"Cypress! We need to go!" a firey maned mare calls out from the doorway of the break room. This snaps out the pale green mare from her dissociated stare into her clipboard. Cypress or Cypress Wind is a young pegasus mare, her deep turquoise eyes flicker up to her eager to leave counterpart. Quill, short for Phoenix Quill, who is the younger mare's journalist mentor. Gesturing the mare to get up, "Come on, we are gonna be late for our interview with the royal guard!"
Cypress rises to her hooves and swings a bag over her rump, latching it into place. The mares run out of the news office as they makes their departure from Cloudsdale into Canterlot. As they fly into Canterlot, Cypress can't help to feel an uneasy feeling about this whole situation. As detailed in the page in her clipboard, Quill and her are interviewing the royal guard who responded to the previous week's incident. An explosion caused by magic at an annual fair hosted by Princess Twilight. Luckily she wasn't among the causalities, unfortunately there was still so many due the crumbling of the building. The royal guard are finishing their last looks through the rubble.
The pair touch down at the checkpoint just outside of the scene. Quill rushes up to one of the guards with Cypress in tow, "Good afternoon sir, we are here with Cloudsdale Daily to do our interview with Sergeant Iron Will?." He looks to his partner at this gate who pulls out his scroll. The stallion looking through gives a nod to the stallion in front of them.
"Fair enough, you two will be following me," he says as he opens up the pedestrian gate behind him. He gestures to another guard to cover for him as he takes the two reporters to the tent set across from the rubble. As they reach the commanding tent he motions them to wait as he parts the tent opening to poke his head in. While the conversation is somewhat inaudible he pulls his head back out, "He is ready for you ladies." He parts the opening wider for the two of them to enter. The guard escorting them there leaves them there, assuming to return to his post.
"Sergeant Iron Will? My name is Phoenix Quill, this is my mentee Cypress Wind, it is a pleasure that we can take some time out of your day to speak with you on this developing story," the mare speaks to the dove grey pegasus stallion before them.
He puts down his papers on the table between him and the mares. He isn't wearing a helmet at this time, which leaves his salt and pepper mane to flow freely in the light draft coming inside the tent. "Well welcome to the site, gentlemen please leave me with these two," he spoke as his supposed subordinates left the tent. "Come and sit," he gestures to a smaller table at sitting height as the three sat at the table. "How was the flight down here?"
Cypress gets out her notebook as Quill gets out hers to place on the table. "It was not too bad, then again I've flow in just anything, not sure about Cypress here," she chuckled at the latter. Cypress reciprocated a nervous laughter as Iron also chuckled.
"I've flown down here but the weather has always been favorable," Cypress retorted. "I will be here to conduct notes for today's interview," she continued as she flipped to a blank page.
"Shall we begin?" Quill questioned to them as both of them nodded. "Good, let's see here," she dragged the tip of her hoof across her clipboard. "So, since this will be the last day you will be conducting searches, what is the casualty and survivor rate gone up to as of today?"
"35 dead, 4 in critical condition, 10 still missing and 8 injured." He responded. "Princess Twilight to my knowledge has been discharged by the hospital the other day."
"Good to hear," she gleamed, "next question. Will the missing will be declared dead and since this was a royal sponsored event will they be held liable for compensation for the lives lost in this incident?"
"I am unable to answer the latter, for that is ultimately up to Princess Twilight, any pony we haven't found at the end of the day will still be considered missing," he says.
"According to some sources they believed the stallion responsible committed an act of terrorism. While some witness accounts believe the contrary. Are the guard concluding this as an act of terrorism?" Quill questions. This time it takes a bit longer for the sergeant to respond. Cypress quickly makes a jot to note his apprehension.
Iron reacts by quickly answering, "Well, we can confirm with the amount of high influence individuals present at this event, also the nature of that event that it would positively a target of a terrorist attack."
Quill nods, "Final question, there have been multiple reports of unicorns who have survived this attack experiencing random involuntary expulsions of their magic. Has there been a connection made to this happening to the subj-"
"No connections have been made, to this phenomenon, most likely being caused due to stress," the sergeant cuts her off. Cypress kind of taken aback from this sudden interruption. She jots his answer down.
"Okay thank you, that is all of the questioning we have for today," Quill says as they stand. The mares pack their things. Then, Cypress and her both give a bow to Iron Will.
"Fair enough, one of the guards will escort you two back to the checkpoint, have a good day," he gives his farewell as the journalists leave the tent. A guard leads them to the checkpoint they arrived to, as they passed the rubble of the building some of the soliders whispered to each other. Cypress was starting to feel uneasy about this. As they arrived they thank the guards for their time and the pair flew back to Cloudsdale.