Author's Note

Aaand a new chapter.
I honestly have to say that writing this was a mess with everything going on, but I hope it still lives up to all expectations.
If you find any error please tell me.

Differences (Night Watch)

Chapter Sixteen: Differences (Night Watch POV)

After that small introduction, Twilight had a panic attack. A massive one. We had to carry her back while she was still mumbling how everything was scientifically impossible. She didn’t even listen as Luna explained that this was just a shadow of Sombra—an imprint in the crystal if you will, not the original.

Of course, all that did little to calm her.

“I have to write a letter to Celestia!” she exclaimed as soon as we were back in the palace.

As if now was the time to write letters. Deep Sugar mentioned time for us to think everything over and surrender. We had one hour.

Shaking my head at Twilight, who frantically wrote her letter, I turned to Luna. “I really really don’t like her, but if changelings are involved, we need Cadance.”

“You still don’t like her?” Luna smirked. “After all that bonding and the question she asked you?”

“Don’t remind me… Still, since it seems Twilight is useless and we already know Celestia won’t help, we need her.”

“I would rather wait those few moments for what my sister has to say.”

“Other than she won’t help us?”

“You never know. She might still surprise us.”

I could see that Luna didn’t believe that one bit. Twilight had finished her letter in the meantime and sent it away. The answer didn’t take long. Barely a few minutes later, a short scroll appeared and Twilight opened it quickly, before dropping it and letting out a frustrated scream.

While Diamond and the rest went to Twilight, Luna floated the scroll over so we could read.

My dear fellow princess,

Surely you must be jesting. Deep Sugar died three years ago near Appleloosa in a tragic accident. The changelings have not been seen in years, and as you already mentioned, it is simply impossible to resurrect King Sombra.

If my sister and the general put those ideas in your head, tell them they are being silly.

I will deal with the rest.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

“Wow, that isn’t even close to Celestia’s usual wording,” I sighed, before sharing a look with Luna. “Chrysalis?”

“Chrysalis,” she nodded sadly.

I growled. “Why now? And why would the changelings reappear now to help King Sombra’s followers? Why risk death and replace Celestia? What is their ultimate goal? It doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Indeed it doesn’t, but I don’t think they replaced her so much as they’ve done the same thing to her as to the Royal Guards,” Luna added. “They want to get rid of me and all my children so Celestia can rule, so I don’t think they’ll replace her with a changeling. But still, Equestria would be doomed as soon as I and my children were gone and—” she stopped and facehooved while I continued.

“The exception is if King Sombra is somehow playing the changelings, he’s planning on getting rid of Chrysalis and Celestia as soon as he is free. They really are stupid.”

Luna sighed and stretched. “Now, remind me why you don’t like Cadance?”

“You know why!” I growled back.

She simply chuckled before leaving me.

***

Around seven months ago

“General!”

I groaned, looking to my side. The sun wasn’t up yet and after a horrible night shift, I wasn’t happy to be awoken again. From the setting, I would’ve guessed I had had around 2 hours of sleep so far.

“Night! Get your lazy flank up!” a new voice shouted, and I cursed. It was Moon.

“It better be bucking important, you twat!” I shouted back, trying to get up as quickly as possible. “If this is another one of your ‘emergencies’, I’m going to stick it so far into your flank that—DAMN IT—UFF.” The rest of my sentence was muffled as I managed to get tangled in the sheets, dropping hard out of bed.

“Is there a reason you make such a fuss this early?” Blue asked tiredly, looking down at me with a small smile.

I muffled something incorrigible before Blue gently picked me up. “Thanks, love,” I said before turning towards the door. “What do you two want?”

“Open the door and we’ll talk!”

Sharing a rather questioning look with Blue, I went on and opened the door, just to find Moon Shield and Red Wave in front of it. I narrowed my eyes, ready to say something when I noticed the blood on Red’s fangs. “What happened?”

“Long or short version?” Moon smiled.

“Give me the summary,” I rolled my eyes.

Red actually smiled at that. “Cadance arrived. Brought Crystal Guards. Talks with Luna. One of her Guards flirted with me. Asked him to stop. He didn’t stop. Moon promised him a beating if he didn’t stop. Was unimpressed and continued. I ripped him apart. The end.”

I blinked, trying to analyze the information. “What?!”

“You have to come with us,” Moon Shield sighed. “Cadance wants to talk to Luna and you alone while sorting out the mess Red made. The stallion is still alive, but barely.”

“Well, he won’t mess with bat ponies anymore,” I said dryly before sighing. “You two, leave, I’ll take care of it. Where are they?”

“Dining hall,” Red said before chipperly turning around, biting Moon’s tail and dragging her along. “All that blood made me hungry,” she mumbled through her marefriend’s tail, heading straight for their halls while Moon send a silent plea my way.

I shook my head with a bemused smile before turning, right into the hooves of Blue. “Do you have to go?” she asked.

“I don’t know how much you heard, but Red apparently nearly killed a Crystal Guard that wouldn’t stop flirting with her and now I have to explain the mess to the Princess of Love.”

Blue facehooved, before unhoofing me, pointing to the drawer. “At least put your uniform on.”

I grinned. “You just love my flank in it.”

“Shut up and get back as quickly as possible,” she just growled, stepping back into bed.

Rolling my eyes again, I quickly put my uniform on. Well, as quickly as I dared, as I noticed Blue’s gaze on me. Giving her a quick kiss, I left the room and made my way to the dining room, soon joined by our supply officer, Lightning Blossom.

“I guess you heard what happened?” I asked.

“Of course. Luna sent for me as well since the rest are busy.”

I didn’t even asked why Luna would ask for Lightning. She trusted her, and I did as well. “I’m worried,” I started, sighing.

“Why?”

“You know Red Wave’s bloodline and recently she did everything to honor that. We, as her family, might tolerate it and love her, but other ponies won’t. She has to turn it down a notch or we’ll get into trouble.”

“As far as I heard, the stallion pestered her and she defended her family.”

“That doesn’t make it right for any outsiders,” I growled. “They don’t understand us, our families, or our traditions. I’m just worried how this will turn out. The stallion is nearly dead, as far as I know.” With that we fell silent.

Sadly, the silence didn’t held long. As soon as we were even near the dining room we could hear the two alicorns arguing.

“What do you mean it would be normal? She nearly killed a stallion with a family!”

“Cadance sounds pissed,” Lightning chuckled.

“Your so called stallion with family flirted with Red Wave and wouldn’t let it go even after her partner told him to do so! She merely defended her mate and herself, which is perfectly normal for any pony. For a batpony, even more so!”

“Aaand Luna doesn’t sound pleased either,” I groaned.

“Wanna bet who’s gonna beat each other’s flank first?” she grinned back at me.

“Why are you always making a bet out of everything?”

“Hey, I’m working with a budget and supplies every day. I know my way around money.”

I facehooved, and we turned the corner, facing two guards. Both from the Crystal Empire.

“Hey hey, look! More freaks!” the left one shouted, causing his partner to chuckle.

“Well, they sure look funny. I wonder how that one mare got Bulk Spear down. Maybe he was too busy ogling her, so she got the chance?”

“Alright you two,” I started, flashing my fangs. “I’m General Night Watch, and you two better shut up and fuck off before I use you two as training. I’ve had nearly zero sleep, so I’m not in the mood for games. Shut up and open the door, or I’ll make you regret setting a hoof into my area!”

“Ha! General? Sure, filly. You barely reach my neck and you want to be the general? Dream on!” both guards snickered and held onto their spears while they tried hard not to laugh.

“Lightning?” I asked, closing my eyes.

“Yes?”

“Do you think Luna will mind if two of Cadance’s guards die for disrespecting and insulting the highest military ranking mare in Equestria?”

“I don’t know, but I would do it anyways. They are blocking our way and we’re gonna be late. You know how Luna hates that,” Lightning chipperly replied.

“You two are jokesters, huh? We were trained by Prince Shining Armor himself!” the left guard proudly declared.

Then he went down. Before they could react I had spread my wings and crashed into him, using my hoof to attack his vulnerable throat. I didn’t even have to use my fangs.

His friend roared and lifted his spear, but he couldn’t do anything before the doors opened, revealing a visible pissed Luna who shocked him with a quick bolt from her horn.

“My dear niece,” Luna slowly said, her voice dangerously calm. “Look at another two foals from your guard that are disrespecting my ponies. And the General of our armies, nonetheless!”

“I see no evidence!” Cadance growled. “Maybe those two are just another couple of hotheads from your guard!”

“Cadance,” I greeted coldly.” I told your guards who I am. They made fun of me, insulted us.”

“And that gives you reason to attack them?” she shouted.

“I think insulting or attacking a general of Equestria once resulted in death,” Luna hummed. “But the rules have changed, and a dishonorable discharge from the guard, or for harsher crimes, life in prison it is, today.”

Cadance recoiled. “You can’t be serious! Now three of my guards are hurt, and you still defend your guard!”

“Wouldn’t you do the same?” Lightning cut in. “What did you do with Luna now? Argue? I can understand you, trust me. If those were my guards I would possible act the same. But you, as a princess, should leave feelings out of it and collect evidence.”

Luna nodded to her in thanks. “Your guard Bulk Spear insulted Red Wave and her lover. Now those two in front of the door insulted my general, and I can assure you she doesn’t make up stories at will!”

“I never said that she was lying, Auntie! I merely said that they reacted too harshly and violently!”

“How would you react if a mare targetted Shining Armor, flirting with him, making advances?” I asked. “Even after you told her to stop, after signaling that he is your mate, your husband, she wouldn’t stop? Relationships and family are a serious matter for us. If one were to act towards Blue like that and not stop, I would probably kill him.”

“Why?”

“Because we protect our family and are very… possessive,” Lightning smiled, hugging me close with a wing. “We look out for each other. Every batpony does. That is why we work so well in the night guard while Celestia’s… I don’t know how to say it.”

Luna jumped in. “The Royal Guard has its reputation for tearing through their own units. While most of my guards stay their lifetime, their Day Guard equivalent is less… eager.”

“I think we are derailing a bit from the topic,” I spoke up. “The fact is that I won’t take any action against Red Wave. She defended her family. Is there anything else you wanted from us, Princess?”

“Well, this matter ended more quickly than I anticipated. Lightning, you are dismissed. Night Watch, please stay here. Red Wave wasn’t the only topic my niece wanted to discuss,” Luna sighed.

As soon as Lightning was gone, Cadance glared at both of us. “I trusted you, Auntie Luna. You said you wanted to help a good friend with her relationship with the ingredient I gave you, not to use it for that kind of a potion!”

“What?” I asked, confused.

My Princess was kind enough to explain: “The potion I gave you contained liquid love, an ingredient my niece specializes in. Since it can be a powerful aphrodisiac, or even poison, she swore to never produce it anymore except in emergencies. I never lied to her. I just didn’t tell her everything because I knew how she would react.”

My gaze turned cold. “So that means if you had known you would have denied Blue and me our happiness?”

“No, it’s not like that!” Cadance answered, shocked and seemly hurt. “But so much could’ve gone wrong with such a potion!”

“Give me examples.”

“Well,” she hesitated before gulping. “Your foal could be of both genders, or have developmental defects that could affect her growth into a healthy mare. But I’ve heard everything has gone well so far.” She shared a quick look with Luna, before opening her right wing, beckoning me forth. “Let’s walk for a bit, Night Watch.”

I gave a silent plea to Luna, but she just waved and winked as the Princess of Love lead me out of the room and down the hall until we left the castle, wandering through the gardens.

“You are a mare I wonder about, Nighty.”

Nighty?!?! I tensed, but she seemed oblivious, or ignored it.

“You’ve made it far in the military, much farther than most before you, and you still have time for life. You have friends, a wife, family, and soon a little filly.”

“Cadance,” I said, stopping in my tracks. “What is this about?”

“I wish to get to know you better,” she smiled back. “As you know, my special talent is love and all of the magic around it, yet your love is a mystery to me. It shines brightly, but smaller flecks are directed at all your fellow guards, your friends. It is a bit like,” she hummed before giggling. “It’s a bit like my own love, or that of Twilight.”

“I’m afraid I can’t follow you.”

“You are an anomaly when it comes to magic, my dear Night. You have special talents and abilities that are rare in one that isn’t an alicorn. But I suppose that your wife is a reason for some of your dedication?”

I nodded, smiling. “I would do everything for her.”

“Mhh, I can see that, even going so far as to say you would attack another pony to defend her.”

“What would you do if somepony attacked your prince? Would you negotiate, or kick their flank?” I asked.

She looked taken aback, but I could see the gears running in that head of hers. “I think I would defend him with all of my abilities.”

“There you go.”

“Soo, when is your filly due?”

I tittered in amusement, my fangs on full display. “Blue is only at the beginning of her pregnancy.”

Cadance had taken a few steps away from me, but I didn’t mind. After a few seconds, she came closer again, smiling. “I want to plan the baby shower!”

Groaning, I hit my head on the next best obstacle in the way, which had to be a statue. Of course.

*****

Present

Twilight looked like I had grown a second head. “You want me to do what?”

“I want you to send an emergency signal to Cadance. We are going to need her knowledge here.”

“What knowledge?”

“I guess you didn’t listen to me while panicking over Celestia’s letter, but let me repeat,” I sighed. “Luna and I are sure that Chrysalis is behind this, replacing or brainwashing certain ponies while Sombra is using her for his return.”

“This is insane!” Twilight shrieked. “How could Celestia fall for this?”

“Twilight, calm down and go over the facts!” I shouted back.

“No! I’m sure Cadance has her own problems at the moment. We can do this alone! With the Elements…”

“Luna!” I yelled, and she quickly separated herself from Diamond and the others, looking at me, then at her fellow Princess that was freaking out a little bit. “I need you to send an emergency letter to Cadance, since Twilight is useless. Make it as short as possible, but add enough detail that she comes here soon!”

“Of course, General.”

I blinked for a second, before remembering something. A general has command over the princesses during war or battles. Never thought I would order one around like that, however.

Looking at Twilight, I rolled my eyes. She was currently busy performing her breathing technique, trying to calm down, which wasn’t very successful.

This is going to be a really, really long day.