I signed the bottom of the letter with a small degree of flourish. Sealing it, I tucked it away in my saddle bag and stepped out of my office.

Let’s get this over with.

I knocked on the door to Celestia’s chambers, all the while trying to smother the misgivings stirring in my gut.

A golden glow enveloped the handle as it was pulled open before me.

“Wax, how many times do I have to tell you?” Celestia sat on the rug before her fireplace watching the flames flicker. “You are welcome to enter here without knocking.”

I shut the door. "How’d you know it was me?”

She glanced at me from the corner of her eye. “Tracking spell.”

I raised a barely restrained eyebrow. “Really?”

She just gave a coy smile and patted the spot next to her. “Did you come to your decision?”

I snorted and slumped down next to her. “I’ll go, but I don’t like this. I can’t shake the feeling that somepony is stepping on my grave.”

She stared into the fire, chewing on her lip.

“Do you truly believe this mission will end so badly before it has even begun?” she asked.

“I don’t know. If I were a younger stallion, just some greenhorn in the guard, I’d assume it was nerves, but this?” I pointed to my raised hackles. “This is something else.”

She drew a wing over me and I leaned into it, savoring every bit of its comfort and warmth. Under it, nothing could hurt me, and the world was some distant location away.

Celestia nuzzled each of my ears, playing with their tufted tops. “Do you know who you are going to pick to go with you?”

"I do, but I’ll have to ask the Dusk Council for their blessing.”

I felt her tense against my side as she scowled. “You have your pick of all the ponies in the guard and you run to the thestrals?”

My head snapped to look her in the eye. “Look. If you want the most stealthy and skilled ponies in the kingdom, then your only choice are the Nocturne.”

Her gaze bored right back at me. I knew they were a sore point with her, but facts were facts. We were hunters by nature, and we were the best, and I would have no other ponies watching my back.

But no matter how strongly I believed this, staring down the princess was like trying to stare down the abyss. In the end, you just felt small and insignificant in its presence.

Sighing, I dropped my head and knelt before her. "I know you don’t particularly care for Council, but if I'm to assemble the team I want, we will have to go through them.”

“I don’t doubt that.” She stared on wistfully. “I just wish they would choose to trust me more. Instead they insist on weighing in on what I’m allowed to do with the members of your herd who've joined my guard.”

“It’s not that they don’t trust you now, as so much as...well…there's no easy way to say this,” I rubbed my left fetlock with my other hoof. “When they banded together, you had just banished Luna and they were more than a little scared of you.”

I watch the corners of Celestia’s mouth turn down as her disposition further soured.

“...sorry.” I murmured.

“It’s not your fault.” She said, forcing away a tear that was forming in her eye. “I regret what I had to do enough already, without the need to be further punished and reminded of it. Is it not enough to miss her? To stare at her empty chair at breakfast and dinner? Or that the Elements themselves rejected me, passing silent judgement on my actions? Or that-”

I put a hoof to her lips. “Don’t. Don’t do this to yourself again. Those first years were a little shaky, remember? Hell, things got so bad that we contemplated starting a new colony elsewhere in Equestria. But we didn’t. We toughed it out and it’s getting better.” I dried away the remaining moisture around her eyes, staring into their pale magenta depths. “Besides, the Council is a mere formality. A check box. They just don’t want to be left out in the dark on things is all.”

Celestia started to snicker, a little cheer returning to her. “And here I thought you Nocturne liked the dark?”

I facehoofed and shook my head while she continued to giggle.

Eventually her mirth subsided and she gave me a soft kiss, wrapping her wing around me. “Thank you.”

"Anytime."

And we stayed like that, enjoying the company of the other, lost in time unto ourselves. Or at least until a soft knock at the doors pulled us back to reality.

Clearing her throat and disentangling herself a bit, Celestia answered. “Yes?”

“I am escorting Miss Spring Showers, on behalf of Captain Crescent! I was informed I could find him here!” The voice on the other side reported.

Celestia and I separated from each other fully. I looked her over, making sure her feathers and coat weren’t sticking up awkwardly as she did the same for me. Rumors flew regardless, but it paid to give them as little credence as possible.

Smoothing a few spots on her shoulder and wiping her eyes once more, I nodded to her satisfied that she looked presentable. She returned the nod suggesting the same about myself.

“Enter,” she said. How she always managed to exude power while still remaining warm and motherly I could never understand.

A familiar mare passed through the doorway, shaking and trembling; her eyes darted around the place before locking on Celestia and collapsed into a bow before the alicorn.

Celestia sighed, and leaned over to whispered in my ear, “You might want to go help her out before she gives herself a heart attack.”

I huffed. “Yeah. Probably.”

This whole song and dance grew increasingly tiresome after each iteration.

I rose and trotted to her, setting a hoof on her shoulder to steady her as I helped rise. “Miss Showers?”

She nodded slowly. Her eyes glued themselves on my face; her pupils practically pinpricks.

“I’d like thank you for coming this evening though you seem rather shaken. Are you feeling well?”

“This is the Princess’s chambers,” she said, almost daze-like.

I looked around in as casual a manner as I could and smiled at her. “Aye, so it is.”

“I’m in the Princess’s chambers.”

“Aye, so you are.”

Her eyes rolled back in her head and she began to swoon. My left wing shot out, catching her and guiding her descent to the floor. A pillow wrapped in golden magic slid under her head.

“I think you might have a fan,” I shot over my shoulder to Celestia.

She snorted, giving me a sidelong glance. “You know I dislike the pedestal they place me on. Especially when their fervor leads them to faint at my mere presence.”

I shrugged. “You can’t say it’s unfounded though.” I puffed out my chest, drawing myself up as one of her heralds might. “Announcing the presence of Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia. Sol Invictus. The Immortal Steward of the Sun. The Dawn Bringer. Overthrower of the Mad King and Slayer of Dragons. Griffonsbane.” I narrowed my eyes at her, a mischievous grin appearing on my lips. “Sunbutt”

I never saw the pillow coming.

I laughed hard and long, even as she continued to pummel me in the face with it. I laughed even harder when the pillow snagged on one of my exposed fangs and ripped, sending feathers flying across the room. Celestia sniggered, before finally joining in.

After a minute, our laughed died down. For a moment, it felt good to forget about the troubles and worries waiting for us.

Unfortunately, the golden moment had to pass as the weight of responsibility came crashing back down on my shoulders. I picked myself up, shaking myself off and flapping my wings a few times to lose the feathers.

“I should get going. I’ll let you know the Council decision when I return.” I kneeled down next to Spring Showers. Grabbing her front hooves and sliding my head beneath her stomach, I slid her onto my back and stood up. I took a few careful steps towards the door, making sure she wasn’t going to accidentally slide off my back. Confident she was secure, I put a hoof on the door.

“Waxing?”

I turned around to see Celestia cleaning up all the feathers in her magic, clearly still bathing in the afterglow of our mirth.

She opened her mouth to say something but abruptly closed it. After a moment of deliberation, she just smiled at me.

I dipped my head and smiled. “I’ll see you later Princess,” I said and I was out the door.

It wasn't until I was almost to the castle gardens when Spring Showers began to stir on my back.

“Wuh…where am I?”

I knelt down, allowing her to shuffle off my back. “We are in the castle.” I pointed to the far end of the hallway. “And we are headed through that door down there to the gardens.”

She shook her head, glancing curiously at a small white feather that fluttered down by her face. “Oh.” She looked around, staring at the vaulted windows and the warm interior. “I could have sworn I was in the Princess’s chambers a second ago.”

I chuckled. “Well, you’re here now. Do you feel well enough to fly?”

She extended her wings and gave a few experimental flaps. “Yeah, I guess so. Why?”

“The only way to Dusk Hollow is by flight.” I turned and started walking. “Come on.”

I heard her hooffalls hurry to catch up beside me. “So do you feel ready for this?”

“Um. Kind of nervous actually.” She hung her head. “Like I want to throw up to be honest. Though whether that’s my nerves or the foal I’m not sure.”

I draped a wing over her withers as Celestia had done to me many times. “It’ll be okay. Alright?”

She gave a shaky laugh. “I hope so.”

We took a few steps when I felt her back start to heave. Fearing that she might be getting close to actually losing the contents of her stomach, I searched for a pot or a vase. Anything for her to hurl into to that wasn't the castle floor. That is until I heard her sniffling.

“I...I could really use some good news right now,” she said, tears falling down her cheeks.

Using my wing, I guided her to the side of the hallway.

I sighed internally. What is it with me and crying mares lately?

“What’s going on?” I asked. I waved down a passing guard and gestured for a hoofkerchief. He nodded and took off.

Still staring at her front hooves, she started. “Remember when I told you last night about how my father disowned me? Well, I’d hoped that maybe, just maybe, he could overcome his feelings in the interest of being there for his grandfoal. *sniffle* When I told him the news, he got real quiet all of a sudden. *sniffle* Do you know what the first thing out of his mouth was?”

I could take an educated guess, but shook my head, preferring to let her get it all off her chest.

“‘Is it his?’ *sniffle* Of course it's his! Who else's would it be!? *sniffle* He didn't take that too well though and got angry and started yelling about how I was a- *sniffle* -disgrace to the family. Ranting about how the best thing I could do for myself-”

At this point the guard came galloping back.

“Here you are sir,” he said in hushed and rushed manner, holding the fabric out for me. I took it from him and nodded my thanks.

I held out the hoofkerchief in front of Spring Showers’ face.

“Oh, thanks.” She blew her nose quickly and resumed. “Said the best thing I could do would be to throw the abomination over the side of Canterlot once it was born. I-”

I put a hoof on her lips, silencing her and lifted her chin so she would look at me. “It sounds like your father–” Will be receiving a visit from me very soon. “–has some personal issues to resolve.” I took the hoofkerchief and dabbed away the salty tears on her cheeks. “Regardless, I wouldn’t concern yourself too much with him right now. Like I said in my letter, the Nocturne looks after their own. Okay?”

She gave tentative smile. “I’m not entirely sure what you mean by that but, okay.”

“Very well. Now we really need to get going. I’m afraid that you aren’t my only business in the Hollow tonight.”

“Okay.”

With that we headed out into the gardens where a small chariot with a small casket nestled in the back sat waiting.

When Spring Showers saw it, she gasped. “Is...is that him?” she whispered.

“Yeah. One last flight.”

She approached the chariot in slow, measured steps. She sat down hard before it and put her hoof on the side of the casket. “Can I ride with him?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper in the wind.

I walked to the harness on the ground and began putting it on. “It's up to you.”

She stepped into the carriage and laid down next to her beloved. “Take us home.”

I nodded and galloped forward, spreading my wings. A few flaps later we were airborne.

It was a silent flight to the Hollow. As the ponies built the capital cities of Canterlot below, the Nocturne had been busy at the peak of the mountain, carving out our new home. It was here that we could flourish, an impregnable stronghold should the dayponies shun us from their communities.

I approached the flattened outcrop, the moon shining bright on the mountainside. Touching down, I could really appreciate the cold nip of the air, as steam rolled off my coat and wings and my breath billowed from my nostrils, like smoke from a dragon’s. Looking back into the chariot, I could see that my female passenger had fallen asleep, curled as close as she could get to the wooden casket, as if she were trying to touch Onyx through it.

Let her rest with him a little longer. She deserves that at least.

A few enchanted torches lit the entrance to the cavern that the herd called their home, and I was more thankful for their warmth than their light, considering I could already see well enough in the dark.

I studied the entrance to the hollow. Aside from the torch marking it, it appeared to be nothing more than an outlet to the caves that ran through the entire mountain and far down into the earth. When the caves were first discovered, many earth ponies began mining, exploring the depths for valuable resources. But while they were busy looking down, the Nocturne was looking up, interested in the top portions, carving a stone city from walls and sealing off the chasms below.

Stepping past the torches, I walked down the long corridor, my hooffalls and the wheels of the wagon echoed down its walls. The entire corridor was lined with the sparse torch. Despite the thestrals, as a race, having exceptional night vision, we could not see in the pitch dark and needed some small form of ambient light.

And so it went until I felt a slightly warmer draft of air pass along the sensitive membrane of my wings. Sure enough the walls began broadening, opening up to a wide dome. In the center of the city, atop a large structure, a bonfire was lit hidden behind a chalice shaped bowl dimming its light. Aside from providing the majority of the necessary light for the city to see by, its other purpose was to keep the interior a nice balmy temperature.

As much as I marvelled at this place, it also filled my heart with a sort of sadness. Unlike Nocturne village of the Everfree I’d grown up in, here the ponies of the night could not see the stars or the moon. Here, they were hidden away from Luna’s sky, and it felt like, that in our own way, we had abandoned her too.

I shook away these thoughts. I walked through the streets, returning the solemn nods of others. Everypony knew what the chariot meant, even before they saw the casket. I could feel their eyes watching me, curious at which house I’d stop. Each afraid it'd be theirs. Each releasing a guilty sigh of relief when it passed them by.

I stopped before a small brick home with a bright blue door and a small garden of glowing flowers. A golden “9” was tacked to the door. Pulling a scroll from my saddlebag, I made doubly sure that this was the right house.

“Agate and Gust Gale - 9 2nd Street”

This was indeed the place. I shed the harness and walked to the back of the chariot.

I poked the sleeping pegasus’ shoulder. “Miss Showers, we’re here.”

She mumbled something but I didn’t catch it.

I poked her more firmly. “Miss Showers, wake up. We are here.”

An eye creeped open. “You sure?” she asked, her voice scratchy.

“Yes ma’am.” I reached back into my bags and pulled out a water flask. “Here.” I passed it to her. “It sounds like your throat is a little dry from the trip.”

She nodded and sipped from it. Her thirst sated, she cleared her throat. “Better?”

“Much.” I took back the flask, and stored it once more. “Ready?”

She eyed the residence. “No.”

“Yeah...me either.”

She stepped over the side, using her wings to give herself a little lift as needed and landed next to me. She looked around, for the first time noticing all the thestrals beginning to gather. She scooted closer to my side as I began walking to the door.

“Why are they all staring at us?” she whispered.

“They are waiting to for me to break the news first.” I stopped on the mat before the door. “Once I leave, they will start coming by to offer their condolences and mourning gifts.” I brought my hoof to the door and took a deep breath. “As I said before-” Three resounding knocks rang out through the house and down the street. “We take care of our own.”

My heart raced in my chest as the door opened a sliver.

“Hello?” A petite thestral mare greeted me cheerfully as she barely peaked out from behind the jamb.

I hate this part.

“Evening ma’am. I’m sorry to intrude on you like this, but I’m afraid I have some unpleasant news. It would be better if we stepped-”

The door opened more. As it did, she was able to see past the two of us. Her eyes grew wide as she spotted the chariot.

“No.” She shook her head, disbelieving. Her voice hardly more than a whisper as the door opened wider.

“No.” I could see the desperate hope in her eyes saying that this was just a nightmare. That this wasn’t happening. That is hadn't brought this evil to her home.

“No!” She stomped her hoof, cracking a wooden plank of her floor. Tears began to form fully in the corner of her eyes. She couldn’t wake up.

She collapsed at the door, wailing and screaming. Gasping for breath as her chest clenched in, as if to force the breaking pieces of her heart back together.

At this time, her husband came out from a back room to investigate. Seeing his wife on the floor in such a state, he rushing forward, placing a hoof on his wife’s back rubbing her in soothing circles. She turned from us, and buried her face in his chest.

“Gusty, what’s going on?” he asked.

“Sir, if we could step inside.” I said as gently as I could. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

“I’m very sorry for your loss.”

I had just finished telling the couple about what the report covered. The encounter. The drunk guard. The misunderstanding. The brawl. The accident. It sounded strange in my ears to try and explain why their son was dead, like that somehow tied everything up in a neat little bow. It never did.

I looked at the parents on the couch across from me. Agate looked like I’d just kicked the life right out of him. He sat slumped, one hoof absently rubbing his wife’s back. Gust on the other hoof looked like she’d jumped from denial to maternal rage.

“YOU!” she leveled a trembling hoof at Spring Showers, next to me. Her voice seethed with venom. “This is your fault! You got my baby killed!” She lunged at her. My wing shot open in front of Spring Showers, catching Gust. I pulled the grieving mother into my hooves, restraining her as she raged against me.

Spring Showers cringed, her ears folded flat, every instinct screaming to bolt, and frankly I couldn’t blame her for wanting to. To her credit though, she remained.

Gust Gale continued to scrabble in my hooves and had taken to trying to sink her fangs into me.

“Missus Gale!” I shouted in her ear. “If she were truly responsible for your son’s death, I assure you that I would not have invited her here!” I pulled my foreleg underneath her jaw, pinning it shut and just shy of a choke hold. “In fact the only reason she is here is because is just as much a victim as you!”

Gust laughed, dark and bitter. “Her! A victim! She didn’t know my son! She didn’t raise him! She didn’t-”

“GUST! THAT’S ENOUGH!”

Gust stopped thrashing in my hold and looked to her husband. “But-”

“But nothing!” he continued. “Look at the dear!” He pointed a hoof at the terrified pegasus. “She may not have raised him, and she may not have married him, but you can’t sit there and tell me how much or how little she loved Onyx or that she isn’t suffering from his loss as well!”

The two stared at each other, both fuming. Finally Gust looked away first.

“Fine. You’re right. I’m done.” She slumped into my grasp. Cautiously, I started unleashing my hold. She shook out of it and returned to her couch, sulking.

I leaned over to Spring Showers and whispered, “As bad as the timing may seem, I think now would be a good time to tell them.”

She gave me the most incredulous look I’ve ever seen.

“I promise.”

She snorted, but nodded.

“Um.” She scratched at her fetlock with her other forehoof. “The actual reason Captain Crescent here invited me to come meet you both, was actually for the same reason I went to go see Onyx last night. You see, we’d been seeing each other for a while now, very much against my father’s wishes. And, well, uh…oh Celestia I feel sick…” she panted. Agate reached for a bin in the corner but Spring Showers waved it away. Steadying herself, she took a deep breath. “I’m-pregnant-and-it’s-his!” She spit it all out at once and curled her tail around herself on the couch cushion.

Agate stared at her dumbfounded, whereas Gust looked liked she ate something that disagreed with her. Slowly, but surely, a dopey grin grew on Agate’s face as he rose from his seat and sat next to pegasus mare.

“You mean?” He pointed to her belly.

She nodded.

“You and he?” He made some back and forth gesture with his hooves.

Spring Showers nodded again, a deep blush filling her cheeks.

Agate engulfed her in a hug, squeezing her tight. He was crying again, but this time, he sounded happy. Spring Showers soon join him as they sat their crying. One for finding a new family, the other for finding two new members.

Gust rose from her place on the couch and slowly approached the group.

“I’m sorry.” she said. “I...I feel awful and I want to welcome you to our family but after what I said to you and-”

Gust Gale found herself pulled into Spring Shower’s forelegs. “I understand.”

I sat back and stared at the proud grandparents welcoming the expectant young mother. There would be more tears and grieving, no doubt. But they’d found that little light in the dark. That something to keep going.

I felt a hoof on my back, bringing forth a cool, gentle sensation from its touch.

“You did a good thing here Wax. Good job.” a familiar voice whispered in my ear.

I whipped around to see a mare, in a black flowing robe and scythe hung across her back. Her hood was down this time though, and I could see a silver mane cascading over one shoulder, running over her soft blue coat.

I opened my mouth, but she silenced me with a hoof and smiled. “We’ll talk later.”

I blinked and she disappeared.

Author's Notes:

Once again, large shout-out to my editor stanku!

Also, I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter and I'm very welcome to constructive criticism to make it better.

Edit 22 Dec - Minor typos will forever be the bane of me. That and taxes.