Ding-ding-dong…
Reco dashed down the stairs, skidding to a halt before he hit the front door of his home. Two seconds… It was sluggish, especially knowing how fast he could be. The stallion reached out with his mind, and a faint blue aura surrounded the doorknob, turning and opening it. Just outside, a red gryphon stood with a package strapped to their back, dressed in a black jacket and ball cap. Both pieces of clothing had a flying swan logo adorning them, and their employee badge hung from their neck as they looked up at him.
“Moonlight Record?” She asked, watching as the unicorn’s head bobbed up and down rapidly. The felavian pulled a clipboard up from her side. “Just need you sign here.”
He had to slow down just a bit, but Reco got his signature down on the screen, and the creature handed over his parcel before leaving. He was practically vibrating with glee as he tore into the cardboard, revealing the crystalline case held within. Waiting that four months for delivery had been eating at him, and finally getting it was finally breaking the funk he’d been in all day.
The stallion ran back upstairs with the handle between his teeth and closed the door to his bedroom behind him, before tossing the case onto his bed and opening it up. Brand new metallic rubber sat inside, its lilac, purple, and black hues glistening under the light. His magic enveloped the material, pulling it free from its container as quickly as he could safely get it out.
It took him almost no time to take hold of the zipper on its back and pull the suit open. One hindhoof, then the other. One forehoof, and the other. He couldn’t help but shiver at the feeling of the padded interior as it pressed against his fur and body, especially as he pulled it over his torso and rump. As rapidly as he could, his face dove into the attached hood, and he pulled it taut against his head and horn.
Behind him, the zipper closed of its own accord, and the suit’s effects immediately took hold. His horn disappeared from view, replaced by a slightly extended mane, while his ears grew slightly, feathering a bit around the tips. Near his shoulders, a pair of rubbery membraned wings pushed out into the air, no bigger than those of a pegasus, and colored as black as the night outside. He felt much lighter, and sleeker than his normal unicorn stallion self, and his limbs were thinner than the heavier muscle he was used to with them.
A smile crept across his face, with two sharp fangs poking out from over his lower lip, and his slit-pupil eyes glowed softly with a blue as deep as the daylit skies.
Without hesitation, Reco pulled the rest of the outfit, starting with the shoes. The lavender material came up to points as ornate guards for coronets and pasterns, settling against each hoof the moment they made contact. A navy ring went over his tail, shortening it slightly and turning it a deep blackish-purple. That connected to the body armor he pulled over his torso, with lavender plates connecting to the ring, leading up to a black-purple saddle-like portion across his back. Two swooping flame-like bits came together against his chest and shoulders, wrapping around to buckle underneath an eye-like jewel in the middle. The straps of the chestplate were tucked away around his neck, and the helmet neck guard plates hid them completely under its purple and dark blue plates. His face then partially disappeared as well beneath the blackish-purple face guard, leaving only his jaw and ears out in the open.
He looked in the nearby mirror, the blue moon emblem of his helmet glowing in tune with his eyes, before taking one more step toward the view. Each and every part of him, from the armor to his underlying self, was made of rubber. He’d been truly transformed into something inorganic, the night air blowing across his smooth skin like a gentle caress.
For a moment, the bat pony allowed his guard to drop, closing his eyes and simply taking in the sensations. He’d always lived his life at high speed. Always pushed to be the fastest he could be. And now, he could finally relax a little, without the constant nagging desire to stay moving.
But in that moment of his guard dropping, something squeaked into Reco’s ear. He thought it was just his new armor against his skin, until he heard the the click of the mouth guard of his helmet being pushed into place. His eyes darted open, and he did a perfect half-turn, moving away from whatever was behind him. At least, until he saw her.
Another bat pony, just as darkly colored as he was, wearing the same squeaky armor and gazing at him with the same colored eyes. It raised a hoof, pulling out a letter that had been tucked within its breastplate. Reco took it, reading every word from top to bottom. Then, he looked the other pony in the eyes and slowly nodded, saying not a single word before tucking the page into his own chest piece. With nothing but the soft squrks and snaps of their hooves against the ground, Reco followed the other one from his home, locking the door behind him.
With a powerful leap and flap of their wings, both became airborne. The flight felt natural, as if he’d soared the skies among the night breeze every night for years. As if programming from his new form had gifted him the skill and experience he needed to follow the summons he had been given. From the ground, anyone would have seen two batponies passing in front of the light of the moon, cruising toward the Everfree Forest at a casual pace.
The Night Queen had spoken, her motherly voice carried with the letter, calling her children home. A call to an eternal, squeaky night. As one of her Guardians of the Night, Moonlight Recon obeyed, thankful for the delivery Northern Cross had brought to him.