Silver eyes stared blankly, blinking twice after hearing my voice. I just held the stare with a false hope for just a sliver of recognition, my chest felt like an angry swarm of wasps were let loose. Her eyes shifted slightly from me to Comet who had come up behind me, freezing upon approach.

"Oh, you must be new. Blaze giving you the rundown of the place, is he? Anyway, welcome to the family."

Her smile beamed and I returned the gesture but my insides felt like they were convulsing in on each other, my already damage heart taking another blow as I watched her walk past talking with the other ponies that were with her. Tears swelled in the corner of my eyes that I quickly blinked back when I heard Comet shuffle awkwardly beside me.

"Well, I guess that was a bit intense for you. Meeting one of the best, face to face. Come on."

He didn't even question why I called her Mom straight to her face. My insides were in turmoil, flipping over one another as I tried to keep my breath steady, the encounter continuously playing in my head. Sweet Insanity made form next to me and even her ethereal face showed concern over it.

*She didn't even recognize us.*

*Do you blame her? It's been years since she's seen us and on top of that she thinks we're dead.*

Right. The filly she once knew was long gone, murdered by her father or eaten by a timberwolf. Whatever story they had conjured up to help ease the pain of a mother. I guess it would be better than wondering for however long if your child was still alive, lost and wandering in the forest. Shaking my head, I looked over to Comet, flashing him a weak but convincing smile.

"So where are you taking me? You never told me before you went to join the welcoming committee."

"Ah right. You are getting your class today and an assignment. Don't worry it will be easy, depending on what you get. Boas and Rattlers get a make-shift riot that they have to control, those two classes usually partner up with one another. Basilisks have to find flags, hence why I was out in the forest when I found you. I'm not sure about Vipers or Adders though…"

I couldn't stop the questioning stare I gave him before it clicked in my mind. Right, this isn't like the Royal Guard. Groups and squadrons are done differently here, formed under different ranks known as "classes". Really, this was all still confusing but I went with it nonetheless.

The winding hallways still seemed foreign, even after the weeks that I had been here. Perhaps I was still way to use to the Guards way of doing everything. Whenever we met a pony in the hallway, you'd just normally nod your head and be on your way but here? It turned into a generic discussion, asking how the other party had been. I don't know but it sometimes just felt like a waste of time. We were told to get to the Serpent, why was there no haste?

My mind stayed in that space until Comet had rapped on the wooden door that was the final barrier to our destination. The starred stallion opened the door for us to enter and softly closed it behind us. The green eyed pony behind the desk didn't even look up as he motioned us closer. I stood waiting for him to speak, to tell us what he wanted us to do but Comet was the first voice to sound between us.

"Sir. I've brought Night- I mean, Taipan, for her first mission. To determine her class."

His emerald orbs glanced up momentarily, sliding various papers that were scattered on the desk into a more manageable pile. Clearing his throat, he looked me dead in the eyes and my legs moved forward on their own. The charcoal pony spoke gruffly.

"I'm sure she's already determined that on her own. But, in case she hasn't, she'll be placed in the Adder faction."

Of course I had already figured it out, the thought had been bouncing between both me and Sweet for the last few weeks. Since he had given that Taipan nickname to me. All I did was nod as he continued.

"Usually I give out beginners assignment to those who only just got there class. However, you've already proven your skills, back with the Royals and now here." His hoof pushed forward a manilla folder, "I entrust you with this. This pony has been rather elusive to us but we have a feeling we know where he may be hiding currently and you have a pretty good layout of that forest."

Pressing his hooves together, his gaze followed me as I stepped forth, picking up the folder with a slight caution.

Looking at the front of it, my face showed a mixed array of confusion and questions.

"SolarBlitz? But he's been missing since I was a filly, declared dead."

"Yes, that was the case. Until recent evidence surfaced and we took it upon ourselves to reopen it. The Chief and I may not see eye to eye, but if there was a chance that one of his greatest stallions is still out there, we will take it."

"The last thing they found was his scarf. What other possible evidence could have been found?"

"Open the folder and take a look"

I couldn't help but feel slightly skeptical at what The Serpent was telling me. There was no way that SolarBlitz could still be alive, was there? Flicking through the pages that resided in the folder, I read every sentence. From the date he was sent out to his mission to when they found his yellow scarf years back. This wasn't new to me, Strider had told me what happened. What was new was the detail that this went into. There had been indication of a struggle, which would of made sense if it didn't say that the other tracks of his attacker were hastily swept away to hide them. Whoever filled this out had claimed that the other set of prints had belonged to another pony. The Royal Guard had enemies, no doubt about it, but would somepony really go as far as kidnapping one of them?

Carefully, I scanned every line, the details sinking deep into my memory. Why bring it up here? Wouldn't Strider and Cobalt want to be the ones to find their other wing pony?

"Sir. With all due respect, this should be handled by those who would know him best, those who had fought with him."

"No. Strider and Cobalt know of the newly found evidence, and before you state your opinion again, think for a second. He has been missing for so long, who knows what has happened in those years. Our best case is that he turned rogue and staged the scene. Worst case is that it actually happened and the worst thing to do would be to send those whose tactics would had most likely been give to the enemy. You knew him but he would not know you. And the location that we had been given a tip of might be of extreme interest of you."

His grin uneased me as I flipped the last piece of paper to reveal the coordinates of where I would be heading.

"Take Blaze with you. He never actually completed his assignment. So think of this as a partnered test."

"Of course, sir."

"Oh, one more thing. There's an object at that location I wish for you to retrieve for me. I'm sure you'll know what it is once you see it."

His grin uneased me as we walked from his office.

The flight to our desired location was rather short, it was pretty much close to where I had met Comet the first time if not a little further. Landing quietly, I slid my knives out prepared for anything that may attempt to attack as we surveyed our surroundings, the stallion still in the skies overhead to better assess the area. Once deemed safe, I motioned Comet to land next to me and followed a nearly hidden path that was covered from years of debris. No one had come out here recently, that was fairly obvious from the state of the trail. There was no indication of anypony being here besides ourselves. The shrubs had overgrown onto the sandy gravel making it difficult to determine where the edges of the path stopped before it plunged into dense forest surrounding it. The scene was familiar, yet lost in memory as I tried to recollect the time I had spent in this forest alone but nothing came to mind in remembrance to this particular part.

Not until we had rounded the corner.

Sweet gasped softly in my mind and her imagined body cast itself into my view. Both of our eyes widened at the construction that had managed to stand after all this time.

It was our home.

The door collapsed inwards and dust rose in clouds of smoke. The hinges had only been holding on by a few splinters, the frame rotted over the years. I didn't dare to even count the time that had passed since the last time I had stepped hoof in this house. It was all still the same, apart from the thick layer of dirt and dust that lay like a blanket over everything. Floorboards creaked under hoof, each step providing an orchestra for our presence. Glancing back at Comet, I gestured for him to go left towards the kitchen to scout out anything that seemed out of place that would prove that our target would be here while I made my way through the living room. The hideous chair that Father use to sit in still sat in the same position it had always done. I shivered as the image of the dark orange stallion filled the emptiness of the worn leather, the smell of moonshine still ever present in the stale air. The wretched stench crawled into my muzzle, bring a painful array of memories to flood forward. I had to get away from it as one hoof had already found its way onto the first step of the staircase, its once looming stature now nothing but a simple incline that I could now easily ascend and without much thought, I had already reached the top. Rounding the corner, the first room I entered just happened to be where everything started. The stark white walls were now covered in a dark stain of mould, rust had settled over the vanity and the bath. Dragging my hooves slightly, I brushed away some of the debris of the ceiling that had corroded over time and had followed gravity's will. It was there, still as fresh as the day it happened. A long scorch mark trailed the tiled floor, it's range focused in the corner that I had huddled in. Sweet Insanity's hiss ran through as she tried to pull me away from the scene, tapping into my muscles. She drew me away though my eyes stayed trained on the corner, the vision of a scared filly that was once me cowering from the brute that had helped produce her into this world. It wasn't til I felt my wing brush over the handle to close the door that I realized I was now standing back into the hall, Sweet's control gentle and the door closed with a soft click.

My head turned away as I continued, ignoring the look that my ethereal counterpart was giving next to me. Another room came up but I shouldered past it, hardly giving it a look. That had been my parents room, and even after all these years I still would not dare to step foot in there. It was like a barrier had been placed around it, forbidding my entrance. It didn't matter anyway. My desired destination was further down, at the end of the hall. Reaching it, I exhaled softly, pushing the already opened door further.

My old room.

Everything seemed smaller than what I remembered, the bed I use to hid beneath now seemed too small for even a mouse to scurry under. The chest that I normally fell into get out a toy was like a jewelry box to hold a single ring inside. So many painful memories happened in this place, both equally happy and full of sorrow. It was like no time had passed. The ghosts that still lingered here whispered silent cries to me, most just mimicking the nights I spent whimpering as the fights broke out amongst my parents. A wing extended out, gently brushing against the surfaces, my feathers picking up the thick dust but I did care. My mind was lost in the feeling of something that had once been so familiar to me and how it now was a foreign place of haunted past. What was my home.

No.

This wasn't my home anymore.

Head drooped low, my mane covering my face as I finished the circle of the room. There was nothing here for me anymore. This place. It was now only a refuge for the creatures that roamed. Leaving the tiny room, my wing that had still been extended hit against something before it folded back to my side. A small, chest like shape was moulded out of the grime that was set all over. Carefully, I cleared it off and, grabbing the nearest blanket in the room, gently wrapped the object in it and tucked it under my wing for now, then exited back out into hallway to meet back up with Comet.

Standing up top of the staircase, I glanced downwards.

What was the pattern again? First, second, third. Skip. Land left on the fifth. Sixth, seventh. They never did replace that eighth step.

A sad twinge of nostalgia swept through me as I descended in the pattern I had taught myself all those years ago. Watered eyes caught the image of Comet Blaze standing near the living room, cautiously watching me. Clearing my throat, I quickly blinked away the tears that threatened to flow and gave him another small smile before passing him. I could tell he wanted to ask questions, ask why I seemed so determined to search every room of this house. But I knew I wouldn't be able to answer them. Not without revealing everything about my shaded past. His eyes wandered over me continuously, each time they lay a moment longer at the item I had carefully concealed under my wings, wrapped in the old blanket. I offered nothing for an explanation and instead just passed through the door, waiting outside to let my mind clear away the tormenting past.

The sound of falling hoofsteps falling were almost silent, if it weren't for the change between the rotting floorboards and the crumbling pavement that only lead the path a short way.

"There wasn't anything here that was vital to our search. But I did find this."

Negative eyes slid in their sockets as I glanced at the paper that Comet had produced. It was a hasty foals drawing of three ponies. I didn't have to look at it properly to know what it had been about. The foal and one of the unicorns stood together, quite happily while the other had been drawn into the distance, a large frown visible on the crude drawing. Heh, such an artist.

"What about it? You said there was nothing that would assist in our search for SolarBlitz. What use would this be?"

"The use," His hoof pointed to a chicken scratch of a signature "is this. Night. This was yours, wasn't it? All of it."

"Would it make our objective different if I admit it? No. That has nothing to do with what we were sent out to achieve."

I rose from the dirt, picking up the item and placed it on my back, carefully securing it. I had no more words to speak as I launched into the air, he followed suit, trailing a bit behind me the whole way back. My focus was gone as we landed, walking straight through the crowd that had assembled to greet us back, where Comet had instantly been engulfed by them. I kept eye contact to a minimum as I made my way through these hallways that were slowly becoming a detailed map in the back of my mind.

I stopped at the large oak door that hid the Serpent away from others. Pausing a moment, I could hear voices inside. One gruff voice belonging to the leader himself but the other was softer, harshly gentle.

"That was meant to be my mission, Sir. Why give it to an amatuer?"

"Because, I believe it was more suited to her. She knew the missing stallion and it was tipped that there was a possible sighting."

"With all due respect, you knew how much going to that house meant to me. Would she even know what we're looking for there?"

"Perhaps you should ask her yourself."

My hoof had been raised to knock, but it seemed like it was unneeded and I just pushed the door open. The Serpent sat behind the desk, as poised as ever and Mother...No...Silver Whisper was standing just off to the side as I approached. Both pairs of eyes were trained on me as I did a short salute, the Serpent chuckling at how I still acted like the Guard but I dismissed it. Craning my neck, I took the item off my back and placed it on his desk. Opening it, it revealed itself as a music box, the soft tune playing softly even after over a decade of solitude. It's notes circled the room before I closed the lid to silence it.

"I believe this is the said object I was meant to be obtaining."

The daggers I could feel from those silver eyes made both Sweet and I cringe internally. Of course she would be pissed. A complete stranger entered the room of her "dead" filly and had taken something that had meant a lot to the child. I could understand her hatred towards me now and, perhaps, it would make it easier for me to detach myself from the thought that she was still here, still close enough for me to see her. To dullen the need to just run up to her and hug her like we both know I wanted to. For her to know that her child had survived and was standing in the very same room as her.

Instead, I just shook my head and gave a shallow bow to both of them and left. I gave Comet no attention as I went straight to the barracks, throwing myself on my designated bed and allowed a haunted sleep to overtake my body.