Dark Nights

Cobalt sat in his pitch black office, silently staring down at Sable’s and Night Striker’s personnel files sitting open on his desk. He couldn’t at all fathom why in Tartarus Luna thought it was a good idea to even consider having a mare like Sable replace him as Captain of her Lunar Guard. The more he read over their personnel files, the more it became clearer to him Night Striker was clearly the best choice for filling in on the position as Captain. She cared for her fellow comrades in arms and didn’t have Sable’s anti-social personality disorder, or her unpredictable, violent tendency for violent outbursts. The only grades Sable had higher then Night Glider were combative and even then she was only seven percent higher.

He sighed and pulled five pages from a locked draw. These were five pages he had redacted out of Sable’s records. Five pages that he could keep hidden, and ensure Sable’s freedom and subsequent promotion to Captain. Or five pages that if he showed to the right ponies in positons of power, would ensure her imprisonment in a padded cell at Happy Horns Physiatric Facility. He muttered quiet curses to himself, sliding the pages into his saddlebags for safe keeping. He was willing to give Sable one chance to prove herself capable of leading the Lunar Guard. Of course he would need to keep an eye on her and help guide her through the early months of her duties as Captain.

Cobalt stepped out of his office to track down Sable and tell her he was, begrudgingly, accepting her promotion. He blinked a few times to adjust his vision to the bright moonlit hallways and several minutes later he stepped into the Lunar Guard barracks. The barracks were in their normal state of hellish chaos with armor and clothes, belonging to both mares and stallions, along with leashes, collars and various sex toys strewn haphazardly around the room. The scent of sex and blood lingered thickly in the air. A stallion had his muzzle latched around another stallions throat, lapping at the blood from the puncture wounds his fangs had made. Other couples were either spooning with their partners, content to just relax for the night. While most couples were eagerly rutting each other, letting their frustrations and stresses of being in the Guard out on their partners. Just as long as his soldiers kept discipline and structure while performing their duties as Lunar Guards, he had no interest, or care what they did with themselves or each other while off duty.

He cleared his throat pointedly and instantly all the thestrals stopped in their activities and he was the sole focus of their attention. His gaze wandered over the Lunar Guard barracks. “I’m looking for Sable, where is she?” There was quiet muttering, and confused glances shared among the guards, and one stallion hesitantly spoke up.

“She hasn’t reported back from her two week leave, Captain! Nopony has seen Sable since she left!”

Cobalt glared coldly around the room. “And none of you thought to report that she was UA!?”

The thestrals all looked guiltily away from their Captain, not willing to meet his firm accusing gaze. They all knew Sable didn’t react kindly to those who caused her trouble, while she didn’t outright bully and harm them, she did find ways to work behind the scenes and make ponies lives extremely challenging. Cobalt gritted his teeth and glared around the room until of the Guards met his gaze and understood he wasn’t going to let their silence go unpunished.

“All of you answer to me! And me and alone!” His voice was barely a whisper but no less intense and harsh. “Not Sable! I don’t care why you were all too scared to report her UA and cover it up, all of you are doing fifty laps around the obstacle course, after you get these barracks cleaned spotless.”

A collective groan of disappointment and annoyance sounded throughout the barracks, but everypony was instantly silenced as Cobalt let out an unamused hiss. “Get to it!” He snarled.

Cobalt left his Guards to their cleaning and with a surge of his ambient magic, he was suddenly on the other side of the castle, he leaned against a nearby wall breathing heavily with exertion. In the past two seconds he had used his mastery of the acellero spell and checked the various, empty storage rooms that catered perfectly to Sable’s antisocialism. They were all empty. She also wasn’t in any of the bathroom stalls, or in the training fields. The library was the only other location he hadn’t checked. It would be empty, isolated, and quiet this late at night.

He took several deep breaths pushing away from the wall. His whole body was tingling painfully from using so much ambient magic in such a short amount of time. But he gritted his teeth, cleared any signs of discomfort from his expression and walked his way to the library. As he walked through the hallways, ponies hurriedly stepped out of his path making his way clear and unobstructed. Thankfully the library wasn’t too far away and once tingling in his body had stopped, he stepped into the near darkness of the library’s interior. The librarian, an elderly thestral mare, was humming a peaceful tune to herself as she filled the empty spots on the shelves with a cart of books.
“Good evening, Captain Moon,” the librarian greeted softly, without turning away from her work to see who had approached. “Sable is hiding in the southwest wing. Please don’t disturb her too much, the poor thing seems exhausted.”

The southwest wing was dedicated to books containing basic magic lessons for helping young unicorns develop their magic, books of potion making and books on advanced apothecary. He couldn’t even begin to guess what need, or even interest, Sable would have in such literature. Before Sable joined the Lunar Guards, he had spent three years with her in his guardianship teaching her how to read and write. But she had never been able to really pick up, or excel in those basic life skills.

Cobalt moved silently through the library’s bookshelves closing in on Sable’s location the southwest wing. His nostrils flared, his ears were perked, searching for any slight noise, or scent, out of place in the library that would alert him to Sable’s presence. As he got closer to the southwest wing, the only noise he could hear in the otherwise deathly silence, was a slight scratching noise. It took a few moments for him to pinpoint what exactly the scratching noise was, then he realized it was the sound of a quill gliding over parchment.

He found Sable hidden in the shadows of a dark corner, surrounded by dozens of open books, her electric blue, catlike eyes narrowed in concentration as she scanned over the pages softly muttering the words she read to herself. She occasionally wrote a note on a piece of parchment, her writing similar to that of a young school filly who was still learning how to write. A pale jagged scar on the right side of her throat contrasted clearly against her dark gray fur. And unlike everypony else her age, her flanks were as plain as the night she was born.

“Sable,” Cobalt said softly and calmly, staying out of striking distance from the mare, “I need to speak with you.”

Sable instantly pounced to her hooves as she was disturbed, flaring her blue tinged wings, raising her heckles and hissing loudly to reveal her long, razor sharp fang implants made from black ministrelle. She backed herself against a wall to keep her back protected and emitted a low growling in the back of her throat. Cobalt very carefully took several steps back until Sable furled her wings back against her side and curled up in a corner, her eyes never leaving him.

“I talked with Luna two nights ago,” Cobalt continued as though nothing had happened. “And despite my cautioning against it, she has approved your position as Captain of the Lunar Guard once I retire.”

Sable narrowed her eyes at Cobalt ruffling her wings and flicking her tail. “Really?” she muttered softly. She prowled around her work space closing all the books she had been studying and putting them away into her saddlebags.

“Yes, really.” Cobalt slowly moved forward, making sure to keep his movements as relaxed and non threatening as possible and picked up one the books. Sable ruffled her leathery wings at the movement and she backed further away from him taking refuge in the darker shadows of the corner, keeping an intense, vigilant watch on her Captain. “Shhhhhhhhhhh... It’s okay, Sable. I just want to have a look. Is that okay?” His voice was soft and comforting, and he backed up a few paces, giving Sable some more space.

Sable relaxed slightly and nodded her approval for him to continue. “It... Okay.”

“Thank you, Sable.” Cobalt flipped the book open revealing a simple diagram meant for unicorn foals to understand how to cast basic magic. “What is your interest in these books, Sable?”

Sable looked away, clearly not liking the question. She licked her fake fangs nervously, before answering. “W-words... In books, easier to...” She frowned with confusion and bit her bottom lip. Cobalt waited patiently as she tried to think of how to form the proper sentence for what she wanted to say. “Know?” She nodded, seeming satisfied that she had found the right word. “Words, in the books, easier to know.”

“I think you meant, ‘the words in these books are easier to understand’?” Cobalt suggested with an understanding smile.

Sable nodded confirmation. “Yes... That.”

Cobalt had grown used to, and even tried to help Sable, overcome her disjointed speech pattern, but ever since the time she had gone missing from the city of Rebirth for several months, the mare had always found speaking, reading and writing difficult. He closed the book and slid it along the floor back to Sable. “But there is a condition regarding your promotion, Sable.”

She sat on her haunches, giving Cobalt her full attention, remaining silent.

“You must agree to three therapy sessions a week with Doctor Starsong, for the next three months.”

“NO!” Sable was instantly on her hooves, hissing her displeasure at his words, and she shook her head vehemently. “Don’t want!” She slowly stalked forward, her icy eyes burned with anger, she flared her leathery wings, and bared her fangs. “Not more doctors!”

Cobalt stood his ground, meeting Sable’s glare with one of his own. He was used to these sudden angry outbursts and showing any sign of beta weakness in front of her was not an option. “Stand down, Sable!” He growled stalking forward to meet her. “The only way you’ll have a future in the Lunar Guards is if you agree to do this therapy with Starsong!”

Sable hissed once more and lowered herself into a hunting crouch, ready to pounce on him.

“Enough!” Cobalt back hand slapped Sable across the face, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Sable whimpered softly curling into a small ball, her anger giving way to fear and complete subservience. “Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” She looked up into Cobalt’s eyes, protecting her face from anymore strikes with her forelegs. “Please! Don’t hit!? Don’t want... pain!”

Cobalt hated doing this to the poor mare, but during the three years of having Sable in his care, he had learned physical punishment was necessary in order to keep her subservient and her anger under control. Without it, she became extremely violent and dangerous. He stood over her and placed a hoof in the middle of her chest keeping her pinned down to the floor. Sable gave a little whimper, curling herself up to be as small as possible and looked away to avoid his cold, piercing gaze. “These are your only choices. Therapy, or suspension! Which will it be, Sable?”

“N-not suspension,” she muttered, squirming a little, trying to escape Cobalts grasp. “D-d-do therapy.”

“Your first session is in three days time. Be at Doctor Starsong’s office at dusk.” Having delivered his instructions, he stepped away from Sable, and the mare instantly flared her wings, pouncing to the top of a bookshelf. She stared down at Cobalt with wide fearful eyes. “One more thing, Sable,” he muttered gruffly. “Go UA on one of your leaves again, I’ll have you suspended from the guards for an entire month!”

(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-O-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)

“Mmmmmmmmmm!... So good!” Luna cried out loudly, not caring who could hear her, as she was simply enjoying herself too much to keep quiet. She had needs after all! And a millennium trapped alone, without company, on the moon had not been kind to her. She squirmed a little as she thought about what others might think if she was ever seen in such a compromising position. Her bedsheets were rumpled and untidy, her muzzle and chest were flecked with sticky, white stains and her feathers were in dire need of a good preening. With a little shrug, she continued filling her mouth with the delicious treat that she was craving so much.

When she was finished, her tummy was slightly swollen with the amount of the creamy treats she had consumed, and she was panting heavily as she bought her companion into a loving cuddle against her chest. “I must remember not to go through thee so fast, my sweet.” She nuzzled the empty rocky road ice-cream container and with a sad sigh, and placed it into the rubbish bin. “But at least, I still have you.” She stared lovingly at the giant choc chip cookie she had commissioned the castle cooks to bake her and went straight into devouring it.

“Luna?!” Celestia’s yelling voice echoed outside her bedroom door, and with a loud squeak of surprise, she buried the pile of junk food she had stolen from the kitchen under her bed. “Luna, did you take the last of the rocky road?!” Celestia barged into Luna’s personal chambers, glaring at her squirming sister, who was trying her best not to look like she had been caught with her hoof in the metaphorical cookie jar.

“O-of course not, Tia, I, ummmmmmmm... Was just finishing up some paperwork!” She lit her horn and suddenly the mountain of scrolls and files she had dumped in the darkest corner of the room were on her bed. “Yes, just finishing some paperwork.”

Celestia stared deadpan at Luna completely unconvinced by her sister’s flimsy excuse. She raised an inquiring eyebrow and glanced at the trash can. “Your mouth may say no, my dear Luna. But your swelling flanks and belly tell me you’ve once again been binge eating copious amounts of junk food!” Celestia used her magic to upturn the trash can revealing the empty rocky road ice-cream container, several dozen empty packets of milk chocolate, and a large container that had once held cookie dough. “Ah-ha!” Celestia pointed an excusing hoof at her sister. “Lies! You did eat the last of the rocky rock!” She growled a little. “And the cookie dough!”

“Well can you hardly blame me, Tia?!” Luna pounced off the bed stomping up to her sister. “I have come from a thousand year banishment on the moon into a world full of deliciously delectable, treats and food, of which I have never had the pleasure of tasting. And thou can not reprimand the size of my flanks, oh hypercritical sister of mine! I know of thine midnight trips to the kitchens to eat cake! It’s a wonder we haven’t had to expand thine throne to accommodate thine growing girth!”

Both sisters glared at each other with angry looks of open hostility, a silver rune formed in the air above them, and a sealed scroll of parchment fell from it, hitting Celestia on her muzzle. Luna’s eyes widened with worry as she recognized the scroll was from one of her scouts in the Griffon Kingdom. Celestia too, could recognize the enchanted messenger parchment and before Luna could do anything to stop her, she collected the scroll teleporting to the other side of the room away from Luna’s grasping hooves.

“That is mine!” Luna protested rushing at her sister, her magic trying to get the scroll back. The air around Celestia’s body shimmered with a golden light as she activated a protective shield so Luna couldn’t interrupt her while she unsealed the scroll and used her magic to dispel the illusion charm.

“Military activity has picked up in the Griffon Kingdom. Weapons and armor are being made by the dozens each day. Known mercenaries and bandits being hired into the griffon army. Multiple magical creatures also being bought into the griffon military. Course of action recommended?”

As Celestia finished reading the scout’s report she lowered the shield, and looked up from the scroll to glare coldly at her sister. “Luna, don’y not lie to me when you answer. Did you send scouts and spies into the griffon kingdom against the terms and conditions of the treaties I spent the last two decades forging peace for?”

Luna shifted uncomfortably and kept her gaze down away from Celestia’s fury filled eyes, pawing at the ground nervously. “N-no... I-I...”

“Are you crazy, Luna!” Celestia yelled so loud she was bordering on using her royal Canterlot voice. “If Silias Ironclaw ever found out a princess of Equestria sent spies into his kingdom, it’ll be war for sure!”

Luna’s eyes narrowed, she bared her teeth and slowly lifted her gaze to meet her sister’s angry glare with icy cold calm. “Thou may not have noticed, sister,” Luna said calmly, not losing her temper or raising her voice. “But the scouts and spies I have sent into the griffon kingdom have just informed us that Silias Ironclaw is raising his armies and strengthening his military. There is a good possibility war is already coming to us.”

Celestia looked almost hysterical at the thought of her treaties being broken and she shook her head in denial to Luna’s words. “It is possible Silias is no doubt strengthening his military to defend against any other nations that may have set their sights on his kingdom,” Celestia pointed out.

Luna scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, that does make sense, sister. The griffons are protecting their goddess forsaken barren rock, against other nations who would wish to take it from them. It is completely unfathomable that their enemies would march for another two weeks to invade a rich and bountiful land such as Equestria.” She snatched the messenger parchment from Celestia’s grasp. “Besides, no other kingdom other then the griffons are making plans for any kind of attack. The griffons have no doubt decided to finally move against Equestria and take its riches for themselves.” She summoned a quill from the desk and wrote out her instructions to the scouts.

“Make preparations to delay and weaken the griffon’s military preparations. Await my orders. Continue to observe and report.”

“Now, if you shall excuse me. I must select seven recruits to be trained into the new Night Terrors.” Before Celestia could even open her mouth to protest, Luna teleported from the room in a bright flash of blue magic.

(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-O-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)

Starsong finished adding the final touches to the snack table she had set up consisting of a tray filled with a selection of fresh sushi, a tray with various freshly cut fruits and nuts, and a tray filled with freshly baked cookies. A thestral’s snacking preference often varied from pony to pony, so she had picked the three most favourite ones, hoping their scent wafting around the room, would help create a calming environment for Sable to feel a little more at ease in. She had also enchanted the walls with an illusion spell to make them appear like a night sky drawn by a little filly, on the floor she had arranged in organized chaos, large fluffy pillows to lay on and various toys meant for fillies to play with.

A quick glance at the clock told her she only had two minutes before Sable’s arrival, just enough time to add one final touch. She picked up a Luna plushy the size of a large foal from the floor and weaved tendrils of her silver magic through its fabric to make it smell like vanilla mixed with cinnamon and honey. The three combined scents would have a calming, almost euphoric effect on a thestral due to their highly developed and sensitive senses. Once the spell was complete she placed it behind the couch, the only piece of furniture in the room. Sable’s patient files, from other doctors, had mentioned she liked to take refuge behind furniture when scared or threatened. Should that ever happen during their sessions, the vanilla, cinnamon and honey scented Luna plushy would hopefully calm her down.

Starsong winced as two loud, sharp knocks rattled the office door in its frame. She held back a sigh of resignation, her hopes of her patient being in a good mood were dashed just from hearing those two knocks. Her silvery magical aura enveloped the handle and pulled the door open revealing a young, startled thestral mare quickly pouncing back a few paces from the opening door. She landed in a hunting crouch, hackles raised, wings flared and her mouth open in a snarl to reveal her long, needle sharp fangs. Starsong frowned as she noticed Sable’s fangs weren’t real, but extremely expensive high quality dental implants made from ministrelle.

Despite Starsong’s heart thumping fast and erratically at the sight of such hostile predatory aggression, she put on her loving motherly smile and simply motioned for Sable to come inside. She also noted with some surprise the lack of a cutie mark on her flanks and even more concerning, the faded, jagged scar across the right side of her neck. She allowed none of her feelings to show on her facial expression. Instead, she kept smiling comfortingly as she waited for the thestral to come inside.

Sable made no move to walk inside the office, she remained in the hallway crouched and ready to pounce, her tail swishing violently from side to side. Starsong raised an inquiring eyebrow and took a step away from the open door and further back into the room. Sable took a step forward, keeping a constant distance of six feet between them, she ruffled her wings and observed Starsong through narrowed eyes. Starsong couldn’t help but wander if this what a mouse felt like caught in the gaze of a hungry feline.

Starsong decided it was she who would have to be the first one to show trust to her new patient. Very slowly she turned her back on Sable, and kept her gaze forward as she walked to a large comfortable pillow in the middle of the room. Right now there was no way she would be able to defend herself from Sable should she choose to attack, but to her relief Sable merely followed her into the office not taking her vigilant gaze off of the tall unicorn, or raising herself out of her hunting crouch.

She kept her muzzle turned up in that calm, loving smile as sat on one of the pillows motioning for Sable to do the same. "Please sit, if you'd like to, Sable. Or stand, if that is more comfortable. Would you like some tea?" she offered, in a gentle calming voice.

Sable offered no acknowledgment to her words and remained crouched low to the ground, staring intensely at Starsong. She didn’t even seem curious about the odd mess of pillows and toys scattered around the office floor. Her icy, blue eyes always remaining focused solely on Starsong as she slowly stalked her way into one of the more darker corners and curled up into a small ball. Starsong just smiled lovingly, choosing to ignore her patient’s rudeness.

"As you know, I'm Doctor Starsong, and for the next three months while you are attending these sessions, you will be my guest. Though, you are free to leave if you want. I will not be forcing you to stay." She dimmed the lights casting the room into darker shadows in attempt to help make Sable feel more comfortable. "That said... remaining here will help you in progressing through the ranks in the Lunar Guard. And failure to attend a minimal of at least twice a week, will result in a discharge from the Lunar Guard."

Sable growled softly, raising her hackles once more at the last bit of Starsong’s sentence. “No discharge... Stay in Lunar Guards.”

Starsong perked her eyebrow for a moment, never before encountering a disjointed speech pattern as bad as Sable's. She didn't say anything about it though not wanting the mare to feel self conscious or embarrassed while she was here. "Miss Sable, it might take a while for you to get used to this, but please trust me, I’m only here to help you.”

Sable completely ignored Starsong’s statement and started sniffing curiously at the air following the source of the delicious scent of food back to the snack table. Her eyes widened at the sight of the fruits, sushi and cookies and she licked her tongue over her fangs.

“Are you hungry, Sable?” Starsong asked watching her patient closely, taking close note of her mannerisms and body language for future study. Sable nodded but remained seated in the corner, making no move or attempt to take anything off of the snack table. Starsong giggled a little and made a welcoming gesture to the snack table. “Well, I did put the snacks out for you to enjoy, Sable. So help yourself, dear.”

With Starsong’s invitation, Sable instantly pounced forward and Starsong squeaked fearfully, covering herself up to protect herself from the expectant attack. Instead, Sable landed on the snack table grabbing as much of the food as she could carry and curling back up in the corner she had claimed for herself. Sable draped a leathery wing protectively over the food and hissed loudly at Starsong, who was still in a state of shock from the unexpected savage behaviour she had just witnessed. She quickly rearranged her expression back into that loving smile, her concern for the mare growing deeper.

There was no possible way this savage pony could have been raised in a healthy environment. The protective way Sable held her snacks, like a mother defending her young from harm, suggested she expected her food to be taken away at any moment. And the way she suspiciously sniffed and methodically licked each piece of food before eating it, suggested she was looking for something that wasn’t supposed to be there.

“Aren’t you going to say thankyou?” Starsong wasn’t sincere about her question, she was merely trying to discern if her patient had any kind of normal social skills, or understanding of basic manners. Sable ignored her and continued methodically sniffing and licking at a piece of mango, making a huge sticky mess of her muzzle and nose. She didn’t seem to care her food was one of the floor without any kind of protection, it seemed she was quite used to such eating behaviors. A hole formed in Starsong’s heart for the mare. What kind of upbringing made a pony used to eating off of the floor?

Starsong cleared her throat loudly. “Do you mind if I ask you some basic questions, Sable?”

Sable looked up from her food, hissing loudly at Starsong causing the rice and bits of seaweed stuck to her muzzle from the sushi snacks to fall to the ground. She then went back to that strange ritual of sniffing and licking the food before eating it.

“How about something to drink?” Starsong offered.

Sable’s head went up and her ears perked forward. “Blood?”

Starsong stopped herself from grimacing at the thought of seeing Sable messily slurp up blood just like she did with her food. “Unfortunately, I can only offer you some tea or coffee, Sable.”

Sable blinked once and went back to eating her snacks. Starsong gave a quiet sigh, this was going to be the longest two hours she had ever gone through. While Sable was distracted with her food, Starsong ran a keen observing eye over her body. Her gray fur was slick and healthy, her leathery wings were scarred with uniform puncture wounds running along her bones. On closer inspection, she found signs of extreme malnutrition that Sable’s body would never fully recover from leaving her somewhat too skinny for a thestral her age and size. But her well developed, lean and powerful muscle mass seemed to hide the effects of the past malnutrition well.

Sable swallowed the last sushi roll, licking her lips and nose clean. “More?” she inquired, a spark of doubt and fear shining in her eyes.

Starsong smiled wilder and nodded. “Help yourself little one.” Starsong braced herself for the wild pouncing, but it never came. Instead, Sable was staring at her with wide suspicious eyes as she slowly prowled along the room’s walls to the snack table. Starsong didn’t move. Sable had shown an extreme protectiveness of her food and she didn’t want to find out what would happen if Sable thought she was trying to stop her from eating. “Is everything okay, Sable?” As soon as she spoke, Sable flinched away from the table and pounced back into her dark corner. “Ummmm...” Starsong didn’t know what to say or do as she stared at Sable’s shuddering body. So she fell back to her role as a mother and smiled comfortingly. “Would you like to play a game, or play with some toys?”

Sable perked her head a bit higher and twitched her ears. “Play? Game?” She frowned with confusion and looked to be thinking hard. “What ‘play, game’?”

Starsong rolled a hoof as she tried to explain. “Games? You know? Having fun? Being silly for the sake of it?” Sable looked at her with wide uncomprehending eyes and licked the leathery surface of her right wing with long grooming swipes of her rough tongue, losing interest in the conversation. Starsong’s mind was whirling with confusion and horror for her patient. Sable licked her forehoof hoof to dampen it with her salvia and swiped it over the back of her ear and down her cheeks several times. While Sable was preoccupied with her grooming ritual, Starsong slowly and carefully retrieved the Luna plushy from behind the couch. “Sable, I have something I want you to take home with you.” She slid the Luna plushy across the floor so it landed a few centimeters away from Sable’s foreleg. She flinched and recoiled away from the plushy and sensing no threat from the toy she nudged it with a hoof.

“What... This for?” She inquired staring intently at the plushy as she curiously poked and prodded it. Starsong raised a hoof to take a step forward, Sable hissed her displeasure at the slight movement, kicked the plushy away from her and flared her wings out.

“Sorry, Sable,” Starsong said, carefully lowering her hoof to the ground and taking several steps back. “Please try to remember I’m only here to help you, little one.” Sable remained in silence, her intense, untrusting gaze never leaving Starsong.”More food?” Starsong suggested, gesturing to the snacks table.

(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-O-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)

Starsong sighed quietly with relief as she closed and locked her office door after Sable’s departure. She pressed her head against the door’s cold wooden surface and quietly thanked Luna she had made it through Sable’s first therapy session in one piece. There was something quite disconcerting in the atmosphere of the room every time she treated patients like Sable.

Sociopaths. Predators.

During the entire two hours she had been on edge, not knowing if what she did or said would trigger a violent reaction from Sable. Lighting her horn with its silvery aura of magic, she used her magic to make some peppermint tea to help calm her nerves and bring her blood pressure back down to more healthier levels. It was clear the snacks she had provided helped a great deal in keeping Sable docile and somewhat calm, but the food also acted as a massive distraction from her actual therapy. She made a mental note not to provide snacks until after the sessions had been completed.

Once the tea was properly brewed, Starsong levitated the cup of hot, fragrant liquid to herself and gently blew on it before taking a small delicate sip of the relaxing liquid. Out of all the previous violent and unstable patients she had treated, she had never had one that was as violent, unstable and coldly calculating as Sable. There was something subtle underneath all of Sable’s apparent disabilities. Something brilliant in a tactical and strategic sort of way. The way she had positioned herself in a corner that had an entire view of the room and a direct escape route via the window. The way her ears were constantly moving and twitching with each new sound. The mare had the potential to become a great Captain of the Lunar Guard, but only if she worked hard and made enough progress in therapy.

Starsong took a much larger sip of the tea, wincing a little as the hot liquid burnt her mouth. Poking her tongue out and waving a hoof in front of it in an attempt to cool it off, she levitated a pair of overloaded saddlebags in front of herself and began riffling through the various files and papers they contained. She bought out a very thin file containing the details of Sable’s orphanage. Part of her didn’t want to find out anything about how Sable became so far out of touch with civilization she considered eating off the floor as normal. She didn’t want to know why Sable couldn’t talk properly, or had never discovered her true talent and gained a cutie mark. But without the knowledge of Sable’s past, she would never be able to help her future.

The files she was reading on Sable didn’t reveal much. She had been abandoned at the orphanage as a ten year old filly. The thestral mare that had taken her in had raised her until she was fifteen years old and one night she had run away and became missing for seven years. She had finally been found by Captain Moon, he raised her for the next three years before she had once again disappeared for another three years, before finally joining the Lunar Guard. Starsong frowned finding no actual address or location for Sable’s orphanage or hometown in the files she had been given. She slipped the files back into her saddle bags and stepped out of her office, determined to find her Captain and inquire about Sable’s past.

The cold, silvery light from the waning full moon made the damp streets glisten and unlike the Red Light District, the upper class district was almost deserted this time of night. The only ponies out were the Lunar Guard patrols, looking very grim and serious as they went about their duties keeping the streets of Canterlot safe. Starsong could never get used to seeing thestrals so restrained and professional while they were on duty, they weren’t even flirting with each other. What ever Captain Moon did to keep his soldiers so disciplined while they were on duty, it was obviously working.

As she made her way past the patrol she gave them a brief wave and a smile of affection. In return they gave her a tiny, almost unnoticeable nod of respect, something not even the most privileged and richest of the nobles would ever get from them. She grinned widely, despite all the teasing and hazing they put her through, deep down she was respected and appreciated by the Lunar Guard for all the work she did for them.

“Hello, Doctor.”

Starsong squealed fearfully, backpedaling away from the mysterious figure standing in the shadows of a dark alleyway. “Captain Moon?” She squinted into the shadows and could just make out the visage of her Captain standing and walking out of the alleyway. She smartly saluted him and stood at attention, blushing slightly at the fact she had squealed like a little filly in front of her Captain. She could already imagine all the hazing from the thestrals she would get from this. “What can I do for you?”

“At ease Doctor,” Cobalt Moon grumbled making a placating gesture. “I need you to follow me.” Without even waiting for any kind of acknowledgment of his order from Starsong, he turned and lead the way into the Red Light District. “We have important things to discuss regarding Sable. Things that can't be said in front of others.”

She followed along walking beside her Captain, looking down at him with deep concern. “Yes, Captain. I take it you want this discussion... off the record?"

Cobalt gave a little grunt and nodded. “Not even the princess can know what we’re about to discuss.”

She stopped and looked at him, fear written on her face for a moment. “You want me to keep secrets from Luna?”

Cobalt stopped and looked Starsong in the eyes with a steely glare. Despite being several inches taller than Cobalt, she felt very small and powerless trapped in his cold glare. “I want you to protect Sable as I’ve protected her, Starsong. She is entering a new stage of her life. She’ll need your guidance, support and care. But, there are some things you can’t know just yet.” He clamped his mouth shut and started walking away. Starsong followed after him her mind buzzing with new questions and curiosity

The first sign they had come into the Red Light District was the shops were no longer darkened and closed, but occupied and brightly lit for the non-thestral population that had taken to living in the night life scene. They came to a packed, local night club and she could easily recognise the pounding, wordless but exciting, blood pumping music of Vinyl Scratch coming from inside.

“Right here,” Cobalt said coming to a stop, nodding at the nightclub. Starsong resisted the urge to groan out loud, night clubbing was not one her most favourite activities to participate in. The only times she even went inside a night club was when she had to rescue her best friend, Autumn Delight, from one her self destructive binges of partying, whoring-without even being paid for her services- and getting blasted so high on Arcane Dust and alcohol she couldn’t walk two steps without falling over. She hated night Clubs. There wasn’t a single time she had gone into one without suffering from the effects of drunken ponies either hitting on her, or throwing up on her.

“Sir...” Starsong gave her Captain a pleading look. “Is this necessary?”

Cobalt grunted something and led the way into the night club without answering. Sighing with resignation Starsong followed after him, wincing as she felt something squish under her left hoof. Not daring to look down, she resisted the urge not to throw up at the scent of sweaty, horny party ponies and awkwardly made her way through the dancing crowd until she sat on the barstool next to the one Cobalt had chosen.

“We can’t be spied on now,” Cobalt said, pulling out a thin file from under his wings. He slid the file along the bar to Starsong and nodded at it. “That file contains everything you will need to send Sable to Happy Horns Psychiatric Facility, if you need to.” He pulled a flask from under her other wing and began drinking deeply from it. After several deep gulps he placed it back under his wing wiping his mouth clean. “Sable is the kind of mare who only relies on violence to be kept in place. If she doesn’t start viewing you as an alpha, she will view you as a beta and will have no respect or fear for you.”

Starsong licked her lips placing a hoof on the file. Was it a piece of the puzzle that was Sable’s past? If so, how bad could it be that it warranted Sable a room in a mental hospital. She took in a deep breath and placed the file into her saddlebags, she’d never use it against her patient. But she would use it to help her gain a better knowledge of what was needed to help Sable.

“Thank you, sir,” she muttered hesitantly.

Cobalt fixed her with a cold and intense glare and nodded down at the notes sticking out of her saddlebags. “Leave Sable’s former orphanage alone. Don’t attempt to find it, or her home. Have nothing to do with it. That’s an direct order from your Captain, understand Doctor .”

Starsong gave an hesitant nod. “Yes, sir.” She bit her lower lip nervously. “W-what’s so wrong that I can’t go there? It would give me some clues and insights that would better allow me to treat my patient!”

Once more Cobalt trapped her in that cold glare of his. She looked away from his gaze, not willing to offer any challenge to his authority. “In time you’ll get what you need in order to treat Sable. But only when the time’s right.” Leaving Starsong with a warning glare that brokered no argument, he slipped out of the club.

Several moments later, Starsong ordered a drink, eagerly taking in a deep mouthful of the cold alcohol. She rarely drank, never having more than one cup. Captain Cobalt was the one who knew the most about Sable. Why he didn’t want her to go to the orphanage was mystifying. She frowned and looked back down at her saddlebags. Was the file she now had something to recompense her for being ordered to stay away from the orphanage? Didn’t Captain Cobalt want her to help Sable as much as possible? With so many questions buzzing in her mind, she downed the rest of her drink and with a little sigh, teleported back to her office.

Captain Moon paused just as he was about to step out of an alleyway, a cold tingling running up and down his spine. He shifted a little uneasily, casting a quick glance over his shoulder to the dark shadows of the alleyway. They were empty and he was alone. But that cold, insistent tingling running up and down his spine were his instincts telling him somepony was out there, watching him. Ruffling his wings with uneasy agitation, he stepped out of the alleyway and into another patch of dark shadows against the opposite wall. Still, even in a new location, he could feel that tingling in his spine.

His eyes widened in realization of what his instincts were telling him and he spun around just in time to see an armored griffon lunge out of an alleyway, slashing a knife at his throat. Cobalt moved his head back a few centimeters, the knife only just missing his throat. He didn’t give the griffon time to recover. He unleashed a tiny amount of his ambient magic and blurred forward latching his muzzle around the griffon’s throat. His razor sharp fangs cleanly severing through the griffon’s carotid arteries and jugular veins.
The griffon’s screech of pain was turned into a choked gurgle of death as Cobalt bit deeper, cutting his fangs through the griffon’s windpipe. He greedily drank down the hot, sweet blood pouring into his mouth, purring loudly as warm waves of ambient magic pulsed through his body, mixing with is own and heightening his senses tenfold. Large amounts of pure fresh blood straight from the source was such a rare delicacy, no thestral in their right mind would ever waste such an opportune moment. He unlatched his fangs from the griffon’s throat and pulled back licking his lips and fangs clean. His newly heightened sense of hearing picked up a sound behind him and he spun around using the dead griffon’s body as a shield to block a crossbow bolt fired from a second griffon.

The new griffon assassin threw aside the now useless crossbow, pouncing straight at Cobalt. Another surge of ambient magic flowed through his body and he blurred forward his hoof crushing the griffon’s throat. It was by pure luck he saw a second crossbow shooter on the edge of his vision and he was about to dart to one side, when the fired crossbow bolt buried itself in the stone wall three inches away from his chest. He instinctively followed the trajectory of the bolt to the rooftop of a tall building a block away. He saw a griffon falling, a trail of dark crimson liquid trailing behind his body from the hole that used to be his throat. A dark cloaked pony pounced from the rooftop after the griffon, disappearing from sight behind the other buildings. Cobalt licked his fangs and grabbed one of the dead griffons, sinking his fangs into the bodies throat. Blood, without the pressure of a pumping, merely trickled into his mouth but he eagerly lapped every drop up.

Once he was done, he dropped the body and used the alleyways and side streets to make his way to the castle. Luna would have to be informed of the attempted assassination on his life.