Note: This was written as an entry for the EQD Bat Pony Write-Off. However, owing to a busy schedule I was not able to complete it in time for the contest.

Fangs in the Dark
by
Victor Whiterock

I had just come off a stint as a bosun on the gryphon freighter Pin Feather. I had served on her for three years and would have stayed on longer except for a disagreement between me and the first mate.

Summer Squall was a competent shipmate and he treated most of the crew decently enough, but for me he had only scorn. He was a light maned, fair coated pegasus and I suppose the sight of my dusky hide and bat wings is what drove him to hate me.

We had been up on deck when he saw fit to tear into me for a slipped line that one of the junior crew had mis-tied.

“Rip Saw, you miserable dog! I ought to bust out your pointy little teeth for not watchin’ what your ponies are doin’. Or maybe the sun’s too bright for you? Maybe it’s cooked that little batty brain o’ yours?”

Maybe the sun was a little too warm that day. That might have been why I decided it was time to put this blowhard in his place. I turned to the first mate and raised my chin.

“If want to bust out my ‘pointy little teeth’ then why don’t you try it?”

A creep he may have been, but a coward he was not. Even though I stood a good hoof taller than him, Squall didn’t back down. He just gave me a hard stare until, without warning, he socked me a hard right to the jaw.

Squall’s grin faded a bit when he realized that his sucker punch hadn’t knocked me down. I rubbed my sore muzzle a bit, spat some blood on the deck, and grinned at the first mate.

“That was a pretty good hit. Let’s see if I can’t return the favor, eh?”

When the fight ended I had a black eye and Squall had a broken wing. I didn’t meant to get so rough with him, but the darn fool hadn’t left me much choice.

The problem was that there was an unspoken code amongst those that rode the air. Unless it was a life or death struggle, you didn’t go for the wings. In my enthusiasm I had broken that code. Not only that, but I had attacked the first mate. As much as the captain might like me personally, he couldn’t overlook that kind of insubordination.

So Captain Growling and I had decided in private that I would stay on until we reached our next port of call. I would collect my pay and quietly leave the ship. I liked the crew, with the exception of Summer Squall of course, and was sorry to go.

The ship docked in Baltimare and I shortly found myself a free agent. I had a good number of bits since I tended not to waste my money on frivolous vices like a lot of sailors, but I didn’t know anyone in this town. Add to that the fact that Baltimare was a pony town. There were a lot of pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies but there weren’t a lot of bat ponies about.

In fact, I had only ever encountered maybe two or three of my kind since leaving home years ago. It was a sad fact that because of other pony’s prejudices towards my tribe I usually felt more comfortable with the other races. Never had I experienced a gryphon calling my leathery wings unnatural, nor a had I heard a zebra gasp in fear at my yellow slit eyes.

One could understand if I felt a slight trepidation as I made my way through the streets of this bustling port town.

That night I found myself in a quaint inn near the waterfront. The clientele came from all over the world which gave me the anonymity that I desired. I was sitting in the common room enjoying a meal when I heard someone approach me.

I turned and saw an earth pony standing patiently by my table. When I met him eye to eye he addressed me in a strange, heavy accent.

“My master, he wish to speek to yoo. He pay for your food. Come.” He beckoned me to follow him then started to walk away.

For a moment I didn’t move. Someone had paid my tab and wanted to meet with me? I was incredulous to say the least but it wasn’t every day that I received an invitation like this.

I got up and followed the strange earth pony. He led us back to a private room. I walked in and was impressed by the scene before me.

The long table was strewn with food of all sorts, served in sumptuous dishes of fine silver and crystal. All around were pillows and cushions of an eastern design made of rich silk. Reclining on those pillows were two more earth ponies, a pegasus, and a gryphon. It was clear from where I stood that the gryphon was in charge so walked directly to him and nodded.

“Your pony tells me that you wanted to talk.”

The gryphon motioned for me to sit and he introduced himself as Goliad. He then rang a bell and a diamond dog, fitted with a heavy leather collar, entered bearing a pitcher and glass. The servant offered me a drink which I accepted. After we were settled, my host got down to business.

“I think one such as you might be looking for work, yes?” His accent wasn’t the same as the pony that had fetched me but it was still foreign and odd sounding to my ears. “I can use one such as you, oh child of the moon. My party and I, we travel to Canterlot to meet with my master. We are ever weary of bandits and so have need of guards. You, with your moon blessed eyes shall be a fine guard for our journey. A good payment we can also guarantee.”

He took out a heavy purse and spilled some of its contents onto the table. Gold sparkled in the lamp light. I was sorely tempted to accept right there and then, but something held me back.

First off, this was no ordinary company. The amount of money that this bird was throwing around made me suspect that he was involved in some ventures that might not be completely legal. The four ponies that accompanied him were tough looking characters and, while Goliad might be expected to have some heavies in his employ, these fellows didn’t look like normal body guards to me.

And then there was the matter of his speech. He kept referring to me as a child of the moon. As a colt growing up in Hollow Shades I had heard that term used a few time. It was used by older ponies to refer to the love that banished Luna had for her children. Those devout bat ponies would say that the sleeping Princess looked down on us, the children of the moon, and blessed us under her all-seeing eye.

I had always found the saying kind of creepy and had never heard any other tribe or race refer to it before. So how did this foreign gryphon know about it?

Goliad must have sensed my reluctance. He called his diamond dog to him and whispered instructions into his ear. As the dog bounded off, my host addressed me in an almost apologetic tone.

“I think you misunderstand me, yes? It is not only treasure that I worry about on this trip. All these,” he gestured to the other fellows at the table, “and more besides are under my care. It is important that they reach Canterlot safely, yes? Ah, here is one more that you will guard.”

I followed Goliad’s gaze and for a moment my breath left me.

The most exquisite creature that I had ever laid eyes on had just entered the room. She was a unicorn; lithe of limb and beautiful in form. Her pale pink mane curled slightly around her gorgeous face and her yellow coat was so light that it was almost white. I had read some amount of poetry in my life, but until this point had never considered writing any.

Now I felt as though I could fill a whole library with the stuff.

“Ambrosia, come sit and meet our new guard, yes?” She took a seat by my host and kept her head bowed so as not to make eye contact with me. Goliad patted the filly fondly. “Now you see our most important treasure! Surely, you will help us guard her, yes?”

I still had reservations, but when Ambrosia looked up for a brief moment and I saw her shining eyes meet mine I felt myself swept away in the moment.

“Yes,” said I, “I will help get you to Canterlot.”

…

We set out the next morning. I soon learned that Goliad’s right claw pony was the pegasus I had seen last night. He was an unassuming sort, with a tan coat and a brown mane. His cutey mark was that of a sling used to throw rocks and his name was, appropriately enough, Long Shot. The instructions that he gave me and the others were brief and to the point. Even with his tough demeanor, he still didn’t seem to mind me being a bat pony, so that immediately put him higher in my estimation than the previous pegasus that had been over me.

As we walked I kept a look out for any trouble. I hadn’t traveled the interior of Equestria in years and had been under the impression that Princess Celestia had greatly increased the presence of the Royal Guard in order to make the highways safer. But if my employer was worried about bandits then I would worry about them too.

We had three wagons and two more diamond dogs had come with us. They too wore the leather collar of their fellow and I wondered if they were servants in the gryphon's employ or whether they were his slaves. I wasn’t fond of slavery, but had been to many parts of the world where it was a common practice. For now, I wasn’t going to question my employer too closely about it.

About mid-day one of the wagons gave up its passenger, the Lady Ambrosia. She apparently wanted to take a walk after being cooped up in her wagon for so long. She started to walk in front of me, occasionally looking back over her shoulder and giving me curious looks.

I was used to the looks. After all, I would have been surprised if she had ever seen one of my tribe before. What I couldn’t get used to was the way her curvy form trotted in front of me! My father had always raised me to respect mares and I felt like a letch with her tail bobbing before me.

Deciding that this would not do, I quickened my pace so that I pulled up beside her. She noticed where I was and turned.

“Do you wish to address me?” It was the first time I had heard her voice. It was a sweet as her name, with just a hint of the strange accent with which Goliad spoke.

“No miss.”

“Then why do you approach me? Why do not walk behind me as a servant ought to?”

“Uh, well because miss. I’m a stallion and it’s just not proper for me to walk with a beautiful filly’s tail in my face.”

She got a puzzled look on her brow as she thought about my words. Then comprehension dawned and her muzzle flushed a brighter shade of pink that her mane.

“You- you barbarian! You think that I…? Hmph!” She stormed away to the other side of the caravan. Behind me I could he Goliad laughing at Ambrosia’s little show. At least I wasn’t going to get in trouble with her guardian.

That night we camped out under the stars. I sat before the fire and ate dinner. My shift to stand guard would be in small hours of the evening, when my keen night vision would be most useful. I heard the clop of hooves and it turned out to be Long Shot come to give me further instructions.

“I want you to keep a lookout on the tree line to the south of us. Perfect place to stage a raid.”

I nodded, but then asked, “Are you sure bandits are that big of a problem, I thought the Royal Guard had been expanding the patrols in recent years?”

He gave me a calculating look, then shook his head. “This caravan is hauling some stuff that certain parties would love to get their hooves on. In other words, we’re not worried about random raids, we’re worried about thieves who know exactly what their after.”

He looked at me. It wasn’t a hostile look. More like he was curious. “I’ll admit I haven’t met many bat ponies. What possessed you to leave the Shades, Rip?”

I was surprised. Not many ponies even knew about my tribe outside of a few rumors, and even fewer knew of my native valley.

“Well, my family has been cutting timber for I don’t know how many generations. The Saws go way back. But personally I hate cutting trees. My father had my brother, Band, to take over for him so one day I bid ‘em goodbye and started traveling.”

“Hmmn.” Long Shot gave me an even look; almost as if he where judging me. Finally he got up to leave.

“I saw your little spat with Lady Ambrosia earlier, by the way. You know, that’s probably the first time she’s ever been treated like a real mare by a stallion. Just see that you mind your P’s and Q’s around her, alright?”

The pegasus trotted off and I was more confused than ever. Just what had he meant by that? Ambrosia was certainly the princess of our little caravan, but had she really had that sheltered of a life? I thought about the other stallions in our company. Surely, they gave her the occasional glance?

Looking back on it though I realized that, no, they really didn’t. They treated her with a respect and deference that almost bordered on reverence; as though they were serfs to her royalty.

I had tried holding conversations with the earth ponies that worked for Goliad but they were all pretty tight lipped. I would ask them a question and they would only reply as much as was necessary to answer me. All in all, I decided, this caravan was populated by a very curious group.

The moon was bright as I stood watch that night. It was waxing and almost full. Even without my night sensitive eyes I doubt I would have had any trouble seeing anything that approached our camp.

I look up and gazed at the Mare in the Moon. What Goliad had called me during our first meeting had gotten me thinking about all the stuff I had been taught as a foal. I didn’t really go in for all the religion that my folks had shoved my throat growing up. But looking up and seeing Her looking down on me, well, I admit it had always been an awe inspiring sight.

My vigil continued until just a few hours before dawn. One of the taciturn earth ponies came to relieve me and I returned to camp to get some sleep.

As I passed by Goliad’s tent I heard mutterings coming from within. I don’t know what possessed me to, but I paused and listened.

“hmmn… Moon’s blessed. Yes. Night… Yes! Bless her children, Yes. Kreargh, kreeela… Eeak!” at this point he started mumbling in whatever his native tongue was.

Again, he had made reference to the children of the Moon. And this time I didn’t think he was speaking of me or my tribe. As a good hire I should have just turned away then. Should have just gone back to my bedroll and gone to sleep. But curiosity burned within me. I eased around to the edge of one of the tent flaps and used a wing to part it just enough for one eye to peer through.

Even with my heightened vision there wasn’t much to see in the inky blackness of Goliad’s tent. However, one fixture stood out. On a table across from the sleeping gryphon sat a statue of some sort. I couldn’t make out what kind of material it was made of, thought it gleamed even in the weak light. What I could make out was its shape; that of a coiled cobra, hood spread and fangs gleaming in the darkness!

…

The next morning we struck camp and set out. I had made it to bed without incident but I was still troubled by what I had seen. I knew from my travels that there were a number of cults that worshiped serpent images across the world and that most of them were benign.

If my employer was a follower of one of these societies, than that was his business. But still, the icon in his tent seemed anything but harmless. I resolved to keep my eyes and ears open.

As the day wore on our caravan’s own princess once again decided to stretch her legs. For a while she trotted as far away from me as she could while still staying within the safety of the wagon train.

Every once in a while she would look my way and I did my best to ignore her. I had a hard time reading the moods of females and didn’t care to set her off again. Finally, though, she came trotting in my direction.

Without any sort of preamble she said, “Well, are you going to offer an apology or aren’t you?”

“A-apology?”

“For your rudeness yesterday!” she huffed. I will admit, even her bad moods were adorable.

“Miss Ambrosia, I wasn’t being rude. If I had stayed behind you looking at your backside, that would have been rude, don’t you think?”

She considered my words. Finally she looked at me and her expression softened a little. “I think you are right. I should not have…”

“LOOK OUT!”

All around us the bushes rustled. Vines started growing towards the wagons at an unnatural rate. The wheels were soon choked with the woody branches.

Down out of the tree tops dropped two pony shaped blurs. Two of our earth ponies tried to get in front the intruders but ended up on their back before they knew what had hit them. I got between them and Ambrosia and flared my wings. Two flip blades that I had concealed in the fold of my wings issued forth from their sheaths.

Every sailor who was good in a fight knew at least the basics of knife fighting; and I was no amateur. The first blur resolved itself in front of me. The interloper’s stripes declared him a zebra. I didn’t have time to worry about that though, as he struck low at my legs with a vicious kick.

Jumping to avoid it, I drove him off with a swipe of my left blade. I was careful not to overextend myself, as this creature was one of the most superb fighters I had ever faced. The fact that I had my unicorn princess to protect as well put me at something of a disadvantage.

As we slowly circled each other with Ambrosia staying behind me, I could hear shouts at the other end of the caravan. I hoped that the others were having better luck with their opponent.

As I tried to herd Ambrosia towards the relative safety of one of the wagons while keeping an eye on my enemy, the unicorn stumbled and fell. I looked towards her for just a moment and that was all it took for the zebra to rush me.

I managed to catch him a glancing blow with one of my knives, but by that time he was on me and bore me to the ground. Ambrosia screamed as the zebra got me in a leg-bar. As he increased the pressure, I was sure that he was going to break my right foreleg.

Then, a whizzing sound met my ear and my attacker immediately let go of my trapped leg and rolled backwards.

Another whizzing sound; this time followed by the sound of a projectile striking the ground.

I rolled over as fast I could but by the time I had righted myself the zebra was gone. Instead I saw Long Shot standing on top of one of the wagons. In one of his wings he held a sling with a smooth stone fitted in the cup.

He jumped down to meet us.

“Are you both alright?” he asked without looking at us. His eyes were still scanning the trees.

“I think so.” I muttered. I looked over at the frightened unicorn. She looked at me and nodded. “Yah, we’re both fine. What was that all about?”

“Remember what I said about thieves who knew what they were after? That was two of them.” He turned and strode off. “Alright! Let’s try and get these branches cleared. Bloody zebra magic…”

By the time we got the mystically grown vines cleared we only had a few hours of daylight left. Goliad was not pleased. Apparently we were on some sort of schedule that I was unaware of.

“We must make it by tomorrow night, Yes!” he repeated emphatically.

“And we will.” Long Shot reassured him. “We’re almost to Ponyville. From there it’s a strait shot to the Everfree.” I wondered idly if they knew that I could hear them conversing. Many didn’t realize that a bat pony’s sight wasn’t the only sense we had that was sharper than the other tribes.

So now we weren’t headed to Canterlot, but instead the Everfree Forest? I resolved tonight to find some answers to the questions that had been piling up on this trip.
Later that night we setup camp in a field by a small river. If any zebras wanted to attack us they would have to move through an open field or ford a river.

I sat down beside Long Shot and thanked him for saving me.

“Don’t mention it. I should be thanking you for keeping Lady Ambrosia safe. I doubt any of the others here would have had the presence of mind to keep her properly protected. They would have just blindly attacked and got laid out. Then who knows what those monsters would have done to her.”

“Do you think they would have kidnapped her?”

He shook his head. “No. They wouldn’t have able to haul her off with us in pursuit.”

“Then you think that they might have tried to...” I couldn’t finish the thought.

“Kill her? Maybe. If they were desperate enough.”

“Alright!” I whispered furiously. “What is going on here? First, we’ve got zebras attacking us. Then you tell me they probably were trying to murder some harmless unicorn filly. And then I hear you telling Goliad that we’re headed to the Everfree forest. I don’t really care about the gold or the treasure, but if that innocent thing is in trouble then I’ll be a suck-egg mule before I allow her to waltz into danger!”

During my tirade Long Shot’s eyes got wide. Then they narrowed and he gave me a stern look. “Mister, if you heard where we’re headed then I suggest you keep that to yourself. You want to know what’s going on? Fine. You go on your watch tonight and I’ll meet up with you later, alright?” He glanced around as if looking for eavesdroppers.

It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but I supposed that it would have to do. I agreed.
We sat in silence until Goliad joined us a little while later.

“The Lady Ambrosia, she has been asking to see our Mr. Rip Saw. I think that she must wish to thank you for saving her today, yes? You go to her now. Maybe she whispers sweet somethings in your ear. Just make sure that there are no hanky-pankies, yes?” He cackled as though amused with his own joke.

I got up slowly and wandered back to where Ambrosia’s tent was. I announced my presence and entered. Inside the unicorn mare bid me sit on a long cushion beside her. I eased myself onto down, hissing a little at the soreness in my foreleg. She let out of small coo of sympathy and went over to a chest. There she remove several jars and brought them back to where I lay.

“You hold still, and I will help your injury.” I didn’t know what she had planned, but thought it best to humor her. I was startled when she applied a tingling liniment to my sore limb. As she rubbed it into my hide with a practiced motion she looked up at me and gave a small smile.

“That zebra was going to kill you. Yet still you fought to protect me. I think that I should say thank you, yes?”

“Well, protecting you is what I get paid for.” I groused. Her hoof felt so good on the sore muscles of my leg. After a little while she withdrew and my injuries felt remarkably better.

She reached for another jar and poured a greenish substance into a small cup. To that she added some scalding water from a tea kettle. Stirring the cup she looked up at me and this time her head darted forward a little.

“You are paid, it is true. But I think perhaps you would have protected me even if you weren’t being paid?” She held my gaze and looked as though she were torn with indecision.

Now, I had never been good with the opposite sex. All the mares that I had ever known either took me for a ride or simply shot me down. But even I could tell what this sheltered filly wanted. I leaned in slowly and laid a gentle kiss on her lips.

Just like her voice, that kiss lived up her namesake.

She blushed and, murmuring words that I couldn’t understand, turned to retrieve the drink that she had made for me.

“Drink. It will help you rest.”

“I have the watch later tonight.” I didn’t want to miss Long Shot and what he had to tell me.

“I will wake you when it is time. Here, take.”

I took the proffered drink. I would have normally been a bit more wary, but that kiss had affected me as much as it had her, I think. She nuzzled my neck as I lay down on the cushion beneath me. She whispered soothing words in my ear and I started to pass out. As I faded out of consciousness I heard her mutter the words ‘sorry’ and ‘forgive me’ but I couldn’t think of single thing she had done to offend me as I slipped off in to a deep, dreamless sleep.

…

I awoke and the first thing I noticed was the smell. I was no longer in Ambrosia's perfumed tent. The ground around me smelled like heavy loam. The kind found in a deep forest.

The next think I sensed were the sounds. A throbbing pulse was splitting my head. It took me a moment to realize that it was coming from a mighty drum, pounding somewhere off in the distance. I raised my eyelids slowly. It felt like had been asleep forever.

As my eyes focused I could see that it was night and that off in the distance were the small, ruddy glows of torches glimmering through the thick foliage that surrounded me.
Both my fore and rear hooves were bound. I thought about testing the ropes but if I had a guard I didn’t want to alert them that I had awoken.

I suppose I should have been more surprised at this turn of events but honestly, with all the strange things that had happened up to this point, I was remarkably calm.

Somehow, I felt that if I was in danger than Ambrosia must be in danger as well. Perhaps that was naive on my part but I just couldn’t see that sweet, haughty unicorn perpetrating such an act as this. And if she was in danger than that meant that I needed to act swiftly.

Peering around I spied the lone guard that had been posted to me. It was one of the earth ponies that had been part of our caravan. Well, at least that ruled out capture by the mystery zebras.

Testing my wings, I discovered that they had not been bound. Obviously those that had tied me up didn’t know how big of a mistake they had made in forgoing those appendages!

I decided on a desperate gambit to escape. Pretending I was still asleep, I gave a small cry as though I were having a nightmare. I thrashed around a bit and gurgled so that my guard might think I was choking in my sleep.

It worked. The earth pony came over to me in a hurry. As he leaned over, I struck him in the wind pipe with my wing. Most ground-bound ponies assume that the pinions of flight are delicate things. What they don’t think about is how those seemingly fragile limbs are tough enough to hold aloft a grown stallion.

As the guard gagged I threw myself on top of him. I worked my bound forelimbs over his head and commenced squeezing. In but a few seconds he was out.

After gnawing my ropes off, which took much longer than I had hoped, I got up and edged towards the clearing where the lights were flickering. What I saw there left me absolutely dumbfounded.

Before me were what looked like ancient ruins. Great stones piled on one another to create the outline of a ruined castle. On the flag stones stood a large throng of sundry creatures. I counted ponies, but I also counted gryphons, diamond dogs, and what looked like changelings. They were all facing the center of the ruined courtyard. A crude platform had been erected and on top of that was a squat square table with a cloth draped over it.

I was astonished to see a zebra standing behind the table and even more surprised to see Goliad standing beside him.

This zebra was like nothing I had ever seen. He was taller that his gryphon companion and was done up in grotesque makeup. A large turquoise dragon eye was painted on his forehead. He looked down at the hundred or so that were assembled and then raised a hoof. Immediately the drums stopped.

“All of you,” he intoned in a weird voice. “You are the blessed of the moon. We have waited for Her return for so long. The ancients said that the stars will someday aid in Her escape. I say, brothers and sisters, that WE are those stars. And tonight we will bring down the moon!”

Everyone burst into rapturous applause.

It finally all made sense. There were a number of creatures in the world that had slit eyes; dragons, lizards, and serpents among them. The slit eye was also a symbol of another creature. One which these fanatics obviously worshipped.

Nightmare Moon.

The idea that they could free her from her banishment was insane. But then Goliad waved a claw at some of the lunatics who ran off to carry out his command. When they returned my blood ran cold.

The followers where leading a blind folded and gaged Ambrosia to the front of the platform. When they laid her on the squat table I realized to my horror that it wasn’t a table at all.

It was an altar.

The zebra pulled out a large knife. The shouts and cheers increased. They were going to kill her! Blood for Nightmare Moon's revival!

At this point all rational thought left me. I launched myself into the air and streaked towards the altar and its precious burden. Fortunately, the crowd was so focused on the tableau before it that nobody noticed my approach. The zebra and the gryphon on the stage were looking at their sacrifice with such rapt attention that they didn’t notice me until I delivered a brutal airborne kick to the to the cult leader's head.

I spun end over end and finally came to a halt some length away from the altar. When I looked up everyone behaved as thought their promised messiah had actually shown herself. No one made a sound. Goliad stood there with his mouth open trying to find words for what had just happened. I wasn’t about to give him the chance to.

Charging towards the gryphon I slid and knocked his paws out from under him. I rolled over and scrabbled up towards the altar.

As soon as Goliad went down, the spell of silence that the crowd had seemingly been under evaporated. With howls and cries for blood, they charged en masse towards the platform. I didn’t have time to free Ambrosia from her blindfold or gag. Instead, I wrapped my forelegs around her barrel and hauled her up as I strained my wings to lift us both into the air.

I managed to get us airborne just above the reaching talons and snapping jaws of the enraged throng. I knew I couldn’t keep aloft indefinitely and their flyers would be on us momentarily, so I made a beeline for one of the parapets on the high wall that still stood.

As we touched down I pulled the cruel gag and blindfold of off the unicorn filly. Her eyes lit up when she saw me. She cried out my name and we embraced. I wished at that moment that I could give her more comfort but, given the cruel circumstances, all I could offer was chance for her to face her fate bravely.

“They’re coming for us. I swear I will protect you to the last. Do you understand?” She nodded, her smile fleeing. “I want you to take all the rocks around us. If you see a flyer I want you to pelt him out of the sky like Long Shot did that Zebra okay?” Again she nodded. I gave her a quick peck on the cheek and turned to face the howling horde that was charging up the narrow steps to out location. I knew we were doomed but I was determined to make them pay dearly for our lives.

The first fiend came into view. He was burly looking earth pony done up in ghoulish war paint. I ducked under his first clumsy blow, got under his barrel, and then heaved him over the side of the wall. As he met his end another lunatic, this one a diamond dog, took his place.

I fought like a bat possessed. The thought of what they would do to that precious creature behind me spured me on. Time ceased to have meaning and my foes blurred together. I struck and struck again.

They kept coming; as relentless as the tide.

As my strength started to ebb I started making little mistakes and finally a large gryphon caught and pinned me against the wall. I heard a scream and turned to see that a pegasus has made it through my companion’s barrage and had taken her captive as well.

Roaring defiance, I head butted the gryphon that had me pinned. I dealt him a hay-maker that knocked him to the floor. Before I could look up another fiend caught me a glancing blow to the head and down I went.

I refused to give in to unconsciousness but I knew that I was done. Oh, how I wished that I could trade my life so that sweet filly might live!

As I gazed on her one last time, I heard what I thought was a whizzing sound. All of a sudden Ambrosia’s captor went down like a sack of potatoes! I heard renewed shouts coming from the courtyard and a tan pegasus alighted on the parapet. He looked like Long Shot, except that this pegasus wore the golden armor of the Royal Guard.

I looked at the newcomer for a moment more then gave into to my injuries and everything faded to black.

…

When I awoke, it was to the delightful sight of Ambrosia sitting next to me. I groaned and tried to sit up but she laid her hooves on me and bid me relax. Over the next few minutes she answered my questions, one by one.

I was currently in a field hospital in Ponyville. Long Shot, and yes it was Long Shot in that armor, had brought an entire regiment of the Royal Guard down on the Everfree ruins.

Because of my actions they had been able to capture their leader; a renegade zebra named Ugoya. For years the fanatical leader had recruited members to his cult and promised them a dark salvation at the hooves of Nightmare Moon.

I asked the unicorn mare if she had known what she had been doing when she drugged me. She looked forlorn and admitted that Goliad, who had raised her like a father, had instructed her to put me to sleep. He had told her that if she didn’t that he would have no choice but to kill me. She had believed that if the gryphon got what he wanted that he would spare me.

She begged me to forgive her. Frankly, after what we had been through together I could hold no ill towards her. I reached a hoof up towards the filly and pulled her into my embrace.

Even with my split lip, that kiss was the sweetest pleasure.

A polite cough interrupted us and I looked up to see Long Shot standing in the tent's entrance.

He sat down beside me opposite Ambrosia. My first question was who he really was.

The pegasus laughed. "Sergent major Long Shot, at your service." He gave a small bow. It had been a little more than a year since the guard had gone undercover and insinuated himself into Ugoya's cabal.

"I thought I had Goliad's trust but that old buzzard must have guessed who I really was. I don't know if he had someone spying one us that night or if he had planned to get rid of me before we reached the Everfree. That night when I went to meet you and explain what I was up too they jumped men. I got roughed up pretty bad. I managed to make it to the river and tumbled in. I suppose they thought I must've drowned because they didn't send anypony in after me. In reality it was a near thing. I just managed to haul my sorry flank ashore and made my way to the nearest guard post. I already had a pretty good idea where they would be holding their little party, so it was just a matter of rounding up the cavalry and saving the day."

"Well, I'm glad you did." I winced and Ambrosia started fussing over me again. "So why do you think they took me alive? I still can't figure why they didn't just off me."

"From what I understand, they were going to use you as part of the sacrifice."

"Are you serious?"

"Yup, a pure unicorn maiden and an honest to goodness 'child of the moon'. How could Nightmare Moon resist such offerings? Anyway, we got all the ring leaders and the zebra nation will be happy that we got Ugoya. Those two zebras that attacked us by the way? They were agents of the zebra nation that were trying to stop Ugoya by keeping us from bringing him his 'sacrifices'."

We sat there as I pondered what Long Shot had told us. I was just glad that it was over and that the unicorn beside me was safe.

Finally, the sergeant major stood up. "I better get back to my company. Got a heck of a report to write. But you know, Rip, we could you a pony like you in the guard. You're good in a fight and you keep your head. Heck, with my recommendation and what you pulled tonight they would probably start you out with two additional stripes. What do you say?"

I didn't know what to say. A position as a Royal Guard? Me?

"Hmn, I'll think about it. I just don't know if I could swear an oath to Celestia. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against the Crown. It's just, well..."

Long Shot nodded. "I understand. Well, we'll talk about it later. Get some rest and let that cute filly take good care of you." he bowed slightly towards Ambrosia and left.

I looked over at the gorgeous unicorn as she gave me a look of pure adoration. That last request that Long Shot had made, I would have no trouble carrying out.

Fin.