Nightfall: Foals of The Draconequus

“Nightshade, you do know the kid can’t actually help out with this right?” Classics smirked at the mentioned unicorn. “No offense, but snowflake over there is just for show.”

Even though they were roughly ten feet away from the pegasus I question they figured it was good enough, though it was mostly that they didn’t care if she heard.

He glared at her knowingly, “Celestia’s orders. I can’t just sit her on the sidelines, maybe she can hang back with Bri and O’Malley? They’re capable stallions – “

Strike slammed a fist down on the oak table that they surrounded, earning a glance from the private who sat obediently at the bar counter as it vibrated from the contact. “I will NOT have you talk about my private – Alice, like that. Being a mare doesn’t make her less able to handle herself, you haven’t given her a chance. Besides you let Classics and Dia go with you everywhere.”

A silence hung in the air for a moment, Strike was right, her truth rang in Nightshade’s ears briefly. Classics was suppressing a smirk, Strike was one of the few of them who’d ever challenge Nightshade and his word.

The shamrock colored pony snickered, he added nothing to the conversation. The only relation Lucky had to this, which he thanked his lucky stars for, is that he’s friends with them. “Ye know, ye gotta give the lass a chance. You three talk this out, I’ll close up shop and make a few calls.” He sauntered back over to Alice, “Kid I’ll warn ye now, Nightshade draws a strange crowd but they’re good ponies. Be polite kiddo.”

About fifteen minutes after Lucky made his phone calls there was a telltale smell of sulfur that everypony in the bar smelled, all except Alice. The blonde maned pegasus heard the door swing open, spun around to welcome whoever was entering and nearly fell off the stool. She felt her breath catch in her throat, she could feel her heart pound throughout her entire body. A tall shadow-like hooded figure towered over Alice, purple eyes gleaming from under the hood akin to amethysts in the sunlight. The eyes were drawing her in, like a moth to a flame against her mind’s wishes which was to back away. The longer she stared the more she felt her consciousness slip and just as she was reaching the edge a voice cut through.

“Endie! You’re scaring that poor mare.”

The shadow figure shrank down and at that point she was roughly shorter than Celestia, maybe Luna height and Alice took a huge gasp of air. Had she not been breathing that whole time?

The figure known as Endie dropped the hood and it revealed a dark grey mare whose fur had a purple tint, mane a twilight purple. The mare who called Endie away stood before Alice with a hand on the blonde’s shoulder, she was grey with a greener tint, her hot pink mane matching her eyes. “I’m awfully sorry about that miss, Endie’s… Affectionate. She gets… weird. Now could I get your name? I’m Speedstar and the… Taller mare over there is Endie.”

Alice introduced herself but couldn’t stop stealing glances at Endie, the pony made her uncomfortable. It made Alice a little weak to look at her, as if the taller mare fed off it.

Nightshade watched this interaction in awe, he’d known Speed and Endie in the past they’d always have been dismissive or hostile, seeing their interaction in action kickstarted his brain. As far as he could remember, Speed and Endie were inseparable. Be it their unspoken communication or their raw talents, they were unparalleled in the field. The interaction from the duo with Alice was brief and they joined Nightshade at the larger table adjacent the bar counter.

Speed looked at Lucky, the owner of the pub made eye contact with her and nodded. Nights simply shook his head, he’d find out what that was about later.

Nightshade had already concocted a method for completing this mission, but his idea had to wait, as four ponies walked into the bar, two stallions and two hooded ponies. Alice glanced at the four of them, suspicion setting in. The stallions in the front wore thick coats, bags slung over both their shoulders. She thought nothing of it until she noticed a gun barrel jutting out of a zipped pocket. Red flags went off in her head, she found it odd that nopony else was reacting, but she figured they hadn’t noticed yet. Alice slowly reached for her rifle, it lay against the stool loaded and ready.

“Touch that gun an you lose that hand girl.” The Scottish voice unnerved the rookie and she recoiled away from her rifle, Alice had hoped that if she was facing away she might not have looked suspicious. Her heart skipped a few beats as she steeled herself.

“O’Malley, she’s with me. Girl doesn’t know any better.”

Alice instinctively whirled around on the stool and was instantly face to face with a muscular stallion, aggression burned in her eyes, but the taller stallion revealed nothing. His grey eyes were tired, as if he’d seen just about all the world could throw at him. His black leather jacket was worn, his jeans looked as if they had been through hell with holes here and there. The other stallion was dressed practically the same but he wore a cap that shaded his eyes.

“Well, why didn’t you say so? Let me introduce myself then.” The ocean blue earth pony sat down on an empty stool and ran a hand through his midnight colored mane, “Since you’re new let me give you some advice. One, don’t be a hero. We don’t do glory, we live to fight another day. Nightshade learned that a while back. Two, learn about us well because you’re stuck with us now. Don’t worry, you’re a pretty mare so we’ll play nice. And three… Uh. I don’t really have a three but my name’s O’Malley.”

The mercenary flashed her a venomous smile, Alice geared up to shoot back a response but at that point Nightshade had enough, this happened every time they had a recruit and he’d rather not have it end the same as the last one. The sheer memory alone sent chills down his spine, he was gonna make sure that was the last time he would deliver that speech to somepony’s parents.

“Enough! Stop hazing the recruit, we got business to get down to. You all know why I called you here – Most of you know why I called you here.” He directed that at the hooded ponies and well as Speed, he took a deep breath. “I gathered you all because this mission has probably the biggest score we will ever have, but this is one of the riskiest cases I’ve ever accepted. We’re hunting a cult, Foals of the Draconequus is what they’re known by. Before… Before I go into my plan to root them out does anypony know anything useful about them of even heard of them?”

To the surprise of Alice one of the hooded figures spoke, “Actually I had caught whisper of some strange activity in a small town not far from Canterlot. Ponyville I think it’s called, it may be nothing but it’s a start.”

Nightshade nodded, he preferred to go into anything knowing at least something. “Thanks Dia. Now here’s how we’re gonna hunt them down, Alice… You, Speed, Endie and Classics are gonna be the bait for lack of a better term. You all are gonna infiltrate the cult and once you locate their central hideout, you report back to here. There’s a pony that you need to find, his name’s Ginger. He’s a close friend of Classics, from that point on we can’t help you.” The soot colored unicorn, “And Speed? If it comes down to it… I need you to be fast enough.”

There was visible pain in Speed’s expression, painful memories flashed in her eyes as she made eye contact with Nightshade. She wished he’d stop bringing up the past, its haunted them long enough. Alice, on the other hoof, was more interested in what happened.

“I know. I’ll get her home. I promise.”

The last sentence was ominous, Alice wasn’t comfortable with this. There was too much secrecy going on, everypony but her knew something and she hated not being in the know. “Now wait a minute, with all due respect commander, I didn’t sign up to be part of some ragtag group of freaks and mercs– “

Endie hissed and O’Malley raised an eyebrow at Alice, but she could care less, Alice was done being obedient. She needed answers, now.

“I might not have the authority, but dammit I want answers.”

Strike scoffed at the alabaster pegasus, “Kid you got some nerve trying to muscle info like- “

“No, she’s right.” Nightshade’s calm gaze rested on Alice, “We can’t keep her in the dark like this, it didn’t do Ace much good when he was around did it?”

Alice looked dumbstruck for a moment, almost in disbelief that she got her way. “W-well first off I want to know why you’re really hunting these ponies, Celestia warned me about you. The black sheep of the guard, you never do anything of the kindness of your heart. You use ponies like me.”

Nights chuckled, “Tia told you that? Well it’s much cooler than the truth, but I’m hunting them because she offered a deal for my friends. I silence some anarchists and she’ll grant my friends citizenship… And she pardons my father from prison.”

“What…” Alice was shocked, did the princess really lie to her like that? She shook it off, it didn’t justify any of the other stuff. “Alright what about this other fella you keep bringing up? This ‘Ace’.”

The moment she uttered the name the expressions of all the ponies present changed, as if she’d hit a chord even Endie who was outraged at her previous comment softened as Speed nestled against her. The air was different, even Lucky who was a chipper stallion seemed to wilt, Alice chose her next words carefully. It didn't take a scientist to tell that this 'Ace', whoever he was, is an emotional powder keg and the wrong phrase would land her in serious hot water.

“What happened to Ace?”

Speed opened first, she looked a bit misty eyed. “Private First-Class Ace. We used to call him ‘Cards’ because of his cutie mark…”

“The Los Pegasus Colt, he was our friend.” Endie spoke slowly, her voice surprisingly deep.

Classics wiped her eyes, “To a few of us he was even a lover if he knew it or not, putting up with our antics and humoring us to make sure we were in good spirits.”

O’Malley stood, he didn’t look very emotional, but his voice cut back slightly. “He never put himself first always full of the mindset that he can always do somepony else some good. Even for the Changeling Queen… It got him hurt but he got back up… Always got back up, stubborn son of a bitch never knew when to stay down.”

Nightshade rested his hands at his sides, balling them up and unfurling them a few times. He looked physically uncomfortable talking about this.

“Until the day his kindness killed him… We were at a Wonderbolts show about halfway through one of the bolts fainted mid-flight he hopped out of his seat, Spitfire I believe, he caught her a fell 25,000 feet… Spitfire suffered a concussion while Ace suffered multiple fractures… His autopsy showed that the speed he was falling combined with the weight of the two ponies hyperextended his wings. I don’t think he regretted his choice… So, I ask of you, don’t you DARE speak his name with such disrespect.”

Silence captivated the room once again, permeating the air with emotion, Alice could understand how telling of a dead predecessor could scare anypony off. But she wasn’t here to replace him no, she could never fill that void and it wasn’t her purpose, but she’d be dammed if she wouldn’t try build her own niche in this circle.

Alice felt the faint traces of a smirk on her face, “I think I understand now Nightshade… Alright chief, when do we start the hunt?”