Author's Note

Mostyn- "mahst-in"
Montague- "Mahnt-a-gyou"
Morsemere- "Morse-meer"

Meeting the Trio

“So is she fucking him?”

Morsemere craned his neck to look down the row, his dark amber eyes zeroing in on the boss slowly making her way towards him. The guard shift was just starting and Morsemere, Montague and Mostyn were starting their second night, their second real night, as they had all completed preliminary training and had passed. Morsemere was dying to know whether or not Midnight Blossom and Cloud Skipper were having sordid relations with each other. Relationships on the job were not approved by the Princess Luna and there was a really saucy rumor going around that Midnight Blossom was currently having relations with the Pegasus in charge, Cloud Skipper. Of course, there was no evidence to support that aside from said rumor and, of course, there is always a way to find out without boring actual physical evidence. His sister, Mostyn had an eye for that.

Four eyes. Two on her head, one on each flank.
“Listen, I'll ask when she comes down and I'll find out,” said Mostyn with a small smile on her face. She shook her mane back and forth, the blue/white hair swirling around her head. Adorning each of her flanks was a pale blue eye inset with an interrobang -her special talent made her a walking talking lie detector. Just by looking at a pony and studying their body language and their reaction she could tell whether or not they were telling the truth or telling a lie.

And everypony has reactions.

“Just don't get us into trouble, Mostyn. I don't need to be confined to a tower tonight,” grumbled Montague, eldest of the trio. Being the oldest of the three he often felt responsible for his two younger siblings, who would often shirk the rules and find themselves getting into more trouble than necessary. He was also the physically largest and strongest of the trio, and won more than his fair share at armwrestling.

Montague ran a claw through his dark green hair as Midnight Blossom approached. He could sense trouble was imminent. His sister was going to ask a very personal question to their superior and also because his brother was not in uniform again.

“Where is your uniform?” Midnight Blossom barked. Morsemere, who was just wearing the metal chestpiece, glanced down at himself in mock surprise

“I can’t find it, boss!” responded Morsemere, staring straight ahead past Midnights gaze.

“That’s ‘sir’ to you, newbie,” growled Midnight.

“Sir boss sir! Sorry sir! Surly won’t happen again boss, sir!” replied Morsemere, with a huge shit-eating grin on his face.

“Go to the barracks and get the rest of your uniform or you’re stuck in the gardens for the next week!” commanded Midnight, stamping her hoof. “GO!”

Morsemere split, flying out to the barracks as fast as his wings could carry him. Midnight rolled her eyes and groaned, watching the stallion pretending to careen into a stone column.

“Where’s Commander Cloud Skipper? Isn’t he usually the one in charge of inspection before designating us to our posts?” Mostyn inquired politely, with nothing but innocence in her eyes.

“Cloud Skipper is currently in a meeting with High Noon,” said Midnight bitterly. “As requested by him, I’m doing inspection and sending all of you to your proper posts. Now, this is only a temp-”

“Are ya fuckin’ him?” interrupted Mostyn.

Any idle chatter going about the line halted at the question. Nopony said another a word. Even the crickets seemed flabbergasted, their background chirping temporarily ceasing.

“What. Did. You just say to me?” Midnight Blossom stared daggers into Mostyns deep purple eyes.

“Are you fuckin’ him?” repeated Mostyn, with a toothy smile.

Midnight Blossom glared daggers at the mare. “Relationships amongst the ranks is strictly forbidden. No, I am not, and if I ever hear talk of that again, missy, I can guarantee something far worse than a write-up.”

“Duly noted, boss,” replied Mostyn, using a smug-as-possible tone of voice.

Midnight glanced back down the line with a piercing gaze, immediately quieting the hushed whispering that had broken out among the other stallions. The mare gave Montague a quick once-over, saw that he was completely satisfactory, and told him an incredibly disappointing place for him to stand watch the next eight hours.

“You’re on the east wall, far side. You’re going to be accompanying your siblings. Babysitting them. All night. And if you’re smart you’ll have enough time to straighten them the fuck out.”

“Sir!” Montague salute Midnight Blossom with typical gusto, the way a guard was supposed to.

“Any screw-ups that occur concerning them tonight, will be attributed to you. And any punishments or write-ups will fall on your wings,”
Midnight Blossom punctuated that with a jab at his chest. Mostyn whistled at that remark.

“Got it, Montague?

“Got it, sir!” Montague saluted, and Midnight Blossom marched down the line.

A second later, Morsemere flew in, and landed next to his brother and sister in full uniform.

“So is she fucking him?” Morsemere asked quickly, adjusting his helmet.

Mostyn snickered. “Ohhh yeeeah.”

“Could you two be less terrible? I shouldn’t have to babysit you both while at work. It’s bad enough I’ve been saddled with watching you guys a lot growing up,” Montague complained, trotting briskly back and forth between the two.

“Yeah but now they’re paying you to babysit us, Monty,” noted Mostyn, idly scratching her ear.

Morsemere laughed and sat on his haunches. “Mom and Dad never paid you for that? It’s about time you got some money due for keeping an eye out for us!”

“Well tonight, it’s MY ass on the line if you two do something and get punished, so really, I love you guys, but knock off on the shenanigans until tomorrow. I could go for an easy night of just, patrolling the third most boring part of the castle ground,” Montague sighed, taking a seat himself.

“Y’know it’s the most boring part of the wall that gets the most action from bad guys, right Monty?” quipped Mostyn, swishing her mane around and striking a battle pose. “We’re gonna kick some changeling tail tonight!”

“Missy, you are not getting into any fights while I’m standing by. I’ve seen bananas that bruise less than you,” Montague grinned hugely. “I thought it was funny that Midnight called you by the nickname we used to call you when we were little.”

“Dumb coincidence,” Mostyn stuck out her tongue.

When Morsmere was a little colt and Mostyn a little filly, her brother had trouble pronouncing her name. Instead of calling her Mostyn, he would just call her ‘missy’ until he was around six or seven years old. Montague had found the nickname adorable, and had persisted calling his sister ‘missy’ well into adulthood. Even Morsemere had recently picked it back up. Initially, she was bothered with it, but the nickname had grown on her.

“How come I don’t get a nickname?” whined Morsemere sarcastically.

“Monty and I have already decided that your name is too cool to replace with a nickname, Morsemere. It’s your eternal punishment,” Mostyn remarked, in an equally sarcastic tone.

“This current punishment kinda blows though. I don’t want to get Monty in trouble for something he didn’t do,” sighed Morsemere, jumping up and draping his forelegs over the wall. Being held accountable for stuff he didn’t do wasn’t his bag, and as fun as goofing around was, he didn’t want to get his big brother sacked. They all remained quiet for a moment, the situation weighing heavy on their minds. The mountainside wind whistled softly and then, it too died down.

“So Missy, I know you’re dying for me to ask how you knew for sure that Midnight is going at it with Cloud Skipper, so go ahead, tell me,” Montague finally said, wanting to lighten the mood.

“Ooh,” Mostyns eyes lit up, “So, I picked up on several tics. Blossom is not a good liar. When I asked, her left ear twitched slightly, she raised her right leg up a hair, as if she were physically recoiling. I saw her pupils dilate, eye twitch a little, her fur stood up a bit more, she caught her breath, and her tail flagged to the other side of her flanks,” finished Mostyn, her voice dripping with pride.

“Daaamn,” whispered Morsemere. “So, ninety-nine percent?”

“One-hundred ten percent that they’re rutting like first timers at the peak of heat,” Mostyn smirked, “and I bet if I pushed her I’d get even more tells but I got enough with just the accusation.”

“So… what’s that mean?” asked Morsemere.

“Means we’ve got some dirt on Midnight and Cloud Skipper until they either go public or get canned,” said Montague, matter-of-factly.

“No more of this punishment horsecrap that’s for sure,” Mostyn removed her helmet she was supposed to be wearing and set it on the ground, swishing her mane around happily. “Even without actual physical evidence, I know she’s lying. It’s what I’m good at.”

“Are you sure your cutie mark doesn’t mean YOU aren’t just an excellent liar?” Montague poked his sister in the side.

“Put a sock in it Monty, I know what I’m good at,” huffed Mostyn, flicking her tail at him.

“You’re good at getting into trouble,” teased Montague.

“Oh and you’re not! How many times do you get into trouble because you threw the first swing to start a fight!”

“That’s an early advantage in any fight!”

“Fight’s that you technically start!”

“If I don’t initiate I could get hurt!”

“You always DO get hurt, numbskull.”

“So? I always win my fights. You can’t even name any fights I’ve lost.”

“Maybe because you always start them so hard.”

“It’s the best way to fight! C’mon Missy, it’s on my flanks. I’m a bruiser. And, you’re kind of a bruise-ee.”

Mostyn scoffed. “That is not even a word.”

“Oh you know what I mean.”

“Guys,” said Morsemere quietly. Too quietly, as he went ignored in favor of sibling bickering.

“I am NOT that soft,” grumbled Mostyn, “Remember when I fought what’s-her-face, Night Watch, and won that fight?”

“Pleeeaaase,” Montague rolled his dark purple eyes, “you fought like mares. Poorly. I heard you were both crying from the pain afterwards.”

“WELL. I wasn’t!” snapped Mostyn. “I won that fight, Morsemere saw he was there.”

“You guys,” Morsemere said again, still peering over the wall.

“And I bet you didn’t throw the first swing either.”

“Well yea, I didn’t expect that to be a fight!”

“I didn’t expect you to win the fight either. In fact, who decided that? Morsemere? Because it sounds to me like you both lost.”

“Oh ha-ha, you weren’t even there you big-

“GUYS!”

The two siblings looked over at Morsemere, who was glad that he’d finally gotten their attention.

“What is it, Morsemere?” asked Montague, expecting some silly response in tandem with his sisters story.

He did not expect Morsemere to clear his throat, point over the wall and say: “There’s an earth pony mare down by the bushes, digging around or something.”

The other two siblings bolted over to the side of the wall and peered down, scanning around for the mare.

“I don’t see her, Morsemere,” hissed Mostyn, trying to be quiet. “Are you sure you saw a pony down there?”

“Sure as you are about spotting a lie,” said Morsemere, scaling the wall with full confidence. “It was definitely a mare, and she had a green coat.”

“Well, what are we waitin’ for then?” Montague clambered up on to the rock.”Let’s go investigate and find out what it is…” he glanced at his sister. “Hey Mostyn, if she’s a changeling scout and you out her as one again, you might not have to hold one over Midnight Blossom after all.”

“Luna willing,” she muttered, and followed her brothers down to the ground.