The room had gained a depth of despair as Mr. Longpea stood in the doorway. Sireen could tell by his appearance that he too had not been able to sleep. His mane was disheveled and had knots in it. His eyes were puffy from crying and sleep deprivation, and his lips looked rather dry.

He lowered his gaze to the floor. "So...that's it then, is it? You never loved me." His voice cracked and he sniffed loudly, his nostrils flared wide before he sat down resolutely and flipped his ears back. "I suppose it was kind of obvious..."

Sireen winced as his words tinged with a hint of spite.

"You were always eyeing him, even before we married, that Gustaf." Longpea swiped his foreleg across his snout and looked at the matted fur with disdain for a moment before he looked at Fuzzdrought. "...W-well, I might as well make another obvious confession while we are at it. I...I never loved you either..."

Fuzzdrought sucked in her breath. Her brow furrowed for a moment and her eyes widened, as if she'd seen something hideous. "I- w-well..." She tried to speak but all that came out was a defeated sigh. A long and over drawn, haggard sigh. Her eyes, filled with regret and sorrow, lowered to the blankets. "Right...I know."

Sireen Decided this was not one of the conversations she should be apart of, and slipped off the bed and stretched. This drew the attention of both ponies. Longpea stood up too, using a hoof to paw at the carpet.

"Perhaps we should talk in private. Miss Wind?"

She cracked an eye open as she stretched out a hind leg. "Yes sir?"

"Can you make some tea and bring it to us please?" He paused, seeing her injured wing. "Oh wait, sorry. You are off duty are you not? I suppose I can--" He made to turn around and exit, intent on making it himself, when Sireen halted him with a raised hoof.

"Wait, it's totally fine, sir. It is well within my capabilities to make a pot of tea in my current condition. You stay, talk to your...to Mrs. Fuzzdrought. This is important."

Longpea definitely hesitated at the thresh hold of the bedroom for a second or two, while Sireen slipped past him and into the hall. She made it about four or five steps before the sound of the door gently clicking shut met her ears. She smiled, knowing that while the two were cutthroat with each other during business hours, they could be fairly cordial and proper to one another in personal relations. Did they love each other? No. That much was obvious, but it didn't mean they were naturally mean spirited. Heck, if Sireen could guess, their previous interactions with her were probably fake half the time.

Sireen entered the kitchen and walked over to the stove, and using her good wing claw, she hooked the handle of the tea kettle and brought it to the sink. As the water began to fill the contents of the pot, Sireen drifted back to her incident at Iron Crest's house that morning.

We slept together....in the same bed....well, couch really, but placement is irreverent. She smiled.
He likes me. He really really likes me! Sireen couldn't help but giggle and drum her hooves gently across the sink's edge as she worked. While Crisp's statement that she was not the first female to have been courted by his dad, Sireen was confident that Iron would open up to her as they grew closer. That was just how relationships worked, usually.

In her current predicament, Sireen realized it was quite the opposite.

"I go home and make a bond, I come to work and I find a bond breaking...huh." She bent her head down and rubbed her cheek against her foreleg, a small itch tickling her fur. After setting the tea to boil, Sireen sat at the window and admired the moonlight as it trickled through the room. The lighting tinged surfaces and objects in a pale blue and made her feel safe and comforted.

SSSSSSSRRREEEEEEEEEE!!

Sireen flipped her ears forward at the noise, and lifted the tea pot off the burner. Teakettles were the only thing she'd ever run across that could almost imitate a batpony's screech. It was not uncommon for it to actually succeed and a couple batponies would pause in their actions, confusion marring their faces as the sound caught them off guard. The kettle never really made words with its screech, but different types of pitches meant different things to a bat's ears. This sometimes left a soldier streaking across the sky in search of an injured partner, only to burst into a tea shop and find themselves at the receiving end of a couple glares.

Quite embarrassing.

Pouring two cups and setting them on a tray, she picked it up in her teeth and carefully walked back to the bedroom. Knocking a couple times produced no response, so Sireen set the tray down before opening the door gently and peering in.

She smiled and almost purred when she laid eyes on the pair. Mrs. Fuzzdrought and Mr. Longpea were nestled in the same bed together, for the first time since she'd begun working there. Mrs. Fuzzdrought had her head nuzzled up underneath the stallion's chin. Her flushed cheeks belying her comfortable sleep. Mr. Longpea was breathing in and out in relaxed motions. His head buried in the pillow as drool made its escape from his mouth. His fore-hooves were wrapped around the mare's sides, pulling her close to his body in a snug embrace.

So much for talking. They're so tired, they just fell asleep!

Leaving the tea tray on a nearby table in the hallway, Sireen quickly located some parchment. After she scrawled out a note and set it by the drinks, she slipped out through the front entrance as quietly as possible.

Sleep well, and for once, may your dreams be in unity – Sireen thought.

As the moon slowly made its way across the sky, Crisp Words nibbled on the tip of his pencil with a slight frown. His eyes darted from the paper he was looking at, to the two guards standing at attention near the school gates. He was nervous. Tonight had been rather dull after his father had dropped him off. He'd gone to his morning classes and had been told by his teacher that being late meant a pony's mind was too idle, and that they needed to have more focus in life, but because it was his first time, the older mare wasn't too firm with him.

He could not say the same thing about his father and the lecture she'd given him in the hallway.

After a hearty lunch in the school dining hall with his friends, he'd trotted off to his usual spot underneath an old oak tree that sat in front of the school building, having in the past found the gnarled roots and rough bark gave him inspiration for art pieces and story ideas. It was also a good shadow to hide in when he didn't want to be noticed.

Like right now.

He looked down to the page again, and did another scan over it for anything he might have messed up on, but finding no signs of error, he sighed and stood. Puffing his chest out to its fluffiest, he walked to the edge of the tree's shadow, and then paused. He almost whimpered.

He didn't want to bother the two guards during their shifts, but he had to! It was the only way to get this information to them.

You can do it, Crisp. Just act like they are brothers to your mom! Sireen probably has lots of those!

He took a few deep breaths, and then let them out. He was going to do this, no matter what! Slowly, he stepped out into the moonlight and onto the cobbled school pathway that led to and from the front doors to the gate. His hooves made gentle clopping noises as he moved, and as Crisp drew closer, he tried to muffle the sounds his hooves made, but it was no use.

As he drew within ten feet of the guards, one of their ears flicked in his direction. The rest of their bodies didn't move, but the ear remained cocked and perceptive to all his actions. He frowned.

Still not sneaky enough. More training is required, it seems, He thought to himself as he stepped up to one of them. One was mare, and had a similar coat and mane color pallet as Sireen, though it was imperceptible to most bystanders, female batponies did in fact have different shades to their coats and manes. The stallions were the same, albeit with darker color schemes and frills running over their heads and down their necks instead of manes.

The only exact thing they all shared were their eyes. Every batpony sported a beautiful set of golden, cat like eyes that shone in the night like beacons. Crisp nervously pawed at the ground with a hoof, his nervousness giving him away as the stallion tilted his gaze down to the foal.

"I...I um...h-hello, sir..." he whispered.

The male, whose name eluded Crisp, fully turned his head and looked down at the colt. For a second he scrunched his brow in thought, before his eyes widened and he smiled. "Hello there, Crisp. It's been a while huh?" His deep, masculine voice was a wall of verbal stone that moved like a river. It held power over Crisp and he found his tail wagging happily as he heard it.

"Y-yes sir."

The stallion blinked. "You don't have to call me sir, ya know that right?" He pointed over to his partner, who was resolutely scanning the perimeter and sky for potential threats while he spoke. "Only she does!"

The mare scoffed and grinned wryly, looking up into the stars. "Yeah, maybe when you reach an actual rank, but you’re the same standing as I am, so you can shove it."

Crisp chuckled as the bat pony male's ears drooped slightly and he lowered his hoof. "Er--Well that's technically true, but when I do, you'll have to, so there!" His partner's only response was to sigh and look away. The stallion smiled nervously and then crouched down to Crisp's level.

"My name is Starry Warp, and my oh-so-jovial partner over there is Ms. grumps-a-lot Moony." He snickered until a rock dinged against his helmet and both males looked to the mare. She was squinting at one of her hooves like it needed inspection.

Starry frowned. "Now, that is no way to treat your partner, throwing rocks. Honestly, maybe I'll take Crisp here as a partner instead and give him your armor!" He scooped up Crisp in his front hooves and hugged him to his breast plate, making Crisp squeal in playful delight. Now that got the mare's attention, and she snapped her head in the male's direction, her ears pinned back.

"Starry! Put him down, you're going to scare him!"

Both of them stopped, and Starry blinked at the mare in confusion. "Why in Equestria would I scare Crisp by picking him up?"

Crisp wriggled out of his grasp and landed on his hooves quite nimbly, before turning to the mare with a determined grin. "I'm not afraid of bat ponies, ma'am, I like em!" To his confusion, Moony frowned, one of her ears flipping up and the other to the side.

"Y-you do?"

Before Crisp could reply, Starry scooped him up again, this time with his wings. Crisp squealed again as he was thrown into the air lightly and then caught. "Oh come on, Moon Beam, Don't be like that. This little rascal here wants to BE a bat pony, don't cha, Crisp?" At Crisp's vigorous nod, Moon Beam merely blinked in confusion and looked back out around them for a moment. Her tail swished on the ground, covering her hooves.

"Why? I mean, you are a unicorn, why would you want to become one of us? We can't cast magic."

Starry sighed and set Crisp down. The little colt watched as Starry lifted his hoof up and waved it in a weird motion at his partner. To Crisp's amazement, Moony's neck hairs suddenly stood up on end and she shivered throughout her whole body. She then snarled and stood up quickly. Leveling a parental worthy glare at her now chuckling partner, she shivered again, and then again a third time.

Starry smiled coyly. "Oh yeah, then what do you call that?"

Crisp watched as she tried to sit down and then frowned, and her fur rippled once more.

"Aaarg! You’ve distorted the space where I sit! Fix it!" She stamped her hoof and then pointed it at her position. Crisp, being ever so curious, trotted over to the spot. He squinted and found nothing out of place. He walked forward.

"I don't understand, it doesn't look like heeeeaaaaghh!" Crisp had set his hoof into a particular spot and it felt like his entire hoof had stepped into a pool of cold slime or jello. The sensation washed up his leg and across his body, slowly covering him and making his fur stand up as well. His back arched like a cat and he shot away from the space, diving behind Starry and peeking out only when he heard the grown-ups laughing.

Moony smirked and tried to hold in her laughter. "Eheheheh...N-nothing wrong eh, kid?" Across from her, Starry was leaning over and laughing hard. He swiped a tear from his cheek and stood back at attention before looking down at Crisp.

"Oh...oh that was great, that never gets old....s-sorry, Crisp."

Starry attempted to show he meant the apology by patting Crisp's shoulder, but the colt dodged the touch and furrowed his brow at Starry.

"What did you do to the ground?" He asked, pointing his hoof at the stones. Starry smirked and lifted his hoof again, waving it at the stones in that same weird gesture, before nodding to Moony. The mare harrumphed and sat down, but only after she tapped the ground in a couple places. Starry Warp then looked at crisp and lowered his hoof so the colt could see it closer.

"My special ability is that I can warp small spaces around me. What I did to those stones was make them have the consistency of jello." Starry lowered his hoof and rolled the joint a few times. "I can make solids soft, and vice versa when I need to. It's very helpful at times."

"Hindering at others." Moony mumbled. Starry shot her a miffed glare but then let it go with a smile.

Crisp quirked his brow and swiveled an ear sideways. "How is it useful?"

Starry grinned and flipped his body around, so he was facing the wall of the school. His expression hardened into a determined one. "Okay, so imagine you are a soldier right, and the path before you is barricaded. Are ya with me?"

When Crisp nodded, Starry lifted his hoof to the wall and started rotating it and swiveling it in random directions while talking. "You can't break the barricade, you can't fly over it, and you can't dig underneath. At the same time, you know you HAVE to get through to the other side."

Crips lifted a hoof to pause him. "How come you couldn't do any of those other things?"

Moony answered while looking around the courtyard lifting a hoof and tapping it onto the ground quietly with each part of her reply.

"Takes too much time, you become a target while in the air, the noise from breaking through the barricade will attract reinforcements, etcetera, etcetera. Many reasons cause those options to suddenly become a problem instead of a solution."

Crisp hummed in thought and then nodded. "Okay, that makes sense, but what can Starry's ability do that improves your chances of success?"

At this, Starry grinned and removed his hoof from the wall. "Crisp, my ability is special because in a situation like that, I don't have to worry about a barricade at all," He put his forehead against the cool stone, and suddenly Crisp watched as the bat pony went through the stone wall like it was jello.

"Because I can go right through it." Starry's voice stated from the other side. He shifted through the wall completely and poked his head out into view with a sly grin and a hoof pointed at Crisp. "How was that for magic?"

Crisp's mouth hung open and his eyebrows raided to their highest level. "Whoooa..."

Moony nodded appreciatively of the reaction and shook her mane out of her helmet before shifting it back into proper place. "It certainly is helpful on missions that require stealth and infiltration, but not so much when you get lost and phase through the wrong wall, Starry." Crisp came out of his awe as Starry blushed a deep red. The stallion grit his teeth and flicked his tail.

"T-that was an accident, I told you that, Moon Beam!"

Moony rolled her eyes, and waggled her ears playfully. "Uh-huh, and you just happened to have forgotten that the 'captains room' was on the other side of the castle, right?"

Starry gabbed at the mare like a fish out of water, his voice was a whisper. "I...yes! I did! I was trying to reach the captain's room to fill out paperwork for the next morning, and I thought I could take a shortcut! It's not my fault I got lost and ended up in the mare's--mmggrrph!"

Crisp grew even more confused by the two soldier's antics as Moony shoved her hoof practically into Starry's mouth and glared at him.

"Not. Believing. It. And be more careful around kids, Crisp doesn't need to know how much of a perv you are!" She hissed. Starry flipped his ears down and pulled away from her.

"Fine, fine. jeez, I give em the truth and they don't believe it, what's a colt to do..." He mumbled while taking up his post again and facing forward. It was here that Both bats noticed Crisp hadn't left.

"Um, so, was there something you needed, Crisp?" Starry asked. Crisp, who had been trying to wrap around his mind the scenario he'd been a part of, refocused his mind back onto the original reason he'd faced down his nervousness.

"Oh! I made something for you two." He said cheerfully.

Both bats looked at one another in surprise, and then leaned forward curiously. They watched as Crisp scooped up his fallen paper from the ground and magically held it out to Moon Beam. She gently took the sheet of paper and scanned over it, while Starry tried to lean from his position to see on the paper.

"A-aaw, that’s really, sweet. Thank you, Crisp." Moon Beam spoke with a gentle purr from her chest. Starry almost fell over from his weird positioned slant, and Moony rolled her eyes again and held it out to him. The stallion looked over the paper and then chuckled.

"Okay, this is nice, and really well drawn, but my wings are NOT that big." Starry said, tapping the page. He didn't notice Crisp's look of dejection.

"You wish they were." Moony mumbled.

Crisp watched yet again as Starry gasped and flipped his ears back and glared at her. "I do not have a wing complex!"

Moon Beam smirked and leaned down to Crisp, who was frowning at Starry. "He means well, boys just get caught up in bravado and their own self-image, but you won't grow up like that right, Crisp?" She winked to him and he felt his happiness return full force.

Crisp shook his head. "Mm-mmm! Daddy says it doesn't matter what size my horn is, as long as I am loved for who I am, then that is all that matters." Crisp stood, snatched the image from Starry's hooves and handed the photo to Moony, "Here, you keep it safe okay?" When Moony nodded happily, Crisp took his leave, catching the end of the two guard’s conversation.

"Bravado and self-image? Wow you really like to make yourself look oh so much better, don't ya. Moon Beam?"

"I try, you on the other hand fail spectacularly."

"Why you...if we weren't on break I’d--"

"You'd what?" She growled.

"....."

"Thought so, go back to perimeter checks, captain doofus."

Crisp giggled into a hoof as Starry gave an exasperated growl and took off into the sky. The little foal then trotted off to the school building, his next class was to be starting soon, and he refused to ever be late again.

Sireen was not sure how long it had been since she'd last checked, but the wait was slowly killing her. Were guards supposed to be patient? Yes. Were they supposed to sit still for hours on end and never move unless allowed? Yes. Was she a guard that had been taught these lessons? Yes. The thing with being taught something new or complicated, is that one's mind must be able to retain and hold the knowledge it is gaining, otherwise the lesson is nothing but hot air. Sireen had never retained the full extent of her training, and thus was fidgeting and flailing helplessly on the living room couch.

She was waiting for Crisp to get out of school.

So far, she'd swept, mopped, and cleaned the kitchen. From there she had vacuumed the upstairs hallway and Crisp's room. She'd been tempted to access Iron Crest's bedroom, but her conscience told her it was best to stay out of there for now. She would earn entry into that room, and that would show she respected Iron’s space. From there, the mare had taken a relaxing hot shower. Bathing was always a pleasant experience, but to have a shower to herself for once was far more enjoyable than the shared showers at the castle barracks. She could have her personal space too, and she was even able to listen to some nice music from the gramophone downstairs.

Her ears picked up the subtle tones of a violin as she lathered up under the rain of warm water. It was soothing in such a quiet household, and Sireen relaxed her injured wing in the tub, her eyes closed as water pattered down onto them from the above spout. Each stroke of the violin, she would brush her wing velvet with an actual brush, imitating the movements of the instrument across her wing gently as she listened. Her body would sway and tilt to the song as it played, making her seem like she was in a trance. As the song ended, so too did her bathing.

She'd then fought an epic battle with the hallway closet and its current horde of towels and bedding as they tried to bury her under an avalanche of cloth. She'd shifted around for a bit, finding the nest-like feeling extremely comfortable and then to her dismay had fallen asleep inside said pile. Her ears had eventually picked up on the sound of a vinyl record scratching repeatedly from downstairs, and she'd reluctantly extricated herself from the cozy towel nest.

After moving downstairs and turning off the musical device, she'd replaced the record into its sleeve and put that away as well. From there, she had laid on the couch and waited for Crisp to get out of school.

She grumbled as the clock said she still had an hour to go. Her training had failed her in her time of need. She tried to stand guard at the door, and then the stairwell, and then even the kitchen window, watching for ruffians and would be trespassers from inside had seemed like a good idea, but to her annoyance, not a soul dared test her skills that evening and she'd trodden back to the couch with anxiety in her belly.

She wanted to have Crisp home, at least then there would be something to do! Looking to the clock once more, and finding only a couple minutes had passed, made her grumble. She found herself gravitating toward the door, regardless of the large space between the time she needed to leave and the time she needed to arrive. She didn't think the little scamp would mind if she arrived early, In fact he'd probably love it.

After grabbing a spare key for the door, the mare locked up and left, exiting through the cafe entrance and then meandering past Mrs. Fuzzdrought's iron gate. Sireen hadn't seen hide nor hair of the two after her late night meeting with them, but she hoped everything had gone smoothly. She'd hate to have guards break up a physical fight between the two, but she doubted it would come to that.

As she wandered down the road, her mind fell to a blank slate, and here eyes gazed all around her, mostly due to curiosity. If she had time to heal, she had time to check out the neighborhood properly. She took roads she would not normally travel down and went directions almost at random, almost as if she wanted to get lost.

Sometimes getting lost was the best part of adventures. You could find stuff hidden away in little nooks and crannies, or see things unexpected. Sometimes these situations were pleasant, while sometimes they were displeasing or worrisome. If she ran into ruffians, she'd have to stand her ground due to her injured wing.

The first thing she found was a little curio shop, nestled away in the corners of an alley. The sign was made of a thick chunk of wood, probably oak or birch, for it looked strong. Two heavy, iron wrought chains held it in place on an old iron bar that had been set into the brick and mortar of the ancient building.

The sign had the stores named burned into it in equestrian: "Calamity's Curio House."

Sireen raised a brow at the name, wondering how eccentric a pony had to be to name their child after a disaster. When she went to check the times they were open, she was surprised to find that no hours were posted anywhere in the display window, which currently housed a large old barrel and several well used looking farm tools and equipment.

To her pleasure, there was an open sign on the door. Since she had time, she pushed the door open and wandered inside. The building itself was made of old bricks, that probably verified it as one of the more historic sites of Canterlot, but unless she read up on her history, Sireen wouldn't be able to verify that claim. The place had tall shelves made from wood that looked like it had been rescued from a fire, the charred rustic wood fit the decor that filled most of the room. The walls themselves were lined with shelves or book cases that held all manner of baubles, trinkets, or in some cases, in a novel use of what one would label as book shelves, were covered in books. All of that was to her left. To her right was a small wall section with photos and frames holding images of a family of three. The pictures appeared to be vintage, for all of them had no color and were in gray scale tones. Some also appeared to be singed or burned, one even was missing half the portrait do the burns the photo had endured.

Still, Sireen felt her heart lift at seeing the trio together. A earth pony stallion of thin build and intelligent eyes smiled back energetically with a mane that looked like it had been hit by a lightning bolt. In his forelegs was a swaddle of cloth that held a small unicorn foal. The only time Sireen had seen a father more proud, was when she was in the company of Iron Crest and Crisp Words.

Then her eyes fell to the mare sitting to his left. She was a unicorn, with a clean coat and a styled mane that fit the era of the older times. In each picture she held a gentle, motherly smile that belied her kindness and showed her love for the two at her right. She was beautiful for certain, but her eyes... Sireen blinked and looked closer. Sure enough, the mare's eyes had no pupils! They were completely devoid of them. She looked from one picture to the next. In each that the mare was present in, her eyes were empty.

That was disconcerting, to be sure. Maybe the mare had a deformity? Perhaps a medical ailment that made her blind, or was she born without them?

Sireen was brought out of her musings by a voice filled with excitement to her left.

"Hello there, dear customer! I don't believe I've had the chance to see you in our little shop before."

Sireen turned and found herself staring at a young, brown coated, fiery maned earth pony stallion that had a smile that made her feel genuinely welcome. But something seemed off. Sireen looked from the old photos, and then back to him. There was no doubt in her mind, that what she saw wasn't a trick, but it had to be!

They were the same stallion! She blinked and opened her mouth to speak but found no words came forth. Her hoof pointing at the photo, and then to the now bemused stallion at the counter.

The clerk chuckled at her apparent confusion and reared up. He folded his forelegs across the counter top, and smiled wistfully. "Yes, that is me, it’s a little joke I like to play on new customers. They come in, barely ever paying attention to the pictures and instead they wander around at our wares. When they meet me, I tell them a story about this building. I like to give folks the idea that this place was the center point for a massive fire that took the lives of the three in those photos. Hence why the shelves look burned and old, and the brick seems charred. After regaling them with my tale, I help them find what they need, and then usually tell them in a dead serious voice to wave goodbye at the pictures before they leave. Then, before they notice, I slip into my office and watch as they stare from the pictures to the now vacant counter in shock!"

Sireen couldn't help but giggle at the absurdity of it all. "Doesn't that pull ponies away from your shop, sir?" She asked.

He sighed with a gentle smile. "My wife said something similar. They will not come back, you know, and will tell all of Canterlot that this place is haunted, it’s bad for business! Bah! She was wrong though, ponies love this shop!" Here the stallion paused and drummed his hooves across the counter with a furrowed brow. "Er, that is, once they find it." He looked up at her and pointed toward the street. "We didn't exactly get a good location, so we aren't that well known, regardless of this…"

At the word this, the stallion reared up on his hind legs and waved his hooves at the wares. "Welcome to Calamity's curio house! Have a look around, and if you need my help I'll be here at the counter." He landed on the floor with all four hooves and smiled. Sireen held back her amusement at his energy and looked back at the photos.

"May I ask a question, mister..." she rotated her hoof in his direction and he blinked in surprise.

"Oh! My apologies, miss. My name is Earthen Dowel. My wife is the owner, Mrs. Sudden Calamity." He smiled proudly and Sireen nodded.

"I see, would you mind sating my curiosity on a couple things?" When he nodded enthusiastically, she popped her first question. "Well, I didn't see any hours posted for your shop, and that is problematic for me. I wanted to bring my..."

Sireen paused, she had almost called Crisp Words her son, but that wasn't accurate.

"Um, my friend and his son here, I think they would get a kick out of this place."

Earthen smiled warmly and nodded his approval. "Mm, well that is a good thing to hear, as for our hours, we are open twenty four seven!" He winked at her. "For those customers that prefer Princess Luna's quieter nights to do their shopping."

Sireen smiled and bowed her head to him. "Thank you, I'm sure Her Majesty appreciates your willingness to adhere your hours to those more aligned with the night, than the day." Sireen then felt her eyes travel to the shelves and the items they held. She clopped down the first isle, taking a couple baubles off the shelves, and admiring whatever uniqueness they had, all the while aware of Earthen's eyes following her silently. If it were not part of her nature to be curious, she'd find his watchfulness a little creepy.

As she entered the second isle, she heard the front door crack open and a pair of hooves wander across the floor. Grumbling could be heard, drawing Sireen's sight to the end of the isle. She almost gasped as the same unicorn with ghost like eyes waltzed by and promptly dropped her head onto the counter with a dull 'thunk'. She was a mare with a cream colored coat, and a lavender colored mane style that held sophistication in its design.

The mare's ears pinned back and her teeth bared as she sat down. "I hate it, Earthen, I hate it so much!" She mumbled. Sireen calmly walked to the front of the isle and watched quietly as Earthen reached out and rubbed small circles in the space between her withers with his hoof. It drew a coo of pleasure from the mare and she leaned into the touch.

Earthen smiled gently and nuzzled the top of her mane. "I know it can be a pain, but at least it’s over for the month, right?" His hoof was pushed away as she stood with a scowl, but it held a hint of mirth.

"Right, right, keep positive, I know, love. Still, it'd be nice to have some more customers to offset the bill." Her eyes, devoid though they may be, seemed to lose some brightness to them. Earthen looked up and locked eyes with Sireen, and she saw his hopeful expression.

"Well, we do have one more, love." When she looked up at him with confusion, he pointed to the bat pony mare, who smiled gently and bowed her head. Calamity blinked a couple times and then her smile broadened.

"W-well hello there! I am so sorry I didn't see you!" The unicorn turned fully to Sireen and held out a hoof, which Sireen cautiously took. Her nervousness seemed to travel across to Calamity, who winced and chuckled. "I may look um, a little odd but it's nothing to worry about, ma'am. Merely my genetics at play."

Sireen tilted her head as her hoof lowered back to the floor. "Genetics, Mrs. Calamity?"

The mare nodded and sat down once more. Her tail swished back and forth, letting her happiness show. "Oh yes, I am the daughter of a unicorn and a changeling."

Sireen felt her eyes widen in surprise. She'd never heard of such a pairing! "Is...I assume that is quite rare, yes?"

Calamity nodded. "My father, Sterling Signature, met my mother while he was building his business in San Palomino. He was attempting to connect two corporations together, and when they landed in a situation where neither side would accept the terms, my mother, disguised as another unicorn, helped them find a compromise. "

She paused and looked back at her husband, who smiled and gave her a motion with his hooves, as if wanting her to continue. She stood and ran a hoof along one of the shelves, a comforted look making its way onto her face.

"It was the first of many scenarios where the two ended up working together. In the end, my mother asked him out to dinner after a rather successful business merge, and he accepted."

Calamity's grin widened into a cheerful one and she swished her tail merrily. "A little while later they began dating and well...they got together."

Here she gained a wistful look, as if the past had caught up to her memory. "I remember as a filly, they used to get such odd looks when they were in public. Changelings have to enter pony cities undisguised unless they have a unity passport or verification papers showing they are a citizen of Equestria."

Sireen nodded in understanding. She'd dealt with a couple changelings in her time as a guard, but not to any major lengths. Mostly they would arrive at the castle to get their passports or citizenship. Most seemed to be wanting passports though. A unity passport allowed the changeling to keep their ties to their hive and work in Equestria. She had seen Princess Luna work out a few transfers in night court though, for changelings that wanted to live with the ponies fully. These changelings usually were of the type that had been exiled, or were leaving the hive for less than positive reasons. Sometimes bad blood between hive mates would cause a group to disband from the hive and seek more enjoyable places to live, like Equestria.

"Correct me if I am wrong," Sireen interjected. "But passports and citizenship is pretty hard to get, even today. It must have been hard for your mother, I imagine."

Calamity's smile diminished only a little as she replied. "Oh, yes. The system was pretty new back then. Princess Twilight was petitioning for the system back then, and many ponies disagreed with her views. My mother had to visit my father in secret. Of course, he was under the impression that she just had a job that took her out of the country on a regular basis, he didn't know she was a changeling until her arrest."

Sireen's ears perked up at that. "Your mother got arrested?"

Earthen spoke up for Calamity, who frowned and pawed at the floor.

"Calamity's mother got into a fight with a guard one day, after he asked for her papers at the border. The guard was suspicious of her for a while, and decided one day to look her up in the system. When he found her disguise matched a deceased unicorn mare from a couple years back, he barred her entry."

Earthen removed himself from around the counter and came to his wife's side, half hugging her. She leaned into the touch with a sigh. Earthen continued.

"When he demanded she prove her credentials, she turned and tried to leave the border but was stopped by the other guards present. You're a guard, miss, have you ever seen a cornered changeling before?"

Sireen frowned. She hadn't been part of any altercations with the race as of yet, but the stories she'd heard from her higher ups were not ones that sounded pleasant. "She panicked, didn't she?" Sireen looked at Earthen and saw his curt nod.

"She did more than that, she took down four Equestrian Royal Border Patrol agents and injured a citizen in her attempt to flee the border."

Sireen cringed and lowered her ears in dismay. "Thats baaaad...What happened after they captured her?"

Calamity chuckled. "Once three guards had her pinned down, her energy stores were dangerously low. She lost consciousness and her disguise dropped. Apparently she scared the badges right of those guards when that happened. She was detained in a holding cell until Princess Celestia could hear her case. When she finally got to Canterlot though...that's when things got pretty hectic."

Earthen smiled at Sireen and hugged his wife, she purred and nuzzled his neck affectionately. "When they got off the train, they walked her through town, under a different disguise. Sterling Signature was exiting Celestia's throne room after some business just as she was arriving in it. When he saw her, he expressed his outrage at seeing his potential lover in chains, they asked how he knew her, and he said she was his best friend."

Sireen blinked and flipped an ear sideways in thought. "But you said she didn't look the same, how did he recognize her?"

Calamity sighed and nuzzled stronger into Earthen's chest fur, nipping his collar and getting a gentle hiss of pleasure out of him. He blushed and nibbled the mare's ear tip, eliciting a mewl of happiness from her. The stallion chuckled and continued.

"He practically laughed at the guard who asked him, and with Celestia as his witness, he said "You idiot, a disguise is only good if it can hide your true feelings, and this changeling is terrible at hiding hers."

Sireen gasped and held a hoof to her mouth. "He...he knew already?" When The couple nodded together she felt her heart flutter. "Thats amazing, how did he find out?"

Calamity chuckled and her blush increased tenfold. "W-well between us mares, my mother didn't make the normal sounds a mare does when a stallion, um, decides to mount--"

Sireen held up a hoof amidst trying to stop her giggling. "Oh my gosh, stop. You're kidding!"

When Calamity shook her head, Sireen lost it. She laughed, "W-what did she do?! Did she buzz when he--"

"She chittered!"

Sireen gasped. "No way! Oh my gosh, that is sooo cute!"

"I know right? Dad said she was so lost in pleasure that when he asked if she was alright, she just said something to him in her native tongue, and then started moaning so loud the neighbors--mmmpph!"

Earthen put a hoof in his wife's mouth suddenly, a red hot blush across his cheeks that could rival a dragon's fire. "OKAY! We are moving on now, new subject, and thank you very much!"

His wife scowled, pinned her ears back and clamped her teeth down on his hoof, in retaliation. Earthen yelped and withdrew his hoof. "OUCH! T-that was my hoof!"

"And said hoof should stay outta my mouth and let us mares enjoy our chit chat!" Calamity said, crossing her forelegs and sticking her tongue out at him. Earthen pouted and harrumphed.

"At least I tried to keep it PG, there is a foal present you know!"

Sireen blinked and looked around, but no foal was to be seen. "Um, there is?"

Calamity sighed with a roll of her eyes and a smile, "Oh yes, she likes to get into mischief all the time. Quiet Eyes! We know you're in here, come out my little loveling!"

A couple seconds went by, and then Sireen's ears swiveled behind her and her guard instincts kicked in. She whirled around and her eyes caught the end of an amber colored tail as it disappeared inside a nearby chest that sat on the bottom shelf. She grinned and crouched, sneaking towards the chest as quiet as silence itself.

When she reached it, her ears picked up giggling from within. She looked back to her mother and father who were looking up at the top shelves of all places. After waving a hoof to get Calamity's attention, she pointed to the chest. Calamity caught on and started walking towards her.

"Oh I wonder where my little hatchling has gotten to this time!" Calamity said with heavy exaggeration. The box giggled more as calamity reached Sireen and the batpony scooted aside to let the mother near. The mare stood there loudly tapping her hoof on the floor. "Oh where did she hide this time?" a hint of mock exasperation in her tone.

Almost at the same time, the foal flung the chest open and dove at her mother, intent on surprising the adult with her expertly crafted sneak attack, only to see two sets of predatory, motherly smiles aimed at her. Her victory cry turned into a squeal of surprise.

"Surprise! I got ya--Aaaaahhh!"

The filly looked like a normal unicorn foal, with a white coat and a two toned purple and red mane. Her eyes were a bright green color, and seemed to fill with glee as her mother reached out with her forelegs and caught her child.

"No, I got you!" Calamity thrust her snout into her child's belly fur and nibbled with little growls, making Quiet Eyes peals of laughter echo around the store.

"N-nooooo ahahah! Mamma! Let me g-go!" The foal tried to squirm out of her mother’s grasp but only succeeded in exposing her back, which mamma exploited to its fullest. Another loud raspberry assaulted Sireen's ears as the two played. She felt warm and happy inside, watching the mother and her daughter, and she wondered if it would be like that with Crisp Words.

I hope so, she mused.

The foal finally escaped her mother's clutches and leaped to the floor, racing right into Sireen's forelegs, and pushing her back against the bat pony's chest fur. "Night guard! Protect me! The evil mother of tickles tried to kidnap me!"

Calamity put a hoof to her chest in mock horror. "Evil?! You dare call your own mother evil?"

Sireen smirked and looked down at the filly. "I don't know little one, I saw a filly who was breaking and entering."

Quiet Eye's ears lowered and she tilted her head up to look at Sireen in confusion and a hint of worry. "H-huh?"

The grin Sireen gave the foal was less than supportive. And Quiet Eyes suddenly felt like her apparent ally was a ruse.

"Oh yes, Quiet, I saw you sneaking into a chest full of treasures that your mother was protecting!" she said with a playful growl reaching her lips. Quiet Eyes gasped and flailed in Sireen's grasp.

"N-No! You're not an ally! Traitor!" Sireen laughed and let her go a second or two later, the little scamp flopped onto the floor and bolted into a standing position. She stuck her tongue out at both mares.

They both shared a look and nodded. Quiet Eyes watched as they both crouched and growled from both ends of the isle.

Her bravery faltered instantly. "I...um....EEP!" taking off like a shot from a cannon, the filly ran past Sireen and out of view, with a loud playful laugh. "Daaaad! Save me daddy!"

The two mares broke into a fit of laughter. Children were a joy that every mother craved experiencing. Calamity sighed and leaned against the shelving unit softly. A loving smile gracing her face as they heard a shout of surprise and then laughter from Earthen. "She is one of the best things that has happened to me, and I can't imagine life without my little loveling, now."

Sireen smiled back and shuffled her wings. “I can only imagine what that's like, but it must be nice."

Calamity's smile fell to a flat line and her brow raised. "Oh? I was under the impression you ARE a mother...Was I wrong?"

When Sireen's ears lowered slightly and her gaze fell to the floor, "um, no. I....no, I’m not."

Calamity frowned. "Oh...I...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed anything, dear." Calamity came over and nuzzled her neck, and Sireen leaned into the physical touch, a small comfort. "That's odd, you're very attractive, I know several stallions or mares who'd love to meet you!"

The thestral blushed warmly and shook a hoof, "O-oh, well that's very kind of you to say, b-but I recently found someone that has his eye on me, so..." Sireen paused and felt her smile return slowly. Iron Crest certainly had shown interest, but did he love her?

Only time will tell, I guess. She was quiet for a moment and then she fully smiled and looked to Calamity.

"I think I'm spoken for."

Calamity smirked, "You think so, or you know so?"

"W-well, Iron Crest and I haven't actually--"

Calamity gasped and looked like she'd eaten something sour. Sireen paused. "Is something wrong?"

The unicorn mare frowned, and looked to the side, making sure they weren't being spied on before leaning in. "You mean that yellow pegasus that works for the courts right?"

When Sireen nodded nervously, Calamity's ears pinned back. "I...well that is, good I guess...You be careful, though, okay?"

Sireen felt her nervousness switch over to confusion and caution as she tilted her head and squinted her eyelids. "Whyyy?"

Calamity shuffled closer so the two were practically in a huddle. "Have you heard about his ex-wife's family?"

Sireen nodded. "I was told by Iron himself that they are less than pleased with him for marrying her."

Calamity shook her head adamantly, "That's like saying fire is kind of warm! They HATE him. Iron Crest has been on their shit list--please excuse my language-- for ever now! I would know!"

Sireen felt her lip twitch into an attempt at a snarl. "Okay, how do you know this?"

Calamity leaned back and furrowed her brow while flicking her snout toward the front door. "One of them is a regular customer here."

Sireen growled at that, her eyes flashing as she fought to keep her wings from popping open.

Calamity, seeing this display, didn't flinch away, but seemed emboldened by the reaction. "Oh yes! One of the daughters comes here at the beginning of every week to see our new shipments. She likes our store, but when I broached the subject of Iron Crest, the mare look like I’d stabbed her! She stormed out of our shop and I didn't see her for three or four weeks after. "

Calamity paused and watched Sireen as the mare tried to calm her anger down. When the batpony's anger had dissipated, she continued.

"When she returned, I tried to apologize for the incident, but she shrugged it off and said, it’s no problem of ours, the issue will resolve itself with time. Whatever that means, I decided I would warn Iron Crest, and any pony who got close to him."

Calamity chuckled, "I guess its good luck You decided to check out our store. I might not have been able to warn you, that family is up to something and I get the feeling they don't give up easily. Be careful."

When Sireen nodded, Calamity smiled genuinely and stood. "Good, that's all a mare can hope for, please take care of him and Crisp for us, okay? They need all the attention they can get."

Sireen nodded proudly and stood at attention. "I'll be sure to do so, ma'am."

Calamity chuckled and wandered down the aisle, "Well then, feel free to browse around and if you have any questions, I'll be at the front counter."

After Calamity left, the batpony paused to process all the information she'd been given. The words of that other mare seemed to hold a hidden threat, but maybe Sireen was just overly cautious. If that family wanted to do something, they could have done something already, and yet nothing foul had taken place.

Then Sireen remembered something from training. The words playing over and over in her head as she said her good byes and left the shop. Her legs went from a walk, to a trot, and then to a full sprint towards Crisp Word's school.

Caution is thrown to the wind, so a thestral can catch it.

If that family was being cautious, it meant they were planning something.

She'd be there to catch it.

Author's Note

Merry christmas ^^