For your grade

[spoiler]I should stick to drawing[/spoiler] [spoiler]Maybe not even that[/spoiler]
>You get off the train at around 3pm, right on schedule.
>Nice.
>For once, you didn't get tripped up by some inconvinience, like random ponies oogling your wings.
>You didn't mind it on occasion, but everywhere you go it seems to happen on a very regular basis.
>Sweet [spoiler]Celestia[/spoiler], it could get really uncomfortable sometimes.
>They were headturners though, you'd admit that much. But that's for another time.
>You scan the platform for the way to the road, it shouldn't be far from here to the inn at the Hollow Shades.
>Oddly enough, there weren't many ponies here. At all, really. Just a family of three by the steps to the exit platform.
>TFW you don't remember putting your wallet into your satchel.
>Or your university binder...passport too?
>You check your bag, and naturally the binder isn't there.
>There's that inconvinience. Dammit
>You use your wings as boosters to rush back to the traincar, whos engine was almost ready for departure.
>You burst through the door of the traincar you rode in on, and break left down to the obervation car where you resided most of the journey.
>You feel the car lurch, and so does your heart; straight to the bottom of your chest.
>If you thought your wings made public interaction akward away from home, this would be tough to explain. Let alone afford.
>You arrive at your booth and slide to a stop. Conviniently enough, your binder with papers intact was still there.
>You grab it with your mouth and slip it into your satchel and remember that the train is now creeping out of the station
>You look to the emergency stop lever that the conductor pointed out when you first got on the train hours ago, but you'd certainly be fined for pulling it for such a mundane reason.
>To your bag of bits, that situation was certainly not [spoiler]fine[/spoiler].
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>You trot nervously in place and start to panic as the conductor could come in at any moment and you'd be in trouble.
>Luckily for you, the car was completely empty. Most everyone evacuated their seats in at Canterlot Central Station, and it seems you were one of the very few getting on the train. If there were others, this would have

gone downhill much faster than it was.
>Eyeing the door at the end of the car, you could just depart through there and fly off the now moving train
>You check your binder for your passport and it's there, along with your (anthropology?) assignment you had received from your professor.
>It was a good portion of your grade too. This was the last place you'd have to write on and losing roughly a week's worth of travel notes would be mortifying.
>The culmination of the past year of studies and busywork could be rendered irrelevant by this one paper. It was a pretty heavy weight on your shoulders.
>Snapping back to reality, that conductor could show up at any second and you've been rolling away from the platform you've been waiting to get to for hours.
>You dart for the door and take a quick inventory. You've got your binder, passport, and your daily needs bag with a pouch of bits. Enough to last a few days inbetween destinations.
>You fling the door open just fast enough to be inconspicuous about your haste, and close the door behind you.
>You weren't too far off from the platform, maybe 15 or so meters and steadily climbing.
"W-Well, here goes nothing.."
>"Hey! What are you doing out there!"
>You glance back through the window in the door to see the conductor, coming at full speed to the door.
>You squeak at the sight of the conductor and the thought of being caught and probably have your bits pocketed by the railroad,
>You push for the edge of the rail car and jump, your wings spread and create an edge that cuts the air and gives you flight.
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>You had never jumped from a moving platform before, the resulting wind and your momentum threw you off balance.
>Luckily you awkwardly recover from your would be blunder of eating grass and dirt when it was non-consentual.
>Really, it never would be [spoiler]consentual[/spoiler].
>Glancing back at the train car over your shoulder, the conductor is on the end of the car you left, waving his forleg at you and shouting muffled obsceneties.
>Of course there was nothing that could be done about it, your escape was clean and you retreived your things. Exellent.
>After a few graceful beats of your wings, landing was a breeze. Although you garnished attention. Again.
>The filly you didn't take much notice of upon arrival darted to your position before you could even react.
>It was too late, you were expecting shenannagins from batponies but not this early, you hadn't even gotten off the station platform yet.
>She was bouncing circles around you and EEEE-ing with exitement as if she had never seen somepony make a narrow escape from a moving train with a hostile conductor on board.
>She was hardly half your height, being a young filly. Her coat was a mild gray that was well kept, slightly lighter than your own. Her mane was quite the opposite as a vibrant pink, with insets of a paler shade than than

the rest. Her mane was seconded only by her tail in volume, it easily accounted for a quarter of her body size in comparison.
>She stopped in front of you with spread wings, wide eyes, and perked ears with the curiosity of a dozen explorers.
>"T-That was amazing! I've never seen anything like that happen before!" She is staring at you with green eyes and slit pupils. She's got fluffy ear tufts too.
>This is your first encounter with a batpony, and this filly is probably a leading cause of diabetes in the area.
>Her attention shifted to your wings and her attention was locked in place.
>"Wow.."
>Unfurling your right wing, it cast a shadow over her and her grin widened ear to ear.
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>It was like they were full of stars to her, or something.
>Taking the oporotunity to access your satchel, you pull your map from its pocket and make for the bench, the filly following close behind you doing what pushed your buttons the most.
>For her, you wouldn't make any fuss. You could ogle her cute little ears all day.
>At least you had your height on your side, though. You may or may not be slightly jealous of her ear tufts.
>As long as you're taller, right?
>Your fixation on the filly's ears was broken by her mother calling for her as their taxi was arriving.
>"Heartbeat! It's time to go!" Her mother bore resemblence to Hearbeat save for her mane had a band of gray running through it.
>She announced again, "We'll go have breakfast and then you can catch up on sleep like you wanted."
>In seemingly an instant, the otherwise upbeat Heartbeat was reminded that 3pm for a bat pony is like 3am to most ponies,
>She yawned and as you took notice and glanced back at her you got a good view of her teeth and incisors. They were a lot more intimidating in person than in the diagrams and slideshows back at the university.
>Even if she is just a filly, you were reminded of the petty rumors that floated around your classmates when the subject was brought upon in the class.
>It was noted that they were semi-omnivorous, being able to live on fruits and other common foods, as well as blood if necessary. But prejudice was always present.
>Could they really lose control and drain you of life if they just felt like it? Probably not, but the thought was certainly there; nagging at your first impression.
>Your wing reacted and flicked away from the hoof of a curious Heartbeat and you let out a startled squeak as your daydream of being bitten was disrupted suddenly.
>It would certainly be hard to explain why you're standing on top of the bench, tips of your hooves, shaking with a scrunched face.
>But Heartbeat had scampered over to her mother, turned around and waved goodbye.
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>"We'll see you around maybe! Bye!"
>Her mother waved with her daughter with a bright expression, as if she were thanking you for showing her daughter something new.
>The father hadn't said a word, he simply turned his head while walking toward the cab and let an approving grin show upon his face as he got inside with his family.
>Unfortunately, there was no more room in the cab, you would have paid a share to ride but it would be a burden to ask at this point. The cab rides off with the pink-maned filly poking her head out the window waving back

at you before yawning and retreating inside the cab.
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"Can't be that bad, right?" Realizing that you'd have to walk from the platform to the inn at the Hollow Shades.
>...Into this eerie forest...With an entire town filled with would-be vampires watching and waiting patiently to seize your life blood when you at your most vulnerable.
>It wasn't very far, the directory at the end of the platform said it was just under a two kilometer walk down the main road.
"T-They were just rumours, Mosina even said so."
>She was the only batpony in your class. One of very few at the entire university, let alone Canterlot entirely.
>Because of these circumstances, the regulars would harrass her on a routine basis. Seemingly the same time every day, too.
>Jabbing at her wings, eyes, and her dental visage as they would pass her desk once the lecture was over. She didn't seem to care on the surface, to her it was the norm.
>She wore glasses and always had her mane in a ponytail. A very neat mare in a number of ways, her papers were laid out well and got good marks. She'd helped you do some of your assignments in exchange for lychees

occasionally. Why lychees? Must have been her favorite, you couldn't get into them really.
>Getting aquainted with your classmate, you couldn't help but ask questions about her. She was the only bat pony you chatted with outside of class, the few others having different schedules so you rarely even saw them.
>Mosina told you about her home and family in the Hollow Shades, saying they weren't what they were made out to be by some.
>Well, they weren't quite normal either. She said some of their more notable aspects were puns, mild privacy invasion, and and obsession with mangoes.
>"You know, if a friend of mine back home caught wind of you having mangoes in your bag, it would be all mang-"
>Knowing what was coming, you place a hoof upon her muzzle to silence her, as well as placing your other free hoof on your own face.
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>She kekeke'd after you removed your hoof politely, knowing she didn't even have to complete that atrocity to get to you.
>In a way, you were in a similar situation to hers, but you didn't come from the Hollow Shade.
>Reality bit you again and you snapped at attention to the dirt road that wound through the trees and out of your line of sight.
>It was even foggy some distance in, and you were reminded of the slendermane.
>Having to stop your posterior from shaking uncontrollably, you pull yourself together.
"She said it's safe. K-Keep to the road and stay to the right past the Great Willow. Going left will take you toward Manehattan."
>Taking a breath and quelling your unhealthy vibration once again, you slink down the road keeping a steady eye for telltale eyes or disturbing notes posted upon the trees.
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>The unpaved road was not a torn and beaten path. Its earthen surface packed down until firm with four notable depressions that were obviously two opposite lanes for carts to travel upon, with a clear space for walking on

either side as well.
>At the edge of the walking space toward the wood, shoots of grass gradually began to emerge where hooves did not tread often, quickly thickening to lively green shrubs and finally to towering trees that placed you in the

center of a canyon of foliage and wooded moniliths.
>Staring from the floor of this canyon to the top of the trees made you lose your balance and you had to catch yourself from falling to the firm ground, it felt like you were falling as the trees seemed to grow taller and

disorienting.
>Through the many layers of canopy, orange beams of the soon to be setting sun caress the foliage of the forest floor wherever it can find an opening, the light fog made it seem as if they were glowing with radiant heat

in the cold air.
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>As you pass through the beams, they did in fact warm your coat and accentuated the patterns of your wings. It felt very nice, you could stand here until the sun crossed the horizon if it weren't for the nagging at the

back of your mind that something was watching you.
>Your indulgence was broken as the feeling of a prescence grew until you turn your head to the right to get a look behind you, expecting...
>Well, you didn't know what you expected. There wasn't anything there besides the road and a moth fluttering around behind you.
>Returning to your trot at a higher pace, you reach a sign that bears a light cover of morning glory and a message that states.
>"Welcome to the Hollow Shades." with an indicator saying that the town is just around the corner.
>You quicken your pace to a gallop, anticipating a bed that is fixed to the ground rather than a moving traincar. The lurch of the engine did not care for your nap.
>A repetitive clicking from the tree above you suggested that there was a batpony directly above you.
>Your eyes creep up to see a shadowy sillohuete of a tree and another object that has eyes the color of a dull flame.
>"HI!" echoes through your ears and adrenaline and fear does the same to your body.
>You squeak at the would-be assailant and dart off using your wings as extra propulsion, leaving a could of dust in your wake.
>A fading voice yells "Wait up! I didn't m-" the voice trails off either because she stopped trying or you made it out of earshot as you find yourself in the middle of the Hollow Shade.
>You skid to a stop and halt on the tips of your hooves expecting to be surrounded by other ponies.
>Luckily for you, it was about 4:30am in bat time and the sun was probably scraping the horizon now.
>The Hollow Shade was a very small town, even at its center where you were, there was only one building higher than two stories.
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>As you guessed, it must have been the town hall. It was built like a three level rotunda with many windows that were unlit, save for two at the top floor.
>The surrounding buildings averaged only two levels, and were largely similar in contruction to most other housing you'd seen exept they looks much older and had various stylized insets and nooks that were large

enough...to let a pony through?
>Anyways, you orbit the fountain at the center of the square for a moment looking for a sign of the inn. You very much want to be in bed and asleep before you are met with the edgiest possible demise.
>Across the square to the left of the rotunda there was a post that read "Lavender Inn" with an address and a swappable card that read "Rooms Available!" in a bright holographic green that caught the eye from a distance.
>Finally, a nice shower and a stable bed that wasn't speeding around in a railcar would be so nice right about now.
>As you make your approach to the sign to confirm your hopes, you notice that the early birds..or bats..started to emerge and go about their nightly routine.
>You watch as a tired looking stallion who probably just got out of bed for his job is making his groggy way down the road.
>He had a similar grey coat to the ponies you had seen before, and his mane was a slick black and came to a vertical peak above his face, reasonably well kept despite him just getting out of bed it seems.
>His cutie mark was the first you could get a good look at, a broken heart. You wonder what that could mean besides something obvious.
>He took notice of your attention and blushed, quickened his pace, and rounded the corner keeping an eye on you as if you were going to attack him or something.
"Hmmh. Didn't think I'd end up scaring someone"
>Taking no further notice, you begin to trot through the brisk evening air toward the inn hoping to only have to talk to the innkeeper for your room so you could catch up on sleep.
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>You arrive at the Inn and are welcomed by a double door that had light emitting from its windows. Peering inside, you can see the innkeep reading the paper.
>Opening the door and poking your head through the opening, you make your request for a room for the night.
"Hi, uh. Do you have a room for one? Whatever is available should be ok."
>The innkeep's ears perk up at the sight at his door and his expression immediately brightened.
>"Just one? I've got plenty of rooms open, The going rate per night is 50 bits if you're alright with that."
>His eyes fall upon your wings again and he stops for a moment and thinks.
>"Tell you what, I'll make the rate 40 bits a night. Gotta make a good impression on a type that dosent come around here very often, enjoy your stay. Also, if you're interested there's a coffee shop accross the way that

makes real good coffees and stuff. You'll probably see Java around, she owns it. Real nice mare."
"O-oh, thank you. I'll keep an eye out for her."
>You place your payment on the counter and he gives you the key to room number six.
>Thanking him again, you make your way to your room as it finally begins to grow dark.
>Finally, you've been on [spoiler]edge[/spoiler] ever since you entered the forest.
>You let out a sigh of releif and fumble with the key in your hoof.
>Wasn't really a key, just a card that you slide in the door and it opens for you.
>Placing the card in your mouth, you insert the card into the slot and the machine accepts it and the door opens.
>You briskly enter the room and shut the door behind you and flick on the light, revealing that your room card was inside the room with you; still in the machine.
>Simply ignoring the card, you toss your bags onto the bed and stretch your legs and wings the proper way and head for the bathroom to wash up.
>You comb the cabinets next to the bathroom door for a fresh towel, enter the bathroom, and turn on the shower to very warm to wash the day away.
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>Well that was rude. You'd just gotten completely blown off by that mare.
"Wait up! I didn't mean...to....scare you." you trailed off as you realized shouting would be futile. "Oh come on, Echo."
>The strange mare had darted off toward the town square, trailing dust behind her and squeaking the whole way.
>Of course, you didn't get a good look at her, but she was something else. Her wings were certainly much broader, largely brown with a section of yellow.
>You fall from your perch and take flight, wings carving the air to your prefrence and carrying you in the direction of your new prey.
>Making for a rooftop perch overlooking the square, you trailed from a distance to avoid being seen.
>She anxiously trotted around the fountain a couple times until she approached the sign for the inn down the street.
>Coming up the same road, was your old friend Aux. He was nice, but if you hit on him at all he would basically freeze up and stammer like a [spoiler]phycho[/spoiler]
>You kinda feel bad for him, he must have gotten called in to work early, he isn't usually up for another four hours.
>Aux takes notice of of the strange pony looking at him and he does what he always does, awkwardly scurry away and keep looking over his shoulder as if she was going to eat him or something.
>Looking back at her, she just watched with a scrunched look on her face and then made her way down the road to the inn.
>Keeping your distance, you watch her arrive at the inn's lobby. And a few minutes later she makes her way down the row of rooms to what looked like number six.
>Usually you would just startle tourists in a friendly way and then make up for it with directions or questions. She ended up scaring herself, you thought. But she was definitely different.
>So this time you let her figure the place out on her own, which she seemed to do alright; being a tourist.
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>Your interest nagged you to get a good look so you swooped down and came to a halt in front of room 6's door with an audible clop that echoed throughout the small inn's property.
>Frozen on the tips of your hooves, you could have just woken up the dead with that sound.
>Fortunately for you, anyone not from Hollow Shades were probably awake and didn't get disturbed. It was pretty early though. Night Watch had you watching the road like she always did.
>You were a Night Guard, after all. Or today at least, an evening guard in this case.
>Of course, your curiosity got the better of you as you noticed that the bathroom window had the light on and the water was certainly on, you could hear it.
>Surveying the scene, there was a small tree that grew up and above the window, it grew at a slope so you could easily climb it and peek through the window.
>You're sure she wouldn't mind if she didn't know. You were good at hiding anyways, seeing as how she didn't notice you until you...greeted her at the entrance to town.
>Pressing your hoof against its relatively thin trunk, you put your weight upon it and it flexes a few degrees. It should be enough to hold you.
>Gradually, your other three hooves follow suit; the tree giving bending to a greater but not severe degree. Perfect.
>Gripping the branches with your wingclaws and hooves, you make your way up the tree and rest some of your weight upon the optimal branch, allowing you to peek inside and see your quarry.
>It was inappropriate to peek like this, you knew it. But you just HAD to know, you'd never seen anyone like her before. Was it some kind of costume?
>You'd be sure if you did this, if it were a costume she wouldn't take a shower in her costume. Unless that was her....thing...but it needed to be answered
>Looking inside the well-lit bathroom you see a...Woah. She's definitely not in a costume. That or she went really far to make herself..not herself.
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>Hot water flows over her mane that was a shade of yellow comparable to the daytime sun and a coat mildly darker than your slate grey coat. She's got taste good taste in the color of her coat.
>You and your ego were a great combonation.
>Your attention gravitates to her wings. You could see them a mile away, and even heard them at one point before she came into your view.
>Her broad set was a dark mocha color with lighter highlights, with a smaller yellow wing underneath with brown stripes running through.
>She spins around in place to soak herself evenly. The sensation of water hitting her wings made them vibrate and make a rapid, dull flapping sound.
>Yeah, you definitely heard her coming up the road; it was unmistakeable. You were curious as to what they sound like when they [spoiler]bat[/spoiler] against the air as she flies.
>She flicked her mane off of her face and parted a section on the top of her head and she revealed two black antennae that ended in white tips.
>You were dumbfounded for sure. You'd never thought you would see a real mothpony anytime soon. You would have to travel to the other side of equestria and travel through the forest of the rot to get to Dust Valley where most of them live.
>You had heard very strange things happen there,
>Turning her head toward the wall beneath the window without warning, you quickly duck and hope she didn't look up. The tree beneath you bends, but returns to where it was with little rustling.
>If she heard that, her jimmies would certainly be [spoiler]displaced[/spoiler].
>Displacement of such things was not an option, as that would cause a serious problem; you'd get had by Night Watch for sure.
>That would mean the long trot and a spar with the top bat in your platoon, seconded only by Night Watch herself. Flare.
>It would be no contest, you would effectively eat dirt in five seconds or less. Or your money back
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>She had even brought down Radom. The fight lasted a brutally long hour that was almost painful to watch as they traded various, creative blows at each other.
>Both Flare and Radom said they stopped because he said it was a blatant stalemate and that they both decided to retire.
>You weren't sure if you beleived any of that. But Radom is the same rank as your superior.
>Certainly you weren't bad at what you do. Night Watch always had you at a post somewhere around town to watch for would be criminals or malicious beasts.
>You didn't watch with your eyes though; you just used your ears and a click of your toungue. You could picture things where no light was present vividly, it was your talent after all.
>But echolocation dosen't predict the future. Your ever listening ears detect that the branch was tired of bearing your weight.
"Oops..."
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>Your bliss was broken by a snapping tree branch outside your window and you squeak angrily at the window while covering yourself with the shower curtain like a would-be towel expecting to see a peeping tom.
"AAAAH! Who do you think you are! Some kinda pervert?!"
>There was a thud on the ground followed by a short -unf which escalated into what sounded like a fight.
>Hooves and wings beating against the ground and air with the occasional EEEing and SCREEing. Then silence, and a knock on the door a moment later.
>You shake yourself off of water and quickly wrap your mane into a towel and arm yourself with the rolling pin from the kitchen on the way.
>You'd take the intruder out grandmare style.
>Approaching the door with your weapon ready, your hoof shakily nears the button on the room key reader to open the door.
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>Tensing up and biting your lower lip, adrenaline flowing through you; time seems to slow down all things and you focus on the button and prepare to defend yourself. You had never thought this would happen to you.
>Is this the real life? Or is this just-
>The soundtrack was interrupted by a firm statement from the door.
>"This is Corporal Echo of the Equestrian Night Guard. It is safe to open your door. I would like to make sure you're alright Ma'am."
>Dropping the rolling pin and letting out a sigh of relief at the news from what might not actually be a guard, you say.
"Well how do I know you're not actually the perv?"
>"The viewport in the door, Ma'am."
>Today was your day for embarassing yourself in front of others wasn't it?
>The small hole in the door grants you wide vision of the space in front of the door, revealing a batpony clad in light armor with no helmet.
>What was also apparent was the dirt on her cheek and chestplate that was flawlessly kept, other than the clod of dirt and grass caught on the edge.
>Her mane was ruffled with bits of leaves in it. A two toned mane that was a dim blue with a much darker shade for the second.
>Those eyes were also the same eyes that scared the dust out of you maybe a half hour ago.
"Here goes nothing..." and you open the door for her.
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>The door sways open just enough for you to see through the frame and see the batpony night guard who assured your safety.
>At least you hoped she did. After all, your first impression of her was terror incarnate. Just like in the horror flicks about black rot.
>Dark figures with lucent eyes that pierced through the thickest armor and straight through your courage.
>At least to you, Caramel only brought you to see scary movies to see you jump. It worked every time.
>Panting, the guard addressed the situation.
>"I removed the peeping tom miss, are you alright?"
>She held a professional tone of voice.
"Yes, I'm fine. Are you sure you're alright though? You look like you landed on your face."
>The guard breaks her attention and looks toward the tree with the broken branch. "Heh, yeah about that..." Her tone waivered in an awkward fasion.
"It's okay...nobody got hurt. Do you know where he went?"
>"N-No, I don't know. I'll alert the guard. Just stay inside until it's nighttime, nobody will do anything when ponies are out and about."
>You can tell the she's under pressure, a bead of sweat trailed down her cheek and had her eyes wide and fixed on you.
>Unfortunately, your towel wrap didn't survive the rigors of combat preparation. It became unwrapped and your messy, wet mane allowed your antennae to hang freely and twitch against the cold air.
>It wasn't very cold, just the temperature difference from the shower. But the garnished unwanted attention from the [spoiler]batpolice.[/spoiler]
>The guard's eyes snapped to your antennae and you could tell her curiosity peaked as she said "Whoah.."
"Uh, I'll keep the door locked. Go spread the word...P-Please."
>Each time she spoke you could see her teeth. Her stare didn't help your feeling that she wanted to bite you.
>"Y-Yes of course, keep your door locked until 8pm. We'll come tell you when we uh...catch him."
>She looked at the tree again, then back to your antannae. "I should go now, haha.."
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>And with that she turned around and trotted toward the gate to the inn, and rounded the corner.
"That was horrible. I haven't been here more than two hours and I'm already being hunted."
>You shut the door and deadbolt it, removing the keycard from the reader and placing it on the nightstand by the bed. Hopefully, you'd still have your blood in the morning.
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>That was flawless, you've never been so sarcastic in your own thoughts before. Unbeleivable.
>You were THIS CLOSE to being caught. You and your nosiness.
>Increasing your pace, you approach the gate and round about the corner to the sidewalk and look around cautiosly. The clop of your hooves against the cobblestone pavement echos throughout.
>So noisy. You lauch yourself into the air and fly to a nearby tree overlooking the area. Hollow Shades is awakening, shops opening, the storefronts illuminating the square and ponies beginning to go about their nightly lives.
>You loved your hometown, things were so laid back.
>It would probably be a good idea to return to the gate, You wouldn't want to get caught over here on your shift.
>Although, you did have an "excuse" to be over here. That moth pony bought it too.
>Luck was on your side, you got to see your first moth pony, said moth pony beleives you saved her from a peeping tom, and in an indirect way; made the town feel a little safer.
>Time to inform Night Watch of the would-be poacher and get away with your blunder.
>Letting out a positive sigh, you descend from your perch and glide toward the inn. You went around the back this time so you wouldn't look like you were hanging around too long.
>Your hooves hit the ground and catch up to your wings at a trot and you come around the corner through the alley behind the inn toward the gate; your post.
>*THUNK*
>Your nose to nose with somepony else. You go to apologize and walk around...but something's wrong.
>This pony has you headlocked. There goes your smug mood.
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>"Echo~, did you think I wouldn't see that little stunt you just pulled there?"
>That's it. You're dead, strung out, beaten, put out to dry, mango-mangled, pomegranite-pummeled.
>Night Watch saw the whole thing. She held your cheek to hers and gave you a noogie with her hoof.
>Internal panic ensues and you know what's coming to you.
>"We'll go for drinks, Echo~." She pulls you in harder. "And We'll have a little...talk."
>After finishing, she releases you and takes a step back from you; giving you bedroom eyes.
>"Quite the talk we'll have. Be at Salty's at 21:00 hours or you'll have it in with Flare."
>So much for your good day.
>You'd have a drink and then a beating. Or humiliation, she made Florence drink pure lemon juice after she lost a bet to Night Watch.
>She didn't know hitting on Aux wasn't a literal saying.
>Aux turned her down, and life gave her lemons.
>You were doomed.
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>You are Night Watch, Captain of the Night Guard in the Hollow Shades
>And you just caught Echo playing off her overly curious self off as a peeping tom peeking into ponies' windows. She's subdued by your headlock right now.
>In this case, a moth pony's window. How rare for this region.
>Echo isn't a very strong pony, but she can take a beating if she had to.
>Releasing her from your headlock, she reels and gasps for air.
>Most others would have passed out by that point. She was good to have around.
"Echo, you shift is over for the night. I'm going to follow up with that moth pony, do NOT do it again."
>Still panting, she snaps to attention. "Yes Ma'am, understood."
>Holding a stern tone, you dismiss her to go about her night. It was the end of her shift after all.
>She sighs in relief at you having let her go, for now at least. She'd get what's coming to her during the festival.
>Everyone would be there, it's the perfect situation. But that's for a later time.
>For now?
"Damage control."
---
>Okay, Hex, get it together.
>You groan and muffle yourself with your pillow in frustration.
>Nice, you left the bathroom light on. What else was going to get in the way of your nap?
>You toss off the snuggly warm covers and your body is assaulted by the cold air, causing you to shiver.
>Those covers are your lifeline right now, you'd only retain your comfiness for a few seconds.
>Using your wings as a boost to the door, you...ruin your warmness with the gust you made.
>That was poorly thought out.
>Shivering a little, you turn off the light and shut the bathroom door. That should help the room warm up a bit, it was getting cold out.
>As you approach your bedside again, you realize there's a heater by the window.
>It's worth it, you want to be a warm moth, not a cold one.
>Your attention sets upon the window, curtains drawn shut for a moment. Parting the curtain with your hoof ever so slightly, the light of the moon creates a stripe along the floor to your bed.
---------------------------
>Nobody in sight, perfect. No more shady peeps for you tonight.
>The heater sits before you. A humble machine that is only as tall as the wall to the bottom of the window frame and is set into the wall, and yet accomplishes so much.
>Right now, this is your favorite machine.
>You flick the switch with your hoof and turn the dial to "high" and relish in the warm air beating your face and upper body.
>You shiver again in reaction to the temperature difference. It was amazing.
>Knowing what must be done, you begin to spin around and coat yourself evenly in the heavenly warm air.
>You squeak when the air passes over your hindquarters. Now isn't the time, however.
>Noting that you've been spinning in a circle for at least five entire minutes, you return to reality and check the window again.
>Still no one. Perfect. No more inconveniences, nothing stopping you from your nap.
>Except your paper. This is the final place you have to write an article on the behaviors and customs of different ponies. Then you could finally go home without having to make up work for winter break.
>The University paid for everything luckily, but you still had to watch your bits.
>That wasn't important now though, you'd pick up after your nap.
>Turning around for the bed, you crawl in and cover yourself with the down comforter. In combination with the warming air, it was perfect.
"You're my best friend, Bed, I love y-"
>There was a knock at the door that interrupted your sleepy monologue.
"Ugh, I'll be up all night at this rate."
>You're now a warm, but annoyed moth.
------------------------------------------------
>You don't need that warm nap.
>You don't need the warm air to build up in the room either.
>Instead, you get to open the door again for some guard or something.
>...And let the cold air in
>And your nap down the drain.
>Pausing at the door, with a stern expression on your face, you sigh.
"Alright, lets get this overwith."
>You are definitely not a happy moth.
>You open the door slowly and reveal your grumpy face to the night guard waiting patiently at the door.
"Yes? Is this about the peep again? I'm trying to get some sleep."
>This guard was different than the first, she bore armor that was darker but more ornate with engravings of treebranches and the rising moon on the crest of her chestplate.
>She's an important guard, definitely an officer.
>Her head turns to face the gap in the door, cocking an eyebrow at you.
>She opens her mouth to speak, and you seize up.
>...Her teeth are bigger than the other guard's
>Sharper too. Her magenta eyes just as peircing with a deep blue mane in contrast, kept short and a little messy.
>You couldn't help but hate your classmates sometimes, it's really tripping you up this time.
>"Ma'am? Are you going all batty on me?"
>Reality smacked you upside the head.
"N-no! Uh, just a little jumpy after..you know."
>That pun was awful.
>The guard caught your stammer and reassured you. "We'll keep an eye out for whoever it was. As you can tell, Echo was on top of it almost immediately."
>The other guard did get here awful fast, you didn't hear any shouts or anything before she showed up.
>That news was good to hear, but your bed beaconed your name. But you could not answer it, like a ringing phone outside of your reach.
>And the guard practically holding you away with her intimidating dental impression.
>You were now a stressed out moth.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>All the while, the batpony guard was practically interrogating you with questions like mailing addresses and other contact information. It was purely for the purpose of the nosy pony you had encountered earlier.
>She also gave her name, Night Watch.
>She finally asks. "I also never got your name, It's all I'll need for the police report."
"U-uh, it's Hexferry. Is that all? It's cold outside."
>Night Watch was taken aback by this for a moment.
>Whoops, you could have just made a bad cop.
>One that has big teeth.
>A great bell chimes in the distance and both your attentions were drawn to it.
>Night Watch's demeanor instantly changed from serious to...something else.
>Definitely an exited one.
>"You sure? You'll miss Nightmare Night! I don't know about where you come from, but it's huge here." You could feel the hype around her with your feelers.
>Yeah, you weren't getting that nap now.
>"I'll tell you what Hexferry, I'm off duty now that it's eight o'clock. I can show you around, It's the least I can do to make a better first impression of Hollow Shades."
>Very reluctantly, you agree to come along. As much as you hate it, this was a perfect oporotunity to get this paper done.
>You would need coffee, however.
>If they don't have a cafe here, you wouldn't make it more than an hour.
>You would need your binder and some bits. The keycard is important too.
>Returning indoors to collect your things, you mutter.
"Ok, now I'm going out with a batpony to a batpony festival surrounded by batponies who may or may not want to eat me."
>Awesome, somehow, you had encountered an inconvinience so great you were going to lose sleep over it.
>"Hey! You coming? You'll miss out!"
"Sigh"
>The binder goes into your satchel as you prepare for an interesting night of notetaking and possibly preventing bodily harm to yourself from others.
>Having gotten your things, you meet back with Night Watch and steel yourself for tonight.
>It's For your Grade, it would have to happen at some point.
End.