Agent Six, Reporting For Duty!

         With an ever-cold scowl on her face, Agent Six slumbers in her bed in her hotel room. A scowl is usually a sign of plain anger or frustration. This begs the question: What would have her feeling so frustrated? Could it be a bad dream? Could it be a relentless memory? Perhaps the source of her scowl will reveal itself soon enough.

       Agent Six opens her eyes as she sits up in bed. She sets free a silent yawn in the process of waking up. “Ugh” Agent Six groans. “My dear friend, to me.” Agent Six’s horn glows a hue that is as green as her eyes. From a nearby saddlebag, a quill and a hardcover book whose cover is blank levitates into her front hooves. “Good morning my trusted friend. Ready to hear the latest in my life news?” Agent Six smiles softly. It is not a smile of happiness, but rather the smile bodes a bond of secret trust. She opens the book up and begins writing in the book.

“ (8/4/13)

     Dear Diary,

       It’s me again. It has been another week. Every Friday, I write in you to convey my feelings. Or…rather what feelings I have left. I deeply apologize for deciding to write today. I was in the turmoil of finding a place to reside in this small town, Ponyville. A town where, once again, I am not truly alone. Such is my life. I am never able to be in a true state of solitude. Ever since…that day 15 years ago, I have not been the same. Do I miss my queen and country? One could say that I do. Braytain is where I was born and raised. But that was then, the past. This is now, the present. Only the gods of time know what lie in the future

      Sincerely, your only friend

      Diamond Shield “

      Once her weekly morning ritual is done, she floats her best friend and quill back into the saddlebag. As if randomly, a tear makes an effort to trickle its way down her left cheek. Upon a strong instinct, she wipes the tear away and gets out of bed to stretch. Agent Six trots into the bathroom and turns a faucet to turn her shower on. Agent Six closes her eyes to visit better memories of her life.

          Agent Six recalls a rather warm summer evening. An evening that was the best day of her life. Truth be told, she used to be happy. Happy with her life, her job, and with a stallion who she once loved. On a hilltop, a handsome blue-eyed unicorn stallion with a black coat and white mane and donning a gray tuxedo took a seat by her side.

       “Hello my love. I apologize for being late. I’m afraid street traffic was a trifle difficult to maneuver through.” The stallion said as he sets a basket down.

        The mare who formerly called herself Diamond Shield smiled at the stallion. She was wearing an azure dress, donning a hibiscus in her mane, which was styled into a bun to match the beautiful evening. “Got stuck in traffic, huh? What have I told you about the traffic? Always be—“ She began to say.

      “Always be the first on the street. I know, I know. I hate it when you use my lectures against me.” The stallion teased.

     Diamond smirked. “Do you now? Last time I checked, you loved the stern logic within a lecture.” She leaned on the stallion, sighing happily.

    The stallion chuckled as he stroked Diamond Shield’s mane. “Well, I suppose you got me on the one.” He chuckled again while Diamond giggled.

       “Too right. So, what brought you to request that I sit upon this beautiful twilit hilltop?” Diamond asked softly.

     “Always one to cut straight to the flesh of the topic, aren’t you dear? You are quite like a kitchen knife.” The stallion said in a flirtatious manner, causing Diamond Shield to blush. “Well, I suppose I should not disappoint you then. So here it is.” The stallion pulled himself away to make space between himself and his beloved marefriend as he reached into his tuxedo pocket. “Diamond Shield, my love…” He pulled a small padded box from the pocket.

      Diamond stared at the stallion with wide eyes. “Y-yes?”

       The stallion opened the box to reveal a beautiful, well cut diamond ring. “Will you do me the valued honor of being my bride?” The stallion grinned with joy in its purest form.

        Diamond Shield gasped, at first in surprise and then in pure joy. “Y..y-yes! My beloved…” She is so happy that she cannot even say his name. “I will marry you.” She hugged her beloved fiancé. “I will marry you.” She sniffled, tears of joy trickling down her cheeks.

     The stallion returned her loving embrace. “I love you, Diamond Shield.” He rubbed her back. “You are the cloud for which my heart soars.”

       “Poetry. Sweet poetry.” Diamond Shield  sighed happily.

    “Yes…” The stallion smiled, and then whispered to a hidden radio in his pocket. “Phase one. Phase two will commence in one month.”

    A voice whispered back. “Roger that. Keep up the good work.”

    “Yes sir.” The stallion whispered back.

        Diamond Shield had her eyes closed. “What was that, my dear?”

     “Er…n-nothing my dear.” He said, opening the basket that he had brought. “Let us eat while we enjoy the sunset, together.” He wrapped a hoof around Diamond Shield. That was the day a tragedy was set in motion.

         Minutes later, Agent Six opens her eyes and steps out of the shower. With a soft sigh, she turns the faucet to shut the shower off. A towel wraps itself around her through magic as she steps out of the bathroom. “I try to forget. I try so hard to forget…but how can I?” Agent Six asks herself as she takes the time to dry off. Remembering that she is to meet Elizabeth outside of the inn at noon, she puts her outfit on and leaves her room. Approaching the exit, she sighs once more as she opens the door and steps outside.

      She waits beside the door, keeping a watchful eye out for Elizabeth. A passing guard nods a greeting. “Afternoon ma’am.” The guard says.

       Agent Six nods a greeting back to the stallion. “Good morning, officer.” She greets the stallion.

        “Trying to get a room here?” The guard asks. The guard is yellow in color. His eyes are a grey color, as is his mane. Why, he doesn’t look a day over twenty-one. As for his cutie mark, it appears to be a book with a flaming hoof on it.

      Agent Six shakes her head. “No. I got that objective done yesterday. I’m just waiting for somepony, that’s all.”

   “I see. What’s your name ma’am?” The guard asks with a grin.

      “What is it to you?” Agent Six eyes the guard. She sighs. “If you must know, my name is Agent Six.”

        “Agent Six. That’s a nice name.” He gladly shakes her hoof. My name is—“

      As if on a hateful instinct, Agent Six pulls her hoof out of the guard’s grasp and shoots a glare at him. The guard backs away a bit in alarm. “If you would kindly excuse me officer.” Agent Six huffs and trots back into the inn, leaving the guard to question to question what her anger was all about.

     Agent Six stomps into her hotel room and slams the door. “Stallions.” Agent Six sighs, trying to cool her nerves. “I need to go out for a while. I’ll wait for Elizabeth later.” She utters to herself as she floats her saddlebags on and leaves the room again. Perhaps the fresh air will do some good. She filled the bags with supplies such as food, water, and other things.

     Once prepared, she leaves the inn and makes her way in the direction of the Dragon Lands. And to her unawareness, a place where ponies are very much preyed upon for their emotions. A place that she may soon be a victim of. Or so this story would seem. While she trots, her mind shifts to an early “chat” that she had with a certain stallion whom she loved.

         “I remember the day that we had met. It was like a dream come true. I was merely a half-blunt instrument working for queen and country. Though I was often happy, I always did have a hateful side to me. A hatred for those who would dare threaten our citizens. For those who would betray the queen for their own selfish desires. And you were the one and only balance that I had. You were the scale that weighed my happiness…and the hatred that I held inside. And now, you are a subject of my hatred. Were we truly right for each other?” Diamond Shield had asked the stallion and simply trotted away, hoping to never see him again.

        Back in the reality of the present, Agent Six munches on a carrot stick while approaching a foreboding castle not too far ahead. “Sweet Queen of Braytain…” Her mouth hangs open as she looks ahead at the castle. Slowly getting closer to the castle and what appears to be a village in constant disrepair, Agent Six observes the architecture. “This cannot be Princess Luna’s castle, can it?” Such a silly question, of course it’s not hers. “I hope not. It looks horrendous. The Queen of Braytain would surely faint at the mere sight of it.”

     Agent Six shrugs to herself. “Well, I do hope the locals treat a lady properly. If there is anypony here that is.” Agent Six says coldly to herself and trots onward into the village. It seems empty, but there may be eyes locked on her. Creepy insect-like eyes watch as she approaches a fountain that is filled with a horrid green fluid. Her expression turns to disgust as she eyes it. “If this IS Luna’s castle, she sure does not take proper care of her sewage system.” Agent Six eyes the liquid, oblivious to what it really is.

       “Hm.” She levitates a test tube from one of her saddlebags and pulls the cork off with her teeth. “Mm!” She scoops some of the liquid up in the test tube and pops the cork back on. “There.” She puts the test tube back into the saddlebag for safe-keeping. With something to examine, she turns around and trots back on her way to Ponyville.

      “Princess Luna lives in Canterlot as far as my knowledge goes. So…who lives in the castle back there?” Many questions flow through her mind. Once again, her mind returns to the past as she makes her way back to Ponyville.

      “Why am I blindfolded? What is the big surprise?” Diamond Shield asked her fiancé.

       “Patience Diamond.” The stallion chuckled. “The big surprise is a gift that I’m sure that you will one day cherish. Of that I am sure.”

        She rolled her eyes from behind the blindfold. “I already have your love. What could you give me that could possibly equal that?” She wondered as her blindfold was taken off, revealing a hardcover book in her lap.

     “Surprise.” The stallion grinned.

        Diamond blinked. “A book? I don’t understand.”

        “It’s not just /a/ book. It’s your own book. A diary.” The stallion gave Diamond a soft nuzzle.

        “Oh. Oh!” Diamond smiled. “Oh sweetheart. I’ve always wanted a hardcover diary. How did you know?” She examined the book, happily.

    “Oh, I have my ways…” The stallion replied to Diamond Shield, then turned away to hide a regretful frown. “I have my ways.” The memory fades back to reality.

        Soon, Agent Six returns to Ponyville while munching on another carrot stick. Her current destination is the library. When she arrives, she opens the door and trots inside, heading upstairs hearing grunting sounds. “Good afternoon little dragon.” Agent Six eyes the familiar baby dragon, who seems to be trying to wash a cloud bed. Or to move it. “Do you need help?” Agent Six asks the dragon.

      “I can do it! And you get downstairs, the upstairs of the Treebary is off limits.” The dragon replies in a rather stern-ish tone.

      Agent Six nods to the dragon silently. “Yes sir. Sorry sir.” Agent Six canters back downstairs. Eyeing a few books, Agent Six calls up to the baby dragon. “Young dragon, do you have a microscope or anything that I could use?” Agent Six asks.

       The little dragon comes downstairs. “Sure, in Twi’s lab in the basement. But we can’t go down there without her permission. Sorry. Maybe later?”

       Before she replies to the dragon, a purple Alicorn clipts into the Treebary. Agent Six’s eyes widen at the sight of the Alicorn. “Sweet Queen of Braytain…that is the newest princess of Equestria; Twilight Sparkle.” She whispers to herself. She then clears her throat. “Anyway, I suppose I could wait for a little while. You see, I have this strange green liquid...” Agent Six levitates the test tube out of her saddlebag. “…to analyze.“

   “What is it?” The dragon asks.

    She puts the test tube away. “I’m not sure. That’s why I came to analyze it. I scooped it up from a fountain at some eerie looking castle. Looks to me like sewage. Agent Six explains to the dragon. But I don’t know for sure. Only a clear analysis will confirm or deny what it is.  I thought that a library like this was bound to have microscopic equipment. Seems I was right. Oh, of all the days I chose to leave my equipment behind, it just had to be today.” Agent Six takes a mental note to mind. “By the way, I don’t believe I got your name yesterday.” Agent Six says to the dragon.

    “I’m Spike!” The little dragon introduce himself with enthusiasm.

    Agent Six offers a hoof to Spike for a hoof-to-claw shake. “Spike. Charming name. You can call me Agent Six. And before you ask, no. I am not a secret agent. “Agent Six is…just my name. Even if I were a secret agent, that information would be classified information.” Agent Six says to Spike as she turns to leave the library and make her way to Town Hall to hopefully speak to the mayor.

    “Uh huh…” Spike did not seem to be listening.

     Upon approaching Town Hall, she notices a charity fashion show of sorts that is going on nearby, but doesn’t bother to check it out. Then, as if from out of nowhere, a big red dragon crashes down on a gazebo somewhere near the show. Agent Six nearly stumbles from the shockwave. Screaming ponies flee the scene ahead. Agent Six rushes over to see what is going on. She stops next to an elderly-looking earth mare beside a food buffet.  “What in the muddy blazes?” Agent Six looks up at the red dragon.

      The dragon roars and blackens the sky with a flying river of smoke, his eyes sparking as he scans the stunned ponies in front of Town Hall. The dragon seems to spot a tactical advantage; the fountain. The dragon opens his mouth and a gout of orange-red flame scorches the fountain. The dragon’s fire, hotter than lava causes the water in the fountain to fill the air with steam. Steam that blinds any attacking Pegasi. This only causes more chaos. The dragon has to make this fast, lest he attract dangerous attention. His eyes lock onto one pony after another. It is seeking…searching. The downdraft from its wings sends leaves and papers flying. The area looks like it is in the grip of a tornado.

      A stallion; Prince Blueblood is hiding behind the brown earth mare in fear. “MOMMY!” He flings from behind the mare and runs for his life. “I’m too young to die!”

    Agent Six glances at the fleeing prince. “Drama queen.” She mutters.

       Then, the dragon’s eyes lock onto Prince Blueblood. It spirals up into the air at about one hundred meters high, then it proceeds to dive downward, talons extended. Said talons flash like scythes. The dragon swoops, grabbing Blueblood in the process. The dragon raises its wings and speaks for the first time. What it says is unknown.

    “AAAAAHH! Un-talon me, brute! I am Prince Blueblood, his Royal Highness of Canterlot!” Prince Blueblood shouts. But while the dragon speaks, he shuts up.

     The dragon looks around at some gathering Pegasi. In the crowd, the prince Shining Armor is casting a shield spell of sorts. All the while, Agent Six sends blasts of magic, which seem to have no effect on the dragon. As a distraction, the dragon spews a lake of fire from his maw. The result of which engulfs a familiar unicorn’s dresses in flames. Agent Six had seen this mare before, at the lake.

    “MY DRESSES!! MY WORK!!!!!!” The mare gallops to the disintegrating dresses and scoops the ashes up in her hooves, crying. “WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!”

        Below the dragon, Town Hall is a fiery, steamy, smokey, and above all chaotic mass of fleeing ponies and ashes. With a screaming Prince Blueblood in talon, the dragon takes off away from Ponyville.

     Ceasing hornfire, Agent six watches the red dragon shrink in the distance. “Is everypony alright?” She asks everypony who is trying to calm down. Some give unsure nods, and cry from the fear. “. . .”

Lying in what remains of the dresses, the white unicorn mare cries a river of tears.

        “Now now Rarity. Come on, we can fix this.” The brown earth mare says. “We can send the dragon king a bill for the damage.”

    Rarity sniffles and looks up at the mare. “R-really?”

     “Of course. As his agent, anything that the red dragon does is the responsibility of the dragon king. By the treaty of 1857, he is fiscally responsible for his…minions actions.” The mare says.

       “Oh wonderful Mayor Mare.” To the mayor’s amazement, Rarity displays an itemized list. “What? This is Ponyville. Expect the unexpected. Now if we add this, and that,, oh and this was very expensive…the total comes to twenty-three thousand bits, Ms. Mayor. All for charity of course.”

     The mayor nods. “Then we add in the cost of a replacement gazebo and the cost of calling the fire department. And my PODIUM! It’s scorched! Ohh they will pay for that…eight-hundred and seventy-six bits.”

     “Mhmm. And don’t forget all of the collateral damage, and emotional damage as well Ms. Mare.” Rarity nods back and trots off with a light yellow Pegasus mare with a pink mane.

The mayor nods again. “Oh yes. Fluttershy! Can you go and tell Spike of what has happened?”

   Agent Six approaches Rarity. “Excuse me. Are you alright?” She asks.

    “Yes, getting better. Thank you dear.” Rarity says to Agent Six.

    “Well /that/ sure was unwelcome. And unruly. Agent Six scoffs to Rarity. “Dragons.”

         “Well, one cannot expect civilized behavior from the uncivilized.” Rarity replies to Agent Six and continues on her way.

     “Yes…” Agent Six says to Rarity in agreement. “Considerably.” She then approaches the mayor. “Are you by chance the mayor of Ponyville?” She asks.

     The mayor nods to Agent Six. “That I am.”

     “Good. My name is Six. Agent Six. We need to talk.” Agent Six says to the mayor.

     The mayor smiles weakly at Agent Six. “Does it involve a prince-snatching dragon, my little pony?”

    “No. I would like to inquire about purchasing land for a mansion. Agent Six replies to the mayor. “I could care less about your cowardly prince and that red dragon.” She mutters coldly under her breath.

   “And you think that now is the best time for this?” The mayor asks, maintaining her weak smile.

    “No. But as the mayor, you should at least allow me an appointment at a later date.” Agent Six says to the mayor.

     “Of course, I will draw up the lease paperwork later.” The mayor nods.

    “Fine. In the meantime, I need to return to the inn. It has been a long day. Farewell.” Agent Six nods to the mayor and trots off on her way to the inn. Suddenly, Elizabeth gallops up to Agent Six.

         “What Happened here?!” She asks with worry.

      Agent Six to Elizabeth as she trots. “Dragon attack.”

    “Oh dear. I actually know someone who can deal with this type of stuff. She’s really good at it.” Elizabeth says.

     “It would be best to leave it to the authorities, Elizabeth.” Agent Six nods.

    “Right.” Elizabeth nods back.

    “That being said, Elizabeth, I need to go to the inn. I am very sleepy. Have a good evening.” Agent Six continues her trek to the inn to sleep for the night.