Chapters Chapter 1: Ponies Still Do This?
I woke with a start, nearly falling out of the seat I had been firmly planted in for the last few hours. I didn't remember falling asleep, but a quick glance through the window next to me revealed that the sun had been moved toward the horizon in preparation for night fall. The soft vibrations and hypnotic chugging of the train were my only companions at the moment since most ponies heading for my destination chose to ride in first class.
Stretching and popping stiff joints, I shook my head to free up the cobwebs. For the briefest of moments, I tried desperately to remember what I'd been dreaming about. It felt like it had been important, but like the fading light in the atmosphere, the details were getting more and more fuzzy the longer I was awake.
Shrugging it off, I rose and paced the car. I still found myself comparing how I had been to how I was now, surprising myself every now and again at my own strength. Gone was the lanky stallion that had left his home a few months back and in his place was a guard-trained pony that still found it odd to consider everything that had happened.
With little else to do, I turned my attention to the rolling plains flashing by the window. Eventually the scenery would change into the hills rising toward Mount Canterhorn, but for the moment it was oddly peaceful. Considering that not long ago that a crazy gryphon had attempted to usurp the power of one of the ruling diarchs, it could have been on fire right now. Lifting a hoof, I brushed the scars that marred my left side where a talon-full of claws had tried to use my lung as a stress ball. I still found myself shuddering at how close I'd come to dying for Equestria...
It wasn't that the thought of giving it all for my home was bad, I just wasn't a career soldier like some. I begrudgingly had to admit to myself that if I kept up my current path, I'd probably wind up as one. It was just that every time I considered throwing in the towel and calling it good something would happen and tear at my good-natured heart. Still, the perks weren't all bad.
I grinned like an idiot, settling back in my seat, as I considered my “reward” for my part in the recent attack on Canterlot. Officially, the record stated that the airships that had appeared to bombard the capital were part of a rogue splinter-group of radicals. Unofficially, a gryphon going by the name of Sunslayer had intended for the attack to be a smash and grab while he used an ancient artifact to steal the magic of the solar princess, Celestia. Suffice it to say that the results were not what he had expected.
Namely because I possessed something of a wild card in the form of my “talent.” I spared a glance at my cutie mark during my musings. The cauldron full of bits with a four-leafed clover rising out of it was about as vague as the abilities that came with it. I wasn't called Lucky Signs for nothing, but I just wish it didn't feel so embarrassing from my point of view whenever it decided to activate.
Putting that from my mind, I refused to let it bring me down from my elation. After denying Sunslayer his prize, I'd been out of commission for a while, but when I came back around Celestia herself had been there to congratulate me. She also offered me the largest blank check of all time, but... well I wasn't interested in anything grandiose; I was a simple stallion. There was one thing I could ask of her though.
I felt myself getting giddy as I thought back to one of the good things about the last few months. I'd met a gorgeous pegasus named Dawn Breeze and during one of my stumbles through life, I may have asked her out. Of course, working as one of Celestia's assistants, she tended to have to work a lot and that made it difficult to see her for more than moments at a time. Then Celestia had given me the golden ticket to freeing up some time for Dawn and the princess had even taken it on herself to mention my interest to Dawn and help us set up a day to meet up.
I'll admit, having to ask Dawn out by proxy didn't sit well with me, but she was harder to find than needle in a haystack! I'm still not sure how everypony else seems to be able to find her fairly easily. Either way, it was a first date, just to see of we were compatible, but I had high hopes! If everything went well, the train would arrive in Canterlot just after moonrise and tomorrow would give me enough time to pick up the suit I'd ordered for the occasion and check on the reservations I'd made.
I was really excited, but this train wasn't going fast enough!
That was the moment that the train decided to shake and squeal as the brakes were applied. With a cry of shock, I flipped head over hooves to land upside down in the seat across from me. Grumbling, I righted myself and scowled. I had no idea what was going on, but there better be a good reason for this stop or I was going to be furious.
When the train finally came to a stop, I flicked my ears, trying to listen for a cause. What I heard was not encouraging. After a moment of silence, I heard what sounded like the sizzle of a spell from somewhere ahead of me, muffled by the car's walls. That was immediately followed by the sound of panic and the shouts of an authoritative voice.
I sighed. Duty called and I was the only pony around to answer. At least it gave me a way to work off the rapidly building anxiety from the delay. Marching to the front of my car, I slid open the door and hopped the gap to the next, repeating the process through that one as the whimpers of fear and shouting grew louder. First class sounded like it was getting more than it bargained for.
Wiggling my body to loosen up, I dropped into a crouch and crept toward the door to the first class car in front of me. Cracking the door open slightly, I looked in. First class definitely lived up to the hype, considering the comfortable looking chairs and built in tables to hold food and drink from the dining car. Currently, the only thing marring it was the mass of ponies pressed low in their seats being menaced by a trio of hefty, scruffy looking stallions and a scowling unicorn mare.
What era and time were these ponies from? They would have looked more at home in Appleloosa with their cowpony hats and jackets. Tartarus, from what I could hear from one of the stallions, they even had that deep drawl from the area. Currently, they all had their backs to me, working their way toward the front of the car.
Rolling my eyes, I stepped into the car and slid up behind the stallion at the back. He wasn't much bigger than me and it seemed like most of his bulk was fur. Shrugging to myself, I ignored the open-mouthed stares of the rich ponies around me that were currently being robbed and reached up to tap the stallion on his left shoulder before quickly sliding to the right.
The effect was instant as we twirled around one another and he hip-checked one of his buddies. What followed was the closest thing I'd ever seen to a Three Stages production as the second stallion bucked out of surprise and sent his friend sprawling. The twitchy mare whirled around and let loose a spell that struck the second stallion and sent him flopping like a fish out of water while the third stallion knocked himself out on the overhead baggage area; one of the cons of being tall.
With three stallions down and groaning, I blinked and lifted my hooves to clap sarcastically for the mare. She stared at me, her eyes going wide, “I... you... wha'? Who are you, some kinda guard!?” she shouted at me, her horn starting to glow again.
“Something like that.” I responded as I stepped forward and ducked my head. The air above my mane crackled as her spell sailed over me and the grunt I heard from behind me must have been the first stallion getting a face full of magic. Before the mare could charge another spell, I hopped forward and gave her horn a light tap.
As she recoiled with a shout of pain from the backlash, I huffed at her, “You know, the sad part is that if you hadn't chosen this specific train, this probably wouldn't have happened. Oh, who am I kidding, things were going way too well for this not to happen to me. That's just my luck, isn't it?” I was ranting at this point and I had to give her another horn tap to stop the charging magic there.
Shaking my head, I appropriated some rope from the mare once she was safely in a forced slumber (unicorns had a habit of using magic to cheat while they were awake.) Tying the quartet together, I left the nobles to sort out their belongings while I leaned my head out the window. Oh joy, a blockade. Well, that explained why the train had stopped.
With another sigh, I made my way to the door. I better get paid overtime for this... I thought to myself.
**
You know, after dealing with an organized group with the equipment and guts to assault Canterlot proper, a hooffull of train robbers was pitifully easy to deal with. The sun and moon were swapped out during the entire thing, making it that much easier to stealth my way into their numbers and do my thing... which mostly consisted of me wandering around while just avoiding their lookouts or barely getting the drop on them one by one until they were all down.
After that, it was just a matter of convincing some of the over-privileged, rich snobs to come help me clear the tracks of the various carts, barrels, and other things blocking them. That part was almost harder than clearing out the bandits and stowing them in the cargo car for the guards to deal with later. Seriously, just how arrogant can a pony be? They didn't want to come help because they might get their suits dirty?!
Suffice it to say, I told them to bill me when I threw some dirt on them. Best part of my night!
Returning to my seat in coach, I let out a yawn and settled down for the rest of the ride. Thankfully, there weren't any further incidents aside from having to check on my captives occasionally. The few unicorns in the group were... convinced to finish a long nap during the ride...
Hey, even my luck only goes so far!
I was an hour behind schedule when I felt the sense of rising as the train made its way to Canterlot. Peering outwards, I caught sight the resplendent city where it perched on the edge of Mount Canterhorn. Artistic, firm, and open to the world, it really did represent the things that ponies stood for. This was the center of Equestria and it stood as a symbol of a unity forged hundreds of years ago.
I chuckled, realizing that after a few forced therapy sessions, I was starting to have a more positive attitude. I'd once looked at this city as my prison when an incident at a Donut Joe's had lead me to being drafted into the guard as penance for vigilante justice. The locator band may be gone, but I still found myself coming back to this city. I'm not sure why, it just felt... right.
Leveling out, my ride drew into the Canterlot station. A platoon of guards wearing their purple armor enchanted to make them all appear as white-furred ponies, were waiting. At least somepony on this train had listened to me willingly; the conductor had sent a message ahead via magic to let my co-workers know that I had some presents for them.
Of course it was the thestral stallion awaiting me as I stepped off the train that caught my eye. Standing a head taller than me, the dark form of Silent Stroke stared down at me with his predatory eyes. A quick glance at my captives as they were herded off the train drew a comment from the reserved pony, “You're late. Trouble?”
I offered him a shrug, “What can I say, it was somepony's lucky day,” I chuckled at his eye roll as the two of us strode away while the main guard force too custody of the robbing band. Making our way into the city, I thought about the difference between night and day in Canterlot. When Celestia's sun was in the sky, it was a packed place with all the nobility, store owners, eager shoppers, and aspiring entrepreneurs filling the streets. At night, there were only a few carriages being pulled between various houses and the patrols of night guards.
I stretched a little, looking up at Silent, “So, if you had the time to come meet me personally, I take it that work has been slow?” He nodded, choosing not to respond verbally. I couldn't blame him; he was among a number of thestrals that struggled to speak in tones that didn't shatter eardrums. Something to do with a genetic condition that affected the vocal cords so that their signature sonic screech was their baseline.
I wondered what the rest of my co-workers were up to briefly before my thoughts turned to Dawn again. I shuffled nervously, “Hey Silent,” his ears perked toward me, “be honest with me. I haven't known her as long as all of you have, but do you think I have a shot with Dawn? She's an absolutely beautiful mare, but she always seems so busy...”
Silent, like most of my “friends,” seemed to think it was funny to give me a “I know something you don't” smirk. He shook his head at me even as he continued to smirk, “Nope. Doomed to failure.” he supplied jokingly. At least I hoped it was jokingly. He was a hard stallion to get a read on.
I shrugged, “Oh well, I'll enjoy it while it lasts then... now do you mind showing me to the rooms again? I always get lost in the castle...”
Chapter 2: Jitters and a Love Bug
I woke the next day cringing against the sudden burst of sunlight through my perfectly placed window. Pressing my face into the pillow, I muttered, “Damn it, isn't it enough that I almost died for you?” In hindsight, that wasn't fair. Celestia usually did right by her ponies, but after being pushed out a window and given street surgery by gryphon talons, I think I had earned a bit of sarcasm.
Plus, this was probably just her way of reminding me that I had a date to prepare for. I couldn't be sure, but I definitely felt like the sun princess had been paying special attention to the whole ordeal following my request. Rising up, I gave the spartan furnishings of my room a once over. Dresser was still there, bedside desk was still there, and the curtains hadn't moved. Yeah, everything was okay.
I was still adjusting to the fact that I'd gone from sleeping in the barracks surrounded by snoring stallions to having a personal room in the more deserted section of the Canterlot Castle. A small section in the wing had been set aside for agents of the Heavy Equestrian Response Division to live in while they were here. As a recent addition to the HERD, it was mind-boggling to me.
Such as considering the suggestion that I'd received from Princess Celestia for a good place to take her assistant on a date.
I'd been standing in her private study a couple of days after being released from the hospital with a hint of worry. I remember standing there, sheepishly asking her what kind of place I should take Dawn to. Her response had been quick.
With a quick hum, she turned those wisdom filled eyes on me with a sly smirk, “Well, she has been talking about a place that just opened up in the entertainment district. I've heard it caters more to the middle-class and features some of that new... 'techo' music. A place called The Veil.”
I'd done some research on the place and it checked out for the most part. The Veil was definitely less... classical than most places in Canterlot and even featured an open bar. Not exactly my pick for a first date, but the princess was adamant that Dawn would enjoy the place, so I was going to go out on a limb and trust her. It's not like the admission fee was going to hurt me much; it turned out that I'd gotten an account with a bank in Canterlot that had been collecting bits from my time working for the guard proper.
It had also been mentioned to me that a substantial amount of bits had been moved into it as thanks for stopping Sunslayer. We couldn't exactly openly announce what had happened and the HERD was a hush-hush organization. I wasn't about to complain, considering the amount of zeros on the account made my head hurt. It was worth more to me than a medal around my neck.
Especially now as I considered all the things I should bring. Or that I thought I should bring. I wasn't exactly well-versed in the dating scene since the last attempt I'd made had been a little after graduation from school. First thing was first, I needed a trim because I was starting to look rather scruffy. Then maybe some new clothes? Ugh, this was a lot harder than other stallions made it sound!
Should I bring flowers, or was that too desperate?
I didn't even realize that I'd walked out of the castle in the middle of my thoughts. It wasn't until I heard a voice calling my name that I even figured out that I was beyond the castle gates. Blinking, I turned my head toward the voice and let a small smile come to my face, “Corium? Is that you?”
Indeed it was. In sharp contrast to the ponies that called Equestria home, the changeling stood out like a sore hoof. Starting from the tips of his ears, his chitin did a wonderful impression of moving between day and night as it swept toward his tail. He buzzed a pair of insect-like wings to hop the short distance between us and the two of us clasped hooves for a moment.
“Lucky, long time, no see,” Corium announced with energy, “I'd been hearing rumors flying all over about you and then Canterlot comes under the shortest siege to date? Somehow, I feel like you had something to do with that.” Silly bug was a bright one to nail it on the head like that. Of course, I couldn't exactly confirm that.
I shrugged, going for a neutral response, “I was in the area. Bit of a surprise.... say, Corium,” I asked, a thought occurring to me, “mind helping a friend out?”
“Is Twilight Sparkle the princess of the idea,” he asked rhetorically, “spill it. I'll assume it has something to do with the anticipation, worry, and attraction you're exuding?”
I snorted at him, “Corium, isn't there something in the treaty about not reading emotions like that?”
He rolled his eyes in return, “You're acting like it takes active sensing to read you, Lucky. You've never been good at hiding your emotions.”
“I suppose not. Well, see... there's this mare-”
“Pretty?”
“Beautiful! Even got set up on a date with her and advice on where to take her. The problem is that I... haven't dated... for a while...”
“...and you're worried that you're going to mess it up,” I nodded and he let out an excited noise, “oh, Lucky, this is going to be fun! I seriously thought that this was going to be a boring day, but then you go and make it my,” he chortled and I could feel the pun coming, “lucky day!”
I groaned good-naturedly, but followed the skipping changeling along as he nearly dragged me by my hoof. Amid the rapid babbling that spilled from his muzzle, I managed to get that he had been “dying to try some of the places around Canterlot.” I was okay with his eccentric ways as it caused the stuffy nobility and skittish commoners to give us a wide berth.
I flicked my ear at a pause in his long-winded speech, “So, not that I'm not happy to see you, but what brings you to Canterlot, Corium?” We were entering the business section of Canterlot now and the crowd thinned some as we turned off of the main street.
Corium blinked for a moment, then settled down beside me, “Oh, right. Thanks for reminding me. I'm actually here on loan from the changeling kingdom by request. Apparently some members of the upper guard,” he gave me a knowing look, “think that this herd of yours needs some help.”
“Ah, so running into me wasn't so coincidental,” I raised a brow at him, “considering what we deal with, it sounds bigger than you're letting on. Anything that I should be worried about being dragged into?”
“Not until you're done with your date, no,” he stated firmly, giving me a false glare, “the only thing that your getting into is the heart of this mare of yours! Now, the first thing we need to do is get you looking presentable! When was the last time you had a bath!” The hyper changeling started buzzing around me, making very motherly comments as he ushered me into what appeared to be a spa.
Most stallions may say that spas aren't masculine enough, but I'll be condemned to Tartarus for a thousand years if you don't emerge from them feeling younger and more ready for a day. Corium continued to chat my ears off as the poor spa ponies did everything they could to keep up with him. Despite his eagerness to partake, he seemed to have difficulties sitting still for long. The pony assigned to me even murmured thanks to me for not being a hooffull.
I was glad to see him up and about like this, though. The last time I'd seen him, he'd been in a hospital bed recovering from a coma he'd fallen into saving me from a hammer blow. I'll be honest when I say that I still felt guilty about him getting hurt for me and even helping the local law enforcement and a contingent of the Royal Guard bust up the drug ring that had started it all didn't make me feel better.
I had to curb his enthusiasm a bit when he tried to convince me that I needed a hooficure. I still needed to maintain some of my stallion dignity after all. My hooves had been molded by years of honest work as a delivery pony back home and I didn't want to lose that.
I did relent to letting the spa ponies shine them up a bit though... for Dawn. Then a trip to a barber to trim up the scruffy edges to my coat, mane, and tail lead the two of us to discussing what the two of us had been up to for the past few months. I had to edit mine a bit since we had some civilians around us, but I got the point of it across.
Corium listened intently before going on about how after getting released from the hospital, he'd gone up to the Crystal Empire for a little bit. He highly recommended crystal-berry wine (in small doses) before we came to the highlight of the day. He grilled me with the intensity of a royal interrogation about Dawn and I answered his questions to the best of my ability.
By the end, he furrowed his brow, “So... you know next to nothing about this mare aside from how she looks?”
“Hey,” I stated defensively while I tried to hold still for the barber, “she is quite the looker. I also know that she likes to be coy and works for the princess. Besides, isn't that what the first date is for? Seeing if you're compatible?”
He huffed in response, sitting next to me since the ponies in the shop couldn't do much with the substance that made up his mane. Chewing on his lip slightly, he answered, “I... I suppose, but usually you hang out a bit first to see if you're interested in more than their appearance before going for the date,” he buzzed his wings, “well, that settles it!”
I blinked over at him, “Settles what?”
He grinned, “We have most of the day before you're supposed to meet up for the date, right,” I nodded, “well then, we have that time to do some investigating! You can't be going into this blind, so let's go find out just who this Dawn Breeze is!”
I did not like the way his eyes glinted when he said that....
Chapter 3: The Vanishing Mare
I was starting to believe that Corium was a bad influence on me as the two of us made our way into the castle. I looked over at him with no small amount of worry. He'd taken on the image of a guard, complete with armor, which I was pretty sure broke some rule in the treaty. The changeling was impossible to dissuade from his mission however and now I was an accomplice to a breach of national security... maybe if I kept my eyes on him, it wouldn't be so bad? Maybe a brief vacation to the moon?
I was pretty sure that this plan was doomed to fail from the first step, but apparently the castle still didn't have anti-changeling spells in its structure. I had clearance and nopony seemed eager to question the guard beside me considering the anonymity spell woven in the armor of the actual guards.
“Do you even know where to start?” I whispered at my disguised friend. I had to admit that he had the standard, blank-faced scowl down pat. If I didn't know that he was a changeling, I probably would never have noticed anything strange about him being here... aside from the way his eyes kept darting around, looking at or for something.
For his part, Corium gave a short nod and spoke in a gruff voice, “If she's an assistant of Princess Celestia, there will be files on record.” I blanched, looking up at him. He couldn't be serious; we couldn't just march into whatever office kept employee records! Not to mention the extreme breach of privacy that would be!
“Corium,” I hissed, “I don't know how things work in the changeling kingdom, but you don't just go snooping around somepony's profile. What if there's something private in there?”
“Then it's probably something that you should know going into this,” he stated smugly, “besides, she's your co-worker, isn't she? You should know all you can about her so that you can adapt to a situation with her capabilities in mind.” I'm sure that if he wasn't in disguise, he would be smirking from ear to ear.
“That's not the problem here, Corium! The problem is that not only is that seriously unethical, it's illegal.” That brought him to a stop as he looked over at me in confusion. I met his gaze with a firm nod of my head and he sat down, his composure breaking as he tapped a hoof to his chin.
“...I'll never understand you ponies,” he finally said, “you have this absurd desire to know everything you can about ponies you find interesting and yet you make laws against that behavior. How are you supposed to know it all if it's illegal to know it all?”
“Well, for starters, we talk to one another. See, if we want to know something about a pony, we-”
“Ah! You interrogate the ponies closest to them,” he chimed in much too energetically, “if we could find out where her family is, we could-”
“Corium, I'm going to stop you right there before you say something I'd have to arrest you for. For one, 'interrogation' makes you sound like a crazy pony. We just ask questions and the other pony isn't in any way, shape, or form required to ans- shouldn't you know this,” I asked suddenly, “weren't you an infiltrator?”
A knowing smile spread across his muzzle as he nodded, “That took you far too long to remember, Lucky,” he chided me with a soft hip-check, “of course that's not what we're doing. You just need to relax because what you're doing right now is going to draw far more attention than anything I do.” I blushed, realizing that the changeling had played me like a fiddle.
Shaking his head, “Honestly, I'd say the best thing to do would be to find Princess Celestia and ask her what she knows about her assistant,” he raised a hoof to stall my protest, “failing that... well, she has other assistants. They no doubt communicate with one another and at least know basic things about each other. As it so happens, I actually hit it off fairly well with one in particular and she'll be the go-to pony for information like the kind we're after.”
Taking the lead, he navigated his way through the castle with an eerily accurate knowledge. I recognized that we were getting to the busier wings as the amount of guards, staff, and stuffy nobles increased dramatically. Our journey ended at a simple door and Corium raised his hoof and rapped his hoof in a series of well-timed taps on the door. After a moment, the door was flung open and I felt myself gripped by the magic of an unseen unicorn that dragged both myself and Corium in.
I was released a bit earlier than my companion and my momentum carried me across the room to crash into the sturdy desk within. Rubbing my abused nose with one hoof, I rose and turned to confront my assailant only to find a mare currently wrapped around the undisguised neck of Corium. She had a large smile adorning her muzzle, “Cori, there you are! I was wondering if I was going to get to see you today!”
Corium chuckled and returned her embrace for a moment before pulling back, “Good to see you as well! As much as I wish I was here for myself, I actually needed to ask you something,” he gestured to me, “this is my friend I was telling you about, Lucky Signs. Lucky, this adorable little filly is Balanced Abacus.”
Abacus and I exchanged a soft hoofshake to finish the introduction before Corium continued, “See, Lucky here is finally getting around to the dating scene, but he's a bit out of practice. We were hoping you could help us figure out something for him to do to make special for the mare that caught his eyes. Think you could help us out, Abby?”
I was tempted to call Corium out for hypnotizing the mare considering the way she was all but drooling as she looked into his eyes. She remembered herself after a moment, then pulled away and tried to put on a professional air, “W-well, I'll do what I can, but there are some things I wouldn't be at liberty to discuss. Do you have a name for me?”
“Dawn Breeze.” I answered.
A sharp intake of breath sent up red flags in my mind as her ears flattened. She looked between us sheepishly, “You had to pick the hard one, didn't you? Look, if I'm being perfectly honest, I know as much about her as the door guards do. She tends to show up where and when she's needed then vanish without a trace.”
Corium frowned as we took in that information, “Well, well, well, a mystery mare. Even to her co-workers... now I'm interested,” he stated with a grin, “the search continues! Do you know what exactly she works on around the castle?”
Abacus shook her head, “As far as I can tell, she has her hoof in a little bit of everything. Honestly, with the amount she does, I find it hard to believe that she'll actually have time for a date of any kind that isn't work related. How did you manage that one?” she turned her gaze to me, lifting a brow.
In response, I shrugged, “Namesake. Enough said.”
“Right, well... if the two of you are going to be digging into Dawn's life, I might as well come with you. For one,” she started, cutting off my question as to why, “the two of you aren't as subtle as you think,” she gave Corium a stern look, “and are likely to tip her off to what you're doing. Second... well, a lot of us have bets going on about what Dawn gets up to when she'd not nose deep in a report and I have some bits riding on some things.”
I looked at Corium. He shrugged so we went with it. Abacus had some ideas on ponies that might now a bit more about Dawn, but most of them were in one meeting or another. As we waited for one such meeting to get out, Abacus and Corium grilled me about what little I knew and where I was taking Dawn.
Abacus was of a mind with me about the location, “A dance club? That's a little forward for a first date isn't it?”
I nodded, “That's what I thought too, but... well I have it on good authority that it would mean a lot to her. I tried to get another suggestion, but my source was... zealous about that being where I should take her.”
Abacus nodded, “I suppose that makes sense, but if your source ends up messing it up for you, don't say I didn't warn you. I'm a little jealous,” she rolled her eyes at my questioning look, “apparently The Veil is hosting a 'battle of the DJ's' event. Everypony who knows about it is talking about it. The local champion from Ponyville, DJ Pon3, is taking the challenge of some up and comer named Dark Vibes. It's set to be one of the biggest events ever!”
The fervor coming to her voice made me believe that she was more of a fan than she let on. Leaning over to Corium, I whispered for him to see me after all of this for some bits to take her. It was the least I could do for the mare trying to help me make it special for Dawn.
The unfortunate part was that nopony seemed to know much about Dawn. The few ponies that had interacted with her in the past stated that she was a professional mare that came in, did her job, and left. Honestly, it sounded like she simply acted as a stand in for the princess herself and reported to Celestia directly. That was daunting, but would explain why Celestia was so interested in our date.
We were sent running back and forth across the castle, chasing the ghost of an elusive mare. Every single staffpony, guard, and self-righteous noble all seemed to point to one pony for information on Dawn: Celestia herself. I wasn't the only one getting frustrated. Abacus was visibly grinding her teeth at each dead end and Corium was getting quieter, his eyes flashing dangerously with each failure.
I'm not sure how long we would have spent running around if I hadn't realized that the sun was starting to set. I looked at a nearby clock and panicked. Grabbing Corium, startling the changeling in the process, I drew him face to face with me, “I'm gonna be late!” I shouted!
It was his turn to panic as my statement entered his thoughts. He reversed grabbed me and shouted, “Hold on!” A sudden buzzing of wings filled the air as Corium decided that he was taking it on himself to airlift my heavy flank across Canterlot.
I still made him stop at the bank so I could grab bits for Abacus and him...
Landing with a grunt, I shook the impact out of my various limbs and shook a hoof at the retreating form of Corium, “Not what I meant by 'drop me off!'” I doubted he heard me over the steady rhythm shaking the sidewalk outside of the Veil. Night time colors bathed the surrounding street and line of ponies waiting to get in and I had to blink against the vibrant assault. A quick glance at the position of the setting sun made me wince; I was late.
Flicking my eyes over the crowd, I tried in vain to pick out my date only to come up short one Dawn Breeze. My heart sank into my hooves. I'd blown it. Great way to make a first impression, Lucky! Not only did you spend most of the day trying to figure out more about the mare, but now you'd stood her up. She was probably going to be absolutely furious that I'd-
“Lucky!”
My heart skipped a beat as that musical voice resonated in my ears, drawing my attention upwards. The fading rays of sunlight caught her pristine, alabaster coat and made her glow brightly. A light wind stirred by her momentum caught the bubblegum mane and lifted it in an ethereal way that left me feeling weak at the knees. I was not worthy!
Dawn Breeze landed in a rush, panting softly as she cantered to me and launched into an apology, “Lucky, I'm so sorry! I was in the middle of a report for the princess and lost track of time! I hope you haven't been waiting for too long?” The way she danced from hoof to hoof nervously was unnaturally adorable.
She was still staring at me, most likely getting more anxious with every moment that I was drinking in the wonderful sight of her. Amazingly, my brain managed to restart before it got too awkward, “Uh, no, not too long,” I rushed out hurriedly, “was just about to come looking for you.” It wasn't exactly a lie, but now it just had less grovelling and apologizing on my part.
Her smile was more radiant that Celestia's charge behind her and I felt some internal part of me melt like butter to it. I wasn't exactly sure what to say at that point, so I gestured to the line, “I guess we should get in line. Apparently there's an event going on, so it seems like they're busy.”
Dawn's eyes brightened as we made our way to the end of the crowd, “Yeah, the annual Battle of the DJ's! Have you never been to one,” I shook my head and she gasped, “oh you are in for a treat! The Battle of the DJ's is one of the biggest musical events among the newer musics! DJ Pon-3 has been the reigning champion for seven years running, but her opponent has been making waves in the lower Manehatten area!”
I found myself smiling at her enthusiasm, “Don't take this the wrong way, but I didn't take you for a techno fan. Considering where you work, I figured classical would be more your style?”
That drew an exasperated groan from the pegasus, “It's the exact opposite, really. There's only so many times that you can listen to the same fifteen songs before you start wanting something new. I'm pretty sure that I could hum all fifteen on key!”
I whistled, “That would be a talent. More so that you can stay awake long enough to listen to them long enough. I tried listening to a classical song once and I woke up a few hours later!” We shared a laugh at that before our conversation became a back and forth. Growing up in a small town, I'd been subject to a number of country tunes that Dawn was all too eager to ask me to sing, but we agreed that would be a later thing.
The bouncer at the door barely gave us a second glance before admitting us with a grunt. The steady beat from outside became a roar of sound waves breaking across the club. A second floor balcony looked down toward the massive dance floor already packed with ponies cutting loose to the automated tunes preceding the event later. A single, permanent DJ booth was raised above the main floor, but what seemed like two quickly assembled booths stood against the wall to either side.
Dawn was all too eager to explain the set-up to me. The two finalists would take their places at the smaller booths for the competition with the winner getting to take over the main booth for the night. The winner was determined by how many ponies they could get to dance on their side of the club within a time limit. I was grateful that my date decided she wanted to save her energy for the main event because it gave me time to consider how I was going to tell her that I couldn't dance.
Making our way to the open bar, we took up a pair of seats. I wasn't much of a drinker, so Dawn ended up ordering me something “for lightweights.” I let that jab slide considering that I would rather be able to make it back to my room without passing out in a street somewhere. For her part, Dawn ordered something that I couldn't even begin to pronounce.
With our drinks in hoof, she smiled over the rim of her glass at me, “Thank you, Lucky. I don't often get to have time off. Most of the time leaving the castle is done for business reasons.” We clinked our glasses together and I watched in wonder as the mare downed her drink before I could do much more than sip at mine.
As she ordered another, I rallied what little courage I had, “Yeah, you're definitely a difficult mare to get a hold of. I wanted to ask you out here personally, but the princess always seemed eager to get messages to you. I hope that doesn't make me seem too shallow.” I swirled my drink a bit, gagging a bit at the burning sensation of it but pride kept me from stopping.
Dawn chuckled nervously, “Y-yeah, Princess Celestia has a bit of reputation for being motherly, so I don't doubt that she would play the part. Speaking of which,” she turned her gaze to me, “not to make this weird or anything, but she did ask me something that made me curious. Considering your... recent contact with her, what do you think about our glorious princess?”
There was a strange bite of sarcasm in her words and I felt like I was being backed into a corner. I decided to keep my reply short and sweet, “She does what she can to help, but I feel that sometimes her hooves are tied. What about you,” I asked, turning the tables, “you work for her, so what do you think of her? I bet it's more insightful than my observations.”
My pegasus companion chewed on her lip slightly, a bang of her glorious mane falling down over one eye. The image made my heart skip a beat and I almost missed her reply, “Honestly... I think she's lonely, Lucky. Think about it, she's been around for over a thousand years and watched generations of us rise and fall while she alone stays on top.”
I considered her words for a long moment, “I... I could see that, I suppose. Sadly, the list of immortal beings is a short one. For a long time, she didn't even have Luna either, so I can only guess how... crushing that was.” I took a moment to gulp down more of the drink in my hooves, grimacing at the taste.
Dawn was quiet for a long moment before finally saying, “Yeah... I don't think any of us do,” she snorted and shook her head, “listen to me, I'm supposed to be here having fun with you and I'm bringing down the whole mood! Hopefully the DJ's come out soon and we can hit the dance floor!” She smiled at me and I cursed my lack of knowledge at that moment.
Thankfully, I was spared making a fool of myself for several minutes, but Dawn wasn't content to sit there and let us drift into silence. Getting a hold on the bartender, she ordered an entire bottle of something and snagged a pair of shot glasses. I looked at her curiously and she giggled as she revealed her master plan.
“I heard from the grapevine that you wanted to use this date to see if we were compatible. I purpose this to you, Lucky,” her eyes narrowed into a dangerous grin, “we'll play a little game. We each take turns saying something about ourselves and if the other would say something similar for the same situation, they drink.”
I blinked, flattening my ears, “Err, Dawn, I'm not much of a drinker...”
She flashed me a challenging grin, “Afraid that we're that different, Lucky? Or are you quitting on me already?” Damn, this mare really knew how to push my buttons. Against my better judgment, I found myself facing Dawn as she filled the shot glasses.
Dawn went first, mulling it around in her head for a moment, “Mmmm, I have one sibling.” Well, I was off to a wonderful start. Grimacing, I quickly downed the shot and informed her that I was an only foal. My next shot was filled while I considered what to say.
“I grew up on a farm.”
Dawn giggled and tipped back her shot with a flourish. Adding more alcohol to her glass, she said, “Daughter of business-stallion; I grew up in a big house surrounded by old, snobby colts in suits. Okay... I was an adventurous filly and could normally be found getting in trouble.”
“You,” I asked with a sly grin, “getting into trouble? You'd think it would be easier to find you then,” I downed the next shot, “I didn't really get out much. I was too busy hiding from my talent.” The game continued for a while and despite the number of differences between us, none of them felt overwhelming. Her personality was light and bubbly in contrast to her professional aura while she was on the clock.
My brain was extremely buzzed when the DJ's finally made their appearance to the crowd's delight. The two were an interesting contrast with the famed DJ Pon-3 being minimalist in her appearance, wearing a simple set of headphones and rose glasses. Across from her, the stallion named Dark Vibes was in a full body suit and a helmet that covered all but his lower jaw.
As the two took their places and an obnoxiously loud announcer started hyping up the ponies on the floor, Dawn grabbed my hoof. I was way too far gone to deny her as she half-lead, half-dragged me out onto the floor. I'd never really been a music pony, so I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but I was certainly not prepared for what I got.
As the challenger, Dark Vibes got to start things off as the base beat started. Stumbling drunkenly after Dawn, I felt the first strains of change as the larger DJ tuned his board to alter the flow into a dark, primal sound. Fear, desire, and anticipation filled the air as he made his play against the champ.
I wasn't paying attention after that. My eyes fell firmly on the mare I'd brought to this place as she twirled and flashed me a playful look. If I wasn't certain of the wings on her back and the lack of horn on her head, I would have accused her of putting me under a spell as I followed her deeper into the mass of flailing limbs. She was starting to give me whiplash from the sudden shift in her stance, pulling me in with her eyes to the pulse of passion vibrating the room.
A lighter set of notes began to bleed into the song as I finally came within hoof-reach of the wily pegasus. I met the deep pools of magenta staring back at me, feeling a sense of familiarity. It was gone with a blink as Dawn started to dance, the natural agility of her pegasus heritage turning her into a form of living art.
I stood there numbly, watching her in awe until I felt her hooves on mine. With a confidence born of way too much alcohol in my system, I followed her movements as she naturally took the lead as if she knew I couldn't dance. She might have for all I knew; she'd probably read my file!
It didn't matter to me in that moment, though. All that mattered was the fire that danced behind her gaze, pulling me in and burning all of my doubts away. As the rest of the world faded into background noise and all I could see was Dawn Breeze, I decided one thing.
I was going to ask for a second date at the next opportunity. Even if it meant putting my life on the life to get another favor from Celestia!
Chapter 5: Back to the Grind
The next day found me waking to a splitting headache, but no regrets. The date had been a resounding success in my opinion, even as I stumbled out of the club with Dawn giggling at my antics to wave down a taxi. It was interesting to see how alive she became outside of work and it was a wonder how much alcohol she could tip back. I had to fall back on my innate earth pony resilience to even make it through our drinking game. She'd excused herself for a few minutes to freshen up at one point, but compared to the hours we spent there it was a drop in the bucket.
Still, even good things had to end and I'd collapsed like a sack of flour on my bed and fallen into the blissful oblivion of sleep. I mentally thanked my past-self for drawing the curtains closed last night because it seemed like the sun was a bit brighter than usual today. Of course, that may have just been the hangover talking.
Stretching, groaning, and cursing I rose from the comfort of my bed and stumbled about getting ready for the day. A quick shower helped me stabilize myself a bit in order to stagger my way toward the medical wing of the castle. Before leaving me to my own devices, Dawn had recommended stopping in when I got up and seeing a pony about some magic. Thank Celestia for unicorns and their history of over-indulgence that forced them to create an anti-hangover spell!
Refreshed and a little more alive, I'll admit that I gained a spring to my step. Despite the differences that had reared up between us from the past, Dawn and I felt compatible and I was looking forward to figuring out something to do based on what I'd learned about her from our little game. Work had to come first though as today was going to be my return after being on leave.
A quick trot carried me through the quieter sections of the castle to the small, unassuming door that opened to the HERD's Canterlot office. Within was a cramped room of filing cabinets and a single table covered with a map of Equestria. I had expected most of the agents I knew to be there, but only one was waiting for me.
Lieutenant Martial Cadence was a towering mare of a thestral that could be found in her armor vastly more often than out of it. Even now, as she looked up from a file to glance at me with her stern gaze, she was coated in plate-mail like it was a dress. Not too long ago, I found the image incredibly imposing, but I was becoming as numb to it as a lot of other things in my life. The fact that she greeted me with a nod rather than the scowl she used to give me helped that.
“Lucky,” she addressed me stiffly, “I see that you're looking chipper today. Hopefully that means you're ready to bring that much more enthusiasm today?” I gave her a salute complete with my signature grin and earned myself an amused snort. Flipping the file in front of her around, she gave it a light push across the desk.
I took a look and found a frown coming to my muzzle as I drank in the information within. Most of the papers within appeared to be missing pony reports and a broken trail of rumors and supposed sightings. The thing that caught my interest was that most of the names were last seen in the small town of Springrun. The place had been the staging ground for my first mission several months ago.
At the time, I'd been investigating reports of vanishing ponies and the claims that a cult was in the area. I'd been paired with Silent Stroke for it and after some digging and my partner getting foalnapped, I'd discovered that the cult consisted of one zealous nightmare cultist being backed by minions from a benefactor. I would find out later that the supplier of “cultists” was one crazy gryphon.
The main point of it was that the cultists had been snatching ponies as they passed through the town on their way to Manehatten. The captives were being carted off to somewhere after that, but even with the capture of some of Sunslayer's allies we were no closer to finding them. In front of me were some of the most recent reports that painted a picture moving toward the edges of Equestria.
I looked up at Martial with a raised brow and she nodded, “The HERD has been pouring resources into finding them, but we've run into a bit of trouble. Our jurisdiction ends at the border... officially anyways.” The phrasing of that made the fur on my neck stand on end.
Returning my attention to the reports, I started to compare them to the map on the table. From what I could tell, there were three main directions that the reports were heading. One set was making its way northeast and seemed to be making for the land bridge that skirted the mountain range heading toward the homeland of the gryphons. That didn't sit well with me and I didn't want anything to do with more of the cat-birds.
Another was heading south toward the Macintosh Hills with its trail going cold somewhere near Dodge City. Most of the reports from that one came directly from the Seers in the area and hinted that something else was involved down there. The final paper trail was blazing a path westward and started to peter out in the direction of White Tail Woods.
The final path was the one that Martial gestured to with a free hoof, “I'd like for you to investigate these places and see what your luck can turn up. If fortune favors you,” she gave me a knowing stare, “then you'll find those missing ponies before they get too far out. HERD agents are set along the southern and eastern borders at the moment, so I'm going to hope that they can keep the foalnappers from flying to coop.”
I nodded slowly, then met her gaze levelly, “Alright. What kind of resistance should I prepare for?”
“Lethal,” she stated without a moment of hesitation, “I don't feel like underestimating these individuals. They're continuing to act without Sunslayer which is problematic. I'm assuming that Sunslayer had some form of underlings with orders to operate independently in case of the worst. As a secondary mission, if you can capture a command element, do so as long as it doesn't endanger your primary mission of bringing the prisoners home.”
All things considered, it wasn't all that bad compared to other things I'd done. Nearly falling into a volcano held the cake so far. Once Martial dismissed me, I made my way to the sealed and magic-proofed room that contained the equipment available to HERD agents. Locked behind doors and walls crafted by the HERD's Builders, every inch was carved with runic arrays that made it one of the most secure places in all of Equestria, second only to the personal vault of the princesses.
Amid enchanted armors, hoofrings, amulets, weapons, and so on, I was glad that most of them had been organized and labeled recently. I had some personal preferences at this point, such as the cloak enchanted with a Notice-Me-Not spell that I had brought up from an older armory. Putting it on was a soothing experience and helped clear my mind for picking out the rest of what I might need.
Featherweight hammer hooves, a flare band, and an energizing amulet followed and I picked up a trio of long range communication crystals in case I needed to inform Martial about anything. With all of that squared away, I had to wonder who I was getting paired with for this mission. As a security precaution, agents in the field always worked in pairs.
You can imagine my surprise when, arriving at the meeting point, I noticed a familiar pegasus waiting for me. Dawn looked positively radiant this morning with her mane pulled back into a hairband and a form-fitted suit of leather armor. I did my best not to stare.
Approaching her, I waved a hoof, “Well, long time, no see,” I joked, “this is quite the pleasant surprise. You look ready to go out into the field rather than sit behind a boring desk all day.”
Her giggle was music to my ears as she nodded, “Of course! A lot of things have come up recently that made me realize that I need to get back out there,” her head dipped slightly, “a lot of silly things happened to you and the others and I wasn't there to help you... maybe if I'd come with you to that warehouse...”
Seeing her shoulders droop and ears flatten against the top of her skull, I felt my heart crack. Deciding to be a little forward, I wrapped a hoof around her shoulders and gave her a firm look, “Dawn, you can't blame yourself for that. Sunslayer was waiting for us when we got there. If you'd come with us originally, you would have been captured too. Then who would have freed the others in time to warn the EUP about what was going on? You did everything you could and in the end, it turned out just fine, didn't it?”
That elicited a smile, which was a score in my book! I was caught off guard by the sudden embrace of her wing, however. From what I knew about pegasus culture, doing so was a gesture reserved for close friends or loved ones. So, of course, when she broke the embrace and cantered forward slightly, I hoof-pumped victoriously before quickly turning it into a motion of checking my equipment when she turned back toward me.
“So, our destination isn't too far away,” she mused aloud, “I went ahead and too the time to prepare transportation for us.” Not wanting to fall behind, I trotted forward and walked beside her. I had to wonder what sort of transport required us to make our way toward the landing-
I gulped as the simple, armored chariot came into view with a pair of slim-built speed fliers hitched to it. Recent experience with flying had left me with a bit of a sore spot for the activity. Oblivious to my internal struggles, Dawn hopped into the chariot and looked back at me curiously, “Lucky? Is everything okay?”
Smiling as best I could, I nodded, “Yeah, peachy keen.” I lied. Crawling up into the chariot beside her, I had only a moment to wonder just how fast the fliers in front of me could go.
...Too fast.
Chapter 7: Timber Country
Dawn and I approached the remnants of the camp site cautiously, eyes and ears alert for any threats in the immediate area. She moved over toward the smoldering camp fire while I checked over the areas of flattened grass, only slightly wondering what I was looking for. After a moment of inspection, my companion vocalized her thoughts, “This fire can't be more than two or three hours old. There's scratches in the vegetation that make it seem like they were in a hurry to get away from here.”
Lifting my head, I eyed her, “You know, for an assistant, you sure do know a lot of things across a lot of subjects,” she stiffened and I raised a hoof in a placating gesture, “it's not bad. It's just different I guess. I know that there were a lot of foals back in school that could learn a lot by going through books. I just wasn't one of them.”
Dawn relaxed her stance and shrugged, “It's not just reading; my sister and I used to set up tests for one another so we could learn things quicker. We used to be... bored fillies,” she smiled sheepishly, “I would read it and explain it to her, but she always figured it out faster than I could. Sometimes I regret not telling her that.”
I nodded, “Well, I'll add that to my list of things to ask about once we find our missing ponies. I'm not good at tracking things unless they have a parcel number and an address, so... wow me, mare-of-many-talents.” I said, shaking my hooves limply in a poor attempt at “jazz hooves.”
She rolled her eyes at me and started to stalk the clearing with her nose to the ground. Her gaze was frighteningly intense as she paused here and there to point things out to me, “our captives were here. See the way this grass is laying,” she gestured to one of the flattened areas, “whoever was laying here wasn't doing so in a comfortable way. If anything, I would say that their legs were bound.”
A few more minutes went by as Dawn made her investigations, eventually ending as she stared off into the forest. The frown on her face made me worry as she asked for the map. She took a focused glance at it, then looked up at me with a fearful look, “All the signs I can see tell me that they went in that direction.” Her hoof was pointed a little in the southwestern direction.
I blinked, not quite sure why that was making her worry until I took the map back and felt my own eyes widen. The direction she was pointing would take a path straight between two tribal reserves, but the spot was marked with a warning about timberwolves. Gulping, I looked up at her and sighed, “We're going after them, aren't we?”
She nodded with a grin that didn't match the nervous look in her eyes, “At least I have my lucky stallion with me, right?”
This wasn't the situation I wanted to be called her stallion in any regard for...
**
Stepping into the hunting ground of timberwolves was a terrifying experience. All at once the lush forest took a sinister turn and you could feel the malice exuding from the darker trees and denser vegetation. Everything about this direction screamed at me to turn and run as far and fast as I could, but here I was delving into it with my pegasus partner. I would love to say that we were pressed firmly together for reasons other than fear, but I would be lying.
I continued to keep my senses alert for signs of the predators while Dawn examined tracks in the ground to keep us on track. The whole place was silent as a crypt and smelled of decay that made me glad that we'd eaten light today. This was a wild place that lived on the dark magics that gave monsters life and was only held at bay by the old magics of the deer tribes and it devoured everything, including daylight.
Marching our way through the thick shrubbery with scant amounts of sun rays and our magelight to guide our ways, we came upon a scene that made me gag and Dawn draw up short with a gasp of shock. Suffice it to say that we had found a pair of our foalnappers and they... were less than whole. It was my first time seeing just how vicious timberwolves could be and I wish that I had never seen it.
Dawn recovered before me, taking a deep breath as she forced herself closer to the remains. A brief examination was all she needed to confirm the kills to be the work of the local fauna. It also looked like a large group had been there some time ago, but something (probably the attack) had forced the group to scatter in random directions.
I sighed, “If they're scattered throughout the area, it's going to be hard to find them all. That's assuming that they managed to get away from the wolves,” I turned back to her, “this may be where our trail gets cold, Dawn...” I flattened my ears in defeat.
Stepping up to my side, she draped a wing over my back and gave me an encouraging smile, “Hey, it's not impossible for them to have gotten away. We could still find them and we owe it to them to keep looking. We-,” she froze... and then trembled.
I opened my mouth to ask her what was wrong when I heard an ominous crack off to my other side. Breathing deep, I was almost bowled over by the sudden rancid scent filling the area. Beneath the dark canopy I began to see sickly colored eyes glowing between the trees, watching us. Rough snarls began to hiss out from all around us and even I could tell that we'd walked into a trap.
Moving slowly, I gently touched Dawn's shoulder, “Dawn... do you have any tricks hidden on you?” She shook her head and I began to mull over the options at my disposal. Most of Dawn's equipment was utility based save for her armor. I briefly glanced between her wings and the intertwined branches above us. Flying away wasn't an option.
Shifting my stance, I tested my hammer hooves to make sure they were on tight. The timberwolves were not idle as they continued to circle us, moving closer and closer as they prepared to attack. We were either going to have to fight or make a break for it, but from what I'd heard about timberwolves, they didn't stay down when you pummeled them.
I glanced over my shoulder at Dawn, finding her doing the same to me. I nodded slowly at her, “Dawn, when I say so, run as fast as you can out of here. I'll be right behind you.” Gently, I raised my hoof and the hoofring secured to it. There were a number of reasons that the flare band was one of my favorite accessories and this was going to be one of them.
Aiming for break between two of the wolves, I triggered the band to launch a blazing yellow light. Briefly illuminated in the vibrant light, the wolves snarled and jumped away from it as I shouted to Dawn, “Now!” We sprang into motion and dove over the sizzling flare as we ran for our lives.
Trees blurred around me as I hurried forward. Behind us, the wolves let loose a series of angry howls before giving chase. Our smaller bodies gave us the advantage of being able to dive through smaller gaps, but the longer legs of our pursuers gave them what they needed to keep on our tails. As we ran, I continued to fire flares behind us in an attempt to dissuade them, but all it seemed to do was make them pause briefly before racing after us angrier than before.
The other problem was one of stamina. I might not be the little colt from nowhere who had never run for anything in his life anymore, but I still had limits. So did Dawn. Unfortunately for us, the timberwolves did not and they knew that difference between us. My lungs and muscles were burning and begging for a reprieve that I couldn't afford to give them.
In the end, it was inevitable that they would catch up to us. The first to do so was between Dawn and me in a single bound, jaws clacking shut just over my head. I didn't want to leave Dawn, but it was clear that the wolf didn't intend to let us stay together. Shouting for Dawn to keep running, I twisted my body and poured all the energy in the amulet around my neck to my legs as I bucked as hard as I could.
I was not an apple farmer, so I wasn't truly ready for the sensation of striking a tree. The shock of the contact snapped back against my extended legs and the abused muscles burned in protest. Biting back against the pain, I pushed myself into another adrenaline filled run, hoping beyond hope that Dawn would be able to get away.
Driven by a desire to keep the mare safe, I fired off a barrage of flares, hoping that it would draw most of the attention my way and ran like Tirek himself was on my fetlocks. On one hoof, if the stampede of pawfalls was any indication, most of the pack had decided to chase me. On the other hoof most of the pack was chasing me! I was in a race for my life for the second time in my life and I was already sick of the experience.
Fleeing as fast as my hooves could carry me, I took a deep breath and concentrated through the agony that was my respiratory system. Deep in my chest, I imagined a length of string pulled tight and felt it snap within me. I yelped as one of my hooves met with an exposed tree root and pitched me forward.
The brush in front of me gave way to a steep hill that I found myself careening down in a flailing of limbs. Falling down, I rolled into a leafy bush and grunted as the air was forced out of my lungs and I wondered for a moment if my talent had failed me as I could still hear the wolves behind me. They closed in, snarling and howling and I closed my eyes.
...They thundered past me without stopping.
I blinked in confusion, not daring to move as I heard paws stamping all around me as they shot forward. It wasn't until I tried to lift my head that I felt the fabric of my cloak's hood covering my head. Somewhere within the fall, the enchantment of my cloak had activated and I'd broken line of sight with the wolves. Apparently being given life from magic didn't make the piles of living tinder immune to magic effects.
I waited for the noises of the pack to vanish into the distance before getting up. With my own predicament out of the way, I was worried for Dawn. Spinning in place, I started making my way back up the hill, hoping to find her before anything else did...
Chapter 6: Into the Woods
Wind whipping through my mane, the sensation of being glued to my seat by the extreme speeds, and fighting the urge to vomit because I knew that it would wind up across my own face. That was the next twenty minutes of my life as the Tartarus-spawned speed demons hitched the the front of the chariot blazed a path through open skies that tore apart clouds in the way and drenching their passengers in moisture. In sharp contrast to the motion-sick mess that I was, Dawn was having the time of her life. The sounds she was making were lost in the howling wind, but sitting there with both hooves in the air and a smile on her face I could assume that she was enjoying this madness.
I'd made the mistake of looking down at some point and been greeted with the sight of blurring greens, browns, and blues far below. I was an earth pony; my hooves belonged firmly pressed to the ground but I was getting to do an impression of a bird. More of a penguin really as I gripped the edge of the chariot with a hoof firmly and clamping my mouth shut against the air pressure.
The change in speed as they came in for a landing was so minimal that I didn't even know we were slowing down. From my perspective, they just slammed on the brakes at the last second and I wasn't ready. The wheels of the chariot let out a skidding sound as I was launched from my seat in a wide arc, screaming my lungs out as I came down, nose first, into a trash can. On the plus side, now I had somewhere to empty to contents of my stomach.
Relieved of the pressure in my gut and sense of vertigo, I pulled myself out of the garbage and had a look around. Our landing area appeared to be a small village of some kind, though the stonework of some of the buildings was already putting it a little higher on my list of architecture than other places I'd been. A small crowd had gathered to gawk at the guard drawn chariot and the ponies climbing out of it, or in my case, being thrown out of it. Dawn already had a number of admirer's among the foals running around the place by the time I figured myself out.
To her credit, Dawn certainly had a way with ponies. As I scrambled to collect my equipment from the chariot, she was regaling them with tales about Canterlot and even the adults were drawing a bit closer to hear her speak. I had to take a moment to listen in.
“...and in the tallest towers, the princesses raise the sun on moon every day,” she explained to the group of wide-eyed onlookers, “they say that if you concentrate hard enough, you can feel their presence from anywhere in Equestria. That way, they can let all of their little ponies know that they're watching over them, no matter how bad it may seem.”
“Miss Breeze,” inquired a small unicorn filly, “is it true that Princess Luna can grant wishes made on shooting stars?”
Dawn chuckled, “That depends on how good little colts and fillies have been for their parents.” she answered vaguely with a wink. Her statement caused a murmur among the foals around her and garnered her a series of thankful and respectful smiles from nearby parents. Like some unseen signal had been sent out, the foals turned and scattered back to their parents, calling out goodbyes to Dawn as she stood there, smiling and waving.
Looking at her in that moment, I felt something stir at the back of my head. Something in the way that she inclined her head and the tilt of her smile felt... familiar. Where had I seen it before? I shook my head, clearing my mind. Now wasn't the time for this.
Stepping up beside her, I gave her a gentle nudge with a hoof, “Hey, we should probably see if we can't pick up the trail before it gets dark.” Stirred from whatever thoughts were filling her mind, she nodded and we returned to the cart to retrieve our rations and other various supplies. We had already figured that we would be camping outdoors for a while while we swept through White Tail Woods.
If worse came to worse, the village we'd landed in possessed a general store for the ponies that passed through the area, so we could purchase supplies if it ended up taking longer than we expected. According to our maps and reports, there were only so many ways a series of captors and captives could transverse the woods. The forest was one of the few reserves kept for the tribes of deer clans and held the rights to detain anypony moving through their lands without proper authorization.
Agents had been sent to inquire with the tribes of White Tail, but none of them had seen anything yet. Add into it that there were a few places that the ancient, druidic ways of the deer held little sway and drew Timberwolves and other beasts like moths to a flame, the safe paths through were narrowed down quite a bit. We expected to find some manner of clue or direction along the trails on our map within a few days, but I'd learned not to expect things to go that simply.
We approached the edge of the forest and I had to take a moment to admire the way that the trees felt more... alive. The various tones of the canopy and underbrush seemed more vibrant here than in other places I'd been to, giving a bit of proof to the tales that deer magic had an affect on nature. The sound of birdsong filled our ears as we trudged into the comforting shade of the flora. If I was infatuated by it, Dawn was hypnotized with the way her head snapped around.
I mentally filed that bit of information away for a future date idea.
For now we had a job to do and this one hit a bit of a personal note for me. We made our way to the closest spot marked on our map as a possible route and looked around. Calling it a trail would have been generous by the way vegetation lined it densely. Aside from the natural signs of animals and shrubbery, we didn't find anything that screamed “ponies, this way!”
The second and third trails resulted in the same conclusion and travel time between the spots took up most of the day. Making out way to a nice clearing that we'd found earlier, I set about setting up the tents while Dawn excused herself to put a series of defensive charms around the area. To the infinite gratitude of my pride, the tents weren't too difficult to erect and Dawn returned a short time after the moon had taken its place in the sky.
Under the glow of a magelight lantern that Dawn had brought, we examined the map to figure out the best place to search tomorrow morning before retiring to our tents. After so long of enjoying the excessive comforts of castle living, there was something soothing about being in a sleeping bag on the firm ground. I was just to the point of dozing off when a soft sound brought my ears rotating toward the fabric between Dawn and myself. It almost sounded like... a whimper.
“Dawn,” I whispered just loud enough to be heard in the event that she was asleep, “you okay?” I waited for an answer for a few minutes before deciding that I'd been hearing things. I rolled over and closed my eyes again only for her voice to break out.
“No... I'm not,” she said weakly, “I'd... forgotten how much I hate the quiet. It reminds me of things I'd rather forget...” She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. I had to think of something quick! Oddly, the only thing that I could think of to do was what my mother had done for me whenever fear kept me from sleeping. Shifting to press myself against the wall of the tent closest to her, I started to gently hum before breaking into a lullaby from my foalhood.
Hush now, quiet now, It's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed...
It had been a long time since I'd ever tried to sing and I felt good that I could still carry a tune. Dawn felt the same way if the fact that I could feel her pressing against the wall of her tent toward me was any indication. I continued to let the lullabies fill the air, switching to others periodically, until I felt Dawn's form relax against my back.
Laying my own head down, I wondered if I should ask her about it sooner as opposed to later...
**
With the sun beginning its daily climb over our heads, Dawn and I cantered our way towards the next spot on our list. In quick succession, we'd managed to check two more spots after packing up the tents and snacking on some rations. Both had been just as disappointing as the ones from yesterday and we were now making our way into the denser parts of the woods, skirting the edge of deer territory now.
I'd considered trying to get Dawn to open up a bit to me, but I didn't want to bring down her mood right now. She looked refreshed, like she hadn't slept well in months and finally gotten around to resting for a good length of time. Each spring to her step made me think that she was looking to take off and fly at any moment. If it wasn't for the seriousness of our mission, I could almost think of this as some form of vacation for her.
We filled the travel time with various bits of small talk, mostly about the vibrancy of the underbrush around us. We also may have sampled a few of the local berries that Dawn recognized as edible. I was slowly discovering that the pegasus mare was a font of knowledge that she claimed was from a lot of reading. As much as I wasn't about to contest her, there was also some things to be read from her body language.
There was a confidence to her movement that didn't mirror the look of somepony who hadn't been in the field for as long as she claimed. It only took her a moment to identify the differences between berries and flowers that would go way over my head even if I'd read a picture book on the subject. I was considering the best phrasing to a probing question when I stopped, peering at the sky in front of us.
I gave out a startled noise as I recognized a plume of fire smoke. Pointing it out to Dawn, the two of us raced through the trees toward the cloud and broke the treeline into a large clearing. Scattered all around it were the signs of a camp: flattened grass, holes in the ground fitting the size and shape of a tent spike, and a crudely built fire pit still smoldering like the inhabitants of the site had moved on quickly.
Dawn and I shared a look. The deer tribe that called these woods home wasn't known for being sloppy like this. We'd found our first clue....