The Travelling Argument

Evening and Willow sat at their table in the tavern. Willow talked about her Order and their religious beliefs, and Evening told of her Master's training techniques.

"So, your entire order is unicorns? Nothing else?" asked Willow.

"Well, yes. All of us are trained to use our magic so that we can match earth ponies in strength and pegasi in agility," explained Evening. "The one downside is since we focus out magic on that, very few of us can do more than simple telekinesis. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't been born to it."

'That's... strange. Why cripple yourselves for that?"

Sky Runner walked back into the tavern and came to their table. "Hey guys. I just picked up a few essentials, and I'm ready to go. How are you two?"

"We're just fine, thank you," answered Willow.

"It's interesting to learn a little about your Order," said Evening still talking to Willow. "Maybe you can tell us more about it on the way."

"That's an excellent idea! I have been slacking in spreading the Word of the Two Sisters of late, I would be happy to teach you of it on the way."

"And I'd like to know more about you, Sky," said Evening. "How did a pegasus wind up in your line of work? Most that I have met have been merchant guards or couriers. But you are right, we should talk of this on the way to the stronghold," Evening guzzled  down her mug of cider in a few short seconds. "Well, I'm ready. Onward!"

The young warrior marched out the door and down a few streets of Canterlot, turning every now and then and getting closer to the city walls. By the time she saw the east gate she started about her training again.

"So, like I was saying," she looked around to make sure her companions were listening, but they weren't anywhere in sight. Evening's eye twitched a few times. "I did it again. But where did I lose them? I've only made a few turns.... seems I have picked up a couple of companions with no sense of direction. I guess I should find them."

Twenty Minutes Later

"Where did you two get off to? I was halfway out of town when I noticed you lost me, and I've been looking. This is not a good way to start a quest!" said Evening as she walked back into the tavern.

"Well to be fair, you took off while I was still finishing my drink. And you left the map here on the table," answered Willow, finishing up her last cider. Sky had at least three other finished mugs on the table.

Sky hoofed the map over to Evening. "You might want this next time you try to leave the city. It's only a good idea to have no idea where you're going when you're running away. Remember that. But I'm ready now!"

"As am I. Did nopony teach you patience, Evening?" asked Willow.

Evening smiled guiltily. "I guess I was being hasty... but this is my first quest, how can I not be excited?"

"It's alright to be excited, Evening! Just try not to get ahead of yourself-" Sky looked out the window. "-Now let's go before the guards come searching through here again!"

The three companions left the tavern and headed down the streets again, with Sky doing her best to avoid any guards along the way. After they had passed the city gates Evening pulled out the map again and held it up for everyone with her magic. "Habichtheim is a few days away. Should we make camp, or try to find lodging in the villages between here and there?" she asked.

'I guess we ought to conserve our supplies for now, so maybe staying in the villages would be the wisest choice until we get closer. I don't know how long we'll have to camp outside that fortress before I can find us a way in," said Sky. "Oh yeah, and if any guards come around looking for me while we're out on the road, you don't know who I am, got it?"

"But you said you are Sky Runner, rogue extraordinaire! How am I supposed to say otherwise?" asked Evening.

"You lie, Evening," said Willow. "I'm sure they'll let that slide for your mission."

Evening grunted. "We can't lie. We're heroes."

"Well, it's not technically lying when it comes down to it. I mean, you only met me today, so it's technically kind of true, right?

Also, it's fair to say that telling anypony who I am would get me pretty badly hurt, and you wouldn't want to be responsible for that, would you?" asked Sky.

"Of course I wouldn't want a friend to be hurt... but I... I've never lied before," answered Evening hesitantly.

Sky looked at Evening in confusion. "N-never? How have you survived this long? Okay, you know what? Never mind. I can teach you how easily enough. I've been doing this all my life."

"Maybe I lied about skipping out on combat training once or twice... but my order is about integrity and discipline. How else is a unicorn supposed to match anypony else in combat? asked Evening.

"Well, how's a crippled pegasus supposed to do it too?" asked Sky. "Best way in my opinion is to avoid the fight altogether, or strike from where ponies aren't expecting you. I mean, that's just common sense. A sense of honor can just get you arrested or killed in my experience."

Evening's eye twitched again. "No... honor?" She stood paralyzed in the middle of the road.

"Great job, you broke her," said Willow, slapping Evening a few times to try and get her senses to come back.

"Why does this happen every time I meet a warrior? Okay, there's a stream just up ahead. Try shoving her head under it for a couple of seconds," suggested Sky.

"Is that really a good idea? Though I guess she is a warrior." Willow brought Evening to the stream and pushed her in.

Sky hopped into the water herself. "Evening! HEY, WAKE UP!" She slapped her a few more times. "Come on! There's a quest to get to!"

Evening shakes her head and brandishes her spear. "Stop slapping me and shoving me into water!"

"You wouldn't listen! Sky Dancer has a point, we have a job to do and not much time to do it," said Willow.

"Yeah! And we're following you, not the other way around," said Sky. "Oh and uh, my name is Sky Runner."

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" a voice shouted from behind them. An officer of the Royal Guard walked up to them.

Willow looked up at the officer with a smile. "What seems to be the trouble, Officer? Is there any way that I, or my followers, can be of service to you and your fair city?"

"We're just patrolling the areas surrounding Canterlot. A wanted criminal has been spotted in the vicinity, and she's considered armed and dangerous. You three wouldn't know a pegasus called Sky Runner, would you?" asked the guard.

Sky looked at her hooves and said nothing.

"No, the name doesn't ring any bells. But if I find out anything, I will send word as soon as possible," answered Willow. "What about you Evening?

"What?"

The guard turned to Evening. "Have YOU seen any pegasus rogues around these parts?"

Evening panic. A few drops of sweat dripped down her forehead. Sky stood behind the guard making frantic hoof gestures to her. "No, sir. These two are the first pegasi I met, and they are clerics."

"Are you absolutely certain?"

Evening cowered down on the ground. "Yes... why don't you believe me?"

"You seem a little unsure."

Willow stepped in front of Evening. "Leave her alone. She's still young and a little less than confident and it's her first big quest in the open world. We haven't seen the rogue, but if we do we will tell you immediately."

The guard stepped back. "Okay then, no need to be hostile. First big quest huh? Well it does get easier after a while. I used to get quite scared when I first left the city too. It's pretty natural. You guys take care now!" The officer walked away and returned to the walls, but not before Sky had managed to quickly pocket his coin purse.

"An officer... thought I was a criminal." A few tears welled up in Evening's eyes.

"Well, I don't know about that. I figure that you just have to prove yourself as the best hero that you can be!" said Sky. "He'll come around, maybe someday start looking up to you!"

"You're going to need to toughen up, Evening," said Willow. "This is the real world. Ponies are cruel, ponies are mean, ponies will rob you blind-" she poked her in the chest. "-But stay true to yourself, and you will be fine."

"You're new to this, so it's okay to worry and get things wrong sometimes. We've all done it. Plus, there are a lot of bad ponies out there, but it's okay. We're your friends, and we're always going to be here to help you out!"

Evening wiped a tear away, embarrassed by her behavior. "Thank you."

Sky grinned. "Ah, don't mention it! Now come on, we've got a quest to finish, haven't we?"

The trio continued down the road a few miles, finally making it to the base of the mountain which Canterlot settled on. Shortly after a shadow passed over them, but there wasn't a single cloud in the sky.

Sky Runner looked up trying to see what caused the shadow. "What the hay is going on? There aren't any pegasi up there that I can see. No Griffins either."

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Willow.

Meanwhile, up in the sky.

"Ugh, I can't believe the Captain has me up here doing patrols. This would be so much easier if we just set up a blockade, or even just built fifty foot walls all over the place. Sky Runner can't escape fifty foot walls," said Sword Shield, one of the Lieutenants of the Royal Guard. He had been patrolling the skies on his flying sword for hours now. A flash of light caught his eye from down below. "Hey... what's that down there?"

He flew down to the ground directly ahead of the group, finding the source of the glimmer of light. "Oooh, a penny. How lucky." He put the coin in his bag when another pony smacked into him.

"Oops, sorry sir," said Sky. She looked up at who she had smacked into. "Gotta watch where I'm go-ing. Buck."

"Excuse me, I didn't see you there. Wait a second," the Lieutenant picked up a small coin purse from the ground. "Did you drop this? Huh... looks a little like Shining Armor's bag."

"Well, it would, Mr. Big Scary Guardpony sir. We both shop at the same stores in Canterlot. This is some really good quality stuff!" said Sky.

"It seems you have both have good tastes," The Lieutenant tossed back the coin purse. "You have a good day now, and watch out for the thief named Sky Runner. She's a scoundrel not to be trusted." He hopped back onto his sword and fly back into the skies.

"Will do officer! Have a nice day!" said Sky with a big smile. "Phew, that was a close one."

"That could have been avoided. That's twice we've run into guards because of your sticky hooves," said Willow.

"That wasn't entirely my fault, you know. We did need a map and finances... also I liked his penny," said Sky.

"Should we be arguing about this? Sky Runner got what we needed. Besides, can't you hear it?" asked Evening.

Sky looked at Evening confusedly. "Wait, hear what?"

Evening grinned. "The call to adventure!"

"Ha! I like the way you think! All right then, ONWARD!"