Author's Note

This is set before Nightmare Moon, so everyone's speaking all Olde Worlde. Anypony speaking like "" is speaking the Nocturne tongue.

Oh, and somepony mentioned in this chapter will appear in the main story. Place your bets, everyone!

In Which Panthercap uses Some Very Rude Words

The Castle of the Two Sisters was a marvel of architectural engineering. At this moment in time it was the crowning glory of Equestria. A commoner would gaze in awe at the towering spires, adorned with fluttering flags and carved statuettes that pranced along the rooftops.

However, there was another side to the castle.

Very few outside of palace officials and the Equestrian Royal Guards knew that the Palace extended far underground into a series of natural caverns. Cathedrolic spaces lined with shimmering qypsum; it was where the Nocturne lived. It was also where they trained.
The Nocturnes of the Night Guard did not train with the sword, spear and shield. Instead, all were skilled in the wing blades, shuriken and deadly hoof-to-hoof combat. All cadets had to pass a proficiency test at the end of their training and from there on could work their way up the ranks based on merit and distinction. However, if one wanted to become a Captain, there was one test you had to pass. Very few did; the failed ones came back shaking after spending a few nights in the infirmary.

The youngest to ascend to the rank of Captain the History of the Night Guard was currently 25 years old. She had passed that test with flying colours when she was 17. But right now, she was not feared for that or her status.

""

Panthercap was famed far and wide throughout the Guards for her high standards...and her foul mouth when someone did not meet those standards to her expectations. But she always got her squad through training with the highest marks. She was also infamous for being the only one who would dare mouth an officer if she felt they were overstepping their authority.
The last time that had happened was still a common story in the mess halls of both Guards and would probably go down in history.
Right now though, she was overseeing her squad's hoof-to-hoof combat training. She was standing on the walkway looking down on the sparring Nocturnes down below; yelling down advice, encouragement and insults. Actually, the insults were the encouragement.

Below, in the arena, heavily patched dummies swung back and forth as they were pounded by hooves. The Lieutenant called out the actions as he pummelled his own straw-stuffed pony replica.

""
80 dummies trembled in unison as they were all subjected to the specified blunt trauma. 'Whumph!'

""
'Whumph!'

""
'Whumph!'

They double-timed the pace after Panthercap yelled at them.

"" 'Wumph!'
"" 'Wumph!'

A Nocturne, clad in the leather vest and blue neckerchief of the Messenger Core landed next to Panthercap with a soft thump. She turned to him.
""
He leant over and whispered something in her ear. She nodded in acknowledgment and he took off again, disappearing as quickly as he had appeared.

She caught her Lieutenant's eye and flicked her ear in a silent signal to 'carry on without her'. He understood and nodded, once. She left, using one of the tunnels instead of flying as she usually would. It was only after a minute that the squad members noticed the lack of ear rending verbal abuse.

"" One of them shouted, while still keeping impeccable timing with his blows. ""

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No, Panthercap did not like to miss out on her personal supervision of her squad's training. But when you receive an order from a member of the Diarchy...you don't really have a choice, do you?
The rock-hewn corridors gradually became wider as she continued upwards. Grander too. The torch-holders were shining, curlicued brass instead of rusty iron and on the walls were runes inlaid with gold. Ancient script, decipherable only to Nocturnes. The Creation of the Nocturne race.

A massive trapdoor, enlaid with obsidian and silver, was slowly opened by the clanking chains of the drawbridge mechanism set into the roof of the chamber. Out of that trapdoor, from the square of shadow wide enough to take three pegasi flying abreast came the relatively diminutive figure of the lean, mean, swearing machine of the Night Guard.
The two Nocturne sentries who operated the mechanism stood at the door to this basement hall, as expressionless as statues of black marble. As Panthercap approached, they saluted and opened the doors.

Once she had passed through through and the doors closed, the emotionless façade crumbled like dry biscuit. Hey, trapdoor duty was the pits! You try having to keep up an ominous aura for two hours; which is completely unnecessary, as hardly anyone uses the bucking thing.

""
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""

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"Captain Panthercap, as thou requested, thy Majesty," came the voice of the guard at the office door.
Princess Luna looked up from her paperwork as the mare in question entered and bowed deeply before the mahogany desk.

"Arise, Captain," intoned the Princess of the Night. "We are in need of thy service for a mission of great import."
Panthercap rose to her hooves.

"I am truly honoured by thy request for this humble soldier, Mine Eternal Moon," Panthercap stated, slipping effortlessly into the pony tongue. All but few of Nocturnes were bilingual from an early age. "However, mine lowly self is troubled. Surely there be others for whom this task is better suited?"

Though delivered in the smarmy, obsequious tones of a courtesan, the true meaning behind the words were clear; 'Why in Tartarus did you pick me, when I have better things to do?'
Luna smiled. She knew how Panthercap felt.

"" She said in the Nocturne tongue; the only non-Nocturne to fully know and understand the intricate language, only because of her status as Moon Princess. ""

Panthercap's pricked at the mention of danger. Being a Captain was all well and good, true; but it meant staying back behind a desk with a stack of paperwork. Oh, how she missed the field recon missions and the rush of adrenaline.

A need of her talent though. Huh, interesting.

The flank greaves every Captain wore covered her cutie mark, but she could feel the muscles twitch at the thought of what exactly her power entailed. A rare type of cutie mark, a type that many feared. Among those that knew her, she had nothing to hide. But among civilians and strangers, well...she was glad they were hidden.

"" The Captain asked, flicking ears betraying her excitement. Luna smiled.

"Captain," she began, opening the door to her inner office/guest lounge. "Allow Us to introduce Mr Smooth Talker, official diplomat to the Crowns."

Panthercap had been considered a lot of things. Among the bad evaluations were; rude, violent, demanding, perfectionist and loud. She was also considered to be honourable, sensible, loyal, good at strategizing, in possession of natural leadership abilities and very, very skilled. She was also the undying pride of her squad; ever since the Canteen Incident (also known as The Time Her Squad Was Offended And The Guy Got His Just Desserts (To The Face)).

She was also a good judge of character. Within five minutes of meeting somepony, she could tell if you were stupid, a slacker, useless, average, good, very good or a flank kisser. She was very rarely wrong. In fact, the recommendation of the fearsome Captain was a sure-fire way to get yourself a job; in or out of the Night Guard.
She was so good at reading you, that many of the younger squaddies and all of the civilians inside and outside the castle thought it was her special talent. In a way, it was. Sort of. But let them think that. What they didn't know couldn't hurt them.

The moment Panthercap laid eyes on the unicorn's bottle-green velvet suit, the immaculate lace ruffled and gathered at his throat and the silver pocket watch, she thought; rich.
She saw the manicured hooves with their soft, weak-muscled fetlocks and cannons as he stood up and thought; never done manual labour in his life.
She saw the lack of humility in his eyes as he bowed to the princess and his haughty bearing and thought; old, well-respected family.
She saw the disdainful glint in his gaze as he turned his eyes to her. "And, er, whoso be this, Your Highness?"
Her sharp Nocturne ears caught the note of disdain that he had sought to hide as his bureaucratic glare swept her up and down. Looking, no, surveying her as if she were an exotic animal in the castle managerie.

So, a young noble skilled in public speaking and diplomacy from a loaded family who's been fed with a silver spoon since birth. Is prejudiced against Nocturnes and obviously thinks her beneath him.
Her opinion?

In the first ten seconds of meeting Smooth Talker, Panthercap already hated him.

So, when Princess Luna announced that she would be escorting this prize unicorn specimen of class and species snobbery at it's finest on a diplomatic mission, Panthercap's heart sank. When Princess Luna mentioned that the mission would be a year long, her heart free-fell like a stone right down to her hooves.

Panthercap excused herself as politely as she could. Luna, seeing the tightening of the Captain's jaw and the twitch in her shoulder, and knowing full well what it meant, let her go despite inane protests from the bratty noble. Panthercap exited the room and located the nearest free window. Once she was hovering a hundred metres above the castle's tallest tower, she took a very deep breath...

"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCKKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"