"Is this really necessary?"
>"Why of course, darling, the fitting is the most crucial part of a custom suit...well, that and I've never had the chance to work with a specimen like you." 
>"Just let her do her job, Anon, Rarity is the best, she'll have you looking sharp for my brother's wedding!" 
"...But did I have to disrobe?" You ask, standing in Carousel Boutique in nothing but your underwear
>Mosina and Rarity giggled
>"Of course Anon, only by removing as much obstructive material as possible can I get the precise measurements for your suit!" 
>"And get a gander at that exotic form of yours..." Mosina said sarcastically, biting her lip
>"Oh certainly, truly an extraordinary find darling." Rarity said, taking another step back to examine your form
>Mosina had seen you like this around the house, but parading you in front of someone you'd only spoken to a handful of times around town?
>You strike a pose and smile
"Yeah, yeah, enjoy the show ladies." You say, trying to laugh at the situation rather than get embarrassed
>Rarity grinned ear to ear
>"It's wonderful to see somepony so comfortable with themselves come through for a change."
>Mosina chuckled
>"You don't know the half of it, you should see him around the house." She said
>You roll your eyes
"Careful, we don't want to traumatize her now." 
>In a flash, Rarity whips her measuring tape around you, taking note of places you were dimly aware you had
>"Done, and done. You're all set my dear. Come back tomorrow and I'll have everything ready for you."
"Thanks, I guess?" You say, scratching your head
>You didn't expect it to be so quick
>"You're absolutely welcome darling," Rarity said, as you redressed
>"And do me a HUGE favor, let anypony who asks know all about who made you look so fabulous." 
>Mosina laughed
>"I'll hold him to that, thank you so much again, Rarity. Come on Anon, we've still got a lot to do!" She said pulling you out the door...
"Someone's in a hurry today..." You say, zipping up your fly as you get outside
>"Well we've only got two days before we need to head to Hollow Shades, I think we can afford to be a little speedier than usual, don't you?" She said, looking at her "to-do" list
"I think you need to slow down and relax, everything's fine. Two days is more than enough time."
>"You're such a man. I need to find a dress, find a present, fix up my mane, and-"
>You put your finger to her lips to silence her
"Take a deep breath, and chill. Why don't you give me the list, I'll take care of some of this stuff and you go get your woman junk all taken care of."
>She stopped and thought for a minute
>"You're sure you can handle it? The last time I sent you on errands didn't go so hot."
>You scoff
"That was mostly Flik's fault, let me help out so you can stop stressing."
>"Well...okay. You can go find a present. Something nice please? We want you to make a good first impression..."
>You crack a sly smile as you walk away
"Don't worry, I'm thinking about getting them a Fruit-of-the-Month club membership."
>Mosina's eye starts twitching, and she buries her face in her hooves
>"Luna help us..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You walk through town, scratching your head
"Something nice...something nice..." You think to yourself, looking from store to store
>You'd never even been to a wedding before, you had no idea what made a good wedding gift
>Some special sweets from Sugarcube Corner?
>Nah, food would probably go bad by the time you got there, or get otherwise compromised
>How about a nice blender or something?
>Did ponies even use blenders? 
>You hadn't seen one yet
>"Anon!" You hear, snapping you out of your head, seeing Flik struggling to carry several heavy bags
>Several ponies watched on, silently giggling at the changeling's ordeal
>Quickly you rush over and grab a few off of him, much to his relief
"Show's over folks, go gawk at something else, will ya?"
>The spectators stifled their laughter and went about their business
>Despite being a long standing member of the town, some still hadn't warmed up to him yet it seemed
>"Thanks, Mosina putting you to work too, huh?" Flik asked, readjusting his remaining bags
"Apparently not as much as you, all she asked me to do was find a wedding gift." You say, looking through the bags you'd taken
>Flik shrugged
>"So you're getting the gift, huh? Big responsibility there. Have any ideas?"
"Not a clue, I've never even been to a wedding."
>Flik scratched his chin
>"Well, maybe I can help you. If we put our heads together I'm sure we can think of something."
>Together the two of you browse various specialty stores, hunting for anything that could be a potential gift
>After an hour, nothing seemed to catch your eye
>Finally, having been driven to the last store in town, the magic shop, your frustration got the best of you
"This is hopeless! How am I supposed to know what to get them? What would two bat ponies even want on their wedding day?"
>"Perhaps "I" may be of assistance..." a voice calls from behind a veiled door
>You and Flik watch as a decrepit, hobbled pony emerged from the back
>"If exotic treasures are what you seek, follow me..." He said, pulling the veil aside
>The two of you look at each other
"Screw it, we might as well take a look." You say
>Flik seems apprehensive at first, but follows you through the doorway
>"I don't know about this Anon...this guy gives me the creeps."
"What do we have to lose, honestly?" 
>The old shopkeeper magically lights the lamps around the room, revealing shelves covered in all sorts of strange trinkets and do-dads
>Strange things, but mostly benign
>"So you seek a gift, yes?" The shopkeeper asked, chuckling slightly
"Yes, for a bat pony wedding, I have no idea what to get them." You admit
>The shopkeeper begins walking the shelves, looking at the wares that adorned them
>"The denizens of Hollow Shades are difficult for outsiders to understand, very few do, and fewer still have ever tried. For one such as you to demonstrate an understanding of their culture, it would make for quite the impression."
>You and Flik looked at each other in disbelief
"How did you...?"
>"Aha! This will do nicely." He said, pulling a small cube off of the shelf and blowing away the dust, handing it to you
>You examine it closer
>It was pretty heavy, and appeared to be silver
>The sides were etched with unfamiliar markings
>They reminded you of hieroglyphics
"What is it?" You ask, tossing it up and down
>"An ancient artifact, from the days before the race found itself settled in Hollow Shades. There are many who seek these treasures for their own personal collections, depriving those who would honor it properly."
>You rolled the cube in your hands
"How do I know this is legit?"
>The shopkeeper smiled
>"The answer you seek is right under your nose."
>Then it hit you
>You looked down at the Ward Mosina had given you, bearing it's crescent moon and star
>As you looked back at the cube, and almost immediately spotted the same symbol on the top of it
>It was too precise to be just some amateur copy
"Well I'll be damned...so how much do you want for it?" You ask
>"Given that it's for such a special occasion...50 bits."
>You reach for your moneybag
>"Anon, I really don't think this is a good idea..." Flik cautioned
"Relax, this is gonna be great!" You say, tossing the bag at the shopkeeper
"There should be just about 50 bits in there, a little more probably. Keep the change."
>As you and Flik walk out, you can hear diabolical laughter emanating from the back room
>You look over your shoulder as the two of you step out into the street
"That should probably be concerning, shouldn't it?" You ask Flik
>He just raises an eyebrow at you
>"Yeah, probably."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>By the time you got home, it was getting dark
>Mosina had beaten you home apparently
>Had it really taken you that long to find a present? Damn you're slow
>"Hello boys, you sure were out for a long time...lot's of shopping?" She said, fluttering over to you and giving you a peck on the cheek
"You don't know the half of it." You say
>She smirks
>"Of course. So, did you actually find a present?"
"As a matter of fact, I did." You say proudly
>You reach into your bag and pull out the cube, holding it out triumphantly
>Mosina squints at it, looking real close
>"What is it?" She asks, confused
"Stumped the master, did I? I thought you would recognize something like this instantly."
>She scratches her head
>"No, really Anon, what is it? A box?"
>She had to be joking
"Mosina, come on, it's a bat pony artifact. Very rare, your family is gonna love it!"
>She facehoofed and sighed deeply
>"Okay, Anon. I hope you don't mind if I pick out something else tomorrow as well. Nothing wrong with bringing two gifts I suppose."
"But...I've already got-"
>She quickly fluttered over and kissed you on the lips
>"Don't you worry, I'll take care of it." she said reassuringly before rushing down the hall
>Flik chuckled
>"I don't think she liked it very much." He said
"Shut up, Flik..."
>That night you lay in bed, turning the box around in your hands
>Could you have been duped?
>If Mosina didn't even recognize it, how could it possibly be real?
>But as you looked at the markings, especially that moon and star, something bigger than your pride reassured you
>At some point, you dozed off into a deep sleep
>So deep that it was all the worse when you felt yourself getting yanked out of bed suddenly
>"Anon! Wake up! We've gotta catch the train!" Mosina said frantically
"Wha...what train?" You groan, clumsily climbing to your feet
>"There was a mistake at the station, our tickets are for today! We've got to leave now!"
>As you manage to orient yourself, you watch as Mosina zips around the room, throwing belongings into your travel bags
"Alright, alright, I'll just head to the Boutique and-"
>"Already taken care of, I picked it up and a new gift as soon as I saw our tickets." She said, tossing a bag at you, knocking you backward
>In a flash you were out the door and running through town toward the station
>It was too early for most of the populace to be out and about, so thankfully there were few to watch the scene
>Laced with most of the burden, you struggle to keep up with Mosina the whole way
>When you reach the train, you're gasping for breath, dropping to the floor in exhaustion
>Not thirty seconds later, the train started to pull away
>"Right on time..." Mosina said, relieved
>She flopped down onto the seat and looked down at you on the floor
>"Are you okay?"
"Oh yeah, just peachy." you gasped, sitting up against the seat
"What sort of trip are we looking at?"
>"About seven or eight hours. Hollow Shades is pretty far, even by train." She said
"Great, maybe then I can make up for all that sleep I lost this morning." You reply, climbing up onto the seat and laying down, your head on Mosina's lap
>She made a surprisingly good pillow
>"Sorry Anon, but I think it'd be best to go over a few things about..."
>Your slight snore indicated that her thought need not be finished
>She can't help smile down at you, brushing your hair with her hoof
>A small sigh escapes her lips
>"I guess we'll have time for that later."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>When you awoke, the sun was high in the sky, the sound of the train wheels screeching slightly on the tracks barely audible through in your car
>You sit up and yawn, feeling refreshed after your hectic morning
>"Well good afternoon sleepyhead." Mosina said as she came walking back into the car
"Where were you?" You asked
>"Just checking how much farther we have to go. Should be another hour or two." 
"Fantastic." You say, stretching 
>Mosina chuckles
>"Yes, it is fantastic. Leaves us enough time to go over a few things before we get there."
>You groan
"What could we possibly have to go over that you haven't told me before?"
>"Just some stuff about proper etiquette while we're in Hollow Shades, it's not like exactly the same as the rest of Equestria." She explains
>Of course not, that would be too easy 
"Fine, lay it on me."
>She smiled and jumped up onto the seat beside you
>"Glad that you're so eager to get started!"
>For the next two hours, Mosina gives you the run down on how you would be expected to behave in Hollow Shades
>In front of her family in particular
>Apparently, this was going to be a mainly no fun allowed sort of trip
>Mosina explained how her family was of more conservative persuasion in the community, distrustful of outsiders, and very traditional
>You would have to be on your absolute best behavior
>"In all honesty, it'd probably be best to stay quiet unless directly spoken to." She said
"What? Don't think mom and pop will be as susceptible to my charms as you?" You say with a devilish grin
>The wheels of the train screech loudly as it begins to slow down, approaching the station
>Mosina rolled her eyes hopelessly
>"Unfortunately, probably not."
>The train finally comes to a full stop
>"Just follow my lead, and you'll be fine." She said
>As you step out onto the platform, you notice something
>Or rather, a LACK of something
>There was almost nobody around
>The clerk was there, but there were no passengers, no lines typical of one of the most popular forms of transport in Equestria
>It was like a ghost town
"Are we in the right place?" You ask
>Mosina looks at you questioningly
>"Duh? You think I'd get us lost so quickly?"
"No...but there's nobody here..."
>"Remember where we are Anon, it's mid-afternoon. Bat ponies are mostly nocturnal. This is like Ponyville at 4 in the morning."
>Suddenly the complete absence of activity made a lot more sense
"This trip is going to mess up my sleep schedule isn't it?" You ask
>Mosina giggled
>"Unless you want to sleep through everything important, yeah probably." 
>When you step outside of the terminal, you're greeted by a scene much like there was inside
>Cobblestone streets with nobody on them, houses dark, and an unusual silence
>The thick canopy above blocked most of the sunlight, but rays shone down through to the ground all around
>It was almost eerie
>Then again, this place was ass backwards compared to just about everywhere else
"No offense, but this place is giving me the creeps."
>"Really? This is usually my favorite time of day here. Nice and quiet, it's so peaceful compared to when night falls."
>You raise an eyebrow
"Gets crazy after dark huh?"
>Mosina shrugs
>"No crazier than anywhere else...well, maybe a little. Just not my preferred crowd, you know."
"I don't think I've ever met anyone who was so...unhappy with their own group."
>"Really?"
>You think
"Actually, I take that back, I did know a few back where I come from."
>"Who were they?" Mosina asked curiously
"Democrats."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Mosina showed you around town while you waited for the sun to go down
>It would be rude to show up at the family home and wake everyone up at such an ungodly hour
>Well, to them anyway
>She took you to see the sights, explain the history
>All in all, Hollow Shades was pretty fascinating
>And the complete lack of anyone around made for few distractions, allowing you to absorb everything wholly
>Eventually, the early birds started to emerge
>Each one giving you and Mosina quizzical looks as they passed
>Especially you
>It was a little uncomfortable actually
"Is the staring normal?" You whisper to Mosina
>"Huh? Oh, yeah, don't worry it's nothing personal. The locals do that to all outsiders." She said
"Even if I'm with one of their own?"
>She sighs
>"Truth be told, that doesn't so much improve their thoughts about you than it lessens their opinion of me."
>Something about that statement made you freeze up for a moment
>Mosina had told you before that she was a bit of a black sheep in her own family, but the entire town?
>It just didn't sit right
"Well, I'm sorry to sully your reputation." You say
>She scoffed, and looked you in the eyes
>"Anon, please. I wouldn't have it any other way."
>You smile at her, and she returned it
>"It's almost dark. we should probably be getting to the house." She said, looking up toward the sky
>The streets start to teem with life as you make your way through the town
>She stops at at particular corner, looking up at the sign, and then to the modest home adjacent to it
>"This is it, 1 Mangosteen Way..." 
"Don't sound too excited now, you might just get my hopes up." You say sarcastically
>"I'm just a little nervous is all." She said
>You ruffle her mane
"That makes two of us."
>Mosina takes a deep breath and prepares herself
>The two of you walk up the steps to the front door
>"Alright, here goes..." She said, knocking on the door
>For a moment, there was only silence
>You shift nervously
"They're awake, right?" 
>"Shhh!" Mosina said
>Suddenly from the other side of the door, you hear hooves excitedly rushing toward the door
>After the sound of about a million and one locks being undone, the door flings open
>Before you is a young adult stallion, his icy blue eyes bright as he spots Mosina
>"Little Sis!" He exclaimed, quickly throwing his hooves around her in a great bear hug
>"It's so good to see you again!"
>Mosina gasps for breath under the pressure of the hug
>You stifle a laugh as you realized that must run in her family
>When the stallion finally relents a bit, she manages to return the embrace
>"It's good to be back Trotsky, I couldn't wait to congratulate you in person!"
>Trotsky released her and stepped back with a big smile on his face
>"Thank you, and thank you so much for coming, it really wouldn't be the same without you." He said
>You stood off to the side silently, looking off into the distance as the reunion took place in front of you
>Trotsky glanced over to you for the first time since the he opened the door
>His eyes scanned you up and down, as if he was sizing you up
>"Oh yeah, Trotsky, this is Anon. He's the one I wrote to you all about." Mosina said
>Trotsky walked up to you
>Suddenly, his demeanor became much friendlier as he held out a hoof
>"Good to finally meet you Anon, my sister has told me all about you."
>You took his hoof and gave it a firm shake
"Likewise."
>"I've never seen one of your kind before, I mean, we don't get many visitors of ANY kind but, you know. You must tell us all about yourself!"
>You chuckled
"Not too many ponies have, but this whole thing is about you and your soon to be wife, I'm just here with Mosina."
>"So modest..." Trotsky said, turning to Mosina
>"I like it." 
>Mosina grinned at you
>"What can I say? I know how to pick 'em."
>Trotsky stepped back into the doorway, motioning for you both to come in
>"We're just waiting on Glasnost, come on in, Mama and Papa are dying to see you." He said, turning to you
>"Both of you."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>As the two of you stepped into the house, you notice immediately how dimly lit everything is
>Was perpetual darkness something these ponies actually TRIED to live in?
>You couldn't help but internally facepalm as you realized how obvious the answer was
>"Mama, Papa, Mosina is here!" Trotsky called 
>You could hear a mature female voice call from the back immediately
>"Well bring her back! Don't just stand there!"
>Trotsky looked at you
>"Come with us, just follow behind and wait for our parents to speak to you." He said
"You got it." You replied with a small nod
>You and Mosina followed Trotsky through toward what you could only assume was the kitchen, judging by the smell emanating from it
>As they rounded the corner, you can see their faces light up
>"Mama! Papa!" She cries, rushing forward 
>You poke your head around the corner, standing behind Trotsky
>You see Mosina hugging who you could only assume was her mother
>What was most striking was how similar they looked
>She was almost identical to her mother, minus the latter's grayed mane and less stylish spectacles
>Her father was a completely different story
>He was a large man...pony...whatever
>Kind of that red farmer pony from back home, never did catch that one's name
>His demeanor was cold, stone cold, even in the presence of this family reunion
>It was a bit unnerving
>"It's been far too long since you've been home, Mosina." Her mother said
>"I'm sorry Mama, we've been so busy in Ponyville we just haven't had time to visit."
>"Your brothers make time, surely you could do the same..." 
>The older mare's eyes drifted over to you, catching your stare
>"And who's this then?" She said, moving past her daughter and toward you
>Mosina quickly rushed to your side, a big cheesy smile on her face
>"Mama, Papa, this is Anon. Remember, from my letters?" She said
>Both of her parents eye you skeptically
>"We remember. Though you neglected to mention...something." Her mother said, approaching and inspecting you closely, as if looking for some sort of flaw
>Eventually, she takes a step back and looks you square in the eye
>She gave you that same look Mosina gave you when you were trying to hide something
>"Well hello to you, Anon. I'm Camomile and this is Mosina's father, Minsk. We've been looking forward to meeting you for some time now."
>You swallow the lump in your throat with much struggle
"It's a pleasure to meet you both, like she said we've just been really busy and-"
>"Mosina tells us that you work in government, that must be interesting." Camomile said, interrupting you
"Well, yes, I'm an assistant for the mayor of Ponyville. Nothing major really..."
>Camomile looks over to her husband, and smirks
>"How nice of them to let an outsider take such an important position." She says, with a small chuckle
>"Isn't that nice of them, dear?"
>Minsk looked on uninterested
>"Irresponsible if you ask me." He muttered
>Were they playing some sort of "Good Parent, Bad Parent" routine?
>Camomile gave an exaggerated gasp
>"Minsk! Don't be rude to Mosina's friend...I'm sure Anon is quite qualified for his work. Isn't that right?" She asked, looking at you with what you swore was a wink
"Um...well, yeah I guess so." You manage to say
>Camomile gives you a very...odd smile
>"I thought as much." She said
>Trotsky and Mosina were looking slightly uncomfortable
>"So...Mama, when can we expect Glasnost?" Mosina asked
>"Oh you know how your brother is...he comes and goes as he pleases. Ever since the accident he's become very reclusive, he even sent little Radom off to a boarding school in Canterlot. His own son!"
>Mosina's eyes widened
>"Radom isn't here?" She asked
>Camomile waved her hoof dismissively
>"Oh don't worry, I'm sure Glasnost won't let him miss the wedding."
>Mosina gave a sigh of relief
>"Thank Luna, it'd be a shame if my favorite nephew wasn't here with the rest of the family."
>Trotsky ribbed her slightly
>"You worry too much, sis. Come on, I'll show you and Anon to your rooms."
>You raise an eyebrow
"Rooms?"
>Trotsky nodded
>"Yes, as in two separate rooms. Surely that's not a problem, is it?"
>Camomile and Minsk eyed you intensely
>You looked at Mosina, who's face had "shut up and just go with it" written all over it
"Uh, no...just thought I misheard. Need to clean out the ears again I guess." You say, chuckling nervously, digging at your ear with your finger awkwardly
>Mosina groaned slightly, and took you by the hand, pulling you along
>"Lead the way Trotsky."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The stairway was cramped, clearly not designed for someone of your stature
>But Mosina and Trotsky make their way just fine, snickering as you struggle
>When you finally reached the top of the steps, your back was a mess
>With audible cracks, you stretch yourself out
>"You alright Anon? I didn't think you were THAT out of shape..." Mosina chuckled, patting you on the back
"Excuse me for having a desk job..." You say, finally getting the notch out of your back
"This will be your room Anon, it's just a guest room, nothing too fancy." Trotsky said, motioning toward the door on your left.
>"And Mosina, you know where yours is, mama and papa kept it mostly how you left it."
>"Mostly?" She asks, cocking her eyebrow
>Trotsky stifles a giggle
>"Mama "may" have done a little decorating..." He said, pushing the door open
>The walls were adorned with deliciously embarrassing childhood photos of Mosina, her brothers too, but those weren't the ones you were saving in the old memory bank for later laughs
"Wow..." You chuckle, walking in and checking out the walls, closing in on one of a certain incredibly dorky looking young filly baring a huge braces covered smile for a school picture
"Check you out!" 
>Mosina's cheeks flushed red
>"Yeah, yeah, I know, I used to look like such a nerd..."
>You flash a devilish grin
"Used to?"
>She punches your shoulder, and you feign excruciating pain
"Trotsky, you see how she treats me?"
>He grins
>"Maybe it's best we keep you two separate after all, no telling what she'd do if we stuck you together in here." 
>Mosina groaned
>"Barely 20 minutes and my own brother's already taking your side, are you happy?" She asks you
"Oh, extremely." You say, putting on your coolest face
>After a few hours, with no sign of anyone else showing up that night, you decided to get a jump on "fixing" your sleeping pattern
>By that, you would try being nocturnal for once
>Just at the break of dawn, you actually managed to get to sleep after much struggle
>Not only were the passages in this house too small, so was the bed
>It kept you tossing and turning throughout the day until finally the sun began to fall again
>With a groan, you're pulled from a dream you had been enjoying very much
>You were back home, earth, but Mosina was with you
>Together, the two of you explored your hometown, and the countryside around it
>Despite the glaringly bullshit part of nobody caring that she was a pony, it was a good dream
>You flipped onto your side, struggling to force yourself up 
>Cracking open an eye, you expect to just see darkness out the window next to you
>But instead, you're met with the stare of two brilliant golden eyes
>Very close to your face
"HOLY SHIT!" You cry, shooting up and falling off the other side of the bed, your head bouncing off the floor
>You grab the back of your head in pain, struggling to reorient yourself to face the threat
>Scooting up against the wall, you grab the lamp off the nightstand beside you, holding it defensively
>As the adrenaline fades, you see the "threat" sitting curiously on the bed, looking at you with squinted eyes
>A batpony colt
>"You're weird, are you some kind of monkey?" It spoke, it's accent the same oddly eastern European that Trotsky and Mosina's parents had
>You sigh and put the lamp back on it's stand
"I'm not a monkey, I'm a human. What are you doing in my room?"
>"This is Grandma and Grandpa's room, not your room. I've never heard of a human before, what's that?"
>Grandma and Grandpa...?
"Give me a minute, kid, you scared the hell out of me..." You say, standing up
>He looked at you skeptically, his violet mane hanging slightly across his face
>"Sorry, I was just wondering who you were..." He said
>"My name's Radom! What's your name?"
"Anon..." You yawned
>His eyes lit up
>"Oh! You're Uncle Anon!"
>So they already told him, maybe you weren't up as early as you thought
>Wait..."Uncle"?
"Uncle...?"
>"You and aunt Mosina are together! That makes you my Uncle! Like Uncle Trotsky!" Radom said excitedly
>Oh boy...
"Listen, Random, that's not how-"
>jumping off the bed. Radom glides across the room into your chest forcefully, hugging you
>"I heard you and aunt Mosina go on all kinds of cool adventures, that you've been all over Equestria! That you-"
>"RADOM!" a voice calls from the doorway 
>He instantly releases you and tries to appear as inconspicuous as possible
>Sneaky little bastard
>"Didn't we tell you NOT to bother Anon while he was sleeping?" Mosina asked, stepping into the room
>Radom looked at the ground, scratching at it with his hoof
>"Sorry aunt Mosina, I just wanted to see who you were talking about at breakfast..."
"Woah, I missed breakfast?" 
>"We need you to be awake tonight, you needed all the hours you could get." She said
"But...but breakfast..." You say pleadingly, giving her puppy-dog eyes
>Your stomach growled right on cue
>Mosina rolled her eyes at you and smiled
>"Lucky for you we saved plenty."
>She turned to the colt sitting next to you
>"Your father wants you back downstairs Radom." 
>The little batpony nodded obediently
>"Yes ma'am..." he sighed, turning back to you
>"It's good to meet you Uncle Anon!" 
>It still sounded weird every time you heard it
"You too Radom..." You say as he scurries out of the room
>When you heard his footsteps reach the bottom floor, walk up to Mosina and give her a small kiss
>She fights to stay in the embrace as you break it
"Feeling a little deprived are we?" you ask
>She leans back out the door to make sure the coast is clear before closing the door behind her
>She gives you a look that answers your question and then some, capturing you in another embrace only to break it again moments later
>"Uncle Anon?" She asks, laughing a little a she says it
"Trust me, I'll explain later..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>After recuperating from your unexpected wake up call, you and Mosina make your way downstairs to join with the rest of the family
>As you enter the kitchen, you hear the front door closing
>"Did Glasnost and Trotsky leave already?" Mosina asked exasperatedly
>"Just now." Camomile said, not looking up from her newspaper
>Mosina groaned
>"I was hoping to introduce Anon to him before he left."
"I'm sure there's gonna be time later, no worries." You said
>Camomile chuckles from behind her paper veil
>"You never know. The way that boy is you may not meet until the wedding night."
>Dat lack of optimism
>Radom sat at the table, stuffing his face
>"Dadeeths whurkth rull hardt." He said
>They could have been words, but you'd never know
>Camomile gave him a light tap on the back of the head
>"Don't talk with your mouth full, boy!" she commanded
>Radom rubbed the back of his head, and swallowed his food
>"Sorry grandma..." He grumbled, turning to you
>"Daddy works real hard, he's not around too much." He said
>Suddenly he Radom looked very sad
>"It's why he sent me off to school, without mom there's nopony else at home..." 
"Where's your mom?" You ask
>Mosina elbowed you
>Camomile quickly laid down her paper and cleared her throat
>"Mosina! Why don't you and Anon take Radom out to the park? He could use the exercise."
>Radom gave her an offended look
>"What's that supposed to mean?"
>Camomile smiled
>"Just that you're getting a little belly there..."
>Radom gasped and felt his stomach
>"Am not!" 
>Camomile ruffled his mane playfully against his protests
>"Mosina, take Radom outside, Anon will be following you shortly." She said
>Mosina looked at her mother, and then to you
>The look on her face said it all
>Ya dun goofed
>"Yes mama, come on Radom." She said, quickly ushering the colt out of his seat and toward the door
>Camomile watched you, and listened for the door to close
>She didn't look happy
>The hairs stood up on the back of your neck as the door shut in the other room
>"Anon, I realize that you may not have been properly...prepared...for this visit, so I'm going to let this incident go this time."
"I'm sorry, I don't understand what I-"
>"Radom's mother is dead, Anon. Flying accident two years ago."
>Your heart sank at the revelation
"I...I don't know what to say..."
>Camomile put up her hoof to silence you
>"You don't need to say anything. Mosina should have told you that it's not something we speak about in the presence of my son or grandson."
>You frown
"Don't blame Mosina, she tried to explain things to me on the way here...I uh...kinda zoned out through some of it." You admit
"It's completely possible she did mention it and I missed it."
>Camomile raises an eyebrow
>She continued to eye you, standing up from her seat and walking toward you
>She circled, examining you like she did the first time you met
>Finally, she stopped, staring you directly in the eye
>You shifted your feet a little, the tension quickly reaching critical mass
>"You know, Anon, I used to be a psychologist in my earlier years." She said, pointing to her cutie mark
>It was a silhouette pony head with a cog where the brain would be
>Some of those marks were just downright weird
"That's fascinating..." You say, not really sure where she was going with this
>"It had it's moments...nothing lit my fire like delving into the minds of my patients, seeing what made them tick, what made them who they were."
"...Really..." You said
>She nodded
>"It sort of becomes second nature, when you do it for so long, you start analyzing everyone you meet...everything they do becomes a window into the mind, and soul occasionally."
>This was getting a little creepy
"Yeah, well, uh-" You say, stumbling over your words
>"I've been watching you Anon. I'm learning quite a bit already." 
>A lump formed in your throat
"O-oh? Like what?" 
>Camomile grinned
>"You're honest, even when you're at fault. I like that. You're adaptable, easy going...you fit in. And you make Mosina happy...for that I'm grateful."
"Well...thanks?" 
>"But, you seem like you're distracted by something, your mind is anywhere but where it needs to be. Like you don't seem comfortable in your own skin...am I right?"
>In all honesty, she wasn't far off from correct
>Even though it was long ago, you still hadn't gotten entirely over the loss of Hugo and Steel Toe
>It was always at the back of your mind
>And it weighed heavily
>In truth, your confidence suffered greatly from the loss
"I don't know...maybe." You muttered, not looking her in the eye
>Camomile smirked, and fluttered up to you, giving you a quick hug...which you awkwardly returned
>"You're a good man Anon, you just need to start acting like it." She said, patting your back and giving you one more look over
>"Now, you'd better get going, Mosina will need all the help she can get with that little one."
>For as awkward as your interactions with Camomile had been up to this point, she was really starting to grow on you
"I'll do what I can..." You chuckle, walking toward the door
>More confidence!" She demanded, causing you to stop at the door
>You lean back around the corner and look her in the eye
"I got this."
>She gave you a wink
>"That's my boy."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You step out of the house, bounding down the steps
>Mosina is occupied, listening intently to Radom as he rambles
>"...and there was always this one mare who was always putting pictures of herself everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE! Her name was Star...something...but nobody really liked her." He said, finishing whatever story he'd been telling as you approached
"You two ready to go?" You ask
>"Yes!" Radom said, bouncing excitedly off toward the park
>You and Mosina follow close behind him
>She tugs on your jacket sleeve to get your attention
>"What was all that about?" She whispered
>You shake your head
"It was nothing, really."
>"Uh huh, so it should be no problem telling me about it."
>You gave her a pleading look, practically begging her to let it go
>She didn't budge
"Look, I'll tell you later, alright?" You whisper, keeping an eye on Radom as he hums to himself ahead of you
>Mosina rolled her eyes
>"Fine, later. I don't see what the big deal is." 
>"Aunt Mosinaaaa, Anooon, keep up!" Radom called back, rushing down the street
>The two of you pick up the pace as Radom runs through the gate baring a sign reading "Hollow Shades Village Park"
>The scene was was straight out of bizzaro world
>As the moon hung high in the sky, bat families frolicked and played in the park as if it was the middle of the day
>Colts and fillies playfully chased one another around, parents adorned the benches discussing everything under the sun
>Or moon, whatever
>Radom looked around excitedly at all the other children and rushed off to join in an apparent game of tag
>"Radom! Don't go too far!" Mosina called to him as he joined the others
>She sighed as he ignored her and became totally absorbed in the game
>"Or not..." She said, taking a seat on the nearest bench
>You sat down next to her and stretched out, getting comfortable and watching the spectacle in front of you
>"So, you ready to tell me about what my mother had to say now?" Mosina asked, poking your side
>You groan
"Why is this so important to you?"
>She cocks her brow at you
>"Oh gee, I don't know. How could my mom deciding to pull you aside all secretive-like possibly be a concern to me at all?"
"She just wanted to talk is all." You say
>"About...?"
"Well, she told me about Radom's mom." You admit
>Mosina frowns
>"Anon I told you about that before we got to the house, weren't you listening to me?"
>You flash her an apologetic smile
>She furrows her brow in response
>"Now she probably thinks I just rushed you into this and didn't bother explaining anything." She said, burying her face in her hooves
>Damage control, initiated
"No, no no no! I told her that you already warned me, she knows it was my fault." 
>Mosina suddenly had an even more distraught look in her eyes
>"What?! Why would you do that? Now what is she going to think about you?"
>Women
>There was just no winning with them
"What else was I supposed to do?" You ask, confused
>"I don't know..." 
>"Aunt Mosina! Anon! Watch this!" Radom called out, proudly showing off his "flying" skills as he chased down several of his playmates in a fluid gliding motion
>Mosina clapped enthusiastically
>"Good job Radom!" She said, before slowly turning back to you
>"Did she say anything else?"
>You hesitate
>If she got worked up over something as simple as your slip up, how would she react to Camomile's psychoanalysis session with you?
>Maybe it would be best to tread lightly on this subject
"Nothing major, just small talk, getting to know me really."
>"She went psychologist mode on you, didn't she?"
>Damn it
>You smile at her hopelessly
"No fooling you is there?"
>She half-heartedly smiled back
>"Not for you, no. She used to do it all the time with any friends who came over."
>Her gaze turned to the playing children
>"Was it bad?"
>You shook your head
"She said...she said I'm a good guy. And that she's happy we're together."
>She looked at you surprised
>"Well...thanks mom." She chuckled
>You playfully scratch her behind the ear
"I told you there was nothing to worry about." You said
>She gave you a small grin, but it looks somewhat...sad
>"Still...you didn't listen to me Anon. Even though I told you how important this was..."
>You put your arm around her, pulling her close in a one armed hug
"It won't happen again. From now on you've got my full attention, promise."
>She gives you a skeptical look
>"You promise?"
>You give her your devilish smile
"Well, for the important stuff. I AM only a man after all."
>She smiles and lightly punches your chest, before giving you a quick peck on the lips
>"Oh Anon, look, a concession stand!" She says, pointing over your shoulder
>"Why don't you go get us something while we wait for Radom to tire himself out?"
"Sure, any requests?" 
>"Mango shake, please."
>You shake your head at her
"You're gonna turn into a mango at this rate, I swear to God."
>She says nothing, opting to simply blow a raspberry at you
>You make your way over to the line forming in front of the stand, and stand there patiently waiting for your turn
>As you wait, you can hear a conversation going on in the line next to you
>"Just do it man!" 
>"I-I can't!"
>"We didn't come here just for you to chicken out again...talk to her!" 
>"F-fine...fine!"
>Suddenly a stallion slightly in front of you begins fidgeting
>His cheeks are bright red and he's sweating profusely
>His green eyes shifted from side to side nervously as he very visibly trembled
>He leans over to the mare in front of you 
>"H-hey there, pretty lady..."
>Thisgonnabegood.gif
>"I uh...couldn't help but notice your noxious scent..."
>Oh dear god what was this guy doing?
>You listen for a few moments as the stallion continued to blunder, fighting the urge to cringe 
>You lean over to the mare next to you, who's giggling at the scene
"Can you believe this guy?" You whisper
>To this, she giggles harder
"I mean, you girls put up with some creeps but this is somethin' else..."
>"What do you mean, "you girls"?"
>...Shit
"Whoops, sorry...I just thought..."
>"That I was a mare, don't worry, happens all the time." They said, soundly ever so slightly annoyed
"I just...you don't..."
>As you looked at the pony next to you, you would have bet anything that he was a she
>"Like I said, happens all the time. Name's Hekesuh." He said 
"Anon." You replied
>"Alright! I'll see you around then?" The other stallion called after his prospective marefriend as she groaned and hurried away from the line
>The nervous stallion slumped his shoulders in disappointment
>"I told you it would never work Hekesuh." He said sadly
>The androgynous bat pony patted his friend on the back
>"Don't worry, it'll work one of these days."
"Yeah, you didn't do TOO bad..." You said, trying to be reassuring
>The stallion looked at you with worried eyes
>"Y-you heard all that?" 
>"The whole line probably did." Hekesuh chuckled
>"Aux, this is Anon. Anon, this is Aux." He said, introducing you
"Your name is Aux?" You ask, confused at the sound of it
>"Aux Tism really..." He mumbled
>No fucking way
>You burst out in laughter as your mind put the two pieces together
>"W-what's so funny?" Aux Tism asked, looking very confused and embarrassed
>"What's funny about "Aux Tism"?" 
>Tears flowed from your eyes as you struggled to stop the laughter
>Just when you thought you'd heard it all...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Your laughter quickly subsided when a scream rang out through the park
>"What was that?" Hekesuh said, Aux already ducking behind him
>You look across the park and see figures in dark cloaks swooping down from the night sky and attacking the bat foals
>They moved such that they were almost a blur
>Your heart skips a beat as you realize Radom is probably among them
>"Anon! Help!" Mosina called as you spotted her trying to corral some of the children to safety, Radom in tow
>You look to Aux and Hekesuh
"You two, come with me, I need you to help me save those kids!" You command, taking off in the direction of the other foals
>Aux and Hekesuh give each other a confused glance
>"He wants us to do what now?" Aux said in a shaky voice
>You sprint toward the scene and see two of the attackers snatch up two bat fillies and fly away with them
>They weren't attacking them...they were stealing them!
>You jumped the bench you'd been sitting on, quickly closing the gap 
>As you approach one of the kidnappers from behind, you see a stick on the ground 
>Fuck it
>You pick up the stick and feel it's weight in your hands, preparing for your attack
>The dark figure slowly approaches a bat foal, who cowers backed against a tree...
>And you bring the full weight of the stick across the back of it's head
>With a pitiful "tink", it bounces off ineffectively
>Your opponent stops, and looks over it's shoulder, two glowing yellow eyes glaring back at you beneath the concealed helmet
"Well...fu-" You say before two powerful hind legs strike you in the chest, sending you flying backward
>You land on the hard ground, your head spinning
>You shake off the dizziness and look over to see Aux and Hekesuh having some sort of rodeo with another of the attackers
>Aux was hanging on for dear life on it's back covering it's eyes and screaming while Hekesuh tries desperately to shoo the foals away
>Well...it was going better than your "hit them with a stick" plan at the moment
>You suddenly remember that such plan was in fact failing and return your attention to your opponent
>Who was quickly bearing down and almost on top of you
>You shielded your face to protect from the impact...
>But with a loud thump, Mosina collides into them, forcing your enemy to the ground, before stumbling herself
>You quickly get to your feet, grabbing up the stick once again
>As the assailant tries to do the same, you quickly swing the stick in a wide arc, striking them directly under their unarmored chin
>Damn, you hit them so hard you could swear there were literal stars circling their head
>They fall onto their back, out like a light
>Mosina still had not gotten back up, she lay on her side motionless
>You quickly rush to her and shake her shoulder
"Mosina, come on get up!" You say, trying to get some sort of response
>But nothing comes...
>She was breathing, but unconscious
>You feel someone bump into you from behind
>Rising to a defensive stance, you realize it's just Aux and Hekesuh...
>...quickly backing away from several more assailants
>The three of you form a circle around Mosina, who had begun to stir
>She looked around rubbing her head, before realizing that you were surrounded
>With a gasp, she shot up as the four of you stood back to back, your enemies drawing closer by the second
"You should have run." You said to Mosina
>She scoffed
>"I think you needed me a little bit more." She replied
>"OH LUNA WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Aux cried out, dropping to his knees sobbing
>Hekesuh groaned and pulled him back to his feet
>"Lets at least TRY to have dignified deaths?" He pleaded
>"So, uh...any ideas?" Mosina asked you
>You looked around, seeing no clear avenue of escape, and armed only with your stick
>Things were not looking up
"Would you believe me if I said no?"
>She sighed as you all prepared for the worst
>Suddenly, three small orbs land around your circle
>You stare at them, dumbfounded for a moment before realizing what was about to happen
>You quickly turn away, grabbing Mosina and pulling her face into your shoulder and covering her sensitive ears
>The orbs snap open, casting a blinding light and a deafening boom 
>For a moment, even in the dead of night, the park was as illuminated like the middle of the day
>Your mind was racing, your ears ringing
>You released Mosina, partly because she was struggling, and partly because of the sensory overload
>Through the silent haze, you see Hekesuh and Aux both writhing on the ground
>With knees the consistency of jelly, you would be too if not for Mosina supporting you
>Your attackers stumbled as they fled clumsily
>You couldn't let them escape
>Disoriented, you struggle free of Mosina's grasp and try and pursue them
>Ignoring voices that sounded distorted and far away calling to you quickly collapsing to your knees as Night Guards flew by you in pursuit
>A large set of hooves wander into your field of view
>Forcing yourself to look up at the looming figure, and are met with an ornate iron mask staring back at you
>You could only raise a hand and grab it's cloak, trying not to fall over again
>Suddenly, just as your hearing began to return, you heard it's gruff voice speak
>"Not bad, not bad at all..."
>"Don't just stand there, help him up!" Mosina cried, rushing to your side to support you once again
>It scoffed, and quickly you felt yourself being yanked to your feet
>With a final shake, the disorientation was under control
"Who...who are you?" You gasped as coherently as you could manage
>Your apparent savior raised his hoof, and pulled off his mask
>He was relatively young...not terribly older than Mosina or yourself
>But those ever so familiar golden eyes looked like they'd seen enough for a lifetime, or several
>And the grin on his face looked like it was not just a little bit...devious
>"Count Glasnost, at your service."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Woah, woah, woah...slow down. You're telling me this isn't the first time this has happened?" You ask in disbelief
>You and Mosina sat in Glasnost's office as he stared out the window, looking over the town
>"I'm telling you that this isn't the first case of our foals being stolen, this is just the most public display yet." He explained calmly
>Mosina's mouth fell open
>"Why haven't Mama or Papa said anything? How long has this been going on?"
>Glasnost sighed as he pried his eyes away from the window and turned back to the two of you
>"Six months. At first they were isolated cases, but they've been increasing gradually." He said, taking his seat in at his desk
>"We've found not a shred of evidence at any of the scenes...until now. And thanks to Anon, we have our first lead."
"THIS was your first lead? Don't you have like, a CSI department, detectives...anyone who could have found something?"
>Glasnost frowned at you
>"If there was something to find, my men would have found it."
>You couldn't hold back the scoff that automatically escaped your lips
"Forgive me if I don't share your confidence, after all it did take a public attack to get you even one lead."
>Mosina punched your arm
>"Anon!" 
>Glasnost held up his hoof, looking you square in the eye
>"It's alright, he's obviously just a little worked up after your ordeal." He said, his voice unshaken
>"I'm sure no disrespect was meant."
>You bury your face in your hands for a moment, trying to calm yourself
"Yeah, that's it."
>Glasnost stared at you for a moment in silence, tapping his hooves together
>"Mosina, I know that you and Anonymous are only here for brother's wedding, but I have a request."
>"Go on..." She replied
>"I believe that we have had so much...difficulty with this case because our culprits KNOW our techniques. They know when and where my guards will be, and plan their activities accordingly. But if we had outsiders conducting this investigation, they would never see it coming." Glasnost said
>Mosina cocked her eyebrow
>"What are you asking Glasnost?"
>He smirked
>"I'm asking you to do some detective work on behalf of Hollow Shades, dear sister."
>Mosina looked at you, looking for an answer
>Honestly, you hadn't planned on doing any sort of "work" on this trip
>So much for that...this was too important
>You nodded
>Mosina sighed reluctantly
>"I guess we don't really have a choice." She said
>"Excellent. Of course, this isn't going to be just the two of you. I've also taken it upon myself to get you some additional help." Glasnost said, tapping twice on his desk
>The doors behind you opened, and two guards came in, ushering a very nervous Aux and Hekesuh ahead of them
>"Your friends here will be joining you as well, since they took it upon themselves to get involved back at the park, I think it's fitting."
>"Uh...Mr. Count...sir? I don't really think this is a good idea, we're not trained for this sort of thing and-" Hekesuh began before Glasnost cut him off
>"Nonsense! You deemed yourselves worthy of involvement in the park incident, this is simply a continuation of your "voluntary" service to Hollow Shades."
>Hekesuh opened his mouth to speak again, but slowly closed it and hung his head as he realized there was no way out of this
>Aux just sat in his chair, staring off into space in mortified silence
>"The four of you will continue the investigation into these foalnappings in whatever way you see fit." Glasnost explained
"You mean you're not going to be helping us at all? Not even a clue?" You asked
>"If I was just going to tell you what to do, I'd be sending my own guards. But we both know how well that strategy has worked. The point of this is to get a new perspective in this investigation, because maybe...just maybe you'll think of something we did not."
"Wonderful..."
>Glasnost furrowed his brow
>Mosina cleared her throat, trying to draw his attention
>"Glas...what did you do with the pony that we caught?"
>Glasnost raised his eyebrow
>"The suspect will wait in the cells down in the basement until the conclusion of the investigation. We were planning to interrogate them in the morning, why?"
>Mosina gave you a hopeful smile
>"Looks to me like we have a perfect place to start."
>Clever girl
>You turn to Glasnost
"What do you say, want us to take a crack at finding out what he knows?" You ask
>A grin crawls back across his face
>"It's a she, but yes, go right ahead. Guards, escort them to the cell block." He commanded
>"Yes, sir." they responded in unison
>They ushered the four of you from your seats, and toward the door
>"Oh, and Mosina, Anon?" Glasnost said as you exited the room, stopping you in your tracks
>"Good luck."
>With that, the doors slammed shut
"Is he always so dramatic?" You ask Mosina
>"Only when he's REALLY excited about something."
"Ah, well at least HE'S enthusiastic about all this." 
>You look over to Aux and Hekesuh, walking silently beside you
"Are you two alright?"
>Hekesuh sighed and shook his head
>"As fine you'd expect, after all this..."
>You frowned
"And Aux?"
>Aux seemed to be almost catatonic, just pushing forward with the rest of you
>"He'll be fine, he's just adjusting." Hekesuh said, punching his friend's shoulder
>"Ain't that right, buddy?"
>"No...no spa-spaghetti is fine, thanks..."
>Hekesuh let out a nervous chuckle
>"He'll come around..."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you guys caught up in everything."
>"Ah...don't worry about it. We had to help." He said with a smile
>"Thank you both, we appreciate it." Mosina chimed in
>"No problem." Hekesuh said, almost proudly as you reached the entrance to the cell block
>He looked over at Aux, and elbowed him
>"Talk to the lady Aux!"
>Momentarily snapping out of his trance, Aux managed to utter a single phrase...
>"Y-you too..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The guards opened the cell block doors
>Immediately, your eyes are assaulted by a flood of bright light
>Not exactly what you were expecting for a dungeon...
"Jesus Christ...what's with the lights?" You ask
>One of the guards look at you like you're stupid
>"Jail isn't supposed to be comfortable."
>Now it made sense...
>Bat ponies liked the dark, this light must be hell on their eyes
>On the far end of the room, you saw the single large cell
>With a single occupant, hanging from the ceiling and facing the wall
>Her mane was jet black, her wings folded around her like a shroud
>"That's not creepy or anything..." Hekesuh whispered
>"Hekesuh, she can hear you!" Aux warned him
>"Are you Hollow Shades types always so easily scared?"
>The four of you freeze at the prisoners voice
>"We're not scared!" Hekesuh said defensively
>The prisoner scoffed
>"Of course you're not..." She said
>You'd never heard her accent before...
>"Your authorities would have been better off sending someone with more of a spine to interrogate me."
"Look, we just came here to ask you some questions." You ask
>The prisoner's ears perked up at the sound of your voice.
>"Ah, the stick wielding monkey...what makes you think I'd tell you anything?"
>What was it with these ponies and thinking you're a monkey?
"...Because we're asking nicely instead of dragging the answers out of you?"
>She makes a loud humming sound to herself, still facing the wall
>"Well just let me save you some time and energy, I won't tell you anything. So don't waste your breath."
>"Well, you heard the lady! Nothing to see here, we should get going..." Aux said, turning to walk away
>Mosina groaned and grabbed his tail, holding him in place
>"I don't suppose there's anything we could do to convince you to cooperate?" She asked the prisoner
>"I sincerely doubt that there is anything you have to offer that will change my mind." 
>You were starting to realize that this wasn't going to be an easy task
>Forcing the information out of her was seeming more like the only option by the second
>But you really, really didn't want to resort to that
"What if we could help you?" You ask
>The prisoner snickered
>"Help me? Help me how?"
>Good question, how COULD you help her?
>Foalnapping was a serious charge, on top of assault and a plethora of other charges...she was looking at a long time in the slammer
>Or worse
"You're looking at some pretty hard time. Maybe we could do something about that..."
>"Sure you could, if they weren't probably already readying the guillotine as we speak."
>This was a good angle, there had to be a way to make it work
>Suddenly, an idea came to you
>It was a long shot, but it just might work
"Lucky for you, I'm a representative of the royal sisters here in Hollow Shades, an extension of their authority. Whatever I say goes."
>Mosina, Hekesuh and Aux looked at you like you were crazy
>Mosina tugged at your sleeve, urging you down to her level
>"Are you crazy?" She whispered
"Just trust me on this, alright?"
>"You're going to get in so much trouble!"
>You nudge her, attempting to silence her before she exposed your clever ruse
>The prisoner sat for a moment in silence, before she turned to look at you for the first time
>Her eyes shone with genuine curiosity, but also uncertainty
>"And why should I believe that?"
"Because your alternative is life in prison, at best?"
>She stopped, and thought
>With a heavy sigh, she stood, and walked up to the bars of her cell
>"Leave it to those Canterlot fools to trust a non-pony with such power..." She said, eying you and your friends up and down
>Her face was stony, skeptical
>She knew you were right, much as she hated to admit it
>If she didn't cooperate, she stood no chance
>At least with this gamble, she could have SOME hope...
>Even if it turned out to be false...
>"You're positive you can help me?"
>You grin
"Only if you tell us what we need to know..."
>"Which is...? I'm no mind reader you know." 
>"Well, you could start by telling us your name, it'd be nice to know who we're talking to." Mosina suggested
>The prisoner rolled her eyes
>"Is that really necessary?"
"I'd say it is." You say
>She groaned, painfully aware that the ball was in your court
>"Mirage."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"She says that she and her companions were recruited very recently by some guy named Spell Bind."
>Glasnost looked over the notes you'd taken during your "interrogation" with Mirage
>Of course, you'd opted not to tell him about the claims of authority you had made 
>He might not care given that you got information out of the prisoner
>Then again, you never know
>You thought it'd be best to err on the side of caution
>"And where did this happen, exactly?" He asked you
"About two weeks ago, just outside of Dodge Junction on the border of the Badlands."
>"...The Badlands?"
>"They're Exiles, Glas. They were heading to an outpost to do some trading when Spell Bind stopped them and made the deal." Mosina answered
>Suddenly his face looked very grim
>"This Spell Bind is no fool, he knew exactly who to go to for aid against us." He said
>"The prisoner said she wasn't aware of any others, just her and her friends. It's possible that there are more, but we don't know for sure." Mosina explained
>"Very true, but it's a possibility we have to consider. Did she say anything else? Maybe where Spell Bind could be located?"
>"Not...exactly. All she knows is that he told them to meet with his associates in some place called The Early Bird in town." You said
>Glasnost scratched his chin in thought
>"I'm not familiar with it."
>"It's a day-club. I used to go a lot but it turns out that's not exactly the uh...best place for me. Certain types get the wrong ideas and those insomniacs don't like surprises it turns out...heh." Hekesuh explained
>Glasnost smiled and held his arms out wide
>"And here you were saying you wouldn't be any help." He said cheerfully
>Hekesuh blushed, cheesing as hard as he could
>"Then it's settled, we'll hit The Early Bird first thing in the morning and see what we can dig up." Mosina said
"Sounds good to me." You agreed
>You looked over and saw Aux, swirling his hoof around on Glasnost's desk with an uncomfortable look on his face
"What do you say, Aux?" 
>"Oh...uh, it's just that...I don't..." He stammered, trying to string his thoughts together before pausing in frustration
>"You don't what?" Mosina asked
>"I just...how will we even know what to look for? Or WHO to look for?"
>His eyes went wide as a realization dawned on him
>"What if it's a trap?"
>He had a point
>You were going into this pretty blind
>And even though Mirage was under the impression that her freedom rested on this...
>Was it worth the risk that she could be lying?
>The five of you sat there, pondering this new development
>"Take her with you." Glasnost said flatly
>"W-what?" Mosina asked, not believing her ears
>"Take the prisoner with you. You'll let her be your guide, and she'll lead you to whoever you need to talk to."
"Are you sure about that?" you asked, skeptical of Glasnost's judgement
>"If it IS a trap, how likely is it to be sprung on one of their own? Her presence will be your assurance that there will be no funny business." 
>"Or she'll just try to escape..." Mosina muttered
>Glasnost grinned
>"I trust that the four of you can prevent that from happening."
>Hours pass, and the night eventually gives way to morning
>You head back down to the cell block at dawn to retrieve Mirage
>At the door, the guards provide you with a key ring
>"One of those opens her cell. If she tries to escape, it's your responsibility to restrain her, if she gets out here, we deal with her our way." The guard warned
"Nice to know..." You said, opening the door and letting your friends inside
>Mirage's ears perked up at the sound of the door to the cell block being opened
>"Back again so soon?" She asked, slightly surprised
"We work fast, there's not much time to fool around." You answer, flipping through the key ring the guards had given you
>"So it seems..." She said, listening as you find the key and unlock her cell door
>"I'd thought you'd need a lot more out of me before letting me go...looks like you weren't joking when you said you had such authority." 
>You chuckled nervously at the mention of your ruse
>You still couldn't believe it had worked
"Yeah, well, you're not out of the woods yet actually. We're gonna need you to come with us."
>She looked at you curiously
>"Come with you? What for?"
>"You're going to show us to Spell Bind's contacts at The Early Bird. You'll know who to look for, or at the very least how to draw them out." Mosina explained
>You unlocked the door, and opened it
>Slowly, Mirage stands up and walks out of the cell to join you
>She approaches Aux, sticking her face right in Aux's, piercing his very soul with her stare
>Whimpering, Aux backs off and leaps behind Hekesuh for cover
>She snorts, turning back to face you and Mosina
>"So when do we leave?"
"You seem awfully okay with this..." You said
>She smiled slyly
>"Anything beats sitting in that cage."
>She cracked her neck and stretched her legs
>She approached you, circling you with a brush of her tail as she finished
>"So, when do we go?" She asked
>Mosina narrowed her eyes, glaring at the exile
>"We go now." 
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>"...and it's this left up here. LEFT Aux, LEFT!" Hekesuh said as the five of you walked through the streets of Hollow Shades, searching for The Early Bird
>Aux, in an attempt to keep his distance from Mirage, was finding it difficult to keep in step with the rest of you
>Noticing this, Mirage giggled to herself
>"Perhaps the skittish one should stay outside once we reach our destination." she said
>"Aux is fine. Maybe if you toned down the creepy it wouldn't be a problem." Hekesuh grumbled
>Mirage rolled her deep blue eyes
>"Your kind are so coddled. I hate to imagine how you'd all fare in Badlands."
>"Yeah, well luckily we don't have to live in exile in such a place." Mosina said
>You could see this conversation was only going to end badly
>Time to divert
"So...Mirage, any idea what we should expect once we get there?" You ask quickly, trying to change the subject back to your mission
>She looks at you curiously after your sudden interjection into the conversation
>You'd been silent this entire time, after all
>A sudden glint in her eyes told you that she understood what you were doing, and she gave you a knowing grin
>"Not everypony inside will be affiliated with Spell Bind, in fact, the majority will not be. Rather than asking questions, it would be best to let our target come to us, like a fly to honey."
"Well, that's what you're here for. Should we distance ourselves from you or..."
>"Anon! We can't let her get too far away from us, she'll run!" Mosina argued
>Mirage simply smirked
>"I do not believe that so much distance will be necessary. His agents will not recognize you, but they are unlikely to approach me if you're...overbearing."
>She hummed to herself in thought
>"Just be yourselves."
>She glanced over to Aux, still looking nervous and jittery
>"Or maybe...a little more natural than yourselves." 
>Aux looked a little offended
>"H-hey! I am natural! Perfectly normal..."
>Mirage giggled
>"Of course you are, dear. Perhaps you should just let your friends do any, and all the talking."
>Hekesuh was looking more irate at the Aux abuse by the minute
>And he was eying you, begging you to say something in his defense
"Aux will be fine, worry less about him and do your part too." You say
>A satisfied smile spread across his face
>"You don't need to worry about me." Mirage replied, pointing to her flank
>Her cutie mark was certainly...different
>A black cloak and dagger
>How...edgy
>"I learned at a young age that I had a knack for this sort of work." She said, beaming with pride
>"I'm not sure that's something to be terribly proud of. Especially how you use it." Mosina said, squinting at the mark
>Mirage's composure faltered for a moment, a fleeting look of anger on her face, before quickly regaining her cool
>"I see things nopony is meant to see, I hear things nopony is meant to hear. Any secret, and scheme...I can discover it." She boasted
>"The work I've done for my people has made me a hero to them. But I can't expect 'everypony' to know what it means to serve their own in such a way."
>You and Mosina glance at each other, suppressing laughter
>"No, I suppose you can't." Mosina said dismissively, winking at you
>Mirage cocked an eyebrow, obviously confused by the comment
>"Yes...well...it's good that you understand then." She said, reluctantly accepting "victory"
>"There it is!" Hekesuh announced, pointing off down the street
>A somewhat unremarkable building, The Early Bird didn't stand out amongst it's neighbors, aside from it's flashing sign
>The brick construction and peeling paint reminded you of some of the older, lower class areas of your hometown
>But what was strange was the elaborate velvet rope enclosing a long, long line of waiting patrons, adorned in all sorts of odd stylings that seemed very out of place in such a conservative place as Hollow Shades
"So...do we just walk in?" You ask
>Hekesuh shrugged
>"That's what I always did. This line is new..."
>You approach the door and the doorman looks up at you
>"Woah there folks...nopony skips the line without being on the list." He says
"List?" You ask
>"Yeah, the list. And since you don't know about it, I'm guessing you ain't on it. So to the back of the line you go." He said, turning to allow the next patron in line through the rope
>You glance over at the line
>It stretched around the block, easily
>You'd be waiting for hours...
"Look, we really need to get inside. Can't you just let us in? It's important." You ask
>He exaggeratedly scratches his chin, as if considering your request
>"Nah. And you're starting to bug me. Scram already!"
"But we-"
>"Security!" 
>The doors swing open, and two large bouncers emerge
>"These guys makin' trouble for ya?" One of them asked while the other cracked his neck
>Aux squealed slightly before Hekesuh stuffed a hoof in his mouth
>Mosina jumped in front of you, smiling nervously
>"Now now, no need for all that, we were just leaving, right guys?" She said, looking directly at you
"Right...let's go everyone." You said
>You walked back across the street in defeat
"Well, now what?" You ask
>Hekesuh shrugged
>"That's never happened before...I guess we could wait in the line, right?"
>"You think we'd ever get in? That line is ridiculous!" Mosina said
>You racked your brain trying to think of something, anything
>At that moment, you realized something
"Where's Mirage?" You ask
>Only four of you stood there, where there had previously been five
>You frantically look around trying to spot her, before your eyes fall back on the door of The Early Bird
>She was chatting with the doorman, laughing
>You watched in awe as he opened the door, and she walked inside
>"Why that little-" Hekesuh growled as you marched back to the door
>Before you can open your mouth, the doorman stops you
>"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't realize that you folks were guests of Lady Mystique. She just walked in, feel free to join her!"
>Lady Mystique?
>What the hell was he talking about?
>The questions raced through your mind but you decided against asking them
"Yeah, thanks." You say, ushering the others through the door
>"And don't let it happen again!" Hekesuh chastised him as you walk by, earning a quick bonk on the head by Mosina
>As you stepped inside, your eyes were greeted by darkness, and at the same time, flashing lights out the wazoo
>The bass from some unseen DJ sent waves through your body
>All around you bat ponies danced and partied in the darkness
>You squinted in the darkness, your eyes struggling to adjust to the darkness as well as the flashing lights
>You feel a tug at your jacket
>"Where are we gonna find Mirage?" Mosina asked
>You stare toward the bar, and something catches your eye
>A single hoof, waving at you
>You squeeze your way through the dancers, moving toward the bar
>As the four of you emerge from the crowd, you're greeted by Mirage's cocky smile
>"So glad you could make it." She said
>You were still processing what had happened
"And just what did you tell that door guy to let you in here?" You asked
>She chuckled
>"While you were all getting tossed out of line, I managed to grab the doorman's guest list. Picked a convincing name and ran with it."
>"That simple, huh?" Hekesuh asked, skeptically
>"Well I had to let him know that I would be expecting some friends to be arriving a little fashionably late..."
>And you thought YOU were a master ruseman
>"So...how would you all like to share a drink with the deliciously devious Lady Mystique?" Mirage said with a wicked smile, taking a small sip from her glass
>You were beginning to think maybe it wasn't you who was pulling the strings here after all...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The five of you sat at the bar, sipping your drinks and waiting
>Waiting for what?
>Nobody was really sure
>Mirage was pretty much off in her own world, chatting with the bartender and other patrons
>Meanwhile, the rest of you just sat there uncomfortably
>Minutes turned into hours in the awkwardness
>Eventually, Mosina taps your shoulder
>You lean in to hear her over the music
>"How long are we going to wait?" She asks, pointing at the clock on the wall
"Until we find what we came for..." You say reluctantly, looking back over to Mirage, who had taken to flirting with a stallion who'd made his way up to try his luck
>You scowled as you watched the scene, turning back to Mosina
"IF we find what we came for..." 
>Just as you were beginning to lose hope, you see movement out of the corner of your eye
>Two ponies, clad in black leather emerged from the corner, approaching Mirage
>The stallion she'd been speaking to noticed, a look of fear in his eyes
>He scampered away as the two closed in
>You tried your best to look as casual and uninvolved as possible, Mosina and the others following suit
>Mirage seemed to be the only one without a stick up her ass
>"We thought you'd been captured." One of them said
>It begins...
>Mirage scoffed
>"Your lack of faith stings..." She said
>"Took you long enough to come find me anyway, I've been sitting here entertaining these wretches advances for far longer than I'd planned." 
>The two looked at each other sheepishly
>"We-we had to make sure it was safe." One of them said
>Mirage raised her eyebrow at them
>"Safe?" She asked
>"We had to be sure you weren't followed."
>Mirage suddenly turned very serious
>"Followed? FOLLOWED?!" She cried
>"What do you take me for? A buffoon? Incompetent? Who do you think you are?!"
>The two bat ponies cowered under Mirage's glare
>"N-no Mirage, ma'am..."
>She sighed and rolled her eyes
>"Now, did you just come here to waste my time or is Spell Bind around?"
>"Right this way!" They said
>They walked off toward the back, Mirage looking back and looking back to you. motioning to follow
>You nod to the others and slowly you all rise from your seats and try to follow Mirage as inconspicuously as possible, keeping your distance
>You're led toward the back of the club, and the two agents open a small door labeled "VIP"
>The bouncer moved aside and let them through
>As Mirage clears the door, you see her gasp and quickly be pulled aside, the door slamming shut and the bouncer taking his place back in front of it
"That's probably not good..." You say
>"What the hay was that?!" Mosina exclaimed
>"What are we gonna do now?!"
>You walk up to the bouncer
"Hey, open that door!" You say
>"Sorry, you' throw off the ratio. Beat it." He says
"Ratio? What ratio?!"
>"Mares to Colts. Don't want this to turn into a sausage fest with your two to one thing you got going on."
>You didn't have time for this...
>Mirage could be in trouble
>You reach for your holster when you feel Mosina's hoof on your hand
>You turn and see her shaking her head 
>She put on her flirtiest eyes she could and moved you aside
>"Nevermind him, he's new in town...what he meant to say was..." She said, moving closer to the bouncer
>"We'd REALLY appreciate it if you could let us see where the REAL fun is..." 
>"Sorry, no can do. Come back with another mare and maybe I'll think about it."
>Mosina frowned, but nodded and walked back toward the bar
>You stopped as a realization dawned on you
"Wait, did he say "two to one"?" You ask
>You looked around you noticed Hekesuh was not with you
>As you glanced back to the bar, you saw him sitting at his seat
>He noticed you as the three of you approached the bar again
>"Where did you guys go? I leave for the bathroom and then you all disappeared!" 
>So he wasn't with you when you talked to the bouncer
>"Bouncer blocked us out of the VIP section, Mirage is in there."
>Hekesuh looked confused
>"Blocked you out? Why?"
"Said we didn't have the right ratio, too many men to women." You said
"No idea where we're gonna find a mare to help us, we need to get in there NOW." 
>You noticed Mosina's eyes light up as her eyes locked on Hekesuh, causing him to shft uncomfortably
>"I think I have an idea..."
>15 minutes and a trip to the tailor down the street later...
>Mosina emerged from the bathroom, a proud look on her face
"Well?" You ask, anxious after waiting outside the door with Aux for so long
>"I present to you, HeSHEsuh!" She boasted, waiting for your response
>You and Aux could only look on in confusion
>She coughed, trying to break the awkward silence
>"My attempt at a pun...nevermind." She said, turning back to the door
>"Come on out!"
>Out of the bathroom came emerged an awkward, feminine frame draped in an ill fitted dress, smelling of perfume and make up
"Sweet baby Jesus..." You gasp as Hekesuh steps into full view
>"I...I'm not sure about this..." He said, his cheeks burning a fiery red
>Mosina patted him on the back
>"Don't worry Hekesuh, you look great! Doesn't he boys?" She asked, nodding to you
"Oh, yeah...totally!" You say, feigning enthusiasm
>Aux couldn't take his eyes off his friend, his mouth hanging agape
>Hekesuh noticed this and grimaced
>"Well it looks like this disguise is working on SOMEpony...AUX, it's still me, snap out of it!" 
>"S-sorry Hekesuh..." Aux stammered, averting his eyes
"Okay, enough time wasted, we need to go get through that door!" You said
>The four of you briskly made your way back to the bouncer guarding the VIP section
>He raised an eyebrow as you approached
>"I thought I told you to beat it." He grunted
"We've got a friend here, your ratio is fine." You said, motioning to Hekesuh, who was trying to put on the girliest face he could
>"The bouncer's jaw dropped when he saw him
>"Now THIS is more like it. Where'd you fellas dig up this gem? We could use more like her." He asked
>Mosina suddenly looked very offended
>"What about me?" She asked
>"Eh. It's the glasses." The bouncer said, turning and unlocking the door
>"You can go on in." 
>The four of you looked at each other in disbelief, before staggering forward through the door
>As he passes, Hekesuh feels a hoof slap on his flank and lets out a small yelp
>He turns to face the bouncer who hands him a small strip of paper with an address written on it
>"Feel free to stop by anytime...gorgeous." The bouncer said, with a wink
>Hekesuh put on the biggest smile he could muster and nodded, following the rest of you and making sure the door closed before letting out a shudder
>"Why does it always have to be me?!"
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The VIP section was like a much more...personal version of the general one
>Still dimly lit, still had music going, but there were far fewer patrons and they all seemed to know each other
>You scanned the area for Mirage, but couldn't see her
"We need to find Mirage, let's split up, we'll cover more ground." You whisper
>Mosina frowned
>"Are you sure that's a good idea?" She asked
>It probably wasn't the SAFEST idea you ever had, there was strength in numbers after all
>But you didn't have much time, and the four of you wandering around together would likely draw more attention than you needed
"Just trust me, okay?" You plead, knowing that time was ticking
>Reluctantly, Mosina nodded
>As you turned to leave, you felt her grab you and pull your face back to hers as she planted a forceful kiss on your lips
>You pull back in surprise as she releases you, trotting off into the room
>You watched as Aux and Hekesuh also went their separate ways before you too made your way in
>As you walked through the room, you could see out of the corner of your eyes the looks you were getting
>Nothing you weren't used to, Equestria as a whole still wasn't completely used to the idea of a human being around
>Bat country even more so
>But these weren't the usual stares of confusion or intrigue...
>They were...suspicious...
>As if they knew you didn't belong here
>Still, nobody attempted to stop you as you made your way through the club
>You all searched high and low, but there was no sign, no clue of where the agents had gone
>Not only that, but you were beginning to feel those drinks you'd had running through you
>You darted around, looking for the bathroom as quickly as you could, knowing that the time was near
>In a stroke of luck, you spot it, the two doors; one with a silhouette of a stallion, the other of a mare
>You burst through the door, going from stall to stall, knocking on the doors
>"Occupied."
>"Keep movin' buddy."
>"Anyone have any toilet paper?"
>All the way down the line this continued until you reached the final stall...
>...Which bore an "Out of Order" sign
>Fuck it, this was an emergency
>You flung open the stall and stepped inside
>As waves of relief poured over you, you studied the stall around you
>It looked spotless, if it was out of order the management sure did their part to make sure it was still presentable
>When you'd concluded your business, you sighed
>You and your companions had searched just about everywhere, with no sign of Mirage or the agents that had taken her
>As you thought of where next to look you absent mindedly reached for the handle to flush
>*Click*
"Uh oh..."
>The floor swings out from beneath you and you feel yourself sliding down a steep, winding slope in the dark
>You tried to slow your descent, but to no avail
>Suddenly, you feel yourself falling straight down, and hit the cold stone ground
>You lay there for a moment trying to recover when you begin to hear whispers
>You raise your head and squint in the torch lit darkness, and are met with the stares of dozens of bat ponies dressed in all sorts of strange, exotic looking clothes
>The silent stare-off continued for what seemed like ages
"Uh, hi?" You said
>"Get him!" One of them cried 
>Shit
>You hopped to your feet and took off down the only hallway you could see
>The sound of hooves grew louder behind you
>They were going to catch you if you didn't do something fast
>The echoing sound of hoofbeats grew louder...
>Then it hit you
>Compact, enclosed area
>Sound sensitive hostiles
>You knew what you had to do
>Quickly drawing one of your flintlock pistols, you turned around, and fired
>You were pretty sure you missed, but in that moment, it was the last thing on your mind
>The deafening ringing in your ears, and fog and smell of black powder overwhelmed the senses
>You struggled to regain you balance, but saw that your pursuers were having an even harder time
>They clutched their ears and shrieked, stumbling to the ground and over each other
>You thanked your "inferior" senses as you recovered and continued off down the hall
>The winding corridors provided a perfect maze to lose the crowd in, but at the same time you had no idea where you were
>Soon the sound of the hooves grew faint, almost non-existent
>Normally, that would be good news, but you were now completely lost in the barely lit tunnels
>You walked slowly, listening for any sign of life in the dark
>There were doors, but you dared not open them and alert whoever might be inside
>You stopped at yet another fork in the corridors, exhausted
>As you sat catching your breath, you heard something that suddenly felt the hairs stick up on the back of your neck
>Voices
>Coming from all directions
"Shit..." You muttered to yourself
>If you were captured, the others might never find you...
>Or worse, come looking for you themselves and suffer the same fate
>The voices were drawing closer, you had to do something
>Your eyes darted around, looking for a way out
>There was only one door across from you, and it was either that or face whatever was converging on you
>As quietly as you could, you opened the door and ducked inside
>The light from the torches in the hall danced under the crack of the door, the only light in this room
>With your ear up against the door, you closed your eyes listened for the voices
>And you heard one...being you
>"Fancy seeing you here." 
>You almost jumped out of your skin, yanking your second pistol from it's holster and pointing it at your room's co-occupant 
>With a giggle, Mirage closes in and pushes the pistol down
>"Anon, you really shouldn't be so jumpy with those, you might hurt somepony." 
"M-Mirage? How did you-" 
>She put a hoof up to your lips to silence you, her blue eyes glimmering from the firelight pouring under the door
>Outside, the sound of dozens of hooves passed, stopping in front of the door
>"Any luck? Did you find the intruder?"
>"Not yet. He used some sort of smoke screen device and we lost him..."
>"A smoke screen?"
>"...A really loud smoke screen."
>"I can't believe we lost them! Spell Bind is gonna be furious when he finds out..."
>"I know, first the prisoner escaped, now some random monkey is running around in the compound? Nopony had better say a word until we have them both."
>You look into Mirage's eyes, but she was still intensely watching the door
>"There's no way they're getting out of here, no outsider can navigate these tunnels."
>"Maybe, but we can't have them running around either. Maybe we should try putting a few ponies at checkpoints, limit their movement."
>"Brilliant! Now why don't you stay here and wait for them to come by, shout if you see anything."
>"Wait, what?! Your'e gonna leave me here by myself?!" 
>"Relax, you have your map. We're in sector B12. We won't be more than a minute away. We've got faith in you, initiate."
>The sound of the other hooves rushing down the halls grew faint, and only one pair remained outside the door
>"Rats..." The voice grumbled
>Mirage looked at you, putting a hoof to her lips in a "shh" motion
>You watched as she, with unnatural silence opens the door
>A lone pony stood at the fork in the path, facing away from the two of you
>Mirage crept closer and closer
>He failed to notice as she stood, and with a lightning fast motion grabbed his head, muffling his cries
>In moments, they became weaker, and she laid him down onto the floor, before waving you over
>Snapping out of your trance, you slink into the hall
"What the hell was that?" You whisper
>Mirage looks at you like you're stupid or something
>"That," She replied
>"was too easy."
"Is he...?" You ask looking at his motionless body
>Mirage shook her head
>"Sleeper hold. He'll wake up fine in a while, hopefully not before you stop asking questions and help me so we can leave." She said, impatiently
>She began taking his ornate robes and dressing herself
>"A little loose fit is good, they shouldn't recognize me in this." She said, flipping up the hood, obscuring her face
>"Drag him into the room, nothing says "blown cover" like an unconscious guard in the hallway." She says as she begins looking at the map she picked off the guard
>You look at her incredulously
"Why me? You're the one who knocked him out."
>At this, she flips her hood back and raises an eyebrow at you
>"Yes, and now you're doing your part by disposing of the evidence. What sort of gentlecolt asks the lady to do ALL the work?" 
>Your eye twitched
>Maybe you would have been better off getting captured after all...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Mirage seemed to flow through the corridors with ease, barely making a sound
>Try as you did, you found yourself falling behind often, much to her annoyance
>Finally, she stopped at another turn to check the map of the complex, allowing you to catch your breath
"Where are we going?" You whispered
>"Spell Bind keeps a journal, it should be in his office." She said, slinking around the corner
"So?" You ask
>Mirage sighed
>"So, he writes down EVERYTHING in that journal. If you want to get to the bottom of this, that's going to be a goldmine of information."
>Suddenly she stopped, grabbing you and pulling you against the wall with her
"What the-" You began, before she cut you off with a hoof to your mouth
>"Shhh..."
>You stood against the wall for a few moments, when two guards unknowingly walked past you, heading down another way
>After a few moments, Mirage released you and started back down the hall again
>"His chambers are close. Strange that it isn't more heavily guarded..." 
"You sound almost disappointed." You say
>Mirage sighs
>"Disappointed, no. Concerned is more appropriate."
>You shrug
"Less guards just means more safety to me."
>"Or a trap." She says
>You roll your eyes
"Can't just let me do a little wishful thinking?"
>Mirage gave you a snarky grin
>"Nope!"
>She stopped abruptly, causing you to almost fall over her
>"And here we are..."
>You look at your surroundings
>Just more dank, dingy corridors
"Uh...are you sure?"
>Mirage began rubbing the wall with her hooves, ignoring you
"Maybe I should take a look at the map?"
>"No, no I got it." She said reassuringly, still feeling along the wall intensively
>You watched her curiously as she continued walking up and down, just feeling it out
>It was starting to get a little weird into the fifth minute or so
"Maybe I should take a look at the map again..." you said, reaching for the scroll
>Suddenly with a stony clunk, one of the bricks pressed into the wall under her hoof
>"No need." She said, a smile on her face
>The wall began sliding downward into the floor, revealing a door behind it, which Mirage threw open uncharacteristically brutishly
"So much for the stealthy approach..."
>"Do you want to spend even longer in this dump? I don't." Mirage said as she pushed the door open
>With a quick pick inside, she took off inside
>You followed her in, greeted by the sight of a, relative to the corridors outside, very nice office
>The room was illuminated by a fireplace, and torches along the walls
>The floor, hardwood with a elegant, exotic rug covering it, book cases lining the walls around a large desk
>This Spell Bind had taste, it seemed
>Mirage began rifling through the drawers of the desk, throwing aside useless bits in her tunnel-visioned search
>You watched as she practically tore it apart right before your eyes
>Behind you, you began to hear hooves on stone a bit of a distance away
"Mirage..." You whispered, trying to warn her
>"Where is it...where is it?" 
"Mirage, I hear someone coming!"
>"Its gotta be in here somewhere..."
>The sound was getting closer
"Mirage!"
>"AHA!"
>Mirage leaped in the air, holding up a leather bound book in her hoof with a triumphant smile
>"They're in my chambers, stop them!"
>Her smile quickly faded
>The two of you bolted from the room, only to be welcomed by a crowd bearing down on you
>"This way!" Mirage said, yanking your hand as she took off in the opposite direction
>You could barely keep up with her as she zipped around corners at lightning speed
"Where are we going?!"
>"Our only way out! The sewer!"
>Just when you thought things couldn't get any shittier...
>Moments later, The two of you ran into a dead end
"Oh that's just great! Nice escape plan you had there..."
>Mirage snarled at you, her eyes darting around 
>"There!" She cried, pointing toward a grate on the floor
>In an instant, you bent over the grate trying to pull on it
>It wasn't bolted down, but it was incredibly heavy
>You strained, but couldn't manage to lift it
"I can't...too heavy..." You panted
>"Anon, we've got about 30 seconds before those ponies catch up with us, you need to move that grate and-"
>Suddenly, a flash of light, and Mirage fell silent, falling to the floor
"Mirage!" You cry, stumbling over to check on her before two more flashes zip by you
>"Stop them! Don't let them into the sewers!"
>They would be on top of you in moments...
>You put on your game face, and stepped back over the grate
>Taking a firm grip on the grate
>With all your strength, you lift
>You lift so hard, your gains grew three sizes that day
>And with a pop, the grate comes off
>Tossing it aside, you wince as several ore flashes pass you
>"STOP THEM!"
>You lift Mirage, cradling her in your arms and turn back to the now exposed man-hole
>It was dark, so you couldn't tell how far down it went
>But as the pounding of hooves sounding only meters away rang in your ears, you saw no other way
>With a deep breath, you close your eyes and step forward, feeling your feet meet only air, and gravity pull you down
>And down...
>With a splash you hit the wet, drippy, grime covered bottom
>Luckily, the muck broke your fall
>It almost made up for how hard it was assaulting your nostrils
>As you looked around, you found that the sewer was pretty spacious, enough for you to stand at least
>You looked at the unconscious batpony in your arms, she hadn't been roused by the fall
>Up above, you could hear the voices of your would-be captors
>"You go down there..."
>"No you..."
"Now what..." You say to yourself
>If this sewer was anything like those back home, it was a labyrinth of filth, and quite possibly alligators
>How were you supposed to find your way out without your guide?
>You stood, and tried to take a step, but found your foot stuck in the muck cushion you'd landed in
>You struggled to pull your foot out, and freed it
>Unfortunately, the muck claimed your shoe in the process
"Great..." You mutter to yourself, looking at your exposed foot
>Your eyes go wide as you finally notice the water beneath you
>It was flowing
>And if water's flowing, it's being deposited somewhere
>Wherever that was, you knew it was where you needed to be
>You take off, following the water, braving the stench, following every twist and turn in blind faith
>You ran as fast as your legs would carry you, barely thinking as you round the corners
>Faster, and faster you go, so much that you don't notice when the pipe suddenly dropped into an incline
>You feel your feet slip out from beneath you and yelp as your ass meets ground
>It's like a waterpark slide as you close your eyes and feel yourself being thrown around, doing your best to shield Mirage from it all
>Suddenly, weightlessness, and then impact with grassy ground...
>You lay still, recovering before opening your eyes and seeing a starry night sky above you
>In that moment, it was the most beautiful sight you'd ever seen
>You turn your head to see your exit, the sewer pipe jutting out from the side of a rocky slope
>You sit up, realizing Mirage was no longer in your arms
"Shit!" You shout, looking around for her
>She lay a few meters away on her side
>You crawled over to her and flipped her to her back, shaking her
"Mirage, Mirage you've gotta wake up..." You say
>She lays motionless, and you feel a sense of dread
>Whatever that magic was did a number on her, and now here you were, stuck in the middle of nowhere with your only guide out of commission
>You sigh, looking her over
>Her mane was a mess, laying all over the ground, and her coat was dirty from your slide through the sewer pipe
>What amazed you, however, was that she hadn't dropped the journal during the whole ordeal
>Reach to pull it from her grasp
>You might as well see for yourself what you'd gone through all this trouble for
>When you touch the cover, you jump as Mirage suddenly seems to stir a bit
>She opened her eyes, the moonlight reflecting off of them like mirrors
>"A-Anon? Where...where are we?"
>Well, at least she was alive
"I was actually hoping you could tell me, that sewer pipe just dumped us both out...I figured you'd know where it went." You say
>Suddenly, Mirage chuckles weakly
>You both almost died, and she's laughing
"What's so funny?" You ask
>"The slide...was fun...wasn't it?" She asked, giving you a mischievous smile
>It took everything you had to not put her back into her coma right there
"So fun I hope I never spoil the memory by doing it again."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>"Wait, wait, wait...tell me again. You fell through the TOILET?" Mosina asked, still not able to process what you told her
"That's the part that concerns you the most? Not the whole, you know, I almost died thing?" 
>She sighed and looked at you with guilt in her eyes
>"I'm sorry Anon, I just can't believe I almost lost you...I should have never let you wander off by yourself and-"
>You put an aching finger up to her lips, shushing her
"I'm here now...relax."
>She smiled a worried smile and took your hand in her hoof
>"Never again, I promise." She said
>You returned her smile, before a cough forced it's way out of your lungs
>"You poor thing, all night out in the wilderness really did a number on you. Thank Luna that you stumbled across a patrol when you did or who knows what would have happened!"
"I couldn't have done it without Mirage, she was doing most of the navigating. Without her I probably wouldn't have made it out of the compound at all."
>Mosina suddenly frowned
>"Yes, well, good for her. But if she hadn't managed to get herself caught you wouldn't have been down there at all."
>There was a sting in her tone that told you in no uncertain terms that she held Mirage responsible for your ordeal
"Mosina, you can't blame Mirage for what happened. She was only doing what we asked her to do."
>"We never asked her to get taken prisoner, or to put you in danger." Mosina grumbled
"You know that wasn't her fault." 
>"Why are you defending her so much? She's only helping us to save herself-"
>"Mosina! I need your help with Summerset's dress!"
>She groaned
>"Coming, mom!" She called back, turning back to you
>"We'll continue this later." She said
"I can't wait." You reply with a cheeky grin
>Mosina rolled her eyes, giving you a quick smooch on the forehead before heading out the door of your room
>You closed your eyes and laid your head back, trying to clear your mind of all the thoughts twirling around like a stress tornado
>The previous night really HAD taken it's toll on you, leaving you aching and exhausted even hours later
>And yet, you felt oddly...satisfied
>Like you'd accomplished something
>Your life in Ponyville with Mosina and Flik was comforting, and enjoyable, no doubt
>But it had become...predictable
>You would often catch yourself daydreaming at work about adventures past, comparing it to your current situation
>It wasn't that your current work wasn't challenging enough, it often tested you in many different ways
>But when you think about the travels you'd been on, you always wondered "what if?", reflecting on mistakes you'd made, and those lost along the way
>Mosina's book had given you an image of an adventurer, and your association with the princesses elevated you to minor celebrity
>Even so, you still didn't feel like you'd earned such titles
>You knew you could be a pencil pusher...but what would it take to prove to yourself that you could be something more?
>As you sat in your head, you heard small hoofsteps approaching in the hallway
>"Uncle Anon?"
>You popped an eye open, lifting your head up to see Radom standing in the doorway
"Need something Radom?" You ask, sitting up in your bed
>"Papa asked me to bring you this when you woke up, but I didn't want to bother you and Aunt Mosina." He said, stepping into the room, a small note in hoof
>He approached the bed and you took the note
>"Park. Noon. Bring the others."
>You flipped the note around, looking for anything else that might be written
"I'm guessing he didn't tell you what this is about, right?"
>Radom shook his head
>"No, sir. He just came over to say hi to me and to drop off the note. He didn't even tell grandma or grandpa he was here."
>Strange, why would he do that?
"Your dad's not the most sociable pony I've ever met, that's for sure." You say, leaning back against the headboard
>Radom frowned a bit, looking down at the floor
>You notice this, and worry that you might have hurt his feelings
>Not having your dad around couldn't be easy...
"...But he's a really good guy! Good man, err...pony."
>Radom's face brightened a bit, bringing a smile to his face
>Almost immediately he began scanning you with his eyes, curiously
>"What are you still doing in bed anyway? It's midnight!"
>You hesitated, not sure just how much you could, or rather SHOULD tell a young colt about what you and the others had been up to
"I had a really rough night...we all did." You say
>"Why?" He asked
"Because your Aunt Mosina and I had to do some work for your dad, and things got a little hectic."
>"Why?"
>Oh boy, this game
"Because there are ponies out there who felt like making our jobs a lot more difficult than they had to be, me in particular."
>"Why?"
"Because they're not nice."
>"Well that's mean. Why wouldn't they be nice to you and Aunt Mosina?"
>You shrug, giving Radom a helpless look
"Some ponies are just like that. They want something different than you and so they decide not to play nicely."
>Radom seems to think for a moment, reflecting on what you said
>"They sound like bullies. There are bullies back at school in Canterlot too. The bigger colts and fillies always pick on the rest of us."
>You couldn't help but chuckle
>Even in a land full of magic talking ponies, you always found something that reminded you of how similar Equestria could be to Earth
"They're not picking on you in particular are they?"
>Radom scratched his head
>"No...well, kind of. I'm the only bat pony there aside from Smoky Sky and she's a year ahead of me so we barely see each other."
"Ah, you're the token bat."
>Radom raised an eyebrow at you
>"The what?"
"Nothing, forget about it. It's a human term." You said, thinking of how to change the subject
"Are you excited for the wedding?"
>Radom nodded his head
>"Yes sir, it's going to be great! Uncle Trotsky is really excited, so are grandma and grandpa. I like seeing everypony so happy. And Summerset is really nice too!"
"Summerset?"
>"Uncle Trotsky's wife! Well, soon to be wife I guess." 
>You then realized you hadn't really been introduced to the bride to be yet
>Not that it was your fault, what with Glasnost keeping you and the others busy like he was
"Well that's good. I'm happy for Trotsky." You said
>Radom nodded again, then opened his mouth to speak, before stopping himself
>You noticed the quick change, and looked at him quizzically
"Something on your mind?" You ask
>"Well, I was just wondering..." 
>Getting little kids to just say something was like pulling teeth
"Wondering what?"
>"Well...Uncle Trotsky and Summerset have been together for as long as I can remember, and you and Aunt Mosina have been together for a long time too she said..."
>Uh oh
>"So I guess I was just wondering if you and Aunt Mosina were ever going to get married too?"
>Your face felt like it was on fire in an instant
>"Radom!" Mosina called from the doorway, causing both you and Radom to jump in surprise
>She'd somehow snuck up the stairs without the two of you noticing
>"That's not something you just ask somepony! It's a very private thing!" 
>"Sorry Aunt Mosina..." Radom said
"Ah, don't bite his head off over it, it's no big deal."
>"Yes, well you need your rest, not to be playing 20 Questions." She said
>She turned her gaze to Radom
>"Lunch is ready kiddo, it's waiting downstairs."
>Radom's stomach growled audibly, almost like it was assuming direct control in response to the news
>"Okay..." He said
"Thanks for bringing me the note, Radom." You said as he trotted out the door
>"You're welcome!" He called back as he descended the steps
>Mosina watched to make sure he was out of sight
>"He's something huh?" She asked, trotting back over to you
"He's a good kid." You said, folding up the note and putting it on the night stand
>"What's that?" She asked, noticing
>You wave your hand
"Ah nothing, just a note from your brother, I'll explain later. I'm feeling  little hungry too. Think you could bring me up some of whatever's down there?"
>Mosina backed up, and kicked the door closed, locking it
>"I think I've got a better idea." She said, slowly sauntering toward you
"W-what?" You ask
>She climbs up onto the bed, sitting on top of you and leaning in close
>Before you can react, she dives in, and begins assaulting your mouth relentlessly before pulling away
>"How about skipping the meal, and going straight to desert?"
>You sat there, slightly stunned and nodding like an idiot
>Mosina giggles
>"That's what I thought." She said as she leaned over, and flicked off the light
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>"Far be it from me to complain, but couldn't this meeting have been...I don't know, when I'm NOT supposed to be asleep?" Hekesuh said, yawning as he struggled to keep his eyes open
>You shrugged apologetically
"Glasnost's note said noon. I'd have let you sleep but he said to bring everyone." 
>"Yeah well, as soon as we're done here I'm going back to bed." He grumbled
>You could empathize with him, getting up early wasn't really your thing either
>Sometimes living with Mosina and her unusual sleeping patterns made you forget that being awake during the day was out of the norm for bat ponies
>She sat next to you, looking around
>The sun hang high in the sky, and the park was empty except for the four of you
>It had to be almost noon, but still there was no sign of Glasnost
>You squat down beside Mosina, resting your legs
"Any ideas?" You ask
>She shakes her head
>"I don't understand...Glasnost is ALWAYS on time...something's not right."
>A gentle breeze blew through the town, the only sound the rustling of the leaves in the trees
>The four of you stood in the park, and the sun slowly crept across the sky, heading west
>Hekesuh was getting visibly irritated by the lack of progress
>Eventually, his patience wears thin
>"Well, as fun as the prospect of standing out here all day is, I'm exhausted. I'm going home, see you all later." He said, starting to walk away
>"Hekesuh, just stay, it probably won't be too much longer...I hope." Aux said uncertainly
>"It's been at over an hour Aux, we're wasting our time. I'm leaving." Hekesuh called back
>As he approached the arch at the park exit, he suddenly stopped and recoiled, as if he'd walked into a wall
>"Ow! Hey, what gives?" He said, rubbed his nose with his hoof
>He poked at the air in front of him, his hoof contacting a solid wall, where there was seemingly nothing
>Ripples streamed out from his touch
>"Uh...guys, I think we have a problem here..."
>Suddenly you catch movement out of the corner of your eye
>You turn to face it but are met with nothing
>Hekesuh quickly rushes back to the three of you, looking around wildly
>You strain your eyes and begin to see more movement in the air
>There was no distinguishable form, but you could see areas distorted as...something moved about
>As if the light was being reflected off an invisible object
>The four of you press your backs against each other, forming a tight circle
>"What the hay is this?!" Aux cried
>"I don't know...Anon?" Mosina asked
>You didn't respond
>You were seeing more and more movement, but attached to no enemy
>"I hope you weren't intending on leaving so soon..." A disembodied voice said
>And just like that, the air seemingly peeled away before you, revealing the speaker
>A tall, elegant looking unicorn stood before you, his eyes locked with yours
>"It would rude to skip our meeting."
>Behind him, others began to shed their magic disguises, their invisibility peeling away, revealing the bat ponies from the compound
"Spell Bind, I presume?" You ask, trying to maintain your composure as their numbers grew around you
>The unicorn grinned
>"Ah, so the thief DOES know who he decided to steal from. That will make punishing you just a bit easier on my conscience." He said
>More bats were appearing all around you, numbering nearly a hundred
>You couldn't see any route of escape, so maybe it would be better to stall for time
"A kidnapper talking down to a thief? That's new." 
>Spell Bind growled
>"You fool, you don't know what you've gotten yourself into. This is the beginning of a new age for Equestria, not that you'll be around very long to see it."
>You had to keep him talking, Glasnost had to be coming soon
>He and the guards would get you out of this...they had to
>"You're wrong Spell Bind, your plans will fail, we already know exactly where you took those foals, and it's only a matter of time before we're on your doorstep!" Mosina said defiantly
>Spell Bind just laughed
>"Is that so? And just who's going to stop me? You? Your Night Guards? I don't think you know just how deep this rabbit hole goes."
>A chill shot down your spine
>What was THAT supposed to mean?
>Could there be a traitor in your midst?s! 
>"Perhaps, you would have been wise to choose your friends more carefully." Spell Bind hissed
>You looked to Aux and Hekesuh, who were quivering in fear
>"It wasn't us! We'd never betray Hollow Shades!" Hekesuh pleaded
"You're lying!" You shouted at Spell Bind
>Spell Bind simply smiled
>"See for yourself." He said, lifting a hoof toward the arch
>You turn and see a few Night Guards walking in, taking positions lining the entrance
"No..." You mutter
>Through the archway, an imposing cloaked figure stepped in between the rows of Guards, it's ornate iron mask gleaming in the sunlight
>He strode forward, taking his place next to Spell Bind, handing him his journal
>"It can't be..." Mosina said, her voice quivering
>The figure removed his mask, silently
>"The good Count and I may not always see eye to eye, but he's certainly done me a great service by turning over the thieves who stole my journal
>"Most of them." Glasnost said
>"The other managed to escape."
>Spell Bind waved a hoof
>"Inconsequential. She's merely a lowly thief now. Nopony of worth would listen to her even if she tried to tell of our plans."
>"My other guards have already been ordered to recapture her. They believe she's just a fugitive." Glasnost replied
>You couldn't believe what you were hearing
>Glasnost had betrayed you
>Not only you, but his own sister, his own family
>And now he was hunting down Mirage as well
>Mosina stared straight at Glasnost, opening her mouth to speak but no words could push past the lump in her throat
>Glasnost noticed this
<"Why...?" She croaked
>"That Count knows true power, and where his true loyalties lay." Spell Bind said
>Glasnost stared at her for a moment, before his gaze fell to the ground
>"But we've wasted enough time chatting, it's time for you all to take a nap." Spell Bind announced, his horn beginning to glow
>You began to feel faint, and the corners of your vision began to darken
>The blackness spread until finally the only thing left in your sight, was the pony who had betrayed you, watching as you fell to the ground
>And then, nothing
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The moonlight poured through the barred window at the end of the hall
>It was agonizingly close, yet so far away as it barely leaked into your cell, only illuminating the slimmest strip just at the very bars that held you in here
>You had no recollection of what had happened after Spell Bind's magic knocked you out
>All you remembered was waking up about an hour ago in this cell, alone
>The sound of a dripping leak somewhere unseen sounded over and over again in a maddening rhythm, like the sound of a clock in a silent room
>You sat against the wall, wondering how this could have happened as you stared down at the floor
>Glasnost had betrayed all of you
>It was because of him that you, Mosina and your friends were sitting in prison
>At least, you assumed that's what happened to them
>You didn't want to think about the other possibilities...
>Mirage was on the run, and nobody else could have any idea where you all were
>You were alone in this room, and as far as you knew, that's how it would remain
>...You knew you had to get out
>A search for any sort of way out proved to be in vain
>The door to your cell was locked shut, and the bars far too sturdy to give way
>You ran your hand along the cold, damp walls
>If a toilet could be a hidden trigger, who knows?
>As you felt up the wall, you froze as the heavy wooden door to your room opened, and abruptly shut
>"Hello Anonymous." Glasnost said, his voice formal, and monotonous
>"Are you looking for something?"
>You dropped your hands to your sides
"I have nothing to say to you." You say, not turning to face him
>"I didn't expect you to." He said, followed by a sigh
>"I wanted to let you know that Mosina and your friends are safe in their own cells." He said
>The weight on your shoulders lifted momentarily, knowing that they were all alive at the very least
>"I assumed that you would be worried about them." He continued, waiting for a response
>You couldn't say anything, as much as you wanted to
>Every fiber of your being wanted to ask him, demand of him an explanation for what he'd done
>But you didn't think that he deserved the interaction
>He'd betrayed you, and that was what was important
>And yet...
>"Well, I'll leave you be." He said, turning to leave
"Why?" You asked, causing him to stop in his tracks
>"What was that?" He asked
>You turned to him, approaching the count who stood just beyond the bars of your cell
"Why did you do this?" You demanded
>"Anonymous, there are things that you don't understand...if you-"
"Oh, I understand. I understand that you threw us under the bus for your little friends, and doomed Hollow Shades' children."
>"Anon it's not what-"
>You pulled away from the bars, receding into the dark of your cell
"Whatever. I don't even know why I bothered to ask. You're not going to admit to anything." You said, sitting down back in your corner
>Glasnost gazed into the depths of your cell
>"Do you know where we are, Anon?" He asked
>You throw your arms up
"I haven't been able to ascertain that from my lovely view in here."
>"This is Darkmoon Castle. It stands as a monument to a forgotten age." He said
>You didn't acknowledge him
>"It belonged to a great king, in the time before the rule of the Royal Sisters. The king was beloved by his subjects, and was guided by his wise court wizard, and protected by his noblest knight." He continued
>"For many years, the kingdom flourished under this rule. Despite this, many of the king's other advisers warned him of relying too much on the wizard. Our people have always been wary of magic users...it was no different back then. After years of servitude, the wizard grew arrogant, relishing in his power by proxy of the king. He decided that he didn't need the king, that he should sit on the throne."
"Is there a point to this?" You asked
>Glasnost sighed
>"The wizard couldn't directly attempt to depose the king, the noble knight would stop him, and he knew it. So he developed a spell with his sorcery, designed to drain the life of a target slowly, killing them by sapping their life force over time. The king's health suffered, and nopony could figure out why, except for the knight. He knew that the wizard was behind the failing health of the king, and confronted him about it. The wizard lashed out, and attempted to attack the knight, who slew him. But it was too late, the king's died soon after, and the kingdom collapsed." Glasnost finished
"That was a nice history lesson, but I don't see what that has to do with all this." You said
>"Eight years ago I was sent here, along with a large detachment of Night Guards to rid it of a dragon that had taken up residence and terrorizing the countryside. The mission was successful, but not without a heavy cost."
>Glasnost suddenly looked very sad
>"My entire detachment was wiped out, leaving only myself remaining, clinging to life after defeating the dragon. Just as I felt life beginning to slip away...a voice called out to me. It offered to spare my life, for a price..."
>"When the knight killed the wizard, his spell preserved his spirit. It allowed him to continue to exist on this plane, waiting for the right time to return. In return for mending my broken body, I would serve him, feeding him using the life drain technique to preserve him. I had my wife and a baby Radom at home...I had no choice but to agree."
>So he did it to buy more time with his family...
>"I never intended to help him. And when I got home, I rejected the requests he made of me. But he wasn't to be cheated..."
>Glasnost took a deep breath
>"My family told you what happened to my dear wife, did they not?" 
>You nodded
"Flying accident, yeah?"
>Glasnost shook his head
>"So it seemed. The curse had been siphoning her life force since I'd returned home, unwillingly killing her to feed the wizard's spirit. In her weakened state, she simply passed out while performing her weather duties, nopony any the wiser..."
>The two of you stood in silence for a few moments, before he went on
>"I knew then that Radom would be next, and so I sent him far away, so that I could not hurt him. I isolated myself, so that my family would not suffer further for my mistake. Since then, I've done the bidding of the evil spirit, to protect the ones I love from suffering as she did."
"Is there anything you can do to break the curse?" You asked
>Glasnost shook his head
>"If there is, it is not easily done, if possible at all. Spell Bind and I are the dark spirit's link to this world, and he would not sacrifice it so easily. The only way to destroy him is to sever the links. I could not take this action myself, he would know if I killed Spell Bind, and I can not contact the spirit directly unless it's on his terms."
"So you used us to draw him out of hiding..."
>"I used you to help find a way to end this threat, once and for all."
>Suddenly it all made sense
>Glasnost reached into one of the pouches on his armor, pulling out a small object and tossing it into your cell
>"Don't get too comfortable, I'll be expecting you and the others in the throne room within the hour."
"Wait, what do you-" You began asking, before he slipped out the door, leaving you alone again
>You approached the object, picking it up off the floor
>Your wedding gift...
>The silver cube felt warm to the touch...odd
>He must have taken off you after you passed out
>Suddenly, the door crept open again
>"Anon, you in here?" A familiar voice whispered
>You couldn't believe your ears
"Mirage?"
>She emerged from the doorway and immediately made eye contact with you as she entered the room
>"Good, you're here. We don't have much time!"
>She immediately began fiddling with the lock on your cell door
"How did you get here?" You asked, still shocked at this turn of events
>"I followed you and the others, I'll explain later, I need to get you and your friends out of here now."
>You watched how frantically she worked, desperately trying to free you
"Why did you come back? Glasnost said you'd escaped..."
>With a click, the lock fell off of your door
>"I owed you one..." Mirage said, pulling your door open
>"I don't like debts."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Mirage poked her head out the door first, scanning the hallway outside your cell
>"It's clear." She said, creeping out the door
>You followed her as she started up a nearby spiral staircase
>Apparently you were in some sort of tower
>The stone steps and walls reminded you of your unpleasant experience in the compound, though in comparison to that dingy place, the halls of this castle were immaculate
>Arrowslits in the walls let the cold night air whisk through the staircase, sending a chill through your body
>Mirage seems undaunted as she continues her rapid ascent
"Are you sure the others are up here?" You whisper
>"Positive, every other room in here is a cell. They've got to be here somewhere."
"...How long have you been in the castle?"
>She snickered
>"As long as you. Except I've been awake the whole time."
"Magic, give me a break." 
>She stops suddenly, almost causing you to run over her
"Why are we stopping?" 
>She shushes you, pointing to the door beside you
>"Listen..." 
>You strain your ears, listening for whatever sound she was trying to get you to notice
>On the other side you could hear a quiet sobbing
>You and Mirage looked at each other
"The boys." You say
>She smiles and nods, pushing the door open ever so slightly
>She looks inside, and slowly closes the door again
>"Sleeping guard inside..." She said
>Great.
"So what do we do?" You ask
>Mirage smiled
>"Wait here." She said, slinking back into the room
>You wait for a few moments, and then hear some muffled gasps, and the sound of a mild struggle
>And then, silence
>The door swings open once again and Mirage stands there, dressed in full guard garb
>"Does this armor make me look fat?" She asks sarcastically, doing a quick spin to show you her new outfit
>You roll your eyes, pushing back into the room
>You see the guard passed out on the floor, stripped
>The sobbing seems to have continued, despite the rescue
>"Anon! You're alive!"  Hekesuh's voice calls from the darkness of the cell
>Mirage scoffed
>"Really? I just saved you and you're more excited about seeing him?"
>"Well excuse me for worrying about my friend, we didn't see YOU get zapped by some evil magic." Hekesuh said defensively
>Mirage cocked her eyebrow at you
>"Can we leave this one?" She asked pleadingly
>"HEY!" Hekesuh cried
"Would both of you knock it off? We need to find Mosina." You say
>"Fine, give me a moment." Mirage sighed, taking the key ring off the guard and opening the door
>Hekesuh came swooping out of the cell, Aux walking sheepishly behind him
"What are we gonna do about him?" You ask, pointing toward the unconscious guard
>Mirage thought for a moment
>"Toss him in the cell, boys."
>After a brief minute of struggle to lift the much larger guard, Hekesuh and Aux managed to finally lift him into the cell, Mirage locking the door
"We should get moving." You say, making your way to the door
>"You got it, I need to get as far away from this room as possible." Hekesuh said
>The two of you step out into the hall, followed closely by Aux and Mirage
>"T-thanks for saving us Mirage..." Aux mumbled
>Mirage grinned a cocky grin
>"Thank you for lifting that brute into the cell." 
>"You're such a strong pony when you want to be..." She said, giving Aux a quick slap on the flank, causing him to let out a little yelp
>Mirage chuckled
>"Adorable." She said, trotting out the door to meet you and Hekesuh, leaving Aux practically with his face on fire
>The four of you continued to climb the tower, searching room by room looking for Mosina
>To your dismay, room after room turned up empty
>The constant threat of someone coming down the stairs made the tension even worse
>As room after room yielded no results, your patience began to wear thin
"What if they didn't take her here? We're wasting time!"
>Mirage frowned
>"I watched them bring you all here, there's nowhere to go but up."
"Yeah well unless this tower pierces the goddamn stratosphere we should have been there by n-"
>Suddenly you fall down on your face, overstepping in anticipation of a step that wasn't there
>The wind is force out of you as the ponies behind you trip and fall on top of you
>"Aux, get your flank out my face!" Hekesuh cried, trying to get himself untangled
>As you free yourself from the pile, you dust off and look around, observing what you'd stumbled upon
>The staircase had given way to a large, open circular room, pillars supporting the roof while exposing the world outside
>Seems that your stratosphere estimate wasn't exactly true, but you were still uncomfortably high up
>And then you saw her
>At the far end of the room was Mosina, chained to two pillars and flanked by two imposing stone statues that seemed remarkably...
>Human...
"Mosina!" You shouted, rushing into the room
>Her head perks up upon hearing your voice
>"Anon, look out for the-!"
>Your foot pressed down onto a waiting pressure plate, stopping you in your tracks
>"Plate..."
>The stone figures beside Mosina began to shake
>"Uh, Anon...what's happening?" Mirage asked
>The statues eyes began to glow a fiery red, and they broke free of their pedestals
>They took a step forward, their stone armor clanking on the ground
>With perfect synchronization, they draw the swords on their belts
"A mistake..." You groan 
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The tense standoff continues for a few moments, the wind howling all around at this elevation
>The guard statues stood, shields and blades at the ready, waiting for your approach
>An approach that needed to happen soon, or you might soon be discovered
>"So, what's the plan then?" Hekesuh asks
"What makes you think I had a plan for this?" You grumble, weighing your options
>"I figured you'd be preparing for just about anything at this point." Hekesuh said sarcastically
>Mirage tugged on your sleeve
>"Take Hekesuh, go for the one on the right, I'll take the one on the left with Aux." 
>Wait, was this bitch serious?
"Mirage, wait a sec lets think about-"
>With that, she grabbed Aux and sped forward toward the left guard 
>Much to Aux's dismay
"Shit!" You say, taking off to the right
>Both guards turn to face their targets, raising their shields
>"Please tell me we're not gonna fight these things..." Hekesuh pleaded as he followed closely behind you
>You approached apprehensively, your mind racing
>Your eyes drifted over your enemies blade as it gleamed in the moonlight
>Could you get it away from him?
>You wouldn't get more than one chance to find out...
>If you went for it, it would attack, and someone would get hurt
>Or worse...
>But what other choice did you have?
>Punching stone?
>No, you needed that sword
"Hekesuh, I need you to distract him, I'm going for his weapon."
>"What?! Are you insane?!" He asked
>You shook your head
"I won't let anything happen to you, just trust me."
>Hekesuh swallowed the lump in his throat and began to flank your opponent
>Suddenly, with a flash of sparks, and the sound of steel splitting stone, the head of your enemy falls to the floor, his stone body crashing down with it
>Yous stand there dumbfounded, not quite believing what you were seeing
>Mirage, standing atop Aux's hooves, like a cheerleader standing atop a human pyramid
>The remaining guard swings it's sword again, Mirage hopping upwards and letting it pass right where she had previously stood
>Either she was very clever, or these statues were very dumb
>You quickly pick up the sword and shield of the fallen one
"Get out of the way!"
>Your companions scatter out from between you and the statue, causing it to focus directly on you
>Well, it was now or never
>Holding your shield in front of you, you charge him, bashing against them...
>...Only to be met with an unexpected heft that you practically bounced off of
"Right...he's stone..." You mutter
>The sentinel brings takes a overhead swing at you with his sword
>You catch the blow with your shield, with considerable effort needed to keep your footing under the weight
>Your opponent recovers, taking another offensive stance and moving to attack again
>This time the blade comes at your side, rocketing toward your arm
>You jerk your shield up quickly to deflect it
>The shield takes the full force of the hit, sending you staggering to the side, falling to your knee
>With surprising speed, the guard is back into an attack stance already
>It charged once again, swinging it's sword high, rocketing toward you on the ground
>You dropped your sword and braced your shield with both hands above you, catching the blade
>Literally, it broke through the shield, barely stopped inches from your face
"A little help here?!" You cry as the blade inches closer to your face
>"I've got it!" Mirage called, running over to the shattered remains of the other stone guard
>She picked up it's head, tossing it in the air a couple of times to gauge it's weight
>"Hey, ugly!" She called, causing the guard to turn its head to face her
>Mirage launched the head toward it
>You watched as the head sailed through the air, and crashed into the face of your enemy
>The force of the hit shattered the stone face of the guard, causing it to recoil
>With a vengeance, it ripped it's sword from your shield, and began to charge toward Mirage
>Quickly, she darted away from it, taking flight to lure it away from you
>Moving with surprising speed, the guard was quickly almost upon her
>Mirage attempted to swoop around to take it for another run, but with a swipe of his shield the guard swats her out of the air and into one of the pillars circling the room
>With a crash, the pillar nearly splits in half, Mirage falling to the ground unconscious, and the stone guard striding over to her
>...He'd kill her
>Summoning your remaining strength, you rise to your knee
>But you lack the strength to stand, even as you struggle
>Suddenly, you hear a voice you did not expect
>"Anon! Give me your shield!" Aux commanded as he hovered above you
>His eyes flashing with a fire you had never seen in him before
"Aux...we don't have time for-"
>"Do it!" 
>Reluctantly, you toss your shield into the air
>Aux catches it (barely), and holds it in front of himself, eying his target across the room
>The stone guardian was now standing over Mirage, lifting his sword
>"Aux, what are...?" Hekesuh began, before Aux unleashed his war cry, rocketing forward with his shield out front
>The guard began to bring down his blade for the deathblow
>You stared on in awe as the nervous bat stallion collided with the guardian's back, launching it forward and over the edge of the railing, plummeting down to the ground far below
>You and Hekesuh's jaws dropped to the floor staring as Aux panted angrily still watching over the ledge
>Then, like a switch had been flicked in his brain, he fell down to the floor, tossing the shield aside and rushing over to Mirage
>"Mirage? Mirage! Wake up!" He cried, shaking her
>"Aux, be careful! She could be hurt!" Mosina said
>Aux ignored her, as he held Mirage close
>"Please wake up..." He pleaded, bringing his face to hers, cradling her head in his arms
>He closed his eyes as a single tear rolled down his cheek...only to shoot back open as he felt a hoof reach up to his cheek, and a pair of lips meet his
>The steam could practically be seen rushing out of his ears as Mirage gave him a long, deep kiss, pulling away with a giggle
>"My hero~"
>Hekesuh feigned a gag as he wandered over to them
>"Get a room you too, sheesh...
>You on the other hand, forced yourself to your feet, and took up your sword
>Walking over to Mosina, you lift blade and swing at the chains restraining her, breaking them with ease
>As soon as she was freed, Mosina leapt onto you, crushing you with powerful hug, and smothering your face with affection
>"I thought I'd lost you..." She said, holding herself close to you
>You chuckle
"You know it takes more than some magic tricks to stop me." You say
>She cocks her eyebrow at you
>"Look at Mr. Confidence all of the sudden..."
"What, does psychoanalysis run in the family or something?" You ask sarcastically
>She smiles and rolls her eyes
>As the others came over to join you, she became serious
>"So how do we get out of here?" Mosina asked
"We don't, not yet. We need to get to the throne room." You say
>She looks at you incredulously
>"The throne room? Why?"
"Glasnost explained everything, I'll tell you on the way." You say, pulling her with you as you moved toward the door
>"Glasnost?" She questioned
>"After what he did how do we know this isn't a trap?"
>You shrug hopelessly, seeing no other real options
"I guess I don't...what do you say we go find out?"
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You stacked up on a large doorway, Mirage at the point
>She stuck her head around the side, scanning the next room for any occupants
>"It's clear." She said, moving into the room
>You and the others followed her, moving quickly from cover to cover, obscuring yourselves from unseen eyes
>The large banners that hung from the castle walls provided pretty good concealment, covering large swathes of area in a veil of fabric and shadow
>So far, you hadn't run into anyone, and if you were lucky, you'd find the throne room before you did
"You know where we're going?" You whisper to Mirage as she checked around the room
>"I've got a pretty good idea." She said
>"Pretty good idea? That's what we're going off here?" Mosina asked
>Mirage sighed in frustration
>"Would you rather me say we've been stumbling around blindly for the past 20 minutes?"
>"What?!" Mosina cried, a little louder than she intended, creating a slight echo
>You all tensed up, waiting for some sort of response
>When none came, Mirage glared at Mosina 
>"Then lets just say I have a pretty good idea."
>Mosina looks at you to say something
>Mirage had a point though
>At the very least, she was the only one with any sort of knowledge of this castle
"Lets move it you two, we don't have much time." You say as authoritatively as possible
>Mirage gives a smug smile, and continues on
>The hairs on your neck stood at attention as the group made it's way through the corridors, your every sense heightened as adrenaline coursed through you
>You heard every step, every breeze flowing through the ancient halls, every voice...
>...Voice
"Everyone hide!" You say as unfamiliar voices echoed down the hall
>Mirage and Hekesuh quickly jumped into a nearby basket, Mosina flying up to the ceiling inside an ornate, bowl shaped chandelier
>Aux simply stood there wide eyed, frantically looking around for a hiding spot before Mirage pulled him into her basket like a trapdoor spider catching it's prey
>Leaving only you out in the open
>You looked for a spot to hide as the voices drew near
>Alas, your friends had taken all the nearby spots
>You could double back the way you came...but who knew if there would be others by now?
>The voices soon turned into hoof steps
>Your mind raced as you weighed your options
>Suddenly, you felt a burning sensation in your pocket
>Not just burning...it was practically on fire
"Shit!" You say to yourself, feeling the pain in your leg
>You reached into your pocket and quickly felt for the offending object, tossing it out onto the floor
>The small cube rolled as it hit the ground, twinkling in the torchlight
>It rolled on, as if pulled by an unknown hand, coming to rest in the middle of the elaborate carpet lining the middle of the corridor
>You ran over to it, feeling on something strange under foot as you walked onto the carpet
>Quickly, you pulled it back, revealing a small hatch hidden underneath
>Whoever was coming sounded like they were just around the corner...this would have to do
>You pulled the door open to find a ladder leading down into a dark chamber
"Better than nothing..." You think to yourself, stepping down onto the ladder
>You grabbed the cube, which had cooled considerably, and flipped the carpet back over the door, closing it over top of you
>You sit there on the ladder, listening above
>-and he wants the subjects prepped to be moved to the throne room as soon as possible." A voice said
>"I still don't understand why we need foals for this."
>"The young are more malleable, they will be molded into the perfect, fanatical soldiers of the master ever!"
>"Can you believe that it's almost time? Soon our lord will return, and Hollow Shades will be ours!"
>"You're thinking too small, idiot. The master won't stop with one town." 
>"You mean...?"
>"Yes brother, under his leadership, we will unseat the Royal Sisters, all of Equestria will be ours!"
>Your eyes went wide 
>The kidnapped children were here
>And they were being...brainwashed?
>Whatever Glasnost had planned, it would have to wait
>You needed to get to those kids and-
>*Clank*
>The ladder shifted underneath you as you sat in place
"Uh oh..."
>The step below you fell away, causing you to slide downward
>As your foot contacted the next step down, it took that one out as well
>Before you can blink, you're holding onto the rails for your life as you rocket toward the bottom, the ancient ladder falling apart as you go
>In a second, you hit the bottom, slamming against the hard floor
>The wind rushes out of your lungs and you feel yourself slip into black...
>Up above, the others listened as the guards were finally out of earshot before emerging from their hiding spots
>"Everyone here?" Mirage asked, looking around
>"Looks like it...wait, where's Anon?" Hekesuh asked
>The four bats looked around whispering your name
>Mosina searched frantically, the worry in her eyes growing
>"He's not here! Where could he have gone?!"
>Hekesuh put a hoof on her shoulder
>"I'm sure he's fine, those two didn't find him, we would have heard it. He probably just went off ahead."
>"That doesn't make any sense, he doesn't know where he's going." Mosina replied
>"Regardless, we have another problem. Those children are somewhere in this castle, we have to find them." Mirage said
>"We can't go without Anon." Mosina demanded
>"Then we split up, two of us go find those kids, the other two go find Anon." Hekesuh said
>Mirage rolled her eyes
>"Fine, I'll take Aux and go find the children."
>"And Hekesuh and I will go find Anon." Mosina said
>"Fine." Mirage said, locking eyes with Mosina
>"Fine." Mosina replied, not flinching away 
>"Go team?" Aux said, putting his hoof out in between the four of them
>The others simply looked at him confused, Hekesuh sighing and burying his face in one of his hooves
>"What? We did this all the time back in Little League..."
>The crickets could be heard clear as day
>Mirage sighed and pulled him by his ear off down the hall where the two guards had been heading
>When they were out of sight, Hekesuh gave a tired look to Mosina
>"Sometimes I really worry about that boy."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Your eyes crack open slowly, adjusting to the darkness 
>High above you, you could see the broken remnants of the ladder, and the trap door leading back up above
>Your head ached, but you managed to sit up, shaking off the pain that normally accompanies falling on your ass
>Looking around, there appeared to be only one path to take from here
>A singular hallway, shrouded in shadow
>Cobwebs hung from the ceilings, and every breath you took brought a lung full of ancient dust with it
>For a few minutes you sat there listening for any sound from above
>You didn't know how long you'd been out, or if your friends were even still up there
>As tempting as it was to call out for them, it was too risky
"Well," you sighed to yourself
"no point sitting around waiting to suffocate in this shit."
>Quickly dusting off your pants, you start into the darkness
>Your footsteps echo through the hall as you press on
>With no light, you keep your hand along the wall, feeling the chilled stone under your fingertips
>You trudge along, straining to see the path ahead
>Suddenly, the feeling of stone under your hand is replaced with air, the wall had ended
"Shit!" You said to yourself
>Exploring the area with your hands, you feel through the abyss trying to find your way forward
>You stumbled forward, feeling your leg bump into something hard about waist high
>You felt the object, it was large...
>It's flat surface intermittently disturbed by rough patches, like something was etched into it
>Eventually, you notice a familiar feeling of heat in your pocket
>Quickly you reach in and pull your wedding gift out
>To your surprise, the cube was glowing slightly, partially illuminating the air around you, but not truly penetrating the darkness of the room
>Without warning, the cube rose out of your hand and into the air, jettisoning forward like a magnet drawn to steel before slamming into place atop whatever blocked your way
>As it came to rest, it began to shine brighter, and in a bright flash of light, it illuminated the room around you
>You covered your eyes, shielding them from the sudden change
>Lowering your hand, you squint at the room
>Your eyes widen as you realize just what you'd found...
>A tomb
>In front of you, lay a large sarcophagus, the cube resting in place right in it's center burning like a flame, as if it was meant to be there
>Lining the walls were treasures of all shapes and sizes
>Gold, silver, ornate clothing
>A huge stone effigy stood guard amongst the various treasures
>But right at the head of the sarcophagus was what caught your eye the most
>A suit of armor...human armor
>Its surface reflected the light brilliantly, as if it was brand new
>A blue surcoat hung on it, gold trim lining the edges, and a bright moon and star upon it's chest
>Hanging on it's back, a shield with a surface like a mirror sat, untouched by time
>And at it's feet, a sword, it's handle and pommel covered in brilliant stones like none you had ever seen
>You approached the armor, reaching out and touching it
>It was truly the work of a master craftsman...but why was it here?
>This wasn't the first human-esque thing you'd found in this castle...but this armor was purpose made for a man
>And this sarcophagus...it was certainly big enough to hold one, definitely too large for any pony
>You blew the dust off of the lid, revealing the letters beneath
>"Here lies Sir Levantes, knight, friend, and protector of the King. May his rest be undisturbed, until his kin come to drive evil from the land once more."
>His kin...humans?
>Your mind raced with questions, with nobody to answer them
>How many humans had come to Equestria?
>They got to be knights?!
>You looked back to the surcoat, to the moon and star on it's chest
>First on Mosina's ward...then the cube...and now here?
>What did it mean?
>You shook your head
>This was getting to be too much, you had to find your friends
>You scanned the armor with your eyes, toying with an idea
>It was just your size...
"Sorry, sir, but I think I need this more than you today." You say out loud as you remove the helm from it's place
>Piece by piece, you adorn the armor, sneaking peaks back at the sarcophagus, almost feeling like you were being watched
>With the tightening of your belt, and straightening the helm, you stood admiring your new outfit in the mirror-shield's reflection
>Shaking your arms and legs, you got a feel for the suit
>It was surprisingly light, not restricting your movements very much at all
>You took another look around the room, looking for the way out
>No doors, no other passages, no ladders...
>To your dismay, it appeared your path in here was the only way
>You sighed, wondering if maybe you could somehow climb back up the fragmented ladder somehow
>Lost in thought, you almost forgot the last piece of your new outfit
"Better not leave without this." You say, taking the sword by the hilt and pulling it from it's resting place
>Suddenly, as if moved by magic, the stone guardian began to slide along the wall, revealing an opening with a ladder back up behind it
>You stared at your new avenue of escape
"For once I wish it didn't have to be a hidden passage. Is a door too much to ask for?" You say as you grab onto the ladder and begin your ascent
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You climbed the ladder, squinting up above to see where it was taking you
>But all you could see was black
>That is until your head struck a solid surface, an audible ring as your helm met it
>Jackpot
>Shaking it off, you felt around above you, finding a small handle
>You pushed up slightly on the handle, and the obstruction gave way as it cracked open
>You only opened the trap door very slightly, scanning the area to make sure it was clear
>It was a huge room, brilliantly lit, but from this position you couldn't tell much more than that
>Suddenly, the sound of a door swinging open forced you to almost totally close yourself back in
>"My lords, we WILL find the escaped prisoners, they have not left the castle."
>"Are you sure about that, captain? The prisoners have been on the loose for some time now, yet there's been no sighting of them by ANY of the guards?"
>That voice...
>Spell Bind...
>"We've been watching the exits, my lord. Nothing has come in or out."
>"I hope for your sake that's true, captain. You are dismissed."
>"Y-yes, my lord."
>You listened as hoofsteps led out of the room, the door closing behind them
>"Could this possibly get worse...?" Spell Bind groaned out loud
>"I should say so, they could be here already rather than hiding around the castle." 
>Glasnost!
>You strained your ears, trying to hear everything
>"What I want to know is how they escaped to begin with...I chose those cells personally, they were under guard, how could any of them have escaped?!" Spell Bind shouted in frustration
>Glasnost chuckled
>"You underestimated their capabilities Spell Bind. Those of my sister and her human friend especially. Being stuck in a cell is certainly far from the most difficult situation they've been in."
>Spell Bind snorted
>"Forgive me for not studying every meticulous detail about the personal lives of our enemies." He said
>"Still, you seem a little too amused by this turn of events..." 
>"All that I'm amused by is the fact that only you could manage to lose five prisoners." Glasnost replied
>There was a pause
>"Five?" Spell Bind asked
>"Were there not four that we brought here?"
>Glasnost cleared his throat
>"I misspoke, my mind is elsewhere." He said calmly
>"So it seems. You need to focus Glasnost, now isn't the time to get carried away."
>You gave a sigh of relief
>Spell Bind appeared to have overlooked Glasnost's slip
>At that moment, the door burst open once again
>"My lords! The young ones are escaping!"
>"What?!" Spell Bind screamed
>"The prisoners, two of them, they caught the guards by surprise and let the children loose, they've scattered for the windows, some have already made their way out!"
>Well damn...Mirage and Aux pulled it off
>"Stop them! We will find the prisoners, I no longer care if they're dead or alive!" Spell Bind ordered
>"Glasnost, come with me, we cannot let them cause any further disruptions."
>With a shuffling of hooves, the door closes again, and you're left alone
>You push up on the door, climbing out of the hole
>You glance around the room quickly, your eyes going wide
>Huge pyres burn in the corners of the room, banners of vibrant colors hang from the rails up above
>Pillars lined the sides of a brilliantly red carpet, leading toward you from the door
>And a large throne sits right in front of where you'd emerged from
>The throne room!
>You rushed around to examine the room in it's entirety
>Glasnost had said he expected you all to be here...what for?
>All it appeared to be was a big empty room, except for the small urn sitting on the throne
>You approach it, lifting the small lid on top
"Ashes?" You ask yourself
>Why would this be here?
>You freeze up as the door bursts open behind you, slamming shut a moment later
>"What are we gonna do now?!" Hekesuh screamed, bracing against the door as something began pounding against it from the other side
>"I don't know I don't know I don't know!" Mosina said in a panic
>"If only Anon was here..."
>Despite the dire circumstances, you couldn't help but crack a smile
>Approaching them from behind, you lift the visor of your helm and muster the knightliest voice you could
"You called, m'lady?"
>Mosina's ears shot up immediately
>"Anon! How did you-"
>You shush her
"Open it, use the doors as cover." You say
>"But-" Hekesuh starts
"Trust me." You say, drawing the sword from it's sheath
>The two of them look at you like you're crazy, but oblige as you lower your visor once more
>They pull the doors apart, hiding behind them as they pull to the walls
>Instantly, several guards pour through the door, but stop dead when they see you standing there, armor gleaming in the firelight
"Good mornin' ladies!" You say, raising your shield
>After a moment of shock, the guards recover and charge you
>Those two must have led them on one hell of a chase, their attacks were inaccurate, their form sloppy
>With so little coordination, and exhaustion from their pursuit, you easily dodge and parry their attacks
>To your pleasant surprise, age had not worn down your own blade, and it cut through the guard's simple armor like a knife through butter
>In moments, you're left standing alone with a circle of enemies writhing below you on the floor
>You stand there catching your breath, when something catches your eye
>Looking down at your weapon, you see it emitting a faint glow, not like that of light off of steel, but something else
>Something...magical
>"So, we meet again, Anonymous." 
>Your trance is broken as Spell Bind's voice pierces your ears
>Turning to face the door, you see him and Glasnost standing there surveying the carnage around you
>"To be honest I'm not surprised that this has happened, you've proven to be quite capable in the short time we've known one another." He said
>You look over to Glasnost, who gives you the slightest nod
>Spell Bind took a few steps forward
>"Tell me, Anonymous, why stand against us? You have no escape this time, your friends are scattered, and you are trapped in this fortress with an army of our followers. But if you surrender now, we may just give you the mercy of a painless death."
>Still glancing at Glasnost, you can see him slowly moving himself into a position behind Spell Bind
"Tempting offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline."
>Spell Bind laughed, too focused on you to see Glasnost creeping behind him, producing a small blade from his cloak and fastening it to his hoof
>"I was hoping you'd say that, you've been too much trouble to let off so lightly." He sneered, his horn beginning to glow, conjuring a powerful spell surely meant to finish you off
>"Goodbye An-URK!"
>Spell Bind's speech was cut short, his mouth hanging open as he gasped for breath
>Glasnost ripped the blade from his back, tossing it to the side
>Spell Bind stared at you, his eyes full of fear and disbelief, and collapsed onto the floor
>You looked back to Glasnost as he continued to stare at the fallen unicorn on the floor
"Nice timing, couldn't have pulled that off a little while BEFORE he tried to incinerate me?"
>Glasnost didn't respond as Mosina and Hekesuh emerged from their hiding places
>Mosina immediately flew over to Glasnost, pure anger in her face
>"You...you have a whole lot of explaining to do." She snarled
>"Anon will be able to explain it all later." He said, his voice monotone, and his eyes still on Spell Bind's body
>"No, now that it's over, I want you to tell me just what the hay you've been doing this whole time!"
>Suddenly, you feel a disturbance, like a small tremor passing underfoot
>At first faint, but then growing stronger as the very walls of the castle begin to quiver
>"What the heck is going on?!" Hekesuh cried
>You notice a strange light begin to emit from Spell Bind's body, and watch as the light is pulled toward the small urn on the throne
>You stumbled over to the others, placing yourself between the urn and your friends
>The energy continues to rocket into the urn, causing it to shake and shudder violently, a dark cloud emanating from under the lid
>The shaking underfoot grows stronger, and the dark cloud begins to twist around the urn, consuming it in a whirlwind
>Without warning, it bursts in a flash of violet light
>You raise your shield, blocking yourself and your friends from the onslaught
>And then, all of the shaking stops, and you stand there, hesitant to lower your shield and see what had just happened
>At that moment, you hear laughter
>Maniacal laughter
>You slowly lower your shield, and see the source...
>No longer did an urn sit on the throne, but a man
>At least...it used to be
>It was more like something out of a Romero zombie flick
>It's long black robe covered it's body, which was good because if it was anything like the decayed flesh of it's face, you didn't want to see it
>The thing seemed to calm down for a moment, ceasing it's laughter to turn it's gaze to the four of you with it's glowing violet eyes
>"It's not over yet." Glasnost said sullenly
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The four of you stand close together, not wanting to make any sudden movements in the presence of this...thing
>It's gaze fell upon you, followed by moments of tense silence
>"Glassssnooossst...." It said, it's voice almost more felt than heard, echoing throughout the chamber
>It sent chills throughout your entire body, an unearthly cold overtaking the room
>The sudden feeling of a hoof on your arm stifled your fear
>"Anon, can I trust you to do something very important for me?" Glasnost asked
>His voice was calm, collected
>The voice of a man who knew exactly what was coming
"What?" You ask, barely able to pry your eyes away from the monster on the throne
>"Can I trust you?" He asked again, unflinching
>The irony of the guy who so willingly turned you over to the enemy asking if YOU could be trusted would have made you laugh under any other circumstances
>But right now, your mind was practically frozen
"S-sure?" You said
>Glasnost reached into his pouch, producing a small envelope and handing it to you
>"Make sure that Radom reads this when you and Mosina get home." He said
>You stared at the envelope, then back at Glasnost
"Glasnost, I don't..."
>"Please." He pleaded, shoving it into your hand
>"Please do this for me." He asked, before turning to face the monster
>He took a deep breath, standing up as straight as possible
>"Mosina?" He said
>"Y-yes brother?" Mosina said, her voice trembling, her eyes frozen on the throne
>"Take good care of Anon and my son."
>Mosina looked to be in total shock, unable to respond to her brother's request as he stepped forward, approaching the throne
>He stopped mere feet from it, standing tall, defiant
>"Well, what are you waiting for?" He asked
>The rotted mouth of the creature curled into a wicked grin as it lifted it's hands
>Suddenly the room began to shake again
>Dust fell from the ceiling as the very foundations of the castle were rocked
>In a flash, the monster on the throne began ripping whatever force it had from Spell Bind from Glasnost
>"Glasnost!!!" Mosina cried, trying to rush forward to stop whatever was happening to her brother
>You grabbed her, holding her back and covering the two of you with your shield
>You didn't know what was happening to him, but you wouldn't let it harm Mosina as well
>...Or Hekesuh, seeing as he was clinging to the back of your leg
>Within moments, it was over
>The blazing light and tremors subsided, and you lowered you shield
>And to your surprise, Glasnost was still standing
>You were about to breathe a sigh of relief, but it was cut short as he slumped forward and crumpled onto the ground
>"Let me go!" Mosina cried, struggling to free herself from your grasp
"Mosina, stop! There's nothing we can do!" You said, struggling to hold her back
>"I've got to save him!" She insisted, tears streaming down her face as she continued to fight
>You put your hand under her chin, turning her head to face you
"Mosina, he's gone." You said
>Her face was full of disbelief, despair
>But as your words sank in, her struggling ceased
>She collapsed into your chest, silently grieving
>You hold her between yourself and your shield, and nudge Hekesuh
"You need to her and the others out of here, understand?" You say, releasing Mosina to him
>"But Anon, what about you?" He asked, confusion in his eyes
>You looked to the enemy, as the wicked laughter returned
>Only to be met not by the rotten monster that had stood there before, but a fully fleshed man, sitting upon the king's throne
"I've got one last fish to fry." You said
>Hekesuh looked from you to the throne in disbelief
>"Anon, come with us, you can't-"
"I'll meet you outside as soon as possible, if you see anyone else but me, you take Mosina and the others, and you run. You get back to Hollow Shades, and you warn everyone of what's coming, okay?"
>"Anon-"
>You put your hand on his shoulder, and give him a hopeless smile
"Thank you for all your help, Hekesuh. I'm proud to call you my friend" You say, lowering your visor
>You turn around, kneeling to pick up your sword that you'd dropped in your defensive stance
>As you stand, you see Hekesuh leading Mosina to the door out of the throne room
>The cackling begins to slow as the man on the throne begins regain his composure
>You stand silently, sword and shield in hand, waiting for him to stop
>"Well, what do we have here?" He said, his voice no longer bearing the ghostly effect it previously had
>"One of my very own kind? Curious indeed...I was sure there were no more left in this forsaken land." 
>His eyes scanned you up and down as he observed you from his seat
>"Yet, I am unsurprised. We have peculiar habit of turning up just about everywhere, don't we?" 
"There is no, "we"." You said
>"Ah, he speaks!" The man says gleefully
>"I was beginning to worry that maybe I'd been stuck with a mute. But I disagree, there is very much a "we" here, for you and I are the only two of our kind in this world."
"You and I are nothing alike. You're a monster." You say, still not moving from your position
>He smirked, standing from the throne and taking a few steps toward you
>"So quick to judge someone you don't even know? Tsk tsk..."
>"Perhaps it's my fault, we haven't made a proper introduction.." He said, taking a small bow
>"What is your name, sir knight?"
>While you didn't expect such pleasantries out of the man that just drained the life from two ponies right in front of you, you weren't exactly in the talking mood
"I don't think you really need to know that."
>Suddenly, the small grin on his face drooped into a frown
>"Now now, let's not be rude..." He said, the fiery violet light returning to his eyes
>You had the sudden urge to speak, to tell him your name, like he was drawing it out of you
>You fought it, struggling not to give in, but the compulsion was too great
"A-Anonymous...my name is...Anonymous."
>The grin returned to the man's face
>"See? Was that really so hard?" He chuckled, releasing whatever hold he had on you
>"My name is Claudius," he said, retaking his seat on the throne
>"and for you, my friend, I have a proposition..."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>A proposition? 
>What could this monster possibly want to offer you?
>Why would he even consider it after all this?
>Still, you had not yet formulated a plan of attack, so you might as well let him blow some more hot air while you figured something out
"And what would that be?" You asked
>Claudius grinned, obviously happy that you decided to hear him out
>"During my expansive studies, I have learned a great many things, discovered great power, and uncovered long forgotten secrets." He said, almost boastfully
>"Some of these secrets were forgotten for a reason, Anon. Terrible secrets, truths that many must have found too horrible to accept, and so they locked them away, never to be spoken of again until someone such as I, with the will to discover them, unearthed them."
>You weren't quite sure where he was going with this, but you had to keep him talking while you scanned for any sort of weakness
"Go on..." You said
>"Eons ago during the first age, a great seer foresaw a cataclysmic event following the fall of the greatest empire this world has ever known."   
"What does this have to do with me?" You asked
>Claudius raised his eyebrow at you, and sighed
>"Think about it this way Anonymous. During my time, this world was split into multiple feuding factions, the inhabitants of this land constantly at odds with one another." 
"Go on..."
>"Then, the races of ponykind formed an alliance, forming a greater kingdom, able to resist outsiders, and spread influence. Now, Equestria experiences unrivaled power and influence, ruling over the largest nation in history."
>The gears began turning in your head, and it clicked
"...We're living in that empire, aren't we?"
>Claudius smirked
>"It would certainly appear so, wouldn't it? This is why I would ask for your help, Anonymous."
"Help? Help with what?" You asked
>"Preventing the end of the world as we know it." He said coldly
>If you were confused before, now you were downright lost
"I...don't understand." You said
>"During my time in the nether, I witnessed a great many things. Pieces are moving into place, and powers unseen conspire against all you know here."
>How ominous...
>"It's only a matter of time, and the powers that be simply do not have the power to stop it. But I do Anonymous, and together, we could save this land, and prevent the destruction that is to come."
>You stood there, unsure of whether or not Claudius could possibly be telling the truth
>This wasn't just some hack villain after all...this guy was a very powerful wizard...what if he WAS telling the truth?
>Your grip on your sword tightened as you shifted nervously, your mind no longer set on how to best attack Claudius, but whether to attack him at all
>But as your eyes scanned the floor around you, it came to rest on the body of Glasnost
>If he could so callously rip the life from another being like that, you had serious doubt that he really cared for the well-being of the other inhabitants of Equestria
>You couldn't trust him
>You WOULDN'T trust him
>As you looked back up to Claudius, you caught a bit of movement in the top corner of your eye
>As inconspicuously as possible, you inch your eyes up to the rafters
>You can't believe your eyes as you watch Mirage creeping along, moving to a spot above Claudius while balancing a good sized vase on her back
>"What say you, Anonymous? Will you join me?" Claudius asked
>Mirage finally reached her position, shuffling on the rafter and readying the vase
>You dropped your gaze back to Claudius, not wanting to give away Mirage's surprise
>Claudius was looking impatient at your hesitation	
>"What say you?!"
>You sneak another glance back up to Mirage, and see the vase begin to slip
"I say..." You begin, bracing yourself for what was coming next
"We'll take our chances."
>Claudius didn't have much time to be react, for a moment later the vase came smashing down on his head
>As he stumbled around stunned, you took a deep breath and charged forward, letting out your fiercest battle cry
>You were ending this now
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Closing the gap within a few bounds, you ready your sword for a swing
>Claudius managed to shake off the stunning effect of having a large piece of pottery crash over his head and refocused on you
>You took a swing, only to feel your blade cut through nothing but air as Claudius blinked away in a flash of violet
>You look to your left and right, when you heard movement from behind
>With a quick jump to the right, you barely miss as an arc of magic flew past you
>You landed on the hard ground with a crash, and struggled to reorient yourself 
>Looking up toward your enemy, you saw him charging another blast
>With no time to get back to your feet, you started rolling just as the beam hit where you had been laying
>You continued rolling until you managed to flip to your feet, your shield between you and Claudius
>"You're a fool Anonymous, you've doomed yourself and your friends!" He said, still approaching you
>You didn't bother to respond, you were still catching your breath and trying to formulate a plan of attack
>He was fast, and definitely had range on you...you weren't really keen on letting him take pot shots at you with the magic while you charged at him
>Still, what other choice did you-
>Another arc of magical fury came lunging at you, interrupting your thoughts
>Welp
>You reflexively raise your shield to cover yourself, bracing for the impact
>But all you feel is a slight tap, followed by the sound of breaking and crashing stone
>Both you and Claudius gawk at the new hole in the wall as it continued to smolder
>You took a look at your shield, seeing yourself in it's mirror reflection...
>Mirror...of course!
>With a smirk, you raise your shield once again, and march toward Claudius
>He snarled, launching a few more spells your way
>One by one, you maneuvered your shield, reflecting and deflecting them, sending the spells every which way and causing untold collateral damage
>With only ten or so feet left between you, Claudius seemed summoned all of his strength
>Holding his hands high above his head, you saw a small spark form between them
"Still trying the magic? You'd be better off throwing a punch at this point." You said mockingly
>Claudius did not respond, and continued concentrating on his spell
>Confident in your shield's ability, you braced behind it to absorb the impact
>The small spark grew larger, forming a man sized ball of fire
>Watching from behind your shield, you suddenly found yourself trying to squeeze as much of yourself behind it as possible
>Then, without warning, Claudius lowered his hands, pointing them at you
>And with that, the orb above him unleashed it's fury in your direction
>Unlike the previous spells, this hit with more than a love tap
>It was more akin to a linebacker slamming into your shield, trying to force you back
>With all your strength you pushed back, but still felt your feet beginning to slide back
>You dropped your sword, reinforcing your hold on your shield with both hands, feeling it almost being torn away from you several times
>Claudius did not relent, continuing to rain hell onto you
>From the other side of the shield, you could feel the heat being absorbed by the shield
>In fact, you could feel it all around you, and in your armor, it was only getting worse by the second
>You wouldn't be able to hold out much longer...you had to turn it back
>With all of the strength you could muster, you pushed forward, struggling to take a step
>But a step you took, and another, and another
>With each closer step, you felt your shield begin to shake violently as it absorbed or reflected an ever increasing amount of energy
>Running on nothing but pure will, you forced yourself closer to Claudius, brushing off the heat and flames surrounding you
>Soon, you crossed over your original distance
>You heard Claudius groaning as you pushed closer, only a few feet away now
>The heat was becoming unbearable, and you could barely hold on anymore
>Then, suddenly, the fiery orb gave way, unleashing it's energy all at once, consuming your shield and sending you and Claudius flying away from one another before dissipating
>Your armor clanks audibly as you bounces off the ground, rolling for what felt like ages until finally grinding to a halt
>You cough with your face down in the floor, struggling to push yourself up to your feet
>That hurt like a motherfucker...
>As soon as you get to your knees, you were met with a swift kick to the face, sending you hurtling onto your back
>Perhaps you spoke too soon
>Lifting your head, you see Claudius standing in front of you
>"This ends now, Anonymous." He said, beginning to summon another fireball
>You wanted to respond when something caught your eye behind him
>Your sword lay on the ground a short distance away
>Only now instead of it's mild glow, it was fully blazing, golden field surrounding it, the blade trembling slightly
>"It's a shame, I really could have used you." Claudius lamented as he finished conjuring his final spell
>"Oh well, I suppose this is for the best. Goodbye, Anonymous." He said, preparing to unleash a death blow upon you
>Suddenly, with a deafening screech, Mirage dropped from the ceiling and wrapped herself around Claudius's head, biting and kicking as much as she could
>Claudius screamed with rage as his spell failed, swatting at the bat pony clinging to his head
>Seizing the opportunity, you rolled to your feet, and stumbled over to your sword picking it up, finding it difficult to hold onto with how violently it was beginning to shake
>But as you stared into the golden field surrounding it, you heard a voice whisper in your head
>"Release me..." It said
>In that moment, you knew what it meant
>Claudius struggled with Mirage, finally managing to grip her and throw her off of him
>Furious, he spun back to face you, only to find you holding your sword high above your head
"Bye-bye." You said, bringing the blazing blade down and unleashing it's energy
>The golden rays flew forward from across the room, rocketing toward Claudius
>At the helm, the figure of an armored knight lead the charge
>Colliding with Claudius, the figure grappled him, taking him up into the air
>"No! This can't be!" Claudius screamed as he was enveloped with golden rays
>He continued to scream as he was pulled higher and higher, the energy forming a large fiery golden sphere
>Then, without warning, a deafening explosion, and a flash of light...
>And then...darkness
>"I-Is he alive? He's not moving!"
>"Aux, he has a pulse, he's just unconscious." 
>You felt damp grass on the back of your head, and a cool breeze roll over your face
>The last thing you remembered was an explosion, but that was in the throne room, so where the hell were you?
"Where...where am I?" You ask
>"He's awake! He's awake!" you hear as your face is suddenly tightly embraced
"Can't...breathe..." You gasp, struggling against the sudden snuggling
>"Oops...sorry..." 
>Opening your eyes slightly, you're met with an expanse of a starry night sky, or you would be if it wasn't blocked by Mosina's face hovering right over yours
>You smile, elated to see her 
>With a bit of effort, you force yourself to sit up, aching everywhere
>You look around, and realize that there are quite a few new faces among you as well
>Dozens of young bat fillies and bat colts watched you with awe, almost as Aux
"What happened?" You ask, turning back to Mosina
>"We heard a huge explosion and saw the whole thing start to come down. We thought something terrible had happened, but then through the dust we saw Mirage dragging you out. You've been out for a while..."
>Mosina's eyes welled up and she threw her arms around you
>"I'm just glad you're safe."
>As the two of you sit there locked together, a small cough interrupts the moment
>"So, what do we do now?" Hekesuh asked
>You look over to the smouldering ruins of Darkmoon castle, and then back to all the faces surrounding you, and give Hekesuh a small smile
"We go home." 
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The journey back to Hollow Shades was a mostly silent one, despite the numerous newcomers among you
>Following the worn dirt road for miles, stopping for nothing, your party came upon a small village resting in the countryside surrounding Castle Darkmoon
>The locals did not need much explanation
>When they saw the children you had in tow, they knew that they had to assist you
>A runner was sent to Hollow Shades while you rested, bringing back a number of guards to escort you back
>Flanked by a row of guards on either side, you trudged along the road, right up to the gates of Hollow Shades
>You arrived in the early hours of the morning, the sun barely creeping over the horizon, and the dew still wet on the grass
>With another company of guards, Trotsky stood waiting for you, a relieved smile on his face
>Breaking his soldierly composure, he rushed forward to meet you, throwing his arms around Mosina in a great hug
>"Thank Luna you're safe..."
>Mosina returned the embrace, burying her face in her brother's shoulder
>"I wouldn't have been if not for Anon and the others." She replied, breaking the hug
>Trotsky nodded to you
>"Thank you for bringing my sister back Anon, my family is forever in your debt." He said
>You put your hand up dismissively
"Your family owes me nothing." You said
>Trotsky smiled at you
>"Like it or not, we do, and you will be rewarded for your actions." Trotsky said
>He looked over the rest of your party
>"All of you will, your service to Hollow Shades will not go unnoticed."
>Trotsky clapped his hooves together
>"Guards! Take the children to the keep, send out a runner to inform the parents that we've found them." 
>The guards saluted, and ushered the children into town, soon to be reunited with their parents after their long ordeal
>Trotsky turned back to the four of you, looking over your shoulders
>"Where is Glasnost? When we discovered he was absent we assumed that he'd gone with the rest of you."
>At that moment, your heart sank
>You could feel the tension among your group as a few moments of silence passed
>Trotsky's face grew worried
>"What? What happened?" He asked
>Mosina sighed, looking to Trotsky with sorrow in her eyes
>"We'll talk when we get home, okay?"
>Trotsky cocked his eyebrow at her
>"Mosina, what happened?"
>Mosina shook her head
>"Not here, not now, please." She pleaded
>Trotsky looked to you frustratedly
>You broke eye contact and stared at the ground, not wanting to give away the truth
>Trotsky frowned
>"Very well, I trust you have a good reason for this."
>That night, the moon hung high in the sky, shining bright enough to illuminate the bustling town
>Ponies ran to and fro in the streets, merchants manned their stands plying their wares, and young colts and fillies played in the park with their parents without a care in the world
>And here you sat, finally out of your tin suit and providing a distraction for Radom while Mosina broke the news to her family
>You and her had decided that it would be best to have the whole family tell Radom together for support...
>It was killing you to see him so happy right now on the stoop with you knowing what would be coming soon
>"This is so cool! You and aunt Mosina are heroes! The whole town is gonna know about this!" Radom said excitedly
>"And at school! I can't wait to tell everypony. They're gonna be so jealous!"
>You smiled half-heartedly, not looking directly at the young colt
"I wouldn't brag too much, people don't really like that sort of thing." You said
>Radom rolled his eyes
>"Oh I know, but they're not the nicest bunch anyway." He replied
"Kids will be kids, I wouldn't worry about trying to impress the mean ones."
>You watched across the street as a family walked along cheerfully
>Radom caught your distant stare, and looked at them too
>"I just can't wait to tell papa, he's gonna be so happy!"
>You winced as the words dragged across your brain like nails on a chalk board
>"We thought he left with you and aunt Mosina, but now that you're back he should be home any moment!"
>Silently you pushed your hand into your pocket, and feel the sealed envelope Glasnost had told you to give to Radom
>You hadn't quite figured out how you were going to do that yet, but the time was fast approaching
"Listen, Radom..."
>Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Mosina opened it
>"Radom? Could you come into the kitchen for a moment?"
>"Aww, but uncle Anon was-"
>"It's important sweetheart, you and Anon can talk later..."
>Radom sighed
>"Ugh, okay, I'll be right there." He said
>Mosina smiled weakly and walked back to the kitchen, leaving the door cracked open
>Radom walked to the door, stopping to look at you once more when he noticed you hadn't risen to follow
>"Aren't you coming?" 
>You shook your head solemnly
"I think that they want to talk to you alone buddy. I'll be out here."
>Radom looked at you confused, but shrugged it off
>"Alright then, I'll be back in a minute then." He said with a smile as he trotted into the house
"I really doubt that..." You sighed to yourself as the door closed
>You removed the envelope from your pocket and flipped it around in your hands
>What would happen now?
>How do you tell a child that they were now an orphan?
>You stared at the envelope, wondering what was inside, what Glasnost could have wanted you to give Radom
>Putting it back in your pocket, you gaze back up to the moon
>You sit in silence, trying to lose yourself in the sounds of the town
>Moments later, that silence was broken with the sound of the door whipping open behind you
>"It's not true! It's a lie!" Radom cries as he runs past you, his wings desperately flapping trying to lift off
>"Anon! Don't let him go!" Mosina called to you
>You quickly snapped out of your shock and bolted after him
>He was already a good distance away from you, and in the dark he'd soon be out of sight
>The young colt ran headlong into a crowd, easily passing underneath them
>Easier than you, anyway
>You tried to weave through the crowd, almost knocking over several ponies as you did
>But Radom was nearly out of sight now, you just couldn't keep up
>Suddenly, you felt your weight suddenly lurch forward as your foot caught an uneven cobblestone
>You managed to protect your face as you crashed to the ground, to the gasps of the ponies around you
>Within a moment, you climbed back to your feet, but Radom was already gone
>You looked around in a panic for any sight of him, but to no avail
>"Anon! Are you okay?" Mosina cried, having finally caught up to you
"I'm fine, I'm fine..." You sighed, still looking for the colt
"Radom got away though." 
>Mosina frowned
>Don't worry, he can't have gone too far, we'll look around and find him." She said reassuringly
>For hours, you and Mosina nearly turned the town upside down looking for Radom, and found nothing
>Eventually, the two of you found yourselves in the park, standing beneath a large tree with the sun nearly on the horizon
>"He has to have gone home...he had to..." Mosina said wearily, clearly tired from your long search
>You put a hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her
"You're probably right, you should run home and check just to be sure, your parents are probably worried sick about us."
>She groaned in resignation
>"What about you?" She asked
>You looked over on the slowly brightening horizon
"I'm going to look around a little bit more, if he's home, come get me. If I find him, I'll bring him back." 
>Mosina nodded and pulled on your shirt, bringing your attention back to her
>You knelt down to her level and she gave you a tired kiss
>"I'll see you at home." She said, lifting off and fluttering back off toward Mangosteen way
>You watched her until she was out of sight, and then turned back to look at the sun
>Resting up against the large tree, you closed your eyes and sighed heavily
>Suddenly, without the noise of Hollow Shades' night life, you heard soft sobbing directly above you
>You look up and are met with a small tuft of purple mane hanging off a low branch
"Radom?" You say
>"Go away Anon!" He called back
>Still upset...who wouldn't be?
>You stood and tried to get a better look at him
"Radom you need to come home, everyone is worried sick about you."
>"They lied to me! They told me terrible things, why would they do that to me?" He asked, his voice quivering
"Radom, your family wouldn't lie to you...you know that. Now come on, I'll take you home."
>"I'm not going home! I'm never going home!"
>You frowned
>You'd promised Mosina you'd bring Radom back if you found him, you intended to follow through
>You looked at the tree for any low branches to grab onto
>When you found one, you tested it's strength, pulling on it to see if it had much give
>Plenty sturdy for climbing
>You hoisted yourself up onto the branch, and then another, and another
>Soon, you were almost at Radom's height
>He noticed this, and looked quizzically at you 
>"What...what are you doing?" 
"I promised your aunt I'd bring you home, so if you won't come to me, I'm coming to you."
>Radom growled, and flew up another couple of branches
>"I'm NOT going home!"
>You sighed
>Of course he wasn't going to make this any easier
>You climbed higher, chasing Radom slowly as you scaled the tree
>Soon, there was nowhere left to go
>Radom had perched himself on the tallest branch, and at this height, he dared not leap from it
>You lifted yourself up onto it, and sat, panting and catching your breath
>The young colt was irate that you'd managed to corner him, but looked somewhat impressed 
>"Where did you learn to climb trees so well?"
>You put up your hands, wiggling your fingers
"I thank my primate ancestors." You say between breaths
>Radom squinted at you, and then turned away, looking toward the rising sun through a large hold in the leaves
"So, ready to come down now? You've got to be exhausted after all this." You asked
>"Why? Why did this happen Anon? Why did papa have to go?"
>Shit
"I don't know Radom..."
>"First mama...now papa...what did I do wrong?" He asked
"It was nothing you did buddy, don't talk like that." You said
>"So what? For no reason? Am I just the unluckiest pony in the world?" 
>"Sometimes the greater plan is kind of hard to understand...it doesn't always make sense to the rest of us."
>Radom sighed and gave no response
>You scoot along the branch, getting closer to him, and put your hand on his shoulder
"Everything happens for a reason Radom, your dad saved us all." You said
>Radom looked at you, with tears in his eyes
>"He did?"
>You nodded
"He did. He was a good pony, and you should be proud to be his son."
>At that moment, you swore a small smile began to form at the corner of his mouth
>But almost as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, and Radom looked back toward the horizon
>You reached into your pocket and pulled out the envelope, handing it to Radom
"He asked me to give this to you." You said as he took it and looked at the envelope
>He sat looking at it, and you ruffled his mane
"Your old man was a hero. Never forget that. I'll be down there when you're ready." You said, hopping down and beginning your descent
>As soon as your feet touched the ground, you heard Radom's voice above you
>"Uncle Anon!"
>You were about to turn around when you felt a sudden weight on your shoulders as he landed 
>He snuggled against your head, and fell asleep almost instantly
>Poor kid, you could hardly blame him
>You adjusted to the new found top heaviness and corrected your footing
>With a tired grin you make your way out of the park and start heading home, basking in the soft morning light that now washed over the town
>And for the first time in days, you really felt like everything was going to turn out just fine...
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>3 months later...
>You groaned as you felt the sunlight pour through your window, shining through your eyelids no matter how tightly you closed them
>Another late night at the office took it's toll on you, the work of a mayor's aide was never done after all
>Though Flik seemed to have done quite well managing the workload during your absence
>Truth be told, things were possibly even better handled than when the workload was split between you
>You wouldn't have minded so much were it not for his tendency to work long into the night
>So much so that you barely managed to pry yourself from the mattress before noon the last few days
>And you might not have, were it not for the newest addition to your household acting as your personal alarm clock (for better or worse)
>And today was no exception...
>As you lay tangled in your sheets fighting the little voice telling you to get up, you hear the door creak open
>With a muffled groan, you pull the sheets over your head, praying for five more minutes, when you feel your shoulder being shaken excitedly
>"Wake up uncle Anon! You we'd go see the parade today!"
>You responded only with a grunt, still buried in your cocoon of blankets 
>Radom pouted audibly
>"Anooon! You promised!"
>You sighed, remembering you had indeed given your word
"Give me ten minutes." You said, defeated and tired
>"Yes!" Radom exclaimed, rushing out of the room
>You lay there for a few moments, mustering the strength to get out of your bed
>Suddenly, the sheets are flung off of you, ripping away your warm comfort and exposing your body to the slight chill of the morning air
>"Someone got home late again..." Mosina said sympathetically as she snickered at your sudden shivers
>Reluctantly you sit up and bury your face in your hands
"Blame Flik, he's trying to cram in as much work as he can before the month is out...something about quotas or whatever..."
>Mosina chuckled
>"I trust he knows what he's doing, I just hope you can keep up. I haven't seen you this tired in ages!"
>You give her an impish smirk
"Running around Equestria drains your energy, paperwork drains your soul."
>Mosina laughs and ruffles your hair
>"At least nothing's going to take your head off in an office." She said
>You gave a tired laugh
"Sometimes I wish something would."
>Mosina rolled her eyes and gave you a small peck on the cheek
>"You should get moving, we're probably gonna be late." She said
>You looked at the clock, seeing how little time you had
"Shit!" You said, springing up and rifling through your drawers
>Mosina smiled and shook her head, heading for the door
>You shook your head as you hopped around on one foot, trying to pull on your pants
>She shrugged and walked out of the room
>In a flash, you were fully dressed, your teeth brushed, and socially presentable
>You headed for the door when you stopped, a nagging feeling at the back of your mind telling you you forgot something
>You stepped back into the room and walked over to your nightstand
>Opening the drawer, you reach in and retrieve the missing piece to your outfit
>One of your twin percussion cap pistols
>You hold it in your hand for a moment, just looking at it
>It felt like it'd been ages since you'd used them, not since you and Mosina's last trip to the Gryphonnic Kingdoms 
>But after your experience in Hollow Shades, you always carried one
>Not necessarily for yourself, but for Radom, and Mosina
>You holster it on your hip, and put a few cartridges in your pocket before heading out of the room
>As you walk into the kitchen, you see Radom already scarfing down his breakfast, and Mosina washing off the plates
"Ready to go?" You asked him
>"Yeth!" He said, his mouth still full of food as he hopped out of his seat and rocketed toward the door
>"You're gonna starve if you don't eat something..." Mosina cautioned as you began to follow him
>Not stopping, you grabbed an apple out of the bowl of fruit still on the table
"I'll manage." You said with a wink, taking a bite out of the apple as you walked out of the door
>Mosina sighed as she followed you out
>"That's my boys..." 
>Bounding down the steps, the three of you hit the street
>The town was busy as it was most mornings
>It was comforting to once again be around the familiar sights and sounds of Ponyville, yet you weren't sure how Radom had been adjusting, seeing how different this was from Hollow Shades
>The first weeks were a trial all their own, getting used to being up in the daytime instead of the night
>But you had to give him credit, the kid got used to it fast
>Still, with how much you worked, you didn't get much time to stop and ask Radom himself how he was holding up
"So...how're you liking Ponyville?" You ask, breaking the silence between you as you made your way through town
>"It's nice, I mean...it's real different, but nice." He said, sounding uncertain
"Good...good..." You said, scratching the back of your neck
>Despite living together now, you and Radom still didn't spend much time alone together, and you found it somewhat difficult to find much to talk about when you did
"And...school?" 
>"It's fine. Ms. Cheerilee is a much nicer teacher than I had back at boarding school."
"Making lots of friends?" 
>You were practically cringing at yourself...when you were his age these questions bugged you to no end
>Now here you were doing the same to him
>"I guess...there's these three fillies in my class that are real nice, they even invited me into their club!"
"Playing the ladies already?" You asked jokingly
>Mosina gave you a stern look, but Radom was confused
>"What do you mean uncle Anon?"
"Ehhh, never mind..."
>Again, there was an awkward silence between you
>You cursed yourself
>You'd think after everything you'd have an easier time with this
>Slay a monster? You're good. Start a revolution? Totally fine. Talk to your family? Fuck that, you're shit
>The guilt was almost overbearing
>Soon the sights and sounds of the parade were coming into view, the crowd buzzing with excitement as Mayor Mare took the podium, Flik standing proudly at her side
>"Welcome ladies and gentlecolts! Welcome to the annual Ponyville Pride Parade!" 
>A fervent cheer went up from the crowd as you took your places within it, making your way to the front
>"On this day, we celebrate our town, and everything about it that makes us who we are..."
>"Uncle Anon, I can't see!" Radom said, trying desperately to see over the crowd
>You grab Radom and lift him up onto your shoulders, suddenly towering over the crowd
"Better?" You ask
>Radom, didn't answer, he was too engrossed by the size of the crowd he got with his new vantage point
>"Woah..." Was all he could muster
>"I think that's a yes." Mosina chuckled
>"And now, without further ado, let the parade begin!" Mayor Mare announced
>To the thunderous cheers of the crowd, the show began
>The marching band's music played louder than the crowd, drowning out their cheers in a sea of drums, trumpets, and all manner of instruments
>Ponies flipped through the air with impressive displays of acrobatics as floats representing the town's many attractions passed by
>You gazed in awe at the flawless precision and the wondrous displays the townsfolk put on for this once a year event
>Finally, the sound of marching hooves drew near
>You heard Radom gasp as you turned to see them:
>The Princess's Guard
>Princess Twilight sat in her place of honor on the royal float, looking adorably uncomfortable as she waved at all her friends and neighbors
>This was a new edition to the parade, seeing that Ponyville didn't have a resident princess before, but it made for an impressive display
>The Guard's golden armor shone brilliantly in the sunlight, marching in perfect unison in an awesome show of military discipline
>At the very least, it certainly grasped Radom's attention as he stared mouth agape at them while they passed
>Eventually, the parade is off in the distance, and the crowd around you began to disperse
>"You boys ready to go?" Mosina asked
"Yeah...I'm starving." You said, gripping your stomach
>Mosina smirked
>"Guess an apple WASN'T enough, huh?"
>You rolled your eyes
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." You say as the three of you turn to leave
"Hungry bud?" You ask the colt on your shoulders
>"I want to be a Royal Guard!" Radom exclaimed excitedly, causing you to stop in your tracks
"What?" You ask, taken aback by the statement
>"Did you see them?! They looked so cool! We never saw the royal guard in Hollow Shades...I want to protect the Princesses!
>Suddenly, you heard snickers coming down from below, and you saw two fillies eying Radom as they passed
>"You hear that Silver Spoon? The freak wants to be a Royal Guard!"
>"As if they'd ever let a blank flanked weirdo ever even try!"
>They laughed and kept on walking, leaving you in silence
>You'd seen the two before, bullies if you'd ever seen them
>Radom must have seen them too, because his enthusiasm suddenly seemed to fade
>You and Mosina looked at each other, then back to Radom
>"Well, Royal Guards are strong, and growing colts need to eat if they want to grow strong enough to join them, what do you think Anon?" Mosina said with a wink
>You give her a sly smile
"I think that sounds pretty reasonable, let's go."
>The rest of the day passed quickly, as your days off typically did
>You, Mosina and Radom spent it simply enjoying each others company, settling into your new lives together as a family
>When night came, you, Mosina and Flik sat around your table chatting after Radom went to bed
>Things in the capital were getting hairy, and as the chief assistant, Flik was hearing all about it
>"The movement grows by the month...these anti-royalists...I'm not sure what the Princesses intend to do about it." Flik said, worry in his voice 
>Mosina shook her head
>"I doubt it would ever come to anything serious. Everypony loves the royal sisters, if a few fringe crazies don't...who cares?"
>You sat in silence, listening as the two went back and forth
>"All I'm saying is that a closer eye might need to be kept on this group...with the amount of support they're getting we could end up with riots...or worse, a rebellion!" Flik lamented
>In the back of you mind, Claudius' warning kept creeping
>Warnings of things to come, devastation that would end Equestria as you knew it
>You shrugged it off as you listened to your friend's talk
"Well, you two have fun, I'm exhausted. Think I'm gonna hit the hay." You announced, standing up from your seat
>"Good night Anon, I'll probably join you soon." Mosina said
>"Eh, I have more work to do anyway." Flik said dismissively
"At this rate you're gonna put the mayor out of a job." You call back as you walk out of the room and into the hall
>Passing by Radom's room, you poke your head in and see him tossing and turning
"You okay?" You ask, causing him to sit up
>"Yeah...I just can't sleep." He sighed
>You sigh and flick on the light, walking into the room and sitting at the foot of the bed
"Something up?"
>Radom frowned, unsure of whether to speak up or not
>"It's those two fillies from the parade...they laughed when I said I wanted to be a Royal Guard..."
"So?" You asked
>"What if they're right? What if I can't do it?"
>You shake your head
"Let me tell you about those two, they're a couple of spoiled bullies that have no dreams or aspirations of their own beyond sucking off their daddies' money until they can sink their claws into some poor bastard and leech off him for the rest of their lives."
>Radom just looked at you supremely confused
>Maybe you took it a little too far
"My point is, they don't know anything, and they're not worth listening to. If you want to be a Royal Guard, you be the best one you can be."
>Radom looked down at the sheets
>You figured you should just quit while you're behind
>You sigh and ruffle his mane and make your way to the door
"Try and get some sleep." You said, reaching for the light switch
>"Uncle Anon?" He asked, stopping you in your tracks
>"You really think I can do it?"
"I think you can do anything you set your mind to." 
>Radom smiles weakly, nestling his head back down onto the pillow
>"Goodnight uncle Anon..."
>You smile and flick off the light
>As you step into the hallway you're immediately faced with Mosina hanging right in front of you with a shit eating grin on her face
"Clever girl..." You say
>"Quite the speech you gave in there." She said, dropping to the floor
>You shrugged
"Just gave him the same speech my dad would have given me...just, you know, poorly."
>Mosina snickered at you as you moved toward the bedroom
>"I think you did fine, as usual." She said reassuringly
"I just don't think I'm getting the hang of this parenting thing." You said with exasperation
"You heard me trying to talk to him this morning, it was awkward as fuck."
>Mosina frowned as you climbed into bed
>"You're over-thinking it...you're doing just fine!" She said, climing in next to you
"That's easy for you to say, you're related, family. I'm just some guy."
>You feel her hoof pull your face toward hers
>She looked into your eyes with a seriousness usually foreign to her
>"Radom loves you, Anon. He thinks of you as family, and whether you think so or not," She said, putting her hoof on your cheek
>"Trust me."
>You take her hoof in hand, and force a smile
"Alright, I believe you." You say
>She grins and plants a peck on your lips
>"Good." She said, flipping over and getting comfortable
>"Now go to sleep, Flik says you're both gonna be busy tomorrow."
>An hour later, you still lay in the darkness, staring up at the ceiling
>You thought about your life, everything that you'd been through, and all that had changed in the short time you'd been here
>You almost didn't believe it, you wouldn't if you hadn't lived it
>Finally you closed your eyes and let out a deep sigh, thinking about what Camomile had said to you back in Hollow Shades
>How you lacked confidence in yourself
>How your past weighed on you
>Back then, she'd been right, but now it didn't feel like it weighed you down anymore
>You realized that your past mistakes no longer sat upon your shoulders, replaced with growing anxiety about what was yet to come
>Not just for yourself, but for the family that now depended on you
>But, Mosina was right, and Camomile before her
>You were a good man, and you would do everything you could to make a decent life here, for everyone
>With a tired smile, you felt yourself slip off to sleep
>Tomorrow was going to be the first day of the rest of your life, and you were going to be damn sure to give it everything you got
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