GREEN
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8762 48.32 KB 860
8762 48.32 KB 860
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>You are White Cap
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>At least, that's your real name
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>Your alias is Ren, the estranged older cousin of Aoi
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>You finish putting the plastic hair clip in place and give the mirror a genuine smile
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>Two months ago, the alien looking back at you would have been reeling back, wide-eyed in shock
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>Now you can put on makeup and do up your hair by yourself with your own hands
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>Your brown contact lenses hide your blazing blue eyes
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>The brown hair dye is holding well, though your white ends might come through under the right light
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>To anypony—no—to anyone on the street, you are just another foreign girl, staying close to her distant relative
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>Though to you, Aoi is your savior
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>You stand up from the desk and grab your small side-bag
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>With one last look in the vanity mirror, you smooth out the creases in your long skirt before exiting the guest room
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>Downstairs, Aoi is sitting at the dining table, reading this morning's newspaper with a troubled look
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>She looks up when she hears the wooden stairs creak and smiles at you
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>"[Ready to go?]"
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"Yep. What are you reading?"
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>You can't hold a conversation with a stranger yet, but casual talk inside Aoi's home flows between her language and yours
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>It helps that Aoi knows ponish, or english, fluently
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>Aoi glances at the paper, her smile vanishing, "There was another disappearance reported yesterday."
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>You stop at the bottom of the stairs, upright spine rigid
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"Again?"
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>Aoi nods grimly, "It's been only a few days since the last one. The police are closing the mountain park in order to search it, but I'm not sure if they'll do it when the weather gets bad tonight."
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>You look down at the floor and sigh
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>You were looking forward to the weekend camping trip tomorrow, even if the weather forecast looks bad
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>Storms threatening the coast are your forte, after all
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>Aoi stands up, setting aside the paper and picking up her own purse
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>"But come. We have a lunch date with Miss Moon."
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>Her smile comes back and you return it
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"[Very well.]"
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>The drive makes you nervous as always
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>Strapped down inside a noisy metal box on wheels, competing with hundreds of other metal boxes of all shapes and sizes for narrow strips of road
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>The fact that Aoi's parents were killed in a car accident makes you wonder why she herself drives
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>You distract yourself from dark thoughts by looking up at the late-morning cloudscape
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>The sun is shining now, but not for long
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>Those clouds on the horizon are primed for a nasty storm
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>At a stop sign, Aoi looks over at you
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>"[Do you miss flying through the clouds?]"
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>You shake your head as you put together a sentence
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"[I miss controlling them. A weather team can keep most storms away. We would need many teams for this.]"
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>"[It must be nice; to keep bad storms away from your city.]"
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"We were a good team."
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>Thoughts of your co-workers flash through your mind, then your family
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>You mutter,
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"I hope they're okay."
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>"We'll find you a way back home, Cap."
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>Aoi's voice makes you look at her
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>She gives you a confident smile, then snaps back to looking ahead
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>You stare out again, but now you're scanning the city itself, steeling yourself for the excursion
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>You're used to the brick and stone of Manehatten, but clean steel and glass can be grand
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>Especially with so many skyscrapers
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>Miss Moon is treating the two of you to a very fancy lunch in the middle of the city, as thanks for helping the foreigner in the park a few days ago
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>Well into the trails on the mountain’s forested slope, lost, and with the sun setting
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>Yet she was not concerned, having supplies, and was delighted to have company that she could talk to throughout the night
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>She was especially interested in you, asking perturbing questions
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>Between you and Aoi, you were able to keep from admitting that you are from another world due to terrible circumstances
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>Circumstances that have given you night terrors for the past two months
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>After parking the car and walking the rest of the way, the two of you approach the T-junction that the restaurant dominates
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>Aoi looks up and points at the second floor across the street
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>"[Isn't that her?]"
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>As the two of you wait for the crossing signs to change, you look at where she's pointing
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>On the second floor, in a booth situated against the large window of the skyscraper, a tall woman in a black suit and pencil skirt sits against high-back cushions, hands folded in her lap
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>She looks like she's talking to a straight-backed man in a business suit in the seat opposite of her
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"[Who is she talking to?]"
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>"[I don't know.]"
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>The signs change and you flow with the crowd as it crosses the multi-lane street
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>With a quick glance every couple of seconds, you see the man get up from the booth
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>Miss Moon, still sitting, takes a large manilla envelope from her handbag and offers it to him
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>He walks over and takes it, but not before she arrests him by the arm and pulls him down for a kiss on the cheek
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>Your cheeks flush as you get to the other side of the street and turn towards the entrance
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>You look to Aoi and share her conspiratorial smile
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>When you enter the restaurant and Aoi tells the well-dressed greeter the two of you are meeting someone on the second floor, he politely leads you to the stairs
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>The greeter shows you the wide steps leading up and, after a bow, heads back to the front
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>Coming down the stairs is that man you saw
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>He doesn't acknowledge your presence until he passes you at the base of of the steps
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>He's much taller than any human you've seen, and against a dark business suit his skin is quite pale
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>His hair is a close-cut dark blonde and his face is clean
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>In the instant before you pass him, he glances down at you
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>His eyes are deep blue, as is the center of a clear afternoon sky
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>He then passes and you dare not look back
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>As the two of you climb up the ornate stairs, Aoi leans in and whispers excitedly,
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>"[Just who is he?]"
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"I dunno, but he reminds me of a human I saw back home."
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>"He looks American. He could be a marine."
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"A marine? How long have those guys been around?"
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>"Centuries," she gives you a curious look, "Why do you ask?"
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"Well, because there was a marine program that started a couple of years ago in my country. There were training grounds outside of Manehatten."
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>"[Interesting.]"
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>You reach the second floor and spot Miss Moon, still sitting in the booth and smiling warmly at you
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>Her skin is pale like that man's, but the contrast of her suit and midnight-black hair makes her look like royalty
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>She has her hair intricately tied into a long braided ponytail
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>Despite how dark her hair is, it shines in little starlike pinpricks
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>When you approach, she exits her seat and give you a small bow
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>"Aoi, Ren, it's good to see you two again."
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>You and Aoi give her a bow of your own, though Aoi grins while doing it
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>She sits back down and the two of you sit across from her
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>A waitress introduces herself and you order drinks, though Miss Moon just orders water
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>You expect a woman like her to be drinking something elegant, but then again you didn't expect a woman like her to be camping out in the mountains
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>When the waitress leaves, Miss Moon says without prompting,
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>"There was another disappearance in the park."
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>Aoi falters for a moment, then replies,
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>”Yes, there was.”
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>”And it happened in the same park we were camping in?”
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>Aoi nodded, to which Miss Moon sighed
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>”Then we indeed need to start now.”
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>You and Aoi look at each other, then back at the older woman
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>”What do you mean, Miss Moon?”
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>She looks at you with those green eyes of hers
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>It’s too bright now, but during the night when you were last with her you thought they glowed
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>"Tell me, Ren, do you intend to stay here?"
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>Nervousness creeps into your throat under her suddenly hard gaze, but you still answer, gently tapping your knuckles together
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"At least for now. I'm still not sure if I can get home."
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>She nods, as if expecting that answer, then leans forward and asks you in a low tone,
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>"Then what if I were to tell you, White Cap, that we can take you back to Equestria?"
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>Hard ice forms in your stomach the moment she says your real name, but then hope swells when you hear 'Equestria'
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>Aoi looks between you and Miss Moon, unsure
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>You ask,
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“How do you know about Equestria?”
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>She gives you a smile, though there’s no warmth in it
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>”I thought Miss /Moon/ would be too obvious.”
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>Afraid, but beyond curious, you ask,
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"Princess Luna?"
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>The not-woman leans back in her seat
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>"A good guess, but no, though she did create me after a fashion. Circumstances have resulted in her being lost—like you—and I am aiming to bring her back. I," the smile became wicked, "and a few demons."
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>It came naturally to grip your human knees so hard that it hurt
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>You are certain those eyes of hers are contact lenses just like yours
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>Aoi sees your reaction and stiffens in her seat, which makes Miss Moon--no, Nightmare Moon chuckle
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>It's then that the waitress comes with your drinks, politely ignoring the stares the two of you are giving to the one across from you
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>She takes her drink and explains politely to the young girl that you'll need some more time before ordering
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>The waitress nods and leaves for other tables, leaving you with the Boogymare in human disguise
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>"You have already passed one on the stairs."
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>Aoi perks up, "He's one?"
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>"I'm using semantics when I say 'demon,' but I assure you, Miss Aoi: he and his teammates are deadly professionals. They are all here to hunt a dangerous individual as well as retrieve you, White Cap. If you, Miss Aoi, are willing to help us, then you're welcome to meet the rest of them,"
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>She leans towards her with a grin, "But know that that one is mine."
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>Aoi's cheeks flush, "We noticed."
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>Still grinning, Nightmare takes a sip of ice water before continuing,
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>"So then, are you willing to help us?"
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>"How would I?"
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>"Simple: you have personal transport. We don't. You have a remote place away from anyone else. We're holed up in places all over the city. Sure, we can all individually go through the city and head off into the woods, but the chance of someone seeing something they shouldn't would be rather high."
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>Another sip
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>Aoi clasps her own drink hesitantly,
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>"Why don't you just go get this individual now?"
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>"Do you camp in a new park without gathering any intelligence, Miss Aoi? Except for one of us, this place might as well be an alien world. Thanks to you taking care of Miss Cap here, we can take our time.”
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>Miss Moon taps the menu in front of her
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>"So you have plenty of time to think about helping us, as well as what to have for lunch. All on me, of course."
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>It's after the waitress comes back to take your order, and after you have time to calm down and think, that you ask,
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"Nightmare Moon?"
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>"Hm?"
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"What happened two months ago? Manehatten was attacked. I was-"
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>No, don't think about that
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>You don't want to have another episode, not here
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>Aoi leans toward you, but keeps from touching you
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>You take a deep breath,
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"Are we safe now?"
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>Nightmare Moon sighs, leaning onto her elbows, hands clasped together
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>"Yes and no. We know who attacked us. My companion and his team are quite familiar with them. We fought them off, but at great cost. Canterlot castle is in ruins and several places, including Manehatten, were attacked. Most of Equestria is,"
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>She takes a breath to think,
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>"A step away from deteriorating. Keeping law and order has been taxing enough that rebuilding is slow. Too slow. We lost many good ponies such as you, White Cap. We need you back."
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>You and Aoi look at each other
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>Her expression is that of forced neutrality
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>It's one thing to guess something happened that was horrible enough to give you constant night terrors
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>It's another thing to have somepony else tell you outright what had happened
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>You look back to the not-woman in front of you,
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“How many have you rescued so far?”
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>”You are the third. We plan on returning–”
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“The third?”
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>You realize only after the fact that you had interrupted Nightmare Moon
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>She stops and looks at you from behind her clasped hands with a raised eyebrow
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>You slowly lean back, asking very carefully,
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“Only three?”
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>Nightmare Moon leans back as well, looking out the window at the gathering clouds
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>”I admit, this operation took a month to cobble together after the fighting died down. The ship we are using was a gift, a prize to acknowledge our honor for fighting off the Covenant.”
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>She glances at you and Aoi, “Half truth and half politics, of course, but don’t tell any Sangheili shipmaster that.”
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>She smiles at your confused looks
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>The smile becomes warm when the waitress quickly delivers your order and departs
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>The three of you eat in silence, and you are nearly finished when you gather enough courage to look back up
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>Nightmare Moon, looking like any other attractive office woman, eats methodically yet remains alert, looking around as if she was warned that something was about to happen
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>Aoi forces herself to eat slow, unlike when she camps
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>She keeps glancing in your direction
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>You aren't hungry, but you still finish your lunch as you think
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>When you are done you meet Aoi's next glance
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>She sees your determined look
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>You nod
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>With a deep breath, you and Aoi look to Nightmare Moon
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"What’s the plan?"
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()()()
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>The storm starts its downpour as Aoi parks at the first corner Miss Moon had instructed
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>Individual raindrops ping on the windshield at an increasing rate
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>People star don raincoats, unfurling umbrellas, or run for cover
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>You look again at the written description of the first soldier you were going to pick up
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"Emily. Height: One hundred and ninety one centimeters. How tall is that?"
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>"Very tall. About as tall as Nightmare Moon's demon."
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>Aoi looks around at the flow of people on the sidewalk close to her while you search across the street
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>There are many people, mainly foreigners, who are heads higher than the usual crowd
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>Picking out a soldier turns out to be harder than you thought
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>"What else does the description give?"
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"Dark skin. Black hair, kept short. Dark blue eyes."
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>"[One like that should stand out easily,]" Aoi mutters as she scans the passing mass of people
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>Both of you jump in your seats when someone knocks against the rear window with their knuckle
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>Four distinct knocks; the code also given by Miss Moon
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>Hesitantly, Aoi presses a key on her door to unlock the van
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>A second later the rear driver-side door opens and a very tall, very athletic woman tosses a big duffel bag onto the backseat before climbing in herself
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>She's wearing dark trousers with a brown leather belt that matches her shoes
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>A tight-fitting, dark green long-sleeve shirt
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>Black leather gloves meant for bikers
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>Her hair is tucked underneath a baseball cap that is the same color as her shirt, with a mirrored seven emblazoned in sand-colored threading on it
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>As soon as she closes the door, she asks,
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>”Thank you for helping us, Miss Aoi."
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>She has the voice of a grown mare, but something about the way she talks makes you imagine a teenager being picked up by new family friends
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>She doesn't say anything else as Aoi drives to the other spot
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>The awkward silence is broken by the next 'demon' when he opens the door behind you
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>"Hey Ems!"
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>He tosses his duffel in, caught without complaint by Emily, before swinging himself in hard enough to shake the van
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>Despite the rain getting worse, he has managed to keep himself dry
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>His dark green polo shirt, khaki pants, black belt, and black shoes look brand new
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>He has the same hat as Emily, but on him it looks like he’s ready for a golf tournament
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>Like Moon’s companion, his skin is very pale
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>His eyes, the same color as Emily’s, has that mischievous look you've seen on every joker in you life
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>He shuts the door and turns to all of you
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>"Ladies. Shall we?"
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>You look at his description
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"Kaleb?"
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>"Gee-one-oh-three, at your service."
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>Aoi starts driving, and Kaleb starts his routine
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()()()
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>A couple of hours later, you ask Aoi
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"Do you really trust them alone at the house?"
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>"[I trust Emily to keep Kaleb under control.]"
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"They remind me of my niece and nephew, to be honest."
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>"Did Miss Moon write down how old they are?"
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"No, she didn't."
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>Aoi hums in contemplation
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>"Who are the other three demons?"
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"Henri, Kate, and Hitomi. They'll be together, it seems."
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>Now the storm is in full swing, with only one dull bulb keeping the dark at bay under the bridge you and Aoi had parked in
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>You don't have to wait long
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>A maintenance door situated in the concrete of the bridge opens only a sliver, then fully
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>Three figures carrying massive black duffel bags walk out and head straight for you
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>Four distinct knocks on the rear window
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>Aoi unlocks the doors immediately
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>A man and two women in worker overalls get in, shoving their bags over the backseat into the trunk and squeezing themselves in
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>As soon as the doors close, Aoi heads for home
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>You look back at all of them, and feel uneasy when you notice that they too all have the same dark blue eyes
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"Henri? Kate? Hitomi?"
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>They nod in turn, and Henri speaks with a voice of quiet confidence
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>"Did Kaleb give you a hard time?"
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>Aoi gives him a smile in her rearview mirror, "He got us to laugh."
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>The blonde girl in the middle, Kate, thumped her head against the back seat, "Finally."
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>"He's only been able to practice around innocent ponies," says Hitomi, "His sense of humor doesn't mix with theirs."
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>Kate grinned, "That'll change once he gets time with those pony marines."
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>"God help us all."
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()()()
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>You hear Aoi mutter how her house never looked so busy
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>Five friends of a friend have made the living room and kitchen their barracks
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>It is a tidy barracks, but the young soldiers had moved furniture to the far corners, out of the way
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>In the center of the first floor, the relevant contents of all of their duffel bags are laid out in neat, deliberate order
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>Five combat knives
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>Five disassembled firearms and their barebones maintenance kits
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>Hundreds of "seven-six-two" rounds, divided up into five sets of magazines
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>And finally: five sets of armor
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>They each have a matte black undersuit made of a flexible, but not-quite rubbery material
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>The "plating" is unlike the polished armor of the Canterlot Guard, but still immaculately smooth
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>Rounded segments give a full range of motion while still offering considerable protection
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>The helmets remind you of weirdly-shaped golden fishbowls, with curved green bands of armor around the jaws and back of the heads
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>Kaleb describes it as part roman body armor, part riot gear, part chameleon
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>Aoi marvels at them
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>You want to ask more about it, but four knocks on Aoi's front door startle the two of you
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>You open it to greet a smiling Nightmare Moon and her companion, both in unassuming dark clothing contrasting with the harsh fluorescent lighting in the rain-soaked street
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>"Good, everyone's here."
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>You step aside to let the two in, then quickly shut the door behind them
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>"Any trouble from any of them?"
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>The other soldiers stop what they're doing and look at her, then you
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"Um, no, uh, Nightmare Moon."
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>"Miss Moon is still alright, Miss Cap."
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>Her companion takes their own duffel bags and drops them alongside the rest of the kits
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>The first thing he takes out is a sealed manilla envelope which he hands to Hitomi
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>She opens it and takes it over to Henri at the kitchen table
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>The house goes back to several individual hushed conversations
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>Nightmare Moon walks over to you and Aoi and whispers,
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>"Do you still want to help us?"
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>Aoi looks down at the equipment laid out in front of her
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>"As long as you know what you're doing."
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>The not-woman smiles, "Oh, we know. This is our kind of night out.”
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>You see each of the team, one after the other, take their undersuits and go to the first floor bathroom to change
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>The others are going over whatever was inside the envelope, such as a map and police reports
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>Curious, you drift over to an open spot besides the kitchen table, in between Hitomi and Nightmare Moon's companion
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>You still haven't learned his name
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>The map shows all of the city, its sprawl, and much of the surrounding mountains
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>Next to the map is a series of unfolded park brochures, each with one or two spots circled on it
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>You realize there are the same number of circles as there are disappearances in the parks
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>Henri points a finger to and from all of the maps,
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>"If the target indeed has a team working with him, hitting all of these distant areas, then we're going to be assaulting either a concealed camp somewhere in this area," he traces a circle around the most remote part of the region's largest park, "Or we'll find a staging area where they use vehicles to smuggle themselves and their victims back into the city."
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>Miss Moon's companion asks, "You suspect the latter?"
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>Hitomi answers, "Give us another two weeks and we might get a foothold into this city's underworld. The few encounters we already had suggest this target has allied himself with a group. For what purpose, concerning these disappearances, we don't know yet."
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>"We'll have to find out tonight."
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>Hitomi takes a printed piece of paper from the pile and examines a monochrome picture on it
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>"He has to be a Brute, with that frame."
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>"Any other persons of note?"
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>She shakes her head, then notices Kate coming out of the bathroom suited up
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>"My turn."
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>You watch each of them in turn as they go through the same routine after donning their space-age armor
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>They reassemble their guns, their movements dextrous despite wearing thick gloves
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>Each of them announces that they're finished by yanking a bolt back and releasing it with a mechanical *ci-clack*
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>Their ammunition, their knives, and some of their food are slotted into the respective pouches and sheaths
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>Miss Moon's companion suits up last
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>He comes out holding his helmet under one arm
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>Everyone else, also with their helmets off, gather with you, Aoi, and Miss Moon around the table
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>Miss Moon's companion nods to Henri, who quietly starts the brief
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>From what you can tell, through the acronyms and military slang, there will be two teams
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>Team Claymore, which is Henri, Hitomi, Kate, Kaleb, and Emily
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>Team Nyx, which is really just Sean (so that's his name), but there is also Miss Moon, Aoi, and you
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>Claymore is the assault team, who will be the ones finding and destroying wherever this target is hiding in the mountain park
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>Nyx is a reserve force, meaning Sean will be nearby to respond to anything new happening while Claymore Is doing their thing
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>Meanwhile, Miss Moon is to keep an eye on you and Aoi
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>Kaleb explains why nobody wants to leave the two of you at the house:
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>"We watched too many horror flics before coming over."
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()()()
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>You, Aoi, and Miss Moon are crushed together in the backseat of Aoi's minivan, in between Kate and Emily
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>While all of the Spartans are in their armor, the three of you are wearing all black clothes with balaclavas covering your faces
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>You feel like a criminal
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>Sean's driving too fast with the headlights off
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>They had taped over all of the dashboard and all of the interior lights
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>You are now stuffed inside a pitch-black metal box on wheels tearing down a wet road in the middle of a rainstorm at night
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>Even in her armor, Kate can tell you're not shaking because you're cold
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>At some point, you're not sure when, Aoi hooks her arm under yours
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>You don't think before you take hold of her hand and squeeze
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>Some time later, at long last, you get to the drop-off point
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>As soon as Sean stops the minivan, both side doors are yanked open by Kate and Emily
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>Henri hops out of the passenger seat while Hitomi and Kaleb open up the rear hatch and jump out
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>They all shut the doors behind themselves and Sean accelerates away
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>As he does, Nightmare Moon climbs forward into the front passenger seat, leaving you and Aoi in the back
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>Both of you realize you're still holding onto each other
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>Both of you hesitate to let go
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>Sean drives in the darkness for several minutes
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>Only Aoi has a inkling of where you're going, but she stays quiet
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>You listen to the drone of the minivan's engine, the dull clicking of tires on cracks in the road, and the constant patter of the rain
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>Suddenly, he turns off the road for a short time, then turns the car around and shuts off the engine
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>Now there's just the rain hammering away at the roof
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>The shadow of gold in the darkness turns slowly as Sean looks around to you
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>His voice is a relaxed murmur that you can hear just enough over the rain,
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>"This spot will keep us hidden. You two can rest. We'll keep watch."
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>Miss Moon speaks in the same manner, "You can rest too, Sean. There shouldn't be trouble for Claymore on their walk."
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>They lock eyes with each other
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>You can see her eyes clearly in the darkness
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>Aquamarine cat's eyes, just like you imagined when you were a filly and scared of the dark
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>Sean nods, then leans the seat back and lies still
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>The eyes in the dark turn to you
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>"We'll have action soon enough. Get some sleep."
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>Aoi squeezes your hand, then lets go and slides to her side of the van
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>You do the same and try to find a halfway-comfortable position
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()()()
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>You don't recognize the coast
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>There are no landmarks from Equestria's eastern coastline
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>There are pines aplenty and the occasional patch of maples in fall, but they aren't your trees
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>It could be the fact that it is midnight, too, but the full moon is painting everything in a silver glow so at least you can see
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>At least you can see
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>You fly above a long set of cliffs overlooking the ocean
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>You spy a figure standing on the edge
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>You land behind them, though you don't remember descending beforehoof
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>The figure turns around
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>It takes you a moment to recognize Aoi
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>She's wearing a dark blue robe made of shining silk, with silver square patterns lining the sides
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>You remember it being called a kimono
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>It takes longer for Aoi to recognize you
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>"White Cap?"
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>You smile sheepishly, your wings fluttering half-open,
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"Hey, Aoi."
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>She walks up to you
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>Despite being small for a human, you only come up to her chest
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>She kneels in front of you, looking at your ears, your wings, your eyes
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>A smile creeps onto her face
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"What?"
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>"You're so adorable."
-
>Aoi isn't thinking when her hand comes up and gently scratches behind your ear, like one would for a cat
-
>And just like a cat you lean into the pleasant feeling
-
>You should have bolted from the touch
-
>But this is Aoi
-
>You trust her
-
>And it feels good
-
>Is this a dream?
-
-
>Sean quietly clears his throat
-
>Both of you jump up and back away from each other
-
>He's standing there with his arms crossed, wearing a simple green T-shirt and black athletic shorts
-
>"Welcome to my dreamscape, you two."
-
>"We're dreaming?" asks Aoi
-
>She looks down at her hands, "Wait, we're in your dream?"
-
>Sean nods, "Yep. You can thank Nightmare Moon for that. It's a lot easier than manipulating three separate dreamscapes simultaneously."
-
>He turns around, "Walk with me."
-
-
>You start to follow him, but then your ears perk up
-
"What is that?"
-
>Aoi stops beside you, "What?"
-
>You keep your breath shallow and soft to listen
-
"Music?"
-
>Sean looks back at you,
-
>"Oh, you can hear that?"
-
>Aoi listens, "Is that a piano?"
-
"And a xylophone."
-
>Sean smiles, "Yes, music helps to keep the scene coherent. Without it or Moon's direct supervision, my mind likes to chase one tangent after another. It can get frustrating."
-
>He resumes walking and the two of you follow him
-
>When you get closer to him the music gets louder
-
>You can hear strings now, giving a consistent bass underneath to the other instruments
-
>It is a melancholic song as a whole, making this a somber walk along these oceanside cliffs
-
-
>After some time, you gather up the courage to ask him,
-
>"What is this place?"
-
>Sean stops and looks out at the moonlit horizon as he walks
-
>"Where I was born. A planet we all called Myrmidon. One of the better-off outer colonies. Probably would have been an inner colony by now, if it had survived."
-
>"Survived?" asks Aoi
-
>His gaze lowers to the crashing wave below
-
>"Yeah, it didn't."
-
-
>When you look again, you realize that you had crested a hill
-
>Far away and down in a natural bay sprawls out a city
-
>If your home is brick and mortar, and Aoi's home is glass and steel, this city is polished concrete and domes
-
>Airships of various sizes, all without any air-ballasts and flying fast, are buzzing around the buildings
-
>A few water-borne ships are moving in and out of the bay
-
-
>"I remember that my parents worked downtown. We had a home out here," he gestures to the pine woods, "I was spoiled. I was able to sneak off all the time and come out here."
-
>He turns to look out over the cliff
-
>The music gets louder and the landscape seems to grow somehow, the ocean stretching
-
>The full moon shone on
-
>"This spot was the best. Here? You could see the world. All the possibilities, adventures waiting. They all started here."
-
-
>Aoi joins him at the cliff edge, "Why are you telling us this?"
-
>Sean looks at her
-
>"Miss Aoi, you have the thanks of Princess Celestia and all of Equestria for taking Miss Cap into your care. We owe you more than just our gratitude. However,"
-
>He turns to face her squarely, "The situation changed when we discovered the presence of a Brute in the same place as one of our lost citizens. A Brute who was also killed during the attack on Equestria."
-
>"How do you know?" asks Aoi, but then she looks around, "You saw its dreams?"
-
>"Correct. It dreamed of its involvement during the attack on Manehatten. It had memories," Sean looks to you, "Concerning a certain injured pegasus it found."
-
-
>Your rushing blood drowns out the music
-
>The smells come back first
-
>Charred meat, hot ash, and charged dust
-
>It's that combination that sends you falling sideways onto a pile of rubble
-
>In that blasted hole in the wall, framed by the fires, is that thing
-
>Matted brown fur and sharp, bloodied teeth in a jagged smile
-
>You scream out of fear, for you remember what's about to happen
-
>Your legs and wings are broken, but you still try to get away
-
>From behind the wall, Aoi calls out your name
-
-
>There is a flash of electric blue
-
>Something slices through the thing's body
-
>The black shadow falls out of sight in two pieces
-
>In its place is Sean, wielding a two-pronged sword
-
>Aoi barrels past him, into the room
-
>"White Cap!"
-
>She kneels down and reaches for you
-
>You see the thing's clawed furry hand and scream again
-
>Aoi sees it too and jumps up, holding it away from herself
-
>Anger flashes over her face and she whirls around on Sean, standing behind her in the dark room
-
>"Stop this!"
-
>His expression is neutral, but his voice is firm, "I'm not the one doing this."
-
>He nods down at you
-
-
-
>You remember two months of Aoi taking care of you
-
>Two months of not telling her what exactly happened that gave you night terrors
-
>Now you just want to disappear
-
>The room darkens to just shadows
-
>You still see Aoi's look of revelation and horror
-
>Your whole body starts to shake
-
"Aoi, I-I'm sorry-"
-
>Aoi comes closer, then stops herself
-
"You've been so kind to me and-and,"
-
>She looks at her hands
-
>They're her own again, small and soft
-
>She offers them to you, palms up
-
>Still trembling, you shake your head
-
"I didn't want to,"
-
>You don't know how to say it
-
"To let it out and-and,"
-
>"And hurt me."
-
>You look up at her
-
>"By telling me what happened."
-
>Your voice comes out as a whisper,
-
"You've been so kind."
-
>She smiles
-
>"Kindness freely given, without condition."
-
-
>She keeps her hands held out
-
>You look at them
-
>Your legs and wings are not broken
-
>You're stop shaking
-
>You reach out and put your hoof in her hand
-
>Gently, she pulls you up onto the rest of your hooves
-
>You lunge forward and wrap your forelegs and wings around her
-
>She falls back, off her feet, but then she wraps her arms around you
-
>You let out what's built up from two months of omission
-
-
>Some time later, the music comes back
-
>Lighter, hopeful
-
>You open your tear-filled eyes
-
>You're back at the cliffs and the moon
-
>Off to the side, you see Sean standing off to the side, looking around
-
>Vigilant
-
>He catches you staring
-
>He gives you a smile and a nod
-
>You take a deep breath
-
"Thank you. Both of you."
-
>You separate from Aoi and sit down beside her
-
-
>Sean walks over to you and lowers himself to one knee
-
>"I-”
-
>His feet are shoved out from under him
-
>You and Aoi jump back
-
>Sean's gaze snaps up to the moon
-
>"We need to wake u-"
-
-
>The moon's voice shakes the whole world,
-
>"SPARTAN."
-
-
()()()
-
-
>You wake up in the silent darkness
-
>It had stopped raining
-
>You hear Aoi gasp as she bolts upright
-
>Sean and Nightmare Moon in the front seats exchange a terse conversation
-
>"What's going on?" asks Aoi
-
>As Sean straightens his seat and starts the minivan, Miss Moon answers,
-
>"Claymore made contact. A dozen men, lightly armed. Two remain, including the target, but they're escaping in a vehicle. Claymore's pursuing. We're in a position to intercept."
-
>Sean floors it to the engine's protest
-
>He leaps back onto the road and tears through the forest with the headlights still off
-
-
>"Here."
-
>Miss Moon tosses two small and dense devices at you and Aoi
-
>"We don't want you to lose your hearing."
-
>The two of you put on fat headphones that muffle the small world of the minivan
-
>Several more minutes of the impromptu rally pass
-
>Sean finally pulls over, well off the road
-
>He shuts the engine off and hands his rifle to Miss Moon
-
>He raises his voice loud enough for you to hear,
-
>"We'll stop the vehicle and anyone who bails. Be vigilant for anything around us."
-
>Miss Moon announces,
-
>"Here they come."
-
>Sean exits and walks to the middle of the road
-
>Miss Moon exits too, but takes cover behind the front tires
-
>In the distance, around a bend, bright car lights flood through the trees
-
>It turns out that Sean has parked behind a dense wall of brush at the base of an incline
-
>You and Aoi watch as two beams of yellow light are accompanied by the roar of a heavy engine and the rapid thudding of flat tires
-
-
>A small four-door leans as it rounds the bend
-
>With its glaring lights, you can't see inside
-
>You look to where Sean was a second ago, but he's gone
-
>No, not gone
-
>No, not gone
-
>In the harsh lighting, you notice in one spot where the middle yellow lines of the road get distorted
-
>You're given a few seconds to trace out the faint, ghostly image of Sean facing down the speeding car in a prone position
-
>As the beams play over him, he slowly rises into a squat, waits until the last second, then leaps straight up
-
>He tucks his knees into his chest like a cannonball
-
-
>The car catches Sean with its windshield in an explosion of glass
-
>The small car lifts off of its two front tires, then slams back
-
>You hear the chassis scrape the asphalt, then the screech of the remaining tires shift pitch as the struck car passes you up the hill
-
>Nightmare Moon sprints after it
-
>The car swerves once, throwing the beams of light all around
-
>Several loud booms make you be grateful that you have headphones on
-
>The car turns sharply and drifts uncontrollably across the road, then stops in the grass in a spray of muddy water
-
>Even after it stops, it continues to rock back and forth
-
-
>Just as Miss Moon gets to it, the front passenger door is kicked off of its hinges and sent several meters away
-
>A man follows it out, tumbling end-over-end into muddy grass
-
>Miss Moon stands out of his reach and aims at his sprawled form, saying something calmly
-
>You can the glow of her eyes from here
-
>The man puts his hands on his head and never moves
-
-
>The car continues to rock
-
>You can see two figures grappling inside, silhouetted against the interior lights
-
>One overpowers the other and starts punching
-
>Miss Moon doesn't look inside, but instead points to you
-
>She sees you looking
-
>She cups her free hand to her ear then jabs a finger at the trunk of the car
-
>You and Aoi get out of the minivan hesitantly
-
-
>Sean jumps out of the open passenger door, dragging out a massive man via a headlock
-
>Where there isn't baggy clothing, there is dark brown hair
-
>He's kicking and punching vainly the whole way, clearly cursing in an alien language
-
-
>The two of you take off your headphones and rush to the back of the car, staying clear of the two struggling men
-
>With the headphones off, you can hear a muffled banging from the car's trunk
-
>Aoi finds the latch and you both throw the lid up
-
>Inside, barely lit by the reflected headlights, is a small, skinny guy with a black bag over his head
-
>His wrists are bound by paracord and from the inarticulate mumbling it sounds like he's gagged underneath the bag
-
-
>You look over to Sean
-
>He tightens his chokehold, resulting in the huge man struggling, then suddenly going limp
-
>Sean immediately switches to grappling one arm, twisting and pulling it with a gut-wrentching wet snap
-
>The man wakes up screaming
-
>Sean hammer-fists him in the jaw and goes to the other arm, dislocating that shoulder too
-
-
>You focus back on the guy in the trunk
-
>With Aoi's help, you lift him up so that he's sitting upright and partially out of the cramped space
-
>You suddenly smell blood
-
>You look down to see that the man's barefoot
-
>His ankles and heels are covered in red and black
-
>You're about ready to throw up, but you keep it down and tell Aoi,
-
"He's hurt."
-
>Aoi looks down at the wounds and runs back to the minivan
-
>You're forced to hear the big man yell and scream as Sean cinches down his wrists and ankles behind his back with several small plastic zip ties
-
>The man sitting by you starts to shake, breathing fast
-
-
>You decide to take the bag off of his head
-
>The first thing you see is his bruised eye and bloody, broken nose
-
>He looks young
-
>He stares at you with his one good eye and calms down
-
>You look away to see Sean hogtying the other man
-
>Not needing to cover him, Miss Moon walks over to you
-
>The young man leans away from her glowing green eyes as she inspects him
-
>She reaches up behind his head, making him flinch, and unties his gag
-
>He sighs with relief, the corners of his mouth rubbed raw
-
>His voice is deathly dry
-
>"[Thank you.]"
-
>Aoi comes back with a small backpack, bringing out gauze and disinfectant
-
>As you help Aoi clean up the worst of the wounds and wrap up his ankles, Miss Moon asks him questions
-
>He answers in a tired voice
-
>You understand snippets
-
>Name, residence, the last date he remembers
-
>She unbinds his hands
-
-
>Another car comes tearing around the bend
-
>Miss Moon sees the approaching car, then picks up the black bag and says,
-
>"[My apologies.]"
-
>Before the young man can say anything, she puts it back over his head
-
>He's too exhausted to complain
-
-
>The car stops beside the wreckage
-
>It's another four-door bottoming out its suspension
-
>The engine shuts off and all of the Spartans spill out
-
>Sean walks over to them and there is a conversation you can't hear
-
>Some look around and up into the dark clouds
-
>Then you hear something, like a flowing metallic whine
-
-
>Something large and invisible flies in from just above the treetops
-
>The only wind the trees show is from its passing
-
>It curves to a stop just above the grouping of soldiers
-
>Twenty meters from the ground, a hole opens
-
>A bright column of white and blue light shines from the hole and down to a spot next to the group
-
>Team Claymore gathers around the massive bound brute
-
>Three of them hoist him up over their shoulders, eliciting another pained bellow
-
>Two of them jump into the column of light ahead of the prisoner
-
>You and Aoi watch as, one by one, they are lifted up into the air and disappear inside the hole
-
>The big man struggles as he rises up into the invisible craft
-
>Sean walks over to the four of you
-
>"Let's get him in the minivan. We can get him to a hospital."
-
>Aoi suddenly remembers,
-
>"But the weather's turned. The police will have a cordon by now."
-
>Sean points his thumb back up at where the invisible ship should be
-
>"This thing can do more than hold people."
-
-
()()()
-
-
>This is insane
-
>You're holding on for dear life in your seat
-
>On one side of you is Aoi in the driver seat, gripping the useless steering wheel with white knuckles
-
>On the other is the passenger window giving you a sight you haven't seen in months
-
>Only you're not flying on your own, free and agile
-
>You're strapped down inside a metal box that is not meant to be off the ground, zipping just over the treetops beneath an invisible alien craft
-
>Sean and Miss Moon are in the backseat
-
>The kidnapped man is sandwiched in between them, being held in place by Sean
-
-
>After too long a time, the trees give way to houses, then to businesses, most of which are closed
-
>Until you bank into the space above a street you recognize: the one the small clinic is on
-
>Sean gives you not a warning, but a command,
-
>"Brace."
-
>You and Aoi push out against the dashboard and steering wheel
-
>A moment later your ride raises its nose and brakes hard
-
>In seconds it goes from speeds only matched by the Wonderbolts to hovering still, with the car's wheels almost touching the asphalt
-
-
>Sean wastes no time in shoving the minivan's door open and taking the black-bagged man out
-
>You watch from your seats as the Spartan, his armor semi-invisible in the fluorescent light, runs with the man over to the clinic's front doors and plops him down next to the welcome mat
-
>Sean takes a thick wad of currency out of a soft pouch on the back of his hip and slaps it against the man's chest, then runs back to the floating minivan
-
>The whole thing sways like a pendulum when he jumps inside, which is the pilot's cue to gun it
-
>You are compressed into the back of your seat, yet you hear the side door slide back into place
-
>You strain to turn your head and look back as your ride ascends above the buildings and banks towards Aoi's house
-
>The Spartan and the Boogymare are sitting as if this was just a carpool for an office job
-
-
>In fact, Nightmare Moon smiles at you and asks,
-
>"Have you ever ridden a thrill ride, Miss Cap?"
-
>The acceleration goes away and you answer shakily,
-
"No."
-
>"What about you, Miss Aoi?"
-
>Aoi is still gripping the steering wheel tight
-
>"Nothing like this."
-
-
>Sean interjects,
-
>"We'll be dropped off at a corner down the street from your home, Miss Aoi. Once we detach, the two of us can stay until the dropship comes back to take you up, Miss Cap."
-
"Why two trips?"
-
>"You don't want to be near our prisoner, ma'am."
-
>Oh
-
-
()()()
-
-
>You are Sean B094
-
>You, Nightmare Moon, White Cap, and Aoi are in the backyard
-
>The Phantom, still cloaked, returns and lands just in front of the trees
-
>The side ramp opens, revealing only the crew chief Jetlag in his surprisingly modern flight suit
-
>You’re glad this firmament transforms everyone’s clothes along with their bodies
-
>The entire corvette’s crew being naked, while hilarious, is unacceptable to expose to any newcomers
-
>You walk up the ramp, nodding to him
-
“Any trouble with the prisoner?”
-
>He shakes his bulbous flight helmet,
-
>”Claymore’s keeping an eye on him the whole way.”
-
>He looks to Aoi, who’s hugging White Cap
-
>”Are we bringing her too?”
-
“Negative. We came to an agreement. She’ll be our contact here. We’ll come back whenever we figure out inter-firmament communication.”
-
>”In case anypony else finds themselves here?”
-
“Yep.”
-
>”Seems like a nice place to visit too. Too bad I can’t come here as a pony.”
-
“Eh, you’ll have your wings back soon enough, anyway.”
-
-
>The girls end the embrace and Nightmare escorts White Cap up the ramp
-
>As soon as they enter the cabin, Jetlag radios Shal the go-ahead to lift
-
>The ramp closes fast and you feel the faintest shift as the Phantom’s gravity generators compensate for Shal rocketing up through this Earth’s atmosphere
-
>Once again, you silently thank Shipmaster Haalim for gifting you this Phantom geared for stealth
-
>The last thing you need is to scare the shit out of every air traffic controller and twentieth century fighter jockey in this Japan
-
-
()()()
-
-
>"You performed well, Sean."
-
"Aoi did all of the work."
-
>"Only due to you setting the stage for her."
-
"Thanks to you."
-
-
>The two of you are alone on the cliff's edge
-
>Nightmare Moon drapes a black wing over your shoulders
-
>You stare up at the moon with a clenched jaw
-
>"You sell yourself short. After all you have suffered, you understand."
-
"But can I teach?"
-
>You swallow, trying to form the lesson rightly
-
"It's not enough to just tell someone what happened. You have to explain the trauma, as much to yourself as to whoever you're telling. And it's gotta be someone you trust with your secrets, otherwise you're just giving ammo to any malicious actor who's listening. Thank God Aoi isn't one. I should have added that before you woke us up."
-
-
>You rest your head on your hand, looking through your fingers down at the waves breaking on the rocks far below
-
"Another thing to apologize to Luna for; half-assing her work."
-
-
>Nightmare Moon's wing pulls you to her
-
>She presses her shoulder against yours
-
>You feel her breath on your cheek
-
>"She won't see it that way."
-
>You stay silent
-
>"You still haven't forgiven yourself for before?"
-
>You nod
-
>She waits
-
"Even after we bring her back,"
-
>You rub your free hand harshly up and down your thigh
-
"I still need to make it up to her. Don't know how, but I can't let it go.
-
-
>She leans away just slightly
-
>Her cyan aura carefully encases your hands
-
>She brings them together in your lap
-
>Nightmare's hoof comes under your chin
-
>She makes you turn your head to look at her, nose to nose
-
-
>Her eyes have you forget everything for a moment
-
>A chasm in an aquamarine sea
-
>Green-blue gemstones
-
>Yes, you find them very pretty
-
-
>"We will find her. We will bring her back. And when we bring her back, we will settle the balance between the three of us."
-
-
>You stare at each other for a time, content
-
>Until music starts to play
-
>A bass synth, off in the distance, playing three low ascending notes that trail off
-
>So simple, but you have never heard it before
-
>Have you?
-
>You and Nightmare Moon hold your breath and stay still
-
>The same three notes play again
-
>Her stillness tells that this isn’t coming from her either
-
>After the notes die away, a quick crescendo of another synth introduces percussions
-
>Bursts of rapid beats on bass drums and a high hat
-
>You both jump up and turn to scan the pines
-
>For over a minute the music continues, becoming an eerie mix of those notes, drums, and other wailing synths
-
-
>You then notice a change from cool colors to warm
-
>Your stretching shadows and the darkness in the trees become hard and opaque
-
>Slowly, you and Nightmare look to each other
-
>The cliff side of her face is bathed in orange-golden light
-
>You share the same expression of dread
-
>You both turn around fully and look up at the source of the glow
-
>Instead of the cold cyan of Nightmare, this full moon is golden
-
>Despite its radiance, the shadows grow around your vision until there is nothing left but this balefully bright moon
-
>Bright enough that its black seas and craters begin to disappear
-
>All of the synths pitch down into silence, but in their place you hear an ambiance and maybe voices
-
>The sound gives you an image of a dark subway with a single fluorescent light
-
>The vividness of that image–no, a memory, shoots ice up your spine
-
>The bulb shatters and leaves you in pitch darkness for one long tense second
-
-
>Then out of that darkness bursts a gold, inverted pentagram
-
-
>The first three notes of the next song blast so hard the two of you bolt upright in bed
-
>Eyes wide open, gasping for breath
-
>A chill washes over you even as sweat drips off of your shaking body
-
>You look down at your trembling hands
-
>Ten fingers, perfect clarity
-
>You’re awake
-
>You’re in reality
-
>Your ears are ringing, but at least it’s not that music
-
>That music is making you remember
-
>The effort to not slip into that memory hole again makes you curl into a sitting fetal position
-
>Both of your hands are clenched into fists and press against your forehead
-
>You groan through your teeth and keep your lungs empty
-
-
>A black wing once again lays on your shoulder and Nightmare Moon tells you,
-
>”Breathe, Sean, breathe.”
-
>You snap out of it and suck in air
-
>Silence
-
>Blissful silence
-
>You enjoy it for several calming breaths before looking at her
-
>Those aquamarine cat eyes are still pretty
-
>And you can trust them
-
>You cross your arms and brace them on your knees before resting your head
-
>You whisper,
-
“Time to listen to my own advice.”
-
>You pick your head back up
-
>She waits, patiently
-
>Hell, she can only wait patiently
-
>A thousand years of exile on the moon can turn someone into the most patient mare
-
>And what have you gone through to turn you into a double-life headcase?
-
“Nocturne City.”
by Durr0694
by Durr0694
by Durr0694
by Durr0694