Silent Artemis

Chapters

1) A Simple Game of Chess
2) Pale Blue Eyes
3) Castling
4) Fate Comes Knocking
5) The Visit
6) It Follows
8) Monsters and Scapegoats
9) The Chase
10) L’Enfant Sauvage: Part one
11) L’Enfant Sauvage: Part Two
12) Oaths and Debts
2] 1) Lies
2] 2) Trust and Terror
7) Lingering Doubts

1) A Simple Game of Chess

“That’s check and also mate.” Came the raspy voice of Stormy Days, as he blew out the cloud of smoke from his pipe across the table, the others watched him and for a moment their was only silence and then the laughter started.

“Told ya it’d be a gobsmackin’!” Howled the older stallion, a old northerner by the name of Mac Cloud, as he slapped the back of his long tome friend Tenderfoot who grunted at the forceful blow, then begrudgingly knocked down his king with a grumble.

It was nearing the middle of the day in the tiny heart of Ponyville and after a chaotic morning dealing with the Cloudsdale weather factories many blunders, the head stallion of the weather division of Ponyville had somehow managed to salvage the correct temperature for the Ponyville climate today, from the unscheduled pleasantly warm to the correct temperature of unbearably hot.

It was a job he loved and followed like a religion, but blast it all if he sometimes didn't want to just want to throw the handbook away and make it snow in the middle of summer, just for a moment of reprieve.

Soaked with sweat and seeking a break from his usual date with a packed lunch of soggy cheese sandwiches with a side of soggy fries he always packed the night before, he decided to spend his well earned bits on some luxury today.

Which was why he found himself nursing an ice cold coffee in the shade of the butter bean café, competing in his other life long religion, decimating fools at chess.

His opponent, Tenderfoot a purple old earth stallion, cantankerous at the best of times was a competent enough chess player, who had decided to spend his golden years not nursing an ale in the backwaters of some den of drunkards, like his contemporaries and instead sitting outside the café and keeping his wits sharpened, playing any pony who wanted a game of chess.

Stormy Days respected the old codger for that and the fact that he would let any pony use his chess set to play against any other pony, but it did mean he liked having to listen to his incessant conspiracies and ramblings about whatever dreck was thrown up on the local paper that day.

Like he was doing right at this very moment.

“‘N'other Ripper sighting apparently, not too far from my own homestead they say.” Tenderfoot began as he meticulously started to put his pieces back together, Stormy Days inwardly rolled his eyes, but kept a façade of a pleasant enough smile on his face.

“Who says?” Mac Cloud asked, Tenderfoots partner in crime and also mediocre chess player, a burly wizened stallion with a thick beard and even thicker curly orange mane just about kept in check under a patched up mangy flat cap.

“You know… they,” Tenderfoot said with a shrug.

“No I don’t, ye ken, what they?” Mac Cloud answered with mild irritation.

“The paper dummy, you know there's been sightings all these last few months, I tell you it’s all them damn Royals faults.” Tenderfoot answered in a sagely voice of an older gentle-colt who took his age to mean that his word was fact.

Stormy Days did his best to hide the groan, it had only taken one game today for the old fool to get onto that topic, condemning the Royal family, the senile old idiot must have had a second cup of coffee this morning.

“The Royals? You mean ta’ princess, what are ye gettin' at Tender?” Mac Cloud asked with a growing warning in his voice.

“Not that one you hot blooded old git the other lesser royals, the pink princess you know, horse-apples you ain't in the guard anymore, so stop actin’ like one.”

“You were a guard?” Stormy Days asked despite himself, and then immediately regretted it, when he saw the look of aggravation on Tenderfoot's face. If even that pony could recognise a long winded story with no pay off when it was about to hit him, then Stormy Days was sure his hour long break was about to be well and truly wasted.

Thankfully for all involved and the universe at large, the old man just nodded his head and smiled, “Aye, t'was a mighty fine one at that, even made it to first sergeant, back when the guard had real stallions, not these new money prissy little mustangs, like them,” he pointed primly behind Stormy Days and both he and Tenderfoot turned to look at the patrolling guards behind them decked out in the shining golden armour and spears.

They had at first been a spectacle in the quiet township, not many if any of the denizens had ever seen one up close before. But with the recent happenings around the town, they had become even more present in the lives of the ponies of Ponyville and made their presence known much to the denizens growing discomfort.

Not that they had a choice, after they found the last body, body number six or what was left of it anyway, there was little choice but to double up their numbers.

Rummy, his name was, if the coroner reports were right. The town drunk, when he wasn't also the town thief that was, tolerated when he wasn't outright hated at the best of times, it was no secret the town folk wanted him gone for good, but not like that. Even Stormy Days who had little to no time for ponies like that wouldn't have wished that sort of fate on him, what had happened to him went beyond comprehension.

In some ways worse there were rumours circulating of a curfew after this newest incident with the mare on the edge of town. But that little truth to that was quickly squashed by the protests of the local farmers who none to subtly brought up the fact that the last incident, had happened to a mare right in her own home and not in the streets like Rummy's did. What was the point of a curfew after all, if this monster was already in ponies homes?

“If'in it t'was back in the day, me and the lads woulda’ had this murderous beast bagged up with narey a sweat off our brows.” Mac Cloud said with a point of pride in his voice.

“That’s because it’s all a plot to keep us in line, there probably ain’t even a beast, just some ploy by the Princess to seize more power.” Tenderfoot said leaning in conspiratorially.

“Ye better take that back lad, I’ll hear no wrong doing of our fair princess in me presence.” Mac Cloud warned, even going as far as to lift up his well worn cane to add to the threat.

Stormy Days leaned back and sighed, he had been hoping for at least one more game, had even set up his first move and everything, it was a favourite of his as far as an opening gambits went. But he knew there was no stopping these old timers when they got to bickering.

Brooding over the board, he didn’t even notice the shadow that had loomed over the pieces, until it was right on top of him. Stormy Days turned and stared at a pony standing over them, smiling warmly and all but reflecting the light from his gleaming teeth.

“Can I help you?” Stormy Days said wearily as the two older stallions also noticed the peculiar unicorn stallion and quieted down, watching with an equally weary expression as the stallion in question blinked. Then as if only now had he realising he had been staring, turned slowly towards Stormy, fixing him now with the same intense stare and unnerving friendly smile.

“Is that a hand carved oak set?” The young stallion, or colt as they would have called him, asked.

“Why yes it is my colt, hoof carved it myself, back when I had the eyesight to do it,” said Tenderfoot, puffing out his chest with a mixture of pride and mild bashfulness, that only an Earth pony who’s very own work was being appraised could.

The younger of the four Stallions leaned further in to appraise the work and somehow his smile grew, “Amazing, I’ve only ever seen magically carved ones, they just don’t compete with the real thing, there just too perfect, no charming imperfections or real affection behind them like these ones, you know?”

The other three Stallions all looked at one another and shrugged, the only one of them that had been in the land of unicorns had been too preoccupied beating up said unicorns that got out of line, to admire any so-called perfect chess sets.

Stormy watched as the other stallion looked around and then as if noticing he was leering, blushed deeply and leaned backwards, “heck I’m sorry, I just interrupted your game didn’t I, my mother would whip my horn if she knew how disrespectful I was just now.”

Mac Cloud nodded sagely, “Ah your mother practicing the proper way of parenting, nothing stops bad behaviour like a good slap across the horn.”

Stormy Days rolled his eyes at Mac Cloud's comment then waved his hoof, “don’t worry about it, we were on a break anyway, what’s your name kid, don't think I’ve seen you around here before?”

Storm lifted his hoof to shake the stallion's hand and almost lost it in the crushing response of his hoof sake, heck if this colt was strong for a unicorn, “My name's Checkers, I just got here actually, I was looking for some refreshment when I saw some fellow players.”

“Ah a fellow enthusiast, I see?” Tenderfoot asked.

“Way of the game, sit brother, kin to kin, you ken?”

Checkers blinked, looking for some sort of translation from the two other stallions, “Err yes?”

“I think he’s asking if you want to play a game?” Stormy answered, taking a long sip of his coffee.

Checkers blinked, “Oh no, I couldn’t impose like that!”

“Nonsense” Tenderfoot said, waving any notion of a dismissal away, as he slowly got off the chair with a few muttering curses and a clicking of ligaments, “we don’t get many new players in town and it’d be nice for somepony to knock that smug grin off Days face.”

“Aye, the grey git’s been on that winning street far too long I think, whoop his flank for us lad.” Mac Cloud said hefting a hoof to Stormy who simply sat back folding his foreleg over the other.

Checkers looked around for any kind of protest, but when Stormy Days pointed to the seat invitingly, he smiled and nearly shot to it with a quickness that shocked the older stallions. How the heck does a unicorn that big, move that fast, was all he could ask himself.

“I can’t remember the last time I got to play with proper pieces,” Checkers said eyeing the pieces like a foal in a candy story, lighting up his horn and lifting the king up for consideration, then suddenly he blinked and placed it down again, “I’m sorry I did it again, I’m so used to playing with other unicorns.”

Stormy shook his head, “You can use magic if you want, not like it cheating or anything.”

“What’s the point of a game if you can’t feel the pieces, I’d prefer the traditional way if you don't mind?” Checkers said and Stormy inclined his head, with a smile Checkers eyed the board, and watched Stormy make his first move.

“Playing the sicillian, I always enjoyed that opening the most.”

Stormy shrugged, “me too, so you do know your plays I see?”

Checkers shrugged, “My dad was an avid player, I sort of learned a bit from him, but my sisters the real chess player in the family.”

Stormy leaned closer towards the board, if this was how it was going to be then, maybe he would actually have to put some thought into this. The first few moves came smoothly, knights came out early, then Bishop, pawn, Bishop retreated and attacked where there were openings.

“So what were you guys talking about earlier?” Checkers asked, eyes glued to the board, his hoof scratching his chin in thought, Stormy would have slapped his forehead at the continuation of the nonsensical conversation, but for once his mind was actually on the game at hoof, and not his blithering companions.

“Err, I canny remember actually, something about the guards?” Mac Cloud questioned.

“The local menace you mean, taking over Ponyville, can’t even throw a can of soda on the ground without thirty of them comin’ from the bush to fine you.” Tenderhoof answered with a smouldering look.

“Ye canny do that anyway, it’s not right!”

“Exactly, there's too many of them to get away with it now, all thanks to our gracious host, and that royal filly stickin her hooves where they don’t belong.”

“Gracious host?” Checkers asked castling his king.

“He means the princess or the guard, you can never get a proper answer from that old fool,” Said Stormy, snatching the knight with his bishop.

“Good one.” said Checkers acknowledging the move, before he turned back to the other older ponies, “Is the presence of the guard really that bad?”

Tenderfoot almost spat his answer out, “Bad are you-”

“I think,” Said Stormy Days as he massaged his grey hair before moving his queen forward, “that Tenderfoot is just a little offset by this show of force, he won’t admit it, but we've all lived here in this little town since we were colts, we know about the terrors lurking in the Everfree.” He bit his lip for a moment then moved his queen back and looked up from the board.

“-so for this Ripper thing to be the reason the princess has put out a whole garrison of guards for the first time ever on our doorstep is intimidating to the whole town, we’ve all a little unnerved, even those who don’t want to admit it.” He said flashing a wink to Tenderhoof who grunted and folded his forelegs to his chest.

“I see…” said Checker who looked down in contemplation, his smile falling for a moment into a deep frown.

“Cheer up lad, now’s not the time for that, he’s only tryin’ his mind games on you, go on son, you got him on the backhoof.” Mac Cloud said jovially.

Stormy smiled, it was true, he had been going easy on the kid at first but now he was paying for it. His little traps he had been setting up for the less experienced players had been seen immediately and were countered with almost no effort or pause in the game, he was impressed. But soon it would be time to end things, he had a job to get back to.

“Well I don’t know about that," Tenderhoof said, flagrantly dismissing Stormy's explanation with a wave of his hoof, "Guard or not, this Ripper wouldn’t have come to Ponyville at all if it weren't for those lion arses chasing it into our lands.”

“Lion-what?” Checkers asked, almost dropping the pawn he had taken out of his hooves.

“He means ta' Griffons lad, it’s what some of our less cultured kinsmen call 'em.” Said Mac Cloud giving an icy glare to his friend who neither noticed nor cared.

“Well, isn’t that to be expected, that creature, this Ripper, did kill at least four griffons, one of them being the nephew to an important Jarl.” Checker asked looking back at Stormy Days who shrugged.

“Aye, and it killed a royal guard no less, not to mention nearly killin’ that bonny lass a few nights ago, nearly got her in her own home an all, ain't nopony safe anywhere now.”

“There was another attack?” Checker asked, his eyes wide as he nearly knocked the table over with his sheer size, thankfully Stormy and Tenderfoot who’s pieces it actually belonged to managed, to grab the edges just in time.

“Careful lad, careful!” Chided Tenderhoof.

“Sorry, it’s been a long trip here, I’m a little tired.” Said Checkers sheepishly.

“It’s not confirmed that it was the monster,” grunted Stormy as Checkers shot him an apologetic smile. “But that’s what the papers are calling it, could be the mare just tripped for all we know.”

“Ain’t she yer little nieces friend, the one with all the animals?” Said Mac Cloud.

“About the only friend in her life she hasn’t tried to hit on.” Stormy grumbled almost to himself, looking back down at the board and hesitated before moving again.

“So why do you think it was the griffons fault then, Mr, err,” he looked to Stormy who mouthed Tenderfoot and Checkers nodded in thanks. “Mr Tenderfoot, I mean it seems only right that such a monster needs to be driven out, if it’s killing your villagers, you can’t just surrender to it?”

Tenderfoot rolled his eyes, “do I have to explain everything around here, don’t you all get it?”

“We can't shut up your gob anyway.” Mac Cloud said.

“Here it comes,” Stormy Muttered as he focused on his next move, Checkers bit his lip and moved his rook sideways.

“If that damn new Princess hadn’t have been suckin' up to those over grown hens, the griffons I mean, they wouldn’t have dared chase that thing so far into pony territory, they just wanted to push it on us, they throw a murderous monster onto us to deal with and if the new princess takes care of it, then she gets all the praise and can grow her power base, regular pony lives like me and you be damned, this is all a power move to elevate her position to take over the throne, I know it in my bones.”

Stormy looked at Checkers and for a moment he swore he could see his eye twitch, but then it was replaced by the same smiling face of the large blue unicorn that it had before.

“Will ye shut up with that dreck, you old fool.”

“You're just afraid of the truth, you watch it’ll all come out in time, we'll all be speaking that Hen language soon if this keeps up, I even heard that they’re sending that disgraced what's his name in to cover for the scandal, you know the one who was caught in bed with that very same princess Caden- ”

“-Tenderfoot for the love of all the sky would you shut your sun dried muzzle, I’m trying to have a game here, not listen to the rags gossip column!” Yelled Stormy loud enough to slap anymore words from the older stallion's mouth. He was getting angry now, and not just because this colt was starting to push him back onto the defence.

“Aye Tender shut your gob will ye, before ye make us all sound like as big a fools as ye are, sorry lad don’t go thinking we’re all like this.”

Stormy watched the colts face and for a moment he did not look up from the board, but then quick as a flash of lightning he turned and chuckled rubbing the back of his neck, “oh don’t worry about it all, I understand, not everypony is happy with the current circumstances, It’s not great back where I come from, so I can’t imagine it can be any better for the ponies it’s actually happening to.”

Stormy Days chuckled, “your a bigger colt than I am Ch-”

“-Oh sorry that’s check and I think mate by the way.” Checkers said before he could finish.

“W-what!” Both Tenderfoot and Mac cloud yelled at the same time jumping up with the spry nature they had not had for years as they studied the board.

“Impossible, he actually beat the bugger.”

“Well it’s only a check actually, now that I think about it, he could get out of it.”

“I may only dabble here and there, but that check bloody mate if I see it clearly.

Checkers blushed, “No really, it’s still on I-” he paused as a droplet hit his face. They all turned to the sky and spotted a large darkened rain cloud floating nearby. “Funny I thought it was going to be cloudless all day?” Checkers muttered.

“It was, growled Stormy, who’s expression grew darker than the cloud above them as he glared upwards. Without taking his eyes off the cloud, he grabbed at one of the taken pieces from the side of the board and after studying the cloud for half a second, hoofed it into the air with speed.

There was a thump as the piece went through the cloud then a thud, followed by a sheik of surprise and then a scream of another nature as whatever it had hit, flew like a blur from the sky and hit the floor a few feet away from the group of stallions.

They all watched unblinking, as a scruffy cyan pegasus with neon hair groaned on the floor for a few seconds, before lifting herself up on shaky hooves and almost drunkenly, trotted over towards the group.

“What the heck, you could have killed me!” She screamed, flinging the piece back at Stormy Day, who caught it and placed it gently back on the table.

“Said the mare who flies through storms,” grumbled Stormy who pointed up, “What the hell do you call that?”

The mare glared at Stormy for a moment longer then curiosity took over and she looked up at the cloud, then back at the group, then up again and back down at the group once more, her eyes getting wider with each upward glance, “I was just getting to that one, I swear!”

“More like sleeping on it, bad enough you nap through your job but to do it right above me, I’d have half a mind to fire you right here and now.”

The panic in the mare was palpable as her eyes shot open, Stormy could see the blood redness in the whites of them as she looked up and almost wanted to roll his own, he had almost believed her when she said she was going straight to bed last night, the gullible idiot that he was.

“Wow wow, hey calm down uncle, please, I’ll take care of it quick,” she pleaded in her scratchy tone of voice, and there was a flash and a prism of colour and before any of them, save Stormy, could blink the cloud was gone.

Stormy actually heard Checkers whisper between his gasp “so fast” on the other side of the table as the rainbow pegasus landed just besides Stormy prostrating herself by his hooves and looked up at Stormy pleadingly.

"See what'd I say uncle, all gone right?"

“Don’t you uncle me, missy, it’s sir or boss when work is involved, this ain't about the cloud and you know it, you're in deep for this one filly, I have half a mind to fire you right now.” he said, but then he made the mistake he always made with her and looked into her eyes.

She blinked up at him, her eyes shimmering as she stared and he cursed inwardly. She had the exact same look as his little brother did, shimmering eyes that seemed to melt away the anger swelling in him, though he tried his best to keep hold of it. The eyes might have been her mothers by simple D.N.A, but the look itself was entirely his little pain in the flank brothers.

“Blast it all, fine, your not fired, but I’m docking todays pay.” he grumbled then crinkled his nose, “Ponyfeathers filly, you stink like a brewery, let me guess you found some new young mare and where up partying the night away, am I wrong?”

Rainbow leaned back and sniffed at her breath, then wrinkled her nose and at least had the decency to look down before muttering, “not all night.”

“Ain’t nought wrong with that Stormy, she’s a young lass, what wrong with feeling your oats, sowing the land ya ken, ye where no better back in the day lad.”

Stormy grimaced at the thought of his little niece ‘feeling or sowing anything’. “Maybe so, but I didn’t do it when I had a job to do, a job that you’re holding onto by a feather right now filly, a feather.”

The cyan mane looked around nervously, trying her best to find anything to take the topic off of her, “so what are you guys doing?”

“Don’t think you can just change,-” Stormy began, but Rainbow was as always, too fast for him.

“-Oh yo, haven’t seen you here before, uncle don’t be rude who’s your new friend?” She said extending her hoof at the larger stallion.

“My name's Checkers, I just got here. Your uncle kindly let me play a game of chess with him, it’s a pleasure to meet you by the way. What's your name?”

“And whooped his flank no doubt.” Mac Cloud added much to Stormy's chagrin.

“Rainbow, Rainbow Dash.” she said smiling back, then she cast her gaze downward to the table between them, for a moment Rainbow examined the board, her smile dipping into a thoughtful expression, before she moved a piece from her uncle's side.

Checkers blinked, looked down again, then moved his own piece.

Then Rainbow without a word moved again, and then so did Checkers, this went on for about a three minutes the two silently moving pieces again and again all the while the three other stallions where leaning close and closer towards the table edge. Before finally Rainbow said “Check” and once again the aging joints of all around suddenly became far more spry as they surveyed the chess board proper.

Checker rubbed his forehead thoughtfully for a moment, pursed his lips, smiled then carefully knocked his king down, “well done.”

“Wahoo, dude that was fun, play you again Checker?” she said, and her smile widened as when Checkers nodded enthusiastically.

Rainbow smiled back triumphantly, then Stormy noticed her ear flicker, and caught the noise of a mare calling from off in the distance for Rainbow.

"Rainbow!" the mare screamed in the distance.

He watched his niece turn her eyes over towards the noise and her smile dropped significantly, was that recognition of fear in his nieces expression? He supposed both, what had she gotten herself into this time, and before he could get any answers, Rainbow turned back towards the stallions, her smile now much more forced than before as he stepped backwards and spread her wings.

”Hehe, actually, would you look at the time, gotta’ go, work to do, laters Checkers, see ya Uncle!”

Stormy rolled at his eyes, ignoring the figure who was now waving at Rainbow and leaned backwards on his chair, poor filly, he thought for a moment before turning back to Rainbow, before she could take flight. “I want that sky spotless Rainbow, spotless!”

“You got it boss!” She said over her shoulder as she flew away at speed.

Chancing one last look at the mare, who’s wave faltered for a moment, before she stamped her hoof on the ground went red in the face and stormed away, Stormy couldn’t help but grimace, he had seen that look before, Rainbow was in a world of hurt if that mare ever caught up to her again.

“Too much like her old stallion that one.” Stormy said, shaking his head.

“Eh, you were pretty much the same Storm.” Tenderfoot said with a chuckle as Stormy rolled his eyes.

“Like hell I was!”

“Is she a professional, your niece?” Checker asked, still focusing on the chess board and then looked around at the faces and looks of confusion shared between the other three stallions before they all to a stallion, burst out laughing.

“What did I say?” Checker asked, lifting a confused bashful smile at his own expense as he looked around at the howling older ponies.

“It’s not you lad, It’s just the thought of that mare at a Canterlot open.” Tenderfoot answered, which set them all back laughing even harder than they had before.

Eventually it was Stormy who fought through the laughter to respond, “sorry but the filly's just competitive, she’s always been like that, I showed her chess when she was young, whooped her flank enough times, until she got determined enough to out play me and the other stallions and mares of Ponyville, then she moved onto the next thing.”

Checkers balked, “but she’s amazing at it, why didn’t she commit, I’m nowhere near the best, but even I know she could be a master in a few years, if she really tried, maybe even a grandmaster someday.”

“Trying to get that filly to commit to anything kid, is an impossible task,” Stormy said sagely, “as soon as she finds something new she likes, she drops whatever interested her before like a lead balloon, chess, hoofball, other fillies,” he indicated point to the space the mare had occupied before storming off, “there’s a reason some of my colts at work call her the heartbreaker.”

“Oh aye, little heartbreaker is that right? Kinda' remind me of somepony else, nay Tenderfoot?”

“Yeah, sounds familiar to me, Cloud.” Tender said with a sneering smirk.

“I was not that bad!” Stormy barked, but with the ghost of a smirk on his lips. “Take it from me kid, she’s too much like my brother, it’s a shame, I’m about the only discipline she gets in her life and you saw how that worked out.”

“That is a shame, so much raw talent, she’d have made for an excellent guard, wish I could train her.” Checkers said tapping his hoof to his chin.

“What was that?” Mac Cloud asked as all three eyes locked in on him.

“I eh-” Checkers stuttered out, but paused and looking over Stormy Days shoulder smiled and waved, which in turn caused the three other stallions to take there eyes from the big blue unicorn and on to what Stormy Days would call the second most stunning mare he had ever seen in his life.

“There you are honey, I’ve been looking all over for you, you said you were going to meet me at the station, I’ve been there for nearly twenty minutes.” The white mare said, as she crossed the street towards them.

Whilst it was true the three older stallions were past their prime each one of them subconsciously puffed out their chests and sucked in their guts and even Mac Cloud with his scruffy unruly orange hair, did his best to put what could only be described as an explosion of curls back into his moth-eaten cap.

So stunningly good looking was the mare to Stormy eyes, that he almost didn’t even notice the large black sunglasses and umbrella tucked between her wings until she was standing right in front of them.

Then again, he supposed in this heat with her fair fur, an umbrella wasn’t that out of the ordinary, given she was clearly a city mare.

“H-honey?” Checkers answered with a stutter, then seemed to collect himself, “right of course dear, my apologies, I was just grabbing a drink and then I ended up talking to these nice stallions and well... I sort of lost track of time.”

The mare lifted her brow at that and for a moment, Stormy thought he could see the faintest colour of red in her eyes before the mare pushed up her sunglasses and smiled, “Well it’s nice to see you making friends so soon dear, but we really have to get going, there's that meeting we need to get to.” She said and let the weight of the implication hang for a moment before her serious glare turned into a smooth smile, “I’m so sorry gentlecolts, my cupcake is a bit of an airhead sometimes, I don’t mean to be rude but we really need to get going to the marketplace.”

“Cupcake?” Tenderfoot whispered with a snort to Mac Cloud, who fought back a chuckle, as Checkers blue face turned slowly crimson in a blush.

As always it was Stormy who collected himself first, “it’s no trouble at all Miss err?”

“Night Light,” She said giving him a curt nod.

“We were about done here anyway, I need to get back to work anyway, it was good meeting you Checkers, hopefully we could schedule a rematch, I’d like a chance to play you properly next time, now that I know who I’m dealing with?”

Checkers smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck, “I’d love that, I might be a bit busy in the next couple of weeks, but if I find the time, I’ll definitely swing by again.”

Both Checkers and Stormy got up from the table and with a nod, Stormy slowly unfurled his wings and lifted himself up into the air, when he was high enough for his liking, he looked around at the sky. Not a cloud in sight at least from what he could see so far anyway.

“Not a bad job, I guess,” he said to himself, it was a shame he thought, that the only way to ever get results out of the mare was to threaten to fire her. She had to have known by now that he was never actually going to do it, at least not until she had lifted that debt anyway, he’d like to think he had instilled some element of responsibility into her, but he wasn’t that deluded.

He shook his head, he was back in work mode now, no time to think about that not so little anymore terror of his. He turned to fly back to the offices, but something nagged at him and he looked back at the stallion and the drop dead gorgeous mare he had just met, who were crossing town towards the market already.

He kept his gaze on them and raised his brow when they instead turned towards an alleyway and not towards the market like they said they were going. Almost at the exact time a pair of Royal Guards were also doing the same at the other end.

Lifting himself further into the sky he caught the tops of the ponies in the alleyway and watched as the two guards sat at attention and saluted, only for the white mare to snarl something at them and the two bulky stallions to freeze and snap there salute back to the there sides as quickly as they had started them.

Stormy chuckled darkly. “Now that I defiantly know who I'm dealing with.”

He watched for a little longer as the four ponies spoke and then passed one another in the alleyway as if their chance encounter was just that, he was pretty far away from them now, but even at this distance he caught this Night Light and Checkers conversation, just in time for Night Light to say.

“Checkers, that's what you went with?”

2) Pale Blue Eyes

Rainbow landed on the cloud with a full bodied thud. Not normally a sound associated with a cloud, but with enough pegasus magic, a rampant mixture of residual alcohol, a mounting ominous hangover and twenty four hours since anything resembling sleep rushing through her brain like a narcoleptic conductor on a train off the rails, that anything was possible.

“Uhg, never again, that’s the last time!” She groaned into the cloud as she planted her face into the fluffy folds, holding her head in her hooves, hoping the cloud would swallow her pain and then the rest of her for good measure. She swallowed the bile threatening to creep up her throat and rubbed her stomach as it growled in protest.

“The last time, I ain’t doing this again.” she threatened, yelling at whatever it was she was swearing to, it certainly wasn’t herself, she knew better than anypony that it was a lie. She had sworn the exact same thing to the exact same cloud only yesterday probably, or was it a week ago, she couldn’t remember.

She had to say, she had done it to herself, she had said that she was going to have one drink at Roses bar and go home, and she had meant it, seriously she had!

Well... sort of anyway, she would have confidently sworn before a pony of the law that she would be in bed before ten o'clock, right until that damn red head stepped inside and then really what was she supposed to do?

Hey, you're honour, I was totally going home, I swear I was a changed mare, but just look at those legs? She grinned at the thought, then grimaced at the pain of smiling.

Seriously, there was being responsible and then there was being crazy, and only a crazy mare would have said no to that.

By Celestia, the universe just wasn’t fair sometimes.

She didn’t regret the choice she made, not really, but the consequences were a real drag nonetheless. The near firing was one thing, but even as she lay on the cloud, face buried in the cool vapours, her biggest regret was that she really missed her bed.

That was her biggest blunder, should have gone to the mares house, rookie mistake, what was she eighteen again? She had been too eager, the redhead had been playing hard to catch all night and she had bent her own rules, just to even the odds.

Now she wasn’t sure if the red head was still in her bed or not, and Rainbow was not about to roll the dice and find out. If she wasn’t great, but if she was, well then that meant small talk, probably breakfast plans and worst of all, a second date.

Rainbow shuddered, that wasn’t a bluff she was willing to call out.

It wasn’t that this mare was bad or unkind or anything, far from it actually, she was nice enough and knew how to have a good time. But the chance that she would want to do things after was what made Rainbow endure the blazing heat of a sun scorched Ponyville.

That and the near miss with whoever that mare had been across the road, that was a close call.

Some ponies just didn’t understand the rules of a one night stand and would want to cuddle or sun help her, go to the theatre or eat together or something awful like that. Rainbow inwardly groaned at the thought. She liked those things, well maybe not the theatre, but if it led up to a fun night at the end she would smile and endure it, but what was the point of doing those things after the fun had already happened?

Why was it okay for a one time fling to become a relationship anyway, if you played a game of chess with somepony and had a fun game, would it be cool if afterwards you were only supposed to play with them and only them from then on, no pony would think that was a good idea, right?

And that was the internal logic of Rainbow Dash that saw her temporarily homeless and stranded on this cloud. Some would have called her selfish, but she just saw it as being honest, she didn’t want to lead anypony along, she wasn’t a mare to be tied down after all. She wanted to be free and besides, she had tried dating, sort of, but really what was the point, they always left in the end, or tried to change her and Rainbow liked who she was.

Most of the time anyway, not right now, right now she wanted drive nails into her head for being so irresponsible. But she would go back to liking herself in a few hours as usual, if the hangover would let her live that long.

She let out a long sigh, it wasn't her fault, there was just nothing else for her in this town, day in and out it was all the same, ponies waking up working then going to sleep. Celestia it was depressing, it seemed like she was the only sane pony around sometimes, trying to find excitement in her life, but they acted like she was the crazy one.

How could they just live like that, responsibility was fine for some, but heck if she just wanted something more to happen in life, even this lifestyle was becoming mundane, how did that happen? Did Ponyville just turn everything it touched boring?

Oh Celestia she wished for something, anything to spice up her life!

She sighed, things might be dry, but damn if that red head was still cute though, what was her name again? Windy, Whirly, oh whatever, it didn’t matter really. She thought about last night and chuckled as the still blurry amorous night and morning the two had enjoyed played in her mind, she still didn’t have a clue how the spatula had gotten into the bedroom.

But the prices of those two very dangerous hobbies, that being mares and drinks where high indeed, and as she snuggled further into the cloud, feeling the tiredness and the throbbing pains of the hangover clawing into her mind, she realised that she would give up all her vices all her adultery, drinking and everything else for a cup of water and an painkiller.

It would have been another lie, but she would have made it almost believable.

She groaned aloud this time as another throb of pain in her head struck like hammers in her skull, safe in the knowledge that at least this far out of Ponyville proper no pony would hear her anyway, she just wanted to sleep in her bed until tomorrow, today could suck apples for all she cared.

Rolling over she sculpted a part of the cloud into a crude buttress to keep the sun from her eyes and laid on her back, if she couldn’t go home she would at least spend some time with the real love of her life, the only thing that came and left when she wanted it, sleep.

A small part of her mind spoke about something to do with clouds and her job being on the line, but Rainbow managed to shake it away with practiced ease. Whilst most ponies would see taking a nap again after almost losing her job for that exact reason as not a terribly smart and borderline stupid idea, most ponies were dumb. At least that's what she believed and in Rainbow's mind, most ponies lacked the one thing Rainbow had in spades.

Speed.

She was born fast, she had never met a pony faster than her in all her life, and things weren't about to change any time soon, she could have her work finished in twenty. No! Ten seven seconds flat! Should she wish to, heck she had all the time in the world to sleep if she could do her job in the time it took most ponies to think about doing it.

She had already done most of it in the state she was in, why shouldn't she lay back and reap the benefits of being faster than everpony?

The problem was, (and her uncle was quite happy to remind her of this fact ever chance he got, which was totally uncool by the way and she knew there was probably some sort of breach of employer employee rights violations she could use, if she could be bothered to look it up) she had a flaw.

She was lazy, perhaps even the laziest pony in Ponyville, though if you asked her co-workers, it most likely would have been a much wider circumference than simply Ponyville, perhaps the world.

But she had a right to laziness because she was fast, and talented and if she wanted to do it, she would very easily show everypony up, if anything she was just being fair to her co-workers. No doubt they’d much rather be annoyed at her and employed, rather than impressed and on the bread line, she was being lazy for them, they just didn’t see it, because most ponies where dumb, yeah, it all comes full circle again.

She nestled into the cloud until she found a comfortable enough spot and closed her eyes to let sleep come find her. Her soul and mind content with her rational as the cyan mare floating, not just through the dreamscape, but through Ponyville itself, the flickering winds of Cloudsdale halted and changed course blowing her not over the west of Ponyville, but north, towards it's more wilder expanses.

Unbeknownst to Rainbow, now deep in dreams of flying and the cheering of crowds, the cloud blew further and further away from Ponyville and into the uncharted fields of the forest on the townships doorstep.

The Everfree forest.

Not dissuaded in the slightest by the old folklore about pegasi who slept on clouds and were spirited to distant lands far away never to be seen again in fact Rainbow often laughed at such old wives tales, safe in the knowledge that nothing would happen to her, because nothing ever happened in Ponyville, period.

She had slept on clouds all her life and at worst, well at worst she woke up with a chess piece to her forehead and her uncle yelling at her in front of a bunch of old stallions, but the odds of that happening twice in one day were, like... not high at all, right?

Besides those legends always said pegasi woke up over the sea, and the whole town was land locked for hundreds of miles, eat that urban legends!

At some point she found herself awake, it started slow, her eyes were still closed but she knew she was back in the real world, mostly because instead of a cheering crowd like in her dreams, all she could hear was the sounds of birds tweeting, the gentle whipping of tree tops in the breeze below and that dull deafening silence that one hears when they are entirely alone.

The same boring sounds she always woke to on days like these, but the feeling was more than a little disconcerting.

She didn’t exactly know why she woke up at that moment, she was still exhausted, still in pain and more than anything she wanted to go back to sleep, mostly because the Wonderbolts where just about to hoof her over the title as lifetime captain in the middle of Cloudsdale stadium and Spitfire had just been begging Rainbow to marry her, but for whatever reason, her body was screaming at her to stay awake.

She grunted as she tried to open her eyes.

What had awoken her was a mystery. Perhaps some primitive part of her mind was telling her something was wrong? Perhaps the weather, uncontrolled around the Everfree, was colder than over Ponyville and jostled her awake with it’s howling winds. Perhaps it was the mysterious howls and squawks that serenaded the uncharted lands below her.

Perhaps even, it was the plain and simple hands of fate, impatiently prodding her to get up already, as it had places to be and universes to meddle with.

Whatever it was, she rubbed her eyes and surveyed where she was, noting that Ponyville was looking quite a lot greener than she remembered and lacking things that were generally associated with it, like ponies, and villes, whatever that actually was.

Eyes blurred, she yawned and stretched her back, the distance she had travelled had been odd, clouds never travelled this quickly this time of day. But she couldn’t have been too far from home, she had flown further and in worse conditions. Besides, it was a cloudless day and she only had to fly up further to see some sort of landmark in the distance, if anything, she shrugged and lay back on her cloud.

She could catch another five minutes easy and still be back in time to finish her work.

But that was before she heard the noise.

Her Reptilian brain acted before she could even understand what was going on. A wet and sickening sound like somepony choking or drowning echoed from somewhere around her. Her wings flew up reflexively for a moment and she winced as she shot up too fast for her aching head to appreciate, but she bit back the pain and flicked her ears around.

Nothing, she waited for a moment, then another, but heard nothing but the whipping wind and the sounds of the trees rustling. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and slumped back, it's nothin,' she thought prolly just a weird bird, lotta weird animals in the woods. But the thought did little to comfort her. Especially since she didn't hear any other birds around her.

Then she heard the sickly noise again, and there was no mistaking that it was one hundred percent not a bird.

She froze for a moment, okay, that ain't an animal,, she told herself, knowing now that whatever it was was coming directly bellow her. Fighting panic she quickly told herself that whatever it was, was not going to be able to see her through a cloud.

Still she turned onto her stomach as slowly as she could to ensure that she made no noise at all, not that she could on a cloud. But her mind wasn't thinking too clearly at this point, fear did funny things to ponies after all, at least, that's what her dad would always say.

When she had finally built up the courage, she slowly inched her way towards the edge of the cloud, taking a deep breath and psyching herself up, before she peered down.

And that's when she really wished she hadn't.

Nothing in her life had prepared herself for what she saw. Because truth be told, she did not actually know what the hell she was looking at at all. If anything it would have been safe to assume her eyes had just simply given up trying to make sense anything. But the reptilian part of her brain could make out one thing amongst the myriad of sights below her, it could make sense of just one thing, the most important part, blood, and a heck of a lot of it.

She had seen illness, burns and death in her life, she had basically lived her early foalhood years in a hospital, visiting her mother. She had seen droplets of blood, from paper cut or the occasional grazed knee. But she had never actually seen this before, not an ever expanding pool of it.

Her mind at that moment raced so fast that it was hard to even keep track of what it was she was even thinking and to anypony else, it would have come across like a crowd of ponies all trying to voice their own opinions at once. But to take only a fraction of those thoughts together, it sort of sounded something like this.

What the heck am I looking at. Run. What is that? Run. That’s a lot of blood. Didn’t you hear me say run? Looks like a sort of monkey. Okay are you just ignoring the whole flight or fight thing now? Where’s it’s fur? I said run stupid! Oh Celestia, that is a lot of blood. Can she do that, ignore a fight or flight thing, I thought we were like an instinct? Oh Celestia I think it’s coming from its neck. Last time filly and I'm warning you, run! Oh ponyfeathers what the heck is going on? Sigh, forget it no respect at all, should have listened to amygdala, you’re on your own kid.

Even in that five seconds of her mind arguing with itself, her wings had unfurled again and were now pointed straight out at her side, ready to bolt the moment her mind could truly wrap around the horror of what she was seeing.

Eventually what she was looking at quickly caught up to her, as she began to recognise outlines from the unclear picture. What she saw was a creature unknown to any ponies eyes, lying in the dirt, on it's back facing up at her. Red liquid seeping from it's neck, like water from a faucet, it's neck being the only recognisable thing about her to a ponies form it seemed.

Until the creature opened its eyes that was.

Even from this height, Rainbow could see it perfectly. It was like looking into a frozen lake, it's depth beyond imagining, so pale blue that it rivalled the sky itself, so cold it almost sent chills up Rainbows spine. The eyes burrowed deep into Rainbow's own and for a second she was hypnotised by her glare as the creature simply stared back. The two, locked in some unspoken game of who could stare down who the longest without blinking.

It was the creature that broke first, as it's pale face spasmed into a shocked pain as if it did not know what was happening, perhaps it didn't, until it coughed up the sanguine liquid from its mouth onto itself and looked back up into the sky with hurt and confusion in it's expression.

Rainbow did not even realise when she had landed by it's side, until her hoofs hit the dirt, sanguine blood splashing against her legs in little droplets. If she had even recognised it she would have been shocked at even her own speed or the fact that she had gone down there without thinking of just how dangerous it could have been. If anything, whatever had done that to this creature could have still been around.

But she didn’t think, she just acted, she just wanted to make that expression on the creatures face go away.

“Oh hell, what the heck is, Celestia that’s a lot of, okay focus Rainbow, focus, what’d they say in first aid training,” her mind tired to grab at blurred memories of that day, tried to think back to the lesions in the classroom, but all she could remember was the droning stallion lecturing on and on and then nothing really, and then she remembered waking up and being asked to leave class for snoring.

Apparently sleeping in a lecture hall was frowned upon, not her fault somepony could make saving a life as boring as that stallion could. But now it was coming back to bite her on the flank, “ Forget it, think, think, okay, need to get help!”

She looked around, but she might as well have saved her energy, unless the squirrels and rabbits were suddenly going to come to her aid, and she was down one creamy yellow pegasus who could help her in that department. She was alone, and very far from help.

“Gah, screw it, need to get to a hospital, okay, how am I gonna carry this thing.” She looked at its... was that a leg? The thing was just all round weird looking, but if she thought about it, if she mentally bent the thing around to look somewhat normal, it was sort of like a pony shape, she just needed to get it on her back.

Rainbow shifted uneasily as she felt a pressure on her foreleg, she looked down to notice the creatures claw like appendage wrapped around it weakly, coating her fur with the warm red liquid, already quickly cooling on her skin as she followed it up towards the creature, who was staring up at her with an expression she could just about read.

What troubled her the most, was the expression she caught in the creatures face, some of it she understood, pain, shock, fear it was all there, but why was there also relief, why of all emotions had she caught that on the creature?

The sight made her stomach feel like an anvil had been dropped in it.

There was nothing she could have done with the blood, she gently pried the creatures claws away from her leg, and pushed it up to its neck, in a vein attempt to stop it pumping out. But it only fell back weakly and flopped to its side, Rainbow grimaced, she was seriously running out of time.

She had to act now.

Without thinking she nudged the creature to its side, if nothing else but to get a better angle to carry her, she didn’t even know where to begin. She heard the retching coming from the pale mystery and was rewarded by the sound of gasping air.

She was not a doctor, but the fact that it could still somehow suck in air was at least a miracle unto itself.

Instinct took over even rational thought. Her soul focus was if anything set on those cerulean eyes, It had only been for a moment, but even then, she did not want to see those frostbitten sapphires close for a final time.

Hooking the creature's strange upper leg thing around her body, she grunted and heaved it upward. It offered no resistance save for some weak gurgle and cough, she had no time to be nice about it. Celestia, she thought, I'm gonna have to fly. Feeling the weight of the creature on her back she grit her teeth.

It looked like today, she was going to prove why she deserved to be a Wonderbolt.

The flight itself could only be described as herculean in nature, taking every bit of pegasus magic and just plain strength and speed she had in her just to get the creature airborne, to get it Ponyville General hospital? Well, to that she couldn’t honestly remember, safe to say her brain had shut down for the most part, her body needed every fibre of strength and will power she had, and even then she still didn’t know how she did it.

Rainbow could even then, only remember bits and pieces of the journey, adrenaline had taken over as the main pilot of her mind, her singular goal was getting through the forest and towards the hospital.

But she made it somehow, and that was only the beginning of her troubles.

She stumbled to a halt by the doors of the hospital with what little strength she had. Shaking knees and gasping like she had just surfaced from a great depth of water. She had not even registered that she had passed through Ponyville, but she must have. Celestia only knew how no pony had even noticed her, what a sight she must have been.

Her entrance was loud, as she crashed through the doors and nearly collapsed onto the welcome mat, screaming and hollering for anypony within ear shot. Looking into the eyes of about twenty stunned, and no doubt horrified ponies.

After the shock wore off, the effect was almost instantaneous.

Testament to how peaceful Ponyville truly was, when she crashed through the doors, quite literally, she had gotten the assistance of nearly every doctor and nurse in the hospital in a manner or moments with only a minimal amount of curse words and name calling employed.

They had even taken Rainbow into the emergency room with the creature, fearing that she herself had been badly maimed. It was only after multiple assurances and an almost mandated examination that it was determined that the blood that obscured almost ninety percent of her cyan coat was not in fact her own.

Feeling agitated by the fussing and the insistence that she was in no condition to leave, Rainbow resoundingly ignored them all, drunk on adrenaline and loudly professing that she was the “hero the town needed,” she took her first step off the hospital gurney towards Roses bar for a well deserved celebration and collapsed right onto her face.

The doctors later told her afterwards that she had apparently been “out like a light,” as he called it, before she had even hit the floor.

The surgery had taken nine hours, or so she had been told after she woke up, mostly because the acting surgeon had no idea what they were dealing with and did not want to be the first to botch a surgery on the first new creature in almost half a millennia. Thankfully it was discovered that the creature's neck was in fact quite similar to that of Minitours and after that, the beginnings of a reconstructive surgery had some sort of template to work with.

It was not long after she had awoken that Rainbow, after listening to the doctor talk, quickly discharged herself, especially after being told by some rather crabby nurse that she was to wait there until she could be questioned further about the event. Rainbow rightfully had a problem with that, for one thing she didn't feel much like answering any ponies questions. Why? Well because she was a hero, and besides she was feeling fine, better than that even, whatever it was the doctors had given her was making her feel on top of the world at the moment.

It was some sort of drip drug apparently, morphni, morphinis? Something like that, but she wasn’t sure what it was really or why she had to care. The sun was shining, her body felt all warm and tingly, and she had yet to tell a single pony what a hero she had been. That needed fixing right away.

She was more than ready to leave, she had a party to celebrate, she was a hero Celestia damn it!

So that's exactly what she did, slithering out of her bed, mostly because her limbs where feeling rather boneless and it was causing her to giggle to much to concentrate. Her wings where no better, but still she had managed to get the window open, somepony had to be a buzzkill and yell at her to stop, but she ignored them, who was going to stop Hero Dash.

Hero Dash, yeah she liked that new name, she would announce herself as that, ponies needed to know! But who first, well she supposed there was only one pony she wanted to rub it into the face of more than anypony, her boss!

Her Uncle had blinked in astonishment as expected as she had announced her arrival and new dynamic nom de plume, mostly because she yelled it as she crashed through his window, in his own office, at five am in the morning, still in her hospital gown. He had screamed and yelled at her about something, but she wasn’t really listening, mostly because his head was changing colour and that was amused her quite a lot.

In fairness, she had tired to explain her reasoning even as his expression grew more worried than mad, but she forgot, and instead she tried to hug him, but that had turned out to be a bit of a mistake, as before she could get close to him, she tripped over her own hoof and for a second time in one day, or maybe one night, her face became intimately familiar with the floor again.

When she woke up next, she was in a room, her room to be exact. She was not quite sure how she had got there, her jaw felt like it had been a punching bag for heavy weight boxers and so did the rest of her body for some reason. There was also plasters all across her legs and forelegs, she frowned as she gazed at them, wondering who the heck had put them there.

She grimaced as she tried to move her head, but eventually she turned it towards her night stand, then caught sight of a glass of water, a sandwich and the daily paper.

Okay, things had been weird before, but now something was defiantly wrong. What the hell had happened yesterday?

Something was off, she was never this organised, and she had not bought the paper since well… ever really. Puzzled she reached over grinding her teeth at the protesting limb and gazed at the title.

It was simple, Local weather mare saves mysterious creature. She raised her brow and almost put it down, but suddenly the memories of what she had done came flooding back to her, but not before the paper unfolded itself and she caught sight of a pony that looked suspiciously familiar.

Her jaw hit her chest, an act that caused a considerable amount of discomfort and pain to flare up, as she realised that it was in fact her own picture. She stared at it unblinking, then glanced back at the title, now in context before gazing down at her own picture again.

A rather unflattering picture, if she was in anyway capable of being critical of it. A picture of her with cake smeared onto her face at her friend’s party, turned food brawl was on one side of tabloid page. The other was taken from the side of a window half blurred, a hoof coming into view, no doubt from a Royal Guard who was blocking the photographer, the other half of the blurred picture was of the creature of the forest, lying on a hospital bed, mostly obscured by blankets, tubes and wires sticking out from it.

But there was no denying it was her, Rainbow could have recognised it even if it was a quarter of a photo.

She blinked as she heard something snapping, and looked out her window to see a pegasus with a camera. He waved at her and there was another sound of snapping, coming this time from a camera, before a pony in golden armour, less than politely tackled him from view.

Rainbow blinked, looked back at the papers and didn't know if she should smile or sink her head under the pillows.

She had done it now, she thought, she wanted a change in her life, wished for it even and now she got one, but she didn’t think it would be quite like this, this was a bit too fast, even for her.

Well perhaps not quite so fast, as she looked up at the newspaper and realised it was four days old...

3) Castling

It had been almost two weeks since the creature of the Everfree, or C.O.E as the papers had been abbreviating it for the laissez faire type of pony, who was too busy for those pesky extra syllables had been hospitalised. Two long weeks of speculation, intrigue, gossip and downright fabrications, yet still no pony, not even the Guard seemed to have any idea what to make of it all.

Most it seemed were sympathetic to the creatures plight, alone in the woods, narrowly escaping death, so close to civilisation when suddenly, it was viciously attacked by the very monster that had been terrorising there own kind these past few months now. The news papers were more than happy to ride along with that claim and state it for what it appeared to be, another attack by The Ripper.

Firstly to sell papers, everypony in the media knew anything to do with the killer sold like diamond cupcakes, a guilty treat that was hard to swallow. But there was also more to the story, as like the mare in the edge of the woods, who had chosen to remain anonymous, it was perhaps a hope that this Ripper was losing it’s touch ever so slightly, because now if anything, there were two supposed victims alive.

In fact, many ponies were hoping that this creature might even shed light on the true identity of this killer. None more so than the Royal Guard, who were being hounded every single day since the creatures arrival for answers and statements to the fact.

Unfortunately, "No comment" seemed to be the new official moto of her majesties guardsman, when questioned about the incident, the Ripper or the very creature itself, and any hopes of an interview or even seeing the creature first hoof was very quickly quashed with a similar response, if slightly abbreviated.

But as the days progressed, the papers and by extension the ponies themselves, where growing more and more frustrated with any lack of answers.

None more so than the residents of Ponyville themselves. To the point where the frustrations had boiled over into outright threats of demonstrations and protests, not just in Ponyville but around cities across Equestria, all wanting nothing but an end to this nightmare.

That had forced her majesty Princess Celestia herself to step in, much to the chagrin of the Royal Guard, and deliver a speech not only to the house of nobility, but also to the house of Representatives as well. She had started her speech knowingly, as a practiced veteran of her craft would, by reminding her fellow kinsmen that the stallions and mares of her Royal Guard where working diligently day and night for their safety.

Urging them to understand that these things take time. Then as to compound the point she asked for patience at this time, as the grieving victims of previous attacks still needed time to mourn there loved ones and perhaps more importantly the relatively new victim at Ponyville hospital was still healing from her grievous wounds even at that moment. The princess then went on to extend an olive branch of peace to the new creature, ending not on the attacks themselves, but with hope and possible branching relationship with an entire new species.

The effect as one would expect from the beloved silver tongued monarch of the country was almost instantaneous, the negative miasma surrounding the investigation and the frustrations of the populous dissipated over night.

But every Royal Guard worth there salt knew, that would only last for so long.

Inside the hospital itself, there was no shortage of their own controversy and chaos. The creatures wounds had been mending well and fortunately it had gained consciousness on only the fifth day, much to the amazement of the doctors and nurses who had been talking of an induced coma the moment the creature had arrived in the operating room.

Unfortunately however it seemed upon awaking, the creature itself had not taken well to it's new imprisonment as it now doubt saw it, and when it seemed to realise that it was staying for the foreseeable future, took issue with that fact and tried to escape. Hammering home it's displeasure on being imprisoned, by fracturing the Guard on duty's leg as he fought to keep the creature restrained, with mixed results.

It had taken four of them to successfully pin her back on to her bed, with considerable time and strength wasted as the doctors who had not fled the scene, had made there voices heard about watching for it's neck wound, which was even then still barely healing. There magic had managed to seal the wound, but there was no replacing time and rest when it came to recovery for such a grievous attack.

Somehow they had managed to restrain her, without reopening wounds, but they had not been kind about it, to the point where one Guard mare had been placed on temporary suspension for negligent use of force. An unpopular disciplinary action as it turned out, with the other guards grumbled and none to subtly wondered aloud, just who's side was there new superior on?

Still even now the discontent among the guards themselves was reaching newer heights, It seemed no pony or creature in Ponyville was quite happy with there new current circumstances.

At least, that was the thought going through one older Guards head at this very moment as he and another far younger stallion stood at attention outside the door of the acting Captain, overseeing the Ponyville investigation, and currently overseeing a full blown dress down of their newest Lieutenant .

The room itself had been quite for a long time, but that did not mean it had been that way for the whole hour. In fact the volume of the room fluctuated often enough from deadly quiet to loud hollering and yelling that reminded them both of there worst days at boot camp.

All of it one sided, all coming from there commanding officer, except for the occasional "yes sir," or "my apologies sir," that peppered the bouts of silence like a poorly seasoned soup. The older of the two stallions had been trying his sun dried hardest not to listen to the conversation, he had learned long ago nothing good came for sticking his muzzle in his superiors affairs, but these paper thin hospital walls where making it hard to focus on anything else.

It did little to help his concentration as he glanced over at the younger guard besides him, who appeared to be doing everything in his power to pretend he wasn't hanging on every word of this conversation, which if anything only screamed to the world, 'I'm hanging on every word of this conversation.' The older stallion rolled his eyes, gritted his teeth and pretended he wasn't right now hearing at this very moment the words:

"Two weeks Lieutenant, it's been two weeks and what exactly have you brought to the table?" The voice of the Captain boomed.

Silence followed by an almost world weary, "nothing yet sir, we need more ti-"

"Don't even think about finishing the sentence I swear to the princess's throne," the Captain warned, and the older Guard pretended he didn't hear the almost growling of the last syllable.

"I was told by you lieutenant, that I would only need another week, precisely one week ago, I was told all I needed was to give you and that vile moon kisser carte blanche on this creature to get her talking" and the older Guard again pretended he didn't feel the grimace from the Lieutenant at the words 'moon kisser.'

"What we need is results, yet in two weeks, you have brought me nothing at all, you don't even have a name, a goddess damned name Lieutenant! I know bumbling recruits that could have tripped into a name in that time, why haven't you?"

"She's proving rather... stubborn to questioning and all other means of communication have had... complications."

"Complications, like what?"

There was a sound of a scroll being unfolded and placed on a table, then their was silence.

"Lieutenant, what is this?"

"I believe it's," there was a pause in the room that was almost palpable, "a stick figure drawing of me and a phallic object being, well how do I put it-"

"I know what it is, I mean what the hell are you doing showing this to me!"

The old guard heard a nervous cough, and it didn't take a genius to work out where it came from, "I'm trying to emphasis that this is the closest form of communications we've had sir, for whatever reason she refuses to cooperate with us, regardless of what we do, I need more time, sir, unless you want me to produce more picture, of which I unfortunately have many."

There was another pause in the conversation, and even behind the wood and the stone of the wall, the older guards shifted uncomfortably, ancient memories of boot camp came flooding back into his mind, like they happened yesterday as he felt more than heard the deafening silence in the room silence.

"If I don't get results out of you by the end of this week, Lieutenant, I swear, I'll replace that sun damned drawing with my very real hoof and-"

The older guard focus shifted as he caught something in the peripheral vision and turned his eyes towards the guard on the right. Catching the younger stallion flicking an ear towards the door, he wasn't even being subtle about listening now. The older stallion frowned and coughed just loudly enough to get his attention, the younger guard froze, turned towards him and flashed an apologetic grin.

Why do I always get stuck with the damn rookies, he thought as he lamented the office job he had turned down to be here, a stones throw away from his wife and new-born foal, and was about to ponder his life more, when the door suddenly flung open, almost taking the hinges with it, before it slammed back shut.

The two guards standing at attention somehow stood even more so when the blue hulking, (even by comparison to the two muscular ponies,) unicorn marched out, muttering to himself as he did so. They both noticed the tensing in his shoulders and the bulging vein in his neck as his muttering grew louder, until the stalwart unicorn finally turned at the end of the hospital hallway, then opened a door seemingly at random and slammed it shut behind him.

There was a second and a half of near perfect silence, quickly followed by what sounded like the epicentre of a one pony earth quake, as metal clanged and wood splintered around the room, even at that distance, the sound was almost deafening.

“Should we go in after him?” The younger guard said with a stutter, after a moment.

“Should you shut the buck up before you get us both fired.” the older pony whispered hoarsely, his eyes fixed right in front of him as if nothing had happened, and nothing did, because he didn't notice those types of things, he was a professional.

But he did notice the long drawn out sigh behind him, because it sounded like it was coming from behind his ear.

“Oh and I was sure he had it that time.” A sullen and mockingly sad voice sighed out from behind them both. The younger stallion dropped his spear with a long vibrating clatter as the older one collected himself and aimed the spear tip with both hooves at the intruder.

The disembodied voice moved through the shadows, almost materialising through them to reveal a white pegasus. Perfect in every shape and curve, save for the incongruous sunglasses that never seemed to leave her muzzle. She watched as the younger stallion fumbled to get his spear upright and at her, before she casually looked down with exaggerated ease at the now two spears pointed at her, she smirked at them both.

“Easy studs, a mare might get the wrong impression if you go poking those big things at her.”

At once the two stallions brought there spears back to there sides, there faces shocked and abashed, “Apologies Sergeant Night Light,” the senior of the two stallions said with a stutter, “I didn't see you go in, you just startled us is all.”

Her smirk only grew, “I have that effect on ponies.”

Then her gaze turned back towards the cacophony of collateral damage coming from the room across the hall, “well at least he found a broom closet this time, he apologised to that mare for a week last time he had one of these episodes, I tried to tell him that room was occupied but,” and she inclined her head towards the the noise in the room, “still, no harm done, at least, I do not think he meant to caused that heart attack anyway.”

The younger pony’s jaw opened in shock.

“That was a joke,” Night Light said with a sardonic tone to her voice.

“Begging your pardon miss,” the older guard asked, “but I had heard he was one of the more level headed of the lieutenants, not to speak out of line, but with the way things are heading with the investigation at the moment-”

She shook her head and turned back to the guard, “He is, but right now, he's under a lot of stress," and her smirk changed almost imperceptibly towards a frown for just a moment.

"But don’t worry!" Night Light said, beaming once again, "once this business is all over and we’re back home, I’m sure he’ll go back to breaking new recruits instead of furniture.” She gave the two an exaggerated wink, no small feet in glasses that covered a large part of her upper face, before chuckling to herself and trotting over towards the sound of the noise.

Humming a tuneless melody, she waltzed towards the door, sure in the knowledge that he must have broken everything by now. Flicking an ear towards it, sure she could hear no more cracks or clangs she opened the door, then slammed it shut as she felt the crack of something on the other side of it.

Then she giggled when she remembered, ah yes, głupi you always forget, the shelves themselves.

She leaned against the door nonchalantly and after the final crashing sound, drew back and opened them again and saw the pony in question, huffing and rubbing his forehead, she opened her mouth to speak but stopped as his horn lit up.

A sudden flash of magic sparked and lit the room in earie glow for just a moment, then a locket materialised into his hoof. The behemoth of the stallion paused, flicked it open, looked inside of it, then despite himself seemed to clamed down somewhat, Night Light could almost see the ghost of a smile on his face.

“Before you make fun of me, do you mind if we have a drink, I think I‘m a bit worked up.” Checkers said, turning his uneasy smile towards Night Light.

“So this is where my guard sneak off to after there shift ended, it’s got eh, charm, I guess?” Checkers said, surveying the rustic dank smelling bar around them, and uncomfortably lowering his head to a hunch, so as not drag his horn against the roof.

It wasn't exactly metropolitan, but at least it was clean, well clean enough for his low standards of the place and it certainly was low. But if anything it had a lively, lived in atmosphere, if that was supposed to be a positive thing. Most likely like every small village in the countryside this bar was the closest thing Ponyville had to a night life, as besides the depressingly small library, which for some reason doubled as a tree, there wasn't exactly much else in the way of entertainment this far out of civilisation.

Around them, older stallions and mare sat or leaned on the tables, content in there peaceful chatting or occasional laughing merriment after a long day working in the fields. The bar in question seemed split on two sides, one holding tables and chairs close together, the side he and Night Light had occupied.

The other was much more open, with higher tables and stools populated the younger generation. It looked to Checkers almost like a unconscious timeline of a ponies lifespan, if you turned your head quickly enough. But he supposed there was some rhyme or reason for it. If anything, it probably stopped the two sides from spoiling the others evening, and allowed the younger colts and fillies to make there own little weekend mistakes, away from the prying eyes of there seniors and family.

“They call it Rosey’s!" Night Light yelled cheerfully, over the cacophony of other voices around them, as she brought the drinks down on the table. "Because the owners daughter's called Rosey, I tell you you can’t get anything past z’hese geniuses,” She laughed disdainfully, and Checkers gave her a slight questioning glance, as he heard the slightest leanings of her concealed accent peppering her voice, but got his answer as he surveyed there drinks, a glass of lemonade sat on his side and as for hers...

“Need I remind you, we’re still on duty, Sergeant Night light.” He said with a warning to his voice.

“Oh relax-” she froze and caught herself “Checkers, you’re always a stick in the mud, It’s a virgin Bloody Mary, well, at least,” She smirked and pretended to stretch out her wings, in doing so she obfuscated the flask in her hoof, which tipped into the glass in one quick motion and then quickly flicked it back into the other hoof before settling it back into the nape of her wing, “it vas.”

Checkers rolled his eyes, that explained why her accent was back, and why she seemed to be in a more agreeable mood right now. Just like his right hooved mare, he expected nothing less. She was a promising young mare, it's why he had tutored her so early in her career. She had it seemed, a bright enough future in the guard, if only she actually had what they needed, discipline, or anything other than contempt for every pony other than him it seemed.

And even then he wasn't sure if she was just humouring him, it certainly felt like it some days.

He sighed and thought how today of all days he wished he was back with those older stallions enjoying a nice game of chess with a coffee instead of this. He was not very good in these types of environments, too much talking, too much movement, too many ponies to keep his eye on. His days a beat guard ruined his enjoyment of these places, always looking over your shoulder for fight to break out, or a glass to be smashed over his head. Perhaps it had only heightened his latent distrust of these types of places in the first place, who could say?

But anywhere was better than back in that hospital, trying to talk to that thing.

“Have you calmed down yet, can we sit at this table and have a nice conversation,” she said flashing him a mocking smirk, “without you throwing this table over?”

Checkers hung his head low, “I’m sorry, that wasn’t right.”

“I’ll say, do you know how much paperwork I’m going to have to pass onto some poor lacky to pay for that, without the wrong ponies getting involved, you do understand, they are gunning for you anyway they can right?”

He gave her a weak smile, “don’t you think I don’t know that.” He took a long sip of his lemonade and settled it neatly on the coaster. “I really thought I had her with that last one, I really did, but it’s like talking to a brick wall, worse actually, a brick wall doesn’t stare back at you with those icy eyes of hers.”

Night Light, taking a note from Checkers own book took a deep sip of her own drink and sighed with a happy gasp, “Oh yes, tastes like piss water mixed with indifference, really reminds me of home.” She chuckled and then her expression grew serious, “Wait, the creatures a filly?”

Checkers blinked, his jaw opening wide, “How did you not-.”

“-I’m how you say, messing with you,” she laughed and took another sip then placed it down and pushed it away from her, “honestly, you ponies really cannot take a joke, but moon this drink really does taste awful, want a sip?”

Checkers lifted his brow at the blood red drink and shook his head, he didn’t like drinking at the best of time, he hated his head being cloudy and thought the whole idea of drink rather stupid in the first place. But even if he didn't, if Night Light had said it was terrible, and she would drink anything with a high enough alcohol content, then he would rather drink what it supposedly tasted like.

“Suit yourself, just trying to ingratiate you to our little local bumpkin's dishwater,” she took another more hesitant sip and pulled a face. “I don’t think I’ve made this very clear, usually it takes more than six or seven attempts for you to listen, but let's just suppose this creature, and I want to make this very clear, has no idea what the hell you’re even saying to her, has this run through your head?”

Checkers stared at her until she rolled her eyes and finished, “sir.”

“Thank you,” Checkers said evenly, “and yes, I have taken that into consideration Night Light, your opinions are very hard to ignore, especially because you remind me of them loudly and at the worst time. But I respectfully think you’re wrong on this one, I believe the creature knows exactly what we are talking about.”

Night Light rolled the drink around in her hoof, “and you’re evidence is?”

He bit his lip, trying to somehow put his Guard instincts about things like this into words, a hopeless endeavour, “I can tell, by the way she looks at me.”

Checkers anticipated the mocking laughter, but it still hurt a little when Night Light did it anyway.

"Oh that’s so cute of you, sir, might I point you in the direction of a dog, smart little beasts that they are, you must get a world of conversation out of them, honestly throw a treat at them and they’ll bark there merry heads off, you should do the same thing to this creature, maybe that's where you're going wrong?”

“She’s sentient, Night Light, I know she is.” Checkers growled with confidence, yet still could not meet her gaze.

“How do you know she’s not just a scared wild animal, hells the only reason ve’re even talking to her is because that hayseed dumped her in a hospital, instead of a vet, I’d be amazed if zee’s ponies knew a pig from their own cousins here. But lets say she isn’t a giant dumb animal, lets say she can understand you, so vhat then, if she isn’t going to give us anything then what are we going to do?”

“We just need to get her talking,” Checkers said evenly, but his temper was raising, mostly because now that he was saying it he knew how stupid it was sounding.

Nightly chuckled darkly, clapping her hooves together mockingly, “Amazing, but sir might be hard, don’t know if you’ve heard, but she’s got this little thing wrong with her neck.”

“Enough Night Light, Celestia, don’t play stupid you know what I mean, I know she can talk, you know she’s not stupid, you saw how she looked at us the other night, there are other ways of talking, play these games with your little victims, not with me.”

Night Light lifted her hoof to her heart and drew back a dramatic gasp, “Ouch, that was biting, almost sounded like our old commander got his wit back, but that can’t be right, all I see is little Checkers here, Checkers did you hear our old commander?”

Checkers looked sideways pursing his lips.

Night Light waited for his come back, but when nothing came she drew closer, looking long at Checkers until finally she drew back her glasses ever so slightly, red rimmed iris's gleaming in the candle light, “What is that look, you want to say something, vell come on, tell me, I promise I won’t blush, about the only mare in here that won’t tonight.”

“What if,” he paused thinking very carefully about what he was about to say next, “what if the reason this creature isn’t talking, is because it knows something more about The Ripper?”

Night Light rolled her eyes, or at least she seemed to, almost impossible for anypony to tell behind her glasses. “Well, I thought you were just trying to get it talking to find out what it’s hobbies are, but now your saying that a victim might know something about the killer?” she said with a sneer, but when she caught the look in his eye and seemed to rethink his question.

“You mean," she said slowly, and her tone suddenly got a lot more serious, "what if she’s not saying anything, because there might be a connection?”

Checkers nod was so slight, it was almost impossible to tell.

Night Light paused again, pressing her tongue into her bottom lip, “I’d zink, that you would probably need something called evidence sir, before you throw that allegation around, especially considering the Princess just issued a formal speech condemning the attacks, wishing for a speedy recovery of the creature and a bridging between it’s species and yours, printed on just about every piece of paper from here to Canterlot.” Night light said with almost comical ease, given the severity of the statement. “I ask again, do you have evidence?”

“Call it a hunch.” Checkers said with a wince.

Night Light brought a hoof up slowly up under her glasses to message her eyes “I give up, you keep digging that grave with your own hooves, the Captain and the rest of them in Canterlot already hates you, and now you really want to be ostracized by every pony on this side of the country as well?”

“Look, just stop with the back talk for one second, do you have the report I asked for?” Checkers said.

Night light stared at him, then huffed out a response took a long hard pull on her drink, then reached for a saddlebag behind her. She placed the file down and Checkers made sure to angle himself against the wall so no pony could chance a look inside the grizzly contents.

“Here,” she said hoofing them over, and Checkers wasted no time pouring over the file, he supressed a grimace as he surveyed the details of the latest attack, the latest fatal one anyway, not counting this supposed mare attack in her home. It was still just as brutal as when he had read the first report, perhaps more so, as it seemed the killer was getting bolder with his trade, for lack of a better term.

It didn't help that this forensic science, a relatively new and experimental study that the guard had adopted, spared no detail at all as they listed and explaining ad-nauseum each attack to the body and what it meant antemortem and post-mortem.

Sometimes he wondered if some of them enjoyed their job a little too much.

“Look Night Light, the report is inconsistent, at first glance it’s as gruesome as all the other victims, save the Ponyville mare that lived of course, but on the other, the M.O’s all wrong, for one thing, the attack was during the day, The Ripper attacks at night. Another, this creature only has one slash wound to the jugular, the rest of them all had three.”

Night Light shrugged, “so, it’s getting lazy, the Ponyville mare had none, and you can also tell the reports are inconsistent because they're both still alive.”

Checkers just shook his head, “but see, the depth of the wound is the same consistency, the wound is on the exact same part of the neck, the same depth, the same length, but just the one and see here, no bite marks,” he paused, “I mean no recent bite marks anyway, ignoring the creatures other scars. All the other victims had post mortem marks across their body, some even before the victim passed away, why doesn’t she have any?”

“Luck I suppose.” Night Light sighed, “Look this is all very interesting, but maybe it’s just because she’s bigger and stronger than all the other victims were, heck, she’s a lot taller, I'm surprised this Ripper could reach that high up.”

Exactly!” Checkers said ignoring her sarcasm, “Look, let's see the facts here for what they are, this creature seems to live in the woods of the Everfree, right?”

“She doesn’t exactly seem to live in upper Cloudsdale.” Night Light said sardonically.

“She’s been hitherto unknown to all of ponykind, until recently. Carnivorous, or at least an omnivore based on the dental reports from the hospital.”

“Most monkey’s eat bugs, from what I understand.” She said examining her drink tiredly.

Checkers frowned, "She also proven to be violent enough to break a Guardsman's leg."

Nightly shrugged her shoulders, "as would I, if I woke up on a bed with a stallion trying to pin me down." She paused and then said, "well, actually maybe not-"

“And," Checkers said, slightly louder than before, "all of a sudden she turns up right in the middle of this investigation, as another victim of the Ripper, who has hitherto only gone after griffons and Ponies.” Checkers said pointing, he was on a roll with this one, every day more and more inconstancies where just flaring up.

Night Light leaned her head back on the chair, "I still have no idea what you’re trying to say.”

“I’m saying that this whole thing is just very odd, what if she’s the reason we’ve not been able to find anything, because we’ve been looking for a griffon or a Pony and something we understand, not an unknown, or perhaps, what if the reason she’s not talking is because she knows the Ripper on a more intimate bases, it could be the reason she got attacked herself, perhaps there was a disagreement, what if it’s another one of her kind?”

Night Light, seemed to look down at the table for a long moment, behind those blackened sunglasses as she pursed her lips, “I think that’s a lot of what if’s sir, and not a lot of evidence, and it all mute if she's not going to give us anything, is it?”

Checker faulted slight, looking back at Night Light, his expression was almost one of hurt, "you don't agree with me, do you?"

Night Light lent against her hoof, she flicked a glance at the crowd around her then back at Checkers, "I think it matters little vhat I personally think, but you might want to cut the speech a little short, I hear jury's get bored very easy with all zee technical talk."

“Why did I bring you with me," Checkers growled, as he threw his hooves up in the air, "I should have just kept talking to that creature, at least at this moment, I would actually welcome the silence.”

“You know why you brought me, because I can get zee job done quickly for you, just let me work my little tricks on this creature, I’ll have her singing by the end of the night.”

“No!” Checkers said, almost before she could even finish her sentence.

“Why not, you know my way is so much faster?”

This time it was Checkers turn to message his eyes, “Because right now she’s innocent, your method is a last resort, and not one other ponies tend to look kindly on at the best of time's, you're right it would be easier, but I’m in enough trouble as it is without resorting to those methods." he said and lent inwardly, almost whispering the next few words to her "and besides, if it turns out I'm wrong, not only are we going to hurt her for nothing, but potentially we make an enemy out of an entirely new species, you want that on your resume?”

She thought about that for a long moment, her eyes getting wider and wider at the notion she had apparently not even considered, then finally, she sighed and slumped backwards in her chair.

“Point taken, I suppose, can’t say I vant a potential war on my hooves, my anya would have my head for one.” She said, then bit her lip, Checkers raised his brow, it had been a while since he had heard her slip back into her old language.

She grimaced, almost at herself and she watched as her brows knitted together and she flashed Checkers an angry look, though, he supposed it more anger at herself, “then come on big brain, what the heck do ve do, time is running out, the rags are frothing at the mouth for results, we need to get this thing talking, if it can and soon, before another victim shows up this time dead, moon only knows The Rippers getting bolder, any sooner and it’ll be strolling up Canterlot to take a pop at the princess herself."

Checkers rubbed at his tired eyes, “I know I know, I just need, I need to come at this differently," he said rubbing his chin with his hoof, he just needed some way of letting this creatures guard down.

Maybe it’s me, or the uniform, maybe I need to swap things around, get somepony who she won’t suspect, get somepony who isn’t official, I need to castle.

“Castle?” Night Light said.

Checkers blinked up at her, "What?"

"What about a castle?"

He blinked again, had he just been thinking out loud? Damn it, he really was slipping back into old habits, “It’s a chess thing, castling, it's when you swap your king and a rook and," he paused when he caught the expression on her face, "forget it.”

“Checkers..." she said slowly, her voice for once taking on an almost gentle tone, "how long has it been since you last slept more than a few hours?”

Checkers blinked, then flicked his eyes back and forth as if counting something, “When did I get off the train, I slept five on that, I think?”

Night Light shook her head, “I think you need some sleep, I’m going to get you something strong to knock you out for the night, then in the morning, we can talk about this, without you babbling like a őrült pony.” She said standing, then caught herself and cursed aloud as she walked away, "maybe I need something strong as well."

“I don’t drin-” he tried to yell, but quickly gave up, what was the point, she was right, he probably sounded like a lunatic. But something about this creature screamed something more was going on, he knew this was more than what it was the moment he first laid eyes on the reports all those months ago.

This felt like the only consistent lead they had had in months and he could work wonders, if he could just get the stubborn blasted thing to communicate!

But she just lay there staring at him, all the time, smiling one moment, frowning the next, it was infuriating. Groaning, he slumped onto the table, laying his head on his hooves and with little else but his racing mind, which was starting to throb with the pain of thinking, he stared around at the clamorous and if he was being honest irritating ponies having a much better time than he was.

It was getting louder by the minute, normally he would not have minded so much, after all, he had spent much of his twenties inside a barracks with fifty other stallions and mares twice as boisterous and twice as loud.

Goddess he wished he was back in Canterlot, asleep in bed with her again, alone together, just the two of them, lazily watching the morning sun rise without a care for burden or duty or much of anything except perhaps breakfast.

"These damn guard are useless." Somepony spat from behind him, and he lifted his ear and turned slightly, but couldn't place the conversation.

"I bet you this whole thing is just a farce, probably ain't even a real creature." Another pony said somewhere in the background, what worried him was that they where two separate conversations, yet it seemed to be the same topic.

He sipped his lemonade bitterly, his eyes passing over the crowd, if only they knew what he was sacrificing for these ungrateful plebs. Let them try and do better, I'd love nothing more than to leave them alone with this thing and see what they can-

He sucked in air and calmly released it through his nostrils, no, keep it together, this isn't personal, they don't know any better.

But the thought did little to help.

He kept his gaze wandering around the bar, his frustration growing steadily until almost out of the corner of his peripheral vision, he spotted a rainbow maned mare on the other side of the bar and stared at her. He watched her for a long moment wondering why her face seemed so familiar.

She seemed to be holding court around a table at the other side of the room, mares and stallions alike where standing and seated with bewilderment and awe in there eyes. He swore some of them where swooning, and not just the mares.

He watched as the rainbow mare, still talking, brought her hoofs to the back of her head and let her hind legs rest on the table, the crowd laughed, then laughed harder as the bartender, the supposed legendary Rosey of Rosey's bar, smacked the rainbow mares legs off the table with the plastic glass holder, just loud enough for the bar to give a playful cheer and for the rainbow pegasus to give an apologetic smirk.

Checkers lent up from the table, he knew that mare, she had been the one that had beaten him at chess, the one that had saved the creature, the one that had given perhaps the least helpful post incident report in guard history, half vague nonsense details in one part and the other half about how amazing she had been.

But as he watched her there at that table, a thought came to his mind. He couldn't help but notice the oddly charming nature of the mare, and how it seemed all around her, other ponies where listening, waiting, even leaning into her story as if at the apex of a grand finale of some theatre play. He had to say that she seemed oddly captivating, even from this distance.

He also noted, by the none to subtle looks she was getting from one mare in particular, who was acting far too interested, that her unlikely charm was not entirely unknown to the rainbow mare.

He sat back in his seat, playing with the thought in his mind, it was growing more and more insane as he considered it, and yet the more he did, the more the smile grew on his face, until it had developed into a deep, toothy grin.

“Oh no, I know that look, tell me vhat it is now, I’m not letting you rope me into another one of those plans without detail Checkers, not again.” Night Light said, dropping the drinks once again onto the table.

Checkers turned that grin towards her, "Night Light, this might be the worst Idea I’ve ever had, but I think I just found my castle!”

4) Fate Comes Knocking

“The Lieutenant wishes to speak to you.” The guard spoke not a moment after Rainbow had opened the door of her home.

It was a bright sunny Sunday morning and as such Rainbow had taken to the idea of sleeping through most of it, after a Saturday of many drinks and merriment that had lasted well through the night and now well into the morning.

As such when she was greeted, (if it could be called that,) by the guards at her door step, it was not really a ‘ready for work, clean-cut and smart Rainbow Dash,’ but a Rainbow Dash that father sleep had taken a bat to and noogied hard.

Swaying slightly, Rainbow lifted a hoof up to her forehead to parry the rays of burning sunlight before blurting out, “I told you all, I’ll pay the rent when you fix my window!"

"Eh?" the squeaky voiced Guard, who looked to be much younger than the one who had spoken said, before nervously lifting a book up to his muzzle and flipped through his training manual for the correct response.

“Rainbow sweetie, who is it?” A feminine voice roused from sleep, called from inside the house. All three of them turned, though the cyan mare had to catch herself as she almost collided with her door frame doing so.

“No idea, got costumes on, think they’re strippers, or som’ in!’” Rainbow yelled back into her home, swaying slightly as she looked back up and squinted suspiciously, ”you guys strippers? Cos’s cool if ya are, but I didn’t order that… yet.”

"Hey, I had to pay for this armour!" The younger Guard yelled looking up from his manual, before the other one lifted his hoof up to silence him.

“Ma’am, who's in the house with you?” The other, much older Guard asked, leaning past her to glare into the cloud home.

Rainbow lent inwards conspiratorially, waving a hoof for them to do the same, the Guards gave each other a sideways glance and followed suit, leaning in as though in the middle of football hustle. “Between us strippers, I got no idea, but she’s like, really freakin’ hot!”

The older Guards instinctively wrinkled his nose, as the smell of whiskey invaded his senses.

The other looked back at his manual again, before sighing and throwing it over his shoulder, “Ma’am, are you alright?”

Rainbow drew back her eyes widening them with indignation, “You no damn well, I’m awesome! I'm Rainbow Dash, maybe ya heard of me?" She stated triumphantly, hitting her hoof to her chest before puffing it out, then turning slightly green from the over exertion, "Talk 'hic,' talk to me like that again and I'll knock your face into your face.” She slurred out taking a threatening step forward, before falling flat onto her face snoring loudly in an instant.

There was silence for a long moment then save for the whistling wind and the buzz saw snoring of the mare on the cloud in front of them.

The older guard sighed, "guess we should try tomorrow, somepony's got to get her back to bed, can't leave her like this." though he almost wished he could do just that.

“Not it!” The younger Guard spoke instantly, pointing a hoof to his nose, as his fellow guardsman sighed and went to pick her up, muttering about his days as a young colt and his dreams and aspirations that had not turned out quite as he had planned.

It was a bright sunny Monday morning and as such Rainbow was readying herself for work, or more accurately, sleeping until the final moment when she had to actually get to work. When she was awoken by the hammering of what sounded like a jack hammer against her door.

Rainbow woke to a sense of deja vu, despite remembering nothing of the last day, as she shook her head and grumbled, flying down towards the jack hammering and the jackass hammering it. She grunted at the queasy feeling inside her and this time Rainbow answered not with a stomach full of firewater, but with one desperately in need of ice-cold water, painkillers and something greasy to eat.

Memory somewhat (completely) hazy about yesterday morning, when Rainbow opened the door this time, she also opened her mouth to give the pony responsible a unpleasant word or ten. However instead of the mail pony or some goddess damned, news pony who even still after weeks of telling them to get lost, had still been buzzing around her home like fly's she couldn't quite swat away.

Instead of that however, she saw two burly, fully armoured Royal Guards towering over her at the foot of her door.

She snapped her jaw closed almost instantly and fought with her instincts to simply slam the door closed and flee as fast as her wings could carry her; as her mind went into overdrive at that moment. Much like any ponies does, when confronted with the strong hoof of the law, all of a sudden every petty crime she ever committed in her youth, (and some in her adult life) came flooding back to the forefront of her mind.

Alright brain, she thought, as her eyes nervously flicked between the two hulking brutes in front of her, we gotta' think of something to get outta' this one, quick and smart, you got it.

“Ma’am, the Lieutenant wishes-”

“Oh my Celestia, that space ship's coming right at us!”

The younger of the two turned almost instantly, eyeing the sky for the flying vessel, rising his spear so quickly he didn't think to the trajectory of it, which swung in a perfect angle into the back of the older guards head, knocking the helmet over his eyes.

Scanning the horizon he saw nothing but a blue sky and white clouds another blissful morning in the small hamlet, not a space ship to be seen.

The older Guard cursed and pulled the helmet from his head just in time to see the door slam and hear the sounds of wings flapping and it was only by catching the tail end of the prism of light trailing in the air, far far above there heads, that they finally caught on to what had happened.

There was another pause, as they slowly lowered there craning heads down, and towards each other.

“Oh the Sargent’s going to be so mad.” The younger Guard said with a gulp, then with only a moments hesitation, he sucked in his breath before yelling, “No-

“-Not it! The older guard said with gruff finality as he pressed his hoof firmly into the younger pony's nose knocking the helmet over his eyes, "defiantly not it."

In the distance a white pegasus with thick black sunglasses lay sprawled on a cloud above them all, filing her hooves. She gave a long an haughty sigh. Bóstwo, when you want something done right, she thought as she blew on her hoof.

It was on the third morning that Rainbow had begun to catch on to the knocking, She only had to peer downstairs through the banisters of her clouded staircase and see the glint of the gold on the stallions that she knew this wasn’t going to go away.

She groaned as she ruffled her mane with her hooves, what the heck was with these dudes, they where nothing if not persistent, who did they think they were?

She groaned, maybe she should just give up, it was only going to get worse, it didn't seem like whatever she had done was going to go away.

She frowned and hit her pillow, no that was loser talk, she was an innocent pony, sort of. Well she hadn't done anything bad recently anyway, she had right's goddess damn it! if they where going to harass her like this, then she was going to make them work for it. She could always play dumb later about it anyway.

Still this was getting to be a drag, she was going to have to do something about this at some point. She grimaced as she heard the knocking on the door grow louder. Well not this point anyway, maybe tomorrow, yeah she would deal with it tomorrow, she had stuff to do today anyway, it would be tomorrow Rainbows issue, she was sure future her could handle it.

Not a mare to give up and resign herself to her fate, with a smirk she snuck back into her bedroom, looking around the window at the back of the house, she cast her gaze around.

There where no Guards, Rainbow smirked, rookie mistake fellas she thought triumphantly as she opened the window.

All the time she thought about where she was going have to hang out for the next few hours, perhaps training, maybe even see if one of her old flings would be interested in a fun evening, heck, maybe even go see Fluttershy, it had been a while since they had hung out together, why was that? She had been kinda reclusive lately, more so than usual, that worried her, maybe she should go see Flutters toda-

“From a grin to a frown, thinking of something sad?” A voice came from above her and being a mare as brave as Rainbow she let out a roar of shock...

Okay it was a scream, but seriously only a small one.

Looking up she could see the white mare hanging by her tail from a cloud in the sky, upside down to the world. However the sight of a mare hanging upside down and smiling at her was not the first thing she noticed, as unusual as that was, it was the red eyes peering back at her that concerned her the most.

Red as a ruby soaked in blood and no pupils of, it was like the sight of a yawning mouth stretched wide to swallow her whole if she so much as moved an inch further. Yet Rainbow entire body screamed at her to back away and she felt her back legs almost trip over themselves as she angled herself back towards the window, but the red eyed mare only shook her head slowly and tutted.

"I'd rather you didn't do that."

"Nah, I think I'm going to do that," was what Rainbow wanted to say, but instead it came out as a series of grunts as she stopped moving backwards and instead stared up at the mare.

"There's a good little foal," The white mare said, smiling wider, though from the angle as was hanging from it looked far more sinister, perhaps it did just the same if she was facing the right way up.

“Can I help you?” Rainbow said slowly, shaking with the effort to even talk, for whatever reason, it felt like it had been taped shut.

“My what a gorgeous little scruffy foal, you're shaking, don't be scared of little old me, I'm almost harmless," she said with a giggle. But Rainbow found nothing funny about it, "Oh, the look on your face, I could just eat you up.” The white pegasus said, her eyes widening to an almost frightening degree, her hooves came closer guide Rainbow up to her gaze, not that Rainbow could look anywhere but into those sanguine eyes.

"I ain't scared of some crazy dangling weird-"

"- I didn't say you could talk," The white mare said sharply, and Rainbows words died on her lips.

Rainbow wanted nothing more than to bat those hooves away, finish calling her a creep and get the hell out of there, so why couldn't she, what the heck was going on!

The white mare giggled as she studied Rainbows face for a moment, as if appraising some furniture or a piece of decretive art, before she lifted Rainbows cheek up to meet her gaze full on.

“As fun as it was to see you play around with my Guards, I have orders to follow,” She said with a sigh, as if the idea of a it all was a tedious task, “so little foal, I’m afraid you're going to have to follow me somewhere, you don’t mind do you?” She asked patting Rainbows cheek like she was a misbehaving child.

Rainbow grunted at the slight pain and discomfort of it, she wanting to push it away, tell her to buzz off, but instead she found herself shaking her head enthusiastically. "N-no, I'll come!"

The mares smile grew until it almost touched both her ears, “Good little foal, off you come now.”

The flight was not long, it never was when it came to Rainbow, in fact she could have done it in half the time even at the speed there where going, if it wasn’t for the white mare in front and the two guards behind her going at a pace that would have had a tortoise rolling it's eyes impatiently .

Already she was in a fowl mood, wondering why she had given in to the mares request so easily, and the way she had called her a foal, she wanted to spit, so uncool. But whatever thought she had she kept it to herself.

She kept her gaze on the ground, surveying Ponyville, it was another day like any others, farmer ploughed the ground and Pegasus groomed the sky, they had kept up high and for once Rainbow was thankful for that. She didn't exactly want anypony noticing her being led away by Guards, not only was there already too much gossip going around this small town, but too much of it was always about her it seemed.

And as she passed a certain Boutique, she wondered what some loud mouthed seamstress would be saying about her if she saw her now.

Just what had she done now anyway? She thought idle as they turned and veered off left away from the library. Well that was a list far too long to count she supposed, in fact it was probably easier to rule out what she hadn’t done, but it wasn’t worth this, she felt like a criminal being led to a court room.

All at once they stopped and Rainbow in her brooding thoughts almost collide with the white mares tail, she caught herself just in time and the white mare looked back at her, her eyes now concealed back behind those thick black glasses, still the white mare smiled and even through the glasses Rainbow could see the wink.

Rainbow huffed, "why'd we stop?"

“We’re here little one.” She said pointing down to a square building bellow them.

“Stop calling me that!” Rainbow grumbled, but it only got a small chuckle from the mare, as she descended quickly down from the clouds and onto the roof of the building. All at once Rainbow realised where she was and tried to stop herself from gulping.

It had been hard to make out so far up in the sky, the clouds carpeting most of the lands below them but as she rapidly descended she could make out the long building, the white figures like ants all around it, the smell of sweat and the musk of ponies living together in a communal setting.

It was the old community building formally, now it was better known unofficially to the townsfolk as the barracks, the guards unofficial headquarters.

Rainbow stopped, hovering just shy of the sky entrance of the building, most buildings had this, even in Ponyville that was primarily an Earth pony village, it was never normally used, most pegasus having grown accustomed to the formality of a front door, but in the cosmopolitan areas it was used quite often.

“Look, okay I know what this is alright, so stop playing with me.” Rainbow said folding her forelegs, and giving them both a glare, before looking down at the ground.

The white mare raised her brow and looked back at the other Guards who shrugged.

Rainbow lifted a hoof to brush the back of her mane, “If this is about Bridleton, I’m gonna tell ya' now, that thing with the garden hose and fireworks, that was simple mistake okay, but I swear, I never even saw the chicken, alright!”

They all stared at her for what seemed like a lifetime, one of the Guards let out a short chuckle before coughing and going stoic once more.

The white mare, who's smirk had not left her face since she had first laid eyes on the cyan pegasus, grew slightly wider, “Yes this is going to be a most entertaining disaster."

And with that Rainbows life suddenly got that little bit stranger.

Rainbow squirmed in her seat, it wasn’t that it was uncomfortable or that it was too big, actually it was both of those things. But none of it helped that the two guards beside her leered like living gargoyles on either side of her chair or the fact that she was in the heart of a Guard barracks with no idea of what she had done.

She frowned down at the desk she had been sat by for nearly ten minutes now, it felt like she was back at school once again. Only this time the table wasn't some all conquering oak monolith she had to crane her neck to look over, instead it was a understated poorly built chipboard desk with nothing but a quill and a blank peace of parchment, and the pony she was waiting to be told off by wasn't some decrepit old mare from a bygone age who still lamented the days where the ruler or open hoof as the acceptable forms of punishment. But a lieutenant of Her Majesties Royal Guard of Equestria.

If anything at this moment, if she only got off with the ruler, she would count herself lucky.

The white mare had been gone for sometime now, leaving without warning, replaced by the biggest stonewall stallions she had ever seen. She had tried to get some small talk out of them, if anything to try and cut away some of the horrific tension in the room, but she might as well have been trying to get some conversation from a tree, they might as well be, considering their size.

Seriously, she thought Ain't Unicorns supposed to be all prissy, nerdy bookworms, what the heck are they feeding them over in Canterlot?

Somehow she knew it was going to end this way, no pegasus can live this free without society dragging her down. But really she thought in those moments, she would at the very least have gotten to wear the Wonderbolts suit once, before it had happened.

A mare could dream.

The sound of the door behind her creaked open and she flicked an ear to it, but kept her face steadfast forward, her forelegs crossed her lips pouted. If she was going down today, she wasn't going to go down blubbering, and she wasn't going to be so uncool as to show them that she was worried about it, because she wasn't worried.

She was frankly terrified.

She heard the soft clank of horse shoes on helmets and out of the corner of her eye, she caught one of the guards salute somepony, before he and she presumed the other guard as well, about turned on the spot and marched away under the soft wooden floorboards until only the sounds of her own breath and that of another pony could be heard in the room.

“Mrs Dash, how are you?” A voice came from behind her, she flinched slightly at the deep voice, so thick and formal it could no doubt shake the very windowpanes in there frame if it was even raised a fraction. But somewhere buried in all the iron of his voice was a little bit of softness also, as if he was trying to effect an emotion he was somewhat out of practice with.

She kept her gaze facing forward, ignoring the voice, until she saw the giant hoof extended towards her in her peripheral vision and slowly looked up to meet the eyes of the pony behind it.

“I just heard everything, I’m so sorry how they treated you, I should have gone myself.” He said with a worried frown on his huge face that looked almost comically out of place on the stallion and Rainbow blinked up at him as recognition started to form in her mind.

His blue met her violet ones as he looked down at her apologetically as she raised her hoof apprehensively, his hoof was soft when she shook it, almost laughably so, considering the obvious power behind it which was more than enough to send Rainbow flying through the wall with the wrong application of pressure.

“That mare, sometimes she just takes it to far.” He said with a disapproving shake of his head, was he talking about the white mare?

“Wait, I’ve seen you before?” She said with a suspiciously, as he took a seat behind the desk between them.

He smiled warmly back at her, “I thought you might have been too distracted with the board to remember me?”

Realisation dawned on Rainbow, “Wait, Checkers right, you're that pony that was playing with my Uncle, right?” she said pointing at him.

Checkers nodded happily, leaning back into his chair as he rubbed his mane and shrugged. “You gave me a good thrashing, I’m still trying to study the board to see how you did it really, not that I have the time, you never did give me that rematch?”

Rainbow furrowed her brow, leaning over the desk at him, “please tell me you didn’t bring me hear just for a game, dude you can just ask for pony’s sake, also what the hell you didn't say you where a guard, were you spying on us!”

Checkers held up his hooves defensively, “You have me wrong, I’m not here for a game, as much as I would love a rematch and no, until recently, I had no official business with you or your uncle, But I did called you here today because of what happened.”

Rainbow sat back in her chair and raised her brow, “What do you mean what happened?”

He let out a long and world weary sigh, as he leaned back on his chair, hooves together, “Look Mrs Dash, I know Ponyville doesn’t like the presence of the guard, I know some of you distrust us, I understand. I want things to go back to the way there were before all of this,” He gestured to the room, which had once been a storage room for chairs and tables, back when Ponies would come here to vent at there local council meeting or sowing circles.

“That’s why I came looking for you, what you did, saving that creature, that took courage and bravery." he said with a point of pride in his ton, " Bravery I haven’t seen in a long time, and it didn’t go unnoticed," he said with a smirk and Rainbow raised her brow slightly, she thought she was already past the point of answering questions about that, it had been like almost forever ago anyway.

"I don't want the guard to be here like some sort of punishment, I want to reward ponies who go above and beyond, the every day stallion and mare, to bring the guard and the community together against this evil, and really I can't think of an pony more deserving to help me start this initiative than you” He said and his smile grew warmer.

Rainbow opened her mouth to deflect his praise, but found herself instead blushing, she told herself she was immune to flattery, but that one hit the mark all right, “Heck anypony would have-”

“-done the same?” Checkers said tapping his hooves together thoughtfully. “Perhaps, but most would have failed, and those that did, would want there name in the papers, but you didn’t, why is that?”

Again Rainbow opened her mouth, but had nothing to say, she didn't have an answer for that, she didn't actually know why she had said no to an interview, In fact she had been pretty tight lipped to almost every pony around her.

Well okay, she may have run her mouth about it to some of her friends... and maybe some of the mares at Rosey's, the ones she wanted to get with. But she hadn't actually told any reporter anything, mostly because she hated those jerks following her and harassing every pony around her, but even still, why didn't she?

Maybe because she didn't feel like she did anything to deserve it. maybe it was because she didn't decide to help, she never actually made the conscious effort to say, "I'm gonna help that thing," her body had acted by itself, if anything, that should have got the medal, not that she was about to tell this stallion something that sounded that crazy.

Much to her chagrin, she felt her blush deepen as she fumbled with the feeling, trying to put it into some sort of coherent sentence, “well, I mean, I, it was just something that had to be done, so I didn’t like, think was anypony special, you know?" she shrugged, "'sides, I didn’t really want the hassle, all those reporters cramping my private life you get it?”

Checkers nodded, he knew all to well after all. “Well you might not think it’s special, but stuff like that, it’s enough to get the right sort of pony to notice.” he said, then without breaking eye contact with her, took out a scroll from under the desk and passed it over to Rainbow.

“I know it was wrong of me, but I did some digging after everything came out.” he said and tactically avoiding the gaze of the mare in front of him who crinkled her brow disapprovingly. “Sorry, but it comes with the job some times, look if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t find anything too bad at least in the criminal side, but I did find one thing.”

Rainbow felt her face go red, but it wasn't out of anger, she thought about what he meant by looking into her record, sure there was some stuff she wasn't exactly bragging about, somethings she wasn't too proud of, but there was only one thing that she did not ever want brought up.

She had been told that her application would go on record, it was a standard practice, and it wasn't like it was anything to be ashamed about, the mare had told her, a lot of ponies tried and failed the entrance exams, it's why they where so exclusive after all, but it still didn't make any of what the mare had said true.

Please don't say it, she thought. It still hurt even now, she was stupid to think she was ever going to get a real chance, she was naïve, she had the speed, the fitness, heck she even had the heart, she knew she did. But none of that mattered when they sat her down in a hall with a hundred others, put the papers down in front of her and she realised, worse she didn't have the brain for it.

There were few things in her life that had stung more, in fact other than the last time she saw her mother, she couldn't really think of one.

She fought the urge to not cringe openly as the memory of it all came flooding back, she had tried to burry it all. But really, that had been like putting a bandage on a broken leg. She couldn’t take it if he knew about that, she had torn that part away from her, why did he have to bring it up.

“Look" she said rubbing her foreleg with the other, unable to meet his gaze, "I know I was never going to actually make into the tea-”

“-Just, before you say anything, give this a quick read for me.” He said tapping the scroll lightly, pushing the scroll towards her with a reassuring smile and despite the explosive diatribe of regret and dissuasion she had been planning to spew forth she stopped herself, looked down at the scroll, cracked the seal and glanced at the writing.

After a moment she looked up at Checkers again, then down at the scroll, then back up at him again as he nodded with a smile and she looked down again.

"That's not?"

"It is." He said and she lifted the scroll closer to her face, as if the words where likely to shrivel away under her stare.

She read on, devouring the contents of the scroll, she even went as far as to mouth out the words, just to be sure she was reading them correctly. Her chest tightened and she almost went to read it again, but the idea was too much, the offer was too good to be true, she had to know from the stallions mouth.

“Is this… really from her?” She said like a little filly in awe of a note from the the Easter beaver of the Tooth Gnome, she didn’t care that she sounded like one, or that she had now asked the question twice in a row now, if this was in anyway true she would run completely shaven her fur off and gone prancing through the streets of Ponyville without a care in the world.

“We started out together, me and her," He said almost nonchalantly, "I went one way, to the Guard and she, well, you know," and he pointed towards the sky outside his window. "But we still keep in touch when we can, I remembered about a month ago, she was asking for a recommendation from any promising recruits, apparently being Captain doesn't leave you with a lot of time to find promising young pegasus," he chuckled.

Rainbow stayed silent, she didn't want to jinx whatever it was he might have been getting at, Clestia only knew, her mouth had lost more deal than it had won.

I didn’t have any pony in mind until I saw you that day with your uncle, the speed in which you blew away the cloud, the way you’re mind worked when we played, I think you have real potential Rainbow, and so does she.” Checkers said, pointing at her.

Rainbows hooves where shaking, she felt a slight dampness on her cheek and she almost dropped the page to wipe it away, she thought that her dream was over.

She never said it but deep down she thought that it was gone, when she heard about the entrance exam, the hours of writing and work that she told herself no pony like her could do, she wasn’t smart enough she wasn’t gifted enough, it was like all her life had been stripped away before her eyes, she had never officially excepted it, but she had resigned herself to the fact that she was never really going to be a Wonderbolt.

Now thought, now it was here in her hooves, all her dreams right on a little piece of paper, for nothing! Well it wasn’t for nothing, but just to do something she thought every pony would do. It felt like the universe had given her this, and she was going to grab onto it with both hooves and her teeth if she had to.

“I-I don't know w-what to say, thank you!” Rainbow stuttered out, a slight waver in her voice, but it was said with conviction, fire lit in her eyes and it was almost enough for the blue stallion to chuckle, they where too much alike.

“Hold on, a second” He said but she stood up and walked towards him.

“You don’t know what this mean,” she said moving closer to him with each word, until he was backed up against the wall, she was smaller than he was, almost half the size but in that moment she towered over him like a alicorn over a foal, “ I'd have given anything for this, I would, I'd-”

“-Rainbow, hold on one second," he said gently placing his hooves on her shoulder's and pushing some distance between them both, before giving her a firm glare. "Look this recommendation, it’s only a start, like an audition to the real task, to show that you can prove yourself, there's something else you need to do.”

“I don’t care if I have to…wait what?” Rainbow said, suddenly snapping out of her rambling diatribe.

“There's something you need to do for me, if you really want this position.” He said getting more serious than before, the light in her eyes dimming somewhat as she looked back at him.

Wait...he can't be serious? she thought with a worried glance to the closed door behind them, realising now that she was very much alone at the moment.

“W-what do you want me to do?” She asked, suspicion suddenly trading places with the passion that had once been in her voice, involuntarily she clutched the paper closer to her chest.

He took a long breath then lent in towards her and spoke, “I need you're help to relive tension...

Oh heck, please don't tell me he's going to-

"-with that creature."

Rainbow's words froze on her tongue and all was deadly silent for a moment, her thought taken over with the chill of those blue eyes on hers, but she couldn't help that her lip was curling into the slightest bit of a grin.

He seemed to notice this as his expression grew more dower than before, “She's been indifferent at best, and well hostile at worst with us, but she's expressed an interest in talking to you Rainbow, this is important, we've hit a dead end on the Ripper case and she might be the only lead we have open still, but she won't talk to any pony else so I need you to act as our proxy." He glanced sideways as if what he was asking of her was beyond comprehension, "What I’m asking of you Rainbow, it's a lot of responsibility, it could even be dangerous, we don’t know what the creature is capable of, but if anypony could get information out of her, I believe it’s you.”

Rainbow looked down and Checkers thought he could see her shaking, he almost sat up but then stopped when a chuckle escarped from her mouth, as she fought to keep it in,

“That's it?” she said, body shaking as she scrunched her lips together.

Checkers for once it seemed to Rainbow was at a loss of words, as he sat back staring at her, “it’s more serous than you think it is, it's going to be a long hard task.” he said hoping the emphasis on the difficulty would make her understand him.

It seemed to have the opposite effect, as not a second later she burst out laughing.

“Oh colt, the way you said it just there for a second, like seriously I thought you were asking me to-” She paused to laugh again, Checkers couldn’t see where the joke was coming from, but he smiled somewhat nervously anyway.

Eventually though she clamed down and wiped the tear from her eye, flashing him the most determined look she could muster under the circumstances, “But hay, you want responsibility, do you know who your talking to here, my middle name is Responsibility, Rainbow R.e.s.p.o.n.s.o.b.i.l.i.t.e Dash, that’s me alright, so you want me to chat to this big gal, sure I’ll get her talkin’.”

Checkers grinned, he wanted to correct her spelling, but he was enjoying the passion in her words, in some ways it really did remind him of his younger, more cocky, definitely more naïve days as a simple recruit. A touch of melancholic feeling grabbed at his chest for a moment, but he pushed it down.

"I'm serious thought Miss Dash, this goes above civic duty, she might be what we need to solve this investigation, but it's imperative that-"

"Yeah-yeah, sure that's all good, what time do you need me to start?" Rainbow said with a nod as her eyes skimmed over the letter again, unable to help herself.

Shaking his head, he sighed good naturedly, before made his way back to her chair and she did the same before he said, “How about tonight, just before sun down, it’s the easiest time to get you in there without alerting the media of anything?”

Rainbow shrugged, “Sure, I’m a night owl anyway, that works for me.”

Fearless, a good start, Checkers thought, but I wonder how much of that will change after first contact, first proper contact anyway?

“Alright," Checkers said, slapping his hooves onto his armrest with some finality, "I’ll have my second in command fill you in with the details at the hospital, properly this time,” He said emphasizing the words as he gazed over to the corner of the room. Rainbow raised her brow for a moment as she looked around, thinking the white mare might have been standing behind her .But saw nothing but the bland grey stripped down wallpaper in desperate need of re-plastering.

“Oh and Rainbow, I don’t think I need to tell you this, but just so we’re clear, this mission is top secret, tell no pony, not your friends, not even family, understand?”

Again the mare shrugged, “sure, I don’t like gossip anyway.”

He studied the mare for a moment, feeling for anything in the way of a lie, but when she stared back at him with only blank resolution he nodded, “alright then, we'll start this off small for now, it will only be a quick meeting tonight, once your done, you’ll come back here and tell me everything you can remember, got it.”

“Got it,” Rainbow nodded, thinking she might needed to salute the stallion, but settling instead with a firm nod of her head.

“Alright, dismissed…" He paused an apologetic smile creeping onto his lips. "Eh, sorry force of habit, I mean that’s all for today, I’ll see you tonight Mrs Rainbow Responsibility Dash.” he said, lighting up his horn to pick up a quill and paper. With little else to do, Rainbow smirked ,dropped down from her chair and began to canter towards the door.

Then she paused, it was just long enough that Checkers noticed, and raised his head from the desk, quill still touching paper as he cocked his head inquisitively at her.

“Oh, eh not to be rude,” Rainbow said with a smile that held to much teeth as she leaned back into view, body already halfway out the door, “but like, maybe next time you should prolly have done that the other way around."

Checkers raised his brow at her, unsure of what she meant, or why that smile from before was returning with force.

"For a moment there, it sounded like one of those bad prono stories where the mare has to get the promotion from the boss. Just sayin.”

She winked at him then shut the door and Checkers dropped both the pen and his jaw.

From the shadows Night Light stepped forward eyeing the door, then smirked back at Checkers who had somehow gone whiter than she was.

“I like this one.”

5) The Visit

As the day progressed Rainbow could hardly contain her excitement, but she was a mare of class after all, so with some dignity, she calmly flew back to her home, though perhaps a little faster than she usually did, closed the door gently, though she may have used a bit more force and speed than was usual for her. Then she had locked herself in her room, gently turned the key, before finally braking down like a foal in Hearths Warming, jumping onto her bed, screaming, hollering and cheering into her pillow until her throat begged her to stop.

Even then, when she found herself finally winding down, she had only to look down at the scroll practically glued to her hooves in a vice grip, before the whole process began again in earnest, much to the chagrin of her throat, pillow and neighbours.

Eventually however, her throat had had quite enough of her nonsense and decided if it wasn't going to be used properly anymore, then it was going to take away her speaking privileges for a while, with a dolloping of pain for good measure. It wasn't long before she found herself in her bathroom, gargling mouthwash and rubbing at her aching neck, hoping to numb the pain she had caused herself, but she found she was still smiling regardless.

She had done it, her dream was within her grasp, she was going to be a friggin' Wonderbolt!

But it was also in that moment, that the little thought that had sprung up deep in the back of her mind during the meeting finally decided it was tired of being ignored, and with nothing else currently occupying her thought, besides being the next captain of the Wonderbolts, it decided it was now or never to bring up the question.

So dude, congratulations and everything, and hey, not to cramp your style or anything, but like, what are we actually going to say?

The little thought came on so suddenly, that she nearly coated her bathroom wall in peppermint. She somehow managed to get most of the backwash into the sink, before she looked up at herself in the mirror, wide eyed, mouth agape, a living antonym of what she had just been only a moment ago.

Oh ponyfeathers, what the heck am I going to say?

She had been so caught up in what she was going to get out of all this, that she didn’t even think about what Checkers had actually asked her to do. But now that she had, the faintest feeling of panic announced itself like a tap dancer on her chest.

Her eyes widened further as the magnitude of what she had been asked came on her with the force of a hammer on an anvil. She was going to talk to that creature she had just rescued, she wasn't just going to have to save it, she was now going to have to use her words, to like, ask it questions and stuff.

That was totally not the same thing at all!

She was going to be alone with this creature and talk, about what, she didn't even know? What did they even want her to say, she hadn't paid Checkers any attention after she had read the note, how could she focus on anything but that? Just why did he want her to do it anyway, she was just a weather mare for pony's sake.

Did it know how to talk, did it understand her, was it going to like, spit acid at her if she asked the wrong question?

Rainbow thought about that for a moment as she turned the faucet off and splashing her face with the water, probably not, she considered. But heck anything was possible, it might as well have been an alien, this was straight out of a comic book or something, she was going to talk to a totally unknown creature!

She smacked her hoof to her forehead, why hadn’t she asked Checkers some questions when she could have?

Nervously she looked out at the glazed cloudglass in her bathroom and at the rapidly declining sunlight shining through it, maybe it wasn't to late?

As if fate had been waiting with it's ear to the door for that exact question, a sudden knocking startled her out of her thought and she arched her head past the bathroom door to her bedside table. Gazing across the room at her clock on her wall and it took all of about a minute, before the anxious tapdancing in her chest became more frequent.

"Holy curding ponyfeathers, I'm late!" She yelled, as she bolted out the bathroom.

All at once she moved, shooting her wings to her sides, she flapped around the room as she threw open her draws, flinging clothes out of her wardrobe, most too old or tattered of well worn to be smart enough, the rest, well she didn't even remember buying, it had been years since she had to go to an event that actually needed clothes.

Heck the last time she had worn anything smart at all was, well a funeral most likely, and she hoped she wasn't going to do that poorly. But she needed something right? It wasn't everyday you talked to a new species!

Gah, what do I wear! Should I put on a suit, tie, a dress? She blinked, nah not that. But what the heck do you wear for something like this?

Scanning around the room, she heard the knocking again and now it was like an entire trope of dancers was breaking into a chorus across her chest, she chanced a look into the mirror, she was not the type of pony to fawn over her herself, usually a quick wash under the shower head and a bit of strategic rubbing with her hoof and she was good to go.

But not right now, she was going to need a fire hose to sort out this mess.

Forget the clothes focus on the mane!

Her mane had often been kindly described as windswept by nicer ponies and a ragged birds nest by the more unkind rest of them, not that she had cared before, it worked for her. But an evening curled up screaming and hollering into her pillow like she was watching a tightly contested hoof-ball game in the stands of Cloudsdale, pulling at her mane with each touch down almost scored, made even her admit she needed a brush.

She brushed an idle hoof in it and almost got it caught in a knot, maybe a rake in stead of a brush at this rate.

The knocking grew louder and her anxiety and frustration only grew with each rattling of the hoof on wood.

“I heard ya the first tim-” she tired to yell, but coughed as her throat gave out on her, still not happy at it's abuse.

She rubbed at it with both hooves, looked back at the mirror with a hopeful expression, sighed deeply, spat into her hooves and tried to smear down what upward strands she could, before it sprung back up again in defiance.

“Celestia help me,” she pleaded into the mirror, before taking a deep breath and trotting down towards the door like a pony resigned to the gallows.

When she opened the door, it wasn’t with the brashness of her usual self, the come at me world pose she often screamed though merely being there, but as a young filly about to jump off a dam, having only just realised when the snapping sound came above, why ponies double checked there bungee cords.

On either side of the threshold, two pegasus towered over her, muscles budging under fur. She paused for a moment when she noticed neither one of them was white furred or dressed in their ornate guard armour, but instead one was pale purple the other was grey, adorned only in fur and scowls.

It took her a moment to realise, but when she saw that white mare, sitting like the moon in the cloud further back from them she understood. This was supposed to be clandestine meeting after all, one that golden armour would have stood out like a, well like a pony in golden armour she supposed, nothing quite as loud as that really.

Heck even still, she was expected some of the reporters to flock over even now, she had only just got them to leave her alone, after two weeks of avoiding them and when that failed yelling and insults and still they clung around like an flea on her back.

She stepped forwards towards the mare, what was her name, Night Light? Who still wore her aggravating impish smirk, as well as her glasses. Rainbow grimaced a little when she felt those red eyes on her, even concealed behind those thick glasses, she felt them dressing her down from muzzle to tail.

There was something unsettling about that mare, she was beautiful, Rainbow had to give her that, every curve carved into her like a statue of antiquity, her long following golden locks rested against her cheeks to kiss the nape of her neck, like water droplets curled down an ice cold wine glass on a summers day.

Any other time, Rainbow would have shaved her tail off for a mare like that.

But there was just something not right about her, she could not put her hoof on, something not quite there about the way she looked. It was something that touched Rainbows fight or flight reflexes and instead of a pleasant feeling seeing something beautiful, it gave her the feeling of seeing a cat looking down at the mouse it intended to play with before it worked up an appetite and she was pretty sure she was the mouse in that scenario.

“Hello little foal,” Night Light purred, in an almost sing song like voice, “I’m looking forward to our little trek tonight, lets not waste any time shall we?” She said, somehow framing the sentence so that it was a statement not a question, which was further punctuated when without any time for a reply, she lifter her wings and took flight into the dark skyline.

Rainbow said nothing but gave a short sharp mutter of a prayer to whatever cosmic being had pushed her into this mess and flapped her wings.

She had wanted some sort of excitement in her life, it seemed now that whatever had heard her wish had granted it.

She just hoped that whatever bastard it was, it was having a real good laugh right now.

Because she certainly wasn't.

“Now when you talk to her, talk softly, she may be stable, but we don’t want to exacerbate anything, she’s already had...episodes." the mare said with a scowl that seemed to be the only expression the filly was capable of making, "we don’t want a repeat of any of them, so be brief and specific and always stand behind the yellow line. No going outside of it, at all and whatever you do, do not give her anything at all, understand!”

Rainbow yawned as she nodded robotically at the nurse, like she had been for the fast fifteen minutes as she walked down the maze like hallways of the hospital. Nightlight and the two other guards strolled down the hospital halls behind them both at a polite distance apart, but Rainbow could feel Night Light's eyes burrowing into the back of her head the entire time.

Not only that, but she felt drunk almost, her mind was dizzy from the torrent of information that had been vomited at her from the moment she landed by the entrance by the medical team at the hospital.

From the instant she had set hoof on the sky entrance, the hospital had been a buzz of activity, in stark contrast to the silent flight interrupted by the occasional gentle whistle of wind around her. Even now on the upper levels, the hospital wing was a defeating beehive of doctors, nurses and guards alike, each darting around as if at any moment the whole building might collapse if even one of them took a moment to breath.

All the while she had been thinking of what she was going to say to the creature, what was she going to talk about, she felt like a younger filly again, fumbling for topics of conversation on a first date, thoughts of questions were not so much forming neatly in a row in her mind as tripping over their shoelaces and topple down a flight of stairs.

It had not helped that she noticed the waves of press and reporters still camped outside the hospital itself. They had snuck her in with out any pony being the wiser. But really, the stress of it all was, as much as she would never admit it, perhaps kind of getting to her.

Thoughts of messing up so badly that it was almost news worthy had suddenly stopped being just hyperbole now.

A small part of her wondered if this was what it was like to be a Wonderbolt all the time? The idea had always seemed awesome in her head at the time. But now that she was in the thick of it, she was starting to see that it might still be awesome, (because it was the Wonderbolts, duh?) but it might not be awesome all the time.

That was an idea she would have considered anathema only an hour ago and thought she tried to shake it, the thought was playing with her head and making her do uncomfortable things like question herself, something she was not cool with.

“Miss?” The feminine voice was like a rubber band to the forehead and Rainbow turned to look at the nurse who was giving her a puzzled look.

“Yeah?” She stuttered out.

“Did you have any final questions before you go in?” The nurses tone was ever so slightly softer, it was still felt like a knife edge, but Rainbow guessed that was about as friendly as she ever came.

Final question, wait, what, I have like thirty? The thought screamed at her, damn it she hadn't been paying attention. But as she looked around at the nurse and guards all slowly staring at her, embarrassment took over from rational thought and instead she just smiled.

“Nah I'm good.” She said waving her hoof dismissively, trying her best to play off the fact that she had thousands of questions, but didn’t know how my of them had already been answered in her distracted addled mind.

She silently scolded her less than exemplary capacity for concentration, she had tried to pay attention, she really had. But they just kept droning on and on about the same thing, don't do this, don't do that, hell why did ponies take forever to say something that could be summed up in a sentence?

It felt more like she was about to sit a test, rather than... well, whatever this all was?

She sighed inwardly, it didn't matter, once this was over she was going to be captain of the Wonderbolts soon anyway, they didn’t do tests. Well they did, in fact that was the biggest problem to her being one, but she didn't have to worry about that anymore.

After all she was about to be the next Spit-

“-Hello!” The nurse snapped waving a hoof in front of Rainbows eyes.

Rainbow blinked, flinching backwards “ Wha? Oh sorry, I was, eh, thinking about other things.”

Damnit, how hard was it to just pay attention!

The nurse sighed as she sat on her flank, holding the bridge of her muzzle “why do I always have to babysit-” she paused stopped herself, then went into a speech she had clearly practiced and perfected a long time ago. “I know it might seem scary, you clearly have a lot on your little mind." she said earnestly, but Rainbow couldn't help but detect a level of sarcasm in it. "But you will be perfectly safe, the creature is contained to her cot and guards will be just behind the doors. She doesn’t seem to have any magical abilities that we can discern. But just to be safe, we have a horn disrupter attached to her leg, it was designed by one of the Princess's leading pioneers in magi-engineering so I’m told, just don’t do anything stupid and you’ll be fine.”

Rainbow stopped, blinked again then crinkled her brow , “wait, why would I be in danger, I'm only talking to her right?”

The nurse paused, looking back with an unamused deadpan expression, then when she searched for the joke and found the mare she was looking at was deadly serious, Rainbow watched as the nurses jaw open and close a few time’s before she answered, “you’re being serious?”

Rainbow nodded growing more annoyed at having to repeat herself, “yeah, why would I be in danger?”

The nurse eye twitched and she made to speak, but stopped suddenly and only shock her head, Rainbow raised an eye at her and looked back, but all she could find was Nightlight fixing her glasses behind her, before she turned and fixed Rainbow with what she probably assumed was a friendly smile.

Rainbow repressed the slightest bit of a shudder, before looking back at the nurse, who was shaking her head.

“Never mind, it’s not my fault if this all goes to muck, here, just sign this, I have a lot of work to do.” she said hoofing over a clipboard towards Rainbow who looked down at it but didn’t take it.

“What’s that?” Rainbow asked starting to feel annoyed at the nurses barely concealed contempt.

“It’s just a legal document, so that we have proof that you were properly informed before you go in.” The nurse said offhandedly, all but thrusting it onto Rainbows hooves along with a pen.

Rainbow took it begrudgingly and began to read it slowly, ignoring the pen which further annoyed the nurse who rolled her eyes. Behind her Rainbow could hear a chuckle escape from Night Lights mouth, but she was too busy reading to really notice.

“It says that you guys aren't responsible for maiming, what’s my hair got to do with anything?” Rainbow asked clutching one of her shaggy multi coloured locks.

“Funny... oh Celestia you’re being serious again, aren't you?” The nurse raised a brow as Rainbow read on.

“The hospital is not responsible for any mayhem, destruction of property, or battery inflicted on the client who breaks hospital policy?”

“Like I said, Legal stuff, nothing to worry about.”

“This includes but is not limited to, larceny, ligament damage, spontaneous combustion and full body Implosion?” Rainbow yelled as she read the statement again to make sure what she said was actually correct. “You really think I’m gonna explode?”

“How do you know what spontaneous combustion is, but not maiming?” The nurse asked, but was met with an incredulous look from the cyan mare.

The nurse shook her head condescendingly, “You know what never mind, I don’t control what the layers write, I’m a nurse, not a solicitor, if it’s in there it’s just to be sure, now if you want to argue the finer legalities of the paper, we have legal experts that would be happy to help, but I have patients to attend to, so if you would just sign the thing we can be on our way.”

Rainbow grabbed the pen and shot the nurse a sideways glare, “alright alright geez, for a nurse you got a pretty lousy bedside manor.” Rainbow muttered as she scribbled down a name.

Without even looking the nurse tucked the clipboard under one of her wings before pointing to a door down the hall. “Head down that corridor on the left, the guards have been briefed, so they will let you in. Again be concise and be gentle, don’t do anything moronic she maybe eh, whatever the heck she is, but she’s still a recovering patient, a very confused, very temperamental patient so don’t go barging in yelling.”

“Yeah yeah, indoor voice anything else I need to know, mom?” Rainbow answered feeling more than a little annoyed at being talked down to, she didn’t even wait for the nurses response as she began her trot down the hall.

Rolling her eyes the nurse yelled out one last time. “Be warned, we have your name Ms" she looked down at the document, "Ima Nass.” She yelled threateningly as she watched Rainbow turn the corner smirking.

The nurse paused, mouthing the odd name again, as something about it didn't feel quite right before she looked down at the legal documents again. “Ima Nass?” She said aloud again, until it finally clicked.

Rainbow turned and just as the nurse said on the other side of it was two guards and a door, the corridor was not particularly large, in fact it was the same size as the rest they had walked down save for the main one, like the veins of a leaf, but to Rainbow, here and now, about to set hoof inside the room of a creature unknown to all, it felt like it might as well have been on the other side of the planet.

Rainbow stopped a few hooves before the guards, She felt Nightlight behind her stop, she had not heard her hooves behind her since she came here but now it was almost deliberate, like she wanted Rainbow to hear them, slowly Rainbow turned back.

“Afraid?” Nightlight said before Rainbow had a chance to say anything, smirking as she inquisitively tilted her head slightly.

“As if!” Rainbow said, but did not move forward.

Nightlight trotted forward and placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder, “Relax little foal, do not be so scared, you are well protected, there are at least thirty guards in and around the hospital, and me of course.”

If she had meant that last part to be a comfort it didn’t quite have the effect she had wanted, but Rainbow wasn’t about to be out done by this prissy white creep.

"I ain't scared and stop calling me a foal, I'm twenty for pony's sake!" Rainbow yelled, shrugging off the hoof like it was diseased, "it's just somepony in hospital, I already saw it, I mean her before anyway, not sure you know this, but I was the pony that sort'a dragged her to this place you know, so quit playing around with my head." Rainbow growled pointing at Night Light, who only smiled back at her.

Come on, you’ll be fine just go in already, your making us look bad. Came a thought in her head and she huffed as she turned back towards the hallway and trotted forward. She wasn't scared, it was every pony else trying to make her scared, she had already met this creature anyway, so why did that do little reassure her?

“Be careful of her fangs,” Night Light yelled to Rainbow with a giggle, “see you in a little while… I hope.”

Rainbow scowled at that, she really was starting to hate this mare, mostly because it seemed she was actually the only pony who really could see just how nervous Rainbow was, and that bugged her more than anything.

Yo, you gonna let her mess with us, show her we're not scared, say something back at her!

“-yeah, well right back at ya pal!”

Smooth Rainbow, smooth.

Gritting her teeth she walked up towards the guards, who lifted there spears without so much as a glance, she hesitated for only a second, staring at the slightly off coloured bronze of the door handle, the only bulwark between her and the unknown, then shaking her head, she steeled her resolve, turned it and stepped inside.

Rainbow did not know what to expect when she entered the room, perhaps a cage or a string of magical runes or a platoon of armoured guards pointing sharpened obsidian spears surrounded by magical rune enhanced cages and a rockodille for good measure. Whatever it was she imagined, the thoughts shattered like glass as she stepped into the room.

Instead of some secret clandestine meeting, she was greeted not with the heavy panting of the hound of Tartarus, but instead with the steady beeping rhythms of a heart monitor. The room itself was dimly lit, almost pitch black save for the light coming from a crocked lamp in the corner and the dreary white furnishing's of the hospital walls slightly yellowed with time and a coarse lime green bedding that almost made her feel itch just to look at.

In a lump of blankets lay the creature, though from this angle, Rainbow could make out nothing save for the fact that the figure was at the very least in her bed, which was if nothing else a comfort in and of itself, knowing it was there and not waiting for her in the shadows, or something like that anyway.

About where the creatures head would be, sat an oxygen mask and dotting under the sheets and spreading out, like the tendrils of some spindly spiders web were plastic tubing of what Rainbow assumed was an intravenous drip and the wires of heart monitors stickers.

She might not have been a doctor, but she had enough experience to know that just from a quick glance, even after so many years.

Like most things in real life, the reality of things compared to fantasy, were far more depressing and mundane.

Inside this dimly dreary room sat Rainbows fantastical creature, all that worry, all that tension she had felt, slowly leaked out of her, replaced by painful memories of her past. So much time spent in a hospital no different from this one, she didn't know what feeling she disliked more the anxiety or the aching nostalgia. But still Rainbow kept her guard up, better to be cautious and look like a fool, than brave and have your front teeth push in, her uncle had once told her.

Admittedly she was five when he had told her that, probably a little too young to be told something like that, but she never quite got the phrasing, or the meaning out of her head, and really it was sage advice, if a little morbid.

Rainbow trotted to the side, her back never quite leaving the wall by the door she had entered from.

She could see the creature, no that didn’t really feel right to her, she wasn’t an animal she was a… er, well a She! Yeah, that would work for now. She lay with her head up against the pillow, ashen blonde hair draped down, like cascading rivers on either side of her head, as they splashed against her shoulders. Her deep pale blue eyes were closed behind the veil of sleep and pinkish white eyelids, she looked peaceful, as anything in this position could.

And try as she might, Rainbow couldn't shake the slightest weird feeling of disappointment in the fact that those eyes were closed to her.

Rainbow looked around at the uncomfortably quite and unmoving room, as if some pony might give her the next step in what the hell she should actually be doing. But as she had been explicitly told no less than thirty times, she was and would for the foreseeable future be, completely alone. Out of a lack of options Rainbow thought about speaking up, but then remembered what the nurse had told her about not agitating the She and pursed her lips into a thoughtful frown.

Just what the hell was she even doing here?

She slumped her shoulders, feeling that tense, anxious feeling back in her chest again. Even though she had only been in the room for a minute, it already felt like she was letting Checkers down and by extension herself. But she honestly didn't have the slightest clue what she should be doing, all her thoughts and stratagems about this moment had hindged on the tiny but now seemingly vital fact that this She would actually be, you know awake.

It wasn't like she was going to shake the She awake for a game of twenty questions.

Looking around the room for anything to distract herself, she spotted a large chalkboard that she hadn't noticed was there before. Both boredom and a lack of direction drew her eyes up to where she would normally have turned away with all haste, as she gazed around at the black markings and hasty scribbles on it's surface.

Most of it was chicken scratch, either written too frantically or in a medical nomenclature that might as well have been gibberish to her. The only thing she had noticed out of all the diagrams was the crude drawling of the creatures claws, (or whatever they were called.)

The most prominent images of the claw things and the ones it seemed that had not been rubbed out and re drawn at least a dozen times were the two at the very end, easily the largest illustrations, one of a claw flat out and one two claws touching the smaller one in an ‘o’ shape.

‘Yes and No,’ were written underneath them both, followed by another hastily written side note next to them that read ‘both, neither?’ All four words where aggressively underline multiple times, leading Rainbow to guess that whoever had wrote them had no real idea if that was actually right or wrong.

Looking back up at the jumbled mess of drawing and words, she could sympathise with their frustration.

Looking back at ‘She,’ Rainbow began to walk to the side of the bed to get a better picture of the her real claws, hoping if nothing else, they might perhaps hold the answers. Answers to what? She had no idea, but it was better than sitting on her plot as far as she was concerned.

Trotted over Rainbow looked down just in time to see the yellow line on the floor and the fact that she was easily a hoof past it.

Pausing a moment, she thought about the ramifications of implosions and laser beam deaths that were not so much promised, but heavily implied by the nurse for those who crossed the line. Then, she thought of the other ramifications of being left in a dark dreary room for however many hours with nothing but boredom as her companion.

Rainbow made it fully past the yellow line not a moment later, as she landed near the foot of the bed. She stopped and studied She for a moment, the soft almost undetectable rise and fall of her chest, the smooth furless shape of her thin toned arms, the lines and wrinkles of her claws. She looked...Soft?

Rainbow wrinkled her nose at the thought and shook her head.

Dude, seriously?

Stepping closer towards She's claws, Rainbow noticed something else, a thick line was bulging out from the blankets imprinted even under the bedsheets across the creatures body horizontally. Rainbow blinked in surprise, before she quickly deduced that this was the hospital straps. Three of them to be exact, starting from her chest, then waist and ended by her hooves.

No that was definitely not right, even under the bedding Rainbow could see these weren't hooves, they were too large for a start, what the heck were they, talons?

Nah, not pointy enough, they're probably eh, leg... end things?’ She considered, then nodded, yep, that would have to do.

She sighed inwardly , it was something she would have to ask She when She woke up... Which was when exactly?

Rainbow eyes gazed over both She's leg end things, then back up to her eyes and that was when she got her answers. Blue sapphires meet her own scarlet ones as Rainbow looked into ‘She’s’ face. Rainbow tensed at the sight, like a deer in the headlights or more accurately, like a mare who had stepped over a yellow line after she had been told not to no less than fifteen times.

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention, as she met those cold blue eyes and for a moment the room stood frozen beyond time, then without thinking she stepped to the side, knocking against the bed and felt something touch her side. It was when she flashed a look back and noticed the claws tracing her fur ever so slightly that she shot a look back to see the creature staring at her that terror really griped her. It was closer to her now, leaning against the restraints of her bed towards her and now She was smiling wide down at her.

Rainbow never screamed, she was above such things, ask anypony, well ask Rainbow first, because other ponies lie, but if you where to ask her at that exact moment she would have said no, she didn't scream. She just yelled out something that just so happened to sound very much like a scream.

Diving back as quickly as her wings could carry her, she was just across the yellow line when the doors flew open and two stern looking guards marched in.

“What’s going on?” One guard commanded.

“Are you alright Mrs?” The other, a mare asked, leaning over towards Rainbow who was plastered against the wall.

Rainbow's eyes tore away from the creature and towards the Guard who had spoken, then back to the creature who was back against the pillow now, asleep as though the whole last five minutes had not happened.

Then suddenly Rainbow realised where she was and what she had done to get away, and not wanting to look craven pushed herself back onto her hooves and brushed pretended to brush dirt off her shoulder, a weak smile on her face. “Fine guys, all good, just eh, making sure you’re on your hooves, just a test haha.” She laughed showing too much teeth as she stroked the back of her neck, nonchalantly.

The two guards shared a knowing glance before the stallion spoke. “I said five minutes before she screams, so I win.”

Rainbow gave them an incredulous look, almost aghast at their accusation, “Screamed, what-da-ya-mean, I didn't do that, what are you talking about!”

"No, that was four minutes thirty seconds, I was counting Iron hoof," the mare guard said. Pulling out a stop watch from somewhere in her breastplate.

"A bet, you guy's where betting on me, what the heck!" Rainbow was yelling now, but all the while she was throwing her glances over at the creature as if she was about to pop up and wave, in on this little bet.

But she was still asleep on the bed, or at least pretending to it seemed.

"Hey, keep you're voice down, you'll get in trouble, this is a hospital, lieutenant orders!" The stallion said, his voice somewhat pleading as Rainbows eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh yeah, well news flash buddy, I ain't a guard, so maybe if you don't tell me what's going on, I might just start actually screaming, then we'll so who really get's in trouble here?" She said positively seething, though she was not quite sure at who, the guard or the creature or both?

Again the two guards looked at one another, the stallions shook his head grimly at the mare, but it seemed to go over her head as she turned back towards Rainbow, “Look it's just a game, no harm telling her Iron hoof, might as well tell her?” the mare said to the stallion who was giving her an expression that seemed like he wasn't quite sure that was a good idea.

“Just tell me already!” Rainbow snapped.

“It’s sort a game she likes to play, like a prank.” Iron hoof answered with a sigh.

“She acts like she's asleep and then when ponies go over the yellow line-”

“-And they always do.” He interrupted with a shrug.

“She scares them, like she got you.” The mare said with an impish grin.

“She totally didn’t get me, I’m like ungetable… She didn’t get me, alright!” She snapped again, folding her hooves in front of her and glaring past at the sleeping creature again.

“Whatever filly, I’m just saying what usually happens.” The stallion shrugged again, clearly unconvinced of the mares bravado probably having heard the same excuse many times before.

“It was annoying at first but well, we can't exactly stop her doing it, plus we figured it makes for quite a good bet, I won a ton of bit’s last time with this one nurse, we're not supposed to play for money, but whatever no harm done.” The mare guard confessed with a shrug, before looking at his fellow guardsman who was giving him a deathly glare.

“What?” the mare guard asked, looking back up at him, “didn't tell you about the money par-gah!” she grunted as the other guard was already marching out the room collar first, most likely to give her a measured and clear speech about the finer points of being a guard and probably one about blabbing secret bets to random civilian as well.

Once more Rainbow was left alone with the creature. This time whatever tense feeling that had been there before was gone, replaced instead, by rage and embarrassment, as she waltzed right up to where she had been before.

“So, you like scaring ponies, do you?” She asked accusingly, looking up at She's eyes, now closed again almost serenely. Rainbow glared up at the creature, but froze on what she had to say as she gave this She a closer look, she never actually had the chance before, what with all the blood, the panicking and trying to get help before something bad happened.

It was like nothing she had ever seen before, no muzzle, no fur save for the mane on her head only skin. Her nose, if something that small could be called such, was like an arrow, curved and sharp, her lips thin but plump. Her face was rounded but pointed in places and ended with a sharpness at the base, everything was just so flat, so alien to Rainbow or any other type of race she could think of, how could a face be so flat, no muzzle to speak of whatsoever.

It looked uncomfortable, like one of those short snouted dogs, she wondered if it had trouble breathing, then she looked down at the oxygen mask on her face and rerated that thought almost immediately.

She found that so odd, yet she could not look away from it, it was like staring at one of those optical illusionary paintings, where one thing from afar was actually a lot of other things. Every second she looked she would see something new, something she had not seen at first glance, it confused her, yet enraptured her all the same.

She’s so pale, like a piece of paper. She rubbed her eyes, what was she doing she was supposed to be talking to the creature.

She waved her hooves over the creature's face, but it didn’t flinch.

She was convincing to say the least. Probably from days of practice. “Well you might have thought you got me, but you didn’t, that was just my reflective judo reaction noise, if I wasn’t so trained, I’d have knocked your head off before you before you could even blink…”

The creature made no noise in response, neither did she move, in fact the only indication that she was even alive came from the beating of the heart monitor.

“Yo, you hear what I said? I know you’re not asleep, you know, you can cut the act now, you hear me right?” She snapped again, unamused by this little game of hers. Though if she considered the fact that if the tables had been turned, she would be a hypocrite for yelling.

She was one of the biggest pranksters she knew after all.

Her ear twitched reflexivity as she heard a single knocking noise coming from the creatures side, looking down she caught sight of She's claw flex against the strap holing it in place toward the metal rack underneath her bed, then with great effort, brought it back to the position fixed against her sides.

Looking back up she once again was greeted with the creatures pale blue eyes. Only this time she did not flinch, but looked glared into them.

“That ain't going to work twice," Rainbow said narrowing her eyes, and moving ever so slightly closer towards the creature, "you understand me right?”

Silence reigned for a long moment there as the two of them stared at one another unblinking, then finally after an age another knock came, Rainbow chanced a quick glance again at the creatures claws then back at the creature's face.

“That a yes or somethin’?” Rainbow asked and got her answer with another knock against the metal frame, as the creature began to draw her lips back into another smile, much like before. Rainbow was not sure whether the smile was warm or unnerving and settled in her mind that it was somehow both, but she wasn't about to let that show on her face.

Rainbow glanced at her teeth, they looked sharp there was no lie, but there where no fangs, at least not the ghastly yellow needle like ones she had imagined, in fact save for four small ones they were mostly flat like hers, almost as white to.

“What are you?" she said, almost unable to help herself, before she rethought her question, "I mean what sorta species are you, also like, you got like a name as well, because the no name things kinda' getting to be a bit of a drag, and well... rude I guess.” She shrugged, rubbing the back of her mane, looking up at the creature who merely shook her head ever so slightly an ever so slight twitch in her eye, probably from the pain of moving.

Rainbow blinked at her, “What, you don’t got a name, you like a, like a nameless sort of creature, like there isn’t like hundreds of you and you’re like an escaped clone. Because I read a comic once about that and even though you might be clone one thousand and thirty three, we can totally always come up with a real name or something. Something that’s cool but also means something too, like the silencer, or the knocker or old blue eyes… any of those names sound good?”

Instead of knock, or perhaps two knocks that might mean no, not that anypony would say no to an awesome nickname like The Silencer, Rainbow only heard the flurry of squeaking noises. Puzzled she looked down for just a second at her hooves, thinking a mouse had somehow gotten into the room.

The creature smirked as it shook its head once more, rolled it’s eyes and fixed her gaze downwards, drawing Rainbow’s own gaze to the creatures claw thing, which was closed into a ball except for one claw pointing outwards, Rainbow traced the line of her claw towards a small table at the side and raised her brow.

"What's that gotta do with a name?" Rainbow asked, but for whatever reason the creature said nothing and continued to point.

Rainbow looked over to the desk and walked towards it. Taking the initiative, and because there was no pony to ask permission, (not that she would have asked anyway,) unceremoniously opened it only to be greeted with a pen and an empty scroll. The sight of it sent unsettling memories of school and test and she reflexively frowned when she picked it up.

“Oh right, why didn’t you just say so?” Rainbow stated as she tucked the open and paper into her wing and walked back, only to be greeted with a confused, almost bemused look. “What?” She asked, before her eyes drew her to the mass of cloth and bandages around her neck and finally the dots finally connected.

Thankful the room was so dark so that she could not see Rainbows immense blush of shame, she cringed at her own blunder and muttered. “Oh right the neck thing?”

She did not respond with anything, only looked back at Rainbow blankly.

Wow dude, neck thing really? I would have said it a bit soother if I where you. A voice inside her mind chided her, as she halted halfway across the room.

Waiting for whatever distasteful look she had rightfully incurred, instead she looked up in surprise as she heard once again the soft squeak of what sounded like one of Fluttershy's many mouse friends and suddenly realised what that squeaking sound was.

She was laughing, or at least that’s what her body was doing, the sound was anything but the noise of laughter, it was like a whistle blowing short little burst in the wind. The gesture was an uncanny dissociation in her head, she had never seen laughter without the actual sound coming out a mouth before. It was both intriguing and if she was honest slightly unnerving.

But it sealed any doubt in her mind, This creature was truly unable to make even the most basic noise, she was not faking it for a prank or perhaps even a sinister ulterior motive. The simple explanation was ever the right one and it somehow saddened Rainbow more that the most pleasant noise in the world, a laugh was now impossible for this creature to make.

She couldn’t even imagine a world without that sound, it just seemed so very sad.

It was only when she heard a rapid succession of taping that she snapped out of her senses, She looked up to see the smile gone from She, replaced by a confused frown and raised brow.

Rainbow felt once more ashamed by the reaction she had, she felt like she had been that bummer at the party who had brought the mood down. Robbing this mare of whatever enjoyment she might of had, even at Rainbows own expense, amusement was a rare but treasured commodity in a hospital bed, she should know. It struck her that this creature probably didn’t get many chances to laugh, even if it was only half of one.

“So eh, about that name?” She asked moving the paper over to She's claw, along with the pen.

The creature studied her for a few seconds more as if trying to read Rainbow through just her expression alone, then suddenly a gust wind howled against the side of the building and the creatures eyes wondered slightly towards the window of her room and Rainbows followed her towards it.

After a moment, Rainbows eyes wandered back towards She, but when she tried to meet her gaze again she noticed the woman simply looked past her, transfixed to the window or presumably what lay past it, she noticed the woman's eyelids dilate slightly, a deep feeling of longing affixing her expression. She even noticed She's nostrils flare as she breathed in, as if trying to absorb the scent of the air. But the window was firmly closed, and the only scent was the somewhat nocuous lingering scent of the cleaning chemicals and sterilised tools in the room.

That's funny, I thought uncle said there weren't gonna be any wind today? She mussed for a moment as she watched the whipping winds pull the tops of the trees around like marionettes.

Rainbow wanted to stare a little long, perhaps thinking she would catch whatever it was She was looking at. But looked back, when she felt the pressure against her hoof and did her best to slowly look down at She's claw moved up and down with a familiar if shaky sound of scratching pen on parchment.

It seemed based on the effort that even writing was painful in the creatures position, but then finally Rainbow saw the claw move back, she looked up at the creature, who smiled at her ever so slightly, before Rainbow brought the scroll with feverish anticipation to her face.

“...I-like-your-voice?” She read aloud after a long moment of silence, then read again, “what kinda’ name is that, like Prench or somethin'?” She asked. Before looking back up at She hoping that her facial features might tell her what the hell that kind of name meant.

But when she looked back up, she saw that She's eyes where closed.

Rainbow waited for whatever trick this might have been, well versed at this game now. But as the moments stretched into minutes Rainbow began to worry that perhaps something bad might have actually happened. Lifting herself with her wings she hovered over her, lifting a hoof up to her mouth, feeling the tickle of warm breath on her fur she calmed down.

She watched as the creatures chest rose up, then fell, rose and fell, until Rainbow realised that She had fallen asleep… for real this time it seemed.

Looking back down at the scroll she pondered if there was a double meaning behind it. But came up with nothing, she didn’t really strike Rainbow as a somepony who dealt in anagrams, but even if she did, there was nothing she could do about that at this moment.

Despite herself, Rainbow chuckled as she thought about leaving the scroll back onto the table, but instead decided to keep it. Despite it all, she had to give the creature props, she didn’t know if she could ever be able to make light of a situation like this or even pull a prank off, in that condition.

She didn’t know what to think about the creature, she didn’t even get her name, but she had to admit to herself, in some weird way, she kinda’ liked her.

Nopony with eyes like that could be evil. She thought and shook her head.

What was with her today?

6) It Follows

The clock in the room ticked ominously like a metronome keeping time at a funeral procession as the organ began it’s final wailing for the departed, at least that was how the mare in front of Checkers was probably viewing it, based on her fidgeting, who looked like she was the one they where playing for.

“Don’t give me that look, she barely spoke to me at all.” Rainbow said huffing from the other side of the desk, Checkers lowered a corner of the scroll he was reading from, the one that Night Light had written as an after action report the moment Rainbow had stepped out of the creatures room.

Checkers gaze momentarily flicked from the report to Rainbow and already he could tell the mare was clearly uncomfortable. Checkers was good at reading ponies, it was what they paid him for after all, and just from a gaze he could already tell why Rainbow wasn’t having a good time waiting in his office for him to finish reading.

She had probably seen this scenario more than once in her life. From her teachers to her job prospects, and most likely if Checkers records were correct, the Wonderbolts recruitment board and it seemed the mare hated waiting and the powerlessness or perhaps the lack of control that came with that feeling.

How long are you going to torture this poor girl? He asked himself, smirking behind the paper obfuscating his features at Rainbow who was tapping her hoofs together with a deep and thoughtful frown. She’s probably thinking she’s blown this opportunity, it’s time you let her off the hook.

How wrong she was, as behind the paper Checkers was practically beaming at her and at himself as well. How had such a gamble paid off so well and with so little cost? He had not felt this feeling in such a long time, his losing streak, the endless kicking of life, was it finally starting to die down?

This mare, in the span of a ten minute meeting, had managed to get that stonewall creature to actually acknowledge her, better even, she communicated with it! Of course communication was perhaps too strong a word, it seemed to only be a few words exchanged, if that, most of it coming from body gestures and writing. Understandable when coming from something that couldn’t communicate back. But even still, this was an amazing development, and already, Checkers mind was reeling with the possibility of finally getting some answers.

He tried not to stare back at Rainbow, but couldn’t help but be in awe of her, he knew she was a social creature, at least from what he had seen at the bar. But what had she managed to say to the creature to get it to trust her enough to talk?

The report he had been reading was detailed enough, but something else must have happened, the creature wouldn't just start talking to anypony without reason, after all, Checkers wondered what it might have been?

But even still she had no training whatsoever and even though he had to give himself some credit, after all it was his hunch after all. He still could never have predicted it would go this well. After all, that neither himself nor Night Light had been able to drag out anything from the creature in almost half a month!

Perhaps I should have kept the recommendation for the guard instead? He thought idly, such potential shouldn’t be wasted on the flight core.

“You could have told me that she likes to prank ponies by the way, I felt like an idiot.” Rainbow said, after a long moment of silence, she had been brooding slightly ever since Checkers had been reading and he had wanted to address that, but had been too preoccupied with the results. He watched as she folded her hooves in front of her chest, and lifted her nose up slightly, as the tone alone couldn’t convey her annoyance at being left out of the loop.

“I thought the little nurse explained her behaviour quite well actually.” Came a voice from behind Rainbow's chair.

Checkers caught Rainbow stiffening slightly at the sound of the voice just behind her ear, and watched as she fought to keep herself from showing any signs of being startled. Most likely to deny the mare who had just materialised behind her the satisfaction of seeing her jump,. Though unfortunately for Rainbow, the mare in question was Sargent Night Light who was an expert at body language and even if she wasn't, even Checkers noticed the twitching in Rainbows wings wing gave her away.

“Will you stop doing that!” Rainbow yelled, as she caught the gleam of amusement in the white mare's expression, even behind the glasses.

“It’s a part of my nature, I am not sorry for it.” Night Light said casually, “If you had listened, you would have heard me, as you might have heard the nurse, she did explain ze creatures eccentricities rather well.”

Rainbow blushed, “I was listening, I just, I was distracted okay, I had a lot on my mind.”

Checkers placed the paper down on the table gingerly and sighed, he made a mental note to run through it more thoroughly later when he could concentrate, without these two mares bickering in front of him. “Night Light, stop that." he lightly scolded, then turned what he hoped was pleasant smile over to Rainbow, "Rainbow did an excellent job, she’s accomplished more than any of us have.” He said and smiled brightly at the smaller multi-colour maned mare, who’s annoyance dissipated almost instantly at his praise.

“Ha, eat that little miss jump scare!” Rainbow said, pointing at the alabaster mare, who suddenly wasn’t where she had been.

“I would have gotten it out of her, if only I had been allowed to do it properly.” Night Light said with a shrug, materialising on the other side of Rainbow, who to her credit, managed to keep her wings from twitching a second time.

Rainbow raised her brow sceptically, then turned back to Checkers who slowly shook his head at the thought, “No I don’t think you could have. Besides we talked about that, this way is much better, we can already learn so much from her, without resorting to unsavoury tactics.”

“Really?” Both mares said at the same time, one with sardonic disbelief the other with giddy enthusiasm.

“Yes, we can learn what she said and what she is, by the way she said it,” He said resolutely.

“Yeah, exactly,” Rainbow said, flashing her grin at Night Light again, before after a moment she looked back slightly puzzled at Checkers, “Err, but she didn’t say anything?”

“Correct in a literal sense yes, but now we know she’s resourceful enough to speak in other ways, not quite the wild animal is she, Night Light?” Checkers said in an amused voice.

Rainbow’s gaze flickered back to Night Light’s who stayed as naturally placid as if she hadn’t heard it, until she simply inclined her head a fraction, Never do like admitting when you're wrong Night Light, just like me I suppose.

“I have heard some monkeys in the zoo communicate with their hands.” She responded dryly.

Rainbow blinked, “Really? Wait, is that what her claws are called?”

“But now,” Checkers continued ignoring both of them, “even just opening some form of communication, she’s already indirectly told us, she doesn’t trust the guard or at the very least doesn't trust authority enough to communicate with us, but with you Rainbow, for whatever reason, she is willing to try, that can tell us so much more.”

“Right I get that,” Rainbow said, clearly not exactly understanding a word but not wanting to be left out of the loop, “but what the heck does, I like your voice mean?”

“That she’s clearly deaf, as vell as mute?” Night Light said and Checkers could see her smirk had returned even wider when Rainbow flashed her an evil glare.

“Well,” Checkers said easing back onto his chair and pondering the question with a smirk, “if nothing else it tells us that she’s at least capable of being civil with you, I suppose that’s her way of trying to extend an olive branch, or she has a odd sense of humour, although we gathered that part already.” He said, muttering the last part more to himself than anypony else.

“She must have been in those woods a long time, perhaps ze big ape has finally gotten lonely and desperate enough to talk, perhaps even she has accepted you as her new little simian foal, aren't you luck?” Night Light said patting Rainbows shoulder condescendingly.

Checkers had expected Rainbow to shoot back some sort of response to that last part, after all Night Light was clearly going out of her way, for whatever reason to annoy the mare, but instead, she just slowly frowned and then looked down at the floor.

Bit for your thoughts Rainbow? Checkers thought to himself as both he and Night Light glanced at one another but then she finally spoke.

“Does she have anypony else, like do you think she has any friends or family?” Rainbow asked earnestly.

For the sake of Equestria, this investigation and my own theory, I certainly hope not.

“Well Rainbow, that’s the sort of thing we were hoping you would find out for us.” Checkers answered diplomatically with a small smile, the sort of smile he had trained himself to do talking to thousands of investigations to defuse tension in the room, and as usual it seemed to have worked as the mare slowly smiled back.

“So, like, I take it I passed right, you lot’ll want me around for the next one?” She asked, trying to keep the edge of excitement from her tone as she looked at both Checkers and strangely at Night Light.

Night Light turned slowly towards Checkers, lifting her brow to give her silent judgemental response to that, although even with her none to subtle jabs, but it was clear to Checkers, that even Night Light was impressed.

Checkers leaned forward until his elbows where on the table, his smile broader now, more natural than it had been in months.

“Rainbow, you keep this up and soon enough you’ll be flying in Cloudsdale stadium.”

Four days later.

“Cloudsdale Stadium, Cloudsdale stadium, wind through your wings, crowd cheering in your ears.” Rainbow whispered to herself, closing her eyes and focusing only on that picture in her head trying her best to stay positive and stay focused.

It was either that or she was going to murder some pony, in this case some creature.

She cleared her throat, lifted the paper up in front of her and read again.

“Do you come from somewhere north of Equestria?”

Pause, blink, then nod.

“Are there more of your kind out there?”

Another pause, then nod.

“Do you have connections or have you ever made contact with the entity known as The Ripper prior to coming to Ponyville?”

Ruffling of the bedsheets, nod.

“If you're not paying attention because you’re an idiot, nod again.”

There was half a second's hesitation, then the beginnings of a nod, before She caught herself, turned her eyes away from the window slowly and gracefully met Rainbows eyes for the first time in over thirty minutes, and gave Rainbow an impish smile.

Rainbow however was not smiling.

“You’re doing it again, are you even paying attention?” Rainbow asked, throwing up her hooves in exacerbation and almost throwing the sheet in her hooves up in the air as she lifted them up over her head.

She’s only response was another pause, then another nod.

Rainbow groaned as she rubbed her tired eyes with her hooves, unsure if she wanted to rip up the paper in her hooves, slam her head into her hooves or slam She’s head into her hooves! How long had it been since they had started this session and already it was going nowhere.

Again!

How many days is this gonna take, what went wrong? She thought as she looked back up to see the creature. She was still sitting there, still smiling innocently at her, her head cocked sideways now, as if to imply she had no idea why Rainbow was so frustrated.

News flash, she was the reason!

Rainbow closed her eyes and slowly counted backwards from ten. A simple trick her father had taught her when she was too wound up to think straight, though it was only really meant for hoofball practice, and really it was only meant for small things not stuff like this. But right now especially, it seemed to be the only thing stopping her from exploding out of her chair, grabbing She by the hospital gown and shaking her until she stopped being so infuriating.

Rainbow thought back to the day after her meeting with Checkers almost four days ago and back when She was still being annoying, but nowhere near as bad as now, just what had gone so wrong in only four days?

Rainbow remembered going back to the hospital for her second meeting with the creature, half asleep and still somewhat late. Because, try as she might, one night of responsibility was not about to break a lifetime of slacking off. When she was ambushed not by a nurse this time, but by Checkers himself, who had hoofed what looked like an exam paper towards her before she even had the time to register what it was.

“What the heck is this for?” Rainbow had asked, holding the paper much like somepony would hold a dead rat. She had her fill of any piece of paper with questions on it for a lifetime now and the sight of it was enough to invoke a lifelong discomfort of exam halls and school.

“As much as the unconventional first contact might have been a success, something still needs to go by the books.” Checkers had explained calmly, then smiled, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but if I’m going to form a base of understanding about the creature, I need everything documented and structured.”

“Err, okay I guess.” Rainbow had said weary, as she had examined the questions, which looked more like nomenclature for a tax return than anything she would have asked She, like for example the questions she had thought of that night, namely do you have any cool powers, can you fly oh and also what do those round things on your chest do?

Instead, as she gazed at the questions with horror, she would now be asking about the regional dialect of her people and her species potential violent tendencies. Not exactly the, ’hey how was your morning?’ that Rainbow was going to start with.

She frowned down at the sheets and looked at Checkers who seemed unperturbed by the less than enthusiastic response.

“Don’t worry, you don’t need to get them finished right away, I know what you’re dealing with, but if you could at least get them finished by the end of the week, it would be more help than you could imagine.” he said, patting her shoulder and with that she was had been whisked away to once again stand by the foot of the creatures bed.

Rainbow had looked around the room, noticing the subtle changes to it. For one thing, the large yellow line marked with tape had been pulled up, judging by the incongruous clean line around the not exactly dirty, but not exactly clean linoleum floor.

The second thing she had noticed was the added furniture, a chair by the bed, a small table by it and another table by She’s bed, just about where her claw was, no not claws, what had they been called, H-hands right? Rainbow gave the extra furniture a sideways glance and strode over towards the table by the bed, but not before she felt something touch her wing.

It was then that she had also noticed the straps holding one of her claws appendages had been loosened and was now wrapped around her claw instead of over it, presumably so that the creature could write down her answer.

Rainbow had only known that after the fact though, and after she had almost jumped out of her skin and fur.

She had bitten down her anger as the creature had laughed in it’s unusual muted twittering whistling way and smiled at her, waving it’s now free-ish claw hand thing at her in a way Rainbow suspected might have been a mocking fashion, looking down at it as if to say, “you aren't the only pony with something new.”

Minutes had passed as Rainbow calmed down, sat at her chair and made a few passive aggressive remarks and rules about boundaries, that She had just nodded through in a way that Rainbow would later learn meant something very different to a simple confirmation.

But it seemed at least that the creature had been smiling and to Rainbow's mind had actually engaged with Rainbow, at least that was what Rainbow could see based on the fact that when Rainbow began reading from the questionnaire, everything changed.

Biting her tongue to stop her from asking the questions Rainbow had actually wanted to know, like could she shoot lasers out of her eyes, and don't those chest things get in the way when you run, she had instead started reading off the questions verbatim. Until she had finally reached the end of the page, which was a struggle considering Rainbow was having a hard time understanding them.

And it was her own language for ponies sake.

But when she had looked back up, instead of seeing She contemplating answers to her questions, or waiting for Rainbow to give her something to write with, Rainbow had noticed with both horror and aggravation that in fact, She had fallen asleep.

Again.

Rainbow had been rather taken back by this, and not for the first time a little confused, Rainbow had tired to wake She up, coughing loudly, asking She if she was okay, though no where near that politely and then finally shouting variations of "hey wake up!" until she felt like she was shouting at thin air.

Gritting her teeth she sighed through her nostrils in frustration and decided that she’d let it go for today, again.

There was always tomorrow after all, and giving She the benefit of the doubt, after all she was still recovering.

But ever since then, for the next three days it had gone pretty much the same, Rainbow would walk in, ask questions. She would either ignore them or simply lie her way through them and then, either she would get bored and stare out the window, Rainbow would run out of time, or worse of all, She would fall asleep.

And if Rainbow wasn’t the kind hearted patient, lovable mare she had always been she might have actually grabbed She by the shoulders and yell, “yo, am I boring you?” at her until she started paying attention, but instead she settled for merely visualising it, and grinding her teeth.

And to make matters worse, Rainbow still didn’t even have a name for ponies sake!

There were only so many times she was willing to do this, she was about as stubborn as a pony could get without being called a donkey, but even she had limits.

“Alright one more time, and I’m warning you, I ain’t doing it again, so pay attention alright?” Rainbow said now pointing her hoof at She daring her to back talk, like so many teachers had done to her right before detention was issued, not that Rainbow could put the creature in any more of an after school punishment, heck She was already confined to her room and her bed.

Literally in this case.

Raising her brow, She made a point of sitting as upright as she could on her bed, shuffling her shoulders against the restraints and then after a moment of teeth gratingly annoying preparation, She finally smiled and nodded as eagerly as the bandages around her neck would allow.

Rainbow watched her weirly for a moment in case She was about to pull out anything else to interrupt her, but when she only got a patient smile back she finally asked, “Do you live or have you ever visited Griffonia?”

i]She scrunched her lips in thought for a moment, looked up into the sky and pouted as if the thoughts and memories of it all were a blur to her, perhaps they were.

But then, eventually she turned back and met Rainbow’s eyes with a seriousness that Rainbow did not expect, nor could believe such an impish face could make. After all she had only ever seen her pull one cocky infuriating expression after another, in all the four days she had seen her. So the sight of it actually made her catch her breath for a moment as she watched She with all sincerity shake her head.

No.

Rainbow looked at her for a moment, her eyes widening at the shock of getting an actual answer. “Really?” she couldn’t help but say, as she scrambled for the pencil she had laid down almost thirty minutes ago, unused since Checkers had given it to her that afternoon.

But as she started to write down She’s answer, Rainbow chanced one last look back up at She, who it seemed was now smiling again, Rainbow paused, then looked back up from the paper watching as She bit her lip in thought, then looked up at the ceiling again.

Rainbow flinched mid bend, the pencil in her hoof forgotten as she raised her brow at She, leaning back into the chair and watching as She finally pulled a face that almost screamed, “oh silly me how could I forget,” then nodded yes to Rainbow's question.

There was a moment of profound silence in the room, that even the sound of an asteroid crashing through the roof could not have interrupted. Before Rainbow slowly let out a growl that sounded like a turbine powering up to full speed as she slammed the papers on the table and stood up.

“Know what, screw this, got better things to do today!”

It’s a Saturday for pony feathers sake, I should be getting ready to go out, have some fun, dance, not sat here foalsitting this idiot!

She dropped the sheet onto the table next to her, no point in even hoofing it over to Checkers today, it wasn't like she had anything to even write down, no surprise there it seemed. She groaned, her mind unhelpfully brought up all the offers to come out to Rosey's tonight she had turned down that morning, there would be no way of coming back there now, she had told them she was on important business, and she wasn’t about to face the teasing of going there with her tail between her legs.

Her day was well and truly ruined now, too late to do anything and too early to even go to sleep, and what had she got out of it, aggravation, embassament and a fat load of nothing to show for it... just like the last four nights.

Rainbow seethed as she stared at She's almost triumphant smile. She wanted to say wanted to say something nasty, really tell her what she thought about all this fun and games the creature was having at her expense. Didn't help that the way they were sitting and the size of the creature made it look like she was looking down on Rainbow which Rainbow hated more than anything, she wanted to let her know a piece of her mind about how rude it was to ruin ponies nights and Rainbow felt she was more than justified to do so.

Before she could do anything that would have gotten her in much deeper trouble, she breathed in deeply through her nose and then out through her mouth, but that was doing little to nothing about the temper, if anything it was only making it worse.

“Why don’t you take any of this seriously, don’t you care!” Rainbow finally snapped at her. She for her part, only raised her brow.

“They’re trying to find out who did this to you,” Rainbow said, gesturing to her own neck needlessly, “but you’re more interested in making a joke out of it, what are you sick in the head, after everything they’ve done for you!”

She’s expression went neutral as Rainbow drew closer, and for a moment the change in Rainbow's tone seemed to actually rub away that mischievous expression, as her smirk fell slightly and her brow raised just a fraction.
But She said nothing, did nothing, and more importantly looked at Rainbow, like she was nothing, and that made Rainbow's temper boil to the point of liquid fire.

But before Rainbow could continue her well earned rant about She's inability to take anything seriously, a sharp and sudden gust of wind slammed into the side of the building, sending the window of the hospital room off it’s latch as it swung open and cracked against the wall. Rainbow flinched at the sight of it, and so too did She, as they both turned at once towards it.

Rainbow raised her brow after collecting herself enough to lift her wings back down to her sides, Funny, wasn’t supposed to be any winds today? She thought, before she looked back up at She who had dropped the smile and was now staring out through the window towards the woods again.

Only this time her eyes had changed, gone was the inquisitive playful nature of before, replaced instead by a weary, twitching and Rainbow would almost say panicked franticness to her gaze

Rainbow furrowed her brow at She, as weirded out by her sudden change of mood as she had been with the wind, “What, now you’re gonna get all serious, just because of some wind?” Rainbow said sourly, but somewhere in the back of her mind she found it just as odd, that twice now high wind had come when no wind had been scheduled at all.

True she had been off work that day, but she knew the schedule, Ponyville was in a heat wave, would be for the next few days and her Uncle was not a pony to let something like this happen, let alone twice.

She glared back at She who only ignored her snide comment and continued to look out past that damned stupid window that she had ben glaring at for the past three days now, her eyes flickering around as if searching for something her brownish tanned skin colour going somehow paler than already was.

“What da ya expect to find out there anyway, it’s nothing but a bunch of trees?” Rainbow yelled, exacerbated, not expecting an answer from She, which made her all the more surprised, when Rainbow caught her lips moving anyway.

Leave.

Rainbow wasn’t exactly an expert lip reader, it wasn’t like she was trained for it. But she had had enough experience in the sky, trying to bark out orders during gales and whipping winds, not to mention having secret silent chats with her friends at the back of classrooms with the teacher watching to be good enough to confidently read someponys lips in brief sentences.

“What?” Rainbow said without thinking.

If She heard her she didn't acknowledge it, instead Rainbow saw her move frantically against her restraints, hearing the creaking sounds of the material against the muscles of her limbs as she began to strain against them, the sound of the heart monitor filled the room as the beats went up frantically, and Rainbow found herself drawing closer still as she watched the creature flailing.

"Hey hey dude, look it was just some wind, the windows probably old, calm down, okay." Rainbow said, lifting herself up towards the bed and without thinking, brought her hoof lightly onto She's hand.

The effect was almost instantaneous.

She tired to flinch backwards from Rainbows touch and Rainbow felt her tense up even more. But eventually she seemed to calm somewhat. Then after a moment longer, She brought her eyes to meet Rainbows, and even through the messy strands of Ashy blonde hair, Rainbow saw those wild pale blue eyes connect with her own, it was almost like looking into a whirlpool, dangerous and oddly beautiful all at once, and it almost made Rainbow flinch back, but she kept her hoof on She's upper limb (whatever it was called), trying to calm her as best she could.

Want leave.

Rainbow read the words on She's lips and grimaced at the sincerity of the statement. Had that been the reason for the goofing around, she had been trying to get them to let her go? For a moment Rainbow felt a deep pang of empathy for the creature, of course she would want to leave, she was strapped to a bed and surrounded by guards. She didn’t know any pony who wouldn’t want to leave that situation fast.

It brought up other questions in her mind, questions she had asked Checkers a few days ago and wanted desperately to ask She did she have family waiting, did she have brothers, sisters, a lover, none of them knowing where she was, if she was okay?

But her rage was still there, rage at having been played around and messed with for days now and it wasn't exactly going to be forgotten just for whatever the hell this was. So what if she wanted to leave? So did Rainbow, but there were ponies in danger, ponies dead, and Checkers was relying on her to get some answers.

Not to mention the wonderbolts. A small voice in her mind answered, but for once that thought didn’t make her smile, if anything, right now it left a sour taste in her mouth.

“Look,” Rainbow said as she rubbed the back of her neck, “I’m sure if you took this seriously and just answered their questions, they’d let you go tomorrow, this is kinda important you know, 'sides, I don't think you’d wanna go back to the place you nearly died right?”

She blinked for a moment, looking exacerbated, at herself at her situation, who knew? Then She frowned down at her hand, flexing it a few times, before her eyes narrowed as if she was thinking about something, before looking back at Rainbow as she began to wiggle her claws, no not claws, hands, at Rainbow and making a sign with them that looked almost like…

“You want to write something?” Rainbow said, a little unsure about it all, She nodded but did not smile like before.

She frowned looking down at the paper and a pencil she had on loan, courtesy of Checkers, because even after four days it still slipped her mind to bring one herself (not that she probably had any), pursing her lips in thought a voice that sounded suspiciously like that crabby nurse came into her mind, “and whatever you do, do not hoof her anything under any circumstances.”

But then again, how else was she supposed to get this chick to talk, it wasn’t like there was any other way. All she had to do was make sure she got it back right?

Rainbow moved the table closer to She’s hands, the one which had been placed in newer binding, the one that made it easier to move her hand, and watched warily as She began to write something down, noting that she wrote almost like a foal.

The pencil wrapped around her clumsy fist, like she was holding a dagger more than a tool for writing as she drew the pencil down, snapping the tip slightly as she wrote. You had to be blind not to know that She did not have much experience writing things down, no surprise living in the woods, in fact what was more shocking Rainbow supposed was that she was able to write at all.

Still it was oddly... cute in a way, such a foreboding creature, especially considering everything else about the creature was not either aggravating or slightly frightening.

Finally She finished and with a free claw thing, pushed it around for Rainbow to read, the words were not what she expected.

Need to leave, place not safe.

Rainbows brow furrowed at that as she looked back up at She, her throat going slightly dry at the implication, “What do you mean, you’re like surrounded by guards here.” Rainbow said, as she gestured needlessly at the building around them.

She’s eyes bore into her own and for once there was no trace of those mischief in them, instead there was a type of intensity that made Rainbow swallow a lump in her throat as She looked down and began to write again.

“Please, need leave, not safe, it follows.

Rainbows eyes read the writing again and then again, trying to make sense of it all, “wait, what follows?”

She glanced around the room, quickly, which only made Rainbow do the same as she scanned the corner of the now far darker than it had first appeared hospital room, before finally those blue eyes fell on her again, even through the strands of her ashy blonde locks Rainbow could feel the chill of those blue pools in her very soul, as She indicated for Rainbow to come closer.

Rainbow did so, almost on instinct, leaning closer so that she was almost on the bed in front of She, her ears flickering for any sign of noise as she cautiously leaned as far as her common sense and caution would allow her to.

It didn’t matter however as She leaned forward the rest of the way, the sound of the straps tightened and groaning under the strain as she pushed the elasticity as far as they would go, until the two of them where almost nose to nose, Rainbow gasped slightly, and flinched backwards, but for some reason her eyes stayed locked on those blue incandescent portals in front of her.

Rainbow felt the warm breath tickle her fur as She came close to closing the gap, feeling the heat on her own lips and the ticklish sensation of She’s wild and bed ridden hair strands brush against her muzzle.

It's coming. She mouthed, so slowly that Rainbow could almost hear the words on her lips, despite the silence. Rainbow kept her gaze on her for the longest moment, until finally she looked down at the straps on for a moment she thought about what she would do if she simply lifted the buckle and set them free.

Finally however, Rainbow frowned and shook her head.

“Look, I'm real sorry, I want to help, but...I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave.” Rainbow said shaking her head slightly, but still She remained close, and for a split crazed second, Rainbow almost thought that she was going to close in until they ki-

Bang

Rainbow leapt from her spot and all but flew up towards the ceiling of the room, flinging herself into the high condor of the room staring wildly around the room. The noise had come from somewhere between them, something loud and heavy and…

“Oh really mature!” Rainbow snapped as she stared at the upturned table that She had used to write on, then glancing back at She, who was whistling that sun damned muted laugh of hers. Her head rolling back onto the pillow as the ashen blonde hair fell from her forehead to reveal freckled forehead creased in silent laugher.

Calm down dude, step back and just walk away.

“You know what?” Rainbow said, ignoring the thought and instead growling through gritted teeth, glaring at She.

Don’t say it dude, don’t-

“Maybe, I should’a just left you in those woods to-”

Another loud banging sound came this time from the door as two of the guards, whatever ones these two where, entered spears held firm in each foreleg glaring around the room, “Is everything-”

“Everything, fine!” Rainbow snapped, not breaking her gaze away from She as she dropped down to her hooves snarled at the creature then turned and began to walk out of the room, “Just some foal doesn’t know the meaning of being serious.” She groaned over her shoulder as she shouldered past the two guards who were already taking stock of the room and stormed out.

The nerve of her, Rainbow thought, she asks me to come here, Checkers said she begged and yet all this stupid ponyfeathered time all she wanted to do was prank me, this is so not cool.

She doesn’t take anything seriously!

But still somewhere in her mind Rainbow couldn’t help but notice all the times that same criticism had been levelled against her.

Stupid friggin son of a ponyfeather ass! Rainbow seethed as she stormed into the hallway, mind flaring with curses and other expletives.

She had gotten Rainbow good after all, so eager for the information that she had fallen for one of the oldest tricks in the books.

A simple jump scare.

Stupid rookie mistake. Rainbow chided, so stupid, she can’t even speak, why would you lean in you idiot! She chided herself, her now inward monologue of foul mouthed cursing turned on herself for being foolish, and being caught in something so obvious. But at that moment She had been so convincing, almost like she really was afraid of something following her.

Bet right now, she’s just laughing at us, don’t look back, don’t give her the satisfaction! Rainbow warned herself.

But Rainbow couldn’t help herself, and trying not to, only made her want to do it more and before she could stop herself, she looked back at She.

But when she did so, Rainbow noticed something very odd, She wasn’t smiling, not in the slightest, in fact she wasn’t even looking in Rainbow's direction.

Instead, she was looking out the window, just like she had before she had started to write. And just like before, she didn’t look cocky or mischievous.

She looked scared.

Rainbow paused at the sight, her furrowed brows softening in thought, what the heck was up with this creature, she clearly wasn’t right in the head, she was probably crazy, and yet, something about that moment had seemed just so slight off, and that wind had one hundred percent not been scheduled for today.

Finally door behind Rainbow slammed shut and Rainbow sighed, so much for making today count. She frowned, wondering if she should say something about this in the meeting with Checkers, she probably should, but really, what was there to say, got pranked… Again.

Then again, what she said might have been important, If it wasn’t just a lie. She thought bitterly, and slumped down as she walked, still she should probably bring it up anyway, just in case she forgot something important, even if it made her look bad.

Speaking of forgetting, why do I feel like I left something behind? She mused as she stopped and thought about it for a moment, but other than the scroll she had snatched off the table, what else was there?

Shaking her head she pressed on, she had wasted too much time thinking about this stuff today, right now all she wanted to do was lie down and take a well deserved nap.

Author's Note

Apologies for the lateness of this chapter. To keep it short and simple, I had a massive systems crash and pretty much lost most of it. Considering I was editing a chapter nearing the climax of this story. That should tell you just how much I lost.

I've managed to salvage parts. But they're all first or second additions of a story that has already gone through multiple re-workings. it's basically re-writing it from scratch and memory.

On the plus side, the next two chapters where among some of the salvaged chapter's so they should be out a lot sooner than this one was.

Once again, apologies for taking a little while, and thank you all for your patience.

8) Monsters and Scapegoats

“Captain?” Checkers said with another salute so perfect it must have been practiced in front of a mirror for hours and very much had been. “Is there anything in particular I can help you with sir?”

The Captain kept his eyes on Checkers a moment, letting his stare linger on Checkers before nodding, “Well now that you mention it Lieutenant, I suppose I was looking for that mare you’ve been smuggling into your room, I must say Lieutenant, I’d have thought you might have learned from your mistakes in Canterlot, but it seems old habits die hard, aye?”

At that moment, it took most of Checkers willpower to keep the expression of serine indifference he had been holding still, from exploding into fury at the insinuation. But he was a professional after all, so instead he channelled into grinding his teeth.

“If you are referring to Sargent Night Light sir, she is-” he began. But the Captain silenced him with a wave of his hoof.

“I’m not referring to the Moon Chaser, though I’m sure she’s off doing something unsavoury,” the Captain said, with a disapproving glare around the room, as if Night Light was somewhere among them, perhaps she was? “No I meant the mare you’ve been sneaking into my hospital at all hours of the evening, talking to my witness.”

So somepony finally told the old fool, figures. Still took him longer than I expected, if the old idiot actually left his office he’d probably have found out sooner. But still, he was bound to find out eventually.

“With respect sir,” he said, figuring that there was no point beating around the bush on this one, “you told me to get this creature talking, you didn’t say how I had to do it.”

There was a flash of indignation on the older stallion's face for a moment. But as quickly as it arrived it was gone. Instantly replaced by what somepony who didn’t know better, might have mistaken for a friendly smile.

“You think you’re the height of wit don’t you?”

“Only when needed sir.” Checkers said evenly.

“You don’t deny it then, Lieutenant?” The Captain asked, his tone hard and foreboding.

“You would have to be more specific sir, there are plenty of civilian mares and stallions I communicate with daily, nurses and doctors fall under civilians last I checked. ” Checkers said, again deciding that playing stupid had gotten him this far at least.

This time it was the Captains turn to grind his teeth as he glared at Checkers, “Hmm, well if it’s true, then I don’t have to remind you of how much trouble you would be in Lieutenant, not only will you be likely court-martialled for failing to adhere to the chain of command, but possible endangerment charges as well.”

Checkers couldn’t help but smirk at that for a moment. So he doesn’t actually have anything on me, I’m almost disappointed. “Then I’m very glad to have a conscience free of such charg-”

“-not that it would matter in the slightest, however reckless your actions might be.” The Captain said, with a smile that froze Checkers words on his tongue.

Checkers narrowed his eyes just a fraction as he tried to understand his Captain's words, What’s this blustering idiot talking about now?

“Sir?”

The Captain inhaled through his nostrils, before checking down at his pocket watch as if already his time had been inconvenienced. Even though he had clearly come to see Checkers, not the other way around.

“I’m sure you are aware that at some point tomorrow, the emissaries from Griffonia will be arriving in Ponyville?” He said and Checkers could almost palpably feel the smugness radiating from his very being.

“I was... not aware.” Checkers admitted, it was a half truth, he had heard rumblings that the Griffons had been flapping up a storm in the geopolitical scene ever since the creature had been found. Though why they had made such a stink about it Checkers did not actually know, it wasn’t like they were the only species that had suffered under the Rippers reign of terror, but they certainly acted as if they were.

The Griffonian-Equestrian treaty had held for almost a thousand years, but never could it have been said that the two countries actually enjoyed being one another's neighbours. Years of petty jabs, jingoistic call to arms and actual call to arms on more than one occasion left a scar on any working relationship. Didn't help that one neighbour used to regularly hunt and eat his fellow neighbour too back when ponies still ate grass and came in herds.

Not that we ponies are free from past blemishes, as the griffons are quick to remind us of, now that we are all civilised creatures. Checkers considered.

But there was still friction there, enough that even the slightest spark was watched weary, in case it lit the smouldering grudges between the countries up like a bonfire.

Which was why Checkers did not think they would actually go out of their way to send emissaries to Ponyville of all places, especially without the Princess present.

“It seems you’re not quite as informed as you think you are, lieutenant,” he said and his moustache curled up into what could only have been an unnerving smile. Though, it was perhaps only unnerving because Checkers had never actually seen one on the old stallion before.

“So let me be the first to tell you, as of tomorrow, you, and the rest of the team will be relieved from your respective positions on this investigation. We will be transferring all responsibilities and information over to the emissary and by this time tomorrow, they will be taking the creature back to Griffonia with them.” and with that the Captain turned on the spot and began to walk out of the room.

It took all of Checkers years of practice in parades and at attention as a private not to show the visible distress in his face, or the blind fury that followed. As quickly as a flash of lighting in a summer storm, he leapt from the spot he was standing by and teleported around to intercept his captain before he could reach the door.

“You can’t do that.” Checkers said plainly materialising right in front of the Captain, though his wide open eyes seemed to betray his emotions. The other stallions flinched at their post, clearly uncertain as to which pony they would have to subdue and not liking the odds of it being either of them.

He had expected the Captain's face to explode in rage, as it often did when any kind of defiance was uttered in his presence. But it seemed that for once he had learned to keep his anger in check, most likely because he found it more amusing to see Checkers uncomfortable than he did aggravating. “In fact I think you will find that not only can I lieutenant, but because of you I must.”

Checkers fought with every cell in his body to keep his next words from not coming out as a snarl, “And just how did I have some part to play in this, sir?” he finished, spitting out the last part like a cobra spitting venom.

The captain inhaled again and sighed, looking up at a spot on the ceiling.

I’m sorry, is this murder investigation boring you sir? Checkers wanted to scream.

“We all have our part to play in this operation Lieutenant,” the captain said, as he raised his head pacing back and forth as he spoke. “But for you and for this very subject let us just say, that the tension arisen by your ineptitude has left me with little choice but to acquiesce to the demands of others, the enemy of my enemy and so on.”

“I understand that the investigation is taking it’s time sir, but it is going forward, already I've been able to compile a base of understanding with this creature which is the foundation of how we’re going to catch- “

“-Not fast enough for the council back in Canterlot, or the victims for that matter, Lieutenant,” The Captain snapped, leaving Checkers to halt in his explanation.

“B-but, we can’t force these things Captain, why would you hoof over our only lead to them?” Checkers all but beseeched.

The Captain paused for a moment and for a split second Checkers thought he caught the slightest wince at the word them, it seemed when it came to it, the Captain was undecided who he liked less, Checkers or the griffons.

Perhaps it also meant, that this decision wasn’t entirely the Captains as he seemed to be making it out to be.

“Because Lieutenant, we are being attacked on all sides not only by our own public but by Equestrian commerce, nobility and the damned griffons themselves, each looking at us for answers and us unable to provide them with any, in no small thanks to you.” he said emphasizing the point with a jab to Checkers chest.

“So I have extended the olive branch,” he continued on, “ in a show of good favour, they will be leading the investigation as the front runners, that way the guards can save face, step back with what pride we still have and let these savage barbaric hens make asses of themselves in the process.”

Checkers wanted to groan, how stupid could they get, even by that logic, saving face was the last thing ponies would think the guard where doing, what could inspire less confidence in a pony than knowing their guards were happy to push their very safety onto somepony else, because it was too hard. He had to set this right.

Aright Checkers, you’ve talked bigger idiots out of worse situations, talk slowly and with fewer syllables, hopefully his little brain will comprehend you.

“Sir with respect,” Checkers began, ignoring the scoff of his captain, “we don’t have any leads in this investigation, other than this creature.”

“Which we can have back once the griffons are done with her, besides we still have that recent mare attack, out in the outskirts, we seem to be overlooking the fact that she survived as well.”

Checkers winced at the thought, when the griffons were done with her? He didn’t know too much about griffons, not many ponies did despite being an allied nation, they were famously, or infamously secretive, depending on the pony you asked.

Griffons might have been famous for their hospitality among welcomed guests, but he had a feeling the creature wouldn’t count among those welcomed at all, and if they started to suspect, as Checkers might have, that this creature knew more than she was letting on about the Ripper…

There might not be much left of the creature to question.

Checkers noticed the Captain looking down at his watch, not a good sign, fine guess it’s time to simply come right out with it, too late to go back now, he already dislikes me anyway.

“Sir the other mare is a dead end, she can barely answer the door to our guards without having a heart attack, she barely leaves her cottage, except to feed her animals and with respect sir, you don’t know this creature like I do, she’s weary of us.” He said, stepping forward to meet the Captain eye to eye.

“I had to go out of my way to establish a connection with her through a proxy, just to get her to relax her guard, but if you sever that, she’s likely to calm up and then we’ll never get anything out of her.”

The Captain looked down at his watch frowning slightly, eyebrow raised, “so you’re not even hiding the fact that you put a civilian with no training in with an unknown creature without my consent?”

should I be shocked, the dunce is missing the point of this, or choosing to wilfully ignore it anyway.

Checkers simply nodded, what was he supposed to do, look penitent, beg for forgiveness? Too late for that now, better to ask for forgiveness than permission sure, but that only really worked if you had something to back it up, right now, he still had nothing.

The Captain grimaced, as if the mere sight of Checkers was making him physically unwell, “I’d almost call that bravery if it wasn’t so stupid to admit that to me, but I'd rather see what the superiors at Canterlot have to say about this,” he said shoving the watch back into his jacket before turning to leave. “It’s too late now anyway, move aside lieutenant, as far as I remember I was the captain here!”

A real captain shouldn’t have to say he’s the Captain. Checkers thought bitterly, but somehow managed to bite his tongue and instead swallowed his words.

“So what now then?” Checkers asked.

“Now I suggest you start packing, find a nice spot around this hayseed town, get drunk, get a mare and pass out in a gutter for all I care, so long as you’re on a train back to Canterlot by this time tomorrow after that, you shall be awaiting a meeting, I’m sure the board of administration’s can’t wait to hear you’re excuses on why you failed this time.”

He smiled, “I for one, am looking forward to what else you’ll come up with, you don’t have our majesty’s niece to save your plot from the fire this time.” he snarled, disgust plain on his face as he all but shoved Checkers out of the way and slammed the door behind him with a flick of his horn.

Checkers stared into the empty room, legs shaking with rage and despair as he almost drunkenly walked over towards his desk.

Don’t do it, you’re in control, remember her breathing exercises, stay in control don't do-. But his massive hooves splintered the cheap chipboard of his desk in two before he could even finish telling himself not to.

Checkers exhaled into a sigh after a moment, when had it all gone so wrong, and why did it only seem to go that way after things started to go right?

It was as if life was a pathway lined with carpets and every time he stepped on one, it let him get to the end before it was pulled out from under him, and he stupidly always thought the next one would be different.

Wasn’t that the very definition of insanity? If it wasn’t, it seemed pretty close to it.

He looked down at his desk, or what remained of it, and knew he should clean it up. It was unprofessional, a senior member of the guard didn’t let emotions govern his actions, but what was the point, it wasn’t like he was going to be a guard much longer anyway.

His eyes scanned the carnage of the splintered desk, his mind working to put order where there wasn’t any.

Thirteen scrolls.

Sixteen paperclips.

Two pots of ink, smashed and leaking.

One Quill, bent in half.

One desk...also halved.

Six pens.... Six pens?

Why were there six pens, oh right he had given Rainbow one a few hours ago, that mare seemed perpetually unready for life, things came and went on the breeze and she rolled with it, he supposed that was the beauty of having wings.

He blinked, looked down again, he had given Rainbow the pencil, but she hadn’t come back with it. Why, every other time she had, but not this time, what could she have done with…

His eyes widened as he looked down at the scroll that Rainbow had returned with, the only thing she had returned with, who had the pencil last, Rainbow had said she had given it to her, right when the creature was panicking most, right before she had tipped the table.

It wasn’t a prank was it, you were genuinely scared, she was scared, she wanted to leave.

Checkers turned around, making his way to the door when he stopped, a thought came to his mind.

Why not let her?

The thought made him finch, he had to stop her, of course he did, after all she was if nothing else a lead in a horrific murder spree.

Until tomorrow morning, then she’s the griffon's lead.

Checkers stayed still for a long moment, his eyes darting in thought as he outweighed all the possibilities he could think of until, finally, a smile split his face into something not quite resembling a grin, and his hoof left the door handle.

That’s it, that’s the old Checkers, as Night Light would call it, no princess or pink ponies to get in the way. Now we can do this the proper way, do this the right way. The darker voice in his head chuckled.

He was right of course, it was not his concern anymore, no pony was going to listen if Checkers just kept pounding at the door with his head.

But if just let somepony else open the door?

The ghost of a smirk appeared onto his face, as he thought about all the possibilities all the hypotheticals all the scenarios, each more interesting, beneficial and potentially disastrous than the last, until that smirk became a full grown smile.

Might as well do as the Captain said, He thought, that's what a good guard does, follow his superiors orders, and Checkers was a royal guard to his bones.

Though he probably would not be indulging in mares and gutters. There was only one mare that filled his life, and she was not here anymore, and he had been in the gutters far too often these days.

But the idea of a drink, something he had scorned most of his life, suddenly seemed rather appealing all of a sudden. After all, what's the point of seeing where this loaded firework was about to explode without a refreshing drink to truly enjoy the disaster that was about to commence, the big bang as it were.

He was thinking.... Brandy maybe? He did always want to see what all the fuss was about after all.

After all the night was young, and tomorrow would prove to be very interesting indeed.

Night Light watched as much as she could stomach of all of this, grimacing at her superior officer prostrating himself in front of the old Captain. She sat watching the spittle sail a few stories downwards towards the concrete somewhere in the abyss below her.

Tonight was different from the other nights she had stayed around the hospital, because tonight her blood was up and the moon was in full bloom.

It was night outside just how she liked it, she was in her element tonight, the moon was shining brightly, her Bogini was out in all her glory, shining her true light on the world, the way her people viewed it.

Not these weak willed beings that ruled the day. She had had such respect for Checkers, at one time or another, almost thought about him as a brother in arms. Maybe somewhere inside of her, she thought of him as more than that, he had been more like her kind back in those days, more ruthless and cold and cunning.

And then the pink mare had changed him.

She spat again, lifting herself with her wings away from the windowsill, the wind touched her fur, her real fur, not the costume and she felt alive. It was unnaturally cold for this season, for this time of year, but that was how she liked it.

Night Light had heard enough, the time for talk was long over, the time for action had been a long time coming.

“Should have done this on the first day.” She muttered to herself in her mother tongue as she flew away from the room and into the night, gliding on her wings across the hospital grounds to the very room that housed the monster.

Tonight she would get her answers, tonight she would have her fun, finally, what did it matter as the Captain implied, the griffons would have her soon, she would already be damaged goods.

She smiled as she reached up and pulled away her glasses, she wouldn’t be needing them tonight, for once she could finally go all out, finally be what she was, and guilt free too.

After all, these kinds of things always required a monster to slay another monster, that was why they had hired her after all. They never actually said those words, they never needed to, she could see it in their eyes.

Every last one of them, they all said the same thing, Moon Chaser, Star stalker, cave vermin. All of them with disgust twinkling behind those smiling eyes as they begrudgingly hoofed her the armour of their own kind to her.

If it wasn't for the sun princess placating, trite laws, they would still be hunting her kind in the streets with lynch ropes and pitch folks.

He had been different, he never gave you that look, not once. A part of her spoke, and she wanted to hiss out her anger. Yes he had been different, Now Checkers was just as bad as the rest of them, worse even, he was weak.

She perched herself up against the window, the creature's window, she made a move to enter, then paused and flattened herself against the wall.

“There, happy now, can you please just eat something already? I have a lot of other ponies who actually want their food.” a mare's voice called out as the window opened up. Night Light held her breath, then glanced in, it was a nurse, she was talking to the creature, who was still smiling that irritating, false, viper smile of hers.

A predator pretending to be prey. she sympathised with that for once, but only for a moment.

Night Light waited for the moment to strike, waited for the nurse to leave the room, leaving Night Light and her new little play thing with time alone to get… better acquainted. But as she waited out the window, she noticed the strange markings, claw marks had been dragged across the wooden frames of the outside window frames, cut into them like butter, dragging down to the stone below them.

Night Light blinked, looking at the damage to not only wood, but stone and metal, all of it cut in the same stroke, or bent with such force that she could make out the individual knuckle marks of each finger. The sight made her pause, and sent a chill up her spine, what beast could have done that, without making a noise!?

She looked back again at the creature inside, still smiling, still lying backwards on the bed, lying like a kitten, defenceless and weak, on her back with belly exposed for all to see how submissive she was.

But it had claws, the marks alone on the windowsill were proof of that.

Perhaps Checkers was right, perhaps she was far more than we thought she might have been. She considered that for a moment, the ramifications of it all, what they where housing, what was below them as they slept only a stone's throw away from them.

But what did it matter now. She would find the answers she needed tonight, because tonight her blood was up and the moon was in full bloom, and really, she hadn’t had fun in a long time.

She waited as long as she could, until her body and soul could take no more, until the latent magic within her was at its strongest, as long as she needed until the night reached into the twilight of the dawn.

Then she pushed the window open fully and slipped inside.

9) The Chase

Rainbow was having probably the best dream she had ever experienced. Deep in rem sleep she was having the time of her life and even as it was happening she knew she was going to remember it even in the waking world, and the best part about it, it had only just begun.

Which made the next moment all the crueller.

The knocking sound came like a lightning bolt directly into the room. Despite the physics, the knocking sound resonated throughout the household clouds and somehow directly into Rainbow ears, causing the slumbering mare to snarl, which quickly formed into a loudly yelp as she plummeted from her bed.

Groaning, as she sprawled she groaned loudly, untangling herself from her sheets with great effort before slurring out a garbled, “What the-?”

The knocking grew in intensity, as she blinked up at the door leading towards the hallway, one eye closed, refusing to admit defeat and relinquish it losing battle to return to the waking world. She rubbed it open and glared up at her clock and couldn’t quite understand what she was looking at.

Somehow she had been transported to a mythical dimension, some horrific nightmare realm of eternal punishment, unknown to her brain that based on the clock appeared to be called four am.

“No,” she said slowly, “no-no-no he wouldn’t.” She protested, shaking her head, but the rattling of her door couldn’t be anything else but them.

“I said morning, this ain’t morning, it can’t be, it’s still dark outside!” She pleaded loudly to the room, but it was clear from the knocking that no pony was listening.

She lifted herself up onto her hooves, shaky and protesting about being used, knowing that they were owed at least another five to seven hours of sleep, she rubbed her eyes again and looked back at the bed.

It was empty and for once she was more than a little thankful for it. If nothing else, because she didn’t exactly want to explain to a pony why at four am, she was about to answer the door to what was no doubt at least two very big and very stoic Royal Guards.

With barely enough willpower and energy to stand she lifted herself up by her wings, the only muscle strong enough to bear this demonic spawn of a time zone and opened the door as if in a trance.

The figures in front of her, guards of course, stood waiting at each side of the door frame, like they were expecting Rainbow to bolt from one side or the other. Which, to be fair, she had done before, but that was almost a week ago, and who even remembered that far back anyway?

Rainbow eyed them both with a barely concealed contempt, as they nodded to her in a stiff greeting. Then one of them, the older of the two by at least ten years, spoke with a clipped voice, “She’s ready for you at the hospital.”

“Can’t she wait for a minute, at least until I’ve had a coffee or something dude, this is like a crime against nature! Don’t you guys ever sleep?” Rainbow groaned, her voice horse and generally unready for whatever this was.

“Orders were to get you at the crack of dawn, ma’am, that’s morning to the guard.” The younger and decidedly, at least to Rainbow, more gentile one said in a softer tone.

Rainbow wanted to slam her clock up into the guard's grill and let him know exactly when morning began, but thought better of it.

Perhaps it was the lack of sleep talking or the dejected feeling that this might now be her life for the next however many weeks, months, years? But something in her mind spoke and as typical of the loud mouth tenacity of the mare it went through no filter before it hit her tongue.

“Is this even working, I mean, what am I even going to be doing different today?” She asked.

“That and all those other pieces of information are classified, Ma’am.” The harsher older Guardsman barked before the other could interject.

Rainbow cocked her head to the side, “What, you can’t even tell me anything, it’s been a week, how am I supposed to keep winging it like this?”

“Well the lieutenant seems happier than he has been in a long time." The younger guard said, smiling warmly, "in fact, come to think of it, I overheard the others say the captain came all the way down to the Lieutenant's office to talk about you specifically, and he never leaves his office, that’s gotta be a good thing right?” He asked, looking up to the venerable one for acknowledgement, when clearly he didn’t feel like giving it.

“Bronze Brash!” the older stallion snapped, “what part of ‘is classified’ don’t you understand, that means not to discuss classified information in front of random mares on the street, you know basic guard one-o-one!”

"Who're you callin' a random mare?" Rainbow snapped.

“Sorry sir, but we have to tell her something right?”

Rainbow raised her brow at the two of them, totally too tired for her usual sass but in the back of her mind she did perk up somewhat at the mention of her being talked about by both Checkers and this Captain stallion, who she had never seen or even met before.

But obviously that was about to change right?

“Oh sure,” the older stallion continued his voice taking on a more sardonic tone, “what next, why don’t you also tell her about the bug-ponies or about the two thousand year old god in the statue garden?”

“Bug-ponies?” Rainbow asked, cocking her head to the side, but was resoundingly ignored.

The older guard sighed, looking back at Rainbow he held out his hooves as if to pacify a quickly escalating situation he had hoped would just be peaceful.

“Listen Ma’am, we’re going to be late, you need to get there before anypony sees you, that’s all I’m willing to divulge, so can we please go, you're here now, so I’ll take that as a confirmation to your acquiesce?”

“Acquie-what now?” Said Rainbow puzzled.

“Do you agree?” Growled the older guard pony, apparently tired of the conversation.

“Geez, is this guy always this rude?” Rainbow faux whispered to the left guard.

The younger guard smiled apologetically to Rainbow, but his eyes flickering back to the older senior guard who was all but grinding his teeth at the mare “We just got off a sixteen hour guard shift ma’am, and ten hours ago was his son’s birthday.” The smaller guard explained softly.

“His first birthday.” The larger one snarled, rubbing the rings around his eyes.

Rainbows eyes, if they weren't open before, were now up and at attention now as she stuttered through what to say next, “Oh eh well, look at it this way, he ain’t even gonna remember it anyway right?” Rainbow joked, suddenly feeling more than a little embarrassed for complaining about her tiredness as she faked a smile back at the apparent father who was having none of it.

“O-okay then.” Rainbow quickly added, tiptoeing around the disgruntled growling father. Rainbow looked around, sure as all hell she was missing something, but couldn’t quite put her hoof on what it was, until she noticed all around her somepony was missing, “Hey um, where's that other chick, you know the one with those thick black sunglasses she’s always wearing?”

“Sergeant Night Light?” The younger stallion asked,

“Yeah, her,” Rainbow said slowly, eyes narrowing, “where is she, that creep trying to scare me again, because it ain’t gonna work this time.” Rainbow said aloud, looking around the open black sky on her porch for the mare, but she was nowhere in sight.

The younger guard next to them turned and looked at, the belated unhappy father who simply shrugged, obviously more pressing things occupied his mind than his ranking officer as he continued to give Rainbow a sullen sunken look.

“Uh, the Sargent didn’t show up this morning, we actually had to go ourselves.” The younger said finally, when he was sure that he wasn’t about to be told off again.

“Their kind’s never there when you need them, always there when you don’t.” the older stallion grumbled.

Rainbow raised her brow at that, their kind? She wanted to ask, but the younger guard had already moved forward, uneasy smile splashed on his face.

“Anyway, daylight's burning Mrs.”

Rainbow looked around at the still pitch black sky, the very traces of light coming from the east showing more of a yellow and grey in sky that was very much still night time. Daylight wasn’t burning, so much as smouldering weakly.

Rainbow could feel in her bones that this was going to be a very long day.

Rainbow landed in her usual spot a little shakier than she had meant, but to give a mare her do, she had practically flown with her eyes closed, a very dangerous thing to do.

She was a stiff proponent of not flying drunk or tired; her father and uncle had pressed that into her at an early age. But the guards hadn’t even given her enough time to rub the sleep from her eye, let alone eat something or more importantly grab a cup of coffee.

It was a miracle she didn’t land on the roof face first, with half the roof tiling's of Ponyville dragging behind her tail. If anything, Rainbow without a cup of coffee in the morning was the equivalent of loading a fire hose up and forgetting to attach it to a water hydrant. All you really had was a heavy weight that ponies could trip on.

And she certainly embodied that metaphor, as she nearly tripped over half a dozen nurses and doctors, just going around the unending corners of this labyrinthian maze they called Ponyville hospital.

If she knew what it meant to wake up when the guards did, she certainly wouldn’t have gone to Roses bar last night, or earlier today considering what time she had gotten up, as she stared bitterly outside the passing windows, just barely able to see the sun rising up over the horizon.

In all honesty though, nothing was going to stop her going. It had been a whole week since she had any sort of fun, well fun in the normal sense anyway. After all she was still young and had every intention of causing the usual ruckus she had planned with her friends.

But for whatever reason, that night, she just hadn’t felt up to it, didn’t have the same mojo in her like she normally did, when she planned a night of ‘bloody sodding debauchery,’ as Rosey herself might have called it, in that strange southern islander accent she had.

She had barely touched a drink all night and talked even less. In fact, if anything she had spent more time telling ponies she was fine and that she wasn’t ill, just tired so please stop saying I am for ponies sake, can’t a mare just sit back and relax for a change.

In the end, she had gone home alone and gotten an early night, for once in her life. Well, it had been midnight when she actually got into bed, but that was early to a mare like Rainbow.

The way things had gone, she probably would have been better off if she had just called off the whole thing and went to see Fluttershy instead.

That brought a guilty pang into her chest, she still had yet to see her, in all this time, she had just been so busy.

Busy thinking of yourself more like, how many times have you seen her after her little accident? A voice in her head unhelpfully piped up. Rainbow bit her lip. She knew it was right, but it was too early to think like that, she would go today, she would definitely go see her today., maybe stop by Pinkies and pick up some lunch for her as well.

Maybe after a nap at least. Another voice added, and she couldn't help but agree with that one too.

Not that it mattered, if last night was any indication she would just be tossing and turning in bed again. Her mind constantly reminding her of the last few moments with She. The fleeting image of the creature, staring worriedly out the window or worse the look on Checkers face when she had asked him if She would be allowed to leave.

What had been wrong with her? She was just a weather pony, he was the expert after all, what had possessed her to ask that? It wasn’t like she was going to demand he let her go, what was she the princess of Equestria or the captain of the Wonderbolts already?

She certainly acted like she was.

Rainbow sighed as she turned another corner of the hospital. Already familiar enough with it that she could walk it in her sleep, she was practically doing so at that very moment. She always did have a good internal compass, she just wished she could shut off her moral one sometimes. Especially when it got her to say silly foalish things like that to somepony like Checkers.

But the creature had looked so unhappy at that moment, so unnerved, and something about that look, those eyes, that pinkish white face downturned and shaken had nagged at Rainbow and made it impossible to think of anypony else all night.

She didn’t like that look on her, that forlorn look. Something about it just didn’t seem right on a creature like She, and despite telling herself otherwise, she would have rather seen her with that irritating mocking smile instead.

Rainbow laughed bitterly, what was she going soft on the creature that had tormented her for the past week? Getting all mussy now, getting attached?

Rainbow shook her head, she wasn’t attached to anypony, and never would be. That just wasn’t her, never had been, heck it was the reason she had never had a marefriend. Too slow, too frail and too finite, that was the problem with ponies, and everything really, everything in life all boiled down to that, didn’t it?

Rainbow sighed again, she was doing a lot of that recently, far too much of it she thought. But then again maybe that was just a sign of growing up, her uncle seemed to do it a hell of a lot, seemed to almost enjoy doing it almost. That and smoking, which she wished he wouldn’t, but try telling somepony that stubborn not to do something.

Rainbow turned another corner of the main artery of the hospital. It was still as busy as it had been a few hours ago when she had left it. Did these ponies ever sleep? She didn’t remember the hospitals being this busy when she was visiting her mom, but then again, that wasn’t a hospital was it? A hospital is where ponies went to get better.

Her mother had been in a hospice.

The thought soured her already darkening mood, she hated that self pitying junk, she needed to snap out of it, she had a job to do after all, ponies were counting on her.

Maybe she was just being too soft. After all, she had been the one that the creature, no sorry She was torturing after all, playing with Rainbow, saying stupid things to get under her skin.

If she just told me what was wrong, then it’d all be solved, so why won’t she? Rainbow thought, but that seemed to be like asking a dog why it barked, she wasn’t going to get an answer other than it just does.

Like that story of the scorpion and the fish… no wait was it a newt or something?

Never mind, I know what I mean, too early for smart stuff.

Still the very fact that She was making it so difficult on everypony was making her more aggravated. Rainbow at this point would have just been satisfied if She had just told her why she couldn’t say anything…Even a name, she was getting sick of all this She nonsense!

None of that matters, don’t care if she never gives me her name, so long as I get her talkin’ eyes on the prize Rainbow, that recommendation is all you’re here for, it’s the whole reason you’re doin’ this. Just remember that!

“Todays the day,” she muttered to herself, “today I’m gonna get you to spill it all.”

She paused for a moment, wondering why they had stopped, until she looked up and realised that they were already at the creature's door; she had made it without even looking up once.

“You have the clearance ma’am.” One guard said, nodding at her.

“You need a second before you enter ma’am?” Another guard spoke, looking down at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow chewed the inside of her lip, A second, I’d like a flipping year and a crack team of investigators and some truth serum… wait does that actually exist? Nah prolly not, Checkers would have used that already, need to ask him that next time, maybe he just forgot.

...Oh wait he asked us a question, I think we waited too long, he’s just lookin’ at us funny now.

Remember, cloudsdale stadium, Wonderbolt, you got this kid!

“Nah, I think I’m good.” She spoke in confidence, Arching her back as though she was stretching for a race of a physical feat.

“Today’s the day,” she muttered again to herself, “even if it kills me.”

Rainbow stepped inside, looking around she saw nothing, but that wasn’t too much of a surprise. The room was pitch black, it always was, but somehow it was darker than it had been. Perhaps she considered that unlike those times she had visited before, the sun was rising and not setting and the light had yet to even peak over the woods beyond the window.

In fact at the moment, the only light came from the eerie red incandescent glowing of the machines dotted around the room.

That’s weird, wasn’t there a lamp glowin' on her bed side table? She thought for a moment, but then again, perhaps it had been turned off by the night staff.

Turning Rainbow fumbled around the wall for a light switch, “You okay if I turn this on?” She spoke to the room aloud, waiting for a response before slapping her forehead with a hoof. “Right sorry, I swear I’ll get used to the no talking thing eventually.” She said to the room as a whole, chuckling lightly, more out of embarrassment than because anything was actually funny.

Fumbling her hoof higher, she finally found the pesky switch and flicked it up. The effect was like staring into the sun and Rainbow eyes burned at the sight, orange blurs scorched her retinas as she fumbled to turn it off almost instantly.

“Gah geez! Now I get why you like it dark.” She said, rubbing her eyes.

Feeling the reactionary tears from the burning unnatural light she rubbed her eyelids and paused when she heard a rustling coming from the other side of the room, right by the window, her ears flickered up towards it for a second, but the irritation in her eyes took most of her attention.

“Sorry, just let me get to that lamp at the side of your bed and I'll turn this friggin thing off agai-” She said flicking the light on and shielding her eyes, she took a step forward, world blurry from the obnoxiousness of the light, she made it almost across the room when she tripped on something and stumbled onto her chest.

She managed to right herself before she could really do some damage a looked back.

It was the lamp, twisted and broken and with the bulb inside smashed out.

Rainbow stared at it, confused as to how in the world it had gotten right in the middle of the room. before she lifted her head back up and suddenly another more pressing question sprang to the forefront of her mind.

Why was the bed empty?

For a moment after that, the silence was deafening and it felt like the whole world was in on it, the bird stopped chirping, the trees ceased their endless dancing tussle with one another outside and stood motionless, the voices inside the hospital echoes father and father away and even Rainbows own beating heart stopped a moment, before beating so fast she thought it might burst out of her chest.

Consternation gripped her as she darted her head around the room, worry came a close second as she thought about the danger she was in, suddenly picturing the creature, standing at its full height. It didn’t seem quite so mischievous and frustrating now, as she pictured it, towering over that innocently mocking smile taking a more sinister shadow on her unusual face.

But then just as she was about to back away towards the door she caught flickering in her eye. Her first instinct was to imagine it was the curtains of the hospital window. But then her mind suddenly, unhelpfully started to ask itself why the window was open at all, in fact it had been closed every day, apart from last night.

Curiosity took over instinct to flee, or perhaps the two merged into an unhelpful concoction of both, as she turned toward it and caught bright blue eyes staring back at her, its owner's expression mirroring Rainbows rather nicely.

She was standing by the window, no, not standing, straddling the open windowsill, One leg inside the other half hanging outside of the four story building her body hunched to crawl through when it had apparently turned to look at whoever it was that had entered.

Turned and caught none other than the mare who seemed to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time, turned to look Rainbow right in the eyes.

“How the hay did you?” Rainbow whispered, as she dared to look at the straps of the bed, which were now hanging limply off the sides of the bed frame.

She got her answer as her eyes quickly darted back to the creature, who had shaken the look of pure horror from her face and had somehow found her impish smirk again, as she held up a half snapped pencil and danced it back and forth across her claw knuckles.

Rainbow recognised it almost instantly, as her mind darted as fast as her wings might have, as the coin finally dropped and she realised why the creature had acted so differently that day.

“Clever girl.” Rainbow whispered in some perverse sense of admiration, as she tried to back away further only for her backside to hit the wall. Having no place else to go, her eyes were trained on the instrument in She’s hands, wondering if she could do that to thick straps on a bed. What could she do to me?

Rainbow jolted slightly when she heard what sounded like a pained groan coming from across the room, changing a glance with the flick of her eyes she caught a wobbling figure rise up from the other side of the bed, holding its head in it’s hooves before collapsing back onto the floor.

At first glance Rainbow thought she saw black fur, but could have been mistaken, when she saw a pair of thick black cracked sunglasses on the floor across the room she knew for certain she was mistaken.

No, prolly not little Miss Jump Scare, wrong fur colour, prolly some other poor idiot… and prolly I'm the next poor idiot. She thought her throat was going dry as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

Rainbow eyes darted back to the creature's, who had taken that moment to let her own eyes wander. Rainbow caught those blue icicles twitching back to hers, but had seen where they had been looking.

The only place that they could have been looking out the four floor window.

Rainbow shook her head deliberately and couldn't help but vocalise a, “Nah-ah, don’t you dare..” in a warning tone almost as if she was scolding a pet threatening to rip up her homework. She had no idea where the sudden bravery to say these things was coming from, perhaps adrenaline mixed with fear itself? But she took a step forward despite the sinking pit in her stomach.

But the threat only made the impish smile of the girl grow more viper-like as she edged closer and closer out the window, her straddled leg and whatever was the end of it moving further and further out of view and over the edge.

“I’m warning you!” Rainbow roared, an edge of her own to her voice, but She’s only response, as always was to deepen her smile, as she always seemed to do. Then without a moment of warning she blew a kiss to Rainbow, turned her back towards the window and flew backwards into the open air.

Gasping, Rainbow's wings reacted before she could even think and within a second she was out the window flying towards the falling creature. Thanks in large part to all her years of practice she was able to catch the falling creature, before she even reached the second floor.

Grabbing onto her hospital gown she pulled the creature upward with all her strength, somewhat surprised by how light she was considering how heavy she had been before.

“Are you out of your sun damned mind!” Rainbow yelled, as she pulled the collar and by extension the creature up to meet her face. The creature opened her eyes, somewhat confused, looked down and then back up at her now second time saviour.

Rainbow hadn’t exactly been expecting a thank you from the creature, which was why she was taken by complete and utter surprise when without warning or prognostications, She leaned in and kissed Rainbow on the lips.

Rainbow flinched, startled by the sudden embrace, and closed her eyes out of pure instinct. Before sanity kicked back into her mind. Rainbow drew her head backwards blinking, despite everything in that moment she felt a warm pit in her stomach, betrayed by her own body as she felt warmth touching her cheeks and turning them red and the odd taste of peaches on her lips.

Snapping herself out of it she lifted the gown in her hooves back with a snarl, only to realise that it was now far far lighter than it had been a moment ago and also empty.

She starred in both amazement, then in horror as she looked through the collar gap at the falling creature. Who as though she had done this a thousand times landed on the ground with a graceful roll of her body, before bolting up into a sprint and darted off into the distance.

Rainbow somehow managed to catch her open jaw before it did the same as the creature as she tried to flap her wings to follow. But instead of the open wind on her skin, she felt a tug of pain and resistance on her legs.

She gasped and looked down at whatever was yanking her back. She let out another gasp as she looked back at what was stopping her and then she noticed that somehow the hospital gown ropes that had been used to tie the back flaps together were now tied neatly into a bow around a pipe on the outside of the hospital wall with her legs in between.

“How in the Celestias’ horseapples?” She roared through gritted teeth as she fought to untangle herself from the gown. Gritting her teeth she looked up again and nearly balked at the sight of the creature, pale and pinkish from head to toe shrinking from view as she made for the treeline with a speed that shocked Rainbow.

For something that moved on only two legs, she was fast, surprisingly fast as she came to the swift conclusion that those orbs on her chest didn’t seem to get in the way one bit.

But not faster than Rainbow was, and the creature was going to learn that fact pretty quickly.

“Oh, you think it’s gonna’ be that easy.” Rainbow growled, grinding her teeth together as she finally did away with the hospital gown. “You wanna do this the hard way, fine!” She spoke softly, chuckling darkly as all the frustration, the anger the plain old fear started to seep out of her.

Above her she heard the door to the room slam open, shouts and curses rang above her head and somewhere somepony screamed at her, but Rainbow wasn't listening. Finally she was going to meet She on a level playing field, let the creature know what she was capable of as she flew upwards into the sky.

She had been playing in the world of other ponies up until this point, talk and diplomacy and all the other minutiae that she didn’t altogether like or care for. But now the creature was challenging her to what Rainbow did best, and Rainbow was quite happy to show her just how good she was.

Lifting herself up just enough so that she could see the entirety of Ponyville and the Everfree forest stretched before her, that the creature was rapidly vanishing into, Rainbow snapped her wings shut falling backwards towards the ground before with a prismatic rainbow tail, she arched just before the ground hit her and darted darted towards the woods.

It would be a long time before she would hit that type of speed again, but when she did she would break the sound barrier, but that’s a different story. She sailed forward, dust shooting up all around her into a miniature storm of it's own. Despite herself, despite everything, she was laughing as the distant pink figure was coming closer and closer to her even now.

“It’s on now!”

10) L’Enfant Sauvage: Part one

Rainbow couldn’t remember the last time she had gone this fast, perhaps she never had.

She never really needed to in all honesty. Even her most lacklustre performance was too much for most ponies. In fact, if she thought about it, really thought long and hard, she would say she never actually knew how fast she was, because she had been saving her real speed, her real power for when she was standing in front of the Wonderbolts.

She imagined her dream every day as she pushed clouds back and forth in the sky. Every inch of her dream refined and detailed to the very second. Captain Spitfire would be standing in front of the parade grounds, looking down at the rookies, bored and tired eyes surveying the flops and the grunts, like she’d seen it all and done it all before. She would even mutter something about the sorry state of candidates these days to her second in command before sighing and shaking her head in dismay.

Then she’d see something move so fast that she would think her mind had played a trick on her, some blur in her eyes, a trick of the light, maybe even a shooting star?

But no, it would be Rainbow Dash, breaking the sound barrier as casually as Celestia rose up the very sun and settled the moon. She would see the impossible broken before she could even break for breakfast and all eyes would be on Rainbow Dash. Standing there, brushing her hoof against her chest like she wasn’t even aware of just how momentous a feat she had just committed.

Then they’d know she was the fastest mare in the world. Then they’d all know she was worth something.

Of course the dream also called for all her former math and silence teachers that told her (frequently) she would never amount to anything there as well, but really she’d take just the Wonderbolts these days.

The point of it all being that she honed and saved this speed all her life, to use in a decisive moment, to fulfill her lifelong dream. But right now, she had just used it, not for the Wonderbolts, not for her dream, but to catch up to some damn crazy naked pink giant who had just escaped from a hospital, and the funny thing was, Rainbow could not have cared even the slightest bit.

In fact right now, this was her new dream, her only dream. One in which she was quite happy to step over Spitfire, the Wonderbolts and Mr Nomenclature from third grade to achieve it. She was going to get her hooves on this smirking mare, smack her upside the head and drag her back to the hospital if she had to.

And Rainbow was a mare who followed her dreams.

Rainbow made it across the fields from the hospital to the edge of the woods before She could even breach the canopy. Sending plumbs of dust and chunks of sod up in her wake as she closed the distance between her and the fleeing creature.

She watched with a growing smirk as She turned, eyes widening and mouth agape as it dawned on the creature that the mare she had left tied to a building was suddenly a lot closer than she anticipated. With effort She seemed to force herself to look forwards again to the forest and her supposed salvation, almost tripping over the dew-covered grass as she fled from Rainbow's tenacious acceleration.

However, the creature was smart, or at least, quick-witted enough to recover quickly from the shock of seeing Rainbow blazing like an arrow fired right at her back. It seemed also that She was working out just as quickly that her own speed would not help her chances of escape.

Because speed was on Rainbow's side and she was now playing in Dash’s Element. Rainbow wasn’t ashamed to admit she enjoyed the momentary look of panic as the creature floundered for the half a second it took for her to close the gap between them.

Forelegs extended Rainbow’s hooves grasped at the long flowing ashen blonde locks on She’s head, as they danced across the tips of her hooves, almost tauntingly close. But then She dived left, throwing herself almost bodily into where the foliage had grown the thickest and the thorns longest.

Pulling branches with her, She turned, upper body reaching back with her arms extended and lossed the branches backwards towards Rainbow. But this was Rainbow’s game now and she dodged out of the way with relative ease, taking her trajectory slightly higher up as she pressed on towards the pinkish giant.

Still it was quick thinking on She’s part, Rainbow had to admit and Rainbow had not come out of that little plan completely unscathed. She winced at the slightest pain from the tips of the branches that had caught her underbelly, unable to completely avoid them all. But she didn’t care, in fact she was annoyed at the nanosecond she had lost dodging it.

Nice try, but too slow. Rainbow thought, as the creature below her wasted no time to check if her plan had worked. She turned on the ball of her leg end thing and raced through the undergrowth. For a creature that had been strapped to the bed for almost a week, she was frighteningly agile.

A part of Rainbow’s thoughts wondered just how fast She would have been if she hadn’t been injured and tied to a bed for a week. But Rainbow didn’t have the time to truly contemplate just how concerning that thought was at that moment. Right now she was only thinking about what would happen if she failed, and she wasn’t a mare that took failure well.

Rainbow dived back in towards the woods, keeping just above the creature, weary of any other tricks she might pull out. Rainbow might have been faster than She was, but she knew this was not her environment. The swaying branches and hook-like arms of the trees that sailed around her, looked ever poised and ready to catch a wing at a moment's notice. Pegasi were built for wide open spaces, not the ever condensing maze of branches that a forest provided.

If she knew anything it was flying, but even she knew the limitation of her skill, or at least knew the pain of a broken wing. Rainbow was not going to end up in the hospital herself, if she could help it. Which meant at that moment, even as she serpentined through the treeline, she was only going at half the speed she had wanted.

It seemed that She was playing up to this weakness. Finding and diving towards the thickest parts of the foliage, keeping herself as close to each branch, trunk and stump as she could. Skin and bark only ever a hair's breadth apart as she coiled and danced around difficult turning spots with sharp jutting branches, that would have taken a less experienced flyer out of the air, and perhaps out of consciousness itself.

Something told Rainbow this was not the first time She might have run from somepony with wings.

Rainbow took stock of her position, she still had the advantage over the creature. She couldn’t out run Rainbow, She couldn’t hide from her and She definitely couldn’t take a break from her. No matter what She did, Rainbow was right behind her. All Rainbow had to do was pray that running forever was not on the list of potential superpowers.

Alright, let’s see what you got!

Flapping her wings hard, Rainbow pressed forwards until she was a few yards in front of She. Then she turned on a dime, arching her trajectory around until she was directly in front of the creature, hooves upright and facing the creatures chest, she aimed her whole body at She’s midsection.

She’ll chicken out first. Rainbow thought as she gritted her teeth and lent in towards She.

But She pressed on, not slowing the slightest concern or showing any inclination to slowing down. Despite Rainbow coming at her like a speeding train.

Rainbow seemed to rethink herself for a moment, she was not about to flinch away from a game of chicken, but she didn’t exactly want to put She back in the hospital again. At least not for medical reasons.

Stop you idiot! Rainbow screamed internally as she winced and nearly shut her eyes.

But just as Rainbow was about to think about pulling upwards, She pressed one leg outwards, bent low on the other and skidded under Rainbow's body. Her back made an impossible curve that was almost painful just to look at from a ponies perspective.

For a moment Rainbows face and She’s were mere inches from one another for only the slightest second as they flew in opposite directions.

Rainbow blinked as she turned her head and watched mouth agape as She recovered quickly, and sprung back into the undergrowth almost redoubling her efforts.

Turning just as fast, Rainbow spun around, eyes wide as she took in what the hell just happened. Then she shook her head, taking a moment to wipe beads of sweat from her brow, before she narrowed her eyes and shot back towards her.

Been a while since anypony gave you this run for your bit, eh? A voice inside Rainbow's mind teased unhelpfully as she grunted some form of acknowledgment, squinted her eyes and choosing to ignore it, but it continued none the less...

frickin hell is she quick, haven’t seen us build up a sweat like this in... like forever?

Except for Gilda, she was fast.

Nah she was strong, good in a storm, but not fast not like this.

When's the last time we ever had to do more than hold our breath and count to ten until it was over?

Yeah, normally we just wait by the finish line and squint until we see somepony.

Nah Guilda was fast!

Oh shut up, just because she was your first crush back in flight school, let it go already.

That is so not true!

Rainbow grunted as she desperately tried to shoo the voices from her head, they were getting in the way of the important stuff, but she couldn’t deny that some of them were true.

She hadn’t ever actually felt this feeling of competition in her life before, this sense of challenge or need to out do somepony in her life. Everything that she had ever earned had been given to her the day she realised she was the fastest there was and ever would be, and that had been pretty early in her life.

But right now She was putting that all to the test, She was actually making Rainbow work for that title, and despite what she was doing and the significant importance of what would happen if she failed to do what she was doing, she shouldn’t deny that in some way… she was kind of enjoying this.

And that worried her a lot.

In fact, it was only in that moment that she actually realised that despite it all, she had some semblance of a smile on her face. That had almost caused her to lose control, as she gasped and skidded just shy of a gnarled tree branch loosed one of her feathers as she fought back control of flight pattern.

She gulped as she glanced back at it, her wing. Too close.

She inhaled deeply and set her eyes forward, she was here to capture somepony dangerous, she was here to do her duty, whatever that meant.

Alright focus filly, time to end this, longer you wait the more distance you got to drag this mare back to Checkers. She chided herself, frowning down at the pinkish creature.

Rainbow lifted her wings up and ascended further up again into the tree line. Feeling the burn in her wing ligaments. It had been at least a week since she had had anything close to this kind of exercise and the lactic acids in her muscles were starting to remind her of the price she was going to pay for that little vacation. Even now she could feel the pain that was promised behind the minor ache.

But to Rainbow, nothing worthwhile, wasn’t worth a little pain.

Breath hard in her throat, Rainbow mind worked quickly to find the angle she needed. She had tested the waters before, but now it was time to try out the real thing.

Rainbow drew back just far enough to be outside of the creatures line of sight and it looked for a moment like She had thought she lost Rainbow, that had been a rookie mistake as Rainbow divided again from above, feigning to take her head on, She braced herself as best she could, but before it could get that far, Rainbow curved at the last moment, shooting further down, she flew in an almost 'V' shape back upwards just before she hit the floor. She reached out, pretending to take the left arm and instead grabbed the right one.

She was sure based on the widening of She’s eyes that if she had the ability to draw a gasp she would have, loudly as Rainbow hooves clenched around the arm, pulling her backwards.

“Gotta ya this time, you friggin smirking ass!” Rainbow yelled through gritted teeth, feeling the momentarily triumphant of proving she was both the faster and smarter of the two.

It was short lived however, as instead of pulling backwards like Rainbow had expected, Shedrew forwards instead and brought the back of one of her hands to Rainbows face. The blow caught Rainbow off guard and instead made her draw back instead loosen her grip. It turned out to be her saving grace as before Rainbow could work out what was about to happen, She spun around, leg extended towards Rainbow's face.

Lucky for Rainbow, that last moment's hesitation gave her the few inches needed to save her two front teeth. Teeth she very much valued and wanted to keep if she could help it, as she stared at the dirt smeared sole of the bottom of her frankly odd looking flat end of her leg before it connected with her chin.

Rainbow gasped, as she flung herself back the rest of the way, catching the briefest flash of a smirk on She's face, before she flew back and raced through the undergrowth.

Not willing to be undone in a game of bravado, Rainbow smirked back though she was feeling less than happy, now that She had managed to get away from her twice already. She grit her teeth as she righted herself in the air landing her hind hooves against the tree and used the power in them to spring board herself back into the chase.

They pressed on further, She narrowly in front, Rainbow hot on her tail. Rainbow’s eyes darted around the forest for some way to attack, something to give her the edge she needed. Thankfully it found her first, as the tree line suddenly ended, leading them both into an expansive flat land of long grass for at least a couple hundred yards.

Swaying wheat and barley like an amber ocean covered the plain. Each as tall as a pony standing on hind hooves danced with the gentle morning breeze. Offshoots of cross pollination from the farms around Ponyville had left a vast expanse of untouched grain in a near perfect circle for yards around.

Rainbow saw She, frantically looking around, realising her little plan to stay where Rainbow couldn’t get her had vanished as quickly as the field had appeared. Looking over her shoulder, She hunched down further, perhaps trying to obfuscate her location in the long grass, but it was pointless. Even if she wasn’t at least seventeen hooves tall, every movement of her body bending the barley stalks and sent ripples through the field, like a rock thrown into a pond.

Rainbow looked down smirking manically, Now I got ya’ she thought chuckling. But even still Rainbow had only one more shot at this.

She arched up yet again, much like she had done back at the hospital and launched herself at the creature, near dive bombing towards her. She turned around to look at her, eyes widening yet again at the speed that gave Rainbow her proud second name.

Yeah, that’s the look, that's the look every pony gets when they realise just who they challenged. Rainbow thought, feeling a smirk pull at her lips, her eyes drew to narrow slits as the wind bit against. She watched as She, catching the trajectory tried desperately to keep away, but there was no stopping this.

Gazing upwards, most likely at Rainbow, who was already once again diving down at her. She caught her footing on crumpled sod around the field and fell bodily onto the ground, dust scattering across her sweating pale skin giving it a almost tanned grimy effect, her fingers dug into scorched eroded dirt and held it into on hand, clutching at the dirt as she tried to rise, but it was too late. Rainbow's next plan was already in effect.

She had never actually attempted what she was about to do for real, oh she had tried a few times for the hell of it. But really, it had all ended in failures or near disastrous crashes, but to be honest, there had never been a real reason to really give it her all, except maybe to impress a mare or two, but now she only had one mare in mind and her approval was the last thing on Rainbows mind.

Rainbow’s ached parabola was quick and precise, as she cut in through the stems of the wheat, sending the tips of each stalk flying into all directions. She rose on shaky feet, raising her arms up, readying herself for what she probably assumed was the same attack twice, but instead, just before Rainbow reached her she turned, and began to circle the ashen haired creature like a hungry shark.

She stepped backwards as a prismatic wall of light coming from Rainbow's flight pattern blocked her egress and She turned to flee backwards but it was as if a wall was all around her. Rainbow circled over and over again, getting faster and faster each time until light and pegasus were almost impossible to tell apart.

Rainbow watched as She tried to follow with her eyes, but squinted them shut after a moment, and clutched her head, dizziness clear on her expression. She reached out vainly, perhaps testing the water of her new prison cell of multi coloured light. Rainbow ducked her outstretched arm, tapping it playfully with a hoof almost like a high five but with a far more force.

“Too slow.” Rainbow called out with a chuckle, as She pulled her hand back and grimaced from the pain of it. She narrowed to slits and reached out again, this time Rainbow hit her elbow, and She nearly turned boldly from the force.

Now who likes being played around, have some of your own medicine!

Slowly, like a creeping storm, Rainbow began to fly closer, bringing her flight pattern inwards and eroding the closing the gap on places She could stand. She flinched backwards as best she could, keeping her limbs out the speeding mare's path, arms held up, fists clenched to guard her body.

Rainbow continued her assault, occasionally tapping the sides of the creature, jabbing gently in some cases and not so gentle jabs in other cases, catching She wherever the blue eyed creature was least guarded.

“On your left!” Rainbow called and She turned, facing where the voice had come from, but Rainbow was already behind her, slapping the back of her leg and making She buckle slightly, more from the shock than the actual force of it.

“My bad, I meant my left!” Rainbow chuckled, as she caught sight of She’s face redden, teeth bared, in frustration. Rainbow had not seen it on the creature before and it felt good to finally see the expression She had made Rainbow feel for the better part of a week on her face for a change.

Okay, enough playin' around, gotta' end this. Rainbow thought, but hesitated when she looked back at She’s face, which had no trace of anger anymore and in fact it was almost serene in a way, as though she was basking in the sun rather than set in Rainbow's trap.

What is she so calm about?

But even as Rainbow tried to finish her thought, She sprang into action. Lifting her hand up gently, her clenched palm relaxed open to reveal a pile of dried dirt.

Rainbow looked at her open hand for a moment then despite herself, began to chuckle, “You okay lady, didn’t jab you too hard did-”

But before she could even finish her sentence, She sucked in a deep breath and blew it directly into Rainbow's face.

Rainbow had no time to react, she tried vainly to lift her hooves up to shield herself with her hoof, but by then bits of sod and dust smacked into her eyes and open mouth. She tried to scream out, tried to rub it away with her forelegs, but the damage had already been done.

She slowed, unable to see anything and not wanting to collide with the ground, and gasped as she felt her hooves being pulled away from her. Rainbow tried to struggle, tried to open her eyes again, but before she could get her bearings, she felt something hard collide into her stomach, she let out a gasp as the air left her lungs and for a moment she was almost grateful she hadn’t eaten that morning,

Rainbow kicked out with what little strength she could, but it wasn't fast enough as She side stepped it with ease. Grabbing hold of Rainbows hind hoof before she had time to drag it away. With one desperate flail Rainbow kicked with the other hoof and felt it connect with the underside of She's chin.

Rainbow caught She head turn sideways, as a streak of red dropped from the comer of her mouth, before She turned and looked into Rainbows eyes, blue ice like iris's narrowing at her.

Oh crud. Rainbow winced as she felt a hand reach out and grab hold of her neck another reaching for her flailing leg that was trying to reach out vainly to break away. Rainbow flailed around, trying to punch or grab hold of She but it was like trying to grab a snake. She's limbs where too long for her reach and she was pinned at that moment in her embrace.

She forced Rainbows face towards her, fingers digging into her chin until Rainbow was faced to look back into those blue endless sapphires.

Oddly enough, in that moment, Rainbow couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed by her traitorous body as the feeling of the two of them pulled together, made her face blush the slightest bit red. Even though she was most likely going to get pulverised all her mind was interested in doing at that moment was reminders of that stolen kiss on the hospital grounds coming unhelpfully flooding back to the forefront of her mind.

Then suddenly before the final blow could be dealt, She let go of her. Rainbow nearly dropped onto the ground, saved by the last minute intervention of her still flapping wings as she watched She stumble to the ground landing hard on her backside.

She's eyes widening as she pushed herself backwards across the floor, face turning pale and her mouth hanging open as she stared just over Rainbow shoulder, before finally she lifted herself upright, turned and fled into the undergrowth.

What the heck, she had me dead to rights? Rainbow thought before she turned.

But all she saw was long grass and the gentle beams of the sun dancing across there heads.

Instinctive Rainbow flapped her wings forward determined to go after, but the stabbing pain in her chest forced her back down to the ground.

Rainbow groaned as she doubled over herself, landing on her side in the dirt as she clutched her stomach, for all the good it did her.

She's getting away! A voice unhelpfully reminded her as she bit her lip, but it was no use. Even if she caught up to her again, what was she going to do.

She needed to chase after her, she needed to find her she needed to bring her back. But al Rainbows body and mind was really telling her to do was close her eyes and sleep. Five minutes, just give me five minutes. She told herself, eyelids growing heavy as she lay her face against the cracked and dry mud.

Slowly the world decreased in scope as her eyes blurred and her vision decreased with each blink until it was all black, feeling the world grow numb to the pain and ache. This was what she needed, just a little rest.

Giving up so soon, where is the chase, where is the thrill of the hunt?

The voice caused her to crack one eye back open, the sound of creeping down her spine like claws against her fur, "huh?" She groaned, startled by the sudden voice of another out of nowhere.

She uses the forest to help her, that doesn't seem very fair, does it?

Rainbow blinked, the unknown voice jolting her from the pain wracking her body as she muttered, "Who, who's talkin'?"

Lifting her head up she tried in vain to scan her horizons. But just like before, all she could see for the most part was swaying barley stalks and clouds in the sky.

What the heck was going on, she closed her eyes, trying to will the pain away when the voice came back again.

Why not use it against her?

"Hey, I don't know who's doing that, but stop it!" Rainbow half yelled, half groaned as she flicker her gaze around to find the voice. Fear propelled her upwards, despite the feeling on nausea as she got back to all four hooves. But she'd rather that than not know what it was that was talking to her.

But the worrying part was that even as she tried to kid herself, it didn't sound like a noise that came from a spoken voice, but one from inside her own mind.

She shook the idea away, she was just tired, and in pain...

Yeah, that was all it was.

But despite all that, she couldn't help but find some logic in what was being said. Which also wasn't great, but then she supposed if she was going to start hearing voices in her head, they might as well be useful.

"Use the forest against her?" Rainbow thought, as she looked around for what ever the heck that even meant. "What'd ya want me to do, throw a tree at her." she joked with a bitter sardonic tone, picking up a rock and lazily flinging it across the ground.

But even as she threw it into the distance, she couldn't help but listen as it fell away over the long grass and thudded across the ground out of sight.

She thought about the sound for a moment, then she began to smile, as a thought entered her mind.

She didn't know if that was what the voice had meant exactly, but she could work with that.

11) L’Enfant Sauvage: Part Two

“Have to keep going, have to keep going!” She said, or at least tried to say, but of course, no noise actually came from her mouth. Not a note or a syllable, not even a whistle and never would again.

She tried to look on the bright side. It had been a bad habit, talking out loud had gotten her into a lot of trouble in the past, almost as much as singing had, hunters should be silent after all.

She supposed that at least now, she would not have those songs constantly buzzing around her mind, taunting her with the melody that was always on the tip of her tongue but never quite right. After all, it had been so long since she had heard those songs sung properly.

She always strived to keep her thoughts positive, every cloud has a golden gleam as they said in her lands. But no matter how she spun it, it still didn’t feel much like a boon, because her voice was often the only thing that kept her company, and despite everything she still heard the song, but now she had no way to channel it out into any kind of melody.

All of that aside, her side arched and her arm felt numb, deep bruises the shape of pony hooves already developing on her arms and legs.

But she would think positively, because that was what she had promised herself she would do.

“Keep going,” She said silently, again and again, tongue moving, lips parting for the words already dead and hushed before they left her throat. Even as the spit in her mouth dried and her throat burned with the dryness she continued it mantra.

“Keep going, keep going.”

Her breath moved in a raspy rhythm, her footsteps drunkenly slamming into the ground, a far cry fromwhat Farfar had taught her.

A hunter must glide through the forest, prance like a deer through the leaves and flow through the trees like a fish through water. She recited the words in her mind with a mocking exaggeration. She could still hear the lessons drilled into her mind, like she had been taught it just this morning.

She had always wanted to be a silent hunter, stalking through the woods like Farfar or Tyche had. But compared to them, she was as big and clumsy as the boar they often tracked, or failed to, if she was involved.

She supposed now she was truly silent, as silent as any living thing could ever be. She had finally gotten her wish, but that was the problem with wishes, you never quite got what you wanted.

She would know all about wishes, after all. That had been what had gotten her into this mess, what had ruined them all in the end, nearly killed her in fact and for what?

She glanced back hesitantly, fearing what she would see. she had already caught a glimpse of it back in that long grass not a few moment ago and that had been enough to send her fleeing backwards. Despite all the trouble she and been she had hoped the Rainbow one had gotten away.

But she knew the mare would be fine, After all, It was after her this time and only her.

She grimaced at the memory and tried to clear her mind. Think positive, you have your life, she chided, ignoring the irony of that statement, as it felt like it hadn't been her life for a very long time. At least not her in control of it anyway.

But on the lighter side of her darker thoughts, she had to admit, despite everything, it felt good to be back home again. Back in the embrace of mother as Farfar had called it, and she supposed she did as well. True it wasn’t exactly the forest she had called home originally, but Mother Velka was all connected to one after all. Every root clasped together in her embrace, or so they had taught her.

Each predator, prey, plant life and living thing, were all in a cycle of life, death and rebirth. She was once again a part of it and into the fold. She was one with the forest once more, feeling the warm dry soil beneath her feet and the rising sun against her back.

True it was a cruel and loving mother and more cruel and vindictive than it ever had been caring. But still, she had never felt so pleased to be back in it’s embrace nonetheless. Despite everything, it was as close to a real mother as she had ever gotten so like it or not, she was stuck with it all the same.

She sucked in the fresh breath, feeling the crisp morning air inside her lungs. She had taken it for granted, almost given up on everything and almost lost everything, now it was like she was seeing it all again for the first time, like light was somehow brighter and the air richer.

At least that was what she tried to tell herself, but despite everything, all she could really notice was the tugging of the scar across her neck.

That tightness of skin stretched to accommodate the wound it had grown over, the gap where her voice used to be. Every time she craned her neck, every time she even opened her mouth, and every time she felt the wind against it, she was reminded of the numbness of her throat.

Like a noose around her neck, or more accurately fingers against her windpipe.

It’s fingers.

She caught herself stroking her neck as she ran, eyes gazing up at the sky, then behind her again, but could see nothing save the forest around her.

The sun was still in low morning, giving the sky a reddish ominous glow as the world around her woke up or fled the light accordingly. Pulling her hand away from the ugly scar, she drew them into a fist and down at her sides, she was not going to give the loss of her voice any more of her time today.

She had mourned it’s loss far too much already, in fact, she had done far too much mourning in general as of late.

Positive thoughts. She chided herself again, but already she was starting to grow tired of the near constant reminding.

She pressed on, hoping to put as much distance between her and that pony town, the warriors of the sun raiser and more importantly the healing construct as she could. She chided herself for staying as long as she had, hoping perhaps in a futile way, that things would have been different if she was away from the forest.

But it had come all the same, it always did and she was a fool to think otherwise, she had been lucky to get out with her life this time.

Luck, it was a funny word, she knew the meaning of it, but didn’t think she ever had enough to truly understand what it was. But if she had amassed any, it had all used up in those few hours before she had escaped. If that pony had not snuck into her room at that moment, if she had not already had one hand freed, she didn’t want to think about it.

Despite her best efforts she began to slow, her already limping run drew into a crawl as her body begged her for rest. What little energy she had remaining was quickly draining with each step forward. Her muscles ached and protested, her ankles clicked unnaturally with each heavy step and her body begged her for food, water and rest.

Her dragging heel finally caught on something below her and she stumbled, grabbing weakly for support against a red wood as she bent over. Stinging sweat dripped into the corners of her eyes as she bent down, pulling away ashen hair that was plastered against her forehead as she sucked in greedy gulps of air.

That healing place had made her weak, made her soft, all that time resting on that bed, strapped to that prison had zapped her of what strength she had left. Though if she was being honest, there hadn’t been much strength in her beforehand.

She looked up into the sky again. But this time she wasn’t looking at the sky itself, and even as her gaze flickered around the gentle swaying of the trees she couldn’t see what it was she was trying to find.

It seemed she had finally lost her little tenacious follower.

Part of her was surprised to feel almost saddened by that. Despite being one of them, she had almost liked the little mare. For a member of the sun goddess's guard, she had been strangely different from the rest.

Not as stupid as the other for a start, which had surprised her first of all. She might look the part and play it as well, but she could see there was something more behind those eyes. Not like the rest of those meat headed, grass eating ungulates in shining gold armour.

Easy to tease for sure and quick to anger, yet also quick to forgive. Perhaps the most shocking part of it all was how much the mare had made her laugh. She hadn’t remembered the last time she had even smiled. She didn’t think herself capable of laughter at all, but somehow, in some way the mare had coaxed sounds from her mute lips where nothing else could.

She had been told all her life that ponies were pompous blustering self important fools, as likely to take a joke as they were to take to hard work. But the Rainbow mare was no blushing maiden or pompous arrogant brat, like the others of her tribe.

If anything, she almost reminded her more of a griffoness than a mare.

But something else bugged her about the mare as well. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they had met someplace before, she had thought about it long and hard after the first time she had met her. Feeling the oddest sense of a deja vu, but where had she seen her before if not for the hospital, it wasn’t like she had met other ponies since then.

Come to think of it, why wasn’t the mare scared of her, like all the rest were?

Intimidated perhaps, cautious absolutely, but that was no bad thing in her eyes. Danger always lurked in those who got too comfortable. But the mare wasn’t afraid of her and she had to admit that intrigued her.

She reminds you of Tyche, maybe that was the reason you kissed her? She thought, unable to tease herself with the idea, as despite everything a small smile creeped onto her face.

Then she frowned, as the memories associated with that name came flooding back. Enough to make her almost sick with longing and angry for even joking about that.

But before she could even chastise herself further, the thought died in her mind. She had perhaps mistaken it during the chase, too distracted with escaping the mare, but now that she was alone she could hear it all too clearly. A scratching sound inside of her mind, like hundreds of tiny needles against stone.

She tried to focus on it, giving it her full attention now. But it seemed there was little need as before she even had time to contemplate on anything a sharp, impossibly loud blood curdling scream pierced thought, as if the sound had been levelled directly into her ear.

The noise of it hit so hard and so fast that she almost bit her tongue right through from the pain, narrowly missing disaster by a hair's breadth, her knees buckled and she slumped up against the tree.

No, thought I had… more time!

Her hands grabbed at the air around her chest and she cursed as it fumbled for what wasn’t there. She bit her lip enough to draw blood and spat it onto the ground.

She needed the amulet and she needed it now.

It’s gotten stronger.She thought sullenly, grimacing as she made herself run again. Battering her way through the undergrowth, all thoughts of Farfar’s teachings of dancing or swimming through the forest completely forgotten.

Why would it stop? She thought, chiding herself, after all it had told her with its very lips that it wasn’t ever going to stop and it had done nothing to dissuade her of that notion.

A knocking sound rang out over head and she turned like a viper, craning her neck to look just above her. Then at the sounds of rustling as whatever had made the sound crashed against the forest floor somewhere in the distance.

She couldn’t stop now, her calf muscles shook, and her knee almost buckled even at the slightest pause and she knew it would not let her move like this again if she tried. But even in that moment of brief hesitation she thought she glared a rock rolling across the floor.

She lifted a brow in puzzlement as she watched it roll onto the floor past the trees.

What in Velkas feathers was-

She grimaced as she clutched her head, the scrapping growing louder and ever more present in her mind. There was no time to think on it any further. She shook her head and pressed on, eyes snapping left and right looking around the forest, hoping with all the last scraps of hope she had left in her, that she did not see what she dreaded was coming.

In the distance she could hear nothing, which worried her, no birds singing, no animals scurrying, all was quiet in the area around her, all unnaturally quiet. All except for an odd roaring sound in the distance, like the sound of a great torrent of water flowing somewhere in the distance.

So distracted by the sound, or perhaps the lack of it, she almost missed what was right by her feet until it was almost too late. She skidded to a halt just as the ground in front of her gave way, her toes clutching the edge as her foot kicked pebbles and twigs down a sharp decline nearly vertical in it’s descent. Her arms shot out around her, steadying herself before she could fall forwards.

Vekla's beak, too close, need to stay focused. She thought, gulping as she watched the scattering pebbles fall on and on until they flew away out of view. Unable to stop herself from picturing her body doing much the same thing.

Lifting her head she had only enough time to see something coming towards before it struck. The blow slammed her hard, colliding into the side of her head, she stumbled, eyes closing reflexivity as everything went white for that moment, sound, vision and feeling temporarily knocked out of her.

Dizzying pain and disorientation blurred her vision as she stumbled for a moment, trying to regain her balance, but it was far too late for that. She shoot her foot out trying to steady herself, but instead of finding sturdy ground like she had hoped, she found nothing but thin air and the drop she had tried to avoid.

Without any means to stop herself, she flailed her arms for the briefest of moments looking for anything to catch her, before she fell. The feeling of weightlessness lasted only for a second before she hit the ground hard.

Landing as gracefully as a fish hitting dry land, the force of it knocking the breath out from her lungs and temporarily blinding her, as the world began to spin out of control. Despite it all she managed to grab at a root jutting out of the loosed ground around her, and for the briefest moment was able to momentarily stop herself.

Only for her heart to sink into her stomach when she heard the snapping noise and she managed only to let out a noiseless gasp before it snapped under her weight and sent her toppling backwards.

She didn’t remember stopping, but based on the fact that she was still feeling pain, she prayed that she wasn’t at least dead. Because that would have just been unfair. She groaned weakly and clutched the side of her head. Feeling a sickly wet and warm patch as she pulled back her hand.

Spitting a long tangled ashen blonde from her mouth now muddied from the fall, she tried to bring her hand back down to support her side, but felt nothing underneath it.

She turned just in time to catch herself as she stared down at nothing but a sheer drop, hundreds of feet down to a thrashing white foamed lake bellow. Her eyes followed the cascading water up to perhaps the biggest waterfall she had ever seen in her life bellowing beside her, not a stones throw away.

Pushing herself back through sheer willpower and a healthy amount of adrenaline crossing through her veins she kicked and dragged backwards, never taking her eyes off the edge, until her back hit against the mountain side.

She coughed violently, trying to force air back into her lungs that had been struck out from the fall. When she could feel some sort of normality return to her breathing pattern return, she looked around her. Somehow she had managed to land on a flat part of the decline. Thanks in part to a natural bulwark of a single stubborn willow tree, jutting from the side of the mountain slope. She had once again, narrowly avoided death, by sheer luck.

Perhaps she had amassed more luck than she had thought, but she was surely scraping what dregs she had left at this point.

This can’t get any worse. She thought. Flexing her limbs to see if they still worked. She slumped her head backwards, feeling pain, numbness and ache in every part of her body.

She closed her eyes, hearing nothing but the dull ringing of her ears and the sounds of the pounding torrent of water surfing over the ancient cliffside just beside her. Despite it all, the sound was soothing, if only because the deafening noise addled her mind and obfuscated her more worrying thoughts.

Better than the scratching She mused and despite herself smiled darkly. But no sooner had she thought that, the true realisation of what that meant struck her and made her breath catch in her throat. Opening her eyes as slowly as she could she looked around her and quickly found what she had dreaded to confirm. In the distance leering back at her was all her worst fears realised.

It was there and it stared back at her, smiling, that black toothed grin.

The sight sent a chill up her spine so strong didn’t even realise she was standing up again until she felt the breeze coming from below her against her back. She glanced down and nearly lost her balance as her heels teetered on the brink of the abyss below her.

Even then, she had to fight her mind not to take the final step backwards.

No, not like this, please. She pleaded, she was shaking already, the sound of the water behind her drowning out in a sea of needles, fingernails clawing at the inside of her mind.

It smiled, that deep impossible smile, then finally, after a moment that seemed to stretch on and on, it whispered to her, “Hello Arti, I missed you.”

She felt herself shiver at the words, feeling her skin crawl at the sound of such an abomination using her name with those lips, feeling like the very symbols could touch her bare naked form. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she stared at it, at her,

No, not her, it. She corrected as her lip trembled. There's nothing left of her. But still it changed nothing of how she felt.

Its smile only grew wider as it took the smallest step forward, tauntingly, like the inevitability of the tide coming in or the moon rising in the sky.

She thought she would have pleaded more at that moment. Thought she would have begged and bartered and scraped down on her knees screaming for mercy. But all she really felt at that moment, was just how tired she was of it all.

I can’t do this anymore. She thought, leaning a foot further backwards until her heel drifting off into nothingness. Her foot half in the air, sending rocks tumbling down to oblivion, where she might soon follow.

“No-no-no Arti.” The voice from it warned, seeping into her mind like a snake slithering into her ear, it’s tone taking on a preternatural warning, “I’ll be very upset if you do.” It giggled as it punctuated the sentence with another step forward.

She looked down again at the inches of stone over the cliff's edge, the deep foamy white torrent of water raged below her, the displacement of air from the force shooting up her naked back.

It would have been so easy to just fall back and let go. But even now her leg stiffened, refusing to move, her heart beat faster in her chest and finally let out a silent sob as she pulled herself away from the edge.

She couldn’t do it, Velka, they were right, she always was a coward. But before she could finally decide on what her fate was to be, all choice was taken away from her. It slithered closer, then like a serpent, hunched down, arching itself to strike, readying itself to pounce at her.

“Don’t worry I got you!” A scratchy feminine and oddly familiar voice, boomed over the sounds of the rushing waterfall, through the undergrowth, leaves and branches whipping open in all directions as the speeding creature flew closer.

She had just enough time to turn, mouth open in a state of confused bewilderment, before all of a sudden, her world turned a shade of blue.

Ten minutes earlier

Why's this place looks super familiar? Rainbow thought, as she caught her breath leaning against the top of the tree for support.

She stared down at the pink furless monolith who was simply standing there, one foreleg, (or whatever the heck it was called) bent at her side, the other against a tree for support. It took a moment for Rainbow to realise she was also catching her breath.

So she can't just run forever? Thank Celestia, I was starting to think that really was one of her super powers.

She had to suppress the urge to take another lunge at her, but managed to hold herself back. She had a plan and she was going to stick with it. For now, she was going to watch and wait for the right moment.

“What are you up to?” Rainbow whispered, narrowing her eyes at the creature. Watching as it took slow and deliberate breaths her chest lulling Rainbows eyes for whatever reason towards it's orb like appendages.

Whatever the heck they were.

Look like udders? She mused, unable to take her eyes away from the rhythmic movements of them, but unlike the udders she had seen they seemed rounder, fuller and less... well uddery.

The creatures head moved to the slightest twitch of the forest, the lightest gust of wind made her delicate small looking nostril twitch, but after a moment, the creatures shoulders slumped slightly and she rubbed her eyes, leaving muddy streaks on her face, though if she noticed or cared she didn't show it.

The creature's expression grew melancholy and took on a thoughtful expression for a moment as she stared up into the sky and Rainbow followed her gaze, until she realised that she was probably looking for her.

“I’m coming, just you wait.” Rainbow muttered squeezing the rocks in her hooves as she continued to peer at the creature.

Rainbow would never say it, but she was thankful for the momentary break. Her chest still felt like it was on fire, and was likely going to for a while after the blow she had received. Her pride hurt even worse, but all of that was like a paper cut to how her wings felt. She didn’t want to admit it, but right now, she would have said she had lost that chase.

But that was going to change very soon.

At the moment it was a pause, a ceasefire of sorts, though one side didn’t know that the other was still watching them, it was time to sit back and watch what She did next. Also, secretly a time to get a better look at just what it was she was really dealing with.

Running after She through the woods and even tied to a hospital bed had given Rainbow some indication of just how big the creature was. But now she saw her at her full height standing still, it was more than a little...daunting to say the least.

She was tall, so much taller now that she was upright. But despite that she wasn’t bulky, not like minotaur's were. In fact there was a slender roundness to her, like a feline in places, around the hips and down her legs. Sweat glistened off her furless skin, giving her a sheen that accentuated each curve and tone of her muscle, and give her an almost bronzed venire.

Rainbow caught herself staring at She's stomach flat odd ridges going down it, six in total giving the impression that she was wearing armour rather than just her regular skin.

As if she couldn't get any odder looking. Rainbow grumbled.

Although the flatness of the woman's stomach and the gauntness of her face made Rainbow wonder if that was normal. Not the ridges but the skinniness of her, supposed alien or not, it was easy enough to see when somepony wasn’t getting enough hot dinners in their life, or any kind of food at all really.

Must’ve not liked hospital food, can’t blame her for that, it’s pretty rough...What the heck does she eat anyway? Rainbow wondered, but remembered Night Lights' comment about sharp teeth and decided some questions were best left unanswered.

Everything about her was so alien to Rainbow, but oddly enough nothing repulsed her, it was strange. There was something to the creature, something that if she had paid even the slightest bit of attention in her Eques language class she might have been able to use to describe the feeling.

Awkward,one part of her thoughts said.

Eloquent? another part added.

Weird.

Graceful.

Funny-looking.

....

Pretty?

The two voices ended together. Both sides came to the same conclusion followed by an awkward silence that made Rainbow really consider getting some psychiatric help after all this was done. Rainbow looked up, shaking her head, Pony-feathers, she really was thinking some weird thoughts.

Snap out of it dude, what the heck is wrong with you, you got a job to do remember!

Rainbow felt her hoof go to her lips, feeling the invasive part where She’s lips had touched her and flushed red once again at the memory. Celestia what was wrong with her. A moment ago she was contemplating dragging She willing or not, awake or not, back to the hospital. Now she was ogling her?

She was tired, of course she was, hadn’t expected to be awake this long with the sun only barely touching the horizon and flying a marathon after an escaped mental patient with mud all over her.

Stay focused dude, still got to catch her, still not sure what she’s capable of. Rainbow thought sourly, thinking back to the hospital room, that strange black mare groaning on the corner, that bent and broken lamp. She wasn’t quite so pretty when Rainbow pictured how it had been broken in the first place.

If that indeed was how it had happened.

Rainbow leaned closer, but paused when she heard the sounds of rustling coming from somewhere in the distance. It was an odd sound, like something slithering along, but snakes didn’t make that kind of noise. In fact, they didn’t make much of any noise, now that she considered it.

She narrowed her eyes, leaning up further until she could see over the tops of the trees around the forest. Something was definitely moving, the very tips of the trees bent and snapped back into place, like stems of long grass, like something big was pushing them aside. She cocked her head, wondering if it was waves of heat coming from the distance, making the eyes see what was not there.

But as she focused on that point she noticed what looked like black clouds shooting up in all directions, until she realised with an ominous sensation that they were birds, hundreds of them, all fleeing in their direction.

What the heck is that?

Before Rainbow could think anymore on it though, she turned back to see She buckled against the tree, one hand reaching to her chest, the other clawing at her head. She looked like she was in a great deal of pain but Rainbow couldn’t understand why.

This might be one more of her sick games. Stay sharp kid, prolly just another act. Rainbow’s eyes narrowed. She watched as She turned her head to the side and spat onto the ground next to her. Blood red saliva splattered against the roots of the tree and onto the green grass below.

All right… hear me out, maybe she’s one of them method actors? Rainbow thought lamely, but it was obvious that at least in this case, that was real blood and this was not an act.

As Rainbow deliberated on what to do next, She made up her mind for her. Turning on the ball of whatever she had at the end of her leg, she sprinted off into the forest, somehow going faster than she ever had before.

With a long drawn out sigh as she looked down at the objects in her hoof, Rainbow realised that it was now or never, she would have liked more time to rest but, Guess it’s time. Last chance, Pony-feathers I still hope my pitching aim ain’t too rusty.

Leaning backwards in the air, Rainbow waited until she was a good distance away from her, then letting her wings catapult her forwards she loosed the rock in her hoof and sent it flying into the distance.

The rock clattered against the tree, just a few hooves away from She, hitting a branch and ricocheting off it towards another. She nearly jumped at the sound, glanced around her and dived towards the next direction.

Rainbow almost chuckled, unable to believe that it actually worked. Nope still got it! She thought with a smirk, but it wasn’t time to gloat just yet, it could have been a fluke after all, the second rock was going to get even closer.

Right, now just gotta get her right where I want her to go and…

She pitched another hoof back, leaning as far backwards as her wings would allow her body to go. Then she flung herself forwards, upper body going along with the throw, just as her mom had taught her to do, when she was younger and threw.

This time, the rock landed directly in front of She, hitting the centre of the red wood just a few paces in front of her before cracking against the bark. Rainbow expected the rock to ping to the side, going wide, but instead it spun, curved almost impossibly towards the opposite angle, then collided perfectly into She head.

Rainbow went white, the colour draining from her face as she watched in horror as the rock smacked into She. Sending the creature staggering.

Oh... crud

That had not been the plan, that had not been the plan at all, she brought her hooves up to her mouth. She had only meant to distract the creature, make her go backwards through the use of noises towards Rainbows trap. The one she had set up back in the fields. But the rock had had other ideas.

Rainbow watched with sickening fascination as She clutched her head and staggering backwards. The shock of it took over her body, making it impossible to do anything save watch helplessly.

Things went from bad to worse fast, as She stumbled further backwards, shot out her right leg and tried to find ground, then fell out of sight. Rainbow gasped, puzzled for a moment, then realised, that had not been her imagination. She had fallen off the edge of something.

The knot in her stomach dropped down like an anchor, as She, tipped over backwards and fell from her sight.

“Oh crap!” Rainbow yelled, muttering a silent prayer to the sun before she screamed out, “hold on, I’m comin’!”

Rainbow shot across the forest at speed, twigs and branches and thorns scratching at her side and muzzle; she didn’t care, her sole focus was on this creature.

Smashing through the undergrowth, she cast her gaze around looking for She, but couldn't find her anywhere, she looked back up thinking just for the briefest of moment, that she might have tricked Rainbow into giving away her sneak attack. But no pony, no matter how tough, could pretend to take a blow to the head like that.

Moment's stretched to minutes as she shot about with what little strength and speed she could still muster up, as she scoured the slope. Until finally she caught only a glimpse of something and arched towards it, something in the distance covered in mud and moss and pale as snow looked up at her, her eyes wide, her face in shock as they locked eyes.

“Don’t worry I got you!” Rainbow screamed, lifting both hooves to grab hold of She, who for some reason was standing up, looking at her with sheer terror in her eyes.

It was only then that she noticed the sound of the crashing waves below. Only then did she notice that the slope had an end and behind She was a chasm hundreds of hooves deep. Only then did she notice the waterfall.

But at the speed she was going. There was just no time to stop.

The two collided into one another with a dull thud that knocked the wind out of both of them. Tangled in one another’s limbs, they both flailed weightlessly in the air, before gravity finally pulled them both downwards into the abyss.

It was funny where the mind took you when you found yourself looking at the end. Some ponies say they see their life flashing before their eyes, some ponies say they see nothing or paradoxically that they see the light of the sun and the sole monarch of Equestria smiling down at them. For Rainbow all she could picture was her and her uncle fishing in the wilderness.

For a pony with a patience's as thin as ice in a spring thaw, it might have surprised most ponies to know, she loved fishing. In fact, in some cases she might have actually loved it almost or perhaps more so than even flying.

Despite her uncle driving her up the wall every chance he could. She remembered her fond halcyon days as a young filly fishing with him, when she had first left the cities of Cloudsdale and come to the countryside.

But what triggered that particular memory then and there was not the act of fishing itself. But something her Uncle said as they cast their rods into a peaceful lake a few miles downstream from a river, near the everfree, one summer morning.

She remember her uncle pointing with a flask of coffee in one hoof, a fishing rod in the other, smile adorning his muzzle as he inclined his head towards a mountain in the distance.

“You see that kid, that’s the largest waterfall in Ponyville, in fact, that's the third biggest waterfall in all of Equestria.”

Oh yeah I see it! Rainbow replied back as she plummeted downward. Stared up at the cacophonous torrents of water above her from the third largest waterfall in Equestria. Eyes wide, limbs wrapped around a creature she had been hunting down for the better part of the entire morning, who she didn’t know the name of, nor anything else about her at all.

Save for the fact that, apparently she found her pretty.

Fat lot of good that would do her now.

At least I didn’t go out lame, she thought as the water swallowed them both and the world turned a shade of blue.

12) Oaths and Debts

The river of the third largest waterfall of Equestria wasn’t what one would think of as a land imbued with great conflicts and important resolutions. In fact being in the middle of a desolate and mostly unforgiving woodland known as the Everfree, completely inhospitable in almost every way save for the outermost ring, which was merely very dangerous meant it was hardly even visited, let alone the stage for drama.

It’s meagre few yards of flat land surrounding the expanse of water around the fall offered little more than a scenic view to most civilised ponies, who already had more than enough natural expanse of wilderness to stare at to last a life time.
In fact even to get there one had to cross near suicidal obstacles just to experience the trivial pleasures that the average Ponyville denizen could experience simply from looking out their back door.

But at that very moment by the waters edge, an important event was taking place as the sole owner and self proclaimed ruler of this tiny land, fought at that very moment a decisive battle against an invading foe.

The proud barrel chested, black eyed red breasted robin. Mother of an untold number of eggs, was fighting off the intruder with beak and claw. It’s newest and most hated adversary lay motionless as it pecked furiously at the creature's long five digits, which occasionally twitched in response.

The apex predator, (as it saw itself,) had not had what it would consider to be a good day for it’s kind. It’s hopes and aspirations of completing it’s nest and finding a mate before autumn had been well and truly dashed in the early hours of the morning, when a flying blue monstrosity with rainbow hair, had smashed through it’s home. Not even looking back to acknowledging it’s crime.

But, despite the devastating blow, things had picked up slightly, as later on it had managed to snatch a scattering danino fish from one of the river flows by the foot of the waterfall, hoping if not to procure a mate then perhaps lunch at least.

Flying back to a safer area to enjoy it’s lunch, disaster had sprung again, when a plummeting white and mud splattered mammoth of a beast had come out of nowhere, falling from the sky. Years of experience had saved it in the nick of time, from being dragged below the raging waters, but in the confusion it had lost the fish and more importantly it’s patience with these flying creatures.

That had been the proverbial straw that had broken the camel's back, or more accurately, pegasus that had broken the woven twig nest.

It had vowed it’s revenge then and there. Diving after the plummeting creature, it followed it down the torrent of river water for several miles. Until finally it had washed ashore sprawled against the murky banks unmoving sprawled on it’s back against the bank of the water. That was when the robin sprung it's deadly assault. Attacking the creature with no thought of mercy or pity as it pecked it’s revenge into the creature's finger, for what felt like hours.

With mixed results it had to be said.

But after a while, it had grown tired and bored, revenge after all was not something one could build with, like a solid twig. In fact it was starting to learn that revenge was only a tool by which things are only ever taken out of the world. It felt at that moment it had learned a valuable life lesson.

Then just as it perched itself atop the finger of the creature, vowing in it’s own way to live it’s life in peace and free from vengeance, the creatures had suddenly come back to life, and flung itself upwards, taking the robin with it and catapulting it at speed through the canopy.

It had just enough time to squawk in protest as if flew backwards towards its own doom in the forest.

Revenge, it had also learned, much to it’s chagrin, was a two sided blade.

Pruned and aching fingers sunk deep into the oil black muck of the waters edge as she sucked in greedily for breath.

Pain flashed through her like lightning in a storm cloud. She praised one eye open, a slit of sickening brightness burned her eye’s as the sun’s rays attacked the back of her brain, she grunted, stuttering out the only word she could find appropriate at that moment.

“Fu-fuck!”

It was mute and carried no sound as she felt her lips move. But still it felt better than saying nothing at all, as the pain in her head and body flared up all at once, convulsing her body to spasm and kick, like a hammer hitting every part of her body all at once.

Something lurched deep inside her stomach and she tried to turn over, but a heavy weight against her chest pinning her to her back and with little strength and not much time, she instead dropped her head onto it’s side and retched up water.

Eventually, her stomach settled back down, she blinked away tears as she waited for the world to come back to some sort of order, or at least stop blurring around her. Mercifully, her stomach gave one final lurch as she spat, and then settled down again.

At that moment her head and her body felt like that special colourful cracked glass she had once seen in the worshiping temple dedicated to the All Mother Velka. Shattered and always threatening to break apart at a moment's notice, held together by what looked like a mixture of magic and wishful thinking.

It was funny in a way, thinking back to that moment, that despite being shunned, looked down on and generally despised, she couldn’t help but admit, compared to this very moment. Life had been simpler, in those days.

She remembered the days when she and Tyche would do nothing except stare up at the clouds for what felt like hours, trying to work out their mysterious shapes. Often they came up with ridiculous monsters and their nefarious deeds, or heroes and their great adventures. Now she was doing it to try to focus her mind on anything else but the pain and nausea.

Although it had to be said, cloud watching got somewhat tedious after a certain age. Especially as everything in Tyches mind had funnelled down to looking like either an arrowhead or if Farfar was out of earshot a stallion coc-

“Ugh.”

She froze as she heard the unfamiliar groan around her chest. She blinked, head lulling against the ground, before a healthy concoction of curiosity and consternation drew it drunkenly back up to look at what was pinning her down.

On top of her, using her chest as an impromptu pillow was the mare who had both saved her life and nearly killed her. She lay strewn about, splayed with all four limbs wrapped around her torso, head pressed between her breast. Her fur damp and strung together in clumps all around her body. Her hair, usually wind swept and spiked, was plastered to her forehead, concealing one side of her face behind it’s tangled multi coloured stands.

She watched the mare for a moment, then managed to pull the back of her hand up and place it just by the mare's nostrils as she waited. Then by some miracle she felt the tickling sensation of hot air against her skin and pulled it back. Simultaneously she let go of her own breath that she didn’t even realise she was holding in.

Still alive, she thought idle, not sure if she was talking about the mare or herself.

She found herself surprised by how much she cared that the mare was unharmed.Not that she wanted to see the mare hurt at all. But it had been a long time since she had worried about anyone other than her own self preservation, the idea of caring about others was not a luxury the forest allowed.

She was happy to see her safe. But by Velka's beak, the mare was heavy.

Lazily she lifted a finger up to poke at the mare's cheek to wake up and with that didn’t work she pushed harder, despite the pain in her own arms. The mare's only response was to snuggle deeper into her chest.

Tyche always said I should lay with someone, I don’t think this was what she meant though. She thought sardonically, it’s flattering, but it’s getting hard to breathe.

As if reading her thoughts the mare groaned as she gave one last poke into the mare's chest, before finally muttering out a garbled, “Five more minutes.”

She looked down at the mare on top of her, and despite herself, despite the circumstances, despite pretty much everything in her life going up in flames, she began to laugh.

It came out indistinguishable from a choking sob at first without the noise, or maybe because there was no noise. Then slowly she heard that fluttering whistle she had begun to hate emerging from somewhere in her throat. That cawing squeaking sound like a baby bird demanding to be fed, that battered remnants of her laughter, the ugly cheeping in place of the one Tyche used to say sounded so pretty.

But even so she was unable to stop herself, despite how disgusted she was at the sound of it, until it was all she could hear, until her lungs almost burnt from the strain. She ground her eyelids together with her hand squeezing hard into them as she hot streaks of tears began to form from them.

Why she was crying she didn’t know. Happy because she was alive, sad because nothing in her life had changed or maybe she was crying because she felt like doing it, she had almost died after all, no one could blame her for that at least.

Slowly, however, she made herself calm down. Looking on the positive side, that was what she had sworn to do after all, that’s what Tyche would have done. Unfortunately that was in short supply. But at least the mare was providing some means of warmth to her shaking body, the water had been ice cold leaving her body numb and shaking, not surprising, considering it had most likely come from the melted glacial streams of the mountains around them.

But at that moment, it felt oddly tranquil, there in the sun by the mare, she seemed oddly peaceful in sleep, pretty almost in a way. Her usually hard face softened against her skin, her feminine side accentuated in sleep, her long lashes and soft curves against her jaw relaxed and supple. She hadn’t remembered when she had found anything pretty in that way, not since... well not for a long while anyway.

Ever so slowly she felt her own heavy lids drawing closed. Five minutes. she thought, parroting the mare, perhaps that wasn’t such a bad idea.

Arti...Where are you?

Her eyes shot open at the sound of invading thoughts, ignoring the burning rays of the sun. The idea of sleep well and truly banished from thought. She looked around her, eyes darting this way and that towards the shadows of the trees.

Damn it! She thought Should have known, it wouldn’t let me rest. But that still didn’t make moving any easier.

Have to keep moving. She told herself. No time to rest not now, not without protection.

With some effort she managed to push the mare off her, truth be told, she hadn’t been trying all that hard beforehand. But with the fear of Velka in her now, she found the strength to do it. The mare groaned as she slid onto the murky bank of the river like a dead fish, then out of nowhere the mare let out a yelp of pain.

“Gah!” she hissed, violet eyes opened in panic, locking eyes with her, confused, scared and hurt, before going hazy once more.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, waiting for the mare to respond, then almost slapped herself for the stupidity of it all. She frowned down at the mare, who it seems had passed out again from the shock. Grabbing her side she hoisted her up onto her other side and spotted the problem almost immediately.

The mare's wing was bent at the wrong angle, dangling by her side, limp and sagging.

She touched it as delicately as she could, feeling around at the base, the mare let out another cry, but didn’t wake this time. Slowly she felt around for her worst fears, then let out a silent sigh as she sagged backwards with relief.

Not broken. She thought as she kept a keen eye on the base, but not good. She bit her lip, wondering what best course of action to take, when the faintest sounds of scratching tickled the back of her mind. It was far fainter than they had been before, but of course that wasn’t going to last for long.

You can run Arti, but I’ll find you, I always find you. The voice sang.

She tried to push herself back up, her knees knocked together, and she had to hold onto a nearby branch just to stop herself falling backwards onto the water.

I’m Sorry. She thought as she stared back at the mare, She wasn’t leaving the mare, she was saving her, if she stayed, then it would have them both, she knew that for a fact, there was no way she was going to get back to where she needed to in time if she brought the mare with her.

She would be as good as dead.

Her, or you? She thought bitterly, but shook her head.

No, I have to do this alone, I can’t bring her with me. She had seen it too many times before, that stallion guard, still fresh in her mind, she was a danger to others, how many more times did she need reminding of that.

But the mare was as good as dead if she left her too.

A life saved is a life owed.

She ground her teeth, the words coming more like a slap to the face as they sprung in her mind. An old long forgotten oath she had taken and wished to forget.

Why was she thinking that of all things now?

Maybe because it was true, maybe because the mare had saved her, unwittingly or not, she had saved her from a grizzly death. What was worse? Her potentially dying to the thing that was following her, or knowing she would absolutely die to the elements, the forest, or the creatures that called the forest home.

A life saved.

It was hard to ignore that law of the hunter. She could recite the laws of the north verbatim, they were good words, simple, honest. Everything she loved in the world, it was more than just a saying. To be Loyal to something, it was all she ever wanted in life.

A life owed.

She looked down at the mare on the ground again, breathing slowly, shallowly, but more importantly still breathing.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye, and nearly snapped her neck to glare at it in the distance. A bush rustled far away enough not to see, but close enough to worry her. She froze, stepped backwards and felt her foot nudge against the mare's chest, who groaned slightly but stayed blissfully asleep.

She crouched over, not at all ready to fight, quite the opposite in fact but looking like you where ready to take on the world was half the battle in the wild. She realised suddenly, crouched with one leg straddled over the mare then and there that she looked more like she was protecting her kin than herself. But it was too late to care what anyone thought at that moment.

Then suddenly a figure dashed out, hooves tapping against the ground and playfully jumping up and down, bounding around the scrub. It was a deer, a fawn, white as fallen snow and probably just born that week or near enough to it anyway.

She cocked her head in surprise then froze, breath catching in her throat as she watched another figure slowly traipsing out from the forest beside it. A stag, as tall as she was, proud and regal white with great ethereal antlers that shone an eerie blue, glowing incandescently.

If she hadn’t been scared and close to wetting herself, she would have remarked on how odd that was. But then again, ponies had all sorts of odd and silly creatures living in their lands, everyone up north knew that.

But there was nothing silly about those horns, not when each one of the tips looked about the size of her finger and could have spared her right though like a knife into butter.

She grimaced as she tried to right herself and clipped a toe against the rock, the pebble scattering with a splash into the water. She winced and looked up and noticed them all locking eyes with her.

She was not a true believer in fate, in fact she couldn’t remember the last time she had prayed, to The All Mother or anyone for that matter. Often she had only spoken the words of prayer to make Farfar happy, but even doubters raised in the midst of a fervent believer pick up a suspicion or two in their lifetime.

And this sign was about as clear as The All Mother Velka got.

It came down to two options really, wash her hands of it and walk away free, and actually maybe live out the night to come. Or take the mare, who looked like she might not live out the night herself and potentially get them both killed, just for some silly oath she had no reason to keep.

She watched and waited for the stag to rear its head, to come charging at her with those blue icy horns and run her through, but all it did was stare at her, like it was also waiting for her to make up her mind.

She could be useful? A voice told her and she was surprised for once to realise it was her own, an older voice that she had suppressed, the one that had kept her alive, the one that was perhaps just as ruthless as the dark one that invaded her thoughts. She stared down at the mare, she was fast, she was durable, she was smart… In her own way anyway.

She frowned as she considered it. Wondering now if leaving her stranded alone in the unforgiving woods was actually a more merciful thing to do after all.

Maybe we could use her? She considered it for a moment, but then another voice cut through it like a torrent of water.

Don’t try to hide, I can smell your fear. It roared, clearly getting frustrated.

She scrunched her eyes closed, unable to think of the right thing to do, but she had to make a choice then and there. Time to decide, now or never.

“A life saved is a life owed.” she muttered aloud as she wondered just exactly what Farfar would have done at that moment, But it wasn’t hard to work out, after all she had lived it a long time ago.

North Vekra Forests, Griffonia, Twenty years ago

Yells, squawks and shouts could be heard somewhere in the distance as she ran through the night, not caring where she was going only that she was getting away from the noise as quickly as she could.

“Come back here, monkey, we just want a word with ya!” One of them yelled, not far behind.

“Aye, a word, creature, and maybe something else too.” another one half yelled half cackled, even closer than the last voice.

At one time, she had wished she could understand what it was they were saying. Those strange birds like chirps, growls and caws. Wished with all her might she could understand what it was these giant bird headed lions that skulked the lands were talking about.

But now, as she heard them calling out to her, aggressively yelling in detail what they would do if they found her, she really wished she could go back to her ignorance.

She clutched the heavy necklace around her chest, the gem bounced painfully against her collar bone, digging into her skin with it’s jagged embroidering. The periapt that she had carried around with her for the better part of however long it had been since she had first come into this horrid world, felt horribly heavy all of a sudden.

The moon hung low and ominous in the sky, giant white luminous rays of moonlight streaked across the forest floor, making the path around her lighter, but the shadows encroaching her all the blacker for it.

A branch clipped her forehead, cutting into skin and she raised a hand out too late to stop it. A feather, small and brown flew into her face and she blew it away, the last remnant of her plan gone horribly wrong.

Why had she thought stealing livestock was a good idea? She didn’t even know what to do with it if she had. She had no way of making a fire, no idea how to cook it, and she was pretty sure she would have had to eh… Make them not alive as well, something she was not sure she had the stomach to even do.

Stomach, even the idea of it made her weak to the knees, she had just been so hungry, she had been scavenging the land for how long now? She had no idea, it had been warm when she had been taken to this place with monsters and beasts straight out of her story book, now the leaves were turning brown and falling away, and she still had no idea where she even was.

She wanted to go home, she just wanted it to all go back to normal, back to how life had been before this whole nightmare. But she had no idea how to get out, just like she had no idea how she had come into it in the first place.

“Get back here you furless whoreson!” A voice squealed in the distance, reverberating off the trees. It was close, too close, had to run, had to keep going.

She looked back, unable to see over the tops of the ferns as she ran as fast as her little legs could take her, when suddenly she hit something hard, and yet oddly soft at the same time, like a pillow stuffed with wood.

She ricocheted back, lost her balance and was sent sprawling into the mud. Despite the blow, she recovered fast and looked up, eyes bulging in terror. It craned its head to the side, looking down at her with it’s leering predatory eye meeting her as he watched her unmoving.

She gasped, crawling away backwards in the mud and soil, “No!” she managed to gasp out, horrified by the sight of it. How had they managed to get in front of her? She was sure the voices were coming from behind her.

“I didn’t do anything!” she yelled, her already high pitched voice going up several octaves further, kicking away at it on the ground with childish petulance. Her fear turned into frustration and then anger as she managed to claw her way back up to standing. Baring her shoulders she tried to make herself look bigger, but even then she only barely came up to his chest in height.

The creature, griffons they seemed to call themselves, slowly frowned. Behind him a gentle fire had illuminated half of his face. One eyebrow lifted up slowly as he cocked his head puzzled, as he turned to fully look at her with both eyes. Only then could she see that one side was missing it’s feathers. Missing just about everything, only rough wrinkled skin, pinkish save for the eyebrowless black pupil in the middle, that seemed to gleam at her.

The sight would have horrified her, if the sight of one of her pursuers right in front of her didn’t scare her enough already.

It regarded her for a moment then looked up just in time to see the bushes rattling in the distance as his fellow kinsman closed the distance on their target. She looked around for any means of escape, but the voices were all around her now, she looked back baring her teeth at him, she wasn't going back without a fight.

“What are you looking at you big stupid bird!” She spat at him, hoping if nothing else to get him to do something stupid so she could escape, but he just stood there, unmoving save for the smallest traces of a smile on his beak.

“She’s over here!” One of them screamed, landing hard onto the ground behind her and she turned, seeing only a wall of grey downy feathers in front of her. She gasped, stepped back a couple of paces, but paused when she remembered the scarred one was right behind her.

This was it, she was trapped, stuck between the two of them, alone in the woods. At the mercy of these frightening creatures.

“You’re gonna get it this time you little sodding monster!” The large grey one growled, curling his beak into a twisted grin as two other similar coloured griffons emerged from the brush, chest heaving from the strain of the run, each eyeing her hungrily.

She looked left and right, trying to formulate some way of getting away from them, but there was nothing around her save for fern bushes and swaying bluebells. She looked down at her feet, lifting up a fallen branch but it was soggy, barely staying firm in her own hands.

She was well and truly screwed, she knew it, this time it was all over.

Then the brown scarred griffon behind her coughed, hacked loudly and spat into the fire, which sizzled up in it’s embers. She watched as the grey feather figure in front of her furrowed his brow, then seemed to notice the one scarred one behind her for the first time.

“Evening.” The scarred one said before the others could open their beaks. His voice was placid, as if seeing three of his kind chasing some creature through a darkened forest at who knew what hour of the night was just one of those things.

She risked glancing back, looking to see if he was behind her, ready to pounce and was more than a little surprised to see he had moved back to the fire. One claw stirring what looked like a pot of soup of some kind that boiled over the top of the flame.

Despite the danger she was in, her stomach growled irritably at the sight. The notion of any kind of hot food, regardless of what it was, left her mouth salivating even in the wake of the fear she felt.

“Bit late to be out chasing things around, ain’t it?” He said, tossing the spoon back into the pot, before finally glancing back, looking over her head at the three of his kind. She turned back, wondering why none of them had grabbed her yet, made good on the threat they had barked out at her for the better part of what feels like hours.

But the three other griffons just stood there, none of them moving an inch, like there was some unseen line between them and neither one of them was brave enough to cross it for fear of what might happen.

“Piss off outcast, we ain’t here for you, we’re here for this thing.” The skinny, sickly looking one said, with a sneer, pointing down at her.

The scarred one, glazed back at her looking her up and down, but not like a piece of meat, like the others had. No this was different, this look was more like he was looking at her the real her and perhaps even into her, like she was one of those story books spread wide open.

“It’s been stealing from our village.” The other one said, bigger than the rest by at least a head, it’s slow idiotic voice booming like the crackle of thunder.

“Stealing... that’s a serious crime.” the scarred one said thoughtfully, scratching at his beak with a claw, “what did it steal to have you chase it halfway through the woods at Velka knows what hour?”

“Chickens.” the big one answered laconically and without further explanation.

“Chickens?” the scarred one said, a hint of a chuckle escaping from his beak.

“I didn’t steal nothing!” she sputtered out, tired of being talked about like she wasn’t here. it was true, sort of. She had snuck onto the farm with every intention of stealing them, but she hadn’t been able to actually grab anything before she was spotting.

Naturally therefore, in her mind she hadn’t stolen anything.

“Aye, Did that thing just talk?” One of them, the smallest one said, eyes widening as he looked back at her like a dog had suddenly stood up and demanded equal rights.

“You heard us outcast, now get out of the way, if it talks, then it’s smart enough to know better,” the third one spoke, apparently the leader of the group. At least that's what it looked like to her, purely because he seemed to be the only one with some sort of cunning in his eyes.

Without warning he lunged forward and grabbing her by the arm, She tried to squirm out of his grasp, but his hold was strong, his rough claws wrapped easily around her little arms and dug in making her gasp from the pain, “We’re taking her back to the village, stealin’s a crime and crime means punishment.”

“Let go of me you, stupid ugly pigeon!” she yelled, thrashing vainly at him.

The scarred one snorted, now smirking openly, “not only can it talk, but it seems she can describe you well.”

“Screw this, let me at him Hendrick!” The skinny smaller one said, stepping forward but the leader halted him with his claw.

“Easy Hansell we only came for this one, he’s already serving his punishment,” Hendrick said, making a sign with one claw, the others did the same, “we ain’t going to do anything that the laws don’t tell us to do outcast, crime fits the punishment, she steals, she loses a talon, them’s the rules.”

She looked up at the grey griffon, eyes widening. She wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by that, but then she made the mistake of looking at the other younger one, who leered at her, lifting an open claw up and mimed a chopping motion down onto his littlest one.

She might have been young, but she wasn’t dumb and it didn’t take a great mind to understand what that motion meant.

Panicking she lunged out, driving her other fist upwards, but her first two hits did little more than bounce off the griffon's chest.

He leaned down, sneering at her as she squirmed, “Stop that fool, you’re only going to hurt yours- gah!” He let out a pained cry as she waited for the perfect moment then jumped up and drove her fist into his eye.

Hendrick squawked backwards, cursed then struck out, the back of it’s rough and scaly claw connecting with her cheek. She flew backwards lifting a hand up to her face, tears welled in her eyes. But she bit them down and instead spat on the ground by his claws.

“Stupid sodding whoreson!” he cursed, clutching his eye before taking a step forward. She scurried back both hands and feet, away from his razor sharp nails until her back, collided into another set of claws, this time the scarred one.

She looked back up at him, blue eyes meeting black ones and without thinking, she ran behind him, clutching his hind leg with her hands and peering over at the three of them.

He followed her trail with a bemused expression, before turning back towards the other who took another weary step closer.

“Seems this one has other ideas.” he said pointing claw, or talon as she had just learned like a thumb back at her.

“Get out of the way, or you’ll be coming with us too!” Hendric spat, all traces of his careful demeanour now gone, as his eyes lit up with the reflections of the fire in front of him.

She expected the griffon to move, leave her to the others and be on his way. But instead he stayed where he was, not moving and not looking like he was going to move for anyone.

“Listen fellas, I understand the laws well enough, Great Mother I do, but I think our bloods a little up at the moment, what with Velka at her peak.” He said lifting his head up to the moon, “so how about we simply forget about all this, no harm done is there, a blow for a blow. You certainly won’t do it again will you?”

“Sod that outcast, you gonna let this outcast and monkey make a fool of us?” the little one said, growling at the leader, but she could see that he wasn’t exactly racing to take up the fight.

The leader just looked back at them both, eye’s reflecting the fire, like dancing infernos as he growled back.

She flinched, but still the scarred one didn’t move, didn’t even flinch, in fact if anything his posture seemed to relax as he looked back at her and motioned with his eyes smiling that wry smile of his, "Well hen?" He said.

She growled back at the three of them, mirroring her own venomous tone growl, but after a moment, managed to spit out the words. “No.” only half laced with the hatred she felt.

“See,” he said looking back at them chuckling, “she gets it,” he paused then looked back at her, “you are a she right?”

“Not even, still crime!” the biggest one growled, stepping forwards, but again, with weary eyes the leader managed to pull him back, apparently knowing something about the griffon by her that she didn’t.

“Careful Ironhead, outcast remember.” he glared back at her then at the scarred one, seeming to relax ever so slightly, which only worried her more, because his eyes told a different story. “aye, a blow for a blow, but what about the chicken, debt still has to be paid.” he demanded.

The scarred one nodded. “Aye, it does.” he said, leaning backwards and for a second she thought he was leaning back for her. She drew backwards a step, but stopped when instead he fished out for something by his paws and flicked it at the larger one.

A small sack landed with a clinking sound against his talons and he looked up frowning. Until the smaller griffon picked it up and held it feeling the weight of it and his eyes widened.

“Was going to use that coin to get one of those new fangled flatbows, thought it might make hunting easier, all you have to do is point it and, “ he looked back at her, mimed something flying into his neck and sticking out his tongue with a smile. She didn't return it, mostly because she had no idea what he was even talking about.

He sighed. “But really I’m far too old for learning new tricks these days, you know what they say about old orthrus hounds, am I right hen?”

He leaned back to her with another smirk, but she only glared at him again. "Not much for wit aye hen?" he said, then shrugged, looking back at the three griffons. “Well, anyway, I think that’s more than enough for a chicken.”

“Three chickens.” the largest one said in a flat monotone voice, apparently his favourite or only expression, and she could see even the sacred ones eyes lit up with surprise.

“Three?” the scarred one said, looking back with genuine shock. “Just how hungry were you?”

She only shrugged in response.

The other smaller one smirked at the sack in his claws apparently placated by the idea of easy gold, at least that’s what she assumed it was, but his smirk died when he caught Hendricks expression, solemn and unmoving.

“What’s to stop us simply taking the gold and the creature?” Hendrick finally said with a growing smirk.

The scarred one considered this for a moment, scratching his beak, then finally shrugged himself. “Well, nothing really, save for it would be a right bastard thing to do. But then, that wouldn’t be justice would it? That to me would seem like you were out for something else all along, something more than just avenging some chickens.”

All of them at that moment looked at her, or more accurately looked down at her necklace. She caught their glares and clutched the heavy gem in her hand, moving further towards the scarred one’s back.

The leader nodded for a moment thoughtfully and seemed to be weighing his options. Then slowly with a serpentine smirk looked up at the largest griffon. “Iron head!”

“Aye?” The large griffon boomed.

“I've changed my mind, Beat this old fools head in, then grab that creature.” he said flippantly pointing towards her.

“Aye.” the lumbering one said with a nod. She gasped as she watched him taking a lumbering heavy step forward towards them. His body was a mass of muscle, barely held together with feathers and fur. All of them were taller than she was, even the smallest one, but this one towered over even them. His shadow eclipsing even the scarred griffon who wasn’t small by any means.

She gulped and began to walk back, but froze when she felt the scarred griffon's tail wrap around her ankle and for a moment she thought she caught him winking at her.

“Sure we can’t talk about this lads, lion to lion?” He said with an uneasy smile, looking up at the giant who slowly twisted his neck to the side making a long and loud sound of clicks and creaks that made her shiver to her spine. Then the other smaller seemed to gain his courage and walked up beside the hulking brute, sneering at them both.

“Sorry, I'm going to break you now.” The big one said with absolutely no emotion in his voice, as if this was just something he did along with breathing through his mouth and eating.

The scarred older griffon deflated for a moment, “Right then,” He sighed.

Then he lunged forward, moving impossibly fast, His tail went straight, pushing her away from him as the large one lifted both claws up over his head and brought them both down, hitting the ground they had both been occupying hard. The force of it scattering sod and chunks of earth in its wake. The scarred one lifted his wing up, reaching under it and drew something out of it.

She caught something small and wooden fall from the crook of his wing as he brought it to bare, it was the spoon from the pot she had sworn he had put back into the pot. Swinging upwards with dizzying speed, he brought it up and into the jaw of the smaller one. He let out a dull odd squeak, almost comical before he toppled backwards. The scared one didn’t wait, and in the same fluid motion brought it hard down on the hulking griffon's head as the big one tried to draw himself back up, all but cracking the thick wooden spoon with the force of the blow.

The first one might have gone down like a sack of grain. But the other large one only stumbled forward staging for a moment like it had been nothing more than a pillow, before he looked back up his deep frown somehow deepening.

“Huh, that normally works.” the scarred one said, pausing in disbelief as he stared at the spoon, crack in half in his talons. Then his eyes widened as the big one grunted, threw a punch with surprising speed ,considering his bulk and somehow managed to duck it. Just as the blow landed above his head, smashing into a tree, sending bark flying in all directions.

“Better watch yourself creature.” Another voice growled, and she turned to see the leader, Hendrick strolling forward, murderous intent on his eyes as he wet eyes gleamed in the light, reflecting the light of the gem he was fixated on.

“Stop moving, so I can crush your head.” the big one said, with the same emotion one used to swat a fly, staggering forward after him. He dodged again narrowly blocking a blow that was sure to take his head off his shoulders.

“Sorry, I know it ain’t the prettiest, but I sort of like my head.” He quipped back, gasping as he narrowly side stepped a blow that almost had the ground around them rumbling.

He brought what remained of the wooden stick down again, hitting the griffon square on the claw, a blow she knew would have broken anyone else bones, but it only seemed to make the large one angrier as he lunged in time to grab hold of the older scarred one's neck. Clutching it in his claw.

Her eye fixed back on the leader, who had drawn a blade from somewhere, it was rusted, chipped at the end and looked past its prime, much like it’s owner, but she knew it would still do the job if she let it.

Looking around, she spotted the fire, and with her eyes still fixed on the grey speckled griffon she managed to grab hold of a long stick burning in the pyre. It’s orange flames sending sparks of embers around her as she flung it towards the leader, who’s smirk only grew larger as he kept walking slowly towards her.

“Put that thing away monster, unless you want me to use it on you.” He said, licking the underside of his beak.

She edged back, sure that if she ran now, she would at least a chance of getting away in time in the chaos. But where to, even if she did, what was she going to do, she was still lost, hungry and alone.

She was sure that there were worse things in the forest than these creatures, she had seen a couple of them all too close. She looked around at her options then she noticed the fire, and despite herself she began to smirk.

The large griffon lifted the scarred one up against a tree trunk, as he scratched and kicked at the bigger griffon, but it was like punching rock. He ignored the blows and instead brought his claw up slowly, curling his talons into a first as he looked unblinking at the scarred griffon.

“Not personal.” He muttered.

“Hard not to take it personal,” the scarred one said, with a gasp.

“Might want to look at me girl, his end's coming, yours's is right here.” The leader said, now only an arms length from her, the length of the stick, small fading embers, the only thing between her and a bitter end. She licked her lips, looked at both the scarred one and the forest, looked at the dagger and the tails of the griffons.

Weighted her options then she did the only thing she could think to do, closed her eyes she felt for the stinging cut across her cheek that the griffons claw had given her and with some effort brought the sanguine liquid to the amulet.

Please. She asked. Then after a moment it started to glow, as darker red than the blood, if not darker.

Then a familiar voice answered.

Finally, I knew you’d come eventually.

Please help me, I’ll do it, I’ll pay what I owe and more, just please I don’t want anyone to die!

There was a long moment of silence in which she feared that the voice had shunned her then slowly it etched it’s way into her mind.

Is that a wish?

She froze, a cold sweat breaking out across her back as time around he seemed to stop, everything around her going in slow motion.

She knew the price of it, she knew what it offered. But at that moment, she didn’t seem to have much of a choice.

“Come girl, open your eyes, no fun if I can’t see the light go out.” He said with a bark of laughter, as the light seemed to finally extinguish on the stick. He lifted his claw ready to smash it out of her hands, when suddenly the flame exploded back into life.

He let out a gasp of his own for a moment then froze as she drew it back like a javelin then threw it. The stick skidded past his cheek, singeing the jutting unpreened feathers as it went.

Squinting he opened his eyes and looked down at himself, then began to laugh, “that the best you can do, you miserable littl-”

“Fire!” A loud booming voice called out behind him. He turned, they both did, looking at the behemoth of a griffon as it dropped the scarred one. She spotted the stick stuck into the ground around where the massive wall of muscle had been, or more importantly, where his tail had been.

“Fire” The big one shouted again, panicking this time as flames began to light up the end of his paint brush tail as he tried to swat it away. For once showing something of an emotion on his face, even if it was only fear. He tried to grab at his tail to put it out, but his great bulk worked against him, his arms too thick to reach anywhere further than his stomach. He spun around for a few seconds then turned and like an animal barrelled away as if trying to outrun the fire.

Right into his leader.

Hendrick gave a squawk of surprise and pain as the tidal wave of muscle collided into his chest, crumbling him near in half, and knocking him out cold. The big fool let out a panicked whooping sound, trying and failing to put out the burning of his paintbrush tail, as he stumbled and ran away out of view, leader still wrapped around his arm.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye, the smaller one had recovered, he looked around, holding his beak in his claw as droplets of red dripped down around his talons. She readied herself to get another stick, but sensing the losing battle, he simply turned and ran in the same direction as the screaming brute.

She watched them go, a satisfied smirk on her face, then her knees gave out under her from the exhaustion or the pain as she clutched her face. Feeling the swelling already in her cheeks, she gingerly licked the inside of it with her tongue feeling a tooth wobble inside of the jaw worryingly.

“Don’t worry, you’re still not as ugly as I am, little hen.” She heard the scarred one say, gravely voice somehow thicker in no small thanks to the big ones claws around his throat. After a moment, he lifted himself up and brushed away the remnant of the tree bark from his downy feathers.

She stared at him for a moment not sure what to do, what to say, she could still run. She knew that, but she had seen him move now that he was free, she knew he could catch up to her in moments if he wanted to.

She eyed him weary as he got up and began to walk towards her, then past her towards the fire. She kept her eyes trained on him even when he let out a world weary sigh and sat back onto his plot, his joints clicking loudly as he did so.

He groaned, lifting a claw up to his back and messaged it with care, muttering something about his age, as he lifted the pot by the fire and tasted the brew with a claw.

She waited there for the longest time just watching him, then finally he turned and glanced at her. “Looks cold over there, fires warm, trust me.” He said, cracking into a lazy warm chuckle as he pushed his claws closer to the blaze, as if to emphasize the point.

But she didn’t move, instead she just watched him with envy. Cold air chose that moment to grip her, finding all the holes in her torn cloth and blowing against her bare skin. Her clothes, what was left of them were a wreck, dirtied and torn jeans, a t-shirt marked with the face of a smiling cat was torn away at the shoulder and dropping down around her chest.

With little else but desperation and the idea of standing there and freezing to death out of stubbornness, She walked carefully down to the fire, eyes on him all the while, then ever so carefully, she sat down on the other side of it and moved her hands close.

His head was facing the fire, stoking the flames softly with a stick. But all the while she could see him watching her from the condor of his eyes, then after a moment, his eyes widened and he lifted his head up and looked back.

She watched with a puzzled expression, one leg bent to run if she needed to. But he stopped her with a raised palm and a reassuring smile. Then head cocked to the side she watched as he lifted his claw up and began to move it, producing strange symbols with his talons, each in different ways until finally he stopped and turned back.

“Sorry forgot someone.” he said looking back at her, she blinked, eyes narrowing. He lifted his claw up once again to pacify her “hey, don’t worry, just had her hide until the trouble was over, she mostly harmless,” he chuckled, then his face got serious, “but just be careful, she apt to jump sometim-”

No sooner had the words left his mouth that a figure burst out of the shadows of the darkened trees around. She yelped, nearly jumping onto her feet as claws curled around her, wrapping around her chest tight, sharp nails like little needles gripping onto her mud streaked shirt as it held on.

“Got you!” a voice squeaked out, with an impossibly high pitched tone, like it was one away from something only dogs would hear. She reached up and tried to grab at the figure, but it flickered this way and that, flapping what felt like wings to keep her from regaining her balance. Then she felt it’s claws go under her necklace,

“Oh, pretty!”

“Let go of that!” she screamed, rage building in her as she bawled her hands into fists. But before she could do anything to the creature on her back she felt the weight of it lift from her shoulders.

“Tyche, what have I told you about sneaking up on others!” He scolded, frowning as he picked up her assailant in his claws, grabbing at the nape of her neck. She turned, teeth bared, ready to fight whatever had jumped her until she finally saw what had jumped her. But when she finally got a good look at it, all her anger seemed to dissertate as quickly as it had come to her.

In his claws dangling around the scruff of her neck was what could only be described as a ball of fluff with a beak on it. White as snow like a piece of cloud that had come to life. it dangled turning this way and that, downy fresh white feathers skewed and jutting out in all directions, like a porcupine made of marshmallow. It’s eyes beady black buttons with the smallest amount of white around the iris shone bright as it reflected the light of the fire back at her.

“That I should always come from behind and get them when they ain’t looking.” she said sagely, smiling at him manically, but the effect was lost as she had to turn herself back with an awkward flap of her tiny wings to face him.

So C-cute. She thought, her heart melting at the sight. Then she snorted, disgusted with herself for thinking that way. But it didn’t stop her from thinking it, in fact the more she looked, the more it reminded her of her favourite teddy bear she had left in her room back home. Only with a beak instead of a snout.

He blinked, “well, yes, but by Velka little hen, not when we have a guest, I taught you some manners.”

“That’s why I didn’t use my claws.” she said proudly and he rolled his eyes.

“Say your sorry.” he said flatly.

“But I’m not sorry, Farfar?” she said looking back with a puzzled expression.

He pinched the bridge of his beak. “All mother, why did you curse me so?” he looked up at the moon then dropped her onto the ground, she watched as the white ball of fluff righted itself, then looking back at him sourly, stuck out her long thin tongue, before quickly turned and walked towards her.

“Are you a magical monkey?” She said, leaning in until they were almost nose to nose.

She leaned backwards nose scrunched as the smell of freshly eaten fish wafted from it's mouth. She looked up at the scarred one and pointed, “what is this thing?”

He chuckled, “well if you ask me, I’d say she’s one of the all mothers hunting hounds, come to our world to punish me for all my black deeds.” he said sighing, as she looked back at the ball of fluff, who didn’t look much like a dog. More like a baby seal that someone stuck a beak on.

“But if you’re asking what she is,” he said sighing as he sat back down again scratching the side of his beak, ”she’s a chick, reckon no more than five, as far as I can tell and this rude little snowball can give you her name.” he said fixing her a frown.

“I’m Tyche,” she said without a second of delay, pushing up so that they were almost nose to beak, “and I’m five and three seasons old. My hatching day is next season, when the All Mother makes the leaves turn brown, then I’ll be zero and six!” She squawked proudly, ignoring Farfar and keeping her attention on her.

“Who’s this All Mother?” she said, backing away, she watched cautiously as the two of them looked at one another for a moment like she had asked what colour the sky was, it was Tyche who recovered first.

“How old are you?” Tyche asked, leaning in again as if the idea of personal space was a concept that happened to other people.

She frowned for a moment in thought, then slowly turned away and looked down at her hands, lifting each one up for a moment, two, three, four. “six.” she finally said, looking back.

“Huh we’re almost the same age!” she said giddy, “and you're bad with counting too!” She said again, like it was something to be celebrated.

“Am not!” she said back bitterly, she wasn’t bad at it, she was quite good, when the numbers didn’t get all jumbled up in her head.

“All right now, that’s enough, give the hen some space, she’s been through quite the ordeal.” The scarred one, Farfar as the chick had called him said, as he pulled the chick away from her, and with it the wafting stench of cooked fish.

“You were so cool.” Tyche said after squirming away from Farfar for the second time. For a moment she thought she was talking to Farfar until she realised that she was still looking at her.

“Me?” She said.

“Yeah, the way you set that big one’s tail on fire, it was so funny.” Tyche chirped happily, “How did you know it would work?”

She paused, she didn’t in fact, she had been aiming for his back, the tail had just gotten in the way, but she was feeling proud from the compliment and didn’t want to sour her feelings in front of this creature. “Just luck.”

Farfar watched her for a moment then looked down at the amulet by her neck. Instinctually she went to clutch it but paused when she heard him chuckling, “well good thing your luck paid off then.” and he paused as if trying not to say anything but unable to help himself.

“Hen, where did you get amulet fro-”

“-Does that mean we own her now Farfar?” Tyche said with an innocent smirk, staring back at the both of them as collectively they both lost control of their bottom jaws.

“What?” she said, getting back up onto her feet, glaring at Farfar, “I knew you wanted something, it told me nothing comes for free!”

Farfar cocked his head at her for a moment, perhaps wondering what she meant by It, then he sighed and pinched the bridge of his beak. “How many times do I have to tell you, it’s a life saved is a life owed, not owned.” he smiled apologetically, “sorry she’s just started taking her Oath lessons.”

She didn’t say anything, mostly because she didn’t know what he was even talking about, she had never heard of any oath, or Velka or much of anything that had come from their beaks. But not wanting to look like a fool she slowly nodded her head at that.

But one look from the old griffon had told her he already knew she had no idea, and instead he merely smiled and sat back on his hunches. “Not from around here are you?” he said knowingly and she bit her lip and looked down, holding onto the necklace with one hand, slowly she shook her head.

“No.” she said, her voice suddenly softing to a whisper, then she realised how low she had said it and piped up, “I’m from, somewhere else, far away I-”

“How did you get here little hen?” His voice was impossibly soft, despite the gravel in it, and it made her pause. The lie died in her throat as she looked up at his scarred but earnest eyes and then looked away.

“I-I made a wis-” she froze, the words trapping her tongue with the horror of the idea of saying those dreaded words. Afraid that even uttering the word would cause it to manifest again.

Slowly her tears began to come back, she wiped them away quickly. But still they came on and eventually she just let them fall. She was tired, scared, hungry and missing her family so much. But the saddest part of it all was, she couldn’t even remember their faces, or who they were or if she even had one.

Why had she wished for this, why had she thought this was what she had wanted, she only wanted to be away from all to forget all the pain and all the anger. But now she was in a whole new world of it. The pain and anger far worse and far greater than she could have thought possible.

But once a wish was answered, it could never be unanswered. That was what it had told her. That was what it had tried to warn her. But she had never been very good at listening.

She clutched at the jewel by her neck, half wanting to crush it with her fingers, half afraid of what it would do if she did, the metal points dug into her fingers but she was far too numb from the cold to care at this point.

Maybe if she just held it hard enough, it would take her back, wake her from this dream, this nightmare and she could just go back to when everything was normal again.

She flinched when she felt claws around her neck again, the hard and callus reminder that this was reality. She felt herself gasp when something nuzzled her neck soft in their intent at least. “Don’t cry, you can have some of my fish if you want?” Tyche said softly, like the idea of fish solved everything, perhaps to her it did.

“I’m not hungry.” she muttered with a hiccup, but her stomach betrayed her with a grumble, obviously disagreeing with that notion. “I need to leave.” She said, pretending to look around, as if some part of the darkness would give her an adequate excuse to flee.

The scarred griffon looked up from the bowl he was ladling soup into, “So soon?” he asked, a deep set frown on his beak. “At least stay and eat somethin,’ my honour,” he paused, “what’s left of it anyway, won’t allow me to let a guest past by hungry, my ancestors would haunt me all throughout my dreams.” he said and that easy smile was back, one that despite her best efforts and despite his horrifically burnt face, she was starting to warm to.

She looked down at the soup he was offering, tantalising chunks of vegetable and meat floated around a brownish creamy liquid. The sight of it made her weak at the knees from hunger. But life in these past few months had already taught her, nothing came for free.

Why would he want to help yo-

“After all, the little chicks right sometimes, a life saved in a life owed, but I reckon it’s me who owes you.”

She opened her mouth, closed it, then looked at the chick who was doing the exact same thing, wondering if the old griffon had gone senile in the time since sitting down.

“Me?” She said.

“Her?” Tyche parroted over her shoulder.

“Aye, suppose it’s only fair, you could have run away when that big basta-” he coughed, looking around at the two youngster, “-burrly fella had me pinned against the tree, but you stood your ground and helped me outta a tight spot, that’s a life saved enough in my book.”

“But if you hadn’t helped me, you wouldn’t have been almost killed?” She asked, and Tyche seemed to nod along with that agreement.

“Yeah, you saved her first, you’re the hero.” Tyche said, and she frowned back at her, over her shoulder, but could hardly argue the point.

Farfar sighed as he stroked his back. It seemed he did a lot of sighing as well, perhaps that was one of the few things about getting older, not that she could tell how old he was, all the griffons looked the same to her.

“Little one, what did I say about throwing that word around, all I did was what the oath bound me to do, what it’ll one day bound you to do. No lion ought to stand back while some little, eh?” he paused, looking at her as if the name of her kind would appear on her forehead, sadly it wasn't.

“Hen” he finally landed on, “was being harassed. I did my duty, but she had no reason to help. Could have fled if she wanted to, don’t reckon she has an oath binding her to what happened here. But I’m mighty grateful that you didn’t, so I figure that means I owe you. Life saved and all, even if all I can offer you right now is a bowl of soup and a safe place to rest your head.”

“But, but that’s not a hero, heroes beat the monsters.” Tyche said, brow furrowed in confusion.

“Hero’s act in the face of danger hen, sometime they fail, but a hero act’s when there ain’t no benefit to themselves doing so, and that’s what she did, now pipe down and let her answer, or they’ll be no supper for you.” he warned, then looking back at her.

She felt her cheeks reddened at the praise, she had never been praised much in the past, and like someone starving for food, after even a taste of it, she found herself already wanting more. But she didn’t want them to see that so she looked down at her feet, at the one sole remaining trainer on them, white before now black from mud and lord knew what else, the other naked, save for the frilly remains of a sock.

She wanted to trust them, she really did, she had wanted desperately to have something friendly to lean against, this world might have been imbued with all the magic and the fantastical that she had read in her stories she had heard growing up in her world. But not many of them had anything more than evil in them, and a mind only to do harm to her.

But these ones did seem genuine, and she hadn’t seen any of the other creatures even turn a kind eye to her, let alone offer to help her. She looked at the chick who was eyeing them both curiously, part excited energy in the way her tail swished back and forth and part worried about her easy to read face.

She gazed down at the bowl in the griffon's claws, salivating at the sight of the steam wisped off into spiral curves around the bowl. She clutched the back of her arm with another and bit her lip.

You wanted to be alone, that was your wish, do not forget that. It hissed in the back of her mind, We do not need their help.

She gulped, looked down and bit her lip again hard. Thinking things over, contemplating on the idea of being alone one more night, was she any safer that way, was she any better for it. She had told herself she couldn’t be hurt if she was, nothing could hurt her anymore if she stayed away from them.

They weren't real, this was all a dream all made up in her mind, if she didn’t pay them any attention, and she would wake up out of this dream turned nightmare.

But every day she woke up and nothing was different, she was still alone, hungry and scared. In a land of made up monsters.

Never go back, you’ll stay here forever, I can help you if you leave. It whispered to her, and somehow she knew it was right…

But she was so tired of being alone.

“Okay,” she said softly, clutching a lock of her ashen blonde hair and twirling it nervously. “That does sound...nice.”

You will regret thi-

“Yay!” the chick said, cheering right into her ear and drowning out the voice. She leaned up behind her again, like she had the first time only this time when her paw hit her back she heard clothes ripping them

“whoops, sorry.”

She pushed down her annoyance, and instead broke into an uneasy grin, “that’s okay, it was kind of ripping anyway.”

Even Farfar had an easier smile at that moment as he regarded what she was wearing. “Looks like we’ll need to get you something to keep warm, you’re a little.” and he paused thinking up the right words for it, “featherless. I suppose I can head to the clothmaker before we go searching for your kin.” He inclined his head towards the darkness and she followed it for a moment, gulped then looked back.

Can’t go back, Can’t go back, Can’t go back.It seemed to sing in her ear, like a song with no melody

“Well come sit then, before it gets cold, little, eh?” He paused unsure of what to call her, "you got a name?"

She thought for a long moment, pushing her tongue into her bottom lip, she had a name, of course she had a name, it was one of the few things left of her old life she did have. But if she was doing this her old life was over and with that her name was over too. Still all she could think about was her wish, that one wish she had had that had led her to this place and it all stemmed from one figure, that goddess in her stories who never showed fear or weakness.

The goddess of the hunt, the lone queen of the forest. The woman who knew no fear and was respected throughout the land. She had told herself she wanted to be a woman like that. And if she was going to live in this fantasy then...

“Artemis?” she said, almost like a question, then she nodded, “that’s my name’s, Artemis…” she paused when she realised she had said it with a harder inflection than she had wanted to “B-but my friends call me arti.” she said softly, because if anything she felt slightly embarrassed when she said it, feeling like in some ways she was making a fraud of herself.

Perhaps she was, it was a big name to live by.

But the griffon only nodded, “That's fine name I suppose, good as any.” he said and somehow she could see that he knew it was not hers. But then again, Farfar didn’t seem to be his name as far as she could tell, so perhaps they where both living who they wanted to be, rather than who they actually where.

“Right then, Artemis who's friend call you Arti, let's get you someplace safe.” He said with a smile, as Tyche climbed on her back once more and nuzzled her cheek and despite the trepidation in the pit of her chest, she smiled back, after all, that was all she had ever wished for.

“Stop it Tyche, that tickles.” Artemis said smiling despite the strain of it all. Looking back at the sleeping figure on her back, then she froze, stomach sinking in her like an anvil.

It wasn’t Tyche. It was the Rainbow mare, slumped against her back, where she had been for the better part of an hour, pressed against her as Artemis carried them through the woods, across marsh and through grasslands.

Oh right. Artemis thought, of course it wasn't them, it was just her, like it always seemed to be. Her and now the mare, but based on how she was feverishly shaking against her naked skin, it didn’t look like she would be very long for this world either.

Artemis blinked around at her surroundings, wondering just how long she had been occupying the state of joyful nostalgia without interruption. But such was the way of the forest. At one moment it could be her mortal enemy, throwing all it had at her, and then in the other so peaceful that she had hardly seen anything in hours.

Slowly Artemis scanned the sparse wilderness around her, until finally, her eyes locked on something and when she squinted to see though the rays of the sun and the foliage, she gasped when recognition flooded her memory of this place.

In the distance, against the treeline was a wall of rock, jagged and jutting out like a castle rampart. A side of a mountain or at least a massive hillside, she had never been quite sure what the difference was, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt it was what she was looking for.

Artemis raced towards it feeling new life breathed back into her bones as she all but raced towards them.

She sidled up to one of the trees, unhooked one of her hands from behind the mare and wiped away at the invasive moss grown on the bark. The runes she had carved around it were still there, dulled and weatherworn, but still as deep and clear as the day she had carved it.

She looked around her, suddenly spotting all the tell-tale signs of everything else she had come to recognise in her home, reclaimed somewhat in places as she noticed the arrow she had stuck into the ground now sporting a line of ants across it, but that hardly mattered now.

She walked across the wall of rock for a moment, trying to familiarise herself until she found what she was looking for. A craggy jagged fault in the massive slab of boulder. No less than a few claws in diameter stood in front of her, dark and to most wholly uninviting. She peered inside the expansive darkness, feeling the cool air tickling her skin as she stepped closer.

A scary thought to most to step inside of something like that, but to her, it was anything but. Because to her it was home, or at least as close as a nomad got.

She tried to slide inside of it without thinking and was rewarded with a bump to her head as something pushed her bodyweight forward. Artemis cursed, then looked back at what had obstructed her, only to once again remember what, or who she was carrying.

Oh right, of course you fool.

Artemis pressed her tongue into her lower lip as she tried to think of how she was going to get this done.

Perhaps if I….

She heard another rustling come from behind her and froze, then she heard the sound of wings beating against a tree and sighed. But that was enough, no time to be clever about this, she was going to just have to do what needed to be done. She had chosen this path after all, now she was going to have to live with the consequences, she had carried the mare so far on her back, how bad could the front be?

Artemis frowned back at the mare, Velka, why do you only punish good deeds?

Artemis almost fell into the fur at the sight of it, knees buckling under the weight of carrying the mare like a toddler through the cracks of the caves entrance, fresh cut's and burses already on her fingers. As gently as her worn out muscles could allow she placed the mare down onto the fur and hay that had been her bed and caught her breath.

She watched the sleeping mare, wrapped up like a chick just hatched and wanted nothing more than to join her on it. Wrapped around the fur cover without a care in the world. Velka if only she would like to just lay there beside her, she looked warm and inviting.

Her body hadn’t touched another in some time and now that it had. Even though it was roundabout at best, considering they woke up unconscious on top of one another. It seemed to crave nothing more than the feel of another living creature.

Artemis scrunched her tired eyes closed, Are we really going to do this?

But then she remembered the sounds of scratching in the back of her mind, those sounds where gone now, but thy would come back. She had work to do and not just that. She looked down at the mare, curled around the fur. "This is going to be unpleasant." she said softly, though she wasn't sure who she was really talking about, herself or the mare.

Sighing Artemis looked around the pitch black cavern. So much she needed to do and in such short time. She bit her lip and considered her options, really it was obvious though, the first thing on her list. She grabbed flint and a knife then felt her way towards the closest wall until it brushed against a thick stick with a rag on the end of it.

Fire my old friend, it's been too long she joked as she got to work.

She let her neck reach back and touch the wall of the cave. It was halfway done and that had been the easy part. She glanced around the cave, familiarising herself, after nearly a month away. She had wasted no time lighting the torches all around the cave, and already a small crackling fire was growing in the middle of her den. It was no bigger than her hand in size, small, but it didn't need to be, the cave she had picked kept the heat in and already with the canopy much of the heat was being kept inside.

Behind her, a wooden box sat open atop a pile of dirt, freshly dug up, sod and packed earth strewn about the cave floor. Her fingernails had taken the brunt of it as she dug out the dirt, why had she dug so deep. She scolded herself, but she knew why. She never left things half measure.

Nothing ever done well, was done half arsed. Farfar words in her mind, not exactly what the ponies called poetry, but there was wisdom in it.

Artemis clutched at the red gem encrusted amulet around her neck, it felt heavy, but also reassuring, like a favourite cloth or a reassuring arm of a loved one. Not that she had had much of either in her life.

Artemis shuddered when she felt something cold touching her thigh and looked down at the small dagger in her hand, realising that her fist was shaking against her leg, she was gripping it so tight she could see the white skin on her usually pinkish knuckle bones.

Then she closed her eyes, summoned up the courage she had and drew up the dagger.

Time to get to work. Artemis thought resolutely. But that didn’t make her legs move any faster.

“I'm Sorry for this.” Artemis muttered mutely, to herself or to the mare, she didn’t know, she supposed it didn’t really matter much. Wincing as she brought the blade down towards the sleeping mare.

A life saved was a life owed. She was a woman who lived by her oaths, but she already owed a great deal to a great many. What was one more debt to pay?

End of Part One

2] 1) Lies

Part Two.

Checkers stared down at the body of the mare in front of him and could only think to himself then and there, that this was all one big bloody mess.

He’d heard the term before from her, a griffon expression she had picked up in Canterlot in her many talks with them. Bloody usually meaning a prelude to something bad, bloody rain, bloody stallion, bloody coffee, that’s what she had told him it meant, though when she did it she affecting that harsh northern voice and it made him laugh.

There was nothing funny about this.

He wasn’t sure if that term could be used for anything else. Right now, a bloody mess could have been used literally as well as figuratively. Staring down at what was once a pony, he didn’t think a word could fit so perfectly, and he couldn’t help thinking that he had been the reason. He had created this bloody mess and now he was reaping what he sowed.

It had been three days since the creature had gone missing, three days since he had let her go. Now he was starting to see the results of his decision and it was worse than he had feared.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered, almost choking on the last syllable as he rubbed his tired eyes, looking around at the woodlands at the edge of town where she had been found. Anything he could do not to look at the beaten broken form, that had once been a proud pegasus mare. Now just another statistic.

It was a lie, he knew he should feel sorry, perhaps he was somewhere deep down. But ultimately, he didn’t feel it. He didn’t feel much of anything these days.

Just how many lies have I told already? He thought, as he pondered his mistakes.

What he was looking at right now, the body, the chaos, all of it had been his fault in some shape or form, but still she had known the risks. He had warned her of it before she started, but that didn’t make him feel even one bit better about what happened. He didn’t plan for this, but then what did he expect?

He could have argued to himself, told himself that they would have been more dead if he had let them take her, they would have taken the answers. There was more to this, something the creature was not saying, how she had been attacked herself. He was sure she was behind it somehow.

This way at least, they had more time. They had a way to work out what was really going on.

But try telling this mare’s family that. Would they have thought such a noble cause would be worth the life of their daughter, a promising pegasus with her whole life ahead of her?

A loud and long roar of laughter pierced the early morning air like the yowling of an alley cat prowling the streets in heat. Checkers drag his tired eyes away from the body. He caught the suspect in the midst of holding his great fur-covered stomach wiping a tear from his feathery eyelid. He was one of the ambassadors of Griffonia, standing in a circle of his peers who were prattling on about something in their mother tongue.

Checkers felt the rage building up in him.

He had not been an expert in their kind, that was more his lover's field. But he had been around enough Ambassadors in his life to notice the difference, even among their more backwards kin.

They were no more ambassadors than he was a ballet dancer. The griffons had not come to talk politics. Emissaries used words to cut down foes, these ones had brought actual weapons, and if he was not mistaken, one of them had even brought that new killing contraption from the north, a crossbow as they called it.

Seeing who they had sent down to collect the creature, only strengthened his suspicions, these were not griffons that guarded things. They had not even brought a wagon. These were griffons that cut answers out from others. These killers were not here to talk, they were here to make sure something or somepony never talked again.

Whatever the creature did know, it was too important to be left up to chance. At least, their arrival had lifted Checkers guilt somewhat, even if it was just a fraction. He had been right to be suspicious. But again, at what cost, he had pondered that for years now, but nopony ever seemed to have the answer.

That rage had built up further as another ear-piercing chortle left another Griffon’s beak. No respect for the dead or for the ponies working tirelessly around them. But then nopony would stop them. Given how their very Captain had rolled out the red carpet for them like they were Princess Celestia herself.

He felt his muscles tightening, making his vision blur and narrow all at once. He would have liked nothing more than to smash the laughter out of them. Give in to that delicious rage and show them just what he found funny.

That was what the old him would have done without a second thought. But he was a different stallion now, he had principles, he had to use his mind, not his hoof. He had sworn to her, told her right to her face when he left that there would be no more problems and he meant it. But damn if life was not twisting that blade every chance it got.

He closed his eyes again instead and gave a long and tired sigh, it didn’t help much, but it was all he could do right then and there.

“Hold it steady, no like that, yes that’s it, I need a good angle, away from the sun!” a peculiar blonde stallion answered, leaning down towards the body. It wasn’t the behavior of the stallion that made him peculiar in Checkers eyes, though leaning so readily to a smell so rank would have made any sane pony question his normality.

But what made him quite unusual was the spectacles he had on his face. Curved and rounded, like goggles with spirals for lenses, that gave the impression of a mad scientist rather than an expert forensic specialist.

Though it had to be said, given the profession and the relish he took in it, there wasn’t all that much difference in Checker’s mind.

”Oh Celestia that smell, what is that?” A guard, the youngest one asked, turning such a shade of green as to actually look more like his true fur colour rather than the white they were all glamoured with.

“What do you think it is, idiot.” The other older guardsman to her side barked disapprovingly, trying to stay stoic, but failing himself, as he none too subtle tried to blink away reactionary tears,

“I know what it is,” the younger whined nasally, cupping his nose with a hoof, “I don’t mean that smell, I mean... I mean the other one.”

“That my friends,” the forensic doctor said, adjusting his glasses, “is the smell of progress, progress, we must all strive for, now hold it still.”

“I actually mean the lavatory at the barracks kind of smell.” the younger one said with a nasal tone, as his hoof pinched his muzzle.

“Ahh, that smell,” The Forensic Doctor said with a smile as he leaned closer towards the cadaver, “that is the smell of the body relieving itself.”

“Oh.” The younger one said hollowly as if thinking this could not get worse and somehow finding out it was only the tip of the iceberg. Mercifully they all went silent for a moment at that, the way all of them would go in the end.

“Poor mare,” he said finally.

The older guard coughed, rubbing what looked like moisture from his eye, from the statement or the smell Checkers couldn’t tell, but he masked it convincingly with a cough, “Well if progress smelled like that, I’d rather strive for the opposite.”

“My grandpappy used to say, progress just means bad things happen faster.” The younger one said dourly.

“Very astute of him, indeed, progression is the art of studying the decomposition of a body. It does therefore help us determine how the bad things as you put it happens to bodies, faster,” he said, as he pulled out a metal contraption that looked more like a madman's idea of a dental tool than anything medical. “Now somepony grab the leg whilst I make the first incision.”

Checkers shook his head and strode from under the tree he had been towards the crime scene. This freakshow had gone on far too long.

“I Don’t think that’s what Grandpappy meant by that saying.” the younger stallion shaking his head sadly.

“Any more progress on the victim?” Checkers cut in before they could waffle on further about whatever it was they were talking about.

The blonde-haired stallion in the glasses, the forensics as they seemed to call themselves, pursed his lips still intently staring at the body. “I am a stallion of science Lieutenant Checkers, not magic. I can only ascertain so much from the little we have to work with, If I had a proper laboratory, however…”

“Work with what you have, Doctor, run the facts by me again, in Eques if you don’t mind this time.” Checkers said cutting off one of the doctors' many rants about proper facilities before it could start again.

The doctor sighed, more the sigh of somepony who was trying to explain how two and two equaled four rather than somepony who felt tired. “The decomposition had been accelerated because of the heatwave we are in and some blunders in your department, namely some of the guards strolling through a crime scene like a playground and-”

“Focus Doctor, just the basics please.” Checkers snapped.

He met Checkers eye, at least as far as Checkers could tell, lifting the instrument away from the cadaver, “It’s as you predicted, the lacerations do indeed match that of the other previous victims.”

“So you’re certain it’s not animal predation or worse a copycat?” Checkers asked.

“If an animal could do this, I believe we would have a far greater problem on our hooves, as for a copycat, well lets just say. No pony could do this without serious strength or magical prowess.” The doctor said grimly.

“So you’re certain it’s another attack by the Ripper?” Checkers asked, but he already knew the answers, still, it paid to never assume.

“Lieutenant Checkers, I never make assumptions, I have yet to see an animal that could make lacerations like this, and I have studied all kinds, believe me. I would stake my career on this.” The Doctor said as firmly as his ridiculous glasses would allow him to be.

Checkers nodded, he didn’t have the greatest opinion of their kind of medical practice, no right-minded pony should be that comfortable around death. But he could not help but admit, morbid as it was, they knew their business.

“I was afraid of that,” he said, but deep down he felt a disgusting sense of relief in knowing now that at least he was right.

“Though I have to say, this one seems particularly savage, fractured hip bone, punctured lung, tibula is nearly shattered. There had to be considerable strength in this attack.”

Checkers had to agree, the fractures were too random to be calculated, the attacks too sporadic for anything other than a rage-induced beating. Perhaps the Ripper had taken out its revenge for locking her away on the mare.

Checkers pictured the idea of that skinny creature containing enough force to do something like this to a fully grown pony. She had muscles, lean ones, made for agility and endurance. Not brute strength. Even with a blunt weapon, it seemed unlikely he could do this much damage, let alone this flake of a creature.

But then again, he had seen meeker do worse with his own two eyes, given the right motivation. He was not above ruling anything out at this point.

Checkers was still not sure, but he was not ruling it out anymore. “The Rippers getting bolder, took its time with this one and so close to Ponyville as well.”

Checkers felt a shadow move past the corner of his eye. It was only years of training that stopped him from staring at it.

Back so soon, I guess it’s time to get to work. I thought as he followed the shadow with his gaze towards a tree in the distance, but paused when he heard an expectant cough coming from an unlikely source and turned around.

“What should we do about the body Lieutenant?” It asked, and Checkers noticed it came from the younger guard, looking down softly at the mare, then back up at Checkers. “The family is going to want to know.” He left the question open, questioningly at him.

Checkers blinked, then straightened, glanced down at her one last time then back up at the guard. “I’ll deal with it personally. I owe it to her family members. She was a member of the team, after all, no matter if it was informally.”

The younger nodded, “Right, yeah, she was. Just a shame, feels like this could have been avoided…”

Checkers felt his breath catch as he tried to take in the meaning of the younger stallion, but his eyes were firmly glued to the body of the pegasus below them.

“Avoided how, private?” He asked, harsher than he had intended.

The private swallowed hard, then looked back up towards Checkers not meeting his eye. “I-I just meant-”

“-Mean’t what exactly private, say it?” Checkers said leaning closer now, rage building back up again like it had only ever been on pause.

“Sir, I don’t think private-” The older one said but stopped when Checkers flashed him the same glare, gulping much like the private had.

“The private can say what he wishes to say, sergeant.”

The younger guard’s pony swallowed again, somehow growing greener even still, but this time he met Checker’s eyes when he spoke. “I just think it’s a shame, sir. She was a nice mare and in our care, that’s all, we should have done more to protect her.”

There was deathly silence for a long moment as no pony moved except the forensic pony, who seemed to be in his own world.

Finally, Checkers exhaled long and loud through his nostrils, looked down at the body of the mangled mare, and slowly nodded. “We should have done more. Ponies shirked their responsibilities and now every pony else pays for it, but not anymore.”

The younger and older guard gave each other a look, but already Checkers was gone. Without saying anything else, he turned and began to walk towards where he had seen the shadow move.

He made it to the tree and glanced around, but saw nothing, then the slightest breeze behind him set the back hairs of neck standing upwards. It took years of practice not to tense his muscles at the presence of somepony sneaking upon him. Mostly because he didn’t want her to know she had surprised him. So instead he sucked in a breath and slowly turned towards the pony who had materialized by the side of the tree.

For once, she said nothing, she didn’t even have a smirk on her face. In fact, she hasn't had one for nearly three days now.

He stopped and turned so that both of them were glaring at the griffons for a moment, then he leaned close to her, “are we clear?”

She gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“Good, repeat it, one last time.”

Night Light sighed and pulled back the sunglasses, new white and gaudy things, nothing like her old pair. She had picked them up three days ago from the local market after the last pair broke about the time when the creature had broken the lamp over her face. The new ones sat about as well on her face as a hat on a pig. But it was the only ones that could do the job of covering her eyes, and the swelling across the side of her face for that matter.

She leaned over and whispered the words into his ear, harsh words, like a muttered jumbling of Eques with chirping sounds and faint growls where vowels would have normally been. It sounded more like she was trying to attack him with noises than say a sentence.

Checkers nodded, then turned his attention back to the group of griffons making similar noises across the crime scene. Huddled together, like a circle of shaggy grey statues, and each of them about as hard looking as one.

“You sure this is a good idea?” She asked, finally looking up at him.

“Don’t you trust me?” He said trying to flash her an impersonation of her own cocky smirk, but it never sat well on him, like it did her and made him look intimidating. He expected some cutting quip from her, which was why he was more than a little surprised when she only nodded.

“I do.”

He looked at her for half a second again waiting for the punchline, but the hard lines on her face were set and she looked up at him with an earnestness he had never seen on the mare. She had been wearing that look more than her smirk ever since that night she had gone against his wishes and tried to interrogate the creature.

He looked back at the group and simply nodded again, straightened his armor, and strolled forward towards them.

All around him guards and those newfound doctors of the dead scouring the grounds. Cornering areas of the land around the body, and setting up perimeters around the northwest of the forest of the Everfree, not a spitting distance from the foal school, Checkers could almost see the tip of the school chimney from here, but his eyes were busy looking at the enormous claws of the griffons getting closer and large with each step.

Once he got there, standing in the shadow of the group of griffons, he coughed just loudly enough to garner their attention.

One of them, the one who had been both laughing and talking animatedly, stopped mid-sentence, lifted himself up to full height, and turned slowly. Only when he was facing Checkers did he notice what a great bruiser of a figure he was standing in front of. Half black fur, half white-feathered head with a single deep pale gash across his jaw and across his eye, which left a milky white orb where his pupil would have been.

Checkers, usually the tallest in the room, and the strongest, thanks to years of training and good genetics had to crane his head upwards to look at him. He fought the urge to lick nervously at his lips as they began to circle around him and Night Light, like lions to a fresh kill.

His mouth went dry and he coughed again, for real this time, before he spoke the words she had taught him.

Well then, time to give this a shot I guess.

“Good morning, bastards.” He announced loudly and as meaningfully as he could in their native tongue. Looking each one in the eye with all the formalities he could muster.

The griffons stared at him, one of them raising his brow slightly at him, but all their faces stayed in a fixed hard unreadable expression.

Beside him, he thought he could hear a snort of laughter come from Night Light, but when he glanced she was as calm and still as the night.

“I have come to request your master’s attention, so please bastards, hurry up and fetch him, like good little birds,” Checkers said.

The griffons looked at one another, then for some reason, their eyes began to narrow at him. Though he wasn’t quite sure why.

The milky-eyed one leaned forwards slowly, until they were almost nose to beak, allowing Checkers to get a better look at those predatory eyes than he ever wanted. Before finally, a splitting smile broke out on his beak and he began to laugh.

Checkers swallowed hard, it was like a weight had been lifted off his chest that he did not know was there. He looked around at the other griffons, confused and slightly worried, but smirking along with the rest of them as they laughed, slapped backs, and clutched one another speaking in their strange tongues.

“What are they saying, and why are they laughing?” He muttered angrily out of the corner of his mouth, still fixing them with an uneasy smile.

“He said I like zhis one, he has stones,” she said, the corners of her mouth ticked upwards. Checkers gave her a withering glance, Apparently Night Light had not changed all that much it seemed.

“That wasn’t just a good morning was it?” He whispered back harshly.

“Griffons respect guts sir, and I zink that took a lot of it to say.” She said, giving him a small half-hearted smirk. Then she strolled forward and began to speak.

Checkers watched wearily as Night Light let out a series of chirps, grunts, and growls, back at the one with the milky eyes. They had stopped their laughter now and he was talking or yelling (Checkers couldn’t quite tell which,) back at her. Checkers took that moment to step back and collect himself, maybe allowing himself the time to teleport if things took a turn for the worst.

After a moment, she stopped talking and Checkers could see the one-eyed griffon lean his head back and yell something over his shoulder towards the trees behind him.

“And?” Checkers said softer now, leaning towards Night Light again.

“They said they would get their Chief Shaman,” she said.

Checkers blinked, “Really, that’s it, they don’t want anything for it?”

Night Light looked back at him, frowning now, “They said they’re bored watching us bumble around with the dead, and seeing their chief swat you around like a toy might at least be interesting.”

Checkers sighed. Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy, “I see, you did explain to them I was here to talk not fight, right?”

“To griffons, talking is only ever a prelude to fighting, sir, well...that and fuc-”

“Yes yes, I understand,” Checkers interrupted as he watched a stern-looking wizened old grey griffon emerge from the treeline.

The old lion walked with the aid of a staff taller than he was. Carved bits of metal and what looked worryingly like bones rattled over his head dangling from a fork in his staff. He paused, lifting up a thick bushy brow at Checkers then shrugged an old discoloured pelt of what looked like a wolf back over his shoulder before pressing on to meet them.

The old Shaman yawned loudly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before fixing an evil one on the one-eyed griffon. To his credit, the milky-eyed griffon didn’t flinch from the withering glare that could have frozen fire. But Checkers noticed even he had lowered his head in some form of deference.

The old griffon rasped something out in his mother tongue, clicked his beak and glared at Checkers and Night Light once again, shooing the other griffons away with a wave of his claw.

Once they were out of earshot, the grey griffon sat down on creaking joints, clearly wincing from the ache of it, before finally, he spoke.

“What is it you want, little pony,” he grumbled out impatiently, speaking in what Checkers had to admit, was pretty good Equestrian. “Come to tell me shit I already know.”

“Well sir,” Checkers began but the griffon silenced him with a claw.

“Come to blow smoke up my arse again like your master did? Come to tell me your very best still can’t find a big pink ape in your own backyard?” He sneered then spat onto the ground beside them. “because I can gather the first and the second is about as laughable as a blind piglet trying to find its mothers teat.” He glaring at Checkers, then something seemed to catch his nostrils. He sniffed and turned to Night Light looking her up and down for a moment.

“What is this?” He hissed, pointing the staff towards Night Light.

Checkers lifted his brow and glanced at Night Light, “This is my second in command, Lunar Sargent Nig-”

“-Night Devil,” The Shaman hissed at Night Light, eyes narrowing, his scrunched his face, making some sign to his goddess before looking back at Checkers,

“Is there no end to the Sun mares' weakness?” He asked, glancing up at the sky. “Can’t even put down a rebellion properly anymore? I thought you ponies had some stones when you tried to get rid of their kind for good all those centuries ago. Should have known better, have to make friends with the devils instead, bloody fools the lot of you.”

To her credit, Night Light showed no emotion. But Checkers had been around her long enough to know the words had hit home, the slightest twitch of her brow, the most infinitesimal uptake in her jaws showing the hint of fangs, despite the glamour.

She was about ready to kill this griffon.

Sigh, I was hoping to do this the more pleasant way, but I suppose it can’t be helped.

Checkers took a step forward, strategically placing himself just in front of Night Light as if that had been exactly what he had planned to all along. “Unfortunately, you are right, Chief Shaman, we have had no luck locating the missing creature since she escaped a few days ago,” Checkers said, looking down as meekly as he could pretend to.

“Figure, useless whoresons, couldn’t even find your sodding tail if it was nailed to your forehead.” The Shaman snarled, cursing something in his mother tongue, his eyes still not quite leaving Night Lights.

“Our guardsmen are doing their very best to try and apprehend the missing fugitive,” Checkers said as evenly as he could. “But she has proven as evasive as we feared, she has the advantage of her forest environment, which as you know, has never been our kind’s forte, as it has yours.” He said, nodding respectfully at the griffon.

The Shaman barked out a laugh at that, and Checkers resisted the urge to smack the smile off of his beak with considerable effort. That’s right, keep laughing you smug bastard.

“Unlike you,” Checkers continued, fighting the building rage in his voice, “we have little experience tracking and hunting, in fact, if anything it’s quite amazing how we manage to capture her in only a short time in our land with such little experience.” he tapped his hoof to his chin in thought, “Though if I am not mistaken, she was in your land a considerable time long was she not?”

“What of it?'' The Shaman said, effecting an almost bored tone as his eyes drew back to Checkers.

“Well,” Checkers said in mock thought, “I suppose it only really now strikes me as odd, that in all that time, you found her capture to be an impossible task, yet we did it in so little time, don’t you think?”

The griffon sneered at that. “She wasn’t a problem until she killed a Jarl’s son!”

Checkers pretended to acquiesce to that, nodded at the griffon slowly, “No I suppose you are right, but it is amazing how she managed to do so and still escape all the way to our lands, only to be captured by our own, with only minimal chaos caused.”

More because of a random series of events but let's see how much this griffon really knows. Checkers thought

“Blind luck.” The Shaman snarled.

Not as much as we thought it seems. Checkers thought, trying not to grin.

“Blink luck some might say,” Checkers agreed, “but I fear others see it differently, how a giant pink ape as you called it, managed to outwit your hunters, rampage through your land of hunters, and kill your jarl’s son, then when you came down, escaped again right under the nose of a griffon like you, still as yet to be caught.” He let out a pained sigh, as if it hurt him to admit it, “Well, if that sort of thing got out, others might think you look rather incompetent, weak almost, would you put that down to blind luck as well?”

If the griffon had been angry before, now he was downright seething. “Now listen here you little hay eati-”

“No, you listen to me!” Checker finally snapped, moving closer now towards the griffon until they were almost muzzle to beak. “You came here at our behest, as a show of good faith.”

More a passing of the buck, thanks to his captain's sniveling inability to take fault himself.

“My guards and I have been working around the clock trying to find this creature,” a creature I let go or at least didn’t lift a hoof to stop. “And you come here laughing at a crime scene, sleeping in trees, and in three days you haven't lifted a talon to help.” Nore, I for that matter, at least in any meaningful way, until now, “At first, I thought that was some sort of boast, but the more I think about it, the more I say you have no idea what to do and are hoping as always that our kind can save your precious lion skins from trouble, have I hit the nail on the head, or was that just blind luck as well?”

He watched as the griffon ground his beak together, fixing him with the darkest of glares. Neck muscles clenched.

Have I hit too close to home? Well enough fun, it’s too late to go back now, time to offer the olive branch. “Lucky you’ve caught me in a charitable mood today, so I’m going to help you find this creature. That way we can all go back to our lives, just so long as you shut that beak of yours and listen, how does that sound?”

If prelude had been the excuse to violence like Night Light had said then they both looked on the verge of starting a war. But his blood was running hot today, and not just because of the temperature. He might have been numb to his job, but this mare was lying dead in the dirt right now, and he wasn’t about to let these animals come in and laugh at their endeavors to help, ambassador or not. Captains whinnying protests or no.

The silence hung slack like a wet shirt in a storm for a moment, as the two of them looked eyes only a few inches apart, Then as if something had pricked the Shaman sides, he began to deflate slowly, as he leaned back away from Checkers.

“By Vlekas merciful teats, Dedrick was right, you do have some stones to you,” he said, leaning back onto his staff. Checkers could tell it was for show, as he still had those murderous, cunning eyes fixed on him, but he played along and leaned back himself.

“I’ll take that as a yes then?” Checkers said, feeling that delicious rage return deep inside of him, replaced by a small wave of dizziness.

The griffon patted his tail against the ground for a moment then nodded. “Aye lad, I’ll hear what you have to say, I-apologies, you caught me in a bad mood is all.”

“I feel my sergeant is the one you need to be apologizing to.” Checkers said, eyes narrowing.

He turned towards Night Light, swallowing and looking like he had swallowed broken glass. “I apologize for the insults, it has not been an easy road for us.”

Night Light didn’t say anything to that, thankfully at least she had decided to keep her anger in check.

The Shaman looked up at his staff, turning it around in his claw as he thought. “Had to leave my grandchick behind with naught but his Ma’ and an empty hall, told her I'd be back before Velka smiled on us again.” he scratched his chin still looking up at the sky, “Now it seems I’m stuck here until I can fulfill my oath to that bloody Jarl of mine.”

“It’s not been easy on any of us, I can assure you of that, we’ve all left behind someone we love.” Checkers said, almost muttering the last part. “That’s why I propose we work together, in a meaningful way, that way we can all go home.”

The Shaman, despite what the seemingly ever-present frown on his beak was saying, nodded at that. “Aye, I don’t like your lot much, I suspect it’s the same on your side, but my lads are restless and apt to cause trouble if left idle. So come on then pony, I’m too old for bloody suspense, tell me what you want?”

Checkers smirked, “I want nothing more than the creature caught and-”

“-Oh spare me the shit,” The Shaman interrupted, “I have a hard enough time with that on my own, let alone seeing someone do it freely from their mouth. Even the Great Mother wants something from us pony, you think I lived this long believing nonsense like that?”

Checkers looked both ways, ensuring no pony was within earshot, then leaned in towards the griffon. “Fine then, I will tell you, I want you to bring her to me, alone, in a location I specify, before you bring her back to Griffonia and before you do anything to her.”

The Shaman considered this for a moment, “What makes you think we’re here to do anything other than-”

“Please, you said yourself, we can dispense with the shit talk, we both know why you’re really here,” Checker said, though in truth he only had an inclination. One that was validated when the griffon didn’t say anything to deny it.

“I hear you already talked to her lad, didn’t do much good, did it?” The Shaman said.

Checkers managed to keep the surprise from showing on his face. No doubt our illustrious captain has been talking to our guests. Instead, he simply nodded. “Yes well, there are rules and regulations one had to adhere to in my position, things that can restrain and choke the effectiveness of other methods, methods I would employ away from concerned parties.”

The griffon snorted again, “That’s a lot of ways of saying you’d do things bloody, pony.”

“My hooves may look clean, but I’m not above such things when innocent ponies are harmed, Griffon,” He said sternly, looking the Shaman right in the eyes.

He tapped a talon against his staff for a moment watching the bones dangle above him then looked back, “Aye, Alright then, I can do that, so long as you leave her body mostly intact, we need her mostly in one piece if she’s to pay for her crimes.” He said meeting Checkers with his own stern look. “But all this talk is just pissin’ in the wind if you don’t tell me how I’m to find her lad.”

“Oh, I can’t tell you.” Checkers said flatly, with a shrug. He waited for the griffon to open his mouth to protest before Checkers lit up his horn and held his hoof up, “I can do one better.”

The griffon flinched backwards, as the light engulfed them for the briefest of seconds. Checkers was never quite sure why Griffons were so afraid of pony magic. Perhaps so many wars with their kind had distilled a fear into them that passed through generations. Maybe because their magic came from carefully crafted runes, rituals, and superstition. Whereas Ponies it seemed got right to the point, no pun intended.

Whatever it was, Checkers was glad they reviled it. Otherwise, his little trick might have been laughed at, or worse yet already thought of.

When the effervescent pink aura died down all that appeared in Checkers hoof was a single strand of hair, white with a blondish tinge. It flopped around lamely in his white hoof before it began dancing in the breeze.

“Gonna need more than some creepy memento lad.” The griffon said looking up from it with a sarcastic tinge to his voice. Then suddenly the hair stood up erect and came to life, twisting this way and that, much like a hound with the scent of the rabbit or a compass hand trying to find true north.

It pulled itself off into the distance. Checkers held firm onto the end with care until finally it pointed itself somewhere left of them and stayed firm in that direction, pointing off into the woodlands.

The griffon's eyes followed it off into the distance then landed back onto Checkers muttering something under his breath. Checkers might not have been able to speak their language but his body language pretty much spoke for him. “Bloody magic.”

“It’s a ‘find me fast’ spell.” He said nodding to the hair, “Very advanced, magic”

Another lie. It in fact was not an advanced spell at all, most of the time it was used for lost keys and other lost items.

“So advanced it has been banned because of the danger it poses to the user.”

Which was not strictly true either, it was banned but that was because of the number of stalkers and other nutjobs that used it for their own demented reasons.

“But I think in this case, the law would forgive me for bending the rules, for a good cause.”

The griffon frowned looking up from the hair. “How do I know that ain’t gonna lead me and my lads into a den of monsters, instead of the one I’m after?”

“You don’t,” Checker said flatly.

“Hmm,” He seemed to consider that, “Have to ask myself, why is it you’re helping me find this creature instead of going to your chief lad?”

Checkers smirked, “I’d rather not risk my guards if I have to. Your people are trained in hunting in this environment. I’d rather avoid further bloodshed if I have to, If anypony would have a better chance at capturing her. It’s you.”

“I see,” The griffon said, knowing full well they were both feeding one another lies. But already too distracted with the thought of finding the creature and going home. “Well then, if that’s all, hurry up, hand it over.” He said, reaching down for the hair. But Checkers pulled back just in time.

“You didn’t think I would just give it to you, did you, not without somepony protecting my investment?” Checkers said.

The griffon face showed a flare of anger for the briefest of moments, then forced a smile into its place. “Come now pony, you pretty much said it yourself, someone like you will only slow my lad’s down, you cannot think to come with us?”

“Oh, I wouldn't dream of it,” He said, shaking his head like the idea alone was risible, “That’s why my associate Night Light is going instead.” He said, pointing over towards the now stunned and open-mouthed white pegasus.

“Me?” Night Light gasped, pulling down her glasses.

“Her!” The griffon said, eyes narrowing now.

Checkers lifted his hooves defensively, “Yes her, she’s one of our most highly trained and capable guards, she is the only pony I know suitable for the job. If you want the creature, she must go with you. That’s my one and only offer.”

“Sir with respec-”

Checkers lifted his hoof up to silence her, praying she wouldn’t use that moment to sharpen her fangs on his hoof. But thankfully the Shaman distracted them both with his own growl.

“That price is too high, Pony, I’d rather provoke the Great Mother’s wrath than go with these monsters.”

“My name is not Pony, it’s Checkers, Lieutenant Checkers and this is the only offer you will get. It’s up to you, take what I am proposing, or go back to sleeping under a tree and hoping that blind luck will lead you back home. Who knows, perhaps in a few months you will be able to make it back to your grandchick before his first word?”

The griffon looked back at Night Light, sneering again as if the very sight of her offended his being.

“Fine!” He spat, “I accept, but she is not to interfere with our business. If she does, well I make no promises. We’re here for dangerous work, not to foal sit, I can promise you no harm. But I can’t promise my lads will take the same oath.”

“Night Light is more than capable, isn’t that right?” He said plastering on a smile as he looked back at Night Light. The mare stayed there, wings fluttering in abject anger as she stayed silent for the longest moment, before finally lowering her head to the side.

“You won’t even notice I’m there.” Night Light growled with barely contained contempt.

“Fine then, Checkers.” The Shaman spat like his name was poison on his tongue, “I’ll ready my hunters. Just be ready, we leave at sundown.” He said turning but not before hawking spit onto the ground between them.

Checkers lit his horn and cast the hair away, before biting his lip in thought. Then he turned towards Night Light, who looked about ready to rip his throat out with her fangs.

“Zhat was not the plan.” She said sharply, nearly as close to his face as he had been to the Shamans.

“No, it wasn’t, but you know what they say, no plan ever survives first contact, Besides I had to improvise, he already deduced what you were before we even started.” Checkers said calmly.

“Don’t give me zhat bullshit,” She nearly yelled, Checkers glanced around to see if anypony was in earshot, a few looked but quickly turned away before heads could roll.
“Night Light, you need to quite dow-”

“-why didn’t you just tell me what was going on, what happened to being partners?” She hissed back before he could finish.

Partners, oh that’s a joke if I’ve ever heard one, and not a particularly funny one.

“What happened is you disobeyed me!” he whispered back even harsher, nearly jabbing her with his hoof. “You think I forgot what you did three nights ago because you put on this remorseful attitude, Night Light?” He said waving a hoof at her.

“I was trying to get answers!” She whispered back, but there was doubt in her eyes now, “I was taking the initiative, I heard they were taking her away and I thought-”

“-No you didn't. That's the problem, you didn’t think at all,” Checkers interrupted, “you charged in against my wishes trying to brute force a delicate matter when I told you I had everything under control.”

“She was trying to break free when I came!” Night Light nearly yelled until Checkers silenced, pressing his hoof to her mouth.

“You don’t think I didn’t already know that.” Checkers growled as low as his anger would allow him to, Night Lights one good eye went wide as she tried to make sense of that.

“I knew she would escape, I counted on it, it bought us time to deal with the situation then you burst in and now you have them asking questions about us, about me!” Checkers said, releasing his hoof from her and letting her breath again.

Night Light growled, but the look in her eyes was more confused than angry “I would never implement you in any of this-”

“-It doesn’t matter, you're my second, that means you answer to me, if you do something then it falls under my orders or worse I'm too incompetent to look after my own guards. Either way, you nearly ruined us, thankfully no pony actually got a good look in the chaos otherwise it would be all over!”

It was only through years of working with the pegasus that Checkers could see the look of guilt that had flashed in her eyes just then. It felt a little wrong to use that against her. But Checkers was not a pony who let guilt get in the way of what had to be done.

She bit her tongue, a hard thing for any pony too, especially one with as quick to strike with it as she was, she lowered her head down and sighed, “Your right, this is all my fault. I should have trusted you.”

Checkers sighed, it was time to let her off the hook just a fraction, just enough to get her back to her old self a little. He would need her strength and focus for what was to come next.

“Do you remember what I told you all those years ago, the most important lesson of all?”

“Trust no one-” She began.

“- and you will never be surprised when they lie,” Checker said, and despite it all, she began to smile at him.

“Look,” Checkers said, with a sigh, “I can’t do this with you in this state, but I can’t do this without you either. Do I have your word? Can I trust you Night Light?”

There was a long pause, then after a moment, smirked and looked up at Checkers, “No.”

“Good,” CHeckers said smiling as warmly as he thought he could get away with, “that’s what I like to hear from my second in command,”

He could see her straight up at that, the guilt was still there, but with it bright a burning fire behind her eyes. She pursed her lips for a moment looking back and whispered, “You know the griffons are going to betray you the first chance they get right? They would rather kill her than let anypony have her, just send me in instead?”

“I could send you in Night Light, but she already knows your tricks, as she demonstrated that night. That creature is a quick learner, but if I send them in to hound her, well-panicked creatures often make mistakes, and that leaves opportunities for us. I want to know what her deal is. How she thinks, how she acts, perhaps even, how she kills.”

Night Light seemed to get the meaning behind that. “So it’s a diversion then… but if they get her”

“There's always a gamble with these things.” Checkers said slowly. “But something that sticks out like that doesn’t live that long without knowing how to survive. If they’d have known how to capture her by now. They would have. Chaos creatures opportunities Night Light, whatever comes from this, we can use it to find answers, and at the same time weaken our enemies all in one go.”

He looked at Night Light who was giving him an alien look from her, was it admiration perhaps, he didn’t know.

“I... understand, I’ll do what it takes.” She said, steeling herself.

“In the event, they do somehow actually manage to capture her, however, I’m sure you of all ponies will know what to do, it’s what you’ve been training for all these years is it not?”

“What do you want me to do?” She asked, her voice taking an almost husky quality to it at the idea of what Checkers was implying.

“You know what I mean, Night Light.” he said with the seriousness he had saved for this exact moment.

Night Looked at that moment completely baffled by the idea even though secretly she had been training under him for just such an event, ever since she was a younger filly. “You mean it?” She asked, and despite it all there was a hint of wonder in her voice, fangs glinting on full show as her red eyes went a darker shade.

“I need this case solved if I’m to go home again. I don’t care how it happens,” he said, feeling the hint of unease as he thought about what it really meant to let Night Light off the leash. “Get it done.”

“I vill.” she said, her fake voice discarded, and her real voice coming though perfectly in her daze, “I vill I swe-”

“-Sir, sir!” A voice called interrupting them both.

Night Light and Checkers broke off slowly from their conversation to spot a guard out of breath and helmet slightly askew as he raced up towards them.

“What is it?” Checkers asked, looking sidelong at the Stallion.

“One of the civilians,” the stallion said, breathing heavily and sweating under the armor. “Broke through the perimeter. Tried to stop him,” he took in another deep breath, “fast for an old geezer.”

“Old Geezer?” Night Light said, Checkers sighed. He knew this was coming.

Flashing his horn, he teleported himself. Rematerialised right by the place where the body was and spotted a stallion already standing there.
Armed guards were pointing spears and yelling at him to put his hooves over his head. But the stallion wasn’t saying anything, wasn’t even looking at the spears pointed right by his flank and torso. Instead, his eyes were glued to the body of the mare under the sheet.

Checkers recognised the stallion almost immediately. Should have known he would turn up sooner or later. He thought, wondering what best angle to take for this one.

“Stormy Days.” Checkers said softly, almost like a whisper as he moved toward the stallion.

The only response Stormy gave was the slightest twitch of his eyes, was it rage, fear or horror filling his countenance? Checkers couldn’t decide, perhaps all three. He elected to take the cautious route in any case.

“Lower your weapon, stand down.” Checkers barked at the guards around him, before turning back to the older blue stallion. “I asked him to be here.” Another lie, although he had thought something like this might have happened ever since his niece disappeared.

How many had he told today again?

Stormy Days mumbled something, almost incoherent as he glared at the corpse, then he coughed and fixed Checkers with a stare that froze him. It wasn't like the younger guard, filled with indignation, nor the griffon filled with pompous outrage. It was filled with a hollow look of an old stallion who had taken too many punches from life and wasn’t quite sure he could take another.

“Is it?” He finally managed to get out, breath heavy.

Checkers looked down, he was about ready to say it, but he knew the stallion would be no less satisfied with words than he would be with actions. Slowly he lit up his horn and the body came into view.

“Oh... Oh Celestia.” He finally said and Checker noticed the old mustang's eyes start to water, swallowing hard. “I thought, I heard they found a mare, and I thought maybe…”

“She was one of the nurses who looked after the creature, she was there the night she broke out, the night Rainbow also…” Checkers stopped when he realised the stallion wasn’t paying attention anymore. He was thankful for it because, on that front, he really had nothing to offer.

“You must think I’m some kinda monster, this mares dead and all I can be is thankful, because it ain’t my Rainbow…” He said, swallowing hard as his eyes took in the horror in front of him.

“Mr Day’s,” Checkers said, taking another cautious step towards him, “If it had been, I promise you would have been the first to know.” he paused awkwardly in front of Stormy days, the stallion looked somehow worse than he did, the dark rings around his eyes somehow deeper than it had been before, and the smell of alcohol permeated his breath.

He didn’t blame him, he had seen better stallions resort to worse to get to sleep at night.

“That's supposed to comfort me!” He suddenly snapped, turning around to Checkers, “that you’ll find my niece dead and think of me first, that’s the best you can offer.”

“Mr Day’s I didn’t mean-”

“-Didn’t mean to what?” he said, teeth bared. “Send her to meet some creature who might be the Ripper, ask her to sneak about and put her life in danger. To get her involved in all this.” he said pointing down to the mare, that could very well have been Rainbow.

Checker sat back on his hunches, trying his best to keep the situation calm. The last thing he needed was to arrest one of the missing victims' family members. “Mr Day’s, I didn’t make her do anything, I told her exactly what the job entailed and warned her-”

“She’s twenty-five for Celestia’s sake!” Stormy Days roared, “She can barely hold a job as a weather mare, she sleeps in most days, Celestia, she’s just a kid for crying out loud and you, you…” The stallion seemed to deflate after a moment, before he slumped down onto his plot. Perhaps too tired to continue.

Checkers sighed, for once he didn’t feel rage in him, he understood this type of anger. It was something he had felt he had family after all, a mother, father, a younger sister. He knew what it meant to want to protect them.

“Mr Days.” He said using that same fake soothing voice he had used on so many before “I know it might be hard to think, but Rainbow is a capable mare, an adult that’s able to make her own decisions in life. I am doing everything in my power to track her down and bring her back safely. I can’t make you understand. But try and see this logically, coming to a crime scene like this. It helps no Pony.”

He saw the stallion glare at him, about ready to throw a fist perhaps. But after a moment the old Mustang sighed, and hung his head low. He looked defeated.

In truth he felt sorry for the proud old stallion and guilt because he knew what it meant to send those griffons after that creature. He knew the mare was most likely dead, but if she wasn’t, she was most likely going to be when they found her.

But Checkers had a job to do and this was more important than the life of one mare. He liked Rainbow, but he had also told her what taking the job meant. She knew the risks.

“Go home Stormy Days, get some sleep, you’re no use to anypony like this.” He said softly, as the stallion rubbed his eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere.” he said, quieter now, but with no less edge in his voice. “I made a promise to her mother and my brother to keep her safe, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll bring her back, whatever it takes.”

“And just how are you going to do that in this state, Mr Days?” Checkers said more out of curiosity than anything else, after all what could this broken stallion do anyway.

Stormy didn’t say anything more, he didn’t need to, Checkers could read the look in his eyes. “You better hope I find her first or this Ripper will be the least of your issues.” He whispered harshly, narrowing his eyes at Checkers.

At that moment Checkers thought of just how easy it would have been to tell the truth. Tell him everything about what was going on and what was at stake. Maybe he’d understand, But Checkers knew he wouldn’t. Everypony was ultimately terrified of the truth, everpony but him it seemed.

“I promise, I will do all I can to get her home,” Checker said, meeting Rainbow’s uncle with the firmness of all of his will, with as much trust as he could convey.

It was another lie, of course, it was. He wasn’t sure the old stallion believed him, but I didn’t matter. Stormy nodded and slowly began to walk away, as Checkers looked down at the body of the mare.

It was all one big bloody mess. But he knew that when he took the job. When he was forced to take the job. He was the only pony that could do it after all.

“I’m sorry, Mi Amor,” he whispered, “I’ll have to break my promise, just one more time. I just have to get my hooves dirty, one last time.”

Another lie, just how many had he told today?

2] 2) Trust and Terror

“Rainbow sweetie, it’s okay to come in now, I'm fine.”

“Okay Mommy,” a small filly with already untamable hair said as she nervously poked her head inside the room, it was always so cold and uncomfortably white in that room. The sounds of machines beeping ominously behind the bed always made her feel uneasy and the smell of cleaning products regularly applied by the staff always made her nose itchy.

She hated it and wished they could just go back home again, which was much cozier, and had all her colouring books and action figures. But her daddy had said this place was making mommy better again, so for that reason alone she tolerated it.

Still even though she hated this sterilised colourless place, when she spotted her smiling mother and those multi coloured strands of hair, the same as her own, that was all the colour the room Rainbow ever needed.

She smiled at her mother and her mother beamed back at her and it felt like the very sun was shining just for her. She flew up towards the bed, shakily as she still hadn’t quite got the hang of it just yet and paused just before flying onto the mattress. She knew the rules and instead she landed just beside the steel guard.

She knew sometimes she was not allowed, she had been scolded enough to get the message.

Today was one of those lucky days. It seemed as if reading her little fillies mind her mother smiled, looked around exaggeratedly and asked, “is the coast clear?”

Rainbow's smile grew conspiratorial as she looked around the room, none of those white suited ponies were anywhere to be seen. “I think so?”

“Then quick, get up here, before they catch you.” Her mother said, with a sly grin, lifting up a corner of her blanket. Rainbow knew she wasn’t strong enough to lift her up like she used to. But she didn’t mind, she was a big mare now after all she could get up on the bed all by herself.

Rainbows only responce was a giggle as she lept forward, sliding under the covers with childish enthusiasm, popping up like a shark from the deep with a rainbow fin around the pillow into her mothers hooves.

“So, how was school squirt?” Her mother asked, already trying to fix Rainbow's hair to no avail.

“Fine,” Rainbow said, relaxing into the place by her mothers side. “There was a new pony in school today.”

“Oh really?” Her mother said coyly, still patting down some of the wayward strands of Rainbows mane, “and does this new pony have a name?”

Rainbow lightly tried to bat her doting mother hoof away, but ultimately surrendered to it at the chance to talk about her experience, “Um I had to write it down because it wasn’t like a pony name, but I think she’s called G-ilda?”

Rainbows mother blinked slowly, “that sounds like a griffon name?”

Rainbow smiled, “Uh huh, that’s because she is, she’s got like a lions tail and she likes the same comics I do, and she’s really good at flying like me and she speaks another language and-”

“-It seems like you really get along already huh?” Rainbow's mother interrupted, she was interested to say the least and well meaning, but she knew best her daughter's tenacity for unending speeches about what she liked.

“Well, I mean, I didn’t actually talk to her, the teacher asked her what she liked, I just listened, I didn’t um, she seems kind of…” She looked down for a moment as if in deep thought.

“What is it sweetie?” Her mother asked, concern etching into her voice, her attempts at fighting back the springing windswept hair temporarily forgotten.

“Well...she looked kind of scary,” Rainbow muttered, then widened her eyes, “I mean, that’s what the other foals say, I’m not scared or anything, I mean the other ponies were scared but not me!” She said, puffing up her chest a declaration of how not scared she was.

Her mother smiled at her, that kind of smile that Rainbow wasn’t quite sure was the one where she was laughing with her or the other kind. “So you didn’t talk to her, this scary new not-pony?”

“Well… no, she sat away from us in the playground. I felt bad, but she seemed angry, I didn’t want to get yelled at.” She said, mashing her hoof against the bedding, “and she looked kinda sad too.”

“Oh Rainbow,” her mother said, in a tone that sounded like a sort of admonishment that came with a smile, “my little feather brain, did you think maybe she was sad because no pony would talk to her?”

“Um, I don’t know.” Rainbow said, chewing on her lip and not making eye contact. Her mother shook her head softly.

“Don’t kid a kidder sweetie, I know you know the answer, you’re smarter than that, it’s okay to be scared of what you don’t know.”

“I wasn’t scared.” Rainbow tried to protest convincingly, but unfortunately for her, it came out more like a whine than she wanted to.

“Of course not sweetie, but listen, things can be a little scary for some ponies if they haven’t ever talked to or experienced something before. But it’s only the really silly ponies who choose to stay away and stay scared, and my little mare isn’t scared or silly is she?”

“No way, I ain’t afraid of anything and I ain’t silly!” Rainbow said proudly.

Her mothers laughter was like music to her ears, especially because she didn’t hear it all that often these days, “that’s right, we only grow as ponies by experiencing and learning new things, and talking to new ponies or griffons in this case, how else are you going to see cool things if you never get go out of what makes you comfortable?”

“Ehh, yeah!” Rainbow said and her mother rolled her eyes, knowing she might have gone over her head a little.

“Okay, let me explain, you love climbing, don’t ya?”

“Yeah?”

“Remember how scary it was before Uncle Stormy showed you how to do it?”

“I was never scared.” she said then looked into her mothers eyes again and sighed, “… yeah.”

“Well, it’s the same thing with talking to this Gilda, you might find she knows something cool you never thought about she might have a whole new view on fun things. But you’d never know unless you got over being scared and ask her.”

“But…” Rainbow said looking around as if one of her schoolmates was waiting around the corner to listen into her secret confessions before leaning into her mothers ear and whispered, “she has really sharp claws.”

Rainbows mother laughed again, this time Rainbow didn’t find it quite so amusing, “well, wouldn’t sharp claws make that much better at climbing, maybe you could do that together?”

Rainbow blinked, picturing the idea in her little head for a moment, then slowly she found herself smiling at the idea, “yeah I guess so, hey maybe we could see who could be the fastest climber.”

“That sounds like a good idea, Rainbow.” Her mother agreed, as if it had been Rainbow's plan all along.

“And then maybe we could climb up other things, like that huge cloud near the Cloudsdale stadium!”

“Well I don’t know about that one Rainbow, that doesn’t sound very saf-”

“- Or we could see who could climb the school rooftop, I bet I could climb-”

“Rainbow.” her mother snapped lightly, silencing her young filly, “you know I don’t like you climbing ponies roofs, I don’t want another letter from your teachers about that again.”

Rainbow sighed, rolling her eyes, “Yes mommy.”

“Yes mommy what?”

“Yes mommy I won’t climb the school roof again.” She droned.

“Promise?”

“I promise,” Rainbow said, but secretly she was already plotting how she could do it with her new second best friend, picturing the possibilities. Maybe they could go flying together, race together, maybe she could show Rainbow new way griffons flew. Why had she listened to what the other foals had said? She wasn’t scary because she was different. She was super cool because she was different.

Rainbow made up her mind then and there, if she could make friends with Gilda she wasn’t going to be scared of somepony again, just because they didn’t look like her.

“Who knows, maybe one day you might even marry a nice griffon stallion.” Her mother said teasingly, poking her side teasingly.

Rainbow stuck out her tongue almost reflexly, “eww no, stallions are gross.”

“Well,” her mother said with a exaggerated sigh, “Who knows, as long as they make you happy Rainbow, it doesn’t matter who you fall in love with.” her mother said with a another smile. “Just promise me whatever you do Rainbow, follow your dreams okay?”

Rainbow wanted to protest again that she wasn’t going to fall in love with any pony, but instead she just nodded, “okay, mommy I promise.”

Then Rainbow froze when she caught the moisture in her mothers eye. Catching her filly's confused gaze her mother turned towards the window, wiping at her eyes before turning back, smiling even brighter than before. “Now then, why don’t you tell your mommy what you learned in school?”

Rainbows groaned audibly, slumping her shoulders, she knew this was coming, ponyfeathers she hated when her mommy asked her that. Mostly because she hadn’t been paying attention… Again.

“Um, math, times tables.” she said sourly and her mother looked at her to continue, “nine times tables.”

“So, what’s two times nine?” Rainbow's mother asked and Rainbow slumped down into her mothers pillow face first. Wishing more than anything she didn’t have to go through this part of her visit, again, it always took way too long.

“Come one Rainbow this is -” she coughed, caught herself, went to say something else then coughed again, Rainbow lifted her head up instantly, ears folding back as she looked up at her mother. She knew what it was, her mother was having another one of her episodes again.

Rainbow reached over with tiny hooves towards the cup of water as she had done hundreds of times before

“Here drink this mommy.” She said hold the cup out for her mother. She tried to grab it but another fit spasmed through her body and sent her hoof colliding into the cup, sending it flying out of Rainbows little hooves and crashing to the floor.

“Mom, mommy?” Rainbow said in a panic, around her she could hear the sounds of those noisy machines beeping loudly. She looked around for help just as the door opened and two nurses flooded into the room. One of them raced to the other side of her mother, holding her down, the other grabbed a hold of Rainbow gently in his magic.

“Mom please, it’s okay mom, mom!” Rainbow said, watching as the other nurse looked up from her mother, her eyes wide and turned to press the red button. The one her daddy had told her never ever to press unless there was an emergency.

The droplet of water splash across her forehead perfectly arching down both sides of her muzzle as she grumbled moving her head to the side.

Stupid roof, water proof cloud never absorbs moisture, lifetime guarantee my butt. She thought as she grumbled and tried to turn on her side, when a stabbing pain shot up her back and made her wince.

Rainbow groaned not just from the pain but the sluggishness she felt all over, her fur felt gross, matted with sweat and dirty all over. She sniffed feeling her nostrils blocked and her head clouded, like the worst cold she had ever had, then timed by ten. Her body ached from lying motionless and her chest felt heavy. But even still something compelled her to move.

“Ahh, what the heck.” Rainbow groaned, wincing as she opened her eyes and arching her neck down to look at her side. It was then that she noticed that everything around her was not quite what it seemed.

She gasped as she noticed the white cloth around her waist, pinning down her wing to her body, cuts across her foreleg smeared with some sort of thick cream that smelled worryingly like witch hazel. She sniffed again and winced even harder, she reeked, a pungent concoction of sap, unknown chemicals and sweat caked her fur.

“What the heck?” She muttered looking around her at what was clearly not her room. All around her were jagged walls of rock, slimy wet in places, scorched in others. Hung sticks tied with cloth sported flames on the end, bathing the room in an orange glow.

No that wasn’t right, this was not her room, was not a room period. No structure to it, too small in places too big in others. It looked more like a cave. But what the heck was she doing in a cave of all places.

She scoured her thoughts for a moment as she tried to work out what had happened before she had gone to sleep, only coming up with random memories of flying after something, chasing, falling from a great height, then something?

She needed to move, needed to do something, that always helped her think, but then she made the biggest mistake of all and looked down.

“What the ever lovin’ heck!”

All around her was what looked like animal fur, thick and fluffy and impossibly soft. Normally not something that would have shocked her, save for the fact that clearly it wasn’t on an animal anymore, and it looked like, based on the different shades, it had been more than one of them.

She kicked away the cover, feeling a wave of nausea as the pain in her side caused her to spasm and nearly fall from the bedding. No, not bedding actually, more hay clumps than actual bedding, compact and laid down in the shape of a bed.

What the hell had she done last night to end up here? She had woken up in strange places on a night out, someponys bed, a hotel roof, heck even a cemetery that one time she didn’t like thinking about.

But a cave, that was a new one.

She tried to stand up, feeling her joints click and protest from lack of use. How long had she been asleep, her head felt like a hammer had been taken to it. Instinctively she tried to open her wings and fly, but in the confusion forgot it was still tied down at her side, so instead she ended up flailing, slipped as one hoof tangled around the worryingly comfortable effigy to dead squirrels and rabbits and fell onto the rocky floor.

“What’s going on?” She cried out, as she tried to right herself, this wasn’t right, wasn’t right at all. She looked around for an entrance, but all the walls looked about the same, all the craggs and rocks blended and bending together like a tomb with no way out.

Was she buried deep underground, what had done this to her, who? Had she finally upset the wrong pony, said one sarcastic comment too many. She didn’t have any enemies, as far as she knew, well her and Fluttershy’s friend Rarity certainly didn’t see eye to eye on a good day. But she hardly thought the fashionista would go to these lengths to get rid of her... would she?

There was movement out the corner of her eye, something shifting along the side, and the patter of steps on dirt. She froze, lifting herself up to stand and eyeing all around her for a place to hide. But the cave was barren save for the fire in the middle and no amount of bits was going to get her to hide under the dead animal skin, danger or not.

A mare had standards, even a mare like Rainbow.

She backed away until her plot hit the wall and froze as something big and hairy squeezed through a gap in the wall she hadn’t seen.

A way out, go!Her body gave a sudden lurch forward but she fought it, wanting to see what it was that was coming into this cave with her. She was glad she didn’t as the massive lumbering creature stood there waiting by the front passage blocking the path between her and freedom. Rainbow didn’t think she had the energy to move, let alone fight something that massive.

And the thing was massive, not so much in size though it was tall, but its shoulders thick and shaggy were wider than a tree trunk. Layers of fur stuck out at both sides, with its head covered in a greyish brown fur leaving a blackened shadow where a face might have been.

It stood tall on two legs though she could only guess, given that the fur spilling out like one of those fancy gala dresses onto the ground. Thick arms grabbed at the rocks around it until, finally it squeezed through the last crack and stood there in the room. Its hulking shadow crept up against the wall behind it casting an ominous darkness like an eclipse in the sky.

It dropped something onto the floor with a heavy wet thud. A bag, or a saddle bag maybe, incongruous baby blue with a pink butterfly pattern etched into it. But what drew Rainbows eyes was the worryingly red liquid seeping from the bag.

It shifted something from its other shoulder and Rainbow watched as it bent down and gently placed a bow, about the height of Rainbow standing onto the floor of the cave along with a quiver of arrows.

Rainbow's eyes focused on the pointed arrow tips and gulped, wondering if it had to do with the red stain on its bag. The hulking figure turned then, looking at the bedding, Rainbow's eyes followed it and noticed that it was looking at the empty patch where she had been.

The cave despite its appearance was small and it was only a matter of time before it turned and looked directly at her.

Run!

Rainbow didn’t need to be told twice. She crossed the room with what little strength she had left in her, leaping over the remnants of a fire in the middle of the cave she nearly slid into the jagged rock as she stormed through the gap in the stone wall.

She kept one hoof out hoping that if nothing else it would stop her from running into the wall. The crevice was pitch black, and despite it all she could hardly see further than her own muzzle.

Behind her she could hear the thick furred behemoth scurrying to catch her looking almost panicked for some reason as she bolted from the dim light of the cave flailing it’s appendages for her to stop, but she wasn’t an idiot, it would have to do better than that to get the better of her.

Still, her breath was laboured even after only a few seconds of running and already her vision blurred from the labour of running in her condition. Rainbow grimaced as her hoof hit against the rock, feeling warm liquid begin to seep down it.

Do not think, keep going. Get outside, now!

It felt like miles, but was probably only metres. The twisting and turning of the labyrinthian walls getting smaller and wider with no sense of continuity. But finally, finally she felt fresh air brush against her fur. She let out a relieved gasp feeling a smile form on her face, tears of joy wetting the corners of her eyes.

Keep going, into the forest.

Rainbow wasn’t even sure she was in a forest. But when she finally turned a corner, she could hear more than see the roar of the rustling trees in the wind, the darkness all around her black as an abyss.

The rain was thick, heavy and coming at her almost sideways as she cantered into the storm. At first she wondered how it was possible that it was raining in Ponyville. They where in a heat wave for Celestia's sake. Then she realised much to her horror that this wasn’t Ponyville at all. She was still in the Everfree. The only place no weather pony would dare go.

She swallowed hard as she looked around the pitch blackness around her, dark figures and multi limbed shadows swayed around to the tune of the raging storm above. There was no way of figuring out where she was going to go. The only thing she knew was that she had to get out and now.

Her ear twitched back as she heard the faintest sounds of steps on stone behind her. What even was that thing, it looked like a bear, but one that was wearing fur, rather than one that had fur on it, and come to think of it, why was it running on two legs rather than-

Keep going, now!

She shook her head, her thoughts were right this wasn’t the time to ponder, she could do that when she was safe. She picked a spot and bolted forwards. She ran straight, catching branches and twigs, leaves and bushes. She didn’t care she needed to get away from this nightmare, away from this hell as fast as she could.

She winced with every step. Her hoof tingled from the pain and her body felt numb but she pushed on.

She heard a rustling coming from behind her and turned. Something rustled behind her and she wasn’t sure if it was the foliage or something alive.

“Hey, who’s there?” She screamed above the whipping storm above her. The rustling suddenly stopped. She wasn’t a mare for reading much, but she knew a horror cliche when she saw one and wasn’t about to fall victim to the type of stuff she called out stupid ponies for doing in them.

She ran faster, harder and with even less caution than before.

Above her lightning had just begun to strike, “Just my luck,” she muttered breathlessly, “one more creepy thing in my life, what next?”

She really wished she had just kept that to herself, as at that moment she felt the floor go out under her, she let out a cry as she slid down the mud, spun and crashed onto the floor below. Landing on her bandaged wing she let out a scream and curled up against the mud.

“What did I do wrong?” She muttered to the mud, “I ain’t a bad pony, I don’t deserve this!” Inside of her a spark of rage lit, almost against her own will, but it burned all the same. She let out another primal scream this time one of frustration, frustration at her situation at her pain at the life that kept throwing punches after punches and never let up.

She lifted herself up off the mud. She clutched her side, feeling a rage building up in her she had never felt before.

She was mad, she was furious even, like this was the first time she had ever truly been angry. It was almost blinding in its ferocity, she wanted to rip through life itself, “that does it!” She spat out the dirt in front of her face and glared at whatever was chasing her, “you want me, here I am.” Another flash of lighting struck at that moment, revealing a clearing in the forest around her.

“I don’t care anymore, I’ve been beaten, kicked, humiliated and friggin chafed as well, you think you can do worse than that, I friggin dare you to face me!” She roared into the black abyss in front of her.

She really wished she had just kept that to herself as well. Because if she had paid any attention in Equestrian, she would have learned what it meant to challenge the abyss.

Another flash of lighting soared across the sky just above her, lighting up the opening for just a few moments. But Rainbow eyes caught something in the distance. Something big, something black and that was about all she could make out from it.

It’s smile was the worst part of all, large, cheerful and filled with oily black teeth.

Every single hair on her body stood up as that intoxicating rage left her leaving only the hangover of terrible fear, she shuddered stumbling and fell backwards into the dirt.

You asked for me?

“Wh-what?” She mumbled out, hot tears streaking down her face as her mind tried to form the shadow into something tangible, something real, but failed because what she had seen defied any sanity.

Silly Rainbow, you should be careful who you listen to.

Rainbow stared up at the blackness, seeing an outline of something, but unable to comprehend what it was, limbs and appendages sprang from it, twisting and slithering and clicking into some unnatural abomination.

She wanted to run, wanted to run as fast as she could until she had worn her hooves out to numb and then crawl, but her hooves might as well have been glued to the floor, any instinct to get away fought with the other freeze in the face of true horror. but it was like her hooves were sinking into the mud around her. She dared not move a single muscle in her body.

Now then little mare, why don’t you tell me where my Arti is?

“I-I,” Rainbow stuttered out, heart beating against her ribs like a startled bird against its cage bars.

I promise if you tell me where she is, I'll wait until you die before feeding? It said scraping the words into her mind with laughter that made Rainbows very soul shudder.

She could hear the creature’s limb’s cracked slithered and twisted closer, despite its obfuscated mass it moved with an almost preternatural elegance, like a facsimile of something graceful. Black fluids seeped from its mass across the floor tainting everything it touched. The void where its eyes might have been shone in the darkness.

This was where she was going to die, this was her end. She would never fulfill her dreams now, she had wasted that chance. She blinked as silent hot tears trickled down her cheek not for herself but for breaking her promise to her mother all those years ago.

“No!” a voice muttered and only after a moment she realised it was coming from her own lips, “I ain’t going down like this, I made a promise, I-I!”

Shh, no need for talking, you’ll die screaming anyway, little mare.

Rainbow felt the rest of the words dying on her tongue as another strike of lighting hit almost directly above them, sending an orchestra of cacophonous noise above and for the briefest of moments Rainbow looked the creature directly in the face.

What she saw went beyond understanding, save only that whatever it was, was nightmares made flesh.

But before the hulking monstrosity could make do on its threat, something flew overhead, opened up wide and enveloped the staking horror. It looked in that moment like it had been the fur of the creature in the cave, but that was impossible.

Rainbow flinched back again as she watched the heavy fur wrap around whatever she had been looking at like a venus flytrap around a fly.

Rainbow jaws dropped, but she didn’t have time to be confused as something wrapped around her, holding her neck and stomach and pulled her from behind. She tried to scream again, tried to thrash around and break its hold but it was too strong, she was too weak.

She was dragged backwards through the mud and into a thick thistle bush behind her. She tried to fight, but it was too fast and she was too disorientated. Something wrapped around her neck, grabbing her muzzle and clamping it shut. She felt something sharp against her side.

Rainbow gulped loud as the thing by her side pricked at her, cold and hard and sharp, she lost all ability to fight back. Fingers dug down onto her muzzle almost going into her mouth and she and she, wait...

Fingers?

A shrill and unholy shriek pierced the air and into Rainbow's mind. She flinched backwards from the painful sound, her back hitting against soft skin and she caught her breath. The other hand grabbed around her chest, holding her like a parent holding a scared foal. She didn’t care at that moment that was almost what she was.

In between them both Rainbow could see the faintest glow of Red, her eyes drew back towards some sort of necklace around She’s neck glowing like a newly lit ember and without knowing anything about it, Rainbow knew whatever that was was keeping her safe at that moment.

Minutes passed as the mass scoured the area around them a trail of destruction. She could only catch glimpses now, thank Celestia as the lighting strikes continued overhead. She didn’t want to see it again, and didn't think she could see it again.

It was pure evil, it wasn’t real, it couldn’t be.

She felt her chest heaving, hyperventilating and she thought for a moment she would pass out, then slowly ever so softly she felt her breath against her ear. Despite hearing nothing but the horrific screams but still she felt the movement of lips against her ear. The softening of her fingers against her chest.

She was trying to comfort her. Despite the fear emanating in her own shaking form, despite not being able to speak. She was trying to keep Rainbow calm and somehow it was working. She felt herself relaxing somehow, felt the panic in her chest and the heavy breathing calm as she focused on the rhythmic breathing behind her, the warm feeling of furless skin against her back, the motion of lips against her ears, whispering silent words of comfort against her twitching ear.

Finally, after an eternity of waiting in the cold and wetness of the abyss, she could hear the creature wailing growing more distant, the high pitched screaming and wailing moving further and further in the distance. Until eventually all she could hear was soft sounds of rain against the leaves once more. The gentle swaying of the ever-present swaying of trees, like nothing had ever happened at all.

A torrent of smoke passed through the air in front of Rainbow and she realised it was the fog of her breath. So cold, yet it was in the middle of a heat wave, why was that? She felt her shaking grow worse somehow, like this was all a horrible trick, she thought about running then, now while it was far away enough for her to escape.

She must have caught on to her thoughts as ever so softly smooth bare legs began to snake into view wrapping themselves around her form until Rainbow was caught in what might have almost been called a lovers embrace, if not for the circumstances.

Despite it all, Rainbow felt a flutter inside of her as those smooth bronzed legs warped around her form, like a blanket shielding her, even though she was only trying to get her to stay still, it felt more than anything, like she was safe.

Another flash of lighting flared in the sky, Rainbow's eyes darted for the monster and instead landed on the furry thing that had hit it. It was the coat, formed from the same thing the other one had been in the cave, torn to shreds, hundreds of tiny pieces.

That could have been her, that was almost her. Rainbow drew her eyes from it and back towards those fingers still pressed around her.

She had thrown it over the monster, She was the one Rainbow had run from in the cave. She knew that, it was so obvious in that moment that it was almost painful, so why had she done it? Why had her mind told her to run, why had she listened to that voice above reason?

She remembered everything that had happened before she woke up in the cave, yet in that moment she had run anyway. Why?

Gradually Rainbow felt the hands around her unfurl slightly, until they were in front of her. Rainbow could see the cuts and bruises on them, white badges wrapped around her hands, seeping red with blood, but She kept them still. Despite the pain she must have felt in them.

Slowly the hands began to make shapes in front of her, weird twisting's of her fingers danced around one another as they touched in places on her palm and her other fingers. But before Rainbow could ask what the heck she was doing, a voice inside her head spoke for her.

“I think we should talk.”

Rainbow blinked slowly, feeling the rain soak into her very bones and freeze her in place, but still she managed to turn around to the creature behind her.

“What?” She asked, but before she could continue She placed a single finger against her lips. Rainbow watched as she slowly shook her head then glanced behind Rainbow into the darkness.

Then after a moment those eyes, like pools of ice locked onto Rainbow's violet ones. She swallowed as she felt herself nearly a hair's breadth away from her lips.

“Not here, mare must trust me, follow.”

Rainbow wanted to ask her what that thing was, why was it here, what was it doing. Thousands of questions flooded her mind, but she dared not ask anymore. She wanted to be back home. Back to safety, whatever that was anymore. But she would settle for that cave. She would do whatever it took.
Anything to be away from whatever that thing had been.

Rainbow slowly nodded, she didn’t care at this point, she was cold, tired and sick. After they were back, then she would ask questions. Then she would find out what this Ali was and why this monster wanted her so bad.

Slowly, She lifted herself up to her feet, eyes never leaving the darkness. She stepped in front of Rainbow, crouching low, the Rainbow caught something in her hand, it was small, almost invisible in the darkness, but just then she thought she caught the flash of steel from a dagger, cold and sharp, like what had been pressing into her back.

Rainbow felt something stinging the back of her spine, lifting a hoof to it, she looked back and caught red on her flank, a cut that had not been there before. She looked up to see She, wet haired, adorned in a white robe stained by muck and time beckoning for her to follow.

Rainbow swallowed hard, she was soaked to the bone but her throat was dry. Trust and understanding were important things after all, her mother had taught her that. But Rainbow was starting to understand why they called it a two way thing.

Slowly she began to follow She, all the while wondering if she had just traded one monster for another?

Author's Note

Happy Halloween.

7) Lingering Doubts

“I see.” Checkers said trying to slow down the pace of the mare, even just long enough to catch his own breath let alone let her catch her own.

He gently ignited his horn to write down on another scroll, he had been writing feverishly since Rainbow had all but stormed in, nearly throwing the hinges off the door. She always seemed to be high energy, as if the world moved ten times slower than she did, perhaps it did. But today especially she was a veritable concoction of a tornado and a lightning bolt, as she all but spat out the events from her latest meeting with the creature.

But right now it was almost infectious, in fact even as she spoke Checkers mind was alright with the realisation that this was exactly what he had been waiting for.

Rainbow continued to pace around the room, she seemed to be a mare easily wound up, he knew the feeling. He may have been at least seven or eight year her senior, but that didn’t mean he had forgotten what it was like to be her age, coming off the hormonal nightmare of later teens all that energy all that passion wound up like a spring and he supposed being one of the fastest pegasus he had ever seen, had something to do with it as well.

On any other day, he would have enjoyed this level of passion from her, nostalgic as it was, but right now he needed her clam, especially after what she was telling him.

“It follows, is that exactly what she said?”

He watched as Rainbow took another step, turned and began pacing the other direction before looking up for a moment, then she nodded, “yeah pretty much, I mean,” she paused, “well like that’s what she wrote anyway.” she said, pointing at the scroll on his desk.

Checkers glanced at the scroll, ‘what she wrote’ was the nice way of saying what she drew in foal-like scribbles, which was doing a disservice to foals from the ages of six and up. If it hadn’t been clear the creature was uncivilised before it was blatantly obvious that her interactions with basic writing tools were minimal at best.

Still, it’s a blessing that she knew how to use them at all, and that she somehow knows our language. Checkers thought as he re-read the creature's words.

Checkers leaned back, brushed the pencil shavings from his scroll for a moment then carefully and methodically put it back into the pot with the other seven…

Six?

Frowning, he looked back at the pot. He was sure there were seven. He had counted them this morning, it was his lucky number after all, but right now there were only six. Why wa-

“-She was kidding right?” Rainbow said, snapping him from his thoughts.

“Huh?” he said, caught off guard slightly for a moment. Damn it all, now is not the time to be lapsing back into old habits. He thought, chiding himself, thinking himself cured from that compulsion.

Damn it all if this hadn’t come at the worst moment, when had he last caught some real sleep, he still had no notion of where his room in the hospital was, which was probably an indication of just how little he had been getting. Too busy trying to find anything to give him a lead in the case, and now that it was brought to him wrapped in a ribbon, he was too sleep deprived to even focus on it.

“She was totally tryin’ to mess with me, right?” she asked again and before Checkers could open his mouth it seemed Rainbow had made up her own mind, “yeah, course she was, I know she was, ponyfeathers!" she said cursing to herself. "I’m sorry Checkers, I totally should have seen that coming.”

Checkers frowned, had the creature tried to mess with her? Well the obvious answer was certainly yes, in a way. But by Rainbow's own admission, something about it didn’t seem like the creature's usual Modus operandi.

It was too blunt, too straight forward, like a poker player who went all in just after the first bet was placed.

“I just, I wasn’t thinking,” Rainbow continued, “But, I’ll be better tomorrow I swear, I’ll get her to answer the questions, just please give me another chance.”

Checkers wanted to laugh, he could give two clumps of mud for any of the questions answered. In fact he had only drawn them up to Rainbow something to talk to the creature about, she didn’t actually think he wanted them all answered did she?

if any of this was true, any of it even slightly, then this was all he needed for investigation to go to the next step. This beautiful clueless multi-coloured mare had no idea what she had just given him. It might have all been fake, every word, but the reaction of the creature was all he cared about, that was not something that could be falsified.

To show fear now, meant something was up.

She had not shown fear of anything, not of him or Night Light or the guard or of being questioned on the events that had led her to being in this hospital, nothing, she showed absolutely no fear at all. So to show fear of something like this, of a gust of wind and a creaky old window, that didn’t seem like something somepony would simply fake.

It did mean that his assumption of her being the Ripper was becoming more unlikely, though not completely ruled out. After all, there hadn't been any murders since her capture, at least none they’d found yet. But at least this seemed to prove if nothing else there was a connection between the creature and the monster, even if it was just tangential.

Checkers blinked after a moment, the gentle clopping of Rainbows hooves had completely stopped and when he looked at her again, he notice that now she was standing completely still, a worried look on her face, it seemed she was waiting for his answer, his final verdict as to weather or not he she was going to stay on this case.

Oh right, she was waiting for an answer, well you can at least tell her she did a good job, don’t need to let it go to her head though.

“Relax, you did well Rainbow.” he said finally.

“I know Checkers but I swear I can- wait, I did?”

“It might have been accidental, but we can really use this information,” he said, nodding at her.

“But it’s a lie, like she pranked me straight afterwards!” Rainbow said,

Checkers bit his lip as he considered that, “was it all a lie thought, perhaps part of it was, but the best lies always have an element of truth to them, in fact I once had a pony confess his arson crimes to me in vivid detail using a monicour of Freckle, not his real name, but sometimes ponies have to divorce themselves from what they’ve done, or what’s happened to them.”

That and the guilt got to him, Checkers thought darkly, as his weary mind drifted to that moment. That had been a very bad day. Especially after they realised that the abandoned building he set fire to wasn’t as abandoned as he thought it was.Checkers grimaced as the memories of that first investigation came unwillingly flooding back to the forefront of his mind.

Apparently fillies and colts in the cities dared one another to go inside on nights like that very one, it was supposedly haunted they had thought.

The only thing haunted about it now was ‘Freckles’ and also Checkers.

Far far too young.

“Honestly,” he continued pushing the thoughts aside with some difficulty, “ this might be the first time she has actually opened up about her attack even vaguely, she’s clearly afraid of whatever this is and though it’s an assumption, It can't be too out of the realm of possibility that whatever this is, might have been the reason she ended up in our care.”

He smiled, more genuinely than he had in a long time as he brought his hooves together, “Honestly Rainbow, it’s only been a few seconds since I’ve skimmed this report, but already the possibilities are endless and it's all thanks to you.”

“Me, really?” She said blushing harder than she perhaps wanted, “I didn’t do nothing.”

“However you feel comfortable describing your involvement is up to you, but from my position you’ve proven yourself integral to this case Rainbow, I don’t just say this to any pony, thank you.” He said, holding out his hoof.

“I can’t.” she protested, but he had already pressed forward and clutched his hoof around hers before she could pull back.

“You’ve done well Rainbow, but keep that humility, that’s the best part about you and it’ll keep you grounded in the years to come in the Wonderbolts.” he said squeezing it tightly, before letting go.

Yes yes, keep that humility, so you don’t end up like the other blowhards, that’s what you had though Checkers, then you had let it all go to your head, thought yourself invincible.

Now look where you are.

Checkers pressed the thoughts away with a barely imperceptible wince. At least he hoped it had been, as he watched her for a moment, not sure what he would see, perhaps a subtle look of admiration or a self congratulatory smile, maybe even a blush, all of those things usually happened when somepony was thanked for their hard work.

But Rainbow simply frowned, looked away for a moment then looked back, “Is she allowed to leave?”

Checkers slowly drew his hoof back for a moment. “Sorry?”

She looked away again, bringing her hoof over to stroke her other leg and it looked for a moment like she was about to say something like ‘forget about it,’ or ‘never mind’ but instead she looked him straight in the eyes and said. “You’re not going to let her go, are you?”

Checkers drew himself up from the slouched position on his chair, liking his lips as he thought about what to say next, perhaps a lie, no she’s free to go whenever she wants, or she’s only restrained until she gets better it’s for her own good.

Oh that look she’s giving you, just the same look all those other ponies gave you, all your pears, she doesn’t trust you Checkers, what a surprise.

The lie teetered on the tip of Checkers tongue, it would be so easy to brush that aside, tell her of course and, don’t be silly, she can leave whenever she want’s like he had said before. But something stopped him.

Maybe it was the look in her eye. Maybe, just maybe it was what shred of conscience he had left in soul.

But he couldn’t tell her the whole truth, he couldn’t risk her walking away after all.

“We believe that,” he paused for a moment, then sighed through his nostrils, “I want to rule out every possibility before I let her go Rainbow, I don’t want any more ponies to get hurt, so until I do so, no I’m not going to let her go,” he paused for a moment trying to gauge what her reaction to it might have been, but she simply continued to stare at him.

Perhaps I was too honest there. Checkers thought as Rainbow continued to stay silent but then slowly she looked back up at him with a smirk on her face and something he didn’t quite recognise twinkling in her eyes.

“Then I guess it’s up to me to find out the truth then, huh?” she said, puffing out her chest at him, “that’s what a Wonderbolt would do right?”

Checkers couldn’t help it, he let out a snort of laughter for a moment before shaking his head. What in the world was up with this mare?

Simple, touched in the head perhaps, or just a hopeless optimist?

She’s only twenty, barely out of her teens, oh, she’ll learn eventually. Another darker part of his mind answered.

“That might be a little bit further in the future Rainbow, for now, let’s not count the eggs before they can crack, is that how you country folk say it?”

Rainbow leaned back into a normal standing position before shrugging, “Err, I guess, I was born in Cloudsdale.”

“Really?” Checkers said, taking on a more amused tone now, “Well, either way, count this as a good day Rainbow, I’ll make sure to write up another line of questions ready for you tomorrow afternoon.”

Checkers thought he might get back a yes sir or a heck yeah! From the mare, but instead her smirk turned into something more of a bashful even blushingly sheepish grin.

“You don’t agree?” he said evenly, and she blinked in shock and shook her head.

“Nah, no that all makes sense, sounds great dude, but, well um,” Rainbow said, looking down at the floor for a moment before continuing, “I know we said we’d do this in the evenings and it’s cool if you can’t but um, it’s been like, almost a week since I’ve had a night to myself, is it cool if we could maybe do one of these in the mornings, like tomorrow instead, I kinda have plans.”

Checkers raised his brow, a tiny part of him wanted to dismiss the idea outright. But then again, she wasn’t exactly an enlisted mare, at least not yet it seemed, and besides he liked variables and perhaps a morning session might catch the creature with its guard down.

He nodded, “Oh course Rainbow, I’m sorry if I’m pushing you too far, sometimes I forget you’re not a guard.” he said with a chuckle and she chuckled back, looking visibly relieved.

“Don’t sweat it, I’m as into this as you are, just well, a mares gotta have her personal time you know?”

He didn’t, but he pretended he did all the same, “Of course, I’ll have some of my guards pick you up tomorrow morning then.”

“Cool, sounds good, uhh, well, laters Checkers.” Rainbow said, seeming both pleased and perhaps a little disbelieving at how well this meeting had gone for her, it seemed to Checkers that she was preparing herself to be let go.

For a mare with that level of cockiness, she seems to doubt herself a lot. Perhaps she just pretends, sounds like someone we know?

Checkers lifted himself off his chair, watching her flap her wings and sail out the window of the hospital. Before, after a minute or so, he threw his hooves up into the air and let out a cheer of his own. Though he had tried to keep it down, they were still in a hospital after all.

Finally, after weeks of work, finally I have something to work with. He thought, as his mind raced on.

Now we need to get a plan together, set up establishing questions about what she meant by it following, of course I’ll need it to sound like Rainbows saying it, have to take that into account. even if she doesn’t talk, I can have look out sentries around in case what she might have glanced in the woodland perimeter comes back, that way even if she tries to stonewall us we can-

“Enjoying yourself Lieutenant?” An older voice asked by the door, and Checkers froze in place. A white stallion pushed open the door fully without so much as a knock and then stepped to the corner to allow another almost identical pony to do the same on the left, and then for a moment there was silence until.

Until an older unicorn stallion pressed forward, grey just about everywhere except for his moustache which was stained yellow from the pipe in his mouth, and the blue and immaculate military coat around his chest and waist. Adorned with more badges than a pony even at his age could realistically earn, or even place on that amount of fabric without looking more like a magnet dipped in a pot of pins.

The pony stopped, bit down on his pipe and pushed it to the side of his mouth, giving Checkers a dispassionate once over, dressing him down with his eyes before pulling the pipe out from his mouth and frowning.

Checkers kept his salute straight, but gazing into the eyes of the old stallion he knew that this time, he wasn’t just coming in to rip him a new one, this was something else. The old Captain never left his office when he could help it, laziness and an old limp, saw to it that everypony worth calling for came to him.

To have him in somepony else's office, meant somepony somewhere screwed up badly, somepony like Checkers for instance.

“Sir, is there anything I can assist you with?” Checkers said, playing ignorant. He had about a thousand things in his mind of what the captain was going to call him out on, but without knowing exactly which one, staying calm and playing the fool would give him the best chance to backpedal at the very least.

“I was just wondering, where is this little mare I’ve been hearing about Lieutenant? You know, the one that’s been secretly meeting with my prime witness? I was told you were the pony to talk to about that.”

Checkers managed to sneak a glance at the open window of his room quickly before placing them back towards his superior officer, thankful for once that Rainbow never seemed to use doors when she could help it,“I have no idea what you’re talking about sir.” he said with a smile, but already he could feel a bead of sweat drip down his forehead.

The Captain's eyes slid away from him and towards the very window Rainbow had left before he sat down on his hunches and sucked in his still smouldering pipe. “Come Lieutenant, it’s been a while, why don’t you catch me up on things.”

Checkers gulped, this was not going to end well.