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Three weeks of pure bliss. Call it whatever it could be assumed, to Sireen, it was the best moments of her job. The first six hours of her post consisted of her staring listlessly at the shrubbery surrounding her nearby faculty. That part was NOT fun. Quite a boring prospect really, not much goes on in nature. It's more like a blade of grass. While a single blade, or even hundreds, can be presumed as interesting or beautiful to the eye, if it doesn't DO anything for several hours....it loses it's...mystique. \n\nYes, that was the right word. \n\nSometimes she'd pay attention to the sounds the nearby bats made as they swooped in and out of range over head. She could hear them occasionally, their songs but whispers to her. Little voices giving advice only her kin could hear, but this too lost her attention. \n\nThe next two hours of her shift however, were the best part.\n\nShe heard them before they appeared. Always heard before sight. She smiled, hearing to the rhythmic clip of hooves on impacted dirt as they came round the corner. \n\nIron Crest and Crisp words. Father and son, friends all the same.\n\nHer only friends really, at this hour of the night or in general. \n\nIron Crest was a pony whose job ran him late into the night, working on governmental documents and legal wards for the courts in the castle district of Canterlot. Some seriously questioned why a pegasus would want a desk job, as most chose adventurous or outdoorsy jobs, but after his skill showed, questions were left to dwindle into naught but dust. He'd explained that he had had some initial issues with the work. After two years of trying to stay as a day pony, he'd given in and let the night become his life. He always wore his neck tie and glasses, saying it was a habitual part of his life since darker times had taken over. Sireen decided to not question this, and focused on their meetings. \n\nHer eyes fell to Crisp Words... The little scamp.\n\nHe was an avid reader who would dive head first into a library of books far above his school level, and come out all the wiser for it a few hours later. He'd easily confused Sireen with his huge vocabulary, and she'd made a mental note to check up on some of the words he'd spouted. Some just seemed too ridiculous for her to believe. \n\nHe also was a huge fan of batponies.\n\nUpon meeting her the first time, he'd pelted her with questions so hurriedly that his father had to put a primary feather over his mouth just to shush him and tell him to breath. He'd seemed to pout at that, why breathe when more questions could be asked? \n\nlogical, this one.\n\nShe had smiled as he'd asked for her if he could \"inspect her personage\", and had giggled when he'd nuzzled her open wing between the joints. He'd asked how old she was(with a blanching look of embarrassment from his father), asked if she had siblings, knew any other batponies he could talk to, and finally if she had family of her own.\n\n\"Do you have any children Miss Sireen?\" Both adults had paled in color at the question, Iron Crest much more so then Sireen, odd...\n\nSireen looked back to Crisp and her smile wilted slightly.\n\n\"Um, no, I don't sadly. It's... Hard to make a family when you are.... A guard.\" She decided to leave out that batpony history caused alot of problems and keep things simple, but the boy was too smart for his own good.\n\n\"Is it because your a batpony? People think your scary huh?\" She had blinked and frowned.\n\n\"...I...Yeah, I guess so, but not every pony is afraid of us. Just look at you and your father, neither of you seemed bothered by me right?\" He shook his head and smiled.\n\n\"Nope! your awesome!\" She chuckled and ruffled his mane with a hoof. \n\n\"Then that's good enough for me.\" \n\nThey had continued talking for a couple hours, each pony getting a word in while Crisp belted out curiosities left and right. As the night wound on, Sireen and Iron relaxed around each other a bit more. telling stories here and there about the horrors of the workplace or the barracks. it was going swimmingly, until Crisp had yawned and his father;s ears perked up.\n\n\"Oh shoot, I over looked the time. Looks like its time to go son, Somepony is getting sleepy eyes.\" Crisp had mumbled while his head tilted downwards.\n\n\"...M'not sleepy da...\" Swooping a wing under his son, Sireen watched warmly as the father deftly and gently slid his son onto his back, before positioning him so he was facing the same way as the adult pegasus. he leaned down and snuffled his son's mane and kissed him just above the horn before tilting his head into a gentle pony's bow. Sireen would be lying if she said she hadn't blushed ever so faintly. \n\n\"M'lady, thank you for keeping us in such good company on this pleasant evening, my son has loved these little get togethers, it makes him smile a lot.\" Sireen kept her soft smile present as she leaned on her spear.\n\n\"The thanks is mine actually. I enjoy these meetings just as much as Crisp does. They bring me a little something to look forward to before I go back to the castle. You would not believe how boring it is back there. I...I wasn't kidding when I said it's hard to make friends or family outside of duty. For each visit I wanted to personally thank you Iron Crest, it means a lot to me.\" \n\nHe smiled brightly for several seconds and then nodded.\n\n\"Well, I'll take my leave then, good night Sireen.\"\n\n\"Good night Iron Crest, and...\" She leaned forward till she was closer to Crisp.\n\n\"Good night to you as well ya little Scamp.\" \n\n\"...mm g'night mum...\" \n\nShe blinked in surprise, hardly expecting a reply. next to her, Iron Crest visibly stiffened. \n\n\"....\"\n\n\"..He... Um, w-why did he call me mum?\" For a moment she watched the foal sleep peacefully in between his father's shoulders, before Iron Words sighed loudly, jarring her from her position and back to an upright one, albeit slightly hesitant. For a moment Iron looked at a loss for words, his mouth opening for a moment before it closed again. turning around Iron words walked a few steps away, before looking back halfway at her. Not directly at her, just at the ground next to him.\n\n\"...Because, he doesn't have one ...At least... Not anymore...\"\n\n************ *********** ************* ************** ************ ************* ***********\n\nIron and Crisp did not show up to the park for the next three days, and Sireen began to worry that she'd overstepped her bounds and upset Iron Crest. When she looked into his living arrangements, she found he lived in the higher end of the merchant plaza of Canterlot. To her dismay she found a destroyed empty lot where a house had once stood. It looked like her information had been old. She knew a house fire when she saw one. The surrounding buildings bore the signs of charred wood on their sides, despite their repainting. No grass grew in the front yard, and the blackened foundation was all that remained. \n\nShe'd made sure to look into that.\n\n\"House Fire kills Canterlot castle servant, arson presumed cause.\" She'd read that old headline and the underlying article over and over again, but never found much of anything else in the archives about it. History had swept over it like a leaf in the wind. it happened, and then it was like time had let go of the memory completely. \n\nAs she left the barracks the next evening, intent on finding out where Iron actually lived, she was held up by another night guard.\n\n\"Captain wants to see you Sireen, official business.\" She'd thanked him and trudged to the Captain's office. Her little investigation would have to wait.\n\nAs she entered, the Captain, Swift Bite, looked up and smiled toothily. He'd never been overly harsh with his soldiers but not soft either, he was the kind of captain one wished they got when joining the ranks. The right amount of maturity, with just enough calm to take a joke or prank.\n\n\"Ah, Sireen Song, have a seat, I have something we need to discuss.\" Sireen nodded and sat down in front of the dark oak desk. To her right was a large stack of papers that the Captain was rifling through. Each one bore the seal of Princess Luna, their Sovereign. \n\nFeeling worry drip down the back of her neck she sucked in her breath and breathed out slowly.\n\n\"Sir, what do we need to discuss? I have a shift I need to get to.\" He chuckled, and slid a paper in front of her.\n\n\"That you do, but not the one you've been at for the past month. Order's from up above came through, You're being reassigned to guard a lord and lady in the higher elite's district. They specifically asked for a batpony mare and your one of three under my command. They don't give me many as is so this was a blessing.\"\n\nSireen gulped. Reassignment? But why? If there were other mares that could do it, why her? She swallowed.\n\n\"Um, permission to speak sir?\"\n\n\"Granted, what is on your mind soldier?\" \n\n\"...Why me?\" Swift Bite snorted and arched his brow at her.\n\n\"Why you? You don't sound too elated by this news. Nevertheless you have been at that particular post for quite some time, a month or two in fact, and it was noted that you'd voiced complaints in the past about not feeling very useful. When I asked the other two mares they stated they were pleased with their current installments, but you seemed less thrilled by your position. I figured you could use the change of pace, liven things up a bit.\" he leaned forward and tapped the desk with a hoof, smirking.\n\n\"And I made sure you'll be paid handsomely for it too, these lords and ladies are rich bastards that have to pay higher fees for personal guard services. If that doesn't put a smile on your face i don't know what will.\"\n\nNo smile appeared on her face. she frowned, looking quite sad. \n\n\"I...See...Um may I ask who will be filling in for me? I need to give them a note.\" Swift Bite blinked.\n\n\"A note? For who?\" \n\n\"A friend.\" That made his eyes widen, and he leaned back, watching as the mare before him twitched a wing in worry. he sighed.\n\n\"...I see, very well. No harm in keeping up to date with friends, though i'm quite surprised you made one at that post. I'll have the replacement come by and pick it up before he leaves. Dismissed.\" \n\nFor the first time since she was young, Sireen left with a large glimmer in her eyes, but that was all Swift Bite saw as she drooped her ears and exited his office.\n\nhe shrugged and went back to work.\n\nNight guards didn't cry after all.","description_bbcode_parsed":"First part: https://inkbunny.net/submissionview.php?id=900446

Continuation:

Three weeks of pure boredom. Three weeks of pure bliss. Call it whatever it could be assumed, to Sireen, it was the best moments of her job. The first six hours of her post consisted of her staring listlessly at the shrubbery surrounding her nearby faculty. That part was NOT fun. Quite a boring prospect really, not much goes on in nature. It's more like a blade of grass. While a single blade, or even hundreds, can be presumed as interesting or beautiful to the eye, if it doesn't DO anything for several hours....it loses it's...mystique.

Yes, that was the right word.

Sometimes she'd pay attention to the sounds the nearby bats made as they swooped in and out of range over head. She could hear them occasionally, their songs but whispers to her. Little voices giving advice only her kin could hear, but this too lost her attention.

The next two hours of her shift however, were the best part.

She heard them before they appeared. Always heard before sight. She smiled, hearing to the rhythmic clip of hooves on impacted dirt as they came round the corner.

Iron Crest and Crisp words.  Father and son, friends all the same.

Her only friends really, at this hour of the night or in general.

Iron Crest was a pony whose job ran him late into the night, working on governmental documents and legal wards for the courts in the castle district of Canterlot. Some seriously questioned why a pegasus would want a desk job, as most chose adventurous or outdoorsy jobs, but after his skill showed, questions were left to dwindle into naught but dust. He'd explained that he had had some initial issues with the work. After two years of trying to stay as a day pony, he'd given in and let the night become his life. He always wore his neck tie and glasses, saying it was a habitual part of his life since darker times had taken over. Sireen decided to not question this, and focused on their meetings.

Her eyes fell to Crisp Words... The little scamp.

He was an avid reader who would dive head first into a library of books far above his school level, and come out all the wiser for it a few hours later. He'd easily confused Sireen with his huge vocabulary, and she'd made a mental note to check up on some of the words he'd spouted. Some just seemed too ridiculous for her to believe.

He also was a huge fan of batponies.

Upon meeting her the first time, he'd pelted her with questions so hurriedly that his father had to put a primary feather over his mouth just to shush him and tell him to breath. He'd seemed to pout at that, why breathe when more questions could be asked?

logical, this one.

She had smiled as he'd asked for her if he could "inspect her personage", and had giggled when he'd nuzzled her open wing between the joints. He'd asked how old she was(with a blanching look of embarrassment from his father), asked if she had siblings, knew any other batponies he could talk to, and finally if she had family of her own.

"Do you have any children Miss Sireen?" Both adults had paled in color at the question, Iron Crest much more so then Sireen, odd...

Sireen looked back to Crisp and her smile wilted slightly.

"Um, no, I don't sadly. It's... Hard to make a family when you are.... A guard." She decided to leave out that batpony history caused alot of problems and keep things simple, but the boy was too smart for his own good.

"Is it because your a batpony? People think your scary huh?" She had blinked and frowned.

"...I...Yeah, I guess so, but not every pony is afraid of us. Just look at you and your father, neither of you seemed bothered by me right?" He shook his head and smiled.

"Nope! your awesome!" She chuckled and ruffled his mane with a hoof.

"Then that's good enough for me."  

They had continued talking for a couple hours, each pony getting a word in while Crisp belted out curiosities left and right. As the night wound on, Sireen and Iron relaxed around each other a bit more. telling stories here and there about the horrors of the workplace or the barracks. it was going swimmingly, until Crisp had yawned and his father;s ears perked up.

"Oh shoot, I over looked the time. Looks like its time to go son, Somepony is getting sleepy eyes." Crisp had mumbled while his head tilted downwards.

"...M'not sleepy da..." Swooping a wing under his son, Sireen watched warmly as the father deftly and gently slid his son onto his back, before positioning him so he was facing the same way as the adult pegasus. he leaned down and snuffled his son's mane and kissed him just above the horn before tilting his head into a gentle pony's bow. Sireen would be lying if she said she hadn't blushed ever so faintly.

"M'lady, thank you for keeping us in such good company on this pleasant evening, my son has loved these little get togethers, it makes him smile a lot." Sireen kept her soft smile present as she leaned on her spear.

"The thanks is mine actually. I enjoy these meetings just as much as Crisp does. They bring me a little something to look forward to before I go back to the castle. You would not believe how boring it is back there. I...I wasn't kidding when I said it's hard to make friends or family outside of duty. For each visit I wanted to personally thank you Iron Crest, it means a lot to me."

He smiled brightly for several seconds and then nodded.

"Well, I'll take my leave then, good night Sireen."

"Good night Iron Crest, and..." She leaned forward till she was closer to Crisp.

"Good night to you as well ya little Scamp."

"...mm g'night mum..."

She blinked in surprise, hardly expecting a reply. next to her, Iron Crest visibly stiffened.

"...."

"..He...  Um, w-why did he call me mum?" For a moment she watched the foal sleep peacefully in between his father's shoulders, before Iron Words sighed loudly, jarring her from her position and back to an upright one, albeit slightly hesitant. For a moment Iron looked at a loss for words, his mouth opening for a moment before it closed again.  turning around Iron words walked a few steps away, before looking back halfway at her. Not directly at her, just at the ground next to him.

"...Because, he doesn't have one ...At least... Not anymore..."

************     ***********     *************     **************      ************   *************  ***********

Iron and Crisp did not show up to the park for the next three days, and Sireen began to worry that she'd overstepped her bounds and upset Iron Crest. When she looked into his living arrangements, she found he lived in the higher end of the merchant plaza of Canterlot. To her dismay she found a destroyed empty lot where a house had once stood. It looked like her information had been old. She knew a house fire when she saw one. The surrounding buildings bore the signs of charred wood on their sides, despite their repainting. No grass grew in the front yard, and the blackened foundation was all that remained.

She'd made sure to look into that.

"House Fire kills Canterlot castle servant, arson presumed cause." She'd read that old headline and the underlying article over and over again, but never found much of anything else in the archives about it. History had swept over it like a leaf in the wind. it happened, and then it was like time had let go of the memory completely.

As she left the barracks the next evening, intent on finding out where Iron actually lived, she was held up by another night guard.

"Captain wants to see you Sireen, official business." She'd thanked him and trudged to the Captain's office. Her little investigation would have to wait.

As she entered, the Captain, Swift Bite, looked up and smiled toothily. He'd never been overly harsh with his soldiers but not soft either, he was the kind of captain one wished they got when joining the ranks. The right amount of maturity, with just enough calm to take a joke or prank.

"Ah, Sireen Song, have a seat, I have something we need to discuss." Sireen nodded and sat down in front of the dark oak desk. To her right was a large stack of papers that the Captain was rifling through. Each one bore the seal of Princess Luna, their Sovereign.

Feeling worry drip down the back of her neck she sucked in her breath and breathed out slowly.

"Sir, what do we need to discuss? I have a shift I need to get to." He chuckled, and slid a paper in front of her.

"That you do, but not the one you've been at for the past month. Order's from up above came through, You're being reassigned to guard a lord and lady in the higher elite's district. They specifically asked for a batpony mare and your one of three under my command. They don't give me many as is so this was a blessing."

Sireen gulped. Reassignment? But why? If there were other mares that could do it, why her? She swallowed.

"Um, permission to speak sir?"

"Granted, what is on your mind soldier?"

"...Why me?" Swift Bite snorted and arched his brow at her.

"Why you? You don't sound too elated by this news. Nevertheless you have been at that particular post for quite some time, a month or two in fact, and it was noted that you'd voiced complaints in the past about not feeling very useful. When I asked the other two mares they stated they were pleased with their current installments, but you seemed less thrilled by your position. I figured you could use the change of pace, liven things up a bit." he leaned forward and tapped the desk with a hoof, smirking.

"And I made sure you'll be paid handsomely for it too, these lords and ladies are rich bastards that have to pay higher fees for personal guard services. If that doesn't put a smile on your face i don't know what will."

No smile appeared on her face. she frowned, looking quite sad.

"I...See...Um may I ask who will be filling in for me? I need to give them a note." Swift Bite blinked.

"A note? For who?"

"A friend." That made his eyes widen, and he leaned back, watching as the mare before him twitched a wing in worry. he sighed.

"...I see, very well. No harm in keeping up to date with friends, though i'm quite surprised you made one at that post. I'll have the replacement come by and pick it up before he leaves. Dismissed."

For the first time since she was young, Sireen left with a large glimmer in her eyes, but that was all Swift Bite saw as she drooped her ears and exited his office.

he shrugged and went back to work.

Night guards didn't cry after all.","writing":"","writing_bbcode_parsed":"","pools_count":0,"title":"Reassigned ","deleted":"f","public":"t","mimetype":"image/jpeg","pagecount":"1","rating_id":"0","rating_name":"General","ratings":[],"submission_type_id":"1","type_name":"Picture/Pinup","guest_block":"t","friends_only":"f","comments_count":"8","views":"979"}