Routine Patrol. Or Is It?

The night was dark and filled with horrors unlike any the civilians of Canterlot were aware of.

Ghastly shadowed figured crept along the cobblestone streets, cackling and screeching with delight as they freely roamed. Foul beings made of ooze slithered, polluting the fine city with a stench so horrid it could peel paint. Monsters of small proportions stalked the alleys in search of prey, some finding their taste buds to be most satisfied when feasting on the life-essence of slumbering ponies.

One such creature lurked over the peaceful form of a young filly, whom was bundles up beneath bright pink sheets and cuddled with a stuffed bear. Its form had no true shape, but consisted of wavering shadows that were able to manifest the appearance of limbs, such as a claw that reached out for the youngster. Slowly, as though savoring the anticipation, it reached out, long nails curled and nearly touching the filly's purple mane.

Just as contact was to be made, the monster convulsed and dispersed, becoming nothing but a sphere of dark energy that eventually fizzled out on its own. In its place was the silver head of a three-prong spear, the longest of which was dangerously close to the child's neck. The weapon carefully pulled away, guided by a figure submerged in the shadows of the wall. There was a soft clank as the spear was sheathed, followed by rhythmic thwumps of wing beats.

A blue passed through the window, which shut on its own accord there after. The blue took the form of a pony amongst the star-strewn sky, one which wore armor of various blue and purple shades. From its helmet, a pair of yellow eyes shone as bright as the moonlight, which graced the mare's elegant form and shined off the metal. These eyes scanned the homes below, their slitted pupils catching every little movement that seemed unnatural.

Leathery wings constantly flapped to keep the guard aloft as she continued her watch, ever vigilant, ever prepared to strike again..

Switchblade wandered along one of the side streets of Canterlot, sword drawn and his eyes sharp; he hated being posted for night shifts in Canterlot; he saw some things that he could never believe were real, but which would be able to touch him, it was his tradition therefore to keep his weapon ready in case he needed to dispell one of the walking nightmares. He walked carefully past a streetlamp, his armor and sword sending glinting reflections of light into the night sky.

Zefarin LeBrun preferred to spend his time in his office. Or in his home in Balegravia. Or at the café with the decadent cakes he so often had specially made for troublesome problem-solving.

Not in the darkened streets of Canterlot at night.

Rin's PA had returned to his home an hour before. He had a few small matters not worth his time that he had passed off to her, assuring the assistant-cum-bodyguard that he was a grown stallion with a sharp array of defensive spells and an umbrella, and he would be fine.

It didn't mean that he had to like it very much.

He was in an area of Canterlot that he preferred to avoid if at all possible, and if that wasn't enough to add to his unease, all of the lights save the two flickering street-lamps were dark. He spotted a guardspony walk past one of the weak lights, his armour glinting slightly, but it didn't do anything to comfort him. Such was the worry of one with far too much left to do in life to tread without a care.

((To those who still want to join this topic, feel free.))

Her all-seeing gaze fell upon a unicorn that casually strolled down one of the many side streets. She narrowed her eyes to focus-in on him, and noted that he bore silver armor upon his upper-half. He wields a weapon as well. But he doesn't wear the standard guard uniform the royals issue. It was highly suspicious, but the stallion didn't seem to be causing any trouble. So long as things remained as such, she would let him be. Still, I should patrol back to this sector more frequently to check-up on him..

A second oddity was found in a section whose lights had been tampered with. Canterlot was known for its prestigious streets and high-class residents: nopony would let something as noticeable as unlit lanterns stay in such a way. With her curiosity peaked, Midnight extended her wings, which filled with the night's gentle current, and glided on downward towards the area. Her armored hooves silently landed on a rooftop while her wings remained extended for balance. Carefully, she peered over the ledge and to the alley below, where yet another stallion that had no business being out so late.

Don't these ponies know how dangerous it is come dark? She sighed mentally, her ears lowering back against her helmet. Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, the young mare detected movement. Cursing beneath her breath, she immediately sprung off from her perch and landed behind the unicorn, spear already grasped between her jaws, long fangs overlapping the smooth silver metal. A shadowed creature reared up from the cobblestone, two spheres of red blazing where its eyes would be. From its sides, four arms fanned out, each one baring razor-sharp claws at their ends.

Skillfully, the bat pony spun around a full three-sixty while thrusting her spear upward.The three pointed tips penetrated into the shadow's neck region. All four claws clasped at the weapon's base as the manifestation struggled to pull it free, its form wilting and hissing off black smog. Grunting, Midnight kicked off with all of her strength backwards and ripped the spearhead out from its clutches and throat. The new gaping hole caused the beast's life-essence to fully drain out and it disappeared in a puff of smog.

Sheathing her spear, the guard gave her tail a flick before extending her wings again. Before taking off, she glanced over her shoulder to the odd stallion and quirked a brow at his umbrella.

Switchblade disappeared down a dark back alley, searching for any sign of crime, he looked up the steep sided buildings on either side of him, they were dull and imposing in the night, suddenly he knocked into something and fell over backwards, he looked up and saw the creature looming over him, it had a humanoid form with thin legs supporting a bulking body and had arms reaching to its feet with sharp, talon like apendages where the hands should have been, it had no true head but a massive mouth lined with teeth supported on the top of its body.

It swung a swipe at Switchblade, aiming for his head, but he rolled out of the way at the last second, swiping up his blade and cleaving the legs of the creature off, as they detached, they hissed into a cloud of darkness then dissipated. Switchblade looked at the creature crawling towards him and wedged the sword into its chest, stepping back while an aura glowed around his sword and horn, suddenly a wave of light propelled from the blade, destroying the creature and illuminating the area for a second. Switchblade wandered back to his sword and picked it up before catching his breath.

Ther-thrump. Four hooves landed on a rooftop. Their owner peered over the side of the stone sheets she balanced upon and to the street below. Her yellow eyes stared at the unicorn stallion without wavering for so much as a moment, even as they came across his weapon once more. "I've never seen you around these parts before." Narrowing her gaze and pulling her ears back flat against her helmet, she continued, "You're not a member of the Royal Guard, nor the Night Guard. So who exactly are you, and why are you out here cleaning my city?"

The bat pony's pride had been damaged by his rather impressive actions. She was accustomed to fending off the night terrors on her own. Midnight pounced off from her perch and landed before him, baring no fear. Her slit pupils found the unicorn's own eyes, which she stared into while awaiting an answer. "You have shown you're capable, but you know not of what you toil against." Her long, slender fangs were bared in a snarl. "I suggest you go home, stranger, and let the true guardians do their job."

Midnight folded her leathery wings tightly against her armor, though they twitched with anticipation.

Switchblade looked up carefully as he heard somepony above him talking to herself, so her landing proved no shock factor, neither her bared fangs; he had worked with batponies before. He decided that this one was trying to establish herself as top, this could be fun. He faced up to the pony in front of him, as he raised himself, his armor and sword glowed brightly across a small area, illuminating him, he looked her in the eye "You dare call yourself a true guardian? You do not even know the true light." he said, voice boardering on rage.

A shadow cast itself over her face, one that seemed darkest around her eyes, which soon became lost within it. The bat pony's lips thinned as she pulled them back to form a most sinister grin from ear-to-fuzzy-ear. "You're right. I do not know the light." She took a step back towards the wall of the closest house, one which cast a long, deep shadow. "My kind do not care much for it." With another backwards step, she submerged herself within the darkness, leaving not even a silhouette visible. "But I do know about the dark. Much more than you will ever discover in your lifetime."

Midnight reappeared in the same street, though on the opposite side. Only her head emerged from the shadows. "I am a true guardian. My line has guarded the civilians of Equestria for generations from the very beginning." The mare bowed her head, exposing the sharp points of her helmet while hiding her facial features at the same time. "It is in my blood to fight the creatures that threaten the innocent." Leaning back, she once again vanished, consumed by the shadows.

This time, she decided to show up back on the roof their encounter began on. "Your light power is admirable. But that light casts a dark shadow- beware of those that can and will take advantage of that." Her wings flared out to their full span. With but a flap, the bat pony was airborne, though she decided to linger a bit longer. "What is your name, unicorn?" She asked out of both curiosity and for the purpose of research. It was rare to encounter such a brave pony, even rarer to see one vanquish a shadow creature.

Switchblade smiled "Ah, intriguing isn't it; a pony you've never seen before, doing a job that he shouldn't know exists. Ah, I'll humour you; the name's Switchblade." at that point he slammed a letter between them, stamped with the insignia of the night guard "Hiya, partner." he said merrily, pointing at the top of the letter which read 'request of partnership' "Your officers decided that you needed assistance in your patrol, so they contacted me, as I am one of the only ponies outside of the night guard, that can eliminate these things."

His attitude was really ruffling her coat the wrong way. Who does this stallion think he is? It's disgusting how he carries himself with such pride. He's truly a narcissist. Her nostrils flared as she snorted out her disapproval. Switchblade? An odd name for an odd unicorn. The mare's brow furrowed as her facial features hardened to a glare. I'll have to do some early morning research on him. There will be plenty of time to recuperate after. Mentally, she huffed with determination. No way was this little foal going to get over on her.

Midnight's optics darted down to the parchment he presented. She nearly choked on air. That insignia..But that's.. His next words made her heart sink and head spin. P-p-partner?! In a snap, her hoof had taken up the letter which she read drastically, sweat beads dotting her brow. This..this is official. All of the proper paperwork is right here, as well as signatures. Vertigo threatened to completely topple the mare. No..I don't need a partner. I've always worked best on my own..

The bat pony dropped the letter and put her hoof to her forehead. Her superiors believed she wasn't doing an adequate enough job? Sure, there were a lot more shadow creatures lurking about ever since the incident, but they weren't anything she couldn't handle. This was a true insult and a huge blow to her pride. "I...I need a moment." Without another word, Midnight kicked off from the road and ascended into the air, her wings frantically flapping to carry her higher towards the heavens.

I can't let my family's name be tarnished. I have to somehow prove to everypony that I am capable of doing this alone. Extending her wings outward, she caught the oncoming air in them and brought herself to a sudden stop. With a gentle flap she spun around to look back upon Canterlot far below. And they want me to work with someone that's not even my own kind? This is a true mockery..

Switchblade seemed to pay no attention to Midnight's outburst, instead he was reading eagerly through the letter outlining his job, he sighed to himself "Time for some retribution, old friend." he said to himself, opening his pocketwatch and looking at the photo of the mare within. He noticed that Midnight was elsewhere, he stood and waited, remembering the difficulty of working with the Bulwark family before.

Midnight stared up at the large, pale moon. Her slit pupils reflected its magnificence with clarity, but her mind was elsewhere. She recalled when her armor was first donned and how proud her family seemed to be. Ever since she was a little filly, they had put the pressure of perfection on her shoulders and demanded nothing but precision. Fortunately, she had always been up to the task, and for all her effort she was always rewarded. The young mare could envision their disappointment and cold scowls should they ever find out that she had disgraced them by defying orders. As much as I want to refuse, I can't. This is what my officers desire, then so it shall be.

Sighing heavily, the bat pony leaned back to keep herself leveled as she descended straight down. It wasn't too long before her black rear hooves were on solid stone again and soon followed by the front. Her ears drooped with obvious sorrow as she removed her helmet, revealing a silky mane of black and yellow, along with facial features that were very pleasant even with their bat ones. "Very well, Switchblade." Her eyes had been cast on the ground, but now raised to his. "It shall be an honor to fight alongside you." She lied through her fangs.

While it pained her to no end to succumb, the outcome was inevitable. Orders were orders, and if nothing else, this didn't necessarily mean their partnership was permanent. I'll work with him for as long as it takes to show his aid isn't needed. After replacing her helmet, Midnight tucked in a loose strand of hair and gave her wings a twitch. "It seems that this sector has been cleaned. Other sections are being covered by my family and some of the other Night Guards." Her yellow eyes scanned the street up and down. "Which means we can either move on to another city and see if anything is amiss, or do something more..leisurely."

Switchblade looked carefully at Midnight; he could tell that she wasn't a fan of the arrangement, he moved his goggles to his forehead, showing his sky blue eyes and the scar running across the left "I must say that it shall be an honour to fight alongside another member of the Bulwark family; your father was an incredible pony." He said, hoping that the recognition might help her ego. "What would you class as 'leisurely'?"

The fact that he knew her father came to a surprise. So, he's familiar with my family in more ways than by name alone. I'm surprised my father never mentioned meeting this unicorn. Then again, it was likely that he'd keep such an encounter a secret. For as long as she could remember, the only non-bat pony her ilk ever interacted with was the alicorn Princesses and their guards. While the latter consisted of different races, her family still went out of their way to only get 'friendly' with those of their own species. Considering this Switchblade fellow was an outsider to the guard and breed, her father would definitely never want to taint his tongue with such a tale.

"I'm not opposed to what most do to pass time, or relax." Midnight admitted, gesturing with a wing for him to follow her. "I recommend we find a place to talk and learn more about one another. If we're going to be partners, it's best we understand our strengths and weaknesses." As she began down the street, her yellow eyes darted this way and that, seeking out any possible threats- and not just those of the shadow kind. Nopony should be awake at this time of night- not unless they were undergoing with shady deals.

"Let's head back to the castle. We can find something to eat and privacy." Midnight lead him onto a main stretch of road, from which some of the tower points to the castle could be seen. She looked over a shoulder to Switchblade to make sure he was still willingly tag along. "Does that sound fine to you?"

Switchblade nods politely, sheathing his sword and drawing a baton "The castle sounds like a plan to me. Just nowhere too dark; I want to make sure that you don't try anything; I may seem happy but I'm not stupid." he said, remembering his encounters with other batpony guards. "And don't try to recognise me from any memories from your father; I have changed much since then, physically and mentally."

In a flash, Midnight had spun around, pounced forward, and shoved her nose against his own. Her eyes, filled with rage, drilled into the stallion's. So furious was she that the veins in her optics visibly popped while their pupils thinned to nearly invisible slender slits. "You have some nerve!" The mare hissed through her fangs, which were bared to their fullest. "How dare you even think I would ever go against the word of my superiors and sully my family name by doing something so despicable!"Leaning forward, she applied pressure against his snout and her facial armor.

"If I had wanted you dead for any reason, I would have done it already. I am no coward, and consider my actions before taking them, therefore there would have been no regrets nor reason for me to hide my slaughter." With that, Midnight took a step back and snorted. It was obvious that their relationship would always be rocky, and therefore she did not look forward to it one bit. "You wound me with your accusations deeper than any blade could. This will not be forgotten." She warned him before turning her back on the stallion and flicking her tail in agitation.

Unfolding her wings, the bat pony gave them a furious flap and ascended. With a few more beats she propelled herself higher and forward, leveling out only when she reached a proper altitude for smooth flying. She still intended on returning to the castle, but no longer cared whether he accompanied her or not.

Switchblade shrugged to himself; it was obvious that this one was the same as the rest of her family. He casually walked in the direction of the castle, walking through the back alleys so he wouldn't be noticed. While he walked he thought about this batpony's personality; she liked to be in charge but didn't like ideas that go against her superiors, oh how happy they must be with their perfect soldier.

He wound up a pocket watch as he walked, holding it up to his ear to check it was working properly, he smiled as he heard the ticking from it.