V- Calling In A Favor

4:03 A.M. and making my way to the barracks with relative haste. At the least, this wasn't the first time I woke Talon Wing at around four in the morning. She told me if I woke her at that hour again for any reason other than the castle under siege she'd 'Ring my scrawny neck.' Her words, not mine. Thankfully I had a pretty good reason, that I hoped would be enough for her to hear me out.

In the barracks, it's rather quiet right now a few fellow guard ponies are changing shifts at this unholy hour so it's not completely quiet but you get used to sleeping through. No sudden noises or out of the ordinary silence. Seems like the only time you can really sleep is when there are slight sounds of movement and hushed conversation. I never much liked the sounds in here, reminds me too much of home. How dangerous it always was there with how close to the major city was. I should probably write my family when I get the chance now that I thought of home, it's necessary.

Keeping with the flow of traffic I spot Silver Quill who looked up at me and gave an unapproving look as I got close. "What are you doing here Light? Aren't ya supposed to be watchin' over the princess?" Looking me up and down, I wasn't in my armor which made the second question more apparent. "You already bite the dust on day one?" He sneered.

I gave him a plain look ignoring his questions to ask one of my own. "Where is Talon at?" Quill took note that his questions weren't going to get answered and he pointed with his hoof to his left. Following where he pointed by turning my head, sure enough there she is, snoring. "Thanks," I said looking back at him or at least I would have if he hadn't had already left. He's always doing that. Disappearing, it's a little creepy sometimes.

Taking a deep breath I brace myself to embrace the idea... I might die today. Moving to Talon was easy enough, considering that nearly every guard in here gives her a good yard of space while she's sleeping. I'm to blame for that. When I woke her up and awaked the raging monster that is sleeping inside Talon that the barracks have come to respect and not want to encounter again.

Taking a deep breath I hesitantly poked her cheek with my hoof her snoring stops as her eyes open. It's now 4:18 A.M. on a Tuesday... In May, and I'm, going to die. Talon looks up at me her face hardening to the point she looks murderous. I'm now in a headlock and on the ground, where I'm going to be buried.

"Liiiight... didn't I tell you to never wake me up at four in the morning ever again?" Talon's voice going into whispers in my ear making her point very clear. I... am going to die. It's confirmed. "You better have a damn good reason for waking me." I nod my head slightly with the little movement that was capable, tapping my hoof on her foreleg that is wrapped around my throat. She let go and got back on her bed her face is unamused and cranky so I'd better make this quick before I really do end up dead.

"Talon I really need your help." She cocks her head yawning while gesturing with her hoof to go on. "I know you have your own duties to do today but I got ordered to take the day off," I say sitting down. "And I would really appreciate it if you'd help me out with an invisibility potion."

"Lemme get this straight... you want me to make you an invisibility potion?" Talon replies rubbing the remains of her much loved and treasured sleep out of her eyes. "Why do you need it? Unless you plan to do something perverted with it." She glares at me her hooves now away from her face.

"No no no nothing like that. I know that I'm supposed to take the day off but... it isn't sitting well with me," I sigh looking up at the ceiling. "I just got my assignment and was ordered to take the day off? I don't like it. I've never heard of that happening before."

Talon was quiet for a moment putting a hoof to her chin in thought. "Yeah, I suppose you have a point there... I've never heard of anything like that either. It's possible that she's testing your conviction... How far you're willing to go to do your job."

"That's what I thought, at least I figured that's what she's doing. However, the context of how she said it, it didn't make any sense. Why would she just up and give me the day off right after my first day? I can't make any sense of it." Sitting on the bed across from her's that used to be mine in basic and is still supposedly due to that my pillow is still on it.

"Quite the conundrum, huh?" Talon replied not really sounding all that confused about it. It could be that she was still tired but I know better, she's always been like this. Not really worrying about the aftermath, just the simplest solution. "Okay," She states getting up off her bed and stretching a bit. "I'll give you the potion, but you owe me big time for waking me up over this, got it?" I simply nod not really wanting to awaken the angry demon that she keeps locked just under the surface of her charming mask she wears.

After about 20 minutes of her rummaging through her things she pulls out a small bottle from her footlocker and whispering, "Ah Hah! that's where you were hiding you blasted potion!" She turns to me and gives it over. "There you go invisibility potion. "Here's the deal Light, the potion has a time limit as you can tell it isn't a spell. It has been aging for about a month so it should keep you invisible all day. Under that pretense, there is a problem." I look from her to the bottle resting in my wing. "You have to stay completely still for you to be completely invisible, so if you even breathe while somepony is looking and they are trained well they'll most likely know you are there. Oh, and the potion obviously doesn't work on clothes. So you'll have to leave your armor here unless you plan to look like a set of ghost armor..." She smiles mischievously. "I think I found what I'm going to nightmare night as. Now get moving it's almost time for the sun to rise." She states starting to pull her armor on. "My shift starts in the next 20 minutes I may as well get ready now."

Pulling off my chest plate, boots, and helmet off and take a deep breath looking at the bottle I set down on the bed. It may feel a bit strange about this, but this isn't about how I feel. This is about my job and doing it. Picking up the bottle and nodding to myself popped the top and drank it. I don't feel any different after drinking the potion but I suppose that it wouldn't really have an effect on my insides, just my appearance. Turning my head towards Talon's previous location to find her going about her business. "Hey, Talon did it work? I don't feel any different."

Talon turns around and gives a look of confusion. "Umm... Yeah, it worked. I can't see you, you aren't under the bed are you?" She actually looks but she doesn't seem to see me. "Yup not there. You are completely invisible. You can continue the mission soldier." She says giving a lazy salute with a goofy grin. "Good luck."

I subconsciously saluted back out of habit, even though she can't see me and walk out of the barracks. After 3 times of almost running into other ponies, I got used to avoiding nearly bumping into them. I check the hallway of Celestia's room making sure no pony is around to see the door open for no reason. The through check coming up with no pony is around at all I quietly open the door and poke my head in. Celestia is still in bed, making sneaking in very easy. I sit down in the part of the room I think is the least walked in and wait.

5:24 A.M. Six minutes till sunrise. Operation: Shadow Celestia is a go.

Author's Note

HHHHEEEYYYYYY! I sure hope you guys aren't mad at me for being gone so long! I've had a lot on my plate over the past year. I moved, got a new job and am working graveyard shifts at a gas station. I'm going to make an attempt to write a chapter a week but no promises. Okay? Stay chill everyone and remember, KEEP CALM and SNEAK ON.

PS: If you all spot any grammar mistakes let me know in the comments. However, before you comment on a mistake be sure that you read the comments below to make sure that it wasn't already noted. Thank you.

Signed,
SilverSteam