A Guard's Duty

        The Royal Sister walked slowly up the stairs to the outer wall of Everfree Castle. Her mythril shoes clacking angrily against the stone under her. She kept her eyes ahead but her body was stiff and unyielding.

“Just whom doth she thinks she is! Insulting us and our guards in such a fashion!”

“I think her Royal Highness was simply trying to jo…” Midnight trails off as Princess Luna rounds on him with a royal glare. Her blue eyes boring into him. Midnight’s own gaze dropped to the stone underhoof

“Watch thine words carefully Captain.” Her expression softening slightly as she noticed his discomfort. “Or shall we use our ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE WITH THEE?” She asks her eyes twinkling slightly as the elder batpony stumbled back with the onslaught of her voice.

“I beg you no milady!” He says bowing to her.

“Rise, Rise Midnight Aegis we did not mean to snap at thee! You have been our loyal Captain far too long for us to treat you the way we have been. Come walk with us. We have much to discuss.”

Will I be required?

“I am at your whim milady” Midnight answers her. He glanced over his shoulder wondering why there thoughts came unbidden to him. He rubs the back of his head and looks to her once more.

“You will not like our orders. We are sending you to the north. A small outpost set up by our sister” He couldn’t help but notice the disdain slipping into her voice when speaking of the Older Diarch. “It has been out of contact for over half a year now. Celestia is unworried, but with the dangers gnawing at our nation We cannot sit idle”

“If I might mylady? Why are you sending me of all ponies there?” He asks once he was certain she was done speaking. “I am the Captain of your guard. This seems more like a mission for other guards”

“You are not the first we have sent.” She says looking up at the moon. “We are only sending you because We need answers. Nightmares chew at our subjects minds at night. We do our best to keep the wounds from the rebellion from festering but it is tiring. To have this weigh on Our mind as well.” She trails off turning to face him a flicker of fear in her eyes.

“The outpost is just gone?”  Midnight felt an old fear grip him and he bowed again before looking to his ruler “I..it isn’t Sombra is it milady?” He asks her nervously his ears flat to his head. His armor suddenly felt cold against his coat as old memories played through his mind.

“We do not know” She replies to him worried as well. Though her reasons were much different than his own. She knew that Sombra was safely locked away in the glaciers around his former capital. She worried because of the terror she’d felt from the dreams of the village before it vanished. Then to lose two more expeditions into that frozen waste. Why her sister had sent them she would never understand. The elements were infallible after all.

“Take four guards that you trust. That is all we can afford to send. Bring swift flyers only. If it is the worst We must have word.” She tells him her brow knitted in thought.

“At your will” He replies bowing again and taking wing. A few short flaps later had him landing in the main courtyard. His NightGuard were busy running drills. A group of Earthpony recruits cantered passed him, their Sergeant saluting as he passed taking them out the main gates on a run. “Private Burst!” The Captain calls out knowing the young stallion was near.

Isn’t he always?

The Lunar Diarch sighs watching her Captain fly off on her orders. She then turns looking out over the Everfree Forest. She sees the guards hidden amongst the trees watching for signs of monsters or other threats. She smirked seeing one of her thestrals hanging from a branch its shining eyes scanning the woods around it.

Midnight landed outside the armourer’s a few moments after relaying his orders to the young stallion. The small structure was already hot and glowing from the forges inside. He pushed open the door and step inside, before he could call out his greeting however...

“Oy get the buck back here ya damn foal!” A female voice shouted. The young colt she was yelling at skidded trying to stop but ending up smacked into the guards forelegs. The golden coated stallion shook dropping his pilfered dagger as his green eyes widened as the Night Guard before him. The yelling mare trotted into view and smirked winking at Midnight. “See that? Guards after ya already? What’re you going to do to him?” She asks trying not to grin where the colt could see.

“Well Miss Forge, He will spend several weeks in the dungeons until one of the Princesses get to his case and judge him. After which I believe we are hobbling thieves…” Midnight says glaring down at young stallion

“Ya can’t do that? I didn’t steal nuthin from moltenflank o’er there!” He shouts at the guard. Midnight raises an eyebrow causing the stallion’s burst of courage to fade as he realized he was yelling at a Guard Captain. “Please I just wanted to go try the dagger out! I wasn’t stealing anything” His courage gone now causing his voice to rise in pitch. Midnight had to smile internally, the colt had lasted longer than some recruits under his draconic gaze.

“Return it to Miss Forge and I will overlook this. Now go” Midnight orders as the foal quickly drops the dagger at Forge’s hooves. The mare was visibly laughing her thick blacksmith apron jumping as she walks over towards midnight

“What brought ya round here?” She asks him smirking slightly before leaning down and picking the dagger of the floor. She slips it into an apron pocket as the colt vanishes out the door.

        “Spears and armor. The usual long distance kit” Midnight answers unaware of her smirk

        “Oh so VioletBurst hasn’t offered you his spear?” She asks not missing a beat. She chuckles as Midnight winces. He looks to her and glares. She’d already been told about the upcoming expedition and had prepared amor and spears for a small group of guards.

        “Miss Forge!” Midnights says his voice going harsh as he glares at her with barely contained anger. “He is a guard under my command, half my age, and I am not one to ever take advantage of either!” He snaps at her. His eyes widen as he realize how harsh his outburst was.

He is eager though….

Forge walks over to Midnight nudging his shoulder. “Midnight? Your eyes just went a thousand strides away” She asks concerned. “I’m sorry about teasing you but momma would talk about the young you….say you were the one of your friends most likely to find yourself a bed mate...I just..you always seem so uptight..”

        “Just..don’t…” He whispers in response. “Will you have the kit ready by midnight?” He asks her. He slumped slightly his eyes boring a hole in the stone floor.

        “”Yes sir” She snaps a sloppy mock salute. The red earthpony lets out a sigh letting her green eyes wander over the Captain. “Midnight, come on something is up with you. I haven’t seen you this tense since last spring.” She says popping a smirk as she nudges his shoulder.

        “Troubled sleep, bad memories, and now the mission I’m being sent on. I don’t like leaving Princess Luna alone, it feels like I’m abandoning my post” He tells her looking up.

        “You and I both know you’re not abandoning anything. Is this because of Tome still?” She asks him putting a foreleg over him comfortingly. “Nothing about what happened was your fault! Dawn doesn't blame you, the Princesses don’t blame you…” She tells him, though she was having to bite back on the jokes that rose to her mind.

        “I know...but if I’d had alittle more control..” He starts to say only to be cut off by a hug from the blacksmith. “You know the armor keeps me from feeling those.”

        “I could squeeze harder? Make you a true knight of yore..” She grins kisssing his cheek “I’m here from you if you need me okay? Not like our Night Mother will let go of her best smith.” She slips off of him heading back towards her forge. “Don’t be a stranger. Also, if you’re heading out tonight leave a note for Dawn, I can keep an eye on her while you’re away.”

        “Thanks Forge, you’re truly your mother’s daughter” He says ruffling her mane with his wing before turning and leaving the small room.