[Stalliongrad] Shadows and Snowflakes (Open)

[RarityDash]

"Dragon attack?" Verity had laugh at that comment. "Well, there isn't so much point in spying on dragons most of the time... so probably not quite. You might end up on the wrong end of a griffon's talons at some point though."

"Well it's up to you, and it's not a decision to be rushed," the zebra said, shrugging. "Either way, I'll help you. Whether its with the REIN or a bakery in Rasya, I'll help get you connected."

Verity effectively hid her excitement. She'd probably get a bonus for finding a promising new asset for them to use. This could pan out nicely for her. She didn't want this pony to feel pressured though. She'd have to remain cool and conceal her excitement.

[ThatWhichIs]

"Ein griffon ist smaller dan ein dragon," Shade replied with a chuckle. "I vuld not vorry too much about dat. Und du... du are too kind." She gave Verity a friendly smile, even dipping her head lightly. "Dat du vuld help eine random pony so much... it ist much appreciated." Horn still glowing dully, she finished off her brownie and had another sip of coffee.

"I vuld imagine dat it vuld be too late for either die bakery or dis 'REIN' du speak ov?"

[RarityDash]

Verity nodded and smirked. "Thanks. I just like helping others," she said. Sure the bonus finder's fee was part of this, but this was mostly true, Verity supposed. Her superiors often called her too compassionate for her own good. "My mother always told me that good deeds done come back to you in time. I'm not sure how far I believe that, but I guess the sentiment at least has ingrained itself into me," she added with a bit of a blush and a laugh.

"And, yeah," she started in response to the question. "I don't think we'll be able to do much of anything tonight but find you an in to stay at."

[ThatWhichIs]

Shade smiled at the advice Verity's mother had given her. It sounded a lot like something her mother would say. "Vell den, shall ve be off, looking for ein inn?" The dull glow around her horn faded away, and color seemed to leak back into the room around her. Getting to her hooves, she stretched her legs a bit, lifting up the coffee cup with her magic so she could carry it with her, since she still wasn't done with it.

"Might du know ov one near by?" she asked. One of the ponies in the small cafe looked at her strangely, before shaking his head.

[RarityDash]

Verity stopped for a second. Was somepony watching them? It was hard to tell, but something felt kind of off. It was too early to cause a scene to find out, but she'd keep it in mind. She'd have step quietly and keep herself aware without worrying Shade.

"Well, you could probably find a place to stay here in Veya if you had too, but it would probably be both more expensive and less homey than the sort of place you'd find up in Rasya, especially if you plan on staying for a while," the zebra started.

"it's a bit of a walk up there; we'd have to head north, over a couple bridges, cut through Ostrov," she said, giving a shrug. "Up to you if it's worth the trouble."

[ThatWhichIs]

Shade tilted her head to one side, thinking the issue over. While bits weren't a real concern for her, she didn't like spending more than she had to for something like this, and the idea of a more homey inn was definitely appealing. The coffee had helped warm her back up, and the brownie had given her a nice spring to her step. Nodding to herself, she flashed a quick smile. "I dink Rasya vuld be gut," she replied, apparently not noticing anything different.

"Und besides... ein nice valk vuld be gut. Meine legs are still stiff from dat airship. Vuld du care to lead die vay?"

[RarityDash]

"Excellent! Right this way then," Verity started with a nod as she stepped ahead in the direction of Rasya.

A very faint third set of footsteps along the snowy street could be heard just barely a distance back. Verity smirked. Yep, that settled it. They were being followed. Somepony in the coffee shop had overheard her. Or maybe they were following her before that even? She didn't know. They were skillful though; this was no amateur. Most ponies didn't realized that there were a number of organized groups in Equestria opposed with the ruling powers. She supposed it was natural in any government where just one pony had most of the power. In Equestria, oppositions groups were not very visible, but they definitely did exist. Part of the REIN's job was getting the drop on such groups, so that they could be combatted without any unwanted messiness.

Speaking of messiness, Verity didn't think she wanted to cause a scene here just yet. It seemed premature. There were still ponies around, still guards patrolling. Getting herself arrested would be embarrassing; getting Shade arrested would be inexcusable. She'd wait until they reached a quieter area. The bridge from Ostrov to Rasya seemed ideal to her. That was unless the one following decided to expedite things.

For now, she would just continue talking to Shade like nothing had changed. She'd make this pony think she wasn't onto them. Smiling a little, she spoke. "So how was the flight?" She nodded. "For my job, we tend to keep things low key. I'm more likely to travel by train than airship."

[ThatWhichIs]

Shade didn't notice the footsteps, hadn't been trained to look for or pay attention to such small things. All of her ability with stealth was natural, and she had only ever had to use it against those bigger than herself, and not necessarily as intelligent. "Die flight vas gut," she answered, oblivious to their shadow. "Ve hit ein snow storm, und many of die passengers ver terrified ov it. But die captain managed to calm dem down vell." She tilted her head to the side for a short moment, her equivalent of a shrug. "It felt vonderful, to be out on die deck in dat storm."

Turning her head to look at Verity, she gave the zebra a brief smile. "It vas ein novel experience," she stated. "Quite enjoyable. I vill admit, not taking die airships vill be less fun. Though I haff never been on ein train before. I vuld imagine dey are more stable den ein airship, vat vith being on die ground und all?"

[RarityDash]

Verity nodded as they were coming up upon the bridge into Ostrov. The beautiful, pristine towers of the central island district could be seen clearly. Verity figured this was a good part of town for newcomers to pass through. In many ways it beat out the opulence and wealth of Vyoskii for being the most picturesque part of town. Either way, they needed to pass through a section of it to get to Rasya.

The zebra nodded as she continued the conversation. It wasn't quite time to draw out their mysterious stalker. She'd continue to act oblivious for now. "Yeah, trains aren't quite as much fun as airships. Something special about flying through the air, especially for those of us who lack wings of our own."

"Still, they're a pretty relaxing way to travel," Verity said, nodding. "And you'll sometimes meet interesting characters along the way."

[ThatWhichIs]

Shade had been about to reply when she caught site of the Ostrov district. She fell silent for a few moments, before seeming to realize Verity was next to her once more. "Ja, flying ist indeed fun," she agreed, eyes drinking in the sight before her. "Ich haff alvays envied pegasi for der vings. But ein train... Ich vuld like to ride one, some time."

Turning to look at Verity, she thought she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye, but it could have been just a shadow. "Dis ist die Ostrov district, ja? It ist very... beautiful. Reminds me a lot ov meine Stadt."

[RarityDash]

Verity laughed. "Eh, I know what you mean. Having wings could be pretty cool. Though you at least have that horn of yours which lets you do some pretty cool things," she said, with a steady nod. "Not that I'm complaining. I'm not the type to obsess over what I can't do, especially when I consider myself pretty skilled at what I can."

At the comments on the Ostrov district, she was mildly surprised. "Oh? I hadn't realized Hoofeneheim had become so modern. Then again, I haven't spent much time there," she said as they crossed into the new district. Not much longer and she'd work at getting the drop on their pursuer.

[ThatWhichIs]

Shade was silent for a little while, trying to watch Verity out of the corner of her eye without being obvious. She was getting the feeling that the zebra was distracted by something, and her curiosity drove her to be interested at least in what her walking companion was distracted about. Unable to figure out what, she focused on the path in front of her once more, side-stepping an ice-slick that would've probably slipped her up.

"Ja," Shade replied. "Vell, ein part ov it ist. Dey haff improved die center of die Stadt. Die rest of die Stadt ist very old-fashioned, but die center..." A toss of her head would have to suffice as description, because she really didn't have anything to compare it to, except what parts of Stalliongrad she had seen.

[RarityDash]

"Ah," Verity started with a nod. "I guess I really don't spend enough time out there..."

They were coming up on the next bridge. it was about time to try something. How should she go about this? Just calling this pony out could force them to run, and from the distance back the footsteps were coming the pursuer would likely elude her in a chase. Still, she had to try something. How should she-- She glanced at Shade then. For two, ponies... this might be easier.

"Shade..." Verity leaned close and whispered to a pony. "If I told you to do something for me right now, would you follow my orders?"

[ThatWhichIs]

Her mind quickly turning over the question at hand, Shade gave the tiniest of nods. "Ja," was her answer, a bare whisper. Leaning in a bit, she continued to trot onward, listening intently to what Verity had to say. Shade wasn't sure what was going on, but something told her that Verity wouldn't ask her a thing like that if it wasn't important, so she knew something had to be wrong.

[RarityDash]

Verity nodded, smiling. "Keep going straight over that bridge. I'm going to make like I'm breaking off to go my own way. Once you've crossed, use that spell you used before and double back over the bridge and continue back the way we came. If everything goes right, you'll understand why soon enough," she said, still whispering at the pony.

"You understand?" she asked, more audibly as they approached the bridge. She hoped this plan would work for her.

[ThatWhichIs]

"Ja," Shade answered in her normal speaking voice, hearing Verity return to it. "Du said dat die inn ist zwei streets over, ja? I look forvard to seeing du tomorrow, den!" As she crossed the bridge she began to concentrate on her magic, her horn glowing with a dull grey color. She still wasn't certain what was going on, but she knew it required the utmost stealth, so she wanted the spell to be perfect. Releasing the spell, she felt the magic settle over her, almost like the cloak she was wearing. One moment there was a cloaked pony trotting down the road, and the next there were simply hoof-prints in the snow, though even these seemed... fuzzy, as if they were half-filled with the falling snow already.

Secure and sneaky inside her little bubble of grey world, Shade turned around and immediately trotted back the way she came. She had to be careful not to go too fast, as her spells weren't as good at masking sound as they were sight, but she soon reached the bridge where she had split off from Verity, and began following the zebra's tracks in the fresh snow.

[RarityDash]

"Alright! I trust you can get there on your own! See you soon," Verity said loudly, waving to her friend as they split and she continued across the bridge. She then turned and began trotting the way she came.

She could hear her pursuer, who was good, but not great, scurrying at the sudden development to hide himself. Not too long after Verity had passed him by, his footsteps could be heard again, trying to keep time with her own. Perfect. now she just had to wait for the perfect moment and trust that Shade was right there on the other side. She smiled. She knew the perfect place too. The bridge back into Veya. There was no easy escape. His only viable option was to risk jumping several feet down onto an icy river that may or may not support him or allowing himself to be caught.

Verity continued until she reached the bridge. Here is was, the moment of truth. The second she reached the south end, she turned right around and stepped forward and smirked. Yep. Perfect. The pony was right there. Not that he was particularly visible. He was evidently a unicorn and one using a spell not unlike Shade's only not quite as perfect, it replacing his presence with a blot of misty fog.

"I see you there," Verity said, smiling. "In fact, I've been onto you all along. Don't think you're getting away tonight!"

That said, Verity, leapt ahead into a charge, running straight at the pony. The fog cloaked pony turned right around and began running in the opposite direction. He was a fair distance ahead of her, and she wouldn't be able to catch up. She didn't need to though. Not when she had a friend to fall back on.

"Now, Shade! Help me stop this guy!" she shouted ahead. She was taking a risk. Shade wasn't trained at this; expecting her to react quickly was expecting a lot. All the same, she had a lot of faith in her new friend.

[ThatWhichIs]

Shade had noticed a low lying fog bank following Verity, and it took a moment to realize that no fog bank was quite as small, or would follow a pony like that so deliberately. Verity's yell shocked her out of her inactivity, and she planted her hooves wide, bracing herself as she began to warp and weave her magic in a new pattern. Just as her illusion of invisibility fell, she conjured up three illusions of herself, effectively blocking the only exit for the fleeing unicorn.

"Halt!" she yelled out in her most commanding voice, though it wasn't very impressive. However, it was made more impressive by every illusion calling out the same thing, at the same time. Noticing the fog-bank hesitate in his dash for freedom, Shade advanced on the unicorn, her illusions keeping pace. The entire thing was taxing her, and she wouldn't be much good for magic for a while, but for now she had to keep up appearances that she was the one in control. That much she understood, if this was anything like the few show-downs she had had when growing up.

[RarityDash]

Verity smiled. Perfect. Shade had stepped it up by using an image duplicating spell to surround the fog cloaked pony. His path deterred, Verity was able to leap ahead. She quickly reached back into her pouch and pulled out one of her numerous potion vials. Uncorking it, she tossed it ahead, the thin glass shattering as it collided with the hidden pony, its contents splashing out.

A medium sized, young stallion with black coat and pale green mane, materialized there instantly, stopped in his tracks, unable to move. Verity smirked. "Got ya," she said. "You ain't going anywhere now. That's a special potion that temporarily paralyzes the body. Escape has just become impossible."

"Good work, Shade," she said, nodding at the Germane pony. She looked back toward the mysterious stalker.

"Now speak! Who are you? Why are you following us?" Verity demanded.

"You'll get not a word from me!" the stallion replied in a distinct Stalliongrad accent, clearly furious to find himself caught.

"Ah, I get it. You must be from that radical group that's trying to get Stalliongrad to split off and cut its ties with the rest of Equestria. What do you call yourselves again...?" she started, staring the pony down. "That's right, the Stalliongrad Liberation Front...." She smirked and nodded. "Overheard us, I take it? Thought you could get the drop on me and take me in to reveal all our secrets to your leaders?"

The stallion didn't say a word, he just scowled at the zebra.

((ooc: captured pony is an NPC, so if you want to have him do something, go for it))

[ThatWhichIs]

"Danke," Shade replied to Verity's compliment, trotting over to look at their captive.

"Now vy vould anypony vant to do dat?" Shade asked, letting the illusions fall away and doing her best to mask how much that had taken out of her. "Even in Germaney ve aren't dat shtupid." She shook her head, to show her lack of understanding. "Equestria ist gut fer die Stadt, fer die ponies. Vy vould du vish to leave dat?"

The stallion remained silent, though it was obvious that he was a bit surprised by Shade's questions, and the fact that she seemed interested in his answers. If he got out of this, he would have to remember her... she might be a potential recruit.

"Vat vill happen to him now?" she asked Verity, giving the zebra a questioning, but not hostile, look. "Ve giff him to die guards?"

[RarityDash]

"Oh, there are similar groups in your Germaney. Itaily too, and even out in the frontier. When you get somewhere remote or isolated enough that Celestia's influence cannot be directly felt, you'll tend to get ponies like this who think they'd be better off removing it all together," Verity started with a small laugh. "Such extremist groups are very rarely well organized, well funded or all that large in the first place."

"Between organizations like ours and the REA's Honor Guard, such threats are usually diffused well before it would become the sort of news you'd hear about," the zebra gave an easy nod, smirking as the unicorn stallion remained silent, but wore displeasure clear on his face.

"But yeah, taking this guy to the nearest Stallian Guardspony is probably the way to go. My group is closely aligned with the REA, so it's not like there's much of a difference between us having him and them. Biggest difference is they got the easily accessible prison cells and we don't," Verity continued, giving a shrug.

"With that potion, he won't be able to move of his own volition for a while," she said, nodding to Shade. "You want to help me carry him to the guards, or should one of us stay here and the other go find somepony?"

[ThatWhichIs]

Grey Shade trembled lightly from the effort that her spell had taken, but she forced her body to be still, not wanting to appear weak even in front of a captured prisoner. Possibly especially in front of a captured prisoner. She didn't want to have to carry the immobile stallion anywhere, but the idea of leaving one of them, most likely herself as she still didn't know her way around the massive city, behind while the other looked for a guard to help... seemed like a bad one.

"Ich dink ve should carry him," she said, though there was a trace of... resigned complaint in her voice. "Dey may haff friends... und I vuld not like to be found by such ponies..." She looked at the stallion, trying to figure out how they were going to carry him. "Ich know how ein pony vuld carry him... but how vuld ve both carry him?"

[RarityDash]

Verity nodded at the other pony's assessment. It was more sensible, especially given Shade seemed to have expended considerable energy in the use of her magic. Made sense. She didn't have the rigorous training of an actual agent and she was using some pretty impressive spells. Leaving her with the prisoner might be dangerous in that, if the potion wore off early, she probably wouldn't be able to fight off the stallion, and if she was the one who left to find the guard, she probably wouldn't know what to say. Not to mention that, indeed, both situations would lead to trouble if this guy had friends.

"Good call," Verity said, nodding. "As for, how, I'm decent strong. Drape him over my back and keep him steady. I should be able to carry him far enough."

"it's not that far to the Ostrov airship docks," Verity said, nodding, as she lowered her body so that the criminal stallion could be placed on her back. "There are always guards stationed there. It's probably our best bet."

[ThatWhichIs]

Crouching down, Shade got part of herself underneath the stallion, enough so that when she slowly straightened up she was able to lift the stallion up and slide him onto Verity's back. It was difficult, but far easier than doing anything with magic would've been. Adjusting the stallion's position a bit, mostly so that it would be more comfortable for Verity, she took up a position next to the zebra, so that she could move to steady the helpless stallion if he started to slide.

"Vont dey be curious?" she asked as they started their, decidedly slower, walk to the Ostrov airship docks. "Ich vuld imagine ist not every day dey get ein prisoner like dis. Vill Ich haff to expect questions?"

[RarityDash]

"It's not an everyday occurrence, I suppose," Verity said, giving the best shrug she could under the full weight of another pony. "But I have my REIN badge. Some REA types don't appreciate us, but they all know about us, and it's not likely they'll question it when we drop off a prisoner."

"I don't expect you'll have to say anything. Just stand back and watch. I'll take care of it," she said as they came upon the airship docks. This would be an impressive sight for a newcomer, though since she had arrived by airship, Verity supposed Shade had already seen at least part of it before. Still, even for a zebra who had been here countless time, the sight of all the massive airships or all shapes and sizes tethered in place to various towers, was still kind of impressive.

Out of the corner of the eye, she saw a pair of Stallian guards, standing vigil. She approached them steadily and then flopped the stallion down before them.

"Brought you something, boys," she said with a grin.

"What? Who are you?" one of the guards shouted, stiffening up as he stared the zebra down. "What's the meaning of this?"

Verity pulled her badge from her bag and opened it for them.

"Ah, cool yourself, she's one of those REIN spooks," the second of the two guards spoke up, nodding to Verity. "Who is he?" he asked her.

"Not really sure, but he tried to get the drop on me. SLF, if I were to wager a guess," Verity answered, shrugging.

"Them? That terrible joke of a group is still around?" the first, younger guard questioned.

Verity laughed. "It's kind of hard to kill an idea, no matter how wrongheaded it is." The zebra smirked before continuing. "Anyway, you guys are the ones with the prison cells. Find one for this guy; we'll send somepony around to question him."

The younger guard growled, clearly not appreciating being ordered around by a civilian. The more experienced guard lifted a hoof to calm him though. "Stand down. We'll get nothing by arguing this. Just do as she says. We have no reason not to."

The guard nodded and slipped some hoof cuffs onto the stallion. "Got it..."

"What about this one?" the older guardspony asked, looking at Shade. "What's her place in this?"

"Just a civilian. A friend. Helped me make the capture," Verity replied.

"So is that the REIN way? Getting innocent civilian involved in these sorts of delicate matters?" the guard spoke pointedly.

"The REIN way is to get the job done. Nothing more, nothing less," the zebra replied, simply smiling back at the others.

The pony sighed and nodded. "Very well, you can be on your way then. We'll take care of this."

"Cool. See ya around then! Later," Verity said, as she turned away from the guards.

She looked toward Shade. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"