"P-Pr-Princess Luna." Prey stuttered.

'What is Luna doing here? This is wrong. It's the middle of the day, the sun's still high outside, so she shouldn't be here!'

And why had she come to the hospital instead of just summoning them to the Palace? Why was this meeting being kept secret? This was bad, bad, bad.

Luna's piercing gaze settled on Prey, and the cold indigo eyes finally jolted him out of his frozen state and dropped him into a bow so fast he left his ears trailing behind in the air.

That sense of being examined by some feline predator Prey had come to associate with the night alicorn crawled over his wool. How did no one else ever seem to feel it? Did Luna only project it onto non-ponies? Was it actually some sort of passive spell? No, Luna had no need for an aura spell. This was all her sheer presence alone.

Prey didn't dare move or even breathe until Luna's freezing gaze shifted off him.

"Thou makest good time Lieutenant Starry Wing. Thou mayest all raise thine heads." Luna boomed.

"It was my pleasure, Princess." Starry Wing said deferentially.

Prey dared to glance up, and spotted for the first time that there was another pony accompanying Luna, standing in the doorway to the meeting room behind her. The briefest look was enough for Prey to know the stallion was a noble. the aura of self entitlement was unmistakable.

However, they were far less important right now than Luna was. The dark alicorn casually stalked around to the head of the oval table, starry mane flowing out behind her as if caught in a current of water.

Luna did not take the seat at the head of the table, no, instead she flicked it aside into the corner with an indigo shimmer of her horn, and conjured up her own far more ornate seat. It was dark blue, imposing, glowing with magic, and decidedly regal. Only once Luna had a suitable throne did she deign to sit. All of this was done casually, as if Luna wasn't even making a point. Like it just came naturally to her.

"Rise." She ordered.

Crimson, Starry Wing, and Prey all did so.

Prey noticed that the noble had followed Luna into the room, and was now looking around almost as imperiously as Luna had. Starry Wing wasn't pleased by that.

'-he should've waited until Her Majesty called him into the room first-'

"There were no complications, Lieutenant?" Luna asked of him.

"None your Majesty."

"And none know of our royal presence here?"

"None that aren't supposed to, your Majesty."

"Well done. Take thy leave hence and attend outside the door. We will have need of thee once we art done here. We wouldst speak privily with the gathered members of our ISND and Lord Vanish alone."

Prey's eyes darted between Starry Wing and the now named Lord Vanish. The Lieutenant didn't know why the noble was here, only that whatever the reason was, the Lieutenant didn't approve. And it wasn't the usual detached dislike simply because Vanish was a noble, but rather because Starry Wing didn't think the Lord paid enough respect to Luna.

But Luna had spoken. "Yes Princess, I'll be just outside if you need anything."

"Verily."

Prey wanted to know why some random Lord was even here? 'Why's Luna brought him? It's gonna' be something bad, isn't it? It's always something bad.'

Lord Vanish sniffed and straightened his cufflinks as Starry Wing left. The stallion had a severe cut to his mane and stance. Vanish was, of course, a unicorn too, but Prey had slightly bigger issues to worry about than him at the moment.

"Crimson and Prey, attend to our words." Luna called, immediately recapturing Prey's attention.

"This is Lord Vanish, Fifth of that name, of House Time. His lands lie to the East of Vanhoover. He hast petitioned us to hear him on his House's behalf, and we hath done so. 'Tis a matter which concerns thou, thus thou shalt hear it."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Yes, your Majesty." Prey echoed Crimson hurriedly, still not having a clue why Vanish was here. The Lord had given Prey a look of mild surprise and contained disdain earlier, but now his attention was almost exclusively on Crimson. And it was not a happy look in his dark green eyes.

"Thank you, Princess Luna." Vanish said, speaking for the first time. His voice was smooth and clipped.

'-so, this is where it washed up-', Vanish thought. What? Where 'what' washed up?

"But first we need to speak briefly with them both. Thou wilt kindly wait a moment." Luna was not making it a question.

The corner of Vanish's mouth twitched downwards, "As your Majesty commands." He said with the barest dip of his head.

Prey cringed. Didn't the unicorn know he was playing with fire? It was only because Luna seemed so coldly disconnected from social cues that she didn't care enough to get angry at him; "Crimson and Prey, step closer and heed our words."

With extreme reluctance, but not daring to delay, Prey hurried closer to Luna's magical throne. He should be worrying about Crimson too right now, but guiltily, all he could manage was to worry about was himself. Even seated, Luna towered over him.

"This shalt be a privy conversation." Luna announced, and Prey felt a sharp sting in his hooves as some type of privacy magic came into effect. Prey'd hardly even seen Luna's horn light up she'd cast so fast!

"Princess Luna?" Crimson asked in question.

"We will not bandy words," Luna said briskly, "We hast heard of thine exploits across the mountain range from our Captain. Now we shalt briefly hear thine own accounts for ourselves."

Crimson glanced quickly to Prey, an unsure question in his yellow eyes. Prey however couldn't speak. His mouth had suddenly gone dry.

It was Crimson who ended up answering for both of them, "What more do you want to know, Princess Luna? If Captain Nighthawk already told you about everything that went wrong, I don't know what I, I mean, what we can add."

Luna's gaze was as hard and unyielding as diamond as it bore into each of them, "We want each of thee to account for thine actions. Didst thou each do all that was in thy power to save the afflicted peasants? Didst thou fight with all thy strength? Can thou each swear thine failures were not through any fault of thine own?"

Next to him, Prey felt Crimson straighten and raise his head, even if he himself didn't dare turn his head even a fraction to check; "I was not good enough Princess. I tried, but I failed. I wasn't fast enough to stop the Mama'duke, I couldn't save the villagers, and I didn't beat the reaper king or the warlock in the end. But it wasn't because I didn't try Princess Luna. I just... wasn't good enough."

Luna's gaze softened just the tiniest amount, "Thou wast outclassed, even with thine timely acquisition of that artifact." Here Luna nodded at the jade necklace on Crimson's neck:

"'Tis not thine fault thou wast not strong enough to prevail. And thou didst still strive, which speaks well of thee."

Then her eyes locked onto Prey, "Canst thou say the same for thyself?" She demanded.

"I..." Prey trembled. Luna's thoughts were a blank void, intangible, yet he somehow knew Luna would not believe his answer if he said 'yes'. He was caught. "I, I t-tried........"

Prey couldn't finish. He couldn't lie, nor could Crimson help him here. He was alone before Luna.

"Answer us Prey. Didst thou do all that was in thy power?"

She knew he couldn't answer yes, she knew he would just be lying. Somehow, she just knew.

"......"

"Gloom hast spoken of thine allegations against the Border Guard. In light of the actions of somepony within the Border Guard spreading misinformation, 'twould be understandable. Yet we art told that was not thy reason for denouncing Corporal Shimmer, but thou didst so simply because he wast a unicorn. 'Twas merely racism on thy part. Canst thou claim it 'twas not so?"

Again, Prey had absolutely nothing he dared say in excuse.

Luna's eyes narrowed in displeasure, "Thou mistrusted and slandered somepony who gave his life for thee and thy fellows. A brave Guard who offered more honesty than thou didst. And now Corporal Shimmer is dead in part for thee. What sayest thou to that, hmm?"

'He was a filthy Border Guard, a liar and a murderer, a Mimic!' Prey screamed in his head, but not even a whisper of it passed his lips. He dare not even look away lest it make Luna even more angry.

"Well?" Luna barked, voice a loud whip crack, "Hast thou any excuse for thy unjust hatred of unicorns and the scholars of magic? Doest thou have any paltry reason for thy distrust of thy fellow pony?"

Prey had so many reasons for why the pampered, rich, privileged unicorns did not deserve the magic they wielded. The power it gave them over every other race, even their fellow pegasi and Earth pony brethren. He could give over a dozen examples in one breath, but say any of that to Luna?

He'd be killed.

"N-no." Prey mumbled.

Luna arched one imperious eyebrow, "No?"

"N-no, Princess Luna."

"We hast seen too much of this sorry affliction amongst ponies in the centuries, and it brings nothing but misery to all. The rendition of Hearths' Warming is one such tale, and in spirit it is accurate if nought else. Thou wilt learn from it. All ponies were created equal. Thou wilt put aside thy childish racism now. We trust that we wilt not have cause to tell thee again."

"No-I mean yes, Princess Luna."

Prey felt bitterness swirl in his chest. All ponies were created equal? Ha. Thus said the alicorn princess to the non-pony slave.

Crimson was still standing right next to him, but there wasn't anything he could do to assist Prey. And did he even want to? Crimson had also called Prey a racist back then too. Did Crimson actually agree with Luna here?

'No! I won't let Luna scare me into driving a wedge between us, not after everything.'

Luna however, much to Prey's horror, wasn't finished with him, "Look upon us Prey." She commanded.

Slowly, reluctantly, Prey raised his head, trying not to let his mask slip even an inch. Under his wool, he was shivering. He was scared.

Looking into Luna's face was like looking into a pool. It was as perfect and as smooth as glass, but Prey couldn't see what lay beneath its surface in the depths. "Next we would ask thee of the afflicted ponies thou slew in thy traps. Thou knows of what we speak."

The Bone Rot mines. Prey had thought he'd managed to convince Nighthawk to drop the topic. Apparently not.

"Yes, Princess Luna?" Prey squeaked.

"Thou shalt not make such weapons e'er again, unless thou art ordered to do so, and never within any pony city, town, or village. Such weapons are too dangerous to the common pony, enemy and ally alike. Thou didst nearly slay Crimson by accident in thy plans."

Prey couldn't help but flinch.

"Good. We see that thou hast already thought to regret thine actions. Wouldst that they were not needed in the first place, but it was at the command of Sargent Gloom, and thou all had little choice. Howbeit thy father came to know of such a weapon, we wilt never know, but thou art forbidden to teach anypony the method of their construction. I know not what such fell weaponry is exactly, but we canst but imagine such things constitute a war crime. 'Dost thou understand?" Luna asked gravely.

Prey nodded vigorously, scarcely able to believe he was being let off the hook so easily.

"'Tis well." Luna said.

She went silent for a long moment. Outside of their silence bubble, Vanishing was impatiently waiting, but he couldn't have been less important right then. Luna continued to look down at Prey, pursing her lips.

"'Tis well." She just ended up finally repeating.

Surely Luna, an alicorn, wasn't hesitating over something? No, that was ridiculous.

"Dost thy family know of what happened yet, that is to say, of thy scars Prey?"

Prey couldn't help it. His eyes flicked to Crimson, no matter that Luna would take offence at him ignoring her for even a fraction of a second. Crimson was looking back at Prey out of the corner of his eye, his lips pressed together apologetically even though it wasn't his fault, it was the doctors.

Prey forced his eyes back to the waiting alicorn. He felt sick at the lies that were coming. He swallowed, "No. My family doesn't know. It wasn't something that ever... No. I'd like to keep it that way. Please? The per-pony who whipped me isn't ever going to do it again. No wait! I didn't kill him! That came out wrong. He just died. I don't want to burden my family by bringing up bad memories again."

Luna's faint frown only grew at Prey's words, "We disagree with thy reasoning. Thou art afraid, but thy family shouldst know so that they mayest help thee. However, we will not press thee."

"You won't?" Prey asked in shock, "Your Majesty." He hastened to add.

"We wilt not. That wilt be the task of thy doctor to convince thee to see sense."

Prey's blank look must have said it all. "We wilt make this quick, as 'tis poor manners to keep the good Lord Vanish waiting. All of the Intelligence and Secrecy Night Guard Division wilt be attending a doctor's therapy sessions. According to Captain Shining Armour, 'tis a most successful undertaking for rehabilitating ponies injured in the line of duty." Luna announced grandly.

Now it wasn't just Prey who was taken off guard, but Crimson also, "Princess Luna-?"

"Thou wilt all attend thy therapy sessions punctually and without complaint, that is our command. Now come, we hath made Lord Vanish patiently wait to lay claim to his heritage long enough. What 'tis sooner started 'tis sooner finished."

And with that, the stinging in Prey's hooves dissipated before either of them could question what she meant.

The short, but terrifying, conversation with Luna had barely taken five minutes. Now they were back in the hospital conference room, with this Lord Vanish pony who was here for whatever reason Luna had allowed him to come.

Seeing that they were finished, Vanish's muzzle wrinkled ever so slightly, but he was not crass enough to; '-speak ill of a Princess within her presence, even if she's committed a faux paux-'

Prey didn't like the way he kept looking at Crimson with anger in his eyes, either.

"We art finished. We thank thee for thy patience Lord Vanish."

"Oh course, your Majesty. You are too kind." Vanish said, his upper class accent once again masking whether he meant it or was secretly being sarcastic.

"Thou art welcome," Luna magnanimously decreed, "Thou mayest now proceed with thy task. Knowest however, that Private Crimson hath done much in our service, and hast done nought with malicious intent."

And with that not-at-all ominous statement out of the way, Luna leaned back in her throne and waved for them to get on with it. Crimson's questioning look was blithely ignored.

"Thank you your Majesty." Vanish said yet again. He gave a small bow to the seated alicorn, and then straightened up and looked down his nose coldly at Crimson, completely ignoring Prey:

"I am Lord Vanish of House Time," The unicorn began, confidence in every proud line of his body, "And I will be blunt and save everypony sometime. I am a busy pony. Return my property at once, and I will let this matter drop."

"Pardon?" Crimson asked blankly, obviously not having a clue what the stallion was going on about. Prey did, however he didn't manage to speak up before Vanish took offence at Crimson's confusion and snapped at him:

"I am being far more generous than you have any right to expect, even if you are only a thief by second hoof circumstance. Remember that. I am representing my House here in seeing that our heritage is safely recovered, and I have the responsibility and power to ensure that it happens."

"I am no thief." Crimson said stiffly. From her seat, Luna passively looked on at the exchange, astral mane drifting about her.

"Your arrogance to voice such a lie while you stand there with House Time's very heirloom around your neck is frankly shocking." Vanish said coldly.

"My necklace?" Crimson asked in surprise, hoof rising to the jade chain.

"Incorrect. My necklace. It belongs to House Time. Return it to me."

Crimson's feathers bristled, not that Vanish noticed, "How can it be yours? It was a gift bought by-bought from a street stall."

"That artifact which you're so casually wearing like some common trinket has been in House Time for over five centuries, created by Archduke Time Sand himself. Nopony has been able to activate it since, but that is irrelevant. We know it's ours, because we have our ways of tracking our property. When you so crassly unlocked the ring, did you really think it wouldn't send a signal to House Time of its location so we could reclaim it?"

Vanish's tone was an angry sneer, even if his face was a calm and detached facade.

"Are you accusing me of breaking into your home and stealing from you?" Crimson asked.

'-if you were just a common burglar I'd be having this conversation with you through the bars of a cell, but no, the Princess is here. I must restrain myself-', Vanish made a show of taking a deep breath.

"No. The original theft was not yours. I do not know if you really bought it off a street vendor, nor do I care. It was stolen from us some twenty years ago by a braggart taking advantage of an overeager filly who should've known better. She had no right giving out House heirlooms for her foalish infatuation to a caddish Grapevine-"

Vanish broke off, grinding his teeth, "That Heirloom belongs to House Time and it was stolen. I have come to take it back."

Grapevine. Prey knew that name. It was one of the noble Houses which had been hit by Lemon Pink back when she was still a Nightmare Moon worshipping cultist. Which was also why the Solar Guard had pulled Prey from his cell in Dreverton to solve Captain Valour's problems for him.

Lemon's little circle of cultists had robbed House Grapevine's vaults, who'd taken it from House Time in turn, and the jade ring had obviously been pawned off by the cultists who thought it nothing more than just a decorative, if charmed, bulky green ring. And then Prey had spied it being sold on the underground market and bought it for Crimson.

In a way, it had all come full circle.

Crimson didn't look like he was moved in the slightest by the Lord's words, "You lost it. It's now mine. I paid the cost for it, and you couldn't use it even if you had it. It won't work for anyp-body but me."

"This isn't a debate. This is a reclamation of inheritance. There is nothing to negotiate. I am perfectly willing to take this to the courts if you aren't prepared to do the honest thing." Vanish responded bitingly.

Prey couldn't just sit back and let this happen. He might be scared, (not of the foolish Lord, but of Luna), but this was over the necklace which had saved all of their lives, that Crimson paid a deeply personal price to unlock, and which he himself had gifted to Crimson. So despite the tremble in his legs, the high pitch in his voice, and the sweat on the back of his neck, Prey forced himself to jump into the hostile debate.

"Hang on, let's all just take a moment, okay? Why can't this be a negotiation? There isn't only two sides to this argument, you need to consider everything." Prey called, waving his hooves to get both Vanish and Crimson's attention.

Vanish's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and no small amount of annoyance, '-the sheep? Why's she even been allowed in this peer meeting? And where do these ponies get their repulsive face scars? Some vile local disease, no doubt. It better not be contagious-'

"You don't know what we're talking about. Please be quiet and let the adults talk, fillies should be seen and not heard." Vanish dismissed Prey, while raising an aristocratic eyebrow at Luna as if to say, 'Really?'

Luna however was making no move to take either person's side. She was just looking on at the argument, face cold and blank. Like this was all a form of drama and entertainment to her.

'-oh, so you're taking your little Nightmare Guard's side in this then Princess? But the law is on my side, so you can't do anything more than silently disapprove-', Vanish thought, turning away when he saw that Luna wouldn't respond.

Prey couldn't help but stare. This unicorn was completely crazy! He actually thought he had any sort of power over Luna? Vanish was completely misinterpreting the situation, Luna wasn't keeping quiet because she had no power to interfere, but because she didn't care what the outcome was.

"Prey-?" Crimson asked, searching for confirmation of what he was doing by jumping in.

Prey hurriedly tried to signal Crimson to be quiet and let him do the talking; "That necklace is a valuable Night Guard asset, capable of saving lives. It has saved lives. It's already proved invaluable in the field. And since the magic can only be wielded by Crimson, why shouldn't Crimson keep it? It'll just be sitting gathering dust on a shelf if you take it back, whereas here it can actually do some good."

Vanish was taken aback by Prey's very grown up argument, but he wasn't about to let some jumped up precocious little lamb talk him out of his family's heritage. "Propriety is irrelevant, as ownership has already clearly been established. The artifact belongs to House Time, and I will be taking it back today."

Prey flipped from appealing and guilt tripping to accusations without missing a beat. "Crimson's done more with that necklace in the few weeks he's possessed it than your whole House has in, what, the last five centuries? And that's even if you're telling the truth about it belonging to your family. Rather convenient that Crimson activates it, and then you turn up on the doorstep immediately afterwards to claim it, don't you think?"

"That's irrelevant. What's been unlocked once can be unlocked again by another pony." Vanish snapped, starting to lose his cool.

"No, you won't be able to pay the cost. None of you will be, and besides, Crimson isn't going to tell you how he did it. If you're going to steal it from somebody your own heirloom deemed more worthy than all your past generations, just because of greed, you don't deserve to know how." Prey returned, playing the spite card.

"You are not involved in this, foal. It is between my House and Private Crimson. Kindly keep your misguided accusations to yourself!"

"But he's raised a number of good points that you haven't answered yet. Are they true?" Crimson challenged.

"I have no need to justify myself for what already belongs to my House, and certainly not to the pony who's withholding my own property." Vanish said tersely, clearly irritated by being outnumbered. His head snapped towards the calmly watching alicorn.

"Princess Luna, this Guard is under your command, isn't he? Surely you've heard enough to mediate and declare me the rightful owner? Or must I take this matter to a judge to get justice? House Time has always been staunch supporters and law abiding citizens of Her Majesty, Princess Celestia." Vanish drew himself up, "Or do the diarchy each view the law differently?"

'-we aren't as foolish as those simpletons from the Gala, but you don't want us as your enemy Luna. You're without friends as the Nightmare. What's your choice?-'

Prey hastily backed up from the insane unicorn. 'He's trying to blackmail Luna. Why's he trying to commit suicide?'

Luna's dark mane stilled for a moment as it drifted about her throne. Her sculpted face of ice didn't change for even a moment, but just that little tick filled Prey with dread.

Slowly, Luna looked to Crimson and down at Prey. Her lips moved in a tiny sigh, "Thy loyalty to thy teammate pleases us Prey, however, 'tis not a matter that thou hast any say in. For thy own good, thou shouldst stay clear of the matter. 'Tis between Lord Vanish and Crimson."

She didn't say 'Private' Crimson, or 'Night Guard' Crimson, just 'Crimson'. She was indirectly saying this had nothing to do with the Night Guard and Crimson couldn't use his position in the Guard to back up his arguments. However Vanish still got to use his position as a Lord. That wasn't fair, it was just typical.

"But-" Prey should've known better. He did know better.

One word, that was all Prey said before he bit his tongue. Luna was an alicorn, and he was a slave. He had nothing to beg or sway her with. She was the Sun Wolf's sister, he knew what she was capable of. An alicorn always gets things her own way. But his loyalty to Crimson was enough to wring that one extra word out of Prey where he should've kept silent. Just one word. "But".

"Thou hast no say in this Prey. The matter is closed."

Prey blinked, his vision suddenly going grey as all the blood seemed to drain out of his head. Why was he suddenly so tired? He couldn't feel his forelegs and grey fog was rapidly closing in on everything.

'Magic attack! Defend!' Prey screamed in his mind, but his body wasn't listening and tiredness was aggressively trying to drag him down. It was winning.

Prey soundlessly folded up into a little pile on the worn hospital carpet. His head lolled off his forelegs, squashing his own ear like a pillow. Through eyes drifting shut, Prey stared at the golden bands on his legs.

'Luna. She's doing this to me. Filthy alicorn magic!'

Prey tried to fight it. But the magic was so potent, and it was the alicorn of the night's work.

Prey's eyes closed and he plunged into the depths of sleep.

When Prey's eyes snapped open what felt like only a second later, he was greatly disorientated to find the conference room gone. Instead of the scratchy carpet he'd collapsed onto, he was back under the soft white sheets of a hospital bed.

From one second to the next, the world had changed. It felt like he'd been teleported. There was no inbetween.

'Wha-? That Lord was there to steal Crimson's-and then Luna! She did this to me!' Prey thought in outrage.

'She just used the tracer bands on me because she didn't feel like having me participate in the conversation. Just like that! I said one word, one word. She couldn't even be bothered to wait the ten seconds it would've taken to order me out of the room instead.'

Prey seethed in helpless fury. That stupid foal's mobile was still up there, hanging mockingly above his bed. Prey glared death up at it.

What had happened while he'd been unconscious? Had Vanish succeeded in stealing Crimson's necklace? And who had carried him back to the bed anyway?

Prey kicked and struggled out from under the blanket which'd been tightly tucked under the mattress's edge. Free, he jumped down and made straight for the door. He wasn't a child, he wasn't just going to sit here and wait until an adult deigned to come and tell him what had happened. He was perfectly capable of finding answers for himself.

With only a very minor limp now marring his steps, Prey pushed open the door and went looking for someone who could provide him with answers.

Prey dodged nurses, doctors, and one whistling cleaner mopping up some spill outside the staff break room. None of them noticed him, even in the bright and wide open corridors of the hospital, mainly because he was making the effort to avoid attention. If he'd thought they'd known the answer, he would've asked them where Crimson was, but he didn't think they would.

Worry bubbled in the bottom of Prey's stomach. Why hadn't Crimson waited around for Prey to wake up? Had Luna given Crimson an order to leave? Or had he taken off after whatever had happened?

So Prey made for the room in the hospital with the greatest chance of holding Crimson, (if he were here at all), or possibly answers at the very least; Scenic Paint's room.

But Scenic wasn't there, he and his wheelchair were both gone and the was room empty, which was still an answer in and of itself. By process of elimination, only three people could've taken Scenic out for a walk. Scenic's marefriend, a member of hospital staff, or Crimson.

So Prey, with a frown, headed for the second most likely place to find Crimson; Lilly Blossom's room.

Voices came to Prey's sharp hearing before the room actually came into sight. Familiar sounding voices, four of them, but only three of which he could identify as ones which should be here.

Scenic, Lilly, and Carton Juice. But no Crimson.

The fourth voice was quiet and gentle.

Prey trotted closer, for the moment distracted from his search for Crimson by what he was hearing coming from Lilly's room.

"Just go away. I don't want to see any of you, especially you!"

"I'm, uh, I'm just trying to see how you're doing Lilly. I'm very glad you woke up." That was Scenic.

"How do you think I'm doing?! I'm a house plant! Just go away, I don't want to see anypony. I'm a m-just go!" Lilly sounded just as distressed as the last time Prey had heard her.

"We will, but we just want to know how we can help first." And that pleading but resolute voice was Carton Juice. Looks like she'd taken his suggestion to try and help Lilly. Sounded like she was doing a very poor job of it. No doubt Carton was sufficiently horrified by Lilly's appearance, and was letting it affect her reasoning.

"You can't help this. Look at me. Look at me! I should be d-dead. You have no idea what this is like."

"I know, I know. It's not okay, but maybe if you let us try to help we can at least make it a bit better-" Carton Juice was cut off as Lilly went on another screaming rant.

"I don't want your bucking useless help! You're useless. All useless! You're hypocrites! You have no idea what this is like. You still have your whole lives ahead of you, you're all still p-ponies. And you, you're a bucking super model! I hate you. I don't want you here. J-just go away." Lilly was loudly panting by the end of her miserable rant.

"She's a model?" Prey heard Carton ask faintly in surprise.

"You're not useless Lilly, you're still just as much as a pony as me. As us, I mean. And uh, I'm sure Miss Saffron just wants to help too." Scenic said, uncertainty entering his voice at the end.

Saffron? Saffron. Saffron Swirl. That was the magically crippled unicorn mare Prey had seen on the balcony who'd been planning to commit suicide. She was supposed to be a famous model or something if Prey remembered correctly. So what was she doing here?

'How strange.' Prey was right outside the closed door now, but he didn't make any move to enter and instead continued to eavesdrop.

"I know nopony here knows me, not really. I'm only a part time charity volunteer, but I'm here to help if I can." That was the Saffron Swirl mare speaking now, "I only bumped into Miss Juice in the hospital lobby where I was helping out by complete accident. I am simply-"

"You have no right to be here. I'm not some dumb P.R. stunt for your fans, so get lost!"

"Yes I'm a celebrity, but I'm not-"

"You have your whole life made! You know nothing."

"Please," Saffron tried patiently, "Your friends only asked me along because I suggested I could help-"

"Your whole life! Made! You're rich, beautiful, loved."

A soft sigh; "There used to be a time I thought the same. I know, I'm privileged and rich and spoilt, and I never did a single thing to earn any of it aside from being born pretty. I'm more lucky than I could ever believe. And even though I can never understand what you've gone through Lilly, perhaps I can help just a tiny amount." Saffron said in her smooth, musical voice.

All that got in response from Lilly was a forced bark of spiteful laughter; "Ha. Ha ha. Ha. You're a regular comedian. Ha! Horseapples to you, and you, and you too Scenic! Go cut off your leg and stick a weed in its place, and then we'll talk. I lost my magic. You two aren't unicorns, you two could never understand what's been stolen from me. You're only mud ponies. Go sing to your crops or something."

"That's not very nice..." Scenic began weakly before Carton shushed him.

"Shh, let her say how she feels. This isn't about us." But Prey caught the tremble Carton tried to hide in her voice. As it should be. Prey would bet Carton Juice couldn't even look Lilly in the face, what with the meld wood growing out of it.

This drama scene didn't help Prey though. He needed to know what had happened to Crimson.

"This isn't something I share with many ponies," Saffron Swirl's calm voice came, "And not many know. But I can't use magic either. I have permanent thaumic disconnectivity. I'm a magical cripple."

"Oh you poor dear." Prey heard Carton Juice exclaim.

"...W-hat?" Lilly asked.

"Yes. I can't use magic. But you still have it a million times worse than me, Mrs Blossom, and you're also a million times stronger than me. I have it all made, just like you said, but I still gave into despair at one point. I thought nopony understood me. It's only through a lucky meeting that I got better and saw how fortunate I truly am. And how many ponies there are who are so much stronger than me. Lilly Blossom, you humble me."

'Damn it all to Tartarus.' Prey thought as he realised in disgust who that 'luck meeting' had been.

There was a moment of stunned speechlessness from inside the room at Saffron's selfless admission. She'd just bared her most private weakness to three complete strangers, on the slim hope it might help one of them. It was a gift of pure selflessness.

'How truly ponylike of you.' Prey thought. Prey swore he heard Carton Juice sniffing.

Saffron went on into the sudden silence, "I don't know you Lilly, or your two friends here-"

"-don' know her." Lilly muttered.

"-But if you'd allow it, I'd be honoured if you would let me. I'm only a volunteer here when I can get free time away from my agent, and I know I'm not much, but if there is some way I can help, please, let me at least try."

None of this was helping Prey. It wasn't important, nor did it settle his worries about Crimson. He turned and walked away up the corridor, leaving whatever else was said in Lilly's room behind him. He had other more concerns than pony drama:

'What did Luna do? Did she really let Vanish get away with that? And what's happened to Crimson?'

It didn't seem like Crimson was in the hospital anymore. Where or who else could Prey go to obtain answers? Prey couldn't think of any. The only ones present for the meeting had been Crimson, him, Lord Vanish, and of course Luna.

A nurse pushing a washing trolley full of clean fluffy sheets spied Prey and almost cooed at the little ribbon wearing lamb, until she got a close up look at the glare Prey was giving her and the poison burn scars. Then she thought better of it and hurriedly pushed the trolley away.

His search for answers unsuccessful, Prey eventually was left with little other choice but to return to his hospital room to wait and worry. There was nothing else to do. Nothing but grind his axe.

There is a saying; "Hungry dogs are never loyal."

Canterlot practically glowed in the beautiful orange of Celestia's setting sun. It was a scene which had repeated itself a thousand times before, and would for a thousand more.

It was picturesque. The way the light glittered on the golden spires before the cozy glow of the nightlife began, with warmth still radiating off the sun bathed mountainside, and the fresh breath of pre-night air blowing up from the plains. It all wove together into the experience of what the city of Canterlot was. What it stood for. What it meant to its citizens.

Or at least, it did until those citizens turned in for the night. Then another, smaller selection of citizens would get up and start their night.

Soon, but not just yet. For now, the sunlight still shone on the horizon, wonderful and comforting.

Most businesses had already closed for the day, as the setting of their beloved Princess's sun signalled to the ponies everywhere it was time to wind down. Some places however, such as hospitals, understandably couldn't just shut for the night. Patients still needed aid, medicine still needed to be administered, and emergencies still occurred which required medical assistance.

Thus, the hospital was one of the few buildings in Canterlot that truly never slept, beautiful setting sun or no.

Inside the hospital, the foal's made mobile lay bent and broken in a corner of the room, the colourful coloured cutouts all angrily crumpled.

Prey looked up sharply as the door opened, and Gloom and Crimson walked in. Prey's eyes immediately zeroed in on Crimson's throat. There was no shimmering jade chain resting there.

Prey's eyes widened and swiftly tracked up to meet Crimson's gaze. The pegasus exile's look said it all, and the hardness there had nothing to do with the scar streaks.

Prey had thought... but no. Princess Luna really hadn't stopped Lord Vanish.

'He stole Crimson's property. Vanish stole it, and Luna let him get away with it.'

This was the thanks for what the ISND had done? For suffering, crying, and bleeding to stop Hard Baked?

Crimson was part of the Night Guard, Luna's creation, one of the loyal thestrals who'd sacrificed their whole way of life to come running the moment she called. Crimson had sworn himself to Luna, but she'd chosen a noble's selfish claims over his own. Was this some spiteful test on her part to see how far she could push her Guards?

And what about all the other things rest of the ISND had done to prove themselves? They'd been outmatched so many times, the scarecrow, the reaper king, even by a hoof full of kindersnatches. But just when by happy chance Crimson unlocked a magical artifact that would level the field and give them a chance, immediately a greedy pony Lord came by to snatch it away again.

Nor could Prey go after Vanish to steal the necklace back. Luna, an alicorn, had let the unicorn steal it from Crimson. Thus, there would be no way Crimson could ever openly use the jade necklace again even if Prey could steal it back. And if something unpleasant happened to Vanish, Prey and Crimson would be at the top of the suspect list.

"I do not want to discuss it." Crimson preempted Prey, his flat tone making it final. That didn't mean Prey didn't catch the look of confusion and hurt over Luna's actions resting in the bottom of Crimson's yellow orbs. Evidently, he was asking himself exactly the same question; Why had Luna sided with Vanish, despite Crimson's continued loyalty?

Probably only Prey could've seen the struggle behind Crimson's mask, but Prey'd had a lot more practice at living with a mask on than Crimson did.

However Crimson had spoken and made it clear; "I don't want to discuss it." He'd said. Prey could only wordlessly nod in acceptance of Crimson's wishes, and let his eyes slide over to Gloom instead.

"What's the occasion for the visit this evening?" Prey asked, "Or is it night already?"

This was the first look Prey was getting at the uncovered poison burn scars on Gloom's face. Unsurprisingly, they were almost identical to the rest of theirs. They were about as bad as Crimson's were, meaning better than Scenic's but worse than Prey's. Gloom was taking the chance to review Prey's face for himself in turn.

"Looks like you got off the lightest Prey," Gloom observed, before grimacing and quickly correcting himself, "Wait, no, that came out wrong, sorry. I just meant your poison burns aren't as bad. None of us got off lightly."

'-least of all poor Lilly. Oh Luna, that's going to be so difficult and her parents are still pushing legal action-'

Prey lightly cleared his throat and again prompted, "And the occasion?"

Crimson answered, "You're leaving."

"Leaving? I take it you mean leaving the hospital?"

"The hospital has finally judged you well enough to be discharged is what Crimson meant," Gloom clarified, "And I know how much you hate it here, so I signed the release papers as your legal guardian and came to get you out."

Prey ignored the 'legal guardian' bit, it was just a bit of paperwork and wouldn't have stopped him if he'd really wanted to escape. He just hadn't had anywhere to go, not with these filthy rings of alicorn cursed gold still on him. Prey glared down at the tracer bands, remembering how Luna had so casually rendered him unconscious with them.

"So what happens next?" Prey asked.

Gloom paused in scratching at his scarred chest, "Now? Well, we go back to yours and Crimson's two flats. I went by and picked up the keys from the landlord earlier, plus made sure he hadn't reneged on the contract, so you can get in."

"No, Prey meant, 'what happens to us after this'?" Crimson broke in.

"Yes, what happens..." Prey's wave encompassed in the three of them, Crimson's lack of jade necklace, the rest of the hospital, the whole of Canterlot and the darkening night sky outside by extension, and their situation in general within the Night Guard, "...next?"

"Oh, that next." Gloom sucked in air over his fangs. He rubbed at his chest scar, hard.

'-I don't know, why does everypony keep asking me that? I feel like I'm adrift all the time-'

"I'm not really sure. But for now? Nothing, I guess. We're still on enforced leave until further notice. Just... sleep, read, eat, see the sights in Canterlot, do whatever really. Personally, I'm just waiting for Captain Nighthawk to call us back onto duty since I'm going to be staying on now." Gloom shrugged, eyes flicking away on the end of that sentence.

'I see. So we're just to stay out of the way and keep our heads low because of the royal inspectors, until Nighthawk has need of us again.'

Because even Nighthawk knew he'd eventually have a use for killers again. Prey didn't believe the Captain's words for one second about the ISND not being judged or punished. Perhaps not punished officially, but all who were privy to the information would remember it was the ISND who'd gone to Mayflower, and it was the ISND alone who'd walked out of the massacre.

Everyone was saying it wasn't the ISND's fault. Prey doubted anyone really believed that, not deep down in the privacy of their own hearts. Prey had seen death and unfairness too many times to believe it would be any different now.

But he couldn't do much about it, and so long as those people kept their blame and judgement private and left him alone, it'd be fine. Left him and Crimson alone actually.

"And Nighthawk is okay with letting me out?" Prey asked carefully, thinking about all those restrictions the thestral Captain had been talking about. Wouldn't Nighthawk want to trap Prey here where he could keep a constant eye on him?

"He okayed it, it's fine." Gloom hurriedly waved Prey's concerns down, "As long as we don't leave Canterlot, and don't let any of the inspectors ask us any questions, especially not any lawyers or legal ponies, it'll be fine."

But despite his assurance, Gloom couldn't meet Prey's eyes, '-why's Prey being punished for obeying my orders? I'm the one who said, 'whatever it takes'-'

Prey chose, for the sake of getting out of here sooner, to hold his tongue.

"Well, no point sticking around here wasting anymore time." Prey said, hoping down off the hospital bed and breaking the pained silence, "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

They left the hospital behind, but not any of its problems.

It was a long trot from the hospital through Canterlot's lamp lit streets to their apartment block. Well, long for Prey at least. But then again, most walks were long for the sheep runt.

The night sky was in full starry bloom by the time they arrived. The night air wasn't quite as warm as when Prey had first been brought to Canterlot in chains. It was still pleasant enough, but Fall was making its meandering way closer day by day.

The border lands across the Ridgeback had been colder.

The keys jangled in the front door as Gloom spun the key a full three times to actually get the door unlocked. On the way ascending up to the second floor, they'd passed by other apartment doors from under which warm light and homely sounds spilled, but down here at the end of the long landing where their joint flats sat, it was dark and quiet. Once again, neither Gloom nor Crimson seemed to even notice that little fact.

Gloom finished wrestling with the finicky door and got the ring of keys back. He held the keys up looped over a wing claw, "So, uh, which one of you wants to hang onto these?"

"Why is there only one set? Should there not be a key ring for the both of us?" Crimson asked.

"Remember the landlord refused to rent to Prey, because he's underage? Both flats are in your name Crimson, so that's probably why he felt you only needed the one set." Gloom said, frowning at the key ring he still held.

"We will want a second set." Crimson stated.

"Then get the landlord to give you another one. I can't think of any reason he would refuse if you asked Crimson. Just say you want a spare set. He can't argue with that." Gloom shrugged.

"Can we just go in for now and deal with that in the morning?" Prey asked. He didn't like standing out here. He didn't think they'd been followed, but the person who knew about the mimics, and knew that he knew was still out there. And he didn't know what they were willing to do to keep that information quiet. While Gloom and Crimson had been talking, he'd taken the time to check the inside of the doorway and hallway for traps.

"You're right, it's not important right now." Crimson said, taking the proffered keys from off Gloom's wing claw, "It'll keep until morning."

The brief corridor behind the front door, which led down to the T split at the end, was exactly as short and cramped as Prey remembered it. At the T, Prey and Crimson's two doors each faced each other. For some reason, both Prey and Crimson each paused in front of their blank doors. This felt important. Or unimportant, but like someone else in their place would think it was important, standing here, returning from a long violent mission, finally getting to enter their rented homes.

'It's just a door.'

Prey pushed his unlocked door open. He frowned at the slight squeal it made, he'd have to fix that. Inside, the room was almost pitch black, the single window not having a clear view of the night sky, and so not letting in much light. Prey could feel the empty floorboards and space around him though. It was the feeling you get when stepping into a, well, a completely unfurnished and empty room. Like the space was larger and more empty than it really was.

'This is silly. An empty room is just an empty room.'

This wasn't home. This was just somewhere he'd been forced to rent. It was a stranger's room, even if it was technically his. He didn't have to like this flat. He scuffed a hoof over the varnished floorboards. Sure, it was twice as big as Gossamer's family's cottage had been back on the farm, but still. That didn't mean anything, it was just a flat.

It really was very empty and quiet, though.

Over there, set in the corner of what was supposed to be the bedroom was the shadow of the disassembled bed frame Gloom had taken them shopping, (dragged really), to buy. The mattress was leaning up against the wall, exactly where they'd left it.

Prey sniffed. The air was still and sterile.

'What a horrible place.' Prey decided. Even the bunkroom back at the Palace was better than this. This was a flat, in Canterlot city, the pony capital. Prey hated it. But now it was his, or at least it was his until further notice.

"Hm." Prey looked back to see Crimson standing at the door's threshold, critically looking over the dark empty space. He'd evidently finished checking his own similarly empty room, and had now come over to check Prey's. And unlike the lamb, he could actually see it even in the dark.

"Did you want to come in?" Prey offered, stepping aside.

"No it's fine. This is your flat now. I was just checking." Crimson said.

Checking for what? "Well, if it's my flat now, then you're always welcome any time." Prey told him.

"Okay." Crimson shrugged, but still didn't come in. Gloom peered over the pegasus's shoulder from out in the hallway.

"Well, this is it I guess. We're here." Gloom commented rather lamely.

"I guess." Prey agreed, looking around again. There was a silence in the empty room. Gloom coughed:

"I'm going back to my own flat. I'll come by sometime tomorrow and show you where it is. Or not. You're technically on vacation, you can just... Do whatever you want."

"Yes. I know. About being on leave, I mean. I go flying a lot." Crimson said. He had been out of the hospital for a week already after all.

"Oh right. Good. Well, tomorrow then. Night watch over you." Gloom said vaguely, and with a wave goodbye, he left.

Prey caught the thestral's parting thoughts, '-don't need me hanging around, they're not foals, not even Prey. Not anymore. They're more than capable of looking after themselves-'

Prey heard a light scuffing out on the landing's balcony, then the leathery *thwap* of wings as Gloom took off. Prey shifted on his hooves. Crimson continued to just stand in the doorway.

Making a light hearted joke about how it was too late because he'd already invited Crimson in and hadn't brought any garlic would probably help relive the strange, strained atmosphere, but Prey didn't feel like making a joke.

"There's change coming." He said instead.

Crimson pondered on his words for a minute. "I think it's already happening."

"There's more of it coming. I can feel it." Prey insisted. He looked at Crimson's bare neck where the jade chain used to hang, "You need a new mane tie."

"...I'll improvise something."

"Sorry."

"It wasn't your fault." Crimson said philosophically.

Prey understood Crimson didn't want to say anything further on the matter. He rubbed at one ear, then his ribbon, then at the scars down his cheeks.

Finally he said, "Keep an eye open, and watch your back, especially when you're alone."

Crimson's yellow eyes sharpened in the dark, "You believe that the noble Vanish will still not be satisfied?"

"Nnnno, not him per-say," Prey dragged the word out, "But I still sense something is coming. Be on your guard."

"I will be." Crimson nodded gravely, taking Prey's warnings dead seriously by now.

The mystery person out there hunting Prey for knowing about mimics was dangerous. Prey wanted to tell Crimson, but it was too late now. The moment had passed, and besides, sharing the information with Crimson might just make him into a target too.

So Prey bit his tongue, feeling guilty, "So, uh..."

"Until tomorrow. Night watch over you Prey. And keep your eyes open too."

"I will." Prey promised.

Crimson lingered a moment further, then left, quietly closing the door.

Prey looked around his empty flat again, or as much of it as he was able to see in the dark. The flat did have a light crystal, but he hadn't turned it on, there hadn't really been a need. Gloom and Crimson probably hadn't even noticed anyway. The flat felt very empty. Prey trotted across the empty floorboards up to where the mattress leaned up against the wall.

Prey stepped to the side and gave it a little push.

*Swiiish-Thump*

Prey wasn't interested in assembling the bed frame tonight. That could wait until tomorrow. There was no blanket or sheets, but what did that matter to Prey? A soft mattress still counted as the height of luxury in his book.

"Prey, what was that?" Crimson's muffled voice came through the door.

"Nothing, just dropping the mattress down." Prey called back, wincing at having already carelessly given Crimson a false alarm after only just warning him to be careful.

"Alright." Crimson's faint hoof steps disappeared again.

Prey gave the splayed mattress a cautious kick. Anyone could've potentially snuck into the flat while he was gone and laced the mattress with poisoned needles or the like. His new enemy in the shadows would no doubt be all too eager to help Prey into an early, (so to speak), grave.

Just because that rather useful rune he'd placed on the door frame when they'd last been here, (some three weeks ago), hadn't been triggered, didn't mean the flat hadn't been infiltrated. Teleporting in would get around the rune for a start. This flat was very empty, and worse, undefended. It was unpleasantly dark too, but it was nothing like the blackness which had pervaded 'that' night in Mayflower.

Prey gave the mattress one last suspicious, but also disappointed look. He wasn't going to be getting much, if any, sleep tonight. This room just wasn't safe. He wasn't prepared to close his eyes without at least a rudimentary runic array for defence.

More defences. More safeguards. More enemies. More traps to kill people. Prey was so tired of it, had been since before Dreverton really, but it wasn't ever going to stop until after the day he died. You couldn't just decide to stop swimming, no matter how exhausted you were.

'You can rest when you're dead.'

Prey sighed and rubbed at his ear, then got to it and began the long process of drawing out runes in the empty flat.

Wood was an easy material to work with, and took runes well, but there was a limit to what runes dead plant fibre could hold. As he worked late into the night, Prey wished the flat held more metal in its structure. He would have to see about changing that. Lemon Pink could help with that.

Change was coming. Prey could feel it. True, change was always coming in one form or another, but it was unequivocally coming now. Be it good or bad, large or small, Prey couldn't yet tell. But experience told him; "If it's not bad, then it'll be worse."

But he could remember, and he remembered all the times he could've died, both on the mission to Mayflower, and back over the years.

Some people would tell him he was safe and didn't have to fight anymore. That Hard Baked had been stopped, and the mission was over. But Prey knew better. There was no such thing as safe, there was no hallowed ground or ceasefire. The war never ends, the battlefield just changes.

Hard Baked and all his dark magic constructs had just been one in a long line of people and things trying to kill Prey. Hard Baked had failed, but there would always be another threat, another disaster, another monster. Sooner or later, larger or smaller.

Prey had survived this time. The people from Mayflower and Alfalfa Dale hadn't. Hard Baked and his kindersnatches had gotten them. And those the warlock hadn't, Prey himself sacrificed to hatch the veropede, he couldn't forget about that.

'I sacrificed them for my monster, Hard Baked sacrificed them for his monster, and Lemon Pink sacrificed them for her monster. It's all just one big cycle. None of us are any better than the other.' Prey thought, feeling bitter and guiltily empty. Even Hard Baked had placed wreaths at the old stone circle for the villagers he murdered.

'As if that could ever make up for what he did, or undo his evil.'

It'd just been the warlock's way of salving his own conscience, 'I hold no such delusions about what I did, and what I would do again.'

Prey stopped working and looked at the door to the flat, his flat. He went over to it. Reluctantly, and with no purpose, he began lightly scraping words into the wood. The lines were only shallow, and roughly scratched, but that wasn't the point.

Although what the point was, even Prey couldn't have said. To remember? To not forget? As if. He couldn't forget. There was literally no point to what he was doing. It wasn't a memorial, he wasn't trying to cheapen those villagers deaths or what he'd murdered them for.

He'd sacrificed them to stop the person who would have murdered them. They would've died either way, but it was still him who'd done the deed in the end.

'Damned if I did, damned if I didn't. I've done worse things before, and I'll do worse things again to survive.' Prey thought hollowly.

But those justifications had never once made any of Prey's many murders right, and he couldn't keep doing things like he had been doing. He couldn't keep doing this. Something needed to change. Prey had a friend now in Crimson, and more than that, he had the pegasus's trust too. Prey had to be more careful, he couldn't risk losing that.

Prey finished the last letter and let his hoof drop. There, faintly carved into the wood and invisible in the dark, was the harvest rhyme. Prey couldn't see it, but he could've unerringly traced every line again if he'd had to:

"~Raven magpie, fly away, Scarecrow, keep at bay..."

Prey hummed the rhyme through to the end. He thought of Crimson's defeat of the scarecrow, and his own of the reaper king. But mainly he remembered all the kindersnatches and the tortured ponies they'd contained.

"...Summer passes at its height, Reaper king, laughs delight."

'The ones in the pit weren't the only ones I sacrificed,' Prey thought wearily as he finished, 'There were those I left outside the firelight to satisfy whatever came out of the Wolfing Woods.'

Prey recalled cowering around the fire, the night so black the darkness hummed.

He shivered, "It wasn't real. It wasn't there." Prey recited.

"Close your eyes and count to three, and if you let it pass it'll let you be~"

Prey felt the stitch lines in the mattress fabric pressing against his cheek as he woke up.

He'd finally had to stop creating runes and collapsed onto the mattress about four hours before morning came. After he'd checked the mattress for contact poison or needles, of course.

Now morning was here, and its annoying morning light shining through the curtainless window and onto his closed eyelids. The presence of the sun banished any lingering shadows from last night.

He was also hearing something in one ear too, which was strange since it was the ear he'd foolishly fallen asleep resting his head on top of.

'Darn. That's going to hurt in a minute when it wakes up. But what is that noise?'

It took Prey a full half second to realise that those faint shuffling sounds and vibrations were actually coming from the flat below him, transmitted through the floorboards, the mattress, and to his ear.

It was a new experience. He'd never lived in a flat or woken up in one before.

So... now what?

He was awake, but there was nobody ordering him to get up. No shrill and hated alarm clock, no Night Guard duty, no T-Day training, no pony doctor or nurse coming in to do their morning check up, nothing.

'I could even go back to sleep.'

But that would be a waste of time. Time was invaluable. Prey could go back to sleep, since four-and-a-half hours rest, (while usual for him), was still not what one could call 'substantial'. Unfortunately, his runes and plans weren't going to complete themselves if he rolled over and went back to sleep. But he could.

'If I wanted to. There's nothing stopping me-owowOW.'

And that was his squashed ear, finally waking up with an indignant protest about pins and needles.

Prey sat up on the bare mattress, absentmindedly massaging his ear to speed along the blood flow and recovery process while he looked around the flat with fresh eyes. It was still as empty and sparse as it had been the night before, it was just that now early sunbeams laid the room bare in all its barren glory.

The untouched sink, the empty cupboards, blank white washed walls, bare floorboards. A pony's flat would've normally been furnished with carpets, curtains, a table and chairs, floor cushions on which to sit, a door mat, paintings for the walls, ornaments, pot plants, possibly a pet, a fruit bowl, a coat rack, a hat stand, and all the other trappings.

But what use would Prey have for such things? He didn't even need the basic amenities available right here. He'd survived in the Deeper Green with nothing before. He had his ribbon and the wool on his back. Literally everything else Prey needed for survival he carried in his head.

'Still, I could get a table. Or make one. I could definitely make a small table with some wood and a saw. Don't even need a hammer if you were to make it right.' Prey thought. Hmm. Make a table. Make a table. Yes, he could do that. He could make a table.

Prey nodded decisively to absolutely no one but himself, 'Yes. I should make a table. One that's my height too for once. See how everyone else hates it.'

*Tap Tap Tap*

Prey did not bang on the door, banging wasn't needed. Crimson was a pegasus warrior. A simple tapping would get his attention just as well.

"Crimson, I would ask if you're awake in there, but if you're hearing this it's a redundant question. I'm hungry. Do you want to go get breakfast?" Prey called.

Prey patiently waited in the dim light outside Crimson's door. The short hallway leading from the front door down to both of their flats doors had no lighting fixture, hence the dimness. It took maybe a minute, but Crimson opened his door.

"Breakfast? Where?" Crimson frowned, lanky black mane haphazardly dangling in his face.

"I don't know. Where have you been getting your meals these last few days?"

"The mess hall in the Palace. But Captain Nighthawk was still letting me sleep in the bunkroom back then. Now that we're out here..." Crimson glanced back into his empty flat.

"I plan to make a table today. You could make one for your flat too." Prey said, nodding past Crimson.

"I, what?"

"Make a table," Prey repeated, "They're simple enough. Just need some wood and a few tools."

Crimson blinked slowly at Prey, absently reaching up to drag his too long mane back. Then he just shrugged in acceptance, "Okay. A table."

"It can't be hard to find the tools somewhere here in Canterlot. But first, food. I'm hungry." Prey said, returning to his original goal.

"Okay." Crimson shrugged again, rubbed at one scarred eye, paused, and frowned; "Food from where though? Go all the way back to the Palace mess hall?"

"No, it would be simpler to just buy something to eat. And also get something to stock the cupboards with too, since, you know, we're supposed to be living in these flats now."

"Neither of us has any bits. Buying things requires money." Crimson pointed out. He paused. "And any tables will too. Probably." He added after a moment's thought.

"We have money at that bank place." Prey said. He still had trouble believing they, two conscripted prisoners, were really getting paid, and that it wasn't just a clerical mistake. There had certainly been enough of those recently for him to believe it might be one. Last he'd heard, Nighthawk was angling to court martial that clerk who'd thought commandeering a train to send reinforcements to Mayflower would be a wasted expense. Prey hoped the selfish bean counter got sent before the Sun Wolf.

"Oh, right. The bank. But I don't have my bank book. It's in my locker in the bunkroom. I think. Or maybe I threw it away." Crimson mused, frowning.

"You don't need it. I read their rules. You can make a withdrawal in person if you have your account number, code, and password." Prey assured him.

"That still doesn't help. I seem to have forgotten mine." Crimson admitted, wing twitching with annoyance.

Prey waved his concern off, "That's no problem. I know mine, and I memorised yours too."

"Alright." Crimson just accepted that without any issue or concern.

"Great. So we can go right away. If you're ready, of course." Prey hastily added.

"Now is good," Crimson just walked out the door as he was. He looked down sideways at the lamb, "You're very cheerful this morning. Overly so."

"I'm making an effort to try."

"It doesn't suit you."

Prey let his expression flatten back into normal, "I suppose it doesn't." He admitted plainly.

And that was that. Prey loved that about his new, first, and only friend. He didn't have to explain or question anything if he didn't want to. They were both weird, and if neither always fully understood the other's weirdness, so what?

"You're not going to lock the door?" Prey asked as they exited the out onto the apartment blocks landing.

Crimson stopped, "Oh yes. That. I forgot the keys. There was no need to lock anything back in the clans. We didn't even have doors to lock in my clan-I mean, in clan Myrrdon."

"No doors? What did you have?" Prey was quick to smoothly ask so Crimson didn't have to dwell on his slip.

"Curtains. Thick ones, I mean. They were good at keeping the heat inside the caves." Crimson turned back to the door, "I should go get the keys."

"Why bother? You got anything worth stealing in your flat? I only have a bed in mine." Prey asked. A lock wouldn't stop Prey's enemy in the shadows until he got his runic defences up and running, so why bother?

"Mine neither. My armour was returned for repair. Quartermaster Carrot was not happy to see me. Nor what was left of my armour." Crimson recalled.

"He's never happy to see anyone, and he certainly doesn't believe in following those six virtues of Harmony or whatever. Alright, if you've got nothing worth stealing in your flat either, then we don't need to bother this time," Prey said, already heading for the stairs as he called back, "I'll meet you outside at the bottom Crimson."

Why at the bottom? Because Crimson could fly. When they'd accepted these flats, it hadn't just been because there was virtually nothing else available. The second floor landing had an open balcony to the sky, and Crimson could fly. Prey was ridiculously proud of his past self for thinking of Crimson, but also guilty that he felt he had any right to feel proud over something so measly.

Since it was still early, by Canterlot standards, Prey didn't hear any signs of life coming from the other flats he passed on his way down. And once he met up with Crimson outside, they didn't encounter much in the way of Canterlot citizens on the street on their way to the bank either.

The sun was up. The sky was blue. Canterlot's streets gleamed. It was the start to another perfect day.

But Prey wasn't one to forget his own warning, and neither was Crimson. They may have been in Canterlot, in a city of ponies, on a main street, in broad daylight, but you should never let your guard down. Thus, Prey tried to stay fully aware of his surroundings at all times, and Crimson did the same.

So while they hardly spun around at every sound, or eyed every shadow, or kept their backs pressed to a wall, (Which would've been both ridiculous and just plain impractical), they both still stayed alert. It wasn't anything drastic or difficult. Staying aware was as simple as keeping yourself alert for changes, checking behind oneself regularly, being mindful of who else was around and in your blindspots, and not forgetting to look up. After all, one third of the population could fly, much to Prey's secret and deeply hidden jealousy.

They arrived at The Royal Canterlot Bank just after it opened, and spoke to a cashier about withdrawing some money without too much issue. Of course, since the cashier was a pony, once he got a second look at Crimson's face and realised those streaks indeed really were scars, he couldn't help but openly stare.

"Uh, here you, uh, go Mister Trace. Your bits." The stallion stuttered, tips of his ears trembling slightly.

'-keep your ears straight, keep your ears straight, don't let him know you're staring-'

Crimson wordlessly took the packet of withdrawn bits, Prey already having taken his own. Prey had reminded Crimson of his password and code on the way here, since Prey doubted the bank would let him, a lamb, withdraw money on someone else's behalf. They still let him withdraw from his own account though, once they were finished treating him like a little child of course:

"Oh hello there little filly. You come to withdraw bits from your account for the first time? My, aren't you a big filly. Do you need any help? Now, do you have your password? Do we need to ask your parents-Er, guardian, Mister Trace?"

That attitude had lasted all the way up until the annoying cashier had gotten his second look at Prey's face too. Prey wasn't happy about the scars, but it had done wonders in making the pony almost swallow his tongue.

Now with their money successfully extracted, there was no point in sticking around in the marble halled bank. So they took their leave without delay or thank you.

The two of them had set out with some very simple goals in mind. Find food, buy food, eat food, and then, if possible, buy some tools and planks to build a couple of tables with. Unfortunately, Prey's very simple plan turned out to be needlessly complicated, tiresome, and filled with frustration.

Getting some breakfast was the easy, and decidedly enjoyable experience, spent in an early morning breakfast cafe. But the rest of the plan? Not so much.

The first issue came when they went to pay for their eggs, hay, and potato wedge breakfast. It was the situation with the bank cashier all over again. When the cafe staff saw Crimson's facial scars, combined with the pegasus usual emotionless expression, resulted in scaring all the staff and being asked politely by the cafe manager to stay away from the other customers. While in the future, some more of the fur on Crimson's face would no doubt grow back and help minimise the visible scarring, it hadn't happened yet.

The second issue was the fact that they were apparently expected to 'tip', a concept Prey had never heard of before and didn't like once he had heard of it, and third, Prey got annoyed at their waiter's aversion to Crimson and started tormenting her with innocent sounding questions but which nevertheless messed with her head.

Petty, certainly, but satisfying. But next came a logistical problem which Prey really really should've foreseen when they left to buy more food to stock their flats with, and also the materials to build a table with.

And that issue was; Transport. How were they supposed to get it back to their respective flats? They had no saddle bags, backpacks, or cart to carry everything in. Plus, on Prey's suggestion, they were headed into Lower Canterlot where things were bound to be cheaper, (or cheaper by Canterlot's standards anyway), making it even further to transport everything back.

The last, and biggest problem was price.

Prey had assumed that, by all logical conclusions, that simply buying the wood and nails to build a table and doing it yourself was cheaper than buying a ready made table.

He'd assumed wrong.

It was expensive, twice as expensive, to do it yourself as to buy the table outright.

"How does that even work? How does this make any economic sense?" Prey had grumbled to Crimson.

Crimson didn't know. He said as much quite plainly; "I don't know."

Prey was used to doing something yourself if you wanted something made. Back in the village, if you needed a new table, you went out, chopped down a tree, split it into planks, planed them down, measured them to size, and made it yourself. Or if you wanted a good table, you dried the wood first to prevent warping, but a table didn't have to be a work of art, it just had to be functional. Nobody had time for art on the border. You had bigger concerns.

Like the harvest, a heavy storm, ponies, or other wandering monsters.

"Whatever," Prey said, turning away in disgust from the rows of tables in the furniture store, "Who really needs a table anyway?"

So they settled for simply stocking up their respective flats instead.

Before Dreverton, Prey had spent a lifetime worrying about where his next meal was going to come from. This experience naturally led Prey to only buying preservable foods, focusing on quantity over quality, and sticking with simple, easy to prepare things. He wasn't interested in cooking. Time was valuable and could be better spent creating more runic arrays to defend himself with. As long as he had food, who cared how good it was?

Besides, simple food was also easier to detect poisons in.

Flour, potatoes, hay, oats, and when Prey found it, dried pasta and rice. That was the extent of what he bought. Although those last two food stuffs he'd only recently learnt about since coming to Canterlot. They hadn't had pasta or rice over the mountains, but Prey was impressed. Just add water and boil. Simple, cheap, filling, straight forward, and best of all, non-perishable.

Crimson had a similar approach, although he bought fruits and vegetables too, the types which could be preserved for a reasonable length of time in cool dry places, such as apples, onions, and carrots.

Crimson was very kindly carrying most of their purchases on his back in thick paper bags, while Prey himself was carrying a smaller number, since that was all that fitted on his back. Flying was obviously impossible for Crimson what with all the bags he was balancing, so that only left walking back to their flats. The two of them spoke little, but only because that's as much as they felt like saying. The streets were quite a bit busier by this time in the morning, and it was a bit too noisy for a conversation anyways. That, and Prey strongly disliked crowds, especially pony crowds.

Crowds put him on edge, their thoughts were so rudely loud, and it was much harder to keep track of everyone for potential threats.

It was just about then that they went past a vendor with ice cabbages out on display.

'I used to make even our ice cabbagez' taste good, in hare stew, yez?' The remnant of Garrow whispered unexpectedly in the back of Prey's head. A ghostly desire to buy the nostalgic, if tasteless, cabbages faintly tickled Prey.

Prey angrily squashed the irrational feeling and ignored the vendor's stall. 'That's not me, and never was. Just a dead griffin's childhood memories.'

Ascending the apartment block's stairs and arriving back outside their two flats, Crimson and Prey found Gloom pacing outside.

"There you two are. Where'd you go?" Gloom asked the moment he saw them.

Prey pointedly looked at the food they were carrying, "To find food."

"Ah, sorry." Gloom winced, "I forget all about you two not having anything in your flats. I should've picked you up for breakfast. How did you buy any of this?"

"The bank." Crimson grunted, giving the door a push.

'-the door was open?-', "You should lock that." Gloom said, following them inside.

"There was nothing worth stealing. We will lock it from now on, though." Crimson said, politely opening Prey's door and going in to drop off his food first. Prey didn't care about them barging into the flat, since even although it was his, it was just a flat, and plus it was just Crimson.

'When I get the runic defences up and running though, I'll have to be more careful.' Prey thought, putting the flour and potatoes away in the otherwise empty cupboard. "How about getting that spare set of keys from the landlord now?" He asked out loud.

"We can certainly do that yes," Gloom answered, looking around the bare flat, "We'll also need to see about getting you some more stuff Prey. And you too Crimson."

What was this 'we' all of a sudden? Prey hadn't forgotten how Gloom had been prepared to leave them behind in the ISND. Sure, Gloom'd changed his mind and was now staying, and Crimson wasn't holding a grudge over it so Prey shouldn't either, but it wasn't even about that. It was just a flat, it wasn't a home, but even though Prey hated the flat, it was supposed to be his flat. It was none of Gloom's business what he put in it or didn't put in it.

"Why's it matter to you?" Prey asked.

"Because you need some basic kit?" Gloom responded, raising one eyebrow, "How else are you going to cook that stuff? You've no pots, bowls, spoons, nothing. These flats are completely bare."

"I hadn't forgotten, no." Prey answered.

"We were going to go out again to buy those things next." Crimson put in.

"Good, then I'll come with you. I had to outfit my own flat with a few things when I moved to Canterlot from my clan. I had to do quite a bit of searching for the cheaper places, so I can show you where some good shops are."

"That would be helpful, thank you." Crimson said.

"Good idea." Prey said, hiding his mild displeasure at Gloom's accompaniment. He gave Gloom's still thestral appearance and jagged chest scar a once over. No Dusk Pony amulet, nor even a scarf to hide the scar tissue.

'I suppose when you're flying, there's little need for masking your appearance that high above the ground with not even other fliers seeing you up close.' Prey thought. If Gloom was coming with them though, he was going to have to walk because of Prey, and then any ponies they encountered were going to freak.

'Actually, that's an excellent reason to bring him along.' Prey smiled.

Crimson packed away his food, and then they left. This time, Crimson remembered to bring along the only set of keys and locked the front door.

Gloom looked at the line up of Prey's intended purchases. Up the front of the shop by the till, the pale looking owner was staring with wide eyes whenever he thought they weren't looking, but they were ignoring his un-subtle attempts.

"You know you can buy more than one right, Prey?"

"What do I need more than one for?"

"You have one pot, one pan, one bowl, one plate, one spoon, one knife, and one fork."

"So? That's plenty." Prey answered.

Gloom sighed, "Okay, so I understand sticking to the bare necessities. But maybe more than one plate?"

"Why? I'm already only getting a plate because you said so, even if I think it's unnecessary. A bowl can do the job just as well. And I only need the one. I can just wash it up after each use."

"Because," Gloom waved his hoof, "You know... You might have guests or something."

Gloom was actually right, what if Crimson ate with him at some point? "Alright, another knife, fork, spoon, bowl, and plate."

Gloom sighed again, "How about more than two? They come in sets of four, so if you're buying more than one you may as well buy four."

"What I would like to know..." Crimson began slowly, looking at Prey's basket, "Is the reason that you have so many knives in there?"

"What? It's only six kitchen knives. You can never have too many knives."

Time waits for no one. It was midday by the time they got back to the flats to drop off Prey and Crimson's newly acquired kitchenware. And then what? They were all supposed to be on medical leave, but no one had any obligation to stay with the others if they didn't want to. They could in theory split up and go their own ways.

Change was here. It was the start of a new chapter in Prey's life. But how long and how uncertain this chapter would be, Prey didn't yet know.

Time marches on, but some things unfortunately stay the same. The scars still remained, on all of the ISND.

For example, Gloom was still traumatised by what'd happened in Mayflower. In fact, the real reason the thestral was here right now and not lying despondently in his bed was because keeping active was better than staying still and thinking. Crimson was still an exile from his clan, his father was still dead, the jade necklace had been stolen from him, and he sought refuge in flight and physical exertion. Prey himself was simultaneously as free as he had been in fifty-seven years, and bound more tightly than ever. He was out in Canterlot, but he was not free to do what he wanted.

Time marches on and things change, but it's never the things you want. So the three of them stood on the apartment landing, each looking back at the other two, and each stuck in an uncertain moment of awkwardness.

Finally, Gloom broke the moment by suggesting they return to the hospital to visit Scenic and Lilly, mainly to attempt supporting and encouraging the latter.

Crimson agreed to go. Prey didn't. They weren't on duty, and Prey knew Gloom wasn't about to force him to attend. Prey would've tagged along to go with Crimson despite that, but he could see how much the pegasus really wanted to fly to the hospital instead of walking again. And he couldn't fly if Prey accompanied them, so Prey refused.

Gloom was upset that Prey didn't want to go, but Prey dismissed his worries and said he'd go by and visit Lilly and Scenic later. ‘Right after they open a health spa in Tartarus.’

"I'll go by in my own time, don't worry. I haven't forgotten our squad mates. But you two can get there and back a lot faster without me, so go on, shoo. You know you'd much rather fly."

Mollified, Gloom and Crimson said goodbye and launched off from the apartment block's balcony, squinting against the sunlight, but still swiftly gaining height.

Prey waited until they faded from view, then hurried back into his flat and locked the door with his newly acquired set of keys. With an unknown enemy on the loose, staying alone out in the open when there weren't any witnesses was a foolish idea.

He wasn't safe, and Prey could never let himself forget that.

One hour turned into two, three into four, and Prey turned them all into more runes, which was still only enough to secure the flat with the mere basics of defences. Even while inside the nearly empty flat and out of direct line of sight from his single curtainless window, Prey still felt like he was being watched. The back of his wool kept prickling, even though he knew no one was there. It was exhausting.

'I can relax when I'm safe. Or as safe as it's possible to get for someone like me.'

Safety came from backups, safeguards, and contingency plans. Peace of mind came from information, defences, and sustainability. And more to the immediate point, it came from runes.

But runes, as always, took time. It would take about a full one-hundred hours work before there were enough arrays set up in here for Prey to feel reasonably safe, and if he wanted to make the flat properly secure, another hundred after that. And if he wanted it to be really really well protected, well, any additional time spent after that could only improve the defences.

So far, Prey had only done about ten hours of it.

For example, Prey wanted defences against teleportation, telekinesis targeting him, along with mind magic not his own, anti-fire wards, and silent intruder alarms. Also planned were defences against scrying and magical spying, (no matter how unreliable and unknown those magics were), scanning spells, illusions, attempts to circumvent these defences, and of course arrays to reinforce everything against forced entry in case anybody decided just to kick the door down.

Oh, and some more lethal defences Prey could trigger himself. Like the rune flare trap. It was one of his go-to favourites, despite how fire scared him, since it was one of the most efficient rune traps for the amount of time and energy required, while still managing to be fast acting and potent. Of course he'd need to add in fire proofing for the wooden flat too then.

It was all very complicated, for example, there was the issue of making sure the arrays were layered properly. If done incorrectly, certain types of arrays would fight each other or stop working altogether. Some runes also invalidated others, so Prey would have to work out replacement runes and make sure those new ones didn't block the other runes either. For what he had planned, Prey was also going to have to create a number of higher runes, which always came at a cost and with their own risks.

Plus, spare space also needed to be planned in advance and accounted for so later improvements could be added, and everything had to be carefully done in the correct sequence too.

And, to top it off, every one of these arrays had to be discreet and hidden against any scanning spells of even the most magically sensitive unicorns, as well as being just visually hidden.

Prey however had mapped out everything in his head long ago. He'd had nothing but time to think about theoretical runic combinations, applications, and uses while in Dreverton. Fifty-seven years did wonders for perfecting your theory crafting.

'And I'll have to replicate all of this again for the secret cave Lemon found down in Canterlot Mountain.' Prey thought.

Although to be fair, the lair would also be containing the veropedes, so the active defences there were already mostly taken care of, Prey supposed.

Prey didn't stop to cook, he just ate some of the recently bought hay and kept on working without pause. He didn't recall if he even tasted it. Time was precious.

He needed to be ready for whatever the crisis life brought.

Prey finally had to stop when Gloom and Crimson returned. He was mentally exhausted, and felt like a piece of wire drawn too thin. But Prey was used to the hollow, drained feeling and hid it well when he opened the door to welcome Crimson back. And welcome Gloom too, as he supposed he must.

"Did anything of interest happen at the hospital?"

"Scenic is... doing reasonably well, I think." Crimson said.

"And Lilly?" Prey asked, already knowing the answer.

'-I hate what we did to her. And I wish she hated us more than she currently hates herself-', Gloom thought as he coughed into his hoof:

"Not... not so good I'm afraid. Scenic and some friends are apparently trying to help her, which is great, but I don't know if it'll make it any better. I'm afraid they'll end up making it worse instead." Gloom admitted. It sounded almost like a guilty confession.

"So she shows no change." Prey summed up. Carton Juice and her impromptu friend/supermodel Saffron Swirl were welcome to try their best, though. It was no wool off Prey's back.

"She is still refusing to see her parents." Crimson added without inflection, however the knowing look in his yellow eyes said it all to Prey. He gave a single nod back to Crimson in understanding.

Lilly Blossom was refusing because of Nighthawk's deal, or ultimatum, or possibly just challenge. He'd promised Lilly that if she still wanted to commit suicide after facing up to her parents, he'd stop the hospital from interfering and hold the knife for her himself.

Lilly was afraid. Afraid to take Nighthawk's challenge, afraid not to, afraid of facing her parents, afraid they would change her mind, and afraid that they wouldn't. She was afraid and confused, not knowing what outcome she really wanted. So she was not taking any of them and hiding instead.

It was a sad, twisted, and broken position Lilly found herself in. Either she would survive it, or she would not. But then, as Prey well knew, being able to survive never meant it was okay.

It may have seemed strange, but that was more or less how the day ended for Prey. There was still plenty of daylight left, but interpersonal interaction wise, that was basically it. Gloom eventually left, Crimson excused himself to go spend three or four more hours flying and training, and Prey was back to being left alone in the flat.

'This. This is weird.'

The ISND were on enforced medical leave. There was no active case to solve, no warlock to stop, no need to work tirelessly round the clock. Nothing. In fact, the amount of nothing they had to do was disquieting. Prey was all too used to it. It made him feel like he was back in Dreverton.

The hours were empty and the day was free.

'This is really weird.'

After Gloom and Crimson left, Prey just stood in the open front door, watching the wide, bright blue Canterlot skyline past above the balcony railings. A pleasant breeze periodically blew in, and the occasional bright colour of some pegasus or another would drift across in the distance.

No push, no drive, no schedule but his own.

"Huh. Weird." Prey muttered thoughtfully. He was still drained from all the runes he'd created, but he'd recovered a little. Enough to have no further excuse for not continuing to work, at any rate.

*Sigh* "No rest for the wicked."

Prey didn't stop working again until Crimson returned, right before it got dark, and by then, Prey was well and truly exhausted.

He even had trouble standing and answering the door when Crimson knocked, but again, he knew how to hide the hollow, weak feeling which came from over exertion in runic creation. Like he hadn't eaten in a week, and all the life had drained from his limbs. Even if it was Crimson, the pegasus still couldn't be allowed to have any clue as to Prey's runes. For his own safety, if nothing else.

Prey smiled, making it a real one, and not just one to hide the mental exhaustion. He made a note to figure out some way to secretly give Crimson a runic key so the defences would recognise Crimson too:

"Good evening Crimson. You were flying all this time?"

"Yes, and training."

Crimson had sweat streaking his face, and his lean muscles stood out from recent use. The pegasus stretched out one wing out to its full limit, then the other with a contented groan, "I'm very glad my flat has a shower."

That's right, Prey's flat had a shower too didn't it? He hadn't used it yet, but showers were a wonderful invention. He didn't have a towel or anything resembling one, but eh, so what? He'd never had a towel in the Deeper Green. Give yourself a good shake and then drip dry was good enough.

'I wonder, perhaps I should go buy a towel from Luxury Linen? I wonder what face Leaflet Spring would make if I walked back into their store?' Prey snorted out a giggle at the thought.

Crimson gave him a blank look.

"Just thinking how neither of us have bought any towels. I thought how amusing it would be to buy one from Luxury Linen." Prey explained.

"Ah," Crimson nodded, "There would be a certain entertainment value to it. But I prefer not to swim in the sea."

Prey titled his head, "Swim in the sea?"

"Salt water, drugs in the towels, I mean. It was a joke."

"Oh, I get it. The sea is salt water, although I've never seen the ocean myself. Have you?" Prey asked in interest.

"Not me personally, no. But my father has seen... had seen the sea."

It went quiet. It was always the little causes of grief that caught you off guard when you least expected them. Over sixty years later, it was still happening to Prey to this very day. It could be as simple as a strange sound, an old scent, a familiar colour. You were prepared against the big things, but never the little things.

Prey didn't offer Crimson any empty comfort or say; 'I'm sorry'. He simply waited a moment to let Crimson recenter himself, and then said, "I doubt you've eaten yet. I have much the same in my kitchen as yours. Want to eat dinner off my non-existent table?"

Prey wasn't being callous, he was just offering Crimson a chance to change the conversation without having to confront or admit anything. The attempt to switch the topic to food caused Crimson's wings to lock up for a moment on his back, however.

"No. Actually, I would like to... speak. I mean, I would like to retell the tale my father told me of his encounter with the sea." Crimson said, clearing his throat.

"Okay." Prey agreed easily, folding his legs under himself and lying down on the one end of his mattress, waving for Crimson to take the other.

Crimson blinked at the mattress still sprawled on the floorboards, "You have still not set up your bed frame yet?" He inquired as he took the other end. He did not sit prone down like Prey, but on his hind quarters, hooves together, and back perfectly straight.

"Eh, I'll do it later tonight. There's plenty of time," Prey dismissed, "Now, your father's journey?"

Crimson gave his head a small shake, putting aside the distraction and returning to the poignant topic he himself had raised, "Yes... My father. Yes. He did have to fly to the ocean once. This was before he met my mother. He said it had been a year of bad storms in the mountains..."

Prey listened to Crimson's stumbling, awkward, and halting retelling with riveted focus. Crimson wasn't retelling this for Prey's benefit. He was recounting it for himself. Prey was just required to be there to listen as the moon rose outside.

That night, Prey went to sleep on a bed constructed with Crimson's assistance. He slept with his ribbon on, though.

A pink and bright green mare chatted non-stop to her coltfriend as the two of them strolled down the street, a panting dog happily straining against the leash in the stallion's aura. This was a popular street in Lower Canterlot to walk your dog, possessing pleasant grass drives on either side of the road, and a water fountain at the far end where you could let your dogs drink.

None of the couples walking their pets noticed the runt lamb watching from a side alleyway. This plain alleyway was never used, as it only led down some stairs to below street level, turned back under itself, and then to an emergency access hatch to the water mains. That was where the fountain's water was coming up from.

This access point was so unused, that the entrance way had a straggly curtain of green ivy trailing down over it, growing out of the stonework.

Prey had been hiding in the shadows at the top of the alleyway here for the last fifteen minutes, making certain he wasn't being followed.

Only when Prey was absolutely certain, did he venture down the disused steps, having to take them one at a time with his short legs, cautiously pushing aside the dangling ivy to gain access.

The sun was cut off behind him as he ducked through the vines, but it was only a few paces before the alcove ended anyways. A locked, plain faced steel door, with cobwebs in the doorway's corners. There was a picture of a tap and a water droplet indented into the drab metal surface, but that's not what Prey was looking for. He was looking for something which couldn't actually be seen.

'Hmm... Ah! There it is.' Prey reached up and tapped the invisible rune placed just below the door lock. There was a dull metal click, and then at a light push from his hoof, the door swung near noiselessly open without resistance on recently greased hinges.

Inside was a small, dusty stone and concrete room, the far wall taken up by a number of large metal pipes, stop valves, cobwebs, and another squat steel door. This second door was open, and led into dusty darkness. The whole room was cool, and a strong smell of mildew permeated the old air.

Prey didn't care about any of the pipes however, only the far door. Set down beside it on the floor was a lantern, and a flint and steel.

The candle flame flickered in the damp air as Prey lit it on his third strike with the flint. Pausing only to close the little lantern's hatch, Prey balanced the lantern on his back and ventured in.

Where did this next doorway lead? Wherever you found an emergency water access mains, what would you also find close by?

An overflow pipe, in case of unprecedented flooding in Canterlot, (How that could happen when pegasi teams closely controlled the weather, Prey didn't know), and never far away from an overflow pipe, the sewers too.

Prey went down some more concrete stairs, leaving natural light behind. The air was chill and the roof low. He climbed down an open access cover and down some ladder rungs, lantern grasped in his teeth, and dropped down into the empty overflow pipe. The curved concrete tunnel was bone dry. The tunnel's ceiling was over five times his height again, or more simply, merely twice the height of an average pony. Prey's hoof steps echoed faintly, and the candle's flame cast long shadows on the smooth, featureless grey walls as he spat out the handle and returned the lantern to his back.

This setting could be something out of a ghost story, what with the blackness, the oppressive silence, the empty tunnel, and the echoing darkness, but Prey wasn't overly afraid. He knew where he was going, and that there was nothing down here to hurt him. He'd taken precautions to ensure as much.

Prey trotted down the concrete tunnel, following its long, slow curvature. This particular overflow pipe ran through a full quarter of the South district of Lower Canterlot, so it was a fair trot. The tunnel stretched and elongated, each yard revealed in the lantern light the exact same as the one which came before it. His soft hoof steps faintly echoed. One-hundred...... two-hundred...... four-hundred...... four-hundred and fifty... And then suddenly in the tunnel's roof was a jagged opening of broken stone.

The hole was fresh, like a small cave in, but all the rubble had been removed. Looking up and into the jagged hole, there was a rough stone tunnel above, the rocky innards of Mount Canter a splash of darkness against the grey of the tunnel's concrete roof.

And there was a ladder, like a root growing down out of the hole, right here in the middle of the tunnel.

Gripping the lantern handle in his teeth again, Prey ascended the splintery wooden rungs. As his head broke the level of the pipe, Prey felt the rune set on the opening trigger as it sent a silent signal down the link of runes and off into the dark.

Prey sat himself down on the cold stone lip of the rough hole to wait, candle flickering in the oppressive darkness.

Somewhere far above all this rock, up in the openness of the sky and so different from where he was currently waiting, Prey knew Crimson was flying. Today had begun much like yesterday really. Prey had awoken to the strangeness of his own flat, a building he'd had the chance to get much more familiar with, on account of how he had and would yet be spending so much time pouring over every inch of the walls and floor placing runes. Nevertheless, it was still strange and always would be. It wasn't a home. He'd hopped off his bare mattress and gotten right back to work. Time was too precious to waste on relaxing.

Actually, that bare mattress was one of the things he and Crimson had fixed earlier after breakfast, once his pegasus friend, ('friend', still such a novel word), had also arisen.

They'd gone out to eat again at a new cafe, Prey had insisted on a new cafe, not an old one, lest they form a pattern and become predictable. Crimson had not offered any resistance to Prey's paranoia. He understood Prey's distrust, even if he didn't feel the same level of danger and uncertainty as the lamb always did.

Anyway, instead of returning back to their flats after breakfast, they'd instead then continued on to go shopping to obtain a few more basics for their flats. Namely, two bed sheets, two pillows, and one blanket. Only one blanket, because Prey still intended to get back his old runic inscribed blanket from the bunkroom, which Lemon Pink had removed for safe keeping prior to Alfalfa Dale and Mayflower.

Prey could pick it up before he went back today actually. He glanced up from idly peering down into the dark overflow tunnel and turned his head. There was a much brighter lantern glow than his own coming from almost right on top of him. "That was a reasonably fast response time. Good."

"Yes, Prey. But I feel the result's time is skewed. I was expecting you." Lemon Pink said tonelessly, lowering the lantern suspended in her silver aura. Unlike Prey's, her lantern was a full magical crystal glow one.

Prey opened his own smaller candle lantern and blew it out, not needing it anymore, "Point. Well I'm here now, so you can show me around the new lair yourself."

From the opening in the roof of the overflow pipe, this new section of rough tunnel barely lasted ten hooves length before it joined into a much smoother, and obviously older cave system. Prey brushed a hoof along the cold stone walls as Lemon led the way, and judged the cave to be many centuries old. They'd no doubt been here long before Canterlot.

The stone passage twisted and turned, contracting to almost claustrophobic dimensions in some places, expanding in others, and then without warning it opened into a wide cavern.

This was to be his secret lair.

There were three more crystal glow lanterns set around the domed cavern, but while they helped light up the area, they only lit about half of it, with the corners of the cavern still suspended in deep shadow. In the middle of the cavern was a crystal clear pool of water, disappearing down into plunging depths. Stalactites at the domes peak slowly dripped water into the pool one droplet at a time. Prey eyed the sink hole warily, but the most eye catching features in the cavern were the crystals.

Crystals. Enormous, milky white angular crystal structures jutted out randomly all over the place. From the floor, the walls, the ceiling. Some were smaller than Prey's hoof, some were the size of his whole body, and the most impressive and largest specimens were the length of whole carts. While the crystal formations didn't quite refract the lantern light like some rainbow prism, the light still lent them a gleaming sheen.

Prey's eyes swept the cavern, noting sizes, space, angles, and most importantly, the joining exit tunnels out of the cavern. Or entrances in. Then a corner in the dark part of the cavern twisted, unwound, and turned into a glistening maw of teeth.

And there were the two veropedes, both curled up into balls of armoured exoskeleton in the shadows and looking like something out of a nightmare. The one which had just awoken was Prey's, or the one he'd personally hatched at any rate. Not that he could tell the visual difference between one giant spiked monstrosity from the other, but the control runes just 'felt' like his when he reached out with his mind to give it a command.

'Come.'

The nightmarish monster unwound with terrifying silence and speed, and bore down on Prey. He held firm as the thing's circular toothy maw came to a halt less than a hoof's breadth from his face, and many hooves closer than was comfortable.

"Feeding them both enough is no longer an issue?" Prey asked Lemon without looking away from his leashed weapon. He felt a shiver, indicating the feathery light touch of the veropede's antenna as they brushed over his face and body.

"No, Prey. I fed them each three grown pigs two days ago. From my observations, it'll be another three days before they start to grow hungry again, and another two days after that until they grow restless."

"That's still roughly twenty-two and a half pigs a month. But perhaps the food requirement can be cut down when I have time to begin carving more runes into them." Prey mused as the giant insect continued to examine the runt lamb in front of it.

'Enough.' Prey mentally commanded, sending the impulse for the veropede to lose interest.

The veropede hesitated, antenna pausing for a moment. 'Enough.' Prey repeated, and this time sent the impulse to go rest too.

That did the trick. The veropede finally turned on its segmented length, and skittered back over the crystal strewn cavern floor, returning to the comfortable shadows in the corner to sleep.

Prey watched it go, and was pleased. The veropedes were not dogs however. They were not, and never would be, pets. They were not even war hounds, like those used in the old stories about minotaur warriors. These were monsters of instinct, plain and simple. They did not need stimulation or interest in their lives, such things didn't matter. They were pure creatures of nature. Hunger, thirst, the desire to breed, and rest, that was all that drove the veropedes.

If nothing changed in the next forty years, as long as pigs kept getting brought in and the pool remained full, it was doubtful if the veropedes would ever leave this cavern, merely eating and sleeping away the months and years. Of course, things would never be that simple, but for now, it was good enough for Prey. As long as he could ignore the lives the veropedes existences had been purchased with.

Prey nodded in satisfaction as the veropede curled back up around itself and went still. Things would never be that simple, but when were they ever? For now, it was enough.

"Let's continue the tour." He said, turning back to Lemon Pink.

"Yes, Prey."

After Lemon Pink had finished conducting the little impromptu tour, which wasn't long since she'd only found this cave and moved the veropedes in here a few days back, Prey looked at the pool again.

"Watch out for the pool, especially when you're down here alone. It's always night down here, and I'm distrustful of deep water. It has a way of calling."

"Yes, P-Deep water. Deep water. I...remember." Lemon came to a stumbling halt. Prey looked up at her sharply.

Lemon's violet eyes had gone glassy, and there was an unconscious tremble in her lip, "I was made. When you made me from, from what was left. Eaten. In the deep ocean, hunger."

Lemon's eyes refocused again. She looked around the cavern, "Forgive me. I, I am unsure what just happened. I have not had that reaction before when thinking about my creation."

"What else do you remember?" Prey asked, staring at her intently.

"I don't remember further. What happened that night, Prey?" Lemon asked.

Prey's soft expression was belied by the coldness in his blue eyes, "When you were made, I gave you all my memories, but not all the memories of your, or rather Night Watcher's, last moments. If you think for a moment, I'm sure you can figure out why that is."

Lemon did just that, and thought. An expression of understanding passed over her face, and the faint trembling in her shoulders ceased, "Ah. I understand why now, Prey. A piece of reality held in memory. What you dug from that hole. Hunger. I was not physically present at the time, I only have your memories, so it won't work for me."

"At least, I don't think it'll work," Prey allowed, "And I'm not going to risk it. I built the same cage inside your mind, but yours stands empty. That's all I'll say out loud, and you know better than to push, don't you? Yes or no?" Prey demanded. He would only accept the one answer.

Lemon Pink knew the danger she was in, but she was his creation. If Prey said to jump, she would jump. Her life was his. "Yes, Prey."

"Good." Prey let out his breath as the sudden scare passed, "Be wary of the pool. Now, back to this cave, how many ways to get in are there?"

"Two from the surface, Prey."

"I can count four tunnels out of the cavern." Prey pointed out.

"Pardon me, Prey, I misunderstood. Two down from the surface, and the other two lead deeper into the mountain."

"How deep?" Prey asked.

"I don't know, Prey. It's a labyrinth down there. I have not had time to safely venture in far enough to map it yet. Should I make that a priority?"

Prey looked at the two dark tunnels. Where could they lead to? Or rather, what might be down there under the mountain? These crystal caves were beautiful, but like all things in nature, beauty was just a concept. The quartz crystals would still stand just as tall and as proud when spattered with blood as not. Quarry eels could be the least of what he had to worry about.

"For now, no." Prey said, and concentrated.

The two dark coils of armoured veropede in the shadows unwound, their instincts telling them to move and rest outside the two tunnels leading deeper. In the veropedes minds, they were now guarding the entrance to their nest. The two burrowing monsters were basically built for underground tunnels like these.

"Both those tunnels will need to be blocked off at some point, but for now..." Prey gave the blackness of the two tunnels one last look, before returning his attention to the rest of the cavern.

Looking over the huge empty space of rock, Prey couldn't help but sigh. Here was another area he had to spend hundreds of hours preparing runic defences for. What's more, this wasn't something Lemon Pink would be much help with. While she could create runes, it seemed to take her three times as long as it took Prey. Therefore, it wasn't efficient for her to do so.

"So much work that needs doing." Prey lamented.

"Yes, Prey." Lemon Pink agreed solemnly.

Well there was no getting around it, and the sooner started, the sooner finished. And to be honest, Prey was pleased with his new 'lair'. Very pleased. The cavern was almost perfect. It was well hidden, undisturbed, defendable, and all the rock and especially the crystals in the way, it would wreak havoc with any scanning spells from the surface. The lair may be empty and lacking supplies now, although the plentiful supply of water simplified it somewhat, and the rest of the missing supplies could be gathered.

Prey cleared his throat, and before he got down to the grunt work of creating runes, began voicing a list of instructions for Lemon Pink:

"I have taken up permanent residence in the flat now, and the sooner you can find a flat nearby, the better. I will be requiring the return of my runed blanket and the pot plants you were storing for me. There has been no overt assault by my new enemy in the shadows, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time. That electrite, I need it a lot sooner than I had anticipated. The Night Guard are going to be restricting me even further. Our objectives from The List remain on hold for now, but after this lair is secure, numbers 5B and all of 8 will be open for us to pursue again. Continuing as follows..."

Perhaps to both Prey and the pegasus's surprise, Crimson took Prey's offer to eat at Prey's flat for what passed for dinner that night.

It felt very weird, just like everything else that had been happening recently.

'I have a house, in Canterlot, the most desired city in all of Equestria, and I'm inviting people over for dinner, and actually have enough food to share. Huh.' This is what rich and famous people did all the time, wasn't it? Invite other high class people around for tea parties and the like?

Well, Prey wasn't any of those things, and he didn't have a fancy table, (or any table for that matter), but he was having Crimson around for dinner.

'Huh.' Summed up Prey's thoughts for a second time.

Prey and Crimson sat upright on the floorboards, each with a bowl of oats and rice cradled in the crook of one leg, and a spoon in the other. Prey had one of those spoons like unicorns used, since he could grip it between his cleft hoof, whereas Crimson had the more normal spoon with the hoof loop. Prey had heard there were also fancy enchanted cutlery out there which stuck to your hoof naturally with magic, but understandably, he didn't have any of those.

No serving utensils, place mats, napkins, table, chairs, or floor cushions, just bare floorboards. It was very similar to what each of them had grown up with, one in a cramped wooden cabin, and the other in a stone cave.

No, what was surprising to Crimson as he chewed, was; "This is fairly good."

"Surprised?" Prey asked, raising his spoon.

"Yes," Crimson answered with blunt honesty, "I was expecting something more like Cookie's cooking. I mean, you have never seemed to care about taste before."

"Food is food. Hunger is the best spice, or so they say." Prey said.

"Yes. That is true." Crimson agreed, and Prey knew he was agreeing from experience, same as him. A quiet moment passed.

"When? For you?" Crimson asked seriously.

Prey didn't need to ask for clarification, neither did he withhold the answer from Crimson:

"On the farm in my village. Twice, we had a bad harvest. And some other times too, there just wasn't enough to go around for anybody, and foraging the surrounding land was dangerous and the pickings ran thin when everybody was having to do the same." Prey answered, darkly thinking about his time spent trying to survive in the Deeper Green, "You?"

"Six years ago. There isn't much you can grow in the mountains, although Clan Chillara manages it well or so I've heard. Anyway, it was an early and hard winter, and a blizzard buried what few crops we did have. Then half of the clan's stores were lost to rot and a mite infestation. My father and I were at the bottom of the ration list." Crimson stopped there.

Those weren't happy memories for either of them, that much was obvious. Prey looked at where the jade necklace used to rest on Crimson's neck. As Crimson had asked, Prey had not brought it up since, but he wondered now how much Crimson had been planning on relying on the magic artifact to help him get his revenge against Clan Myrrdon when the time came. But now a greedy lord had stolen it away, and now Crimson was back to square one.

"So how?" Crimson asked.

Prey paused in scooping about another spoonful of oats and rice, "How...?"

"How did you make this taste not awful? I mean, good?"

"Oh, right, that." Prey nodded towards his reclaimed selection of potted plants and herbs by the window sill, "Some seasoning goes a long way."

If only it wasn't Garrow's remnant who'd prompted Prey on how to do so, Prey would've been a lot prouder of the result. Garrow had been a chef in the Low Kingdom's Royal Kitchens at one point in his life, despite how ridiculous the idea was.

Crimson blankly observed Prey's little makeshift window garden, "That is a good idea. I should get some herbs of my own. And pick up my Blood Fern from the barracks too."

"If you want some potted herbs, I'm happy to get some for you." Prey offered.

"What herbs do you have here?" Crimson asked, wing flicking at Prey's plant collection.

Prey started naming them and listing their properties, uses, and applications. Most had uses outside of mere taste enhancement in cooking, which meant most just had a mild additional medical property. Swelling reduction, an antiseptic, fever relief, a blood thinner, a muscle relaxant, and the like. For a few of the plants however, Prey had to pretend there was nothing additional to them.

Because he couldn't tell Crimson that if prepared correctly, or mixed in a certain way, those plants would create deadly poisons.

But alternatively, if applied in food with a different quantity and mix, it made for a decent rice and oat dinner.

"Impressive." Crimson said simply when Prey was done listing out the pot plants, "It's like your own little medical station."

"Thanks."

"Was this also taught to you by those travelling zebras?" Crimson asked.

Prey kept chewing his food to hide his moment of hesitation. Crimson had been asking quite a few questions tonight. But it was Crimson asking, and Prey knew he could just tell Crimson he didn't want to answer and the pegasus would never bring it up again. He should just say that. Did he want to though?

Prey swallowed. He played with his spoon for a minute. "Not precisely. It wasn't those zebras. It was... someone else. A different zebra."

Something in the way Prey said that must've alerted Crimson. He lowered his bowl, "A different zebra. Someone else who came later."

"Yes."

"Someone bad."

"...Yes." Prey admitted. 'Bad' didn't even begin to do Snake justice.

Crimson looked around the room, then focused back on Prey's face. The scars under his yellow eyes really did make his gaze piercing, and now it seemed to see right through Prey.

"Was this zebra the one who...?" Crimson cautiously gestured at Prey's back with a wing, wincing at his own bluntness.

Now that was going a bit too far for Prey's liking. He raised his bowl higher and cleared his throat, "No, he had nothing to do with whipping me. He was worse. And that's enough of this topic."

Prey's answer was final. Crimson accepted it and dipped his head. They both returned to silently finishing off their food, and soon that silence turned back into merely the companionable type of silence.

"It will be my turn tomorrow. For making food, I mean." Crimson said as Prey put the bowls in the sink. (A sink with running water you didn't have to draw by hoof, and hot water at that! Ponies didn't know how good they had it.)

"I'll look forward to it then."

"I will wish you a good night. Night watch over you Prey."

"Thanks. See you tomorrow."

Morning came creeping up on Prey. He unconsciously started to scowl as sunlight gently impacted his closed eyelids. His nose twitched in distaste, before he promptly rolled onto his back and pulled the blanket over his head. There the ball of blankets and wool settled for a few more wonderfully comfortable and peaceful minutes. Then Prey woke up.

Immediately he sat up and got going like there was no time to waste.

He might still be tired from staying up late last night creating more runes, but once again, he knew all too well the value of time. He'd lost fifty-seven years of it. And anyway, at a push, Prey could function on four hours sleep. Not consistently, but still. However that did mean he was always tired underneath it all, but comfort was secondary to safety. Hence why he didn't linger in bed.

Prey couldn't afford to start developing bad habits now, no matter how tempting. Although he refused to even consider getting an alarm clock. He hated those things, and anything which made loud, unnecessary noise.

'So most ponies, then.'

He'd eaten a quick breakfast, and then it was back to drawing runes. Prey wanted to get in as much time as he could working on the flat's defences. Who knew when or if the attack would come, and he didn't have a lot of time this morning. The reason being?

Gloom had come by yesterday in the evening, (mainly to go flying with Crimson since the sun was no longer so bright at that time of day), but also to drop off a letter. A doctor's letter, two of them, one each. Gloom had already read his own letter.

The letters were from an approved therapist, containing appointment times, just like Luna had said. The letter was politely asking them to attend an emergency session the next day. That was yesterday. For all its politeness, the letter wasn't really offering him the choice. Attendance was compulsory. Luna had made that clear.

'A therapist.' Prey stopped creating the 'Yhe'vva' rune, waiting until the spike of anger faded before trying again.

Luna and Nighthawk were forcing him to go see a therapist. A pony therapist, one who hadn't a clue what they were doing and thought hugs all around were the way to go, and were going to treat him like one of their foal patients.

'It doesn't matter,' Prey reminded himself, 'Bow, beg, scrape. Do whatever you must to placate Luna and stay alive. Nothing's changed. Pride is the privilege of the strong.'

At least he had a few hours where he could actually get something productive done before then.

'And who knows?' Prey told himself, 'Maybe it won't be so bad. Instead of being 'murder worthy' awful, maybe it'll only be 'maim worthy' levels of awful.'

'Or I could kill him instead.' Prey thought.

The therapist was a unicorn, a stallion with a pale coat, slim shoulders, and a kind smile. Apparently him being a stallion was important, because it was supposed to help Prey connect with someone of the same gender. There'd been a moment before the therapist, named Clear Mind, had momentarily panicked until he'd surreptitiously checked his report and confirmed that yes, Prey really was a boy.

So far they'd been sitting here in silence in Clear Mind's office for the last ten minutes. The office was bright and open, with lots of splashes of muted colours, which Prey hated on sight. Clear Mind had a desk, but he wasn't sitting behind it.

Rather, he'd asked Prey to sit wherever he wanted and then waited to see what the lamb did. Prey had taken the furthest bean bag in the corner. Clear Mind had smiled, and taken one of the matching bean bags in the very middle of the room, meaning Prey would be the same distance from him no matter where he sat.

The session had barely begun, and already Prey was sick of all this mental analysis the unicorn thought he was interpreting from Prey's every action. Worse, Prey knew he was going to have to play along with the narative until he was 'cured' to satisfy Luna and the Night Guard command.

Aside from saying hello to introduce himself and asking Prey to take any seat, that was all Clear Mind had said so far. If Clear Mind was trying to play some therapist game and out wait Prey, he was going to be disappointed. Prey had well learnt the life saving value of patience in the Deeper Green, whereas this doctor wasn't even a rank amature.

'-good, Prey seems to be starting to relax. Be friendly, let him know he can speak anytime, but let him speak first-'

Relax? Around a unicorn? Ha! Prey was ready to kill this pony if he turned hostile, that was how relaxed Prey was. On the other hoof, if Clear Mind was planning on waiting until Prey spoke first...

Fifteen minutes later...

Clear Mind's serene smile and open expression hadn't slipped, but inside Prey could hear that the unicorn was a lot less confident than he had been at the start of this session.

'A session is only forty-five minutes long anyway. So only another twenty minutes to endure.' Prey thought. He wondered how Crimson was doing.

'-okay, so not going as good as I thought. Could this be an indication of a fear of sound or conversation? Prey hasn't broken and spoken, any standard foal should've by now. What does this indicate?-'

While Clear Mind worried about what kind of trauma could've caused this, it finally occurred to Prey that Clear Mind might not have a clue what he was doing. The doctor might just be a complete quack.

'-Prey needs to open up and learn to trust me if I am to help him. The file said he was forced to bear unwilling witness to a traumatic death, so it's imperative he opens up as soon as possible. No, I can't force anything. His file said don't use touch, so hugs are out. But I need some way of introducing positive reinforcement-', Clear Mind silently fretted.

'Does he think life actually works like this? What am I, a dog looking for a pat on the head?' Prey thought in disbelief. Even from a pony, this was just plain insulting.

'Is this really what they teach pony doctors? Perhaps it works on pony foals, just give them lots of hugs, but really? Really? That's your best strategy?'

Two minutes before the session ended, (Prey was counting), Clear Mind finally spoke.

"Well Prey, I'm very glad you could come and attend this session with me today. I think even with this one session, we've made good progress, and I know you'll rapidly improve." Clear Mind lied, a bead of sweat on his brow.

Okay, Prey just had to ask; "Good progress? On what basis?"

Clear Mind beamed at him, "You've been very well mannered and polite. Trust me, compared to some of the foals who tear up my whole office, you were positively a little angel." He chuckled.

'-yes! I finally got him to speak to me, progress!-'

"Oh? You really think I'm really doing that well?" Prey asked, soft blue eyes going big.

Clear Mind completely missed the hidden mockery, "Yes I do, and together I just know we'll make blinding progress Prey. You can trust me on that, I'm here to help."

'-so he's not afraid to speak, that invalidates my previous hypothesis. Wonderful! This is very very good, he's able to identify with normal foal behavior. It's just a shame it took me this long to engage him in conversation. Seem's he really was just shy, and it's not trauma-', Clear Mind's thoughts raced away, providing him with baseless speculations and hypotheses.

Prey's mask didn't budge even one inch, despite the mental drivel he was listening in on, "Thanks Mister Clear Mind. So, do you think because I'm doing so good, maybe I don't need to come back?"

Clear Mind chuckled ruefully, apologetically shaking his head, "Not quite yet. But don't worry, I'm sure we won't need to work together long. You're a wonderful little f-lamb, and you're wonderfully strong. Don't let anypony ever tell you otherwise. You can do anything you set your mind to. But it's okay to ask for help too, okay?"

"Okay?" Clear Mind gently prompted again after a moment, "Can you do that for me?"

'I can write your name on the back of The List, that's what I can do.' Prey thought very calmly. But he let his eyes drop, "I uh, uh... Thanks. It was nice to see you mister Clear Mind."

Prey exited the therapist's office and wordlessly rejoined Gloom in the waiting area. Crimson had only just started his session, replacing Gloom's spot with the second therapist, so they'd have to wait. Gloom and Prey's eyes met across the waiting room.

Prey looked at Gloom. Gloom looked at Prey. Wordlessly, Prey took a seat across from him. For forty-four long minutes, they sat in slightly stunned silence.

On the forty-fifth minute, just before Crimson was due to finish, Gloom spoke, a thoughtful look on his face as he stared up at the panel ceiling. "Well that was... something you don't experience every night. Or every day. Thank Luna for small mercies."

"Are all of them... Trainee therapists or something do you think?" Prey asked.

"Maybe?" Gloom offered without much confidence.

"Or maybe they're just plain incompetent." Prey muttered.

"I'm sure it works for normal Canterlot ponies." Gloom said.

"So give them a hug, sing a song, eat a cake, and it's all better?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind giving the cake part a try." The joke was flat, without any real feeling behind it. It sounded like Gloom was just going through the motions.

'-I actually feel worse than I did when I came-'

The only point Prey would give in their favour was that Clear Mind and his colleagues hadn't visibly flinched at any of the ISND's facial scars, or Gloom's thestral heritage. Which, considering Gloom had the worst scarring out of the three of them and was the thestral, was reasonably impressive. For pampered Canterlot pony quacks, that is.

After a long moment, Gloom spoke again, "On the other hoof, this is all on Princess Luna's instructions. And they're ponies honestly trying to help. As dumb as I think it is, I'm still prepared to give their methods a go if it means-"

The second therapist's door opened, and Crimson trotted out, with that same, slightly cautious gait as if he wasn't quite sure whether this really was reality. He looked blankly at Gloom and Prey, while behind him the second therapist beamed:

"Thank you all so much for coming. I look forward to seeing you and Gloom again. Have a lovely day."

The cheerful therapist's words seemed to galvanise Crimson, because he made straight for the front door, "Let's get out of here." He muttered to Gloom and Prey as he went past.

Gloom and Crimson didn't stick around once they'd left/escaped the hospital again. Lilly had refused to see them, although she was apparently willing to see Carton Juice and Saffron Swirl at least.

"Who's Saffron Swirl?" Gloom had muttered.

Prey would've probably answered if Crimson had asked the question, but felt little need to enlighten Gloom.

Scenic was in a session with the orthopaedist, so they'd given visiting the Earth pony a miss too. Gloom made the resolution to, '-go by later and try visiting again-'

Crimson had left to do what he did all day, which was fly and train, and Gloom had flown off to his own apartment for lunch and then to try and get some more sleep after: '-the nightmares last night. Thank Luna for Princess Luna-'

Wings really were useful for getting everywhere, and fast too, but Prey wasn't offended by Crimson wanting to spend time by himself, Prey wanted to do the same, after all. Still, if he'd been born a pegasus instead of a runt lamb and could fly too...

'And if wishes were oat cakes, no one would ever go hungry.' Prey thought. So he waved Crimson goodbye until the evening, and watched him rapidly power up into the sky until Prey had to look away because of the brightness of the sun.

Then he went back to the flat and got on with creating more runes instead.

It was while Prey was thus working on building an outer runic array to help differentiate between any passive magic and hostile magic used within the flat, (much more complicated than it sounded), that disaster came knocking.

The first Prey knew of it was a banging on the front door, the one out on the landing leading down to his own and Crimson's flat doors. Prey paused. That wasn't Crimson, since the pegasus had a key, and it didn't sound like Gloom either. It didn't seem likely from the banging to be a Night Guard either. It was the middle of the day, and thestrals were a lot more restrained.

Well, since Prey didn't know who it was at the door, there was a very simple solution. Ignore them. Prey wasn't interested in answering the door to someone he didn't know.

Then came the muffled shout, making its way through two closed doors and down one hallway. "Crimson Trace! Open up. This is the Civil Law and Criminal Prosecution Agency. We have the Royal Guard with us. We have a written warrant for search and detainment!"

Prey whipped around and raced for the door.

Well here's the next chapter, and wow it really dragged on when writing. And no wonder, 20K words. But I had lots of time to write these last two weeks! So, that's a positive I guess.

Anyway, lots more words means lots more potential to have missed mistakes. If you see any, please let me know. Thanks. 🍎

Thank you to the editor for helping 😄: Sweetolebob18

Also, another little Picture by GreatSpaceBeaver, relating back in the story. Thanks be to him.