Celestia looked up. The white alicorn saw past the vaulted ceiling of her main hall. She didn't even see the clouds or her own sun blasting the world with its warmth. She didn't hear the low rumble of pony voices in the room. She saw the moon, low on the horizon, starting to rise into the afternoon. "I promise you, my sister, when you return there will be ponies who can help you."
"Your Highness, I beg your pardon, but we are all ready." The captain of the royal guard had snapped to attention. He wasn't certain what was going on, or what his princess planned.
"Thank you, Captain Rocks." Celestia turned her gentle gaze to the other important pony present. "And Honey Drops, your agents are ready?"
The mare on her other side gave a lazy salute, almost a parody of Rocks'. "Of course, Your Highness. Most are recruits, but I promise you every single one of them knows monsters like the back of their hooves."
Celestia bet they did. After all, she and Luna had written most of the books on monsters themselves. The alicorn had a moment when she thought about her younger days, with her sister. "Very well, let's begin this. Mares and gentlecolts," Celestia's voice rose to spread to the far corners of the big hall, "welcome to the start of something big. As you know, your training is at an end and now you will be paired up and sent out into the world, to protect Equestria."
Twilight watched and listened with rapt attention. She had been studying monsters and their weaknesses, she knew every little detail of every single one. She glanced around, flicking her purple and gray mane to the side.
"Please, we have taken great care to make sure each of you is partnered with the perfect pony. Now, Captain Rocks?" Celestia looked to the guard captain.
The stallion grinned, throwing a look over to his equal from the less overt group that Princess Celestia had called here. "Private Hearts, you will be paired with…"
Night Talon narrowed his eyes. He didn't want to be in this, but all the guard not directly on duty to Princess Celestia were present and had to be ready for this. Monsters were not his thing. He shifted in his armor. The enchantments he was starting to get used to. His fur was kept a constant gray, mane and tail a silver with light blue streaks. But it was uniform and he wasn't too concerned.
"I said, corporal Talon!" The captain sounded angry and Night stood straight and threw a sharp salute. "You are paired with Recruit Velvet." Captain Rocks looked the young stallion in the eyes, making sure he understood.
"Yes sir!" Night Talon felt stupid for the exclamation but his training had been successful at one important thing. Night followed orders.
Twilight looked at the guardspony, blinking. He sounded so rough and precise. Working her way through the crowd to the front of the room, she stood before Honey Drops. "Ma'am?"
"Congratulations Twilight Velvet, you passed." Honey gestured with a hoof to a pile of equipment. "Your gear. You are to head out past Manehatten, you got the cherry."
Excitement built in Twilight, she had studied the bugbears and now she was going to be able to see them.
Night saw the mare and immediately regretted this whole day. She looked exactly like what he wanted to have nothing to do with. Fresh out of her 'school', she probably didn't know the first thing about fighting.
"Night Talon?" At the stallion's nod, Honey Drops continued. "This is your partner, Twilight Velvet. You will be heading out to bugbear territory to make sure they are keeping to their borders."
Celestia tried to hide the extra notice she took in the two. In the end, the alicorn couldn't help herself. "Twilight, Night." She favored each surprised unicorn with a look. "You have an important job to do, I would be willing to trust it to no other. Twilight, help this brave stallion find his path and Night, keep yourself and Twilight safe." She wanted to demand they stay in the city, she wanted to make sure they were safe. Her dream, a prophetic one, had been quite clear on things. "I wish you both the best of luck."
Twilight blushed at the royal interest. "Of course, Your Highness. You'll see, we will make sure they haven't stepped an inch wrong!"
When Celestia's look came to him, Night felt flustered. "You-Your Highness! I promise I will complete my mission!"
The pair were practically rushed out the door and castle both. With their packs all ready, they looked at the pile of papers that had accompanied the equipment. "Twilight, was it?" Night Talon took a deep breath and looked to the mare. "I know this is meant to be a team thing, but I promise you, stick behind me and I will get us through this." The only problem was, as he realized the moment after he closed his mouth, Night Talon had no idea where they were going.
Looking down at their mission information, Twilight gave a nod and gestured to the train station. "We have to get to Manehatten first, you want to lead?" Her look spoke volumes to the stallion. She knew all too well that he was unsure of where to go. "Will this be your first time outside Canterlot?"
Night blushed under his helmet. He wanted to lie, to tell her he was a great, experienced guard. His shoulders slumped and he shook his head. "No, I… this will be the first time."
A leg slung over his shoulder, the gold armor taking the weight of the mare's leg as she pulled him a little closer. "Well, this will be new for both of us then." Twilight gave Night a wink and drew her leg back from the surprised stallion. Arching her tail and flicking it as she walked, she looked back over her shoulder to see Night blushing a little more and looking shocked. "Coming?"
There was nothing else for it, Night trotted after the mare and realized that she wasn't all bad. She had admitted it was her first time out of the city as well, so maybe she wasn't as bad as those old monster hunters. "Yes, your ladyship." He grinned at the false title, and more so at her slight curtsey.
"Bugbears?" Night trotted fast enough to get shoulder-to-shoulder with the mare. "So you are meant to be the expert on them, what are they and why are we going there?"
"Well, they are big, wild beasts, resembling a bear and a bumblebee, if you stitched them together." Twilight pulled a book from her bag, keeping pace with the guard. "See?"
"Bumblebear would be a better name. Bugs are things you squish and that," Night gestured to the picture with a size-comparison of a pony beside it, "is not small enough to squish."
Twilight giggled at the name. "Well, can't go changing it now, nopony would know what we are talking about. As for what they are, they are a nuisance. Normally they are calm and easily left alone. When the right season comes… they get really angry and territorial." She flicked over a page to show the land they were heading to.
"Wow, how far away is that?" Night was captivated, they were leaving Equestria completely.
Tucking the book back, Twilight drew forth the map she had gotten with her kit. "This here is where we are going." She poked the bugbear lands with a hoof. Night gave a low whistle as he saw they were indeed leaving the country.
"Will we be in danger?" It was one thing to keep ponies in order, to look good for visiting dignitaries, but quite another to contemplate having to fight something that outweighed him several times over.
"Not at first, this change-over is happening now because their angry season will start in about two weeks." The pair had reached the station; Twilight drew out the two special tickets that had been provided. "Two to Manehatten, please."
"Of course!" The ticket pony pushed the travel passes back and pressed two blue tickets on top. "Front car, there will be a few of you heading out that way."
"Few of us?" Twilight blinked in surprise at the comment.
"Yeah, few like him, with another pony along for the ride." The old stallion gestured at Night. "You take care of her now, a nice filly like this is worth guarding, as I bet the Princess knows."
A chill ran through both ponies. Night felt the hoof of fate, clear as the two moons on his flank. Twilight shivered at the sensation, she suddenly had the oddest feeling that she would be paired with this stallion for a long time.
"That's your train, you know?" The words shook both ponies from their surprise and they eeped and took off for the platform at a gallop. The train was already rolling and Twilight was weighed down with the supplies and her pack, but her partner had his hefty armor.
Night made it onto the train first and just as Twilight thought she wouldn't make it, the train starting to pull away, a strong grip wrapped around her and lifted her off her hooves. Night's face, his horn aglow, peeked from the doorway. Twilight laughed as she was pulled closer and finally got on board the train. "Thanks!" She wrapped both forelegs around Night's neck and hugged the metal-clad stallion. "I nearly didn't make it."
"Couldn't let that happen." Night pondered a moment. He could have, he could have sent a message from Manehatten and told the guard his incompetent partner couldn't even catch a train. But then he might get saddled with a pony who really wasn't nice. He froze, his world shaking as a kiss landed on his cheek. "T-T-T-Twilight…"
The unicorn mare grinned and blushed both, it had been bold but his declaration had made her feel so positive she couldn't resist it. She didn't regret it, the blush in Night's cheek had her smile brightly at him and trot off, leaving him to watch her walk down the hall. "Now, where is room seven…" She looked along the doors. "Here."
Night finally shook the shock of being kissed and took off after the odd mare. He immediately regretted this, his eyes watched her as she examined door after door until she found their allotted berth. "That's ours?" His question was silly, she was already walking in, but he wanted to see her eyes again. When she turned and he gazed into those soft blue eyes he missed her words. He had to shake his head and trot after her.
"So which bunk do you want?" Twilight thought the stallion had spaced out a little and she was right, but he seemed more with it now.
Night realized something suddenly, something he needed to do. "Miss Velvet, my name is Night Talon." He held out a hoof.
"I know, I researched all the guards. Night, my name is Twilight Velvet, you can call me Twilight." She held out her hoof and they clopped them gently together. "And since you don't seem to have an opinion, I'll take the top bunk." Twilight shucked off her pack and settled on the couch to go through their things.
Night looked at the other side and sat down opposite the mare. Using his magic he pulled the door shut. Sitting still, he realized how uncomfortable his armor was when he wasn't standing.
Twilight's head lifted at the muttering. "Something wrong?" She looked at the stallion curiously.
"Yeah, armor is made to be uncomfortable when you sit down, I swear it is, just to keep new recruits standing all day." Night lifted off his helmet. It wouldn't break the enchantments, not just that piece.
"Well, you could take it off, hopefully you won't need it for the whole trip." Twilight set her maps down beside her, her horn aglow as she sorted through them. Night twisted again as another pinch came and finally he had had enough. Leaning around, he nipped at the buckle and felt the armor start to slip back. As it slid from his back and was off the enchantment slid from him as well. "W-W-What… what happened?"
Gray-brown fur flowed to azure. Silver mane to blue. Night Talon was himself again. "What? Oh! All guard armor is enchanted. We can't all look the same, so magic helps. You didn't honestly think Princess Celestia only hired brown-coated silver-maned stallions?"
Twilight giggled a little at that. "I guess not. Oh, two moons?" She was looking at Night's cutie mark. "That is pretty cool, kind of matches my stars." The unicorn mare suddenly blushed hotly, she turned her gaze to the window. "Hey, look, birds!"
Night too was blushing, he looked to her flank to see the stars, then snapped his eyes to the window. "Yup, birds. Look at them go." The damage was done, he couldn't stop thinking about her flanks and their cutie marks, matching his own as symbols of the night. A hoof came up and smacked him on the cheek, it was his own.
"What's wrong?" Twilight looked to Night, blinking and distracted from her 'forced distraction' by his self-abuse.
Slumping down to the couch, Night closed his eyes to not look at anything else incriminating. It wasn't like their names, their cutie marks, and now even their jobs, matched. No siree. "Nothing, I might try to get some sleep."
Twilight nodded, the night was coming on and although she loved to gaze out at stars, she knew she would need to be ready and primed for the big day ahead of her. "Yeah, I might too." Getting up, she couldn't help looking at the stallion's flank, the cutie mark that matched her own, and gulping. Nope, she wouldn't think about that until she slept, then dreamt about it. Nope, not at all.
Twilight woke to the sound of snoring. Cracking her eyes open, she saw it was still dark outside, well, mostly. The moon was hanging heavy and big. Climbing to the edge of the bunk she slid down and looked out. There was a pony head outlined on the white shape in the sky, a tingle ran through her, like the time when she got her cutie mark.
The mare turned and looked at the stallion, curled up under a blanket. "What does this all mean?" Twilight's voice was soft, hesitant. She smiled. "It means I am heading out on an adventure and have a new friend."
In the dim light of the moon and a soft glow she made with her horn, Twilight began to write in her journal.
First day away from Canterlot. Very excited, my new companion seems a lot nicer asleep… less noisy. Found out yesterday that the royal armor actually makes ponies look like each other, changes their fur and their mane and tail, I think it is strange that when the Princess celebrates individuality, she also requires her guards to discard it.
Tapping her quill a few times, Twilight was lost in thought when a disgruntled pony groaned. "Ugh, stop that tapping!" The pillow Night pulled over his head to try to block out both light and sound was no use, Celestia's gift to the world was starting to make its presence known and with a louder groan Night Talon slumped off the bed and immediately began to wander out of the room and down the hall, in search of relief.
Hearing the whistle of the locomotive and a slight shift in the train, Twilight started getting her pack ready. She packed all the things back into her own bag but as she was about to stuff in a particularly heavy book, she felt resistance and looked up. "Let me carry some of it. My armor is heavy but I can't go letting a mare carry all our stuff." Night started putting on his armor and soon was once more the gray-brown stallion with silver mane and tail.
"That is really odd," Twilight mused, watching the change happen. "I mean, why does she need all of you to look the same?" She did as instructed, sharing the load but still keeping a bit more for herself.
"Gotta look the part." Night lifted the pack and settled it on his own back. "Half the job of a royal guardspony is diplomacy, or so my captain said." He suddenly blushed and managed to get a scowl on his face. "Let's get off this thing and move on."
Twilight, rebuffed a little in her attempts to open up to Night gave a sigh and looked around their little room. It had been cozy but, at the same time, completely not where she would want to spend a long time. The force of the train's deceleration now was quite noticeable and she had to fight not to stumble forward as she joined Night at the threshold of the carriage.
Stepping from the train just before it stopped, Night made room for Twilight and looked around; he suddenly realized he had no idea where to go from here. That infuriated him a little, almost as much as being outside Canterlot excited him.
"Straight ahead, we need to find a boat to take us over to the bugbear lands." Twilight gestured to the exit with a hoof. As they wandered through the ornate arches at the station, the pair of ponies from the capital of Equestria marveled at how much bigger and modern Manehatten was. Everything was bigger and the two found their heads craning up to see the tops of buildings still under construction that would soon make it bigger still!
"Straight ahead?" Night pitched his voice in slight mockery. "This place is a monstrous maze!" And the worst of it, as far as Night was concerned, was that everypony else seemed to know where they were going.
"Hey! This is my first time here too… excuse me?" Twilight approached a mare who was walking along the sidewalk. When she didn't stop, the unicorn frowned a little. "Oh, excuse me sir!" She managed to get another pony's attention only by dint of standing so he couldn't get around her. "Which way to the docks?"
Possessing the sure knowledge that unless he told this crazy mare what she needed he would not get past, the stallion gestured down the street in the opposite direction. "That way." When Twilight turned to look where he was pointing he slipped around her and was free.
"Well that wasn't nice." Twilight started marching in the direction alluded to. "You coming?" Night shrugged and wandered after the mare. A few blocks had them smelling the sea air. Salt, wetness, and… muffins? "Oh, yum!"
Night groaned as Twilight dashed over to a bakery and purchased two big muffins. "Do we have time for this?" The problem for the grouch was that having had no breakfast, the food smelled better than any he had tasted before.
Noticing the stallion's gaze, locked on the second muffin she carried in her magic, Twilight made sure not to offer it. "For breakfast? Of course, it is the most important meal in the day."
Mouth watering now, Night looked behind them to the bakery, suddenly wishing he had purchased a muffin too. "Oh go on, have this one." A muffin floated into view and the stallion spun his head back to Twilight.
"Thanks…" It was hard to be grouchy and accept food, particularly food that tasted as good as the muffin surely did. Night bit into the soft, fluffy flesh and nearly melted on the spot. Blueberry. His favorite.
The rest of the walk was accompanied only by the noises of the city and happy mastication. The pair reached the docks and had a quick scan around. "Excuse me," Twilight spotted a valid target for her questions, "I don't suppose you know of somepony who would take us somewhere on a boat?"
Half Hitch lifted his head at the question, looking the mare up and down. She didn't look like some rich mare, but she was accompanied by a royal guard. More, she was carrying her own load. "Ain't nopony got time for joyriding this time of year." He returned to mending the little sickle he had before him.
Twilight blushed at the brush-off. "We aren't after a joyride, we need to get to the bugbear lands…" She watched as that old earth-pony's head lifted again. "Please, we can pay."
"Payin' ain't the problem. Everypony on the water is off harvesting seaweed, it is the growing season for it." Half looked up again and narrowed his eyes. "Unless you was payin' a lot."
"How much is a lot?" Twilight was confused by all this, it was meant to be straight-forward! Her train of thought, as well as Night's, was shattered then.
"You monster!" A female voice screamed after the pronouncement. Night was the first of the pair to react, turning and charging off at a gallop. Twilight wasn't far behind him, but the stallion's reflexes and training had him heading for danger before he could even think twice.
Crashing between a griffon and an earth pony mare, Night shouted. "Halt!" Claws raked down his armor and he got a good double-barreled buck on the other side. He was about to start having to do more when both combatants were lifted into the air and away from each other. His relief at having a partner was deep and he narrowed his eyes at the mare who had just kicked him. "Okay, what is going on here?"
"That creature attacked me!" Fleur Bonnet gestured with a hoof at the griffon floating beside her. "And worse, it was already covered in blood!"
Night turned to the griffon next. "And you, why did you attack her?" He scowled, there was a little blood around their beak, but it certainly wasn't 'covering' them, and it certainly didn't seem to be the mare's.
"I was having lunch!" Frida pointed with one claw at what remained of a fish. "Then next thing I know this filly is screaming and kicking me!"
Twilight focused on keeping the pair apart and left the situation to Night. The stallion in question dearly wanted to bonk both miscreants on the head. "And then you clawed back and this started?" The griffon ducked their head down but nodded. "Okay, miss…"
"Fleur. Fleur Bonnet." The restrained mare filled in.
"Okay, Miss Bonnet, please avoid the docks if you don't wish to see unwholesome sights. And…" Night turned his attention to the griffon.
"Frida." When Night was sure there was no more name coming from the griffon, he smiled.
"Well Frida, I would suggest not eating fish just out in the open. Most ponies won't mind, but you have to understand we are not all… quite so relaxed." Night gave a nod to Twilight and the mare gently set the mare down first, who turned around and dashed off, then she set down the griffon.
"Your armor took the brunt of that…" Twilight was at Night Talon's side, running a hoof over a dinged-in plate. "Do we need to get it fixed?"
"Nah, give it time and it will be fine. Enchanted, remember?" Night felt himself relax a little more, the guardspony in him realizing that the mare actually could handle herself. "Now, let's go see about that boat…"
"A boat? You need a ride?" Frida brightened up at the shift in conversation. "Look, I need to thank you for that, griffons tend to get the short end of the stick, here. I have some money, and my friend has a ship."
Twilight grinned widely. "We are trying to get to the bugbear lands." Her map unfolded from her pack and she pointed to where they needed to go with a hoof.
"Easy! And what are you doing there? Hunting?" Frida perked right up at this, she had never heard of ponies hunting, but what other reason would they go to such a place for, if not to prove their mettle in battle?
"Oh no!" Twilight looked shocked. "Princess Celestia has sent us to make sure they are behaving."
Frida laughed. "Oh, such a pony reaction… sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I mean, when a griffon wants to prove how tough they are, they go and spend a week living there." She poked at the map with a careful claw.
"Well, let's go talk to your friend, then." Twilight smiled to the griffon, her ears perking up and forward. Falling in on each side of the griffon, Night and Twilight were soon led to a ship that had a line of griffons helping to load things on board.
"Bandyr!" Frida called out and they saw a new griffon stick his head out on deck. "Got an extra job for you."
Spreading his wings, Bandyr glided down to his friend and the two ponies with them. "Frida, what mess have you gotten into now?" His head turned to Night. "I am sorry, sir, my cousin is always getting into-"
"It's okay, she isn't in trouble." Night cut in to reassure the griffon and saw their relief prominent on their face. "Although she was eating a fish out in front of some upper-class mare."
"I wondered what that scream was, when it didn't repeat I figured it was dealt with." Bandyr shrugged his shoulders. "So what's the job, Frida?"
"They," Frida pointed to each of the ponies with her, "need to get to here," she pointed to the map Twilight Velvet was holding. Unfolding it in her magic, Twilight poked the bugbear territory with a hoof.
"Ah! Right on our way too. Well sure we can do that. I assume it was you two who got this scamp out of trouble?" Bandyr looked to Night, then Twilight. Frida was blushing and opening her beak to protest.
"Things are settled, but I would suggest you not be around Manehatten for a few days." Night poked Frida gently with a hoof.
"Oh, I won't be." Frida gave a nod to that. "I will be going with you, this smells like adventure!"
Bandyr laughed at his cousin. "Frida, the only thing you can smell is trouble, and that is because you step into it everywhere you land." The tom reached out to Frida and gave her a thump with a wing to reassure her it was all in jest.
… and that was how we managed to get a boat. Night seems rough still, despite how well we worked together to stop the fight on the docks, I don't know why he is so put off with me all the time. Guess I have to keep being friendly, it is how ponies work… but he drives me so crazy sometimes, I just want to tweak his horn! Did I really write 'tweak his horn'?
Twilight looked over the waters ahead of them. The boat had spent the rest of the day loading and they had sailed with the morning tide. Silent steps, those of a big predator, came up beside her and she turned to see Frida. "Good morning!"
Settling down beside the unicorn, Frida looked out over the waves. "It is that, a good morning to you too. So, bugbears huh?" Twilight nodded. "And what's up with ol' big strong and tin-plated? You two together or something?"
This had the unicorn blushing hotly. "No!" It was too sudden, too loud, and the blush gave everything away. "Well, no, not really. I mean, he is cute, and everything a stallion should be in the bravery department, but he has this attitude…"
"Mmm hmmm." Frida grinned widely. "But that flank, right?" The words had the desired result, Twilight blushed even hotter. "Yup, thought so."
"What you two talking about?" Night wandered up behind the mare and griffon, not hearing their conversation over the sounds of ship and sea. He did notice the blush in Twilight's cheeks and felt one in his own. Why did it have that effect on him? He didn't like her at all!
"Mare stuff." Twilight tilted her head at Night and smiled as sweetly as she could. "You really should try a thinner brush in your fur, it takes more work but it will have you almost shining." The last she addressed to Frida, reaching to her own pack to pull out a brush.
Closing rank against the male invader, Frida turned slightly and reached for the brush, starting to work on her flank. Her eyes twinkled when she caught the glance Twilight gave her.
Realizing he wasn't going to get any further with the pair, Night gestured forward with a hoof. "Captain Bandyr says we should only be another two days away from land. So we could-" He froze, mid sentence. Squinting and looking forward, he could have sworn he had seen something in the water.
"We could what?" Twilight was looking at Night and missed whatever had caught his attention.
Night shook his head. "Sorry, thought I saw… well, a pony. So anyway, he said we could either get off there, or he could take us a bit further along, to where the Equestrian Outpost is."
"Definitely take us right there, no point in hiking in unknown woods." Twilight gave a nod. "Did you want something to read? I have some books on magic here."
Frida wore the biggest, silliest grin ever. "I was so right…"
Night nodded to Twilight. "That would be good, you did well with that situation on the docks, I didn't think to just lift them both up and away." He didn't even know why he was admitting he was impressed by her quick thinking.
"Thanks, I just didn't want anypony to get hurt…" The implication that it was only him likely to be hurt in the fight brought the blush back to Twilight's cheeks. "Oh, you might want to try this one." She pulled out a book that had to do with using horn telekinesis to prevent hostility.
Night blinked at the book. "This actually looks really handy, thanks." He held up the book in his magic, flicking a few pages, skimming.
"I am surprised they didn't teach it in your training. Might be something you could do when we get back after this mission." Twilight smiled brightly, she loved helping ponies. "Oh, but be a little careful with that one, the spine is a little damaged."
Closing the book and turning it to examine the cover, Night nodded. "I promise I will take good care of it, thanks, Twilight."
"Now kiss her to show your thanks…" Frida was staring raptly at the pair, her matchmaker side kicked into overdrive.
Mare and stallion blushed, but each bonked the griffon on the head with their magic at the same time, getting a laugh from the bird-cat before she bounded off toward their cabins.
"She can be so annoying." Night didn't want to look at Twilight right then, there was some part of him that he really didn't want to own up to possessing, that did want to kiss the mare. "I'm going to go read this." He trotted off.
Twilight watched the stallion's plot retreat and gave a little sigh. "What am I doing? I am on a job!" She shook her head and turned back to the prow of the ship, grabbing up her diary.
It was overcast the next day, but that didn't stop the two ponies from sitting out on the deck, a book before each. Twilight gave furtive little glances to Night, every now and again, just to make sure he was focused on his reading. She had put a little mark in his favor when she saw how carefully he was looking after the old tome she had given him to read.
The soft, soothing music brought much relaxation to the pair and Twilight found her head leaning down against the book she was meant to be reading, it was so very easy to just relax and, with a cute yawn, close her eyes.
Night felt too sleepy to remain awake. He had donned his armor as usual but left his helmet free; it was a touch uncomfortable, but one of the sailors had shown him how to set some extra padding here and there.
Then a flash and a rush of magic woke the stallion. Wide awake, Night saw his armor was glowing brightly and there was a creature that looked almost like a cross of dragon and pony, slithering up and onto the deck. "Twilight, anypony… wake up!"
Twilight yawned, something had disrupted the best sleep she was ever going to get, possibly even the last. "Night? What are you doing in my bedroom?"
Freed of the siren's magic by his armor, Night stepped before Twilight, putting himself between the creature and the mare he was to protect. "Return to the waves!" He clopped a hoof down soundly, glaring at the beast.
The pressure in Twilight's head eased as the soft singing stopped. "And why should I? I have a ship full of new pets!" Staccato flicked her tail and landed fully on the deck. She preferred the feel of water to land, but she detested flying around like some of her kind did.
"No, I won't let you have them!" Night stepped forward and was charging his horn with magic.
"Stop! Wait, we can talk about this, surely?" Twilight looked over Night's shoulder at the creature. "Why do you need pets?"
The question seemed to confuse the siren for a moment. "Well, I… I like to…" Staccato blushed a little. "I like to have my scales polished…" Her own hoof reached down and rubbed where her scales looked inflamed and sore.
Night was suddenly out of his element, monsters shouldn't be like this, they should attack and need a good blasting. He held the charge in his horn with a little effort, not ready to give up on violence being the best action.
"Well, I don't have any wax, but I am sure we could give them a good oiling. Wake up my friends and let's get you looking like a princess." Twilight stepped past her confused protector and up to the surprised sea monster.
"But… how… I…" Somewhere, Staccato realized, she had lost all control of the situation. A good scale-oiling sounded good, though. "You promise?"
"Silly, of course I do. We have another day before we get to where we are going, so it isn't like we had anything else to do. Oh, I can see why you needed ponies to help, some of your scales look scuffed!" Twilight spotted the bucket of fish one of the sailors had caught, that they had claimed were too oily to be eaten. "Here, just let everypony wake up and I promise you won't get attacked." She looked around at Night, still holding his charge of magic.
Staccato was more than a little scared. The two ponies who had seemed to shake off her song were likely up to the task of driving her off, did she dare listen to the nice-sounding mare? Taking a deep breath, she whispered a few more notes, the end of her lullaby. "There."
Griffons all over the ship woke up and immediately entered guarded stances. "It's a siren!" Bandyr's shout was heard all over the ship. "Quick, drive it off!"
A wall of light blue magic wrapped around Staccato and she realized she was trapped in the stallion's power. She started to panic and was already reaching for the mare who had come too close when she realized that the sphere wasn't to hold her. "He's protecting me?"
"Of course. You did everything we asked. Night doesn't like seeing anypony get hurt." Twilight's heart surged with pride for the stallion. "Give them a moment to calm down, please."
"Please, relax everypony. We have the situation under control. She was just a little confused and desperately needs some oil." Night was telling a slight lie, but it was one that fit well and would mean there were no casualties.
"But it's a siren!" a sailor yelled, his foretalon gripping a gaff and waving it about.
"She just wanted some help, she didn't want anypony to react badly to her." Night looked at the griffon, then to the gaff in their claw. He lifted an eyebrow pointedly. "Just relax, calm down, she promises not to sing any more songs. Don't you?" He turned his head, judging it was time to release his magic.
"Of course I won't, I just need my scales tended to…" Staccato coiled her tail around and showed the griffon who had put down his improvised spear.
Twilight lifted a hoof up and set it to Staccato's side. "Thank you."
"Frida, get your feathers over here and look. This seems like the same problem we get on our legs. Some oil, and a good brushing, and it will be cleaned up in no time. Hurts like the dickens, I bet." With Bandyr's acceptance of the siren the other griffons quickly returned to their tasks.
Bounding up with a brush and a knife, Frida gestured to the bucket of nasty fish. "Get me those, please. Let's get you looking perfect again." As soon as Twilight floated the bucket over to her, the griffon started using the knife to slice down a fish. Holding it over Staccato's tail, she wrung the creature out.
"Twilight Velvet." Twilight held her hoof out to the siren. "And I am pleased I met you."
The smile was almost unnerving to Staccato, how could the pony say they were happy to have met a monster and look like they meant it? "Uh, my name is Staccato." Her own forehoof lifted and bumped, the siren looked to the stallion who had protected her.
"Night Talon." Night offered his own hoof and got a clop back. "And the griffon working on your tail is Frida." Trailing off, the stallion watched as the goofiest look ever passed over Staccato's face, the sea monster going almost limp on the deck.
"I bet that feels better," Frida was working the oil into the siren's scales, "when I was a chic, I got scaly leg pretty bad. Mom put some oil on it and I passed out and slept for two days." She brought a brush into play and started working at the nasty stuff. "This will choke the bad stuff, make it so it can't grow back. The brushing will help with the itch."
Staccato didn't move, she couldn't. She felt better than she had for a while and suddenly realized how angry and upset the constant pain had made her. "T-T-T-Thank… you…" She barely got the words out.
"You're welcome. Hey, you want to come on an adventure?" Frida kept working the brush, memories of her own relief making it impossible to stop tending to the poor creature. "Because Twilight and Night are big-time adventurers and we are going to go and find bugbears!"
"What's a bugbear?" Staccato was recovering from the effect the relief had on her, but that didn't mean she wanted it to stop, so she kept still.
"See!" Twilight clopped a hoof in excitement. "I am going to see if I can get the name changed, it is silly!" Three different creatures gave her odd looks. "Okay, if I tell you 'bugbear' you think of some huge, mutated ant, right?" She got a nod from Staccato. "Okay, now if I said 'bumblebear', what do you think of?"
Staccato had had little experience with land creatures, but she knew bears, and bees. "Uh, something that was half bear and half bee? Does it sting?" She had to jerk back from the cheer that Twilight gave. "Did I say the right thing?"
"Okay, okay. I grant that is one point in your favor." Night sat back down to his book. "But it will still confuse a lot of ponies."
"And you write everything in it?" Staccato was sunning herself beside Twilight Velvet, watching the mare writing in her diary. She had taken it upon herself to 'join' them in their adventure.
"Well, not everything. Just the interesting stuff." Twilight opened the book to show the 'sea monster' what she had written so far.
Met the most amazing pony today, a female siren named Staccato. There was a little bit of a misunderstanding at first, but we managed to resolve that and she wants to help us on our mission. Still not sure what is up with Night,
"I haven't finished today's entry yet." Twilight explained the sudden ending.
Staccato was beaming with delight. This hadn't been planned, she was sure of it, and Twilight had called her 'amazing'. "Your mission is on land, I take it?"
"Yup, we are going to keep an eye on the..." Twilight raised her voice so Night, who wasn't too far away, could hear, "bumblebears," the groan indicated her jab was a direct hit, "and do some research on them at the same time. The ponies who were out here keeping watch needed to return and have a break."
Giggling at the play between the pair, Staccato nodded. "Okay, but what happens if they get angry? Would your knight in shining armor charge in and save the day?"
"He would try." Night had wandered over to the pair, figuring if they were going to drag him into the conversation he might as well get all of it. "But so far somepony keeps resolving all the fights with talk and rational discussion." The way he said it almost made him sound like he wanted to fight.
Twilight had heard the tone and titled her head a little. "What's wrong?"
The openness and sincerity of the question pulled Night Talon from his fugue long enough to reply. "I just feel like you are doing all the work. I feel like I am along for the ride and that the star pupil of the monster-hunting school is going to win the day."
"Monster hunting?" Staccato's words were said at the same time Twilight added, "Star pupil?"
Both females looked at each other, then turned back to look at Night. "What? It's all true. I got a look at the results of the school-"
"Nopony was meant to see those! I didn't even see those!" Twilight Velvet snapped her journal shut and glared at Night.
"Not just a pony to sit armor on. I found out. You aced it, every question right, every situation perfect." Night looked right at Twilight and lifted his hoof to boop her on the nose. "And with the bonus questions, you actually scored one-hundred and twenty-five percent."
Twilight froze, this was all news to her. She blinked a few times while her brain processed it all. "So I'm…"
"A monster hunter?" Staccato didn't look happy with the title. "What am I then, something you are just going to take back and lock in a cage?"
"No! Of course not!" Twilight gestured to her book. "Staccato, I am trained to hunt, and I succeeded. I found you. What they also did was train us to-"
"Fight us, kill us?" The serpentine body of the siren lashed. "I am not sure I want to-" It was Staccato's turn to be interrupted. Night had moved up beside her and gripped one of her forehooves with his magic.
"Staccato, relax. I don't think Twilight would ever order me to do that to anypony. Look at her, she made friends with a siren who was trying to enslave her." Night looked into Staccato's eyes. "Please, don't let a silly title sway how you feel."
Conflicting emotions played out over Staccato's face. She didn't like the idea that ponies were training 'hunters', but so far this one seemed a lot nicer than the title implied. "Well, promise then."
Twilight closed her eyes and held up a hoof. "On my honor, I will never put the life of a single 'monster' below my own." She opened her eyes to see a damp-eyed siren leaning in and kissing her. "Ack! Staccato!"
"There, now we are sisters, then!" Staccato giggled. "You too, 'big and shiny'." She glared at Night.
"I follow her orders." Night gestured to Twilight.
The bark of laughter from the light gray mare got a laugh from Staccato. Twilight poked the armored stallion in the chest. "Follow my orders? That would be the best time ever. I swear, if I told you to do something, you would do the opposite just to spite me."
"I do the opposite? Twilight, I have done nothing but follow your lead in everything so far. I even had to go against my training!" Night clopped a shod hoof on the deck.
"Lovers tiff?" Frida had wandered over and nudged Staccato with a wing. The siren gave a slow and deliberate nod. "Figures…"
Two angry ponies rounded on the griffon, fire and anger in their eyes. Their tirade against the wise-cracking griffon were forestalled however, by the griffon high up in the ship's rigging calling out, "Land ho!"
Both ponies, the siren, and the griffon all spun in the direction of the prow to see if they could spot it too. Of course, none could. Glancing up, Twilight saw the griffon was pointing just off to the left a little. "So we are almost there?"
"Aye." Bandyr walked up to join their little group. "Normally it is a full day's sail to reach the cove on your map, but we have a good tail-wind now and we should be there by late afternoon." There was, apparently, never a sea-captain so happy as one who had a good tail-wind.
"Oh, that is good!" Twilight gave a happy smile at the news and turned back to Night. "So, what do you think?"
The question caught Night by surprise. "Well, we get there when we get there. But Captain, you may have some ponies wishing to buy passage back."
"I figured as much, they will be welcome of course, a favor to a cousin may cover a little trip, but I am sure they are well paid by your Princess and will hardly miss the fare I charge." Bandyr lifted his head up a little higher, the wind of their passage rustling the feathers around his head. "It is a good wind indeed that brought you onboard. I would have been scrubbing this lovely hen's scales for the rest of my days if not." He gave a slight bow to Staccato to acknowledge that there was no bad blood between them.
"Oh, not for the rest of your days! I wouldn't keep anypony that long. I just really had that bad itch…" Staccato blushed a little at the implication that she still didn't consider it a bad thing to foalnap.
"You shouldn't do that, ever, Staccato." Twilight turned to her newest friend. "I made a big promise to you, will you make one back?"
Staccato was trapped. Twilight had indeed made a very big promise, not only to her but all her 'kin'. She took a deep breath. "I promise to never make a pony do anything they don't want to, ever again." The words grew in weight, they lashed her down like shackles and it felt… well, oddly relieving. Staccato blinked a few times, unsure why it felt good to have laid down such a geas on herself.
Night noticed the odd look his new friend had. "Feels relieving, doesn't it?" Staccato looked right at him, her eyes wide; she nodded once. "I promised myself to defend a princess, to put myself between harm and her, as well as all her ponies. I bound myself tightly with my words and it was more liberating than a single other thing I have ever done." He got a smile from the siren.
"What are you talking about? It is just common niceness not to want to foalnap ponies." Twilight was a bit confused by the talk between the pair, and hadn't picked up the non-verbal conversation at all.
"She'll get it one day, and I bet Night will be there to witness it." Frida gestured at Twilight and gave a big smile. It was perfectly obvious and went without saying that it would be Twilight and Night's wedding. That the two would end up wed was a foregone conclusion in the griffon's book.
A talon lifted up and clamped down Frida's beak. "You leave those two to find their own path." Bandyr glared at the muffled griffon. "And everyone else for that matter." He kept the look a moment longer before letting her go.
Blushing hotly, looking to her friends to see if they would comment, Frida ruffled her feathers. "Not like it isn't obvious."
Twilight couldn't stop blushing as the implications of Frida's words stuck with her, she picked up her journal and retreated to a quieter part of the ship to complete her entries. "If you need me, I will be in my cabin."
Night was caught watching the mare's flank as she retreated, mainly by his own mind. "What am I doing? No, bad stallion!" He turned around to watch for advancing coast. "Why can't we see it?"
"Well, the reason you can't see it is that griffon eyes are sharper than unicorn ones. The reason I can't see it is that the top of the mast gives a better view." Frida looked in the direction that had been indicated, trying to make out what the lookout had seen.
"No, the reason you can't see it," Bandyr gestured off further to the left with a foreleg, "is because the ship turned and you are looking in the wrong spot."
Frida blushed hotly and looked where the Captain pointed and her crest feathers flared a little, she saw the land! "Oh, there it is!"
"Hey, I can see that too!" Night Talon grinned and felt Staccato move in beside him, closer than was comfortable.
"Go on, find her and talk." Staccato whispered it, the sound of the ocean stealing the words before they would get far. "She does like you." Her words made the stallion blush and he seemed to stand a little more firmly in place.
"No she doesn't, we bicker and fight." Night was sure that wasn't love, his parents hadn't fought like that. "She seemed to want some peace and quiet."
"From Frida, maybe." Staccato poked Night in the shoulder. "Well, if you won't go and be with her, let's sit up here and pretend the day is going to go fast." He saw her slither, her body undulating like a snake, until she was just short of the prow.
Night blew out some air. "Damn mares."
"You keep saying that too much and one will hear you, beware stallion, you are being hunted." The griffon captain's gruff voice sounded like it was full of seriousness and, right then, Night didn't want another male to be giving him advice. Setting one hoof in front of another, he wandered up to be beside Staccato.
"Change your mind?" The siren didn't take her eyes from the view of land. She had heard Night's approach but didn't react to his presence in any other way.
"Just wanted some peace and quiet." Night wasn't sure if he was complimenting Staccato on her manner or insulting the rest for theirs, but the one thing he didn't know was why his heart always beat a little faster when Twilight was nearby.
Back in her cabin, Twilight Velvet had her journal out and was back to writing in it. She described her day so far, the previous one and then came back to her musings on Night Talon.
Still not sure what is up with Night, one minute he is nice, the next he can barely look at me. I don't even know how to treat him, is he really required to follow all my orders? That is a little scary and I hope it isn't true. If I asked him, he would have to answer truthfully if he was, but if he decided to lie… how would I tell?
It was a disturbing little problem and Twilight soon closed her eyes, getting comfortable and just letting her mind relax and muse on it. Time passed as she worked over the thoughts. Then others came into her head and she found herself pondering what her results meant. Then a knock came at the door.
"Twilight, we are about ready to set down anchor." Night's voice was muffled by the door, but it was clear enough to hear. "You need any help to get your things together?"
No more rest for the whickered. Twilight got up off her bed and gathered her things; closed and secured her journal and soon opened the door. She opened her mouth to say something and froze. The cove looked amazing. If a pony were to say 'deserted exotic jungle beach,' she would have pictured just this.
"Yeah, got me that way too. Can you believe that we will be living here?" Night glanced into the room, making sure the mare had gathered all her things. He was standing resplendent in his armor with his helmet on this time. A shiver visibly ran through Twilight as her gaze shifted to him.
"Did you shine that up?" Twilight looked over Night's armor. "Because it had dents and things in it…"
"I told you, enchanted. Princess Celestia wouldn't have us looking anything but perfect. I mean, come on, anypony who would go to the effort of making all of us look exactly perfect, wouldn't think any less to enchant the armor to be the same." Night gestured to the shiny plate with a hoof. "Gets a bit warm though… might have to try to find something better to use out here."
The little boat was much easier to row with a pair of unicorns than if it had just been the griffons, and when Staccato dove into the water and started pushing it along they lifted the oars from the water completely. "Thanks Staccato!" Twilight peeked over the back of the boat to see her smiling friend, tail working side-to-side to propel them quickly toward the most amazing shoreline.
"No problem Twi, I love to swim." The siren had the boat pushed up on the shore in no time and, to everypony's surprise a stallion and two mares trotted down from the treeline.
"Like, hi there." Summer Breeze, one of the mares, called to the newcomers. "I am Summer Breeze, this is my special somepony, Sweet Breeze." The two mares hugged adorably together. "And this is our good friend," she emphasized the words heavily, "Smooth Flow."
"A most excellent greeting." The stallion walked slowly, his red mane and tail done up in tight dreadlocks.
Twilight couldn't help but smile, although something seemed a little strange about the three. "I am Twilight Velvet, this is Night Talon. We are your replacements… I think."
"We totally heard you were coming, the stars whispered to me." Sweet Breeze looked up to the sky, the most serene look ever on her face. "Are you all staying or is there room on that ship for three and a half?"
"Half?" Staccato slithered out of the water. "How can you have a half?" She looked at the three expressions that for a fraction showed as being freaked out, but then flowed back into serene acceptance.
"Whoa, a siren? Your vibe is way gnarly. What my sister is saying is, she, like totally has a foal on the way." Summer gestured to her special somepony. The phrase seemed to confuse more than the ponies, the griffons too were a little shocked.
"But you said you were special someponies and then she is… and he…" Twilight's brain fizzed a little in confusion, she got only serene smiles from the two mares and the stallion. "You are more than friends?"
"Like, totally. We are all one under the sun. If my sisters here wanted a foal, I wouldn't deny them." Smooth Flow looked really relaxed and at ease about it and, so, Twilight gave a little shrug and a smile. She got a wider smile back from the stallion.
"I…" Night closed his eyes and reached to what he really felt. "That is awesome, you all fit together so well." And it was, he couldn't really think of why it would be a problem, if they didn't think it was one. "Have you chosen a name for her yet?"
There was a look of indignation on the expectant mother's face. "Like, we totally wouldn't choose her life in that way. When she can speak, she will tell us her name."
By now Twilight had given up any thought of challenging them. "How do you know it is a filly?" She glanced again, making sure none were hiding a horn.
"The sun told us." Smooth just smiled and trotted toward the boat. "Are you like, totally ready to go now? We are."
Bandyr looked at Night and Twilight, then his new guests. "Well, let's talk about my fee while your replacements get settled."
"I guess this is it." Twilight stepped toward a path in the forest that was more visible after they saw the other three leave from it. "Ready, partner?"
Night wasn't sure what, but he caught a sense of excitement from Twilight Velvet and it seemed to draw him in. "Of course, partner!"
"We better keep them safe." Staccato gestured to the two unicorns with a hoof. Beside her, Frida nodded and the pair started after the two who led the way.
It was only a short hike to the big house that was to be their home for however long they were out here. It looked sturdy and completely built from local wood.
"Wow, this looks really nice." Twilight opened the door and looked inside. The floor was swept clean, there were utensils and things in the open-plan house. It was quite clear there were no rooms in the building but the one big central one. "Oh… this is going to be… cozy." She couldn't help but blush.
"What do you mean?" Night came in beside her. "Where are the bedrooms? I call dibs on the biggest!" Twilight just lifted a hoof and pointed to what looked like a single, large bed in one corner. "Oh…" Night's ears tucked back in panic.
"Move in, move in, make some room you two." Staccato slipped past the pair and made right for the big bed. "Nice, we can all fit on this!" She sprang up and landed on the bed, giggling.
Setting her gear out Twilight found the logbook the ponies before them had been keeping. Settling down into a chair that was too comfortable to be real, she flicked back to the same date last year and started to read, trying to get a feel for what to expect.
"Wow, Twilight really likes her books, huh?" Frida nudged Night. "Maybe you should go and offer to help?"
Night colored and looked at the griffon. "Why are you trying to do this?" At her suddenly innocent look he bopped her on the end of the beak. "Don't play innocent."
"Well, you both get on well together, you seem to have a spark, you work well as a team, and the way you look at each other every time you think somepony isn't watching." Frida has a claw up and is ticking things off. "Pretty much it."
With each reason, Night colored a little more. "Okay, okay. I get it. She just… Twi seems to hate me. Every time we talk it feels like there is an argument brewing and for some reason my 'side' feels like the losing one. It intimidates me."
"Night Talon-" Frida's voice had grown soft and she reached out to the stallion only to be cut off by him.
"Ugh, and I even did that wrong. When I signed up for the guard I wanted to be a big strong fighter, I didn't want to seem weak. Light. My name is Night Light." Night took his helmet off and practically threw it.
Cerise magic reached out and grabbed the helmet out of the air and Night's eyes were pulled to Twilight, she had apparently been listening. "Night Light. I like that better than Talon, just feels… more reassuring." She gave the stallion the biggest smile she could and got back to her book.
Night looked down at his helmet. "We should get some food, it will be night soon." He set the head covering down on a table and made for the food preparation area. It was just after preparing a salad for him and Twilight that Staccato returned with a brace of fish. "What… what did you… oh…" The stallion suddenly realized he was living with a pair of creatures who ate meat.
"Don't worry, we won't eat in front of you and Twi." Frida looked over to the siren. "Will we?"
Twilight was snapped away from her book by the voices. "Huh, what is going on?" She looked from Night to Frida, then to Staccato and the fish. "Oh, you two need regular protein, right?" She got an eager nod from both. "Right, well don't let us stop you, our diet must be just as odd to you." Staccato slithered over to Twilight and hugged the mare tight. "Hey! You are making me smell like fish!"
Giggling and letting her friend go, the siren carried the brace to where Night was working away. "Would you like to learn how to prepare them?"
Taking a deep breath, Night nodded. "It wouldn't do, if you both fell sick, for neither Twi nor I to not know how to care for you." He watched as the siren neatly grabbed one fish off the little pointed stick and, using a sharp knife, cut away the head. "Wait, where is all the… insides?"
"I got rid of those already, they are really smelly and you wouldn't want to be stuck with that smell in here… even I wouldn't." Staccato neatly prepared two fillets from the first fish.
Lifting another fish free, Night took up the sharp little blade and began doing just as he had seen Staccato do. "Like this?"
"Yup! Oh, careful of the spine and ribs. I don't think Frida would overly care, but I don't like to eat those bits." Staccato was already working on the third and, soon enough, all four had their meals in front of them. As they ate, Staccato noticed Twilight looking at her fish every now and again. "Would you like to try some?"
Twilight froze in surprise. "I… I shouldn't, ponies are not really…" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, counting to five in her head. On the fifth count she let her breath out and opened her eyes again. "Just a little bit."
Night was shocked. "But that is… we are ponies!" His protests didn't stop the mare across from him from, with an encouraging gesture from Staccato, lifting up a little piece of the fish and bringing it to her mouth.
Chewing slowly, making sure she got the new flavor completely, Twilight decided that she really wasn't a fan. "Not really going to agree with how much you like it." She gulped it down anyway and smiled to Staccato. "Thank you!"
"I thought you promised not to subvert ponies?" Frida's grin took the edge off the barb. "And here you are, encouraging them to become meat eaters!"
"She wanted to try it! My promise was…" Staccato froze at the giggles coming from everypony at the table. "I walked into that."
Frida gave a happy nod and ate some more of the raw fish. "This is delicious, I shouldn't rib you. Thank you, Staccato."
The apology and praise were more than enough to salve the siren's slight hurt and silence fell on the table as ponies, griffon, and siren focused on finishing their meals.
With full bellies, a contagious yawn circled the table and got them all giggling. "So how are we going to handle this bed?" Frida cocked an eyebrow at the other three.
"Like adults. Just because we are all in the same bed doesn't mean we are anything but friends needing somewhere to sleep." Twilight gave a firm nod to that, echoed by one from Night.
Staccato stretched and slithered over to the big bed. "Well, I am done for, pushing you lot to shore was fun but a lot of work. Goodnight." The siren coiled around the bed once, her thick body circling it just as her tail came up and sat on her nose.
"Me too, my cousin might have given you free travel, but he had me working on the ship and I just want to curl up in a nice nest and not worry about how clean the deck is." Frida prowled over and had to make a little leap over Staccato, winding up pressed against the siren's tail in one corner.
Night focused himself by slowly taking off his armor, not wanting to think about Twilight at all. Of course, when he was done, he started thinking about her again and, worse, noticed she had been watching him taking off his armor. "W-W-What?"
"Watching you change back. That really is fascinating." Twilight lifted a hoof to rub at the blue mane.
He couldn't stop himself from blushing, the touch was a gentle one and Night wanted to pull away but something held him there, letting the mare examine him. "It was odd at first, but then I sort of got used to it." Her hooves ran down his back and the stallion shivered. He lifted his head and turned a little, to watch her examination, but his eyes closed as she ran her hoof through his tail. He had never had a mare do that before and he almost gave a little sigh, the sound of a pony finding out something they really enjoyed for the first time.
"Is there any residual bleed over? Have you ever been stuck with those colors?" Twilight wasn't aware of what her touch was doing to the poor stallion and she kept stroking his tail absently. "Night?"
The word snapped Night from his little daze. His eyes snapped open and he realized he was looking directly into Twilight's eyes. Her gorgeous arctic blue eyes. "I…" Night's mind finally caught up with his throat and he coughed as he managed to stop himself from saying something he would regret… maybe. "I need to sleep."
Twilight blinked, she watched as the stallion walked stiffly and a little oddly over to the bed and curled up, finding a corner but not leaning against Staccato, like Frida had done. She gave a little sigh and followed, making sure to keep away from the stallion. Unlike him, she did find a corner and snuggled against the oddly warm sea monster.
Twilight woke, warm and cozy, feeling like she was snuggled up to a big stuffed toy. She gently squeezed with her forelegs, mind not making the connection to the big bed and being with a stallion. There was the gentlest of squeezes back, the touch pulled her mind from sleep, but not enough for embarrassment to kick in. "Mmm, Night…"
"Night was the one you wanted to be cuddling?" Frida's words pulled Twilight from sleep completely and her eyes snapped open to find she was snuggled up against the griffon, one of her friend’s wings draped over her. "And here I thought I was being good and not letting you two get too carried away on your first night in the same bed."
Too mortified to reply, Twilight Velvet tried to struggle free of Frida only to feel a pair of hooves gently tug at her from behind.
"Well, at least a little. Night is still asleep, if you relax he probably won't wake up for a little while yet." Frida's eyes danced with mirth and, despite herself, Twilight did hold still.
A snout nuzzled into her mane and Twilight was blushing beet-red, but in another way this was actually nice. She squeezed her eyes closed and then practiced the same little trick she did when really panicked. Slowly, she counted. "One… two… three…" On the third number she took a deep breath, then counted three more in her head and let it out. As relaxation filled her, she felt the stallion's grip tighten a little and couldn't help smiling.
Night slowly surfaced from sleep, his mind awash with happy dreams. He squeezed the big pillow he was cuddling tight to his belly and was thankful he didn't have the normal stallion greeting to the day. Then he felt the pillow breathe. "T-T-Twilight?"
"Yeah?" Twilight didn't dare move, if she did she would be the one who pulled away from this. "What's up Night?" Her heart beat faster and faster.
A million things ran through the stallion's mind before he beat it all down with the simple truth. He was cuddled up to a mare and she knew he was and wasn't kicking him from bed. "So… uh… we just cuddling today?"
"For a little bit." Twilight felt gears align in her head, cogs snapping into a power-train and suddenly spinning. "I like you, Night." Twilight immediately realized she would have to nail or glue her mouth shut, it was clearly a traitor.
"I guess… I wasn't mad at you, just how this whole selection thing went. I wanted to be a Princess' Guard, royal protector of Princess Celestia. This seemed like a demotion." Night adjusted his grip, running one hoof along Twilight's foreleg. "Now that I have settled in, it doesn't seem quite so bad."
Frida was pulled from the bed, Staccato wrapping the gryphon's forelegs in her tail and yanking the bird-cat clear across the room and out. "What… let me goooo!"
"Come on feather-head, let's go look at the trees." Staccato turned just once, to see the pair on the bed. A warm, giggly feeling welled up. She winked at them before closing the door and leaving them alone.
"I think Frida is going to take credit for… for this… what is this?" Twilight found that despite what she would have thought a few moments ago, and previous in her life, having your foreleg rubbed like that was quite nice.
"Friends? Good friends?" Night felt the leg move under his ministrations, but only enough to make it a bit easier to rub.
Both were interrupted in their musing when the door was thrown open by Staccato. "You two need to get up and see this, we… we might need to leave very quickly!"
If it had been Frida, there might have been some pause, some moment of disbelief, but neither of them thought the siren the type for such games. A tangle of limbs was seen as both ponies rolled to get from the bed, each giving a giggle before finding their own kit. Night lifted his armor in his magic and slipped it down over himself, while Twilight grabbed a few spell-booklets she had put together and some special knock-out drugs. Slipping a first-aid pouch into the other side of her pack, Twilight turned just as Night got his helmet on.
Both ponies found their hearts beating faster not just because of the possible danger, but at their new feelings. "Ready, partner?" Night's normal color was washed away again, into gray and silver.
"Yeah, let's go buck this problem." Night felt really good, it was like there was a weight lifted from him and he could just relax and do his job. As the two emerged from the cabin they heard a soft song, a relaxing song. "Uh… Staccato?" Night's legs were heavy, he leaned sideways into Twilight.
"She is doing it for a reason… look." Twilight tried to gesture with a hoof, but she almost fell over and instead leaned into Night and pointed with her horn.
In the forest ahead, there were two very cross-looking bugbears, now leaning against each other and taking the odd swing. Night had no clue how they mustered that much energy. "Must be really angry… like, really-really angry."
Twilight smiled wider, the relaxation working like an effective tranquilizer on her until something poked into her ears. With the song muffled she managed to stand up straighter and think properly again. Of course, without her leaning against him, Night fell down in a heap of clanging armor.
Frida stuffed some moss into the stallion's ears too and in a moment he was shaking his head and getting up. Opening his mouth, Night was about to ask what was going on when the griffon pointed to nearly a dozen of the big predators, the bugbears all in little groups and slumped under the effects of the singing. Not wanting to break the spell the siren was using, Night kept his mouth shut.
Wandering toward the nearest pair of bugbears, Twilight's eyes narrowed onto two long slashes on the nearest creature's back. Her eyes widened and she wanted to shout back to the others but, just then, was pushed to the ground as a huge, dark paw flew through the air where she was just standing. Night was atop her, pinning her down and glaring at her.
Pointing with a hoof back to the cabin, the mare got a nod from Night before the pair scampered back and inside. "What has them so riled up already? I thought they weren't meant to get angry for a little while yet?" Night was, like the other three, pulling the moss from his ears.
Staccato was panting and looking spent while Frida dashed off and got her a glass of water.
"Dragon." Twilight managed to say, moving over to the siren and giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Those marks weren't made by a bugbear, too many claws. Only creature big enough to leave that kind of mark, and have that many claws, is a dragon." Twilight didn't even need to check a book; there was a reason she graduated with the marks she did.
"Okay, so we go looking for a dragon?" Night took the wobbling glass from Frida in his magic, passing it to Staccato who gulped it down in a few mouthfuls.
"Unless they are angry about something too, then it will probably find us first." Twilight started reaching for books to confirm her findings. Locating one that had the sum total of dragon lore, compressed down to a convenient size for field use, she started poring through it.
"We should be okay so long as none come at the house directly." Frida left her oceanic friend to peek out through a little window at the front. All the windows were small by design, it seemed likely for just this reason.
"Ah, ha!" Twilight's eyes refocused from reading the tiny print in the condensed book. "It says here that dragons will mostly only get territorial if they have a clutch or are entertaining a mate, so somewhere there is a mare dragon with… well, maybe a stallion or eggs."
"So what do we do?" Night was standing by the front door, ready for if the worst happens.
"Well, we could go and ask them to stop." Twilight's words drew three sets of eyes all looking at her with incredulity. "What? It worked for you, Frida, and you as well, Staccato."
"Twilight, it isn't as if the dragoness will just apologize and stop being angry." Night sighed but he knew what his task was going to be. "Okay, so how do we get out of here without getting the attention of at least ten angry bumblebears?"
"Fly?" Frida spread her wings and got glared at by two unicorns. "What? I can fly, and I saw Staccato flying."
They all looked at the siren. "Well, okay, I can fly. I don't like doing it though, very undignified…" The looks didn't stop and Staccato gave a defeated sigh. "Alright, and I can probably carry you both, too."
"How do we get outside, then?" Twilight pointed to the door, where a bugbear was gazing back at Frida through the window.
The changed relationship, personal-wise, made Night a little more worried about Twilight, but it wouldn't stop what he planned. "Leave that to me. You follow me out and Staccato, grab me before we leave."
Twilight felt a lot safer for Night having made his grand speech, she felt her heart flutter a touch and smiled wide. When she was grabbed and tossed onto Staccato's back she gave a little, "Eeep!" but grabbed on for all she was worth.
Night opened the door and immediately pushed all his power into the single most important spell all guardsponies had drummed into them. It was the what they all ended up knowing and using as a first reaction when they thought of magic. He created a sphere of force around himself.
"Not just a pretty flank." Staccato slipped out behind him, feeling her body pulled into the sphere as it grew. Coiling her tail around the stallion's belly she squeezed tight and lifted him up into the air.
"Got the door!" Frida's cry as she left the house behind the big target was cut short as a huge paw swiped at her. She dodged low and snapped out her wings, beating hard to get out of reach of the monster.
The four were soon comfortably aloft… well, comfortable was an exaggeration. Night was squeezed around his midsection, his armor stopping any real crushing Staccato might have given him and Twilight was clinging to the siren's back for dear life.
"You two okay?" Frida yelled at the ponies over the strong wind of their passage. "I got the door closed and almost lost some feathers for it." She grinned to Twilight and almost coughed on a bug, then chewed happily.
Twilight nodded to Frida and looked back. A very bad idea. Back was also 'down' and she gasped, seeing Night but quickly snapping her head forward again.
"Where should we go?" Staccato turned her head and slowed, just hovering with her magic. "Twilight? Just hold on, I won't let you fall."
Not willing to risk even looking, Twilight yelled out her reply. "Wherever there are dragons, there is smoke. Just head toward any smoke and be ready to dodge." No sooner was it said than the wind around the mare picked up again.
It was forever, for both Night and Twilight, before they were back on solid ground, but when they were both ponies fell onto the stone, belly first, and kissed it. "I wasn't that bad, was I?" Staccato looked at the two unicorns and blushed.
"You were fine, given the circumstances." Frida landed beside her friend and patted the siren on the back. "They certainly couldn't appreciate how sleek and amazing you are in the air."
Staccato blushed a little gave the griffon a friendly push. "Whatever, this was the most smoke I could see." She pointed up the mountain they had landed before. "This what you meant?"
Twilight pulled herself from the terror that had held her to the siren's back. She leaned close to Night and gave his cheek a little nuzzle before looking up. "Oh… oh wow, yes, definitely." The peak of the mountain was wreathed in smoke and it looked to be getting thicker by the moment.
"This is a lot more smoke than most accounts of dragons would suggest…" Twilight marched along at Night's side, the pair taking it in turns to keep a big bubble of magic around them. Clean, stale air was much nicer to breath than smoke.
"What does that mean?" Night wanted nothing more than to grab up Twilight and take her away from smoking mountains and bugbears. But she wouldn't have that. He shook his head at even thinking of trying to protect a monster hunter from herself.
Twilight Velvet's eyes were bright as she turned to look at Night Talon. "It means either there is more than one dragon, it is a really big dragon, or it is a very annoyed dragon."
The smoke cleared suddenly, but not for any natural reason. Huge wings blew so much air that it scattered the smoke that was still billowing from the dragon's mouth. "Two out of three, pony." Dragon Lord Torch crashed to the ground, all four limbs striking it and causing the rock under the little group to shake. "And what would you do about it?"
Looking from side to side, seeing all her allies stunned into silence and shock by the huge and apparently surly creature, Twilight stepped forward, her horn blinking as she let the shield around them drop. "Why are you so angry then? We are the wardens of the bugbears on this isle and-"
"You protect these savage beasts?" The bellow of the dragon cut Twilight off, her mane and tail blown backwards by the force of the Dragon Lord's words. "If you guard them from my wrath then you are in my way…" One huge claw raised and drew back.
"No!" Night stepped forward, moving before Twilight. "We don't protect them, we are here to keep them pacified so they don't attack Equestria. What did they do?"
The dragon's eyes narrowed as he took in the stallion, 'clearly trying to defend his mate', or so the dragon thought. Something in the great creature seemed to break. "My lovely one, she owned the sky with me, she flew at my side." Twilight had to jump to the side to avoid a giant tear from hitting her. "She laid her last clutch here, in this cursed place. I protected them, I guarded them. Our two eggs."
"They took them?" Twilight stepped forward, her own spirit a little defeated with empathy for the dragon. "Where?"
"If I knew that, little pony, there would be not a bugbear left here." Torch's eyes were full of fire and fury. "If you save them…" He choked and beat his wings, taking to the air and leaving his promise uncompleted. It was clear to all present that the dragon would give anything for his mate's clutch.
"What would a bugbear want with eggs?" Night Talon could see Twilight wasn't coping as well with standing her ground against the dragon as she had first looked.
"What does any predator?" Staccato lifted a hoof. "They would eat them, more than likely."
Twilight suddenly spotted something that got her hopes up. She trotted forward and lifted up a scale in her magic. "This, we can track them with this!" Night advanced and looked at it. "You see? We can use the same spell that any unicorn would use to find something missing."
Face brightening, Night nodded. "Of course, uh, hold on!" He quickly put up their bubble of protection again as the smoke was reclaiming the gap the dragon had made.
Already casting a spell, Twilight Velvet focused it not on herself, or another, but the scale. Settling the spell on her own horn, she turned in place.
"What does it do?" Frida moved closer to reduce the strain on Night. She got her answer as Twilight, grinning, turned until her horn lit up. "That way?"
"Yup!" Twilight took off marching down the hill, the four at least had a target now. Night caught himself looking up at the mountaintop, wondering just how they would let the dragon know when they had found them.
Marching along, it was Staccato who eventually asked, "Does that spell tell you how far?" Night and Twilight, both, shook their heads. "Then climb on." She stretched herself out and indicated her back with a hoof.
"Oh no, no no no!" Twilight looked scared and looked to Night for support. She watched as the stallion climbed onto the siren's back. "What? Night!"
"Come on Twilight, there is plenty of room for both of us and I promise you I will hold you tight." Not a single one of the four failed to understand the full meaning of Night's words, but for the sake of getting the mare into the air, not a single one said such. "Please?"
Inhaling deeply, Twilight closed her eyes and marched forward. "Stand up to a dragon once and everypony expects you to be fearless…" The mare continued mock-grumbling as she climbed onto Staccato. A pair of hooves gripped her sides and she looked back with shock to see a grinning stallion behind her. Blushing, she gave a little smile that was quickly lost as the siren stretched up and took to the air, riding on her own special magic.
Staccato looked backwards. "Twilight, look forward please, I can't get a reading on where to fly if you keep looking back at Night." The unicorn mare spun back to look ahead, her horn lighting up and then dimming again. The siren slowly turned in the air, tail undulating, until the mare's horn lit once more.
This time, with her friend gripping her tightly, Twilight did open her eyes and look, and it was… "Wow, this is amazing!" With wide eyes she looked off to each side, her horn flaring every time she turned. "Why didn't you tell me this was so coo-" Eyes going crossed, Twilight coughed and choked.
"I should have warned you! Don't fly with your mouth open!" Flying beside them, yelling to be heard, Frida couldn't help but giggle at her friend. "Unless you like the taste of bugs, that is!"
"Is that a ship?" Twilight gestured with a hoof down and to the side, her horn lighting up brighter as she turned to look. "And what is that flag? That isn't Equestrian!"
Already seen themselves, none of the little group could see any reason not to land in view and came in on the beach where some ponies were waiting, a little rowboat pulled up on the shore. "Well, looky what we got 'ere?" One pony, a unicorn mare, glared at them and strode up before the others. "Couple'a scallywags. Shove off, we got no business with you!"
Twilight looked to Night and then to the mare. "We are here looking for something, have you seen some dra-" Twilight cut her question short with an 'eep' when a curved sword, held in the mare's magic, lifted free of its scabbard and the tip aimed right at her throat.
"Dragon's eggs? Nope, 'aven't seen any. Tried checkin' the buggies?" The mare lifted one eyebrow. It was then that Twilight realized where she had seen that flag before. "Oh, but where is me manners! Captain Sharp Horn, at your service." The blade pulled free, sheathing itself before the mare's tricorn hat was lifted free, letting her give a proper bow.
"Twilight Velvet. This is Night Talon," Twilight introduced them, gesturing with her hoof, "Staccato, and Frida. We were… uh, looking for a pair of dragon eggs?"
"Ye said that, sure enough. Well miss Velvet," the mare stepped forward, stepping really close to Twilight, "just what do you have for trade?" Leaning up, the mare Twilight knew full well to be a notorious pirate, whispered, "I'll give you one egg if'n you give me that fine stallion. Bet I could break him into me crew in no time." Twilight pulled back from the closeness quickly when blunt teeth gently bit her ear.
"What? No!" Twilight shook with anger more than fear now. "He is my special somepony and you won't be taking him!" As soon as she had said it Twilight blushed hotly.
"Special somepony is it? Very well, both o' ya on my crew, fer a year. For both eggs." Sharp looked across to Frida and Staccato. "Those two as well if'n ya want a wild year." She knew a siren when she saw one, having a friendly sea monster on her crew would make her unstoppable.
Night looked around, watching the other ponies that were obviously pirates. "Two conditions." He looked right at Sharp. "Nopony gets hurt while we ship with you."
"And?" Sharp Horn locked eyes with the stallion, her desire for his company growing the more she realized he was clever, too.
"And we get to return the eggs first. You have my word we will do what you want, just no hurting anypony." Night looked to Twilight, then to his other friends. It was obvious that if the captain wanted to make this a not-nice encounter, she could.
"A deal. Oh but ye can bet I gonna work ye hard, all'a ye." Sharp looked around the new crew members. "Where ye gonna take the eggs?"
As the crew revealed the two eggs, Twilight grinned. She let the search spell drop. "Oh, I bet I can get them picked up…" She channeled power though her horn, sending a surge of light into the air, bursting and showing up to be an image of a dragon.
"What are you doin'? You daft fools! T' dragon will come!" Sharp's eyes were wide, she looked to the eggs then back in the direction of the mountain, but it was too late. Great wings cut through the air as the huge Dragon Lord sped toward them. "LEG IT!"
Twilight stood her ground as the dragon advanced and landed, looking up at him. "I found them!"
"You did, little pony. Why should I not believe you were part of these… thieves, that took them?" Torch stepped over the eggs, putting his bulk between anypony and the precious offspring. "This could have been a plan to steal them and then get a favor from me." Torch could tell it wasn't the moment he had said it, the mare looked… shocked.
"I would never do that!" Twilight stomped a hoof, her honor besmirched and her fury, small as it was, demanded it be restored. "We had to promise to work for the pirates for a whole year to get them to give up your eggs!"
Torch's eyes narrowed. "You would want to work with these… unlawful… miscreants?"
"Well, not really. But I could see your eggs meant so much to you, I wouldn't want anything to happen to a foal of mine…" Twilight ran out of words, particularly when her brain managed to connect Night in on her 'having foals' and she was left both blushing and indignant.
"Pirate." Torch said the word, but he said it with such force that the trees around the beach shook. "Pirate come out now or I will burn your ship to the waterline." He smirked when he saw the pirate captain, the pony who was obviously so, approach. "There now, you took my mate's last eggs," Torch could see that the pirate's eyes opened in surprise, "this was a great crime, and I would eat you for it. But instead I will put your fate in the claws of these ponies." A claw as big as Sharp's head gestured to Twilight.
"What'r you mean? They is me crew!" It was the last hope Sharp had, she pointed to Twilight. "They just signed on, you can't make them in charge'o me!"
"You are the pirate Captain Sharp Horn, scourge of the Celestial Sea, thief, brigand, and a bad pony. You should have to go back to Princess Celestia and ask her what to do with you." Twilight looked at the mare. "But, we did promise. So we will let you off with giving us a trip to the mainland again, and letting us go."
Torch beamed at this. "I am sure that is reasonable. And I will follow you, up in the clouds. Don't want your little arrangement to be… forgotten." Torch leaned down and nuzzled the eggs and froze.
Having an odd rapport with the dragon, Twilight could sense something was wrong. "What is it?" She stepped forward, right up and toward the eggs under the dragon. "Oh, is something wrong?"
"This one is… it was always a worry. A dragon egg shouldn't have much magic in it, but this one had so little I feared for them." Torch nosed the egg toward Twilight. "Take it. Ponies alone can twist magic to their desires, maybe your princess could give them a chance at life."
Twilight looked at the egg, it was a little smaller than the other, it also felt less… there. "I… I will." She looked up at the pirate captain. "And you will be getting us home as quick as you can. We won't report you when we dock, but don't linger."
"Knew I shouldn'a tried this. 'Captain Sharp, there would be a huge payout from anypony wanting to collect dragon eggs!'" Sharp parroted the last bit with perfect pronunciation, but a silly voice. "What'r you lot lookin' at? Imma keel-haul the lot'a ya!"
"We'll have to get another group to cover here." Night looked in the direction he thought their little hut was. "Even without a dragon riling them up, the bumblebears will need somepony to keep an eye on them." The stallion was startled to get a kiss on his cheek. Blinking at Twilight, who looked very pleased with herself, he couldn't get a word out.
"We will. Now, let's get going. With luck, we might even be able to return and be the ponies to look over things again!" Twilight gestured with a hoof toward the pirate ship.
Pirates aren't all that bad. They really love the sea and every time I am on deck they keep saying how much they like wenches and booty. I am not really sure what those words mean, of all the books I managed to bring none were comprehensive dictionaries. Night makes me think of strange things whenever I look at him. His shoulders look so strong and his tail, when he is out of his armor, is so silky smooth. Not that I felt it. Much. Captain Sharp tried to tell us she needed to make a little detour, but that is silly and odd scribbling ship ahoy?
Twilight put down her quill, angry that she had smudged her diary a little. "I will have to sand it off later." She heaved a sigh and trotted out on deck to find out what all the yelling was about.
"You promised us no pirating!" Night was in full armor, staring down the captain. Twilight shivered at how gallant and perfect he looked.
Sharp's grin was infectious, however. "That was the previous deal, this one just said to take you to Equestria." The mare raised a hoof, pointing at the ship they were chasing down. "Equestria is that way and… oh no! Somepony sailed their ship in the way!"
"Sharp-" Night saw the jovial look in the mare's eyes change to anger in a mercurial millisecond. "Captain Sharp," the smile was back on the Captain's face although now Night wore a defeated one, "okay, just… just let me take off this damn armor." He was defeated the moment he caved to her title.
Twilight's eyes widened as Night stalked past her into their shared cabin. She left him to get out of his armor himself. "Captain, what are we doing?" Trotting over to the Captain, who had a telescope up to one eye to spot the other ship.
"This is a pirate ship. We are pirates. What we are about to do, being pirates on a pirate ship, is colloquially known as 'pirating'." Sharp's eyes danced. "Get yourself a big hat, find an old shirt'o somepony's, and join in!"
It was only after the Captain turned back to watching the other ship slowly get closer that Twilight realized her mannerisms of speech had dropped in her excitement. "No hurting anypony." Twilight stepped up beside the captain and bumped her. "I said-"
"I heard what you said. If'n you help, I's sure we can subdue 'em easily. If'n you don't…" Captain Sharp left unsaid that, without her help, there likely would be harm done.
"Alright, alright." Twilight marched back to her room, only to see Night coming out, wearing a dirty shirt, a rapier sheathed at his side. The mare's heart skipped a beat, the stallion looked more than just cute, he looked dangerous. "I… I better put something on, too!" She rushed past Night, slamming the door behind her.
Inside, her other two friends were glaring at her. "And I suppose you are going to go and 'pirate' as well?" Frida crossed her forelegs over her chest. "Look, Twi, we shouldn't do this."
"What else can we do? Sharp implied that if we don't help fight she would rough up the other crew." Twilight slumped her rear onto a hammock.
"Well, I have an idea." Staccato smiled and opened her mouth, posing as if she were about to sing.
Twilight grinned. "Okay, but we should do it quickly, before we get too close to the… oh, no! We do it right as we are getting close." The unicorn grinned wide. "Let's get up on deck, but a little cotton in the ears will be perfect."
Together, the three dressed the part, finding a barrel of old rapiers lashed into one corner of the room. Heading up, the ocean was a little quieter than usual, thanks to the ear-plugs. Twilight blushed at her plan. She spotted Night, the stallion looking more than a little nervous. "Night!" Twilight's yell was probably a little louder than it needed to be, but it had the desired effect. Her step was bouncy on the deck, but she trotted right up to him and reached up to grab the stallion she really liked, by the ears.
Night was pulled roughly into the kiss and, all around him, the crew cheered and wolf-whistled. Then it all went quiet. As Twilight pulled back from the kiss, he realized she had stuffed cotton in his ears. He wasn't stupid, there was only one reason she would do that. He turned to look at Staccato and got a wink from her.
Twilight beamed as the stallion brightened and turned to look at the slowly approaching ship. She wanted to tell him the plan, tell him that it was all sorted, but with the plugs in their ears that wouldn't have any hope of working, even if she dared risk it with the crew so close.
Suddenly, the ship ahead of them seemed to drop something overboard and suddenly was turning violently to face them. Even with the plugs in her ears, Twilight heard the captain yelling. Their anchor dropped and the long chain played out quickly. The moment it dug in their own ship did a similar turn as the other had. Ponies raced to the side as the two ships drew alongside each other and the grappling hooks were cast and tied off.
Staccato smiled and opened her mouth to sing. Her lullaby was a little quiet, but the sound had a way of rising above the sounds of the ocean, even of the shouting of the two crews. Then a pony yawned, and another. Pirates and merchant marines alike dropped their weapons and slowly fell down to the decks and curled up with happy smiles.
Twilight could see the siren still singing, slithering across the gap to the other ship, just as she finished, the last pirate dropped to the deck. Lighting her horn the mare pulled the plugs form her ears and quickly gathered rope.
"Got them all! I really got them all!" Staccato was slithering in a cute dance. "Nopony can resist my voice!"
"I am not sure whether to be scared of her saying that, or happy for her." Night had the plugs from his own ears, apparently having heard the end of the happy siren's exclamation. "I think I will stick with happy, she doesn't seem to be a bad pony."
All the pirates were tied up by the time the first few were waking. Captain Sharp taught Twilight a lot of new words that she really hoped she wouldn't, ever, need to repeat. Staccato quickly slithered over and behind Twilight. "Help!" The siren was fleeing from two marines. "I saved you, sillies!"
"She did, stop!" Twilight clopped a hoof on the deck. "This is the ship of Captain Sharp-"
"I know, lass. Thought we would have a tough fight ahead'o us." A stallion clopped up behind the two marines, one of his forelegs replaced below the knee with a wooden peg. "Stand down you colts, can't you see the only enemy here is all tied up?"
"Sir!" Both snapped to attention. Twilight had noticed Night had slipped away but grinned as he returned in full armor.
"An' whatta we got here? Royal guard?" The captain of the merchant ship was in a great mood, his crew hadn't been hurt and all his cargo was still where it should be.
"Sir, yes. We were working undercover to insinuate our way into Captain Sharp's crew. Figured this was as good a moment as any to spring our trap, sir." Night saluted the old sea-dog.
"Want a lift back home now, I gather?" Captain Long Leg grinned. "Just left Manehatten, but to bring these in for justice I would sail thrice around Equestria."
"Sir, a lift home would be great." Night breathed a sigh of relief. The old captain could have treated them much differently, things had turned out a lot better. He trotted over to where Captain Sharp was tied up, a blocking ring fitted onto her horn. "Sharp, you couldn't just deliver us…"
"You would have broken your word and betrayed us!" The angry mare, bound up, thrashed in the ropes. "You would have!"
"I really wouldn't have." Night sighed, not sure if he could even make this a lesson in trust for her. Another pony drew up beside him. Twilight.
"He would have. Surely you realized how straight laced and perfect Nighty is." Twilight Velvet leaned up and kissed the stallion on the cheek. Both of them blushed at not only the kiss but also that Twilight had a pet name for Night.
"Ugh, disgusting. That's it, I surrender! I want death at sea! Just get these two sappy love-birds away from me!" Sharp closed her eyes and yelled.
Night didn't hear the desperate cries from the captain. He looked only at Twilight and felt his heart race, faster and faster. He wasn't sure why he was kneeling suddenly, looking up at the mare who made everything both brighter and duller. "Twilight Velvet, will you be my special somepony?"
Neither heard the captain's fake retching, as Twilight replied. "Yes." Certainly once they returned to kissing even the cheering drowned out Captain Sharp's mummery.
Land had never felt this strange, to Twilight. She looked down at her hooves and realized she couldn't feel the ship's gentle rocking. "You too?" Night trotted up beside Twilight and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Come on, let's get to the train, the Captain can take care of Sharp."
"Oh no, no sneaking off without us!" Staccato slithered down onto the dock. "I am not letting you two out of my sight until your wedding." The statement got the desired result, both unicorns blushed hotly. "And then I might just go and see my grandfather, I hear he lives near a little town south of Canterlot."
This was the first the others had heard of Staccato's relatives. "You have relations that live inland?" Frida seemed attached to the group as well, gliding down off the ship to land beside her monstrous friend. "What is he, a river monster?"
"Yup! Grandpa Steve." Staccato undulated with delight. "I wonder what he is up to, he… sort of left the ocean in a huff, or so mom said. I don't blame him."
"Well, I am sure he is a nice… uh, river monster." Night grinned and started off at a trot with Twilight at his side.
"Night Talon?" Twilight looked at Night, her question sounding suspicious of something. Night gulped and looked to her. "Where did you get that name from?"
The stallion blushed. "I... My name was Night Light but… that isn't a cool name for a guardpony!" He clopped a hoof sharply, getting a giggle from each of the three females. "Oh come on, it is cooler!"
"Oh, of course it is, but then I couldn't say you Light up my life." Twilight blushed as she said the pun. The three of them were walking out of the dock area and toward the train station.
"That was terrible." Frida made a gagging gesture. "Stick with Talon, a good griffon name!" She held up a foreleg in demonstration, clutching her claws a few times.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Night paused and rummaged around in his pack, pulling out a book. "When I borrowed this, the spine was falling apart, I-"
"You fixed it?" Twilight floated the book over and examined it, finding the stitching and glue work to be perfect. "This is wonderful, thank you, Night!" The stallion was wrapped in a tight hug and he couldn't help himself, he hugged back.
"You're welcome, Twilight." There was something that niggled at the stallion's brain. "And your name is really, really cute." He blushed, but he had learned one thing very well. Even if something makes you blush, you shouldn't hold back from doing it.
Particularly when it makes the mare you love blush back.
