The town square at night

May leaned against a random store shop, twirling her dagger. She leered at anypony who got near her, and sneered at the ones who looked at her. Her dark mane was out of it's normal tie, and it fell down, hiding her face. She laughed at the scared stares she was getting, enjoying how terrifying she was.

Normally she would't have left her house, but the moon was less then a sliver, and it was the perfect night for her. She reverted back to her emotionless state, her mouth neither turned up or down and her eyes betraying nothing.

Shadowfax was on patrol, swaggering through the night in her Lunar Guard armour. She glances around and sees a pony twirling her dagger and narrows her eyes, she approaches the pony and gives her a look up and down.

"Is there a problem here?"

Spell Tome around Ponyville at night. She liked it around this time. Few ponies, if any, were out at around this time. It gave her more time to study and research his magic, and get a little writing done. She sat on a bench and opened her book.

Before she could start reading, she saw a rather mysterious mare leaning on a store wall. She looked terrifying, so Spell kept to herself. She couldn't help but look at her thought. She seemed so fascinating. Spell had never seen a pony like that before. She couldn't help herself and trotted over to her, curious.

"H-hi... I'm Spell Tome. What's your name, ma'am?"

Winter had successfully sneaked out of the house. Having waited with incredible patience for her brother to fall asleep. She had grabbed her blue cloak and shinnied out the window in perfect stealth honed from tons of class skipping.
She trotted through the town square a grin on her face. Then suddenly some ponies caught her eye. A lunar guard a criminal and a wizard. This was winter's lucky day. She trotted up to the three and in a grand voice at least for a little filly she declared.
" Im Winter! wanna be besties!" she beamed.

Shy trotted out into the town square. He was a bit bored- he still couldn't sleep after the whole Burning Heart thing so he was mostly frequenting bars and taverns trying to find enough drink to not kill him but make him sleep. Unfortunately all that had happened was he'd lost a little balance- though enough to keep upright- and mild slurring.

He sat on a bench in the square. Heh. This was kind of where it all began. Sweet. The breakdown. The party. It all began right here with that love potion. What a mess that turned out to be. Still, had he gained from it? He supposed he'd learned why he didn't socialise. Most ponies screw you over if you try to be pleasant. Shy saw another pony, standing emotionless opposite him. Creepy. He felt a little racuos though due to the drink.

"So, what's the shtory then? A murderer? A thief maybe? I don't really care. Have a go if you want. Just no affection. Anything but bloody affection."

He took a sip of cider he'd brought with him, twirling the mug once it was emptied and whistling.

Is there a problem here?" asked a batpony who had sauntered up to the blue mare. She raised an eyebrow and was about to respond when a nervous-looking yellow unicorn walked up, saying

"H-hi... I'm Spell Tome. What's your name, ma'am?" May pulled away from the wall, ready to make a bolt for it, but yet another pony came up, nearly shouting.

" Im Winter! wanna be besties!" At this, May started backing up, but stopped as she ran into the wall. Her eyes frantically searched for a way out, but found it blocked by a drunken cobalt stallion.

"So, what's the shtory then? A murderer? A thief maybe? I don't really care. Have a go if you want. Just no affection. Anything but bloody affection." May cocked an eyebrow, wondering what his deal was, but didn't say anything. She was really starting to get freaked now, her panicked eyes nearly shaking.

But she took a deep breath and responded in turn, "No, there is not a problem m'am." she stated to the guard, "Um, Hi Spell Tome. I'm, erm, May." she said quietly to the shy mare.

"Winter, I'm sure I would not be the best besty, and as for you, drunk guy, no, I am not a murderer, and i will not 'have a go'" she declared, not bothering to mention the thief part. For she was a pickpocket, at times. That was how she had found her first knife.

Shadowfax blinks and looks at the new ponies.

"Sir, are you publicly drunk, still drinking, and try to provoke a fight with this mare?"

She looks down at the filly and gives her a sweet smile.

"Sweetie what are you doing out at this time? It's not safe."

She casts a glance at the drunk and the suspicious pony named may, before standing up straight.

"If I see any trouble out of any of you, there will be pain. Except you winter."

Spell Tome liked the mysterious mare's name. May. What she didn't like was all the ponies converging on them. Spell created a small bubble around herself and walked back.

"Sorry, I just uh... Don't like crowds... I'll just sit back here..."

Spell Tome kept her distance from the ponies. An interesting bunch, though. A mysterious mare, a Lunar guard, a drunk, and a little filly. She worried for her. Spell traveled alone at night before when she was her age. She feared for her safety... At least the Lunar guard was watching her. Spell Tome stood back and watched from her magical shield from the ponies.

Winter looked at her new friends in absolute delight. The wizard was so timid, more timid than her papa when momma scolded him for eating candies before dinner. The guard was super duper sweet and winter gave her her most charming smile. The criminal said she didn't wanna be besties but winter knew she was just pretending so she smiled extra hard at her best bestie, may. The last pony kinda scared her but when he got scolded she stuck her tongue out at him anyway since he was picking fights and had it coming.

Shy raised an eyebrow. He wasn't drunk. He'd had a few but he wasn't doing anything particularly far. Still, he felt it was best to clarify.

"I'm not drunk you idiots. I've had a couple of drinks but I can still think straight. Trust me, I don't pick fights when drunk. And on that subject, I wasn't picking a fight. She's growling at anypony that comes near, so I'm telling her that if she's anything dangerous then she can get it over with."

He really couldn't believe these morons. Did it really not occur to them that the mare leaning against a wall looking sinister might be a little untrustworthy? He might sound paranoid but he was a bit quick to judge.

Shy analyses these ponies. A nutter. A teenage mare that looked a little familiar. A Luna guard who was already acting thick. And a filly. Celestia, Shy really didn't want to put up with foals. After his explanation of the situation he sat back in his chair, not making eye contact and trying to avoid conversation. He didn't even respond to the cheeky little cow sticking her tounge at him.

May rolled her eyes and resumed twirling her weapon, ignoring the ridiculous ponies. Or, seeming like it. She was actually examining each and every one in a very discreet manner, her specialty. The Lunat guard was seemingly unsuspecting, unobservant, and a bit idiotic, in May's opinion.

The yellow unicorn, Spell Tome, was either germaphobic or claustrophobic, or just unsocial like May. The little filly was annoying in the way she spoke with energy and smiled at everypony. May groaned inwardly at the little ankle-biter. The drunkard, who wouldn't admit he was drunk, clearly had issues. May guessed it was either a recent breakup, a rejection, or just family problems.

Her quick analysis took less then ten seconds, and she grinned at her skills, glad they had developed well. She leaned back and placed her hoof up on the wall.

Shadowfax look at may again and facepalms.

"Seriously.. put that away, and stop trying to scare ponies. For Luna's sake."

The criminal and the pony with the drink were getting on her nerves, She sighs and rubs a hoof over her face.

"This is going to be a long night, isn't it.."

Spell Tome was watching the four other ponies. None of them seemed too happy or friendly. One looked like a criminal, one was a serious guard, and one was a drunk. The only nice seeming one was the filly. The guard seemed pretty nice too, just intimidating. Guess that's what a guard has to do.

Spell Tome sat back on a bench, keeping the bubble around her. Inside, she wanted to talk to them. But her shyness and fear of rejection kept clouding her mind. None of them seemed like they would be friendly.

With that, Spell Tome remained on her bench and read through her spell book. She sort of hoped one of them would catch notice of her. Calming her nerves, the bubble disappeared, and she could be contacted now.

As soon as the mean stallion started barking Winter's tongue disappeared in a quick hurry, and she stood a little closer to the guard. She looked at each pony in turn trying to do it in a stealthy way but failing. They were seeming a lot scarier than they had at first and she listened to them intently wondering if maybe she had made a little mistake.

"This is going to be a long night, isn't it.."

The sudden outpouring of exasperation from the Lunar guard brought back a touch of her courage. if the guard was tough, winter was tougher still. She was no baby.

She put on her most serious face and puffed her chest up in imitation of the Guard.

" yes, big sis it is gonna be long time before day." she said in her toughest voice.

She turned to shy
" You..Mean guy... stop being mean" she ordered trying to sound as official as she could.

She turned to may
" You there, may was it....... stop pretending to be nightmaremoon " she demanded sternly

then lastly she turned to spell tome.
" You there... cast some magic on these ponies to make them like each other!" she ordered.
she winked at spell tome in what was supposed to be a shady Lunar guard style wink but it failed and looked silly.

Shy raised an eyebrow. Cheeky little snot nose. Still, she was only little. Just let it go- it'll probably come back to bite her in the flank. Still, this brought something to his mind. Was this what he really wanted? All these ponies looking at him like he was scum? He had been moaning a lot lately. This was kind of the danger he got into when he came out of his shell. He just never got on well. He was only trying to protect himself. And he wasn't drunk! When would these idiots realise that?

Still, he felt it best to at least try to be friendly to them. Try to patch things up. Besides, he had to admit he was getting a familiar vibe with that creepy mare. She seemed rather similar to Shy.

"Look guys, I think we've got off on the wrong hoof. My name's Shy Smiles. I'm not drunk, I'm just a little on edge so I'm a little more defensive than usual. Look at me like I'm trash if you want, but just know I at least tried to be friendly."

He lay back on his bench and looked up at the sky. Not much to see- the street lights were obscuring the stars.

May scoffed at the guard, an pushed away from the wall.

"Look here, 'Lunar Guard' you may think you're all that, but don't go around telling me what to do. I do what I want, and nopony tells me what to do." she retorted rudely, glaring at the mare with hawk-like eyes "As for you, little on," she sneered, turning to Winter, "you are too young to be out and about at this time, there are," she said creepily, throwing her dagger up in the air, "dangerous ponies around." she finished, catching the knife by its hilt.

She began strutting away towards another building.

Shadowfax grinned at Winters attempt, finding it very cute, Then glared at the criminal.

"I am a keeper of the peace, all you want to do is intimate fear into ponies. You think you're untouchable now. but mess up and you'll find that to be very untrue."

She grabs Winter and pulls her underneath her to get her away from the creep. She glances at Shy.

"Nice to meet you shy, sorry but that mare had my on edge and caused me to be a little more judging. And you-"

She looks down at the filly and smiles.

"Are going to stay with me until I can get you home at some point."

While hearing all of this go down, Spell Tome decided to get up and have a say in some of this. Right now, she didn't feel like sitting on sidelines. She was still surprised that Shy wasn't drunk. He must really have some issues, then.

"I'm... sorry for leaving like that... I get nervous around other ponies... So, what is the trouble here? Again, I'm Spell Tome."

Spell had noticed that May had left the group and went to another building. Spell was planning on talking to her, but she didn't look like she would enjoy her company. One looked like a crook, while the other was a very timid genius.

Winter watched May's knife flip through the air. She heard the sneering in her voice as she spoke. Her eyes stayed locked onto May even as the Lunar Guard pulled her away from may.

She watched May even while the others conversed. She was scared but only a little. She was stunned and felt very alone. She looked up only when the Lunar Guard spoke to her directly.
She peered up at the batpony her eyes wide. The Guards words sank in slowly, and when they finally registered she nodded enthusiastically.

Shy felt a little better- they weren't looking at him like he was something messy they'd found on the ground. Still, he felt it was best to not trust this lot. He'd only just met them after all. He watched that other pony walk away. Already he was forgetting her name and such- the drink seemed to be at least shortening his memory.

He looked to Spell Tome. She seemed familiar- he saw a filly that looked like her once. Couldn't be her though- the personalities were completely different. He remembered the filly being pretty confident and always rejecting help out of pride. This one was much more shy and quiet. Still, he felt it best to answer her question.

"Well Miss Tome, that pony that just left in the huff was scaring ponies a little. That guard there went to check out what was happening, and she started giving him cheek, then left. Also the filly was trying to make everypony instantly like each other. That part was amusing."

He looked at the filly, who was clearly focused on that other pony. He didn't see why- when he was a colt if somepony tried that he simply ignored it. He looked over at the guard as well.

"It's fine. I'd probably do the same if I had any interest in being a guard whatsoever."

May ignored the ponies still chatting idly. Her mane fell in front of her face, and she brushed it away. Sighing, she peeked back to the group, watching all of them. Her quiet observation was quite discreet, as it was a talent of hers.

She tucked the dagger back into her cloak, settling for leaning against the building.

Shadow grinned at Winters expression.

"Congrats Winter, you get to be a Lunar Guard for the night."

Then she looks up at Spell.

"What Mr. Shy said."

Spell Tome looked around at the crowd. At least they weren't threatening. That May mare look pretty hostile, though. Best to avoid her. Or see if she minded opening up. Nah, Spell with just hang out with the somewhat nicer ponies. Spell looked at the little filly. She knew the guard took care of the situation, but she really wanted to be sure the foal was alright.

"Are you okay, little one? Did the mare hurt you at all? Did the nice guard here keep you safe?" She felt like she was pressing on a little too much. Of course they were all fine. Spell just hated to see a foal in any kind of damage. Be it physical, emotional, spiritual, or verbal. She's had all four of them

"Lunar guard for the night!!! " Winter beamed brightly

She stood tall and puffed out her chest. When Spell tome spoke to her she looked at the mare and put on her most daring look.

" I ain't scared of nopony i'm a lunar giard now." she said proudly " nopony can hurt a lunar guard. Big sis was just helping me adjust my coolness." she said to spell enthusiatically.

Shy watched the ponies all talking. It was kind of interesting to watch. He'd been thinking about that lately- everypony has thousands of stories to tell. Add up just five young ponies and you have about a century worth of tales, regardless of interest or truth. Still, most ponies seemed so ignorant of this. 

He supposed that's why he isolated himself- there wasn't really much good in a pony. They might tell interesting stories sure but they'd be spitting in your eyes while they told you them.

He looked at Winter.

"Not scared of anything? What about Big Steve, that murderer that likes to attack ponies who are in large groups with a rusty spoon made of hedgehogs. Why, he could be...right behind us and not know it!"

Shy knew it was a pretty rubbish bluff but he was bored, and he found the conversation about as interesting as eating his own snot.