Smiling sadly, you shake your head to refuse Star's offer. “Tell Blueblood thanks for me, but my place is here. I've got to catch up on all the work Nocta's not going to be able to do anymore, and... well, as seen, things can go off the rails if there's not somepony like me around to keep the agendas of alicorns on track, you know?”
Star Crusader nods, understandingly. “Of course. Duty must come first in times like these. It was good to meet you, and I hope we can at least

In the time it takes to spread jam across a split biscuit, you're resolved in your mind over which way to argue. Justice must be done, but not untempered by mercy. All told, though, this is more from your concern over what harshness may do to the judge rather than the defendant.
Speaking of the judges, they came into the room from different doors, nuzzled each other in greeting, before sitting down to their repast. You can't help but notice that, compared to the last meal the two Sisters sh

You find yourself hesitating at the threshold of the Veiled Garden, unable to take the step that would endorse the rather predatory-centric, not to say supremacist, philosophy Nocta just outlined. It wasn't hard to see where it came from, but as a guard who had taken an oath to protect Equestria and its ponies, this seemed just a step too far. On the other hoof, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to openly antagonize a fellow-thestral so close to the Night Mother, not until you got a better s

You wave Blueblood off with a wing and a wink, snickering to yourself at his sudden flustered retreat. He could be saved for later, you were sure. For now, best to go along with your fellow-thestral; it would have been a pain to babysit a unicorn on a hunt anyway.
“You thinking about going out hunting tonight?” You ask in a low tone as you sidle up to Nocta. “Free to be your wingmare if you don't mind the tagalong.”
The silver-coated batpony eyes you curiously, befo

“Gonna have to throw my vote behind Nocta on this one.” You say, without too much hesitation. “We'd be used as your party bouncers, yeah? The Enforcers are better at that sort of thing than standing as ornamental guards at fancy soirees. Besides, I can't tell you how many times I've seen the nobs slumming it at the club, we'll catch a few in the net for sure. Casting broad will get us most of what we want with less chance of messing things up.”
“Hmmm....”

There are some mares back at the barracks who would probably not respect you for this decision, but Faust-damnit, you know how good you look. If Prince Blueblood's going to think with his dick around you, why not do a little mareish mind-control? It would definitely make the prospect of working with him alongside the Night Mother a much smoother process; he may be a family-first kind of stallion, but that didn't meant he couldn't be a royal pain to you if he wanted to. Best to head that off a

It doesn't take long for you to decide that testing the Night Mother's patience would be unwise. As soon as she looks at you, you salute. “I'll go fetch him, Night Mother. Where's he likely to be?”
Princess Luna smiles at your alacrity, but it is a brief one. “That I cannot say; his schedule was not fixed for today, and his active hours usually span from late in the morning to late at night, to accommodate for my sister and me both. You will have to make inquiries at all t

“Lieutenant Darkpine?”
You look up from your cup of barracks room coffee, not exactly pleased to have your quiet moment of reflection interrupted. Your patrol shift didn't start until after sunset, but this was one of the few nights you'd managed to get up and alert before 5pm, so you decided to report in early. Contrary to most nights, the break room was quiet this Friday; neither the Solar guard getting off their shift nor the Lunar enforcers coming onto theirs seemed inclined fo

After that intense of an interview, you think it best to take your leave of Nocta while you've still managed to keep on reasonably good terms... and not made yourself look too vulnerable. There's still one more angle you can attack here, after all.
“Well, thank you for your time, Miss Nocta. Would you mind if I stayed to interview Vinyl Scratch when she is between sets? The bouncer said she would be free to see me.”
She seems to consider this, then nods as you get to your hooves,

You decide to take the 'Equine Interest' angle; celebrity talk was a bit of a cheap reader bait, but it would be a good way to make sure a story this important (and your name in the byline) got in front of as many ponies' eyes as possible. “Well, to begin with Miss Nocta, how did you manage to secure top-of-the-line talent so quickly into your tenure? Vinyl Scratch has to be one of the most recognizable DJ's working the scene today, and word on the street is you've secured an exclusive c

[Persuasive Level 7 Succeeded in a Challenge! Persuasive has increased to Level 8!]
The key to pulling off any bluff is to look like you have every right to be where you are, doing what you are doing, all the while showing no visible sign of strain or effort. Marching right up to the entrance, bypassing the line, you have your card at the ready for the bouncer to inspect. “Earth Writer, Canterlot Chronicle. I'm here to talk to your boss for a feature in the Style section.” It's