(Let's get the setup out of the way first. I'll be using Silver Crescent; a Bat Pony Night Guard, and Holly Everfree; his Timberwolf companion.) Silver sat in the corner booth at the Hay Burger, munching a hayburger. Holly napped under the table, occasionally waking up to eat the fries that Silver passed to her. Silver looked at the clock. His partner for the mission would be arriving soon. Three days earlier, he had met with the princesses in Canterlot. They had told him of a monstrous shadow creature rampaging through the Everfree forest, attacking ponies on sight. He had been ordered to find and stop the creature at any cost. He had also been informed that he would be working with somepony else, but he hadn't been told who.
(I'm going to use an oc of mine, Xarame; she's a Zebra, skilled in potions and sorcery, and is an expert healer. Not much good at combat though.) Xarame stepped into the Hay Burger and looked around, a little bewildered. The small yellow bird on her shoulder seemed equally unsettled; neither of them were used to such an establishment. Reminding herself of the importance of the task the Princess of the Stars had bestowed upon her, she steeled herself and looked for her contact. She had been picked at the eleventh hour, but her partner had been selected well in advance, and so she knew she was looking for a Bat Pony; One of the Princess' own guards. She spotted him without much trouble, and trotted over to his table. "Ah, hello, I am Xarame. you must be..." She furrowed her brow a little, searching for the name. "Silver Crescent, correct?"
Silver nodded. "Correct. Pleased to meet you, Miss Xarame." He whistled, and the sleeping Timberwolf opened her eyes and jumped onto the booth beside him. "This is Holly. She'll be joining us." He looked the Zebra over. He had never met her or even heard of her. He'd have to trust that the Princesses knew what they were doing. "Would you like to sit down, or would you prefer we leave immediately?"
Xarame looked around, her eyes noticeably resting on the remains of Silver's meal. The bird on her shoulder cocked it's head, looking at Holly nervously. "Well, it's been a long trip, and I haven't eaten..." she said, somewhat hesitantly, before sitting down.
Silver nodded. "The Night Guard expense account covers meals, so go nuts." His eyes lingered on the small bird. "I see you have a companion, as well."
Xarame signalled one of the waitress ponies, and ordered the first thing on the menu, not really familiar with any of the items listed. "Hmm? Oh, yes; this is my Babel Bird, he was given to me by... a friend. He allows me to talk more freely in your tongue, without the need for the rhymes that my kin speak in naturally. I have found he aids communication greatly, and, um..." Xarame looked a little sheepish, "Helps avoid unnecessary irritation." "What of your friend?" Xarame inquired, reaching a tentative hoof over to pet Holly. "She is a Timber Wolf, correct? I have never seen one tamed before..."
Holly sniffed the zebra's hoof and pressed her head into it, accepting the zebra's attention. Silver started laughing, but quickly realized that Xarame wasn't joking. "Holly isn't tame. She's... polite. Usually. She's obviously decided to trust you, because your hoof is still attached to your leg." Xarame's order arrived, and Silver got back to the business of eating his own meal.
Xarame nodded sombrely. "I will do my best to earn that trust." She petted Holly gently before turning her attention to her meal. She had no idea what it was, but she was hungry and not at all fussy, so she set about eating it with the delicacy and grace only a zebra could manage. "So what do you know of this threat we face?" She asked, between mouthfuls. "I was told it was of ancient and dark origins, and I suspect that is why I am here."
Silver nodded. "Are you familiar with the story of Nightmare Moon? There is a legend surrounding her defeat, forgotten by most. It states that when the dark princess was banished, a small portion of her dark magic remained behind. When darkness falls, it manifests as a creature of pure darkness... the Pony of Shadows." He lowered his voice to nearly a whisper. "The legend is true. This creature... the Pony of Shadows... has grown more powerful than we could have ever imagined. If it's allowed to get any stronger, it could become a threat to Equestria. Our job is to make sure it never leaves the forest... by any means necessary."
Xarame gulped, but then regained her composure and smiled. "Is that all?" This task... it seemed fitting somehow, and she was keen to prove herself to her beloved Princess. She resolved to be strong.
"That's all we know for sure. It's gone into the deep forest, and our Pegasi scouts can't find it from above. We're going to have to track it on hoof." Silver pointed out the window to the department store across the street. "We'll be picking up supplies when we're done here... on the expense account, naturally... and heading for the Castle of the Sisters. That's where the creature was supposedly living."
Xarame cast a sceptical eye at the building; this whole place still seemed odd to her, but she had gotten enough of a sense of modern pony stores to doubt it would have the items she required. "Do you know if there's an apothecary nearby?" She asked. She had a fine selection of herbs and ingredients in her saddlebags, but there were still some missing. She knew how to forage, but was unfamiliar with the Everfree, and wasn't sure what she'd be able to find there, so would rather be prepared.
Silver shook his head. "Not in town. There's an alchemist living in the forest... Zecora... she'd probably have what you need."
"Zecora? So there are other zebra in this land. I was starting to wonder..." She finished her meal and sighed in satisfaction. She still appreciated the simple things. "I am ready, if you wish to head to this... department store." She said, standing up.
Silver paid the bill and headed out the door. They quickly arrived at the department store, Rich's Barnyard Bargains. "We'd normally get our gear from the Guard supplier, but that involves paperwork. The princesses are still trying to keep a lid on this. Get whatever you need for a long trip. There's no way of knowing how long this will take."
Xarame wandered around the store, marvelling at the choice. She decided to only buy the bare essentials; rope, a small compass and oil lamp, flint and striker, and some hard biscuits. She hoped to be able to find anything else she might need on the way. Carrying her items to the cashier's desk, she passed them to the shopkeeper to ring up as she waited for Silver.
Silver grabbed three canteens, a dozen well-balanced knives, a bottle of whiskey, and a box of dog biscuits. He also grabbed a medium-sized first aid kit as an afterthought. After paying for the gear, they headed outside. "You got everything? Let's head to the old castle, then. Zecora's is on the way."
Stowing her gear in her saddlebags, Xarame followed Silver out of the shop, and down towards the Everfree forest. There was no denying that there was something sinister about the place, even in the daylight. She had never been keen on forests at the best of times; a mix of unfamiliarity and bad memories meant they held no allure for her, as they did for some of her kin, this Zecora, for example, but she would not let that jeopardize their mission. They located the path, such as it was, that lead to Zecora's, and were soon surrounded by the forest; even on the fringes, the sunshine and breeze of the land outside was but a memory, replaced instead by a dimmer, greenish light, and a still mugginess. "So, are you sent on such tasks often?" Xarame asked as they walked, trying focus on something other than the forest.
"I am a Night Guard. I do as the princesses ask of me." Silver's eyes had taken on a faint shine as they adjusted to the dark forest. "So, yes... I do this sort of thing often. Especially since Princess Luna's return." He stopped and beat his wings to blow away a swarm of biting insects. "What about you? Is this your first job for the princesses?"
Xarame narrowed her eyes a little. "Princess. I am doing this for the Princess of the Stars, your Princess Luna; I have no love for her sister. And yes, this is the first task she has given me, though you could say it's not the first time I have aided her cause..."
