The Waning Moon War Book 1

Ch6: The Black Diamond Market

Silver comes to with the sunlight shining in her face. She closed her eyes and quickly moved her head to a shaded spot close by while saying "Uuggh.. Damn sunlight. When finally in a shaded spot she opened eyes to Corporals bandaged face hanging over her with a smile on it. He asked in a health and cheery tone "How do it feel for you?"

She looked away towards the foot of the bed and blushes "It felt weird but nice. It was like you stole my strength and energy all at once." She looked back up at him. "Even when I woke up last night I could still feel your feeding effecting me. It was a nice feeling from all the stress as of late."

Corporal was thinking "It may be easier to capture her now then before." He gave a soft smile as he asks slyly "So do you want do this again in the future?"

Silver feels her heart pick up its pace and her eyes opens wide in shock. In a panic she teleports out of her bed and into the kitchen with a nervous smile as she says uncomfortably "I don't know you might try and take advantage of me in that weakened state." She turned to the kitchen to make breakfast but as she opened a few of the cupboards. She started to realize that the food was running dangerously low. She pulled a few jar with more glyphs on them that held carrots and smaller apples within them. She then cut them up using her magic. As she returned to the beds with the bowls she asks with a nervous tone. "So uh how did I or..." with a confused look "my love taste?"

She set him up in the bed and levitated a bowl with a fork over to him. He replied "It was a bitter sweet tasted like..." He paused for a second as he ate a piece and thinks for a bit. "sugar on blueberries."

She looks over at him as she lays in the neighboring bed and swallows her mouth full before saying. "Well you look a lot better now then last night. It's kind of amazing to see how a little love umm..." She paused as she thinking of what to call it "energy affects your kind." Corporal nods his head in agreement while he enjoyed his breakfast.

After finishing her breakfast and putting the spare bed away she tended to Corporals injuries "Well Corporal some of your minor injuries look almost fully healed. You may be able to walk around a little but take it easy."

Once done with Corporal she said while putting her gear away in her room. “I need to go to town today too get more food." She looked back after entering the kitchen and putting her gear on the table with a small thud. "Is there anything you want from town?"

He looks out the window thoughtfully for a bit as Silver started making a small list. He looks back at her with a sly smile on his face. "How about blueberry’s and sugar."

Silver froze up and drew a blank on what to say for a bit then said while looking back at him "Uh...Ya I could look in to that."

After a half hour she put her gear on and threw on her black cloak. As the secret door opened she casted her illusion spell to change into a walking bush. After an hour passed she heard a near by branchs snapping.

Quickly laying down she watched a few deer walk out. She smiled thinking "Damn your getting scared by a few deer now."

Then the four deer began to glow green and burned up in a green flame. "It's getting hard to hold forms like this when hungry." says a female voice.

"I know." replied a male "But if what we heard are true. Captain said something about the camp to the north of us is getting Lighting Tail and his cadets are coming here; we’ll all be heading back south west to Nidramar. Then we can wipe out the nightmares out once we hear from our spies."

A different male voice asks questioningly "You mean the N.A.S Lightning Tail?"

"Yep, the same one." Replies the other one.

"Well come on lets get moving and if were lucky will find some small animals to feed on." says the female.

As they departed from Silvers hiding spot she started getting a wicked grin while thinking "So that bucking plot hole Lighting Tail is coming here. I should welcome him here."

After a few hours she reaches the edge of Everfree she shifted her bush illusion spell from a bush to a light blue unicorn with a grassy green mane and tail. Her eyes shifted from a silver nightmare shape to a normal par of light yellow eyes. Then headed for the nearby town. "Okay, now to track down the black market if there’s one here." She muttered lightly as she pulled her mothers book on black markets she visited out.

Upon entering the town she found the general store and gathered a small selection of berry basket before entering the store. As she approached the door to enter the shop she spotted a tiny diamond etched at the vary bottom of the door frame.

A little bell dinged as she opened the door and then a young male voice pipes up from behind a shelving unit. "Hello, I'll be with you in a second."

"No problem take your time." She says as she puts her berry baskets on the counter and waited for a second. But before the young male pony could appear a heavily built, older pony came from the back of the store he had a brown coat, with a blond mane, tail and his eyes a deep green. Saying "I've got this one son just keep working."

"Okay Dad." Replied the young voice.

"So how can I help you today?" He asked the earth pony.

"Well I need a bag of carrots, some oats and a few cups of sugar in this jar." She says while he pulled out a pot marked sugar.

He gestures to the other side of the store. "The carrots and oat bags are over there."

Silver comes back carrying in her magic the carrots, oats, apples and potatoes. She sets them on the counter and then looked up to see a variety of rope lengths. "I'll also need 25 feet of your strongest rope."

As he got a ladder to get the rope "Is that everything ma'am?"

She looked around seeing nothing else of interest. "Yes that’s everything sir."

"That will be..." As he counted everything up "95 bits please."

Silver opens her saddle bag and pulled some gold coins out then setting them on the counter. After she filled her saddle bags carefully while shielding the berry’s then tied the sacks to her saddle bags. She then pulled out the book on black markets looking for the symbol on the door. Then whispered in a low voice "I'm also here for the diamonds sale."

The shopkeeper looked up and around the store for any other pony. Then motioned for her to follow him to the back. When they reached the far back he pushed a sack aside and pressed something. Then a light click could be heard from beside her revealing a stair case leading down.

As Silver entered the dark stair case the store owner closed the door behind her. Silver continued her way down the dark stair case to a dimly lit room at the bottom. Soon as she reached the bottom two large and heavily armored Diamond dogs blocking her path. A deep and growly voice from behind them says "Let her through."

They stepped aside to let Silver passed by but as she stepped forward it felt like walking through a barrier of water. As she continued through her illusion was torn away from her. Silver froze in place feeling robbed of her identity. The voice spoke from a candle lit table "Don't worry pony its for our safety. Now come forward and discuss your business pony."

Silver walked over to the candle lit table. "I'm here for some special gear." She took her saddle bag off and sitting at the table with the diamond dog that looked like he had gray fur.

The dogs eyes grew wide. "Ahh you are a Nightmare pony haven't seen your kind in many months. Same order as always medicine and food?" He said happily rubbing his paws together.

Silver shook her head "No the camp was totally destroyed I'm here for personal gear."

He pulled out a piece of parchment along with a ink well and quill. Then leaned in to the table with an interested look. "What does the pretty Nightmare pony need?"

"I'll need a pony size sack, four anchor points with 8 long bolts, four three feet lengths of chain with a lock for each chain, 8 locks, 8 lengths of rubber tubes long enough to wrap around ones leg, I'll need five smoke bombs, five sleeping gas bombs, two small throwing knives with sheaths the colour of my coat..." she raised her fore leg while talking and lowered it saying "a very strong sleeping dart, a spool of decent wire, a bone saw, a machete with a sheath for it, and a pair of goggles." Silver stopped thinking while looking up to the ceiling saying "I think that's everything."

The Diamond dog looked up from the parchment and grabbed a knife along with a measuring tape. "Will need pony to give fur sample from each leg and size of hooves for straps. This to make sure they fit and match color."

After a bit she set two hunks of fur from each fore hoof from the back. Then he quickly took some measurements then opened two small bags and slipped the fur and measurements into separate bags. As she slipped the knife back to the Diamond dog she asked. "Anything else you need?"

He put the knife away while saying. "All I need now is what does pretty pony call self? No real name for safety reason."

Silver smiles. "Well I haven't used this name in a long time Wild Grove."

He finished writing and then pulled out a metal tube with a leather strap in the middle. As he sat it on the table slipping the parchment and samples he said. "That will be six amethyst, three emeralds, one sapphire, one ruby and a diamond." he held one of his clawed paws out waiting for payment.

Silver puts her whole head into her bag looking for her gem pouch. She levitates the gems out to pay him. "I don't have any amethyst but will you accept another diamond in place for them."

He smiles gleefully as the gems landed in his paw "That will do nicely pony." He put the gems with a small note in another tube and slipped it in the larger tube then sealed it. He left the table "I'll be right back pony." She watched him hand it to a smaller Diamond dog and points down a tunnel. The smaller one tore off like lightning.

He returned to the table "Okay pony you need to go to the saloon and give them this emblem..." He shoved a emblem a slightly bigger then a bit towards her. "they will do the rest."

Silver nodded her head as she picked up the emblem and put it in a smaller pouch. When she finally passed back through the barrier near the stairs her other form came back instantaneously. When she got back to the top a small click swung the door open lightly to the shopkeeper. He held a hoof up to her telling her to wait. After a bit she heard a little bell ring and the same young male voice. "Okay Dad it's clear."

He leads her to the front where a gray coat Pegasus, with yellow eyes, his mane and tail a lovely light blue. He nodded his head to Silver "Have a good day ma'am."

She smiled saying "And same to you two." She raises her cloaks hood soon as she exited the store and headed for the saloon down the street. Upon entering the saloon she sees three earth ponies playing cards in a corner. Near a small stage sat a unicorn and pegisis watching two unicorns dancing in fancy dresses. While another earth pony playing a piano for them. While at the bar counter a coulple of rugged clothed pegisi sat drinking. Silver walked passed them feeling their eyes looking at her through the mirror and sizing her up. Silver moved to the far end of the bar counter and put her saddle bags down then sat on a bar stool.

Soon as she sat down a pink coated earth pony with a sea foam green mane and tail rose up from behind the bar handing the pegisi at the other end another drink. As the earth pony walked over to her she could see a scar running from the top of it's right eye down to the lower part of the left cheek and a hole through the left ear. "How can I help you my good lady?" Says a male voice. Silver could not help but giggled a little he quickly says "I lost a bet and now I have to look like this for a whole month."

Silver clears her throat "Sorry, I'm Wild Grove but how much for a room sir?"

"The name is Darryl and that will be ten bits for a night or five for a stay till this evening." He puts his forelegs on the counter waiting for an answer.

"I'll stay till this evening." She says setting four bits and the emblem on the counter.

He grabbed the emblem and bits "Okay be one moment need to get the key." He tilted his head to look passed her then yelled "HEY CHARLY!"

The music stopped "What!?" yells the pony at the piano.

"Watch the bar while I deal with some business!" he yelled back.

"Okay!" As he stepped away from the piano he looked up at the dancers. "Go mingle with the customers girls."

"Okay Charles." They both replied while one laid down on the stage and started chatting with the awed ponies in front of them. While the other one walked over to the small group playing cards.

When Charley got to the bar the one over at the stage "Hey Charley! Bring these two lovely gentle colts a brew."

Soon as Charley left her view of the hoods she felt something sharp poke her just below her lungs. With no mirror she couldn't see her attacker. She gently turned her head towards the other end of the counter seeing the pegisis not in there spot. "Don't move a muscle and stay still." The ponies at the card table were watching now and talking amongst themselves.

Silver looked back forward thinking what to do. Then another voice said "Hey we scored a small pouch of gems and bits."

Silver took a deep breath thinking "Don't over do it." She quickly teleported behind them leaving only her clock in the stool and grabbed them both with her magic. She quickly lifted them up and over her twisting them in mid air to slam there chests in to the ground. While she turned around she used all her anger and strength to slam them into the ground but unintentionally slammed them both into a table. The one that held the knife on her lost it in mid flight as it sailed across the room with a clatter. The table crushed under the impact knocking the wind out of them.

Somepony at the card table was laughing as Silver walked over to her assailants. As she moved a chair to get to them one was trying to get up but before he could she pinned both of them to the ground by stepping on their back spines between the wings. Using her magic she grabbed both of their wings and stretched them to their maximum length. The whole place now watching the scuffle. Silver leaned down to the two on the ground then said darkly "I should just rip both of your guys wings out." As she spoke she pulled a little harder on their wings.

One started to beg and pleaded for his wings. While the other one remained quiet as she felt him shaking in fear. Charley says over the commotion "Could you try not to make too much of a mess ma'am."

She looked up at Charley with a stern look and then back at her assailants. "Fine." She says in growly tone. While she eased some tension off the wings as the one begging gave a sigh of relief while the other one remained tense. She muttered coldly "What are you sighing for I said nothing about letting you two go uninjured." Then instantly snapped the humerus bone in all their wings. They both cried out in pain while she kept them from squirming to much as she teleported the knife over to the owner. Then said "Okay, now leave me alone or next time it could cost you your lives."

As she got off one of the card players yelled excitedly. "HA! You two owe me pay up!"

Silver took a few deep breaths then looked up at Charley while the two injured pegisi walked away. "Sorry about the table. How much to replace it?"

Charly shook his head saying calming tone "Nothing I'll get Dave to repair it tomorrow."

Silence fell over the rest of the saloon. Darryl came back from what he was doing. In time to see the pegisi leaving with their crooked wings. "What in the hay was going on out here? I could hear almost everything in the back."

Just a small robbery attempt..." She says while putting the clock on "but I handled it."

He put a key on the counter "Room ten and" he looked back at Charley for a second then back at her "once you've rested you'll want to leave town fast. The two who tried to rob you are part of a powerful gang around here."

Silver grabbed the key with her magic and looked around the room. They were all looking at her like she was on deaths door step. She looked back "I'll be fine and if they try anything I'll deal with them." She said while raising her hood with magic and giving a wicked smile.

As she walked up the stairs as the saloon went back to normal as she reached the top, three other ponies walked in. Silver didn't look over at them as she went down the hall looking for room ten. After a few turns she found it she quickly looked around the corner then wasting no time she slipped the key in. But soon as she put the key in the keyhole the door disappeared and was replaced by a dark purple portal. She pulled the key back and walked through. She entered a candle lit room with a basic bed and table. She looked behind her to see a wooden door with the number ten on it.

Silver sat the key on the table and the saddlebags beside it. Then laid on the bed waiting for time to pass. She could hear muffled music and dancing as she laid there. After a bit she woke to the sound of a wall being shifted. She quickly jumped from the bed and pulled both of her blades from their holsters.

As the wall shifted open light cut through the dark room reveling more of the empty room. She saw one of the dancers entered the room levitating a larger package. "Sorry did I disturb you ma'am?"

Silver slipped the blades back into the holsters while saying "No you just startled me for a second."

She sat the package next to the table "Is there anything else you need?"

Silver shook her head "No I'm good. By the way tell your friend that you two are great dancers."

She smiled lightly "Ho uh thanks I will." When she exited the room and closed the wall up Silver turned her attention to the package.

She sees a small note on the package. She opened the note to read. "Thank you for your purchase. We also made it that the throwing knives and sleeves will mimic your illusions colors. When ready to leave please exit through the same door."

She sets the note on the table and opens the package while the note disintegrated to ash. She quickly unloaded the package and counted her gear out while loading it into her saddlebags.

Once she organized everything and strapped on the two throwing knives in their sleeves. She watched as the straps on sleeves and knives disappeared into her fur. Smiling she grabbed the key and walked through the portal into the hall.

Soon as she entered the saloons main room she sees the three pony that entered earlier. They were sitting at a table drinking. She walked up to the bar where Darryl was standing and put the key down with her magic. "Thank you for the room. Hope to see you again." She gave him a wink and headed out the door with the gaze of the three unknown ponies following her closely.

Soon as she exited the saloon a brown coat stallion with a black mane and tail. Wearing a tan cowboy hat, a blue vest with a sheriff star, and a red bandana around his neck. "Excuse me ma'am but are you the one that injured two pegisi earlier?"

Silver froze where she was then looked over to see a golden eyed earth pony with a well kept copperish mustache and beard looking her over. She said lightly "Yes, they tried to rob me of my bits and gems. So I dealt with both of them, I even offered to replaced the table I busted from slamming them into it."

He leaned back looking through the window seeing three ponies still looking at her "Well..." he looked back at her "it looks like you've attracted some unwanted attention." He turned around and motions for her to follow. "I'll lead you to the edge of town but your on your own after that."

As she followed the sheriff to the edge of town. She looked back to see three other ponies following them. She looked back to the front and raised her hood. "Okay there's three, two unicorns and one heavily built earth pony." She lightly muttered. Soon as she reached the edge of town. "Thanks, for the escort Sheriff."

"Anything for..." He turned around to head back to town "a customer of the dimond market."

Silvers eyes widen with a smile saying "A corrupted Sheriff in this town."

He chuckled then said "Yaa, I let them run it here but anypony thinks I'll look away from any other crime here is wrong. That’s way I'm letting you go for defending your stuff but if you had killed them I’d have arrested your flank."

"Well at least you have standards right." she said slyly with a smile as the two of them parted ways.