Afterdark

by Reddling Rain

Rating: mature
Tags: Queen Chrysalis, Adventure, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Princess Luna, Original Character, Bat Pony
Length: 254804

New recruits for Princess Luna's Night Guard find themselves facing unknown threats that seek to harm Equestria. Working from the shadows, they struggle to give the Mane Six a fighting chance against those who would harm Equestria

Half a year before the Wedding of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, Princess Luna's enigmatic Night Guard is in full recruiting season, taking in five new recruits; A snarky yet troubled young mare, a cool and collected stallion, an overbearing zealot, a former criminal, and an undercover assassin.

As darkness settles over Equestria, there is more than the Changeling threat looming for them. However, when Riding Rain (Pronounced "Reddling" Rain in the Equestrian language) learns that Changelings could wipe out Equestria, he sets aside his duties to assassinate Equestrian royalty and begins rallies with Princess Luna's Night Guard to face one of the greatest threats that Equestria has ever had to endure.

Original long Description:
In the wake of Princess Luna's return, new recruits are sought for the Night Guard. While most recruits quickly begin to enjoy their new beginning, an assassin from the south quickly finds their psyche to be completely overwhelmed. However, when Equestria is forced to face the threat of an unknown enemy that threatens to consume the entire nation, the assassin must quickly shift gears to defend the princesses marked for death to defend their home. With terror gripping Equestria; Nightshade, Midnight Tales, Tops, 'Bruiser', and Reddling Rain discover old legends and curses that they must overcome in order to give the Mane Six a fighting chance against those who would harm Equestria.

Published 2014-04-11 19:20:03 UTC
Last updated 2018-12-04 04:55:59 UTC

Fruit Juice

The evening was a cruel mistress that arrived far too quickly for Reddling’s tastes. The light coming through the crack at the base of his door had dimmed a good deal. The red pony pulled himself up, not exactly sure what time it was. The room he was confined to was quite spartan, lacking clocks, curtains, or mirrors. The windows were totally boarded up, allowing only small cracks of blighted daylight to burn the room. The only amenities left to him was a bag of his old clothes, his knife resting on top of it, and a set of armor laying on a desk in the corner of the room.

Giving his head a soft shake to make the room stop spinning, Reddling pulled himself away from the greatly uncomfortable hard wooden floor while brushing sawdust out of his coat and mane.  The world did not make much sense yet, but there was a thought etched into the back of his mind, as if a branding iron had given his brain its own cutie mark. It was the sight of those long, skin covered bony wings on his back, currently folded up comfortably on his sides. Despite every membrane of his body vibrating with repulsion, Reddling knew now was not the moment to be contemplating what had transpired since the painful bite on his neck.

Trotting over to the armor on the table, Reddling separated it carefully into all of its parts. He had read about the Night Guard back at his home, but he wasn't sure what was truth and what was fiction. Night Guards were not exactly common, and generally bat winged ponies were rare in appearance. Even before Luna had returned, it was common knowledge they existed in small numbers. The job of these small numbers had remained a full-fledged mystery though, and most ponies were not too eager to approach the Night Guard with questions that they probably wouldn’t answer anyway.

It took a moment before Reddling realized he’d moved the same parts of his armor across the table to different locations at least three times. He'd carefully studied the different blue plates and their leather straps. The leather straps on the underside of the plates did not seem like they were complicated in attaching, and the uniform had cloth that covered most parts of the body and legs. While it surely would look nice when worn...

Reddling found himself absolutely dumbfounded at how impractical and entirely useless the armor presented to him was. A breastplate that only covered roughly half of his chest was split into two glorious bat wings which connected to a large blue bat eye in the center. The crest at the center looked to be made of some sort of odd crystal that reflected what little light was in the room gently. This illuminated the "bone" parts of the wings on the chestplate. Both sides of the breastplate, when attached, offered a shining sort of effect that made their lighter parts glimmer even in the relative darkness of the room.

The sides of the armor were one long piece that laid across the back that neatly hung down either side to cover the ribcage. The flank had some loose fitting armor pieces that layered themselves into what almost felt like a skirt, although the way it sat on the hindquarters felt all too wrong to be a proper dress attire.

Reddling stared down at the last remaining piece of armor on the table, having slowly attached the archaic armor. It was a striking helmet adorned with symbols of the moon on both sides with a darkened visor to cover the eyes in the middle. Room was left on the mouth area to expose most of the cheekbone and chin. Reddling simply could not imagine any use that this armor would have for protective purposes, and the helmet seemed not only trivial, but ugly.  Shaking his head and pushing his purple mane back, Reddling turned away, leaving the helmet where it lay.

Trotting to the door, Reddling stopped, looking down at the light filtering itself through the crack. Vampires would fry to a crisp in the sun, this was common knowledge to anypony who read old texts. Sporting a look of mild bemusement to himelf, Reddling slowly cracked open the door, peeking his eyes out for a few moments to see where he was.

The sun lit his face on fire, quickly making its presence known. Reddling slammed the door shut as little figures danced in front of his face, marks burned onto his vision that made most of the room look like holes had been sliced out of it.

I never did like the daytime. Reddling quickly retreated with his aching eyes back to the table and slammed his helmet on, closing the shaded visor over his eyes while cursing to himself. Peeking back outside before fully opening the door, Reddling noted the sunlight was far more bearable on his eyes now, and he could make out where he was. There were a few different buildings built around a practice field, and the entire area seemed to be a private enclave in the mountains. The autumn sun was setting behind distant hills, casting long shadows over the enclosure.

Mumbling angry words that were forgotten the moment they were spoken, Reddling trotted to the practice field. Locking his eyes straight ahead, He snapped himself to attention, every bit of his mind aching with the thoughts of his transformation. I don’t really care about it, it’s part of the job, I was ready to make any sacrifice... I knew that I might have to make some changes to accomplish my mission.

The sun finished setting in the distance, and soon four other bat ponies had fallen in right next to Reddling. They all used to be regular ponies… but now they’re just animals. I’m just an animal, like them… Reddling felt his body shake in fury a little, but otherwise betrayed no emotion or signal to others around him. From the corner of his eye, it was possible to see that some of the others appeared to be shaken about the transformation as well, either looking at their wings of feeling themselves over. Still, beside them stood the other two ponies that seemed to be almost happy about the turn of events. At the end of the line was a blue pony that was almost bouncing with joy at the current situation, mostly notable because he was slowly inching himself forward and away from the neat line the rest of his comrades were in. Reddling just could not shake the fact that he was so utterly repulsed by all of them.

Night wind began to move through the mountains, and a tingle of euphoria seemed to tap at the muscles of all the bats in the clearing. Despite the joy that the nightfall brought on the inside, Reddling shrugged it off- this wasn’t something he planned on getting used too. One by one, the others all raised their visors to study the sky, leaving Reddlng the last one to allow his bright silted eyes to glow as they stared into the young night.

There was a sudden and faint squeal above, then a heavy thud as a bat pony landed in front of the group. Quickly folding her wings, she appraised the group before her with yellow glowing eyes. She took a moment to study individually them before clearing her throat to speak.

“Let me be the first to welcome you to the Night Guard! I am Web, I’ll be taking care of you!” Her voice was light and had an air of childlike energy about it. It was the kind of energy that flowed into those around her, whether they wanted to it or not. “First things first! How many of you are new to wings?” Web spread out her long bat wings, waiting to see hooves.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I am hating this place. It’s awful, and it’s only a phase. Don’t welcome me, I don’t plan on staying in this line of work any longer than I have too. Reddling felt queasy, his jaw jerking slightly as he shakily willed his hoof into the air beside the hooves of two of his fellows. Reddling knew dark things these ponies wouldn't understand, things that made him want to puke at putting his hoof up in the air.

“Alright, I’ll take you for tonight. The rest of you, head up there.” Web jerked her head up and to the right, where another bat pony had deftly balanced themselves on a fence post near a smaller training field. The formerly Pegasus ponies stepped back and fell out, trotting away from the formation as Web nearly bounced with her energy, looking at the group. “You lot! Any old Earth Ponies here?” Web prodded. On the right a hoof raised into the air. Reddling was simply doing all he could to not look sick at the front of the formation.

“That would m- … you two alright?” Web looked from the other raised hoof to Reddling. The other pony shook their head carefully, agreeing with a few words that couldn’t be made out. Reddling only nodded slightly, hoping that maybe he could feign not being addressed. “Look, if you need help or something, speak up.” Her voice was remarkably casual, as if she was debating what kind of new house plant to purchase.

I can’t imagine myself getting help from an Equestrian. They’re the enemy, and you know, so far they’ve lived up to every story I ever heard growing up. Reddling found himself venomently screaming common insults for Equestrians at the insides of his mind, expression remaining cool and unaltered as he fanned his pride

.

“Well, okay. That makes you a unicorn.” Web continued towards a mare at the end of the file, “Losing your horn is rough, but you’ll still have some magic. Just less… focused.”

Reddling had now found his limit as his heart skipped many beats. At the closer edge of the practice fields were some bleachers that could be used for observation, their unpolished underside now getting spattered with many brown fleck that possessed small, half-digested bits of food in them.  Although he had not eaten in some time, more than enough bile was able to work itself up over and over again. When at last the torment was over, Reddling found himself resting on his knees, gasping for breath. There were tears in his eyes to compliment the empty and exhausted feeling inside of him, but there was another feeling in his body, something wrapping itself around the bones and muscles, infecting them with a coldness.

There was a soft sigh behind him, and then a hoof on his shoulder. Reddling's muscles tensed up as he pulled himself away and stumbled forward, only narrowly avoiding stepping in the mess. Get ahold of yourself!

“So you’re not doing okay.” Web’s voice was gentle as Reddling felt himself on his knees again, away from the mess. Her hoof once more found itself gently and lightly resting on his shoulder, and this time he found himself to weary to pull away from her. “What’s your name?”

Reddling found the question something that seemed impossible to answer. His mind drew a blank as the thoughts of years upon years of shunning other ponies to train for his future flashed through his eyes. His distance had left him ill-prepared for coping with social situations, but they had always seemed easy in theory. Slowly calming down, Reddling found his voice. It came out like something horrible and vile, like the cry of a dog that had just been kicked in the stomach ruthlessly.

“Reddling. Listen Reddling, I know this must be hard, but you’re going to be okay.” Web’s voice was like silk against his ears, and despite everything he told himself, it was somewhat calming to hear somepony tell him he would be okay. “Lots of ponies sign up thinking it’ll be a fun or cool chance without knowing what they’re getting into. We’ll get you on your hooves and then it’s going to be fine.”

Reddling managed to spit out a short “Okay!”, although it honestly sounded to himself like it should have been another hurling of stomach acid.

Web’s slitted eyes felt like knives in the back of his head as she looked down at him from behind, maintaining her casual tone. “Are you going to be okay? And don’t give me horsefeathers, seriously.” Reddling tried to nod his head yes, but found himself looking down again as he attempted to hurl, only a bit of bile adding itself to the acidic taste in his mouth. Web gave him a disapproving look and reduced her voice as he was lifted off the ground and turned to face her. “If you’re really this distraught, you can go talk to Luna and see if she can’t do anything for you. Otherwise, you’re learning to fly tonight.”

Reddling felt an odd quiver go from head to tail as his body fell into full panic, the world going fuzzy all around him. Despite his complete fear of the Princess, talking seemed like a much better idea than puking in the middle of the practice field again. “L-talk, Th-That, talk. I talk, er, I’ll talk to, if, Luna.” Reddling found himself needing to take another quick gasp of air, trying to bring his mind to order.

“Alright, she can do something for you, I’m sure of it. Still, if you can get through this, it’ll be good for you.” Although Web continued to talk, Reddling found himself barely hearing anything she said. The whole world seemed to be a drunken blur, everything hitting his brain as a slur rather than coherent thought. “You passed her test, and she chose you herself after that talk. There’s got to be something special for you.”

Stumbling, Reddling just managed to get one word out as his head swiveled in the direction of the smaller practice field.

“Pegasus?” Web repeated, trying to make sure she heard right. Reddling just nodded. “Alright… alright, can you get back to your quarters by yourself?” Reddling answered Web’s question with another short nod, and blinked, focusing just enough on the path in front of him to make it back to his quarters. The wood door was welcoming as he nearly kicked it in, forcing himself inside.

Although the room was altogether unfamiliar to him, it's spartan quaintness had a certain primal comfort. Laying against the bed and folding his wings around himself, Reddling felt tears streaming down again, as if crying would somehow make the situation become clearer in his mind’s eye. After a few moments, Reddling found his eyes and hooves running over his form. Although it was hard to be sure in the dark, his colours seemed to have become a good bit duller, and his ears had weird tufts on the ends of them that were extremely sensitive to the touch. On the face, two tips of little fangs were sticking out of his mouth, and on his sides were the bat wings. Testing them, he could feel that they were quite light, with small claws at the joint and wingtips. An odd thin membrane of skin stretched from his sides down to his claws, the whole membrane crisscrossed with different colored tiny veins.

Giving a careful breath as the tears sedated themselves for the moment, Reddling wrapped the wings around himself, trying to take in some warmth or safety from them. He hoped the feeling would be some feathery warmth, soft and gentle, something he’d always craved. Instead, he found the feeling to be more fuzzy, although it was still somewhat warm and quite comforting. Reddling connected his hoof with the base of his headboard in a furious attack, which caused an echo throughout the room. Kissing his hoof and quickly regretting his decision, Reddling simply slid to the floor, laying there in the darkness.

It might have been about an hour later before anything changed, but Reddling found his head snapping up with a little cricking noise as a hoof knocked on his door. “Reddling? You there?” Web’s voice came through the door. Nodding to himself, Reddling got off the floor and opened the door, shakily beckoning for her to enter.

“W-Web right? Come in…” Reddling found his voice weak and raspy, even in his own ears.

“Luna will be by later. I brought you a snack, if you’re hungry and feeling better. I don’t have a lot of time, we’re taking a break and then going back at it. I think they’ll be flying by dawn.” Web sat down a thermos of something on an end table before sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for some response.

Reddling felt a lump rise in his throat as he imagined what must be inside the thermos. Some warm, fresh, red liquid. “That isn’t … blood right? If it is, just tell me it’s tomato sauce, I'd rather just be poisoned please.”

“Ugh, no! Jeez, it’s just juice!” Web responded exasperatedly.

“Juice sucked right out of a pony?” Reddling asked to nopony or anything in particular, his eyes focused wildly at the ceiling. “How should I know, I’ve got these, these, bleh!” Extending his left wing, Reddling just stared at it. It hung exactly like the wing on his right side did, each a mirror of the other. a feeling of dirtiness grew in him as he felt his world twist. Part of his brain told him to attack the wing and tear it off, while another told him to hug both to his body.

“Whoa! Hey!?” Web called out. Reddling blinked a few times at the feeling of the floor pressing against his body as Web bent over to check on him.

“I, Night Pegasus, can’t, ugh.” Reddling shut his mouth, looking bitterly at the floor as his mouth refused to form words correctly. After a few moments, he breathed in deeply. I can do this… but still, why does she care at all? Reddling thought as he willed his voice to work. “G-Go work with the others, I’ll be fine.”

Web rose up, her face colored with concern. “Listen, get yourself together. Get some food inside you, and try to relax. The Princess can fix you up. This won’t be the first time something like this has happened. That’s an order, alright?” Reddling only nodded to her order as she nodded and headed for the door. “Alright, and good luck.”

“T-Thanks.” Reddling mumbled, looking down as his mind contemplated the odd bat. What does she want with me? Go away.

“No problem.” Web replied, hooking the door with one of her claws to shut it on her way out. Shakily, Reddling slid off his armor and neatly put it on the table next to the thermos, which he was not yet brave enough to touch.

Long minutes turned to even longer hours as Reddling tossed and turned in his bed, waiting for Princess Luna to arrive. He had found that it was very uncomfortable to lay on his sides now, and resolved to make a new habit of sleeping on his belly. Eventually hunger pains began to make themselves known, but he pushed them out of his mind for the time being, still unsure of how his stomach would handle food. Did bats eat the same thing as ponies? Or did he need a special diet?

Finally, after what felt like nearly the entire night, there was a knock on the door. Reddling couldn’t remember making his hooves move, but he was suddenly on them, with the door open and his forehoof throwing a salute before Luna had even finished announcing her presence.

“Your Highness! Uh, welcome!” Reddling’s voice came out in a bit of a gasp, something like the sound of poorly oiled gears. Luna stepped inside, making nothing of the room as she turned in her sharp princess fashion to face him.

Every word gave Reddling a twinge of fear deep inside his chest. Part of him considered drawing his blade now, and lashing out at the Princess, but he knew that would never work. The more he considered the idea, the more idiotic it seemed. When he made his move, it would need to be clever, something that nopony would see coming.

“Good night, Reddling. We have been told that you are not faring well.” Luna stated in a matter of fact tone. Her eyes seemed to be giant pale orbs painting everything with a heavenly grace. Despite her usual commanding demeanor, the sureness of the aura around her gave indisputable assurance. Reddling could only muster a faithful nod to her, his voice drowned in the draw of the night princess. Luna returned his nod before continuing, “It is understandably difficult for some. Some volunteer for this not fully knowing the consequences of their choice- and we do not fault them for this. For how could they possibly know how such a thing would affect them?”

Reddling managed to shake his head. These changes to his body were not something that he was ready to contemplate or face, but there was another issue to raise with Princess Luna, a possible distraction. Reddling grinned in his head at the story he had for her. He wasn't sure if it was a lie or truth, but it was a distraction, and something he felt he needed to tell Luna.

“P-Princess, it’s- it’s something else I- my home, and pegasi, they… wings, this, I…” Reddling shut his mouth as his sentence continued to fall apart, blushing slightly in anger at his inability to form coherent sentences in front of such an important individual.

Luna frowned at this, still looking down. “I- I am sorry,  I do not understand…”

Reddling shut his eyes and swallowed, preparing to spit out his next words. Something vile rose in his throat as he thought of Silverfield. This was a bitter hate that only his enemy would be able to grasp, or at the very least, that is what he was hoping for.  “This transformation, it, takes, changes, and Silverfield has changes for ponies with wings.” The last half of the sentence was right where Reddling expected an odd back ache to appear on his shoulders and upper back, but none came. The lack of this back ache was almost scary, something like the feeling of a child when they lose their safety blanket. Gulping once more, Reddling pointed at himself. “Pegasi do not fly. Bad for the church.”

Luna’s face was a portrait of confusion. “You- Pegasus? I do not understand.”

Sitting down, Reddling brought up two hooves and clapped them together twice, his mouth twitching with every movement of this hooves. “Clip, Clip!” he exhaled. The next breath of air was a horribly bitter one, the kind with a burn akin to the aftertaste of cheap liquor. “They do it because Equestrian pegasi defeated us, so it’s a healthy ritual, right? It's to control the population...” Reddling coughed the last part, trying to stand up. His legs proved too weak to support him and he felt the world spin slightly as he stumbled, barely regaining his balance.

Luna’s look was one of shock and mild bewilderment. “They do what?” her voice shook, almost as if she was unsure if this was a punch line to a bad joke or a simple mindless rambling.

Reddling almost felt a bitter laugh rise with his next words. “Silverfield, doesn’t have pegasi. Not anymore.” Each word was forceful and said with an entire breath. Somehow, this felt good to get off his shoulders, even if it was to an Equestrian. Sinking his head down, Reddling waited for the laughter from the Princess to come, shutting his eyes as he forced out one more comment, “You have to believe me.”

“I do not wish to believe that one pony could do that to another. Yet I know such atrocities are possible.” Luna’s voice seemed to be unnaturally kind. Reddling had always been told she was the more violent and impulsive of the heavenly sisters, but she had not shown this.

It was as she spoke, a thought occurred to Reddling. Carefully reaching around to the bat wings, he touched his back, checking for some sign of the childhood scars. All that his hoof found were the base of his bony wings, betraying no evidence that a set of parallel scars had once sat together. Reddling looked up again to see Princess Luna still frowning. She’d drawn in her cheeks slightly and looked deeply disturbed by the information she was ingesting.

“I will consult with my sister on the matter. Yet… you, it is clear that you are still deeply distraught over what has happened. Tell me, what is it you wish from this point forward?” Luna’s voice was like a spark in a room of tinder. Everything was suddenly flaming inside of Reddling’s head. Every bit of him wanted to cry out for the one thing he lived for, what his cutie mark had always been telling him.

“Revenge!" Reddling cried, before grabbing his chest, holding himself back and eating his word. "N-No, I just want to forget, just forget it all.” Reddling shook his head, feeling some tears threatening to well up on the sides of his eyes. He had no idea why he was pouring out his heart to a sworn enemy, but it was something about Luna’s energy that invoked some deeper level of emotion inside of him. The night air seemed crisper when she was around, and the world had a feeling of freshness.

“Revenge…?” Luna prodded.

Her patience with me is almost unnerving… I can’t believe that she’s actually got any kind heart behind all of this. Reddling couldn’t believe that Equestrians could act this way, that they could be so different from his country. All they had shown up this point was arrogance and hatred, yet their leaders were a beacon of morality. After not answering her, Luna simply nodded to herself, repeating the question.

“Revenge? If you wish to no longer be a Child of the Night, then there are means by which to do so.” Luna said, her face turning from a grave expression to a calculating one.

There was a clang on the wall as the sheathe of Reddling’s knife flew across the room. Casting away the weapon from his homeland, he fell on the floor and buried his face in his hooves once more “I wish I’d been born Equestrian, and not to Silverfield.”

Reddling felt something warm around his shoulders, and it took a few moments for him to realize that it was the soft feeling of Luna’s feathers wrapping around his shaking form.

“It will be alright.” Luna’s voice was assuring, but Reddling could only shake his head in fury.

“It won’t be alright P-Princess, there will be others…”  Reddling said. There will be more, won’t there?

Luna’s face looked concerned for a brief moment, but then returned to its princess like composure. “That matters not. Such things happen, which is why the Night Guard exists to begin with. What does matter now, for you, is that you decide your fate, for I would not see anypony in such despair."

She’s more comfort than I ever got growing up in Silverfield… but I can’t tell if she just wants to use me or not. I’ll have to decide this later. Reddling thought for a moment before picking his next words. “If I stay in the Night Guard… is there any chance I can still help Silverfield?”

“With what do they need assistance? If they so mistreat Pegasus ponies, then you may find them closed-minded to diplomacy.” Luna spoke in a low tone, but her words were more than enough to set Reddling’s mind of fire again. The very idea of giving up on talking before even trying was infuriating.

“What would you suggest then, Your Highness?” Reddling felt the cold edge returning to his voice. For a moment, he had faltered on his course, but now everything was clear again.

“…If you are trying to suggest an intervention of some sort… the Night Guard would be well suited for that- but I would avoid such- extreme measures, if I could.” Luna’s response was smooth and reasonable, if not exactly what Reddling wanted to hear.

“I’m not ready to come to a conclusion about any of that in this… condition, your Highness.” Reddling said hushedly, looking up at her. Luna’s eyes were surprisingly kind, even though she had a solid air of some great distance about her. Although she was nearly hugging him right now, Reddling couldn’t shake the feeling that it was like she was on another planet.

Luna gave a nod as she stood, folding her wing again. “There is nothing that would prevent you from helping your kinsponies while you serve in the Guard. The question is: do you still wish to serve on the Night Guard?” Reddling rose to his hooves as she finished, throwing a determined salute as his mind began to buzz softly.

“Princess Luna, it will be my honor to serve in the guard.” Reddling said determinedly. Despite the façade he was putting forth, nothing was stopping the buzzing from getting louder and louder as gears of murder began to turn inside his mind.

Princess Luna gave a smile as she turned to the door, completely oblivious to the insane plotting in the mind of her new guard. “As you wish. We are glad to see your will is still strong, even after such terrible distress. It will be dawn soon. You will likely wish to stay inside. Farewell, Reddling.”

Still saluting, Reddling managed a small smile as she left. “Farewell, Your Highness, and thank you so much!”

With those words, Luna was gone, the door closing as the darkness of the room settled once more. Reddling dropped his salute and stared over at the thermos of juice. Trotting towards it, he could not help but give a tiny giggle. Opening up the thermos of juice, he began to drink it in fine, measured sips. It was the sweetest fruit juice that he’d ever tasted, complete with an incredibly subtle tartness that made the mouth feel as if it had been freshly brushed and flossed.

Sitting down on his bed, Reddling sipped his juice as he viciously plotted about how he’d murder this… leader, this, Princess Luna.  It was time for Equestria to prepare for the backstab of the century, for the news of every hour.

In between mad giggles and angry thoughts of bloody murder, Reddling found himself eventually falling asleep on his bed with an empty thermos of juice. His mind continued to plot and brood as he passed into a dreamworld, keeping a simple thought at the forefront of his mind.

At last, it’s time for the hunt to begin.

Web

Reddling woke up early the next day, a little wet spot of the fruit juice and his own drool soaking the pillow. Today was a new day, or rather, a new night, and a chance for him to set things right. He’d been glad to learn the direct sunlight at noon didn’t cause him to become a pile of ashes, although it felt uncomfortably warm. He'd slammed his helmet on and lowered the visor to keep his eyes from melting, but they still burned slightly in the light.

The daylight hours around the camp produced a feeling akin to a sleepy hamlet.  The lack of activity made it a perfect time for Reddling to practice the flying that he’d missed out on the night before. His wings left him feeling oddly off balance and weird, but after a few flaps he was strong enough with them to get off the ground a few inches. The feeling of being airborn brought a small moment of happiness to Reddling that he couldn't really name as he watched the grass below him travel away as he flew forward, getting closer and closer until he fell face first into a pile of dirt.

Undeturred, Reddling turned towards the roof of his building with a sparkle in his eye as the sun beat down on his back from above.

Several hours of frustrating work gave way to little progress. As the noon sun gave way to an early midday, Reddling found himself barely able to jump and violently flap his wings hard enough to rest his hooves on the roof. The wingwork was quickly becoming an upper body workout as he repeatedly lifted himself the rest of the way onto his roof before jumping back down to earth and repeating the same process again.

Each time that Reddling found himself on top of his room it was exciting to see the whole complex. Unfortunately,  it also served sore reminder that he was far away from actually being able to fly. The sun was not yet ready to begin setting when he found himself back inside, but the day had more than taken its toll. The sun felt draining, like somepony had put a straw into his neck and sucked the life right out of him in broad daylight.

I guess that’s why they tell you not to go out after dark. There are lots of monsters, and they tend to take the oddest of forms sometimes. Reddling laid back on his bed, tossing the thermos onto the floor and rolling up in his covers. He missed laying on his side, and it was suddenly making a lot of sense to him why pegasi chose to live in the clouds- not being able to sleep on your side without discomfort for your whole life would suck.

As the edges of his vision started to darken, Reddling couldn’t help but ponder the oddity of wings. Wings, be they covered with skin or covered with feathers were more than just tools of flying, they were a symbol. They symbolized being fully the master of your own world. Pegasi could swim, they could fly, and they could run. Reddling had never considered bat wings to be the same, but they were to him a sound replacement. If the whole world was bat ponies and Pegasi, then everypony would be happy. But there are no Pegasi in Silverfield.

Shapes shifted all around him, pressing themselves into form. Here and there a shadow doubted itself, throwing it’s nonexistent mass directly at the evening sun. Silver grass took form, comforting the still warm earth near the remains on an old castle. Reddling watched the castle with a homesick eye, looking down a rolling hill at his workplace and home.

The light was not scorching him, but at the same time he could not shake the feeling that he didn't belong here.It felt very wrong for him to be out in the sun, and even more foreign for him to be home.

Steeping forward, Reddling instantly found himself tracing his hoof over rough stones jutting out of the ground, whipping his tail at the various debris or construction supplies resting under tarps. Another step, and the entire castle seemed to move by like a blur until the throne room presented itself. The room lacked any grandeur, any splendor that might have impressed visitors had faded to the halls of time. At the back of the room sat a large stone throne that seemed to be ancient. On the left was a smaller throne, and to the right was the most well kept, albeit the smallest, of the thrones. Several cushions had been thrown onto the seat, and a small earth pony was sitting there, flipping through the pages of a large tomb and mumbling to himself.

Edging himself forward Reddling looked over his own shoulder at the book. All the text seemed to be melted together into something he couldn’t recognize. His younger self giggled, then uncomfortably reached behind himself and rubbed his back. When the hoof found its way back to the page, the colt drew his hoof across the page and left a smeered streak of red.Blood continued to leak out of the book, dripping onto the throne, cushions, and finally the floor with a soft patter like raindrops.

"No!" Reddling sat up with a horrible gasp, grappling with his covers and pillow, biting and punching them in vicious effort to throw off his fabric assailants. Reddling finally found his way above the covers just in time to topple onto the ground, landing on his wing with a groan while somepony knocked twice on his door.

“Hey! You awake?” Came a somewhat familiar voice, but he couldn’t make out who it was through the fogginess of sleep and his total disregard for learning the names and faces of any Equestrian around him, much less their voices.

  his confusion at the voice quickly shifted to panic as the words sat in and he jumped to his hooves, running over to the armor sitting ready to be put on. hastily attaching the plates and cloth to his body, Reddling looked over his shoulder and yelled at the door, “Yeah, yeah! Just let me finish armour stuff!”

Dammit, you puked on the first day, and now you’re late on the second day? They’re going to kick me out at this rate. Reddling thought as his helmet rolled on the ground and he flung open the door, ready to toss a salute at whoever had decided to call on him.

“Wait, it’s okay, it’s still daytime!” came the voice, although the second part of it was drowned out by a screech of pain that echoed horribly around the room and the outside area. Reddling threw himself behind the door, cowering away from the sunlight as his mind seemed to cook itself from the broiling heat in his eyes. “Oh shoot, you didn’t- ah!” Reddling heard the pony walk in and shut the door behind them. Their step was light, and had it not been for the click of their armor, Reddling wasn’t even sure he would have heard them come in.

“You okay?” Reddling finally recognized the voice as that of Web, the pony who had brought him the juice before… and the same pony who had watched him puke his guts out behind some bleachers. Removing his hooves from his eyes, Reddling stood up with his eyes sealed shut and snapped to attention, facing what he hoped was where Web was standing.

“At ease.”  Web replied. Reddling could feel her eyes watching him as he relaxed. He slowly opened his eyes to look at her, blinking to get shapes to stop blocking parts of his vision. “But seriously, are you okay? The stupid sun sucks until you get used to it.”

Reddling felt his head operate automatically. “I’m fine.” He said. Web herself lacked a helmet, but did not seem to be in any way affected by the sun.

“Did you talk to the Princess?” Web queried. Reddling stared stupidly at her, his heartbeat picking up as he memorized every feature of her face. she seemed to him to be one of the most classic bat ponies he'd ever read about, a true specimen of the night.

“Yes… Yes, er, ma’am.” Reddling corrected himself. Web leaned in, her amber eyes meeting his in a personal way he had not felt the previous day. It was a moment Reddling instantly decided he would never forget. Somepony might have found her eyes alluring, but for him they were frightening. They were mirror-like oval plates that reflected his own eyes brightly back at him, which had altered their shape and become somewhat more misty than he remembered. Despite the eagerness Web displayed in getting information from him, there was something wrong about her. In the same moment she seemed to draw him in with some sort of bat-like charm, but in the same notion he felt utter repulsion and unrequitable fear.

“Well?” Web leaned in further, tilting her head at him as she stretched out her word. “What did you decide? I assume you’re sticking it out, since you’re still here.”

You think that I would turn my back on my honour? On my only goal in life? That I’d forget my revenge, my cutie mark, and my destiny? I mean, this is what my cutie mark is- “Yeah, I’m staying.” Reddling said, keeping his voice completely neutral and emotionless.

Web was silent for a moment, just looking at him with those large amber eyes before she leaned back. “Well you don’t sound very- excited. Or interested… Something still bugging you?”

“Excitement can lead to making mistakes, I’m honoured to still be here despite my miserable performance last night.” Reddling replied.

“Well, Yeah. About that! Since you missed last night, I thought I’d get you out early and show you around.” Web said casually, leaning against his bed and picking up his helmet from under his desk, where it had rolled to a halt.

You want me to spend time with a random Equestrian, in the searing pain of the burning sunlight while wearing a dorky helmet? “Sounds good, uh, just lemme finish putting my armor on.”

“Yeah, of course.” Web said, offering him his helmet. Reddling put it on and checked the rest of his armor to make sure it was in order before going to his knife and picking it up from where he had thrown in the night before. Belting it on, he turned to Web again.

“Ready?” She asked, scanning his armor over as Reddling nodded.

The sun outside was unpleasantly warm as it had been before, although thankfully his eyes were not burning away this time. Web herself was looking straight down at the ground, her eyes squinted nearly shut.

“Anyway, this is where everypony lives. Training field’s there. You know that.” Web said, and Reddling returned her statement with a nod. Somehow Web must have noticed it, because she turned towards a few larger buildings. “We’ve got officer’s quarters,  staff and command headquarters, a commissary, and a nice little bar for winding down.” Web looked up slightly, shooting him a fangy smile, but Reddling only nodded. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk, but he felt the more he spoke the more likely somepony would laugh or question his accent- or even worse, just simply not understand what he said at all.

“You hungry?” Web asked, turning both of them towards a medium sized building. “You haven’t had anything aside from that stuff I brought you, have you?” They both stepped inside the dimly lit building as Reddling shook his head no.

“I just assumed I could suck blood or something.” Reddling blurted out as he took off his helmet inside the building. Shuttering his eyelids together briefly before looking at Web, he was prepared for her to slap him at making such a general stereotype.

Turning to face her, Reddling saw that Web’s mouth was gaping at him. After a moment she burst out into a squeal of laughter. “Oh drink blood, that’s hilarious!”

Reddling rubbed his neck and frowned at her, running his hoof along the bite marks there. “Fine, bad joke.”

“Oh, uh, were you serious?” Web asked, her laughs repressing themselves into quiet snickering.

“They bit me.” Reddling said sourly, his mind dwelling on the thought. Everything around him seemed to shift out of focus for a second, colours distorting as the errie thoughts of his own insanity provoked themselves. Somepony bit me, and I have no idea who the bat was that sired me, but I’ll get revenge for this…

“-rough, but that’s just how it works.” Web said, Reddling only catching part of what she told him. “Most ponies do kind of get… freaked out at that part. That sort of thing is how all those nasty rumors about bat ponies get started. No, we don’t live on blood and stuff. We eat the same stuff ponies do.” She looked at him in the eyes with her same repulsing allure, “Mostly!”

“Mostly?” Reddling questioned. I see, so you just look like monsters. I guess that makes you a little more acceptable.

“We’ll get to that later though. Seriously though, breakfast?” Web asked. Reddling looked at the early evening light filtering through the blinds.

“It’s dinnerti-“ Reddling stopped, once again feeling his mind grow sour as his mouth gave an involuntary twitch. Bat ponies… “-Yes, sounds… nice.”

“Well come on then.” Web said, waltzing into the mess hall, which looked as though it could not sit more than two dozen ponies maximum.  The place was totally empty, which suited Reddling fine since he was not one for company, although the serving counter also seemed to be totally empty as well.

“They seem closed.” Reddling commented, putting his helmet down and rubbing his chin. It’s dinnertime, this place should be packed- …bat ponies… they’re all bat ponies…

“Nah.” Web said, walking up to the counter and bellowing. “HEY, TIME TO WAKE UP, PONIES!” Reddling edged away to the door, grabbing his helmet and putting on a shocked face.  Maybe if I act like I just got here, then it won’t look like I have to have special treatment for being less competent.

After a few moments, an earth pony poked his head out from the kitchen, looking out at Web. “Damn it Web, you’re not supposed to be up for another hour.”

“My friend had a late morning and an early night. Got anything ready?” Web asked as Reddling re-approached the counter, somewhat sad she had not thought of something else to say.

“All the cold stuff.” The earth pony said, looking over at Reddling. “What’cha want?”

Part of Reddling wanted to ask the earth pony for blood just to see what would happen, but finally defaulted to looking at Web for an answer. She just turned her head to look at him and giggled.

“Uh, hm… Uh, food. Good food…?” Reddling managed, eyeing the earth pony.

“Out here, all we have is crap food.” The earth pony said sourly.

“Fruit?” Reddling offered.

“Fruit it is.” A plate of apples, pears, and a mango landed on the counter, rattling and shaking a bit as it came to a stop in front of Reddling. He couldn’t help but nod in agreement with the earth pony about the crappy food. Somehow, the Equestrian cuisine had not lived up to his homeland, and had even served to make him sick for the first few weeks that he had been in the lands.

“Cold oats, mangos, and some hay, dearie!” Web called to the earth pony. Grunting, the earth pony actually brought out the plate and offered it to Web before turning back to his work. Web grabbed the tray and balanced it on her head as she waltzed to a table, skillfully dropping it off and sitting down.  Reddling found himself sitting across from her, setting his helmet and plate down before looking down at the mango. The earth pony grumbled something unintelligible as Reddling poked the mango, trying to make out what sort of food they were trying to kill him with. Despite the fact he had eaten very little lately, he didn’t feel hungry at all, and Web was doing little to build his appetite across the table.

Web had instantly attacked her mango, shredding it’s skin with her teeth and fangs before ripping at the soft fleshy inside, flecks of juice covering her face and the table in front of her. Reddling picked up and apple and stuck it on his fangs before sucking, trying to see if he could draw any juices out of it. His fangs easily pierced it’s skin, letting it’s delicious juices seep out as he sucked in, drawing out the life from the tasty fruit. After a few loud slurps, the apple was little more than a limp, shriveled husk, hanging onto his fangs.

“So, why’d you sign up?” Web asked as Reddling took his knife out, discreetly using it to slice up his pear and remaining apples. He slowed his cutting only slightly as he thought of some sort of excuse to give her. Reddling was silent as he attacked his fruit, not meeting Web's gaze. He knew exactly why he’d signed up, but of course he could not tell Web that.

“Shrimp beat those other ponies, so here I am.” Web herself took out a small knife as he talked. It had a small spider made of jade inlaid on the handle, and seemed to be of very fine craftsmanship, although not as nice as his own knife. She wiped the blade on cloth before she cut an apple into bits.

“Could I borrow that cloth?” Reddling asked, holding out a hoof carefully.

“Uh… hehe, no, let me get you your own…” Web said distantly. She searched a small pack on her side for another cloth and drew it out. After examining it for a moment, she deemed it satisfactory and slid it over to him. Reddling quickly cleaned off his knife and put it away, storing the cloth in a small pouch on the inside of his armor. Web turned back to him, continuing with her thought.

“Well, yeah, you were good enough to get in, but that doesn’t really explain why you signed up.”

I need a good excuse, but not a lie, I bet these bats can taste lies. “Uh, I saw a notice. I read it, and decided I’d show up. That’s all, Ma’am.”

“Wait, so you didn’t know what you were doing and just signed up?” Web asked.

“I read the contract, and I agreed to it. I don’t remember getting bit in there, but as it goes.” Reddling’s mouth twitched as he finished, recalling the look on Ironhooves' face as he told him to go home, and they wouldn’t kill him.

“Oh my goodness no wonder you were freaking out! Most ponies sign up because they’re super passionate about the Night Guard, or want to start again with a new life, or are after the prestige and honor and mystery and all that- and you just walked in and went for it?

“Yes, I walked in, and the eq- the other ponies decided to use swords. I was one of the first to finish the… test. Here I am.” Reddling said, quietly comparing the smug Equestrians to the backwater Silverfieldian he had known in his young life.

“I’m kind of surprised you stayed, given how badly you were taking it last night. I guess your talk with Princess Luna helped… Well, we’re glad to have you with us.” Web said, examining an apple slice before she took a bite from it. Reddling said nothing and quietly tackled his food, trying to finish it before she had time to ask him many more questions.

“So, where you from? Never heard anypony who talks like you. The way you roll the rrrrrs.” Web mimicked. Reddling dropped his mango onto the plate, where it clattered around with the other remaining fruit.

“Ah! Uh, I’m not from around… uh, far away, pretty far south.”

Web looked at him for a moment, chewing an apple slice before swallowing. “Ah, I see. I understand if you don’t want to talk about it. Someponies have a past they’d rather leave behind. If you feel more comfortable about it later, feel free to talk about it. I won’t press you.”

No, it’s not that… “I’m not hiding anything… there is just nothing worth knowing. What about you?” Reddling asked, hoping to change the subject away from himself. Web replied with a half choked sound threw an apple slice. “Where are you from? If you want to say that is.”

Web swallowed and spoke slowly. “Up north. Had some trouble with some things, and had to go. Joined up with the army for a bit, and saw this as a change to start all over.” She shot him a smile full of her fangs again. “Working out pretty well so far.”

“Okay.” Reddling said pointedly, turning to his food as the earth pony began bringing out hot food and setting it up for serving.  The other bats began pouring in, some of them looking over at Reddling and Web before focusing on the most important meal of the day.

“Hey, since you missed last night, want me to give you some tips before tonight? We’ll get you in the air and you can catch up, no problem.” Web asked him as he stood up.

“Uh, okay.” Reddling said, standing up with her.

“Alright then, one moment.” Web dropped the cloth she had used to clean her knife on the ground and produced a small match. She lit it in an instant and dropped it on the cloth, watching it burn quickly before stamping out the flames.

“Okay!” Web said.

Reddling pointed at the cloth. “Uh, should I?”

“Nah it’s fine now.” Web said.

Well, that isn’t strange at all! What was that even about…?

Outside, Web gave a quick rundown of the wing’s functions. She described all of the different parts as well as how to flap properly, the best ways to keep balance, and how to use legs to point yourself in the correct direction. While the explanation was very quick, it was effective enough for its uses.

“How far behind am I? Will I be up to scratch for tonight?” Reddling asked as they finished and the other bats began to leak out onto the field.

“Hmm, yeah. You’ll be alright.” Web said, and Reddling nodded, giving her a verbal thanks as his mind began to twitch. Everything had felt wrong today, from enjoying a meal with her to the personal lesson. The very idea of thanking an Equestrian for something like this seemed absurd, although Silverfield had done him no favors in preparation for this.

Training was spent in silence on Reddling’s part as he angrily lashed his inner feelings out at his homeland and the unfairness of such a place. Flying was hard, but when he found himself actually airborn for the first time, the feelings of joy were almost too much to keep inside. Still, Reddling breathed in cool night air and did not allow himself to betray anything to the other bats learning to fly beside him.

When midnight arrived, Web ordered that they land and go have lunch. Reddling took a seat over by the stands, looking out at the practice field and resting his tired wings. A green pony walked by and looked over at him shyly.

“You coming?” he asked. Reddling turned his head to glare at the fellow bat, considering his reply.

“Not hungry.” Reddling said. The green bat stood there for a moment, eyeing him bizarrely at the pronunciation of his words, but eventually shrugged and took off the join the others. Reddling found something peaceful about the night, he always had. It was a great time to meditate and clear his mind. Something about the serenity of the stars and cool wind seemed to keep the voices in his head at bay, even if it was only for a while. It was a crisp, cold clarity of thought found only at this time of day.

After practice everypony hit the showers. They were all competent fliers by the end of the night, but it was clear that Web and the green bat who had spoken to Reddling at the stands were far superior to rest of them. While the others gave each other idle banter and good natured teasing about training, Reddling found himself slinking out of the showers area and towards the mess hall. He’d considered drinking his own blood for fuel, but the redundancy of such a move soon registered with him as he pushed open the doors to the mess hall.

The earth pony was right where he had been left in the afternoon, lazily sitting behind the counter waiting for something to happen. “Do you have anything quick?” asked Reddling.

“Got some hay fries that should be fast.” The earth pony offered.

Reddling nodded to him. “Can I get that and a mango?”

“Yeah sure.” The earth pony quickly slopped together a plate and slid it out to Reddling, who nodded thanks to him and then went to hurry through his meal. While he had the mango dead and dry pretty quickly, it didn’t take long for the green bat to arrive. Reddling payed him no heed and just stuffed his mouth full of hay fries before tossing the rest of his food into a bin and leaving for his home. The green bat looked like he wanted to say something as he raised a hoof, but Reddling was already gone, leaving the pony to look down in dismay. The sky outside was starting to change colours and become brighter, but they were no trouble as every little home here seemed to be locked down with boards over the windows and blinds brought down all the time.

Reddling quickly let sleep find him when he returned to his quarters, although rest itself was out of the question. He tossed and turned all night, having various dreams about being told to turn back and go home by the commanders. Many of his dreams faded as soon as he awoke, but they were only to be overtaken by more dreams that took root as soon as he passed into dreamland again.

In the morning, he found his pillow damp again, although it wasn't from drool this time.

The Cave

Reddling woke up the next morning, tossing aside the blankets and strapping his armor on. A pleasant dull grey had blessed the cloudy night, although it looked like it might rain sometime soon. Popping his joints as he trotted to the mess hall, Reddling noted that the others were already there with the exception of Nightshade. Web was sitting across from Bruiser and carefully cutting her apples up, the ashes of some burned cloth laying on the floor next to her. Grabbing some hay and apples, Reddling sat down next to Web, tackling the food to get it done with quickly.

Reddling's thoughts were still on the dreams he had last night. He’d been back in Silverfield playing with other colts and fillies, rolling around in the grass and enjoying his years as a foal-

“Slow down, you’ll choke!” Web said alarmedly next to him, carefully inspecting her apple slices with several sniffs before she tasted them. Each piece was carefully measured before it was cut, after it was cut, and once more before she feasted upon it’s flesh.

“Sorry.” Reddling said, swallowing what remained in his mouth. “Just in a hurry for stuff today, like always.” Web simply responded by whistling through her teeth as she bit down on another apple slice. Quiet chatter overtook the room, but Reddling paid it no heed, and in short order they all found themselves on the practice field. Nightshade’s eye had bruised over, totally closing it, but she had assured everypony that dared approach she was perfectly fine with her one eye glare.

“I think I’ve shown I can fight without eyes just fine.” Nightshade hissed at Reddling and Tops, staring angrily forward as Web took center stage, dragging with her some more training weapons.

“Web… All of these introductions are fine and all, but when will we learn some practical training?” Midnight Tales asked, looking somewhat displeased at the prospect of simple sparring. Web stopped for a moment, and then grinned fangily. Kicking the practice weapons away, she stared at all off them with an ever so slight sadistic edge on her face.

“Oh that’s coming! Don’t you worry! You should enjoy this while it lasts! Now sit down!” Web seemed to almost be skipping at how happy she was, watching all her recruits take a seat on the grass.

“So. All of you joined the Watch for whatever your own reasons are. And now you’re in.” Web said. Reddling hoped that none of the other ponies sitting next to him ever had to learn the real reason that he was in the watch as Web continued her instruction.

“But you need to decide at some point, now that you’re in, what do you want to get out of it? The Watch is a little bit more than just guards, you know…” With her latter sentence, the cheerful demeanor gave way to something that felt almost sinister. Web was being uncharacteristically serious about whatever she wanted to get across.

“You’re beating around the bush.” Reddling said to her, and she just twitched her ear.

“Nope! That’s it! That’s what I wanna know.” Web said. “Bruiser! What do you want out of this?”

Bruiser looked up, a bit of confusion on his face quickly moving to disbelief. “You’re kidding… I joined to get away from stuff, not to go looking for something new.”

“Oh come on! Make something up then!” Web said, her happy spirits rising again.

“Fine. I want to kick heads in, happy?” Bruiser offered.

“I-I don’t know, honestly.” Tops cut in, electing a sigh of relief from Bruiser, “That’s one of the reasons I was nervous the first few days. I didn’t feel like I have a place.”

At least you didn’t puke behind the stands. Reddling thought to himself, looking over at Tops with the other ponies. Tops had stopped for a moment, and wasn't meeting the eyes of anypony else for awhile.

“…Well, it did make me feel a little better actually to see I wasn’t the only one having trouble.” Tops looked over at Reddling, meeting his eyes for a few moments. Reddling gave him a pained smile, which Tops returned gratefully. Between them however, Midnight stood up, proudly puffing out his chest and cutting off their gaze.

“I wish nothing but to serve alongside her Majesty Luna, to be her shield and sword, and to protect her from danger! To stand at the side of the Princess of the Night and guard her against the evils of this world that would seek to do her harm! To-“

“Okay Midnight! Sit down!” Bruiser yelled over him, prompting Midnight to stop and look over somewhat displeased as he took his seat. Nightshade rolled her one eye quickly before looking at Reddling, clear that she was not going to say anything. After a few moments Reddling found his hooves lifting him to him upright.

“Fine… I’m not a ‘shrimp’, I’m not somepony that has a funny accent, I’m a pony with something to prove- just not to any of you.” Reddling looked down at Nightshade. “Now it’s your turn.”

Reddling took his seat as Nightshade said one word very simply. “Magic.”

“Well, I guess we should check if any of you have a knack! For that!” Web said, turning to walk away from the field with a jovial tune as she practically sang to them, “Let’s take a walk.” Reddling looked at Bruiser, who gave him a shrug as everypony rose, following Web as she began to lead them away from Canterlot and the complex that they called home. Her voice had dropped to being serious again, but she seemed happier than ever at whatever fate she was about to unleash on the new recruits.

“Luna, Mother of the Night, Ruler of the Moon, Caretaker of Dreams… Dreams and Nightmares. There is great power in the realm of Dreams. Magic that one can use, if one has the knack.” Web whispered in the shadows. Her voice seemed to come from all sides, pulling at their manes and tails. Reddling couldn't help but shiver as the air got colder. The world seemed to be getting darker as well, like some shadow was slowly blotting out everything, returning it to some void.

Web turned around to give them all a fangy smile, prompting Reddling to nearly trip. A puff of dirt along with some rocks tumbled down a steep decline as Web gave one of her giggles, continuing to sink further into the shadows, leading Reddling and the others with her.

Are you suggesting that she can see my dreams? That’s impossible, she can’t, she’d know already then, and I wouldn’t be here. Reddling thought, keeping his eyes locked on the back of Web's head as she turned around, continuing to sink into shadow.

“It’s magic born from lightless places. Dark, and great, and wonderful, and terrible…” Web continued. “When Luna fell into despair, this is the power which twisted her into a Nightmare.” Reddling wrestled in his mind with the concepts of using his soul to tap into such harsh things like that, and felt his nerves shake under his skin. Not only was the idea utterly repulsive, it was so alien to what he knew that it seemed mad to even toy with such a theory. Why would somepony give themselves in to utter darkness and shadow simply for what? Magic, or comfort?

Or perhaps, for the ability to do what they could not without it. To defeat foes that otherwise would overwhelm them.

Web trotted along, eventually lead them to a cave, where she stopped at gave the group the faintest of smiles. “If you’d like, you can see if you have any- attraction- to that Nightmare.”

“What are the qualifications?” Reddling asked, and Web shot him her fangiest smile yet, every one of her teeth glinting in the sad light that dared trickle down to the small ravine she had lead them too.

“Are you afraid of the dark?”

“Only if I’m alone.” Reddling said back to her.

“Then maybe you should stay outside.” Web said. Nightshade moved right past the group, wasting no time in entering the cave and vanishing instantly.  Although Reddling tried to stare in and lock on her figure, he found that not even his augmented eyes could penetrate whatever unnatural darkness infected this place.

“No, I’m going.” Reddling said, hurrying right after Nightshade. The darkness of the cave seemed to nearly wrap around his offered hoof, pulling him inside more and more as he proceeded deeper into the cave. Each step gave the feeling like he was falling forward, almost like he was being lead downhill...

…Or being pulled in.

The whole cave was pitch black, offering no hope of seeing anything. Although he wasn’t sure that anypony could hear him, Reddling called out over his shoulder, “Alright, when does this get interesting?” after nopony called back, Reddling turned back forward, continuing his step for a moment before the oddness of his statement hit him.

His voice did not echo. Just at the same moment as he thought this, a soft crunch under his hoof made him look down. It was not as if he had stepped on something weird, but rather, natural. It was the feeling of grass under his hooves, something he was so utterly familiar with that it had come to be mundane, and yet the feeling off finding it deep in a cave like this made it some new experience for him. Reddling looked down at the grass, and found it to not be the Equestrian green he suspected, but instead dull silver.

Reddling was on a beaten path, heading towards a familiar town of thatched roofs and stone sides. In the middle of all the buildings rose a large stone structure with fantastic stained glassed windows depicting heroic deeds of stories long since past.

Silverfield. Reddling trotted slowly towards the town, trying to make it out from a weird view that seemed to obscure everything faintly. It was a dark fog in a grey sky that seemed to make the world both day and night at the same time, almost as if somepony had put a pair of greyed out sunglasses over his eyes. Something was clearly wrong, but at the same time everything was familiar and right enough that he wasn't alarmed.

As Reddling got closer to the town, his pace quickened as the fog yielded a smell. The air was tinged with charcoal, but not a cooking burning of charcoal, it was something that he could not make sense of. A conflagration, like everything was burning. Embers floated down as Reddling approached the town, passing a building that was going up in flames, the fires licking at melting stones. Reddling felt his heart nearly stop a he turned in a terror, staring around at the empty street he had wandered into.

“Everypony! Somepony! Answer me! Where is the guard!?” Reddling flipped around as he heard a cry from the town square. Galloping as fast as he could, Reddling turned a corner into the center of the town’s plaza and stopped dead, merely staring at what he could not believe.

Blood coated every wall, fueling the neverending fires that seemed to burn whatever it touched. Bodies lay in crumpled heaps, left where they fell in the streets. Many ponies had been cut by blades and laid across their homes or broken cobblestones where they had tried to defend themselves from some unstoppable foe. Their eyes had bulged out, leaving their faces burned and strangulated. Their bodies had been skinned, making totally impossible to identify any of them. Reddling scanned any of the piles for a survivor as he drew his knife, his voice dying as he still tried to call out to ponies he knew could not answer him.

Reddling looked forward at the center of all the carnage. In front of the church stood a tall, dark figure staring away from all the death that preceded it. Shadows whipped around its hooves, deep amethyst tentacles that rubbed its jaded armor lovingly. The black armor on the figure gleamed, reflecting the fires that were slowly consuming the town around them. The monstrous pony had their long, clawed bat wings spread triumphantly, the insane euphoria emanating from it, palpable in the air as they stared down at a crumpled figure that lay cowering on the steps of the church. Blue, with a starry mane- there was no mistaking the whimpering. The blood soaked form of Princess Luna laying on her back, staring at the monster before her.

“You, Stop! Identify yourself, face me!” Reddling screamed at the creature, his knife trembling in his hoof as he shoved it back into his mouth, ready to strike and waiting for the creature to turn and face him. Wrapped in a cloak of his own ego, the monster turned around, a gentle amethyst mane still blowing against his red coat, partially obscuring two eyes that had lost their misty grey. It was the eyes that shook Reddling more than the blood spattered armor, the corrupt shadows, or even the face. The cutie mark on the monster’s side was still visible under the spattered blood- A knife crossed by a pen.

The only noise in the entire town was a knife clattering to the ground as Reddling shook horribly inside, every single vein freezing. He felt cold and clammy as the Nightmare stared back at him, almost grinning in some fiendish, horrible way. Reddling grabbed his knife again, recovering and screaming at his enemy.

“No, you’re a trick, that’s all you are. You’re not me, and I’d never do this!” Reddling cried.

The response was not said verbally, but rather seemed to be something that tickled his mind. “Would you? Would you never? Not even for this? To see her bent, and beaten, and broken?”

No, you stay the hell out of my head! Reddling replied, and he only heard an echoing laugh that was his own thought replying to him as everything began shrieking.

I am your head.

Every colour was flashing, shrieking out in harsh contrast to everything else. The world was swimming as the Nightmare forced itself into focus above everything else, showing the crumpled figure of Luna. “Look at her… cowering there in the dirt.”

“At what cost?! You killed everyone! They’re all dead!” Reddling waved a hoof madly at the scene before dashing to stand in front of Luna, standing between himself and the Princess of the Night.

“A small price to pay.”

Reddling glared angrily at himself. “Nothing I do could ever bring about such monstrous acts, you’re naught but a shade!” Even as Reddling yelled at the monster, he felt himself turning to face Luna. She was so helpless right now, so defenseless. It was the perfect chance to strike her down, right when her face was marred in gore from the fallen ponies around her. Luna averted her face, looking away in pain… in fear. Reddling heard himself advancing, a long knife drawn that was coated in layers of blood and gore, the runes on the blade invisible under all the splatter. Taking a defensive stance in front of Luna, Reddling held his own knife at the ready.

“I will find another way, change is no good if nopony can make things better after!” Reddling felt tears welling up in his eyes as the Nightmare soullessly stepped on the head of a fallen colt. There was just enough time for Reddling to make out the face of the little unicorn before a sickening squelch filled the air.

Rainy.

“You abomination! I’ll kill you!” Reddling threw himself at the monster, throwing his wings up to shield Luna behind him as he tore at the creature, punching at its armor and trying to hook his knife into any part of it he could touch. A horrible feeling of neglect was welling up, compelling Reddling’s chest forward with something that made him sick. It was a warm gooey feeling that that had shattered itself against the inside of his heart, leaving the world blank. Whatever the emotion, it had left him totally able to throw himself at his foe without a second thought and with complete conviction for vindication.

Reddling’s knife sank into the dirt under him as he punched and yelled at the grass, dirt, and leaves littered around on the ground. It took a few moments before Reddling realized he was groping the ground outside of the cave. Web, Nightshade, and Bruiser standing off on the side, just staring at the charade before them. Reddling froze for a few moments, staring over at them with wide eyes before looking back at the ground, a huge blush covering his entire head.

“So, how’d it go?” Web asked plainly. Reddling pulled his knife out of the ground. Even though his head was shaking terribly, he managed to sheathe his knife without eviscerating himself. Web had drawn closer now, her eyes bright, eager, and curious. Nightshade looked shaken next to Bruiser, who simply seemed bored.

“How much did you hear?” Reddling asked. Web just smiled for a moment, perhaps debating her answer.

“Nothing. You okay?” Web asked.

Reddling forced himself upright, looking at her bright eyes. “Yes. I am fine. Everything went… okay.”

“Did you pass?” Web asked, her eyes still glowing.

“I’m not sure I know the difference between passing and failing.” Reddling replied, looking back at the cave.

“That means you didn’t. Ah well. Magic’s not for everypony.” Her eyes seemed to dim a little as she sighed.

“Are we able to try again? Can I still learn this skill?” Reddling asked, staring back into the darkness. Web’s eyes were bright again as she turned to him happily.

“Do you want to go back in? See it again, whatever that was?”

Reddling stared angrily at the darkness. "Web, I just saw everypony I ever knew chopped up, skinned alive and- I will learn this skill, okay?” Reddling tossed himself back at the cave, galloping forward unsteadily and psychotically as the back of the cave met his snout. Reddling fell back, crying out and grabbing his bleeding nostril. The cave proved to be little more than four feet deep, and whatever shadows had wrapped the world before this had given way, revealing it to be a shallow shelter that a small animal might call home.

“That’s the thing with a dream… or a nightmare… once it’s over, it’s hard to get back into it.” Web’s voice seemed almost dreamy through the ringing in Reddling’s head as he got back to his hooves and turned to yell at her.

“Show me how to activate this thing, Web!” Reddling’s patience was hinging, every word reeked with how displeased he was with failure.

“Reddling, it’s a cave. It doesn’t come with a button.” Web said pointedly. Reddling turned and gave the wall of the cave a kick, throwing himself out of the cave and landing on his back as his lower body shook from the force of striking solid rock so hard.

“That’s why I didn’t bother. Magic isn’t anything to screw around with.” Bruiser leaned back, looking totally at ease as Midnight burst out of the shadows in the cave. The blackness of the shadows had vanished in the same moment that they had appeared, but Reddling had still tried to grab at them, hopeful they would suck him back in.

I bet that he passed no sweat, this teacher’s pet. Reddling thought as he turned to face Midnight. His mind perished his former thought as he saw the face of the blue bat. Midnight’s eyes were wide and wild, his expression distant and confused.

“So, how’d it go?” Web asked Midnight, who shook his head.

“I couldn’t…” Midnight’s voice broke as he choked, coughing viciously. “I could never- never- urk-!” Midnight stumbled behind a tree, and the sound of retching filled the air.

“You failed like I did…” Reddling said to Midnight’s back as he hurled again, shaking in an all too familiar sense. Midnight managed to raise his head weakly as Tops appeared out of the cave, simply standing still and looking at everypony else around him.

“So?” Web asked. Tops simply nodded, trotting over to sit by Nightshade and Bruiser. Reddling was still standing right by the cave next to Web, who looked like she was ready to just start giggling uncontrollably at the whole situation taking place.

“I guess we’re done here… Is it Friday yet?” Reddling asked, turning away from the cave bitterly. His anger at failing to pass whatever this test was supposed to prove was frustrating, and he could feel his blood boiling under his skin.

“Yup! You’ll get Sunday off!” Web said. Reddling turned even more coldly away from the others, heading back for camp as Web let out a high pitched giggle behind him.

“Welcome to the Night Watch!” She yelled after him.

“Well, training ends someday. That's when my real test will begin.” Reddling bitterly muttered to himself as the hoofsteps of others filled the air behind him.

“Well, we’re done! Tomorrow you’ll have some fun! I’ll see you back at camp!” spreading her wings, Web soared over Reddling’s head, leaving her recruits to wander back. Behind him, Reddling saw Tops and Nightshade exchange glances before taking off and flying with Web as well. Midnight and Bruiser trotted along, soon catching up to trot beside him. Midnight was still crying his eyes out and doing whatever he could to wipe away tears.

“Midnight, you okay?” Bruiser said, finally looking over at a sobbing Midnight Tales.

“N-No!” Midnight quietly sobbed, staring at the ground as streams of tears hit the dirt, soaking up little particle around themselves before drying in the cold night breeze.

“What did you see, Midnight? What did they take from you in there?” Reddling asked, staring bitterly ahead.

Midnight broke down even further, leaving Bruiser and Reddling to watch as he sobbed loudly and nearly fell into the hill they were ascending.“Ah-Ah- I couldn’t, I couldn’t do it, never! Ah!” Midnight tripped, falling towards the ground as Bruiser lifted him up, Reddling quickly found his way to Midnight’s other side, lifting him up as the continued to trot towards camp at a somewhat slower pace.

“Oh come on, here.” Bruiser pulled out a metal flask from his armor and passed it to Midnight, who shakily removed the cap and then took an enormous swig. Reddling felt his tongue lick his lips, passing gently across his fangs as the smell of sickly burning passed his nostrils. Bruiser rolled his eyes as Midnight passed the flask back and teetered on his hooves, beginning to move forward on his own again.

“I don’t- want to talk about it. Was- did you see something awful?” Midnight asked, turning his face to look helplessly at Reddling.

Reddling blinked a few times, staring straight forward as he breathed out his response. It was just loud enough for the others to hear with their bat ears, but if some normal pony had been passing by, they probably would’ve thought a leaf was rustling.

“I saw my hometown in flames. Everypony was slaughtered. They all died… dismembered, mangled, skinned." Reddling's voice came out cold and harsh, as if he was trying to pick out all the things wrong with some dinner dish. "All of them burning, everything was burning.” Reddling looked distantly ahead of him, remembering the flames licking the homes he had known. The gardens he had stolen from for laughs sown with blood and reaping only corpses. Reddling could feel himself approaching his enemy as he trotted back to camp, remembering how every flame glared off the terrible armor. Remembering every ember passing by the callous and jaded expression that had washed away the last traces of reason from his face.

“The monster that killed them smashed the head of my ne- yes. Yes Midnight Tales, I saw something awful.” Reddling felt himself vibrating against his armor, his shaky legs threatening to give out under him.

“I saw, I… I couldn’t be like that. I can’t. I won’t.” Midnight whispered to himself, looking like he might collapse again.

“You saw yourself.” Reddling said chillingly. “Just remember that someplace inside us, that’s who we are. Who I am. Who you are.”

“Want to go to the bar?” Midnight choked out. “I need a drink to be fine tomorrow.”

“I can respect that…” Reddling said, trailing off.

“I’ll keep him company.” Bruiser looked over at Midnight, then back to Reddling. “Seems like he needs it a bit more than you.”

Reddling looked at the pitiful form of Midnight, then back to Bruiser. “I’ll tell the others where you got off too then. You take care of him, okay?” Bruiser gave a snort before nodding. Reddling hoofed it back to camp to catch a quick shower before he wandered into the mess hall.. Web was there with a plate of food in front of her, carefully cleaning her knife before cutting anything open. Grunting at the earth pony for a simple salad, Reddling turned to sit down next to Web.

She didn't say anything, staring down at her work and seemingly ignoring him. Unlike the other ponies at the camp, he had this odd feeling that he needed to talk to Web, whether it was about something important or not didn’t matter, so long as he was around her and close to her. Web did not seem to feel the same way however, and did not even give him a nod until she was satisfied with her work and began cutting her apples into slices.

“Web, I thought you should know Midnight is pretty shaken up by this. I told Bruiser I’d let you know they’re headed to the bar to fix him up.” Reddling sank into his salad, munching on some cabbage leaves.

“Hmm, he was so sure he would pass,” Web said to herself as she munched on an apple. “You were too, weren’t you?”

“Nothing could have prepared him for that, and I passed that test in my own way.” Reddling said self-assuring to himself.

Web giggled, looking over at him with her batlike eyes. “You’ve got something to hold onto that’s more important than what you want to have.” Her eyes were bright as Reddling felt her eyes pierce him, their eyes transfixed. She was hypnotic with those eyes, two narrow slits that seemed to draw him in and hold him there, accepting nothing short of his full and undivided attention. Try as he might to break the trance, there seemed to be once more some unnatural feeling gripping him, like some dark hoof pulling on the scruff of his neck.

“You said you had something to prove.” Web murmured.

“…Yes.” The word was dry and dead before it left Reddling’s mouth.

Examining an apple slice, Web deemed it acceptable and bit into it. “But still have something important you’re holding onto.”

“A family member, yes. Family takes care of each other, right?” Reddling had not meant for the question to be rhetorical, although Web simply continued as if she had not heard it.

“Some ponies come here with nothing. They’ve got no problem making that choice. That makes it very easy to change.” Deeming another slice acceptable, Web swallowed half of it with a crunch.

“You seem overly knowledgeable about that. Personal experiences, or just seeing trainees pass along?” Reddling asked, still not turning back to his food.

“A bit of both. My position gets a lot of downtime, so I do well helping introduce you new initiates to the lifestyle.” Web said, still working on her slices.

“What… is it you do anyway? I’m still very confused about how this all works, I’m still waiting for us to go suck blood or something.” Reddling finally found himself able to pull back to his salad, and munched on some shredded carrot.

Web let out a little giggle in between her chewing. “Oh, odds and ends.”

Raising an eyebrow, Reddling just whispered back to her. “Oh, How mysterious.” Web’s giggling intensified as she sat down an apple slice, no doubt fully .laughing internally to herself.

“Midnight wasn’t going to pass though, it’s really a shame- But an important lesson! Bruiser might have passed, if he tried.”

“I’m sure he has his reasons for not facing the monster inside of him.” Reddling said, looking down at the salad, which seemed suddenly less tasteful. “I did have a question about this lifestyle I was hoping you could answer. How are we sorted into squads? Will I keep working with the other four as a group? Will you stay our commander?”

Web mused to herself, letting out a long hmm before responding. “Depends. Maybe THE commander will assign you somewhere. Maybe the Princess will assign you somewhere. Maybe you’ll re-discover yourself, and find some special niche.”

“And I suppose it’s a continued lone existence from there? Not much different from what some of us had before this from what I understand.” Reddling laughed the last part to himself. The leaves of his salad seemed to be wilting before his eyes, becoming less and less tasteful.

“Pretty much!” Web said. She had deemed another of her apple slices acceptable, and began to chew on its crunchy flesh. Redling pulled himself away from his salad, tossing the wilted leaves away before heading for the door, waving goodbye to Web as she sat aside her apple and began ravaging a mango.

Reddling could not help but think about how depressing Web really was. Sure, to most ponies she seemed to be bubbly happy, but it was so obviously a cover to something that was… Reddling couldn’t find the word he wanted to finish his thought. It was cold and hard, almost petrified. Whatever social skills he had sacrificed for his life of training to be an assassin, Web seemed to have somehow gained even fewer talents in the area- or she simply did not care to express them.

Reddling found his way to the bar where the other stallions were drinking to their pains. Reddling took a seat between Tops and Midnight, the latter of which was sloshing around in a seat laughing at the ceiling as Bruiser swigged at his beer. Rather than order a drink, Reddling just marveled for a moment at the sorry existence that these bats lived. He actually found himself feeling pity for them, they didn’t choose to be this way really, they were tricked or forced into hiding from the day and walking in shadow. The sins of Equestria ran deep, and this was as damning proof as Reddling needed to convince himself that something had to change.

Having enough of the depressive atmosphere, Reddling turned to look at the menu. The earth pony glared at him, cold as ever and mouthing something along the lines of "damn bats" to himself.

“What’s the strongest, cheapest thing you have here?” Reddling asked.

“Eh-hehe, We’ve got some grain alcohol, but that’s for mixed drinks only.” The earth pony offered. Reddling blinked idly at the earth pony.

“No, I’ll just take it straight, how much per shot?” Reddling asked.

The earth pony looked a little shocked as his ears folded back. “That’ll kill you.”

Reddling glared at the bartended and snorted angrily. “Then what is the cheapest thing you have that won’t kill me? Milk? A soda? I came for a drink.”

“Ah, you know what? You want some strong stuff? Three bits for a shot.” Redding nearly threw six bits at the earth pony, who swept them away and pulled up a shot glass, ducking behind the counter quickly. When he returned he had a very plain looking bottle with a label that read “The Everclear” on it.

“Let’s start you out with just one at a time, okay?” the earth pony gave a twisted smile as he giggled, poured a shot, and slid it towards Reddling. Both Bruiser and Tops wrinkled their faces at the smell of what one might consider as paint thinner It was a raw smell that stuffed the sinuses and emptied them at the same time, leaving them dry and abused.

Reddling looked at his fellow bats, then shot the Earth pony a smile too. “Sod off, this’ll be nothin’.” Reddling took the glass and swallowed the entire thing in a full gulp, looking across at the earth pony, who had a new emotion on his face, one that Reddling hadn’t seen until this moment- glee.

The room stood still for a few moments, then everypony laughed as Reddling let out a short screech and fell backwards from his chair, grabbing his neck as every organ in the upper half of his body screamed at being set on fire. Every bit of flesh from his tongue to his stomach felt like it had been seared over a fire until it settled like a live ember in his stomach. The laughs died down as Reddling managed to put one hoof on his stool, crying into the counter as he fought to stand back up at the bar.

“Wat-Water!” Reddling gasped, feeling the burning inside him spread as his thoughts raced- of all the evils in the world; the atrocities committed by the Equestrian army in the past, the blighted Princesses he was now serving, or even the Nightmarish cave that had been witnessed earlier that day, truly there was nothing more vile and wrong in the world than the few ounces of liquid currently festering inside of his stomach.

“W-water…” Reddling hacked again as he saw a full glass slide towards him from the earth pony. The liquids spilled over his coat and mouth as Reddling drowned himself in the water, crying from the burns soaking inside of him.

“I warned you.” The earth pony said dryly. Bruiser laughed heartily, taking another swig of his beer as Midnight nearly tripped out of his chair, his face liquefied by a confused and happy stupor. Even Tops was smirking, although he appeared to be the sober stallion of the party. Reddling peeled himself away from the bar counter and wandered over to a comfy armchair in the corner, laying back in it and breathing carefully.

“Aha Reddling, what the hell was that?” Bruiser laughed, setting his beer down temporary and turning to face the room, which suddenly seemed to be a lot smaller.

“I-I think I need to sit for a moment.” Reddling said to himself, as Midnight blabbered some nonsensical words that he couldn’t make out. “P-Poison, what proof is that?” Reddling said, looking up at the bartender.

The earth pony checked the bottle blankly. “195.”

Reddling felt his head hit a table, suddenly finding himself next to Midnight as he groaned, the room spinning and time working in odd ways as the alcohol began to make everything feel pleasantly numb.

“Ah! Reddling, you are insane!” Midnight proclaimed next to him, holding him up and laughing as the smell of his heated, alcoholic breath hit Reddling’s face. Reddling opened his mouth to refute the claim, but then quickly closed it, finding that he really had no counterargument on any level.

“Well, hopefully this won’t hurt all that much soon.” Reddling said as the earth pony turned, cleaning some glasses and muttering to himself.

“Ah, Reddling, watch, watch!” Midnight said like a little child. He turned towards the earth pony and let out a high pitched squeal, directing it at the bartender. The earth pony’s ear twitched ever so slightly, but otherwise he made no response. Midnight giggled softly, leaning on the table for support. “He can’t even hear it…”

Reddling blinked for a few seconds before it dawned on him exactly how powerful the squeals they could make was- Non bats had such poor hearing.

“It must be a shame to be limited in life.” Reddling said bitterly. The base of his wings gave a sharp twinge, reminding him of just what he really meant with that statement.

Midnight burst out into a fit of uncontrolled laughter, wrapping a hoof around Reddling’s shoulder and yelling out at the room. “Preach it!”

Reddling smirked at the earth pony evilly. “I guess it explains why he’s such a jerk though.”

“Damn bats…” the earth pony muttered, refilling Reddling’s shot glass and putting a larger glass of water on the counter before turning out of the room, muttering pain numbing words to himself. Tops screwed up his face for a bit, looking at Reddling painfully over the comments that were being made. Reddling blinked at Tops, and pushed the booze out of his mind for a moment of clarity. Something about the expression just seemed… odd, like there was something Tops wanted to say, but couldn’t quite get it out. The green pony stood up and began to head for the door.

“I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Tops said quietly, pushing through the doors and leaving. Reddling broke away from Midnight, catching the door before it slammed shut.

“Tops, we need to hang out sometime, I’m sorry I was so, uh, kinda shunny on you the first day when we tried to talk!” Reddling felt his speech fall apart slightly halfway through his sentence, but Tops smiled pleasantly, tilting his head to the side.

“Don’t worry about it.” Tops said complicatedly as he continued his trot back to his quarters. Reddling turned back to the room, watching everything spin as he seated himself in front of the shot. The earth pony had reappeared and kept a hoof over the glass, giving Reddling a glare.

“Are you sure you want another shot?” the earth pony said. Reddling nodded viciously as he passed the drink to him.

“Hey thanks, Buddy.” Reddling said, gulping the whole shot down again, waiting for the burn to roll in once more.

“Don’t ever call me that again.” The earth pony said, frowning. Behind Reddling, he could hear Bruiser let out a cheer a Midnight gave a loud hazzah. Everything seemed so awfully far away suddenly though, like he wasn’t actually there.

When Reddling woke up, he felt the oddest sensation on his body. Giving a stretch, he felt a horrible pounding in his head cry for movement to stop. Every limb was sore, and his wings were hanging backwards freely, full of aches and pains. Trying to give one more stretch, Reddling found himself falling. The world blurred behind his closed eyes as he crashed on his chest into the ground, giving a horrible groan of pain. There was a small “tee hee” nearby, and Reddling bolted up, totally awake now as his eyes snapped open and he stared for the source of the noise.

It was a bright and sunny day in the mountains outside of Canterlot, and a few birds took flight as they finished pulling worms out of the ground, moving away from some falling rocks that slid down the path. Although the scream was not audible to the birds, there was no mistaking the vibrations of the poor bat’s scream halfway up the mountain.

It was roughly an hour of sobering up before Reddling found his bed, rolling into it with vicious tears in his eyes. Collapsing into his pillows, Reddling eventually found sleep, but it was not a restful sleep. Memories of the cave had returned with soberness, and he found himself remembering Silverfield, remembering all its wonder and horrors. Remembering his earlier memories, and his first trip into the town of Silverfield.

And when he got back.

Reddling found himself alone in the old castle he had called home. Castle Celes was not grand, in fact, most of it was inaccessible due to being in constant disrepair. Still, Redding was used to being alone here, and it had a certain quaintness when the halls were quiet.

Today lacked that quaintness however, as another set of hoofsteps echoed with his own. Turning around, Reddling looked to see who was following him, but felt a hoof hit him in the face. He landed on his side, a feathery wing sitting disjointedly out from his body as a black cloaked figure drew nearer. It’s features were distorted and horrible under the darkness of their hood, but in the same instance, it was a cheekless smile. The monster lurking under the cloak was something horrible that Reddling knew he had to get away from. He grasped desperately for his knife but found it was not at his side as a sickle hooked against his back, dragging itself forward over his disjointed wing, filling the world with red as blood flew around him, swirling dreamily.

Reddling’s scream drowned in his throat as cotton seemed to press itself over his mouth. The world had suddenly grown dark, leaving a comforting black curtain. Reddling felt oddly at ease even though everything was flashing red and there was a glaring, unearthly pain in his side. The figure raised its weapon for one more cut as Reddling found his voice.

“Help me! Please!” The small cries of the colt did not echo as he pleaded for some intervention he did not think would come.

Suddenly the figure hesitated for a moment, then there was a blast of a purple and black beam. The cloak fell on the ground as the wind blew away dust, erasing the creature right where it stood. Their sickle fell to the ground with a clang as they melted away into nothing. Reddling had his remaining wing wrapped against him as he panted, looking at the dust pile as there were heavy hoofsteps behind him.

“Who-?” Reddling questioned, turning. There, with her horn still smouldering from the blast, stood Princess Luna, her face dark and eyes fixed not on the foal before her, but rather where the phantom once stood.

“It cannot hurt you any longer.” Princess Luna said in her majestic voice. Luna leaned down on her knees beside him turning her eyes to face him now. She looked smaller than normal, although her mane was just as starry as it normally was. Her eyes appraised his blood soaked side. She put a hoof on his side, rubbing above the wound.

Reddling sniffed in disgust at the obvious being pointed out as Luna wrapped a dark cloak around his back, covering both his wounded and bloodied side as well as his still good wing. The pain vanished instantly, and Reddling suddenly felt much more balanced. His wings seemed to be in harmony once more, and he turned, tossing himself off the ground and looking up joyfully at Luna. The familiar feeling of feathers did not warm him however, and instead he felt a different warmth, a familiar warmth he suddenly could not place.

“Farewell, Reddling” Luna turned to leave, and Reddling found his eyes transfixed on her as she left, his mind running through thoughts of utter terror as he wrapped his bat wings around him. Luna was his enemy, his foe, and yet she had given him new life, a new chance to live in a way that his backwater country had not provided.

Luna stopped and turned as the world began to deconstruct itself around them. Her hooves vanished as she looked back, her expression twisted. It was a horrible look of pain, and of pity.

Reddling sat up in bed, gasping and gripping at his tangled sheets and grabbing his back, making sure his bat wings were still intact. His mane and back were covered in sweat, and he found his pillow to be damp.  Darkness was falling under the crack of his door, and although he did not feel well rested at all, he climbed out of bed and tripped over his armor, which lay in a heap on the floor next to his knife.

“Reddling? Are you up?” Came Tops’ voice from outside his door as a hoof rammed itself against the wood “Oh, Reddling. You’re going to be late if you don’t hurry.”

“Nn, Tops, yes, one moment… just let me finish… starting… putting my armor on.”

The Captain of the Night Guard

Reddling stumbled out of his room towards Tops just in time for the green pony to turn and head for the practice fields. Tops was getting better at flying, and he seemed to simply glide through the air now. His cutie mark is a wing though, I bet he was one of the best fliers at whatever that cloud city the Equestrian degenerates live in. Even as Reddling let his thoughts wonder back to the propaganda he had been fed for his entire life, he couldn't fight the feeling of something more chilling rising in his chest. Despite the fact that Tops was obviously going to be their best flier, there seemed to just be an odd piece of the puzzle missing that Reddling couldn't quite place.

Reddling turned towards the fields and raced at them, feeling the cool night breeze rush through his mane. Last night was a complete and total blur, but at some point he had misplaced his helmet and it was now missing. Stopping in at the end of the formation Reddling snapped to attention and looked straight ahead at the pitch darkness of the field. Web's amber eyes glowed in front of them as she paced back and forth, casually observing the group.

Giving a quick glance to his side, Reddling noted that Midnight’s face looked like it felt as bad as his insides felt. Everything in the world was blurry, as if he was looking into a weird circus mirror. Every muscle was just crying for him to lay down and accept that he felt like a corpse.

“Reddling! How kind of you to join us!” Web said, cheerfully chiming his name and winking. “Today, you start training! Real training!” Reddling just groaned and Web giggled. He always felt like her eyes focused more on him than the other recruits, but he could never be sure. Foggy memories of the night before washed up with her face, various discussions of mares between Midnight and Bruiser. Reddling hadn't remembered saying anything, but he had kept many disjointed thoughts about Web to himself.

Web snapped to attention as the sound of wingflaps in the distance filled the air, her cheery facade vanishing as she again became completely serious. A large bat pony landed next to her, folding his wings as he did so. His armor was thick and heavy, something that seemed far prettier and more protective than the protection afforded by the Night Watch armor that the five recruits were wearing. As he turned to face them, Reddling blinked at the pony's thick armor. It was impossible to see any of his coat, for the parts not covered in plate were covered in either leather or chain mail. The pony's face was totally obscured, leaving only faded eyes to stare out at them with all other features banished to the shadows within the helmet.

On one side, the pony carried a spear, and on the other side, he had a sword belted on. The ends of his forehooves were both adorned with a set of folding claws. All in all, he cutting an imposing figure on the dark backdrop of the landscape. Reddling was waiting for a crack of thunder somewhere overhead with a flash of lightning, but no storm picked up for the guard that had joined them.

“ ‘Lunar’, Captain of the Night Guard.” Web introduced him. Reddling laughed to himself a little in his head as he considered if that was the pony’s actual name, or just one he took to maximize his edginess when introduced to other ponies.

“Web, you are dismissed.” Lunar said. Web gave a quick salute, then flew back towards her quarters, leaving the recruits alone with captain, who’s profile seemed march darker without the brightness of Web next to him.

“You have spent the past few days settling into you new positions. Now you are going to learn some real, practical skills.” Lunar’s voice was fierce, and there was no room for questioning when he made his statements. The authority of this pony was so absolute that the other five stood a little straighter, stiffing up as he appraised them. Web gave one blink over at the recruits before she was gone, vanishing into the darkness and leaving them alone with their Captain.

You’re not going to break me. They did not break me before, I will not be broken by you. Reddling thought to himself, listening to Lunar’s patriotism as he spewed his two cents.

“The Night Guard exists to protect our most valuable assets. To defend us from the deadliest dangers. To go where nopony else will go, and to do the things that nopony else will do. You will be the best, or you will die.” Lunar suddenly broke from his speech and turned to the latter half of the line. “Tops, Nightshade, Reddling, In the air, now!” Lunar's scream took all three of them by surprise. Reddling stared blankly at the captain for a second before he found gears to make his wings work. The air filled with the sound of beating wings as the Captain turned back to Midnight and Bruiser.

“You three may land when the sun comes up.” Lunar said, his voice returning to its normal level. Reddling felt his mouth twitch as he looked down at Lunar. Nightshade’s face was both visibly surprised and angry, although it was hard to make out if Tops had any feelings about this at all.

“Midnight, Bruiser. You may not fly tonight. There is a pile of rocks at the top of the mountain. Bring them here. Whoever brings the fewest will receive additional training tomorrow instead of the day off. You are dismissed.” Lunar turned instantly and walked away, shadows reaching out of the ground and licking at his sides as he strode off the practice field.

“What happens if we all bring an equal number?” Reddling asked, smirking slightly as a little idea formed in his head. Lunar turned away from his shadows, his stone cold eyes staring at Reddling.

“Then whoever speaks out of turn the most shall receive additional training tomorrow. During the day.” With that, Lunar turned away again, and there was a rush of wings and hooves as everypony began to move up the mountain.

The path up the mountain was not treacherous from what Reddling could tell, although flying had made things somewhat simpler. The night turned to early morning before there had been a noticeable change in the amount of rocks laying around at the peak of the mountain. Each stone was rounded and stacked with the rest of it's kin, ready and waiting to be hauled down the mountainside.

The piles of rocks stayed fairly even between Tops and Bruiser, each of them trying to haul a few rocks at a time. Nightshade and Reddling had both slipped behind slightly. Bruiser's large size had afforded him the ability to pull a very slight lead, and Tops flying ability was simply leaving his other airborn companions in the dust.

Reddling had spent most of the morning very smug about how his pile had steadily been growing over Nightshades and Midnight's, leaving him a comfortable distance from last place. Despite the aching in his wings, he took a breathing run as he headed back up, picking up a single rock and heading back down. He had not seen Nightshade for some time, but he wasn't worried yet. Reddling began to gloat to himself in his head as he traced the path back down to the piles of rocks, looking proudly at his own pitifully small pile of rocks that sat next to another pile nearly as tall as a small tree.

Reddling felt his neck pop as he did a double take, freezing in midair as he stared at Nightshade's pile. It had gone from being a small pile lagging behind all of the others to a crazy pile that was larger than all of the others.

How did she? She couldn't have gotten all those rocks here so quickly, not even if all of us gave her our loads of rocks!

Reddling turned, flying back towards the peak furiously for another load of two rocks, feeling anger grow in his chest as he huffed at the darkness surrounding him. Once he reached the peak, Tops left, carrying another load. Grabbing two rocks, Reddling turned back around and ducked quickly behind a boulder, laying his wings against the back of it and peaking over at the various rocks. There was a sudden surge of shadows and Nightshade burst from an unnatural darkness, quickly grabbing a few rocks before thrusting herself back into the darkness, vanishing from sight before Reddling could even call out to her.

Turning down to the mountain, Reddling saw Nightshade reappear, phasing in and out of dark shadows that his eyes could not penetrate. She was a little more than halfway down the mountain, before Reddling passed her, glaring at her sourly.

Nightshade didn't have time to meet his glare. It was like all her life vanished in an instant, and she dropped her rocks. Reddling watched as Nightshade tumbled out of the sky, getting entangled in a tree as her rocks smashed into branches before heading to the dirt path below. Dropping his rocks, Reddling turned and headed for the tree, perching himself on a branch above Nightshade.

Nightshade was a total mess from all the strain; her wings were shaking terribly, and bits of froth and foam hung onto the edge of her mouth. Her breathing only came out in ragged gasps between the angry inhaling of air as she sobbed at her own incompetency.

“Nightshade, shut up.” Reddling said, trying to peel her off the branch and carry her towards the camp. Nightshade, instead of taking the help, gripped onto the tree branch, clenching to the bark with gritted teeth.

“NO! I don’t want your damn pity!” She screeched, her wings flailing about as Reddling worked her away from the bark of the tree.

“You dumb bat, I do not pity you- I’d expect you to do the same for others.” As soon as Reddling had her peeled off the branch, she pushed him away, turning about and heading back for the peek to get another load. Having dropped his rocks as well, Reddling turned to follow her back up.

“You… are only holding yourself back.” Nightshade muttered as they both collected rocks.

“We’re only as strong as our weakest link.” Reddling snorted at her. Nightshade took to the sky, looking quickly at him and giving a smirk.

“And… for tonight’s test, so far, that’s you.” Nightshade’s voice was edged with daggers, even through the gasping. Reddling scowled at her as they took flight back to camp, throwing both their rocks on the pile.

“I’m not the one camping in trees.” Reddling retorted sourly. Neither Tops nor Midnight's stacks had been growing for some time, and Reddling kept his eyes on Tops as he flew past them. Top's glanced at looked at Nightshade’s stack for a moment, then at Reddling. After a moment, he dropped the rocks on his own pile, looking a little withdrawn.

“You two alright?” Tops asked, and both Nightshade and Reddling nodded, although it was difficult to tell which of them was more bitter about it. They flew back up as the moon began to set, but this time Reddling did not grab a load. Although Bruiser had been making regular drop offs, Reddling could not recall having seen Midnight for hours. Scanning the trees below him as he headed back up, Reddling eventually spotted the crumpled body of a pony laying slightly off the path. Flying down to the blue bat that lay against a rock, Reddling hovered there, looking at his fallen comrade.

“Ah! Reddling! I have failed my assignment!” Midnight cried, trying to lift himself up before falling over again. It wasn't exactly obvious how Midnight had fallen to this spot, but he had clearly taken quite a tumble based on the various twigs and rocks in his mane. Cuts and bruises not withstanding, he seemed to be more ashamed than he was hurt.

“Get up, nobat is failing... Come on, you can do this." Stopping for a second, Reddling tried to think of something encouraging to say. "You’re going to do it for the Night Mother! For Princess Luna!” Midnight's eyes flashed as he collected a few rocks laying by him and put them in his saddlebags, taking off down the mountain again as Reddling followed him, watching overhead to make sure that he arrived safely.

“ ‘Tis a disservice to yourself to hold yourself back on my sake. Finish your assignment as best you are able, and so shall I.” Midnight urged, limping his way down the mountain as he nursed a sprain in one of his back legs.

Despite the suggestions of his companions, Reddling found himself spending the rest of remaining morning making sure everypony else got back to camp as the sun began to glare in their visions. Midnight had simply collapsed as the heat of the sun overtook them, and it was not clear how much longer Nightshade's wings would hold her up as she swooned around in the air. Luckily, Captain Lunar wasted no time in arriving when the sun peeked itself over the distant hills.

“You may land.” Lunar said to the three bats in the air. Reddling felt himself fall as he hit the ground, remaining upright. Tops swiftly landed gracefully, although his wings were shaking from exhaustion. Nightshade simply collapsed into the dirt between them, gasping for air. The entire clearing smelled of salty sweat, it's only feature some groaning ponies who could hardly- or for some, simply could not- stand up. His entire back felt tight and hurt in ways that he didn’t know were possible- and frankly, weren’t possible until a few days ago.

Even through the pain, Reddling felt his eyes stare at the sinking moon. There was something about seeing that silver figure dip into the horizon, bidding him goodbye as the sun reminded him of his new form. The day and night cycles were a reminder that he was a bat pony now, meant to soar on leathery wings through the night and see things in a way that other ponies could not see. Thank you.

“Midnight, you will report to me tomorrow night, in Canterlot. Go see Web about that limp. She will also have your weekly stipend for all of you. You are dismissed.” Lunar turned and left instantly, quickly disappearing into the brightness of the sun. Bruiser, Tops, and Nightshade trotted ahead as Midnight limped along. Reddling stayed at his side, making sure none of his friends- none of his companions, succumbed to the sun.

“So, any idea what happened last night?” Reddling tried to break the ice as Midnight sighed. The trip to Web's quarters was slow with his limp, and Reddling was not about to offer him a shoulder, it was simply too much of a personal space violation.

“I too cannot recall the exact events of last night. It may explain both of our poor performances.” Midnight offered.

“No, we performed poor because we both trained poorly. I blame the cave.” Reddling said sourly, looking out at the forest with anger.

“This is twice now that I have failed. I shall resolve to not let it happen again. Thank you, Reddling, for your words of encouragement before.” Reddling gasped a bit as Midnight leaned against him, no longer able to limp on his own. Midnight was almost twice his size, and that made it quite a challenge to help hold him up. However, what continued to irk Reddling more was not holding up the Equestrian stallion, but rather the fact he had to touch a degenerate.

“We are all children of the night. We stand together.” Reddling muttered as he shifted Midnight’s weight around, trying to find a comfortable way to drag the pony along. Midnight nodded and smiled happily as they approached Web’s quarters. Tops, Bruiser, and Nightshade were already making their way into the mess hall in the distance when Midnight and Reddling pushed open the door to Web's quarters.

There was a sound of a knife unsheathing and Web suddenly flashed into view, a tiny dagger appearing in her mouth like a flash of lightning. As soon as she had a chance to make out the two stallions stumbling in however, she sheathed her knife and relaxed, giving them both a smile.

“Reddling!” Web squeaked at him before turning to Midnight more plainly. “Midnight, How’d it go!?”

“Sorry…” Reddling offered, still looking at the sheathed knife on her desk.

“During our trial, I fell and wounded myself. The Captain instructed me to see you.” Midnight said. Web just beckoned him over picking out a few vials and jars from around the desk she was seated at.

“Ah! Let Web kiss it and make it all better.” She let out a giggle.

“Web, that’s not funny- He’s hurt.” Reddling was stern with his voice as he began to scan the room. There were various jars in here, some of which seemed to have what Reddling guessed to be fish in them, although the colours of the liquid were quite odd.

Web gave a smirk as Midnight limped to her. “It’s not funny, because it’s not a joke. Sit down.” Web turned to a cabinet as Reddling took a closer look at Web’s quarters, realizing that he was not looking at jars with fish, but rather something much more sinister. Various mortars, pestles, and miniature charcoal burners lined a shelf next to exotic things. Some jars held small snakes in them, while others held large spiders, still alive and moving. Each of them seemed to be attacking the boundaries of their cages, trying to get at each other while other creatures that Reddling could not even identify remained suspended in different green, red, and black liquids between the living creatures.

The doorframe greeted Reddling's backside as he backed up in horror at what his eyes beheld. Web gaze turned her head away from fixing Midnight's wound to giggle, swishing her tail back and forth before returning from the cabinet with a few rolls of gauze and a jar of grey-purple fluid.

“Reddling, are you alright?” Midnight asked, he himself averting his eyes from the various horrors lining the walls.

“I … am perfectly, yes, that.” Reddling whispered. Midnight opened his mouth to protest but quickly conceded as he grimaced, gasping in pain. Web made quick work of his wounded leg, but whatever she had put on it left the air with the faint smell of burning flesh Reddling had become all to familiar with from the day before.

Web's work was flawless, and in little less than a minute Midnight’s wounded leg had been skillfully bandaged. Midnight let out a few quiet hisses at the fluid that was burning at his leg. When he stood up however, he seemed to already be better, no longer limping at all.

“There, all better! Keep it dry for the day and you’ll feel right as rain in no time at all!” Web said.

“He has extra practice tomorrow, hope it doesn’t rain.” Reddling said dryly, still leaning on the doorframe.

“Extra practice? Have fun!” Web said to Midnight, giving him a quick pat on the back.

The floorboards were depressingly dark in Web's domain as Reddling tried to focus on what he wanted to do next. He had quite a few thoughts that had arrived in his mind at the thought of nearly being alone with Web, as well as what to do with some of his money. He was not totally blind to signals or his own mind, but Midnight was still here.

“Web, you’ve been here for awh-while, what does that mean?” Reddling queried.

“What does what mean?” Web asked confusedly. Reddling just shook his head.

“Forget it, uh, Midnight, you want your weekly stipend don’t you? You must be starving, maybe you can go get some food before bed still.” Midnight looked at Reddling confusedly before nodding as Web pulled out two envelopes.

“Yup!” Web handed one envelope to Midnight and put Reddling’s down on the table.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Midnight said, testing his bad leg a little bit as he made his way towards the door.

“So Reddling! I heard you might have wanted to send some bits back somewhere? Or something?”Web asked, opening up his envelope and looking up with those bright eyes again. Reddling eyed Midnight for a moment, then looked at Web.

“Do you know where they’re going?” Reddling asked.

“I have no idea!” Web decreed.

“Right, Midnight, could you leave us alone?” Reddling hissed, eyeing the sun that was leaking inside from the open door as Midnight nodded, bidding them both farewell and shutting the door behind him with a clawed wing. Once Reddling could no longer head Midnight's hoofsteps, he spoke again. “Do you know where Silverfield is?”

“Oh yes, to the south. Why?”

“I’m from Silverfield- That’s why I sound funny, and I need to send some money home to my nephew, okay? Not a word to the others though.” Reddling tried to layer every word with as much seriousness as he could, selecting them carefully as Web’s face perked up, a spark of enlightenment on her features.

“Ah, Ahh! That makes sense!” Web cried. “Why you joined, and fled the cave… yes, of course, I believe I can make that happen. Just fill out some shipping information.” She took out a small sheet, and Reddling picked up a pen, writing down a box number for the only post office in Silverfield he knew of, which stood at the very northern border, the last safe place for Pegasus mail services to drop off letters.

“Say, do you know any fun clubs or something? Or anything fun to do on the outpost on a day off?” Reddling asked, trying to not come across as too awkward while filling out the various boxes and reading the fine prints. Web only giggled her response at first, then put a hoof on her chin, thinking.

“You are a, hm, 20 minute flight from Canterlot! There, anything is possible! Most anything.” Web took the paper from Reddling as he signed his name on the bottom. Reddling felt his face start to burn as a few thoughts raced in his head. He had only been in the Night Guard a week, but already it felt like a new home. The idea of asking a degenerate out was not simply because he had grown fond of her- but also to better learn the Equestrian ways.

“Well, I was wondering if uh, maybe you’d like to go hang out somewhere with me?” Reddling looked at Web, and she gave him a slightly confused look. Reddling quickly breathed  in and added, “Uh, without the others.”

Web’s face changed to surprise as she squeaked, standing up. Reddling shut an eye as the squeak turned to giggles, then a giggling squeal. “Reddling!”

Reddling felt a blush on his cheeks rise up as he opened his eye, glad that Web had not yet decked him for such a ridiculous idea.

“I mean, do you want to go someplace? Only if you want too, that is.” Reddling murmured.

“I’ll take you out and show you the city, and if the hustle and bustle of the city is too much for you…” She put her hooves on his shoulders, leaning in and looking at him with those oddly bright eyes. “I know some nice, pretty, private caves under the city.” Reddling gulped as she continued,“But today… you stink. Take a shower and I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“R-Right! What time, Web?” Reddling said, still transfixed- no, hypnotized by something in those eyes. Something unnatural that held him there like a spell.

“I’ll see you when the moon rises, Reddling.” She let go of his shoulders, still smiling as he fumbled his way out of the door.

“So, it’s a date then?” It was Reddling's turn to squeak now.

“It’s a date!” She squealed, catching the door and staring at him seriously. “But I will say, it’s not a good idea to get too attached to your peers in the Night Guard. There’s a good chance that I might be given an assignment one day, and come back in a bag.”

Reddling winced at the warning, looking up at her. “Well, there’s an equal, “ or possibly greater… “chance that can happen to me, we’ll both have to make sure we make it back so we can have dates like this.”

Web’s smile almost seemed to betray something darker for a moment as she winked at him. “Then we’ll have fun while we have the chance. Pleasant dreams, Reddling!” She turned, showing him the large black spider she had for a cutie mark right before Reddling shut the door.

Streets of Canterlot

Soreness did not begin to describe the feelings wracking Reddling’s sides the next day. Each of his sides felt like an iron band had been applied to it, compressing his torso with each breath. Every muscle had been morphed into a rope, and moving brought a terrible tug of pain from nerves.  Reddling tried to offer to himself that pain was fleeting, but that didn’t make it hurt any worse. He could understand why ponies might not like flying now, what with the rows of charlie horses cramping all down his backside.

Struggling over to his desk, Reddling managed to topple out what his paycheck had allotted him. After a few moments Reddling shook his head, standing up straighter and counting his bits three times. He had sent half of his stipend back south, hoping that Rainy would be able to live better on Night Guard pay than regular recruit pay. Forty bits was not anything for most ponies to write home about, but when all of his housing and other needs were paid for, it was a very respectable paycheck. Indeed, this pay was far more than his recruit pay had been. Of course, both paled next to living off of whatever work the church gave him, or his meager pay when he had been training for the assassinations.

As much as he hated to admit it, Reddling had been growing to love this life in it's own way. Although he was sure he could never hold the fervor that Midnight Tales maintained, there was comfort in the little things. Each setting and raising of the sun was a reminder however, that he was now a monster, and walked the lands with other monsters.

Night fell quickly as Reddling found his way into the mess hall. He had carefully polished his armor and tied a red and grey scarf around his neck. He had been sure the scarf had not been greatly brighter than his coat, but didn't really spare it much of a thought. Many things had appeared different to him since the transformation, and he was venomently writing this off as another oddity he didn't want to consider.

Reddling fetched a mango that he quickly munched on, letting the juice from the fruit drip onto the floor. Tops and Bruiser clattered in as Reddling felt some of his nerves rise. What if Web doesn't come to the mess hall? Or had already left for Canterlot without me? Why do I care anyway, this is just a ploy to fit in, look normal. I should be focusing on my mission.

Reddling soon found his fears gone as Web entered. Just as quickly as his fears vanished, he felt a new nervousness creeping up his sides, punishing him for trying to be close in this way to anypony.

Web made slight jingling noises as she approached. She wore a black necklace adorned with small bells right above her Night Guard armor. Her mane had been combed back in a more proper fashion, and her tail had been given a curl at the end. Reddling simply ruffled his own mane as she approached, trying to look natural as he tossed the mango's remains at a nearby bin.

“How are you doing?!” Web asked excitedly. Reddling just shrugged nonchalantly, remembering other situations like this before he had moved. It was not that Silverfield mares were unattractive, nor was it an issue of his own attractiveness, but every mare he had ever been close too had too many physical similiarties to him. Web was different from all of them though, and even more importantly, she was most definitely not related to him somehow in the last three generations.

“I’m not sure if that’s the word I’d use for it, but I feel something. Nervous I guess.” Reddling shrugged the question off. currently he was just happy to be going on a date with somepony that might not be his cousin.

“Nervous!” Web giggled. “Oh, it’ll be fun!”

“So that's what they call it- fun.” Reddling mumbled.

“Oh yes! Those boring city-ponies always shut everything down before there’s time for having any fun, so we'll have to make some of our own!" Web bounced a bit on her hooves, clearly impatient.

“They don’t have clubs or something? I thought every city had those- fine, we’ll leave soon.” Reddling hadn’t actually been to a city, they’d always been too imposing for him, and guard training before the Night Watch had always taken place in the wilderness with only some mimicked urban combat situations set up on training grounds.

“Well, let’s go!” Web pranced impatiently, looking wistfully at the door as Reddling shrugged. They headed out the door to a slight breeze as Web spreed her wings, looking up at the sky.

“Do you mind if we trot, Web?” Reddling asked, keeping his wings glued to his back as the cool night air greeted them.

“Aww, your wings are sore?” Web cooed.

“I’m not exactly used to flying…” Reddling said bitterly

“Did you stretch?” Web asked, ignoring Reddling’s statement.

“A little, not today though, it hurt.” Reddling looked behind him as his neck screamed at the movement.

“Do you know how to stretch?” Web asked. Reddling opened his mouth, but then closed it quickly, shaking his head as Web giggled. “Well, come here, and I'll help you out!"

Reddling found himself spending the next ten or so minutes being shown how to stretch his back and wing muscles carefully by Web. He was relieved that she didn’t feel the need to touch him or anything for the anatomy lesson, but rather kept her distance and actually showed how things worked. Tops and Bruiser both exited the mess hall and took a moment to observe the scene. Tops simply smiled, but Bruiser made sure that Reddling caught a suggestive wink from him.

Gross. Reddling thought as Web cried out with glee and took into the air. “Is that any better?”

Reddling gave his wings a flap, and felt his entire chest shutter as he gasped. Every muscle gave one long and pleasurable churn before fully loosening up. Everywhere it felt like small pockets of air were exploding between his skin and the former ropes that had been his muscles. Each time a small pocket of air popped, it left a wave of heat that seemed to travel over his whole body, leaving him with a pleasant burn that relaxed the mind and excited the body. Giving his wings a few more flaps, Reddling lifted himself into the air, looking over at Web.

“Not totally, it’s …adequate, thanks. Let’s get going.” Reddling lied.

“Lets!”  Web turned towards Canterlot, flying slowly enough for Reddling to keep up. A few mountains passed by in the evening before they finally made it to the white city of Equestria. Reddling gasped and stopped in midair, hovering there for a moment as he took in the entire city. He’d seen pictures before, but he had never actually been to Canterlot. The city was more awesome in it's pure size than he could wrap his head around. The pure mass of the columns, buildings, and walls was not only intimidating, but gave a feeling of how small he actually was in the world.

Web gave a little giggle to bring him back to reality as she turned to him, smiling at his awe. “New to the area?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.” Reddling said plainly. Despite how breathtaking the city was, he had to remind himself that this was the city of blood. Each gentle path of sloped white stone was simply a testament to the terrors of Equestria. Each wall was a levy for pools of blood that could not bleed free and soak the land. Above the pools of blood were curved pillars built by slaves, some of them forming the great arches of tyranny that kept the masses living in fear, whether they knew it or not.

Web led him down towards the white stone, and then turned sharply, moving him towards some slightly less well kept parts of the city. The stone here was dirty, and not polished like the upper tiers of the capital. Web did a little hop as she landed, turning around with an excited expression on her face.

“There’s so much to do! But one thing- All the restaurants close super early. How do you feel about a fancy breakfast?” Web asked, leaning forward and gazing at Reddling with those hypnotic yellow plates. Reddling backed up uneasily, looking up at the sky and observing the rising moon.

…Super early? It’s already dark out. It’s probably getting late for them. Reddling nodded to Web idly, keeping his thoughts inside once more as she cantered down the street happily. Various stores flashed fancy suits and coats that Reddling found himself enamored by. Silverfield had some nice clothes, but it really didn't have anything on some of the stores here.  As the cobblestone grew dirtier their was a noticeable drop in the quality of clothing, but fine cloaks, longcoats, and some suits still stood next to reasonably fancy dresses

“I know just the place! Come on!” Web cooed, as if she were calling a dog. Reddling followed her, but he did not canter happily. Despite whatever he might feel for Web, he couldn’t risk actually liking her antics, alluring to him as they were. The ponies still out on the street gave both of them a wide arc as they passed by, the adults trying to avert their eyes. Reddling could feel as he passed through the street some of the smaller foals staring in aw, and perhaps, fear. The streets and buildings slowly became increasingly less and less pleasant the further Web led him, until he was quite sure they were in the poorer part of Canterlot. Soon most of the street was shadowed by the archways, and many of the alleys were dirty and unkempt. The lighting of the place only came from store windows and what little of the moon that managed to get below, instead of some public lamps that were present in the higher parts of the city. The cobblestones underneath were now uneven and grey, lacking the grandeur that Reddling has expected from Equestria’s capital.

“Uh, Web… Where are we going?” Reddling asked, scanning the buildings with his eyes as she slowed down so he could walk next to her. At this point they had been walking for several minutes, and did not seem to be reaching anyplace that Reddling would deem fancy. The cool night air was enough to give a prickling of the spine as the shadowy interior of Canterlot reflected faint lights marking that some lifeblood still flowed in the dormant part of the city.

“Breakfast!” She decreed, happily pursuing the underside of Canterlot. “But for them it’s dinner…” Web mused over this for a moment before turning,  flapping her wings as she faced Reddling. She continued to hop backwards with a hoof on her chin as ponies scurried to give her an even wider arc.

“So, Dinner!” Web said excitedly, turning back around and leaping from one large cobblestone to the next.

“Web, things here look like they might make us sick. What exactly are we going to be eating for dinner?” Reddling questioned sourly, glaring at a earth pony who got too close. The stallion gave a start and backed away more as Web giggled insanly.

“Oh, this place has the best pasta.” Web said, quickly turning and striking out towards a restaurant that sat at the corner of two streets.

“Huh, and I was half expecting you to say blood…” Reddling said as he and Web trotted inside the restaurant. A server had quickly approached Web and was finishing a short bow, standing next to some cheap décor. Many different herbs seemed to be growing out of pots here, giving the greeting area a surprisingly fresh odor for being in the middle of a stone city.

“Ah! Welcome to the Basil Leafe Café.” The server said, picking up two menus as he looked at Web. “The two of you?”

Why is everything in Equestria named after a plant, fruit, or some sort of pun? Basil Leafe sounds more like a rabbit's nickname than a cafe... Reddling nodded to the server, glaring at him sourly.

“Right this way, madams.” The server said. Reddling nearly kicked a potted plant with his hind hoof as the server lead them to a somewhat gloomy looking booth.

“It’s sir.” Reddling hissed at the waiter as he sat down. The booth that he had led them too was dark and dimly lit, with blinds pulled down over a window to create more shadows and even less chance of natural lighting getting inside. Reddling took his seat in a surly manner and flipped open the menu almost as soon as the waiter had sat it down.

“-and it’s edgy, thanks.” Reddling remarked his mouth twitching as he waving a hoof at the booth, scanning the foodstuffs listed. The waiter had quickly retreated back to the front desk, where they were preparing to seat two ponies in long hooded cloaks.

Across the table, Web also took her seat, smiling and giggling just a small bit and not touching her menu at all. Reddling stared down the specials and plain dishes. He was honestly somewhat scared to try any regular Equestrian cuisine, he had been sick of a month when he first arrived due to their vastly different preparation and ingredients. Fruits and hay were not any issue for him to eat, they were pretty basic foods- however, this menu contained a list of items most of which Reddling could not even pronounce.

“Know anything good in here to eat, Web?” Reddling asked from behind his menu.

“Oh, yes!” Web squeaked. “The Pasta Primavera is fantastic! They put little bits of fruit in it!” She let out a tiny squeal of delight at just the thought of the dish, leaning back into the cushions of her side of the booth.

“Okay, I guess I’ll…” Reddling said, lowering his menu and looking over at Web, letting his sentence die. She seemed completely at ease in here, and had failed to even open her menu. Under the table Reddling could feel her flicking her tail in what he guessed was impatience.

“So uh, is that what you’re getting?” Reddling asked, and Web shook her head.

“Oh, I’m going to have one of their local specials.” Web said. As if on cue, the server popped up from behind an unlikely looking potted plant, cutting skillfully into their conversation.

“Would you fine bats like something to drink?” The server asked. The pony was clearly trying to avoid meeting either Web's or Reddling's eyes as they stared determinedly at their clipboard.

“Just water for me.” Web replied. Across the table Reddling was still cringing at the server's comment, feeling the word “bat” sink in and hit his insides like a pinball bouncing against all his organs. No matter how long he was trapped in this form, Reddling was not sure he would ever get used to being called a bat.

“Water…that, yes.” Reddling coughed out, raising his menu again to hide his face. The little letters on the menu swam like a soup in front of him; most of it garbled jargon he had taken no time to study.

“Are you ready to order?” The server queried. Reddling shrugged and pointed at what he hoped was what Web had suggested. “Pasta… primeval?”

“Primavera,” Web corrected. The waiter jotted down a few notes before turning to Web. “And I’ll have the rigatoni accipitridae-leo, please!”

“Pasta Primavera, and the Rigatoni special.” The waiter said, collecting the menus as they finished the notes and turning away. Reddling opened the blinds with a little turning mechanism on the side of the window, letting some light flood the area. Every night since his transformation, the moon had seemed to grow more and more friendly, a constant companion that he wished was always in the sky to guide him.

“So, Reddling… what is Silverfield like?” Web asked from across the table. Reddling pressed his hooves together, giving a little start at hearing the word aloud. Web’s question washed over him in a wave of warmth and homesickness as he looked out the window, staring up at the moon. The crescent gleamed with the same brilliance it had on the starry nights he had spent alone with a candle and book on the outskirts of town in his home.

“Well, it’s warmer, and the winters are shorter than they are in Equestria.” Reddling began, blinking his eyes and trying to think of things he could say that avoided mentioning The Church or his hometown specifically. “The fields of grass there are silver, all year round. Hmm, moon, I guess I never took in its beauty at night, but it’d probably create a nice lighting that would glimmer on… “ Reddling found himself getting lost in thought before he shook his head, coming back down to earth. “Uh, enough about Silverfield. I don’t recall your hometown?”

“Hmm, it does sound pretty at night.” Web mused, leaning forward from her slouch. “I grew up in Canterlot, actually!”

“Oh really? Must have been interesting…” Reddling raised an eyebrow. Canterlot, home of the unicorn ponies of Equestria. So did you know what it was like to lose a horn? Reddling mused over that for a moment as the server returned with two waters and some breadsticks, which he sat down on the table. Web must have been a unicorn, that’s why she knew how rough it was for somepony to lose their horn on the first day of practice, makes sense… I can imagine exactly how much that must have hurt.

“Oh yes! All sorts of interesting things to do and see! The museums, the architecture, the palace, the princesses, the artisans and nobles…” Web paused for a moment, although her excitement did not waver. “The wealthy elite of Equestria! Truly a city of opportunity!” She smiled brightly at the last bits she added. Reddling simply looked down at the table and ran his hoof over its polished surface.

The Princesses… “It must be a- well, it’s a big difference from Silverfield, that’s for sure.” Reddling replied, still running his hoof over the table.

“So,” Web began, grabbing a piece of bread and starting to gnaw on it. “Why’d you leave Silverfield?”

To fulfill my destiny! To gain honor! Because my cutie mark told me too! Reddling shrugged at Web. “I couldn’t stay there anymore. There are terrible things in Silverfield, and I couldn’t deal with it any longer.” Web made a small hum as she thought about that before Reddling lifted his head, trying to smile at her. “What about you though, as far as Canterlot goes? Did the cushions not have enough dirt on them for your tastes?”

“Ah, just some bad luck. So I signed up.” Web replied simply, waving her hoof at the sky outside to dismiss the question. She had picked up a breadstick and was beginning to devour it by slowly

“And you were a… unicorn before the guard? They seem to be, prevalent here.” Reddling asked.

“Oh no, I was an earth pony.” Web said simply, gulping down the rest of her bread.

“I had to learn what that was like…” Reddling whispered to himself under his breath.

Web giggled. “Ah most do,” Reddling looked up oddly as Web followed up her comment, “Pegasi have it pretty easy, really.” Reddling felt his insides tighten up at Web's words, and she shot him a sly, almost knowing glance. It would be impossible for her to know that he, Reddling Rain, was some assassin. It would be equally impossible for her to know any of the rest of his past.

“Hm, I wouldn’t know.” Reddling said. You keep your cool now. This is an invaluable chance to blend in, and possibly gain some information about Web. Don’t let her comments thrown you into a fluster, just ignore them if they're not important.

“That is a very interesting knife you have.” Web said, pointing at the weapon Reddling had belted on.

“Huh? Ah, my knife yes, thank you.” Reddling spat out, trying to keep the fluster out of his voice. Web had a hoof extended across the table, which Reddling was just staring at.

“May I see it?” Web asked. Reddling hesitated, putting his hoof on the hilt. It would look bad if he refused to let her see it, but if she knew how to read any Silverfield runes, then she might see through his disguise.  The odds were she had no way of knowing them just like everything else related to Silverfield. Reddling carefully drew the blade, flipping it deftly in the air and catching the blade gently in his hoof, offering the hilt forward to Web.

Web ran the blade over her hoof a few times, gingerly examining the weapon. “This is a good knife. What do the runes mean?” Web asked, offering it back to Reddling.

“Ah, just some old stuff.’ Reddling lied. “It’s called Ausfall, each pony in Silverfield has a weapon like this forged from them when they are born. It's customary to give it a name when you come of age, so Ausfall it is.”

“Oh? And why’d you pick Ausfall?” Web asked.

Reddling was silent for a moment, and looked around the room. The waiter appeared in a doorway that must lead to the kitchens with two steaming plates of pasta. “Ah! That’s a story for another time, I think our food is here.”

Sure enough, the waiter quickly moved over, setting down and naming each serving before taking a bow. Reddling’s plate was a pile of noodles that had been inter spaced with sweet fruits and complimented with some mild looking peppers. Across from him, Web’s plate had some round pastas with some odd chunky red sauce over it.

Does she eat poison or something? Reddling mused at Web’s pasta. He couldn’t make out what it had been topped with, it was some sort of vegetable that he had not seen before.

“What kind of sauce is that?” Reddling asked, pointing at Web’s plate.

“It’s their special sauce!” She replied. Reddling just blinked at her.

“Well, I can’t imagine anypony would poison our food. “ Reddling started to slowly eat, tasting it carefully. The flavors complimented each other nicely, although Reddling still felt it paled in comparison to homemade cuisine.

A speck of red sauce flew past Reddling’s eyes and hit his plate breaking his thoughts apart. Looking across the table he could see that Web had dived into her food, and was now messily devouring it. With every careful chewing motion of Reddling’s mouth, he could see more specks of pasta, sauce, and some kind of fruit covering Web’s face, the table, and anything brave enough to be at ground zero.

I know that everybat else thinks you’re a little off, but…  Reddling felt a giggle rising in his throat, which he quickly cleared so he could swallow his food.  There is something about her that is undeniably adorable, like a cute yet creepy animal you feel the need to bring home with you, whether the rest of the village agrees to it or not.

Reddling more slowly picked away at his food, watching Web eventually reach the bottom of her dish. She gave the sauce one long lick before picking up a napkin and wiping her face clean.

“Would you like a dessert?” Web asked, cleaning off one of her fangs carefully. Reddling looked down at his half-finished dinner with slight bemusement.

“Do they have anything here as good as what you ate? We might be able to split something…” Reddling took another bite of pasta, chewing on it carefully.

“Hm, nothing as good as their entrées, no.” Web said, still tidying up the specks of sauce on her neck.

“Know perhaps a better place then? A Canterlot… uh, special cake of some sort?” Reddling offered. He was leaning forward now, studying Web as she stared out the window, looking up at the moon and the higher tiers of Canterlot. Her face looked suddenly sad, and her words came tinged with disappointment.

“…I’m sure there are some, none that I’d know though. Those are fancy places…” Web said bitterly.

“None you’d know? How is that so?” Reddling sat back, working his tongue at a bit of fruit stuck between his front teeth.

“Oh, you know. Never been a fan of sweets.” Web recovered. “Never mind, let’s skip dessert. Waiter! Check please!”

Fancy places you wouldn't know huh? Reddling pondered as the waiter bounced over, pulling out two slips, one for each of them. Reddling counted out seven bits for his meal, creating one nice pile. Across the table, Web had made a few piles of no less than thirty bits. Reddling remembered now that he still did not know what exactly Web did, but it was obvious that she made more than enough money at it to throw it around.

“Ready to go?” Web asked, looking up brightly from her piles of coins laid out on the bill.

Reddling shrugged. “Yeah, you still have to show me this… city.”

“Of course, do-“ Web’s face split into a mischievous smile. “Do you like flying?”

Reddling nodded vigorously and instinctively. Nothing else in the world could replace the feeling of having the wind rush past his face, the feeling of having air rush over his body as he flung himself to and fro in the air, soaking up every minute of being properly airborn.

“Oh, Canterlot… It’s such a fantastic city for flying! The arches, the spires, the towers… Reddling, would you like to fly the city with me?” Web offered him a hoof as she stood up.

“As long as by flying, it doesn’t include destroying anything or falling out of the sky, then okay.” Reddling said, ignoring her hoof and heading for the door.

“Yay! Let’s go!” Web rushed past him, heading for the exit. There was a noticeably happy prance in her movements now. She only stopped her antics briefly to lean on the waiter. “Tell Ironfeather I said hello!”

“Ironfeather?” Reddling asked outside of the Café, Web still bouncing along on her hooves. Web just giggled as she spread her wings and crouched down, a serious expression on her face as she looked up at the sky.

“An old friend. Ready?” Web giggled.

“Let’s not go too fast, okay? Let me keep up.” Reddling tried to mimic her stance, preparing to pounce at the sky. There was a flash next to him, and Web was off, zooming through the sky and nearly scrapping buildings as she flew towards the upper levels of the city. Reddling found his wings barely carrying him after her as he struggled to keep her in his sights.

The arches and spirals of Canterlot flashed by as Web led them both up towards the open sky. The moon caught her face briefly, revealing a fangy smile before she dove back down, doing a lazy barrel roll before swooping beneath a bridge. A few ponies stared over the walkway as Reddling swept after her, turning himself upside down and looking at the various Equestrians. A few small unicorn colts and fillies stared with wide eyes at the two bats, and Reddling gave them a smirk, waving up at them. The adults glared at the two bats, but the children’s eyes only followed along as they watched Reddling scrape just a bit of mortar on his wing-claws. After passing the walkway, Reddling gave his wings a quick flap. Turning away and zooming back towards Web, he could hear at least one little filly letting out a cheer for them.

Flying was getting much easier, but Reddling was still dismayed to see Web circling around a spiral tower, her hooves practically scrapping the white bricks as she waited on him to catch up. When Web reached the roof of the tower she circled twice, letting Reddling take a single breath before she rocketed down at the same bridge from before. Reddling followed, prepared to land, but Web showed no signs of slowing down as she hurled herself right at the small crowd gathered on the bridge.

In the final moments of her dive, Web pulled away, flapping her wings and sending hats flying off the heads of ponies as she climbed back into the air. Reddling closed his eyes for a moment as he looked at the white stones, and then threw his head forward, rolling in an odd somersault on the stones before jumping back into the air right after Web. Terrified Canterlotians jumped aside, tripping over each other as the tried to avoid randomly falling bats.

Yeah, screw you Equestrians. I hate your kind. Reddling taunted at them in his head, turning his face back to Web, who was headed in a decline towards the poorer part of town. Reddling stayed above her as she flew between  clotheslines before lazily arcing upwards and landing on the roof of a large building. Giving her wings a satisfied stretch, Web watched Reddling land, trotting forward a bit and stopping just short of a skylight.

“Web… where are we?” Reddling huffed, stretching his wings out before folding them up. Web had been giggling her high pitched batty laugh for the duration of their quick rest.

“Oh, this brings me back…” Web said, more to herself than to Reddling. “This is a nice museum. Want to take a tour?”

“I don’t understand… uh, fine, but…” Reddling peered down at the museum from through a skylight. The place appeared to be closed, with one lone guardpony patrolling the floor beneath them. “They look closed, Web.”

“Oh he won’t mind.” Web said reassuringly. She lowered one of her claws on her wing, and gently opened the skylight. Reddling shuddered at this, watching the leathery membrane shimmer as she moved her wing with sure skill.

That has to be the most creepy, unnerving thing to have on your body. Reddling thought to himself. Opening things with their… claw things… Ucccck, it’s so weird! Web looked over at him quickly, shooting him a mischievous smile before swooping into the skylight and vanishing into the darkness below.

Reddling took a quick breath before plunging himself into the shadows, feeling his hooves touch down against cold stone. They appeared to be on the second story of some sort of natural history museum. The guard was below them on the first floor, patrolling with his flashlight.

“Web, what is this place? What are we here to look at?” Reddling asked quietly.

Web stifled her giggle, trying not to alert the guard. “Oh, just looking around. There’s so much nice art, but they’re only open during the day!” Web pushed her mane back and began to stalk forward, sulking off towards some exhibits. “They won’t mind…”

“If they won’t mind, why are we hiding?” Reddling hissed back at her. He was crouched down behind her just enough to let himself see over her shoulder, keeping his eyes open for any other guardponies that might be around.

Web simply giggled in response, trotting over to some different paintings. “Take a look at these paintings, Reddling. Aren’t they pretty?”

Reddling looked over at the paintings. Most of them showed landscapes with pretty mountains, although here and there one featured some ponies around tables or at celebrations. Others showed heroes in triumphant stances, from a nigh tiny unicorn defeating an mammoth earth pony to a purple dragon with a golden belly and horns with a golden blurr of light circling behind him.

“There was a lot of old art in Silverfield… I got kind of sick of seeing it everyday.” Reddling folded one of his hooves over the other, a surly look on his face as he stopped to study the pictures.

“They’d fetch a pretty penny if you knew the right buyer…” Web said, not bothering to imply if she was talking about the paintings on the wall or the ones Reddling had mentioned. In fact, Reddling wasn’t even sure Web was still listening to him, she seemed to have been off in her own little world since they had left the café. There was almost a look of glee on Web's face as she continued down the hall, waving for Reddling to hurry up.

With a groan, Reddling followed Web further down the halls as she sulked along the wall. Both of them pressed into the shadows as they heard the guard moving up to the second floor.

“Some of them were not in the best condition…” Reddling whispered trying to see if Web was paying atention to him. Web let out a somewhat loud giggle, turning to him and grinning.

“No silly, I mean these ones here.” Web replied, turning back to whatever task she had in her mind.

I do not like this situation at all. “Web, I think maybe we should leave.” Reddling whispered.

“Oh don’t be silly! When else will you have a chance to wander around a closed museum?” Web led them into an older looking part of the museum, her eyes flashing up at three different ponies on the wall.

“Next Sunday?” Reddling whispered, straightening up a bit to study this section of the museum. There were a lot of ancient looking artifacts on tables; Swords, crowns, clothes, belts, and all manner of tools. Three large portraits hung on the wall, each one labeled with a name.

Reddling ran his hoof over the words “Commander Hurricane” on one of the labels. The pegasus was very proud and intimindating, but there was a certain grandness to the armor and features that Reddling had to admire. Reddling looked for anything foreign in the area. Perhaps if they had things on Equestria's forefathers, they might have similar Silverfield artifacts.

I wonder if there is anything on Silverfield in here? and if there is, could I get away with stealing them? Equestria does not deserve to have our things. Reddling thought, looking around quickly at the walls. His eyes eventually came to focus on Web, who was ducking behind a miniature statue of a draconequus on the other side of the room. Dodging behind the statue with her, Reddling looked out from behind the creature’s tail to watch as the guard trotted in, scanning the room with his flashlight. Despite the cover that they had, Reddling was sure that the guard would see them.

Web had poked her head out from behind the other side of the statue and was now staring at the guard intently. As the flashlight swept the room, it seemed to shine a little less brightly, shadows licking at the room as the guard shrugged and turned away. Reddling was able to just make out shadows playfully licking at his hooves as he trotted past, moving away from the exhibit.

Can she … manipulate light? Some sort of distortion power I don’t have? ...That would be extremely useful, I shall learn it if I have the time. Reddling thought, looking around the room quickly again as Web let out a quiet giggle from the other side of the statue.

“See? No problem.” Web whispered, watching the guard trot away as the room returned to normal, no shadows licking at the lighting anymore.

“…Hmm. Is there anything on Silverfield in here, Web?” Reddling asked. The walls didn’t seem to have a single mention of the place, and he was beginning to believe that he’d find no citation of his home here.

“I don’t think so, no.” Web whispered, looking at an exhibit on how old earth pony belts.

Reddling let out a sigh, heading towards a section on prehistory that was packed with fossils. “Not surprising, they tend to forget about us.”

Web meanwhile, was pranced about gaily, looking at all the walls and exhibits. She didn’t seem to be enjoying any particular exhibit or part of the museum, but her joy seemingly stemmed from just being inside the museum.

“Web, have you been here before or something?” Reddling asked, and Web giggled in front of him.

“Oh, who hasn’t? It’s Canterlot’s biggest museum.” Web said.

Reddling glared hard at the back of her skull. “I’m not from around here.” He said somewhat angrily.

“Ah, but now you have been here! So it’s all okay!” Web danced with the bones, circling large and hopefully now extinct monsters.

“Yeah I suppose.” Reddling’s ear twitched as the guard’s hoofsteps echoed, and he turned to Web again. “Look, the guard is coming back, we can’t hide from him forever.”

“You’re right!” Web cried, ducking behind an exhibit. The guard’s light flashed towards their section, and Reddling quickly ducked down next to Web. The guard’s hoofsteps could be heard as he entered the area, and again, his light seemed to dim and flicker as he swept the room. Reddling shuddered as he felt Web’s soft breaths rolling over his shoulder and neck. Both of them had locked their eyes on the guard, who now looked somewhat alarmed.

“Get ready.” Web whispered, a small ting coming from her necklace as she pulled off a bell from it. Reddling turned his head around slightly to watch her motions, and nearly fell over as she raised her hoof and chucked the bell over both of their heads, sending it flying into the back of the guard’s head. Although the sound of the bell was too high pitched for a regular pony to hear, the guard definitely felt the bell hit him as his head jerked forward.

“Hello!? Who’s there?” The guard cried, turning around and jerking his flashlight all over the room.  Web nodded towards a back exit and gave Reddling a small push before she darted out from over, streaking for the exit that they had entered from. The guard’s light caught Web briefly, but before he could move to stop her, Reddling had bumped into the guard, tapping him hard on the shoulder.

“Stop! Intruder!” The guard cried, turning around and grabbing for Reddling in a panic. Reddling could not help but note that the guard seemed to move much slower than him. It dawned on him as he sidestepped the guard and watched him fall on his face that perhaps it was not the guard that was slower, but he who was faster.

Leaving the guard to yell on the floor and hold his hoof up to his snout, Reddling ducked out the back exit. The skylight above showed a somewhat disfigured shadow of Web’s head poking in. She shot Reddling a fangy smile as he flew through the skylight, letting her slam it shut behind him, hearty laughs filling the air as she leaned against the roof.

“That was… a thing.” Reddling said dryly to her. Throwing himself in a position to get arrested wasn’t exactly what he had had in mind for a first date, but at the very least Web seemed to be very much enjoying herself.

“Oh goodness, let’s get out of here before they send pegasi!” Web cried, jumping into the air and beginning to fly up into the darkness.

Reddling leapt into the air, flying next to her as they made their way away from the museum. “It doesn’t matter, we could beat them anyway. You said you knew some caves? They won’t follow us into the dark, show me those.”

“Hah!” Web agreed. “Yes, Let’s go!”

Sadly, the underside of Canterlot was hardly as pretty as one might think. Web had lead him below the bottom tier of the city and into the blackness below. Most of the area was made of just building materials, large stones, and other support. Reddling paused to look at the buildings down here, and felt his hooves stop outside of some cave openings. Web turned around and brushed away some cobwebs that fell in front of her face.

“A long, long time ago, Canterlot was a gem mine. It attracted all sorts of unicorns for their magic mumbo jumbo, which ended up turning into what you see here today.” Web pointed at the lower tier of the city above them before motioning back to the cottages, stores, and other various unmarked buildings that scattered the underside of Canterlot. “They don’t use the mines anymore, but you can see that it was pretty popular…”

Reddling silently followed Web as she turned, leading him into a cave that sat on the edge of a small creek. The sound of water slowly moving through rocks and granite was calming, even if it did give the air down in the cave an odd moistness.

“I still don’t understand a lot about bat ponies.” Reddling shook his head as he caught up with Web in the cave. “I assumed we’d corner that guard and suck him dry or something.”

Web let out a burst of laughter that echoed in the cave. “Ha, oh, we’d get in so much trouble!”

“Bat ponies drink blood, don’t they? I mean hell, one just like, jumped and bit me before… before I was put in the special training with the others.”

Web looked at him appraisingly, like she wanted to give an offhoof remark but couldn’t quite think of how to say it. “Oh, not really…”

“Then why did somebat bite me? It hurt!” Reddling retorted. There was a string of something dark pulling in his chest, tightening the muscles that had not been used in a long time. The string was anger and pain at the unfairness of being altered without his permission. The anger of being tricked, and this time not by his own kin, but an enemy he should have known better than to trust.

“Well, that’s how… that part works!” Web made up. “But you need magic and stuff, and it’s all complicated.”

Reddling growled, annoyed and angry. “You don’t even understand. I always thought bat ponies were vicious vampires that sip on blood and stuff and..." Reddling stopped, taking a deep breath and working on recomposing himself. "I’m sounding so stupid right now, but what do they do with the biting part? Who bites all these ponies anyway?”

Web shifted uncomfortably, some shadows managing to fall over her face despite the endless darkness both of them were currently trotting through. “I don’t really know who does that biting.”

Reddling turned his eyes away, looking forward while Web stalled for a few moments, staring into the blackness. Despite the augmentation they had received, it was still difficult to see in places without any natural light. Vision of the place came more from what Reddling could describe as a supernatural sixth sense rather than an actual visualization with his eyes.

“I did bite a pony once… it just tasted like blood. They didn’t turn into another bat or anything.” Web said quietly off to the side.

“Did the blood taste good?” Reddling smirked to himself, keeping his face averted. Web seemed to be fairly serious for once, her happy façade dropping like a landslide around her.

“Eh… I mean, it was just,” Web paused again. “like blood?”

“I don’t really make a habit of drinking blood.” Reddling reminded her. “So, what pony did you bite? And also, if the stories are right, then if you want to make another vampire- uh, another bat pony, they’d have to drink your blood eh?”

“I had some downtime during a job and decided, what the hell? Let’s do it!” Web said, some excitement regaining momentum. “Also, where’d you read that?”

“Uh, old books.” Reddling said quickly. “I did some library work to help out my town in the mornings.”

This was of course a complete lie, and Reddling knew that. He also knew that Web didn't need to know the library had been in the burned out fort he and Rainy worked on whenever they had time. Web, oblivious to the lies, simply smiled and nodded. “That’s cool!”

“That’s one word for it.” Reddling said reservedly. “I’d like to try some blood, I bet it’s got something going on with it, why else would we have fangs?”

“Fruit?” Web offered as she lead the way into a vault-like cavern.

Reddling snorted. “I’ve never liked fruit that much to be honest. Not too much of it in Silverfield.”

The cavern before them offered some sort of light that was all its own, giving life to large crystal formations that were jutting out of the ground, sparkling and reflecting what tiny bits of light managed to survive in these mines. Reddling shook his head as he approached the crystals, watching his face distort in front of a purple one.

“I just feel like there has to be some weird secret! Something they’re keeping from us!” Reddling exclaimed to his purple hued reflection. Turning back to Web, he flicked his tail at the other crystal formations. “How long did you say you’ve been in the guard again?”

“Eight years.” Web said simply.

Reddling blinked at the number. Web didn’t seem to be more than a few years older than him at most, and even that seemed like he was pushing it. Based on how old she looked, she'd have joined the guard when she was twelve.

Pushing the thought out of his mind, he returned quickly to his previous ideas. “Huh, a well hidden secret then. I’m sure it’s something that we’ll all figure out sometime!”

“Maybe!” Web replied.

Reddling sighed, lowering his head and looking up as he started to trot along the other crystal formations. “I guess I was just hoping some of the old stories had some truth in them.”

“Maybe some truth.” Web offered with a shrug. “But you know, a lot of bat pony legends are exaggerated. Sometimes on purpose!”

“And maybe sometimes there is a truth in legends.” Reddling paused for a moment, picking his next words carefully. “I’d like to find the pony that bit me, and I’d also like to try blood sometime, I’m curious now.”

I'll kill the pony that made these unholy changes onto my body. Don't need to tell her that though. Reddling thought. “How’d that pony you bit like it, anyway?”

“If you want to try blood, maybe wait till an assignment. You might piss ponies off if you go around biting them randomly- Oh, and he was freaking out!” Web giggled. Reddling passed behind some orange crystals and quickly put a hoof up to his mouth , feeling for some kind of extra glands, like a venom sac or some kind.

Web motioned for Reddling to follow her as she hoped on some rocks, finding them another path to go deeper into the mines. “So, you really want to bite somepony then?”

Reddling looked at her sharply, “Uh, I mean, I wanna try, to see if I get special powers or something. And if not, well, blood is really… good for you?”

Web laughed. “Not really! Sometimes you can get diseases that way!” Web stopped, turning around and trotting backwards. “But… if you’re really curious,  you’d have to be really careful… if you got caught doing that, you’d be in a lot of trouble…”

“Are you speaking from experience?” Reddling asked, following Web’s every motion with his eyes as she winked and turned around.

“You’d probably want help from somepony who’s good at sneaking into places if you wanted to do that…” Web ended her sentence with a trademark giggle.

Reddling trotted to her side dreamily, remembering the stories he’d read when he was younger. “Are you purposing we both go after a target? Oh, it’d be just like one of those old vampire books. We go hunting together, and find somepony…” Reddling licked his lips, running his tongue carefully over his fangs, “And bite’em!”

“Oh, no.” Web cooed, her voice reeking of mischief and sarcasm, “That would be simply awful.”

“It’s only awful if you get caught.” Reddling assured her. They both stopped for a moment, quickly looking at each other. Faint purple hues bounced off their faces, lighting up their faces as they both burst into laughter, giggling at their psychotic plotting.

“I’m sure I’m going to catch a little flak for our adventure earlier tonight, I might be grounded for a week or two..” Web let out another giggle. “But when I’m free, we're totally going out again."

“Canterlot is a big city, we’ll have to see the rest of it together at some point.” Reddling smiled, averting his face from Web. There was something he couldn't name rising in his chest, and he could no longer see Web as another one of those scum from Equestria. She was more than a tolerable Equestrian, and even if he couldn't name the intense fondness he was sure Web would hold an exception to the rule in his heart.

The world shifted back to reality as the faint sound of rocks crashing into each other in the distance alerted Web and Reddling. Both sets of eyes flashed forward to tare at the other exit of the tunnel.

Tunnel Bats

“What was that?” Reddling quickly drew Ausfall and pushed the hilt sideways into his mouth, looking over at Web.

“I don’t know…” Web replied slowly, crouching down and sulking forward towards the sound. The closer they got, the more audible the sound, or rather, sounds became. It was the noise of a hard, repetitive tinking, like two blunt metallic objects striking each other.

Let’s see… old gem mine, not extreme levels of darkness due to some manner of natural lighting provided from crystals, and a tinking noise… Reddling closed his eyes for a moment, thinking back to his studies of monsters. One quickly rang true as he stepped next to Web, already aware of what he was going to see in the next cavern.

The two bats found themselves looking down a small slope that lead towards a cavern somewhat larger than the previous one that they had been in. Five large, hairy canines appeared to be studying the glowing crystals here. Two of the canines had picks that appeared to be made out of some sort of savaged metal, while one next to each of them had a makeshift club composed of what looked like rotting wood and misshapen stone. Against the opposite wall was the fifth dog, who had some manner of armor on and had a large axe resting against his side.

“Web, leave please?” Reddling pleaded, removing his knife from his mouth and resting it between the ground and his hoof.

“Oh hush.” Web retorted, looking down curiously at the dogs. The bells on her necklace let out a faint jingle, one so faint that no pony would have been able to hear it.

Below, one of the miner’s ears twitched. With a less than graceful jerk of the head and upper body, the miner turned and pointed up straight at Reddling and Web. Standing on its forelegs and pointing, the miner let out a guttural exclamation of “Pony!”.

Great, Reddling thought. That’s just great. Always my luck with dark, horrible places right? and I'm going to have to fight like a new recruit tonight too. No sneak attacking here. Reddling quickly jumped up, still holding his knife and posing for the dogs with his wings stretched out. “Clearly, um …things, I am more of a bat.”

The big pony with the axe grabbed his weapon, moving forward and pointing his other foreleg at the two bats. “Dogs! Grab the pony! Pony will pull carts in the mines!”

Stupid animals. Reddling smiled as the dogs let out feral barks and growls, all five advancing towards him as he put his knife in the crook of his hoof. See, they can’t even count, there are clearly two of us.

A horrible pang went into Reddling's heart as he blinked and then looked at the spot next to him where Web should have been. There was nothing present beside him now- she seemed to have simply vanished. Reddling grinned back at the dogs as he sheathed his knife, backing away from them and towards the tunnel. “Uh, you see, while I’d love to stay here and uh, pull carts..” Reddling could hear the rasping of the dogs bitter breathing as they closed in now, “This is the part where I mm, leave.”

Turning and dashing into the tunnel, Reddling ran as fast as he could get his hooves to carry him. The way out didn’t seem to be that hard to remember, but there were a few odd twists and turns that threw his memory for a loop. Web didn’t appear to be anywhere, and the only thing to greet his eyes for some time was just the frustrating glares of half light from shining crystals.

“Oof!” Reddling let out a grunt as he rounded a corner, barely dodging a miner dog that had somehow managed to get in front of him and cut him off.  Behind him, the sound of the other dogs pursuing was getting louder as the miner gave a growl, cracking the joints on their paws as they advanced forward. Reddling just sneered at the creature, shaking his head.

Both combatants moved at the same time, the mining dog moving forward for a grapple and Reddling drawing his weapon for a midair slash. He felt some blood travel down his side as the dog’s claw nicked his armor. While the dog had simply been trying to subdue him, Reddling really didn’t find himself in the mood for a brawl tonight. Ausfall found its mark in the Diamond Dog’s shoulder, slicing clean through the muscles and leaving it’s left limb hanging ajar, bone now exposed to the air. The creature was letting out a howl of pain, as Reddling grabbed it's snout. Reddling flipped himself around and quickly shoving Ausfall's hilt into his mouth before making one quick pull of the blade. The hallway splattered red as the diamond dog fell forward, grabbing at it’s now eviscerated neck as blood continued to spray onto the floor.

Reddling looked up, putting the knife back in his hoof and watching as the shadows of the other dogs rounded the corner. Plunging his teeth quickly into the throat of the diamond dog, Reddling tore at the meat, ripping out a hunk of flesh and covering his front with blood. The two guards and other miner from before rounded the corner, then stopped dead, looking at the now growling bat pony before them. The miner’s face was one of complete shock and horror, but the guards only hesitated for a moment, quickly regaining enough of their composure to prepare attacks.

Backing up, Reddling watched as the three dogs formed a half circle around him. The tunnel was somewhat more open here, and forked off in a few different directions. The guards were starting to cut off escapes, leaving the scared miner dog staring at the blood soaked pony in front of him. Taking but a moment to gather his bearings, Reddling ran forward and spread his wings, jerking his hoof back and then throwing it forward. Ausfall flashed as it sang in the air, impaling the miner in the middle of its skull.

Not having time to regain his weapon, Reddling quickly continued forward, flying towards what he hoped was the exit. One quick turn later and Reddling could almost taste the fresh air before a shadow stepped in the way.  Undoing his scarf, Reddling tried to fly past the large dog. He threw out his scarf in an attempt to wrap it around the dog's neck, but soon found himself smacking the wall as the flat side of the leader's axe smashed against him.

Looking up, Reddling saw the big dog move down to grab him before letting out a yelp and pulling back, grabbing at its back. Web had slammed her small dagger into the diamond dog’s shoulder, and was now gripping onto its neck. Blinking, Reddling looked around and quickly grabbed a rock, flying up and slamming it hard into the helmet of the dog. Staggering back, the dog dropped its axe, looking hazily at Reddling. Web pulled her knife out with a little flash and leapt deftly away from the lumbering canine. Her eyes were bright as she stood casually on the ground, eagerly watching the Big Dog.

Two seconds drug by, and then the dog stumbled forward, falling face first onto the ground. Its limbs were quivering. Reddling dropped to the ground next to Web, watching as the dog’s breath became labored and small flecks of foam appeared at the corners of its mouth.

Sad. Reddling thought, picking up his rock again and slamming it into the eye of the dog as it began to convulse on the floor. The creature gave no response to the blow, continuing to seizure and writhe around at the hooves of the two ponies. Growling, Reddling bit down on the dog’s neck, tearing out it’s throat as the two guard dogs rounded the corner, fearfully backing up at the sight of their fallen leader. Web was gone again, disappeared into the shadows as Reddling advanced forward on the guard dogs, blood dripping from his muzzle.

“You know the rules. No mercy.” Reddling chanted. The credo of a Silverfield assassin was burned into his mind, something that he would never be able to forget even in the heat of the moment. There was a scream from one of the dogs as Web appeared from the shadows, nicking one of the guards in the back. Already in full panic mode, both dogs turned and ran back into the mine as Reddling chucked his rock at them.

“Run faster and we won’t eat ya!” Reddling taunted at the guards as one of them fell over, his body shaking as he yelped and continued to dash away. Web let out a loud laugh as she watched the last dogs flee joyfully, grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh Reddling! That was wonderful!” Web turned and both of their eyes met. Web put a hoof on his forehead, wiping a bit of blood away. Reddling just licked his lips and then spat in the direction of the big dog, ignoring her touch.

“I wish they tasted better.” He replied. The dogs didn’t actually taste horrible, but Reddling was also not the best expert on meat or blood to make the distinction between good and bad dog.

Web sauntered over to the big dog, unbuckling its metal coif and pulling it back and giving it a little shake.  “A spider bite might not look like much, but can be very deadly.”

Reddling just nodded his head, not paying much attention to Web as he cantered away from her back towards the bodies of the dead miners. The guard dog was laying on the ground near them, his body shaking with the same seizures that had overtaken the big dog. Seemingly from nowhere, Web appeared beside the sick creature, grinning down with a giggle at it.

Reddling passed the miner who had unwisely left his knife in its skull, ripping the blade out and wiping the blood clean on the dead dog’s shoulder. “Is that one dead?” Reddling asked, nodding to the dog on the ground as it began to go still, its eyes blank and unseeing.

“No,” Web grinned, pulling her knife out and then quickly and cleaning slicing open the guard’s neck, letting blood begin to form a nice puddle under the body, “...Yes.”

Reddling remained silent as he stared at the blood soaked walls around him. The fight had not been clean, and there was no doubt that this place would smell for weeks once bugs began to pick apart the bodies. Reddling ran his hooves over the bodies of the dead miners, pulling off small vests hidden under their fur and tossing them in a heap. Some of the pockets had multiple gems in them, all of which glowed with a lively purple that reminded Reddling of his own amethyst mane.

Blinking, Reddling watched in a mirrorlike flat side of the gem as blood dripped from his muzzle, his entire front painted purple and red with gore from the fight. Turning back to Web, Reddling cleared his throat as he tucked a few purple gems with small streaks of red in them into his pockets.

“We should take a few of these gems with us maybe, you know, for a souvenir…” Reddling paused, cleaning off a somewhat large gem with his cloth. “and we should probably also make a report to the Canterlot defense.”

“Good thinking.” Web replied, sitting down and pulling a rag out. She began to carefully clean the blood off her knife, hooves, and wing tips as Reddling did his best to freshen up with his own cloth.

“Heh, maybe we can pay for this whole date with these gems.” Reddling offered, tucking away one more gem before turning to Web and sitting down next to her.

“Maybe, but I don’t think there’s anything valuable in the mines. Dumb dogs probably saw something shiny and decided to try and steal it!” Web let out a laugh at her own slur, playfully nudging a corpse with a forehoof.

“Well, it’ll at least make a nice collectable to remember our first date by. You know, a memento.” Reddling said.

“Awww.” Web cooed as she finished cleaning her blade. Tucking the bloody cloth away, she sheathed her knife before turning to Reddling and nuzzling up next to him, still grinning at the dead bodies surrounding them. “C’mon, let’s get out of here before the sun comes up.”

Don’t touch me. Reddling did his best to not shiver and push the mare away from him. He did not hold the closeness and quickly stood up, moving mechanically for the exit.

An early dawn greeted Web and Reddling outside a familiar barracks on the outskirts of Canterlot, a few miles south of where the city was visable.  His former camp looked mostly deserted, with almost no signs that any recruits had been here for at least a week. Web had wasted no time in landing near the officer’s barracks, knocking loudly on at the door of a small building that stood away from the rest of the quarters.

After a minute of no response, Web knocked again on the door, louder. A groggy but familiar voice called from behind the door to them “Do you know what time it is?”

“This is important!” Web said, pressing her face up to the door. Reddling stood at attention in the most professional way he could behind her as some grumbling and muttering about “bats” and “Web” came from the other side of the door.

As the door opened, Reddling simply blinked at Iron Hooves, who looked all sorts of tired this morning. “Web. What have you done this time?” The commander’s voice was stern, and his eyes showed a shadow that made Reddling suspect he had not slept in many days..Not waiting for Web to even open her mouth, Reddling thrust himself forward between them.

“Sir, it was my fault.” Reddling said, keeping his face resolute.

The commander sighed. “What has happened?”

“We- we went on an outing,” Reddling made up. “Web was showing me Canterlot, and in the caves below we encounted a small band of diamond dogs.”

“How many?” the commander asked tiredly. His voice was plain, and he was obviously not fully awake yet.

“Sir, we saw five dogs, two miners, two guards, and a leader.” Reddling listed off, counting them up in his head.

“And what were they doing…?” The commander asked, his voice betraying impatience.

“Tunneling.” Reddling said. Web had identified the gems the dogs had as being next to junk, even if they did give off light in complete darkness. Reddling wasn’t sure how exactly glow in the dark rocks classified as junk, but he wasn’t exactly an expert on rocks either. Still, the fact that there was nothing valuable there meant they were probably doing more than simply digging.

“Tunneling.” The commander frowned.

“Yes, digging up crystals.” Reddling said.

The commander let out another sigh. “Well? Digging, or tunneling?”

“Tunneling generally requires you to dig, Sir. So both.” Web giggled behind Reddling as his face remained stone cold, the commander letting out an exasperated sigh.

“If they were digging up crystals, then they’re stupid dogs looking to collect shinies. If they’re “tunneling,” then they’re making tunnels for other dogs to use. So were they digging, or tunneling?” The commander said frustratedly.

“I believe they were tunneling, based on what I understand Sir.” Reddling said. “One of the soldiers we engaged escaped us. It was not viable to pursue him.”

The commander frowned unhappily. “That is troubling… I’ll mentioned it to the Captain of the Guard.” The commander stopped, rubbing one of his eyes as he looked at Reddling, scanning his face carefully now. “You are- were the recruit from before, yes?”

Reddling blinked. Yes, he was the recruit from before, and when the dust had settled at Luna’s tryouts there had only been two earth ponies standing on the field- the commander and Reddling himself.

“The ruthless one as the Princess Luna put it? Yes, Sir.” Reddling replied simply. The commander bit his lip, as if he wanted to say something, then turned his head away.

“You are dismissed.” The commander said, almost in a way that seemed as if he was hurt. Before he could close the door however, Reddling put a hoof n the handle, holding it open.

“There is one other thing, Sir.” Reddling breathed quietly. He knew Web could still hear him, but his tone had dropped too low for any passerby to hear now.

“What.” The commander said plainly, still hiding his face.

“Is there something you want to say to me?” Reddling asked. “I feel like you’re holding something back, and secrets do betray trust.”

The commander was silent for a moment, still not meeting Reddling’s gaze. “I just hate seeing good Earth Ponies turned into bats. I’m going back to bed now.”

“I see. Pleasant Dreams, sir.” Reddling let the door slam as he turned back towards Web, his mind twisting at hearing the label out loud.

“Stupid daypony.” Web said. Completely oblivious to Web, Reddling stormed past her, trotting angrily away from the camp.

“Earth pony, am I? No! I am more!” Reddling whispered consolingly to himself.

Web trotted up behind him, tapping him very lightly on the shoulder, concern in her voice as she spoke, “You alright?

Reddling nodded. “I am not an Earth Pony…”

“Yes…” Web mused. “You’re a BAT!”

“Well…” Reddling started, but before he could finish Web cut him off with a trademarked giggle.

“I’ll see you back at camp, sun is coming up soon!” Web said. Reddling just stared at the ground darkly for a moment, trying to measure his next words out.

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.” Reddling’s words were blank and meaningless, lacking the proper warmth he wanted to show Web. He was still angered that the commander had labeled him as some flightless mongrel.

“You know how to show a bat a good time, hehe!” Web quickly darted forward,hooking his chin with the bottom of her hoof before planting a quick kiss, pressing her fangs and lips against his. Web had her eyes closed, but Reddling's eyes were wide, mixed with confusion and surprise. Web broke away after about two seconds, giggling before she kicked up some dust and flew into the sky without another word. Reddling swiveled his head back around, staring at Web as she was swept up in the night. His mind tried to click a few gears together, but it was like something was stuck inside, blocking the proper flow of ideas.

“Huh.” Reddling told himself, shivering a little and brushing his lips vehemently with his hoof as soon as Web had become a speck on the horizon. The night had been so enjoyable, and Reddling couldn't wait for the next time he'd be headed out with Web. Sure, there was something creepy about her, and now that she was gone he felt a little lightheaded, and the entire night now seemed paranormal. Everything felt like a dream that left him drained and sore, and yet it was a dream he could not wait to have again.

Nightmares

The flight back to camp was uneventful, and even worse, when Reddling arrived only the ever cynical face of the earth pony and the lone figure of Nightshade greeted him.  Reddling approached the counter and submitted his order for some mango and apples tiredly.

“The hell happened to you?” the earth pony asked, staring wide eyed at the gore spattered bat in front of him.

“What are you talking about?” Reddling snarled back.

“Know what? I don’t even want to know. Here.” The earth pony slid out a plate of fruits before turning away and sneezing. Reddling took the plate and sat across from Nightshade, beginning to rip at the flesh of the fruit with venom.  Nightshade lifted her head briefly, but then looked back down at her food. after devouring a mango and a few apples, Reddling stood up wordlessly to leave.

“You’re covered in blood.” Nightshade pointed out right as he turned his back.  Reddling tilted his head and simply nodded to her. He himself could smell the blood more than see it, and couldn't wait for a pre-sleep shower.

“Why did you help me last night?” Nightshade asked plainly.

“I’m not in the business of leaving ponies behind, and if you ever go down in a secret operation, you’re just evidence that will compromise us. I can’t allow that.” Reddling turned to leave again, but Nightshade continued to speak.

“You had no problem leaving me behind when you saw I was beating you.” Nightshade said. Reddling shook his head- No, he had known that she was beating him, but still helped her before she decided to go psychotic on him and use those shadow tricks. Somehow, he was sure that she had cheated. Reddling gave her no response as he trotted off to the shower.

The next morning Reddling found himself sitting with Midnight Tales at breakfast, telling the story of his day off to the pony that had unfortunately lacked any leisure. Midnight at first was surprised that there had even been a date, commenting on how “Unorthodox” and “strange” Web was. His expression changed to a much more serious one as Reddling brought up the diamond dogs and their tunneling work. Unsettled but not shaken, Midnight agreed that it was an odd action, especially right underneath Canterlot, but something that was surely going to be looked into and handled before any real issues appeared.

After getting up to leave, Reddling stooped the window in order to listen in on his bat buddies, hearing them all slide closer together. The hushed whispers were hard to make out, but Bruiser was quick and loud to drop his opinion about how much Web creeped him out. Midnight replied that they all ought to respect Web before Tops pointed out that it wasn’t polite to talk about ponies behind their back at all. Nightshade said nothing the whole time, but Reddling knew she was listening to every word.

When the recruits found their way to the practice field Web joined them, looking batty as ever as she observed the various large shields that had been laid out for today’s work.

“WEB!” Lunar said poisonously, stepping out from some unlikely shadows to stand next to her. “Luna wishes to speak with you. Your antics are not unappreciated.” Web grimaced before flying off, away from the practice field.

Time passed slowly over the next week, with the rough combat training of being forced too use shields that were far too big for practical purposes. Reddling found Tops to be his constant sparring partner, as Midnight Tales and Bruiser were far too big for any reasonable training. When he was not practicing with Tops,  Nightshade would use a padded broadsword to fight him. Lunar made sure to take turns with each of them every night, checking how they were progressing. Time after time, Reddling found himself beating his allies. Although he was breaking a sweat against them, they were using lances and swords, while he was beating them back with a padded knife. Even as Tops began to use claws and Nightshade swords of various lengths, Reddling could see they were becoming increasingly frustrated with always being outpaced by a knifefighter. On Thursday Nightshade finally had enough and demanded that Midnight or Bruiser go a round with Reddling. Although Reddling was able to merely sidestep Bruiser’s bulky hammer swings, Midnight proved to be far more of a challenge. Every time Reddling would try to attack, he found his weapon parried away by Midnight’s padded blade. Both of them moved with lighting fury, striking out and drawing back to find an opening.

After nearly an hour of observation, there was a sharp intake of breath as Reddling’s world spun. Midnight had rushed forward, bashing him not with his sword, but with his shield straight to the face. Reddling landed a few feet away next to Tops, who simply stepped over him and continued his halfminded dueling with Nightshade. Reddling could feel all eyes staring at him and Midnight as he stood up wiping a trickle of blood away from his lip as he and Midnight prepared to go another round.

On Friday, Lunar looked at each of them before tossing a pile of wooden staves on the ground. “You will be training with these today, instead of your ordinary arms. It is important to know how to use a wide variety of weapons, as you never know what you may have to work with. One of you will wear a shield and defend while the other attacks with a staff. Over the last few days somepony has accidentally nicked a few of their fellows on their weapons. I do hope that you somehow do not manage to slice any skin open or fracture any bones with these. The Night Guard takes care of your medical bills, but that doesn’t make them any cheaper. Whoever does not have a partner, come to me so that we may appraise your combat effectiveness and select an alternative weapon for you to train with.”

Reddling found himself up against Nightshade, deftly balancing the Quarterstaff with one hoof over his shoulder, careful to make sure his wings did not knock it to the ground as Nightshade raised her shield. At no time had Reddling wasted any time in making sure to enjoy the cruelty that he could inflict by bashing into his fellows. He had quickly gained a reputation as the most ruthless fighter- a pony that would do anything to win, even when it had landed him in situations where his chest should have been crushed by Bruiser’s hammer.

After about fifteen minutes of getting a nice beating in on Nightshade, they exchanged positions, Nightshade holding the Quarterstaff with both hooves as she stared at Reddling.

Reddling felt every sharp smack of the wood against him as he failed to deflect blows with the shield. Over the last week, he had simply considered it to be a hindrance, something for him to work around while using his agility to gain an advantage on his opponents.  Each blow made the world get more and more Dizzy as the angry Nightshade honed in on him like a wasp.

There was another final loud smack on his head as Reddling toppled backwards, Nightshade still advancing and preparing to strike again. Reddling found his hooves moving on instinct as he moved forward. Throwing himself off the ground, he bashed into Nightshade with his shield. Caught off balance, Nightshade stumbled backwards, flying into the sky with a hateful look in her eye.

“You’re defending, stop screwing around.” She said, preparing her quarterstaff again as Reddling smiled and moved upward for another quick shield bash.

“The best defense is a good offense!” he cried as his shield connected with Nightshade’s ribs. Despite her attempts to regain control, Reddling continued bashing into her again, almost knocking her out of the sky. Nightshade threw the quarterstaff down in disgust as Reddling prepared to attack again, but before she could turn away Reddling connected a sharp kick with her side, sending her plummeting into the ground at Tops’ hooves.

“Nightshade, I’ll take your spot.” Tops said. “Lunar wants you next anyway.” Tops looked up at Reddling before picking up a spare staff and unbuckling his shield. Reddling landed and grinned, shouldering Nightshade’s quarterstaff as they both prepared to duel. Tops shifted the quarterstaff to his mouth, and Reddling mirrored him as they started to circle each other.

“Ready?” Reddling asked. Tops returned a muffled sound of teeth chewing on wood as they ran at each other, swapping blows. Reddling could not put his hoof on it, but Tops seemed to have improved so much from the night before. At times, he seemed to be in two places at once, landing a blow against Reddling even as he swung his stick at what was surely a fully solid Tops in front of him. the blows left Reddling's head ringing by the time he finally caught Tops, laying a savage blow into Tops’ head. The green pony went into the air as he held the side of his head, only for Reddling to join him quickly, already using his hooves to swing the quarterstaff.

“Ah, hang o-“ Tops began, but his words were cut off as Reddling’s blow slammed into his snout.  Reddling’s mind seethed with Silverfieldian propaganda about how to beat Equestrians to death and enjoy it. Any hesitation was gone, and any feelings for his companion were blocked out.

Tops crumpled, falling out of the air and landing on his back as he put a hoof on his bleeding nostrils. Unable to swing easily at his head or chest, Reddling simply flew out of the air, cracking the quarterstaff as hard as he could on one Tops’ back legs.

Everypony froze and turned to the scene as the quarterstaff splintered and broke, smashing itself loudly on bone. The noise was closely followed by Tops letting out a scream, his leg bending quite unnaturally. Reddling simply blinked at his work, smiling masterfully before the situation fully sunk in and his face changed to one of complete horror.

“Tops? T-Tops!?” Reddling cried, throwing his broken weapon aside and falling down at Tops’ side, his wickedness quickly turning to horror at what he had done.

“Nightshade, hold.” Lunar said, his hoofsteps moving over to the scene. He observed the situation with a dry look quickly before looking at Reddling. “Do you know how to splint a break, Reddling?”

Had to do that a few times growing up. “Yes, I know how.” Reddling said.

“Do it. Tops, you are dismissed, Web will attend to you when she returns later tonight. Reddling, you will practice by yourself for the rest of the night. Learn a little restraint. We are learning shield use, not staff sparring.” Lunar turned back to Nightshade. As Reddling helped Tops to his three good legs.

“C’mon, let’s go find you a splint, and then we’ll get you someplace comfortable.” Reddling said, leading Tops on.

“Damn Reddling, you’re vicious... You got me down , fair and square. I should have done better.” Reddling was kicking himself internally, totally appalled at his actions, and Tops trying to justify the incident was not helping at all. Tops was his friend, the first pony who had approached him after Web, and actually bothered to become close to him, or at least as close as Reddling allowed anypony to be. Over the last two weeks Reddling had come to count Web and Tops as his only true friends that he had made in Equestria since arriving. Sure, Bruiser and Midnight were nice, but there was something that Tops and Reddling could connect on, something neither could place, yet was afraid to ask the other before they were prepared to reveal it.

Reddling eventually pushed into the Staff Quarters, finding the earth pony lounging on a couch. He looked up from a nap and groaned at them. “What do YOU want? You’re not supposed to even be in here.”

“Sod off, Tops is hurt, I need a medical splint.” Reddling said angrily. The earth pony didn’t flinch, his gaze at the ceiling unwavering.

“Web keeps that stuff, go bug her.” the earth pony said lazily.

“Web hasn’t been around all week, and you know that.” Reddling said, somewhat worriedly. It was true that Web hadn’t been heard from for a few days, however Lunar had assured all of them that she was fine.

“Then go steal one out of her room and do it your damn self, just leave me alone.” The earth pony closed his eyes again and began to make loud fake snores. Reddling led Tops back outside and looked around at the various vines and sticks laying around before he began to start fashioning a splint. While it would have been a lot quicker to go into Web’s home, Reddling was not sure it was the best idea to disturb her privacy, especially when it was known that she was not home. When Tops was held over with an amateur splint, Reddling stood up. “I’m going to see if I can’t find you some more help, can you get back to your quarters from here?”

“Yeah, I can.” Tops said quietly, struggling to his hooves and nursing his injured limb. Running back to the practice field, Lunar’s voice boomed.

“REDDLING. Return to practice now.” Lunar’s expression was as cold as ever, but Reddling saluted him, standing at attention as he addressed the commander.

“Sir, I need to find Tops some better medical attention.” Reddling stated blankly. Lunar just blinked at him once.

“You are a soldier, not an errand colt.” Lunar said. Reddling did not need to be told again.

“Sir, yes sir.” Reddling trotted into the practice field, but before he could reach his quarterstaff, Lunar blocked his way.

“Over here, Reddling.” Lunar turned, approaching a large weapon’s rack that had dozens of different sized weapons hanging on it. Reddling stopped in front of it, studying the Equestrian weapons. Most of them were swords of decent craftsmanship, but no matter what he looked at- be it a lance, an axe, or any type of sword they had, he knew that with enough force from a blow they would shatter on his knife. “What is your preferred weapon?”

“I’m a knife fighter, sir.” Reddling said, showing his cutie mark and impressive knife hanging at his side.

“Knives; fast, quick, dangerous. That will suit you well for surprise attacks, but in hoof-to-hoof combat, you’ll find yourself outclassed and out ranged. You’re unlikely to deal damage against a pony using swords or lances without being hurt yourself. Still, your wings will give you an advantage against grounded opponents. What is your combat experience?" Lunar was cold, his helmet hiding his face in darkness even at close quarters.

I’ve spent my whole life with this knife, in fact, I can’t even remember a single time in my life where it wasn’t at my side. “Past knife fighting and unarmed combat, extremely limited. With my hooves and knifefighting however, I’ve trained for as long as I can remember.”

“Show me what you can do then.” Lunar pulled a shortsword off the weapons rack and pushed it into his helmet, running at Reddling and taking a swing. There was a clang as Reddling slipped his knife out fast enough to cut air. Lunar backed away and took a defensive stance as Reddling noted a nick in the shortsword from where it had met the edge of his knife.  The two danced back and forth for a few moments, Lunar simply blocking and parrying a wide array of slashes and stabs from Reddling. Finally, Lunar grabbed Reddling with a hoof, slamming him into the ground hard before stepping back.

“You’re a reckless attacker, but driven and unafraid. Put away your knife Reddling, I want to see your unarmed ability.” Both of them dropped their blades as Reddling flew at Lunar. The guard barely had enough time to blink before a head numbing punch connected with his skull. Reddling grabbed his hoof painfully, then panicked as Lunar wrapped him in a grapple, throwing both of them to the ground. They exchanged a few blows, most of them hurting Reddling’ hoof more than they did Lunar’s armor. After a few good hits, Reddling found an opening to smack Lunar in the face again. His hoof got inside the helmet and connected with fur before Lunar let go of him and leapt away, landing a few feet from the grappling spot.

“You’re clearly a practiced grappler, although your style is somewhat wild and aggressive.” Reddling paid his words no heed as he leapt at the bat, growling wildly. Like lighting, Lunar pivoted on his hooves, pulling them in and letting a kick loose like a spring, the full weight of his body shifting to his back hooves as his kick connected with Reddling’s midsection. The next thing that Reddling could make out was the grass as he crashed into the world, looking at the various pretty constellations popping in front of his vision.

“For the remainder of your training, I would suggest you cease your attacks if a pony is no longer attacking you. I would rather not need to intervene to prevent any more accidents like we’ve seen tonight with Tops. “ Reddling could barely make out the words Lunar was saying as the pony picked up the shortsword once more, moving towards the weapon rack. All Reddling saw was the weapon flash as his instincts from Silverfield took over. Leaping spectacularly for his knife, Reddling grabbed it and then darted into Lunar's side. The blade cut the metal with a loud shredding noise, rending the armor and embedding in Lunar's side.

Lunar snapped his head around, turning and tearing the knife from Reddling’s grasp as he dropped his weapon and pulled the knife out of his side, throwing the blood soaked weapon the ground. Lunar roared angrily as he reared onto his back hooves, slamming his front end down in the ground as long, dangerous looking claws unsheathed.

“Return to practice Reddling. We’re finished. Send Bruiser over.” Reddling grabbed his knife and turned without another word to Lunar.

Towards the end of the night, Tops returned to the practice field, his leg now properly splinted and wrapped in an odd gauze as Midnight’s had been before. Reddling could not meet Tops' gaze as Lunar called the group to attention, Tops simply watching from the stands Reddling had puked behind on the first night.

“Keep your shields with you, you will be using them tomorrow.” Lunar flew up to Tops for a moment, whispering some words to him as they both nodded and shook their heads. The rest of the group began to somberly make their way to the mess wall, Reddling hanging in the back wrestling with his own mind.

I don’t understand why I feel bad. He’s just a pony, and an Equestrian at that. Reddling struggled with his mind as something clawed at the inside of his chest. It was something akin to a sick marshmallow, like the kind that you left out all day in the sun but it somehow had not managed to liquefy. It pressed uncomfortably on his chest as he tried to organize his mind, the feeling choking him as his organs spasmed. The mess hall was a blur to him as he found his seat, sitting directly across from Nightshade, who instantly looked up at him. There was no mistaking the pure and utter disgust in her voice as she glared at him.

“I guess ‘we’re a team, we help each other’ ends as soon as it’s a competition, Reddling.” Nighthade started.

“Nightshade, please.” Midnight pleaded, but Reddling cut him off.

“No, she’s right. Fighting is life or death, and as soon as it comes to life and death, no matter the fight, no matter the situation, you fight to survive.” Reddling moved his head down mechanically and took a bite of hay.

“You’re full of utter crap Reddling. Pretending like you’re a good guy when you think somepony’s weaker than you, then turning around and acting like a damned psychopath.” Nightshade spat.

Midnight stood up now, waving a hoof between them. “Nightshade, enough. There is no need for this.”

Reddling laughed bitterly inside his head at the title. Am I a psychopath? “If you have a problem, then let’s take it up with Web, or the Commander, or the Princess.” Reddling looked up at the ponies before him. Bruiser was sitting to the side, looking very uncomfortable. Midnight had a pained look on his face, wanting everypony to just get along. Nightshade stood up, glaring vicious daggers Reddling as she grabbed a piece of fruit.

“You’re a disgrace.” Nightshade turned and stormed out of the mess hall. Reddling stood up angrily as well as soon as she had vanished and stormed out, leaving his dinner uneaten as he marched into the cold darkness of a false dawn. It had been a long time since he felt this bad, and he was in no mood to subject others to his dark mood.

They took me in like one of their own, when I wasn’t, and I never can be, and I treat them like enemies. How can I do this to my- no, they will never see me as kin. Things don’t work like that in Equestria.

“Well! Seems like YOU had an interesting night!” Web said from behind him as she bounced forward on the tips of her hooves.  Reddling nearly tripped as he turned around, staring at the ground instead of her. “Tops piss in your oats this morning or something?”

Reddling just stared at the ground bitterly, letting his mane obscure his face. “I got carried away, that’s all.”

Web let out a bubbly sound. “I heard you STABBED Lunar. Lunar! Reddling, you’ve got bloodlust!” Web let out a fit of giggles that turned into near hysterical laughs.

How is this funny? “Bloodlust?” Reddling asked, still not looking at her.

“Bloodlust! Once you start, you just don’t want to stop. It boils over and makes you want to do bad things. Terrible, awful things. Such, horrible things…” Web pulled Reddling’s face up with a hoof, grinning fangily. “Maybe, if Lunar doesn’t find a reason to kick you out, he’ll let me train you a little…"

“Web? What’s… What did I do? What’s going on? I didn’t, things just went, far…” Reddling pleaded with her.

“Reddling! Mistakes happen!” Web cooed. “You can’t bake a cake without breaking a few eggs. I fixed him up, good and special. He’ll be back on his hooves like nothing happened in about a week.

Reddling breathed a bit easier at this, straightening up. “What about you? Was Princess Luna mad?"

“Oh, it happens all the time. She understands,” Web lowered her voice, leaning forward to whisper in his ear, “But let’s just say our second date will have to wait a few weeks.” Web pulled her head back and mimed gnashing and drinking.

“You know Web, there is a way to do that much closer to home.” Reddling half smiled to himself at the vulgar thoughts touching his mind. Those books had been utterly taboo in Silverfield, but he had somehow failed to burn them...

“Awwh, but there’s no thrill of the hunt like that…” Web’s voice was whinny as she let go of his chin.

“If you’d prefer we duke it out first, I’m fine with that, plus we don’t even have to wait for a Sunday.”

“Frankly I’d rather not- You really need to have the authentic experience to enjoy it.” Web nodded knowledgeably. “Until then though, you’ll just have to wait in suspense.”

“Pleasant Dreams!” Web called as she turned with a wave. Reddling cringed, then nodded.

“You too, Web. You too.”

Returning to his bed after what felt like forever, Reddling just bitterly relived the day in his head. The self hatred eventually paved way to a dream as he fell asleep in his pillow, trotting away from the vivid world.

The cobblestone hallways of Castle Celes were welcoming, dreary and run down as they were.Reddling gazed at the various historical pictures, sighing. On his back sat a small blue unicorn colt, who was looking at each picture with wide eyes while hanging onto Reddling’s neck.

“Oh, the last fight with the pegasi?” Rainy asked, pointing at a picture that showed a terrible aerial battle with ponies falling from the sky onto the battlement of Castle Celes. Reddling looked up at the picture with a pang, but swallowed and kept his voice happy.

“That’s right! All of our pegasi died in that fight, and since then, there have been no pegasi in Silverfield. We fought long and hard against the Equestrians, but they were too many in number, and defeated us. Silverfield entered a dark time of slavery and torture. When we were all but used up, they left us here to graze and die in the silver fields!” Reddling drew in a breath as Rainy beamed at the next picture.

“We survived the dark time, and rose again to prominence, and one day, we’ll overpower Equestria, and throw down the racists! We’ll finally be free of the past, and there will be all ponies of all races and kinds playing together!” Reddling turned from the picture trotting down the hallway towards the last painting in this hallway.

“Doesn’t that sound great, Rainy? A world without racist Equestrians?” Rainy never gave Reddling an answer to his question as Reddling felt the world fade away, the ceiling of his dark room greeting him as he shifted uncomfortably off of one of his wings. The dream had gone as quickly as it had come, and Reddling could no longer even recall what it had been about.

“Sorry, no mangoes today.” The earth pony said, pushing out trays of apples and hay. Reddling glared over the sneeze guard at the earth pony as he took his tray, turning around to scan the room. Nightshade and Midnight were seated at opposite ends of the room. Not wanting to find another fight on his hooves, Reddling sat across from Midnight, who instantly seemed a little nervous.

“So…” Midnight started, not meeting Reddling’s eyes. Here and there bruises could be made out rising from under Midnight’s coat.

“Are you going to call me a monster too? At least look at me if you are.” Reddling said snappily, eyeing Nightshade at the other end of the table.

“N-No…” Midnight said, backing up a bit.

Reddling glared at him for a few heated seconds, then sighed. “Sorry… I just, I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“No, I understand,” Midnight breathed, leaning forward so Nightshade would not hear. “You feel guilty for what has happened.” At that moment, the door behind them swung open, and Tops entered, limping on his broken leg, which was still in a splint. Reddling wasn’t quite sure how it was helping him, but somehow Tops had found a way to use his wings to push himself along the ground, allowing for the equivalent motor function he’d have with all four of his legs.

Tops put his plate down, sitting next to Reddling. “Good evening, Midnight, Reddling.” Tops said, picking up an apple and taking a bite out of it.

“And yourself as well, Tops. I trust you are faring better?” Midnight asked, looking up from his hay.

Tops nodded, “I don’t know what the hell Web used, but I feel much better. She said it would be about a week before I’m completely back- But still, a week to heal a broken leg?”

“I can attest, her remedies are quite potent.” Midnight returned Tops’ nod. Reddling said nothing until Tops turned to him sheepishly.

“I- I hope you don’t mind me asking… what happened yesterday? The way you fought was… terrifying, really.” Tops seemed like he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to his question, but Reddling felt compelled to give him some sort of excuse that would at least make sense.

“Web titled it bloodlust, I just got lost in the moment. Guess I didn’t even know I was still fighting you- in Silverfield, that’s how all of us fight.” Reddling sighed at an apple. The skin fogged up slightly from his breath as he wiped it clean before taking a bite and watching the juice run down the skin, dripping onto the floor.

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to be more careful when we spar in the future. I’m just glad we’re on the same side, hah!” Tops gave a somewhat weak laugh.

“I’m uncertain I’ll be allowed to spar with you guys again. I sliced the commander’s leg open.” Reddling took another mouthful of apple, munching quietly on it.

“Damn! You cut Lunar? He handled me like I was a colt…” Tops sounded more stunned that Reddling had managed to land a blow on the Captain of the Night Guard than he was at the fact the commander had not simply decided to rip him in half for such an offense.

Reddling looked down at his knife for a moment, then moved down to draw it, placing the blade on the table.  “I just hope I didn’t break his armor, I don’t want to pay for him to get a new set.” Reddling said carefully as the knife shined from the weak light the moon offered the room through a few windows. There was a soft “ooh” of admiration from both Tops and Midnight as they studied the weapon from hilt to tip.

“May I?” Midnight asked, offering a hoof to the knife. Reddling nodded as Midnight carefully picked the weapon up, balancing it in his hooves. The blade was much longer than a regular knife, but it was not quite long enough to be a shortsword like Lunar used. The base of the knife had four runes carved above an ornate handle decorated with rubies that had been inlaid in the steel. Midnight blinked at the blade slightly, almost as if there was an illusion in front of him. Light in the room seemed to bend around the blade, giving it a shine all of its own. Tops took the blade next, carefully turning it over in his hooves before returning it to Reddling.

As Ausfall was sheathed, Bruiser entered the room. He grabbed an apple without even looking at the earth pony and wolfed it down, speaking with his mouth full at the others. “Overlept. Almost time for practice!” Reddling looked around the room. Nightshade had slinked out when nopony was looking, and Tops was now rising too.

“Lunar said he had some things for me to do while I’m lame, so I’ll see you at practice, hopefully.” Tops began limping out as both Midnight and Reddling looked at each other, shrugging and quickly finishing their meal before heading out to join their companions.

The air outside was extra cold tonight, blowing around them in the practice field. Neither Lunar nor Web were anywhere to be seen, and the others looked slightly confused.

Before Reddling or Midnight could raise a question however, there was a blinding flash of blue light followed by a bang. A bit of grass was smoldering next to Lunar, who was in the company of a cold looking unicorn who had on standard Night Guard armor, minus accommodations for bat wings.

“Recruits! This is Cobalt Flare!” Lunar boomed. Reddling batted his eyes at the obviously fake name, but said nothing as the unicorn eyed him coldly. Her eyes reminded him of Web, except instead of a warm brightness, there was some violating, cold feeling he could not place. Reddling felt like her eyes had instantly drawn to him, and they had an uncomfortable icy blue tint that sent a shiver down his spine.

“She was going to be in charge of your training today, However, it was a group exercise, and cannot proceed with four.” Lunar stared down the line at Reddling as he said the first bit before shifting his gaze to the other end of the line. “So instead, she will be taking Tops and Nightshade aside, and beginning their magical training. The rest of you will continue drills from yesterday.

The world stopped as Reddling gazed first to Lunar, and then to Cobalt. The world twisted as he grappled with the thought of Tops and Nightshade being chosen for magical training. If he had to confront a princess directly, he'd most certainly be killed, but having his own magic changed the game. Reddling felt his face strain and betray anger at being left out of the group. What makes Tops and Nightshade so special?

“The three of you will practice as a group, as you did yesterday, if your partner falls, you may hit them once, I want no more accidents like yesterday. Is that understood?- Cobalt, take your students someplace private.”  Lunar commanded. Reddling nodded with Bruiser and Midnight as Tops and Nightshade stepped forward, walking to Cobalt’s side. Nightshade did not meet Reddling’s eyes, but Tops gave him a soft smile before they turned away, flying above Nightshade and Cobalt towards a small forest path leading away from the camp.

“I will take each of you aside and address weaknesses I feel you demonstrated last night. Otherwise, the night is yours.” Lunar said, turning his attention away from the line. Reddling did a double take as he watched Cobalt leave with Tops and Nightshade. It was the unicorn’s shadows- Light was not correct around her, it seemed too… dark. Her shadow did not match her hoofsteps at all, and seemed to be moving all of it's own accord. Once more, Reddling felt a dark shiver go down his spine, recalling a fearful emotion that seemed a lifetime ago, when web had revealed the darkness of dreams.

Reddling paired up with Midnight while Bruiser approached Lunar. His mind was not on sparring however, and he looked frantically at Midnight, hissing, “Midnight, while we spar I wish to speak with you- uh, quietly and privately.” Midnight raised a quarterstaff, tucking it under his hoofpit while putting a shield on his other hoof. In but a few seconds both Reddling and Midnight were in the air, flapping their wings and looking for an opening.

“As you wish, but don’t expect me to hold back just because you wish to speak.” Midnight swung at Reddling with his staff, but Reddling was quick to deflect it as his mind turned back towards what he had just seen.

“Did you see anything weird with Cobalt?” Reddling asked, aiming to dodge another blow from Midnight. The staff swung through the air, an although Reddling dodged the wood, soon a shield had plowed him into the dirt, leaving him lying there disjointedly as Midnight leapt back and raised his weapon once more. Reddling rolled to the side, dodging the staff's crack before throwing himself up and circling with Midnight.

“I cannot say I did.” Midnight’s voice was uneventful, almost as though he was bored.

“Keep an eye on her, something isn’t right- It had the same vibe as that cave.” Reddling looked dryly at Midnight, who gave a shiver at the mention of the cave, but nodded. The two of them traded blows for a time before Bruiser trotted over, nodding his head at Midnight. Swapping off staves, Reddling found himself horribly outpacing Bruiser’s speed as he tried to swat at him. Time seemed to fly by far too quickly as Midnight trotted back over, looking at Reddling.

“Reddling, you’re up.” Bruiser said, standing back and panting slightly as Midnight held out a hoof for the quarterstaff. Passing the weapon away, Reddling trotted quickly over to Lunar, throwing him a salute before standing stock still.

“Reddling.” Lunar said, looking over some various weapons on the same rack from the previous day. His voice was like that of somepony who was at a tea tasting- a connoisseur who was looking to isolate everything wrong with the subject in front of him.

“You cannot depend solely on your knife. It’s a fine weapon, but not the right thing for too many situations. Pick a longer reaching weapon. I will instruct you how to use it properly.

“Magic.” Reddling said solidly, averting his eyes from the various weapons lining the rack and staring straight into the forest, almost feeling his hooves move him towards it.

“You did not pass the trial at the cave. In the future, another opportunity may present itself for you to pass, and learn to use magic. However, until then, pick a more corporeal weapon,” Lunar’s voice was cold as he motioned to the weapons rack. “Also… if you did not pass it once… I would not get your hopes up about passing it a second time. It does not get any easier.”

Reddling turned to glared at Lunar, feeling a horrible pain well up in his chest. It was like a cold fire, ripping at his insides, something so horrible it felt like it might burst from his torso and rip the batpony in front of him asunder. “Trust me…” Lunar said, meeting his gaze and lowering his hoof statically.

“I’m willing to do whatever I have to do sir…” Reddling moved his eyes to the weapon rack. “What weapons can you train me in, Commander?”

“Almost anything. There are a few exotic weapons I am unfamiliar with, but most conventional weapons I can teach you about. A lance or a spear would fill the gaps of knife fighting.”

“I have no desire to use a lance or spear. What kind of swords are there?” Reddling looked over at the weapons lining the rack, each of them glinting faintly in the moonlight.

Lunar appraised a few of the weapons, pulling out a sword here, a sword there. “A longsword or a bastard would work well. They are heavy and have a long reach.”

Reddling looked at the foreign weapons.  He had quickly grown tired of seeing every single Equestrian tote a longsword at their side and shrugged.  “A bastard sword then. Hoof and a half blades?”

Lunar nodded, pulling out a suitable blade. The weapon was straight for several feet, although at the end it tapered down to a point. Lunar put the sword in a sheathe and offered it to Reddling, who grabbed it in his mouth and then slun it over his shoulder, belting it on. The sword hung on the opposite side of his knife so that either could be easily drawn.

Normally, I would not be permitted to carry such a weapon in Silverfield. Swords are for Unicorns Reddling thought as Lunar drew out another bastard sword, appraising Reddling from inside his helmet.

“For a pony of your size, this sword may be more similar to a greatsword, due to your relatively small frame. However, I trust that soon you’ll be very comfortable with it.” Lunar's sharp teeth grinned inside his helmet as Reddling frowned at the joke. Wiping the look off his face, Reddling straightened up as Lunar continued to speak.

“Despite the long blade, most of its’ killing power is in the thrust. Use the weight of the sword to drive forward, but be cautious not to overextend. Keep  your opponent at bay with swings and slashes, and once an opening presents itself, impale them. However, I trust you will resist the urge to do so during practice.” Every word had a matter of fact tone to it, but the last sentence bore a cold edge on it as Lunar met Reddling’s eyes again.

“I’m not here to kill my training partners, Sir.” Reddling said. Lunar said nothing, and simply stared with a calculating look for a moment.

“I would spar with you once more, with your new weapon. I will give you additional instruction as you go.” Lunar raised his weapon, facing Reddling. Clumsily producing his own sword, Reddling turned to face Lunar with the hit gripped in his mouth.

Practice wore on with Lunar instructing all of them on new weapons. Bruiser spent his time properly learning to use a maul, while Midnight and Reddling crossed blades. Midnight now wore a plain kite shield on one leg instead of one of the oversized shields from before, gripping a longsword in either his mouth or hoof while they dueled. Throughout the night, each swing grew faster, each parry quicker, and every counter sharper.

The moon was finally ready to go down when they arrived at the mess hall. The earth pony looked tired as ever today when he slid out food to the three ponies before him.

“Nightshade and Tops already gone then?” Reddling said, chewing on some hay sadly. He’d been hoping to talk to Tops about Cobalt, he was sure that he’d have something to say about how odd the pony was.

The earth pony let out an angry snort as he began to work on closing shop. “Ain’t been here all day.” Reddling froze, spitting out the hay in his mouth and looking up.

“What do you mean, they haven’t been here all day?” Reddling said. Bruiser and Midnight also put down their food, looking over for an explanation.

“I mean they didn’t show up for “lunch” or “dinner”. Damn, it must be depressing to be both a blind and deaf bat.” The earth pony grumbled as he pulled the remaining hay with him into the back room. Reddling threw himselves to his hooves, staring determinedly around the room. He quickly scanned all of his equipment to make sure it was there before looking at Bruiser and Midnight.

“Something is wrong with that unicorn, I’m going after them.” Reddling said, turning for the door. Bruiser and Midnight quickly stood up as well, their towering figures moving to the door.

“Reddling, you’re just going to run off alone into the forest?” Midnight asked. Turning to face him, Reddling breathed his reply out.

“There is not a single thing right about her, and I’m going after Nightshade and Tops. If you want to come along, that just means I don’t have to pull them both back here myself.” Reddling narrowed his eyes at Midnight, who removed his helmet and sighed, shaking his head.

“I trust Lunar to not bring a pony who is untrustworthy to us. Though I do understand your reservations with Cobalt, I must decline.” Midnight sat back down, picking up an apple. “Please be careful, Reddling. I ask you try to avoid doing anything rash.”

“Rash, me?” Reddling said sarcastically, “I’d never!”

Midnight rolled his eyes, taking a quick bite of his apple. “Please excuse me, I sincerely do not wish to see you harmed, but you must also consider that you may interrupt their training in some way.”

“What the hell, let’s go Reddling.” Bruiser said, shrugging his maul onto his back. Reddling turned, beaming up at the muscular pony gratefully as they headed to the door, leaving Midnight behind to consult his apple for conversation.

“But listen though, if there’s some crazy magical crap happening, don’t expect me to hang around. Stuff gives me the creeps.” Bruiser trotted to the practice field with Reddling, where they looked out at the paths.

“Do you remember which one they took?” Reddling asked, and bruiser nodded, pointing out a path as they both began to gallop towards the woods. The forest yielded none of its’ secrets as both the bat ponies trod down the path, but it did begin to yield a feeling Reddling had felt once before, but he could not place it. The trees above grew darker, thickening up as they continued to go downhill. Eventually the night sky was blotted out, the stars and moon vanishing from view as perpetual darkness met them.

The darkness seemed to swirl unnaturally, like the kind of wind that grabbed ahold of you and blew you around.

“Alright Reddling, This is freaking me out now!” Bruiser said. Reddling didn’t even turn around as he continued to gallop deeper into the forest.

“That’s exactly why we need to keep going, they could be in real trouble. You’re freaked out near it? Imagine how they must feel!” Reddling felt his pulse quicken as the dirt under him was beaten to a pulp by his trampling hooves, little clouds of dust kicking up behind him as Bruiser panted to catch up.

“Don’t you dare leave me behind, damn it!” Bruiser cried. His voice seemed far away already though. Everything had gone quiet. Deadly quiet.

Why didn’t I ask Web to come with us? Why… didn’t I just ask her about Cobalt immediately? Reddling wrestled his misgivings to the back of his mind as he listened for a sound, any sound. He ground to a halt as he realized that he could no longer hear Bruiser’s hoofsteps, or even his own for that matter. There was only one sound, that of heavy, labored breathing.

“Bruiser, where are you?” Reddling called, looking over his shoulder.

“I’m here! I’m here!” Bruiser said. Even though his voice came from right behind Reddling’s shoulder, he couldn’t see even an inch of the muscular pony.

“Shh,” Reddling hushed him, “Do you hear that?” Both of them listened for the breathing, the pravelent sound that seemed to rule over this darkness. Every time Reddling thought he figured out where it was, the death rattle would move, being everywhere at once. Then Reddling could see it, a pair of yellow eyes opening in the darkness.

“Tops! Nightshade! Answer me!” Reddling cried. The yellow eyes simply blinked idly. an moved around in the darkness, circling and betraying no sign that either Tops or Nightshade were around to hear the cry.

“Reddling, what about us!” Bruiser’s voice came from behind. It was edged in fear, and despite his size and normal readiness to handle ponies, he was clearly unprepared for whatever supernatural powers were at work.

“Either stay right next to me, or take your chances with those eyes and that death rattle, Bruiser!” Reddling hissed under his breath. From the direction of the eyes came a horrible hiss. Reddling could hear the soft crunching of leaves as the eyes began to grow larger, the creature approaching steadily.

Think, think, what do you do when you can’t fight without your eyes? Squeak? I don’t know how to squeak! Reddling drew out his knife and felt his chin brush against a belt that hung under his armor attached to his bitpurse. Reddling blinked quickly before he ripped it open, using a hoof to pull out a large purple crystal and throwing it on the ground in front of him.

Reddling instantly regretted pulling the crystal out. Long rays of light glowed on the ground and revealed the horrible beast now standing in front of him. The curves of the beast were only just illuminated by the purple beams, giving only the vaguest of insinuation of form. At one time it night have been a pony, but no more. Skin hugged it’s bones, hanging like a loose sheet off a bed. The ends of its limbs were spurs of bone.  Wings that protruded from its back were so damaged that it was impossible to tell if they had once been pegasi wings or bat wings, as all that remained was rotting shreds of skin that hung from the bone.  The abomination began to amble forward, breathing horribly as it opened its’ mouth to reveal rows of needle-like sharp teeth.

“Right, Bruiser, weapons.” Reddling said, trembling inside at the sight of the monster.

“Bloody pegasusfeathers Reddling! What- Oh man.” Bruiser unslung a hammer from his side, which looked much more manageable than the maul Lunar had been having him train with. The creature lunged forward at both of them, lifting up hooves that seemed to be little more than bony claws. Bruiser sidestepped it as Reddling deftly dodged to the side, slashing at the creature’s back leg.

Again the creature turned to Reddling, catching him agilely with a claw hoof, which slipped and scratched at his armor. The monster was now directly over the purple crystal, and Reddling gaped at its front. From the top of its torso all the way to its jawbone, there was little more than some structure bones and hanging tendrons without muscle to work with them. The creature continued to amble forward, phased by the knife slice no less than it seemed to be over having its neck ripped from its body. Bladed weapons on… a moving corpse? No, remember the old storybooks.

Sheathing his knife, Reddling beat his wings and prepared to punch at the monster as Bruiser’s hammer slammed into its back with a loud crack. There was a cold, shrill screech that pierced the air as the creature lunged forward, away from the hammer. Reddling felt it push against his shoulders as they fell into a grapple on the ground. There was another scream from the creature, something akin to a thousand ravens before they pounced on a corpse.

Reddling felt blood splatter all over his shoulder and neck as a terrible coldness soaked his body from each one of the teeth now sunken into his flesh.. Feeling his anger rise, Reddling pulled one of his hooves free and slammed his hoof into the side of the creature’s head. There was a crack as the creature's jaw released him and staggered back. Momentarily freed, Reddling pushed the creature off just in time for Bruiser to connect it with a well-placed hammer blow. The swing connected with the creature right in the head, knocking it a good distance back as it glared at them, totally undeterred from the damage it had suffered.

Reddling quickly checked his wound to ensure that it wasn’t going to bleed out greatly. The  wound was not terribly gruesome, despite the blood dripping from a dozen or so punctures. “Bruiser! We gotta find Tops and Nighthade now!”

Bruiser paid the comment no heed as he ran at the creature. The creature shrieked again as it leapt to the side, striking out like lighting as it caught Bruiser, hurling him onto the ground as its neck snapped downward, ripping into, and then quite quickly out of, Bruiser’s shoulder. Reddling saw the chunk of flesh fly in the air as Bruiser let out a terrified scream.

“GET IT THE HELL OFF!” Bruiser’s scream was high pitched, something like that of a small filly that had seen a more terrifying ghost. Reddling turned, pivoting his hooves and mimicking the attack that Lunar had used, aiming to connect the blunter parts of his hoof armor with the creature’s head. There was a brittle snap, and the creature collapsed on Bruiser, its head and most of the spine rolling away into the blackness that continued to twist around them.

Bruiser pulled himself up, shoving the creature off and holding his shoulder. A large chunk of flesh was missing from the roundness on his shoulder.

“Tops! Nightshade!” Reddling screamed at the darkness again. His voice seemed to already be dead before it hit the darkness, not even giving a faint echo.

“Let’s get the hell out of here.” Bruiser said lividly, folding a wing over his wound to keep pressure on it.

“Dammit, Bruiser, you go get Web, I’m finding the others. Grab Midnight if you see him too.” Reddling grabbed the crystal off the ground and held it in his mouth as he galloped into the blackness, heading away from the battleground

“Gah, fine! Don’t you dare get yourself killed!” Bruiser’s voice was already distant by the time it reached Reddling, like somepony was trying to talk to him from underwater. Looking behind him, Reddling saw Bruiser claw his way through what he guessed was foliage as the creature on the ground twitched, lifting a hoof and beginning to straighten itself up

.

Reddling’s mouth dropped in shock, letting the crystal topple to the ground as he bolted into the darkness, fleeing from the skin covered pile of bones. He was utterly alone now, and all around him the darkness fell like a blanket, somehow thickening itself until Reddling could not even see his own body moving. Despite cries for Tops and Nightshade, but his voice was drowned as the darkness swaddled him like a cloth around a baby.

Every hoofstep gave a crunching sound as Reddling panicked, staring at the nothingness with wild eyes. It took him a moment to realize that he was no longer crushing dirt and leaves under his hooves, but instead grass, an oddly familiar grass. Reddling looked down, and the darkness gave way. He was standing on a patch of silver grass, but that was all. He could see a few a few feet to any side, but everything else in the world was covered in a deep, endless black fog.

The voice that had haunted him once entered his mind again, tickling his senses with its shrouded and echoed voice.

“What would you give, Reddling, for what you desire? Would you sell yourself to the Nightmare?” The fog rolled away, showing the main street of Silverfield.

“I don’t think you understand how this works.” Reddling’s words came out with heavy breaths as he fought to calm his heart. “I need your power, and you’re going to give it to me.”

The main street lined with ponies, all of them citizens of Silverfield, just standing there, staring blankly forward. At the end of the two lines was a tall figure clad again in its jade black armor. It strode forward with a chin held high, eyes looking down at Reddling. The Nightmare seemed to be taller, prouder, its silted bat eyes ablaze as it reflected the suffocating darkness that still clung to the world around it. A sinister aura hung to each hoof as it glided forward.

“I need your power, but I am not a monster. I’m a hero to these ponies.” Reddling said defiantly, staring up at the Nightmare. He locked eyes with the blazing rubies that seemed to stare on forever as a cheer went up. Each townspony cried “Reddling!” once or twice before the cheer rose together, in full unison with the other voices.

Reddling smiled, but quickly backed up as the Nightmare shifted its shoulders, revealing a spire that grew from one of its pauldrons. On the spire rested a single head, staring deadly forward.

Princess Luna’s eyes no longer shown, and her horn was shattered at the tip so that a long chain could protrude from it, leading into the darkness. The Nightmare continued to advance, dragging behind it head after head; first came Bruiser, then Midnight, Nightshade, Lunar, Tops, and lastly, Web. Reddling’s breath grew heavier with each head that came forward, but stood his ground, averting his eyes from Web’s dead stare.

I cannot forget my purpose… it’s the chain that binds, Nightmare. Reddling stood his ground, looking up at his phantom self. “I’m a slave to it, as you know it seems.”

“Yes, a slave to your purpose, a slave to your past. A slave to your future.”  The scene shifted around him, the only constant being the Nightmare Reddling standing it’s ground. His head was still held as high as it had been when he’d strode into the town. But now there was something different about the nightmare- something cruel was growing over his face, tarnishing his proud expression.

Pulling itself from the darkness, a small neon blue pony now kneeled before the Nightmare. Reddling smiled at the sight of his nephew, but he was much older now, and almost as big as Reddling normally was without the Nightmarish armor. Beside Rainy was a white pony with bubblegum hair, although Reddling didn’t regonize her at all. Their faces were averted from him, Reddling could tell she was crying as Rainy offered up something wrapped up in various soft looking cloths. Leaning forward, Reddling saw a pretty little red foal, sleeping peacefully with feathery wings folded on its back.

Reddling’s eyes snapped up as the Nightmare wordlessly drew a hooked blade. Lighting up his horn, Rainy extended the foals' wing. Reddling felt suddenly sick at the nightmare in front of him. They had the same batty eyes, the tufted ears, even the dead grey red coat instead of the fiery red it had once been. The Nightmare however, had no batty wings on it's side. No matter what, they were grounded, held back.

“I’d have hoped you would know better Rainy and…” Reddling looked at the white pony. “Uh, mare. First the foal will lose its wings. Then you’ll both lose your lives.” Reddling moved his hoof to his knife, pulling the knife out just far enough to read the runes before sliding it back into its sheathe.

There was a flash, then crimson splattered everything. Blood ran down everypony’s face as the child awoke with a scream, beginning to cry helplessly. Reddling just stared forward deadly at it, his entire body slowly growing colder with every passing moment.

“There is nothing I can do to help you.” Reddling said at the foal, not removing his eyes from the Nightmare, who had blood running down the front of its armor now. Shuddering horribly, Rainy used his magic to spread the foal’s other wing. Reddling tried to tear himself from the scene, but something kept him transfixed on every moment of it, watching a fresh scream erupt from the foal once more.

“Whole once more. Clean. Wingless.” The Nightmare’s voice taunted Reddling inside his head, both spoken and unspoken in the same note. “Could you do it Reddling?”

...To what end?!

The Nightmare the sickle, and leapt upon the mare. She let out a high pitched scream as Rainy shook violently, sobbing as he clutched the screaming foal to his chest. Reddling felt a tear leak from his eye as the mare’s screaming ended with more gore splattering across the darkness.

“Embrace it, your darkest nightmare. This is the price you pay for what you seek.”

“Watch it. Live it.”

Reddling suddenly felt cold steel in his mouth. His view shifted to the front of Rainy, who stood up, shaking and drawing his sword angrily. From the darkness chains rose up, grabbing at every limb and wrapping around his body, forcing the sword Rainy, choking the unicorn's head and revealing his soft neck. There were no other ponies now. Just Rainy, and Reddling.

I… will do this. I can end you, and take all the power I need! The price for a perfect world is but the price of one foal! Reddling gulped. “Any last words, Rainy?”

“P-Please…” Rainy choked out weakly.

“Please what? B-beg… I want to hear you beg.” Reddling could hardly believe the words he was uttering were his, but he knew they came from somewhere dark in his heart as he gazed at the helpless pony before him.

“R-Reddling please- please, no!” Rainy’s eyes were full of tears as they gazed at him. Reddling put the steel to his nephews neck, but did not cut. “I’m sorry- Reddling…”

“What are you sorry for? This is simply our custom, is it not?” Reddling waited for Rainy to muster up the courage to continue.

“Sorry that we … had a pegasus-

“PEGASUS”

A monster-

“A MONSTER"

“Now we- we are paying the price for having a foal at all.” Rainy ended his statement with a tear dripping onto the cold blade at his neck.

“Pay the price, Reddling. Embrace it. Become it. Your inner monster. Your darkest Nightmare.”

“No!” Reddling screamed, tearing himself away from Rainy and throwing the knife aside. Reddling pushed himself away from Rainy on the ground in horror, staring at the restricted pon in pity and remorse. “There must be another way! I won’t become what I’m fighting against just to destroy it!” Reddling felt his hooves claw at the darkness as he searched for the Nightmare. “Somepony has to say no, to say stop, and I’m going to stop it all with me, show yourself!”

Rainy collapsed to the floor, sobbing as the darkness rushed in on the scene, blackening everything, drowning everything until it was all gone.

Once more.

The thought was not Reddling’s, but his mind still echoed it as he closed his eyes, his heart racing as it bat against his chest, trying to attack it's prison and escape the horrible pain of this world.

The world stopped spinning as Reddling found himself clawing into a clearing. Tops and Nightshade were asleep next to each other on the grass while Cobalt Flare sat on a stump, flipping a page of her book. Overhead the sun was poking through the foliage, spearing the ground with bright rays. Reddling felt his anger grow once more as he strode towards Cobalt, stopping just sort of being within swinging distance with his sword as he put a hoof on his knife.

“What unholy thing are you, and what pit do you call home?” Reddling demanded of Cobalt. She looked up at him, setting her book down and blinking.

“I am a unicorn.” She said simply.

“No, I saw your shadow when you left with these two. You cannot deceive me, what deals does the darkness know that you won’t share?” Reddling’s fury was growing with the unicorns maddening calmness.

“I gave myself to the Nightmares, just like these two. Nothing more.”

“You gave away your soul for a simple weapon?” Reddling said incredulously. “How could you do such a thing?”

“We are all offered a choice. For some it is easy. For others it is hard. Clearly, for you, it was hard.” Her voice remained calm as she lifted her book idly, turning a page.

“You’re way off base, unicorn. How could you let this happen to anypony?” Reddling looked over at Tops and Nightshade, who were not stiring, but instead seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

“Because if we do not let it happen, it will happen on its own. It is the nature of the gift you were given. It will happen to all of the Children of the Night- and if it is not controlled and tempered with sanity and discipline, it will grow into something dark, dark and terrible. The last time a pony completely succumbed to the Nightmare was a thousand years ago. I’m sure you know what happened.” Cobalt's voice was bittersweet, yet soft and even symphony. Her song was at once an internal scream of pain and an echo of a higher calling that expressed a truth too insane to debate.

Nightmare Moon.Yes, that’s a page in Equestrian History every Silverfieldian know well. They almost all fell into darkness with Equestria. “So Bruiser, Midnight, and myself, we'll become like these two, one way or another?”

“No, you can deny it, and you did, else you would be training here with these two.” Cobalt bit her lip, as if she wanted to amend this, but only looked over at the two ponies sleeping in the clearing.

“This does not explain your shadow, nor how you even have these powers as a unicorn.” Reddling said, still keeping an untrusting edge on his voice.

Cobalt let out a sigh, looking sad for the first time. “That’s a long story. Through a series of terrible mistakes and unfortunate accidents, the choice was offered to me, and I took it. Now, why have you come here? It’s far too late in the day for you to be out and about.

“They did not return, so myself and a companion went to search for them.” Reddling jerked his hoof over his shoulder. “I’m taking them back to camp with me.”

Cobalt just shook her head. “There are two problems with that. First, they need this training, Otherwise, they would pose a danger to themselves, and everypony around them, and everything they hold dear. Second, how exactly are you planning on taking them back?”

“They’re not going to pose half the threat I do if you try and stop me, and I’ll carry them if I have to. If you want, you can help me take them back.” Reddling turned to Nightshade and Tops, beginning to approach them. “Tops, Nightshade, wake up, I can’t carry both of you.”

“Reddling, please let them sleep…” Cobalt’s voice was not a command, but rather somewhat of a plea. Reddling flipped around, glowering at her.

“Then why don’t you help me trot them on back nicely to a bed, and we’ll let them sleep!” Reddling could feel his heart hammering again as he stared at the unicorn. Whatever she was, she was something that he knew there was no chance he could defeat if she decided to actually attack him, but that wasn’t going to prevent him from trying.

“Reddling, please.” Cobalt’s voice had lost its pleading tone and was now dead serious. Her shadow stood up, all on its own and approaching Reddling before the unicorn stood up as well, getting off the stump and approaching seperate of her shadow.

“Get your shadow back, or it’s getting a vivisection.” Reddling yelled. He wasn’t actually sure if he could harm the shadow or not, but it was certainly going to be interesting if he could.

“If you wish, I will take you back to camp. Rest assured, your friends are in good hooves, even if you do not trust me.” Cobalt, despite her seriousness, was still trying to be comforting. She had retained this calmness that neither Web nor Lunar seemed to have. It was unsettling, angry as she probably was right now and quite possibly, as prepared to court martial any recruit as she had ever been, her voice stayed in the dreary calmness that made her seem bored by everything going on around her.

“It’s impossible for me to trust a pony who’s own shadow is a living entity.” Reddling said pointedly.

“I understand.” Cobalt replied simply.

“We’re at an impasse then.” Reddling shifted himself so he could look back at Tops and Nightshade, both of whom appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

“…I suppose so.” Cobalt mused, looking bored again.

“Are you going to stop me if I try to move them?” Reddling asked.

“It would be a disservice to them to interrupt this. I’d ask you not to.” Cobalt relaxed back, clearly unafraid and unconcerned with anything that Reddling might try to do. Reddling gave one more look over his shoulder at Tops and Nightshade before his hooves turned him wordlessly, stalking away from the scene. He wasn’t sure why he turned away, or even where his hooves were taking him, but the sunlight slowly died back as he found himself in front of the cave where Tops and Nightshade had passed their test.

The walk seemed much shorter this time, but then, time did not seem to really matter here. Ever since Reddling had arrived here, time seemed to have little value. Frequently he had found himself losing track of what day it was, and during the Nighttime it was still very disconcerting to use the moon instead of the sun as a way to measure time.

Taking off his armor and sword, Reddling laid them neatly in a pile before approaching the cave, trotting softly to the darkness that ended very shortly in a wall. He had been unable to kill Rainy, but he was certain that Cobalt had someone tricked him into leaving the clearing. Now he was alone with the cave, a link to the Nightmare. Twice he had failed, but now that he knew what to expect, Reddling was sure he could betray himself for a few seconds to pass the test. This time, the third time, he would pass.

“Nopony else can know, but I need your powers. I don’t care what you want from me anymore, Nightmare Moon was unstoppable, and only the most powerful weapons in the world kept her at bay, and even they could not bind her forever. I need that, now cave, give me your power!” Reddling yelled the last line, shutting his eyes and thrusting himself into the cave. Reddling exited the cave sheepishly when nothing happened and tried shaking a hoof at it, as if he was trying to get something to rise from the ground.

Despite all of his bitter attempts to create a Nightmare like darkness, the darkness refused to change. Birds began to sing as Reddling took medium sized rocks and started to pelt the cave wall with them, trying to get some sort of supernatural response. Infuriatingly, nothing would change as he let out a cry of frustration, kicking the ground in with his hooves repeatedly. Not only was he failing himself and his country now, but he was also unable to infect himself with this poison that would allow him to be at Tops and Nightshade’s side to help protect them from Cobalt. Reddling continued to throw rocks at the cave, the loud thunks slowly dying away as his breath slowed. Everything faded away as he felt himself falling into the ground, and then under it as the world blacked out.

“Do you want to find it?”

I need it!

Reddling found himself in a field of grass that stretched on forever. The grass lacked any colour, as did everything else around him. It was like being in one of the few photographs that he’d seen taken back home that were tucked in the few parts of archived files he’d been allowed access too in the church. Reddling began to trot, watching as his shadow traveled with him. Every now and then, he felt like he could see it looking up at him, but it was always just as it should be when he checked it.

Hours turned to days. Days turned to weeks as time lost meaning in this place. For all Reddling knew he had spent a lifetime in here, time did not seem to have an actual meaning. When he felt that his legs must surely give out, he took his last step forward, turning his head to watch his shadow stay put, not moving its hoof to mimic him. It took a few moments, but eventually the shadow pulled his hoof back, planting it gently on the ground once more.

“Show yourself for what you are. This is the third time I’ve been here, I’m taking your powers back with me this time.” Reddling demanded of his shadow, which stared back up at him with its featureless figure.

“You think you can bargain? Buy me like some cheap commodity?” The shadow spoke with Reddling’s own voice, but it maintained and ethereal edge to itself. While it could be surely felt in his mind, it did not actually belong here, nor did it belong anywhere.

Unless you have a better idea, yeah, that’s what I was planning on doing. Reddling thought back at it.

“This is all I am. A shadow. A nightmare. I have no power but the power you give me.”

“I saw what you did with Cobalt Flare. I can read her like a book. She’s twisted past what anypony in Equestria would recognize inside. It’s what you do to all of them. I’m willing to give you what you need, but you have to let me hold to my goal- and know this, I will accomplish my goals.” Reddling ended his ultimatum as the shadow nodded to itself.

“Then you will have to succumb to your worst Nightmare. Show that you are willing to become that which you hate, that which you fear, that which you most despise! Sincerely! Honestly! Not with a seed of hope in your mind that you can resist it and prevent it from coming to pass! Twice now you have been given the chance. Perhaps you will get a third, but it will not be on your terns, Reddling. You will show that you are willing to succumb, or you will be denied it.”

Reddling glared coldly at the shadow, feeling his heart sink right through the greyscale plants under him and down into the cold pits of the earth. “Fine, alright, Fine, I’ll give into your game, I’ll let you win, but I’m only doing it because it means that I will win my game. I’ll become a complete monster like Cobalt… like, Nightshade and Tops, I’ll do it.”

“You will have another chance then, but it won’t be tonight.”

Reddling tried to struggle to keep ahold of the nightmare, but it quickly came to pass, leaving his vision dark. Everything was dark here, but it was also oddly comfortable. Soft sheets pressed against his body, and he could feel something else brushing against his chest as soft breath touched his neck. Reddling closed his own eyes as he felt Web kiss his cheek gently, opening her bright eyes to stare at him.

It was an instinctual move on his part to wrap a hoof in her mane. Reddling thought he would enjoy being this close to Web, but something about the situation was greatly upsetting and disturbing him. It was an insufferable offense to be this close to a pony, and Web clearly had no respect for the meanings of such acts. The act of being close, knowing that you will lose your life for suffering pleasure at the hooves of one another, no, it was something Reddling refused to do. He tore himself away from the covers, flying into a rage as he slammed his free hoof into Web’s chest. He couldn’t hear any sounds she made as he pummeled her, beating her with every limb of his body that could connect. He tried to throw himself from the bed, but found himself tangled in the covers. Web’s body was pushed against his, and try as he might, he could not get away from her.

Reddling felt something brush against his face gently as soft rays of moonlight brushed his eyelids. Rubbing his eyes, Reddling opened them, sitting up and looking around. Leaning on the side of the cave was Web, bouncing another pebble in her hoof as she smirked at him.

“Good evening, Nightlight!” Web said alluringly. Reddling forced himself onto his hooves, still trying to wrap his head around the events of the past fourty eight hours.

“Nightlight? No, I’m Reddling.” Web let out a fit of giggles as Reddling blinked dumbly at her.

“Oh, Bruiser was freaking out when he came back to camp!” Web cried, subduing her giggles.

“He had part of his shoulder ripped out of him.” Reddling replied dryly.

“Oh! It was just awful!” Web was still giggling, but considerably less so. “And you! Out all alone, lost in the dark scary woods… Did you find what you were looking for?”

Did I find what I was looking for? Reddling questioned himself as he put a hoof on his head, trying to make sure all his features were still there. I think I found a lot more than I was looking for. “Yes. Did Tops and Nightshade report back?”

“Cobalt’s taking care of them, don’t you worry.” Web cooed, but Reddling approached her quickly, angrily.

“Yeah? Well I do worry.” He said, looking straight into Web’s eyes.

Web looked totally unphased as she simply giggled again. “Heck, if you had just asked, I’d have told you its normal.”

Reddling pivoted on his hooves, pointing at the cave. “No Web, it’s not normal, NOTHING That has happened for the last two WEEKS has been normal!” Reddling gave a snort of frustration, digging his hooves into the ground as he felt his sore muscles give twitches from sleeping on the ground all day.

“Not normal?” Web sounded almost hurt. “I thought you were starting to like this! The way you flew, how eager you are to go out and get a taste for something exotic. Your ferocity. I think you’re adjusting just fine… and next time you sleep outside, hook your legs around a tree, and sleep upside down. You’ll find it much nicer.”

Reddling winced at her statements, turning back to her shamefully. “Look, Web, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m, I feel like… I’ve just been out chasing phantoms is all.”

“If you’re worried about Tops or Nightshade, don’t be.” Web said. Reddling looked away at her statement, once more drowning in his own thoughts. It wasn’t them he was worried about, but rather what they were going to become. “Cobalt… well, she has great control over it.” Web ended with a giggle.

“I’m worried about what they are.” Reddling mumbled. Web gave another giggle, although it was more of her laughing at something ridiculous than something funny.

“What they are! Hah! They’re no different than you or I!” Web looked down at Reddling, who still could not meet her eyes.

They’re Nightmares, literally. No, they’re nothing like you or I. “What did you see when you took the test, Web? What did it want you to do?” Reddling met her eyes now, staring as deeply as he could muster into them.  He had to know what they had tempted her with, what she had denied.

Web breathed slowly, shutting her eyes for a moment before opening them once more. “To become invisible- A shade, a shadow, a wraith. To go where nopony else can go, do what nopony else can do,”

“And I took it.”

Reddling felt like his chest had been flash frozen, leaving him teetering on his hooves. Wave after wave of biting, freezing pain stabbed into his chest, sending numb vibrations all over his body as he grabbed at the cave wall for support, slowly sinking down and leaning against it. He couldn’t see anything in front of him, the world wasn’t working correctly now.

“You didn’t know?! Eeeee, Reddling!” Web giggled at his limp form, breaking away from the leaning position she was in and bending down so they were both on eye level.

Whatever they are, you are, all of you… I fear you. “No, I suppose I didn’t.” Reddling whispered to her. “But that sounds a lot less horrible than what I saw.”

Web looked away, blinking her eyes for a moment. “When you didn’t come back, Bruiser was sooo worried. I patched him up and came out looking for you.”

Bruiser was worried about me? He didn’t seem that worried when he was screaming for his life and running away from the darkness… Still, I guess seeing that monster was pretty traumatic.

“I found you here, looking oh so peaceful. I thought it would be nice to let you rest for a bit.” Web’s fangs glinted as she smiled, but Reddling only saw it out of the corner of his eye. There had been nothing peaceful about his sleep, in fact, his nightmares had been constantly getting more and more intense since the change had been made to his body. “You better head back, Midnight Tales and Bruiser are both super worried in the mess hall.” Web hung a smirk on her face as Reddling stood up, beginning an agreement before breaking it off.

“Hey, what’s so funny? Why’re you smirking?” He asked, Web's fangy smile grew.

“You were mumbling. I heard my name… Have a nice night, sugarplum!” With that, she turned and spread her wings, leaping into the sky and flying off. Reddling just stood there stupidly by the cave as a small family of rabbits leapt out of some bushes, staring curiously at the statue of a bat.

Huh?

Suspicions

The Moon had come up early tonight, bringing with it a crisp fall air. Reddling had wandered into the mess hall and quickly ordering a few apples and mangoes from the earth pony. Reddling's thoughts still on Web, Tops, and Nightshade, everything revolving around the Nightmares. He couldn’t tell what horrible unholy deals they had to make in the dark in order to become monsters, but Reddling had decided that it did not matter as long as they would stand aside when it was time for him to get the princesses alone and make his play.

“REDDLING!” A huge voice boomed from across the room. Reddling knew he was about to be horribly crushed by a giant bearhug, and turned around to see Bruiser trip and land on the floor, sliding slightly towards him. Letting out a sigh, he extended a hoof to help his oversized friend off the floor.

“You need to take it easy.” Reddling said quietly as Bruiser took the hoof, getting to his hooves with a giant dumb grin on his face.

“Reddling, you bastard, what the hell happened back there?” Bruiser demanded, obviously ready and waiting for some stunning tale of how the supernatural had been battled and beaten back.

Reddling looked at the earth pony, who was wearing his surly look behind the counter as always.  “I’ll tell you and Midnight later, hopefully he can clear some things up. I’d prefer it if nopony eavesdrops on us.”

“What, did something else try to kill you?” Bruiser said incredulously.

“Later, Bruiser.” Reddling promised, grabbing his food and going to sit down next to Midnight.

“Ah, alright alright, fine.” Bruiser huffed disappointedly, sitting down across from both of them. Midnight turned as Reddling sat down.

“Reddling, I am glad to see you are well, although I’m afraid that we cannot celebrate. Lunar has asked us to tend to a few errands while we are free today and going about Canterlot. We should return by early morning though.” Midnight stood up, motioning for Bruiser to do the same. Bruiser nodded at Midnight as they both headed away from the table.

“Hey Reddling, good to see you’re alright, we’ll talk about all of this over a beer later? Meet us at the bar.” Midnight turned for the door, but at that moment Lunar strode in, staring around at the room and sighing as he saw both Bruiser’s shoulder and Reddling’s neck. All three of them snapped to attention as Lunar spoke quietly, without his command.

“Is somepony in this company going to try and kill themselves every night?” Lunar demanded.

Taking in a breath, Reddling sighed. “No sir.”

Lunar nodded, and then proceeded as if he had not just seen two ponies with gaping wounds on their bodies. “I’m going to be taking leave for today, and will not be here on Monday, I must oversee some preparations in Canterlot. You’re to pad your alternative weapons and train with them against one another. Do not murder each other.” With that, Lunar turned and left, sinking into the shadows of the night.

Reddling spent a good portion of the day wandering around the woods, making a point to avoid the place where he knew Tops and Nightshade were training. Despite visiting every dark place he could fine, the Nightmare never rose, and the shadows just stuck to themselves.

As midmorning began to close, Reddling wandered into the bar. The earth pony looked angry at being stuck with the two bats already there, who were both getting comfortable. Midnight had a second shot of brandy in front of him, and Bruiser had half his flagon of Buckwater beer. Ordering a Buckwater beer himself, Reddling tossed a few bits to the earth pony before taking a sip of the pale liquid. It didn’t taste horrible, but nonetheless he could feel his face wearing a bitter expression as he looked up.

“Can you leave us? We need privacy.” Reddling said to the earth pony.

The pony grimaced, turning away sourly. “Try not to throw up everywhere tonight.” His voice descended into a low tone, muttering a few colourful choices for his feeling about bats. Reddling returned his gaze to Midnight and Bruiser with a twitchy ear, gazing at the oozing gauss that covered Bruiser’s shoulder.

“How’s your shoulder, Bruiser?” Reddling asked.

“I’ve had worse.” Bruiser grunted. “How about you, What the hell happened?”

Reddling nodded to himself. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Midnight, you took the test and didn’t pass. What do you know about “The Nightmare”?”

Midnight looked down, his face growing shadowed before he began to speak. “…not much is known. They say that when our Princess fell into despair and bitterness, she succumbed to the Nightmare, and it transformed her into a being of terrible power and wrath.”

“Right” Reddling kept his voice level, but right under his guise his heart gave a pang. Using that power and being a monster himself would be helpful, but fighting multiple bats with that power? It would be suicide. Reddling gave his head a little shake before looking over at Bruiser.

“And everybat but Bruiser took the test. Cobalt told me that Children of the Night are susceptible to The Nightmare. Just how dangerous is this thing?”

Bruiser mumbled a few curses as Midnight responded, talking over him. “I do not know. I believe that the purpose of this, and our friends training, is to assist them in controlling it, so that it does not control them as it did the Princess. Web implied so much, though with much more… giggling.”

“Web has accepted The Nightmare too.” Reddling said dryly. “Tops and Nightshade didn’t come back, and I found them in the fields alone with Cobalt, sleeping. The entire thing feels completely wrong…” Reddling shifted his hooves around, taking a swig of his beer before turning to Bruiser. “Did you tell Midnight about the monster that attacked us?”

“How the hell do you think I explained my missing bits? Tell him I tripped on a log? Yeah, I told him.” Bruiser took a large gulp of his beer, leaning back in his seat.

“I thought The Nightmare was only triggered by that cave, because I did not understand it, but after we parted company, it visited me again. Again, I denied it, but it promised to visit once more, and that’s when I found Tops and Nightshade. I have a really terrible feeling about this, you know what I mean?” Reddling leaned back and took a sip of his beer, waiting for the other two to give him a round of applause for the detective work.

“It visited you again?” Midnight said, suddenly much more serious than was usual for even him.  Reddling nodded as Midnight looked up uneasily. “Did you seek it out? The Nightmare? Perhaps that beast did not come from Tops, or Nightshade, or Cobalt Flare, but from you.”

Reddling just snorted. “I was not looking for it, and I denied it anyway… No, it was not from me.” Reddling looked down at his beer. He had been afraid that Midnight might suggest that the creature had come from him, he’d been wondering the same thing over the walks he had taken that day. What a horrible thought. I couldn't possibly have summoned that creature. I hadn't ever even seen that thing. No, I am certain it wasn't me.

“I would be cautious. It bodes ill with me that it has sought you out again, and will seek you out once more. …Once was plenty for me.” Midnight looked devastated the more he thought about the topic, but Reddling really didn’t care. Whatever power was there, it was not something that he intended to pass up again.

“The powers it offers must be extreme. I’ve seen them in action- or rather, didn’t see them, if you know what I mean.” Reddling looked down at his beer, not meeting the eyes of the others as he whispered his statement to the pale liquid. When he looked up again both Bruiser and Midnight had slightly interested looks on their face that showed they had no idea what Reddling meant.

“When I was on my date with Web, she uh, vanished a few times. She just… totally stopped existing one moment.” Reddling mumbled.

“Somehow I am not surprised.” Midnight said sagely.

“Ugh dammit, that’s not what I mean. I mean she was like a shadow against the Diamond Dogs.” Reddling sighed.

“No, I believe you.” Midnight offered, lifting up his shot and downing it with a slight cough.

Reddling breathed in deeply before he spoke his next words. To say it aloud meant to confirm something that he did not want to think, but he knew it was important to make sure that he got it out, otherwise he would only be deluding himself. “I guess I’m a bad pony for this but… If they saw anything like I did, then they’re complete monsters for accepting the Nightmare.”

Midnight and Bruiser were both silent. Bruiser buried his face in his flagon as Midnight sat down his shot glass and looked up uneasily, as if he was not fully sure of what he was saying himself. “Reddling, it may be unfair to judge them so harshly. Perhaps you should speak to them. I am sure, after their time with Cobalt, they will understand it better.”

“Maybe I’m judging them too harshly, that’s what I am hoping.” Reddling whispered to the bottom of his flagon.

“You ought not to worry about them so much, Reddling. I am sure they are in good hooves.” Midnight said as he leaned back with Bruiser.

“Forgive my trust issues.” Reddling said solemnly as he took another swig of his beer. Midnight blinked as Bruiser finished his beer, then stood up.

“You are a good soul, Reddling. You ought not to worry so. Farewell, I am off to bed before the sun begins to rise." Midnight said, staring hazily forward.

Oh, if you only knew Midnight. You poor bastard, if you only knew. “Thank you… pleasant dreams.” Reddling mumbled, swishing around the last droplets in his drink.

Midnight gave a smile before departing, “And also yourself.”  Reddling sat alone with Bruiser for a while, both of them observing the early morning silence. neither of them could think of a comment to make as the minutes ticked by, faint sunlight tapping the bar's windows.

“Magic is a bunch of feathermoltings, this is why I don’t screw with it.” Bruiser finally said, breaking the silence.

“I’m not sure I can look at any of them the same again.” Reddling laughed bitterly, keeping his voice hushed. Could he look at himself the same way again? They accepted the power because they were too weak to resist, but I’m trying to sell my soul off just to get whatever power it is that they’ve got now.

“Damn bro, they didn’t seem any different to me. Hell, Midnight was the one who got all spooked out and flipped, not them.” Bruiser said.

“You didn’t take the test, so you wouldn’t understand. There is nothing to be scared of… just, acceptance-“

“So why didn’t you accept it then?” Bruiser cut him off, looking quite curious.

Reddling exhaled his statement before biting it back, “Because the price was to-“ he took another breath, looking at Bruiser sadly. “The price asks a great deal of me, something that I’d like to believe I’d never be capable of!” Reddling found his breath taken away as a sudden spike of pain hit him in the side of the head, piercing painfully into his skull.

“OH REALLY? Oh Really?? You wouldn’t kill all of them to get at Luna? Ha!” Reddling grabbed his head quickly, not taking his eyes off Bruiser as he brushed his mane back, trying to pass it off the the sudden pain of a voice that was not his hitting his head. Bruiser apparently accepted this, as he didn’t seem to be perturbed at all.

“Kill? You know why I joined the guard?” Bruiser asked. Reddling shook his head gently, still trying to fight at the pain that had left him with a headache now.

“There was an amnesty program; serve in the guard instead of in prison. I kicked some heads in.” Bruiser did not seem to be greatly remorseful outwardly, but his voice had edges of regret and something deeper, sadder, hanging onto its coattails.

“Oh…” Reddling said, staring at the dregs at the bottom of his beer. He wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to this enlightenment.

“The Night Guard was a good way to put that behind me, permanently. Different ponies are alright with different stuff, Reddling. What might seem terrible to you might be normal for somepony… You need anything else tonight? ‘else I’m going to bed.”

Reddling shook his head, draining the little remains clinging to his flagon. “I-Yeah, I’ll be fine, thanks for listening, get better soon.” Reddling nodded at his shoulder, which caused Bruiser to just snort.

“I told you, I’ve had worse. Pleasant dreams, or whatever.” Bruiser lumbered out of the room, letting the door shut behind him. Reddling sat in the room alone even as the sun began to rise, staring blankly at the flagon and shot glass his friends had left behind. The faint scent of pears with a hint of honey and herbs hung over the beer flagons, intoxicating the room with a faint bitterness mixed among the serene smells.

What have I gotten myself into?

Black Agnosia

The week passed without any sign of Nightshade or Tops. Reddling had decided to avoid the two of them for his own safety, but despite the fact that Web was just like the two of them he was unable to keep himself away from her. She had seen it fit to force her presence around him, and even when Lunar was trying to give instructions on the finer usage of his sword, she would regularly giggle from the sidelines every time he made a mistake. While it had been acceptable on Tuesday, by Saturday Reddling found himself weary of being made fun of, even if he did enjoy her laugh. Her unending friendly teasing made it no easier for him to learn how to use Equestrian blades. While they were not so different from Silverfieldian steel, the balance of the blade continued to feel off.

Days normally ended with Midnight sparring with Reddling, and the only changing factor was their speed and deadliness. Even when Lunar would join in, Reddling found himself easily able to match the larger stallion’s power and superior skills with his agility and smaller frame. Bruiser and Reddling had reached a nonverbal agreement to avoid sparing, as it usually ended with Reddling running around in circles until he was dizzy and Bruiser huffing as he covered his hammer in nothing but mud and small twigs.

After practice ended for the week, the three of them fell into the mess hall to get a feast of mangoes. With Tops and Nightshade gone, there had been an overabundance of the sweet fruit, and what gave them the right to let it go to waste?

Tonight however, was different. Reddling felt his head jerk slightly as he heard the doors open and three sets of hooves began to enter. He had become ready for this, as much as it was hurting him inside. Over the course of the week he had gone from deciding to avoid Tops and Nightshade to pretending they did not exist. Unless his work directly required it, they would simply not be there at all. It left a bitter cold burning in his chest to do this, but he knew in the long run it would be for the better. It was not the treatment of Nightshade that bothered him so much, but rather the treatment he knew Tops would have to endure. Above the others, Reddling felt drawn to Tops as if they were somehow related, like brothers. There was still this feeling of familiarity between them he could not place.

“Tops! Nightshade! How the hell have you been!” Bruiser leapt up from the table to hug them both. Reddling kept his back turned as Tops and Nightshade continued to the table.

“Learning magic and stuff. It’s been rough.” Tops’ voice grew closer as he limped over to the table to sit across from Reddling. While his splint was gone now, he still had the a small remaining limp. A spare apple in Reddling’s hoof began to burst as he pressed it slowly into his tray, the skin giving way and juice leaked from the flesh. I'll learn you some magic, you- you Equestrians. What gives you the right to have soul consuming power that you will just squander?

“Reddling and I went out looking for you when you didn’t come back, and there was some screwed up… something in the woods!” Bruiser proclaimed, taking his seat as Nightshade sat next to Tops, averting her eyes from Reddling. Reddling winced at how awful they looked. Their eyes had heavy bags under them as if they had not slept in days, and they both seemed ravenous as they tore at their food, gulping it down gratefully. Despite the assurances that various ponies had given him that they would be okay, Reddling could not help but be horrified at the condition of the two. To him they looked more like victims of moderate torture rather than trainees learning "magic".

“You didn’t need to do that, we were fine… Cobalt was taking care of us.” Tops said uncomfortably, looking at Reddling from across the table, as if he expected a comment. However, no comment came from Reddling as he bitterly stewed over his troubled thoughts.

Reddling continued to squeeze his apple into his tray, still not looking at his friend. What are you talking about? Both of you look completely awful. Taking care of you? I guess that’s because monsters need to be taken care of, don’t they? You're my friends, I want to take care of my friends, but you're also monsters. I can't associate with monsters. Reddling blinked and stood up as there was a loud splat. His apple had finally suffered too much strain and flattened against his tray, leaving specks of juice on everypony’s face. Without so much as a sorry, Reddling turned for the doors. Behind him, he could see Midnight rise too as Tops looked at Nightshade, concern written on Tops' face.

“I am pleased you two are well, but I must away, I am afraid. Enjoy your dinner, it is good to see you back.” Midnight said as he hurried outside after Reddling, letting the door close quietly behind him. Reddling had stopped himself outside the door, and was glaring at practice field while his friend approached in the chilled night air.

“Pardon me for intruding, Reddling, but is something the matter?” Midnight asked, the concern evident in his voice. Reddling stared out at the night, blinking into the blackness as his mind ate itself from the inside out. There had been many things that had been upsetting Reddling as of late. He felt a strong urge to punch Midnight and tell him that daily nightmares had been driving him over the edge. There was also an equally strong urge telling him to sneer at his friend and call him every racist insult he could think of before running away to Silverfield and leaving this lie of a life behind.

It was the third equally strong urge however, that Reddling acted on. Grinning fangily and laughing as he turned towards Midnight, Reddling gave him a complete and utter lie. “I can’t imagine what would possess you to ask such a thing, Midnight! I’m… peachy, is that the word?”

Midnight did not waver, in fact, he only drew closer so that some faint light from the moon cast the shadows away from his face. “Despite your previous concern for their well being, you said not a word on their return. Are you not pleased to see them return well, safe and sound?

What exactly looks well about them? They look like one more week with Cobalt would have made them little more than corpses! “I was hoping that nopony would notice.” Reddling said coldly. “Besides, there is nothing I can say that wasn’t said by Bruiser or yourself.”

They’re suffering though, suffering from an evil of Equestria that was forced on them. Because of Equestria, they have been wronged- and in that way, we are kin. One way or another, I will find a way to help them solve this in the end and free them from the grips of evil. Reddling thought, living out his little fantasies in his head.

“Reddling, you still with me?” Midnight waved a hoof in front of Reddling's face, who shook his head yes quickly.

“Do you still feel uncomfortable regarding  the powers they have accepted?" Midnight repeated his question, which Reddling could not remember being asked in the first place.

“No, I may take them at some point if they offer themselves again, I’m unsure.” Reddling lied. “I’ll withhold my judgement on the matter until I have walked the same path.”

Midnight let out an exasperated sigh. “Your aloof behavior is most strange, Reddling- Ah, I apologize, I should not judge… I’m sure you have your reasons.”

“You’re judgments are fine, I welcome them-" Reddling said determinedly. "We cannot work together if we keep secrets.” Reddling said as Midnight winced, almost as if Reddling’s word were knives thrown at his head.

“Indeed. Regardless, I am most weary, and shall retire shortly. Are you looking forward to your leave tomorrow?” Midnight asked.

“I- actually wanted to know something about that. Does Canterlot have a library that is open at night?” Reddling replied, looking hopefully at Midnight.

“Public libraries, perhaps not, although I believe the Royal Library is open most all hours. Being affiliated with the Royal University, I believe they are generally available- although certain wings are restricted.” There was something in the ending of Midnight’s statement that told Reddling he knew exactly why the question had been posed. “Luna’s fall was a shameful time in our history. Much is hidden, secret, or lost. Rumors and legends and superstition are abound. I am well studied on the time- including The Nightmare- and even I cannot say what is an old mares tale, and what touches the truth.”

“Look, if you have the name of a book, it’s as good a place to start as any.” Reddling said impatiently.

“Certainly. I have a few volumes on the topic, if you wish to read them? We could get them tonight or-” Midnight offered.

“Tonight.” Redding cut him off. Midnight almost seemed excited now.

“Ah excellent! Come!” Midnight turned to trot to his quarters. Midnight's quarters proved the direct opposite of Web’s quarters. While Web usually had some small creature fleeing her, Midnight’s quarters lacked any pets, and all of his personal effects were neatly folded and stored in a tidy fashion. On a shelf above his bed there was a symbol of the moon carved from obsidian along with several books. Any light inside the room that might be used for reading appeared to come from a few candles that rested on his desk, although they appeared to not have been used in quite some time, a thin layer of dust covering the top of them. Midnight pulled out a large volume and held it for a moment, looking over his shoulder and hesitating.

“I’ll take care of it, Midnight, I promise.” Reddling encouraged, eying the volume greedily.

“Yes, I believe you, it’s just… At one time, these volumes were so very important to me, but now that I have the chance to serve Luna herself, they feel… meaningless. In achieving this great honor, that I desired more than anything else, it is like I have lost a part of myself…” Midnight’s voice had quickly gone from excitement to depression, his face a dismal shell as he stared at the book. Reddling took a few steps forward, putting a hoof on the blue pony’s shoulder.

“Midnight, I- I know what it’s like to lose a part of yourself. But sometimes you have to lose those parts of yourself to become greater.” Reddling waited for his back to twinge, but all that happened was his wings stood up, tucking themselves back into a more comfortable position.

Midnight stood up a little taller now. “The Night Guard presents the chance to find oneself again. I trust I shall find a new direction in my time here.” Midnight turned, pushing the book into Reddling’s hooves. “Keep the book, I no longer need it.”

“Thank you Midnight, thank you.” Reddling bowed his head, heading for the door now.

Midnight’s confidence had returned, and his face a fierce picture of determination. “Anytime, Reddling. Enjoy the book.” Reddling quickly trotted back to his place, squinting at the ground in order to keep the slowly rising sun from irritating his eyes. He’d grown very use to not having a helmet, but that did not make him miss the shielding it gave his eyes any less. Still, Web had proved to be correct about getting used to sunlight, and the sun was hardly a major issue anymore as long as he kept his eyes squinted and did not look anywhere close to it. Evening and Mornings proved to be the worst, since it effectively meant he was blind when walking one direction, but luckily this only lasted for maybe an hour or so.

When Reddling returned to his quarters he tore off his armor and weapons, piling them neatly on his desk before setting the book on his bed. It was quite an old book, with the cover made of leather- a rare commodity in both Equestria and Silverfield –and bound on the side with some manner of tempered metal. The front of the book bore a tarnished symbol of a unicorn’s head.

Reddling flipped the book open, gazing at the pictures. Each page was stylized in a typical Equestrian manner, although parts of it proved to be too obscure for him to understand. While he had read Equestrian before, much of the actual content in the book had been scribed in ink to either refine words or create entirely new passages on the sides of pictures. The story remained intact however, and Reddling found himself impressed by the artwork. Fantastic landscapes stretched on each page, detailing Luna and Celestia performing every kind of feat and wonder; the founding of Equestria, the defeat of Discord, and then Luna, her face marred by the Nightmare. Even in the darkness that was crippling her, there was something terrifying and yet majestic about her appearance. She wore the same kind of Armor that Reddling had seen adorn his body in The Nightmare, although hers was more misty on the edges, as if she was an incorporeal being.

Despite her sacrifices, and devotion to her noble duty, she continued to be shunned and pushed away by the ponies she cared for most. Even her noble sister dismissed her concerns, and left her to her despair. The weariness and bitterness in her heart grew, and one day, she succumbed to it.

So I have to accept my helplessness? Yeah… succumb to the darkness.

Driven past her breaking point, she surrendered her royal duties, and turned her back on her obligations. With that, the Veil  thinned, and the world around her also fell into darkness. Unchained Nightmares roamed freely, terrorizing the land, and the Moon refused to make way for the Sun. As the darkness deepened, and the world fell into the shadows, so too was she enshadowed, and transformed into Nightmare Moon.

Reddling traced his hoof over a picture of Nightmare Moon, who was standing proud and terrible in a field of darkness, a set of glowing yellow eyes the only stars in the sky. Reddling shut the book, pushing it aside for the moment. The volume was huge, and even if he spent a month reading it, he was doubtful that he could finish it, much less even begin to make out the inscribed notes in the book.

The next night only Bruiser and Web were still in the mess hall when Reddling arrived. The earth pony quietly cursed about never getting a day off as Reddling took his plate over to sit by Web, who had taken to a corner and appeared surly.

“Something on your mind, Web?” Reddling asked, looking up at her and blinking. Web gave a snort and laid her ear against the table, tapping a hoof.

“Hmph. Yeah. Stuck at camp today. I’m grounded still.” Web idly rolled her eyes.

“You’re still grounded over that museum thing? Sheesh, how much longer are you stuck with nothing fun to do?” Reddling asked, taking a bite out of his apple.

“Oh, another few weeks, then I’ll worm my way out of it and we can go have some fun.” Web picked her head up and leaned forward to whisper to him softly. “And this time, we won’t get caught.” Web took out her knife and quickly cleaned it before she nicked an apple off Reddling’s tray, polishing it a bit before she began to cut it up.

“I’m looking forward to it.” Reddling said, ignoring the theft of part of his breakfast.

“Oh, you’re making such a fantastic bat! Eehehe!” Web giggled as she cut her apple into one last set of eight slices. “Going to town tonight?”

Reddling opened his mouth to retort that he didn’t want to make a fantastic bat, but any sound he got out was drowned by Bruiser hollering his name from the doorway. “Reddling! Haha, ya got plans tonight? We’re going out, thought you might like to come along- just no more grain alcohol!”

“Who does “we” encompass?” Reddling asked, putting a hoof on his forehead and closing his eyes.

“All of us, ‘cept Nightshade, she’s being a stick in the mud.” Bruiser said.

“Maybe that’d make a better cutie mark for her then. I don’t know, when are you guys going to head out and where? I may stop by.” Reddling kept his eyes closed, trying to not think about any of the monsters around him.

“Probably hitting up some bars. I dunno. It’s the city! All sorts of stuff to do!” Bruiser gave a small skip impatiently, which made the entire building shake just the tiniest bit.

“I hope you’re leaving soon, everything fun closes early, unless you count breaking into museums and killing Diamond Dogs as fun." Reddling smiled slightly for Web, despite the fact he himself was not a fan of their misadventures.

Bruiser gave his hearty laugh. “Haha, whatever floats your boat man. So ya comin’ or what?”

“We might run into each other. Don’t wait up for me.” Reddling opened his eyes again, picking up a half of his mango and chewing into the flesh.

“Fine then.” Bruiser snorted. “Seeya around.”

“Have a drink for me.” Reddling said absentmindedly. The mango today was not the quality he had grown to expect, and it was quickly irritating him.

“Do you have any plans today at all? I guess everypony else is… drinking.” Reddling asked Web, tossing the mango aside and picking up an apple.

“Hmmm! I’ll probably just be… putting some things together. You all keep using up all my healing salve, eeehehee!”

“Not on purpose, I guess I’ll just entertain myself with something then. Try to have a good day, Web?” Reddling stood up, taking the apple with him as Web sucked the life out of an apple slice, tossing it aside.

“Buy-bye, sweetie!” Web cooed. Reddling gave her a smile, but as soon as he was sure she could not see his face, he felt his mouth twitch. The bottom line here was that these ponies were still the enemy, and as comfortable as he might be around some of them, he had to keep that in mind. Reddling was able to be honest with himself though- he felt something for Web, but it was something that he had no word for. A draw and closeness that he wasn't going to just give up.

Web opened the door as Reddling knocked. “Reddling, back so soon- Oh, again? Goodness!” Web stood back as Reddling trotted inside, holding a wing over his bleeding shoulder.  “And here I thought my job here was going to be boring today.”

Reddling groaned as he lifted his wing, sitting down on Web’s bed to show blood running all down his front, staining his armor and coat with the dark red sticky substance. “I guess I don’t play well with others.”

Web let out a little moan in her mouth. “A bat after my own heart…” Soon she was pressing a wet sponge against the wound, wiping the blood away and fetching some gauze. “A simple bandage will be fine. You’ll survive.”

“Equestria is full of dangerous monsters, isn’t it?” Reddling asked sarcastically as he winced, the sponge stinging the exposed flesh.

Web’s looked at him dead in the eyes, both of her bright ovals plates flashing. “Oh, yes.” Reddling looked down as she said yes, feeling something suffocating rise up in his chest, pressing his organs against the sides of his body. Web let out a little giggle at the pain on his face, then quickly finished cleaning off the wound.

“How much did you hear, Web? When I was asleep the other day, I heard I talk in my sleep once.” Reddling bit back the feeling in his chest, holding his chin up.

“I heard you saying my name- So lovingly…”

“Lovingly? Uh, I was having a nice dream.” Reddling lied. "Normally I have nightmares." Reddling kept his chin up as Web gave him a quick hug before wrapping a bandage around the wound.

“Having bad dreams?” Web asked. Reddling nodded to her.

“Constantly, I-“

“Would you like them to stop?” Web cut him off.

Reddling looked at her with an exasperated sigh. “Trust me, if I could do a little dance and they’d stop, I’d totally do it.”

“Well, I’ll whip you something up then. A nice, pleasant, dark, dreamless sleep…” Web trailed off, starting to scan the various jars on the walls.

Reddling blinked at her blankly. “You can- I mean, I’d welcome that, actually.”

Web did a little skip over to her table, pulling down some different jars. “Ooh! It’ll put you to sleep and stave off all your nasty dreams! Oh, and the nice ones, but who pays attention to those…” Her voice sounded gleeful as she began grabbed an empty jar, wiping it out with a cloth quickly.

“And the nice ones? You must not have very many nice dreams.” Reddling said to her back.

“I enjoy all of my dreams, Reddling. Now,” Web turned back to him, looking at him intently. “If you start taking it, make sure to not suddenly stop. If you’re going to keep nightmares like this down, well, when it has a chance to come back, it comes back with a vengeance.” Web gave a giggle at the end, turning back to her work.

“That actually sounds like it could be fun, storing up one hundred dreams.” Reddling mused. It actually didn’t seem like such a horrible idea, but more like it would be some sort of superdrug that gave an endless day of high.

“A hundred dreams, and a hundred nightmares.” Web said. “They’ll all come at once, together- like a veil being ripped down, a floodgate opening.”

“I think I might like to try it, sometime.” Reddling stood up, stretching his body, careful not to disturb his bandage too much. Maybe I can use it to summon The Nightmare.

“Then I have work to do!” Web said, stacking various jars of odd liquids next to each other, pulling a few plants and roots from here and there and laying them next to a mortar and pestle. A little hot plate ticked on with a fire under it as she put a small mix over heat. The entire scene was more creepy than the Nightmare as she pulled at so many different ingredients that Reddling couldn’t name. Quickly, she pulled something Reddling could not see out of a jar. Part of its dark shape thrashed and hissed as Web held it, but she quickly put her hooves together and with a snap, the creature went quiet.

Reddling found himself enthralled in the most creepy of ways by Web’s handiwork. It was not that he was not purely revolted by the different things she expected him to put in his body in order to get a good night’s sleep, but he simply could not pull away from the scene. A few chopped things on the table and some ground up plants later, the air shimmered with fumes as she pulled the jar away from the heat, sealing a cap around it and turning to him, wrapping some cloth around the jar. From what Reddling could see, it appeared to be but a jar of murky black liquid with no amazing qualities.

“Black Agnosia. Take but a sip before bed.” Web said, pushing the jar towards him. “Tiny sip! Understand?”

“Take a sip before bed, right, and no more than that.” Repeated Reddling back to her. “Any side effects of overdosing?”

“You might have trouble waking up- or worse. Just don’t forget, when you run low, come to me for more. If you want to stop, ask me how.” Reddling nodded at her words a bit fearfully. There was something about Web that gave him the feeling right now he should put her bubbly disposition aside and take these warnings seriously. Web gave a sigh, looking wistfully at a small scorpion on her table she had vivisected. “I’ve got a bit more work to take care of tonight. I’m sure you understand.”

“Of course.” Reddling said, trotting to the door. “Thank you, I’ll be seeing you, Web?” Web nodded, giving one of her full laughs, the kind that made even Reddling wince. It was a soft bell of a crackle that was akin to that of a child when they know they’ve done something wrong and do not care.

Poison

The next morning proved to be a groggy one. Reddling had quickly taken a sip of Black Agnosia before opening Midnight’s book once more, hoping to get a good morning and day of reading in before sleep, but the drink had knocked him out in about a minute. His face had spent the night pressed to the paper, and the awkward sleeping position had left him feel sore. Whatever unholy ingredients Web had been put into the mix, it was more potent than she had cared to imply.

Each morning for the next week, Tops had tried to start a conversation with Reddling, and each time Reddling had ignored him. When Midnight asked if he was okay, he would simply wave it off or get up to leave. Sparing sessions continued to be Midnight and Reddling dueling, while Nightshade and Tops caught up on how to use new weapons they selected with Lunar. Tops had taken a pair of claws- which he wore everywhere now- as well as a lance which hung deftly on his back, while Nightshade had opted to change in her short sword for a longsword. Although Reddling was curious to find out how skilled the two of them were, his desire to keep himself safe from the monsters was more repulsive.

Reddling had finally been able to settle into life as a bat, just as the rest of his friends had. Evenings were spent at the bar with Bruiser as he and Reddling swapped small talk, occasionally with Midnight joining them. Tops and Nightshade spent much time alone together, usually with one wrapping a wing around the other as they practiced their heathenistic magic training. It had become easy for Reddling to nearly forget why he had ended up in the Night Guard in the first place, but every time he sparred with Midnight or Lunar, it came back as a stabbing memory that in the end, these ponies would be his enemies.

Winter was setting in now, and a light dusting of snow had come to the mountaintop. The dayponies still played out in their warm sun down below, soaking up the last rays of an odd summer. Reddling had remarked to Midnight that is was extremely odd the leaves did not change colour until the day before Winter, but Midnight had assured him this is how it had always been. So just as it had always been, Saturday morning marked the end of the week and began like every other day for Reddling as he trotted into the mess hall. With the except of Web, all of the others were already seated, eating their food with gusto. Web was still cleaning off her knife as Reddling appraised the foods, the earth pony smiling over the sneeze guard at him.

Reddling’s head snapped up at the earth pony. “Smiling? What did you do to my food?” Reddling demanded heatedly. In all the months that he had been here, the only other time he remembered the earth pony smiling at him was right before he served up literal firewater.

“Good morn- nothing, geez. Mango and hay?” The earth pony offered. Reddling nodded as they slid a tray to him, which he took carefully before heading to the table. As soon as he sat down, Tops slid over, looking at him from across the table.

“Morning, Reddling.” Tops said hopefully, trying to catch his eye. Reddling gave the ever so slightest nod as he looked over at the earth pony. He munched carefully on his apple, but did not swallow as his other eye looked at Web. She had finished cleaning her knife and sliced up an apple, but had now discarded her third slice, deeming it unfit. Reddling felt his jaw freeze up as he slowly spat the flesh of the apple back into itself, setting it down.

Picking up a fourth slice, Web sniffed this one, examining it intimately. Slowly looking up from the slice, she locked eyes with the earth pony for only half a second before the earth pony lowered its head. Reddling pounced up from the table, a hoof on his knife.

“What did you do to the food?” Reddling demanded of the earth pony. The others all looked shocked, with the exception of Web, who stood up and flipped the table quickly, running at the earth pony as a burst of green fire flew across the room. Reddling threw himself away from the fire, smacking into the wall as he drew his knife and shoved it into his mouth instinctively.

Web had ducked down against the serving counter as the green fire rammed into the table, causing it to go up in flames. Reddling looked over from the scene of food and broken wood flying everywhere to see the earth pony, only the creature before him was no longer the earth pony he knew. Instead, there was a long, gnarled horn protruding from its forehead, right above two buggy blue hue'd eyes. The creature was glowing with some energy Reddling could not make out beyond being a blue wispy cloak that hung to a growing black carapace that was replacing it's fur. Kicking at the serving counter, the creature made a break for the kitchen.

Web was already ahead of everypony, galloping out from under the serving counter and chasing her prey. She took only a moment to slam her blade back into its cover before whipping it back out again, the steel glistening with liquid. Bruiser, Midnight, and Nightshade were also heading for the kitchen, but Tops had made a break for the front door.

Steeling himself, Reddling ran after Tops. Tops wasted no time in getting into the air, flying towards the rear exit with his claws out. With a chance to exercise more room, Reddling slammed his knife away and drew out his sword, flying after the green pony in hopes they could both cut off the monster. Before they could reach the exit however, the blue bug had burst into the fields and was galloping away. No longer did the creature hold any visage of a pony- instead it was some sort of mangled animal covered in a jet black and shiny carapace with a twin set of gossamer wings. At seemingly random points in its mane and legs there were large potmarks that seemed to go all the way through the creature's body.

The creature looked up with slitted, glowing blue eyes that shined in the darkness. Aiming it’s horn at the exit, there was another blast of  magic that hit the doorway, lighting the building on fire and sending small chunks of wood flying. When the smoke cleared Web darted from the embers. She seemed to be totally unharmed, and there was a look of anger and glee on her face as she spread her wings and lunged for the creature.

The monster darted and strafed it's way through the field, raising its horn and then swinging it through the air, leaving a deadly green arc of magic flying at Web, Tops, and Reddling. Reddling and Tops simply waited for an opening as they watched Web battle with the creature. If Reddling blinked, he found he would miss one of their movements- Web was far faster than he had given her credit for, and the event against the Diamond Dogs looked like childsplay compared to her movements now.

Midnight, Bruiser, and Nightshade burst from the burning building as Tops lowered his lance, diving down at the creature. Tops came close, but his lance missed, digging into the ground and sending him facefirst into the dirt. He rolled away for a quick recover however, preparing his claws for fighting. There was little stopping the creature from getting away as it ran towards a chain link fence, the only barrier between it and the forest. Reddling felt panic rise in his chest as he saw the situation turning quickly against his friends. Midnight and Bruiser were unable to touch the creature with its speed, while Nightshade had produced some manner of sick lighting that surrounded the area, flying at the monster. Despite any magic that connected with the creature, it seemed unscathed, still working it's way towards the fence as it dodged Web's strikes.

I'm trained to sneak! To wait in the shadows for my target, not rush headlong at it- but I guess now I don't have a choice. Reddling took his sword in his hooves and bent it over his shoulder in between wingbeats, throwing it down at the ground. The bastard sword hurled through the air and actually cut off some of the beast's mane as it stopped short. The bug wheeled back and flew into the air, hissing at the blade as it turned up to face Reddling. Drawing his knife, Reddling prepared to grapple with the creature, but it only continued to fly at him. They collided mid air, smashing painfully together as they wrapped their limbs around each other, fighting to stay airborn as they fell towards the ground. Reddling felt his knife knocked away before he could slice the creature open, and then the pain of his neck ripping splattered his world in red.

The world was full of many echos as Reddling felt himself smash into the ground with a loud crash, plumes of dust rising around him as he fought to his hooves. The bite was far from lethal, but Reddling could feel his world starting to ebb away at the edges of his vision. The monster had already made it over the fence, but had stopped now, and was smiling at Web.

Reddling had to stop when he heard it speak, for it's voice had a dissonance with it's appearance. The voice was like a musical, keeping every word lyrical, but the pitch was piercing, almost like the sound of crystal shattering. “Attend to your companion, Black Widow, If you’d like him to survive!” Reddling tore his knife from the ground and ran at the creature, running right into the chain link fence and falling over as the world around him warped. It felt like strands of reality were being pulled away one by one, stealing the angles and sides of shapes, leaving the colours of the world to swim together. Everything felt was suddenly sluggish as he pulled up to his hooves, running forward before landing back on his side, blinking at the nonexistent fence in front of him. Memories blurred together as he got up once more, trotting stupidly into the fence again. To his side, Web screamed something he could not understand. He felt two sets of forehooves grab him as he tried to move after the creature, which was now vanishing into a swirl of uncontainable paints mixing together.

“I said DISENGAGE!” Web screamed angrily, turning away from the monster and facing Reddling. Her face was quickly slipping away as sounds became more and more distant to him. “Midnight, Bruiser, get him to my quarters, now! And you two, there was something in the food, find it! If you feel ill, get to my quarters. Go!”

Reddling angrily shoved away from Midnight and Bruiser. Web’s words were not making sense, but he knew what he had to do- get to her quarters, and she’d do something; Web could protect him, Web would make him better, because Web took care of him. Midnight howled as Redding punched him in the upper region of his swimming shape, galloping between the shifting worlds in front of him. The earth did not seem to have gravity now, or perhaps his body had just become so light that he did not feel its effects.

There was a tingling feeling in the back of Reddling’s head, and he felt his neck catch fire as he pushed into Web’s quarters. The last sound he could hear over his own screaming was the clatter of hooves and the nonsensical words of Web’s voice. One last time, Reddling heard Web say something to him, mixing with a host of other voices he could not remember as he fell into the darkness of his own sleep.

Slowly, Reddling could feel the pain leaving his body. There was no longer anypony touching him or a biting pain in his neck. Indeed, he seemed to have gone completely numb over his entire body, with no stimulation anywhere. The only way he could reason with the sensation was to be floating, gently drifting away in a pleasant swirl of strange colours and sounds that were all leaking together.

Finally, Reddling found the power to lift a hoof, pushing through the colours and pulling himself up. The world righted itself as he fell onto a grassy field. Looking around him, thick green ichor made itself known as it began to steadily creep towards him. Other than the silver grass and ichor, the place was totally deserted. The world lacked a sky and any true understanding of horizons.

Reddling was not so much scared of touch as much as he was scared of the touch of strange things. The green snakes creeping at him definitely  sat right in the middle of the strange things that shouldn’t touch him category.  Even as he shrunk away from it, the ichor rose on another side, eventually surrounding him and grabbing onto his hooves. Reddling frantically tried to kick it off or rub it off himself, but the horrible ichor maintained itself in a thick tentacle shape, crawling up his body and constricting his chest.  Reddling tried to stab at it, but quickly found he had no knife- nor did he have any wings. His entire body was being crushed to death as he was all alone in a grassy field.  Looking up to the nonexistant sky overhead, He let out a cry for help. The only answer he received was a warm vine filling his mouth, blocking out air as it suffocating him.

The entire thing seemed to pulse with his own heart. The liquid was warm and sticky, leaving him with an oddly safe feeling on the inside even as he tried to bite at it. Another tentacle wrapped itself around his muzzle and clamped it shut on the tentacle that was still worming around inside his mouth.

Slowly, the world began to fade as the ichor infected his body, soaking every one of his organs. It oozed into his eyes and left a horrible slimy trail on his throat and lungs. Reddling felt himself sinking into the ground, away from everything as he gave his eyes one last little bat. Despite the impossible odds of it, he was sure that he had heard a voice cry out his name in all of the torture.

There was a sudden pain on his chest as something punched him in tune with the name calling getting louder. Reddling was now quite sure that somepony was calling for him, but he felt like he was underwater, such a long distance away from them. With one final mustering of his strength, Reddling pulled himself towards the voice, and away from the ichor and towards the surface of the water.

The water was icy cold as it hit his face, pouring all over his muzzle, eyelids, and mane. The ichor slunk away from him speedily as he took a gasp of air. There was another pain as he felt somepony punch him in the face, ripping him back into reality with an opening of the eyes.

Reddling took a gasp as he found himself in an extremely soft bed. All over he felt his body burning in a fever, everything sweating and balking at the heat to the point that felt chilled. Web and Cobalt were standing over him, looking down. Web’s mane was a mess and she seemed extremely disheveled, although Cobalt simply looked tired. Vials and rags were strewn all over the bed and a nightstand next the sweating figure of Web, who finally leaned back.

The room was Web’s, complete with all of her different projects in their respective jars. Behind her and Cobalt, Reddling could make out his companions. They looked universally ill and weak, as if they had all just defeated some horrible illness. Reddling could not remember much, but he was sure he looked at least as bad.

“What happened?” Reddling blurted. His voice was raspy and weak, and felt like it hadn’t been used in ages. The edges of his throat tore like paper as he drew breath back in.

“Whatever it was, it’s venomous.” Web said, throwing herself back into a large chair and resting, putting a hoof on her head and looking at the mess of a room that she now possessed.

“You’re lucky to be alive.” Cobalt said. Reddling moved his head to the side, staring at Web as his memories began to come into focus.

“It called you by another name… ah,” Reddling found himself unable to recall the words exactly. It had been some sort of spider, but he would be damned if he could remember the name of it.

“A nickname.” Web said. Reddling forced himself to rise, every one of his vitals screaming at him to lay back down.

“The others? Are you guys okay?” Reddling moved his eyes over to the four ill bats propped up against the wall as his vision swam. Cobalt pushed him back down as Web nodded, looking over at the other four.

“That thing put something in the food.” Tops said. “I don’t know if you were joking before, but you were totally right when you accused it.”

“Intuition.” Reddling coughed. “Did we catch it?”

Web spat on the ground before standing again. Her voice was terrifying, and her face was now a mask of sadistic anger, twisting all of her features out of alignment. “It got away… But we’ll fix that.”

“Green tentacles, they were choking and restraining me-“ Reddling tried to rely his dream, but Web cut him off.

“Fever dream. Ignore it.” She put a hoof to her head quickly, groaning. “Ugh, Reddling will be fine. Rest of you, dismissed.”

“I failed everypony out there.” Reddling said lowly as the others filed out. Web looked down at him, brushing her mane back and sighing.

“The food was poisoned too. Slow acting, but it might have been weighing all of you down.” Web turned away from him, averting her eyes to the door. Reddling knew that both of them were thinking about the fact that only the other four had eaten the food, and that neither he nor Web had indulged.

“Nothing gets away from me. Nothing.” Web snarled the last word as she went to the door, opening it again. Her voice was sad and low, almost depressed. “I’m going for to take a walk. Reddling, stay down for a bit.”

The door slammed shut, leaving Reddling alone with Cobalt. Reddling only gave her one bitter glance before turning over on his side, extending his wing out and looking at the wall. He couldn’t look at this pony, the pony that had destroyed his friend, corrupted Tops into some monster. She was the one that trained monsters, that made her something like the monster of monsters.

Cobalt’s voice was soft when she spoke, faint and whispering smoothly into the air. “It was very touch and go there. I don’t think anypony but Web could have pulled that off, you’re very fortunate.” Reddling said nothing and ignored the unicorn’s words, still staring bitterly at the wooden wall in front of his face. He imagined that maybe if he glared at it long enough, the wood might start to chip away and maybe he could get some fresh air from outside. “Can I get you anything?” Cobalt was still eyeing him, not leaving the side of his bed despite the obvious attempts of the fevered pony in front of her trying to destroy the wall in front of him with powerful leers.

“No.” Reddling said simply after a few seconds. He shifted his hind hooves and sighed a little in relief as he felt his knife in its sheathe pressing against one of his legs.

“Not even something to drink?” Cobalt said plainly. There was a hint of something deeper in her voice, but Reddling couldn’t make it out.

“Unless you can help make sure I’m never a failure like that again with some magic trick, then leave me alone.” Reddling snarled, continuing to assault the wall in front of him with his eyes.

“Everypony fails sometimes. It’s a part of life- But that’s a lecture I’m sure you have no interest in hearing.” Cobalt’s voice was irritating in Reddling’s ear as he pulled the covers over his head. “Will you be alright by yourself?”

“Yes.” Reddling hissed at her. Cobalt turned to leave, but as Reddling heard her hoof on the door, she stopped.

“…Web must care for you. She’d have left anypony else to die. You should be very careful.” Reddling tried to hold his back, but soon felt the pressure in his skull become too much. He wrapped the covers over his face as he began to sob into the blanket, laying his head against the wall.

It was about an hour before Reddling felt good enough to turn away from his crying and return to staring at the ceiling. Slowly feeling returned to all of his limbs and the fever died back to an acceptable level, but everything still felt gross around him. The covers were damp from his sweat, and everything around him smelled of sick. Before Reddling could lift himself out of his bed however, the door cracked open, with two large ponies stepping inside.

“Oh- Reddling, you are awake.” Midnight said, standing next to Bruiser as they observed the scene. Reddling pushed his mane back quickly, trying to make it look a little more presentable.

“Yes.” Reddling blurbed simply, rubbing away some of the dampness that still clung to his eyes.

“How art thou?” Midnight said, approaching the bedside.

“Fine.” Reddling said simply again, putting no emotion or effort into his word.

“Needless to say, there shall be no training today. Are you hungry? We have determined the food remaining in the mess is safe.” Midnight offered. Reddling just stared at the ceiling, trying to work out if his body needed food or not. It was difficult to tell, what with being sick, however he was sure he was nearly dying of thirst.

“No.” Reddling said, shifting away from Bruiser and Midnight.

“We’ll be hanging out in the mess… arg, this is a huge pile of ponyfeathers.” Bruiser shook his head angrily. “When you’re good enough to stand, hit us up, alright? We wanna make sure you’re okay.”

“…Okay, thanks.” Reddling said, sinking into the pits of his mind again. If it hadn’t been for me going down, then we could’ve won. I went down, and if what Cobalt said was right, I held Web back. I don't understand how that creature moves so fast and got the better of me. I should be stronger and better trained to deal with monsters like that... Monsters that shoot lighting out of the ground, or ones that miss with their lance, or ones with a venomous bite, they are all the same, aren't they?

“-And if you require anything, please do not hesitate to ask. Farewell, Reddling. Pleasant dreams.” Midnight turned away, leaving with Bruiser as Reddling laughed quietly, finding himself alone with his thoughts again. The mind does horrible things someone who is left alone to their own devices after failing, Reddling knew that better than the others. Even the creature he had faced today made a far better assassin than he ever could; had it not been for Web, it probably would have succeeded. All of these thoughts continued to lead Reddling back to the same question- If he hadn’t held Web back, could she have defeated the monster?

But that in and of itself raised an even more alarming question. Why was it here in the first place? That thing was... powerful, and we're just lowly recruits. What does it gain by revealing itself openly to us?

Reddling turned his head as the door slammed open. Web trotted inside and over to the bed quickly.

“Can you stand?” She said somewhat dryly.

“Let’s find out.” Reddling replied. He turned and flipped his hooves out of his bed. His limbs were shaky under him, but he was able to stay on his hooves.

“Lunar’s here with new orders. Get on out.” Web said unhappily. Reddling couldn’t tell what was wrong with her- normally she was bubbly and giggly with him, but now she seemed to be only upset and angry.

She’s disappointed in me. Reddling realized, putting on his armor and knife. When he reached for his sword he found that only it’ sheathe rested there. Thinking back on the blurry details of the battle, Reddling quickly guessed no one had pulled the sword up and just left it there. Belting on the sheathe, he quickly hurried out and away from the seething Web.

Outside Lunar was not in front of the training field like normal, but instead in front of the mess hall. The others had all fallen in and were standing ready as Lunar looked over at Reddling. Hoping into line, Reddling snapped to the same statue position as his companions.

“Reddling, I understand you were poisoned. Are you recovered?” Lunar asked, keeping his eyes averted from the line of recruits.

“Yes, Sir.” Reddling called out.

“Good.” Lunar replied. “Venom and poison should not be taken lightly.”

Yeah, tell that to Web. Reddling thought, watching as Lunar paced, locking his eyes on the moon overhead.

“You are all being recalled to Canterlot. Training will continue, but you are also to assist in patrolling and safeguarding the city.” Lunar continued to pace with each word, looking frustrated.

There are more issues? Is he trying to say this hasn’t been an isolated incident? Surely they would not call on recruits who haven’t completed training to take on active duty unless the situation was bad.

“A section of the barracks will be quartered off for you. You will be issued more appropriate armor and weapons. Report to Canterlot Training Field at midnight tomorrow for more orders. That is all. The rest of the night is yours. Dismissed.” Lunar turned without another word and flew off.

When Lunar was gone they all stood back, relaxing. Tops looked down the line at Reddling, concern on his face. “Reddling? You alright?”

Reddling gave him the smallest of curt nods before turning away, keeping an eye on the green pony. Tops bit his lip and turned to go, looking like he was almost a bit upset. Reddling found his hooves guiding him back to Web’s quarters carefully. He stopped outside for a moment and breathed before knocking.

“I swear! If SOMEPONY ELSE is dying I am going to bucking kill you!” Reddling jumped back from the door slightly, but stayed outside her door.

“You could’ve left me in the field if that’s what you wanted.” Reddling called back in.

“Oh! Reddling!” the door swung open as Web turned back to cleaning he home. “Come in, come in…”

The room was still a bit messy, but Web seemed to have tackled most of the debris from taking care of sick ponies. Her face was still twitching slightly in anger, but otherwise she seemed to be mostly back to her old self.

“I wanted to thank you for saving my life out there.” Reddling said, blushing slightly as he proceeded to sit against the somewhat more dry sheets on her bed.

“Feh! It’s my job.” Web coughed, still cleaning up her place.

“Then thanks for being here to do your job- you seemed upset, I figured somepony should come check on you.” Reddling said. Web turned, her face twisting into an ugly mask as she looked at him with chilling levels of fury.

“When I get my hooves on that thing I’m going to rip it to pieces. I’m going to make its life a nightmare, I’m going to make it beg me to kill it before I’m finished!” Web’s voice was frantic, like some raving lunatic as the door to their cell was opened and light burned them.

“I guess you won’t be transferring to Canterlot with us then?” Reddling couldn’t hide the disappoint in his voice. He’d been afraid that Web might be leaving, and he was not sure how he could get through a day without her now. There was something… some feeling he couldn’t or didn’t want to name that he kept in the shadows, something bidding him to be around this Equestrian- or as his far less moody mind put it, Web was very pleasing company to him, unlike the other northern degenerates.

“Oh no, Afraid not. I’ve got a job to take care of- eeehehehee!” Web let out a mad giggle of eagerness as she turned back to her work, flicking her tail back and forth. “I’m going to hunt that thing, find it, and end it.”

“Who else is on the hunt?” Reddling asked. Web just smiled back at his concern and laughed.

“Oh, I’ll take care of myself.” Regaining her composure a bit, she waved a hoof. “Thanks for your concern, but I am fine.”

Reddling reached down and fiddled with his change purse, looking in at the crystals that he’d taken on his date with Web carefully, he took one out and set it on the bed absently. “I know you’ll be fine, because we’ve got a date after you kill this thing, right?”

“Yes… of course.” Web looked up, thinking for a moment. “Yeah, I’d be alright with that.”

You’re afflicted with the Nightmare too. That cannot be easy, but it’s going to be okay Web. I know you guys don’t mean to be monsters, it’s just what has happened to you. I’m going to help you- and Tops, and Nightshade! I’m going to cure you and make you better so you don’t have to suffer, and you’ll be free to enjoy life like other ponies. Trust me Web, I’ll help you, I swear! “Do you know who will be in charge of us in Canterlot, or will we be directly reporting to Lunar?” Reddling shook away his mental thoughts and returned to the realm of actual speech. “Also, you better get back quick, or I’ll run out of Black Agnosia."

“Lunar, yeah.” Web said simply. “You’ll survive, Just maybe- Well-“ she let out a tiny giggle. “I’m sure you’ll be fine!”

It’s saying things like that Web, that make me thing I should really be more scared of you than I am. “Let’s not have to find out.” Reddling said dryly.

“Yes, of course… Do you need anything else?” Web said, tossing some empty vials into a wastebasket.

“No, take care of yourself, and hurry back.” Reddling said, eyeing the wastebasket. The vials were sitting right on top, and he was sure he could scoop them up on his way out. Might be useful for storing Black Agnosia if I need to carry it into the field- or if I need to give somepony a little swig.

“Of course…” Web repeated. She turned her back to him, cleaning up the many different potions and ingredients that she had only an hour ago used to save his life. Reddling scooped up the vials as he left, and quickly returned to his room. Once he threw everything into his saddlebag, carefully wrapping the vials in his scarf and storing away the Black Agnosia jar carefully. Reddling realized as he checked all his equipment he had not yet bothered to go retrieve his sword, so he stepped outside to return to the battle sight. Reddling found the blade partially buried in the ground near the smoldering ruins of the back end of the mess hall. Today felt like it had lasted for an age, as if his entire life had come and passed him in a few hours.

When at last his thirst was too much to bare, Reddling trotted into the mess hall. Midnight and Tops looked over as he began dumping gallons of water over his face, gargling as he swallowed as much fluid as possible. After he was dripping wet from his mane all the way down his chest, Reddling turned back to the room, with both Midnight and Tops staring at him. Reddling blinked at the situation before him, looking around. Midnight and Tops appeared to be having lunch, but yet the earth pony was nowhere to be found.

“Midnight, Where is our scowling, hateful friend?” Reddling asked, trotting over and leaning forward on the table.

“I- the server?” Midnight asked, clearly taken aback.

“The one that turned into a giant bug and ran out, yeah. Where is the other one?” Reddling said.

“He was- he was that thing, wasn’t he?” Midnight’s voice fell as he uttered each word, a look of terror growing on the faces of all three ponies.

“Oh- Oh goodness, you’re probably right.”  Tops said, standing. “Has anypony checked his quarters?”

“You two go check the bar and base exchange, I’ll go to his quarters.” Reddling said, turning an galloping from the room.

“Reddling! Hang on, it could be dangerous, we’re coming with you.” Tops said. Both of the other ponies rose and chased after Reddling as he ignored them, storming to the earth pony’s cabin and rearing back, kicking forward and slamming the door open, leaving it hanging from a hinge.

“EeeewUgh!” Reddling cried out in disgust and covered his mouth as Midnight and Tops peered in from behind. The room was almost completely destroyed. The blinds had all been ripped down, the bed was shredded, and the table broken to pieces. The earth pony was here- suspended to the wall, a thick green ichor clinging to him, encasing him in a strange green slime that held him upright in place, his back flat against the wood.

“Midnight, go get Web.” Reddling said, putting his hoof back down and trotting in. there was nothing remaining in the room of value from the looks of it, everything had simply been destroyed. Tops swore under his breath as Midnight stammered agreement and rushed off to locate Web.

“Hey, can you hear me?” Reddling said to the earth pony. The pony simply stared straight ahead, staring blankly at the mess in front of him. Each eye was fully open and wide, clashing against his paled skin. Reddling blinked at the lack of response. “I stole drinks from the bar when you were gone, I took the bits for my scarf out of the register, and you’re ugly!” Reddling called at the earth pony. The equine did not even blink, remaining completely still in his encasing.

“He isn’t dead, yet anyway- dammit, this is gross.” Reddling said, feeling a hoof onto the earth pony’s neck to take his pulse. The feeling was weak, but the pony was surely not dead.

“Hey! Hey! Wake up!” Tops called to the earth pony. When he received no response, Tops began to pull on the pony. “Help me get him down!”

“Don’t touch him!” Reddling snapped. Tops pulled back quickly, looking slightly frightened.

“We can’t just leave him like this!” Tops looked back at the earth pony desperately.

“So peel him off the wall, then what? Wait for him to get up and start moving around and chewing on us?” Reddling pulled open the earth pony’s drawers as Tops backed up further, aghast and disgusted. With the exception of a few dirty magazines that existed in one of the smashed in nightstands, there was nothing worth noting in the entire room. It seemed that the earth pony was a pony of simple tastes, or at least had been.

“Well, this is something.” Web’s voice said behind them. Tops and Reddling turned as Web strode forward.

“Why did nopony come check on him?” Reddling asked.

“We were a little busy.” Web said without looking at Reddling. Something bitter stung inside Reddling’s chest as he realized why nopony had been able to come check on the earth pony- they had all been too busy keeping him alive to save this poor pony from the fate that now encased him against the wall. Web grabbed the hilt of her knife and with one deft swing, she nicked the muzzle of the earth pony. Reddling waited for the pony to begin frothing at the mouth, but nothing happened. Those same wide, blank eyes continued to stare forward without soul or comprehension.

“Leave him. We’ll deal with him later.” Web turned, leaving the pony right where he was.

“Eh, let’s go then…” Reddling turned for the door, following Web out. Midnight followed, but Reddling noticed a confused- no, it was a concerned look on Tops’ face, as if he wanted to ask a question. However, Tops only bit his lip and looked down, trotting to the door with the other two.

When they were outside, Reddling stopped, and finally turned to Tops. “Tops.”

Tops turned, looking up wearily. “Reddling?”

“What do you want to say to me?” Reddling asked, not making eye contact with the green bat.

“…I dunno. I feel like you’ve been… ignoring me, shunning me, or something.”

Reddling turned away, looking at the ground. His chest gave an odd heave as he laughed quietly, trying to pass it off as a cough. I try not to make a habit of associating with freakish monsters… haha! One of them saved my life today though, didn’t they? Reddling began to trot away as a horrible but pleasurable tugging grabbed at his heart. It was the feeling of shunning somepony, of letting them know just how much you disliked them, how much you could not be around each other.

“R-Reddling?” Tops said, still standing there and waiting for a response.

“I am sure he is simply overwhelmed by the day. Let us go.” Midnight said, but Reddling turned, his face now a terrible picture of cruel twists as he smiled at Tops.

“Hold on- Tops, what race were you before you joined the Night Guard?” Reddling asked, smirking. An evil idea had occurred to him about what their kinship might be.

“…I was an Earth Pony.” Tops said quietly. He seemed a little surprised by the question, but stood his ground nonetheless.

Reddling took the answer in his stride, letting his grin grow slowly. “I’ve just been thinking- trying to figure out why an earth pony has a wing for a cutie mark! Care to solve the enigma?” Reddling grinned at Tops, who was silent for a moment before looking up at him, connecting his lime eyes with Reddling’s stormy grey.

“I always thought- like I was born the wrong race. I don’t know. Like I should have been a pegasi. I’m sure it sounds dumb, but I just always wanted wings. Felt like I should have them.” Tops continued to stare into Reddling’s eyes as he said this, creating some weird tension on the front of Reddling’s skull. It was not a pain, but rather something that seemed to repel him, keep some of his harshness and fury at bay.

“I guess that makes two of us.” Reddling said quietly.

“That’s why you joined the guard?” Tops asked, leaning forward curiously.

“I never asked for any of this, I joined the guard to prove something to myself.” Reddling coughed, not breaking eye contact even as he raised a hoof to his mouth, barely breathing his next words. “Did you ever have odd back pains growing up, Tops? Just a question.”

“No, why?” Tops asked, confused.

Reddling began to snicker, dropping his hoof before he burst out into a fit of highly audible laughter. Tops backed away, looking uncomfortable with the strange pony in front of him. Reddling however, could not care less, for he reasoned that if he didn't ask these things now, he might never get another chance to hear the answer. “Ha, haha! Just curious! And I’m not ignoring you Tops! See, we just had the nicest conversation.” Reddling turned, trotting off as he continued to snicker to himself.

“Honestly Reddling, it doesn’t seem like you’re being all that nice.” Tops said. Beginning to turn to go to his quarters. Midnight stared hopelessly at the scene before trotting back to his quarters as well. Reddling stayed still at Tops comment, looking up at the sky outside his own quarters.

“Is that so?” Reddling asked. A cold breeze swept over the mountain, bringing with it a single puffy cloud that blocked some of the moon’s radiance. Maybe one day I'll regret how I'm acting. You never know what the night can bring.

Before Reddling laid himself down to sleep, he pushed the Black Agnosia aside, grinning to himself as he prepared for an experience. His life had nearly been taken from him, and he planned to stop living for the future, and make the most of the present. Being cruel to Equestrians, abusing substances, murdering royalty, all good choices, but he'd have to take them all one step at a time.

Inflections

The first rays of the sun shined brightly as they poured over the hills, illuminating long silver glades painted with the late blooming purple flowers of fall. Overlooking a large red river, a sleepy town was beginning to awaken, with small ponies pulling themselves from bed and trotting out into the sunlight. It was not easy living in Silverfield if you were without privilege, and for most ponies that meant a long, hard day of working in their fields or gardens. Those shopkeepers who did not own fields saw meager traffic throughout the day, but they always seemed to get by with enough money to spare at the local bars in the evening.

For those that knew privilege though, it was another boring day of snoring through the early morning hours. Several miles north of the town was a ruined fortress that towered over the land, casting a shadow on the surrounding hills as it overlooked the calm landscape. Inside this fortress was a keep, with one wing under construction and one wing that looked to be in good repair. In the center of this castle sat a once grand throne room that now had nothing more than engravings upon the stone floor and walls to keep it decorated. Behind the thrones were a hallway, and in one of the rooms ajoined to this hallway slept Rainy, a simple unicorn with simple outlooks on most things.

Rainy smiled as he heard a pigeon chirp at his window. Magically unlocking the hatch from under his covers, Rainy waited for the bird to push it's way inside before he pounced on it, throwing his covers over the bird as it landed on his bed. There was a few moments of struggling, but finally the bird stopped moving and stuck out a leg with a sizable envelope attached to it. Rainy untied the attachment before grabbing the bird and tossing it back out the window, angry squawks echoing back at him as he shut the window. Rainy simply giggled at the stupid Equestrian bird. He actually was quite fond of animals, but anything from that horrible place was probably carrying some horrifying disease.

Rainy leaned back in his bed as two small bags jingling with bits fell onto the sheets. While it was always nice to get money from Reddling, Rainy was far more interested in the letters filled with cramped and somewhat messy penponyship. Ever since his uncle had left, he was determined to read every letter until he finally received word that the blighted princesses and other royalty were slain.

He was waiting for the letter Reddling would send him saying that he'd be coming home. Telling him he wouldn't be alone anymore.

Rainy,

Greetings from the blighted lands. Training has taken me for quite a ride, and I'm sorry that I haven't been able to write in many weeks. I've recently gained some... perks of a new position. I think that the increase in bits has made this quite apparent. As I've told you in the last letter, my new position places me very close to the Princesses. I'd say this might even be the closest I'll get to them given my background- These ponies up here, they speak so  weirdly! But anyway, I've made some ponies, heh, "friends", or at least, they trust me. Odd as it is, I find myself trusting them as well. No doubt if they knew more about me they'd turn on me in an instant, but it still gives me some comfort knowing that I won't be fed to giant worms, snake ponies, horrifying abominations, thestrals, yeah. Don't worry about me! There is certainly not any crazy things taking a bite out of me, nor am I going to let that happen anytime soon!

I want to know how you are doing Rainy. I know it's very hard to get letters back into Equestria, and we always run the danger that our mail is being intercepted. If my work brings me near you at any point, I promise that I will be by to visit and check up on you.

Thinking about you with overwhelming fondness,

Reddling Rain

Rainy put the note disappointingly under a smooth rock on top of at least two dozen other messages that Reddling had sent. Paranoid as Reddling claimed to be about having their mail intercepted, this had not stopped him from sending notes whenever he seemed to have the chance. Rainy pushed the thought out of his mind as he stretched, giving a deep yawn as he reached over and uncorked a bottle next to his bed, taking a swig of the ruby liquid inside. Giving a little cough as he swallowed, Rainy put the cork back on as he buckled his sword before he grabbing a small bag of coins on his way out. Sure, Rainy was lonely, and the solemn town in the south didn't really give him much comfort, but the cafe in town simply had the best full Silverfieldian Breakfast.

And everything aside, Rainy felt like he could afford to splurge quite a bit when it came to things like breakfast, wine and booze. Whatever unnamed job Reddling was making money at, the money had done wonders to elevate Rainy's status with the other locals of Silverfield. The unicorn took a deep breathe of air as he started his walk, completely sure that Reddling, and unfortunately his friends and the damn Princesses of Equestria, were in no peril at all.

"Ah, this, this is excellent!" Rainy declared from his favorite seat at the local cafe. In front of him were several dishes piled to the brim with their different parts. A pile of fluffy scrambled eggs cooked in milk leaned against a full potato that had been cut in half and fried before being stuffed with double fried mushrooms and tomatos. Three small oat pancakes sat on a plate near a small bowl of hot dipping oatmeal that had been mixed with a brown sugar. Directly in front were two plates, one containing some wheat soda bread and the other two potato scones.  Rainy quickly lifted a butter knife with his horn and dipped it into a jar of grape jam, spreading the tasty substance over the scone as he took a full bite and swallowed. He dismissed the waitress of the cafe with a polite nod as she delivered a large glass of tea to the table, setting it next to his water glass. Within moments the strong smells of honey and jasmine wafted over the table, mixing with all the other fragrances from the breakfast.

When the breakfast laid half eaten with almost all of the most tasty parts picked out and devoured, Rainy leaned back and burped, looking around the small cafe. It only had six tables on the inside and four on the outside, only half of which might be filled on a busy morning .A tired looking stallion emerged from the kitchen, leaning on the counter and looking out through a window that shot rays of sunlight into what was otherwise a bleak life behind the counter and in the kitchen. Rainy watched as the waitress drew closer to her husband, also taking a seat as they locked eyes and sighed, almost happily.

Rainy had been coming through the cafe often enough to get to know the owners well. In a few months they would be expecting a new foal, and Rainy had already promised their mother that he'd take extra special care of them. He'd partaken in their conversations where they had wondered if, like the foal's mother, they would have back pains through their life. Rainy had insisted that they merely hope for a unicorn, as their foal would have an easier time getting along in life. Dropping a couple bits on the table, Rainy slunk out of the cafe, thinking to himself how... final it all seemed.

Silverfield was not a happy place, but nopony said that. Rainy could see weary ponies who only waited to drown their sorrows in drink everyday pulling carts or working in the farm fields when he would go about his day. Everypony he passed seemed to be filled with this ebbing sadness. It was not a depression, the likes of which would touch their facial features and body language, but rather an aura that lacked dreams or hope wrapped around them like a cloak on a cold winter day.

As the young colt stopped outside of the grand church, he sighed. He couldn't remember if the world had been this depressing when Reddling was around, but at least things had always seemed brighter. Rainy remembered Reddling had come home sometimes looking sad and weary, yet he and Rainy had always been able to be close and cheer each other up. The prevalent cloak of sadness that wrapped itself around the rest of the ponies simply stayed away from them.

It was a happy feeling Rainy didn't have a word for. It was also a feeling of closeness that he was not going to let the cursed lands of Equestria take from him. Nodding to himself, Rainy assured himself that he was safe, that Reddling was safe, and that one day soon they'd enjoy each other's company once more.

Reddling could feel himself floating in a dark, suffocating void. His felt his hooves touched down on a stone floor as he slowly rose up, opening his eyes and looking around at the castle before him. He was back home in the ruins of Castle Celes, and the general disrepair of the place greeting him with a homely feeling nonetheless.

The world rocked in and out of focus, as if it was not only unreal, but also utterly self-aware of its that everything contained inside itself was not real.  Pressing his hooves to himself, Reddling nodded before looking around. At the very least, he was completely real here, even if the castle itself appeared incorporeal. Odd shapes were twisting at the edges of his vision, writing in languages he did not know and making symbols that he had never seen before.

Trotting forward, Reddling jumped back suddenly with a start as Rainy darted into his vision, looking around the castle with a smile on his face. “Weddling?” The little light blue colt asked, looking directly at Reddling.

“Rainy! How’re you today?” Reddling asked, kneeling down to him. Rainy did not respond, acting as if he had not heard anything said to him. The colt sat down now his smile changing from slight glee to worry.

“Weddling?” Rainy asked, the fear in his voice reflecting a now frantic tone the colt began to panic. “Reddwing, please come out, I give up okay?” Reddling twisted around as he felt something grab at his back. Wrapped around the base of his wing was a collar attached to a chain that was slowly pulling and tugging backwards, away from Rainy.

“Weddling?” Rainy asked pathetically again, staring around the castle.

“Rainy, I’m right here!” Reddling called, tugging at the chain. “W-What is this?”

As if to answer his question, another chain was suddenly thrown from a darkness that ripped the world asunder. Reddling felt himself fall over as both of his wings began to be forcibly pulled away from the castle, and away from Rainy.

“Rainy, what do you want to say? Out with it!” Reddling screamed at the colt. Rainy did not respond to the screams, but instead began to simply cry, curling up in a ball on the floor.

“Weddling? Where are you? Why did you leave? Reddwing?” Rainy asked to the cold cobblestone floor. Reddling pulled himself to his hooves and began to march towards Rainy, but a painful jerk on his wings brought him back down to his belly, the chains dragging him backwards as various portraits that hung in the halls of the castle leered down at him. Some of the portraits were of ponies, others of bats that Reddling had never met. All of them had the same feature however, with red paint, red blood leaking from their mouths and running over their frames before dripping onto the floor like rain.

"Ugh! Disgusting!" he hissed, fighting his way to his hooves once more just for the chains to give another tug, tearing into his flesh and forcing him back to the ground, dragging him into the darkness. He swung his hooves, punching and kicking at the the ground as slowly the world came back into view. Cobblestone pillars and other ruined bits of castle floated around the courtyard of Castle Celes. Standing only on his hind hooves and leaning against a dead tree, a cloaked figure watched as Reddling straightened up. There were a few tense moments as they stood there, waiting for the other to speak. The cloaked figure made no sign that it knew Reddling was there, but he was sure they were watching him.

"You there! What is your name, why are you here?" Reddling hailed to the cloaked pony. The cloaked pony gave no answer, but did pull their cloak aside, letting it fall away as they trotted forward. Light from some unseen source graced their features as they pushed back their hood, letting their bright amethyst mane fall against their fiery black coat. Two stormy grey eyes met Reddling's gape as he stared at himself.

A few tense moments passed before the earth pony looked up, smiling devilishly. "You're in my home, so you first. What's your name, Equestrian?"

Reddling stomped a hoof angrily, snorting at himself. "Ha! A good joke! I am Reddling Rain, of Silverfield, and this is my home!"The earth pony's grin did not waver. slowly beginning to circle Reddling, he could see various leather pieces rising from the ground and wrapping themselves around the pony's body. Redddling gulped at the thought of the leather armor covering his body, and shook a little as the earth pony trotted in front of him again, now with Ausfall in their mouth. Both of their eyes met for a few seconds, then Reddling reached out and ripped Ausfall out of the pony's mouth, throwing it aside.

"You've already failed us. Finally, we trusted you and believed in you, and you let us down, "Reddling". You are no assassin, no knight in shining armor, no hero of Silverfield. Why have you not killed Luna yet?" The earth pony laughed, demanding the last bit and poking Reddling in the chest.

"I shall when I have the chance, I-" Reddling was silenced as the earth pony raised a hoof, still staring into his eyes.

"You'll fail us. If you don't know it, I do. You'll fail Silverfield, you will fail Equestria, and you will fail all those around you. Or are you too stupid to scry the future?" The earth pony asked.

"You foolish phantom, of course I cannot see the future! I am an assassin, not a fortune teller." Reddling retorted. The earth pony laughed a cruel, twisted laugh once more.

"You'll know it when it happens." With that, the earth pony turned away, trotting away and into a swirling grey mist that seemed to be now binding the world together. Steeling himself, Reddling ran to Ausfall and grabbed the blade, turning and flipping his body over so he'd land on his back- but not before the blade flew from his hoof and soared at his earth pony self. The other Reddling staggered as the blade hit him in the side. Reddling turned himself over, trying to get up, but soon a weight was apply itself to his back, along with a splitting pain hitting him right above his wing. Reddling turned to see that Ausfall had been hacked into the base of his wing, cutting straight down to the bone and leaving it to spasm of it's own accord, completely useless.

"This is the price you pay. Nothing's free, Reddling Rain. Will you be me?" The other Reddling leaned down, grabbing the back of Reddling's mane in his mouth and pulling it up. After a few seconds the other Reddling let go, watching Reddling's face flop into the ground with a puff of dust. "Or become something else? We'll see."

Reddling felt one last breath of air leave his lungs before he fell forward into the earth, losing himself once more in the blackness of his dreams. Now he was floating alone in the blackness with renewed purpose.

I know what must be done. I know why I am here. For my countryponies that were raped, enslaved, and used. I'm going to slaughter the royalty of Equestria... But after I finish off Equestria, I'll make sure I go back to Silverfield and change things. I'm going to make a difference in both lands. The past won't repeat anymore, and the future won't be bound by the past. I'll make the justice I like.

Reddling touched down in a basement esque room, leaving the blackness behind. The walls were covered with cobwebs, and everything seemed dull and depressing. Ahead, Reddling could hear somepony from far away calling his name, along with a banging. He was being dragged towards the sound of his name, for despite the hatred he had just imbedded in his heart, there was a feeling that was impossible to fight any longer.

Reddling began to walk towards a dark black rift opening on the other side of the room before stopping dead in his tracks, staring in horror at the ground. In front of him was a mare, her dark grey coat and blue-white mane instantly drawing Reddling's attention away from everything else.

Web grinned as she opened her eyes. Instead of the sweet, heartlifting amber that Reddling had come to need to see everyday, there was instead a torrent of black spiders with red hourglasses on their backs and bellies pouring from her skull. Reddling threw himself back with a scream, but it was already too late as the creatures overtook him, pulling him away from Web and pinning him to a back wall. Web stood up, as if to say something, but when her mouth opened it was not her sultry tones gracing Reddling's ears, but instead ten thousand blackened scorpion creatures wriggling from the back of her throat. They flung themselves on him, cutting into his skin, tearing into his nose, mouth, and ears. Reddling shut his eyes and let out a scream for help, but the creatures only continued to bury themselves into him, ripping at every inch of flesh and muscle they could expose.

The Capital

“Reddling!”

There was a shrill banging on Reddling’s door as he fumbled in his covers. Loud as the voice was, there was some buzzing in his ears that he could not make out. It obscured the voice like a fuzzy veil. “ Are you alright?” The voice asked.

Feeling himself fall out of bed, Reddling finally made out what the buzzing was- it had been his own frantic breathing rushing past the covers, most likely mixed with other cries and various fits. Reddling took a somewhat composed and quick breath as the darkness of blankets around his head were ripped away, exposing the world very suddenly.

“Don’t touch me, Ah! No, let go! Don’t touch me, get your damn hooves- argh!” Reddling kicked at the blankets as he fought to get away from whatever assailant he could not yet make out through tired eyes.

“Reddling, what is going on?” Reddling shook his head as he focused in on Midnight, who was looking down at him with great concern. Reddling took a few moments to breathe, then looked up at his friend's eyes, blinking confusedly.

“You were making a fuss, I thought I ought to investigate.” Midnight said. Still composing himself, Reddling rolled away from Midnight, sitting up on the end of his bed and touching his head. He was drenched in sweat, but his body felt different than it had before. This time there was a knife stuck sideways through the front of his skull, somewhat like a bad hangover.

"Just, forgot to take some medicine, that's all." Reddling said quietly. "It's important to not miss dosages to keep the nightmares away, at least, until I've prepared to chase them."

Midnight shifted uncomfortably on the other end of the bed, looking down at Reddling. "I'm sure you have no interest in hearing a lecture, but maybe it would be wise if you did not continue this. I do not understand why you treat Tops so horribly, nor your obsession with The Nightmare. It's unhealthy."

"Midnight, I am only seeking to make sure I have the power to protect what I care about, and that means making sure that I embrace all parts of this.. this gift." Reddling wanted to say "curse" at the end, but bit his words back, feeling it wiser to simply mumble his way through the conversation. "Is Web gone? )r can I still catch her?"

Midnight let out a sigh as he shook his head. "She left at Sunset, she seemed very eager to begin what she referred to as a 'hunt.'" Reddling turned and blinked, then grabbed for his things.

"There is a wagon, you know." Midnight said. "It can take your things to Canterlot for you, if you'd rather not carry them."

"Thanks, I'll think about it." Reddling said coolly, heading for the door. He hoped that if he got outside for some fresh air, maybe all of yesterday would blur away.

"Wait, Reddling," Midnight said, "I wish to speak to you for a moment about Tops." Reddling turned slowly, leaning against the door with a groan. he waves his hoof slightly to the side, signalling for Midnight to go on.

"Tops thought of you as a friend. I still cannot understand why you treat him so horribly." Reddling shook his head at Midnight, standing up and opening the door.

"No, I don't have time for this." Reddling shot Midnight a nasty look that he hoped would tell him to not raise this topic with him again before letting the door slam shut. In the training field Reddling spotted the wagon, which was mostly filled with Web's things. It saddened him that Web had not stopped by to say goodbye, or that he had not been able to see her off, but at least she was no doubt amusing herself with her "hunt."

The flight to Canterlot did not take as long as expected. Before stopping by the barracks, Reddling had taken a time to stop by the various stores that littered Canterlot. He had been unhappy with the way his armor generically stood out during his date with Web, and resolved to make sure that he wore something much nicer the next time they met for anything. Besides that, his dream had shown him wearing a coat, and who was he to challenge the realm of dreams? While the others labeled them as nothing but another realm or silliness, Reddling felt it was destiny.

He’d have never even come to Equestria if he had not been chosen to do so by his cutie mark. It was his destiny to kill the Princesses of Equestria.

Time passed by as the various shadows leapt up into the street. A lantern here or there kept the world lit up, but other than this, there was hardly any light except for an occasional torchholding pony out late.  Reddling automatically turned down alleyways to avoid any of Canterlot’s citizens who were out, keeping his wings tucked to his side as he explored the clothing district.

There was something comforting about stalking the night like he was, although Reddling did not really want to admit it to himself. The darkness of nighttime had an air of glory in all of it's calmness, with only the figure of the moon above with scattered stars allowed for any authentic lighting in a world at rest. There was a peacefulness to this time that brought with it fears to normal ponies. Those devoted to the day hid away in the night for fear of monsters or other horrors.

Bat ponies had no such fear. The night was their time, their world, and the shadows did not bring any fear with it. The shadows were nothing for them to hide from- after all, they were the shadows.

Reddling stopped outside a small store that carried many fancy suits and coats. Winter was beginning to approach, so a lot of heavier coats had been moved up to stand in the display below a sign that read “PSS: Perfect Suits, Perfect Silhouettes” in bright, silver lettering. While it wasn't chilly yet, Reddling had so wanted to get a coat when he was in Canterlot last time, and besides that, it might be useful for carrying things discreetly if he needed to get something to another place without it being seen.

Pushing his muzzle on the door, Reddling headed inside. He looked around at the different fancy works hanging up on hangers that kept them in the various displays scattered around the place. There was a desk at the back of the shop, and a tired looking unicorn mare lifted her head up, yawning and brushing back her aqua mane before gasping in excitement, suddenly fully awake at the sight of the Lunar Guard before her.

“A customer! A batpony! Oooh!” The mare pranced forward, looking hopefully at Reddling. “Good evening, may I be of assistance Miss…?”

“…Ter. Yes, good mor- evening.” Reddling said wistfully, looking at various longcoats and vests hanging on the wall as his mouth gave a twitch at the mare’s imprudence. He wasn’t here to improve Canterlot’s ability to tell the difference between males and females, but he had hoped the shopkeepers had a little more tact than the mare before him. “I wanted to have a look at your wares,  if you’ll be open for a few more minutes?”

The mare backed up a little at the coldness and terrible distance Reddling had added to his words at being mistaken for a mare, but the shopkeeper quickly regained her composure. “Of course, of course!  Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”

“A longcoat- a lunar longcoat, if possible.” Reddling gazed distantly at the various clothing items that hung from their wire hangers. The mare bounced on her hooves and quickly disappeared.

“I have just the thing!” Reddling jumped a bit as the mare appeared right at his side, holding up a deep blue long coat in her hooves. For a normal stallion, Reddling guessed it might have dropped just above the knees, but for him it was a bit oversized and seemed unnecessary bulky. On the shoulder area there was an extra layer of cloth held down by two triangles of three buttons. The front of the coat also had a very wide opening to it, which showed a silky black interior. While there was no debating that this coat might be as fancy as they come in Canterlot, it also left an odd taste in one’s mouth, as if it was not a coat from Equestria.  The coat had two sets of pockets on the outside, two on the upper torso and two that hung right near sleeves that looked much, much too long for Reddling.

“It might need to be hemmed a little, but I think we can make it work for you.” The mare said. Reddling nodded, stunned that such a high quality piece had been kept around. “Well, try it on then!” The mare pushed the coat on him, and Reddling pulled it over himself. The sleeves trailed on the ground, causing his hooves to step on the inside of the sleeves. The coat felt bulky and very oversized, but then, if he ever needed to be covert, it would defiantly help distort his frame. Reddling rolled up the sleeves and stood in front of the mare, trying to find everything wrong with the coat he could. It was not heinously oversized, but it was certainly not going to fit him. The coat even lacked holes for his wings, which was something that he knew could not be compromised in the field.

“Oh, I’ll have to tailor this for you… hmm, you like the coat yes? I can make you a custom one in just your style.” The mare said. Reddling ran the back of his hoof over the well-oiled leather- it was supple, yet tough, and while it might not be blocking any arrows or blades, it would certainly hold up against the elements.

“Yes, that is fine, is it possible to have some accommodation for my wings?” Reddling said plainly, stepping forward as the mare produced dozens of tape measures, rulers, pens, and other various instruments that Reddling did not recognize.

“Yes, that shouldn’t be an issue.” The mare said, helping Reddling take the coat off as she began to measure his shoulders, legs, and chest. When she got to his back and sides, she stopped for a moment, staring at the leathery webbing that protruded from his back.

“I must say, I have never fit a batpony before.” Her voice was something like a small child in awe and disbelief. Reddling simply shrugged at this, his mind flashing at the thoughts of what he had been before this. In Equestria he was a normal earth pony, and at home, well, that was something he wasn’t prepared to dwell on in the middle of a store.

“It takes a little adjustment…” Reddling said quietly, staring at the opposite wall distantly. The paint on the wall appeared to be peeling slightly, and while this place was obviously still high end, it was showing signs that it needed a cleanup and minor repairs.

“All finished!” The pony declared as she snapped a tape measure shut, heading over to her desk and stowing away her tools. Reddling felt a splitting pain in his side as she began to count out all of the larger bits. One by one 20 and ten bit coins stacked on top of each other as the pain began to reach unbearable levels. Finally, when the coat was fully paid for, Reddling snapped the pain shut and put it back on his side, knowing that no band aid or salve was going to heal this wound quickly.

“Have a good night!” The mare smiled as Reddling  left. Reddling simply breathed his farewell, not returning her smile.

“Pleasant dreams.”

Practice came and went, leaving most of them bruised up and sitting near the still Web-less bleachers.  Lunar had decided that the best use for his new recruits was to allow them to serve as target practice for some up and coming crossbowgun unicorns. This lesson had apparently been the plan before Tops had had his leg broken, and Lunar made sure to emphasize this fact heavily as he breathed down Reddling’s neck. The displeasure at still having the red pony in the lineup was palpable as Lunar glared on at the scene, no doubt chuckling the whole time to himself as each bolt rammed itself into their sides, leaving a good stinging pain. When at last they had finished being abused, Lunar called them to fall in, looking quite satisfied with the beating that the recruits had incurred.

“In a real combat situation, any of those arrows would have been sufficient to kill.” Lunar said. Their captain had repeatedly pushed into Reddling’s head indirectly why Web would never consider taking him or any of his friends along to any of her missions, they’d be liabilities. Liabilities she might not be able to save next time.

“However, you also would have more adequate defenses. Real armor, weapons, shields, as well as additional support. Tonight you will be issued some real armor, weapons, and if you wish, shields.” Lunar continued. “You will continue wearing your current attire to practice, but for duties around Canterlot will wear something more appropriate.”

I wonder if any of these Equestrians have been in real combat. Reddling mused. You all seem so sure of this, but combat is unpredictable. Anypony can be gone in the blink of an eye. That’s how fighting is, and monsters don’t care if you were fond of them or not. Monsters like the Snake Ponies in Silverfield, or the monsters that stalk the night- ha, monsters like us? Reddling laughed bitterly to himself as Lunar motioned for the group to follow him. They flew to Canterlot Palace, but instead of heading into the grander parts, ducked under the palace and began to explore the lower parts of the keep. Pale marble floors echoed the weird shapes of the ponies trotting on it, matching flawlessly against ornate brick walls that eventually gave way to more dingy grey bricks, and finally a cave.

Oh, how very bat like. Glad to see they keep the place in mild disrepair, I mean, seriously, who keeps everything totally neat and in place all the time anyway? Reddling watched as the walls passed them by, finally giving way to a stone cavern where various weapons and shields were hanging on the walls.

Reddling trotted with his companions to the various weapons on the walls as Lunar explained that the Night Guard always had its own special form of weaponry.  Reddling simply laughed as he stared at all the weapons, noticing how each one was made of a deep blue steel.

These things must be brittle and weak, they won’t serve me well at all in a fight. Reddling thought as he tested out each weapon. They were perfectly balanced in either his hoof or mouth, and the pommels on all the swords were adorned with simple emblems of a crescent moon or a silted eye.

“Armor will be made to fit for each of you, However, any weapon of your choice should suffice. If you see something that catches your eyes, tell me and I will assign it to you.” Lunar said, pulling out a clipboard from a small cupboard, which he dropped with a pen before turning to the armor pieces hanging on the wall. “For the armor, each of you should pick what you feel suits you best, depending on your endurance, strength, size, and style, and complete set will be made to suit your needs.”

Reddling watched as his companions picked out their weapons and proceeded to an adjacent cave, where a bat pony was measuring them for armor in a somewhat similar fashion to how the mare had been measuring him for his coat earlier that night.

Reddling noted the various weapons of his companions as he gathered up his various weapons. Midnight has chosen a large kite shield that he could also attach to his back to cover his wings and a longsword. Bruiser appeared to have drooled on a horrifying looking maul covered in odd spikes and dangerous edges. Tops bore a lance on his back as well as a set of claws that he was trying on his hooves. While the others had all taken time to outfit themselves to their needs, Nightshade had simply chosen a longsword and trotted straight to the next room.

“Throwing knives, knives, and a bastard sword- Reddling....” Lunar jotted down some numbers on a clipboard before tucking it back onto the ground.. “Go get fitted for armor, and I will see you tomorrow night at the practice field.”

Reddling ducked into the next room wordlessly, looking at the various ponies. There were three primary flavors of armor- light, heavy, and medium. Tops was getting suited for a set of medium armor, which included many sturdy looking plates that covered almost all of his body, leaving his neck exposed and only chain mail to cover the joints.  Midnight and Bruiser were both getting fitted for Heavy armor, which had enough deadly spikes and heavy plates on it that it seemed like tackling an enemy would be sufficient to subdue them.

Reddling took his place beside Nightshade, paying her no heed as a bat came up with a tape measure and began to measure him for armor quickly. In truth the light armor did not seem to be much different from his ceremonial set he had grown used to training in, although it had extra plating for the plot and legs that made it sufficient for defending against most general attacks in a combat situation. Cloth surrounded chain to keep the armor quiet and covered most of the body. Reddling was not fully sure if it would be possible for him to sneak around in this armor, but it did seem like this was going to be the only choice he could have if he wanted to be able to move silently.

“Aight, hold still.” The armorer bat said, going over the various measurements. Neck to shoulder, shoulder to leg, leg to knee, knee to ankle, shoulder to wing, around the chest, around the stomach, around the hips, hips to knee, and knee to ankle.

“You’re a small one, ain’tcha?” the armorer said, looking at their measurements and then back to Reddling, as if double checking to make sure they were totally accurate.

“… Yes, I suppose you could say that.” Reddling said. He was becoming uncomfortably familiar with the general Equestrian responses. If it was not a comment that insinuated that he was undersized for a colt, then it was always somepony mistaking him for a mare. He was constantly surrounded by foreigners who didn’t seem to have any grasp on the reality of what his breed really looked like.

“Quick, quiet, we respect that. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with bein’ small. Hit’em where it hurts and it don’t matter what size ya’re. The big’uns get stuck on guard duty. You’re the lucky one, I’d say.” The armorer began pulling out different shades of armor, and Reddling picked a darker blue plating, trying to think back to the shade of his coat and hoping that it would match well.

“What do you mean by that?” Reddling demanded, not liking the wording of the pony’s statement at all. His mind was busy imagining a shadow of himself sneaking into places and stabbing ponies in the back, killing them before they had a chance to fight back.

“Eh, Night guard’s for gaurdin’ the Princess, but when nuthin’s going on in Equestria, nothing much to do. Big Uns are good at guardin’. But if you’re small and sneaky, then that opens all sorts of other things you can do. Though, ain’t nothing exciting happening anywhere nowadays, so it’s not really important as-is.” The armorer waved a hoof at Reddling, who backed up as they began to look at different plates and deciding what shapes would work best together.

“So you throw small ponies, perhaps literally, to the wolves huh…” Reddling drifted off in the conversation as the armorer finished up setting pieces on him, making sure everything was in order before allowing him to go and join his other companions, who were all ready to head back to the barracks.

“Quite the trial today, Reddling?” Midnight Tales asked as they all fell into a gaggle, leaving the caverns behind them. Reddling just snorted and looked down.

“Trial? It seemed more like an organized beating.” Reddling said.

“Lunar seemed to favor a very hooves on approach to these things.” Midnight stated, and Reddling snorted again.

“Hooves on?” Reddling asked. “He watched them shoot us with blunt arrows for half of the night.”

“An exercise in shield-work and team-work, with immediate consequences for failure.” Midnight said sagely.

Reddling found himself trying to melt holes in the ground with his eyes. “Teamwork is nice, but it’s best to only rely on yourself. I could fail you, you could fail me. We all have to take care of ourselves, or we’re no good for teamwork. Maybe if they shoot us with arrow enough times it’ll make this stop hurting and we’ll be able to pull through for the 'team.'"

“In the field, I doubt the arrows will be so blunt, I would rather know I can depend on my teammates than pretend that I am skilled enough to dodge a hundred arrows from all directions.” Midnight hesitated for a moment, then continued, “Still, I cannot say that I enjoyed being shot at… Hopefully we will not be abused in such a fashion again.”

“Don’t curse us.” Reddling coughed as they took flight back to the barracks.

Reddling’s Façade

The halls of the barracks were abuzz the next evening with talk as Reddling made his way to the mess hall, toting all of his new weapons. It seemed that the ponies had made note of his lack of a helmet, as they had taken the time to deliver a new helmet to him during the day. Putting on the helmet and armor, Reddling entered into the stream of other guards, who instantly began murmuring to themselves. Reddling couldn’t make out everything they said, but the bits and pieces of their conversation confirmed to him that they were talking about him with a mixture of curiosity, distrust, and perhaps a twinge of fear.

Reddling laughed internally to himself at their paranoia. Some of the rumors he heard as he wandered through the halls were absolutely asinine; some said you had to kill a pony and drink their blood to get into the night guard. Others said you had to sell your soul to dark powers, or even that Luna picked you out with her own hoof and then killed those who were not cut out for it.

Reddling shot a fangy grin from under his helmet to one of the smaller looking guards that was muttering, and they jumped back, trying to return the grin while stammering, “Err- Afternoon!”

“Morning for me.” Reddling replied quietly.

“Just waking up then. For the night time.” The guard pointed out, as if hoping his rather obvious knowledge would confirm he was not totally ignorant of bats.

“Yes,” Reddling replied joyfully, keeping a smooth quietness to his voice. “For night time things.”

“Right, well, I’m sure you have important night time things to do, I’ll just be going.” The guard turned and nearly ran away from Reddling, turning a corner hastily. Reddling snickered as he continued to the mess hall. Passing around the same corner, Reddling found himself across the hallway from two other guards, one of whom appeared somewhat frail. Smirking to himself, Reddling let the stories of olden times roll into his mind as he continued his torture of the dayponies.

Slipping past them and heading instead for the exit of the barracks, Reddling started mumbled to himself, “Hmm, can’t have an early night drink yet, haha," making sure he was more than loud enough for the guards to hear.

The frail looking guard grew a little pale instantly, staring at Reddling as he pushed through a set of double doors and headed for the exit, going into the streets of Canterlot. Despite the fact that he had wings, he still felt more at home trotting through the city than he did flying. Every pony that he passed turned a little, giving him looks of respect, curiosity, and again a bit of fear. In no time at all, Reddling found himself in a familiar part of town. He let the door slam quietly behind him as he looked at the familiar rows of suits and coats.

The mare from the night before looked over the shoulder of a customer she was bartering with. Reddling simply stood near the door, waiting his turn. The mare turned back to her business, talking just quietly enough to her customer that only the keen hearing of a bat would have been able to pick it up. “Please excuse me a moment, I’ll be right back.”

Reddling watched as the mare disappeared in what seemed to be a blurry flash of magic all her own, instantly popping up nearby from behind a row of suits and smiling, a parcel in her hooves.

“Welcome back! It’s so nice to see you again,” The mare said, offering the coat to Reddling, holding out the parcel. “Your overcoat, sir.”

“Thanks.” Reddling said, taking the parcel and looking around to locate some changing rooms. A pair of them marked with numbers one and two were in a back corner, and Reddling shrugged before heading over to them. The mare gleefully bounced back to her desk, continuing to talk with the customer from before.

Inside the changing room, Reddling pulled out the neatly folded coat. he found that subtle holes had been added for his wings, which left them sitting on the outside. Taking the coat off and testing the coat a few times, he found that he could keep his wings hidden under the coat and get them out with a little play, but to get them back under his coat he would need to remove the coat completely again. Reddling grinned happily to himself as he found that his wings and the slits were not even noticeable when he wore the coat correctly.

The smile died instantly as he turned to the mirror in the changing room, and he nearly jumped back at the reflection. The monster in front of him was something he could not recognize, something horrifying and alien that could not possibly be him. This was the first time he had clearly seen his changes, the effects of his transformation, and they disgusted him completely.

His face was twisted into something ugly and distasteful, a glare of hatred that was reflected back at him. Small fangs protruded from his mouth, glinting faintly in the dim light of the changing rooms.  His once fiery red coat was now reduced to a dull pale red. It was not a pink so much as it was simply lifeless, as if a pale death had claimed his body and he was looking into a coffin. His amethyst mane lacked it’s stark brilliance, and instead had been replaced with a dead mop that looked like somepony had let too much black bleed into their purple watercolors.

Reddling raised a hoof to punch the mirror, but then drew back, staring at the armor under his coat and the various weapons that adorned his body. The knives and blade complimented his coat will with their handles and hilts, a perfect match for a creature of the night. Reddling lowered his hoof as he drew out Ausfall, letting it shimmer brilliantly. For just a moment, Reddling felt like its shine illuminated his coat, returning the old tones and hues to his face. As quickly as it came, the flash was gone, leaving him with the same dead bat-pony staring back at him. Slamming his helmet back on, Reddling pulled away from the mirror, trying to push the reflection he had seen out of his head.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a sight that made him stop. his coat had billowed to the side, exposing part of his wing. Turning around and unfolding his wings out gently , Reddling watched the leathery membrane stretch from bone to bone. Every blood vein and every little bit of fuzzy fur on the membrane became something Reddling could not forget. The world's horrors had left him looking like he was already dead, his face twisted into a hateful stare he could no longer maintain. Reddling smiled at his reflection. Even if he did look like a monster now, he was also free.

Freedom, that's what these wings are to me. I always expected to see feathery wings, but in no lesser way are these wings symbolic. This is my freedom, to choose, to live... to avenge. To take my revenges upon the world!

“Thank you for your patronage!” The mare said as Reddling left the changing rooms. Reddling gave a nod to her as he moved to the front door.

“Come again!” She called, turning back to her business and coercing her customer, “See how well it fits him, how well it matches his coat and fits his wings? I could do something just as nice for you… even Luna’s guard has time to shop at my store… …”

About an hour later, Reddling found himself sitting in the mess hall. He had stopped to pick up a snazzy pair of sunglasses on his way back, and wore them along with his coat back to the barracks. At least with sunglassses on and a coat, and anything else that could cover his body, he'd look more like the pony he remembered... and maybe less like a bat if he needed to do an sneaking around in the daytime to take out royalty.

Reddling had folded up his coat and his sunglasses before Midnight and Bruiser got out of bed, and it did not take long before everypony was armored up and ready to go. Tops and Nightshade had helped each other put their armor on, beating Midnight and Bruiser to the mess hall. Reddling had stayed behind, not wanting to have anything to do with their company.

The food here was not the typical fare Reddling had gotten used to, and lacked the reversed breakfast and dinner routine. Still, there were enough mangos and apples for him to order that everything was smooth. Stopping by the table with his other bats, Reddling smirked as he looked over at a gaggle of daylickers having their evening meal.

“Hey,” Reddling nudged Midnight, “Wanna go sit with the sunponies over there?”

Midnight looked over at the sunponies quickly, then back to his food. “Nay, I have no kinship with them.” Midnight said. Reddling shrugged and went to go sit by the dayponies, who were an assortment of earth, unicorn, and Pegasus ponies. They tried to avert their looks, but the air around them grew instantly uncomfortable the moment Reddling took his seat. All of them tried to give him space, scooting away and trying to continue talking about casual things; training, current events, sports…

Reddling put an apple on his fangs and pieced its cute flesh, beginning to slurp the juices out of it loudly. One by one, as a small pile of drained apples slices began to stack up on his tray, the guard ponies worked increasingly harder to pretend that they were not completely put off by the behavior. Most were staring out windows or looking straight down at their laps to avoid clearly and obviously staring at the scene before them. Reddling snickered inside, removing another husk of an apple from his mouth and dropping it on his tray.

“Doesn’t hold up to other drinks, but yum. You guys okay? You seem a little… well, a little pale!” Reddling laughed to himself as a guard turned to him, the color draining slowly from their face.

“Uh, yeah.” The guard’s voice betrayed an obvious lie. “Yeah, we’re fine, just going to bed.”

“Right, you don’t stay up all night like us, shame.” Reddling snickered, ripping into a mango and tearing at the soft inner flesh as a few pieces of the aforementioned fruit flew across the table.

“Well uh, have a good night… uhm…” the guard’s voice died in his throat as he stood up, hurrying quickly out of the room. The other guards followed suit, eventually leaving only the bats in the room as the sun finished setting.

When Reddling and his company arrived outside, he instantly jumped at what appeared to be a giant dome put over the top of Canterlot. Midnight and Bruiser were also staring at it as they approached Lunar and a white unicorn with a tired expression on his face.

“It’s a magic shield, and a big one too.” Nightshade hissed at them as she trotted past, snapping to attention in front of Lunar and the large unicorn stallion next to him. White coat, blue mane, and tired looking eyes.

“Of course, you know all about magic, Nightshade.” Reddling hissed back at her, snapping to attention at the end of the line.”

“Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard.” Lunar introduced the pony. All five of them gave a quick salute to the pony, who did not seem to actually be paying attention to what was going on around him.

“I’ll keep this short." Shining Armor said pointedly. "We appreciate the work you do patrolling Canterlot, but you are not to be participating in the upcoming wedding. You’ll be staying indoors, out of sight. Am I understood?” Tops, Bruiser, and Nightshade gave quick nods, but Midnight lowered his head slightly in disappointment.

Looks like I’ll need my disguise of a coat and glassed after all. Reddling thought as he gave a simple nod of his head to Shining Armor.

“Good.” Shining Armor said, turning and departing instantly from the field. Lunar shot Shining Armor a dirty look when the unicorn’s back was turned before turning back to his recruits.

“During the day of the wedding, you will be ready at the drop of a hat to respond to any trouble, regardless of what he says, am I understood?” Lunar asked.

“Make sure everything goes right, stop any trouble, and never be seen. We’ll be just like the shadows sir.” Reddling responded. Lunar nodded grimly.

“Good, your armor should be ready before the Wedding. Now on with our planned speech, without… interruptions..”

“Night Guard!” Lunar called to the recruits robotically, who all snapped up a little straighter. “Given the incident with that shapeshifting monster, we’re increasing security around the city. You’ll be doing your part at night, while the Royal Guard watches over the day. Additionally, we’ve decided to seal the city. Nothing is getting in, or out, without permission.” Lunar looked up at the sky as it was the last time he’d ever see the night sky. “Normally we would never resort to these extreme measures, but next week there is to be a Royal Wedding, and we have reason to believe these events may be related.”

So you let one of our best fighters, Web, run off to hunt that creature and leave recruits like us to check out the city? Reddling couldn't help but think that Equestrians were completely useless when it came to organization.

“Web has been sent to deal with the one that you encountered in the field.” Lunar said, but Reddling was no longer listening. His mind was thinking about the royal wedding, and all of the things that could possibly go wrong. There was a good chance that this would provide him a special chance to eliminate whatever royalty was being married, although the circumstances were making it seem like a quick and clean hit might be difficult. He also had thoughts about the bug creature and if it did decided to pull something; in all the chaos no pony would see a knife fly into the heart of some pretty princess attendee.

“You will divide yourselves up and patrol the night. There are others on the guard watching as well, and so you not need to be on patrol the entire time. You will continue with your training in your spare time.” Lunar continued.

It’ll have to look like an accident though, otherwise I might not get a chance to hit either of the other princesses. Oh well, I’ll have plenty of time to think this out while I’m on patrol.

“Any questions? No? Good. You will all divide into groups then, all except you, Reddling. Luna wishes to speak with you.” Reddling felt his heart skip multiple beats as Lunar turned to look at him.

“Y-Yes Sir!” Reddling’s voice came out as shriller than normal.

“Good. You are dismissed. Reddling, come with me.” Lunar turned to leave, and Reddling followed. Soon they were in the mildly familiar halls of Canterlot Palace. The white marble floors and vaunted ceilings were decorated with plush crimson carpets or silken tapestries. Each window was arching and contained stained glass, depicting various heroic deeds by the heroic guardians of Equestria. Everything was uncomfortably bright as gilded chandeliers reflected the light from many candles across the rooms.

Reddling shook his head as he passed a servant carrying a platter of small puffy cakes topped with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. Lunar took a turn down another wing of the castle. This part of the castle was barren compared to the formerly well-lit and marbled floors from before.  Despite his improved eyesight, Reddling could not help but blink at the decrease in lighting as he raised the visor on his helmet.

Eventually Lunar halted at a set of double doors that were guarded by two imposing guards that wore the heavy sets of armor that he had seen hanging before in the armory. The thick, overlapping plates had been combined with very functional looking spines and spikes on the shoulders, chest, and chin.

“Your majesty, Reddling has arrived.” Lunar raised his voice and called to the door.

“Please, let him in.” came Luna’s voice from inside the room. The doors to her quarters opened on their own as Reddling stepped inside. Reddling wrapped his coat around himself and hoped it was hiding how visibly he was shaking. His chest was very tight now, as if somepony had filled his lungs with cotton and then put a hoof over his mouth.

Luna’s quarters were dark, although they also cast a faint purple glow on everything, which seemed to be illuminating the room despite the lack of any obvious light sources. Indeed, the outlines of many objects simply glowed purple without seeming to cast any light on their surroundings at all. Reddling stepped into the circular room, scanning the blue-black marble floors that reflected the roomlike a mirror, revealing the vaunted dome ceiling above. The ceiling itself had been emblazoned with tiny pinpricks of stars and constellations. Had Reddling not known he was inside, he would have misjudged the ceiling as the actual night sky.

I am a good pony. I am a normal, good pony, think positive thoughts. Positive things, happy things. I am a good pony. Reddling told himself over and over.

Luna herself rose from a large circular four post bed with purple sheets, moving aside curtains that stretched from one post to the other. Her tail brushed past a rich looking dresser as she pulled out some incense and lit it without even making a fire, letting a pleasant smell soak the room as she reached a desk, which she sat behind and conjured up a cushion from nowhere, nodding for Reddling to take a seat. Reddling sat, staring at the walls that were lined with bookshelves composed of a billion different trinkets and tombs that he did not recognize. In the middle of the room on left side, Reddling  found his eyes averted to a set of purple armor with a short sword on a stand below it. Luna sank herself into a cushion behind her desk, her face remaining stoic and peaceful, but with a noble flair as Reddling turned back to her.

“Tea?” Luna offered, pulling a tea kettle and two cups from seemingly nowhere again and pouring herself a steaming cup with magic.

Tea, why is it always tea in Equestria? “I’d be honored to try some, your Highness.” Reddling said. Luna poured him a cup and sat them both down on the table, looking at him with her calculating eyes.

“I wished to know how you were doing, since you had such troubles when your training began. “ Luna stated, taking a sip from her tea, the steam rolling against her face as her eyes remained unwavering.

“Oh!- oh,” Reddling almost sighed in relief. “It’s been a learning experience, in a lot more ways than I expected.”

“I understand you and Web have become a pair?” Luna asked, setting her tea down carefully. Reddling bit his lip, but found that once again he could control his composure and adapted back to his cool indifference to the topic.

“I’m not sure if one date makes us a pair, but I do consider her close to me, yes.” Reddling kept his tone low, but still loud enough that Luna would be able to hear him.

“She is quite an untamed spirit. Perhaps you will be able to keep her in check. You had quite the encounter with the beast as well, Web spoke to Lunar, and he spoke to myself, but I have not heard a first hoof experience.” Luna’s gaze remained as penetrating as ever as she chose every word with care. Reddling simply nodded to her, not saying anything, so Luna continued, clearing her throat. “Do you have any insight into that creature that you wish to share?”

Reddling looked down, then rose his head up determinedly, nodding again. “Yes your Highness. I’ve dealt with some monsters in the past, but nothing like this exactly.” Luna leaned forward as Reddling cleared his throat. “these things can pass as any one of us. They could be you or me, right now, and we wouldn’t have any way of knowing it. They’re clever, and they’re smart fighters. The only thing that is deadlier than their venom is their magic. If you’re not defeated by their magical powers, then the fast acting venom will quickly drop you.” Reddling paused, putting a hoof to his chin. “If there is more than one of that creature, and I am certain that there is more than one of whatever it was, then they’re going to be hard to defeat. Killing any mass number of them may even be impossible with their natural armorlike skin that I observed. We might be able to cut at soft spots, but  anypony who cannot use a thrusting action to pierce their armor or smash it with a blunt weapon may find themselves disadvantaged greatly.”

Reddling coughed as he finished his monologue report, looking at Luna. Luna seriously nodded, taking another sip from her tea. “I see, thank you for your insight. Have you fought beasts like this in the past?”

“No, I’ve never seen a monster quite like the one that attacked us. This thing could shapeshift into other ponies perfectly, and I’ve never seen anything like that.” Reddling said, thinking back to the various creatures that he had hunted. Nothing had ever fit the monster that he had seen, although various small rumors of dark monsters that took the shapes of ponies had been used as old mares tales in his homeland.

As if to echo his thoughts of home, Luna hummed to herself for a moment and proceeded to pour herself another cup of tea.

“What is Silverfield’s view of Equestria?” Luna asked. Reddling felt something in his chest spasm as he looked sadly at her. Telling her the truth might be dangerous to him, but he had a feeling she already knew the answer to her question, minus the firsthoof details.

“Permission to speak freely, your Highness?” Reddling asked quietly.

“Of course.” Luna nodded.

Reddling drew in a sharp breath as memories of home came flooding back into his mind. “Merchants and travelers are fine with Equestria and Equestrians, but only because they have to be. The ponies of Silverfield despise Equestria. The religious leaders use Equestria as a scapegoat for all problems. I never actually lived in any villages or towns, so I didn’t get to sit in often for their speeches,”

“Anypony not of Silverfieldian blood is distasteful, and half Silverfieldians are treated like second class citizens. It’s the Equestrian pegasi that they hate the most though, for reasons… we’ve been over.  Don’t even know what they’d think of bats, I never heard of them except in storybooks…” Reddling cut himself off and blushed at his rambling, averting his eyes to his still steaming cup of tea. “Uh, sorry. I rambled a bit there.”

“How do you think they would react to seeing you, as you are now?” Luna asked critically.

Reddling shrugged, returning his eyes to hers. “That depends on who I am seeing. The religious leaders would label me as unnatural and show me off as a ‘Sin of Equestria’. Anypony who knew me might tolerate me, but the others would all avoid me.”

Luna leaned back, looking troubled as she sipped her tea again.

“Is something wrong, your Highness?” Reddling asked, blinking at her. Luna’s troubled expression ran away as she gave him a half smile, setting her tea down.

“You have very astute judgment, Reddling. There has been animosity between our countries in the past. Dwelling in the past… it can be dangerous. Perhaps that is why your fellows have taken to such poisonous, barbaric customs…” Luna said.

Poisonous, barbaric? ...Like removing my feathery, soft wings. Those wings should have been mine!

“… I wish to end it. The ties between our kin should be mended. I wish to send a diplomatic mission to Silverfield, and I wish to go myself.” Luna concluded, sipping her tea.

Reddling face betrayed his surprise as he nearly knocked over his yet untouched tea. “I cannot lie to you, it is likely to be dangerous. They may react violently to your presence.”

“Given what you said, I would agree with you. That is why I was so troubled.”  Luna said. “Regardless, nothing will proceed until after the wedding, so there is plenty of time to plan for the future. I will consult with Celestia and we will find an appropriate course of action.”

“About the wedding,” Redding said, “The Captain of the Royal Guard does know of the situation with the monster that attacked us?”

Luna nodded. “He does. He is personally very invested in keeping the wedding secure, and Celestia trusts his judgment.”

“Today he told us that he doesn’t want us to help with the Wedding at all. To stay out of sight, out of mind. This is despite the fact that my comrades and myself are the only ones here to have seen the creature or dealt with it. This is a troubling mistake in judgment, your Highness.” Reddling said callously.

“However, the wedding will be held during the day, which will limit your effectiveness- and Cadance has made some special requests for the wedding itself. As it is her special day, we do not feel it is unreasonable to make some concessions to her, despite the security concerns.

“I don’t see why security cannot meld with her desires. Sometimes the best security is that which we cannot see.” Reddling stated.

“What would you suggest?” Luna said. Her voice was not annoyed, but moreso curious, as if she was testing Reddling.

“Normally patrols move in pairs right? From now on all day guards and night guards should travel in pairs everywhere, not just when they are on patrol. When the monster took one of us out, it’s because they were alone and isolated. Also, if anypony is behaving oddly or seems very out of place, doing something they would not normally do, then I would like for the Night Guard to personally be looking into it, no matter the hour. The monster disguised as one of our comrades, and the only tip off was that they were smiling instead of frowning like normal. It is better to be safe than sorry.”

Luna mulled over the thoughts for a moment before sipping her tea. “Very intelligent suggestions. You’re correct that patrols are done in pairs as is. You and your comrades should be making patrols in pairs as well, as the rest of the Night guard is. If we feel it is appropriate, we will investigate suspicious behavior. Since they can change their shapes, we are keeping an eye out for just that.” Reddling simply nodded to Princess Luna’s verdict. “Do you have any other concerns or questions, Reddling?”

Reddling thought about his nightmares, and decided to pose a short question. “Just one. I’m concerned about this... The Nightmare. Is it common for bats to see it after they deny the Nightmare the first time?”

Luna froze, setting her tea down. Her face tightened as she looked at Reddling with a critical expression that seemed to have some rawer emotion behind it. “No, that is uncommon, although not unheard of.”

Reddling felt his chest squirm in panic at this confirmation. “Is there a technique to induce the Nightmare? It promised to visit me once more, for a third time.” Reddling had dropped his façade and now was leaning forward hungrily, starving for an answer.

“No, nor should there be." Luna said sternly. "Reddling, I urge you to take caution with this. These are forces that should not be trifled with. “ She stood up, and Reddling did the same.

“I’m sorry, your Highness. I did not mean to overextend  with my curiosities.” Reddling said apologetically.

“No, do not be sorry, curiosity is natural. If you have questions about the Nightmare, I would suggest that you talk to Nightshade. I understand she has become very well versed in the usage of the Nightmare for practical applications.” Luna suggested. Reddling bowed.

“I shall do just that. At your leave?” Reddling asked. Luna nodded, and Reddling turned without another word, leaving his cup of tea untouched. Before the doors closed, he saw Luna pick up the still full cup of tea. The look on her face was sad, as if she had been significantly hurt by Reddling shunning her offer.

Back at practice, Reddling found himself paired with Midnight and a senior bat for his patrols. The city of Canterlot was thankfully quiet at night, although here and there a pony lurked in the shadows, watching them fly over the city. Tops and Nightshade had formed a second pair, leaving Bruiser the odd pony out to continue training at camp. The night dragged by before the sun finally began to rise, leaving Reddling alone outside with Tops and Nightshade. Bruiser and Midnight had been “volunteered” for the extra patrol of the night.

Tops and Nightshade sparred in the distance as Reddling practiced throwing his knives at a target. He had often practiced throwing his knife when he was younger, but these weapons were far different. His knives were better balanced for throwing, and certainly not something to be trifled with.

Tops shot a look across the training yard and whispered something to Nightshade. Nightshade shook her head disapprovingly, but after a short discussion broke off to the bleachers as tops trotted over to Reddling’s side. Reddling had taken to sitting on the ground, throwing his knives carefully at the target in the distance. Six of them were sitting in the center of the board with a seventh only slightly off its mark as he raised the eighth, sighing.

“Hey Redding.” Tops said joyfully. Reddling ignored him for a few moments, then let his knife lose, slamming it cleanly between his other six hits.

“Hi, Tops.” Reddling said coldly, getting up and trotting to his target and beginning to pull out the knives and sheathe them.

“Uh, would you like to spar again?” Tops asked. His voice reflected his nervousness, and Reddling quickly recalled breaking the stallion’s leg the last time they dueled.

“I don’t care either way.” Reddling said, going back to his position, ready to continue throwing his knives. Tops said nothing, but just stood there with a sad, almost tearful look on his face. “Why not spar with Nightshade? You two seem to get along well.”

Tops turned bitterly, trotting back with a hurt expression on his face. Midnight and Bruiser did not return to the training yard as Tops trotted coldly into the barracks. Reddling smirked secretly to himself as he raised another knife and threw it at the target board, landing another ten points for himself as he drew another knife.

I hope Tops doesn’t get the wrong idea. I don’t hate him, I just hate the monster that he is.

“What is your issue with him, Reddling?” Nightshade’s voice made Reddling to jump up, his knife flying erratically and bouncing off the target board, landing in the dirt.

Slipping off his helmet, Reddling just smiled as the night drew to a close. The sun was beginning to come up, but the false dawn was not enough to harm his eyes. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand, Nightshade."

“Ponyfeathers Reddling. That’s a crap excuse.” Nightshade replied.

Reddling felt a laugh rise in his chest, and he giggled. “ehehehe, I suppose so.” The giggling continued for a bit, and then mid laugh Reddling cut it off, turning to face her. “It’s no different from what I’m holding against you. It’s both of you. I’m actually really fond of Tops.”

“Are you jealous?” Nightshade accused. “Can’t stand to see somepony do something better than you, like how you pretended to be concerned for me until you saw I was winning that idiotic rock game?”

Reddling gritted his teeth, turning away from her. “You’re way off base, crazy bat. I helped you because I wanted too, I didn’t care about winning or losing.”

“So what is it then, what is your issue?” Nightshade’s questions were unrelenting. Reddling felt his mouth twitch, then his ear give a echoing twitch as Nightshade’s eyes burned holes into his back.

“It was that cave. It’s the Nightmare, thing.” Reddling said quietly. Nightshade made no response, but let her eyes stare at Reddling as she listened intently. Turning angrily to her, Reddling felt something horrible and savage rise up in his chest as his face twisted with anger and madness.

“All of us saw things in there, terrible things, horrible things! Such horrible things! I was concerned about you two! Going off with Cobalt like that!” Reddling raised a hoof angrily, and shook it at the surprised mare. “I went after you, and asked Bruiser and Midnight to help. Bruiser did, and some horrible, some monster, undead thing bit both of us!”

Reddling advanced towards the bleachers, his rage growing as every painful memory of that day echoed again in his head, replying itself like a cinema. “He ran back, and I went through all this terrible black mist to get to you two. I faced the Nightmare again, and got to you. I threatened Cobalt, told her to stand down and I was bringing you two back with me because I was worried!” Reddling could now feel tears ready to leak from his eyes as he stepped onto the bleachers, Nightshade standing up in alarm at his deep breaths that rolled across the metal.

“I don’t know what you or Tops saw, but I know what I saw in that cave, and I know what attacked us in that forest.” Reddling swung his hoof in anger at the air, falling backwards and sitting on in the leg area of the bleachers, crawling back by pushing himself away with his hind hooves. He looked up with a slight blush of anger and embarrassment at the confused bat in front of him.

“Now go on and laugh. Get it over with.” Reddling said, gazing away from Nightshade.

There was silence for a few minutes as Nighthade stared at the false dawn, a cool breeze sweeping through the practice field. Finally, she broke the silence with a low tone.

“You came after us because you were worried…? You don’t know how it works, do you? This… thing.” Nightshade asked.

“Thing? That power?” Reddling questioned her, not bothering to get up or dust himself off. She nodded and he scoffed, “That monstrous stuff? I’m not sure I want to know, but I can’t just ignore it.”

“Batponies are more in tune with it. We can… take it in, use it, control it- and if we don’t, it’ll find other ponies to use instead. It starts small. Nightmares, bad dreams.” Reddling’s head snapped towards Nightshade in fear as she continued. “Then, they start coming true. During the daytime…”

Reddling nearly fell off the bleachers as he backed up more, his back half slamming into a metal rail as his breathing became quick, chest heaving at the thoughts of what he had seen in his nightmares ever since becoming a bat pony. He had always suffered nightmares in Silverfield, but ever since he’d become a child of the night they had been stronger and somehow, realer.

Nightshade gave a shudder before continuing. “They used to think that ponies like that were cursed and evil. They’d send them away, or cut off their horns, or kill them.” Reddling stood up, grabbing at his helmet and holding the railing for support, staring wide eyed at the mare before him. He didn’t want to hear what she had to say, but he was now too terrified for her to simply stop. His mask of coldness laid shattered on the ground at his forehooves, Nightshade continuing to push the subject forward even as she looked down at Reddling, beginning to advance forward on him.

“The Night Guard isn’t just about doing guard work in the dark. Sometimes it’s about actually protecting ponies from the Night.” She looked away from Reddling, staring at the tip of the sun casting harsh shadows over the practice field. “Controlling this isn’t easy, and you’ve been pushing Tops away. He thought you were his friend, and you’ve been treating him like a sack of molded Pegasus droppings.”

Reddling was not quite sure how he managed his next movement, but it was gloriously theatrical. He somehow managed to throw his helmet up in the air. Under him, his hind legs lost their balance and strength, sending him toppling down the the metal bleacher stairs. After landing hard on his side, Reddling wrapped his wings and coat around himself. A terrified, high pitched yell of fright, panic and animal fear came out of Reddling's mouth before he ducked behind the stands. Reddling pulled his coat over his head and cowered in the dark area between the ground and the bleachers, his mind racing. Everything Luna and everything Nightshade had said... made undeniable sense.

And it also means that one of the only friends I've ever had... I've wronged. During the best days of my life, I took someone who welcomed me with open hooves and shunned them why? Why did I do it? It was for no reason, I just did it because

“Reddling? Reddling!” Nightshade’s voice searched for him as she trotted down the stairs. Reddling couldn’t call out to her, his breaths had been reduced to short gasps. No longer could he think or talk, for he had forgotten his languages. The only thing that seemed to be real was the internal combustion of his brain as it quickly melted itself into a thick goop that sloshed around inside his skull, moving his thoughts around like vegetable bits in a thin soup. This left only his shining grey eyes to stare out at the world with no understanding. Nightshade bent to her knees and looked under the coat, staring at the panicked pony before her. She had his helmet in her mouth, and made very slow movements.

Maybe, if I don’t move, she can’t see me! Reddling’s shattered brain echoed broken bits of thoughts to his nervous heart as Nightshade offered him his helmet.

“The sun’s going to be up soon. We should get back inside.” Nightshade said. Reddling drew in a harsh breath that raped his cotton lungs. He made no attempt to take the helmet, but struggled to form a word for her.

“Sorry!” Reddling squeaked. The word came out in a weak, horrible little murmur. Tears were dripping down his cheeks now as he drew himself more sharply against the underside of the bleachers.  “I’m… I’m so, sorry! J-Just… go…”

Nightshade turned her face sideways, scrunching it up for a moment in confusion. “Are you afraid of something?”

Reddling shook under his coat, curling up more and reaching out quickly to pull his helmet under the blue shield covering his body, giving her a blank and weak nod, staring right at Nightshade, who backed away slightly.

“I don’t want…” Nightshade tried. “… I don’t want anypony to be afraid of me…” She looked down pitifully at her tortured subject, holding out her hooves for an embrace. “Reddling, come here.”

Reddling made no move to go to her, and simply stared as the sun rose more, casting dawn’s rays on the field.

“S-Sun. You should go.” Reddling said weakly, remaining hidden in his coat. Nightshade waited for a moment, then let out a disappointed sigh, turning to leave. With a small hop she flew back towards the barracks as other guard ponies started to make their way out into the daylight. Reddling was unsure how long it took him to recover, but eventually he slammed his helmet on and crawled out into the sunlight, pulling himself onto the bleachers and resting there lamely.

It was not until the sun was high in the sky and Reddling felt it’s scorching heat nearly melting him that he finally felt enough understandable feeling to head inside. Dayponies stared at him as he drunkenly crashed past them, moving right past his barracks until he found a nice closet. It was filled with mops, brooms, and the smell of soap. The clean smell was a welcoming difference to the smell of the salty tears staining themselves to his fur coat and longcoat. Throwing himself inside the darkness, Reddling shut the closet door and leaned back, falling asleep almost instantly next to a mop and bucket.

Summer had been turning to fall in Silverfield. The seasons always changed on their own, and this year a cold breeze had swept leaves to the ground early. The ground now found itself with drifting piles browns and reds that swam over the silver grass. The church had assured them that it would probably be a warm winter, and indeed even a single warm draft from the badlands would be enough to kill this cool weather.

However, that did not stop ponies from hating the cool weather in Silverfield as they struggled to harvest all the crops they could. Blankets had been pulled over gardens to keep them warm from any cool air in hopes that they would be able to survive until the ground froze.

Rainy was not angry about the cool weather unlike his fellow twonsponies. He had bundled a scarf and one of Reddling's old purple shirts that was still too big for him around his body before heading out for breakfast- Which was exactly the problem today. The shop was closed today, and he was quite unhappy with the owners. While he had maintained good relationships with them, the wife, who also served as the waitress, had been gaining more and more weight in the last few months, and growing more and more moody and lazy. Rainy had been patiently waiting outside for the store to open for nearly an hour before he finally had had enough and looped around to the yard behind the cafe, slipping towards a window of the small house that existed behind the building.

Although the sun was beginning to shine, Rainy was sure that with the darkness inside the room somepony would have lit a candle. Illuminating his horn, he pushed his face against the window and then gasped in surprise. Here and there were blood smeers, and in a few spots on the floor small pools of blood. There had obviously been a violent struggle here, and Rainy wasted no time in drawing his weapon and rushing to the back door. as he kicked it, the unlocked door flew open. Looking around inside, Rainy let his blade lead him as it began to give off it's unnatural light, keeping things faintly illuminated.

"H-Hello? Anypony in here? D-Don't move, I'll attack!" Rainy's voice quivered as he called into the darkness. Nothing in the house moved, and the only noise in the home was his own deep breathing and the steady drip of blood leaking from the ceiling and forming a pool on the ground. Testing the ground carefully and scanning all sides of the room, Rainy continued to make his way through the house. He found that parts of it seemed to be covered in some black mist that his light could not penetrate. Avoiding those areas, he eventually looped his way back to the door he had broken in from. He backed his way outside until he felt himself bump into something hard.

"Ah!" Rainy let out a yelp and jumped around, swinging his sword blindly. Another sword caught his blade and threw it back as Rainy looked up at a fair haired stallion with a dull coat. He had on what would appear to be priest robes, but over that he wore some steel plates to guard his legs, chest, and shoulders. Rainy instantly bowed, sheepishly sheathing his sword.

"What has happened here, child?" The stallion asked gruffly. Rainy quickly stood up, giving a Silverfieldian salute. He drew his hoof up to cover one eye as he payed his respect to the church-knight in front of him.

"Sir! Some manner of accident! I found pools of blood but no bodies, as well as some unnatural mist in there! I know not-"

The knight raised his hoof to silence Rainy as he peered in, grimacing. "It's called Seether Instant Blackness. Some Equestrians make it for operations to blind ponies when they come to harm them in the dark... which also means that Serquines have gotten ahold of them too. One of the two groups is behind his, surely." The pony looked down at Rainy. There was no smile and no reassurance as he appraised the foal. "Get out of here. I'll conduct an investigation."

"But the ponies that lived there were my friends! They ran the cafe- I want breakfast!" Rainy whined. The knight stomped a steel clad hoof angrily, staring down at the foal who was backing up quickly now.

"Put this out of your mind. Forget about it. Find a new place in town to eat at. You saw nothing, you did nothing, and you're leaving now. Understood?" The knight commanded. Rainy shook his head quickly before scampering back into town the town, looking for any other cafe or place that he could hide in and get some food- anyplace to make him forget the horrors of what he was sure had been the blood of his friends in their home.

“I can’t believe it.” Bruiser said, sitting in the corner of the bar. He had three flagons of beer in front of him, two of which had been fully drained. The other members of the bat brigade also rested against their seats, staring blankly at their drink. Web had nothing front of her, but was simply staring at the scene.

“I blame myself for not catching on sooner.” She said. Midnight shook his head.

“I misjudged him.” The child of the night said, lifting a glass of brandy to his mouth.

“No, he was just never on our side.” Nightshade hissed at her drink. Tops stood up at this and kicked Bruiser’s last flagon across the room. It slammed into a wall with a crash, which echoed in a way that was much louder than it should have been.

“I tried to be his friend!” Tops cried. “But he wouldn’t let me. He was cold, callous, and totally unable to understand or enjoy basic creature emotions! Why?”  In spite of himself, Reddling felt himself being drawn into the darkness of yet another dream. He was back in the enclave’s bar, but there was now a coldness in this place that made Reddling shiver.

“Tops?” Reddling asked. Tops did not look at him for a moment, but when he did, Reddling fell back, horrified. Tops eyes glowed with a red mist, his pupils now consuming his eyes completely. His teeth had all become lengthy fangs that filled his snarling mouth.

“Reddling, I never got to tell you how much I hate you.” There was a blinding flash as Tops giggled in Web’s voice, his claws digging with real pain into Reddling’s gut. The green bat ripped the claw upwards and dragged Reddling by his neck and shoulders to the door, throwing the heavily bleeding carcass of Reddling out into a greyness of a warped world outside.

“Out brief candle, your hour on stage is over.” Tops said, turning away and trotting with splashes through the smear of blood Reddling had left on the ground. Reddling turned and slammed his hoof angrily into a mop, which broke in two as his dream shifted into a new form, the tables resetting.

Reddling strapped on the last of his leather armor,  tightening the shin guard to his foreleg as he slung his knife over his shoulder. His left shoulder bore the crest of a knife and sword crossed with each other behind a moon setting on a field. His right shoulder held a field of silver grass on it surrounding a ruined castle. Reddling turned from a mirror, grinning to his young earth pony self before racing down the steps of the castle, speeding into a field where six ponies in hoods and cloaks were waiting.

Reddling screeched to a halt in front of the tallest of them, who had part of a grey beard showing from under his hood. They cut dark and imposing figures in the mist of Castle Celes, leaving a hole in the world around them.

“Don’t say anything!” The young Reddling said happily, bouncing on his hooves. “I’m ready for this, I’m ready for my quest!” There was a glint of a smile from under the hood as the beared cloak nodded, speaking in a happy voice.

“We worried about you growing up, spending almost all of your time away from othersand hunting monsters, but it seems it was all part of earning your mark. The violence and hate in your youth has given you the energy to walk this path. Your countryponies will wait for you as you trot the hardest path alone.”

Robotically, Reddling nodded and replied, “But no matter what path we may choose, there is no path we may trot that does not lead home.”

The other five hooded figures nod and rise, bowing as Reddling knees. One by one, they pull out various small items; a small bag of money, a whetstone, two books, and finally a medium sized saddlebag, which the items are magically placed in. If only Reddling had wings, he’d be flying with his excitement.

“Money, as you will need it in Equestria. A whetstone for keeping any other weapons you may need sharp, even if a true blade never dulls. Two books, one for knowledge, one for your legacy.” The hood said, extending the saddlebag to Reddling, who buckled it on happily. A large case was produced from nothing, and the leader of the hooded ponies produced a sword that would be much too large for combat due to its size and weight.

The leader rested the sword three times on both of Reddling’s shoulders, chanting under their breath before backing away, putting the toward back in its case. Reddling rose and gave one last look at his home, thinking of his nephew, his life, and how he would one day return a hero. The crisp morning greeted him with a rush of air as he ran out of the gates headed northward, shaking his mane as the moon began to rise in the distance.

Reddling wandered into the mess hall when the sun had set. Mangos, apples, and an orange filled his plate as he sat next to Midnight and Bruiser at the table. Tops and Nightshade had not yet joined them.

“Good evening, Reddling.” Midnight said, turning to him.

“Hi, Midnight.” Reddling replied. His coat still smelled pretty strongly of soap, and the memories of his disgrace in front of Nightshade were still fresh in his mind.

“Are you alright? You did not return to the barracks last night.” Midnight’s voice harbored mild concern, although Reddling could not help but feel it was dulled slightly by his constant odd talking.

“I’ll be right soon enough. Last day, is that what you call it? The morning was difficult. I don’t really want to say much more.” Reddling said, ripping into his mango.

“I see.” Midnight said, turning to his hay. “Nightshade seemed somewhat upset when she returned last night, and would not speak of it… But when does she not seem slightly upset?”

“When she’s around Tops.” Reddling said bitterly before he wrenched his head back in disgust. With a cough, he spat out the mango and stood up. Somewhat alarmed, Midnight also rose while Bruiser watched the two of them march over to the counter where a small earth pony stood behind a sneeze guard.

“Reddling?” Midnight asked. Reddling paid him no heed and tossed what remained of the mango over the sneeze guard, letting it drop right in front of the startled looking earth pony.

“What is the meaning of this?” Reddling demanded. There was a bitter taste in his mouth still from the mango, which obviously was not fresh. In fact, noting most of the food here, none of it seemed to be very fresh today.  “Do you have anything good on the menu at all?”

“Well, we have fresh fruits…” the earth pony stammered, staring with frightened eyes at the two bats. Reddling’s nose twitched as he scanned the other food, which looked either dry or simply not appetizing at all.

“You should really get some fresh mangos in here, and cut the generic crap out. You’re going to poison us with this crap.” Reddling turned away with a sneer as the earth pony backed away in fear, Midnight nodding sagely before returning to the table himself. Back at the table, Midnight tried to eat a few good parts of his apples while Reddling singled out one of his and simply stared at it with glowering anger.

Maybe if I stare at it hard enough, it will melt into goo and I can have applesauce. Reddling thought, not looking up as the doors opened for Tops and Nightshade to trot in. After getting their food and sitting down, Tops looking at Reddling hopefully for a few moments, as if waiting for him to say something.

Reddling continued to try and brutalize his apple with a terrific cold glare of hatred before finally sighing. “Good evening, Bruiser… Tops, and Nightshade.”

“Reddling, before you give that apple freezerburn, do you want to tell us where the hell you went last night?” Bruiser asked.

The apple did indeed look quite chilly, and Reddling almost thought he could see frost forming on its skin as he started to make up an excuse. Before any words got out of his mouth however, he lifted his coat and gave it a sniff. It still reeked of cleaning agents and at least three different kinds of soap.

“A closet. Soap smells good and I wanted to smell like soap, then I would smell good.” Reddling said blankly before putting his hoof on the apple, pushing it into the tray carefully.

“Man, sometimes you make me wonder about you.” Bruiser said, turning back to his hay.

Sometimes I wonder about me too. Reddlight thought, slowly pushing the apple into a crushed position, the skin on the doomed fruit cracking a bit as little drops of juice leaked from the inside. “Don’t you like smelling nice?”

“I guess, but I don’t roll around in closets for it. I use cologne or take a bubble bath or whatever.” Bruiser said halfheartedly. Reddling just gave a shrug, continuing to give his icy stare to the horrified apple as it began to slowly fall apart, spurting more juices across the tray.

Nightshade had seen something ugly, a side Reddling did not share with anypony. It was the pain, despair, and fear in the heart of every Silverfieldian. Whether they liked it or not, below their masks he knew all of them were panicky fools, and he wasn’t any different- Nightshade and the others didn’t need to know that though.

Again that night Reddling found himself alone, Nightshade and Midnight sparing in the distance while Tops and Bruiser patrolled. He had decided over the past while that he might never get another chance like the current wedding.  He didn’t like the idea of killing somepony on their special day, but he figured that it was better than the alternative of waiting years before he got another shot. Unfortunately, since Shining Armor would be marrying her and therefore might be able to take the throne after all the princesses were eliminated; Reddling had to make plans to eliminate him too.

Despite all the plans that Reddling came up with, they all came back to relying on key catalyst: Something had to disrupt the wedding. His intuition told him that if he wanted to pull a move against Equestria, the wedding was exactly where he would do it, indeed, he had been planning for this. Reddling tossed another knife at the target board down range as Midnight cleverly disarmed Nightshade, sending her sword flying to the side.

Pulling this off won’t be easy, and if those monsters have something planned, I might have to be ready to engage against the bigger threat. Reddling thought. The creature I had encountered was far better prepared to carry out a silent operation than I'll ever would be. If they manage to pull something off at the wedding, and it seems that the princesses expect something might happen, I’ll deal with that thing before I deal with Princess Cadance. If they pose such a threat to Equestria, I cannot imagine how Silverfield would last more than five days against any large number of them. Equestria is only one head of our enemies, and none of my actions are to condemn innocents- only to make someone pay for the past.

Wedding Planners

“So, what did Luna want to talk to you about?” Bruiser asked Reddling, leaning in while they patrolled the skies. “You get in trouble for always getting yourself in trouble or something?”

“Security at the royal wedding, actually.” Reddling said pointedly back at his companion, who laughed.

“Oh?" Bruiser chuckled, "Why’d she pick you for that?”

“I’m the only one to deal with the venom of the monster. I also have experience with this kind of stuff prior to the night guard, so I gave advice on what to expect.” Reddling lied.

“Eh. So then what’s the status? Or’s Lunar gonna tell us all later?” Bruiser turned his view back to the ground, scanning the rows of homes and shops below.

“No, I’ll be handling this. I don’t like what I’m seeing Bruiser. I suggested everypony travel in pairs, and I’ll probably stay up on the day of the wedding so I can be on hoof if something goes wrong. They’ve been compromising security for the sake of a special day- it gives me bad vibes. Security should be tighter, not more lax.” Reddling looked harshly at the buildings, reasoning with what he said after it left his mouth. The more he considered the wedding, the more it became clear something was quite obviously wrong with the circumstances of Canterlot as of late.

“They put a big buckin’ dome over the whole city, that doesn’t seem compromised to me.” Bruiser argued, pointing up at the giant purple shield overhead. Reddling just shook his head at the dome.

“No, If there is an assassin or plot of some sort, they’re already going to be inside Canterlot.” Reddling smirked at the irony of his statement while Bruiser shrugged, then nodded in agreement.

“Alright, so what though? You’re gunna go all vigilante to protect the wedding or something?” Bruiser asked.

Reddling already had an excuse for this, which he gave robotically. “Bruiser, we get paid to keep this place safe. If something happens, they cut our pay. I will do whatever I am paid to do.”

“Yeah? I’m just here to do what I’m told too. Hopefully nuthin’ll happen and we can just sleep through the damn thing.” Bruiser said.

“Maybe. I asked Luna to let the Night Guard be in charge of interrogations. If anypony gets dragged in I want you to be ready to give them a glare harsh enough to snap their neck, and let me know if anything goes wrong. Can you rough up a few vagabonds for me?” Reddling asked, smirking at Bruiser, who returned the cruel smile.

“What do you think? Haha!” Bruiser threw his head back and gave a chuckle, looping down with Reddling as they scanned the poorer parts of the city.

Reddling found the days passing by all too quickly, and before he knew it the last Saturday before the wedding was upon them.  Given that patrols would be stepped up, Lunar had decided to give them Saturday night off so they could be fresh for Sunday and Monday night. The evening had faded quickly to night as Reddling wandered into the mess hall, still stretching out his joints from a rare good night of sleep. The others were gathered around a table a small plate of fruits that had been brought out for them.

Reddling blinked slowly, wandering over to the fruit and picking up an apple. Tops looked up curiously as Reddling sniffed it, giving the fruit a careful lick in a few different places as he carefully studied its skin.

“Are you going to molest the apple or eat it?” Nightshade asked, looking up at Reddling. Removing his gaze from the fruit Reddling sat down as all eyes of his bat friends turned to the apple that had just been grossly violated.

“Just checking for poison.” Reddling said softly. “I don’t want a repeat of what happened at the training camp.” The other four exchanged glances, each one of them looking like they wanted to say something, but were unsure of how they were to word it. Reddling took a quick bite out of the apple, watching them carefully as they exchanged glances and shrugs. Finally, Midnight locked eyes with Reddling, letting out a short sigh.

“Reddling, we are concerned about your odd behavior.” Midnight said, his critically purple eyes staring like probes into Reddling’s head.

“What are you talking about? I didn’t mean to break into that guys- uh, I mean, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Reddling lied, quickly stuffing his mouth full of apple. It had been an innocent accident, but on one of his patrols he had inspected the home of an elderly griffon after they had yelled at him to stop whistling.

“Wait, you did what now?” Nightshade asked, but Bruiser cut her off.

“Reddling, that ain’t what were talkin’ about. You been acting even weirder the closer this wedding gets. We all know you’re planning to go vigilante over what might be nothin’.” Bruiser let out a sigh, leaning back as Midnight scooted forward, drawing Reddling’s gaze again.

“Reddling you are unduly worried.” Midnight said.

“If you know something, please tell us, or tell Luna.” Tops piped up, sitting forward. Again, all eyes turned in Reddling’s direction, but instead each one of them had put a pair of eyes on him instead of the now disemboweled apple resting in his hoof.

“If you want to come along or something, say it.” Reddling mumbled. “I’m not going to decline some help checking the wedding security. With all the issues with security I saw, Luna told me to do what I felt was needed. So I’ll do it.

Of course, Reddling had no such permission to begin commanding the royal guard around. Indeed, he knew that Shining Armor had specifically ordered them to stay totally out of sight during any of the wedding proceedings. However, Reddling was sure now that he knew exactly what he wanted to do to get at Cadence- That was, if his friends didn’t complicate matters too much.

“I’d expect nothing less of you than to speak to your companions and friends about what ails you, Reddling.” Midnight said. Reddling looked up, and then after a bit, nodded to Midnight, talking more directly to him than the group at large.

“I have an uneasy feeling about the wedding. Many choices they are making regarding the security are nonsensical and leave blatant openings.” Reddling pointed up the ceiling. “They’re inconsistent. Why are we worried about a shield over Canterlot when we know that Diamond Dogs have been tunneling under it?”

“Perhaps the shield also extends under the city?” Midnight offered. Reddling simply waved a hoof, continuing on his tirade.

“On top of that, they’ve asked the only guards to have dealt with a new monstrous threat to not just stand down while the wedding happens, but to also make sure that we are completely out of the way. A monster that can change its shape, and could be anypony in Canterlot right now.”

Reddling paused to take a breath, and Midnight extend a hoof forward. “That is somewhat troubling, now that you mention it. I am sure they have their reasons though, Reddling.”

Reddling shook his head, desperate for his friends to understand. The more and more he thought about this, the more and more likely it seemed to him that something else was up. His senses were beginning to make him believe that perhaps he was not the only assassin in Canterlot right now. “They also haven’t had any of the guards traveling in pairs, only patrolling in pairs. This is after they knew the monster could shapeshift. If it was going to attack somepony and steal their identity, they would do it when they’re alone, not during a patrol.”

Reddling stopped, looking at his companions determinedly. There was silence for a few moments between them as they studied their meals.

“Perhaps we should take these concerns to Captain Lunar, or Shining Armor.” Midnight said quietly.

“I’m not done.” Reddling said as he swallowed a bit of apple. “The bride has asked that several security concerns be overlooked or not used because it’s her special day. While that’s understandable, that doesn’t seem like the prudent judgment I’d expect from a princess.” Actually, that’s exactly what I’d expect from some spoiled Canterlot princesses, living here in their wealth and comfort.

Letting out a sigh, Reddling peeled at his apple, looking for words. “Luna agreed that this all alarming, and told me to be alert.”

“Aye, I have no plans of being caught unprepared by trouble during the wedding. I will defer to my superiors, and not interfere with things if the situation does not call for it.” Midnight said, leaning back in his chair.

“There may not be time for that Midnight.” Reddling hissed at him. “We’re trusted as guards and soldiers to follow orders, but also use our best judgment in following said orders… an our orders are to make sure everypony is safe.”

“So you would suggest.” Midnight said idly.

“I’d suggest that we be ready before the hat drops. I know daytime isn’t our forte, but a surprise inspection just to double check can’t hurt anypony. No harm, no foul. If it’s all good, then everything is fine and we leave. If there is something amiss, we’ll be able to catch the hat as it is dropping.” Reddling rubbed his hooves together, looking to Tops, who to his surprise gave him an encouraging nod.

“A surprise inspection… What do you mean by this?” Midnight asked. Nightshade had leaned in closer to him, and was now piercing him with her dirty grey pupils. Although she had said nothing to object, Reddling could feel some argument forming from her. Tops and Bruiser seemed to be quite enjoying watching Midnight and Reddling argue against each other, a red pony ranting while a blue pony continued to drag him on. To Bruiser this seemed like it was little more than a subtle beer or sports game.

“I’m suggesting that we follow all of our orders to a tee.” Reddling looked at Nightshade and Tops now. “Lunar ordered us to be ready for anything, and Captain Shining Armor told us to stay out of sight. That means that double checking security posts and making sure they’re all manned, making sure nopony is snooping around. Bruiser, Midnight, you’re too big and would stand out, but the three of us? We won’t be seen, and we can double check everything to hopefully fill in some flaws in the plans I just laid out.”

Nightshade looked at Tops, and then turned and opened her mouth before Tops put a hoof over it. “We’ll help you out, Reddling, even if this does all seem a bit paranoid.” Tops seemed to simply be pleased that Reddling wanted to do something that included him, and had brightened up considerably.

“This seems prudent, although I do question your ability to remain unseen in the day. Amongst guards no doubt quite paranoid and looking for anything out of the ordinary.” Midnight quipped.

“We don’t need to remain unseen by the guards, just by the guests. As long as the bride, groom, and guests don’t know we’re there, we’re okay. The wedding will probably be confined to a few rooms near the hall, so that leaves the rest of the castle for us to maneuver around in and check up on.” Reddling nodded to himself, making sure it all sounded correct.

“I- I suppose that makes sense. Although, perhaps Lunar will have plans in his own mind for us.” Midnight was clearly trying to think of anything he could that threw a wrench in this plan, but Reddling was ready for this statement.

“It’ll be a double shift. We’re expected to be asleep during the day, and we can’t rely on our commanders to do all the thinking for us.” Reddling said.

“You do not trust Lunar’s judgment?” Midnight said incredulously. Reddling shook his head no slightly, amazed that

“I don’t trust anypony right now. That thing… It fooled all of us, only me and Web saw through its disguise before it revealed itself. Any of us could be a walking clone blending in at this table. We’ll follow orders, but we also have to think for ourselves. That seems prudent, right?" Reddling stood up and walked to another table, picking up a pitcher of water and returning with it. After filling up his glass, he pulled up his canteen and began to fill it as well.

“What’re you doing, Reddling?” Tops asked, looking down at the canteen.

“We should stock up on food and water today. I’m not taking a chance with poison again.” Reddling topped off his canteen and then sealed it, shifting it back down to his side and looking back up at his friends.

“I would feel more comfortable if we discussed this with Lunar before we took any extreme action.” Midnight said huffily.

“Don’t take extreme action, just be ready and keep your eyes peeled. One of those things could take us down on their own for sure, and if you get bit, you’re done. If we see something, we report it.” Reddling returned to his halfeaten meal, finally giving Midnight a chance to say his piece in full.

“Of course… given how dangerous they seem to be, we might be well suited to stick together as much as possible. That thing did not seem eager to face us directly, and instead only ran. I doubt they’d stand up in a close quarters engagement.” Midnight sat his hooves on the table and looked around for some similar signs of approval.

“That was a six on one fight. If it’s pulling something here, it’ll bring some friends.” Reddling said. The sage nods went his direction instead of Midnights’ this round.

“All the more reason to stick together.” Midnight frowned.

“Might want some sunglasses then.” Reddling said, trying to think of how he’d look in sunglasses. For a quick moment, he saw himself walking down the street in a richly flowing longcoat with an Equestrian suit under it. A red tie around his neck with gold lining and sunglasses over his eyes as he strode into Canterlot castle, turning the eyes of everypony he walked past.

“I’m sure our armor will come equipped with necessities.” Midnight said. Reddling’s ears laid down a bit as he looked down, the image imploding sadly in his mind. Bruiser, Midnight, and Nightshade all stood up, looking at their mostly empty trays. Everybat exchanged glances quickly, then shrugged. There was a nonverbal agreement between them of what had to be done, and they trickled out of the room together, leaving only Tops and Reddling alone now.

Reddling looked down now. This was the first time he’d been alone with Tops since his enlightenment, and he was unsure of what to say.

“Hey, Reddling…” Tops started.

“Hello Tops.” Reddling cut of the trailing sentence, turning to face him. “We’re patrol partners tonight. Let’s talk and fly, shall we?”

Tops opened his mouth, but then shut it quickly and nodded. The two hurried outside and took off into the air, gliding towards their route. Reddling felt his insides bite as he killed his pride and prepared to swallow his honor and admit something he’d really been meaning to say for some time.

“I made a lot of misjudgments about things I didn’t understand over the last few weeks I-“ Reddling looked down at the ground. “I’m sorry.”

Tops was silent for a few moments and they enjoyed the late fall wind. “Thanks. That means a lot, Reddling.” Tops’ acceptance sounded sincere, but at the same time it felt a little cold.

Reddling found that he couldn’t meet Tops’ eyes. His chest was hurting really badly, and his organs felt really tight as he coughed out his words. “I was concerned about you and Nightshade, then fearful, I still am fearful, just… smarter.”

“You’re afraid?” Tops asked.

“Based on what I’ve seen and learned, yes. I respect it, but a healthy fear is good too.” Reddling said.

“There is nothing to be afraid of…” Tops reassured him. “I mean, that arrow thing that Lunar had us do… we were doing magic there. Everything came out just fine.”

“I do not fear your magic.” Reddling reassure him. “I fear what you fight.”

“Well, it’s not like we actively fight it, we just stay vigilant and in control of ourselves. We use it if we need it.” Tops said. “Cobalt explained it really well. Nightshade has the hang of using it much better than I. I don’t use it much if I can help it.”

“You two seem pretty close.” Reddling said, trying to push the conversation away from the topic of The Nightmare.

“…I was pretty bummed out when you were ignoring me. She helped me through it.” tops said, blushing slightly.

Oh, so she is fond of him. And I was mean to him, so she doesn’t like me. It all makes sense now. “It was never my intention to bum you out, simply to keep myself safe. Paranoia can be crippling.” Reddling said quietly.

“Well, there’s nothing dangerous about me, so there’s no need to be paranoid.” Tops said.

There is something dangerous about me though. You just won’t know it until it’s too late. “As I said, I misjudged the two of you in haste.” Reddling said.

“Do… you want me to talk to Nightshade? I know she can be kind of harsh sometimes, and you don’t get along, but maybe if I talk to her…” Reddling waved a hoof at Tops’ offer.

“No, I prefer to handle things like this on my own…” Reddling looked forward again, thinking about what to say next. He felt like he owed Tops, but didn’t have much to share with him to make up for being so insufferable for weeks on weeks. After a few moments, a thought popped in his head.

“After the wedding, Luna asked me about a special mission. Can I trust you to keep it secret?” Reddling asked, flying a bit closer to Tops now.

“Of course!” Tops said, looking over at him.

“Luna talked about possibly going to my country, and my hometown. It would be on a diplomatic mission, and I’m concerned about it.” Reddling said, looking over at Tops.

“How so?” Tops asked, returning a curious look to him.

“Because nine out of every ten ponies there would kill you or run you out of town on sight for being an Equestrian, and they can tell the difference.” Reddling said vehemently

“Eh, that does not sound good…” Tops replied.

“No, it’s not good at all, and I’m really concerned about the possibility of such a mission.” Reddling was indeed concerned about going to Silverfield with Princess Luna, but not for the reasons he was letting on. What if my friends learn my secret? They’d hate me!

“Why does she want to go to Silverfield?” Tops asked after a minute or so of silence.

“My country was wronged by Equestria a long time ago. There is bad blood between my people and Equestria, something that Luna wishes to solve, and I wish to see resolved too.” Reddling replied. Yes, I want to see it resolved. Resolved with payment, and the only payment I accept is blood.

“Well, how would you suggest we mend ties?” Tops asked.

“Mass genocide, systematically wiping out every single citizen of my hometown and surrounding villages, because that worked last time.” Reddling joked.

“That- That is a joke, right?” Tops said. Reddling laughed, and Tops also let out an uneasy laugh as Reddling nodded.

“I have family there Tops, I’d rather they didn’t die. Still, the only other method I can think of would be convincing the church to agree that Equestria is good instead of using it as a scapegoat for their problems.”

“How would we do that? I mean, I guess some of us could visit in a … goodwill mission or something.” Tops offered.  Reddling burst out laughing at the idea of seeing batponies fix up cobblestone roads on the edges of town.

“Ha, uh, no, that’s the problem. If anypony shows up that has wings, bats or pegasi, then they’re going to start shooting arrows and drawing swords on sight.”

“Ah- Wait, what? Why?” Tops shook his head, clearly caught off guard by that detail.

Reddling breathed in deeply. He had nearly revealed his secret to Tops, and he trusted him most to understand. “Do you remember when I asked you about odd back aches?”

“Yeah?” Tops said, nodding his head and waiting for more details. Reddling raised both of his hooves, then moved them together towards his chest, trying to make a snipping noise by clicking his tongue against his teeth twice, chopping his forelegs against each other.

“Never met a Pegasus before I moved to Equestria.” Reddling laughed. It was an empty laugh, bitter, icy, and devoid of any good emotion. “We’d be like demon pegasi mark twos.”

“What?” Tops said blankly. The idea of what Reddling was trying to relate was so absolutely foreign and incomprehensible to him that he could not even consider the point that was being made.

Again, Reddling felt himself grow cold and dark, almost like the Nightmare was speaking for him for a few moments. “Snip Snip, there are no pegasi where I come from.” Reddling leaned his head in to make the snipping sound again. The words rolled over his tongue like freezerburn, making the air outside colder with each syllable.  It was much easier to talk about this to Tops than Luna, but Reddling could still feel tears forming at the edges of his eyes.

“Why- Why aren’t there pegasi?” Tops asked, utterly lost and confused.

Reddling sighed. “You… I hate saying this. You don’t understand what I’m saying though.” Reddling breathed in deeply. “Alright, Straight out? Slice’m off. All wings.”

Tops nearly fell out of the air. He stumbled and backpedalled in the air, clumsily going down and landing awkwardly on the street below. Reddling landed more gracefully next to him. Tops turned his face, a look of complete and total horror on his face.

“You- please tell me you’re kidding. You have to be kidding, Please tell me you’re kidding.” Tops begged.

“If I didn’t have these wings now, I’d show you the scars.” Reddling said bitterly. Tops hugged his wings to his chest, bringing his legs together as if he was standing on his tippy toes.

“That- That’s horrifying! Absolutely disgusting! We can’t allow that to keep happening! We have to do something!” Tops cried out, suddenly stopping as his eyes grew wider and he understood fully what Reddling had told him. “And you- You! They-! Sun and stars, Reddling…"

I don’t… understand? How are you concerned about Silverfield? An Equestrian actually concerned about Silverfieldian problems? I don’t get it. I don’t understand.

Before Reddling had time to sort anything out, he felt himself being pulled into a full hug by Tops. The bat had wrapped his hooves and wings around him, and was holding them closely together. Reddling didn’t try to hug back, or really rip away, but just prayed the moment would end quickly as he let out a pathetic squeak.

“Not good at… hugs. Uh, Please, don’t touch me…” Reddling said as gently as he could manage. Tops let go, looking sheepish for a moment before his drive returned.

“We have to do something. I don’t care what it takes, that can’t keep happening.” Tops voice was one of strength and cold determination as he stared at Reddling directly in the eyes. It was an uncomfortable look, to have a pony taller than him looking down and meeting him with a gaze full of drive to help someponies he'd never met when he had nothing to gain.

“Huh?” Reddling asked, still trying to make sense of the world around him. Everything seemed to have been flipped upside down in the last few minutes. Tops face continued to be one of hard, cold resolve.

“Only a sick, terrible monster could do something so horrible to another pony. Something needs to be done!” Tops cried. Reddling looked down as each word stung into him.

“A terrible monster?” Reddling whispered. “Now you understand why I feared you and Nightshade. That was a taste of what my nightmare asked of me.”

Tops’ mouth dropped for a moment. It took a few seconds for the green bat to recover, slowly closing his mouth and opening it again. “Reddling… I- It’s alright Reddling, I understand. As soon as this wedding business is done, whatever it takes to fix Silverfield, it needs to happen.”

“I think there are more important things to handle. Equestria is important for one reason even the church can’t deny- If something were to happen to Equestria, everypony I know or knew is in danger.” Reddling waved a hoof at his own comment, not sure he full cared.

“Then as soon as we’re sure everything is safe.” Tops promised. The two of them flew off now, discussing their plans for the next few days and nights. Safe places to stock up on food and how to obtain some flasks that Reddling intend to fill with “liquids”. Reddling argued it was much more likely that the water supply would be poisoned than food when Canterlot was so big.

“I wonder though, if Web has caught up with that one that attacked us.”  Reddling questioned aloud. “It had a name for her- Black Widow. They knew each other Tops, I don’t like any of this. It’s got weird stamped all over it.”

“Web creeps me out a little, no offense.” Tops said.

“Yeah? Well Nightshade doesn’t like me.” Reddling stuck his tongue out at Tops, who blinked and nodded.

“Fair enough… I’m sure she’s doing alright. She was downright ferocious after that thing got away, I almost feel sorry for it when I think about what she’s going to do to it.” Tops mumbled.

“Web’s scary, but hey, at least she’s on our side.” Reddling grinned. “And about Nightshade, can you make sure she’ll actually patrol as well? If we do get ambushed I don’t want it to be the two of us and ending up like… what’s his name back at camp. Did you ever catch that earth pony’s name?”

“Uh- No, not really…” Tops mumbled again. “What ever happened to him?”

“I kind of hope he died… Because if he’s alive right now, I imagine his life sucks even more than it used too…” Reddling looked down grimly as the two of them began to trot into the darkness of Canterlot, eventually gliding back into the sky silently.

Secret Maneuverings

Rainy looked up from his pew, staring with big eyes upwards towards the large room above the prayer hall. Above him was a solid glass floor with specks of green colour outlining various heroic figures of Silverfield's past. Light shone through from eight windows, passing through the ceiling and casting glorious green lights on the prayer hall below. There were seven shadows sitting above him, each of them moving around and pushing papers across a table made purely of magical energy that had been set up for the meeting.

Several yards above the praying colt was The Father of the church, staring at four of his archbishops, a cardinal visiting from another side of Silverfield, and Lieutenant Malestrom. The Lieutenant would normally not be allowed into such a meeting, but the Captain of Silverfield's Templars had decided he did not feel like going to the meeting, and therefore sent his second in command to handle it for him.

"Can we please skip this verbose?" Maelstrom asked, leaning across the table and pushing a scroll towards the cardinal.

"You have no respect for how we hold meetings." The Cardinal said roughly, frowning as he snatched the scroll.

"Enough, gentlecolts." The Father said, winking at Maelstrom. "I think that Maelstrom is right however, we should come up with a plan of action against these horrible bugs."

"I'm not so sure we need to." Said the Archbishop of the West. "The Western ranges have seen them many times before, I do not think that they are an issue. They're only drones- like bees, sent to gather honey. We've tried tagging them, but they never return. I think something in the plants poisons them."

"It's all very fine for you then." The Archbishop of the North said hastily, "But we don't know that the Grey Plains enjoys such a blessing!"

"Ugh." Maelstrom coughed, putting his hooves on the table. "Look, we have a battalion of Sentinel-Knights read to march, Why don't we just send them out?"

"That would be your little Reddling Rain problem." The Archbishop of the West said. "Which I do believe we are due to discuss, Father?" Maelstrom shook his head, looking over to The Father.

"Reddling issue? Has he finally been... killed? He didn't- He didn't kill one of the princesses did he?" Maelstrom asked incredulously. The Father waved a hoof, leaning onto the table and looking at each of his fellows individually.

"We're unsure, but Reddling may be collaborating with the enemy." The Father said quietly.

"Horseshit." Maelstrom said, stomping a hoof angrily.

"Maelstrom!" The Father warned, "Control yourself or-"

"Or be damned!" Maelstrom yelled. "Reddling had his issues, but he's not a traitor, he would never betray us."

"Silence!" The Father said, waving his hoof and lighting his horn. A shadow fell over the room instantly, lacing itself around the mouths of all others in the room. After licking his hoof and pushing his mane back, the Father smiled one of his fat smiles before continuing. "Reddling Rain has been gone on his quest for nearly 2 years. We've sen no results, and our spies say that he's dropped off the face of the earth in the last few months. Its been over a season since we last saw any sight of him, and that worries me. Perhaps, he has died, but I do not believe so... Perhaps, he is working with our enemy and found asylum? Yes..."

The shadow released it's grasp on the other stallions in the room, slinking away as quickly as it had come. The archbishops and cardinal began to whisper to each other as Maelstrom, stroked his chin, opening and closing his jaw to ensure it still worked correctly.

"If he's really a traitor, send a few Sentinels to eliminate him." The Cardinal said. His accent was far less pronounced than another Silverfieldian, but still to a degree that he did not sound like any Equestrian.

"I would have all my Sentinels here, in Silverfield's religious capital, should there be a backlash from Equestria." The Father said. "If all else fails, I will consider sending The Templars to kill Reddling- he learned far more than we should have let him."

"The Templars?" The Cardinal said softly. "Father, you do not have the authority to make a holy order against an enemy without consulting with both of the other cardinals- I cannot agree to this."

"You do not have to agree to it." The Father said cruelly, turning and smiling to Maelstrom. "Maelstrom, Reddling grew up here, did he not?"

"Yes, Father." Maelstrom said obediently, not looking him directly in the eye, but instead staring at one of his multiple chins that kept his throat warm.

"Reddling was knighted before he left, as a Templar- a holy knight- this is correct?" The Father asked.

"That was a phony ceremony-" Maelstrom began to retort, but a wave of The Father's hoof silenced him.

"Just answer yes or no, Maelstrom." The father said dangerously.

"Yes, Father." Maelstrom said. The Father nodded happily, turning back to the cardinal.

"So as you can see, I have full authority and power over Reddling... and therefore, have every right to use the Templars to eliminate him if I so choose. The same would go for anypony within the church that questions my authority and divine power." Hastily standing up, the four archbishops excused themselves with nods as they trotted quickly to the door of the room, knocking each other over to get out. Standing up and beginning to wobble away, The Father gave Maelstrom a quick pat on the side.

"Today is the Wedding of Princess Cadance of Equestria. Tomorrow I will have reports on her wedding to read, so take care of this for me, won't you?" The Father lifted his hoof off Maelstrom, shuffling out the door.

"I'm sorry for this." Maeltrom said, drawing his blade. The Cardinal moved to draw his knife, but it was already too late. Maelstrom had magically thrust his blade into the pony's gut and begun twisting it around, watching the pool of blood form on the ground as the poor creature collapsed.

"I-I am ...a priest, how can you?" The Cardinal looked up in pain, his weary eyes shining with agony as Maelstrom pulled his blade clean of his body cavity.

"An order is an order, right?" Maelstrom asked.

"One day, you'll question that." The cardinal said, pushing a hoof onto his wound and trying to hold as much of his blood in as possible. Without another word, Maelstrom turned from the room, leaving the pony to spend his last moments of agony alone.

“Ahaha, hell yeah!” Bruiser’s booming laugh and stomping around nearly threw Reddling from his bed to the floor as a hurricane hit the room. It was the morning before the Wedding day and Reddling had been trying to get some quick rest when Bruiser had returned from his shift. The barracks currently looked like a disaster relief warehouse, with little bits of straw, bits of wooden crates, and other similar rubbish having been thrown around all over the place.

All of the other bats in the barracks were awake, currently going over their various equipment. Reddling first noticed Tops, who had fully outfitted himself fully in his medium armor. The plates covered him nicely, but he looked like little more than standard infantry next to Bruiser and Midnight. Bruiser had next thrust himself into Reddling's view with his full armor on. Deadly spikes stuck out at horrifying angles that made him look like some manner of moving siege tower rather than a pony. With a huff Bruiser took off the helmet, grinning around the room.

Midnight strode forward next, sliding a box onto Reddling's bed. Midnight wore heavy armor, but it was not like Bruiser's armor. Instead, his was nothing short of knightly. His sides were covered with heavy chain mail with plates layered over it, all of which pointed inward towards his chestplate. Reddling raised an eyebrow as he admired the work of the Nightguard craftsponies- While he could see some minor weakness at the base of the neck and the joints on the armor, It would be very difficult for somepony to land a blow on Midnight unless he was standing perfectly still.

"Stop gawking at ponies." Nightshade hissed. She was lounging lazily on her bed, wearing simple armor that had plates on the shoulders, chest, and shins. Hers lacked the safety that the other suits afforded, but at least she looked like she could still move around and swing her blade from mouth or hoof, unlike Bruiser in his heavy armor.

"Yeah Reddling, put it on." Tops said eagerly, looking at the unopened box and offering Reddling a crowbar. With a happy sigh, Reddling held out a hoof for the crowbar, which Tops passed over instantly. Lowering the end, Reddling lifted the lid off the box and peeked inside before he began pulling out his armor.

Some of his armor was like the others. All of them had hoofshoes that were blue metal on the start and end, but filled with a mesh-like leather in the middle that allowed for easy gripping of weapons. Choosing to forgo some of the cloth clothing, Reddling instead slid on a steel cuirass that was made of steel a little less thick than Top's breastplate. His armor was not so different from Nightshade's, with the parts being mostly identical. The chain on his sides offered a little more protection than her cloth, but also limited his movement, something that he found distasteful.

"Hah, Reddling, you ever worn armor before?" Bruiser asked as he clapped Reddling on the shoulder, causing the red bat to nearly topple into his bed.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Reddling said. He had sold his armor in Equestria for some more money to live on while he worked his way into the general army. He felt weird wearing a foreign uniform now, but it also offered him some odd protective blanket.

"Could kind of tell you had- Reddling?" Bruiser turned around as Reddling ducked around him, quickly going to his chest of belongings and pulling out his folded up coat. Giving it a quick toss, Reddling wrapped it around himself and readjusted some of his armor so it fit more properly. The silk in the leg parts felt good against his coat and skin, and the entire ensemble made him feel like he was more than ready to take on all the princesses in Equestria. Belting on his weapons under the coat, Reddling did a quick flourish, showing that he had managed to hide all of his knives and his sword under the shifting coat. Midnight, Tops, and Bruiser gave a few raised eyebrows and a soft hoofclaps.

"Pfft. You act like some silly teenager." Nightshade said, leaning back on her bed and shutting her eyes. Reddling blushed slightly and shrugged.

"Well, I like it, and that's all that matters." Reddling returned to his bed too, laying down in the darkness as everypony calmed down, looking at putting their own weapons on. Midnight belted his kite shield onto his back, hanging his longsword at his side while Tops reattached his claws. Bruiser was laying next to his maul and staring at it from his bed amusingly, which was quite the contrast from Nightshade, who simply had her longsword laying across her chest.

Ah... I really hope I don't become enemies with any of these ponies someday. I have to keep my operations in the dark, because I wouldn't want to fight them. They're-... well, they're strong, and friends? I can't bear to think of them that way, I wouldn't want to fight them though. They're not my enemy, they're just poor bystanders. Reddling let his thoughts ease him into a gentle few hours of sleep.

The morning sun greeted Reddling like a knife to the skull. At one time in his life, it might have been a desirable thing- to feel the sun's warm glow as he trotted into the day. Now it was a blasphemous thing, something he wanted to just paint black and blot out of the sky.

"Sunglasses." Tops said coolly, sliding out his glasses and putting them on. Nightshade and Reddling quickly pulled out their sunglasses, sliding them over their eyes and beginning to walk towards the Palace. Outside, two tired looking guards were lazing around in the early morning mist. Standing up a little straighter at the site of the bats, one of them rushed forward, holding a pike in one hoof, and his other up in the face of Nightshade.

"Halt in the name of Equestria!  Ain't no bats are allowed in the palace today!" He squeaked in a southern accent, readjusting his helmet so that it was on straight, instead of crooked. Nightshade looked at Reddling as she twitched her nose, but Reddling just pushed her aside, patting her shoulder.

"Soldier, what is your name." Reddling stated blankly. the other soldier had made his way up now and was sneering, holding his pike at the ready.

"Ah'm Private Snuffleberry." The first soldier quipped.

"And I'm Private First Class Buzzleleaf." The second one chimed with his Trottingham accent, puffing out his chest. They were both pretty sad sacks next the Night Guard, but Reddling knew of their type from general service.

"And as two privates, I'm guessing that you don't know about the Night guard special surprise inspection this morning." Reddling said, gesturing up at the sky. "We're tired, please let us do our job so we can go to bed."

"Buzzle, Nopony told me about any inspection." Snuffleberry said.

"Well he said it was a surprise inspection, you twit." Buzzleleaf responded.

"Hey, don't you call me a twit! Ah don't even know what that is!" Snuffleberry hissed.

"Well you see, a twit is-" Buzzleleaf began, but Reddling waved his hoof between them quickly.

"Privates! We've got a schedule. We're tired. Now, if you'll let us go do our job, and make sure the castle is all nice an proper without any frisk searches, I'd really appreciate that. I'm also very certain that the record of our inspection will reflect how much I appreciate your help." Reddling said. He couldn't quite bring himself to smile at the ponies, but Buzzleleaf quite clearly got the hint.

"Oh- OH! Yeah, yeah... got ya, You three fine bats have a nice morning, go right on ahead..." Buzzleleaf said, grinning at all three of them as Tops, Nightshade, and Reddling made their way past them and into the castle.

"Ya know, ain't we supposed to be frisk searching 'erypony that goes in there?" Snuffleberry asked from behind the three of them.

"Shut up, ya dummy. They're going to pass us with flying colours if we don't mention that we ever saw'em today." Buzzleleaf chided.

"Oh, 'eh do you think that means Ah might make Private First Cl-"

"No, Snuffleberry." Buzzleleaf said, sighing as he returned to his position.

The sweep of most of the castle proved to be quite boring. Nightshade spent most of the time hissing about how they should get out of the sunlight, while Tops simply shook his head and helped Reddling ensure that all patrols were traveling in groups. Reddling had been careful to monitor the patrol paths as well as areas where guards tended to linger. So far he had not noted any practice for the wedding, which he found odd. While not an avid wedding attender himself, Reddling was sure they'd need some kind of practice beforehand.

Breaking away from his friends, Reddling had tried to get access to the wedding room to see if he could find easy access routes or anything to rig- something that could be done to kill Princess Cadance and Shining Armor and not make it look as thought his hooves had been directly involved. However, the guards outside had proved to be far smarter than the ones at the gate, and not fallen for any simple tricks. Both had had shockingly green eyes that stared past Reddling, as though he was just a piece of meat before them. After making no progress twice with the ponies, Reddling had decided to give up and retreat to an empty room around the end of the Wedding hallway.

It had taken well into the afternoon to finish the castle security checking, and Tops, Nightshade, and Reddling had all retired to have lunch in the abandoned room they were holed up in.

"Even if something does happen, we won't see anything from in here." Nightshade said before taking a sip from her canteen. Reddling waved his hoof however, pointing to the door.

"We don't need eyes- You taught me that. We can just squeak into the hallway from his room and see everything going on around us. There still hasn't been any wedding practice, and that's odd." Reddling said. "Naturally, that's concerning."

"Maybe they did that earlier?" Tops suggested. Reddling shrugged as Nightshade went to the door and let out a squeak testing out his idea before pulling back with her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Reddling, this is... actually really clever." Nightshade said. Reddling took a bite of his orange and began to suck the life from it as he watched the room. He'd have to lose Tops and Nightshade at some point if he wanted to get at any of the Princesses in the madness of the afterparty. His companions however, were not making themselves easy to lose.  Even with the blasted sun glaring at them as they trotted from window to window, both had loyally stayed at his side.

Reddling stared at a clock that had been left in the room to idly tick by.

An hour till the wedding, it seemed so far away...

Forty five minutes to the wedding, Some guests were starting to trickle in.

Thirty minutes, most guests had arrived, and the groom had been announced.

Fifteen minutes. Reddling could feel his skin crawling along the wooden chair he occupied as his heart beat. Surely, something would happen. Something had felt so off and he knew it, how could nothing happen?

Five minutes. Reddling was the one squeaking now as he felt Cadance move into the hall. How could nothing happen?

Five minutes after the start of the wedding, something must-

"Reddling, nothing is going to happen." Tops said, putting a hoof on his friend's shoulder as Reddling gave another squeak. "I'm sorry, I know you're security conscious, but maybe all our worrying was for nothing-"

Reddling suddenly shoved Tops back, his ears quirking up. He motioned for Nightshade and Tops to come quickly to the crack at the door. Reddling let out one more squeak as they all listened together. Somepony was sprinting along the hallway alone. A unicorn standing at about Reddling's height was dashing up the hallway and... crying?

"That's it." Reddling said, opening the door wide. A purple flash went right past them before any of the three could react. As they all hurried to clamber out of the room, The unicorn had made her way around the corner. Rushing to keep up with her, they watched the sobbing unicorn blast the two guards at the door away in a burning explosion of purple magic. Reddling, Tops and Nightshade stared at the guardsponies as they fell backwards- only they were no longer ponies. In their stead lay two black creatures with shiny carapaces covering their bodies. Green wings buzzed idly on their back as compound green eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Weapons." Reddling said, drawing his sword and putting it into his mouth. With a click, Tops unsheathed his claws a Nightshade drew her sword magically and slid it into her mouth. Not wasting a second on the fallen beasts, Reddling lead the charge as the three of them burst into the wedding room. Stunned ponies stood up in chairs or feel sideways to avoid the bat ponies as they made their way to stand by the purple unicorn.

"I SAW WHAT YOU DID, YOU MONSTER!" The purple unicorn screamed, staring directly at Princess Cadance, who was frowning. There were a few seconds of hushed confusion as colourful bridesmaids gawked at the purple Unicorn. An alicorn that Reddling could only assume must be Princess Celestia was standing next to Cadance, looking fiercely at the unicorn first, then the three night guard who quickly fell in beside her. Reddling put his blade in front of the unicorn, letting Tops and Nightshade flanked her as every eye in the room locked on the Princess Cadance or the wedding crashers standing in the middle of the hall.

Everyone in the hall winced as there was a sudden bright flash of intense green flame enveloping Princess Cadance. the fires spread across her coat, burning and charring her coat until every bit of her beautiful pink hues had been transformed into twisted, gnarled black. Chitinous skin and pocked limbs marred the fleshy carapace that was only broken by a set of translucent wings, a silky tail and mane- which was split by a gnarled horn.

It was the eyes though. Reddling felt himself thrust into her eyes. the feeling was only there for a moment, but in that moment he felt as if he stared at them for too long he would drown in the glowing, brightly intense green pools. At the same time, a horrible sinking feeling kept Reddling firmly grounded in the world. The monsters in the hall had been smaller, not like this one- This monster was like a sister of the blue one he had met. His absolute worst fear had been confirmed with the presence of the monster before him.

...There's more of them.

Balefly

There were gasps and screams around the audience as chaos erupted. The monster turned quickly on Celestia, letting out an intensely blinding green beam that smacked Celestia in the face, blowing her off her hooves and back into the pews of the audience. A few ponies screamed, others let out cries of anger and swore loudly.

"Celestia!" the unicorn cried, teleporting with a burst of magic to the Princess's side, where five others from the audience quickly joined her.

Suddenly, there was a loud WHUMP. Rushing to the window, Reddling looked outside to see a ripple in the shield. Grabbing part of a broken pew, he smashed it savagely into the window, thrusting his head out and letting loose the loudest echoing cry he could into the air before he ducked back into the scene of terror. Guests were beginning to flee the room in panic. Tops had rushed to the window to look up at the shield, but recoiled in panic at the ripple as a large wave of black slammed itself into the magical wall.

"T-Twilight- the elements-" Reddling could barely hear the Alicorn breathing the words to the unicorn over the chaos, even with his enhanced hearing.

"Nothing you can do will defeat us." The monster said. Tops was still staring like an idiot out the window as the room emptied, leaving Twilight, Celestia, and the Night Guard alone except for a few ponies.

"GO!" Celestia yelled at Twilight.

"Tops, Nightshade, go with them." Reddling said, trying to keep his panic under control. He had expected something to happen, but suddenly he was struggling to come up with a contingency plan for THIS. He had expected a few hiccups, but nothing as major as seeing one of his marks nearly struck down in front of him.

"Girls, come on!" Twilight said, taking a small group of ponies towards the door.

"R-Reddling!" Tops said, turning with slightly watery eyes away from the window. His voice reeked of panic as he tried to process what he'd observed. "There's- Hundreds of them! T-Thousands! The shield is failing!"

"GO!" Reddling screamed at his friends. Along with five other ponies, Tops and Nightshade ran for the door. There was a crack as more magic chased after them, blasting the doors to splinters and leaving the rock charred. However, Twilight had already conjured up a shield around her group, and along with a black mist rising from Tops and Nightshade, Reddling was quite sure they made it out as he turned to face the mammoth bug in front of him.

Reddling gave the bug a salute, starting at the tip of his snout and tracing it up to his forehead to cover one eye, the edge of his hoof facing towards what he assumed was an enemy officer.

"You're stealing my business, you know." Reddling said playfully. The changeling blinked, tilting her head curiously at the accent. Outside there was an enormous shattering as the shield failed. Magic ripped and tore itself to pieces as buzzing black clouds descended into the city.

"You're far from home, aren't you?" The changeling asked. her voice was a melodic, buzzing hum, something like crystal vibrating- or glass shattering. Reddling simply uncorked a vial from inside his coat, sloshing around the Black Agnosia inside.

"A long, long way," Reddling said, looking down at Celestia as he jammed the vial into her mouth, forcing the liquid down the surprised pony's throat. "I was hoping to avoid all this... collateral damage."

"Seize him!"  the monster cried. Reddling felt a beam of magic hit him before he could react, throwing him back several feet. The smell of sizzled hair and smouldering trenchcoat filled the air as almost every window in the room broke. Throwing his sword at a changeling, Reddling watched it narrowly miss and bounce off the opposite wall, clattering on the floor. Drawing his knife, Reddling flew at Chrysalis in a fury, trying to slice her belly open from under her.

Mid lunge, however, Reddling felt three of the beasts grab him, tackling him down and then pulling him up with his hooves restrained. These changelings were not like their queen- they were thick and solid, with heavily armored carapaces and dull little horns that matched their far shorter wings.

"You know what my work is here. Let me see these blasted Princesses dead before you finish me!" Reddling screamed at the queen changeling. As she trotted over to Celestia, the leader sneered angrily at Reddling.

"What did you do to her?!"

Reddling sighed, shaking his head. "It is a sedative. She'll wake up in a few hours or a day."

Quickly regaining her composure, the leader straightened up, her anger totally fading away in an instant. "Doing our work for us then." Her voice was coy and almost playful as a dozen more changelings filled the room. These bugs were smaller, not bulky, strong, or powerful like the ones restraining Reddling. Finally starting to figure out some of the hierarchy, Reddling watched as they all stared up at their Queen.

"Take care of the Princess, would you drones. Soldiers, hold that one still," The queen commanded to the other bugs. The other soldiers joined their queen's side as the drones began to drag Celestia away and up a few short stairs to where the wedding would have been held. Shining Armor's nigh lifeless body was kicked aside as he breathed shallow breaths at the foot of the Changeling Queen.

"You might take Canterlot, but you'll never take or hold Equestria. Strike down the Princesses, their guardians- it won't be enough to take all this land." Reddling taunted at the queen, adjusting himself to be more comfortable in the holds of his captors.

"We will take care of it." The queen said, staring out the window. A cacophony of buzzing was rising up from outside the window. Reddling gave a little shiver at the thought of those bugs out in the city, wreaking unknowable havoc.

"Yeah, you'll spread out your forces, have every stallion, mare, and foal under your control... yes, but how will you hold all of it? You can't possibly have the troops." Reddling began looking around the room, looking for some escape. The changeling on his left had a loose grip on him, and there was a shattered pew nearby he could probably quickly grab and swing. The trouble was his sword was laying on the other side of the room, and knifefighting was simply not viable against two dozen changelings.

"Your stalling is somewhat annoying, and isn't going to work." The Queen said shortly. Right outside, Reddling heard the beat of wings- not pegasus wings, and not bug wings. A smile trickled over his face as the Queen turned to face him.

"Oh really? Remember this face, it might be the last thing you ever see someday." Reddling chided. A drone jerked it's head as a figure leapt through the window, bashing into three changelings with his magnificent kite shield. Midnight Tales.

Pulling his foreleg free, Reddling slammed the equivalent of an elbow into the face of the Changeling, spinning around plunging the knife still gripped in his right hoof into the carapace of the other Changeling holding him. Another bash from Midnight's kite shield sent the third Changeling on Reddling flying as their comrade crumpled to the ground, grasping at their gushing neck.

Chrysalis and the Changelings looked around in utter confusion for a few moments, trying to make out what had just happened. Midnight let out a "Reddling, run!" as he drew his sword and threw himself against three changeling soldiers, further adding to the confusion in the room.

Reddling did run- but not for the door. As he went to pass the Queen, he threw himself in the air and turned sideways, flapping his wings once before he cocked his forehoof back, throwing Ausfall with all his might at the queen. There was a wet thud in the room as the knife embedded itself in her lower chest. A sharp gasp rose from Chrysalis's frame as bright green blood began to seep out all over her carapace and the floor.

Reddling, meanwhile, had recovered his sword and was facing twenty changelings who were all snarling in fury at seeing their queen wounded. Charging at a soldier who threw himself at him, Reddling beheaded the monster in time to see Chrysalis's horn glowing. An incinerating beam hit him with a loud shriek, launching him across all of the pews and into a few overturned chairs at the back of the room. Midnight cut down two soldiers between them as he fought his way to Reddling's side. Reddling was preparing himself for the horde of monsters readying themselves to be thrown at the Night Guard while Midnight landed a shield bash against one stray drone before catching another soldier with his blade, cutting it badly across the midsection and leaving it to fall back and whimper in pain.

Pulling out his blue lunar knife, Reddling cocked his hoof again and jumped, flapping his wings and then throwing the knife across the room at the wounded queen. A second wet thud rung threw the room as she screamed in pain, clutching at her wounds as she fell to the side, looking down at a small pool of blood below her. A collective scream of rage drowned out chrysalis as the changelings rushed at the two bat ponies, not caring if they were caught on swords. Reddling and Midnight cut down two, four, but the waves did not seem to end as their punches and bites were deflected by armor. Despite the pain wracking his body, the site of seeing the enemy queen nearly fall gave Reddling a second wind as he prepared to stand and face her.

"Run!" Midnight said again, panic in his voice as he bashed down another drone and jerked Reddling back towards the door. Midnight moves his frame and threw Reddling into the hall towards a broken window. Turning back, Reddling watched as Midnight fled into the hall, raising his shield. There was just a split second of time for Reddling to see a burst of blinding magic hit Midnight, throwing him off his hooves and smashing him into a wall, which gave way slightly as it imploded. The glass of two windows shattered next to Midnight as a dozen changelings fell upon him, punching and biting at anything they could grab.

It was so easy to run away, to jump out that window and leave Midnight there. Nopony would ever know, and after a few years nopony might even care. Reddling cared though, and he felt a fire rise up in his blood as he charged the Changelings, hacking down every single one he could sinking his blade into. Limbs and green blood filled the air as he swung his blade in a wide arc, slicing down at least four of them as they backed up, reforming themselves and giving Midnight enough time to get to his hooves.

Before Reddling had time to face the creatures however, he felt something grab his tail. Midnight swung him out the window, sending him plummeting downwards as his view of his friend vanished. Miraculously, Reddling realized that his sunglasses had somehow managed to stay on through this entire ordeal, and the instant exposure to the sun did not leave him burning.

The same avoidance of burning could not be said for Midnight however, for as Reddling caught his balance in the air he saw another flash of magic from the window he'd just fallen from. Real sadness hit Reddling's chest as he realized that Midnight was a goner. Turning away from the scene, Reddling scoured the chaos below. There was a maddening cacophony of buzzing that made his ears ring as he cut his way between changelings. These bugs were everywhere, and seemed to rule the land and skies. Everything had become a sea of blackness that was blotting out the sun overhead.

There was a quick rush of air beside Reddling as Midnight jumped from the window and threw himself towards the ground, diving and raising his wings as more Changelings swooped in on the two bats. Moving to evade them, Reddling drew himself away from the fight and any pursuing drones, leaving Midnight to hopelessly contend with a score of the monsters. Not too far in the distance, Reddling saw a bridge that was covered with rainbow hues of many ponies seemingly dancing back and forth.

Sorry, Midnight

Reddling shook his head, blinking down at the scene. There were at least a hundred ponies- many of whom appeared to be duplicates of the same six, all fighting each other. Nightshade, Tops, and Bruiser were looking confusedly into the mirade of colours all fighting each other. Reddling landed next to them as a confetti cannon exploded nearby, sending a bright pink pony rocketing off the bridge.

"Clone!" Nightshade pointed out. Bruiser swung his hammer and caught a rainbow maned pony, crushing its chest and sending her flying away from combat, green blood dripping from his maul.

"This is idiotic, What are you doing?" Reddling demanded of his friends, turning to the crowd of ponies. "Dumbasses! They're just stalling you! Get going and we'll handle them!"

A purple unicorn blinked, then lit up her horn and let out a burst of magic, sending three of her own clones flying into the air. "Girls, to me!" She called, rushing past the parade of colourful copies and heading for a tall tower.

Reddling spared his friends a glance as they fell upon the copies, beginning a work of mass slaughter as the screams of the bugs filled the air. Some magical purple shine seemed to surround them, keeping them shielded from most general harm. None of them seemed to be fresh for the fight, but they were holding up far better than Reddling with his half melted coat.

"Get to your elements, hurry!" Reddling yelled at them, flying overhead as Twilight conjured a purple shield around her friends, forcing changelings to bounce harmlessly off it as they rushed towards the tower as quickly as hooves could carry them. Behind them, Tops was shredding changelings from the skies with his claws, ripping them to pieces before they could even join the fight. Bruiser's maul was busy smashing exoskeleton into dark bonemeal. A few strikes of lightning burst along the bridge from Nightshade, frying several changelings and leaving them dead before they hit the ground.

While it was not a quick trip to the tower of the elements rising in front of them, Reddling was sure that the six ponies would soon arrive. Moving forward, Reddling threw himself next to a shattered window, standing on a ledge by his hind hooves and looking inside the tower room. Inside were nearly a dozen soldiers, and at least a dozen more drones standing guard in front of a grand door that could only be opened with a horn.

In front of the door was a sight that would have sunk anypony's heart. Another queen, tall and terrible, was staring with her blue eyes fixed on her task. Potent magical tentacles were slowly eating through the door that was protecting the elements.

Too many to fight alone... That bitch is mine though. Reddling threw himself away from the window, flying back to his friends and Twilight.

"Trap inside, when you open that door get ready to mow down more bugs!" Reddling commanded the ponies. Landing and turning towards the door, Reddling rushed beside the purple unicorn as they threw open the door. The Night Guard flanked the other five ponies as they threw themselves into the room. Instantly, the guards all threw themselves in full at the invaders, preparing to clash with the intruders.

Reddling watched the blue changeling as everything moved slowly for him. He felt his hoof grab at a knife from under his ruined coat, but as he took to the air and flipped the blade part into the mesh of his glove, a tingling hit his mind.

"You shunned my gift," said the queen. Reddling didn't even blink as he suddenly felt the bug's name. Balefly, Queen Balefly. There was a soft burning on his neck as he recognized the queen, reminding him of his near death- or perhaps, something worse- experience.

Look at me, I already have everything I need. I'm unbreakable. Reddling thought back to the queen. He almost felt as if it was... his queen, but he shredded the thought as soon as it came to mind.

"Is that what you told the Nightmare little colt?" Balefly asked.

Reddling's knife arced threw the air, clean and true as it sliced straight into the back of the Changeling Queen's skull. A scream echoed from her throat as she lurched forward, her head slamming into the door. Her yell was one of surprise and pain as blood spurted from her wound, soaking the back of her neck. She had been nearly identical to Chrysalis, but the difference was Reddling would be the last thing this queen saw.

Reddling's heart soared quickly before falling threw the floor again. Balefly ripped the blade from the back of her head and stood back up, glaring at Reddling in fury. Two thick armored soldiers stepped in front of her and moved to engage Reddling as he parried one's punch with his sword. The other landed their blow on Reddling's back, and although he felt shockwaves travel all through his skeleton, he managed to stay upright and mostly unhurt. Slicing into the back of the off balance soldier, Reddling turned against the still standing foe.

Reddling's eyes were not so much on his enemy, but rather the situation around him. The battle had now fully turned against Equestria. Nightshade, Tops, and Bruiser had been backed into a corner, and the mane six into another corner on the other side of the room. This left Reddling standing out in the open between the two groups with no cover.

Oh, do not let me die. Reddling thought, slicing down a drone that flew at him from the side.

I have to see her again. Can you hear me Web? If we all die here, I'm so sorry. I just wanted to see you one more time... Reddling flipped around the soldier, sliding his back against the outstretched hoof of the bug before impaling his blade into the back of the creature.

But if you ever really wanted to help, now would be the time to turn up! Reddling turned to see a blue pegasus do a midair punch against one drone. An orange earth pony quickly slammed her hooves into the face of the fallen bug, hurling it away and sending it out a window. Twilight blasted another changeling away, leaving it down for the count, yet despite the efforts of her friends and herself the situation was not improving at all.

Reddling shook his head in amazement as he stabbed into another drone, staring at a Pink pony who seemed to be playing with her enemies, as well as a yellow pegasus who flinched away from two attacking changelings. Rather than rip the pegasus to shreds though, they both stopped and looked at each other in confusion.

Not one to waste a chance, Reddling quickly drew a knife out and threw it into the skull of one changeling, causing it to fall over face first onto the floor, dead. The other changeling barely had time to turn before it was impaled on a bastard sword threw the chest and body. Reddling and the bug looked at each other for a moment, and then the bug looked down in shock. Ripping his sword out Reddling quickly beheaded the creature. Pulling out another knife, Reddling gasped as he saw a huge ball of energy glowing at the end of Balefly' horn, which she was aiming at not only Reddling's friends, but also many of her own Changelings.

"Night Guard, dodge!" Reddling called, throwing a knife at Balefly as she prepared to fire her spell. The queen dodged the knife narrowly, but her beam went well over the heads of both changeling and bat as she burned the ceiling, leaving a black scorch mark. Reddling threw another knife which clattered against the wall next to Balefly as she rounded to face him.

The two wasted no time in meeting each other's eyes. Already a third throwing knife was out of his hoof and soaring across the room. This time, the knife found it's mark, embedding itself in Balefly's chest. She stumbled backwards, grabbing at her chest as she pointed at the red bat in front of her.

"Gah!- Kill the one with the knives!" Balefly screamed at her soldiers. Two soldiers broke away from the fray and charged Reddling as he grinned painfully at them.

"Well come on then!" Reddling said, throwing another knife at Balefly before throwing himself out the window, not taking time to see if he hit her. The soldiers both threw themselves out the window as well. Hanging below the window, Reddling thrust himself upwards, impaling one of the soldiers from underneath. Dragging the Changeling along on the sword, Reddling threw the carcass into the side of the building, leaving the crumpled body to fall towards the courtyards below.

Flying back to the bridge, Reddling stopped and dodged the soldier as he stared at the pony making their way towards him. Bleeding from innumerable cuts and wounds as he trotted forward, was Midnight. He was still holding his shield up at an occasional drone attacker as he fought threw a trail of corpses that fell in his wake. Reddling could not comprehend how this pony had survived, or indeed what was keeping him going at this point. Midnight had added a fresh layer of corpses to the ones that the other Night Guard and mane six had already deposited on the bridge.

"Midnight, in here!" Reddling yelled to his friend, sidestepping and tripping the soldier as he ducked back into the tower. A beam of light seared the room as Balefly's spell connected with Bruiser, knocking him the the ground. Although he seemed much worse for the wear, Bruiser struggled back to his hooves, continuing to fight the remaining Changeling soldiers, who now had become very few in number. The battle had evened out, and Balefly's bugs were beginning to lose their momentum.

"Hey, you blue bitch! You can't kill me!" Reddling screamed at Balefly from the door. The blue bitch turned with a snarl as she lowered her smoking horn, paying no heed to shadows lurching around at the corners of the room.

Blinking, Reddling tried to make sure he saw what he thought he'd seen. Sure enough, crawling along the edges of the room, were shadows that were all leaping and chasing each other. In a sudden motion, a figure leaped from a shadowy corner, throwing herself at Balefly. The bat was clad in tight but thin shiny blue plates, with a helmet on and visor down. Reddling could barely make out the pony with all of the shadows twisting around her like fiery wreathe. There was a laughably small knife in the mouth of the pony as she acrobatically vaulted over the Queen and landed on her other side, leaving her knife edged in blood.

Reddling turned and sliced down another Changeling shoulder as a shrill, high pitched "Ehehehe" split the air.

Web! Reddling beamed as he looked at her. Suddenly every wound on his body seemed to melt away, all the pain of this horrible place vanishing at the sight of this glorious nightlight. "Web!' Reddling screamed in joy, raising his blade and preparing to end the remaining Changelings.

"Got you." Web said gleefully to Balefly, jerking her head towards Reddling. Once more Reddling tackled into the monsters, literally disarming the nearest drone he could find as a horrible flash of magic lit up the world.

Reddling turned away from his fallen foe in time to see Web flying across the room, knocked off her hooves. She slammed into the wall before falling into her own shadows.

"You blasphemous monster! I'll kill you!" Reddling felt his voice crack as he screamed again, charging Balefly as she laughed off Web.

"Hah, Your pony poisons won't do anything against me." Balefly laughed, not bothering to face Reddling. All changelings turned to watch as Reddling sliced his blade into Balefly's side. Green blood splattered against the remains of his coat, armor, and sunglasses as the Queen lost a wing. A terrible gash was now open in the Balefly's back, but even as she crumpled, she turned to lash out. A green arc lit on her horn as she dug under Reddling's cuirass. The steel was split away uselessly, opening a hole in his chest.

Reddling dropped his sword as he gasped, feeling himself lifted into the air before being thrown away from Balefly. He blinked at the ceiling idly as the world flashed by. The walls of the tower betrayed their geometry as everything around him decayed. Colours were duller, and the early sunset hitting the world seemed to be dull and cold now.

Everything was cold now though. Reddling had not felt himself hit the floor, but there he was, laying on his back against the cold marble. A pounding in his head echoed as he tucked his wings in, laying a hoof into this chest to stop the bleeding. If he was going to die, then this was going to be the last thing he felt. He was going to feel these wings around him- these, Equestrian gifts from the night. He was going to die knowing he wasn't a pegasus soaring threw the skies, but a bat pony, and a child of the night.

An arc of purple and black streaked overhead from somewhere out of his vision to a new destination. Whatever it was, it was in a hurry. There were a few blows around the room, which echoed the blasts and screams ricocheting around the broken shapes of the tower.

I wanna hug Web, and my friends, and go to Silverfield again. I want to see Rainy, save the day. Dying isn't in those plans, I have to live... somehow... I have to preserve myself. Feeling his coat, Reddling located one amazingly unsmashed vial of Black Agnosia hanging in a half melted pocket. Uncorking the top, Reddling threw the liquid onto his chest. Most of the liquid landed against his body, but he felt a few drops hit his insides. The world slowed down for just a bit, and Reddling felt two sets of hooves push him back down

There was a rumble of hooves, and then a massive blue-black juggernaut vaulted over his body with an orange earth pony, rushing at a crumpled Balefly. Reddling felt himself pushed back down as two blurred faces blocked his vision. He could feel their pink and purple manes ticking his face as their white and yellow hooves appraised his wound.

There was a rumble of hooves, and then a massive blue-black juggernaut vaulted over his body with an orange earth pony, rushing at a crumpled Balefly. Reddling felt himself pushed back down as two blurred faces blocked his vision. he could feel their pink and purple manes ticking his face as their white and yellow hooves appraised his wound.

"...Poor Dear...Going... make" the white one said.

"... your sewing kit..." the yellow one said. Reddling wasn't sure, but he almost felt like the mare was smiling at him. "...hang on, you can do it, you can make it."

Reddling rolled his head back further, the pain of his various wounds returning full force. His mouth rolled open in a scream of agony, but no sound of pain pierced his ears. Laying there in pain, one question found it's way to the forefront of his mind.

Do I deserve to make it though? After all I've done? All the hurt I gave Tops, all the lies I've told my friends? ...

...Even if I don't deserve to make it, I'm going to. I'll hang onto this life with all my strength- Not for myself, but because of my friends. Because they don't deserve to lose a friend. Web Weaver, Tree Tops, Nightshade, Bruiser, and Midnight Tales.

"This... doesn't end here. It's only the start, Reddling Rain."

Reddling threw himself up as a horrifying voice cut threw the world. His chest had been mostly stitched, but still needed some touching up. The words branded themselves into Reddling's brain as he stared at Balefly.

"Horseshit! I'LL KILL HER! Let me kill her!" Reddling screeched. He wasn't sure what his voice sounded like anymore. His throat was coated in blood. It was naught more than a dead man's tear dripping into their early grave.

Balefly was backed into a corner. Top's claws lay coated in gore next to the hooves of the Rainbow and orange pony's hooves, all eight of which were caked in blood. Bruiser stood next to Balefly, stepping forward an backing her further and further into the corner.

Balefly was truly a mess now. At least two of her limbs appeared to be broken, and she was bleeding from multiple places. Every crawl away from Bruiser left a smear of green blood across the stone floor. In spite of all this, Reddling found a second to meet Balefly's eyes. Her eyes seemed to be endless and calling to him. For a moment, he felt the urge to leap to his hooves and fight to defend his queen, to save her from the Equestrians. He wanted to save her for a split second, so he could stare into those eyes and lose himself for a thousand years.

In an instant however, Reddling felt a surge of his memories from life. Not his old life as a dirt pony, but his new life with his bat friends, with Web, and Princess Luna, and Midnight.

My life.

"Kill her!" Reddling ordered. Bruiser gave a gleeful smile as his maul fell, smashing into the face of Balefly as she stared helplessly at Reddling. There was something sad about seeing her go, but Reddling couldn't remember it after she was gone. There was a loud splatter as her head disintegrated.

The two ponies continued to sow at his wound for a time, but eventually some force called them away. Nightshade came into view, feverishly working her magic at the thread.

"N-Nightshade." Reddling coughed. "We did it, we won, right?"

"Shut up." Nightshade said angrily. "You're not dying tonight if I have anything to say about it.

"...But I'm cold." Reddling whispered. As if right on cue, there was a sudden burst, a magnificent explosion of colours and warmth shooting threw the room and in every direction from the element bearers. With a painful yelp, Nightshade covered her eyes as the room went bright. Reddling felt his eyes burn as the cracked remains of his sunglasses failed to offer any protection.

"Ah, fuck!" Nightshade hissed. "They couldn't have warned us?"

"B-Bleh..." Reddling coughed. Shoving Nightshade away from him, he began to pick himself up and look at the room. The few drops of Black Agnosia had not been enough to knock him out, but the small dose was enough to keep him alive with the hasty field stitches.

Reddling was absolutely sure he looked like shit. Most of his body must have some burn on it, and if it wasn't burned, then it was cut, bruised, beaten in, totally battered, or some combination of the aforementioned. The chainmail had not afforded Reddling any protection against the fiery burning, and he was surely going to have a couple of nice scars on his chest and shoulders.

"Haha, ahahaha!" Reddling felt a laugh rise in his chest as he stared around at the fading lights and warmth. The sun was now nearly set, casting shadows across the room as all of Reddling's companions sans Web stared at him.

"'The hell's so funny...?" Bruiser asked lowly. Reddling didn't give him an answer as he began to limp out of the room, rushing towards Canterlot castle, back to the Wedding room. In the city Changelings were retreating, fleeing away from ponies. the display of the elements had rallied the soldiers and greatly weakened the Changelings. stacked with the death of one of their Queens, the Changeling lies were now failing. It was difficult to tell if the elements had had a direct impact on every single Changeling in the hordes, of if the fall of their queen had shattered their moral. either way, it was of no consequence as Reddling lead the way back the Wedding room, towing along his friends, Web, and the Elements of Harmony.

Princess Cadance

Reddling swallowed slowly as he hobbled threw the piles of fallen Changelings. He was shaking from side to side with each step, but some edge kept him focused as he drew nearer to the Wedding room. After a few minutes of slow pacing, the Elements rushed past Reddling, leaving him to push forward with his group. Midnight was limping along with the support of Bruiser, and behind them were Tops and Nightshade, who were staring long and hard at the madness that had consumed their capital. Web seemed to be on the verge of giggling as she studied the dead creatures, looking at their internal organs as she passed them.

But their feelings and concern- or lack thereof- for the current tragedy were not at the forefront of Reddling's mind. He would have time to care for his friends later, after he recovered his knives from the body of the Queen he had stabbed. His coat hung around him in melted and burned ruins, with only a few useful strips hanging onto his shoulders. The cuffs of his coat had not been destroyed, but were stained green now with the blood of dead Changelings, and smelled not unlike their rotting corpses. The stink was perhaps the worst thing, the smell of death that continued to assail nostrils as small bugs broke down their larger counterparts.

Reddling shivered as Midnight moved up to trot next to him. Midnight looked like complete hell, and what was more, his left eye did not appear to work anymore. It had been gored out by something, and now only an empty socket was left there, forcibly held closed by dried blood. Midnight's wings were in terrible shape, with cuts and holes in the leathery webbing parts.

No words were exchanged until they had arrived in the Wedding room, that was, until Tops cried out.

"Uuugh!" Tops yelped, wrenching his head back. Reddling had thrust himself inside the room without a second thought, instantly beginning to dig around in large amounts of slime. The room resembled the earth pony's quarters, only this time there were two ponies hanging against the walls. On one wall hung Shining Armor, and nearby was Princess Celestia, both of their white coats stained with green goo. They were both half encased in their cocoons, with blank stares on their faces. Reddling barely heard the cries from the Elements of Harmony as they rushed to help Princess Celestia. With some help from the Night Guard, they got her down from the wall.

Seeing a glint of metal, Reddlin's heart soared as he ripped Ausfall from the goo, kissing it passionately as he began to clean off the blade. He barely had time to enjoy his respite however, as it was at that same moment he realized Celestia was conscious. She'd surely remember him poisoning her.

"Twilight?" Celestia asked, looking not at Twilight, but at Reddling. It was a deep stare that felt totally foreign, like some other life form was judging him. With a blink, Celestia turned away from the piece of meat in front of her and looked at her student. "Twilight, What- what has happened?"

"I- oh, I... I can't-" Twilight turned to Celestia, then back to Shining Armor. "Can- girls, N-Night Guard, can you help her? Please? Get her out of this horrible place, I have to help my brother." Without a second thought, Reddling turned back to protecting his knife as the others went about their work. Tops and Bruiser helped remove Celestia from the room with the other elements. Meanwhile, near the edge of the room, Nighthsade had begun attending to Midnight, who was in quite serious condition.

One by one, everypony left the room, leaving Twilight and her brother alone with Reddling. Reddling blinked at the stairs where he was sure that Princess Celestia had been dragged up before, then back to Twilight struggling with her brother.

Rainy. What if that was Rainy on the wall? What if that was, me on the wall? Rainy would be fighting to save me, get me down and away from this horror. Equestrians aren't monsters, but they are different- and you... Reddling stood up, sheathing his now clean knife and trotting over to Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. You lead the elements of harmony, and are trusted by the princesses. You're related to the groom of a royal wedding... Yet I've seen in you heart that I would not believe of an Equestrian. Who are you? Where do you come from? What're you doing?

"First Cadance, now you..." Twilight said quietly. Reddling's head jerked up as he approached quietly behind Twilight.

"Cadance? Twily? Wha-" Shining Armor began, but Twilight instantly cut him off with renewed efforts to pull him down from the wall on her own.

"Brother! Ah!" Reddling watched relief spread over Twilight's face as she beamed up at the would-be groom.

"Family..." Reddling whispered. He could hear the words of the green Changeling Queen echoing in his head now. You're a long way from home.

"Where- Where is Cadance?" Shining pleaded.

I have a feeling you don't want to hear the answer Reddling thought, standing just outside of Twilight's field of view and observing her struggle.

"She- I can't explain it, I'm so sorry," Twilight whispered. Nopony else would have been able to hear her, but for the countless time Reddling found himself thanking Luna for his enhanced hearing. "I'll- I'll explain later. We just need to get you help."

Reddling trotted forward now, tapping Twilight on the shoulder. Pain shot up and down his limb as he raised it to touch her, less so from his dislike of touching Equestrians but from the countless wounds covering his body. "Miss Twilight, right? Let's get him up and moving, if you would?"

"Thank you, Thank you..." Twilight whispered as Reddling gave one pull with her, freeing Shining from the wall. With a little work, they both managed to support him, propping up the unicorn on both sides and beginning to move along the path of the others.

Wading through the muck of the wedding room felt surreal to Reddling as they clambered away from the horrors of that evening. Reddling couldn't help but feel anger rise up inside his chest. He had learned that some ponies in Equestria were exceptions to the rule and- despite what the church might say- they were still creatures with emotions, feelings, and ambitions.

And without a second thought, these monsters had begun ripping that away from everypony they encountered. Equestrian or otherwise, this would not be allowed to continue.

"Let's get Shining to the Infirmary. They'll take care of the Princess." Twilight Sparkle said, nodding her head the Reddling's Night Guard friends and the other Elements of Harmony, who were escorting Princess Celestia.

I wonder, if I had killed the Princesses in all this chaos, would the day have ended like this? or would the bugs have won? Reddling wondered, letting Twilight lead the way to the infirmary with a soft "As you wish, ma'am."

The fighting seemed to have totally died down now. Here and there in the halls Twilight and Reddling passed shaken ponies trotting along or staring at the windows and walls. the corpses of drones littered the floors, their bright green blood bleeding onto the stone and staining the walls. Occasionally, they had to walk over the body of a dead Soldier Changeling or of an Euestrian guard.

"Disgusting bugs. They did this to Equestria, Silverfield wouldn't last five minutes." Reddling said to himself, staring at the different mangled bodies as he passed them. Try as he might, whether it was the body of an Equestrian or of a Changeling, his frist thought was still to see them both as merely animals.

Once Twilight and Reddling arrived at the infirmary, they both stopped to stare at the rows upon rows of cots. scores of makeshift beds were keeping the place packed. Here and there ponies lay cut and wounded. Others who were not so lucky were being operated upon, their bodies gashed open or burned. More disturbing than all of this was a section where ponies seemed unharmed, but empty. They were only able to stare blankly ahead of them, their eyes cloudy and dim.

"Please, is there somewhere for my brother?" Twilight asked a passing nurse, who instantly pushed her back towards the door.

"If he's up and walking and not bleeding he's better than everypony else here. Get him some rest and if he doesn't get better then come back." The nurse said hastily.

"But!" Twilight began, but with another push from the nurse the three ponies nearly fell over into the hallway.

"There are dozens of ponies who need attention now! There's nothing we can do! I'm sorry!" The nurse turned away and vanished into the crowd of ponies, weaving her way through the rows of cots.

"Miss Twilight? We'll take him back to the Night Guard barracks. We can try to do something for him there." Reddling said, staring harshly at the nurse as Twilight nodded her head in agreement.

Outside in the courtyard, Reddling could not help but shake his head. The streets were littered with bodies. Everywhere armies of drones lay dead with an occasional pony helping another fellow up. Among these ponies were some mourning for their dead, helplessly weeping over fallen bodies or trying to wake up their dead. Some others stood over the bodies of misty eyed ponies, trying to get some response out of them.

Don't. Don't do it... You baby Reddling felt his mind snap as he stared at the world around him. Small foals wept openly over the bodies of their dead parents. Family members trying in vain to wake up those who were misty eyed and gone from the world seemed to liter every foot of the world around him. Those responsible for so much suffering would pay, and Reddling was going to make sure it was at his hooves. These fates around him were not something he could wish on any creature.

"Thanks, Twily" Shining said. Reddling had barely noticed that he was now in the darkness of the recruit's barracks. Grabbing extra blankets from his own bed, Reddling tossed one to Twilight as they both began to clean the slimey ooze off of themselves and then Shining Armor. Twilight's expression was blank and vacant as she held one of Shining's hooves, cleaning the gunk off his face and neck. although they did all they could, some of the goo was caked into the fur. Only a good shower was sure to get that off, but at least Shining looked somewhat less... alien.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Reddling said coldly. His tears were gone now, and he had recovered much of his usual facade. Twilight continued to stroke Shining's hoof, blinking.

"I- what is he going to think? when he wake up?" Twilight asked, looking up to Reddling. Reddling said nothing, but moved to the side, pulling up a more comfortable chair for Twilight to rest in. "Cadance..." Twilight whispered slowly to Shining.

"Water?" Reddling asked, uncorking his miraculously still working flask to Twilight. She sipped the water unsteadily, her hooves trembling. The idea of using magic to hold it seemed totally out of her control now, and she was lucky her hooves worked as well as they did.

"You should... get back to your friends, I'm sure they-" Twilight began, but Reddling cut her off.

"My friends and I have a little rule about not leaving ponies alone." Reddling paused, then continued, "Besides, this is a restricted area right? I don't even know."

For a moment, both of them sat in silence. Reddling tore off his breastplate and tossed it aside, shaking his head at how ineffective the armor had been. Shoving his ruined coat to the ground, Reddling eventually returned to Twilight's side wearing his dress attire.

"My friends are probably worried about me," Twilight said, "You should go tell them I'm okay. I'll be okay here for a little."

"Squeak if you- I mean, holler, if you need something." Reddling said.

"Thank you." Twilight said, her eyes still locked on her brother. With a moment finally to himself, Reddling let out a grim smile. Even though it had come at such a cost, he couldn't be more happy with one fact he'd picked up from Twilight.

One down, two to go!

Meandering into the Princesses' throne room, Reddling paused to look around. The Elements, his Night Guard comrades, as well as Captain Lunar and Princess Luna were now with Princess Celestia. Princess Luna wore dress armor that seemed similar to his, but it was significantly fancier and more functional. She seemed taller and darker tonight. There was a ferocity in her mane as the stars whipped around violently. A few wounds, scratches, and burns adorned her body, and her now green covered sword was laid on a small table.

The Spirit of the Night, how scary. Reddling thought mockingly as he saluted Luna and Captain Lunar, averting his eyes from the latter. Even if Reddling had been able to read Lunar's expression under his helmet, he was so spattered with gore it was a wonder that the bat pony could see at all.

"To the wounded, first thing. Many are stricken with some aliment, as though the life has been sucked from them. A solution must be found as soon as is possible." Luna said to a page, who darted off. "The bodies must be dealt with, though many will shy away from such gruesome duties. Fallen Ponies should be buried with the respect they deserve, and the monsters burned."

Reddling moved further away from Luna, trying to avoid being recommended for any janitorial roles. He turned to face an orange earth pony, who looked up at him as he approached.

"Excuse me,' Reddling said quietly, "A message from Twilight to her friends, that's you correct?"

"Yessir, that's us. Her and her brother holdin' up alright?" Applejack asked.

"Yes, they're in the Night Guard barracks, although I think she needs some time alone, what with the situation around Princess Cadance." Reddling kept his statements to a cold fact. He didn't feel any grief over the death of Princess Cadance, although he wasn't about to let them know that.

"Thankee, but we know our friend well 'nough." Appleack turned from Reddling to Celestia. "Yer Majesty, err, if yer done with us, is'it alright if we go to Twilight?"

I can't tell if you're hard of hearing, of if you just don't care. Reddling thought, turning away from Applejack and not paying attention to the Elements as they left. Laying next to Tops and Nightshade, Reddling watched as Bruiser sat next to another bat pony tending to Midnight's horrifying wounds.

"Mind if I sit for a spell, Tops?" Reddling asked with a tiny smirk.

"Not at all." Tops replied, nodding to the ground next to him. Reddling sat down, stretching out slowly and feeling every muscle burn.

"What the hell were you thinking, staying behind like that?" Nightshade demanded, looking across Tops and staring at Reddling. Reddling looked at her confusedly, and she continued; "When we ran from the wedding, you stayed behind."

"That's something for me to know, and explain, ...Right now, in a hushed, low voice away from other ears." Reddling said. Nightshade sat there, intently staring at him and waiting. sighing, Reddling stood up and motioned for them to both follow him to a small railing that overlooked the city. Stepping outside with the other two, he leaned on the rails, looking out at the countryside and mountaintops.

Blinking slowly, Reddling threw a Silverfieldian salute to Tops and Nightshade. He raised the hoof from his snout to his brow, covering one eye and keeping the flatter side of his hoof facing his skull in an uncomfortable fashion.

"This is a Silverfieldian salute. The one in the guise of Princess Cadance know where I am from." Reddling said worriedly.

"How?" Tops asked, blinking.

"Accints Rially pronouci thimsilvis." Reddling said, rolling his R for good effect. Clearing his throat quickly, he continued, "I lied about my name to a guard, and they said they were giving that name to the Princess... I had to confirm my fears."

"You're not making any sense, Reddling, I don't understand." Tops said, a very confused look on his face.

Sighing, Reddling looked southward. "With wins, I can make it to Silverfield and back in maybe a day. Rainy is the name of somepony very close to me, I can't let him get hurt no matter what, understand?" Reddling turned back to his friends, his face now filled with seriousness.

"You're worried about him, okay." Tops said, reaching out a hoof to pat Reddling on the shoulder and calm him down. Having none of it, Reddling backed away before the hoof could even touch him with a hiss.

"I threw two knives into the chest of the one playing dress up. I'd rather check on Rainy and get back than be worried he's dead, or worse. I have to go." Reddling turned to jump into the sky, but Tops wrapped his hooves around Reddling, pulling him down to earth.

"Not tonight you aren't, you look awful, Reddling. You nearly died back there. Midnight told us he found you pinned down by half a dozen of those things, with half a dozen more ready to eat you or something!" Tops said firmly, yet... gently. He was always gentle in his voice and tone, even when his intent was much firmer.

"They wouldn't have killed me, yet." Reddling said determinedly, looking up at the sky. "Stop touching me."

"Then maybe!" Tops said, his voice rising in frustration, "You'd have ended up like that earth pony or Shining Armor, as good as dead and glued to a wall by slime!"

"Tops, calm down." Nightshade said as Reddling flinched.

"Okay- Okay, Someday you'll know what I mean, I didn't mean to upset you." Reddling said, secretly hoping they would all live long enough for him to reveal that he was in fact, only wearing a mask.

A mask that was becoming more natural everyday...

"You were the one who kept saying we should always stick together." Nightshade said, "Midnight ran off when he saw you weren't with us, and saved your flank. Don't do that again, alright? We were all worried."

Worried? why are you, worried about me? Reddling blinked confusedly at Nightshade, who remained cold as ever.

"I still don't like you," Nightshade continued, "But we're still a team, and I'd rather not see you needlessly throw your stupid life away."

"Needlessly. That's how all Equestrians are, they just want something..." Reddling mumbled as Nightshade turned and trotted away, despite Tops' angry pleas as he called her name. A few hushed moments passed before Tops turned back to Reddling.

"She certainly... has a way with words, I guess." Tops said quietly.

"She's not out of line." Reddling said simply.

Tops frowned, 'Well, she could certainly be a littler nicer about it."

"Not something I expect from her." Reddling said with a sigh, "She means well... I think. Damn, I really wanted to be wrong about today."

"In the end, everything- almost everything worked out. lots of ponies are hurt or killed or- or worse, and Cadance is still missing." Tops said.

Reddling turned to Tops, staring him in the eyes with a grave expression. "They don't know about Princess Cadance?"

"Twilight hasn't- said..." Tops tried, but quickly stopped, screwing up his face painfully. "You're probably right."

"I wonder how fast news travels." Reddling posed to the dead sky. Tops looked questioningly at Reddling, who continued, "If she is dead, Silverfield, well hell even with this horrow, if you like to get drunk, they have the best parties.' Reddling gave a bitter laugh at the end of his statement, thinking of the parties surely going on Silverfield right now.

"Redding!" Tops said, shocked and horrified, "That's awful!"

"The party, or getting drunk part?" Reddling asked plainly.

"Celebrating somepony dying? I know your countryfolk don't like Equestrians, but how could you make a hoke about this?" Tops swept his hoof over the sky and the entire city. "How could somepony be happy about all of this?"

"Those are questions I simply cannot answer without taking you to Silverfield." Reddling said quietly. "I doubt a diplomatic mission to some backwater former city state is high on anypony's lists now though, we've got to deal with these bugs."

"Silverfield doesn't sound like a very nice place. I'm glad you got out." Tops said to Reddling, leaning on the railing and looking over at him. After a few dark moments, Tops turned to leave, and Reddling nodded.

"Me too, me too..."

Reddling returned to the throne room a few minutes later, almost instantly running into Princess Luna upon his return. Snapping to attention, Reddling stared up at her.

"Reddling." She said evenly, brushing her mane back and looking down ... proudly?

"Your Highness?" Reddling asked coolly. The proud look on her face was rather off putting, given he had broken many rules to be a the Wedding today.

"I understand you were a key player in assisting with our victory today, however costly it was." Luna sighed deeply, "Your fellows are assisting in the restoration of the city. It will be a difficult and tragic process- you, however, are too hurt. You and Midnight return to your quarters and rest. When you have recovered, I am sure there will yet be things to do."

"Yes, your highness." Reddling said.

"If you see Twilight Sparkle or her friends, tell them that if they are able, their assistance could be used. Await further information." Luna said.

"Understood, your highness."

Dreams were already swimming in front of Reddling's eyes before he hit the sheets of his bed.

Reddling was alone when he opened an eye, hugging onto his sheets. Midnight was asleep in his bunk, while Shining Armor slept across from him in another bed. Sitting up, Reddling threw the sheets away and stood up. His chest and limbs were still yelling in pain, but much of it seemed to have subsided. Touching his chest, he could feel the scars already beginning to form. The wound felt at least a few weeks old already...

Web.

The door opened and Reddling turned, finding himself face to face with Twilight Sparkle, who blinked in surprise. Nodding to her, Reddling began to move for the door, eager to escape his useless bedrest.

"Miss Twilight." He said politely, trotting past her and stopping for a moment.

"Oh, you're- awake?" she said, somewhat surprised. Reddling simply nodded as she continued, "I just wanted to talk to my brother. I'll- I hope you don't mind."

"We bats are nocturnal, I don't sleep at night." Reddling looked over at Midnight, who subtly twitched an ear. "I'll leave you alone with him, do you know where everypony else is?"

"They're cleaning up this mess." Twilight said, moving over to her brother and beginning to rub his shoulder. "Shining- Wake up-"

Reddling trotted towards the door, but noted that even a Shining woke up, Twilight didn't say anything, looking at Reddling and waiting for him to leave. Not wanting her to notice he'd picked up on this, Reddling hurried out the door, letting it close behind him gently. Outside, he made a few soft hoofclicks on the stone, letting them slowly get quieter and quieter as he leaned in to listen a the door.

"...She, ...nopony... ...you should know what happened." Twilight's voice came in hushed whispers. Reddling quietly moved  down the hallway, taking cover behind a corner as he heard Shining Armor and Twilight move towards the door. When the doors opened, a still frail looking Shining Armor began to head the other direction down the hallway, Twilight leading the way. A short time after they had rounded the corner, Midnight poked his head out, beginning to follow them with Reddling right on his tail.

"Did you overhear her conversation as well?" Midnight asked quietly. Reddling nodded to him, keeping his eyes locked on Twilight's back from the shadows.

"Parts." Reddling hissed, focusing on muffling every hoofstep he took.

"There is mysterious business ahoof with Cadance." Midnight whispered back.

"Other than being dead?" Reddling asked.

"I suppose we'll see." Midnight replied. Outside the barracks there were ponies everywhere working on cleaning up the city and castle. Changeling drones were being thrown in piles to be carried outside of the city and burned in piles. Every citizen and servant Reddling passed was notably miserable, making them excellent cover for Midnight and Reddling to simply blend into. After several minutes, Twilight had lead Shining to the underside of Canterlot, near the very same crystal caves that Reddling had found himself at on his date with Web. It felt so long ago now, as if he had been living a different life in those days.

"You have to trust me, alright?" Twilight said to Shining armor, lighting her horn at the edge of the cave.

"...After everything that happened..." Shining began, sighing. "But alright, Twily, I trust you." They both began to descend into the caves, Twilight's horn lighting the way. Reddling and Midnight both scoffed to themselves at the ponies crawling through the darkness. Bat ponies had no need for light, unlike those sunlickers.

"Just- please, please trust me." Twilight repeated, turning to her brother.

"Of course, Twilight..." Shining said, bemused. "I don't see why you're being so..."

"Cadance!" Twilight called into the darkness. A few seconds passed. Reddling felt a cold chill go down his spine, and then his heart stop as a musical voice replied, it's bueaty something like the vibration of crystal, or breaking glass...

"Twilight?" The voice called from the darkness.

So that's the voice of our frilly pink Princess, but why does she sound so much like... Whatever, show your face, I know these caves. I could... I could take you out here and now, I just have to ditch Midnight and those two unicorns...

"Cadance? C- Cadance!" Shining Armor's ears perked up as he ran forward into the darkness, his voice stopping as Twilight's light shined upon the Pink princess, changing Shining's voice from one of utter joy to pure horror.

"Shining Armor! No! Don't-" Cadance's yelled, the situation now fully lit up. Reddling and Midnight trotted together around a corner as Reddling trembled, already aware of what he was going to see. Princess Cadance wasn't dead, it was a fate far, far worse...

"Cadance, I'm sorry he- He needs to know..." Twilight said, Midnight turning to look at Reddling in horror as they both went around a corner. Reddling looked down, staying in the shadows. Midnight's expression of pity and terror transfixed on the situation was not exactly motivation for Reddling to look at another pony's suffering- be they one of his targets or not."

Shining Armor and Twilight were both staring at a Changeling, flinching into a corner. Her face was covered with blackened and gnarled hooves, with her skin now covered in a slick black chitin. A pinkish carapace on her back sprouted two transparent wings, all of it leading to the same dark conclusion in everypony's mind. A Changeling queen.

A fate worse than death.

"W-What... Cadance, what happened to you?" Shining said in disbelief. Reddling shook his head, feeling it was quite obvious what had happened.

"I-I was attacked- but some monster..." Cadance said. Reddling turned and whispered quickly to Midnight about possibly going to make an instant report of this, but he shook his head, leaning forward and listening as Cadance continued, "It bit me... I had terrible dreams, like I was drowning, like I was dying... And Twilight, she found me, woke me up and... like this!" Cadance's voice failed as she broke down into sobs, still covering her face from Shining Armor and Twilight.

"It was like you were being eaten alive. Violated, and utterly destroyed..." Reddling stepped forward into the light, speaking loudly and clearly for all to hear. All three of them gave a start, turning in near panic at the sound of Reddling's voice. Cadance had dropped her hooves now, showing that her eyes had become a brilliant pink with narrow purple slits for pupils.

"It's you! That- that batpony!" Twilight cried, "What are you doing here?"

Reddling reached into the shadow and grabbed Midnight around the neck, pulling him roughly into the light as he said, "Following this one."

"What!?" Midnight said indignantly. "We came together!"

"Yeah, only because you started to follow-" Reddling stopped, taking a quick breath before facing Twilight, "Look, that doesn't matter."

"Twilight, we overheard some of what you said to your brother and were concerned, I apologize if we have overstepped ourselves but this is... this is very complicated." Midnight looked down apologetically.

"I just saw a capital get ravaged by an invasion an the first thing that happens when I wake up is two ponies sneak below the city to see something mysterious. Forgive me if I'm not at least a little skeptical, Miss Twilight." Reddling said, keeping his voice even as he walked closer, looking from Shining, to Twilight, and finally to Cadance.

"I- I promised Cadance I would keep this secret..." Twilight started. Her voice died as Cadance slipped down to the floor again, covering her head with her hooves and trembling. There were a few moments of silence between the group, nopony moving. Shining finally turned to his wife, and put a hoof on her shoulder, wrapping his other hoof around her head, pulling her into an embrace.

"Cadance, we'll find some way through this..." Shining said as Cadance wrapped her gnarled hooves around him tightly, sobbing not in pain now, but relief.

"Perhaps- Perhaps this can be undone, somehow?" Midnight offered. Reddling nodded, turning to Twilight.

"It might be possible, Web- she was with us at the Elements Tower- was able to save me from Changeling venom." Reddling offered, suddenly realizing that he had not seen Web in some time. She had left the elements tower with them, and obviously visited him in his sleep to heal him, but he had not actually seen her since the ending of the battle.

"Or maybe it can change their shape! Perhaps she can continue to live as she did before?" Midnight asked.

"Midnight!" Reddling hissed, "I thought I was insensitive..."

"It- it's true! Do not give in to despair just yet, Princess. You may yet find some resolution to your affliction!" Midnight said hopefully. Reddling just shook his head, looking down at Cadance.

"You're not going to find it down here in a cave." Reddling said bitterly. There was a sudden push from Cadance as she ripped herself away from Shining Armor, backing up and looking appalled. Everypony gave a start and looked at her as she stared at Shining, wiping away some of her tears.

"No! Stop! I'm... hurting you, I can feel it." Cadance said, looking at Shining Armor. Indeed, his eyes were slightly dimmer and more unfocused than before as she wobbled towards her, unwilling to turn his wife away.

"Cadance... Don't give up, We'll fix this, I promise." Twilight said.

"Please- Just go..." Cadance said, once again hiding her face. Twilight stared at her sister long and hard, but finally relented, nodding to Midnight and Reddling.

"Alright, let's leave her be." Twilight said.

"Right, and hope tomorrow she isn't one of us incognito." Reddling shook his head angrily. Even though Cadance was a target for him to kill, he could not help but feel for her plight. The fact that he had nearly met the same fate stayed in his mind as he continued, "This is wrong. She needs help, not a dark cave."

"She- she's ashamed of what's happened to her. I want to help her, but I can't just force her out. Not after everything that's happened." Twilight said sadly, looking at Reddling.

"The next group to stumble on her may be surprisingly less understanding than any of us." Reddling retorted.

"I'll visit her as much as I can, and I'm sure Shining Armor will too- and if we find some solution, then we can fix it and be done with it, and if we can't-" Twilight stopped for a moment, relaxing herself for a moment before standing up more proudly. "We will, we have to."

"...As you wish." Reddling said. Leaving Cadance alone, Twilight nearly dragged Shining armor away as they headed back to the palace.

"I'm going to take my brother back to the barracks. Thank you for letting us use your quarters, and the kind words about Cadance..." Twilight said, "But please, keep this quiet. Nopony else should know about this. I don't want wild rumors spreading, it would break her heart."

"We're Bats, Miss Twilight. Nopony is going to listen to us anyway." Reddling said. Twilight gave no response, so he raised his hooves, waving them around a little and continuing, "Rawr! blood sucking, sleep in crypts bats?"

"...Those are just silly stories that mares tell to their foals... This is real." She said quietly.

"And they're just about as likely to believe this story as they are that we're bloodsucking vermin. Your secret is safe with us." Reddling said.

"Thank you, thank you for everything." Twilight leaned in and gave him a quick hug, then turned to Midnight and did the same. Reddling didn't brush himself off until she was well out of sight however, trotting off with her big brother.

"...What are those caved used for, anyway?" Reddling asked quietly.

"I do not know." Midnight said. "I do know that certain caves below the city have been repurposed for the Night Guard." Midnight paused for a moment, staring up at the sky, then turning to Reddling. "What do we do now?"

"Now..." Reddling thought aloud. "We go rest. We do what Luna told us to do, and give her any help she needs when we don't look like walking meatbags."

Awakening

"No, No, No, -NO! No Please, no!" Reddling rolled around under his covers, finally stopping as a hoof touched his face, forcing his eyes open so he would stare up at his bedside visitor.

"Goodness, not taking your medicine, I see." Web said, idly playing with her knife and watching Reddling as he rolled out of bed. After quickly strapping his knife on, Reddling wave a hoof at her comment.

"Web! Uh, good evening I think." Reddling said, watching her play with the knife. She didn't meet his gaze as she continued to idle. Reddling had grown used to the fact that Web was surely watching him sleep every single night, and as much as he liked her it was hard to deny that this was the epitome of creepy activity.

"You're STILL talking in your sleep, sillyhead." Web said, putting her knife away.

"I don't do it on purpose." Reddling replied.

"Of course, of course," Web dismissed, smiling at him. "I saw what you did to that changeling."

"It got thirsty." Reddling smiled back at her, leaning on the bed and moving closer to her side. How can I call something an It when it feels more emotions than Web or myself? It has a better concept on life, who is the IT here?

"Oh- haha!" Web cried, "You're such a kind and generous soul to have given it something to drink! Eeeehehee!"

"Did you find the other bodies?" Reddling asked, leaning closer to Web as she giggled. Despite the red flags about how creepy that giggle was, it was undeniably alluring. Each time she would giggle, Reddling could feel something lost in his chest tingle to life briefly.

"No, I'm sure you had your fun with them though." Web said.

"I'll need to clean them up later, make sure they don't start to stink..." Reddling snorted, rolling over on his covers and asking the burning question on his mind. "Were you watching me sleep again?"

"Hmmm," Web offered. "Celestia wants to talk to you." There was something distasteful in her words, a clear disdain expressed for the sun raiser.

"Princess... Celestia?" Reddling asked curiously, sitting up.

"Yeah, her." Web said again, keeping the same distasteful spirit to her words.

"Right, Well I better not keep a Princess waiting..." Reddling went to pull on his jacket, but remembered that he no longer had his coat. he only frowned as he slipped into his dress armor.

"And Reddling?" Web said, turning to him and leaning on the back of her chair.

"Yes, Web?" Reddling responded instantly, turning to her.

"I was thinking..." Web continued, "With all the chaos going on in the city... Nopony's going to bat an eye if somepony has a "bad dream" about being bitten by a bat in the middle of the night. How do you feel about a second date sometime soon?"

Reddling suddenly felt much perkier as he stood up straight. "I- agree yes. Just say the word and I'll be there."

Web let out a giggle again, getting off her chair and whipping her short tail at him. "Well alright then, I'll pick you up later."

Reddling nodded viciously as he finished putting on the rest of his armor and stepped out of the barracks, heading up to Celestia's throne room.

When Reddling arrived, Luna was not there. The room was instead filled with half a dozen sleepy looking guards that seemed as though they hadn't been near a bed in weeks. Leaving the door ajar as he strode forward, Reddling threw a salute to Princess Celestia.

"Good evening... Reddling, is it?" Celestia asked.

"Princess Celestia, you requested my presence." Reddling remarked coldly. He was quite sure he knew what this was about. Why would a member of the Night Guard poison the Princess of the Sun? Treason? An Assassin? You are old and wise, I trust you have at least figured out my game by now.

"Yes, I wished to have a first-hoof account of the events of the wedding." Celestia said.

"Ah, of course. Where should I start Princess?" Reddling replied, breathing an internal sigh of relief. Maybe she had forgotten all about it, or written it off as a bad dream.

"From wherever you feel the beginning is." Princess Celestia answered. Reddling nodded and began to tell about everything that he had experienced since his first encounter with Balefly. He covered every detail about how he discovered failures in the security, as well as how Tops, Nightshade, and himself had been able to infiltrate the castle and remain concealed for several hours. next he discussed how he had sedated Celestia- which he reasoned to her was a stallion method, hoping to buy Twilight and the other guards enough time to reach the elements. Finally, he ended his explanation with how Balefly was slain, as well as how he returned to find his knife without finding the body it was stuck in.

"The rest is history, Your Highness." Reddling said, puffing his chest out.

"Indeed it is," Celestia smiled. "Tell me, have you seen anything suspicious since after the wedding?"

"Pardon my lack of manners Princess, but I'm afraid I must defer that question to your subject Miss Twilight. She can explain where I cannot." Reddling said.

"Ah, yes. We have spoken, and she has told me that everything seems normal- as normal as things can be after a tragedy such as this." Celestia said.

"There is one thing of note that I learned after the battle in Canterlot, Princess." Reddling said, stepping forward. "These Creatures, Changelings... They are not so different from us. If it were not for their biology and leaders forcing them to attack us, I believe they're docile.

"Is that so..." Celestia said, a strange expression twisting her face.

"I'm not saying they aren't a threat, but... I don't think they want to hurt anypony, they just can't help it." Reddling continued. As he drew breath for another sentence however, Celestia cut him off.

"What is your opinion of my sister?" Celestia asked.

Reddling blinked. "Princess Luna?"

"Yes." Princess Celestia said dryly.

"As aloof and sudden as she is compassionate and caring." Reddling said. Although it took a bit of work, he finally managed a smile. "She may not be a paragon of every desirable trait, but she is a standard of manners and behaviour to strive for."

"Do you enjoy serving her?" Celestia asked.

"That question is two parted." Reddling said, thinking for a moment. "I enjoy serving under Princess Luna, it has been the highlight of my life- although I do loathe the way bat ponies are seen publicly. We are "that bat pony" or "creepy bat" to other ponies."

Celestia put a hoof on her chin, thinking for a bit. "That is all. Thank you for your time, Reddling."

Giving her a quick salute, Reddling turned away with a quiet "Thank you," before entering the hallway. Outside the hall, Reddling couldn't keep his mind off the odd conversation that had just occurred. Does she take time to interrogate all of her sister's guards, or just me? She didn't seem to suspect that I am a killer laying in wait, an enemy agent waiting for the moment to strike... But I don't know if I want to strike.

With each click of his hoofsteps, Reddling noticed that they sounded odd. Stopping and lifting up a hoof, he studied the armor on it to see why it would be making an odd noise. Behind him, an extra hoofstep fell onto the hard floor. It took less than a second for Reddling to react. Drawing his knife and flipping himself around, Reddling pushed wings out to their full span as he tried to look intimidating to whoever was stalking him.

"Eeehehee!" Web giggled. Reddling blinked and then put his weapon away, closing his wings up and landing.

"Does Celestia do that with all her guards?" Reddling asked.

"Do what?" Web asked innocently.

"Want to know if we like serving under Princess Luna, whether or not we're happy? What we think of her sister?" Reddling queried.

"That is strange." Web mused quietly.

"Strange comes with the job, I think." Reddling said.

"I'll keep my eye on her." Web said. She was serious now, with her playful demeanor all but evaporated. "Somepony might need to be reminded why you should be afraid of the dark."

"Because it's where we lurk, the least of their worries?" Reddling asked hopefully.

"On that note." Web said, suddenly becoming bubbly again, "Are you ready to give somepony a bad dream tonight?"

Reddling rubbed his eyes and then nodded to Web. "Yes, let's go for a drink. I could use one after all the hell recently." Web shot him a wicked grin before taking off, leading him out of the castle and into the night sky. In almost no time at all Web had soared into the poorer parts of town and landed silently on the balcony of a pony's house in a poorer neighborhood. It took Reddling a few moments to realize that it was a pegasus's takeoff perch, with double doors that lead inside.

Landing next to Web, Reddling heard a little click from the lock as Web backed away, pushing open the doors. They both slid in together, looking around the plain room inside. Some simple furniture lined the walls, but nothing remarkable stood out on the dresser or other surfaces. Asleep in a large bed was a purple pegasus mare, snoring gently into her pillow.

Reddling couldn't help but lick his lips as a giddiness soared in his chest. Finally, at last, he was going to be taking a step forward and removing the stagnation of the past. With Web at his side, he had grown to become so much more in such a short time. Now it was time to repay Web with this mare ad show how thankful he was for all that she had helped him embrace.

"Don't let her scream, don't spill any on the bed, and don't kill her." Web whispered, "When you're finished, I'll knock her out and patch her up, and it'll be like nothing happened."

Reddling did not even waste a moment to nod as he slowly slid forward, positioning himself like a cat when it wished to remain unseen despite being in plain view. The pegasus mare was laying on her belly, and Reddling could just barely make out the shapes that were her wings under the blankets. Crawling onto the bed, Reddling spread himself over the mare, almost laying down on top of her as he sunk his head lower to her neck.

This is it. I can feel it, I can feel your life. It was there, right under her skin. The redness under was crying out to burst free. Sliding a forehoof between the pillow and the mare's mouth, Reddling lunged his head forward, landing a sharp bite into her neck. The first feeling was an odd heat on his teeth, soaking up from the tips of his fangs and warming his gums. Unlike the coldness of mangoes or other fruit, this warm feeling drew him in rather than pushed him away. The texture of the pony's flesh was not an issue like one might find with an apple either, as his fangs slipped gently through her muscle to draw forth blood.

Blood, that was the next thing that Reddling could feel. Little droplets at first, then a steady stream delivering a palette of tastes. The gentleness of the pegasus's skin and the cottonlike taste of her fur were soon lost as red sweetness welled up in his mouth. The blood had a strong tint of iron too it, forcing Reddling to blink as it ran against his tongue. He had expected it to be entirely sweet, like some sort of rich candy. Instead it tasted more like he had been given an intimate kiss and accidentally bitten his other. Indeed, biting the mare below him felt more intimate than any kisses he had felt from Web.

The mare was starting to awake now, letting out muffled cries into her pillow as Reddling readjusted his head, lapping at her blood. Forcing his body on top of her, Reddling managed to restrain the mare as the mare tried hopelessly to save herself.

So sweet, and red- and sweet. It's sweet, It's sweet! Reddling continued to chide his tongue as he forced himself to accept the taste. Lapping and sipping from the mare, Reddling could feel his own heart racing as adrenaline began to flood the mare's body. She was fully awake now and painfully aware of what was happening. Understanding her situation seemed to be difficult however, and with Reddling stealing blood that should reach her brain, the mare was making erratic moves that were useless in repelling him.

Fear and adrenaline were like drugs in the blood, forcing Reddling to draw more and more. He sunk his fangs more viciously into the mare's neck, suckling almost angrily on her neck at the nutrients. Reddling could not say that it was overly delicious; juice was sweeter, alcohol was stronger, but this sweetness had a deep savory edge to it. the call from the sweetness was reaching out to a primal, beastlike side that Reddling wasn't sure he knew existed until a few seconds ago. His entire body was shaking as he felt her warm sweetness filling his mouth and then sliding down his throat.

A tap on Reddling's back brought him halfway back to reality as he slid his pupils over to look at Web. He was not ready to abandon the sweetness that was tingling his insides. Every nerve in his body was shaking, urging him to drink more of her hormones and fear. Every cell in his body was screaming out it's victory, unable to find a way to comprehend the breath of fresh air that was hot sweetness from this mare. I don't want to stop! Web!

Reddling kept her hoof on Reddling's shoulder, and with great regret, he lifted his head away, staring down at the mare. The pony was still crying and struggling to be free, some blood leaking from her neck now. Web quickly darted to the pony's side, and with a flash, nicked her shoulder with her knife. Web tended to the pony as her kicks and cries reduced to twitches to whimper. small flecks of foam slowly grew on the edges of her mouth as the mare passed into some sort of apparent coma.

Reddling barely paid any heed to the mares in the room as he slumped back. The entire world seemed to be sharper and narrower, as if he was suffering from some mutation of tunnel vision. although Reddling knew his teeth were marred with a glowing, lively red, he did not care. It was so red, and so sweet on his lips that he couldn't be bothered to care about the world around him. the only thing that mattered now was sustaining this high by whatever means that must imply.

"That's all? But... I want more." Reddling growled to Web, stumbling back towards the bed. Standing made him feel like his body took up the entire room, and everything shook as if he was quite intoxicated.

"Exciting, isn't it? Always fun to get a kicker." Web said gleefully, smiling as she drew away from the mare. "In the morning, everything will just seem like a bad dream.

"...Delicious." Reddling said, willing himself towards the door as he sniffed the air. Web's poison was now in the veins of that mare, and with her blood tainted, Reddling could not feast on his prey anymore.

"Pleasant Dreams..." Web said with a giggle, leaning over the pony.

"How long does the high usually last?" Reddling announced to the ceiling, half falling over as he shut his eyes, focusing on the feeling of his whole body coursing with the life of another.

"Not long, thirty minutes or an hour." Web replied, trotting over to the door.

"But- it's so fresh and lively..." Reddling said to Web, a frown growing on his face.

"Don't get in the habit, Reddling." Web giggled, "Ponies will be upset if they catch you doing it- and don't get me started on what Luna will say!"

A maniacal giggle not so unlike Web's escaped Reddling's lips. It was stained with happiness from his blood soaked mouth, and echoed in a voice that wasn't his own up at the night sky.

"Well, there are plenty of ponies in Silverfield that Luna would never heard about!" Reddling decreed.

"Oh?" Web said, her ears perking up as she looked over curiously.

"They'll just blame it on demons, the filthy commoners... The church knows about bat ponies, but they won't do anything, hehe..." Anything to me, anyway Reddling giggled.

"Sounds like fun..." Web said absently, looking southward.

"I wonder if they taste different... hm, if I taste different." Redling looked down at his hoof, half tempted to bite it open and learn what his own taste was.

Web closed the door behind them as they both situated themselves on the perch. "Well, that was fun!"

"It was...  awakening." Reddling breathed.

"Hehe, oh yes. You're going to make a fantastic bat, Reddling. You remind me of myself, oh so long ago!" Web ruffled his mane, leaning on him.

I am the night! "This, haha! Let's go for a fly, Web!" Reddling pushed her away and leapt into the sky, beating his wings somewhat wildly as he soared towards the upper towers of Canterlot. Reddling still was not healed enough for the more daring aerial tricks, but he felt more than able to do things he normally wouldn't try. Web laughed as she chased him through loop-de loops and dives towards some late night workers in Canterlot.

Do you love Web? Do you feel warm and fuzzy, bubbly and happy? Do you feel how that changeling made you feel, without that terrible draining and void at the end? Reddling shut his eyes as he went in for one final dive, trying to decide if he understood this foreign feeling that had infected him well enough to dub it love. Ultimately, Reddling decide the word for it didn't matter, because he had Web at his side. So long as she was there, he had no need to be concerned with abstract concepts.

Defiance

Reddling was extremely disappointed when his high ended. He had already landed by the time it was almost gone, an although he had teetered around with Web for a bit, it felt as though he was jut going through the motions of a simple life. Run a little errand here, let Web go back to work without him there- these were all things he had to do and live with, but that didn't make it any easier to bid his fun night-morning goodbye.

Midnight was in the barracks, laying on his side and resting peacefully. Reddling couldn't imagine that he'd done much moving at all over the last few days,but that wasn't really what was on either of their minds. The image of Cadance and her drone wallowing in the dark caves was still burned at the forefront of their minds. To make matters worse, Reddling was also unsure of how long it would be before somepony other than Web found the corpses and decided to begin poking around in the caves and tunnels.

"Midnight, wake up." Reddling said, tapping his shoulder repeatedly.

"Ug- Reddling- what time is it?" Midnight asked, blinking his eye sleepily His other eye had a dark eyepatch over it now, covering the hole in his head. Reddling backed up, licking his lips and making sure he got all the remaining blood off them.

"It's dark o'clock." Reddling said. "Web needs to see you, your wings still need patching."

"Guh, Web..." Midnight said distastefully. "I suppose I do still need aid."

Reddling frowned at his half asleep comment on Web, but made no visual responses to show he had heard. "C'mon, you can't sleep all night anyway. You won't heal if your muscles do nothing."

"Yes, of course," Midnight pulled himself out of bed, rubbing his eyes slowly. "Where might I find Web?"

"I'll take you to her quarters, we'll take a..." Reddling paused, looking for the word he wanted. "A roundabout path for a bit though, if you don't mind? The uhm, streets reek of death still."

"Of course." Midnight said. Both of them trotted outside into the darkness of a new moon. In the streets unicorns kept their horns lit up, and the pegasi and earth ponies hung under street lamps. Reddling breathed in a breath of fresh air- which as full of the faint hints of death it was- reminded him once again that he was happy to be a soldier for the night.

"Lead on." Midnight said, patting Reddling on the back while the later licked at his fangs, making sure to get an specks of blood off. The two of them wandered into the deader parts of Canterlot, passing by buildings that were full of only broken windows or some weird type of goo. Almost all of the corpses had been dealt with by now, although that didn't stop the city from showing how broken it was right now.

"I visited Web yesterday, and I learned some things, things I need to get off my chest." Reddling looked down at the broken cobbletones under him. "Do you mind listening while we trot?"

"Of course, speak." Midnight said plaintively.

"She was developing poisons that would hurt the changelings. They're quite potent, able to kill them with only a little fluid." Reddling whispered.

"Give them a taste of their own medicine." Midnight said proudly, nodding his head in determination. Grabbing his friend, Reddling turned Midnight to face him.

"Midnight, she was doing it to drones that were alive. They were prisoners of war. Unarmed, helpless prisoners!" Reddling growled. Midnight gave a little bit of a start, but quickly regained his composure with a deep breath.

"I am sure she had her reasons..." Midnight offered.

"She let me kill the last three. They didn't suffer much, I think. But, two of them..." Reddling stopped, taking a deep breath and categorizing his thoughts. "There wasn't even any need to kill them, they just were there to die. Midnight, I thought they were mindless drones." Midnight nodded back to Reddling as he stopped for breath. A couple silent seconds slipped by before Reddling drew another breath, "I spared one though, and I took it to Cadance."

"You spared it? Why!?" Midnight asked, both amazed and perhaps slightly angered.

Reddling looked down now, unable to meet Midnight's face. Between his legs a group of ants were carrying off looted treasures from a store. But these drones aren't like these ants, they had personality.

"Reddling?" Midnight asked.

"The way they looked at me. I took it to her and it was affectionate and thinking. It had opinions and thoughts, I know it." Reddling said. Midnight put a hoof on his chin and lifted Reddling's face up so they were looking at each other's eyes. Instinctively grabbing Midnight's hoof, Reddling put it on his friend's chest as they exchanged glares.

"That matters not! They are inequine monsters who have shown no desire but to cause us harm! Invade our cities and kill our citizens! Look at what they did to Cadance! How many others have met that fate?" Midnight cried, pushing Reddling back so that he was between a wall and Midnight.

"Don't touch me." Reddling said, pushing Midnight back. "Each of them has a mind and heart of their own. Vile as they may be, horrible as they may be... They are no less endowed with a mind and soul than we are. If Luna ordered you to strike down a civilian, would you kill them?"

"In an instant." Midnight said automatically. "I trust Princess Luna would have her reasons, and that it was for the greater good."

"Every drone and soldier we killed is exactly the same as you or I." Reddling said. Both bats stared at each other for a few seconds before Reddling continued, "The vileness is not from them, but from their leaders. From the blue one we killed, and the green one we did battle with." And ... very likely a third. Just based on the eye colours.

"Does that excuse them of their actions?" Midnight's tone painted the question rhetorically as he continued without waiting for a response his voice hardening, "Their leaders may have ordered these atrocities, but they are guilty of performing them, and should be held accountable. Where is the changeling now?"

So if I kill the princesses you'll hold me accountable, not Silverfield? Good to know. If I kill them... I wish that question wouldn't get further and further from my mission every time I ask it. "They may already be dead. I left that decision to Princess Cadance. She is all alone, surely she can use a servant." Reddling looked at his friend more seriously now. "Better to let it pay back the debt alive than take up space as a corpse, eh? Everyone deserves a second chance."

Luna knows, I needed one...

Midnight looked around the alleys, ensuring both of them were alone before leaning in closer. "What of Cadance then?"

"She's still Cadance, but it's not like I knew her. She could easily be deceiving us- however, we need to decide what to do with her, as she cannot remain in those caves until she is found or does something vicious." Reddling said, drawing close to his friend as well.

"If she is deceiving us..." Midnight began.

"We're putting the whole city in danger." Reddling finished.

"Captain Shining Armor and Twilight seemed convinced she was genuine... I do not know. That is a troubling thought." Midnight looked down worriedly, tracing his hoof over some broken cobblestones.

"Shining Armor seemed convinced right up until their queen blasted up everyone in the wedding, I saw it." Reddling reminded Midnight. The latter turned, shaking his head now.

"This is above us. Princess Luna should know of this." Midnight said.

"Both she and her sister deserve to know. Should we inform them?" Reddling asked.

"I believe we should." Midnight replied.

"...We will be breaking our word to Miss Twilight." Reddling said.

"Though she has proven her magical prowess, how can we know she is able to tell Cadance from an imposter? Especially if Shining Armor was so easily fooled!" Midnight demanded.

"Because it was she who broke into the wedding to declare that the one marrying her brother was an imposter. Nightshade, Tops, and myself fell in right behind her as support right as all hell broke loose." Reddling and Midnight locked eyes, and then the blue pony bowed.

"Very well. I defer to you." Midnight said grudgingly.

"...I think that we should look at moving Cadance out of the city, at the very least. Even if we do not know what to do yet, the least we should do is not endanger Canterlot." Reddling looked up as they began to trot again, heading for the palace again. "Anyway, Let us take you to Web, and not a word of this to her, or any other pony?"

"As you wish." Midnight said.

As they neared the palace, Reddling sighed, and leaned in to whisper what he hoped would be another one of his brilliant, foolhardy, and most likely disastrous plans.

"Come in, come in!" Web said happily at Reddling's knock. Reddling just gave her a smile as he shoved Midnight inside the door and quickly shut it, turning and heading back into the palace. as per usual, there were two tired looking guards outside of Celestia's quarters, one with a clipboard going over appointments for the next shift to handle.

"Late night?" Reddling asked both of them. Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "I wish to see Princess Celestia. If she has any time for audiences before the sun is risen and burning preferably."

"The Princess is sleeping, and does not wish to be disturbed." The guard said rudely, wrinkling his nose at the bat in front of him.

"Tell her it's about Princess Cadance. Circumstances have changed." Reddling looked determinately back at the guard. The guard blinked and gave reddling a confused look, but nodded.

"Very well. You will have to return when she is available."

"Very well. Is there a time I can sign on for?" Reddling half jeered at the guard, who frowned.

"I will ask when she is available. Come ba-" Reddling waved a hoof in front of the guard's face, cutting him off.

"No, I shall return later in the day." Reddling said, turning now and heading down into the caves once more. He didn't pass many other ponies as he went deeper into the caves, but finally crystal veins began to appear. The lengthy trot blew by in a flash as he made his way deeper into Canterlot, finding himself once more in the close company of Princess Cadance.

"Princess." Reddling said simply. Both she and her drone appeared to be asleep, both of them curled up together. The drone was laying over her back, while she herself was curled up in a ball. After a few seconds, her eyes opened, slitted pink pupils staring forward. The drone also opened it's eyes, revealing paler red eyes now.

"Ah... hello again." Cadance said happily, looking around for a moment. She looked over each of her hooves, and then sighed heavily, her voice taking on it's strained state from previous conversations. "Each day I wake up hoping it was nothing but a bad dream, and it never is."

Everyday I wake up, hoping it was just a bad dream, and I still have my feathery wings, but it's never a- Reddling turned his head to his side, gazing at the leathery wing hanging onto his coat. Those wings were more than a symbol of being in the Night Guard than they were a symbol of freedom. And yet, they had become another symbol of freeness to choose, a symbol of hope.

"Thank you for visiting again." Cadance said, rising to her hooves. Reddling stood up straighter, puffing up his chest and staring up at Princess Cadance. Shutting his eyes briefly, Reddling prepared to find strength that didn't seem to be his own. Meanwhile, the drone moved between Reddling and Cadance, standing between the two of them and facing the former.

"If I was going to do anything to her, I would have made my move already." Reddling smiled at the drone, who blinked. "Princess Cadance, I'm sure that you believe it might be in your best interests to be moved from Canterlot."

The drone frowned, letting pointed fangs hang from it's mouth as it glared at Reddling.

"Yes, that seems prudent. I am sure ponies would- would not take kindly to me..." Cadance frowned, her face tightening in resolve. "I've had enough of this hopeless moping."

"Then you should face Princess Celestia and Luna." Reddling said, stepping forward. "If you flee, you will only seem guilty, guilty of simply living. You can't run away from the cards life deals you, only play them."

Cadance turned, mumbling something about being unsure. Reddling shook his head, and stomped a hoof. "Princess, I- am... I am speaking from personal experience."

"Face them?" Cadance asked, nodding to Reddling.

"An audience, yes." Reddling nodded back.

"Perhaps... perhaps they can help me." Cadance said, some hope in her voice.

"Understand, there is an equal chance that you're living on borrowed time and I will be instructed to cut you down where you stand." Reddling looked at the drone, and held out a hoof for a hoofshake. "But that end is still better than being hunted down like rats and killed in a hole, you deserve better."

"..Okay, but on the assurance that your friend, and Shining Armor, will vouch for me." Princess Cadance said. The drone simply blinked at Reddling, still frowning and not returning the hoofshake.

"Midnight Tales has deferred to my judgement on this issue. I believe that both Twilight and your fiancee will vouch." Reddling said determinedly.

"Then come back with them, and we will seek out an audience with the other princesses together." Cadance said. "This drone has been instructing me on changing my shape."

"I believe that you should alter your looks until we arrive then." Reddling said.

"I will look appropriate for this meeting." Cadance said determinedly. Even in those slits changeling slits, Reddling could see a fire reborn inside them.

"If you believe that you can maintain this, perhaps there is no need to tell them of your condition at all!" Reddling said. Maybe, my friends will never have to know about my past!

Cadance turned slowly to him, and the entire cave went icy cold as the world seemed to slow down. "No, I will not live a lie." Cadance said. Reddling felt his body stagger backwards as he gripped for some excuse to save himself. Any lifeline to prevent him from this fate.

"If you're changing your shape to meet them, then you're already living a lie." Reddling said.

"I am doing what I must to overcome this." Cadance said. Something horrible seized in Reddling's chest as he felt slight tears develop in his eyes. Turning away from her, Cadance continued to speak, "There is a different between wearing a mask to protect yourself, and trying to take a mask and turn it into your true self."

"...Yes." Reddling managed, wandering away blurry. A gnarled hoof rested on his shoulder, turning him around. Princess Cadance was now smiling- or at least, smiling as best a changeling could.

"Do you need any help?" She asked. Reddling blinked, and nodded.

"Where can I locate Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle?" He asked blankly, trying to hastily deconstruct the invisible veil between him the world around him.

"Twilight will probably be in the library, and Shining Armor in his quarters." Reddling nodded to Cadance and pushed away, but she stopped him again with another hoof on the shoulder.

"Just one moment, actually." Cadance said. Reddling turned again, and she was still smiling.

"I don't believe I was ever told your name." Cadance said.

Reddling blinked, then nodded, and began his name, then stopped. Instead of saying it in Equestrian, he gave it to her in Silverfeldian.

""Reddling," Riding Rain." She said in her musical changeling voice. "Farewell, Riding, and thank you."

Reddling blinked at the usage of his name correctly. It had been so long since he had heard it used correctly that he could no longer recall it as his name. Indeed, he could no longer recall many things of Silverfield.

"I'm sorry about your comrades. I did not understand." Reddling said to the drone. without waiting for a response, Reddling turned and left.

"Come in, Come in!" Web said happily for the second time that day as Reddlng knocked.

"Midnight where are you, I could really use you right about now..." Reddling froze as he trotted into the room. Midnight was laying on his belly across the table that Reddling knew all too well must have been used to kill dozens of changelings. Midnight's wings were spread wide and relaxed, hanging limply at his sides in their bandages and stitches. He had his eyes closed in a dreamy expression as Web stood behind him on her forelegs, kneading his back.

"Uh, situation." Reddling said blankly, some happy feeling in him feeling dashed. But the feeling even stronger than that was jealousy. Envy burned in Reddling as he saw himself on that table, with web massaging him.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Reddling asked, shaking his head.

"AH!" Midnight said, falling off the table and scrambling to his hooves. Reddling kept a dirty glare at him as Midnight kited around the room to the door. "No- no- Not at all."

"Right... ..." Reddling waited for Midnight to get out of the room and out of earshot of Web before whispering quickly to him. "Go find Shining Armor, and when morning is here we're taking Cadance to Princess Celestia and Luna. I'll pick up Twilight at the library in an hour or so. Get ready to take on any dumb dayguards that get in our way."

"Very well. This is your plan you decided on then?" Midnight hissed.

"Indeed. This probably will get messy, Midnight." Reddling said hastily, watching Web clean up some medical supplies from through the open door.

"I shall fetch my armor then." Midnight said. "Why do we need Twilight Sparkle's aid? Have you found some spell to restore the Princess?"

"Maybe." Reddling hissed back.

"There is no need to be so cryptic..." Midnight said.

"Just trust-" Reddling started.

"Reddling." Web said. "Come here please, I wanted to talk to you." Reddling swallowed as Midnight patted him on the shoulder, turning and galloping off, muttering something about damned changelings shredding his wings.

Reddling turned to Web, closing the door behind him with a claw and looking at her. She had finished putting away her things and now trotted over to the bed. Reddling took a seat beside her, looking over at her almost sadly.

"What was that with Midnight?" Reddling asked. Web put a hoof on his mouth, and shook her head.

"He's hurt, that's all." She giggled. "No need to get all offended. Here, lay down." Looking over his shoulder, Reddling kept an eye on Web as she rubbed her hooves together, smiling down at him.

"What's wrong Reddling, don't you trust me?" Web smiled at him.

"Not really." Reddling said to her, turning his head around and burying it in a pillow.

"And that's why I like you better than Midnight..." Web said coyly. Reddling let out a soft gasp in the pillow as Web climbed on top of him, resting her forehooves on his upper back and beginning to rub her hooves in long gentle strokes down his tightened muscles. The usual strong urge to throw her off him was there, but something about her charms and the feeling of her hooves rubbing at the knots in his back was undeniably relaxing.

"Web, I- Ow... Okay, that hurt." Reddling turned his head to the side so he could look up at Web, who was smiling as she continued to massage his back. All on their own, Reddling's wings unfolded at his sides, hanging limply on the bed while she worked.

"It wouldn't hurt if you got massages more often. When was the last time you had a massage?" Web giggled at each little ow from Reddling's mouth as he winced.

"N-Never, I don't like being touched." Reddling mumbled.

"Do you want me to stop?" Web asked.

"No!" Reddling said loudly, shoving his head back into the pillow. "No, don't stop..."

"Let me pass, I bare a message for the Captain." Reddling said.  It was several hours later that he found himself standing with Midnight outside of Shining Armor's quarters, where a stubborn looking guard was refusing to let anypony past. He had not meant to be occupied for so long, but Web had kept him distracted.

"What is your business with him?" The guard asked Reddling, eying Midnight distastefully.

"A message from Miss Twilight, and it involves funeral arrangements if you must know." Reddling lied, "Do you really need to make their lives any harder by intercepting their mail?"

Standing down, the guard backed up with his mouth hanging slightly open. "Ah, you- give me a moment." The guard said. Turning around, the soldier trotted in, and Reddling went in right behind him.

"Shining Armor sir- th- Hey! Wait outside!" The guard said, turning around.

"Right." Reddling said, looking past him and gazing at Shining Armor, who was laying on his bed. the room in here was a mess, and clearly the Captain had not bothered to clean up anything in some time. His face was a mask of blankess streaked here and there with pain, confusion, and dark thoughts. "Sir! You're requested in the caves if you are able!"

"The caves?" The guard asked curiously. Shining Armor turned his head slowly, looking over at Reddling as he rolled to his hooves and stood up.

"I'm just the messenger." Reddling said.

"Ah- the caves?" Shining asked.

"Yes, you and Miss Twilight have both been requested. Also, if an audience with Princesses Celestia and Luna can be arranged, all will be even better!" Reddling blurbed, pushing Shining's guard aside and approaching the white unicorn.

"Princess Celestia and Luna..." Shining said, turning to his guard. "Very well. Inform the Princesses that I must speak to them within the hour. You are dismissed."

Shining's voice lacked the snap and command that it had once held so long ago on the training fields, when he had stood next to Lunar half a lifetime ago. When the guard had turned and left, Midnight trotted into the mess of a room, standing at Reddling's side.

"Sir, do you know where I could find Miss Twilight exactly? Her Highness requests both of you." Reddling said.

"She has been in the royal library." Shining said with a short huff.

"Understood. Midnight, can you take Shining with you? I will meet you two later." Reddling asked, turning to his friend.

"Very well." Midnight said, "I shall go with Shining Armor to ensure he arrives safely." Reddling nodded back to his friend before turning, rushing off to the Royal Library, which had it's own wing of the palace. Massive multistory bookshelves spanned for several floors, each one laden with ladders climbing up from the floor to the upper reaches. An entire maze had been created in this area, filled with books and more books. After nearly losing himself in the maze, Reddling finally spied a purple unicorn in an obscure corner of the library.

Twilight was laying face first in an open book, snoring softly as a page was drawn to her mouth before being pushed away. Many different tombs had been spread out across the table with various notes laying crumpled up here or there. Sighing, Reddling looked around for a heavy book that he could drop. A thick leather book caught his eye,  and he noted how dusty it was and almost sneezed but he didn't. Reddling could barely make out the title of the book, but he was fairly certain it read Spiderses, by Argembarger

The book landed with a slam, causing Twilight to jerk up with a start. Her mane was oddly spikey today, and she looked almost crazy from the lack of sleep. "Ah! I- didn't-"

"Good morning." Reddling said to her.

"Bwh- Ah." Twilight rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Late for me, early for you." Reddling replied. "I was wondering if you would join me for a trot into the caves. Captain Shining Armor is already headed there with Midnight Tales."

"I- I haven't found anything!" Twilight said, the stress bleeding out of her voice. "I've gone through the entire encyclopedia of magical ailments!"

"Perhaps the solution can be found with a more hooves on approach?" Reddling asked.

"Biology and medicine has nothing!" Twilight ignored Reddling. "I can barely even find references to those creatures!"

"I can't say Silverf- ah, I mean I know nothing either." Reddling mumbled.

"Sandstorm the Wanderer talks in short about some sort of shapeshifting creature but there's no detail anywhere, and not a single reference to any sort of- of what happened to Cadance!" Twilight ranted.

"Miss Twilight!" Reddling hissed.

"-And none of the transformation magic I've- What?" Twilight blinked.

"Ponies are waiting on us." Reddling said, nodding in a random direction that was hopefully the same way as the exit. "Captain Shining Armor, Her Highness, and Midnight Tales are waiting for us in the caves. We are going to see Princess Luna and Celestia."

"Oh." Twilight said blankly, nodding for a bit before realization dawned on her face. "The Princesses?! But Cadance- she said keep it secret!"

It was Reddling's turn to ignore Twilight now. "Please hurry, it would not due to keep them waiting."

"She can't see the Princesses! They'll- I don't even know!" Twilight said frantically.

"Kill her?" Reddling said angrily. "Would you rather she starve and die in a cave?" Twilight flinched backwards at that, trying to regain some composure.

"K-kill or banish her forever and-" Twilight's eyes were tearing up now.

"A kinder fate than slowly dying in a pit of despair." Reddling replied.

"Let's go then." Twilight said after a few moments. Throwing a few notes into a saddlebag, both of them trotted away from the library with Twilight leading the way out. There was a tense air between them as they weaved through the castle, dodging guards here and there.

"Do you and Princess Cadance go very far back?" Reddling asked, trying to break the ice.

"I knew her when we were both younger." Twilight said. "She was my foalsitter." Twilight sighed, giving a slight smile. "It's complicated."

"A foalsitter?" Reddling said.

"Yeah." Twilight replied.

"What's that?" Reddling asked.

Twilight stopped, blinking at Reddling. Both of them halted and looked at each other. Reddling was quite honestly interested, but Twilight seemed very confused.

"She took care of me when my parents were away." Twilight said. Reddling just blinked at her, so she continued, "Like when they were working, so that I wasn't alone in the house?"

"Uh, sorry to ask such silly things, let's just go." Reddling motioned for Twilight to follow him, turning away before she could ask him any questions. He'd just have to make a mental note to look up this equestrian oddity later.

As Reddling and Twilight descended further into the caves, the sounds of arguing could be heard faintly making their way towards them. Reddling heard the fight first, although at first it was hard to make everything out.

"Cannot keep it." Shining Armor's voice said.

"...Take care of..." Cadance replied. Reddling started to gallop forward, a sinking feeling in his heart.

"...pony, not a changeling!" Shining retorted.

"Reddling, what is going on?" Twilight said, still unable to hear the argument. Reddling shook his head, cursing himself as they rounded a few more corners and the argument became more audible. Cadance and Shining Armor were in the middle of a standoff with Midnight standing between them uncomfortably. The drone from before was currently hiding behind Cadance, glaring at Shining Armor.

"Reddling what is the meaning of- of this!" Shining Armor said heatedly, gesturing to the drone.

"So many things happen in the darkness," Reddling's voice was edged with venom, "and the darkness keeps it's secrets. That drone is a prisoner of war. Those who surrender should not be harmed."

"And has it surrendered?" Shining asked, "Or is it just waiting to stab us in the back again!?"

"This argument is pointless and over." Reddling said, not caring if Shining Armor felt he was getting the proper respect right now or not. Twilight and Midnight were standing together now, staring between the different sides of the argument as each spoke.

"It is wrong to murder anything that is defenseless," Reddling continued, "Any of us could cut that thing down without a weapon. It's starved, dying, and without Cadance would not be hanging onto life. That said," Reddling turned now to the drone, "It is best you wait here and do not come with us. Ponies do not take well to your ilk, as you've seen.

"No." The drone said. "Princess Took care of me. I won't let bad ponies hurt her."

Reddling blinked, "It's your life to risk." Bad ponies? I am not a bad pony.

"I believe we are keeping Princess Luna waiting." Midnight said to the group. Everypony turned to look at him before exchanging some curt nods between each other.

"Shining Armor, If they can help me, then we can be together again. Please, just trust me." Cadance said For a moment Shining hesitated, looking from the Changeling to Cadance before an ashamed look passed over his face and he lowered his head.

"You're right, Cadance. I'm sorry." Shining Armor said. Reddling rolled his eyes and went to stand by Midnight, waiting for the group to move out. There was a flash as Cadance closed her eyes, and pink fire overtook her body. Standing there now was a pink pegasus with a red heart for it's cutie mark. The Drone shimmered and with a quick burst of flames changed into an unremarkable grey and white unicorn. Shining, Midnight, and Twilight all moved around uncomfortably about this, staring at the changelings in disguise.

"Hey, don't worry about this!" Reddling said, trotting to the middle of the group and giving them a pained grin. "Me and two others talked our way past guards at the wedding wearing trench coats, hats and sunglasses. This will work, right?" Reddling looked over at Midnight for verification.

"Frankly, I do not see anypony stopping to question our group, given who composes it." Midnight said.

"Good, then we're all set." Reddlng said, looking at his companions.

"Shining, Please, I'm still me, no matter what happens- I promise." Cadance said, trotting to her lover's side with the drone close behind her.

You're a bug. Reddling thought. I may have to end up squashing you one way or another. We'll just have to see what the future holds. Reddling kept his thoughts to himself as he trotted next to Midnight. Twilight was next to her brother, standing a bit behind the bat ponies in the group, while the drone had asserted itself to Cadance's side, keeping itself as a wall between other ponies and Cadance.

No guards stopped the parade as they reached the throne room, Shining and Twilight pushing open the doors with magic and looking around the room. The logistics of repairing the city had been planned here, and various leftover papers and other similar equipment was still pushed to the sides. Four guards stood aside for the group to approach, watching curiously as Shining Armor and Cadance eyed each other a little less than bravely.

Aside from the procession in the middle of the room, the throne room was still abuzz with activity. Near a dozen guards were in the room passing messages between pages and giving orders for various tasks to be carried out. Princess Celestia and Luna were both sitting together at the end of a table, looking over various documents. Luna looked awful and tired as ever, although not as tired as she had before. Celestia herself however looked quite well rested and seemed to be doing fine.

"Are you ready?" Reddling asked Cadance. Cadance nodded as Twilight stood in front of the group, clearing her throat.

"Your majesties!" Twilight cried, her body shaking in front of the group.

"Yes, Twilight Sparkle?" Celestia asked. Reddling nodded to himself. Twilight Sparkle- personal with the princesses, foalsat by a princess, and Shining Armor's brother. I'll be keeping my eye on you.

"When I told you about what happened at the wedding, I said how that creature teleported me into the catacombs, and how I found evidence of Cadance's... death." Twilight breathed deeply, steeling herself, "I'm ashamed to say that wasn't completely true. I did find a terrible tragedy, and I promised I would never share it. But- But things have changed, and you should know the truth." Celestia looked very nervous now, shifting around uncomfortably in her chair. Meanwhile, Luna was leaning forward, curious.

"What has thou found, Twilight Sparkle?" Luna asked.

"Cadance isn't dead. She was- Your Highnesses, this is Princess Cadance." Twilight said, motioning to the disguised pegasus.

"Yes, this is the truth!" Shining Armor said strongly, puffing out his chest as the snap of his command voice returned.

"And I too can reaffirm this!" Midnight said, speaking more to Luna than anyone else.

"For what remains of her that is, I vouch as well." Reddling said.

"What is the meaning of this?" Celestia demanded, standing up from her seat.

"Celestia, Luna, Please do not be alarmed." Cadance said miserably, stepping forward. "The changelings caught me unawares one night. They poisoned me and hid me away. Where I would be now if Twilight had not found me, I would not know. But when she woke me up, she found me..." Cadance stopped, gulping. There was a flash of pink flame, and once more she stood before them as a Changeling, her head held high and unafraid. Guards in the room gasped from the left and right, and several others scampered backwards in fear, taking cover behind tables or chairs.

But even if you ordered me to strike her down, I cannot help but pity this poor creature.

"A Changeling!" Celestia cried, pointing a hoof. "Guards! Seize her!"

A fate truly worse than death- hasn't there been enough suffering!? "Midnight!" Reddling cried, throwing himself at the nearest guard, who had moved forward to grab Cadance. Reddling plunged his hoof right into the face of the guard, a loud crack as the pony's jaw snapped sounding across the room. Most of the guards fell back at this, looks of shock on their face. A few tired looking guards still made their way forward however, trying to grab at Cadance.

A sort of organized chaos descended on the room as Celestia's guards clashed with Shining Armor, Reddling, and Midnight. No weapons were drawn, but the hooffighting was still getting fierce. As the tired guards fell to the wayside from various kicks or magical throws from Shining, more guards found their bravery and charged. Twilight and the drone now joined the battle, throwing magic back at the guards and slamming them into tables or chairs. Hundreds of papers flew into the air as the room became a storm of small paper booklets, parts of armor, and various ponies.

"Celestia! This is the real Cadance, stop this!" Twilight cried as a somewhat familiar looking bucktooth private flew past her head, smashing into a table. Another, somewhat less sad looking, guard quickly helped him back to his hooves, but a simple growl from Reddling was enough to send the two of them fleeing from the throne room.

"I will not suffer another imposter in our palace!" Celestia decreed. There was a thunder of hooves as more guards stormed the room, heading for Midnight and Shining Armor, who were both fighting as if they had trained side by side since boot camp.

"Are you mad?" Reddling yelled at Celestia as he smashed a hind hoof into the helmet of a guard, leaving him to fall to the ground holding his skull. "She wears no guise to fool you!"

"Guards, stand down!" Luna cried at the royal guard. However, the royal guard did not heed her words, and if anything seemed to redouble their efforts against the group. Despite the pile of at least two dozen Royal guard ponies that had either been knocked out or had limbs broken laying on the ground, this did nothing to break the moral of the reinforcements. Reddling landed a hoof solidly in the muzzle of a nearby guard, leaving him to back up holding bleeding nostrils as the drone slammed a hind hoof into the guard's midsection, sending him down for the count. Reddling turned and grabbed the next Equestrian he could find, slamming them into a table with all his strength before falling on top of them, holding the pony down as he smashed his hoof repeatedly into the guard's face.

That is ENOUGH! Luna's voice boomed across the room. A few papers flew away as her voiced arced around the room. Everypony had stopped fighting and was now staring at Luna, who stood darkly next to her sister, gazing down at the carnage. Even Cadance's drone had stopped fighting the guards and was fearfully looking up at the Princess of the Night. Reddling gave the guard that he was on one last shove into the ground before he rose up, dusting himself off and licking some blood from his nostril.

Princess Luna walked around from her table, approaching Cadance. Midnight and Reddling both bowed as she passed, all the other guards scurrying out of Luna's way as she approached. Shining Armor, Cadance, and the drone still in their unremarkable disguise stood in front of Luna.

"Cadance, is this truly you?" Luna asked.

"Yes, it is- I am still myself, I still have my own mind." Cadance gasped. "Otherwise I would not have come here, like this.  Please, you must believe me."

"We believe you, and we trust our sister will as well." Luna decreed. Cadance let out a sigh of relief, thanking Luna repeatedly.

I can't tell which is more crazy, the one believing us or the one that isn't. Reddling thought, looking over at a most unhappy looking Celestia, who had now fallen silent.

"I came to you in hopes that you might know some way to- to reverse this, please. You have to do something!" Cadance pleaded.

"I am so sorry, there is-" Celestia began, but Luna cut her off.

"Nay, sister. There may be a way." Luna said.

Twitching his ear, Reddling glared at Celestia. Celetia, so quick to pass judgement on others, not like Luna or Cadance. I wonder how you judge me- do you see me as Luna's pet? What about Midnight? Beware this, if we're her lapdogs, you'd best remember the puppies have teeth.

The room was full of shocked faces from everypony. Celestia, the guards, Cadance, Shining Armor, and Twilight all looked surprised. Midnight did not have a look of surprise on his face, but rather a smug smile, as if he had been sure the entire time that Luna would pull through in the end. The drone was noticeably shocked and unhappy, but remained silently by Cadance's side.

"Sister, with your leave, I would find some resolution to this. I believe I may have a solution." Luna said, turning to her sister.

"...Very well." Celestia growled.

"Cadance, Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, Midnight Tales, Reddling Rain and- We are sorry, we do not know your name?" Luna turned to the drone, who looked surprised. he blinked over at Reddling, who approached his side.

"Star Shine, your majesty. I had decided to hide in the caves when the fighting started, and stumbled upon Cadance. We've been helping one another through this ever since." The drone said rather convincingly considering he had not known his own name a few seconds ago.

"Star Shine." Luna repeated. "All of you, come with us to our quarters." Leading the way, Luna led the group of the throne room. Cadance resumed her disguise as she went, which startled the remaining guards that were till conscious. Reddling turned and smirked back at the royal guard as he and Midnight left them. Despite the fact that they were Celestia's persona guard, Reddling and midnight had fought with the strength of eight royal guard with their injuries. Of course Reddling knew dayponies were inferior, but he had not expected them to be this incompetent. It all seemed rather odd in a way he couldn't quite put his hoof on. Turning away from them, Reddling trotted to the drone's side quickly.

"Star Shine!?" Reddling hissed at the drone quietly when they were out in the hall. "That sounds almost as real as Cobalt Flare."

"You're being ridiculous. It is completely real." The drone said reassuringly. However, their eyes darted around subtly, looking to see if any other ponies might have overheard this, Luna in particular.

"Oh you," Reddling said, making no attempt to whisper. "You'll think of a better name later, maybe." The drone made no response, but instead picked up their pace to stand closer to Cadance and further away from the other ponies.

"Ungrateful little punk." Reddling hissed, trotting to Twilight Sparkle's side. Her face was now one of hope as she beamed at the back of Luna's head.

We should get a rink sometime Miss Twilight. You're literally a walking encyclopedia. Maybe you can fill me in with better knowledge about the Princesses- Or maybe, Silverfield even. You seem to be quite the bookworm.

Midnight looked like he was going to explode when they reached Princess Luna's bedroom. He was absolutely ecstatic and looked as though he should be having a nosebleed running all down his front.

He really likes his princess Reddling thought.

"The Night guard has a dark and storied past. There are many legends, rumors, and falsehoods surrounding it." Luna said, keeping her back turned to her guests. "But one truth is that those who join it from the outside take on the visage of a Child of the Night, a bat pony. Reddling Rain and Midnight Tales are living proof of this,"

"What many do not know," Luna continued turning to face them all, "is that those who find cause to leave the Night Guard may, and their old selves can be restored to them. I believe this may be done to save Princess Cadance." Mixed emotions flew around the room at Luna's words, Reddling wrapped his wings around his body instantly, hugging himself tightly at the thought of being flightless again, at the thought of being nothing again. Shining Armor, Cadance, and Twilight all looked amazed and happy, grinning at each other. Midnight had a hopeful look on his face, but really seemed to be more busy studying every feature of Luna he could gaze at. The drone in the room was forcing a smile, hiding whatever emotion it was actually feeling.

"Twilight, Shining Armor, and Midnight tales, the ritual to perform this act requires many reagents, many of which are difficult to acquire. We would ask you to gather them for us." Luna said.

Wait, what? Reddling thought, more upset at this than he thought he would have been. Why am I not being chosen for this?

"Reddling Rain, Celestia has posed this task to us, and we agree with her wisdom; The changelings who attacked us must be destroyed." Luna said. Reddling had a retort ready, but held his tongue as Luna continued,

"To do this, wherever they have fled to must be found. We have sent several of our guards to complete this task, but we would have you and your other companions assist in this task. We would invite Bruiser and Midnight Tales on this mission, but their weighty armor would slow them down beyond what is practical. You are to find where they have fled so the Equestrian army may eliminate them."

"All of them?" Reddling asked.

"If that is what is required to ensure that they are never able to harm another as they have done to us, to ensure nopony else must ever suffer Princess Cadance's fate, then yes." Luna said, her face hardening.

"So this is how Equestria deals with all of it's problems, isn't it?" Reddling stepped forward, gazing up at Luna heatedly. "When diplomacy fails, you move on to genocide! Many of those creatures are no less indued with a soul than Princess Cadance or Star Shine."

Luna frowned, obviously displeased. "Those creatures attacked us, unprovoked, in our own home, killing and reducing ponies to empty husks, and taking our own Princess Cadance from us- And you would have us stand idly by in the face of this?"

Luna's voice rose as she stepped forward, towering over Reddling."What would you have us do then, Reddling Rain of Silverfield, in the wake of this horrifying tragedy? What other resolution do you see to this act of WAR but swift retribution?"

"Look at this pony." Reddling said, grabbing Star Shine and pulling him forward, "He's not a pony, he's a changeling, but you'd never know that."

"What would you do when they come again? When-" Luna had begun again without fully listening to Reddling before his words sank in. She gave a start, backing up.

"Go on, change. Let's see if she recognizes you."

"Ready?"

Ready for what?

The Changeling's eyes went wide in panic as it turned, suddenly lashing out and slamming it's hoof into the side of Reddling's head before bolting for the door. Reddling didn't bother to dodge, but simply rolled with the punch, letting it knock him off his hooves. As the drone fumbled with the door and made it outside, but two seasoned looking guards in medium armor tackled him to the ground. Both of them hauled the drone back in, tossing him on the ground in front of Luna.

"Fully capable of irrational thought, and emotion. Emotions like hate and love, fear and anger, just ask Princess Cadance." Reddling said, holding his jaw with a hoof. The drone was certainly doing a good job of showing emotion right now, hissing and sputtering in a quite un-equine fashion as a mixture of fear and panic overtook the creature.

"Stop it! All of you!" Cadance shouted, going forward to the drone and holding it. The guards held the drone down, but made sure that their grips were not uncomfortable.

"Let us kill no more innocents in the name of peace." Reddling said quietly.

"Luna, please. he may be a changeling, but he has helped me through this. I know it may seem strange, but he has helped me come to terms and rise above the despair." Cadance offered to Luna.

"Does that excuse them then, Reddling?" Luna asked, ignoring Cadance.

"No more than it excuses Web's actions or my own actions." Reddling said, standing his ground and looking up at Luna, "But at some point, somepony has to say no. if even one changeling survives from your purge, they will hate you for it. Wrath is a sin Princess, but if genocide is your order, it will be carried out."

"Changeling, if Equestria's forces were to attack your home in retaliation for your acts during the wedding, with the sole intent of disarming your forces and preventing another such atrocity in the future, would your kind fight to the last, to the death? or accept surrender in the face of a hopeless defeat?" Luna asked. The drone looked up at her, stony faced and not saying anything.

"Reddling, we attempted to question these creatures, to determine their motivations, and not a single one would speak. None of them would reveal anything." Luna said, turning to face Reddling now. "Not a single one of their soldiers were captured alive. each and every one fought to the death."

"You don't know what it's like to be so cold." Reddling said, trotting to the side and watching Luna with one eye. "To be so cold, and just need something to hug to stay alive. That's what I learned from a changeling after Web ordered me to handle the remaining prisoners. It told me that right before I killed it..."

"Whether they must die or not, they are pitiful creatures." Reddling said, bending down and putting a hoof on the drone's head, petting him gently. "We will hunt them, and when we find them, we will report back."

Luna's face looked like she was about to be sick as she gazed down at Reddling. "I instructed Web to do what she had to. She tried to learn what she could, and not one of them said a word. We have no way of negotiating with them, knowing what they want! Do not think for a moment that I have chosen this path willingly!"

"I don't disagree with your choice, it was...effective, if inhumane." Reddling said. "I wonder though, What will they do with any of our prisoners, knowing how we treat theirs?"

"Drone, answer Princess Luna's question," Cadance said, "about the hive."

"If the hive was threatened, every single one of us would fight to the end." Luna gave a start at the drone's response.

"And Reddling's question, answer that too." Cadance whispered.

"We would feed on them until they were empty." The drone said coolly.

"And why did you attack the city?" Luna asked.

"The queen willed it." the drone replied. Luna blinked and began raining more questions down on the drone, trying to determine anything from it. Almost every question ended with Star Shine deferring to his queen or stating that he would never endanger his hive.

"Then we won't endanger them, we'll meet with them." Reddling aid to Star Shine, still petting his mane.

"We have a saying among Changelings." Star Shine hissed, "Words are used for lies. I've seen you act."

Reddling frowned, "I guess we'll have to kill the rest of them then, it won't keep me up all day." Will it...?

Several tense moments passed.Twilight, her brother, and Midnight had gone deathly quiet in the back of the room, not willing to be near an angry Luna. For what seemed like many minutes, the only noise was that of hushed breaths between the occupants of the room.

"Reddling, your orders," Luna said slowly. "We would ask you to find their hive. We will provide you some means of contacting us when this is done. If you can find some way to speak to their Queen and reason with them, find their motivations, or otherwise gain some information on them, do so. Perhaps there is yet some way to resolve this bloodlessly, or less so, at the very least. Previously this has solely been a scouting measure, so ponies have been sent out in small bands whom we know are fast, elusive, and stealthy. Therefore, you shall act independently, however only your party has orders to engage in diplomatic measures." Luna stopped, her gaze still on Reddling. wordlessly, he saluted her back in acknowledgement.

"You may request any resources from the Night Guard that you wish. In your mission you may act as you feel is appropriate." Luna said. Reddling's thoughts should have been on provisions or other nessesities, but the first thought that flew to his mind was replenishing his supply of knives.

"Princess Cadance," Luna said, turning now to her,  "Since you have vouched for them, we shall pardon this drone, However, from this point forward, he is your responsibility, and you must account for any actions he undertakes."

"How do you tell if it's a he or she?" Reddling asked, looking at the drone.

"Drone, are you a filly or a colt?" Cadance asked.

"It doesn't matter." Star Shine replied.There was a brief moment of silence between all of the ponies as everyone looked at the drone.

"Depressing..." Reddling commented, backing away from Star Shine now and looking up at Luna. "When shall we set out? Tonight?"

"Tomorrow there shall be a service for those who lost their lives. You may depart as soon as you are ready, although you may wish to stay for that." Luna said.

"We'll stay for tomorrow then, Princess Luna." Reddling said.

Luna nodded, turning back to the group as a whole now. "We must apologize for our sister's behavior. She has been most on edge since the wedding. The assault against her and the stress of recovering from this attack have taken their toll on her, on both of us. Reddling, you have your orders, you may leave. Cadance, you and- your drone- you may also go. I will instruct the others on what is necessary for your recovery.

"Farewell, Your Highness!" Reddling said, saluting her before turning to leave. Cadance and the drone also left the room with him. Star Shine wasted no time in getting in front of Reddling, looking most unhappy.

"Were you trying to get me killed?" Star Shine said angrily.

"They wouldn't have killed you," Reddling said, "In fact, now you're pardoned."

"If my Princess hadn't saved me they'd have given me back to the giggle-bat!" Star Shine hissed.

"My marefriend, yeah." Reddling said idly. "You wouldn't have made it that far, I would have cut you down on the spot."

Star Shine looked down, screwing up his face in pain for a few moments. "-And they're taking my Princess away."

"I feel your pain," Reddling said, wrapping his wings around himself. 'But these things happen. We simply must continue to live our lives."

"Don't pretend you can know how I feel!" hissed Star Shine, "You've never felt lo-"

"Stop it, Reddling has done what he's thought is for the best. Don't act so rude." Cadance said to her drone. Reddling felt the drone's words sting as Cadance looked to him. "Reddling, he is a very different creature from you. What you said to Luna was rue, that he has his own feelings and emotions, but he is still very different, with different wants, needs, and values."

"You know where I am from now- Silverfield holds largely different values from Equestria, Princess." Reddling said, "In the end, I do not think we are all so different. Changelings, Equestria, the world- they're only words that we allow to separate us, right?" Reddling smiled, trying to convince himself once more that he was totally lying through his teeth. In all honesty though, can I even remember why anymore? Can I trust Equestria?

"I cannot say that I know Silverfield well, but now I have seen the world through two sets of eyes, I suppose we are not so different." Cadance said, also smiling.

I think it's best you never learn too much. "I hope we can find a reasonable solution to all of this... and, drone, I'm going to call you Star Shine- please listen to me." Reddling extended a hoof to the drone's shoulder, rubbing it gently. Star Shine was still disguised a a pony, and the fur and skin on his body felt vividly real.

"Nothing will ever excuse my actions," Reddling said, pausing and taking a deep breath before continuing, "-but I am deeply sorry for the actions I took against the other two. Had I known, I never would have..." Reddling trailed off, looking up at the drone. Star Shine made no hostile moves, but just watched as Reddling backed away. A Real, raw emotion poured from Reddling now. Sorrow, regret, and remorse were mixing into deep grief that burned hollowly in his chest. It was the worst sickness he could think of; a sickness that nopony could know about. His friends could never know the sadness over how he had squandered the best days of his life with hatred over a fate he had not chosen.

Reddling turned away from Cadance and the drone, wandering out of the castle and flying high into the air. His body still hurt, but he was well enough to fly and travel. Even in training, He had never needed to fly above the cloud layer, but today was not yesterday. The cool moisture of the clouds ran over his mane and coat, slicking back his hair as he spiraled above a fluffy cloud, sending it dispersing in all directions. With a quick spin, Reddling backflipped onto another cloud, patting the cloud and staring down at the morning over Equestria. Once the sun had marked a day to train for murdering his gift, but no longer. The sun now marked a time of rest, giving way to a life that belonged once more to it's rightful owner.

For a time, I must put the Princesses aside, and focus on the Changelings- find some way to end this without abhorrent amounts of bloodshed.

I was certain that Luna and Celestia would have Cadance killed, but that plan didn't work. That may, perhaps, be for the better. Right now I need to make sure that Silverfield is safe from the Changelings. Equestria barely stood up against the attack, and I can't imagine some of the smaller villages would last five minutes... I'll find some way to satisfy the Changelings first, and then continue with my mission. Until then, I'll have to keep the Princesses safe and make sure history doesn't repeat itself.

I'll rise with the night...

Traditions of the Trade

[Intermission] Nightshade

" and all truths must come to light"

The next day dawned quite early for everypony. Around town many ponies had gathered at the main streets to wait for a parade of mourning. Nightshade, Tops, Bruiser, and Midnight had found themselves among the other Night Guard, who were currently already residing in a shady part of the castle courtyards. With the exception of Captain Lunar and two other guards, none of the other bats would be present during the parade or speeches about those who had lost their lives. Celestia had asked for their presence to be kept minimal, putting them in the most estranged corner of the grounds.

Behind her helmet, Web was biting her lip and sneering around at the bright rays of the sun, clearly very unhappy about being out during the day. Somehow, Captain Lunar had been able to force her to come, although whether she was physically dragged out to the ceremonies or just too scared to not follow Lunar's orders was a matter or conspiracy.

Nightshade had been the first to note Reddling's lack of appearance, although Midnight and Tops had been the first two to vocalize it. None of them were able to figure out why he wasn't there, but Web had been quick to volunteer to fetch him.

Moments turned to minutes, minutes to hours as the Night Guard took their seats, preparing to listen to speeches from Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and the Captain of the Royal Guard. Lunar had decided to forgo speaking, most likely to keep his helmet of anonymity on.

Web did not return as the ceremonies dragged on. When at last the scene had concluded and the more important ponies had entered into Canterlot Castle's halls, Most of the Night Guard left with shrugs to each other, wondering why those two had believed themselves special enough to skip a public event honoring the Royal Guard and those who had fallen in battle. Trotting towards their barracks, Midnight let out a sigh behind the group before they plunged into the darkness of the shared room.

"They never mentioned the Night Guard in that speech." Midnight said hushedly, removing his armor and preparing for bed. None of the others gave him an answer- silence was the only acknowledgement for such a cold fact.

Nightshade was reading the evening paper in the mess hall. Normally, Canterlot did not have interesting murder news, but the report of a quadruple homicide had struck the city as odd. In the face of such death and destruction that they had witnessed over the last few days, a few more deaths didn't mean anything to the police or guard. It was rather the manner and targets of the deaths that the tabloids and Nightshade both seemed to find equally appealing. Four ponies had all turned up dead- three of whom appeared to have died from accidents- although the papers claimed otherwise to sensationalize the news.

The papers of Canterlot, instead of believing that perhaps three ponies had just died from freak accidents within a few minutes of each other, had instead concocted an outlandish story of some bloodthirsty assassin prowling the streets of Canterlot. Four traders from Silverfield had been in town today to sell some goods from the south when they were picked off one by one. First a mare had fallen from a tower, crashing face first into hard rocks below in a gory display. Second was a stallion believed have had an allergic reaction to something in his shower water. The third to die had apparently died from an accidental crossbow shot. Finally, the last one to die had had their neck sliced out with a large knife that was really closer to a machete.

Nightshade shook her head a little, reading through the paragraphs once more to make sure she had not missed anything. the first three truly could have been freak accidents, but they still had connections to the one confirmed homicide. There was a picture that had been forming in her head for some time now, and the main subject of it revolved around...

"So uh, ...Reddling?" Tops' voice pulled Nightshade back to her surroundings. She was only a few feet away from a couple of lovely armchairs that Tops and Reddling had seated themselves in.

"What?" Reddling cold, chilly voice cut back. Nightshade didn't even bat an eye at the nihilistic foreigner. Reddling had a bad twitch that would tend to manifest itself in his ear or nose, and this habit made it unbearable for Nightshade to speak with him. He always seemed to be holding something back, even when she knew he was telling the truth about something.

"I've been thinking..." Tops said, clearly uncomfortable. Nightshade rolled her eyes behind the paper, sure of what was going to be coming next. She half considered cutting Tops off before he got going.

"I think a lot too," Reddling said sarcastically, closing his eyes and leaning back. "What a great hobby we have in common? But- what is on your mind?" The last sentence was more serious as Reddling opened a single eye, leaning closer.

"I uh- well, I was thinking about changing my name..." Tops said sheepishly.

"This again..." Nightshade hissed to herself.

Reddling ignored her as he raised his hooves to his face, rubbing it gently before sending Nightshade a distasteful look. "Oh, have you now? I can't say I've heard any good Equestrian names, so I don't blame you..."

"What're you changing it too?" Reddling added hastily.

"I uh- I don't know." Tops said. "A lot of ponies change their names when they join the Night Guard. They just don't fit anymore, you know?"

"Nightshade, Bruiser, Midnight Tales, Tree Tops, Reddling Rain, Web Weaver." Reddling counted out quietly. "Yeah, we really stick out, huh?"

"Heck, sometimes even their cutie marks change." Tops continued.

"I see..." Reddling said, turning his head down to begin brooding on the subject at hand. Nightshade was not supposed to remember things from other ponies dreams, but as much as she tried to force herself to forget accidental invasions of privacy, it was difficult. She still had a disposition towards Reddling that kept her on edge. If his aloof behaviour and accent was not enough to cast him as being an eccentric even among the Night Guard, than surely whatever he was thinking would.

"Tops, your name is fine." Nightshade said, moving closer to them putting down her newspaper.

Reddling coughed under his breath, looking over at Nightshade with a glint in his grey eyes. "She likes your non-moody, non-batty name, Tops."

"I don't know..." Tops continued, 'I was thinking Nightwing or something like that would be better." On saying the newly proposed name, Tops stood up, striking a heroic pose by puffing his chest out and looking towards the ceiling proudly. across from nightshade, Reddling slammed the palm of his hoof into his forehead.

"That's a stupid name." Nightshade said pointedly

"Yeah, like Nightshade is any better..." Tops replied. Nightshade could feel a little heat rise to her face at that comment as she rounded on him.

"My name is fine, it's not like I picked it myself." Nightshade hissed.

Reddling smiled for a few moments, but quick as a blown lightbulb, his face returned to a somber tone as he turned away, not looking at either Tops nor Nightshade.

"At least you had someone to give you a name, Nightshade. You're luckier than some." Reddling said quietly.

"What... do you mean by that?" Tops asked, leaning on his chair to look over at Reddling, who was still refusing to look at either Tops or Nightshade.

"Exactly what I said, I've already picked one name in my life." Reddling replied huffily.

"Your parents didn't name you?" Nightshade asked. There was a small hint of a smile forming on her lips as she began to understand. Parents that didn't even care enough to name their child probably were not very great at parenting either, which might explain her partner's total lack of interpersonal social skills.

"I've mentioned my family before, how many have I mentioned?" Reddling asked. His voice was so quiet that Nightshade had to lean forward to make sure she understood everything he said. The red pony's face was a stone cold, icy stare filled with loathing, each line of malice pointed in her direction.

"Your nephew." Nightshade replied simply. It was the truth, Reddling was very secretive about what he actually did. Lots of ponies joined the Night Guard to leave a life behind, but they still held memories of their life before the guard. The black sheep of Nightshade's circle was certainly brooding on these memories, but she'd rather be damned than spend any longer than she had to trying to dig something worthwhile out of him.

All he ever mentions is that nephew of his, Rainy. Doesn't mention any other family members, no uncles or aunts, brothers or sisters, no parents- Nightshade shrunk back a bit as her heart sank. Blinking slowly and standing up, she drew herself closer to the two stallions.

"Reddling..." Nightshade started.

"I don't want to hear it." Reddling replied, looking away again.

Nightshade shook her head. She didn't mean to sound like she was pitying Reddling, but what else could she do in this situation. "Reddling, what happened?"

"I don't know, I don't question it. That's just how it is." Reddling said, standing up and moving for the door huffily. Tops and Nightshade exchanged glances. Nightshade rolled her eyes at her coltfriend, nodding to him as he stood up to go chase down Reddling.

He's always so twitchy. Ever since that dumb rock game, I've noticed there is something odd about him. How does a pony switch from being kind, if withdrawn, to being a complete psychopath the next? Reddling wasn't at the ceremony today, and I'll bet he had something to do with those killings. Maybe Web had him do it, she can get him to do anything.

And what about Web? Why is Reddling so attached to her- if you can call it that. Is he hypnotized? What're the two of them up too? Someday I'm going to prove there's a big conspiracy here... I just hope it's before something bad happens. Nightshade looked down, closing her eyes and blocking out the thoughts of Reddling's dreams. It took a lot of work to block these things out, but Nightshade followed the rules. Even if what she knew put Princess Luna herself in danger, she'd have to prove it without anything she gleamed from somepony's dreams.

[Intermission] Nightshade

Preparations

One day earlier

Canterlot truly looked a mess after the recent invasion. Although much had been fixed, many stores that had been damaged in battle had not yet been fixed. One such store was a simple shop called "Perfect Suits, Perfect Silhouettes."

Reddling Rain shook his bangs away from his eyes, gazing in dismay at the damage out front. The normally lively, if somewhat underpatronized, store lacked any good visual signs about it. The storefront window had been smashed, and on the inside litter and debris was scattered in the showarea. Pushing the door open, Reddling peered around in the early evening light from under his helmet.

"Hello?" Reddling asked, looking around for the shop owner. Sure enough, there was the same mare from before, although her chipper mood had all but died. She was sitting on a set of stairs that lead upwards into what was likely a loft, staring out at her damaged store. Other than still looking a little shaken though, the mare seemed to be healthy.

"Do you remember me? Reddling asked, waving a hoof at her as he removed his helmet.

"Ah! Yes! Welcome- welcome back..." The pony said, choking up a bit at the end. Reddling shook his head a bit, setting his helmet down and moving over to a comfy looking armchair that had somehow remained undamaged. "You'll have to- to excuse the mess."

"The rest of the city looks no better." Reddling assured her. "I was at the palace when it was attacked, and my coat was destroyed during the fight. I was wondering if you had another coat in stock that could be prepared for me?"

"I- well- ye, of course! Although, it will take several days while I finish cleaning up." The mare replied.

"I understand," Reddling replied, biting his lip. "The problem is, I'm going to be leaving tomorrow night, so perhaps it could be prepared when I return?"

"Leaving?" The mare asked curiously.

"Guard work, classified." Reddling said, pulling out his coin purse.

"...alright. I'll do what I can to have it ready for you tomorrow." the mare replied, moving over to her counter.

"I understand if it cannot be done." Reddling said as he counted out the bits for a second coat.

"I still have your measurements, so there's no need for that. T-thanks. Having some work will help take my mind off..." She stopped for a moment, looking around at her store, "This."

"Thank you. If we continue having to fight these Changelings for an extended length of time, you may want to hang onto those measurements." Reddling said, putting his helmet back on.

"Of course. Have a nice day." The mare called to Reddling as he made for the door.

"Have a nice night." Reddling said over his shoulder.

"Hey Reddling." Tops said the next evening.

"Hey, Tops." Reddling replied, sitting down across from Tops in the mess hall. Nightshade and Tops had arrived already nicked most of the light fruits sat out for dinnert. "You two look terrible."

Nightshade glared up at Reddling with a grumpy tired face before lowering her head back down to her breakfast. Tops let out a sigh and looked at Nightshade for a moment before turning back to Reddling.

"Cleaning up the city, dealing with the dead and wounded and... the others, its been hard." Tops mumbled. "You vanished yesterday and I know we haven't really- well, sat down to talk since the wedding. Are you doing okay?"

Reddling was silent, picking up an apple and ripping a bite out of it. The truth was he wasn't alright at all. His mind was still very conflicted over what it had been forced to process over the last few days. It was difficult for Reddling to figure out who his friends and enemies were. Were Changelings just misunderstood and some race he could save? Would he be able to set aside his past life and be able to live this new lovely life? Was Silverfield hostile to him now as a bat? What would Rainy think?

"Reddling, you're doing that thing again." Nightshade said from across the table.

"Huh?" Reddling asked, giving his head a shake.

"You're brooding over thoughts again. Just spit it out." Nightshade chided.

"Fine." Reddling waved his hoof at her. "We're going for a ride soon. Are you two ready to leave tomorrow?"

"We weren't told anything about that." Nightshade said.

"What's going on?" Tops asked.

"Luna has given us orders to undertake scouting to locate the mon-Changeling, hive." Reddling said, pausing for a moment to clear his throat. "We have a secondary goal as well. We are going to try to engage in diplomacy with them."

"That's insane." Nightshade interrupted.

"Luna does not believe it is totally impossible. I've been told that whatever supplies we need from the Night Guard will be supplied to us."

"So we've got tonight and tomorrow to prepare, and we should probably try to attend the service as well." Nightshade said slowly.

"I can take care of what supplies you need if you tell me what to get, I won't be at the service." Reddling offered.

"If you can get rations and whatnot, that would be great." said Tops, "I'll ask around and figure out what exactly we're going to need to do, I'm sure Lunar will know..."

"We have no idea what to expect, so just be prepared for everything. I'm going to buy some syringes to use for injecting some homemade poison Web created to instantly kill Changelings, should the need arise." Reddling said, ending his sentence with a bite into the apple.

"That might have come in handy before..." Nightshade said grudgingly.

"It wasn't developed until after she had test subjects..." Reddling said bitterly. "Make sure you're both ready. We'll meet up in the barracks tomorrow night at moonrise."

"Sounds like a plan." Tops said.

Reddling nodded, standing up and leaving the mess hall as Tops opened his mouth, a thoughtful expression on his face. He didn't need any questions from the green pony about why he'd missing tomorrow right now.

Turning down the twists and turns of the halls of Canterlot Castle, Reddling made his way into the bat pony coven underneath. The way to the armory was not completely familiar to him, although he was able to remember his way without too much trouble. A gruff middle aged bat turned to him as he entered, finishing the shine on a blue battle axe.

"Uh, hello. Do you remember me?" Reddling asked, leaning forward and looking around hesitantly.

"Hm, red bat pony. Face is familiar, don't know your name. What'cha need?" the gruff pony asked, turning and putting the axe aside.

"I was at the wedding when it was attacked and some of my equipment was not recoverable. I'm looking for a set of throwing knives as well as a regular combat knife. Princess Luna told me that my scouting group could be outfitted for going into the field." Reddling said.

"Ah, going out on a trip too?" Without waiting for an answer, the bat continued, "Yeah we got some more knives. Have a bunch of throwing knives, just don't hog'em all. Getting a bit low on regular knives though. they're popular."

"Excellent. My group might need to engage in some quiet work... the kind where it would be best if nopony knew we were involved. I was wondering if the Night Guard possessed any small weapons that could be easily poisoned and concealed?" Reddling asked, looking around the walls at the various weapons as he approached a set of throwing knives. Even though it was dark in here, Reddling could see a special shine on the Night Guard weapons.

"We can probably do something for you, yeah. What do you have in mind?" The armorer asked.

"Hidden blades, mini-crossbows, medical syringes for holding poison." Reddling listed off, beginning to pick out knives for himself.

"Hidden blades would need a rework of your armors, no time for that. Crossbows... I got one or two of those. Not easy to use with hooves though, you know? Mostly you just see unicorns using that kind of stuff, with bows."

"Then the other two in my group will be able to make use of them just fine then." Reddling said, frowning as he held up a fine lunar knife. He had still been unable to get the idea of the Nightmare out of his head. The dreams hadn't stopped, but he was able to put it a the back of his mind long enough to focus on getting through his day and working with his friends.

"That'll work then." The armorer said, rummaging through some cabinets. After a few moments he pulled out a small crossbow with collapsible parts.A birch wood base with a metal bow was attached to a simple metal loading and trigger mechanism. Although it could be loaded and fired with hooves, it would be difficult and impractical to reload.

Do they normally keep great assassin weapons laying around under the table? "That'll do, thanks. Would love to stay and chat, but I need to go see Web." Reddling said quietly, collecting the bow and attaching it to his side. The bowgun hung quite obviously on his side, but hopefully would be hidden well under his coat.

"Don't die." The bat pony said, lowering their ears at the mention of Web. Reddling just gave a little shrug.

"She's right down the hallway, she won't kill me." Reddling mused, turning and trotting away towards Web's cavern.

"...Good luck." The bat said, closing the armory door behind Reddling.

"ek!"

Reddling flinched at the quiet exclamation from inside Web's room as he knocked on her door. There was a loud thunk on the door as something connected a foot above the handle. A few moments passed as Reddling dared not open the door. She's just as nervous as I am. I wonder why she's on edge?

"Who's there?" Web asked from the other side of the door.

Why does it always seem like something is up? "It's me, Web."

"Oh! Reddling! ehehe, come in!" Web's voice replied.

"I heard a thunk, what happened?" Reddling asked, stepping inside. Web was standing by her bed and having a little giggle.

"You woke me up and startled me." Web said, pointing at the door. Reddling turned his head, staring right into the hilt of Web's knife embedded deep into the wood.

I like you, I think, Web... but you scare the literal ponyfeathers out of me. "Ah, uh, Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you, I wanted to come by today because tomorrow I'm leaving. Got a mission!"

"I heard... going to visit some changelings, are you?" Web asked.

" Reason with them." Reddling corrected.

"Oh yes." Web agreed, sitting down on her bed.

"Something doesn't add up Web, even if they had managed to take Canterlot, they never could have held Equestria, even with their army. The attack doesn't make sense." Reddling also sat on the bed, putting a hoof up to his chin. the more he thought about the possible motivations for things going on, the more he was unsure he had the whole picture. Everypony seemed to be acting in ways that seemed to imply a piece of the puzzle that was hiding right in front of him.

"Stupid little bugs." Web replied simply.

"Princess Cadance is a stupid little bug right now." Reddling reminded her.

"And she'll die like the rest if she slips up." Web said, her voice changing from threatening to whining. "But Luna thinks she's fine, so I'm not allowed to touch."

"Hmm. Is Celestia always so mean?" Reddling asked, his mind traveling back to his recent hooffight alongside Midnight against Celestia's royal guards.

"I don't deal with her much." Web said. "As far as I know, not really- but as far as I know, she's never had her flank kicked in like that before either, so who knows."

"Her royal guards couldn't even beat a hurt Midnight and myself, it was just sad." Reddling dismissed the conversation string. A few silent moments passed, the two of them sitting together. Despite how scary Reddling knew Web could be, there was something that he could not surrender about this feeling. Web was moody and creepy, the kind of unstable pony you would not want to spend extended periods of time around. Even with her insanity, Reddling could not think of any place he'd rather be before a long trip than by her side, simply enjoying the darkness and breathing together.

"...Do you happen to have some of that... what did you call it? The Changeling poison." Reddling asked quietly.

"I was wondering when you'd ask." Web giggled. "About to go on a dangerous mission, you're not here to shoot the breeze."

Reddling sighed. "You don't think I stopped by to just see you?"

Web produced a small vial of white liquid that really looked a lot like something Reddling didn't want to imagine, especially in the company of Web. "Don't have too much left. Might not be enough to kill one of the big ones, but it'll sure hurt them."

"Not enough to kill them...!" Reddling took the vial, looking down at it before sitting up with a bit of a start. Web had continued moving his way, brushing shoulders with him and drawing him in close.

"Give one a Widow's Kiss for me, Reddling. Let me know the look on its face when it burns." Web whispered gayly, her voice alight with pleasure at the idea of what she had made.

A Widow's Kiss? Reddling looked at the liquid confusedly. Reading his expression, Web put a hoof on his chin and raised it so that he was looking into her fangy smile.

"That's what I'm calling this stuff. I make it, I get to name it." Web said promptly.

"Ah- well of course. Right, a Widow's Kiss." Reddling said, looking back down at the liquid as web giggled again.

"Anything else, nightlight?" Web asked.

"Well, unless you want something of me- you're probably just tired. I should let you rest?" Reddling offered.

"Ah, such a gentlecolt!" Web said, giving him a pat on the shoulder and standing up. "Oh, I'm so jealous of you. I wish I could go out and hunt those things. But no, I'm stuck in here, mixing up potions for Cadance.

Reddling stayed silent for a few moments. I wonder if she knows I'm the reason she's stuck here? If I hadn't taken action... "I'm sorry, I wish you could come with us." Reddling sighed, "I'm hoping we can stop by Silverfield on the scouting for a night."

"Nothing stopping you, I guess." Web shrugged.

"If I were going to hide sleeper agents, I'd put them where Equestria would never look. It won't take long to scan the population for somepony out of place." Reddling said. Web had his back turned to him now. It was a good thing she was now working her knife out of wooden door, because for just one moment, Reddling felt his mask slip. The very words he was speaking was making his heart race. I wonder if anypony knows, and just... can't prove it?

"eHehe, should we start pulling random ponies off the street to see if they're changelings?" Web asked over her shoulder, pondering her own question. "Hmm... I wonder, Luna won't mind... ehehe."

"The darkness does keep many secrets." Reddling tried to sound cool, standing up and moving over to the door to stand nearer to Web.

"Oh, yes it does." Web agreed, letting out a tired sigh as she freed her knife and sheathed it. "Well, I am tired. I'm going to go back to sleep. Hehe, sleeping during the night like a dirty sunpony."

"Oh, we're all tired from these events." Reddling said, holding out a hoof and biting his lip lightly with a fang.

"Dark nights and pleasant dreams, Reddling." Web said, leaning in and accepting his half hug as she planted a kiss on his cheek. Reddling barely managed to articulate what he prayed was a goodbye before he found himself trotting from her room, looking back inside at her before he closed the door. Web had perched onto and outcropping, her legs hooked around it so she could hang upside down. She had covered her body with her wings, allowing her to look very much like a bat. Her mane and short tail were hanging somewhat freely, dropping towards the floor.

"Okay, that's so cool." Reddling whispered to himself, blinking. "Sweet dreams, Web."

The ponies of Canterlot had been surprisingly helpful in presenting Reddling with what he needed. At the mention of the Night Guard "actually getting work done," the nurses, quartermaster, and even the cook had all been more than willing to help Reddling gather anything he asked for. Medical supplies, tasty food, and even the comfy chair in the barracks commons had been presented to him. Sad as it was, Reddling was most enthused about the comfy chair, as he quickly surmised it was the best chair he had ever sat in.

However, this was not something that Reddling could stay content with. He needed to move around and see some sights, do something to keep himself from stressing out. Before too long, he had made his way into the castle courtyards and gardens. Different stone statues adorned the area, each one of them stranger than the last; A draconequus in a terrified pose stared at Reddling from one corner, A little filly in a dress with twigy wings with multi-colored crystals hung from another, apparently laughing about something, and not far from her was another odd bat pony filly who also had on a similar almost maid-like outfit.

Reddling wandered through the different statues until he reached the palace's library. Gazing at different depictions of various Equestrian heroes and legends, Reddling paused briefly as he spyed a lavander unicorn laying face down in her book. Carefully sneaking around her, Reddling came up behind Twilight and cleared his throat.

"Miss Sparkle." Reddling said pointedly.

"Ah!" Twilight said, giving a start and turning around. "Oh! it's you again- goodness, what times is it?"

"Early. Late." Reddling said blearily. "Unsure how to time it. It's nighttime."

"Well- good night, I suppose. Is that what bat ponies say?" Twilight asked.

"I try not to think about it." Reddling waved a hoof, taking possession of a seat that was somehow not filled with books. "Pleasant Dreams, Good Night, Ave in the name of the Night Mother- No, just hello and g'day works."

Twilight leaned forward over her book. There was an avid curiosity in those bright, lively purple eyes. "I've never met a bat pony before. Princess Luna visited Ponyville a few weeks ago and brough some with her, though I never had a chance to speak with them. I've read you have fantastic vision and hearing." Twilight said knowledgeably.

"When the sun isn't burning your eyes out, yeah. Hearing, well, we heard you gallop into the wedding from a mile away, so I guess you're right." Reddling agreed.

"The Wedding..." Twilight said sadly. "Well, I'm thankful that we can do something for Princess Cadance. Was it you or your friend who convinced her to see the Princesses?"

"If by convinced you mean I told her she was going to die slowly in a dark pit, that was me." Reddling said coldly. Twilight's face betrayed some discomfort as she backed up slightly.

"Well- you helped her, and that's what important." Twilight said.

Reddling put a hoof on his chin, thinking for a moment. "Have you ever heard, 'Rose colored petals, Jade coloured roots?'"

"What?" Twilight asked, looking confused.

"Rose coloed petals, Jade coloured roots, Even a sick tree, can still bear its fruits." Reddling sang, half to her and half to himself. "It's part of an old poem from my homeland. It means that even the worst of actions can lead to the best results."

"I suppose that's true." Twilight though, leaning back. "So, are you really going to try and reason with the Changelings?"

"Yes, I plan to." Reddling nodded his head.

"Hopefully that works out for the best." Twilight encouraged.

"I don't have high hopes." Reddling said, leaning forward with a sigh. "I don't have any reservations about wiping them out, but I'm not going to pick a fight if we can avoid it."

"That seems for the best. The only question is if we can trust them to hold their end of a bargain." Twilight said.

"have you learned anything from your study we could use against them?" Reddling asked. "I doubt any skirmishes will end well for either side until we set up a meeting, and it'd be nice to know how to beat them."

"There's not much." Twilight said, pulling up a book and sending four others showering onto the ground. "I've found some isolated cases of similar creatures being found amongst ponykind, but nothing like this. No direct attack led by organized leaders. They generally show up as wanderers in towns, spend a night or two, then vanish. If they get found out for what they are, their first response is to run. All the cases I've found have been small towns, and their appearance doesn't seem to percipitate any huge disasters or invasions or anything like that.

"Interesting- but it sounds like all these cases are recording scouts. If all that they ever sent out till now was scouts though, what were they scouting for?" Reddling pondered the question quietly, interrupting Twilight's monolouge.

"That's really strange!" Twilight agreed.

"Strange..." Reddling said to himself. Strange that I never heard anything about them in Silverfield. Based on this pony's perception of what a small town would be, every single village to the cities of Silverfield could be counted as a "small town." Checking out Silverfield might be a better idea than I first thought. I an just stop by the old keep and sleep among the-

"Miss Sparkle! Do you like books?" Reddling asked, a lightbulb turning on in his head as he looked at all the books surrounding him.

"I do!" Twilight said, brightening up. "I consider myself very well read."

"I want to purpose a uh- a book exchange, a trade, if you will." Reddling and Twilight both leaned closer together. "I want you to research some information for me, and I'll fetch you some possibly rare books that I have access too."

"What do you have in mind?" Twilight asked.

Do I really wanna know? I have to know before I get any closer to a lunatic pony. I want to put aside my misgivings about Web. "I want you to research about a character that might be an assassin, bounty hunter, or spy, or even a- a criminal. Web was a pony that joined us in the fight against the blue changeling queen. However, that same Changeling queen attacked us some time before the Canterlot attack and called Web by a different name- Black Widow. I want you to find out if that name has any connection to an earth pony that used poisons

"Alright, I'll see what I can do. I'm sure Princess Luna will have us busy though, so no promises!" Twilight said.

"No assurances that I won't  perish in this mission." Reddling said.

"What would you have in exchange? You said- you had some rare books?" Twilight asked, leaning closer in excitement.

"Yes, Books that you would normally not be permitted to have access too." Reddling said. Twilight nodded her head, seemingly excited by the secrecy around the books. "What kind of book would you like? Spells? History? Theology?"

"It doesn't really matter. I'd like to think I'm pretty well set on magical spells. Whatever you'd think is most interesting, I'd say!" Twilight replied.

"A lesson in Silverfieldian history then. We've got a thousand of those." Reddling rolled his eyes at the thought of an entire corner of a throne room consumed with history books.

"Silverfield history! Truth be told, I'm not well studied on Silverfield. That's the region to the south of Equestria?" Twilight asked.

"What wasn't annexed by Equestria, yes." Reddling said.

"Well, it's a deal then! I'll let you know what I find." Twilight watched as Reddling stood up to stretch.

Why am i not surprised? I wouldn't expect anything less from who seems to be Equestria's biggest bookworm. "Pleasant Dreams, Miss Sparkle." Reddling bid her goodnight as he turned to trot away, hoping beyond hope that tonight would grant him a dreamless sleep.

"Pleasant Dreams, Night Guard!" Twilight called after him.

Preparations

Silverfield

"It's happening again."

Reddling found himself wandering down the streets of Silverfield, staring at husks of buildings he could recall. Although he was careful to not come close to anypony, one oaf still managed to bump into him.

"Sorry, Reddling." The pony said, stopping and turning to look him in the face. The pony's face flashed from normal to something ugly and twisted in a second. They were nothing but a murky grey entity cast in different hues of greyscale, yet that did nothing to blunt the disgust on their face. The sound of knives and swords unsheathing all around Reddling made his heart panic, but before he could become air born magical binds tied his hooves to the ground, forcing him to stay put.

Staring around, Reddling's heart stopped as he finally caught sight of them. Hooded figures with hidden faces approaching. Under their cloaks they produced large, angry sickle blades.

"We take care of our ponies around here!" Cried a pony in the crowd. Reddling felt a frosty shiver travel down his spine as he failed to break free of his bonds. He could not tear his eyes off the glistening weapon as they drew closer, reflecting the not light from above. It was neither night nor day here, and yet somehow light illuminated the blades around him.

Despite attempts to fight the magic and ponies near him, Reddling felt his leathery wings spread wide as two long curved scythes were raised. "Get off me!" Reddling screamed. His heart was beating into his throat as he thought of any escape. Surely, somepony might help him.

"Tops!" Reddling screamed again, "Nightshade! Luna! Somepony! Somepony help me!" Reddling felt his voice die as he shut his eyes, every fiber in his body exploding with violent force in anticipation of the end. Being wingless was a fate worse than death.

A loud bang sounded above. Reddling's eyes flew open as he looked up. With a sudden concussive blast the hooded ponies were blown back, their forms shredding and becoming less real as they faded into the ground. The world regained purple hues as the blast faded, illuminating the world with a brilliant luminance. Reddling could hardly catch his breath as he wrapped his wings around himself ,staring around for the source of the blast.

Rise above this, Reddling. You are greater than your fears. Princess Luna's voice sounded distant, as if she had already vanished back into some surreal realm she had emerged from. Looking around, Reddling saw bat ponies sucking on apples and doing shopping on the town street alongside other ponies joyfully.

A few ponies still stood strong however, and raised their weapons, preparing to hold Reddling down again. Flapping his wings, Reddling lifted himself into the sky, flying away from his hometown and vanishing into the faded sky. The moon and the sun both were out together, and as Reddling soared around the town high above the ponies wanting to harm him, he glanced at clocks that continued to change their time very rapidly. All he had to do was blink and the time would change. Reddling blinked away a few tears in his eyes as he landed next to a small filly writing something on a board.

"What?" Reddling asked her. The filly did not look up at him, but instead showed him the clipboard.

"Look, I can spell 'Apples!'" the filly exclaimed. The letters on the board were little more than terrifying squiggles of somepony trying to emulate composition skills. Reddling reasoned that even a filly of that age should know how to write the word apples though. Turning to look at a sigh, Reddling let out a scream as the letters twisted before his eyes. Surely, just a moment ago it had read Bar'Fervor, yet now it's syntax had been utterly corrupted, translated into something that surely could not be a language.

Reddling felt his fear slowly decline as he looked around at the various buildings, avoiding reading any signs and looking at any clocks. Breathing deeply, he imagined himself beside a river. The sound of soft rushing water slapping rocks soon filled his ears as he found himself alone. Once more the dream was his, and he was free to enjoy some pretty scenery as the sun and moon set simultaneously.

Reddling yawned as he trotted into the mess hall. He had been able to get some restful sleep after Luna's visit, and the barracks was totally empty today. Most ponies were likely at the service, and that was just fine with Reddling. Being a foreigner, he felt that it would have been odd for him to attend the mourning of countryponies that were not his own.

Giving a little flap to his wings, Reddling bounded over the sneeze guard and landed gracefully behind the counter, snatching an apple with one of his claws and putting it into his mouth. Behind the counter was a large crate marked "red bat pony" laying somewhat in the open.

That's mine, then. The rations for me, Tops, and Nightshade. I should go pick up our medical supplies and my coat before we go as well. I didn't want to be at the service, anyway.

When the moon finally began to rise and the sun left it's red rays only barely marring the hills, Reddling landed outside Canterlot's gates. Tops and Nightshade swooped down soon after, their traveling gear packed in saddlebags. Tops had added an extra jar into his saddlebags, which stuck out at a slightly odd angle. Reddling brushed his coat back as he peered curiously at the jar.

"Dragonfire." Tops said, reading Reddling's curiosity. "If we put something flammable in front of it, it will appear in front of Lunar, so we get to send one message back for free.  I got a chance to talk to the captain and he told us most of the Changelings fled to the south west. Appleoosa and the buffalo ranges are to the east, and the badlands are south west of that."

"Silverfield is to the south..." Reddling pondered. "It's right on the way, so we can make the stop and sleep in actual beds tomorrow morning. After that we can do a full sweep of the Badlands and loop back up towards Appleloosa before returning to Canterlot."

"Sounds like a plan." Tops nodded his head. "Did you get a chance to talk to Web?"

"Yeah, I did." Reddling nodded back. "If things go bad, we're going to blow some bugs up. Literally."

"Oh?" Nightshade asked, looking up and gazing harshly at Reddling. They were never on good terms, but the recent meeting in the mess hall before Reddling had stopped by to pick up his coat after it finished had left both of them bitter.

"We'll kiss them!" Reddling laughed manically, trying to emulate some of Web's cheeriness.

Nightshade was silent for a few moments before she opened her mouth. "I worry about you sometimes, Reddling."

"How sweet." Reddling said bitterly, producing the vial Web had given him. "This is called Widow's Kiss. Give a changeling a dose of this, and they're going to die the most horrible, painful death you'll witness. The problem is we've only got one shot with this, so if we waste it then it's gone."

"How pleasant." Nightshade said sarcastically. "Hopefully we won't have to use that."

"We're not going to get a chance to use it if we don't get on the road. Are you two ready!?" Reddling cried. Despite his attempts, it was hard to hide the rising excitement in his voice as he soared into the sky, staring down at his friends and they took off and brought up his flanks. Both of them let Reddling take the lead as he began to soar over the Equestrian countryside. Little lights here and there marked happy towns and villages below enjoying their late fall evenings.

Something was alight in Reddling again as he felt the air begin to change. Each flap of his wings kept him moving closer to home. The Night passed away to early morning as the moon tapped the horizon. Although it would be another hour or two before light would come about, Reddling had an urge to find someplace that he could hide away from the sun and sleep until it was time to be active again.

Taking a dive, Reddling led his friends to a lower altitude as they passed over a few cliffs, catching the first glimpse of rolling hills and silver grass. The landscape was littered with various green bushes here and there that cropped up like sore thumbs among an otherwise nigh unbroken sea to grey-silver blades of grass. The moon's light bounced against several hills, casting a glorious light onto purple flowers that were blooming for the final time in autumn. Here and there trees spouted into the sky, but their leaves had changed to orange and red colours, making it impossible to tell if they were normally green or not in the summers.

Reddling blinked, trying to get his bearings. He had never seen his homeland from the sky, so this was quite the experience for him. The air was colder out here, and the winds seemed somehow wilder. Flying a bit lower, Reddling managed to pick out a few roads and decide which one he wanted.

"Ah!" Nightshade cried to the side. Reddling and Tops both turned to see her flapping her wings awkwardly and gliding towards the ground. Following downward, Tops and Reddling gave their wings a few odd flaps as air currents caught them, making the landing quite difficult. Tops and Reddling hit the ground at a bit of a run, staring at their companion. Nightshade could not say the same about a graceful landing. She had nearly crashed into a hill and was currently dusting herself off.

"I thought I'd be the one hugging the grass." Reddling said, bending down and taking a bite out of the grass. In truth, the grass didn't taste all that different from Equestrian grass, but it was the feeling of being home that Reddling was really looking for. The grass here had hexagonal shapes instead of the normal oval-like plant cells one might expect to find.

"Damn air currents!" Nightshade said. "Don't the pegasi take care of their weather at all here? I could hardly fly at all there for a moment."

"No, The pegasi don't really do that, because we don't have any Nightshade." Reddling said moodily, staring harshly at her. "Get used to it, the Badlands probably aren't going to be much better."

Nightshade made an angry sound like "Tushch!" before trotting to the road, looking from Tops to Reddling. "How much further, Reddling?"

"Not far, maybe another few minutes and we'll be able to see the town." Reddling assured them, turning his tail to them and flying back into the sky, although at a much lower altitude. Nightshade and Tops both followed with a little more distance this time, as wary as Reddling of any random air currents that might blow them off course.

Sure enough, it was not more than a few minutes later that some rolling hills gave way to a town in the distance. Reddling veered away from the town however, heading towards a tall stone building in the distance. Nightshade and Tops seemed unsure for a moment as they approached, but maintained their following of Reddling.

I'm home. Reddling sighed to himself, smiling up at the old crumbling keep as he landed inside the courtyard. turning to his friends as they landed, Reddling folded his wings under his coat. Reddling turned to his friends and took a step back. Both of them were panting heavily, Nightshade leaning on Tops for support. All three of them were drenched in sweat, although Reddling had barely registered this with the euphoria of being home once again.

"Alright, Tops, Nightshade, The town is completely off limits. I'll handle looking around on my own, I'd prefer to not put the two of you in harm's way."

"Right... they won't take kindly to us..." Tops said, looking himself over. "This is your hometown, do you have some plan?"

"Of course." Reddling said idly, pointing up at the keep of the castle. "We're going to stay at my house."

"What was the point of this again?" Nightshade said, leading to a heavy sigh from Reddling.

"The sun is coming up soon and we need a place to stay." Reddling said angrily. Nightshade's attitude was beginning to grind his gears a little too much as of late. "Plus while we're here I'm going to check the area and make sure Changelings aren't around here. Before I joined the Night Guard I helped the- the local law enforcement hunt monsters. Somepony may have seen something notable.

"Are you sure you'll- well, be alright, asking them?" Tops asked carefully.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Reddling blinked, "I'll have my dark sunglasses and coat on."

"Alright, we'll just follow your lead..." Tops said, still obviously wary.

"Great," Reddling said, turning to face the keep and talking over his shoulder as he trotted forward. "My nephew is probably home, and he's really pretty nice and curious. Let's go." Reddling removed his helmet as he pushed open the main doors, depositing it on a bench inside. Rather than leave on a helmet that blocked off his whole face, Reddling figured it a better idea to try and look as normal as he could with sunglasses and a long coat on in the middle of the early morning hours. with the exception of his tufted ears, fangs, and discolored coat, he was sure that he could pass for being almost the same pony.

"This place is ruined." Tops said, staring around at various cracks in the walls. Indeed, the castle had seen better days. The main complaints the Reddling had always had was the missing parts of the roof, but otherwise it was the east win an battlements that really needed repair. Signs of a battle that happened long ago still scared the vacant greeting halls.

"Nah, it's great. Always looks like this." Reddling said, turning his head forward and calling out for his nephew. "Rainy! HEY! Rainy!"

Trotting up to the throne room here, Reddling pushed the door open and climbed over some loose books. The room might once have been fit for lords and ladies, but not more. The room was now nothing more than an extended makeshift study the was piled with more than enough books to threaten a fire hazard.  A few chairs and an old throne with two cushions on it were the only breaks in the piles of books and writing supplies. Off to the side was a door that lead into some side bedroom. Reddling knocked on the door and called again for Rainy.

"Ugh- Reddling- I'm trying to sleep." Rainy's tired voice came from the other side of the door. Reddling waited for a few moments as the voice paused.

"REDDLING?" Rainy's voice rang from the other side of the door. There was a thud as something hit the ground, followed by the scampering of hooves towards the door. Reddling could barely conceal the grin on his face as his heart soared. If there was anypony in the world that Reddling had no doubt he could trust, that he would always protect with his life, it was this little blue unicorn galloping to open the door right now.

"Reddling!" Rainy cried as the door swung inward, revealing a small blue colt that could have passed just as well for a filly.

"Rainy!" Reddling breathed happily. The unicorn launched himself into Reddling's hooves as they both hugged each other, embracing tightly for quite some time.

"What're you doing back?" Rainy asked, his voice just a little muffled at first as he pulled back from the hug, not leaving the embrace. "Did- did you succeed? With the other-"

"Ah! uh," Reddling said, looking to the side quickly before returning his eyes to Rainy. "Yes and no, Rainy. We have some guests. I'll be headed back to Equestria soonish, but our work brought us by."

Rainy peeled himself away from Reddling's embrace to stare hard at the guests, taking a good look at Tops and Nightshade.

"Tops." Reddling said, pointing at the green pony. "And Nightshade." Reddling just waved at the lavender maned bat, his hoof dropping before he was even half finished with her introduction.

"Rainy, pleased to meet you." Tops said.

"Hey." Nightshade said, her voice taking on what Reddling guessed was her attempt at a friendly tone.

"Reddling!" Rainy hissed. "You brought Equestrians to- to-" Rainy's eyes moved down to the wings on Tops and Nightshade, his eyes growing a bit wider each second.

Were they any other Equestrians except for Web, I wouldn't have considered this. Reddling thought, looking down at Rainy. "Like I said, "work" brought me here."

"What the hell are they?" Rainy asked in a shocked voice, still looking over the two strange bats. Nightshade frowned at the question, clearing a little upset at Rainy's lack of tact.

"Well, uh, they're like- like fruit vampires!" Reddling said, nodding to himself. It wasn't really a lie, most bat ponies as far as he knew did drink almost entirely fruits and water. "They look like vampires, but they don't feast on the blood of innocent ponies."

Reddling shot Tops a pleading glance as the green pony nodded, "Yeah- exactly."

Please play along you two, please... Reddling thought as Rainy's eyes turned bat to Reddling. Rainy took a step back as he stared long and hard over Reddling's figure, his face growing slightly pale. the little colt seemed to be very freaked out ow, his face one of complete shock and something bordering on terror

"Reddling, your coat-" Rainy said in a faint voice, fear gripping his vocals.

God Dammit.

"I work with these two- it does not afford me much time to get sunlight." Reddling said. That wasn't a lie either, but it didn't seem enough to convince Rainy either

"What... what did they do to you?" Rainy asked, backing up into his room.

"Rainy!" Reddling said sadly, pulling his glasses down a bit. "Equestria commits many sins. This is simply one of the sins some of us endure."

"Hey!" tops said, stepping forward heatedly. "Reddling, you chose this, and besides, it got you your wings back!"

Reddling felt his whole mouth twitch. As he turned to Tops, one of his ears gave a few mad twitches. Lowering his brow, Reddling hoped that the cold stare he was shooting Tops conveyed just how much of an idiot his friend was being right now.

Rainy's door closed with a slam in Reddling's face. Panicked "oh god, oh god!" could be heard from the inside of the room as Rainy scrambled around the room.

"Excellent." Reddling said sarcastically as Tops backed away at the virulent glare Reddling was giving him. Pushing the door open, Reddlin trotted in to see Rainy pulling out a impressive greatsword. While to an Equestrian it might have just been a longsword with extra reach, in Silverfield it was quite a blade, and even moreso for a young colt that was at most half the size of the blade.

"Ah!" Rainy cried as Reddling entered. "You're not supposed to go into houses if you aren't invited! Bloody hell, you're breaking the rules!"

"Except I live here too!" Reddling said angrily. "So that logic doesn't even work."

"They got you, I'm not letting them get me too!" Rainy panicked.

"Nopony is going to get you, Rainy." Reddling sighed. At that moment Rainy picked up a large bag with magic and threw it onto the ground. At least a hundred bits flew all over the ground. For a second Reddling pondered whether he was supposed to count them. With a roll of his eyes, Reddling kept his gaze on Rainy, shaking his head at the silly old story. Rainy was trying to run past Reddling, his sword not drawn yet. The colt didn't seem to want a fight, so much as to just escape.

Raching out, Reddling grabbed the colt lightly on the horn and jerked back, causing him to lose hold on his sword with a yelp of pain as the weapon clattered to the ground.

"Ah! Aaah! That hurts, get off!" Rainy cried in pain. "I had garlic for breakfast! Get off!"

Reddling shook his head at the silly excuses as Tops and Nightshade poked their heads into the room, looking around at the almost comedic scene.

"Rainy." Reddling said, pulling the colt's head and neck close to his mouth. "You knew certain costs came with my mission, this is one of them."

"Reddling, you're freaking him out." Nightshade said idly.

Rainy let out a loud scream. "HELP! Somepony HELP!"

"Look, nopony is going to hear you from the castle anyway." Reddling said, pulling away and using his normal indoor voice again. "Rainy, would you calm down and just listen, please? Would you like us to stand in the sun and prove we won't burst into flames?"

Rainy did not seem to be sure what he wanted. His chest was pounding as he hyperventilated, every part of his body jerking in terror. Tears were rolling down his eyes as he sobbed, coughing out a few words when he could.

"I- Don't want- to be a- vampire pony-!" Rainy sobbed, his tears staining his coat as he hiccuped mid sob.

"Rainy, you're not going to be a vampire pony." Reddling said. I'm the only real vampire here, anyway.

"Reddling." Nightshade said from the door. "Would you like some help calming him down?"

"If you've got any ideas, then yeah. Have at it." Reddling dropped Rainy ono the bed, gesturing for Nightshade to come over and work her magic as he backed up.

Let's see what secrets you learned from Cobalt Flare when you were off training. let's see the power of the Nightmare, Nightshade.

Nightshade walked forward into the room, closing her eyes as she got close to Rainy. Rainy flinched away instantly, still crying and twitching. Shadows billowed out from the nooks and crannies of the room, wrapping up everypony and everything. Like a comfortable blanket, the outside world went quiet, dark, and dim. The room slowly faded away, leaving only tops, Nightshade, Reddling, and Rainy standing in what seemed to be a void. Rainy still looked freaked out, but it was impossible to see if he was laying against anything. The colt's eyes widened as he stared around at what was formerly his room.

"Perfectly natural treatments for all that ails you." Reddling said quietly, watching the scene.

Nightshade slowly trotted forward to Rainy, her eyes still shut. "Go to sleep, child." Nightshade said, putting a hoof over both of Rainy's eyes and shushing him. The darkness slowly faded away, revealing a normal room again. It was as if nothing had happened, and the entire thing had been little more than a dream, a flight of fancy in the mind. Rainy lay asleep on the floor, breathing softly.

"That was your way of calming him down?" Reddling said incredulously. "You just knocked him out?"

"If you have a better idea, wake him up and try again." Nightshade said sourly.

"I was just going to give him a spot of Black Agnosia." Reddling said, gesturing to Rainy.

"So you were going to do the same thing, but give him horrifying nightmares tomorrow night." Nightshade asked. Reddling opened his mouth to retort, but Nightshade continued on without letting him answer, "Now you can wait for him to wake up, show him you didn't bite him or whatever in his sleep. You can be a little honest and actually explain what's going on without looking like some monster out of a storybook.

"To be fair, we do look like monsters out of a storybook." Reddling said as he moved forward to Rainy. gently picking up the colt, Reddling used a claw to move away the blankets and tuck in Rainy. Running a hoof ovr the colt's bushy mane a few times, Reddling turned to look at Nightshade again.

"If he slept well last night, he'll be up in an hour or two." Nightshade said. "Do you have spare bedrooms?"

"Yeah, it's a castle. The west wing should be dusty but well kept, so pick whatever rooms you like." Reddling said, moving back into the throne room and rummaging through some books. After digging around for a moment, Reddling pulled out three bottles and placed them near the throne. An unopened vodka and wine bottle were laying there alongside one that Rainy had obviously been working through.

"It was pretty damn naive for you to expect him to not notice that you were a batpony. I'm not sure what you thought would happen." Nightshade said heatedly, exiting the room.

"I expected... I didn't expect this. Rainy-" Reddling uncorked the new bottle of wine and took a long swig. There was a powerful burn of alcohol to the wine, although not enough to ruin the drinkability of it.

"Reddling..." tops said, moving closer by and sitting down on his haunches.

"Yeah, Tops?" Reddling asked, his tone cynical and jaded as he took another swig of wine. Already a few pleasurable waves of numbness were washing over Reddling's brain, but he knew the true effect would take a little while yet to hit him.

"Are you alright?" Tops asked, concern very evident in his voice.

"I will be." Reddling said bitterly.

"Did- did Rainy not know? About wings?" Tops asked.

"There hasn't been a pegasus or bat in Silverfield since before Nightmare Moon was banished. There are no pegasi in Silverfield, Tops." Reddling stared down at the wine and held the bottle out to Tops. "Want some?"

"I'll try some." Tops said, taking the bottle.

"Aged to perfectly crappy perfection." Reddling aid sarcastically, watching Tops take a quick sip. The green pony sputtered at the drink, passing it back with widened eyes.

"That's strong!" Tops exclaimed, staring at the wine.

"Didn't I ever tell you Silverfield has much stronger drinks down here?" Reddling asked, taking another swig of the wine and offering it back to Tops, who took another, somewhat larger, sip.

"It's strong and sweet- Grapes? What kind of grapes do you grow down here?" Tops asked, passing the bottle back.

"Eh, maybe it's something in the soil. I don't know what kind of grapes we grow down here though. It'd probably be best you go and not ask though, the ponies around here will just kill you on sight." Reddling said, taking another drink of wine. "My only family thinks I'm a storybook monster... Isn't this just joyful?" Reddling's trip home was turning out far differently than he had expected, and he was convinced that it was not the wine leaving the bitter taste in his mouth right now.

"He had a sword at the end there, you at all worried he'll try and attack us?" Tops asked, nodding to Rainy's room.

"Yeah, you should maybe take that away from him." Reddling grinned at the wine as Tops stood up and nodded, quietly walking into Rainy's room and coming back carrying the sword's sheathe in his mouth, the hilt of the blade gleaming with a light all of it's own.

"If you wake up early tomorrow, maybe I can give you a tour of this dump." Reddling exclaimed loudly, staring angrily at his wine.

"Calm down Reddling, you'll wake him."  Tops insisted. "We should be more tactful with him, so he doesn't get so suspicious and whatnot. Do you have some way to prove you're still you? What do your legends say about bat ponies?"

"Batponies are bloodsucking monsters, like me." Reddling said bitterly.

"You're not a bloodsucking monster, Reddling." Tops said, looking around the room.

"It's fun to get a kicker." Reddling giggled. "Feel it gush out and fill you up and feel high."

"What the hell happened to this castle? It's a mess..." Tops said uncomfortably, avoiding the topic Reddling was touching on.

"Equestria happened to it, a long, long time ago." Reddling said.

"How long ago? This place doesn't look like it's been used in centuries." Tops said, still staring around at the castle and peeking out some of the windows. A false dawn was rising over the world right now, giving a bit of light to the windows.

"Oh yeah. Equestrians killed all of Silverfield's warriors- the pegasi. that was back before Nightmare Moon, though." Reddling said, swigging the wine again. He was starting to feel his mind slipping as Tops continued to ask him questions.

"They- ah. That's terrible." Tops said. "Why do you- they- you know. Wings. I just can't understand that..."

"Chop them off with sickles?" Reddling said coldly.

"Yeah." Tops said with a flinch.

"The answer is in Silverfield, they don't. There are no pegasi in Silverfield. If you want the truth, well buck Tops, go ask the cloaks that do it."

Tops wrapped his wings around himself, shuddering. "No, I'd rather not."

"I do wonder what my red fathers would feel like." Reddling said, setting down the bottle and wrapping his won wings around himself.

"Reddling, maybe you should cut off the drinking for now. We've got to get moving tonight, and we still need sleep... Also, we need to make sure your nephew doesn't murder us."

"Yeah, yeah you're right I just..." Reddling stared down at the unopened vodka bottle. "We've got some bottles in the cellar. Go take a bottle and enjoy it with Nightshade or something, okay? I'm going to sit and wait for the only person important in my entire life before being a bat to wake up and scream that I'm a monster. A monster, Tops."

"You're not a monster, Reddling, despite what he thinks. You just need to show him that." Tops said reassuringly.

"Tell that to the pony I sucked on." Reddling said coldly, not meeting Tops' eyes. "Kicking with her muffled screams in my hoof while her blood all gushed up, you think I was kidding? It was Web's treat, so smooth and sweet-"

"Reddling!" Tops said alarmingly.

"That's my name, as far as I know." Reddling mused.

"You drank a pony's blood!?" Tops exclaimed.

"Oh yeah. They probably think it was a bad dream though. Web made it special, and she was right about the blood being exotic. There is a special feeling as a pony kicks under you, struggling to get away as their blood changes flavor from the hormones in their blood."

"That's horrible!" Tops cried, standing up.

"The flavor change from sweet to edged. It's filled with fear and hormones, panic! The pony fears for their life in your grasps, and it reminds you of what you are, and how you can't escape it. We're animals. Storybooks say we're monsters, and the stories had to come from somewhere, Tops." Reddling rambled.

"Reddling look at me." Tops said. After waiting a few moments, Tops put a hoof on Reddling's cheek, moving his face so they were staring at each other.

"You don't have to be a monster if you don't want to. It's all a choice. You chose to not let the Nightmare take over, so I know you've got a reason to be good." Tops assured him.

"Yeah, and that reason now hates me, Tops." Reddling gestured over to Rainy's room. "You don't understand."

"I'm really sorry about what happened, Reddling. Try to get some sleep, okay? We've got rest up for tonight." Tops offered up Rainy's sword, which Reddling took and laid at the side of the chair. Tops and Reddling exchanged looks for a few moments before they both nodded. Tops turned, leaving Reddling alone to wait for Rainy to wake up.

Each minute ticked by as Reddling counted his heartbeats. Some of the time, Reddling imagined that he was in a fitful sleep, imagining himself as a villain and monster everywhere he went. The sun peeked out at the silver grass, not yet bright enough to cause agony, but enough to cause irritation. Reddling pushed up his sunglasses as he heard Rainy's door creak, moving his head over to look at the colt that was curiously peering out into the room. Reddling had removed his coat and wrapped it over his shoulders, keeping his wings hidden for the time.

"Rainy..." Reddling knew his voice was weak as it left him, the sound failing to carry very far. Rainy did not immediately run, although he still seemed very scared.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Rainy asked, staring out at Reddling with gleaming little eyes.

"To get close to the Princesses, I had to join their guard. The Night Guard is composed of bat ponies. They took me, and changed me." Reddling said, not unhappily. The real truth was he loved being a bat, and he wouldn't trade it for the world, but Rainy could never know that.

"That's screwed up." Rainy said blankly, opening the door wider.

"Yeah." Reddling nodded. "But I was prepared for anything."

"Where- where's my sword?" Rainy asked carefully. Reddling keeled down and picked up Rainy's sword, offering the hilt to him. Rainy hesitated for a moment, then trotted forward carefully.

"Rainy, I swear, I'm not a monster. Look at me." Reddling pleaded with him. The colt simply jerked away his blade, almost nuzzling it once it was at his side. A few moments passed, and then Rainy looked up, meeting Reddling's eyes.

"Well, you didn't bite me when I was asleep... That's worth something." Rainy said.

"We don't drink blood, dammit." Reddling lied.

"Do- do you have them too?" Rainy asked carefully. "Wings?"

Reddling glanced down for a moment, then stood up, letting his coat fall off and onto the chair. Spreading his long, purple hued wings, Reddling showed off his full wingspan to Rainy, letting a small "boo" once every inch of the leathery wings were visible.

"Holy hell!" Rainy gave a start, backing up a bit in surprise. After quickly recovering, Rainy cautiously trotted forward, putting a hoof on Reddling's wing and tracing along it. The leathery wing was covered with soft fur and had veins that barely showed at parts. Rainy's hoof traveled over the bones and muscles, touching the claw at the joint before moving down to the actual wing part. He was exceedingly gentle with rubbing the soft and almost transparent parts of Reddling's wings.

...That actually feels kinda nice. Reddling thought, wincing just ever so slightly at what he deemed excessive touching.

"The church is going to flip the hell out." Rainy said warningly, retracting his hoof.

"They're not going to know." Reddling said bitterly, biting himself over his next words. He could tell if it was a lie or not, but in his heart, he no longer felt like he was making the right choice with his words. "There is a way to reverse this, which is why I need to take Luna back here with me. T-This isn't natural, and the church will just mark me as another pony marred by Equestria if I can't prove I can help fix this."

"Fuck Equestria." Rainy exclaimed angrily. stomping his forehooves. "God damn it."

"...By the way, those two," Reddling pointed in the direction of the west wing, "Don't know anything. Keep them in the dark."

"Why'd you bring them anyway? Are we gunna-" Rainy raised a hoof to his throat and drew it across, making a slitting noise. "Scccchchhllt!"

"NO!" Reddling cried instantly, lowering his wings and looking over his shoulder quickly in the direction of his friends. Rainy gave another start at the outburst. "No Rainy... Equestria is facing an issue that may affect us. They were attacked by changelings, and are offering a chance to eliminate them. Killing mon- killing monsters helps all of us, which makes them fine for now."

Rainy made no response, so Reddling quickly added, "It would only hurt us to kill them, okay?"

"Fine, whatever." Rainy said, waving a hoof. "Some other time then. Why'd you stop here?"

"Wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay. If the Changelings come, be ready to fight them. I don't know if they would or not, but be prepared." Reddling said, sitting back down and wrapping his wings around himself.

"Jeez, couldn't you have like, fixed yourself before you came here?" Rainy said, gesturing to Reddling's wings.

Reddling pulled down his glasses, looking at Rainy with his own eyes now. "I wish it were that easy."

"Well-" Rainy said, trotting forward. "...I'm glad you're okay, even if you are a bat thing."

"I'm glad you're okay too, even if you are still normal and not a bat thing." Reddling said with a smile and quick giggle.

"Oh, bug off." Rainy said, pushing Reddling's wings out of the way for a hug. Reddling wrapped a wing around Rainy slightly, hugging him back. Rainy gave a sniff after a few moments, then backed up. "Been drinking again, haven't you?"

"What gave it away? The smell or the bottles?" Reddling asked.

"Yeah, you're definitely still the real Reddling Rain." Rainy said happily.

"Of course I am." Reddling said, pulling out Ausfall and showing the blade to Rainy.  "No Equestrian Princesses or monsters are changing me, or you! Hehe, well, not when I'm finished, anyway."

"Yeah, you show them!" Rainy said, nodding ferociously.

"How've the half-paychecks held up for you? Are you getting to live well?" Reddling asked, gesturing towards some of the shining bits still on the floor in Rainy's room.

"Yeah, and I have enough to throw at vampire ponies trying to break into my castle and eat me." Rainy said.

"They aren't going to try to eat you, geez." Reddling said exasperatedly. "Although they can drink blood, they'd get locked up forever in Equestria if they did."

"Locked up forever?" Rainy repeated. "That sounds like the sort of thing Equestrians would love."

"Well, to be fair, only for one thousand years. You know, that's how family treats each other." Reddling nodded. "One thousand year timeouts."

"Dirty barbaric bastards." Rainy sneered at the ground. Reddling just nodded as Rainy looked up again, blinking at the sunrise. "So what now?"

"We bats sleep during the day, so I need to rest." Reddling said, yawning. "It'd be best that Silverfield doesn't know we are here, I kinda need those two alive."

"...Okay, fine. As long as I don't have to talk to the again." Rainy said. "Hurry up and sleep so we can do stuff- I'm going to do all my... steward duties, and stuff, goodnight Reddling."

Rainy, you're going to go move around rocks. That's almost all we ever did, was move around rocks... guess that's easier to do as a unicorn though, less physically pushing and digging. "Yeah, Night night." Reddling said, covering his face with his coat and going to sleep in the chair. The throne was uncomfortable and hard as Reddling fell asleep, giving way to, as always, their less than pleasant dreams.

I know I can't even give up being a bat. I know it. I can't give up my wings, I'll never go back to being a dirtpony. I can't do it. I could never live life that way again now that I know this. But yet... that means that I'll forever remain a monster in the eyes of my countryponies. My own kin see me as a storybook monster. And in the same hoof, what else am I losing? I'll never feel a peaceful warm glow in the afternoon mixed with a breath of sweet spring air. No, I'll be hiding in a cave, waiting for a crisp night and the rising of the moon.

...What about blood? Web won't accept me unless I'm like her, drinking blood. ...I guess I should make a choice. Should I be a predator, or a simple fruit bat? If I drink blood, I can be high again, but if I don't, then I won't have to worry about it being held against me.

Silverfield

Cat and Mouse

Midnight Tales stretched his hind legs as he stood outside of his barracks. For the first time in his life, everything was going absolutely right. Sure, he had lost an eye, but the great Princess Luna May she live forever had finally realized his dedication to the Night Guard. Midnight had been given an entire timeslot where he would be Princess Luna's May she live forever personal guard. The best part was that the other guard on the timeslot, Bruiser, who was more than happy to spend his time drinking at a bar and allowing Midnight to cover for him.

Unfortunately, this arrangement was only for every other day. When Midnight was not at Luna's May she live forever side, she planned to have him running odd errands to gather supplies to cure Princess Cadance. While Midnight was not happy about this, if it was the Night Mother's will, he was not going to question it.

On this particular night, Midnight gave a sigh as he stood near Princess Luna's May she live forever table with two of Princess Celestia's royal guards and another bat pony. The bat pony was, of course, not a real bat pony, but Star Shine, the Changeling Reddling had gained a pardon for. Princess Luna May she live forever, Princess Celestia, and Princess Cadance were all enjoying tea. Princess Cadance poured out three cups for them, smiling as she drank first. Midnight watched as Princess Luna May she live forever sipped next, and Celestia brought the tea up to her lips before stopping. Luna May she live forever dropped her glass, the cup shattering on the ground and spilling it's contents everywhere. She shook back and forth for a bit, blinking wildly.

"Sister?" Celestia asked, leaning towards Luna May she live forever. "Are you okay?" Luna May she live forever shook her head no, turning to look at the tea, then staring at the other two Princesses. Midnight felt his heart skip a few beats as Luna fell to the floor.

"Web!" Luna cried out before her voice died. Luna closed her eyes, some of her hooves giving off mild seizures.

"Seize Princess Cadance!" Celestia cried, pointing her hoof at a surprised Princess Cadance. "You have deceived us twice now! Throw her in the dungeons, and seize former Captain Shining Armor as well for treason!"

Midnight only blinked as he rushed over to Princess Luna's side, yelling at Star Shine to get Web before freezing and staring up at Star Shine. The changeling, still in a bat pony disguise, locked eyes with Midnight.

"You two-faced mole!" Midnight cried, drawing his blade and charging Star Shine. sensing it was time to be leaving, Star Shine turned and smashed through a recently replaced window, flying out onto the roof of Canterlot Castle. Midnight was right behind him, sword in mouth as he growled at his prey. Once on the roof, Star Shine turned to face Midnight, hissing in a very unponylike way. Moving his sword to a hoof as he flapped his wings, Midnight rose to his full height as he pointed the blade down at the Changeling.

"You! She pardoned you, and now you poison her!" Midnight had tears of fury in his eyes as he flourished his blade. "I'll kill you!"

"You'll need to catch me first." Star Shine said quietly, jumping off the roof and sliding down the wall towards the Castle courtyards. Midnight cried out for the evening Pegasus ponies to help him as Star Shine made a run for the gate.

"Gate ponies! Stop him!" Midnight cried, pointing at two ponies standing guard.

"Oi, you, stop!" Cried Private Snuffleberry, the current pony posted at the gate.

"Shut up you dummy, he's chasing somepony!" Private first class Buzzleleaf cried, pushing Snuffleberry back. "We gotta let the Night Guard pass!"

"Thanks." Star Shine hissed as he slipped into the streets. Midnight rushed past the two ponies and stopped once he was outside the main gate, staring out at the vastness of Canterlot. His sword clattered to the ground as he dropped it, his wings giving out as he stared sadly at the maze of homes, offices, and businesses. The Changeling could have already changed shape into something and Midnight wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

"Eh, aren't ya supposed to be chasin' something?" Private Snuffleberry asked Midnight. Midnight let out a sad grown as he sheathed his sword, lowering his head sadly and turning on his hooves, flying back to Luna's side.

Princess Luna will be okay? Midnight's hopes were dashed as soon as he arrived in the tea room. Web was already there, and had Luna on a cot.

"Get her to her room NOW!" Web screamed at two sunponies, actually spitting in the face of one. "Midnight! haul those damn traitor to the dungeons. I can't do your damn work for you! GIT!" Web turned in a fury, staring at Shining armor and Princess Cadance. Both were in chains that prevented them from doing much more than a slow march, and odd rings had been magically attached to their horns to prevent magic.

"Damn you." Web said, bending down to look at Shining Armor and Princess Cadance in the eye. "I can't wait to execute your bride."

"Don't you touch her!" Shining said angrily, leaning forward to growl at Web. With a quick spin, Web landed a kick in Shining Armor's face, knocking him off his hooves and onto his side. Shining moved his hooves up to wipe some blood off his cheek as Cadance went over to him, holding him down.

"No more, Shining-" Princess Cadance whispered.

"No more?" Web cried angrily, going over to both of them, "You pathetic lumps of trash." Web landed a sharp kick in Shining's gut before putting a hoof on the side of his face, pushing it into the ground.

"Do you even know what you're doing? Maybe Cadance will make you a drone too, then I can execute you both the same way. Wouldn't that be great? I'll have all the fun then." Web pushed down on Shining's head for a few moments before lifting her hoof up and bashing it into the Captain's head once more.

"Enough, Web!" Midnight yelled, moving over to her side. Web looked up, blinking, then gave a slight nod.

"You too, Midnight?" She asked.

"You should be saving Princess Luna's life, she called for you! Leave these two to us!" Midnight said fiercely.

"...You're no fun. Fine, take good care of them." Web hissed, turning and leaving the room with a bit of a wag to her tail.

"Th-Thank you." Cadance said to Midnight, looking up at him hopefully. Midnight stared down coldly at the Princess, his face stoic and unflinching under his helmet.

"Royal Guard, throw these two traitors into the darkest hole you can find, and put them under constant guard. I don't want anypony near them. Defer to your new captain's orders when Princess Celestia finds a replacement." Midnight said.

"No- No, this is a mistake!" Cadance cried. Midnight drew his blade, pointing it at her throat.

"I'd cut off your head, wench, if only I did not wish for Princess Luna to witness your demise personally." Midnight turned with that, sheathing his blade and trotting up towards Princess Luna's room. Even if he couldn't help Web with Princess Luna, he was going to make sure he stood guard and did anything he could to ensure no further harm befell the great bringer of the night.

Cat and Mouse

Hive Chrysalis

Reddling coughed as he fluttered back to Castle Celes. His idea for an "outing" to the town had not gone exactly as he had hoped. His trench coat was now cut on the shoulder slightly, and there was a fresh scratch on his chestplate. Reddling was a good fighter, but so was every other Silverfieldian he could have run into. Being a poor fighter usually meant you were driven away and didn't make it. It was part of your honor to be able to fight.

It was exactly why Rainy was glaring across the table at Nightshade and Tops as they all ate. Dropping through a hole into the main hall, Reddling stood next to Rainy, looking over at his friends.

"Hi Tops, Nightshade." Reddling said quietly, watching them eat their rations.

"Sonovabitch!" Rainy yelped, falling out of his chair and staring at Reddling while Tops waved across the table. Rainy stared up, his face still full of shock. "Reddling- you, how'd you get back there?"

"Wings." Reddling said simply, looking over at Nightshade. "I took a look around SIlverfield. I don't see ANY evidence of Changeling activity. Nothing odd, nothing anything. Either they're doing a better job hiding, or they're not here at all."

"Why'd you think they would be?" Nightshade asked simply, chewing on some toast she had spread jelly over.

"I guess- I guess I just figured that Silverfield might be an easier target than the Equestrian capital with tens of hundreds of ponies." Reddling said.

"Tens of hundreds?" Rainy asked. "How many is that? Like two thousand?"

"Sure." Reddling said, remembering his first visit to Canterlot. He'd almost fallen to his knees and cried at the site of such a massive city. "How has Rainy been treating you too?"

"Your nephew has-" Tops tried.

"He's an ass." Nightshade said, cutting her coltfriend off.

"And fuck you too." Rainy nodded across the table, retaking his seat.

"Rainy..." Reddling said disappointingly. "They may be Equestrians, but they are our guests." At least he didn't stab them.

"So Reddling, you two are getting along again?" Tops asked, avoiding a surly and unhappy glare from Rainy.

"I think it will be best if I say this change will take some getting used too." Reddling said, looking down at Rainy. "I don't intend to stop being a bat and go back to being a wingless, hornless earth pony."

"The only thing he'll say to us is "fucking Equestrians" and "dirty vampire bats."" Nightshade commented.

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Reddling sighed. "I'd be a little concerned if he was being warm and friendly to you."

"I can tell your related." Snarked Nightshade, going back to her toast.

"Nightshade- ugh." Tops groaned, "You're just as bad..."

Reddling through for a few moments, licking his lips. "Hey- wait, what's that supposed to mean, Nightshade?"

"What I'm saying, is that if he had a stick and a chance to swing it, I'm sure he'd love breaking our legs." Nightshade said. Rainy gave a little nod at that, agreeing.

"I'm not sure he'd stop at that..." Reddling warned, looking down at Rainy. Right underneath this favor Rainy was doing for him, Reddling knew that the little colt wanted to cut the bats in the room into little pieces. Reddling looked up to Tops with a sigh. "Do you understand why I find Luna's plan to visit Silverfield Impossible?"

"Yeah, it's making a lot more sense now... so-" Tops stopped as Rainy cut him off with a growl.

"So when are you leaving?" Rainy asked.

"Leaving tonight, as soon as they're finished eating, unless any of you wish to endure each other any longer." Reddling said. A collective "NO" Rang out from Rain, Nightshade, and Tops all at the same time.

"At least we're agreeing on something." Reddling sighed.

"Reddling, have you eaten already?" Tops asked, motioning to the roof. "We woke up and you were gone."

"I will be fine." Reddling said, drawing a quick and nervous breath. "I checked out the town and surrounding area while you two were asleep. We'll check out the western front and then head into the badlands tonight."

Reddling turned away from his friends as they finished up their food, grabbing up supplies and getting ready for travel. "Rainy, I'll visit when I have the chance again. You know my... "Work" will possibly keep me strangely busy."

"Maybe just come by yourself next time, okay?" Rainy asked, looking over distastefully at the other two bats.

"I'll try," Reddling said. "I was only able to come by this time because we were in the area. If this were vacation time I would have been alone." Can I even have him meet Web? How would he react to THAT?

"Alright, We're ready to go. Reddling?" Tops looked over at Reddling, who nodded.

"Yes, let's move." Reddling said, looking up at Tops before returning to looking at Rainy. "I'll see you again Rain, take care, and try to spend bits wisely. Living on every other paycheck makes it hard to buy a new coat every time it gets destroyed."

"Yeah... See you later." Rainy mumbled, looking down.

"Alright, on the road again." Reddling said. "I'll meet you at the gatehouse, I just want to go grab a fresh bottle of wine. I wonder if Changelings drink?" Nightshade just shook her head as Reddling stepped out of the room, leaving Tops, Nightshade, and Rainy alone once more.

The flight was extremely quiet. Reddling looped Nightshade and Tops around a ford in the Silverfield River as they soared over rolling hills of silverish grass spotted with purple flowers. The plains, streams, and rollicking hills passed away as the group sped away from the populated areas of Silverfield.

"So Tops, What do you think?" Reddling asked, looking over at his friend.

"I'm sure it was nice of you to visit your nephew, but it really didn't seem to help us at all." Tops commented meekly.

"We were in the area and had to stop anyway." Reddling reminded him.

"I guess it was sort of a taste of what your homeland is like, for when we come back later." Tops tried to be optimistic, but it was clear Silverfield was not scoring very high on list of tourist sites. Reddling licked his lips at the words Tops said, then hastily coughed.

"N-No! not a taste, no tasting of homeland- I mean." Reddling coughed again. "I mean, yeah, yeah." Why did he have to use the word taste!?

"Reddling, is something wrong?" Nightshade asked. "You're acting weird again."

"No!" Reddling squeaked. "Not wrong, it was okay- uh, I- No. I mean yes, yes I am acting weird, but no, nothing is wrong."

"You are the worst liar I've ever seen." Nightshade frowned.

"Reddling, you can talk to us. It's alright." Tops reassured.

"Uh..." Reddling looked over at Nightshade. "I can talk to YOU, Tops. She will turn me in, and I'll get in trouble- actually, haha, trouble with who? Certainly not trouble in Equestria or with Luna. We- Changelings. Let's do that. That Changeling thing we do."

"Reddling, you're acting bizarre." Tops said.

"Like I said Tops," Reddling said, licking his lips again and feeling a sick giggle rise up in him. It was the kind of giggle that made him realize he had done something very wrong and did not care. "It's fun to get a kicker!"

"Just ignore him, he's being stupid and won't tell us." Nightshade said.

"Reddling- did you!?" Tops asked, shocked.

Reddling felt a tiny squee escape his mouth alongside the near Web-like giggles. "Yup!"

"Reddling, we need to talk about that later, alright?" Tops said seriously. his eyes were a little wide, and he looked almost sickened.

"Now you're going to be all secretive about it?" Nightshade said, an obvious bit of prissiness rising in her voice.

"We'll talk about it when we stop for the day." Tops said, pointing in front of him.

Reddling was lost in the memories of his latest hunt. Something had felt very off about it. The entire time, he had some animistic urge forcing him to continue even when his mind told him it was time stop. His mind told him not to bite that poor mare, and certainly not to suck on her until she went cold and stopped moving. She had lacked the same flavor as Equestrians- the Silverfieldian had been extraordinarily bitter, almost to the point where Reddling spat out her blood a few times.

When the sun finally began to mark the end of the day by touching the horizon with it's tip, Reddling looked around below him. There were some cliffs leading downward to a deserted, desolate land. Silverfield had taken a full two nights of their journey, but it had been worth it. Reddling's mind was at ease, and he was sure that Silverfield was a place that Equestria had not bothered to check. The transition from Silverfield to the badlands was quite abrupt. At the top of the cliff was pleasant Silvergrass, while below was hard, cracked clay.

"Want to go further, or rest here before we go into hell?" Reddling asked, staring out at the wasteland.

"Sun will be up in a few hours." Tops said, leading the flight down the cliff. "Let's find a cave and stay here."

"Right." Reddling said. "Wherever we decide to park, let's make sure the cave is empty first."

Tops nodded. "Come on, we'll stick together." Tops pointed out a small cave opening. The three landed on the ledge, trotting inside with their weapons ready to be drawn. The cave proved to be much more sizable than it had first implied. flying in single file, the three of them would be able to get out of the cave in seconds. The cave sloped down like a pathway, staying just steep enough that the three were on edge with their footing.

Reddling pushed forward, not waiting for his friends to follow. A cave like this was a perfect place for some monster to live, and he wasn't about to be taken by surprise because he had overlooked simple safety measures. Light from above slowly began to die, reducing the cave to total blackness. Reddling blinked in surprise as he found himself unable to make out anything. A soft screech echoed from behind him as Nightshade began letting of echoing cries onto the smooth cave walls. Reddling stared out into the cave as the sonar began to show an opening. The cave was not a cave at all, but something closer to an oversized tomb built for a king.

It was also completely empty.

"This place is creeping me out. This cave is huge but there's nothing here." Nightshade said.

"Don't give away our position!" Reddling hissed, grabbing Nightshade and Tops and forcing them to their bellies with him. The three of them slid a little until they reached a ledge overlooking the huge cave. "I'm sure something must live here. Do you want to find another place?"

"Maybe we just keep going?" Nightshade asked. "This place is creepy though."

"I'm making the call then, let's get the hell out of here." Reddling said, turning and waiting for his friends to step in front of him. "Let's get the hell out of this- this." Reddling did not want to say the word "tomb". The entire place had an air of death about it- like it should have once been productive and happy, but now remained as only the shell of what once lived.

Outside, the sun was beginning to rise as the three bats searched for a cave. With no small amount of complaining from the three, they finally decided to set up sleeping bags and camp outside in the day. Nightshade used some of her magic to cast a spell similar to one from the wedding at Canterlot. There was not much room to move around, but the sun would at least be bearable long enough for the three of them to fall asleep.

"So, what the hell is going on with Reddling acting insane again?" Nightshade asked from her sleeping bag, looking over at tops and Reddling when all three of them had settled in.

"Reddling has been drinking blood." Tops said simply.

"TOPS!" Reddling cried. his voice was a mixture of anger, exhaustion, and at least three other afflictions he couldn't put a name too.

"Reddling." Nightshade said, turning and blinking once at him. "You are an enormous, fucking, idiot. I really hope you realize that."

"I-I am not!" Reddling said, his voice drifting slowly from indigence to a dreamlike state. "I was hurt, and it was our second date- and it was a treat, so smooth."

"So you went out and did it again to one of your... neighbors." Nightshade asked.

"My countryponies, yes. They tasted more bitter than I expected." Reddling said. He was going to continue with just exactly how different they tasted, but Nightshade waved a hoof to cut him off.

"Okay, just stop." Nightshade insisted. "That's disgusting, amoral, and twisted-" She stopped, scratching her chin for a moment. "Wait, you said second date?"

"What? No-" Reddling bit his lip. "mph. Yes, it was my second date."

"Web got you started on this, didn't she?" Nightshade accused, leaning forward seriously.

"Yeah, she did. She had a nice, juicy pegasus mare in mind." Reddling said sternly, meeting Nightshade's stare. "It was just a bad dream for the pony. Besides- Web, she's so... there is something hypnotic about her."

"And it doesn't bother you that you might be getting hypnotized?" Nightshade asked.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Reddling asked. "Don't be silly."

"You're going to get caught one day, and kicked out of the Night Guard. That shit's taboo." Nightshade said seriously.

"Web did tell me to keep it quiet. I trust you two will keep it quiet." Reddling said. Tops and Nightshade looked at each other, then both slowly nodded. Reddling let out a little sigh. A weight lifted off his heart when he saw their heads moved. Here were two ponies that he could trust. "You can't understand, it feels so natural- but I don't know. the first time it was sweet. In Silverfield, there wasn't any real high. I guess it was more fun with Web there watching."

"Yeah, she's playing you like a puppet." Nightshade said angrily. "You might think it feels nice- hell, maybe it does feel nice, but it's sick, twisted, and wrong. You don't even have the strength or willpower from keeping yourself from doing it when she isn't around."

"I- How dare you?" Reddling said weakly. "I can control myself."

"Reddling, if you need help with this kind of- of thing, we're here for you, okay?" Tops said, cutting Nightshade off. "You can tell us anything."

"I'll deal with it, Tops." Reddling said, licking one of his fangs and wrapping his leathery wings over his body.

"Alright, Reddling." Tops said. Reddling turned away and settled into his sleeping bag. Tops and Nightshade both took a little more time to settle in, slowly scooting closer together. By the time they wee settled in, Reddling knew the two of them were in each other's hooves, holding each other.

Why doesn't Web ever hold me like that? I got a massage one time, and that was it. I can- barely get hugs. She'll give me kisses when I've pleased her, but?

Tops!? Nightshade!? Reddling sat up in concern, his eyes flying open as he looked around at his friends. Both of them were laying asleep together in each other's hooves, just as he had left them. Reddling remembered his pre-sleep thoughts as he glared at them wistfully. His dream had been a somewhat brutal one, but now that he saw his friends safe and sound in front of him, Reddling uickly withdrew his concern.

Gathering himself up, the bat went out to do a quick scouting of the land. The badlands almost instantly presented themselves as worse than Silverfield. Silverfield had been endless rolling hills, but this was flatness that reached into the nothingness at the edges of Reddling's vision. Trotting back to the shadowy orb Nightshade had around their camp, Reddling settled down and pulled out some rations, eying Tops and Nightshade. the two were awake not and munching on breakfast.

"So, we need to decide where we go from here." Tops said, looking up at the other two. "South takes us along the cliff face farther. West takes us out into the badlands. I can't imagine anything lives out there though. Who knows with those changelings things?"

Reddling through for a moment. In Silverfield, a lot of the settlements were near or around lakes or the Silverfield river. This was a common feature in Equestria as well, with almost every city being near a water mass. Indeed, some of the pegasus cities were water masses.

"They need a source of food, and a source of water." Reddling said. "They'll be keeping their hive someplace where there is a steady stream of water nearby. Do any rivers flow through the badlands?"

"I don't know." Tops admitted. "I don't think so, but there might be something."

"We should head into the badlands and look for any lakes or rivers." Reddling said, picking up his packs and preparing to leave.

"West then?" Tops asked. Reddling nodded seriously, watching as the other two prepared to leave, packing up their sleeping bags and materials carefully.

"Let's keep an idea of where we are, Tops. You're good at navigating, so can you keep an idea of where we are?" Reddling asked.

"Yeah, as long as we don't fly too fast." Tops said, pulling out a map and stuffing it into a compartment on his armor.

"Good. I don't want to die in this hole." Reddling said, taking off into the air. The sun was almost fully set now, leaving a cool night air to fill his lungs. Tops and Nightshade breathed fresh sighs of relief at the setting of the sun as they rose up on his sides, preparing to follow.

Nearly the entire night went by with absolutely no features. Seeing a dead tree or some large pile of rocks was considered to be a helpful landmark in the hopeless wastes of the badlands. After what may have well been a lifetime, Reddling finally saw something break the monotony. tops and Nightshade both pointed at something in the distance, making a line for it. Reddling followed behind them, trying to figure out exactly what was going on here.

What appeared to be a small oasis with dirty looking water was sitting in the middle of the bleakness.The ground around it was softer, and was muddy near the bank, although there didn't appear to be any plant life.

"Let's land away from the mud. I don't want to get too dirty." Reddling said. He landed on the ground, shrugging off his coat and saddlebags before taking a look around. Nightshade and tops both sat down, taking a quick breath.

"Well, we've found some water. There might be some changeling activity nearby, unless we're searching for these things in the wrong way."

"Well we found some water, so we might be able to find more." Top said.

Reddling gave him friend a nod, yawning as the ground gave a little rumble. He barely had time to look down before the ground completely collapsed, leaving his coat and saddlebags behind as he was pulled into the dirt. the entire motion was too quick for Reddling to even get his wings ready to fly away. Something was gripping onto his legs, but with his armor on  it was impossible to tell what.

"Ack- GUYS!?" Reddling yelled, staring in panic at the other two before his head disappeared into the hole. Above him, Reddling could see Tops and Nightshade poking their heads over the edge. the hole was extremely small and tight, too tight for Reddling to do much more than be slowly dragged down. Drawing any weapons was out of the question, and little else came to mind in the way of outs.

"Throw me a rope!" Reddling yelled, pulling back one of his hind hooves as much as he could and aiming a kick below him. Whatever had ahold of him recoiled at that, but then returned with something sharp, which began to jab at his leg.

"Gaah! Water stealer goes down hole!" A tiny voice cried from below. Although it was mostly muffled by the dirt, Reddling still managed to make it out with his ears.

"I didn't steal your damn water, not let go of me." Reddling aimed another kick below him as he turned and screamed for a rope. There was a hard thunk followed by a whine below Reddling as he stopped sinking in time to catch the end of a rope in his mouth. Tops and Nightshade were not exactly moving quick enough for comfort, but after a few seconds Reddling had his hoof wrapped around the rope, riding it up to the surface. As soon as Reddling was free of the hole, he grabbed his stuff in an instant and flew into the air after Tops and Nightshade, panting.

"I... hate... this, place!" Reddling hissed. Below him, tiny little heads were bursting out of the ground. Dog sized creatures with tiny beady eyes and a stubby snout with hands that ended in long, black flat-claws were squinting up at the air. They were all covered in a brown fur that looked almost as suited for petting as their claws did for digging.

"Gaah! tall no hands water stealing fly bugs! Get out!" The creature shouted into the air.

"Bugs?" Reddling said, putting on his saddlebags and brushing dirt from himself.

"Our Water! Go!" one of the creatures screamed.

"Stop, we're not bugs!" Reddling said, flying lower, but not so low that he might get grabbed again. "Just have a look at us." The creature squinted for a few moments, then shook its head.

"You lie! No hands! no dig! Big nose fly bugs!" The creature said angrily.

"I don't want your water, and I'm not a bug." Reddling said adamantly.

"Don't care! Go away- our land, our water! Shoo! Shoo!" The creautre picked up a small rock and threw it in Reddling's direction, the rock missed completely, soaring off somewhere to the far left.

"Tell us where the "no dig bugs" are, or we'll make your pond into a landfill." Reddling hissed.

The creature pointed southward, growling. "Big holes, big caves, bad bugs!"

"Soon you may never have to worry about them again. Take care of your land." Reddling said flying back towards his friends.

"Go away!" The creature yelled at Reddling, throwing another rock in his direction.

"What the hell is with that thing?" Tops asked when Reddling arrived back up with his friends.

"I guess it's a dirt dog or something." Reddling said. "The Changelings have been stealing their water."

"Not surprised." Nightshade said simply.

"Well, let's see what happens I guess." Tops said. "We've still got the fire."

"Let's go find the exact location before we send a message, then we'll decide what we want to do about the hive." Reddling said, nodding southward.

"GET OUT!" Yelled the dirt dog from below.

"Groundhog! Shut up!" Nightshade yelled back down angrily. The dirt dog gave one final chain of ill-composed insults that were chained together clumsily before it dived back down into the ground.

After perhaps an hour, Tops, Nightshade, and Reddling all landed, staring at the distance with small gapes. Rising in the distance was a set of cliffs not dissimilar from the ones by Silverfield. Above the cliffs was what looked like a jungle with various vines hanging over the edge of the cliff. Everything seemed to be naturally formed, but there was an idea forming that Reddling didn't like.

"Maybe we'll find another cave like before?" Tops asked aloud.

"If so, that means this entire badlands area is filled with Changelings, or was..." Reddling looked at his friends. All three of them were remembering the cave they had stopped at right as they left Silverfield. if there was a cave system here filled with Changelings, then the other cave system probably was a Changeling hive- or at least, it had been at one time. "Let's go check this place out. Weapons ready."

Carfully moving forward to the cliffs, Reddling took point as he and his friends traveled upwards. When they reached a similar height where the cave entrance had been near Silverfield, Reddling stopped and felt at some vines. Tops and Nightshade did the same, and after a few moments nightshade motions for the other two to come closer. Carefully creeping up, the three of them rounded a corner. The sound of something falling over and scampering off echoed out of the cave, but nothing more. It was already too dark to make out what might be fleeing, but Reddling was sure that they didn't need too.

"We've found it then." Tops said hastily. "We probably don't have much time- do we send the message and run or try and talk?"

"You guys stay out here and send the message, I'll go in and try to talk." Reddling said, gulping and staring down the dark pit.

"Why do you keep suggesting stupid suicidal- urgh, nopony gets left behind." Nightshade said. "We can send the message now and tell them to wait three or four days. If we don't come back, attack the hive."

"It'd be stupid for all three of us to die, Nightshade. If we send that message, Equestria won't wait. We all know damn well that Luna and Celestia would rather shoot a giant rainbow beam cannon at this place than risk another attack on Canterlot."

Nightshade sighed heavily. "If we all go in, I think I can Shadowstep us out." Nightshade blinked for a few moments at Reddling's confusion, then sighed again. "You've seen Web do it, it's how she jumps around from shadow to shadow."

"Nightshade, that's not easy to do. Can you handle that?" Tops asked, a rare lack of confidence in Nightshade downplaying his features.

"We'd be better off waiting for the whole army to march out of that cave and kill us!" Reddling argued.

"So sorry to interrupt." Reddling, Tops, and Nightshade all stopped and stared at the cave, shivering in fear. A new voice had spoken from the cave before stepping out into the moonlight. Standing before the cave mouth was a changeling. She bore a slight resemblance to a Changeling queen, but was noticeably smaller. She also lacked the sort of "crown" that Balefly and Chrysalis had had adorned atop their heads. Two drones flanked the unique changeling, their eyes an electric green.

"Changelings." Reddling said. Tops clicked his claws out and Nightshade drew her sword, getting ready for a fight. Reddling however, only stood ready to draw his weapons, keeping them away and waiting for the creatures to move.

"Always so ready to fight..." The semi-queen changeling said.

"Bad experiences." Reddling chimed back.

"We have simply come to welcome you to our humble hive." The changeling blinked at Reddling, eye his lack of weapons. Breathing deeply, Reddling closed his eyes for a moment, preparing himself.

Just because I hate talking to others doesn't mean I don't know how too. "We accept your welcome. I am Reddling Rain, a steward of Silverfield. These are Tree Tops and Nightshade of Equestria."

The Changeling blinked in surprise, almost backing up a bit. "How very courteous- A pleasant change. I am Princess Pupae of Hive Chrysalis." Pupae said, giving a little bow.

Hive Chrysalis. So they distinguish by hives and aren't all one mind.

"But," Pupae continued, "I am sure you are not here for pleasantries."

"I'm afraid that is incorrect." Reddling said. "You may have encountered other scouting groups, but that is not our mission. We are here to ask for diplomacy- parley. If that fails, Equestria will likely further the bloodshed. We would have an audience with your ruler."

"You wish an audience with our Queen!?" Pupae said with a quick laugh. her voice was not malicious, but had a musical pleasantness to it. Tops and Nightshade both flinched at the laugh, slowly putting away their weapons. "That is funny, actually, for that is why I was sent- To extend an invitation for for an audience with our Queen."

"What are the terms for entering into your hive?" Reddling asked, looking down at his weapons.

"We will escort you into the hive, where you may speak to her, and then you will leave. I would ask you to remove your weapons, but something tells me you will refuse." Pupae said, looking at Tops and Nightshade.

"We cannot begin to trust each other if we're pointing weapons at each other." Reddling brushed his mane back as he removed his helmet, trying his best to smile. "I will agree to disarm, however, my friends will be allowed to keep their weapons." Hooves are like knives without a sharp edge.

Pupae looked extremely surprised,blinking and looking at her two drones. "Very well. Leave your things at the hive mouth, and I will escort you down. Rest assured no harm will come to you as long as you behave yourselves."

Reddling exchanged glances with the other two, who both looked less than pleased with the situation. Reddling sighed and shrugged, beginning to take off his weapons; Sword, knife, crossbow, throwing knives, every weapon down to Ausfall.

Reddling looked up at Tops, hesitating. His knife deserved better than to simply be left out here, and certainly not where something could happen to it. "Tops, I can't leave this behind. Can you hold onto it for me?"

Tops nodded as Nightshade leaned closer to them, whispering, "I don't like this. This doesn't seem right."

Reddling turned back to Pupae, doing his best to ignore Nightshade's point. "Our terms are that we are allowed to peacefully end and leave this meeting at any time. We will be allowed to leave without harm, without fear of pursuit, and have ample time to prepare for the journey home if required, as we cannot travel during the day. Do you agree to our terms?"

"Of course." Pupae nodded slowly, thinking them over and then turning. "Come."

Reddling trotted in first, breathing quickly. Although he was trying very hard, it was difficult to not be nervous as the Changeling princess led them deeper and deeper into the caverns. Like the other cave that was at the edge of Silverfield, it was possible to fly out of this place if you went in single file. The pathway sloped down gently, just enough to allow one to keep their footing.

Unlike the last hive however, there was light here. Reddling looked back at his friends, both of whom were staring at the hall from behind their helmets. A gooey, sticky slime was attached to the wall. The slime seemed to have some sort of energy that produced light, as it glowed and pulsed gently against the walls. The green light was barely enough for even the bat ponies to make things out, but it was still better than the virtual blindness that required sonar in the last hive.

This- goo. Reddling thought, feeling a piercing pain rise up on his neck. I've seen it before. In a dream- and it was NOT a fever dream! his mind began to swim with the memories of that night. It seemed like so long ago now, when he had trained alongside his friends in private, enjoying his new life. The blue queen, Balefly, had meet her end with Bruiser's hammer. But despite this, the pain remained.

As the bat ponies descended deeper and the pathway began to open up, smaller passages made visible branches from the main hive. There was more goo hanging to the walls, but that was not where Reddling and his friends had their attention. Gently glowing green eyes stared from dark holes where even sensitive bat eyes could not make out features. Occasionally a Changeling would poke their head out to look at the passing ponies, or even leave their hole and begin to follow the growing parade. Other Changelings shied away back into their holes, as if believing the ponies might lash out at them randomly.

"Tops, Nightshade, you guys okay back there?" Reddling asked, looking back at his friends again. Tops nodded, a clearly nervous look on his face. Nightshade looked almost petrified, like she wanted to do nothing other than turn and run as fast as she could from this place. Reddling didn't blame them- every fiber of his body was telling him that this place was dangerous and he could be leading his friends to a fate worse than death- and yet he knew that they had to go on. This wasn't just about protecting his friends and Silverfield, it was more than that. This was a matter of principle for Reddling. He'd reasoned that if Equestria resorted to genocide against yet another race, then he was no better than they were for not stopping the situation.

"This goo, Princess Pupae." Reddling said, leaning forward towards the Princess. "I've seen it before- before Canterlot. I was bitten by one of your kin, and I saw it in a dream. What is this goo?"

Princess Pupae stopped suddenly, causing everyone to nearly fall over as she turned, looking at Reddling for a bit. Tops and Nightshade turned to look at the other Changelings as they all leaned in. Pupae herself turned fully around to face Reddling.

"You were bitten, and dreamed of it?" Pupae asked.

"It began to choke and drag me down, yes." Reddling explained, "Shortly after that one of my companions was beating my face in after healing me in her own way."

Pupae leaned in very close, her muzzle almost touching Reddling's muzzle as she stared directly into his eyes. For a few moments Reddling could make out his own grey pupils with diamond-slitted irises reflected in the Pupae's eyes, each of them staring back at their own reflection. After a few moments, an odd curiosity seemed to spark in Pupae's eyes. Her eyes glowed with a brilliance that seemed to draw Reddling in, as if he was falling into a deep, bottomless lake. Although Reddling was sure that his surroundings smelled quite foul, Pupae reminded him of something strangely pleasant and resembling perfume.

"How odd... Yes, you were bitten, I can tell," Pupae said. Reddling sniffed the air around her, blinking at the unexpected pleasantness. "As for your question, it serves many purposes. Mainly to hold things"

"Like earth ponies who serve you mangoes every evening, yeah." Reddling commented, blinking and giving his head a little shake to chase away the perfume. "Many of them still haven't woken up."

"Ah yes," Pupae said a little hastily, "Many hungry drones took the chance during the attack to feed. I am not surprised that they were left in such a state. Had we not been driven off, we would not have left them to a fate of simply wasting away as vacant husks."

"They would be like Princess Cadance." Reddling said morbidly, remembering the poor pink Princesses's tears as she struggled to come to terms with her new form. "They would exist in your so very tasteful... whatever it is you call yourselves."

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't immediately know all your pony royalty by heart. Who is this Princess of yours?" Pupae asked, continuing her walk.

"The Bride." Reddling said quietly as the group began to move forward again.

"Yes, once again, I'm afraid I don't know who that is." Pupae commented snidely.

"I see. Well, she's one of your kind now. All, alien if you will." Reddling said, trying to be as kind with words as he could.

Pupae turned and gave Reddling a glowing smile. "Is that such a bad thing? Personally, I would rather be a changeling than a pony, had I the choice. Perhaps she should visit, and we would help her come to term with this. Who knows?"

"That's is exactly why she is not with us." Reddling said darkly, making sure to get some edge in on his voice.

Pupae gave a slight giggle, turning her head away again. "You ponies are so set in your ways. A little change is not a bad thing." Pupae turned a corner, and Reddling nearly fell back int other hall after he glanced at the larger part of the cave. Inside was a large cavern with a high, vaulted ceiling. A dim green luminiferous material was held in the goo on the walls, casting long shadows over the entire cave. Large twisting pillars rose up here and there, twisting and rising organically out of the floor.

It's all infested- ugh! Tops and Nightshade let out sounds of disgust as they reached Reddling's sides, looking down at the cave. Everywhere was infested with Changelings, either loitering about, talking, or eating.

"How much further?" Reddling asked.

"Patience, not far." Pupae said.

"Very well." Reddling breathed, continuing to follow. Pupae lead them down another hallway leading away from the main part of the hive. This hallway was different than the last- mainly in it's cleanliness. Little orbs of goo were held by organic looking stone pedestals rising from the floor. The passage remained gently illuminated by the orbs, shedding light on carvings in the walls. Some were shapes that Reddling couldn't identify, but others were Changelings standing triumphantly or Queens looking regal. Around all of the symbols were arrays of hearts.

Despite his best attempts, Reddling just found it to be utterly repulsive. It was all too alien for him to comprehend, and not something he wished to linger on for the moment.

"You keep track of your own history- there's a culture here?" Reddling asked, waving at the walls with a wing.

"Of course." Pupae said simply.

"Minds, souls, cultures, and a history, yet your drones lack names." Reddling said.

"Of course not." Pupae replied, "They don't need names, and wouldn't be able to tell each other apart even if they did. They are united in their love for their Queen, and kept satisfied by their Queen's love for them."

"Forgive me for finding that very strange. Equestria preaches a similar concept, both seem to me as some way of being supercilious to others." Reddling said, giving an almost dirty look over his shoulder to Tops and Nightshade. Before the two of them had a time to react, Reddling turned his head forward and listened to Pupae reply.

"I am sure they think their system is infallible. Here, you will never see a drone raise a hoof in anger to strike down another from their hive. Can you say the same of ponies?" Pupae asked, tilting her head over her shoulder.

"A good pony may, and a good pony may also put such a want aside. They may not even have the want to strike down another, but simply some wild imagination." Reddling leaned forward, keeping every word cool and collected. "However, I am not a good pony. Let us continue."

Pupae turned her head away, not saying anything more. After another minute or so, the floor began to take on a polished, shiny look to it. It was not unlike some black obsidian that Reddling had seen in some church artifacts. The hallway opened up to another large chamber filled with pillars on all sides that rose up to a ceiling of stone. The pillars were not twisted like the others, but rather carved to look like twisting tree trunks or roots. The walls were decorated in silky banners and illuminated with the same pale green light that had brightened other parts of the hive.

On the far side of the room, atop some rough stairs was a soft, comfortable looking chair that seemed to be almost mossy. Reddling drew in a deep breath as he stared up at the queen lounging on the chair. Queen Chrysalis was sprawled out in her chair, being attended to by several drones. Each drone was lovingly doting on her, rubbing themselves against her or braiding her mane and tail. Chrysalis smiled happily as she toyed with one of the changeling's manes, flipping it happily.  To either side of Chrysalis were two soldiers standing guard. Reddling blinked at them for a few moments before drawing closer to Chrysalis, noting that they were the only soldiers he had seen in the entire hive.

"Mother, you have guests." Pupae said, bowing.

Of all the bugs I had to meet, why did it have to be the one I stabbed last time we met?

Hive Chrysalis

Premonitions

"Reddling Rain of Silverfield, Tree Tops and Nightshade of Equestria, may I present to you, Queen Chysalis." Pupae said grandly, trotting to the side. Reddling raised his hoof and once more gave a Silverfieldian salute by covering one eye and partially bowing his head towards Chrysalis.

"I've met her once before, Princess." Reddling said dismissively. "I am Reddling Rain, a Steward of Silverfield. We come on a hopeful mission of diplomacy."

"Welcome to my hive, ponies of Silverfield and Equestria." Chrysalis said. After staring down for a few moments, she curiously peered forward at Reddling. "You were the one who challenge me at the wedding, weren't you?"

"That is correct. I see you have recovered." Reddling said, studying the queen. For all the harm he had caused her, Chrysalis seemed to have simply shrugged it off like nothing had ever touched her.

"Quite." Chrysalis said cordially. As she rose, more and more drones began to fill the room, curiosity plastered to their faces. The drones near Chrysalis stood up and stayed glued her side, staring down at the ponies before them. "So, tell me, how has Canterlot been faring since we last met?"

Reddling thought for a few moments. Lying wouldn't get him anywhere, and the Changelings would be just the kind of monsters to have ample spies to call him out on any fairy tales he might try to spin. Honesty might be the best policy, but that doesn't mean I can't have my own spin on it.

"You have left terror in the streets. Ponies weep openly for their dead, and still many others mourn for those you left as husks where they fell from feedings." Reddling breathed, keeping his eyes locked on Chrysalis, "The entire city is ripe with fear and on full alert. Panic and some level of orderly chaos remain, yet life continues on, just as it always shall."

"And the Princesses?" Asked Chrysalis.

"Oh, I'm sure you understand." Reddling waved a hoof at Tops and Nightshade. "Celestia wanted me and another executed in full view of the public on her throne room floor after we escorted out an... aesthetically different Princess Cadance to see her aunts. Such order belongs only to Equestrians, striking down their own in madness." Reddling still was not happy about incident in Celestia's throne room. For all he and his friends had done, they were treated like nothing more than criminals.

"Tragic, but the tragedy does not end with your kind. The Changelings have suffered much as well." Chrysalis said, taking a few steps down from her throne. "The majority of our soldiers were committed to that attack, and the majority of our soldiers now lie dead. Our hive will be unable to defend itself against the threats of the land, let alone retaliation by ponykind."

"Hundreds of drones were lost as well- we will be unable to support many members of our hive for much longer. Though there was a glut from what was taken in Canterlot, soon that shall run out, and our less capable members will begin to starve." Chrysalis paused for a few moments, staring down. There was obvious pain in her eyes. Although she still tried to carry herself regally, a certain flame inside of her seemed dead.

"You have easily found our hive. Even if we were to kill you now and try to hide our home, others would find us, and our fate would fall eventually; death at the hooves of Equestria." Chrysalis said defeated, pausing and staring down at the Night Guard. A strange feeling was rising in the room- one of deep sorrow, somewhat like on might feel at a funeral, but much graver. Reddling knew this feeling- it was what he had felt when he had witnesses all the death in Canterlot. Something horrible had welled up in his throat, an his knees felt weak. Again, the feeling repeated itself here.

"While my friends wear weapons, I come before you armed in my clothes and requested for audience and discussion. Please continue, perhaps we can understand each other." Reddling said, waiting for Chrysalis to continue. For a minute, total silence swept through the room, gripping at the walls like an eerie shadow. Finally, Chrysalis spoke, but what she said completely caught Reddling off guard.

"I am a proud Queen, but with the lives, fortune, and future of my hive at stake, I have no choice. Hive Chrysalis surrenders, unconditionally, to Equestria." Chrysalis said, looking down.

Reddling's head snapped back to his friends. Both of their mouths were hanging open slightly as they stared at Chrysalis, obviously equally shocked. I didn't even get a chance to ask for their surrender!

"I would return to Canterlot with you," Chrysalis continued, "To accept terms from your leaders."

Reddling crossed a hoof, thinking quickly. Something was clearly wrong here, but what exactly Chrysalis was playing at, he wasn't fully sure yet. "Equestria will accept your surrender, but I cannot in good faith allow you to attend such a meeting without protection for yourself."

Chrysalis blinked for a few moments, then nodded. "I would take some drones with me as protection against any- overzealous ponies seeking revenge against our actions-"

"You're- You're just surrendering!?" Nightshade yelled, trotting in front of Reddling and pushing him aside. "Like that? Like nothing!? Something's not right here!"

"There is nothing wrong with this." Chrysalis said calmly. "I have given this much thought. The alternative is death and destruction for my hive, which I will not allow."

Reddling put a hoof on Nightshade's shoulder, pushing her back slightly. "Queen Chrysalis, I must understand why you attacked us before we agree to set up a meeting with our Princesses. We cannot hope to have any talks unless we fully understand each other first. Explain yourself so we can understand."

"Our kind waxes and wanes in cycles- periods of growth, and decay," Chrysalis said, "When a hive grows too large, there is strife. There become too many drones for a Queen to maintain. By necessity, some strife must keep us in check. Sometimes, Princesses will attempt a coup."

Reddling looked over at Pupae, who did not even blink at Chrysalis's words. The queen continued without missing a beat, "Other times, they will steal as many drones as the Queen cannot hold and begin a hive anew. Several factors in this cycle, however, were unlike others. The other hives, Balefly and Mantidae, saw the same chance that we did to break the cycle and rise to a new glory. A glory where we would not be bound to hide, sneak, and steal from the shadows. Instead, we could simply take what we needed from the ponies of Equestria as we pleased."

Reddling crossed one of his hooves, waiting for Chrysalis to continue. The queen breathed a sigh and looked up, almost as if she was recalling a fond memory.

"Long ago, Changelings in the past ruled over ponies, until in their greed they took too much and destroyed their own kingdom. We sought to eliminate the leadership in Canterlot, take their throne, and rule Equestria in their place."

Eliminate their leadership huh? I guess you really are doing my job for me. Reddling let out a little giggle, but tried to pass it off as a cough.

"However, we underestimated you and were defeated. So, are you still amicable to our surrender?" Chrysalis asked, looking at Nightshade.

"I don't like this." Nightshade said plainly.

"No matter what we say," Reddling said, putting emphasis on the words as he looked at Nightshade, "We're unable to officially accept your surrender. If you will have an audience with the Princesses, we can send them a message and you may return to Equestria with us. Your travel will have terms though; your kind will not be allowed to move freely through our lands."

"Very well. I ask nothing less from you." Chrysalis said, trotting back up a few steps to her drones. "Here is what I wish. I will take six drones with me, two for each of you, and we will met with your Princesses to arrange a formal surrender. We will disguise ourselves while we pass through Equestria." Reddling folded a hoof, thinking. He still wasn't sure what it was about this, but it almost seemed like things were going too smoothly.

"You will vouch for our honest intentions before your leaders, and then we will negotiate a surrender." Chrysalis added.

"I must talk to my companions before we agree." Reddling said. Nightshade and tops drew closer as he half turned his back to the queen, drawing in close enough to kiss the helmets of the other two.

"This is a trap." Nightshade said instantly.

"I- I have no idea. She's just surrendering, like that?" Tops asked. "I mean, it makes sense."

"There are other hives, Tops." Reddling said nervously.

"...Do you think Celestia or Luna would even accept a surrender?" Tops asked, looking over his shoulder quickly at the drones in the room.

"I don't know, but I agree with Nightshade. This is very much a trap, but I think we should spring it and see what happens." Reddling said, looking between the two.

"You know it's a trap so you want to just walk into it?" Nightshade had a dumbfounded look on her face.

"I'd rather walk into a trap on my own terms than their terms." Reddling hissed.

"Argh- this is so stupid!" Nightshade complained.

"You said that before Canterlot got attacked." Reddling reminded her. "I was right then."

"Fine! Fine!" Nightshade repeated, backing away angrily. Reddling turned away from his friends and trotted closer to Chrysalis.

"We'll relay to the Princesses to tell them to be ready in our message." Reddling said, "I'd like to know how we'll tell if you are not bringing more than six Changelings with you. Is there some mark or piece of clothing that they could wear to help us identify them?"

"We are not exactly a race of material good, I doubt we even possess six matching pieces of clothing to go around. You can have these ponies shapeshift into whatever you please to identify them." Chrysalis said, sitting back on her throne to lounge once more.

"That is exactly what I'm afraid of." Reddling said pointedly.

"There won't be anyone except the ten of us." Chrysalis said. "If there are extras, you will know we are being dishonest."

"Pretty damn obvious you're being dishonest." Nightshade said rather loudly.

"That will just have to do then." Reddling said, shooting Nightshade a dirty look. "I have another question. There are other hives, yes?"

"There are, yes." Chrysalis replied.

"This surrender does not apply to them then. I'd ask you tell us what you know of the other hives so we may... handle them as well." Reddling said, trying to test the waters without upsetting any of the drones.

"Hive Balefly." Chrysalis started, putting a gnarled hoof to her neck. "But Queen Balefly was slain in the battle, and they have no Princesses to take the hive. Many of their members have assimilated with my hive or Hive Mantidae. those who are not in a position to leave the hive, the diggers and deeper workers, will starve to death in a week or so, as will many of the drones who refused to join a new hive."

"If they had a new queen, would that prevent this?" Reddling asked. The idea of all these deaths didn't sit well with him, but he also wasn't sure what he could do about it.

"If they had a Princess to take the place for their Queen, then it would." Chrysalis said."Since they did not, the hive is essentially destroyed. It lies to the south-west, in the jungle nearer to Canidae."

"Go on, what about Hive Mantidae?" Reddling asked.

"Hive Mantidae, I cannot speak for them." Chrysalis said. Reddling paused for a moment, then continued,

"Very well, If that's all then, we would like to go and message our Princess now." Reddling said.

"Go right ahead." Chrysalis waved a holey hoof at them. "Pupae, see them out. They may wait at the hive entrance or in a surface cave. I will join them in the morning with my entourage. In my absence, you will lead the hive."

"Of course, mother." Pupae said with a bow. "Come, ponies. I'll see you out."

Reddling turned and beckoned for his friends to follow him. Pupae lead them against what had become a sea of drones. As the bat ponies drew closer the Changelings parted like a stage curtain being drawn to either side. Reddling gave one or two of them a glance, but otherwise kept his attention on Pupae, who had begun to speak as soon as they had left the throne room.

"That went quite well, didn't it? I am glad to see that not all ponies are violent and unreasonable." Pupae said happily.

You don't even know how violent and unreasonable I can be. "I am not of Equestria, you may find the Princesses less than merciful. I'm only trying to do what I can to see this end with reason instead of bloodshed." Reddling said, keeping his dark thoughts to himself.

Pupae smiled happily over her shoulder at him. It was odd to see a Changeling smile, but perhaps no more odd than seeing a bat pony smile. Both involved heavy use of fangs, which still remained prominent features of both Changeling and bat pony faces.

"A world where we can all live in peace and harmony. How fantastic!" Pupae said with a happy buzz in her voice.

"A bit too idealistic for my tastes." Reddling said quietly.

"It doesn't hurt to dream big. If you don't have great ambition, you'll never accomplish anything." Pupae said.

"I won't argue with that." Reddling said, pulling on his sunglasses before they reached the entrance to the hive. Pupae stayed with the bat ponies as Reddling re-equipped, taking his knife back from Tops. He gave the knife a quick nuzzle before belting it on.

"You are bat ponies, are you not? Can I take you to a suitable cave to spend the day?" Pupae offered. Reddling looked at Tops and Nightshade, then nodded.

"No arguments here." Tops replied, looking around at the desolate wastes that surrounded the Changeling hive.

"We'll take turns posting watches then." Reddling said, giving Pupae a little bow. "Lead on."

"We have no reason to harm you. If we wished to do something to you, we'd have done it long ago." Pupae said with a little furrowing of her brow.

"Were the tables reversed, you would do the same. Please take us to our cave, we must message our Princess." Reddling said. Pupae nodded and led them up a few slopes, stopping near a dark cave that was sheltered by some tree roots.

"I'll leave you to it." Pupae said.

Reddling, Tops, and Nightshade read over the note. Although Reddling wouldn't have guessed it, Tops had some very fancy writing. It was the kind that showed he put some elegance into every curve, but not so much that it became difficult for somepony to read.

Unconditional surrender, one hive dead, one hive unknown... escorting Chrysalis back to Canterlot, but don't kill her on sight. Expect a trap.

"Got it, I think." Tops said, looking over his hoofwork quite proudly.

"Sure there isn't anything else we want to add?" Reddling asked. Tops and nightshade shoot their heads, and Reddling nodded, standing back as Tops pulled out the small jar of dragonfire.

"Is this going to be another neat Equestrian thing?" Reddling asked, leaning his head forward just a bit in spite of himself.

"You really were sheltered as a foal, weren't you?" Nightshade asked. Reddling ignored her as he watched Tops light the letter on fire. The dragonfire danced eagerly as it pulled away from the jar, enveloping the letter in a dull green before the smoke and fumes shot towards the exit.

"Well, that's that." Tops said.

"That's it?" Reddling asked, a little disappointingly.

"Yes." Tops said, looking up at the cave door. A changeling drone knocked on the door, peeking in. Behind it were a few more Changelings carrying fresh straw.

"Where did you get fresh- nevermind. I don't want to know. Is that for us?" Reddling asked. The Changeling nodded, letting itself in with the others and quickly laying down straw before retreating to the doorway.

"So... that cave we found before." Tops said, leaning in to whisper as the Changelings began to wander away,  "That looked a lot like this place, another hive."

"Hive Balefly?" Reddling asked. Tops shook his head, sitting down and starting to take out his sleeping bag.

"Chrysalis said that was to the south west, not the north east. There wasn't even any slime there." Tops said thoughtfully, pulling at some straw and beginning to prepare a nice base to put his sleeping bag on. "It's probably been empty for a long time... I doubt they clean up after themselves if they decide to move."

"I don't know what to make of it. I could ask Pupae about it, she seemed... agreeable enough." Reddling offered. Tops nodded.

"I do not like this." Nightshade said, leaning against the cave and staring out at the sunlight slowly creeping into the cave. "You two go to sleep. I'll take first watch, maybe try Dreamwalking once."

"-Dreamwalking?" Reddling said, dropping his sleeping bag. He could take a guess at what that was, but he hoped he was wrong. "What's Dreamwalking?"

"Magic stuff." Nightshade said plainly.

"No, that's- it's entering dreams, isn't it?" Reddling said, turning from his dropped sleeping bag defensively. "Isn't it!?"

"Yeah." Nightshade said again simply, her expression stoic and unchanging.

Reddling felt an anger snap up in him as he kicked at some straw, grabbing his sleeping bag and tossing it in the corner. "You stay the hell out of my dreams then, got it? I can handle my own nightmares."

"Fine, jeez. Just don't scream like you normally do." Nightshade said. Reddling just snorted at her as he settled down, pulling his coat over the top of his sleeping bag.

"Pleasant dreams then, don't expect my help if they aren't." Nightshade snarked.

"Reddling, wake up." Nightshade's voice said. Reddling swung a hoof at her, wildly grappling with his dreams.

"Ny- Web! No-AH!" Reddling swung again at Nightshade, this time pulling out his knife and holding it up. "What's attacking us?"

"Nothing's attacking us. It's your turn to watch." Nightshade said rather calmly for just having a knife drawn on her.

"...That's a weird change from what I expected." Reddling said sleepily, yawning and getting up. "Alright, go lay down and sleep with Tops. Hmph."

Nightshade did just that, going over to Tops and curling up with him. She locked one hoof over the green pony's shoulder before closing her eyes. Reddling felt cold watching them cuddle like that. Again this odd feeling of envy rose in him as he turned away, looking out at the sun rays that managed to infiltrate the cave.

Pulling himself away from the view, Reddling turned to head outside. It was bright outside, and his sunglasses did little to mitigate the early morning sun glaring at his lenses. Outside a few changelings were several yards away, who apparently had been peeking at the cave until Reddling emerged. A panicked hiss came from the bugs as they scampered to fly off, moving as fast as they could to get back to safety.

"Hey- Oi!" Reddling gave chase up the hill before putting a hoof into his mouth and trying to whistle. It wasn't the best whistle anypony had ever done, but despite his lack of skill it did get the attention of the Chanelings. One brave drone turned around, waiting.

"You there," Reddling called with a little pant. "Changeling. I need your assistance."

"You- You what?" The Changeling said in their musical voice.

"Just, wait will you?" Reddling begged. Clearing his throat, Reddling quickly continued, "I need to speak to your Princess Pupae, if she has a moment to talk with a diplomat. Also, if you have any cups, I'd like them."

The Changelings blinked at each other for a moment. Reddling had lost most of them from the start, but all but one Changeling looked utterly bewildered at the concept of a cup.

"You want to talk to the Princess?" One of the drones said.

"Yes! The one who met us at the mouth of the cave." Reddling sighed impatiently.

"Cups... no cups." Said another changeling, turning to his friends.

"Shame," Reddling said pointedly. "Anyway, will you please tell your Princess that I request audience with her? I have so much I want to learn." Well, that's only a partial lie. What I'd really like to know is how much they know.

"Okay." The brave drone said, backing away with its fellows. Reddling turned without another word to the drone and returned to his cave. He had barely put his coat on and secured the wine from Silverfield before the faint buzz of wings filled the air. Stepping into a shady part near the edge of the cave, Reddling watched as Pupae landed. In the sunlight it was much easier to make out her shining, transparent wings. She quickly laid them down against the carapace on her body as she turned to look at Reddling quizzically.

"You wished to speak with me?" Pupae asked, her beautiful voice almost ensnaring Reddling without the smell of whatever perfume she had on.

No- that' not perfume. It can't be, they don't even have a use for cups... Reddling's eyes lit up a bit as he sat down the wine, trying not to let Pupae see the surprise on his face. Those are pheromones, like bees or something. Bugs communicate with pheromones and signals, I guess they shouldn't be much different. Even if they aren't monsters, they've got some relation to them.

"You were a pony once weren't you?" Reddling asked, motioning to the bottle and sitting down in the shade. "I was wondering if you would share a drink with me? Even if you're surrendering to Equestria, there isn't a need to us to be unfriendly."

Pupae let out a small laugh at the pony comment, holding a hoof up to her face to shush her own giggles. "A pony? No, I've never been a pony- though I've pretended to be one on a few occasions."

"Shame, you get the furry coat and all that," Reddling commented as he uncorked the wine. "Does your kind drink wine?"

"Not normally, though if you are offering to share, I will accept. 'Tis better to give than to receive, and I would not deny you that chance." Pupae took a seat next to Reddling, looking around the cave before glancing down at the wine. Reddling took a little sip of the wine first, then offered it to her.

Pupae levitated the bottle of magic with a green aura towards herself. Sniffing the bottle, Pupae frowned slightly as she rolled the bottle over in her magic.

"Ah- this is Silverfieldian wine?" Pupae asked carefully.

"Y-Yes, it is," Reddling said, a little surprised. As much drinking as Silverfieldians did, it was hard for him to tell the difference just based on smell between an Equestrian and a Silverfieldian drink at times. Indeed, it was even more amazing that a creature that did not usually drink wine made the distinction offhoofedly. "I believe that is from the year 752 or so. Um, how did you know that it was...?"

"I am very sorry," Pupae said, pushing the wine back into Reddling's hooves. "I must decline your offer."

"That's a shame. Is it not to your liking?" Reddling asked, slightly taken aback at the sudden change in tone.

Pupae thought for a few moments, glancing around the cave aimlessly. "How do I put this... It is because Silverfield is cursed. We do not go there, and we will not feed there."

"Cursed?" Reddling asked in bemusement. His words echoing his thoughts as he continued, "How is it cursed? That happens to be my homeland you know."

Pupae gave a curious shrug. "Drones who feed there do not come back right. If they go too often, then go mad and must be killed. Long ago there were hives near to Silverfield. They have long since been abandoned. Exactly why, I could not tell you. We do not deal with such things."

"... That's odd." Reddling said, taking another sip of the wine, "Our history doesn't have you recorded anywhere to my knowledge. There are a few creatures here and there that might resemble Changelings, but we could never capture any for study. They were passed off as parts of foaltales to get them to sleep at night when they bothered the village.

Pupae smiled, letting out a little giggle. "That is good to know. Our kind should be nothing more than foal tales and legends when we do our jobs right." The two of them sat silent for a few moments before Reddling cleared his throat.

"I have a rather- a theory, if you would help me." Reddling said, looking to Pupae. She gave a little nod for Reddling to continue on, "One of the captured drones in Equestria could not explain a concept to me, nor could an Equestrian Princess with any degree of... tangibility."

I can't believe my impulsive actions. I'll need to be in control from now on if I wan to stay alive. "I attacked them in fury when they refused to explain something that your kind eats. You call it Love, but that word doesn't exist in my home language. I think that perhaps it is why your drones are never right when they go to Silverfield, if my theory is correct."

"That does seem to make sense, yes." Pupae said, looking at Reddling, "If your kind does not possess any love, then if we tried to feed, we would take in... something else. Other less savory emotions- poisonous things."

Reddling grinned, nodding. "I- I know it isn't funny, but you took the words right out of my mouth. The drone I met back then told me I had it, but I always feel sick when the subject comes up. I'm not sure how Equestrians deal with it, much less how you eat it. Can you explain?"

"It," Pupae blinked. "You want me to explain love to you?"

"Rather, the applications of it. If your kind eats it, you must know hundreds of love recipes." Reddling suggested.

Pupae gave another slight giggle. "I suppose you could say that, yes. It is a powerful attraction between two creatures, and creates a bond deeper than any other. When it is returned on both sides, it leaves both stronger for its existence." Reddling rubbed his chin, listening to Pupae as she continued to go on, "We feed off of it, either by replacing one who another feels affection for and being freely given it, or by seducing them until they've lowered their guard, and taking it."

"That sounds terrible." Reddling said. "I mean- useful, but a little crude. Thanks though, that was insightful."

Reddling stared down at the wine, picking up the cork and putting it back into the bottle. There can't be any truth to this Silverfield curse. Silverfield might be corrupt but- but it's still better than bugland or Equestria!

Right?

"Is that all you wished to know?" Pupae asked, looking down at the stoppered wine.

"I'd like to know how to make Equestria more sympathetic to your hive. We'll simply have to wait to see what the night brings us though." Reddling looked up at her, giving the Princess a fangy smile.

"I suppose we shall see what your Princess says." Pupae returned the smile just as fangily.

"Pleasant Dreams to you then." Reddling waved to her as she stood up.

"Farewell, pony. You'll have to excuse any drones who may visit. You must understand, you three are an object of curiosity." Pupae said, motioning at the mouth of the cave.

"I'd be rather wary if they did anything else. Don't worry, I don't bite... usually." Reddling returned to his smile, keeping a little smirk in it this time.

"I don't think you'd find me very tasty, nor do I think you'd enjoy being bitten by me at all." Pupae said.

"I'm afraid I don't drink the blood of your kind." Reddling said with a wink. Pupae gave a small nod, thinking about that for a moment as she flew off, her wings buzzing happily.

The rest of Reddling's shift proved uneventful as he waited for the time to wake Tops to come. When finally it was creeping into the afternoon hours, Reddling turned from the sun tiredly and poked Tops on the shoulder.

"Tops. Tops wake up." Reddling said quietly.

"Uh- what?" Tops said sleepily.

"Watchtime." Reddling said.

"Oh- Right." Tops stood up almost drunkenly and moved towards the cave mouth, sitting in the now nearly vanished shade. Reddling fell back on his sleeping bag, completely exhausted. Right as Reddling had folded up his Ssunglasses, a shadow passed over his face, and Tops peered down at him, a long knife with a light all it's own in his mouth. Tops sat the knife down gently on Reddling's chest.

"That's yours, I think. You forgot it." Tops said sleepily. Reddling made a note to quickly wipe off any parts of the blade Tops' mouth had touched with his coat before giving the blade one long, sensual lick. Tops simply stared at Reddling for a few moments. Reddling tilted his eyes towards Tops, then down at his knife. The blade was currently in his mouth. Reddling's pink tongue was laying against the flat side, lapping at the cold metal.

"You really like that knife." Tops said, more awake now.

"Uh huh." Reddling said, pulling Ausfall out of his mouth and sheathing it. "Likes, yes. Yes, I do like it..." Reddling turned over and started to crawl into his sleeping bag. He could tell Tops was giving him some confused looks, but Reddling didn't care. He had not even bothered to remove his coat, because at the moment that didn't matter to him. Leaning against the pillow as he fell asleep, Reddling gave a soft sigh into Ausfall's sheathe, which was currently pressed to his lips and neck.

Five Years Later

Lieutenant Reddlling found himself in the halls of Canterlot. There were a few dayponies milling around, sometimes admiring his armor. Reddling no longer had his old set of armor, but instead wore a customized set that allowed him to hide an innumerable number of weapons. Pieces of armor could be worn both under and over his trench coat, making it very hard to figure out where he was armored and where he was not. Today, he was taking a trip up to see Princess Luna. He'd made this trip a thousand times before, but today something felt different. When he arrived in Princess Luna's quarters, she had a large stack of different files in front of her. Two stuck out on the top, both labeled "Canterlot- Autumn" and "Silverfield- Early Winter"

Reddling blinked at the files. There were some hundred case studies here, but he wasn't sure why that involved him. Everything had been documented very carefully though, that much he could figure out. Before Reddling had a chance to lean forward and learn more however, he felt two bulky guards grab him from behind. Luna's face was not one of peace or contentment, but rather one that was cross. pure contempt rolled across her face as she glared at Reddling with angry eyes.

..And not only are you banished from Equestria, but also the guard. I'm going to ensure you never harm another pony this way again. Normally we would execute a pony under these circumstances, but I think you'll find living as a normal earth pony again in your bitter,  curséd land, a much more compelling and Interesting fate.

Reddling turned from Luna, trying to pull himself away from the two guards holding him.  Midnight and Nightshade looked back at him, both wearing totally different expressions. While Midnight's was simply one of utter disgust, Nightshade's was marred by a bitter disappointment.

Reddling's head snapped back to Luna as she stood up, glaring down at him. "You knew it would catch up to you someday, Vampire, Traitor, Assassin.

"Stop touching me!" Reddling screamed, punching blindly at the area around him as he rolled over in his sleeping bag.

"Reddling, wake up. Nopony is touching you." Tops said from across the room. Both he and Nightshade were standing a safe distance away from Reddling. Nightshade glanced to her left, nodding to the figure of Ausfall laying on the ground.

"This is why you sleep alone." Nightshade said pointedly. "This isn't the first time you've thrown a knife at me in your sleep."

"Yeah, whatever." Reddling mumbled, pulling himself out of bed and beginning to pack up his things. Tops and Nightshade were already partially packed, but not completely ready to go. "Where's the Queen?"

"Outside waiting for us, she said we can take our time." Tops replied. Reddling just grunted.

Take our time? The more time we take, the better chance your hive gets roasted on a split and served to pigs. Reddling blinked wearily as different scenes from his dream shifted in front of him. Sometimes the Nightmares are obviously fake after I wake up.  However, that last one... That one felt real. Those case files- they were about ponies blood I had been drinking... And what will happen to me if I don't stop.

"I still don't like this." Nightshade said. Reddling grunted at her, finishing up with his gear and turning to his friends.

"Let's get going, I'm very ready to sleep in a real bed again." Reddling said.

The flight towards Equestria proved very uneventful at first. Despite protests from Tops and Nightshade, Reddling had reasoned it would be better to allow the drones with Chrysalis to remain comfortable rather than be forced to take on shapes foreign to them. Chrysalis had six identical drones around her the entire flight, two of whom had taken point for the group. Nightshade had been absolutely opposed to letting the Changelings fly behind her, and Reddling was not totally in disagreement with her sentiments.

The flight had been almost painfully slow. Before departing Reddling had ordered for Chrysalis to fly in front, however she had replied with a request. According to her, Changeling drones could not fly as fast as bat ponies. At their current speed, three days would be the minimum added to the trip. Reddling had done the math, and even without a detour to Silverfield, it would still take them almost twice as long to get back. If the bat ponies pressed hard, they could make the flight from here to Canterlot in one full night and arrive around noon. Reddling didn't believe that this was the fastest the drones could fly, but at the current time he knew they had not choice but to comply.

"I can't believe how slow we're going." Nightshade hissed. Reddling waved a hoof at her, watching the ground below them as they descended. A small, familiar oasis existed here, complete with muddy banks and dirty water. The drones instantly landed in the water, drinking from it and washing themselves over.

"Why are we stopping?" Reddling asked, trying to keep the demanding tone in his voice down. Chrysalis motioned to her drones nonchalantly.

"My drones must rest and cool down often." Chrysalis said. Nightshade groaned behind Reddling, trotting forward and pointing a hoof at Chrysalis.

"You are intentionally slowing us down!" Nightshade cried. Tops put a hoof on her shoulder as Reddling stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the queen.

"I will admit, we're going far too slow for my tastes," Reddling said, pausing to look over at the drones for a second, "You're sure this is the fastest we can go?"

"I'm afraid we are very different from ponies, and it is much easier to overheat." Chrysalis said. Reddling removed his helmet, letting some air wash over his face.

It's very cool out tonight, almost cool enough to warrant a heavier jacket if you don't have fur. Your drones should be fine. Reddling put his helmet back on, nodding to Chrysalis.

"Let's not-" Reddling was cut off as an angry growl erupted from the ground. Several of the dirt dogs had emerged from the ground and begun throwing rocks at the drones.

"Our water! Go home stinkbugs! SHOO!" The dirt dogs screamed, several of their rocks colliding with the drones. Reddling blinked as one drone was hit in the head with a small rock. The creature was apparently unphased, as the drone only betrayed a frown before continuing to drink.

"Let's not take too long." Reddling tried again, taking a step away from the mud. "I'd really like for us to try and make some good time tonight."

Turning from Chrysalis, Reddling approached his friends, both of whom had very serious looks on their faces.

"We certainly aren't making quick progress... I hope we aren't caught in the daylight." Tops said, adding a little groan at the end.

"That's exactly what is going to happen at this rate," Reddling growled. "And it's going to be multiple days in a row at our current pace."

"Well what do you want me to do about it?" Nightshade asked, looking between the two of them as she gesturing at the drones. "Make them go faster? Sorry, I left my whips at home."

"I don't need to know about your whips, Nightshade." Reddling waved a hoof at her. "Nothing we say is going to make them go faster, so we're just going to have to tough this out. Do you each have enough rations to make it home at this pace? Once we get to Equestria we can just graze, but until then..."

"We should be okay." Tops said. "If you two need something i have some extra, and like you said when we get to Equestria we can just graze."

"Uck." Reddling coughed, "We'll wait for them to finish cool off, I've got a few things to mention anyway once we're moving. They probably can't hear us over the buzzing of their wings anyway."

Waiting for the bugs to finish cooling off and resume their flight, Reddling hung in the back with his friends, keeping a careful eye on the Changelings.

"And STAY OUT!" A dirt dog cried from behind them.

"What did you think of... Pewpei? Pupae?" Reddling asked, looking at Tops and Nightshade, "Princess- whatever, back at the hive."

"I don't like any of them, they're just pretending to be nice," Nightshade said pointedly, stopping for a moment before adding, "And they stink."

"I think they smell nice." Reddling replied.

"Maybe sucking on your knife had addled your sense of smell." Nightshade retorted.

"That's actually what I was going to talk about," Reddling hissed, "I was told about something that kills them- no, worse, it drives them insane."

"I don't know if I like the idea of a horde of insane Changelings, but okay, what is it?" Tops asked.

"Look- Nightshade, don't whine please- but Equestrian and Silverfieldian blood tastes different." Reddling said, looking between his friends. "Pupae told me that Silverfield is "cursed." When drones go there, they come back wrong."

"I'd believe it." Nightshade snarked. "So what, are you going to force them to visit so they all go insane?"

Reddling slapped his hoof onto the top of his helmet. "My point is keep your ears open. I don't think everything they're saying is lies, because Pupae would not touch the Silverfieldian wine I brought her."

"Maybe it smelled bad too." Nightshade offered.

Reddling sighed again. "Look, this has to stay between us, alright? Nopony can know that I can confirm that the changelings might be right on this."

"Okay Reddling- we won't." Tops promised, looking over at Nightshade. She gave one of her ever so curt nods before looking forward.

The Night Guard found their hopes dashed many miles later when the sun began to rise, Nightshade let out an almost feral hiss in the direction of the sun as the rays began to invade the sky. The group landed with Nightshade almost kicking the wasted earth, letting out some of her fury on the ground.

"I'll take first watch." Reddling offered to his friends, looking around.

"We're going to have to sleep in the sun again!" Nightshade complained. Reddling gave a little nod of approval, taking off his coat and wrapping it over his shoulders.

"Queen Chrysalis, do you know of any nearby caves where we could sleep out of the sun's rays?" Reddling asked, turning to Chrysalis.

"Oh- how inconsiderate of us." Chrysalis replied, looking at her Changelings. "Drones, if you would..."  The drones did not even blink before turning and assaulting the ground with their gnarled hooves. Reddling and the others stood back as soil sprayed into the air.

When the dust finally began to clear, the Night Guard wiped dust from their helmets and looked down at what was a somewhat cozy looking hole in the ground. Although it would be cramped, there was defiantly enough room for for everyone to squeeze inside.

"Finished, my queen!" A drone cried from inside, pocking his head out from the burrow.

"...Right then." Reddling said. "Like I said, I'll take first watch, who wants second watch?"

"Wonderful work." Chrysalis said to the drone, turning back to the bat ponies. "My drones need someplace dark and cool to rest. You are welcome to join them if you wish."

"With all due respect, Chrysalis, I'd rather not." Tops said, backing away to Nightshade's side and giving Reddling a small pat on the shoulder. "I'll take second watch."

"Suit yourselves." Chrysalis said before descending into the burrow. Nightshade quickly cast a shroud spell around Tops and herself, this time leaving Reddling out in the elements.

"Damn sun, and now I don't have anypony to talk to." Reddling huffed, settling himself between the slowly drifting forms of Nightshade and Tops and the burrow. Nightshade and tops curled up together, covering each other's heads with their wings. Reddling felt another pang shoot through his heart as he stared at them sadly.

Hours passed, and the sun began to bake onto the world. Reddling growled at the sun as he felt the heat prick at exposed skin. He had grown so used to the nighttime, being indoors, or being totally covered by Nightshade's shroud that he was liable to sunburn.

Rather than become a cooked pony, Reddling found himself scooting into the burrow with the Changelings. The creatures had strewn themselves out in the burrow, trying to hog as much shade as they could. Most appeared to be laying on top of each other without a care, doing everything from sitting on another's head to being upside down in corners. Chrysalis was asleep in a corner, a drone laying over her hooves

Sound sleepers. Reddling thought, settling into the darkness. The closer he got to the changelings, the more he could hear their wings buzzing, filling the burrow with a hypnotic buzz, not  completely unlike that of a gentle breeze.

Reddling looked at each of the drones before noticing that one was looking back at him, clearly awake and ready for whatever might happen. Reddling hesitated, then beckoned for the Changeling to come closer.

"Will you talk to me so I don't fall asleep?" Reddling asked the drone.

The drone cocked it's head curiously. "Talk?"

"Talk." Reddling said. "Banter, to converse, share company."

"You want to... share company... with me?" The drone said slowly.

"We both speak the same language, odd as I find that." Reddling said. "I think that those words mean the same thing." The drone thought for a few moments before nodding it's agreement, crawling over one of it's comrades to sit closer to Reddling.

"Do you have a name or something I can call you?" Reddling asked the drone. the drone looked at him as it shapeshifted into a grey pegasus mare, blinking at him carefully. Pegasus ponies...

"A name..." The drone said thoughtfully, looking around before turning back with a smile, "I suppose you can call me Muddy Bottom today, since we have been digging! What would you like to talk about?"

"Alright Muddy." Reddling said, shrugging a bit at the question. "What do you think- hmm, about being selected to go on this mission? It must be quite an honor  to accompany your queen. She picked you and five others above the rest, right?"

"Ah!" The drone said excitedly. "Yes, it is always a pleasure to be with our Queen. I am very lucky to be asked to come with her."

"Even though you're traveling the wastes? I'm amazed that your kind can survive out here." Reddling said.

"It is difficult, but we work together and make do." Muddy nodded. "A Changeling might be weak alone, but our hive is strong!"

"You don't seem to have many sources of fresh water or food out here though. Ever a strong hive cannot survive without those two things, right? How do you farm out here, or survive without it?" Reddling scooted further into the hive, waiting for a response. After a few moments, he felt a hoof wrap around him, helping him scoot further from the sun.

Reddling felt his body balk as he removed the pony hoof from his side, pushing it away. 'If you would not touch me..."

"Of course..." The drone said, a little sadness marring it's voice.

...You know, this thing is a pegasus, I wonder if it could take any shape I asked it too.

"Muddy, you can take whatever shape you want, can't you? That's how you... Changelings work, right?' Reddling asked. Excitement began to rise in his chest as he totally forwent his previous question, leaning forward eagerly now.

"As long as it's not too big or small, I can, yes." Muddy replied, "I probably couldn't make myself look like my Queen, though I would never do something so vain as that..."

"So you could look just like me!?" Reddling demanded, his face now only a few inches from Muddy's face. The Changeling gave him a shining grin.

"I could!" Muddy decreed.

"Okay!" Reddling said, backing up a bit. "But- no bat wings. I want them to be red, feathery wings, like my coat. can you keep those?"

"Easy." Muddy said, lowering his head. Reddling could not hold back his high pitched squeal of delight.

'Would- would you? Could you indulge me, please?" Reddling whispered, once again drawing closer to Muddy. Muddy nodded, and a magical fire enveloped him. Even though bits of the flame touched Reddling, it did not hurt or burn- not that he would have felt it anyway. All that he cared about was staring at himself, who stared right back.

Muddy had been true to their word, keeping all aspects of Reddling except for the wings. Stormy grey bat eyes, tufted ears, and fangs adorned Reddling's features, which were neither fair nor ugly. His coat was a dull, almost sickly red with a painted deep purple mane. Reddling turned his head from his face and looked at the Changeling's back, his heart almost stopping at the sight of feathery wings sitting on his back.

"May I...?" Reddling asked weakly.

"Of course!" Muddy said happily, extending a wing for Reddling. Reddling gingerly extended his hooves, stroking the wing. He made sure to carefully run a hoof over every feather he could make out, memorizing its' feel. Even if he was walking into a trap and Rainy thought he was a monster now, for Reddling this chance had made the entire trip worth it. Every soft and fluffy feather on his hooves was a precious memory that instantly became a bitter reminder of what could have been and now never would be. The pain aside, Reddling found no words to describe the feeling. It was as if he had been lifted out of the dirty hole around him and his chest had been filled with a softness that eased his muscles and numbed his mind with a pleasant and gentle coolness.

For a few moments, everything felt more intense and amplified. Reddling thought his heart might burst for a bit before the feeling began to fade. Slowly, the good and happy feeling was being sucked away. Muddy had a look of bliss on their face, practically leaning into Reddling and getting lost in the feeling. Reddling sat there for a few moments, letting the feelings drain away until he could not take it anymore. Giving the drone a push, Reddling backed up and continued to look at those wings- No, my wings. Those are MY wings!

"Are you alright?" The drone asked. "You look a bit pale, maybe you should rest."

"No- no, I have to keep watch..." Reddling whispered, a lightheaded feeling soaking into his brain as his bones grew heavy and weak.

"Hah... pale, because I'm a bat... that's funny." Reddling giggled dreamily.

"I was keeping watch before you came, there's no harm in resting." Muddy said.

"I wouldn't want to subject you to my nightmarish whimpering as I sleep." Reddling whispered.

"We sleep like rocks." Muddy said. Reddling watched as his clone pointed at two changelings, one of whom was jabbing their horn into the flank of a fellow.

"I like to keep my dreams to myself..." Reddling said, suddenly losing himself in thoughts. You know, if Luna can enter my dreams, and Nightshade has learned the same trick, I have to wonder if maybe we could use a method like this to talk in the dream world. We could communicate in the future without needing dragonfire.

"Would you like to talk about something else then?" The drone asked. "What about you? You're on a quest from your Princess! I am sure you are proud."

"Well- yes, my Princess." Reddling smirked. "Not quite. I'm a pony from Silverfield, serving in the Night Guard."

Muddy's eyes went wide as he backed away suddenly, a look of panic spreading over Reddling's features. "You- Silverfieldian?"

"You won't get sick, if that's what you're scared of." Reddling said. "A prisoner fed on me, and they've been fine." at least, they were last time I checked.

The Changeling dropped it's disguise, their face now sick with panic. "I- I don't want to- I don't want to hurt anyone. Get out of my way, I have to go!" The drone said, making to leave the burrow.

"Hey! Hold on there!" Reddling said, grabbing it around the chest and pulling the Changeling back down.

"AH!" Muddy cried, shielding his face. "No, NO!"

The gentle hum of the changeling's wings stopped. A dozen glowing green eyes suddenly lit up the hole, all of them staring at Reddling as the drone continued to cry out.

"What is this- curse." Reddling looked up, drawing a sharp breath at the sight of the Changelings all staring at him. "-What is the danger in feeding on a pony from Silverfield exactly?"

"Ah- My Queen! I am sorry!" Muddy almost sobbed. It was not quite a sob but rather what Reddling assumed was the equivalent for Changelings.

"Reddling, release him. Come here, drone." Chrysalis said. Reddling released the bug, letting it trot over to Chrysalis as he drew his coat around himself, keeping an eye on the glowing eyes. Muddy rushed over to Chrysalis and hugged her tightly.

"We do not know..." Chrysalis said, looking up at Reddling for a few moments. "Should a drone feed in your land, they become violent and ill. They turn against their hive, destroying what they once loved- destroying themselves."

"A couple of my countryponies and the Changeling race would be finished." Reddling said solemnly.

"Be at ease." Chrysalis said, looking back down to her drone. The scared creature stopped shaking and sat still as Chrysalis lit her horn, tracing it over Muddy's body a few times.

"...Hm, you are not afflicted." Chrysalis said, sounding amazed and looking up at Reddling. "There is no need to worry." Muddy looked absolutely relieved to hear the new. Reddling reasoned that it was something like a cancer patient being told that they were cured, finally, once and for all.

"You should be glad you woke us, otherwise this one would have fled to try and protect us." Chrysalis said, nodding to the drone.

To these creatures, I am one of the pale horses. I am the harbinger of pestilence. Something from a cursed land of hellish nightmares where only the mad can return from.

Chrysalis looked back down to her drone, patting them on the head while saying, "Consider yourself very lucky. Perhaps their curse holds no power outside their silvered lands. Perhaps some other power has stripped it from him- Balefly's mark may have protected you from it. Don't worry, you are safe. Return to your rest drones, I will watch for a bit."

The drone obediently closed it's eyes with the others. in a few moments their wings gently began to buzz again. Chrysalis stared over at Reddling curiously, narrowing her eyes.

"You." The queen said simply.

"Me." Reddling said, somewhat defensively.

"You are quite... open minded, for a pony," Chrysalis said, "Why?"

"I dream of a world without hate or a need for revenge." Reddling said, closing his eyes for a moment. "That is a world I will make, but it cannot be found if we breed more hate, taboos, and social stigmas."

"Perhaps..." Chrysalis said slowly, raising a hoof to her chin. "Perhaps, Reddling... would you like to join my Hive?"

Reddling was not prepared for this question. The answer of "I cannot be like them" escaped his lips as he stared at Muddy Bottom, who was asleep on Chrysalis's hoof.

"And why not?" Chrysalis asked. "Perhaps you think them stupid, dumb... but they are not. They are simple, yet clever and intelligent. You would still be yourself, simply part of something bigger. Something grander and stronger."

"...As nice as that sounds, that is not my destiny." Reddling said, looking down at the plate of armor that covered his cutie mark and sighing. "It would be wrong for me to walk the easy road instead of doing what I must."

"Suit yourself, but our kind knows, more than any other, that sometimes things have a way of... changing. The offer stands." Chrysalis said with a smile.

"Thank you." Reddling said, bowing his head. "This better world I want to make is unfortunately a world that I cannot exist in. Perhaps when my work is done, I will accept your offer if I still can."

"My pleasure. You seem like a good soul. Perhaps in the future you will reconsider." Chrysalis said, maintaining her smile. She nodded down at her drone, lowering her voice slightly. "Also, you must excuse my drone. It is quite rude to feed on a guest."

"No I- I offered." Reddling lied. "It gave me insight into something very worthwhile."

"He could still have declined." Chrysalis said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Though it is very hard. There is a hunger that gnaws at our hearts. I am sure you made them very happy for a time. To think for an instant that it would have to flee... a self imposed exile to protect the ones they love. turning away from Home, Hive, and Queen to run, alone for fear of being contaminated."

Love, what a silly and dreamy concept. "My friend suspects this is a trap." Reddling said, trying to change the subject.

"I am not surprised. Your kind can be so suspicious." Chrysalis said. Reddling shook his head, lifting up a hoof and gesturing out at the open sky above.

"I don't think you understand. It's concepts like exile for love or love for each other that makes all these issues. That's the catch about all this. Equestria and Changelings could be rational, but instead you allow your base animal desires and needs to rule reason. Maybe that's why you can't feed in Silverfield- because we don't adhere to such a silly concept like love. Ponies use their faith as a guide. What good would that drone do by running off and dying because it might be sick, and, what good is suspecting a trap when you know it will only create tension?"

Chrysalis blinked stupidly at Reddling for a couple of seconds before he raised a hoof and waved it huffily at the air. "Forget it."

"Perhaps all this will be resolved with our meeting with your Princess?" Chrysalis asked.

"Equestria only knows how to breed sorrow. I'm not sure we'll even make it to the meeting without every one of us being shot full of arrows." Reddling said bitterly.

"I am confident we will be allowed an audience." Chrysalis said.

"I hope I have a nice funeral." Reddling yawned. peeking out at the sky, he saw that the sun was already high up, baking the wasted lands below. Scrunching up his face, Reddling retreated back to Chrysalis's side.

"...If you will excuse me, I must retire. My friend will take this lookout." Reddling said apologetically to Chrysalis.

"Then I will retire as well." Chrysalis said, nudging a drone to wake it up. "Rest well, pony."

Reddling exited the burrow and shook Tops awake. The sleepy green pony took a few moments to adjust, but then righted himself nodding. Reddling turned to return to the burrow as Tops coughed.

"Reddling- are you sure it's a good idea to go in there?" Tops asked.

"It'll be fine." Reddling said, wrapping his coat around himself and settling into the back of the cave. The buzz of the Changeling's wings created a quiet hum. An almost sweet scent filled the air before Reddling felt himself pass into his dreams.

Reddling felt his eyes force themselves open. Above him the moon was casting down a strange light that was tinted green. The stars in the heavens were swirling in a wild and insane, yet maddeningly slow dance. Each turn seemed to take a hundred aeons.

Reddling felt his head with a hoof as he looked around, the entire world blurring into some sort of ugly motion. All around him odd stone trees were rising up. The pillars were cared and ripping with green ooze, although the branches still ended in sprawling green leaves.

Below Reddling as a clear and peaceful lake. Raising a hoof and putting it back down, Reddling watched as silver ripples traveled across the surface, scarring the sky and trees reflected in the surface.

When the water settled, Reddling found three reflections looking back at him. The first was an earth pony, looking coldly upwards and holding a familiar decorated knife in his mouth. He was scarred, dark, and stormy with his only comfort, friend, and drive clutched between his teeth. To the side of this flightless pony was a bat pony, standing tall and proud. They had found a new purpose and bound themselves to duty. Finally, on the corner of Reddling's eye, he saw a Changeling. The drone's eyes were glowing green, happy to be serving a greater purpose and finding satisfaction in it's devotion to Queen, the solidarity of hive mates, and in the emotional ties stolen from others.

"You're all so different. But how do I know which of you I am? Which of you will I become?" Reddling asked his reflections. Each reflection repeated Reddling's question back to him.

Raising a hoof, Reddling stomped it into the lake. "What is it you want!? What do you desire!?" Reddling raised his head from the water and stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move. Turning, Reddling watched as his shadow stood on it's own. It was not a reflection of him, but rather a void. The blank nothing stretched out from each of his hooves and on into the forever.

"It's you." Reddling said, frowning. "You know that all this is really creepy, right?" Staring into the void, Reddling could start to make out an image. It was some ruined castle, with spires of Canterlot rising around it. Pictures of caves in the bat pony coven flashed by, each of their walls lined like the interior of a changeling hive.

"I don't- understand. Is Canterlot in danger? What do you want of me?" Reddling demanded, raising a hoof. The shadow kept itself around his hoof, revealing a pair of slitted bat eyes in it's darkness. A mouth cracked open, revealing jagged teeth and sharp fangs. They were at once clearly visible and indistinguishable against the void behind it. A high pitched, familiar giggle echoed from the shadow as Reddling leaned forward.

"...Web?"

The teeth parted to speak in Web's voice, but it was horribly wrong. There was some clattering in it, like a broken record that continued to skip every syllable whilst moving on to the next. It was unmistakably Web's voice and at the same time terrible and monstrous.

"You know what I want!

Reddling drew a sharp breath before a scream of panic escaped his lips. The sound echoed around the burrow as he drew his knife, running for the entryway of the burrow.

A fourth choice, Nightmares.

Half a dozen drones and a Queen snapped awake with Reddling, their eyes moving to his knife. Three drones threw themselves at Reddling, pinning him against the wall of the burrow.

"Tops! Reddling!" Nightshade yelled in panic from above the burrow. Reddling gave the Changelings a shove, pushing his way past them. One Changeling took a hoof to the face as it's fellow accepted the butt end of Reddling's Night Guard knife. The third Changeling was too slow for Reddling as he escaped the burrow, his vision stained with tears as he panted for air.

"Get the hell off me!" Reddling yelled back at the burrow, stumbling towards his friends. Nightshade pulled him away with a hoof, standing between the Changelings and the other bat ponies. Tops hurried to her side, clicking out his claws and staring angrily at the drones beginning to poke their heads out of the hole.

"I knew we couldn't trust those bastards! What did they do to you!?" Nightshade snarled.

"Just grabbed me- What's going on? Who's attacking us!?" Reddling said, pulling out his sword and facing away from his friends. The wastes looked just as dead as they had before he fell asleep.

"They are!" Nightshade cried. "They're attacking you! You screamed!' The drones positioned themselves around the hole in a flurry of wings, crouching defensively at the edge and hissing angrily. After a few heavy breaths, Reddling sheathed his sword, confident he was alone except for the bugs and his two friends.

"Put your weapons away, you're only going to agitate them." Reddling coughed to his friends.

"What the hell happened!?" Nightshade asked.

"Nothing- It wasn't them." Reddling said, sitting down. The dream had left him with an odd feeling of lightheadedness and a strong urge to quickly return to Canterlot. Something felt very wrong, but he wasn't sure what.

"Reddling- are you alright?" Tops said, punctuating every word.

"Yes!" Reddling cried desperately. "We- We need to get moving. the sooner we get to Equestria, the better.

"No." Nightshade said. "No, you rawled into a hole with those things, start screaming, and I come in and see you being pinned down. You tell us what the hell happened, because there is enough bullshit on this stupid mission without you adding to it!"

"For the love of Luna..." Reddling coughed again. "Please Nightshade, I will tell you Later! It was not them, okay?"

"He speaks the truth." Chrysalis said, emerging from the burrow. "We made no move to harm him, and held him to prevent him from lashing out."

"Please, let's just get moving again..." Reddling insisted.

"If there's no danger... I think that's for the best. Lead on, Queen Chrysalis." Tops put a hoof on Nightshade's shoulder. A feral growl was still echoing from her throat as she stared at the Changelings.

"Very well." Chrysalis said. WIthout any ceremony, the Changelings rose into an evening sky. Reddling looked at the horizon to make sure the sun was low enough for comfortable flight before putting on his helmet. No one dared say a word as they made their way into the air again. Once the bugs were a good distance ahead of the bats, Nightshade pulled Reddling aside and glared at him.

"Alright, it's later. What happened?" Nightshade asked.

"There is something amiss here, that's obvious." Reddling said. "I should really take Web's medicine, because these Nightmares are getting worse. They gave me a bad feeling about Canterlot for some reason, and I can't shake this feeling of dread."

"...Or you could just let me start dreamwalking!" Nightshade insisted.

"My head is a fearful place. I don't want you to be appalled or judge me harshly because of what you find." Reddling warned.

"Yeah, there are rules and stuff about it. Unless something terrible is happening, I won't do anything. Whatever's in your head is private."

"...Alright- then you can visit if you can or want too, I guess. You might prevent more screaming." Reddling pasued for a moment, then looked up at the drones in front of him. "Still, I'd prefer we focus on getting to Equestria over dreamtrotting. We're moving way too slow."

"Right, but we're stuck with these bugs for now, so there's nothing we can do." Nightshade said, shaking a hoof angrily at the Changelings.

"I really think we should send one pony ahead. We don't know what's going on in Equestria, it'd be good to check out-" Reddling was cut off as Nightshade interrupted him with an angry hiss.

"We stick together!" Nightshade made sure to punctuate every syllable.

"Then we'll have to leave them here and meet them at the border. I have this terrible feeling that we should be in Canterlot, and not here." Reddling bit back his tongue.

"I'm fine with ditching them, even if it's for a gut feeling." Nightshade said bluntly.

"Next time they stop for water we'll leave them and fly full force to Equestria. We might have to fly through part of the day, but since we won't be going roundabout through Silverfield it shouldn't be too hard."

"No- We can make it there sooner than that." Nightshade said. "If we leave them right now and fly full force, We can make it to Canterlot from here by morning." Nightshade pointed down at the ground. Reddling and Tops both looked down, searching for whatever she was pointing her hoof at. Here and there were little patches of what seemed to be dirt, and rising from them were little green blades.

"Grass." Tops pointed out.

"Great observation." Nightshade said, keeping with her bluntness.

"Alright, stop it. Let's signal for the Changelings to land, and tell them the plan. Just give me a moment to think of something." Reddling looked down at the ground, then back up at Chrysalis. Leading his companions forward, Reddling drew up beside the bugs and motioned for them to head towards the ground. After a few seconds the bugs began to descend, the Night Guard following close behind.

"Yes?" Chrysalis said as soon as Reddling landed. Reddling took a moment to catch his breath and compose himself before looking at Chrysalis.

"Queen Chrysalis, We are responsible for your safety, and I wish to make sure the path ahead is clear before you trot into it. We are going to scout to Canterlot and then double back for you. I don't rust Equestria, and I would rather not see any traps sprung that they did not make my group privy too.: Reddling nodded to himself at the end. that seemed like a good enough story.

"I would rather have somepony with us to vouch for our honest intentions should we be questioned." Chrysalis replied.

"Disguise yourselves and nopony is going to know the difference." Reddling said. Chrysalis nodded.

"If you insist, then I will. You have proven yourself trustworthy, though your companions... less so." Chrysalis eyed Tops and Nightshade, who both let out hisses.

Reddling thought to himself for a moment, then pulled off his Night Guard knife, offering it to Chrysalis. "Here, take this. If you are stopped and questioned, show them this. It's a Night Guard weapon, so tell them that you are under our protection. I think it will suffice."

"Very well." Chrysalis had not even finished her words before Reddling took off into the air, his friends following close behind him.

It turned out that Nightshade knew her geography better than Reddling would have guessed. Canterlot began to come into view just as the first rays of sun began to touch the sky. All three of them collectively sighed when the city grew bigger to them, offering plenty of empty streets near the palace for them to land on. Reddling hit the ground trotting, hurrying up to the front gate of the castle. A single, very tired looking, guard was posted here. He only half raised his head to look at the three bat ponies as they approached, still panting and out of breath.

"We're- Reddling Rain, Tops, and Nightshade..." Reddling huffed, lifting his head up and sighing. "And- we're reporting back. We need to see Princess Luna, let us in."

"You're free to enter, but Princess Luna might not be fit for seeing visitors." The guard said emptily.

"What do you mean, not fit?" Reddling asked, still huffing. His gut gave a terrible twinge before the guard had uttered the answer.

Oh god.

"She's been poisoned." The guard said bluntly.

"Excuse me?" Reddling said, blinking

"She's been poisoned. One of her Night Guard found some Changeling venom in her food or drink, but it was too late. I know she is still alive, but extremely ill and bedridden. The whole city is on edge. We thought this mess was over, but I guess it isn't."

"Get out of the way." Reddling said, pushing the guard aside. The guardpony crumpled into a heap on the ground as Reddling strode forward into the courtyard, Nightshade and Tops galloping to his side.

"Reddling!" Tops hissed.

"Oh come on," Reddling whined, still panting, "If I can push that guy down he's not strong enough to be in the guard."

"Hey- wait!" The guard cried from behind them. Reddling turned and shook a hoof at the tired looking guard, who backed away in surprise.

"There are seven ponies headed this way who will claim to be envoys from Hive Chrysalis. They aren't to be harmed." Reddling rounded on his friends. "Let' find Midnight and Bruiser, figure out what the hell happened."

"Hive- What!?" The guard said in surprise, standing up a bit straighter.

"Just shut up!" Reddling said, turning away from the daypony. If it isn't one hive, it's the other. I've had just about enough of this backstabbing.

Premonitions

Treachery

Tops, Nightshade, and Reddling practically kicked down the door as they stormed into the barracks. Bruiser jumped up instantly, looking up at them with an unusual sadness. "T-Tops? Reddling, Nightshade..."

"Bruiser, where is Luna?" Reddling demanded hoarsely. A heat was rising in his chest- no, it was more akin to a bonfire. Twice now he had nearly been beaten to the punch by insects, and a fury overwhelmed all traces of tiredness.

"In her quarters. Web's taking care of her." Bruiser said, trying to force optimism into his voice. He was clearly unhappy and frustrated. Sitting in the barracks was probably not doing him any favors, but at least he had time to be at ease.

Then again, being alone with your own thoughts can be even worse.

Reddling let out a snort and trotted over to a bed, almost falling into it for a moment. Tops and Nightshade occupied a bed together, leaning on each other tiredly as Bruiser continued to speak.

"Well, there's some good news at least- they got the bitch who did it." Bruiser huffed.

"Who?" Reddling asked. Please don't say Cadance

"Princess Cadance." Bruiser said angrily. Reddling stood and let out an angry skee that echoed around the room. Leveling a kick at his bed frame, Reddling connected a hind hoof with the wood to vent his spleen. The bed post shattered to splinters, and the rain of wood bits scattered over the floor. Reddling fumed, turning and heading straight for the door. He wasn't sure exactly what he planned to do yet, but what he did not plan to do was sit in a barracks and wait. All the others had given very visible, noticeable shock at the outburst of sudden fury. Tops had even stood up and moved towards the door, stepping in Reddling's way.

"Reddling! What-" Tops started, but Reddling cut him off,

"That knaving whore! I can't believe she would do this! It can't be." Reddling rounded on Bruiser, glaring intently. "Where are Miss Twilight and Captain Shining Armor?"

"Twilight, dunno." Bruiser said, still a little surprised and distracted by the toothpick remains of what had formerly been part of a bed. "But Shining Armor and his wanna-be wife are in the dungeon."

"And what about Midnight?" Reddling said, motioning to the lack of Midnight Tales in the room.

"Luna." Bruiser rolled his eyes.

"I cannot believe this." Reddling shook his head, leaving the room behind.

"Reddling- hold on, wait!" Tops, Nightshade, and Bruiser all moved with Reddling, exiting the room and entering into the main hall of the barracks. Reddling had stopped, but not for them.

"Shut up- Seriously, shut up!" Reddling hissed, waving a hoof at them before standing completely still. He had heard some sort of movement nearby, but he couldn't tell exactly where it was. "Show yourself! I know you're there!"

A few moments of silence passed with everypony staring around. Then, from the shadows to the left of the hall emerged a very generic grey pegasus with pink eyes. Reddling and the pegasus locked eyes for a few moments, and then Reddling began to draw closer, feeling under his coat. One quick motion and he could draw his crossbow, however he knew it wasn't loaded. Reddling had considered drawing a throwing knife, but it wasn't likely that he could hit the changeling from this distance.

"That's you, isn't it?" Reddling asked. "Star Shine."

"You! Pony! You said you were different!" Star Shine sputtered, quickly trotting over to the bats in the hallway. Reddling removed his hoof from his coat as Star Shine drew closer. The Changeling had a pleading look on his face, not unlike a starved pony begging for food. "You said you wanted to help, that you weren't bad, that you were sorry!"

"Slow down-" Reddling was drowned out as the Changeling practically threw himself forward, pathetically gripping onto anything for support. Reddling caught the pegasus for a couple brief moments before the weight of the drone dragged them both to the floor.

"You have to help, please, Princess did not do this!" Star Shine pleaded.

"Reddling, who the hell is this?" Bruiser said, motioning to the sad pegasus still gripping onto the front of Reddling's coat.

Reddling growled at everyone, grabbing ahold of Star Shine's ear and jerking him backwards. Giving the bug a little push, Reddling motioned to the room wordlessly. Everypony exchanged glances as Reddling followed them back into the room. Catching the door with a wing-claw and shutting it, Reddling proceeded to push Star Shine onto a bed.

"I have had just about enough of all this horseshit." Reddling hissed, pulling out his crossbow. While Reddling knew it wasn't loaded, he didn't suspect that Star Shine knew this. Reddling aimed it just above Star Shine's head, making sure that even if there was a bolt in the crossbow, it would not hit him. Star Shine backed up a bit, his back knocking against the wall as he stared crosseyed at the bottom of the crossbow.

"Bruiser, lock the door," Reddling said quietly, still aiming at Star Shine. When Reddling heard a click from the door, he moved the crossbow to the side and blinked. "Star Shine, you have five minutes. Please, restore my willing suspension of disbelief in changeling lies."

Star Shine sat up straighter, showing remarkable bravery given the fact he was stuck in a barracks crawling with hostile ponies. "Princess met with Celestia and Luna, they talked and planned, then Luna fell ill! Giggle-bat said she found poison in the tea, but I know Princess did not! This is another poison! Changeling poison, but different! She- She wants to be a pony again, she would not..." Star Shine's voice died for a few moments before he managed to look back up, still obviously hurt, "She would not throw it away..."

Reddling sighed and discarded his crossbow onto the bed before sitting. The drone sounded surprisingly convincing, although Reddling was sure it would withhold any vital details it could in order to further the ends of it's two bug hive.

"Let's say I believe you," Reddling offered.  Star Shine's eyes lit up with hope as Reddling looked up at the bug and continued, "Who did poison her?"

"I don't know..." Star Shine said quietly.

Reddling considered for a few moments, then tried again with another question. "Do you know where Miss Sparkle is?"

"Sent away to fetch things." The drone said automatically.

"Right, of course she has." Reddling said sprawling out over the bed's comforter. The bed really was comfortable, but compared to the sleeping situation of the last week or so, any bed would have felt acceptable at this point.

"Okay, so this is a fucking mess," Bruiser said, pointing at the changeling. "Who are you, again?"

Nopony gave Bruiser an answer. All of them were lost in their own tired thoughts, trying to piece together the madness of the last week. Indeed, just the last ten minutes the world had gone from being in run of the mill trouble to overly complicated.

We've been through so much... and my friends are still willing to follow me. How much more can I ask of them? Reddling drew a deep breath before looking up at the faces of his companions. "Guys, I know I've asked for a lot from you since we met, and even more in the last couple weeks. My nephew being terrible to you, the danger of being buggified, and cooking in the sun while listening to my screams from nightmares," Reddling sighed, looking down. "I can't ask any more of you. You've got every right to throw this changeling in jail and just let me be court marshaled or something like I should have been a long time ago."

The room was dead silent for a few minutes. Each occupant continued to look at each other, daring the other to break the delicate silence holding in the room.

"Do you wanna try and prove a princess innocent or just go to bed?" Reddling finally asked exhaustively.

"Oh shut the hell up." Bruiser said bluntly. "Let's figure out what's going on and go kick in the faces of whoever it was."

Reddling sighed again, but this time it was a sigh of relief. He had a personal score to settle with these bugs, and now he had Equestrians- no, he had his friends, his true friends to back him up.

"Tops, Nightshade, you had second and third watch. I want you to stay here with Bruiser and catch a quick nap. I'm going to go with the drone here and see Princess Luna. Me and Midnight will go talk to Cadance after that, and should be back soon." Tops and Nightshade gave grateful nods as Reddling went to his chest and produced a few syringes of evil black liquid.

"Black Agnosia, and enough to put anypony under for a few days. We can use a little of it to knock somepony out if we have too. I don't expect everyone to cooperate, they didn't last time." Reddling explained, tossing three syringes onto his bed for the others.

"Yeah, I got something like that." Bruiser said, rearing up and slamming his hind hooves into the wall. For just a second, the entire building shook from the force of the blow. "I call it a BUCK."

"Let's not kill anypony we don't have too, Bruiser.Only to protect ourselves." Bruiser let out an unamused snort as Reddling continued.

"We might need them for information, chances are whoever did this isn't acting alone, and who knows what these ponies might have seen." Reddling stood up, putting two syringes into little sterile sheathes and pointing to Star Shine with a wing. "You're coming with me."

Star Shine gave a quick nod, trotting closer to Reddling. Reddling gave the drone a look over, then scratched his chin. "I want you to take on my likingness, but as a small blue colt with pale hair, a unicorn. You're going to be my nephew, can you do that?"

"How small?" Star Shine asked nervously.

"Shorter than me, taller than a filly. How small can you go?" Reddling asked.

"I can't do that small." Star Shine said, looking down at his gnarled hoof and trying to measure how tall a filly was in comparison to him.

"Then you're going through growth spurts, but just be smaller than me. Can you do that? Even and inch or two would be enough." Reddling said.

"I can do that." Star Shine said, shimmering for a moment before he burst into flame. For a moment he was a changeling, different from how Reddling remembered him. His eyes were no longer red as they had once been, but were now totally pink.

Pink? So you've fully become one of Cadance's drones now.

Within a few moments, Star Shine had become a blue unicorn that held a stunning likeness to Reddling, moreso than Rainy actually did. Star Shine had kept his eyes closed for a few more moments before looking back up. He had managed to make himself two inches shorter than Reddling, but it was clearly requiring decent effort to keep the guise up.

"That's going to have to do," Reddling said. "Alright, let's go." Reddling turned without another word, leaving the barracks and leading Star Shine along with him. Nightshade and Tops almost fell back in bed at the same pace, fatigue catching up with them.

"Good luck you two." Tops said, sitting next to Nightshade.

"Hopefully we won't need it." Reddling whispered, closing the door to the barracks. Taking the trot up to Luna's quarters, Reddling found himself feeling slightly lightheaded as he ascended the front stairs of Canterlot palace. Sure, he had caught his second wind, but that didn't mean he was at his best, especially with a changeling right on his tail. The sun was rising now, and the entire city had sprung to life with an edge in the air. A sense of worry, stress, and paranoia had overtaken everypony, and watchful eyes followed every other set of watchful eyes.

Is Equestria always like this? How do they manage to keep living this way? They always seem to be one step away from some horrible fate. At least in Silverfield we just hunted monsters for sport. In Equestria, it seems to be a full time occupation.

Inside of Luna's wing many bats were scurrying around, worry written on their faces. Calls filled the air as the bat ponies carried buckets of water around or carefully fetched medical supplies. A strong voiced mare in a suit pointed out orders to various ponies, her face lined with lack of sleep and stress that did not fit her young face. The tired stares made Reddling shudder every time he saw that wasted look on a poor bat pony's face.  In the past he would not have spared it a second thought, but something was different about his fellow bats now. The shade under Princess Luna's dark, comfortable wing had become something to treasure alongside the other children of the night, be they the strong faced mare or the unfortunate pony who had just bumped into Reddling.

"Watch it!" Reddling hissed, moving quickly past a stumbling pony named Eclipse. Apparently he had been one of the newer members of the guard before the recent recruits and still not quite gotten the hang of the eccentric nature of everybat around him. Star Shine gave the bat a glare, bringing up Reddling's tail as they began to ascend the stairs to Luna's quarters.

It's kind of hard to believe that now I'm trying to protect a princess I spent my whole life training to kill. Even if the Changelings aren't a threat to Silverfield, I can't let them beat me... I have to protect my princess.

Luna's room was a complete mess. Reddling had barely reached the top of the stairs when a tired looking bat pony nodded past him, carrying a large pile of towels. Lunar, Cobalt, and Web were gathered around Luna, although Reddling couldn't make out much more. A large bat pony inserted himself in the doorway, looking straight down at Reddling. Reddling peeked up through his mane, taking a step back at the size of the pony.

"I need to see Web. Is she here?" Reddling asked, already knowing the answer. Even if he had not been able to see Web, the copious amounts of potions and other agents related to Web's work were telltale signs.

"Who's this?" The big bat said, pointing at Star Shine.

"This is my nephew, and due to situations with the Changelings has offered to work as my page." Reddling lied, trying to keep his voice controlled. "He will wait out here, may I enter?"

"You're one of the new recruits, aren't you?" The guard asked, still not budging. "Why do you need a page?"

"I have just flown for two nights straight from the front lines with information related to eliminating the Changeling threat. If you continue to hold up my report I will move you myself." Reddling said angrily, trying to keep his tired brain moving as fast as his mouth was.

"He's a friend, let them through." Came a tired voice. Reddling peeked around the big guard and looked into the room, making out the figure of a blue pony wearing his parade uniform.

"Midnight!' Reddling said, pushing the guard aside and moving over to the exhausted looking Midnight Tales. For a moment their eyes met, and they simply nodded knowingly. Midnight's eye was patched, leaving him with only one eye to meet Reddling's with, but the message remained the same as they turned towards Luna. Reddling's heart sank as he took in the scene.

Luna was laying under several sheets on her bed. Her normally vibrant and star-scattered mane was laying flat and ragged on the sheets, all of it's magic lost. Each shallow breath barely rose her chest before leaving through her mouth. Indeed, most of the motion from her came from vicious shivers.

Reddling blinked, leaning in closer and looking the scene over. He was very sharply reminded of another time where a pony had been poisoned and laid in a bed. The messiness of the scene had all the trademarks of Web's less than professional, if unarguably infallible, talent.  Many salves had been strewn everywhere, and Web was currently rubbing one across Luna's chest.

"Why are their salves on her? I thought she was poisoned with tea." Reddling said, narrowing his eyes at Web.

"They're to FIX HER. If you've got some better idea then YOU do it!" Web hissed angrily over her shoulder.

"Try checking tea before she drinks it." Reddling said quietly, turning back to look at Midnight, who's eyes had gone wide as he ducked.

Web had moved like a flash. With a little snap of her head she had sent her knife whooshing through the air, the blade embedding itself into the wall. Reddling gulped as he looked down at Web's small, glistening ornate knife. The whole world seemed to stop for a moment as Web locked eyes with him, a pure anger and bitterness overtaking her face.

"If that's how you're going to contribute, Reddling, you're going to get carried out of here." Web hissed lowly.

Reddling felt his mouth twitch before he gave her a curt nod, his left eye threatening a tear. "Nice to see you too, nightlight." Reddling quickly turned from her, stepping past the knife and facing Midnight. "Midnight, Tops and Nightshade are here, you should go see them quickly with me at the barracks."

"Reddling, perhaps this is not the best time or place for-" Midnight started.

"If you haven't noticed, we've more important things to worry about than your shit-faced friends." Web yelled at Reddling, turning back to her work.

"Let' talk elsewhere." Reddling said with a gulp, moving towards the door and beckoning with his wing for Midnight to follow.

"Hold, Reddling." Lunar said, finally looking up from Princess Luna's face and standing by the door. Reddling stopped as he looked into the darkness of Lunar's helmet, two colourless eyes staring out of the shadows.

"I wish to inform you, we received your message. Since Luna is incapacitated, we have entrusted Celestia with this business. With luck- and the continuing resolve of her loyal servants," Lunar stopped, giving Web a subtle glance before continuing, "she will hopefully recover soon. Do you have further reporting for me?"

Reddling crossed one of his hooves, thinking. Everything here seemed so off, but he still couldn't quite put his hoof on what wasn't right. There was something so subtle, too subtle for him to notice until it would be too late. "Queen Chrysalis is moving at a slow pace, they're two or two and a half days out from here. My group returned when I sensed a trap, and it seems something bad did indeed happen while we were out. I... I don't know, sir. If the Changelings moved with a purpose, then they could be here by this evening. Nothing feels right here."

Under his helmet, Lunar's eyes narrowed. Reddling could tell that a stern and unhappy look was marring the captain's face as he replied, "I agree, but cannot put my hoof on it. My duties lie with Luna. Your intuition has served you well in the past. Do what you must."

"Right now I must talk to the assassin. Where are they being kept?" Reddling asked.

"In the dungeon, under lock and key and constant guard." Lunar replied.

"What I wouldn't give for a night with her." Web interjected with a beastlike hiss. "An hour." Her jaw clenched as a terrible grin spread across her face.

Ick... Reddling gave his head a little shake, trying to ignore Web. Tears were on the edge of his eyes, but he had many other things to focus on. "Midnight, would you accompany me? I think we both have an unkind word we'd like to share with the one who breached out trusting souls."

Midnight glanced at Luna, biting his lip worriedly. "But I..."

"You can't help her, let Web handle it." Reddling said, putting a wing on his friend's shoulder. "If anypony can help her, it's Web."

"Alright, Let's go." Midnight said, biting his lip again.

"Let's go then." Reddling agreed, moving for the door. Star Shine, still disguised as Rainy, trotted next to Midnight naturally, both of them locking eyes for a moment. Reddling could see nervousness on the drone's face at being around so many bat ponies that were giving him stares, but that wasn't a bad thing. The real Rainy would never have allowed himself to be this close to Equestrians, and this proximity to Luna would have incited more than just a few nerves.

"Is everything alright, Uncle Reddling? Is she going to be okay?" The fake Rainy asked.

"Rainy, shush. Let's go." Reddling said to the drone, leading the trio off at a brisk canter and continuing, "Midnight, something is wrong. Very wrong, and I don't mean the poison."

"What do you mean?" Midnight asked, raising his brow.

"The Changelings marching at such a slow pace, and the fact they surrendered unconditionally to us without a single bit of fear." Reddling griped, kicking a stair as he continued down.

'Unconditionally." Midnight repeated. "Then maybe they'll let us throw them into a pit and smash them like the bugs they are!"

"Midnight!" Reddling balked, looking over at Midnight's now fervent face.

"How dare they attack my princess! Threaten her life with such a dishonorable, despicable deception!" Midnight ranted.

"You will never," Reddling said, stopping and wrapping a hoof on Midnight's shoulder, "Ever, say such a thing to me again. We're better than that. We do not kill innocents, and we do not kill unarmed prisoners, never again."

Midnight glared for a few moments, opening his mouth and then closing it. Finally, Midnight gave a nod, and Reddling returned it as he motioned to Star Shine.

"This is Rainy, by the way. He's my nephew. Rainy, play nice." Reddling said, continuing to lead the way down the stairs as a couple bats passed them, large buckets of indescribably wriggling things practically overflowing at the rims.

"Rainy... I am just sorry that we were forced to meet under such trying circumstances." Midnight said. 'Rainy' just gave a little shrug, nodding his head. The three remained quiet as they left Luna's wing and went straight into the dungeon. A stern, burly looking royal guard had been posted near the entrance, and blocked the way as Reddling approached.

"Lunar's given me leave to speak to the poisoner. I require a few words with the Princess." Reddling said to the royal guard, not missing a step as he tried to walk around the guard.  To his surprise however, the guard moved to block the doorway, holding out a hoof.

"Nopony may enter. She's already seduced Shining Armor with her charms, we're not risking anypony else near her." The guard said. Reddling and Midnight exchanged glances.

"I have the leave of the Captain of the Night Guard." Reddling said heatedly, looking straight up into the ugly daypony's eyes. "Unless you have a higher authority than that stamped to your chest, then move aside."

"It's a shame I don't report to your Night Guard, and the acting Captain of the Royal Guard says nopony enters. Now get, before I remove you." The guard said with a smirk, giving Reddling a slight push. A couple heated moments passed as the two stared at each other, sizing the other up.

"Reddling..." Midnight said carefully, putting a hoof on his shoulder.

"It's nothing." Reddling stated, turning around and nodding to assure his friend. "Come, we have better things to do than waste our time with this trivial matter." Reddling gave a quick glance back to the guard as he led Midnight and Star Shine around a corner, bringing them back to a spiraling staircase that led back up to the main castle floors. As soon as the three of them were out of sight, Reddling threw his wings around the other two, hugging them close.

"Midnight, do you think you and Rainy can hold down that pony for a moment?" Reddling whispered his question quickly, locking eyes with Midnight.

"It does not seem worth the trouble just to speak with that traitor." Midnight said blandly.

"Midnight, if you don't do this, I'm going to run that guy through with my sword. Please trust me?" Reddling pleaded. "I was right about the food in camp, I was right about the wedding, please trust I'm right now. Trust in Lunar who trusts in me."

Midnight bit his lip, thinking for a few moments before his expression softened. "Do you truly believe you learn answers to- to some plot you suspect from Cadance?"

"The real truth is always somewhere between two stories, Midnight." It was Reddling's turn to bite his lip. "I have a suspicion, but I'm just not sure. Do you trust me?"

Midnight gave a nod of his head, waiting to hear more. With a sigh, Reddling continued, "Unless you were the who poisoned the tea, then it was Web or Celestia. I don't believe Cadance did this, and she's the only who can tell me who did. I need to know if Celestia drank the tea."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Midnight asked. "Drank the tea?"

"It'll make sense in a moment!" Reddling said, pushing himself away from the two ponies.

"...Web, or Celestia." Midnight said with a grimace. "If you are wrong about this, both of us could face expulsion from the Night Guard for this assault."

"It wouldn't be the first time, we did beat up Celestia's throne room of guard ponies. Kind of odd that we haven't been thrown in jail for that yet, you know?" Reddling put a hoof to his own chin. He'd spoken the thought as it had occurred to him, another inconsistency and oddity registering in the back of his mind.

"I suppose so..." Midnight said slowly, glancing down. "Very well. Are you ready?"

"Let's do it. Just hold him down." Reddling said, reaching inside his jacket and pulling out a syringe of Black Angosia. Even half of a shot of the syringe into the pony would be enough to leave them out cold for some time.

Midnight turned wordlessly as soon as Reddling gave the order, charging out from behind the cover, Star Shine following right behind him as the two rocketed towards the guard pony. The guard had a couple moments to cry out in surprise, holding up a hoof and crying "Halt!" before Midnight plowed into him with Star Shine, the combined weight of both stallions enough to slam the guard into the ground. Reddling approached quickly from behind, the syringe ready. The guard was thrashing against the ground, making it quite difficult to get the syringe anywhere near his body or mouth. Despite the best attempts of Midnight and Star Shine, they simply could not hold the guard still.

Insolent Equestrian! Reddling brought a hoof down into the face of the guard pony, smashing it into his forehead. The guard let out a cry of pain, leaving his mouth wide open for Reddling to jab the syringe into his throat. The guard had a few moments for his eyes to go wide before Reddling pushed the plunger down, holding a hoof to the guard's mouth to ensure he swallowed.

Only the guard was hardly a guard by the time Reddling had a hoof on the guard's mouth. Now the pony's eyes had changed to a solid angry red, and sharpened fangs bit into Reddling's glove, shredding a bit off the end. Reddling grabbed at his hoof, looking down to make sure that it wasn't injured before turning back to the monster before them. In a flash of red fire, the guard had taken his true form- Black, gnarled, and beastly, with large plates covered his body, and the bulky shape of a powerful Changeling soldier covered with small, twisting spikes.

Drawing Ausfall, Reddling jumped onto the soldier, hacking into the armor. It was rather easy to get a clean cut into the beast with Midnight holding the creature down, but Reddling couldn't get enough force behind his knife to cut into the thick natural armor on the Changeling's body. The blue and green changelings that had predominately fought in the battle of Canterlot were different- they had been strongly armored, yes, but their armor had not been this thick. The sad soldiers of Hive Balefly and Chrysalis paled next to this barbarian of a changeling. The nooks and holes in the Changeling's arms were sharper and hooked, allowing for him to easy grab and hang onto enemies. Each leg looked as though it ended in barbed wire rather than an actual hoof.

Reddling again bashed a hoof into the creatures head, looking around at the situation. Star Shine had cowered into a corner at the sight of the soldier, and was standing next to the empty, discarded syringe of Black Agnosia had been kicked away in the struggle. Pony poisons had no effect on Changelings...

"Star Shine, kill it!" Reddling cried.

"No- he!" Star Shine said balking and backing further away.

"Damn you." Reddling said, sheathing his knife before running towards a half open door that lead deeper into the dungeon. Quicking pushing his way down, Reddling drew his blade as the sounds of Midnight struggling with the Changeling soldier became more distant. It was quite dark and empty down here, which bothered Reddling. While it was perfectly fine for it to be dark- indeed, he quite enjoyed that part- the lack of any life being present was odd. Canterlot did not seem to have a large amount of crime based on the population of their castle dungeon, which amounted to a whole two ponies laying down together in a cell at the very back. Shining Armor and pony Princess Cadance were holding each other's hooves, their eyes closed. Their once proud expressions were now marred by unhappiness and defeat.

"Get off the floor, you sorry ass Equestrians!" Reddling fumed as he drew closer. He'd been glancing around for a key in the darkness, but had yet to find one.

"Who's there?" Shining Armor said, opening his eyes and lighting his horn. Reddling blinked at the light, offering a small hiss. Cadance had opened her eyes now, and looked very surprised.

"You, the red bat- Reddling?!" She asked.

"Unfortunately." Reddling replied, smoothing out his voice and still glaring into the darkness. "Where are the keys?"

"The keys- are you-!" Cadance stood up, approaching the bars on her cell. "I don't know where the keys are. What's going on? Is Luna alright?"

"Dammit. Not really time to fully explain." Reddling said, looking around for a crowbar or a set of keys. "When did you and Princess Luna drink the tea, and who drank it?"

"We had tea a few hours after you left, Just Celestia, Luna, and I." Cadance said, "The guards said I poisoned it, but that's impossible! We all drank it!"

Reddling froze mid-search, turning slowly to the pink princess. He suddenly felt very claustrophobic, the entire world beating to the pace of his hammering heart. Swallowing slowly, Reddling opened his mouth weakly and said, "All of you, including Celestia?"

"Yes!" Cadance nodded her head.

Reddling shuddered, backing against a wall and holding it for support quite suddenly. The world swooned for a moment as a memory fell into place, completing the puzzle.

"Hah, Your pony poisons won't do anything against me." Balefly laughed

"Perhaps all this will be resolved with our meeting with your Princess?" Chrysalis asked.

Pony poisons. No matter what kind of poison it was, that doesn't matter. A changeling poison would have affected all of them, and a pony poison wouldn't affect-

Reddling slumped against the wall, staring in horror up at the two ponies in the cell. Cadance looked horrified, her last hope, albeit a small and rather annoying one, had fallen to the ground right in front of her.

"What's wrong?" Cadance demanded, looking around frantically.

"They planned this, the entire thing was a setup from the start." Reddling mumbled, struggling up to his hooves as Star Shine rushed onto the scene, looking at the bars and then looking at Reddling.

"Star Shine, find the key and meet us back at the barracks." Reddling ordered, taking out one of his throwing knives and sliding it to Cadance and Shining Armor.

"Don't need key!" Star Shine said, throwing himself down at the base of the bars and spitting something acid green at them. Reddling hesitated for only a moment, and then turned, dashing out of the dungeon to go check on Midnight. Midnight Tales was no longer restraining the soldier, but instead had drawn his sword and shield. Both Midnight and the soldier were snarling at each other ferociously, red coals and violent violet eyes locked in the battle.

Reddling paused in the stairs, pulling out the vial that Web had given him. It was a small vial, but it would be enough to get the job done. Reddling uncorked the vial and quickly drew his blade, wetting the tip with some Widow's Kiss before throwing himself to the top of the stairs. The Changeling soldier turned as he heard Reddling reach the top of the stairs, giving Reddling a clear shot at the Changeling's side. Thrusting his blade forward, Reddling grinned to himself as he impaled the monster. No sooner had the widow's kiss touched the Changeling than it's body began to smoulder, as if it was on fire. Pus erupted from the Changeling's body as a horrible stench not unlike that of old meat kept too long in an icebox.

The soldier let out a horrifying scream as it half collapsed onto the floor. Midnight ran forward to embed his blade into the Changeling's back, but the blade slid off the armor as he lot his balance.  Reddling tore his blade out of the Changeling and spun, spreading out his wings to balance himself as he swung the blade as hard as he could into the Changeling's neck. The bastard sword did not go all the way through the Changeling's neck, but it did enough to stop the angry hissing before the bug crumpled. Reddling pulled the blade free and took another two hacks into the Changeling's neck, severing it's head.

Both bat ponies stood back and sighed, staring at the carcass before them for a few moments. Midnight covered his nose, trying to block out the smell.

"Okay"' Midnight said to Reddling, his voice sounding like he had a headcold when his nostrils were plugged, "So I believe you may be correct, something is not right."

"You okay?" Reddling asked Midnight, looking over at his bruised friend.

"I am alright." Midnight said, shooting the dead bug a dirty look. "The beast fought valiantly but was disadvantaged from the start."

"Poisoned blades help too." Reddling said, glancing back down at the dungeon. "Midnight, the assassin..."

"Was this him?" Midnight asked, giving the bug a kick in the gut.

"Princess Celestia, or at least, somepony that looks like Princess Celestia. The wedding, our victory, the hive surrendering, it was all planned from the start." Reddling sighed, gripping onto the wall and taking in some breath. His head ached with tiredness, and his second wind had almost totally faded by now.

"The traitorous cur!" Midnight screamed, his voice echoing down the halls. "I'll see justice done!"

"No!" Reddling said, grabbing Midnight's shoulder quickly. "No, we must protect Luna first. Let's get Cadance and Shining Armor out."

Midnight did not take the time to say anything, but just turned and charged into the dungeon. Reddling paused for a moment, grabbing what looked like a very standard issue royal guard sword off of the dead Changeling before following Midnight.

When Reddling and Midnight arrived at Cadance's and Shining Armor's cell, Star Shine was still hard at work near the base of one of the iron bars. The acid the drone had spat out was eating away at the stone, and one of the bars was beginning to come loose.

"Stand back!" Shining Armor said, backing up and preparing to charge the bar. Star Shine barely had time to get out of the way before Shining ran at the bars, turning and leveling a strong buck into the iron. The iron bars wiggled and then fell free, thudding to the floor with a loud crash.

"Where are Miss Twilight and her friends?" Reddling asked.

"Her friends have been in Ponyville for quite some time, and Twilight has been off collecting ingredients for my cure." Cadance said. Star Shine looked down, disheartened at the mention of the cure.

"You may find you don't desire a cure soon, Princess Cadance." Reddling smirked fangily as he looked up at the stairs, then turned back to Midnight. "Equestria and the Badlands might need some new rulers by the time the sun sets today."

Cadance narrowed her eyes skeptically, taking a step back at the enthusiasm reeking from Reddling's voice. "We'll see, but we have to stop this madness now!"

What do we do? Defend Luna? Kill Celestia? What do I value more is the question, and each choice matters...

"Our first priority is to protect Princess Luna." Reddling affirmed to himself aloud, looking at his friends. Shining Armor leveled another kick, freeing a third bar from the floor. Cadance squeezed through the gap, closely followed by Shining Armor.

"Drone, Cadance, can you shapeshift to something nondescript and take the head of the dead soldier to the bat pony coven?" Reddling asked, nodding to Midnight. "Tell them we're under attack, we need every Night Guard at arms now. We've been set-up." The three gave nods, agreeing and heading for the exit of the dungeon.

"Captain?" Reddling said, turning and quickly saluting Shining Armor before offering the sword that had previously belonged to the bug. "I need to gather my companions. Will you come with me?"

"Of course." Shining Armor said.

"Then let's do it." Reddling said as Shining lit up his horn brighter, wrapping the sword in magic. "Midnight! Get a guard set up around Luna and see if Lunar can join us in Celestia's throne room. We're bagging ourselves a Princess!" Midnight merely gave a snort over his shoulder as the group turned a corner together, heading up the stairs and back int other main part of the castle. Star Shine quickly disguised himself as a pegasus, grasping the head of the Changeling by the horn. Although Star Shine looked totally disgusted, it was better than allowing his princess to carry the head.

"We'll meet you outside Luna's quarters. Good luck, Reddling." Cadance said, shapeshifting into a pegasus. Reddling and Shining Armor nodded to each other, turning and heading up the stairs into the main castle. Tired looking ponies were coming to life here and there, staring around worriedly. The tension in the air was thick enough to suffocate somepony with, and everyone could feel that things were coming to some kind of confrontation. Something, anything had to break this unrest.

Reddling glared at the guards as he ran past them, some of them giving a start at Shining Armor.

"We're under attack! Get your weapons! The palace is infiltrated!" Reddling screamed at some guards. Instantly, weapons were drawn as everypony turned on each other, alarmed and confused at the announcement.

"Get to your posts!" Shining called out to the ponies, matching Reddling stride for stride as they exited the castle's main hall and headed for the barracks. Paranoia had quickly taken over the castle, and now panicked ponies were drawing weapons on each other, crying out in panic and confusion.

Shining Armor and Reddling had little time to take stock of the situation however, and proceeded quickly to the barracks. Reddling nearly kicked the door in as he stumbled tiredly inside. Tops, Nightshade, and Bruiser instantly jumped up, all of them still in full armor.

"What's up?" Bruiser asked hungrily, leaning forward. Reddling could see that his maul was freshly polished on the bed next to him.

"Celestia. We're bagging ourselves a traitor, a real one." Reddling huffed, sighing and looking up at his friends.

"Celestia? Sunburned bitch, let's get her!" Bruiser cried, grabbing his maul.

"We have to protect Luna first!" Reddling cried, holding up a hoof and coughing.

"Enough talking and more fighting!" Bruiser yelled, charging out of the barracks and stopping awkwardly in the hall. "Luna, right?"

"Protect Luna, kill Celestia. If some daypony tries to stop you, they're a Changeling, so smash them." Reddling coughed again, desperate for a few moments of rest. Bruiser quickly slipped out of the barracks, taking off into the sky and flying straight for Luna's quarters.

"We need to make sure that Celestia doesn't get a chance to run." Reddling said, clearing his throat.

"Lunar and the others will meet us there, let's go!" Shining Armor ordered. Nightshade and Tops both nodded, and Reddling straightened up, heading for the door and taking the lead. Reddling drew his blade as he approached the doors to Celestia's throne room, where two tired looking guards were standing.

"Out of the way Changelings!" Reddling cried, swinging his blade at one of the guards.

"We aren't- hey, halt!" The guards moved to draw weapons, but it was already too late. Reddling hooked his blade into the guard's chest, throwing him onto the ground and leaving a large red hole that blood began to well up in, leaking out onto the stone floor. The second guard made a lunge for Reddling, but was cut short as Tops' claws found their mark, ripping the guard's side open and decorating the wall with a monarch butterfly.

"What are you doing!?" Shining Armor cried in horror, staring at the guards. "These aren't Changelings!"

"And maybe Celestia isn't either..." Reddling said darkly, turning to look at the doors. Nightshade had moved past the dead guards and thrown open the doors, filling the world with bright light. Tops, Reddling, and Shining Armor rushed in, moving to center stage and staring up at Celestia. Celestia, for her part, had remained seated on her throne, not the least bit moved by having Night Guard storm her throne room with a prisoner.

"What is the meaning of this?" Celestia demanded, still remaining seated.

Reddling felt a grin cut across his face. Finally, after all his life, he had reached this moment. This was the day that he had dreamed of since he was small. Waving the lunar blade in triumph, Reddling gleefully opened his wings, flying up a little and hovering as he clasped the sword in both his hooves and pointed it at Celestia's face. This time, he was going to make sure he engaged in all the melodrama and excitement. It wasn't everyday he got to kill somepony who had made his life destined to be hell.

Treachery

Queen Mantidae

"Reveal yourself!" Reddling cried, still grinning madly, fully soaking up the idiocy of his statements and loving every minute of the over saturated drama. "I am Reddling Rain of Silverfield, and I know what you've done! You set up everything, but I've seen through your ploy! It's over, Celestia!"

Celestia looked down at the dramatic scene before her for a few moments. Slowly, a smirk touched her lips, and she nodded slightly. "Guards! It is as I said, my sister seeks to overthrow the throne! Kill them!"

Reddling stumbled, closing his wings and landing next to his friends. Around them, half a dozen tired looking guard began to advance mindlessly.

"So Luna poisoned herself then! You're caught in your own lies Celestia! Argh!" Reddling looked at the tired looking guards, all of whom had blank, sleepy expressions on their faces. "You're being deceived!" The guards did not falter as they continued their advance. The closer they got, the more apparent the unhealthy and vacant look in their eyes and faces became. Glancing back up at Celestia, she smirked down at Reddling directly.

Reddling let out a bitter laugh, readying himself for the charge. "You don't know how many years I've been waiting to do this." The guards charged, weapons drawn. Reddling still had his eyes on Celestia, and it was lucky that he hadn't looked away yet. As the guards charged, Celestia's eyes flashed red before she lowered her horn.

"Move!" Reddling yelled, throwing himself away from his friends and rolling along the ground. Celestia's horn glowed, and a pressure fell over the room. The air itself seemed to push down on the eyes, shoving them into everypony's skull as a clawed hoof wrapped around wrapped around the oxygen in the room, squeezing it away.

I've felt this before- but not power like this. A beam of raw energy rent the room in half, searing across the floor and burning the stone. The carpets simply ceased to exist as the air around them split with the violence of clapping thunder slamming into the castle. Reddling lifted himself off the floor and stared around the room. The sleepy guards seemed totally unphased by the blast and were beginning to walk through a line of smoke. Nightshade was still on her hooves, but both Tops and Shining Armor had been too slow to dodge the blast completely. Although Tops had been spared most of what might have been a bad blow due to his armor, Shining Armor had no such blessing. Shining's side was smouldering, and he was only barely managing to struggle onto his hooves.

Reddling hissed at Celestia as he threw his coat back, drawing a knife and throwing it over the heads of the guards. Everypony was too busy to see the knife, their attention more focused on Nightshade clashing with three of the guards. Behind the royal guard, Celestia jerked back on her throne, staring down at a clip on her chest. Reddling had not managed to embed the knife in her, but he had drawn a thick, sickly green blood from the wound. He was offered little time to smirk at the sight however, as at that moment he was forced back as three sleepy guards advanced towards him, swinging their blades with unnatural speed given their inebriated state.

"Uck!" Nightshade growled, kicking one of the guards in the face. Reddling looked over to see a bit of red ooze across Nightshade's shoulder. She had completely entangled herself with the dayponies, and was swinging both wings, hooves, and sword around with furious speed.

Reddling broke away from his attackers, tripping one up and leaving them to fall on the ground with a vacant and dazed expression. Celestia had done little more than hiss and glow her horn, changing the appearance of her blood from green to a somewhat normal dark red.

"Give up your true form, or I'll bleed it out of you, Celestia!" Reddling yelled, clashing with one of her guards. Both of them ran into each other at full force, making stars form around the room as they both stumbled away. The guard had completely lost his balance, dropping his blade an leaving Reddling standing shakily nearby. "Or maybe you prefer... Queen Mantidae?"

Celestia locked eyes with Reddling as he buried his sword into the guard on the floor, impaling him through the heart. A few moments passed as Tops and Shining regrouped with Reddling and Nightshade, both sides glaring at each other and waiting for the other to move next.

Finally, after tense moments that seemed to bleed by for an hour, Celestia spoke, "My treacherous sister has sent these assassins to kill me! Come, soldiers, let's kill this snake at it's head!" Celestia aimed her horn at one of the windows in the throne room. The window had not yet been fully repaired, and instead was simply covered with wooden boards. A sick arc of red magic burst from her horn, searing the wood away and leaving only a few cinders in their place.

Luna! They'll certainly kill her, I have to- I have to kill Mantidae because... because it's my destiny to kill Luna, not hers! Reddling glared around the room, trying to step forward but finding the way blocked by the sleepy eye'd soldiers.

"Keep them here!" Celestia snapped at the few of the guards. Before she had a chance to give any more orders, Reddling ripped another blade out and threw the knife at her. This time, the blade found it's mark in Celestia's side.  Green blood welled up and spilled from her side for only a second before the color shifted to a dark red.

"Don't let her get away!" Shining commanded, lighting up his horn and nodding to the three bats. The Night Guard needed no further urging. All three of them spread their wings, leaping into the air and gliding towards the window. Nightshade gave a grunt as a soldier grabbed onto her hind hoof. A cry of anger echoed from the pony as Nightshade slammed her other hind hoof into his face, smashing his helmet into his snout.

"Good luck!" Shining cried, dashing at the enemy and lighting up his horn, very quickly enveloping the whole room in a quick flash.

Reddling turned after the flash faded, watching as shining cried out again, saying something along the lines of "Manto tate o miru- Purotesu!" before letting out another flash from his horn. Reddling tore his eyes away, flinging himself outside with his companions. All three of them were shimmering with some unnatural light that hung like loose clothing from their garments.

"Reddling, hurry!" Tops said over his shoulder, already pursuing the bleeding Celestia downwards. The fake princess was not making her way for Luna' quarters, but rather towards the barracks. Although the barracks was adjacent to the palace, it was still another building altogether.

"Hurry to where? Where's she going?" Reddling asked, flying to Top's side as the three of them tailed Celestia.

"Reddling, she's going to get the military! Fuck!" Tops said, a bit of panic rising in his voice as Celestia landed and disappeared into the barracks.

"I always wanted to kill some Equestrian military fucks." Reddling blinked, staring down at his prey. "We don't need to beat the military, just beat her! Hopefully the barracks is mostly empty, I called everypony to high alert before I came to get you guys! She might not find any help there!"

Top landed sharply on the ground, hopping a few paces before coming to a stop near the front doors for the barracks. Nightshade and Reddling touched down next to him, rushing over to a closed door. Tops stood up, ready to lead a charge, but Reddling quickly pushed him to the side, shaking his head.

"They might have crossbows aimed at the door. Don't stand in front of it when we open it." Reddling said. Tops nodded, and Reddling kicked open the door from the side. No sooner had the door flown open than a fiery beam of energy blew the doors off their hinges, sending the remaining charcoal a few yards away. Even though he was standing well enough away from the door, Reddling could see a few of the hairs on his mane singe from the energy being let off.

"Kill them!" Celestia stretched out the words, clearly enraged. Flipping out a knife, Reddling threw himself around the corner, pulling the blade back and aiming for Celestia's head.

"She's a changeling, kill her!" Reddling yelled, throwing the blade past two charging guardponies. The two guards gave a start at seeing that their enemy was a bat pony, backing away slightly in surprise. Unfortunately for them, Nightshade and Tops had no reservations about fighting their former comrades. Tops threw his claw into the chest of one of the guards, ripping open his unarmored torso before throwing the bloodied corpse against a wall. Nightshade had impaled the other guard on her longsword, sinking the blade deep into his chest and watching as blood bubbled outward.

The fall of the two guards had done nothing to dent Celestia's numbers. A dozen guards still stood around her in various states of readiness; some were unarmored, others were not. Celestia had opted to stand behind her force, very close to three lanky soldiers and a very familiar commander that Reddling could not recall having seen in a lifetime.

"Iron Hooves?" Reddling called out, letting his knife fly from his hoof towards Celestia. Iron Hooves did not respond, but instead stared blankly forward, a sleepy expression written across his face.

Celestia let out a scream as she narrowly dodged the knife, pointing a hoof at the bat ponies in the hall. "They've come to kill your Princess! Guards, hold them off! Luna will pay for her treachery!"

"Reddling, this is insane!" Nightshade said, pulling her blade free of the soldier before decapitating him. "Do we fight, or do we warn Luna? She can't fight and as far as I know she's defenseless!"

"Kill Mantidae!" Reddling said, rising his blade in his mouth an leading the charge. Three unarmored guards advanced, their weapons raised but confusion written on their faces. The moments passed very quickly as a shadow rose up from the ground, various shadowy shapes hurling themselves into the hallway and blotting out light for the dayponies. Reddling did not miss a step as he swung his sword into the lead guard, slicing off one of his forehooves and opening up his chest with a clean cut. An arc of lighting shot right behind Reddling's head, cutting down another guard who had been ready to swing. The third formerly advancing guard was now left swinging wildly into the darkness, his wide swings completely missing any possible targets.

Celestia took a step back, looking around for an escape route as Reddling, Tops, and Nighthade advanced, slowly cutting down guards as they went. A feral hiss rose from Celestia's blood-stained chest as she turned to the wall behind her.

"Stand back, commander." Celestia said calmly, lowering her horn. Reddling quickly drew a knife and threw it in Celestia's direction, but the blade hit the shield of an armored guard, who proceeded to advance on the bat ponies. Celestia's horn once more illuminated the world with a fiery red light before blasting the rear wall of the barracks apart. Reddling quickly looked over his shoulder, and then nodded to himself.

"Back outside! We'll warn Luna!" Reddling said. "We can't catch her in time!"

"We can beat her back to Luna, or chase!" Nightshade yelled, slashing open a guard's jugular and leaving him in a bloodied heap.

"We'll beat her back- I hope Luna's on her hooves, we may have to run if we can't beat Mantidae..." Reddling bit his lip, which rather hurt with all fangs considered.

Nightshade said nothing, but quickly wrapped a forehoof around Tops and Reddling, pulling them into a hug. her face contorted, and then Reddling felt himself falling forward into the shadows Tops had summoned. Everything in the world went dark for an instant, not so unlike falling asleep.

Reddling stumbled on his hooves as a terrified yell escaped his lips. Nightshade stepped soundly out of the shadows and onto the floor of Luna's chamber. Tops had been left to land on his face, a fluffy rug the only cushion for his fall. the room didn't look too different from when Reddling had left it, although it was certainly emptier. Web, Luna, and two bat ponies that he did not know were the only remaining occupants.

"Reddling!" Web sounded as though she was opening a moderately impressive birthday present, "What is going on!?"

Reddling sighed, pulling off his coat and tossing it into a corner where it would be out of the way. "Celestia is a changeling, she's using magic to cover up her green blood to trick the masses, the entire surrender was a facade, and currently Celestia and her drones are on her way here to execute Cadance, kill Luna, and then take Canterlot for themselves." Reddling coughed, brushing back his mane and blinking twice at Web. "Can we move Luna? We have to flee Canterlot."

Web was silent for a moment as she fiddled with the blanket on Princess Luna's bed. Her face was slowly contorting into something angry and ugly, any trace of feminine charm vanishing. Quite suddenly, she turned and swept her hooves across a workbench, spilling vials, powders, and other alchemy tools all across the floor.

"Get her out of here, NOW!" Web screamed at the two other bat ponies, a hoof pointed at the door. Reddlng looked stupidly over at the door as the two guards swept Luna up in her sheets and began to haul her out of the room, their wings laid over and around her to keep her covered.

"And where are you going to take her? They've been brainwashing the soldiers since before the wedding!" Reddling said, gesturing from Web to Luna.

Web gave a groan, calling after the bats, "Take her to her chariot. Get her to the keep in Everfree!" Web turned away from then, standing up and looking at Reddling. For a moment, the room was silent. Web's face was not angry anymore, but now had shifted to a disturbingly bemused expression.

Luna will be safe now... But why save her? They gave me a golden chance to make it look like they did my job for me.

The silence broke as Web let out a little giggle, grinning slightly.

What's so funny?

"Luna won't mind if I break the rules a little... if things are looking desperate. How was that bitch coming? Land, or air?" Web asked, her grin not fading in the slightest.

"Air, with troops by air and land." Reddling said, still studying Web. Web turned away with a flourish of her tail, glancing out of a window.

"Do you know what Red Agnosia does, Reddling?" Web asked quietly.

"No!" Nightshade said, taking a step forward. "Web, no!"

"I guess we're going to find out." Reddling said. Nightshade shot him a dirty look before taking a step towards Web.

Web glanced at Nightshade, her grin growing. "It gives you nightmares."

"Web!" Nightshade warned angrily, her voice cracking.

You crazy bat. This is going to be really scary and really awesome, isn't it? Reddling nodded slowly. "Right, how's that beat Mantidae?"

"...Reddling, I have this bad habit..." Web let out a mad giggle, drawing her knife. "of sleepwalking..."

Suddenly, the window in the room burst, glass shattering in all directions as the quiet darkness of Luna's quarters was molested by the sunlight outside. Guards jumped in, flanking Celestia as she stood tall, glaring at the four bats before her.

"Keep them away for a few seconds, would you?" Web asked, quickly slitting one of her forehooves open. Web wobbled for a moment, and then fell onto the ground, a smile plastering on her face as she began to twitch. Small flecks of foam began to gather at the sides of her mouth before Reddling turned away, nodding to "Celestia".

"Hello Princess. Did I ever tell you I came here to kill you?" Reddling said calmly, spreading his wings for balance as he clasped his sword in his mouth and raised up a throwing knife.

"I prefer Queen." Mantidae said with a hiss. "Guards! Kill them!"

Reddling threw his knife at Mantidae, catching her on the right side of her chest before a guard tackled him to the ground. Reddling rolled around with his attacker for a few moments before Nightshade cut the pony across the back. Reddling threw the pony off himself as he clambered to his hooves, backing up towards Web as more guards began to fill the room. Eight pegasi now stood around Mantidae, primed and ready to attack whenever they found a weakness.

Glancing quickly behind him, Reddling could see that Web's convulsions were getting worse, and she rolled over from her back to her stomach. Nightshade and Tops took defensive stances, neither side moving despite Mantidae's order.

"Get a Shroud up!" Reddling growled at Nightshade. Before she had a chance to complete the spell, Tops had summoned up a thick black shadow into the room, blocking the vision of the dayponies. Any minute now would be good, Web.

As soon as the thought had been finished, Web's eyes snapped open. Only, they were no longer Web's sweet amber eyes. Instead, they had been tinged with a red mist that made them glow hatefully in the darkness. The Shroud summoned by Tops became more dense as it leaked out the windows of the room, blocking out even the bravest rays of the sun. The entire tower had become night now, complete with a cool breeze that brought memories of better times.

A foolish guard stepped to close to Reddling, and he swung his sword at him. As the blade swung, a red mist wrapped itself around the blade. A surge of malice filled the air, driving the blade forward before it slammed into the guardpony, nearly ripping his body in half. The crumpled figure of the guard slammed into an opposite wall, leaving a trail of blood as he sunk to the floor.

"W-What!? I didn't swing that hard!" Reddling backed up, quickly looking behind him for some signal from Web.

Web no longer stood behind Reddling. Her coat had grown from it's solid grey to a darker, almost charcoal colour. Her wings had grown longer, the claws at the ends, sharper. As she twisted her head, Reddling saw that many fangs now extended from her mouth, each one jagged and pointed like a shaving razor. Each of the sharp tools carved a smile into her maw as she grinned gayly at the room around her. The sweet amber of her eyes was totally gone now, and had been replaced with a fiery red to match her predator's smile.

... Reddling felt his mind freeze up as he quickly looked over his shoulder at the formerly vacant guards. Whatever trance they had been it, Web's magic had apparently broken in. Terrified expressions corrupted the faces of everypony in the room. Web jumped gracefully over Reddling, plowing into a nearby pony and taking them completely by surprise. The pony had little time to do more than scream before Web had bitten down into his neck. Everyone took a step back as Web ripped up red tendrils of gore. One of her insane giggles left her mouth a she stared at the other ponies in the room, blood dripping from her maw. The victim's screams were now little more than a gurgle as web half watched him choke to death on his own flesh and blood.

"Run you idiots!" Reddling screamed at the lucid dayponies, he himself looking around for an exit.

"St͢ay. I̷'m st̵i͏l͢l͞ h҉un͝g͡r̵y." It was not Web's voice that spoke, but rather something from one of the many nightmares that had grown to plague Reddling since his transformation. Someponies let out shivers, and others just broke down in tears, sobbing in terror. Even Mantidae, by far the bravest of the group, lowered her horn, backing up and preparing to blast Web.

No, you can't hurt her! Reddling fumbled with a knife, barely throwing it from his hoof before losing his balance and stumbling backwards. The knife flew past Web and hit the wall next to Mantidae. Luckily, it had been enough to knock Mantidae's aim off course, and she did not manage to come close to hitting anything with her beam. The magic seemed to be less powerful than before, and even the brightness of the beam itself was superseded by the shadows in the room.

Web's speed had become what Reddling was sure was impossible. His eyes barely managed to track Web as she crashed into Mantidae. Web took a moment to savor her prize before plunging her teeth into the neck of Mantidae, a crunching sound mixing into the air as Web ripped her head away, spilling green blood all across the floor.

Three soldiers instantly jumped onto Web's back, biting and punching at any bit of her they could reach. While not enough to bring downthe monster before them, Web did stumble off of Mantidae. Mantidae rose with a labored hiss, lighting her horn and struggling for air as she fled the room, pushing now-lucid soldiers out of the way.

"Hey!" Reddling screamed after her, running after Mantidae as the queen threw herself from a window. "That's cheating! You're not supposed to run away!" Reddling leapt from the window, blinking harshly at the sunlight before following Mantidae. The queen had crashed through a still-broken window in the palace, leaving a few drops of green blood on the windowsill.

Reddling breathed deeply before thrusting himself into the room below. He instantly knew where he was- this was the wedding chamber where he had first encountered the Changeling armies. The room was almost exactly how he remembered it; everything was covered in goo, and the whole room seemed to have taken an oddly changeling-esque look to it.

Striding through some clear patches in the goo, Reddling stopped in the center of the room. Mantidae was standing in a clear area away from the goo and currently watching her wound. Although the wound seemed to grievous, some of the goo from the room had been packed into the hole to create a sort of bandage. Reddling waited for a few moments, allowing Mantidae to finish with her wound before she turned to him.

"Queen Chrysalis sends her regards." Reddling said with a smirk. There was a rush of heat as red fire burst around Celestia. Her form was gone in an instant, now replaced with the visage of a Changeling Queen. Although her neck was still in tatters and the wounds in her chest and side remained, there was no facade of a Princess anywhere on her. Mantidae was far taller and burlier than Chrysalis, Cadance, or Balefly had been. She had the look of a stronger, older, and more powerful queen. Each pupil burned not with a sickly green or an alluring blue, but instead a hateful red. Her mane was pale and transparent, like silk clothing that had seen better days. All of her features were rounded off with a carapace that was not black with some matching colour, but instead a dull red that was not so far from the colour of Reddling's own coat.

"She's sending more than that." Mantidae's voice buzzed with fury and malice. "I suppose we should thank you. We would never have been able to handle Celestia like we did if it weren't for that little poison you fed her. The only thing more pathetic than falling for a simple replacement was falling for it twice. Idiot ponies, all of you."

Reddling gulped hard, staring around the room quickly as his mind blanked for a couple seconds. Mantidae leaned forward, staring down at him. Her face had not lost its fury, but she now held a slight curiosity in her demeanor.

"You are the one who poisoned Celestia, aren't you? Yes, Chrysalis spoke of you. I know you, Reddling Rain." Mantidae's voice became only slightly gentler.

"Yes, that's correct." Reddling hissed. "I poisoned Celestia."

"You have no love of Equestria." Mantidae stated simply. "This is not your battle to fight. Leave, return to your homeland. The Changeling hives have no quarrel with you."

"...You're wrong." Reddling said quietly, staring back up at Mantidae's vicious face. "I live for one purpose, and that is the one that the church identified for me when I got my cutie mark. I'm destined to kill the Princesses of Equestria. Twice now you have gotten in the way of my job, and I'm cannot just trot away now."

"When we have finished, they shall be as good as dead. Better, they will be stripped of their throne, humiliated, and reduced to nothing but servants to our hives."

"You still threaten my friends." Reddling growled back, preparing his blade for a charge. "Tops, Midnight Tales, Bruiser, Nightshade, ...Web. No, I will not let you touch any of them. I'll never let you touch one of my friends again."

Mantidae scoffed at Reddling, smiling cruelly down at him. "And if they knew of your true motivation, they'd kill you themselves."

Reddling lowered his blade slightly, his heart falling into the stone below. In his heart, he knew it was true. One day, his friends would find out why he was really there. When they found out, would they stand by him? Do they need to know? I don't have to tell them. I've made half a dozen excuses to not accept this life, but I can't just trot away from it.

"Equestria has nothing for you." Mantidae cooed. "Your friends are only your friends because of your deception, your lies, and your false face. Leave Equestria to us, we have no desire to kill your friends..." Mantidae paused for a moment, then quickly added,  "They're more useful alive."

Reddling felt a jolt go through him at the last sentence, and he raised his blade once more, pointing it at Mantidae.

Mantidae, I swear, if it's the last thing I do, I'll-

Reddling's thought was broken off as a Changeling crashed through a window closely followed by Tops. Only a second later, the doors to the wedding room were thrown open as two changeling drones scurried into the room, very narrowing dodging a fireball. Reddling and Mantidae shifted around the room, each one of them siding with their friends as Tops, Nightshade, and the three Changelings all flocked to stand together with their allies.

"Where's Celestia, Mantidae?" Reddling demanded, glancing slightly at his friends.

Mantidae's lips curled into a bigger smile. "Now you are concerned about her? How funny."

"Just tell me where she is!" Reddling hissed.

"Safe and sound with her new drones." Mantidae said happily. "And now you three are going to kill me, aren't you, my little ponies?"

"What good is there in killing you?" Reddling asked, looking down at the ground disappointingly. Even if Mantidae died, all of her drones would just join Celestia's hive. Canterlot would be no safer, but rather now under the command of a proven cold blooded tyrant.

"Of course we're killing her." Nightshade hissed, nudging Reddling in the side.

"Only if Cadance takes care of her drones..." Reddling whispered.

"Even if you do kill me, all we have to do is kill your Luna and there will be nopony left to take the throne- just Changelings." Mantidae said with her happiest grin yet. Reddling bit his lip, then brightened, a sudden idea occurring to him.

"The jokes on you, Mantidae!" Reddling cried, taking a step forward and keeping his weapon ready. "There's another pony that can take the throne. Silverfield has stewards, and so does Equestria. You've already set yourself up for checkmate!"

Mantidae hesitated for a moment, her smile vanishing instantly. "...Then Chrysalis will deal with them herself. Soldiers!" Reddling took a step back into line with his friends as the three drones snapped to attention.

"Take their shape, and kill their Princess!" Mantidae screamed, her grin returning in full force as the three changelings flashed, instantly taking on the appearance of the three bat ponies in front of them.

"Tops, Nightshade, kill them!" Reddling yelled, running forward at the Changelings and reaching behind himself as he flapped his wings. All four of the Changelings moved to strafe away from the attack, focused on dodging the sword. Reddling had a different plan. As soon as he was close enough to strike, he threw himself against the floor, pulling out the crossbow he had so carefully saved. Reddling quickly aimed for Mantidae and released the bolt.

The bolt flew true, striking Mantidae in the top of her head. Reddling smiled as he saw a spurt of blood cover the floor and Mantidae stumbled. The three Changelings had already thrown themselves out of a window, headed for wherever they thought Luna might be. Nightshade had paused at the window, looking back at Reddling for a moment.

"Don't get yourself killed!" Nightshade ordered before throwing herself out the window.

There's always a chance of death. Reddling nodded to himself, standing up and raising his blade. Mantidae held the same immunity to head trauma that Balefly had displayed. Reddling was unsure if Changeling's brains were actually located in the head, or if they were located elsewhere in a more secure part of the body.

Mantidae was putting on a brave face as she prepared to fire another of her beams. Reddling could tell that her wounds were taking taking their toll, despite the courage of the Queen. She was wobbly on her hooves at best, and she had lost a great deal of blood.

Reddling jumped up from the ground, running and sliding the goo to avoid avoid the blast. Unfortunately, his own lack of sleep and fatigue were finally catching up as well, and he wasn't fast enough to get out of the way. The beam managed to rend a good portion of his armor, leaving a burn mark on his leg. Whatever good his armor might have done was totally out of the question now- there was no chance of salvaging a majority of it.

Raising his sword, Reddling ran at Mantidae, swinging his blade in deadly arcs towards her. Mantidae barely managed to dodge the blows, several of them cutting into her armor or wounding her legs. before Reddling could get in a significant blow however, Mantidae spread her wings wide and darted over to take cover behind a pedestal where only a couple of weeks ago Shining Armor had nearly taken his vows with Chrysalis. Mantidae's horn was glowing with magic again, but this time she pointed her horn up at the ceiling, and not at Reddling.

"No!" Reddling yelled, drawing out one of his few remaining throwing knives. Chucking the blade forward, the knife embedded itself right into a fleshy part of her carapace where the wing protruded. Blood seeped out from the wound, mixing with the goo and carpet under Mnatidae as she fell dramatically, slamming hard into the ground.

Reddling crawled forward slowly, barely staying on his hooves as he kept his sword raised. It was impossible to tell if Mantidae would die from her wounds or not, but Reddling was willing to take the chance she could survive. Chrysalis had two knives stuck through her chest and still come out on top in the long haul.

"Call them off." Reddling hissed at Mantidae, putting the tip of his blade to her throat and holding it with both hooves. "Call them off, and I'll protect you- otherwise, Queen Mantidae is going to die."

Reddling stood over Mantidae as flaming tiles crumbled around them from the burned hole in the ceiling. Several tiles were dripping with fresher goo, which was an unpleasant pressure on Reddling's mind as he saw a Changeling head dip down to check out the room below.

"We... will be the only ones left to rule." Mantidae coughed. 'Whether I live or die."

"Goodbye, Mantidae." Reddling whispered, shoving his blade into her throat. A deep gurgle rose from the Queen's throat before her wings and hooves gave out. Mantidae's crumpled body lay in a pool of her own blood. There was something tragic about it, really. Such life could have done so much, and yet Mantidae had decided to waste it all and end her life like this.

Reddling's hair stood up as he heard the sounds of several Changeling drones hissing. Leaping off of Mantidae, Reddling glanced at the drones as he ran for the exit. He had no time to do more than take stock of their eyes and realize that Mantidae had told the truth.

Their eyes are white.

Queen Mantidae

Queen Takes Rook

Reddling fled into the hallway as several more hisses echoed from the angry drones. There was no longer one hissing drone, but four drones poking their heads down. As much as I loathe to admit it, I'm not in any condition to keep fighting. I should meet up with Luna and the others. Honestly anywhere away from the Changelings seemed good, and Reddling felt partial towards the throne room right now. That was the last place he had seen Captain Shining Armor, and if nopony was laying siege to the throne room then the entrance to Luna's wing would at least be visible.

Canterlot Castle had fallen into a frenzy. All around him, Reddling could see that panic, mayhem, and discord reigned. He pushed his way through thongs of confused servants or lost looking guards, trying to make his way towards the main hall. Before he made his way to the throne room however, two familiar guards stood in the middle of a hall, glancing downwards in his direction. Reddling let out a sigh as he continued to trot rather quickly towards them.

"Night Guard!" Snuffleberry shouted, pointing at Reddling.

"Aye, good job." Buzzleleaf said, groaning and raising his weapon. "Come on, if we bag him we'll get a double promotion! You'll be calling me Corporal Buzzleleaf!"

"Bugger off you two asses- no offense to donkeys." Reddling made sure to add in the end bit, looking around for any donkeys that might have heard him. Buzzleleaf and Snuffleberry both drew swords, running after Reddling with sword in mouth. They didn't have anything to say about the comment, mostly because their swords were in their mouths. It probably wasn't anything worth hearing anyway though.

Indeed, Reddling's attention was no longer on the two privates, but on a russet coloured pegasus wearing lieutenant stripes on his armor. Reddling stopped in his tracks as he gazed at an Equestrian mirror of himself. If the pegasus's coat had been more to the red side than the brown side, the image would be perfect.

Both ponies took a few steps back. Right now they were in the upper hallways of the castle and could hear struggling from Luna's quarters, but Reddling wasn't sure if she should risk flying down there. He had no idea if crossbow ponies had been set up yet or not, and he wasn't too keen to find out.

"Snuffleberry, Buzzleleaf, what are you doing, hurry up and grab him!" The russet pegasus yelled at his inferiors in a Kiwian accent.

Snuffleberry removed his sword from his mouth, looking rather tersely at the pegasus. "But Sirah, it's his turn to make a move right now, it wouldn't be right to just jump him." Buzzleleaf whapped a hoof onto the back of Snufflerberry's head before charging after Reddling. With a shrug, Reddling turned, running and throwing himself to the floor and sliding past the russet pegasus. Reddling gave a smirk as Buzzleleaf plowed right into the russet lieutenant, knocking them both to the floor. Not bothering to give them a second look, Reddling quickly pulled himself over a balcony and fell downwards towards the main floor of Canterlot castle. He gave his wings a little flap as he glided towards Luna's carnage torn wing.

A steady trickle of guards had at one point been pushing towards Luna's wing, but now they all laid on the ground. Most were bleeding from wounds as they fell back, trying to push away from the halls that were stained with blood.

"Out of the way!" Reddling yelled, pushing one guard onto the ground as he moved towards Luna' wing. A small earth pony let out a loud scream as he flew overhead. The giant form of Bruiser had emerged into the main hallway, followed by Lunar, Shining Armor, Cadance, Midnight Tales, at least ten different bat ponies- some of whom were wielding weapons that Reddling had never seen before, -and one rather generic looking pegasus.

That's it? Where is everyone else? "Bruiser! Where are the others? We're leaving!"

"YEAH!" Bruiser yelled as he slammed his hammer into a guard's skull, crushing their helmet into their skull. "We're buckin' leaving! Ya don't say!" Shining Armor and Lunar threw themselves to Bruiser's side, hacking and slashing at the few guards still brave enough to advance.

"Guards!" Shining cried, his voice full of frustration and sadness at seeing his former comrades and loyal fellows slain. "Stand down, dammit!"

Reddling slammed the hilt of his sword into the head of a passing guard as he ducked to the side of the two Captains. He now had a full view of everypony emerging from Luna's wing. Midnight was now in full view and was the sole pony carrying Luna. Tops and Nightshade were fighting alongside Cobalt and some other bats. All opposition to the Night Guard was cut down like corn stalks, most of the royal guard not even managing a swing before they were felled.

"Where's Web?" Reddling said, counting up the bat ponies and turning to Tops.

"Last I saw she was still in Luna's quarters!" Tops yelled as he ducked a pony' swing. Tops grandly moved up, slamming his claws into the face of the pony and lifting the guard off their hooves.

Reddling swore loudly several times as he ducked past the Night Guard. "You guys should take Luna to Silverfield. The Changelings won't follow you there!"

"We're headed towards Everfree! Hopefully we can meet with Twilight and fix this." Tops called back.

"You'll never make it. They'll expect us to hide there and will follow us." Reddling turned pleadingly to Lunar. "Lunar, you have to trust me. Everfree is a deathtrap!"

"And Silverfield would love a shot at killing her, wouldn't they?" Nightshade called back to Reddling.

"200 stallions or a few thousand Changelings with the Equestrian military. Take your pick." Reddling replied.

"Everfree Castle will be safe, temporarily. It's located a little closer to the southern border than Canterlot is. We can regroup with the rest of the Night Guard and move from there. Luna cannot make the trip to Silverfield as is, and we won't make that decision now- Down!" Lunar was cut off as everypony hit the floor. A flurry of bolts shot in from windows, a few dozen unicorns forcing their way inside.

"Night Guard, move! Armor, cover our rear!" Lunar yelled, turning and beginning to push his way out of the castle at a more breakneck pace.

I don't take orders from you anymore. You're going to get us all killed.

Reddling doubled back, throwing himself forward and grabbing the closest unicorn's horn before slamming a second hoof into it. The unicorn let out a scream as their crossbow fell. Given his fatigue, both Shining and Reddling were surprised at how gracefully he caught the crossbow. Two seconds later, Reddling had turned the bowgun on it's former owner and fired the shot, ending the unicorn.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Shining asked, ducking a blast from a unicorn's horn.

"Never mind that. What direction to Everfree?" Reddling asked.

Shining Armor pushed Reddling back as his horn sent off a bright light, creating a translucent barrier in the hallway as a fresh stream of arrows attempted to pelt the Night Guard from behind. "South-west!" Shining said, turning and galloping to catch up with the Night Guard.

Reddling did not follow Shining Armor. Instead, he ducked deeper into Luna's quarters, heading back up the stairway. At one time he could remember walking up these stairs with dread, but no more. He was too tired to feel fear at this point, and even if he was not exhausted the feeling of dread probably would not have lingered. The Night Guard had become a home that Silverfield never could compete with, and yet...

The madness of the frenzied palace below did not meet Luna's quarters. Light streamed in from various holes in the walls, casting a dull, unnaturally weak light on everything. The entire place seemed to have a haze not unlike smoke but without the smell hanging over it. Reddling kept his knife at the ready as he ascended the stairs, stopping to pick up his coat, which had somehow managed to find it's way out of the room. The coat had blood covering part of it, but nothing that wouldn't wash off. Taking a breath as he pulled on his coat, Reddling plunged into Luna's quarters.

Luna's room was darker. It was gloomy and shadowy inside even though the sun was shining through broken window and smashed walls. Thick red resin clung to most surfaces, either dripping off what was formally furniture or running down walls. Reddling did not take the time to count the number of corpses that Web had piled up. This was not so much because he was tired or lazy, but more based on the fact that he could not tell which body parts belonged to which bodies. A lucky few ponies had stayed mostly in one piece, their chests eviscerated and organs torn apart by sharp teeth. Some still wore shocked and fearful facial expressions as they stared unknowingly at the carnage around them.

The only sound in the room was Reddling's hooves squishing through pools of blood. The entire place held the eerie quietness of a funeral that no one had bothered to attend. Here and there, little shadows jumped around, wrapping their darkness and silence around everything in the room like a winter blanket.

Reddling stopped a few feet from Web, who was curled up on the ground asleep. She was a pony once more, with quiet and peaceful breaths coming in and out of her smiling bloodstained mouth.

"Web," Reddling said, staring down at her somewhat harshly. "It's Reddling. We have to leave now."

Web did not reply, but continued to lay almost motionless on the ground.

"Web, please wake up, or say something!" Reddling shook his head, glancing around the room and continuing to talk to Web. He had left three of his throwing knives in here and was intent on collecting them. Every now and then a memory of Web flashed into his eyes, reminding him of the terror that she had brought to bare against the Royal Guard.

Seeing a glint of light in the carnage, Reddling snatched up a small, ornate dagger- Web's knife. I was right to fear Tops and Nightshade. The difference between them is that they'd never be insane enough to use their power this way...

Reddling trotted over to Web's side again, a thought occurring to him. He deposited Web's knife in one of his armored compartments before laying down next to her.You don't use the Nightmare... Reddling reached out to pick Web up, putting his hooves on her shoulders and preparing to hoist her onto his back.

Web's eyes snapped open the moment she felt something. In an instant Web's hooves wrapped around Reddling's head and neck, pulling him less than an inch from her face with vicelike strength that he was sure she could not possess. Her eyes were not the sweet amber that he had been hoping for. Instead, her pupils were slitted and thin like the edge of a knife, each fiendish eye glowing with a nightmarish and ethereal light. A sickening giggle that sounded like the gurgling of blood pierced the air with cold daggers as Web prepared to speak.

"R̶̶̦̥͔͚͙͉̩̲̝͝͝ed҉̢̡̣̤̭̮͍͖͙͔̬̳̪̦͟͝ͅd͏͎͍̯̩̬̺̪̞̰̠͇͔͎̳̟̞͝͝ͅļ̸̛̣͓̩̣̖͇̠̫͚̙͈̮̯̖̪͟͝i̧̨͇͙̼̙͚̤̖͈͉̩͉̩̩̲̖̙̕͟͝ͅn̸̛̮̫̱͔͎͈̘g̶̵̱̩͕̫̕ͅ" It was not Web that spoke, but some other creature with Web's voice. Some fiend that was one step short of being real.

"W-Web?" Reddling's voice cracked mid syllable as Web pulled him closer, touching their muzzles.

"I ͠t͟old͜ ̛y̶o͜u I ͜woul͜d vi͢s͝it a҉ thir͏d ͡time." The nightmare said. Reddling gulped, his chest heaving as his heart threatened to give out. At least in dreams all he lost was his sleep but this- this was the real deal. A living, breathing Nightmare had bridged itself to the world and was continuing it's demonic speech. "̢D̴o̡ ͝you lįke͜ ͝i̴t? What ͞s̕he ͏c͝an d̡o͏?̡ ̧ When s͜h͘e ̛th̶r҉o̸ws a͟w͞ay͠ e̷ve͘rythi̡ng ͘h̶o̸ļd̨i̶ng͡ ͠h͠e҉r̶ ba͜ck? ̡Wh͡en̕ s̢he͡ ͢g͏i̢ve͏s ͞in ̵tơ ̢th͢e̶ N̨i̧g͠htma̧ŗe͟?"

Reddling tried to force out a reply, but Web's hooves were now starting to cut off his oxygen supply.

"Oh,̧ but͝ th͡is҉ ̛i͡s̶n't ͟what ͏yo̴u͜ ͟wa͠nt,̶ is̨ it Re͘d͢dli͘n͟g. ̡ ̡Yo̢u just want t͞o̵ ͟kįll ̨Her. T̵o͟ ͜dri̢ve yo̷u͏r dag͟g̸e͟rs̵ in͜t͞o he͜r͞ h͢ear̴t ̷and͟ w̷atc̕h̴ ͟H͡er̕ d̵i̵e͝.͠ ͜ Lu̵na. ̵" Reddling breathed in a huge breath as Web's hoof let up on his windpipe. The nightmare stroked his mane with cold, sharp claws, each claw combing his hair back while gently scratching the skin.

"Do ͞y̛ou͏ ͘r͞ea҉lly ͟nee͝d͞ ̴it̢?̴  N̡o..͟. ͏ look͘ ̧at ̛h͠o̕w str͞ơn͞g ͏y͏ou a͠re, ͞ev̵en̷ w͘it̢h̕out̛ ͜it͟!̵ ̛ Pro͘ud and̕ un̷breakablę! ̷ ̕E͏e̸eehe̷.͝..͘" Web's giggle was an empty one, devoid of any bubbly emotion, real or fake.

"But- how much stronger... could I be with your power?" Reddling gasped. His voice was barely more than a whisper as he kept his eyes locked on the monster. "I could save everypony."

"Y͡ou a̕l̨rea̵dy ҉have ̵every̸t̢h̶ing y͜o̶u ͟neęd̕. Tak̷e̢ h̶er kn̢i̛fe. S̨he won͢'t̷ re͏m͜e͡m̡ber. ̡ ̶D̸r͠įve̡ i̵t҉ ͏into ̡L͝una̴'̴s hear̢t͠. K͜ill ̸Her̛.͡ ́ ̸" The nightmare demanded.

"...Celestia, bug... Cadance, bug... Luna, dead..." Reddling counted them off in his head. With all reasonably conceivable means of defeating the Changeling hives out of reach... Equestria would crumble to the Changelings, and I'd be able to return to Silverfield a hero.

"I'd have done it right?" Reddling demanded of the nightmare, his words a little stronger. "I could go... back to Silverfield?"

"Y̴es̨. ̵ ̡Victo͢r̷y, ̕Gl̢ory̨,͡ ̷H̕o͞n͜or͞. Aļl y̧our ̵g̕r̛e͡a͠te̸s̷t͞ ͏dre҉a̢ms.͘" The nightmare said, cracking a mad grin onto Web's face. Reddling felt a cold chill go down his spin as he leaned forward and hugged Web. Web tensed up for just a moment before release spread across her body. With a quiet sigh, Web released a breath that she had held for far too long and went limp. Her grip faded away as she passed into a dreamless sleep.

Reddling picked Web up onto his back,  turning towards a broken window. Web was heavy for him, but it wasn't impossible to carry her. At most he could glide with her on his back, and no action would be with any amount of dexterity or speed.

Reddling took a breath before stepping out the window, beginning a glide down towards the castle gardens. Slipping into the city from the palace wouldn't be hard with all the Royal Guard focusing on Luna, and two bat ponies would barely be worth looking into given the immediate circumstances. Guards were rushing around the city and palace with horrible disorder. Their efforts were not only horribly disorganized but terribly mismanaged by the entire support structure above them.  Even with citizens giving Reddling and Web a wide birth and glaring at them with staring eyes, the police still were unable to track down any bat ponies.

And I was too blind to see that Changelings have been systematically sabotaging every level of the Equestrian law structure. Malicious bastards, those queens, even if it is to survive.

Reddling spared himself a quick snicker before ducking into the alleys of Canterlot. Equestria hung by a thread now, and nopony in the public seemed to be any wiser.

Reddling tried the handle of a back door. When the door rattled to indicate it was locked, Reddling knocked loudly on the door, hissing between the crack, "It's your favorite longcoat buyer."

"Just a moment!" came a muffled shout from inside. Reddling put a hoof inside his buttoned up jacket, ready to draw a weapon at any time.

"The front is open, you know." The mare said, opening the door and gasping. "Goodness dear, are you all right? You look awful!"

"Who was the first bat pony you ever fit for clothes?" Reddling demanded fiercely, leaning in towards the door.

The shopmare blinked, clearly surprised. "Why, it was you Reddling! Why this hostility?" Reddling grunted as he pushed inside, doing his best to keep Web balanced on his back.

"I had to make sure you weren't a Changeling." Reddling stopped at her blank look. "One of the monsters. The city has been overrun, and the Night Guard are being framed as assassins."

"WHAT?" The shopmare demanded, closing the door hurriedly.

"I can explain later, please. We need bandages and we need a place to rest." Reddling pleaded.

"I- of course. Take your friend upstairs, you can clean off and rest." The shopmare said.

"Thank you." Reddling bowed his head gratefully. "Don't tell anypony we're here!"

"Not a word!" the shopmare promised.

Reddling ducked upstairs, making out the modest apartment owned by the shopmare. She had two bedrooms- one with her belongings and one that appeared to be a rather nice guest room. Reddling bypassed both and went for the bathroom, laying Web down against the floor. The sound of metal armor hitting the ground clanged very loudly in the darkness of the bathroom. Reddling had not bothered to light a candle and did not intend to. He had pulled off all his clothing and was staring at his reflection.

He had not seen his face since before the Changeling business started. His face was gaunt and tired now. Bags hung under his eyes to show the lack of sleep that he had been suffering from, complimenting a small cut on his cheek that he did not remember getting. On his chest he could see the faint outline of a scar where Balefly had ripped his chest open. Web really was a miracle healer, as any other pony would have had horrible scarring running up and down their chest.

Reddling tore away from his reflection as he opened up the drawers and the medicine cabinet, pulling out all variety of bandages, gauze, and medical tapes. Setting them above the sink, Reddling turned on the shower in the room and sighed as warm steam filled the air.

A little over half an hour later, Reddling found himself in the clothing store. The blinds had been closed and the store door showed a "closed" sign. The shopmare had been reluctant to close her store today, but two bat ponies soaked in blood wondering through her back door had done wonders in the persuasion department. Reddling leaned back in an armchair, almost ready to pass out right there. He had cleaned all of the blood off his body, and now was dressed rather sharply with his armor removed.

"You look simply awful, you should be in bed, straight aways." The shopmare said in a shaky voice.

"I have to leave tonight." Reddling mumbled, staring at the floor with sad, bright eyes. "You should get out of the city too- Canterlot has fallen.

"No- how, how is this possible!?" The shopmare said, shaking her head. Reddling knew she was still trying to take in all that had happened. He had briefly shared with her the fight with Balefly, as well as the diplomatic mission that he had been sent on afterwards. He had left out details about Queen Mantidae or his return, simply remarking that Princess Celestia had not been who everypony thought she was. the less she knew, the safer she would be.

"Celestia... no..." Reddling looked up to see tears in her eyes.

"If you want to stay and join Hive Celestia, go ahead. I'm going to try and regroup with any other renegades and head for my homeland. Silverfield is safeguarded against Changelings." Reddling looked over at the shopmare and sighed. She looked like she was about ready to burst into uncontrollable sobbing.  "There's still hope."

"Hope..." She whispered.

"It's almost gone- So will you leave, or will you stay and become a drone?" Reddling said the first part very quickly, much to the surprise of the shopmare.

"I- I'm just a seamstress. I can't fight, I can't fly- I, oh..." She covered her face in distress, her ears flattening.

"Are there relatives you can stay with somewhere? Go on a little trade mission." Reddling said.

"The thought of- of war, fighting! It's frightening!" The shopmare said, looking up pleadingly.

If I were in Silverfield, the shopkeepers would be pulling out crossbows and the Templars would be swarming the streets. Everypony would be armed within two minutes. Here- the shopkeepers give into despair, the population doesn't know how to defend itself or even know how to respond to these kinds of situations. I pity them.

"You've been good to me, I couldn't leave you at the mercy of the Changelings." Reddling said to her, rising up and heading for the stairs. "It's your decision now."

"I- oh... T-Thank you, Reddling." The mare said, calling after him. "I- ...Yes, thank you."

Reddling trotted up the stairs and proceeded straight to the guest bedroom, shutting the door behind him with his wing. Web was laying under the covers of the bed, nuzzled up in the blankets peacefully. Reddling had cleaned the blood off of her muzzle and coat, leaving her as clean as ever. Obviously the transformation had taken a lot out of her, because she had managed to stay asleep throughout the entire shower.

It had been difficult for Reddling to clean her off. It was not the fact he was touching her, but rather the fact that she was touching him. Two parts of his brain, heart, and a few other areas of his body balked and longed to just cuddle her.

Reddling sighed, pulling himself under the covers of the bed. He worked very hard to stay on his side of the bed, but found that no sleep came to him. He had been disgusted by the way Nightshade and Tops laid together but- it was protective. Rolling over, Reddling wrapped a wing around Web, trying to pull a cover between them so they wouldn't be touching.

...Within moments, he had passed out. As soon as he lost consciousness, his wing tightened around Web ever so slightly. He pulled her closer, snuggling with Web like she was a really big stuffed animal.

Reddling woke up when it was already dark outside. Moonlight was streaming through a crack in the curtains, landing gently on the covers. the figure of Web's body was highlighted by the weak light, showing a tangled mess of sheets. Reddling's wing was still hugging her close and her wings were now draped around him like some very soft and gentle embrace. Reddling wasn't sure how a mother's embrace felt, but he imagined it might be something like this.

It greatly disturbed him.

Reddling pulled away from web with a little "ick", untangling his limbs from hers and pulling his wing back to where it belonged. Reddling quickly glanced out the window and took stock of the burning nightlight before belting on his equipment. Before long he had on his armor on and his coat buttoned up. While his sword could not be easily or reliably hidden under the coat, he knew that if he ever needed to it would be easy enough to ditch the sword and fight with his knives. He'd counted six throwing knives and Ausfall at his disposal, which was more than enough to deal with a small platoon of incompetent Royal Guards.

Before heading downstairs, Reddling stopped into the bathroom once more, staring at his reflection. I have to let this be over tonight. Mantidae was right. The words of the powerful queen had been haunting his thoughts. It was true that there would be nopony left but the Changelings to rule, but Reddling had found peace in that. Every friend he had was outside of Canterlot and had a chance to run for their lives, and if they choose not too than that wasn't his fault.

Web appeared in the doorway, sleepily wandering towards Reddling and wrapping a wing around his shoulder. Reddling glanced to check her eyes, giving a soft sigh as the peaceful amber stared back at him.

"Hm... Reddling," Web said softly, looking into the mirror as well, "I was having a fantastic dream..."

"Yes, about that," Reddling said coolly, "You ripped out the throats of three ponies and Celestia in your sleep."

"Oh, Celestia too? Does Luna know? She'll probably be upset at that." Web's remark was akin to that of someone when they have broken a moderately expensive but replaceable art piece.

"Luna has fled to Everfree. Celestia, or rather, Mantiade, I finished off. Hive Celestia is running the show now though, and we're still in Canterlot. It's time to cause some more trouble and get out of town." Reddling wiped his face with his hoof, turning to his friend.

"Time for a third date, I suppose?" Web grinned.

"We should grab some supplies we might need here and then get to Everfree." Reddling said. "We could probably kill Celestia together, but then we couldn't get away to intercept Chrysalis, if she isn't here already."

"Hmm... We could always just go through the caves. A good way in and out of the castle." Web said. "But first, want to get something to eat?! I'm starving."

Didn't your cannibalism satisfy you? "I've got some dry rations, if that work." Reddling offered. Web glared at him.

"Oh come on Reddling, be a little romantic. Let's go back to the cafe- don't worry, It's been closed to repair damage. I have an old friend that could cook for us." Web pranced out of the bathroom, heading for the stairs.

"Don't kill the pony downstairs, she's a friend." Reddling called after Web, who gave a perky little nod. Reddling sighed, following after her. "We need all the friends we can get, we're traitors to Equestria now." I was never really on their side...

"Oh, wonderful!" Web said. "Imagine all the thing we can do now, and nopony will bat an eyelid. Ehehe- bat." Web giggled to herself on the way down the stairs.

"Lunar is trying to get the rest of the Night Guard killed.  They fled to some keep in Everfree." Reddling said.

"Oh, I think they'll be alright. That's Luna's old castle, you know- before the whole Nightmare Moon fiasco." Web said matter of factly.

"No, I didn't know that, but I don't know a lot of things about Equestria." Reddling said. "This place is a lot more chaotic than the books told me."

"Hah! That's what happens when you mess with the dark side of things!" Web waited at the bottom of the stairs gleefully.

"Speaking of the dark side of things, we learned about something better at killing Changelings than your poison." Reddling glared down at her.

"Ohh, did you, did you?" Web asked.

Reddling nodded, "It drives them mad and makes them kill each other off. Scatter a bit here and there, the hive would destroy itself. They won't touch anything from Silverfield, the whole land is cursed to them, taboo."

Web's eyes were bright and eager as she stared up. "Silverfield? It poisons them? Very Interesting... Do you know what does it? Why?"

I think I do, but should I tell you? Reddling shrugged.

"Aww..." Web's smile faded to disappointment. "Well, I'm sure we'll figure it out." She looked herself over as Reddling came down the stairs, stopping when she saw her knife sheathe.

"Hm, my knife's missing. That's not good..." Web whispered.

"Why?" Reddling asked.

Web giggled. "You've seen what it does. Whoever picked it up's in for a surprise. I hope they don't nick themselves on it..."

"A Nightmareish surprise?" Reddling asked.

"You know me so well!" Web said, giggling and leaning in close to Reddling's side as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "Ready to go?" Reddling looked down, then produced Web's knife, making sure to not cut himself on it.

"Oh- you picked it up! Fantastic- but, you didn't cut yourself, did you?" Web asked, concerned.

"I don't remember and I don't want to remember anything about that." Reddling said moodily.

"Aww..." Web sighed, patting him on the shoulder. "It'll be okay. You just need some air. Tell you what, Let's go get my friend and then we can head for Everfree. I just need to stop into the castle real quick to pick up a few things and then we can have a picnic right at false dawn!"

Reddling blinked at her, looking up at the shop. Most of the goods had been packed up, and the shopkeeper was clearly going to be ready to go by morning.

"Yeah, let's do that."

WHY THIS HOUSE? Reddling balked as he and Web landed on the roof of a home right next to the Basil Leaf Cafe. Reddling had seen inside this house before and done his best to erase the memories. Various stuffed heads lined every single wall, all of them from great beasts that had been slain.

"Are we going to the Basil Leaf Cafe?" Reddling asked hopefully, glancing at Web. Web rolled her eyes, giggling.

"No no, they're closed at this hour. We're just going to say hello to Ironfeather." Web's voice was very quiet, not even a whisper.

"Well, alright. Let's go see him then. He lives-" Reddling pointed down at the house they were currently standing on. Web nodded, pointing at a perch that was built outside a bedroom door.

"That one? It isn't maybe the one across the street?" Reddling pleaded.

Web ignored Reddling, "He keeps the door unlocked, but the hinges are very squeaky. That's so he can catch anypony who decides to break in... ehehe. Be very, very quiet.

"Right, like anypony would break in here, haha." Reddling chuckled weakly to himself. This was one of the homes that he had learned to avoid when he was patrolling Canterlot before the wedding business.

Web ignored the door to the bedroom, dropping down and going over to the window, which she began to work on opening. It took a little jimming around, but finally her hooves and clawed wings pulled the window open silently. Web vanished instantly, stepping into the room with Reddling close behind her. He blinked a little as her tail brushed his face, giving himself a little shake to stay focused. This wasn't a house that he wanted to become distracted in.

Looking around the room, Reddling noted all the animal heads again. Most of them were kinds of beasts that he could not describe, although none seems particularly dangerous.

That was until Reddling saw the newest addition to the collection. The snarling face of a Changeling with blank, dim eyes stared directly at him.

"Dah!" Reddling fell backwards, hitting the ground and crawling away from the taxidermied Changeling head.

The sound of Ironfeather stirring in his bed echoed around the room. Web shot Reddling a glare as she stared between him and the figure in the bed. A large, old griffon lay in the bed, many of his feathers greyed from the years he had spent out in the sun. Web watched the beast carefully, as if expecting him to jump up suddenly and gobble up the bats in the room.

"Oh get the hell up, bird brain, I know you're awake!" Web yelled at Ironfeather. Reddling turned just in time to see a giant eye snap open. An Eagle's eye stared around the room, checking out what was going on for a few moments before a loud screeching cry shook the room. Reddling covered his ears, wincing in pain.

"Ah- Ow! Shut up, dammit!" Reddling pushed his hooves further into his ears, trying to drown out the sound.

"ACAW!" Ironfeather declared, jumping from his bed and landing powerfully on the all fours. "Web! You crazy bat! What the hell are you doing here! I told you not to bother me so late! I'M RETIRED!"

Reddling carefully removed his hooves from his ears. His head was still ringing a bit as he sneered at the griffon. "Great, we can just leave then."

"Ironfeather!" Web whined. "Stop being so Boring! Those bugs are up to more shenanigans! I thought you might want to oh you know... ehehe!" She kept her voice very high pitched, making sure that each word carried well across the room.

Ironfeather tensed up a bit, his claws digging into the wood floor and leaving behind long scratch marks. "Are they?!"

"Oh yes!" Web nodded. "All sorts of nasty business. Got themselves all holed up with the royalty. Luna's been kicked out, ran off to Everfree. Whole palace is probably planted with them. It's going to be quite a mess sorting all this out!"

"Speaking of messes, maybe we should get going before this mess finds us?" Reddling asked, glancing over at Web.

"You stand right there!" The griffon said, pointing at Reddling as he groped for a thick pair of glasses. Web and Reddling both stood stock still as Ironfeather put on a very thick pair of glasses. When he had adjusted them, he turned back to the bats, squinting though the thick lenses.

"I've got a shop to run! You want me to just pack up and leave for whatever crazy scheme you have in mind?!" Ironfeather demanded of Web.

"Or you can stay, and they'll eat you." Reddling said in a normal indoor speaking voice.

"EAT ME?! CAW! I'd like to seem TRY!" Ironfeather clawed at the wooden floor, shredding part of a board. "I'll trip them to pieces!"

"That's not going to do much good when two replaced each one that you kill." Reddling argued.

"GOOD! There weren't enough the first time!" Ironfeather yelled. "That whole mess was the most fun I've had in years!"

"A perfect reason for a roadtrip." Reddling said  slyly. The griffon stopped, glancing at Reddling as a faint smile cracked the corners of his beak- or however the expression worked for griffons, Reddling wasn't quite sure how these birds worked their beaks.

"FINE!" Ironfeather declared. "When and where is our randezvous?"

"Great- Well then, Web, I think we should get going." Reddling said hastily, already starting for the door.

"Who's your friend?" Ironfeather asked Web, motioning to Reddling before squinting at him again. "You know, you look kind of familiar."

"No, ha. I am not familiar." Reddling said blankly, scratching the back of his head. "I ate some pasta at your shop with Web once."

"...Oh!" Web exclaimed, inserting herself between the two of them. "I never introduced you two! Reddling, meet Ironfeather. Ironfeather, Reddling." Web put both her hooves on Reddling's back, pushing him roughly towards Ironfeather.

"S-Stop-" Reddling started.

"Don't be so aloof. Say hello!" Web demanded.

"Ah- ack, fine. I'm Reddling Rain of Silverfield." Reddling gave a little bow to Ironfeather.

"Reddling eh?" Ironfeather mused, stroking his beak softly with a talon. After studying him for several moments, Ironfeather extended a talon. Despite Reddling's reservations, he dusted off his hoof before extending it, grasping talon and hoof with the griffon.

"You must be the smallest f- bucking stallion I've ever seen." Ironfeather stared down at Reddling with the eyes of a hardened predator.

"Grr- size isn't everything, and I'm not small- urg." Reddling blushed, moving his hoof around a little as the griffon tightened his talon. "...Strong grip."

For about a minute Ironfeather held Reddling's hoof, slowly drifting closer. The smell of meat drifted from the bird's beak, filling the air with an unnatural stench. Reddling did his best not to cough, determined to hold the griffon's talon until he let go first. Ironfeather knew this as well, but obviously wasn't much for a hoof-squeezing match with a pony. Reddling rubbed his hoof as soon as Ironfeather released it, trying his best to make it look like he was dusting it off.

"Now get out of my house, both of you! I'm going back to sleep!" Ironfeather declared.

"Nice seeing you too, bird brains." Web called over her shoulder, already opening a rather squeaky door that lead to the perch. Reddling did not dare breath a sigh of relief until he and Web were safely back on top of the roof.

"I'm going to head into the castle to pick up a few things..." Web said, swishing her tail and looking at the palace. "Just a few things I need to grab. You should go to Everfree."

"Why can't I come along into the castle? Isn't it going to be dangerous?" Reddling asked. Web thought for a moment, then wrapped her tail around Reddling's leg, pressing herself to his side. Reddling fell over on the roof, not ready for this sudden display of affection.

"Because you have some business to take care of. Go talk to Luna." Web whispered.

"W-What?" Reddling froze. Everything suddenly seemed sharper as Web gave the back of his ear a gentle lick, her hoof petting his mane.

"Go for a fly, clear your mind." Web said. "You talk in your sleep too much, Reddling."

Reddling only stared at Web, who stared right back. He had not remembered any dreams from the last day, so he was rather bemused at the idea that she could know something. Web placed her hoof on Reddling' chin, tilting his head up and giving him a quick kiss. Reddling instantly tried to pull back, but Web pulled him forward, sliding a little of her tongue againt his mouth for a brief moment. Just as quick a it had begun, the kiss was over, and Web had turned to the edge of the roof.

"Which way to Everfree, what am I looking for?" Reddling asked, giving his head a little shake.

"Head west and look for a place of the night. You don't need to worry- you'll find it. This place calls to the children of the night." Web said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Goodbye, Reddling. I'll see you later?"

I gave the changelings everything. I accepted their fake surrender, I tried to make things better in this world, but it didn't work. I could have had a fresh chance in Equestria, and I've screwed it up. I don't know if there is anything more I could have done to try and make things better, but that past is the past.

How can you trust anything in this world? How do I know Luna won't betray me and torch Silverfield someday? ...How does she know I won't betray her? What if I do betray her? I could stab her in the back right now. I could slash open her neck, and my work would be done. Nopony would be able to stop the Changelings from whatever horrible plan they have, and Silverfield would never be threatened again! Equestria would be consumed and Silverfield redeemed!

...But what will my friends say? What will Web say? I could have used Web's dagger to kill Luna and fulfill the Nightmare, but instead I've turned it down. Silverfield will never accept me now, they'll cut off my wings and mark me as a demon. No matter what, I will be a failure to somepony. I don't belong anywhere.

Reddling sighed as he flew over open, wild winds that reminded him of those in Silverfield. He'd been scouring Everfree for hours, and he was ready for this to be over. The entire trip he had kept his mind on one thought. He was nervous and unsure of himself, not sure if this was the right path or not. After what seemed like forever, a false dawn was beginning to approach as Reddling found the old castle. Swooping down, Reddling landed outside of the keep's gate.  In the distance was a set of ruins with a rickety old wooden bridge leading to them, but that wasn't what he was focused on.

Hidden underneath the treeline was a small fortress. It had been built into the side of a cliff and sported walls on all sides. The castle itself was almost totally destroyed, but there was clearly life here. A giant metal thud hit the ground as soon as Reddling touched down. Ducking, a mace flew overhead as a loud "CAW" bit the morning air. A tall and imposing griffon in a slightly rusted set of old fashioned knight armor.

"Wait, he's with us!" A voice from further away cried. Reddling looked up to see Ironfeather lifting the vizor of a helmet, staring down at him with his good eye as Shining Armor galloped over with a slight pant.

"Reddling! You're late!" Shining Armor huffed.

"Sorry, had a few things to take care of..." Reddling groaned, straightening up. If I've got to be damned, you know I want to be damned! I can't decide if Luna should live or die, but we all die someday

A few bats were peeking their heads over the walls, looking out at Reddling, Shining Armor, and Ironfeather. Reddling gave a cough, facing the Captain. "It's feathers. I have some really bad experiences with feathers." Reddling met a blank stare from Shining Armor.

"...Oh, it's you again. You're late!" Ironfeather yelled at Reddling.

"Yeah, thanks." Reddling nodded. Ironfeather turned, flying back to the gatehouse.

"Sorry about that, that griffon is crazy." Shining Armor said apologetically.

"I've met him before Captain- it's nothing. How are Princess Cadance and Luna?" Reddling asked.

"Princess Cadance is safe, and Luna is safe and stable." Shining did not seem happy with the current situation, biting his lip when his fiancee came up.

"You seem discontent." Reddling said quietly.

"...Hm. This place," Shining said, "I've been assured it is safe and secure, but it does not seem defensible. There are multiple easy points of entry- the walls, the ceiling. Why the Night Guard chose this place to run to, I don't know. There are at least half a dozen bats keeping watch at any time, but even with all our numbers, it wouldn't be enough to starve off a dedicated assault."

"Hm..." So it might be possible to escape... I could see Rainy again- Reddling nodded. "You still see worried. If it's your sister, don't be. She can take care of herself."

Rainy can take care of himself if something happens to me.

"...I know. This whole business is a mess. Thank you for your words- I was considering going to get her, but I- I know she can handle herself." Shining Armor gave a faint smile at the end. "It's just the big brother in me being worried."

"If somepony has to get her, I'll help." Reddling said. "She still owes me a bit of research about- someplace. I know how it feels to be worried about a younger member of the family." Reddling let out a sigh, looking in at the ruined castle's open keep doors. Luna's carriage had been parked in the courtyard and stood out with it's reinforced metal sides.

"Has anypony reported the situation with Celestia and her transformation to Luna?" Reddling asked quietly.

"Transformation! I-I don't know. I've been doing what I can, but I'm out of my element." Shining sighed.

Face it or become a causality. "I understand. I'd like to go wait with her until she wakes up then so I can tell her. Can you take me to her?" Reddling asked, his thoughts more focused on how his blade would soon be wet with Luna's bed. This was it- Two Princesses down, one to go.

"In one of the lower levels of the castle. I can take you there if you'd like." Shining offered.

"If it isn't too much trouble, Sir." Reddling nodded. Shining began trotting towards the doors, leading Reddling down a set of stairs and into some dungeons. The darkness was lit up by his softly glowing horn as the dungeon gave way to twisting catacombs beneath the castle.

"I could use a walk anyway. Standing by the door was getting dull, and the others will be alright for now." Shining said to himself.

It's not the others you should be worried about. I can destroy Luna now... do I want too? "Yes, I am sure." Reddling said, his voice clamming up. He was starting to feel cold with each step. The further away from the surface he got, the more sure he was that he was trotting into his tomb.

I have to concentrate on my goal. The world swam in front of Reddling as his heart began to throw terribly. His head felt like it had been impaled on a street corner with little bits of rocks left inside. Shining opened a door and stepped inside. Reddling's heart sank when he followed.

Inside of this large cavern were at least a thousand bats. They were all hanging from stalagmites, their claws gripping onto stone to keep them in place.  A dozen bright yellow and slitted eyes opened, piercing right through him.

"Gah! No!" Reddling balked, shutting his eyes.

"Something wrong?" Shining Armor asked, turning around. Reddling blinked at the very bright light, looking around. The cavern was empty now, and a dozen sleeping bat ponies either hung from the ceiling or were laying on some blankets that had been spread out on the ground.

Not real. It's all in my head, this is all in my head. The bats aren't real. Now focus on Princess Luna! "Sorry, the dark played a trick on my eyes- let's go, please Sir." Reddling took a deep breath, trying to keep himself from clamming up any more than he already was.

"If you say so." Shining said, leading Reddling across the cavern and down through a narrow tunnel. The tunnel almost instantly filled with the sound of his measured breathing, which echoed around both of them.

"These areas are defensible, but if the exits are blocked then there will be no way out- are you sure you are alright? You seem tense." Shining turned on Reddling, who shook his head.

"No I'm- I- I'm always fine." Reddling slipped a bit, sliding down a little slope.  Shining Armor stopped as he arrived at another cavern. Bruiser was among some other bat ponies who were sleeping together, another dozen of them  taking up this area. Reddling continued to focus on his walking. His legs could not stop working now, he'd spent his entire life planning for this moment. Every moment had been leading up to this climax, with the resolution being his death.

Shining Armor stopped, knocking on a heavy door. "It's me, Shining Armor! 'Dark nights and pleasant dreams!'" Shining Armor looked down at Reddling. "The codeword, so nopony gets in and hurts Luna."

"R-Right! We wouldn't want any bad guys getting in there." Reddling said, his voice cracking. Irk! We're here already! But- no! Not yet, I- I need more time to focus.

"Shining Armor. Who do you have with you?" Lunar's voice echoed from the other side of the door.

"It-" Reddling felt his heart skip a few beats. "It's Reddling, Captain." Oh my god, oh god, It's going to be a room full of them, and there are to behind me! I'll never make it out alive! they're going to kill me. I'm going to die- I, I don't want to die- but, my mission-

"Reddling." Lunar said plainly. "Do you remember our first sparring match?"

"... ...Is that the time that I stabbed you in the side?" Reddling croaked. For a moment there was silence, then Lunar slammed on the door. The sound of many chains rattling and bolts being withdrawn echoed before the door finally slid open.

"Extinguish your horn. Princess Luna is resting." Lunar said quietly.

She's asleep- There's no chance of her stopping me. I wonder if they'll kill me first, or torture me and then kill me.

Shining Armor obeyed, putting out his horn and standing aside to let Reddling enter. Reddling moved forward robotically, staring around the immediate area. There were some couches and beds in here, along with crates of supplies. It was the perfect panic room for when the worst of the worst happened. Luna rested on a simple bed, three bat ponies laying on couches near her.

Reddling took in a breath, taking a few steps towards Princess Luna's sleeping body. It was at that moment that one of the bat pony's ears perked up. Midnight Tales lifted his head, bu did not speak, only giving Reddling a grave look.

No! Midnight- Why, why are you here? The entire room froze around him. Reddling and Midnight locked eyes, staring at each other for a long moment. I don't want to fight you, I can't fight you. I refuse to fight my friends...

But I don't have to fight you.

"Reddling!" Lunar said loudly behind him.

"Reddling, are you alright?" Midnight asked, leaning forward concernedly.

"What is the matter." Lunar demanded.

"It's nothing- just very tired." Reddling said faintly, staring down at Luna again.

"...Why have you come here?" Lunar asked. Reddling's thoughts flew into a frenzy. Why was he here? What was he doing here again?

"He wanted to see Luna" Shining Armor said.

Luna, had to tell her something... "C-Captain. You have all been informed that a new Changeling hive was created? that the one posing as her- Queen Mantiade, She's dead. I killed her but- Celestia is a Queen too..." Reddling blurted out words, trying to keep the bile in his stomach from rising up.

"Tops, Nightshade, and Web have informed us of most of this." Lunar said mildly. "You are clearly nervous about something. given the nature of the enemy we are fighting, that does not sit well with me at all. Leave Immediately, If you are simply tired, rest, and we will speak later."

Kill her, kill her right now! If I don't do this, then I'll never have another chance. I can end all of the tyranny in Equestria with one well placed strike. I'll save my homeland!

Reddling stood totally still for a few moments, staring blankly into the nothingness of the room. Everything seemed sluggish as he reached into his coat, drawing out his knife. Everything seemed to be moving very slowly, and it took an eternity for Ausfall to find it's mark in Luna's neck. It looked as real as he'd known it would be. Dark vermillion bubbled up from Luna's jugular as her eyes opened as she gasped in pain. Reddling was on top of her now, his hind legs pushed into her belly. He had wrapped a forehoof around the back of her head, holding her still as blood began to leak all over the covers, staining them with the most brilliant scarlet the world had ever seen.

Surrender

In Everfree

"I guess it all worked out then." Tops said, brushing back his mane and giving a relieved sigh.

Being out of Princess Luna's chambers had come like a sudden burst of air to the face. After Reddling had felt both sets of hooves cross the doorway that led into the rest of the incorporeal castle, some great weight had fallen off his chest, making it possible to breathe once more. Tops had what nearly equated to a grin plastered on his face, a stark contrast to the surly, grumpy look that Nightshade was giving both of them.

"Look, just because I'm forgiven doesn't mean that it will undo grievances on either side." Reddling whispered quietly. "Silverfield still needs help and fixing-" Reddling paused, looking at Nightshade "-and yes, I need to make some adjustments on my end towards Equestria as well." Like not thinking about killing you.

"Yeah." Tops nodded. Nightshade trotted forward, keeping her eyes locked on Reddling. Reddling did a sort of backwards hop, keeping at least some distance between himself and the furious baticorn. Her eyes almost seemed to be melting onto the front of her face like some furious eagle as she leaned her head forward, speeking in a low and deadly tone.

"I'm just glad we know where we stand now. I'm going to go... wake up. I'm sure there are things that need doing, and it's probably almost night." Nightshade's voice reeked of disbelief and distrust.  Her voice now fully lacked the warmth Reddling had come to expect from a friend; her lack of emotion was chilling, even for one as dark and moody as she was.

"...Right. Hey, it's also maybe best that things aren't shared with everypony? I don't need to be in hot water with anypony else, and I should be allowed to talk to Midnight and Web since they weren't there- at least, not that I saw." Reddling said, leaning a bit to keep himself in Nightshade's field of view as she began to trot away.

"Fine, sure, it's your dark past or whatever." Nightshade rolled her eyes.

"Dark past?" Reddling said indignantly, "I got sent here on holy orders. I've spent more time in the dark since I got here than I ever did in Silverfield."

"...You know what I mean. I'll see you on the other side." Nightshade did not miss a step as she continued down the winding halls that made up the tunnel system under the keep.

"This entire dreamscape is weird as hell." Reddling said, sitting down and leaning back as he watched Nightshade vanish into the wisps of smoke that controlled the walls of the world.

"Luna's keeping it as lucid as possible." Tops replied.

"Yeah, right..." Reddling let out a sigh, thinking about what to do next. He was still somewhat in shock from the last few minutes. "I think I'm going to get my knife, want to hang around with me for a bit?" Reddling asked. Tops gave a nod and a shrug, following him as he took off towards the tower where he'd left his weapons.

"It's a dream, you know that right?" Tops panted as he galloped up the stairs to keep at the same pace as Reddling. "You'll still have them when you wake up!"

Reddling didn't stop to reply or acknowledge Tops until he had ascended the tower and reclaimed his knife. Pulling the blade free of it's sheathe, Reddling gave the blade a quick kiss before belting it on. Letting out a slight pant, Reddling turned back to look at Tops. He hadn't cared that the two of them had been running up the tower- it was worth it. This weapon was a part of him, and not something he simply wanted to forget or leave behind.

"So uh, I can understand if you don't want to talk about it..." Tops started, "But when did you first know that this is what you wanted to do? You know- with the Princesses? Your cutie mark always seemed to be quite strange..."

"Hmm..." Reddling brushed his mane back, idly, letting the dead purple fall in front of his eyes as he recalled the story. "I got my cutie mark one day while I was at church. Somepony snuck up on me with a book I was supposed to leaf through and I turned on them. I threw my knife at them and if they hadn't been holding the book I probably would have killed them. Anyway, writing is really hard as an... an earth pony, but I re-wrote the damaged parts of the book and repaired it. When I headed home for the day, I had my cutie mark pointed out to me. It was decided that I had an assassin mark and that I would be training for a crusade from that day forward. I trained everyday from when I was very young to murder the Princesses of Equestria and any other pony that I needed to kill to accomplish my mission."

Tops blinked, and Reddling nodded to himself. It seemed an innocent enough story, and as far as he remembered it, it was true.

"It was decided?" Tops repeated curiously. "Who decided it?"

"Well the-" Reddling stopped, staring at his friend's expression. "Well, the church decides that." I wonder how ponies in Equestria know what their marks mean? Do they just have to find out for themselves randomly? Maybe they just gain it through magical psychic powers. Probably the latter.

"So!" Tops said, clearly excited. "So that might not be what it actually means! Maybe you were never meant to do this!"

"Daring assassin sent to kill Equestrian degenerates or some boring job involving pens and a knife. Killing ponies, or making pens..." Reddling sighed. There was little competition abut which one he'd rather be doing. At least with the ability to fight he could protect himself.

"Or... you know, re-writing Silverfield's future... or, or something..." Tops trailed off.

Reddling let out a laugh, giggling a bit as he let out a cough and shook his head at Tops. "Uh, no, I don't think so. Besides, I can't re-write something that isn't written yet."

"You- you know what I mean." Tops stammered.

"I guess we'll see if my mark changes. If it does, then it'll decide to start itching and change on it's own." Reddling nodded. While he was willing to put some faith in Luna, she wasn't somepony that he trusted beyond a shadow of a doubt- After all, it wouldn't be the first or the last time somepony had not shared the whole story with somepony else. Everypony had a truth, and they all picked the one that they liked best.

"This is going to be really difficult for me Tops. I've spent every moment I've been in Equestria thinking of non-bat ponies as degenerates. I always wondered who I might have to kill or who might learn my secrets."

Reddling looked up, trotting close to Tops and carefully putting a hoof on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're still my friend, it's a really big load off my back." Even if you are still an immoral Equestrian.

"Well, I suppose that explains some things- but, I'm glad to know you're really with us now. It's good to know we're friends and on the same side." Tops' voice took on a cheerful sound, one that Reddling hadn't heard in some time.

"Too gushy for me." Reddling said, taking a step back and putting his hoof down. "You and the others are my friends, but don't forget, the rest of the ponies out there are just Equestrians to me." Reddling dropped his voice more to a whisper now, narrowing his eyes. "They don't like bats anyway though, so I guess that'll be fine."

A few moments of silence ticked by before Tops patted Reddling on the shoulder. "You should go talk to Midnight and Web. If you really want to find them, then you should be able too, just dream it. I'm going to wake up. Try to have some uh, tact with Midnight, okay?"

Reddling waved goodbye to Tops. "Tact is practically my middle name."

"Right... I'll see you when you're awake then. If Midnight is still awake I'll send him your way." Tops turned, heading down the stairs and leaving Reddling alone.

"Midnight, then Web." Reddling said to himself, closing his eyes as he trotted through the halls of the dreamscape. His hooves knew where to take him, and that was fine. All that he had to do was figure out where Midnight would hang out, and it would be easy to find him.

Luna's throne room came into view as Reddling stepped forward, opening his eyes and glancing carefully around the room. A couple bat ponies gave him confused or uneasy glances, but the rest simply avoided his eyes. Trotting forward, Reddling slowly approached Luna's side, glancing at two familiar ponies in armor. Lunar and Luna were clearly discussing something, but it was impossible to make out what. Within Luna's realm, her wishes were the laws of the universe, and no eavesdroppers would be allowed unless she willed it.

"Pst, Midnight. Psst." Reddling said, standing to the side of the blue bat pony, who had been giving odd glances over to Luna and Lunar's conversation. Midnight's ears perked up as he turned around, breaking his gaze away from Princess Luna. He is always quite enthralled with her, isn't he? ...He isn't going to take this well.

"Ah, Reddling!" Midnight said happily, his eyes lighting up a bit. "You look much better- I was told you wished to speak to me...?"

"Uh yeah, yeah, I would, in private. Maybe over to the side for just a moment?" Reddling's words were drowned out as Midnight trotted over, gesturing to Luna.

"But look! Here, Princess Luna is well again! It has been such a relief to hear her speak again." Midnight gave a fangy grin, showing that he was a bat pony through and through in this world. Reddling glanced at his own body for a moment, taking in the dead colours, leathery wings, and fluffy coat. He and Midnight were like a mirror- an Equestrian and a Silverfieldian, yes, but with the same calling in life.

"Let's talk in private." Reddling repeated, jerking his head towards a side door that lead outside of the throne room.

"As you wish." Midnight replied simply. The two of them trotted away from prying eyes, ducking into the darkness of a deserted room.

"Yes... here Luna is well and... not harmed..." Reddling whispered, looking out at Princess Luna before addressing Midnight. Taking a deep breath, Reddling gathered himself as he leaned close to his friend, choosing his words as carefully as he could. "I wanted to let my friends know that I'm not getting kicked out of the Night Guard or anything. Uh, as Nightshade put it, "we're all on the same side now", or something like that."

Midnight blinked, clearly confused. "Reddling, what do you mean? There is no reason for you to be exiled from the Guard..." Midnight put a hoof on Reddling's shoulder, giving him a quick pat. "Do you somehow blame yourself for this disaster? There is no reason for this."

"...Well, some of it is my fault, actually." Reddling pulled out his knife, placing it on the ground between them. "The reason I left Silverfield and joined the Night Guard, it was originally to kill Princess Celestia, kill Princess Cadance, and kill Princess Luna.

"You what?" Midnight said, blinking in confusion.

"This knife." Reddling pointed at his blade, picking it up and shoving his mouth around in a stabbing motion quickly before sheathing the blade, "Stab ponies. Princess Celestia, Cadance, and Luna bleed out, I go home."

"You... what?" Midnight said, taking a soft breath.

Reddling let out a horrible sigh. "I was an assassin- actually, I still am, the mission just isn't for Silverfield now, I work for Luna. It's for the Night Guard, to protect my friends. I thought- well, I had to tell my friends, so that I wasn't living a lie anymore..."

"I'm so sick of living a lie. I like this life." Reddling nodded, looking up at Midnight hopefully.

"You- you WHAT?" Midnight said, his voice taking on a higher pitch Reddling wasn't aware it could hold.

Seriously? "I am Silverfield's best assassin, if I do say so myself. I was sent here to kill the Princesses. But, I'm not doing that now. I serve the Night Guard, and Princess Luna." Utter confusion rolled over Midnight's face at Reddling's words, almost as if another language was being spoken to him. Reddling sighed, trying to make his sentences even simpler.

"Do you get it or not? I was going to stab Luna in her heart with my knife, but now I'm not. Luna was going to die by my hoof, but now I'm not doing that. I assassinate ponies, that's what I do. Does this make any sense? Can you understand anything I'm saying? Is it my accent?" Reddling blinked at Midnight. Midnight's breathing had become irregular, and his eyes were wild and rolling around slightly in their sockets.

"...Are you okay?" Reddling asked, leaning closer to Midnight. "Midnight? Can you understand anything I'm saying?"

For a brief moment, Reddling saw something click out of sync in Midnight's face. Something was broken beyond repair, and a horrible rage washed over his features. Ducking to the side, Reddling rolled out from the cover as Midnight reared onto his hind legs, leveling a kick for Reddling's face with his forehooves.

"Midnight!" Reddling rolled away from the angry bat pony, running into the throne room.

"YOU VILLAINOUS CUR!" Midnight screamed from behind him. Reddling could hear the sound of Midnight's hooves galloping towards him as he made a dash for it, trying to get someplace that was not where Midnight was.

"Midnight Tales!" Luna called from her throne. "Calm yourself!"

Reddling looked over his shoulder at the angry Midnight. He was so impassioned by the rage that he ignored Luna, continuing his pursuit. Reddling smacked a few sets of decoration armor, sending them colliding into Midnight as the bat continued hot on his heals, gaining quickly.

"Are you INSANE?" Reddling yelped, trying to put more speed into his step. Midnight was bigger, slower, and bulkier than him, and yet somehow he still managed to gain on his prey. Reddling dashed around the throne room, finally gaining enough room to breathe as four bat ponies piled onto Midnight, holding him down to the ground.

Equestria! Go to Equestria they said, it'll be fun, you'll bring great honor! Reddling glanced over his shoulder at Midnight, still panting.

"Get off! Get off me!" Midnight yelled, struggling to his hooves with all four of the bat ponies still clinging onto him.

"Will you please listen? Can we talk calmly again?" Reddling pleaded.

"How long!" Midnight yelled. "How long was this- this thing! How long was it your goal?!"

"How long... a decade?" Reddling asked himself. "Maybe a bit longer."

"Twas all a LIE then! From the VERY START!" Midnight fell back a little as the bat ponies held him down. They could do little stop his voice however, which still rung shrilly across the room. "Those words of hope and encouragement, your questions, the book! Nothing but a lie!"

Dammit. "No, they were not lies Midnight!" Reddling stopped for a moment. "They were half truths, but still half truths at least!"

"You used her name against me!" Midnight wailed, his voice growing hoarse. "Like a WEAPON"

"...Yeah, I did." Reddling said, straightening up. "I lied to you, I deceived you, and the whole entire time, I had a sick plot to murder Luna when you weren't looking... and I'm sorry."

Midnight had tears in his eyes now. The wet orbs of pain and sadness rolled down his cheeks, dripping onto his chest that heaved with hurt and a terrible, terrible rage. Midnight once more rose to his full height, paying no heed to the four ponies still trying to hold him down. Giving a wild shake, Midnight almost seemed to will himself forward, breaking away from his would be captors. With no restraints on him anymore, Midnight surged forward with one terrified bat pony still clinging in desperation to the back of Midnight's armor. Reddling shut his eyes ad Midnight jumped into the air, raising a hoof and preparing to land it square in his face.

"Midnight Tales." Luna decreed. "Enough!"

There was a flash, and then silence.

Reddling slowly opened his eyes to see the lower part of Luna's thigh. Princess Luna now stood between Reddling and a cowering Midnight. Midnight Tales lay on the floor, staring up at Luna with a horrified expression. He seemed smaller now, despite having thrown off nearly half a dozen bat ponies. In front of Luna now he looked like little more than a child. Reddling could not quite make out Luna's face, but he could tell some angry snarl had broken across it, twisting her features into something more sinister than she would dare betray in the waking world.

Reddling glanced up at Luna's chin before quickly rushing over to Midnight and offering him a hoof. "Midnight, please..."

"Do not be so quick to judge your friend. From the first night I knew he was an assassin, and yet now he has come forward to cast aside his cause of his own free will! He has revealed himself in honesty and good faith! You have been blinded by your fervor! You know well where this hateful descent leads, Midnight Tales..." Luna's voice boomed across the world, shaking the very foundations of the universe itself. Reddling tried to offer his hoof more, pushing it in front of Midnight's face. Tears were rolling down Midnight's cheeks, dripping onto the floor as he sobbed silently in front of the entire Night Guard.

"Midnight, come on..." Reddling begged. Midnight edged away from Luna and Reddling, not looking at either of them before fleeing the room, leaving a trail of tears behind him as he ran. Luna stood still, gazing after Midnight as he retreated. Reddling had little time to take in the sadness from Luna as his own tears gushed onto his cheeks. Turning from the room, Reddling ran around Luna and left the room in the opposite way. In all my want for revenge... argh!

"How's it fit?"

Web patted Reddling's shoulder as she fitted some more armor on him. Web had taken up residency in the darkest and loneliest part of the Luna's fortress, which suited the two of them just fine. Reddling had done his best to ignore some of the other items she had brought along, which were safely closed away with the spiders, snakes, and other creatures he couldn't quite identify in their glass jars.

"Yes... it's fine, thanks." Reddling said meekly. The armor wasn't the best fit, but it would be more than tolerable and much more protective than his normal light armor. The pieces were easy to slip off, so if he needed to reduce how heavy he was so he could sneak around, it could easily be done. Getting the armor back on would be another story, but that wasn't his primary worry right now. Reddling's mind was more dwelling on what he knew he'd have to share with Web- she deserved to know as soon as he felt strong enough to speak up.

"Sit." Web said. Reddling planted his rump on her makeshift straw bed, sitting still as Web ran a brush through his thick mane. Reddling opened his mouth to retort, but stopped, closing his mouth and eyes at the same time.

You know, that actually does feel kind of nice... Web hummed to herself a little bit, her amber eyes never looking away from Reddling's activities. Web had not been distracted for a single moment before he had begun stripping his armor off, finding it rather silly to be in a bed and also be wearing heavy armor at the same time. It did not take long before only his coat held off the warmth of Web's body. He could feel her breath on his neck, traveling down to his collar in waves of heat.

"You don't have to be so close to me." Reddling whispered. Web only let out a little giggle.

"Shh." Web cooed.

She's doing that thing again where she creeps me out- Web suddenly tossed the comb aside, pushing her hooves around the collar of Reddling's coat and pulling him onto the bed with her. For a moment they both rolled around, Web ending up on top with one of her hooves rubbing along Reddling's neck.

"Get off, n-" Reddling was cut off as Web's hoof slid over his mouth.

"I said to be quiet... it's hard to dream when somepony wakes you up." Web sighed, placing her forehead against Reddling's forehead. "You look tired, Reddling. You should take a nap."

"Nap wif you? I juf wof uf." Reddling said from behind Web's hoof. She gave a little giggle.

This isn't the dumbest thing that I could do, But that doesn't mean I should do it. "Web, Web get off. We have to talk." Reddling gave her a push, pulling himself away from her as she huffed, offering a heavy scowl.

"What is it?" Web said, not bothering to hide the heavy disappointment from her voice.

"Web, it's Luna's orders, please..." Reddling said. Web's ears perked up a bit as her hard emotions faded away. Her face became gentler and more... mysterious, as if she was trying to figure out what his next words might be.

"Ooooh?" Web asked softly, her bubbly attitude returning.

I don't know how to say this to her. "Web, do you remember when you asked why we had all joined the Night Guard, back at training a long time ago?" Reddling asked, not meeting her eyes.

"Yes?" Web said, a little edge in her voice egging Reddling on, begging for more information.

"Well, I lied." Reddling huffed.

"Well, you didn't really say anything... Kind of hard to lie about that." Web's face split into a small smile.

Reddling gulped for a moment before raising his head. He had to look at Web to say this, otherwise it meant nothing. "I joined to kill the royalty of Equestria-"

Web broke out in laughter. Reddling felt his cheeks go beet red as Web giggled madly to herself, sparing him a few glances when she could manage it. Although he couldn't quite put his hoof on it, something here felt  very... rehearsed...

"You're kidding, you're kidding right?" Web asked, still giggling.

"I finished turning myself in to Luna before I came here." Reddling sighed sadly. This isn't  a joke, but I guess you would find it pretty funny. Who'd believe the pony next to them is a psychotic wannabe murderer? ...No, what am I saying? It's like she already knows, somepony must have told her.

"You're serious! Oh, you're serious, that's just makes it even be-better!" Web fell into more giggles, covering her face.

"Yes, I'm Silverfield's best assassin, that's why they sent me to Equestria." Reddling smiled, puffing out his chest a little more.

"Bwahahaha! Oh you're serious!" Web's laughter echoed out of the room as she forgot her giggles and just began to let out uncontrollable laughter. Reddling felt his ego falter a bit. The one thing he had been sure might impress Web and earn some more undying affection had only reduced her laughter.

Is it that funny? Should I be laughing too, or is she laughing at me?

"You! An assassin! You're Silverfield's BEST assassin!? Oh I thought you might have some talent but... this! Haha!" Web wrapped a hoof around Reddling's shoulder, bringing herself closer to him and smiling as she fought to repress her returning giggles.

"I'm just glad Luna didn't have me executed on site... I... I can't believe I just told her that." Reddling looked down at Web, who had moved her head to be between his forelegs.

"Oh, she knew already then... and she's decided your fate." Web's giggles died as she stared at Reddling, suddenly serious.

"Yes... she has." Reddling said slowly, looking down at the bubbly mare resting her head on his lap.

"...and?" Web asked.

and...? She's taking this well, considering I might be about to tell her I'm going to die. "Nothing. I'll continue to serve in the Night Guard, and Luna will make use of my skills. Don't get me wrong, I hate Equestria, but I'm making an exception for the Night Guard because I know better. The rest of Equestria are still sunburned degenerates in my eyes.

"Well... that saves me some trouble, I suppose..." Web said, tapping a hoof on her chin for a moment before picking herself up and leaning against Reddling's side.

"Some trouble? What do you mean?" Reddling asked.

"But you- an assassin!" Web ignored him. "I knew there was something about you I liked..."

You like murderous killer- no. No you know what? I don't even care. That makes perfect sense and I'm not going to question it! Reddling shook his head a bit. "Perhaps I'll get to see some action if things can't be resolved with Celestia and Chrysalis."

"Oh yes!" Web said a little too eagerly. "Won't that be exciting?"

Celestia, Cadance, and Luna... I'm working for these frilly princesses now. Uck. Web noted Reddling's lack of response, but quickly recovered, pushing him against the straw mattress again.

"So, how did you like the things I brought you, nightlight?" Web asked. Reddling mentally stumbled at how quickly she shifted gears.

"I really wish you wouldn't call me things like that." Reddling whispered. Already his whole body was itching to get away from this room as quickly as he could, and the feeling of Web pushing against him was not helping the rising fear in his chest.

"Mm... Reddling, I was wondering if you would be able to thank me for bringing you these things." Web whispered, her breath smoothing traveling up Reddling's face and into his hairline. "You see... I wasted a lot of my Widow's Kiss... I'm going to need to make more."

How's that relevant to me?

"I have most of the ingredients, but there are a few that are hard to find... you know...?" Web ran a hoof over Reddling's shoulder, passing it down his back and dangerously close to the base of his wing.

"What kind of ingredients?" Reddling said sternly. No sooner had he finished his sentence than a gasp escaped his lips. Web's hoof had stopped on the base of his wing, quickly turning its motions into a sharp pressing motion.

"I think I recall you saying Cadance's little tagalong might be useful... well, I need some parts from... a Changeling..." Web's voice flowed like sweet honey, but Reddling took a sharp breath and pulled back slightly. Not Star Shine, he was different, unique.

"What kind of parts?" Reddling said hastily, keeping a sternness to his voice.

"Shh..." Web cooed, putting a hoof on Reddling's mouth. "Luna told me I'm not allowed to touch it, or Cadance, but you... Oh, you know... I need some organs, fluids, little things from that Changeling."

"Does it have to be... fresh?" Reddling whispered from behind Web's hoof.

"Fresh... kicking would be best." She continued her cooing, as if she was talking to a small kitten. Reddling shivered at the thought of Web alone with a small animal no one would miss.

"I'll find you some fresh parts, but they won't be from Star Shine." Reddling removed Web's hoof from his mouth, forcing himself into an upright position. Web pulled her hooves around Reddling, keeping a grasp on him. Web gave a little snicker as she sat on Reddling's lap, winking once.

"Whatever you want..." Web's voice cooed.

"I should go talk to Midnight." Reddling hissed. "Maybe he's calmed down... We weren't on good terms last time we talked."

"Hmm... really now..." Web whispered, pulling herself away from Reddling. "Well, don't let me keep you, go have your fun..." Reddling did not let Web have the chance to tell him twice.

In Everfree

Ponyville

You know, her hair kind of smells like blueberries.

Reddling took a sip of his tea, looking across a small table at the still recovering Princess Luna. He had been unable to located Midnight before his presence had been requested by Luna. Although he had been expecting this talk, he had not been expecting to be having it over tea with his weapons and armor still on. Truly, Luna was one for believing that ponies could turn over a new leaf, and he was very thankful for this.

"You're drinking the tea." Luna mused, idly playing with a small fire under an ancient tea kettle. This did not appear to be a good or often used set of teacups and cookware, but if it was good enough for a Princess, then it was good enough for a guardpony. Reddling said nothing and only shook his head to acknowledge that he had heard Luna. Luna stopped playing with the fire, looking up quizzically. She had this ability to always look like she was judging the pony in front of her even when she was totally at ease. Seconds ticked by, neither of them breaking the ice.

"How can I be of service?" Reddling asked. A half minute of silence had fallen between himself and Princess Luna, and albeit that he loathed to break the quiet, he knew he would never escape her if somepony didn't.

"I wanted to speak with you personally about our next steps. While I am aware that you have useful skills, I wish for you to refrain from using them." Luna said quietly, swirling her own tea with a small wooden spoon.

"...I see." Reddling said somewhat bitterly. It always seemed to be the case that ponies wanted to hold him back, never understanding that so many problems could be solved if they just cut to the chase.

"You are to accompany Web on a mission to Canterlot. Twilight Sparkle will not be privy to what has happened and I am concerned that she may be captured and harmed." Reddling looked up at Luna's words. Miss Twilight had almost slipped his mind with all of the recent excitement.

"If Miss Twilight has been captured, we are probably already too late to save her." Reddling whispered, sipping his tea again.

"Even so, she will have the regents we need to help Princess Cadance, and those must be recovered. I'd like you personally to recover these. If the Changelings know what they are, then they will likely have hidden them somewhere hard to reach." Luna continued to play with her tea as she spoke.

"Web has Nightmare powers I don't, she could get them easily. If the Changelings do know what these regents are, then how do you know they won't have destroyed them?" Reddling asked.

"I do not think they would risk touching them unless they had too, much less trying to destroy them in any way. As for Web, while she is good, she tends to leave a bloody path in her wake. Now is not the time for that." Luna sipped her tea, keeping her eyes locked on Reddling's eyes.

So is there a time for it then? These are your own countryponies, your subjects... "I'll retrieve the regents discreetly, and I'll get Miss Twilight out."

"Web will be in charge of the operation, although you may act as you see fit." Luna said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"That's an odd order to give a guard, Princess Luna. Soldiers follow orders, not their feelings." Reddling stood up, preparing to leave.

"Then we won't have anything to worry about." Luna said firmly. Reddling got the jab, but decided to not humor the Princess this time.

"I would like to contact Miss Twilight's friends. They might be helpful in getting her out of Canterlot and may know if she somehow escaped Canterlot on her own already." Reddling nodded to himself- that seemed like a good idea. After all, one of them had saved his life with a quick needle, and surely somepony like Twilight Sparkle surrounded herself with powerful and capable friends. At worst, they were non-Night Guard ponies, which meant that they wouldn't see him in a harsh light. Actually if it's nighttime I guess they just won't see me at all.

"That would be prudent. Look for a dressmaker's shop in town, a large white building. If anypony were to remember something and be brave enough to tell it, then that pony would be her." Luna sighed. Reddling turned, trotting for the door and not looking back.

Luna is planning something that I'm not going to like. We should be running, not spending our time saving bookworms, curing Cadance, or having different bat couples... enjoy each other in this husk of a fortress.

It was well into the night before Reddling actually began to move towards Ponyville. He had made a plan to ask Tops to come along with him, as he seemed to be the only pony not giving the cold shoulder. Web had been painfully distant, and Nightshade or Bruiser had done little to offer conversation.

Just as moonlight began to trickle down into the upper hallways, Reddling brought his hooves to a halt. A figure in heavy Night Guard plates cast a long shadow between the cool night air and the dank underground. No sooner had Reddling stopped his hooves than the long shadow began to move forward, like some sort of crazed automaton suddenly given a life of its' own. A single misty and furious eye glared at the hallway, forcing even the shadows to shrink away, lest this pony's fury bite them.

"Midnight- How good to- Midnight, stop!" Reddling felt the last word come out as a squeak. Midnight had closed the distance between the two of them in what seemed to be record time.

"Midnight, halt!" Reddling cried in alarm, focusing his eyes on a snarl that rose from Midnight's nostrils.

"I do not take orders from you." Midnight growled. Reddling tried to take a step to the side to get out of Midnight's way, but the big bat pony only changed his course, arcing towards his prey.

"Then go get them from Luna, I have things to do today!" Reddling squeaked, puffing out his chest.

Reddling thought for a moment that something along the lines of "How dare you!" came from Midnight, but he couldn't be sure. It took little more than a second for Midnight to finish his trot and close the hoof-range distance. The taste of iron and salt filled Reddling's mouth as he felt something slam into the side of his jaw. An audible pop echoed around the hallway as Midnight wrapped his hooves around the front and collar of Reddling's jacket. A jolt swam from Reddling's spine to his ribcage as he felt all four of his hooves leave the ground. Midnight did not waste any of the advantage his size gave him, and in their current positions neither Reddling nor Midnight could reach for their weapons.

"All of it! Every word of encouragement, every friendly word you spoke to me! Naught but a lie!" Midnight's hot words were flecked with spittle as they slammed against red fur. Reddling manged a pathetic whimper as his eyes refocused on the nonexistant distance between himself and Midnight. Their muzzles were now touching, and Reddling could feel his body being crushed between Midnight's chest plate and the cold stone wall. "How could you, with your snakes tongue and murder's heart! How could you lie and cheat your way here and play us- play me, for fools!?"

Reddling scrunched himself against the wall, trying to kick Midnight away with his hind hooves. Midnight pushed himself further against Reddling, positioning himself between Reddling's hips so that such an attack was impossible.

It was not so much that the words did not ring true- it was simply that Reddling desired to not face this past. Tears began to fall onto Midnight's armor as Reddling let out a whimper, feeble requests for Midnight to release him and not touch him dying in the fear on Reddling's breath.

"-And even with all that, still she forgives you!" Midnight's voice was practically a scream at this point. "All your terrible lies! What have you done to gain her favor!?"

"I get results!" Reddling panted, a pair of tears dripping down his cheeks and landing on Midnight's hooves.

"You!" Midnight let out a terrible snarl, the fury almost radiating off his skin. "I saved your life, and you abandoned me to the Changelings in Canterlot! I lost this eye because of you!"

Midnight moved one hoof to his ruined eye, pointing at it. Taking his chance, Reddling threw his hooves at Midnight's face, trying to hit his good eye.  Midnight let out another snarl and slammed his free hoof on Reddling's forehead, changing the world into blurry shapes and seamless lines.

"Tell me I am Useless! and know, that however useless you say I am, That were it not for me you would be naught but a corpse rotting in Canterlot Halls!" Midnight's voice was a full on scream, echoing up and down the hallways.

"It's ponies like you!" Reddling screamed, his voice cracking under the strain on his neck. "-Ponies like you are why I was there in the first place!"

A gasp escaped Midnight's mouth, but he quickly stole himself, leaning in and keeping up his snarl. "Then, it is good to know where we stand- Where we have always stood. That everything you have ever said or done for me has been naught but a lie."

"I- Midnight-" Reddling's plea was cut off as Midnight squeezed on his neck, silencing any outbursts.

"Web asked me to come with her to Canterlot, but when I learned you would be going as well, I declined. If Princess Luna herself ordered me to go, I would beg her to reconsider!" Midnight finally let go of Reddling's neck, moving both his hooves upwards and cupping the sides of Reddling's face. For a few moments, they both shared breaths- not the soft kind that a mare and stallion might while they lay together, but the rough, angry kind that often proceeded deathfights.

"Blast you, Midnight..." Reddling panted, taking in a deep breath and coughing. "You- You who are so devout to Luna, but cannot follow a simple order? I-" Reddling coughed, Midnight's hooves tightening on his red ears and squeezing the side of his head. "I gave up everything for nothing- just- just so I could join your cause, and this is your idea of good faith and open arms?" Reddling could feel the pressure building on the sides of his head, but nonetheless he drew his tongue back, spitting into Midnight's face.

Midnight's fury did not waver. "Yes, I am a poor servant next to you." Reddling felt their foreheads touch. Midnight was now close enough to kiss if they so chose to. Each word was painfully punctuated as Midnight breathed every word directly into Reddling's nostrils. "I want my book back. You don't deserve to have it. You never deserved to have it."

"Stop- get the hell off me! I'll get your book back!" Reddling felt something inside his head snap into place. The world shook again, and Midnight drew his head back. Reddling pulled one of his forehooves free, aiming a rude kick at Midnight's good eye.

Before Reddling could feel Midnight's skull, stagnant air and the hard stone floor greeted him. Reddling skidded along the floor as Midnight dropped back down to a resting position on all four of his hooves. Reddling heard hoofsteps more than he saw them. Midnight's figure approached, and then passed, leaving Reddling alone in the basement. His throat still felt constricted with the feeling of a large cottonball being stuck just below where his hoof could reach in and pull it out.

Above the ruined fortress, the moon passed the midpoint in the sky and began to set.

It was early morning before Reddling was finally on his way towards Ponyville. He had stopped briefly to speak to Nightshade and Tops, but gained not even a glance of acknowledgement from the former. At first ponies in the Night Guard had simply given Reddling stares, but now it had gotten worse. Most of the guard refused to have anything to do with him, or worse, they were like Nightshade and simply pretended that he did not exist. Tops and Bruiser had proven the kind exceptions.

"So, do you mind if we talk?" Tops asked, not looking Reddling in the eye.

Reddling gave a little sigh. "Sure Tops, anything."

"You know- word spreads fast in the Guard- I just was wondering something about how you react to... ponies." Tops still did not meet Reddling's eye.

"Out with it already. We need to be silent once we get further into town." Reddling said. Tops bit his tongue, and shook his head, refusing to say anything. For a few moments they simply flew in silence, neither of them willing to break the ice.

"You really hate when anypony touches you." Tops said finally.

"We're not having this conversation." Reddling pointedly said.

"No, we are." Tops let out a firm sigh, a strange sound of determination and exasperation. "We're all supposed to be on the same page now. If you continue to keep secrets, then you're just going to drive everypony away and they won't be able to help you when you need them."

Damn near driven you all away as it is. Miss Twilight will probably be one of the first smiles I get in days. "Just because we're on the same page doesn't mean you can ask me any personal question you want. I'll tell you- after this whole mess is over with. There's more pressing things to worry about."

Both of the bats fell silent as they circled around Ponyville. Sure enough, Luna had been right about the dressmaker's shop. It stuck out like as the gem of an empty town, the moonlight faintly illuminating it's glorious white walls. Reddling gave himself a little smile as he swooped down towards the building. Ponyville reminded him a lot of Silverfield with the eeriness that a night could hold. Midnight meetings of foals getting together to discuss a practical joke or tales of some horrible monster that only prowled the streets late at night had filled those... simpler times. Now real monsters were ready to prowl the streets at any moment, and there was no time for jokes or humor.

Reddling parked himself in front of a bedroom window. Leaning forward and looking into the room, Reddling scanned around. Different needles, threads, and colors of fabric hung here and there. Dresses, suits, and fine coats were seemingly stiched onto pony sized manniquins on one far end of the room. Reddling turned his head and finally spotted a bed, which had a white unicorn asleep with one of those patchwork things on her eyes. Reddling didn't know the name for those, just that fancy ponies wore them to help them sleep at night.

I wonder if a bat pony could use that to help them sleep during the day. Reddling tapped on the glass loudly, watching his breath form fog on the window.

"Sweetie Belle- go back to bed..." Rarity mumbled, turning over in her bed. Reddling tapped again on the glass, louder this time. There was a bit of a start as Rarity sat up, looking around with her blindfold still on.

"Hey, over here! the window!" Reddling hissed. Still in the fog of sleep, Rarity stumbled over to the window, taking off her blindfold.

"Hey- Princess Luna sent us!" Reddling said, motioning to himself and Tops.

"Oh- Oh my-" She took a step back, staring at both of them. It took a few moments, but suddenly something clicked in the unicorn's head. She stumbled forward, opening the window.

"Oh- I- I remember you two! You were in Canterlot- and at the wedding! You helped keep us safe from those beasts!" Rarity exclaimed. "...You know you could have used the front door, right?"

"We just like flying." Reddling said, letting himself in. Rarity stood back, giving both of them rather stern stares now.

"Well, I must assume that Princess Luna has a good reason for disturbing my beauty sleep! She must know how important it is to get a good nights' rest." Rarity's lips grew terse as she waited for an explanation.

"Perhaps you should take us to your living room and sit down. Nothing bad..." Reddling stopped. "Nothing irreversibly bad has happened yet. However, your help is imperative to our success in an upcoming mission. Would you be willing to help the Night Guard?"

"You don't need to be so formal dear." Rarity said. "Of course I will help the guard, just please, go take a seat in the living room- I will go pour us some tea!"

Reddling and Tops went down a set of stairs, seating themselves in the living room. When Rarity had joined them with tea- which only she partook in- Reddling began to explain the situation in Canterlot. Everything from how they had been tricked by Mantidae, how Chrysalis surely now held Canterlot as her own.

"I am- wondering. Twilight Sparkle- is she here in town, or did she leave for Canterlot? She must keep a home here." Reddling said lowly.

"Oh it can't be so! Twilight!  Poor, poor Twilight!" Rarity sobbed. She had fallen into her couch, covering her face and crying at the different descriptions of each and every scene burned into his skull. Reddling and Tops stared at each other, taken aback by the sudden outburst. They had not even had a chance to lay out the worst of their fears for Twilight yet.

"Miss Rarity? Are you alright?" Reddling asked, setting down his tea.

"Oh- She left a day and a half ago!" Rarity sobbed into her pillow, the fabric muffling her voice.

Probably dead then, or something worse... Reddling gave Tops a solemn nod. "Probably dead. We should inform Luna."

"NO!" Rarity said, pulling herself up from the couch with amazing agility. Tops spilled a bit of his tea as he pulled backwards into his chair. Rarity had a crazy look in her eyes that was only partially shielded by a lock of hair that refused to stay contained in the rest of her unkempt nightmane. "Twilight wouldn't let herself be- be!"

Twilight is smart, but I have to assume the worst and let Luna know. "Miss Rarity, did Twilight mention anything she collected? perhaps things that she would have set aside for an extra special purpose?"

"N-No..." Rarity said, her voice fading as she sank back onto her couch. "She didn't seem to even leave her house until she was headed back to Canterlot..."

"Damn." Tops said under his breath, biting his lip. Reddling stood up and began pacing the room, waiting for one of the other two to speak. Trauma needs it's time to simmer and rest before more is added- but Reddling knew they didn't have that time.

"Miss Twilight has friends here- friends that will do anything to save her. I need you to gather them and meet me at the Train Station here in town tomorrow evening." Reddling turned towards Rarity, giving her an encouraging nod.

"Of course! -although- we may not be as much help as you think we will be- we will do anything we can to save Twilight! Oh- you two must excuse me, I must prepare for this!"  Rarity quickly gathered herself up, hurrying up the stairs. "I will meet you at the Train Station- oh dear, there is so much to do!"

"Ponies are very strange these days." Tops remarked, staring at the stairs as Rarity disappeared into the upper hallway.

Ponyville

Unrest

The next few hours were uneventful. Tops and Nightshade continued their regular... private times together when they thought nopony was looking, leaving Reddling to cover most of their watch shift.  Perhaps to them there was no time like the present to show affection, as they might not have tomorrow to do it.

For Reddling it was just an angry reminder of the souring relationship that he had with the rest of the Night Guard. Almost none of his friends talked to him anymore, and those who did rarely showed him any respect. Despite Luna's order, the Night Guard simply seemed to not care. One among them was nothing more than a dirty spy, a mole who had wormed his way to Luna's side and stopped just short of killing her. Several times ponies had asked if he was okay, and Reddling had just simply nodded them away. It was less that they actually cared about how he was doing because they cared about him, and more about wondering if he was okay to do his watch shift. Their constant actions of giving him the cold shoulder or dismissing his presence were just more conformation of the loathing they were feeling.

The click of hooves knocked Reddling out of his self-pity, bringing him back to the world around him.  The sun was nearly set, and Tops and Nightshade were standing side by side, looking down at him.

"What?" Reddling asked, rolling over and standing up.

"Web says that it's time for us to get going. We're flying straight to Canterlot." Nightshade said.

"What about Twilight and her friends?" Reddling asked. Both Tops and Nightshade shrugged.

"I think Web wants to get this done without them. She doesn't seem very keen on interacting with "day ponies."" Tops said, letting out a little sigh.

"Did somepony tell her that's not good enough? We can't all walk through shadows like her or you two." Reddling said heatedly.

"Other than Bruiser, you're the only other one in the group that can't do it." Nightshade snarked. "Maybe you're just not good enough." For a few moments, Reddling considered smacking Nightshade across the face. Seeing her face change to surprise and shock instead of cool indifference for a few moments would probably be worth most consequences.

"Nightshade!" Tops said, giving her a nudge. "Cut it out!"

Nightshade only replied with a little snort, turning around and beginning to walk away from the two of them, calling back over her shoulder. "Just make sure you're ready to go in half an hour."

"She's a bleeding cunt." Reddling hissed at Tops.

"She's alright when you get to know her." Tops replied, trying to smile a bit.

"Yeah, yeah sure. Web's the same way." Reddling mumbled, sitting back down and looking out at the Everfree Forest. At least the dark and foreboding trees had a certain comfort to them- one that conversation with friends had lacked lately.

"What's wrong? You won't talk to anybody." Tops said. "You won't even hold a conversation with most of us."

Reddling let out a sigh, leaning over the broken battlements of the castle. It was true, he didn't hold a conversation with anypony, but usually nopony was worth holding a conversation with.

"Forget it, Tops. Let's just get ready to go. When is my-"

Reddling and Tops both stopped as the heavy patter of hooves smacked the ground. There was a certain wet noise to the clops on the stone, making it echo not unlike when a boot smacks mud. Coming up from the courtyard, a changeling head with pink eyes poked it's head up, looking over at Tops and Reddling.

Oh great. This can't be good. Star Shine had kept almost totally to himself, sulking around and avoiding even Reddling's advances for companionship.

"You are- going to be leaving for Canterlot?" Star Shine said. Reddling and Tops both nodded before the Changeling continued quickly, "Um, Is there a small favor you could do while you are there, Reddling?"

Reddling and Tops both glanced at each other. It wasn't just odd that Star Shine had asked so nicely for some sort of favor, but also odd that he knew they were headed for Canterlot. Nopony they knew was keeping the drone privy to the plans.

"Yes, we are- Star Shine, what's wrong?" Reddling asked, standing up. Star Shine pulled himself into full view, exposing his legs. Some sort of rotting rags had been tied around his hooves. They were soaked through with green blood, some of it dried and some of it fresh. Reddling took a step back, looking the Changeling over again. The drone's eyes were much paler- almost, sadder- than they should be, and from the look of his hooves something had been gnawing furiously at the chitin that normally protected him.

"What- Star Shine- who did this to you?" Reddling said, hurrying forward past Tops and approaching the Changeling's side.

"This nothing." Star Shine said, looking down. "Is it okay to talk privately?" The drone looked up with it's dim, sad eyes.

"Ah- uh, of course..." Reddling said. Star Shine turned around, beckoning with a hoof for Reddling to follow. Reddling trotted along, looking over his shoulder and using a wing to beckon at Tops. Tops gave a quick nod, beginning to follow along at a distance.

Star Shine weaved his way through the castle battlements and towers, eventually gliding downwards to a secluded clearing just outside the castle grounds. here they both stopped, Star Shine pivoting on a damaged hoof to face Reddling.

"There are Changelings in Canterlot." Star Shine stated. Reddling nodded.

"These Changelings- they will have food, right? Could you get some of the food ad bring it back?" Star Shine asked. Reddling nodded, thinking about that for a second.

"Don't you already have all the food you need if you feed off ponies?" Reddling asked. Star Shine shook his head.

"No- not love- this food is different. It is green- very sticky." Star Shine mumbled.

Green, sticky- gah! Wait! Reddling took a step back, thinking back to the wedding room and all of the green slime that had coated the walls. "You eat that stuff!?"

Star Shine gave a little nod. "It's part of- what we need. The other part is-" Star Shine advanced, brushing against Reddling's side. "It involves replacing ponies- and feeding off love."

"You wouldn't want to replace me, I haven't gotten any love from anypony lately." Reddling mumbled. The hard chitin of Star Shine's body was cool and refreshing, like laying your arm against a cold concrete wall and allowing the chill to permeate your skin. Despite the momentary discomfort, this feeling soon passes and allows you to sink your flesh back underneath the covers, feeling it grow warm almost instantly again.

Touching a Changeling didn't have the last part, but it did allow Reddling enough mental wiggle room that he could fill in the holes with his imagination. A felt a hard lump rise in his chest as he slowly laid down in the grass, Star Shine laying by his side.

"I'm trying my best Star Shine, why don't they like me? You can understand- I feel like I'm just a Changeling to them. I can't go back to regular pony society, but I don't seem to belong in the Night Guard. I just want them to like me and... I just want to-" Reddling blinked, putting a hoof on his head. "Uh- I'm feeling a little lightheaded..."

"It's just because you're tired?" Star Shine offered.

"Yeah- it... must be that." Reddling said, slumping his head onto the ground. "I've still got a full night's work though- I don't have time to be tired."

"Relax uh, pony." Star Shine said. "Just relax."

Reddling blinked, staring at the blades of grass in front of him. The green stalks began to turn for a few stalks to many stalks, and before long a small patch of grass barely managing to survive had become an entire ocean of neon green lighting. Reddling tried to open his mouth to say something, but his jaw just hung open limply, not allowing for any words to escape.

Reddling wasn't sure how long he spent in this state, but it was not altogether terrible. Most of it felt like he was almost in a dreamlike trance, floating above the neon green ocean. Everything felt so soft and numb, like the safety of his old bed back in Silverfield. This place was- normal- and cold. It was just like Silverfield- typical, average, and devoid any good emotions. One by one, each good feeling seemed to be getting sucked away into the lineless green ocean.

For a few seconds Reddling wavered, and then he felt his head smack into the green ocean, and darkness following.

"Whoa! Hey!" Top's voice echoed across the green ocean, making little echos that turned into loud waves. Star Shine's voice came out in a sharp hiss and the noise of animals fighting filled the air. Reddling couldn't make sense of any of it, but it was sure entertaining to see the world spinning in and out of focus, different shades of black smacking against the green ocean he had sunk into.

Tops' hoof smacked into the side of Star Shine's face. He had not taken out his claws yet, but only because he considered himself to be a pony of better persuasion than that. Were it any other Changeling, he'd have ripped into their chitin by now.

"What'd you do to him!?" Tops said angrily, stomping his forehooves into the ground and extending his claws.

"Ssss-" Star Shine backed away, twitching his wings angrily and showing his fangs. Tops returned the look, baring his own fangs and advancing on the bug. Making his move, Tops ran at Star Shine, raising a hoof to swing at it's face.

Unfortunately Reddling chose this moment to once again prove his horrible timing. Tops felt one of his hind hooves push Reddling over onto his side. Moments later, Tops' face met with the dirty ground, his frame sliding a couple inches in the loose dirt.

"mmmf..." Tops mumbled, pulling himself up. Star Shine was already long gone, having flown up to the battlements and hurried along to only Luna could guess where. Tops sighed and turned around, looking down at his friend. The normally angry and aloof punk now held a very relaxed and peaceful look on his face, almost as though he was asleep. His grey-silver eyes were still blinking every now and then, but he didn't seem to understand what was going on around him.

Man, you can't trust any of these Changelings. Just when you think they're alright, they turn psychotic on you. Tops rolled Reddling onto his side, shoving his snout under the small pony and hoisting him onto his back. Reddling offered Tops no resistance and simply hung there dreamily, his limbs twitching every now and then. Tops took off, flying back inside the fort and heading for the courtyard. Obviously Reddling wasn't in any position to come along now- but perhaps Web could fix him up.

Sure enough, in the courtyard was Web in her shiny Night Guard armor. The officers of the Night Guard had more showy, custom made armor that signified them as the leaders. Tops suspected that Web's suit of armor had some sort of shadow manipulation properties or else something that assisted in distorting her figure by other means to them, as shiny armor hardly befit an assassin.

Then again, you never know what an assassin will be wearing... Tops landed smartly in front of Web, letting Reddling slide onto the ground in a pile. A couple of the ponies blinked, looking at each other. Nightshade rushed forward, looking from Tops the Reddling in confusion.

"Web, Reddling got- attacked by Star Shine- the drone- he needs some-" Tops started, but Web cut him off.

"No time. We need to get going. Just leave him there, he'll catch up on his own." Web said, moving past the trio and heading for the gate.

"Web, he can't move. He needs something to pick him up." Tops turned, keeping his eyes locked on Web. Web slowly turned around, her brow furrowed.

"Move out. Don't make me repeat myself." Web growled. Not giving anypony a chance to stop her, she ran forward, taking off into the sky and heading in the direction of Canterlot. The other ponies stood around for a bit, but one by one the Night Guard took off. Bruiser gave Reddling an apologetic look before joining the others.

"We can't just leave him here." Tops said, putting a hoof on Reddling's shoulder. Nightshade gave a little shrug.

"I don't think we should be breaking any more rules for him." Nightshade mumbled. They both sighed, Nightshade shaking her head and continuing, "Tops, if he stayed like that all the time, I think there would be a lot fewer problems."

"-and we also wouldn't be alive." Tops mumbled.

"Yeah, he got lucky. But we do the work. We bleed and damn near die for him. He's good at planning things out, but Reddling can't execute to save his life."

"We still owe him our lives..." Tops mumbled.

"What!" Nightshade huffed, stomping her hoof. "Tops, we don't owe him anything! Don't forget that, he still owes us. Princess Luna should have had him executed. Don't you get it? Web, Luna, maybe not Lunar- they knew about Reddling from night one.  I didn't want to believe it but I always thought-"

"Thought it would be okay to leave him laying around like this, yeah." Tops said meekly. "Nightshade, that's enough. Hate him or not, we can't just leave him laying out here... he's one of us."

"He'd leave us behind. He left Midnight behind, and if you keep going along with him, he's going to leave you behind, Tops- something bad will happen to us if we keep him around. Just leave him there-"

Tops raised a hoof, stopping Nightshade. "We're not leaving anyone behind. Go join Web, I'm going to be the bigger pony and not stoop to Reddling's level." The two of them stood there for a few seconds, exchanging looks. Nightshade finally sighed, reaching over the unconscious pony and giving Tops a hug. When they broke their hug, a soft snore rose from Reddling.

"I'm going to stop by Ponyville for Twilight Sparkle's friends. Reddling and Luna both think that they're going to be helpful, and I know Web won't give them the time of day- she won't give us the time the day." Tops whispered. Nightshade gave a solemn nod, turning and flying off to join the now distant bat ponies.

Reddling lulled his head forward, feeling a woolen blanket brush across his face and push his sunglasses up his snout. The soft lull of a train bumping along tracks was faint, distant sound. A chorus of different voices accompanied the slow bumps, but Reddling couldn't quite make them out yet. They were light, cheerful tones- the kind that he would have expected from homely mares, or at least, one that didn't live in his world. The world hadn't always been this crazy.

Reddling brushed his head gently against the blanket, nuzzling his face into the wool. His mind was telling him that he really needed to open his eyes and figure out what was going on around him, but right now he was warm and safe.

Those voices. The bumps of a train... Since I am not in chains we either won the day and are going to a feast in Canterlot, or else I've somehow ended up on board a train with Miss Twilight's friends. I doubt if there are other alternatives that would have given me such a nice blanket. Reddling yawned, pushing the blanket back and blinking slowly around him. The sun had already set in the distance, and only the rays of the moon were challenging the cheap lighting of the train cabin. It wasn't a train cabin that was different from any other one, but the inhabitants were somewhat unexpected. Different colourful mares were still going about their chatting, talking about Twilight and how worried they were about Canterlot. A yellow mare seemed almost panicked about the entire thing- as she should be- while a pink one next to her seemed to be more enthralled with the train moving along than any serious conversation.

Miss Rarity opened her mouth to say something, but Reddling cut her off before she started speaking. "How close are we to Canterlot?"

"Oh- like- five minutes dear. You really don't look well, maybe you should-" Rarity did not get to finish her sentence. Reddling pushed the rest of the blanket off and stumbled to his hooves tiredly, starting to leave the room.

"Hey, she was talking to you!" A blue pony said tersely.

"You better not go out there, there's guards patrollin' the train." An orange one said, talking over the blue one. Reddling folded his ears down, pushing his sunglasses up his face.

"Did you get orders from the other bat ponies? Where are we meeting up? Where are my friends?" Reddling asked.

"They're flying in- we're all meeting up at the- The Basil Leaf Cafe but-" Rarity started. Reddling cut her off again before she could finish.

"Great. I'll see you there." Putting a hoof on the door slider, Reddling opened the cabin door and stepped into the shaky hallway. The train was rattling along, sending rattling vibrations up each of his hooves. This wasn't the first time he'd been on a train, but he didn't understand how ponies moved around during this. The movement always gave his stomach uncomfortable clenches.

Trotting for the back of the train, Reddling silently glided past each door, passing to the back train cart as quietly as possible. A lone, tired guard stood by the back door, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else at the moment. Pushing up his sunglasses, Reddling glared at the guard from behind his shades.

"Sir, there's something you need to go look at in the next cart over." Reddling said, trying to sound urgent.

"...Get another guard to go do it, I have to watch the back of this train. There's plenty of us patrolling the place, keeping the riff raff out." The guard whined, sitting down and leaning against the train wall.

"By the riff raff, do you mean bat ponies? Because there's one in the next cart over." Reddling hissed. The guard's face drained of colour, and he looked up, looking closely at Reddling.

"Are you- Celestia deliver me-" The guard stopped, his eyes locking onto Reddling's features. Both reacted, the guard standing up and Reddling rearing onto his back legs. Bringing his hooves down, Reddling slammed a hoof into the face of the guard, causing him to let out a yell before they both tumbled to the floor, grappling with each other as the train rolled along. Licking his fangs, Reddling bit at an exposed place in the guard's armor. Reddling felt blood leak into his mouth as he grabbed for the guard's inner arm, twisting at the soft flesh.

The guard let out a cry of pain, leaning back and pulling the bat fangs free of his arm. Grabbing at Reddling with the undamaged forehoof, the guard pulled out a knife and stabbed at Reddling's shoulder.

"Ah ha!" The guard yelled. An expression of triumph on his face quickly changed to terror as the cut revealed Reddling's armor underneath. Now it was Reddling's turn to strike, and he quickly pulled his knife out with his mouth, bringing the blade in a sweeping motion at the guard's throat.

After being cleaned of blood quickly, Ausfall returned to it's sheathe. Reddling pulled away from the guard, kicking open the back door. Despite the red mess on the floor and the dying guard, he had miraculously managed to keep any blood off him save for his mouth. Not giving himself time to have a second thought, Reddling rolled the body out the back of the train, watching it fall from the tracks and roll into the darkness.

Stepping out into the night and unfurling his wings, Reddling softly glided down from the train and beat his wings, pulling up before he could touch the tracks and heading for Canterlot's walls.

Unrest

Revenge

"Table for one. I have friends coming later, so keep these tables empty." Reddling hissed to the waitress at the Basil Leaf Cafe. He had taken a rather roundabout way to get here, cutting through the streets and leaving a dead pegasus pony in a dumpster with a message that would never reach Canterlot command.

"Ah- uhm yes sir, right this way." Said a skittish earth mare, bowing and grabbing a menu. Reddling followed her as she took him to a secluded, dark table in a familiar corner of the Cafe.

"May I start you off with anything to drink?" The mare asked. Reddling glanced over the menu, holding it up to obscure his face.

"Just a glass of wine," Reddling said, keeping his menu up. "Red wine, strawberry." The mare hurried off, leaving Reddling alone with his menu in the darkness of the cafe. He felt a chill creep up his spine as he leaned against the window, glancing out at the darkness. It had been difficult to get a grasp of time since he had woken up, but based on where the waning moon was he guessed that his friends should have arrived by now.

The mare returned quickly and sat down the glass of wine. Reddling glanced over his menu to see the mare looking down at his jacket, the colour draining from her face as she stared at where the train guard had cut him. Can't ponies just leave well enough alone?

"Would you and your friends possibly enjoy somewhere more private?" The mare asked. Reddling hesitated for a moment, and the nodded. Setting down his menu and quickly downing the glass of wine, Reddling followed the mare back to an empty meeting room, which had dim lights on inside. Reddling had barely made his way in when the door slammed shut and the mare rounded on him.

"Okay!" She said tersely. "What the hell is going on?"

"Do you mean the mysterious midnight meeting that I'm having at the back of the cafe, or Canterlot?" Reddling asked.

"Both!" The mare yelled. Reddlng flattened his ears a bit and waved a hoof, motioning for her to calm down. Taking a deep breath, Reddling started from the top- about how the Canterlot invasion had not been the end of their problems, about how Mantidae had replaced Celestia, and how the Night Guard had been framed as traitors. Reddling made sure to withhold any information about Celestia or Cadance now being Changeling queens, or any information that might lead the mare to that conclusion.

"And now we are in town to rescue Miss Twilight Sparkle. Princess Luna believes that Miss Twilight can be of aid to us." The mare had taken a seat, and looked shaky as Reddling finished out his statement.

"This is crazy, absolutely crazy." The mare said, rocking in her seat as she struggled to take it all in. "How can this be happening here, in Equestria?"

"No offense, but I've seen some pretty bad things since I first moved here. Insect- er, paraspit swarms, perpetual chaos, actual chaos, and now an invasion by pony sized bugs." Reddling recounted just a few of the more horrific things that had first rattled. as horrible as most of Silverfield was, he'd never seen an entire town completely eaten before his very eyes. He wasn't sure if they ever rebuilt that town, but then he'd also immediately put as many miles between himself and the place as he possibly could.

"But- but those are not common events!" the mare retorted, trying vainly to argue for the safety Equestria afforded. Reddling did not get a chance to answer her back, as there was a sudden knock on the door. A knife was produced from under Reddling's coat as he stepped towards the door, motioning for the mare to stay seated.

"Who's there?" Reddling demanded of the door.

"ehehe. Is that how you greet friends, Reddling?" Web's voice was silky and sweet, oozing through the door like vicious poison. Reddling turned the handle with a hoof, opening the door with his wing and standing back. Web lead the way through, glancing around the room as a procession of bat ponies followed in behind her. Tops, Nightshade, Bruiser, and many other bats whom Reddling did not know, all poured in and took seats around the table. The hostess stood up, giving them all a little bow and beginning to take orders for food and drink.

Although Web wasted no time in beginning to brief everypony on her plan to get into the castle, Reddling felt his mind wander. He obviously couldn't order food here for Star Shine, but perhaps if he poked around the castle some, he might be able to find some Changeling food. After all, without help getting that food the poor drone was probably going to starve to death, and it would almost be more humane to just let Web kill him. That couldn't be allowed to happen though, as Web would take her time, torturing the poor soul until she broke them before taking her due.

"And once we know the layout off the castle from those leatherbacks, everypony be prepared to get in and get out! We'll be moving very quickly once things get underway as we want to catch the first train of this morning departing. If you miss the train, you're on your own." Web folded her hooves across the table, watching as drinks were brought in and served. She carefully sniffed some mango juice brought to her, giving it a little lick before deeming it acceptable.

"What about prisoners?" A bat pony piped up. "There are some Night Guard still unaccounted for."

"Assume they have been executed. Our mission is on this Twilight Sparkle, not Night Guard that could not escape on their own." Web replied, smirking at her reflection in her drink glass.

"How do we know Miss Twilight is still alive?" Reddling asked Web, trying to block out her statement from his mind. If not for him, she'd be among those Night Guard unaccounted for.

Cold looks turned Reddling's way. He suspected mentally that this wasn't for his question, but he couldn't let that bother him right now. Web turned to him with a bit of a smirk, replying, "We're operating under the belief she is still alive, but if she isn't, then that's an awful shame, isn't it?"

"It's an awful shame because I'll never get her research." Reddling said in his head. Although he was not about to get his hopes up, he was looking forward to anything Miss Twilight had found that might help him learn from another party about his country.

Minutes turned to hours as the bats sat around, waiting and struggling to stay focused on the mission ahead. Reddling had learned that the leatherbacks were Miss Twilight's friends, who had been able to freely enter the castle due to their status. When some bat-friendly appetizers were served, Reddling had simply asked for a medium sized jar from the hostess. Although he had been given a strange look, she supplied him one that barely fit into a large coat pocket. If at all possible, Reddling fully intended to give Star Shine at least enough to get by.

There was no knocking on the door when Twilight's friends returned. a pink pony bouncd iside, followed by her almost grim looking friends. She seemingly had no problem with the dim atmosphere that had become the capital of Equestria, but at least the rest of her friends seemed to be very aware of the situation around them.

"Well?" Web's voice dripped hostility as she leaned forward, looking at the five mares in front of her like they were the dinner menu.

"Uhh..." The rainbow one said, looking at her other friends. "We kinda poked around and stuff but there wasn't a lot to see!"

"Honestly, I've never seen the castle looking so unkempt and deserted!" Rarity looked offended that she even had to say the last few words.

"But we do have some news for y'all." The orange one said, removing her hat and laying it over her chest. "Twilight was seen in the castle earlier today, and Pinkie Pie here found the guestbook where Twilight signed in a few days ago."

Score.

"Good job. Anything else to report?" Web waited, looking at the ponies. The yellow one ducked behind the other four, looking terrified as the dark mare across the room surveyed them. "No? Then get out of here. We have work to do."

The five mares took a step back at the sudden harshness in Web's voice. Exchanging looks, they all ducked out of the room, deciding collectively and non-verbally that it might be best to not ask questions of the Night Guard right now.

"You don't have to be so mean to them." Reddling said pointedly. He personally held the five mares in little regard- after all, they were still Equestrians and not bat ponies- but they had held their own against Changelings, smuggled him into their train cart somehow, scouted out Canterlot Palace. Reddling also suspected that two of those mares had saved his life, but his memory was blurry, and the evvents around Balefly's death felt so long ago.

"Reddling, relax." Web cooed, watching as Reddling tilted his head her direction. "They're just Equestrians, Right?"

"Useful Equestrians." Reddling corrected her. She read my mind, mostly.

Web turned her mouth up slightly, and did not press the point, turning away and kicking back in her chair.  Reddling turned his attention away from Web, and looked over towards Tops and Nightshade, trying to catch their eye. Tops gave Reddling a little wave, motioning for him to move closer and join them. Nightshade only rolled her eyes and looked away.

"Hey Reddling." Tops said. "You uh- are you okay?"

"Never better." Reddling replied, flexing his hoof muscles and taking a seat next to them.

"Ah, well-" Tops began,

"You let a bug suck the life out of you. Surprised you're here." Tops' better, more honest half interrupted him. "What keeps you going?"

"What are you talking about?" Reddling pointedly questioned Nightshade, rounding on her.

"You shouldn't be able to walk, much less get into Canterlot, even if it was on a train. You take horrifying wounds that would kill most of us and keep moving within days." Nightshade narrowed her eyes at Reddling. "So, how do you do it?"

"My secret." Reddling replied, putting a hoof on his knife. "Just like your secret about Nightmare Powers. Show me yours and I'll show you mine."

"Ugh. You are unbelievable." Nightshade stood up trotting away from both of them to the other side of the room.

"Care to tell me what that was about?" Reddling whispered to Tops.

"She's- I just don't know." Tops confessed. "Look, Reddling... ever since the Wedding, Nightshade's been like, keeping a mental tally on you."

"Wonderful." Reddling's turn to roll his eyes. "I didn't know she cared so much."

"She isn't doing it because she likes you, it's because she's scared of you. Thinks your hear to hurt us." Tops drooped his ears.

"She wasn't wrong a few days ago. That doesn't explain why she's still on about it."

"Well, that's just it." Tops mumbled. "She doesn't think you gave it all up."

Reddling shook his head, queuing Tops to just forget about it. I doubt there is anything I can do to convince Nightshade that I'm a good pony, and honestly, I can't be bothered to make her like me right now. There are so many other problems going on, I barely have time to watch my own feelings, much less hers.

Tops and Reddling stood up as Web sprung from her chair, looking around the room, slowly all the bats stopped talking among themselves, turning their heads towards Web.

"We're moving out!" Web declared. "Everypony on me, we'll be taking an old sewer entry into the bat pony caverns. Don't worry about the smell, the line hasn't been used in a long time." There was little exposition as everypony filed out, moving with purpose and direction as Web took the lead. Reddling trotted to her side, looking back at the other bats.

"Web, we still don't know where Miss Twilight is, just that she's in the castle. What's your plan?" Reddling asked.

"Didn't you listen to any of the briefing?" Web said, sounding a bit hurt. "Reddling, you have to listen up more. There are guest bedrooms in the Palace, and we are going to inspect that area."

"You're betting Miss Twilight is in one area, and resting the entire operation on this?" Reddling said in disbelief. Web was better than this, surely.

"She'll be there," Web cooed. "Don't worry." Reddling's brain was now in overdrive as he processed this bit of information. Apperently not only was Web not better than this, she was actually going to go through with this plan. Reddling was certain that the wing would be guarded, and it would only take a matter of minutes- if that- before they would all be detected moving about in the castle. Unfortunately, that didn't leave them enough time to search for Miss Twilight, extract her, and catch the train out.

"Web, this is a bad plan. We need to come up with a new one." Reddling's voice was urgent as he pressed the issue.

"It'll work fine. Just stick with me." Web didn't bat an eye as she continued into the dark, empty streets. Reddling could feel his head throbbing as he struggled to think of some sort of plan that would not make this end badly. They needed some sort of distraction, something to draw the guards away- but Web wasn't likely to go for anything that wasn't her plan, and nothing came to mind for how to start a distraction in an unfamiliar castle.

Reddling continued to grapple with his thoughts as they approached a large, old manhole. Web opened up the hole with the help of Bruiser, revealing a black pit that led into even blacker sewers.

"Make sure to give little squeaks so you don't trip!" Web giggled, stepping into the air and falling downward into the blackness, one by one, everybat dropped into the hole until only Reddling and Bruiser were left above.

"You know she's probably going to get us killed, right?" Reddling said. "I'm an assassin. I know security, and this is never going to work."

"She's the same as ya, Reddling." Brusier looked down wistfully at the blackness, and then hopped in. Reddling let out a sigh as he pulled his coat back, resting it across his back so that it wouldn't pick up any... leftover sewer residue.

Reddling took a deep breath as the bat ponies entered into the caverns. He had opted to lead the charge with Nightshade and Web, leaving Brusier and tops with the other bats to cover the rear. They were the most likely to engage guards once things got loud, and their down and dirty fighting was more likely to hold the guards at bay than Reddling or Web could. The plan was... loud, for brevity's sake. Reddling felt his mind blur as one room after another was slammed open. Some rooms had piles of green goo in them-- Which Reddling took advantage of and filled up the jar he had borrowed earlier so he could return it to Star Shine,-- while others housed actual guests. Reddling had stormed in on a couple in the middle of foreplay and screamed at them to flee the castle, and that Changelings had overthrown Equestria.

The loudness gave way to confusion as innocent civilians fled the rooms. The Royal Guard soon found themselves holding back, unsure of how many of the citizens were being allowed to get away and how many might be potential hostages.

When it was almost the last door, Reddling finally felt his heart sink. He had kicked the door right off it's hinges and been met by the glare of something that shook him to the core. This was going to be undeniable evidence that the worst had come to pass.

"I found her! Miss Twilight is in this room!" Reddling shrieked down the hallway. Before he could get out of the way, he was buffeted by Nightshade, Web, and two bat ponies he did not know. A White eyed Changeling jumped off Twilight, snarling like a feral animal before being tackled and restrained by one of the bats. Twilight Sparkle let out a terrified scream at the sight of bat ponies marching into the room.

Reddling grabbed the pony holding the Changeling down, pulling on their shoulder. "Let it go!" Reddling yelled. The bat pony looked up with a surprised glance, but the Changeling didn't need to hear the word twice. With a snarl it threw the bat ponies off and shot up the hallway, trying to get away as fast as it could.

"Miss Twilight!" Reddling yelled down at her over her cries, hopping onto the bed and standing over her.  "Do you remember me? We're here to rescue you!"

"But Celestia said- bat ponies-" Twilight blinked, looking right through Reddling. Reddling heard Web cry for the bat ponies to get Twilight out of the room, and they obliged. Reddling dismounted Twilight as Brusier lifted her over one shoulder. Nightshade shot a blast of some shadow magic at the window, blowing it open in a burst of fire. Reddling looked around, surveying the scene. No Royal Guards were daring to advance yet, but Web had disappeared from the room. A small satchel had been left behind by Twilight on the bed, and Nightshade looked to be the last pony out.

"Where's Web?" Reddling demanded of Nightshade.

"No clue- come on, let's go. We'll miss the train." Nightshade's voice was urgent, but not lacking any of her typical snark. Reddling glared over at her, stomping a hoof as he picked up the satchel and slung it around his neck.

"I'm not leaving her behind. Did she get out yet or not?" Reddling began to move towards the door of the room, determined to scour the castle if need be to find Web.

"Stars fuck you Reddling." Nightshade yelled. "She can handle herself, Let's get out of here." Reddling just glared at her.

"Fine. Both of you can die then for all I care." Nightshade turned tail and departed, flapping her wings to get altitude before shooting down towards the lower side of town, where the trains were located. Reddling  turned through the door, proceeding into the hallway and grinding to a halt.

His search for Web had taken but seconds. Web was standing in the hallway, shadows dripping off of every stone and orifice it could infect. laying under her was a dead Changeling with milky white eyes that were swiftly turning grey. Web had cracked the Changeling's shell open and been looting around in it's organs. Something akin to a small pouch was taken out by web, which she held hungrily in a hoof.

"Need it for my poison. Gotta have it fresh." Web smiled down at the organ before looking up at Reddling, her face covered in green Changeling blood. "Where's Twilight Sparkle?"

"She escaped." Reddling said. "They're all headed towards the train now- if we hurry, we can still make it."

Web blinked slowly, sitting down so she could rest the spare organ on the ground and rub a hoof through the blood on her face. "You should be with them, or- did you not pay attention to my briefing?"

Reddling gave her a small "Huh?", and Web gave him a devious smile.

"They'll be lucky if they catch the train. But the two of us? No chance we'll make it now that we sat here and talked." Web cooed.

"Well come on, get up- we can still try!" Reddling said, taking a few steps towards Web. Web stood up, tucking the organ away into her armor.

"No, it's absolutely impossible." Web smiled. "This operation went very well, Reddling." Slowly, she made her way towards him, putting her cheek next to his so she could whisper in his ear. "But sometimes, operations don't go smoothly. I guess I'll see you later, then?" Web ended her statement with a little kiss on Reddling's cheek, pressing fresh, still warm blood into his fur and against his skin. He barely had time to register what Web was saying before she jumped into her shadows, disappearing into the night and leaving not a single trace the shadows had ever been there. Reddling was now left alone and exposed in the hallway next to a dead Changeling body.

"Web." Reddling said, looking around. He could feel his heart beat picking up as he continued to call her name, beginning to look around more and more frantically.  Web was gone- and soon, the train would be too. The thunder of hooves heading for the hallway picked up on Reddling's sensitive ears and he jumped into Twilight's room. Quickly looking out the window, Reddling took a leap of faith and jumped for it, aiming upwards towards the cloud layer. If he couldn't make it away, he'd have to lose any pursuers and try to rejoin the Night Guard later. He couldn't outfly a train, and the sun would be almost up by the time the train stopped in Ponyville.

Reddling closed his eyes as he passed through the clouds, droplets of water forming on his face and wings. There was one place he could hide out and wait until the next night, when he could travel more freely.

After he was sure that no Pegasus had followed him, Reddling opened the satchel he had taken from Twilights' room and looked inside. His gaze was still half fixed on the books and odd vial inside the satchel as he landed inside the small enclave from so many eras ago. gulping quietly, Reddling read the titles of the books allowed to himself.

"A Baker's Dozen uses for Dragons Blood Plus, The Night Guard of Equestria: A History, and ... and Silverfield, the Accidental Social Experiment." Reddling's hooves wore into the ground as he trotted for his old small cabin. pushing open the door, he almost fell inside as he looked around the peaceful place. it was exactly as he had left it- a small desk, a perfectly made bed, and a shelf devoid of any belongings.

Still, Reddling felt safe here. He felt- some nostalgia, being here. When he had first came to his place, he was serving as an agent of Revenge, of malice... and now, he felt neither of these things. As solemn and quaint as the place was, it felt just as homely as Silverfield.

Silverfield, my home. Reddling couldn't remember taking off his armor or weapons, or curling up with his knife and the book on Silverfieldian history. The next thing that he could remember was falling asleep, his face pressing into the pillow as the book lay idly right beside him.

Sleep did not come easy- but not for the reasons that Reddling was normally used to. He found himself in Silverfield- yes, with the backdrop of dead ponies, horrifying crimes- and yet, this time he was lucid enough to understand it was simply a setting, not a reality. Gliding past the front gate, Reddling felt himself compelled forward into some black and white film. On the floor he saw Rainy, his forehooves joined together in a prayer, Reddling gave a little smile at this- prayer was an important tenet in the church, and to those not wronged horribly by them, it was a source of great solace.

Reddling blinked his eyes, and the room changed with them. Laying on the floor now was not Rainy, but a very young earth pony with a fiery red coat. Reddling slammed his eyes shut, trying to wake himself up. This was just a dream, so surely if he tried hard enough, he could end it?

"This is not a dream, silly filly." Reddling opened his eyes, looking around the familiar keep. The voice was feminine and young, like it belonged to a little filly. Reddling as certain that no little fillies had ever been in this room, even if they had visited other parts of the fortress.

"Behind you." The voice said. Reddling twisted around and found himself staring at a mirror of the half of the room he had just been looking at, except that now a small bat pony was looking up at him with a smile. Her features were distinctly Silverfieldian- with the rounded, small muzzle detailing it's way against the cheekbone, the thinner ears that were mixed with bat pony features. Reddling could tell that this filly was like him-  a bat pony and a Silverfieldian- and yet, there was something so alien about her. The two finally locked eyes, and the filly gave a little giggle. Even though she had yet to grow fangs- or truly, any features other than her ears and eyes, that was enough for Reddling to feel unnerved and take a step back..

The filly advanced, colour leaking onto her frame. She was purple, perhaps one shade darker than Web's mane but one lighter than Reddling's, complete with a hair colour that could have matched Rainy's coat to a tee. A blond highlight ran through her hair, matching a yellow ribbon she had tied around the base of her tail. The eyes were what really held a pony's attention though- carbon copies of Reddling's own eyes.

"Hello!" the filly cried. Reddling screamed, falling and then crawling backwards from the filly and then promptly bumping his head against the foot of the a chair, scrambling to get up, Reddling stood on his hooves, Before him was the filly blocking the proper exit to his home. Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream, just a dream.

"What are you?" Reddling demanded, his voice full of wonder and disbelief as fear crept along his frame.

" I'm a bat pony! Skee!" The filly cried playfully, letting out a ferocious squeak at Reddling. He recoiled not in playfulness, but in actual fearfulness. His dreams had been quite strong and horrifying in the past, but this challenged his capacity to even comprehend.

"Yes- okay- WHO are you?" Reddling demanded, trying to regain his demeanor, the filly gave another laugh before advancing on Reddling. Once more Reddling tripped as he retreated, but before he could get back up the filly jumped onto his chest, shoving her face into the fluffy fur on his chest. Reddling hesitated to push her off of him.

"Who am I? Well you might learn that someday. Not soon though, so you don't need to worry. I just really wanted to thank you." The filly pressed her tiny muzzle into Reddling's chest, brushing his skin and fur with fine, soft hair.

"Thank me for what- What the hell is going on? I'm trying to sleep right now. This is a dream" Reddling pushed the filly off, narrowing his eyes down at her.

"Hmm~" the filly murmured, jumping back on Reddling and hugging him. "I'm probably just some dream pony, if you believe in dreams."

Reddling pushed the filly back again. He had reached his fill with this bullshit, and needed some real answers. "Last time I'm asking. Who the fuck are you?"

The filly straightened up, smiling. "When you wake up you're going to have a choice. My life depends on you making the right one. make the right one, won't you?" What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

Reddling raised a hoof and struck out at the filly, violently dissolving the dream with his hoof. This had not been like the others- it was devoid of nightmare essences and uncannily lucid. He had possessed the presence of mind to not only ask questions, but after some time end the dream at his own volition...

These memories faded as the world came into view. Reddling rolled his face across his pillow smearing green blood across the sheet. He looked down at the book in front of him, which he had passed out while reading.

Chapter Seven, on the holy trinity of Silverfield and their worship, Subtitle, specifically the cults of Revenge or Malice, Hatred or Loathing, and Forgiveness. Reddling put the header quickly out of his mind. He had little time to remember church teachings right now, there were more pressing matters at hoof. Flipping back through the book, he stopped and rechecked the pages about the Silverfieldian-Equestrian war.

Nodding to the air, he rose from the bed and prepared to make his way away from the enclave. Reddling could see the sun going down under the crack at the bottom of the door. It was time for another night.

Of course, what Reddling did not know is that this night was different from the other nights. By the end of it, he would no longer be in Equestria.

Revenge

Balefly's Keepsake

The night was cruel and cold, burning down freezing air. No doubt some order had been relayed to the Cloudsdale Pegasi to make the skies as harsh as possible to forestall the Night Guard from making an escape. The Night Guard had no knowledge of this however, and indeed, had their mind focused on Princess Luna's orders, for surely their great leader could not lead them wrong.

Reddling soared over a small country town, stopping to rest on top of a large red barn and gazing out over an apple orchard. The town was too bright for it being so late at night, and he had flown around the southern side to circle around towards the Everfree Forest. A battalion had many tents set up on the eastern side of the town, and there were guards patrolling all the streets.

Ponyville had been occupied by the royal guard, and it was doubtful they had given more of a reason than "Royal Decree!" Indeed this was probably not inaccurate- all of the Night Guard at Canterlot had beholden the wild spirited, white eyed changelings. Not only was Chrysalis present (somewhere) in Canterlot, but Celestia must be either collaborating with her or not opposing her. Reddling accepted all of this as fact moving forward, and turned and flew into the forest. He was certain that the Night Guard knew the town was occupied, but this must have been a recent development- After all, he had somehow managed to board the train and head towards Canterlot.

And the security didn't seem out of the normal- for a train during wartime, anyway. Reddling reasoned with himself as he descended towards the abandoned keep. Two guards flagged him down as he came closer, and Reddling landed on a battlement overlooking the courtyard.

"You're alive?" One of the bats asked.

"Of course I am- why wouldn't I be?" Reddling asked. One of them shrugged in return, looking uncomfortably at the other.

"Well, we heard you didn't make it out in the last mission."

"I didn't escape with the others, but I'm here now." Reddling produced the satchel, showing it off to the others. "Some of the things in here look sort of important, and they belong to Miss Sparkle. I need to return this to her."

"How do we know you aren't one of them?" The talkative bat said, stepping forward.

"Because no changeling else has an accent like mine." Reddling made sure to forgo any Equestrian syllables. The bat ponies looked at each other, nodding. Reddling nodded back to both of them. "I need to return this satchel to Miss Sparkle, can you tell me where she is?"

The bats were quick about giving directions, and as he was leaving Reddling pointed out on the horizon where the military had encamped themselves and asked for a message to be relayed to Captain Lunar.

Twilight Sparkle was resting somewhere far below ground, in the catacombs under the keep where she would be safe. Reddling landed by the ruined staircase and proceeded down instantly, moving with quick motions that made the clicks of his hooves echo down the dark tunnels.

In little time at all, Reddling had reached the room where he was told Twilight Sparkle would be- and sure enough, there she was. Miraculously, a bed had been produced for her and she was resting with Shining Armor, a transformed Princess Cadance, and a pink eyed bat pony. As Reddling approached the Changeling backpedaled, keeping it's distance fearfully.

"Miss Sparkle." Reddling said, approaching her bedside. Twilight looked up, blinking for a few seconds and lighting up her horn. Reddling let out a hiss and backed up.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Twilight eeped, turning down her horn. "You- I know who you are, you're that one bat pony that asked me for a book on-"

"Yes." Reddling confirmed, taking off the satchel and putting it on the bed next to Twilight. "I read enough. I'll make sure to pay you back once our- situation has changed."

"Ah- you found it!" Twilight squeaked, grabbing her satchel and pulling out the contents with magic. All eyes turned to the vial inside as Twilight held it aloft. She quickly put it away, turning and beaming at Cadance.

"Luna should have everything that we need now-" Twilight said, passing the satchel to Cadance. Cadance shouldered the satchel, giving a little nod.

"All of what? Why are you carrying around vials of blood?" Reddling asked confusedly, staring between the mares.

"Why, to undo the curse on her of course. Princess Luna believes she can lift the disease that the Changelings inflicted on her." Twilight sounded pretty pleased with herself- Star Shine and Reddling both squirmed uncomfortably at this idea.

"So that's it then?" Reddling said, turning to Cadance.

"Pardon me?" Cadance said as she stood up, already heading for the door. Reddling was on his hooves in a flash, beating Shining Armor into the hallway and blocked the path deeper into the catacombs.

"You're just going to leave them to their doom? The Changelings?" Reddling demanded. He could feel his demeanor slipping as bile rose up and soaked his voice. Cadance looked to be having a similar experience as her eyebrows went cross and she drew herself up to her full height.

"Do not speak to me in such a way- I've done nothing to deserve this tone." Cadance huffed. Shining Armor joined her side, following up with a glower.

"Like hell you don't deserve this tone." Reddling coughed out, pulling himself up to his full height- which was still a good head shorter than Shining Armor. "You're going to leave the Changelings at the mercy of whatever Celestia is doing back in the capital, and Queen Chrysalis. If we have to kill both of them, then you're leaving hundreds of Changelings to die slow, painful deaths. Don't you care about them at all?"

"How dare you talk to my wife like that!" Shining Armor piped up, but stopped short as Princess Cadance put a hoof on his chest. She trotted forward- an impressive move on her part. Just like her husband, she towered over Reddling, her horn nearly brushing the top of the tunnel.

"This is not who I am." Princess Cadance said. "I know that you can't understand how it feels to be transformed against your will, and I know empathy is not your strong suit, but please keep in mind that your opinions are not going to stop me from undoing this curse."

Reddling tasted a bit of blood as he bit his own tongue. He could feel an angry blush creeping up his face as he stared, dumbstruck, up at Princess Cadance. Princess Cadance allowed Reddling a few moments to recover, advancing on him as he took a few steps back.

"So- history repeats then? Your own personal wishes- your selfish desires, supersede the greater good? I understand what you're going through- you have no concept how much I understand what you are going through, but this isn't right. What About Star Shine?"

"The- drone? He can find another hive-"

"There won't be another hive you dumb bitch!" Reddling felt his temper break as he took a step forward, staring right into Cadance's eyes. He could feel their breath mixing as they panted angrily in each other's faces.  "You're going to kill hundreds with your apathy! Don't you feel even a twinge of regret?"

"It's not like that-"

"It is like that!" Reddling cut her off again, backing away as Shining Armor took her side. "You're going to kill them all, and I hope that even if you go through with this, that keeps you up at night. The Night Guard is trying to save lives here and you just slaughter them over flights of fancy."

"Reddling Rain." Princess Cadance said, staring him down. "I'm not condemning the Changelings to be genocided. There are other hives, and I am certain that they will find other queens."

"And how do you know that, when our next order is more than likely to murder the Queen in Canterlot?" Reddling said, leaving Celestia out of the equation in his mind.

"I will think of something." Princess Cadance said. "Stand aside." Reddling bit his fang into his lip, looking from Princess Cadance to Shining Armor.

"The Princess ordered you to stand aside, guard." Shining Armor glared harshly at Reddling, his voice hallow.

"She's no Princess of mine." Reddling said. "She doesn't know her place- I guess being a bug isn't good enough for her."

There was a light crack, and Reddling felt his shoulder smack the rock floor. He rolled onto his side, still dazed, and found Shining Armor on top of him, holding him down. There was a pain on Reddling's cheek- enough that it might bruise. For a few moments, Reddling anhd Shining Armor stared each other down- and then Reddling kicked one of his hind legs out, sweeping it horizontally and connecting with one of Shining Armor's legs. The Captain did not go down, but the moment of pain was enough for Reddling to shrug him off and free himself. Reddling spun around and walked on the wall for a few hoofsteps, balancing himself on the ground and staring down Cadance and Shining Armor- who were now on the side that led deeper into the catacombs.

"I will try Reddling, but their struggle is not my struggle." Princess Cadance said.

Reddling shook his hoof at her threateningly before moving his other hoof to his knife, making sure that Shining Armor didn't try touching him again.

"Your fight isn't my fight. I'm not Equestrian. But you know what? If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here right now. You would not have talked to Luna, you'd be rotting in the Canterlot Catacombs. Or, without me, you'd be rotting in a cell, waiting to be executed. Or, most recently, without me you wouldn't have that satchel. If it wasn't for me, You wouldn't even have this chance right now. I did all of that because I'm good. I could have quit a long time ago- Changelings don't feed in Silverfield. Equestria is doomed, and all I have to do is go home and I'd be safe! Hell, anyone would safe there!" Reddling panted, staring down both of them. He was standing on a slope now, so the two Equestrians no longer had to turn their heads down at a sharp angle to speak to him.

"Reddling." Princess Cadance said after a long pause. "We are very grateful for what you've done for us. However, my decision is not changed. I can do a lot more good as an alicorn. I know it isn't the answer you want, but it is my answer."

Reddling just stared blankly at both of them. Princess Cadance turned and began to walk away, Shining Armor glaring at Reddling over his shoulder as he followed her. After they turned a corner, Reddling retreated and went back into Twilight Sparkle's room, stopping at her bed. Star Shine was still here with Twilight, but neither of them said anything as Reddling took a seat. After a few minutes, Reddling reached inside his coat and pulled out the small jar of green goop, putting it down in the direction of Star Shine. The Changeling offered him no thanks- instead it simply jumped at the glass, breaking it open and wolfing the goop down like a starved animal. Twilight watched in fascination- and perhaps, in horror as well- as the changeling fed on the green goop.

"Why did you attack me?" Reddling asked plainly as the Changeling finished off the goop, licking the glass clean with a sandpaper tongue. Twilight looked a little lost at the sudden turn, but also seemed to weak to perform her renowned critical thinking.

"T-They are going to take my Princess away..." Star Shine sounded defeated.

"You're going to be fine, I'll take care of you." Reddling said, drawing a hoof on the ground. "I'm worried about the others, though."

"Y-You?" the Changeling said, cocking their head.

"Of course, someone has to do it." Reddling said, rising. "I'm going to go speak to Princess Luna. You go somewhere else."

"Wait, you're a Changeling?" Twilight said, pointing at Star Shine. Reddling rolled his eyes slightly as he made his way out, not bothering with further conversation. He had a feeling that comforting the Changeling was useless, and Twilight didn't seem like she was coherent enough to carry on any serious discussion. Luna on the other hand might be able to see some reason. Perhaps Reddling could even convince her where he had failed with Princess Cadance.

As Reddling reached the hallway, he blinked and did a double take. Shining Armor and Princess Cadance had walked past him- and were now headed up to the surface. Bemused, Reddling followed quietly behind them, tailing them up to the surface. When Reddling reached the top of the stairs, however, he was forced to give up his pursuit.

"If you stop sneaking around like a criminal, maybe ponies will stop treating you like one." Nightshade's snark would have been a relief to hear if Reddling hadn't been trying to follow somepony at the time.

"Shut up, Nightshade." Reddling said, watching as Cadance and Shining Armor ducked into what seemed to be some gardens.

"You know, all the bat ponies are welcome to attend if they want to." Nightshade said, trotting past him and heading for the garden. "It's not it's the first time you've been through the ritual."

"Ritual?" Reddling asked her.

"To turn you into a bat pony."

"I wasn't conscious for that." Reddling retorted. Nightshade shrugged.

"I forgot, you're a coward." She continued on her way, not sparing him another glance. Reddling stomped a hoof on the ground angrily. Not only did these ponies not appreciate anything he did for them, but they were downright rude. Blowing steam out of his nostrils, Reddling trotted towards the garden, passing under a broken archway and stopping. The garden was overgrown, with vines creeping up stones and flower bushes that hadn't been trimmed in living memory.

About a dozen bat ponies were milling around here, including Web. Princess Cadance had red lines of something drawn over her body, which formed odd curves, circles, and dots in what seemed to be unlikely places. Reddling gazed around for Princess Luna, and finally found her surrounded by some other bats. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be chanting something. Well, there goes that idea.

Reddling turned his attention to Web- who had just finished putting the final touches on Cadance. Shining Armor gave some protests as two bat ponies led him away from his wife- stating that he was not allowed to be there. Reddling, seeing this as his last chance to make a plea, went to approach Cadance. Before he had reached her, Web blocked his way, staring him down.

"Where the hell have you been!" She demanded angrily. Reddling stared back at her dully.

"I was escaping, since you decided to abandon me." Reddling tried to walk past Web, but she just gave a small grin and continued to stand in his way.

"Oh, and escape you did... Maybe I was wrong about you, Reddling. you're slippery~"

"Get out of my way." Reddling said, trying to step around her again. Web's expression grew a little more hostile as she took a step with him. Cadance turned and approached Luna at the beckoning of some bat ponies. Reddling was certain that Web had some angry retort for him, but he never got to hear it. There was a little shockwave from Luna, energy soaking the air and making it heavy with a gloom. Reddling fell to the ground, clutching his leg. Suddenly his entire hoof felt like it was on fire, and he blew on it, patted it, did anything he could to make it stop burning.

The other bat ponies in the clearing stopped what they were doing as well, standing up straight and seeming lost. Reddling gave a push with his legs and tried to make his way out of the garden, but it was already too late. Some sort of shadow had fallen all over the area, and the world was losing shape. It was not unlike the lucid dream he had shared with the bat ponies- but somehow, more real. Somehow, this actually was all happening, and it wasn't just in his head.

The bat ponies had been turned into horrifying shapes that could only be explained as wraiths. shifty essences in different various shapes of ponies- unicorn, earth, and pegasus, and in Nightshade's case, some other fourth thing with weird wings and feathers on her forehead- all hung above collapsed bodies of bat ponies. All over them, horrifying darkness clenched tightly to their souls. Wicked wisps of black smoke leaked from their backs, sprouting into some sort of wings. Reddling winced as one turned to face him, opening their snout and exhaling shadowy flame from their mouth, ears, and eyes. Darkness bled all over the creatures until they were consumed in the darkness and realized their full forms. Bat ponies.

In the center of the room, two souls stood out from the others. Princess Luna has risen, a burning dark blue soul that spread wings and shone light through them. Her power was that of the moon, and the light clashed into everypony in the clearing. Reddling hissed in anger as he felt his foreleg burning again. He looked down at himself and recoiled in fear. He looked just like his brethren in the night Guard, save for a feature that he saved with Princess Cadance.

Princess Cadance's soul body was that of a gleaming pink and white soul- however, it was caked in green tendons that rubberbanded over her body. A paper-thin carapace of black stretched over her soul, keeping it entombed and imprisoned. There was a great burst of energy from Luna, and Cadance let out a real scream that rang out in the library. One by one, the bands tore away from her, until finally her carapace melted away.

Reddling looked down at his foreleg. He had not been cleansed like her, and a mark was left under the skin. Little roots, like a plant that had struggled to live but finally died when it's roots could not take hold held themselves firmly in his leg, trying desperately to stay alive. Reddling clutched the keepsake from so long ago, covering his bite mark as Princess Luna let out more bursts of magic. When at last she was done, everypony fell backwards, exhausted. Reddling slowly picked himself up as the dreamland faded, leaving the real, and completely lucid, overgrown garden behind.

It took several minutes to recover from the ordeal. Reddling pushed Web off of himself and looked around, finding a hoof offered to him. He took the hoof and was pulled up to be face to face with Princess Cadance. Reddling took a step back from her, bowing his head.

"Princess Cadance- so- ... It's done then."

"Reddling." She said, putting a hoof on his shoulder. Reddling shuddered, but somehow, a warmth he had never known spread through him. Her touch felt- sweetening, and he found himself more at ease. "I promise that I'll do whatever I can to help the Changelings, as part of me saying thank you for helping me."

Reddling looked away. "Princess Cadance- just, doing my job that I'm paid for."

"I know." She said, patting his shoulder. "But really, Without you it would not have happened. If I can ever do anything for you, please let me know- oh, and one other thing-" Reddling looked up, and Princess Cadance gave him a little grin. "If you ever talk to me like you did again, I'll kick your teeth in, understand?"

Reddling gave a little chuckle and nodded, and Princess Cadance joined him in the laughing. Unfortunately, the laughter was short lived as Reddling took in a deep breath, biting his lip and trying to decide if he should be totally honest. Cadance seemed friendly enough- but did not know about his past. Perhaps now was a moment where he could explain his vileness in the past- while she was admissible. It'd be nice to win over and keep one pony that didn't hold him in bad regard.

"Princess Cadance- I wanted to uh, tell you something." Reddling said, looking down for a moment before looking back up at her. "It's about how I- well, How I have behaved really towards you since we met. Princess Luna forgave me for who I was being but- I was wondering if I could get the same from you, for closure's sake you see, I'm a-"

Cadance held up a hoof, giving a little smile. "It's quite alright. I understand. Neither of us were ourselves then, but we're better now. Whatever awfulness is in your past, let it go. If Princess Luna can forgive you, then I forgive you."

They both gave each other a smile, but the moment was shorter lived than the laughing as the bat ponies and Luna all began to come to in the room. Reddling could see Luna making her way towards him and he assumed the position of attention, waiting for Luna to speak her mind.

"Reddling Rain, we received your report about the encampment in Ponyville." Luna said. Reddling was preoccupied with who this "we" was that she referred to.

"So where do you intend to fall back to? Silverfield remains an option as I told Lunar." Reddling suggested. Princess Luna motioned for him to walk with her as she went to exit the garden.

"We intend to fall back nowhere- for this is a safe place." Luna said. Reddling looked around at the destroyed battlements, absent south wall, and complete lack of a functional, defensible keep. "The time to strike and reclaim Canterlot is nigh, but we are still figuring out an approach. I would like for you to be a part of these talks. We're planning out a head on assault with the entire night guard, straight to Canterot Palace."

"You should flee this place and formulate a plan somewhere safer. Somewhere Changelings won't follow us, like Silverfield." Reddling shook his head, trying to contemplate Luna's plan. "Princess, I feel like you have a death wish. A head on assault will only kill all of us. Why is that plan even on the table?"

Luna seemed a little hurt by this, but the wound quickly turned to anger on her part. When she was asleep she could relive her glory days or something, but Reddling found it inexcusable that she put a flight of fancy before her lives and the lives of her guards.

"This place will be safe, for a time." Luna said. Reddling shook his head at her as they trotted into the foreyard of the castle and towards the carriage that she had arrived on. Twilight was leaning on Shining Armor by the carriage, and rushed past Princess Luna and Reddling-- running right for the pony who had been behind them. Princess Cadance.

"Princess Luna, an arrow could fly over those walls at any moment! If they attack us here, we'll all die at best."

Princess Luna opened her mouth to reply, but was cut short as a whizzing sound cut the air between Reddling and Luna. Reddling and Luna both blinked at each other as a cry rang out from the battlements and more arrows began cutting into the air. Reddling tackled Princess Luna to the ground, throwing himself over her as a volley of arrows peppered the foreyard.

Arrows flickered over the land as the bat ponies swarmed towards the gates and walls, ready to fight the threat at hand. Tops, Nightshade, and Bruiser manned the gate as royal guard soldiers rushed forward. Reddling looked up as Midnight rushed past him, flying into the sky as he slammed his visor shut.

"Get off of us, Reddling Rain." Luna's voice was somewhat muffled by the bat pony on top of her chest. Reddling stood up, glancing up in the air idly. Several dozen arrows hung above them, levitated by blue magic. With a flourish of her mane and a kick on the ground, Luna assembled the arrows defensively around herself, her eyes becoming fierce as she turned to the invading royal guards. Guards were blindly swarming over the walls- some of them dressed in royal armor, and some with no armor.

The fighting took almost no time to get dirty. Shining Armor and Cadance shielded Twilight as they backed up to the carriage, staring all around as murderous soldiers and disguised Changelings poured across the castle yard like locusts. They have to have leaders or something... Reddling flew up to the top of the keeps battlements, pulling out his crossbow and aiming around, looking for anypony important.

"Kill the traitors!" Boomed a feminine voice. a tall, petite alicorn stepped forward, urging Changelings and guards forward. "Slay the Night Guard! Bring me Princess Luna's head!" Reddling took aim down at the voice, trying to get a clean shot at her. She wasn't quite in the open, but she was clearly in charge here, as her voice urged more soldiers to fly over the walls and thrust themselves against the gates. Reddling fired a bolt towards the alicorn,  missing by a mile. Cursing, Reddling quickly began to reload as he observed the situation. Below, Luna had fallen back to the carriage as well, surrounded by loyal bat ponies. Almost everybat who had stood their ground was sporting a wound, and some had simply fallen.

Reddling decided to take another shot, but at the last moment stopped and rolled around, staring behind him and backing up against a wall. On the battlements was a familiar pony with a dazed look on his face- which was not unlike the last time Reddling had seen him a lifetime ago.

"Ironhooves?"

Ironhooves did not respond, and instead raised his weapon- a brilliant, ornate sword. Reddling threw his crossbow up and fired as he drew his sword, watching the bolt embed into the commander's armor. Ironhooves didn't even blink, and instead charged.--

As the fighting on the battlements spiraled onward, Luna's face became more and more grim. One by one her guards were being overwhelmed, and soon she knew their lives would be snuffed out if they weren't already. This was going to be the end of the Night Guard-- everyone that she treasured so dearly, everypony who fought for her until the end was going to die here.

Slowly chanting, Luna closed her eyes and felt a tear roll down her cheek. She could not simply leave all of this be. Equestria could not be left to it's fate.

When Luna opened her eyes again, they had been replaced by stilted, draconian eyes. The air went cold, and a chill swept across the Everfree Forest as even the most evil of creatures sought refuge from her storm.

The gates finally were broken through as Tops let out a short scream, the sound cut short as an axe buried into his helmet. There was a blast of magic, and Reddling saw Nightshade soar several yards away.

Balefly's Keepsake

Night Terror

Blackness ran over Princess Luna's body, dying her coat and corrupting her jewelry. Dark blue armor covered her skull and cheekbones first, then stretched down her skeleton. With a mighty flap of her wings, she extended her power across all of the castle, blinding even the Changelings as a feral roar escaped her maw. By the time the changes had completed, Nightmare Moon let out a sickening giggle.

And every bat pony heard her call. The Nightmare was too much for the unprepared, unrested, Night Guard. Above the fighting, Reddling suddenly reached a hoof out and dug it into the side of the commander's face, tearing his cheek open and sending him tumbling down towards the foreyard. Monsters crawled about in the land below- their fangs mutating into knifelike teeth that could not be contained in their mouths, claws extending from their hooves and new shadow armor augmenting their suits. Seemingly dead or dying monsters sprung up from the ground, biting into the necks and clawing at the backs of anything passing close by.

"Defend this place, Night Guard!" Nightmare Moon screamed to the heavens. "This is our most sacred home, the birth of the night and the birth of the Guard! Do not let these creatures defile our holiest shrine! They hast come to us seeking destruction, invading us! Let those who leave their homes to destroy us find naught but death in ours!"

Reddling abandoned his crossbow, jumping off the keep battlements and charging at the Alicorn leading the enemy forces. The tide had turned with Luna's spell, and the Royal Guards were now simply trying to get away as quickly as they could. Those who could fly were trying to avoid divebombs from the monsters, and those who could not fly were trying to run out the front gate before meeting a brutal death at the claws of nightmares. Reddling spared no thought for the alicorn as he ripped into her neck, eviscerating her carapace and then tossing her down on the battlements. Her spine connected with the rocks below and there was a sickening crunch before she tumbled into the shroud of the Everfree. Not one to miss out on the fun, soon Reddling had joined Bruiser, Midnight, and Nightshade in divebombing the fleeing pegasi. Reddling let out a squee of joy as he wrapped his hooves around one and bit into the base of their wing, crushing the hallow bone to fragments.

No mercy was spared to the pegasus as Reddling tore their wings away, tossing the broken earth pony down to the feasting nightmares below. None of the Nightmares could count how many ponies they killed, how many wings they tore off-- it did not much matter. The battle was quickly won, and the few surviving ponies screamed as they looked true horror in the eye. Awful ponies with their features twisted beyond that of a mortal tore into their chests, ripping out muscle and organs as their victims stared in shock, still waiting for death's embrace.

The bloodlust-- The Nightmare-- showed no signs of stopping as Reddling sank down to chewing on pegasus wings, ripping and tearing violently at them. From somewhere far away, he could hear Princess Cadance calling out. He looked up to see her standing nearby, trying to call out to Luna. She had such perfect pink wings- and behind the haze of bloodlust, they looked almost red. They were red wings- red feathered wings ripe for tearing apart...

Reddling looked to his dark queen with a grin as he stood up, ready to tear apart any who would challenge the Goddess of the Night. Luna had become dark and terrible, her eyes glowing with power as her mane sucked in and blotted out all light around her. Nightmare Moon hesitated for a few moments, but then continued, ignoring Princess Cadance.

"No longer shall we run and hide whist our kingdom stands usurped! Tonight!" Nightmare Moon nearly screamed the word, cackling madly as the insane light of the moon broke through her hazy shadow magic, illuminating all of her shiny armor and blackened coat, "Tonight, we shall take back what is ours! Tear down this facade!"

"Alright, enough is enough!" Cadance's voice was audible as she took a stand, approaching Nightmare Moon and assuming a fighting stance. Reddling bit down into a dead soldier and began gnawing on the hallow bones, watching to make sure that the queen of the night would not need assistance.  "Shining, c'mon!" Princess Cadance's husband took a stance at her side, the two of them looking small in comparison to Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon took a single look at Cadance and emitted a guffaw, "You're kidding. You're kidding, right?"

Reddling looked up at that statement- something had stirred inside his mind. Another terrible queen had said these exact same words once when challenged by what seemed like an absurd attempt to defeat her. Mantidae.

Suddenly the situation was a little more lucid- why was Princess Luna about to fight Princess Cadance? Weren't they all on the same side? Reddling gave himself one shake, holding his body back as he felt the Nightmare urging him to attack the two ponies. He did not want to fight them, and now he felt stuck and conflicted in the spell.

"Then you've made your choice! Stand against the night, and you shall be swallowed by it!" Nightmare Moon declared. There were hisses all around as Princess Cadance lit up her horn, blinding the world with a pink aura and a striking light. Reddling was forced to cover his face, holding a claw covered hoof up to shield his eyes. The last thing Reddling could see was Nightmare Moon shielding her own face with a wing as the light grew to an unbareable intensity. He tore his eyes away and stumbled over a corpse as to flee from the light. There was a flutter of wings, and then a loud smack sounded silence across the foreyard.

Princess Cadance towered above Princess Luna, the light and the Nightmare both gone now. The real Princess Luna, not her nightmare incarnation, was keeled over on the ground with a red hoof-print from a vicious smack branded on her cheek.

The Night Guard's bloodlust faded, and where there had been the sounds of violence before there were now only sounds of terror-- screams of shock and explanations of horror. Although Reddling was mainly staring at Cadance and Luna's standoff, it was also a good excusenot to look at the carnage around him. He could feel blood-- which he guessed was probably not his-- dripping across his body. Beside him was a dead pegasus pony that had it's body eviscerated and the wings torn and splayed from some unethical dissection. This scene was much the same around the killing field, with the dead looking as though they had been torn apart by starved hyenas.

"Luna, pull yourself together!" Princess Cadance's voice was concerned, but still held an urgent tone as she grasped Luna's shoulders.

Reddling stumbled towards the only pones not covered in carnage, trying to ignore what looked like another rendition of Luna's quarters after Web had had her fun. Ignoring the cries of some of his friends-- Bruiser was the loudest, with his holy fucks and queries for what had happened drowning out many other bat ponies-- Reddling licked some blood off his lips as he stood above Luna. the Princess was rubbing a bruise starting to form on her cheek, and did not meet anypony's eyes.

Reddling took a deep breath, and announced his presence by clearing his throat. The ponies not covered in gore turned to look at him. "Princess Luna- Princesses, we- we should leave this place." Reddling had many reasons for why they aught to leave-- the gore splattered foreyard doing nopony favors, the idea that more troops might foolishly be thrown at them by the Changelings, and the fact that nopony seemed to be fit to fight anymore.

Luckily he didn't have to try to reason with Princess Luna's stubbornness this time- she simply nodded, a defeated look on her face. this was favorable indeed, as Reddling looked out across the field of corpses. "N-Nopony can or should have to pull themselves together in this carnage- I..." he felt his voice weaken, and wasn't sure the others heard him as he closed his eyes, trying to blot out the gore everywhere.

"Luna- we need you- oh for goodness... Night Guard, pull yourselves together!" Cadance cried out at the yard. a few heads perked up, but just as many others stayed where they were sitting or laying, looking completely shell shocked at what had occurred. Reddling could not help but shake his head as he stared around at his friends, sitting down in some unstained grass. Everything seemed to be falling apart.

Cobalt Flare, the well studied and calm scholar now lay on her side, her eyes staring forward blankly at the carnage as she struggled to come to terms with what had just possessed her. Web was laying nearby, spread eagle on the ground and staring up at the sky while giggling softly and shaking ever so slightly. Tops was laying against a wall with Nightshade pressing her face into his chest, her hooves nursing him gently as she rocked back and forth against him. Nightshade seemed to simply be broken, and Tops looked little better- the left side of his face was covered in blood, and he had removed his destroyed helmet-- which judging by the axe gash on the top, had been only just enough armor to save his life this time.

"We need to get out of here, right- anywhere safe that isn't here." Princess Cadance said, looking at various guards before ducking down and looking at Twilight-- who had hidden from the Nightmare due to lacking her full strength.  "Twilight, is there anywhere safe in Ponyville that we can go?"

I gave them a safe place to go before we came here-- well, safe from the Changelings. It's safe enough, but Luna wouldn't listen to me... Nopony here trusts me. No matter what I do, I'm never going to have their trust.

Twilight seemed totally off put by everything that had happened, and stammered to find an answer for Princess Cadance. "We could- maybe Applejack's farm. The library certainly won't- at least not without being noticed and it isn't big enough anyway- A-Applejack's is the best bet."

Reddling cleared his throat angrily, stepping forward and staring at each of the damned royalty in turn. Princess Cadance turned her attention to the blood covered bat pony.

"I know a place that is a night's fly from here. The Changelings will not follow us there. It is one of my safehouses." Reddling looked down, biting his lip. he was suddenly a little unsure about how Rainy- or indeed, the town of Fervor, was going to react to having a platoon of thestrals living in a keep on the edge of town, but Reddling also knew that he didn't have much of a choice. Ponyville was a deathtrap, and he wasn't familiar with any other towns nearby. Even then, they were still in Equestria, and undoubtedly still within the reach of the Changelings quite effortlessly.

"You can't stay there long though. A few days." Reddling amended himself.

"That should be all we need." Cadance replied. Reddling gestured over to Tops and Nightshade, who still looked a mess.

"I can lead the way, those two know it as well. We need to get the carriage hooked up too- for those who cannot fly." Reddling felt his voice strain as he glanced around at the still incapacitated bat ponies.

"Where exactly is this place, Reddling?" Cadance asked.

"It's to the south." Reddling said, beating around the bush a little. "Old crumbly fort place. Not the kind filled with bats- well, not yet. On the edge of Silverfield."

Cadance gave Reddling an incredulous stare, blinking twice before she found her words. "To the south... You're sure Silverfield is safe?"

"Would you rather head north to Canterlot? We have a mountain range on one side of us, the Equestrian Military on the other, and Canterlot to the north. We're not in any condition to fly over mountains or fight." Reddling reasoned, nodding to himself soundly. "The royal army is probably combing the rest of the forest and surrounding lands already- we should try to stay one step ahead of them and that means going south."

"Alright!" Cadance said, clearly having heard her fill. She surveyed the Night Guard- who still was in absolutely no state to move out. "Reddling- help get ponies back on their feet, we're moving as soon as we're able."

Reddling did his best to get the ponies going-- helping them off the ground, using any discarded clothing or rags from the dead that weren't covered in blood to clean bats off as best could be done, and then organizing groups to fly. When enough of an effort to get the majority of the bats was moving, Reddling turned his attentions to his friends, who looked much the worse for wear-- indeed, he was sure he looked little better-- and approached Tops and Nightshade first, looking down at them. Tops seemed distant and almost misty-eyed, staring out over the carnage nonsensically.

"Your helmet is ruined." Reddling said to Tops, gesturing at his destroyed helm. Tops just blinked confusedly, looking at his closer surroundings.

"...Oh? I don't- I don't remember what happened." Tops sounded like he was lost, like a traveler who had taken a wrong turn.

Reddling looked down at Nightshade, unsmiling. "We made Web proud, I'm sure of it. Each and every one of us." Nightshade gave a loud sob, visibly shuddering against Tops as he hugged her closer. Reddling turned his attention to Tops and continued, "You don't remember any of the parts where we attacked ponies?"

"Ah- ah, yes... I mean, yes." Tops rubbed his head. Although there was some blood, his head wound did not seem like it was anything that would leave lasting damage.

"Things just blacked out- yeah, think of it like that. You two need to be ready soon, I need you to help me guide everypony out of here." Reddling explained.

"Go?" queried Tops.

"I've recommended that we hide in Silverfield before attacking Canterlot. The royal guard will be back." Reddling said plainly. That's what we should have done to start out.

"Silverfield-- oh, that's... a good idea?" Tops seemed to be talking to himself as he gave a little push to Nightshade. "Nightshade, c'mon, let's get ready..."

Nightshade did not move and continued hugging Tops, who looked up apologetically at Reddling, giving him a half hearted smile. "We'll be ready in a minute..."

You seem dazed-- I just hope you can fly, because you certainly can't stay here. Reddling tried to return the smile, but could feel an aching in the muscles on his face as he did so. Turning to look at Nightshade, he patted her on the shoulder. "It's over Nightshade, forget about it."

Reddling turned away from Nightshade, weaving his way through the bloody messes. Bat ponies were beginning to stand up and gather inside the keep-- away from the carnage-- but there were still stragglers. Reddling stopped in front of Web, who was laying in a pool of other ponies blood and giggling up at the stars. She herself seemed unhurt.

"Heh, hehe... Juuuust like-- the first time-- hmm?" Web tilted her head as Reddling approached. Poking forward, Reddling offered her a hoof to help her up from the ground.

"Just like the first time?" Reddling queried her.

"The first time-- when She came back. Ah, it felt like, the first time I had ever been really alive." Web looked through Reddling, still smiling to herself.

Reddling put a hoof on Web's foreleg, squeezing blood between their hoof-guards. "It's over now though. We have to go, Web."

"So soon?" Web's voice leaked a feeling of distress.

She's like a drug addict. "The sooner you get moving, the closer you get to the next time."

"The--" Web's smile twitched to a frown briefly, and her eyes focused in on Reddling. Reddling returned her stares. trying to hide his disapproval behind a stoic and neutral expression. Web continued looking on for a moment before her normal smile returned, bringing some false light back to the foreyard. Web rolled over-- revealing her back to be soaked with other ponies blood-- and stood up. Web brushed herself off, doing little more than smearing blood across her chest. "Well, where are we going?"

"Silverfield." Reddling said, a tinge of over-eagerness leaking into his voice. "Can you maybe help get the rest of these ponies into the keep, and ready to go?"

"Oh, of course." Web was back to her bubbly, floaty self, and turned to look happily across the carnage.

Reddling turned his attention away from Web and the carnage, and trotted towards the keep. It was insane that Web was able to keep a cool head in all of this-- but then, she was truly not all there in her mind. Reddling stopped at the broken archway that led inside-- Midnight was blocking the way slightly, staring proudly out at the killing field.

"You look ready." Reddling said to him mildly.

"How many of them were there?" Midnight asked proudly. " Five score? Ten score?"

"How many-- royal guards?" Reddling asked, blinking. Midnight gave him a nod to continue and Reddling motioned at the carcasses. "Hard to tell. Scores though, for sure."

"And yet, we stood." Midnight said, stomping a hoof.

"We brutally slaughtered manipulated and weak minded ponies." Reddling said. More like a massacre than a battle...

"Is it not right for the strong to triumph?" Midnight's question was rhetorical. "Though they had strength in numbers, our was far greater."

"Just because you have strength does not mean that you should use it." Reddling replied. "Because I did not use mine, Luna and Cadance are both still alive."

"To have strength, but fail to use, ...is a weakness, Reddling." Midnight looked over his own shoulder, deeper into the keep. The wagon had been pulled inside and Luna was standing next to it, organizing ponies with the help of Princess Cadance. Midnight only had an eye for Luna right now, staring at her as she worked to get ponies ready to leave.

"I won't debate you. Go on." Midnight said, waving a hoof to Reddling.

When everypony had been accounted for- from Star Shine with a broken wing to the most unassuming bat ponies, they all gathered inside the keep and began organizing into flight groups. Reddling, Nightshade, and Tops would all be in charge of three groups and would navigate towards Silverfield, while Luna's carriage would be between the three groups.

Before the group was to be off, Luna cleared her throat, addressing everypony as a whole. "What happened tonight is a terrible tragedy. A senseless waste of life. I am not proud of the depths to which I sank in the name of self-preservation, and that I dragged you all down with me. I am eternally sorry." Luna looked away slightly, shame reeking from her voice. "I hope that you can forgive me for what I have done..."

Just don't do it again?

"We shall be taking refuge to the south, where we have been offered asylum and the promise of respite from assault. Know that soon, this ordeal shall be finished. if you would stand with me for just a bit longer, then we shall triumph against our aggressors and restore Equestria to as it should be. Night Guard, and esteemed guests, prepare to move out!" Luna broke away from her speech, giving a nod to Reddling. "Lead the way."

Reddling nodded, and flapped his wings as he took off into the sky, Nightshade and Tops quickly joining him. The crowd below was silent sans for a few claps from Twilight Sparkle, which died almost as soon as they had begun. The other parties took to the sky, setting a course southward as the moon set behind them.

Once a solid course for Silverfield had been established, Luna gave a call for several ponies to join her. Reddling, Tops, Nightshade, and Bruiser joined Lunar, Web, and Cobalt with the carriage passengers. It was awkward to say the least, and they all barely fit. Lunar and Bruiser were both pulling the carriage, just to make sure enough room existed for everyone to be gathered close.

"Although I know some of you have been to Silverfield before, I felt that we could benefit by learning more about the place to which we must visit." Princess Luna said solemnly, looking down at the bottom of the carriage. Reddling could barely hide his disappointment. He had been hoping that perhaps they would discuss the counterattack on Canterlot, but no such luck was to be had.

"Reddling, would you please tell us about the history of Silverfield?" Princess Luna queried. Reddling blinked, looking upwards and staring at everyone. This was not something he ever wanted to talk about, and certainly not after being narrowly forgiven for his crimes.

"Silverfield has little history worth knowing if you are an outsider. Suffice to say that we believe when Equestria invaded us and then raped, murdered, and pillaged the countryside. To this day, we have never fully recovered." Reddling couldn't look at anypony as he talked.

"Do you believe this story, Reddling Rain?" Luna asked.

Reddling's response was a concise no. Luna let out a deep sigh and cleared her throat. "I would like to share my own story about Silverfield-- set over a millennium  ago." Everypony was silent-- they dared not speak. Luna's face had become dark and moody, and from her horn, she produced flowing colours. Reddling closed his eyes as the colours swept over the nearby ponies.

While he could not have known they would be trapped in a collective unconsciousness, nor so could any of the other ponies, sans Luna.

Luna took a deep breath, then let out another deep sigh as she began to explain her own encounter with Silverfield.

Long ago, the Three Tribes existed in the Frozen North. The Pegasi, the Unicorns, and the Earth Ponies were locked in eternal discord and disharmony. This is the story that most of us know-- what most forget to mention is that before the Pegasi were all united under one banner, they were but several warring cloud-states, constantly locked in turmoil. They fought over the earth ponies that produced food for their armies, and constantly attempted to intercept other cloud-state's tributes to the unicorns.

Naturally, some pegasi realized that this was not sustainable. As tribes began to defeat each other and solidify into bigger tribes, a small group broke away from the north and headed south. I believe that they headed along a route that today comprises modern day Manehatten. At some point, they settled between the badlands and the coastline.

Luna stopped here, musing over her history for a moment. She explained that for some reason, the pegasi gravitated away from the coastline and moved inland. This was an oddity as even they would have been able to farm in the tropical coastline. Even if they had failed to try even basic farming techniques, the natural greens and fruits should have made them settle in this land. Cobalt and Lunar both raised questions to further press Luna here, but she merely explained that she could not answer the question. She could not even suggest that the coastline was more treacherous at this time...

The pegasus tribe moved into Silverfield and settled in what today is known Cyric Valley. With a mountain range casting a shadow over some plateaus and the valley, the land was protected from natural disasters, but still benefited from the trade winds of the sea passing through from the coast. What would become Silverfield blossomed in the valley under this small pegasus cloud-state. At some point, other ponies must have made some perilous journey  to join such a place, as there are records of Earth Ponies and Unicorns aiding such a place in flourishing.

Reddling opened a dispute at this point with Luna, debating about how she had placed the Mountain Range on the wrong side of Silverfield. Luna explained that as she had remembered the country, it had two halves-- The east side, and the west side. Both operated independently of each other but recognized each other as the same nation, allowing for uniform laws across the land with a system of checks and balances. Indeed, their advancements in law and philosophy had seemed oddly out of place for such a time. Again, Luna failed to cite a reason for why this was, despite her best attempts.

The eastern side of Silverfield would eventually develop a city beside the mountainside, sprawling out in the area between the valley and the mountainside. Blessed with the military tactics of the Pegasus and a perfect land for growing food, they seemed to be set to become what Equestria would eventually evolve into.

However, this was not meant to last. Even with a few earth ponies and unicorns, they were not able to produce enough food in order to feed all those who lived in the area. The grass was poisonous, and the plants quite hostile to ponies. It was perplexing why they stayed in such an area, but for their efforts they were rewarded. Silverfield eventually crossed the mountain range and craved out an impressive city state that rivaled the power of the three tribes. Peace reigned across the land, and even if food was scarce for most of their history, it was never to the point of starvation.

This was a happy Silverfield that existed for three hundred years. After that-- the wars began. Equestria had been established to the north, and with such a lush land of so many more ponies working together, eclipsed Silverfield. The two had a very close working relationship.

Luna quickly recalled the story of how she and Celestia had defeated Discord, and knew of many friends that Celestia and herself had made in Silverfield. With their support and some training on their part, they were able to find an element of harmony and combine it with the other five to rescue Equestria.

After Equestria had been rescued from Discord, other nations wanted their peace of the rich, lush land that became Equestria. For many decades, Equestria was locked in a bitter conflict with the Griffon Empire to the north, the Kiwians of the South Luna sea, Early Yakistanian tribes, and even Saddle Arabians who came from far away to establish colonies of their own. Through alliances with the Crystal Empire-- Which I doubt anypony can remember-- and Silverfield, their enemies were held at bay. Silverfield had access to deep recesses of silver and iron in their mountains-- for which they might have inherited their name from, if it was not from the grass-- which provided Equestria with the ability to pay it's troops and for Silverfield to develop weapons for the alliance. With Silverfieldian weapons and armor and their southern border secure, Equestria could focus on fighting on fewer fronts. Silverfield aided in the battle against the Kiwians and Griffons, and the Crystal Empire under Princess Amore fought back the Yakistanians and Griffons.

The Saddle Arabians, who had seen Celestia and Luna as an illegitimate government, conceded to their power with their allies and withdrew, facing troubles at home that made it difficult to continue their campaign in any case.

This was not the turning point in the war, but the battle that followed was. The fleets of Lord-Commander Reddle and Princess Luna engaged the massive Kiwian invasion force outside of Los Pegasus. It was a three day battle that would condemn the Kiwians to failure. On the first day, Princess Luna sailed most of her ships as derelicts past the enemy fleet. Seeking to eliminate their enemy, the Kiwians fired arrows at their foe. The arrows fell on straw ponies, picking apart nonexistent foes. Princess Luna now had enough ammunition to feed both armies. On the second day, Reddle had his pegasi create a wicked wind from the south to blow the Kiwians off course. In order to stay their course for the mainland, the Kiwians chained their boats together and set a path straight for Los Pegasus. Had they reached the shores, Equestria's west coast would have been overwhelmed.

On the third day, the Lord-Commander and Princess ordered their troops to coat their arrows in pitch and fire. The Equestrians rained disaster down on the Kiwian boats, leaving them dead in the water. The Silverfieldian forces followed by sailing their boats in a circle around the trapped Kiwian forces, using their crossbows to prevent a retreat.

The great armada of the Kiwians was destroyed. Equestria's western, northern, and southern borders were all secured. The Crystal Empire, Silverfield, and Equestria all doubled their efforts against the Griffons, using advanced alloyies for their weapons and armor, Crystal Empire ingenuity, and Equestria's force of will to overwhelm their foe. Equestria finally knew safety, as did all of it's allies.

Luna's face grew dark here.

The Lord-Commander Reddle, who was doomed to be behind his older brother for stewardiship of western half of Silverfield, returned home. Through his own machiavellian scheming, he seized control over his older brother and claimed half of the country. He was disgusted by how pegasus ponies were mistreated-- they were veterans of war who had returned home and had no work, little money, and discrimination from more capable earth ponies and unicorns. Soldiers that he served with were starving to death in the streets, suffering in the cold and being mocked and mistreated by the more fortunate.

By this point, it was clear that Luna was in pain, and her voice cracked as she tried to maintain regal strength.

With the war over, Equestria had no need for iron or silver. Trade died between our two countries... Silverfield had been requesting one commodity in exchange for it's mineral resources, one that it could not survive without-- Equestrian food. The war with the griffons had not been ended with a treaty for but six years when the Lord-Commander amassed an army and marched on a small fort in Southern Silverfield. This particular fort belonged to Equestria, and held a large arsenal. The Lord-Commander armed his forces and turned northward, marching into Equestria. His family commanded his forces and razed town after town, burning Equestria to the ground.

It was Reddling's turn to grow dark, looking down at the bottom of the carriage. There was no way to justify these actions-- the  worst of ponies had been brought to bare with this individual-- and his manipulation of others had cost the lands so much.

Although outmatched by Silverfieldian metal and their tactics, they were pushed back through a combination of numbers, magic, and a betrayal. The Lord Commander's own son, Drizzle, defected in a crucial battle just south of Canterlot. He sided with the Vigils-- which would be later be known as the Night Guard-- and defeated the Lord Commander's shock troopers. The war turned against Silverfield, and Equestria marched into their lands, burning everything they came across. Revenge was swift and merciless, and within but three months, the capital of western Silverfield was under siege. Princess Luna, her Vigils, and Drizzle confronted the Lord-Commander and bound him within the mountains.

Drizzle was installed as the new leader of Silverfield. Peace returned to the realms. Silverfield struggled along, and ponies grieved for those who had died. Silverfield's economy was left in complete shambles, and failed to develop agriculturally due to poor farmland and industrially, as we had seen fit to destroy every machine of war that existed in Silverfield. Our vengeance had been complete-- For the few towns that Silverfield managed to burn while fighting their way to our castle, we erased half of their nation.

Forty years later, Drizzle, -- my friend-- died. With the great war hero who had helped negotiate a peace between the Silverfieldians and Equestrians gone, diplomatic relations broke down. Silverfield withdrew from the world and began consolidating itself. A serious of natural disasters destroyed the eastern part of Silverfield, leaving it in ruins. With no money, no economy, and no food, the place was left to be a barren wasteland.

And I did nothing. My sorrow for the loss of yet another of my friends was great-- and I came to terms with my immortality. I staged my coup in Equestria and was defeated by Princess Celestia.

With that, the group could tell that Princess Luna's tale was concluded. Below them the grass shad begun to change from green to grey.

"Reddling Rain. We are about to arrive at Fort Celes-- for it was a fort in my time, and no castle. It was the last line of defense before Equestria entered Silverfield. One thousand and two years ago, I destroyed Silverfield's final line in the sand. It was with the brutal slaughter here that Equestria brought peace to the realms-- no matter the cost." Princess Luna looked up at her commanders, who all bore different emotions on their faces. Web was twiddling her hooves, trying to hide a smile, while Cobalt looked shocked at such an uncannily dark episode in Equestria's early history having been revealed. Lunar had his helmet on, and displayed no emotion. "By the time my sister tried to restore diplomatic relations, Silverfield had heard word of my banishment. Without my influence-- for Drizzle and I truly were close-- they would not speak to Equestria on any terms. Rather than invade again, Celestia left them to their devices. It was around the same time as my banishment that the Crystal Empire vanished-- within the same year, my dear sister too had to confront her immortality."

"Do not think immortality a blessing. There is no end... and until these Changelings intervened, I at least did not have to face this prospect alone..."

Luna's voice regained some of it's regal strength as she turned, looking out at the countryside. In the distance a small town full of deserted buildings haunted an area between rolling hills and a distant river. Almost directly below rose the broken wreckage of what one might have called a keep a very long time ago. A few of the bat ponies exchanged glances, but nopony dared to break the thick silence. Princess Luna's face was one of resignment-- for she could not change the past, but she could accept it and find strength from the acceptance.

Night Terror

The Silverfield Gambit

There was a lurch, and the carriage began to move downwards towards the broken courtyard.

"Thank goodness we're finally here." Princess Cadance said tiredly. She and Twilight Sparkle had looked very misty eyed as Luna told her story, but Cadance for her part had pulled her act together. "Finally, we can get some rest. Some real rest."

"As long as my nephew doesn't stab anyone the moment we set down, rest should be good. I'll go talk to him before everypony heads inside." Reddling said solemnly, standing up and trotting to the back of the carriage.

"...Stab?" Cadance asked hesitantly.

"...yeah?" Reddling said, looking back at her like she'd never met him. "Don't worry, he's only like... nine. He can't reach that far with his sword."

"Well, I am great with kids. I am sure it will be fine." Cadance tried to smile, looking a little more worried than before.

You're not going to be great with this kid. Reddling thought morbidly, thinking of different animations for Rainy's responses to meeting a Princess of Equestria on the doorstep of his home. "I'd just keep some distance for a bit, see how he reacts."

Without further deliberation, Reddling hopped out of the carriage and began to glide towards the ground. The air currents were wild and uncontrolled here, making flight much more difficult, even over a short distance. This feeling though-- this was how flight was supposed to feel. Wild and free, without anypony controlling you.

The sky had turned blood red behind the Night Guard as they touched down, many of them panting from the flight. Reddling poked his head inside the keep as Princess Luna and Celestia exited the back of the carriage, surrounded by a vanguard of Princess Luna's officers. Taking a deep breath, Reddling plunged inside, taking note of how-- comfortable the place felt. Here and there, yes, glaring lights made their way inside through holes, but overall the halls were nice and dim. The place looked a little nicer- Rainy had fixed up much of the floors in the front area, and things seemed to be a little cleaner than Reddling could recall since he had last visited.

"Rainy, hey are you here? I'm home, Rainy!" Reddling called, trotting up towards the throne room. The entire keep was quiet. Reddling came to a complete stop and looked around, calling out fro Rainy again.

Again, there was no answer.

"Rainy!?" Reddling cried, picking up his pace and beginning to run for Rainy's room, tripping over books as he made his dash.

"Ugh-- be quiet out there..." Came Rainy's muffled voice from his room, which was down a hallway located behind the throne room.

"Rainy!" Reddling said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Rainy, it's like-- midmorning." Reddling glanced at some light streaming in, making a note of his own lie. "Get up."

"Uh-- Reddling?" There was a scampering of hooves as the sound of Rainy throwing himself out of bed and swinging open his door echoed into the throne room. Reddling slid off his sunglasses and put them in his coat, blinking around the dim hallway. He could see perfectly fine with them on or off, but this time he wanted to run and hug Rainy with his eyes.

Rainy exited his room and skidded to a stop near Reddling. The colt could do anything but hide his bitter disappointment as he looked over Reddling's features. his ears collapsed downward and the colt looked away with a sigh, swishing one of his hooves. "...Oh, you're still a bat."

Yes, I am. "Yes, I'm still a bat."

"Well." Rainy perked up considerably, looking up hopefully, "Have you decided to come home then? Maybe we can fix you!"

I don't need that kind of fixing. "Yeah, I've decided to come home. Equestria is on the verge of being improved, but I needed to get something from here first. Do you mind if we go outside and talk?"

"Sure!" Rainy's high soprano voice squeaked.

"Yeah I uh-- heh, spend a lot of time in the dark as a bat..." Reddling sighed, remembering all of the Changeling's trickery. Sure, they had not been the only liars, but right now they were a vivid scapegoat in his mind after last night.

Rainy's mood continued to improve greatly as he led the way outside, the thought of having his uncle home again clearly raising his spirits.

He won't be so perky when we get outside. Reddling thought to himself. He looked over Rainy's frame, and sighed at the sword strapped on his back. Of course Rainy was armed. Everypony in Silverfield is always armed.

"How would you feel about meeting one of the princesses, while there is still a chance?" Reddling asked Rainy, trying to smile.

"One of the princesses?" Rainy said, turning and giving a confused look.

"Even if they're from an evil country, it's still pretty great to meet one. Just because you're evil doesn't mean you can't be uh-- awesome? In that bad guy way."

"You mean like... hmm..." Rainy said, trying to think.

"Even the bad guys get paintings!" Reddling added, nodding seriously to Rainy. This is not going to go well at all.

"Are you being serious?" Rainy queried. "Like-- seriously... meet a princess?"

Reddling nodded, continuing to hype Rainy up. "I'm totally serious."

Rainy quivered, taking tentative hoofsteps forward. "I mean... actually... see one... I don't..." Rainy trailed off for a bit, but then rallied and put on a brave facade. "Y-Yeah! I'd tell her-- what I think about her!"

"That's a- a great idea Rainy." Reddling sighed. "Just don't try to stab them."

"Don't?" Rainy sounded confused.

"Rainy, fights are won with a dagger to the back." Reddling patted his nephew on the shoulder. Rainy looked nervous for a few more moments, but then nodded, looking reassured. "You can't win by fighting somepony with mythical powers hoof to hoof."

"R-Right, yeah." Rainy sounded a little less convinced.

"Great!" Reddling said, nudging Rainy towards the front door. "They're outside."

"W-What!?" Rainy squawked.

"They're right outside this door." Reddling motioned to the outside.

"They who!" Rainy's face had drained of all colour.

"Tops, Nightshade, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, a batallion of guards..." heh... bat.

"What!?" Rainy's voice caused a few small rocks to tremble away from the epicenter.

"Don't. Stab. Anyone!" Reddling hissed. "We can't fight all of them."

"Puh-Puh-Puh- Princess-" Rainy froze, not daring to look outside. His whole body was now shaking in terror.

"You're going to be okay Rainy, no Equestrians will harm you." Reddling put a hoof on Rainy's shoulder before standing protectively over the colt. Rainy continued to shake, but nodded clammily. Reddling extended his wings and draped them downwards, giving Rainy a hug as they both peeked outside. Rainy gave a shudder at the wing hug.

Outside stood the entire standing Night Guard of about thirty bats all lounging with the Captain of the Night Guard, Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armor, Two Princesses, and a black bug-monster. Almost all of them were partially soaked in blood.

Rainy let out a whimper. "Good god... what..."

"They're just Equestrians." Reddling whispered. "You've read all about them."

"There must be-- Hundred of the, --" Rainy stammered.

"Two score short three." Reddling corrected, counting the everypony and the changeling up.

"They're-- all bats!" Rainy cried, motioning outside at the obvious.

"No no, not quite." Reddling corrected. "See that one over there, the bug? That's Star Shine! And- And there are normal ponies-- Like Twilight Sparkle! Look, she looks totally normal!" Reddling pointed out Twilight and waved at her. She gave a tired wave back to Rainy.

Rainy's face was painted with horror was Reddling cleared his throat and addressed the ponies outside. "You can come in now! I don't think anything else lives here, but just shoo away small animals if you find them!"

Princess Luna was the first to approach. Reddling bowed his head to her quickly before looking up again. Rainy cowered underneath his protector. Rainy could not easily draw his sword from this position, but Princess Luna still gave him a bit of room, looking quizzically over the foal before her.

"You must be Reddling's nephew. I am Princess Luna." her voice rang out regally, making the land before her tremble.

"Princess Luna, this is Rainy. Rainy, say hello to her-- she is not going to eat you." Reddling added to the end of it, nudging Rainy in the plot with one of his back hooves. Rainy let out a panicked little peep, staring up in utter terror at Luna. For a few seconds, silence prevailed over the scene, until Luna finally continued,

"Rainy, is it. You must pardon our intrusion. Reddling has offered us some brief asylum at your-- humble accomodations-- for a brief time." Princess Luna was matter of fact about the issue.

"Wait-- he what!?" Rainy stuttered, twisting his head to look up at Reddling.

"The Princesses will be staying with us from awhile." Reddling said slowly, trying to make sure that Rainy stayed calm. He gulped, praying that Rainy did not freak out and make a scene. "--along with their guards. Let's-- go talk outside the gatehouse please, Rainy? These ponies are tired, and they need rest."

"Yeah! Okay fine!" Rainy said, his voice cracking.

Princess Luna exchanged a confused look with Reddling as he and Rainy trotted around the group of bat guards. Rainy turned his head when he got a chance and mouthed to Princess Luna "He doesn't know yet." Luna's face was again quizzical for a few moments before she nodded, her face shifting to one of understanding. Reddling turned and hurried along with Rainy, putting some distance between himself and the rest of the Night Guard. they stopped just short of exiting outside the gate.

"You're letting those-- all those Equestrians! Stay in our castle!?" Rainy exclaimed, stupefied.

"Yeah, I am." Rainy said determinedly. "Do you still go into town and go to church?"

"I mean-- two was enough last time-- what?" Rainy shook his head, looking scared and taking a step back. "Huh? I mean- yeah, of course."

I don't disagree that two was enough last time... "I don't want you going into town anymore, except for food-- and stay away from the church."

"Why?" Rainy asked with childlike simplicity.

Reddling's face hardened as he took a deep breath. He removed his wing from Rainy's side and backed up, letting his wings unfurl to their full length. They stretched out several feet in both direction, the leathery webbing drawn taunt across the bones. "The church will never be touching me again. I am staying in the Night Guard-- and I'm not letting the church poison you anymore."

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Rainy exclaimed.

"I have wings again." Reddling said simply, glancing over them. He couldn't even see feathers on them anymore-- No, this is how they were supposed to look. "I am complete. I'm not letting the church cut up my body with knives again-- or cut up anypony else, for that matter."

"Wings are fucking weird and not normal!" Rainy retorted. he had to talk sense into his uncle. It had to work.

"Would you like to go for a fly? I can show you it's normal." Reddling said, biting his lip.

"A- Fly?! No!"

"Would you rather I be a pegasus?" Reddling asked, sighing. "Having all feathery-- feathery wings, and such? -- Riany, you are going to have to open up your mind to this. These Equestrians will be your friend if you let them be." He thinks I have lost my mind.

"Reddling-- you're talking crazy... it's like you-- like you're one of them!"

"Hey!" It was Reddling's turn to retort, "I'm not some damn Equestrian-- but they are civilized, just like us."

"How about... we just -- get rid of them..." Rainy suggested.

"No Rainy. We're not just getting rid of them. Luna knows about the plot to kill her." Reddling announced. Rainy let out a little gasp of shock and horror as Reddling continued, "I already agreed to work for her and give up Silverfield's insanity."

"S-She knows?" Rainy said weakly, his legs shaking. "You- Insanity?"

"She knows, and yet here I am." Reddling stood his ground, "This is proof enough that they aren't as evil as we first thought."

"She-- it has to be a trick or-- or something..." Rainy stuttered.

"My friends and-- Web, they are all bats. The Princesses aren't, but they're all normal. You just need to give them a chance and get to know them." Reddling tried to smile. It was painful as his fangs cut along his lower maw.

"Normal..." Rainy mused, trying to gather himself. "Why-- why're you all here then...? If you're all such good friends now..."

"Did you see the bug in the courtyard? The one with the glowing pink eyes and huge evil fangs and black body? With the gnarled hooves?" Reddling asked.

"The- bug?"

Reddling turned and pointed to Star Shine, who was laying on the ground looking half dead, idly licking a rock with his sharp tongue.

"Uh-- I was..." Rainy glanced back at the courtyard, and his eyes trailed over to Star Shine. He instantly jumped under Reddling for cover, staring out in horror at the creature laying on the ground.

"Good god, what the hell is it?" Rainy's voice was half full of wonder, half full of fear.

"It's a thing." Reddling said, looking over the Changeling from afar. "Don't worry, he's nice."

"Nice!" Rainy yelled incredulously.

"They're scared of Silverfield-- the Changelings. He won't cross you or me." Reddling looked down at Rainy, who remained silent. Scotching his hind hooves forward, Reddling forced Rainy to move with him as he started to head back to the keep. "Come on Rainy. Princess Cadance wants to meet you. She's really nice, you'll like her."

"Princess-- Cadence?" Rainy asked.

"Cadance." Reddling corrected, pointing to the pink princess. "That one."

"Another Princess... ugh, fine! We'll meet your- damn Princess!"

Reddling gave a nod and they began to trot forward together, approaching Princess Cadance. A few bat ponies had begun to trickle inside, desiring to be out of the sun, but a large host still remained outside, gazing around at the foreign landscape. Reddling attempted to a smile on his face as he approached Princess Cadance, but he guessed that it came out as more of a half painful grimace. When they had closed the gap to Cadance, Reddling wrapped a wing around Rainy, nudging him forward. Cadance had been watching them approach and gave Rainy a warm smile as she stooped down to talk to him at eye level.

"You must be Reddling's nephew!" Cadance said sweetly.

"Yeah. And you're a princess or something." Rainy confirmed.

"Well, yes..." Cadance said, looking a little caught off guard by the bluntness of the child in front of her as she fluttered her wings a bit.

"See Rainy? She's quite nice." Reddling offered hopefully.

"Yeah great. Can we go now?" Rainy asked, backing away from Cadance slightly and pressing into the webbing on the bat wing laid over him. Cadance gave a frown at the cold welcome as Reddling sighed and nodded. Rainy didn't need to do more than glance upwards before he shot off between the two of them, running towards the front doors of the castle. "I'll-- I'm just going to be in my room!" Rainy yelled, not even bothering to turn around before he vanished into the doors leading inside.

"Thank you again for letting us stay!" Cadance called as Rainy vanished. He poked out from behind the door and gave a little wave, but then vanished once more in a huff. Reddling and Cadance sighed, both of them silent for a few moments until they were sure Rainy was gone.

"I know it was not the welcome you were expecting-- but I assure you, he was nicer than most anypony else in Silverfield probably will be if they meet you." Reddling hoped his words would console Princess Cadance, although they came out much harsher than he thought they would.

"He certainly seems very... mature- for his age." Princess Cadance chose her words carefully.

"You should tell him that, I'm sure he'd like it." There was no sarcasm here-- It probably would be a compliment in Rainy's opinion. Somepony acknowledging his independence was important in Silverfield, especially when you live alone. Cadance gave a little nod, drooping her head.

"I know I, for one, am very tired-- is there someplace we could lay down to rest?" Cadance asked, looking at the keep before her with a little tinge of longing.

"Oh, we have two beds here. One is for me, one is for Rainy-- uh, I'm sure we can find you some quilts to lay down on? or chairs with cushions?" Reddling had not actually thought this far ahead-- how was he going to accommodate all these ponies? There surely was not going to be enough blankets for all of them, and those who could not sleep upside down like a bat would be sleeping on the cold, hard floors.

"That would be-- fantastic." Cadance said, trying to find a nice word for a situation that clearly wasn't ideal to her. "And you can accommodate everypony?"

"Uh-- If most of the bats are okay with sleeping upside down." Reddling said.

Cadance let out a yawn, and amended her request slightly. "And-- there is a place that I could rest with Shining Armor?"

...Ah, right. "Yeah uh, Maybe." Reddling said, swishing his tail. "The only comfortable places to sleep are my room and Rainy's room. You can't go kick Rainy out of his room."

Princess Cadance frowned slightly, but nodded and gave in with another tired sigh. "Well, we've gone this far, another day or two won't kill us. We can at least rest someplace-- private?"

You have to be fucking kidding me. No wait-- oh no. Oh no... "Pick a room, close the door. Private." Reddling looked away sheepishly, shaking his head. Of all the things...

Cadance's expression changed to a slight smile. "Well, thank you."

"We might be able to find some quilts later..." Or not. I don't want that all over my blankets. How can you be so terrible? Reddling gave Cadance a little grin as she trotted away, rolling his eyes once she was not looking his way anymore. Reddling turned to survey the courtyard, noting the few bat ponies standing near Princess Luna. They were the last stragglers who had not fled the early autumn sun that was scorching the world with brave rays of light.

Princess Luna's eyes continued to trace over the battlements, the grass, and the flowers poking up here and there. Reddling snapped to attention as she approached his direction, but she quickly waved for him to relax. "You must excuse me if I overheard some of your conversation."

Reddling glanced over at Cadance, then back to the gatehouse. "All of them?"

"Oh no, simply regarding the accomodations of your home. Perhaps you would show us what is available?"

Reddling scratched his chin with a hoof. True economy rooms here. You get what you aren't paying for. "There isn't much to show off, although if somepony-- who wouldn't draw a copious amount of attention-- wanted to head into town, they might be able to get something from visiting merchants or local shops. that might make things more comfortable."

"Hm, perhaps Cobalt or Twilight Sparkle... regardless, immediately we all require rest, and there is no need to risk ourselves for simple comforts." Reddling rubbed one of his shoulders, looking back at his home. This was true, he had not had any rest since right after he fled Canterlot, and it had certainly been a long and stressful night.

"Maybe we can look into this tomorrow. With your leave?" Reddling nodded his head towards the insides of the keep.

"You need not my permission to enter your own home." Princess Luna nodded. "I shall find myself arrangements, if you would permit me."

"Take any room you wish, Princess Luna." Reddling said, giving a little bow of his head before turning and heading inside. Princess Luna followed him close behind with her honor guard, escaping the violent rays of sunlight.

Reddling turned and went down the left wing, walking past a staircase that led up to an open second floor of the keep. It was a long dark hallway broken only by rays of light poking through holes here and there. At the end of the hallway Reddling rounded a corner and took the first door on his right. This was it-- he had not visited this room last time he was here, because he was afraid he would not want to leave. Books lined shelves, and nice carpets were laid along the ground. There was one table with a few mismatched chairs pulled up to it. The room was dark and comforting, and everything had a fine layer of dust on it. Reddling trotted past all of this and ducked into what looked like little more than a storage closet. It was a small room near the center of the keep, and thusly could stay quite warm in the wintertime. There was a single bed in here made of woolen blankets and a pillow stuffed with feathers from local birds that had been used for target practice by Silverfieldian youth.

Reddling gave a little smile and flopped down on the bed, glancing out over his room. There was one unlit candle with a box of matches beside it on a small nightstand, but the room was otherwise empty. To many this would not seem much, but it was a home.

This was not going to be a good day. In fact, the day had not even really begun when it had become a horrible day. Perhaps it was a horrible night then, and the day would be better?

No, Rainy knew he would have no such luck. His home was infested with bat ponies who would no doubt eat all his food, steal all his blankets, and smell bad. Worse still, the bug creature that Reddling had brought with him had begun licking rocks outside, turning them black like shiny obsidian. Rainy had been quick to wake Reddling's tired butt up and fix that though, and now the bug creature was sleeping in Reddling's room. This was a good distance away from Rainy-- and that was the important part, that it was a good distance from him.

Seeking to improve the day, Rainy had decided to do what any reasonable pony would do. He ran away from home and into the town and began telling anypony who would listen that horrible demon bat ponies had taken over the keep. Eventually Rainy had tracked down a pair of patrolling Tempars, who had simply passed off his claims as crazy rambling-- after all, thestrals could not come out during the day, so they could not have arrived at dawn. as Rainy swore to return with proof, they had chided him to purchase some garlic before returning home so that he might ward off the vampires.

So it was that Rainy had arrived back home, trotting silently down the halls of his own home like some sort of criminal. If he could perhaps steal some piece of the Night Guard armor, he might be able to convince the Templars that these bat ponies were for real. if he could convince them-- they could save Reddling. they could save Silverfield-- and they could defeat Equestria!

Rainy creaked open the door to a particularly dark room. lighting up his horn only enough to see a few inches in front of him, Rainy began to poke around the room. There was a bat pony in here, one that looked quite comfortable suspended from the ceiling, her legs wrapped around a wooden brace. Her wings wrapped around her body like a blanket, leaving only her lilac and purple mane to dangle towards the earth.

She had placed her armor in a neat pile on the floor. Rainy idly picked up one of her leg guards, noting the way the metal shone. It was a little different from the other Night Guard armor, like it was reflecting light or something. Giving a little shrug, Rainy turned away from the room to leave, the leg piece in his mouth.

Hah! Dumb vampire bats, they should sleep with their armor on, it would be better and make more sense. If you take it off you might lose it.

The little foals heart skipped a beat as a quiet fwump sounded. Something had dropped to the ground. Rainy turned slowly, and by the faint light of his horn he could just make out two almost-glowing eyes placed above a mischievous, fangy smile.

Oh no. Oh god no, it's awake. Rainy leveled his horn at the mare, his instincts kicking in. He lit up his horn as much as possible, blasting the room with a bright light. The evil bat pony let out a hiss as she recoiled, shutting her eyes completely and letting out an angry skee...

Rainy turned and ran for his life. He didn't know where he was going to run, but he knew he had to keep running. Ducking and jumping over fallen stones or uneven flooring, Rainy eventually saw an opening and jumped out of a hole in the wall, landing harshly on his flank when he hit the dirt outside. The stubborn Silverfieldian landscape offered no respite to Rainy as he rubbed his flank and began to look for where to run off to next.

Only about a foot above him, Rainy could see the demonic mare sticking her head out through the hole. She covered her eyes with a hoof and opened her mouth, but no noise seemed to come out. Rainy cursed obscenities as he took off, trying to run into the sun so that the mare would not be able to see him. As if by some dark magic, the mare was able to slowly hone in on him. There was a terrifying rush of wings closing in, and then Rainy felt hooves grab him from behind.

Rainy dropped the armor and began to scream as loud as he could. He summoned up his magic and began trying to draw out his sword, but with the current angle that he was held, the mare was able to keep him from lifting the hilt.

"Help! HELP! Help it's eating me help!" Rainy screamed, kicking and biting and trying to make as much of a scene as possible. Rainy felt the mare twist him around and slam him into the ground. although this knocked the air out of him and brought tears to his eyes, he was able to pull his sword free. Rainy swung a few times at her wings, but in all the chaos he was not able to get a clear shot. as far as he cound tell, he had banged against them, but had not cut anything.

"She's-- gunna eat me--" Rainy hiccuped, his struggling turning to sobbing as he covered his face in fear. "Somepony!"

If Rainy had been able to see Web right now, he would have seen her face beaming with glee at the fearful reaction before her. "ehehe- We've got ourselves a thief!"

Rainy let out a squeal of terror. "I'm nota thief! I live here I was just- just looking! Don't eat me, I'm nota thief! You won't like what I taste like!"

"Aren't you a dirty little colt... hehe!"

Rainy tried to form another excuse, but it was cut off by a hiccup, He resorted to simply quaking in fear, his entire body vibrating under the unhinged glee of Web.

"Won't I? I know what it'll be-- fear, adrenaline, oooh..." Web squinted in the sunlight, clearly uncomfortable, and clearly undaunted as she grinned down at her prey, already imagining the taste.

"T-That's sick! You're sick!" Rainy cried at Web. "You're insane-- I'll, tell Reddling! If you eat me I'm going to--" Rainy hiccuped, his eyes totally wide with fear now. " I'll tell and hell get you. He's a demon too you know!"

"Aww- why do you have to say such hurtful things-"

"Because you are eating me!" Rainy screamed. he quickly covered his face again and whimpered.

"Eating you? I'm not eating you. Just talking." Web smile twisted even more as she licked her lips. "Would you rather I eat you?"

Rainy began balling anew, screaming through his tears as they ran all down his face, staining his cheeks and getting in his ears and making a general mess of everything. "Please- no, I'm going to die, I'm going to die just like that mare, please don't- no-no, don't- no..."

Web put a hoof under Rainy's chin, lifting it up and staring down at him. Her torment, for the brief moment, had come to a stop. "Mare?" Web queried. Rainy's hooves flailed for a bit but he finally nodded, his eyes wide and full of tears. Web leaned a little closer, stil questioning the foal, "What mare?"

Rainy was only whispering as he sniffled and cried to Web. "The dead mare. Somepony threw her in the river, - and they like-- ate her neck..."

"ehehe... Chewed on?" Web grinned.

Rainy covered up his eyes and face, nodding. "Uh huh-- It was, last week!"

Web put a hoof along her chin, thinking for a moment as she considered this information. Her hoof slowly drifted down to Rainy's neck, which she brushed softly. Rainy let out a pathetic squeak as he was stroked, recoiling in terror. "Why did you steal my things? That isn't very nice."

"I-- I wanted to look at it! That's all-- I swear! I- uh, Id never seen armor like that, it's not like Reddling's, yeah! Yeah, it's all different." Rainy stammered out his excuse, trying to keep his brain working as fast as his mouth was. his life was on the line here. He did not dare remove his hooves from his face, for fear of what terror was leaning over him. Web however had none of this.

"Oh no. Here. Look at it." Web said. She grabbed the armor piece and shoved int into Rainy's face, parting his hooves so she could stare down at him. Rainy let out another whimper.

"Are you still going to eat me?"

"Do you know why my armor is special?" Web asked, ignoring Rainy's question. Without waiting for an answer, Web continued, "It's so I can hide, and watch, and see every little thing the bad little ponies are doing. Do you know what happens when I find a bad little pony?"

Rainy's heart was now slamming against his chest. His vision was going all blurry and he could feel his head rolling around inside itself. Web leaned down, pressing her chest against Rainy's and for a few moments, just allowing herself to feel that little heart pounding. At any moment, it felt like the colt's chest could implode, each hammering bending the fearful body against Web's ribcage. These feelings...

They excited her.

Rainy managed a soft, tiny "What?" that died in his throat.

"Ehehehe..." Web cooed. "Would you like to find out what happens?" Rainy stared up at her, petrified and whimpering.

"What's that, 'Yes, please show me?'" Web pressed her head down to Rainy's neck, her teeth brushing against his fur. Rainy tried to shake his head, but it was already too late. Web jerked her head back and bared her fangs, moving in for a bite!

Web stopped short of Rainy's neck, her eyes darting over her shoulder. Rainy could not see this, and continued to quake underneath the mare as he waited for his inevitable doom. After a few seconds had passed, Rainy peeked through his hooves, to see Web apparently frozen like a stillframe. There was a shout from the castle, ringing out over the horror scene,

"Web, what the fuck are you doing?"

Somepony who can save me! "Help!" Rainy screamed, suddenly kicking and screaming as loud as he could. "Help I'm being eaten! I'm being eaten!" Rainy's heart sank as the voice came into view. The most massive, biggest bat pony he had ever seen flew out and landed beside Web, looking down at the scene. Rainy choked on his own tears. Oh god, they're going to fight over my dead body... no... my alive body!

Rainy descended into soft crying again, shutting his eyes and sniveling uncontrollably.

"Fuck, you've been here for three hours and you're assaulting children. Celestia's tits what's wrong with you?" The massive bat pony's voice boomed, echoing from his muscular diaphragm.

"This child," Web's voice was curt and surly, "Stole some of my armor. Where you're from, you'd probably cut off one of his hooves for that." Rainy let out a yip and pulled his hooves in, protecting them from any dangerous blades.

"Hey you shut the hell up, that's better than what you'd probably do to him." Bruiser retorted. "I don't know if you noticed, but here ain't where I'm from!"

"You absolute monsters! We don't cut off hooves-- that's some-- horrible Equestrian thing! You monsters cut them off and EAT them, I bet-- M-Monsters-" Rainy blubbered between half insults, half sobs.

"Nopony is eating anypony." Bruiser said, looking down at Rainy. Rainy instantly fell silent, staring up at the giant bat pony. "Hey, did you take her stuff?"

"N-No, I found it. I-I -... with the rest." Rainy corrected his lie quickly at the end, looking away from Web and starting to scootch behind the Bruiser.

"He found it." Bruiser told Web.

"He was in my room and took it." Web confirmed the tort.

"Sounds like you took her stuff." Bruiser said, rounding on Rainy.

"It's in my castle though!" Rainy hollered, his eyes brimming with tears again. "I picked it up to put it awa-away! And then she attacked me! I- Look at that piece of armor- and she was going to eat me for it! Equestrians are insane!"

Brusier shook his head down at the little colt, giving a sigh. "Horsefeathers, you must be one dense idiot. Kid, you don't pick up stuff that ain't yours." Web gave Rainy a furtive grin, but shifted it away as Bruiser rounded on her. "Web, you're a crazy bitch, stay away from the kid."

Web mumbled something under her breathe as she backed off, picking up her armor and flying towards the keep.

"Hey you shut the fuck up!" Bruiser yelled at her. "Yeah, get outta here." Web for her part vacated the premises, vanishing with a hateful glare at the little colt and Bruiser.

"Fucking crazy Equestrians." Rainy breathed, taking a few deep breaths before sinking even lower into the ground. He had wiped away the tears from his eyes and was only now fully taking in the size of the full stallion in front of him. "What- sort of creature-- what kind of animal are you? You're- huge." Rainy said, glancing over Bruiser. One of the stallion's legs was the size of the small colt.

"I ate my vegetables." Bruiser snarked.

"So that means you don't eat meat?" Rainy asked carefully.

Bruiser grimaced, looking down at the kid and then glancing over his shoulder. "It takes a special kind of crazy to like that shit, and you just met her." Rainy let out a huge sigh of relief, stretching out into the grass. At least this pony wouldn't eat him.

"I'm going back to bed. We've been through hell the past few days-- horsefeathers, sometimes literally." Bruiser said, starting to lumber back for the keep. Rainy took a few minuted to gather himself, organizing his mind and reliving the events of what had just happened-- as well as why it had happened to begin with. He still needed something, any sort of armor. Rainy picked up a rock and put it in his mouth, sucking on it as he casually chewed grass and hugged the ground, reminding himself he was lucky to be alive, and questioning if it was worth the risk of trying to steal armor again.

The Silverfieldian grass was cold, dry, and tasteless. The grew shards were dusty and smelled of dirt. Rainy began to think of some sort of plan this time-- obviously he wasn't going to try and cross that mare again, she was absolutely nuts. Rainy spent his time into the afternoon pacing back and forth, trying to think of what he could possibly do. He couldn't tell Reddling, as Reddling was all of the best things in the world-- smart, quick to see the error of his ways, able to pick out horrible plots against him within seconds--, all things that Rainy knew would make him know something was up. He didn't really need much, just a little help from somepony who would be willing to be good to him and keep him far away from "Web."

"The royal bitch! That pink one!" Rainy's horn shot a few sparks of magic as he jumped up, rushing for the front of the castle. If he could get inside and find the pretty pink princess, he could get her to help him. Checking room after room feverishly and quietly, Rainy finally located the princess sleeping with one of the normal unicorns, snuggled up against a fighty-looking white pony.

Rainy mulled shortly over how strange that was. They looked so happy together, and that was absolutely gross. Rainy checked around the room and saw by a little light from his horn the gleam of Princess Cadance's Crown and hoofshoes. The gold bounced light around the room, but Rainy knew better than to chance stealing one of those. No, it might be better to avoid being eaten. Rainy opened the door all the way and trotted inside, poking Princess Cadance on her snout.

"Pst, Princess Pony. Pink Princess Pony." Rainy said, keeping his horn lit up. Cadance squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then opened them sleepily. She was still very much not awake, but tried her best to make sense of what was happening.

"Oh-- is something wrong?" Cadance asked.

"A bat pony tried to eat me!" Rainy said, sweeping a hoof across the ground.

"--Excuse me?" Princess Cadance said, totally taken aback. she opened her eyes wider now, rubbing them awake. Although she kept her voice quiet, it was clear this had alarmed her.

"Some purple maned evil Equestrian thestral tried to drink my blood." Rainy said. "The big monster called her Web! Can't you go do Princess things and punish her? She threatened to cut my hooves off. She did that, she said that they cut hooves off in Equestria."

"...Web?" Cadance said, sighing. "Yes, Web can be... overzealous, from what I've heard. But you will have to talk to Luna about her. There's not much I can do."

"Where is Luna then?" Rainy asked intently. He was not pleased that Cadance had proven to be entirely useless to him. Indeed this almost felt like a waste of time now.

"I'm not certain-- I believe she may be resting further down the hall, near the rest of the Guard-- But I am sure she is very tired. Perhaps you should give her time to rest?"

Rainy mumbled and turned to go look for Luna, but stopped as Cadance addressed him again, "I can assure you everything will be fine. You may stay here if you wish. Everypony will be more active tonight, and I can make sure you are safe until then. You could rest with us." Rainy turned, looking around the room. Giving a little shake of his head, Rainy backed out of the room. What creepy creature, this Princess. Why would he want to stay in there with her?

"Are you alright?" Cadance said, concern flitting across her face. Rainy just gave a little nod, running out of the room and slamming the door sharply in Cadance's face.

It was not but a few minutes later when Rainy burst out of the gatehouse, galloping towards Fervor. He had woken up many bats, but finally, in Princess Luna's room, he had managed to steal a helmet. The helmet was much too big for him, but he hardly needed to worry about that. This was his key to doing away with all those bats. He could save Reddling, he could keep Silverfield safe, he could unmake those horrible Equestrians-- at any cost.

Rainy stopped only to catch his breath, and it was still dusk by the time he reached the church in Fervor. Ponies were beginning to clear off the streets, either retiring to their homes or to their favorite bars. The oppressive hustle and bustle of a city filled with a few hundred ponies was now giving way to a more peaceful night. Rainy had no time to spare for the citizens of Fervor as he strode straight towards the church, lighting up his horn and holding aloft the helmet that he had stolen. The church was more busy now that ponies had retired for comfort and finished their work, but with this crowd came ease of passage inside. A lone Templar guard stood outside the doors, but made no move to stop Rainy as he strode inside the church, passing through a opening room and moving into the preaching hall. Rows and rows of pews led up to a large stage where sermons, plays, and choirs gave spirit and hope to the citizens of Silverfield. Rainy stopped short of the pews as hoof tapped him on the shoulder. Rainy turned to see a Templar eyeing the helmet oddly, almost, curiously.

It took Rainy a few moments to figure out what he wanted to say, but finally he found his words and looked grimly at the Templar, saying, "The demon ponies are here with Princess Luna! Go make them go away!"

"Excuse me?" The Templar said, obviously taken aback. He had not been expecting this reasoning for the strange helmet. When Rainy stared at the Templar expectantly, the guard continued, "What are you talking about?"

Rainy threw the helmet at the guard, who caught it on one of his hooves. "The Equestrians have taken over my castle!"

"Mind your manners you little--" The guard broke off, giving a little shake of his head. "Equestrians?"

"There is at least five score of them! Yes, scores of them!" Rainy said pleadingly.

"Five score--" The Templar was sweating under his armor now, but outwardly tried his best to not seem nervous. He eyed the armor, his eyes frantically looking over it and hoping it would suddenly turn familiar. "This is-- I've never seen armor like this. And you said-- Princess Luna is there?"

"They have "Princess Luna" with them. Nightmare Moon, but not as scary!" Rainy stomped a hoof, trying to urge this sweaty Templar into action.

"Nightmare--" The guard brushed back his greasy hair.

"Yes, she is leading them! You have to help! Reddling is with them too!" Rainy kept wishing in his head that This Templar would see the light.

The Templar spared a half a moments thought as everything finally registered in his head before he have a nod, motioning for Rainy to follow him down a side hallway with a "come" motion. Rainy followed the guard, staying close to the candles that kept the world well lit and safe-- safe from all manner of evil ponies. Finally, Rainy felt well enough to let out a long sigh of relief. They could save Reddling, and get rid of those nasty bats all at once.

The two kept up a quick pace, moving through hallways, thick doors, and moving deeper into the church. Rainy couldn't even tell if they were still on ground level or not, as the place zig zagged with perplexing slopes and geometry. The colt had never actually been this deep in the church, and he could not help but be struck by how different the architecture was. It was not Equestrian for sure, but nor was it Silverfieldian. It had to be something older, but he could not fathom what. The thoughts of odd candle holders and strange shapes shifted into thoughts of what was to come next for Rainy-- he was a VIP-- a very important pony-- now, and he might have even saved the entire town. Surely, he was going to be a hero for this...

Finally, The Templar took a set of stairs upwards, leading Rainy past other Templars and priests who eyes lingered curiously on the intruding colt that had been brought to their inner sanctum. The two stopped in front of a grand looking door decorated with silver and platinum. Two Templars dressed in fine purple silk and shiny, perhaps brand new, suits of white armor stared at the Templar before them, who almost looked small in comparison to their grand garb.

Rainy did a little strut as he approached them, kicking his hooves out happily. This was what the monsters get for trying to eat him! These Templars could totally take down the demon ponies.

"Sir!" The templar with the helmet cried, looking up to his superior, "Requesting an audience with High Templar Blind Justice, regarding a possible Equestrian intrusion at Castle Celes!"

"Possible? They're napping in all the rooms! Hanging from the ceiling and sleeping like bats!" Rainy interjected. The lowly Templar offered over the helmet to the two heavy Templars. There was a brief moment of silent thinking between the two, and then they all leaned closer so that Rainy could not hear, talking about "Equestrians" and "Hundreds." Rainy saw a few hooves gestured towards him before the conversation broke off. He was being more or less ignored now, like he was simply there, and not some sort of savior. Finally the two heavy Templars nodded and opened the doors magically with their horns, motioning for Rainy to follow them.

The inside of this room was possibly more grand than the door for it, with rich wooden paneling that seemed to shine like gold. Magical lights brightened the entire room with a nigh glaring glow, casting shades across the room and flickering soft and hard lights against each other like fireflies. Great tapestries were hung alongside portraits of famous Silverfieldians, proud and regal in their posture and design. Rich purples graced the platinum trim on the carpets and curtains, all of the designs showing craftsponiship of the highest quality. The center of the room was taken up with a great desk that was lined with equally great chairs, and at the end of the desk, lounging in a throne of purple and green cushions finished with silver trim was the esteemed High Templar himself. In front of him sat cooked carrots, with the lower parts chopped and put on sticks with tomatoes, potatoes, and celery. The green tops had been minced and used as garnish for a salad containing exotic kiwi and dragonfruits mixed with pineapple. Rainy was certain that none of this was grown in Silverfield, but he was not one to question what sort of ne'er-do-well deeds were practices to obtain such fine foods.

The high Templar rose, displaying a radiant suit of armor that hung thick on his shoulders and torso. Aquamarine and Jade encrusted many surfaces, making the armor seem more ornamental than functional, but dazzling nonetheless. It was a suit of armor to be the ire of kings and the coveted prize of the most daring rouges. The high Templar magically lifted a napkin that had been woven of wool and lined with baby goose feathers to clean off his mouth, pulling up a dark cloak to cover his armor in a shroud and hide his face with shadows lest he be seen.

Blind Justice threw down irovy utensils glaring from under his hood at the guards who had entered with a small colt. "Are you not aware that I am not to be disturbed?! And what is this? Children?" Blind Justice gestured angrily at Rainy. "Do I look like some foalsitter?"

Rainy had been trying to offer a little wave to the High Templar, but his vigor died and he slowly dropped the hoof. The High Templar was supposed to be a paragon of virtue... Rainy considered telling the High Templar for a few moments that he was a big pony and not a foal, but felt that was unwise when he was obviously already in a foul mood.

The Heavy Templars flanking Rainy stammered over their words. "S-Sir, this child brings evidence that there may be-- an Equestrian incursion."

Blind Justice looked starled for a moment, gaping. "Equestrians! -- Here?!"

"In Celes Castle--! Five score!" Rainy stammered, trying to be helpful. The Templar with the helmet moved forward, offering it to Blind Justice. Blind Justice simply walked forward, around the table before smacking away the helmet and rounding on the foal under him.

"What did you see!?" Blind Justice hissed, his words reeking of disdain and cruelty.

"Princess Luna and Cadance! And scores of thestrals!" Rainy piped fearfully. "And-- and they had a big black bug thing with them, too. It had big fangs!"

"Princesses--!" Blind Justice cursed under his cowl.

"Reddling says the bug is okay though--" Rainy tried to continue, but was cut off.

"Reddling?" Blind Justice asked, clearly very put off by this development. "That's impossible--"

"Reddling brought the princesses here!"

Blind Justice stammered, his eyes growing wide enough that Rainy could make them out under the shadow of his hood. "He what! St-Star at the beginning. Explain everything!" Rainy quickly recounted everything that he could remember-- everything from Reddling being a bat pony and stopping by to visit shortly before the mare had been murdered and washed up on the river banks. Rainy put the blame on Nightshed for this murder mostly because of spite, and also because he knew she was a bitch. The tale continued with explaining how Reddling had showed up with battered looking guards complaining about having been through hell-- however, Reddling had told Rainy not to hurt any of them. Rainy did not however, let a single word of Reddling's potential betrayal be part of the story.

"--And you still say there's a hundred of them?" Blind Justice asked fearfully.

"Well, maybe not a hundred, but it looked like it! Not all of them are armored or have weapons though. I know that the armored bat ponies were at least more than four score, but not more than five scores! There were a bucking lot, okay!?"

"Between forty and a hundred! Is that the best count you can give!?" Blind Justice demanded. Rainy gave a nod.

"Useless child!" Blind Justice's words bit at Rainy as he recoiled at the sudden uptake in cruelty. "And Reddling-- with them, that traitorous heathen!"

Rainy took a few steps back, but looked up bravely at Blind Justice. His legs were quivering, but he had to speak out. "He's not a traitor! Reddling would fight for us! He'd never-- I mean-- I asked Luna! Yeah uh- I asked her and she said he is still the same pony!"  This was not wholly untrue-- while Rainy had been stealing the helmet from the bats, he had also awoken Princess Luna in order to get Web in trouble, but that had just been a fleeting memory in his mind. Still, her words echoed back to him-- The two of them, Rainy and Reddling, still had the same bond as they did growing up. Princess Luna had assured him that family always sticks together and-- Rainy believed her, despite his better judgement.

"Silence!" Blind Justice screamed. "He is a traitor to Silverfield! He has given himself, mind, body, and soul, to those filthy monsters! You spoke with the wicked Princess, and you would believe her poisonous lies that he has not turned on us!?" Rainy cowered. He had done all he could to cover for Reddling, and yet...

"But-- But he--" Rainy's was crestfallen. He had to stand up, something had to be said. "But he hasn't done anything wrong..."

"I would question your devotion to Silverfield..." Blind Justice glared down at the colt, the fierceness of his voice draining all colour and heat from the room. "Hold your tongue if you wish to speak well of traitors and Silverfield's enemies, lest you lose it!" With a flourish of his cowl, Blind Justice rounded on his Templars. "Relay the order! The Templars are to assemble immediately! Alert the town, should those fiends step hoof within our town they shall find naught but steel to greet them!"

Rainy felt his rump hit the stone floor as he stared in disbelief at what was going on. They were actually going to fight-- and probably, kill... What... what did I just do?

"And you--" Blind Justice made a shooing motion at Rainy. "Go-- go away."

Rainy couldn't control his legs as they urged him up, his body blindly stumbling out of the room. Templars took off in all directions to do the bidding of their leader, leaving Rainy to simply... wander.

Fervor became a flurry of activity in an instant, springing to life without warning. Rainy did all that he could-- he fled the Church, running towards his home. He had to at least warn Reddling-- he couldn't let Blind Justice get ahold of either of them, the-- the cruel pony.

Rainy galloped as fast as he could back to the Celes, but when he arrived he found the gatehouse had it's doors closed tight. Perplexed, Rainy banged hard on the front door. "God Dammit! Reddling, Reddling open up! I have to talk to you!"

From on top of the old stone gatehouse, a voice echoed down, saturated with sickly sweetness. It was a familiar voice to Rainy-- unfortunately familiar. "Well, our little lost foal has found his way home."

Rainy's head snapped up as a shiver went down his spine. He drew his sword, knowing that only one pony would talk like that. The silhoutte of a pony looking down at Rainy broke the moonlight avoce, her glowing amber eyes looking devilishly down at her prey.

"Let me in, I live here!" Rainy screamed up at her.

Web ignored Rainy. "The good Captain Lunar was oh so upset at my terrible behaviour-- but he was a little more sympathetic when he found that our little thief's sticky hooves got stuck to his own personal helmet."

Rainy felt a shiver move into his stomach. They had noticed the missing helmet.

Web smirked, showing teeth even at this distance. "Oh, I would love to, but the door's a bit too heavy for me to move myself."

"Damn you!" Rainy screamed up at Web.

Web tilted her head, giggling. "I am on guard duty, not door opening duty. Anyway, how was your walk?"

"You bitch!" Rainy screamed, his voice cracking as he threw the best curse words he had learned from Reddling together. "You psychotic, evil, bloodsucking whore! Stupid cold blooded vampiric slut! Open this fucking door or I swear I will open you up with this sword!"

Rainy glared at Web, and winced as she suddenly swooped down. In one swift motion, Web grabbed Rainy's sword from his magic and pinned it to the ground, staring at him. Her words were dry as she addressed him, "Look, kid. Lunar and I closed this door before he stuck me on guard duty, and he went back to bed. I'll help you in, since I was ordered to be nice and pleasant, but the door's not opening."

"Give me my sword back!" Rainy said, lunging for his weapon. he attempted to tug it out from under Web's hoof. "How the hell am I supposed to get inside if you won't open the door!? Climb?"

Web lifted one of her hooves, giggling at the little colt. "C'mon. I'll even give you your sword back."

Rainy bit his sword free and put it in it's sheathe, lest she try to steal it again. "You just want to suck my blood!"

"Ah, if only--" Web said bitterly. "orders... be nice to you, or..." she ran a hoof across her throat and made a sickening squelching sound with her mouth. Not missing a beat, Web took a casual step towards Rainy. Rainy returned the smirk, taking a step towards her until they were both standing inches away. Hah, Web was in trouble, and no threat to him...

"I'd kill you myself, if I didn't need you to get inside. Fly up there and get me inside." Rainy demanded.

Web let out a giggle again, "ehehe, Oh, no doubt. So fearsome." Rainy felt his hooves leave the ground as Web suddenly grabbed him. Pony anatomy demanded that she practically be straddling the little colt at this moment. Web began flying back towards the top of the gatehouse with Rainy kicking and screaming the entire way.

"Stop kicking, or I will drop you-- and neither of us want that." Web smirked, although Rainy could not see it.

"If you drop me I will kill you!" Rainy screamed up at the bat. A few seconds later, web did indeed drop Rainy. The colt fell two inches onto the top of the gatehouse, where he landed smartly on all four legs. There was a few moments of silent between the two, and Rainy nodded a little thanks to her, albeit grudgingly. Web was still breathing heavily-- although Rainy wasn't particularly heavy, she had obviously had difficulty lifting him.

"Tsk, such a sensitive flower." Web huffed, giving Rainy an evil eye. Rainy inched away from her, looking down at the courtyard. Yes, he had to hurry, he couldn't waste more time on Web. Turning and making a dash for it, Rainy hurried down the stairs that lined the side of the gatehouse. The staircases created a neat trapizoid that mirrored the front of the castle. Making short time of the courtyard, Rainy skidded to a stop in front of the door as Web landed in front of him, her breath caught.

"So, little mister sticky-hooves, where is Lunar's helmet?" Web asked, sneering down at the ungrateful colt.

"It's with The Divine High Templar, Blind Justice. I have to go find Reddling." Rainy said sternly, trying to duck past Web and finding no opening.

"It's... what?" Web asked, her playful expression draining.

"It's with the church." Rainy said.

"And-- what does that mean?" Web leaned forward.

"They took it away from me. It means I got mugged-- what do think it means!" Rainy yelled at her, still trying to duck away.

"Mugged." Web repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"It's called a joke!" Rainy groaned, sweeping his tail across the ground. "They took it away from me. Do you have jokes in Equestria? Uh, just forget it. The church wants you to leave. You got to sleep and now it is time to go home. Now I need to find Reddling, I'm going now."

"Uh, yes, you do that." Web said. "You can open up the gate yourself."

Rainy looked curiously at Web. Web simply blinked at him before turning. "Reddling flew out to the town only a few minutes ago."

"No!" Rainy screamed at her in panic. Web waved a hoof nonchalantly.

"That purple unicorn will be going towards the town soon too-- perhaps she will accompany you to save Reddling from the trap you set?"

Rainy could only stare as Web let out a weak giggle, turning and trotting for Princess Luna's quarters.

"So, after nightfall?" Twilight Sparkle asked the dark, mysterious bat pony in front of her.

"T'will be easier for myself, and the darkness will provide you cover as well." Midnight Tales replied through his helmet."

"Well, twilight is almost here, we should prepare." Twilight replied.

Rainy's ear pricked up as he heard the last words of this conversation. Midnight Tales, Tops, Nightshade, and Bruiser stepped outside with Twilight Sparkle, the group making their way across the courtyard. Rainy quickly ducked into a silvery bush, looking out at the group

"Are we finished then?" Nightshade asked. Tops gave little nod, none of them noticing Rainy glaring at the group as they went past.

"Well, good luck then." Nightshade turned and flew towards the castle, gliding inside before closing her wings and trotting into the darkness. Rainy, for his part, watched as Midnight Tales and Bruiser waved farewell to Tops and continued with Twilight Sparkle, chatting among themselves.

"While... your friend attempts to deal with the town, we will be flying and looping around the south side of the town. One of our groups shall be providing a distraction, whilest the other shall deal with the town for supplies. You spoke of a certain destination before, while we are flying show us your destination. Should you require assistance we will be able to provide you support or extraction.

Rainy pondered for a bit what they might be talking about. How was Twilight Sparkle supposed to know what she was looking for? Rainy might be able to point out the buildings from the air, but an Equestrian? No chance.

Twilight bit her lip in the dying light, looking at the fading sun. "I'm not sure that I know what the (moth pony place) looks like, although-- I will try--"

"It sounds like you need a guide!" Rainy yelled, a lightbulb popping up in his head. maybe they could fly him to Reddling-- yes, it was going to be scary, probably the worst thing-- but now it was his only chance of getting to the town.

The two bat ponies eyed the little unicorn suspiciously, but Twilight approached him, giving him a happy smile. "You are-- you are Rainy, aren't you? I've heard about you from your uncle." She tilted her head, "You can guide us?"

Rainy's nod rang with vigor as he trotted towards the dirty Equestria. She was buying it! "Take me with you to the town, and I can show you to wherever you want to go!" Twilight Sparkle grinned at the bat ponies. Other than their bright eyes, nothing was visible behind their war helmets.

"Midnight may carry you." Twilight motioned to the darker of the two bat ponies, and Rainy gulped.

A hour later, Midnight hissed at Rainy as the unicorn put undo pressure on his wings. Rainy gave a little yip and pulled his legs back, not wanting to upset the scary looking bat pony. There was something off about him, as if he was not normally so unfriendly and yet some spell had been cast upon him.

"Don't drop me." Rainy hissed to the bat pony.

"Do I look like a murderer to you?" Midnight asked.

"Will you drop me if I say yes?" Rainy asked. Midnight did not answer.

The bat ponies looped around with the two unicorns in tow, beginning to carefully circle the southern side of the town. Although a guard had been suddenly summoned to patrol the town, there were plenty of areas where it was easy to pass them. When they settled into the town, safely hidden in an alleyway behind a store open late, Rainy fell off Midnight and kissed the dirt. "That was so unnatural! Oh, I thought I'd never see dirt again."

Twilight rolled her eyes, turning to the two bat stallions. "Hopefully it will not take long to locate the 'bugs' that live in this town."

"There is a chance there could be Changelings living in this town, and yet you are choosing to seek them out." Midnight's words were a statement, not a question.

"I don't think they are Changelings, they are something else, based on the books Reddling had." Twilight said, pulling out a small book she had borrowed.

Rainy raised an eyebrow, but the two bat ponies gave nods and took off, leaving Twilight and Rainy in the dust from their wings and the darkness of the night. Both unicorns lit up their horn, looking at the book.

"Signal us if you need help." Midnight said, pointing at their horns. "Bright lights, yelling, whatever it takes to get our attention. Otherwise, when you have achieved your goal meet with us straight south of the town."

"Won't that draw the attention of everypony else, too?" Twilight asked.

"If you are in a situation where you require aid, I would believe that you would have their attention regardless." With that, Midnight turned, wasting no more time on the unicorns.

Rainy followed Twilight and she sighed, trotting through the alleyway and towards the store.

"So where are you going again?" Rainy asked, following her.

"I'm going to look for the pony that used to own this book. The address said to return it here, and I want to ask them some questions." Twilight explained. She held up a book-- which to Rainy, looked like no more than a storybook... "This book details a great war between Bug-Ponies, according to the translations inside."

"First you invade my home, then you start going through my things?" Rainy said tersely at her. Twilight's ears laid back slightly.

"Reddling told me it was fine, so I poked around and... well, I've never seen books like this. They're not in very good condition."

"You're not in very condition..." Rainy said under his breathe as he and Twilight stepped out into the street. It was a cobblestone road had steps that led up to the shops, which largely sat on raised foundations. This was the richer and newer part of town, with gardens that were vibrant and flower teeming with growth. Windows weren't covered with boards but instead had nice shutters that looked imported from elsewhere. The store Twilight was eying was the local tailor's shop, a small building with a warehouse attached to it. Rainy knew this place, and he had been there many times before.

"Are you sure that book goes to this store?" Rainy asked Twilight suspiciously.

"Of course!" Twilight chimed. "Why wouldn't it?"

"Because the pony there cannot read." Rainy looked grimly over at the store, which had weak lights trickling out into the street, the soft flickering of candles in lanterns dancing to their own tune. Twilight Sparkle was silent as she went up the stairs.

"We need to go warn Reddling about the guards." Rainy said. "You should come with me, he'll listen to you-- he might not listen to me." Rainy put a hoof on the cobblestone strongly. He had considered this on the trip over-- what if Reddling didn't believe him? No, he needed Twilight to go with him.

"It will be a quick visit, we just need to return the book and ask a few questions. We can go warn Reddling then. They will be fine." Twilight whispered, opening the door to the shop. "My brother went with Reddling-- I know it's important to warn them, but this could be important too. Besides, if they walked here, they probably aren't even in town by now." This shut Rainy up. He had not been aware that Shining Armor had gone with Reddling to town. Why had he not passed them on the road?

The store seemed empty right now, but the storekeeper had to be around somewhere. A bell chimed overhead as they stepped in and Rainy quickly hissed up at Twilight. Twilight Sparkle practically bounced with giddiness.

"Can you at least try to talk like a normal pony while you're here?" Rainy hissed at Twilight. "You're acting all weird."

"I'm-- I mean, I'm just a bit nervous is all." Twilight admitted.

"See, can you not talk like that and speak the proper way? You sound like an idiot." Rainy rolled his eyes at the Equestrian accent.

"An idiot!" Twilight exclaimed, the foal having her attention now as she picked her head up indignantly. "I'll have you know, by most objective measures I am quite intelligent!"

"But you talk dumb." Rainy said, stopping and hitting Twilight's hoof as they rounded a shelf of coats. A young unicorn filly smiled at both of them, her hooves crossed at the desk. Rainy could have sworn she wasn't there a few seconds ago.

"Um- hello?" Twilight said to the pony, approaching the counter.

"Hello! Uh, Apricot will be back- later." The filly gave Twilight a weird look, obviously perturbed by the accent. "Can I help you two find some clothes."

"Sure, why don't you show us your latest fashions." Rainy said mockingly.

Before Twilight could actually get to her point, the filly had sprung up with unusual vigor for a citizen of Silverfield and was showing off clothes in the most convincing manner ever, rounding on Twilight and smiling. "We don't normally make clothes to order, but everything should still fit well! Would you like to try something on?"

"Um- no thank you-" Twilight was cut off.

"...Is there something I can help you with then?" The filly stared up at Twilight with huge eyes.

"Well, actually!" Twilight began, Rainy covering his ears and burying his head in the ground. She wasn't actually serious was she? No, no this pony was serious. Seriously crazy. "Goodness, this might sound silly- We're looking for- hmm. Um, Some very- special ponies."

"We believe that all ponies are special in our shop!" The filly beamed. "But uh, very special? Like how?"

"Well miss- You'll have to excuse me, what is your name?"

"Sweet Needle." the filly blinked, her beam fading slightly.

"Well Sweet Needle- this might sound ridiculous, I know, but we found a story about some bug-like equines, and we thought, you know... We'd like to- meet one!" Twilight brandished the storybook, magically holding it in front of the filly. "The book came from this store originally, and I was hoping... well, you know."

The filly stared blankly up at Twilight, giving her a slow nod and sniffing the air. "Have you perhaps had too much to drink?"

Twilight blushes slightly in embarrassment at this ridiculous idea, but was eager none-the-less. "Oh I know it sounds ridiculous but I've found that a lot of old-mare's tales can sometimes be a little true. Would you mind if we looked around a little bit?" Twilight looked over the filly, smiling out at the moon. Without an old mare's tale, Princess Luna...

"Ah, of course. It's not like there is anything hidden in here..." The filly said, looking cautiously up at the strange pony. "Please don't steal anything."

"Oh, of course not! And thank you very much!" The filly pulled her forelegs in and sat on her rump, carefully watching the duo.

"Where are you gunna look, Twilight? Behind a coat or something? We need to hurry." Rainy said.

"Do you have a basement?" Twilight asked, patting Rainy on the head with a smirk.

"Yeah, we use it to store a lot of extra cloth and other things." The filly nodded. "It's a very boring storage area..."

"May we look down there?" Twilight asked.

"Uhm..." The filly twiddled her hooves. "I mean, sure. Not that there is much to look at... we just keep clothes down there."

"Well, lead the way!" Twilight proclaimed, picking up rainy by the tail and dropping him on all fours. The filly stood up and trotted behind the desk, heading down a small hallway. There was a back door leading outside and a door straight in front of her leading downstairs. The filly opened up the door without using magic and started down the steps.

"Uhm, this way." The filly said, motioning for the two to follow her downstairs into a large area with various large boxes. The filly did not light up her horn, and it was difficult to see more than a few exposed areas of stone here and there. Twilight lit up her horn, illuminating the downstairs area brightly and bringing all of it's contents-- which was true to it's story of being a storage area, full of boxes. it seems Silverfield only has three sizes-- Child, Stallion, and Mare.

The filly kept a marked distance from Twilight, who examined the walls, looking behind boxes. "I imagine they would keep the entrance to their homes well hidden. Oh this is exciting..."

"Twilight!" Rainy hissed in alarm, darting over to her. "You don't think there are bug equines right here, right? I would have seen them! We should leave, this is against the rules!"

"Hmm..." Twilight said, looking tersely around the room. If the stone walls or boxes held any secrets, they sure weren't sharing them. Twilight took her time, tapping on the wall,s firing sonic magic around the room to see if she could detect anything that didn't make sense... Something had to work, right?

Rainy was almost seething by the time Twilight looked down sadly. "maybe... maybe we were wrong?" Twilight lit up her horn powerfully, making it as light as day in the room as she looked around, sweating a little from the strain of maintaining the magic. Imperfections in the stone wall were now apparent, but then, it would have been alarming if the walls were perfectly smooth. Although there seemed to be some patterns here and there, Twilight couldn't make out anything from them.

"Well-- they have plumbing, they must get their water from somewhere... Rainy, which direction is the river?" Twilight asked.

"Ugh, it's a little south of town. I thought you were smart." Rainy groaned. "But we have-- creeks? They bring water from the river into town... Maybe we could go upstairs--"

"No, the stories explicitly mentioned living underground!" Twilight groaned in return. "Sweet Needle, are there any other skilled craftsponies in town? Any that exhibit uncharacteristic... passivity?"

"Twilight, she's not going to know any better than me." Rainy said. "Please, let's just leave, this is making me really uncomfortable."

Sweet Needle, however, remained silent. She was looking directly at Twilight's forehead, but otherwise seemed a little distanced from the world. Twilight looked over her head, then gave her head a little shake. "Sweet... Needle?"

The unicorn blinked a few times, and then suddenly seemed to be lucid again. "Uh- yeah, yeah-- sorry, what was that, you are done down here?"

"What were you looking at?" Twilight asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Uh, the elegance of your mane. It's very- stylish." Sweet Needle said, waving a hoof at Twilight's hair.

"Oh!" twilight said knowingly, like she knew how elegant her mane was, putting a hoof to her chin and smirking. "You- are you sure it wasn't my horn?"

"Oh yes, it certainly wasn't the light." Said the filly. Rainy's jaw dropped a little as he watched the scene that followed. Twilight lit up her horn even brighter, watching as the unicorn blinked a little and then followed the light. Twilight walked around the room, bobbing her head too and fro, watching the small filly moving her head along with the motions.

"The literature stated they enjoyed... light shows..." Twilight's voice was rising with her excitement. "Oh my goodness! I think she might be one! Oh this is so exciting!"

"You're saying she's a bug." Rainy asked, looking at the completely normal filly. Lighting up his horn, Rainy brought it up to be quite bright, and even though it could not compete with Twilight, it was enough to distract the pony for a few moments, their head snapping to the new light source, but her expression remaining very blank and peaceful. "If you could defeat the Changelings with lights, why didn't you do that in the first place? It's seems pretty simple! -- I didn't know that Changelings had foals, though."

"She's not a Changeling." Twilight hissed, moving closer to the filly. "Perhaps these ponies don't grow very large. Miss Sweet needle?"

"Uh- da- I mean, are you da- done?" Sweet Needle asked, finally able to pull her gaze away from the lights and closing her eyes.

"It's alright, we'd just like to talk." Twilight was positively beaming.

"I like talking- uhm, ...what would you like to talk about? Clothes?" Sweet Needle asked nervously.

Twilight fiddled with her hooves, almost unable to contain her excitement. "You're a- well, we don't know the proper word, I'm afraid but, you're a 'bug-pony,' aren't you?"

"A bug pony?" Sweet needle stammered. "No, I'm-- that's very rude, actually. Do I look like a bug?" Sweet needle took a gulp, taking a large step back and keeping her eyes forcibly averted from the bright lights. Her tone had changed now, it was not an innocent filly, but rather a cautious filly, one that seemed to feel the situation had become dangerous and they were unsure how to get out.

"There's a terrible-- invasion in Equestria. We came to Silverfield to prepare for a counter-attack. But in the library of the keep, I found evidence suggesting that-- well, for lack of a better word, "bug-equines" of Silverfield are natural enemies of-- how was it worded? The "deadly black bug?"

"Changelings." Sweet Needle hissed.

"Yes! Exactly! You know about them!" Twilight's voice cracked slightly in joy.

"Well yes..." Sweet Neelde was a bit more diplomatic now, but still being very careful. "What help are you seeking though? maybe you can just leave them alone? I'm sure they'll leave eventually."

"No, they've completely displaced the higher level leadership of the capital." Twilight explained.

Sweet needle sighed bitterly, brushing her mane back. "Oh my... I guess asking them to stop didn't work, not that it would work on their ilk..."

"Twilight, I'm scared." Rainy said, tugging on Twilight's arm. He had been fully unable to follow what was happening for some time now, and indeed didn't understand why they were still here. "What the hell are you two babbling on about?"

"What do you want me to do though? Make them leave?" Sweet needle asked, not talking over Rainy but keeping her voice lowered.

"I- well. No, but... I was hoping, if- well, first of all, I can't quite keep referring to you as a "bug pony" if that is rude. If you don't mind me asking... what exactly are you?" Twilight leaned forward, dimming her horn slightly.

"I'm a pony, like you." Sweet needle said, looking between Rainy and Twilight, carefully biting her lip and considering an idea. "I might get in trouble for this, so don't tell the others okay? You two have been much nicer than other ponies in this town."

"Well, it wouldn't make much sense to be rude if we are asking for help." Twilight chimed.

The filly gave herself a full shaking, like they were trying to get water out of their coat after a swim. From the outside, the removal of the facade was like a Changeling transformation but without the fire. The little pony now lacked her horn, and instead her form shimmered into sporting a set of almost transparent wings that had deep blue hues across them. Purple and blue veined colours were stained across her wings, giving them a bit of a dazzle like a stained glass window. They sure didn't look good enough to be used for flying, but they were pretty nonetheless. Two black antennae sprouted from the top of the filly's head, with little rings of white  near the tip. The filly smiled up at Twilight, blinking two hexagonal blue eyes.

Rainy jumped behind a box, letting out a scream of panic and hiding from the horrifying thing in front of him. He barely dared to peek out at the monster, trying to make out just what had happened right in front of his eyes. Meanwhile, Twilight gave an excited gasp as her excitement almost bubbled over.

"Oh my goodness this is amazing!" Twilight instantly descended upon the filly, looking her over. "The disguise- oh you'll have to explain the mechanism- and I've never seen an eye structure like that- are the wings functional? - two, channeling magic from two sources, there must be some attunement. Oh, the spells you could cast, it must be like having two horns!" Twilight gave a little skip around the pony, totally enthralled. "Oh wow!"

"I um, am glad you are so excited..." The pony said, watching twilight carefully.

"What do you refer to your own race as?" Twilight asked eagerly.

Sweet Needle considered this for a few moments, talking under her breathe to herself for a few seconds. "Why don't you call me a "moth-pony." I think it'll be best to leave it like that. We're not bug-ponies, just, ponies. Ponies will work."

"Are there other moth-ponies in this town? What is your social standing amongst them?" Twilight almost couldn't keep herself from drooling over the new discovery.

"uhm, I'm-- well, I have parents, some ponies don't have parents, some do... I guess I'm a-- foal, among the others?" Sweet Needle said.

"Oh, okay!" Twilight chirped, her interest not waning at all. "Goodness, I hope we're not putting undue pressure on you, I'm just- this is amazing! Is it possible that we could speak with some more moth-ponies?"

"Well, I don't know if they'd like that but..." The filly squinted her eyes at Twilight. "I guess it would be okay?"

"Oh my gosh, should we wait here, or-?"

"We can go downstairs." sweet Neelde turned and began digging into a box of foal's clothing, throwing out various items. A pair of overalls blanketed Twilight's face, and a sock smacked Rainy on his horn.

"Oh Rainy, we might be the first ponies to meet moth-ponies face-toface-, let- oof!" Twilight let out a break in her sentence as a coat smacked her in the chest, discarded by sweet needle as she did her digging.

"Yeah great." Rainy rolled his eyes, removing the sock from his horn. "This almost seems to easy, and you're taking advantage of a kid." There was a sharp clicking noise from the box, and then Sweet needle emerged from the pile of clothes. clearing herself of random foals clothing, she trotted over to a wall that Twilight had previously examined. Running her hoof over the wall, Sweet Needle traced her hoof along the wall, making four triangle in seemingly random places. With a little flourish, Sweet Needle gestured to the wall beside her where she had been drawing triangles with her hoof.

"Okay, you can enter now." The filly said plainly. Twilight glanced over the wall, letting out little umms of uncertainty. Twilight put her hoof on the wall, and it suddenly fell through, causing Twilight to fall forward and bump her head on the top of the invisible doorway.

"idiot Equestrian." Rainy snarked, trotting towards the invisible door and stepping through the stone as Twilight lamented the bump on her head. quickly casting a spell, twilight's horn lit up with her native magic and she stared at the door in shock.

"You have a concealing spell cast on the door-- on, everything here, really. How did I not notice it before?" Twilight trotted through the door, looking around wondrously at the world.

"Because I didn't draw the triangles." Sweet needle chirped. She quickly followed the two of them, taking the lead.

"Oh my goodness..." Twilight stopped dead when she had passed through the stone slab. The floors, walls, and ceiling seemed to have some soft illumination in them, making every visible enough to the naked eye, but only just wanting enough that close details could not be made out. Along the walls were engravings of hudreds of ponies, depicting countless stories. the floor and ceiling were smooth and polished, while at the far end another stone wall stood, but unlike the last, this one was shimmer, almost like a mirror reflecting a river's ripples.

Twilight is barely able to stop gaping at the sights before the shimmering wall engulfs Sweet Needle in front of the two unicorns. Rainy rolls his eyes again as Twilight examines the engravings. They were in a language long since lost to common ponies, but the pictures depicted heroic looking moth ponies writing books or drawing things. There were even engravings of moth ponies making engravings of ponies looking at the engravings of moth ponies.

"Oh, this is all almost making my head hurt." Twilight said, giving it a little shake and trotting to follow Sweet Needle. Taking a deep breath, Twilight stepped through the second stone wall. Rainy, not one to be left behind, quickly followed her, running right into her leg. Twilight fell forward, her head smacking into some hard stone in front of her. it was warm to the touch, and has a smoothness about it she had not come to expect from this land.

"Are you okay? you should be more careful, you might hurt yourself!" A voice said. Twilight dizzily looked up and accepted an extended hoof, rising to her hooves. A middle aged moth pony stood in front of her. She could tell their gender, but they had long, glorious wings that covered their entire sides and reached down past the thigh on their flank. Each blue wing was like a glorious ocean, shimmering just like a mirror.  Just as Twilight was able to tear her gaze away from the wings, she felt thin, needle-like black antennae tapping and rubbing along her forehead and cheekbones.

"Oh! Hello! and um- excuse me?" Twilight said, looking a little nervously at the antennae running over her face. Rainy simply let out a whimper, hiding behind Twilight and covering his head.

The moth-pony gave a little nod to Twilight Sparkle, turning towards Sweet Needle once the former was on her hooves steady. Sweet Needle was grasping at the ground with her hoof, grinding against the floor with shrill shrieks that echoed the look on her face. As Twilight got her senses together, she saw that there was not one, but many moth-ponies staring at Sweet Needle-- far too many for her to count-- most of them with hues of blue or purple splashed with white.

"Yes, Miss?" The blue moth asked her. They were not hostile, but there was a certain coldness, indeed, nothing short of quiet nervousness creeping in the voice. It was as if the only thing the moth feared more than asking the question was the answer to his question.

"I am Twilight Sparkle." Twilight Sparkle announced. "You'll have to excuse our-- intrusion-- but, uh-- I thought it might be important to um-- talk to you all." Twilight was able to count them this time. Ten sets of hexagonal eyes all turned to her, locking in on her figure from all sides. Rainy pushed himself between all four of Twilight's legs, hiding under her for safety from the eyes. Twilight dusted herself off before continuing, gulping and staying resolute. if she couldn't do this, then there might not be anypony who could.

"I was hoping maybe you would be able to help us. Equestria has a- a Changeling problem, and we were hoping to find something-- anything-- that could help us."

The moth-ponies instantly descended into conversation among each other. A louder one of the bunch seem concerned about having a foreigner in their midst, while others called attention to the fact that this foe was likely beyond the feeble ponies of Equestria. The blue moth that had first helped twilight up broke from the rest of the group, clearing his throat for silence before speaking, "I am afraid that we try to limit our involvement with... such creatures. We drive them away and subdue to those that come close but-- Equestria? That is a long ways from here."

Twilight quickly considered how little these moth-ponies must get out if a day's journey was considered a very long way, but nevertheless cleared her mind to focus on the goal. "But you know about them! How they work, how they operate! And you know how to get rid of them!"

"Well, yes but..."

"Even if it's just information, that would be invaluable!" Twilight pleaded. For a moment, the moths were silent. they turned to each other, watching Twilight carefully. they were carefully tracing their antennae across each other, communicating in some language unknown to the greater world. With a nod, the blue moth stepped forward, giving Twilight a little bow.

"We could give you information, yes. Will you perhaps sit down, and have some drink with us while we talk?" The moth gave a little sign, looking at Twilight in dismay, "You're very trusting-- we have concurred you do not seem cunning enough to hurt us."

"I- yes, of course, that would be lovely." Twilight sighed, feeling the tension wash off her. A friendly face wasn't something she had been used to in the dark days she had seen as of late. Twilight found the moths leading her down a slope, which ended in a studylike cavern. There were tables, basking areas where the heat from the stones was stronger, and a small bar stand with various fruits, veggies, and bottles of liquid were lined up. Many of the moths dispersed here, scattering around the room while Twilight took a seat at a table with the blue moth.

Twilight took her time to gaze in wonder at the underground cavern-- and finally, realized what seemed so off about it. No, it was not the fact she couldn't understand how such a place existed in the first place, but the fact that it's architecture was not congruent with the rest of Silverfield. Many houses were simple, often with pillars that paid some homage to the pegasus tribe. The moth ponies had no pillars in their architecture, and the vaulted ceilings suggested that they perhaps encountered the unicorn tribe, but nothing more than that.

"Twilight." Rainy whispered from next to her. She tore her eyes away from the confusion and turned to Rainy, who was looking fearfully at the moth ponies. "Twilight, they're still all watching us." Rainy was correct. Even as the moth ponies had dispersed around the room, they were all keeping their eyes towards Twilight and Rainy, not letting their guard down even an inch. Although Twilight tried to remain gracious in front of the moths, she couldn't help but rub her hooves together in nervousness.

For nigh a minute, there was silence in the room. Twilight perked up as she heard hoofsteps from a hallway that branched off from this large room. A moth pony appeared with a plate balanced on their head, four wine glasses of white, milky looking liquid. Twilight watched as the table was set for 4, although one glass was left without it's pony.  The moths communicated wordlessly, the delivery moth breaking off into a gallop as they left.

"It may to be to your tastes, but I promise it is the best Silverfield has to offer." The blue moth said, sipping his own drink.

"Oh, thank you sir-- there really is no need to be so generous--" Twilight began, but was quickly cut off.

"It's nothing, please, you're guests-- and we do not get many of those. Please, tell us more about how Changelings came to be a problem in Equestria." Twilight looked around for the "us" mentioned by the blue moth, peering over the table to see if somepony was hidden from her. Sure enough, a little moth pony who looked not much older than Sweet Needle had joined them at the table, a pair of large oval glasses sitting smartly on her face.

"Tell us everything you know about the Changelings." Said the little moth, looking up at Twilight with a businesspony's vigor. Twilight drew her head back, a little surprised at the small moth's forwardness, but quickly gathered herself and began to explain the situation. She explained how she could tell that something was off with Cadance, and when she confronted her, she had used a spell to bind her -- Shadowbind, the little moth pony called it, -- and confined her to the catacombs below. While she was trapped, Twilight encountered Princess Cadance-- now a changeling queen-- and went to confront Cadance before the wedding. Now that Twilight knew what she was up against, she had recalled another instance where a Changeling queen had tried to disguise themselves within the military and attack some guards.

What she had not known was that already a systematic breakdown of Canterlot had begun within the guard system. Twilight didn't know anything was wrong for the longest time, as she was busy gathering regents for Princess Luna's spell to change Cadance back. Quickly detailing her capture and escape when she returned, Twilight retraced the steps that had brought her to the moth-pony's home in a flurry.

The moth-ponies hung on her every word, totally stunned when they heard that Princess Luna had removed the Changeling effects from Princess Cadance. The two moths nodded between each other worriedly.

"I think we will need to meet with this "Princess Cadance" ourselves." Said the little moth. "We should make sure that she really, truly, is cured. We would learn more of this technique.

"None of us will make any hasty choices to join your cause-- we must gather more information first." The blue moth said. "If indeed there is trouble that we must intervene with-- we can, looking into regulating the balance of things."

"Oh thank you!" Twilight cried out happily. Finally, progress with somepony.

"Don't be thankful. We said we'll help, but we won't fight." Said a purple and grey moth from the drinks bar.

"That is all we could ask of you. I am sure Princess Luna and Cadance will be very eager to meet you, and thankful for anything-- advice or otherwise-- you could have for us. And I am sure they will do whatever they can to repay you for your kindness."

The blue moth held up a hoof, waving at Twilight. "We do not require repayment, Twilight Sparkle, although we will not deny you the gift of giving. Please do not think of this as a debt."

Twilight looked down at the milk served to her, which had grown just a little warmer, smiling into the white liquid, Twilight slurped some of it down, quite happy with herself.

At least, until she realized that the milk didn't taste anything like milk. It was like sugar and water, but with the thickness of milk that left a coating on your teeth and mouth akin to the stickiness of booze. Very good to taste, yet odd on the tongue. Although she was surprised, Twilight continued to drink the liquid-- she needed to be polite, and it didn't taste terrible. Rainy, meanwhile, had not even touched his glass.

The little pony cleared her throat, placing her hooves on the table and lifting herself up so she was at eye level with Twilight before speaking. "Twilight Sparkle, address me as Lapis Lazuli. with the leave of my kin, I want to meet with your Princesses. We may discuss-- terms."

"Oh thank you, thank you-- and this-- this is delicious." Twilight pointed sheepishly to the milky water she had been given. The filly barely gave a nod before jumping off the table. Twilight motioned for Rainy to follow the little moth with her as she stood up, saying, "I'm sure that everyone will be happy to meet you. Cadance, Luna-- oh, and I have to tell my brother and all the bat guards! How Reddling couldn't have mentioned this to me before--"

"Is because they didn't know." The little moth said harshly, looking over her shoulder. "We will speak to as few ponies as we must. A secret isn't a secret if you tell everyone."

Twilight sighed, nodding knowingly. Of course, these moth ponies would want to keep their secrecy if they could. The group stopped at the shimmering rock that led back to the clothing store, Lapis looking pointedly at the wall. Twilight glanced around and noticed that a few more moths had joined them, keeping a circle around her and Rainy. They were a cautious race, always keeping several pairs of eyes on the intruders.

"Well, let's make this quick." Lapis said, preparing to step through the door. She stopped short as another moth in the crowd spoke up.

"Excuse me, unicorn? uh, Twilight?" Twilight turned to face the voice. A white pony with a mop of grey mane had stepped forward. She looked quite sheepish, like she was unsure if she was speaking out of turn or not.

"Uh, you'll be coming back, right?" The moth asked. Twilight gave her a confused look but nodded. She figured that she would be coming back at some point for whatever help the moths could offer. The white pony brightened at this.

"I was wondering-- if you'd request for me to go with you back to Equestria. To show you how to work whatever help we give you, of course!" The white moth gave Twilight a convincing smile, trying to dispell the idea that she might have ulterior motives.

"Well, okay, I suppose?" Twilight said. Lapis let out a little growl and the white moth fell back into line.

"Can we please be done with this?" Lapis asked. Twilight gave the filly a short nod, and held her breath as she stepped through the shimmering door.

Three ponies hooves crunched through the Silverfieldian countryside. Above the three were two bat ponies, silently gliding through the night and keeping an eye on the group below. At the forefront of the group was Reddling, wearing his long dark coat around all his armor and concealing most of his features. Flanking him were Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, all three of them carrying hefty amounts of money on their sides. Rainy had saved some of the money Reddling had sent back, and he had opted to borrow it from the colt in order to secure some supplies from Fervor. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor had both come for their ability to blend in and look like regular ponies. Reddling had not learned of Princess Cadance until he arrived in Equestria, and he was certain that given the circumstances in Silverfield, they had no chance of knowing she existed-- and even if they did, there was absolutely zero chance they knew what she looked like. Still, not to throw caution to the wind, Reddling had both unicorns wearing hoods over their faces. Shining Armor's jaw was a dead giveaway, and Cadance's height was, to say the least, suspicious.

Reddling had taken the long way into town, avoiding the roads lest he encounter a patrol, and led the group up a hill from the western side. this road, which looped around and led south to Winterlight, had only two token guards standing watch on it, both of them looking tired. Giving a nod to his group, Reddling put on his sunglasses and began to approach the guards, the other four ponies staying back.

As soon as the Templars could make out a pony approaching them by the light of their horns, Reddling heard one of them cry for him to halt. Stopping, Reddling stood still and watched as the Templars grew near. They were very cautious-- almost, too cautious. Indeed, when Reddling thought more about it, it seemed odd that they were even on guard here at all-- normally the road to Winterlight was not patrolled as it was not used by traders. They often simply took a direct path towards Winterlight and bypassed Fervor if they could altogether.

"I'm here to talk, not to fight." Reddling called out to them, staying still and drawing his coat around himself more. Both unicorns have levitated crossbows, and were keeping them aimed in his direction.

"Yeah sure, I bet you're one of the-- wait-- say that again?" The Templar stopped mid sentence, confusion crossing his mind.

One of what? "I said we're here to talk, not to fight. Aim those things someplace else, you're not going to hit me with one of those in the middle of the night anyway." Unless they were the top markspony in Silverfield, Reddling doubted they could hit a tree in the darkness with their little repeating crossbows. At the same time, it was incredibly unnerving to know they were pointed at him.

Both Templars lowered their crossbows, peering at the darkness to make out more of the features of the pony talking to them.

"You're not Equestrian." One of the Templars pointed out.

"No, I'm not." Reddling replied with a sigh.

"I'm sure you haven't heard then. There's Equestrians about. It is not safe to be wandering about in the dark." The other Templar shared, standing aside a little so that the road was clear towards the town.

...That's not good. "Look, we're just hoping to do some trading. The only Equestrian I've seen is some of their gold we have with us. I think they call them bits."

"You have-- gold." One of the Templars said in disbelief, "And you're thinking about spending them-- in the middle of the night-- when they could attack at any moment? Are you crazy?"

"I do not fear degenerate Equestrians. Do you, Templars of all ponies, fear them? Surely we are safe enough with you on patrol." Reddling glared through his glasses at the Templars, hoping they could not see his displeasure at their questions.

"Fear them!?" The indignant Templar cried, "of course not! But who knows what atrocities they would commit if they got their hooves on you?"

"We must take our chances." Reddling said. "We need food, and a wagon or cart to carry it in. Does Fervor have any such goods to trade?"

"Well-- of course but-- a wagon? You should really just stay in Fervor."

Reddling pondered his options for a few seconds, then jerked his head back, giving a pitiless laugh. "Where are the Equestrians? Just-- prowling around? We're going south from here, and I'd like to make it home to Winterlight by tomorrow."

"They're holed up in Castle Celes, that little fort north of town." The first Templar said.

"That's to the north, we'll be fine." Reddling began trotting closer, close enough that he could toss something at the Templars.

"Very well. Travel safe then. Most stores are closed, but I am sure ponies are still awake."

"Ah, would it be possible to fetch a merchant and have them come here?" Reddling asked, reaching into his coat and pulling out a few bits that faintly gleamed by the light of the unicorn's horns. Both looked at the coins with greed, one actually licking his lips. "How many coins does it take to find a merchant?"

"We've a patrol to stick to--" the first Templar said, but was cut off by the second.

"I'm sure one of us could fetch somepony-- while the other kept patrolling." said the second.

"Fine! I'll fetch your merchant while he keeps working." The first one said.

"Whoa! I'll fetch this gentlecolt his merchant, you can keep watching!" The second one argued back. Reddling simply waited for a few moments, listening to them arguing about what was really a pittance of money. This was a stipend, not a real paycheck-- a few bits was chump change up north.

"It doesn't matter which of you does it, just don't keep me waiting. It's a long trot back to Winterlight."

"Ah screw it, C'mon, hand over the bits. We'll both go." the first pony said. Reddling tossed two coins at each Templar, watching them as they turned and vanished into the town's streets. Once Reddling was sure they were gone, he turned and gave a little shrug to the rest of his group. He hadn't actually thought they'd make it this far, especially after he had learned that Silverfield was aware Equestrians were present.

What tipped them off? We should have seen somepony long before they saw us. Minutes ticked by, and still, nopony approached. Reddling closed his eyes for a bit, trying to listen in for the sound of anypony. He could sense movement far in the distance, but he couldn't make out much more than a few ponies. After a few seconds, the group turned away, taking a different road.

It feels like this is almost, taking too long. We should probably leave. Reddling idled on the street as more minutes ticked by. He could see Two Templars approaching him now, but they didn't seem to have a merchant with them. Preparing to turn away and retreat to Shining and cadance before having to speak with the Templars again, Reddling heard a panicked squeak above him. he hurriedly took a jump back, looking at the two Templars as they slowly became, four, then eight, and finally ten, emerging from different burned out buildings and streetways and trotting quickly in unison, the click of their armor filling the air.. The ten of them fanned out, all unicorns, all with crossbows raised. There was a burst of light, and suddenly ten spotlights were running down the side of the hill.

"Run!" Reddling yelled over his shoulder at the other four, standing his ground and watching the armed ponies slowly begin to encircle him. If he turned now, he'd find multiple bolts in his back before he got out of range. Even if all they could manage was a semicircle to surround him while keeping distance, It was more than enough to prevent escape.

Reddling glanced over his shoulder, staring back at his group of four ponies. Now, there were no longer four ponies there-- but six. Reddling blinked at the sight, watching as Shining and Cadance fled with Tops and Bruiser, leaving Nightshade and Midnight covering the rear. Although Reddling wasn't sure why the two of them were here, it was good to see that Cadance and Shining would safely make it back.

It was a sudden flash. As soon as they felt it was safe to do so, Nightshade and Midnight turned to run, and a sword materalized out of thin air, slicing him along the shoulder and coating the ground with crimson. Reddling took a few steps towards Midnight, but found the crossbows raised and refocused on him.

"Not another step!" cried the first Templar. Reddling just looked over his shoulder helplessly as Midnight took to the air, flying away from the sword that was apparently holding itself aloft by nothing but air. The sword did not give chase to the fleeing ponies, but instead began to approach the Templars.

"You don't have any quarrel with them-- they're just hungry, let them go!" Reddling yelled at the sword in the distance.

"Get on the ground!" One of the Templars yelled. Reddling slowly lowered himself to the ground as he watched the others retreat out of the corner of his eye. Nightshade had fired a large fireball at the sword, which struck and engulfed the ground, leaving grass on fire and the ground scorched. The sword, and whatever was holding it, simply continued to float in midair, unaffected.

Once Reddling was on the ground, he saw some of the Templars turn and fire arrows at the others, but they whizzed harmlessly into the night. There were some curses, and Reddling heard the Templars all encircle him, crossbows aimed at his back. The other bats were too far out of range. Reddling unfurled his wings slightly, making sure he was free to fly if he got the chance.

"Shooting me won't help you." Reddling muttered. He watched the area in front of him, and could see the grass parting as a pony approached him.  This creature was totally immaterial, and Reddling would not have been sure of where it was standing if it's sides were not flanked by the swords. Yes, this creature, was the famous swordspony of Fervor.

An unfortunately familiar figure suddenly shimmered into view. Blind Justice sneered down at the captured bat pony. "Well, well, well. What have we here?" Clearly the Captain was reveling in this, his voice shaking with contempt and excitement. A starved lion that could not resist playing with it's food before eating it.

"Just somepony who w-wants to talk. Trade." Reddling mentally cursed himself. He had expected there to be more patrols, but the idea of the Captain of Silverfield leaving his cushion in the Church? It was indeed rare for him to leave his cozy room.

"Talk?" Blind Justice blustered, "Spread your dirty Equestrian lies, is more like it." Blind Justice took a step forward and his horn lit up brighter, tearing the sunglasses off Reddling's face.

"A heathen thestral! They send their spies here under the premise of trade and talk! Look at this monster!" Blind Justice cried to the heavens, tossing the sunglasses onto the ground and crushing them into the dirt. Several Templars took a step back with a gasp, leaving Reddling to simply whince and whine at the pain from the bright lights in his face.

"Bring it to the church!" Blind Justice ordered the other Templars. "We will let Fervor see that not even beasts can hope to stand against Silverfield's holy Templars.

"Not that I don't know how to get there myself."Reddling said, slowly rising as the Templars kept crossbows aimed at him, beginning to march towards the center of Fervor. The only noise other than the crunching of their hoofsteps was a pair of faint wingbeats above. Reddling glanced up and could see somepony flying up there-- but who, he could not tell.

"Can we hurry this walk up, Blindie?" Reddling asked dismissively. Blind justice stopped, turning with a look of indignant shock and hate twisting his face.

"How- how dare you! You- you-" Blind justice extended the sword that was still wet with Midnight's blood. "I should put you down here and now!"

"The entire Night Guard is minutes away. Don't poke that beehive." Reddling gulped, his voice cracking. Despite his best attempts, he was starting to lose his nerve.

"Take him to church! If he puts a single hoof out of line, cut him down!" Blind Justice screamed at his templars, marching forward again. The Templars began prodding him along, one putting their hoof on Reddling's shoulder to push him forward.

"Don't touch me!" Reddling said fiercely, pushing the Templar away from him. "I know the damn way!"

Blind Justice stopped again, but this time he was not hostile. Reddling saw his ears lay down flat as he slowly turned around, brightening up his horn so that it was completely blinding. Reddling let out an angry hiss at the light, looking away in pain.

"...Reddling, Reddling Rain?" Blind Justice asked.

Reddling flinched at his own name. "--of Silverfield, yeah. And you're Blind Justice, High Templar."

The other Templars were dead silent, staring at the prisoner they had taken. Their expressions were unreadable because of the bright lights, but Reddling could tell that they seemed off put by arresting one of their own.

"My God, what did they do to you?" Blind Justice asked.

You're still going to kill me."Doesi t really matter? You won't help me." Reddling dug his face under a wing, trying to blot out the lights.

"Help you? If you be a true son of Silverfield, then there is no curse the church cannot undo. But if it is as your nephew said, and you have given yourself willingly to this fate--"

Rainy! How much did he tell them, everything?

"-- Then there is only one end for one who has turned his back to Silverfield. For a betrayer, death at the stake!"

Biting his lip, Reddling shot back at the High Templar, "I lure the only two Princesses left in Equestria to the front lines of combat and the thanks I get is that you will cut me down? You're more worried about blowing my cover than focusing on what matters!"

For a moment Blind Justice stammered, confused. "The only two-- left?"

"Luna and Cadance." Reddling said as bitterly as possible, struggling to come up with something through the pain surrounding him. "Celestia hasn't been an issue for some time-- can you please darken the lights?"

The other Templars began muttering, but fell quiet as Blind Justice snapped at them. "Quiet! You can tell us more at the church, and if you are truly faithful undo that disgusting curse!" Blind Justice wheeled around, once more moving the group towards the center of town.

The Templars did not dim the lights, but Reddling knew he couldn't be focused on that. He let out a few pained squeaks, calling for help to whoever was above him. If it's Nightshade, she can shadowstep us out of here. If it's any of the others, I'm dying in one holy hell of a bloodbath.

"Silence!" Blind Justice yelled as he looked over his shoulder. "Stop that retched noise!"

Reddling kept his eyes locked on building rooftops, looking for some sort of break. He had no intention of entering the church with these Templars. "Did I miss anything in Silvefield, 'Justice?"

"Is this how you speak to the High Templar?" Blind Justice's tone was mocking and angry. "Your time in Equestria has made you lose your manners."

"It's the curse, not me." Reddling lied. "Can we at least take a darker road there? Make this curse bearable, at least?"

Blind Justice looked over his shoulder, and Reddling squinted his eyes at him, doing his best to look like he was in terrible pain. "No. But have no fear-- it will all be over soon." Reddling let out another squeak, calling upwards for help.

A high pitched, female squeal from above answered. Reddling felt his heart soar. Nightshade. Now all he needed was some shadow.

"I told you to stop that! Stop it you damn creature! Keep your cursed eyes closed if it hurts!" Blind Justice was irrational in his demands and demeanour, raving like a zealous madman.

"It still burns." Reddling complained, shaking his head and shutting his eyes. Silverfield. Templars. Priests. Once they have me, Inquisitors.

"Enough of this." Blind Justice turned, his brow lowered. Reddling felt his airway constrict as magic rushed over his neck, Blind Justice holding his windpipe in a vice with magic. Before Reddling could do more the n gag, he felt himself being dragged forward, unable to do more than draw the most shallow of breaths. Fervor was starting to become washed out and shimmery. Another block or so, and they would be at the church.gulping, Reddling put some force into the magic, moving forward. He was being pulled along, but not pushed back.

"'Justice, look at me!" Reddling croaked out. Blind Justice turned for a moment, and that was all Reddling needed. he lunged forward, aiming for Blind Justice's horn. The blow missed, but Reddling wasn't done-- giving his wings a great flap, the other Templars took a few steps back in alarm. By the time Blind Justice had his weapons at the ready, Reddling had headbutted him in the chest. This wasn't as good of an idea as Reddling had hoped it would be, as his head connected with a steel plate.

It did, however, provide the distraction needed for Nightshade to divebomb at the group of Templars. There was a great chaos of blades as Reddling slammed Ausfaull into Justice's side, giving him a long would as Blind Justice himself landed a slash into Reddling's shoulder. The flurry ended when Nightshade exploded with dark magic, casting a forced shadow over the street. Blind Justice let out a startled, undignified yelp and dropped his sword, stumbling back from the darkness as the Templars fell into disarray. Although the Templars now had their aim ready, they dared not fire into the darkness, lest they hit their own commander.

Landing another cut on Blind Justice, Reddling could see blood run down the High Templar's armor. As everypony scrambled to disengage, Nightshade fired another fireball. The world was bright and violent, and then filled with the sound of Blind Justice's screaming. The smell of burning hair and skin filled the air as Blind Justice dropped his second sword. There was no time to see if Nightshade had finished the job, as both she and Reddling took off onto a nearby roof as Templars drew swords, closing in on them with both bolts and blade.

Both Nightshade and Reddling landed together, sliding down the roof and out of range from the bolts, if only for a few seconds. Nightshade had a fury in her eyes, one lit up by two bolts that seemed to be stopped by her armor and a slice on her hoof from a Templar's blade. She had not been as fast to take off as Reddling had been. Taking a deep breath, he called over the roof to the Templars, "Can you hear me, Templars? Every one of you will be murdered a horrible death for this!"

Nightshade made a move to stand up and go back to the fight, but Reddling put a hoof on her shoulder, shaking his head. Tonight was not the night to make their stand. For a few seconds, Reddling wasn't entirely sure if she was going to jump back into the fray or leave, but she finally nodded, the dark shroud gathering around her again as the two of them took off into the sky, flying low and using the roofs for cover.

"Why did you stay behind? You got hurt" Reddling asked Nightshade once they had reached the outskirts of town and he felt safe enough to talk. My fault, again...

"Why did I stay behind!?" Nightshade repeated, incredulous. "Why did you walk us into a death trap?"

"I-- I thought they would--" Reddling stopped. I thought they'd still treat me like one of them... "I didn't think they'd attack if I did the speaking."

"Well, you were wrong." Nightshade hissed.

"Yeah, I know! Thanks for reminding me, I didn't notice!" Reddling rolled his eyes harshly, glaring at the night sky passing over them. This had not been what he had dreamed about-- even before joining the Night Guard-- when he returned to Silverfield. He was supposed to have been a hero to the Templars, and instead, they saw him only as a monster. Just the way Rainy must now see him, too.

For the rest of the course back to Celes, the two bat ponies proceeded in silence. Only when the castle came into view did Reddling finally speak, "Thank you for saving my wings, Nightshade."

The two landed, and Web was already outside with Midnight and Tops, only one of whom seemed to have genuine worry on their face. Tops moved forward to help Nightshade as soon as she was done, Web bouncing over happily with the tools of her trade handy.

"Reddling." Midnight said, stepping forward and ignoring the obvious shoulder wound. "What socery was it, that they struck us so unaware?"

"Blind Justice." Reddling breathed, catching his breath from the flight. His wound had mostly clotted over, but it was still going to need Web's healing. "He warps the light around himself so he can change how he looks-- invisible. I did not believe he would come out tonight. The town is very on edge. Terrified, even."

"--And you did not think to warn us of this?" Midnight continued darkly.

"I did not think he would leave his cushion. I didn't think they'd attack us when I was here. I'm supposed to be one of them." Reddling glared up at Midnight, feeling something angry rise in his throat. Why did Midnight have to pick this time to be so heated? Could it not wait?

"Perhaps you should think more before you act. Of course you are not one of them. A simple glance at your side reveals this." there was a pause and Reddling bit his tongue, refusing to entertain Midnight more. The dark pony was insistent however, continuing, "Is that truly how you feel? Perhaps you should petition Luna for your release?"

Never! "I refuse to be a wingless dirtpony again. But- they are supposed to be-- almost family? And they shot at me!"

"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." Midnight's glare continued.

Huh? "Yeah, sure." He glanced away, looking up at the castle as Shining Armor and Princesses Luna and Cadance joined the crowd outside. Luna and Shining Armor seemed to be locked in a quiet conversation that Reddling could not hear over the hoofsteps clicking on the old stone. Cadance proceeded to him, motioning for Reddling to lay down. Reddling took a spot on the ground, a little taken aback as Princess Cadance leaned over him, pulling back his coat and armor to view the wound. Although he did feel uncomfortable with her touching him, he dared not try and tell her what to do.

Although Cadance's actions had seemed sudden, the look on her face was yet more perplexing for Reddling. She had a look of concern on her face. With faint light from her horn, the wound came into clearer view. Nightshade had an equally bad gash on her leg as Reddling had on his shoulder. They were long, deep cuts that continued to ooze, almost as thought they were reopening even after clotting.

"These slashes look serious. You're lucky you made it this far." Princess Cadance seemed shocked at the brutality of the wounds, and the fact they had made it as far as they had without bleeding out.

"Yeah, Silverfieldian weapons are serious business. Can you fix them?" Reddling asked.

"I-- I can use needle and thread, and then bandage it." Princess Cadance offered.

"It just needs some of Web's salve and it will be fine." Reddling protested. Web put a little salve on Nightshade's wounds, and gave Princess Cadance a little shake of her head.

"I don't know that we have much to spare." Princess Cadance sighed.

She used it all up? Why isn't she sharing any with me? How banged up did this guard manage to get, anyway? Reddling bit his lip as he watched Princess Cadance take out a needle and thread, beginning to prick at his skin and sow it back together. The Princess Struck up a maddening tune, humming to herself as she worked.

Reddling tried his best to not focus on this. He was going to need a new coat.

The Silverfield Gambit

Deception

Twilight Sparkle and Rainy had barely exited the tailor's shop when they ran right into two Templars patrolling the streets. Twilight, Rainy, and the Lapis Lazuli-- now disguised as a small unicorn with her glamour-- stopped dead, both groups staring at each other.

"You should be indoors, mare." One of the guards sneered. "Now isn't the time to be running about." The two leaned in to take a closer look at the group they had nearly run into when there was a loud cry from the center of town. Although they could just barely get a view of him, Midnight Tales appeared to be standing on top of the Silverfield Church, perched on a balcony that overlooked the town from the Church's third floor.

"What- What is he doing?" Twilight whispered to herself. Rainy and the Templars simply gaped as Midnight leaned over the railing and began to rant at the townsfolks, his voice booming across the land. If ever a pony came close to mimicking the royal Canterlot voice, it was Midnight Tales, addressing the population of Fervor right now.

"We should go." Lapis said, tugging on Twilight and Rainy. Both gave a nod and began to head for the exit to the town-- the southern side, where hopefully Bruiser would be waiting for them, and where Midnight should have been waiting for them. The Templars hurried towards the church, gallopping through the streets as fast as they could.

"Ponies of Silverfield!" Midnight proclaimed, his voice booming across the entire town. "It is with great anger that I come to you this night! My kin came seeking hospitality, and what hospitality did we find? When one of your own came to barter, paying for our needs with what we had?"

"Knives in our back! Swords in the dark! Arrows aimed at innocents whose only crime was to seek to speak with any who would listen! My lady has the patience of a stone and kindness of a saint, yet your unwarranted crimes against us test our patience! Below Midnight, Templars were gathering with crossbows out. There was confusion and yelling as more Templars broke onto the scene. Blind Justice was at the forefront, leading the group and holding his blades aloft. clumps of fur on his back and sides had melted to his hide and he appeared to be bleeding in multiple places as he screamed at his soldiers to take aim.

"I fear you not!" Midnight cried down at them, stepping back from the railing so that it would be harder to get a clear shot from the ground. "Yet you would be wise to fear my Lady's judgement! So long as the night sky hangs in the air, so long as the moon's light shines upon your heads, so too are you judged! pray you are not judged wanting!

The town had become an absolute frenzy of activity as bolts began to fly up at Midnight. midnight simply raised his shield, watching as most arrows missed. The remaining few that did hit him were deflected harmlessly off his armor and shield.

By this time Twilight and the two foals had cleared the few direlect buildings on Fervor's outskirts and were approaching Bruiser, who gave a little huff as he looked at the church in the distance. Midnight had now flown from his perch and was speeding towards their location, far outpacing the few Templars that tried to give chase through the streets. Twilight and Rainy had both climbed onto Bruiser's back by the time midnight touched down. He eyed the filly that accompanied Twilight with suspicion, but after a quick nod allowed her to ride on his back.

The way back to Celes castle seemed like it took forever. Rainy had simply let his head slump against Twilight Sparkle sleepily as the two bat ponies carried them to safety. Lapis Lazuli had, amazingly, remained calm on Midnight Tales back, looking like she was right at home in the night sky. Twilight Sparkle had wrapped a hoof over Rainy's head and was keeping him close so that he did not fall. Despite any protests from the foal, he was a little shell shocked from the events of the evening.

Rainy couldn't look at any of the ponies around him as he dismounted Bruiser and began to slink off towards his room. He was both tired and guilt-ridden, and the last thing he wanted was for those hurtful, scary eyes to all be staring at him. All the trouble at the town was his fault-- at least, that was what Rainy believed.

"Unh." Reddling scratched his brain as he came to. He'd passed out while his wounds were being treated, and wasn't sure what had happened after that. Somehow, he had been relocated to Web's room-- dark and scary as it normally was, and yet moreso as it should have been a familiar place. Now what was home looked frightening and foreign with Web's trinkets and jars spread out.

Web had mentioned something about the mission to kill Chrysalis and end all this madness, but his memories were foggy. There was going to be a meeting soon. Luna's quarters, after she talked to Twilight Sparkle-- We were waiting for Twilight Sparkle to return. Reddling creaked open the door to Celes hallway. Carefully trotting towards Princess Luna's quarters, he stopped and knocked.

"Who is it?" Luna's voice asked. Reddling answered, and then entered when she told him to come inside. Luna, a brown bat with helmet hair, and Web were all sitting and had apparently been talking. It took a few moments for Reddling to figure out just who the bat pony sitting next to Princess Luna was-- it was Captain Lunar, but without his helmet. He had light hazel eyes that nearly matched his pale brown coat and a very short brown mane that barely fell his eyes. If it was not for the fact that he was a bat pony, he would look like any regular, unremarkable stallion on a street corner.

"We were just discussing our plan of action." Lunar said. "We wished to invite everypony involved in Twilight's rescue, though it is still a bit premature. Additionally, Bruiser is unavailable as he is assisting Twilight Sparkle in a potential discovery."

Reddling wondered if such a big group of ponies would fit in the room. "I wished to know what the plan of action is, so it seems I am just in time. -- wait, what discovery?" She's been here for less than a day and already discovered a new kind of plant, I'm sure.

"We have yet to see if it will bear fruit." Lunar said.

"Right, so let's not get our hopes up." Reddling nodded.

"Web has advocated a solution similar to what you proposed, Reddling. A small force dedicated to slaying the Changeling Queen." Princess Luna spoke, quieting the room. "However, I fear that even without a Queen, the Changelings may still cling to their claim of Canterlot."

That is why Cadance should have stayed a queen.

Luna continued, "Lunar has suggested a reconissance mission to discover the location of their queen, followed by a crushing assault. They will be unable to hide this act, and we may use it to dislodge their hold on the minds of the common ponies."

"Common Equestrians are dumber than common Silverfieldians, and that's saying something, really.

"Alternatively, I have been entertaining the thought of avoiding direct confrontation, and finding some way to reveal their treachery. Though they no doubt have some hold on the minds of ponies in Equestria, clear and plain proof will no doubt sway them to our cause. I shall not lie, the latter two approaches do appeal to me, as I wish to have some hoof in this resolution... though your words after... after last night have swayed my mind on this issue, and I see the wisdom in avoiding conflict via subterfuge."

Reddling put a hoof on his chin. "There isn't any reason to rule out the latter two plans. If the small group fails to eliminate the Queen, then there is still a chance for one of the other two plans to be used. If something goes wrong when we throw our full force down with the other two plans, then all of our cards are played."

Luna gave a short nod. "A small group who, should they find themselves unable to kill the Queen themselves, or finding that an alternative plan may be more effective, may initiate an alternative plan."

Any plan that involves a direct attack is probably suicide. If only it was so easy... "Silverfield would have done it." Reddling blurted out. "If a direct attack was all it took to kill a leader in Canterlot, it would have been done a long time ago."

"To be fair-- without wings, a surprise attack on Canterlot is significantly less realistic." Luna's voice was only slightly solemn.

"Trust me, we could get into the town pretty easily. I got into the military without any real issues." Reddling considered holding his tongue on this, but finally decided against it. Truly, Equestrian security must have seen better days. "If a small group is going in we should decide how big it will be."

"Web has suggested a group of three; herself, Ether, and Nightlight." Princess Luna said. It took Reddling a few moments to realize the group...

It lacks me...? I don't even know those ponies she mentioned... Reddling looked up, glancing over at Web and remaining silent. Web had a slight smile on her face, as if she was hiding a grin.

"I would like to be included within this group as well." Reddling exclaimed.

"On a mission like this, it's especially important we be able to follow directions, and work together." Web's smile wavered, threatening to give away her grin. "I picked ponies who I know are able to do this."

Reddling gritted his teeth for a second, trying to think of a comeback before Luna interrupted, "Reddling, you have proven yourself an invaluable asset. You are well grounded and able to cut to the heart of complicated issues. However, based on the reports of your previous missions, I do feel that this is best left to Web and her group."

So very suddenly, they have not one, but three ponies who can kill royalty better than me!? No, I won't have it. If they won't listen to me, I'll just listen to me. Reddling said nothing, keeping his face as blank as possible. There was something more to this here. There just had to be something that was not... right. He knew the story wasn't supposed to go this way.

"I believe we have some more to discuss, before a more formal plan is in place. Reddling, do you have any additional information to share?" Princes Luna asked.

"Nothing comes to mind for me. Should I go?" Reddling asked, the gears in his head beginning to turn. This had to be fast. He had to leave as soon as possible. Now, it was a race to beat Web to Canterlot and eliminate Chrysalis first.

"We have little of substance to discuss until Twilight's return. I would rather not bore you with the details."

Reddling gave a nod. "Very well. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you, Reddling." Princess Luna said kindly.

"The pleasure's mine..." Reddling felt his hooves mechanically trot him out of the room, and he slammed the door shut coldly. The nerve! To seek asylum here in my home, and then not put me on the mission!? I cannot believe this. Nopony ever trust me-- and I guess that's fair, because I don't trust them! Every time I've left something in their hooves, it goes badly! At least I don't make the situation much worse than it already is... usually. Damnation! No, no I'm not letting this happen. I never follow orders anyway, so I don't know why I'd start now. I'll do this my way, and make sure it gets done right. Even if I have to lie to get this done. Reddling took a deep breath, collecting himself and trotting around the castle to formulate some sort of plan. he did a full lap around the place, visiting the throne room, the kitchen, and Web's room.

No time was wasted in Web's room. quickly rifling through her things, Reddling pulled out some vials. He knew exactly what these were; a thin black liquid that was Black Agnosia, a sickly red liquid that was Red Agnosia, Widow's Kiss, and some sort of random oil. Discarding the fourth one, Reddling shoved the other three vials into his coat and escaped Web's room with her saddlebag, lest she come back and discover him taking her things. He knew what he had to do now, and--

Reddling turned sharply, a flash of purple catching his eye. Twilight Sparkle had entered through the castle's front door, but turned and headed towards the further end of the castle, where the library and Reddling's room was. Stalking the hallways, Reddling followed Twilight Sparkle and-- much to his surprise-- a small silverfieldian filly.  Reddling waited for Twilight and the filly to enter the library, and then slipped in behind her. Before either could close the door, he slipped a hoof in the way, stopping it.

"I heard you went on a trip." Reddling said, his brow raised slightly as he sized up the mare. Twilight quickly picked up a book and folded it into her satchel-- Reddling knew this book, it was an old story that he had understood little of when he was younger. Anastasis, it was titled.

"Oh my goodness, you have no idea!" Twilight brightened up, "You'd be amazed what legends end up being true if you just do a little digging- we-" She could not contain her giggling and let out a fit of happy laughter, "We may have made a breakthrough! If we can actually secure the aid them-- we've got a chance!"

A breakthrough? What, in my own backyard? Reddling shook his head. She had to be playing a trick on him. "Princess Luna was just in a very important meeting with some ponies going to Canterlot. Twilight, please, tell me everything they said while I was not there."

"Ooh! But-- hm, I should really check with Lapis first. I'm not sure how much we should share outside of Princess Luna." Twilight said, taking a seat and thinking this over.

"I talked with Princess Luna and she told me to come speak with you." Reddling lied before gesturing at the filly with Twilight,  "Are you kidnapping foals from the town or something?"

"Oh, of course not!" Twilight exclaimed. "Lapis is it alright if we tell Reddling about things?"

"It isn't a secret if you tell everypony." Lapis said blandly, emotionlessly, almost as if she did not actually care if Twilight said something one way or the other.

"Well, I'm sure we could go talk to Luna and see what she thinks-"

"Miss Twilight, Princess Luna does not need to be continuously interrupted by foals. I'm sure that She, Web, and that other mare will be doing more very serious planning soon."

"Lapis isn't just a kid, Reddling." Twilight chuckled, "She is an official emissary of- well, you'll know soon! Come on Lapis, we must go see Princess Luna."

"I must protest." Reddling said, blocking the door.

"Reddling, if Luna is planning something, then she needs to know everything Lapis can tell her. It could make a big difference." Twilight walked past Reddling, using the other door and trotting down the hallway.

"But it is a formal meeting!" Reddling said, trotting with Twilight. "Things should be presented in a -- normal manner. If everypony keeps barging in with a random idea or breakthrough they'll never get any plans made. Besides that, Luna knows she can trust me. She can't trust-- a random kid, even if you say they're some diplomat. If there is something you haven't told her, you should tell me and I can relay the message to her."

They were just in a meeting, why didn't they share it then? What are these ponies hiding?

"Lapis was selected specially to meet with Luna. Her impression of Luna so far will determine if we receive aid or not."

Reddling let out a groan. "Fine, but I need your help. I'm risking getting in trouble, so you owe me a favor for that."

"Getting into trouble? Why would you be in trouble?" Twilight cocked her head.

"Because you are interrupting the meeting!" Reddling said, stomping a hoof. "Just trust me. We'll talk after Lapis goes in to meet Princess Luna."

"Hmph. Very well." Twilight trotted off to Princess Luna's chambers, and Reddlinf followed, stopping at the doors with them and beckoning. "Alright, right through there kid. Lapis, you go in there, and we'll talk while you talk to Princess Luna."

"Excuse me?" Twilight Sparkle said, offhandedly. "I'll be introducing her, at the very least." Reddling bit his tongue, trying to hide his frustration.

"If you'll excuse us." Twilight said, pushing into the room and leaving Reddling out in the hallway.

"I'll wait for you back at the library." Reddling said, stepping away and vanishing into the shadows of the hallway. Surely Web would not spend forever in that meeting, and he wanted to be gone by the time she realized that she had been robbed. Wasting no time at all, Reddling hurried outside, scooping up bags that had been discarded when the previous mission had failed. Reddling scooped up at least a hundred bits, throwing them all into one sack. Stuffing the bits into the stolen saddlebag, Reddling returned to the library, pacing around and waiting, waiting.

A plan was beginning to take shape. Reddling tapped his hoof. Maybe Chrysalis wasn't the only target. maybe, he could convince Twilight, and anypony he wanted really, that Celestia was a second target. That's why they have Widow's Kiss, a poison designed to kill Changelings. Even if Twilight argued that Luna would never kill her sister, he could argue that she wouldn't tell Twilight if she was going to do it. Twilight was close to Celestia, after all-- there would be no reason to make her privy to the plot. Twilight Sparkle would have to help him, and so would anypony else, or things would get unimaginably worse. And if everything went totally wrong, he could just cut her and give her a little drop of Red Agnosia. Sometimes, you have to do bad things to get good results.

Minutes ticked by, and Reddling opted to take a fly. Perhaps if he could find his friends, they'd help him. After all, he wanted a small group, not him alone. Besides, Twilight and Lapis were obviously going to take their sweet time with whatever they were telling Princess Luna. It hadn't taken long to find Bruiser- who had flown up to chat up Reddling when he saw him come outside, but Reddling had no time for simple talk. Reddling began explaining things that he said were odd- Web acting weird, some secrets, and proof that he had-- but he wanted to get everypony together first.

Bruiser had been skeptical at first, but when Reddling pointed out that every time before he had predicted these issues far ahead of others, Bruiser gave a little nod, buying it. They were all to meet in the library, and once everypony was there, Reddling would explain what had happened.

"I'm supposed to be on guard duty Reddling, so we have to talk fast." Tops said. A still hurt but swiftly healing Nightshade entered behind Tops, with bruiser bringing up the rear. Reddling waited for the door to close before leaning over a table, looking at his friends darkly.

"This better be good." Nightshade hissed.

Reddling gave her a little sarcastic nod. "If it was good I wouldn't have asked for you guys. You know that, it's never good."

"You know what I mean." Nightshade snarked, sitting down and crossing her forehooves.

"Yeah, I do." Reddling said, giving a whistle. Star Shine exited from his room, still looking rather beaten up. He leaned over and whispered quickly to Star Shine that this was going to hurt, then removed widows kiss from his coat, uncorking the vial. "Sniff it."

Star Shine gave the cork a little sniff, inhaling the vaoprs before recoiling, grabbing his face and letting out a pained shriek. Green blood flowed freely from his nose and mouth, dripping all over the ground and table. Star Shine dived for a rug, wrapping it around his nose and mouth to start to clot the bleeding.

"Shit- Reddling!" Bruiser said, taking a step forward.

"The hell- what did you do to him?" All three bats were alarmed now, but Reddling simply recorked the vial and put it on the table calmly. Star Shine had not inhaled enough to cause permanent damage.

"Accidents happen." Reddling pulled up a chair, sitting down.

"He uh-- he okay?" Bruiser asked, peering over the group at the bleeding Changeling.

"Yeah, he'll be fine." Reddling said, glancing down at Star Shine. "Have any of you heard about the plan to go retake Canterlot?"

"Last I heard, Twilight found something to help, and everypony is still decided." Nightshade said, glaring poisonously at the vial of white liquid.

Bruiser gave a nod, "Yup, we found some-- some ponies, I guess. I dunno." Bruiser confirmed.

What? Found some ponies? useless bastards. If there was anything important in Silverfield to help us don't they think I would know? "That's not what Web has been saying-- and no matter what they decide, I don't get the feeling that's what is going to happen. I have proof otherwise." Reddling gestured grandly at the vial, and everypony looked down at it. The vial, for it's part, was simply a vial holding liquid, and did nothing. Reddling continued, smirking a little bit, "This is what made Star Shine bleed all over the place. All he did was sniff it and he's down for the count. I've shown it off before. Poison for killing Changelings. One of Web's designer poisons. She's got enough here to take out a few changelings. See what I am getting at here?"

"No." Nightshade groaned. "Get to the point."

"The ponies that are going to carry out this mission don't include any of us. It's Web, and some... Ether? and some other bat. A lot of strange choices are being made not by Princess Luna, but by Web. I don't think that Chrysalis is going to be the only Queen that gets taken out in Canterlot." Now he had done it. Reddling had stirred the pot in a way that there was no stepping back from. "This is more than enough poison to violently kill two or three queens, and Celestia is a Changeling queen too. I don't know how much you guys really trust Web, but I don't trust her running amok in Canterlot with deadly poisons and two cronies that I didn't even know existed until an hour ago."

Reddling locked himself in a glare with Nightshade, waiting for her dissenting opinion. "I don't Trust her either." Nightshade said, quickly following it with, "--But it seems like a stretch to think she'd do something like that. Luna has made it very clear not to hurt her sister."

"How is Web supposed to know she's killing Celestia? I mean, they're all changelings, maybe Celestia was in disguise?" Reddling did his best bubbly mare's voice-- a rather convincing tone and pitch. Switching back to his normal tone, Redlding glared at his friends harshly, "Web's got great excuses she can use."

"What about the other two. They can't be as crazy as her." Nightshade said.

"Anyone know an Ether?" Reddling asked, looking around to each of them.

"So-- you're going to assume she is crazy too." Nightshade said plaintively.

Reddling sighed. "Who isn't a little crazy in this guard? Anyone who Web trusts, I don't think we should trust if we don't trust her. Does that make sense?"

"You can't just- ugh." Nightshade let out a loud sigh, throwing up her hooves. "So what do you suggest?"

"I suggest that we do something." Reddling said, pounding a hoof on the table.

"We should tell Princess Luna." Nightshade said.

"Luna isn't going to listen to us. She trusts that Web will carry out her orders, and I doubt Web is going to very easily let her learn about anything like this."

"She really cares about her sister. She isn't going to let something like this slide. " Nightshade sighed. "What would you suggest instead then?"

"I think we should do it ourselves." Reddling's voice was ripe with determination. "Screw Web, screw her plan, we carry it out without her. If we want this done right, we'll have to do it ourselves."

"That's crazy." Nightshade said, shaking her head.

"No, you know what is crazy?" Reddling said, leaning forward and glaring at her. Nightshade leaned forward as well, the tension palpable to their two friends. "The fact that two Princesses are sitting around as bug Queens and the only royalty left in Equestria is inside a panic room with a sociopath like me." Reddling waited for Nightshade to realize what he was talking about, and when he saw it dawn on her face, he pushed onward. "I could have done it once. I could have ended Equestria's leadership, alone. I promise that we can do it again."

Reddling picked up the vial and put it in his coat, drawing back and standing up. "Are you in, or not?"

Nightshade let out a snort, leaning back as well. "I saw how you behaved on our last outting. You're going to be captured, and I'm sure our jobs will be a lot harder if they have hostages-- or if they coerce all of our secrets out of you. Which I'm sure they can." Nightshade turned to leave.

"I behave well enough to fool you." Reddling yelled at her.

"Bullshit." Nightshade snorted, still trotting for the door.

"And yet, there you were at the wedding. And there you were at Canterlot when we got back and Luna was poisoned. And let's not forget the first time, I didn't eat any poisoned food when a Changeling slipped us some at the training camp. You have been skeptical every fucking time. and every fucking time I have been right."

"Yeah, you're right all the time." Nightshade said, audibly rolling her eyes. "I suppose that's your talent-- but when it's time to get shit done, you fall on your face. I remember the wedding, you stayed behind to be the hero and nearly got yourself and Midnight killed. And when we were trying to protect Twilight, you were jerking around. I don't even know how you got out of Canterlot, and you nearly died in that training field. You have had your chances to prove yourself, and you fucked them up."

Nightshade flipped around, her mane flying like a tornado. "You're probably right, Web probably has something horrible planned. I don't know how you know it, if you just make this shit up as you go along or if you have some sort of special talent for it, but we need to let Luna know. You've got your hunch, now let somepony else deal with it. We know you cannot."

Reddling did not move for a few moments. He could feel a twitching in his ear start up as he glared angrily at the mare, somewhere between punching her and murdering her.

"Nightshade, you don't have to-- ugh..." Tops sighed, "Reddling, I know you want to do something-- do you have some sort of plan?"

Reddling gave a nod, glad for the change of subject. "Of course I have a plan, and it starts right now. We need maps of Canterlot Castle-- I figure Twilight Sparkle can draw those up for us from memory. She is very detail oriented and could help us. After we have those maps we'll go to Canterlot. We're going to take some vodka, grab some money, and go to Canterlot. We'll use the vodka to set some buildings on fire, draw the guards away from the castle and leave it almost deserted so we can sneak in."

"You're going to burn down the city?" Nightsahde asked, incredulous.

"Canterlot is mostly made of stone. Damage should be minimal, but panic should be high." Reddling nodded.

"That is-- that is exactly what Web would do." Nightshade yelled.

"It works, doesn't it?" Reddling asked.

"If you're trying to prove you're less crazy you are doing a terrible job." Nightshade's voice cut like knives through the room.

"We're doing this to make sure Web doesn't take on any extra targets of her own." Reddling said. "Not trying to decide how crazy it is."

"How do we know you don't want to kill Celestia. Can you tell her apart from the other Queen?" Nightshade hissed.

"Yeah, I can." Reddling said, ignoring the comment about Celestia. "--Because I've got a way to make Chrysalis identify herself to me. Something that Web, and all the rest of you, can't do."

"And what is that?" Nightshade rolled her eyes.

"Chrysalis invited me to join her hive when we slept with her and the other bugs on our way back to Canterlot." Bruiser gave a look of disgust at the mental picture, but Reddling continued regardless, "They have to bite you and get their venom in you, just like Balefly. Chrysalis will have to come meet me to make things--... for things to you know, happen. Once she's revealed herself for that, we'll know which one she is and we'll be able to take her out. It's a lot better than randomly hoping we find and pick the right Queen, since that's what Web will be doing with no way to tell them apart."

"...Okay. that-- that seems like it would work?" Nightshade questioned herself.

"Of course, I'm not going to be able to fight Chrysalis alone, even if I am allowed to stay armed. Once she is singled out, we will all need to ambush and kill her." Reddling said.

"But you've still-- proved you're terrible at working with others. Why not-- why not just tell Luna nad make her make Web work with you?" Nightshade asked.

"Because I don't trust Web to work with me. I wouldn't know about any of this had I not broken into Web's room and stolen her stuff." Reddling explained.

"You STOLE her stuff? Are you CRAZY?" Nightshade seemed to stagger a bit at the idea of being near a pony that dared steal from Web.

Reddling sat back down, leaning back in his chair and balancing himself with a hoofleg so he could look up at the ceiling. "Yeah, a little bit."

"You cannot just-- just leave and do this on your own!" Nightshade seemed absolutely aghast.

"Well, I could." Reddling reasoned. "I really don't want to though."

"i mean-- without telling everypony else what you're doing!" Nightshade sat down, staring at the madpony in front of her.

"Star Shine or Twilight can tell them after we leave. After Web has no chance to fuck things up." Reddling sighed happily at that thought. Oh yes, Web would certainly be in for a bitter surprise when she found out he had robbed her of this . She would not be stealing the day this time.

"What do you think the Princess would do if you just-- abandoned us and went to Canterlot! She'd try to send a rescue party or something, and who knows what could happen next! What if she has-- plans-- or-- or something!" Nightshade slumped onto the table now, still staring.

"The rescue party will arrive just in time to see us finish the job. That will be excellent, they can help us clean up." Reddling smiled, bringing himself back down to look at the tortured form of Nightshade.

"Why do you have to go and do this horseshit, Reddling..." Nightshade sighed.

"I have a fundamental distrust of everything around me."

"Yeah, well I don't know if you've noticed, but other ponies have feelings and plans too, and you're pretty terrible at respecting them." Nightshade said, looking away.

Reddling flattened his ears, hurt, but still knew he had to continue. "Are you in or not, Nightshade? Bickering is just wasting time, and I'm not going to be sitting around when Web finds out I took her stuff."

"Going behind the Princess's back is practically treason." Nightshade sighed. "Find some way of telling her before you leave, and I'll consider it. Otherwise the second I see you've gone I'm telling her everything myself."

Reddling jumped at the chance. "Fine, I'll tell her before we leave personally, but you can't just consider it. You have to be in on the plan-- otherwise, I'm getting ready to leave right now.

"Fine!" Nightshade threw up her hooves angrily as she sat back down. "I'm  'in,' but I want to see you tell her myself."

"Great, glad you'll be coming along. How about you two, how do you feel?" Reddling said, looking over Tops and Bruiser.

"I- well, I'll feel comfortable if Nightshade is there, so I'll help." Tops nodded to Nightshade meekly.

"I'm in, but what about Midnight?" Bruiser asked.

"I'm sure that Midnight is in on the conspiracy with Web." Reddling lied. This raised eyebrows, but no dared question it. Midnight had become even colder and more jaded than Reddling had been when they all first met.

"Whenever Twilight Sparkle breaks from that meeting, we'll have her draw up maps and then go talk to Princess Luna, Nightshade." Reddling sighed, looking up at the ceiling of the room. he could feel his heart both sinking and rising at the same time. He had lied to his friends-- and gotten away with it. He wasn't even sure it was a lie anymore, now that he had told it to himself enough.

Reddling fell out of his stupor as he jerked his head with all the other bats towards the doorway. they could hear distant hoofsteps approaching, and then somepony pushing the door open with magic. A flash of purple stuck it's head in.

"Oh! There you are!" Twilight Sparkle said, stepping through the doorway. "I thought when you meant library maybe-- your personal one, in the room with the throne. I knew I should have checked here first."

"Oh, uh, well yes." Reddling stammered. Perhaps he could have been a bit more clear.

"You've been-- Oh, what- what happened here!?" Twilight pointed past Reddling at the pool of green blood from Star Shine.

"Oh, dammit yeah, that's what I needed to talk to you about. Get inside, quickly." Reddling almost pulled Twilight through the door, slamming it shut behind her in case that damn filly was with her.

"What happened here?" Twilight demanded, looking over at Star Shine's pained form as her face drained of all colour. "Oh, this is downright gruesome how did this happen?"

"Star Shine is fine, Just slow down, I can explain if you give me one second." Reddling pulled out the vial of liquid, holding it up for Twilight to see. "Do you know what this is?"

"It's some sort of vial of white liquid-- Perhaps some kind of sap?" Twilight said nervously, looking from Reddling to the other bat ponies in the room, none of whom offered her any kind of warmth.

"It's called Widow's Kiss, and it's Web's special poison for killing Changelings. That bloody mess on the ground," Reddling gestured to the abused Star Shine "is what happens if they sniff this stuff. Never mind forcing them to drink it or getting it into the bloodstream." Reddling pushed Twilight into a chair, leaning back and looking at her fiercely.

"I-I came to inform you-- Luna would like a word with..." Twilight kept trying to talk, doing her best to change the subject, but this was a scary situation. She just wished to be done with it so she could quit this awful room. "With everypony who rescued me, earlier, she would-- I mean, that is, that is something," she pointed at the vial of Widow's Kiss, "But we shouldn't keep her waiting--"

"Celestia could die if you don't be quiet and listen to us. help us help her, and be quiet." Reddling's voice was dark, shallow. He'd convinced himself it wasn't a lie, but would Twilight Sparkle buy it?

"What!"Twilight yelped, "What do you mean, Celestia could die!?"

"I could explain if you'd shut up!" Reddling hissed at her. "Didn't your teachers tell you that you cannot learn if you always talk?"

"If this is so important just explain it!" Twilight's voice was now panicked, and Reddling knew he had her. She would buy almost whatever was said next.

"Web Weaver makes this poison by torturing Changelings to death. She's got no way to know which Changeling is Celestia or not, so she is going to go to Canterlot and take out Celestia and Chrysalis. She's got enough poison to kill both. The only ponies who would be able to tell Celestia and Chrysalis apart aren't assigned to the mission, Web has hand picked her own crew. We are trying to make sure that Web does not-- on purpose or otherwise-- even have a chance to get close to Celestia."

"They're--" Twilight's voice died. Reddling was puffing and panting, and could feel his head swimming. Twilight looked little better, her face pale and her hooves weak. It was a good thing she was sitting down, because otherwise she might have simply fallen over from the shock. The last few days had been hard on her, and she could barely stay upright in her chair.

"I have a -- plan." Reddling panted. "But I need your help, and I really, really, don't need Web knowing what we're up to.  if she finds out you'll see another pony looking like Star Shine over there."

"Stop it!" Twilight yelled, looking away from the pool of blood. Reddling leaned in, knowing it was time to go for the kill.

"Will you help us? Please?" Reddling asked.

"If I can-- but there have been some new developments." Twilight tried to offer, but Reddling cut her off. He couldn't let these developments stop his plan.

"Yes yes, there are always new developments, I know you went digging around in my backyard, but really, we already have a working plan and we're short on time. In order to expose Web's plot, I sort of stole her stuff."

Twilight Sparkle pushed Reddling back, putting her head up and beginning to just cry her heart out in earnest. "We have discovered a race of ponies living within Silverfield who have agreed to help us! They have unique ways of sealing with Changelings and that poison you have is probably completely unnecessary."

Bruiser specifically perked up at the idea of no poison being required, but Reddling had to work hard to stifle a giggle as he watched Twilight talk.

"Do you have any idea how crazy this sounds? You just happened to discover a race of ponies-- in Silverfield no less, the most xenophoibic place I can think of-- that I wouldn't know about?"

"They're good at hiding!" Twilight exclaimed.

"And they just happen to have unique ways of dealing with Changelings... Right, right, they're good at hiding, I'm sure..." Reddling rolled his eyes at her.

"Lapis is still with the Princess, you can ask her yourself!" Twilight rose up from her chair, stronger though her indigence. "She can help you-- all of you!"

"Alright, alright fine. I'll talk to her. But right now can you help us with the original plan? I don't want anything that is too difficult from you, just a map of Canterlot Castle-- and besides, we saved you. it's the least you can do."

"I'll help-- but the Princess is looking for you right now." Reddling gave Twilight a demeaning pat on the shoulder, encouraging her to sit down.

"That's enough, Miss Sparkle. Now, there is some loose paper in here, it is a library after all, and I need you to draw up some maps of Canterlot Castle for me, as well as any details you can recall about guard patrols." Twilight continued to try to argue with Reddling about this meeting, but he waved his hoof at her, furrowing his brow. "Fine, Fine, we will go see Princess Luna. Okay? But if we have to leave in a hurry after this without the maps, I hope you understand the risks."

Twilight only gave a quick nod before jumping out of her chair, trotting quickly for the hallway as the bats followed, leaving Star Shine to stem the bleeding from his face. Twilight looked relieved to have just escaped the tension, but  Reddling was far from it. He knew full well that Nightshade would want him to tell Princess Luna bout their plan during or right after this meeting, and he suspected Princess Luna would not be happy about it one bit. He didn't plan to stick around much longer, and was going to have to draw the maps out of his own memory for his friends instead of having Twilight Sparkle's probably more expert map.

Princess Luna's room had her normal cadre-- Princess Luna herself flanked by Lunar and Web. Princess Luna spoke as everypony took their seat, her voice bright-- a marked change from her normal tone. "My friends, for once, we have hopeful news. This filly here, Lapis Lazuli, has agreed to aid us in our cause. Though she may seem small, her and her kin shall no doubt prove invaluable to our efforts against those occupying Canterlot."

Reddling glanced over his shoulder at Lapis, who appeared to be a normal unicorn filly.

"There is no need to be so guarded before our guests." Princess Luna gave the filly a little smile. "I can assure you they are all quite trustworthy."

"I'd rather not." The filly's response was short, leaving no room for argument.

"Oh... well, may I reveal to them--"

"No." Lapis said, as unblinking and cold as Reddling. he couldn't help but feel a little chill in his spine-- no child should be so far removed from the world. Luna tightened her lip, obviously both annoyed and taken aback by the filly's curtness.

"Very well then." Princess Luna said begrudgingly.

"Princess Luna," Reddling began, "It is not that I doubt you, but are you feeling alright? This is ...awkward."

Reddling motioned to the child sitting in the corner of the room.

"She has provided ample proof of her-- abilities. It is understandable that she chooses to maintain her current appearance." Princess Luna retorted.

"Reddling, I can assure you that Lapis is one hundred percent legitimate!" Twilight Sparkle said, giving her throat a little clearing before continuing, "Err- but, Princess Luna, will you need me for long? I'm afraid I really must go soon-- I have some-- some things to take care of."

Twilight locked eyes with Reddling for a moment, and he felt a huge grin break out on the inside. With a good map of Canterlot Castle, they'd be able to plan out their assassination step by step.

"You understand, Miss Twilight." Reddling nodded to her. "I'm just a little skeptical that some awesome solution just happens to have been growing in my backyard. --just out of curiosity, how long will you be?" Reddling added the last part hastily, hoping it wouldn't raise eyebrows from Princess Luna.

"Oh, just-- not long." Twilight was interrupted by Princess Luna before she could give a timeframe.

"You are free to go, Twilight Sparkle, although before you do I would ask that you share your experiences in Canterlot. I ask this of all of you, so that I may better understand the situation moving forward." Princess Luna sat back, waiting to hear the tale of Twilight Sparkle's incarceration by the Changelings-- and of her rescue.  There was nothing added that the bats did not already know, although Princess Luna was obviously pensively collecting all her thoughts as everypony took their turn. Twilight Sparkle left the room and gave Reddling a nod and a smile, raising an eyebrow from Web, but nothing more.

"Do we know if they are holding any captives?" Luna asked the bats after their stories had been recounted.

"Other than Celestia, probably not. Does your sister and whoever her drones used to be count as hostages?" Reddling asked. Princess Luna's face twisted in a pained expression, as if she had just been stabbed. It had not been but a few days since Reddling had seen that in a moment of madness, and it looked exactly how he imagined-- tortured and lacking any grace.

"I am sure my sister-- whatever has happened to her-- is remaining strong. She has a strength unlike any other pony I have ever met, and will bend knee to no-thing."

Reddling gave Luna a knowing nod, but decided to press this topic further, "Yes, she is noted for her stubbornness even in Silverfield. her stubbornness aside though, I did have a question princess Luna. How will the task force in Canterlot know what she looks like? What's the plan for telling your sister apart from Queen Chrysalis?" Reddling held his breath. Sure, he was digging deeper and deeper into the hole that was his lie, but he did have a card left to play. One trick Web couldn't weasel away from.

"I assumed she would make some appeal to me, hence my desire to participate myself." Princess Luna said with an annoyed expression on her face.

Web simply shrugged, "Well, of course if it makes an effort to disguise itself then things won't be obvious, but with an experienced group of ponies working together it wouldn't be hard to make somepony slip up."

"So you don't actually have a plan, you're just hoping things work out and betting on luck?" Reddling was a little floored by this. It didn't seem like Web- and, even less like Princess Luna, to simply leave things to chance.

"That's not what I said at all." Web said, still giving a little shrug.

"You didn't really say much of anything." Reddling retorted.

Web flipped her hoof at him, narrowing her eyes. "That's because the plan doesn't concern you." Reddling turned to Nightshade and gave her one of his Do you see what I mean this really doesn't seem right looks. Nightshade simply shook her head, rolling her eyes in frustration with both of the ponies before her.

"That is enough." Lunar said. Even without his helmet, his voice carried across the room effortlessly, intimidating anyone who dared to make a sound.

"Regardless--" Princess Luna said, scooting forward so that Web was pushed to the wayside, "The m- lapis has agreed to secure for us a dust of sorts. it acts as a sedative although it's effect--"

"Pardon me your majesty," Web interrupted,  "But I believe for the sake of Lapis, perhaps that should remain private?"

Reddling rolled his eyes and gave Nightshade another glance, the latter of whom took that chance to pique up, "Actually, Princess Luna, could Reddling and I have a word with you later? Privately?"

"Sooner rather than later." Reddling said, straightening up and steeling his resolve.  "it shouldn't take too long, right Nightshade?"

Princess Luna gave a nod to both of them, looking to the rest of the group. There were some nods as everypony except for Princess Luna, Reddling, and Nightshade moved for the door. Reddling tapped Tops and Bruiser on the shoulders separately, quickly mouthing for them to get ready, and wait outside. Lunar held open the door for everypony to exit, Web being the last to leave before him. She turned her head at the last moment, shooting a cold, dry look in Reddling's direction before exiting slowly. Reddling stood up and closed the door, watching the creaky old door slam shut right in front of Web's dark and stormy face.

"What is it this time, Reddling?" Princess Luna asked. she was obviously annoyed from the earlier points in the conversation, but Reddling paid this no heed. He simply waited for the other ponies to be out of earshot before speaking.

"I'm sorry." Reddling confessed truthfully, looking down at the ground.

Princess Luna blinked. "For what?"

"A lot of things." Reddling said, shaking his head and doing his best to look apologetic. "Web's actions mostly, though. Also, the fact that I've stowed all my money into some saddlebags from Web's room."

Princess Luna stood up a little, looking down at Reddling with bemusement. "What?"

"I broke into Web's room earlier and found enough poison to kill Queen chrysalis and your sister. Web doesn't have a plan to take out Chrysalis, she's just hoping she doesn't kill Celestia in the process." Reddling could feel his hooves shaking slightly against the cobblestone floor.

"She's a resourceful girl, despite her flaws." Princess Luna said, "By who's leave did you pillaging things from others?"

Reddling opened up a wing slightly. "By my leave. Princess Luna, I'm taking myself, Tops, Bruiser, and Nightshade to Canterlot, with Web's poisons. I'm not letting you take the risk of doing something you'll hate yourself for later. Web needs this poison to kill them--" Reddling put a hoof on his chest , right where the vial was. "If you do anything to stop me, I'll smash it. Then you don't have any plan to take the Changelings out."

"What the hell are you doing, Reddling?" Nightshade didn't dare take a step forward, but she was obviously shocked and alarmed.

The kindness of Princess Luna's face had vanished. She now wore a mask of fury, her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. "You would scheme behind our backs and threaten us!?"

"Truly a poor servant next to Web." he hissed. "Think about this-- I can make chrysalis reveal herself to me. You are taking the chance that Celestia won' get hurt here, when I can remove the risk altogether.

"You had your time to make contributions to our course, and it is long past!" Princess Luna's voice struck like thunder as she towered above the bat ponies before her. Reddling took a step back, catching his balance as he stared into the face of the night and gulping as she continued, "Patience is a virtue of my sister, and in me but a shadow-- if you have a piece to say, say it."

"Chrysalis will out herself to me, and then I'll eliminate her. With my friends if they'll help me, and alone if they won't. Even if you don't see it right now, I'm keeping your sister's life out of danger."

Princess Luna stomped a hoof, shaking the world around them. "Explain yourself!"

Reddling took a deep breath. Even if Princess Luna didn't buy this lie, there was no turning back at this point, "Web means to kill Celestia-- by intention or not, I don't know! I can eliminate Chrysalis by agreeing to join her hive. She offered to let me join her hive once, and in order to do this she needs to bite me. She will have to reveal herself in order to recruit me, and that is when she can be taken out. I know more about Changelings than any of your guards or you can pretend to know!" Reddling took a deep breath, standing his ground to Princess Luna. "I'm keeping you from doing something you'll regret, Princess Luna."

"He- He's right." Nightshade recoiled as Princess Luna rounded on her. "He knows more about Changelings and they seem to like him! -- If anypony can draw her out, he can do it. Just--- please, excuse his absolutely horrible manners. He cannot help being an asshole."

Reddling took a step forward, looking up at Princess Luna and giving her a nod. "Nopony in this castle has stayed alive this long because I followed orders. No reason to start now. But Web is going to be angry when she finds out I went through her things. We need to leave right now."

Princess Luna gave a sigh and nodded, seeming to calm down a bit. Waving her hoof, she gestured for Reddling to come hither. he approached carefully, unsure of Princess Luna's intentions.

"You believe Web will bring harm to my sister?" Princess Luna asked through a voice of forced calmness.

"Not on purpose, I don't think so, but accidents seem to happen all the time in the Night Guard." Reddling said, stopping as Nightshade interjected,

"She's crazy. Likes the Nightmare stuff too much. She had us butcher anypony in our way to Twilight Sparkle." Nightshade had-- withheld this before, but seemed much more willing to speak her mind without Web in the room.

"and after our courtyard fun in the forest she just sat on the ground and grinned to herself." Reddling paused and mimicked a girly, bubbly voice, "It's like the first time. When she first returned!~"

"No." Princess Luna said firmly. "That is enough. Very well, you have my leave. Know that Web and her cadre shall follow shortly after you, should you be successful or not. You may keep Web's poison, but we shall have words about others property when next we meet." Princess Luna looked at the door. "Web should have no need of the poison regardless."

"Then we should leave." Reddling said solemnly.

"You have my leave. Go." Princess Luna stood, trotting between Reddling and Nightshade, pushing open the door to the room and leaving with a stormy scowl on her face, dark as the night. Nightshade visibly exhaled  when Princess Luna had left, exiting the room with Reddling as they headed in the direction of the library. Hopefully, Twilight Sparkle would be there with her completed maps.

Although Princess Luna may hate me for this-- and it is disgraceful-- it is what I had to do, regardless of what the others think. If I've learned anything, it's that truly heroic actions are seldom rewarded.

"Holy shit, Reddling-- could you have worded that any worse?" Nightshade hissed to him, checking to make sure noponies were in earshot. Lapis and the bats had vanished.

"What?" Reddling asked, almost defensively.

"I'm sorry Luna, for insulting your sister, also I'm stealing from Web and threatening your entire plan because I said so?" Nightshade mimicked Reddling's voice-- hardly a challenge.

"Well, let's hurry and get out of here. I don't want to be around when Web has one of her episodes." Reddling pushed open the door to the library, galloping inside. He quickly grabbed Web's saddlebags and slung them over his back before looking around for Twilight. The bookworm had situated herself at a large table and had her horn aglow as she overlooking several sheets of paper with fresh ink on them.

"They'll all done." Twilight commented, blowing on some of the ink and rolling up the papers, offering them in a bundle to Reddling, who quickly took them in his mouth and shoved them into the saddlebag.

"Thank you." Reddling said, nodding to Nightshade for the two of them to head outside.

"Wait, just- one moment." Twilight waved her hoof a bit, stopping the two bats. She pointed at Reddling, adding, "Uhm, alone."

Nightshade gave the two of them a sideways glance before exiting, leaving Reddling alone in the library with Twilight Sparkle. Alone, except for books, old rugs, and a changeling with rags on his nose in the corner.

"You have a-- a lot of books, here." Twilight said, trotting over slowly and pulling a couple out from their shelves.

"I copied them all over by quill myself." Should he be proud of that, or embarrassed? It was hard to tell.

"So, you were a writer before the Night Guard then?" Twilight Sparkle asked. Reddling shook his head simply.

"No, not a writer-- just a-- student, I suppose." Whatever Twilight was doing, Reddling hoped it ended soon.

Twilight idly slid the books along the ground, letting them rest at Reddling's hooves. Several were books about assassination, and the different ways to kill ponies. Some were about ponies with moth wings-- moth ponies, and the last one was--

"--You should not have read this." Reddling picked up his old journal. There was something nostalgic here-- Some place in your past that you loved with all your heart, but could never get back to.

"I know why you joined the Night Guard." Twilight Sparkle said. Reddling glanced back up at her and could see her horn still glowing. In his head, Reddling prayed that this was not some horrible Nightmare dream he had slipped into. Twilight Sparkle was only a few inches from Reddling now, and he could feel dangerous waves of heat and energy radiating off her forehead.

"If you lay a hoof on Celestia, you'll wish you never joined." Twilight pressed Reddling's journal against his chest, then slid it around his shoulder and let it smack one of his wings. Reddling backpedaled multiple steps, recoiling at the sudden fury. He had no intention of hurting Celestia but-- having read these books...

"Miss Twilight-- look, these books, that-- journal, it's exactly what it looks like, but that's not who I am anymore." Reddling offered, edging towards the door.

"Nopony can trust you-- after, after how you talked to me earlier-- It's all of you Night Guard. I thought you were the good guys." Twilight seemed to be biting back tears now. Or perhaps it was just disappointment, it was sometimes hard to tell with her. "Try not to hurt anypony needlessly...?"

"Twilight Sparkle," Reddling opened the door to the library. "I will see you in Canterlot-- with Princess Celestia." Reddling closed the door with his wing as Twilight tried to offer him a nervous, hopeful smile. It wasn't worth making promises that probably wouldn't be kept.

The takeoff was a fast and wordless one as the four bats turned north, flying against the fading stars and setting a path for Canterlot. When the grass had turned green and small forests broke up the plains, Nightshade finally piped up.

"So Reddling, what's the plan." Nightshade asked. "You do have a plan right?"

"We're going to break into the shop of the mare who makes my coats." Reddling huffed. "We'll stay there today, and as soon as the moon rises, we're going into Canterlot Castle. I'll explain the entire plan on the maps.

Deception

Canterlot Revisited

Canterlot was dark and silent. Shadows jumped from building to building, waiting for the night's activities. Nightshade, Tree Tops, Bruiser, and Reddling had all slept through the day, making sure they were well rested for what was about to happen. The hope was that everypony would be in minimal danger.

After having set the sun, Celestia should retire to her quarters-- the tower that had not had it's roof blown off. Reddling planned to sneak his group in through one of the palace's service entrances and position them on the roofs around Celestia's room. Reddling, meanwhile, would move through the hallways and approach the room. If they were lucky, they would find Chrysalis there, keeping up appearances for her subjects just as Mantidae had done before her. If they were unlucky, then Reddling would exit out of a window and resume scouring the castle with his friends.

A second issue had arisen as they had begun setting up their plan-- the issue of locating Princess Pupae. If she was not eliminated, then this would all be for nothing. She could bide her time and launch an attack from the shadows at her own whim. Additionally, they did not know where Celestia was being kept-- obviously, she couldn't be housed somewhere out in the open-- so they would need to confront Chrysalis and hopefully gain this information from her before killing her.

If they failed, there was no telling when or if they would ever find Princess Celestia, or if they had any chance of locating Princess Pupae before she rebuilt an army.

Shades were pulled across the front of the store. Reddling had located three large duffel bags in the store and helped his friends pack their armor and weapons inside of them, and then selected coats, hats, and sunglasses for all of them to wear. It was a little hard to find fitting clothes for Bruiser, what with how big he was, but they were able to make it work. Reddling adjusted his own sunglasses on his face, looking back at his friends as they shouldered their armor. Reddling himself had remained in his armor-- He wasn't sure he'd have the chance to change into it like his friends would, and Chrysalis would be expecting him to be armed normally when he was intentionally found.

"This day has been just perfect." The Celestia imposter said to herself as she gazed out over the entryway to Canterlot Castle. The moon had risen and another day of her ruling had passed. There had been no coronation for her- not yet. Although she had been given the personal pleasure of seeing Cadance and Celestia fall, the enigmatic Princess Luna had evaded her. This was without a doubt due to the Lunar Guards, and Chrysalis had been unable to sleep well. There had been a thought that never left her mind; if she had attacked the bat ponies that were taking her to Canterlot-- would this then all be over?

No, it could never have worked that way. Chrysalis was not content to split up Canterlot with any other queen-- and she suspected that they all would have felt the same way, were they still here. The Night Guard had served her well, and the red one especially, despite his initial hostility to her. In the game of chess his role was played and spent. Only but a token resistance hiding somewhere in southern Equestria remained. When Chrysalis had them defeated, she would have four queens-- Pupae, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance-- forced to accept her rule, and she could be the queen of all Changelings.

Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings. Queen Chrysalis-- of all Equestria! Chrysalis turned with a grin on her face from the entry hall of Canterlot and faced her two "guards." They were in actuality her advisors who had helped her make each and every play from start to finish. No matter what, they had possessed undying cunning in victory or defeat. Chrysalis had been the leader, but they had been the brains of the operation. They were her masterminds.

Chrysalis gave a nod to her guards and began to trot down the hallways, heading for Celestia's bedroom. The sky outside was dark and unforgiving-- somehow, it felt like the moonlight outside could be blotted out at any moment. Something felt-- off, about tonight. Chrysalis could not shake this uneasy feeling as she settled down in Celestia's bed, curling up under the blankets. She had no need to sleep like this, but-- it felt nice to have creature comforts for once in her life.

"You must rest, my queen." one of her advisers ordered in the darkness. Queen Chrysalis gave him a nod, still stirring like a restless storm in her bed.

"I cannot shake this-- feeling. Something is not right." Queen Chrysalis said, looking outside at the moonlight. She could swear she saw shadows go past it, but it was only for a second.

"You worry of the Night Guard." The adviser said, stopping for a few seconds before continuing, "--No, Something far more evil. You fear Them."

"Do you not fear Them?" Chrysalis asked.

"History tells us that every time Changelings have almost succeeded, They will come and destroy all we have worked so hard to achieve. They are only an old tale, as meaningless as the old stone that holds the stories. Were they real, they would have struck us by now."

"But 'm not wrong to think that the Moths-- curse them-- will appear?" Chrysalis asked.

"If there is an agent of our downfall, Queen Chrysalis, I do not think it will be at the hooves of the Moths-- curse them." Her advisor gave an uneasy but sure nod.

Chrysalis let out a sigh, trying to drift off into an uneasy sleep in her bed.

She did not get but a few minutes of sleep before she was disturbed. There was a loud knock at Chrysalis's door, followed by a drone's singing.

"My Queen?! A visitor, with urgent business. You are in danger!" Queen Chrysalis did not let the drone's cry wait. She magically opened the door, throwing back her covers and sitting up. She was disguised as Celestia in case there was a pony with the drone, and she had been right to do so. Behind three of her drones-- disguised as guards-- trotted the last bat pony she wanted to see. His face was low and shadowed, his expression unreadable.

"No need for the disguise." Reddling said quietly. "We've met before, you remember." His words were not questioning, but rather deliberate statements.

"What is this? Danger?" Queen Chrysalis demanded, locking her eyes on the pony in front of her. "You! What is this? What is happening?"

Reddling simply waved a hoof, taking a breath before talking, "Terrible things are happening. You don't have a lot of time, I had to come and warn you."

Chrysalis felt her groggy mind scrambling. Although she was awake now, the cloudiness of sleep still clung to the edge of her vision. "Warn me? Warn me?" Chrysalis scoffed, "You have come to warn me?" Surely this pony had lost their mind or...

Reddling gave a little nod, his expression still traceless.

... Perhaps he was not mad. Chrysalis relaxed and could feel her lips turning up in a sly smile that had greeted her many prey so many times before. "Why?" Chrysalis asked, her question was simple and unassuming.

"Because I'm not an Equestrian, and I can do what other ponies won't do. Luna escaped from Everfree and fled to Silverfield. Unless this place is very welcoming when the bat ponies arrive, they're liable to destroy all of you. I couldn't allow that." Queen Chrysalis could see her drones give jumps of alarm, buzzing and talking amongst each other in ways that the pony could not understand. They were quite panicked.

"They're sending an assassination attempt later tonight, and they have a new weapon." Reddling said after a pause. "I don't know what it is, but they found some odd ponies and mentioned that they didn't need poison anymore."

The smile faded from Chrysalis's face, but she was not yet alarmed. These bat ponies could be dealt with, now that she was aware they would be here. "When? When tonight?" Chrysalis asked.

"They didn't tell me-- probably a few hours. I came here as soon as I found out." Reddling said quietly.

"There isn't much time then." Chrysalis nodded to her drones and advisers. "Come! This spire is too exposed, we cannot stay here." She turned her attention back to the bat pony, continuing with her questions, "And what of Luna? What of her?"

Reddling did not bother to answer her question. Instead, he shot back with one of his own-- a very odd word, one that had crawled to Chrysalis from every dream. From every dark page of Changeling history.

"Does that word mean anything to you? Anything at all?" Reddling asked. The drones all let out alarmed yelps, backing away and looking about frenzied.

"That is enough! Drones, warn the hive immediately!" Chrysalis said, letting them run past. Reddling watched as he was left alone with Chrysalis and her advisers-- who no doubt to him appeared to just be tall guards.

"Moths? Moth ponies? are you-- absolutely sure?" Chrysalis asked.

There was a flick of confusion across the bat pony's face for a few seconds, but he then nodded. "That's-- what was let slip. I wasn't supposed to know. I just heard they had help from moths."

"Damn it all!" Chrysalis said, glaring at her advisers. Wicked flame kicked up in her eyes as she tossed her mane back, hissing in an incredibly unponylike fashion. "I knew it. How many, what-- what are they doing?"

The expression Chrysalis now wore was a new one to her. One of worry, one of-- fear. She stood and walked away from bat, putting her hoof on the wall and staring at it as she thought. Yes, Moth ponies in Silverfield. It all made sense now. Why Drones came back sick, why no hive dared to make a home there. The place was infested with old monsters, creatures that claimed they were slaves to a god older than Equestria itself.

"I don't know how many. Enough that the Night Guard is only sending three ponies. It must be quite a few. I don't know- what are these things?" Reddling asked. "Why does everypony just whisper about them?"

"All but demons." Chrysalis snarled. "Whatever ill you think of our kind, they are-- they are another beast altogether."

"Something has to give." Reddling said, positioning himself in the doorway. "If they're that terrible, do not make Princess Luna bring them here."

"My queen." One of the advisers spoke carefully. "If legends are true, moth ponies would best be dealt with by ponies. Equestrian forces will prove an asset."

"No!" Reddling said, stomping a hoof. "You-- you have to stop it. Chrysalis, please."

Chrysalis raised a hoof. She had collected herself now, and her adviser was no doubt trustworthy-- with her newfound forces, there was no reason she could not weather this assault. "It matters little. First and foremost we must weather this assault-- and even if I fall, if Luna is dealt with, there is nopony who can claim Canterlot's throne."

Chrysalis smirked to herself. If she couldn't have the throne, then no one would. "There will be only Changelings."

"You're wrong." Reddling said, his voice echoing around the room. "They cured Cadance."

"--What? That is not possible!" Chrysalis felt the blow hit her in the stomach. This news-- could not be.

"Why else would they have had us break into the castle? We stole things from here that Princess Luna needed to perform a ritual to purify Cadance. They aren't afraid of Changeling bites because they can cure them with-- well, a good deal of work, but they can be cured.

Chrysalis turned to her advisers, who looked as perplexed as she was.

"Queen Chrysalis, if these-- the moths, fail..." Reddling stepped forward, still blocking the door but reaching out a hoof to comfort her, "You'll be facing the dark powers that undid the Changeling Queen that Cadance became. If you stand and fight you will be unmade, literally. Please, let me help you."

Chrysalis swallowed. "I have-- the might of Equestria at my back. All I need is-- is time. With your aid, I am sure-- we can discover some solution."

"There is a solution. Stop fighting." Reddling put his hoof down. "You've lied to me, stabbed me in the back, and given me no reason to trust you. I have still come here to help you. I didn't bring any superweapons. How can I prove to you that I want to save both your life and the life of every Changeling in your hive? Chrysalis..."

Reddling took a few steps back, glancing out the windows.

"Your actions-- have proven that you are trustworthy." Chrysalis nodded to him.

"Then trust me now-- you have to surrender. Give up! You can share Equestria!" Reddling finally let an emotion show on his face. Glassy eyes, which looked like they might leak.

"Give up?" Chrysalis scrunched her muzzle.

"Stop the fighting. You're burning Equestria alive, and there isn't going to be anything left if you keep fighting. Ponies are an asset! Drones are an asset! if you just-- kill them, they're not coming back. Please surrender. Please stop."

"And then what?" Chrysalis shook her head. "What assurance do I have that we won't be-- slaughtered?"

"My assurances. I can make the bat ponies stand down, but you have to surrender-- and-- and you also need to open a window." Reddling added in the last part nervously.

"I will-- negotiate. We have-- settled somewhat, any action we would take needs time. Talk them down, you have my cooperation."

"No negotiation." Reddling demanded pointedly. "The terms remain the same. Unconditional surrender, like you faked before. If you really mean this, get on the ground. Just like this, lay down and surrender." Reddling had backed through the doorway now, and was laying on the ground, ready to roll away at moment's notice.

"Wha- what?" Chrysalis asked, blinking at this odd behaviour.

"Get on the ground and surrender." Reddling repeated. "Words are for lying, show me action.

Chrysalis frowned. "I may have my back against the wall, but I will not grovel on my belly like a worm." Chrysalis trotted to a dresser and pulled it open, poking around for a few moments before pulling out a familiar knife-- a familiar, blue knife. Reddling stood as she tossed it to him. There was a green wave of fire and Chrysalis dropped her form, emerging as the great and terrible Queen of Changelings.

"Please open a window." Reddling said solemnly, "Before it's too late?"

"Advisers, open the windows." Chrysalis ordered. The guards horns lit up and the windows swept open, allowing the gentle breeze of the night to fill the room.

Chrysalis understood the odd behaviour now. "If your fellows are within earshot, please. Talk them down."

"Night Guard, halt!" Reddling stuck his head out of Chrysalis' window, staring out at the night. He still kept one eye on Chrysalis as he looked up at the top of the spire, glaring at Pegasus guards he had seen when positioning his comrades. "You up there, let them in! It's over!"

"Drones, to me. It's alright." Chrysalis called. Reddling payed the drones no heed as they flocked inside, confused looks on their faces. Reddling turned his gaze towards the rooftop of the palace, waving to his allies who had taken low key positions. They were all ready to ambush the tower at a moment's notice-- a quick and brutal hit on whatever was living inside, and then a swift escape into the night.

"Nightshade! Tree Tops! Bruiser!" Reddling motioned to them. "Come here, it's over."

Reddling rounded on Chrysalis, a tiny smirk on his face. "Where are Pupae and Celestia?"

"Pupae is no doubt in her hive. Celestia is being kept to herself." Chrysalis said.

"Well, we're going to go talk to them. Your drones have to stop hiding and reveal themselves to the guard. I don't know what is wrong with the guards that keeps them from mindlessly fighting ponies they used to stand beside, but you will have to stop all of this magic. The castle has to be made ready for-- ready for when Web arrives. Reddling blinked, just for a moment, and felt the world spin.

There was a sudden rush of wings from outside. Suddenly, something was thrown inside the room-- a glass vial, which shattered upon the ground in the middle of the room. A cloud of thick dust was kicked up, circling in the air. For a few moments, nopony moved-- and then the Changelings all stumbled, falling to their knees and then collapsing onto their sides. Chrysalis gazed blearily around, a confused look on her face as she tried to make sense of what had happened. Her loyal bees were slumped over and paralyzed, and even Chrysalis was only able to take a few steps before she too did succumb, laying on her belly as her dust took her.

"Reddling." Nightshade's voice came from the window as she ducked inside, beholding the multitude of Changelings in front of her before nervously continuing, "Reddling, what happened?"

"Luna found some sort of weapon with those weird ponies. I don't know what they do and I don't want to know, but it has the drones scared to death. Whatever danger is in in Silverfield, it should stay there. The Changelings have surrendered. And this time I hope they mean it, for their sake." Reddling explained, shaking his head a bit to clear the images from his eyes, "I can give you the play by play later."

"Fine, so-- what now?" Nightshade asked.

"Now- we prepare for Web's arrival!" Reddling waved a hoof towards the room and the castle proper. "Get this palace awake! Set up a table in the throne room with -- bowls of fruit."

Chrysalis bit her lip, but nodded to her drones. "You hear him, go prepare a table in the throne room, and bring something to eat! Actual food, not like for our other guests. if you see others, tell them that their-- assistance is no longer needed."

"What other guests?" Nightshade and Reddling said at the same time as Tops and Bruiser squeezed through separate windows.

"The palace has many guests, here for many reasons. I can't know what each and every one needed, so they spend a few hazy days in the guest wing before leaving. Come, we have business to attend to."

Reddling motioned for his friends to follow him, keeping their eyes on Chrysalis as she and her advisers trotted in front of them. As the group entered into Canterlot castle proper, Chrysalis resumed her disguise, trotting towards the throne room.

"Where is Celestia?" Reddling asked. He couldn't even be sure she was still alive, but Chrysalis had given no hints that Celestia had perished. "She and Pupae should be here to greet the bats when they arrive.

"Celestia... of course, Celestia. I will-- fetch her." Chrysalis said. "You will however, have to send for Pupae. She could probably be here in two days."

"We will fetch her." Reddling determined. "Where's Pupae? She's not here?"

"She is at her hive. You know where. As I have left, she has inherited it."

Reddling nodded as Chrysalis took them past the throne room and towards an all to familiar room that had once held a wedding. Chrysalis tested the waters before tending to several locks on the door, looking uneasily back at the bat ponies following her. "Yes, Celestia... You would agree that this situation would be... worse if we had simply killed her, yes?""

I poisoned her. I'm sure she remembers that whatever has happened to her, it's my fault. "No, I should have killed Celestia when I had the chance. That would probably make this a lot simpler. I have this maddening habit to show mercy when I should not, Chrysalis." Reddling grunted, tapping the ground impatiently.

Quickly, he shut his for a few moments again. Something did not feel right.

"Welcome to my hive, ponies of Silverfield and Equestria." Chrysalis looked curiously at Reddling from her throne. "You were the one who challenged me at the wedding, weren't you?"

"That's is correct. I see you have recovered."

"Quite." Chrysalis responded. "So, tell me. How has Canterlot been faring since we last met?"

Ponies weep openly for their dead.

"Yes, mercy." Chrysalis twitched. "I am sure Mantidae would have preferred to kill her, but I felt that was a bit too much."

"You know where Mantidae's lack of mercy got her..." Reddling spoke under his breath so that Chrysalis could not hear him.

"But! we couldn't simply leave Celestia free to act as she wished, nor Cadance, nor Luna... though she proved a bit too much to-- well, no matter. So we changed them, so that they would be more amicable to our cause, and continue our legacy even if us Queens would fall."

"She's chained up in the room, isn't she?" Reddling already knew the answer.

"You must understand, that Queens do not often work together. Even with a Queen and a Princess, inevitably one will end up exiled from the hive or killed-- and regardless of what else has happened, Celestia no doubt does not appreciate what has been done." Chrysalis undid the last lock. "As such, she has been kept apart and away from any of my drones."

"Your drones are vicious when threatened, I know that. What can we expect from Celestia and her drones?"

"Her drones are... special, you could say." Chrysalis moved a hoof on the ground uneasily. "They do not follow directions well. We refer to them as wasps. This is-- all a necessary measure, I'm sure you understand."

"So these locks, you're telling us we need to be ready for a fight." Reddling said, pointing to the multitude of undone locks on the wedding room door.

"No, no, at worst, they will try to feed off you. There are only half a dozen or so with her." Chrysalis still had not opened the door.

"We're soldiers, not a soup kitchen. Let's get this over with, because if Web has her way, she'll kill both of you before the night is through." Reddling motioned for the door to open, and Chrysalis nodded begrudgingly.

"Advisers, please go and clear the main hall. I do not want any ponies present there or the throne room." Chrysalis nodded for her advisers to leave her as she pushed open the door.

Reddling stared inside. There was grime and darkness everywhere, and even with his bat eyes it was difficult to see more than what the moonlight was illuminating through a window.

"Perhaps while we are here, your friends could tend to talking to Canterlot's guards?" Chrysalis offered. "A more formal statement can wait until the day.

"Let's do that. Tops, Bruiser, can you go the barracks and talk to the guards there? Take some drones with you." Reddling looked at Chrysalis, who gave a nod, motioning for them to go with her advisers and do what was said. Reddling motioned for Nightshade to come over to him.

"Nightshade, you should go and fly to Silverfield. Bring news to Princess Luna of what has transpired here." Reddling ordered.

"...You're kidding." Nightshade balked.

"Do you want Web getting here without any way to rein her in? Luna's the only one that can keep her on a leash for certainand the sooner she's here, the better."

"All the more reason..." Nightshade let out a huge sigh. "When has splitting up ever been a good idea?"

"I can assure you, no harm will come to your friend." Chrysalis said to Nightshade.

"I'm not concerned about-- ugh." Reddling gave a shrug, looking in the room for movement.

"Do you really want to be here all alone?" Nightshade asked Reddling. the latter bit his lip, but finally gave a nod, giving in.

"Fine, fine, you're right. Let's get this over with." Reddling trotted forward, pushing open both doors. The left door swiveled for a few moments before falling off it's hinge, landing with a crash onto carpeting. Moonlight shone across the room, revealing green goo that had grown over many surfaces, and where it was absent, black obsidianesque stone instead of glorious Canterlot white.

It was a dark and filthy place, with a foul stench rising up from everything. Reddling coughed as he looked around, trying to see any movement. After the crash had finished resounding, a half dozen pairs of eyes opened up, glaring at the entrance. Each eye was bright and milky, locked on those who dared to disturb their horrifying sanctuary.

Chrysalis stepped past Reddling, moving deeper into the chamber. She did not flinch as the the Changelings with white eyes hissed at her, and stopped short of a large figure that had yet to rise off the ground. Nightshade and Reddling approached, staying behind Chrysalis and looking at the horrid thing on the floor.

Her mane was a light pink, lying flatly on her back. Her hooves were dirty, and most of her body was caked with dried changeling goo. She had her legs were bound together, and chain locks were strung through the holes in her hooves, locking her to the ground.

"Yes, I'm sure she will love talking to us like that. Can you unchain her? Get her a bath or something?" Reddling pestered Chrysalis. This is how ponies look when the church captures them.

"One thing at a time." Chrysalis began removing the bindings as she spoke, smirking down at her captive. "You have visitors, your majesty."

Reddling closed his eyes and took a few steps forward, so that he was right in front of the solar princess. Although she looked truly pitiful, he was not sure if he pitied her. When he opened his eyes, he could see Celestia looking back up at him. Her eyes were pale and nearly white, with faint traces of yellow in the irises. She simply stared up at the ponies from the floor, her wasps unmoving, but ever watchful.

"You've looked better." Reddling said to Celestia, glaring down at her.

"You-- you are! -- My sister, where is she?" Celestia's voice was quiet, almost as if she was afraid. She no longer spoke as herself, but like a Queen, with her voice baring a strange pitch and buzzing, akin to music.

"Both princesses, Cadance and Luna, are fine. They are in a small keep in northern Silverfield. It's not comfortable, but it is safe, for now."

Celestia sighed in relief. "Thank goodness--"

"Twilight Sparkle is with her." Reddling told Celestia, still staring down at her. Celestia had briefly slumped over, but picked her head up again at the mention of her student's name.

"Twilight?" Celestia asked.

"You and her are close are you not?" Reddling asked.

"Close-- yes... we were close." Celestia's voice was sad as she put thin, gnarled hooves under her body. They struggled to support her as she rose up, stumbling twice as she got to her hooves.

"You don't know who I am, do you?" Reddling asked, just a little disappointed.

"You-- you are one of my sister's guards--" Celestia stumbled again, looking more closely at the pony in front of her. Reddling stepped forward, letting the moonlight explore his features.

"How about now?" Reddling asked her.

"You-- yes, you do look familiar, somehow..."

Reddling bit his lip. "You didn't get a good look at me. I came to Equestria to kill you, and gave you a little nap while I talked with Chrysalis. I hope your nightmares weren't too awful."

"-- The wedding! That was you!" Celestia exclaimed. Her wasps all buzzed aggressively, narrowing their eyes at possible prey. They were not alone in their fury-- Reddling could feel Nightshade glaring daggers into his back, but she remained silent.

"Now now, this pony is here as an envoy from Luna. He wishes to talk. things-- are changing." Chrysalis obviously seemed to be delighted in the conversation almost as much as Reddling was-- it was not everyday that one got to talk down to somepony who had kept their kind in virtual poverty for a millennia.

"Web Weaver. You know about her, maybe? She's on her way here, and when she arrives, there won't be any mercy. If you can walk, please get up. You won't be safe unless you're with a bat pony." Reddling did not bother to offer Celestia help as she finally stood up. her form was frail and weak, like she had not eaten since she had been taken captive. Celestia gave a nod to Chrysalis, Nightshade, and Reddling, making her way towards the door with her wasps following her.

"Chrysalis, is it safe for her drones to be coming along?" Reddling asked. I wonder if they were ponies at one point? This mess is never going to be totally cleaned up...

"Let them come..." Celestia's voice was bleak.

"If they get out of control, I will cut them down. We need to get the castle ready for Web and your sister. You're supposed to be wise, what can we do to make the palace look welcoming?" Reddling asked Celestia.

"My sister? She is coming here? Celestia said, both excitedly and fearfully.

"Yes. it will take some time, but she will be able to restore your... your figure. All it takes now is time-- that, and ensuring you aren't assassinated before Luna arrives."

"My-- she can?" Celestia stumbled a bit in her excitement. "Ah-- Luna...

Reddling was far less excited. "Queen-- Princess, whatever, Celestia, please stay focused."

"--Perhaps we can continue this conversation somewhere more comfortable? there is a table setup in the throne room, if you would." Chrysails said, turning and looking at the talking behind her. One of her drones gave a quick and nervous nod, trotting off hastily back towards the throne room.

"Web could be here at any moment. She's bringing two other assassins with her. Are there any safeguards we could put in place to keep you safe, Celestia?" Reddling asked.

"Yes-- of course! The captain of the guard can raise shields around Canterlot. If nothing else, that will keep them out."

"I don't think-- that is going to work. Shining Armor isn't here right now. Are there any other safeguards?" Reddling asked.

Celestia frowned. "Aside from the conventional guard, there are the elements, but we will need to call upon Twilight and her friends, and this doesn't seem an appropriate use of them by far."

"You have to be kidding me. You don't have any safeguards here then, do you?" Reddling said angrily.

"I don't-- without knowing what has happened, I can't-- I don't know." Celestia looked at the ground as they trotted towards the throne room.

"You know, I'm her to help, but I almost feel like Equestria deserves to have Changelings running the show." Reddling snarled and slid his sunglasses on as he stepped into the brightly lit throne room with Nightshade and Celestia. Even the latter and her wasps were dazed by the lights. Celestia tripped, falling over and landing on the short steps leading up to the throne room.

"What is wrong with you?" Reddling asked her bitterly.

"Look at me." Celestia responded weakly, struggling to get up.

"You clearly need a bath. Otherwise, you look fine. Chrysalis, make sure all these lights stay on. Web cannot sneak in without shadows." Reddling rounded on Celestia, Nightshade staying at his side as Chrysalis trotted freely into the throne room.

"I am tired, hungry, exhausted. I have been locked away for who knows how long, left to languish. What-- what do you expect of me?"

Reddling thought about that for a few moments. Slowly, he stepped forward and put his hoof on Celestia's chin, forcing her to look up at him for his answer. Celestia could have made so many things better in Silverfield, or even Equestria. Her ineptitude over centuries destroyed former allies, and left her country woefully weak so that it could be exploited. Undue hardships plagued the land, and Reddling reasoned that if it was not for a decree of some forced facade, Equestria would be as desolate as Silverfield. Reddling knew what he expected. " I expect you to get up the stairs. We have a lot of things to talk about.

There was a clap as Nightshade's hoof smacked the back of Reddling's head. he stumbled, letting go of Celestia and doing his best to not trip and fall down the stairs.

"Show some respect." Nightshade cursed and glared at Reddling as she put on her own sunglasses and stepped into the bright throne room.

"She's not my princess." Reddling said, cursing at Celestia.

"I can't believe you." She rolled her eyes. "And, you're not my friend. I should have left you to those ponies in Silverfield."

"Celestia is the reason that those ponies were there in the first place! If it wasn't for ponies like you-- we wouldn't even be here now."

"Shut up." Nightshade said pointedly, trotting over to Celestia and very hesitantly offering a helping hoof. Reddling simply stared at them, stunned and without a comeback. Celestia and Nightshade managed into the throne room, leaving Reddling to bring up the rear.

Inside the throne room, Chrysalis's advisers and several drones were posted all around the room. Chrysalis motioned for the drones to leave her, and they exited out the doors, closing them and disappearing so that it was only the two bat ponies, Celestia, Chrysalis, and her advisers in the room. A bright table had been laid out with many fruits in baskets, a cold juxtaposition to the situation at present.

Nightshade helped Princess Celestia take a seat before disengaging, noticeably shivering as she took her own seat one chair removed from her. Redding took a seat as well and looked around the room. This place was-- very open. they would need to board up the windows if they wanted to stay here, or post a guard to watch every single exit-- which with all the windows and doors, was a lot of entryways.

Reddling didn't touch the fruit, watching as Chrysalis cleared her throat and began to speak. "Your sister has discovered a-- weapon of sorts. With it, she would be able to completely incapacitate us, for that reason, we can no longer stay here. Consider this whole ordeal over."

Celestia looked up, quite surprised as Chrysalis continued, "If Luna decides to use her weapon we will be helpless. We cannot defend Canterlot. We have no choice but to leave. We'll be making preparations to leave as soon as possible."

"Won't running away just set the stage for future conflicts?" Reddling asked.

"Equestria knows of our presence. They have the assistance of moth ponies. It is closed to us, and will remain so for a very long time. Any future conflicts won't be with Equestria." Chrysalis ' was struggling to get the words out-- all of her conquest had been snatched away in an instant-- and yet, there was no clear winner or loser. So much pointless conflict and she was just going to-- leave?

"Then we haven't changed anything." Reddling slammed a hoof on the table, leaning across it and staring in disbelief at Chrysalis. "A bunch of ponies and changelings have all suffered for absolutely nothing. That's so senseless!"

"Life is senseless. We work to make our lives better. When things fall down around us, we regroup and rebuild." Chrysalis was dry about her truth.

"... after everything you've done, you are just going to walk away, without consequences?" Princess Celestia said, looking out from under her pink mane and glaring daggers across the room.

Reddling paused for a few moments, then turned to Chrysalis. "Life is never senseless. You're as much a guest here as you are a prisoner. I can just as easily let those bats storm this place as I can stand them down. You're not leaving, Chrysalis."

"And what would happen if I stay then? Would you turn me over to Luna? I may as well let you kill me now." Chrysalis smirked, glaring right back at Celestia. "Whatever consequences she would dole out would result in my death, and the death of my hive."

"Princess Luna is not like you. Genocide and mass enslavement aren't solutions, they're symptoms of a problem. You aren't going to leave, you're going to have to stay." Reddling stood up, pushing his chair back and standing ready. Celestia had risen up from her chair and was barely leaning over the table, almost snarling at Chrysalis.

"You aren't leaving you-- you monster." Celestia gasped, struggling to stay upright.

"I'm afraid you really don't have a say in this." Chrysalis mocked.

"Sit down, Celestia." Reddling said, watching as she jumped to her hooves. even in her weakened state, she was still ready to be defiant to the end. "Chrysalis will knock you over with two hooves tied behind her back right now."

"Listen to your sister's guard." Chrysalis chided at Celestia, before turning to Reddling. "Do you know anything about the creatures your Princess is employing?"

"Only what you've confirmed. Silverfield is the most xenophobic country in the world and they love to send monster hunters out. These creatures-- I've never heard of them-- so they have evaded all patrols for some time if only Changeling lore knows about them. It has me very puzzled."

"So you know nothing." Chrysalis smirked. "Imagine an Equestria ruled over by Changelings. Changelings working the fields, changelings working the mines, hauling lumber and all the menial labor. We want to see the ponies fat and happy. Free to flourish, free from worry, free to pursue whatever their heart desires. Equestria would have been something wonderful--"

"But moth ponies, they are beasts without motivation. Without drive or purpose. They laze about and contribute nothing, hanging on like leeches. If Equestria was ruled by them-- as it may be, one day-- it would fall to squalor. There is only one thing that rouses these monsters, and it is their hate for us. They would go to any length to spite us, and destroy us."

Chrysalis turned to Celestia briefly at the end, adding, "And your sister has employed them to hunt us down."

I wonder what Changelings did to make these creatures hate them so much. Reddling thought.  Opening his mouth to talk, Reddling leaned over the table again, "These creatures are not what matters. What matters is the fate of Changelings. You've left out an interesting clause so far in all this.  Your hive carries out orders on your behalf, but we cannot hold them accountable for your actions. Drones are free to choose another hive, or even live hiveless. You are not as important as you think you are, and we aren't dooming many, if any, by cutting you down. You can try to run-- and don't worry, we will stop you-- or you can stay and hope that the Princesses have some mercy on you."

Reddling turned to Celestia, questioning, "What are your plans to punish them?"

"After everything she's done-- it's-- I cannot forgive her." Celestia said. "She-- she deserves death."

Maybe I need to leave after this is all said and done. Celestia is liable to hang me. Reddling shook his head. I should have killed you at the wedding, Celestia. You're not any better than Chrysalis-- hell, you two even look the same.

"It seems we are at an impasse." Chrysalis waved a hoof to the room.

"Then I guess that we'll wait for Web to roll in here. Her favorite past-time is playing with food." Redding said.

"Yes, I am sure-- if you're excuse me, I have something I really must see too." Chrysalis froze, tracing her eyes to Reddling. he had produced Ausfall from under his coat, simultaneously revealing many rows of throwing knives vested onto his sides.

"You should really sit down." Reddling said quietly, playing with his knife as Chrysalis took a few steps away. Reddling gave a small glance over at Nightshade, hoping she was ready for what was about to happen. Nightshade gave a little nod, a hoof resting on her sword and an unhappy expression on her face. But then, she was always unhappy...

Chrysalis' narrowed her eyes at her prey. While they were short and small compared to her, she and her advisers-- now with their guises dropped-- were tall and lanky, the latter two having large horns but lacking wings. Reddling knew these creatures-- he had seen one in his bloodlust back in Everfree-- and he had brutally slaughtered her.

Reddling opened his eyes, grinning at Chrysalis. "Chrysalis, I killed your third adviser personally. I ended Mantidae, and with my friends we ended Balefly. Please sit down."

"Take care of them." Chrysalis ordered to her advisers. Their horns lit up in the room, and Nightshade wasted no time in jumping onto the table. In an instant, all the lights in the room went out. Reddling quickly drew one of his throwing knives and aimed it for Chrysalis's chest. Chrysalis deflected the knife, taking a running start through a door and into one of the hallways.

Not wanting to lose track of her, Reddling ducked and slid under the table to follow her, a magical ball of green fire smacking into the table and setting it ablaze. Reddling was almost in the hallway when he felt another searing pain on his side, his armor growing heated and part of his longcoat simply evaporating into the flame. Nightshade had her blade out and was clashing with the advisers, dodging their flames and firing back some of her own.

A beam of golden light passed over Reddling's shoulder, illuminating the castle for a few brief moments. Celestia had fired one shot at Chrysalis as she took flight into the hallways. The shot missed by a mile, striking out a window and firing somewhere into the castle courtyard. Celestia slumped over into her chair, utterly spent.

"Nightshade, c'mon, we have to kill her!" Reddling yelled back at her before ripping off down the hallway, chasing after Chrysalis. he could see fire in his own eyes as he chased Chrysalis into the catacombs below the castle-- Celestia had lit her garden outside on fire, and the flames from the advisers and Nightshade were melting expensive tapestries and rugs in the throne room.

None of that mattered in a few moments, however. Reddling could see Chrysalis escaping into the shadows, slipping away into the darkness. The world twisted and moved, and then Reddling could feel the breath knocked out of his chest as a puddle of shadows jumped up from the ground. The familiar feeling of shadowstepping overtook him as he landed in the catacombs, not but a few yards behind Chrysalis. Struggling to catch her, Reddling beat his wings furiously as he tore over the ground, trying to close the short gap that Chrysalis had. Despite how heavy changelings were, they could move quickly, and Chrysalis was able to keep her gap.

Unfortunately for Chrysalis, these catacombs were not her territory, but that of the Night Guard. Reddling tore himself off her bath and ducked to the right, sliding through a shortcut and coming out nearly right onto Chrysalis. She was only feet away now, and if he could just get her to stumble a bit, he would be on her.

"Stop, now!" Chrysalis gasped, her pace slowed as she came to a stop, rocks jutting out from the wall like sharpened spears. Ducking and rolling, Reddling passed under them and came to a stop, looking up at Chrysalis. The entire catacombs could have been lit up with that green light, and nopony would have noticed. Chrysalis had taken up all the air in the room, and was now pillaring above her attacker. Her horn glowed as orbs of green energy danced around her. Darkness swirled in and out of her figure, marking her terrible power.

Reddling kicked back his hoof and dived forward, not wasting any more time with her. Ausfall landed with a hook into the queen's shoulder, cutting a clean gash down her arm. Green blood stained the blotted landscape, cutting into the magic swirling around the place.

"I thought you wanted to-- ah--what!" Chrysalis doubled over, staring at her wound as it began to hiss and foam angrily. Ausfall had done it's job of cutting through her chitin, and Web's poison was working it's own magic now.

Reddling grabbed onto Chrysalis's mane, wrapping it up in his hoof and then puling back his blade so he could chop down on her again. Chrysalis snarled and prepared a blast of magic, but it was cut off as the second swing hit her, cutting into her other shoulder. Chrysalis pushed Reddling off, bleeding and hissing in pain.

Reddling made a few more advances, swinging with his knife and aiming to sever her leg or cut her neck open, but all were blocked by the ground cropping up and blocking Ausfall. While Ausfall had no trouble cutting through the rock, it did give Chrysalis the chance to back away.

She could stall, yes, but there was no longer anywhere for her to run. Chrysalis slumped back, feinting before lunging forward to gore her foe using her horn. Reddling dodged to the side, letting the horn hook his armor but leave him unharmed. Chrysalis fell backwards against a wall, her vigor fading as she began to slip. The two had one final clash, Chrysalis lunging forward and attempting to bite at Reddling, her envenomed fangs trying to close on anything.

She struck nothing but air. pivoting her head, she fired off another magic blast, and even though it smacked Reddling in the chest, he continued approaching her. This had to end.

"Reddling-- it is Reddling, yes? I-- I thought you were different." Chrysalis gasped. Her body was oozing from her wounds, leaking out painful blight.

"You're the one that's always the same, Chrysalis." Reddling glared down at Chrysalis as she chuckled, edging out a few more words.

"What do you think will happen if--"

In the darkness of the catacombs, Ausfall flashed once more. Chrysalis caught the blade with a hoof this time, holding it still and she lunged in for another bite. Reddling barely ripped his hoof away, feeling her fangs brush along his fur.

"if I die-- there is nothing here for my hive." Chrysalis slumped onto the wall, her energy finally spent as the green light and energy began to die. "You would damn them all. If not Luna, or the ponies of Equestria, then the moths will kill them. The two eyes met, dark emeralds mixing with grey diamonds.

"They'll be fine." Reddling promised.

Canterlot Revisited

Nightshade's Sacrifice

Reddling wasted no time in returning to Canterlot Castle's throne room. The place was dark and shaded now, with most of the lights laying broken. Chandeliers had crashed everywhere and any wealth to speak of in the room had been burned and left as ash. Chrysalis's two advisers lay across the room, their bodies torn and broken. Not far from them was a burned body-- a pony sized corpse. Reddling felt his heart stop as he ran over to it, leaning over and checking for any sign of life. It could not be.

Nightshade's breathing was ragged, and most of her fur seemed to be melted away. Reddling could barely decide if he dared move her or not-- she did not look long for the world. Any sounds she made were whimpers and cries of pain. Realizing seconds counted, Reddling laid down next to her and pulled her onto his back, hoisting her up and beginning to make for the Canterlot infirmary. Nightshade let out a cough, and some of her blood washing up on Reddling's shoulder. he closed his eyes and began moving away from the Throne room,  stopping only to toss Chrysalis' crown in front of Celestia, who looked down at it with a tired, spent face.

"It's done. This nightmare it's-- it's over." Reddling sighed, continuing to trot towards the exit with Nightshade. Celestia nodded to Nightshade, telling Reddling to get going.

"You-- fucking idiot..." Nightshade coughed, opening an eye and groaning.

"Yell at me later, save your strength for now." Reddling told her.

"Why the hell-- did you leave--" Nightshade struggled.

"I thought you were right behind me!" Reddling squeaked at her. He was halfway across the throne room now, and walking through the embers of what had once been the table.

"This hurts-- where's-- Tops?" Nightshade was too weak to be working herself up, and Reddling opted for a lie.

"I passed him in the hallway with Bruiser. They're both fine."

Reddling was almost at the door when the entire room went black. An unnatural darkness fell upon the room and there was a loud crack as some glass shattered inside the room. Reddling turned and looked over his shoulder, his bones dragging him down as he tried to imagine the threat facing them now. Reddling felt somepony bump into his obscured vision, knocking him to the ground and causing Nightshade to hit the floor with a cry of pain. Reddling smacked at the darkness as he worked his way to his hooves, glaring around for whatever had hit him. Slowly, the room came into better focus-- the room was still dark, and now, totally quiet. Celestia had fallen to the floor, and her wasps appeared to be passed out, all fallen in various twisted positions.

And there was a pony standing over what appeared to be another pony now, with their back turned. Reddling took a few steps forward, his mind twisting as he realized who had arrived. Web's ears perked up as she turned, giving a sideways glance at him. Even in this darkness, her smirk was visible under her gleaming armor. She had a medium length, sickle shaped knife in her mouth.

Reddling looked down at the victim under Web, and in the blink of an eye she had ended the helpless changeling. The knife cut with a sudden grating sound that was followed by a faint gurgle. Satisfied, Web turned to face her comrade.

"Web, get rid of this darkness." Reddling told her.

"Light a candle." Web snarked, trotting forward. Reddling glanced around, and he could see two other ponies in the room. One was wearing a suit and helping Celestia to her hooves, while another was clearing potential entry points and sealing doors with shadow magic as they went.

"I need to get Nightshade out of here, and I can't see where I'm going. She needs doctors, now." Reddling could feel panic in his voice. Web wasn't just playing around now, she was playing with others' lives-- other, bat ponys' lives.

"Doctors?" Web smirked, "And why does she need treatment, hm? Taking good care of your friends as always I see." Web trotted over to a limp figure, inspecting a shallowly breathing Nightshade. "Running off to get some suntanners because you let your little mare-friend play with fire while you-- what were you doing again?"

"She's barely a friend, nothing more. -- Can you do something for her? Anything?" Reddling nearly facehoofed himself. Of course, Web is a medic.

"Hmm, I hope she wasn't attached to all her fur, because she certainly isn't now... hehe..."

"If you can fix a broken leg in a week then you can regrow some hair. Can you treat her or not?" Reddling was beginning to lose his patience with Web.

"I'm not here to fuck around with your friend. We've put Luna's sister to bed, so now I can take care of the others--"

"You're here to take care of her now." Reddling pointed at Nightshade with hostility. "It's over Web, you're to  damn slow. Now do something you're actually good at and help Nightshade. Chrysalis is dead already, so are all her officers."

"--What...?" Web stared, not even blinking as her smirk died.

Reddling growled his words out again at her. "I walked right in through the front door and killed Chrysalis, meanwhile you did-- whatever you were doing."

Web rose to her full height, putting her at eye level with Reddling now. There was a cold and terrible look on her face as she ripped her helmet off. Reddling could practically see the ugly snarl under her face growing.

Reddling puffed himself up, flapping his wings powerful and staring right back at Web, saying, "You didn't manage to kill any of them, did you? You scratched Balefly, had to cheat to even hurt Mantidae, and didn't even put a hoof on Chrysalis. Do something you actually can do, and save her life!"

Web looked down at Nightshade and let out a sigh, shaking her head. "I'm so very sorry-- her wounds are just, too severe."

Reddling took a few steps forward at Web, one hoof ready to draw a knife out and slash her throat open, and the other reaching to pick up Nightshade.

"You stay right where you are." Web said, producing something from her armor. In her hoof was an odd tube-looking thing. Reddling couldn't find another way to describe it-- it was like a half formed J-shaped stick with a hole running from one tip and into the base of the object.

Reddling stopped, just out of swinging range of the tube thing. "Web, I need to move Nightshade. Get out of my way. We are on the same side."

Web was shaking badly, her hoof still clenched onto the weapon in her hoof as she took a step back. "Yes-- right. The same side." She put on a smile, clenching her teeth. "Do what you want, Reddling. I'm just going to-- clean up this mess."

With a heave, Nightshade was loaded once more onto Reddling's back as he began to make his way out of the throne room. Web kept her tube weapon close by, but used her knife execute the Changelings. Each slice was sickening and deliberate.

What could drive a pony to such depravity? What horrible things isolated you so the only way you can-- feel pleasure is by hurting others and destroying life? How can nothing be sacred to you? Web, gah... Reddling could not tear his gaze away as he turned towards the infirmary, watching as Web's clean cuts stopped and changed, now becoming stabs. She didn't just make it one stab into the Changelings, but it was angry, repeating stabs. Over and over she tore open the chitin, beating the chest of the drones into mush.

"You'll be fine, Nightshade." Reddling told her. Nightshade didn't respond, but he could still feel her breathing. "Tops is going to be with you at the hospital, and-- I'll be there-- you're going to be fine, I promise."

Again, Nightshade did not respond.

Nightshade's Sacrifice

A Midlight Nightmare

Midnight Tales trotted out into the evening as soon as the moon had risen and put the blasted sun to rest. Tonight he would be training alone while the other recruits had their night off. Reddling and Web would be enjoying some manner of date in Canterlot, while Nightshade and Tops had apparently arranged an evening alone as well. To the best of his knowledge, Bruiser would be going out drinking.

None of this would be for Midnight though, as he would be taking the extra training shift for his friends. He knew they needed the time off more than he did anyway-- Nightshade seemed as though the strain of this training might break her body even if her mind survived. Reddling as well-- although tougher than he looked-- was frail compared to the bigger stallions of the group. Yes, with their night off they should all return to the camp refreshed and ready to join ranks as brothers and sister once more.

Midnight stepped outside into the Twilight and approached the practice field, lowering his helmet and awaiting the arrival of Captain Lunar. Midnight felt a horrible, burning envy for Captain Lunar. He was Princess Luna's right hoof pony-- he was always at the Night Mother's side, he was always the one she turned to. Despite the envy that burned in Midnight's bosom, he knew that he could respect the Captain as well. The two of them were one and the same-- both lived only for the night.

Yes, Midnight had always been a creature of the night. He had been born into a village that worshipped Luna as the rightful ruler of Equestria, and he had studied the night ever since he was a little colt. These others-- Nightshade, Tree Tops, Bruiser, Web Weaver, Red--no, Riding Rain, they were merely adopted by the dark. I was born from it, lived in it, and given life by it. To them the night is a home, but to me it is my shrine.

Captain Lunar dropped from the sky, touching down on the field and looking at Midnight. In an instant, both had their blades drawn, and were circling each other in fighting stances.Midnight kicked his cape aside, letting it hang over one shoulder so he would be able to move freely while keeping part of his figure distorted. kicking off from the ground, both bats took to the sky and slammed blades, sparks flying out and falling earthbound. The sky became a whirlwind of clashings, but finally, Midnight got the upper hoof and managed to cleave through Lunar's armor, hooking under an obvious weakspot and dismembering the captain's swordarm. Lunar fell back in shock, slamming into the ground and looking at his bleeding stump in shock and terror.

But there was no place in the Night Guard for the weak. There was no place in the Night Guard for the dishonest. Swinging his blade in one fell swoop, Midnight ended the Captain of the Night Guard and gazed around at the empty enclave. In the distance, Midnight could see Canterlot on fire-- the horrible souls inside burning up in their own vice.

Equestria was a happy place, but it was only a hallow shell. The world simply managed to go on because of corruption. Midnight had long known there were two kinds of ponies in the world-- the ones working their hooves to dust and the others with their hooves in another one's face. But it wouldn't be that way much longer. No, his time wasn't yet, but the future was quickly coming around.

Clutching his already bloodstained sword, Midnight turned from the scene and trotted towards the dining hall. Balefly's remains were splattered against a wall behind the serving counter, bits of her brain and eyes rolling towards the ground. Midnight spared no time for the ponies as they turned around. Before Web would have a chance to stab him, he swung his blade, beheading her and leaving her body slumped over some freshly cut apples. Midnight's former companions let out a cry and jumped up from their seats, but it was already going to be too late for them. Nightshade did not have her sword free before he had vivisected her and moved on to tops, slicing both his forehooves off. Tops let out a bloodcurtling scream before being silenced by Midnight lurching forward, ripping into the stallion's exposed throat and tearing open his jugular.

Midnight let out a screech of pain as he felt a maul slam into his side, denting his armor in and spewing Tops' blood across the room as he a few feet. Bruiser had landed a blow powerful enough to take anypony off their balance, and had now raised it over his head, preparing to bring it down on Midnight's skull. Rolling to the side, Midnight swept one of his hooves at Bruiser's hind legs. The great pony fell, his maul slamming into and shattering Midnight's blade down the middle. Shards of blue metal flew in all directions as Midnight drew his blade back and stabbed it into Bruiser's eye, cutting into his brain and dropping the fighter.

Midnight ripped his half of a sword free and turned to the last pony in the room. He wasn't wearing more than a coat, and clutched his knife in his mouth shakily. Midnight gave the pony a crooked grin, showing two rows of teeth sharped like stakes.

"You know, I studied your language." Midnight said, tossing his broken blade aside and approaching Reddling. The pony lashed out to Stab at midnight, but he simply grabbed the blade, letting it sink into his hoof. Blood ran freely from his grasp as Midnight held the knife, pulling it closer to himself and grinning down at the pathetic tryhard in front of him.

"Your knife, Ausfall?" Midnight grinned, ripping the knife out of Reddling's grasp and flipping it around, holding the handle with a bloodied hoof. "It means to be a failure, you uneducated foal." Midnight rammed the blade forward, stabbing it into his foe's chest and leaving the blade lodged in Reddling's heart. Pushing the pony against the ground and leaving him to die, Midnight looked out one of the windows. it was fully nighttime now, and the world had taken on an appropriately twisted visage. Plants grew wildly, buildings succumbed to nature as they were devoured by shifting shadows and the blackness that robbed material of form.

Purely as an afterthought, Midnight lifted up his hoof and licked his own blood off it. the world was jumping and turning as incorporeal creatures threatened to swallow it up.

Just as it should be.

When the Nightmare finally faded, and the moonlight trickled under Midnight's door, he drew his sword from it's sheathe. No sooner had he taken it out than it shattered down the middle, shards falling onto the ground and leaving him with about a fourth of a blade, and that itself was cracked. The sword was destroyed beyond normal means of repair, but that didn't much matter.

He could get a new blade. he would soon, too-- but not from the Night Guard. Not until the filth had been purged and the Guard restored to it's proper glory. It's proper, and terrible, glory. Now Midnight could finally answer his true calling.

There is much work to be done, Midnight Tales. I think by the end of it we shall all learn some things about ourselves-- although it will not matter much for those who must be destroyed. Go.

A Midlight Nightmare

Re:Silverfield

The time after Nightshade arrived at the hospital was a blur to Reddling. He had stayed loyally by her side until the doctors had pulled his unconscious form away from the operating table.

When the world came back into focus, Reddling was unsure how long he had been out. He appeared to be in-- a cave of some sort. It looked much like the other bat pony homes, although with a finer bed than some others. Soft, warm linen hugged Reddling's chest and legs, some comforting gel applied to where he had possessed injuries before.

The room was less spartan than the enclave's rooms had been, and now possessed more flair befitting of a Night Guard room. On either side of the door leading away from the room were banners with Princess Luna's cutie mark on it. In two far corners of the room lamps emitting faint blue light gave the room a dimness that was enough for only bat ponies to see by. A rug on the floor was emblazoned with a large bat blue bat pony eye, which was reflected by a full body mirror that rested in a corner of the room. There were two shelves, a desk with a cushion, and a small table with two chairs for dining. A basket of fresh fruit had been put on an end table right next to Reddling's head, with a handwritten note folded in half and tucked in between two apples.

Struggling to sit up, Reddling gazed down at the end of the bed. A footlocker had most of his effects resting on it-- All of his armor, his vest of throwing knives, two night Guard knives, Ausfall, and one long Night Guard bastard sword. In the middle of the effects was what looked like a light blue sweater, the symbol of two crescent moons intersecting a black circle with another white waxing moon emblazoned in the middle.

Reddling wasn't sure if this was real or not-- bat pony dreams tended to do this-- but this dream did not seem so bad. Reddling pulled free the note and glanced it over, tracing the words over twice to make sure he understood all of them.

Dear Reddling Rain of Silverfield, Night Guard of Equestria,

We have not met properly, but I think you can call me your new boss, in a matter of speaking. I'm dictating this to you as a informal letter as that seems to be more your style of dealing with things. Firstly and above all else, allow me to be the first of the Night Guard to thank you for all you've done. Although Princess Luna is downright furious with you, this vigor will fade when she has seen her sister safe once again and life returns to normal in Canterlot.

You and all of the other recruits who stayed with us have been afforded rooms befitting of a full member of the Night Guard for your services. This full status will now entitle you to all the opportunities and privilege afforded to our guard-- Although, you took advantage of most of them already. Rather baseless seizure of property, assaults and possibly murders that were not authorized by the Night Guard, so on and so forth--

And somehow, your inability to follow even the simplest of instructions and instead follow your intuition has helped save Equestria in no small part. This said, your constant threatening of ponies almost amounts to an abuse of power, and won't be tolerated in peace time. Please ensure you control yourself, or we will do it for you.

Final note, I'm sure you are worried about your friend that was gruesomely injured in the fighting against Chrysalis-- and I commend you for beating us to the chase-- is fine. Nightshade is expected to make a full recovery, although most of her body will probably be permanently burned. Wee have done what we could to make it-- bearable for her.

Report to Captain Lunar when you have a chance, he is usually in the Canterlot Guard's barracks sorting things out there. You may report to my office at your leisure-- just ask for Equinox and he will get an appointment set up.

Signed,

Ether

P.S. Your new flankstamp is very batty, quite fitting for the work you'll be doing. You should also go visit your friend, Ward 4, Bed 5. You can take your time, I doubt she'll die today.

Reddling set the letter down and tossed what seemed to be fur covers off, trotting over hastily to the mirror and looking his body over from mane to tail. His fur covered up most of his scars, except for the one where Balefly had gored him in the chest, which would be visible at some angles.

He was not a bad looking bat, although the soft features would never make anypony first assume he was a stallion before a mare. turning himself around, Reddling stopped as he stared at his mark.  No longer was it a quill crossed with Ausfall. Now, a new mark was emblazoned on his side-- a silver crescent moon resting with it's tips pointing upwards and the curve downwards. Three drops of silver rain dripped from the underside of the curve-- one near each tip, and one near the center.

In another life, this was the part where Reddling fell onto the floor, collapsing in shock. But tonight was not that night, it was not that life. Trotting over to his effects, Reddling put on the sweater and tightened on Ausfall and his sword. Putting aside his things and opening up the footlocker, he gazed around inside. There were two coats in here-- one that looked practically ruined, and one that looked brand new. Reddling lifted up the coat, gazing over the careful stitches and skillful crafting. Knowing there was no way that the mare in Canterlot could have done this, Reddling checked the pockets, looking for some note. He did uncover a little note, which was barely more than a line in Twilight Sparkle's penmanship.

Rarity says this one is fire-proof. Thank you to you and all your friends for saving us.

Reddling donned the coat, wrapping it around himself  as he headed for the door of his home. He couldn't wait to see what his friends had been given for their efforts-- or indeed, to just see his friends at all.

He also could not stop dreading what state Nightshade must be in.

"Ward five?" Reddling asked a nurse in the hall of the Canterlot infirmary. He was amazed that there were so many wards here, but given all of the horrible magical accidents and terrifying horrors that crawled out of the depths in and around Equestria, this really should not have been too much of a shock.

The nurse gave him a little nod, motioning for him to go inside of his own accord. Reddling stepped through the door and peeked around, afraid of what gruesome injuries were on the ponies. The ward was however almost entirely empty, with shades drawn over the windows and a few ponies huddled around the fifth bed. Reddling trotted over, coming up behind Bruiser and sitting across from Tops as he weakly gazed down at what remained of Nightshade.

Most of her body was not visible under the bandages. Each of her hooves looked like they could be as gnarled as any changelings hoof, the skin rough and disfigured, the fur completely melted away. Her belly and torso were a medical mystery, for despite their apparent collapsed state she was still able to breathe. She did not appear to have a tail or a mane, and only one eye was visible under her dressings. A deep yet stunning amethyst eye surrounded by slightly charred, dead looking flesh was the only accent for the shell of a mare. Peering slightly under her, one would have been able to observe the remains of her wings-- webless, useless things that had been burnt to the bone, and were not unlike the corpse that had been in the Enclave's forest so long ago.

For many long minutes, nopony dared say anything. Nightshade did not seem to be capable of speech, or Reddling was sure she would have some choice words for him.

"Tops hasn't slept since he got here." Bruiser said quietly to Reddling.

"Nightshade-- I'm so sorry. I didn't-- I thought you were right behind me." Reddling put a hoof on the bed, looking down at her. Nightshade's eye flicked over to him. There was no way to read what kind of look he was giving her-- or indeed if she could even see him through the pain that must be blinding.

"She- She understands, Reddling." Tops said quietly. "She gets it, even if she can't say it right now."

Reddling continued to look down at his friend. "It was worth it, Nightshade. Chrysalis will never threaten Equestria again." He searched for some words of comfort to give her, but nothing came. he couldn't even be sure that Nightshade could hear him.

The four of them sat in silence for what could have been hours, simply having each other's company was comforting. When Reddling was sure that the fifth of their group would not be joining them, he finally asked the question.

"Where's Midnight?"

"At the barracks, I think." Bruiser said. "He came by earlier to pay respects, like he thought Nightshade was dead or something. The doctors think she'll pull through." Reddling glanced down at Nightshade. He'd never put much faith in doctors. Rising up, Reddling patted Bruiser on the shoulder and gave Tops a nod, leaving them with Nightshade as he set out for the barracks. Perhaps he and Midnight would have a talk-- after all, he was Nightshade's friend too. They should all be there for her.

The barracks was gloomy and in disarray. Obviously nopony had bothered to clean it lately, although with the Changelings working their magics on them this was hardly their fault. Reddling turned down a dark hallway and trotted into the Night Guard's barracks, stopping in the door to watch Midnight Tales. Midnight had two saddlebags tied to either side of his body, with all his belongings apparently contained inside them. Reddling blinked at the curious lack of adornments on Midnight Tales-- He did not appear to have his sword with him, nor did he have any of his armor.

"Midnight-- what is going on?" Reddling got his answer as shadows jumped from the ground, grabbing Midnight and stepping him through the darkness of the room.

"I'm leaving." Midnight said plainly. Reddling moved to stop Midnight from stepping through the doorway, but the latter had already shadowstepped past Reddling and was trotting down the hallway without much to say.

"Midnight-- leaving for where?" Reddling chased after him, feeling a shiver run down his spine. There was a sudden spike of palpable fear that seemed to infect the world, darkening the already gloomy surroundings.

"I'm gone." Midnight's voice was filled with purpose and yet-- empty and hallow, as if he was not really saying what he was saying. "I already resigned to Lunar."

Midnight took a few steps forward, little shadows moving up and rooting Reddling in place so he could not pursue. "Pray you do not find me again." Midnight said, and with a turn of the shadows, he vanished outside and into the night.

Reddling trotted quickly from the barracks, shuddering slightly as the chilly wind of an autumn night grabbed at his fur. Try as he might, he could not unhear Midnight's words. The gardens and grounds of Canterlot palace were silent tonight, but when the wind was quiet enough the plants all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Moving slowly past some flowers, the click of Reddling's hooves on cobblestone joined the feelings in the night. The flora of the palace had no need to worry about the problems of the world or it's inhabitants and their friends, they simply slept in the quiet of the night. He stiffened up as he continued to head for the practice fields, keeping an eye on the sky. There was another feeling out here tonight- again, among the plants. It was autumn for now, but the trees were beginning to shed their somber clothes. Many of the flowers in the garden would not survive the winter, and the cold air was nothing more than death's breath before the embrace.

Reddling shook his head, trying to push these thoughts out of his head. The night felt bad enough already without the plants adding to it. For a time, the sky was quiet, the waning moon smiling a crescent smile down at the world. Faint beams caught the steel of a carriage as it passed overhead, and Reddling stopped, standing silently among some flowers as the carriage made one full circle before moving down for a landing.

The guard that always made Reddling pity him came out first. Buzzleleaf hit the ground, instantly losing what looked like his lunch of potatoes. There was a pause, and then other ponies began exiting from the opposite side of the carriage. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor exited, Cadance's wing wrapped around her fiancé. Both softly lit their horns, keeping the lights dim as other ponies began to exit the carriage.

Luna emerged next, followed closely by a very odd guard. the mare appeared to be wearing some sort of suit, but Reddling couldn't get a good look at her face before she vanished. Twilight followed after the guard, a dark looking pony with no cutie mark bringing up the rear.

Reddling dipped his head slightly. Still no Web-

"It's not poisonous! Ugh!" Twilight stomped a hoof, looking back in the carriage.

"Maybe I like it in the carriage." Came a brash, young voice from inside the carriage. Reddling's ears perked up as he took a step forward, breaking into a quick trot towards the carriage.

"You didn't want to get into the carriage when we were leaving in the first place." Twilight retorted, sighing heavily. She looked up as Reddling drew near, but he cut her off before she could say anything.

"-You brought Rainy here? Why?" Reddling demanded, looking from her, to Cadance, to Princess Luna. "Equestria is not a safe place for a foal!"

"Hold your tongue, Reddling Rain!" Luna bellowed, causing the other ponies near her to shrink away, as if they should be ready to jump for cover. "We knew what we were doing, and will explain the situation later." Luna's voice tapered off as she turned, heading for the castle. Reddling exchanged quick glances with the other ponies before they shrugged, leaving him with the carriage containing Rainy and the still puking Buzzleleaf. A few moments passed before Rainy stuck his head out the carriage door, looking around cautiously before jumping out and running to hide under Reddling, his head sticking out from between the bat pony's forelegs.

"They kidnapped me!" Rainy declared, shaking a hoof at the Equestrians from safely behind Reddling. "Why'd you have to an entire town of ponies with you!? Can I go home now!?"

Reddling glanced down, biting his tongue. To be honest he wasn't sure what to tell Rainy right now, although it was nice to be on the same page for once- even if that page was being confused and disorientated.

"Enjoy the stay for awhile Rainy, we can't leave just yet." Reddling said quietly.

Rainy grunted his anger. "Okay fine. Where's your gang of batfuckers?" Reddling glanced down at Rainy, who glared right back up, snorting out of his nostrils.

"Not here. They should all be with Nightshade- she got hurt really badly... she almost didn't make it." Reddling mumbled. Rainy let out a little laugh, crawling out from under Reddling.

"That's karma, bitch!" Rainy said, giving Reddling a little grin. "Maybe-"

Reddling shook his head angrily, snarling at Rainy. The little colt backed up fearfully, falling backwards and landing in a sitting position. "Rainy. Stop talking, and get on my back."

"but-"

"Rainy!" Reddling almost shouted, his voice straining and cracking. The foal jumped up, scrambling to get onto his back. For a moment they both took deep breaths, and then Reddling began to trot for the castle, following along the path that Luna had been taking. Sticking to the left of the castle, Reddling soon found himself going up stairs and gaining on the group.

There were shrill shrieks in front of Reddling as the stairs turned to a landing. The shrieks turns to crying from Cadance and Twilight, with Shining Armor standing outside of the room, averting his eyes from the entire scene. Taking a deep breath, Reddling trotted past the captain, entering into the room and standing next to Luna and the crying sister in laws.

Luna and Celestia were both hugging, the room full of tears, but also some sort of happiness. Luna broke the hug, looking around the room with tears and a smile. Rainy and Reddling both let out eeps as magic grabbed them and Luna pulled them both into a quick hug. Reddling brushed himself off as soon as he was free, his heart beating quickly at all of the emotions in the room.

"Uh, should we be here?" Rainy asked, tapping Reddling's armor. Reddling shushed him, waiting for the ponies to actually talk.

"Oh sister- I- I am so glad you are alive!" Luna's voice was mingled with tears as she hugged her sister once more. "And soon we shall remove this horrible curse and you shall be well again!" There was a little push from Celestia as she broke the hug, pulling back from Luna and looking curiously at the ponies in the room.

"But- sister- I am well." Celestia said. the tears began slowing to a stop as ponies began exchanging glances. Reddling closed his eyes and trotted past Princess Luna, standing beside Celestia, the changeling queen. There was a flash of fire, and then another Changeling was in the room- Star Shine, positioning himself defensively on Celestia's other side. Luna's face was no longer full of tearful joy and instead now bore a perturbed, serious look.

"Sister, I am aware that the bugs- the Changelings- have altered your mind, and this may be hard to understand, but you need to trust me to make you better again."

"Dear Luna, I am better!" Celestia said, running a hoof along one of Star Shine's ears. "While I have been distraught for many weeks now-- If you have come here just to-- to take this away from me..."

"Take away!" Luna's voice was changing from some royal mistress to that of some child who has not gotten their way. "I'm not taking anything away from you! I'm giving you back what you have lost! Purifying you!" Star Shine gave a little hiss at Luna's last comment, the Changeling digging in as if he expected a fight.

"You aught to respect her decision, Princess Luna." Reddling said quietly. Luna shot him an angry snarl, her face filled with rage now.

"And you, you are taking her side? She is sick, disillusion! A monster! And you would have her remain this way?" Reddling took a step back from Luna, looking over the other ponies in the room. A few minutes prior this had been a room of joyful tears, and now it seemed set for yet more fighting. Luna's insults continued to pour out, rattling off every sin of the changelings. Countless dead, hundreds brain damaged, and still others- even less than pony. The Night Guard had it's honor tarnished, and the ruling class of Canterlot had been declared outlaws in a coup de tae by the now slain Changeling Queens. Shining Armor, Twilight, and Cadance all began nodding their heads in agreement.

"Enough!" Reddling said, stomping his hoof. "You're not the only ones that have suffered here! In fact, you've hardly lost anything at all!" Reddling stared at the princesses and princes in the room- it was his turn to snarl now. "It is the other ponies who have fought and died for your namesake- your protection. The true victims are those who have fought and lost for you!"

"All of your own free will." Luna retorted. "Stand aside, and I will forget you were even here tonight." Luna's face shifted suddenly from anger to one of slight confusion. Looking down, she seemed almost bemused at a tugging on her mane. Rainy walked between the two groups, looking back and Reddling then up at Luna.

"Why are you acting this way?" Rainy asked innocently. Luna blinked.

"Why, I am simply trying to return my sister to her right mind!" Luna said, regaining her regal air. "She is not herself!"

"No, she's still your sister." Rainy said, turning and looking at Celestia with a distasteful expression. Everypony began exchanging glances, unsure of what exactly was going on here.

"Well, yes, that is true, she is my sister." Luna nodded, smiling at Celestia, then down at Rainy. "But right now she needs my help, you know this."

Rainy nodded, agreeing. "You're right. Can we make Reddling better while we are at it?" Luna's face was confused again, but Reddling cracked a smile of realization at what Rainy was doing. Even if the young colt didn't understand what his words would mean, all the other ponies in the room would.

"He's an evil monster now, one of those thestrals." Rainy said.

"Bat ponies are not monsters." Luna snapped. Rainy trotted over to Reddling, grabbing his muzzle and pulling his head down so they were at eye level.

"Scary eyes that glow in the dark, forked tongue, fangs, extra amounts of fur added needlessly to odd places, demon wings, drinks blood, and scared of the light." Rainy lit his horn up as bright as he could at the end, causing Reddling to tear his face away as the lights burned into his eyes. The room filled with spots of burned vision as Rainy continued, "Your sister is less sinister than a bat pony-- if she is a pony?"

"But they can-" Luna began, looking down at Rainy in contempt. Lakewater blue eyes stared back up at her, waiting for an honest reply. "But this is not how she is meant to be!"

"-So fix things. Make her normal again and make him an earth pony." Rainy stared up at Luna determinedly. Reddling took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes and getting ready to run, should he need to do so. Rainy continued, "You turned him into a monster! but- but I still... he's still the only family I have." The little colt had tears in his eyes now. "Even though he's a horrible demon pony that flies and has monster wings and fangs he is still Reddling Rain, he's still a Silverfieldian just like me, and I was so happy when he came to visit, even if he brought other fucking vampire bats with him."

There was a long silence from Princess Luna. Her expression had become dark and stormy, her eyes lost in the dim light of the room. Celestia reached out a gnarled hoof to her sister with a plea, "Luna, please..."

Princess Luna pulled away, backing up to the door and looking at the other ponies in the room. Actual tears were ready to flow from her eyes, and her voice cracked as she began to speak. "I shall be outside- I..."

Everypony looked away as Luna trailed off, turning tail and running from the room. There was a moment of stunned silence in the tower. The royalty of the room could not seem to believe what had happened.

Feeling a large grin come over his face, Reddling rushed forward, grabbing Rainy from behind and pulling the tiny unicorn into a tight hug. Rainy let out a sudden breath as he was grabbed and pulled into a hug, but offered no resistance as the two began to smother each other in a hug.

"Rainy!" Reddling whispered, nuzzling the unicorn's cheek hard enough to elicit giggles, "That was amazing!"

"Reddling- St-stop!" Rainy pushed at Reddling playfully, "I just asked a question!"

You can tell they're related... Princess Luna had finally recovered herself and returned to her room. It had been left a horrible mess-- she assumed this was due to all the fighting,-- but by some miracle most of her worldly possessions had been spared the worst of the wear. Everything broken could be easily repaired or replaced...

Reaching under her bed, Princess Luna pulled out a large book. The leather on the book was broken, melted, or just missing in most places, and a metal plate that had been under it was covered in rust. Opening up the cover, Luna began to flip through the pages. She hadn't dared look at this book when she returned from her banishment, but the last several days had led her curiosity on. Near the back of the book, she stopped and looked at a sketch. Coloured pencils had been used to add rich colour and shaded detail to a stillframe. It was a portrait  of Princess Luna hugging a small, feminine looking pony. Cool blue hooves were wrapped around her neck in an embrace, his long grey mane falling across Luna's shoulders. The princess set the book down, crawling onto the ruins of her bed and staring at the picture. In another ten years, Rainy would surely be a mirror image.

Turning through the next few pages with magic, Luna carefully traced copies of letters that had been added to the book. Carefully detailed accounts of Silverfield's recovering economy, some minor cultists trying to stir up trouble, and general news about life filled each letter. With each letter, it seemed as though the pony had a grander and grander name- Lord, General, and finally Lord-Commander Drizzle.

Luna stole herself, staring hard at the page. Yes, she had been friends with the head of a house that was composed mostly of pegasi and unicorns who ruled over the north-western fiefs of Silverfield. Through years of marriage with other houses, they had eventually controlled most of the country- but this was all undone in the war. After the fighting had abated, Drizzle Rain took over the governance all Western Silverfield with the support of Equestria, struggling to hold a coalition of nobles together. He had been an incredible war hero, but his skills at policymaking were lackluster.

My pen pal, until like all ponies, death took him. Luna stood up, trying to hold back another round of tears. This was the way of things in her world- the young grew old and perished, and she remained forever young and forever watchful.

And now, with Celestia's transformation, was she to face this world alone for the rest of time? Civilizations rose and fell around her, and yet she was as young as the day she had first come to Equestria.

Celestia had been the same, until tonight. Perhaps she would live on- but Luna knew that was a chance she couldn't possibly take. With the overseers, the moth ponies, of Silverfield preparing to move many operations to Equestria as payment and Celestia unyielding in her ground...

I need a distraction, I need more time to make my sister come around. I have to delay things long enough for ...a change in the world. I shall do what I always do; bide.

Re:Silverfield

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A Bat Pony By Any Other Name

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The Choice

A few weeks had passed since the new recruit had transferred over to a new base just south of Canterlot. Plenty of ponies tried to pronounce the foreigner's name, but everypony with half a brain had defaulted to “Reddling,” instead of trying to pronounce things they cared very little about learning. To the rest of the base's population that did not have half of a brain, but rather a full mind capable of logical thinking, they had invented him the title of “Shrimp” for their undersized squad member.

    Reddling was not a big pony by comparison to the Equestrians that now surrounded him, and there were many mares that looked more like stallions than he did. When his size was combined with his abrasive personality and a name like "Rahding Rain," he had not become popular among his fellow soldiers. Mares avoided him completely, and stallions were only nice until they realized they were hitting on another boy.

    Being in the Equestrian defense force wasn’t something that really gave Reddling thrills. Sure, some stallions wanted to defend the Princesses, some even hoped that there would be some kind of war in another land so they could prove themselves heroes. That’s what a normal pony would want, but no one is here to read about normal ponies.

    Reddling had been specially chosen for his task. His mission was to dispatch the Princesses of Equestria, and return home a hero. Back in his homeland of Silverfield, only the church was allowed to determine what a Cutie Mark meant, and they had deemed that his was to be a mark of revenge- a golden and black oak pen laid across a stunning silver hilted blade. It'd been over a year since Reddling had left his home, and just when he felt that he might never move towards his goal, a chance presented itself in the form of a flier attached to the wall outside his barracks.

    The red pony had been quick to tear down a small blue and purple flier, stuffing it in his mouth before sulking back to his barracks and staring at it carefully when nopony else was around. For the rest of the day, Reddling had stared at the flier every time he got a break. Most of the page was filled with patriotic idioms and sayings that meant nothing to him, however the center of the flier had three lines to clearly name it's intention.

“Night Guard tryouts are tonight.

Become one of Princess Luna's personal guards.

Tryouts tonight at 10:00 PM"

    “Right...” Reddling said with a slight squeak in his high pitched voice. He brushed his purple mane away, only for the hair to drop back into place over his red coat instantly.  Bringing a hoof up to his chin, he began to ponder the thought of committing to some bizarre tryout. It was the perfect chance to stand out from the rest of the ponies here in a good way. Whether it was his accent, size, or coloring, it seemed like all of the bullies here had some reason to make him the odd pony out.

That, and the lack of Pegasus ponies in Silverfield. No one likes boring earth ponies in Equestria. Reddling rubbed his shoulders and upper back at this thought, wrapping himself in his blankets for a moment and watching as the sun outside began to sink lower. Reddling watched from under his covers as ponies streamed in, discussing their plans for the night. After some muffled words, one pony approached his bedside, looking down at him.

    “Eh, Shrimp, We’re going out drinking tonight. Wanna come along?” The pony seemed genuine enough, but Reddling only pulled back the covers and stared at him with eyes of iron.

    “No… Have a shot for me, will you?” The response was dry, but friendly enough for the pony to give an uneasy laugh and turn away.

    “Hah! Suit yourself… And will do!” The pony turned back to his friends as Reddling blinked once, thinking about how the booze here was next to piss and the company little better.

    Nightfall came too quickly for all the recruits heading outside into the shadowy night. Reddling had been the first to arrive at the field, and had been standing at attention from the moment the sun set. Strapped to his back was an ornate silver hilted knife, the only worldly possession that he considered of any value he kept on his body.

    A few unicorns lit their horns as a gaggle of ponies gathered at the field, all of them waiting for something to happen. As if some internal clock was running in his brain, a stubborn looking old earth pony arrived, standing in front of the recruits. The dub for him was "Iron Hooves", although Reddling wasn't sure if that was his actual name or simply a description of the pony's heavy  trotting. Normally Iron Hooves had an unforgiving demeanor about him, but tonight he only seemed to be tired.

He’s almost a bit reserved. He knows that most of us are not going to make the cut to be guards. Reddling thought, looking straight ahead at the figureless darkness. Suddenly there was a flash of lights as some outdoor lights came on, and the ponies all fell into three ranks, gaining dress and cover until they all looked like neat little ducks in their rows. The commander looked left then snapped to attention as a blue figure came into view, emerging straight from the shadows and staring quizzically at the ponies gathered before her. The entire cosmos of the night sky seemed to be contained within her mane as she looked at each of the potential recruits individually.

So that’s her. She’s everything the legends said- cruel, mysterious, and haunty. Reddling’s thoughts echoed as a murmur of “Princess Luna” rippled through the poorly disciplined ranks. But that’s not what gets me. It’s… the voice.

    Everypony nearly buckled as Luna’s loud voice rang in their heads, bouncing off of every nearby building, plant, or object unfortunate enough to be caught in her screech. “Soldiers of Equestria! You are here for the chance to join the Night Guard! This is a prestigious honor that is reserved to only a few. Only the best and bravest may earn the right and the burden to become one of the Night Guard!'

    Reddling stared straight ahead as he soaked up every bit of her words. Every single part of her speech reeked of evil, just as the church had told him when he was growing up.

    “Do you understand the obligations to which you are volunteering?” Luna continued, addressing the crowd, which had long since been quelled of what anypony could consider to be poor discipline, quickly nodded, giving their full fearful agreement. Reddling stared straight ahead, not moving or talking while at attention. Luna stepped back into the shadows, her eyes shining like gems as the night drew in around her like a veil.  “Commander Iron Hooves, you may begin.”

    Luna spread her long, feathery wings with a sound like air had been sliced before taking off into the night sky. It was not until she was well out of sight that the commander dropped his serious façade, taking on an almost jovial appearance. “Alright! Only the best and brightest are good enough to be in the Night Guard, and that means knowing how to fight. Pick up a training weapon and pair off, Top 20 advance!”

    There was a stampede as the recruits scrambled to grab the best practice swords, knives, or claws. Everypony wanted to grab the nicest dull iron weapon there was, since of course, these decommissioned weapons had to absolutely be the best. Reddling however, just stared at each of the recruits with little concern for their tugging or trading of weapons, picking up a nice quarterstaff in his mouth before approaching the field.

    Pairs were quickly made, and the groups began to share a little banter before the spar. A happy looking Pegasus was fast to pair up with Reddling, grinning at having found an opponent that was so much smaller than him. Reddling blinked his eyes slowly at the medium sized Pegasus, measuring up his strengths and weaknesses carefully.

He’s using a short sword, a very poor choice on his part against somepony with a staff. Reddling thought. Cocking his legs and leaning back with his rear slightly raised, Reddling held the staff in his mouth, eager for the match to begin.

    There was a shrill bursting of air before Iron Hooves called out “Standard sparring rules. Have at it!”

Your move, Pegasus, you filthy, Equestrian Pegasus.

    The pegasi leapt into the air, spreading out his wings and readying his sword for a vicious strike as he bared down on the unmoving earth pony in front of him. Reddling could almost hear him laugh as the sword began to swing in its savage arc. Unfortunately for the Pegasus, this was also the same moment that Reddling chose to move.

    Hitting his belly and rolling to the side, Reddling shifted the quarterstaff so that it was facing straight up at the pegasi. With no time to react to the lighting quick movements, the pegasi let out a painful “Unngh!” as the butt end of the staff knocked the wind right out of him. The pony crashed into the dirt at Reddling's side, already beginning to pick himself up.

No mercy, for your kind, dirtbag Equestrian. Reddling almost felt the words slip out of his mouth as he swung the quarterstaff in a full force blow onto the back of the Pegasus’s head.  There was a crack in the air as the Pegasi stumbled to the side a bit, worse for the wear but not yet down and out.  Spreading his wings and cocking his sword, the pegasi raising himself in a poorly mimicked defensive stance, slowly beginning to pace in a circle with Reddling.

    The next few moments were quite a blur for Reddling, because it seemed to happen all in one second, one blink of an eye. Planting his quarterstaff in the ground, Reddling lifted himself up on the wood and flung himself skyward, trying to land a kick in the face of his opponent. The next moment he found himself back on the ground, hooves shaking as he caught himself, the sting of the blade slapping his burning side.

    Another crack sounded, although this time it was not from wood, but bone hitting bone as the two colts headbutted each other, stumbling back. The pegasi seemed almost totally unphased, but Reddling found his head ringing, the sides of his vision shaking slightly. Neither pony wasted any time in readying their weapons before they clashed, locking fiercely. Reddling finally saw his opening as the pegasi charged again, his sword ready and his balance off.  Sidestepping and smiling as he held the quarterstaff, Reddling simply watched as the pegasus tripped. A smirk crossed the earth pony's lips as his next move came without thought.

    With another crack and a thump, the back of the quarterstaff found its mark on the back of the pegasus’s head. Falling to the ground with a small moan of pain, the fight seemed over to observers.

It’s not over, you stupid winged Equestrian. The pegasi rolled over to find the tip of the quarterstaff burying into his throat as Reddling hissed down at him in a cold tone devoid of empathy or compassion for his fellow recruit. “Surrender your weapon.”

    The pegasi looked shocked at the small earth pony now towering over him, but let his sword go with a cry. “Ah! I yield!” Reddling just kicked the sword aside, watching his defeated “comrade” sulk off the practice field. All around, other pairs were finishing their combat, only to hear the shrill whistle cutting the victor’s eardrums.

    “Still too many! Pair up!” Iron Hooves yelled out at the field. Quickly approaching Reddling this time was a unicorn, who held what seemed to be the staple Equestrian weapon- another sword.

    Despite a little magic help here and there, it did not take long before Reddling found himself rolling around in the dirt with his enemy, trying to bite or punch their horn as hooves pummeled his chest and face. Panicking, the unicorn quickly resolved to lift up a square of dirt and throw it into his grappler’s eyes.

    Blindness wasn’t a happy thing for Reddling. Although he did snarl in anger, eyesight wasn’t something he required to continue beating the horse below him into submission. The furious blitz between the two grew more and more heated until finally Reddling curled back his hoof and released it, slamming forward for the enemies head will all his might.

    The blow connected dust as Reddling felt his ribcage rock from a blow, and the two descended again into their punching and kicking fit. With both of them heaving for air, the fight at last broke off as Reddling landed a painful blow into the stomach of the unicorn, making them gasp as the wind was knocked clear out of them. Rasping for air, the unicorn laid his hooves out, ceasing to struggle and lacking the air to get anything out.

You should say you surrender.  Without hesitation, he spat in the unicorn’s eye, swinging a hoof to bash the unicorn’s horn. The unicorn managed to let out a little whimper as his eyes bugged out of their sockets. Not satisfied, Reddling rammed his hoof again into the unicorn’s horn, smiling down at the feeble cries of stop now echoing from the unicorn’s throat.

    “Do you surrender?” Reddling asked as he brought his knee up into the pony’s gut again. The unicorn nodded, curling up and coughing out his agreement. Grabbing the unicorn’s sword, Reddling tossed it into a pile with the other one he had taken, waiting for the whistle to be blown again. All around, the fights began to finish up, and it became apparent that only about 16 ponies were still in the clearing. Lining up with heads ringing and small gasps of pain, the victors stood proudly next to one another, ready for whatever came next.

    Iron Hooves was approaching now, but his demeanor had completely shifted once again. He looked nervous now as he gazed at every one of the recruits in front of him. “Good job… You’ve passed.”

    Reddling stared straight ahead, blowing some air up to push his purple mane back as the commander continued his spew. “All of you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your skills for the Princess herself, after which she will decide whether you will advance and begin training as a Night guard proper.”

    Silence fell over the group. Overhead, the full moon beamed down on the field, casting an eerie glow on everything. Shadows darted and danced between anything and everything, playing to each other the song of their kind. Undistracted, Reddling stared forward, every one of his peers standing like statues. The commander snapped his head to Reddling, gliding over the grass without a single sound as he barked at the earth pony.

    “And what are you doing here, Earth Pony? Do you think you’re good enough to make the Night Guard?” The commander’s eyes stared right at Reddling’s grey pupils, which betrayed neither emotion nor any response.

    The commander continued with a smirk, holding back what almost felt like laughter in his voice. “Look at you, miniscule Silverfield runt… we don’t need any weak little flightless, hornless dirt ponies in our ranks… why don’t you just turn around and leave? Save us all the trouble…”

    Reddling’s mouth gave an ever so slight twitch, but outwardly, no emotion showed. Below the surface of his facade however, everything was on fire, burning with violent anger and hatred.  You racists, you damned racist! One day… one day you’ll see…

    “Do you think you’re going to do what your ancestors couldn’t? Greater ponies than you have tried and failed.”

You disgusting racists. Reddling’s mouth twitched much more violently than before this time as he gazed at the commander, who seemed to now be enjoying taunting his victim. But things were changing now. Reddling could feel heads turning as the eyes of every one of his peers swept their way to him. He wasn’t sure why it hadn’t struck him before, but now it was obvious- there was not a single face unadorned with a horn, or a single side lacking a pair of wings. The lone earth pony in a crowd of other races, put on trial for a tirade of faces to silently judge in the moonlight. Reddling’s thoughts were broken as the commander snapped at him again. “Turn and go! You’re not good enough for this!”

    Finally, Reddling turned his head to stare at the commander. He no longer cared if this was a test, he was going to speak his mind freely. “I beat your unicorns, and pegasi. I’m the only earth pony here. The best of my class. If you’ve got an issue with it, breedist, feel free to pick up a practice weapon.” Every word was cold and deliberate. Each word challenging, but not threatening.

    Narrowing his eyes, the commander leaned in, “You think we’re going to let a Silverfieldian near our Princess? She’ll see right through you. Even if you do get near her, do you think you’ll beat her? You’re hopeless. Go home, Reddling. Get out.”

How can they know? There is no way for them to know! Reddling’s thoughts raced as he spat out his quickly thrown together excuse. “Why would I need to beat her? I just need to take down anypony that neighsays my ability to protect her.”

    The commander leaned back slightly, a slow, evil smile spreading across his face. “You talk in your sleep, Reddling. It’s time for you to go. Turn and leave, and we’ll let you live.” All around him, Reddling could hear the shifting of hooves. The whole world suddenly seemed much darker, the mad faces of his peers glaring at him with empty expressions.

    “You’re trying to get me to give away something, it’s not going to work.” Reddling said coolly, watching everypony he could with his eyes as they began to crowd around in a mob.

    “We already know, scum.” said the commander. Reddling raised his quarterstaff as the ponies prepared themselves to pounce. “This is your last chance. Go, and we’ll spare your life, and the life of your countryponies.”

    It was a split decision. Reddling swung the quarterstaff forward, smashing it horribly into the face of the commander, hard enough that his skull should have cracked.

    Instead the quarterstaff connected with dirt, passing right through the commander. Glaring at Reddling, as his incorporeal face continued to smile evilly. Reddling had only a moment to blink before the wraith began to fade away like a wisp of smoke.

    Reddling found himself standing in a field with his peers. Pegasi, Unicorn, and earth ponies alike were standing at attention, vacant looks on their faces with various expressions shifting through them. Fear, hate, anger, sadness, all equally impressive and deep emotions coloring the lines of the recruits standing in their line. Reddling felt himself hit the ground as he exclaimed to the grass. Across from him, Iron Hooves sat with sides wingless and forehead hornless. Next to him was Princess Luna, who had her horn aglow. Iron Hooves looked extremely uncomfortable and upset with what was going on around him, almost as if the pain of what he was witnessing went way past the physical level. Grabbing his knife with a hoof before being prepared to draw it into his mouth, Reddling stared at the commander and the other recruits, ready for a fight at any moment.

    One by one, the ponies began to react. Some turned and trotted off the field, their face the portrait of  vacancy mixed with distance, confusion, or more often sad and angry expressions. But nearby, other ponies began to snap out of the trance, lucidity returning to their eyes as they stared confusedly at the field around them. Looking at the mare closest to him, Reddling spoke quickly to her.

    “What did you see?” The mare quivered at the question for a moment, before looking forward with a determined expression. Another pony fell to his knees on all fours, looking at the ground. “My family… My mother, father, aunts, uncles, and brother, telling me to come home… I…”

Enough. Reddling thought as he stood up. “Everypony stand together, whatever is at work here is wrong and unnatural!”

    “They can’t hear you.” Iron Hooves piped in, looking at Reddling.

    Struggling to hide his inner anger while every nerve quaked with a fight or flight adrenaline, Reddling stared blankly at Iron Hooves. “Who, or what, are you, and what do you want of me?”

    “I am your commander, and I’d like you to know that you’re prepared to join the Night Guard.” Iron Hooves said matter of factly.

    “What of the others? What happened to them?” Reddling asked, slowly pulling himself up and relaxing slightly.

    “They are being tested, just as you were. They will either pass, and stay, or fail and leave.” Iron Hooves said.

    “I’m not really in the profession of leaving others behind. Give me your test, we’ll pass it, and drag the others across the finish line with us.” Reddling said, but Iron Hooves quickly ended his protest.

    “No… this is a test of wills. Of the mind. It is their test alone to pass or fail.” Reddling bit his tongue as he looked at the commander, trying to ready his next question for a few moments.

    “Nopony should have to stand alone, but so be it, this is your test. Where is the next objective?” Reddling asked, trying to keep attitude out of his voice.

    “Not my test, her test.” Iron Hooves corrected Reddling, motioning to Princess Luna. The Princess was still standing totally still, entranced in casting her spell.

    “Who is giving the test is irrelevant. You’re dodging my question.” Reddling pressed.

    Iron Hooves muttered something that Reddling could not hear about “magic” before continuing his unhappy observation of the recruits. “You’re still here, you’ve passed.”

    Letting out a sigh, Reddling finally relaxed, looking at the commander. “Forgive my skepticism, I don’t exactly trust magic to not have some hidden trick.” But I did it… ahaha, haha, I did it! I’m into the guard! I’m actually doing this… I’m so close I can taste it! Reddling laughed internally to himself as the clearing finally left nothing but lucid eyed recruits looking very confused. Most of the ponies had left, their motions mocking their bodies as if some new duty had arisen, striking some terrible insecurity in their minds.

    With a snap of her head, Luna left her trance, observing the ponies standing before her. For several minutes, nopony said anything. Sitting down with a wince of pain, Reddling rubbed his back near the spine, working on the muscles until they stopped tensing up and returned to normal. After what felt like an age, Luna finally spoke.

    “We must apologize. Such a test of the mind can be painful, painful in ways that ponies ought not to experience. But to join the Night Guard, one must be strong not just in body, but in heart, mind, and spirit.”

I’m fully commited to my goal Luna, Not even your alicorn magic will make me waiver. I cannot fail… ahaha.

    “Those of you who are left, you are worthy of joining the Night Guard. Congratulations. We would like to meet with all of you privately, then you will be transferred and admitted into the guard. You will begin your training tomorrow to be a loyal soldier of the Night. Come.” Luna turned to leave, and leaving their training weapons where they fell, the commander and other recruits all moved ahead of Reddling. The world around them seemed to blur, paths, streets, and buildings melting together until a few walls stood around them in the dimly lit Canterlot Palace.  Only six ponies remained now, those who had been deemed “Worthy’ to receive admittance to the Night Guard. Reddling did not bother to take in the hues of green, grey and blue shuffling past him as everypony settled into waiting to be called.

I don’t want to wait with these breedists… these racists. Almost as if she had read his mind, Luna motioned to Reddling.

    “We wish to speak to each of you in private, would you like to begin?” The Princess of the Night asked.

    The words rolled off of Reddlings tongue like smooth silk as he smiled. “It would be an honour, Your Highness.” Smiling at the pleasantness, she motioned for him to follow as she went into an adjacent room, every movement dignified, radiating a proper princess manner.

    Entering close behind, Reddling found himself suddenly in a dark room. Some faint light seemed to gleam from an unknown source, casting everything in a greyish dim light, something like the dusk on a night in midwinter.  Behind a desk sat the Princess, with commander Iron Hooves posted at the door.

    “First let us personally congratulate you on your success. What is your name?” Luna’s voice was coy and measured.

    “Reddling, Your Highness.”

    “We watched your performance as you sparred.  Truth be told, success in battling is not just to judge your ability to fight, but also the manner in which one fights. You were quite ruthless.” Luna betrayed nothing with her words, stating everything and a fact that could not be negotiated.

    “Show your enemies not mercy, for you shall receive none. History shows this, Your Highness.” Reddling felt his back give a twinge as he said the last part, but now was no time to rub a tense muscle.

    “Hm. What did you see in your vision?”

    For a moment, everything stood still. Reddling could never tell her exactly what he saw; it would most certainly mean death on site. But he could be abrasive and speak very generically. “Your Highness, ponies judging me. Judging my…”  Reddling turned to look at his back, and the lack of wings. “A handicap if you will, Princess. I… I was told I could not succeed, to go home,” go home, or they’d kill me… “… I refused, and- and I stood my ground. When they tried to force me to waiver, I fought back. After that, I was lucid.”

    Luna only seemed to half muse over the words that Reddling gave her before leaning forward, twirling a pen absent-mindedly for a moment before setting it back down. “Your accent… You are far from home. What has brought you to our lands?” Her voice was not hostile, and her mood did not seem to shift an inch. Even so, Reddling could not help but shiver as the temperature in the room seemed to drop below freezing point.

    “Monsters don’t discriminate. Enemies are relentless. A tirade of threats could face us any day. If trouble begins, it- it will consume Silverfield, and they cannot protect themselves.” Reddling felt his nose twitch as he forced out the next part, which was only half a lie. “I’d rather surrender myself to… an Equestrian order, than see it burn… the silver fields just burning, I think you can understand, Your Highness.” Looking up from the pen, Reddling met the eyes of his foe, trying not to betray the fear that was grinding into every one of his bones.

    Luna’s words graced the air as she slowly nodded. “Though there has been animosity between our nations in the past, such things are long past, and ought to be buried and forgotten. Perhaps you may be the one who bridges the schism of the past, and this shall be your chance to prove yourself.” Reddling almost wanted to burst into song and dance as an internal smile spread, pushing away all of the fear drilling inside of him.

    “This position carries its benefits, both in opportunities to learn and serve, as well as rewards. Though, given your heritage, I doubt you are interested in the money. For most, the salary is sent to family. Unless you have some kin in Equestria, we will have your funds saved to an account for later.” Luna continued her statement looking away for a moment before her eyes shifted to stare directly into the bitter soul of the pony before her. “I assume you understand what you are volunteering for.”

    It took no thought for Reddling to nod. “I would like a small sum to send back home, if that is possible.” Rainy… I wonder how you’re growing up? How are you doing in that old fortress? I never could seem to repair anything that well on my own.

    Reddling’s thoughts were interrupted as Luna spoke once more. “Of course, it is your money to do with as you please.” Luna slid a long paper towards the edge of the desk. “Simply sign here and we will transfer you from your current position.”

    Every bit of the paper seemed to be covered in little shelves of text, all of it in a nigh unreadable font. Most of it spelled out inconsequential jargon that made no sense to even the ponies that wrote them, but the few spots that stood out were the waivers of liabilities, transfer of duties, and definition of terms. At the very bottom was a place to sign.

I’m going to regret this, aren’t I? Reddling took the pen in his mouth and scrawled his signature across the paper, returning to an attention stance once he finished.

    “Very well then, are you ready?” Luna mused, nodding more over Reddling’s shoulder than to him.

    “Yes, Your Highness.” From the corner of Reddling’s eye, he saw the commander step back a bit as the lights went out, everything going dark. A terrible sinking twinge of panic hit Reddling as something deep inside of him cried out for him to flee this room. His heart began to beat out every single beat it could, the room dark as the deadest of winter night, a chilling black that wrapped around you endlessly like a spinning ride. It was only a few seconds before Reddling could feel the cold permeating his limbs. Maybe if he could have applied thought processes to whatever was happening, Reddling might have had a word for all of this- or at least something to calm the cold sweat rolling across his body.

    From the darkness, a hoof suddenly wrapped itself around Reddling’s neck, and a second placed itself on his head. Reddling screamed like a small filly, and while indeed his voice did not actually sound far from it, nopony heard the cry. There was a prick, like something digging itself into Reddling’s neck a he fought whatever was holding him. Spasming, kicking, screaming, and crying, he tried to fight off whatever had its vice like grip on his body.

    Everything was fading, going cold and dark, then numb. At first, only the room and physical features faded away, but then every memory seemed to be fading.

    Fighting with every ounce of energy, Reddling gave out a few more feeble kicks, all of which struck out and ached like his body had fallen asleep and gone numb. Whatever the wound was, it was sapping all of the strength out of him, draining his power like a plug pulled from a bathtub or the bottom being kicked off a barrel.

No… Don’t die, please, please don’t die. I-I don’t want to die! Reddling was crying on the floor, his body shaking as the last few feelings of being a pony drained away. The last words he heard echoed in his head before it all slipped away, the darkness stealing the world away.

"Pleasant Dreams, Reddling Rain."

…NO!

I feel… cold…

    Reddling could finally feel something again as he awoke, trying to make sense of anything. Nothing that he tried would come to mind though, and the only thing that seemed to make sense was that he was in a bed under some warm covers. Unable to come to a single better conclusion for the next best move, Reddling curled himself into a fetal position and sobbed into the pillow. Warm, hot fury was striking the fabric until it became damp, the smell of salt becoming steadily more and more potent as despite his best efforts and small stature, Reddling’s crying was more along the lines of a small filly than a colt. Everything seemed so lost and confused, nothing would make sense at all, but the salty air felt good to breath in.

    After what felt like forever, Reddling found his face dry. With a hard rasp of breath, he finally pulled himself up, but not out from under the covers to see everything. The sound of his breathing was like an echo of death rattling around the room and cutting the air before splitting the throat of its creator from the inside out. The room was small but respectable, private albeit dark. The bed was comfortable and had warm sheets, although the only window here seemed to be shut with several blinds, no light leaking through. The only glimmer of light came from a small crack in the door, where a letter had been slipped through.

    Reddling didn’t have a problem making out the shapes of everything in the dark as he pushed out of bed, crawling across the floor to the letter and fumbling with the packaging before it was opened. As he wormed across the floor, Reddling took in the scarcity of anything in the room. There were no decorations, and only a small bag that seemed to hold clothes and a knife shaped package rested against the bed. On a small table nearby was a full suit of purple Night Guard armor, but it was difficult to get a good look at it from the floor.

    With a little “ah!” of excitement, Reddling got the letter open finally, and began to scan the brief contents. The letter was written on what he was sure was the thickest parchment know to ponykind, but the fancy writing on it was par to none.

Reddling:

        Your training begins tonight, at the training field, at sunset.

        Princess Luna

    Looking outside at the light, Reddling only crawled on his belly back to his bed, picking himself off the floor and cowering back under the covers, waiting for the sun to set. Getting back into bed had given him the weirdest feeling though, like the sheets had suddenly become very uncomfortable on his back and sides. Putting the feeling out of his mind, Reddling simply tucked himself in, not caring for the echoing sounds of his breath as reasonable thought began to return with the grogginess of sleep fading. Odd hell here… is this what it feels like in hell? Did I die? No… it can’t be. Reddling reached a hoof up to grab his neck and feel the side. There was a small prick here… yes, he was quite sure that recently he’d sustained a wound here, but nothing that should have been really serious. Not ready to wrestle with what could possibly have happened, Reddling again buried his face in his pillow, breathing his own hot breath back in for a few moments before pulling up and gasping hard for fresh air.

    Reddling couldn’t help but feel a pain on his sides… how weird they felt. But they always felt weird, Silverfield doesn’t have Pegasus ponies. They always felt this way.

No! Different! A tiny voice echoed in Reddling’s mind, invoking him to only roll around in the covers, his most favorite pastime. Voices were a common part of living, but right now he was in no mood at all to have a reasonable conversation arguing against himself. After judging what must have been an hour, the voice in his head got extremely irritated, yelling at him to get out of bed and check his back already. Looking for a mirror as he jumped up, Reddling turned his head to look behind him, his hooves prepared to quell a terrible itch.

They were long and dark, crossed with blood vessels, skin, and bones. At the end, they had claws that looked like partially functional fingers of some manner. These could have been pulled out of any reasonable storybook.

What, I don’t…? Before Reddling could even give himself another thought, he felt everything go black, the sound of his body thumping the ground echoing around the room as he fell asleep once more.

Brands and Sobriquets

Brands and Sobriquets

Reddling pulled himself out of bed again, looking at the floor and scanning the vague evening sunlight that was fighting its way through the crack at the bottom of his door. Each night was rough, and they had only gotten worse since he’d arrived in Equestria. Putting another nights events out of his mind, he strapped on his armor and knife before heading outside, staring at the glaring lights through his visor. The sun was still bright and uncomfortable, but it didn’t sting like it had before.

Reddling found his way to the mess hall, carefully following the green bat who had entered just before him. The green pony seemed to be quietly admiring the food that had been put out by the earth pony, who looked sour as ever behind the counter. Reddling quickly ordered hay and mangos before taking a seat and looking back over at the counter. While the green bat looked contemplative, the earth pony seemed to be impatient and bored.

That’s the same pony that looked nervous on the first day. At least he didn’t puke. Reddling turned back to his food, munching on it and letting the scene be.. After a few more moments, the green bat sat down diagonally across from him, holding a small plate of food and staring straight at Reddling, obviously hoping to catch his eye. Reddling shivered a bit as he felt the pony’s eyes tracing over him, but did not look up to meet his comrade's gaze.

“So- you stayed?” The bat asked. Reddling simply nodded, and the pony continued. “It’s- weird- isn’t it?” The pony tried, obviously looking for some sort of conversation. Reddling sighed, realizing that the pony was not going to give up the febble attempts to make small talk.

Reddling slowly chewed a mango and swallowed, looking up at the pony. The bat across from him had emerald eyes that shone like bright little gems. His gaze was not unpleasant in the way that made Reddling on edge when he looked at Web, but there was still something odd about looking into the eyes of a bat pony.  “Not really.” Reddling replied simply, looking back down at his food and poking part of his mango.

The pony was silent for half a minute, looking at his own food before pulling his head up again, keeping his tone low while expressing every word carefully in his smooth tenor voice, “So- what had you so spooked?  If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Bad memories.” Reddling half-lied.

“I see…” The bat replied. Reddling lifted his head sharply, looking at the pony with expecting eyes, waiting for more conversation to come from him.

“Uh, I’m Tops.” Tops offered Reddling an uneasy smile.

“Reddling.” Reddling replied, quickly chewing on some hay. Three other bats entered the room, talking with each other and making their way over to the counter. Reddling quickly tried to finish some of his meal before they finished ordering. A medium blue stallion with a fierce face and a book for a cutie mark sat down next to Reddling and opened his mouth, but Reddling was already up, moving to toss the rest of his food.

“You’re not staying?” Tops asked. Reddling stopped and blinked his eyes slowly while looking at the trashcan, which was little more than a large metal bin with a sack in it.

“Uh, I’ll meet you outside.” Reddling said, shoving the food away and moving around to the entrance of the building. There was a double set of doors here, and Reddling opened both of them, but let only the outer one close, holding the inner door open out of sight as the sound of voices filled the air. For the first time, Reddling found himself thankful for his tufted ears, as he’s sure he would not have been able to hear the conversation inside without the improved hearing he now possessed.

“-finally found somepony quieter than you.” A strong voice said.

“Oh shut up. He didn’t want to talk.” Tops replied.

“Did you at least get his name?” A soft voice said. Reddling remembered that there had been one mare other than Web in their company, and guessed it was her talking. Reddling twitched his ear as they got quieter, trying to make out more of the conversation.

“Did he at least say why he was so freaked out?” The strong voice asked.

“No, I didn’t press him. Everypony has something to hide. Leave him be.” Tops said pointedly. Reddling slowly let the door close without too much noise before opening the outer doors and heading to the practice field. The sun was now nearly set, painting the sky with a dull orange and a fiery red. Reddling found his way to the soft grasses of the practice field where he curled up, shutting his eyes and letting a blank mind come over him as he waited for the others to join him. It was hard to sit on his side with his wing now, but he had found an odd sort of half leaning that seemed to make it acceptable.

When the sun had set, Reddling heard the hoofsteps of three other ponies coming. Opening his eyes, he saw Tops awkwardly flying towards the field as the other three trotted along, coming to a stop at the field and talking amongst themselves. After a moment the blue pony broke away from the group and trotted over, looking at Reddling straight in the eyes. This pony had sapphire eyes, something like a deep gem that had not been properly cut to reflect it’s true shine.

“Reddling, Yes?” The book pony asked, brutally slaughtering the name with his Equestrian pronunciation. Reddling winced before correcting him.

“Rah-ide-ing, Uh, actually, just use Reddling. Everypony else does.” Reddling said quietly, looking away from the pony.

“Apologies sir. I am Midnight Tales.”

“You don’t have to call me sir, I’m not old yet.” Reddling said, ruffling his purple mane and looking up, trying to make sure any possible grey hairs were covered. Reddling looked back at Midnight Tales and smiled weakly. “Uh, good to meet you.”

The words came out false and distant, almost like he was distracted. Midnight didn’t make a point of it if he noticed, but returned the smile. “Riding, then.” Midnight said, pronouncing the name as closely as Equestrian syllables allowed him too.  Midnight turned away to the practice fields and was almost instantly replaced by a large grey stallion with a hammer on his thigh.

“Reddling eh? I guess ‘cause you’re red?” The pony seemed serious about his question, despite a small smile on his face suggesting a trick.

“Sure.” Reddling said, trying to turn towards the field. The grey pony stepped with him, staying in his line of sight.

“ ‘That your real name, or did’cha pick it yourself?” he asked.

“Both would be correct.” Reddling said coolly, cursing the Equestrian race in his skull.

“I’m Bruiser. Pleased ta meet’cha.”  The grey stallion offered Reddling a hoof, which Reddling glared at with distain.

“Likewise.” Reddling snorted, forming up with the others and walking around with their little group as they did various brief stretches in their walk, warming up for practice. The mare said nothing, and seemed to be off in her own little world. While Reddling could more than respect this, he drew himself closer to her.

“You’re the only name I don’t know- Who’re you?”  Reddling could feel the own chilly false warmth in his voice this time.

“Nightshade.” The pony said, not even bothering to make eye contact. Reddling drifted away from her as Web landed at the practice field, giving the order to fall in. Practice proved to be more generic training that felt tedious at this point. Web apparently felt she couldn’t accept half of her group crashing into the ground as a “landing”, but every time they collectively crashed, there was a little bit of laughing at their equal misfortune.

At lunchtime,  Reddling found himself in the mess hall with a salad and hay sandwich. He had purposefully sat himself in the middle of the table, which worked out well since Tops and Midnight had occupied one end of the table, while Bruiser and Nightshade had occupied the other end of the table with slightly more distance than the former pair. Reddling eventually found himself edging away from Nightshade until he was right next to Tops, who smiled over at him. Across the table, Midnight drew himself up to his full sitting height and puffed out his chest.

“Reddling, you must excuse me for intruding upon your business, but I must ask… Why did you choose to join the Night Guard?” Midnight queried. Reddling groaned in his head. It was another pony who wanted to ask him these kinds of questions.

“Nothing better to do.” Reddling shrugged at the question, taking a bite of salad. Midnight’s eyes bulged a little bit as his mouth dropped.

“Nothing better to do?! How can you make light of such a glorious honor?” Midnight said indignantly.

My honor lies elsewhere. “It is a great honor to serve in the Night Guard, but in the end it is a mission with goals and standards. You must be tactful, and you must be precise. We are serving our purpose, and my life is uneventful. Thusly, I choose to be precise in this matter.” Reddling ended it with a nod to himself, quite happy with his lie as he took a mouthful of sandwich.

Midnight stood up, his face flashing a bit of anger. “It is the greatest honor, to cast away the trappings of those sun-stricken fools, and to serve as a glorious Child of the Night!”

“Midnight sit down, you’re ranting again.” Tops said, waving a hoof at him. Reddling took a moment to ponder the zealot in front of him who had still not taken his seat, despite Tops' advice.

“Where is your hometown Midnight? If that’s not so bold.” Reddling asked.

“I have none! For I forsake that when I took upon this,” Midnight spread out his wings, lifting his head up. “For the Glory of the Night!”

“Sit down and eat your food, we’re going to be late.” Tops rolled his eyes at Midnight. A soft snickering came from a corner and Reddling whipped around to see Web sitting in a corner, leaning on the back of a chair with her forehooves and watching them eat. Reddling wasn’t sure how she got there, as he was certain that she had not been in the room with them before now.

Midnight opened his mouth to rant again, but at that moment he stopped as a shriveled apple flew across the room and hit him in the side of the head. At the other end of the table Bruiser was snickering as Nightshade calmly ate her food, pretending like nothing around her was happening.

“I will not-“

“MIDNIGHT, You. Are. Ranting!” Tops yelled. Midnight gave a snort of mild anger before sitting down grumpily and working on his food. The rest of the meal was continued in silence, as Midnight said nothing and Tops himself remained silent. Although Bruiser looked up a few times for conversation, Reddling kept his eyes averted to his sandwich while Nightshade hung out in her own little world at the farthest end of the table.

When the group found themselves back at the field, Web met them with a small cheer. “Congratulations! You’re all competent fliers! Now we’re going to learn something you’re all going to be terrible at! I’m sure you’ve all noticed that bright lights really hurt. So you’re going to learn how to fight without your eyes.” Web tossed a pile of blindfolds on the ground. Everybat picked up a blindfold and attached them quickly. The blindfold was thick, and was more than useful enough to block out any ability to see anything.

“Now, you all know how bats work yes?” came Web’s voice from directly in front of them. “Use your ears! Haha!”  Reddling’s ear twitches uncomfortably as Web let out one of her high pitched giggles.

It might be best if I hold back today. If I go all out I might hurt somepony, and they’ll become scared of me. That won’t help me blend in at all. “Who’re we fighting? Each other?” Reddling said to the air in front of him. He heard another giggle and the beat of wings as Web took to the air.

“Me!” Web declared. There was a swift rush of wind near them, then Bruiser let out an angry yell. Reddling stood still, listening to everything around him. There was a flapping of wings and a roar followed by the noise of Bruiser thudding against the ground.

“Missed!” Web teased from above them. Every time she spoke, she seemed to be less focused on the training aspect and more on the game aspect of her little fun. Despite his listening, Reddling still couldn’t make out where everypony was.

“All of you call out locations! Communicate!” Reddling yelled. “Here!”

From across the training field, he heard an echo of Tops and Midnight simultaneously calling out “Here!” Reddling turned himself fully around as the beat of wings passed right by him. He heard the very familiar high-pitched giggle before the whooshing of something solid. Ducking back, Reddling felt the air in front of him part from whatever was swung. Twice more objects cut air before finally something hard and wooden smacked him in the side of the head. The world shook for a moment, little stars appearing on the blindfold.

There was another whoosh of wings as Web flew back to standing between everypony in the middle of the practice field. “As much as I like hitting you with this stick, you’re gonna have to try and figure out how to see without your eyes eventually." Reddling felt the world vibrate, his ears twitching in pain from the high pitched scream that seemed to echo off everything in the field. Nightshade screamed again, and this time he turned to her direction.

“You’re a bloody bat, use your voice!” Nightshade yelled. She let out another high pitched screech, and soon Reddling could hear the whooshing of two sets of wings. There was the sound of some scuffling, then a short whoosh of somebat falling from the sky before ending with a thud of their clumsy landing. Web let out another laugh, and everybat heard the smacking sound of her stick.

“Okay, you get it, tha- Alright, that’s enough!” There was a smack which was followed by the bang of breaking wood. Web’s voice had gone from being carefree and casual to suddenly harsh. Reddling removed his blindfold to look at the scene.

Midnight and Tops had lifted their blindfold off of one eye to check out was going on too. Web had discarded a wooden pole that lay at her side. From her face was a slowly dripping stream of blood running down her snout. Her view was dark as she glared at the body of Nightshade a few feet away, who looked dazed, an ear twitching and a blank look on her face. Reddling noted  few flecks of blood on Nightshade's hoof before Web turned towards the rest of the group, Midnight quickly replacing his blindfolds.

“So, Nightshade gets it. Give her a round of applause.” Web clopped her hooves together twice.

“What did she win, a beating?” Reddling asked, clopping his hooves only once.

“With your nifty new ears, if you squeak loud enough, you can hear echoes, good enough to ‘see’” Web said, ignoring his question as she licked the blood from her muzzle with a thin tongue. Nobat dared approach her as she strode over to Nightshade, bending down and offering her a hoof. “Good job with that. Sorry for having a little too much fun with my stick.” Nightshade wordlessly accepted the hoof, sitting up.

“Alright, we’re done. Take the night off. Practice that. Or whatever.” Web said, already wandering away from the field. Tops, Bruiser, Reddling, and Nightshade all exchanged glances, while Midnight stood at attention, staring off into the distance with his blindfold still on. Reddling went to the stands and took a seat, still exchanging looks of varied curiosity with the others.

“I’ll say it then- So, what happened?” Reddling asked.

“I couldn’t see.” Tops said as Bruiser shrugged.

“I saw her, grounded her, and hit her. Then she hit me.” Nightshade said simply. Reddling looked at each of them, then stood up, trotting away from the field.

“I suppose I’ll see you all- uh- tomorrow then? I’m going for a- a fly…” Tops looked strangely happy about that statement as he spread his wings, awkwardly flapping into the air and flying away from the compound. Bruiser caught up to Reddling’s side.

“We are dismissed? May we take off our blindfolds? Web? Web???” Midnight paced in a short circle, still at the practice field and apparently totally unaware that everypony else had left him. Nightshade had seemed to simply appear outside the mess, opening the doors and letting them clatter shut behind her with a moderate amount of banging.

“Mares, they're crazy.” Bruiser said. “I’m going to the bar, seeya around.” Reddling only glanced at his companion before continuing his trot to the eatery, looking over at Nightshade as he got inside.

“Are you alright?” Reddling asked, looking at her face. Nightshade’s left eye was beginning to swell shut, quite badly bruised. There was also a long streak running down from her ear to her chin, marking the harsh welt that Web had left on her. Even under her dirty dead-white coat, the discoloration of her skin was becoming apparent.

“Yeah.” Nightshade replied simply.

“You don’t look alright, you should go see the medic… whoever that is.” Both of them grabbed mangos and headed out the doors at the same time. Nightshade just shook her head.

“I’ll be fine.”Nightshade hissed. Turning to their respective quarters, neither exchanged any more words as the yellow moon glimmered over them.

Reddling was not sure how long it took before he wandered into the bar, but it was apparent that Bruiser had nestled himself in quite well by the time he got there. “Hey, where the hell are you!?” Bruiser yelled from his stool at the bar. Reddling sat down next to him as the faint angry sound of the earth pony hating his job greeted them.

“Hold your horses, you damn crazy bats, there’s only two of us and we’re busy.” The earth pony slammed his hooves on something in the back, which proceeded to fall with a loud crash. The earth pony cursed mildly at whatever he was fighting with in the back while Bruiser turned to look at Reddling.

“Do you have something against bats?” Reddling looked down at the counter, which was slightly grimy with blue paint peeling at the edges. “…It must be terrible to be grounded.”

The earth pony appeared at the bar, looking ragged and tired. “What can I get you?”

“Pint of Buckwater Beer.” Bruiser said. Reddling just tapped his hoof on the counter, thinking about the vodka back home and how he was sure nothing in Equestria would measure up to the burn.

“I’ll just have two shots of your cheapest vodka… Anything will do, whatever is cheap.”

The earth pony filled up a flagon that frothed with amber liquid, setting it in front of Bruiser before pouring two shots and placing them in front of Reddling.

“Start me a tab, if you don’t mind.” Reddling said to the earth pony. Bruiser made a muffled sound that seemed like a growl mixed with choking and tossed a few bits in front of both of them.

“Nah I gotcha.” Bruiser said, taking a swig of his beer. “Hell, you’ll get me back one day. Doesn’t matter.”

I don’t like owing things to Equestrians… “You here to forget something too? Or just relax?” Reddling asked. The earth pony grumbled away, muttering something about nocturnal and how much his job really did suck.

Downing a shot, Reddling yelled after him. “At least there are no sunburns in this job!”

Bruiser gave a laugh, holding up his flagon, “Leaving the past behind, I can drink to that!” he took a long swig. Reddling coughed at his empty glass, letting the pleasant burn of cheap liquor stab at his throat. Equestrian Vodka didn’t have anything on Silverfield Vodka, but Reddling was sure that was because nothing could beat homemade.

“So, what were ya? Earth Pony? Unicorn?” Bruiser said, looking over at Reddling.

Reddling almost spilled his other drink with a shaking hoof. His mouth was half way to forming the word Pegasus before he forced out another lie. Or was it a lie? Sometimes he had problems telling the difference between his lies and his truths. “Earth Pony.”

“Yeah, you can tell who’s used to the wings and who isn’t, no offense.” Bruiser said, taking another swig.

“I wasn’t prepared for any of this, I guess that shows though.” Reddling said mildly, looking down at the clear thick liquid in his shot glass.

“Hell, I gotta say though, it’s weird not having feathers.” Bruiser stretched out his wing, patting the veiny webbing with a hoof and looking at the clawed edges. “Who would be prepared for this. I mean come on! First day I walked out and damn near died.”

“What was it like, having feathery wings?” Reddling said, leaning in. This was the first time he’d had a Pegasus- or former Pegasus- alone that wasn’t laughing at his accent. His heart picked up a little as he leaned in even further, keeping himself only maybe foot away from Bruiser now.

“Huh? Well, I dunno, I never thought about it. What’s it like having legs? They’re just a part of you. You’re soundin’ like Tops there, all philosophical about that crap.” Bruiser said, staring at his beer for a moment before taking another large swig.

“Knowledge is power, my comrade.” Reddling was considerably warmer with his words now, and his cold wall had parted for a moment to gain some information from the muscular stallion drinking away next to him.

“So you wanna know what Pegasi wings are like?” Bruiser said, giving Reddling a calculating look, almost as if he was a piece of fruit that he was debating on whether to eat or not.

“Yes I would actually… like to know all about it, if you’re willing to share. I didn’t meet any pegasi before I joined the service.”

Bruiser sighed, thinking for a moment. “I guess it’s kind of like this. They’re softer and warmer. It itches if you don’t take care of ‘em, and you gotta preen every other day. You get ‘em dirty and the feathers get all ruffled and don’t lay righ- Ah! …I hope I can still walk on clouds.”

Reddling found himself leaning forward more in spite of himself. “How does it feel when air passes through them?”

“Well, that shouldn’t happen if you’re taking care of ‘em right. Feathers are airtight when they lay right.” Bruiser said.

Reddling nearly moaned, just imagining how it must feel to have wings, but covered in feathers. “I always wanted to fly, I guess this is a blessing, but maybe uh, just an adjustment for you.” Reddling found himself being nearly cordial with the stallion now, downing his second shot and staring at the room as his mind numbed over gently.

Bruiser let out a laugh, downing the rest of his beer. “Yeah, you’re sounding like Tops now. Hey Barkeep, when is the sun up?” Bruiser yelled the second statement into the back rooms.

“There’s a clock on the wall!” came and equally loud yell, followed by some unintelligible quiet cursing. The earth pony eventually appeared from the back, rubbing some glasses and setting them up for display. Bruiser looked at him and then let out a high pitched squeal. While Reddling could feel it bouncing off of all the walls, the earth pony didn’t seem to notice at all. Bruiser ordered another beer, and the night descended into pleasant easy talking. Bruiser didn’t talk much about his life before the Night Guard, and neither did Reddling, but they were able to hold a very steady debate about the finer points of rumors about the guard.

“So, I guess we’re in this for life?” Reddling said, and Bruiser shrugged.

“You can retire after some time, or something.” Bruiser grunted.

Reddling looked at his empty shot glasses. “I don’t think retirement would suit me well. Not much choice of mares in this line of work either.” Reddling had been unable to keep his mind off Web, it was as if she had occupied some part of his brain, and he did not like it. He was not one to get close to ponies, and he was not even altogether that fond of the mare. Still, whenever Web was around it was like the world became somewhat trancelike, leaving him feeling tired after she left. There was something unnatural about her, but he didn't necessarily find that to be odd or wrong. There hadn't been anything natural for a few days now.

“Least not any sane ones. Web and Nights both seem a bit batty.” Bruiser replied, wiping his mouth. “Hah, I bet we will both be too by the time we’re done here!”

“I don’t think I can fit in to that extent… Although you know, Web is nice. I like her.” Reddling lied, moving one of his glasses around idly with a hoof.

Bruiser let out a dismissive breath of air through his teeth. “None of us are here ‘cause we fit in.”

“A clique all of our own.” Reddling stood up.

“The Night Guard!” Bruiser raised his flagon to toast the statement, then looked inside it disappointedly as a single remaining drop hit the counter.

“It’s the thought that counts.” Reddling assured him. Bruiser just shrugged, putting the flagon down.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m getting out of here before day. Reddling, you ain’t half bad. Whatever the hell you did to end up here, forget about it.” Bruiser turned, moving to the door.

Reddling nodded as his brain twisted inside. “You are not half bad yourself, we’ll need to do this again with the others.”

Bruiser laughed heartily. “Can you imagine Midnight drunk?”

“Imagine Web drunk… We’d end up with some bad torture scene in here.” Reddling murmured, trying to keep his voice down.

Bruiser let out another laugh, and smacked Reddling on the back. It occurred to Reddling that Bruiser could probably hear everything he whispered just as well as any other bat around here with their enhanced hearing.

“See you tomorrow? Tonight? Ah who cares! Later!” Bruiser left the building, leaving Reddling to rub his shoulder and contemplate what an apt name Bruiser was.

A Mind and Soul

The next night Reddling felt much better. Whatever treatment he had been given seemed to be working, and while he was able to move around now, he wasn't able to do much heavy lifting. It hadn't been until he was with Bruiser hanging out near the burning corpses of drones that he was informed Web seemed to be missing. Bruiser, Tops, Nightshade, and Midnight had all noted that Web hadn't been seen anywhere. Reddling was certain that she had visited them in their sleep to heal them, but apparently she had been so quiet that none of them had awoken.

Or worse, she had just not visited them at all- still, Reddling could not reason with the insanely fast recuperation unless Web was behind it. He'd spent the night wandering around aimlessly for Web, and as the night turned to morning she still failed to up from around a corner and announce her presence to him. As uncomfortable as it would be, Reddling had finally made the excuse to his friends that he needed to give Luna a full report himself on what had happened at the wedding. Midnight and Reddling had exchanged nods before breaking company, reminding the other to continue their vow of silence for Princess Cadance.

Princess Luna was in her throne room when Reddling arrived. Her face was matted with tiredness, and her mane was not it's normal silky display of stars, but instead a chaotic, disjointed heavens that clearly needed a wash. Princess Celestia was not there, and Luna seemed to be the only one giving out orders as he approached. It was becoming harder and harder to think of Princess Luna as his enemy, and each passing day made him feel more and more like he belonged in the Night Guard... and yet, she was marked for death. What had once been a clear set goal in Reddling's mind was now cloudy and unfamiliar as he stepped forward, quickly saluting Princess Luna before speaking.

"Princess Luna- Your Highness, are you alright?" Reddling asked. Try as he did, it was impossible for him to mask the legitimate concern in his voice to himself or anypony else around that might have heard.

"We shall attend to our duties until they are completed, and there yet remains much to do." Luna said briskly, motioning for a page to carry a message away. Reddling watched the page leave before sighing, looking up carefully at the blue alicorn.

"I do not mean to irk you, but... Do you know where Web is? Nobat has seen her..." Reddling's tone was not conversational, but it was low and weak nonetheless.

"Web..." Luna said carefully, biting her lip. "She has been gone for far too long." Reddling's head snapped up as he moved forward. Twinges of angry pain shot through his nerve, but he put the anguish aside as he drew close to Luna, determinately standing his ground and waiting for more. Luna's face was twisted now into something upset and angry. She seemed to be absolutely distraught- even, depressed about whatever was on her mind.

"She is in her quarters, in the catacombs. You may not wish to visit her just yet." Luna said lowly.

"I just need to drop something off, she'll never know I was there." Reddling said placidly.

"As you wish." Luna replied. Reddling could feel her watching him as he left, rounding the corner and running as fast as he could without too much pain from his body. He wasn't sure how he'd know Web's quarters, but there was a feeling in him that drew him towards her. It was like he could smell where she was with his mind. If he was ever lost, or in danger, he could find her, and she'd make him better.

Jarring to a stop outside what he knew to be Web's quarters, Reddling blinked at them. He was quite certain Web was behind the door in front of him, but it was an oddly made cave area. Further up a small window with iron bars had been fashioned, and the door below it was barred from the outside by a heavy wood plank. If Reddling didn't know better, he'd have said it was an extra large prison cell.

"...Web?" Reddling asked, leaning against the door.

"Reddling!" Web squeaked in joy from the other side of the door. A brief sigh left his lips as he listened to Web continue, "Come in, come in. Don't mind the mess."

Reddling didn't feel convinced, and looked up at the window. "Web, why are there bars on your window?"

"To keep bad things from getting out." Web replied excitedly. Reddling blinked at the door, struck by the oddness of the situation.

"I'm not even supposed to be here, I told Princess Luna that you'd never know I was here." Reddling stood up on his hind legs and craned himself upwards, barely managing to peek through the bottom of the window. Inside Web was standing in front of a table, looking at the door and smiling toothily.

"Come in, I won't bite!" Web giggled.

"Ahw, that's no fun Web. Luna's orders- besides, I just wanted to stop by before... anyway." Reddling looked down, thoughts of home suddenly popping into his mind.

"Oh come now, since when have you followed all their stupid rules..." Web said coyly. "Besides, I've got something neat I wanted to share..."

"I have something that might require me to leave town for a few days, maybe I can see it when I get back- besides, it'll build the suspense of whatever you have to show."

"But- But it'll SPOIL!" Web whined. There was a loud crack from inside the room that made Reddling jump slightly. The sickening crack had bounced off the walls of the room and echoed through the window, sending a chill down his spine as he heard something whimper in pain.

Steeling himself, Reddling lifted the plank on the door and pushed inside, staring around at Web's chambers. It was not so different from her home at the enclave. Simple amenities lined the walls; A bed, dressers, a small sink.  There was a work table with vials, syringes, and burners laying near the sink and under several shelves of different ingredients, which seemed to line the upper part of every wall in neat rows. Had it not been for the stone floor covered with bodies Reddling could have mistaken it for her home back when he was in the mountains.

The floor of this room was littered with bits of dead drones, most of which seemed to be fresh. Web was not focused on the body parts however, and was instead staring at her fresh bug on the table, grinning as she looked it over carefully. The Changeling had had it's wings ripped out, and it's stomach was cracked open. All of it's limbs were either broken or otherwise crippled past repair with blood slowly dripping out. Leaning forward in spite of himself, Reddling stared at the various organs of the drone beating and trembling furiously.

Blinking past this, Reddling stared at three more drones who lay against the wall, their hooves shackled and restrained by various ropes. their heads were down and they were shaking, but seemed to be alive and well, if quite terrified. He blinked at them slowly. He hadn't been aware that these things felt anything, much less terror. they were just drones for a hive.

"Torture?" Reddling asked, drawing himself close. Web rubbed herself against his side idly, smiling happily as she looked down at the changeling.

"Torture?" She laughed, "No, I'm just trying to find out how these things work."

"I wasn't aware you were a biologist." Reddling said candidly, sliding away from her touch carefully. He felt his eyes shift to her spider cutie mark as she smiled at him, trotting over to a table filled with a few different colored syringes.

"They were immune to my poisons." Web said somewhat sourly before brightening up. "And we don't know much about them, so I'm playing around with them."

"Do these ones... show any emotion at all?" Reddling asked, staring around at the various corpses littering the room. He couldn't shake a slightly sick feeling gripping his stomach as Web moved back over, leaving the syringes for a second and holding Reddling's hoof.

"They've been oh so accommodating..." Web said, hugging the one strapped to the table and stroking it's head. Little whimpers of fear and pain rose up from the drone's throat as it stared at the new bat who had arrived. Reddling paid it no heed though, confirming to himself that they were just mindless drones. Surely even Equestria would not condone this otherwise.

"...Can I poke it?" Reddling asked, looking curiously at the organs. His question was equal halves of interest and repulsion as he looked at the alien biology in front of him.

"Go right ahead!" Web said gleefully. Reaching forward with the hoof that had been holding Web's hoof, Reddling gently stroked what looked like two ribs. The Changeling gave a few shudder and gasps as it whimpered pitifully.

"They're much different from ponies, but I think I've whipped something up." Web said, going back over to the syringes and then frowning. Poking around behind the table, she pulled up a vial of white liquid. The Changeling suddenly became very agitated, pulling weakly on it's binds. Reddling could see it's heart beating quicker.

Quicker in... fear? No, they can't feel fear, that's not possible. They're just drones... Reddling thought as Web drew closer, uncorking the vial. Web gave the vial a tap as she began to pour a bit of the stuff int the monster's cavity, causing an instantly horrifying reaction. The Changeling arced it's back and began to shriek in agony and terror.  Some pale smoke began to hiss from it's body as blood foamed on the organs, the body parts inside the cavity melting down and collapsing.

"And it's harmless to ponies!" Web yelled over the screams. Quickly lowering the liquid, she took a sip and gargled it in her mouth for a few seconds. Reddling stared in fascination and terror as she spat the mixture of her saliva and the white liquid into the face of the drone. It's eyes began to boil just like it's other organs, collapsing in before bursting out of it's skull with puss and smoke.

Reddling coughed, clearing his throat as he looked at the other three victims. "T-They die so quickly though... It'll be good for combat, then." Each of the chained Changelings was flinching away from the gruesome scene, keeping their heads lowered.

"Isn't this just fantastic?" Web asked, giggling and leaning against Reddling once more.

"It's pretty, I'll give it that. How long until this stuff is ready for combat use?" Reddling didn't draw away this time, but instead resolved on keeping his face covered in cold pragmatism. It wouldn't do to show disgust for Web's work in front of her.

"Soon, soon. It's not something we'll be making en mass, but maybe for a few small missions..." Web almost whispered the last bit.

"Hitpony work." Reddling whispered back. Web' beamed, looking up at him and backing away.

"Yes!" Web said eagerly. "Ah- Well, I've been having my fun for far too long... I'm sure Luna wants to know what I've found."

"She looks as thought she hasn't slept in days." Reddling said.

"Feh. She'll be fine- Reddling!" She gasped his name, pulling close to him again.

"Uh, Web!" Reddling said, giving a sarcastic half gasp to her name.

"I have to report to Luna. Would you like to finish the last three while I'm gone?" Web's eyes glinted, and even though Reddling knew that he wasn't going to enjoy this... he couldn't say no to her.

"Are you alright with that?" Reddling asked.

"Of course!" Web quickly nodded. Reddling looked at the creatures for a second before turning back to Web, holding a hoof to the side shyly. Web blinked before Reddling turned his head to the side a bit, stretching his hoof out further. With a soft "Aww" Web leaned in, embracing him for a few seconds. It was long enough for Reddling to close his eyes and feel rejuvenated. Killing the Changelings seemed easier now, as did any other daunting task that faced him.

"Now, they they've got carapaces, very strong." Web warned. "But if you break them open they can hardly move! Have fun, you four..." Web said. Reddling shut his eyes dreamily as Web pecked him on the cheek, her fangs running along his skin before she departed through the door.

Reddlng leaned back against a wall of the room that was free of corpses, staring across at his captives and biting his lip. It wasn't until Web left that he realized he had no idea what to do with the drones on the floor. Despite how against his morals this went, he had to make sure he impressed Web. These three were just animals anyway, so surely it couldn't hurt to kill them?

"Uhh... So uh, you! You first, name?" Reddling asked the center drone. It lifted it's head, looking at him with icy blue eyes.

"No- No names- just a drone." It said. The drone's voice was rough and coarse, but still buzzed with a music to accompany that of a Queen. Now the other two were sitting up, blinking at Reddling with their different coloured eyes. Red, green, and blue eyes gazed at him curiously. The last two gave him painful flashes of the queens in his eyes, staring down at him as he lost himself forever in the ocean of those eyes.

"T-There is something that I need to know." Reddling said, giving his head a shake and standing up straight. "And if you help me, I won't hurt you, too much. The most helpful one will get to live, and the rest of you... Well, I don't want to kill you, but no risk means no fun, right?" Reddling tried to laugh at the end, but it died in his throat.

"Please- please jut let us go-" the blue one asked, but Reddling waved a hoof.

"Yeah, you see, there's one issue with that. I'd be more than willing to let you scamper along, but if I'm going to let you go, you gotta do something for me first." Reddling leaned forward, staring intently at the drones. "Your queens have venom. When they bite ponies, they become like you- drones- yeah? That's all correct so far?"

"I-If they want?" The blue drone said, looking unsure.

"I need to know how to reverse the process- to un-thing yourselves into ponies... Or I need to know where I can find out." Reddling leaned back, looking at each of them as the blue one shrugged.

"I don't know." The blue one said, looking at his companions.

"Reddie, Greenie, any ideas?" Reddling said, trying to remember the layout of the caves in the back of his head as the other two drones shook their heads in disagreement. He was at least a mile from Cadance, but he didn't see why he might not be able to use her to loosen their tongues...

"Who's up for a roadtrip?" Reddling asked.

"W-What?" The blue drone asked, looking afraid as it scrunched up against the wall behind it.

"You can come with me," Reddling sighed, "and we go on a trip. Try anything, and you end up looking like the last bloke. Or, if you prefer, you can wait for Web to poke your organs. Totally up to you."

And- And you'll let us go?" The drone red asked, standing up with the other three. Each of them maintained a look of terror on their faces.

"I'll give you a chance at surviving, it depends on her mood." Reddling said, watching each of them nod their agreement. Unhooking the green Changeling from the others and grabbing a vial of liquid similar to Web's. As the other two started towards the door slowly, Reddling opened the creatures maw and popped the vial into it's mouth, emptying it.

"Silence doesn't help me." Reddling hissed. The changeling showed a look of pained shock and horror before pain split it's face. Reddling turned away, unable to watch the creature as fell to the ground and began to convulse. Grabbing the chains of the other two, Reddling began to pull them out of the room and down the hallway as the stared behind them in terror, the sounds of the green changeling's mouth overflowing with foam as it kicked and clawed at the floor in agony still echoing in each of their ears.

"Glad I'm not a bug..." Reddling said quietly when he was sure that nobat was following him.

"You-" The blue one said. "You're just like her..."

Reddling flung himself around instantly, grabbing the shoulders of the blue changeling and drawing his ornate blade, which he held to it's neck. "I am nothing like anypony you've met in Canterlot." Reddling let his full accent roll out, rolling r's and ei's for his e's. Reddling sheathed his knife again, turning and trying to drag the Changelings along again.

"You- you think we're monsters, but look at what you've done!" It cried in anger, stomping a hoof meagerly.

"I never said I wasn't a monster." Reddling said with a controlled voice. "I might be even more monstrous than you, we'll just have to see." Breathing carefully, Reddling slowly regained his composure, and looked over his shoulder again.

"So, were you always bugs? or were you ponies at one time?" Reddling asked.

"Changelings." The red one answered rather quickly.

"Changelings, okay, always changelings, or just recently?" Reddling asked.

"Why does that even matter to you?" The blue one asked indignantly.

"Because right now I hold your life in my hoof." Reddling said, then repeated, "Were you a pony at one time, or not? Either of you?"

"...No." The blue one said.

"Shame, no furry coat, no warmth of hugs..." Reddling gasped out, staring bleakly into the darkness as his eyes grew a little wet on the edges. "Unable to feel all that closeness."

Reddling jerked on the chains, leading the Changelings down into the crystal hallways that lead to Cadance, continuing his monologue, "Always sitting on the outskirts, building a hard shell on yourself and knowing it doesn't matter because you're already too callous and jaded to feel anything..." Reddling felt a muscle seize in his throat as he doubled over, staring down at the pebbles on the floor. "Wearing some jet black armor and knowing you're tearing up homes and families and lives..."

"You think we don't understand love?" The blue drone asked.

"...laughing about it, because it's a destiny." Reddling gave another hard jerk forward before he stood up, leading the drones into an empty cavern and turning on them fiercely. "How can you understand love? You're little more than a beast, and I do not understand these things." Something horrible and dark was rearing it's head in Reddling's chest now as he stared down the two drones in front of him, daring them to say something, anything. Bravely, the blue eyed drone stepped forward, standing his ground.

"How can YOU? You- pony- Who's had nothing but a glut of it your whole life! You've never known what it's like to be starving, to need to feel that warmth of something else, to be dying from it!" The blue drone stood defiantly forward as Redding drew his knife, grabbing the Changeling and hurling it against the wall.

"The hell do you know, you little dumb beast? You don't know what I went through, all those years brooding away without a single soul touching me! You're not allowed to understand these things, I won't let you!" Jerking his hoof back, Reddling quickly clasped it in both his hooves and drove the blade forward, ripping right into the eye of the blue changeling. It let out a gasp, but did not scream as it slumped back, staring blankly upward with it's unruined eye. A hard sharp breath ripped Reddling's chest as he turned and bucked it in the chest, quickly recoiling and limping forward towards the other drone while mumbling curses at the carapace.

"You... you probably know it too, huh? Know how it feels to be all, all warm, and liked!" Reddling yelled at the other drone, angrily limping forward. "With your fucking hive family, you're- you are disgusting." Forgoing the stabbing part due to his knife still sticking out of the bleeding skull of the other drone, Reddling descended on the red drone with his hooves. Kicking and punching with every bit of strength, Reddling felt his hooves hurting more than he was actually hurting the drone. Kick after kick eventually brought it down however, forcing the red drone to sink to the floor. It made no attempt to fight back, but just took each kick from Reddling as it accepted it's fate.

Gasping for air, Reddling finally fell forward, grabbing the drone and shaking it harshly against the ground. "Say something! What's your name, your anything! Tell me something, squeak! Scream! Tell me how you feel!"

"I'm..." The drone looked up with it's red eyes, looking completely pitiful before covering it's head with it's gnarled hooves. "So hungry..."

Reddling felt something get stuck inside his chest as he looked down. The dead corpses in the hallway, the fear, the understanding of something that even he could not grap had all become too much. A rough squeak escaped his chest as he tried to bring himself around. A hard lump was stuck in his chest, applying pressure through his neck and skull until he thought it must pop. Reddling felt the room swirl as a vision of every drone and soldier he slashed down flashed in front of his eyes. Each one of them crying in agony, all the way down to the green Changeling. But it was the last one he killed, the blue one, who broke it all. He had not blinked an eye, and not surrendered. Even though he knew he would die, the blue eyed changeling made one last brave stand, and did not even scream as Reddling murdered him. Droplets hung dryly to Reddling's eyes as he his eyes begin to burn. Tears were now soaking into his fur, leaving it a little wet as his face grew flushed with the heat of blood rushing to his neck and head.

"Stop it, don't say things like that." Wrapping the changeling in front of him in his arms, Reddling gingerly forced it into an embrace. His voice had been weak and strangled, but Reddling had managed to get all the words out. Even though Reddling did not hold the embrace for long, there was enough time for the changeling to flail around beneath him. Despite the chains and ropes on it's body, the drone clumsily managed to wrap it's hooves around Reddling's neck to return the embrace

Although he had never felt it before, Reddling was quite certain this was how Changelings fed. There was a foreign feeling inside his chest rising up to his throat; something that was warm and happy, with a radiation that seemed to uplift every organ it touched, making them hammer blood faster and breathe air quicker. Reddling had a strong urge to grab his chest and hold the feeling there forever, but almost as soon as it had risen, he could feel it being leeched out of him. It was not a quick movement away from his body, but a slow and subtle draining of the feelings as the radiation's light dimmed. Even though Reddling had no name for the feeling, it had been oddly pleasant while it was in his chest, and it was quite distressing to have it taken away.

Pulling back, Reddling found his legs were no long steady. His limbs gave way and he collapsed backwards, leaving the Changeling to slowly rise up in it's chains and look down at him. struggling up to his hooves, Reddling grabbed his knife from the dead drone and cleaned off his knife before sheathing it. Twice he felt bile rise in the back of his throat, and twice Reddling bit back the need to puke everywhere in the cavern.

Giving the Changeling's chains a jerk, Reddling began to pull along the confused bug, moving with all haste towards Cadance. Reddling's mind was racing as he tried to combat the overwhelming feelings in his head. It had been hard enough to pretend these drones didn't have real feelings, but now with that sick feeling that had been inside his chest, Reddling was finding himself unable to cope. His wounds were draining all of his physical energy, and mentally he now felt totally spent.

"Why-?" The drone asked, still getting dragged along. Reddling coughed to cut it off, shaking his head quickly.

"Stop please! Don't talk to me, I can't..." Reddling said. The drone was now following much more willingly, curiously looking around the crystal caves as Reddling neared Cadance. Not missing a hoofstep, he looked up and coughed out to her, "It's the bat pony!"

"What- what do you want..." Cadance's voice was solemn and defeated, as if she couldn't believe anypony would arrive to do more than torture her further.

"Help! I need your help!" Reddling cried, dragging the Changeling into the darkness and rounding the corner to stare at the Princess of Love. She was slumped on the floor weakly, still wallowing in her despair and defeat.

"You need my help?" Cadance asked incredulously, keeping her face covered.

"Look, I don't care if you're a slug, your mind is intact," Reddling said frantically, "And its only you that can help me. Besides, it's not like you're doing anything else are you?"

"Are you all right?" Cadance started, her ears perking up a little as concern spread on her face. When she looked up and saw Reddling standing with the drone at his side, however, she froze instantly, staring at both of them.

"He won't hurt you, it's just... just a drone." Reddling said, pausing to jerk it to his side. The drone had eyes for nothing but Cadance, and was beginning to try and walk forward towards her. His gnarled hooves tugged on their chains as he tried feebly to move towards Cadance.

"What- Why did you bring it to me?" Cadance asked, leaning back.

"I didn't bring it here for you- I've been letting it feed on me..." Reddling a hoof on his chin. "It gives me a really weird high, and we've learned these thins feed on "love." Well, you are the princess of love, so fix me with your princess magics!"

Cadance looked taken aback, blinking a few times at Reddling. "I can restore harmony to love that has fallen to strife, and kindle emotions, but what do you mean, "fix you?"

"This thing!" Reddling cried angrily, jerking the drone forward and causing it to fall over onto the ground with a thump. "These creatures, changelings! They understand something that I don't have, and I want it. Just use your magics please, magic works like that, right?" Reddling could feel sweat running down his face as his eyes stared wildly around the blurry cave. Everything was fading away and returning brighter than usual.

"Maybe I can, but what is it that they understand that you don't?" Cadance asked. There was a bitter laugh from the drone as it stood up again, not looking at Reddling but instead at Cadance.

"Love, hah! He does not understand it, although it's inside him like all Equestrians. He has it, but does not know what it is or feels like!" The drone smirked at Reddling, running a hoof along the ground idly. The tables had now been reversed, and it was not Reddling deciding the torture of the hour anymore.

"I don't even care anymore!" Reddling said angrily. "Just fix me up, you princess of love. The church told me you can do these spells!"

Cadance simply gaze at Reddling, and then giggled. All around him, Reddling could see everything slowly falling to pieces. "How can you have never felt love?" Cadance asked.

"It makes you sick inside, gooey like a melted marshmellow. It stings you, it does dumb things!" Reddling hissed angrily.

"Is that something you read?" Cadance asked. "Love?"

"No, a sick thing. You can fix it, right?" Reddling dropped onto his knees, staring at the ground as Cadance licked her upper lip, debating her words.

"I cannot simply force you to feel love for something," Cadance said. "If there is a some spark, mutual between you and another, perhaps I could. But- I fear what my powers will do when I am like this."

At that moment, Reddling felt the drone tap his shoulder. Looking up angrily, Reddling let out a whinny "What!?"

"She is a Queen?" The drone asked. His face was covered in confusion, unsure of what to make of the other changeling in the room.

"No- No, I'm not!" Cadance said hastily.

"Look, Princess Cadance, thing," Reddling growled, ignoring the drone. Cadance took a sharp intake of breath, clearly stung by the comment. "I just want you to make me better. Either make me understand, or take it all away. Rip the sickness out, and I'll go on my way..."

There was a pause as the two of them stared at each other, neither of them moving. Finally, Reddling continued in his frantic tone, "When I joined the guard I was cold and didn't have any inhibitions. Now, I'm offering you a chance to prove you can still do magic, and I'm going to get better. We all get something, please?"

Cadance shook her head sadly at the pony before her. Reddling knew he probably looked like he was about to have a heart attack, the shaking of the dizzy world did not do much to persuade him otherwise. "I fear what my powers would do when I am like this," Cadance said. "What if my magic has been corrupted the same as my body? What if it does not work, and I drain you dry as the other did with my poor Shining Armor..." She blinked, her eyes shimmering for a moment, "If you can find some way to restore me, I would gladly do what you wish."

"Okay, okay fine, you two, stay here- and I'll go find something!" Reddling dropped the chains to the drone, backing up slowly. The drone instantly ran forward, pulling against Reddling and rushing to Cadance's side. The Princess let out a start of fear as the Changeling reached her side. There was not time to bat an eye before her face shifted to shock at seeing the drone nuzzle up against her. Her face was now one of confusion as she looked back up at Reddling.

"...What?" Cadance asked.

"See, why does it get to do that? I want that. It isn't fair. It's mindless, I know it is, I just killed the other two and I should have killed that one!" Reddling ranted, pulling back into the shadows.

"...I can feel it, it loves me," Cadance said. "Please, you have to find some way to fix this." Reddling turned without another word, running from the place as fast as he could. Odd shapes twirled around the edge of his vision as he reached the edge of the crystal caves, exiting into the underbelly of Canterlot. It was here that his hooves finally gave out and allowed him to fall on his side, staring at the dead city under the white stones. In the distance, large pillars of smoke could be made out. Reddling blinked at the thought of all those bodies burning together, and of the two now rotting in the caves. Countless lives had been ended by Reddling's blade, and still more by his blind fury.

Forcing himself to his hooves once more, Reddling began the long hike back to the barracks, falling limply onto his bed when he arrived. The world only spun for about a minute or so before darkness took him, plunging him quickly into the catacombs of his mind.

Long, tall pillars rose out of the ground, stretching into the darkness towards a ceiling Reddling could not see. The room was cold and shadowy, with no warmth to comfort him. Looking around himself, Reddling began to wander the deserted catacombs, occasionally looking at his hooves and seeing more holes appear in them as they turned from red to a shiny black. The world swirled and forced him onto his side, bringing a buzzing noise into his ears that was felt before he actually heard it. Opening a single red bug eye, Reddling looked at the pile of other bugs laying next to him.

Slowly, his companions awoke- Tops, Midnight, Nightshade, Bruiser, they were here with him, next to the body of a tall queen smiling down at him with pink eyes. They were a happy and cuddly family, and all things were good.

Forcing himself to stand up, Reddling held up his hoof and visualized it as it should be. Along with his friends, they all shifted back into their bat pony forms. Each of them had their own mind with thoughts and opinions, even if they were dependent on their Queen.

Each of them had a will to survive and live, and anything or anyone who would threaten that had to be destroyed.

"Genocide is an acceptable strategy, isn't it?"

Queen Takes Rook

Surrender

A stone chamber greeted Reddling's eyes when he finally came too. A series of paradoxes assaulted his mind as he rose off the ground, glancing around at the room he as in. The floors here were composed of a deep purple stone that had been paved to the smoothness of a frozen lake. The walls rose up to form a dome for the ceiling of the room, light flickering from two candles held in a wrought iron holder above a single wooden door.

I really hope this purgatory or something, because this is pretty boring.

Reddling looked down at his equipment as he exited the room. He still had on Ausfall and his sword, but his coat and knives were missing. Passing into the hallway, Reddling was suddenly struck by just exactly where he must be. The hallway out here was like the ones he'd passed down on his way to kill Luna, but instead of being dark and decrepit, ruined from a thousand years of neglect, the hall was pristine and polished. Black carpets with blue lining ran down the center of the hall, covering the deep purple paving stones. Many other sleeping chambers were closed off by wooden doors, keeping any contents out of view. Here and there, above the doors usually, candles burned colourlessly in a holder on the wall.

Taking a moment to brush his bright amethyst mane back, Reddling began to trot to the left, heading towards... something. Somehow his hooves simply knew where to take him.

It's done. Luna is dead- but, does that mean? Reddling stopped in front of a tight spiral staircase, trying to scratch his last memories.

A scream echoed around the room and Reddling felt himself thrown back. Two bat ponies had pinned his hooves against the wall. They had their fangs bared, but no looks of fury covered their face. Reddling did his best to throw them off himself, but he was hopelessly pinned against the hard stone behind him. It was not until he heard the sound of of Lunar's claws snapping into place that reality all fell into place, just as it should be.

Reddling was laying on his back, two bat ponies restraining him and Lunar pointing a claw in his face. Behind Lunar lay Princess Luna, who was still in her bed, asleep and unharmed.

"Y-yes, I'll leave." Reddling whispered. I can't do it- argh- I can't kill her...

"Shining Armor, please escort him out." Lunar said, clicking his claws away. The two bat ponies released Reddling as he gave them a little shove at the touch. The world blurred by as he found himself out in the hallway once more. Reddling wasn't sure if the tunnel was shaking or if he was just wobbly on his legs.

Rainy, my home, my faith- I've failed it all.

"... What the hell happened there." Shining Armor demanded, turning on Reddling as soon as they had exited and Lunar began locking the door up again.

Reddling glared at the floor, trying to melt a hole through it with bat pony magic. "I... I am sorry to have wasted your time. I just need to... go." Reddling turned, hurrying away from Shining Armor. He hadn't just failed Silverfield- He'd also let down both Captains Lunar and Shining Armor. His breathing was heavy a he rushed past bat ponies, trying to get the images out of his mind. He could still see Ausfall shining with a light all of it's own driving into Luna. He could see her eyes popping as she grabbed at her neck and blood spilled out everywhere, running down her chest.

"L-Let's get out of here..." Reddling coughed, trying not to throw up anything.

"I'll take you somewhere you can rest, then I should get back to my watch." Shining Armor said. Reddling turned with a quick snap of his head, staring back at Shining Armor. They were both in the second level of rooms that bat ponies were occupying.

"I- I'll find a place. Thank you, really." Reddling said, shaking his head. It was hard to tell what was real and what wasn't real. had he actually killed Princess Luna?

"Are you friends with any of the others here? They might be sleeping down a hall." Shining said. Reddling nodded, instantly starting down a hall before Shining Armor had a chance to say more. Reddling wandered down the halls until he finally found a room that was empty except for two ponies. Nightshade was laying on Tops' chest, her thighs wrapped around his midsection. Reddling didn't even pay their position any heed as he fell over on the other side of the room, instantly falling into the darkness of sleep.

There was so much to sleep on and decide. He'd failed Silverfield now and could never go back, but he couldn't stay here and live a lie. When Luna was awake, he knew he would have to come clean and explain his behaviour. He likely wouldn't be forgiven, but at least his own mind could be at ease.

Reddling leaned on the wall, closing his eyes and trying to take in everything. The place he was in was just too lucid and too real to be a dream, so he surely wasn't asleep. The more he thought, the more his head hurt. Resolving to get some fresh air, Reddling continued his path up to the halls of the ruined keep.

Only it was no longer a ruined keep. The ceiling was now whole and complete, a deep purple sky splashed with whites. The floor was paved and rich tapestries of dark moonscapes hung on every wall. Stained glass decorated the windows, depicting Luna and Celestia. The entire place was not unlike the palace parts of Canterlot Castle.

Reddling stared around at the place, completely floored. Here and there bat ponies trotted around, many of them wearing their Night Guard armor. before Reddling had even finished taking everything in, a giant grey pegasus turned to him.

"HEY REDDLING" Bruiser's voice cut across the hall as he stomped over. The bulky pegasus waved a hoof from a short distance away, a big grin on his face as he continued to trot.

My name sounds almost foreign to me- hey wait- "Bruiser!" Reddling facehoofed. It was already too late. Bruiser fell flat on his face, sliding a little bit on the paved floor.

"Hah!" Bruiser rebounded amazingly fast, still grinning as he faced Reddling. "Reddling, where the hell have you been?"

If Bruiser is here, then Tops and Nightshade must be around here somewhere too... I should talk to Tops about what happened. If anypony will be understanding it's him. If anypony isn't likely to murder me on the spot, it's him. I have to clear my conscious. I refuse to live a lie.

"I had something that required my attention." Reddling said quietly. "I'm a little lost now though. Where are we?"

"Far as I can tell, asleep!" Bruiser said matter of factly.

"Asleep!" Reddling said, stomping his hoof. "As in, right, of course we're asleep."

"More of this bat magic crap. It's over my head, so I'm not going to worry about it." Bruiser whistled, looking around at the different stained glass windows. "Tops and Nightshade are probably off snogging somewhere."

Luna is probably here too... - ack, and my wings. I don't want to look like the Night Guard when I'm living a lie. Wish I had my coat to cover them.

"Ugh, gross." Reddling snorted, trying his best to look at ease. "And Midnight is with Luna I assume?"

"Haven't seen him." Bruiser brushed his mane back. "Probably still awake."

"Maybe he doesn't need sleep." Reddling offered.

"He probably thinks that. 'Oh Luna, let me shine your hooves! Seeing you safe is all the rest I need' Hah!" Bruiser did his best to mimic a Midnight Tales accent.

Midnight, what a creep. She's a Princess, not a- well, I guess she is just that, a Princess. Whatever.

"From what I know, this just comes with the territory. Ask somepony who know more about magic if you really care." Bruiser said, motioning to the area around them. Reddling gave a quick nod.

"That would be Nightshade... ugh, I doubt she'll tell me anything without being a total bitch about it." Reddling grumbled.

"Tops, Cobalt, Web, Hell, Luna probably knows best.

Luna... Reddling gave his head a little shake. "I think I just need to be alone. I have to talk to Tops real quick first though... we'll catch up later, alright?"

Bruiser gave a snort. "Good, when we can have a proper reunion party. There ain't nuthing to ear here, or worse, drink. Worst reunion party ever."

"I can't remember the last time we all sat down for drinks." Reddling said, looking down and giving his wings a little sad flap.

"Diggin' the wings though. Pegasus power, am I right? Tops has 'em too." Bruiser turned with that as Reddling bolted upright.

Pegasus power? Reddling turned, quickly trotting away from Bruiser and heading down a side hallway. He had no idea where Tops or Nightshade might be, but for the current moment, that was not what was on his mind. Slowly turning his head to the side, Reddling felt his chest give out.

Reddling couldn't be sure how long he laid on the floor crying. It could have been a lifetime for all he cared, but that wasn't what mattered. Hot, salty tears fell onto his chest as red feathers hugged all of his front, keeping his hooves folded tightly to his chest. They were less flexible than bat wings, and while this minor inconvenience perturbed Reddling, it could not penetrate the happiness radiating from his body. All of the sin and injustice of the world had simply been cut away like butter, revealing a more honest pony. The warmness of the wings surrounding him now was more than just a comfort, it was a release. These wings did not just make him whole and innocent, they granted a personal absolution.

...and yet, Reddling knew these were not his wings. Rising up with tears still in his eyes, he began to go and search for Tops and Nightshade. Personal release was one thing, but now he needed to get formal release. If his friends couldn't accept the truth, then Luna would never allow him to be absolved of his lies.

All of the halls here were decorated much like Canterlot Castle, but a dark-themed design had been used over a light one. Outside the windows the trees of Everfree Forest loomed and swayed. Sometimes they looked like faces, each one twisted into a frozen and horrifying snarl. Shadows danced between the castle and the trees, leaving Reddling hypnotized as he continued to hug himself with his wings.

It seemed like forever later when Tops and Nightshade finally fell in Reddling's sights. Tops was currently laying under Nightshade, his hooves locked around her neck a they kissed very gently. Nightshade's hooves were rubbing all over top's mane and side as she leaned on his chest.

Reddling gave a cough, looking away from the two of them. Nightshade and Tops instantly jumped to their hooves, stopping their fun activities at the sight of Reddling. Tops was a regular pegasus, but Nightshade interested Reddling far more. She had retained all of her bat features down to the fangs and ears, yet she also sported a unicorn horn.

What a freak.

"Reddling!" Tops said sheepishly. "G-Good to see you!"

"Good evening." Nightshade said, quickly adding, "Or whatever time it actually is..."

"Hm. I didn't think anything of it." Reddling mumbled. His plan to talk to his friends had seemed a lot better in theory than in practice.

"You doing alright?" Tops asked. "What happened after we split up?"

Reddling's mouth twitched. He looked around to make sure that he was alone with Tops and Nightshade before continuing. "After we split up, I finished off Mantiae. Celestia has started her own hive, so Luna's the only Princess we have left, if you will."

"Well, good job killing that queen." Tops said cheerfully, approaching Reddling's side.

"Yes, but we still have to deal with Celestia and Chrysalis. Cut one down, and two more heads pop up." Reddling continued to grumble.

"Hopefully after those two that will be the end of this." Tops nodded solemnly. Nightshade had remained quiet, her eyes locked oddly on Reddling. It was incredibly uncomfortable, like she saw right through him.

"I do not believe in genocide, Tops. It won't solve anything. There needs to be a better way that doesn't involve mass slaughter." Reddling cleared his throat, trying to sound a little stronger.

"You're right, but if it's just in the nature of those things to do horrible things like this, what's there to be done?" Tops sighed. "I don't like it either. Chrysalis seemed reasonable, but the whole thing was just a trick. How can we know what's real and what's not?"

Reddling took a step back, pulling himself away from Tops. It felt like somepony had bucked him in the side. The last words Tops had said stung very hard, as the only thought that came to mind was... like me...

"I don't..." Reddling tried, his voice clamming up.

"You alright?" Tops asked.

Reddling shook his head no. This disgrace is worse than the fear I had. The fear of being detected passed, but this failure and- and the lack of forgiveness I know I'll suffer are never going end?

"What's wrong?"Tops asked, puzzled.

"I'd prefer to talk about this where I know that no other ponies will hear me out- I just... Maybe it is best if I get this off my chest. There is an empty tower here somewhere, would you two mind listening to me for a bit?" Reddling closed his eyes, expecting to be hit or something along those lines.

"Sure." Tops said simply, beginning to trot towards Reddling. Reddling turned blindly, letting his hooves guide him, Nightshade, and Tops towards an empty tower.  The climb up the stairs seemed to take forever, like one long, endless labyrinth of stairs.

"It's a really nice castle though... I wonder if this is what it used to look like?" Tops mused, looking around the tower.

"Minus the moon stuff, I imagine this is what Silverfield might have looked like back before Equestrians destroyed it." Reddling said, his voice edged with venom. "You went there with me, you saw it."

"Equestrians did that?" Tops asked.

Reddling sighed, looking upwards at the stairs with stars in his eyes. "I guess I might as well explain. Silverfield, long ago, was destroyed by Equestrians. Your kin committed many heinous acts that they've never been forgiven for." Tops and Nightshade hurried to catch up, looking very surprised and alarmed as Reddling continued, "Destroyed homes, killed entire families. They burned, and raped, and destroyed, all because Silverfield would not do what Equestria wanted."

Reddling shook his head angrily, flapping his wings at the same time. "That castle? It was pretty once! The town? had a lot more ponies once! but because we didn't submit, we were nearly wiped out- and now... history repeats with the Changelings, granted they attacked first. It's always the same story here in Equestria."

"That's..." Tops was cut off by Nightshade as she asserted herself.

"When did that happen?" Nightshade asked.

"Many years ago." Reddling said.

"How many?" Nightshade pressured.

"I don't know, over a thousand years ago? I know it was before Nightmare Moon stuff, that's for sure." Reddling scratched his brain, trying to come up with exact dates. "I read old books, Equestria wanted to secure it's southern border. Silverfield played a part in that, but I don't know what. The church probably destroyed a lot of records."

Nightshade was silent for a few moments before asking, "A thousand years, and nothing is fixed? A thousand years, and your populations still haven't recovered?"

"There weren't a lot of ponies left okay?" Reddling said, wheeling on her as they reached the top of the tower. "The big cities only have a few hundred ponies living in them. That's- that's another thing, Our population recovery is slow. That thing you do, between the two of you, that's a damn taboo in Silverfield, bloody god damned hell..."

"Okay, sorry. Sorry!" Nightshade said. Reddling could feel her eyes watching him as he paced back and forth, his hooves clicking on the smoothed stone.

"Don't say you're sorry to me, I'm the one who is sorry." Reddling sighed, stopping his pacing and facing his two friends. "Sorry to the two of you, sorry to Midnight, Bruiser, and Web... to everypony."

If I'm going to be fail and die, I may as well at least be executed by my friends. I guess pretty soon they won't be my friends.

Tops gave Nightshade an unhappy glance, quickly returning his eyes to Reddling and stepping forward. "Why? You haven't done anything..."

"Mantiade shared something with me when you two weren't around." Reddling said, smiling just a bit. "When I approached Chrysalis at the Wedding, I used some Black Agnosia to poison Celestia. Because of that, they were able to... change her."

Tops took a step back, looking aghast. "W-Why... did you do that?"

A cruel smile cut across Reddling's face as he bowed his head. This mad grin was the deranged kind that twisted the face, unraveling to reveal something that only the closest of Silverfieldians and no Equestrian should or could know. By the time Reddling managed to get words out, he was practically manic with his speech. "So she wouldn't overhear me talking with Chrysalis, or see my salute. Before I left Silverfield, I was made a holy knight by the church. I left on a crusade. I'm not the first, you both should have enough clues to figure out why a pony like me would want to join the Night Guard; why there is no obvious reason for me to be here when I have spent my whole life hating Equestria." Reddling blinked. His smile had faded over the course of the speech and now was replaced with sadness and pain as he waited for some judgement from his friends- that, or for Nightshade to simply do the obvious.

Nightshade's face had become a stony glare as she locked eyes with Reddling. "I suspected something about you. Nothing about you seemed sincere, ever since that day with the rocks. I didn't want to jump to conclusions- but after the way Rainy acted, some of the things he said, other little clues..." Nightshade's voice turned to an instant snap. "Tell us the truth!"

"The truth?" Reddling repeated. "Rainy wanted to kill you in your sleep. I stopped him. Changelings are not threat to Silverfield, yet I'm still fighting them. The truth is I like this life Nightshade, but it's not who I am. I'm Reddling Rain, Silverfield's premier assassin." Tops let out a gasp, but Nightshade wasted no time in stepping forward, pointing a hoof in Reddling's face.

"I KNEW IT!" Nightshade screamed. "I knew there was something wrong about you! You two faced traitor! How you could put on that thin facade and pretend to be nice one second and then turn around and be absolutely psychotic the next! I remember when you were fucking crying in the bleachers and I tried being nice to you that one morning! How much of that was fake!?"

"None." Reddling eplied simply, looking down. He could no longer meet Nightshade's cruel eyes.

"You're full of-" Nightsahde started before Tops cut her off.

"Nightshade, enough!" Tops cried, turning away from her. "Reddling... why are you telling us this?"

Reddling breathed in deeply, looking up at Tops and taking a fearful step back. "Because I am giving myself up. I surrender."

"You- you're what?" Nightshade asked, stunned.

"I should have murdered Luna when I got here, and I couldn't do it. I can't fight any of you." Reddling sighed. "For your part, you've been friends to me, and I'm standing down. I give up."

"The second we wake up I'm dragging you to Lunar and-" Nightshade was cut off again.

"Luna dammit Nightshade shut up! You're being an ass again." Tops didn't bother to pay any attention to possible donkeys as he rounded on his marefriend.

"I don't expect anything less of you, Nightshade. Wake up first and stab me in my sleep, then it'll hurt less." Reddling stared down at the floor. Fresh tears were welling up in his eyes now as fear gripped his heart. He had known this would happen, but that didn't make reality any easier to deal with.

"Reddling..." Tops said, putting a hoof somewhat roughly on Reddling's chin and lifting it up. "I- I don't know. I don't know what to do. Sometimes, you've been terrible to me, but you've been a good friend too. There's something wrong with Silverfield, and I want to help... even if- even if the only reason why you came here was to hurt us. I know you wouldn't have told us any of this if you didn't mean it.

"Ick..." Reddling shrunk backwards, trying to make himself as small as possible. "I never wanted you guys to know. Nightshade, you aleady knew though and well- I'm sorry. I can't accomplish my mission, I figured I may as well surrender. I'll spare everypony the trouble." The trouble of finding out and killing me later.

"...I didn't want to jump to conclusions, not without being sure." Nightshade said.

"Well, now you know." Reddling mumbled.

"I don't know what to do..." Tops repeated, now pacing. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I do think you're my friend."

"... Let Luna decide." Nightshade said quietly.

Reddling tired to look at her before his legs gave out. he hit the floor, his wings wrapping around him as he began to cry. "I don't want to die. I want to live, and fly around, and do things. I-I'll surrender myself to Luna later, when we wake up."

"Luna will be asleep when you wake up, but she's fine here." Nightshade retorted.

"We can- oh, she's dreaming too but- that- that means right now." Reddling felt his voice fill with panic, his voice cracking. "Like, now!?"

"Yes." Nightshade said plainly. "Leave your weapons and we'll go."

Reddling pulled his sword off without issue, but when he held Ausfall, he couldn't take his hoof off it. "I am very fond of this knife. Let's make this quick, I need it back."

"It's just a dream, it won't be gone forever- but let's just go." Tops said. Reddling watched his knife for every second it was in his view, not wanting to lose it.

The walk towards Luna was possibly the longest walk that Reddling could remember taking in his life. He felt completely naked without his knife, and it was like every single bat was staring at him now. Everypony was after him, and he wanted very badly to lash out at them and go steal away to retrieve his precious knife. A small crowd had gathered behind Reddling as he approached the throne room. Somehow they knew something was up, and they intended to figure out what it was.

Reddling kept his head down as he trotted through the main hallway and entered the throne room. Even more bat ponies were in the throne room than the procession that had grown from the main hall. Several ponies stood before Princess Luna, still guarding her even in a dream. Luna cut a tall and dark noble figure in the room, her mane of stars swirling behind her as she smiled down at the group of bat ponies and two pegasus ponies approaching her.

I could have killed you, but I didn't. Now what becomes of me? Death? Likely, at the very least I'll be expelled from the guard, and that's a fate worse than death...

Luna finished whispering what sounded like words of encouragement to two bat ponies near her, turning her full attention to the group before her. Nightshade jerked her head, motioning for Reddling to stand in the center of all the guards. Taking a slow trot forward, Reddling gave a quick sniff, staring up at Princess Luna. He knew he did not have on a brave face right now, but that wasn't something that he suspected would matter soon. He stopped when he was a respectable distance from Luna, waiting for her to speak.

"Tops, Nightshade, Reddling," Luna said, her voice medium and unreadable. "Welcome. I must appologize that we must meet under such circumstances. I hope that shortly I will be fit enough to reawaken."

"Princess Luna." Reddling said solemnly. He cold feel the eyes of Princess Luna join those of every other bat pony in the room currently staring him down. There eyes burned holes in his hide, each glare a talon keeping him locked in place.

"Reddling, you seem troubled." Princess Luna pointed out. Reddling nodded his head to the obvious. Standing as tall as he could, Reddling gave Princess Luna a Silverfieldian salute, covering one of his eyes with a hoof that was placed at the top of his brow.

"I sur-surrender. I'm turning myself in." Reddling's voice sank to a whisper, all of the life in his chest being sucked out by a vacuum. Tears well up and the edges of his eyes. The one thing he'd never been able to truly come to terms with was actually dying for what he knew was the right course of action. Regardless, this must be done.

"Reddling..." Luna said, her voice becoming oddly soft. She rose from her throne, trotting slowly towards him. "And for what are you surrendering?"

No knives, no  weapons of any kind. I can't resist or run away... Reddling scrunched up his face, dropping the salute painfully. "I was sent to Equestria to kill you, your sister, and Cadance- and anypony who was royalty!" Reddling's voice had become weaker with every word, and now he was barely pushing out air. "You probably already know, don't you? Watching my dream, you know why I left Silverfield and- and that's why I surrender." Reddling stared at the ground bitterly. The absolute worst thing was to completely fail- to see his entire life crash down and burn right in front of him.

"Be at ease, child." Luna said, a little firmness hidden behind the softness of her voice.

Child? How can you call me that? Why am I not dead yet? Reddling sniffled, keeping his thoughts to himself and waiting for Luna to continue.

"I had long suspected. Ones such as yourself from Silverfield have come before." Luna mused. Reddling could feel her eyes on him as he thought about all those other ponies who must have lived by the sword and died at the end of a blade.

"-And I had seen glimpses into your dreams. there were times when I saw your pain and anger grip you in those depths of your nightmares. In those darkest of Nightmares you called out for help, and I did answer." Reddling blinked at Luna's words. She had indeed protected him in the worst of his dreams, helping to keep him safe when he was training at the bat pony enclave.

"But I must ask you again, what have you done to warrant punishment?" Luna's presence seemed to fill up the entire room, blocking any oxygen that might have tried to reach anypony's lungs.

"Your sister was captured because of me. I'm the reason she's one of those... those Changelings." Reddling whispered.

"Celestia," Luna said, not bothering to finish her sentence. She turned, staring out a window and up at a grander castle in the distance. These had been ruins when Reddling had visited, but now resembled an old castle that he'd seen drawn in a book. Celestia and Luna's old keep, from long before the Nightmare Moon business, and indeed, their keep during the battle with Silverfield.

"A thousand years ago, in this very place, I succumbed to a terrible evil." Luna said quietly, staring up at the keep.

Nightmare Moon. So then, that keep and these halls are where they fought for the throne. Was most of the battle contained in this small area then?

"Not one for some other world. I was not possessed by some spirit of the night, but one from my own heart. Bitterness, pain, rage, and hate." Luna swallowed, still staring out at the world outside her castle. "I tore open the Veil between this world and that of the living. I flooded the world in shadows and usurped the sun. I banished the day. Had my sister not defeated me, I may very well have undone the entire world. A thousand years later... a thousand years of hate smoldering as red embers, I returned. Once more I was defeated, this time by Twilight Sparkle and her friends. My Nightmarish powers were finally stripped from me, and the hate finally was extinguished."

A harsh punishment, one thousand years of banishment. Hate, anger, bitterness, they're what has always fueled me.

"-And despite all my sins, despite all I had done, when I lay helpless before my sister, she forgave me." Luna smiled ever so slightly.

I find it difficult to believe that Equestrians are capable of such things, but I don't think I should tell Luna that.

"If she holds even a shred of her equinity, then she will forgive you for what you have done. As do I." Luna turned to Reddling, putting a hoof on his chin gently and forcing him to look up at her face. "It is not my place to punish ponies for their thoughts, for their feelings. Such a thing is a gross abuse of my duties and powers."

"But you are the judge, jury, and executioner, Your Highness." Reddling said, balking ever so slightly at Luna's friendliness. Luna and Reddling studied each other for a few tense moments. Every single eye was on Luna, waiting for her to give a verdict.

"There shall be no punishment for you, nor do I expect any of the rest of you to treat Reddling any differently... if you have truly abandoned your crusade." Luna's voice had retained softness, but now there was a serious edge to it. It was a great thunder that backed her words, not unlike a royal decree.

"I spent an entire lifetime being trained in how to plan and conduct assassinations. If the Night Guard still has use for me, then my skills will be at your disposal- I have abandoned my crusade." Reddling felt his words become a little stronger as he nodded to himself.

"Given the nature of our foe... I think your skills may find some practical use soon, although the thought does not bring me joy..." Luna said, her face taking on an unhappy tightness.

"I still maintain that mass slaughter will bring us no better future. You'd only recreate a foe like Silverfield- but this foe will hide much better among Equestrians than I ever could." Reddling waited, carefully watching Luna as she took her seat again.

"Reddling, with you, I see hope of a permanent solution with Silverfield... and not one of death, but of reconciliation." Luna sounded rather sure of this, although Reddling could not maintain the same feeling.

"...with the Night Guard, there may be chance for some kind of solution." Reddling said quietly. With help from ponies that understand, like Tops, maybe we've got a chance. If only ponies like Nightshade or Web could come around...

"Regarding the Changelings..." Luna continued, "You seem to have dealt with them the most. Do you see some possibility of peace with their kind?"

Reddling crossed a hoof, thinking for a moment. nodding, he began to recount his thoughts aloud, "I've interacted with the drones, even allowed some of them to feed on me. They'e as varied in personality as any pony would be, so while some may seek to reconcile with ponies, some will also find the idea disgusting. However, they all have an undying loyalty to their leaders- our best chance of avoiding genocide would be to find some different leadership for the Changelings."

Reddling uncrossed his hoof, nodding again. "I'd like to consult with Cadance and her drone before I say anymore, Princess Luna."

"Very well, I understand." Luna gave a nod back. "Do you wish to speak on anything else?" The room was tense, and although bat ponies had done their best to make it look like they were disinterested or no longer following the discussion, it was still obvious by the occasional glances that Reddling and Luna were the center of attention. Many of the bat ponies had confused looks on their faces, but others showed hurt or even anger. Despite their orders to not treat him differently, Luna could not control their thoughts or feelings anymore than she could control his.

Reddling glanced back at his wings, paying careful attention to the knife and pen mark that was almost hidden by his feathers. "Actually, yes, although it is of a less serious note." Reddling watched Luna nod for him to go on before clearing his throat." I've had something in mind that Tops mentioned, and I didn't notice it until I was here looking at all the bats- and seeing... pegasus wings instead of my wings. Cutie Mark and name changes- brands and sobriquets, within the Night Guard? Is that some kind of bat pony magic?"

Luna rubbed her hooves together, thinking for a moment. "To change one's name is a simple affair. You could simply ask to be called something different. A cutie mark... Often, if one finds that they have turned away from their special talent, they will simply know. It is like an inch one cannot scratch. A sense of wrongness tugging at the mind."

"You mean like not stabbing you in your sleep a few hours ago." Reddling muttered. "I think I know the feeling."

"I think it is perhaps best not to dwell on that..." Luna said mildly. Reddling quickly got the hint that he should let the bygones be bygones. 'Sometimes, should a new talent present itself strongly enough, a change will happen on its own accord. Or, if the original talent becomes so abhorrent to the owner, the mark will wipe itself clean until a new one presents itself.

What an awful thought. "I understand." Reddling said, swallowing hard. Despite how humbling this had all been, he was still able to draw on the same sense of distance and aloofness that had kept everypony at bay for so long.

"...For less serious cases, magic can facilitate this, if a pony truly wishes it- although cutie mark magic is not something that is normally dabbled in, for it can have rather heinous results if it goes wrong.

Plus I'd have to think of a mark. Maybe I can find some old book that has a fitting one in there. As long as I don't get turned into a griffon or something, we should be good. Or, as Luna says, I can wait for it to happen if it is supposed to happen.

"Serious business, cutie marks... that's all I wanted to ask, Princess Luna." Reddling said.

"Reddling." Luna said, motioning for him to leave if he wished too. "You can just call me Luna. There is no need to be formal all the time."

Reddling rose, blinking. "Of course, Princess Luna."