>Night Sophisticated Sonar in Equestria
>Be Anonymous
>Your alarm sounds and you roll lazily to one side of your bed
>The time is eight at night and you need to be at work in an hour
>You roll from your bed with all the enthusiasm you can muster and ready yourself for the night
>After a quick cold shower, you head over to your armour stand and begin to don your suit
>Just another day on 'the force' you think as your helmet slides onto your head
>You march from your home with a clatter not unlike dishpans falling to the floor as you make your way to your post
>The night air is still and clouds hang heavy in their heavens and you settle in for another uneventful day at the castle
>Your first hour is quiet as you stand still with you spear at your side
>Occasionally, you would hear the voices from the tower above you of noble ponies speaking about nothing in particular
>You often wonder what nobles do at night and take a moment to mock up a few scenarios
>The first thing you come up with is that nobles must prepare for the next day
>Surely, they would have speeches to give and some kind of agenda
>Though you've never met a noble who actually did anything noticeably difficult
>So you think a bit longer until your mind wanders into more scandalous territory
>You would not be surprised if the night sees its share of adultery in the otherwise boring and gray walls of Canterlot Castle
>A smile plays over your face as you think about all the dirty secrets of your employer's
>The night air parts suddenly and you stand straight at attention
>A black chariot soars through the sky in your direction and you know exactly where this is going
>Within moments, two night guards touch down and stand before you
>The large rider steps from her platform on shining hooves and looks upon you with a stern demeanor
>It is the Princess of the Night in the flesh and, oddly enough, another pony you do not recognize
>Princess Luna gracefully walks towards you with her head held high and her cosmic mane flows unnaturally in the still air
>"Guard Anonymous, how does the night find you?"
"Finds us well, dear Princess. Can I be of service to you?"
>"In fact, you can! I have here a new trainee..."
>She motions for the smaller pony to join her by her side
>"This is Nightlight and she is a new recruit into the ranks of the royal night watch. I am tasking you with her training, if you feel up to such task?"
>You think for a moment about having to haul around a new recruit for the next few weeks and Luna looks at your face as if trying to read you
>"It does come with such benefits as extra rations and increased pay."
>You keep your steadfast expression as you rattle the idea about
>The money would be nice, but is not necessary
>Luna looks you over again and you catch a glimpse of apprehension wearing on her muzzle
>"What if I offer you a larger room?"
>You let a smile slip and Luna returns it in kind
>She must have been listening to your only complaint since you started working her so long ago
"I think this is a fair increase, Princess. I will be happy to take up the young stallion."
>The thought of a larger room motivates you greatly and you let your attention slide just long enough for Luna to correct you in her usual frank manner
>"I am sorry to inform you, but your young ward will be a mare."
>An oddly satisfied smile crosses her lips as she pushes your new apprentice towards you
"That is fine by me, Princess."
>It would mean you do not even have to bunk up!
>"Then it is settled! I shall make preparations for your belongings to be moved to your new residence!"
>Without too much ceremony, Princess Luna returns to her chariot and takes off to somewhere you don't care to know
>Silence holds the night air as you look over the guard before you
>Her small size hardly supports the armour strewn upon her frame and her wide, naïve eyes tell you the story of a youthful life
>Figures that you would be stuck with this much work, but it is surely worth every minute to finally have some space
"Alright, sentry! Attention is the name of the game!"
>You puff out your chest and keep your voice at a steady tone
"My name is Anonymous, but you will call me, 'Sir', do you understand?"
>"Yes, Sir!"
>You smirk quickly as the small mare salutes and tries to keep her eyes straight ahead
"Well, then... We have five more hours of duty. Is this your first time on watch?"
>"No, Sir! I've been on night watch three times already, Sir!"
>Her voice is a bit higher than you would have thought and it pops on certain words
>You laugh internally while staring intensely at her
"Good, then tell me, what is our duty?"
>"Our duty is to watch and protect the Castle against all her enemies, Sir!"
"And what does the night guard value above all else?"
>"We value speed and stealth, Sir!"
"And what punishment shall we bestow upon those who attempt to sever the peace we strive to maintain?"
>Nightlight is suddenly quiet and her eyes seem to roam towards you
>You are the first to break the stillness with your concise answer
"Uncompromised attack at all costs. Remember that..."
>"Sir, yes, Sir!"
>You dismiss the little mare and leave her in your stead while you move across to the opposite wall
>Covering twice as much ground is both good for your work and good for the castle
>Over the next hour, you watch Nightlight carefully
>Her form is well and you can see her ears move about as she listens for anything out of the ordinary
>Every now and again, her eyes would wonder about and you would let out a gruff noise to snap her to attention
>Another silent hour passes you before your stomach alerts that it is time for food
>You wave Nightlight over to you and she hesitates for the moment
>Not wanting to come off as too strict, you approach her and speak softly
"Sentry Nightlight... could I interest you in a snack?"
>"Um, yes, Sir?"
"At ease... we are on break..."
>"Are we suppose to be on break? I haven't worked more than a four-hour shift..."
"No worries, mine is a an extended workload so we are permitted to a light rest so long as the world looks calm. Would you say it is calm tonight?"
>Nightlight looks at you seriously before removing her helmet
>You have seen many ponies in your time, but something about her ears caught you off-guard
>They are long and equally as wide with tufts of fur around the tips
>Her ears bounce around with a supernatural speed before she smiles to you
>"I don't hear anything suspicious, Sir."
>You take a long look at her features in the moonlight to find some surprising traits
>Her coat is a bluish-gray and her eyes glow with a faint green hue, a bit uncharacteristic of most night guard stock
>Glancing at her muzzle reveals a few pronounced canines and you find yourself needing to ask a few questions
"Nightlight, who is your sire?"
>"Oh... um... do you know Thunder Storm?"
"I cannot say I do. Is he with the royal guard?"
>"No, he works in Cloudsdale with the weather patrol."
"Interesting that you would find yourself here, but congratulations on making it this far."
>"Thank you, Sir."
>You retrieve a loaf of bread, some peanut butter and fresh fruit
>Having the good fortune of requisitioning apples from the nearby farms was a privilege reserved for yourself
>It never hurt to make friends with the locals, especially when you worked in such a position that made others suspicious of you
>The fresh apple in your hand causes Nightlight's head to whip around quickly
>She salivates and you notice her tongue is curiously long for her muzzle
"Ah, do you like apples?"
>"Any kind of fruit, Sir. Sweet, juicy fruit..."
>She stares at the apple with wide eyes and glides her lewd tongue over her lips
>You pass her the apple and she catches it between her jaws
>The fangs pierce the apple's white meat with a loud crunching sound as apple scented drool streams from the mare's face
>Nightlight beams back at you as her grotesque tongue cleans her from nose to chin
"Another question... if you would. Just what kind of pony are you?"
>Devouring her apple, Nightlight looks over to you with puffed cheeks 
>She swallows quickly before turning away from you and speaking lowly
>"It's, uh, it's kind of a long story..."
"Sentry, you do not deny an answer to your commanding officer."
>She looks to you and you smile wickedly before chuckling
"No, no, I joke. I am sure you are wondering what -I- am, after all."
>"Princess Luna said you were something call a, 'human'. She said it was like a Minotaur, but not as confrontational... usually."
>Her eyes narrow as she speaks and you aren't quite sure what she is thinking
"Ah, Princess Luna has a way with words. Always complimenting me."
>"Well, I'm a bat... a bat pony... it's kind of different."
>You raise your eyebrow casually before returning to your otherwise normal expression of boredom 
"I had so much as a feeling. You are not the first I have met in the night guard. I think it's becoming popular for nocturnal types to find work in the night watch."
>"So, so, you don't think it's weird?"
"Why would I think that, sentry?"
>"I don't know... it's just... it's nothing."
>She sits rather still for the moment as you look her over
>You think there are entire squadrons of night guards who share similar characteristics, but Nightlight herself seems to be a bit doubtful
>That is not a good trait; doubt
>You plan to correct that before your lessons are over
"Interesting... well, we should return to our posts shortly. There will be more time to discuss anything you'd like later. Feel free to think up questions for me and reflect on tonight's lessons. There will be a test."
>Nightlight smiles and laughs a light, girly laugh, but you do not share her amusement
"Truly, I am testing you after our shift..."
>You pack up your goods and salute Nightlight smartly
>She returns the sentiment and briskly trots to her post
>The next few hours roll in and out without much sound
>There is a moment where you are sure you heard someone trotting through the grounds, but it was only the Princess' student, Twilight Sparkle
>She was dressed in some odd cat-suit, but you do not think much of it
>That girl has been a little peculiar since you've first met her and both princesses think she's special to some degree or another
>The final hour approaches as the first rays of golden sunlight stretch over the walls and invade your once cool position
>Nightlight lets out a small sigh as the sunshine touches her
>Her silver armour gleams with an unpolished shine and you imagine the suit is a hand-me-down 
>You will teach her how to take care of her armour in time for a guard is nothing without it
>She does not seem armed with any weapon, which is fairly normal for newer recruits
>The dawn finally arrives and you sigh happily to yourself as the boring evening leaves you
>Your relief comes in the form of a white stallion in brilliant polished armor
"Commander."
>You nod to him as he passes you and stand at attention
>"Hmm, Guard Anonymous. I didn't know you work on the western wall?'
"I am a man of many talents, sir."
>You chuckle before the two of you break down the facade of ranking
"Haven't seen you in a while! How's the missus?"
>"Better than you'd expect with how much I'm away these days! We even just found out that we have a, -ahem-, new edition to the royal guard on the way."
"You sly devil, you! Glad to hear it."
>You hand him your nightly report and he takes it in his magic
>A quick glance confirms that it was another boring night
>The unicorn snorts once before approaching Nightlight
>"Ah, the new mare. I've heard you'd be on duty."
>She salutes him quickly and stands with a dire expression plastered to her face
>"Sir, yes, sir!"
>Nightlight lets go a yelp somewhere between terror and hemorrhoid pain before the Commander nods to her
>He looks back to you and smiles broadly
>"I see you have yet another pony under your metaphorical wing."
"The Princess seems to really trust me. I think, perhaps, I have a way with ponies."
>"Why don't you just take the promotion already? You know it's just sitting there, waiting for you to come and join the elites."
>You laugh lowly and wave your hand in the air
"Too stuffy for me, personally. I am rather fond of this job."
>"You'll come around someday. You've got too much talent and time here to be doing shift work."
>The Commander is always a breath of fresh air for you, truly a pony you're proud to call your superior
>You say your goodbyes and watch as the Commander casts a large, magical bubble over the castle
>It fades from a deep pink to a translucent shield encompassing the sky
>Magic always impresses you, but you'd never let the unicorn caste know, especially not the Commander
>Nightlight quickly matches your stride as you begin the trek to your old home
>A note on the door halts your progress and you read it over carefully
>Apparently, you new home is closer to the center staging grounds, not far from the combat training fields
>"Excuse me, Sir?"
"At ease... call me Anonymous off-duty. What can I do for you?"
>"That was the Commander back there?"
"Yes, and you came off rather green. I was sure you would fall over in fright."
>You smirk quickly before heading to your new dwelling
>The two of you reach your home in no time and you find it to be much larger than you would have asked for
>There is so much extra space that they found room for another bed and a second armour rack
>You would dare say it was large enough for two bodies... to...
"Nightlight... where are your quarters?"
>"Um, the Princess said my room would be in the Militia Garrison. Oh, look! My bed!"
>She enters the room with mild excitement before sliding her gear off and stacking it haphazardly on the pony shaped equipment stand
>This wasn't part of the bargain!
>As if hearing your angry thoughts from space, the sound of Princess Luna's voice picks up from behind you
>"Ah, good day, Guard Anonymous! Guard Nightlight. I hope you find these new accommodations fitting?"
"Dear Princess, this is not proper procedure. We do not have coed sleeping quarters."
>"This I know... there are a few issues with space, currently, and I found this would be the best way for you to keep a close eye on your current trainee. Besides, coed applies to guards that might make other guards at a spur of the moment. I do not worry about such activities with you."
>Luna grins widely as if daring you to say something and you have trouble holding back your true feelings
"Is it a temporary situation?"
>"I believe so. We are in the process of building another storage room to try and alleviate the recent recruitment rooster."
"Are we planning to defend in the near future?"
>Your face keeps your unperturbed appearance, but something inside you flip-flops with uncertainty
>After the attack on the Princess in the Changeling raid, you have been a bit more on edge
>"No, Anonymous, we do not believe our enemies have the means to assault us just yet. Though, it never hurts to have a few extra sets of hooves around, just in case."
>You nod in agreement before looking to Nightlight
"I will do as we agreed. Under my watch, she will be a powerful new addition to the night watch."
>Luna smiles softly now and steps in close enough to whisper
>"Treat her well, Anonymous. She is special."
>You hope that your eyes did not roll at the word, 'special' as the Princess takes her leave
>So many times you come upon a pony deemed, 'special' only to find they are as ordinary and simple as weeds in a garden
>The door closes against the sunlight and you remove your armour with practice grace
>It hangs neatly on your tall rack and you smile at the final craftsmanship 
>A voice surprises you as Nightlight appears from behind you
>"How do you get your gear so shiny?"
"An excellent question!"
>You rummage about for a bucket, a coarse sponge and a bottle of fine mineral oil
"For your test, as we spoke of, you are tasked with restoring your armour to a shine one step beyond my own and then polishing my armour to a step above your newly polished armour."
>You drop the bucket at her hooves and grin 
"You have one hour, which is just about the same time I will be returning."
>"W-what? You're leaving?"
"For an hour, yes. Do you need me to hold your hoof just to scrub some dirty metal?"
>"No, of course not! I... I just thought that maybe we would, I don't know, do something?'
"I will be doing something, you will be doing something. So, in essence, you are correct!"
>She frowns as you don more casual wear and head towards the door
"Ah, yes, if you get hungry, feel free to search the barrels in the back for food. I know there should be a crate of apples lying around here somewhere."
>With a small sigh, you set out into the daylight
>Something is bothering you and your gut has a certain affinity for being right
>Instinct alone will not clear your head, so it is time to meet a particular friend at her library
>Best to keep your ward preoccupied, bad enough you are already worrying yourself to tears
>The wind lifts up just right as you look to the thin tower of the castle and see a candle burning in the window
"Another favour... she won't mind..."
>You set off into the morning sun, the Night cannot hide its secrets forever