Revelations, Reverations, and Misinterpretations [private, dated]

[Pike Vanguard]

24th of November, Noon.

'Dear Pike, 

I've heard word of you, round and about. An information dealer. As a matter of fact, information is just what I need. 
November 24th, twelve at mid-day I'd like you to meet me at the manehattan park.

Deepest regards, Lance'

The letter shook in Pike Vanguard's hooves. What was he going to say? 'How long has it been? How did you survive the war?' He hadn't remembered his father's penmanship, but he didn't know of any other Lances in the area.

One thing he did know, that he planned to put both of his back hooves into his father's face as hard as he could.

Pike sighed as he looked at the letter again. The day was crisp and cool, autumn was almost over but the park was surprisingly orange and beautiful. He noticed the great contrast of the black, scorched walls and the orange and red leaves on the trees. Pike sat on a cold bench, alert for any sign of movement other than the normal passing ponies and griffons. He smiled, waiting for this mysterious well wisher to appear, his father or no.

[Lance]

Lance  wasn't a ninja. always wanted to be one,  but that really didn't help. as much. he still liked trees though.

speaking of trees, Scintillance sat in one for quite a while, keeping watch over the park, waiting for pike to show up. Unfortunately, he  never saw the pony come in, nor notice him sit at the bench, nope. it's pretty dang hard to notice any of that when  you're passed out, sleeping on a tree branch out of boredom. good thing he didn't snore. would totally ruin his attempt to be stealthy. not that it needed any help being ruined.

Scintillance finally woke up, well... after  shifting his weight a little, falling off the branch, out of the tree, screaming "GAAAAH" all  the way down, 'till the "thump" of the ground.  he  quickly stood up on his hooves after the rather impressive landing, "I didn't do it! I...oh..." his gaze was turned to the earth pony on the bench, which matched the the description of  the pike vanguard he was waiting for, and promptly started trotting in the pony's general direction, limping on three hooves, his fourth rubbing the back of his neck.

"Hey there, Pikey, glad you came! well, if you are Pike. If you're not, this is awkward."  he bore the strangest of grins. one that was actually happy. too happy, really. I mean, there's a foofin'  war only four, five years ago. poverty's still around, right?

[Pike Vanguard]

Pike stared at the newcomer for a few awkward moments. He couldn't make heads or tails of the pony's motives but any remnant of memories of his father faded instantly. Maybe this bumbling tree-dweller was the stallion who sent him the note.

Finally, the earth pony broke the silence and stood up, holding a forehoof out for a shake. "Indeed, Pike Vanguard at your service. You must have sent me this note." He held up the letter in question in his mouth and then spit it out. "I apologize if I am a bit short with you. My day has not been the best so far." He sat back down and patted the space next to him. "You wanted to know a few things, I assume? Most ponies don't outright say it in their notices to me. I would advise some discretion in the future." Pike kept his business smile throughout the entire speech.

[Lance]

Lances' grin softened to a smile; if he heard right, it sounds like pike wasn't in the best of moods. normally Lance would put everything aside and check if he's ok, but that thing in his head that tells him to stop being nosy was actually working this time. "well, um, yeah, I sent the letter." Scintillance took his place next to pike. he gazed down to the grass before home
"There's this griffon... 'Scanion Blackwing.' I've got a bit of a score to settle with him. question is... all I know is his name, and that he's a griffon. you being... well, you, I was hoping you'd know a thing or few about the guy..." turning his head to look at pike, he quickly removed the letter from Pike's mouth via magic. "Letter outta-the-mouth, please, you look ridiculous." let's bear in mind this is coming from the stallion that just face-planted out of a tree.

[Pike Vanguard]

Eyes grew thin, Canterlot unicorns always pulled this stunt on him. It was always to display magical superiority to his uncouth earth pony ways, but something told Pike that this particular Lance didn't know any better. That same notion warned him of the other's business sense, or lack there of.

"Blackwing? Everypony who is somepony wants to lay a hoof on him." He scanned the distance for guards, but wasn't too concerned. "We can talk freely about that, Scanion isn't well loved by the pony-folk." Pike yawned, his day had started early as he had some investments to check on and of course he had to find time to eat.

The earth pony stretched a hoof out and gestured to his saddlebags which sat on the ground. "If you're looking for information on this particular griff, it might cost quite a lot of bits. I recently learned of some new things that might be interesting and depending on how you pay, I might divulge a few secrets that could be useful to..." He scanned the unicorn with a discerning eye, "A brave stallion such as yourself."

[Lance]

Lance took a quick look into his bit-pouch. quite the heavy one, at that. he had yet to run out of what his parents had left him, before their... demise... that, and he had a decent job to hold onto. "some new information, eh..? well, I'll start at thirty bits. oh, and an apple." Lance tossed an apple over to Pike before producing a second, out of... um... no where... and taking a bite out of it. through a mouthful, "probably won't count towardsh the cosht," he swallowed and continued, "but hey, an apple's an apple. see I don't know how much information goes for, these days."

[Pike Vanguard]

Pike tossed the apple back to Lance and continued his fake smile. He waved his hoof in the unicorn's direction petulantly. "Thirty bits is enough for the Blackwing info. I believe that and the extra intelligence is worth twice as much." Still scanning Lance, Pike lied about his hunger. Just the thought of the apple made him uncomfortable ut he had to keep face if he was going to be in charge of this deal. "In fact, I think it's worth more than twice as much, but I'll let you pay only fifty-five bits for all of it." Still smiling like a business pony should.

[Lance]

Lance's telekinetic grip kicked in over the apple pike tossed midair, and Scintillance didn't know what to do with it, yet, since he didn't have the pockets to put it in. his mind almost wandered to where he actually got the apple from but that's a question for another time, and left the fruit to float there in the air. from his bit bag, a number of bits flew out, and Scintillance, for self amusement, conjured a a small, round, flat object; a platter, of sorts, glowing bright yellow, and transparent on its own. the bits lined themselves up in five columns of eleven bits each, waiting for Pike to take them.

Scintillance himself smiled at his handiwork; conjuration may have been his special talent, but it didn't mean it was ever easy, and though his attitude and uppity expression didn't waver, one would notice he broke a bit of a sweat. "I'm not one for bartering, so I'll take the fare as fair enough. the bits are there, it's your turn to add the words"

[Pike Vanguard]

Pike smiled deeply at the lack of resistance, though he should have raised his fee. No matter, fifty-five was far more than he expected for an hour's worth of sleuthing and eavesdropping around the sewers. He pulled the bits off of the platter and dumped them in his saddlebags, which he placed in his lap. Pike sifted through the bags and pulled out a sheet of paper with his hooves.

"About a week ago, witnesses saw what they like to call "The Shadow" skulking about the griffon HQ" Pike hoofed over the paper he pulled out, it was a griffon guard missive on the vague subject. There was only a brief description of abilities but no physical description. "It seems like this character left a big impression on our wonderful Sergeant Scanion. Whoever this was left a body in his or her wake. I'm not sure how much of this you already know..." Pike shrugged and lowered his voice. "But, my sources tend to be more informed before the press is at least."

[Lance]

Lance dissolved the platter when Pike put away the coins on it, and lanced almost choked on his apple when "the shadow" was mentioned, slipping into a coughing fit while pike kept talking. Scintillance knew a lot more about "the shadow" than most would believe. He knew well enough to keep quiet about it, but to not be the first, or at least second to heard about the shadow's acts against blackwing? that was a bit of a blow bellow the belt, to him. especially after recent events. he's going to have a very specific talk with a very specific mare, later.
"I... know quite a bit, but you're telling me something I've missed, which is a lot, thank you... anything else on blackwing? I don't know, caravans, buildings he likes to visit? body guards that would get in the way?"

[Pike Vanguard]

Pike gave the brown unicorn a sidelong glance as the other choked a little on the apple. Lance looked too suspicious to Pike and the business pony was ready to walk away from the meeting if the other hadn't already paid for his services. Not to mention that this pony had a death wish if he was telling the truth about his interests. "Mr. Lance, it sounds as if you want to get yourself killed." Pike stated in deadpan, his fake smile faded into a very real, but flat look.

The earth pony stared at the unicorn for a bit longer and then broke the silence. "If you are still so eager to dive into the melee then I'll divulge the extra bits of knowledge I have." Pike motioned for the unicorn to lean in closer. Whispering, "I've gotten word from some...underground sources that the sergeant has a bodyguard of sorts." He looked away and wrinkled his nose. "Maybe a hired assassin, but they were unsure when I asked them. They only saw a very pale blue coated, white-haired pegasus tagging along with Scanion."

Taking another scan of the park, nopony or griffon noticed them but just to be cautious, Pike put on another smiled and fake yawned. He drummed his hooves against the bench playfully and let out a big sigh.

[Lance]

Lance piped up to the death-wish comment, "Pike, for everypony, some things are worth dying for..."
Scintillance kept quiet to let Pike go on, and after recieving the description of the body guard, he flinched, and the apple he held in levitation lost its magical grip, and simply fell, bounced off the bench and landed on the grass. Lance stared blankly... gawking, even, at the ground before him. a tear slowly drifted from his eye. "A pegasus' coat colored by the sky, and a mane by the clouds that dot it... Skylight..."

He swallowed, wiped the tear before more would come, and turned his head to Pike, "please... please tell me you heard them wrong, or it was dark when they saw the Pegasus, or that it wasn't a pegasus, or a stallion, or... or... something is wrong. something has to be wrong!"

[Pike Vanguard]

Pike frowned at the crying unicorn. He didn't expect this response at all and certainly thought that the information would make the near-suicidal stallion happy. After a few moments of consideration, Pike spoke up.

"My sources are never wrong." He simply stated, looking at the stallion who did not change attitude or affectation. Pike's frown grew deeper. "If it makes you feel better, my sources aren't the nicest of ponies... and griffons." Pike sighed, he didn't know how to help his client's situation. However, this could be an opportunity in disguise.

"Lance, do you know something I don't know about this pegasus?" the earth pony asked in a lighter tone of voice, his smile coming back. "If you do, I might be able to offer more information about all of this, free of charge of course."

[Lance]

Scintillance was having a hard time at it, but was slowly regaining his composure. enough to stop blabbering and think a little straighter. a little. "I might... She's supposed to be dead. Scanion killed her. fourteen years ago. I just... I don't know... how this could be the same filly I knew..."

memories rushed by Scintillance of the short time he knew Skylight. Shade too, but there was always something about Sky that Lance could never fully explain to himself.

"If Blackwing had her murdered... what is she doing with him. They told me he did..."

[Pike Vanguard]

"I'm sorry." Pike truly did not have a response to this, the stallion beside him was almost hysterical and he had caused it. Not only that, but he had no real information on that subject to give the other stallion. Nevertheless, Pike attempted to give as much as he learned.

"I can see why you want to go after Blackwing now. He isn't well loved but I can tell you that whoever that pony is, he's in complete control of her." The tan stallion hesitated but placed a reassuring hoof on the unicorn's shoulder. "Though, I had never heard of the name 'Skylight.' There's a chance it could be a different mare."

[Lance]

"It's... a nice try to reassure me, but... there's only one missing piece to the puzzle, and here it is. there's a chance it's the wrong piece, but everything fits way too perfectly. Great Faust would never be cruel as to torture me like this... So then who's still in the right..."

Shade's the one to tell him Skylight was "murdered." but if she's alive, just how true could that be? just how true could anything Shade said be? they barely got along as is, and now she's going around behind his back on direct assaults against the griffons, and to top it all off... she seemed incedibly guilty about Skylight... when she supposedly didn't actually lead to her death. supposedly. but... Shade's his best Chance to see Skylight again. he couldn't outright go against her; as long as she could have know more than him, he needed to stay close. but that didn't mean he had to sell her out. Not necessarily. not yet.

"after all this... I'm still going after Scanion. the only thing I'm leaving in question, though, is why. and I'll have to answer that after I find his... pet... and have a nice, long talk. Scanion might be griffbutt enemy #1, but I need to find out if he still is mine. either way, I'm going after the Pegasus first, either to take her out or take her in.  how hard would it be to ask you to contact me if you find anything else about the Shadow, Scanion, or..." Scintillance paused.  he's set it into his mind that this was skylight. he couldn't doubt it now.  "or Skylight?"

[Pike Vanguard]

Taking another scan of the park, Pike noticed some griffon guards casually walk into the area they were residing in. He grumbled and cleared his throat, suddenly becoming impatient with his client. Quickly, he plucked a small card from his saddlebags and hoofed it over to Lance. "Here's my contact info. There is no location for me directly, but leave a message by the listed one here if you want to get in contact."

The guards seemed to be chatting and on a break, Pike relaxed a bit more and looked back at the unicorn. "I will most certainly keep an eye out for any information regarding those...individuals." Pike stood up casually and gave the section of park another scan. "I wish you luck, Lance. But do you want one more word of advice? This one is free but I think you will greatly benefit from it."

[Lance]

Lance eyed the guards as he levitated the card into his pocket, making as little physical motion to avoid attention, and then stood up as well once the card was out of sight. "Thank you, and, I'm listening."

[Pike Vanguard]

Pike frowned at what he was willing to compromise in this situation. "I know I can't stop you on your personal vendetta, but..." Sighing and looking out toward the guards joking and fooling around as if they were young birds. "It might seem possible to get to the Sergeant up close, but making a move is another thing altogether. My advice would be to keep yourself unknown. And hidden." He paused for a few seconds then added more, "Information can be more powerful than any sword, you know. I'd tail him myself if he wasn't protected constantly."

[Lance]

Scintillance chuckled, is this was an idea that's be rolling 'round his head for quite a bit lately. "Pikey, you're right, it is best to stay low and hidden. but I've done that for years. and you know what? I'm going to keep hiding. but the light, will not." Scintillance conjured up a small orb of light. incredibly small, with a radius about the width of a pencil, but it glowed a yellow hue. Scintillance, though teary-eyed, had regained that confident smile of his.

"best to leave the griffons on a wild goose chase after a glowing yellow unicorn, don't you think?"

[Pike Vanguard]

Pike nervously looked around the park, worried that the griffons further in would be drawn by the light. "That's fantastic, Lance. Please put it out before you draw attention to us." The earth pony hid his face in his hooves and breathed heavily trying to calm himself. After a few moments of steady breathing, Pike looked up.

"Sorry, Lance. I don't want to take anymore chances and neither should you. I don't know much about magic other than levitation and light but something like this seems fairly risky." He looked at the brown stallion and sighed. "Do what you want, I'm not your father. Just remember that this mare doesn't seem to be the pony you say she is, or was. Plus, if you get caught by Scanion...well."

Pike nodded to the stallion and yawned casually, once again regaining his confidence as well. "If you don't get tortured and killed, please look me up. You seem like the kind of pony that needs a lot of information."

[Lance]

Scintillance chuckled at pike's response, and doused his little spell. "my hiding for years was my way of playing it safe; never taking any risks. it's gotten me no where. now I haven't seen what you have seen to make the judgement same, but going after Scanion seems like the very risk I need to take. the same goes for the mare, whether to know if she's who I think she is, or not."
Scintillance paused, and pulled out a sticky note scribbling something onto it. "that wasn't too bad, actually... " and then quickly slipped the note into a separate pocket.

"Now then... Pike, I'll do my best to avoid getting 'tortured or killed,' and you can expect to see me again in the future to come... It was nice meeting you!" Lance turned towards the park entrance and tried to trot in the most un-suspicious way possible, visibly disregarding the guards.

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