One for a Doorstep, Two for a Garden. (Concluded)

[Xelliea]

One for a Doorstep, Two for a Garden.


Speech Key:
Grey - Effervescence
I Purple - Nightfall
Green - Yiirace
Pearl - Lightning Heart
Cyan - Longshot
Orange - Hasta (writing)
Silver - Smokejaw
[Im] Lime - Rieh
Copper - Cliff Diver
[Im] Green - Pyrette
[Im] Grey - Quis


Chapter I - Look to Windward


The Everfree Forest was far from safe. Beasts within could come as great as houses, and could burn twenty down. There was a reason very few dared to go inside. Despite the danger that hid amoung the trees, that danger rarely set foot outside the edge. Perhaps it was some kind of natural order in the forest, maybe the creatures feared pony towns and such. Either way, many ponies slept safer because of it. However, as with all rules, there are exceptions. For a reason as unknown as for their usual reluctance to leave, sometimes something would come out from the forest. Ursas, Timber Wolves, it didn't matter. They were all dangerous and, after serious damage had been caused by their transgressions, the heads of the Guard at Canterlot had decided to build some sort of prevention. That was why Clipeus Outpost now lay nestled on the outskirts on the forest.

Clipeus wasn't that large at all. It was rather under-equipped with both ponies and equipment, mainly due to the rarity of danger actually arising. In truth, it was mainly put there to ease the many ponies who lived nearby, rather than actually to push back any transgressors. If there was a real problem, guards in Canterlot would be singled, and would teleport to the outpost in a moment. In this way, it was more of a watch post than a guard outpost.

As usual for tonight, its eight pony garrison were on half-hearted patrol. Patrol was perhaps not true, as most of them sat around, talking with others. An Ursa could have walked up behind of them, and they wouldn't have noticed. For watchponies, they were somewhat lacking. They were universally members of the Night Guard, although far from the royal branch. However, moments from Clipeus's un-gated entrance, one of said the Royal Guards was wandering toward the outpost.

Effervescence had been sent on a brief overwatch assignment to Clipeus, just to check that everything was running relatively smoothly, or as close to it as was required. As he slowly walked, he would glance at his breath in the cold night air, watching it appear in a mist and dissipate into the night. It wasn't long before he reached the outpost's entrance. The guard there stood to a rather weary attention, and those within line of sight did the same. Ah, no need for all the formality, best keep it saved for the officers. The guards relaxed, expressing their gratitude. I shouldn't be too long, just a quick look around.

[ForgottenExistance]

Though many of the Guard presence that was there were relaxed, it had largely to do with the fact that there was an experienced officer there. It wasn't a sign of disrespect of course, instead, they trusted the mare's judgement and instincts, and as such, were able to take their training without being concerned with what was outside. Having Night Guards occupy the outpost was a strategic placement; it saved the elite for castle defense, and served as training purposes. Most of them were green, to say the least, and barely knew how to keep their guard up. Only two out of the eight guards there were veterans, and those two were currently guarding the single entrance. This was precisely the reason why the newest members of the Guard were being overseen by the Captain of the Luna Guard, to keep morale up and train them to always have their wits at the ready. Though it wasn't public information that the Captain was taking on the current batch of recruits, plenty of the Guard had already heard about the update, and had passed word around. It was one heck of a surprise for the poor recruits though.

"Smoke Jaw, if I have to tell you one more time to keep your eyes out that window, I will personally glue your face to it and hold your eyes open with my own two hooves!" The Captain snapped inside the outpost at one of the more troublesome recruits. Though, snapping was an understatement. Her voice was clearly audible even outside the secure walls of the outpost. Giving a little snort, the mare trotted over to the pathetic single wooden door and pushed it open with a firm shove of her right shoulder; clearing the way for the stallion who was walking up the path.

The Luna Pegasus stood there for a few moments, the leathery membrane of her bat wings gave a little flare of irritation as she watched the informal greeting. Quickly stalking forward, she stopped a meter and a half from the newcomer, looking him up and down with piercing green eyes. She had long since memorized the guard rosters at the castle, feeling it was her duty to know who she was charged with. When she finished her quick glance over him, she snapped off a stiff salute, "Effervescence, if I am not mistaken? Welcome to Clipeus Outpost. I'm sure this isn't your first visit, so I'll spare you the grand tour."

The Captain wore the standard armor of Luna's personal Lunar Guard; a deep purple metal that covered the most vulnerable sections of her ash grey pelt. Her hooves, her chest and sides, her back and her rump were all covered by the thick and glossy armor, effectively giving the relatively smaller mare an intimidating look. The tone in which she spoke clearly showed that she was in control of the situation, and she wasn't going to be one to be usurped. Her voice rang heavily with authority and command, and every word was spoken with determination and purpose. Though as she spoke, the sharp fangs in her maw were also quite a tool in intimidation. Luckily, few other ponies knew that intimidation was practically all the fangs were good for, and so they served that purpose very well among the new recruits behind her.

[Xelliea]

Evy found himself surprised for quite a few reasons. First, he hadn't expected there to be an officer present, especially from the Lunar Guard. That she knew who he was only surprised him further. Also, he hadn't expected such a harsh greeting, if it could even be called that. He knew from experience that officers could themselves be quite an uptight and humourless bunch, but he had expected a little kinder introduction from the pony. Come to think of it, was she even a pony? She looked like one, but those bat wings certainly made Evy wonder what exactly she was. From what his assignment's report had stated, it seemed that the proper name for such beings was Batponies, but it didn't roll off the tongue and, to be honest, Evy didn't like it.

He also wasn't so happy with her authoritative air. While he accepted her status, she wasn't his commanding officer, and so her higher rank was worth little when it came to issuing orders. She did seem to be doing a decent job whipping the recruits into shape. Evy knew the challenge of such a task, and despite their half-hearted patrols, it was clear that she held their respect. Actually, it is, but no need to worry about a tour, I'll know my way around in no time. He rolled his shoulder's slightly, causing the plates of his light yet metallic armour to clash together. His outfit was much less impressive than the officers, and was designed instead to be easy to move it, and still be a powerful shield against blows. He didn't expect any sort of combat, and only wore the armour for safety and an indicator of rank, which, while his wasn't exceedingly high, his status as a Royal Night Guard was worth quite a lot in its own right.

You weren't mentioned in the report, so I'll chalk that up to a mistake. He glanced at her with a small amount of caution, the first serious expression he had worn since he arrived. That, of course, means that I have no idea what to call you. I'm not one really for the whole ma'am play, so I'm sure we can go on first names, eh? You know mine, after all. His face once again adopted some humour, trying to joke a little but not seem to disrespectful.

_____________________________________________________

Somewhere within the Everfree forest, lightning cracked and thunder roared. Only, this was not the result of an atmospheric storm. No, this was much too centred. In a climactic boom, a shaft of lightning slammed into the leaf-covered forest floor. Never did such a bolt become cast from the sky for many a lunar or solar cycle. In fact, perhaps the sky had never birthed forth such a pillar of light as it had then. If one was elevated enough, the light might just be visible for their eyes to see on the forest's edge. At least three tree's had been utterly burnt by the strike, and now a forced clearing in the forest was host to a smoking patch of earth. In the ruin, however, there was more than just desolation. A lone shadow clung to the ash, and from afar it could almost be mistaken for a pony...

[ForgottenExistance]

"It's not that impressive, or that big. Take a step inside, and you've officially seen it all," The Captain stated simply, standing perfectly still and upright as she watched him. Her vivid green orbs seemed to pick him apart to his very core from the distance in a moment of silent consideration. She had read his record, the same as she had read every other guards' record at one point or another. But there was only so much that a service record could tell. And at the moment...she really didn't know what to think of him. His seemingly casual attitude was certainly not what she expected from somepony who was in the position he occupied.

After a moment, she responded quickly, "Captain Nightfall, if you please. I am not here on official records. Keeping my presence off the books is a strategic option that I opted for. If spies were to get ahold of our records and knew that the castle was down one Captain, then it would create an opening for attack. Officially, I'm not here," she concluded her explanation with a curt nod. There was only two things that the Captain of the Luna Guard was well known for; her ability to turn military dogma and jargon into morale, and her deceptive and shrewd tactics. Her willingness to go off the books to keep up the appearance that the castle still had her presence was a prime example of the second. She liked to believe that she was always prepared for the future, and planned ahead to try and stay one step ahead of whomever might try to harm the Mistress Of The Night. That was her charge, her duty, and her purpose.

The Lunar Pegasus stepped off to the side so that he could get past her, "Come inside. You can give me your briefing, then I'll have to get back to organizing the Greens," she spoke it with the intention of it being a suggestion, but with the strict tone that it escaped it, it sounded far too much like an order to be polite. It was mostly just the way that she was; she wasn't proficient in making things sound nice. It was direct, down to the point, and very orderly. Though the way that she called the recruits 'Greens' showed that she did have the capacity to make a joke. Just not very humorous ones.

Nightfall wasn't in a position that allowed her to see the flash in the distance, since she had a pony, some stone, and trees blocking her way. The four recruits that were inside the outpost were certainly too distracted to even notice the flash, let alone be able to see it. That left only the two veteran entrance guards, and the two recruits that she had out on a regular patrol. Whether or not the patrol had seen the flash was anypony's guess, but as the Captain herself would say; they wouldn't notice if a tree fell in front of them with a family of phoenixes roosting in it.

[Xelliea]

Evy continued to view the captain with some suspicion. Her harsh attitude and her lack of mention on any file lead quite understandably to some confusion, and from there lead to suspicion. He didn't think it too likely that she was doing anything underhand, or at least illegally underhand. Instead, he opted to give her enough trust as it was polite to give and was expected by her higher rank, but past that he held some mistrust. Perhaps she would prove him wrong. He couldn't see the future, and then again, maybe she wouldn't. Well... Captain, I've not met a great many Lunar Guards, but you certainly look the part. Is that really standard issue? He was quite intrigued by her armour, it looked more ceremonial that practical, but it was impressive still. Though what still keep most of his interest was her wings. Pegasus wings were common, but bat wings? It certainly was the first time he'd seen something like that.

Well then, let's not delay. Feel free to lead the way. With this having been said, Evy followed his darker counterpart up a small amount over stairs to the elevated office that served as the centre of the outpost, at least metaphorically. There was a small amount of admin that had to be done, but it was mostly briefings and such, and so Evy didn't expect it to take long. In truth, he didn't expect the whole inspection to take long. One thing he found odd was why he was needed for an exception, when there was an officer present, but perhaps he adamance to stay off record had something to do with it.

No doubt you've heard of my CO, Captain Astral Glow. I've been told little about the reason for my presence beyond it being a routine inspection, and I'm sure you've had a few so there's little to say about the assignment itself. Evy's tone was more official now, but still held some of it's humour and casualness. He assumed Night would have some sort of paperwork to show him, so he waited for a moment to see if there was any sort of admin she needed to preform. He wasn't used to inspections, being the whole process was new to him. His usual forte was in body-guarding or escorting, and so inspections were perhaps too basic for him to fully understand them off the bat.

Perhaps a couple of guards had spotted the lighting crash, but there was, from that distance, little reason to consider it more than just a normal storm. The Everfree's weather was completely controlled by nature, so storms just kind of... happened. Those who lived or where stationed nearby just got used to it.

_____________________________________________________

Deep within the forest, the storm's herald slowly wandered through the ferns and leaves. The feathered wings on her back fluttered a little as a falling leaf fell against them. In many regards she looked very much like a pony. She had hooves, a pony-like body and a tail and mane. However, it was in her face and fur that the difference could be seen. Her wings weren't the only thing feathered, with parts of her body looking more bird-like than a pony. This bird similarity continued in her face. Her mouth could easily be described as a beak rather than a muzzle, and most of her face looked like an eagle's. Then again, in a place like the Everfree, she didn't seem that out of place.

Her progress was halted by the howl of timber wolves. Three had already surrounded her, and by the sound of it there were at least two more. Their eyes bore hunger and they began to prowl in a circle around the odd mare. Driven by hunger or perhaps territoriality, it was clear there was very little chance of a peaceful solution. In a brisk motion, the mare looked skyward. Mother guide me...

[ForgottenExistance]

As the Captain had stated previously, there wasn't much to see. The building was split into two floors. The first floor had cots against the walls in a semi-circle, with a trunk at the foot of each individual bed. In the elevated center was a very thick wooden table, and a hanging lamp above the table. There were a few stacks of loose paper on the table, and an angular looking helmet which was the same dark purple metal as Nightfall's armor. It was polished to a mirror sheen, but the way that it was shaped didn't seem to fit with the sleek and slick configuration of the Captain's current armor. It seemed much older. An empty entryway on the far side of the room, under the stairs, led into the small area where they kept provisions. But due to the lack of any fireplace or cookware inside the building, it was safe to assume that the ponies on guard would have to cook their meals outside. There was only one pony in the first room, and he currently had his face inches from the solitary window that was to the East of the door. This left only two ground entrances to the building, and both were being watched.

Nightfall ignored the looks he gave her wings, used to it after all the years she had to endure the stares of other ponies. She spoke without phase as she walked through the small room, "Standard issue, right down to the boots. The only part of my armor configuration that isn't standard is my helmet, which is an heirloom from a by-gone era," she clarified as she walked up the steps to the elevated position. She stopped and gestured for him to stay at the bottom of the stairs before she walked around the desk and gathered the papers quickly. She didn't take long to organize everything, and walked back over to him when she was done. She tilted her head up to the stairs, "Lets go up to the Officer's room to conduct our business. I don't usually use it, since I despise anything that sets me so far apart from my soldiers. But these are not normal circumstances."

She started striding towards the stairs even before she finished speaking. Obviously, she wasn't going to conduct sensitive business in front of a recruit, and she also wasn't going to have him abandon his post.

The Captain trotted up the short amount of stairs, and entered the Officer's quarters. The sight of it made her sick, but some higher-ups preferred luxury, rather than the ability to communicate with one's troops. There was two padded beds on the floor, each one was at least the size of three cots put together. They sat gathering dust against the walls, on either side of a steep set of stairs that led up to the observation post on the roof, where three more of Nightfall's recruits were. In the center was a large mahogany desk, gilded and beautifully crafted. It looked like it costed more then most guards earned in a year.

Nightfall's face scrunched up in disgust as she laid eyes on it, then shook her head and trotted over the the travesty. She set down the papers on top with care, and laid out a quill next to the desks' inkwell. She gestured with a hoof, "I have read his service file, and heard good things about him. But listen, I've read your file as well. Routine inspection is a gentle term, Effervescence. If you're here, that means that you're being pushed under the rug for a while. You being here is a learning and a teaching experience at most. If I'm satisfied with your performance by the end of the designated term, then you will go back to your usual assignments. At least...that's the official story," she trailed off before walking off to the side, staring at a tapestry of Luna's specific emblem. She stared at it in silence for a few moments, expecting him to sign it before continuing.

"This post is severely undermanned. Despite having high morale; these troops are still green behind the belt. If anything were to happen, then there would be high casualties," she spoke quietly, seemingly disturbed by the thought of loosing troops. She continued hastily, "Until these troops can hold their own swords, we'll need another experienced member for a temporary time. And whether or not there is more to your placement is classified information," she turned around to look at him, her eyes narrowed slightly, "All that matters is that if you pull your weight around here, you'll be able to leave this place sooner. So treat this like any other assignment."

The unnatural phenomenon went unnoticed by the guards of the outpost, and the reconnaissance ponies thought it was only a natural storm. But nonetheless, they kept their weapons at the ready, fearing that it was another one of Nightfalls' unnecessary tests.

[Xelliea]

Evy was rather confused by the way she set out what his assignment would be. Perhaps what had he originally saw (and was told was) a basic check-up was perhaps something more. He was still unsure, but it seemed that he held a certain amount of status in the outpost, and he liked that. What he didn't like, however, was that it seemed that some things were being withheld from him. Sure, he was used to secrecy, this assignment didn't seem to need it. Instead, it seemed like something was going on that he had no clue about. And that unnerved him. And you can't even tell me the whole story? Wonderful. There was still some humour in his voice, but he was mostly just irritated. Still, there was little he could do if the higher ups wished to hide something from him.

So, what exactly am I here for? To serve as your lieutenant or something for a while? Had the prospect been in another setting, Evy would have despised following such a... buzz kill and Night seemed to be. However, he held some sympathy for the recruits. Maybe what they needed, after all of Night's rough love as it were, was another leader who was able to put a smile on their faces and bring some humour to their lives. As such, he didn't detest the idea of staying for a while that much. What he didn't look forward to was any chance of an attack on the outpost. The guards were under-trained and under-equipped, and while the outpost was able to be defended, a beast such as an Ursa could likely just walk over the walls.


The dark night didn't help to ease these fears. He and his sister, Hasta, would tell each other stories about the forest and its horrors back when they were foals, and they'd left him with more than a few worries about Everfree. Plus, he didn't want to have to go back to his wife in Canterlot with a claw sticking out of his throat. Then again, if things coming out of the forest was such a problem, Clipeus would be much bigger than it was. There probably wasn't going to even be a howl during his stay.

___________________________________________

Five piles of wood clunked to the floor all between a few seconds of each other. The mare had never seen such creatures before, but had been hunted and attacked by beasts perhaps even more vicious, and treated the timber wolves in the same manner. And thus they went down the same. She noticed a cut on her side, as likely to be caused by a branch as a claw. Where she came from, forests were a rarity. She certainly didn't live near any of them. Instead, she only saw the various tree here and there on the great Equestrian planes. As such, she had little idea how to move through a forest, and was very close to getting lost. With her intended direction disappeared, she one again turned to the heavens.

May my birth oath reveal my path... Just like her previous sentence, it seemed more like a rehearsed, specific prayer, rather than a request. As she had hoped, a tingling energy ran through her form. It collected on her left side, almost turning her body into a compass. She quickly turned to face the direction of the tingling, and with a satisfied smirk, she started to walk the path revealed to her. Perhaps she'd find somepony more talkative than the timber wolves.

[ForgottenExistance]

The Captain didn't know how useful the stallion would be to her in the future, but any extra hooves would be a gift for the outpost. When she had originally heard that he would be posted there, she was skeptic. But soldiers was what she needed, and if Astral Glow spoke highly of him, then she would learn to work with him. There were only a few outside of the tightly knit family of Lunar Pegasi that she actually trusted, and only time would tell if she could fight back to back with him as she would with any of her kin.

Facing him with her head held high, she spoke with determination, "Effervescence, you are here as a soldier. You will train, and you will learn. Clipeus Outpost is now your home, its occupants are your family. You will serve with me as my right hoof, and will share your knowledge with the soldiers that you stand beside," she spoke, with her iconic military jargon. It was proud and confident, and a bold statement in the dim lighting of the room. She never once referred to him as working under her, or as the recruits as being pathetic, as so many other trainers would do. She held everypony in her charge in high regard, and saw herself on the same level in life as the recruits.

"When your duration of service here concludes, you will be sent on your way. If you help me to successfully train these soldiers, you will leave here with my personal commendation," she concluded. With another pony of experience in her charge, she would be able to train the recruits quicker, and there would be less threat if something were to attack the outpost. Unfortunately, there was always a threat of something attacking the outpost. It was an unavoidable threat when your post is in the middle of the Everfree. At least with one more trained soldier, they'd at least stand a chance if some of the local wildlife decided to rid their woods of the invading outpost.

The Captain ran her crew like clockwork, and as if on queue, the heavy wooden door on the outpost's roof opened up. A lightly armored pony cautiously made his way down the steep stairs, and quickly went around the edge of the Officer's room. He acknowledged the two ponies in the room, and quickly made his way down the curved stairs to the main room, as the previously scolded recruit from the main room made his way up the stairs to replace the one who just shifted out. They didn't need to be told when to switch anymore, after only two weeks, they already ran from post to post without issue. They were encouraged to memorize the shift schedules, so that there would be no awkward fumbles or mix-ups. Smoke Jaw quickly made his way through the Officer's room, and up the steep stairs to the roof without a word, only giving a nod of acknowledgement to the two ponies as he passed.

Nightfall couldn't help but be silently proud of how her recruits had been hammered into a clock in such a short amount of time. There was still plenty of issues to bang out, such as working on their concentration and actual combat skills. But at least they knew where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there. If they kept to their schedules, then that meant that outside; the veteran guards were being relieved by the two recruits who were previously on patrol. It kept fresh eyes in every area, so they were always alert. Of course, two recruits after a long patrol in the forest had an unfortunate tendency to talk on their way back to the outpost, which made it about as easy to find and follow them as it would be to find and follow a giant pink elephant with a polka band on its back.

[Xelliea]

Evy found the whole situation rather odd. He was trusting in nature, but he didn't like it when things were being withheld from him, and it was obvious something was. Still, he was willing to go along with it all. He was one for being loyal to a cause, and so for being loyal to those who represented that cause. If falling under Night's command for a while would keep Equestria safer, he'd do it. It was his duty, after all, and he could almost hear Astral's words in his mind: Duty and honour above all. In a swift motion, he grasped the sword in his belt with his teeth. Whipping it out into the cool night air, he held it sideways for a moment. I hope to serve well. This action was far from required, but more a little personal ritual he felt required to preform. It was a way of temporarily transferring himself, in his mind, to the command of another officer. After a moment, he sheathed the blade, he didn't want to seem hostile at all. The blade was forged from cold iron, and its darker blade looked sharp alongside Evy's grey coat and lighter armour. It hadn't been used to wound in over a year, but he'd held it for real less than a few weeks ago.

Being in the usual trade of a bodyguard, Evy had been attacked quite often. He never wished to actually harm the assailants, and so usually used his large stature and the blade itself to intimidate threats into retreat. It almost always was successful, but it had left Evy's training, while advanced, as nearly his only practice in battle. He was rusty, but then again what was the likelihood of him drawing his blade again during his stay? Well, I'm sure you have orders for your right hoof? He spoke in a literal manner, without any hint of irony. While he still kept an air of humour around him, Night was his Captain during his stay at Clipeus, and he would treat her with the respect that earned.

Evy still found his situation odd. Why did they choose him, of all the guards, to come to the outpost? Why not a better leader-type? And why tell him it was an inspection, if really it was a temporary transfer? Perhaps this was standard, and Night's matter-of-fact attitude about it certainly suggested it, for officers to tell falsehoods. Maybe it aided in administration and such. Still, that wasn't Evy's field, and as such, it left him confused. Now however, it wasn't his place to start digging too deep. Unless anything out of the ordinary happened, he'd just go along under Nightfall, and hopefully head back to more familiar fields afterwards.

_______________________________________________

The loud noises of the recruits' patrol was indeed like a beacon to the curious, and it so happened that a very curious mare was nearby. Once the sounds of voices met her ears, she began to trot rather briskly toward their location. She had no idea who these ponies were, but that meant they didn't know who she was either. That was both good and bad, but maybe they'd give her the help she needed. If not, there were some tools she held to aid her in the task. Not tools of wood or iron, no, these were tools of her blood. She had no wish to use any of them, however. Instead, she only held questions.

Coming up to the rather thin, clear path that ran from Clipeus to eventually join onto the Ponyville Everfree entrance, the mare spotted the two ponies. They looked so small, like the lesser races from where she came from. But, as her father had told her, everypony deserves respect before for two conversations, only then could you chose whether they truly deserved it. Before long, she was standing rather close to them, perhaps not a meter behind them. In a rather loud voice, she called out to them, her tone attempting to be polite, but her voice, as always, was simply inelegant and her appearance looking almost alien. Excuse me, citizen! Might I ask for the closest location for information?

[ForgottenExistance]

Nightfall hated keeping information from her comrades, it meant that she wasn't holding them on the same level as she held herself. It was disrespectful and dishonest, and it made her sick. But even she had to follow orders, and if she was told to withhold some of what was in that file, then she would deal with her guilt. She nodded to him, "I am certain you will serve us well. And at the moment, I have no dire need for your assistance. You may socialize with the rest of the recruits, or get some rest. You've had a long journey, and I haven't fit you into the rounds yet. You would only disrupt the system if you entered yourself right now," she clarified bluntly.

To try and salvage what little hope there was in making him tolerate his time at the outpost, she gestured to the Officer's room, "If you wish, you may have this room to yourself. It is more comfortable then the cots on the first floor, and you will have some degree of privacy. As long as you still wake up with the rest of us, then I have no complaints," she said, leaving the offer open to him. She had no need of the room, and at the moment it was only gathering dust and being used as a pathway to the rooftop stairwell. She personally preferred to sleep on one of the cots with the rest of the recruits, believing that having their superior living in the same conditions as they were was only fair, and would serve to raise their respect for her. It seemed to have the desired effect.

The two recruits were completely involved with their conversation about the outside life that they looked forward to getting back to. Marefriends, money, cider and good food was all that their minds were on. That made it incredibly easy to sneak up on them, even if it wasn't the mares' intention to do so. They were completely oblivious to the world around them as they made their way back to the outpost. So it would be easy to imagine their surprise when suddenly a voice piped up behind them, unannounced and very loud in comparison to the rest of the woods.

While the one Unicorn actually stumbled forward and wound up with a face full of dirt and grass, the other Earth pony managed to make a complete turn to face the creature behind them. He found himself at a lack of words, and his jaw quickly went slack. Instead of being able to come up with a logical response, he fumbled with his words, coming out in a jumbled, "Hub---aba....whu...Flah!!!!" and with his final idiotic exclamation, he turned tail and sprinted towards the outpost as quick as his legs would carry him, kicking up dirt on his way. He only managed to trip over the fallen Unicorn, and sprawl out on the ground next to him.

What really caught them off guard was that they were small compared to her, while they were in no way small ponies. They both had muscular bodies, and tall figures. But they were both recruits, inexperienced and unprepared. They were incapable of acting professionally in such a sudden situation, and after several brief moments of writhing around in the dirt, the two recruits were up and running again. This time, they managed to keep their footing on the rough dirt, and raced neck-and-neck the rest of the way to the outpost, screaming most of the way. The pitch of their screams would have easily been confused for that of a young mare...

[Xelliea]

Evy found himself much happier at the chance of some privacy. While he looked forward to spending some time getting to know the recruits, it'd had been quite the trip to Clipeus from Canterlot, and he needed some rest before he really did anything else. Once Night had left him alone, after he'd thanked her for the offer and accepted it, he briefly trotted over to the extravagant desk. Running a hoof over it, he walked to the other side and sat down. He unbuckled most of the heavier pieces of his armour, laying them either on the desk or floor. Reaching into his rather small bags, he felt something he didn't quite expect. While he had meant to pull out a military book he was reading in his free time, he instead could feel what seemed to be a letter, or at least a note. Pulling it out, he laid it on the desk. His name was written on the front, and the writing was familiar to him: it was his sister's, Hasta. Still confused as to how it ended up in his bag, and if it was even meant to be there, rather than by mistake, he unsealed and opened it, his eyes turning to the text inside.

Evy,

Old Astral and I might not often meet eye to eye, but he knows I give good advice and he knows I'm no fool. So, in some ways, you can thank me for you being in that hole of an outpost. But, please, you should take it as a compliment. Astral knows something about the whole thing, and I think I might know what he knows. I only hope he doesn't know that I might know. If I'm right, and you know I usually am, you're the best person for the job.

Just keep your wits about you. You're no fool either, but you're trusting, and I don't want that to end up getting you in deep water. I can't say much, in fact probably what I've told you is too much. If this letter was to be found, we'd both be in for it. But I've heard some Lunar Guard's being sticking her nose in the matter. Don't trust her.

This matter's bigger than either of us, and I wish I could say more. I will say this, however: Black skies bring blue omens.

Yathan

Signed with her alias, the letter was quite clearly from his sister, but... what in Equestria was she on about. Black skies? He decided to ponder it more as he slipped the letter back in his bag.

____________________________________

For whatever reason, the Unicorn recruit was a little slower than the Earth Pony, then again Earth Ponies always seemed more athletic in general. That slightly slower pace was all the mare needed to catch up. In a great leap, with the aid of her bird-like wings, she came crashing in front of the guard, her expression seeming drained of its patience. She'd tried to be nice, tried to be kind, but she just got the same reception she always got back home. It hit something deep inside her, and that made her angry. The horn on her brow glowed a little, illuminating the dim settings. The magic seemed to hold the pony in place more than even the fear.

The mare's eyes glowed dimly, a few shades lighter than the magic aura from her horn. In turn, so did the eyes of the pony she stood over, locking the recruit in a kind of trance. In a moment, it was almost like the mare had been his life-long best friend, as if he would be happy to accept her every request. His fear faded as the magical paralysis also wore off, but the hypnotising gaze still ran through his mind. Now... show me where you were running.

While her words were a rather heavy command, the recruit would hear the most pleasing rephrasing of the imperative as he could imagine. Satisfied that her powers had worked, the mare's anger began to fade, replaced by the anticipation that her mother's plan, her plan, was soon to reach the next step.

[ForgottenExistance]

Nightfall walked down the stairs and sighed to herself as she stepped up to the elevated center where her little desk was. It was a lot more quaint then the extravagance of the upstairs area, and she felt that it suited her much better. She stopped behind it for a moment to admire her helmet in a moment of silence, giving her brain a chance to collect its thoughts. Everything was more then a little off at the moment, but there was little she could do to fix it. Effervescence was supposed to be kept in the dark, and she wasn't allowed to provide any information other then the basics. It made her sick to keep secrets.

With a quick swipe of one of her powerful wings, she flipped the helmet up into the air, and quickly moved forward so that it landed on her head. With only a brief moment of adjustment with her right hoof, it was set and secure on her head. It was a familiarly compressing feeling, and comforted her to know that she was protected by quality equipment. With her full set of armor on, she trotted outside through the little rickety door, content to check on the gate guards and make sure that nothing was off about the schedule. What she found instead of four ponies was the two veterans still standing about, and one frightened Earth pony screaming like a little filly, coming out of the deeper forest.

Her ears perked forward in curiosity while her brows furrowed. Even though it wasn't the first time that her recruits had run back to the outpost in fear, there was something dramatically off about the fact that there was only one in sight. Quickly backtracking to the door, she shouted inside, "Arm yourselves!!" It was a simple command, but it was urgent enough that the ponies inside would know to take it seriously. There was no misguided scrambling, most of the guards had their weapons in hoof before her voice finished echoing in the building. Nightfall herself had no need to return inside for her sword, instead her preferred weapons were already on her person, and only required activation to be lethal.

Longshot was always a very fast pony, but he had never ran faster then he was at that moment. With the outpost within eyesight, he pushed himself a little harder, screaming as loud as his lungs were capable. Deftly avoiding rocks, fallen branches and holes, he ploughed through the bush, imagining that the creature was right on his flanks. When he was only about a meter from the outpost, he finally collapsed and sprawled over the dirt, rolling across the path in a ridiculous manner. He came to a slow, dusty halt at Nightfall's hoofs, panting and unable to catch his breath. It wasn't a pretty sight. After a few moments of strained panting, he managed a choked, "Help...help...monster..."

Now, Nightfall had a few definitions of what a monster might be. There could be an Ursa, or a pack of Timber Wolves. But even a recruit wouldn't fall under such a panic for something that they ran training situations on every day. This meant that it was something else entirely. The Captain's wings flared out in a defensive show of making herself look bigger, and more threatening. It was an intimidation tactic that would work on feral creatures, not so much on another pony capable of rational thought. But at this point, she felt that it would be smart to be prepared for anything.

Lightning Heart faced the punishment for having a slower run speed that day, and skidded to a frightened halt when the large mare landed in front of him. He was in the process of backing up to find somewhere else to run to when her magic halted him in his tracks. Though Unicorns had some resistance to mind magics, hers were something else entirely, and his little training posed almost no resistance to her manipulation. He stuttered for a moment before smiling, suddenly overcome with a sense that she was a friend, "Well, sure! Why don't you follow me, and I'll take you there," he said contently. Sidestepping around her when she released him, he started trotting along at a casual pace along the same path that his comrade had taken, now well at ease.

[Xelliea]

By the time Night's voice echoed to the top room of the offices, it had become too jumbled for Evy to make out, especially deep in thought as he was. He certainly didn't think what he'd heard was as urgent a command as it was, and instead decided it must have just been Night shouting to the recruits for some transgression. After a moment, he looked back down at the desk. He'd created a mix between a mind map and rough notes on the parchment-like paper in front of him. Even looking back to it, he couldn't make sense of Hasta's message. One phrase rolled through his mind. Black skies bring blue omens... Black skies bring blue omens. He mumbled to himself. Sure, it was night time, so the sky would be black. But still, that seemed too simple. Then he remembered the loud storm he had heard in the distance a short while back. Lightning could, in some ways, be seen as the sky touching the earth. Maybe, in that touch, the black sky had brought 'blue omens'.

He leaned back, his head hurting. He knew Hasta was one for secrecy, but couldn't she have written something a little easier to understand. He'd have asked her, but she had spent the day on an assignment in Whitetail Wood, and, if she was finished with it, she'd be all the way back in Canterlot. All he knew about her assignment was that she was there to pick something up. Oh how he wished he'd had such a simple assignment, rather than his current one, with all its secrecy. He sighed, but the noises from outside made his thoughts fall silent. Maybe it wasn't noises, but rather, lack of noises. He could hear none of the recruits normal chatter, instead only the occasional metallic 'clank'. Deciding he needed a quick mental break from Hasta's riddle, and intrigued by the atmosphere outside, he got up and trotted to the window.

__________________________________________

Lightning lead his new 'friend' along the faint forest trail, and eventually, the two reached the edge of the forest. The mare decided to hide a little away from the forest's edge, and 'asked', or more like commanded, Lightning to get down too. At this point, she had quite a few options. She could just waltz into the outpost, but the ponies looked ready for a fight, and, even with her powers, there were a couple of ponies who looked like they could do some serious damage if scared into attacking. She knew few military tactics from where she came from, but she did know two things. One, the guards' leader probably knew the most information, and two, if the leader told them not to attack, they wouldn't.

She would need to somehow draw out their leader. Perhaps another use of her hypnotic gaze to calm the situation down. But its range was greatly limited, she would have to be standing next to her target. She had other powers, but most of them brought strain on her, and she had no wish to tire herself out yet. She would save them for if they were needed. Her magic, on the other hand, was much less straining. However, it held the same weakness that her gaze held, its range was limited. Also, having mostly relied on her powers, she'd not been one to train much in magic. As such, beyond paralysis, levitation and the occasional shield, her magic was extremely limited.

However, she suddenly remembered that she had the best tool to fit the job, and it had completely slipped her mind. The unicorn next to her. Turning to him, she thought about what to ask. You know your leader. Go back to your outpost, tell her whatever you can to bring her out here to me. Whatever you do, do not let her suspect you are doing this for me. If she does suspect anything, come back here as fast as you can. Now, go. Again, while her tone was harsh, Lightning would hear it like banter from his best friend.

[ForgottenExistance]

Smokejaw, basically the definition of rookie, stood close to the edge of the outpost rooftop, keeping his eyes peeled on the forest. He might have been the clumsiest, most air-headed and forgetful guard that Nightfall had ever met, but he followed orders and kept her up to date on things. When he saw a flash of the dull yellow pelt of Lightning Heart in the forest, he called out as loud as he could, "Cap'n! I just saw Lightning in the woods! Eh... About..." he tried to estimate how far away it was that he saw the glance of color for a few seconds. He seemed to forget that he was talking for a few moments before he suddenly yelled again, "Just behind the second layer of bush!" he exclaimed. He wasn't any good with measurements to say the least, so just sort of generalized.

Nightfall kept the information in mind as she quickly helped Longshot to his feet without a word. Though he was having difficulties with breathing, he managed to stand up after a few moments of struggling, and grabbed a spear that was leaning against the entrance. The veteran who it had belonged to wasn't impressed, but still had her sword, so didn't complain. After all, for a recruit, Longshot could hurl spears quite a distance with the accuracy of most castle archers. Impressive, since he was only an Earth pony, and had no magic to help with the throwing, and no wings to dive-bomb for velocity.

Lightning Heart listened intently to his new 'friend', happy to oblige her reasonable request. With a little smile, he nodded, "I'll be right back, then!" he exclaimed before trotting off towards the outpost at a leisurely pace. He didn't perceive any threat, and didn't think it was strange that she was asking to see his Captain. But he wasn't one to ask questions. What baffled him though was why everypony in the outpost seemed to be outside with weapons, even Longshot seemed to be on edge. Raising a brow curiously, he trotted up, "Uhh...Hey? Is everything alright here?" he asked with a bit of concern.

Longshot managed to take in a deep breath to form a logical sentence after a moment of baffled silence, "Lightning! That thing jumped in front of yah! How in the hay are you still alive?! And why aren'tcha panicking anymore??" he exclaimed, still clutching his borrowed spear, poised to throw it. Nightfall ignored Longshot's outburst and frowned at Lightning, "Soldier! Explain yourself immediately! This better not be a false alarm, or so help me Luna..." she didn't even want to finish that sentence. A false alarm in such an outpost wasn't even remotely acceptable.

Lightning blinked a few times, taken aback. After staring at Longshot for a few moments, he turned his gaze to Nightfall and smiled charmingly, "Oh! I was surprised by something I found in the forest, is all. Actually, I was wondering if you could come with me to take a look? It might mean something to you," he suggested, tilting his head over his shoulder to signify that he wanted her to go with him back to the forest. He had no idea why they were all so stressed. It wasn't as if he had been chased by an abomination or enemies!

Longshot turned to Nightfall and spoke lowly, "Ma'am...this ain't right. He was there with me, he was chased. He should be tuckered out and ready to collapse! He was on my heels for a good minute before I lost sight of him!" He was able to breath properly again, but it still had him on edge. Whatever it was that had chased them had done something to Lightning, and he was sure of it. It had scared the wits out of them both, and had separated the two recruits early on. He didn't trust the situation, and shuffled back and forth nervously. The whole scene had him on edge, and he would give anything just to be back inside where he could feel even remotely safe.

Nightfall glared at the yellow recruit, unsure what to make of it. He wasn't acting the same way that Longshot had... and he felt off. It wasn't something solid that she could put a hoof on, but she felt as though something was wrong about him. For a recruit, he was normally headstrong and sure of himself. But even he wouldn't be so calm to just be standing outside. He was usually just as nervous about the Everfree as the rest of the recruits there, and was never as calm as he was at that time. Her eyes narrowed for a few moments, staring down at the relaxed Unicorn. The fact that she didn't know what was wrong with him had her even more on edge then she had been before. Finally peeling her eyes away, she turned her head to one of the veterans who stood near her, and made a small gesture with her head before returning her steel glare to Lightning.

The veteran that she had signaled quickly trotted around Lightning and stood on the path between him and the forest. It was a silent transaction, but now Lightning was forced to stay there. If it was a Changeling attack, and Lightning had been chased off and this was an impersonation of him, then the vet wouldn't allow him to run off and get reinforcements. Nightfall hoped that it was a Changeling attack... she could handle Changelings. But if it was something else, then she would be at her wits end. Nothing else that she could think of would reasonable explain his attitude. Even then...Changelings didn't explain why Longshot called it a "monster". Changelings were basically bugs, nothing to make a full-grown stallion run in terror like a filly. It had her stumped.

[Xelliea]

The mare rolled her eyes. Her plan seemed to have failed, and now she'd lost her bargaining chip. She'd hoped that, if the other guards found something off, she could recall Lightning, then perhaps use her in some other way. However, while the magical gaze's effect was decent in length, depending on the target, it could last up to an hour or two, she still needed to be able to talk with them, which she couldn't do from the forest's edge. She hadn't wanted to use the gaze to begin with, she wasn't a manipulative or unkind mare really, but she'd saw no alternative to find the outpost. Looking at the outpost again, she was sure Lightning's use had come to an end. That, realistically, left only one choice: she had to reveal herself. She wouldn't be lying if she said she meant no harm, but she was worried that some of the guards wouldn't feel that way, especially if they realised what she'd done to one of them. She could try to use her gaze on any assailants, but she wouldn't be fast enough to deal with, what, 7 or 8 guards-ponies.

Looking up to the sky, she mumbled something under her breath, perhaps another pseudo-prayer, before beginning to arise. Being sure to stand up straight and move out of the bushed before she left the forest, lest the ponies think she had something to hide, she slowly walked out into the open. Tensing herself for a fight she wished not to happen, she stumbled verbally for a moment. Perhaps she should have asked Lightning what her commander was called. Not sure of what to say, she just shouted out the first thing that came into her head. Ponies of this outpost, please lay down your weapons and lend me your ears for I am no monster. She paused, hoping the lack of arrows of the like slamming into her was at least some sort of reason to take a few steps forward. My name is Yiirace, daughter of... Again, she paused. From where she came from at least, she'd learnt not to blurt out her mother's name too often, especially to those she didn't know, as it had too often as not caused unwelcome hatred. Instead, she decided on saying her father's name. ...Cardinal Sapientian. I request to speak with your captain... please.

Back where Yiirace would call home, the church and the ruling body where the same. The land was ruled by a Herald, much like a king, who was served and aided by a council of First Cardinals. These Frist Cardinals were elected from a number of Cardinals, who acted much like Lords and Dukes. As such, she hoped being a daughter of one of said Cardinals would give her some status, but realising that where she was, she remembered that such a title probably meant nothing. She might as well have said 'Flying blob master'. Still, she hoped that maybe the more level headed ponies would see that she only wanted to talk, right?

_________________________________________

Watching from his room, Evy looked carefully at what was going on below. He couldn't hear much in the way of the talking between Night, Lightning and the others, nor did he know the unicorn well enough to notice anything that odd about him. However, the fact that everypony was gathering their weapons made him want to run down with them. He almost did, but it had turned out the door out of the room was locked. He couldn't understand why this was, but he didn't want to have to try and break the door down short of the captain calling for him personally. What he didn't notice, however, was the faint yellow aura the flowed through the key hole. He knocked on the door, but could hear nopony around. Instead, they all must have ran down to rally with Night.

So he opted to return to watch the events below. On the good side, it gave him more time to think about what Hasta's letter had said. His worry, however, dropped a little as he saw that the creature coming from the woods seemed passive enough. It could all be a trick, after all, but then again he'd had enough tricks for one day, what with all these things being 'classified', and he was sure Night could handle it.