for them, or at least known the risks. She wouldn't have been stupid enough take it.

In conclusion, either it was Twilight or the guards acting on behalf of the princesses, Dust Trail acting without motive but all the capability of carrying out the crime, or it was a certain political scholar who wanted to stop me investigating, but didn't have a motive either, and would have had to hire somepony to commit the crime.

Overall, I was no closer to finding the thief. On the other hoof, at least my brain was a little more in order.

Therefore, what would get me more information? Everypony else was talking with the dragons - leaving the camp particularly empty...

I searched Perfect and Dust's tent first. Mainly because I wanted to be caught there the least, making it safer to get them out of the way first. Obviously, if they were sensible, the egg would be concealed in such a way that even the trained eye wouldn't suspect. Thankfully, I hadn't actually received any kind of formal training, so my uneducated eye could stand a chance.

It was a cosy little tent - the canvas material of the tent looked well-worn, and had several patches where the material had been replaced by new, slightly differently shaded, canvas segments. There was also a woollen mat rolled out on the floor, with a blanket screwed up at one side, and two saddle bags stowed in a corner. I lifted up the blanket, finding nothing, and pulled up the corner of the mat, but the ground looked the same as the rest of the sandy rocks around here, so I let the corner drop.

Of the saddle bags, one was grey with little speech bubbles for clasps while the other was a dirt splattered orange, tied together with fraying bits of string. I eased open the grey one first; inside were bags of oats, dried fruit and strips of mint chewing gum. Beneath these were neatly folded blankets and a few documents - nevertheless, they were just passports and a journal documenting their adventures. I would have taken it to read through, but knew she'd realise, so left it where it was in case I found the time tomorrow when talks resumed.

Shutting the clasps carefully, I started work on Dust's bags. Having string was impractical for a pegasus, however, it did mean that they had to be tied in a pretty specific way which involved both your wings and teeth. It would also need to be shut while stationary, rather than during flight, meaning a quick stop... My heart beating that little bit faster, I lifted the flap and peered inside.

"Found something interesting?"

I squealed and sprang back.

"Spike! Don't sneak up on me like that! I thought you were Dust Trail." I glared at him before slinking back to the bag, glancing inside only to find more hay and oats, and boiled sweets instead of chewing gum.

"You'd think, with ears as big as yours, you'd hear everything."

"Only if I pay attention to them." I rifled deeper into the bag, making sure that the things I found went as deep as the bag itself.

"So... you haven't given up?" Spike peered over my shoulder.

"No, that was just a ploy to make the thief more confident."

"I think it just makes the rest of us panic," Spike shrugged, "but I guess you're the detective."

I didn't reply. I couldn't - I had my mouth around the string and was trying to knot it back together, identical to the other flap. While I was down in this awkward position, I opened the other side, expecting to find the same things.

"Does Dust Trail know you're looking through her - sweet Celestia, what are THEY?"

I hurriedly shut the second flap, covering Spike's eyes with a free hoof. "Something you're not old enough to see." I knotted it quickly, feeling the blood rush to my face. "Something I'm sure I'm not old enough to see, either."

"...You're looking for the egg, aren't you?"

"No, I just like rifling through other pony's stuff," I dead-panned, "of course I'm looking for the egg."

"What if it's under that... stuff?"

"Then it can stay there - I'd rather risk the displeasure of the dragon king than look through that stuff" I glanced back down. Spike had a point. Technically, the dragons had already searched our camp - so unless they felt the same shame as we did, it would already have been checked... Nevertheless... urgh. "Spike... could you stand outside, please? Just for half a minute or so."

He looked like he was going to argue, but he stooped beneath the tent poles and slouched outside.

For the record, the egg wasn't in there.

That's all I want to say about my experience.

Following Spike, I came out into the sunlight, blinking against the contrast. With our dragon here, I couldn't really follow my plan and search Twilight's bed, his bed, and the guard's beds. That left looking through Sombre Muse's things - however, their tents hadn't been put up yet, and their bags lay out in the open, where any dragon or pony could see me snooping. It seemed that investigations would have to stop for the moment.

"Want to help me put up some tents for the new arrivals?" I asked. What I didn't specify was that by 'help' I really meant 'do by yourself', because I didn't have the technical skills.

"Sure! How hard can it be?"

Only one of the tents ended up with a sizeable rip in it - and that was in the opening, rather than the roof, so I figured it wouldn't matter too much. There were a few little pricks in the material in some other places, but with Spike having claws and me having hooked wings and fangs, that was to be expected. They would have to be grateful that we'd put up their tents for them, rather than focusing on the fact that they could have done it better themselves.

We had only put up two - one for the stallions, one for the mares - seeing as our little corner was starting to become a quite cramped between the rocks, and the guards had complained yesterday about spreading out too far. It also meant that there would be a witness in each tent to the other's activities. It was harder to keep a secret if you had to include a confidant.

I planned to snoop through them once their personal effects had been added.

By the time we'd finished, Spike was hunched over the camp fire again, and the ponies were just beginning to trail back into camp. Still wanting to appear out of sorts, I went for a walk, ready to enjoy the cooling evening air.

Why steal a dragon egg? To get a baby dragon, perhaps - although that required a mother dragon to hatch it, or a hefty amount of magical energy. Only trained unicorns should really be trusted to carry it out safely. What would you do if you got a dragon? Raise it as your own? Keep it as a pet? Make a circus attraction? It would be difficult to do any of those options once it got bigger and could think for itself. Chronology didn't have any foals, I reminded myself. Not that he seemed particularly broody, but anypony could get lonely and want a little company. Not that a baby dragon was the usual answer you would think of...

So, what if you didn't want the dragon? What if, what you wanted was simply the egg? They would sell for a high price - especially in the Griffon Empire, where the wars with the dragons had made owning a dragon egg a serious status symbol. When I was in the Guard, we went to the Griffon Empire for the last part of our training, and had seen dragon eggs displayed out in the open on mantelpieces or on desks in the houses of the extremely wealthy. We had been carefully advised to say nothing and not interfere.

It wasn't a trade any sensible Equestrian would agree to, so the price in Equestria was much lower. You'd need to be somepony who knew about the trade in the Empire... Somepony who had travelled, somepony in communication with the griffons, or somepony with links to a black-market operating here, which then shipped the goods abroad... my mind immediately leapt to Dust Trail.

"Night to Thestral."

I jumped involuntarily. From behind, a figure approached, their shadow spreading over me. "Night to Drake," I offered politely. By now, I was beginning to suspect that this dragon was scaring me intentionally. Whether to unhinge me or to prove something, I couldn't tell.

He stopped just beyond my right wing. I flicked my gaze over, seeing those molten gold eyes trained on me.

"Speak of treaty - Equus pain or pleasure?" I assumed he had been at the meeting; I hadn't seen him while I was napping - despite him having a nasty habit of finding me while I was doing something important.

"Pain." He shifted. I couldn't be sure if I'd heard him growl. "Pain yesterday, Pain tomorrow." I snorted in feigned agreement. To clarify, he didn't mean that literally - yesterday and tomorrow were simply used to refer to the past and the future. So he had met ponies before.

"Yesterday, know of Equus?"

He slouched forwards, the scarlet spines along his back swaying with the skin. He nodded darkly, lifting a tattered wing. Beneath which, a patch of twisted pink skin showed where there should have been caramel scales, continuing on beneath the surrounding plates. I hadn't noticed it while we were fighting.

"Of Equus?" I couldn't hide the disbelief in my voice. Ponies and dragons didn't traditionally get along, but for a pony to physically hurt a dragon? It was unlikely - glistening moon rocks - it was practically impossible!

"Equus see great mind, know of little truth - Thestral, also." With that cryptic response, he raised a second wing and took to the sky, twisting gracefully into the sunset.

I stayed where I was. The investigation forgotten, I puzzled over what he had said. Even for the Cave Tongue, this answer was particularly ambiguous. Literally, it meant that ponies have great thoughts, but they lack knowledge - as well as bat ponies... but what did any of that have to do with the scarring? Was it inflicted for a reason, but not the right one? But then again, he said that bat ponies did it too... so were we all just blind to the truth? Was I looking in the wrong direction? Did this have anything to do with the theft, or was he just trying to confuse me?

The theft...

If he had been injured by a pony, could he want revenge? I couldn't be sure how old the marks were - a dragon his size... he could be well beyond his fifties, so it could have been inflicted years ago. I shook my head and began to pace. Scales would normally grow back, and despite the scar tissue beneath, it would just take a little longer. Inevitably, dragons' scales grow slowly - it takes a lot of time for them to form and harden back into shape. By the looks of it, some scales had already reformed around the wound.

So how long... and was it long enough to still bare a grudge?

Theoretically, if Crater did have some desperate vengeance against ponykind, would faking the theft of an egg during a crucial treaty possibly make up for it? Depending on who he blamed for the injury. Was anypony here even capable of doing that?

Twilight had the magical ability, Dust Trail the brash and violent past - even the Royal Guards could have done it, depending on time frames. If the treaty failed we would all be in trouble, on the other hoof, if the egg was planted on somepony... they could be framed for the crime, punished, and Crater would have his revenge...

No, no, no - it relied on too many variables. How would Crater have known the pony would be here? And if it was a spontaneous plan, how many things could have gone wrong? Surely, if he craved vengeance, he would actively scheme against his attacker, rather than wait with a patience I was certain he didn't have? And none of this explained why I was attacked last night by a pony. Or why Crater would tell me this, when all of the dragons would know by now that I was the one looking for the egg.

However, like the crazy theory against the princesses, would I dare declare to Magma that his grandson stole the egg? If I did, unless I could prove everything faultlessly, I would be doubted, shamed, and ripped into little fluffy pieces.

With that in mind, if this was Crater's plan, he could ruin the negotiations, the pony that injured him, and the bat pony that had just shamed him in front of his entire horde...

It was worryingly believable...

Chasing Leads

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I needed to follow Crater.

After our meeting, I'd slunk back to camp, eaten, and retired to my tent without a word. Twilight thought it was because I was still angry with Sombre Muse; I knew it was because I needed to think of a way to track the slyest dragon in existence. No point doing it during the day - I wouldn't be able to see what he was doing, while he would spot me instantly. At night he probably slept - so there wouldn't be much to see there, unless it was a possible location for the egg to be hidden.

So where could I watch him easily, in plain sight? Unfortunately, sitting in on negotiations and pretending to be interested in politics was as good as I was probably going to get. I didn't like the idea, especially as the only clue to look out for would be him actively working against the ponies' suggestions, although I didn't seem to have much of a choice.

Before that, however, I intended to see where he slept, so I could go snooping the next day while he was out. Early as the night was, I planned to wait until a couple of hours before dawn - ensuring that most of the living creatures in this desolate place were unconscious - then do a quick fly over, find the caramel and red body, and finally remember where it was for future reference. Simple.

Nevertheless, this all hinged on me sleeping and waking up at the right time. So I curled up on top of my blankets and furs, spread a wing over myself, and settled down for a good snooze.

I should have realised that my body clock was too confused for this plan to work. It took forever to drift off into the land of fluffy pillows and sheep (which, speaking as a bat pony, was a very weird thing to associate with sleep. I was far more used to counting my heart beat as it thumped in my ears, having been hung upside down by my mother with a stern warning to stay where I'd been put), so, by the time I woke up, the Sun was already starting to peer over the horizon, eager to torment bat ponies.

Rolling over, I staggered out of the tent. Only Heat Haze was out in the camp, stretching out her wings and looking out at the rest of the plateau. She hadn't seen me come out.

Not wanting her to notice me, I launched into the air, twisting over the nearby rocks so that she couldn't watch me leave. Everything continued to ache, but I gritted my teeth and forced myself into a glide. A little movement would take the stiffness out of them, I hoped.

The ground flashed by; orange and blue and green bodies curled neatly in alcoves, or yellow and pink and teal bodies slunk between pillars, talking in low rumbles or hissing quietly. Crater continued to elude me. It didn't help that he was the same colour as the dust coated ground.

If anypony asked what I was doing, this was my normal morning routine. Failing that, my story was that I needed to get to know the area, because I couldn't possibly have looked around during the initiation, or any time at all after that...

I turned and went around again, taking it from a different angle. More silhouettes where moving now; it was likely he was already up...

There!

Circling, I moved lover to the ground, aiming for a lip on the edge of the crater. Landing softly, I lay down on my front, sliding forwards carefully. A quick glance told me that no one else was around. It was a secluded little corner - pushed up to the very edge of the plateau, where a rock lip nearly ten feet tall curved over the flat landscape. It looked like there had been a small rock fall at some point, because the ground was littered with varying sizes of boulders and rubble. The perfect place for a dragon bed. The perfect place to hide an egg.

Peering down over the lip - brown scales had been wrapped into a tight ball, with those red spines facing out away from the rock wall, curving out in sharp sickles. In the relative shade thrown up by the cool stones, I could make out the ridge of bones forming his wings.

He shifted, pulling a wing closer over his head. The wound was exposed. I stared slowly - it was a good opportunity to examine it. The newer scales were a lighter shade - closer to sand in colour than caramel - and spread over a large distance. Like this, I could see that they reached from the bottom of his rib cage to the base of his wing. A great slash across his side.

It wasn't a bite mark, unless it had been done by a very large creature with only one fang. It didn't look like a spear thrust either - the shaft would break before a gash that long could be made. Perhaps a sword could have done it - only if wielded by a unicorn, though, otherwise they would have been hit by the wing before the great slash could be made.

That was a thought - the wing would normally shield that part of the dragon. The weapon would have to start at the bottom and then move upwards to the wing, otherwise it would have been damaged as well. Also, Crater was probably flying at the time, or would have to have had his wings raised in defence. If it was caused while flying, it was unlikely a unicorn with a sword would have attempted the attack. Not many unicorns used swords anyway - a quick spell or a spear thrust was often easier. I didn't think that the Royal Guard had used swords for several hundred years anyway.

Perhaps it was a claw slash - but if it was, my first guess would be that another dragon had inflicted it. On the other hoof, Crater hadn't sounded like it was a dragon that had hurt him...

A rumble and another shift, and an eye snapped open.

I pulled back. Pressing down against the lip, I forced myself into slow, shallow breaths. Had he seen me? Would he assume it was something else? Would he try to check? I was a few meters over him - but he could have been tall enough to just look over. I couldn't remember.

Closing my eyes, I waited. Listening, he shifted again. Something scraped the floor. A mouth opened in a yawn. Claws ran across the stone, grating painfully. I flattened my ears, hating the screech.

When I dared to listen again, his wings unfurled. A whoosh and a thump, and the dragon was into the air, propelling himself towards the centre of the plateau.

Air whistled past my lips. I didn't dare move until I saw his figure dip down beneath a fissure.

When I knew he was gone, I went snooping.

Dropping off the edge of the lip, I fell into the scree, trying not to disturb any more of it than I had to. It moulded into an oval, ready to accommodate a young dragon. Surrounding it was a neat semi-circle of larger stones. I leapt into the nest, feeling the lingering warmth as I hooked my wings over a couple of these stones to lower myself in, looking towards the back of the bed.

Directly beneath the lip the ground was black with shadows. Not that this was a problem. The problem was that there was nothing there - just some pebbles worn smooth and a few gem shavings.

Hopping out of the bed, I inspected the surrounding boulders. One could be the egg, disguised by greying, hardened mud. Nevertheless, they were all jagged pieces, beaten and ragged as if layers had been sliced off the corners, rather than being a smooth, ovular egg.

I searched for as long as I dared, soon realising that I wasn't going to find it there. It was possible that he had already planted it on somepony, or that he had hidden it somewhere else - it would have been foolish to keep it so close to where he slept.

I left on hoof, allowing myself to check the surrounding scree field, as well as preventing me from being seen taking off from Crater's corner. Nevertheless, I found nothing out of place, and was soon flying back to the pony camp, preparing myself for a long day of diplomacy...

Stifling a yawn, I glanced around at the table.

It wasn't really a table. We were just sat around the lava pool in a neat circle - although the pony side of the circle was bulging further out from the pool, with cautionary good sense; it hadn't stopped its nervous bubbling yet. Magma took up most of one semicircle - with only two other large dragons to each side able to join him. If other dragons wanted to listen in, they had to find places to perch around us. Crater sat behind the pony half, having claimed a pillar of rock to glare down from, his shadow falling heavily on Twilight.

I sat between one of the large dragons (a long, thin male with lemon yellow scales and lime green fronds) and Cloud Drift. Opposite sat Heat Haze and Iron Discipline - Heat Haze taking the place next to her own large dragon, who was grotesque in mass as well as facial features. Her snout had been smashed inwards towards her face, and one eye had been permanently sealed with a ragged scar. Even her grey scales looked like they'd been beaten into that colour, from what should have been a rich midnight blue.

They had already been talking for what felt like hours. Cloud Drift regularly hit me to make sure I was awake, after which I'd hiss snide comments to him while we waited for some trivial matter to be addressed. Which lands could they claim, would they get citizenship, could they live permanently in Equestria? Twilight, for her part, was a hard negotiator. Due to this, each topic was taking a lot longer than it ought to.

So, what of my own task? Watching Crater for suspicious activity.

Very little to report there...

He hadn't spoken once so far, and his face never shifted from a look of mild displeasure. Occasionally, he had caught me looking, and I had to put on a glazed expression and pretend to be staring at the sky. To be honest, it was becoming difficult to see him. Cloud had made space for me, but we were directly in line with the Sun, facing east towards it. I could barely make out Heat Haze, which was surprising considering how bright her coat was.

"Right." Twilight glanced at the notes Spike was holding up for her. The poor kid had been scribbling them down for her since we started, despite Sombre and Chronology also scrawling out a novel between them. "It is agreed then, that you shall gain citizenship if you have been living and working in Equestria for five years. The Ruby Horde itself will have no particular... territory - with the exception of the uninhabited areas of the Badlands - however, an individual dragon may buy land should they have the currency to do so."

"You are correct, Princess of Ponies," Magma inclined his head slightly, glancing at his selected helpers to confirm their satisfaction.

"I was hoping we'd be able to discuss the creation of trade deals between Equestria and the Dragon Islands next - if that would be possible?"

"Speak of Drake Law." The voice rumbled from behind Twilight. Perfect quickly muttered the translation to her, having been sat beside her in case an interpreter was required.

Crater unwound himself from his pillar, snaking towards the ground.

"Speak of meaning, Crater." Magma growled as his grandson eased himself to the edge of the circle, stopping just behind Fluttershy. He didn't appear pleased by the disruption.

"Yesterday, speak of Equus Law - today, speak of Drake Law." Fluttershy visibly squirmed, waiting anxiously for Crater to move on. Nearby, Perfect continued to translate, causing Twilight's brow to furrow deeply. "Drake not of service - King of Drake not Equus."

Perfect's blue mouth froze, trying to formulate what Crater had said into something more polite for princessly ears. Understandably - Crater had just defied the rule of the princesses! He had refused cooperation. I had my act of rebellion, but I also had to say something - soon - before Perfect got her tongue back and explained it to Twilight.

"King of Equus not Drake," I called out, shielding my gaze with a wing so that I could see better. Perfect had gathered her wits and continued translating. Knowing her, she wouldn't leave out any details in tactful diplomacy once she understood the words. "We keep to Equestrian laws in Equestria - you have your own laws for the Dragon Islands." There was no point in sticking to the Cave Tongue - Twilight knew everything now. You could tell by the way her mouth was hanging open slightly.

"Thestral eyes do not see," He skirted around the circle to me, his tail lashing restlessly. "Yesterday, Thestral great - today, Thestral yield to Equus - tomorrow, Thestral be Equus. Drake see shame -" He bent unnecessarily close to my ear, hissing the last words, "- Drake remain great."

I froze my face into a mask. I needed to remain like ice - at least until I decided what to do.

First things first - he had just offended me - and my fellow bat ponies - and the ponies themselves, having used them as an insult. By rights, I was able to defend my honour, and the honour of my people. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg.

By ancient bat pony law (something followed vaguely in the caves today, but nothing like it used to be, thankfully), I could declare Crater as having attacked my entire race, and entreat my allies to help me attack him. Violently. This was the ancient greatness I could only assume he was referring to. Despite this, there were several problems - we were in Equestria, so obeyed pony laws - we were in a summit of dragons, so should respect their customs (which didn't vary too greatly from the bat ponies, although there were a few significant... alterations) - I was also an ally to the Ruby Horde, so attacking one of their members would offend them, even though they're my allies too.

It was for this reason that Magma was doing nothing. His white eyes surveyed the scene as clouds watched the earth.

So... what to do...

I turned to Crater - thankfully a direction that wasn't towards the Sun - and gave him a cool smile. I didn't have to look around to know that everypony was watching.

His golden eyes adopted the same stare. He wasn't going to back down from what he said. Not just that - he believed what he'd said.

"Then it was a pony that beat you." This was my measured response.

Then I punched him.

With a snap, his head twisted back. The skin beneath the scales turned snow white before flushing with blood. It would be completely swollen within a few hours. So would my hoof, but I was busy pretending not to notice.

"I bare you no further ill will." I turned my back and sat down. A crowd of stunned faces watched me; I wished they were watching the dragon. I was relying on them to tell me if he was about to tackle me into the lava pool. Due to the unspoken rules of pride and posturing, I couldn't glance back - despite this, I preferred know when I was about to be pushed to my death.

"Apologies, Magma - King of Ruby Horde." I bowed my head and spread my wings gracefully. It was important he knew that I didn't hold a grudge against him.

The awkward silence smothered the meeting.

At least it wasn't my gargled screams as I drowned in lava.

"With that... matter... resolved?" Twilight glanced around, trying to read the situation. "Can I ask a question?"

"You just did." Spike hissed, the silence carrying his words across the gathering.

Ignoring him, Twilight said, "What are the dragon laws?"

Nopony replied. Although a lot of our eyes settled on Heat Haze. The dragons wouldn't explain the full grisly details to strange ponies, but Heat Haze would have learnt a few of the basics while she'd been with them. Even I knew a few of the main ones - only I had done enough talking for the moment, and I would just mix them up with the bat pony ones.

"There are a lot." Heat Haze began, noticing the amount of attention she was getting. "The main principle centres on pride and retribution, though. Say, if one was to steal from a dragon, that dragon could steal any of your possessions. A dragon's possessions can range from the skin on their backs, to a gem they collected - even their own children." She continued, answering any of the princess' questions, but I had stopped listening.

Crater wanted to keep the Dragon Law - he wanted it to apply here once we'd left. He wanted the egg thief to be tried by the Dragon Law. He wanted to be able to claim a possession. So which pony would you want to claim from?

"Hey, Nocturne," Cloud Drift whispered into my ear, similarly ignoring the nitty-gritty details, "crude jokes aside; what's it like having a pair larger that a couple of bowling balls?"

"Surprisingly easy."

The rest of the meeting was uneventful.

Well, when compared to punching a dragon, most things are uneventful. Obviously, I had done other things just as exciting - I was in the Guard once, after all. Not that the two guards with us seemed to have experienced such a colourful life. The worst thing I could gather Cloud Drift had seen was Tirek's little rampage - which, while draining ponies' magic, was hardly that destructive. Only Twilight had to actually fight the brute.

I spent most of the meeting arguing with Cloud about this, each of us hissing at each other in clipped whispers. My argument was clear - okay, he was knackered and he couldn't fly, but was it really that terrible? He complained that not being able to do something was, in itself, a terrifying situation.

Unsurprisingly, he told me I wouldn't understand, because I was probably sleeping.

I assured him I had been very much awake.

So he asked me why I didn't consider it my most terrifying moment, as he did.

For a start, like many events in history, the bat ponies were forgotten. Tirek, in his infinite ignorance, had forgotten that we bat ponies have magic. It's less malleable, we have no control over it, and all it's said to do is help us see at night and fly - nevertheless, it is still there. Otherwise, where would our redundant cutie marks come from? Anyway, having been left alone, the Night Guard was tasked with protecting the city - should Tirek try and destroy it. From our vantage point, we could quite clearly see that Princess Twilight was handling things on her own. We weren't worried in the slightest.

So he told me that the Day Guard were worried because we were the ones protecting them - and anyway, if the city was attacked, we'd desert to help destroy it.

He laughed at me when I threatened to push him into the lava.

I laughed at him when I nearly did.

This was when we were getting up for a lunch break. The rest of the afternoon was spent exchanging stories - with the meeting still focused on the dull politics of gem distribution, it was the only way we managed to stay awake. Luckily, we both had a lot to say. Firstly, Cloud wanted to know what my most terrifying experience was.

After a gripping tale about my final exam to become a proper guard, involving an enormous beast we stumbled upon in the Griffon Empire, we naturally moved on to talk about our families. Cloud grew up in Cloudsdale - both his parents worked in the weather industry, and he'd spent most of his time looking after his little brother, Snow Drift. He'd always wanted to be a Royal Guard, but his parents had pushed his brother onto greater, more academical, things, so he was now studying meteorology at the University of Las Pegasus.

I had to admit that my sister was a gigging musician, that my mother was a conductor, and that nopony in my family had even considered university. Sun Dial had probably been, however I was still refusing to class him as 'one of the family'. There was no point; not when Fantasia could have still dumped him, or had an affair, or Sun Dial could have found somepony better.

Cloud told me I should have more faith in my sister. I told him he would need to meet her first before he could pass judgement over my opinions.

He raised an eyebrow at this, making his face look lopsided. That coy smile replaced his normally easy grin.

"Meeting the family?" He sniggered. "Shouldn't I buy you a drink first?"

I was ready for it this time - I could play it cool too. So I whispered back, conscious of the lull in discussions, "Please - I like a lot more than a drink before I let you near my family. They might scare you off."

"A few bat ponies don't scare me."

"Really?" I curled the corner of my lip, revealing a hint of fang. I had just heard Magma mention something about sharing a feast - it made me realise how hungry I was. "Keep talking like that, and I might actually follow you up on the drinks idea..."

He managed not to blush too much. It was possibly unfair to judge him for it - his white coat showed up any kind of flush, while my deep navy hid a multitude of sins. However, I had timed my comment well for him - Magma was just declaring that all of the ponies were invited to dine with the dragons, and the meeting was stating to break up. It gave him time to cool down and think of a witty reply.

I was about to leave with them when Magma cast his long shadow over me, snout hovering over me by several feet.

"Night to Thestral." He kept his voice low, so it only sounded like a small landslide.

"Night to Drake, King of Ruby Horde." I bowed as he reduced the distance even further by sliding into the lava pool. I stood back to avoid the ripples. "I, of service?"

"Yesterday, yes." His white eyes narrowed. Steam rose from his nostrils, although it could have been the bubbling lava. "Today? Today, Thestral fight - Thestral forget duty." Nearby dragons had stopped to listen surreptitiously. "Egg, lost?"

"Yes..." I squirmed under his gaze, trying to remind myself that I was the detective, not this dragon king. "Duty not forgotten - service continues."

"Speak of meaning - treaty not duty, talk of love not duty - lost egg duty." My cheeks flushed, not due to the heat this time. I wasn't flirting with Cloud... and even if I had been, I didn't think the dragon king would notice.

"I desire truth - eyes see truth as ears hear lies." I glanced back at the retreating forms of the ponies. "Duty not forgotten - service continues."

He didn't nod, or look the slightest bit understanding. On the other hoof, he also didn't look like he was going to kill me, or ask another dragon to interrogate me, so that was always a bonus.

"Tomorrow, treaty at end?" I asked. I needed to know when they thought the summit would be over - I needed to know how long I had to catch this thief.

"Day, two days," Magma twisted his snout and flared his nostrils. "Equus continue - if at end, egg lost."

Nodding, I breathed a little sigh. If he was willing for discussions to end before the egg was found, it did at least mean he wanted to let the treaty go ahead. He might end up with several pony hostages by the end of it, but there would be an agreed plan should we stop being hostages (and not start being dead).

"Know of villain?"

"Today, I see not. Tomorrow? Yes."

He managed to suppress his disappointment. With a wave of a dripping claw, he dismissed me. Shuffling away as a respectably hasty trot, I reflected that having Conundrum as my boss wasn't really as bad as I thought, especially when compared to this dangerous dragon king...

We huddled around a large fire. Well, everypony else was huddling - I was reclining a little further away, feeling my wings sweat and my cheeks flush. Winter didn't exist in the Badlands, making the fire entirely redundant. I'd spent years of childhood winters frozen stiff in a cave, wondering when the elders would deem it cold enough for a pathetically small fire.

It was at those times I wished my colony had a resident dragon. Orion once told me that he'd grown up with a cave dragon; his colony lived in the depths of Unicorn Range, which made concealing a fire-breathing beast a little easier. Apparently the inhabitants of Canterlot would have rioted if the Lonely Colony decided to share the mountain with one.

There were other perks to having a dragon. As I was now seeing, they were actually very good hosts.

Very respectfully, they'd found everypony food - flowers from the Dragon Islands for the ponies, a few of their own gems for Spike, and a small bowl of crimson bliss for me, which I wasn't about to question the origins of. That was also a reason for sitting away from the main circle. From my removed position, I was able to take little sips, savouring the metallic tang. The last time I'd been able to enjoy it like this was during my time in the Guard, where any bat ponies received a small monthly ration, sourced from the local colonies. Nevertheless, even there you had to drink quickly or else your so-called friends would drink it for you.

Or your friends would question your morals. Especially when they knew you'd been partly raised on the strict Equestrian moral code - and so had they.

Mealtime arguments like that could keep you occupied for days.

But I digress.

Another reason for spending time with our hosts was that they told brilliant tales. Obviously, I'd heard all of the bat pony folk tales and mythology, as well as the old Equestrian mares' tales. But dragon legends? Great tales of the Horde Wars? Old stories about forgotten dragon kingdoms? That was something fascinatingly new.

Unfortunately, seeing as we were here to establish a union between our species, Twilight began telling a few herself. Not that they weren't good - they just weren't as good as the ones Magma had been telling. I'd also heard them before. Or lived through them.

The statue-ification of Discord, the fall of the Crystal Empire, the banishment of Nightmare Moon... I was only interested when she started talking about Starswirl the Bearded - only for Spike to roll his eyes, sigh noticeably, and tell the gathering that Twilight had a bit of an obsession with the ancient unicorn, and shouldn't be allowed to ramble on about him, unless we wanted to be here until next Hearth's Warming Eve.

"What about the bats?" Dust Trail spoke up loudly, glancing at me. "Surely you have a few good camp fire stories?"

"Well, some really are incredibly fascinating!" Secret spoke up. She was included in the huddle, nibbling at a snap dragon stalk. I had a feeling the dragons hadn't even noticed that she was a bat pony - I had been waiting to see her reaction to the meal, only to be disappointed when she was served flowers like a normal Equestrian. "I have picked up so many different tales from the folklore - like great berry shortage which took place just after the unification of the pony tribes."

Dust shot me a dire look. It was clear that the 'great berry shortage' wasn't the kind of tale she was expecting.

"Or there's always the old legends..." I suggested, putting down my now empty bowl and moving up to the circle. "I'd bore you with the intricacies of our mythology over the Sun and Moon, but perhaps you'd prefer to hear about the legend of Selena and Polaris?"

"Neither of those are factually accurate!" Secret complained. "It's all just fairy stories for foals. We all know that Nightmare Moon really existed."

"Oh, the Moon thing probably isn't," I shuffled closer, dropping my voice, "but Selena and Polaris were real bat ponies - while the story may vary between colonies, they definitely existed."

"Then we would hear it, Thestral," Crater rumbled, his voice drifting from the edge of the group, "when has truth mattered in tales of old?"

"Never," I smiled, putting on the story-teller face I sometimes used with my niece.

"Thousands of years ago, before ponies came to the lush lands of Equestria, there were two great bat pony colonies. One, the Sun Colony, resided in the highest peak of what is now Unicorn Range; the other, the Moon Colony, was to the east, in Foal Mountain. They had been warring since beyond living memory, competing to rule the middle lands.

"However, an elder of the Moon Colony read the stars, declaring that the time of peace was upon them. But how to establish a link between the two? Unlike modern diplomacy, his thoughts immediately turned to his only daughter, the pride of the colony, whom everypony adored. She was stunning - with long hair like liquid obsidian, a slender body the midnight blue of the sky, and silver eyes flecked with gold - while her heart was kind and honest. Selena was her name, after the way her eyes reflected the Moon.

"Well, her father decided to arrange a marriage between her and a respected member of the Sun Colony, in an act of trust and union. His daughter was the only family he had - despite this, he was willing to sacrifice that for the good of peace. After telling her his plans, she consented; desperate for the fighting between them to end.

"However, the night before the ceremony, Selena's lover caught her alone outside of the cave, and begged for her to dance with him one last time. His name was Polaris - a great traveller of undiscovered lands, who knew he never should have won Selena's heart - being considered to have abandoned his colony for the thrills of adventure. Unlike many bat ponies, his mane was striped with pale white bands, and his coat was the grey of the mist.

"Eventually, Selena agreed and spent the rest of the night and day with him, swearing that it must be the last time they ever met.

"Dutifully, the next evening she married Bloodstone of the Sun Colony, who, upon meeting her, fell deeply in love - admiring every quality which she possessed. They returned to the Sun Colony together, and in time she bore a filly, who was as famed for her beauty as her mother - with those gold flecked eyes, a sinfully black coat, and a silver mane striped with white bands." Perfect snorted here and cast a knowing look at Dust. Fluttershy looked to Twilight for explanation, but the purple princess looked like she was flushing with embarrassment. "Selena named her Stella, ignoring her husband's wishes to name the foal after one of the precious gems mined from the mountains.

"Some years later, Polaris came to visit the Sun Colony, and took Selena off into the night. Seeing what had happened, Bloodstone searched for the couple, and on finding them, challenged Polaris to a duel. Discreetly, Bloodstone had hidden a blade along his wing, which he used to kill his wife's lover - for, having seen him, he knew Stella was not his daughter.

"Devastated, Selena cursed her husband, swearing that he had killed what little of her still loved. With that, the mare took her lover and flung both herself and Polaris from the mountain side. Her body broke against the rocks.

"Seeing what he had caused, Bloodstone returned to Stella, who was by now asleep in the morning light. There, he sang to this foal that was not his, explaining what had happened and swearing his guilt before the sleeping filly. With that, he turned his dagger on himself and died."

The dragons nodded appreciatively at the tale. The ponies, on the other hoof, looked aghast.

"That's a fairy tale?" Spike raised a sceptical eyebrow. "It's really grim."

"Is it?" I shrugged. "It's quite cheerful by bat pony standards."

"Three ponies died!"

"Some versions of it have the filly being killed as well."

"That's awful!"

Dust laughed, holding up a hoof. By now, her wing was draped across Perfect's back. "Yeah, but this is one of those dark camp fire stories. It's not supposed to be cheerful."

"I grew up with it as a bedtime story." I admitted. They looked so shocked I neglected to mention that I used it when foal-sitting my niece. Lulu loved this story - mainly because it was allegedly the origin of the first lullaby. "What? Most of the folk music we have is based on these stories! You can't just not tell foals what they're about."

"At least it isn't true." Secret butted in with pursed lips. Clearly, this was a little snippet of bat pony culture she wasn't too fond of.

"Well, they say you can still identify their true descendants by their silver gold-flecked eyes. So clearly the bit about killing Stella isn't true..." I chuckled nervously. "I'll just be quiet now, shall I?"

A Past Long Forgotten

View Online

I took one last glance around, and ducked out of the tent.

Everypony else was out negotiating; I had even sent Spike off with instructions to watch Crater closely. So, with the camp empty, I was searching the two tents I hadn't snooped around yet. I had just finished looking in the stallions' tent, and was moving over the the mares'. As you could probably guess, I found nothing of importance from Sombre Muse or Chronology - heavy bound volumes of previous trade deals, a little light reading, and a surprisingly feminine journal bound with pink flowery paper. It had a messy, though carefully crafted, glittery title of 'World BesT Unkle' - so I assumed Chronology had a niece (or nephew) with a fondness for arts and crafts. Sombre Muse would never have kept something like that on him.

Inside the mares' tent, I found an untidier living arrangement. There was a clear divide between each pony's side, but neither would be considered organised. Secret's side (noticeable by the abundance of pink blankets, doodles of bat ponies, and scatter cushions) was the standard heap of creative disorder expected in a teenage filly's room. Heat Haze, on the other hoof, had left tomes out around her simple sleeping bag, some open, some book-marked. There were even diagrams and maps of the route here. Oddly, it looked like most of it was organised carefully - it was just the books that had been thrown down in a rush. Some last minute revision, perhaps?

Beginning with Secret's side, I carefully turned over the colourful abundance, ensuring that it didn't look like anything had moved. Some ponies could be very particular about their mess.

Except for a few notes that she'd gathered yesterday, there was nothing to worry about. As long as she never published the 'Attitudes of Dragons in Concern with Bat Ponies - written with the contributions of a dragon named Puff', the world would be safe from her criminally naive mind.

Then there was Heat Haze's half.

I opened each book to where it had been marked, and read all of the open ones. What struck me as unusual was that her whole collection was made up of all the books ever written on dragons - so only four ancient volumes by the same writer. I knew they were the only books by the declaration on the covers. Surely, she would have already known all of this information - or would have written a couple of them herself? While it was impossible to memorise everything here, it seemed too much effort to haul them around everywhere she travelled.

The next red flag was what she had highlighted.

Contained on the pages, rather than information on dragons, were scrawled notes or letters. The letters must have been written on a typewriter, but even they had notes squeezed in between the lines and encasing the paragraphs. Before I read them, I inspected the paper. Some of it was old - yellowing and crumpled - others were newer, fresher paper, but equally as battered. Fluid had caused some of the ink to run - instead of being water damage from the elements, it was splodges on the paper. Spots that had fallen from the reader.

I took the newest letter I could find, and unfolded it carefully. The writing, while in Equestrian lettering, was not in that language. Possibly it was some strange way of writing in the Cave Tongue, although I couldn't be sure. The Dragons' dialect, while close enough to my own language, did differ in a few places. Another problem was that I had never seen the Cave Tongue written out in Equestrian. Sounding out the words phonetically didn't work, or at least not sounding them in terms of the normal pronunciations.

Looking instead at the notes, I found that they had been translated; instead they were in the lettering of the Cave Tongue, but written in Equestrian. It would seem that these scrawls were the basic translation. Somepony was desperate for them to be difficult to read - you would need a close knowledge of both languages, not just how they were spoken. Apparently, Heat Haze found it easier to note it out in Equestrian. Squinting closely, I read:

Follow the usual - but stay without being caught. If suspected, flee immediately. If another is suspected, encourage suspicion. If all are suspected, flee at the first opportunity. If you fail to bring it, you know what will happen to her. A reward waits if you go beyond your duty.

I put down the letter, tucking it back into the book where I found it.

There it was - the evidence. Heat Haze was our egg thief. Foolishly, she had kept all of the instructions with her - assuming the code would disguise it from the curious eye. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't expected to have me looking through her things - as Spike had explained, I was a late addition to the party - difficult to plan for.

Nevertheless, I didn't immediately run out into the meeting to declare my findings.

Firstly, Heat Haze would make a run for it. Knowing now that it was her who had attacked me, I knew it would be difficult to catch her if she had a head start. Wait - how did she attack me - they arrived the next morning? I got to my hooves, shaking my head. At the speed she flew at, it wouldn't have been much of an ask to have her fly here and back in one night. I had overheard Chronology say that they had camped overnight in between the train and the plateau - that would certainly make the journey easier. It would also make her look less suspicious if she was still in the middle of nowhere when the egg was stolen.

Anyway, where was I... Ah - secondly - it would be a real help if I knew where she had hidden the egg. Being able to return that was possibly more important than uncovering the culprit. I took a quick second to turn over the rest of her things (so a set of saddle bags and her bed) but found nothing.

Finally, just because she stole the egg doesn't make her the main villain in this piece. There was still whoever hired her to steal it.

Looking at the sheer amount of letters, it was quite possible that this wasn't the only crime Heat Haze had committed. Whether this meant it was always the same people hiring her or that she acted as an agent for hire, I couldn't tell. No - it was unlikely this was even done willingly. I recalled the notes 'you know what will happen to her'. Blackmail.

So who blackmailed her?

They had a knowledge of Equestrian and the Cave Tongue, they wanted the summit to fail, and they needed somepony else to carry out the deed.

I just hoped I had the stomach to confront him.

Before that, however, I needed to find Heat Haze. If she had any suspicion that I was onto her, she would have gone in a flash - it was safer to confront her now, fast, before anything could leak out. I would tell her I knew about the blackmail - that way I might be able to help her, but only if she could trust me not to arrest her. Or worse - I could give her over to Magma.

I was just approaching the meeting just as ponies began trailing back; already it was midday and time for a food break. Perfect. All I would need to do was draw her away quietly, and then...

"Nocturne!" Spike spotted me and waddled over. With a sly look, a quick salute, and a conspiratorial grin, he hissed, "Nothing to report - the mother bird is away from the nest."

"Wait - what, Spike?" I had been glancing past his green scales in search of Heat Haze, but even if I had been paying attention, I doubted I would have understood.

"The target wasn't there." He frowned. "Honestly - what use is being a detective if you don't use code words?"

"Much more straight forwards." It was then that Heat Haze passed both of us, quietly murmuring to Dust Trail. I was about to run after them when my brain caught up. "Did you say he wasn't there? Are you sure he wasn't just lurking behind you or-"

"He wasn't there. Maybe after yesterday he's not allowed back - or he could be embarrassed." Spike stroked his scaly chin with a claw. "I would be very embarrassed if I were him."

Or he could be scheming again.

"Look, Spike - something's just come to me. I'll be back in a second!"

"Wait! Can't I come?"

"Just make sure everypony sticks together over lunch - nopony leaves camp alone!" With that I forced myself into the air, speeding close to the ground. Heading straight towards the nests.

Where would he be? Why would he try something during the day? Could he be stealing another egg, planting it on somepony, meeting with Heat Haze...? Or was he just ashamed.

No, no that couldn't be it. He wouldn't cower - he would prove himself. I may have hurt his pride, nevertheless, that didn't mean it wasn't going to recover. Unless... I was the only pony not at the meeting - no alibi, no witnesses - just my word that I was snooping through the camp. If another egg went missing now, I would be the suspect.

Crater could get revenge on me, ruin the treaty, and still have both eggs completely safe.

What about the Dragon Law? Claim something from the thief - well, that depended on who the first egg was planted on. If both were to be aimed at blackening my name, what would a dragon want from an impoverished, bat pony detective?

"Thestral?"

Catching the air full in my wings, I jarred to a halt. Skidding across the sand and grit, it felt like all of the fur had been scraped from my shoulder.

I looked around for the source.

"Crater."

He crouched low to the ground, his wings raised so that the curled thumb stuck out from his side. I steadied my legs. Any second now, he could leap at me, accuse me of the thefts, confess...

"Mind of mine, pain." Scowling, he drew closer, shaking his head. A mouth opened, closed. Smoke was snorted. This was going to be big. I said nothing, waiting impatiently. His discomfort grew. Frozen like this, I couldn't help but be reminded that, while older than me by decades, this was a young dragon. He had only just broken into adulthood. Nervous agitations, awkward shuffling, regrets - while not commonly associated with dragons, were all displayed on his face.

It had to be a guilty confession.

"There is something I must speak to you of." Crater rumbled, his Equestrian (as I had suspected) spoked with a perfectly refined accent. Despite it being the first time I heard him speak like this, I refused to be surprised. Instead I nodded, waiting for him to admit everything.

"I believe I knew your father."

"... What?" My cool demeanour broke. It wasn't the confession I had been expecting.

"When I say knew, I should clarify that I once met him." Crater tilted his head, observing me in that spine-crawlingly uncomfortable way. "His name was Echo - he was tall, strong; his mane was the deep navy of the Great Depth, yet calm as the surface of a lake, and his eyes the darkest amethyst. I am correct?"

It was my turn to stand, mouth open like a baffled fish, waiting for words to come. He was right, of course - that was my father... but - how would he have known this dragon? He never left the colony to go travelling; he hated the idea. That's why we only came to Canterlot after he died.

"How... how did you - know him?" I fell back to my haunches, rubbing my forehead with a hoof. There were too many confusing thoughts swirling around my head. "He... I mean - I'm sorry - but - he died nearly twenty years ago."

"I believe it was just over eighteen years, actually." Crater sat down with me, curling his tail around him neatly. In explanation, he lifted a wing to reveal that ragged scar, saying, "I was with him when he died." I stared at it blankly, and would have continued to do so until he lowered it again. In contrast, my mind was not blank. To have a scar like that... did my own father do that? Could he do that? I knew him as a gentle stallion - he loved us dearly, even if he did argue with Ma sometimes (every pony argued with our mother). He was afraid of change. That was his only fault.

Nevertheless... he was fiercely protective of us. Maybe he loved us too much.

I was only eight when he died - I could very easily be wrong.

"They told me a manticore killed him."

"It did." Crater shifted uncomfortably. Slowly, despite my vacant expression, I was putting it together. They never told me why he was trying to fight the beast - I guess I just accepted it after so many years - even so, here was the evidence. Crater's wound could easily have been caused by a manticore. A quick swipe of the paw, a jab of the tail, suddenly there's a gaping wound. My father wasn't attacking a manticore - he was defending a young dragon.

"Why... why tell me this?" An imploring look at the dragon in question told me that he probably didn't know himself. "You didn't have to - I would never have known."

Taking a deep breath, he expelled the air as smoke rising from his nostrils. "Your father saved my life. I never gave him my thanks, and never thought I would; I have lived half my life in his debt. Then I meet you." His eyes hardened, transforming to into the bright gems that surrounded us. Grimacing, he continued, "He mentioned a wife, two daughters, from the Lonely Colony - and your appearance is so akin to his. I have spent the last few days trying to decide whether I was correct in assuming you his daughter, and whether I am to admit my past." With the slightest softness to his tone, he faced me, allowing the muscles in his face to relax out of their scowl. "This is all I can do to thank him."

I nodded - I couldn't think of what else to do. My throat felt like it was trying to strangle itself. I was biting through my lip to try and stop any involuntary noise escaping, while my eyes focused off into the distance. There's no reason for this, I scolded myself, he's been dead for years - the only difference is you now have a reason. How can it upset you now?

"Tell me." I blinked and coughed. "Please - tell me."

For a second, I thought he was going to clam up and refuse to say anything. Nevertheless, he nodded reluctantly, and his story went thus:

"I was a young dragon. I had no wings, and had just arrived in Equestria for the first time. My own mother resided in an Equestrian cave while I had been raised in the Dragon Islands, so we were visiting her. However, with my parents wishing for privacy, I was sent out into the valley to occupy myself.

"I wandered into a large forest - having never seen the likes of it on the Islands - and began exploring.

"I wish to say, in my defence, that being a young dragon, raised in the safety of the Horde, on an island so protected that no thought was ever given to dangers, that I was naive. Inexperienced. The thought of something being dangerous in this lush green land was unimaginable. So I took no care for my safety. In my foolish, childish mind, I believed nothing could harm a dragon.

"It came out, a predator searching for prey, and saw me. I confess that I was aware of it; only I chose not to care. I was curious, yes, so I approached it. To me, I assumed this strange beast was a large griffon. It was thin, tattered, and all of its bones showed beneath the fur. Perhaps that is why I approached - curiosity. I had grown up on tales about griffons, and while they were not our allies, I had been told that a griffon is no match for a dragon.

"The next thing I was aware of was that I could not stand.

"No - I could not breathe. I was on my side, numb from neck to tail, vaguely conscious of the wetness growing around me. The pain was too distant to realise. All I knew was that it was stalking towards me.

"Calling for help, no one answered. I had strayed so far from the cave, my parents would never hear me. So I watched this half-starved beast advance on me, still shouting. As a child, it is difficult to believe that some situations are hopeless.

"It was then that the shadows seemed to spring upon the creature. Knocking it back, battering it down, forcing it away. This shadow came to me. I confess, I tried to shuffle away. Anything that could attack this strange creature could easily kill me - or so I thought. Coming closer, I saw that it was the face of a Thestral, as my mother had spoken of.

"He told me not to be afraid, in a strange accent, and that his name was Echo. He was going to take me back with him.

"But he had also ignored the beast, assuming it beaten. In this brief period, it had risen, striking him across his open wings.

"In desperation, I forced myself to his side. His wings carried huge gashes - too large to fly with, although, perhaps they would have healed in time. Not that time was given to him. Pulling me out of harm's way, he instructed me to run - being unable to carry me himself. He promised to follow when the beast was no longer a threat to us.

"Now, while naive, a child knows a lie when they hear one. And so, I knew he did not mean to follow. In hindsight, it would have been impossible. Starving, the creature would never have left us until its death. Your father was hurt too severely to kill it. It was either both die, or one attempts survival.

"Inspired, possibly, by his kindness, I swore I would not leave. So maybe it is not wrong of me to say that what killed your father was his heart being too large. For he sent me away, asking only that I go to his family and explain the events which had taken place.

"In my fear, in my confusion, I did not know the Lonely Colony - I could not find the family. So I lost myself in the woods, until I stumbled out into my own father's anger. I cannot tell you what happened after that. However, I do not believe that you would wish to know, even if I was able to."

Surrounded by rocks, secluded at the edge of the plateau, silence fell between us. It made sense. My father had been out hunting, he didn't come home, and then they brought him home the next night. They could never explain why he didn't fly away. There hadn't been much left to go on.

"I am truly sorry." Crater turned his head to the ground. "You must despise me." When the silence continued, he made to get up. His wings raised defensively while his tail flicked this way and that. He would not meet my gaze. "I have never spoken of this to anyone else, and do not mean to. It is best that this remains the only occasion."

He began to walk away, cursing himself in the Cave Tongue.

Remembering how to move, I freed myself from my frozen statue. Suddenly, my hooves were wrapped around his neck, my wings enveloped him, and I had buried my face under his chin.

"Thank you."

Stunned, Crater didn't answer. All of his body had stiffened so much that it felt like hugging a boulder, only less soft. "I do not understand. I am the reason for the death of your father."

"At least there is a reason." I snorted, glad that like this he wasn't able to see my tears. "If my father thought you were good enough to save, I'm not going to want you dead."

"It feels as if you are trying to strangle me."

"It's called a hug, you grumpy sod." I tightened my grip - I needed to in order to stop myself falling to the floor. "Friends like to give them."

He hesitated, after a second extending his own wing across my back. It was possibly one of the most awkward hugs in Equestrian history - not that that made it a bad hug.

Eventually, he placed me back on the floor, pretending that he hadn't flushed the colour of an over-ripe tomato. My eyes had also turned a similar colour, so I wasn't about to judge him. Stood there, unsure of what to say, I gave a nervous laugh and admitted that I had actually come to accuse him of organising the egg theft. I had forgotten about it until then.

He looked astonished, in his sulky, brooding way. "Why would I steal eggs from my own horde?"

"You just seem to have something against the ponies - it would have been a good way to frame them and ruin the deal. Heck - I half expected you to frame me! The way you seemed to be stalking me around."

"I dislike ponies because they are hypocrites." His lips pursed slightly. "They preach love and tolerance, yet fear a great many creatures, and are quick to remove what they dislike. They lack honour." He shook his head. "I do not wish for dragons to stoop to their levels, but this does not mean that I dislike the treaty. Perhaps it will improve them."

"Perhaps it will..." I shrugged my wings. "Sorry about that - oh, and for punching you yesterday. I was a bit tense, but I think that's all sorted now. Can you forgive me?"

"It seems that after your understanding, I shall have to forgive you anything."

"Then if we meet again, will it be as friends?" I smiled hopefully. For some reason, I wanted to reach out to this dragon. We had argued, fought, disagreed - however, I'd done all of those things with my own sister. Having been saved by my father, I felt that I could regard him as a brother. A sulky, difficult brother who infuriated you; but that didn't stop you loving him. It didn't break that shared bond.

Crater swirled the word around his mouth, even more unused to it than I, before grimacing. "If that happens, yes - we will be friends."

"Heat Haze?"

The mare jumped. Negotiations had finished early, the final documents were being written up, everypony was in agreement. All it was going to take was a signature, and the first treaty between ponies and dragons would be established. That signature was only being given when the egg was found.

"Nocturne?" She hesitated, glancing back at the camp. I had caught her returning in the afternoon sunshine, trailing a little behind everypony else. I made sure I only got her attention while we were hidden by a large jut in the rock. This way, we couldn't be seen or overheard easily, while there was a nice open space in case she tried to bolt.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

"Okay...?" Her posture relaxed, despite her wings tensing. Anything happened, I said something wrong, she would be out of here in a shot.

"What sort of research have you conducted in the Dragon Islands?"

Heat Haze shrugged her wings, attempting to appear as uncaring as the other morning. "Observation, tracking - I've never gotten too close. Just watched from a distance."

"You must have liked to be pretty far away," I said, "big, dangerous, fire-breathing beasts - this meeting must be quite unusual for you." I held up a hoof before she could give a huffy reply. "Because the truth is, you've never been to the Dragon Islands."

As expected, she leapt. This time, however, I was ready. With extra space, my wings unfurled fully. I pulled against the air as she beat desperately. Before she was ten feet up I had caught her, forced her wings down, and wrestled her against the rock. Making it harder for her, I pinned her several feet up, using the hooks on my wings to keep me hanging on the rock face - if she tried to escape, she'd be facing a fall before her wings would work.

Kicking angrily, she tried to disentangle herself. I pressed down a little harder, keeping her face firmly pressed against the stone.

"So... tell me, Heat Haze - if you haven't been to the Dragon Islands, where have you been?"

"Like I'd tell you."

"Now that isn't very helpful, Hazy. You don't mind if I call you that, do you? Good." I readjusted my hold. We'd been taught how to do this in the Guard, so now I had the upper hoof I could have stayed like this for hours. Not that I wanted to - that was the good thing about being a detective; you could chat to the ponies you were accosting. It made the work much less boring. "Let's try a different question. Where have you put the egg?"

Hazy growled into the wall.

"I see this is going to be harder than I thought..." Taking a second to grin slowly, I edged my hoof to a nerve cluster just between her wings. Pressing gently, it causes mild discomfort. Not pressing gently, it makes the wings cramp and go into spasm. Trying the former availed few results - nevertheless, she did squirm a little more, so she clearly knew what it would do. "Okay, here's another one - who hired you, Hazy?"

"I can't tell you that."

"You don't know?"

"Like I'd tell you anything!" She snapped. At that moment, I may have nudged the nerve cluster. I hadn't heard a squeal like that in ages. "Alright! Alright! I can't say. Don't make me. You don't know what they'd do!"

I removed my hoof deliberately, making sure she knew I wouldn't do it again. Not that I loosened the hold - she could still try to wriggle out. "What if I offered you help? Protection - from your employees and the dragons - in exchange for a few simple answers?" No reply. "Look at this reasonably, Hazy - I know you stole the egg, I know somepony hired you, and I know you don't want to tell me anything. However, I also know that all I have to do is call over the dragon king, tell him that you're the thief, and leave you to return with them - letting them do whatever they like with you. I'm sure your knowledge of the Dragon Law gives you a pretty good idea." I softened my tone. "Surely admitting who hired you is better than that?"

"I'm not afraid of dragons."

"Really? We could test that - if you want to."

Exfoliating the skin from her cheek, she shook her head. "I don't care what the dragons do to me - I don't care what anypony does to me. I have more to consider than myself."

"Ah..." I recalled the letter. "So there's her to consider? Come on, Hazy, we were doing so well for a second there. Who is she?"

"... My daughter." Her emerald green eyes closed in defeat. "I wouldn't let anything happen to her."

"She would get protection too," I offered, giving a small smile, despite her being unable to see it, "I have quite a few connections - I could make sure both of you are looked after."

"It wouldn't be enough."

Sighing, I tried a different approach. "You won't let anything happen to her? From mother to daughter, you'd look after her, no matter what? Go to the end of the world, steal, risk your life - anything. Heat Haze - by stealing this egg, you are stopping another mother protecting her child. What you would do for your daughter, the dragon you stole from would do the same - so would any mother. If you don't fear the dragon king, do you fear the mother?

"Even if you refuse to tell me, even if the dragons swear there isn't enough evidence, even if you leave here a free pony and someone else is accused - I will find you, and I will make sure you never steal again. Who knows how many children you've taken? How many mothers despair for lost children?

"How can you ever go back to your own daughter, knowing you've separated so many other families?"

A feeble whimper escaped from the rock. So soft, so quietly, the faintest whisper followed, "They would kill her..."

"And she will grow up motherless if you let her go like this." I took her silence as an opportunity to add, "And if you go on stealing, who's to say that who employs you won't employ her? Do you want her to live like you do?"

Silence cocooned us in our secluded corner, but I was happy to enveloped by it. Heat Haze needed time to think. I turned away. From this end of the plateau, you could look out over the sanded plains that covered the southern half of Equestria. On a clear day like this, you were even able to make out the tiny, snow-capped pinnacle of Canterlot Mountain. To either side ran the jagged mountain ranges, looking like the two halves of a zip, pulled apart and lain bare. The ancestral homeland of the bat ponies.

"I've never been to the Dragon Islands." Heat Haze muttered into the wall, turning her tear streaked face away from mine. "Everything I know about dragons was learnt in the Griffon Empire." I made no reaction to this information - I didn't want to interrupt her now that she was talking. Internally, however, my mind was a-flutter. The Griffon Empire - no wonder I wasn't able to read some of her letters! Who knows what language they used?

"I had just finished university, and was travelling to the Islands - via the Empire. I heard that they had more information on the species, so was going to do a little research there before continuing." She took a deep a breath as possible, exhaling shakily. "They caught me as I was boarding the boat out. Gave me money, promised more - all they wanted was an egg. To a poor graduate, it was hard to refuse. Before I knew it, they had me stealing eggs, not for money, but for my own protection.

"I never had to go to the Dragon Islands. It was safer not to - you weren't as easily suspected. Instead, I was sent around caves in Equestria, to remote mountain ranges in the Empire - I even went to the distant lands of the zebra. I am a scholar, by rights - no other pony knows as much as I do on the subject of dragons. So being summoned here... my employers saw an opportunity. Dangerous, yes - but I guess it wasn't them coming out here."

She stopped speaking. All of her body had slumped where I pinned it. Obviously, suspecting a possible trap, I kept her there. Nevertheless, it seemed I had everything I needed. Smuggling. Griffons working against the dragons (nothing new there) - only they were using this poor mare. Nothing to do with the treaty at all; it was just a good opportunity to catch a large nest in Equestria.

"Where are you taking the egg to?"

"They'll be waiting. There's this hideout on the east coast - I have to take it there. They've been there since this whole thing started. Close enough to know if the dragons leave, and the negotiations end."

"Where's your daughter?"

"Staying with my mother in Canterlot - but they already know where that is. If I don't turn up without good reason - or I don't have it - within a week, they'll send thugs to get... to get her, and they'll - they'll..."

"I know." I nodded slowly, looking around to make sure nopony was watching us. Heat Haze was sniffling quietly to herself. All of a sudden, the situation became more than a little awkward. Luckily, I had thought of a plan by then, so was ready to move on. "Listen to me, Heat Haze; I am going to help you - I'm not promising that you won't be charged, but I'll make sure it isn't in the Dragon Islands, and that you're given a little leniency. But I can't help you if you don't cooperate." I nudged her so that she craned her neck to look at me. "If you try to run away - or don't do what I say - I will find you, and I will give you over to the dragons, and your daughter over to the griffons. Understand?"

Instantaneously, Heat Haze bobbed her head up and down. In those deep eyes there was the first glimmer of hope I'd seen.

"Then listen carefully..."

Time to Catch a Criminal

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"Day to Magma - King of Ruby Horde."

Those great white eyes turned to observe me coolly. It was a few hours before dinner would be served, again as a collective meal, nevertheless, you could already feel the tension around camp - the ponies knew the hospitality would only last so long. They knew they were not free to leave.

"Day to Thestral." He was currently residing in his large lava bath, with all except his curved snout hidden beneath the bubbling sludge. "Speak of duty, Thestral. I desire truth. Today, egg lost?"

"No." I hesitated, keeping one wing over the flap on my saddle bag. The other dragons had dispersed for the time being, so we seemed to be alone. The ponies were in their camp. Finally, I wasn't worried whether Crater was following me or not. "Villain yield - egg found."

Magma waited for a heart beat, rising out of the lava slowly so that he could better glare at me. "Speak of meaning - Thestral guard." There was a dangerous rumble deep in his throat.

"I have the egg - it's here in my bag." I patted it with my wing. "But I can't tell you who stole it - only that they must return to Canterlot in time to face judgement there."

The next few seconds were almost unbearable. "Why may we not know the name of the villain? Do you not know, or would you offer them concealment? I command you to tell me."

"You asked me to find the egg - which I have - and deliver it back to the horde - which I'm doing." Facing him directly, I took a deep breath for reassurance. "Honestly? I'm protecting the thief because they're not the villain." Pausing for a moment, I let him consider this. "This crime was committed out of fear - in order to protect family. I can't condemn that. If you want to know the real villain, I will admit that your horde was the victim of a black-market operation conducted by a group of griffons."

Exhaling slowly, so that steam rose from between his gritted teeth, Magma took his time.

"Griffons?"

"Yes - a select group - nothing to do with the rest of them." Despite saying that, I knew their feud wouldn't be altered through the knowledge that it wasn't the majority; relations were too poor to start with. "And I'm going to have them arrested as soon as possible - hopefully in the next twenty-four hours." I didn't mention that I wasn't actually able to arrest anyone. That was something else I needed to consider...

"I would see the egg." I pulled it out of the bag carefully. As described, it was a speckled egg, about half a foot long, and looked like somepony had spilt blue powder over it. Looking at it in my wing, its colouring complemented my own quite nicely. Magma inspected it closely, possibly to ensure it wasn't fake. "I am satisfied." He drew back, though his eyes still narrowed into slits. "You will return it to the mother, and go about your secretive work. However," his wing raised out of the lava to point at me, dripping molten rock inches from my hooves, "the Ruby Horde will remain in Equestria - with your princess - until we have notice that punishment has been passed on these villains."

"I'll deliver the message to you personally." Stowing the egg back into the safety of my bags, I lowered into a bow - keeping my muzzle a few inches from the sizzling rock. With so much to do before then, perhaps it was a little optimistic to make that promise - nevertheless, if it wasn't kept, it was unlikely I'd have to meet this dragon king again. Hopefully.

I left, only realising later that I'd agreed to leaving Twilight here.

It was a good thing she wasn't the thief.

After returning the egg (to an annoyingly ungrateful mother), I hurried back to camp. Ponies were muttering to each other, clearly nervous. Well, except Secret - but I don't think she'd realised what was going on. Heat Haze sat a little away from everypony else, remaining quietly contemplative; I'd promised anonymity, but had asked Cloud Drift to keep an eye on her. At any rate, I was going to need him if all of this was going to go to plan - there was no way of doing this without him having a slight inkling.

Spike noticed me returning. With a wave of a wing, he came over to me, claws twisting nervously across his stomach.

"What's going on? The treaty's finished, but they won't -"

"It's alright, Spike. Magma's going to sign the treaty." Draping a wing over his shoulder (it was the closest thing I could reach), I forced him lower to my level. "I need you to bring Twilight over - I'll explain everything to you then." With a nod, he waddled off. Moving out of earshot of unwanted listeners, I waited, using the time to put the finishing touches to my plan. I had been going to get Twilight to throw around a little of her princess-ly weight, however, it was apparent that couldn't happen.

"Is everything going to be okay?" Twilight came up beside me, followed by Spike and Fluttershy. I hadn't asked for her. "You've found the egg? I assume you must have, if Lord Magma's willing to sign the deal now."

"I have found it, and returned it - but there are a few... loose ends that need tying up."

Ever the practical mare, Twilight smiled, pulling out a note pad and quill in her telekinesis. "So, what can we do to help?"

"Well... you might struggle to help, personally, seeing as you aren't allowed to leave until the thief and their employers have been arrested."

"We can't leave?" Spike protested. "What about the thief? Why haven't you arrested them already? Who are they?"

I held up a hoof for silence. "Only Princess Twilight needs to stay - I'm going to meet the thief's bosses. Everypony else is free to leave once the thing's been signed." To answer Twilight's confused eyebrow, I added, "King Magma's orders, I'm afraid"

"I guess... maybe - I ought to stay as well then...?" Fluttershy murmured, giving Twilight a shaky, but reassuring smile.

"I'm staying too!"

"Not you, Spike. I need you to go back to Canterlot." His eyes widened accordingly, only tearing themselves from me to receive approval from Twilight. "We'll be travelling as fast as possible, and I need somepony to notify the Equestrian Police Department. Seeing as I can't arrest ponies, it would be very useful to have them on-board." Taking out a slip of paper from my bags, I hoofed it to Spike. "This is where they need to go - there'll be a few angry griffons in need of detaining. I'm relying on you." Beaming, he gripped the scrap tightly.

I had meant to ask Dust Trail to go to the police department, knowing she was fast and imposing. Although - having been an art-smuggler and one-time murder suspect - I decided that wasn't the best plan. Anyway, as Twilight's personal assistant, Spike's words would carry some importance.

"I'll try and return with the official documents as soon as I can." I promised Twilight, grimacing slightly. "Especially as I'm going to take one of your guards away with me."

"We should be fine here, I'm sure. I've never really worried about needing guards." For some reason, at this statement Fluttershy giggled quietly into her hoof. She may have thought nopony would notice (you would assume that; she's quieter that a moth sneezing), but I did. Not that there was time to question it. "But if anything happens to Spike -"

"I know - I get banished to... um, eternal solitude?"

Worryingly, Twilight nodded. "In that case, you'd better start packing, Spike." With a grin so wide it could eclipse the Sun, Spike trotted off to his tent, tail flicking in the air. "Actually, the punishment is being banished to Discord's for a month to learn the values of friendship." Ending on that positive note, Twilight went to check on Spike. At least if that should happen, I would be able to confront Discord on his conduct towards the Glorious Moon Princess...

"Oh, um, before you go -" I held out a hoof to Fluttershy, pushing back my newly-found Discord-grudge and feeling my wings beginning to sweat. Obviously, I regretted saying anything as soon as I opened my mouth - unfortunately it was too late to shut it again. "I think... I, er - I should apologise to you..." When her little yellow face tilted in confusion, I was forced to explain myself. "The other day - when I ran off - that, that wasn't your fault. You know - I just... have a bit of a... a phobia - that's all..."

"... Oh - oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No - no - you're not the one that's supposed to apologise." I grinned nervously, but stopped when I noticed her turning the shade of off-milk. "I'm saying sorry for worrying you, and for interrupting you - and I'm going to leave now so that you don't have to worry about how to reply. Alright?"

"Um, okay... if you say so..."

Before the situation could develop into something even more horrifically awkward, I hurried away to my tent.

I missed the historic event of the first treaty between dragons and Equestrians being signed. To be honest, I'd missed quite a few 'historic events' - I've never been to the Equestrian Games, I did sleep through the changeling invasion (and the proceeding wedding) as well as Twilight's coronation - which, as a once in a lifetime event, I really shouldn't have slept through. Especially as I was meant to be on duty at the time. I'd even missed the final of the Royal Guard hoofball tournament between the Day and Night Guards.

However, on this occasion, I didn't miss it due to an alcohol-induced stupor.

Instead, I was putting the final touches to my master plan.

Heat Haze was going to stay here with Twilight. That way, she could remain anonymous in regards to the crime, but would be under the ever-watchful eye of Iron Discipline. Having her leave with me would be too obvious. It was unlikely that the other scholars would stay too long - they weren't suited to living out here - and Perfect and Dust Trail were hoping to return to Canterlot as soon as possible to adopt their nephew. This meant when I eventually returned with the arrest warrant, the whole business could be conducted discretely.

Before that could happen, however, I needed to catch these griffons.

Heat Haze had given me the description of the hideout, which was actually a small cave located in the cliffs of Horseshoe Bay. I couldn't help but smile when she told me this - something she called an isolated point, I knew was the home of a whole colony of bat ponies. One of my old friends came from there - not that I would find her there tonight. She was now serving in Princess Luna's Personal Guard, and would be resolutely stood outside of her chamber doors, looking as immaculate as ever.

Presently, the rest of the ponies returned. As promised, Spike and Cloud Drift had already packed and were ready to leave. Cloud nodded in my direction, but I held up a hoof, mouthing to him that I needed a couple of minutes.

"How did you do it, batty?" Dust Trail ignored my anxious demeanour and slapped my shoulder roughly.

"Oh, you know - my natural wit and cunning -"

"So where was it?" She grinned. "Did it drop behind some rocks? Did another mother take it? Did -"

"It was disguised as a pillow." I returned her with a wing slap and a mischievous grin while she stared at me uncomprehendingly. "Now, I'm afraid I've got to hurry off - but we must meet up sometime when we're both in Canterlot. I know a great place for lunch where foals can come too." Before she could reply, I jumped into the air and flew over to a certain steel-grey unicorn.

"Iron! We haven't had much time for chatting, have we?"

"Thankfully not."

"Look," I held out my hoof openly, "I'm leaving now, but I need a teeny, tiny favour from you."

"Princess Twilight has already informed me that we shall be remaining here for some time."

"Yeah - while you're doing that, can you keep an eye on Heat Haze for me? She's the red and green pegasus - looks like a tomato and a lime had an unfortunate love child."

"I know who Heat Haze is."

"Good." I put a wing over his shoulder. "She's just staying late as well, and I know she's worried about something - she's just hired me for a job - so it'd be great if you could make sure she stays here, and doesn't leave."

"Why can't she leave?" He picked my wing off and fixed it to my side in a flash of amber magic.

"I need to see to a private, investigative matter which she may have second thoughts about. Seeing as you are such an outstanding Junior Captain, I'm sure I can trust you to keep this confidential..." I flashed him a conspiratorial wink, "because I'm staking out her coltfriend to see if he's having an affair. Heat Haze feels awfully guilty about spying on him - but it's for the best that she knows the truth - so please try and make sure she doesn't come after me. Oh - and give her this. It'll help distract her." I hoofed him the leather-bound book Orion had given me. It would be helpful to Heat Haze, and I could get it back later. For now, I wanted to know that it was being looked after.

He sighed, openly glaring at me. "Okay. But you know I'm not here to foalsit your clients."

"You're the best, Iron!" I hugged him against his will before bounding away. Like a well-trained sewer maintenance pony, I controlled my gag reflexes. I never wanted to be that close to the unicorn ever again, even if it was in the name of honest deception. Luckily, even if he did ignore me, it was unlikely that Heat Haze would try to run away; she may be able to avoid her own arrest, but I had told her I was going to relocate her daughter, without mentioning where that would be. If she wanted to see her again, she was going to need to cooperate. Nevertheless, it always paid to be careful.

With that sorted, I picked up my saddlebags and found Cloud Drift. Together we went in search of Spike.

Twilight had cornered him and was carefully checking that he'd packed everything, while he scribbled furiously a roll of paper. With a proud flourish, he dotted the final sentence.

"Finished!" Spikes emerald eyes flicked over to Cloud and myself. "Can I go now?"

Twilight poked through his bags once last time, levitating them onto his shoulders and tightening the straps. "You haven't sent the letter yet, Spike."

"Who's the letter to?" I quickly asked, spying an opportunity.

"Princess Celestia," Twilight replied, "I was just telling her that the meeting was a success - except for us staying late - but I'm sure it'll be a brilliant opportunity to get to talk to these dragons without the worry of trade deals."

"Could you add a bit on the end to send to Princess Luna?"

"I don't see why not," Twilight said slowly, motioning for Spike to keep writing.

"Um - you want me to dictate?" Spike nodded, quill at the ready. "Dear Princess Luna, it's that bat pony you hired - Nocturne. Could I ask that you spare a few of your Night Guards to accompany an important mission to arrest some dangerous griffons? I'm sure a few recruits or newly sworn-in soldiers would do - it can be a sort of training exercise - along with Lieutenant Orion, please. I'm sending Junior Captain Cloud Drift presently to fetch them - obviously if that's alright with you... you are the boss, after all... But, yes - some guards, please, for tonight, helping catch some griffons, to meet me at Horseshoe Bay ASAP. Yours, with eternal devotion, Nocturne." I hesitated, asking, "Do you think she'd be more likely to agree if we put a kiss on the end?"

"I'm sure it'll be fine..." Twilight flashed a forced grin. I flushed - it wasn't my fault I wasn't used to dictation.

In a burst of green fire (which took me by surprise, I'm not going to lie), the letter disappeared in a flash. I just had to hope that the message made it to the Glorious Moon Goddess, and wasn't now a cloud of ash that Spike had inhaled.

With a quick hug, Twilight released Spike to us. I tried not to giggle at Spike's crimson complexion as he waddled away.

Unfortunately, there was one final person to see.

"Magma - King of Ruby Horde." I approached the giant where he reclined against a large boulder. "We take our leave now - but I will return as soon as equinely possible with those arrests."

He surveyed my small band of followers. "I presume the thief leaves with you?"

"I'm afraid, for their own safety, they must remain anonymous - so I can't say where they are. However, I assure you that they are under the strictest... restrictions."

Scarlet eyebrows frowned deeply, nevertheless, he didn't question my decision. "Then I wish you a swift journey, Nocturne - daughter of Lonely Colony. Sky yield to Thestral."

I bowed low, stretching out the aches in my wings. I had been ignoring the pain, caught up in the thrill of the investigation. I was going to need to ignore it a little longer. "Stars of service to Drake."

We left. I planned to make the walk with Spike and Cloud all the way to Dodge Junction before separating to fly across Hayseed Swamps to the coast. The colts would board the train to Canterlot, fetch reinforcements, and follow a few hours behind - hopefully using a sky carriage, otherwise it would be the next morning before they arrived. If they followed my instructions, Spike would stay with Heat Haze's daughter and mother in Canterlot while Cloud was trusted to lead both the police and the guards to the bay.

This way, I'd have time to take a quick rest, and check out the cave before the others got there. This gave valuable time for planning how to take the cave without alerting the griffons inside.

Simple. Quick. Effective.

Little happened during our walk. Spike bemoaned missing the feast, Cloud told us a few terrible jokes, I went over what they'd need to do. We managed to reach Dodge Junction in an hour and a half, so that we arrived with the Sun still lurking in the sky, and our shadows stretching long across the ground. Unfortunately, their train wouldn't leave for another hour.

After pulling out a handy map, Cloud Drift considered the distance too far for him to fly to Canterlot and back (although Spike could have managed his trip - but his was less than half the distance), and opted to wait.

I took the opportunity to rest my hooves. No point flying across the swamps now if backup wouldn't arrive until the morning - if that.

Occupying himself with a comic, Spike left Cloud and myself sat on a bench together. Cloud was starting to get a little fidgety, like a foal waiting for school to be over while on a sugar-rush. Poor soldiering right there, I tell you. A true guard should remain perfectly stoic and resolute while carrying out any kind of mission - despite the risks, the difficulties, and the time-delays.

"Don't worry - I'm sure a few hours won't make too much of a difference." I offered, nudging him with a wing. My own hoof was tapping incessantly, and I kept opening and closing my wings, but I had the excuse of preventing my muscles from seizing up. I would never fly across the swamps with cramp.

"You said we were in a hurry."

"Only to keep the dragons happy," I shrugged, "the griffons are staying put for... well, we've been here four days - haven't we? - so they won't start to worry for another three - if that; the dragons aren't leaving until we're done - and the griffons won't panic until the dragons leave. So, like I said," I reclined a little further down in my seat, "a couple of hours won't hurt."

Cloud fell silent after a quick flash of white teeth. Maybe he was just a bit put off by having to fly to the coast in the dark.

I turned away from my pegasus, looking over to my right to where the Sun was slowly beginning to set, its cloying rays finally releasing the earth as it slipped beneath the horizon. The sparse clouds overhead echoed the last light, before surrendering to the deep blue of night to wash over them, rendering them as one with the sky. To the other side, the Moon was able to lift up, its silver light bathing the land with its cool gaze.

In these minutes of calm, a horrible thought washed over me. I was going to be back in Canterlot just as my holiday ended. Once the whole matter was sorted out, I could be back by tomorrow evening, and working the next morning. If only the treaty had taken longer, or the egg had been harder to find, or Conundrum had given me two weeks off instead of the one.

Maybe the dragons would let me stay with them for a little longer. I was an honorary member of the horde...

"Hey, Nocturne?"

"Hmm?"

"When all this blows over," Cloud hesitated, facing me with those sky blue eyes. "I was just thinking - we could meet up somewhere? Get lunch, go for a drink - whatever you like." He shrugged, but stretched out a wing to drape across the back of the bench. "It's just an idea."

"Oh?" I leant back, resting a forehoof a hair's width from his escaping wing. "Well, I could be quite busy - being a detective and all." I smiled slowly, relying on the moonlight to reflect each crescent of fang. "But... I might have a free evening, if you're not on duty."

"No, no - evenings are better for me." He ran a hoof through his mane (which was currently devoid of its helmet) "I only do recruit training on a Friday, so I could get away a little earlier. I know a nice restaurant that's not too expensive."

"And I thought you had to leave Canterlot to find cheap restaurants."

"Well, I wouldn't quite call it 'cheap'..."

At that moment, the train finally arrived. It was probably for the better - don't want to get too ahead of ourselves. Cloud made sure Spike got on first before jumping up himself. Both appeared in the window seconds later.

"So I'll meet you outside the barracks on Friday?" Cloud called as the whistle blew - barely being heard above it.

I stammered, having to trot beside the carriage as the train began to roll out. "I - I suppose so?" It started picking up speed, so I gave up running alongside. Instead, I cupped my hooves to my mouth and shouted, "I'd rather see you in the morning with an armed guard!" I knew he'd heard by the way he saluted.

Well. It seemed I had a date with a slightly dense, friendly pegasus.

Considering this, I shrugged to myself, and began to walk the other way down the makeshift platform. He was nice - he liked to laugh (which was very important), he could put up with the fangs, he was also pleasantly tall - though his coat left a little to be desired. I could look at those eyes for a fair while, mind.

With that sloshing about my head, I at least had something to keep me occupied on the flight. Or something to distract me. Nevermind - I could always blame Cloud if the plan went wrong.

It was a long flight over - the air was growing cooler as I approached the coast, and a cool breeze blew into my face as I glided over the swamps. In the moonlight, they were far more appealing than they would otherwise be. Pools glittered white under the subtle rays, trees bent in artistic arches, their leaves trailing like hair to the water. Even the smell got a little better from this distance.

Somewhere - between some exceptionally large rushes, hidden in a canyon, lurking in a deep pool - was a large hydra. Sailing over the swamps, with only a faint shadow cast across the ground, it would never notice me. But I knew it was down there. Every recruit knew it was down there. Not that everypony has seen it - if you do, you have clearance to attack it on sight - if you don't, you spend the rest of the day stumbling around in the mud and the slime hoping it doesn't spot you.

Luckily, I've been told they've stopped the practice of tying your wings down. After what happened to our batch of recruits, I think they had to revise the risks associated with giant, angry hydra.

Slowly, the shrubbery fell away to rushes and reeds and then on to dunes. Soon I was sailing along the edge of a cliff. Like the edge of Princess Luna's mane, the rock curved and twisted at a leisurely rate, curling out into a deep bowl. Horseshoe Bay. A historic trading bay, the beginning and end of several expeditions, the location of several small fishing towns, and the perfect place for a summer holiday.

I fell into line with the edge of Equestria, following the cliff southwards. Behind me, the lights of Baltimare reflected off the calm waters. Beneath me, crouched crevices in the rock, would be the members of the Siren Colony. Their caves were more like shelves on the crumbling rock, barely running into the earth. I had never been - but my mother had told me about it as a foal, and I had a friend who once lived there. I knew it was a small colony; it was closely integrated with the small ports and shipyards, and had been for centuries.

Each colony has it's name for a reason. The Lonely Colony was so named for being the haven of bat ponies who first tried to make contact with the new Equestrian settlers - who, having then found themselves without allies in either, had settled there in isolation. The Siren Colony was similarly shunned - except not for trying to befriend ponies. Instead, it's rumoured that when food grew low, the inhabitants turned to the local pony population for nourishment in exchange for certain... favours.

None of that went on today - but a few of the old prejudices held strong. Nopony who knows their history will willingly go to the Blood Colony.

None of the Siren's were out tonight - they did tend to work at more sociable hours to the Equestrians. Anyway, most of their work would be down at the sandy beach or fishing in the sea. Not up here, where the grassed brushed against my forelegs.

I continued on my course. Heat Haze had said that the hideout was out of the actual horseshoe and in between the craggier rocks. I was looking for a lone pillar of rock, standing out in the sea - behind which would be a narrow arch in the rock.

There!

I slowed my pace, keeping low to the ground. Touching down, I stood facing this battered silhouette, the crack running between my hooves. Part of me wanted to sit at the top of the rock column, nevertheless, it would be too easy for the griffons to spot me. I had to be content here; I couldn't investigate the griffons here without giving away my existence, so would have to hope that Heat Haze had been telling the truth, and that the griffons hadn't decided to move.

Settling between the rushes, I took a moment to appreciate the surroundings. It had been a long time since I'd done a stakeout in a place as remote as this. The salty air buffeted my face; the wind started to pick up and scatter the waves, causing them to crash and splutter some hundred meters below. A few clouds were rolling in - not enough to block out the multitude of stars doming the world. Maybe, when I eventually retired as a poor, single mare looking to grow old disgracefully, I would move to the coast.

A warm buzz went though me - maybe not single.

Shaking my head to clear it, I surveyed the location logically. For investigators and Royal Guards...? The entrance to the cave was certainly problematic, with it bottlenecking into the lair - with who knows what for defences. It wasn't too easy to hide in wait, either. Not much cover anywhere, except where I sat in the shrubs, which didn't let you see much of the beach below. All that seemed to be in our favour was that there probably wouldn't be a second escape. Not much could be squeezed into crumbling cliff rocks.

By the looks of it, a few ponies - say, me, the detective inspector, and maybe a guard or two - would go into the den. Everypony else would have to hover about outside, waiting in case somepony made a run for it.

With that decision, I let out an involuntary yawn. It must have been about midnight, and I had at least until dawn to sit here, waiting. Anyway - when the guards got here I could discuss tactical approaches. They were the ones trained for this kind of thing.

Rolling onto my side, I covered myself with a wing and huddled deeper into the prickly rushes. I could nap for a couple of hours quite easily. It would at least pass the time - and it would make sure I was awake for the actual arrest, so...

Stretching, I got to my hooves. There were aches all over already, even though sleeping on the ground hadn't made much of a difference. Apart from being prickly, bushes could be quite comfortable.

I moved onto my wings. Reaching out each finger of bone, folding back in, reaching out again. Roll the neck. Ease out the clicks and cracks in my joints. Yawn.

Blinking the moisture from my eyes, I looked out into the night; I must have been napping about four hours, because the sky was still comfortably dark. The Moon had dipped behind clouds - of which there were now many, massing on the horizon, blocking out the stars. Silent in their approach. Not that the wind was silent. That now blew fiercely, coming down from the north carrying a fresh bite in its blast. It whistled past my ears, ruffling the hair.

Swoosh

Suddenly, I wasn't staring out to the east, wind in my mane, looking for constellations between the clouds. I was back in the undergrowth; mane over my face, saddlebags twisted beneath me; wondering why the scenery had changed.

"And what is 'zis?" Confused, I tried to twist around to see where the voice came from. If it was Cloud, why was he putting on the accent? I would have to tell him that I just wasn't that into accents - though it was a very good one... wait. I twisted my neck so that it felt about to pop. Staring down at me was the curved beak of a mildly surprised griffon.

Sweet Moon rocks.

"Why are you... lurking 'ere?" His tone was quite calm, really; very low and slow and considered. Nevertheless, this façade was ruined slightly by the talons gripping my wings and the paw centred firmly on my lower back. The chances were that even if I pretended to be from the nearby colony I wouldn't be believed. I was lurking above their cave.

I also needed to make sure he wouldn't be scared off by me being here...

"Just the griffon I wanted to see!" I tried to get up, smiling widely, but was firmly held down, "Hazy gave me the directions - but I thought I'd gotten lost! Seeing you is a real life-saver."

"Do I know you?"

"What - oh, no!" I rolled over a little more, testing my boundaries. "But you know my friend Heat Haze - she's the one that sent me here." My smile faltered slightly, laughing nervously, I nodded to his claws. "You can let me up, you know. I'm not going to run off!"

Reluctantly, he moved back. An equally fake smile plastered itself across his beak, attempting to look friendly.

"Why would 'Eat 'Aze send you?"

"Oh - you know how it is," I gestured vaguely, "she's been delayed - the dragons are a bit suspicious - she wanted to get the you-know-what out soon - I offered to help." Shrugging my wings, I gave him a reassuring grin. "Don't worry - dragons quite like bat ponies - they don't care about me leaving."

"Oh?" The griffon nodded slowly; scarlet tipped feathers bouncing on his cream head. It was funny, really. There I was, hoping I could think of enough lies to last a couple of hours, improvise and keep my cool - all the while freaking out like a timberwolf in a fashionable oak furniture store. Still, I found myself giggling at this large, dangerous, clawed canary. Though I must admit - it was very nervous laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" He frowned, looking ready to pounce on me if anything out of the ordinary happened.

"Has... has anypony ever told you - that you look like an oversized strawberry - dipped in cream?" I accepted that this statement might get me killed. But - blistering solar flares - it was worth it. He really did look very edible.

"Come with me." He eventually said, clearly having to contain his anger as he grabbed my foreleg and pulled me over the cliff.

I didn't bother trying to fly; the gap was too narrow to try. It was easier to let my guide drag me as he soared through - prepared and already positioned vertical to the rocks. Most of my body scraped against the entrance, but it could have been much worse.

After a couple of meters the crevice widened, spreading out to a sudden drop into a swirling pool of dark water. White foam sprayed the edges of the chamber, clawing to reach my dangling tail. Dragging out of the pool on the far side there was a damp, slimy stretch of rock where torches had been hung out of reach of the sea.

I was dropped onto this landing. I skidded down, far enough for the water to lick my hooves, before I could stumble up and trot up to Strawberries 'n' Cream. If possible, I needed to look as cheerful and friendly as I had ever been in my entire life. I was a young, adventurous pony meeting griffons for the first time; I was performing illegal activities; I was excited, nervous, and bubbly all in one. Like that bottle of champagne waiting to be opened at New Year - praying that the party remained civil at least until they got the cork off.

"So... this is the super-secret hideout? Sweet."

"We would prefer it to remain... secret."

"Oh - 'course. Don't worry about me - you tell me a secret, it stays secret." I mimed zipping my mouth shut. Playing on the fact that idiots aren't often considered threatening, I decided that was the safest angle to aim for.

"Allow me to introduce my... associates." We had walked deeper into the cave, where torches became more frequent while the mould and damp vanished underhoof. Crates were starting to spring up, boxing off a dead-end behind which three camp beds, a lantern, bags, and a chest (whose content I didn't want to question) stood.

Between these inanimate objects, two very animated griffons were arm-wrestling over a crate. One, shorter than Strawberry Tart, sat to the left, his grey plumage slicked back, emphasising his large, hooked beak. He was the soft colour of snow everywhere else, making a large patch on my vision where he reflected what little light there was. The most surprising feature was his icy blue eyes. The other, female, was the complete opposite. She was taller than either of her male counter-parts, with dull chestnut eyes, sludge coloured wings, and bulging muscles. The only dash of colour came in the form of green flecks on the feathers tied back from her squashed face.

Neither Frosting nor Giganta the Swamp Griffon paid us any attention. Their game was not to be interrupted.

Luckily, Giganta won quickly, dashing Frosty's talons to the box as easily as a foal kicks a pebble. A stray thought wondered what she would do to my spine. I battered it down quickly - I was starting to look anxious. She didn't celebrate, however; instead she sat back slightly, maintaining that bored look that flopped across her face. Frosting yelped loudly, swore in whatever language it is that the griffons use, and jumped to his paws.

Strawberry Tart was not impressed.

In a flash, he had swiped a wing across Frosting's forehead - ruffling his carefully slicked feathers - pulled Giganta into a standing position, and kicked the crate over as an afterthought.

"We 'ave a guest," he explained, still in that calm voice, "in case you 'aven't noticed." Giganta turned her head to me, but I'm not really sure if she actually saw me; she continued to look as blank as a foal's flank. Frosty, clearly riddled by the affliction called charisma, bowed while flourishing a talon, oozing sleaze from that creepy smile.

"Pleasure to meet you all!" I grinned, giving an awkward curtsy. "It's a cosy place you have here!" I was worried my disguise was going to falter - my cheek muscles were starting to ache.

"Und you vould be?" Frosty asked, a thicker, harsher accent greeting me.

"Serenade," I quickly lied, "travelling musician, at your service."

Strawberry Tart pulled Frosting to face him, muttering in low whispers. Snippets of the conversation were still in Equestrian, occasionally interspersed by an exasperated gasp. Listening closely, I couldn't help but suspect that they stuck to Equestrian more. Perhaps it was easier - perhaps... did all griffons speak the same language? The Empire was a massive slab of land, divided into separate states. If the Cave Tongue had different, complex dialects, why wouldn't griffons be the same?

So here were two griffons who couldn't understand each other.

I maintained my smile, nodding to Giganta. She didn't bother to turn around to the lads, instead choosing to glare at me like I was intruding. She didn't know what I knew. Heck - she could speak a completely different language altogether.

With an unreassuringly reassuring smile, Frosting stepped towards me. "Gut to meet you, Serenade." A claw extended to be shaken. Brightly, I took it in a firm hold, not ready to be scared off. "Ve ver just... agreeing on a few - issues. My name is Gunther - this delightful griffon vould be Gaston, und dis is Gigi."

"Fine by me," I released a crumpled grey talon, "don't let me get in your way."

"We believe... per'aps, you would be able to 'elp us." Gaston (who would always be Strawberry in my fond, possibly short-lived, memories) drew up a crate and sat down, facing me with scarlet eyes.

"I'd be happy to!"

"First, 'owever, 'ow did you 'ear that 'Eat 'Aze 'ad the egg?"

"Oh - Hazy came to me." I sat down as well - my brain was going into overdrive and I didn't have time to worry about my balance. "She knew the dragons trust me - she's seen me fly - which, though I do say so myself, is quite an impressive spectacle."

"Vat did she tell you?" Gunther said, still with that suspiciously friendly smile. He hadn't moved back yet, and had just placed a claw on my shoulder. I resisted the urge to recoil.

"That she needed my help." I looked my friendly griffon in the eyes. "As soon as she told me that there was egg that needed - well, rescuing - I couldn't refuse! After spending time with those dragons, I completely understood when she explained that they were not fit parents! So when she told me she was taking them to be adopted in the Griffon Empire... I was glad she came to me. I wanted to help." Gazing imploringly at Gunther, eyes as wide as the moon, I tried not to reveal that I couldn't see a thing. "What you're doing is really amazing. So few people are brave enough to do the right thing."

"Why were you there - if you do not like dragons?" Gaston butted in, not even attempting to hide his scepticism. Luckily, Serenade was too naive and open to notice nasty things like scepticism.

"I'm a travelling musician - I was hired to entertain the brutes; make them welcome." I grinned at Strawberries 'n' Cream. "I've been all across Equestria - but I've never been to your homeland. I bet it's amazing over there."

"Quite."

My interrogators exchanged a glance. If they didn't believe me, well... Gunther could break my wing before I even tried to escape.

I mentally crossed my wing-tips and prayed to the stars to be nice for once.

"Vould you be villing to do - to help - more young chicks?"

I let the elation spread across my face; first the disbelieving blink, then the stretching of the lips accompanying the widening of the eyes, finishing with the sharp exhaling that sounds like you forgot to hold in the air because you were so surprised.

Behind this performance, my mind leapt happily - if I organised a contract with them, it would take up more time! They believed me! Or, at least they hadn't openly told me they knew I was lying...

"I'd love to - only, I'm not sure what I could do..."

"Oh... ve vould have plenty for you do to..."

Serenade, a travelling musician from Baltimare, was now an official egg smuggler. She was planning to travel north west to the Smokey Mountain in order to liberate more young drakes, which she would then return to this cave. This would all take place after New Year, having returned home to celebrate with her brother, elderly father and four cats. Once this task was complete, she would be taken by airship with Gunther, Gaston and Gigi, to the Griffon Empire for her first foray out of Equestria.

Doubtless to say, Serenade was pretty excited.

I, however, was starting to get very nervous.

As you can discover, conversation topics were getting a little thin. I was struggling to think of fillers, and any moment now they were going to ask about the egg I was supposed to be carrying. Being underground, there was little indication of the time, but I couldn't have been here more than two hours. Dawn... dawn was a while away.

I'd just have to hope that backup was nearly here.

"Very gut." Gunther reached out a grey claw to shake my hoof. Beside him, leaning on a box, Gaston was scrawling out a contract on some slightly damp parchment.

"There is one last matter to discuss," Gaston put down the pen, leaving a gap at the edge of the paper for a signature, "you 'ave been looking after it so well, but now we must take it off your 'ooves. Give us the egg."

Gunther shot an icy stare at Gaston, flicking back into studied nonchalance as he tapped the crate. "It vill be quite safe in here."

"Of course!" I moved my wing to get at the flap of the saddlebags. "I can't believe I still have that. It just fits so well, y'know?" I riffled through the sections, occasionally throwing out odds and ends. Here a pen, there a packet of mints; even a pair of broken sunglasses. "Oops - must be in the other side! Silly me!" I carefully closed that side. Who knew where it would be in a few minutes time? I was becoming thankful that I had given Orion's book to Heat Haze for what had become safe-keeping.

Opening the second flap, I avoided the griffons' gaze carefully.

Not that that could hide my shaking hooves.

I sighed, shook my head, and snorted. I had my back to the entrance, while all three griffons had moved in front of me. I already knew Gaston was fast and Gigi was strong, but that didn't help me with Gunther. Gigi was the furthest away, then Gaston - still sitting - and finally Gunther, who was close enough to reach out and punch.

"There's been a bit of a problem..." I dropped my smiling façade, lowered my tone to a more sensible frequency, and removed my hoof from the bag. That side only had my leftover bits of food in - it didn't matter if they fell out. "You see, stealing dragon eggs is illegal in... every country. It's illegal in Equestria, it's illegal in the Dragon Isles, and it's even illegal in the Griffon Empire. It just isn't enforced very well." I stood up. Only Gunther had moved slightly closer.

"Because of this," I continued, "I'm going to have to arrest you. You can come quietly - otherwise, I have no qualms in forcing you to come quietly."

"You do not frighten us, sweet Serenade," Gunther offered a talon to get me to sit back down, "you cannot do anything now - just hand over the egg."

"I think I'll be hanging on to it, actually." I fastened the flap with a flick of my wing. They needed to stay with me if I wanted them catching - for that, they would need to think I had it. "Also, the name isn't Serenade."

With that, before Gunther could take another threatening step forwards, I took off. A heave of the wings, a bend of the spine, and a heap of speed, and I was soaring through narrow tunnels upside down. Echoing behind me was a shrill screech. I ignored it - I needed to get out of there as fast as possible.

Orbs of light flicked past as I navigated the twists and turns. Suddenly, the closeness opened out. Sea sprayed against my head and back.

A flurry of feathers burst out behind, going high to cut me off. The slit in the rocks was too high - they'd catch me first.

Tucking into a spear, I dived into the pool.

Water engulfed me. I sliced through, riding on the trajectory I had built for myself. But the sea was washing into the cave while I wanted out. I was slowing down. Currents pulled and pressed against me, tugging me deeper and pushing me back. A shock wave ran through the water - someone else had dived in.

A quick prayer to the Moon Goddess, and I kicked against the force. A wave washed me back, yet I kept the stroke going. Breaking the surface with a gasp, I unfurled my wings - now free of the rocks - and lumbered into the air. Shaking and choking, I rose higher, clearing the reach of the waves. It wouldn't help to go into shock now.

Feathers brushed my wings. Misjudged - they overshot and continued on, crashing against the lone finger of rock. The sound of impact could hardly be heard over the rolling seas.

Lungs burning now, though clear of brine. I needed to get some room - know where they were. Veering left, I circled the pillar, landing on its pinnacle.

Hair clung to my neck and flank, dripping ice. The saddlebags were the worst - they retained water like a sponge, creating a numb patch around my entire torso. If only I could have dumped them here.

Luckily, despite the odds being three to one, I had one advantage. It was still dark. The clouds masked most of the waning Moon, the sea reflected little, and the cliffs would just be dark masses on the peripherals. Only I could see my attackers. One floundered against the rocks, clinging against the pull of the waves. One clung lower down on the finger, cursing as rock crumbled under his claws. The last one, Gigi, was taking her time.

She had flown through the fissure - and lost a few feathers doing so. But she was careful. Her head surveyed her two colleagues; took note, ignored them, and stared up.

A shrill squawk pierced the sky. Gasping, I flattened my ears. Seconds later and she was in line with me.

I wasn't as invisible as I thought.

Jumping, I took off. We spiralled through the air, ascending higher towards the stars in an intricate dance. As one webbed around, the other mirrored the manoeuvre, neither gaining nor advancing. Here, bursting through the clouds, the winds buffeted our wings - with mine taking the brunt of the onslaught.

Spying an opportunity, I broke the dance. Twisting full to the wind, my wings caught the next gust, carrying me like the sails on a ship. I watched Gigi's face twist into a squashed snarl as I zipped past.

Suddenly, I was knocked out of my flight. Claws gripped my lower legs, dragging me upside down. I couldn't tell where we were going.

I shut my eyes. We were flying downwards. A steady curvature dictated our path. Feeling this, I batted and fluttered, moving upwards and closer to the underbelly of my captor. Once close enough, I kicked with all of the force I could muster. A fore-hoof impacted something hard. A guttural screech was mangled.

Not one to waste an opportunity, I flew in the opposite direction. A warm fluid blew off of my leg; I didn't want to question it. I must have shattered a jaw bone or smashed the beak.

Learning, I scanned for the other two. Gigi was darting through the sky, coming down like an arrow. The wet one... was he still stuck on the rocks?

Not enough time, not enough time.

I aimed to follow the coast line. I needed to get away from here - put some distance between us. My wings were aching, my lungs burned. I couldn't keep up with the sudden altitude changes. I needed to cruise at a steady height and get my breath back.

With that decision made, I turned back the way I came from. Before me, the distant lights of Baltimare stretched. I didn't want to lose my griffons, but I couldn't do this any longer. There was always the chance that they would become less aggressive if they knew ponies might see. Or the Sirens could see us. If they did, would they help?

Sticking close to the ground, I tried to blend in with the mass of the cliff. Exhausted, my line faltered, causing my wings to clip the rock occasionally. If it wasn't for my nap and the adrenaline coursing through my, I would have been caught already.

Unfortunately, a storm had been slowly gathering during my nap, leaving my deaf to anything other than the battering wind. If only I could've hidden in the dunes for another hour of two.

The snarl was the only warning I got.

At speeds I'd rather not consider, my wings were gripped, caught and pulled back. My body continued.

Reflexively bracing out my legs, I hit the cliff face.

Pain leapt through the joints. Three legs crumpled, tucking in as the skin was grazed away with each jagged outcrop. The fourth leg twisted, slipped, snapped.

Blind. Not just in sight, but in every other sense. I didn't feel anything, or hear myself scream, or smell the blood. There was only the white wall of nothingness.

Gradually, consciousness dragged itself back, achingly slowly. She had me in her claws; scrunching my wings in her talons, with her back paws clinging firmly to my lower back. We were vertical - my stomach to the cliff, her back to the open sea. I knew it was her - those brown arms barely strained to hold me. Even when the cliff jutted out in a spearhead, she had no trouble keeping me in its collision course.

I wouldn't survive that.

The front leg - the right one - was completely useless. Numbness had settled and I didn't want it to leave. The other legs were throbbing. Sprained and jarred; it didn't matter. I didn't need them to fly.

Stark, resolute, the rocks sped towards me.

Twisting, flapping wildly, I tried to loosen her grip. Needless to say, I didn't get free. She dictated my position. So now I was held out in front; facing her, unable to see the danger. Eyes, once dulled and sludgy, were alight with a nightmarish gleam. She'd crush me - break my spine - leave me to fall to the spires below. It wouldn't even faze her.

I was desperate. There was no other choice. That's what I had to tell myself.

Wrapping my wings around her neck, I pulled myself forwards. With an almighty wrench, I bit deep into her plumage.

Feathers clogged my mouth, dry and thick against my tongue. Scrunching my eyes tight, I ripped - flesh came away. Hot, sticky liquid spilt across my face.

I barely registered the scream.

Frantic now, her neck glittering crimson in the sparse moonlight, she threw me away. Feet away from the merciless rock, my trajectory changed. I whistled by, brushing the edge of Horseshoe Bay. Gigi, still howling, replaced me. The thud echoed across the open sea. In the space of time she had, she slowed her pace slightly - but it didn't prevent the sickening crunch.

Preoccupied, I spat and retched, falling - yes - but free. My stomach churned. Even with the salt water blowing and filling my nostrils, I couldn't get rid of the scent - the taste - that seeped into everything.

Finally opening my wings, I glided across the restless dark glass. Foam splashed up, catching the grazes and burns of my limbs. A sharp sting lingered; though bearable and forgettable.

Shredded by the ordeal with the cliff, I unclipped my saddlebags and let them fall into the sea. There wasn't anything important in them. They were just weighing me down. They knew I didn't have it - Gigi would have shattered it if I had. No; it wasn't the egg they were chasing now.

I glanced around. I was flying out to the east, water stretching out for miles. Wait.

Streaked orange, the deep blue of the sky was lightening. Just beneath the horizon, the Sun had begun to ascend.

I had never been so happy to see a sunrise in my entire life.

Frozen, for a second, relief washing over me, I was a target. A bruised and battered target.

I excepted it. Despite this, I didn't have the energy to avoid the reaching talons. I didn't have the strength to argue as an already soaking griffon plunged me into the sea. I didn't particularly worry as my throat and lungs tightened with the shock.

It was the spiking, stabbing agony of the salty water that revived me. The lancing that jumped across lacerated skin.

In an instant, I was twisting and flipping. I was above, one hoof on his chest, pushing him beneath the waves. Ice blue eyes widened, disappeared, re-emerged. With a buck, I was soaring upwards itching with pain, leaving Gunther to flounder again in the frozen depths.

Determined, I orientated myself to the lone, standing pillar. That was where the guard would be gathering. If I could get to where they would be, everything would be alright. They would round up these blasted birds.

One last burst of energy. I gritted my teeth against the throbbing muscles.

So close now. So close.

I didn't dare look up to the cliff head. Hope was what kept me in the sky.

Slowing, I rose so that I was level with the ground.

Nopony was there.

Panic clutched my heart. Unable to accept the loss of hope, I climbed a little higher. Squinting inland, I wondered if I could see their silhouettes, illuminated by the dawning Sun. Or it could have been drifters on my vision. The world did seem to be shifting wildly.

Tears welled in my eyes.

Shaking, I edged forward. None of the griffons had seen me. I would land, hide in the shrubbery like I was supposed to, and wait. They might not find me immediately. It would give me time to think of a nice snappy one-liner to go out on.

The voice was muffled, gargled. Detached and numb, I didn't register the words. All that was left to do was to turn and face it.

Gaston, though naturally scarlet, had suffered a nasty buck to the beak. Feathers that were once cream were drying the crumbly brown of blood. Every movement caused him to wince.

With that, he didn't bother with a smart line. Instead, he ploughed towards me.

Gulping in a final lungful of air, I surrendered.

We tumbled down, his lion paws digging into my stomach. Driven by the pain and humiliation I had caused him, he didn't drag me down into their hideout. He wasn't satisfied with trapping me.

An eye for an eye. It was a common phrase in bat pony law. And dragon law. Only, it was his beak for my wings.

Tearing with a ferocity I couldn't fight, he clawed deep gashes into the skin. Exhausted, I didn't feel the blood seeping out, or the heat, or the brutal ache. Instead, it was the coolness of the air as it rushed through the fresh holes.

I was starting to lose consciousness. I felt him leave me, and the distant crashing of the waves, and the whistling of... something.

Shadows swarmed my vision, and I fell. Unresisting.

Epilogue: A Well-Earned Break

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"Where is she? Where's my little pup?"

"Right in here, hon."

"Oh - look at her! I came over as soon as I could."

"Who knows how long she has?"

"What do you mean?"

Surprisingly, very little hurt. I considered this predicament carefully. Possibility one; I had died, and had ascended to join my ancestors in the astral plane. There would now be a very nice, shiny star located in a little corner of space, preferably in the northern hemisphere - not that you could be too picky. While it might have explained the voices, I'd always imagined my ascension would be quieter with more harps. Possibility two; I had broken somewhere important along my spine, and had lost sensation to everywhere beneath my neck. Impractical, yes, but I would finally get the break I deserved.

Possibility three; I was in hospital (which would also explain the incessant voices), and had been given a dose of some seriously strong magic to remove any pain. Helpful, but not really improving the ringing in my ears.

"Well - with injuries like that - maybe she only has days - hours, even - before..."

"Ladies - the only thing we are waiting for is for her to wake up." In my drugged-up state, I smiled broadly. That was a nice, calm voice. All buttery and cool - like ice cream on a hot day. Of all the voices clamouring around me, I decided it was my favourite.

"You took your time." It was croakier than expected, but worked as well as could be hoped. Tentatively, I opened an eye, peering through the smallest gap. The room was too bright - all the walls were white and reflective, and it felt like it must have been midday. Nevertheless, I was rewarded with a glimpse of an unruly sapphire mane and a glimmering golden eye. Wow, these painkillers are strong.

"So did you."

"I'm allowed to - I nearly died."

"I told you!" A heavy thunk hit my stomach. "Oh, sweet sister! What would we have done without you?" Hooves grasped at my neck, stroking my cheek. I shut my eye again.

"Carry on as usual?" I tried to wriggle away, only to find my limbs unresponsive. Hypothetically, in a much calmer frame of mind than I ought to have been in, I wondered what I would do if I had suffered paralysis. Maybe use my wings as legs. Or just fly everywhere. My lungs were still working, at least. I could tell by the way I noticed them being crushed. "Could you maybe let go of me? It's just I can't -"

"We didn't even know you'd left Canterlot!" My assailant wailed. "To us, you would have just disappeared! We'd never hear from you again - but you'd be miles away - dashed against the rocks, unable to -"

"Oh, the horror." I grumbled, wishing that I could quietly vanish away right then and there.

"Don't joke, Nocturne!" The urge to disappear increased. Now there was another hoof on my face, stroking my mane. I didn't need to look to know it was my mother. "Your sister is right. Stars keep you - you ought to be dead." The hoof lingered just beneath my nose, making me want to sneeze. "Stars help me - I might kill you for the scare you gave us!"

"Sorry, Ma."

She didn't reply, choosing to snort indifferently. We managed to be silent for about ten seconds. That brief moment was the best I'd had since I'd woken up. My face was being prodded awkwardly, and my ribs were being crushed - but on a whole, not bad.

Then my mother burst into tears.

Horrible, messy tears. The kind with fluid running out of every hole in your face, and hiccups and sniffing and snorting and wailing. All of it started dripping on my face. But you can't complain - because that makes you an evil pony. Even though the pony crying is the one making everypony else feel awkward and guilty and upset.

I couldn't even move a hoof to act as an umbrella. Or hug her. Really, hugging should probably have been the first thought I had.

Inevitably, Fantasia started crying as well. She did that sometimes. There was even a little sniffling coming from the bottom of the bed. Taking a careful peek, I saw that it was the nurse quietly blubbing into a hanky. Perfect.

"Now ladies, let's move back a little, now." Orion's cool voice rose over the mayhem. Gradually, my face and ribs were released, accompanied by a great deal of hesitant sniffling. "Maybe you should go out for a bit and collect yourselves? Come back in the morning - I'm certain that after a little rest, Nocturne will be already be looking better."

A great deal of shuffling, sighing, and leg-patting passed before I finally heard the door close.

Venturing a glance, I checked the room.

"Thanks, Orion."

"No problem, Turny." I finally dared to open my eyes properly. Orion had risen from where he'd been sat, moved around the bed, dimmed the glaring lights, and thrown open the blinds. I was greeted by the ever-welcome sight of the Moon. I must have been unconscious for longer than I'd thought

"Orion...?" I flopped my head over on the pillow so that I was facing him. He'd settled down again, letting one hoof rest on the rail of the bed. "What's the damage?"

Golden eyes studied me carefully, pausing when they met my gaze. "At the moment? Not terrible. One of your hooves is being held up in a plaster cast, and your wings are nicely bandaged up in lovely clean, white linen. You can just make out some of the goo they've smeared on them - but most of it's covered. There are a decorative collection of bruises all over your body - some of which can be matched up to make the constellation of Gemini. Your three other limbs are covered by the blankets, so we don't need to worry about that. Oh, and they had to shave off some of the fur all the way down your right side - so you're all nice and pink now."

There was a slight hitch in his voice. Gazing up, I found him watching me carefully. A strand of hair had fallen in his eye, but he didn't try to move it. "What did it look like before they smothered me in bandages?"

"Oh, much worse." Unlike some ponies, I wasn't too fussed about my looks - and, thankfully, Orion was one of the few ponies who managed to see me at some of the lowest points. It made questions like this much less awkward. "The leg that's now in cast? It was bending in the wrong direction. All of the others aren't just grazed - you've essentially skinned them. Along with that side of your face. You're just lucky your mane was covering it, otherwise your mother might have seen. But they aren't really the problems.

"Your wings, now, they are a real mess. Shredded. The doctors have stitched the bits they can, and wrapped them all up. I've been told they'll heal - scarred, but serviceable - but you won't be flying for at least... oh - about three months." He patted my shoulder. "I knew that would cheer you up." For the record, my face looked like it had just fallen through the floor and several layers of soil. "So I saved you the good news for after - you won't be walking for a month."

"Oh, happy days."

That mischievous smile of his almost made an appearance, only to be quickly masked by a concerned frown. My stomach dropped to join my face in the mud.

"What else?"

"Now, I'm not judging you, Nocturne." Orion hesitated, as if taking a silent second to judge me. "I know what can happen in situations like this. You get desperate." He ran a hoof through his mane. "I have to say, a lot of other ponies are judging you. All of the guards I brought, everypony that saw your face; everypony that saw the griffon's neck."

"Oh."

"Oh, indeed." His hoof rested on my shoulder. "Now, nopony has told your mother or your sister - and as soon as I leave I'm going to talk to my soldiers - but I do need to know what happened."

"She was about to ram me into the cliff!" Nevertheless, I felt my protests dying in my throat. Defeated, my head hit the pillow while I exhaled deeply. "I guess, I thought I didn't have a choice. This leg was already broken. She had my wings. The other limbs had already been acquainted with the cliff." Imploringly, I held his gaze. "I spat everything out."

"Lovely." He shook his head. "You still remember the rules?"

"Like I could forget them." If I'd had a working limb I would have gesticulated wildly with it. "And then Thestra said unto the First Colony, 'You shall not drink the blood of any magical creature, lest your own blood become contaminated. In doing this, you are taking their magic as your own, and abandoning what gifts have been bestowed upon you. May all who persist in this practice be shunned and cursed until the end of their days.' Then Thestra alighted from the mount and said, 'Sweet Stars above, I could murder a cup of tea.'"

"I'm not so sure about that last part."

"It's the version we were taught." I shrugged lopsidedly. "That, or she went for a nap... Look, Orion - it was self-defence. Pure and simple. It's not like all of the fighting turned me into some blood-crazed monster."

"I know."

"... Just so I know, how many griffons did you catch?"

"Three; the one I mentioned who was lying on the rocks bleeding out; one that was floundering in the sea, who is currently being treated for hypothermia; and the one that pushed you over the cliff. I take it you were the one to rearrange his face?"

I snorted, then yawned. Lying down was hard work. Looking at Orion, sitting next to a bed was also hard work, judging by the dark rings around those eyes.

"You should get some sleep," I offered, "how long have you been here?"

"Since I brought you in." Stretching out his wings, he seconded my yawn. "I've been napping all afternoon, though. I didn't want to leave you here - I couldn't abandon you with your family. I was the one who asked them to come."

"You did what?"

"I know what you're like, Turny," he snorted, "you won't tell them anything because you think it's better."

"It is better!" I gave an exasperated sigh. "That way we avoid situations like the one we just had!"

"Your family should know about stupid things you do - they have a right to be concerned." He raised an eyebrow accusingly. "I know you still haven't told them about the manticore incident."

"Don't bring that up. I managed to hide it - they had no idea - everypony stayed happy. It was years ago, anyway."

"You could never have hidden this." His eyes softened to the creamy consistency of butterscotch. Another yawn escaped his lips, exposing fiercely pointed fangs. No wonder ponies were so quick to call us monsters.

Changing the subject, I suggested, "You should get somepony to take shifts with you. So there's always a pony to stop me falling out of bed or throttling myself with a drip." I frowned. "Where's the pegasus I sent you - Cloud Drift? I wondered if maybe he'd be here..."

"I sent him away." He shrugged, knowing when to let a subject drop. "He was panicking when he saw all of the blood, and he kept getting in the way. I think he mistook you for a blood-crazed monster."

"I'll have to talk to him later..."

"I'll do it when I see the rest of the guards - he's heading off soon with the detective inspector to arrest the egg thief you caught. I took the liberty of telling him that you wouldn't be able to do it yourself."

"Not if I can't fly."

"That's what I thought." Orion said before standing up. "I think all you're capable of doing right now is sleeping - your eyes keep shutting." I was about to protest when a large grey wing wrapped me up in a warm, yet acceptable hug. "Try not to fall out of bed." With that, he turned to the door.

"Just one last thing," I asked as light seeped in from the corridor, "who caught me? You didn't say I'd broken my spine, so I presume I never made it to the rocks?"

"I did."

Seconds after the door clicked shut, I was already drifting off, a happy smile plastered to my lips.

TMPDA: Last One In The Nest

by Myriad of Failure

Work, Rest and Work

Family Bonding

A Bad Landing

Meeting the Neighbours

The Night Stalking and Assault Became Legal

Sneaking Suspicions

Another One Joins the Fray

Chasing Leads

A Past Long Forgotten

Time to Catch a Criminal

Epilogue: A Well-Earned Break